#[^ staring back for a few seconds before taking the coffee and adding a large amount of sugar to it]

[the-grinding-cogs]

… Uh, thanks?

[theorphicangel]

bookshop owner!reader with tattoo artist!suguru is actually brainrotting my mind.

coincidentally, the two stores are directly opposite each other and you can’t help but be drawn to the simple tattoo parlour across.

in bold, the name of the parlour stands above, clean and glistening windows with italic writing promoting to customers. if you squint you can spot artworks displayed in the window, even from afar you can tell how detailed and professional they are.

you’ve never been one for tattoos, your excuse being that you have a low pain tolerance for getting them. but in reality? you’re scared of the idea of a tattoo being permanent , the idea that you’ll get a tattoo you’ll regret or the design will come out ugly or that it’ll—

“do you need help with that?”

a silky voice interrupts your thoughts as you stood staring at the the shop with a cardboard box in your hand. the box contained one of the last piles of books for the store, new arrivals were to come in the next few weeks finally filling up the shelves.

a tall, long raven haired man stands besides you with nothing more but a friendly smile on his face. he stands in a large dark blue sweater, a paper cup of coffee in his hands probably from the local cafe on the same street as you.

it takes you a few seconds to snap back into reality, noticing piercings on his bottom lip and eyebrow.

“I’m fine! thank you.”

“I can take that in for you or at least hold the door open.” the stranger suggests, raising a brow.

a shift appears in pit of your stomach — would it hurt to say yes?

“that would be great, actually.” you return a friendly smile.

as you make your way inside with the assistance of the coffee scented stranger, he begins to make conversation, helping you to the back rooms. “you interested in the tattoo shop across the road?”

you let out a huff, “oh no, not for me. tattoos seem…” you pause for a split second attempting to find the right word, “regretful.”

“how so?”

you ignore the teasing charm of the stranger and continue to give your explanation.

“well for one… it hurts like shit.” you start, “and what if the designs don’t come out the way you want or the person tattooing you messes up? now you’re stuck with this permanent mark on your body, it just seems like a waste of time and money to me anyways.” you huff, finally placing down the box amongst a pile of identical boxes.

the scent of old wood and dust fills your nostrils. The building was older than most among the street yet it still held some sort of modern look. cosy and comfortable was the atmosphere you had wanted to create for your bookstore and it took you ages to find this hidden gem, sending the deposit almost immediately.

the stranger lingers by the doorway of the back room of the store, his dark hair tied up into a man-bun yet it doesn’t fully restrain the few locks which seem to escape. he’s pretty, you muse, as he opens his mouth to speak again.

“maybe this would be some bad news for you but I actually own that tattoo parlour.”

he says it in a lighthearted tone but that doesn’t stop your stomach from dropping any harder.

“oh.”

awkward silence swiftly crashes into the two of you, your face heats up in record time.

you fucking idiot—

“it’s nice to meet you.” the stranger finally speaks, outstretching a hand and as he does so, his sweater rides up his arms a little where you see black ink begin to pattern across his skin.

“shit, m’ so—

“don’t worry about it, s’ not for everyone.” he smiles again with that friendly smile you saw outside. you shake his hand tentatively hoping that he wasn’t offended by your comments. his palm feels soft in yours, fitting into his perfectly. quickly you pull away before you get too absorbed in your thoughts.

“call me suguru.”

you repeat his name and for a second he swears there’s nothing but pure nectar in your voice.

in a reply you introduce yourself and a flash of white teeth come your way in a full grin. he tries out your name for the first time too, adding a compliment.

“I’ve been wondering when they were finally going to sell this building. ” he begins. “I think a bookstore is perfect for this place.”

your face heats up again and Suguru asks for a tour. the store isn’t fully ready yet but you’re hoping for an opening at the end of the month.

“I hope to get an invite.

“Of course, we’re practically neighbours, you’ll be the first to know the date.”

“glad to hear it.”

as he leaves, you wave him over to the other side of the street watching him open up his store.

for the first time in your journey you can’t help but feel a tiny spark inside of you that makes you feel excited for the change coming up ahead and in particular, getting to know this suguru more…

join my summer event here!

[wontmindd]

THE SMITHS | Adam x fem!angel!Reader

SECOND PART

plot. in which Adam, after bumping into you listening to music in the elevator, gives you unsolicited music recommendations.

tags. first meetings, Adam being Adam, flirting, concerts, music, getting to know each other, rockstar Adam (still takes place in canon).

taglist. @call-me-nyxx

a/n. Adam is my muse at this point, he's directing all my creative energy lmao. This came up to me as an idea last night, kinda different from my usual Adam content! Might do a part 2, we'll see about that, enjoy!

«Take me out tonight, where there's music and there's people who are young and alive»

The elevator doors slide close, the few heavenly beings have exited, leaving you alone inside the cubic space. Absentmindedly, your foot starts tapping on the floor. A faint melody can be heard from outside your earbuds, the volume of the music set on max. You bumped music in your ears every chance you got, including when you were on bureaucratic duty for the Seraphim's.

«Driving in your car, I never ever want to go home».

As the elevator stops at the upper floor, the doors slide open and reveal who called it. Immediately, you adjust your pose, clutching your paperwork against your chest with arms crossed. Adam, the First Man, just entered the elevator.

He's loudly sipping what seems to be a sugary beverage from a large cup, positioning himself next to you. You've seen him many times, from a distance. At meetings, where you worked as an assistant, walking around Heaven, on posters advertising his band, in court. But you never interacted, there was no reason to. He was one of the big heads of Heaven, while you just hoped that nobody would yell at you for not adding enough milk to their coffee. Of course, this is what makes you nervous. But when the doors close again, you take a deep breath and let the music envelope you again.

«And if a double decker bus, crashes into us»

You relax, forgetting that Adam is next to you. You just stare at the elevator doors, unbothered. You just let yourself get lost in the sad, indie rock tunes that paradoxically raised your spirits. That's until, with the corner of your eye, you see Adam turning towards you. He's saying something, but music muffles your hearing.

«Ihatethasmiths»

You remove one of your earbuds, and you turn around with a gentle, sweet smile.

«Mh? Sorry?» you ask, the corner of your lips curling upwards.

«I said I fuckin' hate The Smiths!».

Your smile fades out immediately, your eyes go wide and your eyebrows shoot upwards. Adam goes back to look straight in front of him.

«tO dIe By YoUr SIdE iS SucH a HeaVenLy wAY to DiE! Ugh, fuckin' hate 'em » he mocks.

Dumbfounded, you just stare at the First Man in shock. Your mouth is slightly open, and your earbud is still pressed between your thumb and index as you can still hear There Is a Light That Never Goes Out playing. Then, the elevator doors slide open with a ding! and Adam just exits, slurping loudly his drink as if nothing happened. You follow him with your gaze, still in shock. The doors start closing again.

«Holy shit» that's all you can say, before disappearing behind them.

—

Next week, you're still in the elevator, a cup of hot coffee in your hand and your earbuds religiously plugged in your ears. Today you're in a good mood. The Heaven Headquarters offices weren't too packed with work and you were rising to the highest floor of the palace to spend time with your co-workers. That's until the elevator stops and the First Man Adam comes in. Again. You stiffen, your wings twitch and, hoping to not be noticed, you roll your eyes. Now that you think about it, it's the same day and hour you two met last week. When he, not-so-kindly, expressed his disappointment in your music taste. Suddenly, you realize something else. That you're...

«You still listenin' to that crap?» Adam says, pointing a finger towards your earbuds.

You sigh, resigned. You're still listening to The Smiths. This time around you heard Adam loud and clear, but you turn the volume down anyways. And, not caring about being all dignified and reverential in front of him, you roll your eyes in front of him.

«Yeah, I'm still listening to The Smiths. Heaven knows I'm Miserable Now».

Adam, scoffing, symbolically brings two fingers towards his mask and pretends to throw up.

«The Smiths are the bane of rock, I swear! Who wants to listen to a man being all whiny about love, vegetarianism and shit. Rock 'n roll is something else, I tell you»

«I disagree on that»

How did you even end up in this situation? Discussing music in an elevator with the First Man on Earth, one of the most important authorities of Heaven. It's just unreal, so much that going on doesn't bother you that much.

«You're into rock music?» Adam asks, shaking his usual drink in his hand, ice making a crisp sound inside the cup.

«Safe to say yes» you say, a collected but confident smile on your face.

«Okay, okay» Adam smirks, mischievous «and who are you rocking out to?»

«Oasis» you reply.

«Ugh»

«Radiohead��

«Nahh»

«Arctic Monkeys»

«Ew»

«Joy Division»

«For fucks sake woman, are you gonna give me a real rock band or keep naming your emo fest-»

«Guns 'n Roses»

Adam's breath stops for a second. You stare at him with a challenging look. His LED eyes digitally burned on his mask squint.

«Okayy miss...?»

«(Y/N)»

«(Y/N). Name 3 Guns 'n Roses songs»

You raise a finger in front of him, your eyes wide in a sort of prohibitive look.

«Nuh uh, don't you try to pull that move on me, I'm not gonna name anything».

«Tch, as I thought» Adam says, before sipping on his cup of icy soda.

You emit an annoyed groan, before sipping on your coffee yourself. As you're about to press start again on your phone to replay the music and metaphorically cancel Adam's presence from the elevator, he speaks again.

«Listen, girlie, if you wanna listen to some real rock music you should, first of all, give up on that sentimental bullshit that people call rock nowadays. Second, you can start by coming to one of my concerts. I'm-»

«Adam, The First Man. I know who you are» you interrupt.

You move your weight from one leg to the other, as Adam playfully smirks at you.

«Of course you know who I am, you probably heard of me from my band»

«Actually, I work as an assistant for the Seraphims meetings» you say.

«Oh, nah I never noticed you. You sure you don't know me from my band? We're pretty sick»

It's not like you expected him to know you from meetings. You mostly worked behind closed doors, preparing paperwork and only handling it to Seraphims last minute. And Adam wasn't really a necessary presence at meetings. He was important, an authority holding a great power for sure, but you don't really understand of what kind.

«I heard that you got a band but sorry, Christian rock is not my genre» you reply, nonchalantly.

Adam jumps a little in surprise, an appalled sound escaping his lips.

«Oh no sweetie, you got it all wrong. Didn't you listen to me when I said that we're a real rock band? We sing about all things rock» he says, theatrically.

«For example?»

«Sex, drugs and bitches of course».

You let out an ironic chuckle, not thoroughly convinced.

«I heard your venues are like, really crowded. I don't know if I feel like tip-toeing all night long to see anything»

«You can always tell security that you're with me»

His statement surprises you, so much that you turn around with a frowned forehead. The scrunch in your face says it all about your uncertainty. Adam looks chill, confidently leaning on the elevator's mirror and looking at you. How long have you been riding this thing?

«You think they'll believe me? Not even in a 100 years»

«Listen sweet cheeks, I'll meet you at the queue between sound check and the start of the show and I'll directly tell em that you're with me».

«You want me to play groupie?»

«Aren't you already?» Adam grins with a wiggle of his eyebrows. A very shit-eating grin.

You let out a playful and sarcastic chuckle «No, but I accept your offer, Mr. Real Rockstar»

«More of a real rockstar than Morissey»

The elevator doors open, it feels like you've been there for an eternity but not necessarily in a bad way. It's Adam's floor, the one just beneath yours, and he waves at you goodbye with a hand.

«See you Saturday, you'll be my number one fan».

«You wish»

How was that one of the most annoying, yet weirdly entertaining conversations you ever had?

—

You've never been to an Adam's concert, because you never had the chance to get into his music even if he was really known all around Heaven. But it was true that his gigs were packed. The line is infinite, and the venue probably won't even be enough for all these people. Suddenly you start to regret your decision. Damn, you even dressed up for this! You nervously start shifting your weight from one side to the other of your body. Security is already telling some people to just go home because it's likely that tickets just ran out. One titanic of a bodyguard goes up to you, arms crossed.

«I'm sorry miss, but we're out of tickets»

«Oh it's fi-»

You can't finish the phrase, distracted by the feeling of a stranger arm wrapping around your shoulders. You straighten yourself, and turn around alarmed. Adam had appeared from behind a portal, which immediately closed behind him. All the people left in the queue turn around, shocked to see the frontman appear right there.

«Don't worry dude, she's with me» he says, confidently.

How can someone be such a loser and so charismatic at the same time? This is what you ask yourself while wrapped around Adam's arm. The security guard nods, and Adam opens the portal back with a snap of fingers. Soon, you find yourself in the front row. Did he just transport you there? Adam has already let go of your shoulders, standing behind the barrier. Fans in the front row start going crazy at the unexpected sight of the frontman. As they scream incoherent, adoring gibberish to him, Adam stays focused on you.

«I'm happy you're here. Trust me, your ears will thank me for blessing them with some real rock» he says, his playful smirk permanently printed on his mask.

You roll your eyes, but you're betrayed by your own smile «We'll see»

«Trust me, you won't be disappointed» Adam replied.

Then, he winks at you before turning around and heading towards the backstage.

When the concert is over, you can confidently say that no, you aren't disappointed. As much as you hate to admit it, Adam can get it. He knows how to play guitar, he's vocally a beast in every good sense possible, and he's a stage animal. He's an idiot for sure, an arrogant one, but he quite literally fucking rocks. It's the way he plays guitar solos, his finger picking technique flawless and effortless. And how he knew how to talk to the crowd, how to move on stage. And you also saw him for the first time without a mask. You didn't know what to expect, but you have no complaints whatsoever. Brown, messy hair, dark but charming circles under his eyes, a fierce grin on his face. You felt your stomach fluttering when he obviously looked at you during Stick It To The Man. As people are leaving the venue, you're about to do the same. Maybe you and Adam will talk about it on your next random encounter on the elevator. But, before you can turn around, you see a security guard gesturing you to come close. He opens the barrier for you, and, confused, you shuffle your way through it.

«Yeah?» you ask.

«Adam wants to see you» the bodyguard says, moving his head to invite you to follow him.

Your heart skips a beat. This is some groupie shit. But you don't mind. You follow the security guard to the backstage, hugging yourself slightly out of nervousness. Adam, who was talking to the drummer, immediately stops the conversation when he sees you approaching behind the security guard. A wide smile extends on his face.

«So, (Y/N)! Did you change your mind about The Smiths?» he asks, opening his arms.

You place your hands on your hips «No, but...you weren't half-bad»

«Not half-bad?» he says, almost offended.

You decide to give up the tough girl act «Okay, I'll admit it, you know how to rock. You were really good».

«HA! Told you! Ladies love my band and you're no exception. And THIS is real rock»

«I'll still bump the shit out of The Smiths next time we meet on the elevator» you protest with a smirk, crossing your arms on your chest.

Adam drags a hand between his messy hair «Instead of meeting in the elevator, me and the rest of the band are going to the after party. It's in a club near the venue. Why don't you come? I still have to recommend you some real music»

Oh this is bad. Adam's teasing smile, the way he got closer to you and is now staring down at you without a shade of awkwardness. And the fact that one of his skilled hands is now placed on your waist, again, without any form of hesitation. Is he hitting on you? You feel your face burning, pressing your lips together. Would accepting make you a groupie? And soon, you realize that you don't care.

«Okay, First Man, I'll come with you. But only if you don't ask me to name 3 songs of a band»

«Deal»

[houseofripley]

hello :) I have fanfic idea. So how about reader comes over to Rhea’s house and it’s snowing so reader has to stay longer because of the snow storm but Rhea pulls out the game dunk desires (a spicy card game) and things get heated ;) (PLZ SMUT AND FLUFF ENDING🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾) anyways bye bye 👋

Locked In.

Rhea Ripley x Fem!Reader

WARNINGS: 18+ SMUT, Thigh Riding, Spanking, Strap-On Riding, Strapwarming, Slight Manipulation??? WORD COUNT: 2,773 A/N: literally started working on this the second i saw this. loved this prompt

“Hello hello! I’m here!” You called out as you let yourself into your friend Rhea’s home. “You better not be robbing me, I have a knife!” Rhea joked from the kitchen.

You approached the woman finishing cutting up a watermelon. “You need to learn how to lock your door Rhe-Rhe.” Rhea set her knife down and turned to face your direction, flexing her arms. “Have you seen these guns? No one could stand a chance,” she said before putting the chopped up fruit in a bowl. “Also I left it unlocked for you, it’s fucking freezing out there. I didn't wanna make you wait in the cold.”

“What a gentleman,” You teased as you patted her back. The both of you made your way into the living room before plopping yourselves into the couch. “I swear people completely forget how to drive the second they see a couple of snowflakes.” You grumbled while a chuckle came from Rhea.

The two of you had spent the past few months spending bits of your free time together growing your friendship closer. But the past few weeks Rhea had been begging you to come to her place  nearly everyday. She also became more possessive over you, you noticed how jealous she got two nights ago when you went out with your group of friends. Rhea only talked to you the entire night and would tense up whenever you spoke to anyone other than her.

“Now why was I dragged to your humble abode today?” You questioned as the snow fell outside the large window several feet behind you. Rhea gave you a big cheesy smile before saying “Board games!”

You groaned “Will you ever get bored of forcing me to play your old people games everyday?” You complained to the woman. “You know you love it,” Rhea claimed before adding on “I just want to finish one last episode of my show.” As Rhea began watching her show, you stared at the dark twilight outside.

Both of you were soon disrupted by a weather alert blurting from the TV. You turned away from the window and looked over at Rhea whose eyes were glued to the TV screen, then turned your attention to the weather alert reading “Winter Storm – Blizzard Warning: In Effect 6 PM Through 11 AM – No Travel Advised.”

“Shit,” You mumbled looking at your watch. 5:28 PM. “I should get out of here before the roads get too fucked.” You said as you stood up. Rhea quickly grabbed your hand “No stay, I don’t want you driving out there. The roads are probably slippery already, I’d feel awful if I made you go home in this weather.” She coaxed.

“I’ll be okay Rhea, I really don’t wanna be a burden.” You said looking down at her. “I want you to stay.” Rhea stated, grabbing your other hand. The pair of you studied each other's faces before you nodded “If you insist…” You mumbled while the woman smiled and let go of your hands.

As the last few minutes of Rhea’s show played she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of beer bottles to place on the coffee table. “If we're gonna be stuck here we gotta at least get buzzed.” Rhea voiced as she made her way to her closet which housed all her games. 

You sat on the floor in front of the sofa as Rhea brought back an assortment of Monopoly, Skip-bo, and Connect 4.

“You ready to get your ass beat?” Rhea taunted, causing you to roll your eyes. “In your dreams, Ripley.” You bantered. Rhea winked at you before taking a swig of her beer. 

The woman had beat you in both Monopoly and Skip-Bo. “I need some damn wine.” You grumbled as you stood up.

You poured two glasses of the first red wine you noticed then brought them out to the living room. “Thank you, beautiful.” Rhea smirked, her compliment catching you by surprise leading your cheeks to flush. 

“You’re cheating!” Rhea accused after multiple rounds of her losing to you in Connect 4. You made a sarcastic angry expression “It’s Connect 4 how would I cheat!?” You snickered out. “It’s gotta be rigged!” She swore. “Rhe-Rhe it’s a piece of plastic I promise it's not rigged, also it’s not my fault I’m always two steps ahead of you.” You said playfully patting her thigh. 

“Not always,” Rhea muttered under her breath. You shot her a confused look, “Hm?” You hummed out. “Ah nothin’ you go pick the next game.” 

Rhea scootched back onto the sofa as she watched you make your way to the closet. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion once you spotted a sealed box. You walked back to Rhea, sitting down next to her holding the box she bought just hours before you came over. 

It was a card game that you never heard of, ‘Drunk Desires’ was labeled on the plain black box. “I have literally never heard of this…” You commented, Rhea gave you a look of disbelief before voicing a simple “Seriously?” 

“What is it? Teach me how to play!” You urged, assuming it was a game comparable to Cards Against Humanity. “Oh I’ll teach you how to play,” She purred out as she opened the box. “All you have to do is draw a card and do what it tells you, if you don’t you have to take a drink…but only draw the white cards first.” Rhea instructed, scooting closer to you.

The game seemed simple enough so you took a hold of the white card on top of the deck.

“Tell your game partner what you adore most about them.” You read out, you looked at Rhea smiling. “Ummm, I like your constant attitude…and big strong muscles.” You giggled out. “Oh yeah?” Rhea took a loose grip of your upper arm, her thumb running up and down your skin caused your hairs to stick up.

Rhea used her free hand to pick up a card that read ‘Tell your game partner a dirty secret.’ “I think my little secret will remain a secret until later,” She grinned.

“Now tell me why I can’t know now?” You pushed. 

“I'll tell you later…I promise” Rhea offered. “Hmm, you gotta drink and tell me later.” You persuaded her, she shrugged before taking a sip of her wine.

You both took turns pulling seemingly simple yet flirty cards, you both had answered nearly every question. The drinks you both previously consumed had obviously built  onto the tension the two of you had building over the past few months. 

Rhea’s hand slid onto your thigh as she urged you to grab a black card. “Have a three minute kissing contest, the winner drinks.” You stuttered looking over at Rhea, the both of you staring into each other's eyes. Your breath hitched slightly, you weren't expecting the game to take a twist down this road. “I-I’m sorry, you can take a drink if you don't want to, no need to worry.” Rhea assured you.

“No, I want to.” You confessed quietly as you slowly straddled the buff woman. Rhea grinned, “You have no idea how fucked up I am over you,” Rhea whispered as you rested your forehead against hers.

“Fuck, what type of game have you gotten me into…” You muttered, your hands gripping on Rhea’s shoulders. Lust had taken control of the both of you. You weren't sure who dived into the other first, but the one thing you were sure about is how intoxicating that first taste of your closest friend was.

Messy kisses worked to sync together while Rhea’s hands explored your hips. Both of your tongues mashed together while light groans escaped the back of your throat when Rhea began grinding your hips against her lap. Your hands found their way tangled into Rhea’s hair as her tongue investigated your mouth.

Rhea’s lips traveled down from your jawline to your neck, her teeth bit down on your sensitive skin before pulling away licking her lips. You could tell Rhea had been waiting ages for this. “I think we both deserve a drink for that.” Rhea murmured after prying herself off of you. 

Once you had both set your glasses down you reached over to grab Rhea a card. Rhea bit down on her lip before reading “Both you and your partner must remove a clothing item of the other's choice.” She paused for a moment, “Let’s get you out of those pants, pretty girl.” You obeyed and stood up from her lap, you let Rhea pull the waistband down and off your legs. Her hands caressing your legs for a few moments as she admired you.

You eagerly pulled the woman's shirt off before tossing it onto the opposite end of the sofa. “We have all night sweetheart, what are you in such a hurry for hm?” Rhea teased.

You bent over, grabbing your second black card that read ‘Go into another room and send a naughty selfie to your partner.” Protecting the card in your hand you let the woman know that you’ll be right back before hurrying off to her bathroom.

Once locked in the bathroom you slipped your hoodie and shirt off. You leaned against the wall posing and snapped a photo of your body in the mirror before sending it to Rhea. You added a text simply stating “Missing you in here. :(“

You knew your message had been seen when you heard a yell from the other room, “Get your ass back in here!” Rhea demanded. You decided to stay inside the bathroom, curious as to how she’d take it. “I know you heard me, I don’t like waiting.” The woman's voice approached.  

Rhea had pulled her next card and slid it under the door. ‘Take your partner’s underwear off without using hands.’ was displayed. “You got two options, sweetheart. You could come out now and have some fun with me or you can stay in there and I’ll go to bed without you.” She threatened.

You reluctantly opened the door, Rhea caught you by surprise as she threw you over her shoulder. “Good choice.” She mumbled out.

“Now be a good girl for me and you’ll get what you need.” The woman warned you as she laid you back into the sofa. “I’ll be the best girl for you.” You promised as she kneeled in between your legs. Her lips smirked while kissing on your inner thighs, a thread of whimpers escaped from your throat. She began to bite and pull at your panties, using her hands to keep your legs open for her. As your panties fell to your ankles, Rhea’s finger struck a single swipe up your folds, causing you to yelp out. “Such a sweet girl…” Rhea stated, licking her finger. 

A new card was handed to you as Rhea sat down. You flipped the card around to show the woman. ‘Grind on your partner's thigh for two minutes.’ It read. Rhea spread her legs apart as you settled yourself onto her left leg. ”Atta girl” She hummed.  A moaned “Shit Rhea'' left your mouth once your bare core began rocking against the fabric of the woman’s jeans. The two of you connected your lips as you whimpered into Rhea’s mouth, her hands traveling around your back.

Rhea’s hands got to work unclasping your bra, sliding it down your shoulders, and discarding it.

“Such a wet girl for me,” Rhea pulled away from your lips as she muttered while your sweetness leaked through her jeans.

You both knew you were past the point of no return. You needed each other…and you needed each other fast. 

You whimpered as Rhea pulled you up off her leg. “Shh, give me one second and I promise I’ll make you feel so good.” She reassured you while tugging off her jeans to reveal she had been packing the whole night. Rhea knew tonight was gonna be the night you finally screamed her name.

“Come sit on my cock baby.” Rhea murmured, helping you align your hips with hers. Your head fell back as you began sinking onto her. A whispered “Rhea,” came from your mouth as you settled at the bottom of her strap. You slowly rocked your hips back and forth as you let your walls adjust to her size. 

As you began slowly bouncing up and down her you threw your head into Rhea’s shoulder. Your hands clinged to the woman’s biceps. “So big…Rhea” You whined out, your nails digging into Rhea’s skin.

“Fuck!” Rhea groaned under her breath. “Taking me like such a good girl.” She complimented while her hands guided your hips to bounce faster. Your hands lifted Rhea’s bra off her chest. Whimpers filled the room while your hips traveled up and down Rhea’s length.

“That’s it…so good.” Rhea quietly reassured you. She did not expect how sensitive you’d be, the smallest movements leaving you overwhelmed. 

Tears formed in your eyes as Rhea’s hands held you down, forcing you to rock your hips against her. You moaned against the woman’s shoulder, your clit rubbing against the leather of her strap-on. “Feels so good doesn't it baby,” Rhea comforted.

 Your teeth clamped down on her shoulder once her hands guided you to bounce on her length again. “I know princess,” was said before a kiss was planted on your forehead. “You’re doing so good for me.” Was whispered in your ear. A loud yelp came from you as Rhea’s hands striked down on your ass.

Rhea’s hands tightly gripped your ass leading your hips to rock forward and backward as you bounced on her. You rested your head against Rhea’s cheek, tears escaping your eyes. Your walls tightened around her as your cries turned to screams. “I need you to cum all over me baby.” Rhea urged you.

“Rhea!! Fuck!” You screeched as your orgasm peaked. “God!” You yelped. Rhea helped stabilize  you once your legs began shaking eventually she let you sink onto her length after your legs gave out.

Rhea’s hands brought your face to match hers, planting a long kiss on your lips while your final tears fell from your eyes. “You were perfect.” She praised, wiping your tears. She let you move your head to rest on her shoulder as you let out a pitiful whimper. “Shhh…it's all okay baby.” She quieted her voice, her fingers tracing in your hair.

The woman let you rest on her as you occasionally delivered weak kisses to her neck. “I got you darling…you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hold you.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around you. After letting you rest a while she lifted your hips off her length, shushing you as you whined. She slipped off her strap before lifting you off the sofa. “We gotta get you in the bath, pretty girl.”

Your back laid against Rhea’s chest while you bathed together whispering sweet nothings. “Hey…what was that secret you were gonna tell me earlier?” Your question broke the comfortable silence.

Rhea laughed before admitting “That wasn’t a real weather alert earlier.” 

“What's that supposed to mean?” She had confused you.

 “It’s some year old year old recording I found. I've been keeping an eye on the forecast and chose today as the perfect day. All I had to do was make sure it was playing before you got here.” Rhea grinned whilst coating your hair with conditioner.

You scoffed out. “And you think all that was easier than asking me on a date?” You teasingly asked. “Where’s the fun in all that?” Rhea quipped.

“You bought that game just for tonight, didn’t you?!” You interrogated Rhea. Her silence told you everything you needed to know. “You bought that game cause you were scared to make a move huh.” You accused. 

“Woah hold on!” Rhea protested, “I was not scared, I just wanted to try something new.” She tried deflecting.

“You’re not fooling me Ripley, you’re a major softie. All clingy and jealous!” You teased. “I am not clingy at all!” Rhea fussed.

“Rhea, we are in the same tub and you are clinging onto me for dear life, what’s your excuse for that, hm?” Rhea tightened her grip on you more “I’m keeping you warm of course!” She chuckled.

You were absolutely right, Rhea was so infatuated with you she wouldn’t let you out of her sight until she had to go back to work a week and a half later. She went as far as trying to beg for you to be able to travel with her. Now that Rhea got to hold you, she never planned on letting go.

[echantedtoon]

A Lovers' Circle (Poly Haishira x Reader) Ch12 The Heart's Not Just A Muscle P2

(Hearts conquered so far: Mitsuri, Kanae, Sanemi, Gyomei,Giyuu, and now Shinobu is getting her time to shine.

Warnings for Shinobu/Y/n getting soda thrown at them.)

Taglist: @shadyd3ar @jcrml

@tengensangel @miniverse-zen @mysteri0uz @jjamsbangtan

@the-unknown-fandom

@lavenderdropp @mimisweetz. @purplesoulsapphire

@kksmush @denkpanda18 @whomisi @lessthanimperfect @silver-rin

Remember if you want to be added to the taglist lemme know

The next morning was better. He felt less tired and more energized than last night and was able to get some house chores done. At the moment he was enjoying the peace and quiet of the calm morning. Sipping on some coffee she gave him and just all around enjoying not having to do anything else right now.

That was until the doorbell rang.

DING DONG!!

The sound of it had both look up from the kitchen table and towards the door that was clearly visible from the kitchen.After a second he sighed and slowly made himself stand up. He eventually got up to get it as she was busy compiling the footage of their work so far and labeling the dates with the right videos. She was more tech savvy than him so she'd be better at doing it anyways. So she went back to transferring most of the video files to a series of hard drives with dates and time stamps edited into the video. She'd hand over the hard drives to the professor when they turned in their project at the end of November. For now she'd get what files they already had organized along with their notes.

Giyuu's footsteps echoed in the apartment before he opened the door. From where the kitchen was and where she was sat, she could clearly see who stood in the doorway if she looked up from the screen 

"Hi, Giyuu!" The familiar voice made her pause before looking up from the screen and raising a brow at the woman bundled up smiling in the doorway. "Chilly today isn't it?"

Y/n? What was she doing here this early?..And why was she holding a giant paper bag?

He stared at her with his back to his girlfriend. "Yes." Eventually he answered slowly. "I thought we weren't going to meet until later."

"We weren't but I have something for you." She blinked as a giant paper bag was heaved up and into his arms. The paper crinkling with the shift of ownership.

"..What is this?"

"Some new food you can try. You mentioned getting a bit tired with your usual food so I made you some new dishes to try out for a few days." Her hand gestured to the large bag "You got some saba no shioyaki, tonkatsu, a container of onigiri in there somewhere, katsudon, oyakodon, a salad, and some homemade taiyaki. Oh. I also made you some salmon Daikin and there's one container of ginger tsukudani for Shinobu. They might not be very good because it's my first time making them."

"Why?"

"Your sister mentioned that it's your favorite food, and Kanae told me when I asked about-"

"No. Just..." His face slowly slipped down to the bag again. Just staring at it. "Why?"

"Oh... It's because sometimes we all just need someone to reach out and help." Purple eyes slowly widened from behind the screen. "I've noticed that you've been stressed lately and it's fine that you don't want to talk to me about it, but if you'd ever like to I'd be happy to listen to you."

And then there was a tense silence between the two of them before the wind blew making her shiver again.

"You go ahead and take today off. I'll just do the project myself today and email Shinobu the video when I'm done walking around. Relax and get better soon. Ok? If you need to call me just ask Mei or Shinobu for my number. They both have it. And don't worry about my tupperware. You can give it back to me when you're all finished. No rush."

He continued to stare but flinched as a warm hand patted one of his still holding onto the bag before she turned and began walking away from the door until she couldn't see Y/n anymore. Giyuu stood there for a while before slowly turning around back to Shinobu's still wide eyes, allowing her to see his red face. Slowly the door was closed using a leg with a click and his footfalls sounded out as he walked himself back into the kitchen.  Paper crinkled as the bag was slowly placed the bag on the table between the two.

And then they stared in silence some more. Before they exchanged looks with each other. And then slowly Giyuu reached out slowly and opened up the large bag, pulling the edge back enough to peek inside. Dark Blue eyes blinked before a hand reached inside and a second later a medium sized Tupperware container was pulled out.

Giyuu weighed it in his hands with a hum despite the pink to his face. "Still warm."

"Open it."

He did so and immediately the smell of pork and cabbage filled the air. "Tonkatsu." He looked at her.

"Well don't just sit there. You haven't had anything to eat all morning." She nodded to him. "Eat it."

Giyuu took his time turning to go dig out chopsticks from a kitchen drawer before sitting himself back down at the kitchen table in front of the warm meal. Dark Blue eyes just staring at it for a long moment before he reached inside and pulled out a small piece of the breaded pork cutlets. It smelled so good even to her just sitting there. He slowly placed it into his mouth.

Blue eyes WIDENED. Going as wide as plates as he slowly chewed on the food. Before his chewing increased as he immediately dipped back down into the container. A moment later he so sweetly held up a piece to her wanting to try it obviously. She did accepting his offer and immediately the sweet taste of pork and spices filled her mouth with the punch of a firecracker. 

Shinobu hummed. "That is actually very good."

 She watched as he just continued to eat his fill. A twinge of pleasant color rising to his cheeks. Contentment as he sighed through his nose and let a satisfied him leave him as she silently watched. How long has it been since she's seen him so happy about food? Usually neither one of them has time to really cook so it was usually leftovers, take out, or instant meals like frozen TV dinners or instant ramen. He offered something again to her but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Oh no. Those she made for you. Eat something and feel better."

"But she did make you something." He again shoved a arm into the bag and pulled out a small Tupperware container before pushing it out towards her.

She did huh? Taking it and opening it let the scents of ginger and soy sauce fill the air. Ginger tsukutani. That was her favorite food. Hm. It smelt good and it was still warm too. The pleasantly kind of warm, not too hot but not cold at all. ..It must've taken her all night to make them all of this, and she insisted on not worrying them about their project. Her hum echoed in the kitchen as Giyuu continued to eat in content. His happy stomach welcoming the rare addition of homemade goods. 

"Interesting. This might require a little more consideration."

She decided to look into it a bit more starting the following few hours. As promised, Y/n had sent her an email and with it was attached a video file of her doing a series of jumping jacks, jogging in place, and then ending in her doing yoga the rest of the hour. Gyomei's voice was heard in the background asking what-

"Honey, what take out do you want to order tonight? I can make something instead so you don't have to worry about cooking tonight."

His caring nature had her smiling. Gyomei was always so considerate of everyone around him, and since starting a relationship with Y/n he's only gotten much more happier. She was genuinely happy for him. Y/n was genuinely a very happy kind woman and Gyomei couldn't ask for a better girlfriend.  However what she wasn't expecting was for some of her own partners and even her own sister to also fall for her. 

She supposed Mitsuri was predicable and Kanae was understandable if surprising. But Sanemi? Giyuu?

Perhaps it was the curiosity that prompted her to email her back-

'Shinobu:

                  Hey. Thanks for the file! Sorry we couldn't join you today. Giyuu won't be able to join us for most of this week, so are you alright with working with me on it this week?'

It took her only a few minutes to respond back.

'Y/n:

           Hi, Shinobu! Yeah that's fine. Did you guys like the food? I have to be quick because Mei n I are watching a movie Mitsuri leant us. Yeah that works. Do you want to meet tomorrow after classes and work?'

'Shinobu:

                  I can't. I'm working late. But I'm free Tuesday afternoon. You free then?'

'Y/n: 

              Sure! I can meet you after work by the park. See u then!'

Well that certainly sounded like a good time. Alright then. Tuesday. That was when she was going to be getting a few answers to her curiosity.

******************

"Shinobu! Hi!"

She happily waved over the purple eyes woman with a big smile and a thick turtleneck sweater draped over her top. It was a bit nippy today just going into November, however she was surprised when she saw a bouncing pink haired woman next to her not so subtly giving Y/n a loving expression. 

"Hello," she greeted them both and with a curious tilt looked at Mitsuri. "I'm surprised to see you here. I don't think you're doing the project with us."

She shook her head braids swaying. "Nope! Obi's going meditating with Mei and my dance classes were cancelled after the teacher sprained her ankle." She gushed looking at them both. "So I had nothing to do but Y/n invited me to come along with you guys!!"

"I hope that's ok." Y/n tilted her head. "I'd really like to get to know Mei's family better, and I genuinely like hanging out with you guys. I figured Mitsuri could film while you take notes again so we're not trying to juggle everything ourselves."

Ah right. Sunday and Monday Y/n had to both do the project herself because Giyuu and herself were busy, and she had to finish compiling everything into thumb drives IN order with labels and dates along with her notes. Honestly she was surprised when she got a second email Monday night with another email but you were doing the project with them so it made sense.

"No problem at all. I think the extra hand will be very useful!"

"Oh that reminds me. I made you both copies of class notes from today and yesterday!" She gestured to the backpack slung over her shoulders. "Figured you'd be needing them too."

"I appreciate that. So what exactly are we doing today?"

"I figured we'd just walk around the park again. It's easy enough and we could go for some food afterwards. My treat!" She happily smiled at Mitsuri who lit up. "MacDougal's sounds like a good place to get burgers. Five burgers for ten dollars is a good deal and I can get you ten for only twenty dollars!"

"Oh you don't have to do that for me!"

"I want to! You're always letting me use your employee discount at the cafe so it's only fair! You're a kind person!" Mitsuri squealed out in delight clutching her cheeks. "And you deserve it!" She squealed out more excitedly bouncing on her heels. A sight that even made Shinobu smile wider. "Of course I'd get something for you too Shinobu."

She held up a hand to her. "Oh no. I couldn't ask you to buy me anything."

"Not even one of their famous cappuccinos?"

"...Ok. A coffee then." 

That only pulled out a few giggles from the both of them before they actually got to work. Shinobu taking notes as Mitsuri bounced beside her as she wrote happily filming as Y/n walked. The crisp cold air chilling them the closer to December. 

"Hey, Shinobu. How's Kanao doing?" The sudden name drop of her baby sister was something that had gotten said woman to snap up in question. 

After a moment she looked back down. "She's doing fine."

"I hope she likes her dress! I bet she'll look beautiful in it!"

Ah yes. Her dress. The one for almost three months Kanao had been eyeing every time she passed it on her way to home and school. It was rather pretty but expensive so that's why it took their parents so long to save up for it. Only problem was that the old crab in charge of running the store had refused to sell it to them once she found out that a teenager was planning on using it for a dance. Even denied Kanae when she offered to buy it instead. She thinks that she hated children but whatever the circumstances were..

Had Y/n not gone in to get her the dress, Kanao would have come back rather more disappointed. Instead she got to experience putting on the dress at home and smiling as their mother INSISTED on taking pictures for her scrapbook. Imagine her surprise when Kanae relayed the tale to her much later...Which begged the question-

"If you'd like, I'll reimburse you for the dress. It's not a problem."

"Oh no. It's perfectly alright." She smiled wider. "It wasn't fair she couldn't get it in the first place. I'm just glad she's happy now."

"You didn't have to help her."

"I know. I didn't do it because I had to, but because I wanted to. I'm just sorry Kanae had to deal with Jake after all that."

"How noble of you!," Mitsuri gushed nearly fumbling with the phone.

Shinobu only hummed again as she continued her work. Although she didn't miss the way f/c orbs seemed to linger on her a little bit longer than normal. She brushed it off as her waiting to continue the conversation with her.

"Did you like the food I made you?"

"Yes. The ginger tzukutani was delicious," she said bring honest because..well it WAS delicious. "Thank you. How did you ever find out?"

"Sanemi was talking to me about my ohagi recipe and Kanae mentioned some of your favorite foods. I hope you don't mind."

Ah. Kanae. Of course she'd mention it. 

"Not at all. Like I said it's delicious."

"What about the other things?"

"Giyuu let me have a piece of his tonkatsu. I think you might've used a bit too much breading but otherwise it was good."

"His? I made those for both of you because you were hungry."

Shinobu paused immediately. Feet stopping in motion and purple eyes snapping up. Mitsuri and Y/n had also stopped in their tracks to look at her. Silence resumed other than the distant ambience of others in the park around them. For a long moment no one spoke before Shinobu blinked.

"... Hungry?"

"I don't mean you're starving," Y/n explained calmly, "But Giyuu mentioned that  he can get worn out from the repeated pattern in foods he eats, but I've been noticing that the same happens to you. All you ever seen to consume is caffeine and I've noticed that you seem to skip meals... That's not exactly very good for you."

Purple eyes widened at her. Stunned by the observation but stunned still as she pointed at her. 

"Even now I can tell you're hungry. You haven't eaten anything yet today or barely anything at all. I know the look from my job. You gotta be alert and on look out for things with kids all the time. So after this, I'm getting you something to eat. And make sure you eat some of what I gave you guys later. You shouldn't be skipping meals."

'You shouldn't be skipping meals.'

Now where had she heard that before? Oh right. From nearly every one of her partners and sister. Mostly from Hinatsuru, Kanae, and Rengoku however. No one could've really known that she was doing that unless they were a close family or friend or very observant. The latter stunning her by surprise for a moment.

"...If that's what you want."

"Good! Because as long as we're doing the project together, I'm not going to let you two eat anything bland! I already got some recipes for o-taro sashimi and homemade mochi I want you both to try too!" Y/n smiled before reaching out to pat Shinobu's shoulder. 

"Hhhhhaaahh!! Do you know how to make okonomiyaki?!"

Y/n giggled at Mitsuri's nearly drooling expression. "I made it for Mei yesterday for lunch. If you'd like, I can make you some tonight and you can pick it up tomorrow at the daycare."

"KYAA!! YOU'RE SO KIND Y/N-CHAN!!  I COULD HUG YOU RIGHT NOW-!!"

"Let's finish up the project for today first. We're a few minutes behind now so we'll have to walk a little bit longer to make up for lost time."

Things thankfully got back on track and even if they were a little behind. She'd have to edit the footage later before adding it to the database.  Although purple eyes kept stealing glances at f/c eyes as she politely listened to Mitsuri babble on about her dance classes and favorite positions of ballet. But soon the hour was done, project for the day was finished, and appetites were heavy. It was near the end of the day now and it was only a little bit until the sun went down. So it would be a good time to get dinner. 

The local MacDougal's burger place was only a twelve minute walk away from the park and the smell of grilled burgers was enough to entice all three of them towards the fast food joint. The little bell above the door rang and as the three of them walked into the establishment. No one was in there except for a middle aged woman frowning and sitting by herself eating what looked like chicken tenders, and the cashier who was boredly spraying the front counter before wiping it down with a cloth. 

Although he looked up when he heard chiming from the bell. Dark blue eyes widened at the three familiar figures walking inside.

"HI, GIYUU!!," Mitsuri greeted loudly waving a full arm as the two women filed in behind her. "OH MY GOSH YOU'RE STILL HERE?!"

Said black haired man wore an orange and yellow uniform shirt with the letters MD stitched into a breast pocket and a visor was on his head. He watched as his partner, his girlfriend, and Y/n walked in. Three beautiful women smiling and waving at him making his cheeks go a light pink before making eye contact with Shinobu and slowly smiling a little. 

"Hi, Giyuu." Y/n greeted him next stopping in front of the register. "You look like about ready to close. Is this a bad time?"

He cleared his throat to not come off as flustered before speaking. "Not really. My shift ends in another hour and a half. I'm cleaning up before the night shift comes by. It's been a slow day so I'm almost done. I already swept and mopped everywhere."

"Are you alone?"

"No. The cook is cleaning up one of the grills. Did you three want to order?"

"Yes please! You still taking orders right?" He nodded before putting down said objects and standing in front of the register looking at her expectantly. "Can I get a two large strawberry milkshakes with two of those five burgers for ten dollars deals? With two double bacon burgers cola, and a cappuccino?"

"Would you like fries with all of those burgers?"

"Yes!"

"Your total is fifty two ninety seven," he stated after pressing a few buttons on the register as Y/n was already holding up her card. "I'll get the cook to work on it right away."

"Thanks, Giyuu! Did you like the food I left you?'

Again a deeper pink flushed over him as he nodded. "Yes. I had the taiyaki for my lunch today...T-Thank you."

"No problem. Let me know when you're done and I'll make you and Shinobu more!"

Giyuu again stared at her pink as Mitsuri giggled and Shinobu rose a brow but soon the food was paid for and being a fast food joint, the food was fastly brought out to them. Mitsuri wasted no time laying way through the two milkshakes and ten pairs of burgers and fries brought out just for her! Honestly Shinobu thought she'd jump across the table just to kiss Y/n for getting her such a big meal. Herself? Well Y/n had given her a look until she began eating the admittedly delicious food making her smile and only then did she start eating herself. About halfway through her burger she slid Mitsuri her own fries as she had already finished with her large order. Happily accepting them before also wolfing them down. 

"I'll go throw away the trash."

And so it was offered by Y/n as they all got up to leave. Well they were leaving, Shinobu was going to wait for Giyuu's shift to end before walking back to their shared apartment. But that was when IT struck. 

"Excuse me. There was something wrong with my food!" 

A rude sounding lady's voice cut through the air as they turned. Y/n being the closest to the voice dumping the wrappers into a trashcan sat between their table and the register. Standing at the register was a the woman from before. Standing before the counter arms crossed holding a cup of whatever she had been drinking, feet tapping, and scowl on her face. Glaring at Giyuu who blinked.

"...Oh. What's wrong?"

"I ordered a ten piece chicken tender meal!," she practically screeched into Giyuu's ever somber face. "There was only nine pieces! And they weren't cooked all the way!"

"Oh. Well if you return the meal I can see what's wrong and maybe we can get you a new one?," he offered.

"Just give me a refund on it!", she demanded.

"I can't do that unless I have proof of the food being incomplete and you show me a receipt."

"THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS!!" She wailed throwing her arms to her side fists balled up. "I WAS FORCED TO EAT A MEDIOCRE MEAL NOT EVEN FINISHED AND YOU WON'T EVEN FUCKING GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK?!"

"Wait.." His brow rose. "So the meal was bad..but you still ate it? And you have no receipt but you still want a refund?...I can't do that."

"WHAT?!"

"I don't make the rules, I just work here."

"I WANT THE MANAGER!!"

A tired sigh escaped Giyuu's mouth. "He's not here today. If you want, I can give you corporates phone number and you can file a complaint with them."

A Vien popped in her forehead as she growled. "HOW DARE YOU?! I SPEND HUNDREDS OF MY OWN MONEY HERE YOU'RE LUCKY TO BE GETTING MY BUSINESS!!"

Giyuu tired deadpanned face didn't change as she fired insults and curses at him. However he did notice when a smaller hand tapped her on the shoulder. The Karen snapped around so fast they were all expecting her neck to make a cracking sound as she whirled around to Shinobu who still smiled at her.

"I think it's really too unladylike to be having a child like tantrum.~"

"Who the hell are you?! Mind your own dam business!"

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that. You see you are now they say acting like a bitch right now."

"HOW DARE YOU?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"

"Yes, yes. How dare you? Who's your manager? Do you know who I am? I'm calling the police. The usual Karen threats and questions." The woman trembled more with rage. "My you're entitled and extremely rude. I may not know who you are but I can make an educated guess.~" She smiled pointing at her. "You're an old bitch who thinks the world revolves around her so much that your gravitational pull sucks up everyone's time and energy.~" Her friendly tone and face still did waver other than closing her eyes. "You know this can be classified as harassment which as you know is against the law." F/c orbs widened as the arm holding the Karen's cup was pulled back. "So why don't you leave before someone actually calls the police on yo-"

S P L A S H!!

Dark liquid and ice went flying through the air. Sticky and syrupy no doubt some kind of too sweet soda from the fast food place. It all went flying through the air and splattered against the warmth of both wool fabric and soft skin with a splash sound. Mitsuri gasped loudly covering her mouth. Giyuu went wide eyed in surprise. The cook popped their head from the back hearing the noises. And Shinobu blinked at what happened.

Y/n spat out the too sweetened taste of cold root beer with a disgusted face. "PFFT!! UGH!!" With a sleeve she reached up in an attempt to get the sticky liquid off her face. "Man that's cold!"

Giyuu turned to the other worker. "Call the police! My girlfriends were assaulted!"

That's when the woman attempted to run, but was quickly snatched up by Mitsuri wrapping her arms around her middle squeezing hard enough to pin her arms to her sides before with a shrill shriek leaned back to lift the woman helplessly kicking her feet out in the air.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE YOU BRUTE!!," she shouted back with a frown. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HURTING Y/N-CHAN!!"

"GUYS!! I'm not hurt! It's just some soda."

"That she assaulted you with!," Giyuu shouted over the incoherent screaming of the woman. Already reaching for the phone. "If it had been hot coffee you could've gotten incredibly hurt! I'm not going to sit back and let another selfish person get away with hurting you."

"YEAH! ME NEITHER! CITIZENS ARREST!!"

"It's really not that big of a deal. I've gotten stuff spilt on me me before. Tell them, Shinobu.....Shinobu?"

Y/n turned to the silently stunned woman in question however Shinobu just stared at her processing what exactly had been done.

Y/n...had gotten between her and the crazy Karen.

Her nice turtleneck was now all set down the front with cold root beer that had been meant for her. A sleeve was still wiping at her face which was also splashed by the unexpected attack from the crazy woman. That...That was going to be her. That was supposed to be her. But she had stepped out between the two to take the brunt of the attack. What if that HAD been hot coffee?! She would've been severely burnt or worse!! What if had been something else just as worrisome?! Or what if it had been a punch?! Y/n continued to stare at the stunned face of Shinobu wiping at her face and neck.

"Shinobu? Hey, Shinobu!" She waved a hand in front of her face making her jolt. "Are you ok?! You're not hurt are you?" She shook her head no and Y/n sighed. "That's a relief. Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt."

"I called the police. They're on their way. Press charges when they get here."

Her head turned to Giyuu. "You seriously called them?"

It was all really a blur of voices and screams. Long story short the police did come back and made Mitsuri drop the Karen who immediately demanded that they arrest every single person in the place and threatened to sue them then sue the MacDougal's company and then she the police for not immediately 'doing their job' and had yadda yadda. Typical Karen shrieking. They explained their side and luckily there was security cameras for them to look at. Another long story short, she was taken away cussing and shrieking in handcuffs and Giyuu had to go get a mop to clean up the soda spilt all over the floor.

"Are you ok, Y/n?," Mitsuri asked concerned as Shinobu wiped her face down with some wet napkins.

"For the hundredth time yes. It's just soda. I'll just change and take a shower when I get home. Nothing some water and soap can't fix."

They still fussed over her face. "You shouldn't have done that. I could've handled it myself. And what if it had been something like hot coffee?"

"I couldn't just stand by and not do anything. You're like a friend to me." Shinobu blinked with a hum as she smiled. "And as I said I do want to get to know you guys better. So don't worry about it. Everyone's alright and that's all that matters. I'm just happy YOU'RE ok, Shinobu."

Shinobu once again blinked before turning to Mitsuri who again giggled much to Y/N's confusion. "What did I tell you guys?~"

"Tell them..what?"

"Oh nevermind. Let's get you home so you can properly clean up."

[xenniejunk]

I really had no clue what to title this, I've staring at this over and over again and I think I totally flopped with the typing. I'm definitely going to rewrite this, but here's the first draft I guess?

If they're are spelling errors, so sorry Charlie!

1284 Words || Bakugou Centric -, he has a small spiral moment. 𐙚🧸ྀི __________

“Activity Day” was- well a lot, things were happening everywhere and it’s loud. 

Really fucking loud. 

Class 1-A was spread around the room,  playing board games, creating puppet shows, reading aloud some silently, television blasting and no-one was quite sure what was baking in the oven. Aizawa was somewhat stressed. This was only supposed to last a few hours but keeping track of so many children in that amount of time felt as if he was on a late night patrol shift. 

From having to replace Shoto’s chapter books with picture filled one’s since when he reads aloud to Hanta has his tongue tied since he can’t pronounce the large words and stumbles over them and becomes frustrated. Informing Izuku that no- sugar and salt are not the same thing and you can’t put salt in the cookies. No Ochako, you cannot lick the batter with your fingers. Eijirou you can’t re-dye your hair with no supervision, No Tenya making paper snowflakes does not follow a specific rule pattern. 

No, No, No, No! 

They had too much energy, and the four cups of coffee that Aizawa had taken before this was starting to wear off. He sighed as he turned to see Denki now beginning to draw on the walls with Mashirao’s tail for a second time, rushing over. 

Katsuki wasn’t eager for this to be taking place, yet here he was standing in the middle of a busy room like an idiot not exactly knowing which direction to go, but standing there was making him shift left and right and he was starting to dig his nails into his cuticles. 

So he just picked a direction. 

Katsuki wandered around as he decided on what he actually wanted to do, all his friends were doing different things and none of them suited him at all. Not all the girls doing a fashion show, which he thought was a bit impressive, Yaoyorozu created materials and sowed quietly as Mina sloppily painted Tsuyu’s nails, Jirou taking in conversion as she strummed with a makeshift guitar crafts with rubber bands and a tissue box; Toru humming an off key made up song.

Fumikage and Mezou in an intense game on All Might Monopoly using all the game pieces for Dark Shadow as well as his Mezou’s other appendages, so it would be fair. 

Koji had managed to find a bird and bring it inside, pacing around and having a full conversation. 

Ridkido and Yuga make their way to the kitchen, Ridkido taking the bowl that Izuku was mixing with unknown spices and adding the correct fillings to make a small cake to share, explaining the steps as both Ochaco and Izuku watch in awe. Yuga digging in the refrigerator for labeled tupperware where his fancy cheeses resided. Minoru was out of the room for extra work he had missed. 

Katsuki glanced back and forth, but there was really nothing that caught  his eye. He really would want to go back to his room however they all agreed to do this on a Saturday for a few hours and it seemed reasonable at the time but now that he’s actually down here he’s overwhelmed. Katsuki feels weird, his chest feels tight and his eyes hurt. There’s just too much happening- his breathing becoming unsteady.  

He had told Aizawa this morning that he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, that he didn’t need to participate in any “baby activities” he’s a bit older and he’d find something to keep his mind busy as he decides to made his way to television staring blankly at a show about fairy princesses or something he’s not really sure, his vision is blurry as he attempts not to blink. 

If he blinks he’ll definitely cry but he’s not going to admit that even in his mental. He’s sliding up and down, and he can’t just pick a headspace! 

He can’t freak out, it’s stupid to freak out. His friends are having fun so he should be too, Aizawa looks stressed, really fucking stressed he’s walking around everywhere and eye’s look deader than usual. Katsuki knows he’s difficult to deal with when he’s- useless and pathetic, he wipes his eyes as he glances over to Aizawa once more he’s on one knee speaking to Eijirou, having to gently inform him for the fourth time that he can’t dye his hair until tomorrow, sitting him down at a small table to give him a moment to cool off. 

Katsuki settles for the corner, walking over and sitting down. Face pressed in the knees. He doesn’t like it, the sound, the chatter. It’s not fun at all- he intends to stay like this for another two hours. No-one really seems to notice, not that it matters he doesn’t want to be touched at all, as soon as he stepped in the room he slid between ages.

It’s fine, he can handle this. He’s not going to ruin his classmates' fun, and make Aizawa fuss over him because he’s a “bit stressed” which he isn't at all. It’s actually nothing. He’s used to loud noises all the time- he is a loud noise.

 It shouldn’t matter right now when the sound is out of his control and it’s crispy- He should hearing aids off, he’s not allowed to usually- he gets frightened when he doesn’t have them in, and it makes him anxious which is why Katsuki only takes them out to sleep. 

He hums out, the tone of his voice is nice- great even it almost cancels some of the now blaring sounds as the class begins to somehow become more active. He lightly rocks himself back and forth- it helps but it’s not enough, it’s like his chest is being compressed- eyes pricking with tears as he rocks more aggressively. 

I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I don’t like this, 

I don’t like this, I don’t like this-  It’s too loud, too-

Aizawa gently touches his shoulder, Katsuki’s eyes shoot up with a heavy gasp. “Bakugou? Are you doing alright?” Aizawa asks softly - Katsuki tries to push himself further against the wall. “No- I can… I can do it.. No-” Bakugou utters out he was supposed to be- this sucks. He’s making him do more work, he’s embarrassing himself. 

“You don’t have to, this must be a lot for you right now yeah?” Aizawa speaks again softly, Katsuki shakes his head. “I-M’sorry.. I said I could..” Katsuki stutters out. “You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be, no-one will judge you.” he lets out a sob in response “Busy..M’sorry..” 

“I am busy, but I’m never busy enough to take care of you,” Katsuki sniffs, body slightly relaxing. 

“L-Loud..” 

“Yeah? It’s very loud, how about we turn off all the noise.” Aizawa hums as he reaches out for Katsuki’s hearing aids, taking them out gently sitting in his case that he carries around. Katsuki quickly flaps his hand. 

"Better?" Aizawa signs out, Katsuki slowly nods his head, he reaches his arms out as Aizawa slowly stands lifting Katsuki up tucking his head on his shoulder nuzzling into his thick and surprisingly soft scarf. Aizawa holds Katsuki in his arms as he does another loop around to make sure the children aren’t eating glue. 

Katsuki eyes are wide as he observes, Aizawa sometimes sits him down signing if he wants to partake in any activity but he just shakes his head before reaching up his hands and wanting to be lifted again. He ends up falling asleep on Aizawa’s shoulder, breathing stills as Aizawa holds him tight.

I loveeee Bakugou with hearing aids!

[angelsleepinggurl]

𝐒𝟐:𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝟏𝟒

═════ ◈ ═════

Perched on the cool marble countertop in the soft morning light, you’re watching Kento move with his usual calm, precise rhythm around the kitchen, his focus so complete that it’s almost like watching a small piece of choreography. He adjusts the pan, flips a few sizzling eggs, and gives the coffee a final stir, the sounds of breakfast preparation blending with the gentle warmth of the room. You tuck your legs up under you, leaning back against the cupboard, savouring the quiet, steady energy he radiates. There’s something comforting, almost meditative, about seeing him like this—reliable and quietly attentive, even this early in the day.

When he finally turns around, he catches you staring, and the faintest smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. You’re prepared to feign innocence, but before you can, he steps close, slips his hand onto your hip, and leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips. His touch, as always, is tender and unhurried, like he’s savouring every second. You lean into him, letting the warmth spread through you, basking in the softness of the moment. When he finally pulls back, your heart’s still fluttering, and a grin breaks across your face.

“Let’s go on a date,” you say, the words tumbling out on a whisper, as though voicing the idea too loudly might break the spell. “Like… an actual one.”

He pauses, brow lifting slightly as he picks up a dish towel and wipes his large hands. “Fine,” he replies, and there’s a faint gleam of amusement in his eyes. “Where?”

For a second, the possibilities dance in your mind—somewhere fancy, or maybe something simple, just the two of you away from the usual routines. But then, inspiration strikes, and you lean forward, eyes bright with mischief. “No, no, you’ve got to be like, ‘It’s a surprise,’” you say, adding dramatic air quotes and gesturing for emphasis. “Then I have to act like I hate it but secretly love it. Just imagine it.”

His lips curve in a deeper smile as he plays along, his voice shifting into something mockingly mysterious. “Alright,” he says, looking at you seriously, “it’s a surprise.”

“Exactly!” You beam, triumphant. “And then, naturally, I’m going to say, ‘Well, I need to know where so I know what to wear.’” You pause for dramatic effect, holding his gaze. “And then you—this is the most important part—you look at me and say, ‘I’m sure you look amazing in anything.’”

Nanami chuckles, folding his arms, his biceps flexing as he moves, he leans against the counter, his posture relaxed but his gaze intent. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” you reply, nodding fervently, convinced that this whole scenario is absolutely necessary. “And then, obviously, I’m going to get frustrated and say, ‘You just don’t get it,’ because… you wouldn’t.” You lift your chin in mock defiance. “And then I’ll have an entire meltdown about what to wear and end up in a full-blown fashion crisis.”

“A crisis?” he echoes, raising an eyebrow, clearly entertained by your growing theatrics.

“Oh, absolutely.” You nod with conviction, hands moving animatedly as you continue. “But here’s the twist: I’ll eventually pull myself together and come up with this absolutely brilliant, transformative outfit. Something that works anywhere. Like, I’ll have a jacket or something I can throw on or take off so it’s perfect for any situation.”

“Very resourceful,” he murmurs, nodding as though he’s genuinely impressed.

“Right?” You give him a knowing look, holding up a finger as if sharing a particularly juicy secret. “And then, when I show up, you’re just going to look at me and say, ‘Wow, you’re the smartest woman ever.’ And I’ll act humble about it, but deep down, I’ll know you’re absolutely right.”

A beat passes as he looks at you, clearly trying not to laugh. He steps closer, his hands settling on either side of you on the counter, his gaze steady. “That sounds… about right,” he says softly, his voice tinged with amusement.

There’s something electric in his closeness, the kind that sends a spark through you. You can’t help the smile tugging at your lips, but you cross your arms, trying to maintain your composure and tilt your head back in a mock-serious expression. “Of course it does,” you say as if this entire performance is a given. “Because I am, obviously, a genius.”

He laughs quietly, his eyes softening as he watches you, and leans in for another kiss. His lips are warm against yours, a grounding presence, and you melt into him, letting everything around you—the clinking dishes, the faint smell of toast, the early sunlight filtering in through the window—fade into the background. For a few moments, it’s just the two of you in this little bubble, warm and close and wrapped up in each other.

When he pulls back, there’s a hint of a smile still on his lips. He brushes a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering just a bit, and you feel your cheeks warm under his gaze.

“So,” he says quietly, his eyes twinkling, “let’s go on this date. You with your crisis-proof outfit, and me… surprising you.”

You can’t help but grin, excitement bubbling up in your chest. “Deal,” you say, giving him a little nod as you picture how the day might go. The thought of a real date—something beyond the usual routines and daily rhythms—sends a thrill of anticipation through you.

“Okay, genius,” he says, his voice gentle but teasing. “Since you seem to have thought of everything, what’s the rest of the plan?”

“Well,” you begin, resting your chin in your hand with an exaggeratedly thoughtful look, “after I conquer my closet and manage to arrive in my transformative outfit, you’re supposed to be completely awestruck, and maybe even question how you got so lucky.” You shoot him a mischievous smile. “But you play it cool, of course.”

He laughs again, reaching for your hand, tracing little circles with his thumb. “Naturally,” he murmurs, as if this plan is as solid as anything else on his agenda.

“Then,” you continue, warming to your own story, “we’ll go somewhere where we can talk without any interruptions. Maybe it’s a cozy little restaurant, or a place with a great view. You pick it, obviously, because it’s a surprise, and I’ll pretend to be skeptical even though I’m secretly impressed.”

“Ah,” he says, nodding, “I see you’ve really thought this through.”

“Oh yes,” you reply, unable to keep a straight face. “I’m nothing if not thorough.”

He gazes at you, his eyes warm with something you can’t quite place—a look that’s both fond and amused, but also carrying a depth that makes your heart skip a beat. He leans in, brushing his lips against yours, his voice low and soft when he says, “Then let’s make it a perfect date. Just you, me, and this foolproof plan.”

You kiss him back, savouring the closeness, your heart fluttering at the thought of an entire day set aside just for the two of you.

And as you sit there on the countertop, surrounded by the quiet morning, the scent of breakfast in the air, you know that this might just be the best start to any day—a promise of more moments like this, with him by your side.

taglist: @kodzukenmaaa @markleeisdabestdrug

(please send a dm or comment on my the pinned blog to join.)

𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫…

[jaidens]

you're a cowboy like me perched in the dark

pairing [s] : standford!sam winchester x reader

warning [s] : nothing!

a/n [s] : taking requests for supernatural!! [requests r open]

Sam is researching and studying on his laptop, in a big Standford sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. A few candles are lit around, breaking dorm rules, but the cozy atmosphere could cause you less to care. In Sam’s major, there was no way to get out of the massive amounts of homework and manila folders that stacked on the counters. His hair is messy and drying against his forehead.

You're making a small thing of tea, dropping the camomile teabag into the Halloween inspired cup of steaming water. Sam barely pays any attention to what's around him as he stays practically glued to the screen displaying different types of legal actions. “Sam,” You call quietly, setting the cup on the table. With no reaction, you repeat it. “Sammy.”

He lifts his eyes for a second and flashes them quickly back to the screen. You roll your eyes and walk over to him. Sam turns his head and smiles at you before continuing to copy and write down different answers on college-ruled paper. “Hey, Sam. Chill for a moment. I made you chamomile tea, your favorite.”

His hands take the mug from your hands, and he gives you a kiss on the corner of your lips. Sam was never too extroverted, not too introverted. It had taken him awhile to open up to anyone, and especially to the random girl who decided to sit with him at the local Starbucks near Standford. “Thank you.” Sam mumbles quietly.

“You’re welcome. What does your professor have you doing?” You ask.

“We have to write an essay about breaking down a case. It makes sense, but gosh why did I want to be a lawyer?” Sam laughs as he takes another sip of the tea. You're watching him, admiring more so, the way he concentrates. How a little wrinkle appears in the middle of his nose and forehead. It was the smaller things you loved about Sam that made him, him.

“When you become a lawyer, are you gonna have your face plastered everywhere?” Sam lifts his eyebrows at your statement and laughs while shaking his head. You curl into Sam’s side as he discards the paper and laptop to the other side of the couch. His arms pull you into his chest and you naturally fit and snuggle into him.

“No. I'll be so good, the police and everyone will recommend me. I won't even need ads or anything.” Sam plays along with your joke, and you give him a big smile. He smells like a mix of pumpkin spice, coffee, and his vanilla shampoo and conditioner. You kiss the tip of his nose and he lets out the smallest laugh.

“You better remember me when you're the best damn lawyer ever.”

Sam wraps his arms around you and lets his fingers enclose around each other. “I’ll never forget you. I’ll have a picture of you on my big, oak desk.” His lips connect with yours and you let your hand slide into his soft hair. You let your lips dance against each other while letting your thumb slide against his cheek.

“You better not.” You say and put your head in-between his shoulder and neck. You burrow into him and let yourself relax. You can hear his heart beating, the rise of his chest, and the sound of his breathing. “I love you, Sammy.”

Sam kisses his lips to your forehead, letting them stay for a second before pulling away. Sam’s eyes are closed, eyelashes against his cheek. Slow breaths and the large rising of his chest only signals one thing: Sam Winchester is asleep peacefully. You stare for a moment, watching the peace he has in the vulnerability of being asleep.

With a second of adjustment, you fall asleep against him as well. You kiss his collarbone with your lips, and they lie there as you sleep.

[ariundercovers]

The Bridge (When Paths Cross Pt. IX, Javier Peña x Reader)

Pairing: Javier Peña x Afab!Reader (No use of y/n!)

Length: ~3.6k words

Series Summary: Chucho's been like a father figure to you since he helped you out of a sticky situation on your second day in Laredo. What happens when you finally meet his son, the former-DEA agent, who just happens to ignite you in a way that you haven't felt before?

Chapter Summary: The next morning. A surprise meeting and a long-anticipated conversation.

Chapter Warnings: no porn only plot, angsty fluff, spanish nicknames, idiots in love, references to suicide, death/references to death (external character).

A/N: If you're so inclined, please drop a like and a reply/reblog! I live for your feedback, and it keeps me going and keeps me writing. Did you like it? love it? hate it? I want to hear all of your thoughts! And of course, just lmk if you'd like to be added to the taglist, too!

PREVIOUS PART (VIII) HERE

It’s a very sleepy, stress free morning that starts perfectly - with you waking up in Javi’s arms. You don’t think either of you moved, hardly an inch, over the course of the evening. Chucho is up early to take care of the cattle, which leaves you two with an empty house and… well, virtually nothing to do to fill the time. You can only hope that he’ll be willing to talk to you, to have a real conversation about all of this mess you’ve been stewing in over the course of the week.

You’re in the kitchen with Javier, moving around him as you set out to make a pot of coffee. It’s a well-rehearsed dance at this point - you make the coffee, Javi makes the pancakes, one of few actual meals he knows how to put together. You move wordlessly around one another for a long while, and its Javi is the one who breaks the silence partway through the morning meal you’ve been preparing together. 

“Care to go for a ride with me?”

“A ride?” You question.

“Yeah. Take the horses, go for the day. There’s somewhere I want to take you.”

You look over at him eagerly and you agree, of course. How could you ever say no? You’re still not sure where the two of you stand in all of this, and a conversation still hasn’t happened yet, but you figure this might be the best opportunity you have available to get him talking. 

After you have your pancakes and coffee, you set out to gather up what supplies you’ll need for the day. You haven’t been on a ride this long before, so you pester Javi about what it is exactly that you need to bring. You pack yourselves a couple of sandwiches and a few drinks, stash them in a bag on Javi’s horse’s saddle, and head out to your destination which is… you’re not even sure where it is. The ranch is too big to be able to easily navigate on your own, so you just trust Javi and trot along behind him. 

It’s peaceful, silent even, as you ride along one of the cow paths that laces through the massive property. When you come to a large clearing, one you’re not quite sure you’ve seen before, he slows, coming up next to you as your horses continue along. 

He turns to you with an easy smile and announces, “I wanna take you to visit my mama.”

You’re shocked, to say the least. Shocked, confused, surprised, and, admittedly, a little bit concerned. Javi has never once spoken about his mother. You never asked, never pushed, because you figured it would’ve come up by now if he wanted to talk about it. You also figured he’d tell you the story of why she wasn’t around eventually, so you didn’t want to push or overstep. There were plenty of other things to talk about in the meantime.

But now, staring back at his timid but eager expression, you’re lost thinking about it. Who is she? What is she like? Will she even like you? You can feel a pit of nervousness boiling in your stomach, starting to worry already about how this might go. 

But more importantly, you’re stuck on the why. Why now, of all moments, would he introduce you to his mother? After the biggest fight you’ve ever had, after literally walking out on him the other night, after Javi virtually admitted to you that you didn’t have a future together.

”Your mother?” 

It’s all you can manage to say in response, taken aback so sharply by the suggestion. He nods back at you and his smile turns somber as he looks back into the seemingly empty distance in front of you.

“Not too much longer, cariño. We’ll be there soon.” He takes off on a trot again, back into the lead between the two of you. Following diligently, you watch as different gated pastures and trees and orchards pass by - some in better repair than others. You’ve only been out this far once, when Chucho gave you the official tour so long ago, now. You realize it must be a lot for Chucho to have been managing all of this on his own for so long, impossible to keep up with even the daily maintenance it would’ve required. You’re glad Javi is home to help. Chucho needs it.

You continue for some time, past the boundaries of what felt to have at least a modicum of familiarity to you. You didn’t realize how far the property went, sprawling in either direction along the river’s edge. Eventually, Javi slows once again, and you pull up next to him, watching as he dismounts with a graceful ease that you know you can’t replicate. You jump off as well, and he leads the horses over to a tree where they can graze freely while you’re here. 

Looking around, you’re confused. There’s no house, or building anywhere around you. You can’t imagine where someone would live all the way out here, so you wonder if perhaps you’re making a pitstop somewhere else first. Javi breaks you out of your reverie when he reaches over, hesitantly, and laces his fingers between yours, ending with a heavy squeeze of your palm. Javi’s fingers tap lightly against the back of your hand as he leads you into the field just up ahead, and that’s when you finally see it. A few hundred yards in front of you, a large billowing tree filled with beautiful full green leaves overshadows a few small stones - they’re headstones, you realize. 

Suddenly everything clicks into place. Why you’ve never been out here before, why there was no building around, why this seemed like such an odd place to meet Javi’s mother. 

Javi’s brought you to his family cemetery.

Your chest tightens immediately and a lump gets stuck in your throat as you piece it all together. The only thing you can think to do is squeeze his hand with your own, pulling it into your chest so that you can hold it with both of yours for a moment. He turns, glancing over at you with a look of gentle concern, and he can see the tears welling in your eyes that threaten to spill over.

“I’m sorry if I’ve never talked about her before. It’s… hard to talk about.” You nod back at him and offer him another light squeeze before releasing his hand back into the grasp of only one of yours.

“Don’t apologize for that. You don’t need to.” He nods back at you and you fall into an easy silence as you walk the remaining distance to the headstones, just three of them placed around the tree. Two, toward the back, look older - you figure they must be a set of grandparents or similar - and another one, newer, but still well worn, sits in front. He leads you to it and stares down at the stone. You read it once, then twice, and another five or six times until it finally sinks in. She was 43, and Javi was only 19 when he lost her. You can’t begin to imagine how traumatic that must have been.

He releases your hand, then, and takes a moment to smooth out his pants first, then his shirt, pushing his hands into the pockets, like he’s trying to make sure he looks presentable enough. The tears that were brimming at your water lines slip past the barrier and roll down your cheeks when he finally speaks up.

“Hey, mami. I know it’s been a while.” Your gaze flicks from the headstone to the side of Javi’s face, another few stray tears falling from your lashes. “Just wanted you to meet this one over here.” He reaches for your hand again, clasping it tightly with his own, bringing it up to his lips to kiss for a moment before he tells her your name, and introduces you as ‘his girl.’

You smile at that. There wasn’t another word for it that worked better. Girlfriend didn’t feel right. Too juvenile, not serious enough. But you weren’t anything more than that either, not yet. It warms your heart to know that he still thinks of you that way, even after everything. Especially after the way that you walked out on him the last time you were here.

Javi starts to speak, then, like he’s talking to someone right in front of him. “I miss you. Bad. All the time. I’m sorry I don’t visit like I used to. It’s been too painful. Easier to just run away, I think. But I wanted you to meet her. Needed you to, I think.” You blink back some more tears and just let him speak, watching as he gets down onto his knees and sits back on his heels. “I hope you’re proud of me. I know I’m not so proud of me most days anymore, but I hope you are. I only ever wanted to make you happy. I miss you.”

Raising his fingers to his mouth, Javi presses a kiss to them before placing his hand gently on the earth in front of him. “I love you, mami,” he adds before standing. He pulls you in front of him, then, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind as he buries his face into the side of your neck. You can feel his heavy breathing and the way his breath breaks, like he’s holding back his own tears. There’s nothing you can do but hold tightly to him and let him ride it out however he needs to, so you do exactly that.

You don’t know how long you’ve been standing there, staring, with Javi’s strong arms wrapped tightly around you, when he finally releases his crushing grip and stands at your side once more. Reaching for your hand again, he turns and leads you back toward the horses in silence before you take a seat together beneath the tree he had them lashed to. It’s a long ways away now, but your eyes keep darting to the headstones at the base of that tree as you sit in silence. You can’t help but wonder so many things about it, how it happened, why, why here, why now. 

Javi scoots in close to you and leans his head against yours, turning to press a kiss to your forehead briefly before he finally speaks up.

“I’m sorry to surprise you with this.” You sigh softly and turn so that you can look him properly in the eyes.

“No, Javi… don’t. Don’t apologize. Not for this.” He nods back at you and closes his eyes, pinching at the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb for a moment.

“I just… this is really hard for me. Trying to force myself to open up about it. But I want you to know. I need you to, I think.” You try to offer him the easiest smile you can manage, eyes softening as you reach out to place a palm gently on the side of his cheek. You can't help it but to use your thumb to smooth out a few stray mustache hairs, while you’re at it.

“Okay. Then I’m listening,” you finally respond. Javi takes a long, slow breath, looking up at the sky as he exhales before looking back down to you. He starts, slowly, like he’s thinking about each and every word as he speaks.

“My mom was the love of my life. She was… everything. My whole world. But she, um…” He clears his throat, shaking his head as he looks over toward you. “Sorry. Didn’t think this would be as hard to talk about after all these years.” He pauses for a moment longer as he blinks a few times, shaking his head softly. “My parents loved each other more than I’ve ever seen anyone love another person. Ever. It was so clear to everyone who came around them.  And when she…”

His eyes flutter closed and he drops his head, taking another deep breath, almost like it pains him to do so. You can see the agony on his face, in his body posture. It’s everywhere. “When she left us, everything shattered. And I… well, I promised myself I’d do anything in my power not to feel that kind of pain again. Even if it meant pushing people away, running away. All of these things you’ve seen me do now… that Pops has had to watch me do time and time again. Everything that happened in Colombia. I thought it would be easier.” 

Inching closer to him, you reach out timidly for his hand, lacing your fingers together as you offer him whatever gentle affections you can without breaking his train of thought.

“But then you showed up, and you rocked my entire world. Everything I had demanded, decided for myself, suddenly felt wrong, and I was afraid. I was afraid and so I pushed you away, trying not to let myself fall into it. But I did, anyway. You made it impossible not to.” You just smile back at him, thumb rubbing along the back of his palm.

“I’m scared, muñeca. Absolutely fucking terrified of feeling all of this all over again. Whether it's now, or ten years from now, I know it’s coming. And I don’t know if I can take it.” He shakes his head more viscerally this time, looking at you then, pleading silently. “No. I know I can’t. 

“Baby…” You can’t help but answer him, try to offer him some amount of reassurance. “You’re putting on the brakes for something that you can’t even see. Something that might not even happen.” His eyes close again and he drops his head, squeezing your hand softly once.

“I know. Logically, I know that. But I can’t make that fear go away. It’s just always… there.” You sigh and cock your head to the side, hoping to get a look at his face, but you can’t manage it.

“Can you look at me, Javi?” His head lifts, eyes watery as he looks at you with the softest, most somber expression you’ve ever seen on this so often so cocky and sure of himself kind of man. You have a million things to say, but you want him to have the chance to talk through things first, before you start. So you try to open with an easy question, or so you think. “Can I… Can I ask what happened to her?”

He stares at you for a long moment before he lets out a deep breath and his lips part like he’s going to speak. There’s a tense silence between you before he begins. “She… took her own life. She never left a note, or anything. Just… did it. Left me and Pops alone to fend for ourselves.” Your eyes widen and your heart absolutely shatters for him, reaching for his other hand so you have both in your own, now.

“Javi… oh God, I’m so sorry. I can’t… I can’t even imagine.” He nods and offers you an uneasy smile as a tear slips down his cheek.

“I know. It's okay.” He reaches out with a gentle hand to wipe away the tears from your face, and you do the same for him, both of you smiling sadly at each other for the moment. “I don’t mean to be such a sap,” he adds.

“That kind of hurt doesn’t just go away, Javi. It’s okay to be a sap about it, to still feel it so viscerally.” He takes a second to think about it before he answers.

“I know. That’s kind of my point. I feel it every single day. Every time I think about her, I feel it over and over again. It’s less than it used to be, that pain has faded a little bit, but it's still there. And I can’t… I just can’t imagine going through it again. So I thought if I made these rules for myself, if I didn’t let myself get into the kind of situation where I’d have to feel that kind of pain again, that things would be easier. No strings, no attachments, just me and my own sanity, you know?” You nod, starting to understand why he’s built these walls around himself so thickly, with such tough and seemingly unbreakable materials. It’s all starting to finally make sense to you.

“Yeah, I get it. It’s a coping mechanism. Just… a really long-term one, right?” He nods affirmatively and gives your hands a little squeeze.

“Yeah. Exactly that.”

“And you’re telling me this to… explain why you won’t think about the things I asked you? Or- are you…” You can’t manage to get yourself to speak the words. Luckily, Javi swoops in and speaks them for you.

“Yes and no. Yes, because that’s why I said the things that I did. That’s the reason. No, because I… well… fuck. You, uh… you managed to burrow yourself in there pretty deep already. And the thought of losing you right now is killing me. It’s killing me. It feels almost as bad as when I lost my mom, it’s just different. And I can’t do it. I can’t lose you, not now.” His eyes are still watery as he speaks, and all you want to do is lean in and kiss the tears away, but you know better than to do that. You have to have this conversation, first.

“I understand. At least I think I do. And I’m sorry, Javi, for storming out like I did. That wasn’t right of me.” You know he’s not the only one at fault here, your reaction not being the best, either, however warranted it may have felt at the time.

“No, no… I wasn’t treating you right. You had every right to walk out on me, cariño. I shouldn’t have been acting like that.” You nod and sigh, one hand reaching out to card softly through his hair, behind his ear, before it comes to rest in your lap once again.

“You can’t just dictate things at me like that again, though. It’s not okay. This is a partnership, right? Between the two of us? We need to talk about things, talk about our wants and desires and make choices that let us both compromise a little. Make each other happy, you know?” He nods, face falling slightly.

“I know, I know. I do. I didn’t do a good job of that. I shouldn’t have ever just blurted that all out at you and then not been willing to talk about it. That was fucked up.” You smile, sitting up a little taller before you continue.

“I was wrong, too, though. Storming out when things get tough doesn’t work, either. We’ll never get anywhere if that’s my response. It was a bad reaction on my part.” He chuckles lightly and offers you a half-smile.

“Kind of warranted though, wasn’t it?” You laugh nervously for a moment and then shake your head vigorously.

“No, not to that degree. I totally lost it.” He nods, understanding what you mean, luckily.

“Alright. How about we start this over? Can I ask that of you?”

“Of course, you can. We can do this - we can figure this out. I know it.” Your face is hopeful as you look at him, wishing for him to be willing to level with you, for you both to be able to move on and keep growing from this.

“Yeah. I like that plan.” A heavy breath releases that you weren’t aware you were holding back, and it feels like the world has left your shoulders. You’re not sure how you expected this conversation to go. Likely, badly, if you’re just being honest with yourself. And the truth of the matter is that it’s gone a lot better than you expected it to. You feel lucky. Not everyone would be willing to open up to you in the way Javi just has. And you feel honored - honored to know, honored to be a part of his and of Chucho’s lives. You didn’t realize before just how much you want that. 

“I’m sorry, cariño. I’m so sorry,” Javi adds.

“I’m sorry, too,” you counter.

There’s an easy silence between the two of you as you sit and just look at each other for a long while. His fingertips roam the backs of your palms and your thumbs brush softly across the backs of his.  You let yourselves just bather in the long moment of silence before you continue. There’s one more hint on your mind that you have to know, have to get off of your chest. 

“So can we… can we talk about that stuff? It doesn’t need to be now. Just… sometime.” He nods, reaching for the sides of your face to pull you in for a kiss. It’s the lightest, most gentle kiss you think you’ve ever had - lips barely grazing over one another’s, just enough to know that you’re both there, together.

“Yes. Te prometo, muñeca. Juntos. We’ll make those decisions as a couple, I swear it.” You smile back at him and sit up slightly, your hands overlapping his on your face. “Together, this time. No unilateral decisions from either of us, okay? I promise.”

“Okay, Javi. I promise, too. Together.”

~~~

A/N: So I know this was an intense one. I took a LOT of inspiration from some of the things Pedro has talked about regarding his own mother in this, so I'm curious if anyone picked up on that. This is the last fluff/angst chapter for now - back to our regularly scheduled smutting and fluffing soon, I promise!

xoxoxo

Taglist: @amyispxnk @picketniffler @kirsteng42 @vee-bees-blog @samiamproductions @grippysockedtoebeans

(lmk if you'd like to be added!)

NEXT PART HERE

[fairytalegonewronga03]

🪦 🚒 🥃 and 🪖pls pls pls!!!

Absolutely anything for you bestie 🩷. I apologize for all the angst, apparently that's what's going on in all my fics! I'm putting it under Even if it's Angst, I hope it makes your day a little better💜. 🩷🩵💜

🪦 GRAVEYARD AU (This one is short, cause it'll probably be posted tonight) Evan laughed so hard he nearly spilled coffee down his shirt. When they finally finished eating—leaving no room for pie despite Doris’s good-natured teasing—the sun was casting long shadows across the diner parking lot.

They stepped outside into the crisp air, and Evan turned to Tommy with a sudden burst of affection. He pulled him close and kissed him softly, savoring the moment.

"I'm really glad we came here," Evan murmured against Tommy's lips.

Tommy's eyes were bright as he brushed a thumb lightly across Evan's cheek. "Me too."

As they climbed back into the truck, Evan couldn't help but steal glances at Tommy—the easy way he moved, the contentment on his face—as if seeing him anew. Love swelled inside him like a tide; he marveled at its strength and depth as they drove toward home along the familiar highway.

And through it all, he kept thinking: This is my life now. My heart. My everything.

🚒 FIRST MEETING AU The next few weeks passed in a blur for Eddie. Between shifts at the dispatch center and taking care of Christopher, the added burden of therapy sessions left him exhausted but determined. He hadn’t seen Sal since the incident at the bar, though his words lingered like a persistent echo.

“Take the first step.”

Eddie repeated it to himself like a mantra as he juggled work and family, trying to piece together his scattered sense of self. The 118 loomed large in his mind, a bittersweet reminder of where he used to belong.

He sat in Frank’s waiting room now, the hum of fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, blending with the hushed voices filtering through the door from other offices. A clock ticked slowly on the wall, counting down each second until his session.

Despite his numb exhaustion, Eddie could feel something reawakening inside him—a spark of hope that maybe Sal was right. Maybe there was still a place for him.

The door opened suddenly, startling Eddie from his thoughts. Frank appeared, smiling warmly as he gestured for Eddie to come in.

They talk about Eddie’s fears and about Christophers well being. Frank deduces that Eddie is so worried about other people’s wellbeing and so busy managing others people pain that he’s not focusing on his own. By the time their appointment is done, Frank has tasked him with talking to someone who can understand the trauma he’s been through. ———

Dead. They were all dead. Eddie stared at the wall, he had reached out to the last known contacts he rescued from the helicopter crash. Four friends he hadn't spoken to in years, and now each response played like a cruel mantra in his mind.

Dead.

The room began to spin as Eddie leaned back against the wall, the air thick in his lungs. The panic rose quickly, clawing at his chest, choking him with shame and anger. How could he have let this happen? First Shannon... now them?

He was losing everyone. 🥃 MAFIA AU (BUCKTOMMY)

Finally, they entered a room that was markedly different from the dank cell. Soft light filtered through heavy curtains, casting a warm glow over plush carpets and richly upholstered furniture. The air was fresh and scented with a hint of lavender, a stark contrast to the musty dampness Evan had just left.

Tommy gently laid Evan on a large bed, the mattress sinking beneath his weight. Evan's body screamed in protest at the movement, a low groan escaping his lips. “Sleep.” Tommy commanded in a stern yet gentle voice." I’ll be here when you wake up. “Yes sir.” Evan mumbled quietly before succumbing to sleep. Tommy pulled a leather armchair close to the bed, sinking into it with a weary sigh. His eyes never left Evan's sleeping form, taking in every detail of the man's battered visage. The bruises stood out starkly against Evan's pale skin, a canvas of purple and green that made Tommy's blood boil.

He clenched his fists, anger surging through him as he thought of Alexander's brutality. This wasn't what he'd intended when he'd ordered his men to keep Evan in line. A few threats, maybe some rough handling—but not this. Not starvation and poisoned food and beatings that left Evan barely conscious.

Tommy's jaw tightened. Alexander would pay for this overreach. He'd make sure of it.

But as quickly as the anger came, it was replaced by a different emotion as his gaze returned to Evan. The man looked so vulnerable in sleep, his usual defiance stripped away to reveal something softer, more fragile. Tommy found himself transfixed by the curve of Evan's jaw, the fan of his eyelashes against his cheeks, the way his lips parted slightly with each breath.

And then there was that word—"sir." It had slipped from Evan's lips so easily, so naturally. Tommy replayed the moment in his mind, savoring the way Evan's voice had sounded—soft, submissive, almost reverent. It stirred something deep within him, a primal satisfaction that he hadn't anticipated. 🪖ARMY AU SEQUEL

“I don’t want to leave,” Eddie admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sal’s eyes darkened, a flicker of emotion flashing across his face, before he smiled again, but this time it was laced with sadness. “I don’t want to leave either.” He hesitated, his fingers brushing through Eddie’s hair. “But we both knew this was coming.”

Eddie nodded, his throat tightening.

Sal shifted, pulling Eddie closer until their foreheads were touching. The warmth of his breath brushed against Eddie’s skin, sending a shiver down his spine. “We’ll get through this,” Sal said, voice steady, though Eddie could hear the quiet tremor beneath it.

Eddie swallowed hard, his chest tight, and pulled Sal even closer. “We will.”

Sal didn’t speak again, but his fingers traced soothing patterns on Eddie’s back, the contact grounding him, even as the reality of what they were facing settled in.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. They both knew what the world outside was waiting for them to do. The mission. The separation. The dangers.

But for now, they had this. This quiet, moment where it was just them, together.

Eddie pressed a kiss to Sal’s forehead, slow and gentle, like he was trying to seal this moment in time. “I’m going to miss you,” he whispered.

Sal’s breath hitched, and he pulled Eddie closer, if that was even possible, his lips finding Eddie’s in a kiss that was desperate in its sweetness. There was no hurry, no urgency. When they finally pulled apart, their faces were close, breath mingling, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words.

“I’m going to miss you too.” Sal said, his voice low but firm.

And for a few more precious moments, they stayed like that—wrapped up in the quiet of the morning, letting time stretch out, just a little longer, before they would have to face the world outside. Before they would have to say goodbye. 🩷🩵💜

If anyone wants to ask about WIPS, here is the link to the list!

[mostly-marvel-musings]

Not your average summer romance

Chapter One - Here goes nothing

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader

Word count: 2k ish

Warnings: 18+ themes, fluff, kissing.

Tony Stark Masterlist

.

Monday

It was the mother of Mondays as you hurried out of your apartment, your pot of coffee left forgotten on the kitchen counter simply because you were running super late. You were heading to a coffee shop for your meeting with the publisher anyway.

Your last meeting had been promising, so you had your hopes up about this one. The problem was, you were late. And your publisher, Sarah, was particular about time. Praying and hoping she would forgive you just this once, you dodged foot traffic that was perpetual on the streets of New York and stumbled into the equally busy cafe.

No sign of her.

Damn it.

Did she leave?

A part of you was hopeful that she was late too. That thought was shut up rather quickly when your phone buzzed with an email from Sarah.

Hi Y/N,

I hope you’re well. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet today, you know how I am with time.

I should have done this face to face but, unfortunately the team has decided against continuing the contract. I really did try my best but you know the decision isn’t all up to me. You can call me if you want to discuss anything.

I’m really very sorry. Stay in touch and keep writing.

Regards,

Sarah Waddington

A bunch of emotions went through you as you read and re-read the email. There had been rejections in your life in the past, but none of them stung or made you mad as this.

Who does this over an email?

You shoved your phone inside your purse angrily and looked around. You were in severe need of coffee, the only pick-me-up that could work.

Making a beeline for the counter, you pushed past people and stood behind a man wearing a black suit who was furiously whispering over his comms to someone.

Your phone buzzed again. This time it was your best friend calling you, the line was moving rather slow and you needed to vent.

The man in front must have changed his order at least three times adding to your frustration which you didn’t hide. You wondered who the person on the other line was who was unable to decide on a simple coffee order.

As your friend went on about her weekend, you moved ahead to order yourself a large Americano, this day called for nothing else but a strong cup of joe; the man in the suit grabbed his coffees and a bag of muffin and turned the opposite way, straight into you.

Iced coffee spilled down your blouse and some of it on his crisp white shirt, the paper bag turning soggy wet as both of you cursed out loud. Some of your piping hot americano managed to spill down your hand in the process too.

“Are you fucking kidding me??” You yelled, part in fury, part in pain as your hand stung.

Happy Hogan profusely apologized as he tried to grab as many tissues he could to help you. The commotion had gathered enough attention in the cafe already to add to your embarrassment.

“I am really sorry, I have a spare shirt in my car if you’d like. Please ma’am.”

He kept insisting, both of you staring at your blouse that was stained beyond saving point. Uttering a small ‘fine’ you followed him out to a rather sleek Tesla Roadster.

A man sitting at the back rolled the windows down as you two approached, a pair of brown eyes peeking through expensive looking sunglasses taking in your appearance with an amused smirk.

“Boss, would you mind passing me that shirt at the back please?”

The man continued to gaze at you for a few more seconds before paying heed to his, you assumed drivers’ request. You stared back, taking in the man’s sharp suit, a rather well maintained anchor beard and eyes that checked you out shamelessly.

“Tony?”

The other guy said more forcefully this time, breaking up your little staring match. ‘Tony’ fumbled around a bit before throwing a large white t-shirt that said ‘I survived my trip to NYC’ towards the guy you found who was named Happy Hogan as they exchanged a conversation.

“Honestly Happy, I don’t feel so secure around you and by the looks of it, neither does this lady or coffee for that matter. Why did I promote you to head of security again?”

“Because I’m the only one you trust and the only one who unfortunately can put up with your tantrums.”

“What tantrums? And will I get my coffee today?”

Tony huffed, making you hide your grin behind your hand as you accepted the t-shirt from Happy.

“Here. I’ve got all the caffeine I need for the day. Stains and burns included.” You held out your cup for him, frowning when he looked at Happy instead.

“Yeah, I’ll take that. Boss doesn’t like being handed things.” Happy gratefully took the coffee you offered and gave it to Tony.

What an entitled prick! You thought.

“What address should I send this back to?” You held the t-shirt up, Tony waving his hand in dismissal.

“Oh keep it. Mr. Hogan has a closet full of cheesy, oversized graphic tees. You can send the dry cleaning bill over to Stark Industries.”

He added with a small smirk, giving your blouse one more thorough glance.

“Oh no. I have plenty of pristine white blouses that haven’t had coffee spilled over. But thank you for your generosity, Mr. Stark I presume?” You crossed your arms over your chest.

“The one and only.”

Happy watched the two of you interact like a tennis match, clearing his throat audibly to break off your staring contest yet again.

“See you around, Miss..?”

“Y/N.” I really hope not, you thought to yourself, giving them a polite smile.

Taking your leave, the two men sped off, leaving you with an amused grin and Tony Stark’s unforgettable gaze that seemed to still linger.

…

That evening the doorbell rang, it was nobody but a large package with a little note.

Another pristine white blouse to add to your collection. Though this is more dinner worthy, I feel. What do you say, Ms. Wordsmith?

Tony Stark

Inside the box sat a satin white top, your size, surprisingly, and a lovely bouquet of beautiful white hydrangeas.

It was an awfully bold yet sweet gesture from someone you encountered for less than ten minutes. By the handwritten note, Tony had researched you in advance, now, it was your turn.

…

Tony’s POV

“I’ll be honest with you Ms. Wordsmith, the thing is, ever since I saw you at the coffee shop, drenched in coffee, I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

Okay, what? Did those words actually leave my mouth? That wasn’t supposed to be uttered in front of her. Sure, the statements were true, but, whatever happened to the smooth-talker, unapologetic womanizer Tony! He was back at the lab probably judging the shit outta this guy.

The air conditioning was faulty in this place, I think, feeling sweat beads trickle down my back. The fanciest restaurants in New York with the most beguiling lady sitting across and all my mind focuses on is the goddamn AC?

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about you too, Mr. Stark. I think you’re possibly the most spoiled bratty billionaire I’ve met.”

Her words stirred something in me, my cock twitched curiously at them as I smirked, cleverly hiding my shock at the honesty. No woman was ever this frank before, this was new, intriguing.

I could tell she was interested, just by the way all of her focus was on me, her body angled towards mine, her gorgeous eyes taking in every movement, as if memorizing it.

I hadn’t been subtle either, her personality, her curves, her aura were all too inviting for me to back down. Ever since I laid eyes on her, I knew I had to meet her again, keep meeting her for reasons unknown.

Other girls I’d met were pretty much cut from the same cloth, pretty things wearing tight dresses that accentuated their boobs enough to skip dessert and take them home. That usually ended in Pepper kicking them out in the morning before any of them had a chance to say ‘we should do this again sometime’.

Not Y/N though.

I wanted to listen to her, speak to about absolutely nothing, bring her home, explore every bit of that smart mouth, run my hands all over her soft skin, and claim her as mine…

Whoa there! Some boundaries, Stark. It’s only the first date.

“Earth to Tony?”

I snapped back to reality with her hand waving in front of my face, dear God, I wasn’t on my best game tonight.

“Did you say something I missed?”

Damn it. Obviously she had. What a question even?!

“I just wanted to know if you’d like to split a chocolate cake with me?” Her eyebrows raised in wonder as the waitress patiently stood next to the table, waiting for me to give some sort of reply.

Geez. Was this woman for real? I could’ve kissed her senseless right there. I don’t think any of my previous dates had even uttered the word cake before, let alone chocolate.

“Right uh, sure. Yes.” I cleared my throat and croaked, downing the rest of my drink, giving myself a mental shake.

“Are you alright?” She asked, leaning forward, concern filled in her eyes.

“Perfect. I was just preoccupied with something, I’m sorry. Tell me about where you grew up.”

The whiskey provided some liquid courage for me to get up from my seat and join her on her side of the booth. There was plenty of space but I had to make sure our knees touched, I couldn’t sit too far away, not now.

Angling my body toward her, I laid my arm against the backrest as she spoke, willing my eyes not to slip down to her tempting lips or the way her gesturing moved her blouse slightly to reveal her cleavage.

As her lips moved, a part of my brain registered the words while the other hornier part focused on the way her lips formed the perfect O, the way her tongue danced along making me wonder how it would feel wrapped around my length. The sounds that would leave her as I fucked that pretty little mouth, then her, and make her mine.

“Honestly, the whole thing was such a shitshow, I would not mind a sugar daddy at this point!” She laughed, making something flutter inside my chest cavity.

“A sugar daddy huh? How about an eccentric, genius billionaire?”

I smirked, letting my fingers skim the soft skin of her shoulders, pleased at the effect I had on her as she blushed.

Something changed in her eyes as she shifted closer to me, curiosity replaced by something darker, more carnal.

“Don’t look at me like that.” I murmured, looking down at her lips that screamed to be kissed.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re begging me to devour you until you scream my name.”

That very moment, both of us shifted closer until our lips finally met. That very moment, I knew I was in trouble.

The kiss was everything I had imagined and everything I hadn’t. She tasted like a dream, a mix of chocolate and berries mixed with a bit of wine she’d been drinking. I couldn’t get enough.

My lips glided over hers smoothly, tongue peeking out testing the waters at first but as her hands found their way up my chest, I knew she wanted more.

I could’ve been more drunk on her than the whiskey as we kissed, the restaurant had faded away into oblivion long ago.

Her tongue skimmed along my lower lip shyly, making me smirk against her mouth and card my fingers through her hair, pulling her closer.

“Mind if we get out of here?” I breathed, momentarily halting the kissing to look into her eyes.

She nodded, unable to form words as she bit her bottom lip to stifle a grin, her eyes swimming with the same want and desire that was probably reflecting in mine.

“Do your worst, Stark.”

A/N: Here we go! Chapter 1. Feedback is love, as always.

[tellmealovestory]

Hayride

Summary: It's your second date with Eddie and you have high hopes it'll turn out better than the first.

Sequel to Apple Cider

Warnings: Slight angst if you squint really hard, not as much as awkwardness as the first part.

Spooktober Masterlist

The second date begins the same as the first, only better.

Eddie picks you up after your shift at Family Video again, this time on time. Butterflies fill the pit of your stomach, their wings flapping away as you look at him and Eddie for his part still looks just as nervous as if he still hasn’t gotten the hang of how to behave around someone of the opposite sex.

Robin behaves herself a little better, only calling out around cupped hands still loud enough for the businesses down the block to hear, “you two have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

“You up for an adventure?” he asks, opening the van door and closing it once you’re settled into the passenger seat. When he slides into the driver’s seat you’re thankful that when he starts the van up no blaring metal music blasts from the speakers to make your eardrums bleed. 

However, that means you’re left with the struggle of trying to make your brain and mouth work in tandem in an effort not to make another fool of yourself.

He begins driving towards your destination and it’s only after a few seconds of silence that you finally find your voice to answer him. “Maybe. It doesn’t involve anything too extreme like rock climbing or parachuting out of a plane does it?” 

Eddie scoffs and then lets out a bark of laughter that makes your insides melt and you’re relieved to find that the earlier nerves you experienced are beginning to lessen a little, but your palms are still slick with sweat that you subtly try to wipe off on your skirt.

“No, no, nothing that extreme. Less you’re into that kind of thing,” he starts before hastily adding, “I’m flexible with our plans.” When you give a quick shake of your head no, that you’re not into that kind of stuff he continues with a little softer voice and cheeks that are starting to turn pale red. “Steve sort of uh suggested this. Said there’s a hayride. Thought it could be kind of fun since you seemed to like the festival.” 

You’ve never been on a hayride before and your eyes brighten a little at his or maybe Steve’s plans for your second date. 

“I’d like that,” you say, voice just as soft as his. Glancing at him through your lashes the doubts and memories of that first date still ring through your mind so you clear your throat before speaking again. “Are you okay with that though? You didn’t seem too enthused at the carnival.” 

Eddie flinches at being called out, teeth biting at his tongue and he grips the steering wheel a little tighter in his hand. He glances at you before turning back to the road and lies through his teeth. “I’m great with it. Love a good hayride.”

The smile you reward him with makes the lying worthwhile in the end. 

The rest of the ride is filled with a comfortable silence and in it you hope he can’t hear how loud your heart is galloping in your chest. Pulling up to a large field you’re surprised at all the vehicles are already here, but once you hop out of his van you both manage to navigate the crowds with more ease than you had at the fall festival.

There’s a pumpkin patch to your left with kids running through playing tag and a few couples picking out pumpkins for carving or mere decoration. The barn straight ahead is lit up like a church, tables lined in the front selling apple and pumpkin pie a la mode and hot chocolate and coffee for when the sun sets and the midwest air starts to chill. 

To the right of the barn there’s a little shed selling apple cider and even feet away you can smell the spicy aroma that takes you right back to that first date.

Eddie sees you staring at the drink stand and quips, “uh uh, don’t even think about it, sweetheart, after last time? Think we should be banned from having apple cider anywhere near us.” 

The pet name makes your breath hitch and your eyes grow wide, it’s the first time a guy has ever called you sweetheart. You like it. Especially when it’s coming from his lips. Ducking your head down and biting your lower lip another giggle spills out and you try to talk, to tell him that you don’t think wasps come out at night and that one apple cider won’t hurt, but the words are lodged in your throat and oh god you really thought a second date would be easier. 

“Okay,” you start, “no apple cider, but maybe a hot chocolate afterwards? That seems like a safe option.”

“Deal.” His smile is wide and bright and contagious. Resting his palm lightly on your lower back he guides you towards the growing line for the hayride. 

The line moves slowly, everyone stepping up carefully on the steps and finding a seat on the large trailer piled high with hale bales. Conversation around you is loud making it hard to talk with Eddie, but that might be a good thing given your tongue is still getting stuck to the roof of your mouth and all you can focus on is the heat of his palm through your sweater on your lower back.

When it���s your turn to board the trailer like the gentleman he is he helps you up the stairs, hand only leaving your back once you’re seated near the end. He joins you after a few seconds and when his knee bumps into yours you get an electric shock that flows through your veins and startles you a bit.

“This is a normal hayride, right? Nothing haunted or scary is going to jump out at us?” You ask softly, tugging at the sleeves of your sweater. The horses up front start to neigh and the chatter you experienced while standing in line has died down as an excitement ripples through the patrons. 

Eddie rubs the back of his neck, nerves pricking in his bloodstream because he’s not entirely sure and he silently curses Steve for not giving him more information. But with how many families and kids are around it’s gotta be a normal one, right? 

It’s only once the horses begin their slow and measured trot through the well worn path and wooded area that he finally answers your question with what he hopes is the correct response. “Normal. Nothing scary to be worried about. Less you’re afraid of the big bad woods and the witch that haunts it.” He wiggles his eyebrows and a kid who can’t be more than four or five sitting across from you widens their eyes and buries their head in their mothers forest green coat. 

It’s not funny, it’s really not and you chalk the laughter that starts to seep out from the nerves and when the mother notices she shoots you a sharp glare that only makes you laugh harder. Eddie finds your reaction absolutely adorable and he joins in on your laughter before offering the mother and child a quick apology.

The trees are bursting with those brilliant fall colors of reds and oranges and yellows that always makes you feel grateful to live here in the autumn. The air has just a hint of a chill and you’re glad you wore an oversized sweater to keep you warm.

As the horses continue their trot and the ground begins to grow a little more uneven you find yourself jostled into the hard edges of his body. The heat in your cheeks flares up and the apologies tumble so hard and fast from your lips that Eddie has to put a stop to them with a gentle and soft, “it’s okay, I don’t mind.” He follows it up with wrapping his arm around your shoulder and tugging you closer to his body.

It’s difficult for you to relax and enjoy the view and the gentle swaying of the trailer as it winds through a curve in the woods when you’re consumed by the woodsy scent that clings to Eddie and how heavy yet nice his arm feels slung across your shoulder. 

And it’s even more difficult to focus when he dips his head down as you pass an old and twisted tree, branches almost touching the tops of people's heads. His warm breath fans your ear and he whispers, “try not to get too scared. This is where the witch lives, right in that tree.” 

“Oh no, I left my witch repellent at home,” you tease and when he chuckles your heart swells ten times its size upon hearing that deep laughter and knowing you were the cause of it. 

“No need for it. Everybody knows she stays away from sweet things. You’re safe.”

“Guess that means you’re safe too, Eddie.”

Oh god, oh god, oh god, is this what flirting is? Sharing quips back and forth, hoping they land, saying and doing things to get the other person to smile or laugh? And were you doing that? Really and truly doing that?

If this is flirting it makes you feel dizzy and warm all over like a soda left out in the sun and shooken up before someone tries to open it. Both Steve and Robin are going to be so proud of you when you tell them of this moment later. Or maybe, just maybe you’ll keep this to yourself. 

“Smooth,” Eddie teases after a few seconds of silence and when he speaks again your body melts a little easier into his side. 

The rest of the hayride flies past in a blur and when the horses trot back to the entrance you’re disappointed both that it’s over and how the crowd seems to have swelled double in size. 

Eddie gets off first, stepping down the steps, holding his hand out to you and when you take it another jolt of electricity shoots through you and there’s no way you can hide your massive smile. Stepping down he keeps hold of your hand as you guys head towards the barn where the warm drinks and pies are being sold. 

“Are you sure getting another cider is a hard no?” you ask, hope lighting up your eyes and Eddie almost gives in before he steers you over to the hot chocolate. Picking up two cups they teeter with mini marshmallows and whip cream, so indulgent and warm and when you take a first sip of that milk chocolate your disappointment at not getting another cider ebbs away. 

“No more cider. This date is going good and I’m not about to ruin it,” he says, guiding you towards an empty bench where you can watch the crowd.

It is going good when compared to your first date and yet there’s still a few doubts swirling through you and you hate it.  

You take a long sip of your drink to avoid having to say something and when you finally do speak your voice is quiet and a little shaky and you hate it. “You had fun back there?” Gesturing towards the hayride that’s full of people again and about to take off for another trot through the woods. 

Eddie’s eyebrows knit together and he shifts his body so he’s facing you better head on. “Yeah. I was with you wasn’t I?” His voice is light and easy in comparison to yours, but when he speaks again it's filled with a doubt that matches your own. “Did you have fun back there?” 

Nodding your head eagerly, your grip tightens around your still warm cup of hot chocolate and you struggle to choose your words carefully. “I did! It was nice. I just wanted to make sure that you were having fun. None of this really seems like your kind of thing. Too conformist maybe?”

You dare a peek at him through your lashes hoping nothing you said offended him and it appears it didn’t because when you look at his face he’s grinning and his eyes are full of sparkle beneath the barn lights. 

“What? You think cause I dress like this and play Dungeons and Dragons that means I can’t enjoy a nice hayride through the woods and a delicious drink afterwards with a pretty woman?” He teases. When you stare at him with doubt still dancing through your eyes and knitted brows he tries a different tactic. 

Setting his drink down next to him on the bench he squeezes your hand and that familiar flutter of butterfly wings flaps in the pit of your stomach and you’re having a hard time tearing your gaze away from where your hands are connected. 

“Can I be honest?” he says after a few seconds. Those four words make your heart spike, but before you have time to get sucked into another black pit of doubt and insecurity he’s talking again. “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing. When you agreed to go out with me again I was lost on what to do for a second date. I was gonna take you to the movies, but Steve convinced me this was a better route to go. Said he brought some date out here and it was great. Not really my scene, but you love it and that’s good enough for me.” 

It takes a few minutes to digest everything he just said, minutes longer still to digest that he went to Steve for advice. While he’s a wonderful friend and great co-worker he’s not the first person you’d go to for relationship or date advice. You had assumed back in the van on the drive over that he wasn’t super enthused about this, but the fact he still went through it because of you makes your heart warm. 

“I like the movies,” you say with a small smile. “I liked tonight too, but I would have felt better had we done something you were into too. And maybe had you not asked Steve for advice.”

“There’s always date three for that,” Eddie says with a hopefulness in his voice that finally makes you tear your gaze away from your joined hands and stare into his eyes. 

“I also like the idea of a third date. Maybe this time though we won't let Robin or Steve pick out our plans?” you suggest. 

“It’s a deal, sweetheart.”

[afyrian]

☆ chapter three - blooming for you m.list

    your fingers tap frequently against your laptop's keyboard, index finger briefly sliding across the mousepad and clicking down on a link. the cool metal pricks at your fingertip, sending goosebumps up your forearms. clicking once more, you arrive at a page for local business users. it's small and the graphics are poorly constructed. 

  the latest post is from the heirloom's newest owner, taking over her family's antique shop. asking anyone if they'd be able to donate a few things for the shop, or even sell to the shop depending on the piece. next is from the coffee shop down the street asking if anyone else had noticed their alarms going off without any valid reason. finding the little pencil icon in the bottom right corner, you find yourself typing up a little post.

  it mostly contained questions about the mystery buyer, asking if anyone else had noticed mystery purchases that were left for the owner to keep. whether it was a coffee that the barista would get to drink, or a piece of pottery that was a little overpriced and left on the shelf. biting your nail, you cautiously hit post, pushing your laptop back a few inches so as not to find yourself adding more information than needed.

  staring down the post, you start to wonder if you've uncovered some rich gift giver. who spends their extras gifting others around the holidays. however, as you wait patiently, finger tapping against the countertop, you start to wonder if this is a phenomenon only happening to you. or everyone else is just serving customers and not checking the forum.

  the store's bell goes off, your gaze flickering from the screen to the customer by the front door. there stands someone you've yet to see yet, unfamiliar eyes casting on the surroundings of your shop. she takes a few steps in, looking around at the different types of flowers, "hello, are you looking for anything special today? perhaps a bouquet of roses or some of our less popular flowers like marigolds or dahlias?"

  "maybe a mix? i'm staying at a close friend's apartment and i want to liven it up some," she holds her bag's strap with both of her hands, clenching around the fabric.

  "well, some yellows would help with that. maybe even a few orange flowers. perhaps even an orange rose?" you look over at her, raising your eyebrows with a small smile twitching at your lips, "symbolic of deep and fierce love."

  the customer looks away for a moment, shaking her head with a smile on her face. in a split second, a notification pings on your computer, almost causing her head to swivel to the side. finally looking back to you, she bites at her lip, stepping towards the daffodils and sunflowers that fill the section of yellow flowers. "i'm thinking just a random bouquet, at least for now. i was actually going to come in recently, but got lost along the way... it's quite a quaint shop, homey."

  "thank you, that's exactly the feeling i like to exude- now, i usually have a few premade bouquets on hand, let me grab one for you," you tap the counter, stepping in the back of the shop. 

  a large cutting station is the first thing you can see. an industrial sink off to the side with trimmings and dead flowers filling a bucket beside it. stepping up to the side wall, you can see a couple of bouquets pushed together. one of them has some green flowers interspersed with yellows and oranges. the colors popping alongside some small bluebells.

  stepping back to the front, you set it down, finger tapping at the register. "considering it's your first time here, and someone has bought a couple bouquets without wanting to actually pick them... it's on the house," you set down the bouquet, feeling the brown paper leave your fingers.

  "thank you! wow, if you ever find out who did such a thing, thank him or her on my behalf, please!" she takes the bouquet in her hand and heads out of the store, looking around at every piece of furniture and every fixture before she finally opens the front door. 

  letting out a soft breath, you push back the counter's chair, peeking at the computer's screen. right below your post, there's a reply from one of the shops. their comment lingers in your mind as you try to take it all in, 'no, i haven't received anything like this, but maybe if you put up some flyers or something they may respond?? or at the very least it'll gain some traction in the 'manhunt'.'

  tapping your foot against the counter, you ponder the idea, wondering if posting such a thing so publicly would be a good idea. like the commenter did mention, it would bring traction to the shop, something you wouldn't be totally opposed to. especially with needing to pay yachi and gas and repairs on the truck...

  closing your laptop, you shelve the idea. looking up to the store's clock, you see the hour hand get ever closer to closing time, letting you head home with a warm cup of hot chocolate. the sun still sits low in the sky, giving a warm orange ambience to the store. you fiddle with a couple of the decorations, moving a picture that looks a little too crooked or rotating a piece of pottery that you have set up.

  stepping into the back of the store once more, you notice the bouquets. one of them was the first bouquet the mystery man bought, finally set in the back for you to take home and sit on your dining table. you start to stare at them, fingers reaching up to feel the petals. they feel so soft and delicate in between your fingertips, so close to ripping under the pressure.

  and all you can do is grab the paper cover to bring it over to your apartment, hoping they can last the trip. stepping into the front of the store, the door's bell rings once more. it's a jingle you love to hear every time you work at the counter. looking up, you see just who you were starting to not expect to pop up... kuroo.

  "welcome to calla lily, i was starting to wonder if you were ever going to show up for your very own flower bouquet," you purse your lips, setting down your bouquet on the countertop, leaning your hip against the table and across where he's standing. 

  "got swamped with work yesterday, figured today would be the day i finally got to see where the magic happens," kuroo walks towards the counter, "i was hoping to impress my boss with one. maybe convince him to use your shop for our event."

  he has a smile on his face, a similar suit from your last run-ins wrinkle free. a long coat overtop, the material thin, yet it looks so warm. however, this time, he dons a light blue and silver tie, a delicate striped design. leaning against the counter, your hand picks at a few flowers, gaze flickering between him and the petals. you let your elbow rest carefully against the wood surface. 

  he stands with one hand in his coat pocket, the other pressing against your counter, holding his million-dollar smile. “well, for bosses, i’d include a few gladioluses, representing leadership. maybe a couple calla lilies that help pass off that elegant feel your company may be going for. maybe even some marigolds… adding a little greenery and small white flowers. perhaps even a few lily of the valleys,” you walk around the store as you talk, pointing out a few flowers specifically.

  looking up from the lily of the valleys, you spot kuroo staring you down. a gentle stare, not one that would dissuade you from looking at him again, but rather one that pulls you in. his rich hazel eyes peering you down like a warm hug that makes you feel comfortably rested. “what?” you question, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

  “nothing, you’re just- you’re so passionate about what you do, it’s admirable,” he brings his free hand up to his neck, looking away as soon as your gaze stays on his for longer than expected. 

  you keep your hands by your side, biting your lip. “well, why do anything if it isn’t worth indulging?”

  kuroo nods, walking towards you by the white flowers. they sprout in the small cooled buckets, surrounding you like you’re awaiting him in a field of flowers, the wind blowing your hair back. “wise words, it’ll run through my mind every day when i walk to work… and from such a wise and beautiful mind, i’d take any recommendations,” he nods, hand running through the baby’s breath. 

  swallowing thick saliva, you look down at your shoes, unable to be in such close proximity to him again. “right, well, it’s a good thing i wouldn’t lead you astray because i could’ve totally been lying,” you finally look up, laughing lightly.

  “well now that you say that i think i’ll have to go to a competitor or something… someone with some real integrity,” he tries to match your energy, however, he folds rather quickly under your gaze, “but, i think i have to repay you for the broken bouquet.”

  “i think you’ve apologized enough.”

  “oh you haven’t seen anything yet.”

taglist (open): @eggyrocks @causenessus @applepi25 @softpia @bakery-anon

@nekozaki @nnnyxie @kameyyy @grassbutneo @asrichin

@boosyboo9206 @anqelkoz @rriwyu @ssabvln @thesleepingrose

@chososcamgirl @lale-txt @weezerbby @cupidsblonde

[chiiyuuvv]

hiii i saw your post asking for requests and i’m just wondering if i can request a hunter scenario where his s/o is doing his make up ? or them doing the lipstick trend ifykwim (the one where they have kiss marks all over their face and stuff) thank you so much !

HUNTER REQUEST; KISSABLE♡

~~~~~~~~~♡

Full, symmetrical. The way they were naturally pouty and inviting made his heart skip a beat. They felt soft and were soft. The way it would fit his perfectly made him want to slow down, enjoy the moment as the world came to a stop, the way they moved in syn-

"HUNTER!! Are you staring at my lips again??" I squint my eyes, watching the tall boy quickly turn his head, his cheeks red. "What..? Of course not love.." he answers after a while, avoiding my eyes as he scrolls on his phone. "Why would I ever do that.." he mutters to himself, glancing at me.

"Hmm.. it's just that.. well, you've been doing it all day." I cross my arms, watching him nervously looking around the room as I pass him a plate of food. "Thanks.." He mumbles, digging into his food as I sit in front of him, sipping some of my drink.

The room falls to a comfortable silence, the sound of chewing only heard as we enjoy our food. "The foods really good," hunter breaks the silence, chopping up some of the food with a knife as he circles it around my mouth, feeding me. I hum, opening my mouth to consume the food. "That's only because.." I stop to chew, covering my mouth as I continue.

"I added poison." I wink, making hunter chuckle. "Poison?"

"Yeah, it takes really good right now but that's only a side effect — once midnight strikes you'd be passed out."

"But what about you? You're eating the food too."

"I only put it on your plate.. mine is poison free."

"That may be the case.. but I just fed you some food from my plate. That means your affected too."

"Hunter!!" I gasp, holding onto my stomach. "Y-you knew from the start.. YOU'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS!!" I yell playfully, pointing my finger at him as he lets out an evil laugh.

"Haha!! You have fallen into my trap!" He cackles as I pretend to fall back in my chair, putting my hand on my face. "Just as I predicted.." he gets up, carefully picking up my body and laying me on the couch nearby.

My eyes closed, I feel his hot breath fan my face before he backs away for a second. "Hunt- AHH!!" I scream as he peppers my face with kisses, finally stopping at my lips to kiss me for a few seconds.

"W-what was that for?!" I sit up, my face red as I watch him grin happily. "All according to plan." He claps his hands I look down shyly, suddenly seeing a white flash.

His giggles fill the room as he takes a picture of me, my face red from blushing and large kissing marks. "Did you steal my lipstick?!" I hit his arm playfully, my lipstick sitting on the coffee table. "Look how cute you are~" he changes the subject, swiping the screen to show different photos of me.

"Y-yahh!! Delete that hunter!"

"But whyy?? You looks so CUTEE!"

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"If I give you cuddles would you delete it?"

"NO!"

A/n: after reading this I realized it was no where near what was requested😭 I tried to put my own twist to it since their is already a story exactly like this (the request they wanted)

Still, I hope you somewhat enjoy this imagine and thank you for being my first request.

[e-wills-afterhours]

Pretentious Coffee, Chapter 6

Rating: 18+

Pairing: Hiccstrid

------

The first thing Astrid noticed was how clean and organized Hiccup’s bedroom was compared to the rest of the house. His carpet was spotless, unlike the living room and hallway floors sporting questionable stains. The second thing she noticed was Hiccup shutting the door behind him, muffling the party until the blood pounding in Astrid’s ears easily drowned out the rhythmic bass beats.

She was anxious, but she wanted it—to be alone in that room with a guy she hardly knew, open to just about anything that transpired between them. One bottle of beer was not enough to obscure her judgment and completely level her inhibitions. It was her decision alone to take the risk, not the alcohol.

She was not acting like her usual self, but her usual self had not done her too many favors. Life as expected had left her bored, miserable, and stewing over years wasted.

Wasted on what?

She had been certain once, but she didn’t know anymore.

The only clear thing was Hiccup, crossing the room in those sweatpants, like he paraded around that way in front of strange girls on the regular.

He pulled out his desk chair. “I hope you like dogs,” he stated in a manner that more implied she had better like dogs.

Astrid furrowed her brow, confused. “I—yeah. I mean, sure. I like them. Why?”

No sooner had the question fallen from her lips when something stirred on the bed, and she nearly yelped, taking a step back. Her nerves had made her initially blind to the large, black German shepherd curled up on the dark comforter.

The dog raised his head, seeming to eye her with equal wariness. In his stare was something wild and intelligent, reminiscent of his untamed ancestors.

“Allow me to introduce you to Toothless,” Hiccup said, his voice saturated with fondness. “It’s usually just him and me around here. Tuffnut’s often sequestered in his room, doing God knows what, and Snotlout is hardly ever home unless there’s a party. I would guess he was studying on campus if I didn’t already know he hasn’t got two brain cells to rub together.”

Astrid nodded distractedly, eyes locked on Toothless and the way he sniffed at the air, like he could smell her trepidation.

“It’s okay. He won’t bite you,” Hiccup said, joining his dog on the bed. He scratched Toothless behind the ear and added, “Unless you give him a reason.”

“I can’t imagine I would,” she replied.

“He, uh, well…he never liked Heather much.”

Astrid grinned. “Smart boy.”

Hiccup chuckled and gazed up at her expectantly, making her bristle.

Was it some kind of test? A screening process, perhaps? Did she really have to appease his dog before he would get any closer to her?

She stared down at the inquisitive animal, hoping that Hiccup was not the kind of owner who was in denial of his own pet’s temperament. Too many people got injured that way.

Toothless’s ears were perked up, and his muzzle was smooth and relaxed, not wrinkled back to bare what was surely an impressive set of fangs. Knowing the tiny bit about Hiccup that she did, the name “Toothless” was likely in jest.

It was very fitting.

Astrid took a deep, inaudible breath and held out her hand, praying that if the dog took a snap at her, he’d at least leave her with a few fingers intact. Thankfully, she did not tremble, betraying her fear. It would have been a blow to her dignity—a side of her she was not ready for Hiccup to see.

She needed to come across as confident and collected, to project a “don’t screw with me attitude” that would ensure Hiccup didn’t knowingly, or unknowingly, take advantage of her recent vulnerabilities. She was treading in new waters, far out of her comfort zone. It was exhilarating, but she didn’t want to get swept away in the undertow—that  heady rush of the new and drastically different. She was still Astrid Hofferson, and her knees buckled for no one. She swooned for no one. She was not the type to be seduced, and in all honesty, there was nothing about Hiccup that could be described as particularly sexual.

The way he carried himself was less flirtatious womanizer and more unassuming, highly intellectual introvert. His physique didn’t turn heads. That voice wouldn’t make girls shudder with desire. In all likelihood, his demeanor would sooner earn him a slap in the face than a phone number.

And yet, after being stuck in dead end relationship with the kind of jock every girl seemed to chase, Astrid wanted Hiccup’s unique appeal for reasons that didn’t entirely make sense, beyond the fact he seemed to fit perfectly into a void that needed filling. It didn’t matter, though. She had thought too hard about relationships for too long, and she was prepared to fall into his gravity.

Consequences could be dealt with later.

Astrid pursed her lips, feeling awkward with her hand outstretched for a non-compliant dog. “Is he just going to stare at me, or…?”

Toothless was undoubtedly powerful, with substantial bulk beneath his glossy coat, and he seemed happy to make her squirm, taking a brief eternity to consider her.

Finally, a large, wet tongue graced her hand from palm to fingertip. Both she and Hiccup smiled when the Toothless nudged her. Whatever reservations she had toward the dog melted.

“Oh, Toothless, you’re not so bad, huh?” She sat on the other side of him, scratching at his thick neck with both hands. “You’re not so bad!”

It registered with a sudden jolt to the gut that she was on Hiccup’s bed. There was an inherent suggestiveness to it, regardless of what unfolded. Or didn’t.

Toothless rolled onto his side, shamelessly drawing up his leg to better expose his chest. His tail thumped against the bedding.

Hiccup seemed satisfied, even a little relieved. Astrid was optimistic she had just earned his favor. After all, Toothless had not been so welcoming to his owner’s previous girlfriend. She already had a leg up on Heather.

“Well, that settles it,” Hiccup said, leaning back on his hands. He glanced down at his dog and shook his head with pity.

“Settles what?” Astrid asked, humoring Toothless and rubbing his chest and belly.

“I don’t have to kick you out,” he teased.

Astrid snorted. “Good thing. Think of all the ex-hating gossip you’d miss out on.”

“Hm. So, this is all about badmouthing Eret and Heather in private, sharing secrets and giggling about all their intolerable quirks? Wonderful. I’ve always wondered what it was like to be a teenage girl,” he quipped.

Astrid shot him a sardonic stare and he laughed, lighting up the space around him again, like he had back in the kitchen.

She could get used to it—his unusual sense of humor, their playful exchanges, and the secondhand happiness she absorbed just by being near him. Once she got past the somewhat off-putting first impression, there was something about Hiccup that was infectious—unconventionally charismatic.

His smile faded, replaced with a compassionate furrow of his brow and an uninvited hand on her knee that woke every nerve in her lower half.

He said, “In all seriousness, I’m sorry for what Eret put you through—not that it’s really much consolation, one jilted lover to another.”

His voice was as soft as the contact, hovering just over the line of innocent and acceptable.

“It’s fine,’ Astrid replied, trying to make her brain focus more on the conversation than his touch, assaulting her senses despite its gentleness. “I—thank you, by the way—I figured you’re the only person I know who actually gets it.”

Hiccup nodded and Astrid once again appreciated the understanding, though the circumstances were not ideal. She didn’t have to explain herself or show more of her wounds than was absolutely necessary. Hiccup knew they were there, but he was not interested in making her show them off, to give words to the bitterness that they shared.

“If I had only known, I would’ve given you free coffee that day. I wouldn’t have given you a hard time,” he said.

It was as close to an apology she would likely ever get for his behavior in the shop, but Astrid found she didn’t need one.

“And here I was thinking you didn’t know how to do anything else,” she teased.

Hiccup’s eyebrow quirked up and Astrid decided it was endearing.

Everything, from his freckles to the gap in his teeth, to his inexplicably magnetic wiry frame, hit the right notes. Maybe it was because she was desperate and delusional, swayed by rebound goggles that made any man that wasn’t Eret potentially worth a lay?

But surely there was a wealth of options besides a sarcastic coffee barista, yet she had zeroed in on him.

“I’m full of surprises, I’ll have you know,” Hiccup retorted with a mock-scowl. He started counting off with his fingers. “I’m a pretty decent mechanic.”

“Ohh,” Astrid hummed with a playful shimmy of her shoulders. “How irresistible.”

Hiccup grinned and continued, “I can make my own pizza, I’ve seen every episode of Doctor Who…”

He rambled off a few more things, but Astrid wasn’t listening. She was watching his lips instead of hearing the words they spoke. She was mesmerized by the upturn of his lips and the exuberance in his voice. The way the brightness of his smile extended to his eyes made her own recently burdened heart feel lighter. She wanted to card through his hair—a rich auburn—that sat in a sort of organized mess atop his head, fanning out over his ears.

Her gaze continued to his jawline, sharp and defined, unlike Eret’s rather broad structure. He was sporting the beginnings of facial hair, likely the result of shutting himself away from Snotlout and Tuffnut for the weekend. It only complimented him, and Astrid wondered what it might feel like to graze along her cheek.

She suppressed a shudder. Never before had she thought so sensually about a man—not even when she had been so certain she loved Eret.

She didn’t have any serious feelings for Hiccup, of course. She hardly knew him, and that would’ve been ridiculous.

No.

It was an attraction in the rawest sense of the word. A need, not to feel whole or complete like a dime store romance novel might suggest, but to connect with someone; to get the most out of life.

If she didn’t make a move, the missed opportunity would be a nagging reminder in the back of her head. It was about peace of mind and taking the bull by the horns. She didn’t want to wonder about him; about them; about what they could be in the confines of those sparsely decorated four walls. She could be bold, for no other reason than to simply know and—after weeks of sulking—experience something positive.

She could kiss him.

“…I actually have a sketchbook,” Hiccup admitted. “I could show you if you’re into that sort of—“

And kiss him, she did.

His lips tightened beneath hers and his whole body stiffened, and a flash of panic crossed Astrid’s mind.

Maybe she had misread him? Maybe she had assumed too much?

She grasped at a suitable apology, anticipating Hiccup’s quick break away…

But he did not recoil. His mouth twitched against hers in bewilderment.

Astrid leaned in, hands folded in her lap, hoping to reassure him that it wasn’t some kind of mistake; that she didn’t accidentally fall on his lips. She was asking if it was alright. A little after the fact, but she would take it no further without reciprocation.

Hiccup got the message. When his wide eyes fluttered closed, there came the warmth and gentle pressure of him kissing back.

The weight in Astrid’s chest lifted. She couldn’t even remember the last time she and Eret had been affectionate. It felt like eons ago.

“I guess engineering sketches really do it for you, huh?” Hiccup chuckled against her lips.

“Shut up,” she retorted, snaking a hand up his long torso to tangle in his hair.

It was every bit as soft and pleasant to the touch as she hoped it would be.

“Okay,” he murmured. “Toothless, down.”

Astrid pulled back as the dog nearly sandwiched between them leapt down from the bed. He was rather indignant about it, flopping down on a deflated pillow with a dramatic groan. Hiccup rolled his eyes. Toothless stared back at him, and he scoffed; an entire nonverbal conversation playing out between them.

Yes, it was a very good thing Astrid liked dogs. Hiccup seemed particularly connected to his.

“Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “He thinks he owns the place.”

“Spoiled, huh? Whose fault is that?” Astrid smirked.

“Ahaha, yeah…” Hiccup trailed off as she inched closer, her knee pressing against his thigh. They leaned forward simultaneously, the momentum between them was dizzying. “He really is a good…mmm.”

“Dog” was muffled, lost in the slow melding of their lips.

Astrid’s fingertips mapped his jaw, tickled by stubble on the return journey to his hair. She twisted russet strands idly as things escalated. Warm and tender kissing gave way to deeper, open-mouthed drinking of one another.

It was a little awkward, trying to learn new contours while avoiding the scrape of teeth. Hiccup tilted his head, and the new angle was better. Each hot, moist breath they shared stoked the fire growing in Astrid. It fueled a hunger she had never felt so earnestly. Even the simple, loose curl of his hands over her shoulders was scintillating.

He heightened her senses and re-calibrated her body to his touch.

She moved closer to him, capturing his top lip between her own. His grip tightened, sliding down her arms to settle at her waist. She felt the subtle twitch of his hands, wanting her closer without demanding it of her—also a departure from the rougher, grabbier sex she was used to. There was something to be said for the slow burn and exploration, enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

She had not been aware sex was compatible with manners, never giving it much thought. But, she was glad it was.

A simple brush of tongues made her feel like her heart would explode. It was already racing beneath her ribs, fit to burst like contents under pressure. The bolder she became, the more Hiccup responded in kind. The occasional breath was all that could part them before their mouths crashed together again. Both of them were looking for release—a satisfaction that had been denied for long enough.

They needed something more than what they had known.

Astrid grasped at Hiccup’s shirt, falling back against his bed and taking him with her. He landed on his hands, propping himself up, though their lower halves were pressed together. Whoops.

She could feel the beginning of his arousal against her thigh, through his pants. Her own desire spiked wildly and her patience waned. She bit her lip, gazing up at Hiccup with as pointed a stare as she could manage.

In spite of everything—their good rapport and trajectory of lust—he seemed taken aback by her obvious interest.

“Y-yeah?” he asked, a faltering smile conveyed his giddy disbelief. “Really? Are you sure? I-I mean, I’m flattered, but if this is just because—“

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” Astrid sighed, grasping the hem of her sweater.

“Yes, on multiple occasions. Nervous habit.”

She paused, cocking her head. “I’m making you nervous?” she replied.

With a wiggle of her eyebrows, she exposed the tiniest bit of skin of her abdomen to titillate him.

“This whole situation has caught me a little off-guard,” Hiccup confessed. “I mean…I don’t even know your name.”

Astrid felt like she had been walloped by a ton of bricks. She quickly scanned her memory and, indeed, she had never bothered to divulge that information.

How cliché of a college party hookup—and they were not even intoxicated.

Her hands shot to her mouth. “Oh my God! You’re right! It didn’t even cross my mind! I just assumed I had told you at some point.”

“You see, only one of us ever had the name badge,” Hiccup said. “It’s an honest mistake.” Astrid laughed and his soft chuckle mingled with it. He shook his head. “I’m all for unorthodoxy, but…”

“Astrid,” she replied, hands falling against the bed,exasperated with herself. “My name’s Astrid Hofferson.”

And she felt like the world’s biggest dunce. He smiled.

“Astrid,” he repeated, testing the way it rolled off his tongue. “I’m Hiccup Haddock. Pleased to meet you.”

“Properly,” she added.

“Right, and now that we got that out of the way…”

Astrid rolled her eyes and grabbed the hem of her sweater again. She pulled it off and threw it on the floor, cursing herself for not picking more exciting underwear—the pair with the polkadots and lace. Things were not unfolding in the way she had predicted when she had left her dorm earlier in the evening. She did not think, for even a moment, she would be lying beneath Hiccup, hot and bothered, and ready to part with some of her long-held moral scruples.

But there she was—and there he was, admiring her shirtless form. He was not the least bit phased by her old, rather dull bra.

He touched her with a warm, gentle hand on the curve of her bare waist. It was a shock to her system, unfurling an almost agonizing heat beneath her skin. His thumb stroked idly just beneath her ribs. It was intimate, but restrained. Every step forward was reintroducing her body to sensations that she had been missing deep beneath the surface layers of anger and wounded pride.

“You know, Eret’s an idiot,” Hiccup commented, running his hand over her tense abdomen.

She relaxed instantly at his tenderness.

“I keep hoping he’ll have an epiphany and realize that,” Astrid huffed.

“Would you take him back if he did?”

It was a loaded question. She could tell by the earnestness in eyes, and suddenly, things were more than casual “getting over it” sex. That night, in that bed, with that particular lanky coffee barista, things were pivotal. Greater forces were at work besides the carnal urges of young adults. She couldn’t give it a name yet, but she felt some kind of cosmic realignment hinging upon her answer.

“No,” she said, brief but resolute.

Eret was a chapter in her life with a definite end, and she was finally voicing it aloud. There would be no revisiting it; she wasn’t just using Hiccup in the interim.

“Good.”

He kissed her again with the same passion, undeterred by the interlude.

Astrid pulled at his shirt and it came off in an instant. They were a tangle of limbs, bare skin, and busy mouths.

Hiccup was much thinner that Eret, but with definition that was uniquely his own. There was an understated power to his back and shoulders that Astrid could appreciate.

She arched up, deftly unhooking her bra with one hand. Keeping the blush from her pale cheeks, she tossed it to the floor to join the pile of unwanted clothing.

Hiccup was accomplishedly ambidextrous, cradling the base of her head in one hand, weaving his fingers in her hair. His other hand fondled her breast, inherently knowing how she like to be touched…

Probably because that’s how Heather liked to be touched, and how Eret was caressing her at night—but Astrid smothered the thought.

Her brain was divided. There were too many pleasurable sensations all at once. Hiccup’s lips ghosting over her neck gave her goosebumps. Every breath they drew pressed their chests together, all the while skilled fingers toyed with a nipple like it was second nature. Their hearts were mirror images, beating in tandem, and the final shred of her awareness was dedicated to the obvious need in Hiccup’s pants.

His mouth latched on her neck, alternating between sucking and a graze of teeth. He was in no hurry; deliberate in effort but languid in pace. He caressed the other breast, and she filled up his palm like they were lock and key.

Everywhere their bodies met was seamless, like some grand hint that they were meant to be entwined. It was an absurd notion, but Astrid still moaned softly at sweep of a tongue along the line of her neck.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders, and she whispered a tremulous apology. Hiccup breathed reassurances against her skin. His lips fluttered along her pulse—that was the kind of warmth that lingered, leaving her nerves charged and thrumming down to the very epicenter of desire.

“Please,” she murmured; it was a simple and quiet request.

She wouldn’t beg him and she knew he wouldn’t ask her to.

His kisses continued to her collarbone before hesitating the on swell of her breast. Green eyes flickered up to meet hers, and her skin protested when he withdrew his lips.

“I will do whatever you want,” he told her. “I can be pretty agreeable at times.”

Heat pooled between her legs as she imagined quite a few things—mainly, other places he could put his mouth—but their encounter was not the adventurousness of established lovers. What she needed from him, in that moment, was to satisfy a persistent itch.

“Still working hard for that tip, I see,” she teased.

He laughed. “Always.”

“I’m not looking for anything extraordinary, Hiccup.”

Not that she wasn’t already filing away excuses to see him again…

She hadn’t been physical with anyone since days before things had ended rather abruptly with Eret. Sex with Hiccup could be a drawn out experience later. At that moment, it was an obstacle to overcome, to prove to herself there was more that life had to offer—more that she was worthy of.

“What’s wrong with extraordinary?” Hiccup replied, quirking an eyebrow. “It’s kind of what I do.”

“Ha,” Astrid retorted dryly. “Just…tonight’s not the night for it, I think.”

She could almost see the cogs turning in his head, figuring her out. He wasn’t upset or annoyed that she wanted to keep things brief. His face was full of that same curiosity he often wore around her, like she was a puzzle he longed solve.

“Not tonight? As in, there could be more nights to come?” he asked, trying to keep his face placid, though he was less successful at suppressing the hope in his voice.

“Isn’t that the point of good service? You garner repeat customers,” she answered.

He chuckled and conceded, “Okay. You win. Just a second…”

He rolled off of her and stood up, rummaging around in the nightstand. Astrid took the opportunity to shed her boots and socks, scrambling up the bed as he turned back around. There was a small, foil packet in his hand and she could’ve smacked herself for the lack of forethought.

At least Hiccup considered those kinds of things.

She didn’t know where her mind was, but it was nowhere in the realm of common sense.

Hiccup gave her an almost bashful sort of grin, like amorous kissing and groping was nothing worth batting an eye over, but contraception was suddenly too risque.

Astrid, however, was more preoccupied with the fact the condom had most likely been intended for Heather.

Once.

She wiggled out of her jeans as his sweatpants hit the floor. He, apparently, didn’t wear anything beneath his lounge clothes—a detail worth remembering.

Her eyes did a quick dart to his naked body and back, trying not to stare. She was so used to Eret that she had taken the male form for granted, but Hiccup made her want to ogle and admire like it was the first time. She wondered if there was any real etiquette about that sort of thing. It had been so long since sex had felt new.

Her eyes settled on the ceiling as Hiccup crawled back into bed. She hooked her thumbs in her underwear, pulling it down while keep her thighs as close together as possible—not that modesty would count for much in a minute.

“Are you alright?” Hiccup asked. “We don’t have to do this.”

The fact that he had no expectations, even though they were both naked and poised, made her more certain that yes, she really did have to do this—because the timing was right, and he was right, and how ungrateful would she be to pass up what the Universe had so carefully arranged?

It was more than coincidence she had agreed to accompany Ruffnut to the party, and that Hiccup lived in the very same house. What were the odds he would have come out of his room the same time Astrid had retreated indoors? Eret and Heather’s arrival has actually been quite fortuitous—the final push Hiccup and Astrid needed to connect on a deeper level than playful banter alone.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, flashing him a confident smile. It was fine, because she was neither nervous nor vulnerable to any degree Hiccup needed to know.

“Are you stalling?” she replied.

His face fell flat. “Yes,” he answered sarcastically, “because I love long chats right before I get down to business. Really builds up the anticipation. It’s not like I’m urgently hard or anything.”

Astrid laughed and buried a hand in his hair, guiding their mouths together again. The kiss was sweet and comforting, their lips brushing and holding, as a shared breath lingered thickly between them. Astrid could taste him in the air with a hint of herself in the relish she left behind.

Somewhere, a foil packet was torn, but she barely registered it over the sensual movement of thin lips over her own.

But no kiss could distract from the hand roaming over the curve of her thigh.

She crashed back to reality, granting him permission with a nod and anxious twist of her stomach—the kind of virginal jitters she never thought she’d feel again.

She anticipated a quick contact, but Hiccup only settled between her legs with measured patience. His arms came around her as their kiss deepened, and she grew accustomed to the weight of him.

She could feel everything—the ardent pulse of her need echoed by the throbbing of rigid flesh in the crease of her groin. She drew her legs up in a sort of intimate embrace, her thighs resting against his hips.

Hiccup pulled back enough to hold her gaze in tender manner that brought the color to her cheeks, more so than his deliberate rubbing against shamelessly wet folds. She imagined he might’ve told her he loved her then, had they been anywhere close to such feelings. Heather had seen that same look and heard those three meaningful words, and yet she discarded all of it without a shred of decency.

Their exes were idiots and they deserved each other.

Astrid curled up, burying her face in Hiccup’s shoulder as he sank into her. It was a few seconds that teetered on the edge of an eternity.

It was different—new friction in new places—as every inch was an unexpected sensation, an unfamiliar length with an unfamiliar thickness. Her body was both delighted and confused, satisfied and alarmed, as years of the same old routine was replaced by a new and unpredictable pleasure.

It was amazing. It was bliss. A tiny voice in the back of her mind dared to whisper it was better.

Hiccup agreed, if his moan was any indication. Astrid could get used to that sound—primal and gratified. it was good and it was right.

Her breath hitched when his hips surged forward with purposeful rhythm. She wrapped herself around him fully, using her crossed ankles to encourage deeper thrusts by pushing down against his ass. She couldn’t get enough of him, and he complied by increasing his pace and vigor.

Astrid’s head fell back against the pillow with euphoria. It felt like they had done it all before. After some initial correction, they moved together effortlessly, rocking to meet each other with mutual pleasure. They sighed together, like a sensual harmony.

She grasped at his hair—the easiest thing to hold onto—and his hand found their way between them. She arched up at the first skilled pulse of his fingers against her clit.

Everything was searing heat and perfect friction, burning away any remaining doubt that she had made a good decision. Hiccup’s skin felt as feverish as her own, gliding over her abdomen and encircling her as they clung together with more desperation.

Minutes flitted by without notice, and Astrid couldn’t care less if they carried on until daybreak. She wanted release, but she never wanted it to stop. It was sex as it was meant to be: more than just the empty mechanics of it. She had always enjoyed the act itself, but Hiccup was taking her to ecstatic new heights.

She was arching into him, and he was driving her down against the sheets; over and over, harder and deeper, while they clung to each other like vices. The room was full of rapturous moans and soft gasps.

Astrid squeezed him as his talented fingers struck up sparks to ignite already slick heat. The tension coiling below her navel finally snapped, throwing her into a blank state of wonderful, where every nerve tingled, and every hair stood on end. She was no more responsible for what spilled from her lips than she was for the automatic grinding of her hips against Hiccup’s unrelenting hardness.

Maybe she said his name, and if she did, she hoped Eret had overheard. Then again, he was quickly dissolving into a vague shadow of a person, and she couldn’t recall why she even cared what he thought.

Hiccup was the only man who mattered. Her toes were curling, and he was the reason. She was enveloped by his scent and his warmth, melting beneath him as he drove through her orgasm with every thrust.

How long had it been since she had a really good climax?

Hiccup wasn’t far behind her, grasping her hips as came. It was the first possessive gesture he had displayed all night, only when overcome by a carnality he couldn’t restrain. He moaned into the bend of her neck, seeming to climb her body with each wave of release, rubbing against her overstimulated sex, drawing unabashed whimpers from her throat as delightful aftershocks coursed through her.

Hot. Damn.

The world was still spinning, but there were no fireworks, and no triumphant horn blaring out their victory. There was only the two of them, naked and panting. Residual tingles and sweat were all they had to show for their efforts, but they shared exhausted, identical smiles. A few soft kisses punctuated everything, and their fingers entwined as Hiccup collapsed beside her.

Still nowhere close to love, they could at least exchange a meaningful gaze. They were, if nothing else, very sated.  It certainly wasn’t a fanfare, but Astrid would take it—a better afterglow than she had ever known.

The mood was only slightly dampened by the unceremonious disposal of the condom. Then, Astrid was curled up against Hiccup, absently connecting the freckles on his chest in invisible shapes with her fingers. He rubbed the small of her back, and maybe they were being too affectionate for a rebound tryst, but Astrid would worry about that in the morning.

“You know,” she murmured, shockingly loud in the wake of such comfortable silence, “I’m glad I took a chance on some pretentious coffee.”

Hiccup laughed and replied, “I’m glad that your not-hangover didn’t deter you from going out again.”

“So, what happens now?” she asked, propping herself up on an elbow.

She wasn’t expecting anything, but she at least needed to know where they stood. Would they share phone numbers? Would they settle for casual, intermittent hookups? Would they simply use a good experience as a springboard into the next relationship?

Hiccup took a long breath, blinking up at the ceiling. His lips pursed as he considered the options.

“Well, I know you don’t care much for coffee, but there’s a diner near here open twenty-four hours. They make good milkshakes, if you care to give it a shot.”

Astrid’s eyebrow shot up. “Are you…asking me on a date?”

He shrugged. “I know we’re doing things a bit backwards, but I did say I’m no stranger to unorthodoxy.”

“Milkshakes, though? In the winter?”

“I, uh…I mean, it was just an idea,” he backpedaled. “I’m not assuming that you—“

She smirked and bent over, interrupting him with a kiss and stifling that nervous habit.

“I’ll take milkshakes over terrible coffee any day.”

And so their first date was set.

[crownofstardustandbone]

Of Unexpected Surprises and Sleepless Nights

Sequel to "Of Second Chances and Small Joys", "Of Wedding Dances and Gravity", “Of Wildfires and Dandelions”, “Of Hopeless Hearts and Falling Stars”, "Of Open Houses and Forever Homes" ,"Of Tragedies and Promises" and "Of Vows and Happily Ever After".

Full series can be found on AO3, "Stop the World on This Moment"

It takes a good three years of being married before he and Tommy are ready to become parents, and in that time they explore every option out there before finally settling on adoption as the chosen method for creating their family. They go through extensive screenings for months and get added to a list, and then—nothing.

With every month that passes with no news Buck can see the hope in Tommy fading a little bit more—sometimes he wakes up alone at night and finds Tommy out on the back porch swing, staring into the darkness with a hopeless look in his eyes that Buck hates.

Sighing heavily, he rubs at his tired eyes and rolls out of his bunk, shuffling quietly out of the room so the others can rest in this down time during their shift. As he’s crossing the firehouse to head up and make some coffee, he hears something outside the large roll doors and pauses, brow furrowing as he tries to figure out what it was. It’s quiet now and he sighs, shaking his head—it was probably just a car driving past.

As he turns towards the stairs, he hears it again, louder this time, and turns toward the sound, feet carrying him outside where he’s struck motionless for a moment at the sight of a box with a tiny baby swaddled in it. The baby cries out softly and he’s in motion, grabbing the baby and carrying it inside while calling out to Chim and Hen as he heads for the nearest ambulance.

It only takes another loud call of their names before Chim and Hen are stumbling out of the dorms cursing him until they see the baby and then they’re flying across the room and encouraging him into the rig so they can look the baby over.

“She’s so little,” Buck breathes, reaching a hand out and inhaling sharply when she wraps a tiny fist around one of his fingers.

“She looks good, a little jaundiced and small, so she’s probably a preemie, but her heart and lungs sound good,” Hen murmurs as she sits up, pulling the stethoscope ends out of her ears. “Given how clean and warm she is, I’d say she was born no more than a day or two ago and whoever had her decided to relinquish her here.”

“What do we do with her now?” Buck asks as Hen wipes her down with a sterile wipe and then wraps her in a clean blanket, cocooning her little body oh so gently before she hands her off to Buck who takes her and holds her close to his chest.

“Now we take her to the hospital for a more thorough check up and let the police and social services take it from here,” Hen tells him softly, and he knows that, he does, but there’s a large part of him that wants to just snatch her up and take her home.

Instead he nods and holds the little girl close to his chest as they emerge from the rig, heading upstairs for coffee while Hen calls social services, heart in his throat at the idea of giving her up. When she fusses a little, Buck sets aside his coffee and leans back, bringing her up so her cheek is pressed to his bare shoulder, remembering something about skin to skin contact being good for babies. He worries about the lights being too bright for her to sleep, but to his surprise, she just snuffles a few times and rubs her face against his shoulder before sighing and falling asleep faster than Buck would have thought possible.

He stays quiet and still as she sleeps, closing his own eyes and letting his head drop back against the cushioned top of the chair he’d slumped into, exhaustion sinking into him, nudged along by the gentle weight and warmth of the baby’s body against his. He’s not sure when he falls asleep, but Hen rouses him gently sometime later, a woman in a pant suit behind her that must be from social services and just like that, his heart sinks in his chest.

Hen smiles sadly at him, “Julia is from social services and is here to take the baby to the hospital,” she tells him quietly, hand gentle where it’s wrapped around his wrist, thumb stroking over his pulse comfortingly and he swallows hard but nods.

They make the transition from Buck to the car seat without incident, but then as he steps back the baby rouses and starts whimpering, her soft cries slowly escalating to full throated wails that rip Buck’s heart out of his chest. He tries to step forward, but Hen grabs his wrist and holds him in place, eyes dark and sorrowful as they watch Julia’s car back out of the firehouse and turn down the street.

His arms feel suddenly very empty and his throat goes tight with emotion, hardly able to breathe as he pulls away from Hen and heads outside for some fresh air in the desperate hope that it’ll help.

When it doesn’t, he calls Tommy and tells him what happened, voice shaking as he closes his eyes and leans back against the brick wall of the firehouse.

“What do you want to do here Ev?” Tommy asks after he’s finished, voice soft and worried.

“I want to go find her and bring her home,” he replies immediately, “I want to keep her safe with us.”

There’s a long, long silence and then Tommy sighs softly, “Then I guess I better meet you at the hospital, huh?” and Buck’s eyes burn with unshed tears.

“Yea,” he agrees, voice broken and wet.

“Let’s go get our girl then sweetheart,” Tommy says, and this time it’s his voice that sounds strained with emotion.

Nodding effusively, Buck laughs wetly, “Yea, let’s go,” he agrees.

Getting set up as a foster parent takes almost twice as much paperwork as adoption does, but because they’re both city employees there’s some greasing of wheels so that he and Tommy can take the baby home the next morning after they’ve gone and bought what Buck thinks is probably the contents of the whole Target baby section. They get the baby settled into a nest of pillows on the bed while they set up the changing table, crib and about a thousand other things, both of them flustered and snippy with each other.

They take turns feeding and burping her, both of them winding up shirtless after she spits up on them, and by the time they’ve eaten cold pizza from the fridge, they’re both so exhausted they can barely stay awake, even though it’s barely 6:30pm. Buck comes out of his shower to find Tommy on their bed in just his briefs, the baby fast asleep on his chest, skin to skin, and he can’t help the way his breath catches in his chest at the sight of them.

After taking a dozen photos and texting them to their friends, he carefully shifts the baby off Tommy and wraps her like the nurses had shown them and then gently rests her in her crib. He stares down at her for a long time, heart in his throat and hopes against all odds that they get to keep her.

-----------------------------

Tommy paces the floor with Tara, worry etched on his face as she continues to scream and Buck frantically tries Maddie’s phone number again. Tara has been crying all day and refusing food, her temperature rising steadily and Buck doesn’t want to be those parents who come to the ER over nothing, but their little girl is sick and he doesn’t think they can wait any longer for Maddie to finally answer her phone.

When the call goes to voicemail again he shakes his head and ends the call, looking over to Tommy, “We need to go,” he says urgently and Tommy nods in agreement, big hand cupping Tara’s back gently. “Get her in the car seat and I’ll grab her stuff and meet you out there,” he says before hurrying back to their room to pack as much in the diaper bag as he can, not sure what they’ll need, but sure that at least some of it will come in handy.

It's a tense ride to the ER with Tara screaming, Tommy’s knuckles white they’re clenched so hard around the wheel. Buck grabs his thigh and squeezes gently, sharing a worried smile with his husband as they drive through the night towards the bright lights of the ER. When they come to a halt Tommy nods, “Go, take her in and I’ll come find you,” he promises, voice rough and eyes shining with emotion.

Buck can’t help the soft hurt sound he makes as he leans in for a brief, hard kiss before he hurries out of the truck and gathers Tara into his arms, diaper bag slung over one shoulder. Nurses rush to meet him and they’re quickly taken back to a room where Buck is forced to let go of Tara and watch as she’s poked and prodded, answering the questions lobbed at him as best he can, hands shaking where they’re hanging by his sides.

He jolts when Tommy appears, reaching for him desperately, both of their grips bruising as they cling to each other’s hands, watching as the medical staff examine their daughter.

Eventually the doctor looks up at them with a grave expression in his eyes and Buck exhales shakily, knees feeling like water, but Tommy just loops an arm around his waist and remains rock steady at his side. “It sounds like your daughter has an abdominal obstruction, we’re going to run a few tests, but given her premature birth, it’s likely that she’ll need surgery.”

Beside him, Tommy staggers, and Buck hurries to brace his weight as the doctor gives them an apologetic look and continues. “Her odds are very good, so I want you to keep having hope, and let our team take it from here,” he says gently, “one of the nurses is going to show you to the NICU waiting area where you can sit and catch your breath.” He smiles encouragingly at them, “Have hope gentlemen, and we’ll do everything we can to bring her back to you safely.”

Buck nods, heart in his throat and tears in his eyes, still holding Tommy up as the doctor steps aside so the nurse can wheel Tara out of the room—only to be stopped when Tommy lunges forward and curls over the tiny bed, tears on his cheeks as he presses a gentle kiss to Tara’s forehead. Clutching Tommy’s hand tight, Buck steps forward so he too can brush a kiss against her hot skin, ribs aching with fear when they take her away and leave, he and Tommy watching as they go through a set of doors they can’t follow their daughter through.

In another breath Tommy is crumpling against him, tucking his face into Buck’s shoulder and he can’t do anything but wrap his arms around his husband and break down with him.

When they finally make it out to the waiting area the 118 is already there, all of them just as scared and worried looking as Buck and Tommy and it makes his heart clench to be so surrounded by love.

It takes hours upon hours and multiple updates from the doctors before they finally receive the news they’ve been waiting for—Tara has come through surgery just fine and is in the NICU resting. They aren’t allowed to see her yet, but it won’t be long, a nurse assures them. In the meantime, they manage to eat some of the food that their friends and family have brought, both of them ragged with exhaustion but refusing to sleep until they’ve seen Tara.

When they finally do, Tommy cracks and turns away with a broken sob, the sound of it ripping Buck’s heart out of his chest as he wraps himself around his husband and holds onto him, tears falling silently as Tommy clings to him desperately.

“She-she’s so little,” Tommy whispers brokenly and Buck nods, “But she’s gonna be okay,” he replies softly, “she’s got us.” Tommy pulls away a little to wipe at his face and then kisses Buck hard, nodding, “Yea, she’s got us,” he agrees in a raw voice.

They’re only allowed to stay for a little while, but it’s probably for the best because as soon as they get home and their heads hit the pillows, they’re out like lights for almost ten hours. Buck wakes up first and lays there quietly studying the lines that grief and fear have etched into his husband’s face, fingers gentle as they trace over Tommy’s brow.

He thought he’d known what fear and hopelessness felt like when he’d lost Christopher in the tsunami, but this was so much worse, and he doesn’t know how they’re supposed to survive a lifetime of worry.

Together, he guesses.

-----------------------------------

Eventually they bring Tara home, both of them scared for a long time afterwards—they become familiar faces to the ER staff, but Buck doesn’t give a shit that they’re probably too reactionary—that’s his daughter and he’s going to do whatever it takes to protect her.

-----------------------------------

Nearly a year to the day later, they sign the finalized adoption paperwork, and Tara officially becomes their daughter.

------------------------------------

Tommy adjusts his headset as he goes through his pre-flight check, smiling over at his new partner when he climbs into the seat next to him and puts his own headset on. They’re just doing a short training run, Tommy in lead so the new kid can learn the ropes outside of an emergency situation.

As he finishes his check, he reaches out and brushes his thumb over the picture resting against the cockpit, a smile creeping onto his face as he traces the familiar lines of his husband and daughter. The photo is faded from how many times he’s done this—he’ll need a new one eventually, especially now that Tara is starting school, but for now, this’ll do.

“Ready to go sir?”

Tommy traces over Buck’s face one last time and then shoots the kid a grin, “Let’s rock.”