#3 zone mini split

[splitminiusa]

What to Expect When Installing a Tri-Zone Mini Split AC

When installing a tri zone mini split AC: what to expect, it’s helpful to know that the positioning of each indoor unit is key to maximizing efficiency and comfort. The technicians will work to identify the optimal spots in each zone, usually high on walls where airflow can be evenly distributed across the room. They’ll consider factors like furniture placement, windows, and room size to ensure that the units aren’t obstructed and can provide effective cooling and heating. In some cases, you may need to rearrange certain areas of your home temporarily to accommodate the units and the necessary connections. Additionally, each unit will be fitted with its own remote or wall-mounted control panel, allowing for easy management of temperature and fan speed across each zone.

Another reason why tri zone mini split ACs are perfect for renovations lies in their ability to adapt to different types of spaces within a single home. Renovations often involve creating new spaces or reconfiguring existing ones, and traditional central air systems can struggle to effectively cool each area, especially if walls are added or removed. With a tri zone mini split, homeowners can establish dedicated cooling zones in each space without requiring major alterations to the existing HVAC system. This makes it easy to cool new additions like home offices, bedrooms, or even attic spaces—rooms that might otherwise be challenging to keep comfortable with a central system. The minimal setup and quick installation of these units mean they can be seamlessly incorporated into a renovation project without significant delays or added complexity.

Experience ultimate comfort with a tri-zone mini split AC that seamlessly adjusts to meet the needs of each room. With this advanced system, you have full control over three distinct climate zones, allowing you to set different temperatures for each space. This flexibility is ideal for homes where temperature preferences vary between rooms, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable without compromising on energy efficiency. The tri-zone system uses inverter technology to maintain a steady temperature in each zone, reducing the constant on-and-off cycling typical in traditional units. This translates to lower energy consumption, quieter operation, and a consistent level of comfort throughout your home.

Ready to elevate your home's comfort to the next level? It’s time to upgrade your home with a sleek and powerful DIY tri zone mini split AC. This advanced cooling system not only delivers superior performance but also allows you to manage temperatures in up to three separate zones of your home. Whether you're looking to cool a single room or multiple spaces, this system ensures that you get the perfect climate for every area, without the hassle of central air conditioning. The streamlined design means no bulky ducts or vents, making it a great option for homes with limited space or for those who want a more aesthetically pleasing solution.

Another compelling reason to reduce your carbon footprint with a ceiling tri zone mini split AC is its versatility in both residential and commercial spaces. Whether you're cooling a multi-level home or separate office areas, this system provides customizable temperature control in each zone, allowing for targeted cooling without the wastefulness of traditional systems. This reduces the overall energy consumption and helps cut down on your carbon footprint, all while maintaining comfort in different rooms or areas of your building. It's an efficient solution for anyone looking to create a more sustainable, energy-conscious environment.

Ducted tri-zone mini split AC technology continues to gain popularity due to its versatility and adaptability for various home layouts. One of its standout features is the ability to integrate seamlessly into homes without the need for extensive ductwork, making it an ideal solution for homes undergoing renovation or those with limited space for traditional ducted systems. The system is discreet, with the indoor air handling units hidden within the ceiling or walls, allowing homeowners to maintain a clean and modern aesthetic while still benefiting from superior cooling and heating performance. This feature makes ducted tri-zone mini split AC technology an excellent choice for those who value both function and design.

[thebestminisplit]

Pioneer 12,000 BTU 22.7 SEER2 Floor Console Mini-Split Inverter++ Energy-Star Air Conditioner Heat Pump System Full Set 230V

Price Before: $1,790.00 PRICE NOW: $1,368.00

These mini split inverter ductless air conditioning and heating systems have ultra-quiet operation and superior efficiency. Our floor-mount mini split systems are the perfect equipment for any cooling or heating application, using a single ductless indoor unit.

What’s Included:

Indoor Unit

Outdoor Unit

Wire Remote Control

Various Installation Kit Options Available

Flare Connection Leak Guard Sealer

https://thebestminisplit.com/producto/floor-console-fyb-12000/

Email: info@thebestminisplit.com

12000 floor mini split, floor mount mini split, floor mounted ac unit, pioneer floor mount mini split

[aspenmissing]

ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ

ᴛᴏɴʏ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴋ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ || ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ || 3179 ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ || ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ᴛᴀʟᴋꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴋɪᴅɴᴀᴘᴘɪɴɢ, ᴘʀᴇꜱᴜᴍᴇᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ

ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ: ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴍʏ ᴅᴇᴀʀ! ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ, ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ɴᴏᴡ (ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇ ᴍᴇ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ɪᴛ! ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴏ ꜱᴏʀʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴡᴀɪᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ!! <3 <3

ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ᴛᴏɴʏ

You were there when he got his first black eye trying to charm a senator’s daughter. You still remembered the way he strutted over to her like he was auditioning for his own movie, flashing that crooked, teenage grin — so smug, so sure of himself — until her bodyguard stepped in and decked him square across the jaw.

And then, there he was, bleeding and laughing and already asking you if he still looked handsome with a busted lip.

You told him no.

You lied.

Because Tony Stark had always been impossible to look away from.

=

You were there when he built his first engine in the garage, fingers smudged with oil, eyes alight with pride, like he’d just cracked the universe open.

He was seventeen — cocky, brilliant, sunburnt, and sweat-soaked in a band tee two sizes too big and fraying at the sleeves. The kind of summer evening where the air hung thick with heat and potential, and the scent of gasoline, grease, and half-melted candy bars clung to the walls of the workshop like wallpaper.

You were sitting cross-legged on the floor beside him, legs sticking slightly to the concrete, holding a flashlight in one hand and a parts list in the other. Every once in a while, he'd reach over to nudge your shoulder or take a bolt from your palm without looking — like you were just another part of the process. Like your presence was a given, not a question.

You didn’t mind. You never had.

Because there was something sacred about being close to Tony Stark when he was building. When he was in the zone — all sharp focus and endless energy, muttering equations under his breath and brushing his damp hair back with the heel of his palm — it felt like watching a star collapse into itself and spark a new galaxy in the aftermath.

He’d hum sometimes, absentmindedly — low, tuneless, off-key — while tweaking wires or tightening screws. And every so often, he’d look over at you with that boyish glint in his eye, like he couldn’t believe he was doing it, like he couldn’t believe you were there with him, like the whole thing might vanish if he blinked.

You’d pretend not to notice the way his shirt kept riding up when he reached for something on the workbench, exposing the dip of his back and a constellation of freckles you knew by heart. You’d pretend not to watch the way grease stained the edges of his jaw when he wiped sweat with the back of his hand. You’d pretend not to care when your fingers brushed while passing him tools and he didn’t flinch — not like he did with other people.

Because that was the thing about Tony.

He didn’t let people touch him much. Not unless he was performing. Not unless he was controlling the moment, the contact, the outcome. But with you, it was different. Always had been.

You could tap his arm to get his attention, lean your head against his shoulder while watching him sketch out blueprints, nudge his knee with yours to make a point — and he never pulled away. Sometimes, he even leaned into it.

You didn’t realize how rare that was until much later.

=

That night, when the engine finally roared to life — sputtering at first, then humming like a living thing — he’d nearly tackled you in celebration. Laughed loud and victorious, hands still smeared with grease, eyes lit up like the Fourth of July.

“We did it,” he grinned, passing you a soda from the mini fridge, his smile so wide it nearly split his face.

You took it with shaking hands, heart thudding in your chest, trying to ignore the fact that your legs were still tangled together on the floor. Trying to ignore the way his knee was brushing yours. Trying not to stare at the black smudges on his cheek or the way he’d given you the first soda — like it was a trophy, like you mattered.

“We did,” you echoed, your voice soft, almost reverent.

And he looked at you then — really looked. Not just a glance, not just a passing flick of his eyes, but something deeper. Slower. Like he saw through the layers you tried to keep in place. Like he’d known, even then, that you were already his.

And maybe you had been.

Because somewhere between the smell of oil and the whir of spinning gears, you’d fallen for Tony Stark — not the legacy, not the genius, not the heir to a billion-dollar empire, but the boy on the garage floor with smudged hands and a heart he didn’t show the world.

You never told him that night.

But later, when you wiped the sweat off his brow with the hem of your shirt and he let his forehead rest against your shoulder for a beat too long, you thought maybe he already knew.

And then… years later… you were there when everything came crashing down in Afghanistan. When he was kidnapped. When the headlines turned from glitz and glamour to dread and speculation.

The first month was chaos. The second, agony. By the third, you were barely sleeping, barely eating. Just pacing the floors of his empty mansion, praying to whatever would listen that he was still alive. That he was still him.

You were one of the few who refused to believe he was dead. Everyone else had begun to mourn — quiet whispers behind closed doors, board members talking succession, Pepper trying to hold it all together with trembling hands and red eyes. But you wouldn’t let yourself break. Not yet. Not until you saw a body. Not until you heard his voice.

Then came the call.

He was alive.

And before you could fully process what that meant, where he was, how he’d survived — you were already moving. Racing through streets, hands trembling as you gripped the steering wheel, a brown paper bag full of greasy burgers riding shotgun. His favourite kind — the one with the grilled onions and extra pickles, the kind he used to bribe you with when he wanted help in the lab or a distraction from board meetings.

When you got to the tarmac, the world slowed.

There were so many people — reporters, military personnel, med techs. Flashes from cameras, the whirring of helicopters overhead. But all you could see was him.

Tony.

He stepped off that jet looking thinner than you remembered. Older. Like the sand had sanded down all his sharp edges. His face was gaunt, beard grown out, his eyes shadowed by things you couldn’t begin to imagine.

He blinked against the light. Looked around like he didn’t recognize the world anymore.

And then he saw you.

The second his eyes locked on yours, something in his expression cracked — like the armour he’d already begun building around himself faltered, just for a moment.

You didn’t wait.

You ran to him.

Didn’t care about the cameras. Didn’t care about protocol. You shoved past some poor intern trying to keep people back and practically launched yourself into his arms.

He caught you — of course he did — though he staggered back a step from the impact. But then he held you like a lifeline, like if he let go, he might vanish all over again.

You didn’t say anything at first. Just wrapped your arms around him and pressed your face into his shoulder, trying not to sob. He smelled like sweat, blood, metal and something scorched. But he was real. He was solid.

He was alive.

And he was holding you just as tightly.

When you finally pulled back, your hands found his face, your fingers brushing over the lines that hadn’t been there before, over the smudges of exhaustion and pain and defiance.

“You okay?” you whispered, though you already knew the answer would be complicated.

He didn’t answer right away.

He looked at you the way a drowning man might look at the surface — desperate, hopeful, disbelieving.

“You brought me burgers?” was all he said.

You let out a breathless laugh, tears still clinging to your lashes as you shoved the warm bag into his chest. “Don’t say I never do anything for you, Stark.”

He smiled then. Not the cocky smirk that made headlines. Not the fake, camera-ready grin.

A real one. Small. Grateful. Raw.

“I missed you,” he said, quiet as a confession.

“I missed you more,” you answered, barely above a whisper. He looked at you like he wasn’t sure if he still deserved you. You hugged him like you never left.

Because he was still your Tony. Maybe quieter now. Maybe lonelier. But underneath the metal and the trauma and the press headlines, he was still the same boy who once called you at 3 a.m. because he needed help with something.

And maybe that was why it hurt sometimes.

To watch him bury himself in parties and press. To watch him flirt with anything that moved. To hear the world call him a genius, billionaire, playboy — like that was all he was. Like the man who still called you when he couldn’t sleep.

He did.

You knew him.

Every broken, brilliant inch.

=

You were there when he started to change — not just in the headlines, but in the quiet hours. When he disappeared into the workshop for days, chasing something raw and angry and desperate with the same hands that once built engines for fun. You brought him food he didn’t eat, sat in the corner while he soldered circuits in silence, listened as he talked to himself more than he talked to you.

You didn’t ask questions. You didn’t have to. Because you saw it in his eyes — the shift, the weight, the guilt.

Afghanistan had broken something in him, but it had also forged something new. Something jagged and unfinished and burning. You were there the night he finished the suit — the first one — watching as he stood in front of it with something like awe and fear tangled in his features.

And when he turned to you and asked, quietly, “What do you think?” You told him the truth.

That he looked like a man who had decided to carry the weight of the world on his back and hadn’t yet realized it would crush him.

You wanted to stop him. You didn’t. Because you knew you couldn’t. Because you’d loved him from the moment he offered you a wrench instead of a handshake.

You never told him. You didn’t have to.

But God, some nights, it burned inside your chest like his arc reactor had been accidentally wired into your ribcage — steady and constant and aching. An echo of everything unsaid.

And little did you know…

He felt it too.

Had for years.

Maybe that’s why he always called you first. Maybe that’s why you were the one name no one ever saw, written in sharpie on the inside of the helmet. Not for show. Not for the press.

Just for him.

Just for you.

The tower was quiet that night.

No Avengers. No PR galas. No mission reports glowing on the conference table or threats on the horizon. No reporters outside, no flashbulbs, no Friday quipping through the speakers or bots skittering across the floor with trays of half-eaten sandwiches.

Just the low hum of electricity in the walls, the whir of hidden generators, and the subtle crackle of old jazz drifting through a vintage speaker Tony refused to upgrade. He claimed it had "soul." Said the slight hiss between notes made it feel like someone real was still playing. You suspected it reminded him of Howard, though he’d never admit that out loud.

The lights in the workshop were dimmed, warm and golden, casting long shadows across blueprints and prototypes. It felt like the rest of the world had folded itself away, leaving only this — this little pocket of time that belonged to no one but the two of you.

You were perched cross-legged on one of his cluttered workbenches, wearing a pair of leggings and one of his ancient MIT sweatshirts — the sleeves pushed up past your elbows, collar stretched out just enough to betray how many times you’d borrowed it and never given it back. The scent of motor oil clung to the fabric, faint but familiar, blending now with the spice of his cologne hanging faintly in the air.

This was your version of peace. The kind only found in the hush between long conversations and longer silences. When neither of you had to pretend.

No pretense. No performance.

Just Tony. And you.

He was half-buried under a mess of wires and unfinished armour plating, legs sticking out from beneath the latest prototype of his repulson tech. His arc reactor pulsed a steady, quiet glow beneath the thin black tank top he wore when he was too focused to care about anything but function. His hands — scarred, deft, always moving — reached out instinctively, and you handed him the screwdriver before he even asked.

“You’re in my head, you know that?” he said without looking up, voice dry but amused. “Terrifying.”

You rolled your eyes and tossed a washer lightly at his shin. “You love it.”

“I do.” His voice dropped, lost a little of its humour. Gentler now. More honest. “Too much, probably.”

You blinked. The words were quiet — almost casual — but they echoed louder than any explosion you’d ever heard.

You glanced down at the piece of tech you were toying with, but your fingers stilled, the metal suddenly cold in your palm. And when you finally looked up, he was watching you.

Not the way he watched the models at parties or the stage lights at expos. Not like a man who wanted to impress.

But like a man who was trying to memorize you. To freeze time with his eyes alone. Like you were a moment he couldn’t afford to lose.

“I never said thank you,” he said after a beat, fiddling with a bolt like it could distract him from the weight of his own words. “For staying. For always being there. Especially when I didn’t deserve it.”

You swallowed hard. “You didn’t have to.”

His gaze lifted, meeting yours with such sharp vulnerability it nearly knocked the breath from your lungs. “I did.”

Silence bloomed between you — thick and heavy with everything that had never been said. It felt like standing on the edge of something, the wind pushing at your back, daring you to take the leap.

You tried to anchor yourself. “You’re my best friend, Tony.”

He gave a short, brittle laugh, standing up too fast and pushing his fingers through his hair like he was trying to scrub the emotion out of his skull. He started to pace — classic Stark behaviour — like he was drafting a schematic with each step.

“That’s the problem,” he muttered.

“…What do you mean?”

“I mean—” He turned, gesturing to himself, then to you, as if that alone explained everything. “I’ve been in love with you since the day you cussed me out in the lab for almost blowing off my own damn hand.”

Your heart skipped.

“That was twelve years ago,” you said, barely above a whisper.

“I know.” He let out a dry laugh. “Believe me. I know.”

You stared at him, stunned into silence. Tony — Tony, who flirted like it was armor, who slept through feelings like they were background noise — was standing in front of you like a man unraveling, eyes wide with years of unspoken want.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Because I’m me,” he said, gesturing at himself again with a helpless smile. “And you’re… you. You’re kind. And good. And steady. And I’m—look at me.” He shook his head. “I’m a mess with a god complex and a press schedule.”

“Tony—”

“And I figured if I said anything, I’d ruin everything. I figured I’d push you away. And I couldn’t… I can’t lose you.”

The world tilted under your feet.

You stood up slowly, every nerve lit like a fuse, heart pounding hard enough to make your fingers tremble. You took a step toward him, then another, until there was only a breath between you.

“You thought you’d ruin it?” you asked softly.

Tony nodded, eyes locked to yours like you were the only real thing in the room.

You reached up and brushed your fingertips across his cheek, barely there, but enough to make his breath hitch.

“Tony… I thought I was the only one.”

He froze.

“You…?”

You gave him a small, sad smile — the one he’d seen a hundred times when you patched him up in med bay or sat on the edge of his bed after a panic attack. The one that always said I’m here even when you couldn’t say I love you.

“I’ve loved you since we made our first engine together all those years ago”

His expression crumpled, just for a second, like a man watching the last piece of a puzzle click into place after years of trying to force the wrong ones to fit.

Another heartbeat passed. Then two. Then—

His hands found your waist, tentative but certain, like he was still asking permission even after all this time. His thumb brushed against the hem of your sweatshirt — his sweatshirt — as if grounding himself.

One hand lifted, fingers ghosting along your jaw, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear like it was sacred.

“Can I…?”

You didn’t answer with words.

You just leaned in.

And kissed him.

Slow. Gentle. Fierce in its restraint. Like opening a book you already knew by heart but had never dared to finish. Like every phone call at midnight, every shared silence, every almost had led to this.

His hands splayed against your back, pulling you in. Yours curled into his shirt, bunching the fabric over his heart. He kissed you like you were oxygen. Like he’d been drowning for years and finally found the surface.

And when you pulled back, just barely, your foreheads rested together, breath mingling in the space between.

“I should’ve kissed you years ago,” he murmured.

“I would’ve let you,” you whispered back.

He laughed then — a real laugh. Soft. Unarmoured. Just him.

And his mouth curved into a smile that was for you and you alone.

“So…” he began, already shifting back into humour like it was a second skin, “do we tell everyone you’re officially off the market, or should I build you a suit first?”

You laughed, breathless. “Let’s just start with dinner, Stark.”

“Dinner I can do.” He nodded solemnly. “I’m great at dinner. I’m phenomenal at dinner. Honestly, I might be the best dinner date on the planet—”

“Tony.”

“Right. Shutting up now.”

But he didn’t pull away.

Neither did you.

Because in that quiet workshop, with jazz humming in the background and years of longing finally collapsed into the space between your mouths, Tony Stark didn’t need a comeback.

He just held you like he was finally, finally home.

[strawberrysainz]

supercut of us. max verstappen

“ you weren’t expecting him to join the holiday. so when he does . . . you’re not sure how to refrain yourself from both slapping him in the face or pulling him into bed with you. ”

max verstappen x fem!reader

a mini enemies to lovers “blurb” (it’s 1.5k words lol) for my max lovers.

a warning — slightly mature scene, profanity, alcohol consumption

3:36 P.M.

“My heart is pounding,” you admit, and your hand that absentmindedly clutches your moving chest allows you to let out a deep breath.

George chuckles. You’re both waiting for his girlfriend to come back from the bar with your cocktails - you for a drink, him so he can leave you two alone.

The bird that’s just made a grab at your bowl of snacks squawks from a metre away and you stare at it menacingly. Carmen comes back clutching two strawberry daiquiris, and George takes that as his cue to leave, hurriedly. You furrow your eyebrows. “What’s the man got to do at -” you check your watch -“three forty two pm on holiday?”

Carmen shrugs. “He had to get to the airport to pick people up, last I heard.”

You nod knowingly and lean back on the sun lounger, taking a sip of your drink.

Carmen starts to talk about drama from work, and you peer at her through your sunglasses as the warmth of the sun and the comfort of previous tipsiness starts making you drift off.

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

4:56 P.M.

Around an hour later you’re rudely awoken by multiple cheeky voices; you can identify George’s loud voice through the squinting of your eyes through the sunlight, but there’s one voice that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It’s raspy - in a smooth way - but the short cackle that follows it allows you to realise that it's someone you definitely don’t want on holiday with you.

Pure annoyance makes you open your eyes. Carmen is nowhere to be seen; four men stand above you. You sit up, yawning, and hope that you’re not red with sunburn. (Looking down for a split second, you’re not.) Then you look up with some kind of synthetic smile and your blood boils as you look Max straight in the eyes.

“Hi boys,” you say, smiling, and get up to give everyone a hug; Lando spins you around and runs across the sand, and as you scream he throws you into the ocean.

Now you need a drink, for real.

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

LATER. 11:37 P.M.

Head heavy in your hand on the counter, you’re woozy, blanketed by too many cocktails, and Lily and Carmen sit across from you stealing blocks of chocolate from a bar Alex bought.

Max strolls in and you grimace.

The anger hasn’t dissipated- being in a serene setting hasn’t changed what happened- and you toss him the drink he nods to; he turns straight back around and leaves.

“What’s the beef with you two, anyway?” Lily says curiously, and Carmen laughs. “It’s so dumb.”

“When we were sixteen-” you interrupt yourself to cough- “he dated two of my friends and caused us all to break up our group. Then he asked me out for a date, we went out, then he ghosted me. I was left with no friends. Then we met again two years later and we had a screaming fight outside a club, which ended up in a Dutch gossip mag. I was so embarrassed.”

Lily scrunches her nose. Carmen has zoned out, but she laughs to herself.

You look at her with the hint of a smile, tilting your head.

She nudges Lily. “They have to share a room tonight.” She whispers, and she throws her head back laughing and you stare at her incredulously. “Sorry?”

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

2:16 A.M.

“Max, I don’t fucking care, I’m sleeping on this stupid thing.” You kick the hard wooden bench at the foot of the bed. (It looks like a terrible place to sleep).

“Can you fucking get over yourself?” He says, rolling his eyes, and you’re drunk and upset and trying not to cry because he makes you so angry. “Just sleep in the fucking bed.”

You stand there in the room with your arms crossed, breeze softly blowing. He huffs and stalks off to the bathroom.

You get dressed for bed, in a big t-shirt because it’s hot and humid. Max walks out of the bathroom as you’re sliding on the shirt and you know he’s gotten a glimpse of your stomach and your underwear because his gaze changes from something frustrated to something you witnessed at the age of seventeen, across a dinner table as his hands move over your thigh.

He seems to be moving without knowing; suddenly he’s in front of you, eyes wild with desire you haven’t ever known, and it’s a test of patience, standing there under the twilight; the curtains blow.

You stand there with trepidation rattling your body and turn around, getting into bed like a stubborn little child.

He closes his eyes, opens the door and leaves.

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

9:23 A.M.

The morning air greets you as you walk outside; Lando’s made mimosas on the wooden table next to the swimming pool, and you take a champagne glass gratefully. You wave to Lily and Alex who sit with their feet in the pool, and sip, the sun bathing you in light.

Lando comes to sit next to you by the pool loungers and you raise your glass as a thank you to him. “I heard you two had a little spat last night,” he says carefully, and you snort. “He instigated it and left.”

He laughs. “He went past my room to sleep on the couch. His footsteps were so fuckin’ heavy, I couldn’t even sleep for a good twenty minutes.”

You laugh.

George yells from inside that he’s made breakfast and everyone gets up with a yawn. Lando grabs a spare bottle of champagne and you all walk inside.

There’s some nearly burnt pancakes, heavenly smelling bacon, some sausage, and fried eggs. You all praise him heavily (Alex wraps his arm around his waist and pretends to kiss him) and Max walks in. He doesn’t acknowledge you and instead greets everyone else. You roll your eyes.

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

13:43 P.M.

You’re a bit tipsy already, enough so that you can chat to Max amicably beside the pool as George and Alex play some mix of water polo and volleyball.

Your empty glass seems to shout at you from your side, so you pick it up and make your way back to the house.

As you enter the kitchen you hear someone stepping behind you. It’s Max - you know it from the soft thud of his foot against the wooden floor. Your eyelids flutter shut with some emotion you don’t know yet when he comes to stand next to you. You watch him out of your periphery, his hands, the soft, flowing movement of his body. His resting face, squinting with concentration to pour drinks. You bite back some words and carry on pouring.

As you turn around to go back, you two face each other, and your breath hitches when his eyes slowly move to meet yours, clutching your glass like it’s your protector. His gaze is… tender. In the kind of way that blurs out everything else.

The only thing that comes to mind is kissing him, so you move to go, and he sets down a glass to grab your arm. You clear your throat, and Christine McVie’s voice croons in the background when you look back. His eyelashes brush his cheek every time he blinks, and you study his face, forgetting all that came before.

Lando and Alex call, and you both leave. The feelings are left there, back in the house, when you go.

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

12:34 A.M.

Stumbling back from the restaurant, everyone bids eachother a good night after a quick drink of a glass of water each. You find your room and start getting undressed in the middle of the room, carelessly, and when you hear Max come in you get a fright and clutch your chest. He lets out a little laugh as he gets his things and moves to the bathroom.

Two minutes later, when he walks back inside, you’re bending over to see your face in the mirror to take off your makeup and you can sense the energy inside the room has changed. He’s in a shirt and those gingham pants that look divine on any man, and he stands still for a moment before moving over to the window. You bend back up and you’re met by his gaze again, frozen in place. Your lips part momentarily and he steps forward, and you’re reminded of how much you hate his stupid face when his lips meet yours. His hands wrap around your waist, one dipping beneath your shirt to rest on your stomach, and you’re kissing him, hard, desperately, messily; in a way that you don’t realise how much you wanted to until now.

He moves slowly to the bed, large hands grasping your waist softly, sending shivers up your spine. His hips press against yours as you fall on the bed, gasping with pleasure as his hands meet your neck.

❤️‍🔥🍓💋🍹

TWO MONTHS LATER. 11:56 AM.

In the garage, you’re busy chatting to some mechanics when he comes up to you, and his hands slide around your waist from behind. You twist your torso to smile up at him as he presses a kiss to your cheek, and to your delight he pushes you towards his driver’s room, shooting you a knowing grin as he looks away, holding up five fingers and then a thumbs up. You bite back a broad smile as you walk away.

i hope you enjoyed. heart, comment, reblog pls 🫶🤙 love u love u love u

[gurugirl]

Just For Tonight | Ch. 3

This is the last part of this mini series! We might have some more coming for you - stay tuned!

Series Summary: Harry spots an angel in the crowd and he can't keep his eyes off of her. And, as if by some cosmic pull, he can't help but ask her backstage. But it's only going to be just for tonight. Or is it?

Chapter Summary: Is it true what they say? Does distance really make the heart grow fonder? Y/n isn't so sure so she tries to move on. But Harry has other plans.

A/N: In this chapter I mention a particular ex (without naming her) as part of the plot. This does not mean I feel one way or another about her, nor do I think this is an accurate representation of how she's acted after their split. This was requested for the story. This is a work of fiction.

Warning: 18+ only, smut, mentions of an ex, angst

Word Count: 11.8k

Commissioned by anon (thank you!! xoxo)

Just For Tonight Masterlist

It had been difficult for Y/n to stop thinking about Harry. They connected so well and she loved the way he was with her and how he carried himself. Loved the way they could talk about nothing and have it feel like the most interesting thing.

They had a few calls after he left LA for his tour. But that quickly became hard to navigate with the different time zones. He said he liked her and wanted to see her again. And she was sure that when he said that he meant it. The distance won, however.

But with his absence, with him being in another country on tour, and hundreds of people begging for a chance of what she got lucky enough to experience, she figured that what she’d gotten was probably all she’d ever get.

And that was okay. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted more of him. Would have loved to have seen him but she knew he was too famous and too amazing to settle for someone like her. She knew better than to ever get her hopes up. He’d done nothing wrong.

Instagram showed pictures of him with his friends and a mystery woman. A woman who was with him at one of his concerts. And then another one. Photos of them walking along the streets together. A fuzzy snap of them at a small café huddled closely. That was also okay. There had been no promises or commitments made.

Y/n hated to do it, hated to open up Instagram but her curiosity about Harry and if he’d been spotted by fans was eating at her. A DuexMoi post with a screenshot from his recent long-term ex’s Instagram account had her feeling nauseated. It was a subtle thing. Nothing specific but everyone picked up on the meaning. The text was a quote from a book she’d been reading over a picture of a close-up of her wearing a cross necklace.

The comments on what it meant were all over the place. And Y/n knew better than to read into anything too deeply or to fixate on something like this. Harry had brought up his ex once when their conversation was relevant to it. Said that she continued reaching out to him and that even when it was clear they were over the woman still called him and sent him messages on the regular.

And as much as she knew that it was probably nothing she couldn’t shake the way it felt to think of Harry and his ex getting back together somehow. She didn’t know anything about what he was doing at that moment because their calls had all but stopped by then. But the post from his ex was a signal. Did it mean anything? Maybe. But maybe it only meant something to his ex. Perhaps Harry hadn’t even seen it.

However, the comments on the post suggested they were talking again and reports of them trying to “work it out” were numerous.

And with that idea, she decided to log back into her stupid dating app. Try and get over the pop star once and for all. Move on if she could.

She’d had one good date from the app ages ago. The rest of the men who contacted her were absolute wastes but perhaps she’d find someone once again who she could tolerate for longer than a chat session. She’d give it a shot.

.           .           .

“But you did take her call?” Jeff spoke over the phone as Harry walked back to the hotel after a training session with Brad.

“Well, yeah. We have history. I didn’t want to be rude. Haven’t talked to her in a while. Thought maybe it could be important.”

“And was it?” Jeff sounded exasperated.

“No. She just said she missed me. Wants to see me when I get back to the States.”

Harry knew when he saw the incoming call from his ex that he probably shouldn’t pick up. But that was the thing about him. He was a people pleaser. He didn’t like when anyone was upset with him and he liked being on everyone’s good side. Even if it meant answering a call he didn’t want to take.

And part of him missed her. Missed what they had at the very beginning but he’d truly moved on. Especially with the idea that he’d be getting back to LA soon and seeing Y/n again. He hoped he hadn’t ruined it with her. It was hard to keep in contact with her. Too many missed calls and back-and-forth voicemails. Even the texts with Y/n had dwindled slowly. He understood that the distance was hard to overcome but that didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to hopefully seeing her again.

He knew if he had the chance to see her again and she still wanted to give it a shot with him he wouldn’t be letting go next time. He’d make it official. He’d want to really do it right with her. And he’d have a little time off from the tour to dote on her and give her lots of attention. Maybe even convince her that she should just travel with him wherever he went off to. Convince her that she should be his and that he would do everything he could to make her happy like she deserved.

He hoped it wasn’t too late.

And now with the new Instagram post from his ex the gossip had begun. Full articles written about how he and his ex were getting back together again, how it was true love, and a bunch of other nonsense that her story caused. And Jeff was pissed.

“I really wish you wouldn’t have taken her call. That’s sending her mixed signals and now with that godforsaken post she put up you’re already getting hate messages about taking her back. Calling you complicit. It’s a nightmare.”

Sometimes Harry really hated being famous. He didn’t even have to do much to get scrutiny. Sometimes one small little blunder, like answering a call could set off a chain of events that led him to where he was now, getting his ear chewed off by Jeff and having his fans upset with him.

But his main concern was if Y/n had seen it or not. He wondered what she thought about it. If she cared. He wondered how she was. If she’d seen anyone while he was gone. He missed her.

.           .           .

The job at The Dulcería had turned out to be one of the best things ever, income-wise anyway. She was exhausted and had little free time but she was pulling in pretty healthy tips and when it came time to pay her rent she had plenty left over to pay on time and stick the rest in savings.

Vyra steered clear for the most part but she did hover a bit any time Y/n had a table with a high roller or celebrity. Which, Y/n came to learn that not all celebrities tipped like Harry Styles. In fact, some tipped worse than normies to her shock.

One particularly demanding uber-famous model with her model friends was nice at first. Needed things brought out in a certain order, the wine had to be perfectly chilled or she wouldn’t drink from her glass, and then there was the lighting issue. She and her friends were snapping photos of themselves “eating” and the lights weren’t right.

Their table was full of The Dulcería’s most exclusive and expensive desserts (which the restaurant was famous for) and yet only a few bites were taken after uploading all their photos to Instagram. It was a shame that all of it had to be tossed when their table was cleared. It felt like it should be illegal. Belgian fine chocolate ganache, freshly made lemon curd, berries from the local market selected that very morning, handpicked herbs, candied pistachios, and fresh lavender cream. All that waste for nothing.

The tip that was left after that three-hour debacle was less than 5% of the bill. She assumed the woman who supposedly had many millions of dollars to her name would have given a better tip on a nearly $3,000 tab. Just imagine watching a rich woman clad in designer carrying a purse most people had to get on a waitlist for leaving a $145 tip on a $3,000 tab.

Still, even then, she was bringing in good tips and couldn’t complain often.

Her feet hurt and she smelled like the restaurant through and through at the end of her shifts. If she could have just collapsed into her bed and gone to sleep she would have. But the thought of not showering off first made her skin crawl. She needed the scent of food and spilled wine scrubbed from her pores.

And like she did nearly every night before falling asleep, she checked social media and then checked her dating app to see if there were any hits. Any worthy of a response from her.

One evening she did hear from a man who seemed intriguing. He appeared to be normal and handsome. So she sent him a response and opened up the chat option if he wanted to pursue something.

And the following day at the office she and Jimmy had chatted intermittently. She felt that sweet little familiar bubble of excitement in her tummy when her phone gave her a notification that he’d messaged her.

They made plans to meet up in person on a Wednesday after work at a bar near to her house.

It had been almost two months since she’d seen Harry. He did message her a few weeks prior but there was no call and when she responded he didn’t respond back. She figured it was time to look for something a little more serious. She knew better than to assume she and Harry were endgame. No matter how good the sex and connection were.

She stopped stalking Instagram and googling to find out where he was in the world. It was better for her own mental health to try and move on from him. He had been a fun fling. A great guy. Maybe one of the best “hookups” she’d ever had. Not maybe. He definitely was. He had been kind and thoughtful and fun. And he was great in bed.

But it was time to put that behind her now. A date with a nice, normal guy was in order. She just hoped she could erase the way Harry made her feel and that she wouldn’t compare every guy she tried dating to the pop star.

Jimmy was attractive in person to her delight. He worked downtown not far from where she did and they talked about mundane things like their commute (anyone living in or around LA will understand this is a hot topic), the buildings they worked in, and their jobs. When Y/n revealed she worked as a waitress on the side Jimmy seemed impressed by her even more.

After a few glasses of wine and for Jimmy, beer, they decided to part ways. It had been a good first meetup. Y/n was feeling buzzy and excited. Hopeful.

The chats with Jimmy continued but moved from the app to texts. They had plans to meet up again Monday evening.

Her weekend shift at The Dulcería was like any other. Tips were good. Some of the patrons were just so-so. Vyra was annoying but gave her space. But she was exhausted. She only worked an extra 18 hours a week as a waitress but after a few months, it began to wear on her.

So when Monday came around and she walked to the same bar to meet up with Jimmy she didn’t expect that the text she’d be getting wouldn’t be from her date.

Just as she was pushing through the doors to the bar she looked at her notification screen and nearly dropped her phone.

It was Harry.

She paused by the door for a moment, contemplating whether or not to read the text to see what he wanted or to wait until after her date. She decided on the latter out of respect for Jimmy.

The problem was, though, that Y/n couldn’t get it out of her mind what it was that Harry had texted her. It had been long enough that she figured he’d completely moved on. And was it fair of him to reach out again after all that time?

So, instead of feeling flattered, she started to feel the tiny crawling of annoyance and frustration dragging up her spine.

“I’d like to see you again soon. Maybe we can get dinner next time. Take a walk afterward along the boardwalk or something?” Jimmy said as he hugged Y/n goodbye before they went their separate ways.

“That sounds great. I’m free Sunday night if you want to do it then. Kind of hard most Fridays and Saturdays,” she shrugged as she felt Jimmy squeeze her hand.

“Sunday night sounds perfect. Can I pick you up?”

.           .           .

Hey, how are you? Miss you.

She read the text over and over again. That was all it said but why? Why send it? It wasn’t as if he couldn’t be allowed to text her. He had her number. They’d slept together a couple of times and had gotten to know one another beyond just surfacey stuff. But still.

Instead of texting him back, she decided to leave him on read. She needed time to figure out how to respond. What to say, or if she should say anything. Maybe she should just leave it so he got the hint about what was going on. That she didn’t want to open up that chapter again and get herself hurt. Because she would get her heart broken by Harry if she let herself get lost in it.

And it wasn’t like he’d done anything wrong at all. It was clear that what had happened between them had just been casual. Good, fun sex. So responding to him wouldn’t have been weird but there was a part of her that felt like maybe he’d dug his way into her heart a little more than she was ready to admit. If she was taking his innocent text so seriously and pondering it so deeply, perhaps there was more to it. Which meant she needed to let it go for her own good.

So she did leave him on read. But more for her sake than his she figured.

.           .           .

Harry couldn’t understand why she hadn’t responded. He could see that she’d read the text. But why not respond? He wondered if this meant she’d moved on. Maybe she’d seen that post from his ex and figured he was on his way to getting back with her somehow amidst all the rumors.

He was aware of how things were between himself and Y/n. He’d given in and fucked his own rule to not sleep with someone who was supposed to be a one-time thing more than once. To go back for more. But when he saw her that night at the restaurant he felt like somehow it was fate. Not like a deep sort of forever kind of fate, but more like a this is okay to indulge in more than once kind of fate. He usually didn’t like doing that but with Y/n it felt different. And she was hot. And funny. And the way she handled him in bed had definitely left a mark on him. She wasn’t just a fan or a casual sex partner. She wasn’t just some girl.

So that’s why he texted her. He was coming back to LA in a couple of weeks. Figured they could see one another again and have some fun. But maybe that was the problem. She was more than just fun for a night. He liked her a lot. And perhaps she was feeling something similar and needed to put that distance there so she didn’t get hurt. Harry could understand that.

While he was away he had one of his good friends along with him. He liked to have someone he trusted, which was rare in his world. He had a hard time trusting most people. She was easygoing and didn’t want anything from him sexually so she was a perfect confidant and companion to have traveling with him. It was nice to have friends like her. Something that didn’t need to be anything but friendly. Someone that he could joke around with and not worry much about being on his best behavior with.

She even gave him great advice about Y/n and then his ex after the disaster of her Instagram post. He knew he’d been snapped with her as he was out and about. On walks, in restaurants, in group settings. There were of course the usual rumors that they were dating but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

He imagined that Y/n had seen the photos of him walking with the girl next to him. Plus the post from his ex wasn’t helping matters. Maybe it had all been too much for Y/n? Or maybe he was overthinking it all. He wasn’t quite ready to give up but he’d let her be until he returned.

.           .           .

Jimmy took Y/n to a cute little Mexican spot Sunday night and they ordered margaritas and Baja tacos with guacamole and cactus salad.

And Jimmy looked extra attractive that evening. She hadn’t noticed before then that his forearms were so thick. He had a sweater on that he’d pushed up to his elbows baring his arms. A bit of scruff on his face. And he smelled nice.

She felt like maybe they’d had enough dates and had gotten to know one another well enough that going back to his place might be fun. She wouldn’t mind a fun romp in the sack with him.

So when they walked back to Jimmy’s car she decided to go out on a limb, “Would you… what do you think about maybe going back to your place together? Or mine? I was thinking we could kind of relax and continue our conversation a bit?”

Jimmy opened the passenger door for her to let her into his car, “Oh. Yeah! Absolutely. Whichever place is better for you. It’s up to you. Mine or yours.”

And because Y/n wanted to do more than just “continue their conversation” she figured his place was best since Brad was probably home. The last time she had a man in her bed was Harry and Brad hinted at having heard them the next day. Not something she wanted to repeat nor subject poor Brad to again.

Jimmy lived in a one-bedroom apartment. He had no roommates which was ideal.

“So, I just want to tell you that right now I’m not looking for a serious relationship. I still have my profile up and kind of chatting with another girl but it hasn’t gone anywhere. I think once we get to know one another a little more maybe we can talk about being exclusive. Does that sound okay?”

She appreciated Jimmy’s honesty. And she was glad that he told her before they’d gotten any further. Because they were both sitting on his couch and making out heavily. In fact, her hand was already slowly making its way up his thigh when he stopped her to come clean.

She paused and thought for a moment. Was that okay? She began to nod and turned her gaze back to her date, “Thank you for telling me. And yeah… I think I can agree to that. Let’s just keep being honest with one another like this and I think it’ll be really good,” she leaned in when Jimmy grinned at her answer and she climbed over his lap, not ready to stop the direction they were already headed.

And just as she’d intended when she left the restaurant with Jimmy they had sex after clearing the air about their status.

It was good. She liked having sex. She didn’t do it a lot. Maybe she’d have one or two a year at most. Hopefully, Jimmy would be someone she could keep around. She hated dating and finding someone she could trust.

Jimmy didn’t get her off, though. He tried. He ate her out, which she was already very pleased with. Not all men would go down on a woman without having to be prompted. Jimmy was eager.

But when that didn’t get her off she told him to get a condom so they could have sex.

Again, he was eager. Quite good really. But as was typical for having sex with anyone for the first time, she didn’t come. She was nice and wet and super turned on but it just didn’t happen.

She didn’t mind much. He did hit some really good spots that made her moan and got her close a few times. He tried rubbing her clit to get her off before he could come but it didn’t do it for her. She guided his fingers over her the way she liked but he needed time to figure out her body a little. Nothing wrong with that at all.

And he knew she didn’t come. He was disappointed in himself when he pumped into his condom and groaned in his orgasm. He apologized profusely and tried to eat her out again but she was tired. They’d been going at it for a while because his goal was to make her come.

“It’s okay. Really. Jimmy, you’re so good. It’s always like this the first time for me. I had so much fun with you.” She cupped his jaw.

While what she was saying was mostly true, she couldn’t stop imagining how Harry had gotten her off his first time. And the second time and the following morning before he left. She tried to swallow down those thoughts and not let that interrupt her moment with Jimmy but she couldn’t help it. Harry’s moves were just better and his dirty talk and his body. And his cock. And him.

She closed her eyes to squeeze out that image from her mind. There was nothing wrong with Jimmy’s body or his dick. He was fine. She was sure that after some work he’d be getting her off soon enough. They’d eventually get very comfortable with one another and sex would be better and she’d orgasm easier.

Really at the end of the day she wanted to feel close with someone. And she got exactly that with Jimmy. He pulled her into his chest and they fell asleep in his bed. She might have not gotten her orgasm but she got the connection and closeness she’d been craving and missing.

.           .           .

The following week they skipped going out for a date altogether and Jimmy cooked for her at his place. He was a pretty romantic person. A genuinely nice guy. Handsome, funny, smart. But their second time having sex was not different from the first. Y/n was sure she’d come and had gotten close a few times but it still just didn’t happen.

And for the first time in her life ever, she faked it. She felt she had to. The poor guy was suffering. He was hammering into her and grunting and shaking, continually pulling out before he could release. For nearly half an hour that was the scene.

He tried holding her legs to the side and thrusting into her as he hovered over her but she needed something more, she was sure. Her own fingers at her clit and his cock slipping in and out just didn’t do the job. So she got on all fours and Jimmy’s bed creaked and bounced and it felt really good. Just not good enough.

Finally, when she rode him she felt that yummy gooey thing she always got just before coming but the moment she began to quiver and just before she could come Jimmy’s words halted any further gooeyness, “Finally, fuck!”

That had done it. She wasn’t going to come. He didn’t mean it to be rude, she was sure. Jimmy was the sweetest guy, truly. But that little bit was all she needed and her orgasm was ruined. So when she felt him throbbing in his condom she moaned and clenched and did all the stupid acting a porn star would to fake her orgasm.

For him to say finally in response to thinking she was coming. Really? That had irked her. She wished he hadn’t said that.

But it didn’t deter her. She really did like the guy. And surely the third time would be the charm. Except it wasn’t. The following morning he ate her out and then they had sex and he got off while she faked it again. She had to get going anyway because it was Monday morning and she had to be at the office.

It felt good to be dating someone. Even if it was casual. Jimmy had mentioned he hadn’t seen anyone else, but she didn’t miss it when he said “yet”. And part of her preferred it casual with Jimmy. Liked that her options were still open for the time being. But it did feel good to be in a relationship of sorts. Felt nice to know that someone liked her enough to keep texting her and seeing her and wanted to sleep with her. It felt grownup. That’s what she wanted. Connection. Relationship. And that’s what Jimmy gave her. In due time they would be more sexually compatible. She was sure.

On Friday night at the restaurant, she was given a couple of large groups. They were relatively nice. Perfectly well-behaved groups. Jimmy had been texting her all night. He was hoping to see her and have her stay over until the following morning before she had to be at work.

She hadn’t decided if she would or not. She sort of wanted to sleep her morning away before needing to be on her feet all night again. And she figured she could use her dildo and make herself come because she was sure Jimmy couldn’t. She knew that he wanted to have sex with her and at that point it just sounded exhausting. Now every time they got together the night ended with sex and a failed orgasm on her part. She didn’t know if something was wrong with her or if maybe she wasn’t as compatible with Jimmy as she thought. But she knew one thing. He wasn’t getting her off like she needed. And her feelings about that were giving her pause. She wondered if she was just settling for casual dates with Jimmy. Wondering if Harry had ruined her for anyone else.

So when she was suddenly interrupted coming out of the kitchen to check on one of her tables she jumped at his voice. It had been unexpected.

“Harry? What are you doing here?” She looked around and the bustling restaurant and then back up at the handsome man. Her body tingled at his presence and she got that lightheaded excitedness that she felt every time she saw him. And she realized that that was something she never experienced with Jimmy.

“I just wanted to say hi. You hadn’t texted me back the last time I reached out and I’m here for dinner right now and saw you walking back and forth. Just wanted to see how you are.”

She didn’t realize Harry had been there. Usually, the servers would mention any time anyone famous came in.

“Oh. Yeah, I’m well. Just… gosh I’ve been really busy. How have you been? I didn’t know you were back.” She decided not to address the fact that she hadn’t responded to his text nearly a month ago.

“I’m great. Been back in LA for almost a week. Missed you.”

Missed you. Yeah, she missed him too if she were honest. But she’d been pushing it all down. Covering up her feelings with Jimmy.

“That’s… I uh… missed you too.” She didn’t know what else to say. Out loud anyway. Internally she was telling him all about how the guy she’d been dating was super sweet but terrible in bed. Well, not terrible. But not Harry. And he didn’t make her feel all floaty and full of syrup and butterflies and anticipation the way Harry did. How she was having trouble connecting with Jimmy the way she could with Harry. God, how she’d love to have another round with him again. Feel that yummy stretch he gave her, that sharp deep poke, listen to his deep voice in her ear as he coaxed her through an orgasm that had her shaking and slobbering into the sheets.

“Yeah? Maybe I can see you after? I’ll stick around til you get off.”

Her mind was playing tricks on her. Til you get off. Yeah, she knew that would happen if she allowed him to stick around. She’d get off all right. He’d see to it. She should say no. Should tell him she’s seeing someone. It’s not serious but she shouldn’t do that to Jimmy. But then again…

“Okay. Yeah. I’d like that. Should be done here in an hour and a half. Is that okay?”

“F’course. I’ll be here.”

She felt immediate guilt. Jimmy didn’t deserve to be put on the back burner. He was too sweet. And there was nothing wrong with him. Sex wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t bad and eventually, she’d get used to him and she’d orgasm with him. Surely. Right? But the biggest thing that nagged at her was the way she felt around Harry. Just having him standing before her and speaking to her had her feeling things she realized she never felt with Jimmy. Maybe Jimmy wasn’t a good match for her.

And she and Jimmy weren’t exclusive. That had been made clear at the beginning. Jimmy did say that he wasn’t ready to be serious with anyone and that he wanted to get to know her for a while before any commitments were made. So it wasn’t like she was actually doing anything wrong. And it wasn’t as if Harry was asking her to have sex with him. Not by any means. Perhaps it was just to chat. To just catch up.

.           .           .

It was most definitely not just to chat. But of course, she knew that. Harry had her in his bed nearly the minute they walked into his huge mansion. It was the first time she’d been to his place and she barely had a moment to look around before he was dragging her to his master suite. They’d made out the entire way from the restaurant to his place in the back of the car. She couldn’t help it. It was like magic between them. Like fate. Like they were meant to be. She felt powerless to it.

“God I missed you,” he whispered into her neck as he gripped the back of her head, “Have never kissed anyone with softer lips.”

She was wet nearly instantly. Jimmy had to work hard to get her in the state she was with Harry after only five minutes of a hot, backseat makeout session.

In his room, she pulled his pants down and dropped to her knees. She needed to see him. Needed to dig her nails into his thick, masculine thighs. She panted as she leaned in and pressed her lips over his tiger tattoo and ran her hands upward to cup his bulge.

Harry watched her from her position on her knees before him and finally felt like he was home. There was something about this girl that he couldn’t shake. He had missed her. And the whole reason he had gone to The Dulcería that night was to see her.

So he was surprised when she so easily said yes to seeing him after work. Surprised when she flirted with him and responded to his touch with touches of her own. Surprised when she kissed him in the back seat of the cab and now more than anything, was pleased by the direction the night was going.

He decided before he even saw her that night that he wanted to make her his. Wanted it to be official. He could see himself getting serious with her. Saw himself bringing her with him everywhere. Falling in love. The whole nine.

Her lips sucked and pulled at his cock and it was better than he remembered. There was certainly nothing like the real thing when it came to getting head and Harry had been doing a lot of imagining over the months. He’d missed her warmth and her eyes. Her wet lips slipping over his shaft.

She coughed and gurgled around him as she sat back for a breath and stroked him in her hand. He brushed his fingers along her temple to move her hair from her face and she was already looking up at him. Her top had been unbuttoned and he had a view of her big tits held in by her bra and her soft eyes looking up at him with his cock in her hand.

“Fuck, angel. Missed you so much.”

She smiled and leaned in with her pink tongue sticking out before licking over his balls, gently kissing and sucking at the skin. He moaned as she moved upward over his shaft and to his crown before popping him back into her mouth.

Another good gag had Harry pulling her up, “Darling, take your clothes off,” he said through soft breaths as he pulled his shirt off and kicked his pants down the rest of the way off his legs.

She removed her work outfit and could smell the restaurant on herself, “I should like, shower or something. I smell like kitchen and food…”

Harry dragged her into his arms and stepped her back toward the bed, “Just like you are. I need you now.” He spoke against her lips.

She was pushed into his bed, her naked body under his with his soft mouth drinking her in. His lips moved from her jaw to her neck and suckled at her tits for a while before he got down to business slurping away at her cunt.

Yes. Okay. That was good. Harry was good. And she knew it wasn’t just because he was so skilled. No. She realized that it was because of the way she felt for Harry. Her heart thundered in her chest wildly as she yanked his hair and ground her pussy into his face. Harry sucked and kissed and fingered wetly as he moaned into flesh. It was everything. Harry was everything.

When she splashed a bit on his face from her orgasm Harry sat back with a laugh as he massaged the inside of her thighs. She forced herself to open her eyes to look at him. He was breathing heavily, his chest flushed pink, his cock thickened and erect. Ready to be pressed right into her sloppy pussy.

He had a hand at his base as he smoothed his weepy tip through her hot and sticky crease. He small whine fell from his lips before he got up to grab a condom. He would have loved to have just fucked her raw but they’d need to talk about all that first. And they’d barely done any talking that evening.

She pushed herself up to her elbows to watch Harry as he stood next to the bed and looked down at his girthy cock, sliding the condom over himself. She couldn’t wait to feel him inside of her again. At long last.

His strong body was insane. She’d never get over it. Wanted to drag her tongue over every inch and drink up his sweat and taste the salt in her mouth. God, he made her insatiable.

Harry kneed up to her on the bed, his heavy condom-covered dick swaying until he pulled her toward him and planted his lips onto hers. Soft and sensuous. The way he kissed her was enough to call it all off Jimmy. It had her head spinning and her tummy doing somersaults. Never something Jimmy had accomplished in their couple of months of dating.

He was breathing hard as he backed from the kiss and looked over her bare body, “I needed this so bad. God… You have no idea how much I missed you, Y/n.”

She really didn’t know. Because she imagined he was getting plenty of ass while he’d been away.  

Harry laid her down on the bed, her back flat on the mattress as he leaned over her frame and attached his lips to her breasts one at a time. She could feel his cock dragging over her as he moved from one nipple to the other.

He felt her buck upward under him and he smiled as he popped off her nipple and looked down at her, “Need something, angel?”

She nodded with a grin, “Your cock. Please.”

Harry groaned and thumbed over moistened nipples before grasping his shaft with one hand and planting his palm down onto the mattress to hold himself up over her.

“Yeah? Please? You missed me, angel?”

“Oh my god…” she moaned as she felt his tip press against her entrance, “Yes. Oh my god, I missed you.”

Harry sat back onto his haunches so he could watch as he entered her. It was his favorite view. The way she spread open, the tight little snap of him entering her clenching muscle, how nicely she took all of him. He pushed in and pulled back, wetting himself as he inched in further and further. She was sopping and had coated his condom in her drippy juices. He moaned as he dipped in deeper and watched her mouth drop open in relief at the feel of him stuffing her pussy.

When he’d gotten in balls deep he sighed, “Oh fuck, angel. I’m gonna treat you so good.” And he didn’t just mean while he was fucking her. He meant it in every way one could. He was going to treat her exactly as she deserved.

 When he began to thrust in and out with long and languid strokes, the poke into her belly was toe-curling. She’d missed the way his cock felt and missed him. Missed him more than anything.

The patting of their skin slapping together wetly sounded as good as it felt. Harry moaned and Y/n gasped. He was deep. It was as if he’d somehow grown in size since he’d been away but she was sure it was just because Harry was Harry. She liked his dick but she just really liked him.

Harry had a nice grip on her thighs to keep them spread so he could have an unobstructed image of what he was doing to her, “God your little hole is just taking me, baby…” he groaned.

She peered up at him, his abs and his thighs flexing as he worked himself into her steadily. Every time he plunged in he nudged himself into her with a quick buck at the end to push himself as far in as he could get, causing her to jolt upward and whimper at the ache.

“Your cock… oh god Harry…” she didn’t know what she was trying to say. Except maybe just that she was really enjoying him. A compliment to how good he felt. How good he was.

Harry rhythmically rocked into her and released one of her thighs to use his thumb on her clit. He softly smoothed his pad over her sticky and aroused nub and she gasped. Harry grinned at her as she reached down to feel the mess they were making, her fingers slipping next to his and then lower, to feel where his cock was sliding in and out, spreading her pussy apart, the wet hair at his base, his balls as they nudged into her when he buried himself in.

“My cock? Yeah? That feel good inside you?”

“Yes, fuck… your gonna make me come so hard,” she moaned her words as she kept her fingers held against the spot where he was pushing into her, slick and creamy.

“Feel that? Feel how wet you get for me? How hard you make me?” He sucked in a sharp breath when her fingers glided along his balls and he stilled his hips, grinding himself into her. She was forced to move her fingers back up to her clit as Harry grasped her hips and pulled her over him so she could feel just how deep he was.

“God I wish I could fuck you without a condom. Come inside of your sweet cunt and fill you up like you deserve.”

She moaned at his words and the way he was buried inside of her guts. Her eyes fluttered closed as she continued to finger over her clit. That sounded exactly like what she wanted too. Wanted to feel him pouring into her and then watch it leak out slowly as he stuffed it back in with his tip.

“Oh my god, Harry. That sounds good…” She looked down at where his pelvis was pasted to hers as he circled his hips into her.

“Yeah? Gonna make you mine, baby and then I’m gonna fuck you raw and come inside of you over and over again. You want that?”

Nodding her head, she had a pained, fucked-out expression on her face, “Yess…” she panted.

Harry leaned over her body, not able to resist kissing her any longer. He needed his mouth on hers immediately.

The quick change of position had Y/n gasping as Harry shifted over her and pressed his lips to hers. The smooth strokes of his cock started up again as he planted his mouth over hers and licked against her tongue.

Intimate. That’s what it was. Harry was intimate but it felt especially real. Especially meaningful. She tried not to think about how soft and loving he was being with her because it felt so much like what someone would do if he was in love.

But then suddenly he took her hand and wound his fingers into hers, pressing their joined hands into the bed next to the pillow her head was on, as he continued thrusting and kissing. That gesture totally tipped her mind into that place she didn’t want to go. That place that told her he was just as into her as she was into him. That he wanted her and only her.

She bent her knees and planted her feet flat, lifting her hips upward each time he pushed in. It was wet and hot between them. Harry’s body over hers was solid and strong as he fucked into her with everything he had. She felt it too. Felt him put his whole body into each thrust.

Their hands stayed wound together tightly as Harry licked into her mouth. They parted only for gasps of air and to let out whimpers and moans.

“Please, Y/n…” Harry whispers against her lips before opening his mouth over hers and smoothing them together, closing his mouth around her tongue and then pressing his tongue passed her lips. She wanted to ask him why he said please but her brain was scrambled and focused on the way their bodies moved together. How good he felt. How good she felt.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it. She was certain Harry could hear it too. His pelvis stayed pressed into her clit and each time he stuffed himself into the hilt he undulated his hips as she tilted her own pelvis into him.

“Oh fuck!” She cried when Harry hit something inside of her that made her body tingle. She’d felt nothing like it before but she was sure it wasn’t just something physical he was nudging into. It was something emotional. She was doomed to his charm. Doomed to fall for him whether she wanted to or not. But how could she not?

Harry pushed himself up, his hands still wrapped around hers, “Okay, angel?” His soft, beautiful eyes would haunt her. Dark lashes and a dark limbal ring that lined his already perfect shade of green…

“It just… it feels so good, Harry. You’re making me feel so good,” she panted her words.

Harry dragged his gaze from her eyes down to her tits, “Want you to ride me, okay? Want to see how you fuck yourself on me.”

Nodding her head Harry slid himself out with a soft hiss as he grasped his cock and watched the tiniest bit of liquid gush from her pussy. She’d only gotten wetter as he fucked her.

Harry took her hand and brought it to his lips, “What are you doing to me, Y/n?”

She sat up as they kept their eyes locked and Harry grasped the back of her neck and kissed her again. They sat in the middle of his massive bed, both on their knees, naked and kissing urgently until Harry sat back and pulled Y/n with him, dragging her body over his, never letting their lips part.

She straddled his lap as he grasped her hips and pressed her wet cunt to his impossibly hard erection. When he’d finally laid his back into the mattress she placed her palms over his pecs and felt his hands at her ass, guiding her up so she could put him back in as quickly as possible.

Letting her fingertips travel over his chest, feeling the hair on her palm, the sturdy muscle under his soft skin, she scraped lightly and leaned down to lick his nipple. She smiled when he moaned and as badly as she wanted to have his cock back inside of her she needed to show her affection to his gorgeous body. At least a little.

Moving her lips to his other side she licked over his pebbled nippled and looked up at his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth was dropped open. His chest was rising and falling rapidly as she nipped with her teeth gently.

Harry groaned and opened his eyes, lifting his head to watch her work over him with her teeth and her tongue, “Fuck, baby.”

Y/n grinned and lifted her mouth from his skin, “Harry, your body is fucking incredible. I could lick and kiss it all day long.”

With her eyes on his she leaned down and stuck out her pink tongue to drag up from the underside of his peck up to his other nipple. She pulled it into her mouth and scraped her teeth over it before kissing it. She dotted warm pecks upward to his clavicle and licked as she went.

Harry’s whimpers grew desperate as he watched her lick and kiss his skin. But he needed to have her on him. His cock was aching and with the sweet and adoring attention she was giving him with her tongue and her lips he was going mad.

Harry grasped her hips and the pathetic whine that fell from his throat had her peeking up at him again, “Please, angel. I need you to fuck me.”

And well, that was all it took. He had said please after all. She lined up herself over his tip and began to sink over him, her pelvis tilted into him, “Okay, baby. I’ll fuck you now. God I need you too…” they moaned loudly as she slid over him until her pussy lips were kissing the very base of his cock.

She kept her hands pressed to his chest as she gently rocked herself over him. Harry moved her up and down slowly, keeping his hands on her bottom, and watched her pretty face contort at the feel of him splitting her pussy apart on his big cock.

“God you’re already creaming all over baby. So fucking wet I can hear it.” Harry spoke through gritted teeth. He loved the way she looked on top, her tits gently jiggling at each roll of her hips, her wet mouth dropped open, her eyes fluttering open and closed in ecstasy.

“You make me so wet, Harry. No one gets me wet like you. I need you…” she groaned as she bucked her hips down over him.

“Yeah? Need me, baby? I can tell…” he gasped when she clenched over him, “Can tell by the way you’re fucking yourself on me. Gonna get yourself off on my cock, angel?”

Y/n keened when Harry lifted his hips up the tiniest bit, forcing his cock deeper yet. A delicious sting.

“Harry… fuck!”

Harry breathed in a shaky breath and pulled at her elbow to bring her body down toward his. He wanted more contact. Wanted her closer. Wanted to kiss her as they both released together because he could tell she was nearly there.

The moment her lips were pressed to his he bent his knees slightly and tilted his pelvis upward so he could thrust into her as she fucked herself down onto him. Wet squelches and soft gasps surrounded them as they kept their bodies connected, on edge, trembling.

One of Harry’s hands smoothed down to her bottom while he took his other to bring her fingers into his. He wanted it sensual, erotic, soft, lusty. There was something about fucking Y/n and having his lips on hers and her hand in his that was making his heart swell with affection. He’d never have enough of her.

She shivered over him and he knew it wasn’t because she was cold. There was no way her body was cold with the way they had been going at it. No. He knew her shiver was because she felt it. Felt what he was. Knew this was it for them.

Her breasts were smushed into Harry’s chest and her thighs were squeezing around him as she continued pushing herself down over him. Her small hand in his with her fingers threaded between his was warm.

“Shit… you coming baby?” Harry felt her limbs tense and the tight muscle at her entrance grip around his cock in pulses.

“Fuck… yess! Fuck!” She couldn’t stop her orgasm from finding its way to the surface. She hadn’t expected it to burst out of her so quickly but having her hand surrounded by his while his cock was buried inside of her was not a casual sex move and that notion alone had her spinning out of control.

He was holding her hand and kissing the edge of her mouth through it all and now that she was coming around him, he squeezed her hand tighter and whispered to her through her orgasm, “There you go, angel. Made for me, aren’t you? My good girl…” she writhed and whimpered in her climax and he could tell it felt good. Could tell she was getting what she deserved.

Harry let her spasm around him for a moment longer until he couldn’t hold on for another second. He lifted his hips and gasped as he spurt into his condom. Gushes of hot come filling the rubber tip as he throbbed inside of her.

She felt his prick pump against her slick walls as he came. His breath was caught in his throat as he released into his condom. The grasp he had on her hand was locked down hard. She would have complained that it hurt but the last thing she wanted to do was have him release her in any way. She always wanted this with him. The closeness, the intimacy. The insane connection they had.

When Harry finally filled his lungs with air and his face relaxed her felt her slumped into his chest. He loosened his grip on her hand but didn’t let go. He wouldn’t let go. Never.

She’d passed out. Simply exhausted after Harry had handled her body like he owned it. Exhausted after giving every inch of his body her attention and love because damn did he deserve it. He was breathtaking. The man deserved to be worshipped. He was stunning and the way he gave himself to her was mind-blowing.

.           .           .

Blinking her eyes open the morning light was barely peeking through the window. It must have been super early. He was still asleep next to her. Hair a mess, cheeks smushed, small breaths puffed out from his mouth (he slept with his mouth opened she learned after the few times they’d slept together).

She was feeling something deeper for Harry than she wanted. The guilt about ignoring Jimmy and going home with another man was eating at her. Jimmy didn’t deserve that. He was a nice guy. A normal guy. But Harry was different. And it wasn’t just because he was hot and famous. It was because they understood one another in a way that she didn’t know if she’d ever get to with Jimmy. And that didn’t feel great.

Especially because Harry was… well he was Harry Styles. Falling for him would be dangerous and she’d have her heart broken. She could fall for him too. Another round of sex like they’d had the night before and it would be over for her. She’d tip over the edge of no return and need him in a way he’d never need her. She might just have to settle for Jimmy in that case. Perhaps that would really be as good as it could get for her.

Slowly slipping out of his bed she went to the bathroom with her phone.

She powered it back on and cringed when she had a couple of missed notifications from Jimmy. Not only had she kind of betrayed his trust and slept with someone else after he asked her to come over, but she wasn’t totally honest with Harry either. Hadn’t told him about the guy she’d been dating. A guy she was working on getting to know and could see herself dating long-term. Well, she could have seen Jimmy as someone long-term had it not been for Harry being so goddamn perfect.

Could she see herself with Harry long-term? She could actually but the reality was he probably didn’t see her in the same way. She chalked up his words and the intimacy with him just being a very sensual and sexual and vulnerable man. He was probably that way with everyone he slept with. She didn’t want to assume it was because he liked her just as much as she liked him.

Splashing her face with water she sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She knew what she needed to do. To protect herself. To make things right.

She needed to go home and tell Jimmy everything. And then she needed to decide if she could see herself being exclusive with Jimmy or not. Could she settle? She’d let Harry get under her skin. She didn’t know how he’d done it so fast but maybe it was just his natural charm. Whatever it was, she knew Harry would be okay. Knew it was unlikely that he felt anything close to how she was feeling.

Her Uber driver arrived faster than she thought. She rushed out of Harry’s bedroom, down the stairs, and out the door, before she even had time to write a little note. She fully intended on doing that but it was too late. It was time to put it all behind her. Maybe this was going to get Harry out of her system once and for all.

But she could be dumb at times.

.           .           .          

Instead of coming clean to Jimmy right away, she broke down the moment she got into her bedroom. She regretted everything. The way she handled Jimmy. The way she gave in to Harry. The way she left Harry without saying goodbye.

What was she thinking? She was too young to be going through a midlife crisis but she was at an age where she needed to grow up and start making big girl decisions. Settle down with a good man. Jimmy was surely that man. A normal guy. Someone in her league. But maybe she so easily gave in to Harry because Jimmy still had his dating profile active and that stayed with her in the back of her mind. Their casual dating relationship meant they were allowed to see who they wanted.

But Harry was… There was something there. Something else that she didn’t have with Jimmy. That she wasn’t sure she’d ever have. But that was why she needed to cut it out with the famous man. He was famous. He was exceptional in so many ways and there was simply no way he’d feel for her what she felt for him. He was too good to be true.

The messages from both men continued through the day. She shut her phone off when she got to work. She just couldn't face it. Couldn’t deal with it. Tomorrow. She’d figure it out tomorrow. Explain everything to Jimmy and to Harry. Harry would be okay. She knew he would be. He’d probably felt relief that she didn’t stay in fact. Made it easier for him so he didn’t have to break it to her that that should be their last time together. Though, she hadn’t read any of the messages he sent (she simply couldn’t bring herself to) she was sure he would be the easy one to deal with. Jimmy, though… She hoped he’d forgive her. But she knew she needed to call it off with Jimmy as well. Nice enough, a great guy for just about anyone. But maybe not for her. Especially not when she couldn’t stop comparing him to Harry. So she’d made up her mind. She’d call Jimmy the following day and sort things out with him. Tell him they had a good run and then that would be that.

But sometimes things in life don’t always go as one imagines. Do they?

With her phone shut off, she had missed the calls and the subsequent texts from both men. She had not realized that they’d both texted her that they were going to be waiting for her at her house when she got home because they needed to talk. She had not imagined pulling up to her little rented bungalow to see three men standing in her front yard.

There was Brad, mediating the whole scene, standing between the two men she’d been ignoring for the entirety of the day.

Then there was Jimmy with a red face and posture that told her he was feeling quite insecure about something. Of which she was sure she had a good idea.

And there was Harry. Pacing. With his hands in his hair and his mouth moving as he said something that had him excited.

The three men suddenly stopped as she pulled in front of the house. All three sets of eyes on her. She had been avoiding simply responding to them. Assuming she’d have time to get her thoughts together. But now she had no choice. She was being forced to confront them.

Harry began to walk toward her car first. But then Jimmy followed too. Both men spoke to one another animatedly as she opened the door.

“Nahh… back off man,” Harry spoke to Jimmy but kept his eyes toward Y/n.

“No. I’m not going to back off…” Jimmy quickened his pace when he noticed she’d gotten out of her car.

“Y/n…” Brad spoke over the two bickering adults, “You probably have some explaining to do to these two. Do you mind taking over here?”

“I… yeah. Of course. I’m so sorry, Brad.” She looked between the three men as Brad waved and walked back into the house.

Jimmy’s face was bright red, “Y/n, tell him we’ve been dating. He seems to think you are his girlfriend.”

Looking at Harry she opened her mouth to respond but stopped at the insinuation that Harry implied she was his girlfriend.

Girlfriend?

Stepping into her yard Harry stood in front of her and then Jimmy next to him both men looking at her in question.

“Uh… I’m… I don’t know what to say. I’ve been dating Jimmy,” she gestured at the man and looked at Harry, “but we’re not exclusive, and then… Well, I saw Harry last night,” she stuttered her words. Her heart was pounding. She was not looking like a good person in this situation. But it was too late now.

“I don’t care that you were dating someone. What happened between us last night… that meant something to you. Didn’t it?” Harry spoke as he gently brushed his fingers against hers, a little spark of life, a signal that he was there and she was safe with him.

She was a bit stunned by all this. Hadn’t expected Harry to say that. Hadn’t expected to see both men in her yard, apparently arguing over her.

“But we’ve been dating for almost 2 months. I think she and I have something special. And I know we haven’t specifically said we were exclusive but–“

“Well, I’ve known her for nearly… what 5, 6 months now?” Harry looked at her as he spoke.

Y/n stood still looking from Harry to Jimmy who continued, “So what is it? Are you with me or are you with him? I didn’t know you were dating someone else.” He was flustered. In comparison to Harry, he was not calm nor gentle.

“I… I’m sorry,” She shook her head and felt her face grow hot and her head dizzy. She was embarrassed.

There wasn’t anything else to say. Except that she was sorry. She really had liked Jimmy. But with the way she folded so fast with Harry, she knew she didn’t like Jimmy as much as she assumed. Because all Harry had to do was say a few nice things to her to get her back to his place and in his bed. She was a weak bitch. What could she say except sorry?

“Look. I’m sorry. Both of you. I have some explaining to do and I was going to… but why are you both here?”

“I came here to talk about this morning with you, Y/n. You left without goodbye and didn’t respond to my texts,” Harry spoke first.

“And you didn’t text me back last night when I thought we were making plans. I was worried about you.”

Blinking her eyes she realized without a doubt, that she was the heavy here. The rotten one. This was all her fuckup. Both men came to find her because she’d blown them both off. Ran away from her problems.

But she fully intended on being truthful. She just needed a minute.

“Fuck.” She cursed and ran a hand through her hair. “I was going to talk to you both. I just… I don’t know. I felt bad that I flaked out on you, Jimmy. I was never going to meet up with you last night after work and I should have told you that off the bat. And I was going to tell you but then I saw Harry and… I just felt guilty so I figured I’d apologize later.”

“That’s… kind of fucked up, Y/n,” Jimmy said as he put his hands on his hips.  

She nodded and looked at him. He was upset, “I know. I’m sorry.”

“And so you didn’t want to come see me last night because of him?” He gestured toward the man standing to his left.

Shaking her head she looked from Jimmy to Harry, “No. Before I even realized Harry was at the restaurant for dinner I planned on just going back home after my shift. I just never got around to telling you that. I didn’t want to see you last night.”

“But you went back to Harry’s house?” Jimmy asked.

She sighed, nodding, “Yes. I didn’t plan on it. It just happened.”

The silence was all-consuming. Y/n didn’t want to look at Jimmy’s disappointed face any longer so she glanced at Harry whose energy was opposite of Jimmy's. He was all soft eyes with a gentle expression. Comforting. She smiled at him. He felt safe.

“Okay. Fair enough,” Jimmy spoke suddenly, “So that’s it? Should I expect to hear from you again or…” he shrugged and looked at her hoping to hear something that gave him anything to hang on to.

Should he expect to hear from her? She liked him. She really did. But she could see it now that she didn’t like him enough. Even if perhaps she and Harry didn’t wind up together, the way she fell into Harry’s bed so easily and the way she lit up at Harry’s smile in that moment. The way he made her feel… it was over with Jimmy. She’d never feel that way with him.

“I think that’s it. Yeah. I’m sorry, Jimmy. I’m not sure what I was thinking but… I think this has run its course. I’m sorry,” she shook her head at the whole situation. She felt awful. Jimmy had been nothing but kind. But she just wasn’t feeling it she guessed. Not when she was feeling so much more with Harry.

She watched Jimmy walk away to his car and felt Harry’s hands pull at hers, “It meant something. Didn’t it?”

Looking up at the tall man in confusion she responded, “What?”

“Last night. I know you left without saying anything but now I get it. You were feeling guilty about that bloke. Right?”

Swallowing thickly she nodded, “Yeah… I just… I don’t know why I went back with you but it felt natural and this morning I was overwhelmed with guilt and didn’t really know what you wanted. You know?” She raised her brows and continued, “You’re… you. You’re Harry Styles. I’m just… me. Felt like I was playing some silly game with myself that was just gonna get me hurt.”

Harry’s hands cupped her face softly, “No games. I like you a lot. Couldn’t stay away from you. Last night felt like the beginning of something really special and I hoped you felt it too.”

She stayed silent as she looked into his eyes. His warm hands on her skin felt soft and tender. His thumbs grazed her cheekbones and she felt it. She did. She knew exactly what he meant. To hear him say it, though…

“I need to know what that means for you. Because, yeah. I felt it. I just don’t want to get hurt, Harry. You’re gonna go back on tour and you’ll see your ex and some other woman and I’m gonna get left behind again–“

“My ex? I didn’t see my ex. Nor do I have plans for that,” he laughed softly as he spoke.

“Well, I mean… I did see her post about crossing paths with someone and that cross necklace,” she shook her head and felt silly for even bringing it up as she looked at the expression on Harry’s face.

“She called me and I answered. She thought that meant something but really it was just me being nice. I don’t miss her at all. Have no intention of seeing her again on any level.”

She nodded at his words, “And the pretty woman that was with you on tour. Lots of rumors there too. Which is fine! You’re totally allowed to see other–“

Harry pulled her in close, stopping her mid-sentence, “She’s a friend. Someone I trust who I can vent to and confide in. She gave me lots of advice about you, angel. Told me to go after you. Told me she hadn’t seen me so excited about anyone ever before. I couldn’t stop talking about you.”

“So, you never slept with her?”

Harry shook his head and fit his fingers between hers, blinking softly, “Never. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Now she felt really bad. He’d been missing her and thinking of her all the while she was off with Jimmy trying to erase Harry from her mind, “I had no idea. I’m sorry that I didn’t… I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I admit, I didn’t try hard enough to stay in touch. That’s on me. But I don’t want that to ever happen again.”

“But now you must really think I’m trash. After all that?”

Harry shook his head, squeezing her hand, “Not at all, angel. I want to be with you. Don’t want you with anyone else, though,” he laughed, “And I’m not gonna think about whatever you had going on with that guy because you were just trying to get to know someone else. You thought it was over with us. But I don’t want it to be over. I want it to be me and you.”

She stood stunned. She just hadn’t expected any of this but it was more than she could have hoped for. She genuinely thought she’d misread all the signs. Yes, last night it felt like intimacy and deep connection but figured that was all coming from her end. She had tricked herself into believing he didn’t feel the same.

“Well? What do you think? Would you want to be my girlfriend? Make it official?”

She swallowed the grit down her throat and blinked her eyes at Harry. It all felt like a dream. Surely it was a dream.

“I do want that. So much, but…” she shook her head just as Harry grinned wide.

“So you’re my girlfriend now?”

Y/n puffed out a laugh and nodded, “I guess so. Yeah.” She couldn’t tamper her smile.

Harry released one of her hands and gently held the back of her neck as he leaned down to kiss her. And just like every other time her lips connected with his, she felt flushed and buzzy. Her skin prickled with excitement. Her sinuses burned as she held back stupid tears.

But she needed to say something else. And if this fiasco had taught her anything it was that she needed to be better at communicating.

Parting from the kiss, Harry kept her in his arms as she tilted her head to look up at him, “But what happens when you leave again, Harry? To another city? Another country? What does that mean for us?”

He brought his lips to her forehead before looking down at her again, his crystalline green eyes taking her in. He inhaled a deep breath, a serious expression on his face suddenly that had Y/n worried about the next words he was going to speak, “Come with me.”

He squeezed her closer if that were possible and she opened and closed her mouth a few times, shocked at his words and at what was happening. It was crazy, wasn’t it? To just leave everything behind and travel with Harry wherever he went? Surely this was just a beautiful dream she’d be waking from at any minute.

Harry shook his head and the edge of his pink lips quirked up on one side, “I won’t take no for an answer.”

A/N: This is the last part of this series! What did you guys think? Would you like to see some more of these two? Thank you so much for reading!

Feedback/Thoughts | Support Me! | Main Masterlist

Thank you for reading! I appreciate any support so remember to comment, reblog, & like 💕

Tags: @daphnesutton @princessaxoo @lilfreakjez @indierockgirrl @harrystylesgirlie @hermionelove @becauseheartsgetbroken-hs @stylesfever @satellitelh @buckybarnessimpp @stylesmoonlight12 @violacavs520 @kathb59 @be-with-me-so-happily @hannah9921 @jerseygirlinca @michellekstyles @yousunshineyoutempter @tenaciousperfectionunknown @golden-hoax @swiftmendeshoran @luvonstyles @tiaamberxx @lukesaprince @dirtytissuebox @closureesny @lhharrylilpumpkin @justlemmeadoreyou @itsgigikay @angelbabyyy99 @lanadelharry @novasblogofstuff @gills-lounge @damnasstyles @malwtilda @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @0oolookitsme @babybunharry @anothermannharry @love-letters-to-uranus @itjustkindahappenedreally @kelly-fushiguro345 @ssaama @onlyangellucifer @harryistheonlyoneforme @butdaddyilovehim-hs @reveriehs @lc-fics @mema10 @tswiftangel

[kaythefloppa]

Activate Kid Power: Thoughts - [Part 2] [SPOILERS]

Continuing from where Part 1 left off: As such, SPOILERS:

Non main/villain-adult/teen human characters with actual lines? In MY Wild Kratts episode? Yes, YES!

Also I can't wait for all the fan-theories, headcanons, and fics people make involving these snapshot cameos (that woman behind Nina, I'm 100% HCing as her older sister/cousin).

Once again, the animation in these new episodes can get really expressive and silly... and I like it! Martin's hair is so fucking funny.

ELLIE AND KATIE HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU (forgot who that blonde kid was for a second lol).

Oh yeah Jimmy has a subplot about crafting where he goes from crafting a teleporter handler to mini-homes for animals. It doesn't get that much focus in the episode but it's still well executed, (and it's admittedly a very funny joke).

PAISLEY HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU

I remember so many discussions about Paisley's wardrobe at the end of Our Blue and Green World, (my hot take, that outfit sucks lmao), but the general consensus was that it was NOT going to be her new look. It's been over a year since we last saw her so one thing I was really excited to see with her return is her new wardrobe. The screengrab quality is kinda ass but you can see there is a clear change that actually compliments the character! I like it!

The name change I DO NOT like. I remember joking about this with my friends, but I never actually thought they'd do it.

And yeah it makes thematic sense, change and all but still.... meh?

Then again, maybe the reason we haven't seen Paisley in over a year is because she was in court legally changing her surname to "Planter." Headcanon accepted!

This is exactly what I wanted to see out of Paisley's redemption. Her using her skills and ingenuity to help construct animal habitats and safe zones for them rather than knocking them down. As painfully rushed and underbaked as her arc was, it opened the door to a lot of possibilities and I greatly appreciate seeing them utilize this potential. This is a good character moment!

But also, where the fuck is Rex? One of the biggest plot holes the previous special left open was what happened to Rex? Is he still a villain? Did he change sides alongside Paisley? Fuck!

I so hope we get more moments between Paisley and Aviva. Between Aviva being the one to redeem Paisley, AND this exchange, they would mesh interestingly together. Also I was robbed of my Donita/Paisley team-up so I'm aiming for a Paisley/Aviva/Koki team-up as a rebound (also, new ship unlocked?)

We all knew that the Creature Powers would come back at the end of this special, but even so, it's just done right with all the Kid Power stuff established, and enough to make it feel satisfying and not a cop-out.

FINALLY they have all 3 of them do the split-screen activation!

Ok fine, so Jimmy didn't activate a Creature Power Suit, but he got his moment to shine without one! That's JUST as great!

Same thoughts as the previous song: It's a hard 5/10. It's very short and the brothers' singing vocals aren't that good, but it's evenly balanced out by Pure West's musical DNA as well as great visuals. It's.... slowly growing on me.

Also hi Gavin and Ronan! Ok fine so they didn't get to speak but they technically got to sing in the chorus so.... I'm happy.

They end this special off the same way they did the Earth Day special with the 2D bros breaking the 4th wall. Bringing shit full cirlce (minus Rex).

CONCLUSION:

Cons:

Part of me felt as though the random new Creature Powers introduced were as jarring as they were exciting. I may have to wait until future episodes to come out to be sure that this episode was indeed not aired out of order.

The Eucalyptus Suit. Who thought that was a good idea.

The song was mid. It's not a pro nor con, but it's a heavy 5/10 and it makes me really glad this show is not a musical.

The lack of Rex. If you can bring back Paisley and establish her character developmen since her redemption, you can go all the way and show Rex there with her.

Pros:

Stunning visuals and animation. This is what I want the theatrical movie to look like when it comes out because it is KILLER. Hell, I'd expect this episode's animation quality for a direct-to-video Wild Kratts movie.

I like how cohesive the plot is, how things gradually build up and progress through the story. It allows the heartwarming moments and message to come in full force. This episode definitely had enough time in the oven to bake.

One hour special with no villains: This was on my bingo card for Season 7 during the hiatus and I'm glad to actually have to mark that off. The conflict in this episode somewhat feels both high and low stakes, and in a natural way without the villains competing for the spotlight. It allows the core of the story to shine through and it further pushes the message that "Kid Power" can help animals and their habitats every day.

The kids did not activate any Creature Power Suits and thank fucking god for that.

The song wasn't terrible! Not pro nor con, but it's a heavy 5/10 and I genuinely hope that this song is the beginning of an uphill rise for musical content.

The kid characters were amazing. The recasts were seen from a mile away, but every single one of them was able to match the kid perfectly. I'm glad that the original VAs aging didn't stop them from getting their time to shine, especially since again, this was an episode that I have wanted to see for years.

Final Ranking: 9.5/10. A step up from Our Blue and Green World, and, coming right off the heels of Chimpanzee and Me, we have a new contender for one of the best episodes of the season thus far. Hell, I may actually be close to calling it the best episode of the entire series. I think this episode could've made for a really good season finale, especially with the experimental direction Season 7 takes. Even disregarding that... it's that good y'all.

[skylarsblue]

»zenless zone zero«

Details of Belle's room, because I like her a lot and she deserves more attention.

[Desc: Belle's wooden desk. Featuring an industrial style lamp, a metal lock box under a standard black file box. There's a pair of white headphones with green detailing, and a clear plus(+) and minus(-) symbol for volume. A pencil holder that looks a bit like film, though it has numbers & letters. It holds a pair of scissors, a graphite pencil, an exacto blade/box cutter, a marker, and a mechanical pencils/pen. There's a scrap/sketch book in the center, brown and seemingly leather. There's a latch and band to keep it closed and it's covered in stamps, most notably one with a four leaf clover. On the wall are two post it notes, both with little doodles. This hints that she's creative. Either collecting stamps and stickers, which would align with the stickers all over her room and her pension for memory keeping (see the memory board the player can edit), and that she at least does small doodles, if not draw as a hobby.]

[Desc: Beside her orange box tv; which is inspired by vintage 70s/80s tube televisions with knobs/dials; is a game console on top of a VHS player. It's seemingly inspired by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, based on it's shape. There are three game cartridges, one in the machine. The one in the console is half visible, but what we can see has a blue smiley face. The second cartridge with a visible sticker seems to be either a horror or "biohazard" type shooter game. Though that's my interpretation.]

[Desc: Beside her desk is a wall with pipes. On the lower pipe there are more post it notes with more small doodles, stuck to the pipe with small magnets. One features a small yellow star and three big question marks. Two features a figure running with their hands over their head, carrying a heart. Three has some illegible writing and an emoticon face. On the pipe above this one are VHS tape boxes. Most are in kanji I cannot read, but the ones I can are- (1) The Silence of the Butterflies (2) I'M NOT A BANGBOO (3) The Sixteenth Split. I like to imagine the first movie is maybe a reference to Silence of the Lambs, based on the title alone. Which, if it is, might mean Belle likes horror/psychological horror movies.]

[Desc: On the table beside her mini fridge is a hybrid music player. It plays records via a slit in the front, almost like a CD player. And there's a space for walkman tapes above that. The volume knob is notably loud, there are tiny numbers and Belle's set it to the second-to-last setting. There's a box of records beside it with two semi visible packages. The first one is in kanji I, again, cannot read. But my guess, based on the art, is some kind of alt style music. The one behind it has a barely visible animal mascot with vibrant blues & greens, and the sharp art style makes me think of electric rock or pop. Behind this is her night stand. On the nightstand is a blue "GameBoy" and a yellow mug that says 'LENMAN', which is also seen on a soda can in her room. Lemon soda, I would guess.]

[Desc: The wall beside Belle's (unmade) bed. There are five posters. One features art of a woman's face above the movie title; 'REVERSAL'. There is some silhouette art that vaguely looks like some ethereal monsters, followed by the movie tag line underneathe - "Night of the Ethereal Reversal". Might be a Night of the Living Dead reference. Which further makes me believe Belle likes horror movies. The second poster is covered by One & Three, which makes it pretty hard to know what it shows. What I can see is an unfinished title - "---- Slayer". There's eyes on some of the visible artwork and it looks vaguely like a record with scenes on it. The third poster features various Bangboos climbing away from a large, glowing, orange, Bangboo that seems to be "exploding" with energy, exposing its skeleton & heart. There's kanji I can't read, but under the kanji title is the word "THUNDER". And the words "BANGBOO POWER" are behind the artwork at the top. The fourth poster is one also seen downstairs in the Random Play store. The title is 'Coffee Mate'. Based on the style & energy of the artwork, my personal guess is that it's a romantic, slow paced anime film. The fifth & last poster is titles Ports Peak. The art is blue with a red chainsaw blade shape cutting through the middle, in the blade shape is the vague image of a man's side profile. Based on the blood splatter pattern & the chainsaw, this is likely a horror movie. The art makes me think of Evil Dead & Texas Chainsaw Massacre, personally.]

{Desc: Beside Belle's leather couch is a red electric guitar & an orange amp. On the couch is also one of her console controllers...which has no joy sticks, only a d pad, buttons, and bumpers. Also, she has stickers on her leather couch, clearly showing she gives no fucks.]

[Desc: On the floor, in a divot in the wall beside the small stairs that go up to her bed's raised platform is a skateboard & a framed poster. The skateboard features a green dinosaur/monster with it's mouth open. The bottom says FATE, likely the brand. The framed poster features two smiling tigers on the top & bottom of a logo, on a red & black striped background. Since she also has snowboard goggles in her room, I'm guessing she uses the skateboard when the weather is too warm for snow.]

[Desc: Next to Eous's charging station is a yellow dresser. On top of it is a boombox radio that has two mixtape spots. There's a small display with random colors that currently displays a pause symbol. It also has an antenna, which means it could be used as a standard FM/AM radio. Beside the boombox is a rabbit statue that Belle is using to hold a pair of black, green & blue snowboarding goggles. Small note, on Eous' coat is the words "Random Play - Staff", and his scarf has their name in small text.]

[Desc: At the end of Belle's bed is a pair of red shelves, and a pair of industrial metal & wood shelves. On the red shelves are three record sleeves. The small text on the albums is gibberish, but they're all made by 5AM Studios. The first and top one is black with white graffiti-bubble letters that say "3Z". R'n'B maybe? I've seen art like this for some R'N'B albums. Below it, the second album features some art of a Bangboo riding a cat through a ring of fire. Above the art is the word ZENLESS. The font & style give me, personally, some rock vibes. What subgenre of rock, I'm not sure. The last album is a art of a spider on a black & red ombre background, contrasting the spider, which features the same gradient in the opposite direction. The spider seems to feature the name of the band or album, but I can't tell what it says. I do know that this shit has to be a metal album. I'm like, 90% sure. On the industrial style shelves are some VHS tapes & a box. These tapes look like the type you buy for your own recordings, rather than ones with movies. Underneath that level is a technicolor piece of artwork in a frame. There's an illegible signature in the right bottom corner, meaning it's an autograph.]

[corvidous]

Last night's game at the LGS, Dwarves vs the Empire of Man. Mole of Ukkert scenario with the humans trying to transport the Holy Moley off the table and dwarves trying to stop them. Unfortunately my dwarves got absolutely dumpstered, his offensive heavy foot were too tough for me to crack and his Hippogriff knights hit like trucks. Whereas in my foolish haste to recover the artifact I ran my missile units into his melee range where they were predictably cut to pieces. Also I was seduced by the option of two deployment zones and split my forces most unwisely. Still, it was a fun game!

The table:

I deployed most of my strength nearer to my opponent, which gave me very little table space to work with. Mostly Oathmark dwarves but my lovely Heavy Missile General is from Fireforge Games. We decided to reduce the mandatory distance between units to 1 inch this game, rather than the usual 3 inches. Mostly to simplify deployment. I've got here a unit of Heavy Missiles with weighty projectiles, a unit of light foot with short range missiles, and two units of Heavy Foot, one of which has Offensive. The rest of my army was a unit of light infantry and a unit of archers that never actually got close enough to be relevant.

My opponent's army was two units of offensive heavy foot, a unit of Scouts, a unit of Heavy Missile crossbows, and his Griff knights which he was playing as a multi-model unit of Greater Warbeasts. All lovely old GW Empire minis except the knights which were 3d prints.

Here my Heavy Foot and Light foot are hitting his men from the front and the rear! Unfortunately his sword and buckler men were positively jubilant at this opportunity to attack in both directions at once and with missile support from his scouts they were able to see off both my infantry units here.

My Heavy Missile general here getting chopped to pieces by his Heavy foot, though I would like to note that I DID successfully screen his knights with my own heavy foot! Perhaps my only attempt at tactics this game that went as planned.

As his forces close in on my last couple units we decided to call it a game there. A crushing victory for the Men, and the Dwarf survivors will most certainly ensure that this insult is remembered forevermore!

RIP Dwarves, we'll get 'em next time!

[fantasy-fields-danger-zone]

FlowerFell Gaster Zombie

Name: Skull

Features: Skeletal, no flesh, their bones are weathered, large wilted flowers and brittle vines wrap around their limbs and spine, eye sockets flicker with ghostly light that shifts in color depending on mood. a jagged fracture splits the top of their skull, occasionally leaking a silvery, ink-like fluid.

Size: 8 - 10 inches tall(mini), 3 - 4 feet tall(fullsize)

Personality: Curious, observant,

Likes:decayed books, dead languages, dim candlelight, the sound of rainfall, silence

Dislikes: bright magic, sudden noises, being rushed, things that "should not be"

Compatibility: they tend to observe more than act, rarely engaging unless necessary.

their presence is unsettling in a way that feels more ancient than violent.

prone to cryptic behaviors- like placing objects in symbolic patterns or standing motionless in corners for hours. despite this, they show moments of eerie tenderness when comfortable.

best suited to those who are introspective, gentle, and curious.

this bitty resonates with calm, quiet homes and won’t do well around chaos or emotional extremes.

they won’t bond easily, but once they do, they’ll quietly orbit their caretaker like a protective phantom.

they may not speak, but they leave messages- in bone arrangements, flower petals, and runic script.

not ideal for the easily frightened or those who dislike the unknown.

Feeding habits: prefers fermented or magically enriched meats, rarely consumes in front of others. must be monitored to prevent overconsumption, as feeding too often can overload their magical core and cause flickering in their glow or distress behavior like pacing or weeping runes.

Additional info: All Zombie bitties have an insatiable hunger and can easily overeat, they also tend to rob alive and have pain, though thanks to the properties of the center they arent mindless, so they arent all violent!

Zone: Inside, Ruins,

In Universe: often seen as an omen. they appear in forgotten sanctuaries or libraries that no longer exist in maps, and are known to leave behind haunting whispers carved into the stone. some say they're the echo of a forgotten scholar, still seeking truth through undeath.

Difficulty: Expert

[leafdrake-haven]

Update on the future, TWO!

Ok these ones are so far in the future they don’t have names yet and nothing is set in stone. They had some concept art but Maro stressed they are literally still working on these so stuff can still change so mostly these are the teasiest of teasers

Tennis

Death-race set. So like my best comparison is Petals to the Metal in Adventure Zone 😅 Neat thing though, because of the Omenpaths, this race/set takes place across 3 planes. Two are planes we’ve been to on premier sets before and the third is one that has been on cards but we haven’t actually been there yet. So 👀 Feels like a potentially good return for Kaladesh? Also maybe Kamigawa again? Idk about the plane we haven’t officially been to before.

Ultimate (Frisbee)

I have made my posts so I’m gonna be so normal here I swear. Return to Tarkir. Design philosophy, “best of both worlds” (dragons and khans!!!) Ahem yes. That is what this is about.

Volleyball

Top down space opera set. I’m intrigued. The concept art was pretty nifty and I mean, Unfinity showed us that space lands can fuck severely. Between cyberpunk Kamigawa and Unfinity I am way more receptive to this than I might have been a few years ago. I don’t know the actual “space opera” trope specifically so IDK have an opinion there much, but still. I’m excited magic is exploring new ground.

Wrestling

We’re going back to Lorwyn/Shadowmoor baybeeee! I’ve never been there and I’m excited to go. I’m excited to see the new twists! :D

Yachting

Back to school season! We be going to Arcavios (Strixhaven)

Ziplining

Capstone/end set. It’s the finale of the 3-year story arc starting with Wilds of Eldraine. The giant storyline is split into 3 mini arcs, Omenpath Arc, Dragonstorm Arc, and [Redacted] Arc. Being compared to War of the Spark and March of the Machine. We don’t know anything else about this set. Kinda neat that the next big arc ends with the alphabet keywords. It will truly be a fresh start with the next A xD.

Wow ok so 3 years ahead in magic. These last few Maro said were still in vision design, wild to see so far ahead. There’s a lot of potential here! I’m curious to see how it all goes :D

[scruffyplayssonic]

Are the ArchieSonic comics actually an 80’s/90’s syndicated cartoon? Episode 66: Summary (part one)

Welcome back to my investigation of whether Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog series was actually a syndicated cartoon from the 80’s and 90’s! Well friends, I finally finished it. My previous post covered the final two issues of what is in my opinion, the quintessential final finale of the ArchieSonic series. I’ve now gone through all 65 episodes of this theoretical syndicated cartoon that ArchieSonic is supposed to be and covered all of them. So at this point you may justifiably be wondering, “Why is this guy still talking? What’s left?” Well you see, a long time has passed since I started this series. My first post exploring episodes 1 - 5 was posted in December 2022, over 19 months ago! Are you able to remember all the stuff I’ve talked about since then? I know I sure can’t! On top of that, this blog has evolved a lot from what I originally planned. I was expecting most posts to just be short write-ups, showing examples of the comics that fit what the relevant cartoon episode was supposed to be, but over time I branched out into regularly doing reviews of full issues. It took me 13 posts to fully explore all of the various ArchieSonic finales, I had that much to say about them! 

If you would like to go back and have a look at any of the previous episodes again, I’ve made up a full table of contents for that. But I thought it was only appropriate to do one final summary, going over every episode of the cartoon and seeing which, if any, ArchieSonic comic issues fit the bill. Due to Tumblr image limits I’m going to have split this into two parts again, but you can find part two here. 

Okay, let’s get started!

Episodes 1 - 5: Origin story. Make it a week-long event. Can sell it later on VHS as The Movie.

Well obviously every story has a starting point. …okay, maybe not every story. IDWSonic’s first issue picks up quite a ways into the Sonic lore, after the end of Sonic Forces. But we’re talking about ArchieSonic, not IDW. I noticed that ArchieSonic both started and ended with part of Sonic’s origin story, as Sonic mini #0 gave us a story showing how Robotnik took over the planet and Sonic joined the Freedom Fighters, and Sonic #290 was part of the Genesis of a Hero arc, adapting the original Sonic games. So for this category I’m picking the original Sonic mini-series, numbered issues 0 - 3, even though it was only four issues instead of five.

Episode 6: Body swap

There were a few body swap stories, some good, some extremely forgettable. I’m picking the one that had the biggest impact on the series, which was “Circuit Me” in Sonic #146. In this story an accident sent Sally’s mind into Nicole’s hand-held, and Nicole’s mind into Sally’s body. Though this didn’t last very long, this issue marked the beginning of an important character arc for Nicole, who would in later issues go on to develop her own body and personality.

Episode 7: Everybody shrinks

There were a few different stories involving shrinking, but only one where “everybody” shrinks. That would be “A Little Sonic Goes a Long Way!” from Sonic #8.

Episode 8: Now they’re giant!

There were also a number of stories involving giants, but I think the one that best fits this category is “Zone Wars: Giant Robotno,” from Sonic Super Special #12.

Episode 9: Fall in love at first sight! Oh wait, turns out she’s evil.

Yup, we definitely got this one. Sonic #28 and #29 featured a story called “Growing Pains,” in which Tails fell in love with a character named Fiona Fox. The catch was that “Fiona” was actually a robot built by Robotnik to lure Tails into a trap.

Episode 10: Uh-oh, someone has the hiccups!

Actually… no. We never saw anyone in ArchieSonic get the hiccups, as far as I can remember. The closest we ever got was this nonsense from Sonic #93.

Episode 11: Parody “A Christmas Carol”

Yup, and in one of the earliest issues too. Shout out to “Sonic’s Christmas Carol,” from Sonic #6.

Episode 12: Parody “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Ehhh… debatable, but I’m going to ultimately say no. The closest we got was Knuckles’ “Afterlife,” story in Sonic #121 - 124, after he died and the goddess Aurora treated him to his own personal, “This is Your Life” episode.

Episode 13: Do a standard adventure, but the hero’s also dealing with a cold

I’m going to say no to this one too. Sonic #38’s “Bedtime Tails,” did feature Sonic with a cold, but he was bedridden rather than going on a standard adventure.

Episode 14: Evil twin

Another yes. Sonic #11’s story, “The Good, the Bad, and the Hedgehog” introduced Evil Sonic, who would become a recurring pain in the butt in the series and later undergo a makeover to become Scourge the Hedgehog.

Episode 15: Robot duplicate

Well, obviously. I’m choosing Sonic #25 for this one, which was the first appearance of Metal Sonic (although he was misnamed as Mecha Sonic at the time).

Episodes 16 - 20: MacGuffin chase! Another week-long, VHS-friendly event

There’s one MacGuffin that dominates all of Sonic media, and that’s the Chaos Emeralds. The characters were chasing after those gems on multiple instances in the comics, including almost the entire length of the post-reboot era, when the Freedom Fighters were trying to restore the shattered world.

Episode 21: Love interest returns. Maybe she’s good now?

Fiona Fox again. Only this time it’s the real Fiona, not a robot duplicate. This one was just as inclined to be violent to Tails as the robot model though.

Episode 22: Explosive case of amnesia and Episode 23: Hero is brainwashed to be evil

Two in one for this story - in Sonic #27 and #28, Sonic lost his memory when he got conked on the head, and was tricked by Robotnik into turning on the Freedom Fighters.

Episode 24: Villain forced to be good

Well there was Sonic #108, when Robotnik came back from the dead and after being hunted down by Eggman, sought asylum with the Freedom Fighters. But I think the better example is from the Sonic X comics, during the instances that Dr Eggman decided to take on the persona of a luchador called El Gran Gordo.

Episode 25: Hero and villain reluctantly team up against a greater foe

Yup, this happened a few times, with Robotnik/Eggman having ulterior motives, of course. Both Robo-Robotnik and Enerjak were considered big enough threats that the Freedom Fighters and Robotnik’s forces briefly put aside their differences to cooperate.

Episode 26: Hero and villain glued/chained/otherwise stuck together and begrudgingly cooperate to gain their autonomy

This happened a couple of times too. Sonic and Robotnik were locked up together by the alien collector Car-Heem, and Knuckles and Monk were hunted for sport by… err, Hunter the Hunter. They were forced to wear collars that shocked them if they were too far apart.

Episode 27: Gain super speed

Obviously Sonic had super speed from day one, but there were a couple of other characters over the course of the series who also gained super speed at one point, either temporarily or permanently. The most prominent case was Mina Moongoose, who suddenly found she could run real fast one day for reasons she (at the time) could not explain.

Episode 28: Stuck in slow motion

This one didn’t exactly happen, but considering that from Sonic’s perspective that being without his super speed is in his mind being stuck in slow motion, I’m going to allow this one. And Sonic temporarily lost his speed in Sonic #38.

Episode 29: Time travel to dinosaur times

Yes, in Sonic #12. It was painful.

Episode 30: Time travel to medieval times

Not exactly time travel, but there was a partial adaptation of Sonic and the Black Knight in Sonic #197. Close enough.

Episode 31: Time travel to the distant year of 2000

Travelling to the future came up a few times, mostly involving Silver the Hedgehog.

Episode 32: Almost halfway through. Time for a clip show!

Sonic #57 served as the mid-series clip show, showing flashbacks to most of the previous issues.

Episode 33: Animal character(s) become human or vice/versa

After the universe got rebooted in Sonic #252, Muttski was changed from Sonic’s pet dog to a sentient Mobian. It was… weird.

Episode 34: Idiot comic relief character becomes a genius

Tails was never exactly an idiot, but in the early issues he was treated a lot more like an incompetent little kid whose inexperience and naivety led to mishaps from time to time. In Sonic #14 he ate a fruit from the Mobius Tree of Wisdom and briefly became a super-genius. While this did wear off, this was later retconned to be the cause of Tails becoming a mechanical genius to rival Eggman.

Episode 35: We’re in space now!

Numerous times. There was even a whole arc of Sonic being “Tossed in Space” and trying to get home to Mobius.

Episode 36: New love interest! They get together, yet she never shows up again

There were a few cases of this. The most memorable is the swan lady Vector was trying to charm in “The First Date,” spanning across Knuckles #26 - 28, because of the horrible art and how obnoxiously sexist Vector was in that arc.

Episode 37: Sidekick is kidnapped

Poor Tails got kidnapped or held hostage so many times during the series. Arguably the most memorable case was in Sonic #86 when Metal Sonic grabbed him and left him tied above a volcano that was about to erupt.

Episode 38: Hero is kidnapped (sidekick gets to shine) 

Yup, this happened a few times in the series. In post-reboot, Sonic was kidnapped by the Naugus twins after rescuing Tails from the events of Sonic 2 (8-bit). Tails allegedly returned the favour and saved Sonic that time, but we never actually got to see the rescue. So let’s go with Sonic #188, when Sally and Amy saved Sonic after he was abducted by a bunch of villains teaming up.

Episode 39: Babysitting hijinks

This happened a couple of times. The most memorable one is from Sonic #22, when Sally was trying to get Tails to settle down and go to bed. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a copy of “Go the F*** to Sleep,” available.

As I mentioned earlier, I have to split this summary into two seperate parts. You can find the conclusion here!

[splitminiusa]

The Advantages of Installing a 3 Zone Mini Split HVAC System

One of the key advantages of managing heating and cooling needs with a 3 zone mini split lies in its flexibility. Homeowners can adjust the temperature settings independently for each zone, accommodating individual preferences and usage patterns. For example, areas frequently occupied during the day can be kept cooler or warmer than rooms that are seldom used, helping to conserve energy and reduce utility bills.

When considering home heating and cooling solutions, discerning homeowners often wonder why 3 zone mini splits are the smart choice. The answer lies in their ability to provide customized comfort while maximizing energy efficiency. Unlike traditional HVAC systems that rely on ductwork to distribute air, mini splits offer targeted temperature control in specific zones, allowing occupants to optimize comfort according to their preferences and usage patterns.

Installing a 3 zone mini split system in an existing home can be a cost-effective solution in the long run. While the initial investment might be comparable to traditional systems, the efficiency of mini splits leads to significant energy savings. Additionally, the ease of installation often translates to lower labor costs. So, you can enjoy a comfortable and energy-efficient home without breaking the bank.

The choice between a 3 multi zone mini split vs traditional HVAC system depends on your specific needs and priorities. If you value personalized comfort, efficiency, and ease of installation in an existing home, then a 3 zone mini split might be the perfect solution for you. However, if consistent whole-house cooling is your main concern, a traditional HVAC system could still be a viable option.

One of the key advantages of a high-capacity 3 zone DIY mini split for commercial buildings is its versatility. With three separate zones, each with its thermostat and air handling unit, businesses can tailor the indoor environment to suit the specific requirements of different areas, such as offices, conference rooms, and retail spaces. This level of customization ensures that occupants remain comfortable throughout the building, regardless of their location or individual preferences, enhancing productivity and satisfaction among employees and customers alike.

Battling the elements year-round can be a challenge, especially in a home with varying temperature needs. For comprehensive comfort without breaking the bank, consider a 3 zone 36,000 BTU mini split with heat pump for year-round climate control. This powerful system boasts a single outdoor condenser unit with a whopping 36,000 BTU capacity. This translates to efficient heating and cooling for larger homes or buildings divided into three distinct zones. The beauty lies in its multi-zone functionality. Each zone gets its own indoor air handling unit with a dedicated remote control, allowing for personalized comfort control in every area.

[chorusfm]

Record Store Day Roundup: 2024 Edition

Another Record Store Day has come and gone. Did you snag that coveted pressing of that album you had your eye on? Hopefully your experience was as good as mine was, and you were able to grab at least something on your list either in-person or online afterwards. In this article, I’ll be recapping things I noticed about the most popular titles going first, providing feedback on the pressing numbers for this year’s collection, and ways to keep vinyl fans engaged with their local record stores throughout the year. Most Popular Titles Across the board, it seemed that the fastest title to leave the record store shelves were the ultra-coveted 7 inch split between Olivia Rodrigo/Noah Kahan for “Stick Season/Lucy.” The single was pressed on a colored vinyl, and was limited to 15,000 copies. If you weren’t able to snag this title, the good news is that it’s labeled as “RSD First” title, meaning that it plans to get a future pressing. Another title that was unique and in very limited quantities was a cool looking mini record player plus 3″ singles from a little band known as The Beatles. This Bluetooth-enabled mini turntable featured a Beatles-branded dust cover and was packaged with four mini singles of “She Loves You,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Til There Was You,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” The cute set was limited to 2,300 units, and was partially responsible for the long lines during Record Store Day. Another surprisingly coveted release was the ITEIAD Sessions by The Japanese House, which was limited to just 800 copies. This set featured alternate session versions of In The End It Always Does, including an alternative version of lead single, “Boyhood,” and a cover of ABBA’s “Super Trouper.” This “RSD First” title will get another pressing, but this 6-track EP pressed on white vinyl was a hot item on the secondary market. The last “hot item” that I was lucky enough to get my hands on was the long out of print sophomore album by At The Drive-In called In/Casino/Out. This Craft Recordings “RSD First” exclusive was limited to 3,500 copies, and was a fast mover at record stores across the country. It was pressed on a cool, Purple/Green Smoke LP, and it sounds pretty damn dynamic to my ears on my turntable. The Introduction of Discogs’ Record Store Day Afters Another cool component of this year’s Record Store Day was the unveiling of an International Discogs database of RSD-exclusives from 13 countries. This is called the “Record Store Day Afters” website, and launches today at 3 PM (Eastern Time Zone) here. Additionally, other stores across the U.S. released their Record Store Day stock on Discogs and their own websites, at retail cost, as early as the day after Record Store Day 2024. This greatly helped me, and thousands of other vinyl collectors, in obtaining those RSD exclusives without being scalped on Ebay and other secondary auction sites. Recommendations for Improvements for Future Record Store Day Observances While my experience was overwhelmingly positive, I have heard from others in the vinyl community that there is still room for improvement in the Record Store Day process. The lines are a tough situation to navigate, but I feel like our indie record stores are getting better at keeping the lines moving by having helpful staff determine which titles are gone throughout the day and assisting customers with finding their wanted titles in a timely fashion. Other suggestions would be to limit the “flip through” process of the RSD bins by having customers with their lists handy to ask if certain titles are in stock so they don’t hold up the lines searching for a title that isn’t there. Many great indie stores across the U.S. were up front and communicative about their RSD stock, and this transparency will help out customers in feeling a sense of community with their local shops. The pressing numbers were fairly on point this year, with a few exceptions that I’ve already outlined. As long as Record… https://chorus.fm/features/record-store-day-roundup-2024-edition/

[matsunoart]

3/8 How you met Angel Dust 🐷

I made a quiz on Qouetv about who would take you under their wing in hazbin hotel!

If you want to see who you got check it out here!

Alongside each character I wrote a mini fic explaining how you met! So here's Angel Dust’s!! Btw these can be seen as romantic or platonic whatever fits more!

Fic below ⬇️

🕷️ Reposts & Notes are appreciated!

Wandering in hell is an interesting experience, to say the least. There are many things around here, including this war zone which you found. Demons are flying around with guns, bombs, and the like. You stay on the far edge trying to find a way out. You almost didn't notice the bomb heading in your direction.

Almost.

It took you a second. Debating on what you should do. Hit it away and hit someone else? Have it hit you and die again? Or-

Before you can even respond the bomb is hit away with a long arm, followed by another pushing you out of the way.

"Are you tryin' to get yourself killed out here?!"

The demon-spider-thingy pushes you out of the borders of the warzone.

"I understand bein' suicidal an' all but there so many other ways to do it that are hellva lot less painful."

You blink at him, finally processing what he said. You shake your head. 

"I wasn't trying to do or anything.."

"Could've fooled me toots."

You let out a chuckle, before running your hands through your hair...fur?

"I was just looking for a place to go is all. I just ended up there. Thanks for the help."

"Lookin' for a place to go?"

"Yeah. I just arrived in hell and all. I don't exactly have a place to go or know where to get help, or there's any place like that here."

The spider-demon nods his head before looking off in the distance. 

"Well I mean, there's this one place you could try to go?"

You perk up causing him to chuckle.

"You can live there for free n' get food n' all that, but you need to try to redeem yourself to go to heaven, or somethin' like that? But hey, free room?" He grins at you.

You weigh your options for a split second.

"Ah, fuck it! Not like I have anywhere else to go!"

"That's the spirit ~!"

I'm sorry if anything seems 0OC, I haven't written Angel Dust before, but I hope you enjoyed!

[idealairmechanical]

Choosing the Right AC Installation in New York City

With scorching summers and unpredictable heatwaves becoming the norm, having a reliable air conditioning system is essential for comfort in urban environments. Nowhere is this more apparent than in New York City, where the dense skyline and bustling streets often trap heat, making indoor cooling a necessity. Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or business operator, understanding the ins and outs of AC installation in New York City can save you time, money, and discomfort.

Why Professional AC Installation Matters

Installing an air conditioner might seem like a straightforward task, but in reality, it’s a complex process that requires professional expertise — especially in NYC. From navigating building regulations to dealing with the specific architectural challenges of older apartments and brownstones, professional installers bring the knowledge and tools to ensure your system is efficient, safe, and code-compliant.

A professionally installed AC unit not only performs better but also lasts longer, helping you avoid frequent repairs and higher energy bills. Additionally, proper installation reduces environmental impact and enhances indoor air quality — key concerns in a crowded urban setting like New York City.

Unique Challenges of AC Installation in New York City

1. Building Regulations and Permits  One of the biggest hurdles in AC installation in New York City is dealing with building codes and obtaining the necessary permits. Whether you live in a high-rise condo or a pre-war apartment, many buildings have strict rules about installing HVAC units. Co-op boards and landlords may also have specific requirements that must be met, including sound level restrictions and exterior aesthetics.

2. Space Constraints  Space is always at a premium in NYC. Window units may not always fit standard frames, and central air systems can be difficult to retrofit into older buildings without existing ductwork. A professional HVAC company can assess your space and recommend systems that are compact, efficient, and compliant with local regulations.

3. Environmental Considerations  New York State and City have been aggressive in pushing for energy efficiency and sustainable building practices. When installing an AC system, homeowners and businesses are encouraged (and sometimes required) to use energy-efficient units that meet EPA guidelines. Many modern systems, such as ductless mini-split units, provide a greener solution that’s perfect for NYC apartments and smaller commercial spaces.

Types of AC Systems for NYC Living

Choosing the right air conditioning system is just as important as hiring the right installer. Some common options include:

Window Units: Ideal for short-term cooling and renters, though not the most efficient or aesthetically pleasing.

Portable Units: Flexible and easy to set up, but usually less powerful and noisier.

Ductless Mini-Splits: Perfect for retrofits in older buildings; offer zoned cooling and high efficiency.

Central Air Systems: Best for larger homes and new constructions; offer whole-home comfort but are costly and require ductwork.

Your choice will depend on your building’s limitations, your budget, and your long-term cooling needs.

How to Choose an AC Installation Company in NYC

Not all HVAC companies are created equal. When searching for a company that specializes in AC installation in New York City, consider the following:

Licensing and Insurance: Ensure the company is fully licensed and insured in New York State.

Local Experience: Look for providers with extensive experience in NYC buildings — they’ll be more familiar with the quirks of urban architecture and local regulations.

Customer Reviews: Check platforms like Yelp, Google Reviews, and the Better Business Bureau to gauge reputation.

Transparent Pricing: A reliable installer will offer upfront estimates with no hidden fees

Maintenance Plans: Some companies offer ongoing maintenance contracts, which can help keep your AC running smoothly year-round.

[aireonepeel]

Why is AC installation so expensive?

 AC installation can be expensive due to a combination of factors that involve labor, materials, equipment, and technical requirements. Here's a breakdown of why AC installation costs can add up:

 1. High Labor Costs

HVAC technicians are skilled professionals who require training, licensing, and certification.

Labor rates include not only wages, but also insurance, tools, and transportation.

Complex installations (especially in older or multi-story homes) take more time and expertise.

 2. Customization to Your Home

Ductwork might need to be modified, repaired, or newly installed.

The unit must be correctly sized based on home square footage, insulation, windows, and other factors—this requires a load calculation.

Electrical panels or wiring might need upgrades to support the system.

 3. Cost of the Equipment

Central air conditioners, mini-split systems, and heat pumps range from ₹1,50,000 to ₹4,00,000+ depending on brand, size, SEER rating (energy efficiency), and features.

Higher efficiency models cost more upfront but save money long-term on energy bills.

4. Permits and Code Compliance

Local regulations often require permits and inspections, which come with fees.

Installers must follow codes, especially for refrigerant handling, electrical connections, and safety measures.

 5. Additional Components

New thermostats, smart home integration, air purifiers, or zoning systems can add cost.

Drainage, insulation, and vibration pads might also be needed.

6. Old System Removal and Disposal

Removing an old AC unit (especially if it's a large or rooftop system) involves careful disconnection, environmental handling of refrigerants, and proper disposal.

7. Warranty and Insurance Coverage

Many companies bundle in warranties and include insurance for liability and workmanship, which increases upfront pricing but protects you later.

 Tip to Save:

Get at least 2–3 quotes from licensed HVAC contractors, and ask for an itemized estimate. You might also qualify for rebates or tax credits if installing an energy-efficient system.