#[ even if you don't celebrate christmas.. consider this a present from me to you for the holidays. or just december in general ]

[weenwrites]

Howdy Ween🤠! How goes it? Enjoying the warmer weather I hope! (Edit: Starting writing this in my notes a while ago so I am personally sick of the warm weather now but if you like it then I hope that you're enjoying it! ☀️

I was hoping to request something with a human who enjoys building explosives, doing experiments with different chemicals put into fire: whether they are really productive or not remains to be seen. They don't do it in the base or around the kids for safety so probably out in all that dessert somewhere. Maybe they talk about them or record them for show. When they hear about Wheeljack from Bulkhead & Miko they're excited to meet him but they're nervous of new people. But they still wanna show him there stuff ya know? Bonus points, if you also think it'd be funny and it fits if not you don't have to, if it makes so much of a ruckus since they probably wanna impress Wheeljack that Agent Fowler calls in his traditional Agent Fowler fashion? "PRIME! What is going on down there!?"

I would like the story format but is headcannons works better for you that's fine. If decide you wanna write this, thanks in advance Ween!

(P.S.-I know this is really wordy but I promise when I send in a request it's 50% the story I describe & 50% vibes. It doesn't have to be exactly how I described it😅.)

Summary - Wheeljack and Miko go check out some explosives. Characters - Wheeljack Content - Gen Category - Scenarios Trigger Warnings - None

✎ A/N: I don't mind it if requests are wordy! There's always a chance that what you include in fics may help me come up with more ideas on how to write it.

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

They were expecting Miko to show up once the rest of the team were called to assist them with the explosives. It was to be expected after all, Miko without explosives and action wouldn't be like her at all. Though part of them was beyond ecstatic to hear a familiar revving engine and see what looked to be the italian-flag racing towards them in the distance—later turning out to be Wheeljack—they forced all that excitement behind a calm and friendly demeanor once he skidded to a halt in front of them.

”Wheeljack!“ They exclaimed as he reconfigured himself into his rootmode, ”and Miko, too!“ they add as the respective girl stepped out from behind him. ”Thanks for showing up, but there isn't anything for the two of you to do. The team's finished loading all those explosives down there in the quarry, and I just have to do a bit of work on my end to ensure that things run smoothly.”

“That's fine, we came here to watch the show anyway.“ She explained.

”By all means, go right ahead—actually, Miko I'll need you to put these on real quick," and quickly, she was passed a pair of earmuffs and goggles before Y/N turned to the bot next to her. "Ooh, I don't think I have any earmuffs or protective goggles that are your size, Wheeljack." They chuckled.

"Don't worry 'bout me," he flicked his hand, "I've handled my fair share of loud noises before."

"Oh, right, right… You're out on the field alot…" They mumble, taking a clipboard from the trunk of their car, "I'll be detonating the explosives soon, so you won't have to wait long."

With a nod, he placed a hand on his knee and bent lower to look at the crates of supplies off to the side. A few particular crates had caught his attention with the bright yellow warning labels pasted all over the sides.

"What's this over here?" He asked.

Without batting an eye, Y/N responded: "Nondescript explosive materials."

"Gee, really?" Wheeljack deadpanned, "Couldn't tell."

They lowered the board and sighed, "Sorry, I'd rather not tell what it is—not while Miko's around anyway,—“

“Hey!”

”—I could get into a lot of legal trouble if you guys went around making explosives and setting them off without an ATF permit." They pause, "Assuming you guys would rat me out to the police, anyway…"

"D'you really take us for those kinds of people?" He chuckled.

“Just you guys? Specifically? No. Fowler? Absolutely.”

"Could you at least show us how it works?" Miko offered.

With a sigh, Y/N reluctantly continued, "I… Guess it wouldn't hurt as long as you can't get your hands on the specific chemicals themselves—and as long as you don't rat me out, my permit's at stake here..."

"Our lips are sealed." Wheeljack offered, even miming a zipping motion across his mouth.

With a hum, they shuffled past Miko, and over towards Wheeljack beside the crates. And there, they began sifting through some of the bags of chemicals, each plastered with big blocks of small, black text that either detailed warnings or the bag's contents. Curiously, the two had peered over Y/N's shoulder to try and make heads or tails of what they were doing.

"I just need a little bit of this nondescript powder, and if I ignite this tiny speck right here…"

The powder gave a loud very audible pop, leaving a small, black, smoking speck on the cardboard.

"And that's how it's going to go. Except… On a much larger scale. There's about 30 pounds of this stuff all the waaaay over there, each of them in a little water gel sack capsule, spread out across the supposed entrance of the mine."

"30 pounds?" Wheeljack blinked, "doesn't seem like much, and the mine's entrance is pretty deep."

"To you it might not, but just you wait." They smirked, "Appearances can be deceiving… But the explosives aren’t meant to reach the energon in the mine, it’s just supposed to pave the way to the energon since we don't have access to any larger pieces of mining equipment."

"Oh right, you're just loosening the rubble, yeah?"

"Yeah, and then you and the rest of the team will move in to clear it out, and depending on how it looks from there, I may have to plant some more explosives."

"Ya know that some energon veins can be deep-rooted into the soil, so if this mine is as big as everybody makes it out to be, you might have to adjust how many explosives to use and deep they go."

"Ok, ok, I gotcha... Say, you wouldn't be interested in helping me with these explosives, would you?" They offer, "I could really use your expertise."

"Sure thing, don't see why not." he nodded.

"Great! Now, is everyone ready?"

"Yeah, fire in the hole!" Miko exclaimed.

Y/N nodded and with the simple click of a button, a ground-shaking boom had errupted from the quarry with a mushroom cloud sprouting into the sky to boot. Gradually, the quaking had ceased and as the cloud was barely beginning to clear, Y/N turned to the two with a haughty grin.

"Whatever you mixed up has a pretty impressive blast radius despite the quantity," Wheeljack whistled.

"Oh, the quantity has nothing to do with the explosion, it's actually the concentration of the material that affects the scale of the explosive itself." They explained. "A little goes a long way, as they say."

"I see, mind if I take a closer look? I think if I run out of explosive cores for my grenades, I bet could make something like this work…"

"Well, so long as Fowler won't be on my back for this, then no, I don't mind—it's called ANFO, it's packaged in water gel since it's soluble in water. It's not as sensitive as dynamite but—hey—please be careful!"

"Yeah, don't worry 'bout it chief… Now what's this ANFO stuff made from exactly…?“ Haphazardly, he shoved the lid off the crate, ”A bit of… What's this now?"

"I-I told you to be careful!" They screeched, "If the powder gets between your joints, the friction could cause it to ignite!”

“Right, right… Human things aren't that sturdy…”

[blizzardfluffykpop]

Delight

Summary: Your first Christmas engaged to Vernon. 

Oneshot

Fluff, Engaged au

Word Count: 1,058

Vernon X Reader

Not Requested

Prompt: 5. “Your mom made me a gift?” “Yeah, you’re a part of the family now.” 

------

You had about an hour and thirty minutes before he’d arrive, and you can’t help but look at your engagement ring. It hasn’t been long since Vernon proposed to you. You had been dating for a few years and shortly after you met his family last Christmas. He popped the question. You had wanted to meet his family sooner, but with everyone’s clashing schedules, it was impossible to meet before last Christmas. And this year, while you weren't unavailable, Vernon and you wanted to celebrate at least a portion of your first Christmas engaged alone. More than likely, you'd be over there for dinner. Considering neither of you were skilled in the kitchen, and even if you were, neither of you held a candle to their skills yet.

You tidy up a few things around the house, wanting it to look more festive in the living room before changing into your festive clothes. Sofia calls you as you’re putting on a sweater. You answer, “Hey, what’s up?” She asks, “Is Non with you?” You shake your head, “No, not for another hour.” You hear her groan, “He was supposed to pick something up, and I was wondering where he was.” You hum, unsure how to answer, and she gasps, “Where have you been!? She told you to pick this up two days ago!” You can hear him on the other end explain he’s been busy. And you laugh, and she goes, “(Y/n), you’re still on the line!” You say, “Yeah.” “I have to let you go, but I'll see you later. Have a good time unwrapping presents!” You smile and tell her, “Yeah, you too.” You look at the clock. You have less than an hour before you see him again.

You grin as you hear the door unlock. “Non!” He smiles, “(N/n)!” He joins you on the couch, and you pull him in for a hug. He whispers, “I’ve missed you.” You kiss his cheek, “I’ve missed you too.” You pull away and look him in the eyes, “How’s everyone?” He smiles, “They’re good. They told me they will miss our presence at dinner tonight if we don't go.” You laugh, “I’m glad. We’ll celebrate fully with them next year. I'm so excited for your parent's cooking later.” He laughs, “Me too.” You giggle, “Too bad we’re not better in the kitchen.” He laughs, “Even if we were they'd shoo us away.” You laugh as you agree. He pauses, “You know what's special about this Christmas?” You smile and look down at your matching engagement rings, “We're engaged.” He smiles, and he kisses your nose, “Exactly.”  

You kiss his nose before pulling him up from the couch and sitting in front of your gifts. You both take turns guessing what was in the wrapping paper, high-fiving every time you get one right. Seeing his eyes light up in delight or shock made the holiday feel complete. He gasps as he opens a box you got him, “No way!” He looks at it more carefully, “You got me a new chain?” You smile, “Yeah, I thought it would be perfect.” He smiles, “It is.” You open your next gift and gasp, “Non!” He asks, “You like them?” You smile. It’s two rings that match the ring he proposed to you. You smile, “I love them.” You slip them onto the opposite hand and finish opening the rest of your gifts.  

When you finish unwrapping your last gift, you get up and say, “Let’s sort our stuff and the trash later?” He agrees, and you hold your hand out, which he takes, and help him up. You both walk over to the couch, “It was fun, but it was a lot.” He agrees, and you see him wearing the new chain you had gotten him. Once you settle into the cushions, he says, “And there’s something else too.” You tilt your head, “Is it what Sofia was hinting at?” He nods, reaches behind him, and pulls out a beautifully wrapped gift with a homemade bow. 

You look at the tag, “From: Mrs. Chwe To: (Y/n)” You gasp, “She got me something?” He nods, and you carefully take off the bow, trying to preserve its poofiness. He watches as you open it, and you pull back tape by tape, trying to hold yourself from crying. You pull it from its paper and see it’s a beautiful (f/c) knitted sweater. “Your mom made me a gift?” He smiles, “Yeah, you’re a part of the family now.”  He whispers, “Look at the cuffs.” And you nearly cry from awe. It’s your first name embroidered on the right sleeve and your last on the left. You bring it close to you and watch as he unzips his hoodie, revealing a multi-colored sweater. “I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.” 

He shows you his cuffs which have his first and last name on either one. You shake your head, your tears finally beginning to fall. You take off your current sweater and trade it for the one she made you out of love. “If you didn’t already ask me to marry you this year. I would say this is my favorite gift I’ve received this year.” He pulls you over and wipes your tears, “So, is this your second favorite gift ever?” You tell him, “No, you're my favorite gift.” He shakes his head and kisses your neck, “You’re cheesy.” You laugh, “But this is a close third.” You kiss his forehead, “When we see your mother later. I’m giving her a big hug.” He grins, “I didn’t expect any different.” 

You lean your head against his shoulder, “I love you and your family. I hope you know that.” He lays his head over yours, “We love you more, but I love you most.” You smile, putting your engagement ring finger against his. “Yeah, I know.” Which makes you both laugh, and you click your rings together. He covers your hand in his and interlocks your fingers. “I know it’s been a few months, but it’s surreal.” You smile, “It’s the best kind of surreal.” “Yeah.” You stay like that for an hour before cleaning up and heading to his parent's house. As you approach the door to ring it, he goes, “Maybe next year we’ll have our first married Christmas?” You smile, “Definitely.”

[keeksandgigz]

hello i just got home from work n I'm thinking about festive eddie and witchy

Eddie wasn't able to fly into Hawkins for the holidays because of his work schedule, so he brought Hawkins to him.

It's your first Christmas Eve together and he's just locked up the store early to go pick Wayne up from the airport. It's the first time you and Wayne meet.

He's staying at Eddie's one bedroom apartment, your boyfriend taking the chance to sleep over at your house (like he hasn't been sleeping there for the past week anyway).

Anyways, he's taken the week off work where he could to show Wayne around SF, since the man has never left Indiana. Over Christmas lunch, Eddie meets your coven family, that is strangely made up of just women, but he doesn't think too much about it because they fawn over him and how handsome he is, and they keep uncle and nephew well fed.

Wayne think's you're lovely, maybe a bit too odd for him to understand, with your whimsical attitude and the way the energy seems to suddenly change when you're around, but he sees the way Eddie is completely smitten over you, the pile of presents for you he's hidden in his closet. The picture you took of the two of you together at the Palace of Fine Arts on his fridge.

Wayne has even brought you a little present.

"Didn't know what ya liked, so I gotcha some chocolates" he said, taking a See's Candies chocolate box from his suitcase. You blush at the gesture, at how the man has automatically considered you part of his little family. A vintage brown corduroy jacket materializes itself already packaged up on your bed, you didn't know he was going to get you a gift.

But he loves it, as much as he loves the trucker hat Eddie's got him. Silly trucker hats are his thing, Eddie's gotten him one every Christmas for the past five years.

The contender this year is a hat that says- women love me, fish fear me

You laugh about how stupid that sounds, but the real joke is that your aunt Hilda really has the hots for Wayne.

Eddie gets you a new tarot deck. He's actually been taking notes since you've started dating.

Dried jasmine flowers are hard to come by? He's gotten you four small bottles of it. You dropped a crystal? He's got it. You say you like poppyseed chai cookies? He's had his neighbor bake them for you.

The way he dotes on you and fulfills your every need makes you the luckiest girl on Earth. Wayne says so, too.

You don't celebrate Christmas the traditional way, but the pagan version of it, which still calls for a tree and wreaths and evergreen branches all over your apartment, which you spend Christmas Eve in, Circe nuzzling in Wayne's lap as soon as e sits on the couch. You make a Yule log and decorate cookies. Various mistletoe branches hang on your roof.

Even late into the night, after Eddie has dropped off Wayne at his apartment, you tell him about a pagan tradition of performing fertility rituals under the mistletoe. Lit only by the lights of your tree and a fireplace, you end up falling asleep naked on your pink brocade rug.

some tags lol: @strangerstilinski, @eddiesxangel, @reidsbtch, @chaoticharrington, @hideoutside, @monstxrteeth,@thornsnvultures, @strangerfreaks,@aphrogeneias, @chrrymunson, @onegirlmanytales,@m0llygunn , @angel-upon, @lavendermunson, @cowboylikemunson

[an-otterly-adorable-being]

Mordecai Heller, the funky little lad who likes tea and cleaning. Have fun with him for Christmas. Idk what to put here lmao. Hope y'all enjoy!

Merry Christmas, Tux: A Mordecai x Reader One-Shot

The sound of frying dies down as you take the pan off the stove. Carefully, you remove the last pieces of food from the pan, putting them on the nearby plate to cool. You had a few minutes, so you took the opportunity to cover the plate and move it to the dining table. You didn't know exactly how long it'd take for him to get home, so in the case Mordecai made it back while you were busy getting his present together, he wouldn't see your little suprise. Sure enough, as you grabbed his gift, there was a knock on the door.

Mordecai walked through, letting himself in. It was his home, after all. You had moved in not too long ago, if you consider over a year not long that is. There was definitely something romantic between the two of you, but it was much more of a convenience arrangement at first. You needed a place to live and Mordecai was always working so he let you move in. In return for not paying rent, you kept the place clean, watered the plants, and just made sure everything was okay. Mordecai didn't mind the food either, even if he didn't show it often.

"Y/N? Are you home?"

"I am Tux, give me one second. And don't take that makeshift cloche off!"

A couple of months ago you had officially begun to date Mordecai, with the stipulation that you kept it a secret. Mordecai Heller was a professional, and had a reputation to maintain. He even kept up his facade around you a decent amount of the time. You got cracks out of him before hand, but never anything too much until two months ago. Consequently, that's when you started calling him Tux. He never says it, but Mordecai likes it.

You made your way back to the  dining room, where Mordecai sat at one of the tables, only his jacket off.

"Hello Tux, how way work?"

"It was Fine Y/N. It was just the normal routine."

"Good, good. I know you don't really take the time to celebrate Christmas or Hannukah, or really anything, but I wanted to suprise you."

"Y/N-"

"I know, I know, but just let me do this for you, okay?"

You reached into your pocket and set the wrapped box in front of him. Mordecai eyed you inquisitively for a second, before opening the box. Inside, there were a pair of silver cufflinks, inlaid with jade.

"Cufflinks?"

"Mhm. I know you don't really like big gifts, so I got you a new pair."

"Why jade, if you don't mind me asking."

"They reminded me of your eyes Tux. But, that's only the first gift."

Reaching across the table, you pulled the covered plate closer, pulling off the cover. On the plate was roughly a dozen and a half latkes, which you spent the past two days trying to perfect, and the past two weeks trying to find a base recipe for.

Mordecai's eyes lit up as he reached out to grab one. He told you about his family, about how they celebrated around Christmas time. And you specifically took note of how happy he looked when he mentioned the latkes they made every year. As you came to find out, the food aspect was one of the biggest for Mordecai growing up, even if nowadays it'd seem like the complete opposite.

Mordecai reached out and grabbed one, taking a bite out of it. The tiniest hint of a grin made its way to his face. He spoke up after finishing the first one.

"Thank you for this, dear. I...I haven't had one of these in a while. I apologize for not considering getting you a gift."

"You did get me a gift though, Tux."

"I did?"

"I got to hear you call me dear, and that's enough for me. Now, let's finish this plate because I don't want to do the dishes quite yet."

[fafnir19]

A Boyfriend for Christmas

"I'm dreading going home," Anna sighed as we strolled through the twinkling Christmas market, her expression heavy with impending holiday interrogations. "The moment I walk through the door, it's going to be non-stop questions about my love life. And if they find out I'm still single, they'll be lining up potential suitors for me." I gave her a sympathetic pat on the back. "I get it, Anna. Family can be quite invasive sometimes." A mischievous glint sparked in Anna's eyes. "I did hear about this mystical shop that sells clothes capable of transforming people for a limited time. Imagine if we could make you into the ultimate boyfriend just for the holidays." We both laughed at the absurdity of the notion, minding that I was gay.  However, the idea lingered in our minds. As the days passed, the whimsical notion of presenting me as her boyfriend for the holidays turned into a more serious consideration. And with my playful personality, I was more than game to give it a shot.

Walking into the shop, the enigmatic salesperson informed us that we needed to choose an entire wardrobe, as the clothes would determine the extent of my temporary transformation. To regain my original appearance, I would simply have to put my original clothes back on. Jokes and playful banter filled the air as we selected the garments, crafting the stereotypical image of a perfect son-in-law for me. Our choices ranged from a football jersey for Anna's brother John to a skimpy swimsuit to cater to her aunt's flamboyant taste. Each item was carefully considered, from the perfectly tailored suit to the elegant cashmere sweater. The process of selecting the attire felt like piecing together a puzzle, each garment a crucial part of the transformation I was about to undergo. The enigmatic salesperson's guidance and expertise in selecting the right attire filled me with anticipation, and as I donned the final piece—a sleek, tailored coat—I felt an electric surge course through me. In that moment, the air crackled with energy, and as I stepped in front of the shop's mirror, I beheld a stunning suitor reflecting back at me. The transformation was beyond anything I had anticipated. Every piece of attire had worked its magic, molding me into the embodiment of a modern-day prince charming. The clothes had not just dressed me; they had shaped and molded my very essence, infusing me with a newfound confidence that I had never experienced before. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt a slight erection in my pants and said to Anna, "If I wasn't already gay, I would become gay now!" Anna laughed and replied, "Hey, don't forget that you're my boyfriend now, at least for the holidays.”

The Christmas celebrations unfurled as planned, and everyone adored me as Anna's "boyfriend". Twinkling fairy lights adorning the market square and the scent of spiced mulled wine lingering in the air. Families bustled around, children's laughter harmonizing with the cheery tunes of carol singers. As we made our way through the bustling crowd, I found myself embracing the role of Anna's steadfast companion, warmly interacting with her relatives and effortlessly blending into the familial embrace of the season. The crackling fireplace in the living room cast a comforting glow, and the festive aroma of roasting chestnuts and cinnamon-infused desserts infused the air. Laughter and conversations wove a vibrant tapestry of togetherness, and the twinkling Christmas tree served as the centerpiece of our joyful gathering. Throughout the evening, I basked in the warm embrace of Anna's family, each moment adding depth to the fabric of our elaborate charade. To our surprise, Anna’s brother John even invited me for a skiing trip in January.

Later that evening, Anna and I shared a laugh about how crestfallen her family would be when she broke the news of our fabricated breakup.

Once back at home, I seized every opportunity to utilize the magical clothes, transforming into the striking suitor every weekend and reveling in a series of successful  romantic gay escapades.

When John called to extend an invitation for the ski trip despite Anna and my faux relationship, Anna couldn't care less and encouraged me to go. The skiing trip was an undeniable blast for me, thriving on the attention and revelry.

Upon returning home and changing back into my original clothes, I was startled when my attire transformed into a preppy ensemble, yet I remained in my stunning form.

Puzzled, I returned to the shop, where the seller simply shrugged and explained that frequent use could lead to permanent transformations. I was about to argue, but my mind was inundated with new thoughts. Suddenly, I found it impolite to cause a scene and began yearning for a family and children. Before I could dwell on it, John called, inviting me to party with him. I eagerly accepted, pondering the prospect of finding a woman for a future family or at least a fleeting encounter.

As I departed from the shop, the seller slyly made a call: “Hello Gerald, everything went according to plan, Louis is ready for use. Send your daughter Sophie out on the party circuit tonight and I can promise you that Sophie will be married to Louis by Christmas next year. And I assume that at least the first grandchild will be on the way by then.”

[maxislvt]

Around The Christmas Tree

Summary: An omega certainly wasn't on Agatha's wishlist, but she finds herself appreciating you despite her hesitations.

Warnings: smut, omegaverse, alpha!Agatha, innocence kink, knotting, rough sex, oral sex, fingering,

A/N: First time writing Agatha and it made me feel very slutty and breedable

Event Masterlist

❃❃❃❃❃❃❃

Through the years, Agatha found herself putting up with a lot of Wanda's insanity. Cranking out insane contracts or developing something new for a market of consumers every week were the perils of associating with such a young, overarching alpha. Many people praised and congratulated Agatha for her patience with Wanda, some even insist she be compensated for it. Agatha always insisted the money she got was enough, but she started to question how true that was after a while. It was one faithful Christmas day when she concluded that money was not enough to make up for Wanda's insanity. Nothing would be at that rate.

By no means was Agatha a Grinch, but she much preferred quieter celebrations rather than the company's annual Christmas bash. That didn't stop her lovely co-worker from stopping by her house with an uncomfortably large gift box.

"Do I even wanna know what's inside this thing?" Agatha carefully examined the box in the middle of her leaving room. It was heavy and probably something she didn't need. "Are those…breathing holes??" For a moment, she considered sticking her finger through one just to get an idea of what was inside. Then, it dawned on her. Breathing holes meant that whatever was inside the box was alive. "Maximoff, what is in this box!?"

Wanda shrugged with an oblivious smile. "I don't know, open it." The younger alpha sat down on the couch. Slightly drunk and buzzing with excitement. She had taken pity on her fellow alpha. Much older and so stiff she'd barely made any other friends. "I'm sure you'll love them, just open the crate and look in!"

Agatha hesitantly removed the lid only to immediately slam it back down. A small yelp could be heard underneath her. "Wanda, what did you do?" She asked through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Wanda would be dead four times over. "You can't just buy people mates! That's unethical!"

Wanda rolled her eyes as she got up and removed the lid. "Don't do that, omegas are real sensitive!" She grumbled and opened the box all the way. There you sat, barely clothed and completely unaware of your surroundings. Wanda picked you up and presented you to Agatha like you were some newborn puppy. "They're so cute and they really need a home, just take them!"

Agatha couldn't bring herself to look at you. You weren't ugly, the exact opposite. If she looked into those big puppy dog eyes, she'd never be able to look away. "I don't care how cute they are, you can't just dump a mate on someone like this!" Standing her ground wasn't easy. "Take them back or something. I seriously don't have time for this!"

Wanda looked at you with a knowing smirk. "Alright then," She said with an exaggerated sigh. "I guess I'll just have to take them home with me." Your legs carefully wrapped around Wanda's waist as she walked towards the door. "I just hope Tasha's willing to share with me."

Agatha groaned as she took you from Wanda's hands. "No, absolutely not! The last thing the world needs is another mini Maximoff running around!" She settled you into her arms and began pushing Wanda out of the house. "Now go away, I have to find clothes for this poor thing."

You nuzzled into Agatha's firm grasp. "If it helps…I think your house is way cooler than Ms.Maximoff's." The gentle squeeze of your body made you laugh. You let yourself be carried around the large house. "Do you live here all by yourself?"

"Well, I used to. At least I have an excuse to use one of those guest rooms now." Agatha sat you down on her bed. She glanced over your body a few times before humming. "I don't think I have any clothes that'll fit right so I'll buy you some tomorrow, just find something you like for now."

You nodded and entered the closet. "Wow, this thing is huge! Can I sleep in here?" Never before had you seen a closet so big or so full. Shoes that were at least twice your worth as an omega and brands couldn't even begin to pronounce. "Oh, these are so cool! I want some!"

"I was hoping you'd sleep in an actual bed, but I'm not going to stop you."

After explaining all the high-quality brands she owned and washing you up, Agatha had finally gone to bed. Well, she lay in her bed underneath the covers but sleep just wouldn't come to her. A billion thoughts swarmed in her head about what to do with you. Agatha couldn't comprehend what dubious methods Wanda had gone through to get you. She continued to toss and turn throughout the night. Her brain had been plagued by thoughts of you. It wasn't until your scent filled the air and you entered her bedroom that she calmed down.

"I'm…I'm not used to sleeping by myself." Your voice was incredibly small. "I know you gave me a room and I really like it but —"

Agatha raised the blanket and patted the space in front of her. "Come on, we have a big day tomorrow anyways." Having you in her bed was more therapeutic than she wanted it to be. Her arms possessively wrapped around your body and pulled you close. "Rest up, superstar."

❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃

Agatha tried her hardest to keep her distance, but you were far too cute for your good. You were like a cat. Always curled up on her lap or laying against her. Your affection wasn't just physical, but also came in the form of doing things around the house. You'd cook and clean whenever you had the chance. Cookies, cakes, and entire meals were just for you and Agatha to share. Her resolve stood strong for the most part. The two were close enough to keep that beautiful smile on her face but not so close to risk Agatha succumbing to her urges.

However, parts of you were starting to linger. Your scent was all over her bed and the mere thought of you was enough to get her worked up. Agatha was doomed. You unknowingly had her wrapped around your finger.

"Um, Aggie?" Your voice was barely a whisper behind the door. The door wasn't a thick enough barrier to keep you from completely melting on the floor. "I need you. I know you wanna wait but I can't do this by myself. " You mindlessly pulled at the door knob hoping it would bring Agatha to you faster. "It hurts!"

Agatha was immediately drowned in your scent. Slick dripping down your thigh and barely able to support yourself. It was cruelly unfair how cute you looked. "Oh, does my little superstar need help?" Her hands held you like you were porcelain. Hurting you wasn't an option, but she was about to go feral. She carefully laid you over the bed and spread your legs. "We'll go slow, but tell me if it hurts." You tasted as good as you smelt. She buried her face between your legs and ran her tongue up and down your slit.

"Ah, that feels so good." You practically melted around Agatha's tongue. Her long fingers worked you open and stretched you out with ease. Your fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her impossibly closer to your face. "Right there, please. I like that, it feels good.." Your hips had a mind of their own as they rutted against her face. Never before had the stinging lust underneath your skin burned so hot.

"That's my little superstar, don't hold back." Another one of her fingers entered your dripping hole and began pounding into you. When you began to squirm and kick, she simply held you down. She'd spent weeks denying herself of you, and now she had you. "Oh, you're gonna look perfect filled up with pups. Isn't that right," She rasped out.

The mere thought made you whine. "Need your pups!" Your hips desperately followed Agatha's fingers when they pulled away. Being empty and untouched was dreadful. It didn't matter you could see Agatha doing her best to underdress. Any amount of waiting was too much. You helplessly tugged at her belt and pants.

Agatha laughed at your desperation. "You poor thing. You never had an alpha to make you feel better, have you?" It was just teasing. An excuse to see you blush and whine, but having you confirm it was almost like an aphrodisiac. More fuel to the burning fire of her lust for you. She hooked your legs over her shoulders and smiled. "I'm gonna be your first and only. No one is gonna be able to fuck you like I can."

A guttural moan escaped your lips as Agatha's cock stretched you out. It was a long, satisfying pain. There was nothing to compare it to, it just felt good. Being full made your mind go numb. "You're…big!" All the words in your head were disappearing and had been taken over by more primal thoughts. Being filled and owned was all you cared about at that moment.

Agatha tried to go slow. Inching her hips forwards until she filled you up all the way and dragged them back out. She gently pushed her hand down on the bulge in your stomach. "Does that feel good? Is my little superstar cock hungry and dumb?" Your whimpers filled her ears and chipped away at her self-control.

You all but screamed when Agatha began thrusting deeper into you. "More, more please!" You were locked into a full-blown mating press. Agatha's cock practically drilled into you. The swelling of her knot had already started and you couldn't possibly get any fuller. "It won't fit!"

Agatha was practically rutting into you. "I know you can take it! Who's my precious little superstar?" Her hand gently caressed your face. "Don't you wanna feel good together? Just let your alpha do all the work." You didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. Agatha was already in the process of knotting you. Filling you up to the brim with as much cum as she possibly could. "There you go superstar, make your alpha proud."

Your orgasm crashed over you with reckless abandon. It was leg-shaking and left you with much to hold on to. No thoughts or embarrassment, just the feeling of pure satisfaction and desire. "Good, real good…" You mumbled softly, barely conscious enough to say much else.

"Huh, you really aren't one for words." Agatha chuckled as you nodded sleepily. "That's just fine, I'll take good care of my little superstar."

[magicxc]

Holidays

Pairings: Survey Corps - their fave holidays

Word Count: 871

Warnings: none

A/N: I considered Japanese holidays for this bit but then laziness got the best of me. Like most pieces I create with these characters a lot of how I envision them will relate to western/modern culture in some way or another. Though they probably won't celebrate half of the holidays I'm about to list, I want to reiterate that this is my idea of the traits these characters possess and also they are not real. 

Eren  - Christmas

Eren is big on family, especially the family he’s made with Armin and Mikasa. It’s clear that he stands ten toes down behind them and when he gets his own family, it’ll be much the same. I actually think having kids will bring out the fluff in Eren and he’ll be that obnoxious holiday parent that's doing the most with decorations and presents. But it's honestly the atmosphere that gets him going. The holiday cheer, the kindness, the emphasis on giving - he loves it all. 

Levi - New Years

The new year signals a new beginning but also the close to another chapter. Each time Levi makes it to a new year he’s thankful but mostly shocked. From life underground to humanity's biggest threat, he never knows when disaster might strike. But, when the clock strikes 12 it's a moment of relief, one where he can sit back and relish in the thought that he’s made it to another trip around the sun. 

Erwin - Fathers Day

Lmaoo I'm not tryna make Erwin sound egotistical at all, but I was also running out of popular holidays. The day the Scouts headed to their mission to plug wall Maria was the first time we saw them get a standing ovation and it was also the first time we saw Erwin express such vocal excitement. Even though he can come off a bit aloof, I thought it was fun to see him in that way. That being said I think he’d enjoy being celebrated and can even play up the wowwwws at the macaroni necklaces and handprint construction papers lol. He would love and take care of his family obvi but it’d also make him feel good to feel that admiration in return. 

Connie - Thanksgiving 

You feed this man and he’ll love you forever. It’s his favorite holiday because it has back to back benefits. There's tons of food, a four day weekend off from work, and the opportunity to spend time with his family. He’s the type to pitch in money but over the years Connie has been more inclined to learn how to cook and has even started bringing in a dish. He’s most excited to try a Friendsgiving as he considers them family as well. 

Jean - Valentines Day

I firmly believe that Jean is a romantic. I don't think he’d be the most creative at gift giving lol but it’s certainly the thought that counts. On valentines day he goes all out - teddy bears, flowers, chocolates, etc. ya know, the usual. Although his gifts are very on the nose and sometimes he needs to be spoon fed the information, what he lacks in creativity, he'll gain in experience; learning to step his game up as the years go by. Again, sweet guy. 

Onyankopon - Easter

He more so likes the spring break aspect of it. With the flowers blooming and the sun making regular appearances, it was usually the first sign to what summer would be like. Ony enjoys traveling, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. So although spring break was meant to party, which he did, Ony always made the time to immerse himself in the customs of whichever country he visited. Now as an adult, he still indulged in his version of spring break as he always enjoyed the mini relaxation that it brought about; thinking of it as his summer outside of summer. 

Reiner - Independence Day

Reiner is over the whole patriotic thing, however he can't help but enjoy the events that take place because of it. There’s literally a bbq happening on every corner so he’s for sure house hopping for a plate. There's all sorts of sales and Gabi is making him put that wallet to USE hunnie. And while he doesn’t mind, he more so enjoys their time spent together. There's also the beautiful fireworks that light up the evening sky. And at the end of the day he gets to spend his remaining time with family, gathered around over good food and even better vibes. 

Armin - Mothers Day

Armin is def the type to dote on his wife. Hard day at work? He’s rubbing the stress out of your shoulders. Hungry? He’s cooking and prepping lunch for the week. Overwhelmed at work? He’s booking you a spa day. Armin literally adores his woman and enjoys any chance he has to celebrate her and Mothers Day is no exception. Expect him and the kiddies to hand make you some arts and crafts, cook you breakfast, and plan the holiday around your desired interests; with him making sure, at the end of the day, to show you why you celebrate the holiday in the first place. 

Floch - Halloween

He’s big on the spooky vibe but not to a concerning extent. Like many others he just enjoys the activities surrounding it. This is actually where Floch flourishes in creativity and fun. He’s making spooky themed treats, decorating to upstage the next door neighbor, and enjoying all the movie classics. Let's not even get started on the lengths he’ll go through to make the most life-like costumes and the parties where he shows it all off?? Top mf notch! Bonus points for getting some action at said parties.

[if-mirrormine]

mm cast interview

characters: grayson donohue, kennedy rose, alex colwell, kelsey montgomery, nora, callie, demetri renfied

words: 1969

**unedited//you guys ever watch kitchen nightmares?**

Hello and welcome to the very long-awaited character interview! I'm your host, Alli, and I have with me today the cast of Mirror Mine!

Kelsey: They know what's going on; let's speed this up a bit, shall we?

(Grayson nudges her and she rolls her eyes but holds her tongue.)

I suppose we should just jump into it! I'll start with Kelsey, since she seems to have volunteered herself. First question; what made you become a detective?

Kelsey: (shrug) Why does anyone? To help those unable to help themselves. To bring justice to those who need it most.

How noble of you! And what were your impressions of the other cast members?

Kelsey: (she tilts her head to the side and hums) Gray was still a rookie when I first met him; I thought he was a total idiot that couldn't tell his arse from his elbow. But he's since grown on me and (eye roll) is actually quite competent and good at his job.

Grayson: (grinning) Thanks, Kels.

Kelsey: Yeah, whatever. Nora, I adore; she made me feel warm and welcome immediately. And she makes the best ratatouille I've ever tasted. I don't interact a lot with Callie, but they seem alright. Alex is way too happy-go-lucky for my liking but to each their own. And I like Kennedy; she seems to be the only one with her head screwed on straight.

And what about Demetri?

Kelsey: (deadpan) I said all I have to say.

Well... alright then! My next question is for Nora; how did it feel to raise two children on your own? Is there anything you would've changed?

Nora: It wasn't easy... those first couple of years were especially difficult. It was like suddenly not having any legs to stand on, I lost my balance a couple of times. But I'm so proud of who they grew up to be and I wouldn't have changed anything. Well, (dark chuckle) except maybe having my husband around.

(Demetri shifts in his seat, his eyes on the floor.)

Is there a specific memory that you'd consider to be your favourite?

Nora: Oh, there are just so many... (pause) I think if I had to choose, it would be Callie's first Christmas. Demetri and I had decided to keep the celebration small instead of inviting our family over, so it was just the four of us. MC was so excited to help Cal unwrap their presents that they didn't even care about their own. We spent the day in our pyjamas, let the kids watch cartoons and play with their new toys... it was the perfect day.

Demetri, would you say that's your favourite memory too?

Demetri: Like Nora said, there are too many to choose from but... that was a really good one.

But it's not your favourite. (He shakes his head.) And if you had to choose?

Demetri: The day I married Nora.

(Nora looks away to the floor and chews on the inside of her cheek.)

Let's move on, shall we? Alex! What is it about Grayson that makes u tease him so much?

Alex: (grinning) He just makes it so easy. He's a walking treasure trove of material.

(Grayson crosses his arms over his chest and grumbles quietly to himself.)

Alex: See what I mean?

Why did you choose paediatric surgery?

Alex: Well, I like children and I like helping people; so, when I realised I could do both, it was an easy choice to make.

But surely that must make things worse when things go wrong?

Alex: (serious) Of course; it's always really difficult to lose a patient but I understand that sometimes there's simply nothing that can done, even if you've done everything in your power to make it not so. A lot of doctors struggle with blaming themselves when things go wrong and I used to too, but I've learned that I can't let myself get swept up in my grief or my next patient might suffer too.

I like that; I think that makes you a great doctor. Now on a lighter note: what made you like MC in high school?

Alex: (with a surprised laugh) Oh, I... don't actually know. I just remember thinking that I needed to talk to them and get to know them, you know? And after our first date, I just wanted more and more.

And how did it feel when you broke up the first time?

Alex: Oof, not great. I was an idiot to let them believe I didn't care for them as much I did - as much as I still do - and that's one of my biggest regrets. I was so relieved when they agreed to get back together; I'd felt like I'd been drowning without them but as soon as they were by my side, I could breathe again.

That's so romantic! I think my next few questions will be for Grayson!

Grayson: (with a nervous smile) I'm ready.

What was the hardest thing for you when MC disappeared?

Callie: (scoff) Jeez, Alli; don't hold back.

(Nora shushes Callie.)

Grayson: (after clearing his throat) You mean besides losing my best friend? I guess losing MC meant losing myself in a way. For so long I'd seen us as me and MC that when it was suddenly just me, I didn't really know how to act anymore. I don't think I'll ever be the same person I was ten years ago.

(Kelsey reaches out to rub his back and he gives her a tight-lipped smile.)

That must've been tough. We've talked quite a bit about the past and favourite memories; do you have one of the MC?

Grayson: My fourteenth birthday. I was supposed to spend it with my dad, but he had to work so MC did everything they could to cheer me up. I think about that day a lot whenever I need a smile.

And how did you realise that you were in love with them?

(He blinks in surprise but quickly regains his composure, his face red.)

Grayson: I guess when I started to look forward to seeing them every day. I'd wake up thinking about them, wondering what we'd do and talk about, and even if the day was objectively bad, I'd say it was good because I got to spend it with them.

I'll go easy on you for this last one: what's it like being a detective? Do you enjoy it as much as you think you would've enjoyed business?

Grayson: It's definitely... interesting. It's a lot more paperwork than I ever thought it would be, which is less than fun.

(Kelsey stifles a laugh and he cracks a smile at her reaction.)

Grayson: (cont.) But overall, I enjoy it; it's a lot different than business, that's for sure. As for whether I'd have enjoyed business more if I stayed... I'll never know for sure, but something tells me I made the right choice.

So mysterious... Let's pivot over to Kennedy!

Kennedy: (imitating Grayson) I'm ready.

(The cast laughs and Grayson does his best to hide a smile behind a look of annoyance.)

What made you choose teaching as a profession?

Kennedy: I always loved learning new things, no matter the subject so going to school every day was really exciting for me, unlike every other child alive, I'm sure. But one of the things that made it so great were the teachers who dedicated their lives to imparting their wisdom and knowledge. I wanted to have that same kind of impact.

And what do you like most about teaching?

Kennedy: Probably seeing that impact in action. (Smiling) So many students come in and out of my classroom and I love knowing that I had a hand, or even just a pinky finger, in getting them where they want to be in life.

On the subject of students... do you have a favourite?

Kennedy: (with a stifled laugh) What kind of teacher would I be if I answered that question?

So that's a 'yes'?

(She makes a gesture of sealing her lips.)

Okay, how about my next question; what do you look for in a partner?

(She thinks for a moment before nodding decisively)

Kennedy: All the usual things; patience, kindness, a sense of humour... someone who I can spend the whole day with without having to say a word in order to be comfortable or show my love for them. Someone I can trust wholeheartedly to catch me when I fall, to lead me when I can't see.

Do you think you've met such a person yet?

Kennedy: (with a wistful smile) Possibly.

Alright, don't tell me... I've got some questions for Callie.

Callie: Hit me.

What's your favourite thing on the menu at the restaurant?

Callie: That mom makes? I'd kill a man for her calzone. But if we're talking about my personally curated dessert menu; I simply can't choose, they're all perfect. (Beat) With that being said, I always recommend the beignets to anyone who'll listen.

Good to know... did you always want to be a pastry chef?

Callie: (shrug) Guess so. I did get forklift certified a couple years back but there's just something about baking that kept pulling me back.

Alex: I think the something you're looking for is that baked goods are delicious.

Callie: (nodding) That'll do it.

My next question is a bit of a hard hitter... what is one thing you've always wanted to say to MC but never did?

Callie: My favourite colour is sage green.

(Nora nudges them, giving them a meaning look and they roll their eyes before crossing their arms over their chest and looking at the floor.)

Callie: Fine, I guess... I don't want to you to hate me. I know I wasn't the best sibling to you, especially those few years before you disappeared, I wasn't very nice, but I didn't mean it. (They take a deep breath.) For a while I was jealous of you... you had more friends than I ever did, you were better at a lot of things than me, you knew dad a lot longer than me... I thought it was unfair, but it was even more unfair for me to take it out on you even though it wasn't your fault. Then you disappeared and I was just so angry at myself for wasting so much of our time together resenting you -

(They're cut off by a choked sob and Nora quickly wraps her arms around them.)

Callie: (crying) I'm sorry, MC; please don't hate me.

They don't hate you, Cal; I can promise you that. (Beat) To wrap everything up, my last few questions are for Demetri.

Demetri: This should be fun... let's hear it then.

First question: what is wrong with you?

(He snorts, hiding his laughter behind a fist.)

Demetri: How much time do you have?

Evidently, not enough... next question: why did you leave your family ten years ago?

Demetri: (with a sad smile) You know I can't answer that.

I had to ask. I suppose I'll settle for the next best thing: do you regret leaving?

Demetri: Yes, it was the worst decision I've ever had to make.

Knowing how everything turned out, would you do it again if given the choice?

(Nora watches him with tears in her eyes and he turns his head to look at her and Callie, an unreadable look on his face.)

Demetri: Yes. (He looks away and Nora squeezes her eyes shut causing tears to slip down her face.) There's nothing I'd change either.

Well; this has all been very... enlightening. Thank you so much for joining me today and thank you to everyone who sent in questions. Couldn't have done it without you! And now, as they say in the biz; it's Christmas, let's go home!

[mrsjellymunson]

What's His Name Again?

Written for the @steddiemicrofic December prompt ‘pine’ | Rating: T | WC: 508 | CW: Modern AU, fluff, flirting (mild), swearing, inaccurate depiction of a movie’s release date (bc I just had to make this festive) | Tags: Love confession (sort of), Steve’s bi awakening, getting together. A/N: Massive thanks to @steddieas-shegoes and @wynnyfryd for organising these challenges. I learn and/or experience something new every time, from both taking part and reading. Also, apologies if this is stretching the prompt too far 😆

“Thanks for coming with me, dude. I know it’s not really your thing.”

“No problem, man. I know how desperate you are to see it. The kids can’t skip school to see the first showing, and I couldn’t let you come alone like some kind of loser.”

Steve gives Eddie a wry smile. He retrieves their popcorn and they shuffle into the padded seats at the back of the theatre.

“What else has he been in?”

“I told you. The new Star Trek movies, Wonder Woman, some thriller, I forget the name. You’ll recognise him, I swear.”

“It’s a real treat for you, huh? An actor you like, in a film about D&D?”

“Yeah, it’s niche, but I’m definitely not complaining.”

Eddie gives Steve a little smile.

Wait, is he nervous?

Steve says the name in his head again. It’s still not familiar.

“So what is it about this Chris Pine guy that you like so much?”, nudging Eddie’s elbow.

Even in the dim lighting, Steve spots his pinkening cheeks.

“Weeeelll, he usually plays the good guy, but he can play darker too. He’s got cute hair, a super-buff bod, intense eyes. Jesus, those fuckin’ eyes…”

Eddie’s voice trails off, cracking slightly.

Steve looks sideways, and sees that Eddie isn’t looking at the screen. He’s looking straight at Steve.

Oh.

Steve swallows, shifts in his seat. Tries not to make it obvious that he’s hiding the appearance of an unexpected semi.

OH.

They watch the movie mostly in silence, apart from Steve occasionally gaining clarification on D&D-related plot points and them both whooping and groaning at appropriate junctures.

Steve enjoys it more than he thought he would, admitting,

“That Chris guy is pretty good. I can see why you… like him.”

Eddie coughs.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty good actor, if, y’know, that’s your thing.”

Do it, Steve, just fucking do it.

“It’s still early, do you maybe wanna do something else before the kids get out of school?”

Eddie replies enthusiastically, “Sure!” Adding, more nonchalantly, ”I mean, sure, if you wanted to. Like what?”

“We could go back to your place? You could educate me on the finer points of D&D lore?”

A year later, Steve and Eddie are setting up a tree, celebrating their first Christmas in their new apartment.

The kids are coming over for a festive get-together. Dustin’s the first to arrive, brandishing a small package.

Eddie admonishes, “Hey, we said no presents!”

“I don't care. This is special.”

Steve tears the wrapping, revealing a DVD of ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves’.

“Dustin, how did you know?”

“Dude, it was all over the pair of you as soon as you’d seen it! Since Chris Pine is basically your Cupid, we figured you might like to watch it on your anniversary.”

Eddie grabs the DVD, flings it to the sofa, and bundles his boyfriend into a loose hug.

“Don’t need it, I’ve got my very own Chris Pine right here. Cute hair, super-buff bod, intense eyes.”

He stares deeply into Steve’s.

“Jesus, those fuckin’ eyes…”

Thanks for reading! Please consider commenting on and/or reblogging stuff you like, it really does make Tumblr spin.

[iamawolfstarsimp]

Merry Christmas bitches!!

I wish you all have a very merry christmas to those who celebrate and to those who don't hope you have an amazing day too!!

Here's a christmas present from me to you all, because honestly this app and the people I've met on here have truly saved my life so I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

anyway now that we're done with the mushy stuff-

Enjoy!! ❤️💚

To say they had gone overboard would be ridiculous considering how much the Winchesters drank.

But Dean was almost positive that he had never drank this much in one sitting. Even Cas was getting pretty tipsy, and in human standards that would be totally smashed.

Thankfully, Sam had told him to slow down and just find his own pace instead of matching Cas per drink before he shuffled off to bed.

He almost felt guilty for how much they drank. But on the other hand, it was Christmas Eve. They deserved to have fun.

Dean's eyes fluttered open when he felt someone land on top of him. He let out a soft "oof" and heard the person laying on him giggle.

He glanced down at Cas and couldn't help hit smile at him. His cheeks were flushed pink and he was curling into Dean's side, failing to hide his adorable, drunken grin.

"Wht 're you doin'?" Dean slurred, not exactly remembering how he ended up falling asleep on the couch. He felt Cas start to play with the hem of his black t-shirt, mumbling a quiet "nothing" into his chest.

Castiel's fingers roamed underneath his shirt, lightly dragging his fingers across Dean's stomach. He let his hands fall into a steady rhythm of ghosting his fingertips across his sides, then rubbed his palm across the middle of his belly before returning to just barely touching the tips of his fingers to Dean's sides.

Dean held back a laugh but let himself grin while watching Cas. The treatment Cas had come up with was both an terribly light tickle and the best belly rub ever.

"You're so beautiful," Cas mumbled even though he wasn't even looking at Dean's face. He just continued his steady rhythm across his torso. "I love your smile. And your laugh."

"I don't understand why you try and hide it." He continued.

"Cas, please-" Dean started before being shushed by the angel on top of him.

"Just let me love you," Cas looked him in the ey as he said that. Dean lost all ideas for anything to say back but his mouth was soon otherwise occupied.

Cas kept his kisses deep and soft, letting Dean melt beneath him. His hands hadn't stilled and were still lightly tickling but something that was more bareable than it was before.

Cas' kisses soon trailed from his mouth to his forehead, cheek, nose, chin. Dean couldn't help but scrunch his face and start grinning like a dork.

Cas let his kisses go elsewhere to his neck and ears, letting teeth and tounge join the mix, combining them into an element that he knew Dean absolutely loved and hated.

Dean's head fell back onto the arm of the couch - which really only opened up access to more spots - and let out a steady stream of giggles.

Cas blew a miniature raspberry to finish off and leaned back, also grinning like an idiot, to admire his work.

"Y-you're ridiculous," Dean panted.

"Did you like it though?" Cas smirked, all too knowing.

Dean paused for a moment. "Shut up." He grumbled. Cas laughed and snuggled up into him again, resting his head in the crook of Dean's neck. They went for a few minutes in comfortable silence, taking in each other's company. Cas the one the to break the silence. He always was.

"You want me to continue." It wasn't really a question. Dean didn't have to answer anyway, Cas already knew the answer. And Dean knew that Cas knew. And Cas knew that Dean knew that Cas knew. And really, was he ever supposed to resist that?

When Sam found them the next morning he didn't bother waking them. He did take a few pictures to send to Jody though (and for blackmail).

[ryuichirou]

I'm back with my GloMas ask. By the way I love the word GloMas: it's like Christmas but more theatrical and angsty, and at the end of all the celebration, instead of getting presents, you end up with less stuff than before (no need to check Ruggie's luggage, officer. I can assure there's nothing interesting there).

On to the question, which is partially about Ruggie. This event has brought to light a new interesting dynamic that I hadn't really considered before, with the Ruggie/Jamil team up. It's nice to see Jamil be himself (i.e. a menace) more unapologetically than usual. I don't really ship them as a "couple", but I definetely see their appeal as potential "acquaintances-with-benefits". And I bet Ruggie would be happy to hear less grumbling when he decides to pay a visit to the rich boys Scarabia dorm. Basically, I'm curious to know if you guys have any thoughts about these two, both related to the event and in general!

Anon!! Sorry for the late reply, and let me go grab that loud mic I used a couple of days ago once again and tell you.

YES. These two. These two are very good together.

For the most part I want to just yell YES at everything you’ve said because you’ve honestly nailed it. Glorious Masquerade (with its Christmas-like Glomas glory..) was the first event we’d seen (even before we watched the main story), so Jamil and Ruggie’s unexpected chemistry is something that we have in mind at all times lol

It really feels like they can be themselves around each other, which is exactly what they said, and honestly these two out of the entire cast really deserved it. What they also deserved is to have someone to complain about the harsh realities of serving to capricious princes (Kalim isn’t a prince but) who are unreasonable and frankly stupid at times. Just imagine THE LEVELS OF PETTY AND TIRED VENTING, their venting sessions could be the best.

I don’t know if you wanted any headcanons with them, but since we’re at it, might as well drop some. These are mostly sfw, but the last one kind of isn’t lol

They knew that they might be a good match even before the Glorious Masquerade but never really had a chance to hang out before that. And during the event, to them it felt like they’ve been having telepathic dialogues for ages, and now finally they get to actually chat. They’re on the same page TO SUCH A DEGREE it’s actually stupid.

Even after the event, even though both Ruggie and Jamil went back to being super busy, they kept in touch. Sometimes they text each other, sometimes they meet simply to VENT. Having another person who is done of everyone’s bullshit in this stupid school is a blessing. They also talk about other stuff, like cooking and hobbies and even scheming and such, but their main topic is still “wow I hate these people”.

What they find the most comforting about each other is the fact that they know they are not really friends, but they also don’t have much to gain from each other, so it’s not like they should expect a backstab at any point. It’s actually pretty rare for Jamil to be this relaxed like he is when he is around Ruggie.

They don’t have sex regularly, but they did it once during the Masquerade event and at least once when they came back to the NRC. Both of them aren’t too into sex, otherwise it probably would have happened more often. Ruggie is actually a much better option to have this “acquaintances-with-benefits” deal than Azul, because with Ruggie Jamil can be sure there won’t be any feelings attached to it: they’ll help each other out and will be on their merry way…

[alessiathepirate]

December 24

Prompt: "I thought you were going home for Christmas." "Well, I couldn't leave you all alone."

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Curator x fem!reader

•••

The Repository didn't look like an ordinary room at all. Even the halls leading up to it weren't normal, they led to many different places if you didn't have a compass with you and the ability to know how it works.

Still, for Christmas it was quite ordinary.

Nothing changed, everything looked like it did yesterday or the day before yesterday. It was dark, full of books and cold. Quite cold, even with the fireplace present.

But no matter how empty and cold it seemed when compared to the streets in the cities, she stayed there for the holiday. Or at least came back for the holiday.

"I thought you were going home for Christmas." The Curator said, not hiding his surprised tone, as she walked through the door.

He was holding a book in his hands, a thick one, the one she knew was full of empty pages. They must have had a visitor.

"Well, I couldn't leave you all alone here, could I?" she asked with a small smile as she got rid of her gloves and started to take off her scarf.

Soon the book was put on The Curator's desk as he walked around it to help her with her coat. His hands unbuttoned it carefully, and she couldn't help but smile shily when he helped it off her shoulders, his fingers barely touching her arms.

"I appreciate the concern dear, but you should've gone home to enjoy the holidays."

"I changed my mind. I'd rather spend it here with you than spend it with people who don't think of me as someone important." she explained slowly.

"Stupidity when one's left in the dark about things is always amusing." he said as she started to walk around, eventually walking up to the desk to see which story he's telling. "I hope you don't believe that of yourself."

"Every life is equally important." she said as she smiled, knowing that's part of the teachings in the stories. "If I see it right we have a story to finish. 'House of Ashes' again?"

"That seemed to fit our visitor best."

She stayed there, leaning against the desk as she looked at him and considered him. They both had important roles in the job they were doing even if she was the only human being in it.

Would they have time for a bit of celebration?

Did The Curator celebrate it?

"When will our visitor be back?" she asked.

"In about an hour or so, I believe."

They both looked at the other, seemingly both of them understanding what she wanted. She smiled at that.

"Merry Christmas by the way." she said with a careful tone and a slight headtilt. "Care to have a drink with me?"

It was very rare that The Curator smiled, but right then he did. Without answering her he picked up two glasses and a bottle of wine, the kind they drank once or twice when no visitor came.

They chose to move toward the fireplace, where she put two armchairs years before. That was the warmest corner of the Repository. She adored it a lot.

Before taking a glass from him and sitting down, she pulled the small Christmas stocking from her pocket, not bigger than her palm. She put it up above the fireplace, making her favourite corner more comfortable.

"It looks better, doesn't it?" she asked as she took a glass from him.

"Much better dear."

They sipped some wine after they gently collided their glasses. One of his arms rested around her waist as a sign of affection.

"You know, we are probably the only ones who work during Christmas and no one's there to appreciate what we do." she said as they sat down.

"Once again, the stupidity of the blind. The world would be empty without the stories we tell."

She hummed, putting her glass aside.

Loving Death meant having these moments. The calm ones. The beautiful ones. The ones in a warm and comfortable corner.

She looked at their hands holding each other, fingers intertwined.

Loving Death meant loving the thought of dying too.

"Care to read a story for me while we wait?" she asked.

The Curator most obviously said yes.

[ashhleysolo7]

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I originally posted this to my ao3 account, but I thought I'd share it on tumblr, too :) let me know what you think!

Summary:

How one magical portrait of James Potter helps Sirius Black and Remus Lupin admit their undying love for each other.

In other words, James' portrait is fed up with Sirius and Remus tip-toeing around each other and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Notes: James and Lily, unfortunately, do not make it, Sirius does not go to Azkaban, Sirius and Remus raise Harry, Voldemort is actually gone, and Regulus is good bc I love him I don't make the rules

sirius x remus | 9k | idiots in love

🌙✨

The months after Halloween are difficult, to say the least. 

While what seems like the entirety of the Wizarding World is celebrating, Sirius Black is grieving the devastating loss of his two best mates. He’s also grappling with the fact that someone he once considered a friend was a traitorous, spineless murderer and adapting to a life where he is responsible for someone other than himself. Someone who happens to be his godson and a baby currently under the age of two.

When the truth reveals that Peter sold James and Lily to Voldemort, and the Ministry finally sentences Wormtail to a lifetime in Azkaban, Sirius takes Harry to Potter Manor. He moves out of the small flat he shared with Remus, though in those final months leading up to Halloween, it was as if Sirius lived there on his own, and scrounges for any items from Godric’s Hollow he could bring back with him to James’ childhood home. 

Miraculously, a ridiculous portrait of James, Lily, and baby Harry survives the wreckage and Sirius is suddenly quite thankful for the item he once thought was one of the dumbest ideas his knobhead of a best mate ever came up with.

“It’s a perfect Christmas present for Lily!” Prongs had argued with the utmost conviction he had about most of his hair-brained ideas.

“You can do whatever you like, mate, but I’m telling you, Lily will hate it.”

Sirius doesn’t like to admit when he’s wrong, and he’d bet he wasn’t entirely incorrect this time because Lily certainly hadn’t seemed over the moon about the magical portrait of her family. But the years had softened her as she only looked at it with a bemused smirk before giving James a placating kiss on the cheek. 

But now, Sirius has at least one way to communicate with the couple, no matter if it is just a shell of their former selves. It significantly dulls the pain, taking Harry to the portrait every morning to say hi to mummy and daddy. He can still engage in brief banter with Prongs like they’re still roommates back at school, and it’s especially delightful to overhear Lily calling James a toerag from out in the hallway while Sirius cooks in the kitchen. 

It feels, for a moment, like nothing has changed.

That is until Sirius remembers he will never speak to James or Lily again. He’ll never come crashing through the Floo, yelling about whatever failed date he’d just been on, never fall asleep at the foot of their bed as Padfoot after one too many firewhiskies with Lily yelling for him to get out, and never waltz into the kitchen after a long mission away with the Order and steal Harry out of her arms, causing giggles to pour out of all three Potters as he tosses Harry gently in the air. 

But Sirius can’t focus on those morose thoughts. Instead, he puts all his energy into helping Harry settle in as they adjust to their new normal.

So Sirius spends the days watching Harry perfect his mischievous toddler ways: climbing over furniture and throwing food into Sirius’ hair, followed by loud giggles at Sirius’ affronted cries. And Sirius continues to be utterly amazed as Harry learns new word after new word, new skill after new skill. He swears the lad grows another centimetre each night.

And he spends his evenings pouring over parenting books and flooing Remus, meticulously reviewing his day and voicing his concerns that he’s absolutely failing as a godfather until Remus can convince him that he’s making the right decisions. 

Thankfully, Remus never minds giving Sirius the constant reassurance he desires. He reminds Sirius that, ‘No, just because Harry cried that does notmean he hates you, Pads.’

Now that the war is over, the two Marauders are around much more often. Neither of them has to travel for missions nor to spy for Dumbledore anymore, meaning that besides Remus’ part-time job at Flourish and Blotts, his schedule is wide open. 

Remus tells Sirius over and over that he absolutely in no way minds the late-night chats or the invitations for drinks after Harry’s settled for the evening. They’re mates, best mates, and that’s what they’re for. 

One of the first times Sirius reaches out to Remus with what he considers a huge favour, it’s a request to babysit for the night. 

In the six months since James and Lily passed, Sirius hasn’t really made time for himself. Remus was surprised to see Sirius take Harry’s care so, for lack of a better word, seriously. Not that he expected Sirius to be a subpar caretaker, but the way he took to fatherhood was inspiring. 

He puts so much thought and concern into how he’s raising Harry. He refuses to order takeaway or feed Harry anything but homecooked meals, except for the rare occasions Remus convinces him to bring Harry along to grab pizza or chips and a curry while reassuring Sirius that Harry’s not going to look at him any differently for having one beer with dinner. Still, even then, Sirius would bring food for Harry, insisting that whatever the restaurant was serving couldn’t possibly be good enough for his godson.

But when a nice lad asks Sirius to drinks down at the pub one afternoon while on a stroll in the park with Harry, Sirius decides it’s time. So he sends a quick note to Remus, asking if he’d be free the following evening to watch the prongslet overnight.  

About five minutes before Remus is supposed to arrive, Sirius picks Harry up from where he’s flipping through some books in the sitting room and tells him, “Just a few more minutes and Uncle Moony will be here! And I’ll see you again, bright and early, because Pads here has a date!”

Harry lets out a chorus of giggles as Sirius bounces him on his hip until his father decides to make an appearance. 

“A date?” Sirius hears Prongs call out from down the hall.

Every time the portrait suddenly speaks, Sirius’ heartbeat kicks into overdrive, and for a split-second, he thinks his best mate has returned. But then his commonsense reappears, and he remembers it’s that blasted painting he has somehow grown to cherish.

Sirius walks over to the portrait, letting Harry reach out and rub his tiny fingers along the enchanted oil figures of his parents. 

“Yes, Prongs. You’re always telling me I should settle down, so I’m going on a date.”

“And who might I ask will be watching Harry?” The way Prongs’ eyebrow raises above his round glasses is uncanny, and Sirius severely underestimated how much time James had spent with the portrait before his death. 

“Didn’t you hear me, mate? Moony’s coming round.” 

Sirius doesn’t have time to decipher James’ confused stare because at that moment, a knock sounds out at the front door, and Sirius is back off to the entrance hall to let Remus in. 

“There he is! Moony’s here, Harry!”

Still unable to fully say ‘Moony,’ Harry instead calls out, “Moon! Moon!” to Sirius’ utter delight. 

“Moony! Thanks again for watching him, mate!” Sirius genially greets as he swings the door open and sees Remus’ lovely dark eyes grinning back at him. 

Remus pats Sirius on the back as he enters the home but doesn’t waste any time before he steals Harry out of Sirius’ arms, causing little Harry to erupt into squeals of excitement.

“No problem, Pads. I told you, anytime you need me, all you have to do is ask.”

While he lets Remus and Harry get acquainted, Sirius grabs his leather jacket and shrugs it on, ensuring he has both his wand and some muggle pounds. 

After relaying the details of Harry’s nightly routine for the umpteenth time and avoiding Remus practically pushing him out the front door of Potter Manor, Sirius finally says goodbye, giving both Harry and Remus quick kisses on the cheek. 

But as the door swings shut behind him, he hears James’ voice once again. 

“You’re an idiot, mate.”

Deciding he’ll never get to his date on time if he sticks around to find out what the hell the portrait is talking about, he leaves through the front gate, heading off down the pavement towards the pub. 

But instead of returning the following morning in rumpled clothes from the night before with finger-tousled, ‘I’ve just had the life shagged out of me,’ hair as he had hoped, Sirius walks back up the cobblestone path to the front entrance of James’ home - no, his and Harry’s home, now - just a few short hours later.

Sirius could have gone home with his date, but as they hovered by the pub’s entrance, the question of whether Sirius would like a nightcap back at his flat hanging unanswered in the late night air, something whispered that he should get back home to Harry and Moony. 

The evening was fine, and it wasn’t like the lad was horrible or terribly boring. They got along well enough, bonding over footy and Muggle music that Sirius has grown fond of over the years. It just wasn’t right. He was missing that spark that Sirius always swears he’s looking for. Someone who can keep up with his banter, who challenges him, who doesn’t let him get away with his overdramatic tendencies. 

When he stumbles through the door a little after midnight, dropping his keys in the bowl and watching as his leather jacket tumbles to the ground instead of hanging on the coat rack as he hoped, he’s happy to find the home is quiet, Harry obviously fast asleep for hours now, and a warm glow from a lamp still on in the front sitting room spilling out into the entryway. 

Remus looks up from where he’s buried his nose in his book. Uncurling himself from the edge of the settee, he sits up straight, placing his feet back on the soft carpet and making room for Sirius as the slightly tipsy marauder meanders over, a melancholy look on his face. 

“Hey, Moony,” Sirius says tiredly, plopping beside Remus. He rests his head back on the top of the cushion, staring at the ceiling with his limbs hanging limply around him as he blows a stray curl off his face.

“Date end badly?” Remus asks, peering over at Sirius’ slumped figure. He waves his wand at a nearby bottle of firewhiskey, pouring Sirius a glass and topping off his own. 

“No, it was alright. Just not the one.”

“You’re never gonna find the one if you keep writing them off after one date,” Remus jokes, sliding the drink into Sirius’ hands.

“Oi,” Sirius points sternly, pushing himself until he’s sitting up straight. “I can’t help that I can tell after a couple of hours that it’s just not going to work out. Besides, you should be happy that your best mate isn’t settling.”

“You refused to go on a second date with Emmaline because she was scared of flying!”

Sirius scoffs, rolling his eyes at the memory. “Honestly, who’s scared of flying? That’s ridiculous. Obviously, it never would have worked. And we were fifteen. That hardly counts.”

“Sure,” Remus laughs, his eyes glinting in amusement from where he’s gazing at Sirius in amusement over his glass of Ogden’s.

“Well, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“When’s the last time you’ve been out with a lad?”

Remus avoids eye contact with Sirius, studiously appraising the hues of amber and gold swirling around the crystal container. “I’ve told you, Sirius, I can’t be in a relationship with my-”

“Merlin, you’re not still on about that, are you mate? The war’s over, you’re in your prime, and you’re Moony. Any man would be lucky to have you, ya git.”

Remus tries to hold back his laugh, but a chuckle breaks through despite his best efforts.  

“Cheers,” Remus replies. “Anyway, I’m too busy to date at the moment. Have to make sure you and Harry stay out of trouble, don’t I?”

Remus quickly downs the rest of his glass at the wink Sirius sends him, and the two continue to catch up, eventually falling asleep together on the settee. 

In the morning, Sirius blinks his heavy eyelids open to find his face smushed into Remus’ chest. Inhaling the comforting scent of chocolate and cigarette smoke he’s grown accustomed over the years to hanging around Moony like a delightful little cloud, he pushes himself onto his feet, stretching and cracking his back after an uncomfortable few hours sleeping on the sofa. 

After freshening up, he grabs Harry, getting the boy ready for the day before heading to the kitchen and finding Moony awake, downing a quick cup of tea. 

“Hey, want to grab breakfast out with us?” Sirius asks, picking up the mug Remus has left out for him, with the perfect amount of milk and sugar. 

“Can’t. I have to open the shop this morning. I’ve picked up a few extra shifts this week. The rent’s gone up again.” Placing his dirty mug in the sink, he waves his wand, watching as the cup cleans itself before floating back to its spot in the cupboard.

“Moony,” Sirius sighs in exasperation. “I told you I’d help with the rent if you need it. You don’t need to pick up extra shifts, mate.”

“And I told you, I can handle it. I like working there. It’s not a hardship, Pads.”

Remus pushes past Sirius to head down the hall, ignoring the raised eyebrow he receives from James’ portrait as he enters the sitting room to grab his things.

“But you wouldn’t have to pay the rent alone if I hadn’t moved out. At least let me continue to pay for my share.”

“Sirius, drop it. We’ve talked about this a million times. I’m not going to accept your money.” Sliding his wand into the back pocket of his trousers and running a hand through his mousy waves, he turns back to Sirius, shoulders slumping as he lets out a deep breath. “I appreciate you wanting to help, Padfoot, but you don’t have to worry about me. Have fun at breakfast, alright?”

Placing a kiss upon Harry’s forehead, Remus raises his hand in a short wave before striding over to the fireplace, calling out his flat’s address.

“Your Uncle Moony is stubborn, Harry. He’s stubborn!”

After the green flames die down, it doesn’t take long for James to mutter to Lily, “I don’t know how much longer I can go without saying something.” 

“You’ve never held your tongue once in your life, mate,” Sirius calls out, wondering what he’s done now that he’ll have to hear about. 

Just last week, the portrait version of his friend had moaned for hours about the stuffed toy snake Harry had taken to carrying around. Sirius would be impressed with the painting if it wasn’t driving him mad.

“What’s happened to his lion teddy?!” James had cried, affronted as Harry waddled over to the portrait, raising his new prize to show it off to his parents.

“Don’t look at me like that, mate. You didn’t see his face at the zoo museum. The boy was about to burst into tears if he couldn’t leave with it, and Regulus was all too happy to buy it for him.”

“If Harry ends up in Slytherin -” James starts to threaten, but Lily quickly interrupts.

“Then we’ll be equally proud of him, right James?” Her painted figure turns toward her husband, glaring at him as hard as she ever did during their seven years of schooling. Sirius swears he sees James’ figure gulp before nodding quickly. Lily directs her attention back to the baby in her frame, her unamused frown morphing into a soft grin as she watches her son wave out to his doppelganger on the other side. “That was very nice of Regulus, wasn’t it, Harry?”

“Reg!” Harry calls, making a soft hissing noise as he moves his toy snake around before waddling down the hallway with Sirius trailing after him.

“I take offence to that,” James replies to Sirius, obviously put out that Padfoot would call him out like that.

“Just telling it like it is, Prongs. Now out with it, mate. What is it you wanted to say?”

Lily gives her husband a warning look, and Sirius watches as James’ eyes dart back and forth between his wife and his self-proclaimed brother before blurting, “Why haven’t you just asked Moony to come and live here already?!”

“Oh. Didn’t think of that.”

“Idiots. The both of them, I swear,” James sighs to Lily, rolling his eyes before dropping his face into his hands. “I should’ve been given an Order of Merlin for dealing with them.”

Lily rubs her husband’s back soothingly, giving Sirius a commiserating smile as if she’s holding back laughter at the pair of them.

“Oi, shut it. You know how Moony is. He’s too prideful for his own good.” 

Lily and James shoot Sirius identical looks he takes as them saying, “Really?” and he swears James mutters under his breath, “Cauldron, kettle,” to which he waves them off. 

“You know what I mean. You saw how he reacted when I offered to help with the rent. He hates feeling like a charity case and refuses to accept money, let alone ask for help, the git,” Sirius sighs fondly, wishing Remus would just realise it’s not a weakness to accept help from his mates. 

It took Sirius himself far too long to come to that realisation, but Prongs and Moony helped him see that. Now, if only Remus would take his own bloody advice.

“He’s gonna come up with some bullshit like, ‘I don’t want to be an imposition, Pads.’”

“Sirius, I’m sure Remus is doing okay. And if he was truly struggling, he would come to you for help.” At James’ imploring gaze, Lily continues, “But… if you really want him to move in, maybe you could explain that an extra set of hands around the house with Harry would be a huge help.”

“That would be nice,” Sirius agrees. “And I’ve missed having a roommate that’s not a child under the age of two…”

“What are we then?!”

“Honey,” Lily sighs, patting her husband on the arm placatingly while rolling her eyes goodnaturedly at Sirius. “But really, is living with a baby all that different than living with James in Gryffindor Tower?”

“Oi! And from my own wife!” James rolls back against the frame as if he’s been stabbed, to the utter delight of the baby Harry at their feet.

“Yeah, alright. I’ll talk to him. Thanks, Potters.”

Sirius stares appraisingly at the painted figures of his best friends, cherishing James’ excited and hopeful expression compared with Lily’s patient and loving demeanour. Merlin, he really wishes they were still here.

The next time Remus stops by, Sirius has his argument all planned out. 

He cooks a delicious dinner for them and Harry, setting the Potter’s dining table and even going as far as buying Moony’s favourite bottle of elf-made wine. 

Remus eyes the rarely used table with suspicion but Sirius insists they stop living like heathens, eating standing up in the kitchen or with plates in their laps on the settee, and actually use the table for once. 

The only problem is, by the time Harry’s bathed and in bed, Sirius is pleasantly buzzed on wine, the spring breeze blowing in through the open windows, and Remus’ laughter, and he can’t exactly remember all the finer points he’d mapped out in his mind earlier. 

All he can focus on now is how much he wants this all the time. He and Remus together, taking care of Harry, making jokes and reminiscing about their school days over a couple of drinks.

“Moooooony,” Sirius draws out, plopping down onto the settee next to Remus and throwing his legs over Remus’ lap as he places a second bottle of wine on the coffee table. 

“Yes, Padfoot?” Remus replies, quirking an eyebrow at his mate while unable to help the upward quirk of his lips at Sirius’ whinging. 

“I have a proposition for you.”

“Oh?” 

“Move in with us.”

Remus chokes on his drink, and a little droplet of red liquid appears at the corner of his mouth. Sirius leans forward, resting his chest against Remus’ shoulder and brushing his thumb along the spilt wine before placing said thumb in his mouth, sucking off all traces of the juice from his finger.

“Wh-what?” Remus blinks at Sirius, eyes flickering down to where his thumb has disappeared between his wine-stained lips. 

“Come on, Moons. It just makes sense. We have plenty of room here! And it’s not like you’re not here all the time anyway.”

“I’m not here all the ti-”

Remus’ cheeks are slightly pink, but Sirius doesn’t notice as he ploughs on.

“And, I mean, if all of this hadn’t happened,” He continues, waving his arm around them to encompass all the shite they’ve been through in the past year, “Then we would still be living together, yeah? 

“I mean… I guess that’s true.”

“I could really use the help with Harry, honestly. He’d love it if you were here more. And we worked well together as roommates, didn’t we, Moony?” Sirius pouts, leaning closer to Remus again, hoping his puppy dog eyes will seal the deal. 

Rolling his eyes, Remus turns rigid, refusing to look at Sirius and instead staring straight ahead at the soft flames sparking in the grate before gritting his teeth and giving a quick, firm nod.

“Yes! So it’s settled. Tomorrow we’ll start moving your stuff out of the flat and into the spare bedroom.” 

“I didn’t agree, Pads. I was just-”

“Nonsense, Moony. I told you, it just makes sense. You already stay there enough anyway! It’s yours! You’re off tomorrow, right?”

Nodding, Remus sighs in defeat. 

“Fine, but I will be helping with groceries and Harry’s care,” Remus sternly tells Sirius, pointing at his chest in warning. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Moony!” Sirius smiles, raising his glass in cheers and momentarily thinking that was easier than he thought it’d be.  

🌙✨

Sirius knows like it should have felt like a bigger adjustment once Moony moves in, but it genuinely feels as if he’s always been there. 

They take turns with Harry, ensuring he’s staying on his schedule, and it’s as natural as if they’ve been doing it all along. Remus cuts back on his shifts at Flourish and Blotts, spending more days out and about with Sirius and Harry, and Sirius is finally feeling a sense of calm take over - like maybe he really has gotten the hang of this whole parenting thing. 

Though it all seems to be going swimmingly, it doesn’t take long for Remus to notice something’s up with the portrait of James, Lily, and Harry from Godric’s Hollow. 

The first clue arrives a week into Remus living at Potter Manor. 

Sirius wakes early that morning, allowing Remus to have a much-needed lie-in. The next full moon is approaching, and though Sirius has greatly appreciated the break Remus has given him from being a full-time parent, he knows Remus is exhausted from the extra time spent taking care of Harry and all his recent early morning shifts opening the bookstore. 

Once Sirius has fed Harry his breakfast and given him a quick change, he places the boy with a few books and toys in the sitting room before heading into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea.

He vaguely registers the shower going and hopes he wasn’t too loud with Harry’s morning routine, but he sets about pulling out an extra cup for Remus, along with cream and sugar and the makings for a full English. 

Just as the kettle whistles, a high-pitch scream follows it from out in the hallway.

“Harry! Harry, oh no! Quick, Padfoot! Moony! Help!” James yells from inside his portrait, causing Sirius to drop his mug, porcelain shattering as he sprints into the hallway. 

He surges past the painting, forgoing the desire to ask his mate what’s going on and instead running into the sitting room, wondering what trouble the toddler could have gotten into in the brief moments since he’d left him. 

A wave of guilt crashed over him; he knew he should have stayed with Harry until Remus got up. But all the safety charms and alarm spells he’d cast around the home should have alerted him if something was wrong.  

Rushing over to the boy, Sirius lifts him, looking him over and trying to determine where he was hurt. 

“Are you alright, Harry? What happened?” He asks in a panic, directing the second question over to Prongs.

Harry peers up at him, obviously startled by the commotion but looking, for the most part, unharmed.

“Sorry, Padfoot. It looked like he was walking over to the fireplace. I was just afraid he was getting too close. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just got panicked.”

Sighing in relief, he hugs Harry close, kissing the top of his head. 

Suddenly, Sirius registers the bathroom door opening, hitting the wall in its rush, and then Moony bursts into the room.

“What happened?! Is Harry alright?”

Remus stands in the doorway, chest heaving in a mixture of fear and exertion from rushing out of the shower to ensure everyone was safe, and Sirius can’t help but gape at the towel slung low around his hips.

Droplets of water drip down his scarred chest, along the toned muscles and sparse bits of hair, leading below the edge of the fluffy, white towel. The few years since their shared dorm days at Hogwarts had done Remus well. He was no longer the tall, gangly kid Sirius remembers sharing a room with. 

When did Moony get so fit?! 

Realising this is Remus he’s ogling, Sirius’ eyes snap back to his face, which really isn’t all that much better. Remus’ mouth is open wide, taking deep gulps of air to calm his racing heart, and Sirius briefly wonders if his lips have always looked so kissable. 

His wet hair is pushed back as if he was in the middle of rinsing out his shampoo, giving Sirius a clear view of his wide eyes, his pupils dilated from the obvious fear that something had happened to poor Harry. And his cheeks are a delightful shade of pink, and Sirius finds he wants to trace the droplet racing down the side of his face with his lips before latching on to the spot along his neck he’s sure will make Remus -

Merlin, where did this come from?  

He’s never thought about Moony like this before. 

Well, that’s not exactly true. 

Remus was what Sirius would consider his gay awakening, not that Remus himself knows that, but he knew he was into lads, as well as birds, when Remus came back their fourth year, towering above the rest of them, his broad chest stretching out those adorable jumpers he wore. Sirius, along with the rest of Gryffindor house, moved Remus right up to the top of the ‘fittest blokes in their year’ list. 

But Sirius knew he needed to move on from that crush quickly.  

It never ended well to fancy one of your best mates, and Remus had made it quite clear over the years that he did not fancy Sirius. Remus didn’t date much, but the few blokes he had gone out with over the years were so far from anything like Sirius that it was almost comical. 

No, their relationship was strictly platonic. 

And Sirius was fine with that. He had thought that the feelings had gone away. He hadn’t thought about Moony like that in years, especially with the war bearing down on them. But seeing him now, like this? Maybe the feelings had just been buried deep down?

Or… maybe I just need a shag.  

“Sorry, Moony,” A beaming James apologises from his perch on the wall behind them. “False alarm.”

“Prongs,” Sirius admonishes. “You know enchantments are barring Harry from just waltzing into the flames.”

“I know, I wasn’t thinking. Just got scared.”

Remus glares back at the painting, but Prongs just shrugs sheepishly, obviously unfazed. 

“Honest mistake, mate.”

Rolling his eyes, Remus directs his attention back to Sirius and Harry.

“You alright, Padfoot?”

“Huh?” Sirius asks, shaking his head and tearing his eyes away from an enticing droplet that trails its way along Moony’s collarbone to meet his gaze. 

“You just still seem a little out of it,” Remus says, obviously concerned for his best mate. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, sorry!” Sirius jerks, directing his attention back to the boy in his arms. “Just in a bit of shock. That scared me a bit, but we’re alright.”

“Good. I’m just gonna…” He trails off, nodding his head back in the direction of the bathroom.

“Sorry to interrupt your shower, Moony,” James winks as Remus walks past him, his smile widening even further at the glare Remus directs his way. 

🌙✨

The next time Remus realises that James is interfering in his and Sirius’ friendship is on Harry’s second birthday. 

Remus is out in the back garden, watching Harry and Molly Weasley’s brood of children flying around on toy broomsticks. It’s been a delightful summer afternoon, catching up with the adults while watching Harry share his presents with Molly’s youngest boy, Ron, with Sirius’ booming laughter as a perfect soundtrack in the background. 

He’s sipping on a butterbeer, listening to Molly’s husband Arthur explain his latest experiment with his Muggle radio when Sirius heads inside to grab Harry’s cake. Letting Molly know it’s time, they wrangle the kids, leading them to the picnic table they’d set up so everyone would be ready to sing to Harry once the cake arrived. 

“Oi, Black, mind if I use your toilet?” Molly’s brother, Fabian, calls out to Sirius as the ginger follows him into the home. He was a couple of years ahead of the Mauraders at Hogwarts, but they’d all grown closer during the war as Fabian and his brother Gideon were both members of the Order. 

Gideon died in a fight against Death Eaters early during the war. He was outnumbered but held them off long enough for Fabian to lead the Muggles in the area to safety. Unfortunately, his death was something Sirius and Fabian could bond over; the overwhelming loss they’d both been dealt due to the war.  

Sirius, entering the kitchen and summoning a couple of candles to place on top of the Quidditch-themed cake he’d purchased for Harry, nods absentmindedly to the bloke. Remus had told him the candles were pointless; Harry, being only two, wouldn’t be able to properly blow them out, but Sirius insisted. It’s his birthday, Moony! He’s got to have candles on his cake! 

“The bathroom’s down the hall, mate. Second door on the left.”

“Cheers.” 

He continues arranging the candles, then uses his wand to light them and levitate the cake out the door and into the hallway. Before he can stride out through the open glass doors and back into the garden, he notices out of the corner of his eye that Fabian has struck up a conversation with James’ portrait. 

The noise from the party is overflowing into the home, but he’s close enough to hear James say, “No, mate. You should go for it.”

Fabian laughs, “I’ve never gotten dating advice from a portrait before, but if you say so, Potter.”

Sirius doesn’t have time to reflect on what he’s just heard, because at that moment the kids see the cake and the singing begins in earnest.

Sirius absolutely melts at Harry’s gleeful expression. The lad makes grabby hands at the cake, and Remus leans down to explain to him not to touch, but to blow the candles out.

In the end, Sirius extinguishes the candles nonverbally, making Harry clap, believing he’d blown them out himself. While Sirius takes his seat next to Harry, giving him his slice and watching as he forgoes the small spoon they’d laid out and instead grabs a fistful of icing, Molly helps distribute pieces of cake to the rest of the group. 

Remus is off to the side, rubbing his chin in amusement while he watches Harry with a soft smile on his face. Sirius is busy appreciating Remus’ arms in the rare short-sleeve shirt he’s donned for the stifling summer afternoon when Fabian sidles up next to him. 

“Thanks for having us, Remus.” The lanky redhead greets, and something about the conversation immediately bristles Sirius, like he’s a cat with his fur standing on end. Remus has fully ingratiated himself in their little family, but it was Sirius who sent out the invitations for today, not Moony. 

“Of course,” He cordially replies, sending Sirius a sly cheeky grin, which he takes to mean, ‘Behave.’ “Thanks for coming. Harry loves spending time with your family.”

“They do get along great, don’t they?” Fabian asks, nodding down at Harry as the boy leans over to Ron, trying to give him a handful of his icing. “And it was good to see you. It’s been a while. Maybe I could see you again sometime, without all of my nephews and niece?” 

“Sure,” Remus agrees absentmindedly, directing his attention back down to where Harry is finally eating the actual cake portion of his dessert. 

“How about Friday night? The Three Broomsticks?” 

Sirius watches, flabbergasted, as it seems to dawn on Remus that the bloody wanker is asking him out. Fabian grins like the cat that got the cream, a charming smile with his hazel eyes twinkling in the afternoon sunlight as Remus’ dark eyes widen in shock.

“Oh. Like- like a d-”

“A date,” Fabian confirms before Remus can get the word out himself.

Sirius wants to blame the flush he watches spread on Remus’ cheeks on the hot air, but numerous cooling charms throughout the garden are keeping the kids and their guests from overheating in the sun, and the way Remus bashfully avoids eye contact, starring down at his feet with a small, pleased smile on his face entirely destroys that theory. 

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Pick you up around six?”

“Perfect.”

Before Sirius can close his mouth and adopt a neutral expression at the blasphemy he’s just witnessed, a glop of yellow icing slaps him directly in the face. 

It makes a loud enough plop that Remus and Fabian turn to look.

“Bollocks.”  He curses, and Harry lets out a little giggle. If the laugh is directed at his action or the word Sirius isn’t entirely certain until he hears a confident “Bollocks!” shouted back at him in Harry’s high-pitched squeal. 

“Nice going,” Regulus whispers beside him, handing his older brother a napkin.

“Piss off,” Sirius grumbles, wishing it was socially acceptable for him to throw icing at Regulus. Or perhaps Fabian. Yes, that would be satisfying. 

As Remus leans down to gently remind Harry that they don’t throw icing and that bollocks is an adult word, Sirius stalks off to the kitchen with Regulus trailing behind him.

“So, why did your boyfriend just agree to a date with another man?”

“He’s not my boyfrien- Oi, don’t be a prat, Reg.”

Using Aguamenti, Sirius wets a flannel, wiping the remnants of the sticky sweetness the icing left behind off his cheek before filling a glass and taking a large gulp. 

“Why don’t you just ask him out already?” Regulus complains, plopping himself on the Potter’s kitchen counter.

“We’re mates. It’s not like that.”

“Okay, then why did you look like you wanted to throttle Prewett?”

“I just don’t like the lad, that’s all,” Sirius mumbled, turning away from his little brother’s knowing smirk and grabbing a butterbeer instead.

“Oh, so is that why thirty minutes ago you almost pissed yourself laughing at one of his stories?” Regulus raises his eyebrow in disbelief, his barely concealed smirk just waiting to turn into a full-blown, shit-eating grin.

 Sirius frowned, knowing that if anyone had asked him thirty minutes ago, he would’ve waxed poetic about how cool Prewett was. He and James had been determined to follow in Fabian and Gideon’s footsteps, attempting to be the leading pranksters at Hogwarts. 

But now… 

“I just- He’s not right for our Moony, that’s all,” Sirius replies determinedly. 

“Whatever you say, brother. But you might want to ask him out yourself before it’s too late.”

Friday night comes far too quickly for Sirius’ liking. 

All week he’s been in a mood.  

Ever since Prewett muttered ‘a date,’ like an absolute prat, Sirius has felt the need to punch something. Hard.  

He still doesn’t fully understand why it peeves him off so much, the idea of Moony going on a date. It’s not just Prewett either, he’s realised. 

Oh, no. The idea of his Moony going out with any old lad puts him in a right sour mood. It could be anyone, and Sirius would still feel the monster raging within his chest. 

He’s still moaning about until he hears Moony waltz back in through the door a few hours after Fabian swept him through their fireplace. He feels an immense relief course through him, and he can’t bare to think about how mad he would have driven himself if Remus hadn’t returned until the next morning. 

The green tinge he’d been seeing the world through all week disappears as Moony walks into the sitting room and smiles at Sirius nursing a glass of firewhiskey on the settee.

It’s then that Sirius realises he’s jealous.  

Jealous of Remus dating, holding hands, snogging another bloke. The Padfoot within him growls fiercely at the idea of his Moony dating anyone other than Sirius himself.

Thankfully, Remus provides a heavenly distraction from Sirius coming to terms with these revelations when he slumps down next to him, stealing Sirius’ glass and taking a sip of the amber liquor. 

“Did you have a nice time?” Sirius forces himself to ask, though the question burns in his throat almost as badly as the firewhiskey itself. 

“Yeah, it was alright. A little strange.”

“Strange?”

“Yeah… I mean, we get along, obviously. So it was a nice time. And, I mean, he’s attractive, but it was strange. It was the first time I’d ever been out with someone who knows about my condition. So the things I usually worry about… just weren’t there.”

Oh. Sirius really didn’t think about that. And now the jealous monster, the angry dog, has morphed into a whining puppy, guilt-ridden at how he’s acted all week.

No matter if Sirius wishes it was him in Fabian’s place - and Merlin that is going to take some getting used to - Remus deserves this. 

He deserves someone who will prove to him that he is worthy of love and devotion and all the things that make life worth living. 

“I’m happy for you, Moony,” Sirius forces himself to say, hoping Remus doesn’t notice his strained smile.

Remus quirks a smile back, peering over Sirius’ figure in a way that makes him think maybe he wasn’t as believable as he had hoped. 

“Thanks, Pads. Did you, um. Did you tell him to ask me out?”

“What?”

“Well, he just said he probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t gotten some advice from one of my mates.”

“No… No, it wasn’t me. But I’m glad you had a good time.”

Confusion settles over Moony’s expression, but it quickly morphs into one of realisation. Sirius watches as it becomes stony, and then he proceeds to down the rest of Sirius’ drink.

“It’s been a long day. I’m off to bed. Night, Pads.” 

He ignores the call of goodnight from James’ painting, and instead bypasses it for his door. As Sirius stumbles up the stairs to his bed a couple of hours later, the bottle of firewhiskey almost finished, he’s finally accepted that he, Sirius Orion Black, fancies Remus John Lupin.

Bugger. 

🌙✨

Sirius secretly hoped that Remus and Fabian’s first date would also be their last, but he was sorely mistaken. 

For the next month, he watches Remus stop in after a morning shift at Flourish and Blotts to freshen up for a lunch date or as he leaves early for dinner with Prewett. The prat even sometimes joins them on dates with Harry, being perfectly agreeable and charming and buying Harry anything he wants. 

It drives Sirius up the wall, but he can’t say anything. This is the happiest Remus has ever looked, and Sirius cannot ruin that because of his silly schoolboy crush.

But the first time he wakes in the morning and finds Remus’ bedroom door open, the light off and the bed still made, obviously not slept in, it’s a sucker punch to Sirius’ system. 

And the fact that Remus is donning his favourite jumpers for his dates, looking as adorable as ever, is not helping matters in the slightest. Sirius grows more and more frustrated, wishing he could just grab Moony by the shoulders and snog him senselessly. 

Finally, Andromeda insists that Sirius take a night off for once and reassures him that Harry will be fine overnight with her, Ted, and Nymphadora. Ted has pizza and Muggle kid films lined up for the evening, and Sirius pretends he’s not ready to burst into tears about leaving Harry for a night as he drops him off. It’s not the first time he’s stayed overnight with the Tonks', but every time he leaves the boy, it’s challenging.  

But still, Sirius decides to take his cousin up on the offer, knowing that Harry will love spending the evening with Nymphadora, or Tonks, as she’s insisting they call her, the hyper-active seven-year-old, and proceeds to relax, as Andromeda ordered.

He heads straight to his room at Potter Manor, relaxing in a scalding shower. After, with a glass of firewhiskey on his nightstand, clad in nothing but a pair of pants, he settles into the too-big bed, ready for a night of blissful stress relief. 

He’s so tense, and he doesn’t find much time to himself, what with a two-year-old running around, so he intends to take full advantage of an empty home.

He refuses to think of Remus as his hand trails along the edge of his pants where they rest against his stomach, instead focusing on the feeling of his fingers gliding along his warm skin. 

But what he doesn’t know, is that Remus had just recently walked through the front door from his dinner with Prewett, and James, the insufferable little shite, told Remus that Sirius wanted him to speak to him. 

So, right as his hand slips below the elastic, his bedroom door opens, and there Remus is, standing gobsmacked in the doorframe. 

Sirius yelps, yanking his hand away from his body and diving for a pillow to cover himself.

“Oh, fuck. Sirius, I am so sorry. I’m just going to -yeah.” 

The door slams, and Sirius hears footsteps padding down the carpet along the staircase until Remus’ door clatters to a close, as well. 

And Remus knows that for the third and final time, James’ stupid portrait is up to something.  

Remus, having enough of James’ meddling, waits until Sirius is out at the park with Harry the next day to confront the portrait. 

He’s been avoiding Padfoot, hiding in his room since the unfortunate incident the night before, until he heard Sirius and Harry leave, the front door closing loudly behind them. 

“What in Merlin’s name are you up to, Prongs?”

“Have no idea what you’re talking about, Moony,” James replies, the widest, guiltiest smirk adorning his face. 

“Oh? So you didn’t tell Fabian he should ask me out?” Crossing his arms against his broad chest, Remus glares at the portrait before raising his eyebrows at Lily, hoping he could get something with the more reasonable one of the couple.

The painted version of James’ wife smacks her husband’s arm, nodding in Remus’s direction in a ‘go on’ gesture. 

James sighs, telling Remus, “I might have mentioned that I thought he’d have a shot if he went for it.”

“And reassured him that Sirius and I weren’t dating?”

“Possibly.”

His smarmy grin only grows as the questioning continues. 

“And Sirius and I continually catching each other unawares, half-dressed is just a pure coincidence?” 

“Whatever you two get up to in the comfort of my own home is none of my business.”

“That one was my idea, actually,” Lily admits, shrugging her shoulders at the aghast look Remus sends her before high-fiving her husband.

“Look, Moony. We’re tired of sitting around watching you two tip-toe around each other. You just needed a few nudges!”

Remus sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose to keep him from doing something stupid like hexing the painting of his best mate. 

“Honestly, how did you get your portrait to be such a twat?”

“Oi. Maybe my portrait is just serving a purpose.”

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

“Getting you two prats to admit you’re in love with each other, obviously.”

“Prongs, for the last time, Sirius does not love me. We talked about this last time.”

“It’s not my fault you can’t see it! Hell, he was practically drooling over you that day you walked out in nothing but a towel!”

“He absolutely was not. And, even if he was, which he wasn’t!” Remus sternly repeats, glaring at the painting. “That doesn’t mean he’s in love with me. I think he’s made that pretty obvious over the years.”

“Moony, Padfoot is an idiot. I love him, but he wouldn’t recognise love if it transfigured itself into a Cornish pixie and bit him on the arse. He keeps saying he’s looking for the one, and all the qualities he describes are you.” 

“James, that’s just not true.”

“Intelligent, funny, caring, sarcastic, fit, doesn’t put up with his bullshit, loves Harry more than anything else? All sounds like our good ol’ Moony to me! He flirts with you all the time!”

“He flirts with everyone,” Remus waves him off with a roll of his eyes. It’s true.

“C’mon, you’re supposed to be the smart one. You can’t honestly tell me that you don’t think Padfoot has the hots for you.”

“He doesn’t.”

“Maybe,” Lily interrupts, ever the voice of reason. “You should just tell him how you feel, Remus. Then, you can find out his answer for yourself.”

“I can’t, Lils. That would ruin everything.”

“Moony, you’ve been in love with him since he stepped off the Hogwarts Express first year and you haven’t said anything. I just don’t understand why you’re keeping yourself from being happy.”

“Because Sirius and I don’t make sense. We never have, and we never will. We’re mates, and that’s it. You have to cut it out, Prongs. Yesterday was too much. Promise me you’ll stop.”

James pauses, taking in Remus’ expression, before dropping his shoulders in defeat.

“Fine. I promise I won’t interfere anymore.”

“On the map?”

“.... Yes. I promise - on the map.”

“Good. Thank you.”

🌙✨

“So, I heard Moony and Prewett are looking at flats together,” James tells Sirius in passing a couple of days later, absolutely unable to help himself. 

If Moony questions it, he’ll just explain that portraits have fleeting memories, and he absolutely does not recall making such a promise. All’s fair in love and war and all that, right?

“What?!”

Sirius halts in front of the portrait, whipping his head around in shock at Prongs.

“Mhm. Somewhere in Diagon Alley.”

“He hasn’t said anything to me about that.” Sirius frowns, wondering why in Merlin’s name Moony would keep something like this from him.

“When Prewett dropped him off the other night, he said they’d go see the flat together. Prewett mentioned something about it being available in a couple of weeks.”

So, that’s it, Sirius thinks to himself. They’re that in love that they’re moving in together?! 

He really wants to believe that’s not the case, but he’s seen them around each other these past few weeks. He’d be delusional if he genuinely thought he had a chance with Remus. Of course, he’s going to go for someone like Fabian. Calm, attentive, great with kids, makes rational, sound decisions, and listens to Remus rather than overloading him with all his problems and worries. 

As deep as the hurt is, knowing that Remus is with someone else, Sirius is angry, too. He knows things have been awkward between them since Remus walked in on him - and he’s tried not to think about that and how he wished it had gone a bit differently - but does he really mean so little to Remus that he couldn’t tell him he’s moving in with his boyfriend?

Over the next week, things between Remus and Sirius go from stiff to icy. They’re barely around each other, with Remus seeming to have picked up more shifts at work and Sirius forcing Regulus to join him and Harry on as many outings as he possibly can. 

They take Harry on his first visit to Zonko’s, buying way too many products that Harry is way too young to actually use, as well as the Royal Observatory, as Regulus insisted Harry learn about the stars as early as possible. 

When Remus and Sirius are finally both home for dinner, they use Harry as a buffer. Their conversations revolve around the new faces he’s making, the things he does that remind them of either James or Lily and how his new favourite activity seems to be repeating everything they say.

Though things seemed a tad back to normal during their meal, Sirius was surprised to see that Remus hadn’t disappeared after he finished putting Harry down for the night. 

Instead, he’s sitting on the settee, bottle of firewhiskey in hand, like old times. 

Sirius accepts the peace offering, but something about sitting next to Remus like nothing’s amiss rubs him the wrong way, and after one sip of the liquor, he can’t help but blurt out, “So, when are you going to move in with Prewett?”

“What?” 

Remus places down his glass, looking genuinely confused by the question. This just peeves Sirius off more. 

“I mean, living in Diagon Alley? What more could you want?” 

Remus automatically registers Sirius’ fake, upbeat tone as a dig, and scoffing, he turns away. “If you wanted me to move out, why didn’t you just say?”

“Don’t do that,” Sirius admonishes, rolling his eyes.

“Do what, exactly?”

“Act like you’re a burden and like I don’t want you around when all I’m doing is asking you a question!”

“Well, I wouldn’t think you considered me a burden if you weren’t acting as if I was a burden!”

“Oh, come off it, Moony. You know I don’t think that! I’d let you stay here forever if you wanted.”

“Then why are you asking me when I’m moving in with Fabian?” Remus asks, throwing his hands up in confusion.

“Because James said you were looking at flats together!”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake! I was helping Fabian look for a flat. He’s been kipping at the Burrow since Gideon passed. They lived together, and now he wants a new place to live. Without all the memories.”

“But you’re going to move in with him at some point, right?”

“Are you seriously in that much of a hurry for me to leave?”

“Godric, Moony, no! I just- he’s your boyfriend. That’s what happens, right? You start dating and fall in love and move in wit-” 

“We broke up.”

Sirius attempted to finish his sentence, but Remus’ words finally registered.

“What? Oh…. Moony, why didn’t you tell me, you prat?!”

“Well, it happened on the night I walked in on you… you know,” Sirius gets momentarily distracted by the blush that blooms across the high points of Remus’ cheeks. “And, I don’t know, you’ve seemed cross with me ever since. No time has really felt right to bring it up.”

“I was, cross with you, I guess. I thought you were moving in with him and not telling me.”

“Sirius, we’d only been dating for a few weeks. You really thought I’d move in with him after that long and not tell you about it?” 

“I don’t know! Wait… But then why were you still helping him look for a flat?!”

“Sirius, we’re mates. Just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean we can’t still spend time together as friends. He wanted a second opinion. I think it’s been hard for him to adjust without having his brother around anymore. Surely we can both understand what that’s like?”

Sirius grumbles something unintelligible, knowing he’s being immature but still wishing they could stop talking about Fabian Fucking Prewett already.

“What was that?”

“I just think he shouldn’t take advantage of you like that! He can look at the flat on his own, can’t he?”

“Why are you being like this? I thought you liked Fabian?”

“I have been perfectly nice to him!”

“Sirius, come off it. I’ve seen you act nicer to Slytherins.”

“Regulus doesn’t count.” At Remus’ glare, Sirius acquiesces. “Fine. I don’t know why I’ve been acting like this. It’s just…”

"Are you... jealous?"

Sirius' eyes widen at having been caught, and Remus leans over to place his hand over Sirius’, whispering, “You can tell me, you know.”

“Fine! Yes! I couldn’t stand seeing the two of you together, okay?”

Sirius rips his hand out from under Remus’ warm grip before he yanks himself off the settee, pacing in front of the fireplace. He can’t believe he just said that. Merlin, Moony’s going to hate him.

“...What?”

“Godric, Moony. It’s been torture. I hate seeing you two together. I didn’t know if I should tell you - how you’d react, but I hated it. Please don’t hate me.”

“Sirius, I could never hate you. I just- I didn’t know you felt like this.”

“Well, now you do.” He turns, finally meeting Remus’ eye, waiting for him to say something.

“I mean, if you had told me you fancied Fabian, I would’ve never agreed to go out with him.”

“What?! Moony, you idiot, I’m talking about you. You’re the one I can’t stop thinking about. I couldn’t stand seeing you two together because I wanted it to be us holding hands, going on dates, and kissing. Not Fabian! Merlin, I love yo-”

Before he can finish that statement, Remus’ arms circle around his waist and his lips capture Sirius’ in the most passionate kiss he’s ever experienced. It feels right, Moony pressed against him like this.

Sirius throws his arms around his neck, deepening the kiss before Remus pulls back enough to sigh, “Do you mean that?”

“‘Course, Moony. I’m crazy about you. Can’t you see that?”

Before he can answer, Sirius presses their lips together again, sliding one hand through Remus’ soft waves while the other grips his waist, hoping to never let go. 

He’s not sure how long they stand there, snogging in their living room before a familiar voice calls out from down the hallway.

“Yes! Finally! Godric, I thought I’d have to pay Reg to just lock you both in a bedroom until you had your way with each other, for Merlin’s sake.”

“Oh my god,” Remus whispers, pulling away from Sirius. His head turns towards the blasted portrait, but Sirius whines, sliding his lips along Moony’s chin, trying to get Remus’ attention back on him. He’s finally got Remus in his arms, and he is not going to let Prongs fuck it up.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to thank your best mate for helping you two finally see reason?”

“What in Merlin’s name is he going on about now?” Sirius whispered against Remus’ lips. 

“Oh, don’t you know? He’s the one that pretended Harry was hurt so I’d run into the room half-naked. Then, he told Fabian I fancied him, and he should ask me out,” At that, Sirius gasps, not believing Prongs, James, his brother, would hurt him like that. “And the other night, he told me you wanted to talk to me when I walked in on you…”

Sirius will circle back to Moony’s adorable blush once he finishes yelling at James because Merlin if it isn’t one of the prettiest sights he’s ever seen. 

“Prongs! Did you prank us?”

Sirius stalks off down the hallway, but he can’t seem to let go of Remus just yet. Linking their fingers together, he drags Moony along behind him to confront their mate.

“Is this why you told me I should ask Moony to move in with me? I should have known you were up to something.”

“I think what I’m hearing is, ‘Thank you, Prongs, for helping us see the error in our ways and realising we are hopelessly and madly in love with each other.’ And to that, I would say, ‘You’re welcome!’”

“Honestly, how often did you talk to this thing?! There’s no way a normal portrait could be this maddening.”

“All. The. Time.” Lily sighs.

“Think we could use him for firewood?” Sirius ponders, tapping his chin in thought.

“Oi!”

“Nah, I think we should keep him around a bit longer. For Harry’s sake.”

“You two would obviously be lost without me. You love me, really.”

“Yeah. We do.” Remus agrees, and the three Marauders smile softly at each other, James staring at his best mates finally in each other’s arms after all this time. 

“I would just like the record to reflect that I had nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, there’s no way in hell I believe that, Ginger,” Sirius scoffs, turning to raise an eyebrow at Lily’s smirking figure. “No way is Prongs smart enough to pull this off on his own.” 

Later, when Sirius drags Remus up the stairs to his bedroom, James leans over to Lily and whispers, “I think our work here is done.”

[knivestothroats]

When’s Buck’s birthday? Would he do anything to celebrate? (I am imagining Fletcher remembering his birthday post-series and inviting themself over to give him a card and/or present + heart attack because what are friends for, right? but maybe the birthday came and went during his time at the lodge.?)

I dont have a specific day in mind (I know some people will chose a zodiac sign they think fits but idk anything about that) but I'm kind of leaning away from having in happen while he was at the lodge. Partially just because I'm just imagining him (if he even knew what day it was) to just be mopey and Fletcher being like "why are you more mopey than usual, no one even tortured you today as far as I am aware." And Buck's like "It's my birthday :/" and Fletcher's like "It's your birthday?!... Actually this doesn't affect me at all. You can skip chores today I guess?"

Also I didn't even talk about like Christmas even though it took place during the winter bc I was keeping the timeline pretty vague. Although I had the not-totally-canon christmas special. Which doesn't make any sense in the timeline which is why it's not totally canon lol. My partner wanted me to say that he did have his birthday at the lodge bc he was basically like "it's so sad I eat that shit up"

I do think Fletcher would send Buck a birthday card at his apartment. I don't necessarily think they would show up although they are not above it, especially considering they do that in the specials. They may or may not send a gift but I def think they would send a card bc they're like "What? I'm being nice >:)" knowing it would cause Buck mild distress. Like just enough for Fletcher to get a kick out of it without like really doing anything to him. Also just reminding him that they know where he lives and all that.

[leam1983]

The Only War we Shouldn't Care About

You know what time it is. December's a few short weeks away, most stores are starting to freak about Christmas, I've already covered my shopping for Walt and Sarah - all that's left is for the seasonal classics to settle in. There's just one classic I don't want to deal with.

Up here in Montreal, the War on Christmas is this absurd Conservative bugaboo we look at derisively, as we tend to wish one another Happy Holidays. Legally, whether you celebrate or not, no matter if you're Jewish, Muslim, Sikh or Buddhist, you'll get a certain amount of time off from your employer, between mid-December and early January. That's all it is to us - time off. If you don't celebrate, your only recourse is to not decorate and, well, maybe show an ounce of patience for TV networks who won't have gotten the message. They obviously won't have; the Western-dominant culture practically demands its yearly re-appropriation of Pagan elements like the effective transformation of a tree into what's effectively a votive symbol, even if you do it from an Atheist perspective. We ask of the right to cling to memories of the last Season of Plenty, as that's what our ornaments are - the brief presentation of an evergreen tree into the affected appearance of a fruit-bearing tree - and I can definitely see how that can be overbearing.

Add to that the more overtly religious aspects - what actually gets the Kirk Camerons of this world crowing about persecution in the most laughable way imaginable; and it's easy to get the sense that for several people, Christmas Season can be, well, too much.

It explains the seasonal blues, the way some workplaces cut the Gordian knot and simply ban seasonal decorations altogether or the way others default to a neutral "Happy Holidays", up here. It's fair of some people to expect the legally-provided time off with no further requirements.

The thing is, some of my remote colleagues are very Christian. Not in the sense you might be familiar with if you're American; they're still a lot more into tolerance and general goodwill than what you might consider the norm for these types - and for them, Christmas isn't quite religious enough, as strange as it might seem. They're not pushing it into Cromwellian excess, but they do get the sense that this is a holiday meant to celebrate renewed hope, spiritually speaking - and I've seen Nicole's WFH office setup start to feature both a Santa Claus figure and a small Nativity diorama. Nicole is the sweetest Compliance Officer you'll ever meet, she's technically retired from the industry but joined us to round out her pension - and she's a hardcore believer, coming from first-generation Sicilian immigrants to Canada.

On the one hand, she's a "good" Theist, in that she isn't overbearing in her spirituality, the same way we avoid discussion topics like war and politics in our workplace-focused Slack channels. On the other, when she says "God bless you", she means it. It's always a bit of a shock, when you're used to everyone and their mother tossing that offhandedly. It makes the less tolerant Theists - usually Evangelicals - that we'll run into while shopping around town, sort of stand out like a sore thumb.

I try and conflate Christmas Season, considering all this, into a time where all of us are allowed to be openly spiritual in the broadest sense possible. If you don't practice anything and are a hardlining Atheist, you could say it's a great time for self-reflection and for preparation. It's a great time to focus on the more holistic aspects of existence, as even Skeptics like me could agree that meeting people can be good for the soul. Putting more time down at the soup kitchen isn't a question of racking up more Redemption Points or whatever, it's about meeting people at a time where my potential assistance will be most useful. Nights are getting cold, warm meals are starting to require some investment of time and resources, and if you have no warm place and no kitchen to work in, you're not going to get that. That's pretty much the extent of my spirituality. Unsurprisingly, it's gotten surprised looks out of some colleagues during our Zoom meetings.

"You're not worried? I mean, you lost people, haven't you? Don't you think you have a soul?"

The fact is I just don't know. Considering, why bother imposing my beliefs on anyone else? Why bother trying to pay lip service to anyone else's belief or lack thereof? We'll decorate the condo because Walt and Sarah love that stuff, but I've been the exact time to forget to pull out the boxes of decorations until December 20th. It'll look pretty for a week or two, then we'll pack it all back in - same as Halloween.

Maybe there is an afterlife, but it's not worth any respect if my accession to it depends on my putting the right little Caucasian Porcelain Baby in my Nativity scene made up of equally whitewashed characters in someone else's distorted story of Middle-Eastern displacement.

So, maybe consider putting your chips down on all the other seasonal symbols, instead: the clean smell of the first few snowfalls, the way cold air always feels cleaner than anything hanging in summertime urban haze, the taste of a good cup of hot cocoa after some exposure to the elements, the return of Sweater Weather, the way the season's blithe consumerism always intersects with your younger relatives getting "the best Christmas ever" every single year as their eyes light up at the sight of the One Thing They Wanted - or the way it all translates to base thoughtfulness between adults.

Kindness. Brotherly love. Friendship. The giving of oneself, really. Things anyone of any culture or religious background could agree on.

That, to me, seems essential. Far, far more than anything related to Christianity.

[purplefeathersandblackleather]

As the first night of this grueling Christmas shift comes to an end, I find that I am thankful. My bones are wary and the smell of cedar wood and spices fill my sense of smell as I step in through the door of my home. My mother welcomes me, bringing me a change of clothes that she had warmed in the dryer for me, my two canine companions, Diesel and Buddy, rush to me with wagging tails and small hops of excitement.

The sight of the presents under the tree fills my heart with both joy and ache this year, but also a sense of clarity.

In these times when we struggle, there is always someone who has it worse than we do. I think about my losses, I mourn for the ones who are no longer here, but then I remember the people I have helped on the streets recently. I worry for those with nowhere to go and pray for them instead of myself.

This morning I remember my dearest friend @sobeautifullyobsessed who just recently found herself homeless and struggling to figure out where she would go and I pray for her safety and for her to have a warm place to stay and rest for these weary days. I am thankful to all of those who have shown her the generosity she has been given in her time of need.

I think about @fanartka who lives in the Ukraine, who just recently celebrated a birthday in a country devastated by war because the human species is obsessed with power and fundamentally insane. I pray for her and Ukraine, even now when it has been helped by many amazing people, such as Benedict Cumberbatch and many others.

I think of my friend @xeiggerott who has recently lost his job and is now struggling to find a way to buy food and pay his bills. I recently gave him advice on how to clear his Chakras and sent him the most money that I could to help him in this hard time. I am thankful to finally be in a position where I can help someone I consider a friend when they're in need.

My mind wanders of course to Tony and how I wish he was still here to spend this holiday with me. To my grandmother and grandfather, who both lost their lives to disease and should still be here to see this beautiful holiday with us. But I am coming to the end of my grief and finding peace with where I am. They are gone, but never leave from my heart and I hope they found peace in whatever awaits beyond.

As I get ready to lay down and rest for another night of work in the cold temperatures, I hope all of you - my darling mutuals and friends - find some sense of peace and happiness in these days. That there is love for you, even if it's from your fictional darlings, that will fill you with warmth. Thank you, @bakerstreethound for reminding us that there's nothing wrong with still loving our chosen, even if they're not in this world with us.

And thank you, @harlekin6 for always checking in on me when I am wary and struggling. You mean so much to me, my dear. Remember that you are very important to me and I am thankful for you making me feel so important always.

For my darling @cirocity whom I love with all of my heart. I truly have found the source of my inner strength with you in my life and I cannot wait for us to finally meet in March. I love you so much, my sweet butterfly.

To my dearest @icytrickster17 who makes me feel like I am worthy of being noticed. The way my heart lightens when she likes my posts and reblogs anything of mine no matter how dumb it is, makes me feel like I truly am accepted, even if we don't talk much.

For my sweet moonflower @strangelockd who I have just developed such a strong relationship with. I thank you for being my Tony, when no one else would give me what I needed. When no one would help me, you extended your hand and pulled me up so that I could begin standing on my own. I am in your debt, truly.

And lastly, for my most complex and awe inspiring mutual, @stewardofningishzida who I have found so compelling that I consider them someone very important to me on more of an intellectual level. I have enjoyed hearing your stories and reading your writings, and I do look forward to speaking with you again very soon. May the eyes that watch leave you at peace and allow you to rest these days.

You all mean more to me than words, but this will have to do. Good night, my loves. - Steven