#Dozy the alarm clock

[chewysgummies]

Attempt hum! Dozy the dancing alarm clock. God he's one of my lil sweethearts💕✨

[blazingphantom]

Wendell & Wild sick fic tw: vomit

Wendell groaned. He had never felt this bad in a long, long time. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he was hung over. But the lanky demon had no recollection of going out to drink last night? So, it couldn't be that- and firstly. He didn't drink alcohol ever. Currently draped over the side of the bed, a thin layer of sweat caked his pale purple kin. The duvet sheets pushed down to his hips. His stomach churned and ground against itself, he just felt bad. His belly wasn't necessarily bloated, but it did feel tauter than it usually was. The clock read 2:00 am. Great. Staring at the wooden floor through half-closed eyes. He felt so exhausted, head feeling like a sack of flour. Wendell just wanted to sleep but he knew it wouldn't come easily now. A dull throbbing pain made itself known in his middle. It wasn't an agonizing pain. It was just a very noticeable discomfort, and it was uncomfortable enough to make Wendell curl in on himself and heave a long sigh and a small groan. "Why now." Whimpering too himself, he hated this. Wendell tossed in his bed and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.

He began to think through all the possibilities on why this was happening. But nothing seemed to click which caused him to weakly growl with annoyance. Until a memory from earlier piqued his interest. Making his body run cold with realization. Wild had cooked him up a meal earlier tonight. And only then did it occur to Wendell- that idiot had put random stuff in it. I'm going to KILL him!

Wendell didn't know what too feel now. He was unwell, but he also wanted to throttle Wild so bad. "I swear- I'ma tear him apart-" He wheezed out quietly, nails forming into claws, the tips digging into the feathery pillow. The lanky demon was so torn. This was Wild- he was talking about! He was doing something nice for his older brother. Maybe he was overreacting, but due to it he was now sick. In bed, feeling like he was dying. Wendell kept mumbling to himself, curling in on himself again. As another pain tore through his middle. But this time it was sharper and more painful. That wasn't good. Not at all. He closed his eyes, head resting on the pillow. Willing sleep to come and take him into dreamland. Just anything to get away from this unwell feeling. The dozy fog of sleep hung over his head like a cloud- but it wasn't coming as quickly as he wanted. "Wen.. dell?" A voice called out. Wendell scrunched up his nose at that. It sounded faint and distant. "Wend..ell?" Came the voice again. Wendell grimaced too himself and sluggishly lifted up his head to be met with the large, concerned eyes of Raul. Why on earth was he here? "What is it, Raul?" The demon murmured tiredly, his gaze going out of focus for a second. Which alarmed him greatly God, this sucked. The more the young teen stood there the more Wendell came to realize- he had just woken up. Currently wearing plain grey pajamas, his black hair scruffy. He too had the haze of sleep prominent in his eyes, but it was replaced mostly with worry.

"I just came to see if you were okay, you were uh.." Raul's sentence drifted off for a moment, mulling over his words. "I kinda.. heard you from my room." What? Panic settled in as Raul said those words. How- how loud was he being? No no, he didn't want this attention! He had to get him out of here. But at the same time, would it be so bad? "I'm.." He swallowed thickly, "I'm alright, Raul. Please go." Wendell uttered out, avoiding his gaze. "You don't sound alright." Raul pointed out softly, "and you don't look it either." Wendell cursed in his mind. He probably looked ghastly or something. He knew for a fact his skin was probably paler, and his eyes felt like they were shutting every second. His tail lightly whipped against the mattress whether out of irritation Raul had no clue. "I am okay." Just say the truth! Wendell's inner voice yelled at him firmly, but he shrugged it away. He could handle this and take care of himself. Being the eldest, he could do this- deal with this alone. "Wendell..." Raul spoke up again, this time a rare note of annoyance slipped in. The poor kiddo was very concerned for the demon, folding his arms over his chest. "You're really not, alright. I can tell." Yeah, that was the truth. Wendell made a sound and winced too himself. An awful burning sensation had started to build in his throat. But Wendell shook it off. "Raul, please I'm just tired go back to bed." Wendell said unconvincingly and Raul made no effort to leave. Keeping himself firmly planted giving the unwell demon a knowing glare. Just leave! This couldn't get even more worse, could it? Well, unfortunately it was about too. "Wendell... I- I just want to help." Raul said gaze lowering briefly, fiddling with the hem of his pajama sleeve. Wendell felt his heart twist a little bit, maybe he was being overly mean. And what was the harm of him staying? "And I'm telling you- I'm fi-" Just then- it was as if Wendell had jinxed the universe somehow. Nausea hit him like a heavy brick and the feeling of something gross surged up his throat, puke was promptly expelled harshly from his parted mouth in a short stream. And with a gross splat- a puddle of vomit was visible on the carpet. Wendell hacked and coughed violently- and Raul instinctively leapt back eyes going wide. "Wendell!-" Raul exclaimed quietly, "uh-uh stay here- I'll get a cup of water and a towel." He stammers too Wendell quickly leaving the spare room heading out into the landing and disappearing into the gloom; Wendell who's still coughing violently, dribble congealing at the corners of his mouth. Wendell slumped against his bed, feeling even worse than before. Okay, I'm NOT doing alright. "I'm back-" Raul announced gingerly and walked over to the bed, a fresh glass of water in his hands. Setting it on the nightstand, carefully avoiding the inconvenient puke splatter. Wendell wheezed out something inaudible, tremors seizing his body. He probably looked 10 times more awful now, looks like the world hated him tonight. Oh goodie. Weakly reaching for the cup- bringing the glass to his lips and taking little sips. The cold liquid is refreshing, and it soothes the burning in his throat. Raul carefully cleans up the vomit with the towel. (cue cleaning the carpet montage)

Once he's finally finished, he walks back up to Wendell's back and looks at him sympathetically. "It's okay Wendell- it uh... all happens to us once or twice."

Wendell bows his head slightly purposely avoiding the teenager's gaze. Feeling disgusted with himself, he was surely going to be kicked out. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean too-" "Wendell." Raul says rather firmly, "I said it's okay. You're fine, as long as you don't feel nauseous anymore that's all that matters." He reassures the demon with a gentle smile. Wendell is quiet for a moment before nodding, showing he acknowledges the boy's words. He scoots up the bed- which allows Raul to sit on the edge. "Belly hurts?"

"Obviously-" Wendell starts, catching Raul's eyes. "Y.. yeah." He gulps nervously. Raul instantly notices that- the way his arms are wrapped over his middle. "Wild's food just gave me a bad reaction, hah." He laughs too himself sheepishly, it was the truth. Raul smiles again, "I guessed so. I'm definitely teaching him my Mami's recipe. His heart was in the right place, though." He reassures Wendell, reaching over and reluctantly patting his arm. Despite their initial events- with the whole shebang of Wendell and Wild forcing him to revive the dead council members. Which was very laborious, and sort of holding him captive. Raul feels closer to the two demons now. Feeling as if they're like, family. This makes Wendell smile, it's faint and evidently frail. "I think he put forbidden stuff in it too." "Hair cream?" "Nope."

Raul's eyes widened. "No way- he put my pencils in that stew?" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up. There was no way! That little doofus! But it made so much sense- no wonder he couldn't find his pencils. "Jeez Wendell, no wonder why you're so sick now." Raul truthfully felt a bit woozy and taken aback. He half-expected him to be severely ill- but glad he actually wasn't. Wendell heaves a small chuckle, laying on his side, wings drooped. "The flavor was nice honestly, but yeah. I'm never eating Wild's food again, take away his cooking privileges." He half jokes, but seriously. Wendell never wants Wild to cook again. "I will, cross my heart." Raul vows with determination smiling softly. A sudden yawn parts his jaws. Wendell lays on his front, sighing. Maybe having someone take care of him- or talk to him when he was unwell- wasn't so bad. He still felt awful, the only ''good'' thing is he wasn't nauseous now. But he prayed he didn't jinx it again. "Need painkillers?" Raul asked him and looked over at the curtains. He honestly hoped Wendell felt better in the morning, or at least- soon.

"No." Wendell responded faintly; his voice so hoarse it was barely audible. But Raul caught it, and he nodded with acknowledgement. "Just a dull pain, or whatever you call it." He was trying with all his willpower for his replies to not sound brusque. It was hard, since he just felt so bleugh. "Right, got it." He smiles, "But I- uh got this anyway." Raul explains head tilting to the side, reaching behind himself and bringing out a hot water bottle. "You don't have to use it- but I was thinking... if your tummy gets worse, you can put this on it." Wendell stares at the water bottle with puzzled eyes and reluctantly takes it from Raul, examining it. It felt squishy- and so, so warm. It was nice. "Thanks Raul." A genuine smile appeared on his face.

Raul's smile grows wide, and he nods his head, feeling appreciated. "No worries, Wendell. Try and sleep, yeah?" He tells him mildly, "and if you can't- I can sleep in here... or or- you can come into me and Kat's room."

Wendell digests his words thoroughly. "Got it, night Raul." The boy smiles and heads toward the door, "night." Raul says and vanishes into the gloom of the landing, closing the door. The room now filled with silence once more. Wendell's pointed ear perks up, catching the faintest of movements. "Wild, get yourself out here right now!" He whisper-yells angrily. Shuffling resounds from under the bed- and yep. A half-asleep Wild rolls out and looks over at Wendell with the most nervous smile.

"Hey Wendell." Wild toothily grins, snaggle tooth on display. Wendell blinks and frowns. "How long were you- nevermind. I don't want to know." He dismisses his question hurriedly, arms tightening around his middle. "I'm here to take care of you." Wild whispers back in a sing-song voice, clambering onto the bed. "Give you company." "Wild," Wendell starts calmly, "after you put PENCILS- in food. Which I ate- mind you. I do not want you taking care of me."

Wild cocks his head to one side, confused for a moment. "Oh, there were pencils?" Wendell stares at him with the nastiest glare. Before groaning, whether it's from the cramps or anger- Wild has no clue. "I'm sorry, WenWen. I didn't know." He whimpers sorrowfully, bowing his head like a sad dog.

Wendell knew he wasn't going to get rid of his brother. Sure, Raul was stubborn. But Wild? Was the most stubborn thing, he'd ever seen. So, there was going to be no winning or succeeding. A long-suffering sigh comes from Wendell, and he gradually relents. "Fine, you can stay bu-but you will not cook anything again, you hear me?"

"Understandable." Wild says with a smile. And Wendell wonders if he's taking this seriously but knowing his brother for years. He knows, he is. "Wild-" he says, catching a glance of Wild's hand reaching for him. "Wild! " Wendell slaps away his hand and scowls at him, "don't touch me." "Why not?" Wild throws his head back dramatically. "Firstly, I have a hot water-bottle, I don't want belly rubs. Secondly, I'm holding a grudge against you. Remember? You did this." He motions to himself, annoyance radiating off of him like an inferno. "I know." Wild says nonchalantly, but from the way he's avoiding eye contact with Wendell. Are all the evidence the older brother needs to know- he's sorry.

Wendell makes an apologetic face. And gently slings a thin arm around Wild's shoulders, hugging him for a moment. Before pulling away to look at him. Wild reacts to the hug, tail lightly wagging and he lifts his gaze back up and looks considerably happier now. "Sleep now?"

"Yeah." Wendell agrees and leans back onto the mattress, experimentally holding the water-bottle to his middle. Raul was right, it did feel nice. The dull throbbing pain in his tummy was still present, but the warmth sort of eased it. "By the way you should sleep first, you snore you know." "I do not!" Wendell wheezes. Wild snickers and nods his head, rolling himself up in his spare blanket. He racks his brains for a snappy retort, but he can't. Sighing softly, he just leaves it at that. Closing his eyes. Did he really snore? Oh well. "Night WenWen." Wild hums his back turned to him, snuggled up in his own blanket. "Night Wild." Wendell replies quietly. Despite their little squabbles, the two always find solace in each other. Kinda ironic, isn't it?

[onepartbrave]

INSOMNIA :  for one muse to find the other still awake at 3am.

a comprehensive list of scenarios

Staying awake to the early hours of daylight was nothing uncommon for Squall. Taking on the responsibilities that came alongside the role of ‘Commander’ was demanding at best and downright hellish at worst, eating away at any free time he accumulated and stole precious time he needed to sleep and recuperate. Although, being in a military role regardless promised such, unruly working hours and endless compromises on his behalf… so when he woke up in the middle of the night after getting an early night was highly disorienting.  

Groaning softly as he half-peeled open an eye painstakingly slow to glimpse at the horrendously bright light of the alarm clock on his nightstand, his sleep-addled mind eventually comprehended the time. 02:56AM.  

…Really. When I can actually sleep ‘til morning, I wake up. Ugh.  

A sluggishly paced hand popped out from under the duvet half-covering him (no wonder his left foot felt cold) and rubbed lightly at the previously open eye. Grumbling inwardly, he sleepily turned on his side in the direction his slumbering partner was and fully intended on worming his way over to Maru to snuggle in tired protest of being awake—to pause at finding the other side of the bed empty.  

Thoroughly puzzled in his exhausted state, he propped himself up on an elbow with some effort. Both eyes forcibly opened by now, half-lidded and exceptionally heavy, he searched the immediate area for any sign of the Miqo’te. Devoid of life barring him, Squall debated between collapsing back onto the tempting bedding and passing out until the shrill beeping of his alarm or pulling himself from comfort to seek out the one he missed. A second or two of silence passed in mind and it was easily made up. Therefore, with great effort that matched the desire to locate his misplaced person, he rolled out the tangle of sheets and up off the side.  

As soon as both feet met the floor, he pushed up with weakened arms, having not yet woken from the deeper sleep he’d been in. Nonetheless, he was standing upright readily, albeit unbalanced, and wandered off in search of Maru. With the bedroom vacated and no noises emanating from the ensuite, he beelined for the adjoining lounge just outside the bedroom without his usual composure. Blinking more frequently to stave off the teasing lull of slumber that his mind wished to fall back into, he pushed the obstacle of the door out the way and plodded on. Determined more than he was tired, a small victory fanfare echoed in his conscience at spotting the desired individual situated comfortably on the couch, seemingly watching whatever program was on after midnight. 

Traipsing over without uttering a word, Squall did part ways with a faint, exceptionally dozy smile for Maru when the feline’s eyes shot his way. Decorum splintered by sleepiness, he wasted no time in promptly collapsing on the free space of the couch when close enough, shimmying his way up to try and nudge Maru into cuddling with him instead of hugging up to the couch arm. He misjudged though, arm missing its mark of his partner’s shoulder and instead slipped out from beneath Squall. The result was him toppling sideways and faceplanting onto Maru’s thigh gracelessly. Nose squashed and throbbing slightly, he wiggled with a great effort of turning his head, and body subsequently, to face Maru.  

Graceful in nature as always when it came to his peculiarities, Squall’s tired irritation settled at feeling Maru altering his posture to accommodate the sudden addition of him. Feeling digits brushing through his hair helped settle what little vexation was left and he was cozy enough to remain there, head resting on Maru’s lap and close enough to nuzzle against his stomach. Blindly, the arm he wasn’t laying on top of worked its way slightly around the Miqo’te in an improvised embrace and, after that tribulation, he finally relaxed. 

[strange-and-stupid]

✨Plushies reveal✨

🦭Ort Ort The Wrinkly🦭

🌀Rolly Polly the Chonky🌀

💤Dozy the Sleepy💤

🦈Blahaj(not an actual Blahaj) the Stinky(I don’t know why he smell like that)🦈

Extras:

A Lego Joker alarm clock I’ve never use. He just sit there, menacingly

A fish thing I keep in my drawer

Kiki!!

That conclude the plushies reveal, please go away now

[tinyyoungblood]

small hours | peter parker

summary: due to your nightly fire escape dates, new york’s friendly neighborhood spider-man has grown to be more to you than just a stranger but now you find out that he was never a stranger to begin with

pairing: peter parker x reader

word count: 979

warnings: just fluff

a/n: this is more of a blurb really but i’ve just been told that today’s spider-man day!! so this is in special honor of our sticky boy double p. enjoy x

small hours

noun [plural]; the first few hours after midnight and before dawn and sunrise

You sighed, head falling back to stare at the rusty metal above you. A gentle breeze carried the echoes of the city pass you and your shoulders slumped, muscles relaxing and head clearing. Sitting on the fire escape had that effect on you. It was nice to observe your surroundings from afar without actually seeing anything. Your window faced a tree, and beyond that, a bare brick wall—not really a sight to behold. But in a way, you liked depending on your other senses to paint the picture of your happenings outside this alley.

Glancing into your room that was lit up in purple lights, the clock on your wall read 3 a.m. and just on time, the person you’ve been waiting for landed on the metal railing with a soft thud. You didn’t need to look up to know it was him—nobody moved like him.

“You don’t ever sleep, do you?” The boyish voice scolded with the edge of amusement. Lifting your shoulder in a half shrug, you took in the sight of him sitting on the railing, legs swinging freely.

“Do you?”

His head cocked to the side and even with the mask covering his face you could tell he was giving you a deadpanned look. “Gotta save the city, you know. For the people.” You eyed the half-eaten churro in his hand and clicked your tongue with raised brows. “Right.” Following your gaze, he sheepishly offered you a bite which you gladly took.

And just like that, the two of you indulged in comforting conversation that slowed down the echoes of New York.

It was nights like these that made you fall in love with this city. You had never lived anywhere else, so you always liked to imagine how, in a parallel universe, your daily insomnia could have you possibly chased out of small towns for wandering around at witching hours. You clearly didn’t know how towns functioned outside of New York, but you liked to joke about it with this masked hero that somehow always knew when you were awake. At first, it was downright creepy but now, after endless nights of jokes and conversations on the deeper side, you didn’t mind and were just glad for the close company.

As usual, the two of you stayed out and talked until the first sun rays would peak through the leaves. You were gone now, finally dozed off into dreamland. It would only last for two more hours though until school would start. Routinely stepping through the window, the masked boy carried you cautiously into your room and pulled the blanket up to your shoulders once you laid in bed. And with that, your good friend was gone too.

Groaning as the alarm yanked you out of the blink of sleep, you croakily made yourself look decent to prepare for a never-ending school day. Once standing outside the elevator, you squeezed your eyes shut only to open them wide again. You were definitely feeling the aftermath of your previous night now. With every increasing red digit, indicating that the elevator was almost on your floor, your eyelids grew heavier and fell shut as the book in your hand slipped from your fingers. But instead of the expected loud thump that would probably anger grumpy Georgia, whose apartment you were standing in front of, you heard the shut of a door instead. Forcing your eyes to open, you met the worried gaze of your neighbor and classmate Peter Parker as his eyes locked with yours, arm still stretched out from heroically catching your book.

Adjusting the strap of his backpack, he handed it to you and you took it with a dozy smile of gratitude. His eyes gleamed with amusement when you only responded with a low groan to his cheerful ‘good morning’.

“You don’t ever sleep, do you?” he chuckled lightly as the doors to the elevator opened. He stepped in and held his arm out to keep it from closing, patiently waiting for you to follow but your feet were stuck on the spot. The air was knocked out of your lungs and Peter lifted his brow to question your sudden wide eyes. “You coming?”

You snapped out of it and faintly shook your head, partly in denial of the familiar ring to his innocent words. Once you stood next to him, he pushed the button to get to the lobby. Instead of the usual chatter, a thick layer of silence was weighing on Peter and he almost squirmed. Eyeing you suspiciously, you were still staring at the closed doors. Everything about your facial expression and body language pointed towards the assumption that you must’ve seen a ghost of some sort. Your rapid heartbeat was driving him insane, so he reached out and laid a gentle hand on your arm, making you tense up. “Are you sure you’re okay?” You gulped and nodded, not convincing him but he let his arm drop anyway while murmuring, “Alright, if you say so…” After all, you weren’t that close—at least, not with this version of Peter.

With another ‘ding’ the doors opened again and he stepped out before looking back at you, a hint of worry still present in his eyes but he smiled nonetheless. “See you in class?” He asked as usual and you forced yourself to smile back. “Yea—sure, of course.” You stumbled over your words and Peter decided to interpret your soft tone of shock as tiredness. With a small wave, he disappeared around the corner and you let out a shaky breath. It was all crystal clear to you now and you couldn’t help but laugh lightly at the obvious signs all along. You shook your head again with a faint smile on your lips and mumbled under your breath, “Sure, Spider-Man, see you in class…”

* * *

just wanted to use this opportunity to thank you guys for all the nice feedback on ‘olives and popcorn’. it’s still surreal to me that people have actually read and enjoyed it 🤧💞 if you liked this bad boy too, feel free to leave some feedback or talk to me on my ask or messages! i want to meet the cool people who read my stuff!! i also have a really fun one shot planned for monday so stick~ around if you’re feeling fancy. if you don’t, that’s okay too. have a great day, buh-bye! x

masterlist

tagged: @honeypie-holland​

[ficklefics]

Obsessed - Part 3: Hopeless

It's been... you don't know how long. But you can't stand it any longer.

SERIES MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST

PART 2

Warnings: Kidnapping, Violence, Blood, Torture (implied)

(a/n: been a while, huh. getting back into it though, keep watching for more)

Time doesn’t exist underground. There is no light, no day, no night. The ticking of the clocks is always too slow, too fast, or too quiet to even hear. A month could pass in a moment, an hour in a week. It doesn’t make sense. But then, it does. You don’t need to know what time it is, what day, what week, what month. What year. It doesn’t affect your life.

No.

Not your life. Your life isn’t your life. It’s Jeremiah’s life. You do not belong to yourself. You are Jeremiah’s.

The harsh trill of the alarm clock jolts you out of uneasy dreams. You burrow into the pillow, desperate for a few moments of sleep, of not needing to think. You feel Jeremiah sit up and brush the air from your face. A small, dozy smile appears at the affection. Inside, you’re sick.

“You need to get up, darling.” You groan in resistance. But Jeremiah won’t take no for an answer. “(Y/N),” It’s almost a growl, but there’s enough sweetness that the threat is hidden. Mostly. “I know.” You push yourself into a sitting position and run your hands through greasy hair. “You need to shower.” Jeremiah stands and, walking around to your side of the bed, offers you his hand. You take it immediately and let him pull you up. “Yes, Jeremiah.” You make sure to say the words with a smile. You can’t let your guard fall. He leads you into the bathroom and turns the shower on. He won’t let you shower alone. Apparently it’s a loving gesture, but you know that he still doesn’t fully trust you. That he thinks you’ll try to escape by killing yourself. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed your mind.

You strip out of your clothes, facing away from him, the closest to privacy you can get, but when you turn back around he stands there, unchanged.

“Aren’t you…?” The unfinished question hangs in the air. “Sadly no. I have important work to get to, and I’m sure you’ll be fine on your own. You will, won’t you?”

Is this another test? Is there a correct answer? You blink.

“Of course I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.” He steps closer, pressing an icy kiss to your cheek. “I always worry about you.” I’m sure you do. At this point, you’ve learned how to hide your revulsion, how to cover it with a smile and a head tilt, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t burn you from the inside.

He leaves and you step under the hot water. You let it burn his touch from you. It’s not enough. It’s never been enough. You can only shower so much.

But this is it. This is the day. Because in the weeks or months you’ve been here, trapped, manipulated, subservient, you’ve convinced Jeremiah that you’re not a threat. That he has you in his grip and you won’t try to escape anymore. Exactly what you want him to think.

It’s not true. None of it. Well, maybe you’ve been trapped. But it’s all going to end. You’re alone; you have nothing but your wits, your mind, yourself; and you’re going to fight tooth and nail to escape or die trying.

Once you’re finished and have a towel wrapped around your body, you go to the first aid cabinet. It’s unlocked. You scan the shelves and your eyes fix onto the bottle that you were looking for. Sleeping pills. Extra strong. Jeremiah gave you these when you had nightmares, which wasn’t uncommon. So you know how fast they would work. And if you could somehow get Jeremiah to swallow just one, you would have the best chance you could hope for. Then all you needed to worry about was the guards, and the security, and the massive fucking maze you were living in.

Nothing too much.

You tipped a couple into your hand and held them close until you were sure Jeremiah wasn’t waiting outside. When you’re dressed you slip them into the pocket of your cardigan and crumple a tissue to hide them from anyone who might be able to see inside. They’re all you’ve got. Your only hope.

You pace the bedroom for maybe an hour or so before there’s a knock on the door. You answer it immediately, nerves filling you with energy. It’s one of the guards. Dressed all in black, gun on his hip. Pure intimidation. “Miss (Y/L/N). Mr Valeska would like to have lunch with you. Please come with me.” He’s almost robotic. “Of course. Let me just put some shoes on.” You put on your sneakers and take a breath before following him out of the room. He leads you through the corridors to the far-too-familiar dining room, where two bowls of soup sit. Fucking soup. You can’t believe your luck. Even better, Jeremiah isn’t here yet. “Thank you.” Dismissing the guard, you sit in your spot and try to keep the look of glee hidden. After you make sure you’re alone, you pull out the pills and crush them with the base of your water glass until they’ve become a fine powder, which you scrape into his bowl and stir into the soup. Then, you wait.

It’s not long before Jeremiah appears with a stiff smile. “(Y/N).” You greet him with what you hope is a perfect warm smile. You should have practised it enough by now. “How are you?” “It’s been a busy morning.” Despite the tiredness in his voice, he sits down gracefully and precisely. “But I feel better for seeing you.” You look away, pretending to be embarrassed by the comment. He begins to eat, slowly and steadily, and you watch him carefully, forgetting your own meal in the process. “Aren’t you going to eat?” You start, and nod, quickly picking up your spoon. Don’t let the charade fall too quickly. Silence, as usual, nothing but the sound of cutlery and dishes. Your heartbeat rings in your ears. Please let it work. Please.

As you pray silently to a god you don’t believe in anymore, Jeremiah’s spoon falls with a clatter. “(Y/N)…” He hisses. Every muscle in your body tenses. “What have you done?” “I don’t know what you -” His hand lashes out and takes hold of your throat in a steel grip that forces all of the air out of you. “Don’t. Lie. To me.” He pulls you closer, so close you can feel his breath on your face. You push at him with one hand, while the other reaches to the table, searching for the knife. “Fuck you.” You swing the blade towards him, but he jumps back before you can drive it into his face, only managing to catch his cheek. His blood is dark, oozing. You don’t know why the pills didn’t work, or how he knew they were there, but it doesn’t matter now.

Now, you need to fight.

You leap at him, aiming for his chest, but he’s strong; far stronger than you could have imagined. He grabs you and holds you in place easily as you struggle. Then you’re flying through the air and landing on the table with a thud before it breaks under you, making you crash to the ground. The back of your head cracks against something and immediately black spots appear in your vision. You can just barely see Jeremiah standing over you as the room swims.

“What a shame,” He sighs, wiping the blood from his cheek with a pristine white handkerchief. “There’s always Plan B.”

And the room goes dark.

*

Restraints.

Tight against your limbs.

You can’t move.

Can’t speak for something in your mouth.

Can’t think for the pain in your head.

 Bright lights. And shadows. You can’t tell what’s casting them. The aching grows stronger, spreading down through your body. There’s nothing but pain.

“Don’t pretend you’re not awake.” The sound hurts. You long for the comforting silence. “(Y/N).” You whimper as you start to feel more clearly. Scratches in your back, bruises everywhere. Dried blood coating the back of you’re hair. You can’t see him, but you know it was Jeremiah who spoke.

You know you don’t have long to live. But maybe that’s alright.

“I’m disappointed in you, (Y/N).” He’s circling you. Like a shark. Or a cat with a half-dead mouse. “I had hoped you would learn to love me, that you would learn your place, but now I see I expected far too much of you.” You try to speak, try to plead with him, but the gag in your mouth is tight and unyielding.   “Shhhhh.” It might have been a comforting sound in another reality. “I’m going to fix you.” You feel his hands brush back your hair, brushing tears from your eyes. “You will love me, (Y/N). I won’t take no for an answer. It will just take a little convincing.”

You scream silently as a blade cuts into your skin, and all hope is lost.

[candied-peach]

ao3: “lovesick” rating: T warnings: sickfic, sympathetic deceit, sympathetic remus, platonic dlamp genre: fluff description: Patton has a problem (written for @k9cat, prompt: “A sick fic type idea, patton isnt feeling well and everyone else helps take care of him.”)

In retrospect, Patton should have expected that he wouldn't be able to hide it for very long. After all, the others pay attention to any deviations from the norm, no matter how small, and not making it to breakfast is a pretty big deviation.

On the other hand, he's not exactly thinking clearly. Thomas is in love, burgeoning with the first blush of a crush, and Patton-

Well, Patton's taken "lovesick" a bit too seriously, if the ache in his bones and the headache taking up residence behind his eyes is anything to go by. One of the hazards of being the center of so many of Thomas's emotions. He burrows deeper under his blanket, frowning at the time on his alarm clock. Surely it's not that late. It can't be. He would know if he'd slept straight (ha) through breakfast, wouldn't he?

His stomach gurgles as if on cue, but he's never felt less like eating in his life. The room spins when he lifts his head, so he lets it drop back against the pillow, another yawn escaping. Nausea roils and he clamps his lips shut. Maybe five more minutes...

He wakes up to a cool compress on his forehead and the dozy knowledge that he's no longer in his room. Although he's not wearing his glasses, he would recognize the soft fabric of the couch beneath him anywhere. He stirs and hears someone nearly fall off the chair.

"Patton!" Virgil says, his voice heavy with relief. "Guys! Come here! Patton's awake!"

"Patton, when were you going to tell us that you were ill?" Logan asks. Virgil hands Patton his glasses and he hooks them on, looking around to expressions of concern from everyone, even Deceit and Remus (although Remus has managed to walk in on his hands, so Patton has to look down to see anything but the man's feet).

"I didn't want to worry everyone," Patton mumbles. "And I just- I just wanted an extra five minutes."

"Padre, it's nearly dinner time," Roman says gently. Patton's eyes widen. But that means-

"I slept all day?" He asks in surprise. The others nod.

"I found you," Deceit says, fiddling with his gloves. "You were- unresponsive."

"So I panicked," Virgil takes up the thread of explanation. "But Logan said you were probably okay, just exhausted, so we brought you out here."

"Do you know what's wrong?" Logan asks. "You have a low grade fever, and-" Patton sneezes, as if on cue.

"It's nothing serious," he assures them. "It's just, well-" His cheeks redden, and it's not from his temperature. "Thomas is lovesick. And that translates a little more literally for me."

"Oh!" Remus says. "You're actually lovesick! Hey, did you know-"

"I don't think now is the time, Remus," Deceit says gently. "Tell me later?" Remus shrugs, although Patton has no idea how, since he's still upside down.

"Aye aye, Dee Dee!" Remus cries.

"It is a relief to know what is going on," Logan says. Virgil kneels by the couch, anxious eyes scanning Patton's face. Whatever he finds there seems to reassure him because he relaxes, slumping against the sofa and draping one arm across Patton's chest, a soothing weight.

"I'll be fine," Patton assures them. "It should calm down soon."

"Until then, would you like to cuddle and watch Disney movies?" Roman asks. "Logan said when you wake up, you should have some tea and toast, too."

"That sounds delightful," Patton says, his heart warm. "Thank you."

"No problem, Pop Star," Virgil mumbles into his pajama shirt.

[protezioni]

★ for Celes and Ace, ☯ for Akira and Rika, ☕ for Sepheir and Ko, ✿ for Asuka and Ko -w- !

Of course!! This waa really fun to do!! I loved doing all of it!! I hope you like it, Mama!! Also you'll see how Ko and Seph are around each other so that'a fun (they are different when around each other rjjfjd)

ALSO HI STAN ZETA, ASUKA AND AKIRA BELONGS TO THE WONDERFUL CREATOR AND @zetacomic IS THE BEST BOY COMIC also a lot of people from Zeta show up in one part !!

Ace/Celes

…being called a pet name by your muse for the first time = ★

An airplane ride before the mission started... It was normal for the Protezioni to go through that. Missions sometimes happened abroad, after all... But today was a bit special where Crew Tre and Crew Quattro had to team up for a high ranked mission in France... How funny, it even happened in the City of Love. Ironic that such crimes would happen in such an endearing city. "Pilot, how far are we from the location?" Someone brought up the question as he took off his headphones. A bit dozy, the members have guessed. He was asleep for almost the whole trip. Silence. "Pilot?" He stood up from his chair before stretching. "It bothers me that you're not answering! Have I done anything wrong to you?"

Finally, a response from the person who controlled the whole airplane. "Not as of today, but please stay on your seat, Ace."

What a tragedy! His question remained unanswered... How rude. "Sure, sure..." Instead of arguing, he sat back down on his chair, slicking his hair back as he gave another sigh. "I dislike being bored... I would have preferred to sit beside someone other than Bernando." He laughed slightly at his own joke and the male he was referring to closed the book he was reading. "Oh, I did not mean to offend you, Mister Bernando... It was a mere joke." He grinned to prove it was only a tease but he noticed that he only squinted. "Ah..."

Only a second later, he felt a book spine on his throat--- only Allen was the one who was relatively happy from the siblings... But now, Ace dropped his playful attitude and felt a lump on his throat... "I am sorry that you only want to sit beside my sister and allow your filthy hands to have a touch of her virgin skin." He pressed the book deeper on his throat and now Ace was sweating. God, just because he was a gang leader didn't mean he had any intention! "If you touch my precious little sister, I will make sure you'll have a blade pass through your neck."

"I wouldn't do such things to my beloved."

"BELOVED?!"

"Or if you prefer," Ace raised his index finger. "My darling."

"Now, where did that come from?" A female blinked nonchalantly, her voice still being rather soft, yet showing no hint of embarrassment or anger. "You have never called me by that before, and I would prefer if you do not piss off my brother. He could literally feed you to the farm's pigs." She remarked before patting the shoulder of Bernando, who instantly stood up and whispered to her ear--- Her only reaction was a nod before he went to another seat. "I asked something, hooligan. Should I repeat my words?" She raised an eyebrow before Ace only brought her hand close to his lips- leaving a little kiss on her knuckles.

"Would you want to hear the truth, Miss Celes?" He pulled her closer to him before gesturing her to sit down beside him. After a few hesitations, she only sat silently. Her body getting more relaxed as he decided to play with her hair- twirling it around his fingers and just humming to a tune which sounded much too familiar. "I take that as a yes. You really do value honesty, don't you?" He chuckled, but it had no evil intent. Instead, it sounded like genuine happiness. "Excellent! I hope you know that I am a gentelman who never lies." He bows his head slightly. "Hope you can believe me on that, my beloved."

"Before you call me that... Care to explain why?" She sighed, a bit frustrated with all his gestures of flirting, yet he hasn't admitted a thing. "You have never told me the reasons behind that sudden pet name." She would admitel that she was in shock, but she had mixed feelings about it. It was not because she was disgusted by him, if she were to describe how she felt... Conflicted was the best word for it. She did not know whether to like it or not, but that was probably because it was too sudden, maybe even out of nowhere... There was a possibility he only did it to rile up Bernando, who cared about his siblings more than anything in the world.

"You really are curious, Princess." He began to laugh, but he soon leaned back to the window side of the airplane. "But to tell you the truth, maybe it is because I want you to know that I've fallen for you, and I wish you'd accept my feelings. So it brings me satisfaction when I call you that, even if it is a fantasy that can never be achieved. I'd rather deal with a happy imagination, instead of a sad reality." He placed his hands away from her, but now it was crossed. "It may be too much to wish for, but as I said... Calling you that somehow makes me feel... happy. But if you prefer me not to do so, I can stop." An awkward silence between the two before she turned her head away from him.

"I would prefer if you call me Miss Celes." She stands up from her chair and he only respected her decision. Even if there was no hint of her saying anything else, she suddenly stopped ln her tracks while she was walking. "Not because I harbor no feelings towards you, I will let you decide." She glanced back for only 5 seconds before she began to brisk walk to her original seat. "But Miss Celes is a rather special name to me now." Her words faded away, and it was hardly audible in the current place he was sitting on... But with those words alone, he turned deaf to everything but her voice.

"Hm... You're really making my heart's condition worse than it is, Miss Celes."

AkiRi

…waking up in bed next to your muse = ☯

Early morning, where no member was awake... was the hours where Rika felt she didn't need to hide a thing. It was early morning, it was barely 4 o'clock. Her hands reached for her phone before dismissing the alarm clock... She always woke up at 3 or 4 so she could prepare for anything her members needed for the day... Before she could actully stand up, she rolled to the other side--- but to her surprise, someone was there. Her eyes fluttered open, but her face instantly went red when she noticed that it was her lover... Wasn't he on a mission? It must have ended late night... Her face was still red, but she slapped herself a couple of times, to make sure she wasn't dreaming... And she wasn't.

"I should have expected you'll be out for long... Hopefully you at least saw the ramen I've cooked..." She whispered, even if she knew that he wouldn't hear it. While he was on a mission, she would always cook something for dinner in hopes that he'd come back and have a meal to eat, whether it was cold or not... The only thing she wanted was for him to have at least a proper meal... Even if she ate the cold noodles from the previous day for breakfast, she would always prepare a new one just so it would be at least somewhat fresh when he came back. It was part of her daily routine by now.

She carefully reached for his head to ruffle his hair, a smile never leaving her face. "I love you, Akira. You did well during that mission. I am proud of you and the entire gang..." Pointless whispers, she believed... He wasn't even awake. She laughed at her own actions, thinking it was funny that she was talking to a sleeping man. She brought herself closer to give a kiss on his forehead, his nose, his cheeks then his lips. She made sure it was only little pecks, so she wouldn't wake him up. This was her way of showing love when she wakes up first. She always did this when she did, and she may admit it was cheesy--- but she did hope he would enjoy it if he knew.

She finally sat up properly, her body stretching before she ended up yawning. Today was going to be a good day... She promised herself that it would! She should probably prepare herself first, then she could make breakfast and then--- Oh? Her face felt hot all of a sudden, her eyes travelling around until she spotted an arm around her. Did he actually place an arm around her while he was asleep? She held his arm with her hands, a giggle coming out of her lips. "Fine, I'll stay for a little while longer." She closed her eyes before placing his arm away so she could find the perfect spot to lie down again--- but now, her lover's arms were wrapped around her. "Better?"

Grumbles and mumbles, but still gibberish... That was his only verbal response, but his hug got tighter. She rested her head on his chest before smiling against it. Her heart always raised when she was around him. Now, then and forever--- it would always be like that. She nuzzled to him, her arms going around him, returning the affection he gave. "Mmm..." Was he sleep talking? "I love you..." Her heart stopped, but she only formed a response on the top of her head. Of course, she said it back. "Thank you..." And with that, she only said her usual "Of course" and a thank you back. With no other words from him, she only decided to close her eyes before singing a song which she made for him...

A song which became his favorite.

But what she didn't expect was to sleep again, while she sang the song he loved so much. Maybe it was because she felt so calm and relaxed when he was around her? She couldn't tell for sure. All she knew was she actually slept in his arms... But the moment he opened his eyes, he instantly turned red. Wait... What happened? How did they get into this position? The last thing he remembered was he ate what she prepared for him and came to this room to pet her head and--- God, did he actually fall asleep by accident? Holy shit, he had no idea on what to do. What should he do? He did not want to get out of this postion, he loved it but what mattered most was she looked way too comfortable-! He felt like he was dying in the inside, and he only died more the moment she snuggled to him more.

Instead of saying any words, he only let the whole scenario sink in... It was so peaceful, and he didn't mind her being so close to him... In fact, he was relieved that she was so close to him. She was there... and that was all that matters. Akira finally calmed down, realizing that no one was there but the two of them. He tucked her hair behinder her ear before he gave a tiny smile... She really was asleep. Even when she hasn't fixed herself for the day, she still looked amazing as ever. She always looked so perfect... No matter where and when, she always looked so wonderful... He was too busy admiring her beauty, that he didn't notice that she began clutching his shirt. "A-Akira..."

Akira's eyes widened as he let her go. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't realize you were awake. I apologize for disturbing your sleep." He immediately asked for forgiveness, his face getting redder each second. "I did not expect to wake up earlier than you and I-" Before he could think of any explanation, he felt her face bury on his chest, hiding her flustered face from her. "I-!" Now, he was speaking in an unknown language... Not even Rika could understand what he was saying and this only ended up with him just letting every detail of the scenario settle in.

"Yo, get a room you two." A person kicked the door opened, his face forming a grin as he noticed what was happening.

"ZURO, DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 50!"

"ZURO DEAR, THIS IS A ROOM-!"

Ko/Sepheir

…accidentally spilling something on your muse = ☕

A silent moment between the whole famiglia... This is one of the only times where no member dared to speak up to one another. Of course they wouldn't talk! The most well known famiglia member in the building just had coffee spilled on his suit... HIS SUIT! Yarohe began going behind Aki, and Aki only blinked a couple of times while Romano instantly ran to Ko to apologize for Sepheir's part... They surely did wish that Rika would come back from the boss meeting soon... This didn't look like the best scene, and god knows how Ko would feel that there was coffee stains all over his clothes, and the coffee was surely hot... He even jumped from his chair after it was spilled.

"I am so sorry, Ko! I am so sorry, Sepheir did not mean to do that! She might have not looked at your direction because she was talking to someone or something and-" Romano spoke so quickly that it was hard to catch up, his body was shaking in fear and he began sweating because his entire being was showing off signs of a panic attack. He really hated any kind of conflicts inside the famiglia, but if it were two leaders... Things wouldn't be all good. They rarely fought in a serious way unless it is sparring, but he was able to see how bad things can go if it was between his sister and Ko... They were rivals who were in a constant competition, after all.

"Romano, that's enough." Ko placed his hand on top of his head, causing Romano to freeze, but still breathing heavily due to the way he was feeling. "Please go to Crew Sei, let them help you calm you down." Ko turned his head to Romano before smiling politely. "I wouldn't want you to be too stressed than you already are." His words seemed kind, but if someone knew Ko well enough, there was something hidden under that sweet smile if something like this happens. Once Romano was pulled away by Mitsuki, Ko only laughed darkly before eyeing Sepheir. "I don't want to hear your brother apologize to me in your behalf. Why don't you do it yourself with that pretty mouth of yours?" He finally spoke to her and the rest of the members began to back away.

Sepheir sighed, not looking amused at all. "Apologize? You were in the way. Who sits in the middle of nowhere? You do know the chairs are placed in specific places for reasons." She countered and the next thing she did was shrug. "You can't stay anywhere you want in an improper place. Quit being so entitled, because no matter what, you're still at the same rank as me. If someone should be apologizing, it should be you for making your own "seat plan" while Miss Rika is gone." She did not want to apologize for what she did, but it might have been because of how much she hated defeat when it came to Ko. If it weren't him, she might have apologized... Added to that, who's brilliant idea was to drag a chair to a whole new location just to sit there?

He only laughed once again at her response. Entitled? Well, she might be right, but he did believe he deserved it. "Sepheir, I hope you know that you have two eyes, you could have used it." He snickered. "Unless your eyes are just for your job and nothing else matters to you." Was he serious? Probably not. But he was probably trying to rile her up. "My dear Omi has only one functioning eye, Soffrire closes hers, and yet here you are, being more blind than the two of them. What caught your attention, huh? Were you too busy talking to your sweetheart that you were blinded?" He began questioning her and she twitched a bit before eyeing him... It wasn't exactly anger, but she did look annoyed. "Did I hit something specific?"

"You're annoying." She spun to another direction before flipping her hair. "I don't need to answer such stupid questions from a man who has nothing but money and power... You lack so much and I could make a list from basic empathy to shitty leadership." Before she could get away so she could focus on things more important, she felt a hand hold her shoulder. "Oh, may I have pulled the trigger?" She glared. "And you thought you were the one to hit something." She pointed out and he only released her, controlling whatever he felt for that moment. "What is it now? Why did you suddenly release me?"

"I don't know, probably because I pitied you for your pained expression. Is your skin that sensitive?" He placed his hands in his pocket, his expression looking a bit bland- he did not smile nor did he look angry- he only looked like he was frowning. "You winced when I did that, did not expect that from you... Oh wait, you aren't the leader of strength, just independence. I shouldn't have forgotten that you could still get hurt so easily." He didn't mean those offending words, he truly didn't. But somehow, to him, pissing off Sepheir was certainly a fun thing to do. It would be fun to see the calmest person snap.

Before anything could commence, Aki stood between them before pinching both of their cheeks--- which was to their surprise. "You two always make the biggest arguements over the littles things! That was just coffee!" Before there was further complaining on who started it, she only pinched their cheeks harder which actually felt really painful... Was she digging her nails on their cheeks?! "You two should stop fighting, Mom Rika wouldn't want you to fight over coffee spilling, now would she? Just apologize at the same time, and that would do the trick! Or if not, I could report this arguement to her!"

"... Fine."

"... Whatever."

"That's the spirit!"

Ko/Asuka

…receiving a bouquet of flowers from your muse = ✿

A couple of months ever since the collision happened, and Zygos Academy and Protezioni only became closer as the months passed. They were friends with one another, and there were some duos who considered each other as close friends! Who knew that something unrealistic happening could actually make people bond? It might have been weird or awkward at first, but this changed over time! Sometimes, the people in Zygos would visit the Protezioni house, while the Protezioni visited Zygos academy! It was really funny that the one of the reasons is because a certain pair of people... exploded the buildings. So they sometimes switched to each other's locations, but sometimes a visit was done for fun.

Now, one of the reasons why someone visited was not because of any explosions---No, no! It was something much more special. "Good morning." A male held a bouquet of flowers in his arms as he grinned. "I came here to give this to someone." Of course he was was smiling! He was very excited to give this to the person he refers to as his closest friend from Zygos. The person who was at the door was Yuuki, who was only quiet as a familiar face was in front of him. He didn't talk at all, but he nodded his head and went inside the room... Was that a signal he could come in? "Thank you very much, Yuuki! I appreciate you for allowing me inside." He bowed and the moment he lifted up his head, he took note about how two people of the team was playing... Mario Kart?

"SHO, STOP FUCKING CHEATING!" Junko placed the controller down as she screamed at the person who was playing with her. He only grinned, showing his sharp teeth and he proceeded to laugh at her reaction. "I FUCKING SWEAR TO GOD! QUIT ACTING LIKE YOU DON'T DO SHIT! YOU'RE DEFINITELY CHEATING!" She raised her voice even louder and one of the members only scratched his head as he tapped his pencil against his clipboard. "BITCH, LET'S DO A REMATCH AND I WILL PROVE TO YOU THAT I CAN WIN AGAINST YOU!"

"I don't know, Jun! It seems like your talent in video games is as great as your height." He finger gunned at her before grinning even wider. "Fucking small!" Once he said those words, Junko threw the controller at the side. "Awww, did I end up pissing the baby?" He only joked around further and Maemi finally released his clipboard to tirn his head to the two... Can't they just be quiet for once? He was making the perfect strategy for--- Oh. Someone actually came inside... That wasn't someone from Zeta. Even if the room was ruled by the noise made by Shoya and Junko, it wasn't hard to notice someone who was standing just... there. Watching them.

"Are you here for Su, Ko?" Maemi asked bluntly, eyebags obvious and this only made Ko nod. He sometimes pitied Maemi because he seemed that he overworked himself. At first- he should admit a good majority of the Protezioni had a rocky relationship with him, but at least their relationship improved after the whole talk happened between him and their commander. He was glad that their relationship got better... "Well, you have to wait for a while because Su went out to get something herself. You can wait here, I guess." He shrugged as he went back to what he was doing. "But you have to deal with Sho and Mi playing that game."

"I can deal with that. Thank you, Maemi." He sat down on a chair as he placed the bouquet on the table. For a few moments, he only observed the other team members... Zeta was really a great team, and he would have to attest to anyone who says otherwise and- Oh! She finally came! He fixed himself up, as he grabbed the bouquet again, watching as the door opened. First, she was greeted by all her teammates and they began to talk to her, asking if everything went well... He didn't interrupt the moment, he only watched with a smile on his face. Once it was done, she took a glance at Ko and she tilted her head a bit once she saw the flowers. "Flowers for the Queen! I hope you do not mind."

Asuka went closer and he handed her the bouquet. "Oh my~ Thank you for this wonderful gift. You didn't have to." She appreciated his little gesture and he only shook his head.

"I believe I should, today is a special occasion." He disagreed and only looked at his watch for a split second. "Today marks a year when I first called you Queen. I wanted to get you a gift just for this special occasion."

"How flattering." She did love his small gifts here and there, but sometimes she believed that he was giving her too much... But the Protezioni did tell her that it was a normal thing for him to do. "I really do admire you for being such a kind person." She held the flowers closer to herself and she began looking at each of them, seeing it was a mix of different species. "You truly are a sweet king."

Ko laughed slightly before shaking his head. "No, not exactly. But I do believe that a queen only deserves the best treatment... and you certainly are one of the most talented queens out there, Asuka." He began to thinking of a possible thing to do for the day to celebrate such a day. "Would you want to go out to celebrate? We could have a couple of drinks, if you wish." He brought out an option and she nodded her head.

"Certainly sounds like a plan after a good day of work!"

[decandantfics]

More Than Words Could Ever Tell

It really shouldn't be this hard to get a good night's sleep, Dec thought idly to himself, as he rolled over for the twentieth time – yes, he'd been keeping count – trying to find a comfortable position in his and Ali's normally luxurious bed. Dec stilled momentarily as Ali sighed in her sleep beside him, and then breathed a quiet sigh of relief himself when she simply burrowed deeper into the covers and slumbered on. Auditions were underway for BGT 2019, and they had another full day of auditions tomorrow – today, actually, Dec corrected himself wryly. The display on the digital clock next to their bed glowed faintly in the dark, taunting him with the time: 1:30AM. He had gotten a grand total of 2 ½ hours of sleep so far tonight, and the way it looked right now, he probably wasn't going to get much more than that, if any. You see, it wasn't just any old day today: today was NTA day – the awards ceremony being held that evening at the London O2 Arena. He and Ant were up for three awards, as usual, but it was the Best Presenter Award that was causing his mind to race and turning his stomach to lead at 1:30 in the morning. He was terrified.

At heart, Dec knew it was silly – it was just an award, after all, and if they lost this year, it wouldn't be the end of the world....Or would it? He grimaced as he imagined the glee with which the press would hail "The End of Ant and Dec" if they lost tonight. And although he tried really hard to repress the next thought that came to mind, it bubbled up anyway. There would be a fair number of people who would be celebrating if Ant and Dec lost, and he wasn't thinking about the winner of the award. The amount of public hate being directed at him, and especially Ant, these days was horrifying, and try as he might to ignore it, it did sting a bit. He understood why so many people were angry – what Ant had done was indefensible – but it still hurt desperately to see the sheer depth of hostility towards Ant on social media. There was a reason they both tried to stay off of Twitter at the moment – it was too distressing to be on there and see all of the vitriol in their mentions.

And if they won that award tonight....His mind slid back to the NTAs, his heartrate speeding up and his mouth going dry. He didn't know how he was going to get through the day. It felt a bit like 2007 again, except this time it was actually worse; much, much worse, in fact. Yes, he knew the vast majority of their fans still loved them, and the love and goodwill directed towards him and Ant over the past year had been mind-boggling. It still choked him up a bit to think about all of the messages he and Ant had read together last year. But did he and Ant still have the public's trust? He wasn't so sure anymore. What had happened in 2007 was terrible, but the big difference there was that he and Ant had had nothing to do with the scandal. Yes, it involved their shows and they were listed as executive producers on SNT, but they genuinely hadn't had a clue what was going on. This time, though, it was Ant who had messed up. Big time.

Dec knew there would always be a small part of him that could never forgive Ant for what he'd done. Not because of the damage to their career or anything shallow like that. No, simply because he had put others' lives in danger with his actions, and that was something so far removed from both of their life values that he still couldn't believe Ant had actually done it. At the same time, he knew that the Ant who was behind the wheel that day was not the Ant he had known for 29 years. The Ant that day had been a broken and lost individual crying out for help. In some ways, Dec reflected, the crash was actually the best thing that ever happened to Ant. It was a desperate cry for help that resulted in Ant finally receiving the professional support he needed. It proved to be the catalyst for an incredible change in Ant as he found his true self again, got well, and turned over a new leaf in life. It was a horrible thing to have to happen in order for Ant to start to properly recover from his addictions and mental health issues, but if that's what it took for him to get his Ant back, then so be it.

Dec sighed and turned over again – 21, he ruefully counted in his head – before deciding to sneak another glance at the clock: 2:00AM. This was ridiculous. Another 4 hours until his alarm went off – it was an early start this morning due to meetings with their management and then the BGT producers – and he still couldn't get his mind to relent in its endless, panicked racing. Eventually he decided he'd had enough of tossing and turning in bed. He silently and oh-so-gently sat up on the mattress, swinging his legs over the side and sliding his feet into his slippers. Glancing at Ali to make sure she was still sound asleep, Dec grabbed his phone off the bedside table and stealthily crept out of their bedroom before peeking his head 'round the door to Isla's room. His heart swelled to see their little girl sleeping peacefully in her cot. He still couldn't quite believe he was finally a dad. Tiptoeing away from her door – the last thing he wanted to do was disturb either of his girls – he made his way into the kitchen, deciding a cup of decaf tea might help to settle his nerves and calm his mind. As he switched on the kettle, he idly checked his phone, surprised to see a notification flashing. There was a text from Ant:

"Stop worrying so much, Deccy, it's just a stupid award. Hardly the end of the world if we don't win. Go to sleep – dealing with a grumpy, sleepy Declan all day isn't on my bucket list! 😂"

Dec chuckled, his eyes lighting up with affection for the man who knew him so well and owned such a large piece of his heart. The text had been sent just after midnight – clearly, Dec wasn't the only one who had been struggling to sleep tonight, but he sincerely hoped Ant was having a better time of it than he was. Deciding it would be best not to reply right now – he didn't want to risk waking Ant – he continued to stare at the screen, trying to force Ant's words of wisdom into his brain in the hope that his racing mind might acquiesce and allow him at least another hour or two of sleep. He took his cup of tea with him to the lounge, where he switched on the telly and settled down on the plush couch, wrapping a warm blanket around himself. Putting a channel on with some mindless program that he hoped might bore him to sleep, he sipped his tea and opened Ant's text again, smiling fondly into his mug. It was uncanny how well they knew each other – some people might describe their relationship as being slightly freakish, but he knew better. Theirs was a relationship founded on trust and unconditional love – they just got each other, and they always had done, really. Ever since they became friends on the set of Byker Grove, there had been a special spark between them, it's just that they weren't necessarily aware of it at the time. They loved spending time with each other as youngsters, and if they couldn't physically be together, then they were always on the phone to each other, talking about anything and everything. And nearly 30 years on, that close interdependency they shared really hadn't changed. It was amazing what they had achieved in their three decades together. If it had all ended last year, they really couldn't have complained.

The clock on the mantelpiece was showing the time to be nearly 3am, and the tea was actually having its desired effect, as Dec began to feel a bit dozy. Deciding he was too shattered to bother moving back to bed, he sleepily switched off the telly and curled up on the couch, snuggling into the blanket and letting the drowsiness take over his mind.

                                                          ~~~

It was now 7:00am on 22 January, 2019. Dec was tiredly waiting in the foyer for their car to arrive. Joe was picking him up first this morning, since Ant lived a bit closer to the building where their first meeting of the day was being held. As Joe pulled up outside their drive, Dec hugged Ali tightly and gave her a lingering kiss. Ali could tell how nervous Dec was today, even though he was trying very hard to act nonchalant about the whole "NTAs thing," and it was more than obvious that he'd had trouble sleeping last night. She'd woken to an empty bed this morning and had made her way downstairs, thinking perhaps he had fallen asleep on the couch, only to find Dec already up, sitting wearily at the kitchen table nursing a cup of strong black coffee.

Dec slid into his seat in the car, and leaned onto the window ledge, curling up slightly and resting his head on his arm. It would probably be a good half hour's drive in the busy London traffic before they reached Ant's house. He might as well try to catch a quick cat nap during the drive there. The next thing he knew, he became aware of a warm, familiar scent filling his nostrils. Yawning widely, Dec blearily opened his eyes and glanced over to his right. Sure enough, there was Ant, staring at his phone, as he scrolled through his emails. Noting the movement on his left, Ant glanced up and breathed out a quiet, "Morning," to Dec as he smiled fondly at him. "You were out like a light. Didn't want to wake you. We've got about 10 minutes' drive left." To his surprise, Dec silently unlatched his seatbelt and slid over into the middle seat, leaning into Ant as he buckled himself in again. Grinning affectionately, Ant awkwardly pulled his arm out from underneath Dec and placed it around his shoulders, drawing him closer in a little side hug. "Feeling cuddly this morning, eh?" he teased, while Dec pouted grumpily at him before a small smile curved his lips. "Only got about 4 hours' sleep last night," Dec whined, leaning his head onto Ant's shoulder and closing his eyes, muttering, "Bloody NTAs." Ant chuckled lightly, gently resting his head on top of Dec's. Really, Ant thought, Declan was so very predictable, always getting so worked up about things. He couldn't deny the fact that he himself had had trouble sleeping last night – he'd gotten about 5 hours' sleep – but he'd always struggled with insomnia, so that was nothing new for him. "It's all gonna be just fine, Dec," Ant whispered, tilting his head slightly to press a gentle kiss to Dec's tousled hair. They leaned against each other in comfortable silence the rest of the journey, just enjoying the warmth and comfort they found in each other's presence. As they climbed out of the car and their day officially began, both steeled themselves for what was going to a very, very long day.

                                                       ~~~

Meetings over, Ant and Dec were in the London Palladium, readying themselves to go on stage to open the day's first audition session. Entering to rapturous applause – they both still got a bit choked up when the crowd went wild every time they went on stage – the boys did their usual spiel about how the audition process worked, before beginning the judges' introductions. David Walliams was first, acting as camp as ever, running onto the stage and doing his signature high-kick routine that seemed to have become his trademark move this series. The boys started joking around with David, just like they normally did. It was all going so well until David started pretending to interview them: "Are you a bit nervous because it's the NTAs today, or are you excited?" Ant jutted his jaw out slightly in exasperation. He had really hoped no one was going to mention the NTAs unless it was absolutely necessary – like something to do with the live video links later – but now David had ruined that hope. Quickly taking the reins on answering this question with what he hoped was a nonchalant, "We're a little nervous, a little nervous," Ant turned to Dec and met his gaze for a brief moment, noting the way Dec was shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking thoroughly uncomfortable. Dec clearly wanted nothing to do with this question, although he added his own nervous comment as Ant continued, "You always get nervous in the NTAs." Turning back towards the judge, Ant swiftly moved the conversation along by directing the same question back at David. Behind him, Dec felt his stress level skyrocketing again. Licking his lips nervously, Dec swallowed down the massive ball of anxiety that was clawing its way up his throat. He greatly appreciated Ant taking the lead on this, as just the mention of the NTAs had turned him into a quivering ball of jelly, and the last thing they needed was for someone to video this and have the tabloids pick it up. They'd be sure to run a story about them having a nervous breakdown on stage or something ridiculous like that. Although, come to think of it, maybe that headline wasn't so ridiculous after all....

                                                         ~~~

It was now mid-afternoon, and auditions were in full swing. Ant and Dec were both a little bit tetchy – not with each other, mind, only with those around them – and their exhaustion was more than obvious. Today had been the longest day ever – or so it seemed – yet it was still 4 hours before the awards ceremony even began at the O2. The boys knew they were going to be on standby for a live video link that evening, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Cameras would be trained on the judges' desk later that day, too, just in case David (or Simon) won the Best TV Judge award. It would be an interesting evening if David managed to beat Simon yet again, that's for sure! Dec let out a tired sigh as he sunk down onto his stool at the side of the stage, absentmindedly reaching into an open crisp packet being proffered to him by Ant, who was sat next to him. They were on a brief break during auditions, so they were taking the opportunity to grab a quick snack and rest their weary bodies while they had the chance. Dec studied Ant's face, taking in every line, every crease, the way his eyebrows quirked when he got another text from Anne-Marie – clearly she'd said something funny, as the corners of his mouth turned up and a small chuckle erupted from his lips. Honestly, Dec could spend all day staring at Ant. He could read his every expression, could almost know what he was thinking without Ant having to say a single word. He knew Ant was the same with him – they almost knew each other too well, at times.

Ant suddenly looked up at Dec, catching him staring at him. Dec gave him a sheepish smile and giggled as Ant cheekily raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, was miles away," Dec murmured, while Ant affectionately rolled his eyes at him and shook his head before checking his watch. The day was going so slowly. At least there were only a couple minutes left of their break, and then it was back to work again. But even that wasn't much help, as the auditions were seeming to take forever today, and quite a few of them had been rubbish so far. Ant wearily shook his head again and watched as Dec stood and stretched his arms out above his head, yawning widely. Ant knew Dec was bricking it about the NTAs – they both were, to be honest – but that it was best not to mention it right now. They were both trying to ignore it for as long as possible, although he knew they would probably end up having a little heart-to-heart about it nearer to the time. This meant a lot to them this year – albeit for slightly different reasons – and he sincerely hoped it didn't turn out to be a complete disaster. They both needed something positive after the year they'd had.

                                                         ~~~

The time was 7:30pm. The NTAs were beginning. Ant glanced over at Dec to see him staring in horror at the analog display on his Apple Watch. Reaching out towards him, Ant lightly grasped Dec's wrist, squeezing gently in an attempt to break him out of his thoughts. The last thing they needed right now was for Dec to have a panic attack. Dec's eyes met his, panic written all over his face, his green-blue eyes holding a strange sort of overwhelming trepidation. Ant could feel Dec's hand shaking as he pulled Dec towards him, wrapping him up in a tender hug. There was an act on stage right now, but if he was honest, they were absolute rubbish, and likely wouldn't make it to the screen – not even on BGMT. It was definitely time to have their little talk, he couldn't bear to watch Dec falling apart in front of him. Quietly wrapping an arm around Dec's shoulders, Ant guided him through the corridors towards their dressing room, despite Dec's weak protests that he was fine, and, really, they should be in the wings doing their job.

Closing the door behind them, Ant turned to face Dec, holding him at arm's length, lovingly rubbing his right thumb over Dec's shoulder joint in a comforting manner. "Now listen to me, Dec," Ant started, "Even if we lose all of the awards we're nominated for tonight, it doesn't reflect on you or all your hard work. I know I'm not the most popular person in the country right now, so if we lose, it's all down to me. Nowt to do with you or...." Ant was abruptly interrupted in the middle of what he thought was a reassuring speech by Dec, who had fury in his eyes. "Don't you dare say that! If we lose tonight, we lose together. It's Ant and Dec, remember? We win together, we lose together, simple as! You don't deserve any of this, I hate people for hating you, it's just so unfair. Yeah, you messed up, but you don't deserve to suffer for it the rest of your life!" As Dec's voice faltered and one of the tears that had been steadily gathering in his eyes made its way down his face, Ant automatically reached out and wiped it away, despite his shock at the heat of Dec's words. Ant felt his own emotions bubbling to the surface at the fierce protectiveness in Dec's voice as he continued, "You deserve to win, too, Ant. You might not have been on the telly a whole lot last year, but you worked hard. I could not be more proud of all that you've achieved in the past 10 months. We are in this together, and don't you ever forget that." Ant stood in stunned silence for a moment, tears silently running down his cheeks. Dec gazed into Ant's eyes, his own brimming with yet more unshed tears, a look of unspeakable love shining out at Ant, making its way deep into his heart. Wordlessly, Ant embraced Dec, the love and respect he had for the smaller man overwhelming him, forcing him into silence. They stood together like that for a long minute, just holding each other close and giving the other the reassurance he needed to face whatever might come tonight.

Eventually, they drew away from each other, looking into each other's eyes as Ant finally found his voice. In the end, though, all he could choke out around the lump in his throat was, "Thank you," those two words conveying everything else he was too emotional to say. Dec seemed a bit more in control of himself now, no longer panicky – their talk and long hug clearly having helped to ground him – as he simply pulled Ant close again and enveloped him in a loving embrace, whispering a fond, "I'm so proud of you, Ant," into his ear before walking to the en suite to wash away the evidence of his tears. Having made themselves presentable for the camera again – they both were going to need some touch ups on their makeup, that's for sure – the boys walked in silence to their area at the side of the stage. A couple of acts had come and gone in their absence, but neither really cared. They had needed that time together, those intimate moments of frankness with each other, in order to get through the remainder of this so far very draining day. Dec checked his watch again, noting the interminably slow march of time with a tired sigh before feeling a nudge on his shoulder – Ant was staring at him in amusement, shaking his head and rolling his eyes in mock exasperation at Dec's impatience.

                                                           ~~~

The moment of truth had finally arrived. Dec felt like he was going to either throw up or faint, probably both. He was greatly regretting the ham and cheese sandwich he had decided to munch on earlier to try to calm his nerves – he was always prone to stress eating at times like these, but then, so was Ant. Speaking of Ant, Dec raised his eyes to take in Ant's expression. Yes, he was obviously nervous, but his face wore a sort of resigned stoicism that was so unlike the Ant he knew. It was obvious Ant didn't expect them to win tonight, and Dec could tell that, despite his stern lecture earlier, Ant was already blaming himself for their loss. If he was honest, Dec didn't expect them to win, either. He managed to catch Ant's eyes, seeing his own dread reflected back at him. Dec tried to give Ant a reassuring smile, but all he could muster was a slight quirking up of one side of his mouth. Their shows had taken home the gongs in the categories they were nominated for, but those were their shows, not they themselves. Hilarity had ensued earlier in the evening when David had won Best TV Judge yet again, with Simon throwing a hissy fit that had the boys in hysterics and helped to distract them from their nerves. But now it was time for their category.

They got into position on stage, facing the camera that seemed far too close and intimidating, before turning to stare at the massive London Palladium screen as the O2 Arena appeared and Dermot O'Leary introduced Ant Middleton to present the award. Dec's breath caught in his throat as the nausea threatened to overwhelm him again, his legs feeling wobbly and his palms sweating profusely as his mouth became unbearably dry. He swayed on his feet for a moment as his mind went dizzy, before a calm, familiar hand reached out and steadied him, giving a small squeeze before letting go again. Dec glanced over at Ant as Ant Middleton messed around with Dermot, noting how the pulse in Ant's neck was racing and his chest shallowly rose and fell at a rapidly increasing rate as his nerves intensified. Dec called out a quiet, "Ant," snapping Ant out of his panicked state and bringing him back down to earth. They both turned back to the screen as they heard Holly Willoughby's name being called out, Dec wincing as he and Holly appeared on screen together, doing a link for I'm a Celebrity.... He was surprised to hear Ant chuckling beside him, a proud grin on his face as he watched Dec being his amazing, entertaining self. Ant shared a look with Dec as Holly's VT ended and Bradley Walsh's began, their eyes locking for a few seconds in silent solidarity before they turned back to the screen. Finally, all of the nominees had been read out and it was time to announce the winner.

Dec's heart was in his throat, he felt like he couldn't breathe, dizziness and nausea threatening to overwhelm him. Ant wasn't much better next to him, although he was better at hiding his distress, seeming relatively calm on the outside now that the moment of truth had arrived. They turned away from the screen, facing the camera instead, Dec angled slightly towards Ant – Ant was his lifeline right now, he needed to see him, couldn't bear to look at the camera...."And the National Television Award goes to..." Ant Middleton's voice rang through the Palladium, pausing for a moment that seemed to drag on for an eternity. Through the haze of panic and nerves, Dec felt Ant's hand land on his shoulder, holding him securely as they awaited their fate.

"...ANT AND DEC!"

As the crowd went wild, Dec nearly collapsed in shock, gripping desperately onto his knees, using them as crutches to stay upright as his mind reeled. They had won?!?!? After everything that had happened over the past year, they still had won? The public still loved them, trusted them enough that they voted for them? He vaguely felt Ant's weight on top of him as Ant laid his arms on Dec's shoulders, leaning his forehead against his arm as they stood there numbly, shocked to the core. That brief moment of contact was enough to shake Dec out of his dazed stupor, and the next moment he heard Ant speaking into his microphone in a thoroughly shocked voice, "Oh, wow....Oh, wow."

Oh, right, they had to do a speech now, they were on camera! Dec was in no shape to speak, however, his throat closing in on itself yet again, except this time it was due to a massive lump forming as he felt tears coming to his eyes. Their incredulous gaze met for a moment and they shared a relieved smile before hugging briefly, Dec's hand intimately wrapping around the back of Ant's neck as his heart swelled with love and pride for the man holding him, and gratitude towards the great British public. Sensing Dec was too overwhelmed to say anything, Ant – always the calmer of the two when it came to situations like this – began to speak. He honestly didn't know what to say, the speech he had rehearsed in case they won having been erased from his mind as soon as their names were called out. He stumbled through the first few sentences, his mind racing as he tried to form coherent sentences. Suddenly the Palladium's screen flashed beside them, and he and Dec turned around in surprise to see Simon having pressed his Golden Buzzer for him. But what really caught their attention again was the audience – the whole place was on its feet, including the judges, giving them a standing ovation. It was all so overwhelming.

As Ant faintly became aware of Dec beside him, desperately trying to control his emotions, part of the speech he had so carefully prepared came rushing back to him. He and Dec had had this conversation weeks ago when the voting shortlist was released, and although Ant knew Dec didn't agree with him on this, he was going to go ahead and do it anyway. He was going to dedicate the award to Dec. As soon as Ant started talking about how he didn't feel he could accept the award this year, Dec knew what he was planning. The emotions he had fought so hard to push down so that he wouldn't start sobbing on live telly came flooding back in as Ant turned towards him. "The one reason we've won the award this year is because of this guy." Ant reached out, affectionately pressing his palm to the side of Dec's face before wrapping his hand around the side of Dec's neck, squeezing warmly before continuing, "His hard work, dedication, wit, funniness, and being the best mate there is out there. I love you, man. Well done."

It was all Dec could do to not break down right then and there. Desperately swallowing down the lump in his throat, his eyes met Ant's as Dec replied, "I love you," lunging at Ant and tightly wrapping his arms around him as the love he had for this man nearly burst his heart. Ant closed his eyes, savoring the hug – and feeling deeply grateful that he had been able to give Declan the recognition he so deserved live in front of the nation – holding Dec in a strong embrace. Neither of them wanted that hug to end, but the live link was still running, and Dec still hadn't said a single word. He somehow managed to get through his half of the speech, with an arm wrapped around Ant's shoulders for most of it, just needing that physical contact to keep him from losing his battle against his emotions. They finally signed off with a bit of a cheeky joke aimed at Dermot for his foolish comments regarding them winning the award this year, and yet more thank yous to the public who had voted for them. As the cameras switched off, Dec suddenly realized his legs had turned to jelly. He collapsed onto the stage dramatically – he was still Declan the show-off, after all – and closed his eyes. Ant kneeled beside him, both still unable to comprehend what had just happened. They had just won the award for the 18th time!!! The tears finally broke free as reality sunk in, but Dec was unashamed as he repeatedly wiped tears away while the judges congratulated them. He and Ant were both in a state of shock, this was not what they expected to happen tonight, but they were more than happy to be proven so completely wrong.

The judges eventually went back to their seats, leaving Ant and Dec to make their way back to the wings as preparations began for the next act of the night to come on stage. They gazed at each other for a moment in dazed silence, tears shining in their eyes, before Dec completely broke down, relieved sobs coming thick and fast as he stood rooted to the spot, overcome with emotion. As he felt loving arms surround him in a tight embrace, he haltingly whispered into Ant's ear in a trembling voice, "Thank you, Ant. I love you." As they held each other close, letting out all of the emotions of the day, they knew one thing: This day marked a new beginning in their life. And as long as they were together, no one could ever bring them down. All they needed was each other. And that meant more than words could ever tell.

[i-am-a-shining-star]

Bow-Tie

Read it on my AO3! : https://archiveofourown.org/works/19862107

Kurt notices a certain little ritual becoming more and more frequent in their morning routine. Based on this post: https://slightestwind.tumblr.com/post/115643128689

-

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

Blaine blinked awake, smiling softly as he bumped noses with the blue-eyed, messy-haired boy laying next to him. A quiet sigh escaped his barely parted lips as he tightened his grip around Kurt’s waist, burying himself into his shoulder and breathing deep the warm, comforting scent of spicy vanilla.

Kurt smiled, slipping his hands from their current position on Blaine’s sides to rest across his back, tracing small circles into the warm flesh and brushing knuckles over the gentle curve of his spine. He began to hum thoughtlessly, a tuneful melody that made the tiny, silvery hairs on the back of Blaine’s neck prickle up. Snuggling deeper into Kurt’s chest, he let his eyes slip shut and he sat, allowing himself to rest in the little pocket of morning bliss he had created for himself.

“Hey, come on,” Kurt whispered some time later, nudging Blaine out of his peaceful, dozy state. “We should get up soon if we’re going to make it out on time.”

Blaine whined, curling in on himself further and trying to savour the few seconds of warmth he knew he had left before Kurt dragged the pair of them into the freezing cold kitchen. Kurt chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to his temple before peeling back the many layers of blankets they had managed to tangle themselves up in and sitting up at his side of the bed, looking expectantly towards his husband.

Peeking up from the pillow his face was pressed up against, Blaine pouted, blinking heavily. “Five more minutes?” He begged.

Kurt rolls his eyes fondly, taking Blaine’s hand and helping him up, stumbling out of their room. “Very cute, I must say. How unfortunate that I’m now immune to your tricks.” He teased, ruffling his morning hair and squealing as he ran to dodge Blaine’s retaliating attack.

-

Cleaning up their dishes from breakfast, Kurt swayed to the uplifting stream of easy-listening playing from the Roberts radio they shared (a neat little find from the Chelsea flea market), up to his elbows in hot water. Soap bubbles floated to eye-level, glittering as they refracted the light pouring through the slanted blinds opposite the kitchenette. Caught in his daydream, he popped a particularly large one- after checking to make sure he was alone- closing his eyes and holding his breath as he yanked the plug from the sink.

“Caught you,” Came a sing-song voice from behind him. “What did you wish for?” Blaine whispered, snaking his arms around his waist and resuming their position from earlier. Kurt, eyes still closed, chuckled to himself.

“That’s a secret,” He said, drying his hands off on a towel and twisting around to kiss him.  “You nearly ready?”

“Think so.” Blaine dusted off his shoulders, pulling his satchel over his shoulders and plucking at his knitted vest to straighten it up. Kurt grinned at his dapper husband, still head-over-heels in love with the dorky, preppy style he managed to pull off so well even nine years after they had first met. But, in doing so, he spotted one last little thing he had missed…

“Oh, your-,” He reached forward without finishing his sentence and brushed his fingers against his neck, gently straightening his bow-tie. “Just a little wonky…”

Blaine gasped quietly, twitching at the cool touch that grazed the warm hollow of his throat. His chest and stomach suddenly flooded with an airy lightness that made him want to float straight through the ceiling of their rickety Bushwick apartment… Butterflies? After four years of marriage?

“Thank you...” Blaine said, an uncharacteristically shy smile spread across his face.

“It’s nothing,” Kurt returns the smile, squeezing Blaine’s upper arm and walking over to the front door, “Ready to go?”

“Yeah…” Blaine stood, caught up in his flustered daze for a second longer than he intended to, before catching up to Kurt, locking the door behind him.

-

“Kurt? Hey, Kurt…”

“Huh? Bl-... Blaine?”

Kurt rubbed his eyes, groaning a little at the sudden artificial light that filled their room. He moved his hands away slowly, revealing a too-happy Blaine laying next to him, smiling sheepishly after pulling the switch for the lamp resting on their bedside table.

“Rise and shine,” Blaine cooed, running his fingers through Kurt’s tousled hair, the pleasant motion causing him to arch further into his hand. Kurt moaned at the contact and twisted his hips from side to side, sighing as it released the tension that had built up in them from being curled up in the same position all night.

“Mmm, God, what time is it?” Kurt asked, his phone much too far away to reach from his very comfortable position wrapped up in his husband.

“Six thirty, almost.” Blaine said without moving.

Kurt froze. He narrowed his eyes slightly, turning to face Blaine properly.

“ Six thirty? Since when do you get up this early?”

Blaine shrugged his shoulders, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, Kurt noticed.

“I guess it just happened. One of those weird one-off mornings, you know,”

He sat up and pushed his phone, open on the clock app with several alarms within ten-minute intervals of each other, deeper under his pillow.

“But, since we’re both up, I guess we have time to make something nice for breakfast?” He smiled sweetly, blinking so his eyelashes fluttered- which, even in his half-conscious state, Kurt could appreciate was totally adorable.

“Oh, alright then,” Kurt sits to peck the tip of Blaine’s nose, unable to resist pinching his cheek, too, eliciting a quiet giggle from his husband. “Crepes or french toast?” He asked, climbing out of bed and wrapping himself up in his robe, Blaine trailing behind him with a surprising amount of enthusiasm given how cranky he was after waking up a whole hour later yesterday.

Twenty minutes had passed, and the pair of them sat together at the table, slicing through stacks of berry-topped pancakes and bobbing their heads gently to the music playing from the radio. Blaine seemed especially perky, sitting a little too straight in his seat and slicing into his food with a little too much vigour to completely disguise the excited glow he had about him.

“Someone’s eager to get to work,” Kurt smiles over his mug of coffee, brushing his foot over Blaine’s ankle under the table. “Do you have something special going on today?”

Blaine shook his head. “Mm-mm, just the normal stuff.” He swallows and puts down his cutlery, dusting his hands off over the plate.

Kurt furrows his brow. “Oh. I see.” He shakes it off, standing to take their dishes to the sink, where he begins rinsing them off.

Some time later, Blaine wanders back from the bedroom, dressed in a button-down shirt and pale tan slacks, a red bow-tie hanging sloppily from underneath his collar, looking as though it were about to come undone. Kurt, unrolling his own sleeves from washing up, watches curiously as Blaine does… Absolutely nothing to fix it. He pulls on his jacket, throwing his bag over his shoulder before he turns to Kurt again.

“How do I look?” He asked.

Kurt blinks, eyes flickering between the bow-tie and the soft, almost hopeful look on Blaine’s face. He can’t stop himself from smiling.

“Hold on, let me just-.” Kurt carefully turns the collar of Blaine’s shirt up, running a finger under the smooth fabric of the tie- only one layer away from his bare skin, Blaine thought with a shiver . He focused on tying it neatly, but took a couple of sneaky glances at Blaine’s face to marvel at the delightful shade of pink he had flushed, the way his eyes sparkled as they danced around various spots of the ceiling to avoid making direct contact with Kurt’s. Interesting.

“Much better,” Kurt stepped back, admiring his handiwork. “But I thought you didn’t have anything going on today? Why the fancy get-up?” He questioned, knowing Blaine was permitted to dress down at when they didn’t have any major meetings to host.

Blaine looked down at himself, turning a little to assess his outfit. “It’s nice to dress up, I guess.” He leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to Kurt’s mouth before he could think of a response and heading for the door. “Let’s go?”

Kurt just shook his head, following after him with a grin.

-

Three days had passed, and Blaine’s case of the morning bug was yet to disappear. If anything, he only seemed to grow keener and keener to get up, his usual stubborn grumpiness having suddenly disappeared. Not that it wasn’t pleasant, though. Kurt was quite happy to wake up with him, taking it slow and spending the extra hour making the most of their time together before they were forced to split for work.

But something was up. Kurt could tell.

It may have been far too early to be paying attention to such tiny details, but it hadn’t escaped his notice that Blaine seemed to only get peppier as the morning progressed. His renewed zest for life wasn’t completely far-fetched; Kurt had been there through numerous phases and resolutions that had Blaine exuding a strange, but not unexpected, optimism with everything he did. However, for the life of him, he couldn’t pin down exactly what put him in such a good mood.

One thing that confused him, though, was his sudden lack of care with regards to his appearance. Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that serious, but every morning this week Kurt had been there to stop him walking out of the door looking like a little boy wearing his father’s clothes, neatly tying him up and trying his best not to stare at the silly smile on his face. It left him a little puzzled, definitely, but he had no complaints. King of sometimes-unsolicited advice, Kurt was more than glad to fix him up, and his ego couldn’t help but take the little boost it got every time he came to him and asked for help.

It was just odd, but he didn’t quite know why.

So, on Saturday morning, he decided to test out his hypothesis.

Neither of them were in work until 11:00 that day, giving them the opportunity to savour a much-needed lie-in. Kurt was in the Vogue offices for a couple of hours with Isabelle to start combing through the final draft of this month's issue, and Blaine was down at the theatre to help co-direct the first dress rehearsal of their show.

By the time it got to 9:45, they had both crawled out of bed and were nursing large mugs of tea, picking at a bunch of grapes and buttering slices of toast. As usual, music tinkled softly from the radio, and Kurt flicked through a copy of the New York Times , noting that Blaine had put off getting dressed despite being up and roaming the apartment for nearly an hour.

“Aren’t you going to put some clothes on?” Kurt asked, turning the page. “As much as I’d love you to stay like this, I don’t think the rest of the city is quite ready for it.”

Blaine laughed, shimmying his shoulders in the skimpy robe he’d pulled on to cover his otherwise stark-naked frame. “Fine, wouldn’t want to make you too jealous. Back in a minute.”

He shuffled off to the bedroom, drawing shut the curtain that sectioned them off from the rest of the flat (Rachel’s terrible attempt at creating privacy), but leaving a sizeable gap that allowed him to wander in and out without fussing with them again.

Now was his chance.

Kurt stood slowly, carrying the dishes across the kitchenette and turning the water on to allow the sink to fill. He haphazardly drizzled their plates in dish soap, discarding the bottle on the countertop, and- sly and stealthy as a fox- tip-toed his way over to their bedroom.

Holding his breath, he peeked around the heavy, grey fabric, and smiled fondly as he saw Blaine dithering between two different ties. One blue and orange plaid, the other yellow with thin black and white stripes.

Choose the second one, Kurt thinks, his smile stretching wider across his face when he watched Blaine toss the first one over his shoulder and wrap the yellow one around his neck. Creeping a little closer, he carefully watched Blaine’s reflection in the mirror.

He began to tie it up normally, fingers quickly whipping the fabric over itself to create a much neater bow than anything Kurt had seen from him this week. So, he does know how to do it, Kurt whispered to himself, his curiosity swelling as he continued to watch from around the corner. Blaine dusted off his shoulders, taking a step or two back to admire his handiwork. He smiles at himself, his nose crinkling as he turns on the spot, checking to make sure everything is tidy and all wrinkles are well-ironed out, bending down to tuck his shoelaces down the side of his wingtips.

Kurt’s heart flutters a little at how cute he is, dressing so smart for a boring old run-through, but it then proceeds to fall flat through his chest when he watches Blaine reach back up to his neck and yank at the bow, pulling it loose from his collar and causing the ends to slip through each other enough that it still held itself together, but only just.

So this is what he had been doing! He was purposefully messing it up so that Kurt would be forced to come along and straighten it up! Kurt felt his jaw slacken, his mouth curving into an ‘o’ in utter disbelief. He was beyond confused- it made no sense at all for Blaine to suddenly start relying on him to do something he was perfectly capable of. Arguably, he was even better than Kurt, so why he would settle for anything less was beyond him. Unless… Kurt gasped, the penny finally dropping.

He wants me to do it, because he likes it.

Bright, cheerful whistling pierced the air. Kurt jumped, scrambling to get back to the sink, snapping the rubber gloves on just quickly enough to start scrubbing the crumbs off their cutlery before Blaine strolled up behind him and nuzzled between his shoulders, arms settling around his middle as usual.

“Hey,” Kurt greets him, trying his best to calm his pounding heart, the adrenaline rush still running from almost being outed for his stalker-ish behaviour. He took a deep breath in. “You smell good, are you wearing something new?”

Blaine hugged him tighter, pressing his ear to Kurt’s back. “It’s yours, actually,”

“Oh, is it, now? Why is that?” Kurt teased, when really he didn’t mind at all.

Blaine chuckled, his voice softening. “I don’t know, it’s sort of silly… I kinda miss you when I’m at work, so it’s nice to have something around that reminds me of you...”

Although separated by his dress shirt, Kurt can feel the minuscule temperature difference between his skin and the blush creeping up Blaine’s cheek, and he allows himself to relax into the touch.

He loves Blaine like this. He already wears his heart on his sleeve, but when he drops down the last wall he has built up, leaving himself bare and vulnerable and open to brutal judgement that he would never receive from Kurt, he reveals a whole other layer of personality that Kurt gets to fall in love with. His voice becomes breathy, his hands fidgety, and his eyes pools of dark, liquid amber. The amount of trust he placed in Kurt to let him be here during these moments of quiet, shy intimacy was phenomenal, despite being an otherwise sincere and open person. Thinking about it made Kurt just about melt.

“That’s very sweet,” Kurt pulls off the gloves, drying his hands before turning around to pull Blaine into his embrace. He rubs up and down his back soothingly, gently swaying him from side to side and inhaling the familiar scent of his own cologne, but automatically picking up the clean, comforting smell of Blaine hidden underneath the heady aroma of nutmeg and cardamom as well. “ You’re very sweet.” He says, with a squeeze to his sides to emphasise it.

He feels Blaine laugh into his chest as he allows himself to be held, his heartbeat slowing to match with Kurt’s. They stay tangled together for a few seconds longer, silently enjoying each other’s presence before reluctantly peeling apart, smoothing out the creases in their shirts.

Blaine cleared his throat gently, standing taller. “How do I look?”

Kurt’s eyes flickered with mischief. He glanced to the offending item of clothing, draped limply around his neck, and back up to Blaine’s face. He smirked a little at Blaine’s timid smile, taking note of the way his lips parted slightly and his eyes seemed to shimmer as he waited for a response to his anxious proposal.

But, now, his original plan to expose him for this silly little ritual couldn’t go ahead. He may be as hooked on a scandal as any other executive director of the world’s most popular fashion magazine, but he couldn’t find it in him to purposefully embarrass Blaine. That, and judging by the way Blaine’s cheeks were darkening, he thinks he may have flustered him enough already.

Blaine squirmed a little under Kurt’s gaze, brushing his hands across his pullover for the speck of dirt or coffee stain he must be staring at. “Kurt? What is it? Are you-,”

He was cut off when Kurt wordlessly pulled him forward by his bow-tie and into a slow, deep kiss. Blaine made a surprised little ‘mmph!’ noise at the contact, smiling against Kurt’s lips when he felt soft eyelashes fluttering across his cheekbones. The same warm feeling from the beginning of the week started to bloom in the pit of his stomach, butterflies violently beating their wings against his ribcage as he was effortlessly wooed over by the charming gesture.

Kurt was the one to finally break the kiss, gently tugging each end of the tie and let it fall apart. His smirk softening, he tied it up again- this time, not missing the delicious little shiver that ran down Blaine’s spine when his fingers brushed the base of his neck. Blaine, transfixed by the light, feathery touches, was all moony-eyed when Kurt pulled away.

“There we go. Handsome as ever,” He pinches Blaine’s cheek, smiling when he flushes ever deeper. “Ready?”

Blaine nodded, lovingly squeezing Kurt’s hand as it slipped into his own. He grabbed the keys off the dresser in the hallway, shoving them into the door and twisting to unlock it. Listening to Kurt babble about trying some new coffee shop on 72nd, he was unable to wipe the love-stricken grin on his face at the thought of their little game starting all over again on Monday morning...

[chewysgummies]

Found this guy today in Hawaii. He's so cute, aaaw!

[shining-star-elle-blog]

CHAPTER 1.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Be-

A voice yawned after the click of a button, although no one would be able to see where the yawn came from with how dark it was in the room. Red light radiated from the alarm clock, showing the time as 5:00 AM, and so the boy had to get out of his bed, school was soon. With motivational difficulty, he leaned over to his lamp and turned it on, revealing the owner of the tired voice.

The lamp didn't give off too much light, but it was enough to reveal his face and figure. Hanging at the side of the shaggy bed was a teenager with blue eyes, brown hair and a lanky body. He blinked away the blur in his eyesight quickly, still quite dozy.

"Ugh…" He groaned and stood up, he was pretty tall, not seemingly very strong, and had a weird scar underneath his chin, which stretched over to his chest. Then, he got up and moved away from the dim light, now barely visible in this dreary room.

One could hear him lazily moving towards his wardrobe and throwing on some clothes, seemingly too quickly, showing he didn't quite care about his appearance.

He checked his items in his left pocket and found what he was looking for, a Pokeball. He pulled it out and aimed it at the bed before clicking the middle button and… Wait, why isn't it working. Oh… did she do that again? To confirm his suspicions, he went to the biggest lump in the blanket. Pulling the top away revealed a brown, fluffy Pokemon, with a big scruff. On her left ear (his right) was a yellow flower.

"Elle, wake up." The teenage boy whispered, shaking her body around until she yawned, waking up.

"Hm…?" The female Eevee mumbled, rubbing her eyes to get a clearer view of the world. When she noticed it was just Andy, she giggled a bit. This only served to annoy Andy.

Now, you may be wondering how he could understand his Eevee companion. Well, Pokemon and trainers can communicate with each other over time. Slowly, the trainer gets more in sync with their Pokemon, learning what everything about a Pokemon's gesture, pose, or speech means. It takes years and a good bond, but it wasn't uncommon.

"Elle, you know I put you in the Pokeball to keep you safe, right?" He tilted his head.

"Yeah but… I wanna sleep in the same bed as you, it's way more comfortable than that simulated garbage!" She whined. With a sigh, Andy nodded, understanding her feelings.

"Fine, but I'm gonna do this every night." Hoping she would get tired of the same shtick each night and morning was a mistake, but he pretended it would work, regardless of if he enjoyed her doing it or not.

"Whatevs… It's so dark out and I don't have the energy to argue back about it." She yawned before tapping the Pokeball button, allowing the red light to encapsulate her once more.

With a sigh, Andy pocketed his partner's ball and picked up his phone from its charging port, and concluded that that's all he needed for the day. He didn't use a bag since he had a school locker, and rarely did his homework.

He opened his door slowly knowing it always creaked. Minimizing the amount of noise he made, he walked down a familiar spiraling staircase, setting course to leave the expensive home. It was particularly light in the house today, and he pondered why for a moment until, like magic, the reason presented itself to him.

On the couch near the bottom of the stairs, 4 tired relatives were watching the news. This wasn't too uncommon in this household, but it still bothered the boy each time it happened. A sigh expelled from his mouth, announcing his presence.

A teenage girl with tied hair popped out of her spot to greet her younger brother.

"Hey brother, promise me we'll play again sometime. Last time was so much fun but you haven't talked to me since!" A devious grin covering her face, showing her bad intentions. Andy chose to ignore her, like usual.

The two older adults on the couch ignored his presence while another teenage boy made eye-contact in a blink. His hair was blonde, contradicting Andrew's dark brown, and while Andy's was messy, the other teenager had it nice and clean.

"If you don't take care of my Meowth tonight, there'll be consequences." The teenager whispered into Andy's ear, and fell back onto the couch, enjoying the latest story about a Poliwhirl firefighter.

Andrew had chills before he finally turned the knob to leave, but unfortunately for his nerves, his two parents turned at him slowly, a stern look covering their faces, which only made him leave the house quicker. Slamming the door behind him, he started his trek to his bus stop, of which was much further than his siblings.

When he got out of the driveway he stared back at the mansion. While lights throughout the expensive home blasted past the windows, his room was only dimly lit.

As he walked down the winding sidewalk past the many other mansions littering the hills, it was too dark for him to see anything except shadows. The lights usually on at night had disappeared, no longer filling his eyes with the vision he sought.

Eventually, he decided he was far enough from home and fiddled around his pocket to find his friend's Pokeball, and got a grip. Once he got it out he threw it instantaneously, not caring to think about how to send her out properly. She materialized a few feet in front of him before her ball zoomed back to his hand like a magnet.

Elle yawned and tapped her flower before looking at Andy.

"Good morning for realsies! I'm ready for the challenges today." Elle reported. She did this each day and was a good indicator to Andy of many things; energy, willpower, strength and of course making sure she was healthy mentally. She usually did it in return.

"Well, Andy, what about you?" She asked in a peppy voice.

"I'm a bit worried for tonight, but school is going to be decent." He started to walk down the road, Elle following to his right.

"Oh really? What classes do we have today? I kinda forgot."

"Today we have Refresh, Algebra, Biology and Partner Gym."

"I can't wait for last period!" Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the dark.

They went quiet for some time, mostly watching around the road, their world slowly opening up as the Sun rose. It was a peaceful time walking by the condos and mansions, all of which casting a creepy shadow onto them. Andy always thought of Luigi's Mansion when walking down these roads, despite them not being worn down at all.

Thankfully for the duo, finally reaching the end of a corner was a sign; it read "Beach Hlls" and pointed an arrow past his back. Looking ahead was the narrow roads that led into the city, and was where he would, each day, start the real long stretch to school.

"So… how were Andrianna and Jack today?" Elle delicately asked. Andy sighed.

"Well, Andrianna won't stop bothering me about wanting to do her definition of play, likely something I'd hate, and Jack wants me to take care of his Meowth again." Andy groaned, looking down. His blood was boiling, but he learned to ignore his anger.

"Sorry I can't help you… I'll have to be waiting in the ball I guess." Elle was always disheartened by the way he was treated by his family. Andy noticed it and patted her head, smiling.

"I know you always dislike it, but well, I just have to deal with it." He shrugged, not letting his problems become hers. She still felt bad, but the weight in her chest lightened up, knowing he didn't blame her, despite herself saying it was her fault for not being strong enough.

The padding of sneakers and paws were all that could be heard for a mile, albeit the occasional car driving down, which in turn freaked out Elle. Despite it being years since they started going down this route, she was always afraid of cars and jumped into Andy's legs or arms to avoid the sound of roaring engines.

The open road had many fields on the sides, filled with scattered trees and bushes. Many Pokemon interactions could be seen in the preserves. A tree had a Pancham leering at a Teddiursa, a Ursaring and Pangoro duo watching a fair bit behind. Litleos ran from a female Pyroar playfully in the fields. If one looked close in the trees, they could see a Raticate running from a second Pyroar, male this time. An Oranguru tried to talk to a Quagsire to horrible results, which Elle's perky ears overheard, and tried to horribly translate to Andrew, who turned out to only partially get it. Something about trying to talk intelligently, and the water type forgetting his words quickly.

About an hour later, they finally reached the bus stop, signified by an orange sign reading "Ravenwood Neighborhood". Next to that sign was a distinct yellow sign with a bus symbol, Andy and Elle had finally arrived. At the stop was one other teenager, humped over as he used his phone.

"Probably around another 5 minutes…" Andy mumbled, mostly for himself. Elle caught it, but didn't care to comment, only fearing the noise of the vehicle in question. In fact, she was quivering a small bit and held onto her flower, which made Andy feel inclined to help her.

"I'll bring you back out later…" Andy sighed, and recalled the shaking Pokemon back. Now it was just him and the hooded teenager a few feet away from him. This was one of the only people Andy got along with at this school, as he knew how sucky it was just to get to school from Andrew's home. The teenager was named Franty, but they still didn't talk to each other much. Speaking of that, with no cute distraction, Andy's feet hurt more than ever, but he tried to ignore it. He stood there patiently, ignoring his aching back and feet, trying to remember positive things. Over time it was getting easier, but it would always ache at least somewhat.

The bus's engine could be heard down the road, getting louder until finally it was within view. Andy's feet started to ache less simply at the idea of relaxing his poor muscles, and when the bus finally stopped, he sauntered into the loud bus quickly, ignoring sneers and small chuckles from the other students. Once he reached the back, he nearly collapsed into the seat, not sitting up because he was alone. Laying down on the seats, he tried to pass the time by thinking.

His thoughts from earlier returned. The positive thoughts were nearly all centered around one thing, Elle, and he focused on those instead of the snickers indirectly sent at him. Then he thought about when he had met her.

It felt like it had been so long.

All those years ago.

He fiddled with her ball, staring at it in his hand, letting the memories flow inside the mind. His unspeakable and unforgettable memory of the day came back.

The little boy had been sent out of his home like usual, it being a Saturday morning, and his parents not wanting him around. He decided to go into the woods despite better judgment by his fellow kids. "It's all mucky and sticky, ugh! You can get hurt too!"

As he took his first steps inside, it felt magical. It smelled like grass and nature, and was not too hot or too warm. Filling his sight was many Pokemon just… living. Yet, he saw a predator Poochyena take out a Pidgey, indicating to him that it was dangerous as well. Yet that made him excited to explore. Before he knew it, he was running through trees, dodging the erratic bushes and shrubs of the forest. Before he knew it, he saw a dirt road, which he decided to use after looking longingly at it. For a few minutes he simply watched the bird Pokemon filling the air, wishing deep down he could fly away from his troubles too.

Bang! Bang! The sound rang out for miles. The peaceful scent of the forest became the dreadful, dangerous smell of gunpowder.

He started shaking in fear. It happened just a few 100 feet away, he estimated, and against his better judgement ran down the dirt path. Then, a rackety old van came down the path, and he dodged the speeding vehicle by jumping to the left. It was black, and had drivers with a weirdly dark uniform. Running down the road, he ignored his near death experience. There were bigger fish to fry. He heard the crying of a Pokemon.

Finally, he reached the curve and heaved, his heart trying to catch up. That was when he saw the sight that would never leave his mind.

A Leafeon and an Espeon laying on the ground. Blood covered their fur coats, and a cracked egg sat next to a crying Eevee kit. The Espeon's ruby lit up and showed Andy the events in full.

It faded in between scenes of sorts. The mates and the shiny Eevee son were relaxing in a den when Team Rocket came by, and used some device to know exactly where the shiny Eevee was. He felt her fear. He felt their worry for their kept throwing Pokeballs, and the Espeon kept throwing them back. Using Pokemon to distract them, when the female Rocket checked a device, she said they were running out of time. The male pulled out those weird metallic devices, and shot the mates. He felt her sadness… not just towards her likely death, but more towards her baby. Taking the shiny Eevee, ignoring the Eevee that had been born that morning, thankfully, the Rockets got in their van and left.

"Take… care… of… her…" Was the Espeon mother's last words.

"I-I promise I will." Andy held her paw and cried into it. He didn't notice it, but she had a smile and tear before she died. "I… trust you." She believed he had a future ahead of him more than anyone else. She believed he would grow to huge heights. The 11 year old cried into the afternoon, burying the Leafeon and Espeon. The Eevee kit watched it all, crying too.

Then he realized that he had promised to take care of a baby Pokemon, but he had never been allowed to own a Pokemon before. It was gonna take a lot of work, but he picked up the Eevee gently with his bloody arms, holding it up high to look at her. They cried into each other's bodies throughout the night.

He was going to think of what happened next, but the bus made a sharp turn that jolted him out of his day-dreaming state. The sign out the window read "Pallet City Public High School" and he groaned. Wiping off his few tears, he was the last to leave the bus.

The first day of the rest of his life had started.

[parvathy7502]

Technology, Development and Modern Lifestyles- Boon Or Curse?

“Beep! beep!”....my mobile alarm buzzed energetically to wake me up from my dozy cozy sleep... From clocks to giant super computers, technology has radically changed the vision of the world we live in..We depend on technology in nearly every phase of our lives..The advancement in this field has led to the modern world being known as techno-savvy, and us technosaviens. It has not only increased the level of development but also has given rise to a contemporary lifestyle...It has eased our work in almost all aspects with a systematic and faultless approach. The modern telecommunication systems have provided even the most remote places access to the latest trend. Moreover Transmission, storage and retrieval of huge data has been reduced to just two-three clicks!

With the advent of technology, the reliance of humans on it has expanded... People of all age groups are attracted by the flawless performance it showcases..Some even perceive it as the ultimate superior force! I agree that the concept of a tiny silicon chip transforming our breadth of sight is truly amazing and wonderful...With every passing day, new innovations dot up our tech landscape with thousands of inventors all over the world determined to modify the existing tech and gadgets...The comfort technology has equipped us with is the basis of our Utopian dreams..but aren’t we forgetting something? We need to be cautious because nightmares are dreams too!

Technology has indeed gained a lot of popularity in our favorites list but we often fail to spot the side effects of its exploitation...Besides cyber crimes and dangerous softwares on the rise .. the manipulating power of technology has led to destabilization of social order as well... The addiction to tech has rendered people incapable of recognizing their self potential...There has been no solution over the issue of proper management and disposal of e-waste yet.. The accumulation of leaked poisonous substances from the dumping areas has adversely affected the surrounding natural as well as artificial ecosystems.. The radiations emitted by gadgets form the basis of diseases and disorders....The undeterred utilization of technology without appropriate precautions can lay the very foundation of dystopia....

The judicious use of technology with adequate improvement in efficiency and eco-friendly machinery is essential for sustainable development of mankind... Technology at present is a mixed blessing... With the implementation of proper etiquette in e-waste disposal and the endeavors of innovators to maximize efficacy and reduce pollution, hazards and aftermaths the upgraded tech shall surpass its drawbacks and shall weave its magic for the prosperity of humans..

I find myself very lucky to be in the present period of time.. Its been a pleasure to interact with the current tech and am eagerly looking forward to the spell binding tech era ahead....The choices we make are the decisive factors of the consequences we end up in! Its on our preference to let tech dominate us or allow ourselves to wield the best from its application...... After all it was an idea that originated in a human brain which laid the basis of what we today call Technology!

“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.”

–Elbert Hubbard

[instakpop]

LuHan scenario - my wish

requested

genre: birthday fluff and birthday sex ;)

Warnings: eating out, neck bites, dirty talk

summary: Luhan comes for a visit while you celebrate your birthday with family and makes sure that you have a very happy ending.

I always found comfort in LuHan’s voice when we are apart. Tomorrow is my birthday and we both promised we would be together for it since he was touring last year. Unfortunately, he had some last minute promotions to do so I decided to spend my birthday with family.

I’m not one to hold something like this against him, but it did depress me a little. I know he is a busy man, but we promised. I laid back against the headboard on my bed and listened to the soft beat of Han’s new song.

What if I said don’t run away

We were happy together

If it’s mean to be apart when we were young

Maybe I should say it later

I felt so emotional hearing those lyrics. I could hear the pain in his voice. I was taken out of my trance when the door opened. I paused the song and took off my headphones as my family’s dog jumped onto my bed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you~~~” I said petting his head. I was so bored! I picked up my phone and figured I’d call Han and see what he was up to for tomorrow.

“hello?” I smiled at the roughness in his voice. He most likely just woke up.

“Hey, baby! Is it late where you are? I’m sorry to wake you,”

“no. Don’t apologize, I’m just in the car heading to my next venue. I thought I’d get a nap on the way since my manager is driving. What’s going on?” He explained. 

“I just thought I’d call you. I miss you so much, today was super boring. I think my family has drained of me already. It was fun at first and now it’s like I never left.” I said with a laugh. 

After another 10 minutes of talking on the phone, Han suggested we should just text each other, so he could get ready. The rest of the night moved at a slow pace. I fell asleep with my phone still in my hand, ready to reply to Han’s messages, but never did.

I must have only been asleep two hours when I heard a knock on my door. I was far too tired to get out of my warm bed and answer it, so I just gave a simple, “come in.” and the door opened. I shot up quickly at the darkened figure I knew couldn’t be true. The light switched on and I gasped when I saw my ever so handsome boyfriend holding a white gift bag and purple and gold tissue paper.

“Han?” I jumped out of bed and collided into his arms. “You came back for me.”

“Of course I did. I’ll always come back for you.” He kissed the top of my head and pulled back slightly to hand me my gift. “for you.”

I opened the bag and took out the paper to see the cutest little deer plushie. I held it up to find that it smelled just like LuHan. He must have sprayed a little cologne on it for me. “I love it! I love you, Han.”

“There’s more.” He said taking the deer. I was surprised that I didn’t see the diamond tennis bracelet around it’s neck. He wrapped it around my wrist and clasped it. I hugged his one more time nuzzling into his long neck.

“Let’s sleep, Baobei. You must be tired too.” I lead his to my bed and climb in with him. He placed his arms around my waist, pulling my back to his toned chest.

“I love you, Han,” I said in a dozy haze.

“I love you too, Y/n. Happy birthday”

My eyes fluttered open the next morning to see the streams of light pouring in through the curtains. I hummed at the blissful noise of birds singing.  I froze when I felt a pair of warm, soft lips on the nape of my neck. I turned over and smiled at Han’s glowing half-asleep face.

My alarm clock started to go off and I quickly sat up, swinging my feet over the side of the bed. “Where are you going?” He questioned. watching me make my way to the bathroom.

“I don’t want morning breath. I have to get ready for the day anyways.” I said as he got out of bed and walked up behind he, snaking his hands around my hips as I stood in front of the mirror to brush my teeth. He leaned down and kissed my neck, around my sweet spot and up to my jaw line.

“Han, we shouldn’t. My family is here.” I said trying to fight the urge to pounce on him here and now. He groaned and walked back to my bed, sitting at the edge. I finished brushing my teeth and sat next to him on the bed, grabbing my phone.

His lips found his way back to my neck as I checked for any new messages. His wandering hands pulled my hips back so I was pressed against him. His fingertips grazed down my crossed legs leaving goosebumps across the skin. I let out a staggered breath, leaning my head back, away from my phone. I felt the smirk on his lips as he kissed my shoulders and down my collar bones.

“Y/N!~~ We’re going to the store to get the rest of you party decorations! do you need anything?” My mom yelled from downstairs

“N-No! I’m g-good!” I tried to keep from moaning out loud, but Han’s kiss was so intoxicating. As soon as the front door shut I turned around to straddle him. He took my phone from my hand and placed it on the nightstand ad lifted me directly over his hip as he leaned back on the headboard. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing his lips.

I grinded down onto his hips, forcing a soft moan to leave his swollen lips. I loved the way he looked in the morning. So sexy with his bed hair and slightly puffy features. I broke away to kiss his sweet button nose, only to have him scrunch it at me and smile. His hands rubbed up and down my back, underneath my top. I just pulled it off altogether and returned his lips to mine.

“Wait, baobei~ Today is your day.” He held my hips and rolled us over so my back was against the soft blankets.  He trailed down my bare chest licking and kissing the exposed skin. My heart raced as his pecks got lower and lower down my body.

I ran my fingers through his hair while he skillfully pulled down my panties, revealing my wet core. “God I’ve been waiting so long for this.” His hot breath tickling my clit. I hummed at the familiar feeling. He knew how to drive me crazy.

He lifted my weakened legs over his shoulders for easier access to what he’s been missing for weeks. I could almost see the stars when he placed an open mouthed kiss to my clit, sucking lightly. I tugged on his smooth hair in ecstasy. His head moved with every stroke of his skilled tongue.

“H-Han. I said with a whimper. He was so good at eating out, but I couldn’t cum too fast. I bit my lip, trying not to scream his name when he slid a finger into me.

“Don’t fight back your moans, baby. I want to hear your beautiful voice.” He returned to my heat and added another finger. I let my mouth hang open, releasing all of the cries I held back.His mouth felt so good I bucked my hips and tried to ease back. His free hand gripped my wrist, pulling my hands out of his hair and pinning me down. I arched my back without even thinking and his head raised. “Don’t you dare squirm away, baobei. I’m not afraid to panty-cuff the birthday girl.”

I nodded quickly, not wanting this to end so soon. His lips returned to my wet clit, pumping his fingers in and out steadily. I let my head fall back, surrendering to his touch. I pressed my thighs together, trapping his to my core.

Just then, he ripped away from between my legs and pulled my feet to the edge of the bed.

“But I thought I was being good,” I said questioning his action. He simply smirked and said, “You were a good girl, but I want more.” I hovered over me, his eyes never leaving mine. I leaned up to meet his lips, tasting myself on his tongue. I gasped into his mouth as he rubbed his tip along my entrance. I pressed the tips of my fingers into the skin of his shoulders, pulling his closer.

He gave me one last kiss before sliding his long member into me. I buried my face into his neck, kissing the vein in his neck that showed when he moaned. “H-Han- oh. God, I missed you.”

His body moved in slow wave-like strokes over me. I cried out at the feeling of his teeth grazing my sweet spot, urging me to call his name again.

“Han! Don’t stop. Just like that!” I cried. His strong hands slipped down my waist to my lower back as he came up on his knees. He repositioned our hips, smacking them together with every quick thrust. I gripped the pillow case and moaned his name, unable to do anything else.

His moans started to get as staggered and breathy like mine. He held my hips tighter, grazing my g-spot. “LuHan, I’m close. Just cum baby.”

“Mmmmm~~ Feel me, baobei. You look so sexy like this.  completely submissive to me. Begging for more.I- I love you.” He said starting to get caught up in his climax. I shouted his name as he slammed into my and rode out our highs. He threw his head back as the beads of sweat drizzled down his neck to his chest. I bounced my hips onto his member, watching his toned abs flex with each smooth thrust.

“Ohh- Han~,” I said relaxing out of my intense orgasm. He leaned down, kissing my forehead and rolling over next to me. I turned over, draping my leg over his hips. His hand came up and rested on my thigh, rubbing small circles into the skin.

“I’m so glad your here with me. You’re the best gift ever, you know that?” I said while getting control of mt breath.

“Anything for my birthday girl.” He said wrapping me up with a warm blanket.

After my parents got home and Luhan and I both looked decent, I was happy to see the rest of my family and friends gathered int he backyard. They all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and brought out my cake.

“Make a wish!!” My mom said. I walked up to the cake and closed my eyes. I thought for a second about what my one with should be, but the truth is, I already got it.

THE END

[cutecrzy]

My big fat dozy alarm clock via /r/Delightfullychubby http://ift.tt/2j6MA5p

[cute-lil-animals]

My big fat dozy alarm clock