#'perfecting that curl took 10 years off my life'

[skullfragments]

In the GORL server, our latest study club prompt is a style mix up!!

why just be sort-of godparents when you can be FAIRY godparents?? either way, Nanny and Franny are fairly odd if you ask me. Warlock may or may not agree.

[joelalorian]

Fall Into Me - Epilogue

dbf!joel x f!reader | WC: 3.7k | E 18+ mdni

Series Summary: Joel is hanging on by a thread as a single father to a tenacious 10-year-old Sarah. Feeling like he's drowning, like the world is about to spit him out, he needs some help before he breaks in half. At your dad's insistence, you show up in his life and change everything.

Chapter Tags/Warnings: Explicit, under 18 take a hike. No outbreak AU. A wedding, father/daughter dance, tears, laughter, unprotected p in v (reader's on birth control and they're married now so...), Sarah calls reader Mom, mention of Ellie...

A/N: This is the end, folks! They are a real family now. I'm not crying, you're crying. As we all know by now, this fic was inspired by the song Fall Into Me. Another song dear to me inspired a particular scene in this chapter - Butterfly Kisses. Check it out if you'd like. **it always makes me cry, so beware** This story is dear to my hear and I'm grateful for all the love it has received. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

Moodboard by the lovely @mrsmando. Dividers by the wonderful @saradika-graphics

Chapter Eleven | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The autumn sun began its descent, painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange and red as it approached the horizon. Joel stared out the double-paned glass, too focused on calming his nerves to enjoy the rolling landscape of the vineyard below. Palms sweaty and heart thumping heavily in his chest, he tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, popping the top two buttons open to help him breathe.

“Cold feet, son?” JB questioned from the doorway before slipping fully into the room. Tommy followed behind him, anxious to see why Joel was taking so long.

Their presence startled Joel and he grimaced. “Not me,” he grunted, still struggling to inhale deep, full breathes as his heart raced.

“You sure about that, brother?”

Joel directed a scowl in Tommy’s direction. “I don’t have cold feet, but I’m terrified she does,” he admitted gruffly. He couldn’t meet the other men’s eyes, feeling vulnerable.

“I promise you, son. Spud does not have cold feet,” JB soothed. “In fact, she has much the same worry about you.”

“A match made in heaven, I’d say,” Tommy chimed in with a grin, bumping his shoulder against Joel’s.

“Come on, now. Get your asses down to the vineyard before Maria comes looking for ya. She’s on a war path, that girl a’ yours,” JB directed with a wink to Tommy. “I gotta get back to Spud, make sure she doesn’t run off to find you before it’s time. Meet again at the altar, fellas.”

The brothers watched your dad leave. Throwing an arm around Joel’s shoulder, Tommy led him toward the door. “The ol’ bastard was telling the truth, ya know. She’s terrified of you getting cold feet. Emily and Sarah have been calming her down for an hour now, insisting that you can’t wait to marry her. That girl loves you more than anything, brother.”

Joel beamed, eyes softening at the thought of you walking towards him in a flowing white dress, wildflowers clutched in your hand, and eyes brimming with tears of absolute joy. The mental image soothed his nerves more than any words could and he finally let Tommy lead him from the room.

Fresh air with the slightest chill met them as they exited the building. The soft hum of a string quartet filled the air while guests arrived and took their seats. A charming wooden arbor adorned with colorful flowers, delicate greenery, and a white sash served as the altar at which the two of you would become husband and wife.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Joel walked down the aisle, nodding at some of the guests as he took his place in front of the arbor. He stood tall, looking undeniably handsome in a slate gray suit sans tie, the top few buttons of the ruby colored dress shirt left open offering a glimpse of his tanned chest and a sprinkle of hair. Thick curls were swept back from his face, facial hair trimmed to perfection with that little heart-shaped bare patch visible.

Stepping up to his left side, Tommy smiled broadly at the small crowd. His longer curls were tied back neatly, and he tucked a few stray locks behind his ears and sent a cheeky wink to his woman sitting in the front row. Maria rolled her eyes playfully. Tommy watched Joel’s hand flex, fingers bouncing against thigh in a nervous tick he had since childhood and braced a hand on his shoulder. “You got this, big brother.”

Before Joel could respond, the string quartet began to play Pachelbel’s Canon and he stood taller, eyes locked down the aisle in anticipation of seeing you. Tommy rushed off to the side to take his place in the processional.

Sarah appeared from behind a row of lush, thick vines, looking like an angel in a white dress with a ribbon of material matching Joel’s shirt tied around her waist. The little girl insisted that her dress match yours, not understanding that, traditionally, only the bride wore white. But you didn’t give a hoot about tradition, helping Sarah to find the perfect white dress, adding the sash as something unique. The recollection of the joy on Sarah’s face when she tried on the dress for the first time made Joel’s heart melt.

Sarah danced down the aisle; face lit up with glee as she scattered rose petals along the way from a small wicker basket clutched in one hand. When she reached the end of the aisle, she spun in a circle, allowing her dress to flutter around her, and tossed the last of the rose petals into the air, much to the delight of the guests and her father.

“Hi Daddy!” Sarah called, bouncing over to the place she was told to stand the evening before. Joel melted at the happiness on his daughter’s face, and he beamed back at her proudly. The little girl’s antics drew a soft rumble of laughter from the guests before all attention turned back down the aisle.

Tommy and Emily stepped past the vines next, looking resplendent in their formal wear, the shade of Emily’s dress reminiscent of a glass of finest pinot noir, matching the hue of Tommy’s dress shirt. Joel nodded at them as they approached, lips quirked in a half smile. His hand clenched at his side as he fought back the nerves again.

Moments later, the rest of the world fell away when you appeared, one hand clasped around your dad’s arm. The charming colors of the setting sun were no match for your beauty. Joel had never seen anyone or anything so perfect in his entire life. A crown of vibrant flower blossoms secured in your hair, the breeze rustled a few locks and the short train of your simple white gown.

Joel couldn’t take his eyes off you – not as you walked down the aisle to him, or when JB shook his hand in that ceremonial way of giving you to him, and certainly not as the officiant rambled through the ceremony. To put it simply, you mesmerized him.

He would almost regret it later, but the entire ceremony was a blur. The only parts he remembered included your face smiling broadly at him, the love in your glistening eyes as you repeated the vows you chose together, and the kiss after being declared man and wife.

“You’re stuck with me forever now, darlin’,” Joel’s gravelly voice rumbled in your ear after the sweet kiss.

Your tinkling laughter carried in air, spreading merriment throughout the vineyard. “Oh no, whatever will I do,” you whispered back.

“Can we go dance now?” Eager to get on with the fun part, Sarah interrupted your little moment.

“Of course, nugget. Let’s go dance!”

The little girl squeezed her way in between the two of you and having tossed her empty flower basket aside without care, slipping her hand in yours and the other in Joel’s to tug you both back down the aisle.

“Someone’s eager to get the party started,” Joel chuckled, lips spread in a jaw-aching grin as his little family made their way to the reception area. Your eyes sparkled back at him, full of happiness and love.

The winery boasted a lodge with an oversized deck suitable for your small celebration and enough rooms for the guest to stay the night. The path from the ceremonial area back to the lodge weaved through thickets of grape vines, plump fruit nearly ripe for the picking as the three of you ducked under and around the vines.

The vineyard was charming, a lucky find in your search for the perfect wedding venue. It was the only compromise Joel willingly made on a venue – he longed for a quiet, backyard wedding, but you insisted on something slightly grander in scale.

Maria and Tommy did a great job of recreating the ambiance of that night long ago in Joel’s backyard for the reception. Fairy lights were strung high across the deck, music playing softly as the guests mingled with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in hand. High top tables were scattered about, centerpieces full of colorful hydrangeas.

It was perfect.

Wanting to save money, you kept the guest list to less than thirty people, mostly family and close friends, and opted for a bulk purchase of disposable cameras rather than springing for the cost of a wedding photographer. In addition, you insisted on a tier of cupcakes over an actual wedding cake, the icing matching the ruby red color of wine. Sarah and JB offered to put together an eclectic playlist for the winery to play through their sound system rather than put forth the cost of a band or DJ. All in all, it was an entirely family run affair that didn’t break the bank and you couldn’t be happier for it.

You and Joel mingled with the guests for a while before it was time for your first dance. Staying on theme, Joel had one request regarding your wedding song – it had to be Fall Into Me. You could hardly deny that one request, especially as the song meant so much to the both of you, practically telling the story of how you came together. Just like that night in his yard, Joel sang the words in a soft, quiet voice meant only for you, your bodies swaying side to side across the floor like you were the only two there.

None too soon, your dad led Sarah onto the dance floor, letting her stand on his feet as he danced around, just like he used to do when you were little. Maria and Tommy soon joined them, along with Emily and her husband. Before long, the party was in full swing.

You fought back tears during the father-daughter dance. Just as Sarah insisted on her dress matching yours, she wanted to dance with Joel during the traditional time. You were more than happy to have them join you. The battle against the tears was lost during the first chorus of Butterfly Kisses.

JB held you tighter as the first tear fell, brushing it away with a calloused thumb. “Feels like just yesterday when you would dance around on my feet like that,” he said, voice rough and quiet with the choke of tears in his throat. “Now here you are, grown up and married, with a family all your own. You’re not my little Spud anymore.”

Thank fuck for waterproof mascara, you thought as a sob escaped. “Dad,” you drew out the word in a sob, tears flooding your eyes, falling faster. You could barely get out the next words, throat aching and vision blurry. “I’ll always be your little Spud, no matter how old I am.”

Joel danced closer to you, checking in with a concerned look as you cried. “Darlin’, you alright?” His eyes darted between you and JB, the shimmer in the older man’s eyes matching his own. Dark eyes softened into molten chocolate, and he gestured to your dad to switch partners.

JB let you go after a bone crushing hug and a kiss to your forehead. “Take care of my girl, ya hear?”

Nodding solemnly, Joel shook JB’s hand. “Always.” He ushered Sarah into JB’s arms, letting them dance for the rest of the song as he pulled you close. Joel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. “I told you this song would make you cry, darlin’.  Let me wipe those tears away.”

Sniffling, your lips tilted up in a watery smile as he dabbed gently at your face. “I know, it always does. But it’s so beautiful, I had to include it.”

“Almost as beautiful as you,” Joel murmured, head nuzzled against yours. “Sarah already told me she’ll have this song at her wedding, too. I just know I’ll be crying like a god damned baby during the dance.”

That earned a laugh from you, the tears finally easing as the song ended. “Has she started planning her dream wedding already?” Joel nodded, a chuckle rumbling softly in your ear.

The evening carried on, dancing and drinking and laughing with everyone in celebration of you and Joel. You never really imagined your wedding as a kid, more concerned with being a tomboy and other, more important things. But you think now that if you had it likely would have imagined something exactly like this.

“Come on, Mrs. Miller,” Joel said when the lights finally dimmed, and the notes of the final song faded into the night. “It’s time to say goodnight to our guests.”

“Congrats, brother!” Tommy called cheerfully when you and Joel approached. His eyes large and glassy, a slight slur to his words providing evidence of a thoroughly enjoyable evening. “You two throw a great party. Do you need us to watch Sarah for the night so you can—”

“Alright you,” Maria jumped in, cutting the younger, drunker Miller brother off. “I doubt they want your drunk ass watching Sarah. Do you have someone lined up?”

“Oh, yeah, we’re good there. My dad is hosting a sleepover now that he is officially a grandpa. He’s insisting on being called Poppy just like I called my grandad.” You laughed at the memory of that conversation. JB was so excited to have a new nickname just for Sarah.

“Great! I would have been more than happy to help out but I’m going to have my hands full with this one,” Maria said with a gesture to Tommy where he swayed on his feet with a cheesy grin plastered on his face.

“Alone at last,” Joel whispered, carrying you through the threshold of the wedding suite. “You look beautiful in this dress, but I can’t wait to get you out of it.”

Any exhaustion you felt from the long, exciting day vanished at the smoldering look in your husband’s eyes. Your husband. Holy hell. Suddenly nervous, you slowly slipped the dress from your shoulders. Though you and Joel had been together more times than you could count, this would be the first time you had sex as a married couple.

Would his expectations be different? Should they be? Were you expecting something different? Should you? Fuck, why didn’t you think to ask Emily about this earlier?

“Darlin’?”

You glanced up to see Joel’s brows furrowed, realizing that you zoned out with your dress still around your hips. Warmth spread through your cheeks in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Joel. I’m… I’m a little nervous for some reason and got in my head about it.”

His lips tilted upwards as he stepped closer to help ease the dress down your body with gentle movements, knowing exactly what you needed to hear. “There’s no need to be nervous, sweetheart. It’s just you and me, like it always has been. We just have rings on our fingers now.”

And just like that, all worries fled your mind.

Once your dress was out of the way, Joel helped remove your bra and panties, leaving behind a trail of kisses on your dewy skin. His calloused hands, large but gentle, caressed every inch of bare skin before him, trousers growing tight as his body reacted to the sight of you.

His pupils dilated before your eyes and you pressed your lips to his, tongue teasing into his mouth to tangle with his in a searing kiss. He tasted of whiskey and chocolate and something so uniquely Joel, and you drank in the taste like a starving woman.

Still wearing far too much clothing for your liking, you ripped open his dress shirt, sending the buttons flying across the room. Oops. Manicured nails scratched down his bare chest, along his belly, until your fingers met the confining layer of his pants. After watching you fumble with his belt for too long – which, in reality, was only like two seconds, you swear – Joel brushed your hands aside and, without breaking the kiss, yanked the belt open and practically ripped his pants open to free his aching cock.

“What a lucky wife I am,” you purred, breaking the kiss, as your hand grasped his length. Your thumb traced over the bulbous head, smearing the precum pooling there, before bringing it back to your mouth for a little taste. “I get to experience this for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t tease, darlin’,” he growled low in his throat. “Besides, I’m the lucky one. I have the sexiest wife.”

Pants and boxer briefs shoved to the floor, Joel ripped off his socks and swept you right off your feet. Your legs automatically wrapped around his hips as he walked to the large bed. Kneeling on the mattress, he never let go as he settled you on your back.

Already dripping for him, and too anxious to have him inside you already, you didn’t need any foreplay to be ready. His cock slid, with torturous slowness, inside your warm walls with the slightest nudge of his hips. “Fuck, darlin’, you’re so tight,” he breathed against your neck, teeth scraping against the sensitive skin as he fucked into you.

A pleasurable burn spread through you, his cock splitting you open. “Mmm, so good. Fuck me, dear husband. Fuck me like you mean it.”

“As my wife wishes.”

Hips snapping, Joel set the perfect pace to bring you to the edge, heels digging into his ass with each powerful thrust. Fingernails scratched down his back, piercing the skin as he brought you to the peak, the orgasm causing your back to arch and muscles to spasm.

“Fuck, baby, you’re squeezing my cock like a fuckin’ vise. Gonna make me come too soon.”

The orgasm seemed to last forever, pleasure washing over you in waves until you trembled beneath Joel. “It’s never too soon. Come for me, babe,” you gasped when the ability to speak finally returned.

Joel’s thrusts became sloppy near the tail end of your climax, and he spilled inside you as soon as the words left your mouth. His ragged breaths tickled your ear, sending gooseflesh down your body from neck to toes. Your name fell like a prayer from his lips, praising you for how good you made him feel.

“I love you, Mr. Miller,” you said, peppering his handsome face with kisses when he slipped from you and fell to the side with a heaving chest.

“And I love you, Mrs. Miller.”

You don’t know where either of you found the energy, but you made love twice more that night and once again in the morning. After each time, you admired the sparkle of the rings adorning your left hands, the jewelry a tangible symbol of your commitment to each other in this life and the next.

“Mom?” Sarah asked from where she sat doing homework at the breakfast bar while you made dinner. Joel would be home any minute.

“Yeah, nugget?” You grinned, heart swelling every time she called you that. You lost count in the year since the wedding, but Sarah calling you mom would never get old. It was a treasure you never thought you’d experience before you met Joel.

“Do you and Daddy want more kids?” At twelve years old now, Sarah’s voice lost that babyish tone you used to love. She looked and sounded more grown up each day, but she was still her Daddy’s little nugget.

“I don’t know, sweetheart. We’ve talked about the fact that I don’t want to have a baby and he doesn’t want one either. But I wouldn’t be opposed to adopting a child in need, if he wanted to. I’d have to talk to your dad about it though.”

Sarah went quiet while you stirred the pasta and checked the sauce. It was nearly ready, just another minute or two.

“Why do you ask, kiddo?”

Sarah looked up from her work to meet your gaze and shrugged her shoulders in a way that told you she was searching for words to explain herself.

“I dunno. I guess I always thought it would be cool to have a sibling, but then all my friends that have one or more always complain about them.”

Tilting your head to the side, you dug a little more. “So, you’re just curious?”

Dark puppy eyes gazed up at you again. “Yeah… well, no. There’s…” She paused as the timer went off and you drained the pasta and mixed it into the sauce.

“There’s what?” you questioned, placing the large bowl of pasta on the table along with a plate of warm garlic bread, hearing Joel’s truck pull into the driveway. “Come sit and tell me.”

Before Sarah could begin, Joel walked in and kissed you both hello. He washed his hands at the kitchen sink before joining you at the table and you both listened with rapt attention as Sarah explained her friend’s situation.

“You know my friend, Ellie?” she asked, to which you both nodded.

“The snarky one in the grade below yours? Yeah, I like that one,” Joel replied around a mouthful of food. “What about her?”

Sarah grimaced at her father’s poor table manners, earning a smile from you before she continued. “Well, she’s in foster care but her foster parents are awful. They drink a lot and don’t care about her. She ends up hiding out in the detached garage all the time, even staying there overnight just to get away from them.”

“That’s awful, nugget. I’ll look into her file on Monday, see if there’s anything I can do,” you replied. You didn’t realize she was in foster care. As a fifth grader, you haven’t had her in class yet.

Joel looked at you with big cow eyes, brows arched in question. You could practically hear him thinking – he hated the thought of a child suffering in any way. Before either of you could say anything, Sarah spoke up again.

“Well, I was hoping maybe we could adopt her, and she could live with us,” she said hopefully. “You know, since you don’t want a baby and I still want a sibling. It’s like a compromise or whatever.”

Turning to Joel, you could see the same hopefulness in his dark eyes, and your heart thudded in your chest. “Why don’t you invite her over for a sleepover this weekend so we can get to know her a little more. And in the meantime, we’ll look into what we’d need to do.”

Dinner forgotten, Sarah bounced in her seat and asked for your phone to call Ellie. “You guys are gonna love her, I promise!” Bounding away from the table to call her friend, Sarah stopped short at the edge of the room. “Oh, Ellie loves dogs. Do you think we could adopt one of those, too?”

fin

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[sorchathered]

Sacred New Beginnings- Chapter 10

A/N- Holy cow yall we are finally here! Our last chapter of this series, but not the end for Jake and Stormy! I will be checking in here and there, I have some one shots planned for them in the future and I’m excited for you guys to see how things have been going for them. Again thank you all so much for the love, I will always have a special place for this series since it’s my first baby. I want to give a massive shout out to @mamachasesmayhem for being my cheerleader from the very beginning of this series, proofreading for me and helping me brainstorm when I couldn’t push through the writer’s block. You have been amazing and I love you!! 😘

Pairing- Jake “Hangman” Seresin x reader (oc Stormy)

Warnings- language, PTSD, smut

It had been a little over a week since you showed up at Jake's doorstep, he still couldn’t believe that he’d finally gotten what he wished for. Waking up next to you every morning, getting to commute to work together, sneaking off to hook up during lunch, it was all so much more than he could’ve hoped for. You were so damn happy, you and Viper had integrated seamlessly into your new squad, some people like Harvard and Omaha you already knew but there were new players as well and everyone had been so welcoming. You had kind of dreaded running into Bradley and Erin but even that seemed to go well, they had welcomed their son Nicky a few months after your accident and he was now a full blown toddler, the spitting image of his father. Both of them had been friendly, Bradley welcoming you back and Erin saying she was so happy you’d recovered, you knew they truly meant it and graciously accepted their words.

Jake maintained that you were a saint but really it was just that you hadn’t truly loved Bradley, at least not in a way that would’ve lasted. Neither of you had been compatible, and it was so easy to see now that you’d been with Jake for nearly two years; when it was truly meant to be it was unlike anything else mattered but the one you loved, and you couldn’t imagine life without Jake beside you. The ring in the top of his closet seemed to mock him every day, he wanted it to be absolutely perfect but nothing seemed good enough for his girl, so he let it sit untouched for yet another week as he took you out to the arcade on Friday for what had quickly become a weekly date night.

You had put a bunch of ideas in a jar the week before, told him to shake it up and pick one and off you both went on whatever adventure was scribbled on the tiny note, tonight was burgers and laser tag and while he’d joked that he was too old for that he had been the one hunting you down to shoot you as he cackled, maybe he just needed to be reminded that things didn’t always have to be so stressful because he couldn’t remember when he’d had this much fun.

After a lazy Sunday beach day and dinner on the grill he’d curled up with you on the couch with a movie, you’d meant for things to be innocent but he smelled so good and you found yourself turning in his arms to sling your leg over his hip, making out with him like you were a pair of teenagers. He fucked you slow and steady into the leather couch while the movie droned on in the background, his mouth slotted against yours as his hands roamed your body, you loved to joke how insatiable he had become since you moved in but you knew you were just as gone for him, too many nights had been spent apart and now having him in close proximity all you wanted was to make him feel good. You both came undone together as you whispered I love you into his neck, and all Jake could think of was how perfect his life had become.

Monday morning before he’d even had his coffee he’d gotten a text from Maverick to head to Cyclone’s office as soon as he got in, he immediately felt his stomach drop just thinking of what that meant. Deployment, for who knows how long and who knows where, and ultimately having to say goodbye to you again after he just got you back. He couldn’t bear to say anything to you until he knew for sure, so he went through the motions business as usual as you both ate breakfast and headed to work, kissing you a little longer than normal before you parted but you didn’t seem to notice anything off, promising to meet him for lunch with a wink and kisses blown in his direction. His feet felt like lead standing outside of Admiral Simpson’s office, he knew nothing good was coming from this meeting and when he entered he could tell by the look on his face that it was exactly what he thought. “How long?” He said as Mav handed him his papers, he could feel the lump forming in his throat and wanted out of this room as soon as possible. “Nine weeks son, I’m sorry Jake I know Y/N just got here, but you’re the best for the task and if I could I’d let you stay. She’ll be alright, I’ll keep an eye on her, you just do the job and come home safe.” Jake nodded and shook his hand, bailing from the room as soon as he could, he swiped his phone open and dialed you as fast as he could, but he couldn’t seem to catch his breath and when you answered he was full blown panicking, choking out to meet him by the truck and hanging up as he collapsed into the seat of his f-150. He wasn’t ready to go, you’d only been back in the air for a few months and now he finally had you here where he could take care of you, why couldn’t someone else have been picked?

You’d run across the lot to find him with his head in his hands in the front seat, wrenching the door open to wrap your arms around him, anything to help him regulate his emotions. He finally seemed to settle his breathing, relaxing into your arms while you stroked his sandy hair and kissed his cheeks. “What’s going on baby? You’ve got me scared now, did something happen with your family? Is your mom ok?” He squeezed your hand and passed the papers off to you, you knew exactly what it meant and you felt cold all over. This was the job, and while you both loved it you hated this part more than anything. He would miss all the major holidays together in your new home, your heart broke a little at having to celebrate Christmas without him and he let you curl into his arms and cry.

He only had a week from getting his papers to shipping out and it felt like the time was speeding away from him and he couldn’t catch it. He’d been adamant that the two of you update your wills on Tuesday and you had vehemently opposed it, he was stressing a little too much for your liking and it left you unmoored. Deployments were a part of this life, and yes you’d had a serious scare this last time but that didn’t mean he needed to become doom and gloom over it, you were worried about his mindset going into this, he needed a clear head if he had any hope of getting through this unscathed.

Wednesday night he was meticulously going through his packing list, gear spread all over the living room when you stepped into the house with take out, the vein in his forehead that only came out when he was angry seemed to be a permanent presence as of late, he was all furrowed brows and tense shoulders and you couldn’t take it for one more minute. “Jacob Thomas Seresin!” You called from the kitchen and he snapped his head to attention, he hadn’t even noticed you had gotten home until you shouted, looking across the room to find you with a pizza box in one hand and you completely stripped to nothing as you leaned against the doorframe. You sauntered over to where he sat cross legged on the floor, dropping the pizza box on the coffee table as you lowered yourself onto his lap, he was already getting hard for you when you pressed your bare pussy to the front of his gym shorts, his face going completely blank, no sign of that pesky forehead vein in sight.

“Fuck Stormy what are you doing baby? I gotta get this-“ he stopped short with a gasp as you ground yourself into him as you yanked a little roughly on his hair, pulling his face to yours and sloppily licking into his open mouth, he seemed to short circuit for a moment but recovered quickly as he wrapped his arms around your bare torso and kissed you back with fervor. Yanking his head back again to look up at you he blinked glazed emerald orbs at you, you were frustrated with him, he could see that now but he couldn’t focus enough to ask with you on top of him like this, he thought about asking but thought better of it when you reached down and took his length from his shorts, thoughts scattering all over again when you got up on your knees and sunk down on him, you still hadn’t said anything but he couldn’t be bothered anymore, whining out your name as you took him to the hilt with your warm center clenching around him. You nibbled on his lip and rubbed your nose along his as you wrapped your arms around his neck and you could feel the tension leaving him as you held him close, you knew he’d needed it as much as you, just the closeness of your bodies pressed together was enough to soothe whatever had been ailing both your minds.

“I’m going to sit here with you just like this until you calm the fuck down and tell me what’s got you so amped up, you’ve been like an exposed nerve ever since you got your papers and I can’t let you leave like this. You’re scaring me Jake, you can’t leave for a mission distracted you know better than that. You’re the best pilot I’ve ever seen and they picked you to head this op. You have to tell me what’s going on, you just have to!” You cried out as tears began to pour from your eyes, your throat felt raw with the emotion bubbling out of you and you began to shake in his embrace, the combination of being so full of him and revealing your worry almost too much. He seemed to jolt out of whatever trance he’d been in at your tears, swiping at them as they ran down your cheeks and kissing you hard, he knew he’d been distant and stressed couldn’t begin to describe how he’d been feeling, but he hadn’t even thought about himself and how it could affect the mission; all his worries had been solely focused on you.

“Oh baby I’m so sorry, shh hey I’m here ok? I’ll tell you all of it, just don’t cry sugar. I can't stand knowing I hurt you.” He was kissing every bit of your face he could get to, smoothing his hands all over you as you began to come down and regulate your breathing. You couldn’t be closer if you tried and yet he still felt so far away, you needed more so you latched on to his mouth and tightened your arms around his neck, he let you ground yourself and calm down, just breathing you in until the tears finally stopped. “Baby, baby I love you so much, I’m sorry” he murmured against your lips, you nodded and sniffled a little but didn’t loosen your grip, rocking into him slowly knowing he’d know what you wanted. He groaned low in his throat and flipped the two of you over as he pressed you gently into the carpet, letting the hot languid kisses burn the two of you up, all heat and bodies grinding into each other, letting all the stress go and just being hopelessly in love.

Hours later after you were both fully sated and relaxed you laid naked in his arms and ate the cold pizza while he let out all the words he’d kept bottled up. “It hadn’t ever occurred to me that we could lose this, I mean our job is dangerous sure but some naive part of me just thought we were untouchable.”

“Until I got hurt” you said quietly.

“Until you got hurt. It felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under me, every dream I’d ever had of us and our future could’ve been gone in an instant and I am terrified that something could happen to me and I’d leave you here alone.” He tightened his grip on your waist and you pressed a kiss to his chest, you knew exactly how he felt because you’d felt it all as you fell out of the sky during your ejection. But he couldn’t live in fear, it made him a liability to his fellow pilots and he was too damn good at what he did to let this destroy his confidence.

“You have to have faith baby, faith that you’ll make it through, that I’ll make it through and that we will get that long happy life that we want. I’m not going anywhere Jake, and I need you to be my cocky asshole pilot who thinks he’s God’s gift to the navy. Go be a badass and come home to me.”

You both laughed at that, he’d grown so much from that dickish holier than thou douchebag he had been when you first met, he was so much more level headed and mature. He promised he’d fight like hell and you knew he would.

The missions were grueling, the weather had been miserable lately and it made drills almost impossible, intel was scarce and worst of all he hadn’t been able to hear your voice in weeks. He had missed Halloween and thanksgiving, both squads had joined up for a potluck and you’d sent him a bunch of pictures, he was just grateful you weren’t doing this alone. He had gotten an email from his mother earlier in the week hoping he could talk to you about staying for the Christmas holidays and he couldn’t think of a better place for you to be. You loved Christmas, it used to annoy him because it wasn’t his cup of tea but somehow you’d softened him to it. He wrote to her quickly to tell her it was a great idea and to give you a call, when he’d had a knock on his door. Fritz leaned in with a look he knew all too well, it was time to fly out. He emailed you as well, telling you he loved you and then grabbed his gear and headed for the tarmac, he could only hope he’d be able to execute this and get home safely.

You stepped off the plane in Austin on December 18th to the entire Seresin clan in the lobby, Jake’s sisters and mom rushing forward to wrap you up in hugs and you couldn’t remember the last time you’d felt this kind of love, probably not since your grandmother had passed nearly a decade before. She would have adored Jake and his family, they spent the holiday season showing you all over town, hitting up all of Jake’s old haunts and embarrassing family pictures. Movie nights and Christmas cookie bake offs, family dinners and shopping trips with the girls; it had been so much fun and the Seresin’s had welcomed you with open arms, it felt like somehow you belonged here, the only thing missing was your 6 foot sandy blonde dreamboat boyfriend.

Correspondence had been spotty with Jake for a while, you’d gotten a FaceTime call after a mission and he had seemed grim, they’d lost a teammate to enemy fire and the weather had been abysmal, almost everyone had come down with the flu and he was miserable. He said he hoped he’d make it home by mid January and your heart broke all over again at not getting to spend Christmas together in your home, but he was adamant that the best place for you was with his family, and that next year would be a big blowout, he even agreed to let you buy any and every inflatable you wanted to cover the yard in Christmas cheer.

What you didn’t realize was that he was already on his way back to Coronado, he had coordinated with Phoenix to help him turn the house into a Christmas wonderland and would be back just in time for you to get home. He couldn’t let the ring sit any longer, he needed it on your finger now. After too many hours covering his house from top to bottom in snowflakes and Christmas lights, it was finally time for your plane to land. He was so nervous, he knew he didn’t have any reason to be, Javy had kept him up to date on when your plane landed and when he picked you up. Jake could barely sit still, so full of nervous energy knowing what was to come. Finally, he heard Javy’s truck pull into the drive and watched through the blinds as he helped you gather your luggage, even in leggings and his old UT Austin sweatshirt you looked like you’d stepped off a runway in his eyes, every bit his dream come true. This was it, when you came through the door he’d finally get to make you his forever, it had all been worth the wait.

Epilogue (Lover)

Jake Seresin masterlist

🏷️ Tagging- @mamamaystbr @mamachasesmayhem @bobgasm @attapullman @kmc1989 @pinkdaisies9285 @seitmai @seitmai-too @mrsevans90 @djs8891 @mygyn @jessicab1991 @jostan456 @86laura11 @dempy @shanimallina87 @floydsglasses @dizzybee03 @its-the-pilot @nouis-bum @roosterforme @the-aspiring-fanfic-writer

[sabo-has-my-heart]

I have been forced to be in survival mode for the past 3 years, always holding up everyone around me without ever being able to take time to breathe or care for myself. It was especially bad with my mom, and I feel like I became the parent for a while as she would always tell me I was the only thing supporting her and keeping her steady. I wanted to support her but the weight was suffocating me. Now that things have settled in life I feel guilty for crying, it's so late after everything happened and because I held it together so well when everything was bad people just expect me to always be happy, and its been coached into me that I need to keep it together to take care of others. It often makes me feel like I'm not doing good enough. Could you do something with Ace seeing the reader scared to breakdown or be vulnerable because they've haven't been allowed to for so long since theyre always taking care of others or expected to be happy like me, and he tells them it's okay and offers to just sit with them while they cry?

Finally! Here it is! Alright so I didn't quite make their relationship romantic, but I don't think I really made it platonic either, so you can imagine it as you like. Also, my heart goes out to you so hard. I know exactly what survival mode is like, so I feel you. Also, I changed it up a little so Ace isn't really just sitting with them and telling them it's okay, I hope you don't mind. (If you don't like it, tell me, I'll rewrite emergency requests if needed.) Anyway! I hope you like this and THANK YOU for being so patient with me.

Warnings: GN!Reader, survival mode, emotional trauma (I guess), crying, hurt/comfort

Word Count: 1320

      Walking through the halls of the Moby Dick, you took a few deep breaths, making sure to plaster a smile on your face whenever a crew member came into view. It had been such an exhausting week and to be honest, you were one minor mishap from having a breakdown. You couldn’t though; you couldn’t break down. Not here, not now. You needed to be happy, you were always happy, people only ever saw you when you were happy, you couldn’t be sad or cry, you couldn’t let people see you like that. How long had it been since someone had last seen you that vulnerable? Years, that much was certain, but just how many? 5? 10? More? Did it even matter anymore? Your job was to take care of others, that’s all that mattered. Take care of others, make sure they were okay, it didn’t matter if you had a moment to breathe, all that mattered was taking care of others. Well… you knew that wasn’t true. Logically you knew that wasn’t true, but that didn’t stop your brain from thinking it over and over again. It didn’t stop the guilt when you were curled up in the cargo hold sobbing your eyes out and it didn’t stop the vulnerability from scaring you. 

     Taking another deep breath, you tried to calm your mind, internally cringing when Ace came bounding up to you, his usual smile plastered on his face.

     “Y/n! Just who I wanted to see! I wanted to…” Ace trailed off, staring at you thoughtfully.

     “Wanted what, Ace? Did you manage to perfect that ability you’ve been working on? Come on, let’s head up to the deck so you can show me.” you offered, putting a hand on his arm, turning towards the deck.

     “No, that’s… that can wait. Where were you going?” Ace asked, concern written across his features. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something seemed… off with you, something in your eyes just looked wrong.

     “Me? Nowhere in particular, just kind of roaming around bo-” “don’t lie to me, Y/n. I know you, I know when you’re lying. What’s wrong?” Ace cut you off, giving you a stern look. You could feel your chest tightening as you held back the tears, your breath catching in your throat as you tried to swallow the sobs.

     “W-what do you mean? I-I’m fine. You should know b-by now that I don’t r-really get up-upset.” you said, forcing the words out and the tears back.

     “Don’t give me that bullshit, Y/n. I know something’s wrong, I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. Come on, I care about you, please, talk to me.” Ace said, giving you a soft look, forcing you to look at you the moment you attempted to turn away from him, “please. I don’t want to see you upset. And not because you’re always happy, but because it means that something has been eating at you for long enough to kill your smile.” you could feel your body tremble as you frantically shook your head. It was becoming harder and harder to hold things back. 

     “N-no. I’m fine, I’m always fine, there’s nothing wrong. I just n-need to try harder, that’s all. I j-just need t-to…” you bit your lip, wrapping your arms around yourself, barely managing to hold things together. You couldn’t break down. Not here, not now; not where so many people could see you.

     Ace looked at you sadly, picking you up so you wouldn’t fall to your knees. He knew that look. He knew that look, because he’d had that look before. Trying so hard to hold it together, to keep himself from crying, to continue to be strong. Feeling his warm arms carrying you, you buried your face in his chest. You couldn't let anyone else see you like this. Maybe if your face was against his chest, they’d just assume you were asleep in his arms. After a couple of minutes, Ace nudged his door open, closing the door behind him and sitting on the bed with you.

     “Hey, it’s okay. Whatever’s going on, it’s okay. You can talk to me. Or, if you don’t want to talk, you can just… I don’t know, cry or something. I promise.” His words were the final straw, tears starting to pour down your cheeks as you curled into a ball, crying into your knees. You barely felt his arm around you as you sobbed into your knees, unable to hold it back anymore, unable to keep yourself together. Even still, you couldn’t let him actually see you crying, couldn’t let him see your tears as you stayed tightly curled up. Hearing your sobs, seeing you shaking, that was bad enough, but you couldn’t let him see you so… helpless, so vulnerable. 

     Ace lightly pulled you closer, managing to maneuver you into his lap as he wrapped his arms around you. He knew what it was like, crying to yourself, shutting everyone and everything out, refusing to show his true emotions for fear that it somehow made him weak.

     “It’s okay, cry all you need, I’m right here. I’ll stay here with you.” Ace said softly, stroking your hair as he held you. After a minute or two, he gently pulled at your arms, trying to uncurl you from your protective ball. While he knew the need to hide from the world, he wanted you to be able to trust him, to know that it was okay to be vulnerable with him.

     “Come on, beautiful, let me actually hold you properly, I want your arms around me too.” he said, attempting to coax you out of your protective ‘shell’. Maybe if you thought it was for him, you’d be more willing to let him hold you, to let yourself cry into his shoulder, to be open and vulnerable with him. “I promise, it’s okay, you can cry in front of me, you don’t have to smile if you’re not happy.” uncurling slightly, you buried your face in his chest once more. You still wouldn’t let him see your tears, but you wouldn’t deny that having someone hold you was comforting. Having someone tell you that it was okay was comforting. 

     You weren’t entirely sure how long you sat there crying, only that when you stopped, you and Ace were both covered in salty tears, his hand running soothingly up and down your back.

     “Feel better now?” Ace asked softly, giving you a soft, sympathetic smile as you looked up at him. Your eyes were bloodshot, your cheeks red and tear stained, and your breathing was still irregular, but you couldn’t deny that you did, admittedly, feel better. 

     “Yeah, I kinda do. I… I guess I should thank you.” you said softly, taking a deep breath as you tried to steady your breathing once more.

     “It’s no problem, I get it. Sometimes you just… need to cry. But listen, if you ever need to cry again, don’t be afraid to come to me, it’ll probably make you feel a hell of a lot better if you have someone there for you.” Ace said with a small smile, wiping away the few tears that were left.

     “I… I’m not making any promises, but I’ll try.” you said softly, finally steadying your breathing.

     “Thanks. Come on, let’s go see if Thatch has any snacks hidden away, I’m… I usually get hungry after I… uh… after I get particularly emotional.” Ace said, rubbing the back of his neck. You nodded, admittedly feeling rather hungry and fatigued.

     “Yeah, a snack and a nap sound really good right now.” you said, standing up and heading towards the kitchen with Ace. You couldn’t let anybody see you cry, couldn’t let anyone see you vulnerable… well, anybody but Ace. Maybe, from time to time, it would be okay if Ace saw you cry.

[mangowillow]

how you shine for me

pairing: jungkook x female reader

summary: you and jungkook finally take that next step, that next milestone in your relationship: moving in together.

genre/tags: established relationship, fluff, moving in together, humor (that i failed badly at)

word count: 3.2k

a/n: i wrote this as a comfort read for a friend who went through a rough time, hence the attempt at humor. i also wrote this for myself as a way to grieve the passing of my pet lab of 10 years. who knew one could write such a bad comedy lol

With a huff and a grunt, Jungkook placed the last box on the floor. He looks at you, the love of his life, laser-focused on examining different picture frames from a different box, other contents piled in front of you on the carpet.

“Okay, I think that’s the last of the boxes.”

You looked up and gave Jungkook his favorite sunny smile, “You must be tired, baby. Sit down first.”

Jungkook did just that and took a long look at you. You were smiling at the picture frame you held in your hands.

“Do you remember the day we first met, Jungkookie?”

“Of course I do, love. You were instantly whipped for me, I could tell.”

You threw daggers at him with your eyes. Jungkook’s lips curled into a small snicker.

“If I remember correctly, it was you who was whipped for me,” you pouted. God, how Jungkook loved seeing you so cutely dejected.

“Yeah, if you count that time I had to carry you to Hobi’s car because you were too drunk to walk on your own two feet.”

“We were at a party, Jungkook. We were supposed to drink and have fun,” you defended.

“And you are a very graceful person when drunk. You even told me… what was it?”

Your lips parted, watching Jungkook recall what it was that you said during your drunken state five years ago. But you knew all too well that Jungkook didn’t forget. He never let you forget.

“Don’t say it, I swear–”

“I like your stupid face. It’s so stupid, so… I like it. Can I touch it?”

You threw Jungkook a scrunched-up silk scarf that was right beside you. Jungkook tried to hold his giggles as he caught the scarf with his hand.

“And do you remember what I told you, babe?”

You groaned as you hid your face in your hands.

“You should really learn how to hold your liquor, ___,” Jungkook sing-songed.

You were turning beet red while Jungkook was reveling in your embarrassment. Loving you with all his heart will always be his first priority, but teasing you came in close at second place.

“I never should’ve asked you in the first place, you’re so annoying.” You went back to gathering the rest of your picture frames.

Jungkook leaned in to peck you on the lips, “And you love me,” before kissing you once more on the cheek.

“I do love you, you dork.” you smiled.

“Good. Okay, rest time is over, put me to work, ___. Which of these boxes do you want me to attack first because this whole thing,” Jungkook moved his arms in a circular motion, referring to the assortment of boxes and items all over the floor, “Does not spark joy at all.”

You chuckled as you asked Jungkook if he could start putting up the paintings on the walls.

After a year of dilly-dallying and dating, you and Jungkook decided to take the next step of commitment and have been in a relationship for the past four years. It was only recently that you both decided to move in together because money had been hard to come by. When Jungkook got promoted at his office job and you started earning more since your online business kicked off, you both started saving up for a home of your own, no questions, no doubt.

Until hard work paid off.

Apartment hunting hadn’t been easy because the cost of living in Seoul wasn’t too friendly and you had to compromise on your wishlist here and there. When you and Jungkook stepped foot into the apartment you now both own, Jungkook knew it was the perfect one; floor to ceiling windows, a small electric fireplace, and a bathtub, which you really wanted.

Before arriving with the movers, Jungkook saw how you were full of giddiness at finally having a place to call home. A shared and private space with the woman he loves the most, the cause of his euphoria– Jungkook couldn’t ask for more.

After arranging the picture frames, you started to unpack bathroom essentials.

“Hey, Jungkookie?”

Jungkook with his tongue slightly jutted, was concentrating on hanging the last painting, “Yeah babe?”

“Promise me to never leave the toothpaste cap open? I heard the strongest couples can’t handle that.”

Jungkook chuckled at your candidness, “I won’t, I promise.” He saw the ghost of a smile pass through your lips before he watched you walk to the bathroom with a box of toiletries in your arms.

“Do you need some help?” Jungkook offered

“I got this, babe. Thank you for putting up the paintings,” you gave him that smile he fell in love with the day he met you— serene, calm, reassuring.

You and Jungkook spent another two hours moving stuff into different corners of the apartment. After doing a few kitchen repairs, Jungkook finally arrived at the last box. Inside was an assortment of candles and bath bombs– your favorite items. Since Jungkook was very particular to different kinds of scents, he also had a higher tendency to become allergic to overpowering ones. Thankfully, you had a particular taste and are almost a creature of habit because you almost never change your preferences. Jungkook made a mental note to buy you a new jar of your favorite Diptyque Baies Candle the next time you go out shopping because the one you had now was almost running out.

“Babe, where do you want me to put–”

When Jungkook turned around to face you, he saw you curled up on the couch, fast asleep. You had an arm tucked underneath your head while the other hand loosely held a small duster that was about to fall to the carpet. Jungkook quietly walked over and knelt beside you. He pushed away a stray strand of hair that fell over your eye as he whispered, “Adorable.”

Jungkook carefully carried you bridal style to the queen-sized bed in the bedroom, the one he hopes you both share the rest of your lives. Not being able to resist, Jungkook joined you on the bed and pulled you towards his chest. You slightly stirred and groaned.

Jungkook whispered, “Sleep well, my love,” and before he knew it himself, his eyes drooped, and fell asleep cradling you in his arms.

Sleeping with you in his arms is always Jungkook’s favorite part of his day. After long, mundane days at his corporate job, all he wants is to come home, eat ramen on lazy nights while watching bad reality TV, and sleep. Since he met you, nights have become more interesting. Jungkook now has someone to eat ramen with, plus you make a mean kimchi and cheese kimbap. The sex was always mind-blowing and the loving whispers in the night and cuddles that came after are both your guilty pleasures.

The warmth of your body, hair that smelled of white strawberry and sweet mint shampoo always lulled Jungkook to sleep. Knowing that you were safely tucked in his arms made him feel that the world was his for the taking– comforting, quietly powerful.

You stirred as you slowly opened your eyes, adjusting to the surroundings. You were fairly sure that you fell asleep on the couch and the closet in front of you certainly wasn’t the fireplace.

The moment you realized you were in literal darkness, you suddenly sat upright on the bed. You tried to feel around the bed for your phone, but you remembered yet again that this wasn’t the place where you fell asleep. Another realization dawned on you as something hard and warm made itself known, but you couldn’t make out what it was. It? Damn your eyesight for being such a nuisance.

Jungkook was still asleep beside you. He stirred a bit when you tried to shake him awake. For once, you were grateful Jungkook had always been a light sleeper.

“Baby, it’s dark outside,” you hissed.

Jungkook shifted, squinting as he lifted his head to look out the window. With a plop, he allowed his head to sink back into the pillow once more.

“I can see that, baby. The night usually comes after the day,” Jungkook stated matter-of-factly, sleep evident in his voice.

You smacked the side of Jungkook’s leg, “It’s dark outside, you brat–”

“Hey, ow! Why’d you hit me? I was only stating a fact,” Jungkook forced himself to sit up and rubbed his eyes, “What time is it?”

“I don’t know, you tell me,” you responded, folding your arms.

Jungkook grabbed his phone that was on the nightstand and checked the time: half-past one o’clock in the morning.

“Oh, it’s the middle of the night,” Jungkook stated. You leaned over to check the time on Jungkook’s phone before smacking him on the arm.

“Ow! What did I do now?”

“I can’t believe we fell asleep. How long were we out? How did I even get here?”

“Well, let's see, you fell asleep around noon and I carried you to our bed because the couch looked uncomfortable. Geez, you’re so cranky when you wake up in the middle of the night– not that you often wake up during this ungodly hour but–”

“How can I not be when we missed dinner? We overslept–”

“And it’s not a big deal, love. We were hauling in so many boxes all day. You were tired, we both were. Besides, it’s now Sunday. It’s our rest day,” When Jungkook saw you pout, he chuckled.

“What?” you asked.

“Are you seriously upset that we overslept?” Jungkook teased.

“No, it’s just that–” You sighed, letting his arms fall to his lap, “We missed dinner and I think we weren’t done unpacking everything yet.”

Jungkook fondly chuckled once more before wrapping his arms around your torso and kissing your temple.

“Silly baby. We unpacked all the boxes already and there’s only one left to unpack. We can do that tomorrow. As for dinner… that one I’m not so sure about. I don’t remember packing any food for the fridge yet.”

“Yeah, that’s because we were supposed to do grocery shopping after we unpacked all the boxes.”

“We can do grocery shopping in a few hours.”

“But we don’t have anything to eat right now,” you said and right on cue, you both heard a stomach growling.

Jungkook grabbed your hand and stood up from the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Come on, you’re hungry.”

“Jeon Jungkook, what are you planning?”

Jungkook didn’t reply as he pulled you towards the front door. You turned his head in the direction of the window and his eyes widened.

“Jungkook, the houses outside are covered in snow.”

“Yes, baby, because it’s winter season,” Jungkook deadpanned as he put on your snowshoes for you.

“It’s one in the morning and there’s snow. Where the hell are you taking me?”

“Aish, we’re going to find something to eat.”

“I’m pretty sure all the restaurants are closed by now.”

Jungkook took off your puffer jacket from the coat rack and put it on you, zipping the front zipper up to your neck. Mittens came next and Jungkook gently guided your fingers through the holes, all the while you looked at him in silent adoration. He was at least grateful you weren’t resisting. You trust him with your whole life.

He held you by the shoulders and leaned back to take a look before muttering, “Cozy.”

Jungkook intertwined his fingers with yours as he opened the main door to the building outside. Cool air bit at your faces as you shivered.

“Shit, it's freezing. Seriously Jungkook, we could’ve just ordered take-out.”

“And miss out on an adventure in the dead of night in the middle of a potential snowstorm? Never.” Jungkook grinned as he led you a few steps down the block to their right.

The streets were quiet and still as the two lovers trudged through the snow. You could feel Jungkook tightening his grip around your gloved hand as you both approached a store with an almost blinding light.

A convenience store.

It never even crossed your mind and you wanted to kick yourself.

Jungkook pushed the door open and a small bell sound rang. The person behind the cashier bowed and greeted him. Jungkook led you to one of the small tables located inside and sat you down.

“Alright, babe, the usual order?” When Jungkook got a proper look at your face, it was that of confusion and awareness at the same time. “It never crossed your mind that a convenience store is actually open 24/7, huh?”

“Shush! How did you even know that–”

“Five years being with you, I gained the ability to hear what you’re thinking, you know that, right?”

You opened your mouth to protest, but no sound came out. Jungkook giggled as he pinched your cheek.

“You’re cold. Ramen will do the trick. I’ll be right back.”

When Jungkook came back, he set down an array of different foods that made your eyes bulge– two big cups of ramen, samgak-kimbap, hot bars, and gamdongran. Jungkook also bought banana and strawberry milk.

When you were still dating during their first year, there were nights when you had to work overtime just to get orders done and delivered the next day. Jungkook would help you pack and tie ribbons to the parcels and in the middle of doing so, both your stomachs would rumble. The convenience store down the street from the apartment saved you in more ways than one. In that little pyonijom did you and Jungkook’s love story slowly blossom. It was in the benches outside that Jungkook learned how you were deathly afraid of spiders. In between cups of ramen and tteokbokki, you confessed your love for each other through innocent touches and hand-holding.

Years down the line, Jungkook continues to find ways to show you his love.

“What do you think? Do you forgive me?”

“You’re bribing me with food again.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Jungkook’s eyes crinkled the moment you looked up from your ramen to glare at him. Using his thumb, he reached out to wipe a stripe of soup stain from the corner of your lips.

“Stop doing that.”

Jungkook took a big bite on the samgak-kimbap, “Doing what?”

You stared at Jungkook who was chewing his food, doe eyes innocent as ever.

“Stop making me blush.”

Jungkook chuckled, “You love it.”

The flush on your cheeks told Jungkook he succeeded.

“You didn’t answer my question, baby.”

“No.”

“I fed you.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“You’re cruel. Let’s see who gives in when we come home later,” Jungkook wiggled his eyebrows and that got a laugh out of you.

“You're impossible,” you said.

Jungkook fell silent as he looked out the glass windows. His mouth slightly parted, but no sound came out. His eyes flitted between you and the windows, before slightly leaning forward across the table.

“Sweetheart, close your eyes.”

“What in the world–”

“Trust me.”

“You’ve been testing my trust since we woke up.”

Jungkook clicked his tongue, feigning annoyance, “Please?”

“What is this about–”

“I promise this one’s really worth it.”

“Fine,” you sighed as you placed his chopsticks on top of the ramen bowl and closed your eyes.

“Are your eyes closed? Sure you don’t see anything?”

“Yes, they are closed.”

Jungkook stood up and gently tugged on your arm, silently telling you to stand up, too.

“Don’t open your eyes until I tell you to, okay?”

You nodded. Jungkook took a long look at you before cupping your face into his hands and giving you a light kiss on your pink lips.

“What’s happening, Jungkook?”

“You’ll see.”

Jungkook slowly turned you in the direction of the front door. He put a hand over your eyes just to make sure you weren’t peeking. Jungkook pushed the door open and together, both of you walked with legs getting tangled every now and then, your back against Jungkook’s chest.

You wanted to say something in protest yet again as the cold winter air began to overtake your body once more, but you felt Jungkook wrap his arm tighter around you, his lips placing small kisses from your neck down to your shoulders.

“Baby, it’s cold,” you tried your best not to shiver too much, but Jungkook’s arm around your waist held you closer, his head resting on your shoulder.

“Does this feel a bit better?” Jungkook asked, breathing warmly as he whispered against your ear.

“Yes, much better,” you replied, trying to steady your nerves.

Jungkook continued to whisper, “Are you ready baby?”

You nodded, at a loss for words, “Three, two, one…” Slowly, Jungkook removed the hand that was covering your eyes.

As you opened them, you saw light, falling snow.

“We didn’t get to witness the first snow together this year. I know it means a lot to you because it’s been our tradition, but I hope this one would cheer you–”

You turned around to face Jungkook and pulled him into a deep kiss. Jungkook melted into your touch as he kissed you back.

In the freezing winter, you and Jungkook felt warm wrapped up in each other’s embrace.

When you pulled away, he was breathless. Jungkook ran his thumb across your cheek, softly smiling at you.

“I love you, Jungkook. Thank you.”

“I only want to make you happy, baby. I love you too,” Jungkook whispered against your forehead before giving you a feather-light kiss.

Stumbling back into the darkness of your apartment, you and Jungkook didn’t want to pull away from one another as you continued to kiss. Jungkook felt you smile and giggle as he wiggled your coats and shoes off. When you finally pulled away from each other, Jungkook leaned back slightly to look at you. The light from the window illuminated your face, Jungkook was so enamored he felt he was going to burst out of love for you.

He quietly held your hand and led you to the kitchen. He stopped walking backward when you were in front of the refrigerator.

“Are you still hungry, baby? Only a few hours left until we go grocery shopping.”

Jungkook didn’t respond but instead opened the refrigerator door. The soft blue light from inside provided a bit more light to the rest of the apartment.

Jungkook pulled you closer to him, one arm caging around your waist. You were quick to catch on to what he was trying to do.

“____, have I told you how much I love you?”

You rested your head on Jungkook’s shoulder as he quietly led you both into a slow hum, a slow dance under the refrigerator light.

“Every day, Jungkook-ah. I feel loved by you every single day since I met you,” you whispered against Jungkook’s chest.

Jungkook’s eyes closed as a gentle smile spread across his face. Loving you felt freeing, resplendent. The kind of love that healed all his broken hallelujahs.

“My heart has always dreamed of you, sweetheart. I’m so happy I get to love you like this.”

“Thank you for loving me. For protecting my heart, Jungkook,” you muttered as you lifted your head to look at Jungkook.

Jungkook just smirks and you roll your eyes because you can read him like a book.

"And thank you for taking me to the convenience store," you say as you smack his chest. "You big oaf."

Jungkook's laugh echoes through the quiet room, “Always, baby." He leans closer to whisper against your lips so softly, so reverently, "As long as it's you, I have everything I need.”

[a-cupof-jo]

Play Action - Teaser

Football Player!Jung Jaehyun x Sports Analyst!Fem!Reader

Genre: grump x sunshine, falls easily x doesn’t know what love is

Warning(s): none

Teaser WC: 1.5k

Projected WC: 15k

Play Action Playlist

Part of the Picture Perfect Image Universe

Summary:

Jung Jaehyun wouldn’t know hard work if it slapped him in the face. He has an unnatural talent as a Tight End- I should know- but he has gotten off easy. So when a drunken night leaves his image in a lest-than-stelar light, who better to fix it than the Angel’s exclusive date-for-hire. I would not let myself be pulled into a football players life again, but Jaehyun makes it hard to stay away.

A/n: rough edit sorry :/

~~

I have loved Jeno Lee for 93 days. 

I love the way he makes me laugh and how he is always attentive to me. He never makes me feel bad when I don't want to go out or if I am feeling so overwhelmed with work that I can't make myself function properly. We weren't best friends, it was something different between us.

Mutual respect and appreciation drove our relationship. I could not put my heart in more capable hands. They were more competent at steering that bus than any other emotion I know. 

We were steady and knew exactly what was expected of each other. With him, I feel happy and in control of my life, of the future and what it holds. 

There weren't many times Jeno wasn't smiling, but I liked to think that I only added more joy and happiness to his life. I celebrate his victories and let him lay his worries on me.

Celebrating is what we were doing tonight. No matter how much I tended to avoid crowds and large gatherings, I would put on my brave face. This was important to him, and me, to us. Months had been put into this to make it possible. 

He wouldn't judge me for my tardiness- much. No one likes to admit their faults, but luckily when they are on display, you don't have to. Which is why I'm sure he already assumed that I was going to be late, but the street vendor had been busy and I couldn't resist the roasted pecans.

Adrian Young Memorial Stadium was magnificent. Tall pillars and exterior walls built of locally sourced quartz and the limestone exuded the quiet strength that came from the neighboring mountains. It held a long tradition of hosting some of the most spectacular moments of football history, a tradition that the Angel’s intended to keep. 

A long quiet hall greeted me as I pushed through the authorized personnel only hallway. It wasn't unfamiliar, but as I took in the boards boasting years of excellence and the man that made this team great it was hard to not feel small, insignificant. 

Glancing at my watch, my groan echoed around me.

It was official- I was the worst girlfriend ever. If I ever had any doubt before, it was now gone. 20 minutes late and showing up nearly empty handed to the biggest celebration of the last 20 seasons. 

Maybe nobody would notice the slightly disheveled woman racing down the hall. It’s not like I was an important figure that would be missed, not in a room full of professional athletes. Stopping where laughter and cheers spilled from the doors, I counted back from 10, pulling lightly at my shirt to straighten it. Calm, cool, composed, that was me. I was a woman that exuded confidence. They would not see me faulted. Which is why I decided that 5 more minutes without showing my face would be better than arriving looking like I had just been caught in a wind tunnel.

I wish I was one of those women who always had it together. They could run 5K and jump into a board meeting right after. These were the women that ran the world, and made sure everyone around them knew it.

The cool sink water trickled down my scalp as I worked to slick down the curls that had broken free of the updo I had twisted my hair into. Bathroom mirrors had a good way of letting me know that I looked worse than I felt. Splotchy red cheeks and a slight runny nose no amount of paper towels shoved up my nose would solve was really the look I was going for tonight. Thank you, January. 

Reapplying the light layering of makeup I had slapped on this morning didn't take long, but I couldn't convince myself to pull away from the vanity. My lipstick was perfect and not an eyelash was out of place, yet I couldn’t push away the gnawing that I would never hold up in the eyes of those in Jeno’s circle, in Jeno’s eyes.

“Come on, Y/n,” there was nothing to be worried about. Jeno would be patiently waiting, not worrying in the slightest that it would look weird that his date was missing. His teammates would be too focused on getting as much alcohol in their system in as little amount of time as possible. I would not be participating in that endeavor. Getting plastered in public is asking for something to go wrong. I did not need my image having “party animal” attached to it.  

“Who does he think he is demanding that I quit my job? That bag of shriveled up- oh,” wide eyes blinked at me as the door to the bathroom slammed open. The badge that hung from her hip confirmed that she was a member of the Angel’s team. If I remembered correctly, Marketing and PR, under that brick Vanessa. “Sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was in here. I find that venting is best performed in front of an audience and I thought that it was just going to be my reflection tonight But now you’re here. Do you mind? It’s just-there is this man that I was trying to help- if he would just let me, but apparently all my ideas are stupid and not worthy of a mighty Angel. See if I try to help him again. I mean what kind of person says that ” 

“You’re fine,” the timid smile I tried to give looked more like a grimace as I glanced one more time in the mirror. She had steamrolled me and there was not an inkling idea how I was supposed to respond to that. Rushing to the door I considered thanking her for finally kicking my feet into gear. Even if it was by the desire to get away from the word vomit she had thrown at a virtual stranger. “I am just going to leave.”

She cringed at me as if realizing her faux pas,  “Have a good night.”

I had to get out of there. 

Now I was definitely not running down the hall, but I could have broken the record for fastest speed walk I’m sure. So much for freshening up. It wouldn’t matter, most of the people I was going to be interacting with would not remember this night anyway. 

Pausing in front of the door, I tried to fix my face to exude happiness and openness. I was inviting. I was there to celebrate and have a good time. I would not make people think I was trying to escape the entire night.

“No,” the woman’s voice barely rose above the music blasting through the music. My stomach dropped at the panic lacing that word. “You need to stop. Don’t say it.” The cracked closet door in the hall pushed just farther open. If something happened to her then-

“What? You don’t want me to tell you I love you? I have been in love since before I had a name for the feeling I get in my chest when you are around. There has not been a time that I have not loved you. You must see that.”

Blood rushed to my ears as I approached the door. Fear poked the back of my skull and my throat went dry. 

“Jeno,” my heart sank as her voice cracked. “I can’t”

“Why?” There it went. My heart shattered on the floor, stomped on by a man who loved someone else.

“There are so many reasons! Your job and reputation, mine, the fact that you have a girlfriend!”

"She's not you!" Heat raced up my chest and ignited in my face. My chest heaved as I pulled in a wet breath. I watched, aching, as he leaned forward, cupping her cheeks, “She’s a fake girlfriend. You know that Y/n is a fake girlfriend. She is a friend. All I see is you.” 

Right. 

Fake.

As I wipe at the tears that have pressed at the corners of my eyes, I spin away from the door and scowl as I come face to face with Jaehyun, the Angel’s laid back Tight End and one of Jeno’s closest friends. 

I would not look foolish in front of him,  getting teary-eyed at the knowledge that my fake boyfriend loved his social media manager. Look him in the eye, raise your chin, don’t let it wobble, keep your feet straight and limbs loose. I knew about this, Jeno has not taken me off guard. I would convince myself of this and Jaehyun would be none the wiser.

“Excuse me,” voice clipped, I pushed past the man that towered over common-folk. “I have a party to be attending.”

Finally pushing through the doors a grin presses at my teeth and I mentally correct my mantra for the night, reset my racing thoughts and remember that I am there for one reason.

I have faked being in love with Jeno Lee for 93 days and everyone was going to believe it.

[youaintnothinbuta]

austin - “the hell you doin’?”

Summary: you run into an old friend(?) and Austin decides you been acting a little too cheeky for his liking

Pairing: austin x fem!reader

Word count: 1490

Warnings: dom!austin, LIME! no actual sex (yet, part 2 coming soon), choking

MASTERLIST

__________________

One of your old friends (I say friends as an act of curtesy, however, frenemies who would constantly be stabbing at each others backs yet still insisted you were besties was a more accurate description of your relationship with this girl) from high school, a year younger than you, had just called your name from the opposite end of an isle in the grocery store, which is how you ended up in this conversation.

“So, how’s everything with Michael?” You asked this girl, who had spilled to you practically every other detail of her life.

“Oh, we broke that off a few months ago.” She frowned slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry I had no idea. Have you gotten back out into the dating world yet?”

“Funny you say that, actually, I was just thinking about Austin, from high school. You remember Austin, right? He’s like a full celebrity now.”

“Oh, yeah, ‘course I remember. Austin.”

Yes, he was a “full celebrity” now, and he wasn’t in high school, this girl really had an eye for the obvious. Perhaps more importantly, he was your boyfriend. Maybe she actually wasn’t that observant, because you showed up to every event with him, but regardless; you found it rather amusing that she didn’t know of yours and Austin’s relationship. You had a choice- stop the conversation and be honest or let it play out and see how far she’ll take it.

“So you guys still friends or…?” She trailed off.

“More or less.”

Definitely more.

“Perfect. Can I have his number, if you have it?”

“Yeah, ‘course, I’ll give it to you in a sec.”

“Thanks.”

The conversation faltered, leaving you to think. A little tiny bit of harmless misleading wasn’t going to hurt, right? After all, you knew Austin wouldn’t at all give her the time of day, not even a little bit.

“Hey, actually, I’m going out to dinner tonight with a group and he’ll be there, why don’t you tag along?”

“Oh wow, okay, sure, I’d love to.” She smiled.

“I’ll text you the details when I get home.” You smiled back, as the pair of you slowly made your way to the checkout, exchanging details and then parting ways.

Later that evening, Austin was sat with a group of mates, waiting for you and a few others to arrive at their table. You walked in with your friend, your boyfriend lifting an eyebrow, surprised to see you walk in with her. He, being your boyfriend and the only person out of the group you’d known since high school, was the only one who knew your history with this girl.

“The hell you doin’?” He whispered as you gave him a hug. He knew you, and while you were a very kind person, he knew you had an ulterior motive with this girl.

“Nothin’ baby.” You responded, kissing him on the cheek. You sat down together, your friend sitting with you. His left hand gripped onto your thigh for a solid 10 minutes, and while you were enjoying as you always did, you wanted more of a reaction from the girl next to you.

“Do you like my hair, Aus? I tried braiding it and getting curls from that.” You asked him, knowing he’d compliment you.

“I do like it, s’very pretty, darlin’.” He took his hand off your thigh, instead reaching around your shoulder to the front of your face, brushing your hair back from in front of your body to behind your back, before resting his wrist down on your shoulder. He continued talking to his mates, his hand waving around in front of your face as he often spoke with them.

While she still was yet to be visibly angry, she was most certainly watching Austin intently. You locked eye contact with her, moving your face to kiss Austin’s fingers. She watched as you did so, keeping eyes locked with her the entire time. Your lips curled into a grin once you’d removed them from his knuckles, his thumb and index finger grabbed your chin gently in response.

“You bitch.” She stood up and stormed out. You laughed and waved her goodbye.

“What was that about?” Your boyfriend asked, his hand moving to rest on your shoulder.

“I’ll tell you later.” You smiled.

“Okay,” Austin laughed, “What’d you want to eat now, darlin?”

You, Austin and a group of your friends finished your dinner, you and Austin being the first of the couples to leave. He left his share and yours of the bill with them as you gave everyone a kiss on the cheek goodbye and headed out, his large hand wrapped around yours.

“Now, you wanna tell me what the hell you were doing? You’ve hated her since year 11.” He asked, reaching for his seatbelt, as were you.

“She expressed an interest in you, so I did what I had to.” You spoke, nonchalantly.

He raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what you were saying.

“Romantically. She wanted me to set her with with you.”

“And your first instinct wasn’t to tell her we’re together?” He asked.

“Well, I considered it.” You said, earning a chuckle from Austin as he pulled out the car park and the two of you headed to his place.

“And ultimately you decided upon…”

“I told her I’d be going out for dinner and you’d be there. She was expecting you to be hitting on her so really I don’t blame her for leaving. I guess she found our PDA nauseating or something. But at least I won’t have to talk to her ever again, which is nice.” You smiled.

“Angel, why was she expecting me to hit on her?” Austin asked, though he was pretty confident he already knew the answer.

“I told her you would.”

“You are evil.” He shook his head slightly, with a smile. “If I didn’t know you any better, I’d be scared of you.”

“Nothing to be scared off, you’re on my good side.” Your hand found its way to his knee, tapping it twice before resting it there. After a few minutes, you trailed your fingertips from his knee to his thighs, running a finger along his groin.

“Sweetheart.” He stuttered.

“Yeah?” You asked, fingers playing with his semi-hard dick through his pants.

“We’re ten minutes from home. Can ya just, hold on?”

“I can, but you look like you’re about to burst.”

Austin grabbed your hand from his body and moved it to your own thigh.

“Your behaviour the next ten minutes will decide how the rest of the nights gonna go, okay darlin’?”

You held back a scream. God, his tone of voice, his choice of words, it was all so sexy. You contemplated all the possible outcomes of the actions you may or may not partake in, ultimately deciding that no matter what Austin had in plan you’d enjoy it, so you might as well have your own fun. You reached back over to his crotch, unzipping his fly and cupping him in your hand.

“You don’t know what you’ve just got yourself into.” He cocked an eyebrow at you.

“I may not know what it is,” you bit your lip, “but I know it’s gonna feel so good.” You whined the last half of that sentence. Instantly, you felt his cock press against your hand and watched as he exhaled sharply. Your fingers trailed their way to his tip, swirling your thumb around, spreading his precum all over his tip.

You felt his hips buck. He didn’t say a word, his eyes fixed on the road. You were only streets away from his home now, and your heart started to race knowing he was not going to let this slide. What’s the point in stopping now? you thought.

“Feel that, Aus?” You asked him, squeezing his cock, making more precum ooze out of him. “So wet for me.” You teased him, something he’d always say to you.

The pair of you pulled into his driveway. He zipped up his pants and followed you to the front door, the car locking 20 seconds later.

“Get inside. Upstairs right now.” Austin snarled as he unlocked the front door, letting you inside, he wiped his boots on the doormat before stepping inside and locking the door behind him.

“And if I don’t?” You challenged him, arcing up to him, playfully. He grabbed your throat and jaw with his hand, his cold keys scratching lightly against your throat. He walked you backwards until your back was pressed against the wall.

“Get on your knees. I ain’t playin’. Ya hear me?” He growled.

You listened, sinking to the ground in front of his feet. He unzipped his fly once again, pushing his pants and underwear down around his knees. You steadied yourself with one hand gripping his thigh, the other holding his cock at the right angle for you to have your way with it.

A/N: sorry to leave y’all on a cliff hanger there but this has brought the FILTHIEST ideas to my mind and I’m trying to decide what Y/N’s punishment will be…. Hehe ;)

[sailtomarina]

10-minute Surprise

“Professor, if I may have a moment of your time?” 

Hermione swept past his Potions students where they leaned over cauldrons and diligently chopped ingredients in the no-nonsense manner she’d perfected from a young age. Like him, she wore her teaching robes, having recently finished with her Ancient Runes class of 6th years.

Draco raised a curious eyebrow at her request but said nothing. He merely stood with a very Severus-like sweep of cloth to follow her into his office. The students paid them no attention, having become accustomed to the two professors taking private meetings during class.

The instant the door clicked shut, Hermione cast a quick succession of locking and silencing spells. She grasped the front of his robes and shoved him back against the large oak desk.

“Merlin, that’s hot,” he muttered, before any further comments were inhaled by her lips on his. As if on command, his hands landed on the plush hips hidden from view. Her wandless, non-verbal magic turned him on almost as much as when she took charge like this, like she couldn’t get enough of him.

Draco grunted in surprise when she pulled away with a stinging bite to his lower lip. Whatever she was up to couldn’t be anything harmless with the way her lips curled up, mischief sparkling in her normally warm gaze.

Any questions he might have asked were silenced when Hermione dropped to her knees in front of him, hands already working to part his robes and access the prize beneath.

“Granger, love, are you sure—”

He groaned as she gave him a warning squeeze. “That’s Professor Granger-Malfoy to you.”

He was one lucky wizard.

“Professor Granger-Malfoy, are you sure we have time for this?” His hand hovered over her curls.

“Do you doubt my abilities? We have, what, 10 minutes left until the end of class?”

“That’s right—oh, fuck!”

She’d continued her quest uninterrupted while they’d talked, and engulfed him in one luxurious glide of her lips at just that moment. This time, he didn’t stop his hand from fisting her curls. She moaned at the tightening of his fingers, eyes lifting up to meet his own in appreciation.

“You’re so pretty wrapped around me like this.” Praises fell from his lips as she bobbed her head along his length, agile tongue swirling around him and sucking as if she could drain his life force straight out of him.

Normally, they only engaged in a bit of snogging, or on a particularly desperate day, he’d get her off on his fingers or along his thigh as he ground against her. Anything more seemed too risky. Draco wasn’t opposed to acts of debauchery, but he knew Hermione held herself back out of respect for their professional roles.

What changed?

Hermione chose that moment to press down onto him until he hit the back of her throat and then she moaned.

The universe converged onto that point of union, Draco releasing an uncontrolled whine he might have otherwise considered embarrassing. He didn’t care what he sounded like now. Both hands grasped her head, keeping her in place as he proceeded to fuck her throat. She pressed the tips of her nails into his thighs, signaling her approval despite the gagging sounds she emitted. Tears ran down from her clenched eyes.

“Just like that, baby, you take me so well.” 

She was a dream come true, gagging on his cock with spit and tears running across her face detracting absolutely nothing from the sight. Here they were, completely clothed, his indecency concealed deep in her mouth for only her to see and taste. He was hers, and hers only.

The telltale tightening in his balls warned him of just how close he was to coming. As appetizing as the idea of letting go and sending ropes of spend down her throat, there was somewhere else he’d rather be.

Her eyes opened as he released his grip on her, and he wiped thumbs across the tear tracks on her cheeks. A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed he only had five more minutes.

“Come up here, love.”

She obeyed at once, and he spun them around so now she was the one pinned against the table.

“I have a little surprise for you.” Her voice came out low and hoarse. The sound of her, still sore from his length, was like music to his ears.

“Yeah? And what’s that?” He quickly parted her robes and reached down to yank up the length of her skirt. His palm slid up the smooth skin of her thigh, marveling at the softness, before he realized she wore nothing else underneath.

His forehead dropped to rest in the crook of her shoulder. “Merlin. Have you been naked like this all day?”

Her chuckle shook them both. “Yes, but that’s not the surprise I’m talking about.” She stuttered at the end as he rubbed circles around her with his thumb and threaded one digit into her slick channel.

“Mmm, it isn’t?” He concentrated on her bundle of nerves while he stretched her with a second finger. She was already soaked from her earlier excitement, but he wanted to make sure she received equal satisfaction.

Deeming her more than ready, he lined up at her entrance and, with one smooth thrust, buried himself deeply in her cunt.

“Uhhhhhnnnnnnnn.”

“Fuckkkkkkkkkkkk.”

They might not be eloquent, but they sure as hell shared their appreciation.

Keeping one hand at her clit, he used his other hand to maneuver one leg over his shoulder, bending her nearly in half as he rutted into her. He’d thought himself close before, but now it took everything he had to prevent himself from spilling into her maddening heat. Draco concentrated on her pleasure all while his own heartbeat and her mewling pants filled his ears and made it impossible to think of anything else.

“I—I—” She couldn’t get the words out, instead throwing her head back as the encroaching wave lapped at the edges of her consciousness. She was surrounded by Draco, drowning in his scent and touch, tasting him still on her tongue—

“I’m pregnant!”

Her cry came with a releasing flood that swept over them both, the crashing waves dragging Draco along with her. His euphoric shout preceded both of his hands coming up to wrap around and cradle the back of her head as he pressed her into the hard surface of his table and consumed her in a kiss.

They didn’t part until they were nearly breathless, and the smile that stretched across her face nearly took away what little air he had left.

She was pregnant.

The clock on the wall dinged as their break came to an end, and they stared at one another for one more second—silver and gold, coolness and warmth. They completed one another in every way, and now they’d created something, someone, new.

“We’re going to be parents.”

She nodded at his whisper, before winking and giving him a wicked grin. “Hopefully we’ll be better at parenting than teaching.”

They shared a giggle, foreheads pressed together in delight of what the future promised.

After they cleaned themselves up and Professors Malfoy and Granger-Malfoy put on twin expressions of solemnity before re-entering the classroom, not a single student was fooled by their act. Their professors thought themselves so sneaky with their show of cool professionalism, their attempts at maintaining separation during school hours.

There was no hiding the affection in their eyes, or the not-so-subtle touches when they thought no one was looking.

Hermione and Draco were as oblivious to the ineffectiveness of their acting as any student sneaking about after-hours. The walls of Hogwarts had eyes, every footstep that passed through its halls accounted for, professors included. The castle didn’t begrudge them their secrets, choosing instead to welcome them in an embrace that had gone on for generations before and would continue to do so for many more to come.

WC 1329

DHRMonth Week 1 - Hogwarts, September 3 - Professors

You didn't think I'd skip out on smut this fest, did you?

Cross posted on AO3

[winniethewife]

It's time that you won.

(Llewyn Davis x OC!Rose Thorne)

Chapter 10: You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Last Chapter ~ Next Chapter

Words:895

Audrey Lillian Davis. She was born on a warm spring evening, when Llewyn Held her for the first time, He felt everything change. This little girl meant everything to him. He would do anything for her. He would do everything for her. He would die for her. He would live for her. As the months passed by her eyes would darken to match her father’s eyes and she would grow a shock of red hair. Llewyn and Rose took to parenting with some struggle. Their unusual lifestyle as musicians lead to them having a lot of time with their young girl. She had first learned to crawl around at the studio as Rose and Llewyn began work on their next record. She sat up for the first time while trying to watch her father play a song. She learned to walk while clutching tightly to her mother’s bell bottoms. She was humming a tune before she had spoken a word. She was a happy child, and they were so enchanted and in love with her.

Llewyn had just gotten her out of the bath and was starting to get her ready for bed as she looked up at him with her soulful brown eyes. He smiled at her. She was the light of his life now. Just over a year old and she had made everything change. Everything was better. This was the tomorrow He was promised. He started to care less about the number of records sold, and more about the number of words she could say. Mama, Daddy, Cat, Music, She was gaining them faster and faster. He carefully used the towel to dry off the top of her head. Humming softly as he gently put her in her clean diaper and walked her over to her bedroom where Rose was sitting in the rocking chair, their orange tabby cat, rusty curled up in her lap. Llewyn looked over at his wife and smiled softly. He opened his mouth to say something but Audrey piped up first.

“Mama!” She chirped. Llewyn looked at his daughter and laughed.

“Well, I guess you’re sick of daddy huh?” He joked.

“You know she’s a daddy’s girl at heart darling.” Rose says smiling as she gets up out of the chair, the cat looking mildly offended for being displaced before wandering off. Rose took Audrey from her husband and held her up, rubbing her nose affectionately against the little girls. “Ready for bed sweetie?” She asked with a smile. Audrey yawned and stretched. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Rose laughed and kissed her daughter on the forehead. She put her in her crib, as Llewyn stood next to her, putting an arm around her as they looked down on their child.

“She’s perfect.” he whispered. Squeezing her slightly. Rose rests her head on his shoulder. She reaches to spin the mobile. As the small animals spun around above their child Llewyn begins to sing softly. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray…” His low melodic voice brings Audrey’s eyes to focus on her parents. Rose joins him in quiet harmony

“You'll never know, dear, how much I love you, Please don't take my sunshine away” As they sang, Audrey’s eyes flutter shut and she slowly falls asleep. Once they are sure she has fallen asleep they both tip-toe out of the room and walk out to the living room. Sitting down on the couch as they take a sigh of relief. Llewyn looks over at his wife and smiles.

“You’re amazing.” He mumbles. His eyes full of love and adoration. She looks at him and laughs slightly.

“Yeah? Any particular reason?” She asked with a smirk.

“No, just you being the best wife and mother any man could ever ask for.” He leans in as he says this and kisses her cheek with a smile. 

“Oh! Well then, I guess I’m pretty good at that.” She chuckles. Llewyn pulls her in for an embrace.

“I have a question for you Sunshine.” He muses.

“And what might that be?” She snuggled in close to him.

“What do you think….about having another one?” He asked with a slight hesitation.

“Another Baby?” She does a slight double take.

“Yeah, I mean, maybe not right now but…at some point.” He runs his fingers through her hair as he talks about their future in a way they would have never thought possible just a year before.

“I mean…I wouldn’t object. Maybe this time we could have a little boy?” She takes his hand in hers, running her fingers across his knuckles as they sit together.

“Yeah, Maybe. That might be nice…What would we name him?” he rests his head on hers.

“Hmmm…What about, Giles?”

“Giles? Where did that one come from?” He asks with a slight chuckle

“It’s a family name. I had a great uncle who was named Giles.” She explains.

“Hm. It’s not a bad name.” He looks up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking. “If we have another kid we might need a bigger place.”

“You’re right…well hopefully this next album sells well, and we could move to a bigger place.” She brings his and to her lips and kisses it gently. Llewyn looks down at her. He never imagined in his whole life, he would be this happy.

~

Masterlist

[hannahhook7744]

Hey now, where'd you go?;

Summary; aka my version of the pocket watch movie. Where Chad disappears and a few years pass, leading into the events of the pocket watch.

Trigger warnings; Favoritism, implied child neglect, dissolving sibling relationship, kidnapping, swearing, and disappearance of an older sibling.

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Chloe knew that Chad wasn't perfect.

Even before he had disappeared, she had known he wasn't perfect.

Even though she was only 10 at the time, she had known.

He was rude, he didn't pick up on social cues, he wasn't the brightest. He wasn't very brave, made lots of bad decisions, and wasn't well liked. He was nowhere near perfect.

But she didn't care because he was her big brother and she loved him. Even if he didn't always seem to love her.

She loved him, because she knew him and remembered what he use to be like before he graduated middle school.

Before their grandpa died.

Even if the memories she had were only vague ones.

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Their granddad took them to their circus, when Chad was 10 and she was 2.

Dumbo was there but she couldn't see him and started to fuss.

Chad, hair still fully curly, had simply smiled at her (instead of rolling his eyes in annoyance as he would grow to do) before lifting her up. Resting her on his shoulders so that she could see the elephants she loved so much.

He even shared his chocolate sprinkled popcorn with her even though their granddad told him not to.

It was her earliest memory and her favorite one.

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"Chloe, Chloe" Chloe groaned, rolling over in her little toddler bed. Squinting into the dark. "Bubba?"

She was three and he was eleven.

Chad sat on the floor, criss cross applesauce style. Grinning at her, box in his lap. A messily made cupcake in hand wirh a lit candle.

"Happy birthday! I got ya something!" He whisper shouted, causing her to shot up in excitement. Eyes wide.

"Rweally?!"

He put a finger to his lips "shhh. You don't wanna wake mom and dad or they'll make you go back to bed."

It was still dark out.

Chloe just gave him a sheepish grin "sworry."

Chad snorted, holding the cupcake up to her. "Don't worry about it, birthday girl. Just blow out the candle and make a wish."

Chloe did, though she couldn't remember for the life of her what she had wished for. But she still remembered what he gifted her that day.

Because she never let go of the stuffed elephant that he gave her.

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Chad tossed her into the air, repeatedly catching her.

Grinning at her as she giggled and squealed, no doubt in love with being able to see over the hedges. Which she usually couldn't do because she was so tiny.

"CHADWICK JAMESON CHARMING!" Someone from out of her sight yelled, causing Chad to pale.

He caught her one last time, nearly dropping her, and simply said "oh shit."

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One night it was storming when she was about 5 and Chloe got scared because their parents weren't there.

So Chad bulit a blanket fort, hung up some fairy lights, and stuck her in it with all the stuffed animals and blankets he could get his hands on before going to raid the kitchen. Returning with two mugs of hot chocolate, the whole cookie jar, and a big storybook.

They spent the rest of the night curled up in the blanket fort, reading and eating and laughing until they both drifted off to sleep.

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In Chad's last year of middle school, he started to change.

Blowing her off, no longer spending time with her, Getting dismissive of her love of fencing.

He straightened his hair and got snappy when she asked why.

Refused to let her play with his pets.

He stopped coming home to visit when he got into Auardon prep.

He was nice to her for the most part when they saw eachother but it wasn't the same as before and she never knew why.

It wasn't until he was gone that she realized their parents tended to spend all their time with her even when he was home.

Till she realized they usually just gave him things so he wouldn't bug them as much and so he'd stay out of trouble. Only really intervening when he started failing.

It took Chloe even longer to realize that she didn't even remember the last time Chad had invited someone other than Audrey over. It took her twice as long to realize that she was sick and that it had affected him more than he ever let on.

It took their parents months to realize that he was even gone.

And it took her asking them why Chad had stopped calling her for them to realize it.

It made her heartache and even the pet elephant her parents got her didn't relieve the ache.

Nor could the multitude of cousins they suddenly had.

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After Chad disappeared, Chloe started to attend Auardon Prep and made a new friend who called herself 'Red'.

Chloe came to learn that it was because red was her favorite color.

She also came to realize that Red was the best friend she could ever have because she didn't brush off Chloe's desire to find Chad like everyone else did.

She even offered to help Chloe find him.

Chloe took her up on that offer and the duo searched and searched, even as the years dragged on.

8 years passed and the pair eventually got side tracked. Eventually dragging Danny Darling and Hadie of the Underworld into the mix when the royal baby went missing.

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"I'm getting really tired of pretending I'm not evil" Hadie complained as they trekked through Wonderland. Swatting flies and branches out of his way.

"That's because you're not evil, you're just dramatic " Danny replied, rolling his eyes as he fidgeted with the vial of pixie dust he wore around his neck.

"I resent that remark! I am very evil! I have my own song and minions and everything!"

Chloe glanced back at the pair, shaking her head when she met Red's eye. Trying not to laugh.

Hadie was the farthest thing from evil they had ever seen. And they had met Gil.

"Sure you are man. Sure you are. And I'm Captain Hook's uncle" Danny snickered snarkily as usual.

Only to have the grin knocked right off his face as Hadie tackled him, causing Red to stumble into Chloe who tumbled down a small hill.

The other 3 following almost immediately, with all four of them a tangled mess of limbs as they landed at the bottom.

Causing the odd pocketwatch they had burrowed to crack right down the middle and start glowing along with the ground beneath them.

"Oh fuck--"

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"This is all your fault!" Hadie said shoving Danny, who looked indignant as they walked through the past version of Wonderland they found themselves in.

"What? How is it MY fault?! You're the one who shoved me!"

"You provoked me! So it's your fault that the stupid watch broke, which makes it your fault if we can't get home and stop the baby from getting kidnapped.."

"Why you little--"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?" Red snapped, annoyed. "It's both your faults!"

That just started a three way argument that Chloe wanted no part in.

She picked up the pace, hopping the other three would notice and knock it off. They didn't.

She really needed a break from them. They had been arguing nonstop all week.

A normalish looking bar caught her eye and even though she techinqually wasn't old enough to drink, she really didn't care at the moment.

Chloe quickly ducked inside, an excuse on the tip of her tongue.

"I know I'm not old enough to be in here but I really need to get out of the rain--"

"Chloe?"

She faltered, eyes widening as they adjusted to the low lighting-- helping her get a good look at the bartender. Who looked almost exactly the same as he had the last time she saw him, only older...

"Chad?!"

[stardust-ghoul27]

Beauty and The Vampire

| Chapter One

| Dracopia x OC!

A/N: Hi there! This is my first time posting a fanfic on here and in general lol so please creative criticism of this work is encouraged! I'd love to hear your guys thoughts and ideas :)

Summary: A mysterious legend about a vampire that spreads around her small Italian town leaves young Liliana to question and wonder if it's even real. Little does she know that this mysterious beast of a vampire would change her life.

Her friends told her not to do it. They warned her and told her about all of the myths and legends of the strange old beast that lurked in the large castle up north. Where the snow was so thick it went up to your neck.

 And the biggest rumor was that the old beast was a vampire who trapped anyone who came within 10 feet of his kingdom.

 There were tons and tons of stories about him and for some strange reason Lucia was intrigued about this strange old beast that everyone talked about.

"Liliana you must be mad!" 

Her mother chidded her only daughter as she grabbed her black leather boots and pulled them on.

 "I don't want you going out there and freezing to death dear. Please don't go. Youd be better of here helping me with the chores."

 Her mother begged and warned against her daughter leaving out to brave the harsh barren cold up north just to find the "myth" that their small town in Italy gossiped about.  Lucia adjusted her satchel and tugged on her blue scarf, sighing as her mother continued on her rant.

"Please mama...just let me. I promise I'll come back in one piece.

" Liliana said as her mother grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving the small house. 

"In one piece lilian-" "no mama...I'm leaving and that's final. You haven’t let me out of this god forsaken house since papa died." Liliana said as she tore her hand away from her mother's bruising grasp tears pricking her eyes. 

Ever since Lucia was a small child she was always so adventurous and wild. Wanting to see the world with her own two eyes just like her father. Her papa always encouraged her to explore and go out and learn more about the world that was in her hands. That was until he died when she was 13 leaving just her and her mother. They slowly started to stop leaving, only going out to get supplies or go to church and the house had grown unfamiliarly quiet and blue without her father around.

As fast as she opened the door she was gone, leaving her mother to sit in her own bitter depression and rage from her daughter's "silly" and "outrageous" actions.  

Storming down the steps and heading into the small Italian town she had grown to know and recognize less and less over these cold years.

As she ran down the small and narrow allies and passageways leading to the docks she ran into someone. “Umph…” Liliana huffed out as she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Rubbing her head and looking up, she saw her “friend” Gulia. 

“O-oh Guilia i'm so so sorry I-”  

“my dress! YOu just ruined my dress! Look it’s all muddy now….well it's fine I suppose since daddy headed off to the markets to get me a new one. She smirked devilishly. “ Why are you in such a hurry anyways you fool!”  Gulia asked her face a steaming red as her red curls came down and framed her perfect face   almost   perfectly. 

“I-I was on my way to the docks to go up  North.” Liliana said getting up and dusting herself off as her “friend” scoffed at her. 

“Don’t tell me you're trying to go find that wretched…beast up north….oh wait you probably are!” She enunciated the word beast spitting it out as she finished her sentence laughing some more.

 “Come Gabriella I must tell you this.” 

Gulia said, motioning for her older sister who had the same red curly locks minus for a few gray strands  to come  to her side. Once Gabriella was there Gulia whispered into her ear snickering afterwards. 

Liliana stood there face red in red hot anger and shame as she took in fistfuls of her dress. 

“Well  I do wish you the best of luck Liliana.” Gabriella smiled at her softly, not laughing at all unlike her cruel and spoiled younger sister. 

Gabriella Esposito, a well admired sibling in their town's church . She was kind, charitable, and pretty everyone fawned after her or wanted to be like her. But that was besides Liliana’s point. “Thank you sister.” Liliana said, smiling at the slightly older woman's comment. 

“Now off you go Liliana or you wont get there on time.”

 Gabriella said, smiling and making a slight shooting motion with her hands. “Goodbye sister! And Guilia!” Lucia yelled out as she ran across town to get down to the docks in time, her leather boots clicking loudly against the stone pathways and roads of her small Italian town of Giuseppe. 

Just as liliana got down to the docks a man in a small carriage was packing away crates and bags preparing to  leave. 

“WAIT! WAIT SIR! I HAVE A QUESTION TO ASK YOU!”

 Liliana shouted as she ran in her heeled leather boots trying not to trip or worse run into someone again.  “Ah yes signora what tis it that you needed?” The old man asks as he hops onto his horse as Liliana approached him. “I-I was just curious as to where you were headed sir. I-If you'd like to know I've been trying to head up  North near the old roman cathedrals.” Liliana said looking up at the old italian man who had gray and white hair with hope burning like a hot flicker of flame in her gaze. 

“Ah-sei solo fortunato mio caro . I was just heading near there. I could drop you off. That is if you'd like.” He smiled down at Liliana, the wrinkles on his face creasing even more. 

“Oh thank you so-so much! here.” Liliana said, fishing 10 gold coins out of her brown and green embroidered satchel to give to the old man. 

“oh no need to pay me signora just hop on. The name is Tommaso a proposito.”

Tommaso said as Lucia picked up her skirt and hopped into the small carriage that was attached behind his large and almost midnight black murgese horse who was tugginging the old black wooden carriage around

“So signora…non mi riguarda but I couldn’t help but have the urge to ask why you want to head up  North near the cathedral?” Tommaso asked in a curious tone. 

“Well…heh heh…i might sound a bit silly for saying this but I-I actually wanted to go see the place for my own and discover the myths and legends about that place that everyone talks about so much.”  Liliana said nervously, picking at the edges of her nails.

“Ah….I see I've been up there once myself. It was a fine and beautiful place but there was something off putting about it the entire time I was there. Now that I recall…It felt like someone was watching me the entire time I was there.” 

Tommaso said scratching his white beard as he started to get lost in his thoughts. “Well miss…I suggest that you get some sleep now before we arrive at my first stop by lake  Varese. 

“Ok…And thank you so much again Tommaso for taking me up  North.” Liliana said, sitting back in the carriage. As she laid down she thought about the cathedrals and the supposed beast of a man that lurked in them. Besides, maybe the man wasn't a beast after all. or as bad as they sought him out to be. 

Lucia stirred to the bouncing and rattling of the old carriage  on what she assumed was a brick road. Sitting up she rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes. Looking around she could tell that this was a different and new town. The town of  Varese. 

The old carriage then winded down a dirt road that quickly led away from the large town, obscuring what little of a view that she already had of the place. The Dirt pathway led up to a steep hill that was far off in the distance.  The dirt pathway was lined by a thick coated deep green forest and smelt of pine and Earth, 

“Ah, you're awake back there.”  Tommaso said as he guided the horse through the dirt and muddy terrain. “yeah where are we?” Liliana asked, rubbing her face of sleep. “Just headed out of town. We should be up north in about a few hours or so.” Tommaso said as he pulled tightly on the horse's lead. 

The further they went up the hill the colder it got making Liliana shiver a bit. Far in the distance of the thick fog that now surrounds them Liliana could make out a tall cathedral building. “We aren’t far from the cathedrals signoria.” Tommaso said as he pulled up the steep hill onto level-ish ground. The woods around them seemed to be ever ceasing as it covered most of the darkening afternoon sky.

As Liliana sat in the carriage she looked out at the thick forest at all of its tall trees and branches until something strange and slightly off-putting caught her eye. A dark shadowy figure up on one of the branches Peering down at them. Liliana felt her stomach turn and remembered what Tommaso said earlier about someone watching him when he visited last time. 

Blinking her eyes she looked back away from the forest sighing as she waited to arrive near the cathedrals until something caught her eye once more. 

The same shadowy dark figure had seemed to have gotten closer. Or was that just her imagination? And was that a tail!? Liliana thought as she watched the figure stand there by a tall deep pine tree before disappearing off into the thick dense forest. 

Liliana shook her head as she decided that she might have just been tired or something right. But she had just taken a nap a few hours ago. How could she be so tired? Tommaso had to be more tired than her after all he was driving the carriage. 

“Tommaso? About the time you said you felt people watching you. Umm…what did they look like? If you seen them.” Liliana asked, biting her lip nervously.

 “Oh I never really got to see the-” Tommaso started but was cut off by the dark figure that had swooped down from the treetops and pushed him off the horse sending the carriage into a ditch as Liliana bounced around inside until she hit her head on the roof knocking her unconscious.  

groggily blinking her eyes open looking around. She was in a room. A very fancy and expensive looking room at that. The fireplace in the middle of the room cracked and burned the strong smell of citrus and fruit incense drafting around the room. Sitting on the ground Liliana had realized she had lost her boots and her dress was torn. Sitting up she was quickly pulled back down against the floor. 

Looking down over her shoulder she saw that she was chained to the floor. Shit. Liliana thought of pulling hard on the metal chains to try to break them to no avail.

“Help! Help me!” Liliana cried out as she heard the large wooden door to the left of her creak open revealing two…people? All Liliana knew was that they kinda resembled the shadow person from earlier. 

The taller burlier man wore a shiny silver mask with devil horns, a black button up with suspenders, tight black dress pants and dress shoes. As Liliana looked him up and down she realized that he did not look human. He had gray almost black skin and a whipping tail behind him. 

The shorter man looked the same as he cocked his head to the side and analyzed Liliana carefully, his dark gaze piercing her soul.

Pulling on her chains in a try to escape the taller man came over with a key and unlocked them. “Hey, Hey no need to be scared of us. I know we may not look all human but we won't hurt you.” He said, sticking a hand out for Liliana to take. 

Hesitantly taking his hand Liliana let out a shaky and scared breath from her cold lips. “The names Aether and that little shit over there is Sodo or Dewdrop call him either he doesn’t care. And he won’t bite as long as I'm here.” Aether said kindly reassuring Liliana as she looked between the two ghoulish creatures shaking slightly with fear as she watched Sodo stare into her soul his bright ember eyes burning holes through her. 

Liliana had only heard of these creatures in myths or in the bible talking about how they were Lucifer's helpers towards sin.

“W-what am I doing here? What even are you guys? Where...W-where am I?” Liliana stuttered out. “Oh don’t worry our boss just wants to see you after he heard that Sodo over there spotted you and that man out in the woods. “O-oh.” Liliana said more scared now. Who was their boss and what did he want?  Where was Tommaso? 

[sunnyrifle]

「human trafficing」

AU of (GinYanma) Ginji rescuing Morita from human trafficing and raising him to become his perfect partner in crime (and a housewife);;

tags: Mature ▪️ dadcon(?) ▪️ canon divergence ofc

⚠️CAUTION!! i’m not eng native, this is an unedited text from my notes, structural & grammatical errors ahead⚠️

If Ginji tried finding someone to rely upon as a successor, as his partner, someone with no family or background - surely raising someone's child was a choice. Finding a woman and waiting an extra 10 years wasn't in his plans and also having blood relation could spoil it too. So Ginji would find the second most plausible resolution to this issue - rescuing the child young enough to be raised by him from some human traffic he has heard about. Not only would it be for free then, but it could also show him in the best light for that child's rest of the life right from the start

Choosing Morita wasn't anything specific, he was alright with anyone, but he looked like a wild animal chewing over his cage bars and estimating that there was still fight left in him then, unlike many other already broken spirited children around, Ginji broke off his cage's lock

Knowing how to read and write but malnourished for fighting back all the time, Morita didn't spend much time but maybe a few months at human trafficking quarters, shuffled from one ship container to the other, he only saw warehouses and cage bars up until Ginji took him to his house. Ginji promised they wouldn't come searching for Morita with such a menacing smile that Morita full heartedly believed him and smiled back, hugging his leg. 

For the first week he was wary of Ginji just like every single adult he had met after his parents died. But Ginji always let him sleep as long as he wanted and he wasn't woken up by a bucket of water anymore, the showers and baths were always warm. He could eat all he wanted, but only from Ginji's hand though. Morita thought Gin-san was just afraid he's still weak so he fed him by hand, but Ginji just smiled and said he didn't mind, and pushed Morita's chin back down yet again, putting one of the pieces of food to his mouth soon.

Good environment and good food made wonders and Morita grew up fast, Ginji made sure he had the right education and walked him through the main subjects by himself as well. 

But when Morita asked if he could go to school, Ginji said it wouldn't be possible to. After all he's a child erased from the country's surface and documents, Morita would make trouble appearing outside for more than necessary. Up until now he could only enjoy accompanying Ginji on their way to stores and casual shopping, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. And when a random child touched Morita passing by in the store, he hissed and bared his teeth, but hid behind Ginji's back when the child's mother appeared. Ginji made small talk and defended Morita while stroking his hair, not trying to say that Morita did anything wrong with his reaction. Morita cried that he wouldn't make friends like that, but Ginji hid him in his arms and said he has Gin-san to rely on now, so Morita hugged him back and soon calmed down.

When Morita grew up to be a teenager, he still slept at Ginji's side. He liked how Ginji combed his hair in the morning and eventually started bringing him newspapers from the front door and prepared him breakfast. Ginji didn't scold him even if his coffee wasn't the best, he still enjoyed Morita curling up at his side as he hugged Ginji's neck and took a peak at newspapers too. He wasn't allowed to read much about the world outside of this small frame of time, so he was always curious to do so under Ginji's surveillance. Eventually Ginji started to let him learn all about it - and Morita was astonished to find that the cruel world that left him with no parents and got him into the cage starving and crying himself to sleep - didn't change much since then. 

"To conquer evil one must become a greater evil" Ginji said, eventually uncovering the truth and his own goals. When Ginji finally left his police job and joined the underground business, he started preparing Morita for what he always meant to become - Ginji's partner. Ginji didn't have high expectations for Morita, as he was raised by his side, but was surprised time and again of how suitable for the role he was. He grew up strong, he had all the manners and knowledge Ginji raised him with, he had a rare insight that complimented Ginji's own and most importantly - he was loyal to a fault. So Ginji could always rely on Morita in his business. Even if dangerous situations were to happen or they got separated, Morita would crawl out of them and return to Ginji's side, unscratched or bloodied and injured was up to Morita's own wits and strength. As a young adult he became independent enough to support Ginji the best he could. 

He turned 20 and Ginji took him to yet another party they were invited to attend for business purposes. Morita blushed and hesitated each time Ginji called him his son - behind closed doors Morita never hesitated to service Ginji whichever way Gin-san would like. And such parties always left the older man on edge, having to pretend he enjoyed everyone's company and long talks for the whole night, networking and getting to know business owners, Ginji only enjoyed the alcohol and food provided in the end. And Morita always knew what to do - to slowly kneel before Ginji's legs in his tailored suit and tie, to let Ginji enjoy his last drink of champagne as he slid his fingers into Morita's hair and watched him work his mouth, leaning over one of the tables in the restaurant room left by everyone with the light turned off.

Ever since Ginji had Morita he made sure he gave him the best education he could. Of course, Ginji wasn't shy to bring up the subject of sex to Morita as well. He was a child gotten from trafficking hands, he must know what was going on around him back then. It was almost clinical in a sense and so Morita blushed but wasn't allowed to hide anything about his development of feelings regarding the other man as well. His attempts at enticing Ginji were made from the feeling of wanting to be seen as an adult - then turned to full blown first love that crossed out the parental love out of the picture - then made perfect sense into becoming Ginji's life partner. Ginji could only see Morita as his own little wife, as he always took care of the house, always cooked for them and still slept next to his side. The thrill with which they kissed and grasped at each other's clothes after returning home from a successful haste or con, made it feel like they were one night stand lovers though. And as much as it did at the moment, Ginji still knew every single inch of Morita's body and Morita knew every single angle his body had to be posed at to be the best display. He knew ever since Ginji took time to explain how Morita looks the best in full detail...

Eventually they get richer, their network strong and their endeavours turning more risky than not. And Morita was always good under pressure, he never winced or ran away from danger, but eventually- Kuromae mahjong, the Cage. Ginji knew gossip about that beforehand, but now he was sure and it was time for the final test of Morita now. He sat stunned and terrified of the mentions of the cage, he wasn't in any form to participate in the rest of the match and they took a break then. Ginji pulled Morita into the room provided to them, and sat him down at the bed. Morita was already on the verge of breakdown just from the description of what could await him in case he loses. So Ginji gives him a knife and walks him through it step by step: taking off his jacket, unbuttoning his shirt, unsheathing the blade, putting it into Morita's hand, turning it the right angle in his palm. Morita's hands are sweaty, grasping the handle with both of them. He shivers but not from fear, the tremble in his hands slowly going down because of the knife in his hands. He had his life under his own control, he could end it anytime he could sense the cage's danger looming over his head yet again. If his rational mind will be clouded by terror he won't be of use. And Morita slowly calmed down feeling the sense of control over himself returning just from the press of the sharp tip into his chest. Ginji's palm smeared the trail of blood running down to Morita's stomach and he slowly mouthed over Morita's temple, kissing his hairline and hugging him from behind. "Feel better now?" and Morita lowered the knife, his gift, breathing heavily as he looked at his own reflection on the metal of Ginji's present in his hand

In the end I'd like Morita to grow up spoiled with Ginji's attention and care! He would be a little cocky knowing he's Ginji's favourite very special boy and won't hesitate to hug Ginji's neck whenever he'd see fit, be that in public or a business meeting or their day off. I'd like to see Morita nuzzling closer, asking for good food and always get it as a reward, but only fed a few slices before Ginji says "that's not how you act, you must say thank you first" and Morita hungry because of the first taste to rush to please Ginji so he'd continue his meal (if he would still have any strength to of course;;)

If Ginji asks for Morita to fetch the coffee, he goes. If Ginji asks Morita to iron his clothes, he does. If Ginji's in a bad mood, Morita makes sure Ginji uses his body to the best use - be that slow passionate love or Morita moaning of pain because Ginji's angry with somebody from work and he uses Morita to satisfy that urge. In the end I think Morita would smile so nicely even if his neck would be all covered in bruises from Ginji's hands. And I think Ginji would feel just a little bit bad and caress Morita right until he drifts to sleep in his hands. 

I wonder if they were to eventually turn to ashes together then. If Morita would one day take his own life because Ginji would not be by his side. I would want to see that knife, which was almost an engagement symbol for Morita, to finally be put to good use

Side-comments: KongMengDo: in this AU, Morita really is a dog. Morita being locked in a cage as a very young child is like an untamed wild dog, and Morita being tamed by Gin-san... I love it... Morita's end is really bad! hahaha But I like it that...

Akira: when I wrote it I wondered how GinMori would act a little different in all the scenarios we had in the original, if Morita would be raised by Gin and had some additional trauma too haha-- I rly want to see Ginji react to Morita's stunned body and mind, when his protégé is almost useless, but then Ginji would do something even worse just so Morita would snap out of it by force and thank Ginji just bc he sincerely thinks Gin-san is helping him so much! hehe--

surely some dog training would be useful for Morita to turn into the best guard dog there is-- I wonder if Ginji even understood that he did it too good and his initial plan to leave Morita behind were he to die, to guard his wealth and legacy, would fail bc Morita would just end his own life instead of trying to continue it without Ginji by his side;; I'd say Ginji overworked on Morita's education just a little too much lol;;

[ssareids-coffee]

unrequited

hotch x reader series [part 4]

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

{the one where he finally realises they are his kids and realises how much he fucked up}

once you put the twins down for bed that evening, you had a chance to process what happened properly. curled up on your sofa with a glass of wine as you cry softly so you don’t wake the babies, laptop open and looking through old photos of your friendship with aaron. you missed him, you had always known you did but seeing him today, hearing his voice, his laugh- it was too much. since him leaving you were barely back on your feet, this having thrown you off completely. deciding to stop wallowing, you pick up the phone and call meredith, filling her and derek in on what happened that day as you settled in for a long and emotional night.

: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･aaron’s povﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ:

jack was down for the night, he was sat with a whiskey in one hand as he picked up the phone with the other. dialling rossis number as he took a large swig of his drink, waiting for his friend to answer.

“aaron, how are you feeling?” he asked, prepared to continue the conversation from where they left off that afternoon.

“she has twins dave” he sighs, closing his eyes and leaning on the back of his sofa exasperatedly.

“who? y/n?”

“i saw her when i was collecting jack, she has twins at the nursery attached to the school- fucking twins”

“twins? how old?” rossi asked sympathetically, unsure what else to say to comfort his friend.

“about 10 months, dave she looked so beautiful with those kids, i always knew she would be a wonderful mum i just can’t believe i wasn’t there to see it” he sighed, desperately trying to stay composed and quiet so he wouldn’t wake jack.

“you mean you can’t believe you aren’t parenting with her, don’t kid yourself aaron” rossi half-laughed.

“she said the dad isn’t around, she is a surgeon and a single mum of twins? dave i swear to god if i find out what son of a bitch knocked her up and left her like that i’m going to kill them” he all but growled, even after all this time of trying to convince himself that you not being in his life was best, he couldn’t help but still be protective over you.

“well, if they are less than a year then- aaron” dave paused suddenly “you slept with her, what, less than two years ago?”

“yeah something like that, it was december time so in abour 4 months” he replied, acting as though he didn’t know almost the exact number of days it has been since he touched you.

“aaron, did it ever occur to you that those kids are yours?” he freezes, the question taking him complete off guard, having another large sip of his drink before replying.

“there’s no way dave, she would have told me”

“would she? aaron, you told her never to contact you again and blocked her number, she couldn’t have even if she wanted too”

“no, she would have come to see me at home and tell me if they were mine-“

“the house you shared with your ex wife? that you told her you were getting back together with? don’t be stupid aaron” dave replies, cutting him off quickly. he sits, thinks about how the timing is almost too perfect, how one of the babies looked so like jack did and how neither of you bothered to stop for protection when you finally slept together.

“shit- dave, what have i done? i need to go see her”

“i’m on my way, i’ll watch jack for you”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･your pov･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

after a long call with mer, you finally hung up to let them sleep as derek was getting very grumpy from how tired he was. settling into your sofa as you tried to relax and forget about your day, about him, you were interrupted by loud knocking on your door. desperate to not wake up the twins you practically ran to the door, opening it quietly to see what was wrong. you freeze as you open the door, being met with a very upset looking aaron.

“what are you doing aaron? your going to wake the twins and my neighbours!” you whispered angrily as you tried to process what was happening.

“are they mine?”

“what?”

“are the twins mine” shit. with your eyes threatening to fill with tears again, you sighed.

“come inside, but please be quiet, the twins are fussy right now and will be a nightmare to put back down” he followed you into your apartment, noticing that not much had changed since he was last there accept for the baby photos and toys strewn over the floor. closing the door behind him, you walked over to your kitchen and grabbed you both a glass of water, handing one to him quietly.

“y/n, are they mine?” he exclaimed, trying his hardest to lower his volume as you sat down on your sofa with him.

“yes” you replied simply, letting out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding.

“i- i don’t understand, how could you not tell me?-“

“aaron, you don’t get to do that- how could i have told you? you told me you never wanted to see me again, i tried to text you asking to talk but you fucking blocked me” voice shaky with emotion.

“you could have tried- i had two other kids and you were just going to let me live without being in their lives?” anger and hurt evident in his voice.

“what? turned up to your house that you share with haley and tell you that you knocked me up?” letting out a breathy laugh at the thought. “you don’t get to make this about you, do you have any idea how hard this has been for me? you left- my best friend fucking left and i had to do this alone. i had no partner to come to scans with me, to find out it was twins, to cry next to me as i have his babies! don’t get me wrong, meredith did everything she could but nothing could compare to what it would have been like having you there- aaron” you cut yourself off with a sob, putting your head in your hands as you dealt with the pain and relief of finally telling him this. aaron pulls you in for a hug, expecting you to refuse but you fall into his arms and cry. he still smells like home.

“y/n, im sorry, im so sorry i put you in that position. i was a idiot- i still am an idiot” he laughed breathily “i didn’t want to get back together with haley really, i couldn’t bare to admit i was in love with you, i couldn’t bare the thought if you telling me it was a mistake so i had to go around pretending i’m just your friend when all i want to do is kiss you” you raise your head so you meet his gaze.

“you loved me?” voice small as though you were scared of the response.

“i love you” he whispers, eyes filling with tears.

“i have always loved you aaron” you reply, capturing his lips in a soft kiss. it’s filled with love, pain and emotion like you had never felt before. he pulls away slowly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“as much as i want to kiss you until the sun comes up, please can i meet my kids? can you tell me about them? show me the ultrasound photos, everything? i want to know them, god i didn’t even know their names!” he laughs, still in disbelief.

“maeve merideth y/l/n-hotchner and arlo jack y/l/n-hotchner” smiling at him softly as you finally got to share the children you created with him.

“hotchner? they have my name?” he smiles, wiping a tear away from his eye “i have a daughter? and another son?”

“always wanted them to have a part of you that i couldn’t give them, but your here now” getting up and walking to a cupboard, pulling out a large box before sitting back beside him.

“this is everything, every scan, every pregnancy test, even the little hospital bracelets” you smiled “photos from every mile stone, i want to show you it all, if you’ll let me?”

“yes, i want to meet my kids”

･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧

tag list-

@the-mouse27

@realdirectionx

@angelmather1

@ana-kat-evergreen

@elhotchner

@ah-blossom

[an: hi!! thinking there will be another two parts to this series, the next one being them going through the box and him meeting the babies and then the one after that being the final one! what do you think!]

[finelinevogue]

he’s so vogue

Description - you are the journalist for the new Harry Styles December Vogue Issue

A/N - how is everyone doing? hope you enjoy! if you have any requests please feel free to ask. love you all and have a lovely rest of the week!

warnings: swearing

[masterlist]

Being a journalist for Vogue was probably the biggest flex you could ever make.

After 3 years of studying English Literature at Surrey University, you never thought, only a year after, you'd be working as an apprentice at Vogue UK. If it weren't for your Aunty, who worked in the fashion design section at Vogue HQ, then you'd no doubt still be a broke-ass, single, lonely student. Ok, lonely you still were but your job was so full-on that you didn't have time for a relationship.

Two years into your apprenticeship you were promoted to an official member of the team, and then another two years later you got promoted to team leader in your department of journalism, and editing; The Media - or as you like to call it - "The Celeb Goss". You were beyond happy with your job and found such passion in every article your wrote. Whether it be about a new celebrity romance or the collapse of one, you found a way to story-tell in such a meditated way that everyone loved your pieces.

That's why the Harry Styles had requested you to be the one to interview him.

Of course you'd written about A-list celebrities in the past, producing articles on pregnancy rumours, or engagements, or breakups, but you'd never met them before authoring an article. You'd met plenty of D-list celebrities who thought they were mega famous, but if you mentioned their names people would turn around and ask "who?".

This is why interviewing Harry Styles was a massive thing for you.

Not very often did you get to do work out in the field, especially in these covid infested days, but nevertheless it was your favourite part of the job. Getting to meet the people you were writing about was completely refreshing, allowing you to obtain a clearer outlook on which direction to take on your journal piece.

You were asked to go to Stonehenge, where the photoshoot was being filmed, as your office of interview. Even though you'd lived in the UK all your life, you'd never actually been to Stonehenge. It wasn't really on your bucket-list, but it was a pleasure to get to see it all the same.

Being the prepared interviewer you were, you'd prepared an array of questions that you were set on asking Harry. You'd never met him before, but after much googling and youtubing of him prior to meeting him today you would already be confident in saying he's the most brilliant man to ever exist. You were really nervous that you were going to screw this interview up and make a terrible mess in front of Harry Styles.

"Lisa! What if I accidentally say something I shouldn't?" You ran your stressed hands through your hair.

This whole morning had been frantic. It had started off by you waking up late, no thanks to Lisa, your best-friend and co-worker, pressing snooze on the alarm. You wanted to look professional today so you'd put on your best shirt - only to spill coffee down it ten minutes later. So now, you smelt of coffee and were wearing what was left in your wardrobe - and it wasn't much. The only things left clean were a pair of pink corduroy flares and some, pastel coloured, graphic t-shirt to go with it.    

"You won't. Stop being so negative." Lisa rolled her eyes, probably fed up with the amount of winging she'd heard from you this morning - and you'd only been awake an hour.

"My outfit is hardly professional either." You huffed, pouring the rest of your, second, coffee down the drain.

"Well I think you look gorgeous." Lisa stated, whilst putting her breakfast bar wrapper in the bin.

You and Lisa were back and forth about you stressing, and such, for about half an hour before you had to leave. You had a great panic about losing your glasses too. You could see without them up close, but for long distance viewing and reading you were practically blind. You were taking Lisa's car, since she didn't think you were emotionally stable enough to drive. Lisa was the creative director on the set, and thank goodness she was so you could at least ramble to someone.

After a two hour drive up from London, you arrived at Stonehenge and it was freezing. Although the sun was out, it did nothing to keep your body heated. The journey up had been nice because you sat in your nicely heated car, chatting away with Lisa and blasting some Harry Styles out of the speaker. You'd made it through the first album, and the second one up to Canyon Moon before reaching your destination.

Upon arriving you could just about, without glasses, make out about 15 other cars, arranged at the bottom of a hill. There was an array of Audis and BMWs, a few Range Rovers, which you placed your bets on one was Harrys, and a green, vintage, Jaguar which was most likely belonging to the fashion editor or something. There was also a modern barn, perched at the foot of the hill, which was where Harry would be getting changed in to his various different outfits.

It took you a moment to register that Lisa had parked and was already clambering out of the car, making you look a little idiotic still blankly staring at the beautiful scenes in front, and around, of you.

But it was still bloody freezing.

You jogged a little to the boot and whipped out your white cardigan. Originally you'd thought that this would've been enough to keep you warm, but now you were starting to think otherwise.

The atmosphere here was amazing. People were rushing around left, right and centre loading, and unloading, various pieces of equipment and clothes. You caught sight of brightly coloured fabrics being carried to and from various places. There were the camera crew, and presumably director, all chatting amongst themselves. The smell of the very fresh air was so lush that you'd forgotten what it smelt like - especially after years in London.

You grabbed your bag from the boot, which had your notes, recording kit and laptop stuffed inside, before locking the car and following Lisa in to the barn.

It was lovely and warm inside - a completely different climate to than the outside. It was as if it was Bali inside and Antarctica outside. Better Bali than Antarctica though.

"Ok. Let's put our stuff down over here and then go find people we need to meet and such." Lisa instructed, you still too in awe of the place to fully comprehend what was going on.

You followed Lisa and you two ended up dropping off your stuff next to some other bags. You took a liking to the purse next to your stuff. Next to your bag, it made yours seem ancient - like it was worth nothing more than a penny. It was luscious and a beautiful baby blue colour. You softly ran your hands over it, finding satisfaction in how smooth and subtle it was.

"Hope you're not planning on stealing that, love." A manly voice appeared from behind you. You whipped around to see who's bag you'd been messing with, and it was just your luck that it was to be Harry Styles'. Of all the people's it could've been it had to be his. 

Perfect.

He looked dashing. He was in black flares and his iconic 'But daddy i love him', t-shirt, along with a huge green anorak. His hair was prettily clipped back with a pink clip, presumably placed there to gave his curls greater volume. In his hand he had a pink toothbrush and you guessed he'd come back over to put it away in his bag - only to find you caressing it instead.

"Oh - no, no. Not at all. I - uh - I just thought it was beautiful." You stammered over your words, choosing them carefully to try and make you look less like an active criminal.

"Mhm." Harry nodded whilst looking you up and down, most likely judging why a peasant like you, in comparison to him, was touching his expensive property. "Well, I love your flares darlin'." Harry looked down at your trousers, his compliment making you blush a little.

"Thank you. That wasn't professional, and neither is my outfit, I know, and I apologise." You added, because you knew that if your boss knew you turned up today the way you did she would give you a right bollocking - and potentially even fire you.

"Never apologise for flares. You look amazing." Gemma perked up, making you feel more self conscious surrounded by all these other beautiful women. Gemma was in a slouchy, knitted, jumper and basic jeans - no doubt all from shops beyond your budget - and yet she looked like a model fit for the runway for Vogue.

"Okay, sorry." You apologised again, to which you, creepily, got the exact same, stern, look from the Styles siblings at the same time.

"My stylist, Harry, introduced me to big pants. He offered whether I wanted to try a pair of flares, and I was like, 'Flares? That's fucking crazy'!" Harry laughed as he told his story, earning a laugh out of you too. "Now they're my favourite item of clothing. Have a whole wardrobe dedicated to them."

"I wish he was joking." Gemma laughed at her brother and his flare obsession.

"Well you do look handsome in them, so I understand why." Your words rolls off your tongue before you could even comprehend what you were saying. Only after you finished your sentence did you completely intake what you'd just said.

"Good start." Lisa giggled to you, before turning to walk over to the coffee station. It was a help-yourself coffee bar and you knew that you were going to bed at least five cups to get over the last five minutes alone. You'd probably drain the station before letting anyone else have any.

"Oh god." You awkwardly mumbled, not daring to see how weirdly Harry would be looking at you, before walking off outside.

You had spent less than 10 minutes here and yet you'd never felt like a bigger clown. Joining the circus had never been so easy.

The outside wind hit you like a powerful leaf blower, and your hair blew around like crazy - most likely compiling into a birds nest on the top of your head.

Today was supposed to be the start of something great. Your hopes were set on a promotion from your written masterpiece, whilst enjoying the company of one of the most handsome, most lovely, most talented men of this century. Those hopes seemed a little too distant now. They seemed to mock you, as if to laugh at how you ever thought you were going to be any more successful. You'd completely, in more ways than one, made a fool of yourself in front of your interviewee, you were so underdressed, you were caught fondling his Gucci purse and you were still bloody cold.

It all felt too unprofessional for a job where professional was practically the driving force of the company.

You leaned against the barn, taking a deep breath to try and calm yourself. You were a master in over-thinking, but unfortunately that wasn't something you could add to your resumé. You let your eyes close and the other senses come alive for a few moments. The sounds of distant sheep and the smell of the cold wind were just two of the senses that allowed you to take a step back for a minute, and breathe.

"Thank you." A voice interrupted you from your attempt of quick meditation. You looked to your left and noticed Harry standing there, still in the same outfit as before.

"I'm sorry?" You asked confused, taking a step away from the barn to considerately pay more attention to him.

"Thank you - for saying I look handsome in flares." He repeated, smirking when he added the second part.

"Oh." Was all you could respond, feeling too embarrassed to take the conversation any further. "I should—" You pointed back to the barn, using it as an excuse to leave before yet screwed up anymore.

"Lisa told me you're the interviewer." Harry added, and it only occurred to you that you'd never actually introduced yourself. "So it's lovely to finally meet you Y/N." He stuck out his hand for your to shake, which you did willingly. His hands were a lot softer than you'd expected.

"Ho... You know my name?" You asked surprised.

"Of course. I also know you're the best writer in Vogue right now." He flattered you, which made you blush. You had a feeling he'd make you do that a lot today.

"Sure." You rolled your eyes as you spoke sarcastically.

"Well I chose you for a reason, didn't I?" He rhetorically asked.

"I mean.. I, well.. I don't know?" You stumbled over your words, making yourself look like a larger fool than you did already. Today was just turning out to be exactly what you didn't want it to be. "Sorry."

"Stop apologising. You do it too often." He told you, nearly making you apologise again but he gave you a jokingly stern look, as if he knew what you were going to say, and so you decided otherwise.

"Harry!" You both turned to see there was a man waving towards you both, but specifically to Harry. "Come get changed!" The same man shouted. Harry lifted his thumbs up, as if to signal he'd be there shortly.

Harry turned back to you and noticed you shiver a little.

"I'll start the interview after I come back from the dressing rooms, yeah?" Harry asked, taking off his, khaki green, trench-coat in the process. He handed it to you before you could oblige against it.

"Wait what?" You confusedly looked down at the coat and back up to Harry.

"Gives me a piece of mind knowing my interviewer isn't going to die of hypothermia before actually interviewing me." He smiled, obviously attempting to crack a joke and you have to admit you did laugh.

"Thank you." You say, before he runs off to where he's being called to.

                                                            ••••

You'd been sat inside for a little while, waiting for Harry to come back. It gave you time to perfect your questions though.

Thinking up questions to ask Harry had been a challenging task, but one that you'd been fully invested in. You loved creating questions to ask him that were going to get to understand him on a deeper level. He was a very private man, and you completely respected that. If you crossed any boundaries, with the questions you'd ask, you would write them out of the interview. You liked to think you hadn't thought up a question that would make him feel uncomfortable though.

Pissing off Harry would be on another level of shame.

"Coat kept you warm?" Harrys voice disengaged you from your notebook.

"Hm?" You asked then replayed what he'd just asked in your mind. "Oh, yes. Thank you very much." You stood up, from where you'd been perched on the floor, picking up your nearly finished green tea as you did so.

Only when you stood up did it come to your realisation that Harry was now in costume. He was dressed in luxury. Each item looked like it cost more than your rent, and that was saddening. He looked rich and luxurious. To be quite honest, you were finding it rather difficult to take your eyes off him.

"You think the outfit is Vogue enough?" Harry asked, striking a few poses, which made you laugh. It was refreshing to see him act so relaxed and carefree, rather than a stuck-up-prick you knew some celebrities to be.

"Completely. I love it!" You exclaimed, appreciating the twirl he did for you.

He was wearing a kilt-like skirt and he looked beyond beautiful in it. Fuck toxic masculinity. Fuck being a manly man - like what does that even mean? Harry was embracing gender fluidity and experimenting the ways in which there was no definitive line between men and women's clothes anymore, and you thought it was marvellous. Revolutionary, for times as politically and socially troubled as these.

You started removing the coat in attempt to give it back to him, but he refrained you from doing so by holding on to your forearm.

"Keep it. I thought we could go outside to start the interview, so you'll be needing that." Harry told you, and you agreed - however reluctantly that was. You couldn't really complain though, because the coat did kept you warm and, what's better, it smelt divine - just like you'd imagine Harry to smell.

"Okay. Thank you. Do you want to go now?" You asked hesitantly, not knowing whether he was busy for someone else right now.

"Whenever you're ready, love." He answered, making you feel more relaxed. He was going at your pace and was making you feel settled - he was even more of a gentleman than people described him to be.

The two of you had walked around the backside of the barn in silence, enjoying the comfort of each other's presence. Well, at least you were. It was a blessing no one was back here. It was just you, Harry and the scenery that surrounded Stonehenge.

You approached a bench and you plopped yourself down on one end, whilst Harry sat on the other. He respected the fact that there was a pandemic going on, and didn't want to make you uncomfortable in any way. You still had your mask on, so Harry had taken that as you were very conscious about the virus - which he admired.

You pulled out your glasses, from the depths of one of the coat pockets, and placed them on your face, probably making yourself look even geekier than you already felt. Today was just one of those days you wished you had good eyes...

You opened your spent notebook, musty pages practically falling apart, and turned to the section of questions you needed for that interview. You were so nervous already and you hadn't even asked anything yet, all because of the previous interactions with Harry today. Your shaky hands shuffled through the pages and you cursed under your breath when you struggled to find what you needed.

"Shoot. Come on." You mumbled quietly under your breath, hoping it would make this terrible situation end faster. You mustn't have been as quiet as you thought though.

"Y/N." Harry's name broke through your clouded mind of self-disappointment.

You looked up at him to see him softly smiling at you, blowing all worries away from you away with the wind. "Yes?" You timidly asked, pushing your wind-swept hair out of glasses - where it'd gotten caught.

"You’re alright, love. You don't have to be professional around me, alright? We're just two strangers having a conversation, to get to know each other, okay?" If his words didn't calm you enough, the soothing sound of his husky voice certainly did.

"But that would mean you asking me stuff too?" You replied, confused at his implications of the phrasing 'getting to know each other'.

"Mhm." Harry nodded his head.

"Oh I don't know Mr Styles, i'm not a very interesting person." You answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, pushing your glasses back up the bridge of your nose from where they'd fallen.

"I refuse to believe that." Harry chuckled, making a quick smile appear on your face. "And please call me Harry. Just Harry." He begged, obviously finding it weird you calling him by his professional title. All you wanted, ever, was for your interviewee's to feel comfortable and safe, so if Harry wanted you to call him Harry then so be it.

"Ok, Harry," you sarcastically said, earning a shake of the head on his behalf, "you can ask me a few questions throughout the day." You told him, but you knew he'd struggle to find even two questions when he realises how bland you are.

"Does that mean you only get to ask me a few as well?" Harry smirked, already knowing the answer to that question. Unlike Harry, you had to write an article about today when you got home and so he knew that you'd have to dig as much dirt as possible from him.

"No, sorry. I don't particularly want to lose my job." You paused to look down at your notes, squinting a little as you did to see better. "Okay. Tell me your experience with corona virus."

"Sorry I didn't quite catch that, love." Harry apologised, leaning in slightly to see if he could hear you a second time around.

"Sorry." You looked down to fiddle with your fingers - a habit you'd undertaken when you're embarrassed. "Um..," you cleared your throat, "would you mind if I took off my mask?"

Your timid voice sent tingle down Harrys spine. He didn't think anyone could ever be this sweet. "Not at all, ‘course you can." He replied, again, wanting to make you feel as comfortable as possible.

You hesitantly took off your face mask, feeling like you were in some dramatic movie where they face revealed someone. You kind of liked having the mask on, because, for one, it kept you warm, and for two, you were a little self conscious with how you looked compared to all the other women here today. You shoved the mask in your pocket, with trembling fingers, before looking back down to your notes.

"Woah." You heard Harrys voice being mumbled under the wind. You eyes shot up to his and you noticed him staring right back at you.

"W-what? Is my acne playing up? I knew I should've—" You self-consciously run your hands over the areas you know you got acne. The masks really didn't help when it came to skin care.

"Hey, stop. No. You just... You look beautiful." Harry complimented you, and a roaring blush arose on to your cheeks. You'd never been called beautiful before, and so you were taking the compliment like such a 13-year old.

"Oh, uh, thank you." You awkwardly answered, not really having any other words come to mind in that moment. Harry chuckled under his breath, still keeping eyes on you for some reason.

"Would you mind repeating your last question, I didn't quite catch it?" Harry asked politely.

"Sure. Um, tell me how you've experienced corona virus." You repeated for him, gripping ahold of your pen to start copying what he says and pressing start on your recording device in case you needed it later.

"Well, it's been tedious that's for sure. However, I just want people to be safe and for life to return back to normal, so therefore i've been very MIA for a lot of the time. Keeping to myself mostly. I only went out for hikes or bike rides. All my meetings were online, so it's been very lonely." Harry kept eye contact with your figure the entire time, and if it weren't for you concentrating on writing what he was saying then you'd probably melt away under his gaze.

For such soft eyes he sure was intimidating.

"I presume the loneliness sent you crazy at times." You laughed, because you sure felt that way through lockdown. Curse being single.

"You have no idea." Harry laughed along with you, making you, slowly, feel more at ease.

"Actually, you'd be surprised." You looked at him unsure, before returning down to your notebook.

"Okay then, first question from me," Harrys words made your head shoot up, "How can someone as amazing as yourself be lonely?" He asked and you made a mental tally of how many questions he'd asked.

"Could ask you the very same question, Harry." You slyly replied, avoiding the question by answering with another question. It was a tactic you'd learnt, throughout your years of journalism, when you wanted to dismiss something .

"That's cheating." Harry pointed at you and raised his eyebrows, but you couldn't take your eyes off the big, cheeky, smile perched on his face. You shrugged you're shoulders in defence and returned to your questions. "But you did just call me amazing, so I think i'll let it slide this one time." You blushed, again, when you understood what he meant.

He was amazing though - that was the truth.

"You were in L.A. for the majority of quarantine, am I right to say?" You already knew the answer but your manager had just wanted confirmation.

"Yeah, but L.A. feels like holiday, whereas London feels like home." He answered, which you appreciated. He hasn't got lost in the way that Hollywood could let people. He'd stayed grounded.

"So what did you entertain yourself with during quarantine?" You asked curiously, slightly side-tracking from your pre-written questions - just because you were intrigued (nosey).

"Not much, not to be boring. I ate a lot of bread. I worked out pretty much every day. I wrote quite a bit actually." He used his fingers to pinch his bottom lip, something you'd noticed he did in interviews.

"Does that mean a new album on the way?" Your inner fangirl was screaming at the thought of HS3.

"Can neither confirm nor deny." Harry smirked to himself, like the cheeky bugger he is.

"That's a yes then." You joked, pretending to write it down in your notes.

"You're impossible, you." Harry laughed and shook his head. It made you feel all funny the way you could make him smile like that. You were the source of his happiness for just that moment, and that was enough to make you feel happy for a lifetime - not that he felt the same.

"Next question," you stated, moving swiftly on because you knew you had limited time, "How's your experience with Vogue been so far?"

"Wonderful. Everyone has been so welcoming and that makes it so much easier for me to have fun. It's daunting going at things alone, but i'm getting slowly used to it now." Harry sniffled a little, probably due to the freezing cold weather here.

"Must be strange, not having four best friends around you, all the time, anymore." You stated rather than asked him, sure that he was missing his bandmates. I mean, you were - so he definitely would be.

"Brothers." Harry replied, making you look up at him confused.

"I'm sorry?" You asked, giving him your full attention.

"You said four best friends. Well, actually they're my brothers." His words actually caused a rift in your heart. You could feel it being pulled apart and torn in to two. If you wrote this in to the magazine the fans would have a worldwide passing-away-party.

"Harry." You said softly, slightly tearing up at his words. "God, I swear i'm not normally this emotional." You chest your throat and try to establish your dignity - however there wasn't that much left anymore.

"Oh shut up." Harry looked away obviously trying to hide the fact that he was tearing up too. You laughed at him but didn't draw any more attention to it than you guessed he would've wanted.

"They mean a lot to you then?" You asked, hopefully not treading on any unwanted territories.

"Much more than a lot, yeah." Harry nodded his head, turning it back to face you. He could tell this conversation was now off-the-record because of your closed notebook, your undivided attention towards him and the fact you’d turned off the recording device. He liked being able to look at you, rather than the top of your head. He swore you were the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

"You still see them often?" 

"Not as often as i'd like. Niall did come around the other week to drop off some old guitars he didn't want anymore, and then we ended up playing around with some music for a bit." He admitted, which stitched your heart back together.

"So does that mean a Narry collab?" You teased, biting your bottom lip in anticipation.

"Narry? You so are a directioner." He laughed along with you.

"And you just avoided my question, therefore there is a song out there written only by you and Niall." You concluded, which shut him up.

This conversation was going a lot better than expected. Certainly a lot better than earlier. You will be permanently scarred by the way you spoke to him and handled his belongings. It was going to haunt you forever - and yet he'd forget about it by tomorrow. Or maybe he wouldn't, which is why you felt the need to apologise.

"Harry?" You asked, clearly indicating this was still a conversation away from the interview.

"Yes Y/N?" He watched you intently, listening to your every word.

"I, um, just wanted to apologise for my behaviour earlier. I was just really nervous to meet you, and to be honest still am. I didn't mean to touch your stuff without your consent and I certainly didn't mean to make you uncomfortable with any of my comments. So, i'm sorry. I can only imagine the awful, yet true, things you must think of me." You rambled really quickly, that you were uncertain whether Harry even caught one word of what you'd says.

"Do you know why I asked for you to interview me Y/N?" Harry asked, which wasn't the first thing you expected him to say after your apology.

"No. I...well Lisa told me it was because I can write well or something." You suggested, not wanting to sound egotistical.

"I mean you do write perfectly, but no." You were intrigued now. "I asked for you because I, and this is not for your magazine, have a secret - but not-so-secret - crush on you." This time it was Harrys turn to blush.

"Harry... you don't have to say that to—"

"I'm not saying it for anything. I sincerely think you are the most delightful, most prettiest, most fucking sweetest person i've ever met." Harry exclaimed, which you were taken aback by. Never, ever, did you think that Harry Styles would proclaim his likeness towards you. Ever.

"Harry don't mess with me, please." You shyly spoke, tilting your head down in disbelief that the Harry Styles was smitten about you.

He shuffled along the bench, stopping a little way from you but close enough to reach out for you. Your heartbeat increased when you noticed his hand move closer towards you. It didn't stop till he reached your face. He took his time, courteously, pushing your hair behind your ear before removing you of your glasses. He held the right-eye frame and slowly pulled the glasses off your face.

Once he'd successfully taken them off he folded them up and placed them alongside your closed notebook.

"Can see those pretty eyes now." He whispered quietly, but loud enough for you to hear.

"Don't lie. They're so dull." You mumbled, lifting your head up slightly. His face was still away from you.

"Not to me they're not." He retaliated, looking deep into your eyes as you did his. "I hate this corona virus."

"Why?" His words were so out of the blue sometimes, it gave you whiplash.

"Because I can't be as near to you as I want to be." Harry told you. And yeah, you hated corona too. It was getting a little laborious now.

"Smooth, Styles." You chuckled. You wondered how many new and weird pick-up lines could be made from covid. 

"I know." He winked, which honestly would have made you throw up if it were any other man on the planet. Somehow, though, Harry just made it seem attractive - along with every other thing that man ever did. "After this, would you like to come back to my house for a cuppa tea?" He asked sweetly, like a five year old asking whether you wanted to play together.

"Okay. Lisa was my ride though." You said more to yourself than anything else, debating on how you'd even get to Harrys. Uber? Taxi? Lisa? Walk?

"I'll drive us, it's fine. I have to drop Gem off, but i'd be more than happy to chauffeur you." Harry kindly offered, to which you were internally screaming about. You were literally, and metaphorically, having a field-day with all this Harry content and interview.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden." You question politely, not wanting to overstep any boundaries - especially in these covid infested times.

"Of course. I wouldn't have offered otherwise." He protested, waving his hand at if to say it was no bother. You were already trying to work out, in your head, how much petrol money you were going to owe him.

"Then i'd be honoured to have a brew with you Harry." You giggled at how cringe you were being, even if this was just your normal self speaking.

"Great." Harry genuinely smiled, teeth and all. "My shoot should take a couple of hours, but feel free to continue to write and journal. I'm looking forward to reading this particular article." He winked at you before standing up.

"Wonder why?" You sarcastically asked, knowing full-well it was due to his exposure of his own feelings towards you. Even though you'd never says anything back you were quite in agreement on how you felt about him, like he did you. He would be a narcissist to say he knew you liked him the same, out loud, but he knew. And you knew that he knew.

"Wonder why indeed." He gave you one last smile before he'd disappeared for the rest of the afternoon, leaving you to digest and relive the past half an hour or so.

Being Harry Styles' crush was probably the biggest flex you could ever make.

                                                          ••••

After Harry had finished up his shoot he was quick to come find you again.

You'd watched parts of his shoot and he looked magnificent. There wasn't a good enough word to describe how amazing he looked. Harry, his stylist, was probably the best stylist out there. His fashion choices were unmatched and you wanted him to be yours. You were not rich enough nor fashionable enough, ironic for working in a a fashion company, to hire a stylist, but you would if you could.

You were so proud to see what he was achieving now as the person that he was. Harry was just being Harry, without the devilish control of shitty managements or ridiculous amounts of PR stunts. Harry was more free than ever, and it definitely showed just how much he was enjoying it.

You were certain that this Vogue magazine would break the internet - his fans were good at doing that. This could be a turning point for many people, with their outdated and ignorant views. There was no room for people with racist or homophobic or transphobic or xenophobic - and the list does go on - views anymore.

You were waiting by the front door of the barn, to catch Harry as he walked past. You caught sight of him in a white robe, presumably to get changed back into his everyday clothes. He looked really pretty in the robe - very domestic actually.

Today had been a good day.

Harry asked you to send over the more specific Vogue questions to him via email, so he could devote more time in to answering them in a lot more depth. You thought he meant you'd be sending them to some PA in his team, but you were shocked to understand he'd given you his personal email.

People were walking back to their cars and packing away the filming kit. You saw Lisa and the director talking to one another, no doubt discussing some in-work gossip.

"You ready?" Harrys voice reminded you that you'd been waiting for him. You looked to see he was back in the same clothes as this morning, only this time without his coat.

"Here?" You offered, having him over the coat once again but he declined.

"Looks better on you anyways." He winked at you, before walking through the car park and to his car. You were very surprised when you found out Harry was the one to own the green Jaguar. You assumed all celebrities drove the Range Rover, but no. The vintage car added to Harrys immaculate vibe and just made him that little bit more hot.

Harry properly introduced you to Gemma, who was equally as lovely as Harry. They were both amazing people and they were crazily alike. From the way they looked, down to the way they phrased their words, they were mistakingly twins. Gemma explained how Anne, their mum, didn't know they were doing this photoshoot and that it was going to be a surprise, which you thought was so cute.

Gemma spilt a lot of gossip on Harry, to which he got very embarrassed over. You learnt that Harrys first word was Cat. You learnt that Harry is godfather to multiple children, which you found heartwarming. You learnt Harry used to be a baker - which was something he elaborated on for a good half an hour. Harry was just a fountain of memories and Gemma was the one sharing them all with you.

The drive back to London was relaxed. You sat in the back, listening to Harry and Gemma pointlessly argue whilst an Arctic Monkeys album played in the background. You forgot that people like Harry drove, and listened to music, just like other regular people. You often misplaced celebrities in society, thinking they had everything done for them but in reality that (often) wasn't the case - at least not for Harry.

Gemma was dropped off quickly before Harry drove to his. It was no surprise that the Styles siblings didn't live too far away from each other. Harrys house was beautiful. Bigger than anything you could ever dream of buying. It was a palace compared to your cupboard-sized house. You were unbelievably jealous. He gave you the tour of the house, showing you where the toilets were, and even his panic room if necessary.

You migrated to the kitchen for a bit, talking about anything and everything. Getting to know the minuscule pieces of information that no-one else was trusted with, made you feel special. Harry made you feel special - even if he weren't meaning to.

Every moment held a spark. Every touch set off a firework. Every laugh was an electric burst. He made you feel so alive.

"We can go to the living room after this has boiled." Harry said, pointing towards the streaming kettle. He wanted to show off his fancy tea collection he had, and let you have a try if you wanted to. Harry was boring and chose the basic green tea, but, after much deliberation, you chose the cranberry green tea. It intrigued you and it sounded delicious.

"Why the extensive tea collection?" Not even you, a certified caffeine addict, had this much tea in your house. Coffee was a different story and one in which you didn't want to talk about.

"They help me with my meditation." He took the teabags and placed them in his glass mugs. They had a delicate Gucci stamp on them, and you just imagined that they probably worth the same amount as your daily salary.

"You meditate?" You were slightly surprised that he did.

"I try to yeah." Harry nodded, focusing on pouring in the boiling water into the mugs. "I've got very tight hamstrings and so it helps if I meditate twice a day."

Harry finished making the tea, in the light-filled kitchen, before showing you around to the open-lounge area. Everything was modern and chic. It was exactly how you imagined it, but better. The open, red-brick, wall was a beautiful feature and one that you were a whore for! It reminded you of New York and the memories you'd made there one summer.

The sofa was a beautiful velvet, green, sofa. It was soft and gentle, a lot like Harry when you thought about it. The whole house was an architectural masterpiece and you'd be lying if you said you weren't jealous. You sat on one end and Harry went to go and sit on the other end.

"I don't bite you know?" You joked, self-consciously wondering whether he didn't want to be sat near you.

"I know, I just don't want to step on any of your covid boundaries - which is perfectly fine by the way." He added, apprehensively taking the spot next to you.

"No, not at all." You ushered him to sit next to you, as you took a sip from your steaming hot cup of fruity tea. "If I smell though, do tell me!"

"Yeah, you smell bloody awful!" Harry sarcastically remarked, but laughing afterwards to assure you he was joking. The atmosphere went quiet for a minute, only the sounds of passing cars and deep breaths being heard.

"Y/N can I ask you something?" Harry turned the tone of the conversation. It sounded like he wanted to be more serious than you two were being beforehand.

"Anything." You encouraged him to continue. You placed the cup of tea down on the table, deciding it was too hot to drink right now, and gave him your full attention.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Harry questioned. You didn't think you'd be having a conversation this intense - especially if you had different opinions - on your first day of knowing each other, but here you were.

"I believe you can love someone at first sight. I don't believe you can be in love with someone at first sight. Why?" You were curious as to how his brain had journeyed to this particular topic. You'd never really had this conversation with anyone before, mainly because you were unaware of the true power, and meaning, of love.

"It uh... It doesn't matter." Harry shook his head and you could tell by his body language that he was shutting you out. Maybe you'd made him uncomfortable.

"Sorry I didn't mean to—"

"No, no. Please don't apologise. It's just - I like you a lot more than you may think." Harry shyly told you, which made you all soft inside. He was being vulnerable and that was something you admired in a partner. You didn't just need love, affection and trust in a relationship. No. You needed vulnerability and heartbreak too, and Harry was revealing that part of him to you.

"I like you a lot more than you think too." You repeated, not because you felt bad for him but because you truly did like him a whole lot. Love was a weird yet wonderful thing, and if you were to hazard a guess you'd say you loved Harry. 

You couldn't wait to be in love with him.

"Does that mean I get to crown you my girlfriend?" Harry excitedly asked. Harry happy was something that should be made a constant, and you were more than happy to be in control of that.

"At least take me out first." You bargained, wishing for nothing more than to go on a date with Harry. Where you'd go, you had no idea. Everything was closed right now and there was still the chance of becoming sick with corona, but no doubt Harry would think of something not only clever, but special.

Of course you'd love to be Harrys girlfriend. However, you wanted one more, official, opportunity to really get to know him - unprofessionally. You wanted to make sure that you knew, and he knew, that you wanted to be with him because he was the charming Harry you've come to love, not because he was Harry Styles.

"So you're allowing me to take you on a date?" Harry smirked like a little child, your heart fluttering at how excited he was to be able to treat you to dinner.

"Yes, Harry. Yes I am." You answered sweetly, offering him the cutest smile you could.

You can't believe what a turn of events today has been. You've gone from nearly writing yourself on Harrys enemy list to writing yourself on to his 'people he's dated' list. Who knows what the future would offer you. At the start of the day you had wished this whole day to end and for the ground to just swallow you up, now you never wanted it to end. It was too perfect to be true and yet it was.

Harry was the most wonderful human to exist and you were beyond surprised to be the one to catch his attention. You didn't understand why you were so special, but it was nice to feel like this for a change. It was nice to feel wanted.

                                                             ••••

A few months later and you were officially Harrys girlfriend.

It had been such a crazy few months. Harry religiously took you out on dates every week. Whether it be to grab a hotdog at a local diner, a coffee from a quaint cafe, a walk in Hyde Park or a late-night drive around London - which normally ended up with you falling asleep before you could make it back to yours. On sleepless jet-lagged nights he'll still drive through London's quiet streets, seeing neighborhoods in a new way, just as an excuse to spend time with you.

Harry often stayed over at yours. Even though you looked like you lived in a shoebox compared to Harry, he liked it. He liked the subtly and normality of it all. He wanted your life to remain as normal as possible and, apart from the occasional paparazzi incident, it did. You never had anything to complain about. Of course the online bullying created emotional wounds, at the start of your relationship, but it was nothing that Harry couldn't repair with a bit of love.

Lisa has nominated herself to be maid-of-honour when the day comes - if the day comes. Harry has already pinky sworn that you are it for him. The one, as some may say. You were utterly flattered, but you certainly unsure of what the future help for you both.

You loved Harry, you do love Harry and you will forever always love Harry.

It was ridiculous to think that all this stemmed from you working at Vogue. From you studying English Literature in a city away from London. From you dedicating you extra hours gaining work experience and money to be able get in and afford university. So many moments in life have you stopped and said 'i wish i hadn't have done that', but now you were convinced that they were the best things to have happened to you - because they lead you, all, to Harry.

And, being Harry Styles girlfriend was probably the biggest flex you could ever make.

[butwhyduh]

Getting tall

Summary: Damian finally hits his growth spurts and the fam have opinions. Some damijon, timkon, jaytemis, and dickori mentioned.

Damian was an adorable tiny murder baby when he first showed up at the manor. Like a feral kitten. Short end of normal growth at 10 years old and thin too, Dr Leslie found. Make sure he eats 3 square meals and snacks when he wants and he’ll be just fine. Alfred had made it his mission, as he had done for both Jason and Tim, to put weight on Damian.

The first family member he outgrew was Cass. She reached over to ruffle his hair only to reach up above her head rather than below it. She didn’t mind. 5’4 isn’t very tall. She’d just have to remember that the next time they spar. Height wasn’t an important factor to her.

It was a few months later that Damian hit a massive growth spurt and grew 4 inches. He passed by 5’6 Stephanie.

“Hey little dude. What are they puttin in your food, miracle grow?” She asked when she noted how tall he was and how big his feet had gotten. Damian was a bit like the giant puppies all gangly. Alfred was adjusting the Robin costume monthly after Damian rushed to put it on for patrol one day and every time he raised his arms he felt his stomach show. Clothes were constantly being bought that met his newest height increase. The Kents were very appreciative of the barely worn clothing Jon got as Damian went through another pair.

“I’m perfectly normal in growth,” he said pulling on the hem of his shirt that was growing shorter by the day. Stephanie eyed him but left it. Tim hated the height jokes they would make when everyone started passing him in height. Nowadays Tim just rolled his eyes and deferred all short jokes to Bart who Damian was now taller than. Bart didn’t care at all because he was short but he was also at least top 3 faster people ever so who cares right?

For a very short time, Damian was taller than Jon. He liked that. Jon thought it was pretty funny.

“D, I’m going to be taller. My dad and mom are both taller than yours. I’ll be taller in the end,” Jon said with a grin before Damian pushed him off the roof. Jon giggled and stared at Damian with obvious heart eyes. The kid was definitely smitten.

Tim was half an inch taller. He didn’t acknowledge it in any way. But it wasn’t surprising. His mother was tiny, his father lower end of average, and Tim probably skipped too many meals with working during an important growth phase while he was becoming Robin. 5’8.5 is a perfectly normal height for a man. He had an easier time with stealth.

Bruce watched as his son grew more handsome and taller everyday. He recognized things he hadn’t taken the time to see with Dick or Jason and had missed completely with Tim. Aftershave, cologne, and deodorant budget went up exponentially and Damian was barred from bringing any of his shoes in the house and his Robin uniform had to double washed occasionally. He spent far longer in the bathroom doing his hair and agonizing over any spot on his face.

Bruce even once caught Damian do the lean on the doorframe while talking to someone they like when Jon visited once. He had to give the worst birds and bees talk of all time. Bruce also noted how Damian had Talia’s nose and his lip curled the same way hers did when he smiled. He stretched when walking to the breakfast table the same way Dick did.

Damian didn’t get another true growth spurt for 2 years. There was plenty of jokes that he jumped up to his height and didn’t move again. Jon was once again taller than Damian. Alfred was ready this time with the massive amount of food the 15 year old could put away and panels in his costume for easier adjustments.

Talia smiled proudly at her son as he grew taller than her. He was turning out handsome like his father but kept her feature and in her mind, that was the perfect combo. She never told Damian because she didn’t him to grow arrogant.

Dick didn’t notice it right away. He was so busy with Bludhaven and the Titans that he didn’t notice Damian had gotten a full inch taller than him. He only realized when him and Damian practiced a complex move that required a taller and shorter partner while training. They paired up as they always did and the maneuver completely fell apart. Dick was mentally putting together why it failed when Damian walked over and it clicked. Little D was not so little anymore.

“You’re taller than me,” he said brightly. Damian immediately grinned.

“So now you’re little D,” Damian said back. Dick laughed at that one.

“Don’t let it go to your head. I can throw you around like a tilt-a-whirl,” Dick warned. Of course, that’s exactly what happened the next time they sparred when Damian tried to use his height advantage.

“I can beat Jason so don’t think you can beat me just by being bigger,” Dick said standing over Damian who rolled his eyes.

Dick had no problem with Damian getting taller. It was his own height he had a complicated relationship with. See, Dick grew up as an acrobat. Being tall is a disadvantage. More weight to swing, more body to move. And his father had told him growing up that almost every Grayson man has been 5’8. It’s a legacy as strong as flying above the circus crowd.

And so when at 15, Dick was very distraught with the fact that he hadn’t stopped growing at 5’8. It felt like a part of his history and family legacy had died. He wasn’t one of the 5’8 Grayson men. He never told anyone beside Kori, late at night where she told him she loved him tall or small. She had already far outpaced Dick and was on her way to being 6’4.

Duke and Alfred and Damian were the same height for a short while. Duke would joke that he could just wear the Robin’s costume since they were the same size. Damian would threaten to disembowel him if he touched it and that made Duke laugh even more.

When he grew taller Duke once again joked with Damian calling him a not so jolly green giant and Alfred considered his nutrition attempt a complete success. Damian went from a tiny kid to a tall strong young man.

Damian and Jon were practically the same size for a while. Jon barely bent his neck to rest his chin on Damian’s shoulder as his partner worked on a complex mechanical part. Then Jon hit another growth spurt to end in his final height of 6’2, same as Bruce and his father. Damian enjoyed having a taller boyfriend for a while but would never say anything. High school dances were nice.

Bruce could see Damian getting taller and stronger and was practically grown. Dr Leslie warned Bruce that growth could continue until Damian was in his early 20s and he could end up a quite tall young man or stop tomorrow.

Jason liked being the tallest and biggest in the family. He had an entire inch in height on Bruce and was at least 20 lbs heavier. He was built like tank. When Jason had died at 15, he was terrifyingly thin. Alfred had tried his best but Jason had suffered malnutrition and hunger from practically birth. He was short and thin and Dr Leslie had told Bruce he probably always would be. And so when Jason came back to life a giant 6’3 and over 200 lbs, it was a shock. It took him forever to accept his size as anything more than an amour to create fear in his enemies. The first time he had accidentally scared a woman walking in the street at night, Jason had hated that he was so big. But within his family, it had become a source of pride. He was certainly taller than Dick and Alfred and even Bruce.

So when he visited Cass’s birthday party and Jason stood next to Damian and realized that the kid was taller than him, he was a little shocked. Damian had reached his final height of 6’4.

“When the hell did you get so big?” Jason asked while cake was being served. Dick nosed in the conversation.

“Little D is taller than you now,” he said with a teasing grin at Jason.

“And yet you insist on calling me Little D,” Damian said with an eye roll.

“I call him Big D,” Jon said with a smile. Dick blanched and Jason coughed out an awkward laugh.

“Good for you, bro,” he said patting Damian on the back. Jon blushed at the sudden understanding.

“No! I mean- he’s taller than me. I didn’t mean- uh,” Jon stuttered. Damian grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him away from his brothers who were laughing.

“It’s weird you know,” Jason admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

“The fact that he is dating Jon?”

“No, they’ve been together forever. That he’s taller than me,” Jason said.

“Are you- does it bother you that you aren’t the tallest?” Dick asked with a gleeful smile.

“No,” Jason said abruptly.

“It could be like how I learned my little brother was bigger than me,” Dick teased. “All of a sudden you were just massive. My tiny little brother was this big dude. Good thing I’m comfortable with my masculinity.”

“Your girlfriend is like 6 inches taller than you. If that isn’t emasculating then there’s nothing I could do,” Jason answered.

“Yeah, she’s always been taller than me,” Dick said with a fond smile. “You can’t talk with the Amazon you’ve been hanging with.” He pushed Jason’s shoulder with a grin.

“We’re just friends-I guess,” Jason said uncomfortable. “That’s not the same-“

“Well at least Tim will always be our little brother,” Dick changed the subject but mentally noted Jason’s reaction to the mention of Artemis.

“Yeah, he’ll always be a shrimp,” Jason agreed.

“Honestly fuck you both,” Tim said from across the room. With Kon standing next to him he certainly looked tiny.

“Hey, it’s my birthday and I am the shortest and I can still kick all of your butts,” Cassandra reminded them both and they laughed but neither corrected her because they knew she was right.

[oneradmonster]

Chase’s Big Dumb List of Audio Dramas

I just want to boost the things I like so I have people to talk to about them 🥺

Fair warning I’m bad at explaining why things are good and you should listen to them other than “I like it” and I tend to end up repeating myself a lot. Bare with me. I'm doing my best.

Also this is in no other order other than “how it showed up on my podcast list on spotify” Also also, the ratings are basically arbitrary. for funskies 

(also if you wanted to say, recommend me some more based off this list or just your own personal preference...I wouldn't say no 👀)

Gather The Suspects - A Cozy Mystery set in Wales during a boring apocalypse

What it says on the tin. Unique, funny, and a nice thing to curl up to. 8/10

Currently crowdfunding for season 2! (Please consider donating)

Forgive Me! - A story about a Catholic priest moving to a new church under mysterious circumstances and getting used to the odd members of his new community, mostly told through confessionals.

“A heartfelt and human story about modern faith that is at times funny, frank, engaging, sad, respectful and critical of the community it takes place in”

couldn’t put it any better than the creators themselves. Honestly up their with my top favs. Regardless on how you feel about Catholicism or religion itself I believe most people can find enjoyment in it 10/10

The Orphans - A cinematic sci-fi audio drama about survival in a harsh universe: castaways on a hostile world, A.I.s with unprecedented emotions, strangers who share faces, love and loss in a far-flung future.

EXTREMELY GOOD! Have been told if you like Star Wars you’ll dig this. Super engaging “i couldn't put it down” energy, love it. 10/10

Brimstone Valley Mall - The year is 1999. Lurking somewhere between Hot Topic and the food court, five misfit demons from Hell kill time inciting sin in a suburban shopping mall. When the lead singer of their band goes mysteriously missing, the demons only have two weeks to find him before they play the biggest gig of the millennium - or face the wrath of Satan herself.

A fun little story with interesting characters and their complicated relationships really interested to see where they go with season 2 8/10

Midnight Burger - When Gloria took a waitressing job at Midnight Burger outside of Phoenix, she didn’t realize she was now an employee of a time-traveling, dimension-spanning diner. Every day Midnight Burger appears somewhere new in the cosmos along with it's staff: No one knows who built Midnight Burger or how it works, but when it appears there's always someone around who could really use a cup of coffee.

Absolutely phenomenal! Really one of the best audio dramas I’ve listened to. It balances between heartwarming, funny, dramatic, and thoughtful perfectly. Lovable well written characters and a wonderful unfolding story 100/10 (that’s not a typo!)

Wooden Overcoats - Rudyard Funn and his equally miserable sister Antigone run their family’s failing funeral parlour, where they get the body in the coffin in the ground on time. But one day they find everyone enjoying themselves at the funerals of a new competitor – the impossibly perfect Eric Chapman! With their dogsbody Georgie, and a mouse called Madeleine, the Funns are taking drastic steps to stay in business…

This podcast is complete! And it was bittersweet to finish as it was, in my opinion, a perfect ending but I was sad to have nothing more to listen to. Ridiculously funny while also being incredibly beautiful. A one in a million podcast 12/10

Where The Stars Fell - Dr. Edison Tucker is having a very weird life. Not being able to die tends to color things that way. Luckily, the strange and unusual is something of her specialty, and Ed’s set her sights and wunderkind grant money on the strangest town in America: Jerusalem, Oregon. She’ll certainly get her EMF Meter’s worth. Between an eccentric housemate, quirky townsfolk, and the mysteries lurking just beyond the tree line, Ed’s going to find the answers she’s been searching for. She just might not be ready for what finds her.

This one ended up being very different from what I had imagined based on its trailer but I ended up enjoying it regardless. Fair warning this podcast gets HEAVY things get very real and very raw. There are trigger warnings in episode descriptions. So take care of yourself. 9/10

The Amelia Project - A dark comedy podcast about a secret agency offering a very special service: Faking its clients' deaths and bringing them back  with a new identity! Its eccentric clientele includes cult leaders, scientists, politicians and even an AI, all desperate to disappear and  start over... But how long can the secrecy last?

“The Amelia Project is crammed full of comedy, mystery, twists and fine beverages. If you like Sherlock, Dirk Gently or Monty Python, this will be your cup of cocoa.“

I originally gave this podcast a pass as the first episode (which is no longer available) made me uncomfortable. Very glad I gave it another try as it has quickly wormed its way into my heart :) I’m on pins and needles for the next season and eager to se how everything comes together 10/10

Old Gods of Appalachia - Old Gods of Appalachia is an eldritch horror anthology podcast set in the darkest mountains in the world. Our world is an Alternate Appalachia, where these mountains were never meant to be inhabited. Long before anyone lived in these hills, beings of immeasurable darkness and incomprehensible madness were entombed here. It was during this bygone age, when the Appalachians towered much higher and more menacing than the gentle slopes and ridges we know today, that they were conscripted after a great battle to serve as the final prison for those dark forces. But of course, time marches inexorably on. Eons passed and the walls of the prison begin to wear thin. And Things that slumbered soundlessly below for millennia began to stir and become restless.They began to call to those who would hear them.To dig. To seek and find. To follow and serve. To keep this dark and bloody land for themselves and their masters.

If this description doesn't interest you into listening then nothing will, a truly INCREDIBLE podcast that I am sadly far behind in. With beautiful narration and incredible story telling. 10/10

Unwell, a Midwestern Gothic Mystery - Lillian Harper moves to the small town of Mt. Absalom, Ohio, to care for her estranged mother Dorothy after an injury. Living in the town's boarding house which has been run by her family for generations, she discovers conspiracies, ghosts, and a new family in the house's strange assortment of residents.

A mystery that truly sucks you in and just when you think you’ve started to figure it out you learn something new that completely unravels your theories and adds a hundred new questions 10/10

Death By Dying - A dark comedy fiction podcast that serves as the obituary column for the charming town of Crestfall, Idaho. The Obituary Writer finds himself deeply in over his head as he investigates a series of strange and mysterious deaths... when he is supposed to simply be writing obituaries. Along the way he encounters murderous farmers, man-eating cats, haunted bicycles, and a healthy dose of ominous shadows.

A funny and charming little podcast that manages to take ridiculous story lines and make them something you can take seriously 10/10

Madame Magenta: Sonos Mystica - Madame Magenta, psychic, medium, and inventor of the ‘drink-along’ audiobook, reads her best-selling books*, Magenta is the Warmest Colour and Madame Magenta & The Arcati Killer, with support from her adoring husband Bernard. In Magenta is the Warmest Colour, Magenta is forced into a bank heist by the ghost of her ex-husband, and in Madame Magenta & The Arcati Killer, she is pitted against a psychotic murderer hell-bent on destroying the mystic community. She also uses the ancient art of bibliomancy to help solve real problems sent in by you, her Tragic Fans.​WARNING: Adults Only. Drink Responsibly.Don't Blame Us.

Mockery Manor - Summer, 1989. Mockery Manor's new staff have moved into the on-site lake house, ready for the re-opening of Britain's most eccentric theme park. It's a teen dream of a job (as long as you've never seen Friday the 13th), and eighteen year old twins JJ and Bette are determined to leave a difficult year behind them and have a summer straight from the movies... if they don't kill each other first. ​But something's happening at the park. People keep going missing, and JJ has a horrible feeling the screams she heard in the scare maze were more than just a frightened guest. And why is feline park mascot Mr Crackles stained with blood?

“"Podcasts can be remarkably immersive. Mockery Manor doing a marvellous job. Made by fellow Norfolkkers too."​- Stephen Fry“

A delightful black comedy that keeps you guessing til the end, and a lovely soundtrack to boot! 8/10

*dependent on definition of 'best-seller'

An easy and fun listen, like an audiobook but the narrator is drunk and incapable of staying on topic and also takes breaks to do fortune tellings for fans. Enjoyable but perhaps an acquired taste 8/10

Kakos Industries - Congratulations! You are now a shareholder in Kakos Industries, a megacorporation that specializes in helping its clients to Do Evil Better. You are now entitled to listen to the shareholder announcements that keep you up to date on all of the advancements made in Evil and the bizarre occurrences inside of Kakos Industries itself.

“A deeply entertaining, R-rated, darkly satirical, sex-positive comedy audio drama with elements of horror.“

Think if Welcome to Nigh Vale was about a megacoporation that sold evil and included a lot more sex. Hilariously funny 10/10

Startripper!! - Feston Pyxis, native of the bureaucracy planet Lorvin, has left it all behind! He’s said his goodbyes, he’s sold all his B-movie memorabilia, and he’s bought a Physiclast QCS-25 K-series ship, known to the wise as a “StarTripper.” Together with the onboard assistant Proxy, Feston’s looking for any and every good time there is to be had across the stars!

No words could ever do this podcast justice! One of my all time favorites. It has become an immense comfort to me, the moment the intro music starts I am instantly at ease and ready to go on another adventure with Feston through the endless possibilities of space! If you listen to this podcast we are instantly best friends!! ∞ /10

The White Vault - Explore the far reaches of the world’s horrors. Follow the collected records of a repair team sent to a remote arctic outpost and unravel what lies waiting in the ice below.

“The White Vault is a horror fiction audio drama podcast that features languages and voices from around the globe. It often showcases the found footage format, accurate depictions of modern archaeology, and isolation horror, brought to life by a full cast and detailed soundscape.“

Another completed podcast! That I am unfortunately behind in. However, what I have heard is delightfully terrifying and incredibly produced. You will have trouble sleeping soundly after this one folks! 10/10

We Fix Space Junk - Follow seasoned smuggler Kilner and reluctant fugitive Samantha as they travel the galaxy, dodging bullets and meeting strange and wonderful beings as they carry out odd jobs on the fringes of the law.

Extreme capitalistic dystopian sci-fi hellscape, but make it fun! 10/10

Neighbourly - Let's meet the residents of Little Street. Well. "Meet" is a strong word. How about: observe? Neighbourly follows the residents of Little Street, house by house. What they do, how they interact with each other, and what skeletons are hiding in their closets.

A very horrifyingly delightful podcast, each episode manages to be uniquely strange and wonderfully creepy. 9/10

The Call if Cthulhu Mystery Program:  -  In The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program, cinematic audio drama and live tabletop roleplaying coalesce into an occult radio play of unknowable horror and black comedy! Each series is a standalone tale, boldly exploring Lovecraftian lore in queer and uncanny ways. What dark deeds unfold on the streets of Arkham? And which unwitting souls – innocent or impure – will succumb to the maddening call… OF CTHULHU?

 A super cool idea that the crew/cast pull off perfectly! Its done to the point where i cant tell whats game play and whats scripted. A neat experience that I encourage others to give a try 10/10

Diary of A Space Archivist - Sam archives space.  Yep.  It's pretty boring... until she finds an alien-bat-thing hiding inside her robot companion.  How will she keep the cute, and definitely not terrifying, creature safe from the very corporation that employs her? After all, she's just an archivist. Don't worry, everything will be fine...

“A light-hearted podcast about friendship, chocolate and space...” sums it u pretty well I think! 10/10

Windfall - Ever since the castle first appeared in the sky above the city of Windfall, its residents have been building upward. Now the city consists of towers where the wealthiest residents live at the top while the poor eke out a living on the ground. Our podcast follows Cas, Shaima, and Argus, three brothers who live with their Uncle Vern after being orphaned during the grounder rebellion twenty years earlier. They find themselves drifting apart as Argus, the youngest, falls hopelessly in love with the much-older Helina, a foreign merchant haunted by her past; Cas, the middle brother, works in secret for the local crime boss; and Shaima, the oldest, struggles to keep their uncle’s scrap shop from going under. When Cas’s best friend, Kendall, is offered a position with the Wolfpack, Windfall’s military cult that acts as the city’s police, Cas is forced to decide where his loyalties lie. Meanwhile, something sinister looms over the city itself, threatening the lives of all who live in Windfall, from the wealthiest residents to the ground-level poor.

Im a bit lukewarm on this one to be honest, i’m interested in the story enough to listen to season 2 but it feels like the relationships between characters escalate a little too quickly to me? We’ll see. 6/10