#and boy howdy some of those gears are rusty

[thebirdandhersong]

gearing up to write university essays again is so out of this world to me

[lu-twilight-is-best-boy]

Howdy! Can I perhaps ask for Time x gender neutral reader nsfw? No real prompt, just whatever you feel like!

Sincerely,

-🎼

Hi anon 😄 thanks for the ask (this is also my first ask, yay!) I tried my best to keep this as gender-neutral as possible(i haven't wrote anything in forever so I'm a bit rusty) , I hope you like it and enjoy it

Warnings: NSFW 🔞, kissing, aphrodisiac/sex pollen/sex potion, smut with a little teeny tiny plot, bitting, hickeys, marking, mentions of cum, Gender-neutral reader, bottom reader

Summary: Someone spilled some kind of aphrodisiac potion into Time's drink. It's up to you to deal with the effects it has on Time.

Story is below the cut

Oh you where going to kill the boys when this was over because you knew that they had something to do with this, okay maybe not Twilight he looked legitimately worried about Time but you could hear the other's snickering, and so you were convinced that they had something to do with it or they at least knew what happened and wouldn't tell you

Honestly sometimes you wonder why you didn't stay home instead of traveling with the chain, now was one of those times

You sighed again as you walked back to the Inn, Time was leaning on you for support with his nose buried in your hair as part of the chain followed behind the both of you laughing.

"You know this is why I should have stayed home, all y'all are just to damn childish," you said as you pushed Time's head away from your hair and tried to get him to walk up right.

"At least it will wear off eventually, right?" Sky said as he walked up right beside you and Time

"It should all potions wear off eventually" Legend replys to Sky while making bets with Warriors and Wild on how long it would take for the aphrodisiac to wear off

You rolled your eyes and then sighed in relief when you looked up and saw that you and the others have almost made it back to the Inn which was not easy with Time practically draped over you, and he was getting even hotter by the second, or at least that's what it seemed like with the way he kept whispering in your ear.

"Well since y'all had a little bit too much fun and we are all very tired I think it's time for bed," you said as you opened the door to the Inn and walked inside.

"Finally, we will see you in the morning," Sky said as he started to walk off with the others following behind him.

"Okay we will see you all in the morning!" you yelled after them as you turned around and headed upstairs with Time.

You knew that Time wasn't feeling like himself you knew this because you had told yourself this over and over on the walk back, but he was so very close to you as he almost pushed you and himself into the room once you opened the door, you could almost feel his dick through his trousers.

You walked in and Time watched as you stopped to place his gear as well as your own down after carring it for so long, as he watched you move around the room his eyes started to darken, you turned around to ask if he was doing okay but before you could he grabbed you and pushed you against the wall as his mouth found your neck.

"A-Ahh, T- Time," you said as you tried to pry his hands off of you, but he wouldn't budge, "w- what are you doing?" you asked as you tried again to push him away from yourself just enough to make a little bit of space between you and him.

"Sorry love, I just" he said as he started to unbutton your shirt while still keeping his mouth on your neck, "I want you ____."

"No, no, no, wait, Time, you don't mean that it's just the potion making you think that you want to do this" you say as you tried to push him away again but it once again did nothing as he turned his head just enough to look at you out of the corner of his good eye.

"I know what I'm saying ____ , no potion could ever make me confused about how i feel about you or what i feel towards you," he said as his mouth went down to your collar bone and started to slowly work its way down to your chest, "i want you love, i want you more then anything."You nod and look at the wall before turning your head to met his eye "okay, I'll do this with you but on the bed Time not the wall, and you better not regret this later."

"I won't." he said with a wicked grin before he kisses you on the lips and moves from the wall pulling you along with him towards the bed in the center of the room.

You let out a small gasp as Time pushes you down onto the bed and nips at your bottom lip before leaving a trail of kisses and bites on your neck going down your body to your chest then stopping to kiss your stomach he looks up at you before he goes back to kissing down your body, You let out another gasp when Time nips at a section of skin right where it disappears below your trousers as he hooks his fingers into the waistband and tugs them down so he can remove them from you.

You let out a moan as you feel Time's warm mouth on your bare skin as he slides your trousers and underwear down all the way and off your legs. You moan in pleasure as your skin is exposed to Time's warm breath, his tongue lapping at your most sensitive areas. You arch your back as Time's tongue makes its way down your thighs, pausing at your most sensitive spot before making its way back up. You let out a gasp as Time slides two fingers into your most sensitive spot while his tongue continues to play with you. You grab the sheets and let out a small cry as you feel Time's mouth on you, his mouth moving up from your most sensitive spot to your chest, taking one of your nipples into his mouth and sucking it while continuing to finger you. You feel Time push your hips back down onto the bed as his fingers leave you and he gets off the bed to take his own clothes off.

You let out a sigh as you feel Time now completely naked rejoin you on the bed, he slides his hands up your legs and over your hips and lastly to your hands so he can pull them up and above your head, as you clasp them together where he placed them without him having to tell you to.

He then slides his hands back down your body resting them on your thighs. Time looks down at you lying on the bed completely bear and for his eye and his eye alone as he smirks at you and leans down to whisper in your ear "ready love?" You nod at him as he starts to slowly slide into you.

You let out a small gasp at the feeling of him filling you up, you push back as he begins to move, loving the feeling of his hard length moving inside of you, he pulls your hips up meeting his every move and he continues to thrust into you slowly picking up his pace as he does so. You grab at the headboard as Time moves faster and faster inside of you, he kisses and bites at your neck and shoulder as he thrusts into you and you feel your climax building up inside of you, you let out a small cry as you come, once Time reaches his own high he climaxes inside of you.

You let out a small sigh as you feel him slide out of you and lie down next to you, pulling you close to him and wrapping his arms around your waist as he closes his eye and mumbles "i love you" while placing a kiss on the top of your head.

You feel your own eyes close as you drift off to sleep, content in the arms of the one you love.

THE END

[sepublic]

Wing it like Witches!

           Let me tell you- I was WORRIED this episode would make me sad and angsty, but instead it just made me happy and all warm inside! I know that sounds super-corny but like…

           I LOVED this episode! I was worried from the promo pic that Boscha’s bullying would really get to Luz, Gus, and Willow, but… It didn’t! I mean, it still got to WILLOW hence the entire episode, but otherwise Luz and Gus were less “Wow I’m really being reminded of my insecurities from bullying” and more “I can’t believe she ACTUALLY did that. She wasted her entire school day doing that. This girl is NUTS, is she okay back home?”

           (The more I see of Boscha, the more I have to wonder if she IS okay back home… Obviously not crippled with self-loathing to the extent that Amity is, but never mind.)

           What’s really surprise to see though; LILITH IS A RED-HEAD!?!? I remember seeing that first pic of young Eda with two other classmates, one of whom was obscured and the other had glasses; And I thought, is THAT girl Lilith, could it be? Is the girl with the obscured face the one who stole Lilith’s lunch money, potentially that favorite character from Season 2 that Dana alluded to? My mind is racing, but either way young Eda and Lilith are utterly adorable! I do have to wonder if what Lilith had to say about Eda’s bad memory was just a jab, or something more… Given that the show has alluded to Eda possibly having amnesia with MORE than just her curse…!

           Speaking of which; LILITH AND EDA GETTING ALONG! Well, sort of- I mean they’re technically adversarial by the end of this episode, but only technically. Lilith knows where the Owl House is, finally; And we get to see in this episode just how capable Hooty really IS as a security system, surprisingly enough! He even manages to capture LILITH; Though to be fair, she may not have been super-invested in the mission given this was her sister we’re talking about, but still! Coupled with Hooty mercilessly tearing apart those toys in Adventures in the Elements, and I have to wonder if he’s ever, like… KILLED people before, y’know?

           …Maybe I don’t want that answer. Regardless, I love Luz’s little cheeky interference with Eda’s game, but Eda still manages to win by her last trick; Just pure, genuine skill and talent! That was a twist, I was expecting Eda to have another cheat or to be caught by Lilith, but as I said before… Eda isn’t humble, and for a GOOD reason! Lilith ain’t no slouch either, and I love that King willingly donned a cheerleader outfit just to offer support! I mean, maybe Eda MADE him, but otherwise he didn’t seem to have much of an issue so long as it was just at home!

           And… I LOVE the little small moments between Eda and Lilith, where… Lilith KNOWS she has to turn her sister in, she’s getting desperate, but it’s also low-key breaking her heart to do this! And when she loses the match and just… FALLS on her knees in despair, questioning herself, and Eda picking her up? Giving her that signature ring, just to make Lilith look better? I… I LOVE these sisters, why can’t they make up?! Lilith isn’t even aiming to imprison Eda, she just wants her to join the Emperor’s Coven and continue doing stuff alongside her, like old times!

           And Eda… Eda still needs her autonomy, but she knows that Lilith isn’t some cruel person. She knows that Lilith loves her sister and wants the best, that she’s in a terrible position; Eda knows how stifling the Coven System is, and while being beneath Belos provides a lot of power… It also provides a lot of PRESSURE as well! Sure, Lilith chose this… But Eda still believes that Lilith is deserving of kindness and compassion!

           (Let me tell you, considering I don’t think we’ve seen any Eda clips past this episode, I was LEGIT afraid she’d get captured by the end… thank goodness!)

           What’s also fascinating to note is that Emperor Belos was in charge since fiftyyears ago; Given the speculation that Eda isn’t as old as she looks, this indicates Belos is PRETTY old himself, by a large margin; Especially when one considers how long-lived Bump is! It’s a small moment telling us how he established the Coven Heads five decades ago, but I really appreciated it; And in general, this episode seems to be our final, light-hearted breather before we get into the REALLY heavy stuff… Keep in mind, our last two episodes were originally planned to air side-by-side, like a two-part season finale! On a lesser note, we see the Heximal System teacher giving a History lesson, confirming what I suspected earlier; That some subjects include students from all tracks, simply because the subject-matter applies across any and all covens, and History is one of them! Love the small world-building here!

           Given how we don’t see anything else of Willow and Gus past that scene in Belos’ treasury, I have to wonder… What if those two get captured, and only Luz can escape? Amidst King –and possibly Eda- being taken as well, Luz might be looking at a one-man operation here! Which just makes her all the more impressive… Like looking at her now, even if she DOES lose against Lilith; She’d still have been going toe-to-toe with the Head of the Emperor’s Coven, even if only briefly! Luz has come a far way away from where she started as just a powerless human, and has amassed FOUR glyphs; Light, Ice, Plant, and Fire!

           And BOY HOWDY is she good at them! Seriously, I bet she could’ve easily beaten Boscha in a Witch’s Duel if she wanted; Though it’s worth noting that according to Willow, Grudgby is apparently the only language she speaks… Given that shot of her room at the beginning, I have to wonder if that’s where her MAIN self-worth lies in! In the beginning Boscha acknowledges to herself that she’s hated, ‘so long as she is feared’; And her monologue low-key gives me, “Doesn’t know how to make friends so copes by putting herself above everybody else and overinflating her own self-importance under the impression that people are just secretly jealous!” vibes. (In some ways she’s like Grace from Infinity Train…)

That aside, I just get a sensation of pride from seeing how adept and adaptable Luz is, and the way she learned Fire from Boscha of all people –Which I called!- is both hilarious but goes to show what kind of a learner she is… I feel like Eda, like we’ve watched our kid grow and get stronger and I can’t WAIT to see what she pulls off next! Amidst her learning Magic and then defying the Coven System… you go Luz, YOU GO!

           And, it seems I’m not the only person who shares this sentiment! Even after Boscha’s bullying, we don’t see anybody beyond her gang make fun of Luz and co.! When Willow gets trashed poured on her, some students are watching, but… They seem kind of disturbed by it all? They’re not outright vouching on her behalf like Luz, possibly because Boscha is watching; But still! It is SO cathartic to see Willow being beloved by the entire school like that, even if she’s keeping her friend-circle to a select few; People LIKE her, and it’s what she deserves! Like Luz, I’m SO proud…!

           I’m still disappointed we didn’t get the names of Boscha’s other friends, but I really like their inclusion here! I liked how they all seemed rather uncomfortable with seeing Luz forfeit, only to be made Boscha’s target practice; And how Luz is so bright, bubbly, and infectiously-cheerful, spreading her good will to others! Like, this girl is TOO kind, and so loving… She has no bounds and I love how those other girls are even affected by Luz, genuinely enjoying her and wanting to be friends, alongside having Willow as a teammate! I have to wonder if they’ll ditch Boscha after this… Or at the very least, try to talk her down as friends of Boscha that she actually cares about and vice-versa (compared to Amity, who has always been cold towards Boscha, hence why her talking wouldn’t have made a difference)!

           Speaking of Amity… C’mon, girl. Your CRUSH is showing, the way you’re getting flustered, imagining seeing Luz in a ‘cute’ uniform and everything… Gus being utterly confused, but you can tell that the gears in Willow’s head are turning and honestly; She’s all for it, likely! I think this is the first time Amity has had an ACTUAL crush on someone she can talk to, instead of some distant figure or a fictional character! It’s so heartwarming seeing her navigate it, getting to actually deal with feelings like a kid is supposed to be allowed to do! And Luz being clueless… That, or she thinks Amity is into WILLOW, which makes a lot of sense too!

           (After all, Luz knows that her parents wouldn’t approve of her being Amity’s girlfriend… But Luz, you have NO idea how much she cares, she literally loves you more than she fears them! And Amity, knowing that her parents wouldn’t approve and struggling with this no doubt, but her love for Luz is really shining through over all of that!)

           To put it simply; Luz is FRIEND-shaped, she’s lovable, there’s no escaping liking her! Maybe Boscha will always be a bully, and I know one might call it ‘cliché’… But honestly I’d love to see Boscha eventually warm up to Luz and HER infectious positivity as well! Also, I saw that twist with the Rusty Smidge coming from a mile away, and I love how Luz low-key gets into a genuine rant over it! Although the loss doesn’t matter, as Luz’s team was clearly more adept and Boscha’s friends don’t seem interested in forcing Luz and her friends to do all of that other stuff…

           Anyhow, I love seeing Amity stand up for her friends, and when she says that her social life has improved because she’s with Luz, in spite of Boscha’s claims… I really CAN see her standing up to her parents, sometime later! I speculated a while back that depending on how her and Luz’s relationship in Enchanting Grom Fright goes, it’d really impact what Amity does later down the line, and I was right! But it IS worth noting that Amity may not yet know that Luz has to leave… King and Eda know, and the former mentioned this in front of Willow and Gus! It’s possible that Luz has laid out her plans to return every summer (and during winter break and whatnot), which would definitely lessen Amity’s angst by an infinite amount! And seeing as how she has instantaneous access to the Demon Realm, who’s to say she can’t pop in every day, after school! Sure she might not be actively living in the Owl House anymore, but otherwise…!

           On another note with Amity, I love her and Luz getting to geek out over The Good Witch Azura, and it’s funny to see the show confirm what I wondered about earlier; About Amity secretly making Azura references in public, under the knowledge that nobody would recognize them and realize she’s a nerd… But LUZ does now, and the two can bond! Also, Amity getting to have fun with Luz and co. at the end, being CARRIED by Luz, fully accepted into the home… I know you also have the library as a safe space Amity, but you’ve also got the Owl House as well! And it seems Hooty bears no grudges, either!

           Also, someone speculated recently that Amity has her goth-sense from Lilith… and given the implication that Lilith dyed her hair, I can REALLY SEE IT! I’m disappointed we didn’t get any interactions between the two… But the way it was set up, I feel like if Eda and Lilith were there they’d be too busy cheering on their kids respectively! Or not, we’ve seen them prioritize their feud in Covention… But back then Luz and Amity weren’t on the same team!

           Back to Amity, it’s interesting that she used to be on the Grudgby team, and was good at it, even being CAPTAIN when Boscha wasn’t; But then explicitly quit when she accidentally hurt some of her ‘friends’ merely once. Even if she never cared for them in the past, even if this was before she met Luz and learned to be kind and open again… She was ALWAYS someone who was self-conscious of her actions! And sure, the issue is that Amity is a LITTLE too self-conscious, constantly berating herself, holding herself accountable for every mistake… But regardless, it says a lot how guilty she feels to have hurt her teammates, even if it was an accident and a one-time incident that resulted in victory!

           I’ll probably do ANOTHER post about it later, but it says a lot; How Amity feels like she should step up as a Blight, and she DOES outshine the others… But because of that inherent guilt but also compassion, she actually quits Grudgby out of guilt! Which leads me to the idea that even if she tolerated Boscha and co., she wouldn’t have wanted to hurt them; Again, because she’s critical of herself, but also because Amity isn’t cruel and it may have reminded her of how she treated Willow! I have to respect and fear for Amity on quitting Grudgby after that…

           Again, I think she has the issue of being too overtly-critical of herself, and that it’s honestly THE issue that defines her problems; But on the other hand, I feel like Amity’s parents would’ve been displeased to see their star child quit the team, just for hurting some ‘lesser’ witches? I’m scared for what may have happened to Amity, but it also says a lot that she made a potentially defiant move simply because she didn’t want to hurt yet another friend…

           (That, or her parents wanted Amity to focus on Abominations and other studies, and coupled with Amity’s guilt, it was the perfect opportunity to get her off the team. Which would be sad, but not surprising.)

           Anyhow, I just think it’s interesting that Boscha and co. don’t ever seem to have any resentment towards Amity until recently. It’s possible Boscha DID dislike Amity up until she stepped down… But it makes me wonder if Boscha, like, looked up to Amity and wanted her approval and attention? Given how she’s always framed as following Amity… Perhaps Amity stepping down led to Boscha taking the spotlight, and so Boscha feels indebted towards Amity for her fame (and potential source of self-worth)?

           Last but DEFINITELY not least; Somebody else (I’m sorry I keep forgetting) alluded to how in Understanding Willow, there was the issue set up of Luz meaning the best for friends… But also sometimes invading their privacy, or overriding what they want, so she can live out her fantasies at the same time! And, like- A big part of her IS doing this for her friends, that much is clear… But Luz does have an issue sometimes with clearing fantasy from reality! It’s a more advanced lesson from the one she learned in Episode 2, continuing off of that, and I LOVE it!

           Like, I really do LOVE how Luz recognizes in this episode that even if a part of her is motivated in helping Willow, she’s also using this as a chance to live out her underdog Azura fantasies, and how Willow points this out to her… and Luz realizes that she’s right! She actively MAKES a change to her behavior, and makes up for it by fixing Willow’s hairclip and even forfeiting on Willow’s behalf and taking all the punishment… All because she doesn’t want her friend to be uncomfortable! Man, Luz is SO ridiculously kind, I keep saying she’s my favorite but she REALLY IS! What a lovable dork, no wonder Boscha and her friends are falling for her!

           (Also RIP Skara, you were the fourth one in a team of three. Although given how she helped carry Luz and Amity in the previous episode, amidst already having more screen time… I can see this as a way for the writers to give more of a spotlight to Boscha’s other friends, while subtly acknowledging that Skara likely has gotten over her bias towards Luz and the others. I wonder if Boscha also noticed and that’s why she was left out; That, or she’s the least-skilled? I dunno, but it was neat to see and I’ll overanalyze the moment regardless!)

           On a lesser note; Willow’s last name is Park, which is a Korean surname! Coupled with her VA’s ethnicity and Willow/Tati Gabrielle being listed amongst other Asian rep characters and VAs, and I think it’s safe to say that she’s the Boiling Isles equivalent to Asian; Which let me tell you, is VERY nice to see!

           Overall, this was an AMAZING episode! It was a heartwarming, feel-good episode that reaffirmed character relationships and love while still expanding on them, adding in more friends to the group… It was pretty much nothing but happy moments and revelations! Obviously things are setting up in the next two episodes to go REALLY crazy, especially with Luz potentially getting banned from Hexside for defying Lilith and Belos… But it’s clear to say that she’s left QUITE the good impression on the administration and students! And I can see some even vibing with Luz’s ideas even after she gets kicked out… Perhaps Luz will unknowingly start a rebellion of sorts?

[hey-i-wrote-a-story]

Chapter 31 Hillbilly Homecoming

Stiles found that the more he walked in the giant gumboots, the better they felt. They were still a bit big on him, but the soft rubber and the cushioned insoles above the durable treads made it obvious how the farmers of old could wear them comfortably for hours on end even while hard at work with backbreaking labor. Stiles looked down as he shuffled his feet, and wiggled his toes inside the boots. If these things came back into fashion (were they ever?), nobody would have to spend a hundred dollars a pair on name-brand athletic shoes again.

“Really comfy, aren’t they?”, Scott said.

“No!”, Stiles answered quickly, snapping himself out of his momentary reverie.

Scott grinned, remarking, “Good thing you found the ancient crypt with those dead farmer remains. We’d be stuck in our shorts right now.” Stiles opted not to comment. Scott began to hum a clumsy version of “Turkey In the Straw”, while adding an exaggerated spring to his step.

“I’m gonna slap you”, Stiles warned. Scott laughed again, returning to his normal stride which already had a bounce to it. “Tell me something”, Stiles said.

“Yes, you can borrow my hat”, Scott smirked.

           “I have my own, thanks, and that’s not the question. The question is, do scary energy monsters drive?”

           Scott looked at his best friend askance, wondering where that question came from, then followed Stiles’ pointing finger. A pair of dim headlights was coming down the highway towards them.

           “Could be you’ll get that ride home after all”, Scott said.

           “Unless whoever’s behind the wheel is an ax murderer.”

           Scott poo-poohed the idea away. “Pfft. I can handle an ax murderer.” He stepped to the middle of the road and waved his arms to flag the vehicle down. It slowed as it approached them, passing long enough under one of the few tall street lights along the road to show that it was an old pickup truck. The ramshackle red truck slowly drove past the two makeshift hillbillies, then once it was perhaps forty feet down the road, made a clumsy U-turn and came back at a slow crawl. It was Freddie behind the wheel, and he eyed his heroes in their ridiculous costumes with a bright smile.

           “I almost kept going. I didn’t know it was you guys at first.” He leaned over and opened up the passenger door. “Need a lift?”

           “You have no idea”, Stiles answered, grateful for the first time to see his redheaded devotee.

           In short order, they were rumbling back toward Beacon Hills, the dim headlights of Freddie’s almost-truck poking ahead of them as the darkened scenery grew less desolate and the air a bit less biting. Scott sat in the cramped back seat of the old truck, his denimed knees pulled up a bit to fit, but seeming not to mind. Stiles sat in the passenger side up front, staring out the side window in a vain search for some silhouette of interest to divert his attention, wishing the rusty pickup would get them home faster.

Freddie kept staring at Stiles peripherally. He was finding it hard to keep his eyes on the road, so he tended switch his attention back and forth. He’d look at the road as he was driving. Then he’d glance over at Stiles. Then the road. Then back at Stiles. Road. Stiles. Road. Stile—whoops, swerving a little—road. Stiles. Freddie wasn’t being particularly discreet.

Stiles finally looked back at him and groaned, “Whaaaatt?”

Freddie put his eyes back on the road immediately. “Sorry. It’s just that…well…”

“Just well what?”

“You look really cute in that farmer outfit”, Freddie said.

Scott leaned over into the front of the cab and added, “You know, you really do look cute like that, Stiles.” His smile was mercilessly sincere.

Stiles pulled his hat down over his face and leaned his head upon the passenger side window, where he gently thumped his temple against the glass. He began to wonder if being torched by magical monster fire might not have been so bad.

 Freddie made a beeline to the Stilinski house, eager to get his hero safely home. Stiles hopped down from the cab as Freddie shut off the engine. Freddie was already out of his seat belt and ready to leap out and join his detective mentor when Stiles held up a hand. “I’m going in alone, if you don’t mind. The last thing I need is a cry of ‘Honey, we’re home!’ from you when I look like this.”

“B-but…but I—“, Freddie stammered.

“Besides, were you going to leave the werewolf yokel in the car all night?” Stiles jerked a thumb back toward the truck where Scott sat, still in the back of the cab, waving cheerfully.

“Hello. Remember me?”

Freddie rubbed his chin. “Oh yeah. I should probably drop him off too, huh?”

“That’d be a splendid idea”, Stiles said, giving his charge a slap on the back that was more of a push toward his truck.

Freddie loaded up quickly and began to back down the driveway. “I’ll be back soon! I won’t be long!”

“I count the seconds”, Stiles said back.

With that, the old pickup with the anxious ginger and the bumpkinized teen werewolf departed into the night.

           Scott leaned over the backseat of the truck and stretched himself partway into the front. “Hey, driver”, he smiled, “how about a quick detour before we get to my place?”

           “Um, sure, I guess”, Freddie said. “Where to?”

           Kira was elated that her mother agreed to let her have the rest of the night off after hours of work in honing her ability to focus on distant energy sources. Kira had had to endure another lecture on the severity of their situation and the weight of responsibility and all that stuff like that there. She groaned when she heard the doorbell. She was unwilling to move from her spot in her favorite cushy chair into which she felt she was melting. Kira hollered, “Mom! Doorbell!”

           It rang again.

           “Is somebody going to get that?”, Kira called out.

           Kira’s mother descended the stairs partway and looked at her daughter. “Kira, can’t you hear the doorbell?” Kira shot her the universal teenager look for ‘Duh!’ and her mother replied, “Well then, perhaps you should answer it.”

           Kira dragged herself from her resting spot and plodded to the door. She was all set to say, “We don’t want any” or “Do you realize what time it is?” when she opened the door to find her boyfriend duded from head to toe in dusty farmer gear.

           “What the…”

           Scott touched the brim of his straw hat. “Howdy, ma’am. I was a-wonderin’ if you’d do me the honor of accompanying me to the county square dance.”

           Kira double over laughing. She tried to ask how Scott had come to be in such a state, where he’d gotten the clothes (costume?), and what the hell he was doing out in public n them, but her giggling fit prevented her from speaking a coherent sentence. Scott had to hold her up once, as Kira just about slip down the door frame, her face caught in a frozen laugh face, but nothing but gasping coming out. She finally caught her breath long enough to pull out her phone.

           “Oh my God, I have got to get a picture of this. Hold still. Turn your head like we practiced so your eyes don’t glow.”

           Kira held up her phone to capture a photo of her boyfriend in his ridiculous hayseed ensemble. She snapped one of him all bibbed, plaid shirted, and straw hatted, a hilarious smile on his face. Happy with capturing the moment, she was going to put the phone away. Then Scott started posing. “Oh, oh—get me like this! And one like this!”  Scott had trouble holding back his laughter as he struck his exaggerated hayseed poses while Kira’s giggling made it a challenge to hold her phone still. After what they had been through, it felt good to laugh. Kira found some sunglasses in the kitchen junk drawer so Scott could pose with abandon, which he did. By the time they were done, their sides ached from laughter and a good chunk of Kira’s memory card was used up by photos that looked like old Marlboro ads. The two sat side by side on the porch, leaning against each other for support.

           “So, plow boy”, Kira said, “where’d you get them fancy threads?”

           “Have I got a story to tell you.”

           And so he did. Once Kira was brought up to speed on everything from their chilly ride to the farm to their lift home in Freddie’s pickup. An impatient Freddie waved from his truck, which had been parked on the side of the street this entire time. Kira waved back.

           “I’m glad you two are okay”, Kira said, shaking her head at the thought of their close call. Then, “So how did Stiles feel about walking home beside his best friend who’s dressed up like a hillbilly?”

Scott grinned. “Actually, about that…”

              Stiles entered his house very slowly. It was entirely likely that his dad was still at the sheriff’s station, but in case he wasn’t, Stiles didn’t want him to see his son looking like a brainless hayseed. Stiles was able to ease the door shut without a creak or a click to give him away. He started to step lightly toward the hallway which led to his bedroom with its precious allotment of normal clothes. One good thing about the stupid rubber boots, Stiles thought, was that they didn’t make a sound, even when walking over old floorboards. He stepped lightly with his gumboots over the hardwood floor and onto the blessed silent scatter rug at the edge of the living room. He began to slip around the corner, his bedroom door now in sight.

           “Stiles? Is that you?”

           So close and yet so far.

           “Yeah dad, it’s me. I just got in. Listen”, he said, rapidly taking the first few steps down the hallway. If he was quick enough, he could scamper away without being seen. “I’m gonna zip into my room and then I’ll be right back out—“

           Too late. Sheriff Stilinski rounded the corner, saying, “You’re late. I was starting to get worried. You weren’t answering your phone, and with everything that’s been going on, I didn’t want to think that—“  He froze in his tracks, staring. Just staring.

           Stiles let out a low breath of surrender. There he stood, one booted foot on the rug, his hand on the wall, posed like a sprinter waiting for the starting gun. For a heartbeat, agonizing silence hung in the air.  Then, with an expression of, I might as well get this over with, Stiles stepped back into the room, turned, and faced his father. His arms hung limp at his sides, and he considered spreading them wide and making a slow turn all the way around to give his dad the full 360 view. But no, he decided. The front view was more than degrading enough.

           Sheriff Stilinski just stared at his son. He just stood there, staring. Neither of them said anything. They just stared at each other. Stile’s dad started to say something. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He did that twice. He looked his son up and down. Boots, overalls, flannel, hat…hat, flannel, overalls, and boots. Then he finally said, in a voice that sounded deeply concerned, “Just tell me one thing.”

           “Sure. Shoot.”

           “You didn’t get possessed by an evil scarecrow, did you?” The sheriff inclined his head toward the top of Stile’s head.

           Stiles looked up and realized that he was still wearing the frayed Huckleberry Finn hat. He didn’t even reach up and take it off. Why bother? “Nope. We’re all good here, Pop. It’s me. Juuussst little ol’ me.”

           The sheriff made a curious frowny face that clearly indicated where Stiles got his from. Then he said, “Undoubtedly.”

           Stiles pointed toward the hall. “I’m gonna go to my room. Get changed. Y’know, ‘cause as stylish as this is--” He forced an unconvincing smile.

           Stiles’ dad nodded quickly. “Yes. Good idea. A very good idea.” He stretched out his arm in the direction of his son’s room as he turned away. Be my guest, the gesture said.

           Stiles trod the hallway, and once he got halfway to his room, he leaned back and yelled, “If you want, when I come back out I can tell you why I’m wearing this—“

           “Nope”, the sheriff answered back. “Just as soon not know.”

           Stiles considered that. Fair enough. Made sense. He continued his path to his room.

           “Oh!”, his dad called after him, as an afterthought, “you have company waiting for you. Just thought I’d warn you.”

           But Stiles had already tuned him out. “I think I’ll take a shower”, he said aloud to no one. “Maybe two. I wonder if there’s a scrub brush under the sink—“  He opened his bedroom door and saw Malia, his beautiful girlfriend Malia, lying on his bed, propped up on one elbow, flipping angrily through the pages of a textbook. Stiles froze in place. His chin then dropped to his chest, he stared at the floor, and muttered under his breath. “Could this night get any worse?”

           “You’re late”, Malia said, not looking up. “You promised to help me with all this school stuff. Lydia’s notes can only take me so far. I realize that there’s this energy dragon monster thing going on, but I still have to pass—“ and that was when she looked up. Stiles continued staring at the floor. The one person he had wanted most in the world not to see him like this had just gotten an eyeful. Shoot me now, his mind silently declared.

           “Well this is new”, Malia said. There was no hint of sarcasm or ridicule. It was just an observation. “I like the boots. You look cute in those. Don’t quite get the hat, though.”

           His girlfriend’s complete aplomb was lost on the suffering Stiles. Lifting his head only a few inches, he looked at Malia under the brim of his bird’s nest hat and held his arms out slightly, to then let them drop back against his thighs as he said, “Okay. Let me have it.”

           “Have what?”

           “Old McStiles had a farm, ee-i, ee-i-o”, Stiles offered. “Hi-ho the derrio, a Stilinski in the dell. Go ahead.”

           “I have no idea what any of that means”, Malia admitted. “But the outfit makes sense.” She moved to a sitting position and draped her legs over the side of the bed to face him.

           Stiles looked at her askance. He jabbed the bib of his overalls with his index finger and said, “This makes sense? In what world does this make sense?”

           Malia stood up and approached him. “The look. I assumed it was just a natural progression of how you already dress.”

           “I have never dressed like this”, Stiles insisted. “Trust me, I would remember.”

           “Not the farmer pants, no”, Malia conceded. “But otherwise”, and she fingered his soft, dusty flannel sleeve between two fingers. “You always did have the whole plaid thing going on.”

           “I don’t wear that much plaid���, Stiles said, suddenly even more self-conscious.

           Malia turned her head to look at Stiles’ room. Stiles’ eyes followed hers. There, draped over the back of a chair, a zip-front hoodie. Shirts hung in the open closet. More lay on the floor in front of it. A jacket hung from the closet doorknob. The odd sleeve and shirtfront stuck out here and there from the partially closed dresser drawers. All of them plaid. Every collar, sleeve, and hood. All plaid. Malia looked back at Stiles and raised an eyebrow. See?

           “Scott wears plaid too”, Stiles said quickly.

Malia smiled. “Not as much as you do.”

“Whatever”, Stiles huffed. “Just let me get out of this stupid—what are you doing?”

Malia had leaned in close and was sniffing Stiles.

           “Malia, what--?”

           “Shh” she whispered. “Wait.” Her sniffing continued, now with deep, slow breaths as she inhaled Stiles’ scent. “I can smell where these clothes have been.”

           “Yeah, I picked them up off the floor of an old barn, so I can imagine they don’t smell too good—“

           “No, they do”, Malia breathed, in a somewhat unnerving husky voice. “Everything is here. The straw, the hay, the smell of the building around it. The wood when it’s baked by the sun, when it gets wet and musty in the rain. It’s like I’m back out there again…in the wild.”  

           “Okay, well right now we’re here in the wild of the bedroom, so can we just—Hello!”

           Malia began nuzzling Stiles’ neck, her nose to his skin, taking in his scent with hungry sniffs. “There were mice; tiny, scurrying…”

           “The m-mice were actually quite large…”, Stiles started to say, but found he’d lost his voice.

           “A fox had made a bed nearby once”, Malia went on. “Stayed for weeks. Deer came and went often, some through the barn, probably when seeking shelter…I can smell it all, the animals, the grass and hay, autumn leaves and spring wildflowers tracked in by animals.” She kept rubbing against Stiles, now kissing his neck passionately.

           “O-oh…okay…”, he said, mouth hanging open as a dopey grin formed on his face. “I must have missed that.”

           Malia breathed a satisfied smile as her arms wrapped around her boyfriend. “Now it’s all on you. Your scent, mixing with all of it. Like you’d been there all along, in the barn. A part of it. So many smells…you in the center of them.” She was pressed tight against him now, gently kissing all around his neck as her nose drank deep the heady aromas clinging to Stiles, making him now seem musky and rugged.

           “I was going to shower”, Stiles offered apologetically.

           “Don’t”, Malia said firmly. Then, softer, “At least not yet. Not…for a while.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him, slowly, passionately, repeatedly. When she paused, she rested her forehead against his, her eyes closed, still breathing deeply.

           “The, um, the shower could wait”, Stiles conceded.

           Malia tried to press closer, and stepped on Stiles’ foot. She was about to apologize when instead she looked at his boots and said, “They’re soft and squishy. I like that. You should keep them.”

           “Well, actually, I wasn’t planning on hanging onto—wulp!”

           Malia had taken a firm hold of Stiles’ bib straps and yanked him over to the bed, pulling him down on top of her. She continued kissing him, this time with greater abandon. She couldn’t get enough of him. Stiles struggled to maintain his balance, trying not to collapse onto her. As it was, she wouldn’t have cared. Stiles tried to pull off his gumboots, the toes of one scraping on the heel of the other in attempt to loosen them from his feet. Malia pulled him closer with a sharp tug.

           “Leave the boots on”, she said.

           Stiles stared at her for a heartbeat, saw the intensity burning behind her eyes, and replied with a slight squeak in his voice, “Sure.”

           As Malia pulled Stiles the rest of the way down onto the bed, holding tightly until their lips met, she reached up with one hand and removed the straw hat from Stiles’ head. She tossed it like a Frisbee across the room, where it landed atop Stiles’ lacrosse stick propped against the desk, spun twice, and settled there. Malia’s nimble fingers traced the “Y” back of Stiles’ overalls and massaged his shoulders underneath. She never stopped kissing him. She was nearly drunk on the banquet of scents and the feel of her boyfriend’s gentle, slender body.

           As Stiles surrendered to her affections and returned them in kind, three words came to his mind.

           Best.

           Night.

           Ever.