#Also anon you are fueling my personal love for Hush

[aphrodite-would-be-proud]

🕯Anon said : Can I request headcanons with a Modern Au Teacher!Erwin and his s/o is a slightly famous artist like a painter that’s always in the basement. Maybe have a moment where the art teacher begs him to bring them to the school when they find out who Erwin is with. ? 🕯

Teacher!Erwin brings you, a famous painter, to work.

{ Erwin x Reader | tw:none | fluff, suggestive kiss | modern }

{ "Leisurely Sunday in the Villa Comunale in Naples" 1993 by Francesco Tammaro Born in 1939 }

Grassy fields surrounded the old big building as the trees undressing of their leaves onto the sidewalks, currently being swept away by the janitor.

Students were filling the halls, the sound of chatter and laughter following after. Outside in the yard, the whistle of the gym teacher could be heard following by heavy footsteps as the football team started their morning practice. Not long after the bell rang, the halls were empty again only for some crumbled papers and snack covers left behind.

"Pigs, all of them. There's a trashcan right there." Levi scrunched his nose at the smell of axe spray and deodorant near the trophy cases. "Tell Miche to spray his running monkeys with soap every once in a while."

"Now now, what got you so grumpy this early in the morning?" Adjusting the lab coat on their suit, Hange replied. "Oh cut the kids some slack, their big game is coming soon or something."

"And he's been implenting a more strick hygiene policy." Said Erwin, holding a plastic binder with a stack of exam papers, mostly marked red. "He's trying to convince the principal to ban deodorant during practice because it's making his nose burn."

Huffing in response, Levi crossed his arms. "Yeah because the principle will definitely listen to him after that whole sniffing people scandal- Hey! Brats, don't you have classes"

As Levi went to scold the two students currently hanging a handmade poster for the upcoming game on the wall, a couple of students came up to Hange, looking in a hurry as they explained the Science lab was locked and they're getting tired of sitting on their backpacks outside.

Soon after, Erwin too made his way to class.

Upon entering the room, the talking quieted down as the squeaking sound of people going back to their own desks followed. Walking upfront, Erwin dropped the binder on his desk beside the empty mug, a couple of groans filled the room as the students realised what it was.

"Mr.Smith, didn't we just take the test yesterday? Shouldn't you like...I don't know double check or something? Maybe you rushed grading them?" One student called from the back as some chuckles and agreement followed from the rest.

Taking the stacks of papers out, Erwin made his way between the students, giving each on their graded paper. "I don't know Connie, maybe you should've double checked your answers instead?"

The playful atmosphere of the classroom was cut short as the door slammed open, making everyone freeze in their seats, none other than the art teacher walked in.

Nile Dawk, current art teacher who fails at least a quarter of his class each year. Who has oh just the most swell relationship with Erwin and anyone can tell you that.

You see, Erwin adored art, both the classic and the modern. Nile admired history and knew just how each art era had its link to a historical event.

And the pair couldn't stand each other.

Crossing his arms, Nile said "Erwin, you have explaining to do." Before dropping a newly printed magazine onto his desk, 

Its cover, showing a brand new art museum that just finished construction and is hosting a lot of different paintings from unrecognised underground talents. 

"Nile, I think you misunderstand. I teach history, I'm not an architect." He said raising an eyebrow, before tilting his head as if he's deep in thought, "or do you want me to explain what a museum is?"

Sneering at his remark, Nile flipped through the pages till he reached a certain one. It depicted a one of the paintings that will be displayed in the museum, a portrait of a blond man with broad shoulders and sharp blue eyes seemingly distracted from reality by the book in his hand.

The soft glow of the fireplace next to the red armchair he sat in, adding a certain orange hue to his light complexion. His long fingers holding the leather book as a glass-stained maroon vase sat on the small table behind him, containing a single red rose.

It's clear from the details poured into his eyes and the shading for each strand of his hair that whoever made this painting, held a great affection for the man.

"Now Mr.history teacher, care to explain why your face is on this painting? By one of the few promising artists of this useless generation?."

Hushed murmurs filled the classroom as students took out their phones googling the name y/n, showing each other the said painting while staring with wide eyes at Erwin.

Rubbing his temple with his fingers, Erwin frowned at the scene the other was causing. Knowing very well it won't take long for this fire to spread, he decided to add more fuel to the flames.

He took a long breath, before telling the class to quiet down with a stern expression. 

"Mr.Dawk, are you really asking me why y/n, my love, the person I'm married to, paint me?" He said facing the other, looking directly into his eyes. "Maybe you should ask y/n instead if you're so insisting on forcing yourself in my private life."

Narrowing his eyes, Nile snorted. "You know what Erwin? Maybe I should.

And that's the story Erwin told you while having dinner that day.

He looks at you with pleading eyes as if to silently apologise for dragging you into this mess, his plate still half full and drink untouched.

Please reassure him that it's alright, you don't mind taking a day off to visit his work

He'll reach out to gently squeeze your hand in his, whispering a small thank you as his thumb rubs against your skin.

He also says he'll do the dishes that day, you can go rest and he will join you in bed after a while, a relieved smile on his face.

The next day, as he wakes up early like usual. He makes sure to wake you up with a kiss, stroking your face before murmuring "good morning" against your lips. 

He knows because of your work you don't wake up early, so he's really patient and understanding if you happen to get grumpy for a while.

Handing you a warm drink to help wake you up, he'll make sure you eat something before changing and heading out.

You're not surprised to find him already done and dressed himself.

Hair as perfect as usual.

On the drive to school, you'll feel the cool morning air against your skin while your head leans back into the seat, eyes fluttering shut.

You can have your mini nap, Erwin will make sure to wake you up when you arrive.

When arriving, he made sure to open the car door for you. The fresh air and green scenery surrounded you both.

When arriving at the teacher's lounge, you're almost surprised to see two people already there from how early it was.

The first was sitting on the old black couch near the window, his dirty blond bangs covering his eyes. The second you could see making tea on the other side of the room Where the kitchenware was.

Both of them glanced up when Erwin called their name, staring at the way he had an arm wrapped around your waist while introducing you.

It was Miche who came first, standing from the couch you noticed just how tall he was. Offering your hand for him to shake, only for him to pull you into a tight hug instead.

He pulled away, tapping his nose before a smile slowly formed on his face, nodding in approval

The second was Levi, who ignored your offered hand only to sip on his teacup, assessing you up and down.

Not too long after, a person with a messy ponytail and a colorful lab coat arrived.

They took one glance at you, then the matching wedding rings on yours and Erwins fingers before taking an immediate interest in you.

Hange asked questions faster than you can answer them, with sparkling eyes and a wide smile.

At the first sign of you being uncomfortable, it was Levi who stepped in to tell Hange to tone it down before apologizing to you.

And it was Miche who got you some snacks from the teacher's secret stash after.

You've heard stories and one sided phone calls about them from Erwin, yet it still didn't prepare you for actually meeting them.

While overwhelming at first, the more time you spent talking as Erwin reassuringly sat beside you, you noticed how genuinely interested they were.

Levi, while seemingly cold, was actually the most considerate and paid the most attention to you. He'd step in whenever things got too much and would be really polite despite having a colourful language. By the end of it he even made you some tea, something that seemed to surprise Erwin and the rest.

"It's just...he never trusted someone this quickly before."

Hange was genuinely interested in you, having researched you and your art beforehand. They really were eager to hear even the most boring details and were capable of understanding your way of thinking. They even gave you a small rubber frog they carried around in their pocket to hand out. It would've been cute wasn't for the fact immediately after they mentioned the real human skeleton they have pinned to the lab door.

"His name is bean! I've been actually investing into getting him a human heart for Valentine's day, but all the ones I've found so far were in jars."

The most quiet of them was actually Miche, although he'd smile at you whenever you looked his way. Despite his intimidating size you learned how harmless and easy going he is, the most chill out of the three. He did mention knowing Erwin for the longest time out of them, having been childhood friends even. He promised to tell you all the embarrassing secrets Erwin tried to erase from existence as he added his number on your phone.

"He ain't as proper as he looks, I got the dirt on him."

You saw Erwin's jaw tightening before he changed the subject quickly, giving the side eye to Miche who only smiled back.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, Erwin didn't leave your side for one minute and made sure to check on you constantly. 

He introduced you to the rest of the teachers and seemed only amused at any teasing he got from students passing by.

By the end of the day, as the sun began to set and the students already done with their clubs, you and Erwin had one final place to go.

The art classroom.

"Just one more thing before that" he told you, guiding you into an empty classroom.

You saw his desk, the mug you gifted him on father's day as a joke sat on his desk, several paper sketches you made were framed next to it.

It was his classroom, with only you and him, the door open.

He closed it.

You stood against his desk as he moved closer, arms circling you, not breaking eye contact.

"May I?" He whispered, licking his own lips.

As he got your permission, he pressed his lips against yours, arm stroking your back before pulling away after some seconds.

He rubbed your swollen bottom lip with his thumb, a small smile on his face before pulling away.

Your heart was still fluttering against your chest as you left the classroom, while Erwin seemed to be smiling at nothing with a slight curl to his lips, steps more lighter than before.

Right after that he took you to the art classroom. The smell of oil paint and sound of brushes scratching against paper filling the air.

Stepping inside, the scratching sound stopped as a certain black haired man stared at you, eyes wide and lips parted.

Disbelief clear in his face, Nile was quick to mask his emotions as he noticed the smugness Erwin was in.

"Nile, I'd like to introduce you to my lovely darling, y/n." There was a chipper to Erwin's voice as he leaned in to kiss your cheek. 

[capricornus-rex]

A Legacy Begun (6)

Chapter 6: A Hopeful Beginning | Cal Kestis x Reader

Summary: After a long time of running and fighting, you and Cal decided to finally settle down after all these years to raise a family. However, it was never a life of peace whilst the shadow of the Empire looms over your heads.

Prompt/s in play: Anon prompt (in Chapter 1 link) & fic idea

Also posted in AO3

Tags: Scruffy! Cal Kestis, Daddy! Cal Kestis, Adult! Cal Kestis, Jedi Family, Jedi Offspring, Force-Sensitive Offspring, Settling Down, Rebel Alliance

Chapters: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 | Previous: Part 5 | Next: Part 7 | Masterlist

6 of ?

You were given a few more days to recover after giving birth. The whole crew remained in Polis Massa while you regained your strength. The nurses were very meticulous when it comes to your diet and general post-partum health.

A day later you can already sit up, Cal remained with you in the ward with little Cassidy nestled in the little crib by your bedside—with the toy Binog that you’ve sewn yesterday lying right next to her. The medical droids suggested skin-to-skin contact must be done as often as possible—adding that it is crucial for the overall health of the baby.

The medical droids were strict about visitors, Cal was the only one who can go inside and out of the ward as he pleases. He eventually showed his baby to the Mantis crew with the glass wall dividing them, everyone absolutely loved the little Kestis girl swaddled and nestled in her father’s arms.

From your bed, you watched Cere, Merrin, and Greez smiled and wiggle their fingers in front of Cassidy to get her attention. The sight of them melting at the presence of a baby was new, it warranted a giggle from you. The crew looked over Cal’s shoulder and waved excitedly at you, your husband turned around and smiled back at you too.

“I’m not used to seeing all of them worked up at the same time,”

“Yeah, it’s my first time seeing that too,” you joked.

Cal surely took his time in holding his daughter: nuzzling the tip of his nose against her forehead, his lips parting as he mimicked her yawning and then smiling once her mouth has closed.

“Mind her head,”

“She’s so tiny,” Cal sighed, not getting enough of feeling the weight of his daughter in his arms.

He gently adjusted his hold of her, letting the baby’s head rest on his shoulder, he held his breath so he could feel hers—warm, sweet, and small. He was careful not to disturb her with his stubble.

“I just wanna squish her so bad,” he cracked.

BD-1 peeked over Cal’s shoulder, chirping and trilling at the sight of little Cassidy. Cal softly shushed the droid as the baby continued to sleep, staring at the small face as he kept cradling her in his arms.

Eventually, Cal transferred her to your arms, the baby gurgled and squirmed when she felt she was being moved. When she pressed her cheek against your bosom, she yawned and her eyelids slightly flicked up, showing a little bit of her eyes before she dozed off again. Your heartstrings twisted in the best way possible.

“She’s so beautiful,” you sighed, smoothly stroking her head with your first two fingers.

Your heart felt light when your daughter’s tiny hand patted your chest and her fingers unfurled. Cassidy’s hand latched around your thumb when your hands met. You didn’t realize that the tiniest hand could hold so much of you.

It was your final checkup a week after you gave birth. The GH-7 medical droid hovered towards you and towed along a table of medical tools behind him.

“How are you feeling, miss?”

“I’m fine. No headaches or what, but still a bit exhausted,”

“Physical exhaustion is normal after childbirth, since your muscles have been most likely overworked,” the droid motioned to a handheld apparatus. “With enough rest, you may return to your normal activities in a week or so.”

“Good to know,”

“My readings indicate that your blood pressure is optimally normal and your vitals are in peak stability!” the droid trilled, green lights glowing in its lenses as they reported its diagnosis. “You are permitted for discharge whenever you’re ready.”

The droid politely replied and then dismissed itself to the computers. Your husband turned to you, already knowing what that face meant. You gestured a nod at him, to which he translated to “In a bit” and continued cuddling up Cassidy. The three of you were ready after an hour or two, upon returning to the Mantis, the baby was greeted with hushed swooning and baby-talk murmurs.

“Oh, look at her,” Cere fawned, beaming at the sight of the child up close and personal. Then she leveled her head to the Jedi couple. “So, where to now?”

“I think I should let [y/n] take the reins on that,”

You strode to the holotable and typed the coordinates of Ilaro. Everyone gathered round the map as the projection colored the room into the bright cyan.

“Ilaro,” Cere reads out loud.

“Ilaro is in the Outer Rim, it’s going to take a few parsecs away from here,”

You also added the same information that you told Cal about the planet—the range of the Empire’s hold in that system runs thin, so there will be little to no Imperial presence.

“Then we’re gonna have to make a cutting trip, I don’t want the Mantis running with a half-empty tank,” Greez grumbled. “If it’s in the Outer Rim, I know an outpost where I can fill ‘er up before heading to your planet.”

The whole crew concurred, Merrin accompanied the mother and child by the holotable couch while the three manned their stations in the cockpit. The Nightsister admired the infant, rubbing her index finger and thumb between Cassidy’s pudgy feet—both of you giggling whenever her toes would flinch because it tickled her.

“She’s such a sleepy bug,” Merrin hummed.

This was the first jump to lightspeed to the fueling outpost for Greez.

The slight turbulence of the outpost’s tractor beam jolted the infant but you snuggled her into your arms.

“This’ll take only a while,” Greez announced from the captain’s seat.

The Mantis was peaceful, but it was a new kind of peace, now that the ship has a new, tiny member with them. For the rest of the trip, Cassidy slept soundly, occasionally cooing and gasping with the little voice that tugged your heartstrings. While there’s nothing much to do in the middle of hyperspace, Cal sat next to you, his palm curled to cradle her head. He’d giggle back at the soft noises that Cassidy makes in the middle her sleep. The Mantis’s speed has slowed down, signaling your arrival in Ilaro’s orbit. Cal returned to the co-pilot seat and assisted Greez as the ship cuts through the atmosphere, the Jedi was able to navigate the land mass and found the hillside town that you once told him about.

“Over there, Greez, I see it,”

“Me too, kid,”

The captain flew the ship over to a clearing they found in the hillside, just a few meters away from the town’s border. You braced yourself for the landing until the rumbling came to a halt. Cal exited the cockpit and joined you.

“We’re here,”

He escorted you out of the ship and got a glimpse of the landscape. It was breathtaking. It was exactly the same as you and your master found it many years ago. The town that you referred to was more of a quaint village that clustered along the hilltop overlooking the ocean on the other side of the island.

“You’re right, [y/n], this is the perfect spot. A ship’s not the best place to raise a child—no offense to Greez there,”

“Yeah, I just hope it’ll remain that way,”

You and Cal stood at the hill, gazing at the deep blue sea that stretched to the far reaches of the horizon—illuminated by the twin suns that have begun to sink behind the coastline—looking forward to a future filled with hope, especially for your child.

—–

8 BBY

At the age of three, Cassidy Kestis had grown plumper and cheerier; with hair—and perhaps a will—as fiery as her father’s, eyes as docile yet full of spark like her mother, she’s nothing but a waddling ball of light in the Kestis homestead. Her laughter, voice, and words would fill the entire house and the entire ship during your visits to the Mantis.

BD-1 had grown extra especially fond of the little one, and Cassidy had the exact same sentiments to him. The little droid and the little girl have become best friends ever since then. BD was there to entertain her with the flashing blue lights, even though she half-understood that they were hologram projections of all the data scans throughout her parents’ journey.

“You’re always showing her that Binog scan, buddy,” Cal chirped while watching over the kid and the droid play together.

“I think he wants us to teach her how to say Binog,” you suggested after popping out of the kitchen while waiting for your recipe to simmer.

You leaned against the door frame to watch BD-1 and Cal try to coax the word “Binog” from Cassidy. The toddler pointed at the blue projection and then she started surveying the living room for her toy of that creature—when she spotted it lying behind the droid, the child outstretched her arms but she remained on where she sat. The parents watched their daughter with great intrigue, their eyes shifting between the child and the toy until the object started to shudder, inching towards Cassidy’s general direction until the stuffed Binog toy sprang from the floor and lightly landed in Cassidy’s hands.

“Dad… Mommy…” Cassidy gurgled, waving the toy around in front of them.

Cal glanced over his shoulder to his wife, he found you just as dumbfounded as he is. The two of you traded puzzled stares at one another. The surprise didn’t come from the fact that she was Force-sensitive, both of you were more surprised that the Force has manifested within her in such a young age.

“Later,” you firmly established.

Cal nodded and repeated the word in agreement. You returned to the kitchen and stirred the soup one last time before serving it. You tapped the ladle against the rim of the pot, Cal promptly snatched up his daughter from the floor.

“Come on, Cassidy, it’s dinnertime!” he buried his chin against Cassidy’s cheek and arms.

“Daddy… no itchy!” Cassidy squeaked, trying to push away her dad’s scruffy jaw from her face.

“Oh no, you’re gonna fall!”

Cal continued to joke around on his way to the dining table with Cassidy in tow. He faked her falling by lowering her upper half close to the floor and the bottom half locked securely in his grasp. The little girl was exhilarated as her red hair draped and swerved as Cal strode, she bursts in laughter as she tried to kick her way out of her daddy’s grasp.

“Here comes the Sarlacc in the floor!”

He made a comedic impression of the Sarlacc’s grunting and hissing as he continued to dangle and rock the baby close to the floor.

“Daddy!” the little girl struggled to speak through her squealing giggles.

“Okay, okay, careful with the Sarlacc game or you might spill the pot,”

You come out of the kitchen and settled down the pot on the table. Cassidy looked to you for help, stretching out her arms at you, opening and then closing her palms as if to beckon you to come to her.

“Mommy, here!”

“I gotcha!” you swiped your baby girl away from her daddy, shielding her from Cal with your back but your husband’s height towered over yours.

Arms snaked around your waist, pulling you in from behind, Cal nuzzled his jaw against your neck—now you were his victim of his ticklish kisses thanks to his stubble. You bobbed your head to the side, denying him more entry to your weak spots.

“The food’s gonna grow cold, time to dig in,” you segued.

“You mind if I dig into your later?”

“I’d like to see you try,” you pecked him teasingly before settling Cassidy down on her chair.

The two of you helped yourselves with potful of boiled potatoes and tenderized Chorcap meat swimming in creamy, rich broth. Cal dug in, taking spoonful after spoonful of his serving.

“Slow down or you’ll choke on the chopped scallions,” you warned.

“Are you trying to compete with Greez? Because this is really good!”

You took that as a compliment. Meanwhile, you alternated between feeding Cassidy and bringing your own spoon to your mouth. She smiled away the soup dribbling at the edge of her mouth, leaving a butter-colored smeared mess across her chin as she continued fiddling with the legs and tail of her toy Binog.

The peace that lingered at the dining table changed.

The stern expressions in your faces focused on Cassidy, the little toddler was clueless as she sat and patted her toy in her seat, shifting her gaze between her mother and father. The exact same thought bridged your minds, it was the only conversation you had without speaking, but your eyes uttered so many questions and words.

Eventually, you were the one to break the silence.

“You do know the risks that come with it—the same risks that we had to face as children,”

“I know,” your husband hummed.

A pensive tone rung in your words, “In time.”

Cal’s head motioned to a nod. He reached for Cassidy’s hand, by instinct, she latched her stubby paw around Cal’s finger; the two of you continued to watch the baby unknowingly wield the Force by causing her toy to float inches above her lap and giggled as it plopped back down on her legs—doing so without a clue in the galaxy what she is capable of.

A few hours after dinner, you’ve bathed Cassidy to ready her for bed. Her fine red hair smoothly followed each sway and turn of the hairbrush. In your arms, you sang a wordless lullaby to her, the solemn melodies lulled the child to sleep until you could settle her down in her cradle.

“Sweet dreams, my little angel,” you cooed, smoothing her fringe across her forehead.

You sat by the window nook, having a full view of the sea—black at night but will return to azure in the day—beneath the twin platinum moons shining below the planet.

In the calming darkness of your bedroom, Cal sat behind you, joining you in listening to the sleepy tides crashing in the distance.

“Your mind keeps dwelling on the thought, love,”

“I only keep thinking how she’ll turn out,”

“Don’t worry about her,” he slid his knuckles across the smoothness of your shoulders, your skin recalled a familiar sensation not too long ago. “She’s got us.”

You shifted in your seat, the moonlight amplified the determination twinkling in your eyes. Cal caressed your cheeks and brushed away the hair that nearly concealed your face.

“I won’t let anything happen to my girls,” a steely yet gentle glint shone over the gloss of his eyes.

[bubblyani]

Blinded (Freddie x Reader)

A Freddie Jackson One Shot

Warnings: Swearing, Themes of Obsession, Sexual Content (18+) 

~Anon Request: Hi! Can i request a Freddie Jackson and reader. It could be a oneshot if you want. Where reader and freddie love each other like two psycopaths, obsessed with each other but she is soo good and naive person and we all know how Freddie is 😂 but she wont give up on him. If you write it you will make me happy. ❤️~

Author’s Note: This request expanded my mind on writing another Freddie fic. So I’m very grateful. Thank you Anon! 😘 wanted to make this interesting as possible. Plus, it’s Freddie, so it turned out to be unexpectedly sexy. No regrets honestly. Hope you all enjoy it.

“You’ve changed Y/N”

With the fork still in your mouth, you didn’t like what you just heard, and it was clearly displayed in your face.

“If you have something to say, just say it Sarah” you snapped, slamming your fork on the table, “Wha’ is it?” Sarah, your best friend, ever since high school, looked down at her spaghetti nervously. “Come on Sarah..wha’ is it?” you repeated , “Is it about Freddie?”

Looking up, she  didn’t hesitate to give you a sharp look. You knew something grave will come out of her mouth. With a heavy sigh, she spoke: “Yes...it is about Freddie” You scoffed, hastily sipping on some red wine, for you were certain you will not like what was about to come next. Sarah shook her head. “Y/N...I’ve been ignoring this for too long, and I can’t do it anymore. As your closest friend...Y/N..look at me! ” she exaggerated the moment you averted your eyes away, “...as your friend, I can’t just sit here and do nothin’. Freddie is not a good man fo’ you” You groaned in frustration, “Then who is a good man for me ? A saint?” You asked, your voice rich with anger. “Quiet!” Sarah hissed at you, feeling the looks of the nearby customers on the both of you. Therefore, silence was maintained for a solid half minute, until Sarah spoke up once again. “All I’m saying is...” she continued in a hushed tone, “given the man is Freddie Jackson…you’re this close to getting in trouble…getting your heart broken. You know what kind of man he is…Y/N! He-”

You managed to drown out Sarah’s rambles as your eyes were glued on to table a few feet in front of you, specifically that one chair in the corner. All the sounds in the pub faded slowly as you stared fondly at that empty table and chair. It wasn’t two weeks ago that you laid eyes on him for the very first time. Two weeks ago since a part of you was finally opened up. All cause you met Freddie Jackson.

~(Two weeks ago) ~ Head tilted, you managed to run your red manicured fingers through your hair. Doing it all so slowly, all the while your eyes kept focus on him. And he certainly returned the favor from across the pub. Your expression softened, displaying pleasure as the fingertips touched your scalp, later descending downwards through your locks once more, suppressing the urge to smile, but finally did upon the glimpse of his very own naughty one. Even the distance did not stop the simplest action as his wink from making you chuckle softly, and biting your lower lip.

“What? What’s funny?” You realized Gary, Sarah and her boyfriend Peter, were all staring at you. Clearing your throat you said, “Nothing…” you smiled, pressing your lips together in embarrassment, as the rest of them continued on with their conversation. It was Friday, and Sarah had set you up on a blind date with Gary, one of her coworkers, whom she reckoned would be a ‘good match’ for you. Even if Gary was a good lad, you two didn’t exactly click. Polite exchanges and awkward glances filled the evening, and thanks to Sarah and Peter’s series of anecdotes, you managed to escape from any form of conversation with the poor man. Thanks to Sarah and Peter, your attention was caught elsewhere, far away from your table.

His eyes were seductive, not to mention his lips. Kissable was what you wished you could describe them as. And you hoped you could confirm your suspicions somehow. Though no words were exchanged from a distance, he still managed to be the most interesting segment in the evening for you. Little did everyone know of the silent yet intense flirting both of you have engaged in. You were enamored by the way puffs and rings of smoke exited his perfect lips, his eyes never leaving yours. Sipping your pint of beer, you pressed your frustrations further down. You wished for an escape. He seemed to be the escape. The perfect escape.

“We should play a game!” The trio suddenly grew silent by your voice. “Dare me to do something…” you spoke out confidently with smile, “Come on! I dare all of you” your voice filled with playfulness. Suddenly your demure nature has left you, leaving your friends lost for words. Sarah watched you with furrowed brows, trying to read your change. “Alright then…” Sarah finally spoke out: “I dare you…to go sit on the lap… of the fittest man you see in this pub” Your eyebrows were raised in fascination. Gary however looked concerned. “Sarah…What are you going on about?” He asked. She merely shook her head with laughter. “Don’t worry Gary, I was just pulling her leg. This is Y/N! She would never do that kind of thing-” “Oh…you think that I won’t?” Your eyebrows were still raised as you looked at her. Finishing your pint of larger, you got up instantly. Your head felt lighter as you squeezed your way out the table, “Try and stop me!”

Walking away confidently as your hips swayed from side to side, the alcohol fueled you up with courage as the distance between you and him got smaller. The more steps you took, the shorter the party dress appeared to look, as it rode up your thighs. Loud chatter of the group of men at his table, was interrupted the moment your buttocks flopped on his lap.

“Hello” you said, softly and seductively. You were surprised of your own behavior, but it seemed to have come out so naturally. The man flashed a big smile. “Well…’ello love” You body vibrated by the sound of his voice, for it sounded better than you imagined. Leaning over, you rested your body against his chest.

“Ah…Where have you been all my life?” He asked, watching you finger his gold chain with fascination. “Probably somewhere you didn’t look enough” you replied in kind, gaze shooting right up at his own. He chuckled, and you joined in. Clearing his throat, a younger man who sat next to him slowly stood up. “Um…Lads..let’s give ol’ Freddie some privacy yeah?” He said, inaudibly motioning them, “Off you go…that other table is free yeah?” “Yes, Jimmy!” You watched Jimmy usher the others away, leaving the two of you alone at last. “So…” your playful tone remained unchanged, “Your name is Freddie? “That’s right love…” he watched you with much focus, “…you like it?

“Yeah…I do” you replied, running your fingers on your lips whilst you pondered, “ I think it’s a nice name. It’s very comfortable…but also very exciting to say…” he certainly enjoyed watching you explain it all with a hint of matter-of-factness, “Freddie…” you said, your eyes marveling at the sight, “Freddie…” you repeated, enunciating it using your whole mouth. Lips centimeters from his ear, “Freddie…” you whispered. Tossing his cigarette, Freddie’s hands were quick to react to your indirect teases, with one wrapped around your waist, while the other resting on your inner thigh. And you were generous enough to respond with soft yet emotive moans, as his fingers encircled the exposed skin it came into contact with. “You know…” he grunted, urging you to look back at him, “…nothing brings me pleasure than to hear my name coming out that pretty little mouth of yours” “Oh…you do?” “Yeah…” his voice grew deep, “But it would be fuckin’ pity if I don’t know yours eh?” Point made. “It’s Y/N” you replied, biting your lip with a smile. Excitement rushed over you as you felt his hand slowly travel upwards, making small stops, as if he wanted to inspect your level of sensitivity at every inch of your thighs. “Ah…Y/N…I-” “Show’s over boys! Freddie Jackson…you twat!” You looked over to see a group of burly men approach the tables, some were armed and certainly looking dangerous. Jimmy and the others stood up in a flash. You felt the atmosphere grow hostile, even the other customers began to grow uncomfortable. Well of course, you thought. You were sitting on the lap of a gangster. It all made sense now. “Ma’am…It’s probably best if you go home now with your friends” Jimmy said in a polite tone, looking over at you. Freddie however, seemed to have forgotten about you, as he gave the intruders a murderous stare. Nervously, you got up, feeling his his grip loosen off you as you quickly walked off over to Sarah and the company, almost stumbling in your heels as your heart kept beating out your chest. “Y/N…Oh my god!” “Y/N…”

~(Present)~ “Y/N!” Sarah’s voice brought you back to earth, and she did not sound happy. “Were you even listening to me?” You exhaled through gritted teeth, for her words felt like nails digging into your skull. You were simply fed up. “Y/N…were-” “FINE FINE I get it…For fuck’s sakes! Could you just leave me be?” You finally broke, standing up as you rummaged through your handbag, pulling out some money. “PLEASE …” you slammed them hard on the table, “JUST STOP IT!” Your voice booming all over the room, everyone turned to witness the terrible turn of events as you stormed out the building, leaving Sarah wide eyed, embarrassed and speechless.

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Your heels clicked as you walked in a fast pace. Furious with Sarah, you wanted to wipe out all the horrid things she said out of your mind. Exhaling deeply, you continued walking. But suddenly, you halted, turning back in an instant. For a moment you were quite certain you were being watched. Standing there for a mere minute, you waited until you felt safe enough to start walking again. The mind raced for something pleasant to dwell in, and it didn’t hesitate to recall the events that took place later that evening when you first met him.

~(Two weeks ago, later that night)~ Refreshed after a hot shower, you felt sobered up as you opened the refrigerator. Gulping in some cool water from the bottle, you wiped your mouth afterwards, still in disbelief of what happened that night at the pub. As you leaned against the pantry, you could not stop recalling your exciting encounter with Freddie. Regardless of all what happened afterwards, the memory with him was what you longed to remember that night. It was exciting, yes. But why did you still feel empty and unfulfilled? Why did a part of you craved for something more with this charming Gangster?

Stretching in your strappy nightdress, you were on your way to the bedroom when suddenly you heard a knock on the door followed by a ring of the bell. It was quite late, suddenly a nervous feeling creeped in you. Looking through the peep hole, you gasped. For a second you couldn’t breath. “Oh my god” you whispered, opening the door to find Freddie Jackson standing there. You wished you were dressed up enough to welcome him, instead in your nightdress, loose hair with no makeup on. “Sorry about earlier but…” he said, “…that was too fuckin’ short, innit love?” His voice refreshed your mind and body with the power he had over you for those few minutes at the pub. At that point, your need to be fulfilled grew even stronger. With your mere nod, you permitted him to swoop in, his hungry lips on yours, eliciting more moans off you with kisses. Closing the door behind you, his lips remained on yours as he pressed you against the wooden door, pillowy lips smothering you with softness and fueling your cravings. It was nothing sweet, and you didn’t care for sweet. Passion from the start was surprisingly enjoyable, injecting your senses with a whole new level of intoxication. As his curious hands traveled all over your frame, you knew you were falling in love with Freddie.

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~(Two weeks Later, Present)~ Taking off your jacket, you entered the flat, casually pulling your dark green fitted turtleneck sweater up, unhooking and thus breaking the constraints of your brassier from your frame. You tossed the undergarment away, finally feeling comfort the moment the soft sweater came into direct contact with your breasts. Rubbing your temples, you shook yourself off from your heels, moving over to the sink where you had left some unwashed dishes.

You’ve never experienced love, the way you had it with Freddie. It was just two weeks ago that he claimed ownership to your lips and body on the same night, whilst stealing your heart effortlessly. Never in your whole existence did you imagine all this with a gangster from East End. For two whole weeks, you tasted the romance you once read about in novels. He turned you hopelessly romantic, and it showed.  

You’ve never experienced the sense of longing, the sense of craving as you did with Freddie. Every waking moment without him felt meaningless and you’d always be restless until you were able to lay eyes on him. You’d even feel compelled to step out on some days, finding pathetic excuses to go over to his neighborhood, hoping to find him there, whenever he wont have the time to see you. It came to the point where you lost your sense of shame and even come across Jimmy by accident. You’d make friendly conversation, making a smooth escape afterwards, hoping he won’t notice your growing infatuation with his cousin.

You’ve never experienced jealousy as you did with Freddie. Fists of yours would clench in frustration whenever you’d be told what a charmer your boyfriend was, how he was known to have a string of women around. The thought of him with another woman was strong enough to drive you into depths of self doubt and self consciousness. You’d end up staring at yourself in the mirror, wondering whether you were more beautiful than all of those wretched women rumored. Sometimes you’d like to think, regardless of what everyone might dare say, you’d always be at the top in the list, you’d be his absolute favorite. Thoughts such as those eased you and prevented you from insanity, causing a scene out of nowhere at an unrelated occasion whilst pulling your own hair out. This man managed to bring out a different side to you out in the open.

Love can have the most incredible impact on a person, and you fully experienced it a week ago. You remembered how surprisingly calm you were when you found him standing by your door one night, with a shocking number of blood stains all over him. And the only concern you had, was to get rid of those horrid stains. The fact he ended up at yours at a crucial time such as this, moved you.

Love can make you overlook so many things, blinding you to the fact he might have come back after a possible heist or murder, hiding out at your flat. Love can make you disregard all that completely, prioritizing his safety and his well being, and how you’d allow the simple act of cleaning the stains in the bathroom proceed to the both of you defiling your bathtub with passion. The sheer image of bloody soap water splashing whilst your naked bodies writhed against each other still remained fresh in your memory.

Sighing, the tap water kept running as you continued to wash the dishes, until you were startled by the sudden ring of the phone. Picking it up, you placed it in between your ear and shoulder as you kept cleaning the plates with water. “Hello!” “Well ‘ello love” Throwing your head back in sheer happiness, you let out a sigh of relief. “Freddie babe…” you purred, “Ah fuck, you sound so fuckin sexy Y/N…” he chuckled, “What are you doing?” “Doing some dishes…” you replied, finally closing the tap, “But I wish you were doing me instead…” you did not care about the corny lines that came out of your lips. “Fuuckin’ Hell..” “Oh Freddie…” your thighs rubbing against each other, you hand dipped in your tartan checkered pleated skirt, feeling yourself further, “I miss you so bad..” You began to worry when there was silence on the other side of the call for a few seconds, “I really miss you…” you repeated in desperation. “ Who fuckin’ told you, you could do that without me?” A gasp escaped your lips, as you felt Freddie’s hand rest on your waist. Standing behind, he certainly surprised you. You chuckled, leaning your head back to feel his forehead. You certainly didn’t mind that he seemed to have a spare key to your place. In fact, you loved it. His clothed erection pressed against your buttocks, distracted you enough for him to dip one hand inside your skirt, allowing your hand to rest on his as skimmed through to tease your heat, while the other slithered under your sweater, traveling upwards. The soft material of your sweater was comfortable, you admit, but it was nowhere near comparison in stimulation and pleasure, when his palm rested on your right breast, with his finger rolling and pinching the hardened nipple. “ You’ve no fuckin’ idea how much I missed you” He growled, sending shivers which resulted in more heat between your thighs.

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You suppressed your whimpers when you felt Freddie’s teeth sink into your shoulder. Biting you, he proudly left a trail of hickeys on your back whilst he slowly moved inside you. Body pressed against the cooling glass of the window, you gazed out the neighborhood, simultaneously relishing the kisses Freddie managed to place on the back of your neck, licking every inch afterwards. You suddenly felt his thrusts slow down, yet his grip on you grew tighter. Cupping your breasts, his lips moved over to your ear, biting the earlobe whilst pushing in to you. “I know Y/N” he purred, you felt that emphasized thrust afterwards. “What?” “I know..” He repeated, another thrust, “ Jimmy told me…” glueing his torso against your back, “How you’d come around looking for me…” he continued, “…almost…every…day” your mouth parted in ecstasy as he thrusted inside you after every single word, “You want me so fuckin’ bad, do ya?” “Yes!” You confessed, balancing yourself with your hands resting against the window panel. “How much do you want me?” “I want you so…much…” you cried out, “ I wish you were inside of me every moment…you’re driving me crazy Freddie!” There it all was, you were putty in his hands , so it was inevitable. Freddie chuckled with pride. “But…do ya wanna know a secret Y/N?” You nodded in desperation as he leaned in closer.

“ I can’t leave you out of my bloody sight either…” he whispered. Your eyes widened with surprise. You couldn’t believe what you just heard. “Freddie I-” “I fuckin’ can’t stop thinkin’ about you” he groaned, licking your jawline, “Why do you think you always meet Jimmy by accident? Why did you think you were being watched tonight?” Somehow, you felt as you were being fed with nothing but pleasure inducing words. “Fuck…If I can have you wrapped around  me the whole fuckin’ day everyday, I would , love …I really would” He said, his movement regaining speed. “Oh Freddie…” you moaned, as you felt him tug your head back with a firm grip on your hair. “The fact that you want me as much as I want you, makes me so… fuckin’… hard…” he continued, proceeding to declare those words you’ve longed to hear always, preparing to send you far off to the clouds. “Cause you…are…mine!”

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Running over to the phone in tipped toes, you silenced the loud rings the moment you picked it up. “Hello?” “Y/N! Oh thank goodness” Sarah’s relived voice filled your ears, “I was so worried about you…since you left…” “Sarah…I’m fine” you assured her, “Don’t worry about me” She sighed, “I just didn’t like the way our conversation ended tonight” you leaned against the wall as you listened, fingers playing with the silk bathrobe that was wrapped around you, “I know you didn’t like to hear what I had to say tonight, but…at least I hope you’d consider.” She continued, “I hope you can think about it. Think about who’s best for you” “I know…Thank you Sarah…” you replied, lips pressed with guilt as you heard movement in the bathroom, “Goodnight” you said. You hung up the phone slowly. Feeling his hungry eyes washing over, you looked up to find Freddie standing by the bathroom, still naked. “That tub of yours…” he said, “… been too fuckin’ long since we made good use of that eh?” He chuckled, flashing his signature grin. Not a single moment passed by when his existence did not affect your body and soul. As you stood there breathless, you smiled whilst nodding. Walking towards him, you presented a visual treat by undoing the knot, conveniently dropping the bathrobe to the floor, freeing you from all forms of clothing and any form of inhibition.

I’m sorry Sarah, you thought. Cause you knew you just couldn’t let him go.

———————————————————————

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[pynkhues]

Do you have any tips on how to write a story with multiple main characters? I'm currently trying to write a story that features six characters. Two of which are sort of a duo they are co workers/ friends. The rest of the characters don't really know each other yet however eventually they all come together. They are all important to the story. how can I make this not confusing for the readers?

Absolutely, anon! That sounds like a really cool premise – I love stories that sort of weave a bit as they come together, and having characters that seem like standalone threads only to braid them as the story goes on is a favourite narrative structure of mine. It’s also kind of good timing to ask, because my novel (which comes out in two weeks! Eek!) actually has three leads / three point of view characters, so this is definitely a headspace that I’ve been in quite a bit over the last twelve months (plus I’ve been lucky enough to work with a team of editors who really helped me grow and develop on that front!)

When we talk about writing multiple main characters, I think it becomes a conversation about balance. That might seem like an obvious answer, because of course we’re always balancing characters and storylines in a way that weights them appropriately, but I think it really goes beyond that to a balancing of tone, vocabulary, imagery and space.

These are things that ebb and flow between characters, but they’re also things that have the responsibility of grounding readers with the character they’re spending time with, on top of controlling the narrative tension which keeps your story moving, and your readers reading (or watching if what you’re writing is a screenplay or play!)

In that sense, I think the best way to talk about that balance is to talk about four different things, namely:

Who are your characters?

Story worlds (and where they crossover)

Voice

Pace, Tension & Narrative Structure

So, let’s start at the top.

Who are your characters?

Understanding who your characters are and how they fit into the narrative you’re telling is another one that feels probably obvious, but I think it’s an important one to break out because it really feeds into my next two points.

The basics of knowing who your characters are culminates in three questions.

What do they want?

What’s standing in their way, stopping them from getting what they want?

How will they overcome what’s standing in their way so that they can get what they want?

These three questions ultimately inform every aspect of your plot, but they also inform who your character is because there is a why behind each of them.

I’ve talked at length I think on here about the almighty Why? haha, but it really is pivotal to the ways in which we understand story and character. JK Rowling being a TERF and a terrible person aside, Harry Potter is really a great example of this, and I use it all the time when I’m teaching, because people generally know it and these three questions – and how the why? informs the character and the story – is really clear.

What does Harry want? Harry wants a family.

What’s standing in his way? Voldemort wanting to take over the wizarding world, killing his birth parents and threatening the new family he’s building.

How will he overcome it? Harry will be a hero, and overcome with the help of his created family.

In another world, this would be a classic hero’s journey – Harry hears the hero’s call, he fights the villain, he saves the day; but what Rowling does well is that she uses that why? to inform his character and ground us in the story. Harry never wants to save the wizarding world – he wants to save this scrap of family that he’s found in Hermione, Ron and the Weasley’s, and Hogwarts. The story follows traditional structure, but it roots itself not in a hero’s desire, but in a human one.

Harry’s just a boy who wants a family, and all his decisions are informed by that, but more importantly, Rowling makes narrative and structural decisions that feed that motivation.

The Dursley’s treat him badly; the mistreatment, neglect and abuse of that upbringing is juxtaposed against the embarrassment of riches he experiences not just at Hogwarts, but in the Wizarding World broadly; his father’s own created family is tangled; he connects to animals and fantastic creatures who are out of place because Harry himself has lived a life out of place, etc etc.

Even though it’s Harry who’s the protagonist and the only POV character in the books, you can still answer those three questions of all the supporting characters too, and that’s what you should be thinking about with your own story. Being able to answer those questions gives all your characters agency, it builds conflict (which I’ll come back to), and it helps you to build a distinctive world and voice for each of them.

Story worlds (and where they crossover)

We tend to think about story worlds pretty broadly, which I think is a detriment to storytelling. We each have our own distinct worlds and spaces that are ours and spaces that we’re not comfortable in and spaces that we’re only in with other people, or because we have to be, or because someone we love loves it.

Knowing what spaces are which for your characters is something I think really enriches stories overall and is going to help you to create associative spaces as you distinguish your major and minor characters from one another. It can also help you to create authentic conflict.

Just to jump back onto Harry Potter because it’s an easy example most people know – take Ron and Harry.

They’re mostly equals at Hogwarts, but not really anywhere else. Places like Diagon Alley make Ron feel uncomfortable because his family is poor and he lives on his brothers’ hand-me-downs, whereas for Harry, Diagon Alley, especially in the first few books, is a place of comfort because it signals a connection to his family, financial ease and a return to the world he considers home after spending time in a place he’s abused and neglected. Similarly, Ron loves his house – The Burrow – but is also embarrassed by it, whereas Harry loves it and yearns for it. It’s what he wished he had to come back to. Both these things create conflict for Ron and Harry at different stages of the book, and also fuel Harry's marrying into the family.

The Burrow is also written in a way that is distinctly characteristic of The Weasley’s. It’s loud and chaotic and cobbled together with what the family can afford, but it’s also full of charm and love in a way that makes it hard to confuse for any other location in the books. It is character informing space informing character in a beautiful little cycle.

Thinking about how space informs not only the primary character who engages with it, but what it can tell us about other characters who might not ever even go there is a great way of really distinguishing between them. Again, thinking of Harry Potter – compare the Weasley House to the Dursley House to Malfoy Manor to Grimmauld Place.

These are distinct settings that inform character and story and tone.

If it’s a shared space though too, think about the different ways characters interact with it.

In my novel, all the POV characters live in the same house, but where two of them are comfortable in it and roam it freely, one character is frequently featured in the overgrown garden or locked in her bedroom. She cuts herself or she exists on the outside of it, because she doesn’t feel connected to her family, and her brief moments of connection with her mother always happen in the backyard, because they can only really be together when her mother makes the effort to meet her where she’s at, not the other way around.

Voice

If we think about story worlds too broadly, we do the opposite, I think, with voice. There’s this tendency to think of voice as dialogue, or as internal monologue, when it is so much more than that. Voice is everything from vocabulary to gestures to what you notice and feel.

There’s a great horror movie called Hush which I always highly recommend, because it’s a two-hander with two characters, and the protagonist is deaf and the antagonist is not, and one of the great things this movie does is remove sound when we’re in the protagonist’s POV. That is a distinctive choice in terms of crafting her POV or ‘voice’ which settles us in her head and amplifies her conflict with the antagonist because she can't hear him.

It goes beyond that too though – what your characters pick up on, what’s important to them in setting, conflict, romantic scenes – is informed by their character and who they are, and becomes a distinctive part of their voice, and yours while you’re writing them.

A character who’s come from a poor background is going to notice the smells of expensive, gourmet food, and the way someone speaks or throws out references to holidays like they’re something everyone can take, versus a character from a wealthy background who’s probably not going to notice the smell of the food as much because they’re accustomed to it, but will notice – say – a place not having a maid or the size of someone’s living room or the fact that a bedframe is old or second hand.

We’re products of our experiences and those experiences inform not just the way we speak, but what we absorb or feel in a moment. Thinking about that in the context of your characters is going to help you to create really distinct voices for them that in turn help your readers pick up quickly on who they’re with and where they are. It’s also going to help create really distinct arcs for all six of your main characters, even the two that work together.

Generally speaking, I’d say things to consider are:

Age

Gender

Race

Class (particularly if it’s changed like Harry’s did)

Family and upbringing

Relationships (particularly friendship circles)

Travel they’ve done

Work

Where they live right now

What they eat

What they do for fun / what they enjoy

What they do because they have to / what they don’t enjoy

Pace, Tension & Narrative Structure

One of the pivotal things with storytelling is that the shape of it should feel consequential. To boil it down to its most basic meaning – something happens and so this happens, not and then this happens – the former is what creates flow and builds tension, whereas the latter jars and confuses. When you have multiple POV characters in temporarily silo’ed storylines, this can be trickier. You’re dealing with scenes that are often not immediately talking to each other, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but you need to find the balance in that.

If you have six completely unrelated storylines you need to find ways to connect them in ways that are going to prick the reader’s notice and create clean transitions. A character might drive to the beach while in the next scene a character swims in a lake for instance. We know that they’re separate and in different places, but the water connects them in a way that creates narrative flow.

It doesn’t even need to be that direct – two characters might be in the same place but at completely different times, a character might wear something blue and another might be repulsed by something blue, or it can be thematic juxtaposition. In my novel for instance, a character spends time connecting with a friend, before we have a scene with his sister who is completely alone.

These sorts of transitions create thematic clarity even if the narrative connection is still building. They also create tension which compels readers because they’re waiting for worlds to collide and feeling the impact of knowing these characters are close and the story is threading, even when it’s not quite yet.

Thinking about how transitions build tension feels like a whole other post, haha, but thinking about it in the context of balancing characters, building tone, and creating contrast is really important for managing big casts of characters.

Just before I finish up: a final note on headhopping

Be! Very! Wary! Of! Headhopping!

It’s one of the cardinal sins of writing really, and it’s when writers bounce between POVs in the one scene. You can have an omniscient voice, you can bounce around scene-to-scene, you can even have a handover mid-scene (although these are extremely hard to do), but you can’t do it flippantly or you will confuse your message and your readers.

If you are coming from a character’s POV, you need to stick with it and only hand it off in a responsible way. In my novel, I have my three POV characters, but I only headhop at scene transitions for instance. A lot of movies headhop through lingering shots on particular characters which then let them transition with them. If you’re an omniscient narrator, you need to do something similar. There’s a reason it’s called headhopping, and the reason is it makes the author look like they’re jumping between characters on one leg.

Don’t do it! Invest in a character for a scene or a chapter before switching POVs.

In conclusion

The best way to balance multiple protagonists is to understand them, and understand how their history informs them, and shapes their experiences of not just the world around them, but their experiences of others, of their conflicts, of their growth and their setbacks, and how that in turn builds your story.

I hope this is a help!