#I’ve made this sweater two other times and have plans to make it again each time with different modifications

[purplbear]

Thing I learned: the notes app on my phone has the ability to scan a photo for text and convert it to text in a note - that I can copy and paste!!! Omg - so awesome! Hand writing knitting instruction shorthand is so much EASIER than trying to type that out.

And then I did some knitting math and reminded myself how to subtract … the super large numbers of 22 and 14. 22 - 14 = 8 🤩

All to figure out how many inches of color transition and solid color sections for the rest of the sweater body.

[sillygoose067]

Crash Landing Into You pt.2

Joaquin Torres x Reader

Joaquin stood outside the bookstore café, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. He’d changed his shirt twice before coming—settled on a dark green button-up he hoped looked cool but not too try-hard.

When you walked out, he straightened, caught off guard by how nice you looked in your sweater dress, hair down, a small crossbody bag slung at your hip. You had this slightly nervous smile, the kind people wore when they weren’t totally sure if this was a good idea.

“Hey,” he said, hands slipping into his pockets. “You look…great.”

You ducked your head, warmth creeping up your cheeks. “Thanks. So do you.”

There was an awkward moment, the two of you trying to figure out if you should hug, shake hands, or just wave. He opted for a slightly dorky half-hug, arm barely touching your shoulder, and you both laughed as you walked in.

The conversation over coffee started cautious, a little stilted. He asked you about your job, you asked him about his, both of you trying not to sound rehearsed.

“So,” he said, stirring his cortado, “ER work. That’s gotta be intense.”

You nodded, wrapping your hands around your mug. “Yeah, it is. I mean… I like it. It’s chaos, but it makes me feel useful. You have to be quick, but you also have to be kind.” You shrugged. “Keeps you human, I guess.”

He tilted his head, genuinely impressed. “I get that. I mean, my whole thing is about quick decisions, too, but usually it’s more… ‘don’t crash into that building’ and less ‘save a tiny life.’”

You laughed, your shoulders relaxing a bit. “Both important. I think the building people appreciate you.”

The date got easier from there. You found little overlaps—shared shows, mutual fears of public speaking, the same guilty pleasure for really bad pop songs. By the time the café closed, you were leaning in toward each other, forgetting to check your watches.

He walked you home, hands brushing once or twice before he finally took yours, and when you reached your door, you lingered there, suddenly self-conscious again.

“I had a really good time,” you said, looking up at him. “Thanks for… this.”

He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, me too. Can I… text you? Maybe plan something less caffeinated next time?”

You grinned. “Definitely.”

You parted with a soft, slightly awkward hug, and when you closed the door behind you, you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.

⸻

By your fourth or fifth date, you’d found a rhythm. You’d made him dinner at your place once—a slightly burnt lasagna he pretended to love, even though the edges were like roof shingles. He’d taken you to a street fair, where you’d nearly puked on a spinning ride but insisted you were fine.

It was after one of those casual, unplanned nights that you found yourself curled up on his couch, legs across his lap, half-watching a terrible reality show while he absently rubbed your ankle.

“I have a confession,” he said suddenly, eyes still on the screen.

You looked over, heart skipping a little. “Yeah?”

“I have no idea what’s happening in this show,” he admitted, looking at you with a sheepish grin. “I’ve just been nodding every time you comment.”

You burst out laughing, head falling back against the armrest. “You liar. I thought you were invested in this trainwreck!”

“Hey, in my defense, I just like listening to you talk about it. You get all fired up.” He poked your shin. “It’s cute.”

You blushed, shaking your head. “You’re ridiculous.”

But he was also leaning in, thumb tracing gentle circles against your calf, his face closer now, eyes flicking to your mouth.

And when he kissed you, it was soft at first, a tentative press of lips, like he was giving you time to pull away. But you didn’t. You leaned in, fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt, and he exhaled against your cheek, a quiet, contented sound that made your heart do backflips.

⸻

Eventually, he started leaving things at your place. A spare hoodie on your coatrack. His favorite phone charger coiled beside your bed. A toothbrush in the cup next to yours, like some quiet promise.

He’d stay over some nights, both of you too tired to make the trek to his apartment. You learned his little habits—how he hummed when he brushed his teeth, how he always checked the locks twice, how he stretched his arms over his head every morning like he was about to launch into the sky.

One lazy Sunday, you were curled up on the couch, his head in your lap, your fingers absently running through his curls as you read a book. He closed his eyes, a soft, sleepy smile on his lips.

“Is this weird?” he mumbled.

You looked down, brushing a curl off his forehead. “What?”

“This.” He cracked one eye open. “Us. Being this… domestic.”

You smiled, leaning down to kiss his temple. “Not weird. Just… nice.”

He squeezed your knee, eyes drifting shut again. “Yeah. Nice.”

⸻

It wasn’t perfect, of course. No couple is.

The first time you really fought, it was over something stupid—a last-minute mission that took him out of the country for two weeks without so much as a text, and you’d spent every night staring at your phone, convinced something had gone wrong.

When he finally showed up at your door, looking exhausted but relieved, you’d tried to brush it off, but he’d caught the tightness in your voice, the way your arms stayed crossed, shoulders tense.

“You’re mad,” he said, leaning against your doorframe, eyes dark.

You bit your lip. “I’m not mad. I just… I wish you’d said something. I worried.”

He exhaled, running a hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I should’ve. I just… it’s hard to explain. I didn’t want to put that on you.”

You hesitated, then stepped closer, your tone softening. “I want you to put it on me. That’s kind of the point, right?”

He dropped his head, shoulders slumping. “Yeah. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

You reached for his hand, squeezing gently. “I just… care about you. A lot.”

He looked up, his eyes softening. “I care about you, too.”

And the hug that followed wasn’t perfect either—too tight, too desperate—but it was real. And that mattered more.

⸻

It came out one morning, long after the sun had risen, when you were both tangled up in your sheets, half-awake, still groggy from the night before.

You were draped across his chest, fingers absentmindedly tracing the faint scar on his shoulder, your head tucked beneath his chin. His arm was wrapped around you, holding you close, his thumb brushing the soft skin of your arm.

He yawned, stretching a little, then mumbled, “You know you’re my favorite person, right?”

You smiled, eyes still closed. “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm,” he said, voice sleep-heavy. “I’m serious. You… you make everything feel… different. Lighter. Even the hard stuff.”

You blinked, waking up a little more, feeling the weight of his words.

“I mean,” he continued, a nervous chuckle in his throat, “I’m still a mess, obviously. But you make me want to be less of a mess.”

You propped yourself up on your elbow, looking down at him. “Are you trying to tell me something, Torres?”

He hesitated, eyes searching yours, his heart clearly picking up speed. “Yeah,” he said, voice softer now. “I love you.”

Your breath hitched. It felt like the air in the room shifted, the world suddenly sharper, brighter.

You swallowed, felt your heart pounding in your ears, then leaned down, pressing your forehead to his.

“I love you, too,” you whispered, your nose brushing his. “A lot.”

The relief in his eyes was immediate, his lips crashing into yours in a kiss that felt both urgent and deeply, deeply right. Like a promise sealed.

⸻

A few months later, he got hurt. Nothing critical, but enough to shake you both.

He’d been out on a mission, one of those chaotic, high-stakes ones that Sam swore would be quick and easy, and he came back with a gash along his ribs and a limp that made your stomach drop.

When he stumbled into your apartment that night, his uniform torn, sweat slicking his hair to his forehead, you froze.

“Oh my god,” you whispered, rushing to his side. “Joaquin, what happened?”

He tried for a reassuring smile, even as his knees buckled a little. “Nothing. Just… took a hit. It’s fine.”

But when you peeled back the fabric and saw the jagged, bloody line across his ribs, you felt a wave of nausea hit you.

“You’re bleeding,” you hissed, guiding him to the couch. “Why didn’t you go to med bay?”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, wincing as he leaned back. “I just… wanted to see you.”

Your heart twisted, both at the stupidity of it and the tenderness. You grabbed your first aid kit, kneeling beside him as you started to clean the wound, hands shaking slightly.

“Dios, this looks bad,” you muttered, biting your lip as you worked. “You can’t just… walk around with this.”

He let his head fall back, exhaling shakily. “I knew you’d patch me up. You’re surgeon, right?”

You shot him a look, half angry, half terrified. “Yeah, for kids.”

He reached for your hand, catching it even as you tried to swat him away.

“Hey,” he said, voice suddenly serious. “I’m okay. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

You paused, meeting his eyes, and felt your chest tighten.

“Promise me you won’t do this again,” you whispered, your voice cracking a little. “You can’t just… come back to me like this. It’s not fair.”

His grip tightened on your hand, his thumb rubbing gentle circles into your skin.

“I promise,” he whispered back, eyes softening. “I’ll be more careful. I swear.”

And when you leaned in, pressing your forehead to his, his free hand came up to cup the back of your neck, holding you there like you were his whole world.

⸻

Eventually, you stopped keeping track of which things were his and which were yours. His spare hoodie became a permanent fixture on the back of your desk chair. Your favorite blanket migrated to his couch. He started leaving spare socks in your laundry basket, and you stopped pretending you cared.

One morning, you caught him singing in your shower, a horribly off-key rendition of some old R&B song, and instead of being annoyed, you found yourself grinning like an idiot.

He came out of the bathroom, towel around his waist, hair dripping, and caught you staring.

“What?” he said, a little sheepish, grabbing for his shirt.

You shook your head, blushing. “Nothing. Just… you’re cute.”

He paused, then broke into a wide, teasing grin. “Oh, I’m cute, huh?”

You tossed a pillow at him, laughing as he ducked. “Don’t push it, Torres.”

But as he crossed the room, pulling you into a damp, soapy hug that made you squeal, you realized you hadn’t felt this happy in a long, long time.

[dazaih]

wingman - luke skywalker x reader

chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four

chapter five -> the apartment

your university roommate han solo finds a rival (and love interest) in student council president leia skywalker, but both of them are too stubborn to admit that they have feelings for each other. luckily, you and her twin brother, luke, devise a plan to get the two of them to spend more time together. challenges arise, however, when you start to develop a crush on him.

chapter warnings: sexual humor, alcohol mentioned, injuries and violence mentioned

a/n: anidala cameo to make up for the angst in the last chapter hehe

Their apartment was, of course, luxurious. Pristine floors, large windows, and sleek, modern appliances—it was the total opposite of the outdated home you shared with Han and Chewie. There was even a balcony with a hot tub. You were speechless. Still, it was small enough to feel cozy, which you’re sure their actual home wasn’t, so you were grateful to be in this space instead.

“The decorations aren’t as cute as yours,” Leia said, watching you gawk at the apartment, “But this is where we live.”

“It’s beautiful,” you told her, taking everything in.

“Thank you. You’re welcome to have anything in the fridge or pantry. We have a spare bedroom that we use as an office space, but there’s a daybed in there too.”

You nodded, glad that you would at least have a little bit of your own space.

“You can use my shower,” she offered, “It’s connected to my room. You can borrow a fresh set of pajamas too.”

You smiled, incredibly grateful for her hospitality.

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate this, guys,” you said seriously, hoping they understood how much their kindness meant to you. You weren’t always good at expressing deep emotions, but you tried to make your gratitude as evident as you could.

Showering had been nice. The dirt was cleansed from your open cuts, and your aching muscles relaxed some under the warm spray of water. The soap that Leia was letting you use smelled great, and the pajamas she’d given you were comfortable silk. When you walked back into the living room, Luke was baking cookies, giving you a small wave.

“Should you be baking with a concussion?” you asked, though the delicious smell had already infiltrated your senses and made you believe that this was a good idea.

“They never told me not to,” he replied, shrugging, “You look so cozy.”

You chuckled a bit, looking down at your sleepwear and the warm, wool socks she’d left out for you. When you looked back up, you noticed that Luke’s hair was also damp, and he was wearing a pair of pajama pants and a loose fitting t-shirt. Something about seeing him like this made you feel warm.

“So do you. I’ve only ever seen you in slacks and nice sweaters.”

“Oh? You don’t like my slacks and nice sweaters?” he pretended to pout, leaning over the counter to talk to you.

You did like his usual attire. He managed to look soft and stylish at the same time, an air of elegance always surrounding him. But seeing him like this—he just looked so warm. You wanted to fall asleep next to him.

“I never said that. Just that you look different like this.”

“Different? Like, bad different?”

“No!” you said quickly, scrambling to correct yourself, “Definitely not.”

When he quirked his eyebrow at you, you realized that he’d just been messing with you the entire time. You blushed and looked away, only to be surprised when he hooked a finger under your chin and gently pushed upwards, urging you to meet his eyes.

“Sorry,” he said, grinning at you, “I just like teasing you.”

“I can tell,” you huffed, pulling his hand away from your chin, though you continued gripping his wrist, “Making fun of me after all I’ve been through today. How sinister.”

He giggled, and if you weren’t so exhausted from the events of the day, you might have tried to pull that sound from him again. It was just so perfect.

“My bad,” he replied, smiling at you, “I’ll make it up to you. I’m making cookies, y’know.”

“With a concussion, yes. I can see that.”

Just then, Leia came barreling out of her room, looking stressed and tired, holding her cell phone up to her ear.

“It’s them,” she said, pointing to her phone, “They want me to FaceTime them so they can see that you’re okay.”

Luke’s grimace was amusing, but you felt anxious that you’d show up in the frame. You heard the familiar sound of the phone call switching to video, and you couldn’t believe that you were about to hear the senator and her movie star husband scold their kids. Leia flipped the camera and pointed it at Luke, who offered a small wave.

“Hi Mom,” he said tiredly.

“Hi, Luke,” you heard his mother say, “I’m glad you’re okay. Your father is on his way home, so I’d say that you have a few minutes to explain yourself to me before he gets here.”

Leia handed him the phone, and he flipped the camera back around to front-facing. From where he was leaning over the counter, you could make out his mother’s face. You’d seen her on television before, but never in the comfort of her own home, and yet she was still incredibly beautiful.

“Great,” he mumbled, sighing, “Well, basically I—“

“Padme!” you heard someone shout on the other line, the sound of the door swinging open audible to you as well, “Luke—“

“Ani, he’s on the phone,” she told him, and you heard him approach.

When Anakin came into view, you were equally as stunned. You’d never seen his movie, but he certainly had the face for Hollywood, having aged like fine wine. No wonder directors wanted to get their hands on him.

“Tell us what happened,” Anakin demanded, and you watched as he placed a quick kiss on Padme’s forehead, a silent greeting to her upon his return home. Cute.

“Someone attacked my friends, so I stepped in. And I had other people with me,” Luke explained.

“So it wasn’t just a bunch of drunk college kids fighting over something stupid?” Padme asked, seemingly surprised.

“What? When have you ever known me to just start fighting people for the hell of it?”

“We thought you could’ve been going through something,” Padme said, and you had to stifle a giggle. Their concern for him was precious, and their willingness to try to understand his actions even before getting an explanation out of him showed how much they trusted their children. You briefly wondered what Han would say upon realizing that the Skywalkers might actually be perfect, and that their facade as a happy family was hardly a facade at all.

“No,” Luke protested, already over this conversation, “I’m not—it wasn’t a dumb bar fight. There were like, adults your age there.”

“What?” Padme exclaimed, her concern growing, “Adults were beating up students? Why?”

“Who were they?” Anakin added, frowning.

“I don’t know, but they were beating the hell out of my friend, and then they were restraining my other friend, and we heard someone scream, so we ran outside.”

“Did you talk to the police?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“You have a black eye. Are those stitches?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Do you have any other injuries?”

“No, Mom.”

“Leia, does Luke have any other injuries?” she asked again.

“Concussion and bruised ribs,” Leia confessed, shooting Luke an apologetic look.

“Did you land any hits on the other guys?” Anakin asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

“Anakin!” Padme chided.

“What? Self defense is important.”

“A couple, yeah,” Luke said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Nice.”

“Anakin.”

“Fine,” he huffed, and you could see him cross his arms. So that’s where the twins got their attitude from, you supposed.

“Are your friends okay?” she asked, and her concern for others made you like her a little more.

“One is in the hospital, and the other is spending the night here,” Luke said, moving the camera slightly to get you in frame. You weren’t expecting to meet the Skywalkers today, and you hoped you didn’t look too rough.

“Hello,” you greeted them politely, giving them a wave.

“Hello, sweetie! I’m so sorry to hear about what happened tonight. If there’s anything we can do for you, please just let us know,” Padme offered, giving you a warm, beautiful smile, much like her son’s.

“Thank you,” you replied, surprised by her sincerity, “Your kids have already done so much for me.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said happily, smiling at you again. Anakin nodded, grinning a bit. He looked proud. You wondered if he might say as much.

“Ben’s in the state on business. We’re sending him to check up on you soon,” he said instead, Leia and Luke groaning in response.

“Don’t be like that,” Padme scolded, “You love Ben.”

“Not when he’s coming for the sole purpose of admonishing me,” Luke mumbled, “It’s really not necessary. Leia and I have each other. We’re more than capable of taking care of ourselves.”

“But you’re still young, honey,” Padme said, “And we’re your parents. We’re supposed to worry about you and then make sure you’re okay when something goes wrong.”

You were beginning to envy the relationship the twins shared with their parents. Han and Chewie were the only family you had. The thought of them made your heart sink, and you longed to be in the emergency room with them, at Han’s side like you always had been. But since you didn’t know how long he’d be there, taking shifts with Chewie so you could both have the chance to rest wasn’t a bad idea, not to mention the fact that the events of the day had left you extremely rattled.

“I promise we’re fine. Besides, we’ll be busy tomorrow. We have to check on our other friend who hasn’t made it out of the hospital yet.”

Their faces fell, and their eyes were sad. Padme’s tone softened.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she said gently, “Please let us know if there’s anything we can do.”

“I will,” Luke agreed, tone becoming lighter at their kindness, “I promise. I’m not supposed to look at my phone very much with my concussion, but I’ll text you when I can.”

“And FaceTime us so we can see you.”

“If I have time,” he pushed back a little, and you saw Anakin roll his eyes.

“Leia, make sure Luke does everything the doctor told him to,” Anakin added.

“I’m a grown man,” Luke complained, a slight pout tugging at his lips.

“You push your body way too hard sometimes, Luke. You’re like your father.”

“I’m a student athlete.”

“Do not go to practice with a concussion,” Anakin told him, his voice sounding serious but also the tiniest bit amused.

“I won’t,” Luke promised, and you wanted to laugh at his attempt to defend himself. He looked exhausted.

“He’s not stupid, Dad,” Leia added with a bored sigh.

“I know he’s not,” Anakin agreed, “But do you remember when he pretended not to have the flu so he could play in the last home game of the season? Or when he played with a fractured elbow?”

Luke sighed and buried his head in his hands. He exhaled and looked up again, glaring at his parents through the screen.

“I was in high school,” he countered, “You seriously don’t have to worry. I promise I’ll take care of myself.”

“Okay,” Anakin said reluctantly, “But seriously. Keep us updated on how you’re doing.”

“I will,” Luke replied slowly, emphasizing the word as much as he could.

“We’ll let you go then. I’m sure you must be tired. It was nice to meet you, dear,” Padme said, waving at you, “And I meant what I said before. Please let us know if we can do anything for you.”

You waved back and muttered a small thanks, Leia taking her phone back, and the twins bid their parents goodbye. When the call ended, Leia sighed and looked at Luke.

“Dad’s press tour is soon,” she announced, her meaning not quite clear to you.

“I know,” Luke grumbled, turning to take the cookies out of the oven, “And I look like this.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” she added, “I mean, the school is private property. No one will be able to take your picture there.”

“What’re you guys talking about?” you finally asked.

“Dad will be getting a lot of press for his new movie, which means the rest of the family will be getting a lot of press, too. And now Luke has clearly been hit. So if people didn’t have questions about the local headlines that have already started emerging, they certainly will once the paparazzi publishes a photo of his fucked up face,” Leia explained, worming her way behind the counter.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, swatting her arm once he put the cookie tray down, “Do I really look that bad?”

“No!” you said quickly, Leia huffing out a “Yes!” at the same time. Luke turned to look at you with a grin.

“Yeah?” he asked sweetly, leaning over the island again to stare you directly in the eye, “Thanks. I’m glad someone here thinks highly of me.”

“Gross,” she mumbled, grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass.

He offered you a cookie then, and you hummed happily when you took a bite. They were magnificent.

“These are great,” you told him, and he beamed at you, “Thanks for baking.”

“Underneath that student athlete facade, Luke’s quite the housewife. He’s a good baker, and he sews too. I’m surprised he hasn’t started brewing his bedtime tea yet, but I bet he’s probably too embarrassed because you’re here—“ Leia teased, Luke cutting her off.

“Why is everyone shitting on me today?” he whined, snagging the bottle out of his sister’s hand and pouring himself some wine.

“You shouldn’t be drinking with a concussion.”

“The only reason my head is hurting is you,” he retaliated, though you could tell that his tone was still playful. Leia chuckled quietly to herself and stole a cookie.

“The daybed is set up for you. I put clean sheets on it,” she told you, smiling.

“You didn’t have to make the bed for me,” you replied, the kind gesture making you feel warm.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, echoing Luke earlier, “You’re our guest.”

“Well, thank you,” you replied sincerely, “It means a lot. I didn’t really wanna be alone tonight, if I’m honest.”

Leia nodded sympathetically, picking up her now full wine glass and sighing.

“I’m gonna take a bath and go to bed. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to wake me,” she said before turning to Luke, “And you better not drink too much wine with that concussion. I’ll tell Mom and Dad.”

“Dad would do the same thing,” he scoffed, “Go to bed and stop worrying over me.”

“It’s hard not to worry over you. You should go to bed.”

“Later,” he told her, “I just got the shit beat out of me. I’m having an adrenaline rush.”

She rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his arm, the gesture undoubtedly affectionate in nature.

“Be nice to our guest,” she ordered, fixing him with a stern look.

“Oh, I intend to,” he replied with a smug grin.

“Don’t be gross. Goodnight, guys.”

He giggled as she left the room, his eyes following her until she shut the bedroom door. When she was gone, he turned his focus back to you.

“Do you want to go to sleep?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“I feel like I should, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I’m still—I don’t know. I know I’m safe here with you guys, I just—“

“It’s okay,” he said, surprising you by reaching over the island countertop and grabbing your hand, “I understand. We can stay up and watch movies, if you want.”

“Oh, you don’t have to stay up with me, Luke. And you shouldn’t be looking at screens, remember?”

“I want to. Show me some of your favorites.”

“Han warned you about that. I’m gonna talk your ear off.”

“I know,” he replied with a soft smile, “I want you to. And the more you talk, the less I have to look at the screen. Sounds good to me.”

Your face flushed. Who were you to turn down the opportunity to ramble to a gorgeous young man about your interests? You’d had a hard day, after all.

Nodding, you followed him into the living room, carrying the plate of cookies and two glasses of wine with you.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You woke up a few hours later with a sharp pain in your neck and something hard pressing into your cheek. Confused and disoriented, you sat up slightly, only to realize that the culprit behind your awkward sleeping position had been Luke Skywalker himself. As the realization that you had fallen asleep on his shoulder dawned on you, you felt your stomach sink. Maybe he wasn’t awake. Maybe slumber had grasped him first, and he hadn’t even noticed—

“Hey,” he whispered, voice raspy. He must have fallen asleep too, but unfortunately for you, he was acutely aware of your position.

“Hi,” you replied, your nerves running wild as you finally forced yourself to look up and meet his stare. He looked at you through eyes that were only half open, but his gentle smile told you that he was awake enough to understand the implications of your proximity.

“Guess we fell asleep,” he said, “We should try to watch this movie again. Like, under normal circumstances.”

You giggled, humming in agreement. Your thighs were still touching, and your side was pressed up against his arm. You were surprised that he didn’t move away from you.

“Wanna go to bed?” he asked, shifting so that he was turned more towards you.

“Guess I should,” you murmured, avoiding his eyes now, “I’m sorry that I fell asleep on you.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m a pretty big fan of physical affection.”

You laughed again, grateful that he was more casual about these things than you were. You hoped that he couldn’t sense your nerves.

“None of my friends are like that. I think Han has probably hugged me three times since I’ve known him.”

“He touches your hair,” Luke pointed out, and you were caught off guard by the fact that he’d picked up on that detail, because you were pretty sure that Luke had never actually been around when Han had done that.

“What?” you blurted, the exhaustion adding to your confusion, “How do you know that?”

Luke seemed caught off guard by that question, and in the dim light of the living room, you could barely see a faint blush begin to spread across his cheeks.

“He messes up your hair. Like, he ruffles it. I don’t know. I saw him do it once,” he mumbled, suddenly very focused on the rug.

“You were watching me,” you realized, lips curling into a mischievous grin, “At the bar after I left you and your friends. That’s the only time you could’ve seen it.”

“So?” he replied, and something about genuinely making Luke Skywalker feel embarrassed made you giddy.

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to buy into your own lie, Luke,” you teased, poking his side.

This time, he sat up all the way, his eyes no longer clouded by sleep. He put some space in between you and suddenly stood. The abruptness startled you in your tired state, and before you could inquire about what was up with that reaction, he had already regained his composure.

“Come on,” he said softly, folding the blanket the two of you had been sharing and looking everywhere but your eyes, “You need to sleep. In a bed.”

You cocked your head a little, trying to meet his gaze. When you finally succeeded, you weren’t able to read the look in his eyes, so you just stood and resigned yourself to being agreeable.

“So should you,” you replied, touching his arm gently, “I’m really sorry about today, Luke. I never wanted you to get hurt by hanging out with me. I promise that stuff like that doesn’t usually happen. Usually, the most danger we’re ever in is when Han and Chewie hotbox the van.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but you guys are good people. I don’t regret defending you.”

“Thank you,” you told him, hoping your face reflected your sincerity, “You guys are really sweet. Your parents, too. I hope they don’t think I’m a bad influence or something.”

Luke laughed quietly at that, shaking his head.

“No way. My dad’s a worse influence than you are,” he replied, “But really. You don’t need to thank me. I wish I could’ve done more than just land a couple of hits on him, but to be honest, I’m not much of a fighter.”

“You were really good at it,” you noted, recalling how agile he was, “It was impressive.”

“Yeah?” he asked in that flirty voice of his, though now it was still slightly raspy, “I mean, I know how to fight. I just don’t like doing it.”

“Why do you know how?” you blurted, your exhaustion doing a bit of damage to your filter.

“I’ll tell you another time. You should really be getting some sleep.”

You rolled your eyes at him, but didn’t protest. He was kind enough to walk you to the spare bedroom, offering you a small smile as he told you goodnight.

“Wake me up if you need anything, okay?” he added softly.

You stood toe to toe, close enough to kiss, but neither of you made a move to even touch each other. It felt too intimate, too real.

“Sure,” you whispered, staring at him, “Night, Luke.”

With that, he walked away, shutting the door behind him. You crawled into the daybed and turned your ringer all the way up in case Chewie called. You hoped that sleep would find you easily.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

You woke up to your phone dinging, signaling an influx of incoming texts. You blinked the sleep away from your eyes and immediately checked it.

4 new notifications

Chewie: he’s awake and ok but on a shit ton of painkillers

Chewie: bruh the police are already here asking questions wtf he’s barely awake

Chewie: r u still with the twins? how r u feeling?

Chewie: gonna run home and shower while he naps. lmk when u feel like visiting him and i’ll give u his room info

You breathed out a sigh of relief at the knowledge that Han was doing okay, despite the medication needed for his injuries. You sent a quick text back to Chewie to let him know that you were at the Skywalker residence, which was still a rather surprising turn of events for you. Just then, you inhaled the sweet scent of lavender, and when you turned your head, you saw a cup of tea on your night stand.

You immediately knew it was Luke who had brewed it for you. The kind gesture made your heart flutter a bit, but you tried not to think about the implications of that as you took a sip. Still warm. You gave yourself a moment to relish in the peaceful atmosphere, sunlight peaking through the blinds and silky pajamas hugging your skin. After finishing your tea, you got out of bed, fixing the covers and walking into the kitchen. Upon entering, you were immediately greeted by the bickering of the twins.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Luke complained, hovering behind Leia as she stood over the stove.

“I’m capable of making eggs, Luke,” she snapped.

“Apparently not, because you aren’t even adding anything. You can’t just scramble them. It’s so easy to just—“

“Well, when you don’t have a concussion, you’re more than welcome to cook for yourself. For now you should just shut up and be grateful.”

“I can cook just fine. I baked last night. I made tea this morning—“

“And you shouldn’t have done any of that! And I can’t believe you were watching movies last night. You need at least a day of rest, Luke. You can gradually start doing daily tasks again after that, but you shouldn’t be thinking too hard or looking at screens yet.”

“You’re asking me not to think. That’s impossible.”

“Is it really? It seems to me like you hardly ever think about anything—“

“Good morning,” you said, clearing your throat and announcing your presence before they could continue.

“Good morning,” Leia replied, turning to you, “I’m making breakfast right now, but Luke keeps micromanaging me. Did you sleep well?”

“I slept great! Thanks again for setting up the room for me. And I can see that,” you noted, feeling bold as you came up behind Luke and squeezed his waist with your good hand, “Sit down, Luke. You should be relaxing.“

He turned sharply at that, eyes wide for a split second before regaining his composure. Your flirting had started to evolve into a competition of sorts, as you felt determined to catch him off guard now. So far, he was beating you, but you tried not to let him see that. You watched as his momentary surprise was quickly replaced by the expression he wore when he was about to say something out of pocket to you, his eyes slightly lidded and mischief written all over his face.

“I’ll sit down if you sit on my lap,” he offered, smiling at you innocently.

“Luke,” Leia groaned, turning around and glaring at him, “Chill out. It’s ten in the morning. If your ribs weren’t bruised, I would hit you.”

“Where’s your sense of humor?” he huffed, relenting as he went to the other side of the kitchen island and took a seat in one of the barstools, turning to you, “Will you sit next to me, at least?”

“If you can behave,” you told him, taking the stool next to him.

“Oh? And if I don’t? Gonna punish m—“

“Luke!” Leia hissed, slamming her spatula onto the counter and turning to him, “Did you lose brain cells when you hit your head? Shut the fuck up. Oh my god.”

“You’re no fun,” he pouted, sighing dramatically, “How do you expect me to act when you’ve got me on house arrest? I can’t even watch TV.”

“Aren’t you tired?” you asked him, stepping in to deescalate their bickering before it turned into an actual argument, “It was a long night. And you got hurt.”

“I feel fine,” he protested, but the smile he gave you didn’t reach his eyes. Leia shook her head disapprovingly and turned her attention back to the stove, sighing as she often did.

You frowned, not really a fan of whatever fake confidence he was trying to offer you, and without thinking, placed a hand on his knee. He flinched slightly, and then tried to cover that up with a smile too, but you didn’t return it, instead just keeping your hand there as a gentle reminder that you saw him. His cheeks flushed slightly, but he didn’t move away from you, and resumed a more normal conversation with you and Leia as she prepared the food. Occasionally, you would gently rub patterns into his knee, and when you felt him continue to relax underneath your touch, you felt like you had finally figured something out about him. You recalled his offhand comment about enjoying physical affection, and you realized that offering him reassuring touches here and there was probably comforting for him. You filed that information away as your thumb traced circles into his skin, noting that his eyelashes would flutter every now and then and he’d sit up a little straighter to shake himself awake. Had he slept at all?

“Here, eat,” Leia commanded as she placed two plates down in front of you and Luke. You saw him give you a sideways glance when you removed your hand from his knee, the cast on your other arm demanding that you only use your hand for one task at a time. He said nothing though, and was content to eat quietly.

“When you’re feeling up to it, we can have our driver take you to the hospital to visit Han,” Leia offered, pouring a glass of orange juice for you, “Just let me know. We can also get you back to your apartment, but you’re more than welcome to stay with us for the next few days while you all are getting back on your feet.”

Luke looked right at you then, though his expression was unreadable to you. Not quite sure what the meaning behind his stare was, you felt a little self conscious, and turned your gaze back to Leia quickly.

“Thank you so much,” you told her sincerely, “I’m okay to go back to my place tonight though. You all have already been so kind and hospitable. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. But I might take you up on the ride.”

“You wouldn’t be overstaying your welcome,” she insisted, “But I don’t want to pressure you. Let me know if you change your mind.”

With that, she handed you her phone, and you put your contact information in. Luke remained silent for the entire ordeal. It was starting to unnerve you. Perhaps he wanted you out of his apartment so he could finally get some rest. With a newfound determination to not be a nuisance to the Skywalkers any longer, you hurried through your breakfast and helped Leia clean up. At some point, Luke had disappeared back into his room, and although you felt slightly affronted, you pushed those emotions to the back of your mind for the time being. The change in his demeanor was giving you whiplash, but there was no way that you’d be able to sort through his thoughts.

“Text or call if you need anything,” she insisted, standing at the doorway to see you off, “And if you wouldn’t mind keeping me updated on how Han’s doing…”

“Of course,” you told her, your heart warming a bit at her concern for him, “Tell Luke I said bye.”

Her face fell slightly at that, and she placed her hands on her hips, glaring at the closed door of his room.

“I’m sorry that he’s being weird,” she said, sighing, “I think he’s trying to act tough because he’s shaken up about last night. He’s really sensitive.”

“Really?” you blurted, surprised that she would use such a word to describe him. The Luke you knew was sensitive to your feelings, sure, but he didn’t seem to be all that emotional himself.

“Yeah,” she replied, smiling softly, “He pretends like he isn’t, especially around those dicks he calls his friends, but he gets worked up about things—anxious, I guess.”

“I met them last night.”

“Really? How’d that go?”

“I threatened to hit one of them,” you admitted sheepishly, “But they were fine after that. They were pretty helpful in the fight, actually.”

“You threatened to hit them? You should’ve done it,” she said excitedly, beaming at you, “But yeah, I’ll give credit where it’s due. Although, I still think they only joined in because they wanted to say they won a bar fight.”

“And because they worship Luke,” you added, recalling how they followed him around all night.

“It’s weird, right? He doesn’t even realize it.”

“It’s really weird, but it’s kind of funny, especially because he doesn’t realize it.”

She laughed, and then surprised you by pulling you into a gentle hug.

“I’m glad you guys are getting to know each other better. I think you’re good for him,” she said seriously.

Her words made you feel guilty, as you weren’t quite sure how much of your relationship with Luke was genuine. Still, you nodded in agreement, forcing a smile.

Feeling confused and a bit forlorn, you departed from the Skywalker residence.

[patito-oward]

First Night

masterlist

WC: 1.6k

Summary: YN and Pato spend their first night together

Previous Parts: I

me posting?? who is she. i hope you all love please repost if you do 🤍🤍

~

Pato had arrived at her house the next night to take her out once again. They went on a series of 6 dates in two weeks, and had become quite enamored with each other in that time. YN was hesitant at first, trying to keep her guard up while she waited for the other shoe to drop, but Pato had wormed his way in. It was hard to not let her walls down and let him in when he was so incredibly sweet.

Their second date Pato picked her up in a rented Toyota Corolla which made YN giggle when she saw it. “You actually rented a car to pick me up in?”

“I’m on my third strike and I couldn't risk it.”

Pato knew when he first saw her that she was special, but never expected to fall as hard and as fast as he had. He had come to expect that he was not seen as “boyfriend material” for most women. He knows his schedule and frequent travel doesn’t scream commitment. He had gotten used to a few dates, maybe a couple hookups, and not much more. He tried to convince himself he was okay with that. That the one night stands were fun and he needed to focus on his career anyways, and he was fulfilled by it. It worked– sometimes.

It worked until he’d watch a cheesy romance movie and think about how much he wanted someone to be by his side, or until he had a kid come up so him at a race, a gap in their front teeth and incredibly excited to meet him, and he realized how much he wanted a family of his own.

So he cut off the hookups, because after each one he would be left with this lasting feeling of emptiness, and he’d stopped going on dates for the most part, accepting that his career has prevented him from what he really wanted. If it hadn’t been for Elba’s incessant nagging, he wouldn’t have gone on the date with YN. He’s never been more thankful to have such an annoying older sister.

He invited YN over so he could cook dinner for her, and he was suddenly very nervous about how the night would go. He had tried to plan the perfect night, decorating his table with a large vase of red roses and candles, but as she got closer to arriving he started to doubt himself and wonder if it was too much. He doesn’t want a repeat of their first date where she was clearly overwhelmed.

Before he could think too much about it or change anything, his doorbell rang, and he decided to just try and make the best of the night. The second he opened the door he felt a lot better, she had that effect on him, just seeing her seemed to lower his heart rate and calm him down. She looked absolutely gorgeous in a pair of dark jeans and a cropped sweater.

“Hi!” She greeted him with the sweetest smile and he realized how utterly gone he was for her.

“Hi, you look beautiful.” He kissed the corner of her mouth, a quick gesture but even that made his stomach flip, and moved aside so she could come in.

She had seen his apartment before, but only briefly when he realized he left his phone after he picked her up, and invited her inside. He could tell she was really taking in the place now, the night time made it seem different, softer, the few lights he had on cast a soft glow through the place.

The timer on his phone went off and he headed towards the oven to take out dinner. He made pasta for the night, and it was in the oven to bake the cheese he topped it with. It was when they reached the kitchen that she took note of the dining table.

“Is it too much? I’m sorry if it is; I just wanted tonight to go perfect and I’ve messed it up already.” He started apologizing without her saying anything.

“It’s gorgeous. I can't believe you set this all up and thought I wouldn’t like it.” YN assures him, and kisses him hard trying to show him all of her gratitude.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Dinner is easy, like most things have become between them. YN has never felt so comfortable with someone, and wants to tell him everything. Pato already wants YN to know the deepest parts of him, he wants to learn her inside and out and vice versa.

The thing they’ve taken to talking to most is their families, and they’ve learned so much about each other through that. They both have one sibiling, their best friend, and they’re both extremely close to their families. In a lot of ways YN reminds him of Elba, when she talks about her younger sister he can tell how much he cares for her. She tells him about how she used to watch her sister frequently while her mom worked two jobs to support them. In a sense he feels like he’s met her sister and mother, the way she describes them he can tell there’s so much love between them.

They’ve completely gone through the getting to know you stage, conversations now filled with stories and deep conversations about fears and the future.

After dinner they settle onto the couch, and are scrolling for something to watch. Pato has a large, comfy sectional, but YN has chosen to curl up right against him. It sends a warmth through him, he can smell the mix of her strawberry shampoo and vanilla perfume, and decides it is his new favorite smell. He wraps his arm around her and she leans on his shoulder.

They scroll through netflix and find a baking show to spend the rest of the night watching. It was less about what they were watching for both of them, and more about just being together; however, they both got quite into the show, enjoying watching the competition and judging the bakers themselves.

As the night went on, YN grew pretty drowsy on the couch, and after an episode ended announced, “I should probably head home soon.”

When she sat up, Pato immediately missed the weight of her against him. “Ok, I guess it is getting pretty late.”

She kissed him then, “Thank you for dinner.”

“I’ll make dinner more often if that’s what it gets me.” She laughs at his response and leans in for another kiss.

The kiss quickly deepens, but it’s soft and slow. YN moves herself to be sitting on his lap, knees bracketing his hips. Up until this point they haven’t done anything other than kissing and heavy petting. Pato desperately wanted to know every inch of YN, but knows that if he does what he has always done the results will always be the same. Plus the teasing has been incredibly hot, and he’s willing to wait for her.

When they pull away from each other they’re both a little breathless. Pato can feel his heartbeat in his throat, and is glad the room is dark because he’s sure there’s a pink tint across his face. He speaks before he can stop himself, “Don’t go.”

YN freezes in her spot perched in his lap, “What?”

“I don’t want you to leave. Stay, I’ll sleep on the couch if you want, we don’t have to do anything, just don’t go.” He’s begging at this point, but he really can’t stand the thought of her leaving him.

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch.” She leans in for another kiss, so soft he almost doesn’t feel it.

He gently coaxes her off his lap and leads her to his room. He grabs them both some pajamas from his dresser. He gives her a pair of sweatpants and an arrow mclaren hoodie, remembering that she’d told him she freezes in the night.

He got out an extra toothbrush for her, and showed her where his face wash and medicine was. While she got ready, he got dressed himself. They switched places when she came out of the bathroom.

As she waited for him she looked around his room, not what she expected, but she didn’t really know what she expected. He had a white comforter and sheets on the bed, with black and copper throw pillows. The furniture is black metal and dark wood, giving an industrial but homey vibe to the room.

He leaves the bathroom and YN takes the opportunity to really sink him in. He’s in a pair of grey sweatpants that make her a little crazy, and a tight white long sleeve that hugs his biceps so perfectly she’s drooling.

They climb into his bed together and YN immediately notices his smell enveloping her. He smells woodsy and warm. YN notices that they both climbed into opposite sides without thinking about it, another way they fit so perfectly together.

Pato lays on his back and YN hesitates before curling into his side. He wraps his arms around her shoulder and she entangles her leg with his and rests her hand on his chest, “Is this ok?” She asks him.

He can’t believe she even has to ask because he’s never been better. “Perfect.”

She starts absentmindedly scratching at his chest, and the last thing she remembers before drifting off is Pato kissing her head and whispering, “Buenas noches.”

That was the first of many nights spent together for YN and Pato. Already fallen for each other much more than either was willing to admit. Their souls as intertwined as their legs.

[finalgilmoregirl]

a Jess fic somehow related to winter/Christmas?

a/n : sorry for basically falling off the face of the earth lol, here’s something small i’ve had in my drafts for almost two years. no gender specified, no y/n

i’ll be home for xmas ☆ jess mariano x reader

there was nothing like the holidays. the cold weather, no school, warm drinks, and the beautiful snow that was soon to cover stars hollow. however this year's winter had been hard to enjoy ever since jess had left to california to visit his dad. you understood why he wanted to leave town of course and had been fully supportive of his plans, but now that he had actually been gone, you felt a void in your life. i mean, calls from payphones could only accomplish so much.

you thought you could handle it. its not like the two of you were completely dependent of each other, you saw each other around town almost every day and if you went a few without talking to each other, it was nothing to worry about. now, you wish you savored your time with him, maybe went on a few more dates with him.

you currently remained laid in bed, relishing in the warmth your countless blankets gave you. it was past 11 in the morning and as you didn't have school and your parents were at work already, you were in no rush to leave your solitude. that was, until your stomach reminded you of its presence and you realized you really couldn't just stay in bed all day without suffering from hunger.

slowly sitting up, you sucked in a breath as the cold air from your bedroom made its way to your body. its now or never, you thought. bracing yourself, you ran to pick up a sweater you had discarded on your desk, quickly putting it on to provide you with some heat. and after finding your slippers, you finally made your way to the kitchen.

as you prepared yourself to make a hot drink, you glanced at the calendar on your family's fridge.

december 22nd.

christmas was just days away. you of course were looking forward to it. good food, presents, classic christmas movies on every channel. but to think that you wouldn't be able to enjoy any of it with jess by your side was a bit of a disappointment. you had only been dating for around eight months, making this your first holiday season together.

what would he have gotten you? you couldn't help but wonder. clothes? cd's? something random, yet thoughtful like a candle of your favorite scent? you chuckled at the thought of jess browsing the candle aisle at a department store.

you took your drink to your room as you looked through your closet, deciding to go for a walk, maybe even picking up a pastry at luke's or the local bakery for breakfast.

picking out some warm layers you quickly got dressed, not wanting to leave your body vulnerable of the low temperature of your home.

as you laced up your winter boots, you spotted something in the corner of your eye. from underneath your bed you saw a book peaking out. as you picked it up you quickly realized that it was one of the many jess had been pushing you to read.

it was the catcher in the rye, a classic, you remember him saying as he handed it to you.

you had gotten only a few chapters in, schoolwork taking too much of your time up for you to actually enjoy it, however now seemed as a perfect time as any to continue.

you placed in in the crook of your arm as you placed the essential wallet and keys into your jacket pockets and prepared to leave your house.

you ultimately decided against going to luke’s as you approached the middle of town, knowing that jess’ absence from the restaurant would feel more prominent. you instead bought hot chocolate at the bakery and sat by the window, so you can take in the beautiful snowy view in the moments you weren’t reading.

you couldn’t help but start thinking of jess again. about how he and luke probably would have came over for christmas dinner. you’re parents were actually quite fond of them, your mother fawning over how sweet jess was to you, and your father surprisingly having a few things in common with your boyfriend’s uncle. maybe next year you thought, sighing as you took another sip.

you were two more chapters into the book before you decided to take a break, your hot chocolate being long empty. a walk sounds nice.

you plan was interrupted however, as the moment you stepped back outside, you saw him.

jess was standing on the frosty lawn of the town’s center with his back turned, looking around, looking for you. you gasped and slowly began walking towards him, maybe you were mistaken. he wasn’t supposed to be back until new years!

“jess?” you called out, and as you approached he turned at the sound of your voice, a smile forming as he saw you. the moment you realized for sure it was him you ran, almost knocking him over with the force you hugged him with.

“hey” he laughed, a small tease in his voice at your dramatic reaction.

“what are you doing here?” you asked him.

"they don't have snow in california." you chuckled at his answer, still trying to wrap your head around his presence.

"and i um", he hesitantly added on, glad your face was buried in his shoulder. "i really missed you."

you stepped back an inch, just enough to see his face and the warm color that began to shade his cheeks. his eyes traveled all over your face, taking in the features he thought about every moment he was away from you.

you smiled widely, "are you blushing?"

"what? no!" he quickly defended, eyebrows furrowing at the laugh you tried to hide at his response. "i'm just not used to the cold anymore!"

you let out a louder laugh at that, softly kissing him before placing your chin back on his shoulder as you resumed your hug.

"yeah, okay." you responded sarcastically. then sincerely, "i really missed you too."

happy holidays ☆

[jackiequick]

Operation Baby Rescue - Fast & Furious Fic 🏁 (Part 3)

If you haven’t read part 2 click here.

Pairing: Deckard Shaw x Val Toretto

—-

The first few days were a rather interesting story. After arriving at the safe house, the trio, plus Owen Shaw, got settled into a small plan. Lay low, take care of the baby and wait until the signal to come home. Simple as that.

Owen left to find a place to stay upstairs leaving the couple to their own devices downstairs. That same afternoon, Deckard didn’t hesitate to pick up Marcos Toretto and head over to give him a diaper change. Until he realized he never changed a bloody damn diaper in his life. He fed them, rocked them to sleep, played with them and even saved one! But never has he changed a diaper before.

“Uh love?” He yelled from the living room, holding down the squirmy baby, who became a bit fussy.

Val was in the kitchen looking for supplies to start cooking and yelled back, “Yeah? What happened?”

“Come here for a second.”

“Sure!”

She walked over laughing at the sight in front of her. Deckard Shaw, one of the worlds most best assists for combat and reliability, couldn’t change a freaking diaper. The man glared at her, not finding it hilarious on his part, sighing in defeat. He moved aside giving Val space as she took care of the situation.

Removing the diaper of the fussy baby, who just 8 minutes ago was blabbing nonsense, wasn’t easy. But she got it done, holding his tiny feet and closing the taps to the diaper showing Deckard how to do it as she went along. The man was a fast learner and understood the assignment for next time.

However he was impressed. This women was able to gently strap this little charmer down within 5 minutes flat. Deckard knew that she has a niece and nephew at home, due to them being Mia and Brian’s kids, but he never seen her in action before. As in take care of a child. He smiled brightly and chuckled.

“What?” She asked holding Marco in her lap now, smiling at him. Val knew he was thinking of something.

“Nothing.” He replied with a chuckle, taking a seat next to her.

“Deck.”

“You just amaze me. I’ve known you for a long time now, but this is new to me.”

“What is?”

“You as a aunt. Parental figure, i like it. A lot.”

“Aww..i like it too. I’m still surprised, Dom let us on this mission together.”

“You and me both, love. It’s alright, he trusts us with his kid.”

“So you two gonna kiss or what?” Said a voice standing in the doorway eating a banana. Owen had a cheeky smile on his face watching his brother and girlfriend on the couch with child in between them. It made him annoyed at the idea of his older brother in love but he liked it. It was good to see his brother as he deems as happy.

Deckard rolled his eyes and followed his younger brother into the kitchen, muttering how he might sent Owen to live somewhere else for the next few days instead. Val chuckled blowing raspberries onto Marcos’s chubby cheek, heading upstairs to put him down for a nap and later on a well needed nap.

——

The rest of the 24 hours have been alright. Yeah sure they had a fussy baby to deal with in the middle of the night and a schedule to try to keep up with. Other than that it was pretty okay. Owen moved onto stay in London for a couple of day leaving the couple along again to their own devices. It amazed each other how well of a caretaker role was brought to the table. With Val quick response to things like cries and Deckard’s problem solving skills to figure out what could done.

They had their bumps in the road like the other night where Marcos couldn’t get to sleep. They tried hushing his cries, he wasn’t hungry, and nor did he need his diaper changed. Hell, the pair even checked if there anything inside his crib that might make him feel uncomfortable. Checked for any weird smells in the room and etc. But nothing.

Val was hushing Marco who was in her arms, trying to start humming a lullaby. Deckard stood their for a moment until he removed his sweater leaving him a warm grey undershirt. He sat down on the rocking chair taking the baby from his girlfriend’s arm, having Marco curl up into the warmth of his body as he rubbed his back.

It took Valentina a moment for it to click in, but once it did, she was impressed. She heard stories of how he helped take care of his younger brother and babies on base, but never seen it in action. It made her heart flutter.

“Almost skin to skin contact?” Val whispered softly, as it came out more like a question.

Deck nodded whispering back, “He was probably cold or just need the warmth of a body, I’m guessing.”

“Nice thinking.”

“Eh, i try.”

The pair took turns that whole time, eventually bringing the event to a close putting the baby boy back in his crib. Thankfully he was asleep and didn’t even fussy the rest of the late night. They smiled, leading back to the bedroom satisfied as ever.

Two days later, Deckard woke up first, turning off the alarm clock and being greeted with the warm shine of the sunlight. Val was snuggled up close wearing his black shirt and a pair of brown shorts. He kissed her forehead as he always did, crawling out of bed to brush his teeth and get ready for the day.

Their resources were sorta limited to his usual rental stays but neither he did care or wish for anything else than. He had food, water, clothes, the basic essentials, WIFI, entertainment inside and outside the house, and of course his morning coffee. Deckard entered the shared bedroom again noticing that she was still asleep, he couldn’t blame her since she woke up more than once last night as well as the night before. He stepped into the well centered bedroom next to find the little man of the house half awake. You would think of all people in this house, he would be most tired.

Marcos was laying down on his back, playing with the moon and stars mobile making grabby hand at it. The little guys was wearing blue pjs and in his own little world, babbling softly about god knows what.

Deckard couldn’t help but smile as imagines of last night flew back in his eyes.

Remembering the sight of Val putting Marcos to bed at 7:30pm last night, humming a little song at the loopy baby who coo sleepily, resting his head on his auntie’s shoulder. The smile in her voice as she sang to the baby boy tend laying him down in the crib tucking him in, was simply lovely.

He snapped out of his thoughts at the squeals of the little charmer in front of him as he gently picked him up smiling.

“Hello governor, sleep well?” Ask Deck bouncing him gently in his arms with a soft smile as the baby babbled happily, “I bet you did.”

He stayed in that positions chatting with the baby boy rocking him back and forward, handing him his stuff animal that was sitting on the changing table. He just giggled and smiled softly at the man holding him with just pure joy.

“How about we play some music and have breakfast in a few minutes, hm?” He asked with a chuckle, “But first let’s wake up your auntie Val.”

Val was fast asleep, having turned the alarm off twice already. Just 5 minutes was all she needed. Her body was turned towards the window, not feeling the dent and shift in the bed as a small little cubby body crawled around eventually landed onto of her.

On top of her sat the 12 pound package she saved a while back, with his hand patting her chest and side gurgling and looking around, as his small hands grabbed the fabric of her shirt playing with it. Eventually after a few requests for a bit more of sleep, she peaked her eyes open to the cutest sight she ever seen.

Marcos was just chilling sat on top of his auntie with a care in the world, looking over at Deckard, who had a hand on the baby’s back for support, every once in a while. Pinch Valentina, she must be dreaming! She tickled lightly her nephew’s belly responding in some giggles in return from the baby.

“G’ morning..” She said softly, looking at her boys with a smile on her face. She couldn’t ask for more than to just frozen in this moment forever.

“Good morning.” He replies with a matching look on his face.

He leaned down, placing a darling kiss on her lips as she hooked her finger underneath his chin gently laying down two more kisses. It resulted in Deck to give her a few more. Val cooed at her nephew placing a kiss on his cheek as well. It was like at that moment Valentina Toretto knew one thing, she wants to spend a good life with Deckard Shaw doesn’t matter if they’re under the same roof or miles apart.

The three of them headed downstairs to the kitchen, making breakfast and staying in comfortable silence as they all ate. Eggs, toast, coffee and music playing in the background. The smell filled up the entire house. With the cooing and gurgling of Marcos making sure their was smiles the whole time.

Afterwards they stayed in the backyard, taking in the nice breeze and nice spring sun that came with such lovely warmth. Like a being snuggled up blanket freshly out of the dryer. Marco stayed on the grass playing with the toy cars that were brought, Val combed her slightly wet curls after washing it earlier and Deckard was checking emails while keeping on them.

Nothing could be more perfect, to say the least. It felt domestic. A nice break from the last few days.

Leaning against his chair, Deckard broke the comfortable silence and said, “What do you about us having one of our own?”

“Huh?” Asked Val with a smile taking it a moment for her to lock in what he said. She replied, “You want a kid?”

“Yeah, why not? It’s probably Baby Toretto charm and the safe house, but i can see us with one.”

“Just one? Why not two with a dog?”

He laughed putting his hands up in defense, “Dial it back there, love! I think one would be enough for us.”

“Alright, fair. Besides, I couldn’t a dog and two children to be honest.” She replied chuckling.

“So why did you suggest it?”

“I wanted to see your reaction, that’s why! In all seriousness, one day a child would be nice. I rather settle first, right?”

“Where you thinking? London? Brazil? Hawaii?”

“I don’t know yet. Just give it time, we’ll figure it out.”

Deckard grinned and leaned in into her face, “Good. Because that means I’ll have you all to myself until we please.”

“Yes sir.” Valentina remarked leaning in and chuckling.

They were soon stopped by Marcos crawling up to them with his hands in the air, wishing to be picked up from the grass with a pouty face and Val couldn’t say no. That was when Deckard got the text from Dom that it was safe to bring his kid home, he smiled hearing that.

—-

It took two days of packing, and a early morning just to get everything in the car. Deckard was carrying the last of stuff needed for the drive over to New York. They could’ve taken a plane but decided against it after the resist endeavor, a long drive felt rather safer.

Val was placing with Marco nearby the entrance of the safe house, waiting for her boyfriend to finish his duties. She would’ve help but she was do busy packing up lunch, pillows and water bottles. Finally she was given the green light to place Marcos in the car seat.

The baby was squirming around in his seat, babbling loudly and giggling about god knows what. As Val was trying to place his seat belt on, Marco threw his toy race car over his aunties head and out of the door.

Val walked over to pick it up jokingly saying, “Hey bubba, not all cars fly. But this one does, huh?”

She handed it back over to her nephew, who just playfully threw it out again with a grin and a giggle to match. It was a game to him. Definitely part of this family. Over a straight minute and a half of Marcos tossing the toy out of the car, Deckard walked over with a little solution to the problem. He handed the baby United Kingdom Flag Mini Boxing Gloves, in which the kid happily took with such glee.

She noticed what it was and playfully glare at her man, then said, “Dom is gonna kill you for that.”

“What he doesn’t know won’t kill him, love.” He replied breaking into a laugh and grinned, strapping the baby into the seat perfectly.

And off they went.

The drive wasn’t so bad. They all took time to eat, took breaks to stretch their legs, bathroom breaks and stopped at a motel for a while. Yeah sure everyone got tired and kinda fussy during the trip every once in a while. Especially with a baby on board, it can be tougher. It was a pretty long drive, but they were entertained as much as they could be.

———

It felt like forever, as they finally arrived to a hotel in New York City. The very next day, the trio packed up once again, only this time for the youngest Toretto, to be with his daddy and meet his stepmother, Letty.

The pair walked up the stairs slightly tired, opening the door to the rooftop. Deckard was carrying the baby carrier with the giggly little boy inside as Valentina carried the baby bag. Once they opened the front door to the rooftop, music played, bunches of teammates talking, barbecue smell hit their noses and a fresh bottles of beers being open.

Some stopped talking, looking at the door to see the pair with the baby walking over to Dom. Deckard and Dom talked quietly over the reason why for the mission. Val stood her with a smile, hearing them speak to one another.

“Can’t believe you went to see my mother.” Deckard said with a slight delay smile, once Dom grinned back.

She noticed it was her cue, walking over as Dom pulled his baby sister into a tight hug.

He smiled looking down at her and said, “Thank you.”

“I would’ve done either way.” She replied with a matching smile.

“Still, you took that risk.”

“How did you know I’ll be there at the right place and time?”

“Cause i know you. And i knew you would’ve guessed something was going on.”

“You got that right.”

“Was he a lot of trouble?”

“Nah he’s pretty alright.”

Dom smirked, “I was talking about him.” He added pointed over to Deckard for extra effect, “Was he trouble?”

“Oh my god-” She rolled her eyes laughing, resting her head on her big brothers chest, “He wasn’t any trouble. More of a surprise. Both boys were.”

As if on cue, Baby Toretto cooed brightly. Dom turned reaching down to pick up his son who smiled and giggled, his cubby cheeks lighting up his face at the sight of being hold by his daddy.

Val smiled.

She walked away giving the two a moment together at least, as she went to join Tej and Roman in a few laughs. They were trying to figure out Ramsey’s last name but she was the only one who knew it. Deckard went to speak with Mr. Nobody and Ramsey, sharing a drink. After a while, lunch was finally being served.

Everyone sat around the table, Val missed her boys so she sat beside Tej and Roman, sipping her second beer of the day, after she helped serve the BBQ to everyone’s plates of course. They were all chatting, waiting for Dom to take a seat, he was too busy admiring his beautiful baby boy with Letty who smiled at the cute pair.

Finally he walked over to the table holding the baby boy in his arms. Dom had a soft smile as he spoke, “You heard me say that you never turn your back on family, and i wanna thank you all for never turning your back on me.”

The crew looked around with returning soft smile, sending winks and nods to each other, before turning back to the man of the hour. Dom looked at his son saying, “You wanna meet them? All right.”

He looked back at the group this time and proudly said with a smile on his face, “Everyone, meet Brian.”

Everyone smiled, chuckling and clapping at the sweet introduction.

Some even had glimpses of tears in their eyes smiling brightly.

In return Baby Brian clapped his tiny hand, cooing with a gentle smile. Dom then sat down, with his son sitting on his lap, knowing his was turn to say grace. Everyone held hands with full on smiles hearing Dom’s words before digging into the food.

Thank you so much for reading this fic! What did you think? Did you like it? Let’s discuss.

Remember to like, reblog and share!

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @topgun-imagines @gcthvile @t-nd-rfoot @morgan108 @levijeanqueen @mandylove1000 @superspookyjanelle @gcthvile @grey-princesa @hanlueluver @missstrawbs2001 @rooster-84 and etc

[wooahaeproductions]

You Found Me

Lee Seokmin (DK) x Gender Neutral Reader

Genre: fluff, established relationship au

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: mentions of food, absolutely tooth rotting fluff

Rating: PG-13

A/N: This is for svthub’s Cupid For You collab

Surprise twinnie! @the-boy-meets-evil I was your cupid 😈 I had sooo much fun sending you asks and writing things in a way that I wouldn’t normally so you wouldn’t think it was me. I also was so happy to write this for you. I hope you like it! Special thanks to my dear daughter @starlitmark for looking this over and confirming that it achieved what I intended (and then some)🥺 ~Bee

Your eyes fluttered open as sunlight warmed the bed. You rolled over, expecting to find Seokmin on the other side of you, but to your surprise, his space was empty. Instead, you found a yellow heart-shaped note on his pillow with the words ‘open me’ on the front.

You laughed a little. Your boyfriend was always coming up with different romantic gestures. You slowly unfolded the heart and smoothed out the paper enough to read what he had written.

Good morning, love,

Happy Valentine’s Day! I’ve prepared a scavenger hunt of sorts for you. Each place will have a note for you explaining the next place and why I chose the place you are at. But first things first, go downstairs, and you will find breakfast that I made for you (hopefully, it doesn’t taste bad). I’ll be waiting for you at the very last place. I love you!

~ Your Sunshine

You were a little excited about this. He hadn’t planned anything of this magnitude in the 3 years you had been together. Stretching, you flipped the covers off as you contemplated what clothes would be best to wear for a scavenger hunt. You settled on jeans and a short-sleeved shirt and would grab a sweater on the way out in case you got cold.

After getting ready, you made your way downstairs to the kitchen. You found yourself smiling as you looked at the several dishes Seokmin had set out on the kitchen island and you had absolutely no doubt that Mingyu either helped him with it or made some of them all together.

The aroma of coffee tickled your nose the further into the kitchen you got and you found he had made you a pot of coffee as well, leaving your favorite mug out for you. Next to the mug was another folded-up heart. This one instructed you to wait until you were done eating to open it.

You poured yourself a cup of coffee and grabbed a plate, eager to eat the breakfast he must have spent so much time making. Most of the dishes were simple, but one or two were a little more complicated and you knew Mingyu must have helped with those. You put a little of each dish on your plate and sat down on one of the stools at the edge of the island to eat. You wished Seokmin was here to enjoy it with you, but you understood how much work a scavenger hunt was and took in the slow, quiet morning.

A little while later, you were draining the last bit of your coffee, wondering what Seokmin had in store for you next. You put your plate and mug in the dishwasher and put leftovers away in the fridge. They would no doubt be yummy later, too. Sitting down once again, you opened the second heart note.

Hi love,

Did you enjoy breakfast? I hope it was good, and I’m sure you figured out I had help for the harder items haha. I’m not sure you knew this, but I actually knew who you were before Seungkwan set us up on that blind date and was pleasantly surprised when I saw it was you (obviously). Below are the coordinates of the place where I saw you and noticed you first. When you get there, let the front desk know who you are, and they will give you the next note.

The place he saw you first? What did that mean? You put the coordinates into your phone as you contemplated what he could have possibly meant and cocked your head at the location that came up. You had spent a lot of time there during your early college days and also right about the time that you were set up on the blind date. You were definitely curious.

You walked into the familiar record shop and cafe where you spent much of your college time studying. The shop was always warm, had good coffee, and played the best music. When you took breaks from your nose being in a book, you would browse the records at the back of the room to see if something caught your eye.

You were surprised that nothing about the place had changed, except for the workers, but you knew they employed mostly college students looking for some extra cash. You felt a little awkward going up to the desk at the front and asking about a random note. However, you did it anyway.

“Can I help you?” The boy at the counter asked.

“Hi, I know this sounds weird, but my name is Y/N. Someone left a note here for me?” You cringed at how uneasy you sounded.

“Oh! Yeah, I have it here,” he confirmed and picked up the purple paper from the counter behind him, “I must admit, this is the first time I’ve ever helped with a scavenger hunt. That boyfriend of yours seems very inventive.”

You took the folded paper with a laugh. “He is.” You turned around and walked to a spot out of the way, and you opened the purple heart.

My angel,

I bet you have no clue why I brought you here, but I want you to go sit at the table you always used to sit at when you were here.

You paused for a moment and looked around the little shop. It was pretty quiet, and you were lucky enough that your spot was empty. You made your way to the tiny table tucked in the corner at the end of the record shelves, sitting in the big leather chair before you continued reading.

Now, look directly across from you. Do you see the couch near the window? One day, I came to study and sat on that couch. While taking a break from studying, I decided to look around the shop, and the most beautiful person caught my eye. I came again the next, hoping to see that beautiful person again. I came week after week, noticing all the cute little quirks you had, and found myself slowly falling in love with you.

Then, when it was you at the blind date Seungkwan set up, I knew it was fate. Which brings me to telling you your next location: the park where we had our blind date and where you asked me to be your boyfriend. You’ll go and ride a bike like we did that day, and your next note will be with the attendant when you return the bicycle.

Have fun!

Luckily, the park was not far from the record shop, and it didn’t take you long to walk there. It was a little brisk out, but you enjoyed it nonetheless. You walked through the center of the park, past grassy hills perfect for picnics. You passed the very bench under a large maple tree, where you had sat waiting for the man who was your blind date. You remembered how nervous you were, but somehow, it had all disappeared when Seokmin had arrived, and your eyes met his.

Everything had felt so natural with him that entire date. Any apprehension you would have normally had toward someone you just met didn’t exist, and you didn’t feel the need to be on your best behavior. You felt like you could be nothing less than yourself with him. That’s why you were so bold as to ask him to be your boyfriend at the end of the date. You didn’t want to miss any opportunity with him. And he had happily accepted.

You made your way to the far end of the park, where the bicycle rentals were located. You talked to the attendant and obtained a key to unlock one of the bikes on the rack. When you and Seokmin were here, you had rented a couple’s bicycle. You giggled as you once again thought back to that day. You had wrapped your arms around his waist one time when he peddled extra fast and could feel his surprised intake of breath, could practically see the warmth spreading across his cheeks. It was adorable. He was adorable.

You pulled the bike out to the sidewalk and got on. You decided to ride it along the west side of the park, where the river banked up against it. You peddled around, enjoying the light breeze that blew through your hair. It may have been February, but it was unseasonably warm, and the wind only had a light chill to it. You could hear the sounds of children playing in the grass as you passed, and the earthy smell of the river tickled your nose. It was a very relaxing bike ride.

After making a full circle around the park, you brought the bicycle back to its home. You locked it back up against the rack, then went back to the attendant to return the key and obtain your next letter. The attendant smiled when she exchanged the key for the folded heart, this one bright red.

Hi sweetheart,

This is your last letter on this scavenger hunt. I hope you enjoyed reminiscing about our beginning. I sure did when I was preparing everything for you. I had many memories in mind for the next location: our first kiss, our first fight, when we decided to move in together. However, I decided that the final location should be somewhere completely new. A new memory for us to make.

So, I turned the GPS from my phone on, and it will tell you where I am. Come and find me. I’ll see you soon.

~Always, Seokmin

You had to take the bus this time. While you lived near the sea, you didn’t live close enough to it without taking some sort of transportation to get there. Seokmin’s GPS had indicated he was somewhere just off the boardwalk. You walked along it, getting closer and closer to his location dot and the scent of seawater getting stronger. You accidentally passed it slightly and stopped to look around when you noticed a man standing on the beach with his back to you.

You walked down a set of steps coming from the boardwalk into the sand, and Seokmin turned around upon hearing you approach. “You found me,” he said, a wide smile stretching across his face and lighting his eyes up. He walked to meet you, handing you the bouquet of colorful lilies he held. Taking your free hand, he led you to a blanket that was set up a few feet away.

He led you to sit down and took his seat next to you, hands never letting go of yours. You set the flowers down on the edge of the blanket and sat in a contented silence with Seokmin for a little while. You watched the ocean waves crash in the distance, sea foam forming at the edges as he played with your fingers.

Finally, he spoke into the comfortable silence, “I may have noticed you first, but you made me feel completely seen. You immediately saw how hard I work and the care I put into everything. You found me.” Seokmin said, his brown eyes piercing into yours and that ever-sparkling smile on his face. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love,” he said.

Your grin matched his. “Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you, my Sun,” you said back and leaned in to kiss him. Your favorite feeling of warmth engulfed you as your lips pressed lightly against his. He moved his against yours languidly, making the moment slow in time.

Eventually, he pulled away to say, “I love you too,” just as oranges and pinks from the sunset started painting parts of the sky. You thought back to the letter from the record shop and decided that fate most certainly had its plans back then and helped you find each other.

©️wooahaeproductions

All works on this blog are protected under copyright. Do not repost, continue, or translate my works.

[ynandfics]

Mauraders fic

Regulus x Y/N, Mauraders also in it

————————————————————————

I got an owl from my parents, that’s when my world came crashing down.

“You’ve been set up with who?” Sirius looked at me like I had two heads. I suppose I could with all my thoughts.

“Regulus. As in your brother Siri” I sat down on one of the beds which we’d all moved together and complied in as a group.

“This can’t be happening, a Gryffindor’s being set up with a Slytherin?” Lily questioned. She knew in our world it was like a war.

“Yes they’ve done it. I don’t know how my parents and yours convinced each other to do this but it’s god awful” I said directly to Sirius.

“I mean Regulus is alright, hopefully he hasn’t been brainwashed by our parents” Sirius put a comforting hand on my thigh.

“I hope so, or I’m screwed” I fell down into the ball which was the surrounding of all my friends.

“You know, I think he’s liked you for a while anyways” Marlene casually said. I looked up at her with a questioning look. “I’m serious, I’ve seen it in the halls and the library when I come get you lot for air” she smiled.

“So he might of known about this sooner too” Mary added.

“It ain’t some of your fate bullshit Mary, I’m literally in so much trouble” I mumbled into who I thought was Remus due to the sweater covering his known scars.

“”Honey, don’t worry you will always have us” James said in a comforting tone that I didn’t know he even had. Maybe Lily had started to effectively change him for the better.

“Plus we always have places for you to stay. Our parents don’t mind and once we move out we’ll have space for anyone to come over, including you” Remus added. Damn you Sirius for making him soft too.

“Mary?” I asked her, as I lifted my head from between Remus to sit up again.

“Yeah sweetie?” She looked at me like I was a kicked puppy.

“I hope this isn’t one of your fantasy books” I smiled at her.

————————————————————————

“Y/N” Regulus looked at me. We sat in the very hidden part on the castle. The room of requirement, which changed around us to suit seating of red and green’s.

“Regulus” I replied back to him.

“This isn’t the way I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t know what our parents had planned, I’m sorry you’ve been roped into this pureblood madness” he mumbled his words at the end.

“Well I heard you kept looking at me. And I know Sirius is always talking about you positively. If I have to be a part of the madness I’m glad it’s you instead”. He smiled a little at this.

“Well I suppose I should get to know you better then hmm” Regulus said. I smiled at him a little laugh at how he played on being smooth.

“Are you flirting with me Regulus?” I asked.

“How could I not? I don’t have any more competition for your hand now” that made me blush. I’m sure you’d see my red cheeks from a mile away.

“Oh Regulus, that’s cute of you to say. I suppose I might just feel the same way” I smirked at him, this time his cheeks flared up.

“How were you not in Slytherin? You’re a beauty and absolutely have the attitude of one” He got up to sit next to me. The room changed to mostly green with the ornaments being red.

“The hat thought I had more potential somewhere else” I frowned.

“I’m glad I get to talk to you freely now. But be honest with me….Me, Lupin or Potter. Who would you have picked.” He gave me a goofy smile, one I don’t think anyone else could see but me.

“They’re literally like brothers to me so that’s gross. I’d still pick you- your brother is also out of the question too, too flamboyant” I laughed how I called my best friends my brothers. And his own as too much.

“I agree, he was a bit much after he got here. Red tie and all. Maybe it was good he got some freedom.” I looked at him, apathetically I stared into his eyes.

“Honey, with me I think you could also have the same freedom you deserve” He smiled at me, finally attempting to hug me.

“I’m not much for showing affection as you can see. But I’m so willing to try.”

[realmackross]

PARTIES: @longislandcharm, @realmackross TIMING: Mid December SUMMARY: Winter and Mack run into each other (literally) and start to talk about their problems, but plans are cut short by someone looking to ruin the holidays. WARNINGS: Murder mention tw, Assault tw, Blood tw (brief mention), Unsanitary tw

The downtown location seemed to be a little deserted as Winter made her way down the street. Where most places were bustling on any given night tonight there were only a few people here and there within the shops. She didn’t think anything of it while she walked, shopping bags filling one hand as the other searched through her purse for her car keys. Her fingertips had just brushed them when she felt her shoulder jerk from an impact with someone else, her head snapping up so she could glare at the person who had just knocked into her.

But her words caught in her throat when the image of her best friend came into view, looking much better than she had the last time Winter had seen her. Instinctively, she pulled the sleeve of her sweater down more to cover up the scars on her arm that she’d never explained last time she was asked and cleared her throat. She hadn’t spoken to her friend in months it seemed, the fear now scratching at the back of her mind a tell tale sign as to why. Always alert, always ready for an attack, never able to relax…that was how things would be around her from now on, wouldn’t it?

“Talk to her.” Henry’s voice cut through the awkward tension between the two girls and Winter sighed softly. Maybe it was time. Even with nerves coursing through her, even with the jolt of fear she got when she’d first laid eyes on the blonde, she wanted so badly to talk to her best friend again. There was so much to tell her, so much to talk about, but more than anything she just wanted to make sure that Mackenzie was okay after whatever had happened before she’d been summoned to that farm. 

 “Mack…walk much?” Well that was the lamest way to open this conversation. She’d been trying to tease her like she’d always done but the words just sounded pathetic, meek, like she was trying to get her usual gusto into them and only coming up with the wish version of a generic mean girl phrase from a movie. You could see the annoyance on Winter’s face but it was aimed at herself, no one else. “Uh…how’ve you been?”

__

Mackenzie had been out all day, just hoping for an escape from a quiet house. It seemed like lately everyone she had known or started to form friendships with had just disappeared. The list probably extended past her first hand at least and onto the second, but she didn’t feel like going over the list again in her head. In fact, she had just wanted to get back home the more and more she thought about it. Home was safe. Home didn’t involve people who could judge you or yell at you or threaten to kill you.

However, her mind had been elsewhere, when she plowed into a person standing on the sidewalk thumbing for their keys, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to –” But when she noticed who it was, Mackenzie’s eyes quickly shifted away. It was Henry’s voice who had caused her to look back up. So it took Winter’s ghost to egging the girl on for her to talk to Mackenzie now? Any embarrassment had quickly turned to frustration, especially when Winter let off one of her quips, no matter how lame it had sounded, “Just trying to get home.” She had been close to walking away, when she heard the question.

With the words tossing around in her mind, Mackenzie had wanted to think things through. Let the frustration of this whole interaction so far dissipate some and not say something she would further regret. She had also wanted to be completely open and upfront and tell Winter just how shitty things had been and that having someone who was supposed to be her best friend – ride or die – just up and abandon her without any explanation as to why was a shit thing to do, and it really hurt her to the core, but instead, “I’ve been okay.” She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat figuring that if she had her own Henry, this is where he’d tell her to return the question, “How, uh…how are you?” She refused to look Winter in the eyes, occasionally glancing over at the ghost.

__

For a split second, Winter had forgotten that Mckenzie could see and hear Henry, something that he seemed to have forgotten too when he had the gall to look embarrassed for egging her on in front of the blonde. Her eyes were on the ghost as Mackenzie continued to speak, the man backing away from them to give them some room to hash this out if they could. The medium really wasn’t sure if it was possible at this point. She turned her eyes back onto her best friend as Mack returned her question, thoughts of the last couple of months spinning around her mind. When she thought about it, it was a stupid question for anyone in this place, much less a zombie who had attacked the town the last she had heard.

Her life hadn’t been much of a picnic either. If the ghost crap, trying to get her show back, and the creepy if not dangerous shit that went on weren’t enough now she was in the middle of renovating a house so that it was up to her standards. The only thing that made it worse was not having her best friend at her side and the fault for that was all hers. Still, that urge to back away from Mack was so strong she couldn’t possibly see any way of being around her right now without feeling like she would be dinner. If not tonight, then another time. Winter was a human, a measly weak little human, how the hell was she supposed to fight off a zombie when she was in meal mode? Her shortcomings were the whole reason she’d stayed away for so long.

“I’m fine…moving, actually. I found a house here. It barely passed my expectations but I’m working on it.” It wasn’t like her to scramble for things to say, to avoid eye contact as she spoke, and yet it was all happening. “I’m leaving next week to grab Binx from my parents place and then I guess I’ll be an official resident of Wicked’s Rest.” Which didn’t spark too much excitement but it was where she needed to be. She needed to learn about her craft, learn about the other things that went bump in the night, and in some warped way Winter needed to be near Mack. She wasn’t ready to lose her for good; she just had to find a way to calm the fear that gripped her in Mack’s presence. “Maybe…um, maybe you could stop by when the house is ready?”

__

Was this payback for Mack ghosting her and everyone else several months back? She thought they had settled that at Barbie. Was this for confessing to killing Brody? That made more sense right? Even though she couldn’t help it, and this was something personal that she’d have to live with the rest of her undead life, meaning if something didn’t end it for her, this could go on for hundreds of years, and that thought was horrific and daunting to say the least. She didn’t understand why Winter had just up and left that day and then asked for space, but never made an attempt to come back around, and the longer it went on with radio silence, the more it hurt. But here she stood now making small talk and mentioning she was remodeling a house?

“Um, yeah, that’s great and all, but what is this? We’re doing small talk now after you ghosted me for months with no explanation when I tried to talk to you? I mean if this is payback for me leaving everyone in the dark after I killed Brody, then fine. Just tell me, cause I thought we had moved past this months ago after our little argument at the drive-in.” Mackenzie shook her head. How could Winter just go on like everything was fine? Mack knew she deserved penance for all the bad she had done in the world – unintentional, yes, but now Winter just wanted to casually be friends again?

“Look, I’m glad you’ve found a house and that you’ve decided to settle down in Wicked’s Rest, but we’re not gonna do this hot and cold game. Fuck that. If you want to bitch me out, stab me, or whatever then go ahead, but at least give me something, so I’m not left in the dark for another three months. Between you and Taylor and everyone else I thought I could call my friend, I can’t keep doing this. Maybe I should follow your lead and go find another house out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.” Mackenzie was angry. Heated. She hated yelling at Winter. She hated all of this, but she was hurting and had been for a long time now.

__

She should have known that Mack wasn’t going to play along but being yelled at in the middle of the street wasn’t sitting right with her. With every word that the blonde said Winter could feel her temper rising more and more. It was like lava spreading through her veins, the girl doing her very best to hold her composure so the other could finish what she had to say. Yes, Winter had been ignoring the other. Yes, she had wanted space and still did. And yes, Mack had a right to be upset about it all just like Winter had every right to be upset that she’d been ghosted as well. 

But the accusation that it was payback of all things really pissed her off. Follow that with her comment about the house in the middle of nowhere and she couldn’t hold her tongue anymore. “Right…right, Mack, it’s payback because I’m that fucking petty, right? It has nothing to do with the fact that I found out you killed your boyfriend after finding out you went on a rampage doing god knows what because you can’t fucking control yourself when you get hurt or touch stupid fucking rocks! It has nothing to do with me being scared because everything is always about you and your problems and what people do to hurt you!” 

Shaking. Her body just kept shaking. Mackenzie couldn’t have at least tried for a minute to pretend that things were fine? Of course not. Why would she? The zombie had issues as always and she needed to yell about them to anyone who would listen instead of being proactive and trying to fix them. Parker’s words were coming back to her, washing over her, and instead of pushing them away and trying to believe her own words of defense for her friend, Winter allowed them to seep into her and take over. It was only causing her rage to build.

Heavy breaths were flowing through her nose, in and out, as she tried to calm herself down. Her head swiveled around in search of anyone staring at them, mostly because of the subject matter but also to make sure no one had seen her lose her shit. “You want to know why I was staying away?” She looked back to the blonde, those tears that she hated now welling up in Winter’s eyes. “It’s because I’m scared of you. I did everything I could to pretend that nothing would make you hurt me but hearing you say you killed the love of your life really shattered that delusion beautifully. I know it’s not your fault, that you’re not you when it happens, but I don’t know how to be around you without wondering if I’m your next meal.” Pausing, she gave Mack a defiant look, wondering if she was satisfied now that Winter had finally revealed her true emotions. After all, it wasn’t often that she allowed someone to see this side of her. “Happy?”

__

Mackenzie hadn’t expected what had come out of Winter’s mouth, but everything she had said. Every. Single. Word. Had cut right through to the bone. It hurt worse than dying ever did. The fact that Winter was afraid of Mackenzie had broken her. And it wasn’t like she had warned the woman multiple times. That it wasn’t a joke, but all the time apart. All the space needed…was because Winter couldn’t just tell Mackenzie she was afraid of her. It was like the time of being ignored had continually cut her and sliced her, and now that the truth was out, the zombie didn’t even want to be around the medium anymore. But it was Parker’s words that really hurt. Throwing the accusations that Mackenzie only cared about herself. Maybe that was partly true, but how could she know what was going on in Winter’s mind? She wasn’t a mind reader. Even that stupid ghost that followed her around all the damn time couldn’t drop Mack a hint.

Like a wounded puppy, Mackenzie slowly started to back away. There was a look of pure hurt and disbelief on her face. It was like everyone was abandoning her. Leaving her left to her own devices for one reason or another, which was fine, but what hurt was that no one wanted to give her a reason. Everyone just wanted to leave. At least Winter had finally revealed her big secret. One Mack knew would eventually come, and had reassured her exactly why she should have just stayed missing from everyone she ever knew, because at least then there was no risk of hurting them. No risk of eating them, or in the words of Winter, making them her ‘next meal’.

“I-I’m sorry.”

It was all she could say. All she could do was apologize while tears forced their way out. She didn’t want to argue with Winter anymore. She was defeated. What was the point? She knew she was a monster. Mackenzie knew that Winter was right. Hell, even Parker was right. She had tried to make it right with people, but it just wasn’t happening. No matter how hard she tried, it wasn’t happening. And she had wanted to approach Winter about Ariadne knowing her secret, but at this point why did it even matter? Half the town probably knew. Why fight about it now? Mackenzie had failed everyone she ever loved, “I’ll…give you space, if that’s what you want. I just wanted to know what I did wrong…Why you didn’t want me around anymore…”

She had let her eyes drift. Mackenzie couldn’t stand to look Winter in the eyes anymore. She was ashamed of herself and had just wanted to be left alone at this point.

__

The defiant look started to fade as soon as she saw how wounded Mack was after Winter’s statement, the hurt radiating through her eyes in droves. Her friend’s tears were enough to make her own fall but she quickly wiped them away. “Mack, I don’t want to keep doing this.” She wouldn’t look at the other girl, her eyes going to a space right behind the blonde’s shoulder because looking at her face right now would be too much. It would make her break, make her want to drop all of this and run to hug the hell out of the zombie. “I love you, Mack. You mean so much to me and I am trying so hard to find a way around this fear. I’ve learned things but none of it helps…” 

None of the information she had gathered would give her an advantage in a situation where Mack lost control. That’s what she was waiting for, a solution, but Winter was also so close to forgetting it and taking a chance.Her eyes finally locked with Macks, the medium ready to say as much, until she heard a gruff voice coming from behind her. ‘Shut up and give me your purse.’

“Excuse you?” She turned, ready to unleash her temper on another victim until she spotted the knife in the man’s hand pointed straight at Winter. Fear took over the rollercoaster of emotions that she was going through that night but she refused to show how much her hands were shaking when she looked back up at him. ‘You heard me, bitch, give me the purse. The shopping bags too.’ She rolled her eyes at him but started to take the purse off her shoulder. “What are you going to do with a pair of heels that definitely won’t fit your clown feet?” 

The man was already agitated, probably not in the greatest mindset to take any of Winter’s bullshit and now she was insulting him. ‘Hurry up, I won’t tell you again.’ She wasn’t a complete idiot, despite the previous comment she’d made she knew not to fight to keep a lousy purse and some Christmas gifts when a man with a knife was standing in front of her, but the purse was snagged on her coat and fighting her every movement. “Patience is a virtue, sir.” She heard him growl under his breath and the next thing she knew the knife was coming right at her. Henry was shouting for her to move but she was frozen as the blade went straight for her chest.

__

The zombie stood in defeat as she listened to Winter’s reply back. She had loved the woman as well. Winter had become like a sister to Mackenzie so when all of this just happened, no response, no discussion, nothing…Mackenzie started to feel herself shutting down. Why put effort into something that the other person was making no effort towards? At least that’s what she saw. Without the explanation of what Winter was doing, Mack had just thought, yet another person in her life didn’t want to be around her. But now, here they were hashing it all out on a sidewalk in town. But at least they were getting somewhere. She was finally getting answers as to why Winter had been ghosting her for so long, and at the words I love you, she wanted to step forward and give her a hug, but that notion was cut short.

Mackenzie had watched with narrowed eyes as everything unfolded in front of her. It was almost like a dream. The banter between Winter and a man trying to steal her purse. Mackenzie so desperately wanted to tell Winter to shut up and just hand over whatever he was wanting, but it all happened so fast, and as she finally stepped forwards to do something, she managed to divert the blade just enough to hit Winter in the shoulder instead of the mugger’s intended target – her heart.

With anger welling up in the zombie, she moved towards the mugger already feeling the change starting to happen within her, but before she could do anything else he had lunged forwards repeatedly stabbing Mackenzie over and over again hitting her in multiple areas as she continued her efforts to keep Winter safe.

__

That cliche of everything going slow motion as the action really started in movies was starting to make more sense now. Time slowed down when the man had lunged his hand toward her, Winter sure that this was it. This was going to be how she died in a small town full of supernatural beings? By the hand of a human who was too impatient to wait for a purse even when nobody was around to witness the crime aside from Mack and a ghost who could do nothing about it? It was almost like a Greek tragedy except even in one of those something god-like would have killed her. 

As she accepted her untimely demise, she felt her body lurch to the side just in time, the blade digging into her shoulder, radiating pain down her arm and through her side. Her scream should have alerted more people in the area to what was going on but she figured the businesses that did have people inside had their music too loud…or maybe people in this town were too used to the noise to react now. All she knew was that blood was gushing down her coat sleeve when she looked up in time to see Henry passing through both the attacker and Mack, like he forgot he couldn’t actually touch anyone. He kept passing through the mugger as he stabbed Mack repeatedly, another scream emitting from Winter even though she knew in the back of her mind that Mack couldn’t really die again. Whatever was going to happen would be worse.

“Henry! What are you doing?” The ghost was still passing through both of them but she could see that he was staying longer…inside Mack’s body? The ghost didn’t answer her as he moved into the mugger again, passing straight through him into Mack but was able to stay inside her a little longer. This was insanity and it had to stop. She looked around, spotting a big chunk of the curb that had broken off and was lying to the side. Without thinking, the medium grabbed the chunk of concrete with her good hand and quickly hit the mugger straight to the temple, the man going limp as he fell to the ground. 

Both Winter and Henry were staring down at the man as she spoke. “What in the hell are you up to?” The ghost sighed as he looked over towards Mack. ‘Lil said something about possession, right? I was trying to stop him but now I think I need to stop her…” 

__

The more the knife dug into her body, the less she could feel it. It was like her feral side was beginning to take over in order to keep her alive. But all while the man remained poised and focused on attacking Mackenzie, the zombie could briefly feel something different happening. Which eventually got longer and more noticeable as she soon realized that Henry was passing through her continually. However, his efforts didn’t stick, and though Mack’s mind was focused on the attacker, he seemed to somehow draw her attention away as if taking control of her.

It was when the attacker had gone down from a hard thud, and Henry no longer had control over Mackenzie’s body that she had turned her attention on Winter who just happened to be standing there. The blood was fresh as it seeped down her arm, and though Mackenzie was fully aware of her surroundings (a new realization that had just occurred earlier in the month after remembering the hunter she had feasted on after the werewolf attack), Mack still couldn’t control the side of her that was wanting to feed – to heal from the multiple stab wounds that would make her form ache, if she hadn’t started to zomb out.

And with glazed over hues of the dead girl locked on Winter, not because she wanted to hurt her, but because she needed to feed, Mackenzie began to slowly and clumsily move forward.

I think this is my cue!

Henry looked to Winter, before making another lunge for Mackenzie, no longer concerned about the man laying on the ground. Stepping inside her once more, he could feel himself having more control than the previous attempts, but the way the zombie needed to feed was overpowering, and he was once again pushed out as the blonde inched ahead with her maw wide and drool slipping from the side.

Not giving up, Henry forced himself back into Mackenzie, but this time he figured out what he needed to latch onto. Where he needed to be to control the hungry creature, and he had even managed to force words out of Mackenzie’s mouth, “Winter, run! I don’t know how long I can control her, and right now, she needs something to feed on or this could get really bad!” He could feel his grip slipping.

__

It was her worst nightmare come to life. Briefly, Winter was transported back to the local spook she went to with Milo as she stared at Mackenzie coming towards her but the difference was the intent being completely absent from her friend’s eyes. There was no malice, no determination in her steps, just…nothingness. The medium didn’t know if that was better or worse than seeing the life there in her literal nightmare but no matter which it still terrified her to see Mack in this state. Henry was doing his best to help but Winter was two seconds away from turning and running to get out of her friend’s reach.

Until whatever he did seemed to work in his favor. He was no longer standing there but that feeling he gave Winter to alert her of his presence was still lingering. Which meant… “Henry?” It was Mack speaking but the words were most definitely that of her ghost’s. She hadn’t registered exactly what he was saying though, at least not until she’d finally accepted that her ghost or guardian or whatever was inside of her best friend. She took a few steps back, still holding her hand against her wounded shoulder as hard as she could bare, but didn’t leave just yet. “What the hell is she supposed to eat, Henry? We can’t unleash her on an unsuspecting town!” 

She once again started looking around, eyes searching for anything that could help them in this situation, but nobody was out on the streets. That was probably for the best. Mack didn’t need to find innocent bystanders in favor of eating Winter…even if Winter preferred not to be her dinner. She felt helpless knowing that Henry was struggling, desperate for an answer, until she looked down and remembered the man who had caused all of this in the first place. 

It certainly was tempting. There were no other options within reach, at least none that Winter knew of, and this man had just attacked both of them for a fucking purse. Obviously he wasn’t that great of a person but did he deserve to lose his life even when he’d almost taken her own? Still, it was him or it was her and she wasn’t about to die for someone like the criminal lying on the ground so she started to slowly back away. Giving Henry…Mack…Henry a steely gaze, she nodded her head towards him. “Let her eat him.” She could see the question on Mack’s face before Henry asked it but she let it slip from her friend’s lips. “Are you sure?”

Was she? She didn’t have much time to hesitate or Henry would lose control before she could make the choice. Was she ready to take on the guilt that was sure to come? Was she ready to make amends to whatever family this man had? She wasn’t certain that she could handle it but what other choice did they have at this point? Winter looked down at the man, then back up at Mack and nodded her head. “Do it.” She turned, not wanting to watch his demise or her friend’s eating habits. There were already enough nightmares to last a lifetime. The hospital was waiting anyway and Henry would catch up as soon as he could. She’d be far enough away by the time their bond made it impossible for him to stay any longer and that alone was enough to allow relief to quell the guilt that was already gnawing away at her….but at least she was being eaten up from the inside out and not the other way around.

[raoulgoldenlake]

woke up into a panic attack today (horrifying, I wasn’t awake enough to realize it was a panic attack so I was like omg this is it this is the end) but I feel like I’ve done nothing but vent on this blog lately so now I’m pairing this vent with 500 words of Ocean’s 11 fic because that’s the brain worm I’m currently feeding. the first Danny/Rusty scene together in the movie, from Rusty’s perspective. hoping to keep at this but motivation is fickle lately

Rusty wasn’t surprised to see Danny at his poker table. Sure, Danny was supposed to be in prison in New Jersey, not in the back room of one of the hippest (and sleaziest) clubs in Hollywood. But a poker table was Danny’s natural habitat, seeing him there made Rusty forget he was supposed to be anywhere else.

He’d already taken control of the room, asking the young actors flattering questions, taking their answers seriously, fitting himself into the person they want him to be. Ruben had drilled it into both of them, you can’t run a con if you can’t figure out, within fifteen seconds, what the mark wants from you. Not what you can give the mark, but what they want from you, existentially. Maybe you’re the boyfriend who actually listens, the brother who makes them laugh, the boss who finally admits he’s wrong. Danny, with his hair graying at the temples, carrying a bit of extra weight from the greasy prison food, the sweater under his suit jacket, makes a perfect stand-in for the father who’s approval you desperately crave, and he’s playing the part perfectly.

Whatever Danny’s planning won’t work if they’re too friendly, so Rusty doesn’t say anything at first, just lets the weight of their shared history settle in the room. Danny studies him, an expression that looks apologetic to most, but which Rusty knows is barely covering a shit-eating grin. He’s given his real name, and he doesn’t lie when someone asks what he does. Being an ex-con gives him even more authority, the young stars are cowed by him, which is exactly how Danny wants it. Rusty shuffled the deck, makes a show of it, keeping a great hand right where he wants it, ready to be dealt to his old friend across the table.

It’s a simple con, made even easier because Rusty is supposed to be teaching these kids poker. Instead of inflating the bet himself, dropping subtle hints that Danny was bluffing, he could say it outright, turn it into a teaching moment, and let the cocky young movie stars increase the pot. For the con to work, they either couldn’t know each other, or couldn’t like each other. Playing it like they didn’t know each other was out—Rusty was a good liar, but he wasn’t that good, not after four years. So they’d have to play it like they didn’t like each other.

Rusty was surprised how easily it came to him, loading the little barbs about Danny’s long shot Incan matrimonial head mask scheme with believable rancor. After all, he’d told Danny a dozen times, if you can’t use what you’re stealing, it’s too risky to steal it. You can spend cash, you can pawn diamonds anywhere, but if you’re left holding the bag, or in this case the Incan matrimonial head mask, that’s much harder to explain when the cops come knocking. Danny has said he was thinking too small. Look where that got him. Four years in a prison across the country, years apart that could’ve been avoided if he’d just listened. It wasn’t hard to pretend he was angry at Danny.

It went beautifully, the two of them walking away a few thousand bucks richer. A small score, in the grand scheme of things, but Rusty felt electric, more awake than he’d been in months, buoyed by the sheer pleasure of running cons with Danny again. Even after years apart they were in synch, able to fully communicate their ideas with just a few coded words, a surreptitious gesture. Better than working alone, they shored up each other’s weak points, covered each other’s blind spots. And better than working with anyone else. In a business where your living depends on how well you can lie, it’s hard to trust anyone. But after years, after everything, Rusty trusted Danny.

[c-o-r-r-u-p-t]

So we fell asleep last night

I didn’t mean to stay the night but I asked if we could pretend things were normal for a little while and she said she would be happy if I stayed

So I rolled another joint and we watched American dad as I sat on the foot of her bed

And when the joint went out she turned herself and put her head on my lap and fell asleep

It was 10pm, and I made myself as comfortable as I could and fell asleep with her

I woke up around 3:30 and got up and smoked and cried and read her letter again and repeated that cycle for a while until I turned the lights out and got back into my awkward little spot curled up opposite her like we were ying and yang and fell asleep again

She woke up around 5 and we got under the covers and went back to sleep and stayed like that until I woke up at 7 and she woke up at 8:30

And then in the morning we acted like nothing happened. I rolled a joint and made coffee and she put on music and we hung out.

I had a little collection of things I had picked up for her here and there over the year that I brought over the night before thinking I might not see her again. A sweater I thought she’d like, a shelf for her wall, a sticker book, a shirt I had borrowed. I also gave her a bracelet

I got this bracelet over a year ago. It’s matching actually, and the two halves form a heart magnetically. Ones pink and ones black. I got it for her before her birthday last year and wanted to give it to her last Valentine’s Day, but she was getting freaked out about how serious we were getting back then so I never gave it to her. I told her I wasn’t planning on ever giving it to her but now that there’s no expectation behind it I just wanted her to have it. As I was handing it to her and explaining how I didn’t expect her to wear it, it just might be nice to each have one, she immediately puts it on and tells me how much she loves it. So I say you’re welcome, happy Valentine’s Day. And it was painful but it was also a really sweet moment. I’m wearing my half too.

She then said how she still wanted to make up valentines day for me, so we agreed to meet up Saturday night for a late Valentine’s Day celebration. And that’ll be the same thing. Painful but really sweet.

We hung out the rest of the day until she left for work at 2:30. Gave each other a hug a little tighter than normal and an extra few kisses goodbye and said see you this weekend.

Idk how I feel right now. I’m obviously devastated because, once again, the person who I would do anything for just doesn’t want to put in the effort to keep me. Which means I lose my favorite person. I don’t get to spend my time watching this beautiful person just be herself. And I may complain a lot but just watching her have fun with herself made me so happy. I fell in love with her over and over and over again. And I would for the rest of my life. But she doesn’t want to be in love with someone. She’s falling in love with herself right now and that’s what she needs to do.

So yeah, I’m devastated. But at the same time, I’ve never felt more loved and respected. She finally just did what was best for me, even if that was admitting it wasn’t her and letting me go. It’s an awful feeling, but that’s what loving someone is. Doing what’s best for them even if it’s shit for you. And that’s what’s she’s doing.

Neither of us want this. We both wish we wanted and needed the same things, but we don’t. Taking care of her needs means neglecting mine, and vice versa, because they’re the opposite of each other. It’s not that we didn’t love each other. It’s not that either of us did anything wrong. It’s just not what we need. It doesn’t work. There’s no fault in that. It’s just sad.

So i guess we have these few days and then im going to have to really say goodbye to her. And im already looking for ways out of it but I know I shouldn’t be. She told me what she needed and she told me she can’t give me what i need or deserve. She loves me just not as much as i love her. She doesn’t want to just be friends with me or have our relationship change or to lose me, but doesn’t want to put effort into a relationship. So I can stay and just accept and be okay with getting less than I deserve for who knows who long. Or I can give up my favorite person, the first person to only make me fall harder the longer I know her, to go find someone else who wants the same things as me. I know I need to walk away and let us both get on with our lives but this is so awful. Neither of us want to say goodbye.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

[awkwarddystopianwarlord]

My Closet is Full But My Brain Doesn't See That

You know that stereotype of girls being like “I don’t have anything to wear!” whilst their room is drowning in articles of clothing? Even though I’m not always a girl, I’m very much like that. As are my friends. It’s a funny little battle every Friday night where we individually fight with our closets regarding what to wear on our sacred Saturday Gathering Day. 

I have about three small closets worth of clothing. Because of how my apartment is layed out, I have two closets that form a corner and I also have an IKEA four cube by four cube shelf situation. All of that space is occupied by clothing. One closet has all my jackets and coats, the other has all my dresses, flannels, sweaters, and socks. My cubes hold all my shirts, skirts, sweatshirts, shorts, trousers, and cardigans. But come the end of the week, I don’t bloody know what to wear to participate in weekend shenanigans! I own nothing and everything all at once. This is made worse by the fact that I only really have one day to get decked out with clothes, shoes, and makeup so it’s a stressful time. How do I present myself this Saturday? What is worthy of the planned activities? What items of clothing have I neglected of late and what do I repeat more often? I should just keep an extensive inventory, a Dewey Decimal System but for closet items. 

It’s embarrassing to act as though I don’t have anything good or decent or fun to wear when practically all that dwells in my closets are pieces that I enjoy and use. The nerve of me to strut about my room-house muttering how there’s nothing able to become an outfit. Meanwhile I just ordered a few clothes last week and they’re arriving tomorrow. I’ve ordered many a clothes before, because I like them, and now they sit in my closet and I am blind to their existence the moment I try to curate an appearance. 

Wintertime is the best time for me to dress as I please since I can layer and accessorize far more than I can in the warmer months, though it leaves more room for decision making and therefore brain blanking. I try to wear everything I own once before repeating anything. Like parents with multiple children, I’m assuming as I don’t personally have any, I don’t want to neglect any closet dweller. I want to show them all equal love and appreciation and incorporate them into something. That said, not everything is flexible and not everything fits into the current mood of the day I’m dressing for. Some clothes aren’t forgiving in stormy weather, others aren’t forgiving when my uterus is releasing its monthly contents. Some aren’t forgiving of a hearty meal, others aren’t forgiving of much walking, or much sitting. I may have an outfit idea but the morning of can easily snatch those plans away moments after I rise. 

Saying “I don’t have anything to wear” has more than just the literal translation. When we say it, we mean it to say something more like “I don’t have anything to wear because of the weather” or “I don’t have anything to wear because I’m bloated and feel gross and need something that’s easy to take off so I can deal with my menstrual cup with little chance of disaster”. My current dilemma is “I don't have anything to wear that I feel matches the mood of the punk market I’m going to tomorrow”. Granted, that is likely to change once I stare at each closet for several minutes, ponder, stare at everything again, take some items out, try them on, decide against them, mix and match other things with some decided staples, wander around grumbling, ponder again, stare, fold the discarded options, find inspiration, try on the inspiration, fiddle around with other things that work better together, create a look, eat dinner feeling victorious. I simply need to go through the process first. Then, come tomorrow, I will curate a makeup look that will likely not match at all with what I’m wearing and I will be complete.

[thatgirlstrawberry]

The Shoebox Under The Bed

Feb. Request-8

In which Spencer has a box of all of the things Y/N had ever given him and she finds it

Warnings: fluff, kissing, cursing, he gets a lil embarrassed

Spencer Reid x fem!reader

“Babe, do you know where my white heels are?” Y/N asked, walking through her and Spencer’s apartment wearing nothing but one of his shirts and a pair of socks.

It was Valentine’s Day and they had dinner plans. “Uh… check the bedroom closet?” He called from the kitchen.

Y/N hummed and she walked into the kitchen. “Are you excited?” She asked, standing on her tippy toes and kissing his neck innocently.

Spencer smiled and leaned down to kiss her. “So excited.” He nodded.

Y/N damn near squealed. “This is our first Valentine’s together since we moved in with each other!” She said, poking his chest.

“Baby, I love that you’re so excited but it’s 9 am. We don’t have dinner until 7 tonight.” He chuckled.

Y/N rolled her eyes with a smile. “I knoooooow….” She drew out. “I just wanna be ready. Last year I left my place super late and we almost lost our reservation.”

Spencer shook his head. “Okay, babe. Whatever makes you feel better.”

Y/N squeaked and tore away from him, going to look for her shoes.

In the room, she had searched high and low for those heels but hadn’t even found one.

She sighed and spun around, collapsing on the bed. She shut her eyes, groaning loudly.

After a moment, her left eye peeked open when she got an idea. She got off of the bed and got on her hands and knees next to it. She bit her lip and lifted her arm up to feel around for her phone on her bedside table.

She hummed in victory when she grabbed it and brought it down, turning the flash light feature on.

Underneath the bed lit up and she smiled. She moved clothes and blankets out of the way before her eyes lit up. The black shoebox sat there with a picture of the particular heel she was looking for.

She grabbed it and pulled it out from underneath the bed, opening the box quickly. She was expecting a shoe or two but instead she found a stack of Polaroids, letters, jewelry and a bunch of other tiny gadgets.

She bit her lip when she pulled one of the Polaroids out and studied it. She had been obsessed with taking pictures of things with her camera. In this one, Spencer was holding a lemon and wearing a big wicker sun hat. Why? She couldn’t remember but she smiled and laughed anyway. She remembered she gave it to him on the last day of 7th grade.

Spencer and Y/N grew up together. They realized that they were in love at a very young age.

She looked behind her to make sure that Spencer wasn’t watching from the kitchen and then pulled out one of the letters.

She smiled as she saw the little star she’d drawn by her name.

May 23

Dear Spence,

It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I still have that sweater you leant me last winter. I wear it all the time. I wish the summer would be over so I can see you again. The last letter you sent me, you said you would come back soon but July 17th isn’t soon enough.

Anyway, how’s your Einstein summer camp going? I read that they teach you how to read minds there. Is it true? If so, can you tell me what I’m thinking about now?

I also got cast as Wendy in our schools summer theater program in Peter Pan. If you make it back home in time you might be able to catch closing night. I hope you can. I would love to look out when we’re doing our bows and see you there.

Anyway, I gotta go. We’re running lines.

See you at my show!

Love

From Y/N <3

She rolled her eyes, wondering why she’d scratched the end out even though Spencer could clearly read it. She tossed the letter aside and bit her lip, digging through the box some more.

Her eyes lit up when she picked up a stupid charm bracelet she’d made for him in fifth grade. It had a pair of glasses next to a star and a bead that had an ‘S’ in the middle.

Her tongue pressed into the inside of her bottom lip as she tied off the end of the elastic string. She glanced behind her seeing Spencer reading a book.

Her heart pounded as she turned and walked towards him. “Uhm… Spencer?” She cleared her throat. He looked up at her, pushing up his glasses.

“I-oh hi, Y/N!” He smiled setting his book down.

She held out the bracelet to him, closing her eyes. “I made this for you.” She spoke quickly.

He took it from her gently and her eyes opened. “Thanks! This is really nice.” He nodded at her.

Y/N smiled to herself, peeking behind her again just to make sure Spencer was still occupied in the kitchen.

The next thing she pulled out was a sock.

Yes, a sock.

Spencer in exchange for a book he was reading asked for something that Y/N held near and dear to her heart. She gave him a sock with Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. She almost cried giving it to him and he almost caved and let her keep it AND the book but she told him that it was fine.

She never gave the book back, he never returned her sock.

She put the sock back in the box and kept digging finding a really dried up daisy flower and a wrapper to a Crunch bar amongst many many other things. She paused when she felt something different.

It was a small velvet box. She pulled it out slowly, biting her lip. “What the fuck?” She whispered. She swallowed, opening the box and almost gasped.

A ring and a receipt sat inside that box. The ring was beautiful. It had a rose gold band with a rose colored diamond—a big ass diamond. She read the receipt, not paying attention to the price but the date.

He had bought that ring ten years before. They hadn’t even been dating then.

Her mouth was agape, she was so in shock that she didn’t even hear Spencer coming.

“Babe did you find your sh— oh my fucking shit.” He groaned. Y/N looked up at him slowly.

“Oh my God, Spencer, I’m so sorry!” She said, shutting the box quickly and shoving back underneath the piles of letters and other stuff. “I was just looking for my shoes, I swear!”

Spencer chuckled and sighed, walking over to sit on the bed in front of her. She bit her lip smiling at him, completely disregarding the ring. “You kept all the stuff I gave you.” She said quietly.

He reached down to cup her cheek. “Of course I did.”

She shut her eyes. “And you bought a ring.” She shook her head, her face heating up. “You bought a ring 10 years ago— we were 15 Spencer!” She smiled.

He blushed. “Well… I just— i knew that it was you, Y/N/N. Ever since you made me that charm bracelet in 5th grade.” He shrugged. “So, I saved up all my money from working at the ice cream shack that one summer and I went and bought it.”

Y/N stared into his eyes with a soft smile on her lips. “I love you.” She whispered.

Spencer smiled and leaned forward to kiss her deeply. “I love you.” He said in between kisses. “But you’re gonna have to wait for me to propose because that was the plan for tonight.” He chuckled.

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully. “Fine.”

So at the end of the night, Spencer proposed to her in front of a bunch of people at the restaurant. She acted like she had no idea it was gonna happen so they’d get free cake.

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

first time whit ajax?? boy is so underrated 😩

This one got a little out of hand - again - and ended up being 1k... Please enjoy, this is my first Ajax fic!

Also, tomorrow is my birthday and there is a snowstorm coming (again...) so I’ll try to post more!! 

my taglists are here + you can requests here at any time

—

Ajax felt like a shame to his kind, an embarrassment. After years of being a gorgon, he stoned himself while taking a shower. Thankfully, turning into stone was not permanent, but it did cause him to miss your date.

He profusely apologized the next day and promised to make it up to you, but unfortunately your plans could not be reported to another day. At least not for a while.

‘’I had the dorm to myself. I was thinking we could’ve…you know,’’ you explained without giving too much details, but just enough for Ajax to get the gist of what you meant.

Ajax's eye lit up like a Christmas tree and his mouth twitched into a smile. ‘’Are you serious?’’ He lowered his voice, ‘’You wanted to..?’’

You nodded, then stole a kiss from Ajax, making his smile broaden. ‘’We’ve been dating for a bit and we’ve made out a lot.’’

The gorgon laughed, getting flashes of your makeout sessions. They had gotten over PG-13 these past weeks — hands under shirts and a little bit of dry humping — and, while it was pleasurable, you got to a point where it wasn’t enough.

‘’But I want more. I need more.’’ You grabbed Ajax’s thigh firmly and he held his breath, your hand dangerously high. ‘’But the opportunity is missed because Enid and Wednesday had a fight and now she is moving in with me and Yoko,’’ you explained with a sigh.

You loved Enid, she was the sweetest soul, but having two roommates will make it twice more difficult to have alone time with Ajax. And with the exams coming next month, all of your free time will be spent studying. Last night really was your only chance.

Ajax already felt bad about yesterday, but now his guilt had tripled. Those snakes really were a nuisance in his love-life. ‘’We’ll find a way,’’ he promised, then kissed you sweetly.

On Friday, you got a text from Ajax asking for help with the botany homework Ms. Thornhill gave for the weekend. You found it strange and unusual that he was doing homework on a Friday — he was the type of person who waits until the last minute —, but you didn’t ask questions. Perhaps your studious side was starting to rub off on him.

To match the strange and unusual energy of Ajax's texts, his dorm was dimly lit with twinkle lights. They weren't there the last time you came over. The curtains were also shut and the bed was made, which got you even more confused.

Ajax didn't see your expression before the words began spilling from his mouth. ‘’I wanted to light candles, but with the luck I have when I get nervous…it's best not. I don’t want to get in trouble for starting a fire. So I went with twinkling lights. Is it okay? If you hate them I can—’’

Your heart swelled. ‘’You did this for me?’’

He shifted on his feet and nodded. ‘’I felt bad for ruining your plans when I stoned myself so I decided to surprise you,’’ Ajax explained, hoping this will make up for the night he ruined. ‘’I bribed my roommate with money so he would leave the dorm for a few hours. We have the dorm to ourselves until 9pm.’’

‘’We do?’’ you asked, looking up at Ajax with absolutely no thoughts related to botany.

‘’We don't have to do anything if you don’t want to—’’

You grabbed his face and crashed your lips on his. ‘’Stop talking. I’ve never wanted anything more.’’

Ajax smiled before joining your lips again, lacing your fingers into his hair whilst yours grabbed at his hoodie and pulled him closer to you. You’ve been wanting to do this all week. A soft groan erupted from his lips, feeling your body against his.

The kiss deepened and Ajax’s hands descended down. This was nothing new, you’ve felt each other before. When he got to the bottom of your sweater, you stopped him abruptly.

‘’Wait! My bra doesn’t match my underwear…’’

The genuine worry in your eyes made your boyfriend want to laugh. Your bra and underwear not matching was the least of Ajax’s cares. Everything will be on the floor anyway.

‘’We're about to get fully naked and you worry about your bra and underwear not matching?’’ Ajax shook his head and pulled your sweater off regardless, giving no fuck if your panties didn’t match the blue of your bra. ‘’Are your panties pink? Or yellow? Or do they have little strawberries on them—’’

You held back a giggle and shut him up with a kiss. Maybe it wasn’t that important.

You followed Ajax to his bed, sitting beside him as you kissed and peeled layers of clothes until all that was left was your underwear. His warm skin felt nice against yours, your hands exploring bodies and pulling soft moans and sighs from each other.

With difficulty, he managed to unhook your bra and your cheeks were getting pink under Ajax's gaze, staring at your breasts and hard nipples with a boyish amazement. He had seen you topless before, but his reaction was the same.

‘’Fuck, you’re beautiful,’’ he said before pressing his lips to yours.

You're beautiful too, you wanted to say, but Ajax started to lay you back down until your back hit his soft mattress, turning your brain into putty the moment his body was over yours. He dragged his mouth down to your jaw and neck, trying to show love to every inch of your body.

Your hands moved to his back, creating shapes with the indent of your nails into his shoulder blades as he sucked at your skin. Soft hums left your lips — he was so good at this.

The shape of his hardening cock was starting to get very noticeable and pressing against you. It was usually ignored, but tonight you pushed your pubis against him and Ajax moaned, pleasure coursing through both of your bodies. You did it again, then reached to pull his boxers down, but before you could do it Ajax looked at you.

‘’Are you sure you want this?’’ he asked, his gaze soft and endearing.

You nodded. You had never been more sure. ‘’I want you, Ajax.’’

—

Wednesday taglist: @sofiaadler @partyfly @hoodforcalum @thelilacmourning @ellessecretobsession @su-alteza-emia @achoo---uu @not-leaprvt @xaviersgf @peterparkerdilf @roadworkaheadisurehopeitdoes @dragon-chica @coldtacozinepanda @wrldofsage @eddiemunsonsluvrrr @capriaura @officialsaturn @babyfiva @maevaomizzolo @kelloggs-world @whosljt @ajpanda181 @belovedrey @emerycrt @elizabitchsshit @heaven-hiding @lilithlikestoread @est-liber @moonisu @dessxoxsworld @parker-nite @bellblake121890 @vesperazhier @kaldurahms-lover @beeebo234 @nephilimsss @mayuphoenix @sweetheartlizzie07 @watermelon-18 @snixx2088 @555stargirl555 @robinscardigan @chumchum19 @lilttblog @aphex2winn @heizenka @mystargirl-interlude @hwrtsiren @babygirljay20 @wildflowerlyss @strangersomeone @openfandoms @charlottelaffin @iheartmaddyperez @starless-starkov @ali-r3n  @poppet05  @ell0ra-br3kk3r​  @rhaenyraswife  @teaganthemorningstar  @aphex2winn @moompie  @ifevilwhyhot  @oliviah-25 @spenglerslime @wetwilliam02 @yellowcupcakes​ @haileyismoo​  @theyslayallday @wrldofsage

[l0vergirlwrites]

valentine ; matthew murdock

warnings: shitty fluff (university has taken all my time, I'm sorry!!!)

“i’ve rejected affection for years & years. now i have it, & damn it, it’s kind of weird…”

rustling from sleep, you hum as you began to stretch your limbs. the cool air blowing from the fan on your side of the bed made small pieces of your hair tingle against your face, resulting in your wake. you felt the right amount of warmth & cool, but something was missing.

turning to the other side of the bed, you opened your eyes in the dark room since the curtains were still shut, blocking out the morning sun. blinking a few times & adjusting your sight, you sighed when you realized matthew was out of bed. the imprint of his body was still laced in the silk fitted bedsheet, but it felt colder than you wished.

sitting up & groaning as you stretched your limbs once more, you ran your hands through your hair & slipped out of the bed, heading for the dresser to throw on a shirt. the warm summer weather was coming to a close soon, so you made a note to begin the cycle of washing yours & matthews fall attire—which was mainly sweaters.

pulling open the sliding door of the bedroom, your face brightened when you saw him making oatmeal for two in the kitchen, soft jazz playing from a speaker on the coffee table in the living space.

“you’re too cute” you said, morning voice in full swing as you padded your slipper clad feet towards your man.

once you were close enough, matthew turned his body to you, clad in some joggers & socks, chest bare as the sun admired his skin from the windows. “cute, hmm? you’ve called me that a lot lately” he commented as his hands drifted towards your bum, fingers grazing underneath the shirt you threw on.

“well… i think it’s very fitting”

wrapping your arms around his neck, your hands cascading through his bedhead while your eyes raked over his face; a calm expression taken over his features. you loved waking up to him.

his hazel brown eyes followed your own very closely despite them being slightly off, the twinkle in them making you smile brighter than you did when you first saw him.

“good morning baby” you finally said, sighing when you saw him give you a wide grin, his head dipping a little to be closer to yours.

“good morning sweetheart,” said his husky voice, sending butterflies to race through your stomach.

he did this on purpose, surely.

his touch felt intoxicating, as it always did when you felt his fingers drift all over your figure subconsciously while you explained your mysterious dreams to him, as you always did each morning. it was better than reading the morning paper in braille.

“… us as vigilantes? that seems a bit off, love” matthew commented with a joking brow furrowed, causing you to poke his chest.

“i have moves murdock—“

“you can’t even do the splits—“

“when did this morning turn into you holding that against me?” you teased, feeling matthew’s calloused hands squeeze your waist as you tried to move away from him.

“just some non-harmful teasing y/n, i still can have my way with you if you can’t do the splits” he grinned, pecking your lips a few times to shut you up before you called him out on his comment again.

laughing lightly when you pulled away from his lips, faces close in proximity, you bit your bottom lip & shook your head.

“a handful. that’s what you are with those comments” he laughed at that, pulling you close to his chest in a warm hug.

“you know you love it, you don’t have to tell me. your heartbeat already does”

rolling your eyes, you sighed & looked up at him again, using your hands to grasp his cheeks & angle his face towards yours.

“you’re lucky i do” you said truthfully, your thumbs swiping across his cheeks gently to make him swoon—he really liked it when you did that. it made him smile bigger.

after the normal run of morning banter, you both sat down to eat on the couch, your legs resting across his lap while you conversed about plans for the day, what matthew should do for dinner & if you'd be coming for lunch at the office.

"i don't know matt, it'll be a tough stretch since i have a meeting at eleven..." you said unsure, not wanting to make plans you can't keep.

"c'mon, i'll order the food. all you have to do is show up for twenty or thirty minutes" he said while massaging your leg, hoping to convince you with his ways.

trying to hide your smile, you sighed & eventually agreed, hearing matthew let out a sound of victory.

"see? how could you resist me?" matthew asked while gesturing to himself with his free hand, giving you an award-winning lawyer smile.

scooting closer to him on the couch, you pecked his lips a few times, nose brushing against his in a way that made him purr into your touch.

smiling against his lips now, pausing the kiss, you giggled to yourself as he tucked some hair behind your ear.

"now, who's the one that can't resist?"

[folkloreguk]

💌🧸 Brother's Best Friend

A/N: Got this request a while ago and now I'm wondering why I've never written this trope before bc this was so fun??? Lmk how you liked it! x

genre: optional bias (m) x reader (f), smut, size/strength kink??, choking, dom!bias (it’s kinda playful tho), brother's best friend!au, sneaking around, play fighting, lowkey getting caught but not directly?

words: ~ 4.1 k

disclaimer: I don’t mean for the age gap to be gigantic…I’m talking about anything from 1-2 years maximum tbh!!! Anything else would be weird and I’m not about that! They’re also both obviously consenting adults!

[H/N means 'his (bias) name']

In youreyes, your first meeting had been a disaster. The new spider man movie had been released only days ago, and you were adamant on seeing it. And to your luck, your older brother and his best friend had already made plans to watch it together. As a little sister, you were treated like the baby of the family, and it didn’t matter that you were far from being an infant anymore. So naturally, your brother had been condemned by your parents to bring you along. He declared his distaste in your presence by attempting to ignore you, but you were used to that. Just like you were aware of his bad moods, you knew he could change within minutes and magically turn into the sweetest, most caring big brother you could wish for.

Whatever. You didn’t need his approval to enjoy the trip to the movie theater, you told yourself. Had it not been for his best friend, who you hadn’t seen in ages. H/N and you had never properly spoken before, and the last time you saw him he had been an awkward, prepubescent boy who had appeared at your door to pick up your brother for a playdate. There was no trace of immaturity now. Instead, it was you who had morphed into an awkward, shy mess at the sight of him.

His ‘hello’ had a warm and deep melody to it which swooped you up in his aura so suddenly, you had no time to prepare. Had his smile always been this stupidly charming? Hell, it was so bright, you had to meticulously inspect the ground every time he sent a grin your way. When before you hadn’t felt guilty for being a bother, you now sure did. What impression would you leave, trailing behind the older boys like a lost puppy? What would he take you for? The annoying little sister who didn’t have friends of her own? The mood-killer, who wouldn’t understand any of the boys’ inside jokes? The anti-social, weird girl who was obsessed with fictional men, like people loved to belittle teenage girls with normal interests?

As things turned out, his initial opinion of you was quite the opposite. If only you could have spied into his brain, it would have saved you a landslide of worry. Although your brother took up all of H/N’s attention before the movie started, he noticed you a good amount. To be precise, you blew him away at first sight. Your cute laugh won him over in a matter of seconds and he liked that your merch sweater could have been stolen straight out of his own closet. He didn’t want to feel too smug, but the way you diverted your eyes away from him whenever he looked in your direction only boosted his confidence further.

Your brother might have warned him. Stay away from her. She’s off limits for you. But not a thousand vicious, older brothers could have kept him from trying to get to you. It was up to you, after all, whether you wanted him around or not, and not to your brother. From that day on, H/N didn’t skip out on a chance to see you, even if it meant merely an exchange of a few words, or a simple greeting. And to his luck, you turned out to be equally as enraptured by him.

There was something about the untouchable, the forbidden, that attracted him to you even more. Plus, you were simply too precious to forget about. One morning, you dropped off a beanie at his place, which he had left at your house after meeting with your big brother the previous day. When he had asked if he could drive you to school as a thank you, you happily accepted. You had marked that day as the first day of your new life. First, it was harmless flirting. To be honest, you were under the impression he was merely messing with you. Because you were the cute little sister of his best friend. Because you would turn into an awkward shell of a person who had lost all ability to articulate, and your cheeks would burn as if they were on fire, whenever he charmed you.

But the flirting slowly reached newer levels, and before you knew it you were discussing your sexual fantasies over text messages and giving him bedroom eyes as you opened the front door for him. “H/N’s here!” you would then shout to your big brother. Then you would watch the two boys walk off to your brother’s room, pondering why life had to be this way for you. It wasn’t fair. Siblings were supposed to share, right? Why did you have to wait your turn until after midnight, when no one would notice, to spend time with H/N?

But to H/N, the sneaking around in the middle of the night and the secret messages you sent to each other, it all added to the excitement. Surely, there were days on which he wished he could just break the truth to your brother. The impact it could have on their friendship was enough intimidation for him to refrain, though. Things were better off this way, for now.

Today was no exception to your usual lies. When your brother asked if you would go out with him to do some shopping, you had played the victim and feigned a stomachache. Your parents wouldn’t be home all weekend. You’d have been stupid to waste a perfect opportunity like that. Who knew when you could have H/N in your bed the next time? Normally, you were restricted to his car, or to his bed in the dark of night. Yes, those places had something enticing at first glance. But the backseat of a car was only enjoyable for so many clandestine meetings. So today you notified him of your golden opportunity before your brother had even walked out the door.

The moment H/N texted you that he was outside your home, you opened the front door and dragged him to your room.

“Are you in control today, little one?” he asked, closing the bedroom door after you.

“Why are you asking that?” you replied, not wanting to talk at all but rather do so much more productive things.

“I don’t know…perhaps because you haven’t let me say a word since I came through the door,” he said.

“Right. Maybe I’m planning on tying you up, blindfolding you, and torturing you with ice and wax,” you joked in a casual tone, despite not usually requesting such graphic ideas.

“I don’t know if I’d let you do that,” he grinned with raised eyebrows. “Besides, I know you’d rather be at the receiving end of that. It’s a sweet idea, though. If we had some more time…”

“Think you could get away from me if I tied you up?” you said, but he was towering over you with the calmness of a king who knew he reigned over the situation.

“We both know I’m stronger than you, doll,” he said. You didn’t like it when boys called you weak. But you’d let it slide, knowing he was only joking and would never underestimate you outside of the bedroom. He put his lips right up to yours, so you felt his breath on them. His fingers came up to cup your face, but then slowly inched to your neck. When they closed around your neck, putting the slightest amount of pressure on your skin, you whimpered quietly.

“Need reminding?” he asked. As much pent-up frustration you had, and as much as your stomach was flipping upside down from how badly you needed him, you just had to play with him. You knew it would make for more fun.

“I think- “ you started, with a grin. Then you grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed him backwards, until he was stumbling. Although caught off guard, he was quick to pull you along with him as he fell onto your bed. You landed on top of him with a small squeal.

“Go on, let’s see who can throw the other off the bed first,” he teased with a superiority that only spurred you on. Then again, you would always be in the mood for the oldest childhood game you had ever known. Only now it wasn’t your brother, but his best friend you were playing against. It added a layer of excitement, and after only seconds, giggles had overtaken you as you struggled in his grip.

“No tickling is allowed,” you said. He nodded obediently with a smirk that told you he might not abide by your rules.

At first, you had attempted to hold him down by his arms. But your legs tangled, and he pushed his chest up against yours, like he was about to flip you over. Your plan seemed to be working only momentarily. You groaned a little as he grabbed your wrists swiftly and held his stance against your attempt to pull his upper body to the side.

“Cute,” he said. That’s when you realized, he was barely struggling, barely trying, even. While you were giving your most, he smirked like he was watching a kitten trying to fight a lion. It was child’s play to him, keeping you in check. Literally. With an annoying expression of amusement on his face, he let you have the upper hand for a while. Then, as if you had never had an ounce of advantage, he turned it around and pulled you into him. His eyes suggested he might just send you tumbling down onto the floor any moment now. Nonetheless, you weren’t going to give up so easily. Taking your chances, you let go of his arms and moved sideways, so you could have your go at pushing him towards the edge of the mattress.

“I don’t think so,” he said. Suddenly, he bear-hugged your body and rolled you both over. Before you could protest or defend yourself, your arm was dangling off the side of your bed and if you had moved a tiny bit further, you would have slid off the bedsheets and right onto your carpet. It was his turn to straddle you now. As if his actions hadn’t been enough declarations of his strength, he pinned your wrists to the bed above your head and gave you a challenging smirk.

“I was going to let you win, doll. But you weren���t trying hard enough,” he said. “What are you going to do about it?”

What were you going to do? He had you completely immobilized. “Just let it go, then. We get it, you’re super strong and super big and the coolest,” you said.

He seemed to take an instant liking to your declaration. “Say it again. This time minus the eye-rolling, sugar.”

“You’re stronger than me,” you said, trying to avoid the laughter that was threatening to come out. Could he read in your gaze how badly you wanted him to kiss you already? If he could, he wasn’t acting on it. Instead, he bent to the crook of your neck and spoke.

“Does it turn you on that I can overpower you?” his breath fanned your ear and you had to close your eyes to control yourself.

“Yes. Because I trust you,” you answered truthfully. The corner of his lips curled into a cocky grin.

“You know what? I think I’d rather you stay in bed with me instead of throwing you on the floor. There’s so many things we can do up here, isn’t that right, little one?” His lips brushed over your cheek and then over your lips as he spoke. The nickname had always made you weak in the knees and he knew it. When he finally enveloped your lips in a kiss, you swore you could feel an electric spark jump between the two of you. The mellowness of it turned into hunger rapidly, and as soon as his tongue flicked over your bottom lip, you whimpered like you hadn’t seen him in a year.

“Needy, are we?” he asked, running his hand up your sides and underneath your shirt. He could say that again. “Let’s get these off, then.”

The seconds in which you pulled off your clothes and couldn’t hang on his lips and feel his skin on your body should have been considered a form of torture in itself. Then, time always went by so much slower than usually.

When you had both shed off your clothes, he climbed back on top of you. Instead of straddling your hips he was now resting between your legs. There was nothing separating you from him, and it was apparent not only through the body heat that radiated off him. He reached down and whilst peppering kisses on your chest, slid his fingers through your slick arousal that was pooling in your core.

“You’re so wet,” he said in surprise, but couldn’t hide his approval and self-confidence in his voice.

“I know,” you said, rolling your eyes but simultaneously fighting the urge to moan at the smallest of touches he was teasing your with. “I’m so horny. Can’t we skip foreplay?”

“Poor doll,” he said. “I should’ve come over earlier, huh?”

“You know that wasn’t possible,” you said. With a desperate look, you pleaded him silently.

“I wanna taste you,” he said, but your put your hand on his cheek softly.

“Maybe later?” you said. “Please, I need to have you inside of me. Now.”

“You’re extra cute when you’re this needy,” he smiled. “Are there still condoms in your nightstand?”

You nodded and had never moved so fast to open a drawer in your life. Pretending to have any patience left, you waited for him to roll on the rubber.

“I love the way you look at me,” he said. “When you’re waiting for me. Could watch you for hours.”

“God, I hope you won’t. Come here, please?” you replied, making him chuckle. He lined himself up with your core, but then made no inclination to move ahead. His dark eyes and little head tilt told you everything.

“Don’t mess with me anymore,” you whined, reaching for the back of his neck to pull him closer. “Do it. H/N.”

“Beg for it.” His words twisted something in the pit of your stomach. Although you were burning with hunger, you could never say no to him. Then again, you were curious to see what would happen if you did.

“What if I don’t? Don’t you want to fuck me as much as I want it?” you challenged him. Something glinted in his eyes, and you knew you shouldn’t have even brought it up.

“I can always do this,” he said, and you followed his eyes down his body and to where he had wrapped his hand around his cock. Slowly, he jerked himself off, and you weren’t sure he was biting his lip because of the feeling or to discompose you. His small sigh should’ve been caused by you. This wasn’t what you had wanted. His tip was right by your slit. He could’ve pushed his length in so easily, and yet he wasn’t. Debating what to say, you kept your eyes trained on his hard member that looked so delicious in his hands. His deep groans rang in your ears. It didn’t take long for you to cave.

“Fuck. That should be me around you,” you said. “That should be my pussy you’re fucking and not your hands. Please.”

“Isn’t that right?” he said.

“Yes. Please, fuck me. I would feel so much better than your hands, and you know it. Please,” you whined. “I need you right now H/N. Please.”

You added another ‘please’ – for good measure – because the way his tongue darted out and licked his smirking lips could make you say anything if it would get him to fuck you.

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of you,” he said. “Think you can take me?”

“Yes, yes-, I can! Please, fuck me,” you said in a waterfall of words, and he chuckled handsomely.

“Good girl,” he said, running a gentle hand over your head. “If it’s too much you let me know.”

“As always.”

The tip of his cock gently pushed into your core, making you hold your breath as he entered you slowly. It caused you to feel every inch with every second. Your brain felt fuzzy, and you sighed gratefully at the relief.

“Fuck, you’re so perfect,” he moaned. The carefulness in his thrusts paired with his moon eyes at you only remained that way for a few seconds. Then, he straightened up and grabbed your hips to drag you in closer. You moaned helplessly when he almost pulled out completely, so slowly it almost made you crazy, only to slam his length into you until his tip brushed against the deepest spot inside of you. It was an action he repeated over and over, until you were reduced to a puddle of desperate whimpers, and you clasped the bedsheets in your hands tightly.

“You like it this way, little one?” he asked. He was apparently finding enjoyment in your reaction. How you could barely keep your eyes open, and when you did, your eyeballs threatened to roll to the back of your head. How your fingers clenched around the closest plushie, and you cradled it against your chest in bliss.

“Yes- fuck,” you said. “Feels so good.”

Of course, right as you said this, he had to change things up. His thrusts turned lazy and messy as he leaned backwards slightly. With an equally lazy demeanor, his thumb flicked over your clit, rubbing circles on it.

“Let me hear you. Say my name,” he said, and you quietly moaned his name. You adored the way it sounded, voiced like this, with barely more than a breath underneath your soft tone. Now and then, his cock slipped out of you, making you clench around nothing and furthermore had you going completely out of your mind. When he would push himself into your opening again, it felt as if it was the first time he was entering you today. Except you felt it repeatedly, each time as incredible as the previous. Your mouth hung open, rendered speechless except for the little moans and whimpers sounding from your throat. There was a familiar knot beginning to form in your stomach, tying firmer with each passing minute.

As if he could read your mind, he decided then he was done with his sweet torture of teasing you to an orgasm. You couldn’t be mad at him, though, because what he had planned was just as perfect, if not better. His hands wandered to their original place on your sides, and he began to snap his hips into yours at a faster pace. A small cry of surprise left your lips, while he only smirked at you through heavy-lidded eyes. Impulsively, you lifted your legs a little, intensifying the feeling of his member roughly dragging through your velvet walls.

“H/N, I’m so close,” you whimpered.

“Me too,” he replied, not slowing down for a second.

His broad frame towering over your body was a sight you would never get enough of and his gazes at you were hot enough that they could have stopped your heart in its tracks. A few strands of hair stuck to his forehead and there was a thin sheet of sweat on his neck. It all just made him more breathtaking to you. The slight pain from his nails digging into the skin on your waist was staggering, and you could barely wait to see the masterpiece of marks he would leave tonight.

You were a moaning mess, flying on cloud nine and simultaneously overwhelmed by his treatment of you. It clouded your mind at took over your whole body like you were made for him to fuck you. His length filled up your tight hole and he did it with such force that your whole body rocked into your mattress in a steady, fast-paced rhythm. He let go of your waist then and supported himself on his arm by the side of your head. When his other hand went to your neck you shuddered in anticipation.

“You should see yourself with my hand around your throat,” he said. “So pretty, little one.”

“We can do it in front of a mirror sometime- ,” you suggested, but were cut off at the end of the sentence as his fingers tightened on your neck. Instantly, the effect of it hit you. The lack of oxygen made your head swim in a sea of pleasure and the unrelenting desire to come. Through fluttering eyelids, you peeked up at him. The way he licked his lips and then clenched his jaw, the gorgeous shape of his collarbones and shoulders – you sometimes wondered if he was even real. Every so often he loosened his grip on you. When he did, you took gulps of air and then instantly whined for him to choke you again.

“Let go for me,” he said. “Show me your pretty face when I make you come. I’m fucking you well, aren’t I?”

You nodded as well as you could when he was gripping your throat and you couldn’t breathe properly at the moment. It didn’t matter you couldn’t talk. He was probably not expecting you to answer, either way. In a pleasure-induced trance, you closed your eyes and let it happen, like he had asked it from you. Your hazy consciousness barely registered that he was reaching his high with you. Too overcome were you, with your thighs trembling uncontrollably and your back arching off the mattress. He had let go of your neck and was riding out his own orgasm with sloppy thrusts that only sent you into another frenzy and had you whimpering his name softly. When he had finished too, he slowed down and pulled you into a gentle kiss, rubbing his nose against yours sweetly.

“That was amazing,” he said, and with a blissful hum you nodded. Your lips changed into a pout when he rolled off you and got up. You were tired of sending him back home so quickly. As he discarded the condom in the bin, you put on your most enchanting eyes, so he would have no other choice.

“Stay a little longer, please,” you asked. You knew he wanted to, as well. So although he was aware that your brother could return at any moment, he tumbled back into bed with you.

“Just for a little while,” he said. “Mhm…you’re so perfect to cuddle, baby.” His embrace was warm and his scent comforting, as he hummed a lovely melody. The soft touch of his fingers running through your hair lulled you right into a light sleep. You were awoken rather abruptly, and with half a heart attack.

“Hey Y/N, have you seen my charger- “ your brother’s voice suddenly broke through the silence and you wondered if you would have to pack up and leave the country after this sort of embarrassment.

“It’s not what it looks like,” you said, knowing well enough it was the dumbest thing you could have said. But who could blame you? You had only woken up two seconds ago.

“Really?” your brother asked. “Because I hear H/N sneak into our house so often lately, I’m starting to wonder if his parents threw him out.”

His tone was surprisingly calm.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you,” H/N said to your brother. “I thought you’d hate me and that we’d be over as friends.”

“I know I told you once to leave Y/N alone. But now…I guess it’s cool. She’s been in a great mood lately, and if that’s thanks to you, I think I can approve of you two. Although I’m not looking forward to being a third wheel, I think I can get used to it if I try hard enough,” your brother said. You couldn’t believe your ears, and involuntarily smiled like a fool. No more hiding. No more secrets.

“I stole your charger. I’m sorry,” you said then, making your brother roll his eyes. “It’s by the sofa in the living room.”

“Great. I needed a reason to leave anyway,” your brother said. “I might approve of you, but this situation is still too awkward. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, H/N?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” the boy in your bed said.

“You’ll see me too!” you added as a joke, as your brother already walked away from the door.

“Unfortunately I will!” your brother shouted, with the unnerving tone only a big brother could possibly muster.