#romantic suspense tropes

[dg-outlaw]

Merry (Late) Christmas, JaySteph Fans!

First 5 Chapters Up Now!

Title: Getting Lost in the Flames Author: DG_Outlaw Rating: Not Rated Fandom: JaySteph, Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd, Batman (comics), Jason Todd (Red Hood), Stephanie Brown (Batgirl) Summary: After recent events, Jason Todd and Stephanie Brown have been feeling lost and directionless but in different ways. Steph needs to find her Batgirl groove again after her death and resurrection, and Jason needs something to do that isn’t being in Gotham City or chasing after the Joker… or so he’s told.

When Steph stumbles upon a case involving a new street drug called Bliss, afflicting River City, she decides to go undercover as a student teacher in hopes of stopping whoever is behind the new drug and also find her hero mojo along the way. What she doesn’t expect is having Jason Todd as a partner, not to mention her growing feelings toward and attraction to him that she’s been trying to ignore for years.

Going undercover with Steph was the last thing Jason wanted to do, but not because of her. If anything, working with her has always been the easiest thing in the world because they get along so well. The problem is dealing with his heart whenever he’s around her. Despite all his efforts to keep his feelings locked away, she always manages to stir something up inside him... and it scares him to death. Then again, he’s been dead before so maybe a moth has no choice but to fly into the flames.

Read Here on Ao3

Note: This story is not complete, but the first five chapters are my holiday gift to you, but going forward I plan to do smaller weekly releases. I don’t have a set number yet as I don’t want to pressure myself too much, just in case life gets in the way, but I am (as of this post) a few chapters beyond chapter 5, and continuing to write and edit.

[katenewmanwrites]

Racing Hearts - Chapter Nine

Warnings: Mentions of injury, Mild blood, Pain, Emotional distress, Intimacy and mention of violence.

Finally, he pulls the car into the building's parking garage, guiding the car into his spot. The soft glow of the overhead lights illuminates the space, casting eerie shadows across the concrete walls.

Finn turns off the engine and hops out of the car, coming around to open my door. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the inevitable sting from my knees as I walk on them again.

I carefully step out of the car. Finn took my arm, leading me towards the elevator. The click of his dress shoes and my heels against the concrete floor echoes through the garage.

We step into the elevator, the doors close silently behind us. The elevator begins to rise, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous fluttering in my stomach and the stabbing pain shooting up my legs.

As the doors slide open, the small fancy hallway greets us. Finn leads me to his apartment door, unlocking it with the passcode, pushing it open, the sight of Anthony and Sofia on the couch to greet us. Finn steps aside to let me enter the apartment first. I take in the warm welcome of his apartment.

"Beat ya back." Anthony says as we enter. Sofia smiles warmly at me, motioning for us to sit down on the empty couch. As I take a seat, I can feel the exhaustion from the night's events settling in.

Finn ignores Anthony and instead walks down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Disappearing out of view for a moment. I sit on the couch, looking down at my knees for the first time since the fire. It’s a bloody mess.

There's a burning pain in my right knee. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous energy that is still coursing through my veins.

Soon, Finn returns, carrying a small first aid kit in his hands. He kneels down in front of me, this action sends a wave of heat right through my body. "Alright, let me take a look at that," he says as he gently lifts my left knee.

His hands are surprisingly warm. He reaches into the first aid kit and pulls out a small bottle of antiseptic. Carefully, he wipes at the wound, making me wince slightly at the stinging. "Sorry," he mumbles, before dabbing some more.

"It's not too bad, just a little deep." He says, his voice calm and soothing.

He grabs a bandage from the first aid kit and begins to blow to dry the antiseptic on my knee. The warmth of his breath sends electricity through my body. He presses the bandage against my skin, securing it in place.

He moves on to my other knee, gently lifting it. I watch him, noticing how carefully he handles me. He inspects it, wincing, as if in sympathy, "How have you been walking on this?" He asks, sounding concerned.

I can feel the piece of glass that's embedded in my knee. It throbs with every beat of my heart. Finn looks at it for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Alright, this one's gonna hurt a bit more," he warns.

He cleans the wound again, and I try not to flinch as he uses tweezers to grab the glass. With one swift motion, he removes it, making me gasp. Blood wells up from the wound, and he quickly presses a cotton ball against it.

"It won't need stitches." He teases, laughing lightly, and I feel a smile creep up on my face. His fingers brush against my knee as he dabs the wound with antiseptic, making my skin tingle. He blows on my knee before he presses a fresh bandage against the wound, securing it in place. As he does so, I can't help but feel the warmth of his hands against leg.

His hands linger for a moment, and I can feel his fingers tracing light circles around my knee. The sensation is both strange and electrifying. "There you go, all fixed up." He says, pulling back to meet my gaze. In the soft light of the room, his eyes are incredibly blue, and I'm lost in them.

"Thank you," I whisper. My voice comes out shaky, and I'm suddenly aware of how intimate this moment feels. Finn's hand moves up my leg, his fingers trailing over the skin of my thigh. The sensation sends a shiver through me, and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "Finn…" I breathe his name, my voice barely above a whisper.

Anthony clears his throat, breaking the tension. "So, uh, guestroom?" He asks. Finn's hand slips away from my thigh, and he clears his throat as well.

"If you'll just give Lily a minute to grab some things, it's all yours," Finn says. He doesn't take his eyes off of me as he says it.

"I'll, umm, do that," I say, glancing at Finn. I stand up slowly. As I walk to the guest room, my legs still sting but I’m distracted by the feeling of his eyes on my back. It's almost like he's reluctant to let me out of his sight. When I reach the room, I close the door behind me and take a deep breath.

I head to the bathroom to grab my toiletries and then I rummage through my shopping bags to find that silk slip. I can't help but smile as I take it out, feeling the smooth fabric between my fingers. I wonder if it's too much, but part of me hopes that Finn will like it. After all, there's only one bed left in this apartment, and it's his.

I put my things in a small shopping bag and closed the door to the guest room. As I walk back out, I catch Finn watching me from the living room. He gives me a small smile, his eyes lingering on my face for just a moment too long. I feel a flutter in my stomach and can't help but return the smile.

I join the others on the couch, sitting down next to Finn. He slides his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close and it's like someone is setting fireworks off in my stomach. I can feel the heat continuing to rise to my cheeks as I look at him, trying to decipher his expression.

Anthony clears his throat again, this time standing up. "Well, goodnight, you two," he says, giving us a small smile.

"Night darling." Sofia says to me before taking Anthony's hand and walking down the hall.

I can feel Finn's arm around my shoulders. But he loosens his hold on me and stands up, offering me his hand. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

I take his hand and he leads me down the hallway, my injured knee not quite as steady as I'd like it to be. We pause outside what I can presume is Finn's bedroom.

Finn glances at me, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "This is where you'll be sleeping," he says softly, as he opens the door.

The room is dimly lit, with a plush comforter and pillows. I can see a few framed pictures on the dressing table, one of Finn as a child with a familiar boy I assume is his brother. It's darker than the rest of the apartment, but it's cosy. "This is… very nice," I say, glancing around.

Finn smiles, still standing by the door. "I'm glad you think so. Make yourself comfortable. If you need anything, just give me a shout." He pauses, before his hand finds the door handle again. "Goodnight, Lily."

"Oh…Where are you going?" I ask.

Finn raises an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I thought I'd sleep on the couch. I mean, I've done it before."

Annoyance bubbles within me, "What. No. You are not sleeping on the coach." I pause, take a deep breath and then step forward. My cheeks feel warm, but I force myself to meet his gaze. "You got shot yesterday, you are not sleeping on a coach."

"It's a very nice coach," He says, looking slightly amused.

"I don't care if it's a nice coach. I said no." I say, looking into his eyes and willing him to understand. "I'm not comfortable with that. And it's a bloody big bed, so don't be an idiot."

Finn chuckles, shaking his head slightly. "Alright, alright. I get it."

"Good." I say, nodding in satisfaction. "Then, I'll be in the bathroom," I add, gesturing behind me to the bathroom door. I don't dare meet his gaze as I turn and walk over to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I take a deep breath, feeling slightly embarrassed by how assertive I just was. But I couldn't let him sleep on that stupid coach.

I turn on the water, and wash the makeup off my face. My hands shake a little as I splash cold water onto my skin, trying to calm the butterflies and all the nervous energy from the evening.

I dry my face, and then I take a deep breath, trying to gather my courage. I go to unzip my dress, but… It's stuck… Oh My God… The zipper is stuck. I fumble with it for a moment, my heart racing. How am I going to get this thing off?

I fumble with it some more, losing my breath in the process. Maybe I should just ask Finn for help. But no, I can't do that. Not now. Suddenly, there's a soft knock on the door. "Lily? Are you okay in there?" Finn asks. I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest. “It’s just taking a while.”

"Not really," I reply, my voice coming out a little shaky. "I-I can't… get this zipper down."

The door slowly opens, and there he is. Finn. His blue eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I feel like I can't breathe. "Here," he says, stepping closer. His hand finds my zipper, and with a firm tug he expertly slides it down, revealing my bare back and the lace bra underneath. I feel a shiver run down my spine as his fingers graze my skin.

"There you go," he says softly, taking a step back. The air between us crackles with electricity. I nod, trying to find my voice, but it seems to have deserted me. I look up at him, and he's watching me intently. His gaze is so intense it feels like a physical touch.

I swallow hard, suddenly aware of how close he is. He's only inches away, and I can feel the heat radiating off of him. "Thanks," I whisper. My voice sounds strange and breathy to my own ears.

Finn smiles, and it's the same crooked grin that I've seen before. "You're welcome," he says, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair away from my face. His touch is so light, so feather-soft. It's not enough. It's not nearly enough. I want more.

I take a deep breath, feeling the tension building inside me. I want to close the distance between us, feel his skin against mine. "Finn…" I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

He leans in closer, his eyes searching mine. "Yes?"

"I… I just want… to say thank you." My words tumble out, barely coherent. "For everything. You know, not just the dress." I'm acutely aware of how ridiculous this sounds, but I can't seem to stop myself. It's not what I wanted to say at all. I wanted to tell him how much I wanted him, how much I'd thought about him, how much I wanted more.

Finn's eyes soften as he studies my face. "You don't have to thank me."

He lingers for a moment. "I'll leave you to it." He says, taking a step back towards the door, but I think it's as hard for him to leave as it is for me to let him go. At least I can hope.

My heart feels like it's about to burst from my chest as I watch him go. I want to tell him so much more, to find the words to express how I feel. But they're tangled up in my throat, trapped behind my lips. I feel a stab of frustration, knowing that despite all the progress I've made over the years, I'm still not able to be completely confident with myself. Finn closes the door behind him, and the familiar sound of the click seems to echo through the room. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. It's not just his physical presence that has me so wound up; it's the way he looks at me, like he sees right through my carefully constructed facade.

I turn back to the task at hand and let my dress drop to the ground. I step out of it and take a deep breath, changing into my slip. I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I remember Finn's words and the way he looked at me. I'm not sure what it is about him that makes me feel this way, but I can't deny I still have feelings for him.

I take a deep breath, smoothing down my slip and walking back out into the room. Finn is still there, sitting on the bed, and he looks up at me as I enter. There's an awkward silence as we both seem to be struggling for words. I want to say something, anything, to break the tension, but the only sound is the soft rustling of the sheets as he shifts in his seat.

"So…um…" I start, clearing my throat. "Do you have a preferred side?" I gesture to the bed, not quite able to meet his gaze.

"The side by the door," he says, his voice low and steady. He stands, pulling back the blankets and hopping under them without taking his eyes off me. The sight of his bare chest sends another wave of heat through me, and I wonder if he can see the blush that's surely spreading across my cheeks.

I nod, feeling a little foolish, and climb into the bed, taking the side opposite him. We lay there for a moment, the space between us feeling like an unbridgeable chasm. The silence is thick with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. I stare at the ceiling, listening to the faint sound of his breathing.

"Lily," he says, his voice cutting through the quiet. I turn to look at him, and our eyes lock. "You don't have to be so… guarded around me. I know you're strong, but it's okay to lean on someone."

The sincerity in his voice hits me like a sledgehammer. No one has ever talked to me the way he does "I want to," I say, my voice shaking slightly. "But…I don't know how I can."

Finn's expression softens, and he reaches out to take my hand. His touch sends a warm current through my body, and I can't help but feel comforted. "I'll be here," he says gently. "As long as it takes." We lay there for a few moments, our fingers intertwined, and I realised that maybe, just maybe, I can let down my walls a little. "I'm scared," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "Scared of what he'll do to me."

Finn's grip tightens, and he sits up, turning to face me. "You don't have to be scared anymore. I'll protect you." His eyes are filled with determination, and for the first time since I stepped into this mess, I feel a real glimmer of hope.

I swallow hard, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. "And who is going to protect you?" I ask.

His grip on my hand loosens and he reaches over, pulling me close so that my head rests against his chest. The warmth and safety of his embrace is surprisingly comforting, and I can feel the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear. "I can handle myself," he says, his voice soothing. "But I have Anthony and Sofia, and now you."

We lay there for what feels like an eternity, our hearts beating in sync. His arms are comforting, he's holding me tight but not too tight, like he knows I need the space to breathe. I can't remember the last time I felt so safe.

"How did you get involved with the Rossi's?" I ask, breaking the silence. It's a question I've wanted to ask for a long time, but I was always too scared to know the answer.

Finn's expression turns serious, and he sighs deeply. "It's a long story," he says. "But the short of it is, I saved Anthony from drowning. We became friends."

"That's it?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "I imagined something much worse than that."

"Yeah, it's a bit anticlimactic compared to the movies, huh?" He strokes my hair gently. "But after that, when they needed someone they could trust, they called on me."

I lean into his touch, feeling the tension in my body start to melt away. "It's a good thing you know how to swim," I murmur, a small smile playing on my lips. He chuckles, and the sound rumbles through his chest.

"It's been a good thing a few times," he says. The conversation drifts into a comfortable silence, and for a moment, it's almost easy to forget the chaos that's been my life since my boyfriend's betrayal. "Goodnight, Lily," he whispers.

"Goodnight, Finn," I reply, feeling his arms tighten around me before his breathing evens out into the steady rhythm of sleep. I lay there for a while, listening to the comforting sound and contemplating the strange twist of fate that has brought us back together. Despite the darkness that surrounds us, there's a warmth here that I haven't felt in a very long time.

As my eyes drift closed, my thoughts swirl with memories of our shared past. High school seems like a lifetime ago, a time of innocence and carefree days. We'd been friends then, the kind of friendship that felt like it could last forever. But life had other plans, and we drifted apart. Now, in the most unlikely of places, we've found each other again, bound by a web of danger and deceit.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

[hitachiincest]

anime twins'll be drawn/portrayed as the most intimate, codependent, brocon/siscon, obsessed-with-each-other pair ever & freq shown touching & gazing at each other softly/lovingly &/or happily in official art & ppl in the fandom will still be like "theres nothing romantic abt this" "ok but theyre siblings so don't ship them eww fuck u" "they're NOT brocons/siscons they're just normal twins!" "eugh ppl are shipping the twins" as if they aren't so very clearly [Meant To Be] Twincest Bait™️.

[anetherealpoetess]

my niche interest is currently mocking the mediocre film that is twisters, but the fact helen hunt is still with us and still acting and they didn't bother to bring her back even for a cameo is the type of sexism hollywood gets away with year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year

[karihighman]

wait I actually am liking this omggggg !!!!!

[book-a-bilia]

Date with Danger

Coming out of my booklr hibernation to tell all my fellow rom com lovers that I just read Date with Danger by Janessa Fayeth and it is an absolute delight!

It is a killer romantic comedy, and let me tell you, it has all of those three elements in perfect proportions! It is swoony, laugh-out-loud funny, and the mystery element is well done. Kept me guessing the whole time where the suspense bit was leading to. The writing is very weel done! The ending is perfect! The chemistry is sizzling! The MMC is quite hot and the FMC is so funny that I snorted at times!

A bit about the plot: Amelia Quinn is looking for love and accidently ends up in a date with an FBI agent, Caleb Harris. Soon she gets tangled up in a case he's working on. All of Caleb's attempts at ditching her go down the drain when she keeps attracting trouble.

It's on Kindle Unlimited so you can check it out there, but honestly I would've loved reading a physical copy of the book.

Happy reading!

P.S., let me know if anyone has any mystery/suspense rom-com suggestions!

[temiizpalace]

☆┆”THAT WAS CLICHÉ..”

SUMMARY: cliché moments with our twst boys

CHARACTERS: HEARTSLABYUL

ROMANTIC

WARNINGS: cursing, cringey cliché tropes that i’m a sucker for

PARTS LIST — heartslabyul. savanaclaw + octavinelle. scarabia + pomefiore. ignihyde + diasomnia

reader is g/n, reader is yuu

✧༺♥༻✧ HEARTSLABYUL

RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS : TURNING THE CORNER !

you hastily sped past the halls, a large stack of papers in your hands. crowley felt like dumping all the responsibility on you again, keeping you busy for the next week.

you needed to pass these to crewel before the next class, which didn’t leave much time. turning corner after corner, you kept a steady pace. not slowing down for a second. until..

BAM!

“ACK—!” a voice winces in pain while papers flutter across the halls. your faces darkens at the sight as the thin sheets fell to the floor. oh fuck. “ARE YOU OKAY? IM SORRY!”

the figure before you was one you’re all too familiar with. the one and only, riddle rosehearts. “SORRY, RIDDLE!” you apologize once more. his expression shifted as he realizes it was you instead of some other arrogant student.

“it’s alright. you should really look where you’re going, prefect.” he sighs, picking up the sheets of paper from the floor. you lean down and grab the scattered notes that have made its way across the halls.

“i know, i know. i’m just kind of in a rush right now..” you groan, reaching your hand out for another paper. “is that so? may i ask why?” he questions, also reaching for another paper.

just then, both of your hands meet in one place. his hand was right atop of yours, slightly squeezing it subconsciously. his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed red in color, flustered from the sudden touch.

time seemed to have paused in this moment, each second passing by feeling like hours. you hesitantly pulled back your hand, the intimacy breaking between you two. “ahem.. i was taking these down to crewel.” you answered his question, voice slightly cracking.

riddle clears his throat and swiftly collects the rest of the papers from the floors and stands upright. “then i shall accompany you.” he states a matter of factly, waiting for you to stand. “aw you’d do that?”

“of course. it’s the least i could do after everything you’ve done for me..” he faintly smiles, causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach. he quickly walks towards crewel’s classroom, needing to run to catchup to him. “hey! wait for me!”

ACE TRAPPOLA : THIS ONE’S FOR YOU !

attending basketball practice was always an interesting sight to see.

floyd going through several mood swings the entire practice, jamil trying his best to escape (ultimately failing), and ace either instigating in the madness or shooting hoops on his own.

right now, he was practicing by himself. you watched him from the bleachers, in awe of his form and quick movements. ace noticed your eyes burning holes into the back of his head, and being the little shit he is, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to tease you a little.

“what’s up, prefect? like what ya see?” he winks, causing you to cringe. “in your dreams.” you retort, making him scoff at your comment. he was attractive though cmon let’s not lie. “whatever.”

ace dribbles the ball and shoots, doing his best to perfect his shot. before this attempt, he looks at you and smirks, much to your confusion. “PREFECT!” he shouts, almost the entire gym goes silent. eyes had landed on him and then to you as he spoke.

“THIS ONE’S FOR YOU!” he winks, shifting his attention back on the hoop. you felt your cheeks warm up at this sudden declaration, all eyes in the gym lying on you.

ace takes a deep breathe, calculating the shot and playing it back in his head. he analyzes the trajectory in which the ball should be at, equaling his absolute success. he did all the math in his head and had the perfect equation for absolute success.

too bad he’s an idiot that can’t do math. he shoots the ball, the suspense killing the others. spoiler alert: it doesn’t go in the net. it hits the backboard then hits him dead set in the forehead.

good job, buddy. you suck your teeth as the impact looked painful, watching as he fell right on his ass. he looked like a moron out there, but the gesture was sweet.. sort of.

you owe him a drink and a kiss on the cheek for this one.

“dont you dare take a photo, damn it.”

DEUCE SPADE : I GOT YOU !

today, you and deuce were on library duty together. both of you needed to rearrange some of the books because these savanaclaw students keep putting them in their incorrect spots.

you stood on the ladder as deuce held it steady, ensuring that you wouldn’t fall. “deuce, pass me that book please.” you ask, reaching your hand out. “right!”

he grabs the book and passes it to you, putting it in its rightful spot. thankfully this was the last book to be put away, meaning the 3 hour job was finally finished. “phew, that was the last one!” deuce smiles, wiping his brow.

“all you did was hold the ladder.”

“..a-anyways, get down slowly.” he stutters, watching you climb down. “yeah, yeah i got it.” taking it step by step, you slowly climbed down the ladder.

an annoying fly circles around deuce’s eyes. it’s been bothering him for the past hour, never getting the hint to not come back. feeling tired from dealing with this fly’s shit, he grit his teeth and tried swatting it.

“you annoying piece of—” it landed on the ladder, and since poor deucey has a singular braincell, he slapped the fly with all his might. the ladder shook, causing you to lose your balance.

“DEUCE?!” you shriek, before falling off the wood. he hears your cry, horror filling his eyes as he watched you fall. without a moment to lose, he opens his arms to catch you.

“I GOT YOU!” he shouts, determined to catch you no matter what. you fell into his arms, the impact not hurting nearly as much as you braced yourself for. he caught you bridal style, causing heat to rise to your cheeks.

you tightly gripped the fabric around his chest, trying to keep yourself from dropping. “it’s alright, i caught you.” he reassures, brushing a stray hair out from your face.

“aha.. thanks, deuce!” your voice was shaking, still in shock from the fall. “dont mention it!” he smiles, his grasp tightening slightly. you stare at him, not realizing how attractive he was before. the light somehow highlighted his facial features, enhancing his appearance.

he didn’t notice your staring til a short while, causing his face to heat up and turn red. you both stared at each other a moment longer before you broke the silence. “y-you can drop me now..”

“R-RIGHT! SORRY.” he shouts, putting you down slowly. the air in the room was awkward, you and deuce just standing next to one another. “i guess holding the ladder really is an important job, huh?”

you smile at his attempt to break the silence and look back at him. “yeah, i guess.”

CATER DIAMOND : LOOKS LIKE IT’S JUST US !

cater wanted more alone time with you. it felt like all the people you hung out with was the iconic adeuce duo. boooo, let him in on the action.

he felt himself ascend to heaven when you agreed to hang out with him! ..and trey. does he have to beg to get the things he wants??? why does this world hate him.

feeling distraught, he decided enough was enough. he will have this moment. just you and him. all it takes is a little convincing!

“so where’s trey?” you ask, standing by the rosebush with cater. “trey said he had something come up! looks like it’s just us!” he exclaims, looking at you with a bright smile.

“aw, too bad. he’s gonna miss out on all the fun!” you joked, returning the smile right back at him. he felt as if cupid pierced an arrow right through his heart as you graced him with your cheerfulness.

“kay-kay! let’s be off!” he giggles, grabbing your wrist and dragging you away. the entire day spent with him was blissful. drinking boba with him, trying pastries together, watching him reluctantly eat it (all for you), taking enough selfies to last til next year, all of it was fun!

there was a good handful of selfies, but also a handful of natural photos. ones of you smiling. ones of you laughing. ones of you just being yourself. he cherishes those photos more than anything, and they’re all reserved for him.

nobody else has these photos but him, and that’s special to him.

“last spot on our tour is the mostro lounge! they have an all new potato dish that is so trending on magicam!” cater giggles, opening the door for you like a gentleman. “thank you, sir.” you chuckle, watching his face slightly turn red.

“no problem~☆!” he winks, going in right after you. an octavinelle student stands by reception and leads the both of you inside, taking you to a booth in the back. the wait for the dish was long, but definitely worth the wait.

cater excitedly took a photo or two and dug in. the hangout was shorter than expected, the two of you wrapping up as he walked you to ramshackle.

“thanks for today, cater. we should hang out together more often! just the two of us.” you placed a swift kiss on his cheek before waving goodbye. he stares at you, a dumbfounded expression covering his face.

he snaps back to reality and tries covering his flustered emotions. “totally! see ya later [MC], byeeee!”

cater skips back to his dorm, excited for the next hangout you two do together.

TREY CLOVER : TAKE MY COAT !

the cold air blows in your face, causing a shiver to go down your spine. “shit.. it’s cold.” you mumble, feeling the temperature only decrease each step you take.

“prefect?!” a voice cuts through the silence behind you, turning to reveal none other than trey clover. “ah, trey. morning.” his eyes were filled with concern, basically seeing icicles develop from your nose.

“where’s your jacket?! it’s freezing out here.” he felt himself shaking from the cold just looking by looking at you. the temperature was wayyy below the average and here you were with no sweater.

“i had to give it to grim,” you sighed, looking at the fuzzy creature walking ahead of you. “he wouldn’t stop complaining about the cold so I gave him jacket to shut him up.”

“is that right?” trey chuckles, taking off his coat and draping it over your shoulders. you feel your cheeks warm up as he ghosts his touch against your neck. he was warm to say the least. “take my coat. it should keep you warm for the time being.”

he smiles, causing your heart to explode. your entire body felt warmer than earlier and your nostrils were filled with the smell of baked goods. should’ve expected that. “won’t you be cold?” you ask, seeing as he now only had a jacket to wear.

it didn’t look warm at all. there was no fleece like there was inside the coat he had handed you. “don’t worry about me, i’ll be fine. i’m more worried that you might catch a cold.” he reassures you, noticing your concerned expression.

“so, where are you off to?” trey asks, now walking beside you. “sam’s shop. i have to buy more snacks, grim ate em all.” you grunt, remembering that horrific scene of grim lying on the floor with a full belly.

trey laughs, imagining the image in his head. “if that’s the case, then how about i bake you some treats? i was on my way to sam’s too.” he suggests, causing your eyes to light up. “really? that’d be great!”

the two of you continue your conversation to sam’s shop, completely forgetting about freezing temperatures. his warm presence (and his incredibly warm coat) was enough for you.

A/N: hi. it’s been awhile. anyways live laugh love heartslabyul

date published: 2/23/24

© temiizpalce — don’t steal or copy my work!

[bookcub]

love at first sight as a trope just will never make sense to me.

now on the one hand, this is personal to me as a demiromantic person and my personal experience from it is so far that comprehending the trope is far too much of a suspension of disbelief on my behalf.

on a narrative structure, it is lazy writing to me. it is the epitome of telling instead of showing. i want to understand why who characters are in love. i want to understand their relationship and their connections. the more love at first sight it depended on, the less opportunity to develop a romantic relationship. i love reading about romance but for me, there is no romance without build up and connections. i have very rarely found a story that makes use of the trope well for me.

[iloveb1ur]

Colin didnt deserve Penelope

i didnt believe that colin deserved penelope or even properly liked her for who she is as a person but instead liked the valedation he got from her.

i know this is contreversial but hear me out ,

colin's whole character arc is based around the fact that he for one isnt taken seriously by his family and second that he doesnt know who he is. he's the third son in a rich family and doesnt really stand out in any way.

so penelope who always since their first meeting has looked at colin like he hung the moon and always cared for him greatly is always going to appeal to him because she makes him feel important and valued.

i also was not convinced that colin wasnt just sexually attracted to Pen, like the proposal in the carriage scene when he fingered her was not romantic at all.

listen, its probably different in the book but i felt that the showrunner and screenwriters didnt believe in polin's romance enough so filled the story with 94 other sideplots. this is a shame because there is so much potential with polin and they just fumbled the bag MASSIVELY.

childhood best friends to lovers is literally my favourite trope for so many reasons - i just fw the slowburn for like 16yrs lol. but WE DIDNT SEE THE RELATIONSHIP ENOUGH it was so rushed. WE DIDNT EVEN SEE THE FIRST TIME PEN AND COLIN MEET WHAT A FLOP, they had a scene where they talked about it WHAT HAPPENED TO SHOW NOT TELL GUYS.

and i get we need the whistledown reveal but i genuinely believe that people dont watch bridgerton for drama and suspense but for good romance, period drama vibes and hot men and women.

i just didnt believe in the romance guys im sorry and this obviously has nothing to do with luke and nicola i love them both dearly but both me and my friend rose were left feeling indifferent by season 3's main couple.

but i promise there was a lot i did love about bridgerton s3 like francesca and john, eloise and cressida and the bridgerton family together as a whole!

anyways, if you like me are a massive bridgerton fan you are definitely going to love the podcast episode me and my friend rose recorded talking all things bridgerton s3! we deepdive and expand on what ive talked about here in regards to pen and colin's romance, why we love francesca and john and talk on ALL the side plots. its basically an hour of us unpacking all things bridgerton s3 and theres certainly a lot to like!

the link is at the top of this post and the episode is also available on spotify, apple podcasts and amazon podcasts on the confession club podcast where we talk a lot about our fave romance media!!

i hope you enjoy and thanks for reading :)

[katenewmanwrites]

Racing Hearts - Chapter Ten

Warnings: Depictions of past abuse, Nightmares and trauma, Mention of violence and blood, Emotional distress and Themes of captivity and control

The room is dark, an oppressive void that swallows every trace of light. My eyes dart around, frantically searching for an exit, but the shadows seem to coil tighter, suffocating me with their cold, unyielding embrace. The plush carpet mutes the sound of my racing heart as I tiptoe through the hallway, my breath coming in shallow, terrified gasps. The fear is palpable, thick in the air like fog.

Jack, my ex, emerges from the shadows, a twisted grin spreading across his face. His eyes, once full of love and promise, now gleam with a sinister light. He beckons me closer, whispering words that make my skin crawl. I want to scream, to run, but my legs feel like lead. I know he’s the reason I’m here, trapped. His recklessness had a price, and I’ve become the currency.

I back away from Jack's outstretched hand, my stomach churning as his smile widens. Suddenly, I collide with a cold, hard surface—a wall, or so I think. But as I turn, I see Patrick's icy eyes staring down at me. He grabs my arms, his grip tightening until I wince in pain. His voice is low and menacing, echoing through the darkness. "You're mine now, Lily," he hisses, his breath hot on my face. "You'll never escape."

I twist and turn in his grip, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Let go!" I scream, my voice barely a whisper in the vast emptiness of the room. But Patrick's hold only tightens, his fingers digging into my flesh, and I thrash wildly, desperate to break free. His laughter echoes around me, taunting, as the darkness seems to thicken, closing in like a cage.

A sudden flash of light pierces the gloom, and there he is—Finn. He lies on the floor, his shirt stained with blood, a grimace of pain etched on his face. My heart lurches in my chest as I struggle against Patrick's iron grip. "Finn!" I scream, reaching out to him. But he's too far, and my arms are pinned. "Finn!" I beg, but he doesn't move.

"Lily!" The urgency in the voice cuts through the suffocating darkness like a knife. My chest heaves with shallow breaths, my heart racing in panic. The grip on my arms loosens, and the coldness is replaced by warm, familiar hands. I blink, and the room swims into focus—no longer a prison of shadows but the comforting confines of Finn's bedroom.

Finn hovered over me, his eyes a stark blue in the dim moonlight. His brows furrowed with concern, and his voice was gentle as he called my name again. "Lily." I realized I was shaking, my body drenched in a cold sweat. He pulled me into his embrace, his strong arms wrapping around me, and the warmth from his body seeped into my trembling frame.

I wrap my arms tightly around Finn, clinging to the knowledge that he's here. He's not bleeding out on the floor of Patrick's townhouse. He's alive. Safe. With me. His heart beats steadily against my ear, a comforting rhythm that grounds me in reality. "It was just a nightmare," he whispers into my hair, his voice soothing and steady.

The scent of wood and spices fills my nostrils, bringing a semblance of calm to the storm of emotions inside me. I breathe in deeply, letting the scent of his cologne wash over me. "Finn," I murmur, the fear of the dream still clutching at my throat.

He strokes my hair, his touch tender and reassuring. "You're safe," he whispers. "I'm here." I bury my face in his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing beneath my cheek. The nightmare had been so vivid, so real, that it's hard to believe I'm not still there, trapped in Patrick's grip.

As my breathing slows, the comfort of Finn's embrace becomes a cocoon around me. But the fear lingers, a dark stain on the fabric of the night. "I was in the townhouse," I murmured, the words barely audible. "They had me…" Finn's arms tighten around me, his grip reassuring. "It's over, Lily," he says firmly. "You're safe now." But the memory of Patrick's grip, a phantom pain that won't fade.

My eyes burn, holding back tears that threaten to spill over. "You-" I swallow hard, the words lodged in my throat. "You were bleeding." The image of him on the floor, defeated and lifeless, is a stark reminder of the reality we're entangled in.

Tears spill over, and I feel them dampen Finn's skin. He pulls back to look at me, his eyes searching my face, reading the anguish written there. "I'm okay," he whispers, wiping the tears away with his thumb. "I'm right here."

He pulls me closer, and I let my head rest on his shoulder. We stay like that for a long while. The only sound in the room is our breathing. The nightmare's grip slowly loosens, and the warmth of his presence seeps into me, chasing away the cold fear. I don't know how long we sit there, but eventually, my heartbeat slows to a normal rhythm.

Finn breaks the silence, his voice low and soothing. "Do you wanna talk about it?" His question hangs in the air. I hesitate, the weight of the nightmare heavy on my chest. But the safety of his arms, the steady beat of his heart—it's almost too tempting to resist.

Sniffling, I sit up, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. "It was just so real," I say, my voice still shaky. "Jack and Patrick…" I trail off, the memory of their faces twisted in malice, sending a shiver down my spine.

Finn's expression darkens at the mention of their names. "They're not going to get near you again," he promises, his voice a fierce whisper. His hand moves to my cheek, his thumb brushing away the last of my tears. "I won't let them." He pulls me back in to his arms.

"I know," I replied. "But it's hard to shake off." I take a deep breath, inhaling his comforting scent. "Do you know you smell like wood and spices?"

Finn's grip on me loosens slightly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "It's my cologne," he says. "Anthony got it for me for my birthday." His hand moves up my back and into my hair, gently playing with the strands. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah," I murmured. The words are out before I can stop them, but the truth is, his scent is one of the few things that feels familiar and comforting. "It's… nice."

Finn's smile widens, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. Warmth spreads through my cheeks at the kiss. "Good," he says. "Because it's all over you now." His arms tighten around me for a moment before he stands, helping me to my feet. "Come on, let's get you some water."

The kitchen is bathed in the soft glow of the moon, casting a serene light over the cold tiles. He opens the fridge, grabbing the water jug and pours a glass, the cool condensation running down the side. My hand shakes as I take it from him, the tremors a stark reminder of the fear that still clings to me. Finn watches me with a concerned gaze. The water is cold and refreshing, a stark contrast to the heat of the panic that still simmers within me.

"Thank you," I whisper, handing the glass back to him. He takes it from me, his eyes never leaving mine. For a moment, I'm lost in the depth of his gaze, the anger and fear of the nightmare momentarily forgotten. "You don't have to stay up with me," I say, my voice shaking.

Finn sets the glass down on the counter with a firm click. "I'm not going anywhere," he insists. "Not until you're okay." His hand finds mine, his grip firm but gentle. He leads me back to the bedroom, the moonlight guiding us through the quiet house. We settle on the bed, the softness of the comforter enveloping us. He pulls me closer, his arm a warm band around my waist.

The silence stretches out between us, filled only with the distant hum of the city outside. I feel the weight of his gaze on me, and the comfort of his touch is almost too much to bear. "Lily," he says finally, his voice thick with something unspoken. "You're not alone in this."

I nod, my throat tight with emotion. "I know." But the doubt lingers, a heavy burden that's been weighing on me since I first stumbled into this world of crime and deceit. "But what if I drag you down with me?" I whisper, the fear of losing him a fresh ache in my chest.

Finn sighs, his breath warm against my cheek. "Patrick already wants me dead," he says, his voice tinged with resignation. "Being with you doesn't change that." He runs his hand through my hair, his fingers gently combing through the tangles.

I lean into his touch, the comfort of his presence momentarily soothing the ache in my heart. "But why add to the risk?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. "Why protect me?"

Finn's hand stills in my hair, his eyes searching my face in the moonlit room. "Because you're worth it," he says finally. "Because you didn't choose this, Lily. You got dragged into it, and you've been fighting to keep your head above water ever since."

His words hit me, and for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I let myself believe someone truly cares. "Finn, I…" I start, but the rest of my sentence is lost in the sudden surge of emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and our lips meet in a desperate kiss. It's as if the fear and anger that have been simmering inside me for so long are finally finding an outlet.

His arms tighten around me as we deepen the kiss. The intensity of it surprises me, but I don’t pull away. Instead, I find myself leaning into him, needing the reassurance that he’s here, that he’s real. Finn’s hand moves to the back of my neck, his touch gentle yet firm, pulling me in as our kiss becomes more urgent. The warmth of his body seeps into me, chasing away the lingering chill from the night.

We break apart, breathless. I gaze into his eyes, searching for something, anything, that tells me this isn’t just a fleeting moment of comfort. The way he looks at me, the tenderness in his touch—it feels real. I want it to be real. "I'm sorry," I murmur, my voice hoarse. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologise," Finn whispers, brushing his thumb against my bottom lip. "You're scared. It's only natural to seek comfort." His gaze holds mine, his eyes searching for something deeper. "But if you want more than that, if you want us to be more than just…" He trails off, his voice thick with emotion.

I lean in, pressing my forehead to his. "I do," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm afraid." The words are out before I can stop them. The truth of my feelings laid bare.

Finn's hand cups my face, his thumb tracing a gentle line along my jaw. "I know," he murmurs. "But I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." His eyes searched mine, and I could see the honesty in them. "If you want this, I'm all in. But if it's too much, if you need time-"

I cut him off with another kiss, a silent declaration of trust. Our bodies mold together, the warmth and comfort of his embrace overwhelming the fear that had held me captive moments ago. The tension in my muscles slowly eases, and I let myself melt into him, the solidness of his chest beneath my palms offering a sense of security I hadn't felt in what felt like an eternity.

Finn's kisses are gentle, exploratory, as if he's afraid that one wrong move will shatter this fragile moment. I kiss him back with all the passion and desperation I've kept hidden, letting him know that I'm all in. Our kisses become more urgent, our breaths mingling in the quiet room. His hand slides down my back, pulling me closer, and I can feel the heat of his skin through my thin slip.

He breaks away, his breath ragged. "We should stop," he says. "We really should get some sleep."

I place my hand on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. "I know," I whisper, planting one more soft kiss on his lips before pulling away. I move to lie down beside him, my heart racing, my body still humming with electricity. Finn reaches over and pulls me back into his embrace, his arms wrapping around me securely.

The comfort of his arms around me is almost too much to bear. It's been so long since I've felt truly safe, and even though the danger is still out there, at this moment, I can almost convince myself that everything is going to be okay. Finn's heart beats steadily against my back, a comforting rhythm that lulls me to sleep.

[k-nonsense]

My updated rankings/reviews of all the k dramas I have seen so far (up to 56 now). I would recommend any show I gave a C grade or higher, which is most of them. I bolded recently added shows.

1. Hometown Cha Cha Cha: An absolute masterpiece. It’s a heartwarming fish out of water story about a big city girl who finds herself in the quirkiest little seaside town. I wanted to stay in Gongjin forever. Grade: A+(Netflix)

2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (S1): Delightful! Never have I ever rooted for a lead harder. She is the most endearing lead you will ever find. And the male lead is so so swoony. Grade: A+(Netflix)

3. Alchemy of Souls: The wildest of rides and the perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, mystery, comedy, and romance. The characters are just so lovable, you’ll never want it to end. Season 2 just as good as Season 1. Grade: A+ (Netflix)

4. Lovely Runner: the most beautiful love story ever told. ImSol and Sunjae forever! In every timeline! My only wish is that the drama would never end. Grade A (Viki)

5. My Demon: This show had me utterly enthralled, it was so mysterious and suspenseful and yet incredibly goofy and romantic. My new favorite main couple in all KDrama land. Yes it wasn’t perfect but I enjoyed it so much, it really encapsulated everything I love in a tv show. Grade: A (Netflix)

6. Love To Hate You: New fastest binge of my life. 10 episodes and I didn’t fast forward at all. There were no bad/slow parts. Also the funniest KDrama I’ve ever seen. Just watch it. You won’t regret it. Grade A+ (Netflix).

7. Business Proposal: It’s got every trope you can think of and it does them all to perfection. Plus it’s hilarious. Grade: A (Netflix)

8. Healer: This super romantic action mystery drama will keep you on the edge of your seat. Ji Chang Wook is equal parts sexy and adorable which is a seriously winning combination. Grade A (Viki). One caveat: I was very disappointed by a certain wardrobe decision in episode 3.

9.Her Private Life: Super funny and charming. The romantic leads have incredible chemistry. The premise is so good! Might be the one of the most rewatchable kdramas. Grade: A (Netflix)

10. Castaway Diva: Just utterly heartwarming. An instant classic. Ultimate underdog, redemption, story that teaches us what real love and family is. Also Ki-Ho is the new standard by which all men will be judged. Grade: A (Netflix)

11. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung: Great strong female lead. Very good messages. Couldn’t stop watching. The most adorable prince I’ve ever seen 💜Cha Eunwoo💜 Grade: A (Netflix)

12. Bad Prosecutor: Absolutely thrilling and hilarious. It’s like a heist, detective, lawyer, action comedy that will keep you wondering who is outsmarting who? Super shocking plot twists. Amazing OST. Stuck the landing with a truly satisfying finale. Grade A (Viki)

13. Sh**ting Stars: Probable the biggest turnaround of any show I’ve seen (The “Africa” part was so problematic). However it turned out to be one of the funniest and swooniest KDramas out there. There are 5 couples and you will cheer for all of them. Grade: A- (Viki)

14. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon: The main couple is absolutely everything! Just fast forward through pretty much every side plot (they are not important) and you’ll love it. Grade: A- (Viki)

15. So I Married the Anti-Fan: It’s campy, fluffy, goodness, with a fierce female lead and a K-pop star enemy/love interest. 2nd fastest binge of my life. Grade: A- (Viki)

16. 100 Days My Prince: An absolute classic period drama romcom. Who knew D.O. could kiss like that? Such a great strong female lead. I LOVE a show with adorable, quirky, townspeople. Grade: A- (Netflix)

17. Romance is a Bonus Book: Might be the most romantic K-Drama I’ve ever seen. Nothing about the trailer or setup intrigued me but I’m so glad I watched it anyway. It was a truly beautiful love story. Grade: A- (Netflix)

18. Because This Is My First Life: This drama really does everything right for me… A slow burn romance built on mutual love and respect. Supporting characters who I genuinely cared about and had incredible side stories of their own. A critique of the patriarchy. Women supporting women. An adorable cat. Maybe a bit melodramatic at times but not too much. Grade A- (Netflix)

19. Start-Up: Exceptional acting, compelling storylines, intriguing plot twists, great cinematography, intense love triangle. It’s just all around high quality. Grade: A- (Netflix)

20. Run On: Cute, fun, silly and pretty light. I especially loved the supporting cast. Strange storyline but it was a fun easy ride. Grade: A- (Netflix)

21. Forbidden Marriage: This is a weird show, but weird in the best way. It’s like a comedy, horror, romance, fictional-historical. I don’t know how to describe it but it’s really fun. B+(Viki)

22. Soundtrack #1: Short and beautiful. I just loved it. No one does heart eyes better than Park Hyung-Sik. Grade: B+(Disney+)

23. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo: A bad-ass yet vulnerable female lead. The main couple just had a lot of fun together. Refreshing. Grade: B+ (Viki)

24. Doctor Slump: This show was a really nice journey of both mental health and romance. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

25. Welcome to Samdalri: Very heartwarming and beautiful story about love, family, friendship, and going home. It has quirky townspeople and Ji Chang Wook 😍 what’s not to love? Grade: B+ (Netflix)

26. My Lovely Liar: Creative and engaging premise, intriguing mystery, and a swoon worthy romance. A very fun viewing experience. Grade: B+ (Viki)

27. King the Land: This drama pretty much has no stakes or conflict and the main couple has THE MOST chemistry I have ever seen in my entire life. So if you just want to turn your brain off and be happy, this is the drama for you. I absolutely loved it. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

28.Law Cafe: This drama has so much to love, a strong/fierce/brilliant and morally righteous female lead, lovable side characters, steamy romance. But what I loved most was how the show spotlighted important issues like consent and abuse in nuanced and progressive ways. Yes it’s a fun rom-com but it felt like the beginning of a new chapter of more egalitarian storytelling which made me really excited for the future of k-dramas. Grade: B+ (Viki)

29. Not Others: A lovely Gilmore Girls type show about the relationship between an immature mother and her very mature adult daughter. It was a pleasure seeing them grow in their relationships with each other, others, and themselves. I want more! Grade B+ (Viki)

30. Cheer Up: Sports, comedy, romance, mystery, suspense, coming of age, this show had everything. The female lead was the lovable, feisty, driven, and brave. The male lead was adorkable, considerate, and sweet. It’s all very enjoyable and wholesome. Grade: B+ (Viki)

31. I Am Not A Robot: Zany premise but it was surprisingly pretty grounded for how crazy the set up was. It’s funny, emotional, good story telling. Great character development. Grade: B+ (Viki)

32. The Atypical Family: A really good healing family drama. I was a bit bored at times but it was overall very good. I liked all the mysteries a lot. Grade: B+ (Netflix)

33. See You in My 19th Life: The shared experience of watching this mystical mystery drama week to week made it a really enjoyable watch. Not sure if it was totally satisfying, or that any of the couples’ chemistry felt authentic, but it was a very interesting and creative storyline. Grade B (Netflix)

34. Summer Strike: This show made me cry a lot. It’s heartbreaking yet healing. I’m still not sure if I liked watching it or not but it was a beautiful story of found family. Grade B (Netflix).

35. Shopping King Louie: Adorable! So many light fluffy feels for this show but it does drag a bit in the second half. Grade B (Viki)

36. Fight For My Way: Such lovable leads. Love the fierce female lead and adorable himbo male lead. It’s like a coming of age story but for 30 year olds. Storyline was ok. Second couple was skippable. Grade: B (Viki)

37. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: More PSJ is always a good thing. This drama did all the tropes in ways that didn’t always feel fresh, but it was very romantic and hilarious. A true classic. Grade: B (Viki)

38. Touch Your Heart: If you can just stick it out through the first few very shaky episodes, you will enjoy this adorable, fluffy, series. Grade: B- (Netflix)

39. Doom at Your Service: It was sometimes real sad yet ultimately a heart warming mystical story. Grade: B- (Viki)

40. True Beauty: Fun, cute, teen drama however, it’s a little too “antsy teen” for me. Cha Eunwoo though💜 Grade: C+ (Viki)

41. Destined With You: The chemistry between the main couple was absolutely sizzling. Rowoon was both hilarious and next level adorable. However, the plot and the characterization of women occasionally made me very frustrated. Grade: C+ (Netflix).

42. Suspicious Partner: Great story, great characters, attractive actors, beautiful romance, interesting plot, sometimes funny, sometimes suspenseful, but with 40 episodes, the plot was dragged. Grade C+ (Viki)

43. Crash Landing On You: The first half is GREAT but the second half is way too melodramatic for my taste. It’s a very interesting storyline, the main couple has insane chemistry, and there are very lovable side characters. Grade: C+ (Netflix)

44. Secret Romantic Guesthouse: First few episodes were a fun scooby gang mystery, middle episodes were super boring, last 3 episodes were crazy fast paced and thrilling. It ended well- I’ll give it that. Grade: C (Viki)

45. Dear.M: It was inoffensive and decently entertaining. If you like school dramas, you’ll probably enjoy it. Grade: C (Viki).

46. A Good Day To Be A Dog: The storyline is bonkers but very intriguing. It started off so well but the storyline lost its way in the back half. But hey, Cha Eunwoo + dogs, it’s worth the watch. Grade: C (Viki).

47. Angel’s Last Mission: Love: This drama was very similar to Doom At Your Service but it was more a bit more redundant with all of the tragedy and crying. I LOVED the chemistry of the main couple but I found myself fast forwarding a lot. Grade: C- (Viki)

48. Marry My Husband: Episodes 1-11 were phenomenal. Such an interesting premise with shocking twists and turns. After episode 11 it seemed like there were new writers who had never seen the show. Very disappointing but top tier villains. Grade: C-

49. Our Beloved Summer: I LOVED V’s “Christmas Tree” OST however I struggled to keep watching. Boring storyline but great acting. Grade: D+ (Netflix)

50. Heavenly Idol: An absolute hot mess. It was completely convoluted and just low quality but I also weirdly liked it. I can’t bring myself to rank it higher because I know how bad it was but I actually enjoyed it better than many shows I ranked ahead of it. Grade: D+ (Viki)

51. My Secret Romance: The story of a total screw up female lead falling for a manipulative, gaslighting, hottie. It was problematic yet fun? So 🤷‍♀️ Grade: D+ (Netflix)

52. My Man Is Cupid: Pros: many cute dogs, sometimes those dogs wear human clothes, cute ending. Cons: Makes no sense, not much chemistry, murder plot takes up too much time. Grade D+ (Prime).

53. She Would Never Know: As handsome as Rowoon is, I found his character problematic at the beginning (no means no buddy) but he did get a lot better as the show went on. I just ended up skipping to watch just the scenes with the main couple, which made the show way more enjoyable. Grade D (Netflix)

54. My Love From the Star: I found myself fast forwarding a lot through all the parts that didn’t involve the main couple and most of the flashbacks. Grade D (Viki)

55. Goblin: The age gap is too disturbing for me, like call the police disturbing. However, the Grim Reaper who is one of the most adorable characters I’ve ever seen. Grade: D- (Viki)

56. Extra-Ordinary You: I have never felt so betrayed by a second half of a series as I did in this one. All of the character development that it seemed to be leading to was replaced by a pretty sickening codependent relationship. Grade: D- (Viki).

Currently Watching: My Sweet Mobster

Dramas I’m Thinking About Watching: Gaus Electronics, Bad and Crazy, Hospital Playlist, Another Miss Oh, Oh My Venus, My Roommate is Gumiho, She Was Pretty, Crash Course in Romance, Soundtrack #2

Dramas I just couldn’t Finish (I’m sorry I tried): Today’s Webtoon, Once Upon a Small Town, Love in Contract, Hotel Del Luna, Kings Affection, Record of Youth, Behind Your Touch, Sparkling Watermelon, Tale of Nine Tailed 1938, Strong Girl Nam Soon, The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract, Wedding Impossible

What are your thoughts on these shows? Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Any k-romcom recommendations that are not on the list yet?

[tame-the-lion-writes]

anything but worthy [pt.2]

This is reposted from my ao3!

[SFW Arthur Morgan] tags: omegaverse

Ever since you were a teenager, you've loved romance books. First you pretended to hate them, and still occasionally do, but for all the tropes that you’ve scorned, there’s something inherently addicting about them, too.

You shared this little obsession with Mary-Beth, and as such, occasionally shared each other’s novels. She was an aspiring writer, you knew, and as an avid consumer, she’d appreciate your tips and critiques. But if there was one thing you couldn’t share, it was how much more you fantasized compared to her.

Pride and Prejudice was lovely, really – a testament to the change people will go through because they love someone. Romeo and Juliet was more of a tragedy, and while you understood the political metaphor, as a story, it felt a little too juvenile. There were the non-romances, too – Robinson Crusoe, Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn. Hell, you’d even read Charles C. Chestnutt, since you were so invested in the politics of the time. Equality for everyone, past the bare minimums of the Civil War! 

But, on some level, you didn’t want the sensical. You didn’t want things that made sense – you craved suspension of disbelief. You craved something more primal, something that could be set aside from the sociopolitics of everyday life – something private, and personal, and perhaps a little… perverted.

Ugh. Putting it like that made you sound like you needed church.

(And perhaps you did.)

– but that wasn’t the point!

The point was – that for the past year, you’d been miraculously saved by a big strong mountain man, and now, in a time when women only had the options of marriage, elementary schooling, or prostitution, you had been swept into the wild drama of a gang of outlaws. This in itself was perfect romance material!-- if not perfect – ugh – Victorian erotica material.

(Because yes, those existed – though you certainly wanted something better than a couple dozen pages written from the perspective of a fucking flea.)

Now Arthur Morgan, in particular, was perfect romance material. You and Mary-Beth – and even Tilly – yes, Tilly! – had agreed as such. John was taken, Sean and Bill both idiots – though Karen would probably settle for the former. Javier was a romantic with a lovely voice, but you didn’t know him all too well, and Charles was almost too quiet. (Again, almost – he was handsome and kind and patient.) Dutch was taken, Hosea was more of a father, but Arthur – Arthur – he was a perfect mix of rough and sentimental. A perfect mix of rugged and gentle.

Though you might have underestimated just exactly how rough he could be.

Not to mention that he was an alpha – the greatest one in the pack, even above Dutch, you’d decided.

Admittedly, you didn’t notice at first – notice how often he looked at you, at least. You noticed his strength right away of course, and how much of a leader he could be when necessary, but it took Mary-Beth and Tilly and Karen – all of them – to make you realize he had taken a liking to you.

“God, you’re oblivious as hell, ain’tcha?” Karen had said one evening, throwing her hands up in the air. “The man’s been eyeing you like a piece of meat!”

“Now, I wouldn’t say a piece of meat–” Mary-Beth countered with a nervous chuckle, shaking her head. “More like a… a male lead!”

“A male– a fuckin’ what now?”

Tilly giggled in the background, covering her smile with her hand. “You know, Karen, like the main love interests in Mary-Beth’s books.”

The blonde made a face, scrunching up her nose. “You know I don’t read that shit. Too sappy for me.”

“It’s not… ‘shit,’” you defended with a smile, albeit an understanding one, but seeing Mary-Beth pout, you had to say something. “They’re pretty good in my opinion.”

“Oh, don’t you dare change topics with me, girly,” Karen scolded, rolling her eyes. “Either way, you know what we mean!”

 Actually, you didn’t – not until then. It was hard to believe a man like that could like you. But ever since that conversation, you found yourself looking over your shoulder more, darting your eyes in Arthur’s direction to try and catch him in the act. For the longest time, however, he seemed normal – busy with something else, not even close to facing you. You had nearly given up when, one night, when the gang was celebrating a successful job with drinks, that you looked up to see blue eyes staring you down, laced with a certain expression halfway between affection and lust.

That day, you looked away, red face hidden in the darkness. But from then on, with his whatever toward you confirmed, a returned interest had started to grow. And boy, did you try to hook him.

It started with simpler gestures, really – an odd form of courtship since you were shy and he just felt so big compared to life. You’d do all his laundry, hand him coffee or stew, or leave him a newly repaired shirt on the table by his bedside. One time, you even managed to scourge together enough money to buy him a new ink pen. Your excuse?-- that if he kept writing in his journal with pencil, the graphite would rub the letters clean off one day. And you knew how much his writing and drawing meant to him, even if he denied any form of intelligence.

But it took another few months before you’d finally gathered the courage. The courage to ask him to stay with you, through the heat – during your heat. But–

“I am anythin’ but worthy of that honor, little girl.”

The response made your heart sink, and for a moment, you thought that was that.

“I’m sorry, Arthur.” Your voice is shaky. “I just thought it would be nice – me and you.”

You felt like a little girl, trembling quietly in the night.  All that staring and time wasted – but it was just staring, not him actually planning to act on you. Well, now you just felt a little silly, too. Silly little omega. What kind of omega chases an alpha – not the other way around?

“I guess I’ll just ask Sadie or Miss Grimshaw to go with me again. Or maybe Karen, ‘cause she can handle a gun, too.”

But before you can disappear into the darkness, escape the vicinity and curl up – cry yourself to sleep – he speaks up again, explaining himself.

“I don’t wanna hurt you, omega. I don’t wanna hurt you. That’s all.”

“Oh, Arthur. I’d be okay if it were you.”

Something shifted that evening. And you parted ways with a better understanding.

The following day, the girls helped you pack – Miss Grimshaw being helpful in particular. She’d made sure some herbs for soothing tea was going with you, and had the others wrap up enough blankets for comfort. There was a tower, the older woman explained, back up north in the Grizzlies – nice and cool to keep your fever from being unbearable, yet not quite buried in layers of snow. Compared to the humid mists of Lemoyne, it sounded like sheer paradise. Arthur himself had scouted it out while on one of his trips, and after tidying up the place a bit, deemed it a safehouse for omegas like you, Mary-Beth, and Tilly. (And Kieren, too, but the boy didn’t like to admit it.) 

But when you expected Miss Grimshaw herself to hop onto the wagon with you, instead of a woman with makeup too gaudy for her features, you heard a rough groan as a man clad in brown leather pulled himself up to sit at your side.

“Er, Arthur, this is my wagon,” you said, dumbfounded, brain not quite working.

“Yup, I know.”

He cracked the reins, getting the horses to start their little trotting.

“It’s– it’s my wagon. I’m not going to town, you– you know that, right?”

“Yup. I know.”

You stare a few more seconds, stare hard, then sink into your seat, facing forward.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

You hear faint laughter from behind you and raise your head to look over your shoulder, where you see the girls waving – grinning – and Karen hooting and hollering, knowing how things were likely to go. 

“Why– why did you change your mind?” you ask, breathless, gripping your hands tight in your lap. “You really didn’t have to.”

“Just thought about it last night. Thought– hell– once thought no one would have me. Then some pretty girl shows up an’-- well– guess your words hit a chord last time we talked.”

“Arthur, nobody in their right mind wouldn’t have you.”

The rest of the trip is spent in relative quiet, your mind busy processing the fact that Arthur would be staying. The stop at Rhodes for food was brief, the pass through Emerald Ranch even briefer. Then it was up to O’Creagh’s Run, where Arthur stopped by an old man’s cabin. The man had spared you a knowing smile, clapped Arthur on the back, offered to take you both fishing later, then sent you your way.

After that, it was just a little roundabout trip to avoid the steep parts of the mountain range, and soon, you two were passing into a clearing where a log tower came into view. It was a sturdy, impossibly pristine place, likely recently abandoned. A nearby campfire was still smoldering, but Arthur noted that people rarely passed through. Ambarino was a scarce place after all, with few homesteads and little reason to visit. And – on the off chance some other alpha was too nosy for their own good – the top of the tower provided ample range for Arthur to threaten them off with a gun.

Settling in, you were starting to feel the haze of your heat, but luckily, Arthur had given you some privacy to prepare. He waited outside, by the campfire, scavenging through the leftovers of the former occupants to see if they’d abandoned any cans of food. In the meantime, you’d bundled up your extra blankets and pillows, 

Once overcome by the sweltering heat of Lemoyne, now the cold of the Grizzlies has drifted through the opening at the top of the tower, allowing the cool air to sink and settle around you, and paired with the blankets still lightly scented with the smell of fellow omegas, it begins to slowly you into a sense of security. The stove can be turned on later if needed, to warm both some food and you – but for now, the temperature is satisfactory, and in your chemise, the urge to sleep is instant. You don’t even fight it. Within minutes, you’re drifting off into peaceful nothingness.

And that’s when the sound of a gunshot awakens you.

“Arthur?”

You call out his name in the dead quiet, clutching the blankets close. Your heat is on the edge of full force, and you’re just barely lucid enough to stand. Which you do.

“Arthur?” you repeat, bare feet falling in succession on the wooden floor.

Then it hits you – the swarm of what felt like dozens of other scents. The disgusting mixture of chalk and rotten food, pungent chemicals, and more. But somewhere in the middle, there’s the familiar smell of leather – the warmth of whiskey, and the freshness of rain.

And you notice – it’s raining.

There’s no more gunshots, not that you can hear, but now there’s the sound of a struggle outside. Gasps and coughs and grunts, among the sound of fists landing hard on flesh and bone. You flinch repeatedly at each blow and finally decide to peek through the window, where in the dark of night, you can barely make out the silhouettes of several people.

Two bodies lie still in the grass, water gathering in the wrinkles of their shirts. Three more are standing – one, you make out to be Arthur, while the other two are clearly trying to beat him to a pulp.

Emphasis on trying.

With a well placed kick to the gut, Arthur sends another one flying, and now it’s just him and the seemingly equally large man left.

You can’t make out what they’re saying, but you can make a good guess. Why else would a group of alphas swarm to one spot when an omega’s in heat? The thought makes you sick, and you cover your mouth, slumping against the wall by the window and forcing the bile down. 

It takes seemingly forever, but after a while, the sound dies down. One more glance out the window confirms that Arthur is the only one left standing – because of course he is – and the sight of his outline, standing against the bright of far-off lightning strikes, shoulders rising and falling with every labored breath – it makes you want to crawl right into his arms.

But as you open the door and the full strength of your scent floods down the path towards him, his body goes rigid. There’s something wrong.

“Arthur?” you call out a third time. Then a pause.

“... Arthur?”

He turns, and you see the spots of red splattered across his face. There’s this wild look in his eye – not the mix of affection and lust that you’d seen so long ago, but the pure animalistic drive of alpha pheromones. In the rain, the scent hits you. Yes – leather. Whiskey. The smell of dust after rain.

The heat pools in your blood, but so, too, does your body call you to run.

And you do.

_

Oh, you want the third part? The lovely, lovely smut? Check out my ao3

[love-kurdt]

What are your all time favourite fanfics from each genre: fluff, smut, and agnst? <3

oh lord, this is TOUGH. i’ve read thousands of fanfics in my life and it’s borderline impossible for me to choose 😭

i can’t rlly separate them into genres per se bc most of them are multi chapter novel-length fics, but i will if applicable!

i’m not a huge fan of condensing entire works into a single word!!! authors work too hard for their writing to be trope-ified like that! so if any of the writers come across this post, please know that i would write fucking essays about these fics if y’all asked.

and one last disclaimer: i’m currently on my phone with limited cell service in europe and can’t jump between tabs to check peoples’ separate tumblr and ao3 usernames, so i’ve tagged who i know off the top of my head!!

so here are my top 10 (in no particular order, just listing what comes to mind first)

“in the sun” (kurt cobain x OC) by ugh-nirvana on wattpad. it has been my favorite fanfiction of all fucking time; i read this at least once a year. primarily fluff and angst, but it follows the OC and kurt through high school and into adulthood. the author and i are actually friends now bc we wrote two of the most popular kurt cobain x OC fics on wattpad 😭🖤

“the windows of this love” (byler angst) by delusional together (Whyyyyy) on ao3. phenomenal story, i cry every time i read it, and i’ve read it so many times it’s kind of a problem lmaooo. it was also one of my inspirations for TIMT.

“that blue gibson” (dave grohl x OC) by thatbluegibson on wattpad. a literal masterpiece. cute, romantic, fluffy, spicy, all of the above.

“the rawest desire (in it’s friendliest form)” (byler smut) by bangingbiddies on ao3. they have a very apropos username; this fic had me slamming my laptop shut multiple times and screaming at my cat. probably the best smut i’ve read tbh.

“i’m a wreck (without you here)” (byler angst) by @oldfashionedmorphine on ao3. INSANE. BEAUTIFUL. LYRICAL. i cannot praise this story highly enough, it’s one of my favorite byler fics of all time. alcoholic mike wheeler is my favorite mike wheeler ngl.

“second chances and dances” (byler angst/fluff) by @foodiewithdahoodie on ao3!!!! i’m a huge sucker for dad mike fics, and this one is *chefs kiss*

“lost without you” (byler angst/fluff) by julia_skysong on ao3. another dad mike fic i actually just finished for the 3rd fucking time in the past 6 months. i recommend reading this whole series, it’s so well written (and is still being written!!).

“fence sitter” (byler smut) by pinkcash on ao3. exactly what the title suggests. sensually spicy and severely suspenseful.

“boy in my class [gerard way]” by lilyrose93 on wattpad. it’s a gerard way x OC. very cute, very cliche, but if you’re looking for ✨fluff✨, this is it. and listen, i know writing about real people who are still alive is kinda weird but like… this one is serious, ok??? 💀

“tell me i’m a bad man” by therevengeparade on wattpad. along the same lines as the one before this— it’s teacher/student frerard. very messy, very smutty, top tier drama. if it helps at all, this was probably my initiation to gay fanfic. so… thanks therevengeparade!!! love u!!!

-

happy reading, friends 🥰🖤✨

[a-world-with0ut-dr34ms]

John Price x Reader

Wounded, bloody, and just the two of you. A mission gone wrong leads to a long overdue moment between both you and your Captain, perhaps too late to count for anything. Not if either of you two can help it at least.

Part One of Two (Possibly Three Part short story).

EDIT* I went back and proofread this again and fixed errors. I didn't realize I posted this in such a crummy state before, I'm sorry!

TW//: Blood, Violence

Angst, Drama, Action, Romance, Near Death Experiences, Confessions, slightly Dark, some Fluffy Dialogue (not a ton though), Tension, slight Suspense, slight Slow Burn, For the girlies who like when their romantic moments feel a little teased and earned, Though this might still be boring garbage, plus the real stuff doesn't start 'til part two. The "developing feelings through almost dying in front of each other" trope, my favorite trope lowkey

This was not the smut piece I have been planning to write for Price (That's still coming), I wanted to practice writing him a little and this sprung on me after playing MW 2019. Figured I'd post it, though this is just to indulge my growing obsession with this man. Let me know if he's OOC, I want to write him well! Enjoy!

Part Two | Part Three

Price's voice suddenly shouts out from the living room, frantic and wired...

"Ambush! Get behind cover!"

...However, his warnings are drowned out by the whistling of an RPG heading straight for your location. It cuts through the evening sky, coming to you as a black dot zipping by at the blink of an eye.

The rocket breaks through the window of the house you and Price had been tasked to raid for intel, as the explosion goes off against one of the walls behind you. The sound which follows is unlike any you've ever heard the likes of before. A piercing, defeaning pop; the loudest and most unpleasant thing imaginable.

The sharp, crashing boom it erupts around you is hot like fire, singing your uniform and blasting you forward. It's the last thing you remember, before being greeted into a world of swirling blacks and oranges. In pain and completely immobile. Momentarily knocked unconscious.

You're not so sure how much time passes before you come to again. Only a handful of minutes or so. Though in that span, you've listened to the sounds of growing gunfire and shouting rise like a terrifying mob outside. Coming in and out in hot flashes.

Had your Captain's shouting not broken through this foggy barrier, you would have thought you'd have just died. You wouldn't be so lucky.

"Lieutenant!" you hear him call out. His voice grows more desperate the longer he hasn't heard from you. "I'm comin'!"

As the dust began to settle, you felt yourself coming back. You groan in pain, your entire body sore from the blast. Brick and stone rubble surround you like a straightjacket. You're pretty sure the entire roof of the house had fallen on top of you just now. Beneath it all, it was hard to tell for certain.

As you lie trapped, waiting to be rescued, you couldn't help but think about the mission. You and Price should have known this was some sort of setup.

Even Laswell had doubts this lead on Makarov wasn't just some trap to lure out their rivals and take them out, but with this recent dry spell on the investigation, your team couldn't afford to pass up the chance at some potentially valuable leads. It's why Laswell kept the team small, sending only you two on this one.

An easy enough operation: infiltrate the building, gather the intel, and get out. Nothing new. Only all you've found in this rinky-dink building on the outskirts of Urzikstan was a handful of AQ remnants and their new Russian PMC allies. And they knew you two were coming too.

The marked house was empty, both of any life and intel. And not even a second later were they all on top of your location, every inch of this town and the hills that surrounded it dug in with hostiles.

You'd have to ask Price later how it was he was able to push back that hoard alone, if you can make it out of this. There's no telling what they'd do to you both if they caught you in here, and that's if they even take you in alive.

You feel bits of rubble being shifted off your body, immense amounts of pressure releasing upon their departure. It's quickly replaced by the sharp bruising and pain it's left in its wake beneath your uniform.

"I'm right here," you hear Price's voice try to soothe you from up above, that gruff Liverpool accent of his clear enough even through the strain and stress. He hasn't let you down a day since you've known him. He wasn't about to make today his first.

Another large bit of rubble gets removed, taking the darkness away and flooding light down from above.

You could have sworn you were looking at an angel when you finally made out the silhouette of the man rescuing you. Your Captain. John Price.

"I've got you," Price assures you, his words felt wracked with adrenaline, hands moving near on impulse.

His hat was gone, short brown hair in a light tussle, and dust and light soot coating the black of his uniform and scruff of his beard. It almost worried you not to see him in it; he never parts from that thing. Perhaps during the blast it had gotten caught in the crossfires and rendered unwearable.

For some reason, it only made the situation feel much more worse than you originally thought.

His blue eyes find yours beneath the rubble, and you watch all the dread he'd been juggling with subside into relief the second he hears you cough out all the dust and wall you'd inhaled, struggling to catch your breath. He sighs to himself with a smile.

He doesn't even hear the words when he says them. Price only says the first thing that came to mind the minute you've finally stopped coughing to see him again.

"Thank fuckin' Christ."

Once Price saw you weren't dead, he finished removing the rubble from off of you. It's the bit he removes from your right arm that finally pulls a pained cry out of you. It's so intense it's as though reality just now set back in for you.

Your entire right arm felt numb from the elbow down, your fingers no longer feeling attached to your body. Had you not held your breath and sucked up the courage to look (with your peripherals first), you would have thought you'd lost your arm in the explosion.

Though it didn't make it any less broken and fucked. Nor did it make it any easier to not become fearful of what this could mean for you.

The Captain immediately notices the condition of your arm once he's cleared the debris off you. Cursing under his breath, Price helps you to your feet, brushing as much dirt from you as he can.

"You broken?" he asks. "Apart from the arm?"

You feel for what weapons still remained attached to your body after the blast, finding just a slender knife and your holstered pistol. Only two clips though. Of course.

Your arm and entire backside ached something fierce, and your brain felt as though it had been rattled inside your head and then some. If you shut your eyes now, you feared fainting dead away, and the ringing in your ears has yet to subside.

But your current state would have to do. It's that or die here. You knew that, and Price knew that too.

"I'm still here, Captain."

Price smiles, his gaze softening for just the slightest second. Happy to see his training and advice being taken seriously.

It just now was beginning to dawn on him that you hadn't died in here with him either. Seeing you OK and still ready to fight felt fuel enough for the Captain to keep going.

"That you are," he says.

Price parts from you to take post back by the freshly made hole in the wall, readying his rifle. Most of the building had collapsed in on itself, with the exception of the back of the house still being mostly intact.

Outside you could see the mountain of bodies Price had no doubt created while you were buried. None made it too close to where your position was.

With the coast temporarily clear, the current objective at hand remained the same: Get to the Evac Zone stat and get the hell out of dodge.

"This building's gonna be surrounded by Russians and AQ in less than a minute if we don't bug out now," Price warns. "And there'll be more where that came from, so ready yourself for a fight."

"Price..."

The Captain looks back at you, hearing the sudden dread in your voice. It takes him having to have stepped away from you to finally see that something really was up.

Your eyes look down to his waist, where you see the blood beginning to pool at his hip, staining his clothing and growing larger by the minute. It's clear he'd used what he could to try and wrap it, though it hadn't been enough. The adrenaline must have taken his mind away from it.

It figures you weren't the only one who got wounded here.

You look back up at Price, worried. Quiet.

Price looks down at his wound, placing a hand against it and seeing the warm, wet liquid coat his tattered glove. Whether it be a front or really only a flesh wound, Price doesn't dare break composure in front of you. You both would need him clearheaded.

"It's nothin' fatal," he simply tells you.

You knew Price wouldn't make a big deal about his injury, even if it were serious, which you honestly could not tell from where you were standing. You also knew Price wouldn't want you to worry about it either. He never liked when you worried for him; that's his job.

The time dwindled all the same; you can worry about it when you both get home.

You look to Price with contentment. You wouldn't be another reason for his worries if you could help it. "It'll make a good story for the boys later."

Price smiles back at you. "You'll tell it better than me, I'm sure."

The growing sound of men shouting and vehicles rushing to flank your position makes your blood run cold. If you didn't leave soon, neither of you would make it out of this to tell your stories.

You try and get that adrenaline you felt before to spike back up, knowing this was a matter of life and death now. Though your body betrayed you.

Your heart won't stop racing, no matter how much you try and calm yourself. Your hands keep shaking, and you can't help but keep checking the recently blasted hole behind you and your Captain. Soon to be flooded with enemies. Afraid.

Price must have noticed your worrying, because he steps away from his position and does something completely outside of himself suddenly. Though as he did so, it couldn't have felt more natural of a thing to do. Like a gesture he's spent his whole life waiting to give you.

He rests his hand gently on your cheek, bringing your eyes forward so you could see nothing beyond his own gaze. This close, even as night falls over the town and darkness shrouds the remains of this little house, this felt the clearest you've ever looked upon your Captain.

There's a glint of determination in his eyes, all the years of experiences that have worn and torn him the older he has gotten, defining the finer parts of his features. His expression always softened at the sight of you, an act you alone pulled from him for the first time truly, now.

Price was here with you. At that moment, it was the only thing that mattered.

"Hey," his thumb caresses your cheek, his jaw clenching to keep from wincing at the pain in his abdomen. "We're alive. Let's keep it that way, yeah? I'm not leavin' here without you."

His jaw tenses once more and you think for a second he might say something else. But he holds his tongue, wanting the most for you to keep calm beside him.

You can feel it in the air around him; the captain's as bugged out as you are right now. He was just doing everything he could to keep being a leader and bottle it up, channeling those fears and turning them into fuel to keep going. His words may be more for himself, than you, but they're true enough.

You lift your good hand up and let it rest over his, feeling his hand stiffen at first, but then find its home against your palm. You didn't want to have to let go, but you knew you must eventually. So you nod. "Damn right, you're not."

Price chuckles, happy to see you on the same page. "Fuckin' A, love," he quickly quips. "Now let's move."

The rocky hills stretched further out ahead of you. At some point their edges seem to blend with the black of the sky, all the stars gone away someplace. Luck would see a full moon above your heads, providing the only bit of light on this makeshift route to the Evac Zone.

You have Price's arm over your left shoulder now, having to help him the rest of the way since you've escaped the base. No amount of tough guy act the Captain put on could prevent the amount of blood he'd been losing. Had he not started tumbling over mid-shootout suddenly, you wouldn't have even known. And you wanted to kill him yourself once you did too.

It's nothin' fatal, he had said. The lie of the fucking century, right?

By now his dark blood has practically stained the entire lower right side of his body, making his skin pale and his eyelids heavy. His movements slowed, his reflexes taking a severe hit because of it, and he was beginning to breathe heavier. You've gone through all your supplies trying to stop his bleeding before leaving the house. Nothing worked.

It had been infuriating, just as it'd been scary to realize that your Captain really did need a medic right now. If he didn't see a doctor soon, he might just bleed to death before you've made it out of here.

Of course, having to help him now meant you couldn't shoot at all, given the state of your other arm. Price helped with what he could, but even a man of his talents couldn't prevent shaky shots from increasing blood loss.

"Nikolai's not far out now," Price grunted out, doing his best to put one more clip into his pistol. The last one. "Should be a few more clicks along this trail."

"He couldn't fly a little closer," you huff out, readjusting your hold on the Captain. He wasn't a light man, and while he did everything in his power to make this easier for you, his weakening state only grew harder to carry.

"You holdin' up alright?" Price asks. You feel him once again, ready himself to try and pull away and stand on his own feet. Having to rely on you was eating away at him, you could tell.

"I'm fine," you tell him, though that's not all the way true. Your vision had started to blur, and your lungs felt on fire. Now that some time has passed, all your once numb injuries were suddenly starting to scream at you for relief. Had you not been concentrating on your steps in front of you, or the thumping of your heart inside your ringing ears, you would have fainted already.

But you were all Price had right now; there was no way you'd fail him when he needed you most. "I'm more worried about you, Captain."

"Still got my wits about me..." he says. "Maybe a little lighter now, given I've been leakin' like a faucet."

"I'd beg to differ."

"Eh, you can use the exercise, lieutenant."

"Or you can lose the weight, Captain."

You both chuckle, and for a second, it felt easier to pretend you both were somewhere else right now. Spending all the time together you only wish you had before.

The levity was needed. It kept you both sane and human, and right now, Price was kicking himself in the ass for not appreciating these moments with you sooner.

The team really lucked out when they recruited you, he saw that now. You've always made sure you were someone Price could trust. That you were someone he could depend on you. You kept a cool head and you did what you must, while staying both good-natured and sweet, despite everything.

And when everything was said and done, you came back to him, keeping a smile as neutral as his own could manage. Your eyes bright like stars with him in your sights. His would often do the same.

All the times you've been at his side before tonight, keeping his head on straight when he needed it most, and always reminding him of life outside of all of this, they've only increased over the years. In every moment it always felt as though you two only teetered at the next level of your fondness for one another. Both wanting to push further, but not wanting to push the other too quickly either.

Your roles on the team always came first; they seemed to be the most important thing at the time.

Every lingering touch, a longing gaze brought by excitement and recognition, a check-in during work, or a brief moment of conversation... that's where your relationship has stayed for years now. You both felt OK with that. You thought so at first.

However, Price knew one thing. He couldn't lose you tonight. He wouldn't. Not on his account. Not when there's so much more that can still be. John's lived long enough to know that when something feels this right, there is no time to waste, lest he lose that chance forever like he has with so many others before.

You feel Price grow slack against your side now, his blood starting to soak through your uniform. It took everything in you not to panic.

"I won't let you fall," you assure him now, adjusting him against you. "Just keep holding on."

The smell of blood is so strong, you'll never forget its scent long after you've left this place. Nor would you forget seeing your Captain this way. Hurt and broken. You know he's no stranger to it, but alas, John is still human.

"...I'm taking you out for dinner after this," Price up and says suddenly. He figures he should just throw that out there, in case he didn't get another chance to. "My treat."

You nearly trip when you hear him, as if you're heart needed any more of a reason to fluctuate. You lost count of how long you've waited to hear him say that, having spent so many nights daydreaming about a time he'd come up to you and actually asked you out. It felt like everything you imagined it would; if only it had been under better circumstances.

"Is that a promise, Captain?"

"You know I wouldn't bluff about that, love."

"Well, then you better keep it then, John."

"As you wish."

He could hardly understand how it was you were still able to push through all that growing pain in your body after taking such a blast. He couldn't be more proud of it either.

The town illuminated like a glowing city behind you, AQ and Russians creating an uproar there, regardless of your presence. It was no longer your problem, however. The approaching convoy heading your direction was.

You weren't out of the fire just yet.

You look around yourselves, only having a few large rocks and boulders to hide behind in your immediate vicinity. Little word is needed to be shared between you two before the plan was nonverbally green-lit.

You both take cover behind a large rock facing the hills, Price resting down against the rock as you took out your pistol. It was time to see if your shooting with your left hand has improved any more than it did a few minutes ago during your escape.

You peak over the stone, seeing four AQ soldiers step out with rifles and flashlights, already hot on your pursuit. Tracking the trail of blood you'd left behind. Price peaks around the other side of the rock, raising his pistol.

"You take the two on the right," he whispers. "I got left."

You nod, and then take position. Price takes the first shot, dropping both his targets with swift precision. Even wounded, the man always had a way with pistols. Forever the dead-eye shot.

You drop one AQ soldier, happy to see your aim improve. However, your heart sinks when you go to shoot the other soldier and you hear the click of your pistol suddenly. Out of ammo.

The AQ soldier fires at you, the bullet just grazing by your cheek, before another hits you straight at the center of your chest, rattling your sternum and knocking you off your feet. Without your bulletproof vest, that bullet would have torn straight through you. Though you might as well have died, with the pain it sent through you instead. Knocking the wind out of you.

Before you know it, Price has reached over and started pulling you back behind the boulder. "Hold on!" he says. "You're not dead yet."

Price goes to try and get to his knees and peek over the boulder, however, now that he's sat back behind the rock again with you, it's become an impossible task to even wiggle his feet at this point. Like his legs were losing feeling. The blood loss really was starting to catch up to him now, it seems.

So instead, Price did the next best thing, simply waiting for the AQ soldier to round the corner, which he stupidly does. The minute the enemy's head peaks over, Price shot twice for good measure, watching the man drop to the ground with a heavy thud.

"I think we're clear," he says. "Still breathing?"

"Yeah," you gasp out.

A lot of times, you're not sure if you'd make it through a lot of these missions if Price wasn't here. The true backbone of the 141. The man always just seemed to be prepared for anything, even with the odds stacked against him. Often feeling like some other worldly being on the field, unable to be truly harmed by the threats he faced.

Until now, you couldn't even picture him so hurt.

When Price went on a mission, you could trust he'd get it done, if no one else. And you could always trust he'd make it back too. One way or another. Of course, he wasn't always lucky, as rare as those days actually came. Luck seemed to only be a recent thing for him in fact, and of short supply tonight.

You push yourself up, rubbing your hand over your chest in an attempt to soothe the throbbing. You're unsure what bad juju you yourself had crossed, or why lady luck seemed on your side even despite it all, but maybe fate wanted you to make it out of here.

One of you at least.

You look over at Price and see him barely able to keep consciousness now, cold sweat forming at the sides of his face, and a puddle of blood building around his legs. His breathing broken. Dying.

Seeing him now, pale, bloodied, and relying on a rock behind him to keep himself upright... for the first time ever you felt fear for your Captain.

"No, no, no," you rush over to Price, taking hold of his face and bringing his eyes to you. Seeing them so close again wakes him somewhat. "Stay with me, Captain."

"I'm still here..." Price answers weakly. Even still, he tries to keep up an act in front of you, like he truly was fine. It only made you more afraid to lose him now. Out in some rocky hilltop in the middle of nowhere because of bad intel. You couldn't lose him like this.

You look over the boulder, seeing the convoy those AQ soldiers showed up in still running a few feet ahead of you. Just what you needed.

"Can you stand?" You ask.

"...I'll need help," he said.

"OK, OK..." You take a deep breath, plotting everything out in your head before taking Price's hand in yours. "There's a convoy over there we can take to the Evac Zone. It'll be faster than going on foot."

You start trying to pull Price up, feeling the man use all the strength he can muster to try and push off the ground and back to his feet. Having one hand to help him didn't make matters easier, however. He made it halfway before falling back against the cold stone with a sharp grunt and some swearing.

Rather than comment, you take Price's hand again, feeling your face turn red with trying to lift him. He gets his knees bent to stand this time, but whenever any weight was applied afterward, an aggressive pain would awkwardly shoot through his body, taking all the momentum from him and causing him to sink back down. And with how heavy he was, you couldn't stop him once he it happened.

Price falls back against the rock again, as frustrated as you are about it all. He can't even bring himself to look you in your eye he's so mad, ashamed of the situation. It's not like him to be the one holding things back. He shouldn't have gotten wounded like this in the first place, he felt.

"...If you go and get help, I can manage here 'til then," Price starts to say. Feeling like a burden, he no longer wished to hold you down. But you wouldn't hear it.

"Fuck that," you protest. "I didn't carry you all the way over here to leave you so you can bleed out."

"...You didn't do it to die here either." He grabs at his side, gritting his teeth along to that burning pain he felt, as the taste of iron tinted the back of his throat now. "Look, this ain't how I plan on goin' out, trust me. Plus we've still got that dinner, yeah?"

Price smiles at you after he says it, and it takes everything in you not to cry. An unspoken reality lingered in the air soon after, because you both knew what it'd mean if you couldn't pick him up from this spot. You'd give anything to not make that so.

You hear more vehicles heading your way from the town. A good handful of them now. Too many. All armed and ready to take out the two 141 soldiers responsible for killing their friends. You knew if you left Price here now, you wouldn't see him again.

"Fuck..." Out of breath and defeated, sorrow starts to settle in and you swallow it down, letting the feelings stir into frustration. "Why'd we wait so long, John?"

Price felt at a loss for words. "I don't know..." he admits. He couldn't quite give you an answer for that; it had always just been... something. He could at least look you in your eyes when he spoke to you now. "But... I'm sorry for that," he says. "Probably should have said somethin' sooner, huh."

You have to bite your cheek to keep from letting his words fill you with so much sorrow and regret. "You and me both."

Fearful that these may actually be your final moments with your Captain, now you wish he hadn't said anything at all, not knowing you'd be losing him so soon after. Leave it to Price to twist the knife in a wound you didn't even know had now grown.

However, Price did not share your begrudging feelings about how things turned out. He'd just been happy finally getting that off his chest. Now, if you could just get to safety then if he did die tonight he'd be satisfied enough with things.

"Better late than never, right?" Price chuckles through the pain. And then he grows quiet. "You know I've always had a pension for dramatic timing."

The vehicles in the distance getting closer now. There was no more time for further talking.

"Forever the attention seeker, Captain," you comment.

"Yours is all I ever needed."

You look back to the town a final time, seeing the convoys getting closer. You take a deep breath, and then you reapproach your Captain, taking his hand. You prepare yourself to try and lift Price back up to his feet again. "Well, you've got it."

"Now hold on-"

"No," you didn't want to hear any more of his excuses to be left behind. If helping him means you both die here, then that was something you were willing to risk. "I'm not leaving you here, so give it up already."

With one final pull, you use all the strength you have left in you to lift your Captain up to his feet. He uses your momentum to push himself up from the boulder, actually managing to stand, though it feels as though his guts are about to spill out of him when he does.

As he's teetering over, you quickly grab hold of his arm, restabilizing him, and trying not to jump too much for joy that you actually got him up this time.

You take his arm and wrap it back around your shoulder, as you guided him over to the convoy.

"We're damn near home free, Captain," you say. "Just hold on a little longer. You'll make it. You're the toughest man I know."

He is the toughest man you knew. A man ready to jump into the fire to save others in need. A man that can shrug off a helicopter crash, take a beating and still keep from succumbing. You knew he'd never go down without a fight, and it's why you felt so safe beside him. It's why you wouldn't leave him.

You open the passenger door and help Price inside.

"...You really want that dinner, don't you?" he teases you.

"Is that even a question?" You check to make sure the vehicle can still run, feeling for any tracking devices that might overcomplicate your escape. Once you see you're good to go, you buckle your seat belt and take the wheel. "Yeah, I want that dinner. Now stop bleeding and sit tight."

"Yes, ma'am."

Next stop, the Evac Zone.

Part Two