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tetsurousharlot · 3 years ago

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For @hisgoodpuppy's Decades Collab - it's like super late and I'm so sorry! Congrats on 500! Thank you @nocturnalazura for beta reading and brainstorming and header and divider help (also sorry for you know what)

Pairing: 1920's Soldier!Bakugou and Lounge Singer!Female!Reader, some deku x reader

Word Count: 7.6k

Summary: Bakugou's life changed when he walked into your club. It changed again when he shipped out for the war. Unknowing of how long it will last, will Bakugou survive? If he does, will he get to keep the girl?

Warnings: angst, fluff, porn with plot, character death, depictions of war, drinking/alcohol, use of guns, unprotected sex (wrap it up irl), creampie, breeding kink, lactation kink, fingering, oral (reader receiving), penetration, mentions of cancer, parent au, pregnancy, all characters are 18+. MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO INTERACT (LIKE, REBLOG, COMMENT, FOLLOW). MINORS 17 AND UNDER AND AGELESS BLOGS, DO NOT INTERACT. I WILL BLOCK. Notes at the end.

Your fingers run through soft, blonde locks as wet, open mouthed kisses are pressed to your stomach. Sunlight filters in through the window, creating a halo around the head as vermillion eyes stare up at you. Squeals fall from your mouth as his calloused hands tickle your sides, white sheets that were formerly wrapped around you both are now tangled in between your legs. Your eyes fall on his soldier uniform and your red sequin dress littering the light wood floor as Bakugou kisses up your body until his lips claim yours.

His hand cups your cheek as he moves to rest between your thighs, growling into your mouth as the tangled sheets prevent him from doing so. Breaking the kiss, he grabs the sheet and untangles it from your legs, claiming his spot between them as he brings the sheet to rest just above his waist. He claims your lips again, sliding his tongue in your mouth when you part your lips. You wrap your legs around his waist as you thread your fingers through his hair, causing him to grunt into your mouth as he deepens the kiss and ruts against you.

You break the kiss with a gasp and he smirks before smiling softly at you, emotions swirling in his eyes. He trails his lips along your neck, smirking against it when you angle it for him. He rests on his forearms to look at you deeply and gives you another quick kiss, pulling away before you can deepen it. He chuckles as a pout forms on your face and he brings his lips back to yours briefly before pulling away again.

“That’s mean, Kats,” you pout again.

“Sorry, sweets, but I want to look at you. You’re beautiful exactly like this.” He presses a kiss to your neck. “Sun shining on you,” he presses a kiss along your jawline. “Bruised lips.” He presses a kiss to your cheek. “And all mine.” He claims your lips again, biting the bottom one lightly.

You laugh as you push his head away before smiling softly at him, nothing but love and happiness in your eyes, “You’re so cheesy, Kats.”

“It’s only for you, you know. I love you, sweets. Walking into that lounge was the best day of my life.”

A smile graces his lips as you both reminisce on the day you met.

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Jazz music comes from the band as Bakugou walks through the club. Vermillion eyes roam the walls, taking in the atmosphere as dumb and dumber chatter incessantly behind him. In the dim light, he can barely make out the dark wood that meets the red curtains of the stage as Bakugou makes his way to a booth. His comrades slide in next to him as a waitress comes over to take their drink orders.

Kirishima claps Bakugou on the back, “Excited to ship out soon, Bakugou?”

“I am! We’re finally going to get to see some action!” Kaminari interjects, stretching his arms wide and resting them on the back of the booth.

“That excitement is going to get you killed out there one day, dunce face,” Bakugou growls out, glaring at the room. “I’m excited to win this war and come home a hero.”

The waitress drops off their drinks and asks if they need anything else and Bakugou waves her off with a sneer. A spotlight shines on stage as soft jazz comes through the speakers. A soft, melodic voice reaches his ears and his head snaps towards the stage, vermillion eyes enraptured as you start the opening lines of “A Smile Will Go a Long, Long Way.”

Bakugou’s eyes stay on you as he picks up his Old Fashioned and takes a sip, fingers tapping against it to the beat as he rests it back on the table. Kirishima and Kaminari share a look as Kaminari rests his arm around Bakugou’s shoulders.

“She looks like a real sheba, huh, Bakugou?”

Angry, red eyes glare at Kaminari as Bakugou shrugs his arm off him, “Talk like that about her again, dunce face, and I’ll cut ya down myself.”

Kaminari raises his hands in surrender as Kirishima smooths things over, “Okay, okay, let’s all take a breath. He just meant that she’s easy on the eyes, right, Kaminari?”

Bakugou growls and rolls his eyes as yellow blonde hair moves fast out of the corner of his eye, “Yeah, whatever. Just give her better compliments if you’re going to talk about her, got it?”

Slicked back yellow blonde hair moves rapidly in the corner of Bakugou’s eyes as he leans back, eyes locked on you and nursing his drink. The second the song ends, Bakugou is out of his seat like a bat out of hell. He gets to the stage just as you descend the side stairs, making your way to the bar. He clears his throat and your eyes meet his.

His hand rubs the back of his neck nervously, “Uh, you have a beautiful voice. I really enjoyed the show.”

“Thank you. You a new fan? Haven’t seen you around these parts before,” your eyes rake up and down his body. “A soldier, huh? Must be a lounge lizard, especially with those spiffy arms you got there.” Mirth dances in your eyes as his cheeks turn red.

“Tch, the Janes may be hanging on me but that’s not my style, sweets.”

You open your mouth to respond when a loud blonde wraps an arm around Bakugou’s shoulder, “This mac givin’ ya trouble, doll? I don’t know what he told ya but he’s stuck on a lot of dames.”

“I see. Well, I’m gonna scram. It was, uh, nice to meet you,” you sidestep them both, ignoring Bakugou’s attempts to keep you there, and continue on your way to the bar.

“Dunce face,” he glares at him, shrugging his arm off of him before sulking back to their booth, “get zotzed.”

Kaminari follows him to the booth, “We both know you don’t mean that.”

“Whatever. I like this gal and now she thinks I’m a cake-eater,” he glares at Kaminari. “I’m coming back without you two eggs.”

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“And you did,” you smile at him softly, running your hands through his hair.

“And I did.”

“Nearly tripped over your feet, trying to explain. Even went so far as tipping me a pair of Cs.”

“Which you declined.”

“In exchange for a date.”

He gives you a quick kiss before getting up from bed and grabbing something from his pants pocket, enclosing it in his fist, “best date of my life.” He climbs back into bed, taking his place right between your legs.

“What’d you get, Kats?” You tilt your head to the side.

“Just some ice for my girl,” his face turns serious. “We got our orders. We’re shipping out soon. . . and these past few months have been the best of my life, sweets. I’m absolutely dizzy about ya. I don’t want to head to the front without doing this so. . .” he opens his hand and shows you a ring with one square diamond in the middle, two smaller diamonds on each side, nestled neatly in a thin silver band. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, sweets. Have kids with you, a little girl first, and own this big, white house with a big yard for our kids to play in. We’ll watch our son and daughter run and play in the yard from the porch, our joined hands resting on your baby bump. Kirishima and Dunce Face will come visit with their kids, too. Marry me, sweets.”

“Kats. . .” happy tears run down your face as the ring glints in the sun. “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you!”

He slides the ring on your finger, pressing a kiss to it then claiming your lips with his. Your hands cup his face as you deepen the kiss, wrapping your legs around his waist. His tongue entwines with yours as he rolls his hips against yours. Breaking the kiss, your head falls back to let out a quiet moan and his lips move to your neck, sucking harsh enough to leave a mark.

Your hands grip his shoulders before he slides down your body until he’s level with your cunt. Your hands move to grip the sheets as he inserts two thick fingers, scissoring them inside you. With your moans filling the room, he attaches his lips to your clit, tongue pressing against the bundle of nerves.

“H-ha, Katsuki. . .” you grind on against him as he works another finger inside you, curling them fast against the spot that makes you see stars. You gasp out, clenching tightly around his fingers and grip the sheets, white cotton soft in between your fingers as the coil winds tighter and tighter.

He smirks against your lips as he doubles his efforts, fingers flying fast inside you, “Cum for me, sweets. Be a good girl for me and coat my fingers.”

He brings his lips back to your clit, sucking harsher as his fingers vibrate inside you from the speed. You cum with a moan of his name, your grip on the sheets loosening as he laps up your juices like a man starved. His fingers slow, helping you ride out your high. He pulls them from you and shoves them in his mouth, licking them clean with a groan.

He moves up your body, nestling himself between your legs. He kisses you deeply, mixing his tongue with yours. Your juices dance on your taste buds as his hard cock rests against your thigh. You wrap your legs around his waist, grinding against him and causing him to release a low groan into your mouth. Pulling back, you look him in the eyes as he grabs his cock and lines it up with your folds. His lips claim yours again and he sinks in slowly, swallowing your moans as he bottoms out.

His hand finds yours and links your fingers together, feeling the band of your ring against his skin. He pulls out and slides back in slowly, his hips pressed against yours. He cups your cheek as he rocks your hips with his. Your head falls back against the pillows, moans falling from your mouth with every thrust driving you further into ecstasy.

“Katsuki. . .”

“I know, sweets. Me, too.”

He angles his hips to hit that spot inside you and your legs fly to his waist, toes curling with every new wave of pleasure. He brings his hand down to rub circles on your clit and kisses you deeply, groaning into your mouth as he feels you clench tightly against him. His hips pick up speed as he feels you gush around him, placing your joined hands next to your head and gripping it tighter. He gives another thrust and falls over the edge with you, ropes of hot cum shooting inside you.

Resting his forehead against yours, he breathes against you, “I love you so much, sweets. You’re my whole world.”

“I love you, too, Kats. I can’t wait to marry you,” your hand cups his cheek and give him a quick kiss as his cock softens inside you.

He rests his head on your chest, listening to your heartbeat as he closes his eyes, “I never want to leave this bed.”

“Me neither. I wish we could stay here forever,” you hum and play with his hair.

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Standing on the train platform, whistle blowing in the distance, as Bakugou wipes away the tears running down your face.

“Hey, hey, sweets,” he presses his lips to your forehead, “I’m going to be back before you know it. And this,” he drops a hand to grab yours, running his thumb over your ring, “just look at this and know that I will come back to you. My heart is yours, sweets.”

You sniffle and nod, “You have to be careful there, okay? Don’t be reckless or hot-headed and don’t run into situations needlessly, okay? Promise me.”

“I promise, sweets. I’ll be careful. Dunce face would kick off before me.”

“I’ll write you every month,” you press your lips to his, salty tears still falling down your face.

His thumbs go back to wiping them away as his tongue entwines with yours, “I’ll keep them closing to my heart.”

A sad laugh escapes your mouth as you pull a small piece of paper from your purse, “It’s not much but it’s something to remember me by while you’re over there.”

His hands fall from your face as he takes the paper and turns it over, maroon eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiles brightly. “A picture of you?”

“From the day we met.”

He presses his lips to it before sliding it in the inside pocket of his uniform, “Close to my heart.” He swoops you in his arms, one secured around your waist as he kisses you deeply again, ignoring the train whistle.

“Bakugou, we have to go! Finish saying goodbye to your dame!” Red hair sticks out of the train door, whistle blowing again.

His lips claim yours again before he pulls away and rests his forehead against yours, “I love you, sweets. I’ll be back before you know it.”

He hoists his bag over his shoulder, boarding the train and giving you the smile he saves just for you, taking your heart with him.

November 5th, 1921

Dearest Katsuki,

This first month without you has been so hard. Every day, I expect to wake up next to you, expect to wake up in your arms, or expect to wake up to the smells of my favorite breakfast. The breakfast you make just for me. I reach my arm for you, only to be met with your side of the bed cold and empty. I miss you so much. The club is doing well and I’ve been working more. It helps take my mind off of you. At least for a bit. At least until I look over at your booth and see your figure in my mind. How are things there? You’re staying safe, right?

All my love,

Sweets

November 28th, 1921

Sweets,

I miss you so much. I hate that I can’t be there to wake up next to you and make you breakfast and keep you safe in my arms. Waking up next to your gorgeous face is so much better than waking up to a roomful of men. Kirishima and Dunce Face are the same as ever. High spirits and goofing around. You know, Dunce Face stepped on a land mine the other day? Thank god it was a dud or he’d have been zotzed for sure. I wish I could be there with you – wish I could take away your pain - but just look at my ring on your finger and remember what I said, okay? I will come back to you. My heart is yours. Whenever you miss me, look at the ring I gave you and think of me, know I’m right there with you. The only things getting me through this are your picture and your letters.

I love you, Sweets,

Kats

December 8th, 1921

Dearest Katsuki,

I hope you’re staying safe this winter. You’re keeping warm and in high spirits, right? With the holidays, the club is even busier. Even with the extra singers that were hired, it feels like I barely have time to breathe. There’s a new patron with green hair and eyes who shows up every night. Tips like you did when you were trying to woo me that first night – and I know what you’re thinking but there’s no need to worry. He has a wedding band and my heart is yours. I still miss you so much but I’ve been doing what you said – looking at my ring and remembering your words. If I close my eyes, I can almost feel your hand cupping my cheek. I think of you every day. Please tell Kaminari to be more safe – he needs to come home with you and Kirishima. I love you. I can’t wait until you’re back.

All my love,

Sweets

P.S. I may have included a gift for you to get you through the long nights.

December 30th, 1921

Sweets,

Tch, that guy – married or not – better stay away from my girl. I’m doing my best to stay warm, Sweets, but the fires and uniforms only offer so much protection. I’ll tell Dunce Face but I don’t think he’ll listen. Kirishima and him had the bright idea to put an apple on top of their helmets and see if they can hit it with their guns. Let’s just say Kirishima is a lousy shot but Dunce Face survived. Wasted good food and good bullets. I miss you, too, Sweets. I wish I could hear your voice but that picture sure helped. Should have warned me to look at it alone, though. I’ll be home before we know it – just keep thinking of me and remembering my words when you look at that ring when you feel lonely and I’ll be there with you.

I love you, Sweets,

Kats

February 6th, 1921

Dearest Katsuki,

This is both our first Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple and the first we’re spending without each other. I wish you could be here. How are you doing? The sheets have stopped smelling like you and it only makes me miss you more. At least, when I could still smell you on my pillows, I could pretend like you were here. The bed is getting uneven without you to sleep on your side. I miss you so much but I’m so proud of you for fighting to keep us safe. I just hope you’re keeping you safe, too. Hoping to hear there’s been no Kaminari incident this month. I miss you.

All my love,

Sweets

February 22nd, 1921

Sweets,

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. It’s finally starting to warm up here so that’s making it more bearable. Dunce Face is Dunce Face but he’s managed to not put himself in any life threatening situations this month so he just might survive and make it home. You know, other than the obvious one. I left some of my cologne in the top right dresser drawer – spray it on your sheets until I can get to you. Speaking of getting to you, they’re giving me a break. Something about lifting the monotony and dangers of active service. It’s just for five days in April but I get to come home to you, Sweets. I can’t wait to see you and hold you in my arms. I’m not leaving your side for those days so make sure you clear your schedule for me.

I love you, Sweets

Kats

April 21st, 1921

Calloused fingertips trace your spine as light filters in through the window causing you to groan lightly and stretch into the warm body next to you, your arm resting on his waist. He cups your cheek and leans down to kiss you.

“Mmm, morning, Kats,” you move one of your entwined legs along his.

His hand moves to yours, sliding his fingers between yours, “morning, Sweets. I’ve missed you, missed this.”

“Good thing we have four more whole days of this, then,” you move the arm on his waist down to pump his cock, smirking as it hardens in your hand. His groan fills the room as you swipe at the tip, using the little bit of pre-cum as lubrication as your hand moves up and down before you straddle waist and line his cock with your hole.

Hands resting on his chest, you sink down slowly until his hips are pressed flush against yours. You still as you adjust to his size, “Been too long, Kats.”

“Way too long. Fuck, Sweets, you’re so tight,” his hands rest on your hips and you nod before swirling your hips, pussy fluttering against his cock, as he guides your movements.

Rolling your hips against his, quiet moans fall from your mouth as your nails slightly dig into his chest, causing him to hiss slightly, “did you – fuck – did you get bigger?”

He smirks at that, angling his hips as he plants his feet on the bed, shifting to thrust into you harder, “Nah, sweets. I just think my good girl got tighter. Gonna have to mold the shape of my cock into you again.” Thrusting harshly, he moves his thumb to rub at your clit, “Gonna breed you, Sweets. Fill you up with all my cum and fuck it into you.”

A gasp escapes your lips as you clench tighter around him, rocking faster on him as your hands move from his chest to yours, kneading your breasts.

“Fuck, Sweets, you look so hot, playing with your tits for me,” his thumb moves faster against your clit. “Can’t wait to see them round and full with milk from my brat one day. I’ll fuck you just like this and suck on them, your milk filling my mouth. Fuck, you’d look so good round and pregnant with my kid.”

“Katsuki!” You scream out, bringing your fingers to twist your nipples between your fingers while his thumb speeds up even faster. You lift up and drop down on him, tip of his cock narrowly missing your cervix.

“That’s it, Sweets. Just a little more. Gonna be a good girl and cum for me?” He sits up to pull your hand from your chest, bringing it to his mouth and latching onto your hardened nipple, sucking harshly.

Nodding your head, you moan out his name as you fuck yourself on his cock, feeling you clench even tighter around him. Your hands grip his hair and pull harshly on it, letting out a mewl as he leaves little bits on your breast and fucks deeper into you. His hand moves to knead your breast, twirling your nipple between his fingers and rubbing your juices on it. He switches sides and takes it in his mouth, tongue rubbing over the nub, the taste of you resting on his taste buds.

He smirks against you as you continue to ride him, swirling your hips when they meet his and your toes curl as the coil snaps, coating his cock. He lays back on the bed, hands gripping your hip to move you up and down on him until he’s cumming with a groan of your name, painting your walls white. You collapse against him, your breasts pressed against his chest as you attempt to regain your breathing.

His fingers run through your hair, his cock softening inside you, as you look up at him, chin resting on his chest, “I love you, Kats.”

His eyes fall on your ring, bringing it up to press his lips to it, before giving you a soft smile, “I love you, too, Sweets.”

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Four days passed quicker than you like and, soon, you find yourself standing on that same train platform, tears running down your face as you bid Bakugou good bye yet again. His lips press against your face, kissing your tears away as his finger runs along the ring on your finger. His hands cup your cheeks and his lips capture yours in a salty kiss.

“How many times do we have to say goodbye like this?” A bitter laugh escapes your lips.

“I don’t know, Sweets, but I promise I’ll come back to you every time. My heart is yours. And remember: just look at this ring and I’ll be by your side.”

Nodding your head, you throw your arms around his shoulders, capturing his lips in yours as the train horn blows again. “Be safe, Kats.”

He rests his forehead against yours, “Always, sweets. I have to go. I love you, Sweets.”

“I’ll write you every month. I love you, too,” you kiss him again quickly, tears running down your face as he walks away, boarding the train and watching you wave at him as it pulls away.

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The dark wood of the club surrounds you as you come out from behind the stage, ready to head home after a long day and long night. Walking to the exit, a mop of green hair stops you and a smile graces your face, “Izuku! You’re back!” You pull him into a hug and he cautiously hugs you back, pink tinging his cheeks.

“Yeah, I, uh, came to see you sing. You weren’t here for a few days?” His hand rubs the back of his neck as his green eyes meet your y/e/c ones.

“Ah, yeah, my fiancée was given a separation leave for a few days so we spent them together,” you fidget with your ring, sad smile on your face. “He shipped back out today.”

Izuku matches your smile, “Want a distraction? I’ll buy you a Bee’s Knees.”

“My favorite. You remembered,” you hold your arm out for him to take. “I’d love that.”

Looping his arm through his, he guides you to a table where a waitress takes your order. Staring at his face from across the booth, you give him a slight smile as you twirl your ring.

“So how’s Ichiro?”

“Ah, you know, same as ever. Happy and playful. He’s with a sitter right now. Three year olds don’t have many worries, you know,” he looks down sadly at his wedding band.

You grab his hand, smiling softly when his eyes meet yours, “I know it’s probably tough, being a single parent, but I can see how much you love him. You’re doing a great job.”

The waitress drops off their drinks and departs after asking if she can get them anything.

“Thank you. That means a lot. It’s been hard, raising him alone. I know he’s gonna ask questions one day soon,” he laces his fingers with yours. “I only hope that, one day, I meet someone who can be a mother to him. He deserves a mom.”

Leaving your hand in his, you take a sip of your drink, “I’m sure the right woman will come along when she’s meant to.”

“I hope so. Sooner rather than later would be nice,” his eyes sparkle as he takes a sip of his own drink, switching to lighter conversation for the rest of the night as you both drink away your worries.

May 27th, 1921

Resting your hands on cold porcelain, dry heaves come from your mouth before the contents of your stomach enter the bowl. ‘How is there even anything left?’ You think as you finish throwing up, grabbing some toilet paper to wipe at your mouth, sniffling as tears fall down your face. Once you’re sure you won’t throw up again, you get up off the lounge floor, pressing the metal of the toilet handle as you do.

Standing in front of the sink, you look at yourself in the mirror, skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat and hollow eyes staring back at you. Turning on the faucet, you run your hands under the water and slap it on your face before grabbing the mouthwash from your purse and swishing it in your mouth before spitting it out. Turning off the faucet, you wipe your mouth to be sure you got all the remnants and put your mouthwash back in your purse.

“Time to get back to work,” smiling softly to yourself, you turn away from the mirror and exit the bathroom.

You walk on unsteady feet, making your way to the dressing rooms in the back, until you crash into Midoriya.

“Woah, hey, I got you,” strong arms catch you before you can topple into the wall or onto the floor. “Are you okay, y/n? You look pretty pale.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a stomach bug. I’ll be okay.”

He guides you to a table, placing you in a chair and waving over a waitress as he sits down across from you, “I’m not letting you go perform until you, at least, drink some water, okay?”

Smiling softly, you nod your head as he orders two waters, pushing his towards you as the waitress walks away after delivering them. Pointedly picking up the glass, you take a long drink before placing it back down.

“You have to finish both.”

“I’m really fine, Izuku.”

“You’re pale and weak and you would have crashed into the wall if I weren’t there,” his eyes focus on you, nothing but concern and worry in them. He grabs your free hand, “Tell me what’s going on.”

A sob falls from your mouth as the dam breaks, tears running down your cheeks, “Katsuki is off at war and I’m so worried he won’t come back. Or, rather won’t come back alive and, then, I’ll be left alone. Only I won’t really be alone because I’m pregnant and, even if he does survive, he’ll be gone for I’ll don’t know how long and I’ll have to raise our baby alone and I can’t do it alone.” You sniffle and more sobs fall from your mouth as your fingers grip the glass, “and you know how people look at and talk about unmarried pregnant women. And I won’t make enough to provide for a kid. And all I want to do is tell him but I can’t because he’s not here and I can’t tell him this in a letter. Kids weren’t in the plan yet.”

Sliding closer to you, he wraps an arm around your shoulder, “hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay. Take deep breaths. Breathe with me. In, out, in, out,” he makes a hand motion to guide your breaths, handing you the water once you’ve calmed down enough to take a drink.

“You don’t have to do it alone,” he says softly, sliding his fingers through yours and carefully gauging your reaction. “I’ll be by your side. And I know you’d rather do this with Katsuki, but I’m here and I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. I have money to provide for a family – you won’t even have to work if you don’t want to. Marry me and I’ll take care of you both. We can even get married this weekend.”

Pulling your hand from his, your mouth drops in shock, “That’s sweet of you to offer and you’ve been a good friend, Izuku, but I have Katsuki – my heart is his. And. . . . I can’t let you do this. What about Ichiro?”

“I’d get something out of it, too. And I told you I want Ichiro to have a mother who loves him and you,” he grabs your hand again, waiting to make sure you won’t pull it away, “have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. And I have my own reasons for wanting this, even though my late wife still has my heart,” he releases a deep breath before whispering in your ear, your eyes going wide.

Dear Katsuki,

I hope this finds you well. I hope you’re safe and in high spirits. I don’t know how to tell you this but you need to know. I’ve met someone else. . . and we got married last weekend. He’s sweet and kind and has been very good to me. He has the sweetest, most adorable son. I didn’t plan on it – he’s a regular at the lounge and we became friends and . . . I am so sorry. I’m returning your ring to you. It feels. . . wrong to keep it. I don’t want to hurt you but I can’t go on like this. Please don’t hate me. Please stay safe.

Stay alive,

Y/n.

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BAKUGOU POV

Bakugou crumples the tear-stained letter in his hand, tossing it on the ground before storming off, clutching the ring that was in the envelope.

“Should get rid of this piece of shit,” he growls and winds his arm up to throw it, only to be unable to release it. “Fuck!” Angrily grabbing his dog tags, he undoes the chain and attaches the ring to it before throwing it under his uniform.

He takes out the picture of you from his jacket pocket, wondering why you really sent him that letter. “There’s no fucking way it’s because she fell for him,” he growls out, trying not to crumple the picture, too. “I’ll survive this shitty war and, then, I’m getting answers.”

After putting the picture away, safely next to his heart, he shouts at the sky as Kaminari walks up. He throws an arm over Bakugou’s shoulders, “Cheer up, Bakugou! ‘S not that bad here, is it?”

“Get zotzed, dunce face!” He shoves Kaminari’s arm off of him, storming away towards his tent and spitting on the letter as he passes it. His shoulder bumps Kirishima’s as he enters the tent, ignoring the concerned look on his friend’s face.

January 12th, 1922

Izuku smiles softly at you, pressing a kiss to your forehead as the nurse hands you your baby girl. Happy tears fall down your face as you trail your finger along her soft cheek, heart breaking a little that Bakugou isn’t there to see it. Before you can dwell on it too much longer, the nurse speaks up.

“What are you going to name her?”

“Emi. Her name is Midoriya Emi,” you look up at Izuku as the nurse writes it down for the birth certificate and another comes to take her.

“We’ll just get her cleaned up and, then, bring her to your recovery room.” You nod as you watch her leave. Shortly after, you’re being wheeled into your private room and transferred from the gurney to the bed. Izuku walks in with Ichiro in his arms to see you in bed, Emi in your arms.

“Daddy, is that my sister?!”

Izuku ruffles Ichiro’s hair, “Yeah, buddy, that’s your new sister.”

“Come see,” your eyes indicate to the spot next to you and Izuku joins you on the bed, giving Ichiro a good spot to watch Emi.

“You did amazing, love. She’s perfect.”

“She is. I didn’t know it was possible to love someone this much,” your smile falls when you think of Bakugou, teeth gnawing on your lip as you think of keeping the secret.

“Worried she’s going to look like him?”

“How did you know?”

He wraps an arm around you, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “Because I know you. And you don’t have to worry; I will protect you both for as long as I can.”

Emi yawns as you rest your head on his shoulder, worries disappearing at his words.

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February 3rd, 1922

BAKUGOU POV

Gunfire rings out as the battalion takes cover, Bakugou stuck listening to Kaminari chatter on. The gunfire ceases as the other side reloads and more gunfire fills the air, this time from Bakugou’s group.

Kaminari nudges his arm, making him miss a shot, “exciting stuff, isn’t it, Bakugou?!”

“Tch, you made me miss a shot, dunce face,” Bakugou grits his teeth as he growls the words out and re-centers his gun.

“Chill out, Bakugou. You need to loosen up and have a little fun so you can be in high spirits and get home to your girl in one piece!”

Gnashing his teeth together, he shoves off from behind the barrier to advance, “Get zotzed!” He growls out.

Kaminari’s eyes widen as he notices the metal plate where Bakugou is about to step, “Bakugou! Look out!”

Bakugou ignores him and Kaminari rushes forward, pushing Bakugou to the side as he steps on the metal plate. Bakugou tumbles to the ground, eyes wide open in shock and ringing in his ears, as Kaminari disappears before his eyes, red splatter going everywhere. Licking his lips in his shock was a mistake as the taste of blood slightly fills his mouth and all action ceases. The enemy retreats as Kirishima rushes to his side, asking Bakugou something he can’t hear between the shock and the ringing.

Cold seeps into his bones as Kirishima brings him to his feet. Back at camp, Bakugou gets checked out but the whole thing is a blur as Kaminari’s death replays in his mind until drowsiness sets in and Bakugou is out cold.

Dark fills the med tent as Bakugou groggily stirs awake with a groan. Bright red hair looms over him as his eyes adjust, “where am I?”

“Back at base, in the med tent. You, uh, you lost your hearing for a while there, being so close to. . .” Kirishima shakes his head. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’m alive when I shouldn’t be,” bright yellow hair turning into red dust fills his mind and he tries to shake the thought away. “Dunce Face – no, he deserves better – Kaminari saved me.”

Kirishima nods, “Yeah, he’s a true hero.”

“The last words I said to him were ‘get zotzed.’ I said that and he still saved my dumb ass,” vermillion eyes turn cloudy as the scene of Kaminari’s death replays again and again in his mind.

Kirishima’s hand rubs the back of his neck, mouth dropping open at that as Bakugou continues on in a dead voice, “he should be the one in this bed, not me.”

Silence hangs between the two, one unsure what to say and both mourning the loss of their friend.

April 8th, 1925

Laughter reaches your ears as you absentmindedly twist your wedding and engagement ring. A soft smile graces your face as you watch Ichiro and Emi play in your backyard. Your head tilts to the side, smile falling into a frown as the shoulder you expect to be there just. . . isn’t. The laughter fades as your eyes turn cloudy, the scene in front of you changing to a more somber one.

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February 16th, 1925

Sobs fill the silence of the hospital room, tears running down your face, as a thin hand wipes them away.

“What am I gonna do without you? How can I raise two kids without you?”

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay, love. We knew this was coming, right?” He gives you a frail smile, hand moving to hold yours in his, “You are a strong woman. You’ve gotten through so much and you’ll get through this. You never needed someone to take care of you and that’s still true now. You can handle this.”

Another broken sob falls from your lips as you stand up, leaning over him to press your lips to his in a salty kiss, “Thank you for the past three years, Izuku.”

“Three of the best years of my life,” he smiles into the kiss until you break it, sitting down next to him and keeping his hand in yours, “Thank you for being a mom to Ichiro.”

You sit in comfortable silence, eyes closed, for a few minutes until you break it, “What am I gonna tell them?”

The only noise filling the room is light beeping and labored breathing.

“Izuku?”

Your eyes shoot open, tears falling fast now, as his hand goes limp in yours, the sound of his heart flatlining filling the room. Doctors and nurses fill the room, one pulling you away as you cry and scream, trying to get to Izuku. It’s not long until time of death is called and you break down as the realization that you lost your rock sinks in.

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Coming back to the present, laughter fades back in as you look down at your rings, “I should probably take them off, huh?” You say to yourself. What they say is true: time heals all wounds. Izuku was there for you when you didn’t think you could do it alone. Izuku taught you that you were strong. Izuku was your rock, your husband, your friend. Sliding off the rings, you place them in your pocket, knowing he’ll still have a place in your heart as you think back to the words that made you agree to marry him.

“There’s a reason I want a mom for Ichiro. I need someone who will love him unconditionally, someone who will adopt him. I have cancer. It’s incurable.”

Shaking your head, you snap the memory away, “Come on, kids! Time to go visit Kimi!”

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Standing in line at the coffee shop, you can’t shake the feeling that something is going to go wrong. The door opens, bell going off, and heavy footsteps just barely overtake the light chatter and sounds of coffee being prepared. They stop behind you and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as a familiar voice – one you hadn’t heard in almost three years – reaches your ears.

“Been a while, Sweets.”

Heart racing in your chest, you turn around to see the same ash blonde hair and vermillion eyes that still stare deep into your soul.

“Bakugou. You’re back.”

“Yeah, the war ended, you know. We won,” he smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Your hand reaches to cup his cheek, freezing in mid-air when you remember you no longer have the right to do so, “The war has not been kind to you, has it?”

“Let me buy you a coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Spring breeze blows through the air as you and Bakugou sit outside, laughing and joking like old times as you catch up until you ask the question that’s been on your mind.

“What happened over there, Kats?”

Smile falling from his face, he leans back in his chair, “Kaminari died. Dumbass sacrificed himself for me. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. . . or thank you. Last words I said to him were ‘get zotzed,’ actually.”

Your mouth falls open before you snap it closed, “Oh, Kats, I’m so sorry.”

“’S all right. I made my peace with it. I’ve healed,” he takes a sip of his coffee. “Made sure he got a big, old statue to honor him, honor his sacrifice.”

Looking out at the town square, you drink your own coffee, “I’m glad to see you honored him and that you healed.”

“Didn’t heal from everything,” red eyes turn to you. “Why’d you end things, Y/n? Why’d you marry someone else?”

You gulp, heart hammering in your chest, “I-I told you, Kats. I –“

Time doesn’t heal every wound.

“No, I don’t buy that. What we said to each other was too real for it to end like that. Something happened. Tell me what it was.”

You open your mouth to answer as blonde hair shows in your peripheral before the weight of a three-year-old is on your lap, world dropping out from under you, “Mommy!”

Bakugou’s mouth drops open as you pick her up, “Hi, Emi!” Your eyes reach Kimi’s as she falters in her steps when she sees Bakugou. “Mommy needs you to go back to Kimi for a bit while she catches up with her friend.”

Emi turns to look at Bakugou, red eyes meeting his. “You look like me,” is all she says before she scrambles off your lap and runs over to Kimi, who points to an ice cream shoppe.

“Is she mine?”

“I can exp –“

“Is. She. Mine?”

“Yes.” You wring your hands in your lap as his gaze finally makes its way back to you, “she was conceived on your separation visit.” You chew your lip nervously as he remains silent, “I freaked when I found out – worried how I was going to do it alone, how I could afford it. Izuku was there and said he’d support us both. I had no idea how long the war would last or if you’d even come back home alive. So I took him up on it and married him.” Bakugou’s eyes flash to your ring finger - only the outline of a ring left – as you continue on. “The other kid – Ichiro – is his, but I adopted him.”

“I want to be involved.”

Shocked, your mouth drops open, “What?”

“She’s my daughter. I want to be involved.”

“It’s not that simple,” your hands rub your temples. “She thinks Izuku is her dad.”

“The kid is clearly bright and knows we’re connected somehow – recognizing that we look alike is proof of that. She’s mine, too – I want to be involved.”

Eyes moving to Emi, you think about how she deserves a father – her father – and y/e/c meets red with a determined look. “Okay, but it’s on my terms.”

April 21st, 1926

A happy smile is on your face as you watch Ichiro and Emi play on your big lawn from the medium red brick of your two story house. Your smile widens when calloused hands rest on your bump and you turn to face him, “Hi, Kats.”

Red eyes meet yours before capturing your lips in a kiss, “Hi, Sweets.”

You both turn to watch your children and your hands join his on your bump, smiling when the baby kicks.

“I can’t wait to meet him, Sweets.”

“He’ll be here before you know, Kats.”

“You think he'd be proud of me?”

“Kats,” you turn to face him, cupping his cheeks in your hands, “Denki is watching over us right now and he could not be more proud of you or happier than he is right now.”

He kisses you quickly before turning you around and pulling you to his chest, swaying with you as your hands rest on your bump, three silver rings glistening in the sun, “Dunce face better be happy, being the namesake of our son and all.”

Your laughter rings out as you watch Ichiro and Emi play, thinking back on the past five years. There were times it was long and hard but, if there’s one thing you know, it’s that you’ll stand by him forever. And, as you remember this feeling, remember this moment, you know your heart has always been his, just as his has always been yours.

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Notes:

🦇 sheba = a woman with sex appeal

🦇 stuck on = having a crush on

🦇 zotzed = killed

🦇 cake eater = a ladies’ man.

🦇 eggs = men

🦇 a pair of C's = $200

🦇 ice = diamonds

🦇 dizzy (with a dame) = to be deeply in love with a woman

🦇 kick off = die

🦇 Old Fashioned - a prohibition era cocktail

🦇 Bee's Knees - another prohibition era cocktail

🦇 Ichiro means "one son" and Bakugou adopted him after marrying y/n

🦇 Emi means "beautiful painting" and her name was later changed from "Midoriya Emi" to "Bakugou Emi"

🦇 Kimi = honorable

🦇 Y/n's engagement ring from Bakugou

🦇 Y/n's engagement ring from Midoriya

reblogs appreciated, especially with comments! 💕

general tag list: @chibishae34

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ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa · 5 years ago

Text

Footprints in the Sand

Part Twelve: Hunger

Summary/Author's Note: We are in Dorne people! You wake up in bed with your lovers for the first morning of what you hope will be the rest of your days. Oberyn tells you about his family and the two of you share some quality morning time.

I need a fucking spreadsheet for Oberyn’s Daughters. I have a google doc and at this time in the Footprints era he only has 6 (there are two left to be born). Trust me, the age calculations were...time consuming.

(gif credit to @pajamasecrets, yes this is my header. It's perfect.)

Pairing: Oberyn x Ellaria x Lannister!Reader Word Count: 4.6k Warnings/Rating (NC-17/18+) - language, cockwarming, Oberyn uses ridiculous blades for the AESTHETIC, threesome, oral fem!receiving x2, penetration, lady on top, face sitting, mild breath play if you squint... (ALL OF THIS WILL BE HAPPENING IN PART 13, I HAD TO CUT IT.)

[Part Eleven] [Masterlist]

The sounds of birds quietly singing outside the open window in the branches of the citrus trees drew you slowly out of slumber. If you strained your ears you could hear the distinct sounds of the ocean crashing against the sands as the city started to rise and begin it's day. With tired limbs, shaky and weak like a newborn foal, you slowly sat up and pushed your wild hair out of your face. Even laden with fatigue, you had never felt more rested.

Ellaria slept quietly beside you, naked and draped in one of the many silk sheets that adorned the massive bed that the three of you now shared. Her ebony curls fanned over the pillows and her copper skin looked so soft in the morning glow of the sunbeams filtering through the gently swaying curtains. It was clear to you then that you would never get used to how truly beautiful she was, nor the idea that you were to wake beside her every morning. Was such a gift your new reality?

Looking to your left, you noticed the third member of your triad was missing.

"Oberyn?" You asked quietly to an empty room.

Ellaria turned over and pulled the sheet with her to help nestle herself down into the pillows and it made you smile. You could look for Oberyn alone--after spending the majority of the trip home sick she needed as much rest as she could get. Home. The idea of referring to such a place, and the ease at which the thought came to your mind made you feel light and giddy.

You grabbed one of Ellaria's oversized silk dressing robes off of the edge of the overflowing trunks and draped it over your shoulders. It didn't tie in the front and confirmed that it was more for decoration than for actual concealing of your nakedness. But it was soft, the royal blue slipping across your skin in a way that made you feel devine--the two of them had a knack for collecting devine and beautiful things.

The quiet trickle of water drew you to the room off to the side of the master bedroom. Before the three of you had tumbled into bed and well, into one another, Ellaria had given you a tour. The washroom was off to the side with a large marble pool for bathing, an ornate sun-shaped looking glass on the wall, and shelves full of scented oils and healing balms. Such luxury was something you had never seen, not even in the red keep, where money was thrown at armies instead of at the city's infrastructure.

Just as you had deducted, Oberyn sat in an armless, straight backed chair that he had pulled closer to one of the mirrors. A bowl of water sat on the table closest to him, and you leaned against the doorway and watched as he shaved. Despite the sunlight coming in from the window above the pool, a few candelabras flickered closer to where he was working to give him more light. There was yet to be a lighting in which his tanned skin didn't look utterly breathtaking to you and as you watched him drag his blade slowly up his throat and wipe away a bit of the soap on his neck, you had to remind yourself to in fact take a breath.

Your hand dipped down the valley of your breasts as you were suddenly filled with the desire to touch him. And yet, you didn't want him to stray from his task. You wanted to observe the way he moved, the way the muscles of his back shamelessly made your mouth water. The obvious solution for now was to touch yourself. Your fingers had barely ghosted the apex of your thighs when he spoke.

"What are you doing, lover?" His voice came as he looked at you in the mirror over his shoulder.

You took your hand away from your body and walked towards him, the silk of the robe blowing behind you gracefully while you walked. "Nothing.."

"Don't lie to your prince," he said, still holding a smile as he balanced the blade across the top of the bowl. "It looked like you were about to enjoy yourself to the image of me--come here." He grabbed your wrists and pulled you against him. He looked you up and down slowly, his dark eyes drinking you in as he reached up and pushed the robe from your shoulders to pool in the floor at your feet. "Aren't you a vision?"

"You flatter me."

"I simply observe."

“Did you sleep well?” he asked as he transferred his grip from your wrist to your hand and brought your knuckles to his lips.

“Best sleep I’ve had in years.”

“Good.”

You touched the smooth skin of his throat with the tip of your finger. The soap he had lathered onto his skin smelled of honeysuckle and rosemary. You desperately wanted to kiss along his jaw but he had only finished about half of his shaving, sculpting the sharp beard that ran along his pointed features perfectly. "May I?"

"May you what?" He looked up as he helped you slide into his lap.

"Teach me," you said, quietly as you straddled his thighs and nodded to the blade and then gestured to his jaw.

"Hmm," he made a thoughtful noise as his hands slid up your sides and cupped your breasts. His thumbs played over your nipples, drawing goosebumps to the surface of your skin. "I don't allow many people to have a blade that close to my throat."

"I overstep--"

He pinched your right nipple gently and stopped your words before you could apologize. "You never overstep in my presence. Whose bed are you in?" He took your hand and guided it between your bodies as he started to grow hard against your thigh.

"Yours," You gasp as he wraps your fingers around his thick shaft, growing larger by the moment.

"And who am I?"

"A prince of Dorne."

"Exactly."

He put his hand behind your head and gripped your hair, pulling you forward enough to kiss you hard. You stroked him gently as you felt your own core start to respond to him. A small whimper fell from your mouth as you felt his fingers part your folds. You were sore from the night before but not enough to push away his affections. His name fell from your lips and his large hands cupped your ass and lifted you slightly.

"I'll teach you," he mumbled against your lips. "On the condition that you sit that beautiful cunt on top of my cock while you do."

You nodded as he gripped your ass and spread you slightly, making it easier for you to raise up on your knees. Using his shoulders for balance, you let him slowly impale you. He made room for himself in a way that made you clench against the intrusion. He encouraged you to relax as he nosed your neck and up to your cheek.

"How are you fairing from last night?" He asked, a soft grunt coming from his throat as you get settled.

"Sore, but I'll get used to it," you play your fingers in the back of his hair and watch his face. "I--um," you swallow hard and fight to keep your blush down. "I dreamed about what we did."

"About which part, my dear?"

"About," you lowered your voice and said quietly. "About tasting Ellaria."

"Hmm, I dare say you enjoyed that almost as much as she did." He chuckled and put his knuckle under your chin before you could look away. “No shame in that--who wouldn’t want to taste something that sweet?”

He trailed his fingers along the curve of your jaw and down over one of the mouth-shaped bruises on your neck. He had already apologized for them and you wouldn’t hear it again. You had enjoyed the making of them just as much as he had. When you bit your lip his cock twitched inside of you and you readjusted on his lap with a soft groan.

“Easy,” he chided you softly. “I can’t fuck you until I finish shaving.” His grin was as mischievous as his desire to keep you waiting. It excited you, made you long for unspoken promises you knew he intended to keep. “Grab the blade--I’ll teach you.”

You looked to the table on your right and picked up the dagger off of the bowl. It was a solid weight in your hand, not too heavy, but not at all flexible or flimsy. Unlike his other blades that you had seen on his belts and belongings, the handle was not adorned with a snake or sun or any kind of writing. In fact, it was pretty plain. Its charred black handle was crafted from the horn of an animal of some kind and wrapped in a leather strap for grip--despite the lack-luster appearance, it was clear that the blade was incredibly sharp.

“Should you use this on your face?” You raised an eyebrow and balanced it gingerly in your hand.

“What else would I use?” he chuckled as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. “Now, firm grip. You’re going to need one hand on the blade and one hand on my neck.”

“Oberyn--” you said, suddenly feeling less sure of yourself.

“You can do it,” he encouraged. “I happen to like the view better like this.” He smirked, looking at your breasts. He started to lean forward to put his mouth on them and you pressed him back against the chair, firmly.

“Stay still,” you teased and he nodded.

“As you command, my love,” he leaned his head to the side. “Use your free hand to press gently and pull down on my skin. It will make it taught, and then you can shave down with the grain. Short, smooth strokes.”

You bit your lip in concentration as you did just as he said. Weeks of being in his bed and your heart still hammered when you were this close to him. Here sat one of the most deadly men you had ever known and his calloused but gentle hands cupped your ass as you held a rather large blade to his throat. The intimacy and trust of the situation was not lost on you.

The blade gave a little resistance as you started to drag it gently through the soap against his neck. The suds parted revealing his skin in the most entrancing way and you carved a path down from his jaw to where his previous lines ended.

“Was Doran upset with you? Yesterday, that is,” you asked quietly once you finished your line and moved to dip the knife in the bowl of water and wipe it on the cloth.

“Yes, of course,” Oberyn, took the chance to smile as you paused in your process. “But it wasn’t the first time, and I promise you it won’t be the last.”

Your stomach turned at his words and you looked at him in earnest. “I don’t want to go back--”

“I won’t let that happen.”

His tone was sharp enough to make you flinch but his hands moved up your back as if to soothe the sting from his words. Although you didn’t know how he planned on keeping it from happening, you wanted to believe him. You had to.

The two of you sat in silence as you carefully moved the blade down his throat, taking any hair with the soap before rinsing, drying, and starting a new line. You went much slower than was probably needed, but if you drew blood on him, you would have never forgiven yourself--although Oberyn would have probably found it amusing. He took the cloth and held it for you gently, his eyes softening as he gazed upon you. The trickle of the water in the bowl sounded far too loud in all of the quiet, so you cleared your throat.

"Tell me about your family, other than Doran--your children, perhaps?"

"You wish to know about my daughters?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and when you nodded he continued. "I have six."

"Six??" You asked, unable to keep the shock from your voice.

"Yes," he said simply. His voice continued to hold a good-natured tone, despite the fact that yours teetered on audacity.

"I'm sorry, that's just so many for--"

"An unmarried man?" He moved his hand up your side and rubbed his thumb along the side of your breast slowly. "It's much different down here in the southern part of the world, my love. As I've said of our Ellaria--bastards are born of passion, of love, and we do not despise them. Should the need arise, any one of my girls would be accepted as a princess of Dorne and would be allowed to sit on the throne."

"I didn't mean any offense--"

"And you have given me none. I just wish you to unlearn the ways of such small minded people. I know it will take time, but you live here now. Your home is in Dorne, so are your people." He reached up and brushed your hair back from your neck.

"I'll try." You sat up a little, adjusting yourself around his length as you resumed the task of shaving his face. The way he spoke to you didn't make you feel foolish or small, much like his voice when you asked about the blade, he wanted nothing more than to teach you.

"That's all I ask." He put his hands back on your hips and leaned his head back against the chair, exposing his throat to you again. "Let's see, my oldest, Obara, is eighteen. Her mother was a whore from oldtown. She is an excellent fighter."

"Like her father."

"Yes," he smiled sadly. "Unfortunately the gods also gave her my anger. But I don't blame her, considering her mother's love was also full of betrayal."

"Where is her mother?" You asked without thinking and before you could apologize, Oberyn answered.

"Dead."

You kept quiet and let him continue. The blade of the dagger whispered through the soap once again and you meticulously inspected his skin for stray hairs. Hundreds of questions came to the tip of your tongue and although you were certain he would answer them all, it was enough to listen to him tell his stories the way he wanted to.

"Sarella," he paused as he said the name quietly. "Well, I guess she'd be almost nine. Also born in Old Town. Her mother is captain of a trading ship. She writes to me. Told me of her birth--perhaps one day I'll get to meet her."

"Is that something you want?"

"Of course. But only if Sarella wishes it as well."

“I can't imagine a girl not wanting to meet her father if it means she would be a princess." You smiled and worked on the last section of his neck, priding yourself on the fact that you had managed not to accidentally draw blood on him.

"Her happiness is more important than her title. And if she is happy at sea with her mother, then so am I."

“Not a lot of fathers think that way.” You nodded and pressed gently on his skin. "Almost done."

"Take your time," he reassured with a relaxed sigh before continuing. "Nymeria just had her fifteenth name day, and she was born of a Noble woman in Volantis," Oberyn said factually as he trailed his finger up your spine slowly. "She looks like her mother. Acts like her, too." He chuckled. "Tyene, now her mother was a Septa."

You paused and leaned back, unable to mask the obvious shock on your face. "A Septa?"

"Scandalous, isn't it?" He raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"Am I to believe that you charmed a woman from her own faith and into your bed?"

"You can believe what you want but the proof of our endeavor is thirteen years of age and currently living at the Water Gardens of the Martells." He laughed as you placed the blade back in the bowl and used the cloth to wipe the excess soap from his jaw. "She is the only one with blonde hair and pale skin--and you know that didn't come from me."

"You speak of them fondly. Not just your daughters, but...their mothers."

"I do."

"Did you love them?"

"I did. Once upon a time."

"You are…" you paused, shaking your head and moved to put the towel on the table.

"What?"

"Nothing." Your voice was sharper than you wanted it to be and looked away from him.

"I'm what?" he challenged. "I love each one of my daughters, just as I loved their mothers. That love may have burned out quickly, may have been nothing more than passionate infatuation but it doesn't make it less real. My heart has travelled a great distance before finding its permanent home with Ellaria...and you."

“Permanent?”

“Have you ever known me to be untruthful?” he asked and you shook your head ‘no’.

Did his list of lovers intimidate you? Did knowing he held genuine emotion for them make it any easier to swallow? Jealousy was a horrible thing and yet it burned in your heart for no reason at all. These women were long gone, lost to the past of his many lived lifetimes, and here you sat, perched on his cock no less, trying not to feel jealous. It was a childish way of thinking, a foolish way, and you were neither a child or a fool. He must have seen the anguish of your thoughts on your face because his hand reached up and grabbed your jaw roughly.

"Do you wish me to stop? Does my touch offend you, now?"

"No." You answered him stubbornly as his fingers dug into the soft flesh of your cheeks.

"Do you want me to tell you that you're far more lovely than any of them? That they all pale next to the beauty of my stolen lioness?" He raised his eyebrow again and when you tried to jerk your face from his grip, he held fast.

"Don't patronize me, Oberyn," you scowled as you put your hands on his chest and clenched around his cock. You suddenly wished he wasn't inside of you, distracting you, pulling you from the jealousy that your mind so desperately wanted to cling to. And yet, you wanted him deeper, closer, you wanted to claim him in a way that the flames of his past no longer could. All you had to do was say it.

"Then what would you have me do?" He asked as he pushed his hips up slightly, the feeling making your eyes flutter as you dug your nails into his flesh. "Say what you're feeling. What you want."

"I want," you took a steady breath before opening your eyes and looking at him with a level gaze. "I want to know that Ellaria and I are the only ones that possess your heart. That you don't look at me and see a foolish girl who has never left home, who doesn't have adventures to tell you about, or a long list of colorful lovers. I want to know that you won't grow bored of me."

“Ah,” he nodded. “I see.”

“You see? That’s it?”

Before you could pull away his hand slipped from your jaw to the back of your neck. He pulled you into him and kissed your lips with such a tenderness that made the animosity melt from your very skin. You desperately wanted to hold on to the small amount of anger you had, whatever upper hand it gave you was a lie, but it was better than continuing to feel naive in front of him.

“There’s that fire,” he whispered against your lips and you succumbed to him at last.

“What do you mean?”

“You insult yourself when there is nothing to insult. What an honor it is to help you write your own adventures." He moved his fingers to his lips and licked the tips of his first two. "And I say you've already had quite a first one--scaling down the Red Keep and running away with your two lovers is nothing to make light of."

"I guess you're right," you say quietly. You rock your hips forward once and he hisses, but still keeps his eyes locked on yours.

“You are not the wilting flower that the Lannisters have led you to believe your whole life. How does Ellaria feel about timid creatures?”

“Timid is boring.”

"And how wonderful will it be, to make it my life's work, to make you experience a love so exquisite, it will ruin all other partners you may have had in this life," he kept his tone even as he slipped his hand between your bodies and pressed his dampened fingers against your clit. "Or the next."

"Oberyn," you gasped quietly, raising up as he started to gently move his fingers back and forth. He had been inside of you the entire time and you were practically dripping because of it. Your own wetness soaked the inside of your thighs and dampened his lap as your velvety heat kept his cock tight and warm. You didn't know how much longer you could stand him not fucking you like he had the night before.

"And how are you feeling about my affections now?" He asked.

"Better," you whimpered.

"Better? Hmm, an improvement. I'll just have to keep reminding you until you're confident in them."

His free hand pressed into the small of your back to encourage you to move your hips. Obeying his silent command, you put your hands back on his chest and started to ride his lap. The stretch of him inside of you was still a tight fight due to the lack of movement for so long, and it was one of the most exquisite feelings in the world. Your head hung forward slightly, your hair falling over the front of your shoulder, and you made a soft sound as he pinched your clit. The way the head of him pressed against the sweet spot towards the end of you, made you ache for more. The feeling was intoxicating, addictive, and made you feel powerful in ways nothing else ever would.

“Oberyn--”

“Yes, my love?”

"I am more lovely than your…," you swallowed hard as you forced the squeak from your voice. "Your other lovers."

"What did you say?" Oberyn moved his hand from your slit and grabbed your hips roughly, his tone surprised but still the deep rumble it had been.

"I said," you looked at him through the curtain of your hair before pushing it back and repeating yourself. "I am more lovely than your other lovers. Ellaria and I are lovelier and you will never grow bored of our bed."

“A much better tone.” He smirked, a grin that slowly reached from ear to ear and held a pride that was almost palpable. "And what makes you say that?"

"You're here, aren't you?" You leaned your forehead against his and whispered against his lips. "And whose cunt are you inside of?"

He chuckled quietly and matched your tone. "Hmm, I suppose you're right."

You yelped as he surged forward and kissed you hard, his tongue parting your lips as if he wanted to taste the words you had just said. He fisted his hand in your hair and held your head still as he devoured your mouth and thrust his hips up against yours. Your hands found his neck and moved up to cup his jaw, holding him in place with only a fraction of the strength he held you with.

His neck and face were soft and fragrant from the soaps you had just used to shave him. His beard once again was its normal crisp line that framed the edge of his jaw. He looked every bit the Prince that he was and you wanted him in the same desperate way that you wanted him in King's Landing.

Would that ever go away? Would the burning desire to claim such a powerful entity as your own ever truly leave you? The way Oberyn and Ellaria spoke of each other, it didn't seem so. And now that love included you. A triad of adoration, of burning passion that would follow the three of you to your dying day--you were ready to be consumed by it. You wanted to be consumed, to be devoured, and in their arms it wasn't a terrifying thought.

"Fuck me."

Normally such words fell from your lips, but this time, it was Oberyn that said them.

He purred against your skin as his large hand came down on your ass with a smack spurring your hips into action. You wanted to own him in the way he did you, possess his soul in the way he possessed yours. So if he wanted you to fuck him, you would happily oblige.

"I want your mouth on my tits," you panted as you grabbed him by his dark hair and shoved his face down against your chest. He obeyed, bowing his head to mouth at your breasts. He bit, he sucked, he grabbed handfuls of your chest.

“Like that, sweet girl?” he said, his beard rubbing harshly against your soft skin in a way that made you wrap your arms around his neck and hold him closer.

You leaned your head over his as you continued to ride him relentlessly and he held your hips, pulling you down on his cock over and over. A trickle of warmth started low in your belly as the tip of him brushed the end of you and you held still to preserve the feeling for a moment extra. It was a desperate fuck that was unlike the night before. It was about staking his claim on your body, or perhaps you were staking yours on his.

“Oberyn,” you whined as you felt your body teetering on the edge of its release.

“My body is but a throne for you and Ellaria. To use as you see fit and to sit on as it pleases you,” he looked up at you, his neck straining from the angle and making his voice a breathy plea. “Such a gorgeous woman and you’re all mine.”

“As you are mine,” you leaned down to capture his lips as you breathed your words into his mouth. You gasped and pulled away from his kiss as your orgasm took you abruptly. Your nails pressed into the back of his scalp as you bared down on his lap, enveloping his entire length and holding it inside you in a greedy moment of pure ecstasy.

His arm tightened around you as he cupped your pussy and used his hand to help bring you through the pleasure. You felt the wetness of your release on his fingers and lap as he stood, clutching you to his chest and giving you a moment to clench your legs around him. With a firm kick, he knocked the chair back out of the way and laid you bare on the floor.

“Apologies, but if I don’t fill you up soon, I may go mad,” he braced his arms on the ground next to your head as he rammed himself up inside of you and you pulled his weight down on top of your body.

“We wouldn’t want that,” you moaned as you claimed his mouth just as he claimed you with his release and a groan of pure adoration.

Perm Tag List 1: If there is a strike, it would not let me tag you, as always thank you for your patience with the tags as there is 175 of you tagged in this fic.

@rae-gar-targaryen @zeldasayer @winters-buck @gooddaykate @jigglemiwa @seawhisperer @halefirewarrior @ripleyafterdark @phoenixhalliwell @thebakerstboyskeeper @honestlystop @lackofhonor @readsalot73 @cryptkeepersoul @skdubbs @cahooter @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @googiebeankat @dinohaze @saltywintersoldat @huliabitch @tainted-gay-ghost @roxypeanut @hayley-the-comet @domino-oh-damn @maybege @corvueros @pettyprocrastination @qveenbvtch @hopplessdreamer

@apples-of-february @pocket-of-anxiety @marie-is-in-the-dark @agentpike @pascalplease @cosmicbug379 @your-pixels-are-showing @gamingaquarius @blushingwueen @crimsonandwhiteprincess @bluemoon-glen @river-soul @robbinholland @nerdypinupcrystal @fleetwoodmactshirt @jaime1110 @fioccodineveautunnale @fantasticcopeaglepasta @kid-from-new-zealand

#oberyn martell #oberyn martell x reader #oberyn martell x you #Game of Thrones #got #oberyn x ellaria #oberyn x reader #prince oberyn #oberyn x ellaria x reader #Pedro pascal #pedro character fic #Pedro Pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #footprints in the sand

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bittersweetsky3 · 6 years ago

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my breakdown of the uswnt players

ashlyn harris: big gay, “most beautiful brick wall we’ve ever seen” -kyle krieger, underrated goalkeeper, bitch™, 1/2 of “pookie”, 1/2 of krashlyn, loves babies and would be the best mom

ali krieger: kriegs, kriegy, kriegyboo, best right back in the world? yes. tough as nails and had the final touches on the ball during the world cup after not being called up for 2 years, won’t ever be seen without her mascara, softie, 1/2 of krashlyn, apparently can play forward as of the uswnt vs ireland victory tour game??? okay

mallory pugh: baby, made uswnt debut at 17, mini trackstar, i can definitely see her as a future alex morgan in terms of goals, dork, somehow managed to be on the national team and be in college at the same time

tobin heath: the coolest cat there ever was, will break your ankles and steal your soul, nutmeg queen ™, looks like she will kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll, surfer dude, dresses like a frat guy, 1/2 of harry, 1/2 of preath, came out of the womb in her tar heels jersey, loves jordan (basketball), and remember kids— you can’t copy cool.

christen press: peace? she is peace, yoga god, can run 32mph and will make you look like an idiot trying to catch her, soft but isn’t afraid to steal your soul with a nutmeg, def watches marie kondo, 1/2 of preath, stanford—actually set their all time scoring record

alex morgan: janice, radiates big gay energy but is surprisingly straight, 100 goals and counting, every goal keepers worst nightmare, looks like she will kill you but is actually soft, a big dork, pink headband ™ , the most popular of the bunch and honestly, rightly so. this woman is a fricking superstar.

emily sonnett: sonny, son, dasani, self proclaimed sit down comedian, frat daddy jr, a walking meme, uswnt professional hype man, big dumbass but we love her, kelley is training her in defense, will score goals in the most random yet most crucial of times (see portland thorns fc playoffs)

kelley o’hara: frat daddy, KO, kevin, karen from legal, worms, scare queen, middle child “we need a bitch, get kelley” -jill ellis, a medical miracle— somehow survived a concussion during the world cup final and then proceeded to drink for the next 7 days to celebrate, will never have to pay for beer ever again, chaotic, mother of her adopted crackheads (sonnett & rose), iconically kissed her girlfriend after the world cup win, stanford, great long balls for assists, has played every position except goalkeeper, brick wall

lindsey horan: THE GREAT HORAN, linessi (for her love of messi), sneaky, best midfielder in my opinion, killer foot, player with the second most number of fouls in the nwsl but also one of the most fouled, amazing assists and headers, went pro straight out of high school bc she’s just great like that, won the ball in duels 116 more times than anyone else in the league (nwsl)

tierna davidson: little t, t, baby gay™, pulls her injured girlfriend around in a wagon, stanford, calm, def a book nerd, probably the most normal out of the bunch, baby becky, under the radar but i can see her becoming big in the future—becky is training her, owns a kelley o’hara stanford jersey and loves it maybe more than anything

allie long: wine mom, 1/2 of harry, 1/2 of pookie, not much to say about her tbh, great passes, loves scaring people, hangs with kelley and alex a lot, content provider, doesn’t get a whole lot of minutes anymore but when she does get them, she doesn’t often disappoint, solid defense most of the time

sam mewis: tower of power, panic petunia, tallest women’s soccer player in history, pale besties with rose, great midfielder, will take the ball from you mid-game if you’re just standing there and not doing anything with it (see wwc final), scored in the top 1% of an IQ test the uswnt and usmnt held, loves reading and harry potter, chaotic when with rose & sonnett

rose lavelle: sweet baby rose, def the next generation of greatness, pale af and she knows it, dork, loves her dog, wilma, more than anything in the world, killer left foot, loves twitter, she’s from ohio and proud of it (i’m biased lol)

crystal dunn: dunny, constantly dancing, has played every position besides goalkeeper—sometimes multiple in one game, worked her ass off to make the 2019 world cup roster after being cut in 2015, bitch is drowning in awards (like seriously, this girl is amazing), underrated friendship with tobin

becky sauerbrunn: broon, usually rolls her sleeves, fishtail braid that she’s not afraid to whip in your face, the united states secretary of defense, loves cats and science fiction, nobody makes her bleed her own blood, got cut in the world cup final and still played the rest of the game despite needing 6 stitches, sophisticated, legally not allowed to leave us until she gets a goal

alyssa naeher: uncle, loves her crosswords, underrated, underestimated, under appreciated, saved our asses in the world cup game against england, quiet but soft

julie ertz: JJ, invented marriage, tough as nails, blue headband ™, will slide tackle anyone who enters her field of vision, she is usually bleeding by the end of a game, uses her body as a weapon, killer headers when she gets the chance, occasionally dresses like a frat guy

abby dahlkemper: bellpepper, this girl beat a sepsis infection and the chance of losing her leg. if that doesn’t say bad ass, idk what will. flies under the radar most of the time but plays some great long balls, especially for alex

carli lloyd: carlos, carla, oldest player on the team and she’s still got it, probably will retire soon :( , loves ice baths, queen of new jersey, beast from the east, can score from midfield and has, truly just legendary and did so much for women’s soccer

morgan brian: moe, bean, second most normal of the bunch, don’t really get to see her play much but when she does, she’s tricky, loves pick up soccer, even though she’s young, she’s a ‘15er, one of four to ever win the MAC hermann trophy two years in a row, kinda died (metaphorically) for a bit and everyone sorta forgot about her after the 2015 world cup but we still love her!

megan rapinoe: pinoe, sorta controversial, love her or hate her, she gets the job done, outspoken, NOT going to the white house, so proud of her younger teammates, big goals, big moments, leaves an impression, occasionally referred to as president pinoe, dating sue bird of the wmba

adrianna franch: AD, one of our goalkeepers, doesn’t get a lot of minutes but that doesn’t mean she’s not good— if you want to see her in action, watch a portland thorns fc game!! chill, funny, engaged to her gorgeous girlfriend

jessica macdonald: jmac, the only mom on the team, doesn’t play often so there’s not much to say about her but she does really well on her club team (north carolina courage), chill

let me know if i forgot anything!!

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guerrerense · 5 years ago

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SSEx at York station. 17 July 1984 por CLIFF BANCROFT Por Flickr: Preserved 'King Arthur' class 4-6-0 'Sir Lamiel' (ex-SR No.777, ex-BR No.30777) under the magnificent roof of York station, England heading the 'Scarborough Spa Express' special train in July 1984. If I remember right, this weekly SSEx followed a very circuitous route beginning from York with a run via Harrogate to Leeds and back to York via Church Fenton, thence to Scarborough for a visit; then with the engine turntabled there it was back to York and round the Leeds loop again, returning to York for a fourth visit! This photo was I believe on our second visit of the day, on arrival from Leeds. Photo 3 of 6. Perhaps the "SSEx" header will help the views count! Pentax ME. Epson V500 scan of 35mm Kodachrome 25 slide.

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raendown · 6 years ago

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Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 4390 Chapter: 17/? Summary: Not all wars are fought on the battlefield. Some are fought at the conference table, with whispers in the shadows, or even in the bedroom.

In a world where the Senju and Uchiha traditional lands were too far apart to have ever made them enemies, Butsuma and Tajima are the ones who come together and sign a treaty of peace. Madara isn’t happy to have his life signed away for him in a political marriage to strengthen the bond between their clans. He is even less happy to have Tobirama make assumptions of him from their very first night together. What follows from there is a journey of healing, of learning, and finding the places to belong in the places least expected.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

Chapter 17

Of course, because nothing else had gone right for the entire duration of this stupid mission, they were still several miles out when Tobirama felt the approach of multiple chakra signatures he recognized as the ones that had ambushed them several days before. Even before he took the time to inform Izuna of what was happening he turned and bolted in a different direction. Neither of them were in any condition to put up a proper fight quite yet and if Izuna’s leg took any more damage Tobirama feared he might lose the limb entirely.

For a mile or two it seemed like they’d turned aside just in time to escape unwanted notice and after a quick explanation hissed over his shoulder Izuna agreed that they might actually make it out of this without any further trouble. They were both proven wrong almost as soon as they reached that rare agreement. As if to mock them for getting along in even that small respect the signatures Tobirama was mentally tracking took a sharp turn and began heading in their direction at high speed, clearly with a single purpose in mind.

“Hang on tight,” Tobirama murmured. As he had tried to impart on many of the younglings he’d taught over the years, there was no shame in retreat if it was the only option with any chance of keeping you alive.

Unfortunately his body was still too tired to reach the same levels of speed he was so infamous for. No matter how hard he pushed his legs the squad behind them was catching up and Tobirama wanted to grind his teeth with frustration when Izuna reported their pursuers were now in visual range, still several miles out from the city. With safety just barely out of reach he stopped and put his back to the biggest tree he could find to gently slide his mission partner to the ground. Fighting with Izuna still clinging to his shoulders could only lead to both of them getting killed; better to play the defensive role with a miniscule chance of success rather than basically throwing them both headfirst in to their own graves.

“Well look here,” the woman in front cooed mockingly as they all stopped a dozen feet away. “Two birds fluttering around in a cage. Time to die little birdies.”

“You aren’t half as intimidating as you think you are,” Tobirama informed her coolly.

“And you’re not half as dead as – shut up! Laugh it up, Senju, while you’ve got the chance!”

Tobirama narrowed his eyes as all four opponents facing him came forward in a close knit formation, quite stupid for anyone who knew of his abilities in battle. Flexing the fingers on both hands and already studying the patterns of their movements, watching for an opening to steal a weapon for his own, he tutted as though to reprimand a child for misspeaking.

“You should really research your targets a bit better. I am a married Uchiha now and you would do well to remember that,” he scolded them. The same woman scoffed as her associates stopped in a tight bunch just behind her.

“Why, what are you going to do, roast us with a little flame now that you’re an Uchiha?”

Since he was a professional shinobi Tobirama didn’t see any reason to give her the satisfaction of a warning but yes. That was absolutely what he had planned to do.

Digging deep in to the mostly empty well of his chakra he pulled at the scraps and edges of energy he couldn’t really spare but was prepared to use anyway and brought one hand up in front of his lips. The woman had no time to scream when he breathed a tongue of flame in her face. Her skin melted and the clearing was immediately filled with the scent of burning hair, increased by the two others behind her that also got caught in the blast. Tobirama staggered and nearly collapsed after expelling so much of what little chakra he had managed to recover but forced himself to stay standing. After all the effort he had gone to just to keep Izuna alive he was hardly going to fall over and let him die so easily now. Unfortunately his bit of fast thinking left him unable to reach for the only big defense they had left. The Raijin no Ken lay sealed neatly in his arm but without the chakra to wield it or even to activate the seal it was little more than a pretty tattoo mocking him in black ink. For now the only weapon he had was his own body, finely honed yet nearly empty of all energy.

With one opponent down and two frantically trying to put out the fires on their heads that left only one very angry man to come at Tobirama in an insultingly sloppy frontal assault, not a single thought for his weakened state or how easy it would be to take him out from afar. Not that Tobirama was all that upset at having a chance to defend himself with tired arms that felt like lead as he forced them to lift and block each blow with very little finesse.

It was more dumb luck than anything else that knocked the kunai out of his opponent’s hand, a poorly executed swing that he managed to intercept at just the right angle to hit a nerve ending and jar the man’s hand, sending the blade spinning down in to open space. Tobirama snatched it out of midair on sheer instinct and jamming it in to the side of the neck exposed to him was nothing more than a natural extension of such a movement. He was almost surprised when he found himself the one left standing but there wasn’t much time to contemplate his victory, not when the other two had finally gotten themselves sorted out and were both coming towards him with matching expressions of angered pain.

Holding his defensive stance had never been as crucial as it was in that moment, knowing that an ally lay behind him immobilized and unable to defend themselves. Tobirama forced his arms to lift and fall, redirecting the weapons seeking his already tired flesh, forced his legs to shift and sway as he utilized every obscure taijutsu trick in his arsenal just to stay alive. Out here in the middle of the forest so far from home he knew that no help was coming and he would either have to see them out of this situation himself or fall here and allow Izuna to follow after.

Clearly his only option was to pray for a miracle.

And, incredibly, a miracle is what he got – two of them, in fact. The first miracle came when one of the men attacking him lost their footing and gave him the perfect opening to jam his stolen kunai straight between the second and third ribs, losing his own weapon when it got stuck in a bone but catching the sword that dropped from a spasming hand. With the new blade he had a longer reach and managed to drive the single remaining opponent back while the one he had just stabbed fell to one side and bled out of the forest floor. Something that felt a great deal like hope began to swell in Tobirama’s chest as it looked like he might actually make it out of this alive.

His second miracle was more of a convenient tragedy than anything else but he was so tired already that it was hard for him to tell the difference anymore. Izuna’s warning shout was so much of a surprise that Tobirama stupidly reacted to that rather than the man rushing him from the front and yet in a stroke of luck he still managed to bring his sword up at such an angle that when his opponent ran him through he returned the favor leaving them chest to chest, each with a blade in their stomach.

They stood locked together and all Tobirama could concentrate on was the surge of adrenaline finally kicking his brain in to gear, the world around him standing out in crystal clarity. He was about to die. Already injured and at the end of his rope he didn’t exactly have much blood left to lose and now here he was with a sword in his gut and his weight rocking forward to balance himself on the man that had put it there. The plan he came up with was stupid and reckless and he knew that the moment he came up with it. He also knew that there wasn’t much time to think of other options.

When he pushed himself away from the man dying in front of him he fell close to where Izuna lay screeching and cursing him six kinds of a fool. Ignoring the vicious swearing in his ear, Tobirama did his best to ignore the searing pain as he lifted the pouch he’d just stolen from a stranger’s belt.

Every shinobi carried a medical kit of some kind on them even when they carried little else but weapons. Their lives were danger and blood. Anyone who couldn’t keep that blood inside wasn’t likely to make it back home. His own had been all used up and discarded already but here was a freshly stocked kit delivered oh so kindly right in to his hands and there was only one item inside he was interested in.

“I’m about to do something really stupid,” he choked out. Struggling to get himself in to a sitting position, Izuna gave him a wild-eyed look.

“You just did about fifteen other stupid things! What the hell! You don’t let people stab you, that’s battle lesson number one!”

Tobirama ignored him as he started in to really a good rant, tossing the kit aside once he had what he wanted and popping the cap off a small clear vial. His hands were already shaking enough to encourage several of the little pills inside to roll out on to his palm. Before Izuna could protest he had shoved them all in his mouth and crunched down.

“What the hell were those!?”

“Chakra pills.”

“You just–! With that many you’ll overdose!”

“Maybe.” Tobirama swallowed the powdery mess dry, wrinkling his nose against the bitter taste. “Shut up for two seconds and listen. This is what’s going to happen. I’m going to take us back to the capital city because it’s closer and I’m less likely to blow out most of my chakra pathways getting us there. You’re going to scream bloody murder and get us to a hospital. If I’m lucky maybe you can get me there fast enough that I don’t die.”

Izuna spluttered with rage while Tobirama closed his eyes, feeling the unnatural surge of energy boiling uncomfortably under his skin, bubbling like a pot about to overflow and filling him up until he could almost understand what a volcanic eruption felt like in the moments just before the explosion.

“You’re insane!” Izuna told him. “And what the hell do you mean you’re going to take us in to the city? We’re still miles away!”

“Let me introduce you to my new favorite jutsu,” Tobirama murmured.

Just before it felt like the excess chakra might burn him up he slapped a hand down on Izuna’s arm and reached for the seal he had placed on the contact they met with before this whole fiasco began. The world blurred around them for less than a second and when it solidified again they were in the center of the bright seething mass of chakra that had been calling to him like a beacon of safety since they crawled out from underneath that blasted tree. Clearly he had been right in identifying their poorly disguised contact as the Daimyo’s personal assistant; he would know those disgustingly over-embellished ceilings anywhere.

A wheeze escaped him before he could say anything but that was fine. Someone nearby was screaming and even through the high-pitched ringing in his ears it sounded enough like Izuna to assure him that things were all going according to his slapdash plan. The rushing massive intake and output of chakra left him feeling hollowed out as though someone had scraped at his insides with a jagged rusty spoon and he was all too grateful for the darkness creeping in at the corners of his vision.

Whether he lived or died now depended on how quickly others reacted to save him but that was out of his hands now as he had known it would be. Tobirama wasn’t sure if he closed his eyes or if his body was failing him. All he knew was the fading until all the world was silent for a blissful moment. And then he was gone, pulled under the tide.

A flash of sound, distant, distorted as though underwater. It called to him. Tobirama considered answering for a brief moment. Then it was gone and he slept again.

Light. The rosy backs of his own eyelids with sunlight pooled warm over his body. Someone was touching him. He wanted to tell them to stop but his limbs were just so heavy. It was easier to let the darkness rise and lose himself again.

“-bury you under a fucking mountain or something, I swear. I’d say throw your body in a river but you’d probably like that. Freak. With your water and your teleporting and your stupid self-sacrificing. Aniki is never going to let me live this down. You better wake the fuck up or I swear-”

Izuna’s voice continued to drone on but Tobirama had already lost his grip and gone back to sleep.

The world was quiet when he finally woke completely. The insides of his eyelids were dark enough he thought he might have come to in the middle of the night until he cracked them open with a great deal of effort to see that curtains had been drawn across the window beside his bed. By the luxurious décor he guessed himself to be in the palace still but that seemed less important than staring up in to the empty space above him and coming to terms with the fact that he was still alive. Against all odds he had survived.

Several parts of his body protested when he struggled his way upright but since it was less of a screaming muscle situation and more of a sulking grumble he ignored it easily enough, too curious and brimming with an unexpected amount of energy. The room around him looked like the usual sort of apartment important guests might be given by the daimyo, which probably meant that he had been tended to by a private doctor while he was unconscious. One corner of the room had an ornate dresser decorated in such a way that it nearly disappeared in to the wall designs. Several of the drawers were opened, clothing spilling out from each of them, and on top he recognized the shredded remains of his own shirt. He wondered why they had kept such rags.

Only a few minutes of blissful silence had passed before he picked up the sound of footsteps echoing down the hallways and set his sights on the door, waiting patiently until it opened to reveal Izuna with his eyes already in the middle of a disgusted roll.

“Pompous idiots,” he was muttering to himself.

“You are not a fan of the upper class, I take it.” Tobirama allowed himself a tiny smirk when his question made Izuna jump.

“Holy shit. About time you woke up! Fuck, you sure took your time. If you had slept another couple of days I was about to send a letter for your brother to come take a look at you himself since clearly these ‘high class’ physicians have no idea what they’re doing.”

Tobirama blinked and then shuddered. “I am infinitely grateful that you did not resort to that.”

“What, don’t want big brother to see you being a big weak baby?” Izuna asked in a mocking tone.

“On the contrary, I would rather no one else attend me if it’s necessary. But to call him all the way to the capital because you can’t wake me up? He would be inconsolable and by the time I woke up the entire city would have been drowned in tears. If possible I would rather not deal with that.”

He tried to get a better look at the shadows coming through the curtain to determine the time while Izuna mulled that over. Eventually his companion twisted his mouth in a wry expression and nodded slowly; he’d clearly had enough interactions with Hashirama by now to understand. Other than Mito there weren’t many people who had the patience to deal with so many wild emotions swinging back and forth at a moment’s notice.

“Don’t move,” he commanded. “I’ll go drag that useless physician back here so he can clear you to leave. And don’t you dare tell me you don’t feel like leaving because I am very prepared to drag you with me. It’s been days. I want to go home.”

“Exactly how long have I been unconscious?” Tobirama asked.

“Half a week. So sit down, shut up, and if you move I will beat you back in to a coma.”

“That sounds counterproductive.”

Izuna ignored him, spinning on one heel to exit the door he had just come through. His footsteps echoed just a little more loudly as he stomped down the hallway. In direct contradiction to what he’d been told, Tobirama swung his legs out from under the heavy blankets and stood up from the bed as soon as he was alone. If the doctors here were really that useless then he might as well evaluate himself before anyone else could bungle it. He had picked up enough things from Hashirama over the years that he knew the warning signs of underlying conditions someone with just a smidgeon more pride than him would have ignored.

Thankfully, however, the only thing underlying on his person were the clean undergarments he very much did not wish to know how he had gotten in to. Clearly someone had dressed him a little too intimately while he’d been unconscious. Definitely not something he would include in his tale when he recounted the events of the mission to his husband.

Even if Madara wasn’t going to touch him there he certainly wasn’t going to let anyone else do so. The Senju were raised to take their marriage vows quite seriously.

Careful movements and slow stretches gave him a good idea of how well his body had recovered and a quick internal scan told him that his chakra levels were back up to where they should be. None of the bones he had suspected of being broken seemed to be causing any pain, most of the bruises from their mission were fading gradually to yellow, and all of the places where he hadn’t had enough thread to sew himself up after he’d done the same for Izuna were all healing well despite that. Overall the only thing that wasn’t top notch was his belly but even that seemed to have gotten some sort of professional attention. Perhaps Izuna’s poor review of the physician had been a little exaggerated.

He had his chance to find out soon enough when the door opened once again to admit Izuna, who immediately looked pissy to see him out of bed, and a portly man in his middle years with well-oiled facial hair and clothing that had clearly been gifted to him. No medicinal professions Tobirama knew of paid enough for the finery this man was wearing. Yet his expression was kindly and his voice soft as he urged his patient back towards the bed for a proper examination.

The questions he asked felt endless but Tobirama could at least see the purpose behind each one, which was all that kept his patience in check until finally he was allowed to stand again and resettle his shirt to hide the bandages around his middle.

“I recommend light physical activities until the wound has completely healed. The stitches will need to be removed by a doctor in your own village but they must remain at least until the flesh is able to stay closed without them.” He smiled as he packed up the instruments he had used for his exam. “Remember to stay hydrated as well. Many people underestimate how important it is to drink water and eat properly during a time of healing. Give your body the tools and in return it will build you strong again.”

“My thanks, doctor. I will remember.”

“You are both free to go then, so long as your journey will not be strenuous. I know how you shinobi types enjoy hopping between the trees as you do but I would strongly recommend against it.” He tutted disapprovingly and Tobirama couldn’t help but smile.

With a respectful bow as low as he could manage with an injured stomach, he thanked the man again and then cast about the room with a questioning look as soon as he was alone with his mission partner. “I’m not walking home in pajamas. You look like you’ve got some nice new clothes and the daimyo is many things but he isn’t stingy. Where’s mine?”

Izuna grumbled but stomped over to one of the open dresser drawers and pulled out a small pile of fabric to throw in Tobirama’s face.

As Tobirama dressed he listened to Izuna recounting how the Daimyo reacted to the knowledge that his niece had indeed betrayed him, colluding with those who opposed him to plan a coup with the intent that she might take his place ruling over Hi no Kuni. Like a true politician he had allowed nothing to show on his face but, according to Izuna, there was no hiding the pain in his eyes. All things considered Tobirama couldn’t say he would do any better in the face of such heart breaking news as the betrayal of his own beloved kin.

Once he was dressed they attempted to present themselves to the Daimyo but were told that he was much too busy dealing with the consequences of the news they had survived to bring him and so they slipped quietly out of the palace without delay. Both of them chafed at the slower speed of walking as soon as they stepped foot outside the city borders. Izuna eyed a horse-drawn cart when it passed them by, a textile merchant on his way back from market, and although Tobirama could hear the longing sigh he said nothing. All the bumps in the road would probably hurt his belly more than leaping about through the trees would; if he didn’t want to tear out his stitches they were better off taking the slowest route.

“Kami this is going to take forever,” Izuna whined after they had walked for a half hour and covered less than half the distance they should have.

“If you complain the whole time it will certain feel that way,” Tobirama muttered under his breath.

“Can’t you just flash us home the same way you flashed us in to the city?”

Tobirama wrinkled his nose. “I’ve never had occasion to test my range with that jutsu and I’m not sure it would be the smartest idea to do so when I am already recovering from an injury.”

“You mean I might get rid of you faster? Damn. You should do it.”

“How very thoughtful of you to be so concerned for my wellbeing.” Now it was his own turn to sigh. “Unfortunately you’re just going to have to exercise your patience. Either that or you can go on ahead and explain to our fathers why you chose to abandon your assigned mission partner despite being well aware of his delicate health.”

Izuna gnashed his teeth together. “The only thing delicate about you is your sensibilities.”

“Ooh. Ouch. Someone get me some ice for that burn.”

“Hey fuck you!”

“I would rather you not.”

“Ew! Not with a ten foot pole! I hate you so much, Senju.”

Tobirama’s first instinct was to snap back that he was, in fact, an Uchiha now. Instead he turned his head to snicker at the trees lining both sides of the road they were walking on. He was more than aware that laughing would only rile Izuna up a little more but after everything he had gone through over the past few days he was pretty sure he’d earned the right to a bit of entertainment.

As predicted, it did feel like it took forever to make their way back to the village. In fact it took them two full days when they could have covered the same distance in less than twenty-four hours if they were travelling at full speed. The closer they got the more Izuna almost seemed to vibrate with energy until finally they were close enough for even someone without Tobirama’s sensing abilities to feel the roiling mass of chakra signatures that was Konohagakure. Just being close enough to feel their loved ones nearby, healthy and calm as the evening grew later, was enough to draw almost all the tension from their bodies.

Closing his eyes and trusting his feet to carry on along the path, Tobirama passed over Touka and Hashirama and Mito, took a moment to identify Kagami and several members of his birth clan who had carved out a soft spot in his heart, before turning his attention to the burning star that was Madara. In the middle of the Uchiha district where they had made their home his chakra smoldered with the specific banked ember feeling of someone sleepy and ready for bed.

Hopefully he hadn’t been too worried to have his brother and husband both coming back from their mission a week or more after they were expected to. Tobirama supposed he would find out soon enough. Whether Madara would be angry or snippy or even disappointed in them for making such a mess of things, Tobirama was still looking forward to seeing the man.

He had missed his husband.

#rae writes #madatobi #tobirama #izuna #fanfiction

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mldrgrl · 6 years ago

Text

What it Feels Like For a Girl

by: mldrgrl Rating: NC-17 Summary: I had several Anons, and one non-Anon, requesting a body swapping story where instead of Morris Fletcher and Mulder swapping bodies in Dreamland, it’s Mulder and Scully. So, here’s the result. Mulder and Scully swap bodies at a very inopportune time. (Or very opportune, depending on how you look at it). Note: I’m going to be honest here and say, I don’t think this is a concept that works well on paper. A visual medium serves this thing a lot better. Oh, well. A big thank you to @kateyes224 for being the first to get through it :D

As the blinding light in the sky hovers closer, Mulder takes hold of my wrist and squeezes. I can’t see past the light, now shining directly into my eyes so strongly that I have to put my hand in front of my face because squinting doesn’t cut it.

There’s a flash and a moment of equally blinding darkness where it takes a moment for my sight to recover itself. Morris Fletcher still stands grimly before us, flanked by military personnel who look a little too trigger happy for my taste.

“Come on, Mulder,” I say, but the strange thing is, I don’t hear my voice, I hear his. When I look to my right, he’s not there. When I look down, he’s still gripping my wrist, except I feel like I’m the one doing the holding. And then I’m looking into my own startled eyes.

“What the fu-?” she says, right about the time I’m blurting out “oh my God.”

“Mulder?” I whisper.

“Scully?”

We’re both interrupted by an impatient Fletcher, barking at us that we are trespassing on government property. She...he looks annoyed, clearly about to make an ill-advised retort and I shake my head at him.

“Come on,” I say, tugging on the sleeve of my own jacket. “Let’s just go.”

There’s an awkward moment of confusion as we move to the car, heading to our usual sides. Mulder stumbles over his feet and then tip-toes towards the driver’s door with miniscule, shuffling steps.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hiss at him.

“I can’t walk in these shoes!” he hisses back.

I don’t fit into the passenger side. I’ve never not fit into any space ever. But, here I am, knees folded up and knocking into the glove compartment. He’s not faring much better, unable to reach the pedals and clearly distressed about it.

“Maybe we should switch?” I suggest.

“Not until we get out of here and find out what the hell is going on. How do you...Jesus, I can’t reach anything!”

This is surreal. Whatever’s happening feels like a nightmare or a bad acid trip. I keep pinching the skin on my wrist trying to snap out of whatever this is, but it’s not working. Out of curiosity, I reach up and touch my face, feel my fingers scrape across the five o’clock shadow dusting my cheeks. This can’t be happening. This can’t possibly be happening.

*****

We don’t talk much on the way to our motel. I can’t speak for Mulder...well, actually, I am speaking for Mulder, currently, but I think it’s just too damn weird to try to talk to each other and hear someone else speaking. It’s jarring. We do agree on one thing though, and that’s the fact that we need to get back to DC as soon as possible.

Actually, we agree on two things. We get back to DC as soon a possible, and we don’t tell anyone about this until we know for sure what’s going on. To that end, I book a red eye out of Santa Fe and Mulder hastily packs up our motel rooms.

“Don’t you have any flats?” he whines, digging through my duffel bag.

“At home.”

“I feel like I’m going to break an ankle.” He takes tentative steps across the motel room, trips twice, and nearly takes a header into the wall, but I happen to catch him.

“You hurt me, I’ll kill you.”

He stands there wobbling like a baby giraffe. I’m afraid if I laugh at him he’ll think I’m enjoying this situation. Trust me, I’m not. Of all the messes he’s gotten us into, this one surely takes the cake. So, I just stand there, with my arms crossed, watching Mulder hobble back and forth until he can assure us both he isn’t going to fall on his ass in a pair of two-inch heels.

The flight home is the most uncomfortable flight I have ever been on. I prefer a window seat when I fly normally, but my whole body feels too long to fit anywhere but the aisle. Mulder, on the other hand, looks almost pleased with himself and leans back in the seat and stretches.

“This is great,” he says. “I’ve never had so much room before.”

As soon as I get my own body back, I’m going to kill him. Slowly. Using lots of torture.

Maybe it’s crankiness from the unbearable cross-country journey, or the awkwardness of being in someone else’s body, but as soon as the flight lands, I have the compulsory need to be as far away from him as possible. It’s so hard to look at him and see myself, but to know it isn’t me.

“I think we need to stick together,” he says to me as we head to the taxi line. “Just stay by each other’s sides until we come up with a way of fixing this.”

There’s a moment where he starts to put his hand on the small of my back out of habit, but his usual aim is thrown off by our change in height and instead lands directly on my ass. I jump.

“Mulder!”

“Wha-oh! Sorry.”

“Be careful.”

“I said I was sorry.”

“Well how would you like it if I smacked your a...nevermind. Have you come up with any solutions?”

“No. You?”

“None. I do think we need to behave as normal though. Go about our days like nothing unusual has happened.”

“Days?”

“We don’t know how long this is going to last, Mulder. Hours, days, weeks-”

“Don’t say months.”

“Years.”

“Years,” he barks.

“Keep your voice down,” I whisper, bending so our heads are closer together. I don’t think I’ve ever had to bend down to speak to anyone in my life. Why do I have to be so short and why does he have to be so tall? It’s a wonder neither of us has suffered a neck sprain in the past six years.

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“I am far from calm, but I’m not going to freak out in a taxi line.”

“Well, then what do you want to do?”

“It’s Saturday. We go home. We think on it. We come in on Monday, go over our ideas, and hopefully, one of us will have thought of something brilliant.”

“You want to split up?”

“I want to think. Which means, I don’t want to be distracted and I don’t want to get dragged into any other of your crazy schemes until I’ve had the chance to process this.” There’s a taxi approaching and we’re next in line, so I do the gentlemanly thing and open the door for Mulder. He reluctantly slides into the back seat and I hand over my duffel bag to him.

“Oh, and Mulder,” I say, just before I close to door. “Do not, under any circumstances, get me into any trouble. Just remember, I already shot you once.”

“Scully, I really think-”

I slam the door to cut him off. I just want to get home and come up with a solution.

*****

I am well and truly exhausted by the time I get to Mulder’s apartment, my home sweet home for the next...however long it takes to fix this mess. I want nothing more than to lay down, take a nap, and hope I’ve dreamed up something truly amazing by the time I wake up. What I didn’t count on was the fact that Mulder really and truly didn’t have a bed.

All these years, I really thought he’d been joking when he said he never got around to buying a bed since he preferred his couch anyway. He referred to his bedroom as the storage closet, and though I have glanced into it a time or two, all I saw were boxes. Surely there must be a bed hidden under there somewhere, so I thought. Well, I was wrong.

I almost called Mulder to berate him right then and there, first for getting us into this mess, second for not living like a proper adult, but what would that really solve? I’d still be without a bed for the foreseeable future. So, I did what a normal human being would do and I looked up the nearest mattress store in the Yellow Pages and drove down. I probably spent an hour trying them all out, found one I liked, and with the swipe of Mulder’s credit card conveniently located in the wallet in my back pocket, bought him a mattress and bedframe that would be delivered bright and early tomorrow morning. One night on the couch probably wouldn’t kill me.

With that done, I went to the mall and bought some sheets and pillows for the new bed and then on to the grocery store for food. I’ve seen the science experiments growing in Mulder’s fridge and, though I’m pro-science experiment, I’m anti-eating them. It also occured to me, once I got back and fixed myself a nice salad, I had better clear out all that junk in the storage closet so the bed would have a place to go.

In the midst of packing boxes and cleaning, I used the time to think. I don’t know though, something about being in Mulder’s body must have affected my brain, because the only ideas I could come up with were ones that he would’ve thrown at me. We could see a psychic. We could hold a seance. We could try time travel.

By the time I’m finished turning the bedroom into an actual bedroom, it’s past dinner time, and I do the most Mulder thing I can do. I order a pizza and sprawl out on the couch in front of a movie.

At this point, you’re probably wondering why I’m boring you with all this stupid, mundane crap when you must be thinking oh my God, you’re in an entirely different body, why haven’t you inspected it from head to toe and tried out all the...new body features. Well, look, I am curious beyond belief about what it’s really like to be a man, but I’m going to have to look Mulder in the eye again and I don’t know if I can satisfy a curiosity and still maintain a professional relationship after that. There are boundaries.

But, fine, I may have changed into a nice pair of jeans and a sweater within the full length view of a mirror, not that I was looking, but I think the few glimpses I caught will allow me to keep my integrity intact. I mean, and I did have to shower, so that was interesting. I didn’t attempt to shave, but I will compliment Mulder on the body wash he uses. It was very nice and I might try to find some with a more feminine smell when things are back to normal.

The only real challenge I run into is how to use the bathroom. It’s one thing to check out Mulder’s body, but another thing to touch certain parts that need to be touched, I assume, when one uses the bathroom. I mean, I didn’t know what would happen. Do I just stay still and hope it aims itself, or what if once I start it’s like an out of control fire hose situation? I know it’s not very manly, but I opt to sit down to pee. Mulder doesn’t have to know.

*****

It’s late I think, at least past 10pm, and I’m dozing on the couch when my cell phone rings. “Scully,” I mumble out of habit. “Um, I mean Mul-”

“Scully, it’s me.” There’s an edge to his (my?) voice that doesn’t sound good.

“Mulder?”

“You don’t...you don’t happen to feel like you’re dying, do you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh God,” he moans. “Scully...something’s wrong.”

“Mulder?”

“Something is really, really wrong.”

“Mulder, I’ll be right there. Don’t move.”

I’m off the couch in an instant, thankful for my suddenly longer legs that get me out of the apartment and down the block to Mulder’s car in what feels like two minutes flat. I’m also grateful that I gave him a key a few years back and I use it to enter my apartment about fifteen minutes later. All the lights are off. I call out to him and he answers from the bedroom.

I find him curled up on the bed, still wearing the same pantsuit I threw on before accompanying him on that wild goose chase to New Mexico. There’s just enough light filtering in from the street lamps outside to highlight the anguish on his face. Let me tell you, it’s a little disconcerting to see yourself in pain. I crawl onto the bed and put my hand on his forehead, but he’s cool as a cucumber.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“You don’t feel it?” he answers, lifting his eyes up to me.

“Feel what, Mulder?”

He bursts into tears and rolls away from me. “Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Tell you what?”

“I thought it must be an effect of whatever this thing is that’s going on, but if it’s just me and it’s not you, then it can’t be and it hurts so much. Scully, why didn’t you tell me the cancer was back?”

“What?” If I wasn’t panicked before, I certainly am now. “What the hell are you talking about, Mulder?”

“Your body is dying, I can feel it. I’m dying.”

“What hurts?”

“Everything! Everything, God, my head is...and there’s this pain in my back - I think it’s the kidneys. Scully, I think your kidneys are going to explode. And then the light was too bright and I feel sick and then like right here…” He presses a hand to his hip, a little lower and off center from his abdomen. “It’s like...I don’t even know. Something is happening right there, something bad.”

It dawns on my almost immediately and I do some quick math and think about the date. If it wasn’t so tragic, I’d laugh.

“Mulder, you’re not dying.”

“Do you think it’s appendicitis?”

“It’s not appendicitis either. You’re PMSing.”

“I’m what?”

“You’ll be starting your period tomorrow.”

There’s a monumental silence that follows as he stares at me, silent tears trickling down his cheeks. And then he gasps loudly and starts weeping.

“Why am I crying!” he chokes out.

“Hormones.”

“What am I going to do?”

I try not to roll my eyes. “You’re going to do what every woman since the dawn of time has done, you’re just going to deal with it.”

“But, I have no idea what to do with...the things and the...you know…”

Yes, I do know. And a few moments ago I’ll admit I was feeling a little smug about Mulder having to getting to experience what it’s really like to be a woman, but he’s got to experience that in my body, which means…hoo boy. And of course he’s not going to know how to handle the finer details of a menstrual cycle, which means it’s going to be up to me to show him. What other alternative is there?

I’m never going to New Mexico with him again. In fact, I’m never going anywhere with him again. This is all his fault. If not for his stupid, wild goose chase, Mulder wouldn’t have cramps and I wouldn’t be on the verge of showing him how to use a tampon. Jesus, but there’s another even more embarrassing conversation we’re going to have to have in a minute and it’s going to make the rest of it seem like a picnic.

“Alright, Mulder, I have medication I’m going to get for you,” I tell him. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” He wipes his eyes with the backs of his hands and I slip off the bed.

I grab the prescription bottle from the medicine cabinet and fill the water glass on my sink. I consider for a moment just leaving it as this - giving him the pills and walking away - but, I can see him behind me in the mirror, doubled up on the bed, probably praying for swift and sweet relief and I know all too well what it’s like and how it feels to just want someone, anyone to come take care of me when it’s as bad as this. So, I have to bite the bullet and get him through this the best that I can because in a way, I’m doing this for myself.

“Take these,” I say, handing him two pills and the glass of water when I return to the bedroom. He sits up, just enough to swallow them down and grimaces as he tries to lay down again onto his back. I put the bill bottle and the glass on the nightstand and stare at the top drawer for a few moments before I sit beside him.

“Thank you,” he whispers, shutting his eyes. That’s good. It might be easier to talk to him if he’s not looking at me.

“Mulder…”

He sort of grunts-slash-whimpers in response. I reach over to gently untuck his shirt from his slacks. “Why haven’t you changed?” I ask. “I’ve-you’ve been in this suit for two days.”

“I didn’t feel right about it.”

I unbutton the top button on the slacks and rest my hand low on the bare skin of his abdomen. I press down, slowly increasing the pressure.

“Oh,” he breathes with a sigh. “Your hand is warm. Oh, that’s nice.”

“I know.”

He puts his hand on my wrist like he’s afraid I’ll move away.

“You need to get undressed,” I whisper to him, making a gentle circular motion with my hand. “You need to get more comfortable.”

He doesn’t move, although he gives a tiny shake of his head and his brow furrows slightly. He grips my wrist a little harder. “I’m good here.”

“Come on,” I tease. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“It isn’t right.”

“You have my permission, Mulder, if that’s what you need so we can deal with this.”

It’s an interesting thing to watch Mulder’s expressions of struggle play out on my face. I can see him even if I’m looking into my own eyes. It’s bizarre. But, then again, I’ve always said I could read his face as easily as I read my own. I just never imagined for it to be so literal.

“How about this?” I say. “You’re the only one that can take care of my body right now and I need you to do what I ask of you because you’ll get sick if you don’t. I trust you.”

That seems to do the trick. He nods a little, but still clutches my wrist.

“I was wrong when I said we should go about our days like everything is fine. You were right, we need to stick together on this, so I’m not going anywhere. I’ll get you through this, I promise.”

“Okay.”

“What’s going to happen right now is, I’m going to go into the other room. You’re going to get undressed. You’re going to open the top drawer of my nightstand and you’re going to take out the blue velvet drawstring bag.” I pause. “Um, I’m sure you’ll figure it out from there. And when you’re doing, take a nice hot bath and go to bed. As for tomorrow...we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Mulder stutters, taking a vice-grip on my arm. “Are you asking...no. No, no, no.”

“It’s okay. You just need to do this and...it helps. I promise.”

“No way. For one thing I’m not...and for another it’s...no, Scully, I can’t.”

“Listen, the medication alone isn’t going to solve everything. I’ve learned over the course of dealing with this for the last 20 years, so you’re going to have to true me.”

“I do trust you, Scully, but I’m not...I’m not you.”

“You do know how to bring a woman to or-”

“Yes! Yes, but that’s different. And it’s...it’s what you said before, this is your body.”

“Which you’re currently occupying. If you think I’m not dying a little of mortification right now that I have to explain all of this to you right now, you’d be wrong. But, I’m telling you, from personal experience, that an orgasm increases the blood flow to the uterus and contracts the muscles, which will ease the cramps you’re having now. It also releases dopamine and endorphins, which are going to make the migraine you’ve got building up to go away and will let you sleep. So, there’s a really nice, really expensive, very trustworthy vibrator in that drawer and if you just...tonight is going to be a lot easier for you to handle if you do what I tell you to.”

“No.”

“Mulder!” God, but his stubbornness is exasperating.

“You do it.”

“I can’t do it. You’re me and I’m you.”

“Exactly.”

“Exactly, so-”

“You know what to do. You do the thing with the...thing. That way you’re the one taking care of things.”

Oh my God. “Well, that’s not really…”

“See. You can’t tell me it’s okay for me, but not for you, if your argument is you’re me and I’m you.”

“I mean, that is the argument, but then if I’m involved, it would really be you that’s involved because I’m you and you’re me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, it’s the exact same argument for why you should versus why you shouldn’t.”

“Well, I’m sorry, this is the first time I’ve been in someone else’s body and I don’t really know what’s okay and what isn’t!”

“Scully, I can definitely tell you it’s not okay to ask me to masterbate in your stead because I don’t even think it would technically count as masturbation since I’m not you. So, if you want this body to get off, you’re going to have to be the one to get it off because it’s your body, not mine.”

I realize this argument has gotten a little out of hand and though we’re not quite shouting, it’s louder than it probably should be. I take it back down to a decent level. “Alright,” I say. “I see your point.”

“Good. So, I’ll go ahead and take that hot bath if you get a swimsuit for me and as for-”

“I mean, alright, Mulder.” I know this is insane, but I really do see his point. I also know that if he’s up all night in pain, if he doesn’t get any sleep, if he can’t shake that headache or the cramps, it’s only going to get worse from here. He’s leaving me no choice.

“You mean...wait, I don’t know if…”

“We both agree. It’s my body, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” First thing’s first, we need to get him undressed. Maybe what I need to do is stop thinking about him as Mulder, but as me. We need to get me undressed. “Sit up,” I say.

He does as I ask with quite a bit of hesitation and doesn’t look at me. But then, he lifts his eyes and I sit back as the air leaves my lungs. He’s reclined slightly, hands pressed back behind his hips, a little flushed, hair mussed, smudges of mascara under his eyes, and I have this moment of complete awe. He looks...I look beautiful. It tightens my chest and sends a flutter to my gut.

“What do you want me to do?” he asks.

Christ, Mulder, I think. I want you to stop looking at me like that. There’s fear there, but also trust, and expectation, like I have all the answers to all the questions in the world. It’s making me feel flustered and incompetent. Is this why Mulder always stutters when we argue?

“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper, and I feel the heat rise to my cheeks in embarrassment.

“You are, you know. I mean, you say that like you have no idea.”

“Okay, maybe this really wasn’t-”

“Scully.” He puts his hand on my cheek and it feels soft and delicate, but it feels like Mulder.

“Take your shirt off.”

His hand slides away slowly and then he pulls at his shirt from the back of the neck, typical man. I stop him before he can stretch it out and break any threads in the collar. I happen to really like that shirt. I take it up from the bottom and he lifts his arms to help draw it off. He blinks a few times. I have to lean into him to reach around and unhook his bra. Surprisingly, I fumble slightly, unaccustomed to the length of my own fingers.

“You smell like me,” he says, and I can feel his breath against my neck. It raises the hairs on my arms and stirs my groin. Oh God.

“I had a shower,” I answer, pulling back.

“Oh yeah? How did that go?”

“Nothing to say about it.”

“Did you look?”

“Look at what?”

“It’s okay if you did.”

“Mulder, I’m a doctor.”

“Hm.” He studies my face for a moment and then lays back and closes his eyes.

I lay down as well, on my side, propped up on an elbow, and put my hand on his chest, palm between his breasts and fingers splayed. My chest, I remember. My breasts. I start with a soft caress, knowing how sensitive and achy my chest would be right now.

“I should tell you,” he says, cracking one eye open a little and shifting his gaze down to my waist. “Sometimes...he’s got a mind of his own. I don’t know if anything will happen, but right now my hand is on a beautiful woman’s breast, so you might want to start thinking of Santa Claus.”

“Santa Claus?”

“I don’t know why, but it helps.

“Okay, thanks for the warning.”

He closes his eyes again and takes a deep breath. My hand rises and falls with his chest and I pick up where I left off, this time slowly sliding the back of my hand around the curve of his right breast. His mouth opens a little and he takes another deep breath. I take my thumb and circle over and around the nipple, gentle enough so that it’s hardly a touch at all. He bites into his bottom lip and scratches at the bedclothes.

It feels like there’s electricity in the room, humming between our bodies. I’ll blame it on the charge and say that it’s what compels me to lean over and kiss his neck. I know the spot to hit, just below the ear and at the edge of the hairline. For whatever reason, it’s always made me light up like a Christmas tree. He whimpers, and one knee bends up ever so slightly and then slides back down, but his brow furrows like he’s in pain.

“Mulder?”

“Yeah?” he squeaks, and then clears his throat. “Yes?”

“Are you okay?”

It takes a few seconds to answer and he shifts his hips. “Um, I think so.”

“Open your eyes for me.”

He blinks rapidly and then holds his eyes open to mine. They’re wide and dark, but when I sweep the back of my hand down along his side, they droop almost sleepily. It’s encouraging and I move on, bending my neck to place my lips against the top swell of his breast, with gentle suction, just how I like it. His knee slides up again, higher this time, and bumps the side of my hip. Without thinking, I catch his leg, hand wrapped around the inner thigh, and hold it there, slightly open, as I work my mouth down and across his chest.

He breathes my name and his fingers suddenly slide into my hair, first one hand and then the other. Damn, but it feels good. I’ve always loved the soothing act of having my hair washed at a salon, but it’s incomparable to having nails scratching at your scalp and thumbs skimming your nape. It’s like I can feel it in the roots of my hair down to my toes.

Before I know it, I’m looming over him like it’s a natural move to make. I know at this stage when I’m with a man, I’d be pulling him into that perfect cradle between my thighs where they fit so nicely, but the compulsion for me right now is to slide into that space myself. As I sink down, I’m conscious of what the weight of a man is like, pressing you down, making you feel more delicate than you are at times. And I’m conscious of just how much larger I feel. The body under mine, my body, feels vulnerable, and I have the urge to protect it, to treat it carefully, and by extension, to protect Mulder, treat him carefully as well.

“Is this alright?” I ask.

“Mmhm,” he says, shifting beneath me. His bent legs are pressed to my hips and his hands move to my shoulders and then I begin to waver.

I’ll be completely honest here, I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t engage in any foreplay when I’m by myself, mostly because I don’t need to, but even if I know the ins and outs of my body, I don’t know what it feels like for Mulder right now. I know what I’m feeling like in his body, and all the images of a fat, bearded man in a red suit that I’m trying to conjure up are no match for what’s happening to me.

It’s insane, I know, but this has got to be the single most erotic thing that’s ever happened in my life. And I also I know that the brain is a powerful organ, but it’s a mind-bending concept to be able to touch yourself with someone else’s hands and not recognize your own body. As it happened, I had to wonder, has my breast always felt this soft and heavy, or is that just how it feels in Mulder’s hand? Has my abdomen always felt so smooth? Has my hip always curved so invitingly?

And I’ll be damned if the ache of arousal is any different now than when I’m in my own body. The pressure is the same, if not a little lower in the pelvis. The heavy, swollen feeling between my legs is the same, but with a different consequence. And yet, I’m still overwhelmed with the urge to grind my hips into the bed, just as I would if I was myself.

I make a move to back up just a little lower, and oh my god, the friction and the pressure is both delicious and unbearable. I reflexively groan a little and Mulder opens his eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Fine,” I breathe, recognizing the hoarseness in my voice as the same one I’d encountered on occasion from knocking on our connecting motel doors and being told ‘just a minute.’

I move up and off of Mulder to sit back on my heels. His eyes travel down to my lap and back up again when I unzip his pants. The pressure against my jeans is tipping past the border of pleasurable to painful. ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…

I grit my teeth, wiggling his pants off his hips and drawing them down his legs. I notice with a little bit of relief that even if he couldn’t manage to get undressed, he did at least remove my socks and shoes. All that he’s wearing now is navy blue panties, not the sexiest pair I own, but it could be worse.

Faced with this moment though, this turning point, I have to pause. He’s aroused, I can see it and I can smell it. I’m aroused, which is becoming more and more painfully obvious with each passing second. So, what do we do about it? Should we keep running from what I’m fairly certain we’ve both wanted for quite some time, or do we give in and experience something no one else on this planet has likely experienced before? Jump or turn back?

“Mulder, I...I asked you to take care of my body for me and I never...I should’ve asked if you want me to do the same.”

“You looked, didn’t you?”

“Of course I looked.”

“Did you like what you saw?”

“I want this. I want this if you want this, but I need your help.”

“You need a hand?” He smirks and reaches for the fly of my jeans.

“I want you to show me what you like and I want you to tell me how it feels for you.”

“Well, the first part’s easy. I like everything.” He sits up and pushes my open jeans off my hips, a little rougher than I would have, and takes the boxers down with it. Without any hesitance, he wraps a hand around my shaft, making a tight fist, and tugs up once, leading with the thumb to circle the head lightly.

“Holy mother of fuck,” I groan. His grip remains firm and his rhythm is steady. He twists his wrist just a little with every upwards jerk of his hand. It’s not the slow climb towards ecstasy I’m used to. There’s an immediate gratification that comes with it, but also no satisfaction. I want more, but it’s also too much. “Sss...stop…” I pant.

He releases me and I swear all the air leaves my lungs with a whoosh. I already want the feeling back. Instead, I lean over and kiss him. It’s not what I expect it to be and I’ll admit, I’m a little letdown, but I suppose that’s only because I’ve fantasized about being able to run my tongue over that pouty lower lip of his. We both pull away with as though the disappointment is mutual.

I’m overwhelmed by a feeling of bashfulness and as I look down and sit back, suddenly remember that I’m still fully clothed. Nervously, I take off my shirt and then I have to lay down to kick my shoes and pants off. And then I just lie there, fully naked, staring at the shadows on the ceiling.

“Hey,” Mulder says, laying down beside me putting his chin on my shoulder. “We don’t have to do this.”

“I know we don’t. I want to though, it’s just…”

He takes my hand, twines our fingers together and then brings them to his chest. I can feel the swift thump of his heart which matches the beat of my own, quick and strong. I roll towards him so we’re face to face, nose to nose. He leans his forehead against mine.

“I wouldn’t do this with anyone but you,” I say.

“Me either.” He let’s go of my hand and reaches down to slide the panties off. “Is it weird that I keep thinking how much I want you inside me right now?”

I shake my head. “Not unless it’s weird that I keep thinking about how much I want to be inside you.”

“I want to know what it’s like to feel what you feel.”

“I do too.”

“How do you want to do this?”

“How about just like this?”

“Okay.”

But, neither of us really know how to start. We make some abbreviated movements towards bringing our bodies together, but fall short. Finally, I take his leg and pull it over my hip. I don’t know if I want to watch his face for this moment, or if I want to watch us. Ultimately, I settle on us and leave it up to Mulder to guide me inside.

We don’t magically come together like I’d imagined. There’s fumbling and just as I feel myself start to ease into his warm, wet folds, he let’s go and I slip away. He grips my shoulders, breathing hard, and I reach up to push away the hair that’s fallen in front of his face.

“You okay?” I ask.

“It’s different. Stings a little. I don’t want...I don’t want to hurt you somehow.”

“It’s just for a moment, I promise. You won’t hurt me. But, if it’s too much, or too soon, we can slow down.”

“What if I’m not ready? How would I know?”

At first I think he means emotionally, but it’s the follow up question that changes things. And since he has no first-hand experience, that’s true, how would he know? I reach down between his legs and dip my middle finger inside. He tenses and I can feel the resistance of his body.

“Relax,” I whisper to him.

“I’m trying.”

I understand his nervousness. I think back over my first few times during sex, when it felt like an invasion of my body, no matter how much I wanted it. I adjust my hand, pull my finger out slowly just a little, and then slide back in, curling it as I do. I must admit, having longer fingers makes hitting my target a lot easier. His mouth drops open with a sharp gasp and his hips push forward into mine.

“Good?” I ask.

“Uh huh.”

I do a bit of lazy exploration with my thumb, skimming indirectly over the sensitive little bud that’s going to ultimately make Mulder’s toes curl, before I bring it out of hiding. He moans and pulls my hip closer with his thigh.

“You have to tell me,” I say.

“It’s so fleeting. I don’t know.”

I slow down and make exaggerated circles with my thumb, increasing the pressure and tightness of the motion little by little. I know when I’ve got it just right when his hips roll forward, but then he jerks back and my hand slips free.

“Oh, that was…” his breath hitches.

“It’s okay. Move with it, not away from it.”

We start over from the beginning, but quickly find our way back to before. My hand cramps a lot quicker than usual, but quitting isn’t an option. Fortunately, he’s learned quickly how to match the rhythm of my hand with his hips. There’s just one more thing I think he needs for me to get him there.

“I want you to try to squeeze my finger,” I say.

“What?” he breathes.

“Think about those muscles down there, and try to squeeze.”

His inner thighs tighten against my hand.

“Not the legs. Inside. You can do it, you just have to concentrate on it.”

A determined look comes over his face and I slow just enough to make him want it that much more. “Oh, don’t stop,” he says, just as I feel the slightest bit of pressure against my finger.

“I’m not.”

“Don’t stop, don’t stop. Oh, Scully, that’s...oh…”

He tenses and rocks forward. His nails dig into my shoulder and it sends a jolt of desire straight down my own body. The heavy ache I felt earlier is becoming tight and painful again. I slip my hand out of Mulder and wrap it around my shaft, just as he’d done earlier. There is a need in my gut like being thirsty with a glass of water just out of reach.

“I need you,” I murmur. “Mulder, please.”

“I need you too.”

With less fumbling this time around, I manage to push guide myself inside. And oh my god, to be enveloped by the heat and the wetness and the tight grip of his body is just...oh my god. But, Mulder is whimpering, making a short little gasps in the back of his throat and I stop halfway in and hold onto him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing,” he breathes. “Nothing, this is just...it feels so...it’s so different.”

“You feel amazing.”

“More. I want more.”

“Are you sure?”

“All of it. I want to feel all of you. Please.”

I push deeper, until our hips meet, and then I stop and relish the moment. Our bellies press together, our thighs are twined, our chests expand together with every breath and I actually don’t know where I start and end any longer. When I move, he moves. When I put my arm around him, he puts his arm around me.

The pleasure sensation is different, more acute, more like tingling pressure. It drives my hips forward. The rapid beat of my heart matches the quick pulse between my legs. Blood rushes through my veins, heats my chest, swells in my groin. I have the urge to move faster, but this position has me restrained.

I stop, only long enough to roll Mulder onto his back and press up on my knees. The new position forces Mulder’s legs wide apart and I take his right leg and drape it over my shoulder. He grips my ass impatiently and I slam my hips back into his, grinding down a little with my public bone this time.

“Oh my god,” he cries out. At least, that’s what I think he says. It’s one long exhale and a groan, but that’s what it sounds like.

I have to agree though. Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod. Everything below my pelvis starts to tighten. This must be it. I can feel the release is imminent. And Mulder’s got that pinched-brow expression of deep concentration again. I can feel him. I can feel him pulling me deeper, squeezing me tighter, and my eyes start to roll back in my head.

“Oh god, oh god.” I’m not sure who yells it, but I know I feel like a bottle of champagne that’s just been uncorked. All the pressure that’s been rising up explodes into stars behind my eyes. The force of it is so strong that I can’t breathe. I can only groan and quiver. Beneath me, Mulder is also moaning softly. The heel of his left foot digs softly into my ass.

I’m on the verge of collapse and muster up enough strength to pull his leg from my shoulder and turn onto my side. I want to weep when I feel our bodies disconnect. I reach for him just as he reaches for me and we twine together again, a lot stickier and sweatier than before.

“Wow,” he says.

“Yeah.”

“I can’t move.”

“Me neither.”

“You were right about the orgasm thing though. It’s like the cramps never happened.”

I chuckle a little. “That’s good.”

“And, like, Scully...twice? In a row? It’s not even like a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am kind of way either, those are just...wow.”

“It’s not always like that.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Huh.” He stares up at the ceiling and considers this. “Does that mean I should be flattered, or should you?”

I laugh and shrug a little. Mulder presses his cheek to my arm and sighs. Laying here like this doesn’t feel that strange at all.

“Do I still need that hot bath?” he asks.

“You should. Even if it’s just to clean up.”

“You want to join me?”

“Yeah. Sure. I might need a minute.”

“Should’ve warned you. Sex makes me sleepy.”

“Not me.” I yawn.

“I’ll go get the bath ready.”

“Okay.”

“Scully, about tomorrow.”

“Heating pad, Advil, and you’ll get to learn how to use a tampon. Wait, there was a short in the wire of my heating pad. I had to throw it out. We’ll think of something.”

“Yes, I can’t wait, it’s going to be great.”

I chuckle again, this time with my face pressed to the mattress and my eyes closed.

“But,” he says. “What I mean is, what happens tomorrow? Where do we go from here?”

“First we figure out how to get things back to normal. And then...and then we’ll see.”

“Okay, I’ll go run the bath.”

“Okay.”

*****

I wake up with the sun on my cheek, a soreness in my thighs, and a twinge in my abdomen. I pick my head up and turn it to the other side. The bed is empty.

“Mulder?” I sit up and look at my hands. My hands. I’m wearing a pair of flannel pajamas I don’t remember putting on.

I get out of bed and walk through my empty apartment. Something feels off. I feel like I’m in a dream or I’ve just woken from one. And where is Mulder? But, wait, why would Mulder be here?

I return to the bedroom and stare at my bed. I can feel flashes of my dream or a memory bubbling up to the forefront of my mind, but they’re also not quite clear. I’m making love with Mulder, but my body isn’t my own. I am Mulder. My cheeks flush. How strange.

My thighs though. They’re sore and ache in only the way my thighs will ache after a night of passion. Why would I wake up with Mulder’s name on my lips? I pick up the pillow next to mine. It smells like him. It smells like us.

I find my cell phone in my duffle bag by the front door. I remember packing a bag to go to New Mexico with Mulder, but almost nothing after that. I call his cell, pacing in front of my table as it rings.

“Mulder,” he answers.

“Mulder, it’s me.”

“Hey, Scully.”

“Mulder, were you…?”

“Was I what?”

How do I ask him if he was here last night? How do I ask him if this blurry image of the two of us in my head is real? And if it is, well why did he leave? It can’t be real. I’m just being ridiculous.

“Nevermind,” I say. “I think I had a weird dream or something.”

“Hang on, Scully, someone’s at the door.” I hear him open his door on the other end of the phone and a distant conversation. “A bed? I didn’t order a bed.”

I gasp and hang up. I ordered the bed. I remember. Oh my god.

*****

An hour later, Mulder shows up at my door and I open it, but I don’t move back to let him in. He sighs and leans his head against the jamb and then holds a gift bag out to me.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“It’s a heating pad.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Can I come in?”

I back up and let him through. He’s wearing what I wore yesterday, what he must have picked up off my bedroom floor this morning before he walked out.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“I want to know why you left.”

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “When I woke up this morning, I was a little disoriented. I didn’t know where I was or what happened. I thought at first that I might have been drugged - that we may have been drugged.”

“And then?”

“And then things started coming back to me in pieces. It was like deja vu at first, but then I remembered the lights in the sky and you being me and...the rest of it. And I remembered you telling me that you didn’t know what would happen after things were back to normal, and I was afraid that you would wake up and be embarrassed or regret what...or that you would shut me out and we’d never acknowledge it or speak of it again.”

“I’m sorry you felt that way.”

“I don’t remember everything. There’s parts that are clear and parts that aren’t. I do know that, for me, it was pretty incredible.”

“It was for me too.”

“Well, yeah.” He grins. “The only time I crash hard like that is when the sex is really good. I mean, like really really good. So…”

I feel my cheeks get hot and I look down at the gift bag in my hands. Some men bring women flowers. Mulder brings me a heating pad.

“You bought me a bed, huh?” he says.

I huff at my feet and nod slightly. He shuffles closer, takes the bag out of my hands and puts it on the table. I pluck at the blanket hanging off the back of the couch.

“Guess I was past due,” he says. “There is one thing I think we need to settle though.”

“What’s that?”

He cups my face and leans down. This time, I get to taste that bottom lip of his that I’ve always wanted. It’s even better than I dreamed.

The End

#xf fanfic #msr #i wrote this #humor #dreamland #there be sex here

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thoughtsmadnessandmusic-blog · 7 years ago

Text

My Top 50 Songs of 2017

Rules and disclaimers:

No more than five songs per artist, and no more than two songs from the same album/EP. Features count as a song for each named artist. I will try to link the songs to their headers where possible. For songs fifty through twenty-one there will be a short quip; the top twenty will have a more detailed discussion.

This list is subjective, as should be obvious. If you don't like this years, maybe you’ll like next years. In the interest of sharing cool tracks, I will list some honourable mentions that didn’t make the list as I heard them too late for consideration. Some songs (and their videos) contain explicit lyrics and imagery.

Honourable Mentions

Wolf Alice – Yuk Foo

Chromeo – Juice

Rina Sawayama – Alterlife

Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano

50. Tyler, The Creator – I Ain’t Got Time

The percussion on this track, especially the first half, is just sublime. Shout out to the random shakers on the chorus.

49. Syd – All About Me

From one member of Odd Future to another, this song somehow straddles the line between chill and hard, and pulls it off.

48. T-Pain & Lil Wayne – Listen To Me

Who would have thought sampling the ‘Oompa Loompa song’ would sound so hard?

47. Belly – Man Listen

Belly makes some hype music, but his rhyming on this first verse should not go unnoticed. Quality track, with a catchy melody.

46. HAIM – Nothing’s Wrong

The “tell-t-tell me” in the background of the chorus is one of the best things to happen in music this year.

45. Kacy Hill – Hard To Love

The swell of this song, combined with a chorus that only grows larger each time you hear it, makes for 80s infused pleasure.

44. T-Pain & Lil Wayne – Heavy Chevy

This song is just so, damn, southern.

43. Kacy Hill – Arm’s Length

Kacy Hill’s vocal performance on this track is exceptional, and that chorus hits like a truck.

42. Calvin Harris – Slide (Ft. Frank Ocean & Migos)

If you had told me at the start of the year that Calvin Harris would produce some of the smoothest tracks of the year, I would have called you insane. But, here we are. I’d like to give a special shout out to that pitched up vocal sample for being everything that’s right in the world.

41. Travis Scott – Butterfly Effect

The catchy chorus here is accented perfectly by the switch up for the rap verse, which may be my favourite part of the track.

40. Vince Staples – BagBak

Vince Staple’s fusion of electronic music with hip-hop adds a constant sense of movement to a track dripping with political critique and comments on racial inequality.

39. Action Bronson – The Chairman’s Intent

Action Bronson always comes through with constant bars, flow and charisma, so throwing in a catchy refrain is just putting the cherry on top.

Highlight: “I started clapping when the chef brought the duck to the table

Uh, that shit was shining like an angel”.

38. Syd – Body

I’m not sure I fully appreciated how smooth, and sexy, this song was until I began planning this list. The whole track is coercive, and the break down after the chorus serves to let you settle in before the ride continues.

37. Raekwon – My Corner (Ft. Lil Wayne)

First and foremost, I’d like to address the fantastic snare that anchors this track. Secondly, I’d like to remind everyone that Wayne murders his feature, with a flow that just glides through rhyme after rhyme.

36. Lorde – Green Light

Yes, this song is making damn near every list, and with good reason. Lorde’s imagery is superb, and the way this song builds musically is something to behold.

35. DJ Khaled – It’s Secured (Ft. Travis Scott & Nas)

Travis Scott’s hook is phenomenal, anchoring Nas’ vivid lyricism and capitalising on the hype of the instrumental. Maybe we need Travis Scott on more Nas songs?

34. Gucci Mane – Curve (Ft. The Weeknd)

Gucci and The Weeknd suit each other so very well, creating a song that never stops flowing, and revels in its debauchery.

33. Sabrina Claudio – Unravel Me

Alright, why did I have to discover Sabrina Claudio through Spotify radio? How is this track not being plastered over every R&B fan’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts? If I hadn’t found this song so late in the year there’s a good chance it would have landed higher on this list. What a beautiful track.

32. Japanese Breakfast – Machinist

The first time I heard this song is by far my favourite ‘what the fuck’ moment of the year. Add a saxophone solo on top and you have a fantastic track.

31. Lady Gaga – The Cure

I can’t get this chorus out of my head and I don’t want to. Now, that may be aided by the fact that I picture Lady Gaga dancing like an 80s robot while delivering the lyrics, but I can live with that.

30. Cam’ron – D.I.A.

This is some classic Dipset, from the beat to Cam’ron’s nonchalant dismantling of every other rapper’s brag.

Highlight: “50 keys in the tub, that's a real bird bath”.

29. Stormzy – Cold

I love how dramatically hard this beat is, and Stormzy’s refrain “I've been cold the whole season, I should call my next one "Freezing"” is such an excellent, tongue in cheek, cap on the chorus.

28. Injury Reserve – Boom (X3)

Is this the hardest chorus of 2017? Yes, yes it is.

27. Future – Comin Out Strong (Ft. The Weeknd)

Honestly, at this point we need a Weeknd x Future project. The Weeknd is his usual, swaggering self, and Future comes with some surprising intensity and entertaining adlibs.

26. Stormzy – Big For Your Boots

Combine Stormzy’s raw personality on the mic with another catchy hook, and you have a track with insane replay value.

25. Rick Ross – Trap Trap Trap (Ft. Young Thug & Wale)

This song is plain hard. Rick Ross’ change up in flow and voice on his first verse hit perfectly, and Young Thug’s personality complements the track superbly. Throw in some great bars from Wale and you get one of the best trap tracks of the year.

24. N.E.R.D – Lemon (Ft. Rihanna)

The production on this track is incredible, and words can’t describe how badly I want a straight up rap album from Rihanna.

23. The Killers – Run For Cover

The lead single from ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ hits with a fantastic chorus and lyrics that attack the current (or constant) political climate. I’d be remiss to not acknowledge how much this song reminds me of “When We Were Young”, one of my favourite Killer’s tracks.

22. Young Thug & Carnage – Homie (Ft. Meek Mill)

Wait, one second, I might have to revisit my comment on the hardest chorus of 2017... Even if Young Thug does sound like the Cookie Monster.

21. Vince Staples – Big Fish (Ft. Juicy J)

I do love a Juicy J chorus, not to mention a beat with a groove like this. Place a smooth flow from Vince Staples on top and you’ve got a track that will always move your head.

20. Frank Ocean – Chanel

This song has already received accolades from many publications, and the symbolic use of the Chanel logo to frame Frank Ocean’s exploration into the duality of things is surprisingly powerful. Yes, Frank Ocean is a fantastic writer, but this track serves to demonstrate how the mainstream, both in terms of pop culture and music, can be explored and appropriated to analyse deeper social issues. More than that, the fantastic second verse where Frank Ocean belts his lungs out is one of the most cathartic moments in music this year, and serves to remind the listener of how excellent a vocalist he is.

19. HAIM – Want You Back

HAIM’s ‘Want You Back’ was one of the tracks that grew on me the most this year, it’s infectious, 80’s infused sound constantly weaving its way back into my rotation. It’s a song that builds, starting stripped back, and minimalist, before exploding into the chorus with layered vocals, percussion, and some impressively effective vocal samples. There is a certain swagger to the verses here, tying the personality of the band with the sound they create, giving the track it’s smooth movement, and self-assurance. Yes, the relationship is over, but this song is sure in its desire for it to return, and knows it will succeed.

18. A$AP Ferg – Plain Jane

This song is so very addictive. A straight up flexing anthem, ‘Plain Jane’ lands this high on the list for Ferg’s impeccable use of flow. For this kind of track to be effective it needs an MC to bring confidence, swagger, and mic presence that owns the beat and owns who they are. A$AP Ferg executes this perfectly, gliding along the beat to hit all the right points alongside the percussion, and flipping his flow just enough on the chorus to provide a catchy break. It’s a comfortable, commanding presence, accented by a hard beat that is just that bit quicker, and more rhythmically consistent, than the typical trap affair.

17. Lorde – Perfect Places

If any song on this list could be said to have captured what 2017 felt like as a year, especially how it felt for the younger generation, this was it. ‘Perfect Places’ is a masterful display of song writing, diving headfirst into the need for escape in a world that is constantly hammering at our doors. Yes, it deals with the timeless insecurity of becoming a young adult, but more than that it acknowledges the “graceless”, constant nature of it all. There is a distinct helplessness to it all, and as heroes fade what else is there to do but search for an escape? And that’s just the lyrics. The gorgeous production hits like a wall on the chorus, and the synth that accents the refrain is simply stunning. The defining moment of the track, however, is the smallest. Lorde’s mouthed, clicking trigger, where the metaphorical gun that is this song is cocked before exploding into the chorus.

16. Young Thug – Relationship (Ft. Future)

‘Relationship’ contains one of the most exactly crafted choruses of the year. Young Thug begins it, providing his trademark charisma and vocal inflections, and singing in a way that is evidently building to something. Then the beat drops and hits exactly on the first line from Future, signalling the change to more euphoric lyrics from the artist. The rhymes that follow are consistent, but it’s that rising melody that Future provides that will get stuck in your head for days. Once some solid, quotable verses are added, and this song is full of quotable lyrics, it’s back to the chorus, and back to one of the best moments in music this year.

15. PLAZA – Personal

There’s nothing like some good, autotuned debauchery. Plaza’s ‘Personal’ is a vibe; a constant, wavering scent of smoke on the air, smoke that rests deep in your lungs. It’s the taste on your lips the next morning, and the broken, bleary smile given before an early departure. Indeed, it’s the OVO sound through and through. PLAZA flows over the beat smoothly, providing a simple, catchy refrain, that epitomises the song, and the mindset of lust over reason. The song is accepting of this, acknowledging that perhaps the pursuit of carnal pleasure is not entirely good or bad, but simply feels right.

14. Drake – 4422 (Ft. Sampha)

To call this a Drake song seems disingenuous. Even if it was part of the ‘More Life’ package, this is a Sampha song, albeit one fitting of the Drake catalogue. A gorgeous vocal performance from Sampha, ‘4422’ is beautiful in its simplicity. It’s a track that resonates due to its blatant need for any amount of commitment that is not forthcoming. Why? We don’t know. No one knows, because sometimes these moments, and feelings, are inexplicable hunches. They are the twists of the stomach, when we know what feels right, and what doesn’t, but we can’t reconcile the issue and so slip into anxious turmoil. Sampha knows this, and he wants it to end, if only they could meet halfway.

13. Drake – KMT (Ft. Giggs)

I could not stop listening to ‘KMT’ this year. It’s just such an easy, catchy listen. The beat is your standard trap banger, albeit those on beat drums in the introduction are somewhat unique and build the tension excellently. For that matter, the strings themselves are catchy and tension inducing as well. At the end of the day, however, the reason this song is up so high is because it’s just so damn fun to listen to. The lyrics are quotable and often silly or over the top. The flows are catchy, yes, even the ones borrowed from other rappers. Furthermore, Giggs’ voice and adlibs suit the track perfectly, and it all builds to one of the most hype listens of the year. Trust me, if you want to have some fun, crank the speakers and just let yourself be taken away by this track.

12. Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.

How much really needs to be said about Kendrick’s ‘HUMBLE.’? The track that cemented Kendrick as the biggest name in rap sees him step into a lane more pop orientated, but yet still viciously lyrical. The beat, courtesy of Mike WiLL Made-It, is not quite the normal trap affair, focusing instead on a staccato piano line that in a lot of ways reminds me of the more simplistic, yet catchy, early 2000s hip-hop beats. It hits perfectly, and Kendrick steps into it with ease, diving in and out of the beat with one of his catchiest flows yet. To top it off the song is filled with quotable lines that you have no doubt seen plastered all over social media, and with good reason. This song is tongue in cheek fun, with just a hint of a more serious edge to it, and I love it.

11. Jay-Z – The Story of O.J.

The best way to experience this song is with the phenomenal video (linked in the title above) which does a remarkable job of conveying the ideas of the track. A journey into the mindset of a fiscally responsible Jay-Z, ‘The Story of O.J.’ attempts to address the need for wise financial decision making to pull people, especially those discriminated against, out of the world they find themselves in. Yet, throughout it all, Jay-Z makes it clear that no matter the success he, or others around him, might experience, they will still be seen in the same, racist light. For a song that attempts to offer hope it is a bitter taste, suggesting that although over time things will change, for now the colour of your skin will still alter people’s perception of you. All of this is delivered over an immaculate beat from No I.D., complete with an incredible sample and tight, punchy drums.

10. PLAZA – Run This

The way this track builds is nothing short of brilliant. It opens up with PLAZA lamenting his interactions with a girl, his reverb soaked voice echoing over stuttering synths. And then the hats come in, and you know those incredible kicks are about to hit. Those three, perfectly timed kicks, hitting on the start of his line like a truck. The track then builds further, the element of ambition and desire slipping into PLAZA’s vocals, the melody switches up, and further synths come in. But then the song pauses for the briefest of moments, the chorus hits, and PLAZA slips into one of the catchiest melodies of the year. It’s flawless, intoxicatingly arrogant, hype, and so very replayable.

9. Bob Dylan – Making A Liar Out Of Me (Rehearsal)

When Bob Dylan released a new bootleg series, I knew there’d be something good on there, and I wasn’t let down. ‘Making A Liar Out Of Me’ is Dylan at his poetic best, delivering line after line of vivid images and scathing critiques. Of much debate is who this song is aimed at. Is it a lost lover? A politician he had faith in? Higher ups in the church that have been abusing their position of power? God, and Dylan’s faith itself? Or, even, Dylan himself? Yes, this track comes from Dylan’s Gospel era, but it’s using that hint of Christianity to inform it’s critique, to build a pastiche of this person who has horribly let him down. I could simply paste the whole song’s lyrics here and leave you to make your own peace with the track, and in essence that is what I’ll do, but I’ll leave you with a personal highlight of mine:

“Well I say that, that ain't flesh and blood you're drinking

In the wounded empire of your fool's paradise

With a light above your head forever blinking

Turning virgins into merchandise”.

8. dvsn – Conversations In A Diner

I’m unsure how many people would have chosen the closer off dvsn’s ‘Morning After’ to land this high on their year end list, but more certainly should have. It is a beautiful end to a stunning record. The vocal performance from Daniel Daley is gentle, delicate and absolutely embodies the love he is attempting to convey. ‘Morning After’ was an album about struggling to keep a relationship going, and to capture those moments of perfection that remained, and this song is a heartfelt promise to continue trying. It’s an exceptionally mature end to the album, accented by some beautiful piano and a perfectly timed choir.

7. Jay-Z – Bam (Ft. Damian Marley)

This is straight up, uncompromising, old school, braggadocios Jay-Z. Over a beat that contains another excellent sample and fantastic drums (shouts out to No I.D. once more), Jay reminisces on the actions that lead him to where he is today. It’s an acknowledgement of the ego that allowed him to succeed, and it contains some of the most vivid images and best lines on ‘4:44’. Damian Marley’s feature is superb, fitting well with the sample, and his charisma builds off Jay’s perfectly. The highlight of the track for me is the superb transition from chorus to verse, where Jay shouts over the last line of the chorus: “Fuck all this pretty Shawn Carter shit n****, HOV”. It brings so much energy to the track and stylistically harkens back to ‘Public Service Announcement’ off ‘The Black Album’.

6. Roy Woods – Instinct (Ft. MadeinTYO)

A track that came out very late in 2016 on Roy Woods’ ‘Nocturnal’ EP (and thus qualifies for this list), I rediscovered the song when the music video dropped earlier this year. Up until that point I hadn’t realised how fantastic the drop on the first verse was, but Roy Woods going crazy in the video certainly opened my eyes. From then on this track was inescapable for me; I’d keep starting it off, listening to those intro lines from Roy Woods, and waiting for the drop. To this day, when that kick hits, and the flow switches, I can’t help but move. It’s the rhythm of this track that really leaves it sticking in my mind, from Roy’s upbeat, braggadocios lyrics and flow, to MadeinTYOs more laid back, controlled cockiness. Throw in a few more quotable, sometimes ridiculous lines (You ain’t got sauce like I got sauce”), and you easily have one of my favourite tracks of the year.

5. dvsn – Body Smile

Another gorgeous song by dvsn, ‘Body Smile’ sees Daniel Daley once more flexing his vocal chops to make up for the things he has done to break his lover’s heart. Of course, he’s not going to make up for them simply by singing, he’s going to make up for it with a night of, apparently, the most passionate, loving sex, ever conceived (no pun intended). Perhaps that is a ridiculous sentiment, but then, in an album dripping in the raw physicality of a relationship, it makes perfect sense. It’s about marrying the emotional with the physical, recognising sex as capable of being more than just enjoyable, but rather as being an honest, unhindered expression of love. That’s just the context of the song. The production itself is slow, ebbing and seductive, culminating in a stellar vocal performance on the final chorus. Then there’s the pre-chorus, which contains one of my favourite vocal melodies and rhythms of the year, with the way it slinks through each word, as if Daniel Daley is trying to skip through the wrongs, but proceeding to get more and more caught up on his mistakes. Yet, all of this song culminates in the last two lines of the chorus, where Daley stops belting, the instrumentation dies down, and we get a beautiful, seductive, pleading falsetto. It’s stripped back, raw, and honest, just as the song is supposed to be.

4. Bleachers – Don’t Take The Money

Jack Antonoff had a big year, but amongst all his writing for other artists he found time to record an exceptional pop song of his own. ‘Don’t Take The Money’ is an undeniable anthem, painting the stress of being in a relationship with vivid metaphors and a mammoth chorus. It attempts to deal with the constant anxiety that comes from being in a relationship, especially, perhaps, when it is not going so well. What if this incredible person disappears? What happens to me? What if they take the metaphorical money and run? It’s an uncertainty fuelled track that acknowledges the incredible nature of love by recognising how fragile it is. Then there is the fantastic, aching production, that grows into a huge, passionate chorus. The percussion, and use of bells, accents it all so well, and it’s the moments when the instrumentation calms that you notice just how textured it is.

3. The Killers – Tyson vs Douglas

There is so much I want to say, or feel I could say, about this song. First, I want to make it clear how great the instrumentation is. The driving guitar and dramatic synth; the way Brandon Flowers voice screams out the chorus. The sheer size and blatant anxiety of the chorus. It all feels cinematic, as if capturing that final punch and replaying it again and again. But, that’s not really the point. The point is that in front of that TV set was a generation of boys realising their heroes, and, perhaps, father figures, were not invincible. In a world that can be so absurdly masculine, they were witnessing just how fragile it all really was. And that’s not to say it’s bad, but it is a loss of innocence. A realisation that their father, or hero, is fallible, and that sometimes they will break down. They will lose. They will cry. This is a world outside of the conception of a child, and here it is happening in front of them, again and again. It’s a feeling of helplessness because it acknowledges how little control anyone can have over the world around them. In the bridge Brandon Flowers sings “you said it was nothing, but maybe you’re wrong”, because he realises it wasn’t nothing. Every boys view of the world changes when they see their hero, or father, fall, and this song perfectly captures that moment. Incredible.

2. Kendrick Lamar – DNA.

It’s so rare to see a rapper absolutely snap on a track, and on ‘DNA.’ Kendrick lets loose. A track that deals with everything that Kendrick believes makes both him who he is, and makes every other person on the planet what they are, DNA. is a vivid portrayal of the complexities of black culture and the way it is perceived. This idea is demonstrated just before the beat switch, when Kendrick samples a comment from Geraldo Rivera in which he claims that ‘this is why I say that hip hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years’. An idea, that aside from being utterly ridiculous, serves as ammunition for a vicious final verse from Kendrick in which he berates the cheapening, and pigeonholing, of black culture, and makes it clear that who he is is something to be proud of.

1. Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling

‘Cut To The Feeling’ has been my number one song of the year since the day I heard it. No other song released this year is so euphoric, so infectious, so bouncy, or so downright undeniable. It provides moment after moment of highlights, and is quite possibly the best produced track of the year. The song starts simply enough, a nice, catchy clap rhythm, building to the vocals, but as soon as the vocals start, everything begins growing. The kicks come in, and Jepsen delivers some staccato vocal melodies with their assistance, before disappearing into a shuddering, building ‘oh’. An ‘Oh’ that takes us to a chorus. The chorus. The kicks hit, the synths and bass swell, and Carly Rae Jepsen sings her damn lungs out. The melody is shoutable, it’s catchy, and its rhythm matches every jump you’ll be making as you dance along. It’s the second half of the chorus that really drives it home for me, where somehow the song grows even larger, and Jepsen sings “I wanna play where you play with the angels”, hitting the word ‘angels’ in the most, well, angelic way possible. Yet, every line delivered in the song hits perfectly, so for me to even highlight them is almost unnecessary. That’s what this song does so very well, every musical aspect is in complete harmony. An outstanding effort in pop music, and without a doubt my top song of 2017.

#music #topsongs #2017

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redballpointpen2-blog · 6 years ago

Text

MedicalPress - Health WordPress Theme

New Post has been published on https://babesgobananas.com/medicalpress-health-wordpress-theme/

MedicalPress - Health WordPress Theme

MedicalPress is a handcrafted WordPress theme for Health and Medical industry. It is a highly suitable theme for doctors, dentists, hospitals, health clinics, surgeons and other types of health organizations.

It has purpose oriented design, responsive layout, and special features to manage contents for Medical and Health websites.

Easy & Extensive Theme Options — MedicalPress theme has a comprehensive set of theme options that will help you configure and modify things around your website.

Responsive Design — MedicalPress theme is built in twitter bootstrap, So it has a fully responsive layout. Using this theme your website will look awesome on big screens as well as on tablets and smartphones.

WooCommerce Compatible — MedicalPress theme is compatible with WooCommerce plugin which enables you to easily add an ecommerce shop to your website.

Translation Ready and WPML Compatible — MedicalPress theme is translation ready and compatible with WPML plugin. So, You can build your website in multiple languages.

Visual Composer Compatibility — MedicalPress theme is compatible with Visual Composer plugin and this plugin is included within the theme package for free.

It is important to note that none of the demo pages are built using visual composer instead it is an extra facility that you can use to build your own custom pages.

Search Engine Optimized — MedicalPress is handcrafted and its HTML is written keeping in mind your sites good ranking on search engines.

Forms with Google reCAPTCHA Support — MedicalPress theme includes Google reCAPTCHA integration to prevent spam messages from appointment forms* and contact form.

Revolution Slider Included — MedicalPress theme comes loaded with revolution slider support, So you can create powerful and great looking slides.

Google Fonts Support — MedicalPress theme provides theme options to change the site fonts to any Google font.

Various Styling Options — MedicalPress theme provides easy to use style customization options within theme options. So, you can change the backgrounds and colors throughout the site.

Child Theme Included — MedicalPress theme comes with full support for child themes and one sample child theme is included as part of the package.

Easy and Comprehensive Documentation — Easy to understand and detailed documentation is included as part of the theme package. It will help you set up the theme quickly and get your most questions answered right away.

List of Features

Purpose Oriented Design

Fully Responsive Layout – Built in twitter bootstrap

Full Localization Support – Contains RTL styles and PO and POT files

WPML Plugin Compatibility

Easy and Extensive Theme Options

Easy to Use Meta Boxes

Theme Options comes loaded with Many Styling Options. So, you can change colors and backgrounds of almost everything.

You can change the text fonts to Any Google Font

Nicely designed news page with post formats support

Doctors Templates

2 Columns Doctors

3 Columns Doctors

4 Columns Doctors

Nicely designed doctor detail with related doctors listing

Sortable Gallery Templates

2 Columns Gallery

3 Columns Gallery

4 Columns Gallery

Gallery Item Type Page with Gallery Layout

Gallery Item Detail Page with Slider Support

Services Templates

1 Column Service

2 Columns Services

3 Columns Services

FAQ Templates

FAQs Template – with sidebar

FAQs Full width Template

Various Other Templates

Home Page Templates

1 – with full width content support

2 – with various theme options to customize the homepage

Contact Template – With Google Map and AJAX Contact Form Support

Appointment Template

Full Width Template

Various Custom Post Types (powered with easy to use meta boxes)

Doctors

Services

Gallery Items

FAQs

Testimonials

MedicalPress is also compatible with Contact Form 7 Plugin – So you can add your own custom forms if needed.

Child Theme included in the theme package

XML Import File Included

Easy to Understand and Detailed Documentation Included

Theme Support

We dedicated support staff and support for all our themes is provided through our support site.

Visit our Support Site | How to get ?Item Purchase Code?

Recent Updates

Version 3.0.0 – Updated on 19 April 2019

Related article for the existing users

Moved basic functionalities in MedicalPress Utilities plugin

Added basic gutenberg blocks compatibility

Improved overall styles

Added reborn doctors listing social icons

Added theme options control for doctors listing social icons display

Version 2.1.0 – Updated on 19 December 2018

Improved Security by adding Escaping and Validation

Improved escaping for translation strings

Improved Styles for slider on mobile view

Added Gutenberg block editor support

Added reCaptcha for default design appointment form variation one

Fixed Reborn FAQs appearance issue

Version 2.0.3 – Updated on 17 October 2018

Fixed home page read more buttons text visibility issues

Version 2.0.2 – Updated on 16 October 2018

Added Italian, French, Spanish and Turkish Translation Files

Added excerpt support for services

Added transition to tabs widget

Added slider contents plus sign control

Added ‘Read More’ control in theme options

Added URL Slugs support for doctors and services

Added excerpt count control for reborn skin

Added filter settings for News/Posts section

Added WPML language switcher for Reborn skin

Added translation support for Doctors and Services slug

Added hover with theme options control for doctors and services

Fixed comments closed visibility issue

Fixed autocompletes

Fixed reCaptcha translation issue

Fixed pagination issue

Fixed PHP 5.5 compatibility issues

Fixed responsive menu issue for ipad

Fixed slider contents issue

Fixed styling issue for WooCommerce

Improved FAQs filter animation

Improved Styles

Version 2.0.1 – Updated on 8th June 2018

Added GDPR Checkbox support for contact and appointment forms with related theme options to enable/disable and customize it.

Fixed few styles issues.

Updated translation files.

Version 2.0.0 – Updated on 30th May 2018

Added a fresh design variation named “Reborn”.

Added one click demo import for both design variations.

Added retina ready logo support.

Updated reCAPTCHA to reCAPTCHA V2.

Improved theme options.

Updated font-awesome to font-awesome v5.0.8.

Various fixes and improvements across the theme.

Updated translation files.

Updated documentation as per latest changes.

Updated included plugins.

Version 1.6.1 – Updated on 13th October 2017

Fixed slider description issue.

Improved product’s zoom, lightbox and slider.

Added various minor fixes.

Updated translation files.

Updated included plugins.

Version 1.6.0 – Updated on 2nd August 2017

Updated code with respect to latest version of WooCommerce.

Added theme options to sort doctors.

Added theme option for appointment’s initial response/confirmation message.

Added CC and BCC email addresses support for contact form and appointment form using theme options.

Added theme options to enable/disable banner.

Added Google+ and YouTube social icons for doctor.

Added boxed layout support.

Added horizontal tabs support in existing shortcode.

Improved slider headings.

Improved appointment form by adding support of Thank You page.

Fixed reCAPTCHA issue on SSL.

Fixed star rating issue.

Improved various styles and refactored code at various places.

Updated font-awesome.

Updated translation files.

Version 1.5.2 – Updated on 22nd July 2016

Added RTL styles

Added option for slider button text

Added theme option to hide pagination on services templates

Added Google Maps API key support

Added appointment form shortcode

Added appointment request received confirmation email

Added doctors shortcode

Added news shortcode

Added Visual Composer support for various theme based shortcodes

Improved existing code and styles for various WooCommerce elements

Updated TGM plugin activation class

Updated Visual Composer plugin

Updated Revolution Slider plugin

Updated documentation

Version 1.5.1 – Updated on 29th April 2016

Removed a redux message from dashboard

Improved gallery item detail page code

Updated Visual Composer Plugin

Updated Slider Revolution Plugin

Version 1.5 – Updated on 22nd December 2015

Updated Visual Composer Plugin

Updated Slider Revolution Plugin

Version 1.5 – Updated on 7th October 2015

Added flexibility to display more doctors on home with any number of columns

Improved breadcrumbs and introduced related theme options in header section

Changed blog post dates from modified to published

Fixed menu flickering issue

Fixed related gallery items bugs

Improved some JS code

Updated TGM related code

Improved Tabs Widget

Improved quick CSS and quick JS related code

Fixed slider background appearance bug

Updated WPML configuration XML file and translation files

Improved One Click Demo Importer

Updated Demo Importer Extension

Improved translation support in child theme and changed it?s version to 1.3

Updated Visual Composer Plugin

Updated Slider Revolution Plugin

Version 1.4.1 – Updated on 17th June 2015

Updated Visual Composer plugin

Fixed couple of debug notices

Version 1.4 – Updated on 28th April 2015

Added WooCommerce Plugin Support

Added theme option to enable/disable animation

Improved TGM plugin activation code

Improved meta boxes related code

Updated translation files

Updated documentation

Version 1.3 – Updated on 7th March 2015

Added one click demo importer

Improved contact and appointment forms handler code

Reorganized theme options related to appointment forms

Fixed double title issue

Renamed theme’s folder name to avoid conflict with free themes

Modified child theme to match new parent theme name.

Version 1.2 – Updated on 20th February 2015

Added – Visual Composer Plugin Support

Added – Homepage Layout Manager in Theme Options

Added – Theme options to change responsive menu colors

Added – Theme option to change number of blog posts (news) to display on homepage

Added – Theme option to change number of doctors to display on homepage

Added – Testimonial thumbnail placeholder

Added – Theme option to hide plus sign in slider

Added – Theme options to enable or disable breadcrumb

Added – Theme option to enable or disable swipebox lightbox plugin

Added – Custom post types dashboard icons

Added – Shortcode for two third column

Improved – Title tag support in header based on WordPress 4.1

Improved – Toggle and accordion short codes

Improved – Related doctors on single doctor page

Fixed – Redux dev mode notification

Included – PSDs as part of the package

Version 1.1 – Updated on 3rd December 2014

Updated translation file default.po

Version 1.1 – Updated on 27th November 2014

Added – Sticky header feature that can be enabled from theme options.

Added – Support for two columns sub menu

Added – Google reCAPTCHA support in contact form and three appointment forms ( Not added in one appointment form due to design restrictions )

Improved – Breadcrumbs code

Improved – Micro-formats related code

Fixed – Gallery thumbnail double anchor issue

Fixed – Slider height issue during loading

Photos License

Photos used in this theme are for demo purposes only and are not included as part of the theme license.

Source

#Anna Rawson

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thisdaynews · 6 years ago

Text

Watch: Fifa Women's World Cup - Germany face Spain in Group B

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/watch-fifa-womens-world-cup-germany-face-spain-in-group-b/

Watch: Fifa Women's World Cup - Germany face Spain in Group B

Germany v SpainBBC Sport

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Find out more

Summary

Fifa Women’s World Cup Group B

Daebritz slides in to capitalise on defensive error and score

Both teams won their opening game

Germany beat China 1-0, Spain were 3-1 victors over South Africa

Live Reporting

By Michael Emons

All times stated are UK

Get involved

Send a text to81111 (charged at your standard message rate)

Twitter:Use the hashtag#bbcfootball

Facebook:BBC Sport

51 mins

Post update

Germany 1-0 Spain

Germany are unbeaten in the last 14 World Cup games in which they’ve lead at half-time – 13 wins. Their last such defeat was against the USA in the 1999 quarter-finals.

Can Spain turn it round and halt that run?

48 mins

Post update

Germany 1-0 Spain

A brave header from Spanish striker Nahikari Garcia, with Almuth Schult in the German goal diving at her. The header is off target, but it wouldn’t have counted any way as the assistant’s flag was quickly raised.

46 mins

SUBSTITUTION

Germany 1-0 Spain

We’re back under way and we have a change at half time as Kathrin Hendrich comes off and Klara Buehl comes on for Germany.

Posted at 16:5916:59

Did you know?

Germany 1-0 Spain

Germany are unbeaten in their last 17 Fifa Women’s World Cup group stage matches (won 13, drew four).

They are also unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions (won 11, drew two) going back to a defeat v France in March 2018.

Spain are yet to keep a clean sheet in a Women’s World Cup finals match.

Posted at 16:5816:58

Tuesday’s Women’s World Cup Shuffle

Miss any of Tuesday’s action?

Well here you can watch USA make history as they score 13 goals past Thailand in their opening game of the Women’s World Cup, as well as unbelievable weather conditions, some dancing Dutch fans and a silky Johan Cruyff turn.

Enjoy.

Video content

Video caption: Women’s World Cup 2019: USA make history scoring 13 goalsWomen’s World Cup 2019: USA make history scoring 13 goals

Posted at 16:5216:52

Post update

Germany 1-0 Spain

Sara Daebritz’s club side Bayern Munich were pretty happy with that one.

It was the midfielder’s first international goal since June 2018, having gone seven games without scoring.

Posted at 16:5116:51

HALF-TIME

Germany 1-0 Spain

Advantage Germany at the break.

Posted at 16:4816:48

Against the run of play

Germany 1-0 Spain

Here’s how the possession stats looked the moment Germany broke the deadlock.

OptaCopyright: Opta

Posted at 16:4816:48

comments

Get Involved #bbcfootball

Germany 1-0 Spain

Francesca Gunn:Why was the Spanish goal keeper just standing there? I mean, throw yourself over the ball. What where you waiting for? You invited the German player in.

Posted at 16:4816:48

‘A moment to forget’

Germany 1-0 Spain

Tom Garry

BBC Sport at Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes

‘Clear it… Clear it… CLEAR IT!!! Argh!’

Spain captain Marta Torrejon has had a moment to forget there. You just have to get rid, in that situation.

Sara Daebritz says thank you very much. Or rather, vielen dank.

42 mins

goal

GOAL – Germany 1-0 Spain

Sara Daebritz

It’s a scrappy goal, but Germany won’t care about that as they lead in France. It came from good work from Svenja Huth on the right wing and her cross was headed goalwards by Alexandra Popp.

Spanish goalkeeper Sandra Panos parries the header and Marta Torrejon should clear, instead, though, she hesitates and it is a costly error asSara Daebritzslides in at the back post to bundle the ball over the line.

Video content

Video caption: Germany’s Sara Daebritz bundles in opening goalGermany’s Sara Daebritz bundles in opening goal

38 mins

Did you know?

Germany 0-0 Spain

Germany have not conceded a first-half goal in their past 18 Fifa Women’s World Cup matches since Hanna Ljungberg gave Sweden a 41st-minute lead in the 2003 final in Carson, USA. Germany went on to win 2-1.

Spain have seven minutes left to break that run.

36 mins

The sun is back

Germany 0-0 Spain

Tom Garry

BBC Sport at Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes

After that torrential rain at the start of this half, the sun has now come out.

It’s positively June in Valenciennes all of a sudden.

Posted at 16:3116:31

Post update

Germany 0-0 Spain

31 mins

Post update

Germany 0-0 Spain

Germany are coming into this more now and Svenja Huth finds herself free on the right side of the penalty area. She tries a low cross, but Virginia Torrecilla is well positioned at the near post to clear the danger.

30 mins

Post update

Germany 0-0 Spain

Tom Garry

BBC Sport at Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes

Maybe I’m only saying this because it’s still less than 24 hours since we saw the USA score 10 goals in one half… but Germany don’t look like the force they’ll need to be to win this tournament, on this first-half showing.

They always find a way somehow though, don’t they…

29 mins

comments

Get Involved #bbcfootball

Germany 0-0 Spain

Becca:Mapi Leon is a fantastic defender who will help resist the German attacking force, that being said I predict 1-0 to Germany!

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

26 mins

Post update

Germany 0-0 Spain

Some solid goalkeeping from Spain’s Sandra Panos who comes off the line and punches Verena Schweers’ cross into the penalty area clear, just as Svenja Huth was waiting to pounce.

24 mins

Post update

Germany 0-0 Spain

Spain are very much on top at the 24-minute mark, still goalless though.

OptaCopyright: Opta

Posted at 16:1816:18

Another chance, and another one for the Spanish. The ball is played square on the edge of the penalty area and Silvia Meseguer strikes it at goal, but it is inches wide.

At the other end, our first sight of Germany as an attacking force but Giulia Gwinn, the match winner against China, can only shoot straight into the arms of Sandra Panos.

#group #Spain

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pctestbench · 5 years ago

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Lian Li’s new UNI FAN SL120 fans have been something we’ve been anxious to get our hands on since CES 2020 where we had a chance to check out early prototypes. RGB fans are a dime a dozen these days, so it takes something special to stand out from the crowd. Lian Li does this with the UNI FAN SL120’s with a rather ingenious way to connect them together. While there have been a few daisy-chainable fans, and even a single frame 120 x 360mm triple fan from Cooler Master recently, Lian Li has a very unique approach. The new UNI Fans lock together to allow up to four fans to be used as a single device with a single set of cables. The power and lighting signals are passed along to the next fan in line without the need of short daisy-chain cables. Each UNI FAN runs up to 1900 RPM, pushing over 58CFM of air with a water-cooling friendly 2.54mm H2O of static pressure. Each fan includes 32LED’s in two mirrored groups down each side. If that isn’t enough, the included controller independently handles up to 4 groups of fans. For those counting, that’s up to 16 fans with a staggering 512 LEDs and over 900CFM supported by a single controller.

PC Test Bench would like to thank Lian Li for sending us over a UNI FAN 3 pack with the controller to check out!

Lian Li’s take on the UNI FAN: The all-new UNI FAN SL120 is an addressable RGB fan which features daisy-chaining, thus saving users’ neck by eliminating the need for unnecessary cable management. Together, the customizable RGB lighting shining through the high-static pressure fans and the L-Connect Software provides quick access to fan speed and lighting effect control, making your dream build more accessible than ever.

Features

Daisy-Chain Design for Unprecedented Flexibility

The daisy-chain structure ensures a pain-free installation process by eliminating the need to unclutter your PC from all the pesky cables. By simply interconnecting the UNI FANs together, users can easily create a cluster of up to 4 fans and control its RPM, colors, brightness, and lighting effects in one go. Compared to most fans on the market that come with at least two cables per fan, it takes only one cable module for 4 UNI FANs to receive power and signals, allowing users to create a neat and clean internal configuration effortlessly.

A Designated UNI FAN Controller to Easily Manage 16 Fans in One Go

The included UNI FAN controller contains 4 designated UNI FAN ports. Each port can connect to a cluster of 4 UNI FANs via the cable module, allowing users to control up to 16 UNI FANs in one go. Together, the cable module and controller help reduce cable clutter and provide for an organized and well-managed connectivity, which lets the user easily create a minimalistic design focused on aesthetics and simplicity.

L-Connect Software for Intuitive Fan Control

The L-Connect software enables users to control and adjust fan RPM, colors, brightness, and lighting effects with extreme ease. The clean and straightforward layout of the L-Connect interface enables users to intuitively control either a single cluster of UNI FANs or all 4 clusters in one go. By dragging the toggle located on the top right, users can also create a synchronized system by passing over the control of the fans to the motherboard software.

EXTREME COOLING CAPABILITY

The UNI FAN SL120 is a high-static pressure fan that can effectively force the heat to dissipate through the tight fin spacing of high-density radiators. With a maximum fan speed of 1900 RPM and the ability to operate silently at full speed, efficient thermal management can be achieved effortlessly

Maximum Static Pressure: 2.54 mm H2O Maximum Fan Speed: 1900 RPM Maximum Airflow: 58.54 CFM

Industrial-Grade Motor

Each of the high-static pressure fans is propelled by an industrial-grade motor that enables the fans to operate silently at full speed.

Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Technology

Each high-static pressure fan feature fluid dynamic bearing technology, which provides a thin layer of oily fluid to supports the load of the fan blades to effectively reduce the friction caused by the moving parts in contact with the bearings.

Extra Magnetic Support

Extra magnetic force has been added to the center hub to support the fan blades, reducing the vibration level of each fan and thus ensuring a low noise level while in operation.

SOPHISTICATED RGB LIGHTING

Apart from being capable of delivering sufficient airflow in and out of the system silently, the UNI FAN SL120 is also a quick and easy add-on to adorn your build with vivid RGB lighting. 32 addressable RGB LEDs embedded in each fan (16 LEDs on either side of the frame) ensure brighter and more complex lighting effects.

AVAILABLE IN TWO COLORS

The UNI FAN SL120 is available in black or in white and is scheduled to launch on August 19th at a price tag of US$79.99 for a 3 pack (fan controller included), and US$24.99 for a single pack (fan controller excluded). Without the pesky cables slithering and floating around within the build, building a one-of-a-kind PC is a breeze.

Specifications

Fan Dimension 122.8 X 122.4 X 25mm Rated Voltage DC 12V (FAN) & 5V (LED) Fan Speed 800~1900 RPM Air Pressure 2.54 mmH2O (Maximum) Airflow 58.54 CFM (Maximum) Acoustic Noise 17 ~ 31 dB Locked Current >= 0.5mA Bearing Type Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Operation Voltage DC 12V & 5V Start-Up Voltage DC 6.0V Input Current 0.18A(FAN) / 0.6A (LED) Input Power 3.5Watt

A Closer Look

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Lian LI’s UNI FAN SL120 fan comes in single fans and 3-packs that include a controller. We have the latter today to check out, in the white variant. Inside the box, each fan is individually wrapped in bubble wrap. You get three sets of screws, some paperwork, one connecting cable, and an accessory box.

Inside the accessory box, we get the controller, another pair of connecting cables so that all 3 fans can be used independently If needed, and some cables. Cables include the SATA power cable that runs the controller, a USB cable and RGB/PWM cable, an addressable RGB splitter, and some mounting pads.

The RGB splitter cable is about 120mm long, the power cable is closer to 300mm and the rest are about 500mm long.

The UNI FAN controller has 4 separate channels available.

Each channel has an RGB connector that locks, releasable by pressing the tab on top, and what appears to be a standard 4-pin PWM fan header. Standard PWM fans can’t easily be connected to unused fan headers as the plastic housing is just a little too tight around the connector.

The top edge has three connectors, a large 4-pin for SATA power input, a smaller 4-pin for USB control, and even a small 3-pin to allow PWM and ARGB signals from your motherboard or another device to be passed along to UNI FANs.

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Lian Li’s UNI FANs utilize a sweeping 7-blade design that promotes high static pressure. Rubber dampers cover each of the 8 corners to minimize vibration and noise. Chrome accents on the center hub and two of the outer edges really make the fan look great when viewed from the side.

The other two edges are more for function and are the secret sauce that makes the UNI FAN unique. One side has male protrusions and a contact pad, and the other has female notches and spring-loaded male contact pins.

The two sides mate together.

You then slide the fans sideways so that the centering marks align and the fans are now connected, not only mechanically but also electrically.

At this point, two more UNI FANs can be added up to a maximum of 4 fans, and the entire assembly is treated as a single device.

Each group of fans gets a single cable adapter than slides onto one side.

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That’s really it. You now have anywhere from one to four fans using a single set of cables. They can be installed for general airflow or mated to radiators like normal or even installed on coolers.

We’ll connectors our kit as one chain to channel one of the controllers and connect power and USB cables. We did experiment with the PWM and ARGB cable to control the fans without software form our motherboard headers, which worked fine but moved back to USB control.

One minor note here is that the power, USB, and control cables all slide fully into the controller. You have no way to disconnect these without pulling on the wiring itself which is a bit of design oversite on Lian Li’s part. This really isn’t recommended, it’s always best for any and all electrical connections to grasp the plug itself and not pull on the wires.

As soon as your power on the UNI FAN system, it jumps to life with a slow rainbow. The lighting is very bright and very rich.

Software & Testing

L-Connect Software

The L-Connect software enables users to control UNI FAN’s and adjust fan RPM, colors, brightness, and lighting effects with extreme ease.

Each of the 4 groups is show here, you click on the group or channel you want to select it, and a green box appears around it. Under LED MODE, you pick how many fans are connected. You can then adjust Lighting effect speed in 25% increments as well as brightness in the same steps. For dynamic lighting modes, you can select which direction the effect travels as well.

Many of the LED mode presets have customizable colors as well. A simulated view of the effect will show on the chosen fan group in the top half of the screen.

The Fan Mode can be changed to a few presets, or manual control. Manual control jumps in 110 RPM Increments from 800-1900 RPM. The live feedback speed will be shown on each group just under the fans.

Static Pressure Testing Our Pressure test rig consists of a sealed PVC box with a 120mm fan hole, and the tested fan is bolted to the cutout over a foam rubber gasket than ensures all pressure the fan can develop is directed into the box and will not leak out around the edges of the fan frame. A pressure port on the side of the box is plumbed to a Dwyer DigiMag Digital Differential Pressure rated +/- 2% accuracy over its full-scale range of 0 to 6.35 mm H2O. This means our accuracy is within +/- 0.127 mm H20 for testing.

Unloaded in free air, the UNI FAN SL120 manages around 1965 RPM and drops to around 1845 RPM dead-headed into our pressure test rig. The UNI FAN’s are rated 2.54 mm H2O but push almost 2.7 at peak. We see a fairly linear drop off with RPM down to around 800 RPM and just over half a millimetre H2O static pressure. Lian Li’s L-connect software steps down in ~110 RPM increments in its 800-1900 RPM range, so we used that stepping for test speeds.

From a noise standpoint, the UNI FAN’s are barely audible at full tilt. Our sound meter goes down to 30 dB and they barely register at full speed at close range so unless you live in an extremely quiet area and are highly sensitive to noise, you likely won’t hear the SL120 fans while in operation.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion

Lian Li’s UNI FAN SL120 is the new one-stop-shop for fans. Providing anything you would want in a fan from solid airflow to high static pressure for superior cooling, all while doing it in style. Oh, and did we mention easy cable management? The highly unique system for joining fans makes building a breeze, and even readily lends itself to a test bench lifestyle where you are constantly changing things around. The fans interlock so firmly, you can hold a full string of 4 fans in place with 2 bolts quite easily. The included controller works really well with the L-Connect software, but we do wish you could remove the main cables without needing to pull on the wiring. A few upgrades down the road, you could find yourself pulling the wires out of the connector accidentally. One thing Lian Li does right here compared to most on the market, the controller remembers your last settings. There is nothing that annoys people (or at least, me) more than getting your lighting just how you like it, and having to deal with generic rainbow puke as you boot up until the software loads. What does near-perfection cost? A single fan is a reasonable $25, but a 3-pack with controller sets you back a fair $80, at the cheapest end of the scale for 3-pack of quality RGB fans.

Overall, Lian Li Really knocked it out of the park with the UNI FAN. The SL120 checks every box, including the all-important price.

Great Job Lian Li!

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Lian Li UNI FAN SL120 Fan Review Lian Li’s new UNI FAN SL120 fans have been something we’ve been anxious to get our hands on since CES 2020 where we had a chance to check out early prototypes.

#120mm #cooling #Fan #Lian Li #UNI FAN #White

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sowyourmoney · 5 years ago

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50 Best Passive Income Ideas in 2020

What is Passive Income?

Are you looking for some easy ways to make money? Or are you planning to take a break from the usual 9 to 5 job? Or extra cash is something you are looking for? Have you ever thought of quick ways to earn money? If your answer is yes, to any of the above-raised questions, then it’s high time you learn more about passive income.

There are the mainstream of finances that can lead you to the road of success and high-quality life. Many of them are considered as the best ways to make money, usually online, and gives you an edge to have an overflow of cash staying in your comfort zone.

I can even make myself knowledgeable with all the necessary free training available on the internet. The examples in this regard are Alison.com, Edx.org, Coursera.org, and many more. I will have an excellent opportunity to equip myself with all the skills that are necessary for me to achieve growth in online jobs for the future.

Why Passive Income?

It ensures you a bright future where you do not have to think twice about not meeting your basic needs, but it also helps you have a desired lifestyle. A quality life without worrying about making easy money with no hassle. With a passive income, earning is flexible and straightforward. It is a new, smart way to make money on the side.

Passive Income Ideas

We have gathered 50 ideas of how you can earn passive income in 2020. From this list, you can choose any concept that suits you the best. But before you want to earn, remember what Ken Levine said: “We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us.” So we would advise you to choose wisely.

Table of Contents [Hide]

Idea #1: Sell Products on Amazon

Almost the whole world shops on Amazon! Selling your products at this platform is one of the best ways to make money online. There are a massive number of buyers always looking around for various products there.

So if you’re looking for a quick way to make money or a way to make money from home, just go for it! Make sure you have something unique for the buyers to attract more of them and earn the right amount with the sale of each item.

Idea #2: Renting Properties

Renting properties is considered as a high yielding source of passive income and good long-term investment.

It is one of the best ways to make money but is perhaps not the easiest. It is the passive income through which you can make money on the side.

With crowdfunding companies such as Fundrise and DiversityFund, even a relatively small amount of investment can give you high returns of profits.

Idea #3: Real Estate Investments (REITS)

REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts can get you massive amounts of dividends.

Although the income is not usually stable because it tends to fluctuate with the real estate markets, when there is a boom in the market, investors can take full advantage and get into the practical way of making money.

Idea #4: Bond Purchase

Among the streams of passive income earning, bonds are classic! They are not just stable and safe but are often a favourite for retirees and can even be a source of income for those looking for ways to make extra money or ways to make money on the side (while on the job).

Idea #5: Private Equity Funds

Invest in private equity funds only if you are a wealthy investor. Private equity funds are pooled funds that mostly invest in large-scale projects. If you are looking for relatively more comfortable ways to make money, private equity funds are not the best way to make money fast.

Idea #6: Publish an EBook

If you are a writer and are looking for the best way to make money online, then you can go for publishing an eBook, perhaps on Kindle. Even publishing an eBook on Amazon is more manageable, and is an excellent way to make money from home.

Idea #7: Rent your Car

If you are willing, you can use the option to rent your vehicle on a short-term basis to other individuals. It is undoubtedly a quick way to make money from home only.

Using Turo is a great way to give your car on rent and is a pretty smooth concept to help you get your vehicle rented and set up a real way to make money.

Idea #8: Rent your Parking Space

Utilising your parking spaces is essential as they are considered to be highly valuable spaces.

Many people have their parking spaces wasted or have extra ones but do not think of earning a passive income by renting it out.

You can change the trend and go for this reliable, real way to make money from home. Simply draft a contract and rent out your parking space.

Idea #9: Work as a Transcriptionist

You can work as a transcriptionist to make quick money from home. Transcriptionist work is an easy way to make money since all you have to do is listen to an audio file and transcribe them. It is a typically easy way to make money fast. Through transcribing, some get paid for working on a per hour basis.

Idea #10: Royalty Exchange

Buying and selling of royalties are one of the best ways to make money fast. With this activity, you can easily make money online. Make use of websites such as the Royalty Exchange.

When buying royalties, it is good to ensure that you buy those that do not have a limited life span and also continue to generate sales in the future – to bring forth the real meaning of earning a passive income.

For those looking for ways to make money from home, this is another excellent idea!

Idea #11: Affiliate Marketing

It is another popular option to look for ways to make money from home. By doing affiliate marketing, you can earn passive income by earning commissions every time a visitor clicks the ad link.

The majority of affiliate programs pay you well. In about 30 to 60 days via a bank transfer or PayPal.

Idea #12: Start a Podcast

Do you have excellent speaking skills, and even want to hone them by practice? Start a podcast! This passive income idea can be a unique way to make money at home, counted as a quick way to make extra money, and so much more.

Be fun and as creative as possible with it, using your charisma to generate useful, educational, entertaining, and exciting content – suitable for everyone to watch – giving you a real way to make money from home.

Idea #13: Create an Online Course

Giving out online courses has become popular and one of the best ways to make money online. Teach something that you’re good at, something that you love and also helps to build other people too.

Idea #14: Software Selling

Create software and sell it online – It is a great way to make vast amounts of fast money. Building software is a unique skill that not everyone has, and if you possess it, the market is all yours.

But quality matters! And it should be a useful one, something that is useful to other companies or individuals.

Idea #15: Start an E-commerce Business

Since it is a digitised world now, everything is online – buying and selling have never been so convenient. For those ordering online through an e-commerce store – the hassle of logistics and shipping is dropped out.

For those having online or e-commerce businesses, it can be a quick way to make money or a way to make money fast.

Idea #16: Start a YouTube Channel

These days, it is the best way to make money online. Getting more and more subscribers on your YouTube channel can earn you a massive passive income in just a short time.

Sell your products, promote your business, and communicate with the world through live videos or ones that we can view it later. Make it huge. Make it interesting for others.

Idea #17: Stock Photos

If you have excellent photography skills, you can display all your creative and artwork – online, through channels that have the maximum reach so that a vast audience sees your work.

You can also sell your photography right to brands and businesses online who are interested in suitable for your work.

Although you will be efforts, it can be a quick way to make money on the side. If you are a passionate photographer, you can also have your exhibitions and local shows to display your work and earn fast cash or passive income.

Idea #18: Buy and Sell Domain Names for Websites

There are so many who are opening up their businesses. It is also essential for them to have a website too.

Without a domain name, the creation of the website is not possible– buying and selling domain names is one of the best ways to make fast money.

It is even good to purchase exclusive domain names that have a high market value and offer it to big organisations to earn high passive income. A little or in-depth market research on the same can help you to get to the right audience.

Idea #19: Social Media Management

Managing social media accounts has become a top source of earnings for a lot of people. It is a real passive income these days.

There is a heavy presence of social media apps, and people can’t do it without them! If you can manage social media pages, use it well, and create your passive income pool.

Idea #20: Open a Food Truck

Food is life. The food is delicious. Who doesn’t love food and can live without it? So, if you love food, there is no harm in even making it a source of revenue.

If there is a food truck or small food business or restaurant which is owned by someone else – invest there and get your monthly revenues or passive income. It can be a solo or side idea to create passive income quickly.

You can also get your food truck or space in a busy area and let someone else run it and keep getting the profits. It is an easy way to make money for sure!

Idea #21: Renting a Personal Property

Have a new house or portion, or room within the same home? Rent it out! And get your month to month and annual income that is secured and easy.

Idea #22: Selling Clothes

Many times we pull out clothing out of cupboards that we have never worn or would not like to wear them again.

Best is to sell them out. Many love to buy preloved clothes that are well maintained and are available at a discount.

All you need to do is find some social media and online groups and websites, the right forums to sell such clothing, and quickly get your passive income. Best way to make money online!

Idea #23: Freelance Graphic Designing

There are many companies on a lookout for some perfect creative freelance graphic designers. Whether you are on the job or not – this can be a way to make money on the side too.

Have a full-time job and get passive income through freelancing. What you earn through this idea can be used as savings for the future.

Idea #24: Become a Health and Fitness Expert

The top trends around the globe that anyone is opting for are – trying good food and getting fit and healthy.

Take some courses and become a certified health instructor or nutritionist.

Help people achieve their health and fitness goals and grow their No.1. A lot of people struggle with weight loss, and some just want to stay fit.

Be an influencer. Learn, teach, and then earn passive income by what you have learned!

Idea #25: Renting your Storage Space

Many prefer to buy storage space. If you have one. Rent it out and do not miss out on the opportunity of creating passive income.

Have an extra garage? Just turn it into a storage space, and since you don’t want to utilise it, rent it out to someone who needs it, so that you can have a way to make money at home or a way to make extra money.

Idea #26: Selling Retargeting Advertisements

Many digital marketers are using retargeting to increase their reach. The reason why they use it is to help consumers guide to the sales funnel or the internal advertising process.

If you are an SEO or digital marketing expert, you can use retargeting as a way to earn passive revenue – a way to make money on the side.

Idea #27: House Sitting

House sitting is an effortless way to make income. The majority are always looking out to the services of honest, interested people who would help them around chores or keeping their possessions like pets and plants secure.

In the end, they get paid well for it. So, use this option.

Idea #28: Get Paid to Watch TV

Swagbucks gives you a $20 bonus when you sign-up through it – there’s a bonus link that pops up.

Idea #29: Personal Capital and Bonus

Personal Capital is not exactly a way to earn passive income, but rather it exists to manage passive income earnings.

Personal Capital is a website and app offering investment tracking and free net worth tracking.

It is offering a free $20 Amazon gift card to those users who are new and create a new account through the $20 bonus link.

Idea #30: Start a blog

This idea may seem generic to many and may not get you to earn big bucks right away, but by reaching a large audience base, influencing it and then monetising it can help you achieve a sustainable amount of passive income.

Pro Tip: Since the market is flooded with various bloggers, choosing a niche will help you create the right target base that gets you to earn well through your blogs.

Idea #31: Create a WordPress Theme or Plugin

If you are an IT professional – This one is an excellent idea choice for you. It is a quick way to make money as you create a design theme for your WordPress document and sell it online.

Through Theme forest, you can earn up to $60 per theme purchase. Make sure you sell correctly, publish, and advertise your theme on some right platforms to get a positive return.

Do not consider this a full-time job. Instead, just consider it a way to make money on the side.

Idea #32: Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a new trend in the digital market. Your audiobook sales can get you an annual earning of up to $2000.

You can find a good narrator or voice over artist through ACX, Amazon, the Audiobook Creation Exchange, and more forums. Some of them also provide their services for free for a good barter.

Idea #33: Dividends Investment

While considering this option, always go for purchasing your dividends from popular brands and well known reputed companies so that even if there is not a very explosive share price growth but there is consistency in your passive income earnings.

Businesses and brands such as Chevron, AT&T, Target, and P&G are perfect for investing in because they have been around since forever.

Idea #34: Display Ads

Opt to run a website and then display ads there. Google AdSense is a great startup choice to earn a few dollars right away from the traffic on the site.

This passive income stream – if used correctly, is inclined to get you around $450 per month.

You must also continue to focus on generating more traffic and improve demographics. In this way, your ads will be seen and acknowledged by the maximum number of visitors on the websites.

The ads which you display can be of any type, banner, and pop-ups. You can also do the same on YouTube as it is a popular platform.

Idea #35: Credit Card Rewards

Yes, credit cards are considered an excellent source of passive income. Who could have thought they could earn money by just spending.

These rewards can vary in the form of travel, free gift cards, reward points, and cashback.

The real magic begins when you also sign-up for new card bonuses to between 20% to 40% returns.

Idea #36: Own a Vending Machine

The vending machine is an old source of earning passive income. It is a great way to make money at home.

You can easily manage it by keeping the inventory up-to-date and the machines stocked, especially if they are in several different locations.

This idea provides you with a sales force that dispenses products and collects cash automatically, even when you are not around. Something convenient, indeed!

Idea #37: Peer to Peer lending

If you want a trustworthy peer to peer lending idea, go for it through prosper.com. It is a good investment idea and an easy way to make money from home.

It’s quite a reachable source of passive income that can give you a personal loan with a justifiable interest rate, which can be paid in up to 3-5 years.

Idea #38: Certificate of Deposits (CDs)

These are interest-paying saving vehicles. They are bought for a set time duration of 1 to 5 years and helps you earn a fixed interest rate on your investment. Passive income earnings of about 2.225% can be received through Capital One – excluding inflation.

Idea #39: Savings Account Interest

Capital One and Betterment savings account offers up to 2% interest on the account balance.

Although these passive income earnings a not large-scale but sure add up as an extra amount of cash. It can be included as one of the best ways to make money fast.

Idea #40: Renting Out Rooms On Airbnb

Have a spare bedroom or space to rent out to short-term guests? Rent it out! The day the guests are showing up, just book them on Airbnb and rent them out to earn all that extra or passive income through this activity.

For instance, if you are even going on a two week or a month holiday, moving to a different location too – simply rent out space.

Idea #41: Notary

Becoming a notary can make way for you to earn a healthy stream of revenue, which usually starts with an initial investment of around $100.

Notary officials oversee specific legal documents acting as a witness and playing an essential role in providing signatures on them, confirming that the documents are authentic/ legal/ formal.

Idea #42: Customer Interviews

By taking customer interviews, you can earn up to $140 an hour, which is a great way to earn extra money or can even turn out to be the best way to make money fast.

All you need to do is to get feedback from customers in a company.

Idea #43: Become a Brand Ambassador

Many companies hire brand ambassadors to help them with the marketing of their brand or products using the sense of appeal which you have.

If you think you have the looks and power to influence customers to purchase a brand.

Take the chance and get a high paying source of passive income on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Idea #44: License a Product’s Idea

If you have a unique concept, get it licensed, and generate a good income. This option, you let someone else do the work while you make money quickly.

Nate Dallas and his brother licensed a Pictionary-inspired card game to Mattel and split $3000, 000 in royalties. What a fantastic way they made money online.

Idea #45: Turning your Car into a Mobile Billboard

Using Wrapify, you can get any company or brand’s advertisement wrapped in your car. Giving them the leverage to use your car for promotional purposes. The amount you earn will depend on how far you drive.

Driving your car in popular areas can help you make over $100 weekly. So download the app to make money doing something fun and different!

Idea #46: Trim

By getting the app and signing up on Trim, you have access to a distinctive program that helps you to save money little by little.

Idea #47: Dosh

Dosh is a very cool app that will give you many benefits for every purchase you make at retailers and restaurants.

It provides a stream of cashback opportunities via discounts and low prices for products and services – an easy way to make money – creating a passive income.

Idea #48: Consulting

Get paid for directly consulting people! Just provide your consulting services for any area you have expertise in.

The consulting services will include diverse fields such as human resources to marriage consulting, academics, or any other.

Consultants can even work part-time or full-time, and many choose this as a way to make money on the side.

Idea #49: Email Marketing

Email marketing is the most commonly used form of reaching out to clients – new or existing ones.

Using technology help firms meet their marketing goals can pave the way to create your source of passive income with just a click!

Idea #50: Development of a Mobile App

Are you a techie person? If you are and then do come up with some unique ideas for the creation of new mobile apps or improvement is even possible for an existing app.

It can make people’s lives a lot better than before. You can surely develop a great source of passive income for yourself.

Every app that you will have on your phone will make money for other people. Do you remember the money Angry Birds’ made through their app?

There are so many people making thousands of dollars with the help of their mobile apps per month.

The Myth Associated with Passive Income

Yes! The passive income ways of making more money also have a myth associated with them. Many do not consider these the most ideal, legit ways of earning income and have this opinion that the ideas don’t work well.

Everything has its pros and cons. So, here, to make these aforementioned passive income ideas work (those that you choose of course) – is that – you need to evoke the thought that everything cannot come in a snap and requires a little input – at least initially, and a step.

Once you are on the road, it is much easier to continue to move forward to the journey of success rather than making assumptions and pre-assumptions – living in fear of the aftermath.

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