☆ Arialysse ☆

“Yeah, you just keep watching the show, Imma be right back with you.” Jeremiah, your long-time boyfriend urged, shoving the popcorn into your hands as he vanished into his room. You raised a brow at his sudden departure.

You just reached home after an exhausting day from working at your part-time job. A small, retail shop in the middle of a mall. The staff there were more than accommodating. When you had first joined the team, they were very patient in teaching you the ropes even going as far as to shoulder a complaint on you when you had messed up once. The shop sold apparel, accessories and even toiletries, an odd combination but you bite your tongue at the boss’s accentrics. 

The real problem, however, was the manager. He was a stout, middle-aged man who was a little enthusiastic when it came to female workers, like yourself. Your coworkers had warned you about the manager, of how not to stay too close to him as he tends to get really touchy. In short, he was a touch-starved pervert.

Once, a former staff member had enough of his antics and went to file a complaint to the HR, but it all led to a dead-end as the manager himself and the HR were in on it together, no thanks to some under-the-table bribing. No one had the power to do anything. So, in a team effort, you had all decided to avoid the manager whenever he was around. It was difficult as he’d often be seen out front, preaching about “customer happiness” and how “the customer is always right”, which was a load of crap if you asked me. 

After a long day of work, you just wanted to lay down on a soft, comfy mattress and sleep, but it seems that your boyfriend had other plans. Out of nowhere though, he had decided that he wanted to pamper you. When you stepped into your shared apartment, he surprised you with snacks, ice-cream and even a teddy bear. He had mentioned that it was because you have been “working very hard”.

You were elated, of course, as he was never the type to pull surprises like this. You were both just laying on the couch sharing the snacks that he had bought, when his phone abruptly rang. He excused himself in a hurry, hastily padding into his room. Out of exhaustion, you shrugged and excused his behavior, maybe one of his friends needed help with something.

However, something in your head urged you to eavesdrop on his conversation. At first, you snuffed that thought out, as you felt that it was rude to eavesdrop on other people’s business. But, was it paranoia or exhaustion-filled anxiety? You had no idea. With a lot of effort, you unwrapped yourself from the fluffy blanket he had smothered you with and tip-toed to the door of his room. 

"Babe, I’ve told you- No! Not now, I’m with my girlfriend. What?- I-I can’t, she’s going to get suspicious- Listen, let’s talk another time okay? I promise- Just-” You hear him sigh, “Okay, fine… I’ll try alright?”

You feel your heart shatter into pieces, as your suspicions were confirmed. You stood there, completely broken as your mind screamed “See! I told you.” , over and over again. Hearing incoming footsteps, you quickly dashed back to the sofa, pretending as if nothing happened. He came out from behind the door and sauntered back to where you were. Steeling your nerves as you have done many times before, you swallowed the lump in your throat and asked, “Who was it?”

“Oh, no one, just uh- Travis. Listen, babe, um- He said he needed help with something now, and-”

“This late?” Your emotions faltered a little, but your pride refused for you to break now.

“Y-yeah. He’s in a bit of a pinch now and I really really need to go. Are you okay with staying home alone for tonight? I know I said I’d pamper you tonight but, Travis man…” He looked away and you swore you could see the guilt clouding his eyes.

The words, You mean Madison? Were on the tip of your tongue but you decided to swallow those words and nodded at him. “Yeah, sure. Go ahead, I’m feeling sleepy anyways.” You lie, faking a yawn and a stretch. He grinned widely, accompanying you to his room before he said a quick goodbye. 

Pfft like hell I’m going to sleep, you thought sitting up from beneath the covers. Right now, you were furious, not only had he been cheating on you for god knows how long but he also straight up lied about it. You rolled your eyes at his words from earlier, feeling your eyes cloud over from tears. Shaking your head vehemently, you bit back the tears. I can cry all I want later, now I need to get out of here. 

Grabbing the duffel bag you had packed a long time ago from the drawer -in case anything like this happened- , You went to the dresser where you kept your share of clothes and stuffed them into the duffel bag without a single care. You were moving on autopilot, refusing to allow any other thoughts into your mind at the moment.

After changing your clothing into one more suitable for going out, you slung the duffel bag over your shoulder and slipped on your shoes, the only sound heard was from the still running television.

Glancing back at the apartment one more time, your eye caught on the teddy bear that laid on the sofa dejectedly, pity reflecting on its beady eyes. You double-checked that you had everything and closed the door one final time. Hearing the lock click into place, you left and quickly dialed a cab back home and since it was rather late, it was evident that it took awhile for the cab to answer. 

While waiting for the cab to arrive, you were feeling rather apprehensive, for fear that he may come home any time and catch you leaving his home. Fortunately, the headlights of the car approached the dark street, granting you a sense of relief. The kind driver assisted in placing your bag in the truck as you entered the backseat of the car. After confirming your location, the driver took off without another word as silence permeated in the car. 

Pulling out your phone from your pocket, you gave your best friends an update on what had happened. They were thankfully still awake and were dead set on calling you, but you told them that they can do that later as you were in a cab home. Some of their texts had you in tears but you refused to cry just yet. 

It wasn’t long before you reached the apartment complex which was your home. You haven’t been here for awhile as you lived with him. After handing you your belongings, the driver took off with a sincere goodbye. You sighed, trudging solemnly to the elevator, the sight making you feel rather nostalgic. 

You clicked on the button and waited for the familiar chime of the lift, signaling that you have arrived on your floor, but felt your phone vibrate. You felt bad that for a moment you had forgotten about your friends. Unlocking your phone, you glanced at the message your friend sent. 

Rubae ❣:

That limp-dick asshole didn’t deserve you anyway lol.

Niall-edIt ✧:

Right? Like imagine cheating on someone as faithful as (Y/N). What a clown.

Olyviuhh ☾:

What a prick. You know what, let’s all go out tomorrow. Drinks on me.

MeiMei ❅:

I’m so sorry for what happened, (Y/N). I just want to let you know that you are super strong for pushing through all of that and making the decision to leave. It was very brave of you! ^_^

Tears pooled in your eyes, making your vision blurry. Before you could even reply to them, the elevator chimed and you bolted into your apartment. Shutting the door behind you, the dam finally broke as you fell onto the floor and sobbed. The tears wouldn’t stop bursting forth, as you cried your heart out.

Amidst your whimpers, you suddenly hear your phone vibrate in repetition. Fear shot through your heart, has he already noticed that you were missing from his home? You weren’t ready to confront him just yet. With shaky hands, you peeked at your phone. Alas, it was just your very worried friends. Clicking on the green button, you were met with questions.

“Are you okay (Y/N)?! You hadn’t sent a reply and we got worried. Did that limp-dick asshole find you?! Is he with you?!” The plain-spoken Ruby asked frantically.

“N-no. I’ve just reached home, I’m sorry guys. I just… took a step home and broke down-” You whimpered as more tears fell from your eyes. 

“Aw, sweetheart… He doesn’t deserve you, at all. It’s going to hurt but, we’re here for you always.” The kind-hearted Mei promised gently.

“Mei’s right, we’ll be here for you. I’m going to be real here, he’s definitely going to call you or find you later but we’ll be with you, so don’t worry ‘bout it, ‘kay?” You could almost hear the wink in Niall’s tone.

You sobbed even harder and from the care of your friends, they were the people you never knew you needed in your life, and you were eternally grateful for them.

“Alright, alright. For now, you can cry all you want but afterwards, no more tears, not even tomorrow. It’s going to be difficult but, remember, you can’t show him that you’ve actually cried for him. He doesn’t and never will deserve your tears. Never give him that sense of victory.” Olyvia advised with disdain.

You let out a hum of approval at her words. She was right. After a bit more talking and assurance from your friends, they suggested that you get cleaned up and try to get some sleep, as you all had classes the following morning. You got up from the doorstep and placed the duffel bag on the small couch that you owned, deciding that you would deal with that tomorrow. 

Strolling over to your bathroom, you splashed a handful of water over your face, cleaning away the tear tracks and snot that dribbled out of your nose from all your crying. You also made the effort to brush your teeth, all the while avoiding the mirror. Rinsing your mouth, you couldn’t help but glance at your own reflection. You looked horrible, needless to say. Bloodshot eyes, red-faced and heartbroken. With a sigh, you headed into your bedroom to plop down on the mattress. You frown, as you feel your thoughts spiral again. 

Why did he cheat?

Was he willing to break his promise of not leaving because you were a horrible girlfriend?

What did Madison have that you didn’t? Good assets? Great sex?

Were you just not good enough?

You let a broken sob escape your throat as you feel another flood of tears coming. As much as you were hurt, you were also infuriated. You had done everything he had told you to do, endured his unfairness and even took care of his needs, even if you got the down-side of it all. So exactly, what did you do wrong? Unbeknownst to you, you fell unconscious before you had the chance to think about any other things.

Sleep that night was, understandably, grueling. You woke up multiple times from seeing his face in your dreams, pleading for it to go away as you tossed and turned, the stress from your never-ending amount of coursework and the unnecessarily costly rent that you had to fork out by yourself. Before you knew it, your alarm blared, resonating throughout your room. 

No thanks to the amount of sleep you had, you had a pounding migraine. Getting up from your bed, you trudged into your bathroom akin to a zombie . While washing up, memories of last night came flooding into your head. Unanswered questions, doubts and deadlines to chase. You furrowed your brows, feeling your headache worsen from those thoughts. You placed your palm on your temple, guess I’ll have to take some painkillers before classes if not I won’t be able to focus properly.

Opening the cabinet compartment of your mirror, you squint, trying to find the bottle of ibuprofen. Grabbing the white container with a red and white logo, you went over to your kitchen to grab a glass of water to ingest the pills with. After taking 2 pills, you quickly make your way back to your room to change and gather materials for your class.

Just as you were placing your pencil case into your tote bag, you heard a knock at your door. You flinched, panic spreading over you. Could it be Jeremiah? He must’ve realized that you had put your phone on silent and got impatient so he came over instead. The knocks on the door started to sound more and more impatient. 

With a shaky breath and even shakier legs, you carefully made your way to your door, the knocks sounding as loud as your beating heart. Biting your lip, you peeped into the peeping hole, releasing your breath in a tentative sigh to find out that it was only Olyvia. You opened the door without a second thought.

“Girl, what the hell were you doing?! You got me worried sick for god's sake! Did you suddenly lose your phone or do you just not know how to answer calls?” She nagged, giving you a hug. “Sorry! Sorry… I was just getting ready for the day. I had to-...” You paused, “I had to take some ibuprofen. My sleep was not good, no surprise there, and I woke up with the most nasty headache.” You explained sheepishly, hugging her back.

She released her hold, “I understand but please, if you’re silencing your phone because of that douche, silence him only, don’t shut us out too alright? We’re all worried for you.” You nodded and gave her a smile at her concern. “So are you ready or not? Classes will start in forty-five and it’s going to take me around half-an-hour to get there.” You nodded again and told her to wait as you went up to grab your belongings. You still refused to check your phone as she handed you a spare helmet and ushered you onto her bike. 

“Ready? Hang on tight.” You gripped onto her waist as she revved the engine and took off. The drive to your college was pleasant save for the small pounding of the headache that was still present, as Olyvia tried her best to avoid talking about the incident last night and you from thinking about it as well. You mentioned to her about her speed when she had stopped at a red light. She huffed with a smirk, “You should see my meter when I’m alone. I’m only holding back because I have a passenger.” You shook your head and made a joke about crashing in style, causing her to chuckle along with you.

It wasn’t long before you neared the driveway of your college. You squint your eyes, seeing the familiar faces of Ruby, Niall and Mei standing at the entrance waiting for the both of you. They greeted you with a smile as you got off and handed the helmet back to Olyvia. Your friends have also decided to avoid the topic of yesterday while Olyvia went to park her bike. 

Mei stretched her hand out, nudging you with a brown paper bag. “Here, I know you don’t normally eat before class, but I got you your favorite bread and something else worth trying from the bakery near my house.”

You tilted your head in question, taking the paperbag from her hands. Your friends had found your aversion to food in the morning worrying, but after realizing that you were fine, they were slightly less worried. You gasped when you eyed the contents of the bag, it was your favorite Ham and Cheese toasted sandwich! It sat snugly next to another bun as well as a carton of milk. 

“Mei… Thank you so much for this. I don’t know what else to say.” You gave her a tearful smile. She shook her head and laughed, “No need. As long as I know you’re feeling better, I’m happy.”

“Not to break the moment but… I’ve been so curious that I might die,” Niall broke in, “But did he say anything?” You shook your head, “Um… To be completely honest, I haven’t checked my phone yet…”

“Yeah so much so that I almost broke down her door because she didn’t pick up my phone.” Olyvia chimed it with a roll from her eyes. Ruby placed a hand on your shoulder, “We can all see it together if you want, but now, let’s head to class, it’s about to start.” You all agreed and quickly went into the lecture hall.

The day went by slow, as you focused on your classes instead of other, irrelevant thoughts. Your friends were with you, luckily, sometimes all or just one as they needed to head to other classes. But one thing is for sure, neither of them left you alone. To your astonishment, you did not once check your phone. They had told you that you didn’t need to as they would help communicate to each other in the groupchat for you.

Lunchtime came by. There you sat, on one side with your friends huddled up opposite of you, outside of Starbucks. The moment of truth causes the familiar uneasiness in your belly. Your friends suggested that they take a look at the messages first, as they might cause you to break down again. You agreed to that suggestion, fearing the embarrassment of wailing unabashedly in the public eye. 

Upon entering your passcode and pulling up the chat, frowns decorated their faces the more they unveiled the messages sent by your ex-boyfriend. Anxiety gripped onto your heart like the thorns on roses. You bit your lip out of habit, the reactions from your friends causing more tension.

“Nah, no. You shouldn’t see this. Nope, nada, nuh-uh. This motherfucker. I swear to god...” Niall groaned, disgust spilling from his words. “Niall’s right. This asshole is the lowest of low.” Ruby glowered in disbelief. Mei shook her head with a sigh, “We should never have approved of your relationship with him.” Olyvia looked like she was about to smash your phone into pieces, “Should we all pull up on him and give him a lesson, I have a metal bat that would love meeting his skull.”

“Hey, it’s alright. May I at very least see what he said?”

Your words caused a flurry of ‘no’s and head shakes. This time, it was your turn to frown, “Please? It can’t be that bad… Right?”

Niall gave you a look, “No means no. Okay look- how about this, we can screenshot his messages and keep them on our phones, or on one of our phones. But erase all traces of him on your phone.”

“What? Why? For what?” You raised a brow, frown still decorating your features.

“I agree with Niall,” Mei cut in, “We fear you might not be able to endure this…”

You fell back onto your chair in stupefaction. It was unusual for Mei to agree with Niall and his methods sometimes or to hide anything from you even. Was it really that bad?... You feel the familiar blur of tears clouding your eyes again until a firm hand on your shoulder snapped you out of your thoughts.

“When you’re better, which you will be without a doubt, you can see these messages again if you wish to, but for now, I think we should just focus on getting you better first. However, we are all ears if you don’t want to see the messages or for us to delete it.” Ruby affirmed, massaging your shoulder. Even Ruby, who was usually straight-forward and blunt, agreed with protecting you from the messages. 

Niall got to work screen-shotting the photos and sending it to your friends. You began to feel the spark of anger from their selfishness. “The messages are meant for me. Don’t I at least get to see something? Come on guys.”

Feeling your frustration, they looked at each other, until Olyvia broke the tension with a sigh. “Fine, we’ll show you one part okay? But don’t say we didn’t warn you about it.” She pulled out her phone and saved the images of the chat. She thought for a moment on which one to show you exactly but Mei piped in, “I think you should show her the part where he was begging. That wasn’t too bad.”

Olyvia nodded and strode over to where you sat, showing you the screen of her phone. You teared up reading his messages.

Baby? Where did you go?

Oh shit.

Don’t tell me you know?

Fuck.

I’m sorry baby.

Please come back, please.

I promise I’ll explain okay?

It was an accident. I promise it won’t happen again, I swear on my life it won’t.

Please answer me. 

Please baby answer me.

There were more message bubbles below but it was cut off. “Can I see one more? Please?” You pleaded, while Olyvia handed you a tissue to wipe your tears with. “Trust me it gets worse. Until I know you’re ready to stomach the rest, this is all you’re getting. Please understand that we only want what’s best for you.”

At her words, you stood up abruptly, suddenly feeling very sick in the stomach, surprising everyone. “I… I think I need a moment.” You walked away briskly, to somewhere, anywhere. You needed some time to rationalize with your thoughts and emotions, and they let you.

You walked around the campus for a while, just hearing the sounds of people talking, birds chirping and water sloshing from the fountain. You thank whatever deity was out there for an additional hour of lunch, this would mean that you wouldn’t need to rush back to your friends or to class. 

Sitting below a large tree, you relished the tranquility. Just for a moment, you thought, you needed some peace for just a moment. You brought your knees up to your chest, trying to calm yourself down. Part of you was mad at your friends. It felt as if they were trying to blackmail you or something. But part of you knew that it wasn’t the case. They were just trying to protect you from whatever awful things that your ex had sent. 

You sigh with a groan and bury your head into your knees, trying to soothe whatever conflicting emotions that you were muddled with. Rent is due soon, I have work tomorrow so I should be able to cover the costs right? But what about food? God, do I have to resort to eating instant noodles again. I should never have bought that cheating son of bitch gifts that he didn’t appreciate. Today’s assignments are just as much, do I have enough time to finish it? Do I have enough time to study for the test next week? You groaned again in frustration, curling your fingers into your hair. 

What am I going to do? Should I ask for more shifts? But that would mean less time studying. Maybe I can do it. But I can’t afford to mess up now, if my grades slip any further I might get expelled. You bite your lip so hard you could taste the metallic tang of blood, tears falling from your eyes. 

Sniffling for the last time, you wiped your tears and brought your head up from under your arms. There were a couple of students that glanced at you with pity. It wasn’t unusual for a student to cry because of stress. You sighed, deciding to leave whatever issues that may arrive later. You stood up, dusting off dirt from your skirt and began to walk back to where your friends were.

“(Y/N)!” Ruby ran over to you, enveloping you into an embrace. “I’m- We’re… So sorry.” She let go before you could even do anything, your other friends walking towards you slowly.  “I apologize, (Y/N). We were prying into your business more than necessary.” Mei gave you a sad look. 

“Yeah,” Niall scratched the back of his head, “I shouldn’t have suggested the idea of us saving the photos. It’s your call to see what he sent and I’ve taken it as if I was the one in your situation. I’m sorry, (Y/N).” 

Olyvia glanced away, “Whatever your choice is, know that we’ll always respect your decision and we’ll still be here for you.”

You smiled a little, heart warming at the sight of them admitting their mistakes and apologizing. “Thanks guys, but… I think I’ll stick with Niall’s plan. I can’t afford to break down now. I’ll let you all know when I’m ready. I really appreciate that you guys are trying to shield me from what he said.” They ‘aww’ed and Niall initiated a group hug. Soon, he let go and everyone strolled back to classes.

Before you knew it, classes were finally over for the day. 

Olyvia had suggested going to a pub to ‘drink the pain away’. Mei countered that it was an unhealthy habit but allowed it to slide as it was a once in a while thing. “Can we not go toThe Spades? It’s, well… You know…” You thought back to when you first met your ex at that very pub and cringed.

The silver-headed female placed an assuring hand on your back, “Of course not. We’re going to another one this time. I promise you that it’s just as good.” Olyvia sent Niall, Ruby and Mei the address of the pub and you all went your separate ways. You sat behind Olyvia while Niall drove Mei and Ruby. 

The winds and lights rushed by as you stared idly at the view in silence. Not long, you see the large, yellow-blue neon sign of the pub. ‘After Glow’ it read. You raised a brow but smiled nonetheless, at the innuendo. 

Settling down at a high table, your friends ordered their choice of drinks and some snacks. After some small talk, the waiter came back with a tray of food and drinks. ‘Cheers!’ your group sang, taking a sip of your drinks. Everyone had the same thought that it was far from the weekends therefore, not too much drinking.

“I swear, Mrs. Miller is the worst. Imagine giving us like, 300 assignments a day. I swear to god.” Niall complained after a sip of his sour whiskey. “Right? That old hag. Who told her that it was okay to give that many assignments to a student in a day. She had no right whatsoever to do that honestly.” Ruby agreed with a reddening face. 

Mei only chuckled, “We’re in college boys and girls. They’re loading us with so much work to teach us how to manage our time properly.” The short-haired woman twirled her glass of old fashioned. As they resumed talking, you can’t help but zone out of the conversation. Your mind, heightened with the alcohol, started to spiral with thoughts again. Rent, Assignments, Work, Money, Test, Jeremiah. It circled over and over, making you feel sick. 

You took another sip of your drink, tasting the bitter aftertaste of the alcohol, trying to drown out your nausea and thoughts. Just then, a hand placed itself over your back, soothingly going up and down. Olyvia must’ve sensed your distress and in an attempt to comfort you, she ran her hands along your back. 

“You good? Wanna talk about it?” You sigh at her, trying not to cry. “I… Just… There’s a lot of shit going on right now and… I just can’t stop worrying about it,” You couldn’t stop for some reason, “Now that I’m living by myself again, I’ll need to deal with the overpriced rent alone. Which might cause me to go on another instant noodle fest. If my manager decides to dock my pay again, I might end up homeless. That shitty landlord won’t take late payment because of trauma I’m guessing. And then there’s a test coming up next week, and I don’t know if I’m going to have time to study for it, I might have to take up more jobs if I’m going to be able to pay for the rent next month.” You groaned, massaging your temple.

You look up to see Niall raise a brow, “Wait, where did all the money you saved up go? I thought you had more than enough to pay for your current rent?”

“I used to. Then Jeremiah demanded that I pay half the rent for living at this place too because it ‘wouldn’t be fair’ if I’m living with him but using his utilities for free and that if I don’t, I should just go home. Turns out, I’ve been paying 75% of the rent. But I kept quiet because I was so damn blinded and stupid.” You confess with a sigh. “ Ruby gave you a look of incredulity, “Are you serious right now? That motherfucker… What kind of a man is he?”

“I can still pull up. My metal bat is still eager to meet him.” Olyvia chimed in nonchalantly whilst chewing on a fry.

Mei gave you a gentle smile, “It’ll be alright, (Y/N). Don’t worry too much about money. If you need, I’m sure all of us here would be more than happy to lend you a hand.”

You shook your head, “No. I can’t. I won’t borrow money from any of you. I’ll just have to deal with it.”

There was suddenly a pause. The song from the radio, people chattering and the clinking of glass bounced off the walls of the cozy pub. Ruby licked her lips then, ready to speak. “I know it’s going to sound crazy but, (Y/N), how,” She paused, eyeing you hesitantly, “How about finding a sugar daddy?”

There was another pause before Niall howled in laughter. “Her? A sugar daddy? Please, Ruby! I think you’ve had too much tonight.” You see Olyvia trying to stifle a snicker and Mei shaking her head with a smile. Ruby frowned, “Why not? I think it’s a pretty good idea if you asked me.”

“First of all, (Y/N) is not the type to find one-night stands unlike her shit-stain of an ex. I mean, have you seen how faithful she is? Remember Noah from the other class? Remember how he tried to hit on her but she rejected him each and every time?” he paused, taking a swig, “Secondly, (Y/N) gets attached to the people she dates very quickly, too quickly actually, and sugar babies are all about getting the money and then dipping. Lastly, it would totally traumatize her and she’s been traumatized enough by that douche. I mean, I’m pretty sure a lot of sugar daddies don’t only have ONE single sugar baby, right? They’re rich, so they most likely want variety.” He concluded smugly, taking a bite of the pizza.

You purse your lips, unable to deny his claims. “Gee Niall, I thought we were out to comfort me tonight, not to call me the fuck out.” Everyone at the table laughed at your words. “Well, if you’re still keen, I know a friend that has access to a safe and trustable sugar daddy meeting website.” Ruby restated, taking a bite out of the fry. “Safe and trustable? Who is she? The CEO of the website?” The male gibed.

“Niall for the love of god. You should probably keep your mouth shut if you don’t earn as much figures as she makes from fucking rich old men from that website.” The red-haired woman rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Hey! Who says I don’t make a lot of figures, I’ll have to remind you that my parents are both CEOs of DIFFERENT companies.” He bragged, glaring at her. 

“Sure that’s cool and all, but that still ain’t your money right, mommy’s boy?” Ruby provoked, leaning against her hand.

“Mommy’s boy? You take that back right now, I ain’t no mommy’s boy!” Niall stood up from the chair, pointing a finger at his provoker.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Let’s call it a day, yeah. You both had a little too much tonight.” Mei stood up, placing her hands between Niall and Ruby. 

After settling the bill and bidding each other goodbyes, you hopped onto the back of Olyvia’s bike. Watching as Niall, Ruby and Mei enter Niall’s car. “Will they really be alright?…” You thought aloud. “Eh, I’m sure they’ll be fine. Mei’s in there.” Olyvia secured the black helmet on her head. “Let’s go now.”

The ride back to your home was short. Olyvia had insisted on escorting you all the way back to your apartment to make sure you were safe, in case Jeremiah had decided to pop up out of nowhere. Fortunately for the both of you, he was nowhere to be seen. You closed the door after bidding the silverette one last goodbye and headed to your bathroom to shower. 

You feel the droplets of refreshing, hot water clearing today’s negativity, clearing your mind of clutters temporarily. Exiting the bathroom with a towel around your torso, you hear your phone chime. Walking to your bedroom where your phone was, you sat down on the bed and checked your notifications.

Rubae ❣:

Here’s the website that I was talking about. Check it out, or not. Up to you ;)

sugaryparadise.com/signup

You shut your phone and thought. A sugar daddy? But what Niall said… It’s true, I don’t think I can do this…

You stood up and dressed into your pajamas. Settling down on your study desk, you pulled out your assignment folder, and got to work, trying to finish as much as you can. All the while, the thought of getting a sugar daddy permeates throughout your brain. Biting your lip in frustration, you lightly bumped your head on the wooden table.

I mean… If I take up another job, I would be able to pay for the rent. But that would also mean that my grades may slip from the lack of studying. But then… You huffed, scratching your head. You decided that it was time for a break. Standing up and arranging your table neatly, you took your water bottle and strolled over to your kitchen. 

That’s when you noticed it. A white envelope with a stamp.

How did I not notice this when I came home earlier? You set your water bottle down on the dining table and investigated the letter. Peeling open the top, you took out the paper within.

What you saw made your stomach drop.

Dear Residents of Areca Apartment,

Due to the rising cost of electricity and water bills, we will be increasing every individual’s rent by 20%. Because of that, we will permit the rent of the current month and the new rent to be paid by the end of the next month.

After the end of the following month, prompt payment is to be expected at the end of every month again. Failing to do so will result in us taking legal action against you, which we strongly advise against.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

For more information, contact your landlord at xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Thomas Benjamin

Your jaw dropped. What the hell? Is this even legal? You sat down on the dining chair in shock, leaning against your hands. With a whimpering sigh, you begin to cry again. “What did I do to deserve all this?...” You whispered solemnly. Wracking through your head for a solution, any solution. With your current pay, you would need to survive on instant noodles again, this time, for a whole month instead. You doubt you’d survive. Then it hit you.

The sugar daddy website Ruby suggested.

Scampering to your room, you grabbed your phone and entered the dm with Ruby. The blue-highlighted website stared back at you. You bit your lip hesitantly.

Is it really worth it? Losing my dignity for money? But I NEED the money to survive. What would the others think? Taking in a deep breath of air, well, what’s the worst that can happen?

You clicked on the url.

==========

The blonde man sits on the edge of the plush bed with furrowed brows. He had just taken the coldest shower known to man and yet, his cock remained rock hard.

Try as he may, he couldn’t get the sounds you emitted earlier out of his head. The way you whined, moaned and called for him so submissively, the way you only had a towel on your delicate body, the way you squirmed and held onto him. He clenched his fists, feeling his member twitch in anticipation at those lecherous thoughts.

He sighs in frustration, at his own lack of self-control. He stood up and shut the lights off, deciding to sleep the arousal away. He shifted under the covers uncomfortably, no matter how much he adjusted, the thoughts would just keep coming back, keeping him hard.

Your touch, your lips and your voice, it lingered and haunted him to no end. With a groan, he threw the covers off of him and sat back at the edge of the bed. 

“A-ah… A-Albert…!”

He could almost hear your whine beside him, he palmed his shaft through the fabric, biting his lip to stifle his moans. He could still feel the soft, plump skin of your thighs. Oh, how he would love to spread them wide open and have a taste of you. He would imagine that even the world’s finest honey could not compare.

He lowered his pants and briefs, hissing at the relief of finally having his cock free of any restraints. He gripped onto his manhood, jaw clenching at the euphoric feeling of stimulation.

His mind drifts to the image of you under him, your nude body fully displayed to him. He would cage your wrists with a hand as you squirmed and moaned, unable to do anything. His tongue would venture along your neck, to your breasts. He salivated at the thought of how your breasts would taste, what sort of noises he could wring out of you as he took a nipple into his mouth and tongued the sensitive bud.

He hisses a curse, jerking himself faster. Another scene fills his head, one of you under him with your back arched as he grips onto the back of your neck and pounds into you at breakneck speed, your velvety walls clenching around him each time he thrusts. By this point, moans were slipping past his lips uncontrollably.

His knuckles turned white from how hard his free hand was clutching onto the sheets. He could feel the telltale signs of his release coming  very soon. The scene changes, this time, you were on top of him, bouncing up and down as moans and whines spilled from your mouth while one of his hands played with a tit and the other one gripped onto the plump flesh of your hips. 

The thought of you coming undone just by him made him release with a loud groan.

His free hand swiftly comes up to cover the white spurts erupting from the head of his pulsing cock. With a few final strokes to bring him down from his high, he breathes a sigh of relief at finally finding a release. Shame soon washes over him at what he has done. He has mentally violated you, and it made himself sick. How was he going to face you now? 

He sighs yet again, pulling his bottoms up and heading over to the washroom to clean up the mess.

———————————————

You woke up feeling strangely weightless.

You peel your eyes open and take in the surroundings. As you shifted around the sheets, you felt sensitive, as if you weren’t- Wait.

Where are your clothes?!

You yelp and cover your chastity with the loose towel that laid sprawled under you. You blushed furiously, trying to remember what transpired last night and more importantly, where was Albert? As you dug through your memories, everything seemed so blurry.

One moment you were scrubbing yourself in the shower and then the next thing you remember was hugging Albert. And then…

You covered your face in shame as you remembered the events of last night. 

“I-I… I still feel him on me. I hate it… Please… Just help me. No matter how much I try to scrub, I can’t get it off…”

Right, you begged him to… touch you. A man you just met. A man who welcomed you in his home when you were unsafe and nursed you with the utmost hospitality. A man you love and above all, a man who didn’t want to take advantage of you.

And you fucked it all up by making him do something he didn’t want to.

Oh god. I messed it all up. Oh fuck. If he didn't hate me before he definitely does now…

You frantically got up, covering yourself in the towel that was lying beneath you, in search of something to wear. Thankfully, you spotted a neatly folded night dress on a nearby chair that Cyrus must’ve prepared last night for you to wear. You slipped the silky dress on, slightly astonished on how well it fitted you, before haphazardly throwing the towel on the chair and leaving the room in search of the blonde man.

“Good morning, Miss (Y/N)! How was your sleep?” Cyris chirps.

“It was fine, thank you Cyris,” You smile nervously at him, “By the way, do you know where Albert is?”

He nods, “Master Wesker is currently in the guest room, he is still asleep.”

You muttered a quick thanks and damn near bolted into said room, with Cyris chuckling behind you. As you closed the door behind you silently, you chewed on your bottom lip, thinking if it was really a good idea to wake him or even face him. But you needed to know what happened last night.

Okay, calm down (Y/N). If he doesn’t want me around anymore, I’ll just apologize and go. Other feelings can come later.  Simple and easy, right? 

You thought as you slowly tip-toed over to the sleeping man.

Who am I kidding? It was probably so bad that he had to move rooms to avoid me… I guess it’s apologize and dip.

You stop beside him, unable to stop yourself from staring at the heavenly man. His lustrous blonde hair was slightly ruffled up from sleep, face free from any sign of wrinkles despite his age, and his lashes which you dared to bet that they were longer than your own. The soft light from the lamp on the bedside table accented his cheeks and chiseled jawline, his body rhythmically moving up and down from his calm, slow breaths. 

Seriously, what country did you save in your past-life that granted you luck to score a man such as Albert Wesker? You thought sarcastically, letting out a breathy giggle.

You yelp as a sudden firm grip on your wrist shakes you out of your thoughts. You froze, wide-eyed, watching Albert shift to sit up groggily.

“Mmh...darling…?” He murmured, voice still thick and deep from sleep, and you swore to commit this voice to your memory for all the years to come. You could only continue to stare with an open mouth like a fool. 

Once his eyes had finally adjusted, it was only then he noticed his grip on you. He lets go as if he’s been stung, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“I-it’s okay… It’s my fault for creeping up on you like that.” You utter, offering him a shy smile.

You notice how his eyes widen a little, before he turns his head away, opting to face the wardrobe on the other side of the room. You feel your heart sink. It seems like you were right, things must’ve gotten sour last night.

“U-um… A-about last nigh-” You flinched at the way he whipped his head to look at you with wide eyes. “I-I’m sorry…!” You shut your eyes and await any impact that may come. You hear shifting, but dare not open your eyes. Then you feel his larger, warmer body, envelop yours. “There is nothing for you to be sorry about, my dear,” He falters a little, “It is I, who should be the one apologizing.” You blink at him in confusion. “W-what…? Why?” 

“Even with your consent, it felt… wrong, to touch you when you were most vulnerable… I am sorry, sweetheart.” He murmurs solemnly into your hair “No…! No…” You push him away slightly, looking into his eyes, “Don’t apologize, please. I really meant it when I said that I was no longer drunk and gave my full consent. B-besides,” Your face heated up at the words you were about to say, “It felt good… Your touch, I mean.”

You quickly bury your face back into his chest, catching a glimpse of the way his eyes widened. He holds you closer and releases the breath that he was holding in relief, one hand around your waist and the other on your back. “Oh my darling… Whatever did I do to deserve an angel like you…” He coos, stroking your back tenderly. 

“That should be my line…” You feel his chest  from his chuckles as you utter. You both finally pull away from each other after a short moment longer, with smiles on your faces. “Would you still like for us to resume our date, sweetheart?” He takes both your hands in his. You nod fervently, “Of course I do, o-only if you still want me around, that is…”

“Oh my sweet… There is never a time where I do not require your company.” You feel him lean closer, placing a kiss on your forehead. He chuckles at your reaction, “Shall we head to the shower then?”

“W-we…?!” The word spilled from your lips before you could even stop it. He laughs, “I jest. However, I insist that you shower first. I will have Cyris prepare your attire for the day.”

You nod again, heading back to the Master Bedroom with him in tow. You immediately notice how the bed has already been made and how there was a fresh towel placed on the same chair you threw the previous one on.

You grab the towel and made a note to thank Cyris later, all the while Albert patiently waited for you by the bed, a small smile on his face. He nodded toward the bathroom, further coaxing you in. You shot him a demure smile, before scurrying into the shower.

You undressed yourself, and just as you were about to step into the shower, you paused, staring into the mirror blankly. Your jaw dropped upon seeing the reddish mark scattered around your neck, a familiar crimson rushing into your cheeks. He really didn’t hold back, did he? You let out a shaky sigh, stepping into the shower finally, turning on the faucet to let the water pour, hoping that it would keep your scandalous thoughts at bay.

By the time you stepped out of the bathroom, Albert was nowhere to be seen, he must’ve gone out so that you could change. You eyed the clothings laid out on the bed, there was a simple long sleeved turtleneck, paired with a beige colored skirt that reaches mid-thigh as well as a matching set of undergarments. You dropped the bathrobe, putting on the outfit.

Hopping over to the walk-in closet, you eyed the way the clothing stuck onto your body perfectly. You still couldn’t get over how Tove managed to get your size in just a glance. She must have some kind of superpower. 

A knock resounded on the door.

“Miss (Y/N), are you decent?” You hear Cyris ask from the other side. “Ah, it’s fine to enter!” You holler back, and hear the sound of the door opening and promptly closing. You prayed that the butler would not be able to see the red marks peeking out from the turtleneck. The familiar smile of Cyris greets you, “You look sublime, Miss (Y/N).”

You redden slightly at his compliment, “Thank you.” He guides you to the plush velvet chair, taking out all the necessities he needed from the drawers of the posh vanity table, not saying anything else, much to your relief. Cyris wasted no time in applying the make-up on you, swiftly and adeptly. It was no surprise that he was done in minutes. He then arranged your hair, styling it to fit the attire.

He then fished out some jewelry for you to try on, making sure that you were satisfied with whatever you were about to wear, yet also paying mind to if it compliments your outfit.

“Anddd, there, done. You look even more spectacular now, so much so that I’m sure Master Wesker wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off of you for even a second!” The butler beams and you feel your heart beat faster. “I doubt so. I’m pretty sure Albert has met many women across his life, some I would not be able to compare to, in both looks and personality.” You chortle abjectly with an awkward smile.

Cyris places a finger under his chin, mulling over something. “Hardly, Miss (Y/N). I’ve served Master Wesker for years now, and amongst all the ladies that he has met, I’ve never seen him look at any of them the way he looks at you.” He tidies the table a little then walks away to grab something on the shelf, “You should take pride in yourself, stand a little taller and look a little more confident, Miss (Y/N). After all, you will be going out as the woman of Albert Wesker. If you do, I’m more than sure that you’d both be an icon for years to come.” 

He strides toward you with a beige leather bag with the infamous gold “YSL” logo attached at the middle in his hands. “However, it is all just a suggestion, Miss (Y/N). I would never want you to do anything uncomfortable. You decide what is best for yourself. Besides,” He huffs with a nervous smile, “If Master Wesker found out that I advised you to do all that, I would be executed in the most horrible way.” He places the lipstick he applied on you inside the bag, followed by some other items you may need later.

You gulped and smiled shakily at his words. Albert would never do that, right?

“In any case, Master Wesker has instructed me to inform you to wait over there,” He turns and points toward the archway to the back of the room where there was more furniture. “I will return shortly with breakfast. Now, if you will excuse me.” He bows and you quickly thank him before he leaves.

His words rang around your head as you headed toward the couches at the back. You felt slightly miffed but you knew he had a point. Albert Wesker is the CEO of a mega corporation. He had an image to maintain, and it would suck if rumors started going around that he was with a lady like you.

Cyris is right. I should get my shit together, if I keep this up, Albert’s image is definitely going to be ruined. Come on, (Y/N) get it together, for both him and yourself. You got this, step by step.

“Sweetheart?” 

You flinched a little. Amidst your internal war, you had failed to notice his presence. You almost drool at the sight and smell of him. He was wearing a long-sleeved black collared shirt, with matching black slacks. A black leather belt hugged his waist, with the silver “LV” logo in the middle. He had pulled his sleeves up to his elbows leaving his muscular arm exposed.

“O-oh, hey. Sorry, I didn’t notice you.” You stutter and watch as he studies you from head to toe in awe through his infamous shades.

“Stunning as usual, my sweet,” You turn rosy at his praise, “Shall we head outside then? Cyris will be coming up with breakfast soon.” He places  a hand out for yours to take. You accept it, sliding your hand into his larger ones, as you both stepped out of the room and into the balcony outside.

You marvel at the sight. There were pots of flowers decorated almost everywhere, a massive glass table for a bonfire with chairs surrounding it, a jacuzzi tub with speakers, followed by a seating area that had a couch and a chair with a coffee table, which was where you were both going to dine.

He brings you over to the white, plush couch making sure that you were cozy before settling beside you with an arm around your shoulder. You gathered up enough courage and laid your head on his shoulder. You felt him stiffen, not expecting the sudden contact, but relaxed soon after.

“The view here is lovely. Again, thank you for bringing me here. I really appreciate it.” You smile up at him gratefully.

“I’m overjoyed that you are pleased, but our date is far from over, my dear. You may thank me after we are finished.” He smirks, causing your heart to beat faster at the sight.

Soon after, Cyris enters the balcony with a tray of food, cutting your conversation short. He places the plates before you and Albert on the coffee table. He slowly describes the breakfast then leaves with a bow. 

“Ah, there is one thing I forgot to ask you. When I… ‘visited’ your place of education, I grew slightly more curious about you,” He peers at you and you shiver a little, “Tell me, what are your plans for the future?”

You confidently shared with him on what you were planning to do. You tell him that you were going to change jobs, for obvious reasons, in order to pay your school fees and future school fees, as well as the path you were going to take, and how long it was going to take, and your end goal.

By the time you were done talking, your plates have already been cleared. All the while, Albert listened attentively to every detail, nodding and acknowledging your words. Throughout the whole thing, you were kind of proud at how you looked and seemed confident, to your standards at least.

Cyris comes back once more to inform Albert that everything has been prepared and you both could leave at any time. The blonde man glances at you and you nod, ready to leave. He places his hand into yours and leaves the balcony and room with you.

The butler places down a pair of black platform pumps along with a pair white of socks for you, before tending to the man beside you. You slip on the socks and the shoes, wobbling a little as you were not used to wearing these types of shoes. Luckily, Albert was there to steady you and you mumble a thanks in appreciation.

You both leave together, Cyris bowing behind your backs and closing the doors. 

Admiring the scenery in the car, you can’t help but ask, “So, uhm. Where are we headed to?”

“Ah, but that is a surprise, my dear. I have already made proper arrangements in the places that we will be visiting. The only thing I am concerned about, however, is that it is not to your liking.” His brows furrowed slightly anxiously. You place your hand over his, smiling, “Don’t worry, Albert. As long as you’re the one bringing me, there will never be a place where I wouldn’t love.”

He smiles, “I believe you.”

After a bit more chatting, you both finally arrive. You can’t help but admire the glass dome as Albert helps you out of the car.

He brought you to a garden of some sorts. You know, as the outside was already filled with rows and rows of colorful, vibrant flowers. Yet, as you look around, you can’t help but notice how there was not a single person around the vicinity other than you and him.

Albert catches onto your wonder, “I have requested that the orchard be closed today, even for the staff, that way, there would not be any unnecessary disturbances.”

Oh, so that’s what it was, and what he meant by ‘proper arrangements’. As usual, his dedication to this or even everything else burns so fiercely. How can anyone NOT fall for him?

You smile and take his hand, “You know, it’s not really a problem if there were people around, I mean, I wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh, but I wish only for us to be in the vicinity,” You nearly back away when he leans, but steeled your nerves, “Just you and me, in our private little world. Where no peeking eyes can find their way in.” He smirks, and you could see 

You redden furiously and swallow. Challenge accepted, you thought. “Oh? Just us? What were you planning to do?”

He smirks, “If I recall correctly, you mentioned this morning that my touches felt good, didn’t you, sweetheart?” He brought his hands up and grasped on your arms, rubbing circles on the supple skin with his thumbs,  “You may lay down your worries, for as long as we’re alone, I will touch you wherever you like, as much as you want.”

You swore you nearly exploded at the way he articulated his words. 

“S-sounds like fun.” You looked away, your face as red as a tomato. He chuckles, placing a palm on the small of your back, guiding you to the entrance of the dome. 

Upon entering, you were immediately greeted by the cool air from the air-conditioners, so as to prevent the vegetation within from decaying. You shivered slightly from the cool air but mostly from excitement, as you laid your eyes on the array of colorful flowers. You took a deep breath in, the taste of nature filling your nostrils making you relax. 

You and Albert strolled around the garden, admiring the greenery with intertwined hands. His hands were hot, a striking contrast compared to the surroundings. It wasn’t an unwanted feeling however, in fact, it made you feel safe, protected, like a caterpillar in its pupa.

You smile unconsciously while eyeing the pebbled pavement. Of course, it does not go unnoticed by the ever-sharp Albert.

“Something pleasant on your mind?” He asks, turning his head down to look at you.

You shake your head, “It’s nothing really. Just thinking about you.”

“Is that so? Mind sharing it with me?” 

You look to the side bashfully, trying to think of a proper reply. “It’s just, the way you make me feel safe and protected. It’s really comforting to know that I have someone like you by my side.”

He stops walking out of sudden, his eyes never left you even as you stare right back at him through his shades. He brings a hand up to caress your cheek lovingly, “You’re truly an angel, aren’t you, my sweet?” He smiles fondly, “I feel the same, if you’d like to know. I adore you so much, sweetheart.”

You hadn’t even realized that you were leaning forward, eyes closing instinctively and feel your heart skip a beat when you feel him reciprocate, his soft, slightly chapped lips on yours. His lips move against yours, his taste dangerously addictive and you start to heat up, a tingling sensation around your nether regions.

You both finally part,, immensely out of breath, leaning against each other’s foreheads. “You’re one sly little fox, aren’t you…?” You stare into cerulean eyes, his hand slowly lowering from your back to right above your rear. “So what if I am…?” 

He damn near growls at your response and you feel your insides throb. “You shouldn’t tempt me, sweetheart. You do not have an inkling as to how much I am holding back right now, for our sake…” You swallow nervously at his husky warning and decide not to test him. You finally break eye contact with him, “A-alright, fine.” 

He chuckles at your surrender, taking your hand in his. Just when you think he was about to resume the stroll, he leans into your ear. “You should wear that confident look on you more often, sweetheart. You would drive any man on this planet mad, including myself.” He chortles at your dumbfounded expression, tugging you along the pebbled path. You trail wordlessly behind him with a beet red face, looking everywhere but at him. 

It was then you spotted your favorite flowers, making you stop on your tracks.You let go of his hands and stepped briskly towards the plot, sitting on your heels to admire the pretty flora. “I didn’t think they’d have this here…” 

“I can see why you fancy them, they look just as lovely as you.” You giggle at his compliment, “What types of flowers do you like, Albert?” He thinks about it for a moment, staring intently at the flowers. “I suppose it would be Peonies.”

“Peonies, huh… They’re charming and elegant too. Just like yourself.” You mumbled the last part then quickly got back on your feet. “Anyway, shall we continue?” You smile, slipping your hand back in his warm one. He nods wordlessly and you amble back to the path, resuming your stroll.

You soon stop at a photo-taking spot with a butterfly sculpture to snap a quick picture together and you notice that as he was reviewing the photos, the smile on his face never left. He sends you the photos, causing the sides of your mouth to tilt upwards. 

“It’s our first photo together.” You say, scrolling through the pictures. “It is, and I’m pleased with how it turned out. You look stunning my dear.” He caresses your cheek lovingly. “Not as much as you, though.” You add, pecking him on the cheek. He chortles in response to your affection, placing a hand behind your back. 

“We’re almost at the end. Would you like to sit for a while or shall we proceed?” You hear him ask and shake your head, “We can go.” He nods and the two of you walk.

Since the orchard was a pathway that led you right back to the entrance, you see the same familiar tall glass doors from whence you came in from, signifying the end of your walk. Albert leads to a nearby bench and tells you to wait a moment as he needed to make an important phone call. 

While waiting, you took the moment to update your friends about your whereabouts, deciding to omit what had happened last night to avoid worrying them.

Me:

1 Photo Attachment

Sooo, the date is going well. He says that there’s more planned, will share more photos later, maybe? ;)

Niall-edIt ✧:

Looking like a snacc (not for me for Mr. Wesker pls don’t come for me if you see this)

Anything spicy happened yet? ;^)

Me:

No and it won’t happen >:(

MeiMei❅:

You look stunning, (Y/N) ^^

I’m delighted that you’re having such a grand time.

Still, take care.

Rubae ❣:

1 Photo Attachment

“No” ??????

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

You clicked on the photo to take a closer look at what Ruby was insinuating and your face erupted in shame.It was part of your neck that was slightly exposed, showing the love bites from last night. You hadn’t noticed that in the photo you sent of you and Albert, your turtleneck was slightly tilted, allowing the marks to peek out.

Olyviuhh ☾:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

“it won’t happen” ??

liar

Niall-edIt ✧:

LMAO

Only (Y/N) can get caught in 4k like this

Never seen anything so shameless smh

Rubae ❣:

Fr

Anyways, we’ll let you enjoy your date for now

But you better spill the deets when you come back

If not I’ll haunt you 4eva <3

Just as you were about to text them back, Albert comes back and informs you that the chauffeur has arrived.

Me:

Gotta go

And maybe

Depends on my mood ;)

He sees your cheeky expression, “Keeping your friends posted? Did you tell them about the… incident last night during dinner?” Your smile fell instantly and you shook your head, “I’ve decided not to let them know about it, for now. I don’t want them to worry.” He quickly strides toward you seeing your crestfallen expression, gently taking your chin in his pointer and thumb, coaxing you to look up at him. “I apologize for bringing it up, sweetheart. I still worry about whether you are truly okay. However, if you want me to cease this topic, just say the word.”

You shake your head once again, mustering up a smile. “I’m okay. I mean, you did apprehend him, right?”

“Sent him to the darkest confinement in prison. You do not have to worry about seeing his wretched face ever again. I swear by that.” He kisses the side of your forehead as a silent promise and you smile gratefully.

He takes your hand and slowly guides you up and out of the dome, the brightness of the sun making you squint and you watch as the chauffeur opens the door. You enter the car, followed by Albert, his hand immediately enveloping yours as soon as you were both settled.

The car drives off and you were already excited about where Albert was going to bring you next. The island was vast, so the possibilities were endless. And if you saw correctly there was also an amusement park somewhere around the island, but you doubt Albert would be interested in any of the rides so maybe not. There was also what seemed to be a water park, so maybe in the end you still couldn’t make heads or tails of where he was going to bring you both to.

During the car ride, you were expecting Albert to pull out his iPad for work but to your surprise, he hadn’t done so, only focusing on the date. You feel his thumb caress the back of your hand.

“Something on your mind, sweetheart?”

“Not really.” You shake your head. “Just thinking about where we might be going next.”

“Lunch. We are currently headed to a french restaurant, opened by one of the world’s best chefs. He will personally be serving us this afternoon, therefore you will be guaranteed the finest of meals.” You hum, nodding your head. “Can’t wait!” You beam, starting to feel peckish. Whenever you were with Albert, the food served has never been subpar. You still remember the poached sea bass from before, and even until now, you couldn’t get the delectable taste out of your head. Maybe one day you can request for the chef to cook it for you again.

“Le Noir Diamant” 

You utter the restaurant's name and hear Albert chuckle at your pronunciation after the car slows to a halt. He exits the car as soon as the chauffeur opens the door, turning to reach a hand in to help you up. You take his hand, lifting yourself off the seat and out of the car and the first thing you feel and notice, were the stares of the passerbys.

You hear people whispering, something along the lines of “is that Albert Wesker?” or “is that his new girlfriend?” or even “She looks so young.”

You shiver a little, not used to the attention. Albert notices your discomfort and holds you closer, placing a hand on your waist as you both walk. He gives the passerbys a pointed look and they instantly shut up, most of them, at least. Until something in your brain reminded you of what Cyris had told you hours earlier.

‘After all, you will be going out as the woman of Albert Wesker.’

You swallowed nervously and composed yourself, straightening your back. You lean away from Albert and strut with poise as best as you can. He catches on to your change of behavior instantly and changes his posture, hand still looped around your waist.

You held your composure until you were finally inside the building, sighing in relief and relaxing your muscles, finally at ease from the noise and stares. The waiter greets you with a bow and brings the both of you to your table. While on the way to your table, you notice that it was also empty, similar to the orchard you both went to earlier. Albert must’ve closed the restaurant for today too. 

He pulls out the chair for you to sit upon reaching your table and after making sure you were perfectly comfortable, he goes to his own. The waiter takes his leave for the moment and Albert lays his eyes on you.

“I apologize, people talk a lot, and I am unable to do much to stop them. However, I must say,” He shifts a little on his seat to cross his legs, “You handled yourself splendidly.”

“They can talk all they want,” You shake your head, “But nothing will change the fact that I am yours.” The words slip out before you could even correct your phrasing. You see his eyes widen slightly at your response, then smirk, clearly amused. “Mine, I see… On our first date and you’re already making the rules?”

“T-that’s not what I mean-” You stutter, trying to explain.

He cuts you off, leaning against the table with intertwined fingers, “Then what exactly was it supposed to mean, my sweet?” Your mouth opens and closes animatedly, as your brain scrambles to find the right words. He chuckles, “I was only joking, I would love nothing but to call you mine. But I advise against rushing into our relationship.”

You nod hastily, “O-of course…!”

The waiter returns, pushing a cart toward your table, above sat a bottle of white wine and 2 wine glasses. You shrink a little at the sight of the wine, slightly afraid of it because of the string of misfortune that follows after you drink. He uncorks the bottle effortlessly, and places the bottle and glasses down on the table, bowing and excusing himself.

As soon as the waiter leaves, Albert begins to speak. “The wine has an alcohol percentage of 4%, the lowest one they possess. Will you be alright or would you like me to get you something else?” You reach for the glass, shooting him an assuring smile, “It’ll be fine, thanks.”

 He stands up and pours the wine into both glasses, placing one before you and carrying the other. “Cheers, sweetheart.” The wine glass clinks as you toast with him, sipping onto the clear liquid.

The food arrives not long after, the waiter bringing in the same tray this time filled with a wheel of cheese and 2 pots of freshly boiled pasta. You watch in fascination as the waiter scrapes the cheese in the wheel until it was hollow in the middle. He starts off by pouring in one pot of pasta, followed by a splash of alcohol, then, lights it on fire. Thanks to the heat, the cheese melts easily, coating the pasta and emitting a delightful smell.

After skillfully mixing the components, he plates the steaming hot pasta then begins with the other pot. By this point, your mouth was watering, so much so that you swore it almost spilled out of your mouth. As a final touch, he shaves small peels of truffle above the pasta. He bids a good meal to the both of you and takes his leave.

Once the waiter was out of sight, you were unable to wait any longer and dug in. As you stuffed your cheeks full, you notice that Albert hasn’t taken a single bite of his, opting instead to watch you eat. You immediately turn timid under his gaze, “W-what’s wrong?”

“Nothing at all. You’re just adorable when you eat.” He finally picks up his fork and begins eating, leaving you red and gaping like a fish. There was a short moment of silence, until he spoke yet again. “Are you afraid of heights, sweetheart?” 

You shake your head, “N-no…? Not really, why?”

“It is nothing, just a general question.” He wipes his mouth with the napkin. You raise a brow, but think nothing of it and resume eating.

By the time you stepped out of the restaurant, you were so stuffed you could pass out due to the sleepiness from food coma, but you knew you had to push through today, as it was important. The last thing you expected was for someone to charge at you with a microphone in hand, a cameraman accompanying him from behind, a sizable camcorder on his shoulder, pointing at you.

“Good afternoon miss! You seem to be Albert Wesker’s new girlfriend, could you tell us about yourself?” He directs the microphone to you and you instantly freeze up in distress, unfamiliar with the etiquettes of paparazzi.

What should I do?

“I- Uh-” You tense, anxiousness gnawing at the pits of your stomach. You clench your hands, mind racing for something, anything, to say to the interviewer. 

A large, familiar hand shields you from the camcorder. Albert nimbly turns you around and presses you firmly against his chest. “Leave. I will not repeat myself.” He warns with a glare. It was highly effective as they immediately left with their tails between their legs. 

He guided you into the car gently, while you were still trying to process what had happened. The sound of the car door shutting snapped you out of your stupor.

Oh god I- You covered your mouth with your hands, I messed up didn’t I? I wasn’t able to reply them- I looked like an idiot, they’re definitely going to write negatively about this, about me. It’s going to reflect badly on Albert. God what do I do. I messed up big time. Albert is going to hate me for making his reputation fall. You start shaking as your stomach twists and turns making you nauseous. You could tell it was the start of an anxiety attack, you felt it before too many times. You clench your hands into fists so much that your nails pierced into the soft flesh of your palm, causing it to bleed.

You couldn’t hear anything, your thoughts consuming your entire being. I couldn’t do it, even though I said I’d try. I failed Cyris and Albert. I’m not good enough… But before your tears could start to fall, you suddenly taste Albert on your lips and finally come to your senses.

Albert was kissing you.

You feel his lips move against yours and close your eyes, moving along his. He pulls away not long after, peering you at worried eyes. “Are you back, sweetheart?” You nod wordlessly as he pulls you into a deep embrace. “Thank goodness…” He gently caresses the back of your head. You could feel tears emerging, but you didn’t want to ruin Cyris’ hard work making you look pretty for today.

“I-I’m so sorry…” You utter, holding back tears. 

He hushes you, “There is nothing to be sorry about. If anything, they should be the ones to apologize.”

“I damaged your reputation. How will they look at you now, dating someone like me? I’m out of your league. You shouldn’t be seen with someone like me, I should go-” You feel his lips on yours, silencing your word vomit. “Weren’t you the one who said ‘let them talk’?” He asks as he pulls away, “I feel the same. They can write whatever false statements about me, I will still choose to love you, always.”

At this point, you couldn’t stop a tear from escaping. “You did not tarnish my reputation and never will,” He places a kiss onto the side of your head, “I am so proud of you for trying your best.” You held back the tears as much as you could, but some still managed to fall and you hoped they hadn’t ruined your make-up. You hold onto him a little longer, appreciating his presence and assurance. 

“I, too, have to apologize. As the CEO, interviews and reporters are unavoidable. If you detest being in the spotlight, I will try my best to keep them away from you.” He sighs as if he’s used to these types of people. You pull away from him, “It’s fine, I understand.  I just haven’t been in any of these situations before.” He smiles, “Thank you for being so tolerant with me, my sweet.” 

You tilt your head up, looking into his eyes solemnly. “I promise I’ll try my best to face them if they or any other interviewers come along.” He disagrees, shaking his head, “Not them, but proper, professional interviewers. You need not entertain hooligans like them and if you’d like, I can suggest some pointers when you encounter such people when we are home.”

You nod enthusiastically and shoot him an appreciative smile., “That would be perfect. Thank you, Albert.” He strokes your back tenderly, “Anything for you, sweetheart.” 

With what little time you have, you decide to touch up on a little of your smudged make-up, applying the techniques that Cyris had taught you before. You smile into the handheld mirror, pleased with how you looked.

Your next destination was a museum, the ivory building colossal and old-fashioned. There were eyes on you the moment you stepped out of the vehicle, your hand in Albert’s but you kept your cool, walking with as much poise as you could muster.

You admire the paintings and sculptures laid around the dark walls and floors of the museum, often complimenting its beauty. You halt when you spot a particularly interesting painting. It was of a man with a striking resemblance to Albert, his face bloody and dripping black liquid with a smirk, his piercing red eyes looking as if he was mocking the viewer. He stood in a puddle of the black liquid and blood, wearing a jet black leather suit. On one of his hands was a black sludge with tentacles coming out, another was over where his heart should be yet his chest was empty, everything covered in the mysterious black liquid. Your eyes trailed to the golden plaque just below the painting. 

‘I cast off my frail humanity and became something even greater.’

A Fool’s Fruitless Ambition

You placed a finger under your chin, wondering what the painting meant. “Out of all paintings, that one, hm?” Albert pipes up from behind, breaking your train of thoughts. He stands next to you, a hand in his pocket with his coat dangling. “He looks a bit like you, doesn’t he?” You look at him teasingly, then back at the painting. “Indeed,” He muses, scanning the painting, then slowly shifts his gaze to you, “Did you take a shine to the painting?” He asks and you think for a moment, “I guess so? I mean, it looks nice.” Nice because the dude looks a whole lot like you.

He hums, “Very well. I shall get it for you, then.” Your head turned so quickly it almost broke as you stared at him in shock. “What?” You watch as he signals for an attendant, readying his wallet. “Good afternoon sir, is there anything I can do for you?” The lady asked politely. 

“I’d like to purchase this paint-” Your hand shoots up to silence him before he could speak any further, “N-no, it’s fine! That won’t be necessary!” You give the attendant a nervous smile, before taking his hand and quickly walk away, leaving the attendant confused and alone.

“What was that about?” You frown, folding your arms. “You liked the painting. I was planning on getting it for you as a gift.” He replies impassively, confused by your actions. “You don’t have to, Albert. That painting probably costs 10 times more than my rent combined. Besides, you already got me an iPad and it’s more than enough, I promise.” You assure him with a smile. 

“Are you sure, sweetheart? I am more than capable of getting you the painting if you truly like it.” You shake your head vehemently, “No! No, it’s really fine. I mean- If I really wanted a painting, I would love it to be actually you, not some mimic or portrayal of you.” He remained silent for a moment, pondering, before he sighs, “Alright.” You finally ease up in relief at his reply. 

The color of the sky had turned orange when you stepped out of the museum with Albert. You were slightly bummed, as it meant that the date was coming to an end, but you were willing to spend every single minute with the man beside you in the car.

“There is one last thing I’d like to do, before we head back.” He announces, caressing your shoulder as you lay on his. “Sure.” You say, fiddling with the strap of the bag. You feel him press a gentle kiss on the side of your head, making your heart leap. You decided to remain silent, basking in his presence for the rest of the journey as he keeps you close.

You pull away from Albert when you feel the car slow to a halt, allowing him to get off with you right behind him. You stood, astonished, in front of a tall building. It looked like an office tower of some sorts. Where exactly was he going to bring me to? You ponder silently, allowing him to guide you. You stood beside him as the elevator headed up, your mind drifting to the endless possibilities.

You hear the chime of the elevator as it comes to a stop, the golden doors opening. Albert walks forward without hesitation, taking your hand in his as you walk through a small corridor, and out after he pushes a weighty gray door. You brought a hand to keep your unruly hair away from your face as the wind blows heavily, trying your best to catch sight of the horizon.

It was then you realized that you were on the top of the building. 

Albert squeezes your hand assuringly, escorting you up a metal staircase and you gasp at the sight of an inky black helicopter. So this was why he asked if you were afraid of heights earlier.

You shudder a little in exhilaration, as it was your first time sitting in a helicopter. The pilot bowed in respect as you both approached the aircraft. He opens the door and Albert helps you up the passenger seat, much to your confusion. You would rather sit with him at the back, but thought that maybe he wanted you to see the full view of the island. You adjusted your skirt and bag, watching as Albert spoke to the pilot, making sure everything was well arranged.

You took the time and fished out your phone, updating your friends on your whereabouts and what you were about to be doing and smiled at their envious response. Upon hearing a noise, you turn your head to look at whoever had sat on the passenger’s seat and tilt your head in confusion upon laying eyes on Albert. 

You swivel your head the other way to see the retreating figure of the pilot. “Where is the pilot going?” You look at him with a raised brow. “The pilot is right here, sweetheart.” He smiles, fastening his seatbelt. 

To say you were shocked would be an understatement.

“Y-you know how to pilot a helicopter?” He reaches over to help you put your seatbelt on, “I never said I did not have the skills to pilot one.” You could only stare, amazed and stupefied at this newly learned fact. 

Albert hands you a pair of headphones and you wear them, adjusting the little microphone attached to the side. He flips some switches and presses on some buttons, as if he knew the aircraft like the back of his hand. “Ready, sweetheart?” He asks through the intercom and you nod eagerly. He takes off and you clutch onto your bag nervously at the sinking feeling, but immediately gasp at the sight of the city lights.

The aircraft hovers right above the city and he flips one final switch before his hands leave the control stick. “Enjoying the view?” Albert pipes up after a moment of silence. You look at him meekly and nod, “It’s beautiful, thank you for this, all this, Albert.”

“Anything, as long as I get to see you smile, sweetheart.” He places a hand over yours, “I have also prepared several refreshments for you,” He reaches his other hand behind to grab a bag. He places the rose-printed cooler bag on your thighs, “Go ahead, open it.”

You unzip the bag and take out a pink, rectangular container. Upon opening the seal, the sight of a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries made you gasp. You turn to look at him with pleading eyes, as if saying, ‘Can I really have this?’

“All yours, sweetheart.” He chuckles, bringing the back of your hand up to his lips, kissing the tender flesh gently. With one hand you pick up a de-stalked strawberry and place it into your mouth, the soury sweetness a strangely flavourful combo, making you hum in delight and savor the taste. You take a strawberry and bring it near Albert, nodding your head to indicate for him to eat it.

He eyes the strawberry, then back at you and leans forward. You shiver a little under his gaze, he went from soft to predatorial within milliseconds. How? You had no idea. He opens his mouth and eats the strawberry whole, licking your fingers in the process.

His eyes never left you throughout the entire ordeal.

You stop chewing and blush fiercely at his actions, mouth slightly agape. “Thank you for sharing, sweetheart.” He smirks and licks his lips to prevent any of the strawberry’s essence from dripping. You could only stare at him dumbfounded, suddenly feeling extra hot below. 

Strawberries be damned, the only thing you wanted to eat right now was the man before you.

“S-stop teasing me already…” You mumble, looking away. “Hmm… Should I? Oh but I just cannot help but love the look on your face each time I do.” He retorts, resting his chin on his hand. “In case anyone hasn’t told you yet, you may look gorgeous in red sweetheart, but I’d love to paint you in white.”

Your face heated up instantly at his words and you covered your face, silently screaming behind your hands. He laughs at your reaction, “I am only kidding. Your reactions are always a delight.” He shakes his head, amused.

He reaches for your hand, the other reaching up to flip a switch. He guides your hand to the control stick and you panic for a moment, “You’ll be alright. Trust me.”

And you did.

He controls the stick from above your hand, teaching you how to move it. In all honesty, you were scared shitless that you would mess up and cause something bad to happen, but his warm hand on yours pacified your fears. 

For the entirety of the ride, you admired the view from above while trying to control the aircraft, appreciating the night view of the island, occasionally eating the rest of the strawberries. 

Needless to say, you were a little disappointed when it was time for it to come to an end.

You tense a little from the shake of the touchdown and hear the sound of the blades slow from above. You take off the headphones as soon as Albert does, fixing your ruffled hair. You pack up the container and wait a little as Albert instructed you to. He opens the door and takes your hand, helping you out of the helicopter.

You both headed back downstairs, where the chauffeur was already waiting with an open door. 

The next thing you knew, you were being woken by Albert calling your name. You couldn’t remember when you had dozed off as the day slightly worn you out. You apologize shamefully, as you fell asleep on his shoulder. 

“It is quite alright, sweetheart. Let’s get you back now.” He carries you up and out of the car, making you yelp and hang onto him tightly, the strange feeling of deja vu hitting you. “Y-you can put me down, I can walk.” You tell him, feeling embarrassed. “I’m happy where you are. Besides, isn’t this familiar?” He smirks at your flustered look, as you know exactly what he means. 

He had you in his arms all the way up the penthouse, never once faltering. 

“Welcome back, Master Wesker, Miss (Y/N).” Cyris greets, opening the doors. Albert finally settles you down on the chair, taking a seat next to you to remove his shoes. You take off yours as well, sighing in relief at the lack of soreness. Cyris escorts you and Albert up to the master bedroom, where he helps you remove your make-up.

“Sweetheart, when you are done, meet me at the balcony. Cyris, you know what to do.”

“Yes sir, right away.” Cyris replies with a bright smile and you tilt your head. “Here, Miss (Y/N), please put these on and head to where Master Wesker is. Should you need my assistance, feel free to call me.” He hands you a black one piece swimsuit. Then the dots connected, Albert was planning to spend some more time with you in the hot tub on the balcony. You happily oblige, slipping on the silky clothing once Cyris had left.

You look into the mirror at yourself, the swimsuit is backless, with strings criss-crossing on both sides of your body that you tied up neatly. The front had a V-shape, exposing the skin at the middle of your chest, which you blush slightly at. Deciding not to keep Albert waiting any longer, you quickly cover yourself with the white black robe on the chair and head out to the balcony.

There, you see him standing covered in a black bathrobe, holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers. You gasp at the unexpected sight, then smile. “I’d like to thank you for today, sweetheart. Other than the small mishap with the reporters, I had a wonderful date.” He hands you the bouquet, giving you a kiss on the forehead right after. “Me too, it was magical. Thank you, Albert.” You tip-toe and daringly pecked him on the cheek. “I’m pleased to know that you have enjoyed yourself. Now, let’s head in and have a soak, shall we?”

You nod shyly and watch as he disrobes himself, exposing all his well-toned muscles. You didn’t even bother hiding the way your jaw dropped at his physique, his figure comparable to the gods. You suddenly felt self-conscious of your own body, wondering if you should really remove the robe. If anyone sees someone like you around him, there’s not a single doubt that people would start shaming him.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” As he neared you, you tense up. You feel his hand on your back, rubbing soothing circles in an attempt to calm you. “You’re doing spectacular, my sweet. Don’t let those flawed thoughts sway you now,” He assures you, “Just know that I will love you, no matter what.” You took a few deep breaths to collect your thoughts.

You slowly remove the robe from your body, allowing it to fall onto the floor. His hands travel along the length of your arm, “My goddess… Look at how beautiful you are.” He purrs into your ear and you blush fiercely. 

He takes your hand and guides you up the steps into the hot waters of the jacuzzi.

He cages you in-between his arms, “You have no idea what you do to me…” He takes your chin in his fingers and presses his lips against yours passionately and you emit a small moan. You hear him growl, sending a wave of heat down to your core. His hand starts exploring your body, from your hips to your back, to your neck and face. 

Albert abruptly pulls away, clearing his throat, “ I am sorry… I- Seeing you in such clothing just made something come over me. You really have no idea how you make me feel, sweetheart…”

“No, i-it's fine, we can continue, if you want.” You say, still out of breath. “No. As much as I’d love to, I dislike going back on my word. We shouldn’t rush this.” He affirms, looking into your (e/c) orbs. You look away guiltily, “You’re right… I’m sorry.”

He caresses your cheek gently, “It is not your fault, sweetheart,” He pecks you on the crown of your head, “Let us have dinner then?” He suggests and you nod.

Cyris enters the balcony with a tray of food in hand, he places the plates on the floating tray and sends it your way. Albert catches the tray and settles you down on the seat of the tub, before taking his own next to you. 

Albert kept his word and took the moment to share with you his experiences with the paparazzi and how he dealt with them as you both ate. 

“So, I just tell them to fuck off?” You raise a brow and take a sip of the juice. “Not just that, but you must look and sound firm, something you need to work on. Worry not, I will be here to guide you.” He runs his hand along your back. The events from this afternoon really taught you a lesson for sure, and you’re willing to learn from it to be better. For yours and his sake.

After soaking for a bit longer, you both finally get out. Cyris clears up the plates while you take a much needed shower. You slip on the silky, black nightdress that the butler had prepared for you and headed out of the bathroom. Albert smiles and looks up from his phone at your emerging figure. “Your turn.” You beam and he nods, rising from the chair. You decide to head into the closet to dry your hair as he showered.

He exited the bathroom just as you set the hairdryer down on the vanity table, ready to back into the room. Your jaw drops a little at his half-naked form, hair still covered with droplets of water. “You’re staring, sweetheart.” You instantly close your mouth and he chuckles at your red face.

You couldn’t hold back the yawn that escaped your mouth as today had really drained you. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get you to bed.” Albert reaches a hand behind your back to guide you to the plush, warm and snug bed. You shift around the bed as he shuts the lights, the dark room barely visible even with the dimmers. He walks over to join you in bed, covering himself with the thick quilt.

“Goodnight, Albert.” You yawn, shutting your eyes, about to lose consciousness. The last thing you felt was his arm around your waist as he whispers, “Sweet dreams, (Y/N).”

==========

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

==========

We are sincerely sorry for the much delayed update.

I fell out of the fandom a little while after my exams during my break, and also got struck with covid which sucked a lot. I hope this chapter can help satisfy your craving for the moment. I will try my best to write the next chapter as soon as I can, but the update will be slower as I am trying to get back into the fandom. -Aria

Merry Christmas to everyone who is reading this right now! This chapter is a Christmas gift from us to all of you lovely readers.

You woke up comfortably snuggled against something firm and toasty. You smile through a smushed cheek, at the enjoyable feeling. Until you felt it move. Why would it move? You peel open your eyes to see that you were laying against Albert’s chest, his breathing causing his chest to move up and down. He had also placed an arm protective around you, his hand resting against your waist. 

You blush and almost squeak when he shifts a little. 

What do you do? Do you just get off? Try to move? Your heart quickened, as you shut your eyes and tried to think of a way to slip away from his arms to prevent any awkwardness later. You stiffen when you feel his arms pressing you against him tautly. 

All hopes of ever escaping his grasp flew out of your mind that instant, you let out a small huff and gave up, succumbing to a rather enjoyable fate of laying on Albert’s toasty chest. You feel your blush deepen at the feeling of being so close to him, a feeling so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time. 

His rising and falling chest was relaxing, almost lulling you back to your dreamland, but you held on. You shifted your head to look upwards as far as you could. You saw peeks of sun rays filtering through the cracks of the thick curtain, signifying that it was day. 

You tilted your head a little further upwards, facing the man sleeping beneath you. Unlike his usual hardy expression, his facial features were relaxed due to sleep. For someone so old, he didn’t look like one, you thought. You reached your hand up to caress his face as gently as you could, tracing muscular jawline and then resting on his cheek.

“It is rude to disturb people who are asleep, sweetheart…”

You yelped and pulled back your hand, but he was faster and grabbed your wrist. He opened his eyes and smirked, staring at you. 

“W-w-what…?! S-since when were you awake…?!” You whisper yell at him, trying to calm your rapidly beating heart.

“Way before you did, my sweet and it looks like I’ve caught my little vixen red-handed…” His smirk widens, as he brings your hand closer to his lips. He traces his lips over the palm of your delicate skin, never once breaking his eye contact with you. 

His molten gaze awakened something lost inside you, a need. A very carnal and primal need. You feel the familiar tingle of desire around your groin, and you could only swallow. You release a shaky breath. Something in your brain screamed at you to look away, that it isn’t right, that it is downright shameful, but another half of you was compelled to keep watching.

He must’ve noticed your hunger, because there was a shift in his expression. He looked more… sensual. His butterfly kisses traveled from your palm, down to your wrist. Time seemed to slow, the world felt as if there was no one else but the two of you. Your body was entranced, moving by itself as if you were under a spell, his spell. Your body slowly moved upwards, guided by the tugging of his hand on your wrist. With an arm supporting your own weight, you partially caged him under you.

His arm on your waist trailed upwards, firmly applying pressure on the middle of your back, urging you forward. You lowered yourself, his cerulean eyes stared into yours, unblinking, full of longing and desire, your own mirroring the same. So close, you were both just inches away from one another, his breath mingling with your own. You were more than sure that he could hear your thunderous heartbeat, your eyes shutting on its own volition, as you closed the gap.

And you were sure that it would’ve turned into something more, if only his damn phone hadn’t start ringing.

You immediately pulled away from him, a blushing mess. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and sat up to grab his phone on the night table. 

“You had better have a damn good reason for calling me at such hours and on a weekend no less, Chris.” He growls, making you shudder slightly in delight, not that you’d actually admit it.

His frown lessens, “Ah… My apologies, I see. Well done. I hope you have a good weekend as well, goodbye.” He ends the call and looks at you. You flinch, pulling the covers closer to yourself.

“I have good news, sweetheart.” He smiles, inching closer to you. 

“W-what is it?” You stutter, still red-faced from the scandalous act earlier. 

“My team has finally caught the boy that was tormenting you. They have also installed a new door and lock for you, you have nothing to worry about anymore.”

Oh. That’s great.

But that also means…

You’re safe enough to go home.

To that lonely, pathetic apartment you call ‘home’.

“T-that’s great…!” You force him a smile, fiddling with your fingers under the comforter. He notices your hesitation almost immediately, “What’s the matter, dear?”

You shake your head and look away, “N-nothing, nothing! Just, at a loss for words…!” You move the covers off of you, “I should probably go get ready now, haha…”

Before you could even take a step away from the bed, his hand shoots out to grab yours, causing you to yelp. He pulls you backwards effortlessly and into his body, caging you in his well-built arms. You knew that there was no way that you would escape his grasp so you accepted whatever was about to come next.

“If you hadn't shown the same hesitancy yesterday, I might’ve been fooled. But unfortunately for you, I do not make the same mistakes twice. Now, tell me, why did the news upset you? Or…” You eek when one of his hands trailed up to cup your face in between his fingers, “You’d prefer to do this the hard way…? Hm…?” He breathes right beside your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

You clench your fists, your face feeling as if it’s about to explode from the heat. “I-I-I j-just-...” You stutter pathetically, come on, pull yourself together! “You, just…?” He trails off, lips ghosting on your ear. 

“I-it just means I… I-I’ll have to go back to my apartment, right? It… it means that you no longer want me here anymore, right…?” You confessed, panicking slightly when he suddenly released his hold on you. 

You couldn’t look at him, you didn’t dare to. You were afraid that if you did, you’d break and feel the same pain all over again. So you stood your ground with clenched fists, waiting for him to speak, to say something, anything.

You feel his fingers lace around your wrist, tugging gently. “Turn around, sweetheart, look at me…” He murmurs. You bit the inside of your lip, deathly afraid, yet, you slowly turned your body to him, eyes downcasted. His fingers traveled up your arm to rest against your cheek, tilting your head upwards to look directly into his eyes. 

“...My sweet girl, I am so sorry that my words came out that way for you. Contrary to what you think, I was hoping you'd stay. I’ve grown… attached to seeing you in the morning and when I come home, in articles of clothing that I’ve picked out just for you and above all, our conversations.” Was that red you’re seeing on his cheeks?! You didn’t know ‘the’ Albert Wesker could blush! And he looks so adorable too! 

You shook off those thoughts, “C-can I? Really?...”

“Of course, my dear. You may live with me, for as long as you wish.” He shoots you a smile.

You tackled him lightly, hugging him as tightly as you could, tears brimming your eyes. He staggered but chuckled and returned your embrace. “Thank you… I mean it. Thank you so much, Albert.” 

“Of course, sweetheart…” He kisses the side of your head lovingly, pulling you close to him.

You snuggled into him, appreciating his gesture and warmth. 

Until… You recalled about the events earlier, the one before this ‘Chris’ dude called… You pulled away quickly, blushing profusely. “W-w-we should really go get ready…!”

“Oh? We…? Are you suggesting that we bathe together…?” He smirks, eyeing you as if you were the most delicious meal he has ever seen in his life. You shook your head vehemently, “N-nonono! I-I meant that- We- Get up-”

He laughs, the sound music to your ears. “I’m only teasing you, sweetheart. Though, I am not opposed to showering with you…” He shoots you a devious look. You quickly scramble out of the bed back to your room without another word. His breathy laughter was the last thing you heard as you exited his room.

That morning, you spent showering and setting up the iPad that he had gifted to you the day before. You then tested out the pen, writing notes, drawing cute little figures and what nots. You felt as giddy as a kid, giggling every now and then at your own silly doodles. As you trace little hearts on the screen dreamily, your thoughts begin to wander.

Small little heart here, a larger one there… Hearts, huh…? Hearts, love…? Love…

You leaned against your hand, thinking about all the times you shared with Albert. His smile, his laugh, his words, his warmth.

Love… That’s right, I’m in love with Albert…

“ I want nothing more than to be called yours.”

“People call me many things, sweetheart. But ‘unfaithful’ is never one of them.”

“My love.”

You stifle a whine in your hands as you recall what he called you the previous night, your face turning hot. You wanted to trust him, you really did. But you couldn’t reciprocate his feelings, not until you know you’re actually ready. You didn’t want to lose a man as perfect as him. 

A knock on the door caused you to yelp and quickly click on the homescreen button, as if trying to hide what you had just thought about. You breathed a sigh of relief to find that it was Tove.

“Miss (Y/N)? I am sorry for interrupting you, I just wanted to inform you that breakfast is ready. The chef and I apologize for our tardiness.” She bows with a guilty look.

You shook your head, shooting her a kind smile, “Don’t worry about it! I’ll be downstairs real soon, just give me a moment to organize my stuff.”

She nods and excused herself, shutting the door politely, leaving you alone. You sorted out your notes and the iPad, writing a reminder to get a case as well as a keyboard for it. With a hesitant glance, you unlocked the iPad and went to look at your doodles from earlier. 

‘❤ Albert’

You quickly erased it with a red face, no recollection of ever writing his name. You shut the iPad screen off and after making some final arrangements, you finally left the room to head downstairs.

Not yet. I can’t mess this up. I need to be patient with myself, for him. For us.

As you peeked over the dinner table, you were surprised to see that the man of the hour was not present at his usual seat. You only saw Tove neatly arranging the silverwares.

“Tove? Where’s Albert?” You ask, looking around to catch sight of the blonde man.

“Oh, hello Miss (Y/N). Master Wesker is currently in his office making preparations for an important affair. He has strictly requested that no one interrupts him until he is finished.” She sets the last of the tableware, “I have already informed him of breakfast, therefore he will be joining you soon, don’t worry.” She smiles and disappears into the larger kitchen. 

You sat down on the sleek chair, deciding to chat with your friends while patiently waiting for him. It was the weekend, so there was no surprise that most of them were sleeping in. Mei was the only one awake, as she’s usually an early riser, weekend or not. She also has archery classes on the weekends, a hobby she has taken up since high school. 

You smile, seeing the picture Mei sent. She was smiling with her archery buddies, signing a piece with her fingers. She sends you a text bidding you a good day, as she has to start practice now. You replied to her  the same thing then shut your phone as you heard footsteps approaching.

“Hello, sweetheart.” A familiar comforting hand lands on your back, you look up to see Albert’s handsome smile. Unlike earlier, his hair was no longer messy but slicked back, shades covering his eyes as usual. He had changed into a white, button up shirt and black dress pants, looking professional as usual. You smile at him, “Hey there, Albert.”

He removes his hand and takes his seat opposite of you. “I apologize for the delay, I had to make some rather urgent phone calls. I hope you didn’t mind.” He shoots you a sad smile. You shake your head, “Not at all. You can always take your time, I know how busy you are.”

“Oh, but I hate to keep people waiting, especially my dearest.” He gives you a sultry smile, you flush and look away bashfully. Oh the effect his words seem to have on me… “Regardless, how has your morning been thus far, my sweet?” 

You tell him about your morning, setting up the iPad and testing it out, as well as finishing up some study notes. He nods, seemingly pleased at how you’re using his gift well. Tove emerges not long after from the kitchen, pushing a cart holding yours and Albert’s breakfast.

“That’s right, sweetheart. I have exciting news to share with you.” He says after swallowing a bite of his food. You looked at him curiously, “What is it about?”

“If I recall correctly, you requested for me to take you out on a date yesterday night, did you not?”

You choke on the slice of toast you were chewing on, “Y-y-yes…?”

He set his cutlery down, resting against his laced fingers, “Well… I have an exciting weekend planned ahead of us, my darling. I do hope you are prepared.”

You gulped down your food a little too loudly, staring at him with a stupefied expression. He chuckles, “I will have Tove to prepare whatever you need. As for your clothes, fear not, I have already instructed the necessary clothing stores to deliver the articles of clothing directly to the place where we will be residing.”

You nod slowly, still a little shocked at the news and slightly excited for what he has planned out for the both of you.

You finished your food rather quickly, as you were too consumed by your thoughts. Albert excused himself after you were both done as he still had business to attend to. He told you that there was still time to spare, so you could do whatever else you wanted until he called for you. He gave you a quick kiss to your forehead and an apology, before disappearing back into his study.

You figured that there wasn’t much for you to do, so you headed back upstairs to do some revision. You were so grateful that Albert got you the iPad as it certainly made writing notes neater and much more fun. You were so engaged that you hadn’t realized that Tove had entered your room. She silently places a set of clothes on the bed next to a small, pink travel sized duffel bag. She promptly leaves after, deciding not to disturb you for the moment.

Just as you stood up to stretch for a toilet break, you noticed the bag as well as the set of clothes laying neatly on the bed. A knock came from your door, you watch Albert pardon himself before entering the room, fully dressed up and ready to head out. He donned a black turtleneck, a gray blazer as a coat with only a button clasped, covering his stomach. A black dress pants was held up by an equally black belt around his waist. You noticed that he was also wearing a pair of black leather gloves.

“Oh? Are you not dressed yet, sweetheart?” He asks, striding over to you. 

“S-sorry… I was caught up in a little bit of studying… I’ll change now and pack my stuff. I won’t take long, promise.” You say meekly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“No worries, our flight is still hours away. You may take your time, if you wish.”

Wait, flight? Where were the both of you going?

“Flight…?” You tilt your head at him.

“Indeed. On one of my private owned jets. To the location of our date, darling.”

You stare at him with a mouth agape. For some reason, the thought of him owning a private jet has never crossed your mind. Of course he’d own a private jet, he’s a billionaire for god's sake… 

“Oh.” You could only say, slapping yourself internally at how stupid you sounded.

He chortles, “Well then, I shall be waiting downstairs. Whenever you’re ready, we can depart.” He steps over to you, reaching for your hand and lifting up to give a soft kiss to the back of it. “I cannot wait to see your reaction to what I have installed for you, my sweet…”

“M-me too…?” You blurt aloud, with a vermillion face. Wait! What am I even saying?! I really need to learn to control my mouth…

He laughs breathily, sending pleasant shivers running down your spine. “I shall leave you to it then, my dear.” He says and exits, leaving you, a blushing mess, alone. You quickly shook your head and snapped out of it, opting to occupy your mind by changing and packing instead.

You slipped on the silky black blazer which came with a lengthy waist belt, paired with a pair of matching black silky dress pants. You smoothened some parts out to look proper, then brushed your hair as best as you could. You grabbed the duffel bag and filled the bag with what you thought was essentially needed. It’s not that you doubt Albert, but you also packed additional sleepwear and casual wear just in case. 

After finalizing and double checking that you had everything you needed, you slung the duffel bag over your shoulder, shut the room lights and left the room. 

You padded downstairs as quickly as you could without falling, catching sight of Albert reading a book on the massive sofa. He hears you coming down the stairs, slowly turning his head to look at you.

He smiles, warm and prepossessing, “You look stunning, sweetheart.” 

You pause, cheeks heating up, “Y-you too…” You fiddle with the straps of the bag, even though he has complimented you so many times, you still find it hard to get used to.

He shuts the book and lays it on the seat, “Shall we then?” He turns to look at you, his smile never faltering. You nod, shooting him a smile of your own. He walks over to you, taking the duffel bag. You told him that it wasn’t heavy and that you got it, but being the gentleman Albert is, he insisted and you, of course, couldn’t say no. 

After slipping into his own oxfords, he helps you into your Christian Louboutin’s, a pair that he has picked out for you. It was a matching black with your outfit, reflecting the lights from the doorway, the signature crimson sole of the brand complementing the black. He then brought you down to his private lobby, where a matte black limo awaited patiently. The chauffeur opened the door for the both of you and you entered the car, with the blonde man right behind you. Not long after, the car took off.

“So… Where exactly are we going?” You ask amidst the silence in the car, glancing at him whilst fiddling nervously at the hem of your blazer.

He turns to look at you from his tablet with a gentle smile, “We are headed to Umbrella’s private owned resort. Eden, Under the Parasol.”

A small gasp left you, you have heard of that private island before from Niall. He mentioned that only people Umbrella has invited or Umbrella employees are the only people who have access to the lavish island, a place of gathering for the elites. 

You suddenly felt a little nervous. You were a nobody, no social status, nothing influential. “A-are you sure I can be there…?” You gulp anxiously.

“Why not?” He tilts his head. 

“I-I mean… Isn’t that island for like, people with power…? I’m just a nobody, it feels wrong going there… Me, I mean…” You kept your gaze on the red carpet of the car floor.

“Oh, my dear…” You jump a little when you feel him caress the back of your head tenderly, bringing you close to him, “You are not nobody, you are my lover, sweetheart. Anyone who is unable to see that you hold the highest power, is nothing but a mere fool.”

You blush when he calls you his ‘lover’. He pulls you close to his chest and you let him without protest, basking in the scent of his rich cologne. He kisses the side of your head softly and you hug him closer bashfully, not wanting him to see your face. He chuckles breathily, the sound sending delightful shivers down your spine.

He pulls away, “There is still time, would you like to take a short nap, my dear?” He caresses your hair at the side of your head.

“I-I’m fine… I’ll just read or something…” You declined politely, reaching out to pull the iPad from the duffel bag Albert had placed on the carpet. He nods, “Feel free to let me know if you require anything.”

You nodded abashedly, placing the pad on your thighs, opening the notes you have written neatly and reading them. Your mind couldn’t help but wonder about the man sitting beside you. He was so muscular, as if he goes to the gym regularly. Yet, even with that much strength, he seems to hold you so gently in his arms, mindful of his capabilities. 

You stole a peek at him, admiring his posture, how his right leg folded over his left elegantly. His left arm resting against the armrest on the door, his captivating blue eyes peeking out through the side of his shades, focused on whatever he was reading on his tablet. You quickly look away before he takes notice, blushing at the way he was making you feel. 

You had thought that these feelings of desire long died thanks to your previous partners but, here he was, igniting the spark you thought was gone. 

I wonder what he’s like in bed… He definitely has experience, considering his age. Does he like taking charge? What does he sound like in bed? Aggressive and dominant? Or like how he is now, gentle and forbearing? 

You clench your fists unconsciously, remembering how your previous partners would immediately just pass out or use their phones after they’ve done the deed with you, as if sex didn’t happen at all. They couldn’t care less about you and your health, leaving you to your own devices. As long as they’re satisfied, it’s all that matters to them.

You cringe, trying to drown out the feeling of disgust, as it was only after then where you’ve realized that they’ve only used you for their own pleasure. You were a toy to them, you didn’t matter. They just needed someone to release their sexual frustration out on. And you were the outlet, playing right into their hands, like a fool…

Would… Would he do the same?... You thought dejectedly, then shook your head, No… he has proven time and time again that he’s different… I can trust him…

“Sweetheart…?” 

You whipped your head to look at him with a sheepish smile, “S-sorry, yes?”

“What’s on your mind?” His brows furrowed in worry, he sets the tablet onto the seat.

You shoot him a questioning look, “U-um… Nothing…?”

He sighs, “You looked like you were recalling some unpleasant things earlier… I understand if you don’t feel like sharing them, however,” He places a gloved hand over yours, “I just want you to know that I will always lend you a shoulder, should you ever need it.” He smiles, warm and pleasant, causing the butterflies in your stomach to flutter wildly.

Your smile turns into a grateful one, “I… Appreciate it a lot, Albert… Thank you.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.” He leans closer to you and plants a kiss to your crown. You curl your fingers around his softly in appreciation.

It wasn’t long before you and him arrived at the airport. You, never having been on a private jet before, was surprised when the car was granted access to where all the planes were. The car resumed its drive through the large road made for the air buses. You were astonished at the sight of the massive planes that you couldn’t hold in the breathy ‘wow’ that escaped your lips at the sight.

You hear Albert chortle silently behind you at your childishness, but did not make any further comments. The car then came to a steady halt, the chauffeur leaving his driver's seat to open the doors for you and the man beside you. You placed your iPad back into the duffel bag and gripped on the straps, ready to leave the car.

Albert stepped outside first, before leaning back down with a hand to assist you. You gratefully took it, feeling him pull you up and out the car, pink bag in hand. You were still a little shaky with the stilettos, as you do not really wear heels. He held you as you steadied yourself, patient as a saint.

When you were finally balanced, you looped your arm under his and began walking -as best as you can-, towards a sleek, ivory jet. The pilot was already standing next to the stairs, with a welcoming grin. 

“Master Wesker, welcome.” He greets with a bow, shooting you a welcoming smile. Albert nods in acknowledgement, giving him a miniscule smile before leading you up the stairs. 

You eyed the clean and luxurious interior of the jet, to the leathery seats of the seats, to the curved television. “This is amazing…” You murmur confoundedly. Albert chuckles behind you, placing a hand against your back, “It is, isn’t it?”

He guides you to the seats, and you giddily take a seat next to the oval window, placing the bag on your lap as you took in the scenery outside. Albert leaves you alone for the moment, heading over to have a small chat with the pilot.

You unzipped the bag and pulled out your phone, taking a selfie of yourself next to the window.

Me:

1 Photo Attachment

So… Last minute vacation on a private jet. Y’all could never [jk]

You giggled deviously and waited for your friends to reply, seeing how they were already typing.

Rubae ❣:

GURL WHAT

OMG

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

Me:

Eden, Under the Parasol

Niall-edIt ✧:

WHAT

NAH I SWEAR QUIT PLAYING

Me:

I’m not!

Albert is taking me there on a date

Rubae ❣:

OH? 

DATE?! 

OMG

Olyviuhh ☾:

aye

already on first name basis i see

have fun

use a condom ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

MeiMei❅:

Have a safe flight and trip, (Y/N) ^^

You look at the text Olyvia sent with a horrified expression.

Niall-edIt ✧:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

Can’t wait to be an uncle!

Me:

WHAT

NO

IT’S JUST A DATE, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN YOU DUMBASSES

Rubae ❣:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

Just a date, she says

*suddenly comes back with 10 babies*

Me:

STOP

(>⌓<)

You quickly shut your phone, having enough of your friends teasing and jump when you hear Albert call you softly.

“Are you alright, sweetheart? You look rather flushed?” He asks worryingly, taking a seat beside you.

Upon looking at him, you remember what your friends had just texted and blush even more, “I-I-I’m fine…! Just… Uh…! N-nervous, yeah, just nervous haha…” You lie, avoiding his gaze.

Lucky, he seems to buy it, placing a hand comfortingly over yours, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart. I’m right here.”

You shoot him a grateful smile, as the pilot begins speaking through the intercom. He went through the safety procedures, flight location and the time it will take. 

You shrug, 2 hours isn’t too long, I could take a nap or occupy myself with class notes again.

You fastened your seatbelt according to the pilot’s instructions and soon enough, it started moving. You were a little uneasy, as it has been a long time since you had sat on a plane. The last time you were on one, you were brought along with your dad’s family to Europe. You tense when you feel the jet start going full throttle, then ascend from the ground. 

“It’s alright now, sweetheart. You’ll be okay.” You look at Albert, then downwards to- oh… You had been unconsciously gripping onto his hands this whole time. 

“S-sorry…!” You retracted your hand quickly, as though you’ve been burned.

He smiles, petting your head gently, “It’s alright. Is there anything you’d like to do, sweetheart?”

You shake your head, “Not really, I’m quite happy just looking out the window… It’s been awhile since I’ve sat on a plane… This is my second time, honestly. But I’ve never gotten to sit next to a window so…” You admit embarrassingly, fidgeting with the hem of your blazer. 

His smile widens by a little, “You may do as you wish. If you require anything, let me know.” He places his hand over yours assuringly, then turns back to the tablet on his lap. 

You turn your head to the oval-shaped window beside you, admiring the scenery above the clouds. You could see hues of orange start to decorate the sky, merging with the blues, creating a harmony of colors.

You were so enraptured by the skies that you were arriving at the island way before you knew it. Your thoughts were mostly cooperative throughout the rest of the flight too, much to your content. As the jet flew through the clouds, you could finally catch sight of the island Albert was taking you to. It was no small island either, in fact, it was massive. You could see lights from different parts of the islands, some brighter than others. 

You gripped onto the small blanket that Albert has provided you with midway, after noticing that you were shivering a little. The plane descends, smoothly landing onto the runway of the airport on the island. 

When it was finally safe to unbuckle the seatbelts, you unclasped the bindings, then proceeded to fold the blanket neatly to prevent less mess for the clean-up crew. 

You held onto the duffel bag as Albert guided you off and out of the plane, his hand firmly enveloping against yours as he patiently led you down the stairs of the aircraft. You saw a man dressed in a neat suit marching towards the both of you with a welcoming smile. He took the duffle bag from your hands and opened the car door, for you and Albert as he went to place the duffel bag into the trunk of the limo.

After entering the car with the help of Albert, he joins you and the chauffeur shuts the door.  By this point, you were starting to feel giddy with excitement for what was about to come, what the man beside you had planned for the both of you for the rest of the trip.

The car started moving not long after, as silence permeated between you and him once more. He looks busy… I should just occupy myself by looking out the window. Honestly, the plush seats are making me a little sleepy. These clothes are also so soft and comfortable too, I could see myself sleeping in them.

Then something hit you.

Wait… How did Albert know the size of clothing that you wear? Even the shoes and undergarments. You never told him before.

“Um… Albert?” You pipe meekly, watching as he turned his head to look at you.

“What is it, my dear?” He looks at you through his shades intently.

“Ah, nothing, I was just thinking… How did you manage to get my specifications on clothes? I don’t remember mentioning it to you.”

“Ah, that. Well… It wasn’t me who got your size. It was Tove, actually.”

You tilt your head, “Tove? Did she measure me when I was asleep or something?”

He chuckles, “No. It may not seem like it but Tove used to work as a tailor.”

“Then… Why is she suddenly working under you instead of a tailoring shop?” You asked, curious to know more about the short-haired woman.

“Tove used to have a terrible grandfather, who would gamble his life away, leaving his own family in debt,” He adjusts his shades, “During that time, Umbrella was hiring people who could sew or tailor as we were venturing to produce clothing, under the name of Le Parapluie, much akin to famous designer brand such as Louis Vuitton or Michael Kors. Tove was picked by my adoptive grandfather as her skills were on par with famous designers, even if she did not attend any schools.”

You nod, impressed by the lady.

“A few months in, Tove would come to work with injuries caused by her grandfather who demanded more and more money from her and her family. Since her parents are ill and unable to work, everything fell under Tove herself. While I was monitoring the manufactory one day, I noticed that she was in poor condition and asked her about it,” He smiles, “Like you, she was stubborn, saying how she was clumsy and tripped. But Umbrella has a strict policy of staff protection, so I took matters into my own hands and looked more into her background.”

You avoided his gaze with a pout at his jab. He chuckles, but resumes nonetheless.

“After I found out what her grandfather had been doing, Umbrella arrested him and placed charges as well as a restraining order against him on the family. Tove felt indebted to me, and from that day on, she had insisted on serving under me as a maid. I agreed, as she wouldn’t take no for an answer, and besides, I figured I could use a little company as well in the penthouse. As you have experienced, she has proven to be extremely adept in her work.”

You nodded vehemently, agreeing with the blonde man whole-heartedly.

“I see that her tailoring skills have not deteriorated since the last time she has sewn. I will commend her for that when we return.” 

You smiled at him, and agreed, she deserved every single praise.

“Ah, it seems like we have arrived.” Albert announces, adjusting his gloves, as the car comes to a halt.

God that is hot… I wonder what that would look like on me- You slap yourself mentally before you could think any further. You flinch a little when the door opens, clumsily exiting the car with Albert in tow. You were greeted by a rather young looking man, who introduced himself as Master Wesker’s private butler. He took the bag from the chauffeur’s hands and went ahead of the both of you.

Albert places an arm on your back and leads you into a private lobby. The place was mesmerizing, chandeliers and flowers were everywhere, hell, there was even a massive waterfall. Your clicking of heels resounded against the walls of the silent lobby, as he entered the elevator with you.

At first, you thought that the elevator would come to a halt soon, as it did with Albert’s penthouse back in the state. What you weren’t expecting was the red number indicator to hit beyond 50. You gape as the elevator kept going up, seemingly endless. You yelp a little and cling onto the blonde man, when the elevator suddenly darkens, the transparency of the walls allowing you a clear view of the sight below you. 

Albert holds you close, as you admire the view, the lights from various places illuminating the city below but it shortly ends as the view is blocked by the clouds. The elevator then comes to a halt with a ‘ding’, as the doors open, leading you and him to an elegant hallway. 

You walk with him toward a pair of hulking doors. Albert placed his hand on the lock of the door, and it immediately recognizes him, allowing entry to the both of you. The view you were met with took the breath out of you.

This penthouse was way bigger but unlike the other one, the walls were covered in black marble as well as the floors. A massive, gold, squarish sculpture hung from the tall ceilings, the lights reflecting the intricate design. Colossal windows lined almost every wall of this place, offering you a view of what was outside. Needless to say, this place was huge. You take off your heels and Albert, his oxfords. 

He guides you upstairs, to the room where the both of you will be sharing for the rest of the trip. You took in the sight of the well-lit room.

Before you, panels of windows lined against the walls and beyond those walls, was the balcony. The bed was atop of a platform, the bedframe lit by a strip of light. A fireplace was fixed against the wall at the opposite end of the platform, a curved television above. You could see that the wall the fireplace was on had not ended at the tail, meaning that there was something more behind. To your right was a pair of bookshelves lined with books. On a black, velvet chair sat the pink duffle bag, next to a coffee table.

You glance at the bed to see something long and red hanging off the edge. As you walked closer, you could see that it was a dress! Laying beside was an equally crimson purse.

“I see that Cyris has everything prepared just as I told him to. Go on, sweetheart. Put it on, I will be downstairs. Once you are finished, we shall head for dinner.” He instructs and leaves, shooting you a smile. 

You did as he told, quickly slipping on the satin dress and loving the way it feels on your skin. You stepped into the walk-in closet, and stood in front of a full length mirror, admiring the way you looked. The dress was off shoulder, the straps laying on the sides of your arms loosely, while the body of the dress hugged your own, making the chance of it slipping off slim. A long slit started from the middle of the thigh all the way down to the end of the dress, exposing your right thigh to everyone. A trail of small gems glimmered from your hip to the slit, then to the end.

You twirled around in the dress giddily, feeling like a princess of some sorts. Then, you heard a knock from the door. “Miss (Y/N)? It is Cyris. May I enter?”

“Yep!” You reply loud enough for him to hear. You hear the door open, then shut quietly, footsteps approaching the wardrobe that you were in. 

“As expected from Master Wesker! His sense of style is always on the dot. You look gorgeous tonight, Miss (Y/N).” Cyris compliments with a grin. You blush and laugh nervously at his words. “I will make you look even better tonight for your date. Please, take a seat on the chair.” He gestures toward a vanity table. You sat down on the soft chair, as Cyris made his way toward you.

Cyris then spends the next 30 minutes putting make-up on you. He was even nice and patient enough to teach you on how to apply it whenever you’re by yourself. He also advised you on the color palettes do’s and don'ts. Next, he gracefully curled and styled your hair while answering any questions you had confidently. Finally, he reached into the drawer of the vanity table and took out a matching set of accessories and helps you to put it on.

“I believe I am finished with your look, how do you like it, Miss (Y/N)?” He moves away from the mirror for you to see yourself. You gasp silently, your reflection not looking the least bit like you. You felt like a completely different person. 

You looked… pretty.

The false lashes were a little uncomfortable, but you figured that you would get used to it sooner or later. You thanked the butler profusely, praising his work on you. He waves it off, telling you that it was his job and that he was glad that you liked it. You placed your phone and lipstick -because Cyris insisted- and other necessities into the purse then headed out of the room.

You were brought downstairs by Cyris, the sight of Wesker leaving you speechless.

He had changed and was looking out the window -when, you did not know-, now wearing a slightly longer black blazer, his inner shirt was maroon, a black tie sitting neatly around the collar, a black vest was also present, covered partially by the blazer. He wore equally matte black dress pants, held up by a belt. 

He turns to look at you, and you could almost see the way his eyes widened when he saw you behind his dark shades. His lips parted slightly in astonishment as you walked to him bashfully, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. 

He steps toward you slowly, as if afraid that you’d run off if he was being too brash. Suddenly, you felt a little anxious about yourself. Did you look weird with that much make-up on your face? Did the dress expose too much? 

“Sorry if I look a little weird… I don’t usually wear this much make-up at home and, well, I didn’t really have dresses either, not one like this, at least.” You admit, embarrassed by what you said and the way he was looking at you.

You almost yelp when he’s suddenly right by you, leaning against your ear. “Oh my dear girl… You have no idea how much it’s taking me to restrain myself from pinning you against this table and claiming you…” 

You almost faint from his breathy words alone. It sent powerful shivers down your spine, like a prey sensing a predator. Your knees buckled a little, as you feel your face heat up.

He takes a deep breath and backs away, straightening his back. “Shall we then, sweetheart?” He says, as if he hadn’t just said anything scandalous right beside your ear a few seconds ago.

You nod wordlessly, still stunned and dumbfounded. He takes your hand and leads you to the exit, where Cyris was holding the door open with a smile. Albert sets you down on a plush bench, you look at him questioningly then see him kneel down and take the velvet heels, placing them onto your feet one after another. 

You blush at his gesture, watching as he stood back up with a hand for you to take. You placed your hand in his larger ones timidly, feeling the way he pulls you up and steadies you with a hip on your waist. Cyris bids you both a great time and closes the doors as you and Albert walk out. 

The way down was mostly silent as the words he had whispered to you earlier swam around your head, an unfamiliar feeling of heat coursing through you. You grip onto your arm, urging those thoughts to be quiet, but to no avail.

The chime of the elevator thankfully brought you back to earth, as Albert stepped out with you to what looked like a fine-dining restaurant. The waitress immediately takes notice of Albert and greets the both of you with a bow. She led both of you to a spacious private room.

You admired the view from the room, panels of windows lined the other side of the room, giving you a full view of the city below. Albert pulls the chair out for you, as always, and you thank him while you take a seat. 

“How are you feeling so far, my dear?” He asks while taking a seat himself.

“It’s wonderful, Albert. This might be the best date I’ve ever been on.” You smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. You look too breathtaking to be anywhere else.” He leans against his laced fingers, smirking at you.

“T-thank you… Y-you look very… Uh… Incredible, yourself…” You stutter, fiddling with the velvet material of the purse on your lap.

“Oh? What about me is incredible, dear? I need you to be specific.” He teases, his smirk widening.

“H-Huh…?! I-I mean… A-All- everything about you…?” God you just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

He chuckles, “I’m flattered, sweetheart. It’s the first time someone has complimented me like this. I am fortunate that it is from you.” 

Before you could retort, there was a knock from the door and the waitress came back with a tray. She sets the bottle of wine down, followed by the wine glasses for you and Albert.

Your eyes widened in alarm and you looked at Albert. He catches your agitation, “Worry not, sweetheart. This wine has a very low alcohol percentage. It would feel more like grape juice than anything.” He assures and you sigh a breath of relief, not wanting the same thing to happen. The waitress pulls the cork out with an audible ‘pop’ then pours the wine into your glasses until it reaches halfway. She sets the bottle down and excuses herself, leaving the two of you alone once again. 

Albert raises his glass, gesturing for you to do the same.

“A toast.”

Your glasses meet with a ‘clink’ before you take a sip of the purple liquid. Settling it back down on the table gently. Albert was right, the wine was not too alcoholic, making it taste vastly different. You and Albert shared another round of small talk while waiting for the food to arrive.

It was pleasant. You haven’t had the time to properly converse with anyone, so you were a little skittish on the edge, but Albert was fluent, smoothly engaging and prompting you with questions from different topics. Your talk was interrupted by another knock on the door, the waitress enters the room carrying a tray.

“Tonight, we will start you both off with a plate of Garlic Basil Butter Pan-Seared Scallops.” She places a plate in front of you and your mouth begins watering at the aromatic smell. “Take your time to enjoy.” She bows and leaves yet again.

“Bon appétit, mon amour.” Albert wisps smoothly in french. You could only understand the ‘bon appétit’, you figured that the last part was just a nickname.

“Bon appétit to you too, mon amour.” You mimic with a giggle and dig into the scallops, mindful of your lipstick and savoring the taste of the garlic butter.

Just as you were about to take another piece, you saw that Albert has yet to touch his own. Due to the dim lightning, you couldn’t really see it clearly, but you sure that the tips of his ears were slightly red. But you decide to keep quiet, to save him the embarrassment.

“A-Albert?” You call softly, watching him snap out of whatever trance he was in. He only shoots you a rather tense smile and starts eating wordlessly.

You suddenly felt anxious. Have you said something wrong? Good job for always messing up, (Y/N). On your first date with the most perfect human being in existence too…

“It’s not you, sweetheart, don’t worry.” You hear him say, as if reading your thoughts.

“H-how did you…” You eye him curiously.

“You always have that expression when you’re fretting over something. I’ve noticed.” He looks down at the scallops, slicing one of them in half.

Were you that obvious…? And he noticed?! I mean, you knew that he was sharp but not THIS level of sharp.

You pout and look away, causing him to chortle. 

Soon, your plate was empty, save for the exceptionally tasty buttery garlic sauce you wish you could lick off the plate but you couldn’t. A knock on the door and the waitress appears, holding a tray once again. 

“I hope you have both enjoyed the scallops. Next, for your main courses, we have Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. The lobster used is native to the waters here and was fished just this morning, so you can enjoy the absolute freshness. 3 different types of cheeses are also used so that the taste is robust on your tastebuds. Please, enjoy at your own pace.”

She places the larger bowl before you. Drool almost left your lips at the sight of the dish. The lobster tail was massive, it was surrounded by corkscrew macaronis, slathered in cheese. The moment the waitress stepped out of the room, you immediately stabbed your fork into a macaroni, placing it into your mouth and moaning at the taste. 

This is by far the best meal you’ve ever had in your life and if you died right now, you had nothing to regret. Maybe.

Albert chuckles, elated that you were eating well.

You stared at the lobster tail. It was going to be difficult to eat without smudging your lipstick, and you would hate to make a lot of noise from the tableware trying to disassemble the meat. 

“Something the matter, sweetheart?” Albert notices your hesitation almost immediately, setting down his own utensils to tend to you.

“I- Uh… Was just wondering how to tackle this lobster without making a mess and a lot of noise.” You say meekly.

“Ah. Is that it? All you had to do was ask, my dear.” He stands up and steps to you, picking up your knife and fork. You watch as he expertly cuts the pieces into smaller sized chunks, the soft clinking of tableware echoing through the room as you remain silent.

“There we go. Is it better now?” He finishes slicing the last piece, holding it up with his fork.

You nod and give him an appreciative smile, “It’s better now, thank you, Albert.” 

“Good. Now, say ‘ahh’.” He brings the fork closer to you, the chunk of lobster meat hanging from it.

You blush profusely at his request, but did what he asked nonetheless. You closed your eyes and opened your mouth with a soft ‘ahh’.

There was a short pause and you thought that you had been fooled, just as you were about to open your eyes, you felt the lobster meat on your tongue. You bit down on the fork as he pulled it, allowing you to chew. You open your eyes and watch as he sets your utensils down wordlessly and goes back to his seat. 

He glances at you with a smile, “How is it?”

You nod at him vehemently, “It’s delicious!” You say slightly muffled. He chuckles and takes a bite of his own lobster on his plate.

By the time you were done, you were stuffed. You take a sip of the wine, relishing one how well it goes with the lobster. 

“Thank you for this wonderful dinner, Albert. I don’t know how to pay you back for this…” You blurt, looking at him shyly.

“There is nothing to be repaid, sweetheart. Your company tonight has been sublime. I am blessed to be able to be graced by your presence alone.” He says with a smile and you turn red, giggling at his words.

“Do you feel fine enough to eat dessert? It is alright if you don’t. I can tell them to bring it up.” He glances at you worryingly.

“I’m fine. I’m full but I definitely still have room for dessert.” You assure him.

“Very well then.” 

Just then, a knock was heard on the door and the waitress appears.

“I hope you both had a wonderful main course. For your dessert, we have a slice of salted caramel cheesecake for the lady, and a slice of dark chocolate mousse cake for the gentleman. Enjoy!”

She sets the small plate before you along with a small fork for the delicacy, doing the same for Albert before leaving.

You cut out a small slice and placed it into your mouth, immediately moaning at the sweetness. You were about to give Albert a small piece to try but was interrupted when his phone began ringing.

He checks the caller ID and you could see him frown a little. “Stay here, sweetheart. I will be but a moment.” He got up from the chair and promptly leaves the room, leaving you alone.

You shrug and resume eating the cake, savoring the taste and slight bitterness. You place the last chunk in your mouth, giggling when you got a little on the side of your mouth. 

You leaned against your arm on the table, waiting for Albert to return. He sure is taking awhile, did he get lost? I should find him! You beamed at the idea and stood up from your seat shakily. After balancing yourself, you trudged to the door clumsily, doing your best not to fall. You swing open the door and look around for the blond man. The door behind you shuts as you squinted, trying to see if he was amongst the small crowd. 

Suddenly, a warm body envelops yours. You laugh, Albert was really good at surprises sometimes. He pushes you back into the room, his hands resting against your waist. He kisses your neck and you giggle at the ticklish feeling. His arms started traveling upwards, resting just right below your chest as he resumed his onslaught of kisses.

You were starting to feel a little uncomfortable by his touch. It was too fast, you were both moving too fast. You need to stop.

“A-Albert, I think we should stop…” You tried to push him away, but he remained latched onto your neck. You panicked when his hands started to travel to your back, nearing your rear.

“A-Albert, I’m getting uncomfortable…! Stop…!” You plead, trying to move away from him, yet he was too strong. “P-Please!” 

Just then, the door slammed open, Albert stood there with a shocked look. If that was Albert, then… Who was this…?

You turn to look up with a hazy vision and your stomach fell.

It was not Albert but some random man.

You let out a scream when Albert threw a fist onto the man’s face, knocking him onto the floor. The blonde swiftly apprehended him, locking the man’s arm behind him while pressing his neck onto the carpet.

“...how fucking dare you.” You hear him growl dangerously to the man. “It repulses me that incompetent cretin like you has connections with Umbrella. I will make sure whoever oversees you is gone along with you.” 

You felt disgusted, violated and most of all, you felt as if you cheated on Albert. You whimper and sob, as a tear falls from your eyes as you feel like you’re about to throw up. The door swings open and a few of the staff as well as a security guard barge in to see what the commotion was all about.

“Take him away and OUT of this place. This is an order, under Albert Wesker.” He commands the staff with a glare, standing up. They immediately grabbed the man and took him away, leaving you and him in the room. 

You were almost raped. You were almost violated because of your carelessness. Because you didn’t listen. Were you so useless that you couldn’t listen to a simple request? A simple request from the man you cheated on. You’re disgusting, you’re repulsive. He’s going to hate you now because of this. It’s all your fault.

You crumple to the floor and heave, trying to breathe. Albert rushes to you, cradling you in his arms as you wail and sob.

It got harder and harder to breathe with each cry, you feel your throat constricting. You close your eyes, focus- It hurts! I can’t breathe- Focus! Pleas-

“Darling…!” 

You clench your teeth, clinging onto the man tightly, as if he was your lifeline, your buoy in an endless abyss. 

“Breathe with me, my sweet. I’m here, can you hear me? You’re okay, you’re okay now…” You feel him cart his fingers through your hair gently, trying to ground you.

“I-” You shut your eyes, what were you trying to say? Your mind was a jumbled mess.

“Shh… it’s okay. I’m here, I’m with you. Breathe with me.” You feel him place your palm against his chest, the steady rising and falling bringing you back to your senses slowly as you follow each breath he took.

“There we go. That’s my girl, you’re doing so good for me.” You feel his lips on your forehead.

Good girl. 

Good girls get good things. You have to be good, good for him to love you.

Good for him to forgive you.

He holds you close even as your breathing starts to calm, his scent aiding with the process of trying to get you to relax. 

Safe. His smell, he is safe. I am safe with him. I can trust him.

“You’re doing well, sweetheart. Are you feeling better now?” He asks softly against your hair. You nod mutely with a sniffle. He stands up, pulling you with him before looping his arms under your legs and carrying you against him in one smooth motion.

“I’m going to get us out of here, alright? You’ll be alright now. I am so sorry for leaving you alone.” He murmurs, carrying you out.

No. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you. I’m sorry for letting another man touch me. You wanted to say, you wanted to apologize, yet nothing comes out of your mouth.

He carried you all the way to his penthouse, never once letting you down and holding you tightly against him. You pat on his shoulder and signal that you could get down so that he was able to open the door, but he thought otherwise. He kept you in his arms as he leaned down to place a hand on the lock, it chimes unlocks.

Cyris’ greet was halted when Albert rushed past him, marching with you in his arms to the room upstairs.

He settles you down on the bed, brushing a lock of hair away from your tear-stained face. You were sure you looked horrible, make-up ruined, mascara running down your cheek. “You’re home now, sweetheart. You’re safe.” He plants a kiss on your forehead, kneeling down to take the heels off of your feet. “Are you well enough to take a shower?” He asks gently, placing a hand on your cheek, caressing tenderly with his thumb.

You nod wordlessly, numb and miserable. You stood up and trudged toward the bathroom, refusing to look him in the eye. You shut the door and lock, stripping off the dress you were in. You stared at your reflection in the gigantic mirror. 

You looked ugly, pathetic and disgusting. He hates you now, because you were so useless. You will always be useless. You haven’t changed, you never got better. Mrs. Mariam would be disappointed in you. Just like Albert is right now. 

You should never have been born.

You fell onto your knees, a choked sob escaping your throat. You covered your face as tears fell free from your eyes yet again. You whimper and sniffle quietly, trying not to alert the man outside. You bit your lip to stifle the sounds as best as you could, before standing up to wipe the make-up off of your face as best as you could while sobbing so that you could bathe.

You stepped into the shower, turning the knob and flinching when water came pouring down from above. You turned the handle. Hotter, hotter, you needed to get the feeling off of you. You yanked the brush off the metal handle, vigorously scrubbing your neck, your torso, your hips. Anywhere he touched. 

Dirty, dirty. Get it off. Need to get the dirt off. Need to get the feeling off, the disgusting feeling. Scrub, harder. The harder you scrub, the faster the dirt would get off. Harder, until you bleed. Harder, until he can forgive you.

Why won’t the feeling go away?

You drop the wooden brush and sit on the floor, curling your arms around yourself as water keeps pouring from above.

You felt disgusting. You needed someone else to make you forget about what just happened. You needed Albert. You needed him to help you forget whatever the other man did to you. Albert could do whatever he wanted to you, you’d be good. You promise. After all, good girls deserve good things, right? You wanted desperately for him to get the feeling off.

You stood up and twisted the handle, shutting the water off. You didn’t even bother wiping yourself off, wrapping yourself in the towel, swinging open the bathroom door.

Albert was mortified to see you half-naked, he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. “Sweetheart. I believe Cyris has left your nightdress in the bathroom, please go and dress yourself.” You ignored his words and ran straight into his chest. You feel him tense, his arms hovering beside you, refusing to touch you.

“...Sweetheart…?” He breathed arduously.

“...Please… Albert… Help me…” You plead, holding him tighter. He places a hesitant hand on your shoulder. “Darling, I-”

“Please! Just get this feeling off of me! I hate it! I feel so disgusting! I let another man touch me! I feel like I cheated on you! It feels so sickening I want to die! Please, just get it off me, I’ll do anything, I’ll be good, I won’t make a noise, just- please…!” You shut your eyes as tears sprang forth amidst your outburst, hands clenching against his blazer. 

You idiot.

You choke on a gasp.

You disobeyed him, and now you’re making demands? If he wasn’t already disgusted with you, he will be, now.

You feel his arms finally envelop you, pulling you into a warm embrace. He caresses your hair tenderly, “Oh my dear… I am so sorry…”

You whimper, “It’s not your fault. It’s all mine. If I just listened to you. It was a simple request, and I still failed…! I’m the worst…!”

“Shh… It is not your fault.”

“B-but…!”

He kisses your lips, effectively silencing you.

“Whatever he did, was not your fault. You did not know. You tried pushing him away, did you not…? So I believe that it was not your fault.”

You opened your lips, ready to protest, only to be met with another silencing kiss.

“There is also no telling that he could’ve entered the room by his own volition. It is not your fault. He is just a scum that decided to prey on the weak. You are not and never will be disgusting, my love.” His lips met yours once more, before pulling away.

You sob, “I-I… I still feel him on me. I hate it… Please… Just help me. No matter how much I try to scrub, I can’t get it off…”

You watch as a conflicted look flashes across his face, he shuts his eyes and sighs.

“...Are you sure that you want me to help you?” He asks, avoiding your eyes.

You nod desperately, clinging onto him, “Please, only you can, Albert. I’m begging you…”

He turns to look at you, “I am serious, sweetheart. Do I have your absolute consent in touching you?”

You nod again with a sob, “You do, I consent, I’m no longer drunk, I promise.”

He fights himself again for a moment, clenching his jaw. You place your hands on each side of his face, bringing him into a passionate kiss. He takes off his shades, throwing them somewhere across the room as his hands travel from your back, to your waist, his mouth never leaving yours. You moan when he slipped his tongue into your mouth, inviting yours to a dance.

He pushes you onto the bed and you yelp in surprise, feeling his body envelop you from above. His lips immediately latched itself onto your neck, and you let out a choked moan as he nips and licks the tender skin. You held onto his shoulder as his hands traveled down to your thighs, groping the chunky flesh. 

Unlike the man earlier, Albert’s touch was pleasant, warm and arousing. 

You are safe. Albert is touching you, not the other man.

You sink back into the mattress as the blonde above you assaults your neck with continuous laps and nibbles. You soon begin to feel heat pool around your nether regions. 

“A-ah… A-Albert…!” You keen breathily when he gives your neck a particularly hard suck. You hear him groan, sending a jolt of electricity straight to your core. Your leg fidgets due to the myriad of emotions that are tackling you all at once. You freeze when you accidentally brush against something hard.

Albert growls low and breathy, he kisses your lips roughly one last time, before pulling away. He gets up and darts into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him harshly, the sound making you jump.

What was that…? Was he mad at you? Did you do something wrong? You question yourself as you breathed heavily. Soon, you hear water running and you plop back onto the comforters.

Did you…mess this up…? You swallowed nervously. You feel your eyes close as your thoughts start to wander. What is going to happen now? The feelings earlier, his touch, his kisses, they felt so genuine, so tender and patient.

—

Albert steps out of the bathroom, fully dressed in his nightwear. His jaw clenches when he is reminded once again of what had transpired. He had to make a mad dash away, into the bathroom, so that he wouldn’t lose himself. You were both still dating for god's sake, if anything were to happen beyond, he wouldn’t know how to forgive himself.

He sighs and turns to look at you, surprised to find out that you were passed out, snoring lightly on the sheets.

…with only your towel on.

Fate decided to play a trick on him as you begin to shift that very moment, causing the towel to loosen around your body and slip. He darts to you as quick as lightning, keeping the very piece of fabric that kept your chastity on you. His brows furrowed, what is he going to do now…?

He feels the tips of his ears burn upon laying eyes on the red marks littered across your neck. He tucks you under the comforters, making sure that the towel was still on you. He would’ve helped you dress but, he does not have your consent to look at your nude body, so he decided against it.

He looks at your sleeping figure with a longing gaze. “...You have no idea what you have done to me, my love…” He gives your forehead one last kiss, getting up to leave the room. He decided that he would sleep in the guest room tonight, seeing as to how the situation was currently like this.

He steps into the ivory room, a contrast to the black outside. He shuts off the light and walks over to the bed, sitting down on the mattress wordlessly.

Now, how was he going to deal with this persistent hard on?

==========

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

==========

As the car you and Albert were in drove through the streets, you both sat in a pleasant silence, just admiring the view of the city through the tinted windows. 

“A-again, sorry for making you lose a precious business partner like that. You must’ve had a good relationship with her company…” You glance at him nervously, fidgeting with your fingers that laid on your lap. He stops you with his own, placing a comforting hand over your dwarfing ones. “Not at all. I assure you that Umbrella does not need Tricell to function at all. We have many other companies at our disposal, so worry not, sweetheart.”

His thumbs ran over yours assuringly and you smiled sheepishly, adoring the fondness that he displayed for you, yet still feeling that swirl of guilt in your gut. In an expected move, you feel his warm lips press against your temple. You flush a brilliant red, swiveling your head to face him.

“W-wha…?!” You huffed with wide eyes, his only response was a chortle, in a way that reassures you that you have nothing to worry about. 

Throughout the entire ride to his home, he kept his hand where it was while his other one was kept busy on his tablet. Whenever you started fidgeting, his thumb would caress yours, instantly calming you down. You appreciated the silence that Albert granted. 

You just needed a moment to collect and organize your thoughts. 

When you both finally arrived in the large building, you took a moment to send a quick update to your friends. They were all glad that you were safe and said that they’d pass you assignments or share their notes with you. You smiled, happy that you had friends like them. Thanking them whole-heartedly, you then realize that this whole time when updating your friends, Albert has been steadily guiding you toward the elevator. 

“I believe you received good news?” He asks as the elevator ascends. You nod, “My friends got me covered for school. But I guess I still won’t be able to return until the court case has been concluded…” You glance down sadly, until you feel his familiar hand on your cheek, tilting your face up to meet his. “I can always hire a private tutor for you, just say the word.”

You shook your head, “No, no. It’s alright! I’ll just have to make do with the notes and assignments. Speaking of which, since I’m currently ‘banned’ from school, I don’t have to worry about the test next week. I guess it’s great… I just hope that the headmistress would allow me to retake the test so that I don’t fail classes…”

“Worry not, sweetheart. I will make arrangements with the principal. For now, I suggest you take it easy. It has been a rough few days for you.” He retracts his hand, as the elevator comes to a halt. “And you, too…” You mumble softly. 

You both step out of the elevator, just as you were about to take another step, you were suddenly yanked backwards, causing you to yelp and fall. Muscular hands wrapped around you, one wrapping itself on your waist while the other held your head close. “A-Albert…?” You utter, surprised at his sudden gesture. 

He remained silent for a moment, as if trying to think of the right words to say to you. You held him, encasing your arms as best as you could around his sinewy torso, running your hands along his back in an attempt to assure him that you’re here and it’ll be alright.

“No words can express the gratitude and adoration I feel for you.” He breathed and you shiver at his words. “I… I feel the same, Albert… If it weren’t for you, I most likely would’ve ended up dead or homeless… Your heart is golden, Albert, you were willing to help some girl who could’ve been lying to you and taken full advantage of you but you still offered help. I…” You wince, “I don’t deserve such things…”

He held you tighter, “I beg to differ, sweetheart. You rejected my help rather adamantly, trying to fix the problems you deem as your own undoing. And you certainly haven’t tried taking advantage of this poor old man as your stubbornness still remains steadfast. So, I’d say you're the one with the heart of gold, my dear girl. You are not only prepossessing in beauty, but the determination inside you that knows no bounds was what really captured my heart.”

You blush, feeling the build-up of tears. You buried your head deeper into his chest and he chuckles, the sound delightful to your ears.

“From what I’ve observed, you certainly did not have a pleasant childhood and this most definitely affected you as you grew up, to who you are at present.” 

You cringe at his accuracy and he must’ve felt you tense, because he started running his hands along your spine, causing delectable shivers.

“No matter. I will be here for you, to love you and care for you. You need not pay them any mind anymore.” He pressed a soft kiss on the top of your head and you held him tighter.

It stayed this way for a moment longer, then you both pulled away and entered his home hand in hand.

Tove greets the both of you, informing you both that your individual baths are ready and that dinner will be served in an hour. You nod and thank her, while Albert guides you to your room. 

“I’ll see you in a bit, sweetheart. Take as long as you need to relax.” He gives the back of your hand one last kiss and then heads towards his room. You watch him disappear and then shut the door behind you quietly, bringing up your hand to touch your very warm face. You giggled silently and hopped over to the bathroom to shower.

You almost fell asleep a few times laying in the perfectly warm bath water that Tove had prepared. It was difficult to keep yourself awake because of how exhausting today was. Leaning back against the cushioned edge of the tub, you sighed as you recollected the events of today. It has been a long day today… I just want to snuggle in the sheets and sleep but… I don’t want to miss dinner and disappoint Albert. I can’t disappoint him now, not now and not ever. 

You sat up from the tub, scrubbing yourself and making sure that every crevice of your body is squeaky clean. Finally draining the tub, you dried yourself and exited the bathroom, covered in the bathrobe that Tove had set on the stool.

You smile when you see a new set of clothing laying on the bed, waiting for you to put them on. There was a short-sleeved, v-neck grayish-blue crop top paired with a silky white skirt. Laying beside them was a long-sleeved maroon nightdress. You put the outfit on without waiting a moment longer, sauntering over to the full-length mirror and admiring yourself through the crystal clear reflection. 

A knock on the door makes you freeze and you turn your head to see Albert in a blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He also wore navy blue jeans that reached his ankles. “You look stunning as usual, sweetheart.” He shuts the door and remains where he stood, admiring you. You whine and turn crimson under his intense gaze, bringing up your hands to cover your face in embarrassment. “D-don’t look at me like that…” You mutter shyly.

He chortles, the sound low and pleasant. “There is nothing to be shy of, my dear.” You hear him lessen the distance between the both of you. His hands envelop yours, lowering them bit by bit to see your face, and smiles when he finally sees the entirety of it. He brings one of your hands up to his lips, kissing the palm softly. He smirks at your reaction, very amused at how easily flustered you become.

He finally releases your hands, “Shall we, sweetheart?” You could only nod wordlessly, still red-faced. He hovers a hand gently behind your back and opens the door, gesturing for you to step out first. He guides you down carefully, you tense when his warm hand comes into contact with the exposed skin on your back.

As usual, he takes the chair out for you, making sure you’re seated comfortably before taking his own. “Ah, that’s right. I have prepared a gift for you.” He says, reaching for a white paper bag near his feet. He pulls out a large square looking box and a rectangular one on top, wrapped in golden matte paper adorned with a black decorative ribbon. He places the box on the table, nudging it toward you and you eye him nervously and then back at the gift as if saying ‘can I really have it?’. “Go ahead, unwrap it.” He smiles, patiently waiting for your reaction.

You started by undoing the ribbon and pulling it away, then as gently as you could, peel off the paper. You gasped and covered your mouth in shock at what you saw. It was the latest iPad and Apple Pen! You’ve always wanted one but couldn’t really afford them, so you gave up on it a long time ago. Tears brimmed around your vision, “C-can I r-really?...”

He nods, “Of course, my sweet. It’s a reward from me to you.” 

“B-but I-I haven’t-” You sniffle and pause when he raises a hand to stop you, “You’ve done very well handling the continuous hardships that life has thrown at you. You could’ve fallen, given up or chosen the easy way out, but here you are, standing victorious against all odds. I’m so proud of you my angel, and I’m exceptionally glad that you are still here and that I am able to be graced with that beautiful smile of yours.”

You sob at his words, no one has ever said something so genuine to you before and your heart just couldn’t handle it. You feel arms tenderly go around you to pull you into an embrace full of care and comfort. The whispers of doubts in your head went away, and you were so happy, even if it’s just for a moment, you wanted to cherish what he said, ingrain it within your head so that when he’s not around, you can replay it over and over, much like a broken record.

“Oh, my sweet little girl… You’re alright now, I’m here…” You feel his hand stroke your hair delicately, his other hand occupied itself by caressing your face with a thumb. You stand up and pull him into a tight hug, burying your face into his shoulder. “I-I don’t know what I did to deserve you… T-thank you so so much, Albert…”

“You deserve only the finest things in life that I can provide, my dear girl.” He cups your face and gives you a tender kiss on your forehead. You smile and melt under his touch, it’s getting harder and harder to not fall for him… He wipes your tears and gives you one last kiss on the crown of your head then sits you down, taking his own seat opposite of you after he made sure you were okay. 

Dinner soon arrives, you and Albert having a rather pleasant conversation with a slight banter every now and then. This time, he omitted the wine and fed you with grape juice instead and you agreed, in fear of you shaming yourself yet again. You still did not know what happened that night…

“Miss (Y/N)...” He suddenly calls your name, and for a moment you feared that you had did something wrong again. “W-what is it?” You stutter, wiping your mouth. “There is… something I am curious about. Something, an answer from you.” You nod, “How can I help?”

“You do realize that I am Albert Wesker, yes?” You nod.

“You are aware that I own a large company, yes?” Another nod, slightly hesitant.

“Ah… I apologize for lying to you the other time about myself… It is true that I am part of a prodigious company, Umbrella, to be exact. My adoptive father was once the CEO of Umbrella, but he only recently stepped down due to health issues, passing the title of CEO to me.” You hummed in acknowledgement, letting him know that you are still listening. He stares at you and you right back at him.

“...Are you…” He starts, trying to coax you into saying something.

“U-Um… What exactly is Umbrella?” You ask meekly, a little embarrassed that you’ve never really heard of their company before. 

And there it is, the same expression of astonishment from the day he first met you. The expression of something he hadn’t seen coming. He clears his throat and chortles, shaking his head.

“Umbrella is currently the largest corporation in the entire world, my dear girl. We produce many things, from medicines, to vaccines, clothing and other mundane household goods. We also have a massive influence over the government, such as the military, the police, the medics and hospitals. Umbrella also houses several special units of forces too."

You gawk at the information. How on earth have you not heard of that name or remember it?! No wonder why it sounded so familiar! It’s the same company that produced the bottle of painkillers you consumed the other day!

“I- Uh- Sorry…? For not knowing such information… I hadn’t- I mean, I haven't really been concerned with large corporations, I’m too busy taking care of myself…” You apologize meekly, how could you not know that he was the boss of such a large corporation… Now you look stupid as hell…

You were only met with his laughter. Like full on laugh, low and pleasing to the ears. You could only stare, flabbergasted and a little smitten. Then he stops, the amusement still present on his expression, as he composed himself. 

“My apologies. I just… hadn’t been expecting such answers for you, that’s all… You never cease to amaze me, my sweet.” He leans against his hand, looking at you with an expression full of fondness. You tense, “U-uh, I hope I didn’t say anything rude…”

“Not at all…” He trails off, his smile widening a little. “It’s getting late now, shall we call it a night, sweetheart?” He stands up, walking over to you with an outstretched hand. You nod, you’re not going to lie, you were getting a little sleepy. 

He escorts you up the stairs, hand in hand, until you stand right outside the door to the room. “I hope you have a good rest, sweetheart. Don’t hesitate to call me or Tove if you need anything.” He opens the door and ushers you in, closing the door softly right after. You walk robotically to the edge of your bed and sat down, still trying to process what exactly happened.

I hope I really didn’t mess up anything between us… Wait, what I meant was, I hope I hadn’t offended him in any way… Oh but his laugh… That rich, wonderful laugh that sent butterflies thrashing around in my stomach endlessly… You whine, burying your face into the pillow out of shame. Oh quit it brain… I need to take things slowly, I can’t mess up with him. I need to calm down. You sat up and took a few deep breaths, successfully slowing your heartbeat. You swiftly changed into the nightdress and washed up in the bathroom. Once you were comfortably snug in bed, you were out like a light.

When you woke up, the first thing you noticed was that you were not in the same room but somewhere else, somewhere very familiar, haunting. 

“Wake up you useless girl!” You panic, hearing someone call you. Suddenly, a hand grabbed your hair and you screamed and wailed as you were dragged out of the room to somewhere. The hand drops you onto the ground harshly, “Get out there and work! We have mouths to feed here and no one gets to slack off, especially you! Now go!” She kicks you on the hind harshly, causing you to cry out in pain. 

You gather yourself, standing up slowly and limping your way into the farmhouse that a nearby neighbor owned. You hated that old man, he was always violent and threw stuff at you. But you had to, you couldn’t stand being beaten to death by the very person who birthed you.

“You again? Alright, less work for me, I ain’t complainin’. Get yer ass in the shed and feed the damn animals. Also, clean up their shat and don’t forget to milk the cows too. You know what happens if ya don’t complete yer job on time, right, so get goin’ now ya ugly girl.” He kicks you and takes a big swig of his alcohol. You stumble, and quickly limp your way to the large, smelly and dirty farmhouse.

You had tried your very best to do the tasks given to you by the old man as quickly as you could, despite your bruised and nearly broken limbs. You were lucky that he didn't own too many animals, else you definitely wouldn’t have made it out alive. 

By sundown, you were finally done, knocking on the door to collect your pay for the day. He comes out, drunker than before and tosses a few coins to you. You frown, “U-um.. This isn’-” 

“You shut yer trap! That’s all yer gettin’ today, now buzz off!” He picks up a metal bucket from the side and throws it toward you. You scream and dodge in time, running off. 

You sat on the ground, leaning against the metal fence outside your home. You didn’t dare to go in, you didn’t have enough money, if your mother finds out that this was all you earned, she’d do more than beat you, you were sure of it. 

You were so scared, afraid, you just wanted to leave, go somewhere far away from this hell. But you know you can’t, you don't know where to go and who to rely on. You were alone. You tried wracking your brain for other solutions, trying to think of who else needed help, who else could pay you. 

A shriek brought you out of your thoughts. Oh no… No, no, no.

You panic, hearing the incoming footsteps, pounding against the gravel, you backed away from your mother who was rapidly approaching with a wooden rod in hand. “I asked you to go work and here you are, slacking off!”

“I-I worked today! I swear, mother!” 

“Don’t call me that you worthless child! Where is the money?!” She grabs your hair and tugs it harshly, causing you to scream, scrambling into your tiny pockets and grabbing the few coins. You present them to her, in an attempt to calm her rage but she only got angrier.

“This is all you’ve got?! You clearly did not work enough today!” You shake your head, tears spilling from your eyes. “N-no! No! The old man-” She slaps you, rough and hard, forcing you to stay silent. The metallic tang of blood filled your tastebuds, she had slapped you so brutally that your lip started to bleed.

“I have had enough of your excuses! You know what I do to children who are useless…” You feel your heart drop at her words. She drags you, your skin roughly scraping against the gravel, causing cuts and lacerations to form on your legs and bottom. She did not let up her grip on your hair, even as she went up the stairs, knocking you against each step, causing a painful bruise on your hips. 

When she enters the house, she throws you in and shuts the door. You knew it was the end of line when you saw her raise the wooden rod. You screech in pain, as she brings it down on your delicate body.

“You are worthless! Useless!” Her blows are never-ending, striking harder and harder each time.

“You should never have been born!”

You scream awake, clutching your rapidly beating heart. Your throat constricted, making it harder and harder to breathe, as your tears poured endlessly down your face. You held yourself, feeling how you trembled vigorously. 

I can’t! I can’t breathe! It hurts! Please stop! Get me out! I don’t want to be there! 

Somebody please help me!

Suddenly, everything felt much warmer, you didn’t dare to open your eyes, you don’t want to. You’re scared. So scared.

“Oh, my poor girl… I’m here, I’m here, breathe.” You hear someone say beside your ear. Someone you’ve grown attached to, someone you know you can rely on.

Albert…

“Can you hear me, my sweet? Can you breathe with me?” You shut your eyes tighter, trying to control your breathing, but you can’t, your lungs won’t listen to you, causing you to panic even more.

“Shh, shh… It’s okay, it’s okay… My sweet sweet girl, you’re okay now, I’m here.” You feel his hand stroke your hair, “You’re in my home now, you’re not there anymore, you’re here with me safely, just us.”

Albert’s home? Safe? With him? You finally had a grip on your breathing causing you to choke out a whimper. “It’s going to be okay, my sweet little angel. I will protect you, they won’t be able to lay a hand on you, not anymore.”

Protect? Yes, yes. Want his protection. He is safe. You are with him. You are safe. “There’s my good girl. Can you breathe with me now, sweetheart?” You nod slowly, opening your eyes. “Take a deep breath in now, just like that. Now let’s count to eight together. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and exhale, there we go, you’re doing fantastic.” 

He guides you through several more breathing exercises filled with praises and kisses to your head, all the while holding you close to him and running soothing circles around your back. 

“I-I- She- House- Hurt-” You try to form a sentence, but all you could manage was gibberish at the moment, your head feeling overloaded by unwanted memories and words. “Shh…” He hushes gently, placing his thumb over your lips, “There is no haste, I am not going anywhere, I promise. Take your time.”

When you finally collected your thoughts and steadied your heartbeat, you stared up into his azure eyes filled with worry and love. “Are you better now, my darling?” He says gently, as if he was afraid that you’d disappear if he was too loud. You could only nod, unable to find the courage to reply to him. “Very good. Do you require anything? Water, perhaps?” You swallow at his words and find that you indeed needed some water as your throat is all dry and scratchy.

“P-please…” You mumble with a scratchy voice. 

He nods, “Are you alright being alone just for a moment, or would you feel safer following me?”

You tug on the edges of his shirt, “F-follow…”

“Alright, let’s go then, sweetheart.” He picks you up, holding you as close as he could to him, as he walks out of the door. 

You hold onto him tightly as he descends the flight of stairs. “You’re okay, sweetheart.” He murmurs and places a chaste kiss at the side of your neck. He reached the dining area in no time, settling you down on a bar stool. He strokes your head one last time and goes behind the counter, opening a cabinet above the sink and reaching for a cup, he then opens another cabinet and grabs a tin of something. 

You quietly listened to the sounds of crunching and glass clinking against the marble counter, then, the sound of a cup being filled with water. Footsteps, coming closer and closer to you. You tense, until you feel a familiar hand on your back. “Darling?” You turn your head upwards slowly, meeting his gaze. He smiles and sets the steaming white up before you. “It is still rather hot, be careful.” He takes a seat on the bar stool next to yours, watching as you take the cup and blow the surface of the tea.

You brought the cup to your lips and sipped. The flavors of lavender and jasmine coating your tastebuds with delight. You huffed in relief after taking the first sip, the taste helping you find your ground. The silence persisted for a while, as Albert watched you intently, making sure that you were fine.

“I first gained consciousness when I was 4. The first thing I felt was pain, all over my body. I was on a bed, bloody, bruised and alone. I couldn’t move, my body was in so much pain. The woman who birthed me entered the room with a wooden rod, she demanded that I get up and work.” You paused, taking another sip.

“No matter how I protested and said that my body hurt, she would only threaten to give me more marks if I didn’t get up. I work, dawn til dusk at a farmhouse one of my neighbors owns. I remember on days where my injuries are the worst, my work performance was significantly slowed. On those days, I would fail to finish tasks that the old man gave.” Another sip.

“He would berate me, throw empty glass bottles, utensils, buckets, anything that he can get his hands on and beat me with it. I would go home to even more injuries, as the man won’t pay for an unfinished job. The woman who birthed me would castigate me, humiliate me, saying how I don’t deserve anything good in my life because I was so worthless.” You wince at the words you were about to say, “Saying how I shouldn’t have been born…” 

He embraces you silently, running his hands along the sides of your arm as he waits for you to continue.

“I was 10 when the new neighbors who moved in noticed the horrible condition I was living in. They called child protective services and the woman was finally arrested, leaving me in a facility made for children like me.” Another sip.

“The other kids at the facility would complain about me. I would scream, shout, cry at night when they were trying to sleep. I was having horrible nightmares during that time. They had to send me away again, this time to a mental institute for broken children like me. My first ever therapist gave up on me, saying I was too broken to ‘fix’.” You clutch on the glass tightly. “My second therapist, going by the name of Mrs. Mariam was the one who saved me. She was patient, kind and above all, treated me with love. Something I’ve never felt in my life during that time.”

He kisses the crown of your head, encouraging you to go on.

“She told me that she used to have a son, who unfortunately committed suicide, and he was around my age that time. She told me that after that, she didn’t want any other kids to feel the same and that she’d do whatever it takes to get kids back on the right track. After nearly 4 years with her, I felt so much better than I ever was. I was finally deemed adoptable when I was 13. But here’s the funny thing,” You chuckle sadly, “I was finally ready to move on from my past when suddenly, boom, my missing father appeared out of nowhere.” 

“He tried taking custody of me, which he managed to do. Then brought me into his new family. He had a new wife, and 2 kids. He apologized that it took so long to find me and that he wasn’t able to save me before. I mean, I’m just happy to be out of there so…” You giggle breathily, “He treated me vastly differently from the woman who birthed me. He loved me, took care of me, made sure I was well fed and sent me to school. But… His wife was another issue. I don’t know what I ever did to her, but she didn’t really like me. Sometimes when we eat dinner together, she would compare me to her own biological children saying that they were better, the worst part is that I thought my father would stop her, but he would just look away.” You swallowed, placing a hand on Albert’s.

“I tolerated them for a few more years, until one day, my father finally noticed that I wasn’t liking it there and rented an apartment just for me. Which is the apartment I’m currently living in. It used to be under my father’s name but I was able to claim it as my own when I became legal. Ever since that day, I’ve only kept his contact because I needed to repay the debt that I owe him, because he bought this apartment for me.” You finished, taking the final sip of tea.

This whole time, you noted that Albert remained silent just comforting you with his caresses, attentively hearing about your past. He takes the cup out of your grip and goes to refill it for you wordlessly. He returns not long after and places the cup between your hands, finding his place beside you like earlier. After telling him everything, you felt a weight lift off your shoulder, you felt a little more at ease. You patiently waited for him to say something, as you fiddled with the cup handle.

“Firstly, I am pleased to know that you trust me enough to let me know about your past, it certainly has not been easy. ” He pets you, “Secondly, I admire your tenacity and courage, not many people have these qualities as solid as yours. I want you to know that I am extremely proud of you for not giving up, no matter the circumstances.” You shut your eyes, trying not to cry.

“Lastly, I promise you with my life, that those same people will never, ever lay a hand on you again. I will deal with repaying the debt to your father. Let me shoulder this, instead.” You shake your head, lips opening to protest, but he silences you with his finger, “As long as I am here, I will not allow anyone to put you in harm’s way, ever again.” You stood up from the bar stool and clung onto him. 

“Thank you so much, Albert…” You murmur.

“No, thank you for sharing such a thing with me. I am elated that you trust me with this.” He tightens his embrace, breathing softly into your hair. “Shall we head back to bed, then?”

You feel your heart drop, you were terrified of being alone at the moment. You swallow anxiously, b-but if he… For him I can do it… You nod hesitantly. He takes your hand and guides you out the kitchen and upstairs, and with each step, you feel more and more nervous. Your stomach did a flip at seeing the door to your room, you were less than prepared to face the darkness alone. 

But then, he suddenly walks by it, his hold on you still firm. You trailed behind him, confused. He opens the door to his room instead and you look at him quizzically. He gestures for you to go in with a warm smile, holding the door open patiently. You step into his massive room meekly, admiring the view.

His room was way larger than yours, filled with windows on almost every corner of the room. His bed was pushed against the wall of windows and beside it were 2 doors, one to the bathroom and the other to what you assume is a closet. A fireplace sat burning on the right side of the room, just slightly below at the corner was a tea table similar to the ones placed in your room. On the other edge of the room sat 2 bookshelves and a rather large, velvet chair.

You tense when you hear the door behind you close.

You feel his hand on your lower back, gently guiding you toward the enormous king-sized bed that he owns. He lays you down and tucks you in, kissing your forehead lovingly, then walking over to the other side to take his spot on the bed. “Sleep well, my sweet, I will be here when you wake.” He whispers. You nod sheepishly and hide under covers, inhaling his scent from the sheets. 

This is bad… Really really bad… I should try to sleep. But wow the sheets smell exactly like him, what a comforting scent, gosh I love- What! No! Brain shut up! You adjusted yourself under the covers awkwardly, trying to silence the thoughts that were swarming in your head. 

Your heart stops, when you feel an arm around your waist. You struggled not to make any noise, as you feel Albert shift himself closer to you, his warm chest just inches away from yours. 

What do I do?! What do I do?! Do I just wake him, no that’d be rude! I could slowly move away from him, yeah, that’d work… You shimmied cautiously, trying to create as little movement as possible. Al-most- there- Yikes! You feel his arm tighten itself around you, pulling you back flush onto his chest. 

You bite your lip to stifle any noises that threaten to make itself known from your throat. Oh god, oh my god I shouldn’t have tried to move- You feel the tickle of his breath at the back of your neck, his quiet snores right beside your ear. This is no good…! I need to do something about this…! But this isn’t so bad… He’s so warm, comforting…

Amidst your bipolar thoughts, you fell asleep, this time, free of nightmares.

You feel someone gently shaking your shoulders. “Mmm… Just a few more mins…” You brought up your hand to lazily swat whoever was trying to wake you up. A familiar chuckle resonated in your ear, “I need to get up, sweetheart.” You flinch backwards, retracting your hand that was laying on what you thought was a bolster. 

Realization hit you, your eyes flew open and you scooted backwards hurriedly, nearly falling off the bed. He catches your waist, pulling you back in. “My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you.” He murmurs, his voice still hoarse and thick from sleep. That was by far the hottest he has sounded, not that he doesn’t sound hot any other time but- “I-it’s fine, s-sorry for clinging onto you…” You utter, hiding your hot face under the comforter. 

He chuckles, breathy and amused, “It’s no problem, my dear. Besides,” He leans in closer to your ear, “It just means I get to stay in bed a little longer to admire your adorable sleeping face.” You clutch on the sheets closer to your warming face, “I-I’ve only just woke up and you’re already teasing me…”

“Whoever said that there was a time limit to my teases, my darling?” He coos breathily, and you whine. He chortles, “Alright, alright, I shall cease for now. Would you like to have breakfast with me, sweetheart?” You peek at him from under the covers, breakfast does sound fantastic right now, so you nod. “I shall go get ready then. You may lay in bed for as long as you’d like, I have informed Tove that we will be having breakfast in my room.” He then disappears into the bathroom.

The sound of running water soothed you, almost lulling you back to sleep, until you heard a knock on the door. Tove enters the room holding a tray, she greets you and sets the plate down on the tea table next to the fireplace. You sit up and stretch, whining delightfully at the feeling. Tove giggles at your antics, she bows and takes her leave. 

You got off the bed and strolled toward the table, eyeing the cloche that was hiding the contents of the plate. You sat on the chair and waited patiently for Albert to be finished so that you both could eat together. 

Soon, he steps out of the foggy bathroom, his hair still wet and dripping, a small towel hanging from his neck to catch the rivulets. You blush when you realize that he was half-naked and shielded your eyes in embarrassment. He notices your flustered look and saunters to you, “What’s wrong sweetheart, never seen a half-naked man before?”

“A-Albert, please… P-put on some clothes…!” You stutter pathetically, the image of his muscular body imprinted inside your head. “Oh but I am? Am I not? My pants are an article of clothing, are they not, my dear?” He leans down to you, causing you to shrink into the seat. He cages you by placing an arm on the top of the chair. 

“Y-you know w-what I mean…!” You utter, his freshly showered scent filling your nostrils with absolute delight. “Oh? But aren't you happy to see me bare, like this? You’re the only one who gets to see it, my sweet girl.” You whine when you hear him extremely close to your ear. 

“P-please… A-Albert…!” You chide frustratingly, your face heating up tremendously. He finally backs away with a devious smirk, and a devilish glint in his eyes. He enters his walk-in wardrobe and dresses himself, as you sit, wordless and flustered. He is going to be the death of me one day I swear… You thought with a groan.

When he is finally dressed and proper, he joins you to eat. You ogle at him unintentionally, as he settles down on the chair opposite of you. He was wearing a silky black turtleneck covered by a leather coat. His pants were equally dark and leathery, held together by a belt. And of course, he never forgets his signature shades.

He takes the lid off and your stomach rumbles at the sight and smell of the food. You hear him chuckle at your reaction but at this point, you really couldn’t care and began digging in. You moan in ecstasy when the taste of ham fills your tastebuds, this is truly what heaven feels like.

As you gobbled down the food as ladylike as you could, you noticed that Albert hadn't really touched his own plate. You glance at him, half-expecting to see him look sick of some sort, but he remains motionless, his lips stretched to a thin line. You tilt your head, “Albert? Are you okay?” 

He snapped out of whatever thoughts he was having and cleared his throat, “I apologize, I am perfectly fine sweetheart, thank you.” He then begins to eat, slicing up the larger portions of food. You shrug at his behavior, but resumed eating nonetheless. Just as you were about to take the last bit of the croissant, you hear a phone ring. You look at Albert as he excused himself to pick it up. He exits the room hurriedly, and it was then where you noticed that the tip of his ears were red.

Oh… 

No wonder he was acting strange. You were making weird noises! You facepalmed at your stupidity, and got up. Hopefully his phone call wouldn’t take too long, you waited before the door, to apologize to him when he re-enters the room.

“Doll…?”

You hear him call from outside. You didn't mean to eavesdrop. 

“Yes… It truly has been. Of course, doll. When and where would you like to meet?”

Your heart sank, stomach churning at the feeling of deja vu.

“Lunch at La Croisée? Sounds fantastic. That is true. I shall see you then. Take care, doll.”

You flinch when you hear him hang up, hurriedly rushing back to your seat. An unpleasant feeling thrashing around your gut and you took a sip of your juice to suppress the feeling. You flinch when you hear him re-enter the room.

You’ve done this before, you can do it again.

“I apologize for the interruption, sweetheart.” You clench your jaw, don’t call me that. You force a smile, “It’s okay. Was it important?”

“Quite. Are you finished with breakfast? I need to leave soon.” You nod quickly, swallowing the uncomfortable feeling that was sprouting. “Yep. Y-you can go.” Don’t break now, you got this.

“Alright. I will inform Tove to clear the plates then. You can go back to sleep on my bed if you wish. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now. I’ll see you later, sweetheart.” He walks over and you freeze, masking your cringe when he gives you a kiss on your crown. “Y-yeah. Take care.” He nods and leaves the room.

You collapse onto the chair with trembling lips. No… Not yet. You can’t break just yet. Pull yourself together. Just a moment, wait til’ he can no longer hear you. You took a shaky breath in, trying to compose yourself.

You hear a knock and for a moment, you were afraid that maybe Albert forgot something. Fortunately, it turned out to be Tove. She gives you a warm smile and collects the plates, before pardoning herself. 

After a short while, you got up and exited the room, entering the other room. The very room you were placed in on the first day. You trudged toward the bed robotically, numb to everything. You plop down emotionlessly. 

Why were you acting this way? He wasn’t yours to begin with. He was just a kind man who took pity on you and took care of you. You both aren’t even together, he has every right to see whoever he wants. And yet… You couldn’t stop the feeling of despair that was swimming around in your gut, like a shark in the ocean. What is wrong with you? You have no right to act so selfishly, acting as if he belongs to you. Did you really think he loved you? No, he was just being nice because you were just in a pitiful state. You will never be loved, you never deserved it.

A tear slipped out of your eyes, the lukewarm rivulet dripping onto your arm. You turn to look at it, The liquid glistened under the light. You hid under the covers before more could join, sobbing under the covers. 

Why does this always happen to you? What did you do to deserve this? This pain, this agony. Was it because of your naivety? Was it because you trusted too easily? Get attached too easily? Perhaps… Or maybe... You choke on a gasp.

Oh…

Oh…

You were in love with Albert…

Your mouth fell open at the realization. You, love, him? Your mind scrambled for a proper explanation but the feeling in your heart told you everything you needed to know.

Yes, I love him. I love him so much that it hurts.

You sobbed even harder into the sheets. You loved him, but you can never get him. His heart already belongs to someone else. You covered your hands and wailed muffledly, tears pouring out of your eyes as your heart clenched. 

Another, stronger emotion stirred within you. Anger. This whole time, you really thought that you both had something special, but it turns out he was only toying with you. He took advantage of your gullibility, played with your heart and now he is bored. You clenched your jaw in resentment.

If he was going to ruin you like this, you were going to ruin him right back. You needed vengeance, something to quell this rage. You were going to find him and you were going to get revenge.

You stopped crying and pulled yourself together, constructing a plan on how to pay him and his new date a visit. In the meantime, you washed up and tried to focus on studying. You updated your friends about how you were doing, but omitted the part where Albert is meeting another girl. You searched up the name of the restaurant they were meeting, and found out that it was quite close, just a few minutes walk away.

You put on clothes that you have brought the other day and stepped out of the room. You saw Tove cleaning the kitchen counter, she tilted her head at you.

“Miss (Y/N)? Where are you headed to?” She asks and you tense.

“U-uh, I’m just going downstairs for a moment, my friend is coming over to hand me some assignments from school.” You lied smoothly with a smile.

“Ah, of course. Then you will require a keycard to come back up, give me a moment to retrieve it for you.” Tove nods and heads somewhere. You stood near the doors that led to the corridor, nervous and a little agitated. Tove comes back a few minutes later, handing you a white, keycard and taught you how to operate the lift and door lock. You thanked her stiffly, slipped on your shoes and left. 

You pulled out your phone and followed the directions from Google Maps to the french bistro. After nearly walking for 15 minutes, you find it. The large, white logo that read “La Croisée”. You gulped and watched the cafe for a familiar man to appear with his date. 

For a moment hesitated, suddenly feeling ridiculous. Well, no turning back now. You spurred yourself on. You took a seat at the bench of a bus stop opposite of the cafe, blending in with the crowd of people.

Then you finally spot the blonde with a girl about your height with auburn hair, strolling by his side with a beaming smile. You watch them enter the bistro, taking a seat by the window. Albert gets up to order for them, he glances at the girl seemingly to ask her what she wants. She tilts her head and thinks for a moment before giving him a reply. He nods and disappears behind the wall.

You were infuriated. You were ready to storm into the cafe when a bus blocked your view. You huffed in vexation, I should observe them for a bit more, see if anything actually happens. 

Albert comes back a moment later, placing down a cup of something in front of her and himself. You witness how they seemed so happy, especially the girl. With each word that comes out of her mouth, Albert’s smile seems to widen. You know why he chose her now. She looks so beautiful, confident and optimistic. Her hands would wave around as she spoke, articulating her words. You see his shoulder’s tremble in amusement, most likely chuckling at her antics.

Your stomach sank at their happiness, all plans thrown out the window. You look away, trying to keep the tears in. Who were you to ruin someone else’s happiness? Why did you think it was a good idea to do it anyway? Anger blinds people and makes them do the worst. You cringed, feeling childish and stupid. You glance up again, to see the smile plastered on Albert’s face. 

I wonder if he ever looked that content when he speaks to me…

They hadn’t stayed in the bistro for too long, he glances at his watch and seemingly tells her that he needs to go soon. She nods and smiles, standing up with her bag. As they exited the door, the girl paused and tiptoed to give Albert a kiss on the cheek. He only smiled fondly at the gesture, stroking the back of her head. She giggles gleefully and they walk away in tow, just as another bus breaks your line of sight. 

Your brows furrow in sorrow, as you stood up and left. The walk back to his estate was filled with misery, you refused to cry in public, but your head was filled with so much negativity. 

Upon sliding the keycard on the door, it beeps and unlocks, allowing you entry. Tove greets you, but you just strode past her silently. She blinks at your change in attitude, slightly worried. You trudged upstairs and back into the room. You couldn’t even shut the door fully when you collapsed, tears springing forth from your eyes. You brought your knees to your chest and curled up, trying your hardest not to alarm Tove. You bit your lip to suppress the noises escaping your throat.

See, this is what happens when you get too attached. I’ve told you so many times but did you listen? No. Because of your stupidity, you’re hurt yet again. This is what you get, what you deserve. Worthless girls like you do not have the right to be happy. You let out a few more shaky breaths and whimpers, before wiping your face and getting up from the floor. No more. I refuse to be hurt again. Your face hardens and you head into the bathroom to clean up. 

You were working like clockwork, robotic and emotionless for the next few hours. You weren’t even sure if you were absorbing the information from your notes, you just needed something else to occupy your mind with than the heartbreak. You read and read, no longer caring about which topic you were looking at, nor the relevance. 

You didn’t even acknowledge when a knock resounded on your door. You kept your gaze on the paper as someone stepped into the room, even when a hand pressed against your shoulder, you remained motionless.

“...Sweetheart?” You shut your eyes, oh why must it be him.

You sigh, reopening your eyes and fixing your gaze on the sheet of paper, “...what is it?”

“Are you alright…? Tove informed me that you looked unwell earlier.” His thumbs rub circles around your shoulder.

You shrug, trying to get him to stop, “I’m fine.”

“Sweetheart…? What’s the matter? Why won’t you look at me?” He questions worryingly, tightening his grip on your shoulder. 

You harshly swat his hand away, finally turning your head to look at him with an annoyed look on your face, “I said I’m fine.” You growl.

He backs away as if you had singed him, his expression flashing to one of hurt, then quickly into aloof. He steps back and looks away, “...I understand.” 

You turn your head back to look at the scribbling on the paper. Guilt began budding in your gut but you shoved it away, refusing to show any signs of weakness. You remain motionless, even as he shuts the door, leaving the room. 

You bit the inside of your lip and swallowed. This is for yourself. You can’t break again. You refuse to feel that agony again. You exhaled slowly, going back to eyeing the notes.

No longer than 20 minutes later, Tove knocks on the door and informs you that dinner is done. You nodded wordlessly, neatly arranging your notes. You needed to relieve yourself in the bathroom before heading down, so you did just that. After checking yourself one last time in the mirror, you finally left the room. 

You marched downstairs, anxious and nervous. You nagged at yourself for it, get your shit together, (Y/N). You can’t afford to break now and ever again. Even without looking, you knew that he was sitting there, waiting for you. This time, you had to get seated by yourself, as he didn’t want to irk you any longer. 

Silence filled the air between you both, as you stared into the glass table, refusing to spare him a glance. Tove emerges from the kitchen, carrying 2 plates, one for you and one for him. After describing the meal, she bows and excuses herself. 

The silence stayed strong, as you focused on eating, besides, you had nothing to say to him. Nothing else to say. It wasn’t long before you were done, settling your utensils down, wiping your mouth clean with the napkin then taking your leave. You stood up from the chair, turning around to return to the room but a firm grip on your wrist stops you.

“Sweetheart. Please.” He pleads.

You stay facing away from him, his grip on your wrist tightening a little. “Tell me what is wrong. Is it me? Had I done something to upset you?”

“No. It’s me.” You mutter loud enough for him to hear.

“What are you blaming yourself for?”

A small dam of something breaks inside of you and you turn to face him with tears in your eyes, “For thinking that I was the only one. For thinking that you actually felt something for me. For being so dense.” 

A surprise look crossed his face, before realization hit him. “...Sweetheart, did you overhear my conversation with an old friend earlier?”

You huff with a roll of your eyes, “Yeah, as if you’d call an old friend ‘doll’. Listen, I will leave first thing tomorrow and get a job to repay you. Afterwards, you’re dead to me.” You spat full of bitterness and hatred, as you yanked your hand away from his grip, turning around to head back. You stomp angrily against the marble tiles, does he think you’re an idiot or something? The audacity. You feel the tears start to overflow. Not yet, just hang in there, I’m reaching.

You hand reached for the doorknob and just as you were about to twist. A muscular body enveloped yours, suddenly and hurriedly, slightly knocking the air out of your lungs. You sigh, inhaling the scent of the one person you did not want to face right now. Both of you took a moment to breathe, trying to find the right words.

“That lady, Bia, used to be a sugar baby of mine. I saved her from her abusive household and she lived with me for a while. We did nothing intimate, she just spoke and comforted me when I needed it. In exchange, I provided her with the funds to support her dreams of being a physicist. She traveled to our state and arranged a meeting with me to inform me that she was going to graduate in a week. She is returning to her home where she lives with her girlfriend in 2 days. There is nothing going on between us.”

Oh.

You felt stupid after hearing his explanation. You got so worked up over, absolutely nothing. Shame and embarrassment filled you, as you bit your lip. You remained in his embrace awkwardly, trying to think of something to reply to him.

“...I’m sorry.” You utter pathetically full of guilt and humiliation.

“It is alright. I apologize for not letting you know this beforehand, causing you to feel like this. It is not your fault, sweetheart.”

You turn to face him with tears falling, “E-even so, I-” You choke, “I acted so selfishly…! W-we aren’t even dating yet and I’m already acting as if you belong to- mmph!”

Your eyes widened in disbelief.

Albert placed his lips on yours, silencing you.

Albert was kissing you.

He pulled away before you could even register. He leaned his forehead against yours, “Believe me, sweetheart. I want nothing more than to be called yours. My heart, my soul, everything that I possess, will always belong to you, if you’ll have me.” He murmurs softly.

Your mouth was still wide-open in stupefaction. Your mind short-circuited, causing it to be disorganized. You could only stare at him with a red-face and open mouth as you struggle to find the words.

“B-but I-... I’m still… s-scared… W-what if- what if the same thing happens…?” You stutter, breaking your gaze. 

He cups your face with his hands, “People call me many things, sweetheart. But ‘unfaithful’ is never one of them.”

You feel your resolve start to crumble, hope filling your heart again at his declaration. Yet, you were still afraid, the feeling of pain, betrayal, anger. It scared you to no end. You swallow hesitantly. You almost whine when he releases his hold on you.

“I… I apologize. I may have taken things a little too quickly. Forgive me.” He takes a step back, “It’s getting late, I will leave you to sleep now. Goodnight, sweetheart.” He turns to walk away.

Your hand shot out to tug the back of his coat effectively making him pause to look at you. 

“...Take me out on a date, tomorrow?...” You suggest meekly, slowly turning your head upwards to meet his eyes.

His surprised look never failed to amuse you. He shuts his partially open lips and smiles, “Of course, my love.” He extends his arm out and you take it, giddily trailing behind him to his room.

==========

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

==========

First off, I want to apologize to everyone that this chapter came out a little delayed than usual. My final exams are due in a month, and I've recently been neglecting my studies. And because I was trying to finish up chapter 7.

Lastly, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, if you cried like me and Atquos, welcome to the club.

When you opened your eyes, you were met with a headache so excruciating you wanted to die. With a groan of discomfort, you shifted restlessly on the mattress, trying to go back to sleep. So comfy… Just 5 more minutes brain, please… The ache only worsened with each passing moment, causing you to sit up with a frown and a huff of exasperation. You brought a hand up to massage your temple, trying to remember what happened.

Then… Oh…

Last night, the dinner with Stephen, after taking a few more sips of wine you couldn’t remember much. You must’ve gotten drunk and passed out! Oh god this is so embarrassing! I don’t even remember ever getting to bed, Stephen must’ve carried me again! You covered your face in embarrassment, you sure as hell hoped you hadn’t done or said anything shameful. For some reason, no matter how hard you’ve tried to dig into your memories of last night, everything drew to a close.

Your eyebrows creased as you rubbed circles on the sides of your forehead, trying to soothe the throbbing pain. Wait… What time was it? You winced when you turned your head quickly to the side, the clock read 6:34am. You panicked, shoving the covers off to dress into your school outfit. You bolted across the room, digging through your bag for clothes that you remembered packing the day before.

Soft knocks from the door made you pause. You turned your head around only to see Tove entering your room holding a tray of something and it felt as if you were a kid getting caught trying to steal some cookies. She gave you a confused smile, “Good morning, Miss (Y/N)! Umm… What are you doing?”

“I- Uh… I need to change….? Classes start in like 2 hours and I’ll be late if I don’t catch the earliest train by 7.” You stuttered, staring at her with an awkward look. “Ah, no need to worry about transportation. I was told by Master Arthur that you would insist on attending your classes, so we have prepared a transport and breakfast for you.” Trove shot you a kind smile.

“B-but I can’t.” You start, trying to ignore the pain from your head. “Why ever not?” The short-haired lady tilted her head in bewilderment. “I-I’ve already owed a lot to you and Stephen, I’m afraid that if I owe him anymore, I’d be living on the streets.” You laugh pathetically, avoiding her gaze. “I’m not quite sure I understand, are you telling me that you are indebted to us financially?”

You nod slowly and she hums, still puzzled, “Did Master Arthur request that you return this ‘debt’ financially?”

You shake your head, “No, but I believe that nothing in life ever comes for free and I doubt everything I’ve received so far, both services and food, is free.”

She giggles, a sound that surprises you. “Unless Master Arthur specifically demands repayment, then I assure that there is no need to worry about that.”

You were about to protest again when your head pounds, causing you to hiss and wince. “Ah, yes, I believe that you are suffering from a hangover. Master Arthur has prepared necessary medication for you, please ingest it.” She steps toward you, holding out the tray for you to take the contents. Anything for this stupid pain to go away, you thank her, quickly shoving the pills down your throat and taking a large swig of water.

“I will be back shortly with a proper set of clothes. In the meantime, you may wash up.” She exits the room, leaving you alone before you could even protest. With a sigh, you head inside the bathroom, washing your face and brushing your teeth to get ready for the day.

When you exit the bathroom, Tove enters the room yet again, with a dress and a cardigan on her arm. She sets the article of clothing on the bed neatly, picking up any lingering fuzzes on the clothes. “Once you are done with getting changed, we will be heading downstairs as breakfast is ready.”

You nod, thanking her as she leaves with a bow. You eyed the garments laying on your bed. The dress was milky white, it was also a minidress but this time, it was off-shoulder and had net fabric embroidered with flower and lace covering the outer part of the dress. You blush when you see a pair of black stockings lying beneath the dress. The cardigan was knitted in beige, looking slightly oversized on you.

Without trying to delay any longer, you put on the dress, noting how it was silk on the inside, making the dress extremely comfortable as it hugs your curves exquisitely. You fiddled with the ribbons at the ends of the dress on your thighs as well as the one in the chest area. You put on the knitted cardigan and relished the warmth the snuggly fabric provided.

At first, you were a little hesitant putting on the stockings, but after convincing that you shouldn’t waste Stephen’s money, you slipped it on.

You thank Tove silently for providing house slippers as you were sure that you would’ve fallen from the silkyness of the stockings. You went over to the desk and slung your bag over your shoulder, double-checking that you had everything.

While walking toward the door, you pause abruptly to check yourself over on the full-length mirror that stood beside the dresser. Stephen really had taste making you wear these, you hoped you won’t disappoint him. You bit your lip nervously, fiddling with your hair and trying to silence your self-consciousness.

With a deep breath, you walked away from the mirror, stepping out of the room. Tove complimented your look, causing you to laugh nervously. She took the bag from your shoulders, informing you that she will be placing it in the car as you eat. Originally, you told her that you could carry it downstairs yourself but she insisted and you easily caved in on her offer.

She escorts you down to the same dining table. As you stepped down the black, marble stairs, you took in the view of the buildings from the massive windows. The sky was a brilliant mix of orange-blue, a breath-taking view from where you stood. You noted that you must be somewhere at the top of the building if the structures below you looked small.

You feel your stomach curl anxiously upon reaching the wide dining table, afraid of what Stephen’s reaction was going to be. Oh and you hoped he wouldn’t comment anything about last night, even if you couldn’t remember most of it.

Laying your eyes on Stephen, you observed that he had his right elbow on the table as he leaned against his thumb, his index finger covering his lips while his other hand held up a newspaper, engrossed on the words from behind his shades.

“Master Arthur, Miss (Y/N) has arrived.” Tove announced as she walked toward him. His head shot up and when his eyes landed on you, you noticed that his jaw tightened. His gaze never left your form as he folded the newspaper absentmindedly, handing it to Tove shortly after.

You shrink under his gaze, feeling as if you did something wrong. A familiar feeling of deja vu came into your mind, as this was exactly how you felt yesterday. He stands up and you gulp meekly.

“Come here, sweetheart.” You hear him command lowly, his voice touching something foreign within you, sending pleasurable tingles shivering down your spine. As you stood before him, his familiar, muscular cologne invaded your nostrils. You felt slightly warmer as you waited for what he was about to say, examining the black fabric of his vest. It was only now that you finally began studying his outfit.

He wore his usual white button-up, his sleeves folded to reveal his watch. His black necktie was tied to perfection, resting below the collar. Above everything, he wore a black vest, you could see that there was a pocket on the left side of his chest. His recognized dress pants were bound onto his hips by a leather belt and everything about him screamed “professional” and “classy”.

“Are you done checking me out?” You snapped out of your thoughts, gawking up at him with a fierce blush coating your cheeks. He chortled, the sound pleasant in your ears as usual. “I merely jest, sweetheart. You look quite… ravishing yourself, I must say...”

His last words sounded slightly breathier, which made your stomach twist pleasantly. You could only stare at him with slightly parted lips, a beet-red face and pounding heart. A moment later he clears his throat, bringing up a fist to cover his mouth, “Let’s get you seated first, beautiful.” With a hand on your back, he gently guided you to the other end of the table, withdrawing the chair from beneath the table like a real gentleman.

You thanked him sheepishly and sat, adjusting the edges of the skirt a little. You feel his predatorial gaze on you as he settles down himself and you gulp. Fortunately, Tove comes out with the cart of food.

She sets the 2 plates of breakfast down, followed by a refill of coffee for Stephen and a glass of apple juice for you. Tove then leaves not a moment after, the silence between you and Stephen thick as you both ate.

“U-umm… is- what’s on your mind?” You ask, in hopes of breaking the awkwardness. “Oh, nothing, nothing at all, sweetheart. I apologize for my silence, my mind is just… occupied with somethings.” He shoots you a devious smile. “O-oh? Like what?” You blurt out before you could stop yourself.

“Oh, sweetheart… You wouldn’t want to know.” A smirk plastered his features as he took a bite of the egg, causing the yolk to break, the viscous liquid slipping from the corner of his mouth. You watch as he brings his tongue out to lick the runny fluid, bringing up a finger to wipe the rest off. Instead of cleaning it on a paper towel, he cleaned the residue with his flexible appendage.

You slowly shifted your gaze upwards, only to be met with his.

Shit. You had been caught staring.

Your face bloomed a brilliant red and you quickly ducked to look down at your half-eaten food, biting your lip. What was that?! That was sexy as hell- What?! No! Brain shut up! That is highly inappropriate! You tried focusing on trying to eat -and not choke-, dismissing the weird feelings that were sprouting from inside you.

As you downed your apple juice in one swig, you hear him stifle a chuckle, bringing up his steaming cup of coffee to mask his laughter. “Now that I think about it. You are quite horrendous at handling your liquor, aren’t you?” He took another sip.

“I’ve been told that too many times… Which is why I don’t really go drinking with my friends as much because they take vid-...” You paused, looking at him hesitantly, “Did- Was I-...”

He sets the now empty cup down, bringing his elbows onto the table, leaning against his intertwined fingers. “Oh, yes… The night before… You were…” He trails off, remembering the events of last night. Annoying? Shameful? Hideous? You thought as you waited for him to continue.

“Remarkably outspoken.” He finished and you died a little on the inside. You covered your face with your face and groaned in embarrassment. “I-I’m so sorry! If I had said anything awful to you!”

“Not at all,” He stands up and steps toward you, holding his hand out for you to take. You quickly placed your hand in his larger ones and stood up.

Suddenly, he tugs you roughly toward him and you stagger, losing your balance. With another hand on your shoulder to steady you, he leans down next to your ear, his rich, breathy voice whispering, “But I’ll let you in on one thing. It has been a while since a lady was able to fluster me as you did.”

He stands back up with a sincere smile, as if he hadn’t pulled whatever he did on you. “Shall we depart then, sweetheart?”

The car ride was relatively silent as you were still stunned from the words that left Stephen’s lips just earlier. What did you say? What did you do? What did he do? What did the both of you do? What happened after that last sip? Your mind was racing with thoughts, as you scramble to try and recall what happened after you started feeling dizzy. Stephen remained quietly seated beside you with folded legs, tapping away on his tablet.

You fiddled with your hands nervously. Wait, now that I think about it, my headache is gone and my injuries from 2 days ago have almost already healed. What exactly were those pills? or in those pills? Maybe I should splurge on some. They seem to work like magic. Maybe I can ask Stephen where I can get it from. Hopefully it’s available at the nearby pharmacy.

“Sweetheart?”

“Y-yes?” You utter pathetically.

“I said we were reaching soon and if you needed anything else?” He covers his tablet and sets it down beside him, focusing on you.

“I- uh… Where can I get those bottles of medicine that you gave me?”

He tilted his head, “Oh? You’re interested in that? I apologize for disappointing you but, those are only sold to corporate partners. They are not available out in the open.”

You dropped your gaze, “Ah, I see, it’s alright then.” There goes your plan of overworking yourself to pay him back.

He places a hand over yours, causing you to look back up at him. “I can arrange an offer with them to supply more of it for you, if it is your wish.”

You shake your head vehemently, “No, no! It’s fine really! It’s just… It works amazing.” You touch the fading bruise on your cheek, “Usually I take a week or 2 to heal from bruises but after ingesting the medicine you provided, it’s already almost gone.”

He smiles, placing his hand over yours on your cheek, “I’m glad to hear that. I will inform them of their success.”

You feel your face heat up as his gesture and remain speechless as the car comes to a steady halt. He pulls away, “Have a great day at classes, sweetheart. Notify me when you are ready to leave. I will return to pick you up.”

“It-It’s fine, I can take the public transport that reaches the nearest-” Wait… why does it sound like you’re living with him or something? Besides, you were supposed to call Olyvia and leave after the dinner yesterday.

You yelp when he moves toward you, his face inches away from yours, as he leaned into your ear. “Be a good girl this once and just listen to me, won’t you?”

Your jaw dropped at his words and you gasped audibly with a crimson face. You were astounded by your ability to not pass out from the blood that was rushing to your face whenever you spoke to this man. Before you could retort, the chauffeur opens the door.

He chuckles, “I shall not keep you any longer. Take care and goodluck with your classes, sweetheart.” You could only nod and step out stiffly while clutching onto your bag.

As you left the car, you were met with several looks of astonishment, murmurs and whispers directed to you. The heaviest stares though, were from your red-headed and white-headed friends. You hear the chauffeur shut the door, going back into the driver’s seat and then taking off.

You watch as the car disappears into the distance, then turned around to face the two. Mei had a hand over her mouth in surprise, while Ruby smirked, waggling her eyebrows. “Someone’s been naughty.” You quickly denied, “H-He insisted, okay? I can’t really say no…”

“Well, at least someone’s able to overpower your stubbornness. Kudos to that man.” Ruby grinned, and you feel your blush darken. “Hold on for a moment, Ruby. (Y/N), weren’t you supposed to be at Olyvia’s? What happened?” Mei asked worryingly.

“I- Uh-” You looked away from them, “I-it’s a little complicated…” You stammered, fiddling with the straps of your bag. “Tell us.” Mei insisted, placing a firm hand on your shoulder. “W-well… Uh, he and I had a kind of fancy dinner last night at his place and… he may have gotten me drunk…?”

Mei’s gaze hardened instantly, “Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?” You shake your head fervidly, “No, no! He just carried me to bed I think, and then I passed out.”

Ruby, who still wore a grin, tapped lightly at the worried female’s back, “Chillax, Mei! If he did anything to her, don’t you think she’d have marks or felt it by now?” Mei seems to think about it for a moment, “I… You are right. I apologize for going off on you.”

You shook your head, smiling at her, “Not at all. I appreciate your concern, really. Thanks, Mei.” She nods, shooting you a smile of hers. “Well, well, well. What do we have this morning?” You hear someone tease from behind. Suddenly, an arm over your shoulder made you stumble, you turned your head to frown at Niall, who wore a shit-eating grin on his face. “Good morning to you too, Niall.” You grumble.

“Already leeching off of Mr. Sugar Daddy I see. Gotta say, he has an impressive sense of style dressing you up like this. You look way more magnetic compared to whatever rubbish you always wear.” You sneer at him, “Am not! And I’d very much prefer whatever ‘rubbish’ I always wear than this… It’s too… attention-snatching for me…”

Niall lifted his arm away from your shoulder, “Isn’t that the point of clothes? Other than to cover up your private parts. You might as well look fabulous while doing it, you know what I mean.” The male wiggled his eyebrows and pointed at himself. You sigh with a shake of your head.

“Ooo~” You hear another familiar voice sing from behind. Olyvia hopped right beside you, eyeing you from head to toe. “Miss Universe has returned~” You bush and cover your face.

“Olyvia, I believe you were supposed to pick (Y/N) up from that man’s place. What happened?” Mei questioned the silverette with a frown. “Huh, oh… right, that. I did call her, but that dude picked up instead and said something about drinking wine and that she’s in safe hands.” She shrugged, earning a sigh from the short-haired female.

“Well I mean, she relatively seems to be unharmed. Other than the injuries her shitty ex gave her. Speaking of which, what magic did he perform on you? Your bruises are like, almost gone.” Ruby reached a hand out to touch your cheek gently. “I have no idea what he gave me to be honest. He just told me that it was safe and that it will help with the healing process.” The red-head retracts her hand, “Damn. Can I get some too?”

You huffed and rolled your eyes, “He says that it’s not out in the open and is strictly for his business partners.” Ruby let out a defeated ‘damn’.

Soon, the four of you decide to hurry to class, before being penalized for being late.

Needless to say, you were severely distracted by trying not to check your phone for any messages from Stephen. It was extremely difficult to focus, as whenever your hand was free, your thoughts began drifting to what he said or had said.

“Oh, sweetheart… You wouldn’t want to know.”

“It has been a while since a lady was able to fluster me as you did.”

“Be a good girl this once and just listen to me, won’t you?”

Be a good girl…

Good girl…

You drop your pen and bring your hands up to cover your face, whining silently. For some reason, the way he praised sounded different. It sounded… sexy. Your stomach coiled pleasantly at the thought of his words. Then you felt a nudge.

You peeked through your hands, seeing Olyvia leaning against her knuckle with a smirk. “Busy thinking about Mr. “Stephen”, are we?” You groaned and pushed her arm away. “I heard him yesterday, you know? I tried calling you but you fell asleep.” She shifted her gaze to the screen, pretending to take notes as your professor babbled on and on. “W-what did he say…” You query meekly, glancing at her.

“In short, he said ‘Sorry for making your friend wasted. But don’t worry, she’ll be safe with me.’ He sounded hot by the way, so congrats to you for scoring that man.” You see her wink at you slyly, then go back to reading her written notes.

You sigh, trying to control your emotions. You can’t afford to get caught with a red-

“Miss (Y/N), could you answer this question?” God dang it.

You stood up and stuttered the answer, your classmates giggling at your bashfulness. “Are you sick, Miss (Y/N)? Your face is a little red. Would you like to visit the infirmary?” You hear your professor ask in concern. You shake your head, “N-no sir, just a little headache, I’ll be fine, t-thank you.” He nods and you sit back down as he resumes explaining.

You turn to see Olyvia stifling her laughter behind her hand. You pout and glared at her with a red-face.

When lunch came around, you and Olyvia packed up and headed out of the lecture hall. “Niall asked if the cafe was cool.” You told her that you were fine with it and you both made your way to meet the others at the location.

It wasn’t a long walk, thankfully. Your college provided all sorts of dining options because it was a large establishment. You both stop in front of the cafe that was aptly named “Chill Beans”. “They told us to sit somewhere first. Do you feel like taking seats inside or outside?” You shrug, “Anything is fine with me.”

You both walked over to a table outside, ducked under a patio umbrella that shielded the area from the afternoon sun. While waiting on your friends, Olyvia headed in to take your orders.

You checked your phone for any important mail or messages. A smile greeted your face when you saw a message from the app you’ve come to know and love.

Stephen Arthur:

Good afternoon, sweetheart. How was your morning? I do hope you’re eating a proper lunch. You will make me terribly worried if you do not do so.

Me:

Hey Stephen! Morning classes were a bit boring but I'm used to it. My friend is ordering a lunch set for me as we speak, so don’t worry :) what about you?

Stephen Arthur:

I am having lunch with a few of my business partners myself. Would you like me to share what I am currently having?

Me:

Sure!

Stephen Arthur:

1 photo attachment

It tastes mediocre. But everything does, without you near.

You covered your mouth, cheeks instantly heating up at his text. You examine the photo he sent. He was having a plate of squid ink pasta, the silvery utensils neatly placed beside the glass plate. Beneath it all, a mahogany cloth covered the table.

Me:

That looks good! Eat well, Stephen :)

Stephen Arthur:

I do believe a fair exchange is in order. Since I have shared with you what I’ll be having, it is your turn to share yours, sweetheart.

Me:

Reasonable. I’ll be sure to send it to you when my food arrives.

Oops, gotta go, my friends are here. They’ve been teasing me the whole morning and I refuse to be a victim of their mockery anymore, take care Stephen! :)

You shut your phone and greeted your incoming friends. You see Mei entering the cafe, helping Olyvia with the trays of food. Ruby and Niall were as usual, complaining about the classes, asking for your opinion once in a while.

Soon enough, Mei and Olyvia came out with the orders of food. You angled your phone where it looks best and snapped a shot, sending it to Stephen right after.

Me:

1 photo attachment

My lunchies :)

When you looked back up, you were met with several grins. “Updating Mr. Perfect?” Ruby sassed, poking at her salad. Oh boy, here we go. They spent the next few minutes mimicking and mocking what they thought was happening between you and Stephen. You rolled your eyes and shook your head, sighing at their stupidity.

“Miss (Y/N) (L/N)?” You hear someone call from behind. You turned around and felt your jaw drop. It was the headmistress herself! You stood up quickly, bowing at her. “G-good afternoon Headmistress! Y-yes I’m (Y/N).”

The old lady examined you from head to toe pretentiously behind her glasses. “Follow me, I need to have a word with you in my office, young lady.” You glance back at your friends in confusion. They only stared right back at you with the same expression. You slung your bag over your shoulder and excused yourself, trailed the headmistress to her office.

The walk was silent and tense, as your head swirled with nervous thoughts. What happened? You only took a day off from classes, maybe you didn’t have any referral letter? Or were you doing badly for your classes? Did your professor earlier inform the headmistress that you looked off? Was it the way you were dressed?

She opened the large, wooden door, tilting her head to tell you to get inside. You stepped into the massive room, silently waiting for her to give you permission to do anything else. She walks by you, strutting over to her desk, the clicking of her heels accentuated her every step. “Take a seat, Miss (Y/N).” She pointed to the chair before her desk. You gulp, walking over and taking a seat quietly. “Do you know why you are here today?” She asks, turning on her desktop.

“Um… Is it because I’ve been doing badly in classes?” You fiddle with your bag nervously. “No… Not quite. You see, we’ve received a very troubling complaint in regards to you.” She tilts her head back, trying to see what was on the screen.

“What?... From who?” You murmur anxiously, clenching your fists.

“Miss (Y/N), tell me, did you or did you not assault your superior in your workplace?”

You shake your head, so this was what it’s all about. “What? No!”

She sighs in disappointment, “I have received video evidence of it. You do not have to deny your actions. I am severely displeased with your actions and your lies.”

You feel yourself start to choke, it feels harder and harder to breathe. You wanted to tell your headmistress that it was a misunderstanding and you were trying to protect yourself, but no words could come out. You stared at her with a lump on your throat and your mouth agape.

“I do believe that there is more to uncover and from the complaint, you will be going to court next week, yes? Until then, you are forbidden to step foot into this premise. I hope you learn and understand that your actions will have consequences and that you have brought shame upon the name of this college. Go now.” She berated sternly, causing you to scramble out of your seat with tears in your eyes and unspoken words lodged in your throat.

You avoided the weird looks the people around were shooting you as you dashed into the nearest washroom. You locked yourself inside a stall and sobbed, covering your mouth to stifle the whimpers. You needed to tell your friends what happened, right now. When you brought out your phone, about to text them, you saw the one person that you actually needed the most right now.

The one person who you’ve only just met, yet brought so much warmth and comfort in your life.

You tapped on the phone icon and sobbed quietly, waiting for him to pick up.

At first, you were beginning to give up hope, scolding yourself as he was busy and deserved to spend every last minute of his lunch break resting. You should just hang up, he’s a busy man, you don’t deserve a second of his time talking to him about your problems. You’re not worth it. You’re shameful. You bit your lip, trying to suppress the negative thoughts spiraling in your head.

You feel a wave of relief wash over you temporarily when you hear his familiar voice greet.

“Hello. Do you need something?”

“S-stephen…”

At your whimper, you hear him excuse himself from his friends, making you feel guilty for interrupting his conversation.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?”

“I- She- Told me- Go-” You blabber incoherently, your mind running faster than your lips could catch up.

“Calm down, darling. Listen to me, can you take a deep breath, for me?”

You took a shaky breath in.

“There we go, that’s my girl. Now hold it and count to eight then release, can you do that?”

You held your breath, counting to eight inside your head, then exhaling.

“You’re doing so good for me, let’s repeat this a few more times. I’ll be here with you every step of the way, I promise.”

After a few more breathing exercises, you finally found your composure.

“Do you need more time? Or are you feeling better?”

“I-I’m okay now,” You sniffle, “S-sorry…”

“None of that. Tell me what has gotten you so upset.”

You told him about what happened in the principal’s office. As you blabber on and on, you were only met with silence on his end as he listened intently.

“I-I shouldn’t have tried defending myself- This- All this wouldn’t have happened if I just shut my mouth-”

“Sweetheart.” He growled, making you flinch.

“I-I’m sorry… I’ll just go now… I can go back alone, I just-”

“No.”

You feel your heartbreak, great, not even Stephen wants you now. You sob pathetically, feeling the familiar start of a spiral.

“Stay put, sweetheart. I will be there as soon as I can.”

“Y-you don’t…!” You hear the call end just as you were about to retort. You sat on the cover of the toilet, stunned into silence. You swallowed all other thoughts for now and texted your friends whom were already asking about your whereabouts. After explaining the situation, they told you that they’ll head to where you are right now.

You brought your knees up to your chest, the whole situation making you nauseous. You were causing so much trouble for the people around you. You’re always such a trouble-maker. You’re worthless, nobody should care about you. You deserve to rot, you deserve to die.

You should have never been born.

You feel blood trickle down your lips from how hard you bit, trying to hold in your cries and hushing those thoughts. You tried recalling what your therapist told you before, “It’s all over. And you are in the present, so focus on what you can do about that instead.”

You thought you were getting better, you thought you were finally able to escape the ghosts from your past, but they seem to come back every single time. You needed to head back to the mental institute to get more of those pills, the very pills that can help shut those thoughts up. You hated it, the same sound that traumatized you over and over, you wished that it’d just disappear.

A knock on the toilet stall brought you out of your thoughts. “(Y/N), it’s Mei.” You stood up from the seat shakily and unlocked the door and you were immediately greeted with concerning looks from Mei and Ruby. They gave you a tight hug and comforted you as you wailed onto their shoulders.

They took a few more minutes to properly calm you down, soothingly running hands behind your bag and whispering words of assurances.

When you were feeling better, they guided you out of the bathroom, where Niall and Olyvia stood waiting. You told them in detail of what happened and they all frowned, upset at the headmistress.

“How could she do this? She doesn’t even have the full video and she’s already making such a choice? We need to get in there to talk to her now. You need to explain your side of the story, get her to see that it wasn’t your fault at all!” Ruby exclaimed angrily, waving her hands around in frustration. “Ruby’s right. She doesn’t know that some parts of the story are missing, you need to go back in there to tell her that.” Olyvia agrees with folded arms.

“B-but she seemed so dead set on her decision! I can’t afford to get expelled now! I can’t-” You were cut off when your phone began ringing. You picked up already knowing who it was.

“Sweetheart. I am at the entrance, do you want me to wait here for you, or would you like me to come find you.”

“I-I’ll just go to you. I’ll be right there.” You say and then hang up. You marched out of the building with your friends following in tow, making sure you were safe. You saw the familiar figure of Stephen, leaning against the door of the car with folded arms and an indecipherable expression.

That’s when you suddenly hear a sharp gasp from behind you. You turn around to see Niall with his jaw wide open, as if he just got the biggest shock of his life.

Then realization slapped you harshly. It never occurred to you that your friends were going to meet Stephen.

“A-are you Albert Wesker? THE Albert Wesker?” Niall croaked, breaking the tension hanging thickly in the air. Your brows furrowed in confusion, “Who’s Albert Wesker? That’s Stephen, the man I was talking to you guys about.”

You hear Stephen sigh, his fingers curling around the bridge of his nose. “U-Um…” You piped meekly, “You know what let’s just go, Stephen. I-I’ll see you guys later…” You grab Stephen’s hand, your other one reaching out for the door handle.

“Wait.” He says, making you pause.

You turned to look at him, “What is it?”

“There seems to be a slight misunderstanding. I am here not only to pick you up, but also to have a word with the head of this college.”

“Huh…?” You could only utter pathetically.

“I was hoping you’d guide me over to the office.”

“I’ll do it!” You hear Niall exclaim with a raised hand. Stephen turns to look at him, “Then, shall we?”

The walk to the principal’s office was silent, save for the whispers from your friends who were walking ahead of you and Stephen. Who was Albert Wesker? Niall called him that. Strange… What is he hiding from me? What else could he hide from me? Why is he hiding it from me? Am I not trustworthy enough? You bit your lip, wracking your brain for an answer.

A firm arm wrapped itself behind you. You looked up from the carpeted floor, then to the man walking beside you. He remained tight-lipped as he observed you from behind his shades. You then shifted your gaze away, bringing up your hand to play with the edges of your tote bag. He retracts his hand and the silence remains until you stand before the same door you came crying out a while ago.

“Alright, y’all ready? I’m going to knock now.” Olyvia nears her hand on the door.

“Leave it. I shall enter the office just with Miss (Y/N).” Stephen demanded, eyeing you to follow him. Your friends didn’t dare to protest as he knocked and entered the room with you in tow.

You stood beside him as he shut the door, placing a hovering hand behind your back.

“Who is i- Oh my!” You hear the headmistress jump from her seat, “I-if it isn’t Mr Wesker! Please, take a seat!” He glances at you briefly, you follow him without question, taking a seat beside him on the leather couch.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of, Mr Wesker?” She took a seat on the couch at the other end, preparing a cup of tea for him.

“I believe there was a complaint regarding her.” Stephen points to you, you nervously looked at the headmistress. “Ah… I see what it’s about. I will show you of her bad deeds but before that, what is your relationship with her?”

“Does it matter? I expect an answer.” He demands strictly. “W-well if you are here to speak on her behalf, I can only allow pare-”

“I am her guardian. Her parents do not have any relations with her.”

“I see.” She walks over and grabs her laptop, displaying the video. You cringed and looked away, closing your eyes at the horrid memory and his disgusting words. A warm hand pressed against your back, “That is enough.”

The headmistress pauses the video, “Do you see now? As much as I’d like to help, there is not much I can do because of the video proof I got from the company. I hope you understand that it would cause a lot of outrage and a dent on the reputation of this school if this goes out of hand.”

“Therefore your solution is to send her away and possibly dismiss her from her classes? With all due respect madam, that is possibly the foolish conclusion I have ever heard of.” Stephen leans his elbows against his knees, lacing his fingers, his lips stretched to a thin line. The headmistress was taken aback, “What do you suggest then?”

“Firstly, which company sent you the video.”

“It’s from Tricell. There is no way I can close an eye on that corporation.”

You hear Stephen scoff, “No matter. Second of all, you do realize that the video was cut, do you not?”

The old lady tilts her head, “Yes I am aware of it. They informed me that their camera had stopped working afterwards and that was all the footage they got.”

Bingo. Now you know why you were painted as the villain.

“What else did they write?” He asks.

“They had told me that after she had slapped him, she continued to assault him then fled right after.” She shot you a frown. You looked away and chewed on the inside of your cheek.

No! That’s not what happened! You wanted to scream, but you stayed silent, as your vision turned cloudy.

“Have you gotten the chance to listen to her side of the story?” He leans back, sitting up straight.

The headmistress points a finger at you, “There is nothing to listen about. The video has said enough and even she is guilty of her actions. Mr Wesker I-”

“Silence.” He warned. There was without a doubt that he was fuming.

The headmistress remained silent, you feel goosebumps rising on your arm at his displeasure. Note to self, never make “Mr Wesker” angry.

“Go on, tell her what really happened.” He remained still as he prompted you to explain. With a shaky breath, you tell the events of that night, of what really happened and the fading injury for proof. After you were done, you see the headmistress take a seat on the cushion, conflicted.

“I-I’m sorry Miss (Y/N)- I hadn’t realize-” She cleared her throat, “Even so, this is a large corporation that I cannot ignore. I wish that there is more I can do but-”

You flinch when you hear Stephen click his tongue. “That was all I am here for. I do not need to hear another word coming from your mouth. Farewell.” He grabs your arm and you stagger out of the office with him. Your friends didn’t have a chance to ask you how it went as you were dragged all the way out of the building.

He releases his hold on you and opens the car door, gesturing you to go in. You slipped inside the car hesitantly and he joined you, shutting the door.

“Where to, sir?” The chauffeur asks through the speaker.

“Umbrella.” Was Stephen’s only reply as he pulled out his phone.

Umbrella? Where have you heard of that name before? You furrow your brows, trying to remember where you’ve seen or heard of that name.

“Hello? Albert! I knew you would call back! Did you miss me?”

“You will meet me in my office at present. I have no care if you had plans.”

“Oh~ someone is a little angry today~ Of course my love, I will be there-” He dropped the call before the lady on the other end could finish.

She had called him my love. What was the relationship he had with the lady? Where was he bringing you to? Why are people calling him ‘Wesker’? Were you in trouble? What is going to happen now?

What is going to happen to you?

You clench your fists and bite your lip nervously. You feel the telltale signs of another breakdown. You closed your eyes trying to focus on your breathing.

Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think, don’t-

You feel a larger body envelop yours tenderly. A soothing hand running circles along your back, effectively snapping you out of whatever trance you were in.

“It will be alright, sweetheart. I am here with you.”

You refused to cry, you couldn’t, not here and not now. Until you finally get the answers you were looking for, you need to stay strong. You hold back your tears, bringing your hands up to return him the hug.

After a short silence you heard him murmur softly next to your ear, “Are you feeling better?” You nod wordlessly, hiding your face on his shoulder.

Soon, the car halts, you apologize and shift to pull away. His only response was to clutch you closer. You yelp when you feel the car wobble then get elevated by something.

You were on an elevator… For cars… You stared out the tinted windows in awe. You have never been on one before or much less seen one. The elevator stops, and the large doors of the lift open. The chauffeur opens the door and you are carried out of the car by Stephen.

He walks with you in his arms into a massive room with an impressive view. You watch as the chauffeur bows and presses a button, shutting the doors and disappearing out of view. Stephen sets you down on a plush, velvet couch. Then walked over to his office desk, pressed a button on his phone and requested something from the person on the other end.

He marches back toward where you were seated, as you twiddled with the ends of your dress in silence. He quietly sits down next to you, the atmosphere between you two tight. You had so many questions that you needed answers for, but you didn’t know how or even where to begin. So while you collect your thoughts, you remain noiseless.

“I apologize.”

He broke the silence, “I am sure you have a good deal of unanswered questions about me, so I will give you what you need. What would you like to know about first?”

You turn to face him, refusing to look into his eyes. “Who are you, really?”

He sighs, “My real name is Albert Wesker.”

“Why… Why did you lie to me about it? This whole time? I trusted you…I thought-” The slight sting of tears caused you to pause and take a deep breath. “I-I never once lied to you about me, I told you everything about me, so, why?” You whimper.

You saw his jaw tighten as he tried to find the right words to say. “Sweetheart, I…” He pauses pensively, “I am afraid.” He confessed dejectedly, avoiding your gaze.

“Afraid of what? What could I ever hope to do to you?” You exasperate in frustration.

“Leave and break my heart…?”

You stared at him, frozen in shock. Your heart shattered at the tone of his words. His gaze remained on the ebony marble tiles, “I am terrified of the thought that once you know who I truly am, that you’d walk out the door and never come back, or treat me with indifference.” He clenches his fist, “Forget it. This is not about me. It is about you. Is there anything else you would like me to answer?”

You open your lips, when suddenly the door opens and a woman comes barging in uninvited.

“Albert~! I’m here!” She announces as she struts hurriedly to him, throwing her arms around him. You flinch and yelp, standing up and moving away. He, however, rejects her advances and pushes her away. She pouts, “Come on, Albert~ Don’t be such a spoiled sport now~” She turns her head and it was only then she finally noticed that you were present.

“Oh. And who is this? New assistant?” She scrutinizes you head to toe with a grimace, “Oh, Albert, you could do so much better. Piss off now ugly, it’s Albert and I’s private time.”

Albert grabs her wrist and twists it, not so hard that it would break, but strong enough to get her attention, causing her to whine in protest.

“Excella Gionne, let this be my first and last warning to you. Should you insult my girlfriend again, everything we have ever had a contract for, will be terminated.” He warns with a growl, standing up and leaving her to fall onto the couch. Girlfriend?! You scream internally, since when?!

She yields and he releases her. Excella adjusted herself on the sofa with a roll of her eyes, “So? What did you call me here for? I’m sure it’s other than telling me you have a new girlfriend.”

A servant enters the room then, arm holding 3 glasses of something. He walks over to where you all were, just as he was about to set the last glass down, Excella roughly yanks it away from his grasp, nearly spilling the contents. He frowned but bit his tongue and left with a bow.

“One of your employees is up to no good, Excella. I expected you to have better reigns on your minions.” Albert says, placing a hand behind you, ushering you to the sofa opposite of where the fancy lady sat. “Oh? Which numbnut is it this time?” He shoots you a look, and you utter the name of your ex-manager.

“Ah, that ugly pig.” She sips on the liquid, “I heard that he’s going to court next week against a girl who assaulted him. It wouldn’t happen to be…” Her brown eyes trail over to you. You swallowed nervously, biting the inside of your lip. “Hmm… Well, I say you deserve what’s coming for you, girl. After all, you started it, yes? You slapped him first.”

“B-but he-”

“Ah, ah, ah. I won’t hear a word from you. That pig may be an imbecile, but he is still my brother’s son nonetheless. Besides, I’ve watched him grow up and he is never the type to lay a hand on a woman. So, I say you deserved to get sued.” She smirks and sips on the remainder of the liquid.

“I believe we are done, then.” Albert announces, standing up and walking over to his desk. “Ah, yes we are! Go on now ugly duckling and cry somewhere else, no one wants you-”

“Take her away.”

Suddenly you hear the room door slam open, 2 towering men in suits march over to where Excella sat and grab her arm.

“What?! Why are you doing this, Albert?! All over a peasant girl? This does not have to be such a major issue if you dump her and go with me! Let go of me you big idiots!” She struggled as she was dragged out of the room, “This is not the last you’ll see of me Wesker! I will be back for you and that hideous bitch of yours!”

The door shut and you heard muffled threats coming from outside, slowly disappearing.

You kept your eyes on the doors. Because of you, Albert lost a business partner. His business might’ve depended on her and you ruined their relationship, all because of your petty business. You clench your jaw. If I hadn’t spoken to him, if I hadn’t told him about the incident last night. If I hadn’t replied to him.

If only I was never born.

You shut your eyes as the familiar, appalling phrase resurfaces in your head. You tried to control your breathing, you couldn’t cry again. You don’t deserve to. You just potentially ruined someone’s life and you’re crying? You’re so selfish.

“Sweetheart…?” You hear his voice call.

“I-I’m-” You whimper, “I’m so s-sorry… I-” Another choked sob, “I-I shouldn't have- I…” You look up at him pleadingly with tears flooding in your eyes, “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mess…” You buried your face in the sleeves of the cardigan in mortification. “B-because of me, you just lost a business partner. If only I hadn’t spoken to you. I-If only I was-”

You feel him tower over you, bringing you closer to him, until your forehead rested against his chest. He embraces you, tightly, softly, firmly. Your limbs trembled as you reached up to clutch the back of his vest.

“No more. Please.” He pleaded, his tone making you cry harder. “Sweetheart. Please do not ever think that you are alone in this. I would be happy if you shared your burdens with me, I would want nothing else than to carry the weight of your difficulties with you, and I will say this over and over again, until you see it.”

You both remained held to each other as you sobbed into his shoulder. Like earlier, he was patient, gentle and you find yourself calmed by how he caressed your hair. You took a moment to inhale his scent. His strong, comforting scent that made you feel at ease whenever he was around.

When you both finally pulled away, you apologized for making a mess on his shirt. He placed a hand on your head, “Anything to see that beautiful smile of yours.” You feel your cheeks redden, the burning question at the tip of your tongue.

“D-did you really mean it?” You finally ask, after gathering enough courage.

“About you being my girlfriend?” He looks at you intently, “Only if you want to.”

Your heart jumped at his words. B-but I can’t- Not yet, as much as I love to. I just got cheated on and broke up recently. I don’t want him to be a rebound. I don’t want us to burn out. He’s too perfect to lose. I want to be with him for as long as I breathe. In order for that, I need to focus on healing and being the best version of myself, first.

“Steph- A-Albert…?” You test the foreign name.

He smiles, “You may call me whatever you wish, sweetheart.”

“U-um… I… I just recently broke up and I don’t want us to be a one-time thing. If I want to be with you, I want both of us to be fully committed and emotionally available. B-but… I need more time… I need more time to heal and learn from my mistakes so that I don’t make the same ones when I’m ready to be with you.” Your blush deepens as you avoid his gaze.

He brings you into an embrace yet again. “Of course. Take all the time you need. I will be here, waiting for you always, my darling.” He kisses the crown of your head tenderly.

==========

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

==========

Currently screaming crying, throwing up.

You felt like you were in heaven. For some reason, even after the string of unfortunate events, you fell into a dreamless sleep. The sheets felt so soft and welcoming below you, the comforter was warm and velvety against your skin. You shifted against the bed, just a little longer, you tell yourself.

Then it hit you.

Your bed was firmer, more uncomfortable, and you hadn’t owned a comforter at all. You jolt up in alarm, groaning when you feel your muscles and injury protest. Soothing your cheek, you took a moment to look around, taking in the unfamiliar surrounding. You were in a spacey room, lined with white marble walls, accompanied by streaks of ebony. You shifted your gaze down, taking in the black marbled, gold-streak tiles. 

There was a wooden study desk with a black office chair, resting above the seat was your tote bag, filled with your study materials. A glass tea table sat at the furthest corner of the room, 2 plush chairs sat at the opposite ends of each other. In between the 2 tables sat another door, which you think is most likely the washroom. You stared at the sizeable dresser that stood beside the inky wooden door.

You closed your eyes, as memories of last night came flooding back. Right… That happened. You feel your face heat up in embarrassment, you fell asleep in Stephen’s car, right beside him. He must’ve carried you all the way to his home. Gods you feel bad, you should probably apologize for troubling him. You bit your lip, but before you could wallow in any more self-pity, you hear a knock on the door. You glanced at the door as a woman with short, brown hair came in with a tray of food.

“Good afternoon, Miss (Y/N)! How are you feeling?” She carefully walked over to you, settling down the tray of very delicious-looking food. “Uh, hello…? Wait afternoon? How long was I asleep for?” Before the lady could answer you, your stomach emitted a loud rumble from the smell. You blushed in embarrassment, looking away, someone kill me like right now please…

You hear her giggle, “I think you should eat first,” She smoothly opens up a tray table, settling it down on the opposite ends of your thighs, “For this afternoon, we have toasted ciabatta turkey sandwich with pesto sauce, accompanied with a side of roasted asparagus and mushrooms. Finally, a glass of orange juice will be going along with the meal.” You feel your mouth water at the scent and sight. She took a step back and bowed, “If you require any more assistance feel free to call me. I shall leave you to eat now.” 

She exits the room without another word, leaving you alone in the room. You grab the knife and fork, ready to dig in. Taking a bite of the sandwich, you were immediately attacked by the flavors. Every part of your senses tingle in absolute delight and euphoria. This is so damned good! Lady manners be damned, you thought as you hungrily wolfed down the food as best as your cheek would allow.

Finishing the last bite of the asparagus, you chewed, then swallowed and sighed in happiness. Reaching for the glass of orange juice, you sipped, enjoying the tangy sourness of the drink. 

Soon, you heard another knock on the door, the same maid stepping in. Upon catching sight of your empty plate and glass, she smiled, “I take that you have enjoyed lunch?” You nodded enthusiastically, “It was really good.”

“I am glad that you found the meal palatable,” She strode towards you, holding another tray, this time smaller, there was a white bottle of what you presume is medicine. “Here, I was instructed by Master Arthur to make sure you take these.” She places the tray and hands you a small dish with 2, small half-white, half-green pills and a glass of water. 

You look at her hesitantly then back at the pills. She seems to catch onto it, “Ah, do not worry. These are just pills that escalate the healing process and help with the swelling.” She smiled patiently, still holding out the items for you. You take them carefully from her hands, downing the pills with a swig of water. 

“Good. I will return shortly to prepare a bath for you, until then, you may rest in bed as long as you like. Again, do not hesitate to call if you need help.” She clears up the food trays and closes your door with a quiet thud. 

You turned your head to find a clock that sat next to your phone atop a bedside table, the time read 12:39pm. Jesus, how long were you out for? How did you even get into the bed? Did… Stephen carry you again…? You feel bad, for causing such an inconvenience to him. 

Soon, you hear a soft knock from the door. The maid re-enters, excusing herself as she enters the bathroom.

You purse your lips, the silence deafening in your ears. You just had possibly the best breakfast in your life, laying on a bed that probably cost more than your rents combined for a year and currently in a room that was almost the size of your apartment. You feel bad, feeling as if you were taking advantage of Stephen. He was so kind, thoughtful, gentle, and most importantly, humble. Things Jeremiah was not and never will be. 

You gripped tightly on the plush comforter, the worries coming back to haunt you. College, Your apartment, the broken door, Jeremiah, your job, the rent… Money. “Nothing in life ever comes for free.” You grimaced, recalling the words your high school teacher preached about a lot before. Nothing comes for free… That’s right, since I’m staying here, there’s no doubt that Stephen would ask me to pay him back soon. Gods… How am I going to do that? Not even my life savings would be enough to pay for a fraction of it, considering how everything here is so luxurious… Or, worse… he might ask me to have sex in repayment. I’m in such deep shit… You covered your face with a groan. 

You don’t necessarily hate sex, but your previous partners had never necessarily made you orgasm during the act, not even once. At one point, you even thought that your orgasm meter broke or something, causing you to be unable to orgasm. This resulted in sex being an unpleasant experience for you. You recalled that every time one of them would start initiating the act, the unpleasant feeling of dread settles in your gut, but you were too scared to voice out your thoughts even though they were screaming words and phrases like “Not this again.”, “Please I don’t want to do this.”, “Please stop.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed in discomfort, as you unwillingly recollected all the regrettable memories. A part of you dies, you knew that if Stephen had ever asked you for such a deed, you would not be able to refuse him. He’s rich, and you knew that there was nothing he couldn’t get. You gulped in fear, he is also physically very fit, if he wanted to he can easily force me into submission, just like-

You hear the maid step into the room, on her aim hung a fluffy, white towel. “Your bath is ready, Miss (Y/N). Are you ready to head in now?” You gave her a sheepish smile and nod, shifting over to the edge of the bed. You hear her hurry over to you, supporting you. 

“By the way, I haven’t asked you for your name.” You say, as she patiently guides you to the door.

“Ah, pardon my manners. I am Tove, a servant of Master Arthur.” She smiles, warm and bright. You shoot her a smile of yours, “Thanks for the help, Tove.”

“But of course! I was tasked with making sure that you were well taken care of by Master Arthur. Think nothing of it, Miss (Y/N).” She unlocks the bathroom door, settling you down on a cushioned stool that sat right next to the bathtub.

You eyed the contents of the large, black porcelain tub. You could see small hints of steam floating above the pristine water, several petals from a rose float above. Tove directed you with where the shower necessities were and explained what each bottle meant. She also pointed out the white toothbrush that was sitting inside a glass bottle, next to a tube of toothpaste. “Do you still require my assistance? Or are you able to do the rest by yourself?” She says, folding the towel neatly, settling it next to you.

You shake your head, “I think I’ll be fine now. Thanks, Tove.” 

She nods, politely bowing, “Master Arthur has instructed me to inform you that you may spend as long as you like in the tub. Still, let me know if you need anything, I will be right outside.” She flashes you a final smile before closing the door.

With her gone, you take in the interior design of the bathroom. It was lined with similar white with black streaks of marble from the room, this time covering the floors as well. The mirror was large and there was lighting on the edges, below it a black, marble sink. You look back at the tub, noticing that there were several buttons that rested on a jutted out portion on the edge. You decide not to tamper with it, in fear of breaking the tub. 

You had enough liability on your hands.

Slowly stripping out of your sweater and sweatpants, you neatly folded them and placed them on the table next to you, followed by your garments. Leaning against the tub, you smile giddily, it has been a long time since you had touched a tub.

Placing your injured foot in, you sighed in relief at the temperature of the warm water. Gripping onto the metal handle that was on the other side of the tub, you braced yourself as you quickly leaned onto your injured feet and entered the tub. You were expecting to feel pain but found that there was only an uncomfortable ache on your foot. Leaning more against your injured foot, you feel the pain intensify and quickly shift the weight back onto your non-injured one, deciding not to disturb the injury.

Slowly lowering yourself into the tub, you let out a breath of complete and utter relaxation. It was only now that you could properly smell the water. It had a hint of herbs and lavender, which tingled your nose in a pleasant way. You leaned back against the cushion at the edge, closing your eyes.

How long has it been since you were able to take time to relax like this? You were always either caught up with work or school, never really having the time to pamper yourself properly. Don’t even get me started on eating a breakfast as grand as the one earlier. Because of the accursed rent and Jeremiah, I never really had money left for anything other than cheap, unhealthy food. You sigh, just for a moment, please let me forget about everything else and relax, brain.

Sleepiness clouds your mind for a moment, but you shake your head in an attempt to keep yourself awake. As much as you loved the idea of sleeping right now, it wasn’t the right time and place to do it. You were already indebted to Stephen and you would hate to owe him any more. 

After scrubbing yourself, you reluctantly step out of the tub and onto the soft rug below. You reached out for the towel, padding yourself as dry as you can, then dressing yourself. You walked slowly over to the sink, brushing your teeth with the toothbrush that Stephen kindly provided.

After you were finally done, you sling the damp towel over your right arm and walked towards the door. Twisting the handle, you stepped out of the bathroom, seeing Tove standing beside the table patiently waiting for you. She turns to look at you, then hurries over supporting you. “Miss (Y/N)! You should’ve called for me!”

You shook your head, lifting a hand up, “It’s alright, my ankle doesn’t hurt too much anymore thanks to the medicine you gave me earlier. So I’ll be able to walk on my own now.” She frowns, “Even so, I was tasked with making sure you are most comfortable during your stay.”

You smile at her, “But I am! Believe me, Tove.” She sighs, “I am coming to understand why Master Arthur had told me to prepare myself for your stubbornness…” You hear her mutter as you giggle. “Alright. I will allow it this time. You need to rest in bed now.” She says, ushering you to bed. 

You laid back down on the cozy, queen-sized bed, which you were pretty sure was as high-tech as the bathtub, as it remained just as warm when you left it. Tove adjusted the covers on you, making sure you were as snug as possible. “Rest now, in order for a swift and proper recovery, you need to get as much rest as possible, I will be back later with refreshments.” 

Just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly turns, “One last thing, Master Arthur had insisted for you to stay for dinner. He says that he would love to get to know you more.” She smiled and bowed one final time, dimming the lights allowing for you to sleep if you wished to, then left.

You were at peak happiness and relaxation right now. I could get used to this… You thought. Reaching over to the bedside table nearest to you, you grabbed your phone which had been sitting there this whole time. Upon recognizing your face, the screen lights up.

Five Idiots: 98 messages. 

Aubrey: 3 messages.

Layla: 1 message.

Gmail: 5 unread

Reminder: Work tmrw at 4.30pm // 6 Assignments due by the end of this week.

Sugaryparadise: 2 unread.

You unlocked your phone taking a deep breath. First things first, I need to let my friends know what happened and… Where I am. I’m sure they understand… You bit your lip, afraid of their reaction.

You scrolled through what they have been talking about, other than school work and meeting up at the restaurant near your college, they tried mentioning you in a few messages.

Niall-edIt ✧:

Helloooooo??? @(Y/N) Wakey wakey, it’s time fo shcool, well not really for you actually

ISTG that sleeping beauty

Rubae ❣:

Tbh, I dont blame her. I would pass tf out too if something that crazy happened the night before.

MeiMei❅:

Let her rest, guys. She’s been through enough lately. I hope you have a good day off, (Y/N). An update on the situation would be greatly appreciated :>

Olyviuhh ☾:

get well soon babes, we’re already missing you :’(

You feel the corner of your lips tug upwards at their concern.

Me:

Hey y’all I just woke up and you won’t believe what happened but…

You update them about the situation last night, omitting the part where Stephen had saved you. I hope they don’t make a big fuss out of this… You thought, switching chats.

Aubrey:

Hello, (Y/N). I just contacted the law firm and I’m heading down this afternoon. Will update you on the situation later.

Btw, how you feeling? I hope you feel better soon.

You will after that ass of a manager gets what was long overdue for him, I’m sure.

Me:

Hey, Aubrey! Just woke up

Noted, thanks a lot

And yes I do feel a lot better this morning

You sighed, you were going to be busy with the court case soon enough. You went to check what Layla had sent.

Layla:

Good morning, how are you feeling? Aubrey updated me on the situation, I’m heading down to the law firm with her later.

Me:

Hey! Sorry for the late reply, I’m feeling better, thank you! Alright, wish you both best of luck finding a good lawyer :)

You feel a moment of nervousness, but shook it off as you opened the pink-iconed app.

Stephen Arthur:

Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you had a good rest. I apologize for not being with you at the moment, I have urgent business to attend to. I truly hope you understand. I have assigned a maid to assist you in whatever you need, feel free to demand for anything you wish. You deserve only the best I can provide. Feel free to call me if you require anything else, I will be back before dinner. P.S You look absolutely adorable when you are asleep.

You feel your face heat up at his text, gosh he really had a way with words…

Me:

Good afternoon Stephen! I just woke up and don’t worry! I know you’re a busy man so please do whatever you need to do. Tove has been a really great company, I assure you she has provided me with the utmost comfort possible. I hope you have a great day at work, take care! Ps, please erase the picture of me sleeping in your head.

You backed out from the chat, only to see that another stranger has texted you.

Robert Kingston:

Hello sexy. What are your rates?

You cringed, deleting the chat instantly. You were sure that no other man can top the kindness that Stephen showed you. You were a little mad at him, as you know that when you leave you would never be able to find a man like him. 

Leaving… You feel your heart break a little. You were definitely not ready to leave him and this place of comfort and safety, but you know that it will come very soon and then your life would be back to being dull and repetitious. 

Just then, you feel the notification of your chat group blowing up. With a reluctant sigh, you went to check it.

Niall-edIt ✧:

WHAT

I SWEAR TO GOD THAT DICKLESS ASSHOLE

WAIT ARE YOU STILL IN THAT WHACK ASS HOME?

PLEASE TELL ME YOU’RE AT A NEARBY HOTEL OR SOMETHING

Rubae ❣:

I WILL HUNT HIM DOWN AND TEAR HIS DICK AND MAKE HIM SWALLOW IT

YOU ARE SO GOING TO SEE A DOCTOR IDC

WHERE ARE YOU NOW

ARE YOU SAFE?

MeiMei❅:

(Y/N) please tell us you are safe. 

I think you should stay at my place for the time being, until the police finds him, you are severely unsafe around that area.

Olyviuhh ☾:

ayo send me his addy, im pulling up frfr this time

he finna catch this hands, its on sight 

whr r u tho, i can pick you up to Mei’s or mine 

You groan, it was pointless to think that they wouldn’t ask where you were. You took a deep breath in and out, placing a hand on your temple. You steeled your nerves and slowly started typing.

Me:

So… Um… remember Ruby mentioned about the sugar daddy app?... I signed up and um… might have, gotten one?... I’m currently staying over at his place. He’s not bad though! So don’t worry, if he does try to start anything I will call you guys, double swear. Sorry for hiding it from you guys though.

You gulped in trepidation, as you see all of them typing.

Rubae ❣:

I FUCKING KNEW IT

YOU WERE SO SUSPICIOUS CHECKING YOUR PHONE YESTERDAY, LIKE YOU WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TEXT YOU

YOU LIARRRRRRRRRRR

SPILL THE TEA PLSSSSS

Olyviuhh ☾:

wha-

spill 

what happened

did u both do the nasty

Niall-edIt ✧:

WHAT

HUH

NOW I KNOW THERE AIN’T NO WAY…

WHY DID YOU HIDE IT FROM US

MeiMei❅:

Oh my. That’s news. 

(Y/N) I understand that you needed a safe place as soon as possible but can you really trust this man? Why didn’t you give any of us a ring last night?

We’d be more than happy to shelter you, I hope you know that.

You bit your lip, guilt washing over you at Mei’s texts. 

You then took some time to explain how you met Stephen and everything he has talked to you about so far, trying not to leave out a single detail. 

MeiMei❅:

I see… I understand then.

Even so, please take caution. 

It would make me feel very awful if something were to happen to my dearest friend.

Please keep us updated.

Rubae ❣:

OOO LALA~

YOU SHOULD GAMBLE OR SOMETHING, YOU WOULD STRIKE THE LOTTERY

BECAUSE YOU REALLY HIT JACKPOT WITH THIS ONE

YOU DON’T NEED TO THANK ME, I KNOW I DID WELL RECOMMENDING YOU THE APP

Niall-edIt ✧:

NAH…

THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOME FAIRYTALE SHIT

HE YOUR PRINCE CHARMING OR SMN?

BUT I MEAN HE SOUNDS BETTER THAN YOUR SHITTY EX

AND HE’S RICH SO…

YOU GOT A PIC?

Olyviuhh ☾:

right

i was about to ask

what he look like

i wanna see who we’re dealing with

also, answer my damn question, did yall do it

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Me:

What?! No!

And I don’t think I can send you a pic yet

But I can show you the room I’m currently in if you really need proof

Olyviuhh ☾:

why not

why not x2

pls send 

Niall-edIt ✧:

^

He didn’t ask you for anything in return? And yes pls

You angled your phone correctly to face the room from the bed you were currently sat on.

Me:

1 Photo Attachment

There, happy?

And the reason I can’t send a photo of him is because… well… it’s really complicated, I’ll ask him about it okay?

But if he says no, it means no >:(

Rubae ❣:

DANGGGGG

THAT IS ONE BIG ASS ROOM

THAT’S LIKE, THE SIZE OF YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE APARTMENT PLSSSSS

Olyviuhh ☾:

ikr

ig you are safe

but yeah as Mei said pls keep us updated

on your situation and you know

him ;)

You blush with a frown at your friend’s tease.

Niall-edIt ✧:

Right

Don’t have too much fun now

I’m not ready for little (Y/N)’s running around

Your blush only worsened with Niall’s words as you gaped in shock.

Me:

WHAT

NO!

Anyways, I’m only going to stay for dinner

Afterwards, I was hoping one of you could fetch me over?...

Olyviuhh ☾:

i volunteer

sleepover with my bestie is always fun

lmk what time

Rubae ❣:

Aww, aren’t you going to stay longer?

Me:

I can’t

I’ve already burdened him more than enough

I don’t want to be anymore of a hindrance to him

Olyviuhh ☾:

understandable ig

N E ways, take care and update >:(

MeiMei❅:

11 photo attachments

Here are the notes you asked for.

Sorry I wasn’t able to reply sooner.

If you have any questions about the work, please feel free to ask me.

I’ll try my best to explain ^^

The chat then went back to talking about today’s assignments. As usual, Ruby and Niall were complaining about the teacher’s and the buttload of assignments they give. Olyvia didn’t really seem to mind and Mei was advising them on how to manage their time better. You grin at their antics, Boy am I glad to call them my friends…

Lifting off the comforters rather reluctantly, you slowly walked over to the study table, taking out your writing materials and notepad.

You spent the rest of the afternoon writing down the notes from Mei and asked her about some which were more difficult to understand, finished up on assignments and revised for the upcoming test. Tove had entered the room once with a tray of tea and snacks. She apologized for disturbing you, causing you to smile and tell her that it was fine.

Just as you were about to take a toilet break, you hear your phone ring. Picking it up from the table, you saw that it was Aubrey. You picked up and placed the phone beside your ear.

“Hello? (Y/N)?”

“Hey, Aubrey. How’s it going?”

She then went on telling you about how she found a very dependable lawyer who told her that she could easily win this case. You grin, elated at her good news. She also mentioned that the court case will be held at the end of the following week, and that you definitely needed to be there. You nodded and told her that you’d be there. After a bit more chatting, you both said your byes and hung up.

Finally, some good news in a while… You thought with the smile still present on your face. You stood up and went to the bathroom, subsequently settling back down on the lavish chair to resume your studies.

Before you knew it, another knock sounded at your door, this time, firmer. You voiced your acknowledgement and felt your almost heart stop when you saw the familiar, rather handsome, blonde entering the room.

“Hello, sweetheart. How was your day?” You hear him ask as he walks towards you, untucking his cufflinks on the side of his wrist. If that wasn’t the hottest thing you’ve seen… “U-uh, welcome back, Stephen,” You blush and stutter pathetically, beating yourself internally. “M-my day has been great so far, how about you?”

He smiles tenderly, “Work has been a little stressful today, I was hoping a pretty little lady like yourself can help soothe today’s weariness over dinner.” He brings a hand up to caress your jawline. 

You swore you almost died on the spot. And that your face was probably alarmingly red.

He chuckles at your reaction, “I apologize. You look so endearing with that expression that I just couldn’t help myself.” He then raised his hold a little more, gently caressing your bruised cheek. You stood there red-faced in silence as he checked you over. 

You couldn’t tell what he was feeling because of his shades, while on the subject of that, it seems like he never takes it off. Maybe one day when you’re braver, you could ask him about it. 

“Does it still hurt?” He asks with a serious look decorating his features. You’d very much preferred him with a smile, you thought as you shook your head. “Not as much after taking the medicine. Thank you.”

His features softened, “I’m glad to hear that.” He takes a step back and withdraws his hand. You shook off the tinge of disappointment. He clears his throat, bringing up a hand to cover his lips, “In any case, I have delightful news that I would love discussing with you during dinner. Speaking of which, do you possess any particular preferences that I should know about?”

You thought for a moment. You generally weren’t a picky eater of any kind, even if you were, you doubt you'd voice it out. You’d gladly just take whatever he fed you, in all honesty. You shake your head again, “Anything will be fine for me.”

He nods, “Very well, I shall notify the chef to make preparations for dinner then,” He looks over to the table, “I apologize for interrupting your studies.”

You shake your head yet again, this time ardently. “N-not at all! U-um… Thank you so much for everything, Stephen…”

The corners of his lips tugged upwards slightly, “Of course, sweetheart. I shall leave you to it then. Tove will let you know when dinner is ready.” He says as he turns around to leave, shutting the door behind him quietly.

You remained standing there, the comforting scent of his cologne still present in the air. Ah… I forgot to mention that I’m leaving after dinner… You strolled to the chair and plopped down. But.. Do I really want to?... No, I have to… You swallowed the unpleasant feeling that lingered, you don’t and never will deserve nice things. You always ruin them.

You shut your eyes and took a deep breath in and out, purging those thoughts. Picking up the mechanical pencil, you occupied yourself with the notes instead of the unwanted thoughts. You alternated between asking your friends and writing to pass time.

Soon, you hear a knock on the door. Tove comes into the room holding a black box. The box had a golden ribbon tied around it, keeping the contents inside safely covered. You tilt your head, “What’s that?” You asked as you swivel your chair to fully look at her.

She placed the box on the bed, “It’s a gift from Master Arthur. He insists on unwrapping it this minute.” You raised a brow but walked over anyway.

Holding on one end of the ribbon, you gently pulled, unfastening the silk that kept the box in place. Upon lifting up the cover, you gasped at the contents. 

Inside, neatly folded was a yellow, puff sleeved mini dress. The branches on the design were accompanied by flowers and a lone sparrow near the chest area. You teared up, “C-can I really have this?” You were met with Tove nodded enthusiastically, “Of course! Now, please put on the dress and take a seat, I need to brush your hair.”

She ushered you into the bathroom, where you hastily put on the dress. Glancing yourself in the mirror, the dress seemed to fit you perfectly, hugging every curve and edge of your body. You twirled around gleefully, checking the back and making sure that it looked proper. 

Giving Tove the signal that it was okay to enter, she stepped in and closed the door. Settling down on the soft chair that was under the sink, Tove meticulously brushed your hair and styled it. 

After she was done, she escorted you downstairs, where you were greeted by Stephen, who was looking over some documents on a clipboard. When he finally laid eyes on you, you saw his lips part as he drank in the sight of you in your dress. You stiffly stood, nervously playing with your fingers, avoiding his fervent gaze. 

He stands up suddenly, the sound of chair scraping, making you flinch. He must’ve found it repulsive! Oh god… I probably look horrible in this, I should change into something else- You shut your eyes and hear him pass something to Tove. That’s it, he probably wants me to go up to change into something else. What was I thinking? I don’t look- 

You unexpectedly feel a warm, calloused hand tenderly caress your jaw, guiding your head upwards. You open your eyes, staring back into the black glasses of Stephen’s as he smiles.

“I knew this dress would look stunning on you.”

You sucked in a breath. He… He said you looked beautiful… You swore your knees almost gave out at his praise. Your brain haywired as you tried to find the proper words to reply to him.

“Y-you… You look uh… very attractiv- I-I mean! You uh… God kill me now…” You covered your face in shame, tilting your head downwards. He chuckles, breathy and low, “I’m flattered that you find me pleasant.” 

You’re going to die out of embarrassment one day for sure.

“Shall we get dinner started then, sweetheart?” He asks, placing a comforting hand on the middle of your back. You nodded stiffly, lowering your hands, as he guided you delicately toward the sleek chair opposite of him. You were about to untuck the chair when he beat you to it, grasping your wrist gently.

“Allow me, darling.” He lets go and brings the chair out from under the table. He made sure that you were comfortably settled down before taking his seat. It was only then you were able to see his attire.

He wore a gray, cashmere turtleneck that accentricated his chest and simple, black dress pants. Nonetheless, his outfit had managed to have you under a chokehold. God he looks so damn delicious, I am one lucky girl to be able to be graced by his presence alone. I’m pretty sure he has had dinner with other girls but… Other girls… An unpleasant feeling stirred around your gut. Who am I to stop him from pursuing other women, I’m just some ordinary girl, he will and can throw me away at any time… I shouldn’t be so attached.

A familiar, comforting hand placed over yours, effectively halting your thoughts. “Is there something on your mind?”

“N-nothing… I was just wondering about uhh, the case with my ex-boss.” You swiftly lie with a shake of your head.

“I see… How is it going?” He lifted his hand and leaned back against the chair. You immediately missed his warmth.

“U-um, my coworker said she had found a good lawyer who can help us win the case. I’m going to the court hearing next week.” You beam as you tell him the good news.

“That’s splendid to hear. You wouldn’t have to worry about that too much then. In any case, I still wish you both the best of luck.” He flashes you a warm-hearted smile.

“I-I guess so.”

Soon enough, Tove comes out from the kitchen with a cart. Sitting above 2 small plates of food as well as a bottle of what looked like wine and a pair of wine glasses. After uncorking the wine bottle with a ‘pop’, she places the plates and glass before you.

“For appetizers, we have roasted cucumber slices with cubed salmon pieces. We also have a bottle of Gaja Barbaresco wine flown from Italy.” She gently pours the wine into your glass until it reaches halfway doing the same for Stephen right after. She leaves the bottle of wine on the table, before leaving with a curt bow.

“So, about earlier,” He starts, twirling his glass of wine, “My associate has informed me that they are keen on working with me to find the wretched boy that harmed you. They requested a photo of him and if possible, his address.”

You immediately nodded, sending him a photo of your ex as well as the address of his home. You hear him take a deep breath as he looks at the photo. He exhaled, masking the frown that you almost miss. “You will be safe now, sweetheart.” He says, taking a sip of the wine.

“But I always feel safe when I’m with you.” You almost say but eat a piece of cucumber instead. You take time to chew and swallow, before expressing your whole-hearted gratitude to the man before you. 

“Thank you, Stephen. Really, I can’t thank you enough for everything. I promise I’ll find a job soon to repay this debt.” You watch as he takes a bite of the appetizer himself, relishing the taste as you did. He smiles, “There is no need for that. Your company alone is enough.”

Your heart melted at his words. This is going to be hard, trying not to get attached… You thought, taking a small sip of the wine. Your eyes widened in surprise, you don’t normally like wine but this.. This one was good? It was sweet with a sweeter than bitter aftertaste. You liked it.

A little while later, Tove serves the main course, a plate of delicately poached sea bass for you and a plate with 3 slices of lamb chops for him. 

While eating, you both had taken the time to get to know each other. You found out that he was actually a vice-president of a corporation, with his adoptive father being the president. He didn’t tell you exactly what exactly the name of the corporation was, even seeming a bit hesitant. In exchange, you told him about where you were studying, how you got to know the app and why you needed the app.

“If only the damned landlord hadn’t increased the rent… My life is such a mess.” You say hazily, laying against your arm. Stephen kept his eyes on you with a sly smirk, “What is your plan then?”

The words flowed out of your mouth before you could even stop it, “I wish I could live here forever, it’s so nice, comfy and you’re here too.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah! You’re here, with me, taking care of me. I like that, I like you. Like a lot.” What were you even saying at this point, you have no idea. Who were you even talking to, you have no clue. You shifted your gaze slowly, to see Stephen with a hand over his mouth, a demure blush painting his cheeks.

You giggle cheekily, “Hehe! You’re blushing. You’re so cute. And hot! Mostly hot though, hehe…” At this point your head felt so foggy, everything was everywhere and you didn’t care what was happening.

You hear Stephen clear his throat, still slightly red, “As entertaining as this is, I’m afraid that you’ve had a little too much to drink this evening.” He stands up walking over to you and taking the glass of wine away from you. “W-wha… Noooo… I want to drink more, I can drink more. Pleaseee.” You coo, reaching out for the glass. 

He grabs your hand and places it over his neck, picking you up in one swift motion. “No more drinks for you, young lady, now let’s get you to bed.”

You hugged his neck, taking in his smell. “Mmmh~ You always smell so good. I love your smell. Makes me feel safe, very safe…” You murmur drunkenly as you lay on his shoulder. You managed to catch sight of the way the tips of his ears turned red. 

He remained silent as he trudged up the stairs, holding you steadily. “Sorry if I’m heavy hehe… But you’re so strong! Like super strong… Has anyone ever told you that before?” You babble absentmindedly. 

“Plenty.” He whispers into your ear, causing shivers coursing through your spine. You hummed in delight, tugging him closer.

He opens the bedroom door, placing you down on the bed gently but you refused to let go of him. “Nooo. No sleep… Please… I can still stay awake… For you, I’ll do it for youuu…” 

He shakes his head, “No, sweetheart. I need you to sleep for me now, can you do that?” You pry your arm away from him without question. For him, anything for him… You curl up on the mattress as he tucks you in with a gentle smile. “There we go, good girl…”

You slowly feel yourself drifting off, not before you feel a pair of lips on your forehead.

—

Albert goes back downstairs to clean up, only to hear your phone ring. He picks up, placing the phone next to his ear.

“Hello? (Y/N)? What time do you need me to go over? And at least send me the address you idiot.”

“Hello there. This is Stephen speaking. Miss (Y/N) fell asleep after dinner. I apologize, if I had known that she had plans afterwards, I wouldn't have made her drink the wine. Worry not, I assure you that she is in safe and capable hands.”

“O-oh… Uh… Okay…” 

Olyvia hung up right after, stunned. Well, at least she’s having a good time, she shrugged and went back to watching her TV show.

==========

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

========== "to-tuvey lo? PERIODT tuvey lo!"- Megan Thee Stallion

This was quite fun to write. Me and atquos died at 'good girl' and we wouldn't stop talking about it. So there you go, just 2 idiots screaming over this dude.

“Good evening, sweetheart.” You feel your heart almost leap out of your chest at his voice. His voice… damn… he sounds so… hot. He had a rich, deep baritone, smooth and eloquent. It reminded you of something akin to honey or melted chocolate. You were so caught up with daydreaming about his voice that you forgot you were on the line. Snapping out of your trance, you fumbled over your words.

“He-h-hello…?”

“Hello there, are you feeling alright?”

“Uh- I- Y-yeah…”

You slapped your forehead at your stupidity. You were the one who called him so why were acting like a complete fool! Pull yourself together… You thought aloud.

“Pardon?”

“No- That was- I mean that for- I was just talking to myself, sorry.”

God you wanted to crawl into a hole and just die. Then you hear him chuckle, the sound making your knees buckle slightly. You have made a mistake of not checking tending to your wounds carefully, as you yelped when you tried leaning against your right foot.

“What’s happened sweetheart?”

You cursed silently, moving to sit on your bed. Checking the injury on your ankle. You must’ve got it from falling earlier. Earlier… You feel a lump build up on your throat.

“Um… Stephen… I know most people don’t usually call for ranting but… I… I’ve just been overwhelmed by unfortunate events lately and it sucks because I have no idea what brought on all of these series of events, like, what did I do wrong? I’m just a college student trying to survive. My friends have their hands full already and I hate bothering them with my own issues-”

You faltered, only just realizing that you didn’t even let him answer before spilling everything out. You idiot, this is why Jeremiah cheated on you, soon, not even your friends want you. You whimpered at your destructive thinking.

“I-I’m sorry for bothering you… You can hang up if you want to…” You whispered breathlessly, trying to hold back another sob.

“Not at all. Tell me everything sweetheart. I’ll be right here.”

“I-... Are you sure? I’m sorry if you were expecting phone sex or something, I’m not good with those but maybe if I tried hard enough I can-”

“Of course. Be at ease, I have not been expecting anything. I will not, under any circumstances, coerce you into something that you are not comfortable with. Now, as you were saying… You hate bothering your friends with your own issues. Care to elaborate, what exactly are the issues?”

You took a deep breath in, releasing your bottom lip that you had been unconsciously chewing for this whole time.

“E-earlier when I was at work, I clocked in just 4 minutes late but my manager was in a bad mood and started yelling all sorts of belittling words at me. He said that I- I was useless and that I-” You feel yourself choke on your words, “I was undeserving of being in college and-” You swallowed, waiting for him.

“....Go on.”

You clutched onto the edge of your shirt nervously. Something about his tone intimidated you. Unlike earlier, he sounded… Mad. You hoped that it wasn’t because of you.

“A-after work, when I was about to head home, he had asked me for a minute of his time. He apologized to me and said that he wouldn’t shout at me again and that he’ll take his anger out somewhere else. He had said this same line multiple times before so I knew better than to trust his words. This time was different… He… He placed his hand on my shoulder. At first I thought it was just a friendly gesture, like he was serious about it. Th-then,” You whimper, “H-his hand starting getting lower and lower and I-”

You flinch when you hear something on his end shatter.

“Ah- Um… A-are you okay? Do you want me to stop?”

“I apologize for that, sweetheart. A small… incident on my part, nothing to worry about. You may resume.”

You gulped at his tone, he sounded angrier with each passing word.

“I-I knew I couldn’t let him just touch me like that so I… I- I slapped him… Th-then right after he called me a ‘bitch’ and how he was going to fire me,” Tears slipped down your face as you sobbed, cradling the bruise on the side of your head, “I told him that he could fire me and he got angry a-and… And then he punched me, t-twice…”

“He what?!”

You yelp at the sudden raise of his tone, pulling your phone away from your ears. After hearing him clear his throat, you hear him revert back to speaking with his normal tone.

“I… Apologize for my outburst, sweetheart. I did not mean to frighten you. This… Manager of yours, tell me, what business is he working for?”

You tell him the shop’s name.

“Ah… A measly business. Fear not. I will contact my associates about this.”

“You don’t have to! O-one of my coworkers is planning on finding a lawyer tomorrow, so it’ll be alright. I appreciate your help, Stephen.”

“...I see. Well, I wish you both the best of luck in serving that foul man justice.”

You hummed in approval, smiling through your tears.

“You, however, need to seek medical attention post-haste. He has managed to land his hits twice and your injuries are without a doubt, agonizing. I would assume you have tried bringing the swelling down, nonetheless, it is still aching, is it not?”

You bit your lip at his accuracy.

“I’ll be fine… Besides, the bruises will fade in a couple of days or- weeks… Maybe…”

“Nonsense, your bruises may worsen and who knows what god-awful symptoms you may develop. Are you able to disclose your bank account number? I will send you a small sum of money. Go get yourself checked.”

You shake your head. Is this guy for real? But no! This is wrong, taking money from a stranger. It’s shameful. You frowned, “No. It’s alright, I assure you. I’ve suffered worse injuries than this, trust me. Okay how about this, if it still hurts by the end of tomorrow, I will seek your advice to get it checked. Deal?”

“...Very well, we have a deal,” You hear him sigh, “You are, by far, the most obstinate woman that I have ever come across.”

You giggled softly at his words. He wasn’t wrong, your friends have always brought up your stubbornness in team-building introductions.

“Though, I cannot say that I dislike stubborn women. In fact, I have quite a liking towards them.”

You went rigid at his words, feeling your cheeks heat up. Was he talking about… You?... You shake your head, there is no way… You laughed awkwardly at his words, failing to remember that your ankle was still injured. You used your feet to push yourself further back into the bed, with the intention of trying to get some rest. You winced, rubbing the sore ankle. Right… How were you going to get to the doctor, or anywhere with an ankle like this? I guess I’ll just have to limp all day tomorrow. This sucks…

“Sweetheart, are you still with me?”

You fumbled, trying to steady your phone. “S-sorry, yeah… I just… Might have trouble walking tomorrow.” No that came out wrong.

“Oh?”

“I-it’s not what you think,” You stutter, racing to explain yourself, “My ex came over earlier and he-” You bite your tongue to stop what you were about to say. It might be a bit too much if I told him what had transpired just minutes ago. If he was already this protective of me, just imagine what-

“He went over, and…?”

You scrambled through your brain trying to find an answer quickly, “He-... Tripped, me?”

Aaaaaand you just dug your own grave. Was that really the best you could come up with? Gods...

“...Sweetheart, as much as I love your jokes. Now is no such time for that. Tell me what happened.”

You cringe at his tone, shrinking into the bed. You felt like a daughter being caught doing something bad by her father.

“Uh- He… He came over and asked me to forgive him. J-just a few days ago, I found out that he had cheated on me with some random girl and he lied about needing to help his friend, for context, …” You recall the painful memory, “I left the house after him, taking everything I ever owned from his house and left. Ever since then, I’ve blocked him, or, better yet, my friends were the one that did it. They have pictures of what he said after I left and said that I should wait before seeing it. Those messages must’ve been horrible…"

You were met with silence on his end, did he get bored? Was he still there? His exhaled breath told you everything you needed to know.

“I… avoided him for a few days, thinking that he’d never find me again, but how wrong I was…” You caressed your ankle, “He came over and asked me to forgive him, that he’d change to be a better man and that he broke up with the other girl for me.” You swallowed, getting ready for what you were about to tell him, “Th-then he… He… He saw the bruise on my cheek and started to call me derogatory words…”

Silence again, so you continued.

“After I told him to go away, he started to,” you sob, “Kick my door down, in an attempt to break in. I must’ve got the injury on my ankle when I fell from his first kick, luckily, my neighbors heard the commotion and came out to stop him. He warned that he’ll return and that I will ‘regret every choice I have ever made’ then ran away...”

You waited for a reply. Shifting uncomfortably on the mattress. Then there was a voice, it was soft, but you could hear it. He was whispering something about “despicable scum”. From the effort of his voice, he seemed to be clenching his jaws. After a few more seconds of silence, you were tempted to tell him that it’ll be alright and hang up. But before you could, he spoke.

“...Have you contacted the authorities about him?”

You fiddled with the hem of your shirt, “Not yet, I was about to but, I felt that I needed to calm down before I called them.”

“Sweetheart, where do you reside?”

Your eyes widened in alarm, “Stephen, I appreciate that you’re trying to help but, I’ll be fine after I contact the po-”

“There will be no room for negotiation on this matter. You either tell me your estate, or, I find you, even if I have to scour the ends of this world.”

You flinch at his harsh tone, biting your lip. Was it really alright to tell him your address? Will it be okay to trust a man you just met for less than a day? What if he was just a human trafficker trying to get his hands on you? But, he seemed really angry on your behalf and was even willing to send you money for your injuries. But what if this was all just-

“I see that I will have to do this the hard way. Very well then.”

“No!”

“Trust me sweetheart, I would highly advise against testing my patience. Not many people do, as they know exactly what, I am capable of.”

You feel goosebumps decorating your body at his dangerous tone. Without delaying any longer and potentially facing his wrath, you immediately gave him your address. He went quiet for a moment, it sounded like he muted himself. Oh god. Was this it? Was it really all just bait? Did you just set yourself up for human trafficking? Should you start running? What should you ta-

“See now, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

“W-what did you do…?” You stutter shakily, hyperventilating a little.

“Relax. I have an.. ‘Associate’ who works with the police force very closely. I requested if he could investigate this matter, is all. I assure you that you are, and will be, safe.”

You were still on edge, could he just be saying this to stall time for his friends to come pick you up? Could you trust this man? Should you just start running?

“By the way… I recommend that you fix your door soon. You did mention that he was trying to break in, hence the door is most likely damaged and he might return when you are most vulnerable. I know a friend who sells very advanced locks on doors. I could get it for you, if you wished.”

“I-it’s fine! I’ll get it fixed tomorrow. Thank you for everything, Stephen, really. For taking the time to listen to my problems and helping me out with them. I’m sorry for suddenly springing all of this on you and making you think that it would be something else…”

“There isn’t a need for apologies. Again, I wasn’t expecting anything from this, at all. On top of that, it is not wrong to lend an ear to someone who desperately needs it.”

You smile at his kindness, “I-its getting late, Stephen, sorry for keeping you up. You must be a busy man, and I’ve taken a portion of your precious time. I-I’ll stop now and ge-”

“Wait, sweetheart.”

You froze at his words, “What is it?”

He stayed silent for a minute, you hear him take a breath, then exhale. 

“Do you trust me?”

You raised a brow at his sudden question. “I-I mean… I guess so? You kind of have my address and, you’re rich and you could do whatever you wanted to, to me, if you really wan-”

“Never.”

You sat there, stunned by his words. You were still hesitant in trusting some guy you met on the internet, if you were being honest. But you feel like you could start to open up to him more.

“W-what suddenly brought this up?”

“...I understand that we have only just met each other, and you might not believe me, even so, something in my heart wants to see you safe. Your injury, your past lover’s threat, and I assume that you have financial issues as well, seeing as to how you are on this app. It pains me, that you’re trying to carry all this weight on your own.”

Your heart broke at his words. He was absolutely spot on, describing your exact situation. You sigh, trying to hold back your whimper. No stranger has ever cared for you this much. You covered your mouth and closed your eyes in an attempt to calm down.

“It must’ve been really tough. Trying to put on a strong face for the whole world to see, while hiding all the pain inside. I’m proud of you for that, but we both know that it is unhealthy for you.”

At his words, you feel your conviction shatter. At first, a whimper, then a continuous cacophony of both. You tried stifling your wails with your hands, but you knew it was fruitless as he began speaking again.

“Would you… allow me to assist you in your troubles? I cannot promise that I will be perfect. However, I can assure you that I vow to do my utmost to make sure that you are completely safe and happy.”

You sobbed even harder at his promise. You struggle to find words to reply to him. Please help me get out of this hell, please save me from this, please liberate me from everything.

“Please… Help me, Stephen…” You sobbed, breathless from all your crying.

“I am on my way, sweetheart,” You hear him pause for a moment, “Stay put, I will head over to pick you up now.” He says as you gape at his words, sniffling one last time in bewilderment. You hear him enter a car, and before you could even begin to rebut, he cut you off.

“I will see you soon, darling. Take care.”

Then he hung up.

You stood frozen in complete and utter shock. What… WHAT. You begin panicking, what the hell were you supposed to do now?! He’s coming, like, right now, right now! At that moment, you hear your phone chime. You unlock and check the message he sent.

Stephen Arthur:

There is one thing I forgot to mention. When we meet face to face, you will no doubt be startled and confused. The reasoning behind my actions and intentions will be explained, you have my absolute word on that.

You raised a brow. What does that even mean? Did he have some facial deformities or, physical deformities? You’re not one to judge, you hope he knows that, or if he doesn’t you will get him to see that. You slowly got up from your bed and limped your way to your wardrobe. There is no way you’re letting him see you in your pajamas. 

After you were done wiggling -gently- into your sweatpants, you threw on an oversized sweater, deciding that it would suffice for now. You grabbed a backpack and shoved some clothes, important items and other necessities inside. You slung the backpack over your shoulders and grabbed the tote bag containing your assignments. 

But before you could finalize if you had everything, the ping on your phone made you limp back to your bed to check.

“I have arrived sweetheart. Let me know when you’re about to exit your home, I will aid you down.”

What?! That was quick! You dare not question his driving methods, nor the speed he was driving at. Quickly shoving the rest of the documents into the already full tote bag, you gave Stephen a quick text saying that you were ready to leave your apartment and your unit number. 

Settling down on the front step of the dented door, you hastily put on your socks and shoes. Were you nervous? Absolutely. Do you feel nauseated at the thought of meeting someone for the first time? Without a doubt. Were you biting your already bleeding lip? Yep, quit biting your lip, you’re going to look even horrible. You gulped, fiddling with the sleeves. What will he think of you? You definitely look way different from that profile picture. I mean, you were wearing make-up in that photo, courtesy of Ruby. If he sees you with a naked face and a bruised body, will he change his mind? Will he just leave? You hoped not because if he did any of those, you were certain that you wouldn’t die by the hands of your psychotic ex, but by your own ones. A notification from your phone stiffed you up, you hesitantly opened it.

“I am outside.”

Oh god, there it is. He was just right behind this flimsy door. He is actually here. You stayed sat, panic-stricken with thousands of scenarios playing in your head, anxiety chewing on your gut like always. You tried calming yourself down by taking deep breaths. 

Until you heard a sudden knock on the door.

“Sweetheart, are you alright in there?”

“Y-yep! J-just give me a moment!”

Lord, his voice sounded so much better in real life. Taking a final deep breath in and out, you slowly stood up, cursing yourself for not sitting near a wall as you had nothing to support yourself with as you winced and groaned at the sharp sting of the injury. With a shaky step forward, you unlatched and unlocked the door, pulling it back.

He was right about your reaction being surprised and confused.

You were expecting a tanned, bearded and black-haired male but instead you gape up at a tall, handsome, blonde, sunglasses-wearing man. He was donned in a white, collared, long-sleeved shirt that hugged the delicious curves of his muscles just right. His sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, revealing his well-toned arms, a single prominent vein lining the length of it. On his wrist rested a black, leather watch. His shirt was neatly tucked into a well-ironed dress pants, held up by an equally black, leather belt. Covering both his feet was an elegant pair of black oxfords, gleaming under the light of the corridor. 

You turned your head to look around, seeing if there was anyone else as he stared at you, completely silent. You finally rested your gaze on his glasses.

“Stephen…?”

His reaction was not what you expected. Instead of nodding or answering you immediately, his mouth parted slightly in what you think was shock. He glanced away for a moment, then cleared his throat, looking back at you.

“Yes, that would be me.”

He gave you a curt smile, and you feel your face heating up. He reached a hand out, trying to take your bag, “Come, let me help you with that.” You pushed his hand away politely, saying that you were able to carry it, but his grip said otherwise. “I insist, sweetheart.” He yanked your bag, keeping a firm grip on your shoulder to steady you. You kept your mouth shut and complied, handing your bags to him. 

He seemed pleased with your actions as you saw him smirk, slinging one side of your backpack on his other shoulder. You held out an arm for you, “Shall we?” You nod. With one hand clutched onto the straps of your tote bag, you looped your hand under his awaiting one. You feel him support your weight as you limped, glancing at him only to see that he was already keeping his eyes on you. You looked away instantly with a red face, hearing him chuckle softly. 

Suddenly, he stopped, tugging you gently against his arm. You tilted your head up at him, “Is something wrong?” He contemplated about something for a moment, “Yes, I do believe there is.” He lets go of your arm. You stiffened, thinking that you perhaps messed up, you opened your mouth ready to apologize, until you heard him clear his throat. “Pardon me, sweetheart.” 

Without warning he looped his arm behind your knees and in one smooth motion, carried you up from the floor, bridal-style. You yelp in surprise, clinging on to his neck. “W-wha…?!” He only gave you a small smile, “There, much better. Now we’ll be able to reach the car in no time.”

Your jaws were still open, dumbfounded by his sudden actions. As you feel him lean down slightly to push  the button of the lift, you clutched tighter onto his shoulder, afraid to fall. In doing so, you took a deep breath in, taking a whiff of his very robust, aromatic cologne. God, he smelled so good… Wait what?! You only just met him! Calm yourself down, (Y/N)! You buried your head into his shoulder in fear that he would be able to see your red-hot face. You were almost sure at this point you had steam coming out of your ears. 

Fortunately, he took the gesture as your fear of falling shifted you closer to him, “Worry not sweetheart, I will never drop you.” At the feeling of his well-toned chest being just a thin fabric away from your arm, you buried your head deeper into his shoulder. You wanted to die, this is so embarrassing… 

You feel him suck a breath, about to say something but the chime of the elevator cuts him off. He walks into it, his grip on your knees never faltering. You did your best to not move too much, trying to make his job easier, but your arms were starting to hurt from this position. Sensing your discomfort, he craned his neck to look at you, “You can relax, I am not going to bite you.” You feel goosebumps tingle your spine as he whispers right next to your ear.

You let your arms down to rest against your hip, “S-sorry if I’m heavy or anything… You can put me down if your arms are getting tired…” You say, even though you have never felt his clutch loosen even for a moment. He chuckles, the sound makes something inside your stomach twist pleasantly, “Not at all, sweetheart. In fact, you are quite light for your age. Have you been eating your meals properly?” 

Your brows creased together in hesitation. “M-maybe? I mean if you count eating instant noodles and frozen pizzas a-” He huffed, frowning at you. “Is that what you have been living off of? Cheap food?” You frowned feeling the slight sizzle of anger, “I don’t really have a choice alright? I’m not you, I’m not rich, I don’t get to feast on some grand meal or even eat 3 proper meals a day. Unlike you, I can’t throw my money around unnecessarily.” You tensed, realized what you had just said. 

“I-I’m sorry- I didn’t mean-” He kept silent as the elevator door opened. Fear gripped onto your heart, oh god he was so going to drop you and leave you for the dead. You messed up- Stupid, stupid! Why do you always mess things up? This is why you don’t deserve nice th-

“Welcome back, sir.” Your head turned to look at a man you assume was the chauffeur. He opens the door and takes the bag off of Stephen’s broad shoulder, excusing himself. The man still hadn’t said a word, as he leaned downwards, depositing you into the plush, leather seats. You continued to stare up at him, with slightly watery eyes. 

He then entered the car, shutting the door as you both sat in silence. You  focused on your fingers, fiddling nervously with them. You just pissed off a stranger who volunteered to save your life for god's sake! No doubt he is pissed, you would be, too.

You opened your mouth ready to apologize, but surprisingly, he did, first. 

“I am truly sorry. I hadn’t mean to offend you on your eating habits.” He turned to finally look at your through his shades. You shook your head, “No, no! I should be the sorry one…! You’re being kind enough to offer me shelter and safety and I’m being ungrateful to you, I-I am so sorry!” You bow your head down to him as best as you can. 

Then you feel yourself suddenly pressed against his chest, the musky fragrance of his cologne delightfully attacks your sense of smell. You closed your eyes, taking a moment to respire through your tears. “I was only worried for your health. I know how damaging it can be to skip or miss a meal.” You hear him breathe softly, cradling the back of your head with equal amounts of tenderness. 

“I-I’m sorry… As you know, it has been a pretty long day for me. But it’s no excuse to vent my frustration out on you. You’ve already shouldered enough of me pouring out my turmoil of emotions from earlier…” You sobbed into his shoulder, guilt gnawing in your mind endlessly. 

“Think nothing of it. I am here for you now, and whenever you need me. I want to know everything about you, your feelings, your life,” He pulls away, hand resting fondly on your cheek, “And now that I am here, you will never go hungry again, not on my watch.” He raised his hands slowly, wiping the tears from your eyes, as you smiled and redden at his words. 

“I really, really am grateful for it, Stephen.” You thank him wholeheartedly. He lets go of you, resting a hand over yours on the seat. It was the gentle halt of the car that made you realize that the car had been moving this whole time. “You must be tired, my dear. How does a quick nap sound? I will wake you when we arrive.” You pondered for a moment, before nodding, feeling the exhaustion finally crash down. With a yawn you leaned back onto the seat. 

Before losing consciousness, you remember thinking about what was the reason he had used a picture of someone else instead of himself on the app. He looked plenty handsome and you were more than sure that if he had put his own picture, he’d have more than a handful of girls drooling over him. You shake off the unpleasant feeling that lingered at that thought, what was that? Going back to the topic, you thought maybe he was self-conscious about his looks, that could also be the reason why he’s wearing the shades.

You should question him later, was your final thought as you dozed off.

==========

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

==========

After clicking the link, it redirects you to the internet explorer on your mobile phone. You typed into the blank boxes accordingly, following the guide. The last step was to put a picture of you as your profile picture and to create a bio. You scrolled through your gallery, trying to find the best photo of yourself that you can, then clicked on it. You typed a short info about yourself in the box and then hit enter. It redirected you yet again, this time, to an application on the internet explorer. Clicking download, you waited for it to install on your phone. By then, you must have passed out waiting for it to install as the next thing you knew, your alarm was ringing beside your ear, jolting you awake.

You shut the alarm and got ready for another day of classes.

After brushing your teeth, a familiar chime rang. Sauntering over to your bed to check the notification, you realized that it was Olyvia.

Olyviuhh ☾:

Morning babes. Do you need me to drive you to school today?

Me:

It’s fine, I got it. Thanks Olyvia &lt;3

Olyviuhh ☾:

aight. keep me updated tho. if not i will break into wherever you are, even if you’re in the toilet. >:)

Me:

I will. No toilet heist for you I fear.

You smiled at her message with a shake of your head. When you pressed on the home button, you noticed that there was an unfamiliar app. You glanced over at the name and- oh. You blushed in shame after realizing what you had done the night before. With a shaky sigh you tapped on the icon, opening the app. You figured that exploring a little wouldn’t hurt. You were greeted with an information screen and guides on how to get started on the app. 

You’re all set! Happy sugardating!

You feel your blush creeping up again. Sugardating, huh… You shut your phone and began packing the necessities for the classes today, trying to shake off the embarrassment. Not long after, you left your house and gave Olyvia a quick update. Clutching onto your jacket and slipping on your earbuds, you made your way to the train station, which was just nearby. 

Stepping into the cold train, you realized that it was starting to get crowded, which was something that you were used to. All the seats were taken so you stood near the door, leaning against the handle. While heading to the next station, your phone vibrated, which was accompanied by an unfamiliar chime. You brought your phone up to see what it was, expecting it to be some spam mail or message. Until you saw the icon and the name of the app. 

Sugary Paradise

Stephen Arthur:

Hello, sweetheart.

You audibly gasped, not loud enough, fortunately, for anyone to hear. Glancing around to see if anyone was looking, out of paranoia, you decided that this was not a good time to reply to the stranger. You blushed, thinking about what you just saw. So, needless to say, your heart was beating rather quickly. By the time you were reaching your stop, it was fully crowded, everyone was crammed together like sardines in a can. With a few muffled apologies, you squeezed through the crowd to the exit doors, stepping out of the horde with a huff of effort. You walked briskly to the bus station, the nervousness in the bottom of your gut felt like it was going to explode at any time. When the bus finally arrived, you nearly sprinted to the far end of the bus for some needed privacy. Settling down on the plush cushion, you unlocked your phone and entered the app, you took a moment to take a closer look at the stranger’s profile photo. He had tanned skin, a well-trimmed beard as well as slicked-back hair. You bit your lip, needless to say, this man was attractive as hell.

Thinking of a proper reply for the stranger. It was a cycle of typing and then backspacing, typing and backspacing. Just ‘Hello’ would be too formal, ‘Hello!’ would be too childish and ‘Hello :)’ sounds slightly creepy. You pondered, this is harder than coursework… Oh, fuck it- You typed the reply that was dancing around in your head and hit send, then locking your phone right after.

Me:

Hello, handsome.

You hoped that no one would look at you as you were sure that your face was as red as a tomato. You pressed on the bell, signaling for the bus to stop. After coming to a halt, you exited and began your walk towards the gates of the college. You muttered a curse and apologized to Olyvia for the sudden halt of messages and that you were alright and currently meeting up with the others at the front door. 

Anxiousness gnawed in your gut as you awaited the stranger’s reply. Were you too forward? Did it look suspicious? Was it a little too much? Your thoughts raced and you began to chew your bottom lip out of habit. What if he finds it too creepy? Was it too creepy? What if he finds it weird? Was my profile picture too weird? No, no he wouldn’t say I was beautiful if he thought otherwise. But then again it could always be a lie too. Was it a lie? What exactly is his intenti- You were roughly tugged backwards abruptly, halting your spiral of thoughts. 

With a yelp of alarm, you stumbled backwards from the sudden loss of balance. Luckily, a firm hand on your back prevented you from falling. “(Y/N). Are you okay?” You glanced up to see Mei’s concerned eyes. “Wh-what was that for?...” You uttered breathlessly. “I apologize that I had to use slight force. I was calling you multiple times but you ignored me and kept walking. Did I do something wrong?” A flash of panic colored her dark-blue orbs. “No!” You insisted rather loudly, making the other students give you a look. “...no. I… I’m so sorry, Mei. I was just thinking about stuff.” You looked away guiltily. 

Mei shot you a forgiving smile, “It’s alright. Do you want to talk about it?” She placed a reassuring palm on your shoulder. You swallowed, no one has to know that I’m actually looking for a sugar daddy at the moment, if it actually goes well, then I’ll tell them. You gave her a sheepish smile, “H-how about I share it when everyone’s gathered? Repeating something can be a little tiring.”

“Of course, (Y/N). Whenever you want.” Mei’s smile remained on her face as she greeted the incoming Ruby. The three of you stood there for a little longer, as Niall joined in the conversation, followed by Olyvia. You walked into the lecture hall with Ruby alongside you. Niall and the others had a different class for the period, so it was just you and the red-head.

Settling down with Ruby on empty seats, you waited for the lecturer to begin his lesson. Just as you were about to write on your notepad, you felt a nudge from the female beside you, prompting you to look at her. Ruby wore a smirk,  “So… Did you check out the website I sent?” Her brown eyes gleaming in excitement. You tensed at her question, looking away while pursing your lips.

The red-head silently squealed, “You did?! Really?! What happened? You’ve GOT to tell me now!”  You hear the professor clear his throat, giving your friend a stern glare. She quickly apologized, sitting back down onto the chair. “Anyway, you’ve got to spill! Did anything happen?” She whisper-yell, wiggling her eyebrows.

You sighed at her stubbornness, shaking your head. “I clicked on the link but it prompted me to register and all. I figured that it was too much work and besides, I don’t really need a sugar daddy at the moment. I’ll be fine by myself.” Ruby gave you a look of disdain, “Aw. That’s too bad. But when you decide to actually explore the app, let me in on it too.” She winked, then went back to focusing on her work. You felt guilty for lying to her, but you truly did not want to spread any false alarms. You still couldn’t trust some random dude that is trying to hit you up from a sketchy app. Speaking of the man, you snuck a peek on your phone, slightly disappointed that he had yet to reply to you. Was he as busy too? Or did he actually find your reply repulsive? You inwardly sigh and resume your note taking.

The day went by in a blur. During lunch, you had snacked on something light with your gang. Shockingly, neither Niall nor Ruby brought up any topic regarding the sugar daddy website, much to your content. The topics changed from left to right, and before you could talk about your issue with the landlord, lunch break was over. You stroll alongside Niall, heading to your next lecture hall. During the entirety of the walk, he went on and on about how he was going on a vacation to Bali during the upcoming holidays. Vacation to another country huh… Wouldn’t that be something nice… Too bad I can’t afford that luxury… You thought solemnly, as Niall blabbered on and on.

When the last class of the day finally ended, you immediately rushed out of school after bidding your friends a quick goodbye. If you don’t reach your workplace soon, you’re going to be late, and you would absolutely hate to be nagged by the manager. You tripped and almost fell a couple of times while trying to make it to the train in time.

Rushing into the stall of a washroom, you stripped and frantically changed into your work outfit. You slam open the door of the stall, startling the ladies nearby. You dashed out of the washroom, nearly sprinting into the shop. You coworkers greeted you with a nervous smile. Your stomach flopped, understanding exactly what they meant. The manager was not in a good mood today… You opened the door to the staffroom, only to be met by the devil himself. He took his eyes off of another staff member, dismissing the poor girl who had tears pooling around her eyes. He took your form in and huffed, “(Y/N). Do you realize that you are 4 minutes late?” You held in a sigh of annoyance. Normally, he does not give a single rat’s arse about being a few minutes late, but due to his bad mood it must’ve touched a congested nerve. This man was in no way thin, instead, he was slightly on the obese side. He probably docked the staff’s pay to spend on his meals in god knows which lard factory. “Hello? Are you deaf? I expect an answer!” He yelled abruptly, causing you to flinch. You were in no way resilient when people raised their tone. You chewed on your bottom lip, feeling the familiar sting of tears. “I-I apologize, sir. I’ll try not to let it happe-”

“Try?! Are you kidding me?! I don’t want you to try! I need you to actually be on time! You’re all so useless! How did you even get accepted into your college for being this stupid? You don’t deserve the spot at all! Is there anyone in this place that can do their job properly?! Can you answer me, huh?! Can you tell me who?!” His tone raised with every word that came out of his lips, his veins popping out from the effort he was using to shout. You clenched your jaw while looking downward, a single tear falling out from your eyes. You stood there quietly, just enduring his berating words. 

Suddenly, the door to the staffroom opened, revealing one of your coworkers, Aubrey. A tall, yet petite woman with tattoos around her arm and a nose piercing. Her brown eyes matched her equally brown, short hair. “There’s someone that is here to see you, sir.” She announced nonchalantly, shooting you a look of pity. The manager sighed and composed himself, before straightening his back and walking out with a smile. You were disgusted at how fast his personality could change. You were downright revolted by how he was taking advantage of girls like you. 

You hear footsteps walk toward you, the white fabric of a tissue paper appearing before your cloudy vision. You gladly accepted it from the hand, wiping your eyes. Aubrey placed a reassuring hand behind your back, moving up and down soothingly in an attempt to comfort you. “(Y/N)... I appreciate that you’re always shouldering his mood swings for us. But this can’t go on forever, and it’s unhealthy, you need to stand up for yourself sometimes. Even if that bald-headed asshole is an absolute prick.” She muttered the last part with venom, causing a short giggle to come out of you, amidst the sniffles. “Thanks, Aubrey. I’ll be fine in a moment, you should head back out before he notices.” You made sure to clean up your face properly with the tissue paper. “Don’t worry about it. You know how I’m indifferent when he starts whining.”

After a few more moments of deep-breathing and checking if you were presentable, you put on the simple navy apron that has the logo of the shop decorated on the front pocket. Just before you could step out however, the manager had walked back into the staff room. Upon seeing that you were still in the room, he gave you an infuriated frown. “What the hell are you still doing in here? Get your pathetic ass out there and serve the customers!” You scurried out of the door without delaying any second longer. You prayed that today would go by quickly so that you could go home and release all of your pent up emotions. The customers today were rather kind, fortunately. Not a single complaint unlike some other days.

It was nearing the end of your shift, you persuaded your sore and aching feet to last for just awhile longer before you were finally free. Just then, you heard a small “excuse me!” coming from the accessory aisle. You walked briskly into the aisle, acknowledging the blonde lady. “Ah, hello there! I’d like to get your opinion on what pair of earrings I should get for an upcoming anniversary with my husband. We’ll be going out for dinner together.” You smiled, feeling elated from her happiness, as strange as it may sound. “If I may ask, what color of dress would you be wearing?” She shot you a shy smile, “The dress I’m wearing will be in a soft yellow.” You feel a sense of confidence surge within yourself, as you guide her along the aisle, advising her on which earrings would suit her the best with her dress. You took pride in your ability when it comes to style. Once she was done deciding on which pair to get, she thanked you gratefully for your help. “Dear me, after nearly 13 years of being together has got me feeling rather puzzled when it comes to what might be able to surprise him.” You gasped in awe, 13 years? The time that you and Jeremiah had been together couldn’t even compare- “What about yourself?” She suddenly asked, causing you to tense up. “I- Uh-” You stuttered trying to find an answer. “I…m open to finding partners at the moment…?” You wanted to slap yourself at how stupid you sounded. To your surprise, the lady only laughed at your words and you could only stare at her incredulously. “You’re such a delight, sweetie. Thanks again and good luck with finding a partner, though, I’m sure the right one will be coming along soon enough.” She walked away with the pair she had chosen in hand. 

You watched as she gave you a final wave, before leaving the shop. You waved back at her with a smile. “(Y/N),” You hear another one of your coworkers, Layla, call you, “Could you close up the front? We can all head out together then!” You gave her an affirmative ‘alright’ and got to work on pulling down the shutters and locking them in place, then making your way back into the staff room. You walked over to where your locker was and took your belongings out, ready to head home until you hear your name being called once more.

“(Y/N)? Can I have just a moment of your time?” You hear your manager ask, the rage in his voice before unpresent. After slinging your bag over your shoulder, you nodded and waited for what he has to say.

“About just now…” He scratched the back of his head, “I’m so sorry about yelling at you. It’s just, the bosslady has been up my arse for a while now and it hasn’t been easy for me too, “ He took a step closer, and you feel your heartbeat quicken, ready to take a step back. “Will you accept my apology? I’m really sorry. I’ll try to take my anger out somewhere else next time.” You flinch when you see him raise his arm from beside him, resting it on your shoulder. You looked away, panic flooding every crevice of your body. The unwelcomed feeling of anxiety and nervousness dancing around your gut. “So, what do you say? Or would you rather have a different method of me saying sorry?” You shot him a look of an equal amount of disgust and shock, your features worsening when you feel his hand slip from your shoulder to your arm. Your heart rate quickened, alarm blaring inside your head to move, to do something, anything. You clenched your hands, watching as the manager’s smirk grew with each second. Just then, what Aubrey had said earlier rang inside your head.

You need to stand up for yourself sometimes.

A surge of self-preservation jolted your hand, the sound of skin slapping skin permeating throughout the room. You huffed loudly, horror decorating your features as you realized what you had just done.

You did NOT just slap your manager.

The sting that was ringing around your palms said otherwise as you saw him slowly turn his gaze upwards. His eyes blinded in absolute shame and fury. Before he could begin to yell, your voice cut him first. “Never, ever, lay your hands on me or any of the other girls ever again, you disgusting pervert. I will contact the relevant authorities about your actions today. I’m sick and tired of dealing with a repulsive manager such as you, preying on innocent, vulnerable girls.” 

He was stunned at your words at first, then began to retaliate loudly. “What the fuck did you say to me you bitch?! Not only did you assault me but you also dare talk back to me and call me a pervert?! Do you know who the fuck I am?! I’m going to make sure that you’re fired!”

Thanks to the adrenaline pumping inside your veins out of fear and anger, you scowled at him, “Fine, fire me then, this place was underpaid and overworking the staff anyway! The other girls here are also miserable working in this shit-stain of a place and especially with a manager like you, you fat tub of lard!”

He gaped at your words, the veins on his forehead looking like they were about to pop out any time soon. “You fucking bitch!” His fist met your cheek as you fell onto the ground, clutching it with tears. “Take back what you said! Now!”

“Over my dead body.” You growled back, as he landed another punch on the side of your head, causing you to yell out in pain. Just as the man was about to land yet another punch, he paused when he heard a familiar click of a photograph being taken. He turned around with livid wide eyes. The other girls were waiting out back for you, and got worried when you hadn’t exited after awhile. They heard noises and immediately rushed in to check on you, only to see the manager raising his fist. Aubrey was able to snap a picture of what he had done. 

“There’s no running away this time. I’ve got proof and I’m going to deliver it. See you in court you sick fuck.” Aubrey spat bitterly. 

The man above you panicked, “W-wait, Aubrey, let’s just calm down and talk about this. This doesn’t have to be a big deal, yeah…?” He faltered, wracking his brain for a solution to save himself from this mess, “Look, look! How about I raise your pay? And I can return you all the pay that I’ve docked tomorrow! I promise, all of it! I swear on my life so please just delete that photo, yeah?” He begged with his hands.

Aubrey laughed, “Yeah, no. I said what I said. See. You. In. Court. Try anything funny and I’m going to upload this onto the web, where everyone can see your pathetic face.” She glanced at Layla, who meekly ran over to you to help you up, then taking you and your belongings out of the room. The last thing you saw was the manager falling onto his knees.

The throbbing ache from your already swelling cheek and head caused you to cry even harder as Layla carefully brought you outside. “Do you need to drive you to a nearby clinic? The swelling looks horrible.” The ginger suggested, checking the injuries. You shook your head, “It- I’ll be fine. I just need to go home and place an icepack on it.” Layla did not seem convinced, her mouth opening to protest but you stopped her, “If it worsens I’ll head to the doctors okay? I’ll update you too.” She finally nodded and decided not to pry any further, soothingly running a hand down you back as you whimpered. Just then, Aubrey came out looking rather vexed. “To think that he’d actually lay his hands on a girl. What a pig. Do you need medical attention, (Y/N)? You look like you need it, honestly speaking.” You shook your head once again, thanking her for her kindness, saying the same words you had just said to Layla earlier. Aubrey nodded, “Alright. I’ll update you on the court’s proceedings. (Y/N), you obviously have to be there. Lay, you’ll need to come too, as witness.” The ginger nodded. “For now, get her home and go home. We can talk more about it tomorrow.” 

Layla gently guided you toward her small car ushering you inside. At first, you refused her offer to drive you home but her persuasion skills were just too powerful. It was no wonder why she got the job here. The ride back was filled with concerned queries from her. It warmed your heart at how kind she was, making sure that you were feeling alright, even if she kept asking every 5 minutes. She stopped right below your apartment complex and bid that you feel better soon then drove off. You trudged back to your apartment, hissing as you cradled your cheek. You finally entered and after making sure to lock the doors, you dashed into your freezer to grab an ice pack, whimpering when it met with your skin. You sighed taking a seat on the dining chair. What wrong did you do to deserve all this pain? You thought as you felt a tear run down your cheek. With your free hand, you switched on your phone. It was off nearly the entire day because of “work policy”. The fact that the manager himself will actually take the time to check one by one if the staff had actually switched off their phones was ridiculous. You were greeted with chimes from different notifications. 

Reminder: 12 assignments due tomorrow!

Five Idiots: 42 messages

Gmail: 2 unopened

You squinted your eyes and gasped when you saw it.

Sugaryparadise: 1 message

You immediately unlocked your phone, wincing slightly when you accidentally shifted the ice pack that was resting against your cheek.

Stephen Arthur:

Forgive my tardy reply. You look rather stunning, I must say. Though, I’m certain you’ve heard this same compliment from many other men.

You smiled -as much as you can anyway- through your tears at his compliment. You pondered for a moment on what would be an appropriate reply.

Me:

Excuse my late reply as well but you flatter me, Mr. Stephen. You’d be surprised to hear that no one actually compliments me the way that you did, so consider it as a small achievement.

While waiting for a reply from him, you headed to your chaotic chat group and updated them on what had transpired. They were, not surprised, ready to kill someone. The onslaught of messages that came after were relentless. 

Rubae ❣:

SUE THAT BALD-HEADED FAT FLAPPED PIG! NOW! THAT’S STRAIGHT UP ASSAULT!

Niall-edIt ✧:

Ruby’s right, you can even earn money from bringing this to a court, there’s NO way you would lose with solid evidence.

MeiMei ❅:

You should really seek medical attention first, (Y/N). Since he had managed to land a hit on 2 spots, you might be in serious danger. I could call you an ambulance right now.

Olyviuhh ☾:

I agree with Mei. you might suffer from brain hammer-rage or whatever it’s spelled.

You assured them that you’re fine, and the cheek’s swelling has gone down a little, and that you’ll be tending to your head injury soon enough. Not missing out that you’re coworker will contact relevant authorities tomorrow. A heart-racing chime caught your attention, you glanced up to see the message bubble.

Stephen Arthur:

They must be blind not to be able to see your beauty, then. And I’d very much like to take that as an achievement. Just Stephen will do, adding honorifics make me sound old.

You couldn’t stop the giggle that emerged from your throat. With a red face, you decided that it wouldn’t hurt to be bolder.

Me:

Well then, you look quite dashing yourself, Stephen.

You couldn’t stop the hiss that escaped your lips when you changed the ice pack from your cheek to the side of your head. You were starting to get a headache from the pain, you just hoped that the swelling would go down just enough for you to sleep properly. If not, you might wake up with a sore back. Your phone chimed again.

Stephen Arthur:

I appreciate your words, truly. Enough of that for now, tell me about your day. What has gotten you so occupied that you took 4 hours to give me a reply.

You feel your throat seize up at his questions, will it really be okay to talk about what happened? With a shaky hand, you decided against telling him about your injury.

Me:

Oh, nothing much. Just been in classes all morning and then working in the afternoon. I wasn’t able to reply earlier because of some stupid work policy. My phone needs to be shut off during work hours. The crazy thing is that there's no way to sneak past it as our manager actually checks if our phone is switched off or not. He gets really upset when he finds out that we hide things from him. So, I apologize once again.

You sigh and decide that the swelling has gone down enough for you to take a quick shower. You brought your phone and bag into your bedroom, then took a quick shower in the bathroom. When you stepped out of the shower, with the intention of brushing your teeth, you cringed at how you currently looked like. Still-swollen cheek, bloodshot eyes, eyebags, the small bump on the side of your head. Groaning, you quickly brushed your teeth and headed to bed. You made an effort to stay laying on one side as you had injury on -thankfully- another side of your head.

The chat group was going wild when you were busy at the other app. You were loaded with messages advising that you should skip tomorrow since you were unwell and that they’d fetch you to a clinic right after classes. You fought against the idea vehemently, saying that you’ll just wear a face mask to cover up the bruise tomorrow. Your friends however, were dead set on you resting at home. Eventually, you were convinced by them and gave in to the idea of skipping classes for just one day. As they cheered in victory to convince you to stay home, you switched to the other app restlessly, excitement flowing through your veins.

Stephen Arthur:

No use of phones at all? That’s peculiar. Are you able to tell me what code this ‘work policy’ is under? There must be a misunderstanding coming from your manager. The prohibition of phones during work is understandable, however, forcing employees to shut their phone is a violation of privacy.

Me:

Is it really? And I have no idea what code he is looking at, sorry :(

Stephen Arthur:

What is the name of the business then, I have connections with authoritarian figures, I will call them down to take a closer look at the working policies under that establishment. 

You gulped in fear. Was it really okay to trust this man? While brainstorming, you switched to your chat group. They were all about to head to bed, as it was getting late. After making sure that they’d pass you the notes for classes tomorrow, you wished them a good night, then went back to thinking about Stephen and the situation. This random stranger from the internet whom you had only known for less than a day was willing to go as far as contacting authority on your part-time job? Or wait… since he threatened to fire you, you no longer work there… which means you’re currently… jobless! You sat up in alarm dread and panic infiltrating every single cell in your body. What were you going to do? You have less than a week to find a new job, if not, you might end up in the streets if your friends refuse to take you into their home. You chewed on your lip, the familiar spiral of never-ending doubts flooding your mind. 

Before you could fall any further, you hear knocking on the door to your apartment. You raised a brow, it’s midnight, who would need anything at such an hour. Maybe it was one of your neighbors and they needed help with something. You made a fatal mistake on not checking the peephole, a decision you would come to regret as you opened the door slightly, only for your smile to drop when you saw who it was. 

There stood your ex-boyfriend, Jeremiah, who was looking rather awful. 

You could only stare at him through the small crack of the door, body stiff in fear and anxiousness. He broke the silence by calling your name softly.

“Hey, uh… I know it’s only been a few days but… Can you please let me in and hear me out? I promise that it will be worth the while.” He pleaded guiltily, a small sparkle of hope shining in his eyes. You looked away, “T-there’s nothing to talk about,” you swallow, recalling the disgust from your friend’s faces, “Your messages have said more than enough. Go away.”

Just as you were about to close the door, he jammed a foot on the door. “Please, (Y/N). I want us back. I want you back. I broke up with Madison for you, I promise I’ll be a better man, I promise I’ll change so please just give me another chance.”

“No, Jeremiah. Go away.” You urged, trying to push his feet away.  You made a mistake of revealing too much of your face, as he caught sight of the bruise that painted your cheek. He frowned in disgust, “Can’t wait to find another man to fuck you after leaving me, huh?”

You raised your gaze in trepidation, “W-what… I’m not! Go away!” You pushed against the door breathlessly. “Is that why you’re so scared? Because you found another man you thought was good and then he beats the shit out of you like this? Are you just embarrassed? Because I hope the fuck you are, you cheap, worthless slut.” He laughed, “He did a good job showing you your damn place, bet his dick is way smaller than mine. No one can please a whore like you better than I can, and you know it. I’m going to repeat one last time, open the door and let me in, NOW, (Y/N).” 

“I said no! Fuck off, Jeremiah, I’m going to call the cops if you stay any longer!” You yell, thanking whatever gods out there that you hadn’t removed the chain bolt that connects your door to the wall. It was the only thing keeping you safe right now. His sudden kick threw you off balance, as you tumbled onto the wooden floor of your apartment, you screamed in fear as Jeremiah kept up with his kicks, trying to break your door down. Peeking up at the bolt, it looked like it wasn’t going to last much longer from the continuous assault.

“Hey! What the fuck are you doing!” You hear a man shout from across the hall. That finally got Jeremiah to stop his strikes. He turned his body around and saw your neighbors peeking out from their houses and a man approaching him down the hallway. “This isn’t over yet you ugly slut. I will come back for you. And when I get my hands on you again, you will regret every choice that you have ever made.” With those words, he turned to walk toward the man. Initially, the man had a grip on him but he roughly pushed him away, running toward the stairs. After shutting the door you wailed, the tears never-ending. You were so fucked up right now. Jobless, a lunatic ex, a broken door, nowhere else to go. What could you do? You hear someone walk to your doorstep. 

“Honey? Are you in there?” You hear the gentle tone of the old lady that lives next door. “I know you must be in a lot of pain and fear right now, but you must contact the police. That boy deserves to be locked up in jail for frightening you like that. I won’t ask you to open the door as I know you’re not feeling the best but, please take my advice and call the cops, okay? We’re all also worried for our own safety.” She offered you a kind goodnight and went back to her house, the door loudly shutting behind her. You stood up as quickly as you could, the pain from your headache ringing around your head. Heading back to your room, you grabbed your phone.

SugaryParadise

Stephen Arthur:

Sweetheart, are you still with me? You must be exhausted from class and work. I hope you have a good rest.

Unlocking your phone with teary eyes, you typed in what you had desperately needed at that time.

Me:

Hey Stephen. Sorry for another late reply. Something else came up. Also,

You paused, thinking if it was really a good choice, you really needed someone, anyone to hear you out right now. Your fears, worries, anxiety and everything else. And you would hate to bother your already sleeping friends. The chime from your phone snapped you out of your thoughts and surprised you, as you had thought the man had already gone to bed.

Stephen Arthur:

What is it? 

You bit your bottom lip and began typing.

Me:

Is it okay if we called right now? I really really need someone.

There was a short pause from his end, fear gripped your heart once more. Had you already messed up? Is he going to block you? Were you too desperate? The three bubble icons popping up made your stomach do flip flops.

Stephen Arthur:

Of course sweetheart. Whenever you’re ready.

You breathed a sigh of relief at his words. After a short moment of hesitating, you clicked onto the phone icon at the top right hand corner. The sound of the tone dialing only made the knot in your gut worsen. You felt sick, like you were going to vomit. You hope you don’t vomit, that’d be embarrassing, you should try to stop crying too, he’s going to find you pathe- the sound of the line cutting broke you out of your train of thoughts.

“Good evening, sweetheart.”

==========

Rounds of applause echoed throughout the stadium. I stared at the gigantic crowd with my [eye color] eyes, panting heavily. It’s normal for people to feel heavy after performing, right? So today shouldn’t be any different. I tried to keep my breaths steady, ignoring the slight fatigue that’s dancing around my limbs.

“How did I go from accepting Opera’s training regiment to dancing on stage with the infamous Devdol Kuromu and the girls from my class?” I thought, trying to hold the smile that was causing a slight ache on my cheeks.

Well….

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“[Y/N]-chan! [Y/N]-chan!” I hear the ever-jovial Clara start. “Hm? What’s the matter, Clara-san?” I turned to meet her viridian eyes, careful of the hot tea that’s resting on my hands. “I heard from Mitra-chan that you both were talented in dancing and singing, is that really true?” She said with her hands clutched, her arms moving up and down in excitement. The girls of the Abnormal Class plus the Student Council President decided to have a get-together and borrowed the Magical Apparatus Battler Clubroom, courtesy of Clara and Iruma.

“Uwah~ Is that so?” Elizabetta cooed, clasping her hands together. “That’s impressive.” Ameri praised with an awkward smile. I could only stare at them in bewilderment. “Of course, only Dmitra would blurt out stuff like those…” I thought, placing a hand on my temple with brows furrowed, shifting my gaze to the floor.

“Y-yeah… She’s right. I wouldn’t call it talented, however.” I closed my eyes and reminisced, “It’s just, our mother gave us a lot of freedom to do whatever we wanted at home when we were younger. During those times, me and my sister really loved music, so we’d try to imitate what and who we saw on the screen, and, well… It’s kind of a useless practice now since we never go on stage.”

I looked back up at them, only to be met with astonishment. “W-why that sudden question though, Clara-san?”

Clara seemed to flinch and jump back at that question, suddenly turning shy. “W-well… I heard that boys like to see when a girl sings and dances for him.” She uttered, twiddling her fingers. How peculiar to see the bright and happy Clara suddenly turning shy all of a sudden. From the corner of my eyes, I caught Ameri flinching. It also looked like her grip on the cup tightened. What’s going on?....

“Ah… Well… Boys are all different, so I don’t know what to say.” I replied, taking a small sip of my tea.

“Speaking of boys,” Elizabetta chirped, “[Y/N]-chan… Forgive me if I’m wrong but, why does it seem like you have a crush on Opera-san?” That sudden statement caused me to choke on my tea. I hunched over the table and heard Kerori yelp in alarm. The girls surrounded me, patting my back and handing me tissues to clean up.

“Wh-wha?!” I stuttered, feeling the familiar heat of a blush creeping up from my neck. “The Opera-san? The one that serves Iruma-san and Sullivan-sama?” Ameri inquired curiously, still patting my back as gently as she could. “Ah~ So was I right?” Elizabetta grinned.

“I…” I cleared my throat, “I mean… Was I that obvious?...”

“Nyahaha! The great Clara has also seen the way you look at them.” The greenette teased, deepening my blush. “S-speaking of Opera-san… Th-they did take you in for t-training, r-right?” Kerori piped softly, fixing her glasses a little. I nodded meekly, feeling as though the heat of my blush was evaporating up and into the air. “Oh? They personally asked to train you? You must be really strong to catch their eyes then!” Ameri’s ears twitched in excitement.

“Please, be my disciple.”

Their words rang through my head as I wondered how red could my face go today. Just as I was about to lose myself to thinking about them, Clara suddenly piped up. “Alright! I’ve decided! Let’s perform on the stage in school! We can also invite everyone to see, even Pera-sama!” Everyone in the room recoiled in surprise, before a loud “EH?” shook the room.

“B-but… Clara-chan, I-I don’t know how to dance…!” Kerori was the first to whimper.

“Me either, I’m afraid~” Elizabetta placed a hand on her cheek, a troubled expression coloring her delicate face.

“M-me too.” Ameri stuttered with a blush.

“So, so! I was about to ask [Y/N]-chan if you and Mitra-chan could teach me how to dance and sing! And since everyone here doesn’t know too, we can all learn together!” Clara chirped, grinning from ear to ear.

“Ah~ That’s a great idea, Clara-chan! This is also a great way to bond~ I’ll be under your care, [Y/N]-chan~” The blonde cooed with a smile.

“U-uhm…!” Ameri hesitated for a moment. “W-why do you want to dance in front of everyone, Clara-ch-chan?...”

“Hm? I…” Clara paused, the shyness earlier coming back, “I…! I want to impress Iruma-chi!”

How straightforward, we gasped. Determination seemed to spark in Ameri’s eyes at the greenette’s resolve. She brought up a clenched fist, “I-I, too, can’t lose…! I shall participate in this, as well… I-if you do not mind, that is…”

“I-I! Uhm…” Kerori stuttered, “I-I c-can’t dance… B-but I know someone who works with the devdol Kuromu-chan! S-so I can talk to them about replacing me w-with her instead! B-besides, instead of t-the small stage, y-you guys can even use the s-stadium she performs in!”

“That’d be amazing~” Elizabetta hummed, placing both hands on her face.

The girls glimmered in excitement, looking at me with pleading eyes. I looked at them, hesitating, before letting out a sigh. “Alright, alright… I’ll teach you guys how to sing and dance. Kerori-san, you can watch us practice since you’re not joining. We’ll be counting on you to speak to the person who works with Kuromu-chan.” I smiled at her.

“Hooray!” Clara cheered, “Celebratory toast!” We raised our cups with an exciting resolution. As the girls gushed about outfits and songs, a familiar chime rang from my phone. I reached into my bag to pull it out .

“It’s time to train. Please make your way to Sullivan-sama’s mansion. I’ll be waiting.”

The familiar heat blossomed on my cheeks. How does a simple message have such impact on someone?!

“What’s wrong, [Y/N]-chan?” Clara asked, “Your cheeks are red again! Is it Pera-sama?”

I could only nod timidly, “I-I need to go now… Opera-san wants to commence the training now.” I placed my belongings into my bag hastily. “Aw~ What a shame. We’ll see you soon then, [Y/N]-chan~ Goodluck and take care now~!” Elizabetta waved, “We’ll be sure to update you about the timings!” I waved right back and scurried out of the room, nearly bumping into the blue-haired boy. I uttered a quick apology and rushed out to the school gate.

It wasn’t long before I was met with the black iron gates of The Sullivan Mansion, and right beside it was none other than Opera themself. “H-hello, Opera-san. I hope I’m not too late. I tried to come here as fast as my legs could bring me.” I huffed, hunching over slightly to catch my breath. They gave me a polite bow in response, “Hello there, [Y/N]-san. You were right on time, actually, so no worries. Come along now.” They guided me into the gates and we made our way to their large yard, with me tagging along behind the red-headed demon.

“Why does it seem like you have a crush on Opera-san~?”

Elizabetta’s words earlier echoed in my head tauntingly, flushing my cheeks in a bright red. This obviously did not go past the ever-sharp Opera, as they halted. “[Y/N]-san, what seems to be the matter? Did you catch a fever, perhaps? Your face is really red.”

“I-I’m fine! Don’t worry!” I yelped uncharacteristically loud, my eyes snapping up to meet theirs. They raised a brow in suspicion, a head tilt following right after. I swear, their cuteness could really be the death of me someday. “Sh-shall we start with the training now, O-Opera-san?” I diverted the topic and my eyes.

“Ah, yes. Well then, place your bag at the stand there and bring out your weapon.”

And the weeks went by just like this. Right after school, I had a few hours to teach and practice our performance and right after that was the grueling training with Opera. If not for that constant reminder from them to hydrate myself, I would have probably toppled over in exhaustion. My mom would also request that I look after the shop for a few hours before closing up. Dmitra would be worn-out from training and dancing, so she heads straight to her bed by the time she reaches home. I can’t blame her though, afterall, Kallego decided to train her and we all know what entails whenever you’re near that teacher. The number of times I nearly fell asleep while simultaneously taking care of the shop and doing the mountain load of homework Kallego tended to give was uncountable.

“What seems to be the matter, [Y/N]-san? You appear to be out of it as of late.” Opera asked one time during training. “I-I’m alright… Just exhausted…” I huffed, wiping a sweat off my chin. “Just from this? Hm…” They placed a finger on their chin, “It seems as though I’ve gone too easy on you, since you’re already worn out from this level of training. Stand up, we’re going again, this time, harder.” I begrudgingly stood up, steadying my weapon to face them once more.

No thanks to the “upgraded” training, the final week of preparation was extra taxing on me. I must’ve lost some weight with the way the girls looked at me when we were practicing. Each time I assured them that I was fine, the more worried they became. Even Dmitra tried telling me to skip practice for a few days to recuperate but I politely refused. “I can’t afford to waste a session, we only have a few days left.” Was what I told her.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cheers and applause was never-ending even after we headed back-stage. “Nice work out there girls! Everyone did splendidly!” Kuromu praised with a gleam as I glanced around my arms and legs. If it weren’t for the carefully chosen outfit and make-up, the bruises and cuts from training would’ve been displayed for the whole of demon-world to see.

Everyone seemed to be talking about something but what? Wait… What’s going on, what is this ringing?

“Right? Don’t you agree, sis-... Sis?... Are you okay? You’re looking kinda pale-” Dmitra couldn’t even finish her words as my legs gave up on me. I collapse forward, breathing heavily. I could hear the girls call my name and for help. My whole body felt heavy, the agonizing throb of overexertion running through my limbs.

“...pera-san! Good timi… Fell over and…” Warbled voices circled around me, at this point, my head was spinning so much that I didn’t know who was who. “We have another… B-but [Y/N] is… bad state… do we do?”

“Leave her… girls get… care of her.” I feel someone place my head somewhere soft. The slight sting of coldness on my forehead jolted me back to my senses, albeit slightly. The first thing I registered was Opera’s -very attractive- face, staring down at me. Somewhere in their expression, lingered a hint of worry. “Wh-wha…” I utter, still in a daze, trying to look around me.

The familiar song that we practiced so hard after school filled my ears. Then I remembered just where I was. I tried moving my arms to sit up, however, it felt as if they had a mind of their own and disobeyed my every command. “I… I need to.. Get back out… there…!” I gasped with trembling limbs. “Don’t even think about it. You’re too weak to even get up. Rest now.” I hear their smooth voice chide as they gently grab my outstretched hand, their other free hand resting right above my eyes, effectively blocking my vision. “B-but…!” I protested shakily. “No. Don’t be stubborn now and rest.” Right after those words, my world faded into black.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’ve grown up really well, my dear daughter.”

I jerk awake at those words, sitting up in a panic. I tried steadying my breathing, hands gripping tightly on the sheets. What was that? Wait, sheets? Upon realization, my eyes darted around. Where am I? It seems to be a room of some sorts. It even has a large window at the side. And the covers, the colors, they remind me alot like… someone…

“Ah, I see you’re awake, [Y/N]-san.” Too consumed within my inner panic, I failed to hear the sound of the door opening. I snapped my head up to look at them, “O-Opera-san?! Wh-what are you doing here?”

They did their cute little head tilt from before, raising one of their red-haired brows. “What do you mean what am I doing here? This is my room and this is the house I live in. Am I not supposed to be here?”

H-house?! I’m in- My gaze flickered around the room. I’m in their room…?! I could feel heat rising up from my neck. “Wh-what am I doing here? What happened?” I fretted, bringing up the covers. Opera silently sauntered into the room, mindful of the door behind them. They hummed, casually bringing a hand up to my forehead. “It seems as though your fever has gone down. That is a good sign. But… You’re still slightly flushed.”

I’m pretty sure the flush is for a different reason, Opera… Even the back of their hands are so smooth… I could’ve sworn I almost fainted just from their touch. “As for why you’re here… It’s quite a long story.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right after the performance, Opera hastily carried the unconscious body back to Sullivan’s large mansion.

“Hm? Who’s that you brought in, Opera?” Sullivan asked, taking a closer look. “Oh? If it isn’t [Y/N] from Iruma-kun’s class? What happened to her?”

“I apologize for bringing her unannounced, Sullivan-sama,” The security demon bowed trying not to disturb the sleeping figure in their arms, “She fell ill after performing at the stadium earlier. And,” They kept their gaze on the floor in shame, “It was partially my fault that she is in this state, as embarrassing as it is to admit.”

Sullivan stared at them. “Ah, how adorable… It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Opera care about someone this much.”

“Haha! You’re always such a bully, Opera. But,” Sullivan placed a tender hand on their head, right between their horns, “Make sure you take care of her, alright? And don’t forget about my precious Iruma-kun!”

Opera blushed a little at their master’s praise before nimbly darting into their room, gently placing the heavily-breathing girl on their bed. They damped a towel and made sure to clean her as best as they could. After placing a cooling pad on her head, they huffed a sigh of relief, wiping a sweat off their brow.

‘Well, I guess it’s my turn to take care of other businesses,’ Their feline eyes glanced at the sleeping girl, ‘I suppose I could leave her for a few moments.’ They placed a hand on their head, patting it gently with a smile.

“I’ll be back, be a good girl and stay in bed while I’m gone.”

They walked out of the room, silently closing the door behind them. With that, they swiftly left the house and went to fetch Iruma back from the rowdy concert. After taking care of the young boy and his master, they, yet again, had to leave the house to yours, this time with a large bag in hand.

“O-oh my! If it isn’t Opera-sama! What can I do for you this evening?” Amirah beamed. They stared onto the floor, ashamed. “I am terribly sorry.”

“Eh? For what, Opera-sama?” She asked.

“I… There is a competition coming up and I was tasked to train your daughter, [Y/N]-san, and… I admit that I have overexerted her past her limit and she fell ill, therefore, I sincerely apologize.”

Amirah gave Opera a worried look, before the same smile graced her features. “Don’t apologize, Opera-sama. I’m sure my sweet [Y/N]-chan was trying her best too. She must’ve tried too hard again and ended up like this.” She sighed.

“Again, you say?” They tilted their heads.

“Ah, yes!” Amirah chuckled, “When she was younger, there was a neighboring kid that told her she was too weak and soft. In response, she trained hard with her sword everyday until she fell ill, just like now. I of course gave her a tough scolding afterwards.” Opera hummed, smiling a little. “She’s always the hard worker, yes?” They nodded, even with your fatigued and exhausted state, you were always giving your best effort. It’s what caught their eyes, afterall.

She placed a finger on her chin. “So, I believe my daughter is in your care now, Opera-sama?”

Opera nodded yet again, “I have come to ask for permission to retrieve her clothing for a few days.”

“Ah, are you sure she would not be imposing in the Great Sullivan-sama’s mansion? Will we be in trouble?” Amirah’s brows furrowed in concern.

“I assure you, she would not be. And whatever punishments Sullivan-sama may issue, I would take full responsibility.” They bowed.

“Alright. Her room is on the 3rd floor. I apologize for the slight mess.” The horned lady opened the door to the home, guiding the security demon up.

“No worries.” They assured, twisting the rose-gold doorknob that led to your room. Upon entering your room, the first thing that greeted him was the scent. The sweet fragrance they always get hints of while sparring with you. “Well, take your time in here, if you need anything I’ll be downstairs!” She smiled and then left, going back to her shop to tend to the customer.

Opera carefully sauntered around your ivory room, their alluring, sharp eyes landing on your closet door. ‘This must be it.’ With nimble hands, they opened the wooden doors. They delicately picked out several sets of clothes from the closet, placing them into the leather bag they had brought earlier. Until, something white fell out of the closet.

‘Hm? What’s this?’ Opera knelt on the wooden floor, gently picking up what seemed to be a very white, feather. Upon closer inspection, it even seemed to glimmer under the low-lighting. It even made their fingers tingle a little. They secretly placed the feather in their side pocket, then got up. After saying a quick goodbye to Amirah, they left to go back to the mansion.

Patrolling the mansion for one last check, they finally showered and strolled back to their room, a glass of water and medicine in hand. I’d have to rouse her from her sleep to hydrate if not, the fever might worsen. But, as their hand reached for the doorknob to twist it, the last thing they’d expect was to see you sitting up with a drunken expression.

They stared right at your figure and you stared right back with a muzzy, flushed face.

“Kitty!” You suddenly called, pointing to their direction, just as they were about to ask how you were feeling. Their heads tilted in confusion. “[Y/N]-san…?”

“Hm…? Woah… Kitty talks!” They watch you giggle in delight, clapping your hands. “Come, come kitty! I’ll give you lots of pets!” Your arms outstretched, while making a grabby hands action. Opera was conflicted, part of them felt very amused that you’re letting a vulnerable side of you show while the other part of them felt very guilty for overexerting you. They relented and walked to you, bowing their head to you. In response, they hear you giggle as you gently pet their head.

“Woah… Kitty fur soft! So… nice…” They hear you murmur, slightly blushing at your words. They quickly pulled away, having enough of your pets. “Ah! B-but… Am not done with pets…” They hear you sniffle. “You can have more pets later, alright? For now, please eat this medicine and drink this water.”

You nodded, glee returning to your features as you took the medicine and cup from them. They watch as you easily gulp down the water and medicine in one go, letting out an exasperated sigh of relief after. They smiled, patting your head. “Good girl. Now go back to sleep.”

With gentle hands, they gently urged you back to bed, pulling the covers up to your shoulder. “You know…” They hear you start, “You remind me a lot like someone…”

Their ears twitch in curiosity, “Oh? And who might that be?”

“Their name is Opera!”

The security devil’s feline eyes widened. “Opera…? Interesting… Tell me more. What about me reminds you of them?” They smirked in amusement. They felt bad for taking advantage of your disoriented-self but, then again, they were also curious.

“They always take care of me too. We train a lot together.” You rubbed your eyes.

“I see. What else?”

“They're so cool and strong! One time, we went to this park and they took down a biiiig beast so easily!”

They recalled their time in Walter Park and the beasts that suddenly emerged from nowhere. They smiled at your words, “Is that so?”

“Mmhm! And, and…” You paused, shifting your gaze away from them. Opera gave you a moment to continue.

“And?” They finally prompted resting a cheek on their hand.

“Well… Uhm… They’re so cool and… I… I sort of… Fell in love with them…”

Opera’s eyes widened once more, but this was by far the widest they’ve been all day.

“B-but… They probably don’t even notice me. I mean… They work under this great demon lord and his equally amazing and talented grandson, and then there’s just me, so…” Tears filled your eyes as you hastily wiped them away, “So it’s okay…! I’ll just watch them from a distance and cheer them on… Whatever they may do.”

For the first time in a while, Opera was stunned into silence. They could only stare at you, mouth slightly agape from shock. They had to admit, there were implications that you harbored feelings for them but, they couldn’t be too sure. But now, they had their answer. They could see your eyes start to shut as you mumbled some incoherent words. They stood up from the chair and leaned over your body, hovering near your ear.

“Here’s an advice from Kitty,” They placed a hand on yours, “Just be patient and wait for the right time.” They hear you murmur a soft ‘b-but’.

“Because I’m sure that they’re waiting for you too.” They finished, gently enclosing their hands in yours.

“Y…You really… Think… So?”

“I know so.” They placed a gentle kiss on your temple, “Sleep well, [Y/N]-san.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And then here you are. By the way, Iruma-sama relayed a message for you, he was really worried and hopes that you feel better soon.” Opera explained, smoothly omitting the last part. I stared at them silently, absorbing the information. “Oh…. I’d have to thank him later then. B-but wait, if I’m sleeping on your bed, where did you sleep then?”

“Me? I slept on the floor there.” They pointed a finger to a mattress on the ground right next to the bed. “What?!” I exclaimed in disbelief. Oh god, I’ve just essentially made them sleep on the floor, and this is their room!

“I-I’m sorry for causing you trouble, Opera-san! I’ll leave right now!” I pulled the covers off my body in an attempt to leave, but was swiftly halted by the demon before me.

“You’re not leaving this bed until you’re completely healed, [Y/N]-san.” They frowned, gently pushing me back to the large bed. “B-but Opera-san…! I can’t make you sleep on the floor, this is your room! B-besides, I’m feeling better already.” I argued, taking their hands into my own, trying to push them away. Their frown only deepened, doubting my words. “Don’t be stubborn, now lay back down. I need to fetch you more water and prepare breakfast.”

“O-Opera-san, please…!” I pleaded, clutching their hands. They stared into my [Eye Color] orbs momentarily, before giving out a sigh. “Alright. If you’re really better by noon, I will escort you home. But,” They sneered, “Only if you rest up now.” I nodded hastily, “Alright, I will.” They nodded and left the room, leaving me alone. Still feeling slightly dizzy, I pulled the covers up and shut my eyes, sleep taking over me instantly.

It wasn’t long until I was woken up by the feline-looking devil, a tray of food in their hands. “You don’t have to get up, I’ve already prepared a small table for you to eat in bed, so please wait a moment. They placed the silver tray on the nightstand, then proceeded to unfold the small table. After positioning it and placing it on the bed, they laid the silver tray on the table and took off the lid, exposing the delicious smell of food.

I stared at the meal, mouth-watering in anticipation for a taste of Opera’s cooking. I looked at them and then back at the food. “A-Are you sure I can have this?” I asked hesitatingly, twiddling my fingers. “Of course. Eat up now. And don’t forget your medicine afterward.”

I relentlessly dug into the meat at their words. And oh my devil… Is this what heaven tastes like? No, wait, heaven isn’t a good place… This is literally heaven in hell… I chewed slowly, savoring every bite of their cooking. Within minutes, I shamelessly lost all etiquettes and gobbled down the food. Placing down the silverware, I silently thanked whatever gods that graced me with their cooking and turned to look at them.

“O-Opera-san…” I piped, “Thank you for the meal, it was exquisite… And I’m sorry you had to see me like that…” A flush of embarrassment decorated my cheeks.

“It was no problem. I’m glad you enjoyed your meal. Eat your medicine and get some rest. I need to run some errands for Sullivan-sama and I’ll be back by noon.” They reminded while clearing the plate and table, before excusing themselves from the room. I kept my end of the deal and gulped the medicine and water.

Bringing the covers up to my nose, I snuggled into the sheets, inhaling the smell. Ah… It smells so much like Opera-san… Hey! Wait! Stop it now, I’m being creepy! I shook my head and shut my eyes, trying to suppress the shameful thoughts.

It was late noon when I was woken up by Opera’s gentle shaking.

“Did you sleep well?” I sat up slowly and hear them ask. “Mmhm.” I hoarsely say while nodding. I hear them unfold the same table and place the silverware on it. But before I could even dig in, they abruptly halted my thoughts by bringing their hand to my balmy forehead. I flinched, a little startled, heat rising up to my cheeks.

“Hmm… You’re recovering well. That’s a good sign,” They sighed in defeat, their cat ear horns tilting downward, “Alright, as I promised, after your meal I shall escort you home.” They elegantly took the glinting lid off. I stared in awe at the feast that was placed before me, Opera really outdid themselves again. For a moment, I envied how Iruma got to taste Opera’s succulent dishes everyday, but quickly shooed the negative thought away and dug in.

Soon after, they cleared the empty plate simultaneously advising me to take a shower and get a fresh change of clothes as well. I agreed rather enthusiastically, shakily standing up from the bed. They eyed my movements attentively, making sure I was able to stand up properly. My legs honestly felt like jelly but I held in the slight discomfort of my still-quivering lower half.

“S-see? I-I’m fine.” I assured shakily, one hand still leaning against the comforter, my other hand reaching up to give them a not-so confident thumbs up. I hear them sigh at my stubbornness shooting me a frown. They soon led me out of the room and down a hallway, to a bathroom. After showing me how to operate the shower and the amenities, they bowed and promptly left, but not after saying a quick “Call me if you need anything.”

I made sure to clean myself carefully in the shower, washing off all the dirt and grime on my body from the night before. After one last check on myself, I exited the shower, smelling A LOT like Opera themselves. I blushed a little, how nice would it be to smell like this everyday… Hold on! No! Bad [Y/N]! I shook my head ardently.

“What are you doing, [Y/N]-san? You’re acting like a wet puppy.” I hear a familiar voice quip at my silliness. “W-wha…! Opera-san!” I yelped, placing a hand over my chest. “D-don’t startle me like that… Since when were you here?...”

“I’ve been here this whole time. Hm..” They placed a tentative finger on their chin, “It seems like I would need to include the sharpening of your senses to our training…”

I gave them a small squeak of fright, “I-I swear it’s just you who catches me off-guard!”

“Hmm~ Just me, is that right?” Their tail playfully twirled behind them, an amused smirk decorating their prepossessing features. My blush and embarrassment only deepened by their teasing with each passing second.

“Alright, alright. I was merely jesting. However, if you’re really interested in strengthening your senses, do let me know.” They backed away, “Come along now, I need to dry your hair before we depart.”

I nodded, ambling meekly behind them. Wait, they want to dry my hair?! Amidst my train of thoughts an unforeseen fatigue shot up my leg, making me trip and fall forward. I barely had time to react to the sudden drop but, fortunately, someone was faster.

With one graceful motion, Opera gently caught my fall, holding me close. “Are you alright, [Y/N]-san?” I hear them ask softly. At this close distance, I took in the details of their smooth, clear skin. How they managed to keep their skin unblemished fascinated me. I stared into their burgundy eyes, lost in thought. My grip on their arms tightened, the feeling of adoration in my chest felt so full, almost about to burst. It was their tail poking at my cheek that snapped me out of my daydream.

“Oi~ Is anyone there?” They playfully queried, soft tail still gently prodding at my cheek. I let out a gasp of surprise, “I-I-I’m sorry!” I scurried away from them, covering my currently very hot face, too close! Opera raised a brow, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for another day? You’re still rather worned out.”

I shook my head with my face still in my hands, “I-I’m fine, b-besides, you’ll be walking me home so…” I say muffledly. “If it’s my bed that you’re worried about, I assure you that I’m comfortable sleeping on the mattress that’s on the floor.” They stated matter-of-factly. “N-no. It’s your room, you should be sleeping on the bed, Opera-san. I’ll be okay.” They stood up and brought a hand near my face. “If you say so, now, up on your feet.”

I placed a hand in theirs, feeling them hoist me up smoothly. “Don’t fall again now.” They teased, as we resumed our stroll back to the room. My heart skipped a few beats at their words.

But… if they found out who you really were, would they still see you the same?

The sudden doubt clouded my mind as they dried my hair. I frowned slightly, but I shoved the thought away from my brain as best as I could. For now, let me relish in this little happiness I have. They gave my hair a short brush, puffing in triumph at their handiwork. Soon thereafter, they grabbed the bag containing my garments and we left the room.

“Thank you for everything, Opera-san.” I bowed deeply at the demon before me, “I apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused…”

They paused their movements, turning around to look at me. “It’s no problem at all. Besides, I was partially to blame for your weakened state. I apologize for not noticing that you were way past your limit, [Y/N]-san.”

“W-what…! O-Opera-san you have nothing to apologize for…! I’m at the wrong here...” I shifted my gaze timidly.

“Oh? Leaving so soon already?” Another voice chimed in.

“S-Sullivan-sama! From the bottom of my heart, th-thank you for your hospitality and I apologize for intruding without prior notice…!” I turned to bow at the powerful demon lord. “Not at all! Besides it was Opera who took care of you so…” The chairman placed a hand on his cheek shyly, “But, we’ll be missing you.” He turned into an egg, wiping off his tears.

I chuckled at his silliness. Student’s have always described Sullivan as the fierce, powerful and strict principal but, he also this side of him.

“Sullivan-sama, taking a break I see? Have you done at least half of the paperwork you ditched yesterday because of ‘prepping’ Iruma-sama for the concert.” Opera leered at him, eyes glinting in vexation. “B-but! My dearest Iruma-kun! Anything could happen at that place, what if someone kidnapped him? What if he falls down and hurts himself? What if someone finds out that he’s-” The security demon silenced him from speaking further, “Don’t change the subject. I will excuse myself from the mansion for a while to escort her home and if I come back to find out that you still haven’t done at least half of the paperwork that’s due soon, I will do more than just making you sit for the rest of the day on that chair.”

Woah… Even Opera had this side of them. It’s a terrifying side of them I wouldn’t want to bring out. On a side note, seeing them so irked struck an unfamiliar chord in me. Did I just find their frustration attractive?! Oh no…

“Well then, we’ll be on our way now.” Opera bowed and ushered me out of the large wooden doors, shooting the principal one last warning glare.

As we trudged along the uneven dirt road, I heard them sigh. “I apologize for letting you see that. But, the chairman can be a handful sometimes.”

“It’s no problem at all, Opera-san. I find it very interesting that the chairman has this side of him as well.” I giggled, recalling his egg form. Opera sighed in defeat once more with furrowed brows. There was a short span of silence. Both of us just enjoyed the scenery around us.

It wasn’t long before the sounds of the crowds of people chattering entered my ears.

It was then that Opera decided to speak. “Do you know that you are very chatty when you’re sick?”

“H-huh? What does that mean?” I stuttered, looking at them with wide eyes. They looked back at you, “You’re also very open and honest when you’re ill.”

What?! Just what are they talking about? What did I do? What did I say? I panicked internally, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

Just as I was about to ask what they really meant. They stopped walking, causing me to nearly bump into them. “Ah, it looks like we’re here.”

Aw… what a shame… I unconsciously pouted a little. “This is farewell then. I do hope you recover quickly and smoothly so that we can go back to training. Also,” They unexpectedly flicked my forehead, causing me to yelp as I placed a hand over the stinging area, “I’d appreciate it very much if you’d tell me that you were overly exhausted next time.”

I looked away in shame, the familiar heat of a blush creeping onto my cheeks. “I’m sorry, I’ll keep that in mind…”

“Alright, off you go. You can return the bag the next time we meet.” They ushered me forward, to the purple doors of my house.

I pursed my lips hesitatingly, before gathering up the courage to face them. “Th-thank for everything again, Opera-san.”

They shot me a small smile and nodded. That smile seemed to shoot straight into my heart, deepening my blush. With shaky fingers, I tried my hardest to open the backdoor. After a few tries I finally got it open and was about to step into my house when their voice halted me once more.

“One last thing,” I turned to look at them, head tilting curiously, “Your performance last night was astounding. Keep up the good work. Then, I shall see you soon.” They gave a final bow then turned to leave.

I silently closed the door behind me, then crumpled to the floor in a blushing mess. This is really bad… How am I going to suppress this illicit feelings that I harbored for them now. I sighed and whimpered, the blush never leaving my face.

Well, there’s only one way to go about this now.

I just have to wait. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lack of Opera x Reader fanfics drove me to this insane state. But for the authors who did headcanons or shortfics of them, many kisses for you, muah muah.

After this, I MIGHT write 2 more fics; a Balam x Reader one and a Poly! Balam x Reader x Opera one. Because let's be honest, who doesn't like Balam-sensei. Why not Kalego? Because he's mean. However, if you have an idea for me to write I just might ;)

This scenario is actually a shifting scenario but I thought it'd be cute to share it with fellow Opera lovers, so here you go.

Lastly, if you have any constructive criticism, don't be afraid to let me know what I can improve on and how I can improve my writing.