#and also I got a few more asks to draw a response for but I’m charging my tablet rn because it was about to die

[candyheartedchy]

Is it okay to have three main f/os? Like I know there’s usually THE MAIN ONE and I have two atm, but I’m thinking about maybe adding another?

[allsteddie]

Fantasy AU where Eddie is a famous thief, leader of a crew. They travel all around, making up elaborate plans to steal from noble families. Eddie is just genius. His plans are basically flawless, and it’s been years since the royal guards last caught one of his men.

As crew leader and brain behind all the planning, Eddie is the one who gets info from a bunch of different sources. One of his sources is Hopper, leader of Eddie’s first crew and his father figure growing up. The man taught everything to Eddie and always gives the best information about new targets and rumors of treasures and stuff.

As his crew keeps watch on their new target, Eddie goes to the town’s tavern to meet Hopper and get some inside info on the family they’re planning to steal from. He chooses a table with clear view of the door, asks the barman for a beer and waits.

Only problem is that Hopper doesn’t show up. Eddie drinks his beer, asks for another, drinks that one too and asks for a third. Nothing. No sign of Hopper or anyone from his crew. Last time he couldn’t make it to their meeting, he had sent Will and El in his place, but this time no one comes.

Minutes turn into an hour, then two. Eddie nurses his beer, watching the liquid and asking himself if he should go back to his crew; Hopper is clearly not coming, something important must have happened to keep him busy.

Eddie is finishing off his drink, ready to leave, when the tavern door opens and a man walks in. And not just a man, a gorgeous man. Like, drop dead gorgeous, with perfect hair and nice skin dotted with moles and a pair of beautiful brown eyes. That is enough to catch Eddie’s attention.

The man looks around, as if searching for someone in the small noisy crowd filling the tavern. He doesn’t seem to find whoever he’s looking for because he passes all the tables and goes to the bar instead. The man asks something to the barman and the barman shakes his head in response. Pretty boy deflates a little but ends up taking a seat by the bar and asking for a drink.

Eddie watches the man for a while; he doesn’t seem like he belongs there. He’s too pretty, his clothes are too nice. He also looks nervous, looking over his shoulder every few moments as if afraid someone might do something to him if he’s not paying attention.

When one of the patrons decides to approach, and basically corners pretty boy against the bar, Eddie intervenes.

The man scrams back to his own table as soon as he sees Eddie there. Good. Eddie may be a thief, and he may prefer to keep his head down and not to draw attention to himself, but he’s not above getting into a fight to defend a pretty face like that against assholes who can't take no for an answer.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he asks once the other man is gone, back to his table.

“Yes, thank you,” pretty boy says, clearly relieved. He then opens a beautiful, beautiful smile and offers Eddie a hand. “I’m Steve.”

“Steve, huh?” Eddie takes the man’s hand but, instead of shaking it, drops a light kiss to the back of it, making him blush hard. “I’m Eddie. What such a pretty little thing like you is doing in this kind of place?”

“I’m looking for someone, but I don’t think they’re here yet.”

“Hm, would you like to join me? I’m waiting for someone too. We can wait together, what do you think?”

The man hesitates for just a moment before offering Eddie a grateful smile and following him back to his table.

Steve, Eddie soon finds out, is a delight. He’s sweet, blushes whenever Eddie flirts with him, but gives as good as he gets. They have a drink together, Eddie tells him a couple of stories about his friends to make him laugh. Steve does not have any wild stories, but he’s more than happy to listen to Eddie’s.

Whoever it is that the man was waiting doesn’t show up, at least not for the time they drink and chat at Eddie’s table. No one from Hopper’s crew shows up either, but Eddie can’t even say he’s mad at Hopper for wasting his time anymore; at least he got the chance to meet Steve tonight, so it’s not all bad in the end.

At some point, Eddie takes both their empty mugs and walks to the bar to get a refill with the bartender. It doesn’t take Eddie five minutes to get their fresh drinks, but when he gets back to their table Steve’s seat is empty and the man is nowhere to be found. On the table, there’s only a small notebook and a piece of parchment folded on top of it.

Confused, Eddie puts the mugs down on the table and takes the parchment, unfolding it. It’s a simple note; written in some handwriting he doesn’t recognize.

‘It was a pleasure finally meeting you, Eddie. You really are the charmer Joyce told me you were. I hope the information in this notebook is enough for what you have in mind, that’s everything I could gather after I infiltrated the Hagan estate this spring. Hopper says hi, by the way.

Love, Steve.’

Speechless, Eddie looks at the note, then at the notebook filled with everything he needs for his next plan, then back at the note in his hand. He starts laughing; he had not seen that one coming. Damn Hopper always gets the best assets for his crew.

[apple-yan]

Waste Away (Yandere Male Cowboy x Reader)

Apple's Note : surprise, Bitch, Thought you'd seen the last of me? nah but I'm trying a different setup to take up less space with my posts! The drawing will be at the bottom of the post. I hope it looks alright! Also, while this doesn’t imply any gender for the reader, I did write it with a male reader in mind.

Trigger warnings : Violence, reader injury, alcohol, Death mention, religious implications, yan makes fun of reader, reader implies yan to be a father-figure, age gap, reader is straight up not having a good time right now.

Owning and tending to a ranch pretty much by yourself was hard work, but it was something you've had to do for a long while. When your Pa had passed five years back, it left you as the only one left to take care of his cattle and your grandmother.

You had taken the responsibility seriously, waking up before dawn, going to sleep well past midnight sometimes. You worked tirelessly, getting your hands dirty, to try your best to honor your old man, but the work began to grate on you. You figured that you could set a bit of money aside to hire help if you let them use the guest room in the farmhouse.

Despite your odd hours, your grandmother always had warm food ready for you and clean clothes neatly folded and set on your bed. You felt bad, making an old woman like her work, but any time you brought up the idea of her resting, she’d just smack your hand and tell you that if she wants to do something, she will.

It was a calm night, one where you had actually managed to get everything together before sundown, and you were even able to help your grandmother with dinner (despite her chasing you out of the kitchen a few times.) As you sat at the table after setting it and saying grace, a knock came on the farmhouse door. You set your silverware down, excusing yourself as you answer the door.

A tall stranger stood at the door, leaning down a bit to fit in the frame. He looked to be about the age of your father, with hands calloused from years of hard work.

“Um- who-?” You’re cut off by a wave of his hand, and he hands you a paper. One of the posters that you had messily slapped up in the town square nearby, asking for someone who was good with animals and could help your granny pick up heavy things. You glance up at him, “Ah, you’re here for the job! Well, it’s so nice to meet you. No one else has responded to the posters yet. My Granma Hellen just finished some chili and cornbread. Would you like to sit down with us while we talk?”

He nods as you ramble. Ah, the strong and silent type. You hope that doesn’t translate to rude.

“Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself. Did you ride here? We’ve got space in the stables if you need.”

Again, a nod, and you lead him out to where he should put his horse, rambling about the responsibilities, the history of the ranch, and whatnot. You glance at him, then realise, “Oh my, I forgot to introduce myself, Mister! I’m (Y/N)!” You hold out your hand, and he pauses before shaking it. He’s warm and his grip is strong. You hope that means the cattle will like him.

“Name’s Emmet Amos. Pleasure.” He regards you with a nod as you lead him inside.

“Mister Amos, this is my Granma Hellen,” You gesture to the older woman, “She makes the greatest food you’ll ever get to eat, I’ll tell ya. And she’s always busy with something, makes me wonder if I’ll ever be able to run the ranch without her!” You chuckle as he greets her.

“Granma, I’mma grab our guest another bowl, you can keep eating.” You head off to the kitchen, returning with another bowl of chili and some silverware to hand to him. “I’m glad you showed up, actually! We’ve always got too much food, so this is a good surprise.”

Throughout dinner, you ramble on more about what's expected. He can stay in the empty room on the first floor if he makes sure to clean himself off each day and make the bed each morning. Food and other necessities will be taken care of, but he’s welcome to make his own. Waking up with the first cock-call is a given, and if he gets hurt, he’s gotta tell you right away to take him to the clinic so he doesn’t risk getting sick.

After a while, you notice they’re both done eating, and you’ve barely touched your bowl. You chuckle bashfully, “Ah, but look at me rambling, what made you wanna come to the ranch? I’m sure a cool fella like you might make a good living anywhere.”

He hums, swallowing his food before replying, “I needed a fresh start. Place where no one knows me,” He glances between you and your gran, “It helps that the people are friendly.”

You laugh, “Well, I’m sure there’s lots of people like you, Mr Amos. Everyone who lives out here is runnin’ from somethin’. Where’re you from?”

“Nowhere very interesting.”

You tilt your head, but don’t press it. Farm hands, especially those who travel, can be a touchy bunch, whether they think it or not, and you learned growing up not to ask a rude question twice.

“Mr Amos, I’ll go get your room ready. Can you do the dishes? Granma can’t lift that cast iron too well, no matter what she tells you.” That earns you a smack, which you laugh at, then smile at him, “Don’t matter where you’re from, Mr Amos, you’re here now.”

You don’t see it as you leave, but that makes him smile.

—

Months went on, Spring became Summer. The heavy sun beat down on you, burning the back of your neck and the tips of your ears as you fed the pigs. You glance at their trough, noting the need for more water as you head to the well.

Over the months, you and Emmet had developed a routine, waking up and eating breakfast together (Usually just bread and eggs) before starting on the daily needs. It was nice to have less of a workload, tasks that would normally take a whole day getting finished before evening.

Emmet started talking more at the table and receiving his own lighthearted smacks from your grandmother. He was settling in well, and that made you glad.

Each week, when you’d ride product into town to collect, you’d hand him his pay in an envelope and give him a pat on the shoulder, thanking him for helping you. You’re sure he could make more money somewhere else. That he’d have less work comparatively. But he didn’t complain as he did the dishes each night and even took care of your weekly trips to town for your grandmother’s medicine.

Emmet was a quiet guy still, sure, but he was more friendly now. Joking with you while you fed the pigs together, pushing you in the mud, then helping you up after you laughed at him for falling.

It had been a while, but you wonder if this was what it was like when you and your dad would work together.

On the anniversary of the fire, you sat on a hill overlooking the valley out west. You had buried your father beneath a tree at the bottom of that hill, but today you couldn’t handle looking at it. You took a swig of shine from a flask as you heard heavy boots on the grass behind you,

“Didn’t take you for a fast drinker,” He holds out his hand as he sits beside you, and you pass him the flask to take a swig. He grimaces, “Straight shine, Bud? Less of a kid than you look, I guess,” He chuckles, handing it back to you, “What’s got a talker like you making me start a conversation, hm?”

“It’s been six years.” You say simply, taking another swig,

“Since what, Kid?”

“Pa died in that barn over there,” You nod towards the wrecked remains of the barn, mostly reclaimed by the wildlife around it. You left it be, didn’t have the heart to go near it, “He was tryna save what he could. Kept going in and coming out with calves. Then he went in… and uh..” You frown, taking another swig, “I realised it’d been too long when the roof fell.”

He goes quiet, as he often does, but it isn’t unwelcome. The rustle of the summer breeze goes past, brushing the long grass past you two. Awkwardly, he pats your back, “So that's why someone so small was running this all by themself.”

You nod, “He killed himself for these cows. I can’t let them just waste away.”

He nods, and you both take a swig from the flask as the sun sets, crickets already chirping away through the night, “He’d be proud, I’m sure.”

You smile at that, “Thank you, Mr Amos.”

He nods, “‘pleasure.”

—

Your grandmother hasn't been doing well lately. You had taken over cooking, and even though you felt guilty, that meant you had to leave more of the farm work to Emmet so you could bring your Gran her food on time. If he was bothered, he didn’t say, and you made sure to pay him a few dollars more to thank him for it.

You’d wake up early, get ready, feed the chicks, then go in and make your grandmother soft porridge. It was really more water than grain, but it was all she could swallow.

She stopped responding to you when talking or leaving the bed at all. That was how you knew what was coming.

One Saturday, when Emmet was about to go to town as he usually does, you flagged him down.

“Hey, Mr Amos.. I don’t think gran needs the medicine no more. Can you just do me a favor and pick her up some of these?” You hand him a list. It’s got some of her favorite foods on it, some alcohol, and what stands out is a green tomato you listed.

“Kid, why would Hellen want an unripe tomato?”

“They’re firmer. Better for frying. She liked it a lot.” You say, and hand him a few dollars, “I hope the multiple stops ain’t too much.”

He looks at you, and you swear you see his eyes soften as he shakes his head, “Not at all, kid. I have a few things to do in town anyway.”

You nod, then step away, waving him off as you go back inside.

You don’t say it out loud, but Emmet noticed the shaking in your shoulders anyway.

—

Your Grandmother passed on Sunday, and you already knew it would happen. Her last word was your father’s name, spoken gently as she pet your hair, and you cried.

Emmet watched from the doorway as the reverend closed her eyes, crossing her and sending her off.

He helped dig the hole beside your father’s grave so she could be with her son.

And he didn’t mention the times he caught you sniffling when you thought you were alone.

—

When fall rolled around, you sat on the front porch, sitting in the chair that was once her’s, in a house that was once your father’s.

You sigh, shoulders hunched, but perk up when Emmet comes out through the creaky door. You should oil it, but your dad used to do that. You were worried you wouldn’t do it the same way he did, and silly as that sounded, that scared you.

Emmet sat beside you, and you both silently watched the grass flow in the wind.

A few minutes passed like that before Emmet spoke up, “You know, kid, you’ve gotta be one of the most unlucky people I know.”

You glance at him, confused. He chuckles, going on, “Pa died in a fire, Mom’s outta the picture, Grandma died...” He trails off, “And to think I came here to rob you.”

The silence comes back, but now it feels wrong. Cold. You frown, “I don’t appreciate the jokes, Mr Amos. Grandma's only been buried a week.”

“I ain’t joking, kid. I came here thinking, Hey, this is a place with an inexperienced owner and a weak old lady, it’ll be easy money!” He laughs, and that comforting feeling you used to get from it is gone. He’s laughing at you, not with you, “But ah.. I froze up when I saw ya, Kid. Naive to a comedic degree and willing to give a stranger the shirt off your back. I found myself making an honest living.”

You stay quiet, and he smirks, “Come on now, usually you’re the one ranting on about something. What’s got you quiet?”

“Why’re you telling me this?”

“Well, cause your old lady is gone now, so it's slightly less wicked what I’m about to have to do.”

“What do you mean-”

Something hard hit the back of your head, and you fell out of the rocking chair, curled in on yourself. You hold your head, feeling blood on it. You glance at him dizzily, as your vision blurs and multiplies. You see him pull the shovel back up one more time, but you don’t feel the impact when you faint.

—

You wake up to a throbbing in your head. You’re in your bed, and the sun beams in through the window. You must have overslept. You grunt, throwing your feet off the side of the bed to get ready, already planning on how to apologize to Emmet for making him do the morning alone.

That’s when you feel it. The bandages on your head and the shooting pain through your skull. The ropes around your wrists on the headboard.

That wasn’t a nightmare. You were trapped with this guy, and you realized that he had been living with you for almost a year. You had let this man into your home, near your grandmother. You had let him get her medicine, you had paid him, and your heart sank.

You thought you had made a friend. That you had met someone who cared about your father’s ranch as much as you did. You felt stupid.

The door creaks open as a breeze comes in through the window, and you glance at him as the old floral drapes swish in the wind.

“Hope I didn’t hit your head too hard, sweetness. Doc made a house call when I told him you let the ladder fall on you in the barn.” He chuckles, pulling the armchair closer to the bedside and sitting as he stares at you, “You look mighty cute when you’re angry, Kid. All puffy cheeks. You look like you’re trying not to cry.”

“I don’t get why you’re still here..”

“Didn’t wanna leave my cute little boss to heal on their own.”

“You could have just killed me and taken everything in the house- what’s the point of all of this?”

“Sh-sh-sh,” He hums at you like you’re a horse, and pats your head much the same way as you shiver, “Your head hurts real bad, and you’re thinking mighty fast. Doc said you need rest, kid. You’re slow even when you haven’t been hit in the head, so don’t go pushing yourself.”

You frown, wishing you could push him away, smack his condescending face. You wish you had shut the door on him. You wish you hadn’t posted for help in the town square.

“I’ll be honest with ya, Kid, I’m kinda shocked you didn’t know about me. My poster was right beside yours. You ain’t too good at reading, are ya?”

You stay silent, staring away from him as you clench your hands in your lap.

He chuckles, “I ain’t gonna kill ya, if you’re worried about that. And I didn’t kill Granny Hellen either,”

That makes you see red, and suddenly you’re thrashing, cursing at him, trying to kick him and break the ropes from your wrists, “Don’t you dare call her that, you pig! She ain’t you’re granny, she took care of you and you lied to her! You get her name out of your damn mouth-!” A smack silences you, and you sit, stunned with your face to one side.

He glares, “Don’t go acting like a brat on me, kid. I could always change my mind bout keeping you around.”

“...What would you even need me for?” Your voice is quieter now, and you’ve stopped thrashing.

“Need? Nothing. I want you, bud.”

There’s a cruel glint in his eyes, and you lower your head to look away from it, wondering how you never saw it before.

“It’d be nice to settle down after all these years. Think about it, your daddy killed himself for those cows,” he grins at you, “I can’t let em waste away.”

---

the sauce

[perreqult]

THE ‘COUGAR TYPE’ ✶ will smith

summary: will shoots his shot with an older woman (fork found in kitchen)

word count: 1.6k

contains: drinking, swearing, cougars (me core), think that’s it

notes: written by a ‘cougar in progress’ ™. also this is unedited so don’t expect this to be good at ALL.

“Who are you staring at?” Macklin asks, searching around to find who Will’s gaze landed on. He spots you, sipping a coors light, leaning up against a wall with your friends.

“Oh God.” He mumbles, knowing exactly what Wills thinking. “Are you seriously going to go try and flirt with her?” Macklin teases, looking over to Will and laughing, placing his hand on Will’s shoulder. Will’s face flushes and pushing Macklin’s arm right off of him.

“Fuck off.” Will tells him, rolling his eyes. “You do know she’s probably just gonna tell you ‘No.’ as soon as you walk over there, right?” Macklin says, teasing him and placing his arm on him once more.

“You..You don’t know that!” He says, probably louder than he should’ve because a few people around them turn their heads for a moment.

“Okay. Sure, go shoot your shot.” Macklin jokes to him, lifting his hands up and sighs. “It’s gonna be really funny when she immediately turns you down.” Will continues to roll his eyes with every word out of Macklin’s mouth.

“Wait! I need to go get Ekky, he’ll be laughing his ass off.” He runs off, bringing his other teammate back to where Will is standing, pondering thoughts.

“Macklin, what?” Eklund says through slurred words, as Macklin clearly didn’t tell him the reason to be brought over here. “Will wants to go hit on this girl. He seriously thinks he’s got a chance.” He tell him through giggles.

“Ok, number one; don’t point at people, that’s rude, number two; who cares?” Eklund sighs out, lecturing Macklin like he’s his mother.

“Okay, but even you know he doesn’t have a chance!” He says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Who are we even talking out?” Eklund asks, looking around.

Macklin points over to you and Eklund just laughs. “Oh yeah, Macklin’s right.” He tells Will, patting him on the back.

“What?” Will practically jumps up, breaking his silence, “How do you know?” He asks, worry covering his face. “I met her a while ago, her sister does social media stuff for the team.” He says, answering his question.

“She’s older than you—” Eklund says, trying to continue but being cut off. “Okay? That doesn’t matter.” Will says defensively. “Yeah, I don’t think she’s the cougar type is all.” He replies, backing up and throwing his hands up. Macklin is having a ball as he’s laughing in the most obnoxious way he could.

“Okay I don’t really care what you guys say. Fuck off.” He sighs and pouts and pushes his drink into Macklin’s chest and makes his way over to you.

The last thing you remember is your friends making a stupid joke about some stupid movie that came out recently, disassociating from the conversation completely. You snap back into reality when you hear what sounds like a 17 year olds voice.

“Uh, hey.” Are the words that draw your attention as you look over. It’s a kid. Looks—what, 18? not this shit again. “Hey.” You give a dry response and you can see the light in his eyes practically disappear.

“Trash ass party, huh?” Hey jokes nervously, trying to save his terrible introduction. “Yeah, why are you here? You’re not dressed like a frat boy but you have the look of one.” You joke to him and jester to his outfit which isn’t the typical frat attire.

“Yeah I uhh.. I get that a lot.” He says, continuing your joke. Just by the way he acts you can tell he doesn’t get told that a lot, but he’s clearly trying to save your awkward conversation.

“So what’re you? 18? Or do you just look like a child?” You ask. He gets flustered and looks down like he’s embarrassed before he says anything. “Oh, no.. um I’m actually 20.” You seriously don’t believe him.

“Are you joking?” You laugh out. “What? No. I really am.” He sputters out, embarrassed. “Uh I have my license I’m not lying.” He tells you, fishing into his pocket and pulling out his wallet and license.

Sure enough, “WILLIAM SMITH— 3/17/2005– EYES: BLUE— HGT- 6’-0–”You’d stopped reading at that point, not caring all too much about his address.

“Your name is Will Smith?” You ask, looking up at him. “Yeah. More common of a name than you’d think.” He jokes with a nervous chuckle. He does seem genuine but you can’t help but laugh.

“That must be inconvenient.” You tease, giggling through your words. He blushes as he lets out a flustered laugh.

“Now that you’ve interrogated me about my age, think I could learn yours?” He asks, trying to be smooth but seeming like anything but that with his beet red face.

You tell him your age, name, where your from, basically everything that is included in a conversation. You do happen to notice—what look to be— his friends staring over at you.

“Those your friends?” You ask, gesturing your hand towards a brunette laughing his ass off and someone familiar— maybe you met him through your sister or something— laughing along with him.

Will whips his head back and you can’t tell he wants to rip his hair out when he sees them. “Oh.. um, yeah. They’re my friends but they act sorta weird sometimes— I’m sorry.” He says, embarrassed.

“Why don’t you bring ‘em over here? That brown haired one seems wasted. I’m dying to meet him.” You say, looking over at them both belly laughing.

“Oh, oh ok.” He tells you before darting off to go bring them over to where you’re standing. You can see him grumble something into the brunettes ear looking pretty serious.

“So um.. this is Macklin” He nudges the brunette one. “And this is Will but we just call him Ekky.” You chuckle. “Yeah, I know him. At least i think I do— ‘looks pretty familiar.”

There’s an awkward setting of silence before Macklin soon breaks it.

“So are you like a cougar or what?” Macklin asks you drunkenly, slurring it all together. Will gets even more red—if that were even possible— and elbows Macklin in the stomach. “Ekky” just laughs, spurring out some of the drink he was sipping on.

“Oh wow, that was bold.” You joke to him, acting fake surprised. He quickly replies, “Well are you?” He asks before taking another sip of his drink, probably his second or third by the way he’s acting.

“From time to time.” You answer, looking over to Will as you say it. Macklin and Eklund look like they’re trying to resist the urge to burst out into laughter when they see Will’s nervous expression.

“Macklin how about you.. go sit down or something?” He tells him, clearly just wanting him out of there. He looks like he’s about to protest but walks away slowly, rolling his eyes.

“I, will go watch him.” Eklund slurs out, pointing to Macklin, who’s stumbling around the room, confused and dazed.

“Yeah, when I said they were weird I wasn’t really lying.” Will tells you, looking back at them, Macklin waving goodbye to you.

“I mean they’re definitely funny.” You giggle out, waving back at Macklin before Eklund smacks his hand down and drags him to a couch.

“You’re pretty funny too, kid.” You point out before finishing your drink, reaching your arm around to discard it on the table behind you.

He practically explodes hearing this but try’s to keep his composure, he fails terribly, a flustered grin spreading across his face. “Cute, too” You continue, smiling at him.

Will intended to say something but the words were stuck in his throat. When he finally musters up something it’s something stupid, “Oh.. um, thanks.” He wants to die. A hot girl that thinks he’s funny just said he’s cute and that was all he could say? He squints his eyes out of embarrassment.

“This party’s lame. I’m heading home.” You say plainly, yawning, patting down your pants to make sure you had your phone.

“Oh.” He says, disappointed, trying to hide it but yet again, failing miserably.

“It’d be a little less lame if I left with your number.” You say, waiting for him to process what you just said. Just like you expected his eyes almost pop out of the sockets, and he fumbles with his pocket before pulling out his phone.

“Uh here.” He tells you as you two exchange phones, saving eachother’s contacts. “Um.. thanks.” He sputters out. He thinks that was even worse than his response to when you called him cute.

“I’ll see you around sometime, kid. Don’t let my number go to waste.” You tell him, bidding him goodbye as you walk out with your friends. He just waves, too nervous to say anything back.

“That was an all star level performance, Smitty. Didn’t know you had that in ya.” Eklund says, leaning over his shoulder behind him. “He barely even said anything!” Macklin replies, wrapping his arm around Will’s shoulder, teasing him.

“Shut up.” He just says, tired and heart still beating out of his chest, removing Macklin’s arms from his shoulder and gently shoving Ekland off of him.

12:17 PM — next day

Do you think you’d let a kid take you out on a date?

↳ is he a cute guy with blue eyes and blond curls? if so sign me up

[junnieverse]

STRAWBERRY KISSES ➳ N. RIKI

➙ synopsis: you decided to hop on the latest trend where your boyfriend, riki, does your grwm voiceover, but he on the other hand has other plans in mind for you both.

pairing: non idol!nishimura riki x fem!reader

genre: fluff, crack, slightly suggestive

word count: 0.9k

warnings: briefly proofread, riki jokingly calling reader a thief/kleptomaniac

a/n: i would like to say i was inspired to write this with my own little spin after reading a jake fic similar to this awhile back that i found so cute, tysm to that author <3

“Yo yo yo, what’s up guys.” his deep voice croaks into the mic as he turns his gaze to you.

“Is this on?” Riki asks tilting his head to the side, whilst the video of your makeup routine was paused on the screen of the laptop.

You nod before giving him a thumbs up to get started.

You had been wanting to post more content on your social media lately and you thought joining along the whole “boyfriend voiceover” trend would be perfect for you and a fun activity for both you and your silly partner.

“Okay so my lovely girlfriend asked me to do the voiceover for her makeup ‘get ready with me’ video because for one, she’s obsessed with me- ow!” he groans rubbing his arm as he chuckles after cheekily after you swatted him seeing as he successfully teased you.

“I swear she loves me. And uh secondly, I have two sisters so I think I should do well knowing a thing or two about these kinds of stuff.” he continues with a confident smirk.

Clicking play on the video in front of you, you silently watch beside your boyfriend as he closely follows along, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“I will never understand how and why she needs all of this stuff to begin with. I for one think my girlfriend is insanely beautiful the way she looks now, bare face and all. Like a cute kitten.” he rambles seemingly wanting to go on and on about how perfect you are—before you abruptly remind him of what he needs to be doing.

“Okay let me lock in, sorry. So first up we got moisturiser. Yep, gotta keep the skin hydrated ofcourse.” he says nodding along as you show your entire process, step-by-step.

“Next we’ve got… uh, some gel like clear substance..? Why are we adding goo to our faces now?” he mutters the last part with a deep chuckle into the mic as you side eye him.

“It’s primer Riki.” you whisper but still loud enough for the mic to catch.

“Tch, I knew that.” he sneakily remarks sticking his tongue out at you, only for you to roll your eyes in response.

For the most part your boyfriend knew what he was talking about which shocked you, but his overall confidence in his knowledge also annoyed you.

Although you could say the things he didn’t know did have you quietly laughing away from the mic a couple of times.

“Then that is some sort of make up stick? And we’re blending it in. Woah it made your jaw look sharper too. You’d swear you were mewing.” he says in awe of your contouring skills making you laugh softly, once again.

Watching you draw your eyeliner with the pencil with ease, Riki claps softly amazed by what he called “sheer talent”.

“This has to be the one of the very few products I’m most confident in and that’s the eyeliner. Any girl that can pull off making winged liner look so effortlessly straight has my respect. Shout out.”

“And then we’ve got… THATS BLUSH! I knew what that was!” he says excitedly with a proud smile having underestimated his prior knowledge for a second.

“Okay and now lipgloss. My personal favourite because I get to tas-“

“Riki!” you cut him off knowing exactly where he was going as you hit his arm once again.

“Okay okay my bad. God forbid a man talk about how he loves kissing his girl.” he huffs into the mic as the video continued rolling.

Shaking your head, you gently pinch his cheek making him pout as you smile, “focus on the video, oh my gosh.”

“And lastly we have… is that like some sort of mist? What is that? Wait don’t tell me I’ve seen you use it before- it’s… setting spray!” he answers almost last minute with a huff of relief for getting it right.

You then show off your final look to the camera posing with a gleaming smile to which your boyfriend smiles back.

“Damn look at that fine woman on screen, that’s my girl.” he says hyping you up as he whistles.

“Wait is that my necklace- chat I’ve been looking for that everyone and she’s been hoarding it, you slick thief.” he gasps in shock noticing the silver chain around your neck, which you had previously claimed to not have seen.

Giggling softly you only shrug avoiding his gaze as he only shakes his head not really upset at you, “oopsie~”

Paying his attention back to the video on screen, with his hand on his chest, Riki dramatically feigns being struck, “oh my gawd my girlfriend is the most beautiful woman out there… kleptomaniac and all.”

“I still don’t know why she needed the makeup in the first place since she looked beautiful even before but I’m not mad, either way you’re always pretty.” he says adding his last commentary saying the last part directly to you.

You quietly thank him mouthing out the words with a shy smile feeling flattered.

“Okay so that was my princess’ ‘get ready with me’ slash makeup routine, whatever you guys wanna call it. Hope you guys enjoyed listening to my sexy voice that she is so blessed to hear everyday. I’m gonna go see what flavour lip gloss my girl used this time, fingers crossed it’s my favourite.”

Giggling at his words, you watch Riki turn the mic and laptop off as he scoops you into his arms before gently placing you down on the bed.

Caging you between as arms as he hovers above you, he leans down to kiss you as you melt into his intoxicating touch enjoying the moment all too much before he pulls away leaving you confused.

“Strawberry? Nice.” he remarks at the taste of your lips before your wrap your arms around his neck pulling him back in for more.

[eternalglitter]

♫ Have Ya Babies - Smoke Moore

(3) Why has it been so long? Why has it been so long? Why has it been so long? Why has it been so long? Why has it been so long? Why has it been so long?

Aspen was adamant about wearing the color yellow. Ever since she agreed to go out with Smoke, the color of the sun was calling her name. Adrienne was also, quite literally, calling her name.

“So you’re ready to be back out there?” Adrienne asked sincerely. Aspen didn’t do casual. She didn’t like unpredictability. Everything about the Moore lifestyle screamed both. Even if Adrienne had no clue just who Aspen was easing towards.

“Yeah. I’m just agreeing to lunch.” She rushed out. She was grateful that they were talking traditionally rather than FaceTime, otherwise Adrienne would’ve clocked her hesitation.

“Okay.” Adrienne got quiet for a moment. “And I can’t see him again because of what?” She quizzed.

She wasn’t obsessed with Aspen’s love life, but if someone was taking her out, she deserved to know who — in case something went left.

“Adri.” Aspen sighed. “I’ll be fine. Promise. My location will be on.” She reassured.

A few more true crime stories later and Adrienne finally let it go.

“Just be safe.”

Aspen hung up, grateful. Her best friend, always full of concern, meant well but she was eager to pursue this independently.

The yellow dress matched the version of herself she wanted Smoke to see — confident, elegant, not trying too hard. It dipped low enough to draw the eye and stopped just short enough to let the imagination do its job. Appropriately dressed for lunch. A museum, maybe. Or anything else Smoke Moore might pull from his sleeve.

_________________________________

Stack eyed his brother in gentle curiosity. One thing missed about identical twins? They mirrored each other. Stack felt Smoke’s feelings and he wore them on his own face.

This time though, Stack was confused.

Smoke was expectantly blank all the time, but in times of celebration, worship, and praise he was a bit loose. Unguarded.

Stack felt that his brother looked off.

The lawsuit was dropped and they had the exclusive performer for the VS Fashion Show, two things that Smoke had been striving for. Smoke was quiet even for himself.

“You got better places to be?” Stack teased. Half jokingly, half concerned. Smoke never talked about his feelings. Not to Elias. Not to anyone.

In the past when his feelings were hurt he would just go mute. He’d toss his old trainers on and run for miles. Away from daddy. Away from responsibility.

“Elijah I done told you about being so hard on those shoes.” Disappointment in his eyes. “How you gone be a big brother and you doing the same stupid shit.”

“Yes sir.” Elijah replied, his head lowered in defeat.

He told Elias that they shouldn’t run in them but Elias was the only one who pushed his buttons.

“What you scared of? A challenge? Slow poke. Slow poke!” Elias taunted throwing little pebbles at his brother.

“Quit it.”

“Na slow poke. Slow poke smoke’s what we gone start calling you. Slow poke too scared of smoke.” Elias taunted repeatedly until Elijah planted his feet on ground and left Elias in a dusty, smoke-like, cloud.

“Man quit I wasn’t ready!”

The was the first time that Elijah clung to the name Smoke. The beginning of his resentment towards his father and guiltily — towards his brother.

“I’m satisfied Stack.” Smoke huffed out, still sounding grumpy, but aware of his brother’s observation.

Something was throwing him off. Was taking a woman out for lunch so foreign for him? That couldn’t be what broke his normal, blank expression. Not this early.

“You should be! Now I called Metro and they-“

“I got plans tonight.” Smoke cut him off. Smoke had no business being near Stack and Metro at the same time. Especially not today.

“Sammie said you’d say no anyway.” Stack sucked his teeth. “No fun.”

“Ay don’t be poisoning my cousin man.” Smoke looked up. Staring Elias in his eyes made his stomach churn sometimes.

“Whatever.” Stack’s eyes lowered. “What you doing that you so busy tonight?”

“Bye Stack.”

Stack sucked his teeth again. “Don’t go fatherin’ no kid and pin it on me!” Stack called out as he walked away.

That would definitely go the other way around if that ever happened. Luckily they didn’t have the same taste.

_________________________________

Smoke sat in her driveway in silence. He’d been there for a few minutes before he texted her. He scoped out the block. Made note of her car, cute. Texted her once his car was in park.

I’m here. Take ya time.

In no rush to speed up this evening, Smoke quietly sparked one up. Just a drag. Just to ease his mind. This was the first date in a while, his first of the year.

Aspen did her time. Enthralled by her own presence she hadn’t heard Smoke’s message come through. It was only five minutes though.

She sprayed a little bit of her favorite perfume, kissed her cat goodbye, and made her way downstairs to see Smoke.

To see Smoke.

That felt unreal. Smoke Moore was in her driveway. And only the two of them knew it.

How long could that last?

Smoke ashed the blunt as soon as Aspen’s front door opened. Got out of his own seat and walked around the passenger side to open her door.

His eyes swept over her like a slow draw. Yellow dress. Yellow heels. Yellow might be his favorite color.

“Ya look beautiful.” Smoke admitted once she was in earshot.

“Thank you.” Aspen smiled shyly. The warmth in his voice did more to her than the heat outside.

Smoke looked good too. Fitted white tee, tailored black bottoms, and a scent that made her thighs tense. He smelt like a man who needed to be taken care of. Handled carefully on hands and kn-

Aspen blinked away the haze. That was not where she wanted her mind. A man like Smoke had accessible sex. Would he really go through all of this if it was just for sex?

“Smells nice in here.” Aspen revealed, eager to break the tension. She felt like she could hear her own heartbeat.

“You smell nice. Look real nice too.” He complemented again. From the corner of his eye he could still see her eyes blink away what she was desperately trying to hide.

“You always this kind?” Aspen laughed, deflecting away from the fact that Smoke was sizing her.

“Only when I see a lady in a sundress.” He smirked as they approached the red light.

“Guess I should wear one more often then,” she said, biting back a grin.

“Absolutely.”

“So where we going?” Aspen asked. He said that he was taking her out but never specified where.

“I know a good spot. Good people.”

“I love good food.”

And Smoke knew how to use a highlight to make a decision.

He knew this could be trouble — but trouble rarely smelled this sweet.

_________________________________

♫ Now playing: Come Thru - Drake

“You still in school?” Smoke asked. He was trying to keep up with the titles being released from her mouth.

“One more semester to go.” Aspen smiled.

“Ya scared?” He asked genuinely. “For the weight of carrying other people’s burden?”

“You know what it feels like?”

It got quiet. Not awkward — just full.

The waitress appeared just in time, refilling their glasses before either of them had a chance to respond.

“On the house. Mr. Moore’s a good man.” The girl admitted looking admiringly at Smoke.

“So I hear.” Aspen’s eyes never left Smoke’s.

“Don’t flatter me Lis’.”

“Somebody has to. You sure won’t do it yourself!” She laughed walking away with the wine bottle.

“You don’t celebrate your wins?” Aspen asked once she walked away.

“Pay that no mind.”

“Mhmm that says no.” Aspen raised. “How come you not celebrating right now.”

Aspen heard about the lawsuit being dismissed. Some of her friends reposted the announcement on their pages. The lawsuit was effecting their efforts to headline Coachella, something every artist eventually wanted to do.

“I’m exactly where I want to be.”

“Here’s to you Smoke. One of many accolades acknowledged.” Aspen smiled clinking her glass with an uncertain Smoke.

“Come on. Clink my glass or I’m calling the kid back out here.” She joked. Smoke sighed but he complied, lifting his glass to touch hers.

_________________________________

They stayed longer than expected. The plates were cleared, but neither of them made a move. Just two half-full glasses of wine, and a low instrumental playing in the background.

“I ain’t ready to drop you off yet.” Smoke admitted after enough silence had passed.

“I don’t have a curfew.” Rolling off her tongue with clear approval. She was having a better time than anticipated. This might’ve been the first time she felt seen as a grown woman and not just something pretty.

Smoke was a listener. He answered questions but rarely offered information unless asked. He listened to her words, imagined some of the places she’d been, and made mental notes of her interest.

Something about needing a pilates studio? He’ll figure that out later.

Smoke held the door open for her once they left the restaurant. Lunch was amazing and the owners had been good people just as Smoke said.

They didn’t drive far. Just a few blocks down. The sun had started to drop low enough to give everything that golden glaze. The light bounced off Aspen’s skin, almost if the sun was complementing her outfit.

Smoke slowed as they passed a faded blue storefront, easy to miss if you’re speeding. The windows were a bit worn, painted with various album covers.

“Thought that looked like a record shop,” he mumbled.

Aspen blinked. Then again.

“Wait.” Her voice high. “That’s— Jesus. That’s still open?”

“You been here?” Smoke eyed. He could hardly see the store being active based on the appearance alone.

“My brother and I used to come here all the time.” It rolled off her tongue so easily. She hadn’t meant to say the thoughts aloud. Not before she could dress it up.

“They had this back section just for underground hip-hop. He used to spend hours back there, trying his best to win Nas tickets.”

“Ya brother spit?” Smoke asked as he parked. Aspen couldn’t help but to watch as he turned his head to reverse into an empty parking spot. What a side profile.

Aspen didn’t answer right away. She just looked at the building like it would answer for her. Like it could wrap her in a tight hug and pull her back in time.

“No,” she said once Smoke looked over. “He just really loved music.”

Once they stepped inside a soft bell greeted them. Followed by the familiar crackle of something spinning from the back — Marvin Gaye filled the room just like did so many years ago.

Dust floated in the sunlight like memory particles. Aspen’s heels muffled against the old carpet. She spilt a coke here once on this very same carpet. Moving too fast, laughing too hard, enjoying the moments that she couldn’t get back now.

“Everything’s exactly the same,” she whispered. “Even the smell.”

Smoke watched her. Carefully. The way her fingers ghosted over the shelves. The way her eyes scanned the vinyl like they were searching for something that wasn’t even there. His eyes danced in precision as he walked behind her.

“Your brother,” Smoke started, walking closer to the vinyls that Aspen rummaged through.

“He the only family you mention,” he said. Not accusatory. Just observant. Just using the little knowledge that she revealed.

Aspen stopped. Just for a second. Her back still turned away from him.

“Yeah,” she said. That was it. She didn’t need to say anything else.

Smoke didn’t press. He didn’t need to.

He reached past her gently and picked up a worn copy of Illmatic. The one her finger had been silently brushing over.

“This his favorite?”

“The favorite,” Aspen said with a stiff laugh. “He used to say Nas taught him more than school ever did.”

Smoke studied the cover, flipping it over like it weighed more than it did. He knew this album. Knew some of the people on it too.

“Smart man.”

Aspen looked at him then, eyes just a little too shiny.

“He was.”

Smoke didn’t respond. He wasn’t too good at comforting people. Instead, he paid for the record and handed it to her without a word.

Aspen held it close during the entire car ride home. It was the first time in years she held a piece of Joseph outside of a memory.

The first time she felt physical comfort from something that reminded her of him. The first time that she felt seen in the eyes of grief. Smoke Moore was the one who did that for her.

_________________________________

@thefutureemmywinner

@coldeforprez

@rolemodelshit

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

butterflygirl738 (5)

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, power imbalance, sickness, medical bills, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You love butterflies and your mother, but life isn’t that simple. As life gets complicated, and expensive, you find yourself in need and an unexpected miracle presents itself.

Characters: Steve Rogers (CEO/Sugar Daddy)

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

This is what you wanted, isn't it? For things to get easier? For some godsend to come and save you from the deepening pit of debt and despair?

Is that what S is? Is he really going to save you? And your mother? Can his money do that? Or are you just dragging out the inevitable? Is this also just denial? False hope? What do you call it?

There's some things you can see clearly he isn't lying about. The money. It's already in your account like he said. And his car screams rich. Richer than you could ever hope to be. A rental but not the type they give to someone with nothing in the bank.

You look out at your apartment building. Those second thoughts already have you nervously picking at the edges of your nails. You take a deep breath and look straight to the windshield.

"You okay?" S asks, startling you from your doubt.

"Yeah, yeah, I... I've never lied to my mom before. Not as big as this. I mean yeah, I lied about losing her pearl earrings in grade school but that lasted all of two hours..." You frame your face and sit back in the seat. "I'm rambling. I'm sorry." You drop your arms. "And I've wasted enough of your time."

"Not wasted. Honest," He leans his hand on the steering wheel. "I'm headed to the hotel to eat room service alone." He scoffs and gives a sardonic smile. "Exciting stuff. But uh... it's a nice suite."

"Hah, yeah. Must be weird being away from home," you sniff.

"Not much different. Still empty." He shrugs.

"Uh huh," you hum thoughtfully.

"Well, you can tell your mom you went for an interview? Got something new? That could explain... things as they come up."

You pick at your lip and nod. "Makes sense."

"I could mock stuff up for you. I mean, I have letterhead," he chuckles and rubs his neck. "I'm not a great liar either, sorry."

You chuckle thinly. "It feels... hopeless." You shake your head. "Not you. Just... alright. Gotta face the music." You look at him. "S, thank you. For lunch and being patient with me. Sometimes I feel like a piece of my brain is not there." You exhale and grab the door.

"Uh, wait, before you go," he grabs your other arm then quickly lets go. You sit back and look at him. "I'm gonna be in town for a few days. So, I was hoping tomorrow we could... spend some more time together."

Your lips part. That's a surprise. You just assumed you'd have more time to adjust. To process. Time. It's precious and you don't know how much you truly have.

"Oh, right," you breathe.

"Unless... " he draws out.

"Oh, oh, I... I thought maybe you had to go back. For your business," you say as you wring your hands. Your skin is raw. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking and... you know, I have work but, I guess I'll be calling in."

"Sure, I didn't mean to blindside you. Sometimes I think things and just assume other people know," he clears his throat. "So, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Yeah," you agree and pull the handle, pushing the door out. "Please, go get some rest. You flew out here, it must've been a long day."

"It's sweet of you to think of me," he says.

"Good night," you smile and stand straight. You shut the door and turn to look up at the dingy apartment building.

You drag your feet forward. Your lips move silently as you rehearse your lies. You purse them and slant your mouth one way than the other.

You almost collide with someone else as they come out of the building. You step out of their way and wait. You glance back. S idles at the curb. You wave before you go inside.

You climb the stairs one at a time. You're wading through molasses. As you get to the apartment door, you hesitate. Stop. Get yourself together. This isn't against her, it's for her. This could save your mom.

You enter and the deja vu makes you feel out of place. Everything is as it should be yet it feels like it's all changed. Your mom is on the couch, reading, her head in her hand, her finger feeling the edge of her scarf. You shut the door gently.

"Hi mom," you say as you put your bag down. You sanitize your hands before you go any further. "How was your day?"

"Good," she sits up. "You were gone a while. I thought it was your day off."

"I'm sorry, I didn't... say." You linger by the entryway. "So, uh, I really didn't want to get my hopes up and... I thought I'd surprise you..." you let the words dangle. You watch her, waiting for her to challenge you. She looks tired. "I went for an interview and er, I got it."

"An interview?" She echoes.

"Yeah. It pays better, so I said yes... and... yeah."

"Another store?"

"Um... admin?" You say.

Her lashes flutter and she smiles. "Wow, that's great, pie. Very good." The book closes in her lap and she brings her hands up to her face. "Can you help me to bed? I'm feeling nauseous."

"Oh, of course, mom."

You near her and offer your arm. She gets up and you help her around the couch. She doesn't even have the energy to doubt you. She has bigger problems. She's staring down that abyss and you're worried about a little white lie. She doesn't need to know, she doesn't need to worry. She just needs to get better.

🦋

S arrives at nine. You're outside waiting. You're anxious, not excited. You feel bad enough leaving your mom for work, but this feels wrong. Not just that you're lying to her, but about what.

You get in the car as he smiles at you. "Good morning, I brought coffee," he announces proudly.

You look at the paper cups. You smile back. It feels strangely normal. This is what you see on TV. Real couples do this. This isn't real.

"Thanks, that's so nice," you say. You buckle in and peer around. You feel like you're being watched. Like one of the neighbours will tattle on you. "H--How was your night?"

"Not too bad. Watched a movie. Fell asleep before it ended," he snorts as he pulls away from the curb. "Old man hours."

"Ah," you nod. "I just read a bit. Checked on the butterflies."

"They getting close?" He asks.

"Yeah. Should be soon I think."

"Hm. Nice. You eat yet?" He asks.

"I had some toast." You answer.

"Cool. I hope you don't mind a bit of a road trip? I found this place in the next town. Has good reviews."

"Oh, it's totally up to you but... I don't want to be too much," you scratch your neck.

"This is the deal, right? Spending time together. So don't worry about being too much. Just try to enjoy yourself," he girds.

"Right, yes, I just... guess it's been a while since I did anything for fun. God, that sounds lame, doesn't it?" You ask.

"Lame or it means you've been working hard." He says.

"I guess so," you agree.

He drives on and you stare through the window. It's better that you leave town. It's not like you're well-known but you don't need to chance anyone seeing you with him. Out-of-towners always tend to inspire gossip. Mom doesn't go out much but...

Your mind won't stop. You try to calm it as the minutes tick by. Your worries are replaced by curiosity. Where exactly is he taking you?

Before you can assume the worst, you recognise the large stone behind the town sign. You haven't been around this way in years. He steers past the green park and through town square.

As he pulls in at the vaguely familiar yellow brick building, you can't help but pinch yourself. How could he know? Maybe just a lucky guess. You went to the conservatory once as a child. You realised later how expensive that birthday trip was.

"Here we are," S says. "I know it's nothing fancy."

"It's... it's great," you say. "I love this place."

"You've been here?"

"Not in ages but once," you answer.

"Ah, I should've figured."

He grabs his phone and wallet as the engine quiets. He gets out and slides them into his back pockets. You undo your belt and climb out as he comes around the car.

We waves you ahead of him toward the arched front doors. He pulls one open and lets you through first. He approaches the desk and takes out his phone. He has them scan his passes and puts it away again.

He turns to you and offers his hand. You stare for a moment before you accept. His skin is warm.

He takes you through the entryway to the first wing. Here they have all the antiquated inventions; funky looking glasses with stacked lenses and scientific tools you couldn't guess at the purpose of. You stop to read the placards as S leans in to admire the objects.

"Probably not your favourite part," he says.

"I don't mind. I like old things."

"Ah, me too. Maybe one day... well, who knows, I might take you to the museum in New York... but... who knows," he shrugs.

"Maybe," you say. You don't know about all that. That's a long way away.

You continue on around the winding exhibits and into the room with the live exhibits. Insects of all kinds. You let go of S and stop to watch the bees in the hive with a tunnel to the outside world. There's a little sign explaining that the conservatory houses the hive as a protective effort.

"They have a new part to it," S says. "I saw it on the website. Down that way."

"Oh," you back up. "Sure, whatever you want to do."

He leads you on. You admire the windows that look onto colonies and tunnels of different insects. You stop short at the next door. 'Butterfly Room.' You look at S. The last time you came, you remember there was one tiny little exhibit of unhatched chrysalis.

You rush through ahead of him in excitement. A blue flutter brushes over your forehead and another flap of yellow sweeps by. You spin as the lazy wings beat around you, others still as butterflies rest on petals or branches. It's a menagerie. A garden full of colours.

You turn and look all around. You're breathless and amazed. In that moment, there's nothing else but the beauty of those creatures.

You smile and tilt your head up. A monarch lands on your nose and you freeze. S laughs and you look over at him as he aims his phone at you. The butterfly flees.

He turns the screen to show you the picture. You blush and rock bashfully. "That's cute."

"It is," he agrees."

"S," you gasp, "this is amazing."

"It is." He looks around and lowers his phone. "It's nice to have someone to enjoy it with."

"It is," you cheep. You turn and follow the path of a white flutter.

You go to the bench and sit. It's bittersweet. It's nice to not be alone, but you wish it was your mom here with you. She's all you have but with her being sick, it only sinks in then, how lonely you've really been. She's there but not really. She's fighting a battle you can't understand.

S sits beside you. He's quiet. You blink away a glaze of tears.

"It's really beautiful," you say. "Thank you so much. I can't... I can't even begin to tell you how much..." You sniff. "How much I appreciate this."

"You don't have to say it," he assures you.

"But I should. There's so much I never say. So much to say. So much I might never have the chance..." you lower your head. "I'm really trying. I don't want to be sad. I don't want to ruin this day." You exhale. "You didn't pay to watch me mope."

"I did. I paid to be close to you. To be with you," he shifts closer. "And whatever that means, is fine with me." He puts his hand on yours, like the day before. It doesn't feel as strange anymore. "I don't want you to think about that. The money. I want you to have a nice day. With me."

You nod and gulp. You breathe out the emotion and look at him.

"Why?" You croak.

He stares at you. His cheek dimples. "I got lucky. I took a chance... and I met you."

He squeezes your hand and you look down. His hand wraps easily around yours. It makes you feel safe. It's been so long since you felt anything close to that.

[boba-pearl-writes]

8/11 - quill - word count: 461 - @rosekillermicrofic

“Reggie, I understand you’re trying to be an academic weapon but can you stop studying for at least a few minutes?” Barty said, his expression the picture of boredom. 

Barty knew there would be a potions test soon and that, realistically, he would also probably have to study. He couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

“Don’t call me that,” was the only response. Regulus continued scribbling notes into the margins of the notes he already had. Overkill, if you asked Barty.

Evan’s arm knocked against Barty’s, and Barty was made aware, for the hundredth time that day, that he was the only one not taking this test seriously. Whatever. Not like he wanted (or needed) to study. 

He was just about to start groaning about how he needed more attention, when Evan held Barty’s wrist gently with his hand, pulling it towards him. Barty blinked in surprise and looked over at Evan. 

“Hold on,” was the only explanation Barty got.

Then, he felt the cold press of the ink from Evan’s quill on his arm. He stared, mesmerized, as Evan started drawing patterns that vaguely resembled potions ingredients and the order in which to combine them, and could almost be counted as studying. 

Only Evan was truly studying, though- Barty was staring at Evan’s lashes against his face as he concentrated, the way his dreads were falling out of their messy tie, just him. Needless to say, Barty was distracted. 

“There,” Evan said quietly after what could’ve been a few minutes or a few hours. Barty honestly couldn’t tell. “Now you know everything you need to.”

“Uh huh,” Barty said, glancing at the black ink on his arms, and then back at Evan, who was smiling. Beautiful, Barty’s brain supplied. It seemed to be the only word he could think at that moment. 

Barty caught Evan’s hand with his own and held it, a tether as he got lost in Evan’s beautiful hazel eyes, trying to find the thoughts that lay within. Evan’s smile softened, and they looked at each other, drinking in the moment. Barty’s eyes dropped to Evan’s lips. 

“Can you two please stop eye-fucking each other?” Regulus snapped, his eyes finally glancing up from his potions notes. “I’m trying to study here.”

“Shut up, Reggie,” Barty said, rolling his eyes, his hand still in Evan’s. “Not like you don’t fantasize about being railed by Potter every time you see him. It’s disgusting, honestly.”

“Thin ice, Bartemius,” Regulus ground out, and Barty and Evan laughed. Barty glanced at Evan, who was stifling his laughter in his hand that wasn’t holding Barty’s. Beautiful, Barty thought again, for there was no other word for him, for this moment. 

And, at this moment, Barty was right where he wanted to be. 

[cosmicaura7]

AITA SERIES

Pairings : pedro pascal characters x reader

Genre : f/m, sexual implications, controversial topics, taboo topics, use of R to refer to reader, 

Synopsis : So Reddit, Am I the Asshole…?

Clint Flood (Freaky Tales)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for being in love with my boyfriend’s dad?

I know how this sounds. I’m not proud of it. But I also can’t stop thinking about it, so here I am.

I (26F) have been dating J (28M) for almost a year now. He’s a good guy, steady, kind and a little boring but safe. The kind of guy you’re supposed to want to marry. The kind your mom would approve of.

Then there’s his dad. C (mid-50s). A little rough around the edges. Quiet, tall and intense. He’s got these piercing eyes that feel like they can see right through you and this whole ex-military and no-bullshit vibe that makes the air change when he walks into a room.

The first time I met him, I already felt something. But I ignored it, pushed it down. But it’s gotten worse. Every time I visit their family cabin, every time we sit across from each other at dinner, I feel his gaze linger just a little too long. I catch him watching me when he thinks I won’t notice. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look right back. It’s not just lust, either. He actually sees me, listens to me in a way his son never really does. He remembers the small things I say, and even notices when I change my hair. Once, when I was quietly crying in the hallway during a family weekend (long story), he was the one who came out and handed me a glass of water without a word.

I feel so drawn to him. And I know how messed up that is, I’m dating his son after all. There’s no world where this ends well. I haven’t cheated. I haven’t done anything beyond maybe letting my imagination wander and entertaining a few dreams I’ll never admit out loud. But lately, when I’m with J, I just feel off. Like I’m pretending. Like I’m waiting for someone else to walk into the room. Someone who makes my skin burn with just a glance.

So Reddit… AITA for staying in a relationship when my heart might be somewhere else? Am I horrible for wanting a man I can’t have? Or is this just a passing obsession I need to bury deeper?

Dave York (The Equalizer 2)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for not acting on feelings for my kids’ babysitter even though she clearly wants me to?

Okay Reddit, I know how this sounds, but hear me out before you jump to “creep” in the comments.

I (41M) am a divorced dad of two daughters, A (10) and M (7). They’re my world. Been raising them mostly solo for the past three years since the split and it hasn’t been easy. Between work, school pickups and dance recitals, I needed help. Enter her (let’s call her R, 26F), the babysitter I hired after a friend’s recommendation.

She’s absolutely incredible. Responsible, patient, smart, funny and grounded. Everything you’d want in a woman. My girls adore her. They draw her pictures, ask for her when they’re sick, even slip up and call her “Mom” sometimes. I figured that would make things easier, someone stable in their lives.

What I didn’t expect was me being the unstable one. Because the problem is, she’s also gorgeous. Like, unfairly so. And lately, I can’t tell if I’m imagining things or if she’s trying to test me. The casual touches, the way she lingers in the kitchen when I come home, the soft voice when she tells me I look tired and should get more sleep, the ridiculously tight tank tops, the lip gloss and the way she looks at me when she doesn’t think I notice.

Part of me, a big part, wants to give in. I’m a man, I’m not oblivious to it. But the other part? The one that tucks my daughters in at night? That part is scared shitless. What if I misread everything? What if this ruins the bond she has with my girls? What if they lose someone they love because their dad couldn’t keep it in his pants?

She’s never said anything outright, never crossed a clear line. But I can feel the tension and I can feel myself getting closer to breaking every day. I want her so badly but I also want what’s best for my kids. I just don’t know if those two things can exist at the same time.

So Reddit… AITA for keeping her at arm’s length when all I want to do is pull her closer?

Dieter Bravo (The Bubble)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for falling in love with my fake PR girlfriend and not knowing if she actually likes me or is just a better actor than I am?

Okay. Buckle up, internet strangers because I’m spiraling.

I (early 40s M, actor, you’ve probably seen me snort a line or die dramatically in something) was recently paired up with another actor (let’s call her R, 30s F, wildly talented, unfairly hot and intimidatingly cool) to star in this big dramatic slow-burn romance film. Think tortured artists, rainy kisses and completely Oscar bait.

To sell it? The studios and our agents cooked up this genius idea, let’s fake date. Hold hands at events, post blurry selfies on Instagram, give flirty interviews. You know, classic “no, we’re just good friends… wink” PR bait. At first, I laughed. I’ve done this crap before. All the camera flashes, fake kisses, casually mentioning her in interviews, rinse and repeat.

Except it stopped feeling fake. I stopped feeling fake. Somewhere between the shared hotel rooms, the quiet after-parties, the little glances during press junkets, I fell for her. Fully, horrifically and irrevocably. The kind of fall that makes your chest hurt and your ego scream. The worst part? I have no clue if she feels the same. She’s good, man. Oscar-nominee good. She leans into my arm like she means it. Laughs at my dumb jokes like they’re brilliant. Once she looked at me after a long day of shooting and said, “Sometimes I forget this isn’t real.” and I swear to god my soul left my body.

But then the next morning she’ll be cold again. Professional and distant. Like I dreamed the whole thing. Like it’s all just lines from a script I don’t have a copy of. Now I’m sitting here, fully in love with the woman I’m supposed to be pretending to love and I don’t know if I should say anything. What if I ruin everything? What if she is just pretending? What if I’m just another role she nails while I’m over here method acting heartbreak?

So Reddit… AITA for catching real feelings during a fake relationship? Or just an idiot with a crush and no chill?

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for not following through with a hit because I fell in love with the target?

Yeah. That title’s a mess. So’s the situation.

I (40M) work in a niche line of work. Let’s just say I solve problems that require extreme discretion and no paper trail. You hire me and the problem disappears. Clean and quiet within a blink of an eye.

A few months ago, I got a high-paying job from a rich smug prick who wanted his ex-wife taken care of. No explanation, just names, photos and a price I couldn’t ignore. I’ve done worse for less so I took it. Her name is R (36F). First time I saw her, she was sitting outside a little bookstore she owns, sipping coffee, talking to some neighborhood kid like she wasn’t marked for death. I kept my distance. Observed and waited for the right time.

Only it never came.

The more I watched, the harder it became to see her as a target. She volunteers at shelters. Leaves snacks out for delivery drivers. She sings in her car when she thinks no one’s watching. She’s light and warm. The kind of woman you protect, not eliminate.

I told myself I was just gathering intel but days turned to weeks. I started memorizing her routines. I learned the way she laughs when she texts her sister, the exact brand of tea she drinks, the way she tucks her hair behind her ear when she’s nervous. Somewhere along the way, the job stopped being a job. I never made contact, never said a word. But I started feeling and now I’m in too deep. I backed out of the job quietly. Told the client it was unworkable, returned the deposit. He wasn’t happy but I’d rather deal with him than live with the thought of hurting her.

Problem is, I still want her. And I’ve imagined going up to her. Introducing myself as just a guy who walked into her in a random shop. Letting her fall for me without knowing who I really am. But that feels like a lie. I’ve already lied by omission.

So Reddit… AITA for falling for her while stalking her? For not telling her the truth even though every part of me wants to protect her now? Or would telling her everything be the most selfish thing I could do?

Ezra (The Prospect)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for secretly dating my best friend’s brother even though she explicitly told me not to?

So I (F, 27) have been best friends with this girl since we were 7. We grew up together, sleepovers, secrets, teenage rebellion, the whole deal. She’s like a sister to me and we’ve been through everything.

Which means I also grew up around E (M, 34), her older brother. E was the charming, sarcastic, effortlessly cool older brother who’d tease us when we were kids, drive us around when we were teens, and smirk at me in that infuriating way that made me blush harder than I’d like to admit. We always had this… thing. Flirty comments, lingering looks, stupid jokes that only made sense to us. But I never acted on it. My best friend made it very clear and very early on that E was off limits. “It’d be weird.” She said, “Gross. I don’t want my bestie being near my brother like that

Fast forward to last year. I ran into E at a party she dragged me to and it was different. The flirting was heavier. The air was tense. He looked at me like he really saw me. One thing led to another, and… yeah. We started secretly dating. At first, it was light, late-night texting, stolen moments, private dinners. But it grew deeper. He’s thoughtful, steady, makes me laugh and makes me feel safe. He listens. We talk about everything. I think I’ve loved him longer than I’ve even known what love was.

We’ve been together for 5 months now. My best friend doesn’t know. I’ve lied to her face more times than I can count and I hate it. Every time E and I sneak around, a part of me dies a little because I know how betrayed she’ll feel if (when) she finds out.

But here’s the thing, it’s not some casual fling. We’re in love. I want to tell her. We both do. We just don’t know how without blowing up twenty years of friendship. And I can’t stop asking myself, do I owe her that level of loyalty? Or am I allowed to be happy even if it’s messy?

So Reddit… AITA for going behind my best friend’s back and dating her brother, the one person she begged me not to fall for?

Francisco Morales (Triple Frontier)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for wanting to ask out a woman who used to sleep with my best friend (even though I’ve liked her for years)?

Yeah, I know how this sounds. Buckle up.

I (38M) have this friend, let’s call him Pope, who I’ve known forever. We’ve been through the shit together. The kind of friendship where you’d kill for the guy, no questions asked.

A few years ago, he was hooking up with this woman (let’s call her R, 30F). Nothing serious. Just casual, no-strings. He made that clear to all of us. And she seemed fine with it. They’d hook up after drinks or late nights but it fizzled out naturally. No drama. No breakup. Just life moving on.

Thing is that I liked her, always liked her. Since day one. She’s smart, hilarious, can handle a room full of testosterone like it’s nothing and has this way of looking at you that makes you feel like you’re the only guy in the world. I kept my distance out of respect. You don’t move in on your best friend’s girl even if she was never really his girl. But now, years later, I still haven’t stopped thinking about her. We still talk and hang out sometimes. There’s a spark there, I swear. But I haven’t said a damn thing. Partly because I’m a coward, partly because I don’t want to blow up my friendship with Pope.

I asked him once, hypothetically, how he’d feel if someone dated a girl he’d just “hooked up with.” He shrugged and said, “If it was just a hook-up, I wouldn’t give a shit.” But I don’t know if he actually meant it. And I don’t know if it’s different when it’s one of us, tight-knit, military bond and all.

So Reddit… AITA if I ask her out? Am I a bad friend for wanting a chance with the woman he technically had first, even if it was casual and years ago? Or should I just shut my mouth and keep pretending I don’t care?

Harry Castillo (The Materialists)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for wanting to financially support my assistant in a way that might make me her sugar daddy?

Throwaway because, well, obviously.

I (42M) run several successful business firms and have a phenomenal assistant (26F). Let’s call her R. She’s sharp, competent, endlessly patient with my disorganization and frankly the reason this whole damn office runs at all.

Here’s the thing, I’ve noticed she’s been struggling lately. She’s skipping meals, avoiding turning on the office heat even when she’s freezing. I caught her patching a hole in her shoe with tape. She’s proud and never complains, but it’s obvious she’s barely staying afloat. I pay her more than what she deserves for her position but I know life’s expensive, especially in Manhattan. I also know she’s got student loans and takes care of her family. And I hate seeing her like this, it’s been eating at me.

So here’s where I might be the asshole, I’ve been toying with the idea of offering her help. Not a raise (I already gave her one recently). Not a loan (she’d never accept). More like a “no strings attached” arrangement where I’d take care of her rent, groceries or whatever she needs, if she lets me. Yes, I know how that sounds. I’m not trying to be a creep. I’m not expecting anything in return, no paying back, no sexual favors. But there’s no way to make this offer without it sounding like I want to be her sugar daddy.

Truth is… I wouldn’t hate that idea if she was open to something more. She’s beautiful and smart. The kind of woman I’d fall for in another life. But that’s not what this is about. I just want to take care of her and make sure she’s okay. If there’s anything more deserving in living the lavish life, it’s definitely her. 

So Reddit… AITA for even thinking about offering something like that? And if not, how the hell do I go about it without sounding like an old pervert?

Jack “Whiskey” Daniels (Kingsman)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for being cold to a woman at work because she reminds me of my dead wife?

I (late 40s, M) work in a high-risk field, let’s just call it federal-level security with a cowboy hat on top. I’m used to staying sharp and staying detached. I’ve had to be, ever since I lost my wife ten years ago. She was my everything. Sweet, sharp-tongued and tough as nails under lace. When she died… I buried my heart with her.

Then came her.

Let’s call her R (mid-30s, F). She’s the new secretary at our organization. Handles the logistics, the schedules, the background noise of our chaos. Always has a coffee in hand, always humming something, always looking at the world like it still deserves to be forgiven. The first time I saw her, I froze. She didn’t look exactly like my wife, not quite, but she moved like her, laughed like her and smiled with that same little tilt that used to undo me in an instant. And ever since then, I’ve treated her like she’s done something wrong just by walking into the damn room.

I’m short and dismissive with her, sometimes even rude. I pretend not to hear her when she says good morning. Once or twice, I’ve even corrected her harshly in front of others for mistakes she didn’t make. I know I’m being cruel. She hasn’t done a damn thing to deserve it. But every time she opens her mouth, I hear a ghost. Thing is, she’s never pushed back. She just looks at me with this confused kind of hurt, like she doesn’t understand what she did wrong and the truth is, she didn’t, never did. I did. I’m the one turning grief into anger. I’m the one who never dealt with losing the woman I loved and now I’m taking it out on someone who’s just being kind.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about apologizing, about telling her the truth. But I’m afraid if I let her in, I’ll start feeling again. And I don’t know if I’ve got the strength to lose someone twice.

So Reddit… AITA for being a jackass to someone just because she reminds me of someone I lost? Or is this just the only way I know how to cope?

Javi Guttierez (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for kissing my assistant and confessing my feelings, only for her to completely ignore it the next day?

This might be a mess so bear with me.

I (M, 33) am a scriptwriter and producer. I’ve worked my way up in this business and I take it seriously. One of the smartest things I ever did was hire her, my assistant (F, 28). Let’s call her R. She’s incredible. Organized, sharp, cool under pressure, has this dry humor that makes me laugh at the worst times and somehow remembers every detail about everyone I ever meet. She makes me better. She makes the job look easy.

And I’ve been in love with her for almost two years.

I know it’s unprofessional. I kept it quiet, never crossed a line, not even a toe near one. Because she deserves respect and I’d rather suffer in silence than make her uncomfortable or jeopardize her career.

But it’s been getting harder lately, especially at industry parties. She turns heads when she walks into a room. Every actor, every big name, they all want a piece of her. And I just stand there, pretending I don’t care. Pretending I’m not dying inside when they make her laugh, when they ask for her number, when she says, “I’m working” and looks away.

Then came this gala. One too many champagne flutes. One too many guys trying to corner her. She looked uncomfortable, kept glancing at me across the room. And something in me snapped. I pulled her away from the crowd, took her to the balcony, and without thinking, I kissed her. Then I told her everything. That I’ve liked her since week one. That I think about her all the time. That it kills me to watch her with anyone else.

And she just ran. Didn’t say a word. Just turned and walked away.

Next morning? It was like it never happened. She showed up, clipboard in hand, rattling off schedules, looking me dead in the eye like she hadn’t fled from my lips ten hours prior. I’ve tried talking to her. I’ve begged for just five minutes of her time. She dodges me, changes subjects, acts like everything is normal, and it’s driving me insane. I feel like I crossed a boundary. But also, I was honest. I never forced anything. I just said how I felt.

So Reddit… AITA for kissing my assistant and confessing my feelings after years of silence, even if now she won’t speak to me?

Javier Peña (Narcos)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for constantly rejecting my coworker’s advances even though I’m actually in love with him?

This is going to sound like I’m the world’s biggest idiot, but here goes.

I (29F) work for the government. It's a hard, high-stress job and there’s not a lot of room for vulnerability or, y’know, romance. Which sucks because I’ve been half in love with my colleague, let’s call him J, since the day I met him.

He’s everything you’d want in a man. Confident, charming and dangerous in that bad boy way. He walks into a room and women stare. He talks and people listen. He flirts like it’s breathing. And yeah, he’s got a reputation. Everyone knows he’s been around, probably the most sexually experienced man I’ve ever met.

Me? I’ve never even had sex. Not religious, not traumatized, it just never happened for me. I’ve always been shy and easily intimidated. I was the "shy bunny" in the academy, not the one guys chased after. And when J started flirting with me, like really flirting, I froze.

It’s not like I’m not interested, I am. But every time he makes a move, I panic, I dodge, I pretend that I’m too busy or brush him off with a joke. Because the thought of actually being with him, of taking off my clothes in front of a man like that, makes me want to crawl into a hole. I’m scared I’ll disappoint him. That I’ll be awkward or inexperienced or just not enough. And then I’ll ruin the one good relationship I have on this damn job. He still flirts, still checks in. But I can feel the distance growing. I think he’s starting to think I’m not into him. Or worse, that I’m playing games. I’m not. I just don’t know how to tell him why I keep backing off.

So Reddit… AITA for rejecting him over and over while secretly being in love with him? Should I be honest and risk everything? Or just keep my mouth shut and let him move on to someone who won’t choke up the second he touches her?

Joel Miller (The Last of Us)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for having feelings for my dad’s best friend, who basically helped raise me?

Okay, so this is going to sound real bad on paper, but hear me out.

I (26F) have known this man, J, since I was a kid. He’s my dad’s best friend, a grumpy rugged Texan who’s been around for every milestone in my life. School plays, birthdays, college move-in day, you name it, J was always there, usually fixing something or standing off to the side with a cup of coffee and his permanent scowl.

Here’s the thing, somewhere in the last year or two, I started not seeing J as just “Dad’s friend.” Like, I’ll walk into the kitchen in my pajamas and he’s fixing the sink with his sleeves rolled up, arms flexing and suddenly I’m thinking things I should probably be arrested for. It’s not just physical. He listens to me, respects me and treats me like a grown woman, not a little girl.

A few nights ago, he stayed over after helping Dad rebuild the deck. I poured him a whiskey after Dad went to bed and we talked for hours. At one point, he brushed my hand and didn’t pull away right away. It was small but it felt like something shifted. Here’s the kicker, I want something to happen. I want him but I feel like the biggest asshole on the planet because 1.) he’s my dad’s best friend, 2.) he’s literally 20+ years older than me, and 3.) I know if my dad ever found out, it’d destroy their friendship.

So Reddit… AITA for wanting to sleep with the man who basically helped raise me? I haven’t acted on it yet, but I want to desperately. Am I a terrible person for thinking so?

Marcus Acacius (Gladiator II)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for secretly dating my professor after we hooked up, even though I was the one who pursued him first?

Throwaway for obvious reasons. This is messy and I know it.

So I (22F) am a senior in college, finishing my degree in classical studies. For the past year, I’ve been taking a Roman history seminar taught by Professor M (M, late 30s?). He’s brilliant, sharp-tongued, a little intimidating and, honestly, incredibly attractive in that cold, untouchable kind of way. I’ve had a crush on him since day one.

He’s very professional, like textbook boundary-keeper. Never gave me special treatment, never even hinted at anything, even though I was top of his class and probably tried way too hard to impress him. I figured it would stay one-sided forever. Until a few weeks ago, I went to a bar near campus with friends. And who do I run into? Him. Out of the suit, out of the lecture hall, totally relaxed. He buys me a drink. We talk, like, really talk. He’s charming, funny and flirty. I was shocked. One thing led to another and I ended up at his apartment. We slept together. It was intense, passionate and everything I’d secretly fantasize about.

We talked the next morning. He made it very clear that he hadn’t planned it, that it was wrong in theory, but neither of us wanted to stop. So we kept seeing each otherecretly. Always professional on campus. No PDA. No weird behavior in class. It’s all strictly off the clock.

And honestly? I’m happy. I care about him. I think he cares about me too. But lately, some classmates have started joking that he favors me, not knowing anything is happening, and it’s making me feel paranoid. I’m terrified of ruining his reputation, of jeopardizing his career or mine. 

So Reddit… AITA for crossing that line with him? Or are we just two adults trying to be careful about something real in a setting that doesn’t make room for it?

Marcus Moreno (We Can Be Heroes)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for feeling blindsided that my neighbor, who babysits my daughter and I might be falling for, has a kid I didn’t know about?

Hey Reddit, this might sound like a midlife crisis-in-the-making but I really need some outside perspective.

I (M, 39) am a single dad. My daughter, also M (F, 8), is the best part of my life. I work a demanding job, and for the past year or so, my neighbor (F, 35), let’s call her R, has been babysitting M when I’m away. She’s kind, dependable and just gets my daughter in a way that instantly puts me at ease.

More than that, she gets me. We’ve grown close. Coffee on porches. Passing each other in the hall. Sometimes we talk until midnight over paper takeout boxes and M’s school projects. I always chalked it up to neighborly chemistry, nothing more. But lately, I’ve caught myself looking at her differently, wondering if maybe, just maybe, she might feel the same. My daughter doesn’t help. Every other night it’s, “Daddy, she has a crush on you.” Or “I think she’d be a great mom someday, like, to me.” Kids, right?

I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I figured if she felt something, she’d say something or maybe I’d grow the courage to bring it up myself. But then, this weekend, a car pulls up in her driveway. I look out the window and I see a man step out, not threatening, just there. And then a little boy hops out of the back seat and runs into R’s arms.

My heart dropped. Turns out she has a kid, a son. From a previous marriage, she’s divorced. None of this was ever mentioned in all our conversations and now I feel off? Confused. A little betrayed? I know that sounds unfair, she’s not obligated to tell me her life story. But after all these quiet, close nights and tender moments and hearing from my daughter that she might have feelings for me, why didn’t she ever tell me about her son? I haven’t said anything. I don’t want to make her feel guilty. She still babysits my daughter. But I can’t stop replaying it all. Did she keep it from me on purpose? Was I just a fool for thinking we had something? Or am I just overwhelmed because I wanted her to be part of our little family and didn’t realize she already had one of her own?

So Reddit… AITA for feeling a little heartbroken and distant after finding out my neighbor has a son she never told me about?

Marcus Pike (The Mentalist)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for not telling my best friend that I’m secretly dating the man she just asked me to help her get with?

I (F, 30s) have been dating a coworker of mine, let’s call him M (late 30s, thoughtful, charming, ridiculously handsome) for over three years. We met working in the same department (federal law enforcement, so discretion is basically part of the uniform), and from the start, we kept it quiet. No PDA at work, no romantic texts on company phones, nothing that could put us under scrutiny. It was just easier that way, completely private and ours.

Fast-forward to now, we’ve built a whole life together in the shadows. We take trips, spend weekends at each other’s apartments, and talk about buying a house someday. The real deal.

Here’s the problem, my best friend, who also works in our agency, pulled me aside a few days ago and told me she has a huge crush on M. She said she’s had a thing for him for months but didn’t know how to approach it. And then she asked if I could help set her up with him, talk her up, ease her in, “put in a good word.” She has no idea I’m with him. We’ve never told anyone. And the worst part? She was genuinely excited when she told me, like school girl giddy level. She said, “I really think he could be the one.”

Now I feel sick. I didn’t know what to say. I kind of froze, gave a weird laugh and changed the subject. But now she keeps asking about it. And I feel like I’m betraying both of them, M, by not protecting our relationship and her, by hiding something huge.

M says we can go public. That he’s fine with it if I am but then what? I tell her I’ve been with the guy she’s secretly pining over for years and just didn’t say anything? Won’t she feel humiliated? Betrayed? I’m terrified it’ll destroy our friendship.

So Reddit… AITA for not telling my best friend I’m already with the guy she wants? And if not, what the hell do I do now?

Max Philips (Bloodsucking Bastards)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for wanting to quit because my boss won’t turn me into a vampire even though I’m literally the top performer?

I (24F) started an internship at a mid-size sales company a few months ago. I was just trying to get some experience and a paycheck. I didn’t expect, you know, vampires to be a part of that experience.

The office rumor (that everyone knows is true) is that M (mid-30s? ageless? hot in a soul-sucking Wall Street vampire sort of way) is the boss who handpicks the best employees to “promote” aka turn them into vampires. It’s a reward. Eternal life, endless energy, better insurance and apparently a coffee tolerance that doesn’t make your hands shake. Thing is, I’ve crushed the sales board for three months straight. Like, no competition. The next closest guy is 42 calls behind and cries during lunch. I stayed up late. I meet quotas no one else touches. My neck is basically exposed at this point, figuratively and literally.

And yet nothing. No shadowy invite. No creepy-but-glamorous “let’s talk in my office with the lights off.” M just gives me these weird once-overs in the elevator and says things like, “Good work, kid,” like I’m still in high school. Meanwhile, last month’s top performer (D, who sells like he’s reading from a cereal box) got “promoted” after one good week.

I tried asking. M just smiled, that smug fanged GQ smile and said, “It’s not just about the numbers.” Which… okay? What is it about then? Charm? Blood type? Being less annoying during meetings? Now I’m spiraling. Like am I not vampire material? Am I too ambitious? Not attractive enough? Too human? Every day I walk past the break room and see the cool undead crowd sipping their crimson smoothies and laughing at inside jokes about graveyards and their never ending orgies, and I feel like the nerd no one wants at the slumber party.

I’m starting to hate him. Not just because he won’t bite me but because I wanted it. I earned it. And now I’m stuck here, mortal, exhausted and drinking stale coffee while wondering if I’m not enough.

So Reddit… AITA for wanting to quit my job because my boss won’t make me a vampire? Or am I just taking professional rejection way too personally?

Maxwell Lord (Wonder Woman 1984)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for wanting to ask out my son’s teacher even though I’m afraid of messing up his life again?

So, I (M, early 40s) am a single dad to the best kid on the planet, A (9M). Sweet, brilliant and too good for me honestly. His mom and I split a few years ago and I’ve been doing the whole daddy CEO redemption arc thing ever since. Trying to be a good man. Trying to keep the chaos in check. Trying not to completely screw this kid up.

Enter her. My son’s teacher. Let’s call her R (30s F). She’s sunshine in human form. Whip-smart, patient and warm. She talks to A like he’s the most important person in the room, and hell, she talks to me like I’m not just a walking Wall Street headline. I’ve been smitten since parent-teacher night. Every time I drop A off or pick him up, I try to be charming, likeable, funny, confident. You know, my usual moves.

And I fail miserably. Every. Single. Time.

She doesn’t laugh at my stupid money jokes, she gives me this look when I bring her overpriced coffee like she knows I googled “gifts teachers love.” Once, I tried to compliment her and said, “You’re doing really admirable work wrangling a room full of small people.” I sounded like I was describing a livestock auction. Still, she smiles. She’s kind and I think, maybe, she likes me back? Or at least doesn’t hate me. Which, for me, is progress.

Here’s the problem, I’ve been thinking about asking her out. Just coffee, something simple. But I keep stopping myself because of A. He adores her. I mean, glows when he talks about her. I don’t want to confuse him. I don’t want him to feel weird if she becomes something more to me than “Ms. R.”

But lately, he’s been drawing pictures of the three of us. Me, him and her. He says stuff like, “Ms. R would make a good mom.” Or, “Ms. R always makes me feel safe.” And I can’t help but wonder, is he already hoping for something more?

So Reddit… AITA for wanting to ask out my son’s teacher even if it risks changing something sacred in his life? Or should I just keep pretending this isn’t killing me a little more every time I see her?

Lucien De Leon (The Uninvited)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for not being able to look at my best friend the same after I saw her camming and moaning my name?

Yeah. I know how that sounds. But please let me explain before you judge.

I (M, 29) have been best friends with R (F, 28) since we were kids. Grew up in the same neighborhood, went through awkward teen years together, cried on each other’s shoulders during breakups, shared popcorn during horror movie marathons, the whole “platonic soulmates” deal. Everyone always assumed we’d end up together but we never crossed the line. Mostly because I never had the guts.

Truth is, I’ve been in love with her since high school. She’s funny, brilliant, completely unfiltered and has this laugh that makes me feel like everything’s okay. I never told her because I didn’t want to lose what we had.

Then last week, I was up late, bored, scrolling whatever and I ended up on a cam site. Just clicking around, not expecting anything.

And there she was.

On camera. 

In the most sinful lingerie I’ve ever seen and looking gorgeous as ever. And at first I froze. I thought, “No way. That can’t be her.” But it was 100% her. The mole on her hip, the way she chews her lip when nervous, her voice. 

And then she moaned my name. Not in passing. Not like in a roleplay type of way. My actual real name. I exited so fast I nearly dropped my phone. I haven’t told her. I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop picturing it. Her, saying my name, like that. And now every time we hang out, it’s like a war in my head, part of me still wanting to protect her, the other part completely wrecked by desire and curiosity. I feel like I’ve violated something, even though she’s the one streaming it publicly. I feel like a creep but also kind of hopeful? Like maybe she feels something for me, too? I don’t know what to do. I can’t unsee it and I don’t know if I should talk to her, confess, or bury it forever.

So Reddit… AITA for not being able to treat my best friend the same now that I’ve seen her in that way, even if she doesn’t know I know?

Oberyn Martell (Game of Throne)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for falling in love with the enemy and not telling her I originally used her to get revenge on her family?

I (41M) come from a family with blood in the streets and revenge in its bones. We’ve been at war with another family, let’s call them the Ls, for decades. The kind of feud where you don’t just destroy businesses, you burn bloodlines.

A while back, I met her. Let’s call her R (32F) and is the youngest from that said family. She walked into a neutral club downtown like she owned it, and every man in the room turned to look. So did I. At first, I saw an opportunity. I’m not proud of it but I’ll be honest, I wanted to get close to her to hurt her family. Seduce her. Use her. Break her heart. Maybe learn a few secrets along the way. That was the plan.

Except, it didn’t go that way.

She didn’t fall easily. She’s not some porcelain princess. She challenged me, even mocked me. Didn’t take any of my shit. And somehow, in all that fire and venom, I started wanting her. Not as a pawn. As a person. As mine. We've been seeing each other in secret for almost a year now. Behind closed doors, it’s real. It’s not a game. I bring her flowers. She brings me peace. She’s the only one who touches me like I’m a man, not a monster. And gods help me, I think I’d burn down my whole empire just to keep her safe.

But I haven’t told her the truth. That I used her at first. That I lied when I said I just "ran into her." That I walked into her life with a knife hidden behind my back and only dropped it once I realized I didn’t want to hurt her, I wanted to keep her. Now I’m stuck. If I tell her the truth, I risk losing her forever. If I don’t, I’m living a lie. Every time I touch her, I wonder if she’d still look at me the same if she knew what I was when this started.

So Reddit… AITA for not telling her? For falling in love with the one woman I was supposed to destroy?

Pero Tovar (The Great Wall)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for wanting to say yes when my boss’s daughter asked me to get her pregnant to avoid sleeping with her fiancé?

I know how that title sounds. Believe me, I’ve lost sleep over it.

I (late 30s M), am an ex-military, currently working in private security. I was hired by a very rich, very controlling man to be his daughter’s bodyguard. Let’s call her R (mid-20s, beautiful, clever, and way too good for this world or for me).

R’s family is old-money, traditional and practically treats her like a business asset. A few months ago, they arranged for her to marry some stiff in a suit who’s more in love with her father’s power than with her. She doesn't love him, she’s made that clear. And now her family is pushing for kids. Like, very soon. Like, contracts signed and wedding night kind of pressure.

I’ve seen the way she looks after long meetings. Like she’s drowning. I’ve heard her cry in her room when she thinks no one’s listening. But I didn’t expect what she asked me. She pulled me aside yesterday. Calm, serious and no games. She said she couldn’t go through with letting a stranger own her body. That if she had to have a child, she wanted to choose the father. Someone she trusted. Someone she felt safe with. Someone like me. She said she wouldn’t expect anything else. No strings. No relationship. Just this one thing. And god help me, I want to say yes.

Because I’ve been falling for her since day one. Quietly. From the shadows. I was hired to protect her, not touch her, but every time I see her, I want to pull her away from all of this. From her family. From the cold fiancé. From the life she never chose.

But if I say yes, am I crossing a line? Taking advantage of her desperation? If I say no, I keep things clean, professional but I leave her alone in something that clearly terrifies her.

So Reddit… AITA for wanting to say yes when she asked me to give her something real in a life full of things she never chose?

Reed Richards (Fantastic 4)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for constantly arguing with my scientific rival, even though I might actually be in love with her?

Let me start by saying I’m not great with emotions. Equations? Fine. Quantum mechanics? My playground. Human connection? That’s where I fall apart.

I (40M) work in advanced theoretical physics, and I’m fairly well-known in my field. A few years ago, a new name started popping up in peer-reviewed journals. Let’s call her R (34F). She’s brilliant, bold and completely unapologetic. And somehow, infuriatingly, smarter than me in areas I used to dominate.

We met at a symposium and things escalated. What began as subtle jabs turned into full-blown intellectual warfare. Debates in front of panels. Arguments in laboratories. Petty rebuttals in published work. To everyone else, we’re rivals, frenemies at best, sworn enemies at worst.

But here’s the part no one knows, I don’t hate her at all.

In fact, I admire her more than anyone I’ve ever met. She challenges me. She keeps me on my toes. And, God help me, she’s gorgeous when she’s yelling at me about my “antiquated entropy model.” I’ve even found myself intentionally provoking her just to see the fire in her eyes. The problem? I’ve backed myself into a corner. I’ve spent so long acting like she’s my nemesis that I don’t know how to flip the script. I can’t just say, “Hey, I know I’ve spent the last three years criticizing your work in front of Nobel committees, but want to grab dinner sometime?”

She probably does hate me. Or worse, she sees me as a childish competitor who can’t handle being challenged by a woman. And maybe that’s not entirely wrong.

So Reddit… AITA for keeping up the act? For pretending to hate her when in reality I can’t stop thinking about her? I don’t even know if she’d take me seriously if I tried to be honest now. Or is it too late to change the rules of the game?

Tim Rockford (Merge Mansion)

~~ COMING SOON ~~

AITA for developing feelings for a witness in a murder case even though I’m the lead investigator and she’s the victim’s wife?

I know how it sounds. I hate that I’m even writing this. But here we are.

I (M, 40s) work in law enforcement, been doing it a long time. I’ve seen the worst of people. I’ve interviewed killers with no soul behind their eyes, and families so broken by grief I had to go sit in my car afterward and just breathe.

Then came her.

Let’s call her R (30s F). She was the wife of the man we found shot dead in their home. Brutal scene. She was there too, barely alive when we arrived. Beaten, bloodied and she fought like hell to survive. We think she wasn’t supposed to make it. Suspect must’ve thought she was dead when he fled.

We put her into a protective program while we sort this out. There’s still a threat, still pieces missing. And since I’m the lead on the case, I’ve been around a lot.

It started small, making sure she felt safe. Bringing her updates. Listening when she needed to talk about the past. Her husband wasn’t exactly Prince Charming. There’s a lot to unpack there. And somewhere along the line, I started seeing her as more than a witness. More than a case file. She’s sharp and resilient. The kind of woman who makes you want to be softer just standing near her. And she smiles at me, like she’s grateful I’m there, like she trusts me.

But here’s the thing: her husband just died violently. No matter how their marriage was, he’s gone and I’m the man investigating it. I’m supposed to be objective, professional. And I am, I swear I am. But I can’t lie to myself anymore and pretend I’m not catching feelings I shouldn’t. I haven’t acted on anything. I’d never cross that line. But the way she looks at me sometimes, I wonder if she feels it too.

So Reddit… AITA for wanting something with a woman who’s still technically grieving her dead husband, while I’m supposed to be the one protecting her?

[gracieeilish]

billie x reader with a scalp massager 😭

-weirdo💙

an: no because i fear i might melt away into a puddle of magical lovey dovey sparkleness if this ever happened.

thank you for the request love bug☺️😘

an: also pls ignore the formatting! i typed half of this on my laptop but then it died so i used my phone for the other half and now the spacing is weird. idk. the story is still there lol!!🤷‍♀️🩷

You sat on the couch in Billie’s studio, half-watching the soft glow of the lights reflect off her focused expression as she worked on her new song. She had her headphones on, brows furrowed in concentration as she adjusted the volume, then leaned in to tweak something on the keyboard. Watching her in her element was mesmerizing, but after a while, you started feeling a bit… ignored.

You let out an exaggerated sigh, hoping she’d hear it. No response. You stretched your legs out, tapped your fingers against the couch, and sighed again, even louder this time. Still nothing. Finally, you got up and walked over, poking her shoulder.

She pulled one ear of her headphones off, glancing up at you with a small smile. “Yes?” she asked, amusement flickering in her eyes as if she already knew what was coming.

You put on your best pout. “I’m bored,” you whined, leaning against the back of her chair. “And you’re ignoring me.”

A soft laugh escaped her, and she turned back to her computer, typing out a few more notes. “Baby, I just need a few more minutes, okay? Almost done.”

You sighed dramatically again. “But that’s what you said ten minutes agooooooooo.” You circled your arms around her shoulders from behind, resting your chin on top of her head. “Can’t I just steal you away for a little while?”

She chuckled, patting your arm. “Give me five more minutes, I promise. Then I’m all yours.”

Unconvinced, you flopped onto the couch, giving her your best puppy eyes from across the room. “What if I get lonely over here?” you called out, grinning.

Billie finally looked over, her face softening as she took in your playful pout. “Oh my gosh, you are too much,” she said, shaking her head. She turned back to her work, but you could see her struggling to hold back her smile.

You decided to up the stakes. You shuffled off the couch, tiptoeing up behind her before wrapping your arms around her shoulders again, this time leaning in to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. “How’s it going, genius?” you whispered, trying to sound innocent.

A tiny blush crept onto her cheeks. She let out a sigh, finally giving in. “You’re really not gonna let me finish, are you?”

You shook your head, grinning as you held her a little tighter. “Nope. And you love it,” you teased, pressing another kiss to her cheek.

She laughed, finally spinning her chair to face you. “Alright, you win.” She grabbed your hand, tugging you closer as she settled her hands around your waist, pulling you down onto her lap. “Attention granted, happy now?”

“Yeah,” you replied, wrapping your arms around her neck and nuzzling into her shoulder. Her hands held you close, fingers tracing gentle patterns on your back.

“My head kinda hurts tho,” you grumbled quietly, with a pout.

She tilted her head, looking at you with that familiar, loving sparkle in her eyes.

Her cheeks flushed, as she leaned in, pressing her lips softly to yours. “Alright, little attention-seeker,” she teased between kisses. “What should we do now? Why is your head bothering you?”

You hummed thoughtfully, snuggling closer. “Can we go upstairs maybe?”

Billie hummed in amusement, she knew what you wanted now. And she was fairly certain your head didn’t actually hurt. But your little pout and puppy eyes were drawing her in.

“Mkayyy, sure babygirl,” she squinted teasingly. “My poor baby, her head just hurts so bad we have to go upstairs.” She sighed out dramatically while scooping you up bridal style and headed upstairs.

You nuzzled your head into her neck further, smiling victoriously.

Once you got upstairs Billie plopped you into the bed before heading into the bathroom to grab something.

While she was gone, you got yourself comfy on the bed, tucking yourself under the mountain of blankets and fluffing the pillows to your liking, but quickly flopping back down when Billie re-entered the room. She just chuckled lowly and made her way to the bed, slipping in next to you.

She wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you in closer so your head rested on her tummy so she had access to your scalp.

You were practically purring as Billie started moving the little scalp massager on your head. Softly and slowly, making sure not to scratch or poke you. After all your head did hurt just so badly… ;)

You nuzzled your head closer into her tummy, to where you could perfectly hear her heartbeat. You closed your eyes and let the sensation take over.

“Feels good, doesn’t it mama?” Billie chuckled at your blissed out expression, eyes half open and a sleepy smile on your lips.

“Mmm hmmm…” you mumbled, barely able to make a coherent sentence.

She pulled you a bit closer while she continued to move the massager around, hitting all the spots you needed. She knew she had been successful when your eyes had shut and your little snores actually sounded like purrs.

Slowly she removed the massager from your hair, not wanting to poke you, before snuggling in herself and joining you in sleep.

“Why’d you stop?” Your tiny voice broke the silence, making Billie giggle.

“I’m sorry my little kitty, I thought you were asleep,” she said with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before resuming her little scalp massage.

She smiled, pulling you close as you nestled into her warmth, a quiet laugh escaping her lips. “You’re so clingy sometimes, you know that?” she whispered, though her tone was full of affection.

You smirked, running your up and down her arm. “Yep. You love it, though.”

Billie’s arms tightened around you. “I really do,” she said softly.

[jenosbliss]

Pleaseeee can I request either Jaemin or Johnny and a female reader hurt-comfort using 11,19,25 ? And for a dash of random razzle-dazzle, could it be 7th year Hogwarts au? :D

pairing. fem! ravenclaw reader x slytherin jaemin | genre. fluff, enemies to lovers | wc. 1.2k | warnings. mentions of bullying and reader injures her leg

a/n:: tbh jaemin is such a perfect slytherin! and also ppl need to ship ravenclaws and slyrherin more

The library was supposed to be your sanctuary. Quiet, orderly, and far from the petty rivalries that filled Hogwarts’ halls. But today, it had failed you.

You sat at a corner table, your face burning as you stared at the Potions essay that had been unceremoniously ruined by a flick of Ming Zheng’s wand. He was a smug Slytherin who had made it his personal mission to torment you this year just for his petty amusement.

Zheng’s voice echoed in your ears as you stared at the ink-stained parchment in front of you.

“I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart,” he’d sneered, his entourage laughing as the ink spread like wildfire across your essay. “Guess even your brains couldn’t make up for that handwriting.”

Zheng Yi wasn’t like Jaemin Na, your archnemesis. Jaemin teased you, pushed your buttons, and made your blood boil in ways you secretly enjoyed. But Zheng Yi? He was cruel. Sharp. His insults weren’t playful—they were designed to cut deep.

It wasn’t like you didn’t have a backbone. You’d always stood up to Jaemin, giving back as much as you got. But with Zheng Yi, it was different. Any attempt to fight back would only escalate things, and you couldn’t risk drawing more attention to yourself.

So you avoided him. Kept your head down, swallowed your pride, and let him think he’d won. You hated it—hated him—but you hated the thought of drawing more trouble even more.

The laughter still echoed in your ears as you fought back tears. Zheng had walked off with his entourage before you could muster a response, leaving you feeling small and humiliated. You’d tried to rewrite the essay, but your hands were trembling too much to hold the quill properly.

“Pathetic,” you muttered under your breath, blinking back frustrated tears.

“Isn’t it a bit early in the day for a pity party?” You froze, the low, teasing voice unmistakable.

Looking up, you saw Jaemin leaning against a nearby bookshelf, his emerald-and-silver tie loosened, his smirk firmly in place.

“Go away, Na,” you snapped, though your voice wavered. “I’m not in the mood.”

Jaemin raised an eyebrow but didn’t leave. Instead, he walked over and pulled out the chair across from you, sitting down like he belonged there.

“I saw what happened,” he said, gesturing to your ruined essay. “Zheng’s a git.”

“Since when do you care?” you asked sharply, glaring at him. “I thought you lot stuck together.”

“Maybe I don’t like seeing people like him thinking they’re untouchable. Or maybe…” His voice softened, surprising you. “I just don’t like seeing you like this.”

The sincerity in his tone disarmed you, and for a moment, you didn’t know what to say.

“None of that matters now,” Jaemin said, pulling out his wand. Before you could protest, he muttered a quick spell, and the ink stains on your parchment disappeared as if they’d never been there.

“You’re helping me?” you asked, incredulous.

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Don’t read too much into it, Ravenclaw. I just hate sloppy work. That essay looked half-decent before Zheng wrecked it.”

A small smile tugged at your lips despite yourself. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, smirking again. “Literally. Don’t tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold.” He was nothing like Zheng.

A few days later, you found yourself facing Zheng in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The moment Professor McAllister paired you with him, your stomach sank. Dueling wasn’t your strong suit, and Zheng knew it. The smirk he gave you before raising his wand made your blood run cold.

At first, you managed to hold your own, dodging his hexes and firing back with as much precision as you could muster. But Zheng was relentless, his attacks growing more aggressive with each passing second.

When his final hex hit, it sent your wand flying out of your hand and you sprawling to the ground. Pain shot through your leg as the impact knocked the wind out of you. The class erupted in murmurs and cheers, but all you could hear was Zheng’s voice.

“Better luck next time, bookworm,” he sneered, stepping closer as if to gloat over your defeat. Before you could respond, another voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding.

“That’s enough.” All eyes turned to Jaemin, who stepped forward with a glare that could have frozen the entire classroom.

Zheng smirked, crossing his arms. “What’s it to you, Na?”

“Why don’t you try competing with her in Transfiguration or Charms? Afraid your stupid ass won’t survive?” Jaemin said, his voice low and cold. He walked past Zheng without another glance, kneeling beside you.

“Can you walk?” he asked gently, his hand already reaching for yours. “I-I think so,” you stammered, though the sharp pain in your leg made you doubt it.

Jaemin frowned, slipping an arm under your shoulders to help you sit up. “We’re not taking any chances.”

“Jaemin, I—”

“Do you trust me?” he interrupted, his dark eyes locking onto yours. You hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Without another word, Jaemin helped you to the hospital wing, his arm steady around you as he shielded you from the prying eyes of your classmates.

In the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey healed your leg quickly, though she insisted you stay seated for a while, but Jaemin stayed by your side long after the matron left to tend to other students.

“Why are you doing this?” you asked finally, breaking the silence.

Jaemin leaned against the wall, his smirk returning. “Maybe I felt bad for you. Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to miss class.”

“Sure,” you said, rolling your eyes, though you couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. “You’re impossible.”

“True,” he said, stepping closer. His smirk softened as his eyes met yours, something unspoken passing between you. “But Zheng’s an idiot and you don’t deserve to deal with him. You’re better than him. Smarter, stronger—and definitely more fun to mess with.”

A laugh escaped you despite the lingering embarrassment. “Thanks, I guess.”

“Anytime,” Jaemin said, sitting down next to you. His hand reached for yours, his thumb brushing soothing circles against your skin. The gesture was so gentle, so unlike him, that it left you momentarily speechless.

“You’re supposed to be my enemy,” you teased, though your voice was barely above a whisper. Jaemin smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss to your forehead. “Guess I’m breaking the rules.” Your cheeks burned, but this time, you didn’t mind.

“Next time Zheng tries anything,” Jaemin added, his tone serious, “tell me. I’ll handle it.” You gave a small laugh, squeezing his hand. “You already did.”

He smiled, his thumb brushing against your cheek now. “Good. But just in case, stick close to me, Ravenclaw. I don’t mind breaking the rules for you.”

As he pulled away, you stared at him, your heart beating a little faster. “Thanks,” you murmured again, squeezing his hand. “Don’t get used to it,” he said with a smirk, though the warmth in his eyes betrayed his words.

You couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, your nemesis wasn't your nemesis anymore.

masterlist. nct dream | nct 127 | wayv

100 followers event 🌷

navigation.

[tarotchariotpickyourcard]

What does your boss think of you? PAC

As an employee, mostly.

Easy peasy, take a minute and close your eyes. Breathe. Open - let your eyes do the picking.

Left to right, 1 - 4.

==============================

==============================

GROUP 1 (Pink stone)

A signifier for your boss: 4 of swords + Judgement

They seem a little bit hypocritical to me within the role. They might be the typical boss that’s over in their ivory tower, while everyone is doing the work. They might have a habit of passing judgement without recognising any failure is their own, in retrospect. They don’t seem like they’re taking full responsibility for the leadership they need to provide in their role.

They might have lost a few employees or team members, too, or they’re looking to hire again. They keep blaming the person, as if the results aren’t a reflection of their support or lack thereof.

I’m sorry, I seem to be going in on this person. I’m only speaking when it comes to how it seems on the job. I wouldn’t be surprised if people chose this when they feel unappreciated or frustrated.

I feel like they like to look as if they’re sympathetic, or they care, but I don’t think they ACT like it.

Physically they may have the following traits: If feminine - lighter hair, taller than usual, paler complexion. If masculine - darker hair, weaker posture, might like to wear a leather jacket??? Might be having a problem with their garden.

They might have also recently been sick. I also feel a few here will be inexperienced, or took on their own role themselves not too long ago. I think they are either too laid back or too soft in the role right now. I feel like they need to be more involved.

What they think of you:

Before I draw the cards, I don’t want you to take this too seriously. Not only because it’s divination, but because from the impression I get, they would probably blame an angel for things going wrong.

Balance - 

Ughhhhh. I hate it when bosses say this. That you don’t seem to be able to handle the workload. Earth to boss, often it’s because you’re throwing every project and the kitchen sink at the person. Yeesh.

3 of wands - 5 of pentacles

Ok, I hate your boss. I’m sorry. I said it. They can go drink a smoothie that’s turned bad.

They’ve got completely the wrong impression in my eyes. Even if there’s a kernel of truth in something - they aren’t supporting you to help that issue!!!

They may also be acknowledging that you are going through some sort of hard time. Maybe you have asked for more hours, and they think you’re over doing it and hurting yourself. Maybe you haven’t been well, and can’t afford to miss work. They don’t think that something can keep going the way it is.

For some reason they have the impression that you have issues planning, or preparing things. There have been times when they expected something and it wasn’t there. 

It looks like they see you as someone more cold, or isolated. It looks like you only have one person that you tend to go to, and they feel that you go and air out your frustrations to them. It could be that they think you are complaining, but not going to them about it. (even if that’s true, I wonder if they’ve even made you feel like it’s safe to go to them?)

In their eyes you’re probably good at getting something done in the moment, but it’s kind of like they want you to be more… What's the term… proactive?Able to drive your own work plan for the day, or week.

(But again. I feel like they’re way too hands off with their staff).

They do acknowledge that you are good at seeing things others can’t, noticing the little things. They see that you can connect the dots. Someone here might be very technical, and I’m really noticing lighting? And decoration.

Just in case - you might want to make sure you have other ideas or opportunities lined up. 

This won’t be for everyone. (TBH regardless, just human to human, I think it’s a good idea to have prospects so you’re never unexpectedly out in the cold career wise).

I don’t see a threat straight away, but I do see the potential of them thinking of letting you go in the future. For some reason, under the guise of being thoughtful or considerate. It would be like saying oh, I know you’re going through so much, you probably shouldn’t be doing this work. Here, let me do you a favor and let you go, for you. Cue eye rolling. It would be like… if you were off sick for a while, and they didn’t want to hang on to you.

It’s a weird one, because I simultaneously feel that they think they can’t give you what you need? So if you need extra support, or resources, or extra in the budget, or maybe it’s to even keep you and your role in the business.

Anyway, I hope this resonated. I want you to remember that this person has their own failings, and they’ll view you a certain way because of what they’re like. I hope things improve for you.

==========================

==========================

GROUP 2 (peacock)

A significator for your boss: 6 PENTACLES

Probably a masculine person.

But still, seems like a generous person who likes to give people chances in life, and has a lot of achievements in their career. They seem like they dress pretty well, if there’s a more relaxed dress code. The lovers clarify it. It makes me wonder if they have a soft spot for people they think are attractive (I know it sounds bad, but some people are like that out there).

They could be someone that people tend to crush on. For the rare person, this could be your partner, lol. (eg. if you work in a home business)

There could be another boss, or colleague at their level, or they could be a middle manager. It looks like someone gets in the way of decisions that they wish they could make independently. Like in their mind, things would be perfect, if it wasn’t for this one colleague intervening. If there is a person like this, they think they tend to be greedy, and less thoughtful about the general employee. 

This person really wants a better experience for the employee, and tries their best to make sure of it. They could be feeling caught in the middle currently, and are frustrated that if anything negative happens, they’re the one who has to explain it or announce it - not the person that placed the event themselves. (I feel a little frustrated for this person too.)

What your boss thinks of you:

That’s really interesting.

King of cups Reversed and knight of cups upright.

Did someone reject the other? Or hurt their feelings? I see a bruised eye, but it makes me think more of the emotional bruising.

They probably think you’re very attractive. And I hate to say it, but if it made sense earlier, then your looks definitely had something to do with your employability. 

They think you lack confidence, and you need to fake it till you make it. They think you should be brave and do more things of your own volition - they don’t want you to always need to look to others for instructions.

They think you’re a very encouraging colleague - that you try and cheer people up, or compliment people's work.

On the other hand, they have the impression that you’re very sensitive, can get your feelings hurt easily, or hold a bit of a grudge.

They think you still have time, that you still are finding your feet in work or in life, and that’s ok. I feel like they give you a lot of consideration. (in their mind) They’re very hands off, giving you time, no massive expectations. They don’t want to pressure you, or potentially upset you.

It’s like emotions and sensitivity are your strong point - it can either ruin your work day or make a colleagues day amazing. They think you’re someone who’s a nice addition to the team because of the energy you add. I really get the sense that they see you as youthful for some reason. I don’t know if it’s simply because they’re older than you, or because you’re a new starter?

I think they probably have a crush on you, if they haven’t tried anything.

If in the rare occasion you are partners, I’m seeing this as being an argument that you’ve had recently lol. If this is ever the case, they just want to make up, and feel guilty.

More than anything I'm seeing wanting to be considerate, and also wondering are you happy? Wanting to know if the role is fulfilling for you. If they said anything that did hurt your feelings, they feel terrible about it.

(Extra note: I hate to say it, but there’s a risk someone’s boss here is truly a creep. Take care of yourself, and if they start getting weird with you, document everything, seek advice, do what you can to protect yourself from harassment. I get the underlying thought that in the odd case, they might just have you here because you’re attractive and they like your energy.)

Hope that made sense!

=========================

=========================

GROUP 3 (tree)

Signifier for your boss: 7 of pentacles

I got slow to anger? So a very patient person, and probably won’t easily respond to goading or difficult employees. 

Careful, and good at playing the long game. Might tend to watch people, keeps an eye on things. Might be a bit of a helicopter employer.

If feminine, they like dark colours and make up. They really enjoy being in this role, they like the sense of power or authority they get. They might have a bad habit of honing in on one employee at a time, or they like to have a sidekick. Maybe at the cost of others.

The fool clarifies it so I wonder if they’re secretly planning to do something new, or start anew? Or maybe they’re moving jobs, but it’s a long wait period.

What they think of you:

They think you’re a star. You do things quickly, to a good standard. You could very well be the sidekick (lol) or the favourite right now.

They think you have great ideas, and you remind them a bit of themselves in the past. They think you’ve achieved a lot, and you’re a winner. 

If you’re both women, they love your style. It might even feel a bit like a sisterly bond.

They really speak so well of you, they know they don’t have to worry when you’re there. They can definitely step back, and watch and wait for things as planned, while you do the ground work and the important tasks.

It’s like it’s a break for them when you’re there (readers note: be careful of that lol. You’re not there to be the big boss - that’s their job). They really enjoy your presence, and they see a lot of opportunities for you in the future.

They might be kind of getting you ready, if you’re in sidekick mode, they could be trying to show you the ropes without announcing it.

They have very good intentions for you, for your progression. Do NOT hesitate when they offer to show you something, or ask for your help with something you haven’t done before.Take it with both hands, it’s not often a boss makes it as clear as that.

You make them laugh, and they feel like they catch a break from the secret stress. You seem like you can be loud, but I don’t think they see it as a bad thing. It’s just you and the liveliness you add.

On the other hand, a challenge in their eyes might be that you are a bit impulsive (compared to them) or you react too quickly. Maybe you have a bit of pride and get offended quickly. They think you’re a star and you shouldn’t take things so harshly in the moment. Just remember who you are and dust off your shoulder.

I think they also like that you hold yourself accountable - your work is yours, good or bad. And the same goes for others. You won’t take responsibility for someone else's mistakes, and you don’t let people take credit for your wins.

You are very well liked and appreciated!

===========================

===========================

GROUP 4 (yinyang)

Signifier for the boss: 6 SWORDS REV

Group 4, your boss doesn’t even wanna BE there.

Did you know they’re unhappy in their role?

There’s a change they want to make, I just blindly typed that in, then. Wow.I don’t know if it’s life constraints, bad luck, or fear, but they haven’t moved yet.

Yeah, there’s not much to it, I think they want to leave or change their role, or something, quite badly. They might seem emotionally or mentally checked out - they could seem unavailable.

They also feel like this job has aged them.

I kept shuffling, and only got one card: 10 of wands. 

They think you’re a hard worker, but when I see the mind set that they’re in, it makes me think they see it as being too hard of a worker. 

I feel like they feel the same way you do, in general? Like if you were complaining you feel overworked and under appreciated, I feel like they’d sarcastically think to themselves: me too.

There’s a really heavy energy in this group and I just think the boss is going through some things, and so their perspective is going to be pessimistic or heavy. Like, my fingers feel heavy and it feels difficult to type.

Maybe they think you have been overdoing it and you seem tired, like you need a break. I think you seem negative, or that you’re complaining more - and they see it as a mood change, not a performance change.

I think they acknowledge that it could be a work culture issue, or that you just haven’t taken the time off that you deserve to take. You really really seem tired to them. I don’t know, someone here is not their usual self.

They also think you take on other people’s work or burdens too often, while not speaking up.

They ARE aware that someone took credit for something you did, mainly because the person explained it, or showed it badly? They made a mistake with something they said.

Your boss is down, not stupid. 

I think they really wished you were more communicative, because it stresses them out thinking you are grumbling and complaining to yourself when they’re right there. There’s a feeling of frustration that I get.

Now, that’s their perspective. Factually, they might not be someone you feel safe going to. But they might not understand that.

When you’re in a good place, you can be really clear and communicative and straight forward, and for some reason, I think they’ve noticed a change. They’re getting the idea you don’t like the role or workplace, either, and they’re suspicious you’re looking to leave.

It’s really heavy on the fact that your boss is dealing with stuff, and they perceive that you’re in the same boat. Maybe the work culture IS terrible and the team you're in is struggling. Or maybe this is 10 wands style hardcore, and it’s just you and them, and you haven’t gotten a break.

Hope that made sense for you, and remember, this is the perspective of someone who’s not super invested due to their own issues right now. I hope things improve for you, and if you’ve been getting overwhelmed lately, make sure to take that time off. You don’t need to be there for everyone - you get paid just the same as them. Let them earn their keep. lol.

==============================

==============================

==============================

Really interesting messages!

Just a little disclaimer, though:

Again, not to be taken too seriously. Do NOT make life/career decisions based on this. And don't take too much to heart, sometimes employers get the wrong impression.

[enwoso]

new traditions | niamh charles x reader

twelve days of christmas | day 4

based on this request

this christmas, your girlfriend of a year and a half, niamh had convinced you spend christmas day with her and her family up in her home town of liverpool.

you say convincing but really all the girl had to do was ask, but now it had come to the day you were starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

it was nothing against niamh or her family, if anything you couldn’t be more greatful that they had invited you to join their christmas day, that and the fact you loved niamh and the rest of her family as if they were your own.

you felt a little out of place, the christmas traditions that niamh had with her family like all wearing the same christmas jumper or not opening presents until after dinner when the rest of the family had arrived were unfamiliar to you and you felt as thought you were intruding.

which is why you’d excused yourself to go to the bathroom but really you were sat in your girlfriends room on her bed trying to hype yourself back up before dinner was ready.

“love?” you could hear niamh call out for you from the other side of the door, “there you- are you okay?” niamh asked as a flash of worry flashed across her face as she looked at your anxious state as your hands bounced on your leg.

you only hummed to niamh’s question as you concentrated on steadying your breathing. niamh only becoming more worried by your response as she walked deeper into her childhood room.

“love?.. baby?”

no response. niamh got a bit closer and kneeled down in front of your taking your hands from your lap and placing her own over the top, your head moving slightly as you looked up meeting niamh’s worried eyes.

“baby, what’s wrong?” niamh asked as you let out a shaky breath, a small shrug coming from you.

“i just feel like a bit out of—“ you paused shaking your head, now realising that the words coming out your mouth just made you sound pathetic. “-no it’s fine i’m just being silly”

a pout came across niamh’s face as she listened, it was her turn to shake her head. “it’s not silly, your feelings aren’t silly love. now what’s got you hiding up here?” niamh asked as a loving smile appeared on her face, replacing the pout.

“i just feel out of place, like these are your traditions that you have with your family” you mumbled, your cheeks going a little red as you still did feel a little silly admitting it out loud.

“oh love, i’m sorry i didn’t notice sooner” niamh wrapped you in a hug, placing a sweet kiss to your lips which did help to settle some of the feelings you had.

the hug lingered a little longer before niamh pulled you up from sitting on the edge of her bed. “now is there anything i can do to help” niamh asked you humming for a moment or two.

“just hold my hand” you asked as niamh nodded, as she over exaggerated you movements and her own until your hand was in hers before using her strength to pull you in for another kiss which poured everything you both were feeling in the moment into it.

“now are we ready to go back downstairs as i know dinner is nearly ready and if we leave it any longer my brother will have stolen all the roast potatoes..” niamh asked as her eyebrows rose, you now feeling a lot calmer having your girlfriend by your side as you both made you way back downstairs.

going back downstairs and niamh never left your side, from leaving her childhood room every task became a two person job, even pulling out a chair at the table.

niamh also managed to wrestler her brother for the last roast potato, that drawing a few giggles out of you as you watched her fight for it with her younger brother.

but even during that niamh’s hand never left yours and if she couldn’t hold your hand, it rested on the next closest thing — your thigh.

as the night went on, the feeling of being an outsider was long gone as you moved into smooth sailing talks with the charles’ family, feeling like one big happy family at christmas.

“to new traditions!” niamh cheers as everyone raises a glass cheering to niamh’s toast. niamh glancing over to you as a big smile was now on your face, your smile shining as niamh found herself smiling. her hand resting on your thigh as she mouth an ‘i love you’ your way.

[thegettingbyp2]

Fem reader and virgin Jess being in a relationship for a while and doing it for the first time? I know it’s weird to imagine Jess as a virgin but It kinda turns me on 🤭

Still Know What I'm Doing

You and Jess had been together for a couple of months and whilst he hadn’t given you anything to worry about, you still couldn’t help but shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Ever since he’d rolled up to Stars Hollow, he’d had a bit of a reputation of being a bit of a player and you’d seen him around the town with a few different girls. Since the two of you started dating, he hadn’t been hanging around with any of the other girls but he also hadn’t been trying to do anything with you.

‘Why do you never want to do anything with me?’ you mumbled against his lips whilst you were in the middle of a heated make-out session, one that you knew would end with you desperately wanting more.

‘What are you talking about?’ Jess mumbled back, his hand sliding down your body to wrap your leg around his waist. ‘We always do stuff.’

‘You know what I mean,’ to protested, breaking the kiss and leaning back to look at him. ‘Am I not sexy enough? Is that why you never want to do anything?’

‘You really think you’re not sexy?’

‘Well, you were always with all those other girls before we got together and now, every time I try to take things further you stop. Just tell me what I can do to be sexier for you so you’ll want to - ’

‘Stop,’ Jess interrupted you, pulling you up until you were both sitting on the sofa before taking your face in his hands. ‘You’re stupidly sexy, it’s unreal! Nothing ever happened with those other girls.’

‘You don’t have to lie, Jess, it’s fine, I just, - ’

‘I’m not lying,’ Jess said, his eyebrows pulling together. ‘Nothing ever happened with those girls because…nothing’s ever happened with anyone for me before.’

You were silent for a moment as you processed what Jess had just told you. You were certain that Jess was pretty much a certified womanizer, so hearing him say that he’d never been with anyone felt like a shock to your system. ‘At all?’ you asked softly.

Jess shook his head.

‘Why?’ you asked gently, moving to sit closer to him.

He shrugged helplessly. ‘It never felt right and I didn’t want the first time to end up being something that was rushed and didn’t matter.’

You felt your heart clench in your chest at his words as you slipped your hand into his, resting his head on your shoulder. ‘You have no clue how much I admire that,’ you said, smiling when you felt him turn his head and press a soft kiss to the top of your head.

‘Until you,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’ you asked, pulling your head up to look at him.

‘It feels right with you,’ he said lowly, leaning in to gently press his lips to yours.

‘Are you sure?’ you mumbled against his lips, smirking lightly, ‘I mean are you sure that you - ’

‘I still know what I’m doing,’ he growled playfully, nipping your bottom lip before moving to press your back against the sofa until he was hovering over you.

‘I think you might need to prove that.’

That was all the encouragement Jess seemed to need before his lips dove into your neck, kissing and nipping at your skin until you knew that there were going to be marks that were going to be near impossible to hide tomorrow. As his lips painted your neck, his hands came up to the straps of your dress, pulling them down your arms until he was able to tug the material down your body, discarding it in the corner of the room. It was only then, when you were bare underneath him that he pulled his lips away and looked at you.

‘You’re so fucking beautiful,’ he murmured before lowering his head to swipe his tongue across your nipple, drawing it into his mouth and suckling gently. Your back arched, pressing your chest further against him at the feeling and he groaned against your nipple in response, sending a shockwave of pleasure coursing through your body.

Whilst his lips were busy on your chest, you felt his fingers travel down your body, a shiver running through you when he gently trailed his fingers across the small patch of skin just above your pussy. ‘Jess, please,’ you whined, twisting your fingers in his hair, holding him against you.

‘This for me?’ he asked when he moved his hand lower, feeling just how wet you were for him. As he circled your clit with his thumb, all words escaped you so you could only nod in agreement, slightly surprised at how well he seemed to know what to do.

You couldn’t stop the whine from escaping your throat when he pulled his hand away from you. However, you were quickly placated when you saw him push his trousers down far enough to release his cock and felt the tip press insistently against your entrance.

‘Are you sure about this?’ you asked softly, bringing your hand up to rest against his cheek, smiling when Jess automatically turned his head to press a gentle kiss to your palm.

‘Pretty sure I’m meant to be the one asking you that,’ he teased in reply, leaning his head down and nudging your nose with his.

‘I’m not the one who’s a virgin,’ you replied, grinning up at him as he pulled his head back.

‘Is now really the best time to remind me of other guys you’ve slept with?’ he asked, deadpan and you couldn’t help the giggle that escaped your lips.

‘Okay, okay, forget I said anything! I’m a pure, young virgin - just like you!’ you said, your eyes twinkling with laughter.

‘You really know how to push it don’t you?’

‘And what are you going to do about it?’

‘This,’ Jess said simply before pushing into you with one deep thrust. A gasp left your lips as your back arched when he dropped his head to your shoulder, trying not to cum there and then. ‘I’m already not going to last long,’ he groaned before pulling out and thrusting back in.

‘You can make it up to me,’ you replied, reaching up to kiss him gently.

Jess’ hips rolled into yours at a steady pace, grinding against your clit every time your hips connected. Your head was buried in his neck and your fingers gripped his shoulders, definitely making dents in his skin; only making him speed up his pace. His name was the only word that was coming from your lips, pushing the breath from your lips with every thrust.

‘Fuck, (Y/N), you feel so good,’ he groaned as his hips sped up, nearing his end.

You couldn’t help but clench around him, making his pace falter for a second before picking back up. One of Jess’ hands pressed into the sofa, holding himself above you whilst his other hand moved to cup the back of your neck, tangling his fingers in the hair at the nape of your neck, tugging slightly to pull your head out of his neck to look at him. He crashed his lips down to yours as his orgasm crashed over him as his hips stilled against yours. You cradled the back of Jess’ head as his breathing started returning back to normal before he pulled out of you, moving to sit on the floor by your head.

‘Are you okay?’ you asked as he turned to face you, kissing the back of your hand.

‘Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?’ he replied softly, using your hand that was currently enclosed in his to brush the back of your knuckles against his cheek. ‘I’m amazing. Was I okay? You didn’t seem to, you know,’ he asked, suddenly shy.

‘You were perfect,’ you reassured him, ‘more than perfect, besides, I said that you can make that up to me some other time.’ Instead of replying, Jess was quick to spin you around until your legs were dangling off of the sofa before, spreading your legs and settling in between them. ‘Jess, what are you doing?’ you asked, surprised laughter leaving your lips.

‘I’m making it up to you now,’ he replied, sliding his hands up your thighs.

[luminousjellyfishy]

Two Truths & a Lie

Errormare Fluff Oneshot

Characters (all Sanses from UTAU/MV): Error, Nightmare, Killer, Dust, Horror, Cross, Ink, Dream, Blue

Word count: 2792

Trigger warnings: Swearing, temporary amnesia

Summary: An innocent party game between and Stars and the Bad Sanses starts off strong with everyone having fun together and laughing. Then someone's question throws everyone off and Error runs away because he doesn't know how to properly communicate.

~

“Okay, so the game we’re playing is called ‘Two Truths and a Lie’, BUT to make it more fun, we’re going to be playing it with a twist. If we get the answer of which statement is the lie wrong, then we don’t get to know what the lie actually is. Does that make sense?”

Everyone had gathered around the coffee table to listen to Killer’s instructions, almost everyone paying full attention to these strange new rules.

“But… why? What does not knowing which fact the lie is actually do? If anything it just seems annoying.” Blue chimed in from his nearby spot on the floor beneath Error’s hammock. Killer turned to look at him, his face full of confusion and what also seemed like disgust at the question. He opened his mouth to answer, but Ink quickly beat him to it.

“Because that prompts people to ask harder questions, duh. It’s no fun when someone says the most obvious lie ever and their turn is over before it’s even really started.”

“I won’t be participating.” Nightmare said out of nowhere, drawing all eyes to him with outraged expressions.

“Yeah, same here. These games are waaaayyyy too dull for me. Plus, you’d never get any of mine anyways. I’m too much of a mystery.” Error added, snorting to himself at the end.

“You’re both so boring.” Came the unexpected voice from Dust, sitting on the couch away from everyone.

Error couldn’t hold himself back from saying snidely, “Oh, like you were going to play.”

The only response he got was the dark shadow of Dust’s hood staring directly up at him.

Awkward silence followed for a brief moment as Dust and Error kept staring at each other before Cross spoke up, “How about we just start playing and see who joins? Also, Error? You do realize that if your questions are as hard as you’re making them out to be, it’ll just make it more fun and thought provoking, right?”

Error just shrugged and rolled onto his side, facing away from everyone else. Of course, in response to this, Dust threw one of his slippers up at him, causing Error to startle himself out of his hammock and directly onto Blue.

As Error quickly scrambled himself away from Blue’s lap, glitches filling his eyes, he looked in the direction he believed Dust to be and gave the nastiest glare he was possible of.

“Why do you insist on bullying me!?”

—

Several rounds had passed as people took their turns, some questions being very easy and others being far too difficult. 

Every now and then, someone would throw themselves a pity party when their question was answered correctly without any difficulty, and turn themselves away from the group to pout. These never lasted long; however, since the next questions came shortly after and everyone was eager to try and answer them.

Not a single person had gotten one of Error’s questions correct so far, so people kept prompting him to ask more in the hopes that they would be the one to get it this time.

“Okay fine, let’s try this again. Number one, the first time someone asked me to draw something, I drew a white line across the paper and called it snow. Number two, my favourite colour is hot pink. Number three, chocolate is my favourite flavour of nice cream. Which one is the lie?”

Everyone stared at Error in thought, debating their choices slowly. No one wanted to answer first in fear that they would be wrong.

A few brief moments passed before Ink exclaimed, “Oh! You made this one seem like it was hard but it’s not! The lie is that your favourite colour is hot pink!” Ink remained sitting cross-legged, but raised his hands to hip hips triumphantly.

“Wrong.” Error replied with a mocking tone, gleefully looking down at him as Ink’s face contorted into horror.

“There’s no way… drawing a white line instead of actually drawing is way too much like you for that to be the lie, and you love chocolate! Are you messing with us?” Blue asked, a bewildered expression creeping onto his face as Error smiled and shrugged down to him.

“I’m not messing with you, I can guarantee that. You guys just suck.” He giggled to himself as he rolled onto his back, facing the ceiling and closing his eyes.

“Wake me up when you want to try again.”

A heavy sigh came from across the room, “Very well, I suppose I’ll play a round.”

All eyes in the room darted to stare at Nightmare as he placed his book to the side of his chair and faced the others.

“Woah, Boss. You’re finally gonna play with us? I thought these games were ‘beneath you’ and all that.” Killer teased, gesturing dramatically and laughing when Nightmare sighed once more.

“Well, none of you can get Error’s questions when they’re all very obvious, so I figure that you won’t be able to answer mine correctly either.”

Ink gawked and hit his hands on the ground harshly, “OBVIOUS!?”

“... What do you mean all of his questions are obvious?” Dream asked tentatively, blinking in confusion.

Everyone nodded in agreement and Error watched quietly from his hammock.

“Are you serious? You do know that he was practically giving you the answer in his most recent, don’t you?” He asked, laughing to himself quietly while staring at the others in mock confusion.

Both Killer and Ink squawked out random sounds, trying to form a coherent sentence, but failing miserably.

“I mean, he’s right.” Error added, smiling mockingly down at the others.

“Alright then, tell us what the answers were.” Horror said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously towards Nightmare.

Nightmare sighed, “Very well. One time Ink had been pestering him to draw with him and Cross, and Error lost his patience quite quickly. He told Ink rather bluntly that the first time Geno asked him to draw with him, he sat down at the table, maintained eye contact, and drew a white line directly across the page. He handed back the paper and called it a snow storm, he left directly after. As for the chocolate nice cream, yes he loves chocolate, but he absolutely despises cold things. I mean, stars you’ve all seen the way he dresses. He hates external cold temperatures, so why would he eat things that would make his insides cold?”

Stunned silence filled the room as everyone, including Error, gawked at Nightmare.

“Am I wrong?” He asked, glancing up to look at Error directly.

In response, Error promptly looked away and crossed his arms with an indignant ‘humph’.

“Alright then… I guess, say your questions then, Boss.” Cross prompted, breaking the silence once more.

He nodded, “Number one, I’ve read exactly… 37,372 books over my 500 years.” He paused briefly as Error narrowed his eyes, but continued, “Number two… I find Error quite attractive. Number three, I don’t mind the taste of chocolate.”

Brief silence followed as everyone thought, slightly put off by the strange questions. As people continued to think over their options, Error’s eyes widened and his face flushed as he came to a realization.

He quickly jumped out of his hammock and walked through a portal, “I- I gotta go… sorry- uh, bye.”

No one spoke for a moment as everyone stared at where his portal just closed.

“Well that was weird.” Ink commented quickly, taking a sip from his green vial.

Dream sighed and nudged him, “Ink you don’t need to be extra curious right now. He likely wants to be left alone, you shouldn't bother him.”

Ink gave no response, just slouching his shoulders and pouting.

The others looked between each other uncertainly, occasionally glancing where Error had just vanished.

—

In the Anti-Void, Error was pacing back and forth in front of his beanbag, muttering to himself and speaking the Voices. He was trying to calm himself quickly, while also trying to distract himself and understand what the hell Nightmare had meant by that goddamned question.

He took in a deep breath while slowing his movements.

“Hey, do you think he actually meant it? Do you think he liiiiiiiiikes you?” A voice asked teasingly, causing Error to freeze in place. Out of habit, he held his hands over his skull and yelled out for them to be quiet.

The Voices hesitated, before asking tentatively, “Why are you so upset about this though? We’ve had conversations about the possibilities and you never seemed opposed to it before…”

Error paused in thought, his face showing various conflicted emotions, and flopped down onto his beanbag, groaning.

He dragged his hands down his face, “I don’t know… It’s just- I don’t know. It’s weird. Yeah, we’re friends, and yeah he’s… great, and I love being around him so much, and the way his eyelight shines is so pretty- Um. N-Nevermind. But I didn’t think anything of it though! And that bastard said it so- so straightforward! He even fucking paused before the book count! He made it so damn obvious that it was a made up number!!”

Error groaned loudly, covering his face with his scarf, “I don’t get it…”

There was a slight pause as the Voices processed this information before they started up again in a cacophony of teases and suggestions, making Error’s face flush a deep blue.

“Oh my stars there’s no way! This is adorable!”

“You liiiiiike him~!”

“He really does! Oh my stars, this is so cute!”

“Oh come on, Error! It’s fine, everyone has crushes!”

“Yeah, but I thought the Destroyer of all people wouldn’t…”

“Why not?”

As they continued holding a conversation amongst themselves as to why Error may or may not be capable of having crushes, his glitches increased substantially and he curled in on himself to hide his blushing face.

“S-Shut up!”

The Voices in fact, did not shut up and instead did the opposite. They got louder and their comments were more targeted and teasing, eventually making Error crash.

After a few minutes of Error rebooting, he finally woke up with a quick breath and looked around.

He sighed, “... Do I even want to know why I crashed?”

A wave of giggles erupted from the Voices as Error groaned, laying further into his beanbag.

He thought hard, wondering why he was here in the Anti-Void when he was supposed to be at Nightmare’s place with the others.

Wait, that was today right? Was he late? Or maybe it just wasn’t time to be there yet? Blue would have called him if he was late…

Error thought to himself with a smile, “That means I get to see Nightmare later!”

He quickly froze as the memories came crashing back.

Oh fuck.

Oh fuck that’s why he’s in the Anti-Void.

Oh fuck fuck fuck that happened earlier.

“I think he remeeembeered~!”

“I think so too!”“Look at his face! He looks like a blueberry!”

“Oh maybe that’s why he hangs out with Blue then…

“Ooooh, that’s kinda smart.”

“Wait yeah it actually is, we should look into this more.”  

Error stared up to the ‘ceiling’ of the Anti-Void in confusion, wondering what the HELL the Voices were going on about now.

—

Error had been gone for about half an hour before Nightmare decided to go after him, saying his goodbyes to the others and warning them not to burn down the place while he was gone.

He had been walking around the Anti-Void for some time now, unable to accurately determine how long it had really been since time didn’t seem to pass or even exist here. 

So far, Nightmare had been unsuccessful in finding Error, cursing to himself as he walked aimlessly and feeling like he was somehow getting farther and farther away from his main nest area.

He refused to teleport because he knew that the Anti-Void would just screw with his intended coordinates and take him farther from where he wanted to go. Suddenly, he recalled that Error told him something about the Anti-Void actively keeping unwanted visitors away from him by changing its shape to lead them away. 

He sighed and muttered to himself, “This damned place is making this far too complicated.”

He paused. Did Error really want to be left alone so badly that the Anti-Void would keep him away? Or did it think that he meant Error harm? He shook his head at the mere thought. He would never hurt Error.

At that thought, his eye widened as it occurred to him that his game questions may in fact have just been a reason for Error to spiral into a panic attack.

Nightmare began cursing himself louder and more frequently as he continued on his search, looking up to the strings suspended on the ‘ceiling’ and hoping that they would guide his way.

After what had seemed like forever, the suspended strings seemed to be getting denser and there seemed to be more puppets and human souls.

He increased his pace and kept walking farther, immensely grateful that he hadn’t gotten tired from all the distance he'd traveled.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh of relief when he saw Error’s signature blue beanbag sitting in the distance.

Eventually, he reached the beanbag from behind, only to find Error gesturing around angrily and yelling to people that Nightmare couldn’t hear.

Suddenly, Error froze and stopped talking.

“... What do you mean ‘he’s behind me’...?”

Nightmare blinked, surprised that whatever he was hearing could tell him that.

Error turned around slowly, making eye contact with Nightmare.

The two stayed silent for a moment.

“... So. Any interesting conversations lately?” Nightmare asked jokingly, trying to break the tension.

Error’s awkward demeanour instantly changed as his frantic gesturing started up again, “Oh you have no idea! The Voices say the stupidest things ever! I’m honestly surprised I haven’t fallen to Ink’s level of stupidity just because I have to listen to these stupid things everyday!”

As Error continued to ramble, Nightmare took a seat on the floor in front of him. He watched him intently, seeing how he would speak with his hands and how his expression would change to match the story.

“Stars… he’s quite pretty when he’s rambling like this…”

 Nightmare propped his head on top of his hand, not noticing when his face flushed slightly or his tentacles coiled and curled in on themselves.

“... Night?” he groaned, “Ugh! You’re not even listening!!” Error whined, pouting and crossing his arms.

“Ah, sorry about that. I was just- hm.” He sighed heavily. “... Why did you run away earlier?”

Error froze, unable to say anything and slowly looking back to Nightmare.

“I really didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anxious, Error. I sincerely hope I didn’t cause you any harm, that was never my intention.”

Error pulled his scarf up to cover the lower half of his face, hiding himself and looking away once more.

They were both silent for a second.

“... Did you really mean it?” He asked, although Nightmare had to strain to understand through the scarf.

Nightmare nodded and murmured “yes”, his own face flushing a bit further.

Silence followed for a brief period of time, before Error moved over and allowed Nightmare to sit on his beanbag beside him. He left enough room so they still weren’t directly touching.

Despite this, Nightmare continued to sit on the floor for a moment, confused as to if Error actually wanted him to sit there. It was confusing not just because of Error’s haphephobia, but because his beanbag was a very prized possession and he didn’t ever let anyone sit on it. Not even Blue.

Error scowled and looked away from him, “Sit down, you moron. You’re not going to get many more opportunities to sit here, so you might as well do it now.”

He blinked.

Then it dawned on him. Error was inviting him to sit there because he didn’t know how else to verbally communicate what he wanted.

Slowly, Nightmare moved himself to sit beside Error, smiling softly to himself while ensuring that his movements were predictable and gentle.

Once he sat down and got comfortable, he looked over at Error, who had been watching him the whole time.

He looked like he was debating something.

Slowly, Error reached behind himself somewhere and pulled out a pillow, holding it tightly as his face grew into a darker blue.

“... Error?”

Suddenly, Error leaned over, quickly kissed Nightmare on the cheek, pulled away, then buried his face in the pillow, screaming. 

He crashed only moments after, leaving Nightmare to gawk by himself as he gently and quietly touched where Error had kissed him. His face had flushed a bright teal.

“... Well, I suppose that’s one way to do it…”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65825179

[leafdragon16]

So another idea came to mind just now

For Wheeljack's facial mods I heard you're still working on their structure and such. May I present my reference? I've been using a wasp mandible reference for the the way I've been drawing your wheeljack. It also reminded me of preying mantis and tiger beetle. Thought about how his jaws were supposed to split apart, and it gave me an idea.

I did a few concepts of my own and settled on this for his jaws. It's not exactly canon to your design, but I wanted to do my own take on it and wanted to know your thoughts! Just thought this was pretty cool :D Here's a little bit of what I had in mind!

This fic just has me locked in and has given me so many ideas and I love it so much

NECRO. GRIPPING YOUR SHOULDERS. NECRO OH MY GOD THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE

Ok normal for exactly 2 seconds because I started rambling and drew some small diagrams so I’m putting it under the cut because this got LONG (and it also is looking like it won’t initially post with the readmore TUMBLR so I will probably go back and edit this post a few times upon posting it lol)

EDIT: Okay it is not posting the readmore for some reason so apologies for any nuked dashboards lol

I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION BUT LET ME FREAK OUT ABOUT THAT ART REALLY QUICK BECAUSE I HAD TO SIT DOWN AND PROCESS IT FOR A FULL 30 SECONDS BEDORE I COULD EVEN BEGIN FORMULATING A RESPONSE. I KEEP SCROLLING BACK UP WHILE TYPING JUST TO STARE AT IT

THAT IS TERRIFYING. HE IS ALL TEETH!! THERE IS NOTHING BUT TEETH IN THERE!!! THERE IS TOO MANY TEETH FOR ANYONE TO RIGHTFULLY HAVE WHICH IS EXACTLY THE AMOUNT OF TEETH EX!JACKIE SHOULD HAVE!!!

ALSO THE CIRCULAR SCRAPLET TEETH FAINTLY VISIBLE AT THE BACK OF HIS THROAT?? OH MY GOD?? I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PORTRAY THAT FOR SO LONG I AM LOSING MY MIND. I AM STICKING MY HEAD IN THERE

OH AND THE ADDED DETAIL OF THE PLACES WHERE HIS JAWS CONNECT ADDS SO MUCH. I DON’T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BUT IT LOOKS SO MUCH MORE RAW AND MONSTROUS AND NOT CYBERTRONIAN AND EGHFGRHGFHSGDHFHBDGRFRGRGRGGRR

Ok I will move on to my explanation now but thank you so much!! This is so gorgeous and I love it so much!! This is the sort of thing that would make someone hide their face for centuries and give their teammates nightmares if they were looking it dead in the face (looking at you Ratchet). This is exactly the level of terrifying that I was going for when I originally started writing this fic. It encapsulates it perfectly! He is an absolute nightmare in the best way possible

I have been having a lot of trouble figuring out how his facial mods would work, and that’s mainly because I haven’t been using any references LOL. When I first tried doodling his face wayyyy back in the first post about this AU I used a few screenshots of Terrorcon Breakdown, but I only used it loosely. I absolutely LOVE the insect references for his jaws, it really helps clarify the structure and when I opened the ask and saw them (particularly the mantis) I went “huh that’s actually really close to what I had in mind!” And the got completely blown away by the concept at the bottom LMAO

I originally based his facial mods (or at least how they unhinge) a lot on Predaking. His jaw splits down the middle and at the sides to create two halves (I THINK), and I thought it looked really cool so I wanted to do something like that. But especially now that I’ve been playing with how his jaw works again, I’ve been thinking that it would be better if it splits into three parts like how you drew it. It is more visually cohesive, and it also just makes more sense looking at it! It allows his lower jaw to drop down much further and his mouth to open much wider and just in general isn’t as awkward. I may have downloaded your art both to keep it forever and also to draw a few diagrams, I hope you don’t mind^^

(I had to take a screenshot of your art bc Tumblr won’t let me download it until I post this, so sorry for nuking the quality LMAO)

While I do like the Predaking jaw, I think it works on Predaking but not on Wheeljack because Predaking’s face is so long and his is so flat. So if his jaw were to split into only two parts it would be very awkward, you can see all the lines in the drawing on the left where I kept redrawing his jaw because conceptually it didn’t make sense. Like I mentioned before it also doesn’t really allow his jaw to unhinge, which is a very important part of his design lol.

On the right however, it splits a lot more cleanly! It just all around looks more natural and less awkward and has a lot more maneuverability. I also love the addition of the teeth on the walls/sides of his mouth!! I added a few in my references bc it looked better and made his jaw come together a bit more in it’s horrifying-ness, but the addition of even MORE teeth just amplifies that. It also implies that when he latches on to something, all of the teeth dig in and make it extremely difficult to pull away, allowing him to just drag it into his mouth and shred it to pieces. If he bites down on someone, even if they’re strong enough to pull away they’re not getting their limb back in one piece. The way the teeth are curved in will ensure that they have to rip through their own plating to get away. He looks like a living iron maiden and I am OBSESSEDD

Plus the way his jaw splits is so much more extreme in a way that is so. LOOK AT HIM. When he opens his mouth it’s like a giant tear separates the upper half of his face from the lower half. Horrifying to behold and also looks like it would be painful even though it isn’t, which is exactly the vibe I was going for. He just doesn’t look Cybertronian. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyway sorry for the long rant, his jaws have been on my mind a lot because I’ve been struggling with the concept so I kind of just dumped all of the thoughts I’ve been having for 2+ weeks plus all of the thoughts I had when seeing your references and art. If you don’t mind I may be borrowing the references because they really do help illustrate how a split jaw would work. And also if you don’t mind this may be the canon design from now on, just because IT’S SO COOL!! And it makes so much sense conceptually, I actually cannot put into words how much I love this. It fits right in with the worldbuilding!

TLDR: Absolutely god tier take on his design thank u Necro