#AND I had a dentist visit again today

[acecasinova]

I like that we do early Fridays in the summer but JEEZ this is my week and it lined up with my boss being MIA so I've been fielding a looooot suddenly and working late and ya boy's brain is FRIED

[seventh-district]

it’s finally getting cold enough that i can bring my cardigan collection back into rotation without feeling like i’m gonna melt into a puddle the second i step outside!!!

[dovveri]

peach soda should come with a warning

synopsis: your girlfriend has had a really bad toothache for the last week but she hates going to the dentist so it's your job to get her to that appointment!

warnings: comfort and fluff! dentist visit so mention of needles

w/c: 2.9k

a/n: conan concert + lenys discord server and being around POSITIVE twiceland enjoyers + my dentist appt today where i got the news that i will be needing a root canal brought back a sliver of motivation to write 😀 I HATE THE DENTIST 😔

ྀི

you knock on the door impatiently, rapping your knuckles against it hard until someone finally comes to answer it.

sana's still a little sleepy, not minding when you brush past her and into the apartment she shared with nayeon and momo. you offer a quick greeting and kick off your shoes, moving into the space with ease.

"how is she?"

sana yawns, rubbing her eyes, "nayeonnie's trying to get her ready. she managed to get her to the bathroom but then she locked us both out and she's been in there ever since."

you curse, quickly walking towards the bathroom while sana sighs and plods towards the kitchen to make herself a much needed cup of coffee. it was way too early to be dealing with this.

you see nayeon toward the end of the hallway at the entrance of the bathroom, able to hear what she's saying before you reach her, "momo c'mon. you have to go soon."

you arrive and nod at nayeon who smiles at you tiredly, then you hear your girlfriend's stuffy voice come out from behind the door, "n-not ready!" she sounds like she's been crying.

you sigh, gesturing for nayeon to go join sana in the kitchen and that you could handle this. she pats your shoulder encouragingly before trudging off.

you knock on the door, this time much softer than you had their front door. "momo? it's me baby."

you can make out a few sniffles inside, there's no response for a few seconds before she speaks up. "i don't want to go."

"baby you have to. you told me your tooth was hurting since last week right? don't you want it to feel better?"

"'s fine. it doesn't hurt anymore."

"i know you're lying. you couldn't even use the left side of your mouth yesterday to eat your food. c'mon baby. open the door for me? please?"

you press your ear to the door, trying to hear what's going on inside the best you can. there's a little shuffling around, the sound of the sink turning on and off before momo responds again. "no. you're gonna force me to go and i don't want to go. i'll deal with the pain it's fine. don't make me go. you know i hate the dentist y/n."

you don't have to see her to know she's pouting, you can imagine the pleading puppy-dog eyes she'd be giving you right now if she could see you.

"i know you do but you have to go baby. you'll feel a thousand times better afterwards i promise."

"but it'll hurt during!"

"it'll only hurt for a little bit. just one hour at the dentist and then you don't have to feel like this anymore and you can eat anything you want! how about if you open the door and come with me now, i'll take us to that new hong kong cafe you wanted to try? the one with the cute little bear ice blocks and tea?"

it's quiet again and you can practically hear her internal debate through the door, tossing up her choices.

finally, you hear the soft click of the door unlocking and peeking open just slightly so your girlfriend's head pokes out.

you smile brightly, even though she's still pouting adorably and her eyes are slightly red, you were overjoyed to see her face again. you already missed seeing her even though you had just seen her the night prior and sana had accidentally let it slip that she had a dentist appointment today which she had happened to 'forget' to tell you about.

"your treat?"

you grin at her, nodding enthusiastically, "my treat! you can get as much as you want and you can takeaway anything you like for the girls as well!"

she frowns, deliberating in her head again, before opening the door slightly larger, slipping out cautiously.

you immediately go in for a hug, squeezing her tight into you, lifting her off the floor slightly.

she squeals, laughing as she yells at you to put her down.

but you playfully refuse, spinning her around on the spot instead, and kissing her sweetly, finishing off rubbing the tip of your nose against her's while she giggles against you.

"there we go. that's my girl." you set her back down, "you brushed your teeth already?"

she nods, bending down to pet boo and dobby who came running as soon as she unlocked the bathroom door, eager to get attention from their mom.

"okay. you go feed the dogs and apologise to nayeon and sana. i'll get all your things and we can go okay?"

she looks back up to you with a frown on her face, "why do i have to apologise?"

"because i can only imagine how hard it was for them to get you out of bed this morning."

"it wasn't that hard!"

you roll your eyes affectionately, stepping away and heading towards her bedroom. "i love you but i don't believe you sweetheart."

she protests from behind you but you laugh to yourself, going to collect some of her things scattered around her room.

when you come back out and head into the kitchen, momo's pale as a ghost, gripping the countertop in terror.

you hesitate, trying to assess the situation, nayeon and sana are looking at each other with wide eyes.

you hear nayeon curse under her breath when you step towards momo slowly, coming up behind her and placing a hand on top of hers. "baby? ready to go?"

she turns to look at you almost in slow motion, her pupils blown, "i-i- no- can't- no-" then all of a sudden she's yanking her hand away and running.

"momo!"

everything is thrown into chaos, the dogs start barking and jumping around, thinking you're all playing some sort of game, sana and nayeon rush to intercept momo while you try and pull her back towards you.

eventually you succeed, with your arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing her against you, keeping her put.

she still struggles against you, "let me go! i don't want to go! don't make me go!"

"mo- stop- tell me what happened!"

"nayeon said they'll stab a needle into me!"

you look up to the elder girl, her eyes and awkward smile apologetic while sana scolds her. she tries to rephrase herself, "no momo- they only do it to make it not so painful when they treat you!"

"so they will stab me with a needle!"

"no- well maybe- but it's gonna make the rest of the process a lot less painful!"

"hell no! you know i'm terrified of needles!"

"momo darling please. they might not even have to use a needle! c'mon i promised you i'd treat you to anything you wanted after right?"

she stops struggling in your arms for a second, you can see the cogs turning in her head, but then she turns her head to look up at you, eyes teary, "b-but- what if they-"

your heart squeezes at the sight, you cup her cheeks, offering an encouraging smile, "even if they do i'm gonna be right there okay? i'll distract you so you won't even feel it!"

she whimpers, and the moment you see a hint of acceptance in her eyes, you're pulling her out the door and saying goodbye to nayeon and sana before she can change her mind again.

with the grip she's got on your hand it's hard to seperate from her when you try to get into the car. she asks if she can just sit in your lap while you drive which made you laugh a little, earning a pout from her, she was completely serious.

"i'm sorry baby i can't drive with you on my lap. i'm pretty sure it wouldn't be legal either."

she grumbles, ducking into the passenger seat and having to let go of your hand, but you rush to the other side of the car and get in on the driver's side, your hand finding hers before your butt finds your seat.

the drive is quick, you've put on some of her favourite songs to distract her as much as you can, hoping she'll dance and wriggle along like she always does but she stays unusually still, shrunk in on herself. at every traffic light and stop sign, you either bring your intertwined fingers up to kiss her hand, or lean in to kiss her cheek or temple, brushing your thumb over her knuckles to remind her you were still there.

when you finally park, you can feel how clammy her hands have gotten against yours, she takes a breath, turning to you, eyes still watery, pleading with you one last time, "do i really have to go? i promise i'll be good! i'll floss and brush my teeth twice a day and i won't eat so much junk anymore!"

you smile, brushing your unoccupied hand lightly over her cheek, she leans into you on reflex, "i'm sorry baby. i know how much you don't want to do this. but we have to okay? even if you do all of those things now it's only gonna prevent having to come again in the future. we gotta fix the problem first and then you can do all of that so we don't have to worry about having anything done the next time you get checked up okay?"

her lips wobble, sniffling, and then putting on a brave face, nodding. you lean in to peck her quickly before getting out of the car, walking into momo's worst nightmare hand in hand.

ྀི

it’s a little hectic inside the surgery but you’ve somehow managed to convince the dentist attending to momo to let you sit as close as possible where it wouldn’t disrupt them so you could continue holding momo’s hand.

momo’s lying back on the chair, staring at you wide-eyed with the little dentist bib around her neck, her hand clenching around yours in anxiety. she’s handed a pair of sunglasses but when she doesn’t move to take it, completely frozen in fear, you move forward and take it from the dental assistant’s hand, sliding it onto momo’s face and tucking her hair behind her ears.

“it’s gonna be okay baby. you’re gonna be okay. you just gotta lie here for a little bit alright?”

she gulps, nodding robotically.

the attending dentist smiles at the sight, and you move back out of their working area, sitting at the end of the chair still clutching momo’s hand.

“momo? i’m just going to have a look inside now okay? open up for me…” the dentist taps the pedal to start reclining the chair backwards, momo’s grip on your hand tightens, and you squeeze back reassuringly. the overhead light is placed over her mouth and she hesitantly opens it.

“wider for me please momo.”

momo complies, the dentist then gently prodding around her mouth with the mirror and explorer. at one point momo cringes obviously, her hand growing impossibly tighter, wriggling around on the chair in discomfort.

“hurts here?”

momo mumbles with her mouth open, letting out a gargled yes.

you can tell her eyes are clenched shut in concentration, not opening even when the dentist eventually stops prodding around inside her mouth, wheeling backwards and asking for a few supplies from her assistant.

you take the opportunity to talk to momo, trying to distract her.

“so what do you want to try at that new cafe sweetie? aside from the bear shaped ice tea of course.”

you can see when momo’s eyes open slightly to look at you, her eyebrows unfurling slightly. her voice is almost a squeak when she speaks, “u-um i wanted to try one of the c-claypot rices, the bread looked really good as well-“

“yeah? the sweet ones? do you know if you want anything inside it?”

“mm- not really, i can do whatever you want as well if you have any preferences. i want you to enjoy it too. otherwise we can just try the plain one with the condensed milk-“

"that sounds good!"

you let momo go on a small rant about what she wants to eat, grateful for how understanding the dentist found the two of you, slightly amused even.

“okay momo- bad news, you’ve got a pretty big cavity where you’ve got that tooth pain. we’re gonna inject you with a little numbing agent so that you won’t feel anything when we fill it up okay?”

momo’s hands immediately clasp down on yours again, her eyes wide behind her sunglasses, “i-inject?” she squeaks out.

“yeah. it’s just gonna be a little pinch, and trust me it’ll hurt a whole lot less than if you were to get your cavity filled without it.”

momo looks between you and the dentist, mouth hanging slightly open, whimpering a little at the thought of the needle.

you notice the signs of her beginning to panic and step in quickly, “hey hey sweetie look at me, it’s gonna be okay. i’m right here okay? and just like-“

you look towards the dentist who offers her name, “sunmi.” you nod appreciatively.

“just like sunmi said it’s only gonna be a tiiiiiiny little pinch okay? and you can close your eyes you don’t have to look at anything okay? just focus on my voice. i’ll talk you through it okay?”

you can tell momo is holding back tears, trying her best to not cry in public, but she purses her lips, nodding resolutely and settling back into the seat, her grip on your hands diamond hard.

you gesture for sunmi to get started, who understands immediately, talking quietly to her assistant to hand her the necessary tools.

“okay momo open up- you’ll be okay your girlfriend’s right there okay?”

momo opens her mouth up shakily, her lips quivering.

“do you want me to count you in or just make it a surprise?”

momo thinks for a second, “-ur-ise” she manages out while her mouth is still open with sunmi prepping her gums.

sunmi smiles beneath her mask, her eyes crinkling up kindly, “surprise sounds good doesn’t it? you can just focus on your girlfriend talking and you won’t even realise when it goes in yeah?”

momo hums in response.

“okay baby you’re doing so good for me right now. my pretty brave girl. i can’t wait for you to get out of this chair and we can go grab all your favourite snacks and put on all the monsters inc movies and cuddle up on the couch with boo and dobby. that sounds good doesn’t it? just us, maybe nayeon and sana if they want to join-“

suddenly momo lets out a whine from the back of her throat, her hand almost breaking yours with how tight she’s squeezing down, legs tensing up, you bring one of your hands to her knee and rub over it slowly to ground her, still continuing talking as if she wasn’t just stabbed in the gums with her worst fear.

it’s only a few seconds before momo relaxes against you, the numbing agent slowly working across the top left section of her mouth.

“you did so good baby! you were so unbelievably strong for that and you looked so cool too with those sunnies and everything i think i fell in love with you all over again!” it’s obviously an over exaggeration but it makes momo smile, giggling a little at your dramatics.

“feels funny.” she mumbles when sunmi lets her up to wait for the numbing agent to set in.

“that’s probably the numbing setting in. you won’t be able to feel that side of your mouth so that it doesn’t hurt when they fill up your cavity. smart right? means it won’t hurt!”

momo nods happily, almost as proud of herself as you were of her.

the rest of the appointment goes by relatively smoothly, momo was much more relaxed even when the loud whirring and machines working in her mouth give her a little headache.

"alright! we're all done! you did great momo! but if you don't want to come back and do that all over again you're gonna have to lighten up on those sodas okay?"

momo pouts, mumbling to herself quietly but you catch it, "peach soda should come with a warning. needles and pain in future. drink with caution."

you stifle a laugh, your girlfriend was simply adorable.

when everything's done and you thank sunmi for being so understanding and kind, you head back towards your car, giggling at momo practically skipping and rambling on about her experience.

"i was so good wasn't i? did you see the needle? it was a big one right?"

you unlock the car, smiling, "you were soo good baby. and yes! i'm so proud of you for taking that injection! you looked so brave!"

momo giggles, getting into the car excitedly.

"so what do you wanna do now baby? you can pick whatever you want. we can go home and watch monsters inc ooooor we can go out?"

"ice cream!"

you grin, already having anticipated her answer, "okay!"

you pull out of the parking lot, driving towards her favourite ice cream joint. even though later, when you arrive and momo finds out she actually can't eat ice cream because half her mouth is still numb, you throw your own away as well and promise to bring her back the next day, taking her home and making a blanket fort with the dogs to watch all of momo's favourite comfort movies cuddled up and in love.

[riordanness]

change - [r.heffley]

1.6K wordcount

warnings: none

requested: no

I never would have guessed that the same day I lost my only friends would be the day I met my new one.

Heather Hills and I had been best friends since second grade. In fifth, Gracie Miller had made our duo a trio, and ever since then we'd been right as anything. Doing everything together, constantly hanging out and sleeping over at each others houses, planning birthday parties together and giggling over boys together.

But this year? Something was different. Heather and Gracie were acting strange. Like, I'd walk up to them while they were talking and they'd get all quiet, real fast. I'd catch them hanging out without me, finding out via social media.

I was trying to ignore the signs, acting as if everything was as it had always been. But I couldn't anymore.

At lunch earlier today, I'd suggested a visit to the mall after school. We hadn't hung out in a while, and I was missing my girls. Sure, we hung out at school everyday, but all the desks were two seater only. I'll leave it to your imagination who was the odd one out.

Besides, I was in desperate need for clothes. My mother had died when I was just a baby, and my dad was always struggling to make ends meet. I had recently grown out of basically all my clothing, so I'd been saving up every scrap of money I could, working odd jobs for all our neighbours, and finally had enough to go on a little shopping trip.

Heather wrinkled her nose. "I have a dentist appointment, and I'm too tired for the mall today."

I nodded. "That's fair. Get a good night's sleep, tonight, yeah?"

She gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Mhm."

I looked at Gracie. "What about you, Cee?"

She hesitated, glanced at Heather, then shook her head. "I- I have a lot of homework I need to catch up on. Sorry."

I smiled. "No worries. We'll find a time to go."

School had finished twenty minutes ago. I'd said goodbye to the girls at the gate, waved as they climbed into Heather's mum's car (Gracie always got a ride home with them as they lived basically next door to each other) and started the fifteen minute walk to the local mall.

Inside, however, I was met with a nasty surprise. Standing together at the smoothie bar, Heather and Gracie were giggling about something, drinks in hand.

I suddenly felt like I had no air. A lump grew in my throat, and I had to fight to not cry. I turn, and storm back outside. I collapse on a park bench a few hundred meters away, in a little sidewalk park.

Hot, angry, betrayed tears fill my eyes, and I don't stop them this time. I feel so stupid, so angry, so hurt. I should've known. I should have seen the signs, not ignored them like I'd tried to. They didn't want me around anymore. They didn't need me.

I don't know how long I stay there, crying, and silently screaming at myself.

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I glance up, startled, and hastily brush at my tears. My glasses have fogged up, a few tears staring the lenses. I pull a tissue from my backpack, and quickly wipe them clean.

"Are you alright?"

I glance again at the person. It's a boy, probably my age, with messy brown hair and pretty eyes. He wears a black tshirt with the words 'fuck the patriarchy' on it, with a blue and black flannel over the top. He has black converse, like me, and denim jeans, also like me.

"H-hi," I manage, my voice scratchy from crying. "Can I help you?"

The boy frowns in concern. "You were crying." He says it like a statement, not a question. Not like he's asking why I was crying, but rather just wondering if I was okay.

"I'm fine." I blink away the fresh tears threatening to rise. I won't cry in front of this cute guy again. Once is embarrassing enough. Twice would be unbearable.

"Okay," the boy says, in a voice that implies he doesn't even kind of believe me. "Want some company? You planning on going shopping?"

I frown slightly. "Uh, yeah. I need new clothes. I've been saving up."

The boy tilts his head. "What size are you?"

My eyes widen in surprise, but before I can speak he yelps a little, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I mean- No! I didn't mean it like that. It's just- I just- I have a lot of spare things I don't wear anymore and well, you look like you might fit them. No use using your savings if you don't have to."

I consider this. Usually I don't like charity much, it makes me feel like a desperately poor person, when I'm not poor, just short on cash. But this boy seems really genuine, and I like his style, so maybe the offer of old clothes is a good one to accept.

"Sure, I'd love that," I say. "I'm Y/n." I stand, holding out my hand to shake.

He smiles, and my day gets just a little brighter. "It's lovely to meet you, Y/n. Now c'mon. I'll drive you to my place."

I follow him to the carpark, and he opens the shotgun door of a white van, marked with "Löded Diper" on the side.

"Should I be worried about getting into a white van belonging to a total stranger?" I ask teasingly.

The boy laughs. "Nah, you're good. The only people I'm kidnapping with this van are my little dork brother and his friend."

I laugh, climb into the van, and let him shut the door. When he slides into the drivers seat, I look over at him.

"You know, I still don't know your name."

He looks at me with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Would you believe me if I told you my name was Sir Lancelot Broccoli Vladimir the First?"

I pretend to consider it. "Hmmm, no, not really."

I look at him, and for a whole second we hold the serious act. Then we explode to a fit of laughter.

"No, but really," I manage, striving for composure. "What is your name?"

"Rodrick," he says. "Rodrick Heffley."

"Well it's lovely to meet you, Rodrick Heffley."

He grins. "Okay, Y/n Whatever-Your-Last-Name-Is, ready for a dangerous drive back to my place?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Why not?"

In hindsight, I would've preferred walking there, but Rodrick, and his eyes and his smile and his laugh, they made the almost terrifying experience of his driving kinda worth it.

His house was simple and white, the yard pretty but plain. It looked like a totally normal home.

Rodrick opens the front door for me, holding it open as he smiles down at me. I return it as I duck under his arm, and step into the hallway.

A women steps into the hall, a small boy in her arms. She's pretty, with glasses and shiny brown hair. she sees me and smiles in pleasant surprise.

"Oh, hello there." She steps over and hold her hand out. "I'm Susan. It's lovely to meet you."

As I shake her hand, she glances at Rodrick, a thousand questions in her eyes.

"She's a friend," Rodrick says. "Don't make it weird, Mum."

She smiles. "Oh no no, I won't, honey, I promise."

"Come on, Y/n," Rodrick says, and grabs my hand, steering me away from his mother.

We climb the stairs, passing an adorable dog (who wanted pats that I'd gladly given) and a younger brother, who doesn't give us a second glance.

Upstairs, we enter Rodrick's room. It's surprisingly tidy for a teenage boy's. He has a drum kit, a lot of rock band posters and magazines, and a few piles of clothes and school supplies.

"You play?" I ask, gesturing at the drums.

Rodrick smiles shyly, his gaze sliding to meet mine. "Uh, yeah. I'm in a band."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? That's sick, man. I wish I could play the drums. But I've never had the money to get my own kit or anything."

"I could... teach you if you'd like?"

At his suggestion, I hesitate. "I couldn't pay you..."

Rodrick gives me a look. "As if I'd charge you, love."

I flush, and look away.

"Okay..." Rodrick gets all embarrassed, turns in a circle, then digs through his closet for a moment. He pulls out a small tub of neatly folded clothes (I suspect his mother folded them for him), and places it on his bed.

"Here ya are, Y/n/n."

"Y/n/n?" I ask with a small laugh. "That's a new one."

"Is it?" he asks curiously. "So I'm the only one to ever call you that?"

I nod. "Yep, pretty sure."

"Good." He smiles. It's contagious, so I smile right back at him.

"Now," he says, pushing the box towards me. "Take whatever you like."

It's filled with mostly tshirts and hoodies and sweaters, which is perfect, as I have basically no need for new jeans at the moment.

I pull one of the hoodies on, a maroon one with the words "you and i got lost in it" in small, simple writing down one sleeve. It's almost a perfect fit, just a little bit big in all the right place.

"Are all the clothes in this box the same size?" I ask, and Rodrick nods, but he can't tear his eyes away from me.

"What is it?" I laugh.

"N-nothing," he stammers, his cheeks tinting pick and his voice going higher. I bite back an amused smile, and just give him a little meaningful look.

"It's just..." he sighs. "You just look really damn pretty in my clothes."

I instantly get flustered, but can't help my smile. This afternoon might have started pretty awfully, but I could tell it was going to be an amazing night.

[ghost-in-the-hall]

Upcoming Fics!!

Hello hello!! It is time for another update! Let's see what we got cookin' today! What are you most excited to see?

Right Beside You (Vessel x Fem! Reader) FLUFF request - Vessel brings Reader a gift from camp, she invites him inside only for the storm, that was projected to hit later that day, rolls in even earlier than she had expected. Vessel attempts to comfort her all while the pair struggle to not get flustered in their close proximity. Cuteness ensues.

Troubled Waters (Iceburg x Fem! Reader) FLUFF/SMUT - thank you to @lunar-cherries for the name, oh my god it was eating me alive not knowing what to title this - Reader returns home to Water7 after years of spending her life at sea in order to try and run from the pain of her past. Upon arriving back on the island she quickly runs into Iceburg, who she had hoped to apologize to after all this time. After being reunited Reader quickly realized that Iceburg is the same man that she has called one of her best friends and that she was still as madly in love with him as the day she left.

Alone With You (William Afton x Fem! Reader) pt. 3 - @ruh--roh-raggy - much to Will and Henry's dismay, Reader gets reacquainted with an old familiar face from Freddy's. Sara, sensing her husband was hiding something about what had happened in the restaurant the day prior, decides to swing by. Noticing how she's staring at Will like a love sick puppy, offers to take Reader out on a girls day, and to offer her a supportive nudge into Will's arms. Fluff and silliness ensue as Will and Henry scramble to try and figure out just what the hell the two women are up to.

Fall For Me (Poly! Sleep Token x Fem! Reader) pt. 10 - After a stressful visit from an unexpected visitor, Reader and the boys try to think of a way to be less intimidating to the town. Famer IV makes a come back, lots of big strong Eepy's coming this chapter, more details to come...

Sweet Tooth (Dentist! Steve Raglan x Fem! Reader) request - @ruh--roh-raggy not going to turn into a smut but definitely going to be very suggestive!! I just gotta say, I love this idea and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to getting around to working on this! What if Steve Raglan was your dentist? More details to come...

Untitled Dave Miller Smut - @ruh--roh-raggy - Dave's nasty, he's gross, he might be a vampire? Pretty much porn no plot. Again thank you @yellowbunnydreams for her feral Dave, chewing on him like a squeaky toy while I write this.

The Baptism (Charles Greywolf x Fem! Reader) SMUT - The third installment of The Sacrilege Series! Upon deciding to fully become a member of the Church, Reader has to be baptized. Father Charles, sensing her anxiety over having so many eyes on her, offers to help alleviate her nerves however he can. The pair find themselves alone in the ceremonial pool where Reader confesses her feelings for Charles, feeling guilty about falling in love with her mentor.

My first original story! - More details to come as I am going to make a poll about this, please vote! I would love to know which one you would like to see first!

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 31

welcome to the thirty-first fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

1. Skirt, Dirt, Worth by @ardett

Lance wants to see Pidge wear skirts and makeup. (But really he doesn’t.)

i know the description doesn’t give much, so you’re going to have to trust me. and i really truly do recommend this one. this one...it’s one of the first vld fics i read, actually, as it was early 2017, and i’ve only had the strength to read it once. it’s not that it’s traumatizing or gory or particularly hard to read except that it’s...heavy, is the word? it made my heart pound and my breathing go fast. i couldn’t...i was feeling absolutely everything lance was feeling and it was scary in the way being vulnerable is scary. it has influenced everything i have ever written. if you’re looking for really early team dynamics and a quietly emotional exploration of gender that will change your perception of it for eternity then i cannot recommend this enough. and i hope i will find the strength to read it again soon

2. putting it into words by @jilliancares [EXPLICIT]

Lance decides to bottom for the first time. (This one's so full of fluff that you MIGHT have the visit the dentist afterward.)

very soft and sweet and emotional! exactly what the description says, you go into this fic expecting something specific and you are satisfied by the end of it. jillian has always been and will always be very talented at exploring young, barely adult klance learning how to be with each other and be themselves.

3. Say Yes To The Mess by @astrolatte

"Keith?"

"Yes, Lance?"

"Is that a dead Altean boar on our front porch?"

"Yes, it is."

"Did you bring the dead Altean boar and leave it on our porch?"

"...do you like it?"

Keith wants to sweep Lance off his feet with his proposal, that is if he doesn't get himself killed first.

one of my fave post-war fics ever tbh. like this made me LAUGH. i love how awkwardly earnest and affectionate keith is, i love how many mean lesbians are included, i love keith & lance’s family, i love long suffering and endeared lance. the whole thing is a sweet and funny masterpiece

4. competitions by @jilliancares [EXPLICIT]

After a certain competition goes wrong, Allura tells Keith and Lance that they're not allowed to compete anymore. Naturally, they bring the competitions to the bedroom.

i love this one bc its so real. like of COURSE these losers would do this. and of course it would work for them. they are rivals first and foremost. rivals to lovers? no. they are rivals AND lovers. they are somehow something more homoerotic than rivals

5. teamwork makes the meme work by muuni 

Allura creates a groupchat for the newfound members of the Gender-Sexuality Alliance club at Voltron University. Everything goes downhill from there.

Keith Why was I never considered

Shiro You know why.

Keith For fuck’s sake You shank a guy once and suddenly you’re “violent” and have “anger issues”

Pidge keith you;re gonna make me piss my pantsnhdjkljdhjh

people like to shit on chatfics all day long ‘oh they’re cringe’ ‘they’re not funny’ ‘they’re overdone’ false. you need to learn how to have fun. chatfics are SO MUCH FUN. dorky dialogue?? memes?? vines bc this fic is old enough for that?? occasional regular scenes to flesh out the story? a sequel? team as family? klance?? MATT/HUNK, WHICH I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SINCE?? this fic is amazing and i will hear no slamming of the genre

that’s it for today (and sorry i was late)!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!  

[lia-loves-youu]

A little more ~ Seonghwa x Reader

Notes (please read): So hello y’all<33 This is my first fanfic AND English is not my first language, so I really hope it won’t be too bad helpp- It’s based on “A Little More” by Lim Jisoo, please listen to it, it’s such an underrated song and I’ve been listening to it soo much lately :> I’ll try to sneak a few lyrics in, so if you listen to the song while/before reading, you can maybe hear the lyrics replay in your head (I’ll most likely change them up a bit so they don’t sound so weird tho)<3 Also, if you like this, please try to boost it so I can gain reach a bit faster, I’m really afraid that this will flop TvT I’ll also reply to every comment, so if you have something to say, please go ahead<33

pairing: Park Seonghwa (Ateez) x fem! reader

warnings: fluff so teeth rotting, it has you ready for a dentist visit, pretty cheesy, swearing, toxic friends (no physical harm), reader is sometimes talking to herself, everything goes pretty fast

tropes: love at first note, (implied) one true love

word count: 3512

summary: Seonghwa is out with his friends for a fun karaoke night, but when he returns from the toilet, he walks by a room out of which a beautiful song, well, rather a beautiful voice comes and fills his whole body (let’s just ignore that these rooms should be soundproof). Not finding the courage to ask the dark silhouette standing in the karaoke room for the song name, he writes a message on a tissue and slides it under the door.

Here’s the link for the song again<3

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'~'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Fast steps fill the hallway. The dark haired man is searching for the karaoke room he and his friends booked, but suddenly he slows down and finds himself standing in front of a door. It’s not the one to the room his friends are in, but the intriguing voice which makes its way to his ears seems to stop him. His curious eyes are searching through the darkness of the room to finally see the silhouette of a girl standing in front of the karaoke machine, her back turned towards Seonghwa. Almost in a trance, he listens to the relaxing music complimenting your voice perfectly. Should he ask you for the song name? He wishes he could, but he can’t find the courage to knock on the door in front of him and interrupt you. His eyes proceed to search for any other way to ask for the song, or even your name, and luck seems to be on his side today. Quickly grabbing a tissue and a pen - which some staff member probably dropped as they were in a hurry - he scribbles a few sentences on the fabric. After sliding it through the small gap under the door, he quickly stands up and continues on his way back to his friends, the melody not leaving his head.

~

“No fucking way.” “Yes I knowww, I’m sosososo sorry again! We’ll make it up to you next time, yeah? Really!” Not even a second later the call ends. You stare at the now dark phone screen, laughing and huffing in disbelief. Your “friends” just cancelled your plans. Again. You already rented the karaoke room for three hours for you and your friends and just finished with the first song so you can warm your voice up a bit, but it looks like your friends had better plans. You wouldn’t be so disappointed if this was the first time, if you weren’t paying with your own money and if this wasn’t one of the most expensive karaoke places your friends had picked without even asking about your opinion. But unfortunately that’s the case.

Before the tears could even begin to fill your eyes, you already grab your stuff and storm to the door. Almost reaching the door handle, you suddenly slip and fall, while a short scream exits your mouth. “Ouch, what the-“, you look down to your and stop mid sentence, noticing the item which made your body meet the floor so painfully. You reach for the small tissue and turn on your phone’s flashlight to make words written in a neat and elegant handwriting out:

Your voice is so pretty and unique, could you please tell me which song you were singing? I mean the one with the calming melody

Blinking dumbfounded, you reread the note. “Telling them which song I was singing-? How am I supposed to do that, no name, no telephone number. At least I only sang one song, so I know which one they mean”, you murmur. After reading the note a third time, a smile slowly creeps onto your lips. It’s not the fact that you don’t know who this wrote, but rather how they complimented you. It clears your bad mood up a bit and you feel the need to tell them the song name, however that’s supposed to work.

“What am I supposed to doooo”, you let yourself sink into your sheets, talking to none other than yourself. You would’ve called one of your super cool friends, but after the countless instagram stories they had posted, dancing and drinking in some pub after having to sadly call your plans off again, you quickly gave up on the idea. At this point you would’ve already confronted them, but considering that they were the only people you talk to in and outside of school, you’re too afraid to be blamed and left out even more, loosing all the remaining social contacts you try so desperately to keep.

Suddenly a thought crosses your mind. It might seem a bit unlikely to happen, but what if the ominous person shows up at the karaoke place tomorrow too? You turn around, now lying on your back and sigh: “It’s a try worth, right? Which room did I have today? 127? 143? NONO it was definitely 119.” You don’t even know why you’re so touched by this stupid little message, but the thought of having someone you really share something with (unlike your friends) just doesn’t plan to leave your mind anytime soon.

~

The next day at school passes regularly, excluding how you try to avoid your friend group, walking through hallways they probably never ever seen before, skipping lunch and keeping your head down, hoping that they won’t even try to look for you. Luckily you also caught the first bus after school ended, so there are almost no people you’re already familiar with. A relived sigh exiting your lips you drop on an empty seat and close your eyes, already worried about the next day.

“Excuse me? Could I please rent room 119?” You smile awkwardly, recognising the receptionist from yesterday. He looks at you hesitantly, you can almost hear him ask if you will also leave two and a half hours early and without the three people which supposedly should’ve joined you, but he doesn’t. Instead he smiles and tells you that the room is already taken. “Oh please wait, he reserved for two people, you had the room yesterday too right?” Now that he said it so blunt your cheeks start to light up. You mumble a little yes and try to look as unaffected as possible, which quickly becomes irrelevant after realising the boy, as you just found out, probably reserved for the both of you and that he’s waiting in exactly the room you had, like he knew you’d think the same way as him. “Uhm yes?” “Great, follow me please- Or can you find the room again?” Politely declining, you turn around and quickly walk towards the door, trying to suppress a wide smile from your lips.

“Ahhh what should I say to him noww?” You nervously tap your foot on the ground and stare holes into the door. Shaking your head and after taking a deep breath you swing the door open, just for the air to be knocked out of your lungs again: The boy, who’s just sitting on the couch, if without doubt the most gorgeous and elegant person you’ve ever laid your eyes on. “Oh, so you must be the girl from yesterday?” “…” “Are… you alright?” Suddenly awaking from your trance, you blink and start to splutter a bit: “Ehh yeah- Yes that’s me, uhm my name is yn, yours?” He starts smiling - which makes your heart bounce and cheeks uncontrollably light up - and tells you his name in return. ‘Park Seonghwa’, a world stopping beauty with a pretty name, if his personality’s as good as the rest, you���re ready to sign him up for marriage on the spot. Not being able to stop smiling, you sit down beside him after asking for his approval and start a little conversation.

At first it was a bit awkward of course, but after you found a good topic, you both loosen up and seem like you won’t be able to stop talking and laughing together, like you’ve been friends for years. The hours vanish like seconds and neither of you realise how late it has gotten.

A sudden knock stops you from continuing your rant about people who chew with their mouth open, and Seonghwa takes a glance at the clock. „Oh shit we were supposed to get out of here like half a hour ago!“ After processing what he just said, you quickly get up, grab your stuff and sprint to the door, the tall boy right behind you. Bowing and excusing yourself you walk past the staff member and out of the building.

“Oh god I’m so sorry, I didn’t look at the time.“ You turn and look at the cute apologetic look on his face. Not being able to prevent it, you chuckle and tell him that it’s alright. His face instantly relaxes and he laughs with you. „Do you want me to walk you home? It’s already so dark and I’m a bit worried about you“, he offers sweetly. „I have to go by bus, I really don’t want you to take a detour just because of me.“ „Oh! I have to go by bus too! We can at least walk to the station together, if we don’t even have too take the same bus!” ‘If he doesn’t stop smiling so cutely like that I’m seriously going to cry’ Instead of actually saying what you just thought, you return his little grin and just nod.

The walk is a bit calmer and a comfortable silence encases the both of you (I hope I can say it like that?) “Soo which bus do you have to take?” You tell him an he starts to smile, telling you he has to take the same one - which he in fact doesn’t, but the thought of you being alone in the dark has him feeling a bit off. If he would feel like that about other people too? Probably, but his feelings and thought are also oddly different when he’s with you.

Chitchatting a bit about this and that, the bus arrives and you continue your conversation after sitting down.

“Oh, I have to get off at the next stop”, you pout a bit and watch a frown appear on his face as those words leave your lips. “Do you really don’t want me to walk you home?” You try to show him the warmest and most assuring smile you have and tell him how your house is only two minutes away from the stop, which seems to calm him down. “Ah by the way! I forgot to tell you the song name, it’s-“ “No stop, tell me next time okay?”, he interrupts you swiftly. “Next time?” “If you’re willing to give me one?” You chuckle: “Are you trying to flirt with me?” “Maybe?” You gently, jokingly punch his chest and start to already see your station in the distance. “Then I guess you better take my phone number now before I have to get off.” He pulls his phone out and opens it, already showing “add a new contact” on the screen, like he waited for you to give him your number. After you quickly filled the boxes in, you return the phone to him and stand up. “Text me then!”, you grin and walk out of the already opened doors.

The grin doesn’t leave your face until you drift away in the warm embrace of your bed, neither does the one on Seonghwa’s lips, even though he has to drive the whole way back and further now.

~

The days where you don’t see your sweet new friend feel endless, standing up at ungodly times, classes are even more boring, spending every damn break on the school’s roof to avoid your other friends, going home, doing the homework, eating, studying, sleeping and everything repeats again. Luckily there was only one day where you didn’t get to meet up. You only meet for lunch because school days are too busy, but today is Friday, which makes you unusually happy. Of course you’re always excited for Fridays, but this time it just feels more special.

You grin relieved, finally throwing your jacket off and jumping on the couch.

Hwa [2:47]

Are you free today?

Do you wanna meet up at my place? I don’t wanna go out to our cafe today :(

Your grin grows even wider.

Me [2:47]

Yeah ofc!! Do you live far from me? Can I go there by bike?

You don’t even wait for an answer before you already run towards your wardrobe, searching for your favourite outfit.

Hwa [2:49]

I’ll just send you the location

Should I pick you up tho?

| location attached |

You really can’t stop smiling like crazy and you also can’t tell why it makes you so happy that he asked if he should pick you up. “He’s so gentle and caring… Why didn’t I meet more people like him? Life would’ve been so much easier if I had some real friends- I should really stop thinking about them. I should rather ask how I deserved to meet Hwa. Okay, which hairstyle do I go for tho?”

After you’re done with your outfit and everything, you get your stuff together and pull your shoes on.

Me [3:00]

Nono I’ll just go by bus, don’t worry :D

“…Huh? That’s definitely not how he got home last time, I was the first one to leave and we took the same bus. Ahh I shouldn’t worry about it now as long as I’ll arrive at his home”, you mumble, looking at the route while waiting at the station. Just as the bus stops, “A little more” starts to play in your earphones, making you smile subconsciously. ‘Ahh I still didn’t tell Hwa the song name, the week was just so busy I forgot about it… I really have to do it today.‘

Just as you took the first ten steps out of the bus, your whole body stops moving, your hands drop and everything starts to turn, but not the people in front of you. “Ohh if that isn’t our sweet, dearest little yn. Do you maybe want to… I don’t know, apologise? Why are you not answering our messages and leaving us alone in the breaks? Girl this is literally so annoying, you know?“

You don’t move, neither do you speak, which visibly makes the girl in front of you angry. ”So, listen you stupid fucking-“

“Uhm, excuse me please”, the group turns around, moving aside for Seonghwa to walk towards you and ask with a cute little smile, “Do we wanna go in now? I was kinda worried you might wouldn’t find my apartment, so I’m her now.” You’re still not able to answer, but your friend already starts to talk again: “Oh my god who are you?” She eyes him up and down and grins stupidly. “So you’re friends with yn? Why didn’t you introduce us before? Don’t keep your handsome friends to yourself yn, are you single by the way, mr. handsome? I’m free this weekend by the way hihi.” Disgustedly raising his eyebrow at this horrible attempt to flirt, he looks down at your face, which finally shows some type of reaction. “If you excuse me-“, Seonghwa says still softly and gently grabs your hand, guiding you through the group and quickly to a building. “Wait, you forgot to give me your number!” Rolling his eyes he closes the door which he just opened for you both and walks to an elevator.

The silence is slightly awkward, but addressing the elephant in the room right now would’ve made it worse.

“You can leave your shoes and jacket here, do you want a glass of water?” You shake your head and smile at him, which he returns and your cheeks warm up. His smile always makes you feel all fuzzy inside, which is in fact not the greatest sign, falling in love with the only person you have right now was definitely not on your bucket list for this year. “Do you want to watch a movie with me? I think I still have popcorn left! Wait, let me see real quick.” As he walks away, he makes little happy jumps which results in him looks even more adorable than he always is. Your checks turn even redder and you’re sure you’ll never recover from this while slowly following him.

Seonghwa is already rummaging through a cabinet when you reach the kitchen, a few strands of his long black hair falling on his concentrated face, making you chuckle quietly. He looks up at you, his doe eyes making your legs weak, and smirks: “God you’re red, are you fine? I found the popcorn by the way, do you want it sweet or salty?” You clear your throat, lowering your head and telling him your preference. Still laughing he continues.

“Okayy it should be ready in 15 minutes, let’s pick out the movie now.“ You follow him to the living room, where he sits down on the couch and starts to scroll through Netflix. After you just stood there for a few seconds he turns his gaze to you and pouts, which makes your face burn again. “Why aren’t you sitting down? Are you really okay-? I’m starting to get worried, I should measure your temperature.” You wanted to stop him, but it was already too late as he gets up and suddenly presses his forehead against yours. “Uhmm I’m pretty sure you don’t measure temperature like that”, you manage to mutter, but he just laughs and lets his head fall from your forehead onto your shoulder, wrapping his arms around you and giving you the warmest hug in forever. It feels special and caring, not like you didn’t expect that his hugs were like this or if you weren’t hoping to get one of them every single day, but the way his hands rest on your back and caress you so gently makes your body long for him more and more.

After standing like this for several seconds, Seonghwa slowly gets away from you, hesitantly asking: “Do you think you could… You know, tell me about who these people were and what they did to you? It’s nagging me since I saw your horrified face back then.” You look at his worried expression but don’t answer.

“I know it’s hard to trust me, that’s alright, considering how we don’t know each other for that long yet. I’ll wait for you, tell me when you’re ready, okay? I’m here with open arms.” You can’t help but chuckle, making Seonghwa’s gorgeous face clear up. “Okay okay Hwa, I’ll tell you. Let’s sit down though, if that’s alright.” He nods and wraps a blanket around you after you’ve made yourself comfortable on the pillowy couch.

You really try to hold the tears back while telling him anything in detail, but bringing all the memories and emotions back is just too much. Usually you don’t cry that easily and definitely not in presence of other people, but all the denied feelings break down on you. You lower your head, hoping the man in front of you wouldn’t notice, but of course he does anyways. Slowly bringing his soft hand up to your face, he swipes your tears away and strokes your cheek: “Don’t worry and please don’t cry, I guess you at least have me now, right? Shhh please don’t cry, c’mere.” Carefully skidding over to you he pulls you in another hug, this time it’s even harder for you to not completely loose yourself in his embrace.

As less tears drop on his neck and your muffled sobs get quieter, he assures: “I’ll be your best friend. I’ll always be there for you and never do such things as your stupid little ex-friends. I’ll be everything you ever wanted and won’t hesitate to hold your hand.”

You burry your head deeper in the crook of his neck and take all your courage together: “I don’t want you to be my best friend”, Seonghwa’s body tenses up and you notice a quiet “oh” from above you, “I want you to be more than that.” You sit up, looking at Seonghwa’s sweet eyes. “I know this all happened way too fast, but I couldn’t hold myself, you’re just too… perfect. I never had someone like you and after being alone for so long, you were just like a savior. I can’t really explain what I feel, but I hope you understand. I’m always on top of the world, because of you. All those little ‘dates’ just made me realise how important you already are for me. Seonghwa, I love you, I’m sorry.”

Silence. You don’t look at him anymore, gaze directed on your hands before your crossed legs. You can feel that you tear up again, so you press your eyes shut.

You suddenly feel hands on yours, which kind of startles you. “Please look at me, yn.” Sullenly you look up to meet his deep, dark eyes. “I know what you mean and feel. And I feel the same way. I think of you so often and my day is just not complete without having some kind of conversation with you, please, stay by my side. Forever. And come closer please, I want to hug you again.”

You two spend the rest of the day with eating the popcorn and watching Star Wars, Seonghwa also proudly showed you his Lego collection and cuddled with you until you both were about to drift into sleep. “Oh, by the way, the song I sung was ‘A little more’ by Lim Jisoo”, you manage to mutter before falling asleep.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'~'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Please don’t kill me if this was shit<3

[pensat-i-fet]

A tooth fairy visit (Rúben Dias x Reader)

**Got a request to write something fluffy recently and this is what I came up with. I hope you all like it ❤️**

Word count: 2593

Masterlist

Wattpad

Hearing the alarm going off, you just put your head under the pillow and hoped it was all a dream. But it wasn’t. It was time to wake up and you were dreading today so much.

After having delayed it as much as possible, it was time to get two of your wisdom teeth removed. And if there was something you were terribly scared of, it was the dentist.

Thankfully, your boyfriend promised to be there every step of the way. But not even his presence could calm you down completely this time.

Rúben: on my way! Are you ready? ❤️

He always had to be on time, didn’t he? But you couldn’t really get annoyed at him because he had literally taken the day off to look after you today. 

Since you had washed your hair the previous day, a quick shower did the trick. So by the time you were putting your jumper on, Rúben was knocking on the door.

“Hi”, you said, dramatically falling into his arms. “I don’t want to go”.

He laughed, kissing the top of your head and letting himself inside…while still holding you. You wouldn’t be surprised if that had to be how he ended up bringing you to the dentist’s office.

“How’s the pain?”

“It’s alright”.

But he could tell it was a lie. You had barely been able to get some proper sleep lately because of how bad the pain was. 

“So we went from me not being allowed to stay here yesterday because you weren’t going to be able to sleep, and I wasn’t going to be able to sleep either to being alright? Ok”.

“Rúben, you just don’t get how scared I am. I literally used to faint at the dentist’s when I was a kid”.

His little frown warmed your heart. He was the overprotective boyfriend type and knowing there were things he couldn’t protect you from was not something he enjoyed. 

“But I’ll be fine”, you said to reassure him.

“I’ll be there the whole time, ok?”

“I’ll be sleeping for most of it, thankfully. But knowing you’re there helps. A lot”.

He hugged you tighter, letting you feel how he was always there to help you. And you allowed yourself to close your eyes for a second to try and forget about the fear and the pain and just enjoy the feeling of his strong arms around you.

After a couple of minutes, Rúben went to the kitchen to make sure you had everything you needed…again. And once he was happy about that, he made you a cup of chamomile tea and took it to the sofa, where you were sitting nervously.

“Here”.

“You didn’t have to, but thank you. I hope it helps me relax”.

“Come here”, he said, patting the space between his legs so you could sit there and drink your tea while he hugged you.

He allowed you to tell him about all the reasons why you felt so afraid, not interrupting you once, no matter how much he wanted to say something to make you feel less scared. He only showered you with kisses. Mostly on your shoulder and the side of your neck, since that was the easiest area to reach. But also on your cheek, forehead and the tip of your nose whenever you turned to look at him. Half of the time, he didn’t even notice he was going to kiss you until he did. It just came so naturally for him to kiss you to show you his love. Or to try and calm you down, as was the case this time.

“Time to go, love”.

“Noooooooooooo”, you said, turning to hide your head on the crock of Rúben’s neck. But just as you did, you hit the area that was in pain with his shoulder and couldn’t help the cry that came out of you.

“What is it? Are you ok?”

He was trying to hold your face to look at you, but also feared hurting you more. So he only held one side gently while you closed your eyes and tried to wait for the pain to disappear. Thankfully, it got a little better quickly.

“I guess I really need to go to the dentist”.

“Before I have a heart attack would be nice”.

Only he could make you laugh in a moment like that. And that was why his presence was so vital for you at that moment.

                                           **

Rúben drove you to the dentist’s office and even though you had been giving yourself a pep talk on the way there when you saw the door with the name of the dentist on it, you panicked.

“I can’t”.

“Of course you can. And I’ll be there, remember. When they put you to sleep and when they wake you up. I might give them a hand during the operation if I get bored”.

You only got paler and could feel your entire body sweating.

“Hey, it’s ok. I won’t. We don’t want to risk that pretty smile you got”.

Again, only he could make you laugh at a moment like that. But still, it was so hard to move.

Rúben got out of the car to move to your side and open the door.

“Give me your hand”.

Despite your nod, you still didn’t move. So Rúben crouched down so your faces could be at the same level. “It’ll be alright. Just give me your hand”.

And you did, allowing him to get you out of the car. The walk to the clinic was a very short one, but it took you way too long to get there. Or it felt like a long time anyways.

Once inside, you were told to sit in the waiting area. That literally was the worst part.

“I always read the posters on the walls”.

“What?”

“The posters”, said Rúben, pointing at the wall. “So I don’t get bored. Should we read them?”

But you didn’t want to read anything, you just wanted to hug him again for being such a great support. Bearing in mind you two weren’t alone in the waiting area, you just put your arms around his waist and put your head on his shoulder. His immediate reaction was kissing your head and putting his free hand on your thigh, squeezing it every couple of seconds to let you know he was there.

A couple of minutes later, one of the dentist’s nurses came out of a room to collect one of the patients but it wasn’t your turn yet. It was a little girl’s, who looked just as terrified as you did. Her mum was holding her hand and trying to tell her some soothing words that weren’t really working. The nurse was doing the same, promising her it wasn’t going to be painful at all. 

“Adults always lie”, you said.

“Pardon?”

“That little girl has been told it’s not going to hurt. But it will, a lot. And that’s why she’ll never trust anyone who says those words again”.

Rúben remained silent and you looked up to see him staring at you.

“What?”

“Nothing. I mean, you’re right but I never thought about it. The physios do that to me all the time and I don’t even notice it”.

“Liars”, you whispered, making him laugh. “Also, seeing them, it was like seeing us. But she’s a little girl and has that excuse. I’m just pathetic”.

“You aren’t pathetic, you have a phobia”.

Now it was your turn to look at him with a confused look.

“A phobia?”

“Yes, dentophobia. Fear of dentists. I googled it”.

“Why?”

“To see if there was anything I could do to help you overcome it”.

“I’ll take it there wasn’t a magical solution, then”.

“Not really. It’s like anxiety. So I’m just here as emotional support”.

“Thank you. It might not seem like it, but you being here is helping a lot”.

“Always happy to help”.

                                        **

“Your turn”, said to you the nurse with a big smile on her face before returning to the room where the dentist was waiting for you.

Rúben got up and offered you his hand again, which you took gladly. But once again, the little walk became eternal. To the point where the nurse got out again, just in case you didn’t hear her well.

“Is it ok if I go in with her?”, asked Rúben, making you panic at the possibility of him not being allowed.

“Of course, that’s fine”, said the nurse, trying not to look like she was judging a little you but failing for a second. 

“It’s a phobia”, you said, making her stare at you while Rúben tried not to laugh.

“Dentophobia”, he said.

“Yes, we get a lot of people with it. We aren’t that bad, I promise. And it won’t hurt much”.

When she turned to go back inside the room, you looked at Rúben, who rolled his eyes and whispered the word liar, making you laugh.

“Morning!”, said the dentist brightly. “Who am I operating then?”

Seeing both of you there confused him, so he went back to his papers and looked at you. 

“Just me. I just…I get really scared so my boyfriend offered to be here with me if that’s ok”.

“We’ve had worse requests, don’t worry. Take a seat and I’ll ask for a chair so your boyfriend can sit too”.

While they all busied themselves getting the equipment ready and getting Rúben seated where you could see him, but not next to you, you just tried to take deep breaths.

“You’ll be asleep the whole time, ok? Won’t feel a thing”.

And while the dentist was telling you about random things to keep your mind distracted, you fell asleep and didn’t wake up again until the operation was done.

                                         **

By the time you woke up, Rúben was sitting right next to you. He had been asked to leave while the operation was being done but was called after that so you could think he had been there the whole time. 

“Hey there”.

“Who are you?”

“She might not make a lot of sense for the next couple of hours”, laughed the dentist’s nurse. “But it all went great. Just follow these steps in the next few days and we’ll see you then for a check-up. How does that sound?”

“Why do you talk funny?”

She just laughed and let Rúben get you ready to leave.

Once in the car, he helped you fasten your seatbelt, seeing how you were incapable of doing it yourself. And then started to drive towards your place, looking forward to having you back at home, where he could properly look after you.

“That was so much fun. We should do it again!”

“You think so?”, he laughed.

“Yes! Aaaaaaaand…I’m getting a present today. No, two presents!”

“How so?”

“The tooth fairy! Look!”, you showed him the two teeth that had been removed.

“Right? What do you want to get as a present, then?”

You started to think really hard. It was a very tough question for you at that moment.

“Wait, do you have a tooth fairy in Portugal?”

“Sure, kids’ teeth fall there too”, he laughed. “But it’s called Fada dos dentes”.

“What does that mean?”

“Tooth fairy”.

“Well, not very original”.

“Ask Rodri about this next time you see him. They have a mouse delivering gifts to kids in Spain”.

“Gross. I think I prefer the fairies”.

At one of the red lights, Rúben passed you some ice packs to put on your face and help with the swelling. 

“I want diamonds!”

“Excuse me?”

“For the tooth fairy present. I want diamonds!”

Rúben was trying really hard not to laugh. “That might be a little out of her budget”.

“It’s not out of yours”.

“But I’m not the fairy”.

“Of course, Rúben”, you said, rolling your eyes. “A real fairy will show up tonight to leave me a present. I know!”

He just shook his head and continued driving, highly entertained by all the nonsensical things you were talking about. 

Getting you out of the car was almost as challenging as it was to get you inside of it that morning, but for different reasons. 

“Home sweet home!”, you said, twirling around the living room. 

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I want pizza”.

“You can’t eat any solid food”.

“Blend it”, you told him, rolling your eyes.

But when he came back from the kitchen, he didn’t have a blended pizza ready for you, but some lentil soup. How disappointing.

“Can I have a smoothie?”

“Do you want me to make you one?”

“No, Rúben, I want a fancy one. Can you get me one?”

“Promise you’ll stay here resting while I do so I don’t worry…too much”.

“I will”.

Your puppy eyes weren’t really fooling him, but he needed to go out so the smoothie excuse worked for him.

“Do you want the choco protein shake?”

“Yes! And get yourself a little ginger shot as a little treat”.

“Ok”.

You could still hear his laugh when the door closed. 

                                       **

The rest of the afternoon was spent in bed, watching movies and cuddling. You felt more and more awake, which also meant you felt the pain more. But you were trying not to show it too much and worry Rúben.

He had fallen asleep for 10 minutes and when he woke up, he panicked thinking it had been longer and something could have happened to you. It was so dramatic but also so adorable. 

“Time to take more medicine, how do you feel?”

“I can take them?”

Your face showed him how much you had been lying about the lack of pain. But he didn’t say anything. He just brought you some tablets and juice…and you tried to gracefully drink from the glass while part of your mouth still felt a bit numb. 

“If you don’t love me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best…or whatever”.

“You’re always at your best for me but I also love you always anyways”.

“Can I have a kiss?”

“Let me do the kissing”, he said, taking the glass from you so you could lay down next to him again. 

And between the pain going away and all the kisses Rúben gave you, you finally fell asleep. Ready to rest properly for the first time in weeks.

                                          **

“Morning. You need to have breakfast and take your tablets”.

You slowly opened your eyes and saw Rúben staring at you with a smile on his face. It really was a great view to wake up to.

“Can I have another smoothie for breakfast?”

“Sure. But take the tablets first”.

While you drank the last bit of juice, you noticed Rúben moving behind you.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing. I just…I think I found something under your pillow”.

“What are you talking about?”

You took the pillow, slightly afraid there could be a bug underneath or something, but there was a box. 

“I guess the tooth fairy visited us last night”.

“Rúben…”.

“Open it. Let’s see what the fairy got”.

When you opened the box, you found a little bracelet and matching earrings. You looked up, not really believing what was going on.

“I guess the fairy didn’t have time to go find the diamonds and had to settle for the little jewellery shop around the corner”, he said with a little smile.

“You’re perfect”, you told, putting your arms around his neck to get closer to him. “I mean, the fairy is”.

[simp-for-the-masters]

Dentist anon again, wanted to describe a few of the places I’ve dragged them all. I specifically had Simm in mind for when I went to Disneyland. I went and saw Six the musical and had Missy in mind for that. Dhawan gets dragged to salon visits. (My brain imagines them either pacing around or sitting next to me during events)

I think I once pulled Delgado out during therapy once and mimicked him for the entire hour session by accident

But, I certainly do drag them all around with me when I need support. (I’m meeting Jodie Whittaker in a month and I know I’m dragging Dhawan with me in my head)

Emotional support Time Lords- get yours today!

That's so beautiful and I'm glad it helps you!

[daylillie]

If anyone is tired of hearing me bitch about OCD yet, I don't care because I'm forever wanting to mentally slap the "I'm so OCD" people in the face. Along with anyone who thinks it's fun or trendy to fake a mental illness for views or knowingly spread misinformation. It keeps the real sufferers from seeking help and they truly don't understand what severe OCD looks like.

Example:

I hit my breaking point today. I really don't know how I'll move past this. I have a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior (think hair pulling and skin picking) where I run my tongue on my gums. I guess it softened my gum in that spot. Before anyone thinks "just stop doing it", BFRBs usually don't go away easily.

So, I was eating chips and I thought a chip got lodged into my gum. Not a big deal, but OCD makes it one. Again, "just stop" doesn't work. No matter what I do, I will keep thinking there's a chip in my gum. I flossed the same tooth over and over. I kept going back to brush my teeth. I wasn't terrified yet, mostly extremely annoyed. My gums were irritated by now.

Here's what a lot of people don't understand either. OCD can slowly build. It's not always immediately horrific. It can start off as a normal "a chip stabbed my gum" (most everyone's been stabbed by a chip or had a popcorn kernel in-between their teeth) thought. This was over the course of three days. Sometimes, the person experiencing it won't realize what's happening until they're knee deep (in my case neck deep).

So, two days of this before I had an intrusive thought "If you don't get the chip out it will move further into your gum and you'll get a tooth infection."

I started picking at it. I flossed more aggressively. At this point it's overly obsessive. It's urgent. It's all-consuming. It's the only thing I can think about.

I googled tooth infection and what can happen. Not super distressing until I'm in the rabbit hole of research.

Intrusive thought "What if the chip is already lodged too deep? What if it erodes your tooth?"

There was no stopping it. I cut my gum. I dug inside it with a tool. I stopped the bleeding. It was late. Eventually, I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and woke up this morning in (shocking) severe pain.

Argued with myself about going to work but I can't take off anymore time for OCD, I've taken too much. Yeah, I know ADA is a thing, but I don't want a lawsuit situation.

We also won't get into how hard it is to make an emergency dentist appointment where I live and not wanting to be at the ER for twelve plus hours. Also, OCD comes with a lot of shame so "I mutilated my mouth because I think a chip is in my gum" is not ER worthy to me. Plus, insurance. No insurance. Money etc.

The pain got worse at work. It spread to my neck. My lymph nodes were swollen. I had a massive headache. I was still doing my BFRB which gets worse with stress. It didn't help that I visited relatives who tested positive for covid. Then I felt like I couldn't breath (cue somatic OCD). I could barely open my mouth or move my tongue without wanting to cry.

I googled tooth abscess from injury.

Intrusive thought "What if you already have an infection? Can it spread to your brain in days? Hours? Is it covid or a tooth infection? You should probably go to the doctor."

Google. Google. Google. Google.

Somehow made it to near the end of my shift. Google again.

Intrusive thought "What if it's really bad? What if you become septic? WHAT IF YOU DIE IN YOUR SLEEP TONIGHT?! GO TO THE DOCTOR."

Made it within ten minutes of closing. Covid negative. Extreme guilt for making the doctors stay late. The damage I did to my gum was bad. I broke down about my OCD. They prescribed me medicine which I hate (iykyk), but I'll take it if it means I get any sort of relief.

Long story short, I was also given antibiotics...to prevent developing a tooth infection...which would have never happened if I didn't obsess over the fear of developing a tooth infection.

Remind me again why anyone wants this? I'm drinking smoothies and soup from a straw until it heals. And when it does heal, I have a fear of anything solid getting into my gum now. I don't want to eat. How is this quirky???

I'm pissed. I'm angry. I want to die (lucky for me I won't because my fear of dying). But you can research the suicide rates. Fuck OCD.

Also, if you do have a certain view, it's not too late to educate yourself about any mental illness, neurodevelopmental disorders, personality disorders. Even if you're already on the band wagon. It's okay to say I was wrong (I've done it before).

[pimento-playing-hopscotch]

WIP Wednesday

Which stands for Work Is Published Wednesday today!!

Thank you for the tag, @heartstringsduet @thisbuildinghasfeelings @sznofthesticks 💝💝💝

I just published the next fic in my TK and animals series, The Shady Lane Five. Here is a morsel -

“Your sister’s kids are great,” TK said as they were driving down the street outside the loft. “I like going to her house. You don’t have to look like someone’s trying to trick you into going to the dentist”.

“I might prefer that, actually,” Carlos murmured as he came to a full, complete stop at a stop sign. “I have no problem with getting my teeth cleaned. I’m good at the dentist”.

“I know”. TK grinned. “Baby, you would get the best grade in dentist”. He reached over and ran his hand through his husband’s hair. He loved weekend days when they were both off, and Carlos let his curls roam free.

“Baby”. Carlos shook his head a bit. “I am driving”.

“Oh, I know,” TK purred. “And you’re doing such a good job at it, too. You would also get the top grade for driving, babe”.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Carlos used his other hand to grab his husband’s hand that felt like he was rummaging through his hair.

“Although since you bring it up,” Carlos added as he merged onto the highway, “I think this visit we should strive for not needing to visit the dentist or emergency room after”.

“I don’t know what you mean, babe,” TK said innocently.

Carlos shot him a look out of the corner of his eye. “Really? Think hard”.

TK sighed. “It’s really not likely to happen again. It was a lucky kick”.

“Not so lucky for you, amor,” Carlos murmured. The last time they had been to Ana’s house was about a month ago; the oldest of her three kids, Rodrigo, wanted to show TK his new wrestling moves. TK had eagerly agreed — but Carlos wished he hadn’t when his eleven-year-old nephew’s foot went flying into his husband’s face hard enough, it dislodged one of his teeth.

“It could’ve been worse”. TK shrugged. “At least he knocked out one with a cavity”.

Find out what happens next here

No pressure tagging - I tag @dreamingofmickeywaffles @anewkindofme @snowviolettwhite @reyestrandd @firstprince-history-huh @actualalligator @lochnesswriter @jesuisici33 @inkweedandlizards @lightningboltreader @lemonlyman-dotcom @carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @paperstorm @tailoredshirt @freneticfloetry @liminalmemories21 @welcometololaland @herefortarlos @carlos-tk @thebumblecee @goodways @eclectic-sassycoweyes @kiwichaeng @birdclowns @kiloskywalker and anyone else who wants to do it - open tag 🫶

[whentherewerebicycles]

today was another good day but had friends over for dinner (so nice!!!) and everything went a little late so I’m crashing hard now and still have to finish pumping. just gotta remember no feeling after 7pm can be trusted lol it’s not a reliable gauge for how I felt all day. tomorrow I will have more control over evening and can start all the winding-down work (how is there so much of it) around 5pm instead of at 8:45pm and then I will feel less overwhelmed. big gamechanger today was we found a soft structured carrier he loves which means I can wear him around the house & on walks/errands thank god!!! it will be incredible to have my hands back to do stuff plus it’s so nice to snuggle with a little baby. I just burst into tears thinking about how exhausted I’ll be when my mom leaves and I don’t have anyone to split work with but again it’s after 7pm and these feelings will pass. I am also giving myself full permission to slow WAY down and take as much rest time as possible. like today I feel exhausted because I had three separate social visits with five different friends and also took an hourlong walk on top of baby stuff. it won’t always feel like this!

tomorrow the non-negotiables are: take him back to the dentist, take ruthie to the vet, pump three times with the new pump, and try doing a short walk with the dogs with him in the carrier. god I also want to try breastfeeding but it’s so hard to find the energy so idk we’ll see. can’t think about it now too tired!!! 10 more min of pumping then I am SLEEPING until I take over at 2am.

[remembertheplunge]

So ": x-zile-ish"

Saturday 7/2/2016. 7:01pm

I’m at Face’s by the pool.

I left orange roses at the Orlando (Pulse Night Club)  memorial out front.

The gates at Fair Oaks cemetery were closed. I think the  boys wish to donate (the roses) to the Orlando 49 (49 shot to death at Pulse Gay Bar on 6/12/2016.)

"Sweet Dreams are made of this..” Plays inside (Face’s Bar)

I’m writing by a pool at a gay bar.

 So “x-zile-ish”.

Yet another outsider practice. Practice dropping out of your life.

Was going to see “Lobster” again, but, something made me bring the Fair Oaks Roses to the K Street (Faces) memorial.

The new death by bullet spray. The old , by illness (Aids)

Writing, I am “sexually suspect”

Not drinking, doubly so!

End of entry

Notes 6/15/2024

The above entry was written the day that I visited the Pulse Night Club memorial at Face’s Bar in Sacramento mentioned in my first  posting today.

Face’s is a huge 2 story building  on K Street in Sacramento . It has a small swimming pool in the back of the building. It also contains multiple dance floors and bars.

I was sitting at a table by the pool writing the above entry. I haven’t drank alcohol since 2011, so I was not drinking that day as I wrote the entry.

 If you write in a bar, even if you drink alcohol, you are considered odd. Anti social. My term for this  was Sexually Suspect.

Prior to going to the Face’s Bar, I had tried to visit the grave of my first Aid’s match, Daryl Specter, at the Fair Oaks Cemetery . He died in 1987. I also would visit the graves of the Gay Dentist  and his lover across the small cemetery road from Daryl’s grave. I didn’t know them in life. But, I’ve adopted them . Their head stone reads “give me patience and I want it now”!

But, when I got to Fair Oak’s Cemetery, the gate was closed. I brought roses for the boys in the cemetery, but , since I couldn’t get in to see them, I left their flowers at the Faces memorial. 

 I assumed that the Dentist and his lover died of Aids, as did Daryl. 

Thus, my line in the journal entry “The new death by bullet spray (Pulse Night Club) 

The old by illness (Aids)

I matched with men with aids on a volunteer basis in the 80’s and 90’s through Aids support organizations. We would help the men through their illness and death.

Sweet Dreams (are made of this) by the Eurythmics, Annie Lennox (1983)

The Lobster (2015) movie)

[mj-iza-writer]

Brought to you by my dentist appointment today. Yes, I brush and floss regularly.😁

Whumpee nervously sat in the dentist chair. They were waiting for their cleaning to start. They eyed Caretaker, who was standing by the doorway talking to the dentist.

Caretaker was working on getting Whumpee back on track with their health care. They promised Whumpee this was just a cleaning and to check on their teeth.

Whumpee was nervous because Whumper didn't give them things for their personal hygiene. They hadn't touched a toothbrush in months. Though they also didn't have much junk food either, honestly, not much food at all.

Caretaker and the dentist finally came in.

The dentist sat beside Whumpee and explained a few things to them. This dentist seemed really nice. Caretaker had said most of their cases come to this dentist.

"Okay are you ready?", the dentist gave a smile.

"Um, not really", Whumpee frowned, "can Caretaker stay with me?"

"Yes of course", the dentist nodded at Caretaker, who smiled in return.

Caretaker went and stood at Whumpee's feet.

"I'll be right here the whole time", Caretaker smiled reassuringly.

"I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but my nerves are getting the best of me. I wish I could hold your hand, like I did at the doctor's office yesterday", Whumpee sighed, "kind of embarrassing for an adult, I know."

Caretaker reached and grabbed Whumpee's foot, "I'm afraid I'd be in the way if I stood by you to hold your hand, but I will gladly hold your foot to reassure you I'm here", Caretaker grinned at the dentist, "no need to feel embarrassed, you are allowed to ask for help and say your needs. I'm here to help you. Even if that means holding your foot."

Whumpee glanced down at Caretaker with a smile. "Thankyou Caretaker."

"You're welcome Whumpee", Caretaker smiled and squeezed Whumpee's foot.

Whumpee looked back up at the dentist.

"Are we ready to get started?", the dentist smiled again.

Whumpee nodded.

Caretaker stood and held Whumpee's foot all through the visit.

"Given the circumstances, their teeth look pretty good", the dentist finished their last checks, "honestly I'm seeing maybe two repairs on some decay, and they need to get set on a routine for their teeth, I know you said you are working on that though. I was expecting their teeth to be worse honestly, so this is good news."

"That's a relief", Caretaker sighed.

Whumpee waited for everything to finish up, and they happily followed Caretaker out of the office.

I don't know. I was getting my teeth cleaned today and started to wonder what Caretaker would have to do for a nervous Whumpee sitting in the chair. My mind instantly thought they wouldn't be able to hold Whumpee's hands because of the equipment, but if Whumpee was nervous enough, they would want some sort of touch from Caretaker. Let's have Caretaker hold their foot. -MJ

Taglist: as always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all. @villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived @sacredwrath @porschethemermaid @monarchthefirst

[afterdarkprincess]

A Little Piece of Heaven

Pairing: Dean Ambrose/OC Rating: Gen/Teen Word Count: 655 A little gift for my favorite doughnut sister 💖 @elementaldoughnut12 - I hope you enjoy!!!!

🍩🍩🍩🍩

Mackenzie walked on shaky legs, slowly making her way back to the waiting room as she followed the nice hygienist.

Dentist trips were always rough on her, and getting fillings was the last thing she wanted to do today, but of course her sweet husband made sure she took care of herself and part of that included yucky dentist visits.

To his credit, Dean had tried to make the morning fun for her despite her not being able to eat before the appointment. He made sure to come back to bed after his 5am workout so they could have lots of cuddle time together.

She got to wake up cradled in his arms, roused awake by soft peppered kisses all around her face and lips, tickled by his beard. They spent a few hours just talking, her head pressed against his chest listening to his heartbeat as he talked about the latest shenanigans his coworkers had gotten into while he was away on the road.

It’s hard on her to be apart from him, but she could never have Dean give up on his dreams. Pro wrestling is his first love and it’s the thing that drew her to him, how could she deny him his happiness?

And Dean more than makes up for it when he is home- so it’s worth it in the end.

Speaking of, as soon as she reaches the open door to the waiting room he’s at her side, holding her shoulders gently to steady her legs.

“You okay, punkin? They hurt you?” His voice thick with concern.

“Nah,” She says shaking her head. “Jaw kinda hurts but it’s okay. They just did one side, I have to come back in a few weeks.”

Dean kisses her forehead. “Alright, well make sure you put it in my calendar so I can be here. Gotta take care of my girl.”

Mackenzie felt herself melt a little bit. How did she get so lucky to be with the man of her dreams?

He scoops her up into a bridal carry, and it takes her right back to their beautiful wedding day. It’s been 5 years and they still feel like newlyweds.

Dean carries her out to the car, gets her comfortable in the passenger seat before getting in.

She closes her eyes to rest for a moment and she feels his warm hand wrap around hers and give it a reassuring squeeze.

Before long they make it back to their home, and Dean comes around to get her out of the car.

“I think I can walk myself in my house, silly!” She protests, giving him a pout.

He cocks an eyebrow at her. “And let the heathens knock you over, baby?”

Mackenzie laughs, after all he has a point. Their dogs would absolutely sweep her off her shaky feet.

“I suppose,” She says, wrapping her arms around his neck so he can carry her once more.

They make their way inside, and sure enough the dogs swarm around them, happy that their parents are home again. All three dogs absolutely love Dean, they give her extra cuddles and cry when he’s away, but they’re ecstatic when the whole family is together.

As soon as they get near the kitchen, her senses are filled with a warm sweet aroma and a huge smile lights up her face.

She gives Dean a big kiss on the cheek. “You didn’t!”

“I did,” he grins. “Ordered ‘em before we left the dentists. Am I the best husband or what?”

On the counter sits a huge donut box, cracked open to reveal a dozen thick pink doughnuts with sprinkles; her absolute favorite.

Dean sets her down on the counter next to the box and reaches over to pull one of the doughnuts out.

“Open wide!!” He grins and puts a piece into her waiting open mouth.

It tastes like absolute heaven.

[vlad-theimplier]

WIP Wednesday: Custos Custodium

Still getting into the habit--have a WIP snapshot! Jensen must have had a first visit to the Time Machine, and I have to imagine that he and Koller made quite the impression on one another. Check out the whole fic here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55686901/chapters/141357007

"After me now, please,” and Koller tugged his shoulder with ginger metal fingers. He walked through what was obviously a secret doorway and heard it close behind him, waiting politely to open his eyes until they entered an elevator that dinged and descended with a grinding lurch.

They stepped out into a charnel house in blood and iron, and he feared he’d come to entirely the wrong sort of place after all. A set of modern dentist’s lights on articulated arms spotlit a vintage dentist’s chair, all cracked leather and chrome: clean, but surrounded by red streaks leading to a floor drain in the concrete nearby. Screens holding CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and other imaging Jensen didn’t recognize stood around the disconcerting centerpiece. Five monitors sat edge-to-edge on the desk along one wall, backstopping a graveyard of takeout containers and soda cans that made Jensen’s old apartment look neat and Pritchard’s desk at Sarif Industries look neurotically tidy. Skeletal chicken feet jutted from several of the boxes, their bony toes held together by scraps of cartilage and tendon that had curled them as they dried.

From the ceiling hung sealed bags in droves, clearly opened and reused, each one holding an augmentation of some kind. Arms, legs, feet, eyeballs alone and in pairs, neural hubs… the array was dizzying. More augs stood in glass cases dotting the floor. Vials of Neuropozyne and a score of other substances stood in glass-fronted cabinets, a few refrigerated. A pair of wheeled carts sat haphazardly near them, stacked with gauze and bandages, needle and thread, soldering iron and cutting torch.

Sticky notes wallpapered the support pillars and posters for augmentation firms looked down from over the computer screens, all curling from their bottom corners. Water trickled somewhere nearby. Jensen smelled rust and damp and realized they were near the sewers, although fortunately not a malodorous section of them. He clenched his jaw in dismay.

“Well, let me have a look!” Koller said. “Into the Chair, come on, come on, I want to see what’s under your hood!”

Jensen held up a quelling hand. “I didn’t come here to get opened up like a can of beans. I need a… a system reset, or something. I had a bad injury, was in a coma for a while, and when I came out, I couldn’t use half my augs.”

Koller looked like a kicked puppy. Jensen watched him wring his metal hands and thought he might burst into tears. But he only heaved a gusty sigh and said, “Okay, okay, not today. But someday!” He raised a dramatic finger. “Someday you will need the Chair, and the Chair will be waiting for you. And I’ll give you a hand. Or two, or three.”

Koller’s gaze flicked to a rack that Jensen realized held replacement hands and arms for detailed aug work. Saws and drills and drivers and probes and laser scalpels… He shuddered, as much at the thought of hot-swapping entire limbs as at the armamentarium of terrifying devices on display.

They each sank into a much more normal office chair. “So, show me what’s on your mind,” Koller said, pulling out a neural interface cable. Jensen groaned and thumbed open the port on his temple, the hexagonal divot sliding sideways and bunching up the skin. “Aha, ha, I’m sorry,” said Koller as he leaned forward and plugged in the jack, patently nothing of the sort. “It helps me keep my English skills in good shape. Puns are hard, you know? It is like an exercise, a workout. Pun-ishing, yes? Yes?”

Jensen groaned again. “Just reboot my hub or whatever you need to do.”

But Koller was not listening. “Oh… that’s interesting. That’s very interesting now indeed. Hmmm. Ooh, so fancy, Mister Sarif. Someday I will shake your hand. Maybe open it up and look inside, too… hmmmmm…”

He broke into a tuneless whistle as he hammered at his computer, diagrams flashing across the monitors. Jensen recognized several from the manual Dr. Markovic had given him when he woke up in Detroit. “Icarus, very cool, very cool, yes. I bet it is dramatic when you use it. You’ll let me see sometime. Energy converter is most efficient, good, for all your power needs. And big biocells, too—who needs two kidneys anyway? Redundant. Sentinel, okay, nice, we do not need to waste anesthesia on you—”

“Excuse me?”

That got Koller’s attention. “Ah, yes, well, it is only… I don’t have very much. Painkillers, sure, but to put someone underneath?”

“Under.”

“Under, thank you—this is something I do only when I have to.”

His sources had been clear. Koller was the best there was in Prague, probably in the Czech Republic. He had only a few competitors in all of continental Europe. Jensen gritted his teeth. “The Icarus is glitchy. My smart vision and my cloak aren’t working at all.”

Koller’s eyes lit up, surprisingly still organic. “Cloak? Cloak! GlassShield is the Sarif one, yes? Ah, so cool… yes, yes, I’m looking. Eyes first. Should be easy. Blind for thirty seconds, okay?”

Despite Koller’s erratic, frenetic energy and bloodstained floor, that was more informed consent than he’d ever gotten from Dr. Markovic or Sarif. “Yeah. Go ahead.”

“Tři, dva, jeden…” Darkness. He suppressed a flinch and counted breaths. In, out, in, out. It was like staring down the pit of Panchaea, underwater, before he’d looked desperately upwards and seen the sky, that tiny, distant, hopeless hope—nope. Just breathe. In, out. In, out. His eyes turned back on like a thrown switch. In and out and he was okay.

“Try now!” Koller said, oblivious to his brush with panic. He clenched his eyeballs in the way that made smart vision activate, and there indeed it was.

“Nice. Good work.”

Koller preened visibly, then ducked his head, abashed. “No problem. I turn it off and on again, it’s all. Now Icarus… Hmmm. Okay, I see him. Mister Sarif is maybe not so smart as I thought. This one is tricky because reboot will require immediate activation. I will use laptop—we can go to the roof.”

“Activation… Christ. You’re joking.”

“I never joke!” said Koller, hand to his heart. “Okay, sometimes I joke. A lot. But not about patients. It’s seven or eight meters—those legs will be fine if anything goes wrong. Not that it will!”

“Save it for last, I guess. The cloak?”

Koller’s fingers hammered his keyboard again. “Running diagnostic… and… oh. Needs recalibration. Augmentation has forgotten shape of user and creates conflict with shape of cloak field. I will provide manual override, if you want, but calibration is easy.”

“Manual override?”

“Takes more energy but lets you expand or contract the cloak field. Physics means only some changes are possible. Meanwhile, I hit calibrate, you stand in the middle of empty space, and the field detects its own interference with you. No problem.”

“Sure. Give it to me.”

A new icon appeared in his HUD before shrinking away to nothing. “Play with it when you like. Now, I set for thirty-second delay, and… go.” Koller unplugged the cable and ushered him past a cluttered little bedroom to a flat, uncluttered patch of concrete near the sewer. He stood and waited, still as a statue. His cloak activated, but rather than hiding him, it picked out the surface of his body and clothes in golden tessellations. They rippled over him, a geometric wave of light, before fading away.

“Will it still hide my guns?” he asked.

“Yes, profiles for most weapons are built-in, or the cloak will read them from the smart link. This is for baseline. You should be okay now! Try it! I want to see. Or, see not seeing? Is like Cheshire man, I think. Smile!”

He did not smile, let alone match Koller’s manic grin, but he triggered the cloak. It worked, all right, and he became smoothly invisible to himself—although the damn thing still chewed through his energy reserves. He turned it off promptly. Koller was hopping up and down with delight, clapping his hands with a metallic clangor.

“So coooooool… okay! Now you jump off the roof, yes? Yes!”

Jensen buried his face in his palms. “Yeah. Fine. Let’s go.”