#‘you like it? you can have it!’ he apparently kept saying

[wafflefries13]

Go For It, Jamil!

Summary: Scarabia hears their Vice-House Warden has a crush and are a little too enthusiastic to help out.

AN: I really like the idea that the dorm mob loves their wardens and vice wardens. It makes me think of the tsum event where all of Savanaclaw was in tears because they thought Leona got turned into a little burrito plush, lol.

I got Omar and Babkak from the Aladdin Broadway musical. There's also a Kassim there but I thought it sounded too close to Kalim so just kept it to the two of them.

Warnings: Pining. Apparently I'm really into that.

Spring had come to Night Raven College. With the blossoming trees, chirping birds, and returning sunshine, one thing everyone could count on was Kalim’s annual Welcome Spring party. Of course, he also had a Welcome Autumn, Welcome Winter, Welcome Summer, Farewell End-of-School-Year, Beginning of School, Halloween, New Year's Eve and Day, basically anything party. The difference here was that there were generally more flowers. 

“And we can have the cherry blossom trees around the entrance of the courtyard!” Kalim was saying. Jamil dutifully followed behind him by a few steps, taking down notes for the numerous things they would need to order. “That way when the wind blows the petals will swirl everywhere and it will be super pretty!” 

“MmHmm,” Jamil muttered, only halfway paying attention. 

“And I was thinking the food should be fruit-themed. Blueberries, strawberries, plums, apricots, rhubarb - is rhubarb a fruit? It’s sweet but it’s like celery, right? Cause it grows in the ground in a stalk?” 

“It’s a vegetable.” 

“Oh, and pastels! I can get bolts of silk and we can have them hanging from the ceiling in panels and string beads between everything.”

“Sure.”  

“And it’ll be the perfect backdrop when you confess to (Y/N)!” 

Jamil nearly tripped over his own feet. Both of them froze at the sound of a shattering pot. Looking up, Jamil felt dread build in his stomach as a wide-eyed first-year stared at the two of them, obviously having overheard Kalim’s (obviously totally ridiculous) announcement. There was a broken flower pot at his feet. 

“I-Uh-” The first-year stuttered. “Sorry, I’ll get a broom.” He dashed off like his feet were on fire. 

Jamil sighed. The last thing he needed right now were rumors swirling around. “Kalim, what are you talking about?”

Kalim blinked at the retreating student before looking back at Jamil with a beaming smile. “(Y/N)! It’ll all be super romantic, right? And spring’s a time for new beginnings. We’ll have a string quartet and I’ll set up a gazebo with hanging lanterns and you can take her hands and look her in the eyes and say-” 

“Okay, okay, okay!” Jamil quickly said, clapping a hand over Kalim’s mouth before another eavesdropper got the wrong idea. “You have way to clear an image of all this.” 

“Of course! I think it’ll make a great story for your wedding!” 

Jamil heard a gasp. He turned just in time to see the first-year from before ducking behind the corner with another in tow. 

Yup. There was the headache coming. 

“Kalim,” Jamil said, measuring his words as steadily as he could. “I’m not going to confess anything to (Y/N).” 

Kalim pouted. “Aww, why not?” 

“Because I don’t have feelings for her.” 

“What? Of course you do!” 

“I promise I don’t.” 

“Don’t worry, she’ll definitely say yes.” 

“That’s not the problem here.” Jamil sighed. “Look, I get that you have good intentions, but you don’t need to go overboard and be involved in everything. We talked about this, remember? The whole thing about boundaries?” Actually, (Y/N) had mediated that conversation a few days after Jamil’s Overblot. Is that why Kalim had become convinced they had some sort of romantic attraction? Because talking about feelings must lead to the extreme of those feelings? 

Kalim looked chastened, a certain wet puppy dog look that would make most people fold instantly. Jamil was not most people. “Right, I remember. I just…” Jamil waited for Kalim to continue, silently hoping he would just drop it. “I want you to be happy, you know? And I think you’d be really happy with (Y/N)!” 

Jamil looked at Kalim sideways. “It’s more of a two way street, you know.” 

“Well, yeah, but (Y/N) likes you too!” 

Jamil tripped over his own feet again. He felt a strange kind of dread at the way his heart skipped a beat as a warm feeling flooded his chest. 

“She-what-Where did you hear that?” 

Kalim shrugged, smiling coyly. “I can tell. Just like how I can tell you like her.” 

“I don’t,” Jamil said firmly. 

Kalim held up his hands in surrender. “I hear you! Boundaries! I won’t mention it again.” He added under his breath, “Even if I think you two would be really cute together.” 

“I heard that.” 

*

Behind them, hidden in the long shadows of the Scarabia hallways, a cluster of students were beginning to plot. 

*

The next day, Jamil was taking some time to relax between classes. Well, as much as he could relax. Mostly his thoughts were occupied jumping between organizing for the Welcome Spring party, creating a mental schedule of what school projects were do when, planning what he would make Kalim for lunch for the next week-

“Jamil!” 

He turned to see (Y/N) waving at him. He felt his heart start thumping rapidly in his chest. Stop it, He thought. I can’t let Kalim get in my head like that. 

“Hi,” She said, coming up to him. 

“Did you need something?” 

“Not really. Just saw you over here stuck in your own head again.” She elbowed him playfully. Jamil felt himself smile without realizing it and quickly schooled his features to a more serious expression. “Want to take a break? I snagged these cookies from Sam’s. Tomorrow’s the expiration date so I got them on sale.” 

Jamil wrinkled his nose. “Is it worth it?” 

(Y/N) shrugged, taking a bite of a cookie. “It’s in the budget. You know, whenever Crowley actually decides to pay me.” 

“You know, if you’re ever short on food you can always come to Scarabia. If Kalim’s not throwing another party with a buffet I can get you something. I always make extras for Kalim, anyway.” This was not entirely true. Jamil had had practically his entire life to get used to cooking for Kalim, and it was only recently that he had started making larger batches, packaging them up to deliver to a certain magicless prefect who’s nutritional health he definitely didn’t worry about.  

(Y/N) smiled and offered him the cookie bag. “You look after everyone all the time, don’t you?” 

Jamil smiled back and took a cookie. They sat in an alcove in the hallway, chatting about nothing of significance. Jamil told a story about how Floyd had insisted Jamil teach him how to spin on his head during basketball practice and (Y/N) told him stories of her recent trip to Harveston, Epel’s hometown, and the sled race against the surprise Royal Sword Academy students. 

Jamil saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but whatever it was disappeared before he could catch it. “Sorry, what did you say?” 

“Oh, about the stuffed animals. Sebeck won’t admit it, but I think he still has his squirrel plush in his room. I don’t think it’s magic anymore but it is really cute.” 

Jamil heard the drag of a bow on strings and looked around. 

(Y/N) frowned. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.” 

Jamil shook his head. “No, sorry, I’m fine. I thought I heard-” 

Music started to pour around them. Although it was the calming, one might almost say romantic, type, they both still jumped at the sudden noise. Jamil jumped up, looking around, and took a hit of sunflower petals directly to his face. 

“Omar!” Someone hissed. “Be careful!” 

“Sorry, Babkak,” A voice squeaked back. 

Wait, Jamil knew those voices. He whipped around the corner, seeing a group of Scarabia first-years. Several formed a string quartet, softly playing music. The other two had a bucket of flower petals, one of them throwing handfuls in the air while the other directed a zephyr spell to blow them across the hallway. The two froze with wide eyes at the sight of their Vice-House Warden. 

“What,” Jamil said, voice steely and arms crossed. “Are you doing?” 

The string players looked nervously at each other but continued to play. Omar gapped like a codfish. Babkak stood up straight with a confident smile. “We’re setting the mood!” 

“What mood?” “For your confession!” 

Oh. Oh, no. Now Jamil realized how he recognized them. Babkak was the one who dropped the flower pot yesterday and Omar was the one he had dragged with him to eavesdrop. They must have heard what Kalim had said yesterday about him and (Y/N) and taken the wrong idea. And, Jamil justified to himself, it was definitely the wrong idea. 

“Jamil?”  

Jamil turned so fast the first-years were momentarily worried about whiplash. (Y/N) stood at the corner, looking curiously at the impromptu band and flowers. Behind him, Jamil could hear them hastily whispering to each other to keep playing and trying to get the effect of floating flower petals just right. 

“Something going on?” She asked. 

“No!” Jamil said, perhaps a little too quickly. “They were just leaving.” He glared at the first-years. “After they clean this up.” 

(Y/N) took a step forward. Jamil felt his mouth go dry as she reached up and plucked a few stray yellow petals from his hair. “Is this for a botany project or something? Kind of romantic, huh?” 

Jamil felt his face burn with embarrassment. 

“No!” Jamil said, at the same time Babkak said, “Yes!” 

“Okay,” (Y/N) said, rolling closed the half-full bag of cookies. “Well, I should probably get going. I need to see what kind of trouble Grim has gotten into while I was gone. I’ll see you later, Jamil.” She waved to him and then the first-years. 

“What made you think this was a good idea?” Jamil asked, trying very hard not to yell, when (Y/N) was out of earshot. 

“Sorry, sir,” Omar said, dejectedly picking up flower petals. He glared up at Babkak. “I told you we should have gone for the romantic dinner. And rose petals, not sunflowers.” 

Babkak waved his friend off. “Don’t be so cliche. Besides, sunflowers are way better! They’re pretty and you can eat the seeds!” 

“Hey!” Jamil snapped. The two boys looked back up at him while the other first-years were trying to discreetly pack up their instruments. “I asked what you were doing? Did Kalim put you up to this?” 

“No, sir, this was all us!” Babkak said, a little too proudly. “We wanted to help.” “Yeah,” Omar said. “We’re all rooting for you, Vice-House Warden, sir!” The other first-years made noises of agrement. 

“Rooting for me?” 

“With (Y/N), to tell her you love her!” 

Jamil groaned, covering his eyes with his hand and rubbing his temples. “I am not in love with the Prefect.” Jamil missed the skeptical look the two gave each other. “Look, I appreciate the…vote of confidence, but I’m not going to confess anything to anyone any time soon. So whatever else you have planned, or whoever else you told this rumor to, you can give it a break. Understand?” 

“Yes, Vice-House Warden,” They all echoed dutifully. 

As Jamil marched away, Omar leaned over to Babkak. “I’ve got twenty madol that say he confesses before the spring party.” 

*

Jamil’s muscles were burning, and he welcomed it. He needed the distraction after this morning and basketball practice against Floyd in full force was a pretty good diversion. Ace had been uncharacteristically distracted all practice. Although Jamil couldn’t help but notice that Ace seemed to pass a little harder than necessary. 

During a water break, Ace came up to Jamil. He tossed his water bottle between his hands, taking a step away and then closer. 

Jamil knew he would regret it before he even asked, “What’s up, Ace?” 

Ace startled, surprised Jamil had made the first move. “I heard something,” He said. “In potions class today.” 

“Did someone blow up something again? Anyone get turned into an animal or something?” 

Ace pressed his lips together. “Do you like (Y/N)?” 

Jamil couldn’t decide whether to be exhausted, flustered, or annoyed. “Who told you that?” 

Ace’s eyes widened in shock. “You do?!” 

“No!” Jamil snapped back. “People are just going around spreading rumors.” 

“Huh?” Floyd asked, sliding over on the bleachers. “I thought everyone knew already.” 

“Knew?”

Floyd flashed his sharp teeth. “Come on, Sea Snake. Everyone knows you’re, what’s the land term? Head over heels for Shrimpy.” 

Ace dropped his water bottle and jabbed an accusatory finger at Jamil. “I knew it!” 

“You don’t know anything,” Jamil said, shoving Ace’s hand aside. 

“Oh?” Floyd said, leaning in a little too close. “So that means she’s available then?” 

“No!” Ace and Jamil both shouted at the same time. Ace glared at Jamil. A few other members of the basketball club glanced over, snickering to themselves at the outburst. 

Ace puffed out his chest, planting himself solidly in front of Jamil. “Look, (Y/N) is one of my best friends. And if you do anything to mess with her then… then…” Ace fumbled, running out of steam with his threats before catching his second wind. “Then you’ll have to deal with Jack!” 

Jamil crooked an eyebrow. “Jack? Not you or Deuce?” 

Ace shrugged. “Jack’s the biggest. But Deuce did used to be a delinquent. I’ve seen him be pretty brutal when he wants to. And I guess Epel can scrap up too, when Vil isn’t around. Probably couldn’t convince Sebeck to help out, he’d just lecture about a knight’s honor or something. Ooh, Ortho had a blast cannon! So, you know, watch out!” 

“I like how you didn’t put yourself in the line of fire there, Crabby,” Floyd said. He rolled his shoulders. “But you know, I think Shrimpy is pretty great, too. I don’t want to see her sad or anything. So if someone were to maybe break her heart,” He glanced sideways as Jamil with crazed wide eyes. “Can you swim, Sea Snake?” 

Jamil just glowered back at him. “Can everyone just stop talking about (Y/N) today?” 

“People are talking about me?” All three of them jumped. (Y/N) walked into the gym, Grim hanging off her shoulders. “I thought I felt my ears burning.”  

“Shrimpy!” Floyd immediately ran up to her, sweeping her up in a tight squeezing hug. Grim jumped off her shoulders with a yelp. Ace yelled and pulled at Floyd’s jersey, trying to pry them apart. 

(Y/N) weakly patted Floyd’s back with a free hand. “Hi, Floyd, hi, Ace. Sorry, I need Jamil real quick.” 

The two boys froze, slowly turning their heads to stare at Jamil, who was busy hiding his face in his hands. They watched like hawks as (Y/N) walked over to Jamil. 

“Hey,” She said. “You okay?” 

“Fine,” He said, waving her off. “Just one of those days, you know?”

She frowned. “You need me to talk to someone? I can chew out Ace if you want. Floyd is sort of out of my league, though.” 

Jamil sighed a laugh. “No, that’s fine.” 

“Oh! Right! Hang on.” She slung her backpack off her shoulder, reaching in and pulling out a familiar water bottle. “Here, you left this in the library. One of the Scarabia first-years found it and asked me to bring it to you.” 

“Oh, thanks. I was wondering where it was.” Jamil didn’t mention that he hadn’t been in the library at all today. As he reached to take it, their fingers brushed. Jamil grabbed the bottle and jerked back like he had been scorched. His heart was hammering, not from the exercise of basketball practice, and he was momentarily worried (Y/N) would be able to hear it. Not to mention if she would notice how clammy his hands had suddenly become. 

“Well,” (Y/N) said. “I guess I’ll get out of your hair-”

“Wait!” 

The entire basketball team, plus (Y/N) and Grim, turned to the sudden outburst. Babkak had half way thrown himself out of the doorway entrance to the gym, hand extended in a Stop motion. Omar guilty peaked out from the door frame. 

“Uh, I mean,” Babkak said, back peddling. 

“You should stay!” Omar jumped in. “I mean, we should all stay to watch practice! Support your local team and everything!” He weakly punched the air. “Go team?” 

Jamil opened his mouth to chastise them again before (Y/N) spoke, “That sounds fun. I don’t get to see you guys play too often. If that’s okay with you, though.” 

“Oh, um,” Jamil stuttred. 

Floyd jumped up, throwing himself over Jamil’s shoulders and smiling wide. “Of course you can stay! You can watch Sea Snake show off!” 

Jamil elbowed him. “You’re the one who shows off, Floyd.”

(Y/N) shrugged, smiling. (And Jamil definitely didn’t feel his heart flip.) “I don’t have any plans.” 

As everyone got back in position for practice, Ace took his place, whispering to Jamil, “Remember: Ortho has a laser cannon.” 

Jamil rolled his eyes. 

From the corner of his eye, Jamil saw the group of Scarabia first-years shuffle into the bleachers around (Y/N) and Grim. He thought he saw a few of them hiding objects behind their backs, but was pulled back to the game before he could investigate further. 

He lost himself back in the game. Sneakers squeaked against the waxed wooden floor, the bounce of the ball reverberated around the gym, each quick and practiced movement by the players blurring at the edge of Jamil’s vision. Another player passed him the ball. He faked left, turning around Floyd, before lining up a shot at the three point line. He raised the ball, arms tensing in preparation to shoot and- 

A blare of sound echoed through the gym, bouncing off the acoustic walls and tumbling down around everyone in attendance. The ball slipped from Jamil’s hands, falling uselessly in a pathetic arc and bouncing across the court floor. Jamil turned to the bleachers where the noise had come from. The first-years, Jamil now recognized them as the string quartet from earlier, now made up a brass band. The noise he had heard was the blast from a tuba. The rest of the band joined in, trumpets, french horn, and bugle. They started playing a high-energy marching tune. How many instruments did these people know how to play anyway? Omar and Babkak had red and yellow pom poms, waving them enthusiastically. Babkak passed a pair to a bewildered (Y/N). 

“Go, Vice-Housewarden Jamil!” Babkak cheered. 

“Show them who’s boss, sir!” Omar whooped. 

Everyone froze, looking from the impromptu cheering section and band to Jamil then back again. Jamil’s face felt as hot as the Scalding Sands desert at noon. It didn’t help at all when Floyd started cackling. 

He began to march over to confront his dorm mates, again, when a new echoing sound made him pause. (Y/N) had thrown her head back in laughter. She stood, waving the pom poms above her head. 

“Go, Jamil, go!” She cheered. 

Jamil was pretty sure he was going to spontaneously combust at any second. 

*

The rest of practice had been a disaster. Every time Jamil got the ball the bleachers would erupt in noise, distracting him and everyone else trying to play. Jamil had never felt so off his game, fumbling the ball, bumping into his teammates, and losing focus at every moment that mattered, and most of the ones that didn’t, too. He purposely avoided turning in the direction of the cheering squad, partially because he wanted to discourage whatever activities the first-years were insistent on doing, and partially so he didn’t have to see (Y/N) cheer for him so enthusiastically. (And, maybe, so she wouldn’t be able to see how flustered he was becoming with every second.) 

A teammate had patted Jamil’s shoulder in sympathy as they headed to the showers after practice. “Don’t worry,” He said. “I bet she still likes you.” 

Jamil resisted the urge to punch him. 

Now, at least, he was back in a rhythm of something he knew how to do: cooking. Ever since his stint in the Culinary Crucible, the ghost chefs had tapped him and a few other stand out cases to help out in the kitchen every once and a while. 

The kitchen filled with the scent of roasting spices and sizzling meat, spilling out into the cafeteria sitting area. Students had started lining up way before the kitchen officially opened to secure their plate of Jamil’s cooking. Jamil felt the tension melt out of his shoulders, much like the butter in the pan he was currently using, as he fell into his familiar rhythms. 

“Thanks again for your help,” One of the ghost chefs said, floating by with a steaming bowl of freshly made turmeric rice. 

“Not a problem,” He replied. “It gets me out of my own head.” 

“Oh?” Another ghost asked. “Having troubles, youngster?” 

“Girl troubles, maybe?” Another snickered. 

All the ghosts jumped as Jamil brought down a butcher knife to decapitate a fish. They collectively decided it was maybe best to drop the topic, already deceased or not. 

“Ah, Jamil, chef, sir?” A student volunteer said, warily eyeing the butcher knife. “Someone was having an issue with their meal. They wanted to talk to you.” 

So much for his relaxation. Jamil quickly let the others know what to keep an eye on in the kitchen and headed out to the main sitting area. He scanned the tables. It looked like everyone was enjoying their food as far as he could tell. He looked back into the window of the kitchen. The volunteer student pointed at a table near the back by a window. He was about half way across the room when he realized that the student was a Scarabia student, a first-year in fact. And, now that he thought of it, he didn’t think he had seen that student in the kitchen before he had come to talk to Jamil. 

Jamil froze, seeing exactly who was sitting at the indicated table. This was a set up. He turned around to go back, only to be stonewalled by two now very familiar Scarabia students. 

“Hello, sir!” Omar chirped. 

“Taking your dinner break?” Babkak asked. “Great! We have the perfect table for you.” 

They both hooked their arms around Jamil’s and practically dragged him over to the table where (Y/N) and Grim sat. 

“Oh, hi,” She said, blinking at the surprise arrival. Jamil felt his throat tighten and couldn’t formulate a response. 

The musically talented first-years descended to the table, quickly picking up her plate of food to whisk a tablecloth over the table, setting down a candelabra which was quickly lit, and a vase with a dozen roses. 

“Roses,” Omar whispered to Babkak with a sly smile. Babkak rolled his eyes. The two shoved Jamil into a seat opposite (Y/N). A plate of food was set in front of him. The sneaky Scarabia student from the kitchen grabbed Grim, shoving a plate of tuna tartare in his paws before he could protest. Then, the group of wannabe restaurateurs vanished as quickly as they had appeared. The two left at the table, Jamil and (Y/N), looked at eachother with confusion. Jamil dropped his head to stare intently at his plate, stabbing at the sayadieh with his fork. 

“Hey,” Jamil was jerked out of his thoughts by (Y/N)’s voice. “I wanted to apologize for earlier, at practice. It looked like we were a pretty big distraction.” 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Jamil said. “It wasn’t your fault.” He glared at the first-years eagerly watching from a table a safe distance away. 

“Yeah, but still, I don’t need to make your life any harder.” 

Jamil looked up at her. She was twirling her spoon around the tabouli, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. “You don’t make my life harder,” he insisted. “In fact, you’ve made a lot of things easier. My relationship with Kalim is a lot better now, for one thing.” 

She smiled at him, and his heart definitely didn’t skip a beat. “Well, glad I can help, then. But don’t sell yourself short. You’ve been doing a lot of work since everything that happened.” She waved her hand, regarding the invisible thing they both understood. It was still hard to talk directly about his Overblot, the manipulation, abuse of magic, and kidnapping aside. (Y/N) had told him she wanted to give him space for it, to consider how he felt and talk to others at his own pace, but still trying to address the root of the issues. That was when she had started organizing those sessions between her, Jamil, and Kalim, giving them a place to directly talk with each other without outside pressures and influences, helping them work things together as friends instead of the master/servant role Jamil so often felt himself confided to. 

“This is great, by the way,” (Y/N) interjected, scooping up a mouthful of tabouli. “I can always tell when it’s your cooking. Thanks for those leftovers the other day. I know Grim really likes them too.” 

“Oh, yeah, of course,” He said. He didn’t say, “I didn’t make it for Grim. I made it for you.” He blanched at the intrusive thought and snatched up his water glass, taking a large gulp and trying not to choke. 

“You sure you’re okay?” (Y/N) asked. “You’ve seemed kind of on edge all day.” 

“I’ll deal with it later,” Jamil said, looking over at the first-years who started enthusiastically nodding and giving him thumbs-up. 

(Y/N) drummed her fingers against the table.  “Listen, actually, there’s been something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about-” 

“Lgeimat!” Jamil shouted. 

She blinked at him. “Sorry?” 

“The lgeimat! I left them in the fryer! Sorry, have to go, have a good night!” Jamil shot up and zipped back to the safety of the kitchen. 

“I didn’t know we were having lgeimat tonight,” Omar said from their spying perch. 

Babkak thudded his head on the table at their third defeat. “We’re not.” He grumbled. 

*

Jamil collapsed on the low couches in the Scarabia common room, arm flung across his face to cover his eyes from the late evening light. The day felt like it went on forever. Jamil had caught himself constantly looking over his shoulder, jerking at every unexpected sound, in anticipation of an over eager group of first-years. 

“Hi, Jamil-Oh,” Kalim stopped himself, looking over at his drained friend. “You okay?” 

Jamil sighed in response. “Long day.” 

“Oh.” Kalim sat down next to him. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Jamil peered out from under his arm at Kalim. At least that was one improvement, again, thanks to (Y/N) specific intervention. Kalim had slowly been teaching himself not to jump to conclusions or take it upon himself to fix everything by throwing money or extravagance at it, but by taking the time to hear other people, namely Jamil, out first. Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t throw money or extravagance at the problem in the end, but progress was progress. 

Jamil gave Kalim a halfhearted glare. “It’s all thanks to that rumor you started.” 

Kalim blinked. “Rumor? Oh, you mean about how you’re in love with-”

“Yes!” Jamil cut him off, sitting bolt upright. “That! Some first-years heard you the other day and have been following me around, trying to start up some grand romantic gesture.” 

“Oh, yeah, I heard about that. I think it’s sweet.” 

“Sweet?” 

“That everyone believes in you! Everyone knows how hard you work. We all want to see you happy and with the person you love.” 

Jamil stood. “Kalim, I’m not-” 

“Nope.” Kalim said shooting up. He put his hands on the taller boy’s shoulders, forcing him to meet his eyes. “You’ve been different ever since winter break. You smile more when (Y/N)’s around. You’re not so tense all the time. And whenever we’re in a group, like at the cafeteria or dorm meetings or parties, you’re always looking for her. And when you see her your whole face just lights up! Do you know how often you talk about her? It’s a lot, Jamil! ‘Oh, I wonder what (Y/N) would think about this. Do you think (Y/N) has that in her world? Do you think (Y/N) likes spicy or sweet food? Do you think (Y/N)’s doing okay at Ramshackle? Do you think she needs help with any repairs like when we stayed there during VDC training? (Y/N) sure works real hard to catch up with a whole new culture. Do you think (Y/N) would want this extra curry?’”  

“I don’t sound like that,” Jamil protested weakly. 

Kalim sighed, hands on his hips. “I’ve known you my whole life. I know what you’re like when you’re mad, I know what you’re like when you’re sad, I know what you’re like when you’re happy, and now I know what you’re like when you’re in love.” 

Jamil pushed back. “I’m not in love with her!” 

“Yes, you are!” 

“I’m not-” Jamil cut himself off. He felt suddenly dizzy. He sat down hard. “Oh, I’m in love with her.” 

Kalim threw his hands in the air. “Yes! Thank you! Finally!” 

“But,” Jamil continued, and Kalim tried really hard to keep his frustration to himself. “I can’t tell her that. I can’t… put that kind of pressure on her. She has enough going on with Grim and Ramshackle and trying to find a way home and… Sevens, she’s going back home, Kalim! I don’t know when or how, but she won’t even be in this universe! And what, I’m just supposed to show up and dump this emotional baggage on her when she already has everything else to worry about?” 

Kalim sat down next to Jamil. He twirled his fingers together, trying to collect his thoughts. Why was it always so hard to know the right thing to say? “You said feelings were like a two way street yesterday, remember? So don’t you think (Y/N) should have a say too?” 

“Kalim, I can’t-”

“Yes you can!” Kalim shouted, jumping up and clapping his hands. “You’re Jamil Viper! If anyone can do it, can do anything, it’s you! And keeping everything bottled up isn’t fair to you or her or anyone. So-So-” Kalim frowned, trying to look stern, a very strange expression for the normally boisterous boy. “So go tell her how you feel right now, and let her decide what happens next! That’s an order as your house warden!” Kalim flinched. “Please.” 

Jamil stared at him for just a second too long, making Kalim squirm with worry that he had gone too far. Then, Jamil sighed, resigned, a half smile on his face. “Well, if my house warden is ordering it, how can I say no?” 

*

Despite what he had told Kalim, Jamil dreaded every step towards Ramshackle dorm. Even with the ‘order’ from his house warden, Jamil considered turning back. Instead, with each uncertain step, he plotted out exactly what he would say. Was it just as simple as ‘I have feelings for you?’ Should he have some grand gesture ready? Absolutely not. Those first-years had spoiled that concept for him. 

Before he realized it, Jamil was walking up the pathway to the dilapidated dorm. He stood at the front step, fist up ready to knock. It hovered there. A plan, he still needed a plan. He couldn’t just walk in without a plan of what to say, what to do. He’d had the entire walk over here, how had he not come up with a more solid idea? 

The door snapped open in front of him, Grim hurdling out, crashing into Jamil’s chest. “What-? Oh, hey!” Grim said, rubbing his head at the bump then cracking into a wide smile at the sight of Jamil. “Did you bring us dinner again?” 

“Uh, no, not this time,” Jamil said, already thrown off. 

Grim frowned. “Meh, whatever. I’m going to Sam’s anyway to get some tuna.” 

“Milk and eggs!” (Y/N)’s voice called from inside. “You’re getting milk and eggs! And oranges if they have any.” 

“That too!” Grim said. He winked then sped off down the path. 

(Y/N) appeared at the doorway, clearly having sprinted to catch the dire beast before he left. “Grim, I said we don’t have the budget to- Oh, he’s gone. Right, sure, why not?” She sighed. “Hi, Jamil.” 

Jamil swallowed hard. “Should I come back later?” 

(Y/N) waved the idea off. “No, it’s fine, you’re already here. Come on in.” 

Jamil followed her into the dorm to the sitting room just past the entrance hall. Despite the age and wear of the building, it was clear that (Y/N) had taken a lot of pride in fixing it up and keeping everything in order. 

“Sorry, I was in the middle of doing dishes,” (Y/N) said, whipping her wet and slightly soapy hands against her skirt. “Go ahead and take a seat, I’ll get some tea and snacks.” 

“It’s fine,” Jamil said, quickly standing back up after having just sat down on one of the overstuffed couches. “I know where everything is, I’ll get it.” 

“No, no, you’re a guest. Take a break, I’ll get it.” 

“It’s fine really. I’m sure Crowly has been keeping you busy all day.” 

“And you’re just as busy. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

“No, really, I-” 

“Jamil!” Jamil jumped at her sudden outburst, his hands frozen in the air. She huffed and put her hands on her hips. “Honestly. You take care of everyone else all the time. Let me take care of you for once.” 

Oh no. Oh no. 

“Now sit down while I go make some tea.” 

He sat down. This was worse than he thought. He really was in love. 

She wanted to take care of him. Of him. When was the last time someone offered to take care of him, to lighten his load, to take responsibility for the burden? For as long as Jamil could remember that had been his job, his life. Kalim, Najma, his parents, the Scarabia students, everyone and everything. It was like he didn’t realize just how tired he was until (Y/N) offered to help. Why did her snapping at him just now make him feel so relieved? 

Almost without thinking about it, Jamil’s feet took him into the kitchen. (Y/N) was standing at the stove, setting down a heavy teapot on the burner. She was mumbling to herself about something, Jamil couldn’t really hear what. His ears were ringing. 

(Y/N) noticed that Jamil had come into the kitchen, turning to face him. She frowned, eyebrows knit together. “Jamil, I told you that - Oh!” 

Ignoring his anxiety, ignoring that nagging thought that he didn’t have a plan, ignoring the churning nervousness in his stomach, Jamil pulled (Y/N) into a tight hug, burning his face in her hair. 

“I like you,” He said, so softly that he had to repeat himself to make sure she heard, to make sure she understood the depth of his feelings. “I like you. I think I might even- I feel better when I’m with you, like I can be better. I don’t feel like everything I’ve done up until now is just in service to someone else, because all of those things lead me to meeting you. I feel like I can think clearly, that I don’t always have to be on alert. I want to take care of you, I want to be with you, I want us to be together. And I know - I know I’ve done horrible things in the past, I know you’ve seen me at my lowest. But you still see me, me, not anything else. Not the servant, not the diplomatic aid, not the Overblot monster- How could I not fall in love with you? So, (Y/N), please. I just - please.” He wasn’t quite sure what he was asking ‘please’ for, he only hoped she would understand. 

(Y/N) trailed her fingers along his back, threading through his long hair. She pulled back, as much as Jamil’s embrace would allow. The corners of her eyes were dotted with tears. “Jeeze, Jamil,” (Y/N) said. “Way to steal my thunder. I wanted to say it first.” 

Jamil let out a cracked laugh, tears welling up in his own eyes. “You did?” 

(Y/N) hiccuped, laughing. “Yeah, of course. I thought I was being kind of obvious with it. I finally decided to suck it up and tell you at dinner earlier, but you just ran away so I thought you knew what I was going to say and didn’t feel the same.” 

“Sorry, I guess I was nervous. And those first-years all day…” 

(Y/N) laughed out loud. “I was wondering what was up with that. Was that Kalim or something?” 

“For once, no. They took it upon themselves to try and set us up.” 

“Aww, they care about you.” She hugged him close. “And I can see why.” 

*

That weekend, it was finally time for the Welcome Spring party, and there were, indeed, more flowers than usual. Kalim was flitting around, making sure everything was organized and where it needed to be. Jamil had asked if he could leave for the morning, coming back when it was time for the party to start. And, even though he had been the one to ask for the time off, Jamil had double checked that it was okay with Kalim no less than a dozen times before he actually left. Kalim insisted repeatedly that he would be fine, that he had a handle on everything. And, maybe, for the most part he did. It definitely helped that Jamil had assigned tasks to several other dorm members the night before to make sure Kalim didn’t get too overwhelmed. 

Just as the golden hour set in, magical floating lanterns bobbing along in the air amid swirling flower petals, the guests started to arrive. Kalim had sent out a recommended dress code ahead of time, requesting pastels, whites, and gold. Something to fit in with the refreshing and floral mood he wanted to create. Mostly, he was happy to report, everyone was able to follow the requirements. Heartslabyul students especially were rigidly adhering to the dress code under the watchful eye of their house warden. Most of them wore pinks, as it was the required color when taking care of the dorm flamingos so they already had something that would fit the theme. Savannaclaw didn’t much stick to theme, but had tried to comply with sticking puffy peony blossoms through belt loops or behind their ears. Octavinelle wore light blues and corals, studded with shimmering scales, pearls, and other bits of underwater flora. Scarabia, of course, as the hosts, were the most bejeweled, taking inspiration from the fairy gala that had inadvertently plunged the campus into chaos, but also resulted in beautiful flowing white and gold garments. Pomfiore stayed mostly in lavenders and lilacs, highlighted by golden embroidery in fantastic scenes and shapes. Ignihyde, for those who did show up, dug out whatever was the lightest color in their wardrobe, mostly staying in light blues. Similarly, no one was expecting much from the usually dour-toned Diasomnia. But, not wanting to create a social fopaux at one of the few events he had received an invitation to, thanks to (Y/N) reminding Kalim to expand his guest list at the last minute, Malleus had ensured that all his dorm members wore mint and emerald green with gold dotted throughout. 

There was a noticeable absence of two usually prominent figures, but Kalim assured everyone Jamil and (Y/N) would be arriving soon. And, although Jamil had tried to slip in quietly while everyone’s attention was focused on the dance floor for an aerial ribbon performance, Kalim’s squeal of delight quickly diverted everyone’s attention. Jamil held in a groan as attention whirled to him and (Y/N). They both wore outfits from the fairy gala, meticulously designed and created by Professor Crewel. She squeezed his hand in support, dragging him further in, head held high while ignoring the stares. A few Scarabia students gave congratulations, thumping Jamil’s back as he passed. Ace caught Jamil’s eye from the other side of the room. He pointed to Ortho, who was waving excitedly, and drew a finger across his throat. Jamil rolled his eyes. 

As the aerial dancers finished, (Y/N) drew Jamil to the dance floor. As a band kicked up (seriously, how many instruments did those Scarabia students know how to play?), (Y/N) wrapped her arms around Jamil’s neck as he placed his hands on her hips. He really hoped she wouldn’t notice how sweaty his palms had gotten. 

“You’re nervous,” (Y/N) said. “I’m not used to seeing you like that.” 

“I’ve just never really done this before,” Jamil said. “Not dancing, I’ve done that plenty. Just the whole relationship thing. I never really had a chance before. I don’t want to mess this up.” 

“I think you’ve been doing pretty good so far.” 

Jamil smirked. “It’s been two days.” 

“Well, see? You’re gaining experience already.” She leaned forward, placing her head on his chest. “I’m nervous, too, you know. Not about this. I’m really confident how I feel about you, and I want to stay with you for as long as I can. I mean about everything going on around us. There’s a lot of unknown. Technically, you know, I don’t even exist. Don’t have any papers like a birth certificate or passport or even a valid nationality. But I know I have great people helping me out, including you. And knowing they’re on my side, it helps make things a little better. And I’m on your side. So everything will work out, you know?” 

Jamil hummed. Lowley, in a quiet voice so he could dismiss it if she didn’t hear him, he asked, “Can I kiss you?” 

(Y/N) looked up at him, smiling, eyes twinkling. “I’d like that.”  

*

Off to the side, behind a bolt of silk cloth, Babkak handed Omar a 20 madol note.

[ush1wakas]

“Do you think Tendou plays better than me?”

SUMMARY: The Super Ace of Shiratorizawa overheard a conversation between his teammates and his crush... and he did not like it. PAIRING(S): Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader WARNINGS: fem!reader, fluff, maybe a bit ooc (?) NOTES: I will definitely make this a series. Also, I love Ushiwaka with all of my heart so I kinda wrote this for myself HAHAHA OMG TOSHI NEEDS MORE LOVE!!!

The first time Ushijima Wakatoshi met you was when you went to the gym to return Tendou Satori’s book. Apparently the two of you had gotten your books mixed up. After profusely apologizing, Tendou had asked the stoic captain to accompany you while he ran to the locker room to get your book from his bag. 

Awkwardly, Ushijima carried out his mission, making small talk with you (the small talk was asking for your name and class, then proceeding to stay silent). His first impression of you was that you’re quite shy and polite. He felt pleasantly surprised when you didn’t show an ounce of awkwardness even when the two of you stood silently. His teammates would always say that he’s bad at socializing and can often seem intimidating because of his quietness, but the silence that engulfed the two of you was comfortable and natural.

So imagine his surprise when Tendou returned and a switch in you immediately flips: there are not a lot of people who can match Tendou’s energy, but you easily adjusted yourself to his quirkiness, laughing along with his jokes. You waved to Tendou casually before turning to him and bowing slightly, bidding him goodbye with a “Well, see you around, Ushijima-kun.”

As time goes by, he starts to notice how you seem to appear more often. Sometimes you accompanied Tendou to the gym before going somewhere else, other times you arrived after the team finished practice, walking off with Tendou. The Shiratorizawa team has also gotten to know you as ‘(Name), Tendou’s friend’, as you’re really the only person they have seen Tendou hang out with.

To say that he is curious is an understatement. He can’t deny that he really wants to know who you are. Since when did Tendou have such a pretty friend? Why didn’t he ever tell him about you, when he would yap about anything and everything? Were you dating?

“Oh, she’s my seatmate. She’s a really cool kid, so we kinda vibe.” Was Tendou’s answer when he asked more about you. Truthfully, he wasn’t satisfied with that answer. But he kept quiet because he felt weird asking questions about his friend’s friend.

And then, that thing happened.

It was just another afternoon. The team just finished practice, everyone was chatting amongst themselves, and you were there again to pick up Tendou. Lately Goshiki and Ohira had also joined your conversations with Tendou, and the four of you were chatting away happily.

Ushijima pretended to drop his towel near the four of you and took his sweet time to pick it from the ground, shamelessly eavesdropping on your conversation.

“So, you’ve watched our matches, right? Do you think we did just as well as when we practice?” Goshiki asked curiously.

You hummed, “I don’t know much about volleyball, but… I think so, yeah! It’s always fun watching you guys play.”

“Then…” Ohira looked at you, “who do you think plays the best?” He asked, half jokingly.

“That’s an easy question, senpai,” Goshiki interjected, “Of course it’s gotta be our ace, right?”

“Yeah, that’s not fair! You should’ve asked for second best.” Tendou begrudgingly agreed.

Ushijima’s ears perked up as he pretended to wipe his forehead, turning around to look the other way with his feet still rooted to the ground. His heart started beating a bit faster at the thought of you complimenting him. ‘Logically speaking, I usually score the most points, so it can be said that I play the best, right?’

“Actually,” You grinned, “I have a different opinion.”

“Ehhh?? Really?? No way!!” Goshiki exclaimed excitedly, “Senpai, you think I’m better than our team’s ace?!”

“Hey now, she didn’t say that…”

“Maybe soon, Goshiki-kun. But now, I think… Tori-kun plays the best!” You cheered as the three boys cried out in surprise.

“Tendou?! Really?! Umm, no offense to you, Tendou..”

“Well, I have to admit, the Guess Monster is terrifying when he gets all pumped up…”

“Ehhh, (Name)-chan, you’re making me blush!”

Ushijima’s skin crawled.

“I’m not lying! The way your hand suddenly changes directions and BOOM! Blocked! I’m like, how the heck does he do that?!”

“Damn, Tendou, it must be nice to have a friend who hypes you up like (Name)-san.”

“Oh, but you’re really cool too, Reon-kun! I mean, that’s not even up for debate! And you too, Goshiki-kun! I think one of these days you can become the new ace!”

“Ehhhh!??! Senpai, I like you!”

“Don’t feed into his delusions.”

Ushijima knew that you were a kind person, and maybe you weren’t that familiar with volleyball, or you were just trying to make your friends happy, but…

He gripped his towel.

Hard.

BAM!

The ball went flying through Tendou’s outstretched arms at such a speed that he thought it would blow his head off with it.

Tendou was used to Ushiwaka’s spikes. He was the Super Ace’s teammate, after all, but… He looked up, his heart nearly stopping when he saw the expression on Ushijima’s face.

Like he was going to swallow him whole.

“Don’t mind, Tori-kun!!”

Upon hearing your cheer, Tendou raised an eyebrow at how his captain’s expression twisted even more. He put on a wronged face as Ushijima gave him a glare and turned away.

‘What did I do?!’

Next to him, Ohira Reon was gasping for breath. He had been running around, digging balls and sending spikes, trying to win the 2v2 against Ushijima Wakatoshi and Semi Eita. But it was just not working. Of course it wasn’t working, the game was rigged! Whoever got Ushiwaka on his team is playing with cheats!

On the other side of the net, Semi glanced at Ushijima in hesitation. Ushijima had played like a cannon, receiving the ball perfectly for him to set and missing no beat in jumping and spiking the ball, sometimes right into the hands of his teammates on the other side, only for the ball to immediately bounce away. He could’ve aimed it elsewhere, but… to aim it towards Tendou and Ohira’s hands was like highlighting that even if the ball made contact with their hands, they couldn’t receive it anyway.

Well, it wasn’t that hard to guess where Ushijima would spike the ball. To be able to receive those spikes, though… now that was a skill on its own. Especially when he was playing like he’s trying to impress an Olympics coach.

To no one’s surprise, the practice ended with Ushijima-Semi’s win. Well, it was more like Ushijima’s win, with more than half of the points being his service aces. On any other day, their opponents would put up more of a fight, however Tendou had said earlier that he was feeling a bit under the weather.

Pretending like he didn’t hear anything, Ushijima insisted on playing against Tendou and Ohira, choosing not to cut Tendou any slack, spiking balls to his direction like he was trying to hit him on purpose. Ohira was no better, getting almost no chance to spike since receiving Ushijima’s unusually harder-than-ever spike serves was a real struggle in itself.

Tendou and Ohira regrouped with Semi and exchanged glances with the rest of the team, wondering what on earth caused their captain’s horrible mood. Ignoring their stares, Ushijima walked towards the person he had been focusing on.

“(Name).” Towering above you with a height of 189cm, Ushijima addressed you stoically, causing you to gasp in surprise.

You looked up at him. “Y.. yes, Ushijima-kun?”

“Did I do well?”

Flabbergasted, your mouth hangs open. “W-well, I..” Your eyes flitted at your friends but they only returned your glance with their own shocked silent stare.

“Well? Do you still think that Tendou plays better than me?”

You did a double take, your breath caught in your throat, the conversation you had with Tendou, Ohira and Goshiki a few days ago replaying in your head. “W-well, Ushijima-kun, it’s just that… Tori-kun is my friend, and-”

He bent down, gazing down at you in curiosity. “Do you think he plays better than me?”

“I-is there a wrong answer?” You breathed out at the close proximity between you two. Ushijima held his gaze, his eyes shining in amusement. You blushed at Ushijima’s confidence and obliviousness, thankful that Coach Washijo wasn’t in the room. “I-I-I think you play better than Tori-kun, sorry Tori-kun!” You yelled out, flustered.

Your friend could only give you a thumbs up, his mouth still hanging open.

“What about Ohira? Do you think he plays better than me?”

Gaping at him in shock, you stuttered out a “N-no, Ushijima-kun..”

Ushijima hummed, “And Goshiki?”

“No, you… you’re the best..” Horrifically embarrassed and confused, you finally gave him the answer he was looking for.

The entire Shiratorizawa team gaped at this hilarious interaction.

“I thought so as well.” Ushijima nodded, “But it still feels nice to hear it from you.” Satisfied, he rose up to his full height and turned to look at his team. “Why are you just standing there? Do you want to go for another round?”

Quickly, the team dispersed, no one wanting to be the victim of Ushiwaka’s spikes, all the while muttering about what the HECK just happened between Ushijima Wakatoshi and Tendou’s friend.

You sat, frozen in shock, not expecting that your crush would ask you a string of shocking questions while keeping his face so close to yours, as if challenging you to give him the wrong answers. Of course you thought he was the best, but you couldn’t admit that in front of your friends and his teammates!

Your cheeks still continued to burn even after Tendou plopped down next to you in confusion. “Well… that was something. My hand hurts.”

“Tori-kun, did I.. did I offend him somehow?!” You whispered to him in a panic.

“Honestly, that guy is a mystery. He usually doesn’t care about these things, though.” Your friend replied with a knowing look in his eyes, “But just to be sure, talk to him, I guess?”

After the practice, the rest of the team headed outside while Ushijima busied himself with his bag, as if waiting for you to talk to him. After saying goodbye to your friends, you took determined steps towards the tall male, your heart beating out of your chest.

“Ushijima-kun!” You called out as he instantly turned to look at you, “I-I’m sorry if I offended you! I don’t know much about volleyball and aces and stuff, so I was just yapping about Goshiki being the new ace and-”

“Oh, I don’t really care about that.” Ushijima cut you off, staring blankly at you.

“H-huh?”

“That won’t ever happen, at least not while I’m still on the team.” He stated as-a-matter-of-factly, “I am the country’s top three aces, after all.”

You had to admit, his confidence was hella attractive. “But then… why were you angry earlier, Ushijima-kun?”

“Wakatoshi.”

Your heart jumped out of your chest once more.

Ushijima didn’t seem to notice your flustered state. “Call me Wakatoshi.”

“Well, then.. Wakatoshi-kun, why did you..”

“I’m not angry.” He cut you off again, before placing a hand on your shoulder. “Did I scare you? I apologize.”

“No, you didn’t scare me! But… it’s more like… well, your face was so close, and I…”

Tilting his head, he leaned down to gaze at you, his face dangerously close. “Like this?”

“W-Wakatoshi-kun!”

He hummed, looking away. “What to do, I’m still not satisfied.” You blinked up at him owlishly, waiting for him to continue, “You always call Tendou so intimately. I wonder why, but I’m not satisfied with you just calling me by my first name.” He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world, catching you off guard.

For a second you wondered if Ushijima Wakatoshi was flirting with you, but the way he said those words so stoically made you unsure. “Then!” Gathering all your courage, you bravely met his gaze, “Is Toshi-kun… okay?” You offered shyly, feeling your ears start to burn.

Ushijima tilted his head to the other side, his eyes widening slightly. “Say that again?”

“Toshi-kun?”

“We’ll go with that.” He placed a hand on your head, a smile ghosting his lips as you hide your face behind your hands.

And that day was the start of your friendship(?) with Ushijima Wakatoshi.

BONUS:

[somewhereincairparavel]

HIIII CONGRATS ON 400 AGAIN!!!! i’m in the car rn but i couldn’t wait till i got home LOL 😫 can i get “to be young and in love, ah” w jason and a demeter girl pls 😣😣😣😣 THANK YOUUUUU

"˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. Garden girl x Weather boy!˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. "

Jason Grace x daughter of Demeter headcanons list! @gentlehue this is so cute and fun to make aww

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ A few jealous people in camp would try to change Jason's mind about liking you. Saying stuff like “a powerful Zeus kid deserves more than a vine growing girl” like wtf

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎJason would get so mad, like do they not know who Demeter is?? Demeter has the ability to cause life threatening famines by stopping harvest and growth?? And apparently that isn't powerful?

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎBesides you were nurturing LIVING BREATHING things and were dedicating your life towards it. And he loved that. He didn't care about what other people thought about his love life.

༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎHe was so over people telling him what to do and what not to do

༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎJason would ask you out by giving you a bouquet of origami paper flowers he made himself. Because he knows how much you hate it when people pluck real flowers out, so cute 🥹 he'd spend hours and do it all by himself. He didn't care if you rejected him either (not that you would lol) because he just wanted to tell you how he felt :(You accepted immediately ofc. You kept the flowers with you ever since he gave you them!˚

🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎAlso also, whenever your plants die, you get so upset about it and that makes him sad :( so he makes you cute lil letters and stick those dead flowers onto them so you keep them with you even though they're wilted 🥺🌷

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎGardening dates >>>

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎis willing to get dirty to be with you.

༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎHe would SO read books about flowers so he could talk about it with you. Like being your bf, seeing you indulge in plant conversations with other people makes him sad. Bc he feels dumb for not knowing anything about them enough to talk about it. Loves loves loves when your face lights up talking about herbs and shrubs.

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎHe's actually a very fast learner too?? Like at some point, he'd be correcting YOU about plant information?? Like sir?? I taught YOU that?? And now you're upstaging me? He's a nerd okay.

༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎHe makes sure that the weather is perfect for your precious plants. If he spots the flowers in your garden wilting? Rain is summoned immediately. You'd pretend not to notice that he did it.

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎWhen you guys get older and do shopping for your new house, he'd SO build you your own personal garden with a huge lawn and you'd both plant new seeds there.So the garden would be filled with butterflies and bees, and you'd wake up every morning looking at that scenery. Ahh a fantasy dream.

˚ ༘ .˚🌱୭ ˚. ᵎᵎAlso, you'd plant a tree when you have a child so the tree would grow together with them 🥹

[kageyomomma]

little black dress - iwaizumi x reader

summary: inspired by this textpost

listen ik i said i was working on a kuroo piece but this idea came to me at literally 3am the night after i finished my rewatch of season 2 and i wrote it in my notes app while i was half asleep (& i did not proof it lol)

hope y'all don't hate it!

Friday afternoon always seemed to drag on at work. There was nothing left on your task list, so you had resorted to gossiping with your coworkers to pass the time. You had just let out a gasp at something one of them had said, when your phone lit up with a notification. The message was from your boyfriend, Hajime.

hajime <3:

Hey babe, do we have any plans tonight?

you:

not that i know of, did you have something in mind?

hajime <3:

Well, Oikawa just called me. Apparently he is in town for a few days and asked if we wanted to go out for drinks tonight.

you:

aw yeah that sounds fun! i always love getting to see tooru

hajime <3:

Alright, I'll try to find out the plan. See you at home beautiful.

You smiled at your phone and returned your attention to your coworkers.

"Everything okay over there?" One of them asked you, noticing that you had momentarily checked out of the conversation.

"Yeah that was my boyfriend, he said his old friend is in town and asked if we wanted to go out with him tonight."

"Ohhhhh!" Your other coworker exclaimed, "(Y/N) this is this perfect chance to wear that dress you showed us last week!"

You bit your finger nail as you recalled the little black dress that you impulsively bought last week. You had tried it on when it came in, and it looked fantastic on you, but it was also very short. Iwaizumi was not an overly controlling boyfriend, but you also wanted to respect him and your relationship. You smiled and nodded at your coworker, but did not say anything as you thought about the dress hanging in your closet.

After work you headed straight home, still feeling conflicted about your outfit for the evening. Iwaizumi was already home when you arrived. He greeted you with a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"Oikawa said he would meet us at 8 o'clock at that nice place downtown, you know how boujee he is," Iwaizumi said with a huff of laughter.

"I better start getting ready then."

About an hour later you were standing in your closet in a towel staring at the racks of clothes. Your eyes kept drifting back to the black dress that your coworker mentioned earlier.

'Fuck it' you thought as you grabbed it and went to finish getting ready.

7:30 rolls around and you are looking in the mirror to make sure everything is in place. Your hair is sitting perfectly, framing your face with soft curls. The bold-ish make up look that you went with looked immaculate, and your red lipstick paired beautifully with the little black dress. Iwaizumi walked in as you were strapping on your heels.

"Babe are you ready to g-" he started, but stopped in his tracks as he saw you. "Wow, you look absolutely incredible."

You stood up and offered him a small smile, "Are you sure this dress isn't too much? I feel like this dress is too short, and it's kinda low cut, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

Iwaizumi scoffed and flexed his arms, carefully examining each of his biceps. His attention turned back to you, and he grabbed your waist, pulling you into him. He leaned toward your face until his lips were only a breath away and said, "wear whatever you want babe, I can fight."

bonus:

When you and Iwaizumi arrived 15 minutes late to meet Oikawa, it didn't take long for him to notice the red lipstick peeking out from under the collar of his friends shirt.

[lau219]

Enemies with Benefits

Part 14

Previous part here

***!!!Warning: mature sexual content. 18+ readers ONLY. Minors, DNI!!!***

......................................................................................….

Five days later, and Tommy had allowed the club to re-open, feeling satisfied that it was now secure enough to have staff and patrons there again. He actually was pissed at himself for misjudging the integrity of the original lock on the doors and not replacing it all sooner. And although he’d spent a small fortune on the new system, which was apparently the best, he no longer allowed Y/N to ever be at the club by herself. 

“You’re suffocating me, Shelby,” she said to him that afternoon as she found him still behind the bar after she emerged from the stock room in the back. Her ankle was better enough that walking was much less of a challenge, although it still was causing her to limp slightly. As she got closer to him, Tommy looked up from his phone, from which he was answering emails.

“Why are you doing all that?” he asked her with a frown. “Let the bartenders do it when they get here. You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

“That’s all I was doing the last five days,” she replied as they looked at each other. “If I stay still any longer, I’m gonna go stir-crazy.”

“Are you still limping?” Tommy said as he looked down at her feet with a frown, completely ignoring anything she’d just said.

“No, I’m fine,” she quickly dismissed. “Now, will you please get out of here? You’ll get a lot more work done if you go to your office instead of babysitting me.”

“And you’ll get a lot more work done if you stop fighting it and just accept that I’m sticking around,” Tommy replied.

The tension between them had remained high since the first night he’d stopped by her apartment. Still wanting to make things difficult for him, Y/N had continued to be somewhat elusive whenever he’d texted her and tried to flirt, not giving him too much back when she’d respond, but just enough to keep him on his toes. She also had continued to refuse to let him come inside when he’d stopped by each night to check on her, although she had leaned into him a little closer each time, her lips feathering a bit more sensually and lingering a bit longer with each night’s kiss that she’d leave on his cheek. Truthfully, however, she was having an incredibly hard time continuing to resist him, and she kept wondering when he was going to take her on their next date.

Huffing an exhale and rolling her eyes, Y/N turned her back to him as she set the liquor bottles she’d brought from the stock room in place behind the rail. As she then moved closer to where Tommy was leaning against the back countertop, she spoke again.

“If you’re going to be here, would you at least get out of the way?”

He was right in front of the spot on the back bar where she was going to rearrange some of the glasses, and as she stopped in front of him, he gave her a mischievous look.

“What’s the magic word?” he said.

“Move,” Y/N replied, looking back at him with irritation.

At that, Tommy shook his head and leaned forward, slowly pressing his chest against hers and looking into her eyes. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face when he heard Y/N’s breath hitch in her throat and saw her visibly swallow as she looked back at him.

“You’re supposed to say, ‘Please, Tommy,’” he said, the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice unmistakably suggestive. “You have to say it like you really, really want it.”

Y/N could literally feel the dampness that had gathered in her panties with inexplicable speed as Tommy pressed against her and spoke in that tone, but she somehow mustered just enough strength to front nonchalance as she replied.

“Or I can just work around you,” she said.

She then herself leaned forward, now pressing Tommy against the bar once more with her front as she then reached her arms around his sides and tilted her head to see around him. Her chest rubbed against his as she maneuvered to rearrange the glasses on the counter behind him, and she could feel Tommy’s breath on her neck as she kept her eyes focused on her task.

Don’t make this easy for him. Don’t make this easy for him. Don’t make this easy for him. She kept repeating the mantra in her head as she pressed against him, and it was the only thing that kept her from abandoning her task and tipping her head up to meet his lips as he hovered near her neck. Fortunately, before her self-control faltered, the sound of the door opening around the corner caught their attention, and both Y/N and Tommy turned their heads to see Polly walk into the room, her sunglasses still on and Arthur and John tagging along behind her.

They came to a stop, and when Polly looked over and caught the two of them pressed together behind the bar, her eyebrows raised behind her sunglasses.

“Are we interrupting something?” she asked as Arthur and John stopped on her heels and also looked over at them. Amused smirks immediately appeared on each of their faces.

“No, not at all,” Y/N replied casually. “Your nephew here is just helicoptering and refused to get out of my way, and so I have to work around him.”

“I see,” Polly replied with a big smile as she removed her sunglasses and perched them on the top of her head. “Well, don’t let us stop you.” She then busied herself setting her bag on the bar and removing her coat as Arthur and John were walking around.

“You gave her the code to the security system?” Y/N whispered to Tommy as she turned back and looked at him, still pressed against his chest.

“For emergencies,” he replied, his voice also low. “Not so she could waltz in here whenever she wants.”

At that, Y/N gave him a sympathetic yet teasing smile.

“Cockblocked by your aunt and brothers,” she said as she shook her head. “I told you you all were a little too close for comfort.”

With that, Y/N pulled away from Tommy and put plenty of space between them, not allowing him to respond and amused beyond belief.

Tommy, on the other hand, was an unsettling mix of aroused and furious, about ready to combust or punch someone at Y/N’s suggestion that he finally would have made progress with her if they hadn’t just been interrupted.  

“What are you lot doing here? I gave you the code for the security system for emergencies only, Polly,” Tommy said, the edge to his voice apparent. 

“Shelby, don’t be rude,” Y/N said to him over her shoulder before turning back to Polly. “How are you, Polly?” Then she looked over Polly’s shoulder. “Arthur. John. Nice to see you guys,” she greeted the two men.

“Hello, gorgeous, how are you feeling?” Arthur replied, winking at Y/N and receiving a death glare from Tommy behind her back. John, on the other hand, was still heeding the warning Tommy had given him the night Y/N had spent at Polly’s, and he remained silent as he saw the glare Tommy had aimed at Arthur.

“You’re so sweet to ask,” Y/N replied flirtatiously, knowing it would make Tommy mad. “I’m fine, thank you. Hi, John!” She wiggled her fingers at John and batted her eyelashes, and John’s face turned red as he gave her a single wave in response.

“This is an emergency,” Polly replied, ignoring all the nonsense going on as she looked at Tommy. “I haven’t seen this one since the night she was at my house, and I wanted to check on her. Seeing as you won’t tell me anything, I had to find out for myself.” Polly had pointed at Y/N as she’d said, “this one”, and Y/N smiled at her thoughtfulness.

“I’m just fine, Polly,” Y/N replied, getting her attention as she walked over to the end of the bar and leaned across it. “But I do want to thank you again for all your kindness; you have no idea how much it meant to me.”

“I told you, dear, you’re family now, so think nothing of it,” she replied. “Except maybe you could come repay me with a visit once in a while? I can’t tell you how nice it was to have a woman around for a change instead of these kooks,” she jerked her thumb towards Arthur and John.

“Hey! I resent that!” called Arthur, and Y/N laughed.

Looking over Y/N’s shoulder to Tommy, Polly spoke to him as she opened her bag that she’d set on the bar top.

“The other reason I came was to track you down so I could get your signature on these,” she said to him. “Some final documents pertaining to the sale of the club on Dixon Street that you bought. I need to get them over to the bank ASAP.”

Tommy walked up beside Y/N and took the slim stack of papers from Polly’s hand as she also pulled a pen out of her bag and handed it to him. Y/N shifted her eyes and watched as Tommy signed the pages, recalling this particular club he was signing for.

“That place is actually pretty nice,” she commented as Tommy finished signing. “It’s probably the one you’ll have the easiest time with. You may not even need to really change much.”

“You mean ‘we’ may not need to change much, love,” he said to Y/N as he looked at her, and she blushed at his insistence on including her in the statement. He then picked up the papers and handed them back to Polly along with the pen.

“If it’s really the easiest, then we should start there,” Tommy continued. “We can go tomorrow night.”

Y/N frowned.

“Don’t you want to discuss it with the manager first? Let them know we’re coming so we can have a chance to speak with them?”

“Eventually, yes,” Tommy replied. “But first we’re gonna go and just check it out. Grab a booth, order a few drinks, see how it functions.” He smiled. “I did the same thing here, love.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes at him and playfully elbowed him.

“I know that now,” she said. “And had I known at the time, I would have promptly kicked you out on your sorry ass.”

Tommy grinned at her, and Polly grinned herself as she watched their interaction, incredibly pleased with their obvious growing bond.

“You should make a night of it,” Polly interjected then. “Ada will be in town and she can join you two with Arthur and John.”

“Who’s Ada?” Y/N asked, furrowing her brow.

“Tommy’s sister,” Polly replied.

“What?!” Y/N elbowed him again as she looked at Tommy. “You never told me you have a sister!”

Tommy just groaned in response.

“Thomas, shame on you,” Polly said, and then she smiled at Y/N. “She’s dying to meet you,” she said to her.

Y/N grinned, but before she could say anything, Tommy cut in.

“No. No, no, NO. This is not a family reunion. This is business, and Y/N and I are the only two who need to be there. I’m not bringing Ada or those two,” Tommy paused to gesture to Arthur and John, “or anyone else.”

“I’d love to meet her,” Y/N said, ignoring Tommy and looking at Polly.

“She’s a pill,” Tommy said.

Y/N turned back to him.

“Then I know I’ll like her,” she replied with a grin. “It’s settled then; she’ll come with us tomorrow.”

“No,” said Tommy.

Y/N put her hands on her hips as she stood up straight.

“Either she comes, or I don’t go,” she said with finality.

Groaning again, Tommy looked at Polly with annoyance.

“Thanks, Pol,” he said sarcastically, and Polly just grinned again.

After a bit more conversation and showing Arthur and John around the club, Y/N announced that she had to get going, and she began to head to her office to retrieve her keys.

“Where are you off to?” Tommy asked her as he followed her to her office and watched her put on her coat.

“Home,” she replied. “Before I sprained my ankle, I already had about a month’s worth of laundry to do, and then with the ankle, it’s now piled up even more.”

“You want some help?” Tommy said with a wicked grin. “I can sort through your delicates.”

Y/N smiled as she walked up to him and stopped.

“Well, that would be the only way you’d ever get to see them” she said teasingly. “But I think I can manage.”

“Really? Because I got a very different impression from you the other night, and just now before that lot showed up,” Tommy said, jerking his head in the direction of where his family still lingered in the bar.

“Rare moments of weakness,” Y/N taunted him with another smile.

“How do I make those moments happen more often?” Tommy asked with a smile of his own.

Shaking her head, Y/N walked past him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Shelby,” she said over her shoulder. “And remember, if your sister’s not there, then neither am I.”

•.•.•.•.•

Later that evening, Y/N was sitting in front of the TV and folding her laundry when there was a knock on her door. Rising from the couch, she expected to find Tommy when she opened the door, but instead was met by a delivery man who greeted her and held out a shirt box wrapped with a gold ribbon and a card tucked beneath it. After taking it from him, Y/N closed the door and walked back to the couch, sitting down and slipping the card from beneath the ribbon. Upon opening it, she recognized Tommy’s handwriting.

Just in case you still don’t have enough clean underwear...and just in case you have another one of those moments of weakness and want me to drop by.

-Shelby

Setting the card down, Y/N tugged the ribbon and then lifted the lid of the box, and beneath the white tissue paper, she found a beautiful, sexy lingerie set of dark pink lace and satin straps. As she lifted it out of the box, her face flushed and her heart pounded as she thought of Tommy seeing her in this.

Somehow, he’d gotten her size right, and she was too pleasantly flustered to think about how he’d gotten that information. Shaking her head at his cockiness, she decided to teach him a lesson, and, setting the box aside, she quickly grabbed her phone and the lacy pieces and went to her bedroom to change.

•.•.•.•.•

It was late, and Tommy was laying on his couch with the sports highlights on TV as he relished the quiet of finally being away from his family. As much as he loved them, Y/N was onto something when she’d said they were all a little too close for comfort. At the same time, he wouldn’t change the way things were, and he thought about how he’d promised himself a long time ago that he’d never let any of them be in a bad situation ever again. And now, since Y/N had come into his life, she had become a part of that group that he so fiercely wanted to protect, too.

Thinking of her, Tommy shifted on the couch as the thought alone was enough to get him bothered. He would have loved to have her on that couch with him right now, and as he thought about the daring gift he’d sent her earlier, he was extremely impatient to see how she’d act the next time they were together.

Suddenly, the ding of a message alert sounded from his phone, and he reached for it on the coffee table, frowning as he wondered who’d be texting him this late. It was likely a drunken text from Arthur, which was a pretty frequent occurrence. But upon seeing Y/N’s name popped up on the screen, Tommy shifted once more and quickly opened her message, and when he did, his eyes widened before he groaned a curse of arousal.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he looked at the picture she’d sent him. 

An image of her gorgeous body clad in the lacy pink lingerie he’d sent her was displayed across his screen. He practically reached through the phone for her beautiful bare skin, and as he admired her full breasts within the bra and could make out the hint of her nipples through the lace, he exhaled another deep groan as he palmed his cock through his pants, which had rapidly hardened. He could almost feel his fingers slipping beneath the satin straps on her hips, and although she hadn’t included her face in the picture, he could see a few whispers of her long hair as they brushed her shoulders, and he imagined pulling those strands in his fist as she was beneath him.

Y/N: Just wanted you to know that your gift arrived here safely.

Quickly typing, Tommy answered her.

T.S.: I’d feel a lot better if I could confirm that in person. I also need to be sure it fits you properly.

He watched the screen as the bubbles danced while she typed her reply.

Y/N: Oh, don’t worry, it fits perfectly. Can’t you tell?

She then sent another picture of her backside, her gorgeous plump ass on display as the lace skimmed her hips and stopped above her cheeks. Upon seeing it, Tommy was already unzipping his pants and fisted his cock in one hand as he typed with the other.

T.S.: Yes, I can, and you’ve put me in quite the predicament here. I’d love your help resolving it, so how about you come over?

Y/N: I’m sorry to have caused you trouble, but it’s past my bedtime, so no can do.

Tommy groaned again as he felt his precum dripping onto his hand.

T.S.: You’re not being fair, love.

Y/N: Life’s not fair, Shelby. Besides, you’re a big boy, I’m sure you can handle it.

T.S.: I’d much rather have you handle it. And then I can handle you.

Y/N: Oh really? And should I be excited or scared for that?

Tommy couldn’t contain a devilish grin as he read her message and then replied.

T.S.: Both.

Y/N: Sounds enticing. Maybe I’ll take you up on it sometime.

T.S.: How about right now? You can stay right where you are and just leave your door unlocked for me.

Y/N: I’m already in bed.

T.S.: Good, that’s exactly where I want you.

Y/N: Zzzzzzzzz 😴

T.S.: Very funny, love.

Y/N: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 😴😴😴

T.S.: If you knew what I was going to do to you, trust me, you’d be wide awake and unlocking that door.

Once more, the text bubbles danced, and when she responded, Tommy released a low growl of aroused frustration. 

Y/N: Good night, Shelby. Don’t stay up too late.

Then the notice that Y/N had switched her messaging to away mode immediately appeared beneath her last text, and Tommy threw his head back against the couch. Letting out a rough sigh, he let his phone slip from his free hand as he looked up at the ceiling and cursed under his breath again.

She was going to be the death of him.

@nyxxie-pooh @xsweetcatastrophe @allie131313 @betty21rose @febris-amatoria

@hannibellector @fairytale07 @meister95 @alltoowellbeneaththemangotree @beastofburdenxo

@runnning-outof-time @aphroditeslover11 @galactict3a @natalie--rushman @wild-rose-35

@judig92 @hudson-bay-girl @ladyvenera @yay-im-fucking-trash @k1ng-l3on

@ceirinen @peskybinders @fuseburner @shaddixlife @neonpurplestars89-blog

@devotedlyshadowytheorist @garrison-girl-08

[ohbabydollie]

“i hope a ghost starts jerking me off” (the inspo)

tws: angst, mentioned death, ghost fucking?

“you know that apparently you can get fucked by ghosts?” ted asks laughing

“really? damn, i need the third dimensional pussy from n/n” schlatt says laughing as well “i haven’t gotten laid since we laid ‘em to rest” he says jokingly as ted laughs

“jesus, y/n is rolling in their grave right now” ted says “you think she would fuck you as a ghost or not?”

“think so” he says taking a swig of his whiskey as they continue the episode laughing and smiling

that’s how he’s been coping since your death, laughing and drinking, it makes him feel better and makes him forget

he hasn’t gone into your room either since you died, it hurts him too much to be surrounded by your scent, your things, your personality seeping through in your room

seeing glimpses of you as he walks through the house seeing decorations you bought, little gifts and trinkets you had gotten for him, it all hurts too much

tonight however he couldn’t resist

seeing a bra that was yours hidden underneath his bed that he found when he was drunkenly cleaning up

he couldn’t stop himself from getting the key to your room and opening the door

seeing the decorations made his heart squeeze, the room reflected your personality

it made him sob as he walked to the bed you kept in there for comfort, sitting down and looking around, seeing all the lamps for ambiance lighting and the little trinkets

he turned on the lamps and turned off the ceiling light before laying down, immediately smelling your scent on the pillow and inhaling deeply

it smelled like you, like home, like comfort

he was surrounded by the smell of you as he sighed, realizing he had started feeling tired, slowly falling asleep

“schlatt”

he opened his eyes at the sound of your voice calling his name, only to see nothing before moving around and going back to sleep

“schlatt~”

he heard your voice again, probably going crazy from his grief, he ignored it and continued to drift off and waking up a few hours later

“2:59 am, fuck” schlatt said groggily looking at the clock on your nightstand

he sits up and stretches yawning, not meaning to have fallen asleep in your room and starts looking around before seeing you sitting at your desk

you aren’t working, more like just sitting there observing him, it’s almost enough to make him cry.

“n/n?” he asks softly looking at you

he wants to think it’s his imagination, that the alcohol has finally taken over his mind and he’s going crazy

it looks like you, just see through, just like you did the day you died still beautiful, still lovely

“my poor husband” the voice said softly as schlatt felt himself tear up “you’ve lost yourself to your habit” you said grabbing his face softly and planting kisses on it

“n/n..” schlatt said wrapping his arms around your waist, careful to not go through you

“im here for you, don’t you worry one bit” you said softly pushing his body down to the bed, his hands on your waist as your body started to feel more human again, he could practically feel the warmth radiating from you. slowly he traced his hands down and slowly lifted the white flowy dress to reveal your pussy underneath, the exact same as he remembers it.

he groans from the sight alone, so desperate for you, pressing a kiss to your lips. you let out a soft moan as he pulls you into his lap.

he parts from the kiss to look up at you, for the first time in months he feels bliss entering his body, almost like you’re still there and he never lost you. it’s like you’re still there when you take his cock into your tight heat, his hips unable to control themselves at the feeling of you.

softly thrusting up to you causing a few moans slip out from between your lips.

he starts to tear up as he clings to your body, it feels so light and soft and warm and there

he doesn’t care that it could be the alcohol or the sleep deprivation or whatever it is making him see you. he just wants to feel you one last time, have you in his bed like it’s the first time.

he kisses you softly as he cums deep in you and passes out, clinging to your form.

the next morning he woke up to three harsh bangs on the door, almost enough to shake the house. he ran to open the door and saw there a basket with a blanket

inside there was a baby

[apomaro-mellow]

Every Baby Needs a Daddy extra

Epilogue / Part 1

"They're stocks are dipping again and after I invested so much."

"Well you know what they say about those types."

"That's no good Quincy, you've gotta pull out while you still can."

He got stares. The same ones as always but even so, Steve pushed through it. "There's no shame in taking your money and putting it in a more stable venture. What you're doing right now is too risky."

A scoff. A gentle one, but a scoff all the same. "Steve, darling, you needn't worry yourself with that. I'll still be in the green."

"He's worried about that wedding budget."

"And of course, nurseries aren't cheap, nor are the nannies."

"Now I can handle a nanny, I assure you."

Steve walked away from the boisterous laughter, grabbing a drink from a serving tray. It didn't matter that he had attended the same colleges as these men, or that he had his own family money. He was an eligible omega. And that meant he got to attend these social gatherings just so he could be inspected and judged as good marrying stock. Someone with a good name, who knew the rules of their society, and could have one or two pups.

His opinion or business savvy didn't matter here, never would.

------------------------

"Stevie which one? Red or black?"

Steve looked up from his phone. Eddie was getting his makeup done in the chair and the stylist was holding up two sets of earrings. One was a pair of black pearl earrings, the other was a single ear cuff in the shape of a dragon with rubies studded along its back.

"The dragon one obviously, right?"

"But Gareth's also got a one on his bracelet. You don't think that's overkill?"

Steve smiled. "Baby, overkill is your middle name. Plus, your fans go wild every time you match with someone."

Steve was proven right when that night both #CCTwins and #THEEARRING trended to the top.

------------------------

Steve mostly kept his distance from serious band matters but sometimes it was unavoidable. Like right now, 3/4 of the band was split across the country for various reasons. Gareth was the only one still in the house. So when Steve felt clingy, he found his way onto his lap, Zoom call be damned.

He was only half paying attention to the conversation, nose buried deep in Gareth's neck, considering bringing up the subject of cockwarming when he started to hear the others on the call get frustrated.

"Are you really sure there's nothing you can do?", Chrissy asked.

She was talking to an event coordinator and Steve remembered that they were planning their next tour.

"I understand that Hawkins is sentimental for the band. But it just isn't feasible. There aren't any eligible venues and most of your audience isn't going to migrate to a one horse town for a concert there."

"Are you stupid?", Steve spoke up, turning around in Gareth's lap. He eyed the man, strong jaw but weak in resolve it seemed. He didn't reply at first, apparently waiting for someone else to jump in. No one did, so Steve kept going.

"Hawkins might be small, but it's not like there's no place for them to play. It's a summer concert and there's plenty of outdoor venues for you to choose from. They literally have a whole carnival for the Fourth of July. If you're worried about attendance, just put the band's name in to perform there."

Shocked out of his stupor, the coordinator finally spoke up. "I'm sorry and who are you to be giving me this unsolicited advice?"

"You shut your damn mouth", Eddie growled. It made Steve shiver a little, even through the computer. "He's right. If we have to perform in a goddamn high school gym, we'll be in Hawkins. Now you can get a piece of that pie as our planner, or we can just take our bus down there and do a free show. Your choice."

"You're taking ideas from him?" There was an undertone there. Whether Steve should be ashamed for being an omega or being a sugar baby, it was hard to tell. But he cared not for either.

"I have a degree jackass. And part of what I learned is risk assessment. The only risk here is if you don't get the word out. People will come. You just need to tell them when and where."

"You heard him", Jeff said. "Make it work or we will."

The coordinator went offline. Chrissy did too after saying her goodbyes. Eddie, Jeff and Grant stayed on. Eddie made a show of standing up and unbuckling his belt.

"Well, that was just about the hottest thing I've ever seen. And our baby got us what we wanted. He deserves a reward, don't you think Gareth?"

Steve felt hands on his hips, and they started to rock him back and forth. He leaned back in Gareth's lap, ready to put on a show for the other three...

---------------------------

Eddie's body felt electric. If you told him back in high school that he'd have a crowd jumping at an Independence Day fair, he would've thought they meant some alternate version of him that got into country rock instead. But no, the good people of Hawkins, as well as a decent number of out-of-towners screamed at the top of their lungs for Corroded Coffin tonight.

He was still feeling that buzzing of nerves as they got off stage and went to the trailer designated for the band. He got through the door first and beamed.

"There's my sweetheart."

The rest of the band came in and shut the door quickly, preserving Steve's modesty. He had been in the audience, watching each of the members in their element. But as it came to a close, he left to go and prepare in their trailer.

He was laid out on the couch, bare from the waist down, two fingers deep already. Eddie knelt next to him and lapped at his mating bite, causing Steve to whimper. Eddie stroked his hair.

"Who was the mvp, baby? Who gets to taste you first?"

Steve's hand slowed down and then he pulled his fingers out. "Daddy always get the first taste", he said as he held his slick soaked fingers up to Eddie's mouth. His alpha sucked them down, moaning gratefully in appreciation.

"But the mvp of the night was Grant", Steve said, thinking back to the bass solo he did in the middle of "Swallow Me Whole". Those licks were so dirty, Steve had started to get wet right there in the audience. He spread himself a little more as Grant came over and lowered his head between his legs.

After a performance, they were all notably sweaty and the scents in this small space made Steve's head spin. He watched as Grant licked and sucked on his pussy lips, kissing it like it was Steve's mouth, loving on it like there was no greater blessing. Steve licked his lips and right on cue, Gareth was there, pants already down. He had grown some since the first time Steve had seen him fully bare. Apparently exposure to omega slick was great for bottom growth.

Steve sucked him down, eyes rolling back when Gareth grabbed the back of his head. For a second they focused just well enough to see Eddie, hand around his cock as he pumped and Steve couldn't help but cum. He was doing so good. He was making his pack happy

Grant pulled off and away and Jeff was there, rubbing his tip against his clit, driving him wild even though he'd just came. He rocked against it, begging to be filled. Jeff obliged and it was a good thing there was an entire town entertaining themselves with carnival games outside.

Eddie came over and gave Steve a tender kiss on his temple. A stark difference from the way both Gareth and Jeff were rutting into him right now.

"Pretty baby, so perfect. You're ours forever and we're never letting you go."

[ahedderick]

Outpatient

Ok, hmm, I have 3 - 5 brains cells back to work. This has been a strange day.

When I went into the surgery center, the person leading me down the hallway introduced herself; "Hi, I'm Kelly, I'll be with you the whole time you're here."

Honestly, between a lifetime of farm veterinary emergencies and the whole Childbearing Thing, I am pretty darned nonchalant about medical care. I'm not worried. But it's sweet when someone tries to make me feel 'better'. I just roll with it. It's the thought that counts.

She got me settled in a dentist's chair and started all the minutia of prep; the sticky electrodes on my arms, the blood pressure cuff, the little finger-clamp-thingee. She gave me a small cup of versed, explaining that it would calm me down. Not necessary, my learnéd friend, Kelly, but I'll take it. Gimmee.

Then we had to do the little "why are you even here" dance. Apparently, Mandibular tori are often small and not an issue. Often. Not always. When they turn into big honkin' chunks of bone that interfere with eating or hygiene, then they have to go. And every dratblasted dental person I mentioned them to always tried to tell me they're not an issue! Until they look in my actual mouth and say. OH. Uh. Yeah, that's an issue. Grrr.

Next she hooked a nasal cannula over my face for nitrous oxide. That I have never had before, that I can remember, and I was curious if it would make me giddy or giggly. It did not. My head got very quiet inside, though. I was enjoying that, but my silence made the nurses nervous, and they kept asking if I was ok. I was ok. Just suuuuper quiet. And enjoying it.

The surgeon entered the room and he and the nurses did an interesting little call-and-response routine to ensure that I am the correct patient getting the correct surgery on the correct side of the body. Then the IV medi c i n ooooooooOOOPsie - waking up time!

I have never before had so MUCH novocaine that my mouth was still numb 8 hours later. Not complaining; I'm sure I don't want to know what it feels like in there with a chunk of bone cut out. Very odd, though.

[mathitas]

Leo Valdez x gn!reader (High school AU)

These last days at your school, there was a teacher who hated you. (In my mind, if you're lgbt, let's pretend this teacher is homophobic; if you're not, you can make up your own reason.).

You were so angry and frustrated that you were finding it hard to sleep. You had exams coming up soon, and your next school year depended on them, and this teacher wasn't making this easier for you. Instead, he was making it worse.

You couldn't speak for yourself, 'cause you would have only made things worse, so you just decided to endure this.

After the school trip and exams, school will close, and you were waiting for that more than anything else.

Leo was the guy you were tutoring for English class; apparently he had dyslexia and ADHD, which made the subject even more difficult for him, who didn't even like it. You were initially annoyed at him because, instead of studying and helping you, he was busy flirting with you.

Let's just say you had to reject him many times.

One day, as you were tutoring him and the school trip was getting closer, he noticed you being tired and stressed. You were usually more patient with him, but today he lost count of how many times you got annoyed or angry.

"What's up with you?" "What's up with me?!" "Yeah, did something bad happen? I mean, I have to say, your eye bags are crazy." You scoffed, thanking him sarcastically.

"I'm just stressed about Mr. (teacher's surname)." "What? Why?" "He absolutely despises me, and he's trying his hardest to make me fail. The thing is, I have to shut up about it if I don't wanna make things worse." Leo looked like he was taking a mental note.

"That asshole... I mean, I can relate, except all teachers despise me"

You looked at him with an understanding look.

"I get them."

He laughed, "so I guess that's a me problem." You chuckled too.

"So, are you gonna come to the school trip?" "Yeah, I am." "Perfect" "Why?" "You'll see."

The day of the school trip came. You were sitting with your friend on the bus, and you could see Leo being on the opposite side as you.

The worst part was that the teacher was there.

You hoped he didn't plan on ruining this for you either, which you doubted, but you had your friends to defend you at least.

Your prayers weren't listened to, as he decided to casually sit behind you, out of all places, to control you if you did anything out of his liking.

During the trip, your water bottle accidentally fell, and you panicked, trying to stop all of the water from leaking.

The teacher immediately started screaming at you; his face was red with rage.

You wanted to scream back at him, but you kept your mouth shut, knowing better.

The worst part was all the stares of the other students, which were now all on you.

You knew they were on your side, but you really wanted to just disappear.

Then, suddenly, a flying robotic hand came from the back of the bus and pulled down the teacher's pants, showing everyone his... bikini-shaped underwear.

The teacher started screaming at whoever did that, and everyone started laughing, including you. Some people were wiping away their tears, some couldn't breathe while laughing, some were mortified, and Leo was smiling while holding a controller.

You gasped in his direction, and he winked at you.

That guy was a genius.

Did he do it for you?

During the school trip, everyone made fun of the teacher, and the embarrassment made him cool down, which was good for you.

When you came back to school, you and Leo bonded over it, and you started eating lunch together.

One day, he confessed how there was a group of girls who loved making fun of him and bullying him. You knew them, and you knew they were dumb, and Leo even said it didn't bother him that much. Even thought you didn't believe him fully.

You had a class with these girls, and one day they came up to you and started asking if you hung out with Leo. You smiled and nodded.

"What? He's such a loser! Aren't you ashamed?"

"I know right, and he's also short... and ugly." "Don't forget dumb!" "Um, I think you girls should focus on your friendships and loyalty instead of Leo." "What?" You pointed to two of the three girls.

"Your boyfriends are cheating on you with each other, and you..." You pointed to the third one left. "You badmouth them. Oh, and I know you had a crush on Leo, so I guess you don't really think he's ugly. I'll let you guys worry about this instead. Bye!" You were lucky to have friends who knew all the drama.

The next couple of weeks, you kept eating lunch with Leo. And you had to admit that you were developing a soft spot for him.

"Lately, I've noticed those girls have been leaving me alone." "Well, they've been fighting."

"What? How do you know?" "I may have released some deep, dark secrets so that they would leave you alone."

"Oh my God! I know you hate it when I do this, but go out with me!" You made Leo promise he wouldn't ask you that ever again, but this time you smiled.

"I'd love to." "What? Really?!" The bell rang.

"You better organize a nice date! Talk to you later, Valdez."

[always-aqua]

.

[yardsards]

do people who have listened to taz balance but not graduation Know that it was HEAVILY IMPLIED that lup and barry eventually adopted a lil sorcerer child who got disowned by his family for his natural necromancy magic, and they taught him how to use his powers for good and were overall great parents that he looks back on fondly

(and said child grew up to be a dimension-hopping lich, caretaker of the dead, and very sweet adoptive father of a major npc)

[jessiesjaded]

I really, really wish people who don't have the capacity to properly take care of animals would simply accept and acknowledge that about themselves. This isn't even a post of me trying to be mean or judge anyone, I'm sure most people go into getting an animal with good intentions, but intentions and actions are different. If you don't have the time and the space and the care an animal needs, the animal will suffer. The fleeting joy of having a kitten or puppy or anything else doesn't last forever and they aren't toys to be put down and forgotten once you've moved past the inital excitement. If you don't have the ability to properly care for an animal, just accept that and simply admire them from a distance.

[demigodofhoolemere]

When you know a character and their material like the back of your hand and you see someone say something about the character as if it’s a known trait of theirs but you’ve literally never seen that happen

[hecksupremechips]

Girl like. The reason he said "this is how it should be" and faced death with a smile....is cuz he wanted to die. For 2 years he sat there thinking he was worthless and deserved to die. If he hadn’t be shot, his death would’ve been suicide, he was fully planning to die in a gutter somewhere undetected. When saying "this is how it should be" hes literally saying "don’t cry because I’m dying, my death is a good thing actually because I fucking suck and you are better off without me". I don’t think that’s badass even slightly, it’s actually really sad and really shitty. Shinjiro is so convinced that he deserves to die and hates the idea of anyone giving a shit about him because he literally can’t wrap his mind around the idea that he will be missed when he’s gone, that his death is a bad thing actually. And his last words were meant to be comforting because he fully did not intend for anyone to be there when he died, he intended to die alone, so he says them as a reminder that he’s not worth crying over

Personally, if it were me, if I was holding my dying best friend in my arms who was deeply depressed and suicidal and he said "this is how it should be" uh. I wouldn’t admire him for it??? Like am I losing my mind when I say the way this game handles Shinji is bad or is anyone else seeing this too 😰

[hella1975]

very hot of the kitchen staff yesterday to fuck up every single thing ever. like yesterday's shift was fucking HORRENDOUS there was zero communication between the supervisors and the chefs and the kitchen was just super understaffed and my boss had me MANAGING the food pass (like yes im very capable and good at my job and hot and sexy and have spent so so so many gruelling hours working the pass that i can do it in my sleep but i am still NEW) with the only other person on it to help me being some 17 year old boy who has NEVER had a job before and it was his first shift (like he was nice and i dont begrudge it him bc we all start somewhere and god knows my first job i was a terrible worker but still he had no initiative for anything to do with the catering industry and it was a Very Bad Day to have a first shift). so the thing with the food pass is that the waiting staff are in their own sections right and they'll take the food orders and deal with the customers, BUT if you're on pass then you're the one who gives the customer their food, so despite not being the one to take the order or being the one to make the order, any complaints go directly to you and it's just super shitty bc you're like my brother in christ i have no idea what you're talking about. like a mistake in the order either comes from the waitress writing it down/sending it out wrong OR the kitchen making it wrong, neither of which i had any control over yet the staff on pass are the ones who get the brunt of it. like i had a good 20 orders come back bc the kitchen kept sending them out cold or making them wrong and complaints either went to me OR the kid who would then - naturally, again no hate to him - bring them to me and either way it was very much My Problem and i have never been closer to smacking a customer in my LIFE

[lunarblue21]

man, even just writing about the ending of IA1 from an outsider's perspective - in this case my OC Theo from my Cruel Intentions series for a L22 side-story - makes me tear up.

That ending, man. That ending! It's so beautiful and bittersweet and emotional and amazing. :')

Edit: and yay, "Peace Child" and/or "Written in Eternity" is complete! And it stands at 22 23 pgs and 6, 629 780 656 words so a longish one-shot for me... again... as usual...