Kai Saw Red.

She sat there waiting for her phone to ping with King's reply, and with every passing second, her stomach hurt a little more. Had she scared him off? Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden knock on her window.

Her heart lurched in her chest as she whipped around, eyes wide, expecting—well, she wasn’t sure what she was expecting. But it definitely wasn’t King, crouched on her damn roof like some reckless idiot with a smug expression on his face.

She pulled on a long, baggy t-shirt to cover herself up and then rushed to the window, her pulse racing for so many reasons.

"What the fuck, King?!" she whisper-hissed, quickly unlocking the latch and yanking it open. "Are you actually insane?"

Up close, she could see the way his chest rose and fell a little faster than normal, the adrenaline probably still running through him from his stunt. His hair was tousled—more than usual—and the glow from her room cast shadows over his face, making him look even more unfairly good-looking than he had any right to be.

And then she realized.

He actually climbed up here. For her.

Her stomach flipped.

She crossed her arms, feigning irritation, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. "What on earth made you decide it was a good idea to scale my house? What if you fell, dumbass?"

She stepped back, making room for him. "Get inside before you break your neck."

Her voice was stern, but the way she looked up at him through her eyelashes, the way her body hummed from the tension between them? Yeah… She wasn’t that mad.

there was a large amount of time that passed, and in the back of his mind he was sure that ruby was panicking somewhat that he had ghosted her. the last thing he wanted was to make her feel insecure or even upset in anyway but he had a plan. now, he was pretty good at climbing, however scaling a building was an interesting one.

she had a tree outside her window so once he was to the top, and completely ignoring any gnawing doubt because it was actually quite high now he was there, now all he had to do was step to the edge of a branch (without it snapping under his weight) and hop onto the roof.

he managed to leap the other side, gripping tightly to the textured tiling. he leant to the side and knocked on her window with his closed fist. "ruby.." he almost shouted but he was trying to be quiet so they both wouldn't get caught.

this was actually the most he had done for a girl so this was saying something. it was actually quite the gesture. but he realised whilst messaging her that words couldn't really convey how he was feeling in the moment.

Jimmy stood in the doorway, his usual confident demeanour softened by concern as he looked at Thomas. He took a step inside, closing the door gently behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Barrow, you know me well enough. I don't need much of an excuse to avoid working," Jimmy replied with a lopsided grin. He moved closer, pulling up a chair beside the bed and sitting down, his eyes scanning Thomas's face and the still-healing bruises with genuine worry. "How are ya holding up?"

He leaned back in the chair, trying to appear casual but unable to hide the tension in his posture. "Can't imagine how boring it must be, stuck in 'ere all day. I brought you something to read, thought it might help pass the time," he said, pulling a small book from his pocket and placing it on the bedside table. He wasn't about to admit, he'd popped down to Thirsk to buy the book as he had nothing in his own room to lend to the male.

Jimmy's expression softened further as he met Thomas's eyes. "I know it's been rough, what with everything that happened… and, well, how I've been. I'm sorry, Mr. Barrow. I truly am. But I'm 'ere now, and I wanna help in any way I can. You need anything, you just let me know, alright?"

He reached out, a hesitant but warm gesture, patting Thomas's arm lightly. "And don't worry about the work. Mr. Carson won't miss me for a few minutes. Besides, Mrs Hughes said that I could come and see you."

after the events at the thirsk fair thomas was healing up well, although he had mostly been sleeping for the first few days. a week in, the smaller of his cuts had begun to heal, bruises turning from angry purple to a sickly shade of yellow. it would be another three weeks before he could fully return to work — his cracked ribs ensured that, the pain down his left side was still almost unbearable at times, the skin still tender, mottled purple bruising in the shape of a boot betraying where the thugs had kicked him.

still, for all the pain and trouble, at least thomas had gotten something out of the whole affair. jimmy kent was to be his friend again... after a year of snide remarks, cold shoulders and avoidance that hurt almost as much as the physical beating he'd recieved at the fair, each and everyone one like a punch to the heart... things were okay now, between them, things had been set right. and that had to account for something, at least.

but, right now, thomas was bored. a week of bedrest and he had seen enough of his small attic room to last a lifetime. he wanted to get up, he needed to shave, he wanted to have a proper bath, he wanted something to do. sitting up was a struggle, the metal cot groaned and creaked under the shifting of his weight, aching muscles screaming in protest as the underbutler slowly moved, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and bracing himself for a moment. the pain in his ribs spiked and twisted, causing a sharp hiss to escape from between his teeth — his stomach churned and he felt sick, worried for a moment that he'd become reacquainted with his breakfast...

there was a short knock at his door before it opened, and thomas glanced up at his vistor, his friend, and couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at his lips, small and questioning.

❝ ... jimmy...? shouldn't you be workin'? ❞

plotted starter ~ jimmy kent ; @littledaydreamers

dxrlingdevils​:

“Oh obviously. It wasn’t planned, a few of the lads from work dragged me out, otherwise you know I would have had you by myside causing mayhem and destruction.” Liam didn’t have it in him to put any more enthusiasm behind his words, if anything it came out as more of a groan. “Wait, you were supposed to have done the shopping yesterday?” His brows furrowed as he attempted to remember only to groan in pain as his head throbbed.

“I mean, that’s what you say but I mean you could have called me.” Becca replied, looking at him, still unimpressed. It didn’t actually bother her he had gone out without her, but it was fun to make him think so. “We’re not talking about what I did or what I didn’t do Liam, we are talking about me needing Fruit Loops, oh and those cute mini marshmallows that you put in my hot chocolate,” Becca stated before placing her bowl on the table and reaching over for the spare pillow that the male had been trying to find.

Kai watched as she pulled away, the warmth of her body slipping from his lap, leaving behind only the ghost of her touch and the scent of vanilla and musk clinging to his skin. His jaw tensed, eyes dark as he leaned back against the seat, taking her in—the way she hurried to fix her clothes, the slight tremble in her fingers, the way she refused to meet his gaze.

She was running. He could see it, clear as day.

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but it wasn’t just smug amusement—it was something deeper, something raw that he wasn’t about to name. Instead, he let his eyes roam over her one last time, committing every flushed inch of her to memory.

“Right,” he said finally, voice rough with lingering satisfaction, but there was something unreadable beneath it. He ran a hand through his already messy hair, exhaling sharply. “Guess this is where we pretend like none of it happened.”

Kai let out a low chuckle, finally redressing before reaching for his jacket, shrugging it back on like none of this had phased him. Like he hadn’t just been inside her, watching her unravel around him. "I don't need Carter taking me anywhere. I can make my own way back, thanks."

“Sweet dreams, Pia,” he murmured, voice dripping with something close to a challenge. “Try not to think about me too much.” And with that, he pushed open the car door and stepped out into the night.

there was a screech of the wheels came to a halt. she only just realised how long they had been circling the city and wasting time. of course there was every reason she had lost track of the minutes that went by considering she was tangled up in kai.

his scent was intoxicating, the lingering smell of cigarettes and liquor mixed with his cologne, now that she was in close proximity to him she could breathe in all in.

there were too many things about him that drove her absolutely insane, but apparently that feeling was addictive. "miss geller we are at the estate." she went quiet for a moment, and now she had a definitive reason to move herself off of him.

lifting herself up off his lap she looked away for w moment. she'd wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anyone before and that was the problem. the few layers of clothing she had on her body she was swift to return and maintain her somewhat presentable appearance not like she'd just been pleasured in the backseat of the town car. "well.. this is me..carter can take you wherever you need to go."

What’s Your Number inspired AU:

Muse A is apartment neighbors with Muse B who is known for sleeping around with girls around the city. Muse B doesn’t like dealing with the aftermath of his one-night stands so he lets himself into Muse A's apartment to hide out. Muse B asks Muse A to help him get rid of his conquests and Muse A comes up with different excuses to get the girls out of Muse B's apartment. Muse A continues to let Muse B hide out in her apartment as she goes through struggles in her own life with her absentee boyfriend. Muse A and Muse B become close friends over time, barging into each other’s apartments, staying up late talking and eating pizza and discussing the world. Meanwhile, Muse B takes it upon himself to get Muse A to see the light of her dead-end relationship. Muse A gets frustrated with Muse B and demands to know why Muse B is sticking his nose in her business. Is it simply because he doesn’t want his friend to end up in a loveless marriage or is it because he recently found out he wants her to himself?

Rory’s grin widened, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. He shifted his weight slightly, hands slipping into his pockets. “Ah, c’mon now,” he teased, tilting his head. “I don’t think you’re making a fool of yourself at all. Bit flustered, maybe. But I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He let her words hang in the air for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle. “I'm not, am I?" He feigned shock, his mouth hanging open before a laugh bubbled from his lips. "And here I was thinkin’ I was just a lad trying to grab a coffee.” His smile turned slightly crooked, playful. “Didn’t realize I’d be causing an existential crisis in the middle of a car park.”

Ember felt her cheeks burn even hotter under Rory's smile. Her name, coming from him. She swallowed hard, hoping her voice wouldn’t crack. "Class?" she managed to squeak, then instantly regretted it. Great start, Ember. Real smooth.

She felt a lurch in her stomach as he chuckled, a sound that probably soundtracked the dreams of half his fanbase. His teasing question made her want to disappear, to be swallowed whole by the sidewalk. He was right, of course. Part of her did want to be anywhere but here, not because she didn’t want to meet him, but because she was so unbelievably unprepared to actually do it.

“No, seriously,” she blurted, trying for some kind of composure. “Huge fan. Just… surprised. And… probably making a fool of myself.” Ember finally met his gaze, her eyes wide and pleading, hoping he wouldn't judge her too harshly after this spectacularly awkward introduction. "It's just, you know... you're Rory." She gestured vaguely with her hands, words failing her. "It's a lot to process in a parking lot on a Tuesday."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I was booked by the guy who runs this place. Must be bored with his strippers. I don't know, I don't deal with that shit, I just go where I'm told." She stated simply shrugging out of his grip. "It's no big deal, I've dealt with dangerous people before, relax. They only want me for one thing. They've paid for the night, so I better get back in there."

OPEN TO ×  w / m / nb  21+

PLOT × Rocco has a "meeting" at a str.p club owned by his boss that is used by gangs and the mafia to do business. He catches your muse there (they can be a visitor, new employee, whatever) and is not happy. (please assume connection it can be anything from romantic to platonic!)

MUSE × rocco sterling [36] mafia member

Rocco was enraged. Anger caused his forehead to wrinkle and his heart pounded hard against his toned chest. His hand grabbed the other person’s upper arm as he dragged them outside. ❝What the hell are you doing here? I told you a thousand times not to come to a place like that!❞

dxrlingdevils​:

“Charlotte–” This time she really did pull her girlfriend to a stop instead of letting her take lead. “That’s not fair and you know it.” Her words hurt, even if there was some truth to them. It continued to be a sore spot in their relationship, and one that Lara didn’t know how to overcome considering she wasn’t ready to come out to her family. “What do you want me to do?”

The raven-haired female pursed her lips, trying to decide whether to apologise and just sit on how she felt or whether she should just say everything she had been feeling. “Neither is me having to sneak around all the time. Honestly, if you’re not ready to be open with people...” She paused, unsure whether she should continue — “... well, maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship yet.” 

004 -- Break your little heart

Muse A and muse B honestly do love each other, yet, muse A can’t stop cheating. Being hurt by muse A's actions, muse B decideds to just do the same to hurt muse A just as much as they are hurt. Not knowing where it’ll lead them, they’re constantly cheating on each other, making it so obvious that the other one can’t help but notice. While they’re fighting all the time, neither of them wants to break up and so, their relationship consists out of cheating, fights and make up sex. Though this is not healthy, they just carry on that way until one day, muse B is hurt so much that she eventually just leaves muse A.

muse a is fresh out of prison, solitary confinement to be exact, and hasn’t truly seen the light of day for at least a couple of years. they’re adjusting to the real world; they barely speak anymore, and they haven’t experienced gentle human contact in what seems like forever. insert muse b, their new neighbor.