𝙑𝙄𝘾𝙄𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙍𝙀𝙏𝙎 ❱ reverie. & verse

[reverie.]

     

V I C I O U S  S E C R E T S
S T R E N G T H  I S  W H A T  W E  G A I N  F R O M  T H E  M A D N E S S  W E  S U R V I V E

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C H A M P I O N S       •     K.H.S & ANDIE CASE
0 : 39  ——  ♡  ———————  3 : 19
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Madeline McKenzie had just finished unpacking all the boxes in the bedroom. It had taken hours—days really—to get through it all. Her clothes were now neatly organized in the small walk-in closet, her bedside table drawer only held essentials, their bedsheets were stored in the closet by the corner, and all the stuff her fiancé needed to go through she'd stacked by his side of the bed. It was still surreal to think about the fact that this house was theirs. They'd bought it six weeks ago but hadn't gotten a chance to move in until a few days ago. Maddie had made it clear to Pete and both their families that no one was to set foot in their house until at least half of the boxes were gone. She did not want anyone to see the mess or all the crap she owned. The neighbors welcoming them to the neighborhood had been embarrassing enough. The moving company had helped them carry all the stuff inside, so at least the furniture was in the right place, but the boxes. . . They were fucking everywhere. And Maddie was about to go crazy. For almost three days she'd unpacked box after box after box and yet the number of boxes didn't seem to decrease. It was almost impossible to walk through the living room without squeezing through boxes or climbing over them. And the hallway still had stacks of boxes that were supposed to go into the kitchen or upstairs. Maddie didn't want to admit it, but she'd lost control. At this point, she just worked her way through one box at a time, not really knowing what the next box would contain.

Pete had to go on a last-minute business trip right after they arrived, but he called a few times a day to check in on her. Maddie still had two weeks left of her summer vacation, so she was planning on spending every single moment unpacking boxes until there were no more boxes to unpack. If it weren't for all the empty boxes in the garage, one wouldn't know exactly how many boxes she had unloaded already. And yet, there was so many left. Maddie made her way downstairs and stopped by the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before starting on the boxes in the living room. Thankfully, those were mostly filled with decorations and didn't take long to unload. She'd already emptied five boxes when she heard someone at the door. For a brief moment, she half assumed it was Pete, since they didn't ring the doorbell, but then she remembered that he wasn't coming home before tomorrow—

Maybe he came home a day early to surprise her?

"I'm in here!" she called from the living room, turning her head toward the opening leading out to the hallway. With the expectation of seeing her fiancé her face had lit up, but her smile faded quickly as another man came into view. It took her a good few seconds to recognize him. At first, she didn't believe what she saw. He was so big—so tall. She hadn't really changed much in the past five years, but he certainly had. He was no longer a teenager, that much was obvious. Maddie blinked at him, her eyes roaming over his body from head to toe. He had definitely gained some weight, but she had a feeling it was pure muscle hiding underneath his clothes. His facial features were more determined and there was only a hint of the boy she used to babysit there. She made no effort to move away from the fireplace, suddenly grateful for all the boxes between them. Her pulse increased just by looking at him. Did he even remember her? She cleared her throat as she put down the vase she'd been holding. "Well, you've certainly grown," she said matter of factly, meeting his gaze with a faint smile. He was practically family, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to see him. They hadn't exactly been the greatest of friends back in the day, but then again, she had been his babysitter. Who in their right mind liked the person who called the shots and who ratted them out to their parents if they didn't behave? She'd done it several times too. It might have been a long time ago, but she still remembered it as if it was yesterday. They'd spent a lot of time together, but she had never gotten to know him—not really. All she knew was that he had a habit of getting into trouble. Or causing trouble. She had been hired to keep him away from all of that, and Maddie liked to believe that she'd done a good job. Perhaps one day he would thank her for it.

"Did Pete tell you to come check on me? Because I've already told him several times that I'm fine." She picked up two tealight holders and placed them over the fireplace. When she opened her mouth again, her tone was bitter. "I don't need a babysitter." But neither did he at the age of fifteen, but he had gotten one anyway. Besides, it was typical of Pete to have someone check on her when he was away. She just hadn't expected to see his little brother just yet. Especially not like this. But there he was—in the flesh—standing in the entryway to her new living room. He was harmless— r i g h t ? She had absolutely nothing to be afraid of and yet her heart was pumping in her chest as if he was a fucking burglar.
9e82a8

 

[Verse]

He stood outside the veritable manor. He scoffed quietly and stuck his hands in his jacket. In contrast to the expensive boots and pressed black slacks, the outwear was old, and the black had faded to brown mostly. Some of the patches, most prevalent on the right upper arm, were curling, free from the seams that had bound them to the leather. Those sewn-on marks were bowing like tongues. He was quite the juxtaposition to the pretty house of his older brother. And his soon to be sister in law. He smiled about that. Not the soft and unknowing smile she was used to, when there'd been peace between them during their almost-friendship. This smile was darkly elated, a quiet, elegant, and unhinged expression. Like something beastly trying to keep its human mask. How much work had he casually put into this? He never even knew this project would come into fruition, when he first started pushing his brother to date the woman who'd babysat him. Giving his blessing and encouragement had been part of it, too.

Of course, this visit was about something else, mostly. The city she'd escaped to when her duties with Wei Kou Wen, were over with, had a good supply route to some good powder. Yareli City, Wei's city, and now her home too, did well enough, but it was always good to have a shipment when the others were dry. Wei had learned to be an opportunist. Something she had gotten in the way of when they came to know each other, when Pen still was at least a bit fun. There was a cigarette in Wei's mouth soon, and he smoked it hard once he'd lit it with a black and gold lighter. The roll was dead to its filter by the time he got to the door. He sighed out the last of the smoke when he turned the handle and it gave. Madeline wouldn't last long in his Yareli. He flicked the filter onto the lawn.

So he came in to this soon-to-be newlywed home. He licked his incisors of the residual taste of tar when his messy hair fell into one eye. Black strands like his brothers, but the irises themselves were darker on the younger Wen son. She sounded so welcoming when she called for him. And then he stood before her, at the mouth of the living room. Ah, she looked good all in her practical clothes. Edible even. He'd not been fully prepared for all the familiar emotions, and the daunting memories of her authority, here for him now, to be trampled on. Especially since he had grown since last they'd seen each other. Beautiful woman. She thought her life was going to be grand from hereon out. He thought it was delicious how she was still in her bubble, waiting to be burst. He rolled his shoulders in the jacket. She would remember the garment to have belonged to his father, and, if she'd been attentive to it back then, that it now looked a bit more padded. And a lot more used.

He stood for her scrutiny. Pete had commented on him getting taller, and how it wasn't right. Wei Kou stepped over boxed with his endless legs to get to her while she talked. What do beasts care about womens voices? Not like she could run when she'd basically unpacked herself into a corner. She didn't want him close, and her instincts were right on that one, but she couldn't outright run from him either. He laughed to announce that he was just by her, when she said the bit about a babysitter. "But you got one." he said, just like she used to. His voice had dropped an octave from the already deep tone he had, when he was in her care. He wanted to measure exactly how much she'd shrunken in comparison, since last.

His arm extended to grab the edge of the mantle with the leaf holders she'd put there. With just one limb, she wouldn't be fenced in, but she may not feel like she could move all that easily, either. When he looked down at her from this null distance between his chest and her face, he felt accomplished in his physical development. Maybe it was the pit fights, or the beating other men to red afterthoughts, but he was towering over her now. The Yareli night made you grow up hard and fast. He inhaled through his nose, and his eyes fluttered once when he sampled her scent. She'd worked all day, and it was familiar to him. It was calling for him to examine the skin it had come from. How would her pussy smell like, if he sat her on that mantle and spread her legs? He had pushed enough women into a submissive state with similar tactics to have a good guess on what Maddie was feeling, right now. Something happened in girl's head when they had to tilt them to look up.

"Are you fine, though, Madeline McKenzie?" he asked. His skull's features were barely hidden under the still youthful skin on his face. There was a deathly confidence there, and... an interest in her. How doe prey feel about the affections of carnivores? "You just let me walk right in and," He looked around before returning his downward attention to her, his eyelids pulling wide with a playful threat for an instance. "there's noone here to save you." While his eyes settled, the smiled that followed didn't quite reach them. He found himself wondering if he could maker her scream. She had the mouth for it.

 

[reverie.]

The stench of smoked cigarettes filled her nose as Wei made his way over to her, stepping over boxes and zig-zagging between stacks as if it were nothing. She made a mental note to remind Pete to tell his brother that smoking was prohibited inside their new home. There was just no way that she was going to have her new home reek of smoke. She hadn't expected him to leave—he'd just arrived—but she hadn't exactly expected him to come over to the fireplace either. Why would he? Being her fiancé's little brother didn't give him the right to invade her personal space like that. Not now, not ever. If it weren't for the fact that he was Pete's little brother, she probably never would have seen him again after she was done babysitting him. But now she was stuck with him. It didn't mean he had an open invitation to come over whenever he felt like it though. She'd have to mention this to Pete as well.

Their reunion wasn't worth a celebration, so if he was expecting a hug, he was bound to be disappointed. Now that he was standing right next to her, it was impossible to miss the height difference between them. Five years ago it had barely been any, and he hadn't been much bigger than her, but now? He was towering over her—just like his brother—and she'd be lying if she said it wasn't intimidating. She used to have something to hold over him, but now she had nothing. He was a fucking adult now and threatening to tell his parents would probably make him laugh. At this point, they probably wouldn't even care. If they believed her at all. What exactly would she tell them? Your son got all up in my face today and I didn't like it. No, that wouldn't cut it. Maddie was on her own from here on out and she had absolutely no authority over him anymore. Perhaps that was what scared her the most right now. The fact that she had no contract to hide behind.

If she had known someone was coming over, she would have changed into something a bit more appealing. Madeline was wearing the new loungewear set she'd picked up right before they moved. She'd tried it on yesterday and had started using the set today. She didn't think she'd needed a bra. But now that Wei was right there, she was suddenly very conscious about the fact that she didn't wear one. When his arm reached out to grab the mantle, her pulse spiked. With all the boxes stacked around them, he might as well have trapped her in a corner. If she wanted to, she could get away from him. She'd had to go over—or through—some boxes, but she could get away. She wondered if he was ever afraid of her when she babysat him, but from what she could recall, it didn't seem like it. Sometimes he'd listen to her, other times he'd face the consequences of not listening. But he'd never seemed afraid of her. So why on earth would she give him the satisfaction of letting him see how frightened she was of him? Maddie forced a bigger smile to her lips as she tilted her head further back to meet his eyes. "It seems so." Her tone was playful, but there was a sliver of fear in it. The last person she wanted to look after her was him.

When he opened his mouth again, speaking in that deep voice, she knew that he remembered her perfectly—her and every little thing she did back then. She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself. Trying to ignore the stench of his clothes and breath. He was unrecognizable. It might as well have been a stranger standing in front of her, their body a mere inch from her own. As she held his gaze she could have sworn she saw something in his eyes—something dark. Or maybe she was imagining things. Her heart started racing in her chest, and for a second she wasn't sure if he was joking or being serious. It was like his tone and demeanor didn't go hand in hand. She wondered if he could see the slight fear in her eyes or the turmoil in her expression. Whatever game he was playing, she had to start playing.

Madeline stood her ground, trying her best to look unfazed by the whole situation, but more importantly by him. "Save me from what—you?" She let out a fake laugh as if he was being ridiculous, but deep down she knew he wasn't. From now on, she'd make sure to keep the door locked at all times. "I know you, Wei"—like hell she did—"You would never hurt me." That was one hell of a statement. One she wasn't sure was even true. He'd never really laid a finger on her back then, but he didn't seem afraid of touching her now. Not that he had a reason to. "Please don't tell me you still have a grudge against me?" Okay, maybe he did. Her eyes softened a little bit, but he could probably tell by the fear in them that she already knew the answer. "You know I was just doing my job. . . And by the looks of it, you don't seem to need one anymore." Now, that would have been ridiculous.

 

[Verse]

There were all kinds of trepidation in the woman when he move over. She was right in her apprehension, but there was a justified look in her face that didn't belong. Sure, she should be uncomfortable with his coming, but she had the wrong shade of displeasure on her now. Not like the girls who knew him. Not like the girls who belonged to men who owed him. She was mistaking the authority she had for something that kept her safe. Or that their age gap would somehow hold him to their old rules, when she'd been enforced by his parents, and he'd not yet made it into the underworld. It was almost adorable, all the concepts she was standing on, that he meant to topple. Around these stacked boxes, it'd be something of a domino effect, once he got started. He enjoyed the last of his own childhood, that was surviving in her. He was eager to show her exactly what her proper efforts had amounted to, in her absence. Maybe she thought his influence over her life had ended when she stopped coming here. That was her mistake.

She understood it a little when he got up close. Oh, he liked how she had to look up at him through her lashes now. He had never seen her like this. It's not even how he remembered her. Their new contrasts were dawning on her, and she was choking on it. He let it sink in, his changes, and the lack of other safety she had relied on. His dear babysitter and friend, steeped in the new flavors of the world. She'd never looked at him like this, like he was something to be afraid of. Not just a job, not just someone she had a modicum of control over. He felt as though he had graduated, and her scent and look of fear were his diplomas. That vest was rather allowing. He understood its use when she was working, but it was rather revealing. He had noted that she didn't have any bra on. For now, he wasn't letting on too much that he was looking. Her facial expressions were giving him enough, so far. Though he did want to let his eyes ride her throat and collarbone and down her sternum into the divide of her vest.

Her posturing was pretty. There'd always been an elegance in her form, part of why she'd been chosen as a 'proper' presence in his life, but he had seen enough fear to recognize it in her. Even when people tried to hide it. She played along best she could. He liked making her feel uncomfortable, and like she shouldn't push past him even when he was obviously pushing closer than what was appropriate. Heck, even coming in here without knocking was over the line. Pen would have said something. But Pen wasn't here. That's why the little brother had come. Maybe even Wei was surprised with how much in him she'd conjured, just by being here, and being as prettily disheveled by work and his arrival as she was.

He almost laughed when his voice struck her. It was as though something reset. There was a woman underneath the façade of being his brother's soon-to-be wife. It was her only card, and she'd played it too soon. The shiver in her eyes when he joked about her safety - though it wasn't really that much of a joke with the proof in his past deeds - was beautiful. It inspired him to put action to his veiled threat. That intent was momentarily displayed in his dark eyes, too, when he lowered just a bit more, to get closer to her, to feel her breaths. They were a bit cold with her distress. Ah, this was his new favorite game.

She replied best she could. She did well enough under pressure, but she gave a lot away, too. He nodded along with some pandering focus on her. She could take the very obvious ridicule however she wanted. Maybe it'd benefit her not to bring it up. "I wouldn't?" Never hurt you? He asked it with some surprise in his raised eyebrows. He wanted her to think about that. He shrugged and let one corner of his lips curl. "Maybe." A grudge. A grudge from Wei Kou Wen these days could be a death sentence. He laughed dryly "I have a few petitioning babysitters actually." There were a few officers assigned to his file. "But enough about me."

The hand not holding on to the mantle quickly snuk to grab her waist, which her vest generously provided. His thumb and fingers squeezed her firmly, and they ended up underneath the fabric of her hanging clothing. She was so much smaller than he remember. Toy sized. When she used to be enough to eclipse his freedom. "How have you been? You snagged my brother and I haven't even congratulated you." She'd wanted to protest to his touch and he shook her by the grip he had on her to see if that'd rock her brain enough that she'd continue to listen. "Hey, maybe I should throw you a bachelorette party? I know some venues and could probably score some... party tricks." he said and let his thumb rest on her rib. "Just saying." It'd be odd with such casual talk from such a cavernous voice.

 

[reverie.]

He was too close. Way too close. She could feel his cigarette breath against her face, but her eyes never strayed from his. He was taking advantage of the fact that she was alone. Because if his brother had been there, he wouldn't dare. If Pete were there to witness this—whatever this was—he would have stopped it. He would have told his little brother to step away from his fiancé and leave her be. But Pete wasn't there. He was not there to witness his little brother being way out of line nor stop him from being an asshole. Maddie simply didn't have another definition for Wei right now. He was being an ass and he knew it. He was pushing buttons she didn't know she had.

The way he answered her statement about him never hurting her made her skin crawl. She tried to keep her expression calm and not show any sign of fear, but she knew at that exact moment that he would. If he wanted to, he would hurt her. Now that he was bigger and stronger, it would probably be easy for him too. So Madeline decided not to give him a reason to. If she just played it cool, he'd have to behave himself. At least that was what she convinced himself. But she was a fool for thinking that this Wei Kou would ever play by any rules. He might have allowed her to be in charge of him all those years ago, but he was the one in charge now. And the fact that he wasn't afraid to prove it, scared the shit out of her.

As soon as he grabbed her by the waist, she knew he was testing the waters—testing her. What he was doing was highly inappropriate. She was about to get married in a few months and he was her fiancé's little brother. He shouldn't be touching her at all. And yet, Maddie didn't pull away. She couldn't hide her surprise and disbelief, but she didn't flinch. The fact that she was almost a decade older than him didn't help the situation. Or the fact that they used to be the same height but now he towered over her. For some reason, she thought she'd always have some sort of power over him, but he'd made it perfectly clear now that he did not answer to anyone anymore, let alone her. And if he actually had a grudge against her. . . She tried not to think about it. If it turned out he had a vendetta against her, surely Pete would be able to talk him out of it.

But when he squeezed her waist and his hand slid under her wrapped sweater, Maddie knew for sure he was toying with her. He had to be. His palm covered so much of her bare skin and it just felt wrong. So fucking wrong. And yet she pretended it didn't bother her in the slightest—but it really fucking did. She wondered if he did it to prove that she was no longer untouchable. Because if he had tried to touch her—inappropriately at least—when she was babysitting him or hurt her in any way, shape, or form, he'd pay the consequences of it. But now? Now he was free to do as he pleased because she had no one to run to. Sure, she could probably mention it to Pete or their parents, but it would be his word against hers. She did not doubt that Wei could easily convince them that he'd done nothing inappropriate and that she was overreacting. Should they believe him, her word would mean nothing in the future.

But it wouldn't come to that, because he was simply messing with her right now. He was just being silly as if he was teasing a little sister or something. But when was he going to stop? Before or after he had gotten a reaction out of her?

She tried to adjust her posture a little bit, to see if he'd move his hand. When he didn't, she straightened herself. He spoke as though they were having a normal conversation and that there was nothing odd about him having his hand under her shirt. She forced a smile to her lips, her body going completely still under his grip. He was really pushing his luck, but there was no way she was going to let him win this little game he was playing. "Thank you," she said, her voice a lot sweeter than it had been only seconds before. "Pete's truly the best. It's such a shame he's away this weekend, don't you think? I mean, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that you stopped by to check on me though." Her voice was almost too sweet, but laced with a hint of sarcasm—it almost sounded like a threat. She wouldn't mention this, because that would be ludicrous, but she'd definitely tell Pete that he had stopped by unannounced and that he'd better tell his little brother that next time he decided to come over he'd better give them a heads-up first.

Madeline tried so hard to ignore his hand. Actually—she tried not to think about him or how close they were, but it seemed like Wei was doing everything in his power to make her as uncomfortable as possible. She arched her brows at his offer and shook her head in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "I don't think that's how bachelorette parties work." She didn't mention that she wasn't particularly interested in his so-called party tricks—or him. "Besides, shouldn't you be focusing on Pete's bachelor party? Because there'd better not be any strippers involved." Her tone was playful, but she was dead serious. The last thing she wanted was for Pete to get a lapdance from a beautiful girl in high heels and sexy lingerie. Maddie knew he was faithful and that he loved her, but seeing Wei now, she wouldn't put it past him to drag Pete to a strip club. And if they added alcohol and some adrenaline into the equation, something was doomed to happen. "Perhaps you should check in with the other guys? I don't know if you noticed—" Of course, he must have noticed. He just didn't seem to give a fuck. She nodded her head towards all the boxes surrounding them. "But I'm sort of in the middle of something right now." Literally. But the truth was that she just wanted him out. Out of her house. Out of her face. Preferably out of her life, but that didn't seem to happen anytime soon.

She was still having a hard time adjusting to all the changes he'd gone through in the last five years. How much he'd grown. How bold he had become. How much he intimidated her. But most importantly how scared she was of him—because she was. He was no longer the fifteen-year-old boy she'd ordered to finish his homework nor was he the kid she'd eaten sandwiches with in front of the TV. No, this was someone else entirely. And Maddie wasn't sure if she wanted to get to know him.

 

[Verse]

There were so many pretty things flitting over her face. She was realizing her position in things, she was learning her new place in her her new home when he was here. He brought this hierarchy wherever he went, and she was used to rules and airs to protect her. She didn't have any of that now. Just him. Just the thing he'd grown into when she wasn't looking, or even thinking of. Beautiful, naïve woman, who'd been tasked to take care of him, once, keep him out of trouble. The trouble he became. He liked that he could confused her, when she'd been so sure she had power here, simply because her name was on the deed. Did she really think he'd had nothing to do with that, too? Houses here weren't just a big price tag, they were about connections. Mother and father knew it, them in the light - but you couldn't grow tall and proud and drink up the sun with your leaves if you didn't have your roots buried deep in the dirt. He was part of the Wen success now. The connection they'd tried to keep from forming. But they were thriving, weren't they? Olympus needs Hades.

And all her pretenses went away when he took hold of her. Soft skin for him to have, underneath her flimsy, comfortable clothing. She was warm. And however she tried to hold her ground, she knew she couldn't speak up against him or she would. Whatever she did, this was proof enough that Madeline McKenzie understood her predicament. Even if she thought denying it would help her, in any way. He didn't mind. He thrived on frightened people trying to appease him so he wouldn't do more than he did. He stroked her to test, and she was just as gracious as a host of her body as she was of her house. He enjoyed the freedom. It was also an epiphany for him. She was his now, in some way, or in any way that he might decide.

She was brimming with thoughts. She let his words hit her face with his breath, and she took it. How fast she fell in line. She wasn't made out of the stuff he was. No one in his family was. He enjoyed that she was older, should know better, should know something to get her out of this. But he was learning what he already knew from life underneath the Yareli streelights; if he exerted enough force, quiet or loud, he could get what he wanted. Even a woman soon to be wed to some other. Even his brother's fiancée.

He thought the friction of her smooth skin when she shifted was delicious on his palm and fingertips. Like she was reciprocating his touch, asking for more. She would notice her motion made the hand hold on just a bit tighter, dig in a little more, its pressure correcting her posture with her own attempt to do so. Like she was his doll. His head tilted when she spoke to him. Ah, he liked her like this. Her barbs were tender. Nothing she had in her arsenal could cut him. She was adorable when she thought her implications could stunt him in any way, and his expression reflected his dismissal of her supposed pushback. What was it worth when he heard it all while still transgressing on her bodily autonomy? What do monsters care about pretty women's voices, other than to make them scream or moan?

"I am checking you out, aren't I?" he agreed. The thumb was climbing higher underneath the flap of her tied-up vest. He might not stop until the tip of it graced the underside of her breast. How scandalous that'd be. It could be considered bold, but was it really? There were no possible ramifications for him. And perhaps still within the realm of what she thought she could ignore to keep this from escalating. Mentioning it and putting it out in the open would make it real. Could Maddie deal with the reality of her little brother-in-law touching her there?

He looked at her dismissively while she prattled on. It wasn't a bad idea, making a man out of his brother. "I'll make sure to put together something for him, then." One night of drinking with Wei would cost years out of anyone's life. Sometimes all of them. The threat of taking her fiancée partying might be the worst threat he could give her, but she probably considered the hand worse, right now. Because his former babysitter didn't know him. The tall animal that interacted with her here like it was human hummed with some predatory pleasure, when she continued her verbal lashings. It was an unusual sound, a mixture between a purr and a growl. It spoke to the depths in his chest, and the depths in which his darkness hid. All of it aimed at her.

He turned to look out the wealth of boxes, and that's when he accidentally lifted his thumb to brush and weigh the low of her tit, underneath her top. When he turned back to her he shrugged. The thumb was now stroking the flesh it was slightly embedded into, hidden from sight, but not from her sense of feeling. The palm on her ribs pushed her further back, and he bent the arm on the mantle to get closer to her. He had to bend quite a bit to look her in the eye, directly. "Ah, it seems you are. Would you like a hand? I'd be a bad brother-in-law if I didn't help ya out." His dark eyes were a bit sleepy from his confidence, but there was an abyssal wisdom there too, from having seen primal scenes when the sun was down, all of it aimed at her.

 

[reverie.]

Madeline was quick to open her mouth as soon as the words had left his. She wanted to correct him, to say that there was a huge difference between checking on someone and checking out someone. But her words got stuck in her throat the moment she felt his hand brush against the underside of her boob. She tried to hide the shock. He was playing a dangerous game, indeed. Perhaps he thought it would make her go crazy. Perhaps it would have too, if she hadn't been so afraid of him. The grip he had around her waist was firm and even if she'd tried to get away from him, he'd probably just pull her closer. If she wanted him gone, she had to make him let go. But under no fucking circumstances was it okay for him to touch her like that. To touch her boob like that. Only Pete was allowed to touch them—touch her. Wei shouldn't even expect a hug, and yet he touched her as if he owned every inch of her. He. Did. Not.

She had a hard time concealing her heavy breathing when he was standing so close, but at least she managed to keep her face somewhat neutral as if she was unfazed about this whole encounter. It probably would have worked better if her cheeks weren't flushed with embarrassment. And not only because he was touching her inappropriately, but because a part of her had always been ashamed of her small breasts. They would fit nicely in his palm—just like they did in his brother's—but she'd rather he didn't touch them at all. If she'd grabbed his wrist, would he have lowered his hand? If she'd told him to get his hand away from her fucking breast, would he? She doubted it. It seemed like this Wei did exactly what Wei wanted, and right now that was to make his old babysitter as uncomfortable as he possibly could. And he was succeeding. Maddie just tried to hide it.

It took her a few seconds to collect herself. "I guess you are," she said, trying to keep her voice sweet but it sounded rather forced. If Pete had known what his little brother was doing, he'd probably punch him straight in the face. She'd always known that Pete was nothing like his brother, but this certainly proved it. Pete would never be so reckless. No one she knew would dare to touch another man's woman like this—no one. It was obvious that Wei no longer was the teenager she'd been babysitting—she hadn't expected him to be—but never in a million years had she imagined he'd change this much. He and Pete couldn't have been more different.

A low, disapproval sound escaped her lips when his thumb traced the outline of her breast. He was crossing every line there was, and he knew it. He was doing it on fucking purpose. When he turned his head back to look at her—as if his thumb wasn't stroking her boob—she couldn't hide the anger from her eyes. He was playing with fire and she was the one getting burned. When he pressed himself even closer, he might as well have suffocated her. Maddie looked up at him, trying her best to remain calm. Collected. Brave.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at his words. Was he fucking serious? He was already a bad brother-in-law, touching her like that. And she would like his hand—and the rest of him—to get the fuck out of her house. And perhaps the only way to make that happen was to make him taste his own medicine. If he wanted to play this game with her, surely he must have expected her to play it with him. The corner of her lips curled into a sweet, not-so-innocent smile as she let her hand brush against the front of his pants. And just like him, she pretended she had no idea what was happening. "You know what? I'm actually doing just fine on my own. Besides, I don't really like people touching my stuff"—She rubbed her palm against his pants as if to get her point across even though she was referring to him touching her—"But I'll let Pete know you stopped by to lend a hand." Maddie had no business touching him either, and she probably shouldn't. But her feelings had taken over and her hand had acted on its own accord. And now, she might as well see it through if only to prove that she was not that afraid of him. He might be taller than her, but she was still older. That had to stand for something because there was no way she would let Pete's little brother intimidate her like that. If he was going to play dirty, so was she. Yet Maddie told herself it was just a means to make him remove his hand from under her sweater. She had no real interest in touching him—not yet.

 

[Verse]

He saw the emotions change in her. Her imposed stillness was obliterated even if she clawed on to it. Like a harsh wind pulling at a light snow cover. She was so alive with feelings, twisted in her way, when he perfectly transgressed on her body, right in the open, during their conversation. It was a new thing for him too, a kind of milestone, to get to overstep on her, to finally touch her breast. Those elusive things in her reasonable tops when she used to babysit for him. He didn't know what he'd expected from their first meeting as adults together, but he was liking the outcome. Madelene was getting the crash course in the new Him. A Him he was proud of. The insecurity receded from her pretty features, adorable now because he saw them from above. He had been toeing a line up until now. She'd been willing to give her body in part, if it meant appeasing the situation.

The blood assured him how she felt about it. She knew. He could feel heat rise underneath her clothing. He would. His hand was on her, holding firmly and making sure the contact to the low of her modest asset was constant. He was still curious to know how all of it would feel, if he treated himself to a good glom. Any attempt at keeping her hope that this would pass as nothing would be gone then. Ah, but maybe it'd be worth it? He had done worse to girls on their first meeting. Maddie wouldn't be stronger than any of them, even if she still might think she could tell him what to do. He was savoring the power she let him have through her stunted pause. How intimate this reintroduction was. Would this be their dynamic, going forward? She was a good hostess, so far. Or maybe he was just being the right kind of guest to take advantage?

But through all her trepidation, and all the obvious tension caused by his obvious abuse of her unwillingness to point out his crassness, she still didn't go off. Not yet. A smile split his face further when she replied. It was incredible that she'd still play at pretenses and carry the conversation when his hand was on her breast. They'd not seen each other for five minutes yet. Checking her out. "And how do you feel about that, future Mrs. Sister in law?" he asked with the cavernous notes she should now be at least a little familiar with. Talking to Wei Kou Wen was always like talking to the abyss. And the way he stared at her was reminiscent of that, too.

So of course he took more freedoms. He wanted to see where that little spark would go. It was like this when you were dealing with upstarts on the street too. Sometimes you had to let them do their worst, so that they'd know there wasn't enough power to their name to stop him. She was only upset because she thought she was worth more than this. But to him, right now, her breast was her value. And, last time he checked, between monsters and brides-to-be, it was the monsters that dictated the currency. He was famished for what she'd give him for his transgression, though. The thumb continued to pet her little titty, higher and higher.

His eyes swirled with new shadows when he saw the initiative in hers. Angry girls almost always work against themselves. If she was weaker, there was nothing that her wrath could buy her against him. But he'd never expected her to retaliate like that. Her hand, proportional or smaller to her already lacking build, would discover in its petting exploration, that Wei may be youngest out of the three of them, but he had certainly grown the most. She'd be familiar with the older Wen brother, and now that she could compare, she'd know that the testosterone that had built Wei tall had also built him big. The smugness in his predatory grin suggested strongly that he knew. Her veiled warnings didn't work very well on him, because of that. This youngster obviously thought he had nothing to fear, from noone.

He touched his lips together and then parted them slightly to sigh dismissively, as though she was being difficult - as though her move might have affected him exactly the way she meant to. "Thing is, though, Madeline, all I touch..." and then he shifted. The hand on the mantle quickly snatched up her neck instead, pushing her back. Because the stone edge stopped her, it would be digging in against the back of her skull, keeping her there for him as his other hand, underneath her vest, fully claimed her breast. It was a lovely handful for him, and his hand on her throat slid up to grab her jaw, lifting her chin.

His nose was almost touching hers in his downward tilt. His breaths were making her lips moist. "...becomes my stuff." His index finger was slightly hooking into the corner of her lips to deform her expression while his thumb and the other fingers were clawing on to her jaw. His body pressed against hers, which meant her own hand would be caught between them, and his cock would be grinding against her palm, proud to show her more than just a fleeting clue as to its real heft. She'd mostly be palming the base of it, as it was kept against him with his underwear, and her fingers weren't enough to span his entire slack length. All she'd know was that he was warm, and that there was more to him than she could touch, and that his girth was greater than her fiancée's. "So why don't you be a good little girl and say 'Welcome to my home, Wei', and I'll let you continue." It was the best deal she'd be getting from him, and he was increasingly sure she was understanding that.

 

[reverie.]

Madeline didn't know what she had expected would happen, but it wasn't this. It happened so fast she didn't have time to prepare herself. One moment he was still brushing his thumb over her breast and she had her palm against his manhood—through the fabric of his pants at least—and the next he had his hand around her throat, pushing the back of her head against the hard stone of the fireplace. She let out a whimper as her free hand shot up to grab his wrist, pulling at it. Her other hand was now trapped between them, her palm pressed against the bulge in his pants. She tried to hide her shock as she felt him beneath her touch. Even without him being erect, she could tell he was bigger than her fiancée. Longer too. How could that be when Pete was at least two inches taller than him? Not that it mattered. Maddie was more than satisfied with her fiancée's cock; he filled her up nicely. She couldn't care less about the size of Wei's shaft. He'd better keep it far away from her, yet she didn't dare to try to wiggle her hand free.

But what really made her skin crawl was his hand that now had cupped her breast. It fit perfectly in his palm, just like it did in Pete's when he cupped them. Her breathing became ragged and she was having trouble hiding the panic from her face. He was so fucking close, their noses only a hairsbreadth apart. His words, however, were perhaps the most terrifying. Everything he touched became his. As if she was now his just because he had his hands on her. Maddie wanted to tell him that she was already taken. That she was not interested. That she didn't care. But when she opened her mouth, only air came out. Besides, maybe it was just a manner of speech? That he didn't mean it literally. How could he? She was marrying his brother in a few months. Wei couldn't have her. No one could. If he wanted a woman to play with, he'd have to find someone else—someone who wasn't about to get married.

When he placed his finger in her mouth, she let out something that resembled a disapproval growl. Even if she'd wanted to bite him, he kept his finger away from her teeth and she couldn't move her head as much as she wanted to. She didn't say a word—her expression spoke for her—as he pressed himself against her, squeezing her between his body and the fireplace. Pete was taller than him, and yet she'd never felt so small around him. Her fiancée would never have done something like this either, not even as a joke. Maybe that was all this was to him—a joke? Or maybe it was a test? A test to see if she was loyal to his brother. No, that didn't seem likely. That wouldn't require him to be so. . . so demanding.

She'd been a fool for thinking that she could handle him. To think that their reunion would be anything but unpleasant. She hadn't expected him to bring her flowers, but she hadn't expected him to make her feel powerless either. Because that was exactly what she was. She didn't stand a fucking chance against him. It didn't matter that she was nine years older when he could take what he wanted from her as easily as it was stealing candy from a kid. Not that she had anything to give him. Nothing she had to give was his to take. What he'd already done—what she had done—was so wrong. Wrong and fucked up. She wasn't proud of it, but she blamed him for it. For bringing out the worst in her. They weren't supposed to be this close. Weren't supposed to be touching each other. It was just another game. One she had no plans of losing, despite her odds. If he wanted her to be a good girl, she'd be a good girl.

Eventually, Maddie gritted out, "Welcome to my home, Wei." It was obvious that she didn't mean a word of it. Her mouth said one thing, but her eyes spelled FUCK YOU. Madeline was fuming. Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she added, "By all means—make yourself at home." They both knew he'd already done more than that. She might have done exactly what he'd wanted her to do, but if he thought for a second that she was going to surrender to him just like that, he had to think again. If the only way out of this current situation—to make him let go—was to play his game, she would play it. And she would play it masterfully.

Wei might have won this round, but Madeline had not lost. She did not give up that easily. She would not crumble. She would not break. She would show him that she could handle every trick he might have up his sleeve. He might have frightened her a little, but she could handle it. She was a big girl, after all. The day she'd let Pete's baby brother get to her is the day pigs fly.

 

[Verse]

She was no more formidable then he thought. But somehow her whimpers and the heat and texture of her body meant more to him, because it had all been unreachable at one time. Like any healthy male coming into his own, he'd of course thought about her as a sexual creature, when he didn't consider her an authority or even friend. Now she was a woman who couldn't do anything about his physical advancement. Other than to passively react. His eyes were shades darker when her hand slapped over his wrist. He loved when they did that because that only underlined how useless their strength was, put up against his. The surprise in her face was delicious, and he got to see it perfectly because he controlled the angle of her jawline. So light, when her judgement had been so heavy, to start. He knew what her surprise was for, when she felt his cock. It was a point of pride for the youngster, and he flexed pelvic muscles to have his cock shift against her insufficient palm. Her reaction, and he would say it looked partially like awe, let him know something about his brother that his brother likely wouldn't want to share.

When he claimed her she was in a disarray. The woman who'd been smart enough to help and correct his homework, was now at her wits end. Like his words had potential to be her judgement. Like she was pleading with him to not make it so. And that meant she was already lost. That if he thought he owned her, then she knew she'd wouldn't be entirely in her right to say no. That's why she was hoping that he wasn't serious. And he just massaged her breast firmer for it. Really mapping out her soft orb and squeezing it. It would feel exactly like he was marking ownership, to decline the initial plea in her eyes. And when she tried to retort, but only offered her hot breath, he snickered like she was the worst kind of idiot. Pitiful. Where had all her bravado gone? Where was the bossy woman who owned this house and had babysat him? He was of course ecstatic to have reduced her to this.

He played with her mouth while still controlling her jaw. Her little flare of anger only made her prettier. Her teeth weren't an issue. "What?" he offered like she was nothing, and her ability to retaliate was forgettable. The shrink in her body, what little she could manage, let him know how she felt about this, despite the bravery she tried to put forward. Some tried to stay collected and in charge, but how could they when he was putting them in entirely new moments? It was time for him to expand her mind. He liked the deformed grimace her forced her beautiful features into. He would do his best to make her half-still-elegant, and the half-deranged expression translate to her inside, as well.

He pushed tighter against her, his hips rolling once to mash his cock into her caught hand. He didn't mind waiting, because she was lovely to look at when she reflected all his power, and her stunted ability to do anything against him. She was learning something from her former student, and he was eager to put some knowledge in her gorgeous head, to mix it up with wedding plans and missing Pen. She'd heard his terms, and she really didn't have as much of a choice as he'd made it sound. He would have to keep enjoying their physical connection while she figured that out. On paper Madeline McKenzie was smart, but the only paper that mattered to the rotten Wen son was the kind he'd line his pockets with, once he'd gotten what he came here for. So her grades and education meant very little now, against her future little brother in law.

He shivered with triumph when she let those words out her compromised mouth. So she could obey when she was pushed hard enough. It was the start of it. She didn't know. But letting him do one thing to her, and responding the way he wanted, meant he would never stop. There was something scrumptious in making a woman say what you wanted. His mouth watered when he took in the loathing in her eyes. His brows lifted when she added for him to make himself at home. "Oh I think I will." he said and finally gave her tit one last squeeze before sliding out of her top. But whatever misguided relief she may get from that would be thwarted when the same motion pulled at the string that kept the vest together, undoing the bow. He dug his fingers harder against her jaw and cheek, securing with his thumb still, to address her thought of rectifying it by covering up. "Ah-ah." he warned and then finally let go of her, tossing her head to the side like it was dismissed.

If she'd still try for modesty, and tie it up, a quick, expert clap to her cheek would flicker from his arm and palm. He had killing speed now, and even if she was a healthy female, she hadn't had to use her reflexes to save her life from someone trying to beat her to death, like him. He knew exactly the velocity it'd take to catch a woman off guard. But maybe she was smart enough not to try and cover herself up at all. what would that say about her? Maybe that would make them more compatible. Either way, he'd look around to find what he'd come here for.

"Those." he said and nodded to a group of smaller boxes. He couldn't see the green one that he had smugglers nestle into the shipping load, but they'd said it'd be among the kitchen ware, and that's what the top box said. "Maybe you should move those next?" Suggestions from Wei, though, should come with a certain amount of weight to her, now.

 

[reverie.]

He was massaging her breast in the same manner Pete did, and it was fucking disgusting. He had no right to do so. It didn't exactly hurt even though she wished it would. No, it felt rather good. If she had closed her eyes, she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. But if it had hurt, it would have made it so much easier to hate it. To hate his touch—to hate him. Those few times when he squeezed extra hard, she'd let out a soft, almost inaudible whimper. And she fucking hated herself for it. But she just couldn't help it. Her body seemed to lust for his touch—for his attention—and she was in no position to demand him to stop. She wasn't in a position to demand anything. He made the demands. He called the shots. He made her whimper like a fucking sixteen-year-old who was being touched for the first time. She was lost for words. Her body was obviously screaming yes, but her eyes were screaming no. She wanted him to stop—to let go of both her boob and her jaw—but she just stared up at him with a pleading look.

She squirmed against him, not even trying to hide the fact that she was trying to get away from him. He might as well be made of the same material as the fireplace because he didn't budge. She could feel his cock grow against her small hand, and it was massive. For a split second, she felt sorry for whoever had to deal with a cock that size. She'd never been more grateful for the fact that Pete was closer to average. He was bigger than the guys she had screwed before they became a couple, but he was nowhere near this big. Wei certainly had changed a lot. It was surreal that they hadn't seen each other in five years, and yet he came into her new home and treated her as if he had every right to take advantage of her frail body—as if it was his. When truly, he knew very damn well that she belonged to his brother. Maddie knew Wei wouldn't be a teenager forever, but she had expected him to be more. . . harmless.

But it was the way he played with her mouth—forcing her to make all sorts of grimaces—that made her see red. And that was exactly what she needed to make her courage resurface. That, and the fact that the back of her head was starting to hurt quite a lot. But she hadn't expected him to take her words so literally. First, she was half startled by his words, and then she felt a wave of relief washing over her when he finally retrieved his hand from under her sweater. But her relief was short-lived because before she had a chance to understand what was happening, he had pulled at the string holding her sweater together. One side of the fabric fell, leaving the other half to be connected to the sweater but not covering shit. His fingers pressed harder against her jaw before her arm reached its destination. And then it was that sound he made, signaling that she wasn't allowed to cover herself up. Fuck him. She let out a hiss, looking up into his eyes with fear and embarrassment written all over her face. She knew she'd regret not wearing a bra, but she didn't know she would regret it this much.

Madeline reached for the string the second he let her go. She wanted to wrap it back up as soon as possible to cover her small tits, which he really had no business seeing. But Wei had other plans. Even if she had seen it coming—which she didn't—she wouldn't have been able to avoid his palm. It connected with her cheek out of the blue, and it made her stumble right back into the fireplace. Instead of covering her tits with her arms, she now held her palm against her cheek. It burned. If she wasn't allowed to cover herself up, she had to be creative.

She forced a smile to her lips, one filled with hatred as her eyes followed the direction of his nod. "What a great idea," she said, her voice still dripping with sarcasm. But the truth was, it was actually a great idea. Because if she moved or unpacked those boxes in the kitchen, she could use them to cover her chest. So, Maddie did exactly what he had suggested and picked up two of the smaller boxes and carried them to the kitchen. She put them down on the island in the center of the room and positioned herself behind them, so the boxes covered her chest. She hoped Wei had the brains to figure out that the other boxes in that stack also had to be carried into the kitchen. "You know," she said loudly, reaching up to place a few cups on a shelf in a cabinet behind her. "You should be really fucking grateful that Pete isn't coming home until tomorrow." She stacked another row of cups on the shelf. "Because you wouldn't dare to pull a stunt like this if he was around." If Pete had been home, Wei wouldn't have been able to get within arm's reach of her without raising suspicion. He probably knew that already. So, if he had some unfinished business with her, he had to wrap it up before he left. Because after today, Madeline would make sure he never touched her ever again. He might have seen her boobs—touched them—but it would be the last fucking time. The only time. She’d make sure of it.

 

[Verse]

Sensitivity came at a scale. She was revealing where she sat on it, when he overtook her softness, underneath the almost-shirt. He recorded it all into his memory, just which pressure made her give what reactions. His fingers sunk into the inviting texture, soft enough to fall through, but also responsive enough to give the perfect resistance. An addictive sensation to play with. The kind that could occupy him for hours. He hadn't even seen them yet, her secret things, but now he'd touched her like that, and she hadn't swatted him away. Her noises were unforgivable in their confession. He gave her more of it, when she let him know just what she liked, despite herself. Maybe a little harder. It resonated with her. There was very little room for her to draw back and away from him, no real choice to defend herself, but what little she could do, she didn't. Was she aware that she was becoming an accomplice to this? She was certainly proving to be his taste; a woman way in over her head, and not knowing it yet. Though it'd be fun to let her see that, too. What expression would she make for him? He thought about her face at his level, when he was younger, and she had all the power. Now she was this whimpering mess, letting him have her jaw and breast, all the same. He thought it was a perfect graduation for him, to have overtaken something in his youth that had been above him.

He mourned her a bit, when he decided to let that round go. He was sure it would miss him too. And with its freedom, he also freed the binding strings of her vest with a tug. There was surprise and then fear in her eyes. Would it matter? He didn't think much of her modesty, other than entertainment for him to deal with before he got to have more of her. Her own attachment to it was trivial to him, even if it did provide perfect visuals over her embarrassed features. How sweetly the older woman could blush. First whimpering like a slut, and now this coy coloration to her cheeks. She was calling for him, wasn't she? His irises were flooded by his expanding pupils when his adrenaline drowned out his veins. She didn't know it, but she needed him. Her soft skin and brittle bones needed the things he'd learned, and the tastes he'd acquired. The boy she knew was gone, he had eaten him to survive out there. She was just talking to the monster that wore him. And that monster wanted things from her. And that meant she had to give them, no matter what she wanted, herself.

He breasts were beautiful. Natural and generous in their sudden reveal from fleeing fabric, as though the garment was meant to flitter to the sides. More of his predatory nature was awakened. It was not hard for him to slap her for the insult of her trying to cover up. He loved it; the sensation to his hand on her cheek kissing it, the sound, the weight of her head as it yielded for his arching force. She would be devastated to know that she had the perfect face to rap. She went back a bit from it, to where he wanted her, all along. A perfect pose of indignation and pain. She gave him what he wanted. What a lovely image; Madeline with her breasts out, cradling her reddening cheek. It had been such a rush to hit her. It made the violence coil in heavy tendrils behind his ribs. Now that he'd let it loose, it didn't want to be contained again. It wanted to do more to her. Ah, she looked too good, with her breasts out and her hand to her cheek.

It was a wild animal looking at her when she complied. He should have known it was too simple, and he saw her side of it soon. He did frown when he looked her over, and she moved the wares to hide herself. But he saw the box revealed. The color they had said, though he'd imagined it a brighter hue in his head. Green. This was faded. He supposed it was better to blend in. Something neon would have registered to her. It was tagged with a label that said 'forks' on it. It wasn't her handwriting, he knew that well. She'd written with him enough times that he couldn't forget. His own penmanship was much better because of it. "Yeah?" he challenged her when she brought his brother into this. "Didn't know you relied so much on your man." he continued as he leaned down and pulled the box, his box, up with both his hands.

He stood by the island soon, and placed the box there, next to hers, and laid claim to it with his hand. The same that had slapped her. "So does that mean that because he's not here, I can do whatever I want with you?" At this distance, he would be able to see her. She had somehow adhered to the warning that was drawing his handprint on her cheek, and not covered up her chest yet. That alone was showing a capacity of obedience that he liked. She'd lived a soft life. She didn't have the properties to resist him. He put his elbow on his box instead, his dark eyes bearing into her as he supported his chin on his palm. "How about you ditch that vest completely?" he offered with a friendly, poisoned tone. Had he shown her enough to make her comply? Had she felt enough of herself to want to? He drank her in, up and down. Maybe she was lewder this way, mostly dressed but with her chest offered to him. He wanted to see how much of her he could have, for that little price. "Or would you like me to insist some more?" he teased with a sharp toothed grin.

 

[reverie.]

Madeline was really struggling to let her guard down. A part of her was afraid he'd jump her any second or when she was least prepared for it. That he'd come around the island and straddle her against it. She shook the image out of her head and continued to stack cups and glasses in the cupboard behind her. Perhaps it was a good thing Pete wasn't home. That way, she had the opportunity to prove that she didn't need a man to protect her. Wei stood close enough, his hand resting on a greenish box she couldn't quite recognize—it was probably one of Pete's—but now that his hands were just out of reach, Maddie had no reason to keep her mouth in line. “I don’t. But you certainly seem to take advantage of it. You honestly think you can waltz in here like you fucking own the place and bend me to your will just because you’re bigger than me now?” She stopped what she was doing, clutching one cup in each hand, and looked over at him with a look that showed him exactly what she felt about the situation she now found herself in—about him. He was bigger than her, that fact was undeniable. Not only that, but stronger too. She was a fool if she thought she could pick a fight with him and win. He'd probably realized that too, the second he laid his eyes on her. Maddie hadn't really been a match for him back then—but at least she'd had his parents to hide behind—but now she didn't stand a fucking chance. She was still the same size she had been five years ago, he was not.

Her left cheek was pink from where he'd slapped her. The stinging pain was still very much present, but she tried to ignore it. The last thing she wanted was to give him any indication that she was hurting. The humiliation of having her breasts on display was more than enough. But he had a lot of nerve to even suggest that she removed the entire sweater. That was not going to happen—not in this lifetime. She wanted to tell him that Pete had barely seen her breasts in broad daylight, so he should count himself lucky. And now he wanted her to strip? Wasn't it enough to see her petite breasts? Did he really need to see her bare back, her toned stomach, and her lean arms too? She wondered if he was just trying to abuse his power, or if he actually wanted to see more of her skin. He hadn't exactly seen much of her back in the day, as she'd never worn anything revealing to their house. But her skin had always been flawless. There was not a single scar on her body—probably because she'd never tried anything risky. Madeline had always followed the rules. She had never put herself in a position where she could risk hurting herself. Not physically, at least. She had gotten her heart broken once, but that was long before she started dating Pete. Letting Wei squeeze her boob and leaving them out in the open for him to see was probably the most reckless thing she had ever done.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," she snapped at him. “This is my house—and Pete’s. And if you keep this up, I’ll make sure you never set foot inside this house again." She didn't even try to hold back her resentment towards him. Everything about him furiated her. Everything he had done since he arrived only ten minutes ago. He didn't own her. And she didn't owe him anything. If he thought that touching her boob was a fair trade for all the times she had threatened to tell his parents he wouldn't listen to her, he was mistaken. There was a lot of things he could have done—said—that would make up for it, but invading her personal space and pushing her buttons was not the way to go. "Do not mistake my compliance for weakness, Wei. Whatever power you think you have over me, is the power I've given you. So make sure you get a good look at my boobs before you leave, because it will be the last time you see them.” That was a fact. A promise. Maddie wanted to believe that if she'd really wanted to, she could have easily wrapped her sweater back up. But instead, she wanted to play his game. Or at least show him that she was a valuable player. If he wanted to intimidate her, she'd show him how well she could handle it. Yes, it was humilating and she hated every second of it, but she would not cower in his presence. He was Pete's little brother for fucks sake. He was almost ten years younger than her! He literally had no power over her, other than the power she gave him. At least, that was what she told herself.

One cup still in each hand, she lowered her gaze to the box he was practically guarding. She could see half of the word written on it. It didn't take a rocket scientist to piece together the rest of the word. FORKS. "Aren't you going to open that?" She gestured toward the box with a cup, lifting her gaze to meet his again. "If you're going to stick around, you might as well help me," she said. Her voice sounded slightly more controlled now. Not sweet, but not as venomous either. In fact, Madeline seemed to be a lot calmer and more confident now that she'd said everything she'd wanted to say. If that didn't send the right message, she didn't know what would.

 

[Verse]

He waited while she got some glasses into the cupboard. No way was that what she really wanted to do. She'd rather chase him out of the house, but she busied herself best she could so she wouldn't show how she really felt. He liked it, the small silence only broken by the measured impact of thick glass bottoms to the shelves she were putting them on. He could wait. His question hung in the air nicely, and the implications were even more prominent in the atmosphere between them. He was trying to see what kind of ass she had in those pants, matching the opened vest. She was playing housewife with her tits out. But she still thought she had cards to play, now that she had placed herself out of his direct reach. He had to bite down on laughter when she took advantage, and tried to accost him verbally. Big girl, all of a sudden, when she thought she was safe. How many times did he have to show her that she was only as safe as he thought she should be? When she looked at him holding those glasses, he let his eyes direct hers to the objects in her hands, challenging her to hurl them at him, if she thought that'd help. If throwing trinkets at him worked, then there'd be a lot more people alive in Yareli, now. He tilted his head when she thought about it. Seemed the situation was finally sinking into her.

She fumed, and with her face marked, and her breasts out, it was just a pleasant display for him. How theatrical she was being, like some old goddess, sacked by a mortal, from those light-encrusted oil paintings that were all the shit in the known galleries, downtown. He waited patiently for her to start talking. He did want her to take the vest off. He'd enjoy the show, she'd been fine entertainment so far, but it was also to make her do more of what he wanted. To train her. Even though she wouldn't admit it, not even to herself, yet, she was on her way of becoming his little pet. She'd already let this go rather far. She wasn't currently kicking and screaming, and that meant she was exactly the personality type that did well under the kind of pressure he provided. If she'd been one of the girls he imported for the Lantern Houses, then she'd be a fucking ringer. Would the prim and proud little Ms. McKenzie like to know that? That she was primed to be a lucrative working girl?

He was in awe of her little show, but his approving expression had a very hungry lilt to it. It was fun to get so many emotions out of her, so much confidence, while she still pointed her nipples at him. They were smaller mounds, but they were matured, rather than the incessant springy fair he got with recently legal girls available to him. He liked Maddie's a lot, and made a point out of staring at them while she had her little speech. He even allowed her to settle into a kind of calm afterward. The boy she knew had grown patient in her wake, because he'd been faced with rather testing situations in the new life he lead. Keeping your head meant keeping your life, out there.

But something in his eternal calm shifted when she mentioned the box. He looked down at it shortly and then back up at her. The tall shadow that had come to visit her, unbidden, slunk around the island, to her side, and easily took the glass from her. He chose a place for it on the shelves and closed the cupboard so as to end her current work. "Don't you worry about that box, Maddie." he said and looked her over again. Every time he did it, it was to remind her that she was his to consider. A way to impose his view of her on her, without touching her. He wasn't sure which one she preferred.

But then he did touch her.

It was a simple matter of grabbing her by her waist and lifting her to sit on the counter. He made sure to stand between her legs so she had to keep them parted. He looked down at her. She wouldn't have a lot of places to go. The sink was to their side but she wouldn't be able to reach it, and the cupboard was behind her, all closed up. He leaned down to place his palms on the edge of the counter, and examined her face like he was deciding where to bite her, in the new, beastly air he was wearing. Had she gotten back enough confidence that she thought she could refuse him, even now? Her tits were calling to him to do awful things. He leaned in and angled his lips as though he was going to kiss her.

"Take. Your. Top. Off." he said against them instead. He pulled back just a little to look into her eyes, so she'd see the light of a threat in his own. Dark pupils, like her fiancée´s but deeper. And the slight flare of his eyelashes suggested she tried to push back at him for it, if she wanted to know exactly what he was capable of, when he didn't get what he wanted from women with their breasts already out.

 

[reverie.]

Madeline was tempted to throw the cups at him. HARD. She was confident it would hurt him too. But then they'd most likely end up shattered on the floor or the counter, and she had to clean up the mess. It wasn't worth it. She'd have to come up with another way to blow off some steam. She could fill the cups with water and throw that at him, but that probably wouldn't hurt at all. . . unless it was boiling water—no, she wasn't going to be the one who ruined the handsome face of her future brother-in-law. If Pete ever found out the truth, he'd hate her for the rest of her life. And Pete was literally the best thing that had ever happened to her. Madeline had been lost before she started dating him. Now he was the love of her life, and she refused to let Wei get in the way of that. If he was going to be an ass, he could be an ass somewhere else. She wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but she didn't want to show him how riled up she truly was.

Her breasts were half hidden behind the boxes she'd stacked on the island, but she could still feel the air circling them, causing her nipples to harden. It didn't matter if he could see them or not, she knew they were sticking out. And it made her uncomfortable. Perhaps if it was Pete in the kitchen with her, she wouldn't be, but it was Wei. Wei who she hadn't seen in five years and who she used to babysit. Oh, how the tables had turned. But she wasn't about to give him more power than he already seemed to have. So, she pretended to be cool with her boobs sticking out. She pretended not to be afraid of him. She pretended to be brave. Confident.

Wei obviously found her little performance amusing. With his eyes practically glued to her tits the whole time, he seemed unbothered by her words. She wasn't sure if she should be pissed off by it or worried. He didn't even seem inclined to give her a response. For a brief moment, she thought she'd gotten away with it all. But as soon as she mentioned that box, something in the air shifted. Did he know something about that box that she didn't? Had Pete hidden something secret inside of it? Why was Wei suddenly being so protective of it? It was their box. Wei shouldn't even care about it, let alone take ownership of it. Maddie was tempted to reach for it, but he moved before she had a chance to. He closed the distance between them faster than she'd anticipated, and it left her frozen in place. She didn't move as he took the cups from her hands and placed them in the cupboard with the others. When he closed the doors after he'd done so, she should have taken the opportunity to get away from him. She should have known he was going to do something reckless. Something she wouldn't like—or approve. Something bad.

He gave her no time to worry about that box. None. Instead, he gave her something new to worry about. Her fucking safety.

Maddie barely had time to register what was happening before her ass was planted on the counter, her back against the cupboards and Wei standing between her legs, forcing them apart. A mixture of shock and terror flashed across her beautiful features when she looked up at him. She really didn't like it when he invaded her personal space like this—when he was within reach to touch every inch of her. Both her cheeks were pink now. The way he looked at her made her shiver. When he leaned down, she automatically leaned back—only to hit the back of her head in the cupboard. She wasn't about to let him kiss her. No fucking way. He might have grown into a rather attractive, young man, but she was still marrying his brother. He shouldn't even have seen her boobs, and certainly not touched them. He had absolutely no business kissing her. Then she realized he hadn't been trying to.

Her breath hitched at his crude words. He couldn't actually be serious. . . But when he leaned back slightly so she could see the threat in his dark eyes, she knew he meant every word. It wasn't even a request. He was demanding her to take her top off. As if he didn't already have full access to her tits. It was ludicrous. The last thing she wanted was to pick a fight with him—to test him—but it seemed like he gave her no choice. Because she wasn't about to let him walk all over her in her own damn kitchen.

"I said—" She leaned closer to him so her lips were only a hairsbreadth from his—mimicking his move from a few seconds ago—silently telling him she wasn't afraid of him. But the truth was, she was fucking terrified. And despite her next words, true fear sparkled in her green eyes like fireworks. "That's. Not. Going. To. Happen." She spelled the words out for him, just like he had to her, keeping her eyes locked on him the whole time. Her voice sounded harsh and determined, but she couldn't hide her uneven breaths or pounding heart. Madeline was not taking her sweater off for him. Not now. Not ever. She was not a fucking puppy—she did not take orders from him. Or anyone for that matter. And yet, Madeline knew that the darkness in his eyes—the raw power in them—meant that he had changed in ways she couldn't begin to fathom. He was a devil in disguise and about to unleash his wrath on her. But she wasn't going to let him.

A split second after the last word had escaped her lips she shoved him—or at least she tried to. As her palms pushed against his solid chest, it took her another split second to realize that he was rock solid. Which meant that she was stuck on that counter between him and the cupboards until he moved. Her hands shot up to cover her boobs as she hissed, "Get the fuck out of my house, Wei." Her tone was so venomous it would have killed him on the spot. She'd had enough of this game of let's see who has the most power now. It was him. He knew it. She knew it. But just because the tables had turned in his favor did not give him the right to demand things. He had to understand that it didn't work like that.