uhhh hello!! I'm Jaypefruit but I'm fine with Elliott or Fruit. I'm a demiboy and use they/he pronouns
my carrd: https://jaypefruit.carrd.co/
DNI: All the ists basically and creepy people as I am an sfw blog thank you!
Fandoms:
Life Series
Bannerfall SMP
Vampires SMP
ASOUE (have not finished so no spoilers please) im on book 6
Warrior cats (have not finished no spoilers please) just started omen of the stars
Q: Sooo what do you do?
A: I draw, I yap, I might post some drabbles, and I might just talk about the SMP I may be starting and where to find it!
Q: Can I send requests for art/drabbles?
A: Yes! I would love to have art suggestions, I cannot promise they will look amazing or be super quick, but they will be done as long as they are sfw!
Tags?
yapping: #the fruit talks??
art: #jaypefruit art
drabbles: #jay writes things
asks: #the grapefruit answers
reblogs: #jay likes this!
Text boxes can be used with credit unless specified
uhhh so I am a system so there will be some different alters and i thought i would intro the most prevelant in the coming days:
Apo: Yes, a bf!apo fictive, sue me, they go strictly by they/them, call them she and they will crashout (will use 🌙🗡️ for them)
Fizz: A very distant tommyinnit fictive and by distant I mean distant. He's really just a loudmoth tbh. He's just a little guy all bark no bite. ( his will be 🤓🐶)
Kitty: another bannerfall one how different. Yeah this is just bf!Kitty, any/all pronouns, very gender-apathetic. He does vent a little though when purr is in its feels so if you don't want that then block their emoji tag!! (🐈🗡️)
Ari: not a fictive! wowzers!! They most look out for the system, kinda hard on you, but always has everyone in mind when planning something, thought we'd add it just in case. They/it pronouns (🪶🥀)
Sal: Sal Fisher fictive, he's very sweet, loves Sanity's Fall, it really wants a break. Aro-Ace, please don't menion shipping him with anyone on this blog. It just doesn't like being shipped at all. uses He/It mostly, but'll go by anything really, just prefers He/It. (🫐🎸)
That's really all for now but of any start popping up I will add them
Description: When Cody leaves everything behind, Seth is there to pick up the pieces, much as he always was before.
Warnings: Smut. Minors DNI
A/N:
Well..... This is a beast. The inspiration bug hit me so now you get to deal with this. It's very Seth focused and Cody is kind of a dick but it's fine. Everything is fine 😁
*italics indicate text messages*
Tag list: @nightmare-freakin-viper @katries
*let me know if you wanna be added*
Marisa chewed the inside of her cheek, the unanswered text message staring back at her mockingly as she paced the corridor of the locker room. She'd given Cody at least 24 hours to cool down before texting him, letting him know how much he'd hurt her feelings, but she was still willing to talk. He was still her best friend, after all, despite the way he acted. She understood he was under an intense amount of stress, but that didn't give him agency to speak to her the way he did.
Four full days and dozens of unanswered texts later, she'd still had yet to hear from him, let alone any indication that he'd even seen her texts. What really concerned her was that she hasn't seen him at shows, despite him being scheduled. Cody never missed a show he was scheduled for, the workhorse and Dusty's voice in the back of his head making him unable to stop, even if he desperately needed to.
Marisa continued to pace, the anxiety continuing to bubble under skin, as she typed out yet another text message that she was almost certain would go unanswered.
She lifted her head, slightly perking up as she spotted Cal heading to their makeup station. She was lucky she was scheduled to get her makeup done in just a little while, maybe she could ask Cal about Cody.
Cal has known Marisa since they were 14 years old, in high school gym where Marisa was convinced she'd be a wrestler and Cal just liked staring at the boys in tight unitards. 12 years, Cal worked in makeup and was still Marisa's biggest supporter and voice of reason. They also knew the entire saga of Marisa and Cody with the added complications of one Seth Rollins. Cal knew more about her than anyone, which was a blessing and a curse in many ways. They were the voice of reason but also lived for the drama of it all. They knew what to say to talk Marisa off a ledge on more times than she could ever thank her for.
Marisa sighed as her thoughts ran wild, deciding to make her way over to the make-up room where Cal was setting up their station for the day. She tapped on the door lightly, so as not to startle them.
They turned around, smiling wide and gesturing her in. “Hey boo! Come on in, just getting set up for you.”
Marisa smiled, walking into the room. “Hey, have you heard from Cody?”
Cal paused, almost frozen in place. A look of concern and confusion washed over her face before realization set in. “Oh… oh babe, did you not see the memo? Did he not tell you?”
Marisa raised an eyebrow, equally confused as the anxiety sat heavy in her stomach like a lead weight. “Tell…. Tell me what?”
Cal stood silent, their brow furrowed as they contemplated how to proceed with the information they'd just learned. Marisa stood confused, the feeling of anxiety reemerging as she tried to discern what the hell was going on.
“Cal, tell me what?” She asked again, her voice more panicked than she realized.
Cal let out a heavy sigh, shaking their head before pulling out their phone. They tapped the screen for a moment before turning it to face them, showing the internal memo from Hunter.
“Babe, he's been released.” Cal said, finally breaking the silence.
Marisa stood dumbfounded, confusion on her face as she felt a range of emotion that she couldn't even begin to articulate. “No, no way. No way.”
Her mind immediately went to the worst case scenario, thinking back to the meeting he'd had with Hunter and Vince the week prior. It couldn't have gone that bad, could it?
Marisa quickly pulled up her phone, checking her email and seeing the same memo from Hunter. A quick search of Google pulled the article from the official WWE website, confirming her fear.
How could he be gone?
And how could he not tell her?
“I'll… I'll be right back.” She said, quickly stepping out of the office. She took a screenshot shot of the website, sending a screenshot to him with a text.
“What the fuck???”
She bit back the frustration she felt, wanting to know what happened. She needed to understand what was going on.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, causing her heart to leap as she saw he FINALLY responded.
“Oh… yeah.”
She wanted to scream in frustration. His nonchalant response irritated her more than it probably should have. She had been on edge all week, fearing that she'd ruined their friendship.
She quickly typed a reply back, chewing her lip.
“Really? Four god damn days and I find out you've been released and all you can say is ‘oh yeah’?? Cody, what the fuck?”
“Look Ris, I don't think now is the right time to talk about this”
“Then when would you like to talk about it?? Cuz now seems like as good of time as any”
“Please let's just talk about this later, okay?”
“What happened? Was the meeting that bad?”
“Had nothing to do with the meeting. ”
“Then what the hell happened?”
“I asked to be released.”
“... What?.. when?? Why??”
“A few days ago. I just couldn't be there anymore.”
“I… I mean I understand but why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything?”
“As if you would have even cared.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Of course I would have cared about you deciding to quit??”
“It just seemed like you were to busy having Rollins head up your skirt”
“Are you actually kidding me right now? I told you nothing happened! And besides, we've already had this conversation.”
“Whatever you say, Marisa.”
“So you decided to leave and not tell me because you have this stupid idea that I'm somehow sleeping with Seth when I'm not, and I'm not even your girlfriend, a decision that YOU made by the way. Is your ego that fragile?”
“Can you for once not make something about yourself? The world doesn't revolve around you.”
“You know what, fuck you. Good luck wherever you end up.”
She wiped the stray tears from her eyes, shoving her phone back in her pocket and making her way back to her locker room.
She felt sick to her stomach, anger, sadness and the slight of betrayal weighing on her.
WrestleMania was less than two weeks away and he’d promised her he'd be there for her big match. She didn't blame him for leaving. How could she? She of all people knew exactly how miserable he was. But he could have told her. He broke a promise to her, all because of a misunderstanding and his ego, which has plagued their relationship since the start of their intimacy. It's the reason he'd never put a label on their relationship and the reason no one was allowed to know the full extent of their situation.
Her and Seth had history, but that was all it was. History that was intense and had Marisa questioning everything, but that also fizzled like an explosion once Seth betrayed them all. They'd managed to get back to being mostly friends with each other, but Marisa always felt hesitant to trust him fully.
Marisa felt a shoulder bump into her as she scurried, almost falling to the ground. She looked up, spotting brown eyes staring back at her, a look of almost concern on his face.
“Hey hey, speed racer, where ya goin in such a hurry?” Seth said with a lighthearted chuckle.
“Hey um… sorry, I didn't mean to..” She stammered over her words, the thoughts racing and her nerves feeling frayed.
“You're good, darlin. What's up?” He said, placing a hand on her cheek, brushing the stray strands away from her face.
“Um.. he's gone.” She let out a heavy sigh.
Seth looked confused at first, before it registered what she was talking about. She could see the ghost of a scowl form in his face that was replaced near instantly.
“Yeah, I heard the pretty boy up and left. You holding up okay?” He asked, his hand still resting gently on her cheek, his thumb stroking absentmindedly against her cheekbone, sending a slight shiver up her spine that she did her best to ignore.
“He didn't even tell me.” She said, feeling tears well up in her eyes once more.
She didn't think the fight was that bad, considering the actual screaming matches they'd had before that usually ended with them tangled together with sighs of his name falling like a rainstorm on a quiet summer evening.
“Well that was awfully shitty of him. But you already know how I feel about him.” Seth said. She knew he was doing his best to hold back, him knowing how close the two were without knowing the extent of their… friendship.
“Look, I know it's a bummer but he had to do whatever he had to do. He's a shithead for not giving you a heads up, but that's on him, not on you.” He said, his words having just a bit of bite to them but made her smile regardless.
“Yeah. You're right, I guess.” She said, running her fingers through her hair. “Thanks”
“You never have to thank me, sweetheart.” He said, pulling her into a hug. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, needing to feel at least a bit grounded. She felt raw and vulnerable, and she was damn grateful he was here.”
“Hey. How's about after the show, I come to your room. We watch some movies, have a drink or two and you can forget about that asshole.” He said, a cheeky smile on his face as his hands found either side of her cheek.
She smiled back, rolling her eyes just a bit. “Sure. Sounds better than mopeing I guess.”
“Great, we can ride together after the show, if you'd like.” He said with a smile.
“Sure, yeah, why not.” She smiled. She definitely wouldn't mind the company, knowing all she'd do is sit around and let her mind wander. Instead, she'd get to reconnect with an old friend, considering they hadn't really had it since she decided to forgive him.
“Great. See ya then, butterfly.” He said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. It once again lingered longer than it normally should before he showed back smiling before scooting past her to the men's locker room.
She let out a heavy sigh, staring at her phone, a missed message from Cody. She decided she didn't want to deal with it right now and decided to focus on her promo tonight.
She'd worry about everything later
~
She squeezed the muscle on her neck, the stiffness radiating through her body as she adjusted herself in the car. Seth glanced over at her, a chuckle falling from his lips.
“Hell of a bump you took. You sure you're okay?” He asked, a hint of concern on his face as his hand found her knees, giving a gentle squeeze.
“Yeah, I'm good.” She groaned a bit. “Just fuckin hate apron bumps.”
“You don't gotta tell me, those things fuckin suck. You took it like a champ though.” He said, giving her knee another squeeze.
“Yeah but now my shoulder is fucked. Definitely gonna need an ice pack.” She groaned. An ice pack and a hot shower was all she craved.
“Well lucky for you, we have arrived. I'll get the movie set up, you go get comfy.” Seth said as he pulled into the parking lot, pulling into an unoccupied space and shutting off the car.
His hand lingered on her knee for a moment before opening his door and sliding out of the door.
She unbuckled herself, grabbing her bags from the trunk and following Seth inside the hotel where everyone was staying.
Several people had already asked her about Cody, the news taking everyone by surprise. She just shrugged and kept quiet, her memory flashing to their fight. She also remembered she had an unread text from him that she wasn't sure she could bring herself to answer.
Seth went to his room to put his stuff away since they had the next two nights off. She went to her own room, kicking her shoes off and pulling out of her phone.
She read the missed text from Cal, sending a quick reply. She bit her lip, her finger hovering over the missed message from Cody that sat in the back of her mind for the majority of the day. Before she could tap to open it, she heard a knock on the door.
She stood up, making her way over and opening the door, allowing Seth to enter the room.
“Hey hey, hope ya didn't miss me too much.” He said with a cheeky grin.
“Considering you've been gone all of two minutes, I'd say not so much.” She said, rolling her eyes and laughing.
“Ouch, okay. Don't gotta hurt a guy's feelings like that.” He said, laughing as he put his hands up in joking defense. She smirked and rolled her eyes at him, gesturing for him to sit on the bed.
“What'd you wanna watch?” She asked, glancing back at him as she pulled her sleep clothes out of her bag.
“Dealer’s choice. Tonight's about making you feel better.” He said, a smile so earnest of his face, if nearly made her heart clench.
She often wondered what life would be like had her and Seth made it off the ground all those years ago. Had Cody not come back into the picture and had he not joined the authority. Had she been willing to let Cody go and give Seth what he wanted.
“Hm…. Mean girls.” She said with a smile.
“Oh you gotta be kidding.” He said with an eye roll and a playful groan. It was the movie she forced him to watch many a night down in Florida whenever she was in a mood. He watched it every time, faux complaining about how much he hated it but the laughs he let out that he attempted in vain to hide, speaking quite the contrary.
“Oh come on, you love that movie!” She said with a smile, her tone almost pleading.
“I absolutely do not. But if it'll make you feel better, I'll suffer through it again.” He said, letting out a dramatic sigh.
“You’re a terrible liar, Rollins.” She laughed. “But I appreciate you always.”
“Anything for you, butterfly.” He said, his voice lowering and his eyes going soft as a smile settled on his face. It once again caused her heart to flutter, but she chose not to think about it.
“I'm… gonna go hop in the shower really quick.” She said, avoiding his eyes.
He nodded, a smile still on his face as she turned and made her way toward the ensuite bathroom. She shut the door to the bathroom, turning on the shower head and waited for the water to heat up. She took a breath, the images of the blue eyed man flashing in her head, reminding her how desperately she wanted to talk to him, but she couldn't bring herself to. She was too raw right now and she knew she'd lash out at him, despite her understanding of why he left.
It wasn't that he left, it was how he left. They'd been friends for 8 years at this point, she would have at least thought he'd given her the courtesy of a goodbye.
She shook the thoughts out of her head, focusing on the night she had with Seth planned and jumped in the shower, looking forward to a very welcome distraction.
The hot water blasted the sore muscles in her neck and shoulder, easing some of the tension from the hits and falls she took in her match earlier that evening. She was thankful they had the next few days off because she could already tell she would be a walking bruise the next morning.
She turned the shower off, stepping out as the cool air hit her wet skin, causing a slight shiver to run down her spine. She dried herself off, slipping her clothes on. She saw the flashing light on her phone, indicating an unread notification and she knew what it was. It had been flashing all evening, taunting her. She shook her head, grabbing her phone and drying the rest of her hair before stepping out of the bathroom.
“Hey, feeling any better?” Seth said, having already made himself comfortable on the Queen sized bed in the center of the room, scrolling absentmindedly on his phone.
“Yeah, much.” She said with a smile, sliding next to him, leaving just enough distance between them.
“Oh come on, you can scoot closer, I don't bite. Though I know you're into that.” He said with a smirk and a wink, causing a wild blush to creep across her cheek.
“Can you not?” She said with a giggle, feeling the flush spread over her.
Seth knew her so well in many intimate ways, almost as well as Cody did. She'd spent many a night in her shitty apartment in Florida with him, tangled together while she tried to forget the blue eyed man who refused to put his ego aside for her own feelings.
Seth made it very clear what he wanted, and it was always her. He made it known and had no issues kissing her in front of everyone without hesitation. He'd hold her hand and tell her how beautiful she was no matter what other eyes were on them. It was nice to be wanted so openly instead of having to sneak off to an office just to avoid speculation.
She just wished she could let herself be with Seth, but Cody was always in the back of her head. He was her best friend and the love of her life. And that was the worst part of it all.
“Aww, come on sweetheart, I'm just messing with you.” He said cheekily, poking her side. “Let's get the movie started, I already ordered food.”
She smiled and rolled her eyes, opting to scoot a little closer. The movie started playing and she got lost in the nostalgia of how much this movie truly brought her comfort.
After a moment, they heard a light tap on the door, signifying food had arrived.
“I got it.” He said, squeezing her thigh for a moment before standing up and heading to the hotel room door.
She bit her lip, checking her phone, his name still sitting at the top of her screen. She sighs, opting to finally open the message. She was almost surprised that there were several.
“You’re acting like a child, Marisa.”
“Why am I always the villain here?”
“Fine, I'm the asshole. Is that what you want from me?”
“Just…. Say something.”
She groans, squeezing her eyes shut as the emotions she'd pushed down for most of the day washed over her.
She opted to respond finally.
“You are an asshole. And I don't want anything from you, Cody. I never have.”
She was surprised to see him typing back almost immediately, as if he's been waiting by the phone.
“I know I am. But you're making it seem like I held no regard for you or your feelings.”
“And how exactly did you? Cuz last I checked up and leaving without so much as a goodbye wasn't showing very much regard.”
“Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how I acted but you don't understand.”
“You never let me understand. Instead you made a decision, as is your right, but I also have a right to be upset.”
“How can you be upset with me for doing what I needed to do for myself?”
“You really think THAT'S what I'm mad about? I told you I understand that. What I don't understand is why you didn't care enough to tell me outside of your silly idea that I'm sleeping with someone that I'm definitely not.”
“How do I know that? How can I possibly believe that with the way he's basically all over you.”
“And why does it matter? He doesn't know anything about us, and you're not my boyfriend.”
“You don't have to keep reminding me of that.”
“Clearly I do, since it was your goddamn decision.”
“Maybe I made the right decision.”
Marisa inhaled sharply, feeling the sting of tears prick her eyes. She typed by a quick reply
“Well maybe you fuckin did. Fuck you.”
“Ris, I didn't… I didn't mean it like that.”
Marisa tossed her phone on the nightstand, gripping her head with her hands. Her cheeks were red, flush with anger and sadness, and she felt the tears pooling in her eyes, threatening to spill over for what felt like the hundredth time today. She squeezed her palms to her eyes, willing herself not to cry again. She couldn't keep crying over him. Not when he didn't even seem to care.
“Food's here!” Seth said, holding the container in his hand as he made his way back to the bed. He paused for a moment, his jovial smile quickly replaced by a look of concern as he caught sight of her, placing the food down on the end table near the bed.
“Hey… what's up, sweetheart?” He said, sliding next to her and placing a hand on her leg. He looked in her eyes, trying to read the expression on her face.
She looked up, shaking her head and attempting a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. “Nothing.. I'm good, I promise.”
“Ris, you're an awful liar. What's going on?” He said, placing his hand on her cheek, lifting her head slightly, causing her to look at him once more
She sighed, her eyes closing before a brief moment as she attempted to find the words. “Cody texted me. Made the mistake of responding when I definitely shouldn’t have…”
Seth furrowed his brow, his body tensing. “What did he say?”
Marisa shook her head, not wanting to bring the mood down any further than she already had. She knew how Seth felt about Cody, having seen them nearly come to blows on many occasions, and she didn't want to deal with the venom that he would spit simply at the mention of his name. In addition, he didn't know the full extent of their relationship, if it could even be called that, and she'd rather keep it that way. She really didn't want to open that can of worms if she didn't have to.
“It's.. it's not important.” She said with a sigh, avoiding his eyes yet again.
“Well it was important enough to make you cry, so I'd say that matters to me. But I won't press the issue if you'd rather not talk about it. Let's just eat and finish the movie, okay?” He said, a hint of frustration on his face that quickly faded and was replaced with a soft smile.
She smiled, nodding, trying to get her emotions in check in an effort not to completely derail the evening. “Yeah, sounds good…. Thank you “
“Of course darlin.” He said as he smiled, stroking her cheek with his thumb once more before standing up and grabbing the room service containers and handing her the food.
It looked great, but her appetite was essentially non-existent. She fiddled with her fork, scooting the food back and forth as Seth sat next to her, randomly chuckling at parts of the movie as he ate.
Her mind wandered to the past week and how things had shifted drastically from what she imagined. She was supposed to be overjoyed. Preparing for the biggest match of her career with her best friend by her side. Instead, he was gone and acted like she was the bad guy for being upset. He’d never lashed out at her like this. She knew he'd been struggling, but she never knew it could have been partially her fault.
“You're a million miles away, butterfly. What's going on?” Seth said, pausing the movie and raising an eyebrow.
“Hm? Oh, I'm good just… mania next week.” She said, partially lying.
“Sweetheart, you haven't even touched your food and you love Mac n cheese. You know I'm here for you, just tell me what's up.” He said, shifting to face her.
She let out a sigh, hating that he could easily see through her. “Just… the fight I had with Cody..”
Seth furrowed his brow, but stayed silent.
“It's just stupid, you know? It's like I'm the bad guy for being upset that I didn't at least get a heads up.. especially considering he requested his release.” Marisa sighed, running her hands through her hair.
“I get it, darlin. But you're not the bad guy cuz he decided to let his ego win yet again. You had a right to know if you're as close as it seems you are. But… and you know how I feel about him, maybe it was the decision he needed to make.” Seth said, placing a hand on her leg.
She nodded, knowing he was right. “I know it was…. Doesn't mean it doesn't suck.”
Seth offered a sympathetic smile, pulling her into his chest. “Well I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Not again.”
Marisa sighed, breathing in his scent and felt herself calm down. She listened to his heartbeat for a moment, her breathing syncing with the rhythm. Seth always had the ability to calm her. She'd missed this. She'd missed him.
After a moment, Seth pulled away but didn't speak. His thumb found her cheek again, stroking gently. He stared at her for a while, almost studying her face.
Marisa felt the butterflies flutter to life as she stared back, noticing his eyes dart to her lips and back.
“Seth..” She started to speak, but was cut off by his lips meeting hers.
It was gentle, no rush or force behind it, but still desperate enough to take her breath away. She hesitated for a moment, her mind racing through a million thoughts before she could process what was happening.
Before she could even react, he pulled away, looking at her again. He almost looked nervous, the fear that maybe he's crossed a line.
“Ris, I'm… I'm sorry I didn't…” He started. Before he could finish, she pulled his shirt, drawing him back to her and kissing him again, pouring every once of emotion she had into it.
His hands found her waist, dragging her on his lap. Her hands clung to his shirt as he slid up her back, causing goosebumps to erupt over her skin, and a shiver to roll down her spine. His hand rested on her neck, pushing her in to deepen the kiss.
She never forgot how it felt to kiss Seth. How passionate but gentle he was. He was attentive and caring and made her forget all the fucked up emotions she felt.
She felt his hand creep further up her neck, twisting into her hair and giving a slight tug, causing a gasp to escape her lips. He took the opportunity to further explore her mouth with his tongue, re-familiarizing himself with her. She let out a low moan, her hands moving to the hem of his shirt, slipping her hands under the edge to rest in his stomach. They separated only briefly, allowing him time to remove the shirt and toss it in a random direction. He did the same to her own shirt, before pulling her back in, his lips colliding with hers once more, never missing a beat.
He flipped them down on the bed, his body weight pinning her under him as he continued to kiss her, his hands traveling from her hair to her neck, stopping at her collar bone. He pulled away momentarily, his eyes searching her face, almost nonverbally asking permission.
“Ris… I…” He started to speak, but she cut him off, pulling him back down as their lips connected once more, a means of silent confirmation that she wanted this just as much as he did.
He continued his motion, sliding his hand down her chest, squeezing her breast as he moved from her lips to her jaw to her neck, his tongue darting out and tracking the length. His teeth nipped at the soft skin, drawing a whimper out of her. This seemed to egg him on further as he bit down on her neck, eliciting a further gasp.
Her body felt on fire, the weight of him on her a sensation she hadn't felt in years. She felt drunk with his lips on her, his hands sliding from her chest to her stomach to her thighs. The scratch of his nails on her flesh, drawing low whines from her throat as her eyes fluttered shut, completely overtaken by the sensation.
She could feel him pressed against her thigh, twitching and throbbing with every stroke of his hand down her body. She was completely lost in him, the memories of their previous encounters flooding back in her mind like a tidal wave, the soft groans he was making as she rolled her hips into his, sending electricity through her body and causing her brain to short circuit.
She'd be lying if she said she hadn't missed him like this. The way he made her feel, how soft and attentive he was but knowing how to push her to and far beyond her limit in the best way possible. The way he'd whisper filthy words in her ear as he drew her closer to the edge.
She also hated that it still didn't compare to Cody.
Marisa pushed the blonde boy out of her mind, not wanting to think about him while Seth was actively on top of her. She found her hands on Seth's waist, sliding his shorts off as he fell heavy on her stomach, a shudder running through him as the cool air of the room kissed his heated skin.
She took him in her hand, stroking slowly as her eyes fluttered closed, his nails digging into her skin and his teeth sinking into her neck as his moans filled her ears.
“Fuck, I missed you.” He muttered against her skin, rutting his hips into her hand to create more friction as his lips and teeth continued their assault on her neck.
His hands found the waistband of her own sleep shorts sliding them off and tossing them to the side. She felt his weight shift, watching as he sat up, kneeling in front of her.
He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of her in front of him, almost causing her to blush as the nerves building under her skin. It's not like they hadn't been in this position before, but it'd been years since they found themselves like this, her time usually occupied with training or….
She was pulled from her thoughts as she felt the tip of him brush over her clit, causing a low whimper to escape her lips at the friction. His eyes fluttered shut and his mouth fell open as the sensation washed over him, and she remembered why she was so infatuated with him to begin with. He was incredibly handsome, but he was never more beautiful than in the midst of pleasure.
He leaned back in, his lips colliding with hers as she felt him slip into her, their moans intermingling as their lips melded together. He began with a slow thrust to build his rhythm, gripping Marisa's hands once more and pinning them on either side of her head. Marisa moaned loudly, feeling every drag of him in and out of her. It felt euphoric, a welcome distraction for events of the week as her mind went blank, the only thing in her head was Seth.
Marisa wrapped her legs around his waist, rocking her hips in rhythm with his own motions, whimper after whimper falling from her throat as his lips never left hers. It felt intimate, years of emotions flowing into her with each thrust of his hips and groan that fell from his lips. Seth began to pick up speed, his nails digging into her flesh that she was sure would leave behind blue and purple reminders of what they'd done. Marisa whined loudly, high pitched and needy and desperate for release. Her nails dug into his own shoulders, their kiss becoming sloppy and inconsistent as she felt his rhythm become more erratic.
She moaned his name loudly, feeling herself teetering over the edge. Seth continued his movements, his hips snapping sharply drawing more moans and whimpers from her throat.
She felt herself clench and her body spasm involuntarily, as waves of pleasure crashed over her. Her vision went white and her body shook, riding out his high. Seth groaned loudly, feeling Marisa clench around him as his own orgasm overtook him. His hips sputtered and stalled, riding out their climax together. He bit her bottom lip, nearly drawing blood as his nails continued to sink into her flesh before he finally collapsed on top of her, his staggered breathing hitting her neck.
She felt light as a feather but heavy as lead at the same time, the white noise in her brain slowly fading as she was brought back to the reality of the situation.
And with the reality came the guilt.
A guilt that was unfounded considering she didn't owe Cody anything. They weren't together. They'd never been, by his own design and reasons that would never make sense to her.
But why the hell did she feel like she had cheated on him? Why did she feel so guilty that she had done the one thing he'd accused her of?
Seth lifted his head, glazed eyes and a content smile adorned his face as he gently stroked her hair.
“You okay?” He asked, his voice soft and a look of concern crossing his features.
“Yeah, I'm… I'm great.” She said with a breathless laugh, doing her best to swallow down the guilt that settled heavy in her stomach.
“Good.” He said, placing another soft kiss on her lips.
He slipped out of her, causing a soft whimper to fall from her lips as he rolled off back on the bed. He took his spot next to her, pulling her into his side and throwing the duvet over them.
She laid her head on his chest, her eyes suddenly feeling heavy, the weight of the past seven days crashing over her.
“You can sleep, butterfly. I'll be here when you wake up.” He said, his voice soft as he stroked her arm gently, triggering more goosebumps to form across her skin.
She nodded simply, giving in to the exhaustion of the events of the day, drifting off to sleep, the guilt she felt still weighing heavy in her mind.
~
Seth placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder, stroking her back gently. Their legs were entangled with each other and she'd fallen asleep pretty quickly after they had finished.
Seth almost forgot what it felt like to hold her this close. To feel her breath hit the side of his neck and to smell the sweet cinnamon sugar of her perfume.
He'd almost forgotten how beautiful it sounded hearing his name rolling off her lips and how he could still make her come apart with little effort. He forgot how good it felt to be inside her, knowing he was the one causing the glorious noises to roll from her throat.
Seth knew this wasn't getting her back. At least, not yet. He knew that she needed comfort after that pompous jackass made her upset, but he was more than happy to indulge her and himself and be a welcome distraction to her mind off him.
Seth felt terrible for being glad he was out of the picture. He knew how Marisa felt about him, them having known each other for years at this point and he knew they weren't as platonic as they tried to convince everyone they were. He constantly caught their lingering glances and the hushed whispers shared between them, but she would never admit it to anyone.
Seth hated Cody. Not just for being a pompous nepo baby with an ego the size of Asia that has had everything handed to him from the time he could crawl, but he was also the reason Marisa broke things off with him once they moved up from NXT. It certainly didn't help matters when he left the Shield in the way he did, which regretted to this day, but of course Cody wouldn't let her move on.
Now that he was gone, maybe they could finally pick up where they left off. Maybe he could finally show her how much he wanted her. How he'd do anything to gain her trust and truly earn her love. and maybe, just maybe, he could finally call her his. Truly and properly with no asterisks next to the declaration.
Seth kissed her forehead gently, brushing aside the strand of hair that remained stuck to her forehead. He smiled at her as he watched her chest rise and fall, her breathing even as she slept soundly.
“I love you, butterfly.” He whispered softly, smiling as she shifted closer to him and nuzzled into his chest.
He could honestly stay like this forever with her. He wished he could. Forget their responsibilities and just enjoy each other again.
So naturally, his bliss was interrupted by the incessant buzzing of her phone.
Seth groaned, reaching over to the nightstand to hopefully silence the call to avoid waking her up. He squinted his eyes, trying to see the name across the screen as the light of her phone hit his eyes.
Cody 😋
Seth bit his cheek hard, to the point the metallic taste of iron lingered on his tongue.
He should ignore it. He shouldn't answer it.
Before he could think better of himself, he hit the button to receive the call.
“Dove, hey. I'm sorry it's late but-” Cody started and Seth had to do all he could to hide his snort.
He sounded flustered, almost relieved that the call didn't immediately go to voicemail. It would have been comical had it not been so fucking pathetic.
“Sorry buddy, wrong person.” He said, his voice calm and collected despite feeling annoyed and slightly amused by the tone in his voice.
The phone was silent for a while, almost to the point Seth had to check that the call was still active.
“...Seth?” Cody finally spoke, after a lengthy pause. The tension was palpable, even through the phone lines.
“The one and only. What do you want?”
“Where's Marisa?”
“Sleeping. We've had a…..busy night.” He said, picking his words carefully, knowing that it would piss him off at the sheer implication of his words.
He knew he could tell him outright, if he so chose. Tell him that she had been pressed in the bed screaming his name not even 30 minutes ago, but he decided to have a bit of tact, as he was sure Marisa wouldn't be too happy with him if she found out.
Another long pause hung over them and Seth waited with baited breath. After another moment, he cleared his throat.
“Look, it's late and Marisa isn't available so unless you have something else..” Seth started, but was cut off almost immediately.
“Did you sleep with her?” Cody asked, taking Seth by surprise. He didn't expect him to ask outright, but Seth knew the idea was driving him crazy. Though he still hadn't expected him to be so direct.
“What?” He asked, making sure he had actually heard him correctly, taking time to process how he should answer.
“You fucking heard me, Seth. Did you sleep with her?” He asked again, his voice sharp and low, an edge of challenge behind it, daring him to answer.
Seth furrowed his brow, feeling the disdain boil in his blood. He had to physically bite his tongue to avoid telling him exactly what they did and exactly what he thought of him. He glanced over to her sleeping form and let out a soft sigh, opting to not blow up as much as he wanted to.
“I don't think that's your business.” He said, his voice filled with irritation. He was holding back his annoyance at the situation, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could play nice.
“Answer the fucking question, Seth.” Cody replied, his voice sounding more frantic, causing a smirk to cross Seth's face.
“I don't owe you a goddamn explanation on anything, Rhodes.” Seth said, raising his voice before lowering it once more, remembering the sleeping girl laying on his chest. “And so what if I did? Your poor little ego can't handle the idea of someone actually treating her how she deserves?”
“Fuck you.” Cody bit back, his voice shaking with anger, causing Seth to become even more amused. He shouldn't be having as much fun with this as he was.
Seth couldn't help the chuckle that fell from his lips, shaking his head in amusement. “Nah, you're not my type, actually. I'll be sure to tell Butterfly you said hello. Now again, it's late so I'm gonna end this now before I say something I absolutely will not regret. Go fuck yourself, Rhodes.”
And with that, Seth hit the end call button. He placed her phone on Do Not Disturb and set it back on the nightstand. He turned over, facing her sleeping figure and smiled once more, brushing the stray strands of her away from her eyes. He placed a soft kiss to her forehead and placed an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He nuzzled his face into her neck, drifting off to sleep.
When Lucy awoke the next morning, it took her a moment to remember where she was.
Panic gripped her in its claws for the briefest moment as she opened her eyes to an unfamiliar sight; but as the tendrils of sleep ebbed away and the colourful interior of Lockwood and George’s caravan swam into focus, the tightness in her chest was quickly replaced by a bubbling feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Joy.
Maybe one day I'll post these chapters without a 3 month gap in between. Maybe.
As always, massive shout outs to my beta @ayeaye-capn and my artist @radishwizard. Y'all put up with so much of my rambling, it's honestly a skill.
Are there any fanfictions you reccomend? I only know AO3, I'm curious if there are any other archives or forums
hello, kind anon! sorry this took me so long to respond to!
i generally use ao3 as well, so i'm sorry i can't recommend works from another good forum. for the secret garden specifically, i assume fanfiction.net would have some gems! wattpad can be dubious, though, especially for more niche fandoms, and i tend to stay away from it.
as for specific fanfictions (i'm sorry, these will all be on ao3!), i love the echoing green, find some new way, and the promise of spring! i find them all to be quite true to the novel and very good with characterization. the promise of spring and the echoing green both have little elements of romance, but they aren’t intrinsically linked to the plot. another recommendation without romance is the rain falling on the sunshine, although it does deal with some heavy topics.
i also write fanfiction under the name fightingwiththewind! my hyacinth series deals with the trio growing up, and your braids like a pattern is a cute little gen story about mary learning how to be more independent.
Enjolras - It’s very hit or miss. Some days he does, some days he doesn’t. Depends on his day, his moods, there’s a lot of variables. But if someone makes him something he often grabs it as he heads out the door. He’s usually a lot less hangry at the office if he has food with his coffee, but he refuses to diminish the interns to food an drink runs, so he only goes when he has time. He notices that a lot of the time Courf drops by with some food for him
Grantaire - Doesn’t exactly forget to eat, but he doesn’t eat at normal times. He’ll eat three meals a day, but breakfast may be around 11, lunch around 4, and dinner at 10 that night. It’s almost never the same times though. It drives Enj insane, especially when Grantaire will purposefully eat at weird times. But he also appreciates it on the nights he gets home late
Combeferre - Tries really hard to remember to eat balanced meals at appropriate times but often forgets meals when he’s working. But if he forgets or doesn’t have time he often finds a local café or restaurant to support and grab some food to go.
Courfeyrac - is really chaotic in the mornings because he sleeps until the last minute and often forgets food. He tries to grab a little something to offset all the coffee he drinks though. People have called him the human bullet or the quivering cat on the days when all he’s ha is coffee because he’s just kind of all over the place an his ability to sit still is less. Everyone pretty much has a snack bar or fruit or something they hand to Courf on the days he misses breakfast. He usually shares his food with Enj.
Joly - eats a very specific diet at very specific times. It took him awhile to get used to the unpredictable timing of a doctor and he freaked out at first. But he adjusted and just ate as soon as he could to the optimum times he had found. But he’s glad he went into research an can take breaks an eat at normal times unless he’s working on specific projects.
Bossuet - honestly tries really hard to eat with Joly when he’s at home an have regular meals. But something usually happens. His alarm doesn’t go off, he grabs it to go but a bird steals it, he goes across town to this one restaurant only for it to be closed that day, he makes plans to meet his friends for brunch but ends up at the wrong location, etc.
Marius - He honestly just forgets. People will ask him what he had for a meal an he either describes it in way more detail than anyone wanted to hear, or he looks at them and blinks asking “breakfast? I... I think I forgot?” It’s usually because he was thinking about something for work or he was thinking about whoever he’s dating
Jehan - Usually has some elaborate plan for an interesting breakfast. If he preps it the night before he usually gets it eaten. If he waits until the morning, he usually forgets because he was busy feeding the birds that come to his fire escape an watering his plants. But it doesn’t usually bother him and he grabs something as he walks out the door
Barhorel - usually has a protein shake when he gets done working out. Sometimes he’ll have a smoothie instead or something else, other times Feuilly will have breakfast ready for him when he gets home, or the two will stop somewhere on their way home on the days Feuilly joins him. Sometimes Grantaire joins Barhorel, those are the days Grantaire usually has like 4 meals because he was up early working out
Feuilly - really enjoys cooking and baking. He usually wakes up when Barhorel leaves for the gym and spends his morning cleaning up around the apartment and getting ready for the day, before making breakfast. Occasionally he’ll oversleep and be rushing, but even on those days he’ll at least throw together some eggs
Eponine - Will usually remember to grab something small for breakfast. But most of the time she’s making sure Gavrouche has enough food. When it’s getting close to pay day she some times will go without to make ends meet. Sometimes she’ll grab something at work, but it depends on what they need money for. If things are really tight, she’ll go without because she doesn’t want the money taken out of her paycheck
Cosette - She usually eats because somehow Jean Val Jean always knows when she doesn’t. If he thinks she’s sipping meals he’ll put more money in her account or send her food deliveries. She usually makes what she can or grabs something on her way to work
Musichetta - It depends on the day. Some days she joins Joly for breakfast, some days she makes herself food, other days she tries to make Bossuet food, then other days she just eats when she gets to work. She likes to change things up and it just depends on her mood.
Jean Val Jean - Is usually up trying to find a charity in the city to help feed others or dropping food off for groups to use to feed others. He’s often busy making sure others will eat and doesn’t himself. If there’s extra food leftover he’ll eat some and share a meal with those around him
Javert - he eats the same thing, every day, at the same time, and it’s usually oatmeal
The first thing Rhodey does when coming home has always been turning the lights down low. It all started when they were rooming at MIT, and Tony would stay up “studying” (read, tinkering) while Rhodey had late aerodynamics courses. Tony would inevitably fall asleep on the couch, tucked under the patchwork quilt Mama Rhodes had made. Rhodey would shake his head, turn off the overhead lights, and carry Tony to bed.
nowadays, JARVIS can do it (and will, on days when Rhodey isn’t coming home) but he has learnt that this, this is something the dear Colonel wants to, needs to, do.
and so, when Rhodey comes home late and finds his husband sleeping on the couch, tucked under a threadbare patchwork quilt? Rhodey will shake his head fondly and turn the lights down low, before carrying his husband to bed.
when asked about it, later, when the dust has time to settle, Rhodey won’t say that it was desperation and a refusal to believe he’d been left behind that led to him continuing to look for Tony in that G-d forsaked desert; he’ll answer the heavy question flippantly, say I don’t think he’d die without us ever finding out which one is actually the best Go Fish player.
There is actually some truth to that sentiment. They’re very competitive.
The real, actual truth about Go Fish? Rhodey’s better at that and at Bridge, any other card game Tony’ll handily smoke him at (board games, however, Rhodey’s the undisputed king)
Unless it’s Ludo. Tony loves Ludo.
speaking of MIT, when Rhodey hears he’s got a new roommate? he curses quietly, once, before resignedly accepting his fate. when he meets the new roommate - big, soulful brown eyes, tousled black hair, looking like a kitten could bowl him over? Rhodey curses again and then decided there’s nothing for it - he’s gotta protect the kid.
it doesn’t actually happen that quick, it just sounds so romantic when he says it like that. what actually happens is that Tony, two years younger than the next youngest on campus, nervously keeps to himself, more or less pretending he doesn’t exist, until three months into their cohabitation when Rhodey gets the worst food poisoning of his life and spends three days puking.
during those three days he had two assignments to turn in, both worth a big percentage of his grade.
he got an a on both assignments, one of the professors going so far as to congratulate him in his nigh-on groundbreaking ideas.
Rhodey’s pretty sure he’s never had a groundbreaking idea about aerodynamics before, and when musing on this out loud he can’t help but notice his new roommate hunching even deeper over his textbook.
Rhodey decides he can probably like the kid, no big.
the thing is, Tony’s rich - like, ridiculously rich? While Rhodey didn’t grow up poor, they weren’t well off by any means. Christmas, their first year rooming together, that’s when Rhodey properly realizes there are different kinds of wealth.
Mama Rhodes had insisted on gifting Tony something for Christmas, despite Rhodey’s insistence to the contrary. Mama Rhodes, being a mother hen of rank, decided Tony needed a quilt.
Rhodey manfully pretended not to notice Tony’s tears when he opened the gift, but did take careful note of the way Tony swept the quilt around himself, more or less nesting in it.
the quilt didn’t cost much more than time to make, the fabrics coming from worn-out clothing and the like - monetarily, it had no value.
just the same, Rhodey did notice when Tony received a car from his father, and Tony did nothing but grimace in disgust.
Missed the first two days because moving, and fell asleep yesterday before I actually finished, but I did a thing ahaha. this one’s short, but I’m sure I’ll have much wordier days.
It was just a model ship. Just something to keep her hands busy, fill the few spare minutes she could scrounge up. It wasn't supposed to be hard.
Once already Quinn had knocked the ship’s parts completely out of order, startled by an unexpected knock on her cabin door. Only Liara, with an update of the urgent-but-very-secret variety, but it was still a solid hour before she had an opportunity to reorganize the parts scattered over her desk and across the floor. One by one, each piece in its place.
“Now, behave,” she muttered. Assembling a model ship was not something she found difficult. It was, in fact, one of the few things she genuinely found relaxing. In the midst of a war that could spell the end for life as they knew it, they all needed a hobby.
Hers was a meticulous soul. No matter how long it took, every piece was organized, every player standing where she needed them. A chessmaster, to some. A manipulative ass, to others. She didn’t care, really. At times like this, the galaxy needed someone who could see the board and where its pieces had to be. With Liara’s network of information at her fingertips, her chessboard was the whole galaxy.
What was left of it, at any rate.
The estimates of just how many people were dead varied depending on who you asked. But every estimate had one thing in common: they just kept going up.
She lined up another piece, and was just about to glue it in place when EDI’s voice interrupted, “Shepard, Admiral Hackett is waiting on vidcomm.”
She sighed, setting the partially-assembled model down on her desk. “I’ll be down in a minute.” What would it be this time? Another errand, or another frustrating update on how little progress they’d made?
Sometimes it was hard to believe that it had been only two and a half months since that first devastating attack on Earth. It felt so much longer.
Description: I've spent all of the love I saved, we were always a losing game.
Warnings: Swearing, Smut, mentions of drinking/alcoholism.
A/N: Hey hey hey! This has been in the world for a few months now and it's finally ready to start being posted. It's the story of tragedy, heartache, healing, jealousy, sex, self destruction and maybe, just maybe, love.
This is also going to be a bit of a different series as there will be text chats, Instagram posts, etc as a companion to it.
Feedback is appreciated as always!
“Right. Left. Right. Come on, I know you can do better than that.” Seth said, holding the hit pads in place as Marisa slammed her fist into each pad with as much force as she could muster.
“Come on, there ya go.” He said as she continued to punch with intensity, feeling the burn in her shoulders and triceps and the sting in her fist from each moment of contact.
“One more, gimme all you got.” He continued to encourage her, as she landed one final blow on the pad, nearly knocking him over.
“Damn, easy there Balboa.” He said with a laugh, taking a step back to unwrap the Velcro of the pads.
“Well you said to give you all I got, so…” Marisa said with a cheeky smirk.
“Okay, touchè.” He said with a smile, handing her a water bottle.
She took a long, slow sip of the water, feeling instant relief as the cool liquid soothed her dry, burning throat. Her lungs were on fire and every muscle in her body aches, but she felt incredible. Like she could take on anyone and everyone
Seth had been a major help in training her for her WrestleMania match against Alexa in just two short months, this being one of the most anticipated feuds of the year since their previous bout nearly two years ago.
This time, Marisa was champion and would be defending in her very first WrestleMania match, something she'd always dreamed of since she was no more than five. It filled her with such pride that all of her hard work had finally paid off and the fans were behind her 100%.
“You think I got a shot at retaining?” Marisa said, her breath still labored as she took another long swig of water. “I haven't exactly had the best luck against her.”
She'd only been champion for a few months, having managed to defeat Charlotte in what was probably the toughest match of her career. The crowd reaction to her holding the belt still gave her goosebumps.
“I don't think you will, butterfly, I know you will. You've kicked my ass on more than one occasion and you've been working your ass off harder than I've seen anyone do in a long time. Alexa will be a cake walk for sure.” Seth said, stealing the water bottle from her hands and taking a long swing, a cheeky smirk on her face.
“Hey! Rude, get your own!” Marisa scoffed, reaching for the plastic bottle, pouting as she did so.
Naturally, being that Seth was 6’1 and Marisa was 5’6, he held the bottle out of her reach as he cackled. “Sorry, butterfly, can't hear ya from down there. Man this water sure is tasty.”
“You're actually the worst.” Marisa said with a giggle, continuing to reach for her bottle.
She barely registered that she was pressed against his chest until she felt the tickle of his breath on her nose. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily as she stared at him, the cheeky smile still on his face.
“Say please.” He said simply, something flirtatious behind his eyes and the way his tone dropped.
“Please?” Marisa replied softly, holding out her hand.
“That's a good girl.” He chuckled, handing her back the bottle, though neither of them made a nice to separate.
Marisa would be lying if she said she wasn't still incredibly attracted to Seth. Things had ended between them right before the shield broke up. Marisa remembers being heartbroken by the betrayal, the person she had grown so fond of back in FCW and NXT was no longer the person that stood before her. Since then, he's done everything he could to make amends with her, Roman and Dean, no matter how futile it seemed.
Neither of them have truly forgiven him, but Marisa couldn't help it.He begged and pleaded and clung to her legs, tears streaming down his cheeks as he begged her to forgive him. And part of her desperately missed him.
She also still held a soft spot for him, if she was honest. Marisa recalled all the late night coffee runs when they both couldn't sleep and would hit the gym at ungodly hours. She remembers staying up all night playing video games with him and just talking about life, their goals, their dreams and their future.
She remembers the stolen kisses behind the ring post when no one was looking. She's every sigh of his name and roll of his hips and every mark he left behind as a reminder of what they shared.
Part of her still held onto that time she spent with him and how close they were. She always wondered what life would have been like had her and Seth made things official instead of shy smiles and hidden hand holding, but she chose not to dwell on it.
Marisa realized that even after what felt like minutes, neither of them had moved. She was still pressed against him, the plastic bottle crumpled in her hands with how tightly she was holding on.
Seth moved his hand to her face, brushing a stray hair that sat just below her eye.
His eyes dropped to her lips for a moment, glancing back at her eyes, as if contemplating his next move.
Marisa held her breath, her eyes not wavering from his as she felt him inch closer, the already miniscule space between them disappearing.
As she felt the tickle of his breath on her lips, and her eyes flutter shut as she gave in to the gnawing in her brain, the door to the gym popped open.
“Hey dove, I thought you- oh.. Am I interrupting something?” She heard a voice call out, causing them both to separate quickly.
Marisa practically tripped over her own feet, scrambling to composure herself.
Cody eyed them both cautiously, his eyebrow raised in question.
Marisa felt like a scolded child, practically slinking into herself to avoid his gaze. She had no reason to feel guilty. She was an adult, but she still felt the pang of guilt weighing on her stomach.
Just as she and Seth had history, Cody and Marisa had more.
She'd known him since she arrived in this business. He was one of the first people to take her under his wing and show her the ropes. They'd become fast friends that quickly grew into being nearly inseparable.
Marisa had feelings for Cody almost immediately. He was handsome, funny, charming, and one of the sweetest human beings you'd ever meet, it would be nearly impossible not to fall for him.
Soon, their friendship had an asterisk next to it. Everyone could suspect that maybe something more was going on, but no one dared to question it.
Cody didn't want anyone to think she got her success because of him, not that she truly cared how anyone felt, but she understood the hesitation. The son of the great Dusty Rhodes had a target on his back from the minute he walked in the door and the last thing she wanted was to make things more complicated for him.
Cody knew her inside and out. He knew what made her tick, what pushed her buttons, what broke her down and what built her back up. He was her constant. Her comfort. He was the love of her life.
When she finally got brought to the main roster with The Shield, it was as if they hadn't just been separated for 3 years (though they still made every effort to see each other.)
Needless to say, things got a bit more difficult with Seth in the frey.
To say they hated each other was an understatement.
Cody still blames Seth for getting him fired two years ago (though it only lasted for a week) and Seth thinks Cody is a pompous pretty boy with a superiority complex.
Marisa felt like she was dying inside, the tension palpable and thick. Almost suffocating as she stood between the two as they locked eyes, but didn't dare move.
“Um.. we.. we were just wrapping up.” Marisa said, clearing her throat and grabbing her bag quickly before throwing her towel in with her other belongings.
Cody simply nodded, his jaw tight and his eyes trained on Seth, who was trained right back.
Marisa quickly cleared her throat, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Thank you so much, as always!”
Seth smiled at her, taking his eyes off Cody for the first time. “Anytime, butterfly.”
He wrapped her into a hug, placing a soft kiss to her top of her head, his eyes fixing back on Cody's.
Marisa pulled away, giving a wave behind her as she walked over to Cody.
“Ready?” She asked, throwing her bag over her shoulder.
“Yeah.” He said, his eyes locked on Seth. His jaw was tight and she could practically see the strain of his shoulders with how tense he was.
He glanced at her as she placed an arm on his shoulder, his face softening instantly and every bit of tension in his body dissipating.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulder as they headed out of the gym. Marisa glanced back at Seth once more as she left. His eyes were locked on them both in what could only be described as a look of disappointment.
Marisa felt her heart sink a bit at the look on his face, but chose not to dwell. At the moment, she didn't want to process what any of this meant.
~
“You okay?” Marisa asked, glancing over at Cody from where she sat on the bed in her hotel room. He'd been tapping away absently on his phone for the past 20 minutes, his brow furrowed and his lips fixed in a tight line.
Stressed was an understatement.
“Yeah I'm.. yeah.” He said, taking a deep breath and scrubbing his hands over his face.
“What's up?” She asked, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed where he sat.
She knew he'd been unhappy lately, what with the new direction his career was taking. He'd begged and pleaded for them to give him something, anything other than a cheap imitation of Golddust, but Hunter wouldn't budge. “There's money in this, just you wait.”
And then Dusty passed away last year and Marisa doesn't think she'd ever seen anyone as broken as she had seen him.
He never shied away from his feelings, wearing his emotions on his face and his heart on his sleeve, but there was something so.. tragic… about the way he looked.
Not that anyone could blame him. Anyone who knew Cody knew that Dusty was his favorite person. A superhero in his and many other people's eyes.
He was a legend and Cody was the son of a legend. He should have been on top of the world, just in name alone.
Instead, he had silver face paint and did cartwheels across the stage.
And to lose your favorite person at the same time your dream career has taken a turn for the worst is a recipe for disaster.
It had gotten so bad that Cody started drinking near daily. It had been one of the many points of contention between them, as Marisa's mother had been a horrible alcoholic.
She knew he was miserable and Dusty's passing did nothing to help ease the burden.
Marisa felt terrible that there wasn't anything she could do to ease his sadness. He's seen her through some major highs and devastating lows in her life and career and she wished could even be a fraction of that comfort for him.
Cody let out a deep sigh, turning his head toward her, a weary smile on his face. “Nothing, Dove. Just.. tired.”
She knew he was lying. She'd known him for so long that she could easily tell when he wasn't being entirely honest, but she didn't pry. Despite him wearing his emotions on his sleeve, he was also stubborn as a mule.
He refused to quit, even when things got bleak. But he also refused to let anyone know how much he was truly suffering.
“Okay… well if you change your mind, I'm here. You know that.” She said, offering him a smile.
“I know, Dove.” He said, returning her smile and placing a light kiss on her lips. “I know. Thank you.”
He closed the space between them once more, pressing his lips into hers with much firmer pressure, the pad of his thumb stroking her jawline gently.
Marisa leaned in, placing her hand on his forearm as she kissed back, leaning into him.
He pulled her into his lap, resting his hands on her waist as his tongue flicked over her bottom lip. Her lips parted to allow him full access, their tongues dancing with each other in a rhythm that was all too familiar.
Cody wrapped his arms around her waist, flipping them down so she was pinned under him in the mattress, their lips parting only briefly.
They'd oftentimes find themselves entwined in each other, wanting and desperate for a release that only the other could bring.
Cody pulled away briefly, studying her face as he brushed the stray hair from her eyes. “Is..can we..”
“Yeah.” Marisa breathed, no hesitation in her voice. It was mostly a formality, at this point, as if she'd ever say no to him.
He smiled, closing the space between them once more as he kissed, his hands sliding down her waist to the hem of her skirt, sliding the fabric down her legs. She lifted her hips so he could remove them, tossing them to the side. His hands breached the hem of her panties as his lips found hers yet again.
He pulled away from her briefly to remove her shirt and then his, tossing them in the same direction he tossed her skirt.
He kissed her again as fingers continued to dance inside her panties, circles of varying sizes and speeds gliding across her clit. Moan after moan fell from her lips into his ass her nails dug into the back of his neck.
She felt his fingers dip into her entrance, teasing slowly before being pulled out once more, drawing a long whine from her lips. Marisa was so on edge, she felt like she would shatter into pieces any moment.
He slipped his finger back into her slowly, pulling it back out as painstakingly slow. Marisa wanted to cry but she was too overwhelmed to say a word, only the sounds of moans falling from her lips.
She moaned loudly, rocking her hips to match his rhythm. It was an intense feeling, every time they were together. He knew her like no other and drove her to the brink every time without fail. He took his time with her, making sure she had as much pleasure as him and wouldn't let up until that happened.
She felt his fingers exit her, leaving her feeling far too empty for her liking. Before she could think properly, she felt his tongue glide over her clit, ripping a scream from her throat.
His fingers entered her once more, pumping in time with the rhythm of his tongue. Cody’s hands gripped her hips, holding her in place as his tongue lapped across her core again. He pushed his tongue inside her, trying to create as much sensation as he could. Marisa's arms were trembling, her body began to quake again and her mind went fuzzy.
“F-Fuck, Cody. Oh god.” She moaned out, pushing her hips back.
Cody slowly pushed a finger in Marisa’s entrance, his tongue still lapping over the sensitive skin. He pushed his finger in and out of Marisa, mewling at the sounds she was making and how responsive she was. He soon pushed another digit in, curling them up.
Marisa almost screamed, feeling the fingers brush her g-spot. Her legs were trembling, on the verge of collapsing and she could feel the knot in her stomach tightening. She was so close, the urge to come heavy on her stomach. She moaned loudly, pushing her hips back more to meet Cody's hands.
“Does this feel good?" Cody purred out, pulling away briefly.
Marisa moaned loudly, nodding quickly as she felt her stomach tense, her orgasm looming. Just a little more and she would be gone. Marisa tried to fight it, not wanting this to be over nearly as quickly as it was, but she couldn't hold back. The knot in her stomach unraveled abruptly, causing a loud moan mixed with his name to escape.
He kissed back up her body, nipping at her lip and lining himself up with her.
"Wanna feel you come around me, sweet dove." He breathed, looking into her eyes. “Is that okay?”
She nodded quickly, pulling him back down so their lips connected yet again. Marisa let out a soft gasp into his mouth as she felt him slip into with ease.
He began thrusting, in and out, filling her again and again. Her nails dug into his shoulder as she moved her hips in motion with his. She felt the familiar knot begin to form again.
His head dipped into the nape of her neck, his warm breath hitting her skin as his thrusting became faster. His lips placed soft kisses on her neck and shoulder, teeth grazing and nipping at the flesh.
Her mind was a whirlwind of emotion, her sense felt overloaded. She felt like she wasn't in control of her body, moaning and bucking uncontrollably, the intense pleasure overtaking her.
“Fuck, Cody.” She moaned loudly as her second orgasm washed over her. Her back arched off the bed, her skin pressing against his as she felt herself pulse around him. Her nails dug into his shoulder, as her eyes rolled back into her head.
“Fuck, you're perfect.” She heard him groan from above her, teeth sinking into her skin as she felt him twitch inside her. She moaned again, feeling both of their bodies relax as he collapsed on top of her.
They stayed like this for a while, her limbs feeling loose and heavy, and she felt utterly relaxed. Like she was floating away and nothing could bring her down. After a few minutes, he slid off of her, taking his place next to her in the bed. He pulled her in his arms, playing with the ends of her disheveled hair.
“Thank you.” He said after a moment of silence. “For being here.”
“You don't have to thank me.” She said softly, shifting in his arms to face him properly. “We're in this together, right?”
He nodded slowly, the first real smile she'd seen on his face all day. It makes her heart swell that she could bring him the smallest sense of happiness. Even if it was fleeting.
He placed a soft kiss on her temple, gently stroking her arm.
“Right. We're in this together.”
~
Marisa walked back through, smiling as everyone complimented her on her in ring promo. There were three weeks til Mania and Marisa wanted to make sure everyone knew she was no underdog. She knew people weren't expecting her to retain, as her Alexa were two for two in their previous feud.
She knew Alexa was the favorite to win considering, but she'd be damned if anyone counted her out.
“That was incredible, Ris.” Seth said, pushing his way through to wrap her in a hug. “Had me worried I'd lose the title and it's not even my match.”
“Keep it up, and I'm coming for yours next.” She said with a chuckle, tapping the gold belt that sat on his shoulder.
“Well you're gonna have to put up a hell of a fight to get this off of me.” He said with a chuckle, patting the gold plate.
“I can take you.” She said with a laugh
“Trust me, butterfly. I know you can.” He said with a smirk, followed by a cheeky wink.
“Oh my god, stop.” She giggled, doing her best to hide the rose flush that graced her cheeks.
“I will when you stop blushing.” He said, the smirk never leaving his face.
Marisa was suddenly hyper aware of the placement of his hand on her lower back and the way his eyes locked on her.
She went to speak when she felt her and Seth be pushed aside, having been effectively shoved out of the way by someone.
“Watch where you goin, dickhead.” Seth shouted, rolling his eyes at the person. Cody glanced back, cutting his eyes sharply at them both before storming off toward the direction of the locker room.
Marisa felt a pang of concern as she watched him walk away. He seemed pissed. More pissed than usual.
“I'm.. gonna go see what's up with that.” Marisa said, turning back to Seth.
“Right. Okay.” Seth said with a heavy sigh, removing his hand from her waist.
“I'll be back in time for your match though. Promise.” She said with a smile, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Marisa followed in the direction that Cody went, hoping she could catch him before he left.
She managed to spot him in the locker room, tossing several items into his duffle bag. He was mad.
He seemed tense. More tense than usual, especially over the past several months. He was due to have a meeting with Hunter earlier, which she assumed was the reason for his foul mood he was currently in.
“Hey. How'd the meeting?” She said softly, but loud enough he could hear.
She saw him pause for a moment before continuing his actions, not even turning to acknowledge her. Marisa raised her eyebrow in confusion.
“Cody.” She said again, louder than before, but to no avail.
“Cody-”
What?” He snapped, whipping his head toward her.
Marisa was startled, taking a step back. He'd never so much as raised his voice at her before. This was new. Something was definitely easiest him.
“Well first you totally bumped into Seth and I.” Marisa said, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. “Secondly, did you talk to Hunter?”
“I'm sure he'll recover.” He grumbled, turning back and putting the rest of his gear in his bag. “Yeah, I talked to him.”
“And?” Marisa asked, trying to get more out of him. She hopes to figure out why he was in such an awful mood.
“Doesn't matter.” He said, slamming his locker shut, the loud clang of metal on metal echoing through the room.
He'd never been this cold to her in nearly 10 years of knowing one another. He was usually sweet and caring and always patient with her. She didn't like this version of him.
She understood why he'd been so tense lately.
“What? Did he say something? ” Marisa asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It doesn't matter, Marisa.” He said again, his voice low and curt.
Marisa raised an eyebrow again. Alarm bells were going off in her head as his resistance to answering. Maybe something really bad happened.
“Cody-”
“I said it doesn't fucking matter, Marisa.” He shouted at her again, startling her yet again.
Something was definitely wrong.
“What's your deal?” She said, stepping inside the locker room. “You're being a jackass for no reason.”
“Nothing I just. I need to go.” He said, throwing his bag over his shoulder and sliding past her, practically bumping her shoulder as he went by.
“Cody, what's wrong? Just talk to me.” She said, placing a hand on his forearm.
“What's wrong? What's wrong! What's fuckin wrong is my life is falling apart, I have to paint my face like a fucking joke every night when my dad was one of the biggest names in this whole god damn industry and I thank God he's not here anymore to see what a fucking disappointment ivs become. And the one person that's supposed to be my best friend doesn't give a single shit about any of it.” He snapped, ripping his arm away from her.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Marisa said, shock evident in her tone and etched on her face. “Of course I give a shit about you!”
“Don't play stupid, Marisa. You and Seth. You're hanging off of him like a cheap suit and eating up every bullshit line he feeds you like some pathetic fucking groupie. He's all you fucking care about since you got that stupid title that I helped you get.”
First off, I got this on my own through my hard work. Secondly, Seth and I are friends. We've been friends for ages, you know this. Yes we have history, but that's in the past.” Marisa said, anger slowly bubbling behind the surface. “He's also helping me prepare for the biggest match of my career.“
“Really, cuz he hasn't seem to have gotten the memo and you're doing fuck all to dissuade him. I'm sure he's definitely ’helping you out’ by having his hand practically down your pants.” Cody said, his eyes wide and glassy, and his face red with anger.
“Last time I checked, I was single. Even if I WAS flirting, which I'm not, I don't owe anyone a goddamn thing. So I don't appreciate you treating me like a cheating girlfriend when Seth and I are friends. That's it.”
“Friends don't usually fuck their friends, Marisa.” Cody scoffed.
“Oh that's ABSOLUTELY rich coming from you.” Marisa rolled her eyes. “Or have you all of a sudden forgotten that you and I fucked LITERALLY last night or do you no longer consider us friends?”
“Fuck you.” Cody spat back, more venom and bite behind his words than she expected. “Keep parading around with that clown like a cheap whore.”
Marisa barely registered her hand connecting with his cheek until the she felt the sting in her hand and the slap of skin on skin echoing through the corridor.
“Go fuck yourself. Just because you're upset that your career is going fucking nowhere and you're miserable about how pathetic your life is does NOT give you the right to take it out on me.” Marisa snapped. She didn't deserve this, not after everything she'd done to be by his side.
She was hurt by his words. He'd never been anything but kind and gentle with her. She knew he was projecting, and maybe she could have picked better words but she was hurt. And when she's hurt, she can be vicious.
His jaw tightened and she saw his eyes brim with tears as he cupped his cheek. He stared at her for a moment longer before sliding past her, making his way toward the exit of the venue. This time, she made no move to stop him.
He just needed to cool off and they'd talk about it later.
She'd text him tomorrow, as she herself was far too angry to even begin to piece together what she'd say to him.
Marisa sighed, wiping away the stray tear that cascaded down her cheek.
She'd deal with this all later. For now, Seth's match was coming up soon and she had a promise to keep.
