#EZ Secret Santa

[inejschumacher]

With all these Abde posts you’d think I’d have started his fic I planned for Taycember🥴

[xyanmajor]

Strahd Secret Santa

From the Misthoppers Discord Challenge.

Ez and Ireena having a little moment of peace (and more).

I only draw them. The design are @calebisdrawing ones (i did my best at last) and this drawing is theirs :)

This was a delight. Ty for your prompt and your kindness ♡

[oonajaeadira]

For the Love of Fic: January 2

I've been doing my best to get caught up on a verrrrrrry long reading list. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm a super slow reader (both in having the time to read and actual reading speed), and many of my favorite writers are bananas prolific, so it's easy for me to fall behind. My lists for the immediate future will probably be in character groupings, since that helps me organize and sift.

Today you're getting these lovelies in some fic I've been loving!

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EZRA

Cross My Heart by @brandyllyn This wins for my favorite of the week. How can it not, when it is from my Secret Santa???? Brandy softens our scoundrel but keeps his dangerous edge which I really love and appreciate. This could have been your regular Gift of the Magi fic, but it goes above and beyond. Not only do these lovers do what they can to give each other the world, they get to keep their spoils too. My heart would follow his anywhere. <3

untitled by @brandyllyn So after reading Cross My Heart, I decided to catch up on the remaining Ezra fic of Brandy's I haven't read yet and I was not disappointed, not at all. If Ezra came to me for advice on how to touch a lady, I don't think I'd be able to hold myself together this well...

When They Disentwine by @brandyllyn Holy BALLS this is hot like fire. A little misunderstanding leads to some really delicious punishment--read the warnings. Do I like a little danger in my Ez? Fk yeah I do. Soft and dangerous. This serves.

Hold Fast to Dreams by @brandyllyn Here it is, friends. One of the most beautifully written, soft, wonderful Ezra stories full of books and hope and healing and it's rendered me nearly speechless. I don't know what else to say except DANG.

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MAX PHILLIPS

Bangathon: Position: Reverse Cowgirl by @prolix-yuy Oh. My gods. I did not expect the soft. And yet. Here it is. And I am clawing for it. The moment he realizes he's actually into her kind of destroyed me. And I love that they're both in the same place...fkn hells. I swoon. This's the good stuff.

Negotiations by @prolix-yuy Another treat from LJ with a softer, yearning Max. Yes, he's got more ego than he should have, but it gets a swift, satisfying kick in the ass when he comes up against you. And do you ever give him a run for his money. A lovely little twist and sweet surprise.

A Rough (Pumpkin) Patch by @blueeyesatnight Can we all acknowledge how satisfying it is to witness Max get pouty when he doesn't get his way? And then twist things around to make his own fun? He may hate hay rides and pumpkin picking, but if you're the only two in the field, there may be more fun to be had....

I Wanna Do Bad Things With You by @chronically-ghosted I too would be tempted to tell Max to feed from me while we did the do. But you know what I am? A soft girl with a weakness for a build up. So imagine my joy when I found out this was a series in progress...one bite/drink/base at a time! And there are feelings? What! This is all my monsterfkr dreams with Max come true.

Polynesian Kiss by @morallyinept Listen. He's Max. He's your boss, and he's a vampire, and you're his PA. And blood donor. And bang buddy. And you just can't make it into work because your cramps are murder. Lucky you, you've just become a dispenser for Max's favorite treat, and he is here to FEAST. I love a man who loves his meal, and goodness does he ever enjoy you. TASTY.

Blood & Tinsel by @morallyinept Read the warnings on this one, because Max has his influence on and you're not submitting to his office booty call of your own free will. But you would if he'd let you. He doesn't know that. Yet. I love how Jett writes his reaction to that little tidbit....she's got this power-hungry jackass down.

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EDDIE THE VAMPIRE

An Act of Kindness pt. 2 by @missredherring Oh my gosh, Eddie's become a rescue pup! He has nowhere to go and nobody to look after him and he was so young when he turned...he's so confused. I just wanna comfort the boy. It's a good thing Bella's here to look after the little darling. (Guest appearance by one Jack Daniels with mentions of Max Phillips and a Liam easter egg.)

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WING PIT GUY

2023 Summer Kiss Prompt #3: Daniel (Wing Pit) - Distracting Kiss by @something-tofightfor Rachael's Wing Pit Guy is named Daniel and there's just something about him that's comfortable and goofy and total boyfriend material. (And he can clean a chicken wing bone in one smooth go.) You know that kissing him is gonna taste like sauce, and since he really loves his wings, you know that sauce is gonna be good. And real. And sweet. Just like this fic.

2023 Summer Kiss Prompt #11: Daniel Harper (Wing Pit) - A Kiss After Pain by @something-tofightfor It's finally time for a real first date, but before that, time to meet Daniel's dog. Raider is just a dog, doing dog things and doesn't mean to slip up. But istg if anyone here hurts Raider I will burn this site to the ground. There's a really sweet kiss in here and I am all for it. But I am having trouble deciding if I love Raider or Daniel more right now...

Smutsgiving 2023: Sweet Potato Casserole / Daniel Harper (Wing Pit Pedro) by @something-tofightfor First of all, marshmallow fluff is genius. Second of all, I don't care how sticky it is. I hate sticky and I would still allow supreme level boyfriend coded Daniel to cover me in it.

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TIM ROCKFORD

Rockford & Roan Pt. 5 by @littlemisspascal There's a number of reasons why I'm freaking out about this chapter. It's dark. There's a body. Tim is mystereously cold and Roan is being warned not to be taken advantage by his less than perfect tendancies. Doubt is strewn. Our Very Good Boy Banjo is a little doggie king. And then there's the special guest star, complete with cliffhanger...and I'm in LOVE.

Morning, His Place by @words-are-fireproof A slice of life, an early morning in the kitchen with Tim before he has to leave for work. And yet, in just a short piece, there's so much detail and background given between the characters, just in the little things they say and do, the pictures on the wall, the things Tim forgets. Simple and lovely.

2023 Summer Kiss Prompt #5: Tim Rockford - Jealous Kiss by @something-tofightfor Black Days Tim has a hold on me, and Rachael's given him a lot of groundedness and depth. He's not surprised by much, except when he surprises himself.

Smutsgiving 2023: Apple Pie / Tim Rockford by @something-tofightfor Another Black Days Tim, and this one has him apologizing to his lady for not being home for Thanksgiving by utilizing his desk when she comes to visit him. Yes plz.

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DIETER BRAVO

Star Boy by @ezrasbirdie I'm in love with the Star Boy and his Cool Girl so so much and this installment in the Starstruck Series was no exception. They have so much to navigate together and it can't be the easiest thing to date a movie star. But I'm willing to take the chance if he love love loved me this very much.

Misfire by @qveerthe0ry If it's something I'm fascinated and enamored of, it's a boy that comes untouched. Dunno why that's a kink of mine, maybe I just find it endearing when someone loses control. This one has no romantic or sexual connection to it though, and it's Dieter actually being embarrassed. I am not above smiling while watching that man be flustered and suffer a little.

Bravo, Dieter. by @juletheghoul If you haven't had a taste of Jules' writing (first of all, where have you been), then this is as good a place as any to start. Pretty writing, smooth Dieter, make up sex ahoy, and all the neck nibbles you can't keep your cool over....

Paint Me Like One of Your French Girls by @missredherring While there's some verbal teasing, this is a working relationship, but a good one. I mean, I don't know if I'm in the right crotchspace to let Dieter paint my naked body and be cool about it, but if I was, I would hope it would be as endearing as this.

Dress Me Up and Call Me Pretty by @morallyinept This is one of the hottest things I have ever read. Dieter is an absolute mess, his own worst enemy, and reader is an angel who gives him everything he needs--and discovers she likes it too. The LOVE. The kink. The marathon. The care. Just go. Go now and get your strap on.

Run Over By A Reindeer... by @blueeyesatnight Blue has such a good grip on Dieter and I love his perfect balance of shithead horny actor and genuinely nice horny guy. I laughed out loud at this multiple times too, because Blue's also good at Dieter's dipshit humor. This is definitely one of my favorites this season.

Smutsgiving 2023: Stuffing / Dieter Bravo by @something-tofightfor This is Dieter from Rachael's Locked Down series and I have a real soft spot for these two...and for this particular take on Dieter. He's someone who surprises you constantly, showing a disaster to the world while being actually put together underneath. Stuffing shows up in more ways than one here. As does mention of a raccoon....

2023 Summer Kiss Prompt #10: Dieter Bravo - A Kiss While Baking by @something-tofightfor This one is sweet in every sense of the word. Brownies, kisses, heartfelt feelings, a peek at a possible future... I love Locked Down Dieter so much and it's nice to see him domestic and happy.

Touch Me Touch Me Touch Me by @missredherring It's subby D time! This time with a free use kink and some audio erotica built in! At first I was a little sorry for our needy boy, but man, does he get it in the end....and how.

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[ravennaortiz]

❄️Christmas series 💬 Request 💋Smut 💜Fluff 🌵 Angst

Revenge 🌵 Angel and EZ seek vengeance on Happy.

Secret Santa ❄️💜

Naughty List ❄️💋

Sledding ❄️💜

Snowball ❄️💜

Will you let me take you out? 💬💜

[fighterkimburgess]

Life In The Fast Lane Chapter 1: Bahrain

Summary: Kim finds out a closely guarded secret about her brother, but more gossip about her relationships doesn’t help even though Adam does well. Masterlist

Words: 4k

Warnings: Bob Ruzek’s A+ Parenting, mentions of child neglect and emotional abuse.

There’s an authors note with definitions at the end.

—

The winter break hadn’t been nearly long enough as far as Kim was concerned. They’d spent Christmas together in Monaco, going over to Sarah and Crockett’s to see what Pere Noel had brought Lolly for the holiday. Sarah had surprised them with mistletoe as they walked into the apartment, Adam kissing Kim with a wry smile. Lolly was found surrounded by gifts from Santa, her very favourite a hot sauce gift set that she refused to let go of. Kim and Adam - mostly Adam if Kim was honest - had gotten her a go kart to use while they travelled and seeing the bigger car made the girl light up. At first she put it at the front of the line of toy cars surrounding her. Once Adam showed her the blue and red helmet to match his own and the grey race suit she understood exactly what she could do, sitting into the vehicle. 

The next afternoon involved the four adults driving out to a karting track in Eze. Lolly copied Adam’s every movement as they raced on the tiny vehicles. It was an immediate hit as a present, even while Sarah cringed watching her barely bigger than a toddler child drive at thirty miles an hour.

They’d even gotten to go on vacation for a week together. Adam had organised a jet to bring them to the Caribbean so they could wander around the Guadeloupe Islands together hand in hand. His off season beard meant he wasn’t recognised and they got to act like any two tourists. The only photos posted on Instagram were from when they got back. Kim wasn’t visible in anything on his profile, and he was missing from hers. They were rested and relaxed, ready for the next season even if she could have done with more time off.

When preseason testing rolled around she was working with both Plouch and VR depending on the session, she and Kevin running between places like bats out of hell. She worked with Roman, getting his timings right and praying he didn’t hit someone else or spin off into a run off, then go to Adam who was getting to grips with a new car and wheel. The internal systems were completely different for them which made it a fun challenge. Kim would dip into the bathroom to change her shirt as she moved between the garages. From there she raised the vacated pit wall seat up, sat down, and plugged in the new headset to find out what was going on.

In between testing in Barcelona and Bahrain Kim officially moved into Adam’s apartment. It was a risk they were willing to take to live together fully. She had to give Trudy her new address, walking into the principal’s office and handing over the form. Trudy looked at the address with a slowly raising eyebrow before staring up at Kim.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I’m just moving, Trudy. Nothing else is changing in my life.

It was so hard to keep everything mostly to herself. Every week more gossip accounts appeared on Instagram and TikTok. They posted about the drivers and their personal lives, comparing wives and girlfriends and making Kim feel weird. A photo of Kelly Severide and rookie Stella Kidd kissing on vacation in Italy went viral, even outside the F1 bubble. Part of her was jealous. She wished she could have shared the photo of Adam kissing her cheek from their vacation even on her close friends Insta story. But the other part of her was glad that it was private and that the media couldn’t get involved any more in her life. She’d seen the media frenzy that Roman’s last girlfriend had to deal with. Jenn had left him because he wouldn’t commit and there were photos of him kissing women at parties and it ended up slapped all over the internet. Plus the mayhem that occurred when people thought Lolly was Adam’s child was enough to make her never want it.

The day before they were due to fly to Bahrain for the first race of the year she was in a cafe in Monaco. March fog had cleared to a warm day as she took an outdoor table. Kim never felt truly cold now that the majority of her home life was almost entirely based around the Mediterranean Sea. There were no more minus 40 days that made her miss her rural Illinois home. The second chair at her table was pulled out as Mouse sat down, graceful as his gangly legs would let him.

“Penny for them?” He asked as Kim shook her head.

“Stuff and things. Whether going public is a good idea or the worst thing we could possibly do?” She semi asked before taking a sip of the fruit tea in front of her.

“Can you keep a secret?” Kim nodded while she watched the older man’s slim fingers fidget with the air in front of him. “I know exactly what you’re going through. But it’s been five years.”

“You’re not making sense. Since what?”

“It’s five years since Jay and I started sleeping together and we’ve been dating for the last four and a half. So if anybody in this bubble we live in gets it, I do. He’s telling Adam today, that’s why I’m telling you. I’m sorry it wasn’t sooner.”

“Is it worth it?” Kim asked after a few moments. Mouse nodded before the full question was out.

“So worth it. He can’t come out. Not while he’s driving. And we couldn’t tell Antonio because it’s not like Dawson can keep a secret. We agreed that before he retires he’ll come out to make it easier for the younger kids. If a certain someone doesn’t decide to come out before he does.” The nod between them was enough to know that they both understood before he continued. “Mom and Will both know about us but that’s it. I told Jay I wanted to tell you but not why. I think he thinks it’s cause you’re basically my sister. And being able to tell Adam and trust him with something will help Jay too.”

“Thanks for telling me.” It was a comfortable silence for a few moments, the ambience only broken by the roar of a super car going past. “How have you kept it so quiet?”

“Hailey was his beard for a year.” Kim’s near cackle shattered the quiet between them, looking curiously at her brother as she regained her composure.

“Upton? His PR person? How did you end up roping her into that?”

“Her girlfriend does PR for Goat, she’s their Head of Comms. They didn’t want people knowing they were together and dealing with the cross team worries until they were serious. They pretended to date, did some red carpet events, went to the FIA gala together. It worked for both of them, what else was he supposed to do?”

“Ok, point taken.” She smiled and finished the last sips of her drink. “We should get together for dinner in Bahrain. It’d be nice to spend some time as a couple with people who aren’t Sarah and Crockett. I love them, but it’s our routine and there’s only so many times you can do it. When are you flying out?”

“Tomorrow. We’re on the same jet as the two of you, Jay wants some extra days to adjust to the lack of humidity. I agreed as long as I have an air conditioned dark room to play video games in with snacks and candy. We can do a room service dinner?”

“Perfect. You can see my mayhem for trying to learn your software.” Kim tried making it a joke but Mouse squeezed her hand.

“When we’re on the plane I’ll go over how it works. I know you and Adam have your own shorthand, but the software is very different to Plouch. Believe me, I helped write the code for yours as Mom’s Christmas present one year. I’ll give you the head start before we get to the track.”

“You are amazing. Dinner when we land tomorrow?”

“Deal, but none of us will be human after the flight.”

The apartment was empty when Kim made it home, Adam out for a job to enjoy the last of their time at home before the chaos began anew. The meal plan that his trainer, Dante, had made up was stuck to their fridge with a magnet and tonight’s meal was chicken and chorizo pasta bake. The food was in the oven and Kim was wiping down their countertops when the front door opened. Heavy thuds paced down the wooden floor into the kitchen.

“Honey, I’m home!” Kim turned to see Adam dripping with sweat and smiling, reaching for a quick kiss to greet him.

“Dinner’s in fifteen. Go shower, you stink.”

“Want to shower with me?” He wiggled his eyebrows but Kim just laughed and shook her head.

“Showering with you means my cooking was pointless, it’ll burn. Go get ready.” He stuck his tongue out at her before turning to go to the shower, Kim calling after his retreating back. “Mouse told me what Jay said to you by the way!”

Over dinner they had the conversation about just how worrying it was to know about Jay and Mouse. Voight wouldn’t drop the driver. He put the team above all else and Jay was their best chance at a championship. But it was still something the media could use against them. Drivers private lives couldn’t be private. Kim still remembered the moment the year before when she walked in on Darren Ritter in a compromising position, not that she cared. But his team would if it brought bad publicity or meant they lost sponsors. Plus being gay was illegal in some of the countries they travelled to.

All things considered the flight to Bahrain was as relaxed as it could be. A car service picked them up from the apartment building and drove them straight to Nice International. It was through passport control in a few minutes and then onto a private jet where Kim relaxed in awe at the plush leather interior.  The flight to the Gulf nation took six hours. Half of it was spent with Mouse learning how to use the software VR used for data and transmission. The other half was spent curled up with Adam watching a movie. Those moments when travelling were so rare. Kim was normally in premium economy with Sarah, Crockett, and Lolly so here she took full advantage.

Once they landed and had their passports stamped it was easy to get to the hotel they were staying in. Officially they were all paying for their own rooms until the rest of the team arrived on Wednesday, so they could stick to the two drivers rooms only. It was three days of bliss for Kim and Adam. They got to relax until it was time to prepare for Shakir and the blistering heat that awaited them, having dinner with their friends.

She’d prepped at this track twice before and it wasn’t anything new, but her place in the team was new. Where Plouch was run on a shoestring - sponsorships hard to come by for the team that was barely making ends meet - VR had everything she could imagine. She didn’t need to do the pit wall setup, and her headset was there waiting at her place. Even the clothing quality was better. The shirt she wore was completely cotton and light in the desert heat. With her hair pulled back and the headset on she finally felt like people would respect her more than they previously had in the sport. 

Thursday went as well as could be expected. Mouse showed her how to set up for the best view and how he organised his notes. She had her own system anyway but was able to blend the two to optimise. The strategy sessions she’d been in had blown her mind. It wasn’t just her and Kevin trying to come up with strategy and tyre degradation ideas, but there was a team analysing data from previous races to give them more information. Everyone’s contributions were listened to and respected. The rush was nearly intoxicating.

She barely saw Adam on Thursday. The day had been spent in press and a GPDA meeting, and the night involved sponsor events and wining and dining the sponsors. He arrived back to the room in fully branded clothing, shaking his head and wrapping her up in his arms for a cuddle and sleep. But Friday was where everything was really going to count.

As soon as Kim watched Adam drive out of the garage on Friday she knew just how good the team move had been for him. The engine purred as he started his run, twenty cars filing out onto the track in unison.

“Plan A?” He asked over the radio.

“Plan A. Keep an eye out, once you finish your out lap you’ll have Gallo, Capp, and Scott ahead of you so it’ll be dirty air. Stick to the plan.”

“Copy.”

Kim watched the data coming in from the car sensors, the temperatures changing to the points of a degree Celsius that they’d expected and the way the car went through fuel was exactly as they thought. Everything was in the limits they’d expected and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. How could she not enjoy it?

The two practice sessions went by in the blink of an eye, Kim focusing on Adam’s data and where he could shave tenths off his lap times. He’d found almost the perfect racing line and they’d spent time on getting his lines right. Once she got him into clean air during qualifying it would be a sight to behold.

Saturday was a complete blur for her, but with Kim on the radio Adam made it to P3 for his best ever qualifying result. Third place, less than a hundredth of a second away from the front row. Jay was first, and Kelly Severide had made it to P2. Filling out Adam’s row was Ethan Choi. Once the weigh ins and interviews were done Kim watched as the drivers said congratulations to Adam, fans cheering at the sight. It was a cute scene to see.

After the debrief and discussions were over Kim was finally able to leave, exhaustion seeping out of every single one of her pores. The only things she wanted were a hot shower, room service, and bed. But coming out of the motorhome she was stopped by one of the reporters wandering the paddock.

“Kim Burgess, you’re up here with VR because they’re still working out who’s going to pair up the driver of car 21, Adam Ruzek, isn’t that right?” She put on her best media training face.

“Right now we’re seeing who Adam responds to. It’s a new car, new team, so a new engineer might be the right call to make.”

“So it’s not because Hank Voight agrees with Bob Ruzek that, and I’m quoting from Bob after he heard you and Adam speaking during FP3 today, that “Adam needs a firm hand as an engineer, he always did, and a woman isn’t going to be as harsh on him as he needs them to be to get the best out of him.”

Her hackles were raised but Kim kept that same peaceful look on her face, unwilling to give the reporter anymore than she had to.

“Bob can have his own opinions. But Adam and I worked together for more than forty races already, and I helped him get to three podiums and a win. This is a results based business so we’ll see where the results go.”

“Ruzek senior also made some allegations about your personal life, that racing isn’t a place for a woman to live her life. Do you wish to comment on it?” At that Kim fought back the blush threatening to overwhelm her.

“I don’t comment on my personal life. No offence, I think having a coffee with you would be fun, but I can’t see why the world would be interested in my life outside of helping my team win races. Evening!”

With that she waved to the camera and left for the paddock gates immediately. The turnstiles were just too far away for her liking, but she could hear the words repeated around in her head. What the hell had Bob done this time?

It didn’t take long to get on one of the shuttles back to the hotel. As soon as she reached her room she searched Twitter. It was a habit she’d broken nearly as soon as she started working in Formula One, but the verified @kimburgessrace account she had was worth it for checking things like this. Someone had tagged her in a video.

Hearing Bob talk about @kimburgessrace like this is awful. She’s a good engineer. Would he say it if @katwaterdrives was there this week?

The video was of Adam doing a slow lap as close to the racing line as possible. The familiar radio box appeared on the side of the screen.

“Adam, you’re down ten seconds on your last lap but perfect line. Keep the pace.”

“Can I go a little faster?”

“Next lap. Stick to your lines.”

“Copy.”

It moved out to a wide shot of him taking the turns, Bob and Wallace Boden commentating.

“He’s doing really well in that VR car. Still the talented driver we always knew he was, but with a car like that he can show off,” Boden said as the roar of the V6 engine was audible down the straight.

“I’d expect him to be faster. Adam needs a firm hand as an engineer, he always did, and a woman isn’t going to be as harsh on him as he needs you to be to get the best out of him. Voight needs to get Atwater in there permanently with him.”

Bob’s words weren’t unusual, but the venom he delivered them with was worse than usual. Her twitter notifications were busy and she was trending under motorsport. Most of the reactions were in her favour, people calling out Bob’s sexism. One of the videos from Adam’s karting days had started to be shared the same way it always was when Bob was an ass. The grown man was yelling at seven year old Adam after he came third in a race. From some of the stories that Adam had told her it was a normal occurrence. No matter how many years had passed any of those videos being shared always upset Adam, especially now that it was defending Kim.

Her boyfriend hadn’t spoken to his father in over a decade. Sky were under strict instructions that if Bob was the journalist in a media pool Adam would skip them, and the two times they’d sent him in he had. The FIA fines were worth it. The man was still banned from all FIA racing thanks to his race fixing. They didn’t want anything to do with him.

The weekend was full on but she still made time for dinner that Saturday night with Sarah, Crockett, and Lolly. After seeing exactly what Bob had said and the lack of formal response to it she just needed her friends. The now four year old was clingy thanks to not seeing Kim for a week, sitting on her lap as they ate.

“Food?” Lolly asked, pointing at the chicken on Kim’s plate.

“Yup, chicken and rice. Just like on your plate, except yours has hot sauce on it.” The few words Lolly was speaking now always made the adults in the room smile. Sarah and Crockett filled Kim in on the drama at the far end of the pit lane, Roman being Roman again. He’d caused a yellow flag in the second practice after hitting a barrier. Everyone had seen Trudy stalk through the paddock like a woman on a mission so they’d given her the space she needed. But Dawson was settling in ok on the team, his sister hanging out with Sarah when she wasn’t in a meeting. There was rumours Gabby was already being looked at by a couple of other teams for next year too.

Kim took a forkful from the plate in front of her, but it was immediately obvious as soon as her lips closed around the bite that she’d chosen the wrong one. None of them travelled without hot sauce for Lolly. She was a fussy eater, but dousing food in chilli usually got her to eat something. Crockett laughed at Kim’s expression, taking Lolly from her so the woman could gulp down water. She stopped eating after that, but they talked about everything except Bob Ruzek.

When she made it back to the room Kim and Adam didn’t talk about it that night, but it was clear Adam knew how uncomfortable she was about the entire situation. Instead they held onto each other as they slept before Sunday dawned and the race would begin.

Race days were always hectic and even the bigger team with more resources had that level of chaos. Kim squeezed Adam’s fingers before she left the room, determined to keep things together for him. Instead of planning on her own she sat at the strategy briefing, watching for the way Adam was to defend for Jay. If they could get a good start and time stops right there was a chance of a double podium for the team. They could do this.

And it paid off. Jay Halstead stood on the top step of the podium, Mouse to his side accepting the constructors trophy. Adam was there to Jay’s left on the second step and Kim couldn’t be filled with more love for her boyfriend as she watched him spray champagne. The Star Spangled Banner rang around the track thanks to the win, the team celebrating with their own bottles of champagne.

Usually Kim missed the celebration parties. They were normally ragers, the young wealthy drivers buying a lot of alcohol for their friends and coworkers. But this time her team had a 1-2 win and were at the top of the constructors championship. She had to turn up and show her celebration face.

It was loud and busy, hidden in a warehouse thanks to the local laws about alcohol consumption. There was dancing and she had fun, but all she wanted to do was dance with Adam and get to kiss him on the dance floor. The dart of jealousy as she saw Matt Casey’s wife, Sylvie, kiss her husband to congratulate him on third hit her chest hard. The way she saw Evan Hawkins linking hands with his girlfriend who’d flown in for the race. It was a glamorous life. It was glitzy and stylish and filled with travel and luxury. She got to live in a millionaire’s playground in Monaco.

But the loneliness hurt. Before it was easier, Adam didn’t really go to parties so they’d spend Sunday night with their friends or watching YouTube, recovering after the week. On rare occasions they’d even fly home straight after the race to get an extra night in their own beds if they were in Europe or parts of Asia. But that wouldn’t happen with Adam and Jay on the podium and Adam expected to be at these parties now.

Instead Kim took the vodka soda that Mouse offered her, eyes that were troubled with similar thoughts staring at hers. They clinked their glasses and swallowed their drinks in one before going out to the dance floor together, holding onto each other to not get lost.

AN: For those who aren’t used to Formula One, race weekends are generally over four days. Thursday is the final set up day and press day, drivers and team principals will have press conferences those days. Friday is the first driving day, there’s two practice sessions. FP1 is in the morning, FP2 is in the afternoon (usually, if it’s a night race this can change). Saturday has FP3 in the morning, and then afterwards is qualifying. Qualifying involves three sessions - Q1 is the first eighteen minutes, and the slowest five drivers are eliminated. Q2 is the next fifteen minutes, and the following slowest drivers are eliminated. Q3 is last, and that decides what order the top ten will start in. Drivers can change their starting place based on penalties if they’ve changed their cars, used parts they shouldn’t have, or have been given a penalty as a punishment for breaking a rule. 

The FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, who are the group who run most single seater motorsports in the world. They control F1.

The GPDA is the Grand Prix Drivers Association, which consists of the drivers who currently drive in Formula One. It’s essentially a drivers trade union. Usually all drivers are members, but they don’t have to be.

Burzek Taglist: @aruzlover @haiileyshalstead @morganupstead  @adamruz @fullwattpadmusictree @redpoodlern @everythingaddictxx @write4life13 @jeanjacketjesus @tuxieboy101-blog @thelittlepterophyllum @planecrazylex @sophiatellerrhodes @ossypooh @kimburgess-ruzek @thestarrynightslover @reidskitty13 @etamne @torreshalstead @itsnotpersonalbut @kellykidd @dedlund82 @pinkwhitebrown @mmacke3613 @upsteadlovingheart @ittybitty-tittycommittee @takemetooneverlanddd @oracle23 @thedefinitionofendgame @headlightsatmidnight @butterflylies @afriendlyneighborhoodhufflepuff @withakindheartx @bebataylor84 @whoiamwhoistrivetobe @multicouple-lover @eviehalstead212 @soupysoup @daniellexoc3 @storiesofsvu @keenmarvellover

[amrin-cherry]

A compilation of some artworks I was able to do over the holidays. 2022 was hands down the worst year of my life. This year starts off with me a little lost but a lot happier. I hope everyone had an awesome holiday season and that 2023 treats them kindly.

The last art is a secret Santa ! Of my friends Curse of Strahd DND PC Ez! @vivitrace 🤍

[aaarianna-actuallywrites]

Mistletoe Confessions

I wrote this for the Edens Zero Secret Santa Exchange on Discord. Here’s some EZ Crew Christmas Shenanigans!

“I know! We can do Secret Santa!” Rebecca suggested. “It’ll be fun!”

“Woahhh,” Shiki muttered, eyes growing wide. “Rebecca, what’s a Secret Santa?”

She gasped dramatically. Weisz rolled his eyes at her antics.

Shiki, Rebecca, Homura, Pino, and Happy were sitting on the couch in Edens Zero’s game room, with Weisz leaning against the arm, debating what to do for the upcoming holiday.

“I am also curious, but I won’t say that out loud.”

“Secret Santa is where everyone picks one person and gets that person a gift.”

“Ooh, I pick Rebecca!” Shiki shouted with his trademark enthusiasm.

“It’s supposed to be secret, idiot,” Weisz said. “And why do you not know, Homura?”

“We did not celebrate this ‘Christmas’ on Odeo.”

“So each person gets one gift?” Pino asked, her antennae wiggling in budding excitement.

“Yeah. Instead of everyone getting a bunch of presents, we each get one present that’s more personal,” Happy explained.

“How exciting!”

“Sounds like a shitty deal if you ask me.”

“Oh come on, Weisz, don’t be such a Grinch,” Rebecca teased.

“I am not a Grinch.”

“You’re totally a Grinch,” Shiki said.

“You don’t even know what that is!”

“It is decided,” Homura said, nodding solemnly. “Weisz is a Grinch.”

“Neither do you! Ugh, you guys suck.”

“What is a Grinch?”

‘Of course only Pino would have the decency to ask first,’ Weisz thought.

“A Grinch is a grump with a shriveled up heart who hates Christmas, gift giving, and cheer,” Rebecca explained, almost like she was giving a lecture to a group of kindergartners.

“Hm,” Pino said as she processed the new information. “The definition does seem to fit Mr. Weisz rather well.”

“What are we shitting on Weisz for this time?” Ivry asked as she, Hermit, and Witch entered into the madness.

“Weisz is being a total Grinch about doing Secret Santa,” Rebecca said.

“Oh, yeah, makes sense.”

“Why is everyone ganging up on me?” Weisz grumbled.

“Oh, are we celebrating Christmas, Lord Shiki?”

“Yeah! Rebecca just told me about it. It sounds like fun! She also told me about Santa and his spaceship that can travel across the entire cosmos in a day!”

“Santa’s not even-”

Before Weisz could finish his sentence, he was staring down the barrel of Rebecca’s spare pistol.

“Don’t even think of spoiling this for Shiki and Pino,” she threatened quietly.

Weisz held up his hands in surrender. Rebecca slowly lowered her gun, eyes narrowed in a threatening glare.

“If it is secret, then how are the recipients chosen?” Homura asked.

“Everyone writes their name on a piece of paper, and then we each take turns picking one out of a hat,” Hermit said, not looking up from her handheld game. “And then you keep who you’re buying a present for a secret until you give them their gift.”

Homura put her hand over her mouth at Hermit’s pointed comment, but said nothing.

“Couldn’t you just write a program or something that pairs us up randomly?” Weisz asked.

“I could, very easily. But I won’t.”

“Why not?” He was nearly whining.

“I’m keeping in the spirit of Christmas. Also, to piss you off, specifically.”

“Why does everyone want to bother me today?” Weisz grumbled under his breath.

“Cause you’re an easy target as long as you keep bitchin’,” Ivry said, punctuated by flicking Weisz’s ear as she strode past.

“Why do you not like Christmas, Mr. Weisz?” Pino asked.

Weisz shrugged. “It’s not like I hate Christmas, I just don’t care one way or the other about it. And it never made sense to me why so many people act like it’s such a big deal. It’s just another day.”

“It’s a holiday. That’s like saying your birthday is just another day!” Rebecca said.

“It is.”

Rebecca gasped again.

“Can you stop being so dramatic?”

“I have paper and pencils for everyone,” Witch called as she walked back into the game room.

Weisz blinked, not having realized that Witch left the room to begin with, but still taking the paper and pencil when she handed it to him.

The room fell mostly silent, with only the scratching of pencil on paper as everyone scribbled their names down.

“What about the hat?” Shiki asked.

Ivry snatched the sorceress hat off of Witch’s head and handed it to him, putting her slip of paper in. “Here ya go, Shiki. There’s your hat.”

“Awesome!” he said as he enthusiastically shoved his own paper in it.

The hat was passed around the room and everyone put their names in, though Weisz did it with extreme reluctance.

“Alright! I wanna pick first!”

Shiki nearly punched the hat out of his own grip with his zealousness as he reached in to pick his Secret Santa recipient.

“Remember, you’re not supposed to say who you got. It’s supposed to be a surprise to the person you’re giving the gift to,” Rebecca said.

Shiki handed the hat off to her as he read the name on the paper he picked. To Weisz’s surprise, he managed to keep quiet about who he drew.

As the hat made its way around the room, Weisz vaguely wondered who he’d get.

‘If I had to choose, I guess it wouldn’t be too hard to get a gift for Shiki. That idiot would be excited by actual coal,’ he thought, chuckling quietly to himself.

When the hat finally made it to him, there was only one piece of paper left inside.

Homura Kougetsu

‘Damn.’

He left the game room, wondering what in the cosmos Homura would want for Christmas.

‘Even if I asked, she probably wouldn’t know herself, since she’s never celebrated Christmas before.’

He groaned, dreading the task ahead.

~~~~~~~~

“Okay, we’re off! We’ll be back soon!” Rebecca called out to Witch as everyone piled into the Aqua Wing to venture down to Blue Garden to shop for their gifts.

“I apologize for not being able to go with you. Unfortunately, as you know, I cannot leave the ship.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Witch!” Pino said. “Miss Rebecca and I will help you get your present!”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. We’ll be in constant contact, it’ll be just like you’re there with us.”

Witch smiled, but Weisz could see that she was a little disappointed.

“In the meantime, I will plan out the decorations.”

Weisz put his new earbuds in to shut out his crewmates’ yammering. He’d taken to listening to music a bit more recently, even if the only songs he listened to were considered “old” by everyone else’s standards.

Though he’d never admit it, sometimes he did miss Norma. Even if it was only a longing for the simplicity of his time compared to the future he hadn’t quite gotten the hang of yet.

‘I still have no idea what Homura could possibly want as a present. I can’t remember her ever wanting anything since I met her, except..’

Weisz cracked his neck, shaking away the thought. ‘That’s not gonna help.’

~~~~~~~~

As soon as Rebecca led them to what had to be the biggest outdoor mall Weisz had ever seen in his life, everyone ran in different directions. Or in Shiki’s case, floated.

Weisz walked slowly, looking at all the shops around him. This part of the mall was mostly clothing stores, which would be useless, as he could make any kind of clothes he wanted in the Dress Factory on the ship.

One shop in particular caught his eye, however.

‘Heh. Christmas-themed lingerie? That’s worth buying.’

He was halfway across the court when he remembered that they’d be giving their presents in front of everyone else. And that Homura probably wasn’t one for lingerie in the first place.

‘I might be shameless, but even I’m not that shameless.’

He grumbled, but kept walking.

He passed by clothing stores, jewelry stores, and sports stores, all of which he doubted would carry anything that Homura could be remotely interested in owning. With each store he passed, his annoyance grew.

’What kind of gift do you give a swordswoman who says everything, but doesn’t seem to want anything material?’

His friends had long since ditched him, but even if he asked everyone on their crew, he doubted any of them could come up with a concrete answer as to what Homura would actually like. Though she said everything that came to her mind, she’d somehow never mentioned her interests, besides…

As Weisz rounded the corner, he finally saw a shop that he could work with.

‘What do you get a swordswoman? A decorative blade,’ he thought. ‘Even though her Ether Gear means she’s literally never without one, and I doubt she’d have a use for a blade that’s not meant to be, well, used, it’s as good a place as any to start.’

A bell rang as he walked into the shop, and almost immediately after stepping through the doorway, the noise from outside seemed impossibly distant. Weisz’s ears started to ring faintly in the sudden silence, one that even the dust seemed afraid to break.

The broad-shouldered clerk at the counter looked up, but didn’t say anything as Weisz began to wander around the shop. The sheer number of pointy-death-sticks hanging on the walls made him a little uneasy.

Guns have a safety function, after all, and knives and swords do not.

‘Zweihänder, Broadsword, Rapier, Dao, Katana, how many fucking ways can you make steel sharp enough to kill someone?’ he thought.

The man at the counter seemed to be the only employee in the shop, and he watched as Weisz navigated all the complicated classifications that he never even knew existed.

‘Well, a big sword is out of the question,’ he thought. ‘I don’t know if I can even lift it, let alone…’

He blanched as he noticed the price on a nearby Claymore.

‘..Afford it. A smaller knife will be fine. I think.’

The employee never spoke, but Weisz could feel his stare as he moved through the shop.

‘I know I’m a thief, but he can’t possibly know that, and I sure as hell can’t steal anything from here if I can’t even carry it.’

The silence was nearly unbearable, and as he came around to the back of the shop, Weisz was seriously tempted to just leave and get a generic Christmas gift that no one could dislike.

‘It’s not like someone who’s never celebrated Christmas before would know the difference, right?’

He shook his head. Homura couldn’t lie, and he- and everyone else- was sure to hear how much or how little she liked his gift. And he refused to be the only one unsuccessful in their Secret Santa charades.

Out of the corner of his eye, he just barely caught part of the description of a small dagger.

Valkyrie.

He nearly gave himself whiplash with his double-take.

Valkyrie Wingblade Dagger.

Even Weisz could admit that it was a beautiful work of art. The blade itself was somewhere around six to eight inches and two-pronged, but that wasn’t the most impressive thing about it.

Spreading out from the handle was a set of wings. Each individual feather had been meticulously crafted, and the wings formed a hand-guard of sorts. The handle itself was simple, yet elegant, and there were two little things jutting out from the bottom of it.

‘Maybe that’s for hanging it?’

“Find something that interests you?”

Weisz jumped as the employee’s deep voice boomed in the silent shop. He could hear his accelerated heartbeat in his ears.

“Uh.. yeah, maybe.”

“The Valkyrie dagger, huh? It’s a fine choice. Who’s it for?”

“A friend. She.. likes swords, and her teacher’s name was Valkyrie.”

“...Interestin’.  I heard stories about some warrior single-handedly changing the tide of the war on Odeo about ten years ago now. Some of ‘em put ‘er name as ‘Valkyrie,’ but I thought that was just hearsay. It is an ancient name, after all. Didn’t think anyone besides historians and sword experts knew about it.. Wonder if it’s the same person.”

Weisz blinked at the history lesson. “Valkyrie Yuna. That’s her name. And she’s definitely the same person as my friend’s teacher.”

“Yer friend must be one hell of a fighter, then.”

“Yeah..”

“You gonna get that one, or keep lookin’?”

Weisz glanced down at the dagger’s price tag, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief to find that it was reasonable.

“Sure, I’ll get this one.”

The clerk reached into the display case to grab it. “If you want, you can get it engraved. It’ll cost a little extra, and take a bit of time, but it’s a common option this time of year.”

“How much more?” Weisz asked hesitantly. “And how long will it take?”

~~~~~~~~

Edens Kitchen looked nearly unrecognizable. Witch had gone far beyond what Weisz had expected in turning it into a winter wonderland; Color-changing lights and garland criss-crossed the room, and fake snowflakes that he suspected Witch had cut out herself all hung from the ceiling. Christmas tree and gingerbread man cutouts decorated the bottom two feet of the walls, red and green ribbons were wrapped artfully around each of the tables and chairs, and fake snow covered the floor. There was even a real Christmas tree in the corner that was so picturesque, he vaguely wondered what movie it was stolen from.

Not to mention the mistletoe that was hanging in just about every doorway in and around the kitchen, which he took careful measures to avoid meeting anyone under.

Pino had frozen in excitement for a solid twenty seconds when she saw the decorations, to the point that Weisz was nearly concerned Hermit would have to reboot her. Shiki was equally excited, temporarily losing control over his Ether Gear in the process. Witch and Rebecca had to weigh him down so he wouldn’t ruin the decorations on the ceiling.

Weisz was impressed. Witch’s decorations almost put him in a festive mood, which was more than he could say for any other Christmas celebration he’d been to in his life. Even the food was festive, with holiday staples like mashed potatoes, turkey, and stuffing all decked out in red and green embellishments wherever possible. Even the eggnog and hot chocolate had red and green shavings in them, which Witch had assured all of them were just pieces of chocolate and sprinkles.

What she missed in Secret Santa shopping, she more than made up for with the decor.

“It’s beautiful, Miss Witch!” Pino’s antennae were nearly invisible with how fast they were wagging.

“Yeah, you really went all out! It looks amazing!” Rebecca said, trying to pull Shiki away from getting tangled in the lights.

“I must agree,” Homura said from behind her hand. “I feel as if I am in that Christmas-themed village from that movie Rebecca spoke of.”

“Thank you. I wanted to make our first Christmas together truly special,” Witch said, blushing. She’d replaced her sorceress hat with a Santa one, and her staff with a giant candy cane. “I even made everyone a Santa hat to really get in the spirit!”

“Everyone meaning everyone,” Ivry said, with a pointed look at Weisz. “And you gotta wear it. Ship rules.”

Weisz grumbled, but Witch looked so happy with herself and her efforts that he didn’t want to ruin it.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll wear the damn hat.”

‘I guess it won’t kill me, it’ll just do significant psychological damage.’

After an hour of partying, eating, drinking eggnog, and watching Pino try to meet everyone, including him, under the mistletoe- which he reluctantly agreed to, letting her give him a cold kiss on the cheek, both because he feared he might be staring down Rebecca’s pistol again if he didn’t, and she was just too adorable for words while asking(though he’d never admit it)- it was time for Secret Santa.

“It’s time for presents!” Rebecca sang.

Everyone scrambled to the pile of presents under the tree, rushing to give theirs first.

“Here,” a dry voice spoke beside him.

He turned to find Hermit presenting him with a small box.

“Thanks,” he said, opening it slowly. He wouldn’t put it past the little troll of a Shining Star to give him a gag gift that would blow up in his face.

He was pleasantly surprised to find a real present in the box, but also a bit confused by it. “Is this just the Arsenal Suit?”

“More specifically, Arsenal Suit Mark One-Point-Five. I spent two days slaving over the formulas to make it more cost effective. Plus a couple of other special features. We can test it out tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Thanks, Hermit.”

“Of course,” she said coolly.

As he looked around, he saw Pino giving Witch a box that was bigger than the little bot was- or, more accurately, Pino was sitting on top of the box, and Rebecca was handing it over- Ivry standing behind them, a gift he assumed was for Rebecca in hand, and Shiki giving Happy a candy cane colored bag.

He found Homura standing in the doorway under the mistletoe. As Weisz walked over, he made sure not to step under it.

“Here,” he said, suddenly embarrassed as he handed the long box over to her.

“Thank you, Weisz.”

As she moved to open it, Weisz was struck with sudden anxiety.

‘If she doesn’t like it, no one will let me live it down for who knows how long,’ he thought. ‘And I actually tried with this. She has to like it.’

He briefly wondered why he was so concerned about her reaction now, when he hadn’t been before.

‘Is it really only because this is the first time I’m giving a gift to someone who’s opinion really matters to me? Or is it because this is the first swordmaster I’ve tried to give a gift to?’

She stared into the box silently. And somehow, her silence was worse than her outright saying that it was horrible. He’d never seen Homura speechless before.

Slowly, she reached in and pulled out the blade, examining it carefully.

“Valkyrie wings…” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” he said, unsure of what else he could say.

He watched as her eyes roamed over the dagger, taking in every detail. Her eyes widened when she noticed the engraving.

“So, what did you want the engraving to say?” the clerk asked.

“Valkyrie Homura.”

Finally, Homura looked up at him, her mouth slightly open and eyes widened a bit in shock. Then, she pressed her lips together as tears welled up in her eyes.

‘Son of a-’

“Thank you.” She interrupted his train of thought, a smile spreading across her face.

“Y- you like it?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “Immensely so.”

Putting the dagger back in the box and closing it, she looked back up at him and smiled again. A genuine smile, one that Weisz had never seen on her face before.

‘She looks really pretty smiling like that.’

His shoulders scrunched up in embarrassment as he realized what he was thinking, and he looked away in an attempt to hide the blush he was sure was spreading across his face, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Good.” He cleared his throat. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I would not have expected something so thoughtful from you,” she said, immediately covering her mouth as she realized what she said. “Oh, I hadn’t meant to say that aloud. My apologies.”

“No, I’m with you on this one. I wasn’t expecting it, either.”

She giggled behind her hand.

“So, why are you standing over here?”

“I was hoping to meet Shiki under the mistletoe.”

“I- a- .. oh. Really?” he asked, ten kinds of confused all at once.

“Yes, I was hoping to challenge him to a duel.”

“A- uh, what?”

“Ivry explained mistletoe to me. If two are caught under it, they must duel. She called it ‘mistlefoe.’ She said it was a time-honored tradition.”

Weisz burst out laughing so hard that he had to lean against the doorway so he didn’t fall over completely.

“What is so funny?” she asked, her hand coming back up to cover her mouth again, this time out of embarrassment.

“That’s not what mistletoe is for,” he said after he managed to calm down enough to be understood.

“Then what is it for?”

Now completely calm, he stood up straight. “The point of mistletoe is that you’re supposed to kiss whoever you meet under it.”

They both froze as they realized that Weisz had stepped underneath said mistletoe without realizing it. Matching blushes sprung up on their faces as they struggled to speak.

“W-well, I suppose I would not mind it so much,” Homura said, slapping both hands over her mouth with a high-pitched squeak.

His shoulders scrunched up even further at her confession.

“Y-... you wouldn’t?”

“I-... I, umm..” her voice was almost a full octave higher than normal. “Sister Ivry!”

“Oh, shit,” the wicked nun cackled, hiding behind Witch as Homura stormed over to her.

Weisz stayed frozen, staring at the now empty space in front of him, his heart racing.

~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, everyone was passed out in the game room. Rebecca demanded they have a “Christmas Movie Marathon” after their Secret Santa shenanigans, and of course Shiki agreed.

Now, both of them were asleep on top of each other, drunk off their asses from Ivry’s spiked eggnog. The nun in question was also drunk, sprawled out on the floor.

‘I didn’t know Ivry could get drunk, seeing as she drinks all the time. And she’s an android.’

Hermit was sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, with Pino and Happy curled up in her lap, all of them asleep.

‘Apparently, androids sleep, too.’

Weisz shook his head, stretching his neck out and looking at the other side of the couch where Homura had been sitting. She left an hour ago, citing wanting to go to bed as the reason, but she left with both hands forcefully covering her mouth, and he had a sinking feeling it was because of him.

When they came in for the movie marathon, they sat on opposite sides of the couch and didn’t look at each other the entire time. Their earlier conversation crept, unbidden, into his mind again.

‘I wouldn’t mind kissing Homura, either, I guess. She’s beautiful, strong, kind-’

He considered it nothing short of a Christmas miracle that his stomach growled at that moment, interrupting his train of thought.

On his walk to the kitchen, he tried overthinking about what to eat, so as to keep thoughts of Homura and kissing out of his mind. It was easier to just brush off that conversation as the holiday spirit affecting her in an odd way than to think about wanting to kiss her and the ramifications of doing so.

‘For one, she can’t keep a secret to save her life, so everyone else would know within twenty-four hours,’ he thought. ‘She’s probably never even- Why am I still thinking about this?!’

He almost forgot about the decoration explosion in the kitchen. Walking into it was a decent enough distraction as he forced himself to change the subject in his mind.

The leftover food from their party hadn’t been put away yet; The bowl of mashed potatoes was nearly empty, both of the pies and the cheesecake were completely gone- most likely courtesy of Rebecca’s bottomless pit of a stomach- and the turkey was split down the middle almost perfectly, with one half picked at and the other untouched.

Weisz tore off a small piece of turkey and tossed it into his mouth. None of the party food really interested him, so he pulled up the holographic menu to skim through. But it didn’t do as much as he’d hoped in terms of distracting him. After five minutes of mindless scrolling where his mind wasn’t really on the food, he gave up and ordered a glass of water.

‘Do I really want to kiss Homura, or did that damn Santa hat do more damage than I thought it would?’

The kitchen slid his glass of water over to him, and he sipped on it slowly.

‘Is this what it’s like to doubt yourself? Have I really never doubted myself in my entire life? I probably should’ve.’

“Wow, I’m a selfish prick,” he muttered.

No longer hungry, he finished off his water, deciding to just go to bed.

‘Hopefully I’ll wake up and be able to convince myself that all of the “Kissing Homura” business was just a dream.’

As the kitchen door slid open, he ran into someone coming in. That someone being Homura.

‘Either the universe hates me, or it just likes laughing at me.’

“Weisz,” she said quietly.

“Homura,” he said, his mouth suddenly dry.

“I was just going to get some water.”

He nodded, unsure of what else to do.

They stared at each other for a few moments until Homura nodded and moved to walk past him. He was content to just let her pass him by- at least, he thought he was. But somehow, his mind and his arm weren’t on the same page, because he found himself reaching out to stop her walking away.

“Hey.”

She turned to face him, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. “Yes?”

‘Fuck it.’

“Did… did you mean it? What you said earlier?” he forced out.

“A-about.. kissing?” her voice was unnaturally high again.

He sighed heavily, suddenly very aware of his racing heartbeat. “Y- yeah.”

“I… yes,” she whispered, her cheeks a fiery red.

His shoulders scrunched up far enough that he felt like a turtle trying to retreat into its shell. His pulse pounded in his ears, and suddenly it seemed as though his entire torso was burning in embarrassment.

Of course it was only then that both of them looked up and noticed that they were right back where they were before: under the mistletoe.

Homura took a deep breath, straightening up. Her confident posture only lasted a couple of seconds before she spoke. “What about you?”

His eyes widened in shock. “Do I… wanna kiss you?”

She nodded, refusing to look at him.

“I, um… Well… You’re not drunk, are you?”

“W- what?” she asked, shocked. “No. In truth, I do not like alcohol. Not its taste, nor its effects.”

“...Okay.”

“Why?”

“It’s a weird day,” he said, shaking his head.

“Are you?”

“Stone cold sober,” he said. ‘Though this conversation is making me feel like I’m drunk,’ he thought. ‘Either that, or I’m in a fever dream.’

Homura paused, eyes darting back and forth. “You never answered my question.”

Weisz breathed in, then out slowly. “... Yeah,” he said, surprising both of them with his answer. “Yeah, I- I.. want to kiss you.”

Both of them were silent for a moment, uncertain of what to do.

“I have… never actually kissed anyone before. Is it like a battle?”

The noise he made was somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle. “No, it’s not that complicated. It’s pretty easy, actually. Haven’t you ever seen a movie or read a book with a kiss in it?”

“Well, yes, but how can I know how much of that is fiction, and how much is accurate to reality?”

Weisz tilted his head to the side. “Fair point. But it’s basically the same, for the most part. It’s, well.. I mean, it’s just something you learn by doing.”

“Then let me learn. Or teach me, rather.”

“O-okay.” For the first time ever, Weisz hesitated to kiss her. Not even his first kiss was this drawn out.

He rolled his shoulders, projecting a calm he didn’t feel, and brought his hand up to her cheek. Without giving himself time to overthink, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

The first couple of seconds were awkward. Homura stood still, not quite grasping how to respond. But she proved herself a quick learner when she started kissing back.

Weisz brought his other hand to her waist, pulling her closer. Homura covered his hand on her cheek with her own, resting the other on his arm.

He ended their kiss sooner than he would have liked, but he didn’t want to overstep with a too-intense one. Resting his forehead on hers, Weisz still kept close to her lips, torn between wanting another kiss and wondering if Homura did.

At this distance, it was hard to not look at each other, but they both tried.

“That… was nice.”

He nodded slightly. “Mhm.”

“Weisz,” she whispered, finally looking him in the eyes.

“Yeah?”

She gulped. “...Teach me again?”

The corner of his lips turned up in a small smile. “Okay,” he said, leaning in again.

“Wait.”

He stopped. “Hm?”

Homura moved the hand that was resting on his arm to instead lay on his cheek. Then, she leaned forward and reconnected their lips.

Weisz’s hand on her waist slid around to the small of her back, pulling her even closer than before. His hand resting on her cheek slid down to join the other. He allowed himself to kiss her a little harder, nearly losing himself in the moment.

When they pulled apart again, they were breathless.

“Well… You’re definitely a fast learner,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Thank you, I pride myself on it.”

Weisz chuckled, which set Homura off giggling before taking a step back. Neither of them took their hands off the other.

“Thank you… for teaching me.. about mistletoe. It was…-”

“Yeah, it was good for me, too.”

Homura nodded, a small smile growing on her face. She looked away from him.

“Well, it has certainly been… an interesting first Christmas,” she said, stepping away slowly. “Goodnight, Weisz.”

“Night.”

She turned her head away, hiding her smile as she walked past him.

Weisz touched his lips lightly. “Yeah,” he said to himself. “Maybe Christmas isn’t so bad.”

[lmnburger]

participated in a secret santa and drew someone's oc ^^

[ohmykazuha]

♡ secret santa!

merry christmas, genshinblr !

welcome to the secret santa hosted by @almondoufu and i! we're so glad that you decided to join us and we're pumped to have you onboard.

before we start secret santa, please make sure your anon asks are ON, so your santa can interact with you anonymously.

some things to note:

• participants, either sarah or i will be going into your inboxes to tell you your assigned elf.

• you are to keep it a secret, and you can't tell anyone! you can still interact with your elf as usual, but please try not to hint that you're their santa. let's keep the fun for christmas, shall we?

• however, you must be on anon to find out your elf's likes/dislikes. do they like a character? do they dislike a character? what's their favourite au?

• your gift can be in the form of a piece of writing, art, edit, and more! as long as there's no real money involved.

without further ado, you can start preparations for your reveal and gift. remember to stay on anon the whole time! ~ have fun, and thank you for joining us!

participants –

@suteshi-raito, @abyssheart, @bornil-murchhona, @ghostly-march, @yeetmeoffjueyunkarst, @euphoric-author, @hydrogender, @constellarations, @bumbleklee, @lovelyy-moraxx, @irrellia, @skywritesstuff, @solaaresque, @mityas-temptation, @alberivh, @haliya-mori, @severedftaes, @favonius-captain, @alonelysimp, @mikachuchu, @tovega, @wispycecilia, @bluexiao, @gnyuvile, @liarchive, @sohyuki, @hqrbinger, @thaliastea, @simplyxsinned, @kazewhara, @booksandhoneymilktea, @mooscutely, @ivoryseia, @keokomi, @leekfl, @clouds-rambles, @starglitterz, @teyvattherapist, @astarriscus, @test-tube, @yxeuna, @3rdgymbros, @cruxdou, @hushyouu, @miam0re, @cerasus--flores, @almond-adeptus, @eggs-can-draw, @ez-simping!

[magicalnet]

MAGICALNET SECRET SANTA — 2021 gift for ez! @gaylupin from @andrewgarfleid

Oliver Wood: I don't believe it! Where do you think you're going, Flint?

Marcus Flint: Quidditch practice!

Oliver Wood: But I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today.

Marcus Flint: Easy, Wood. I've got a note.

[cocobwrites]

Once Upon A Time in Santa Ana

Summary:  Once Upon a Time, Angel Reyes knew you and you knew him. Once Upon a Time, Angel Reyes loved you and you loved him. In him, your teenage hopes and dreams found a home, a safe haven. Angel Reyes took your love and spat it back out at you with malice. Once Upon a Time Angel Reyes accepted a tender, fragile love and burned it down. This is the story of a man trying to rekindle his first love from the ashes.

Chapter 1

                                        Ghost Two: Angel 

Angel was unsettled, unnerved and on edge. There were too many ghosts here. The weight of his past decisions was heavy on his conscience. The streets he rode down lead to memories of emotional crimes he’d sooner forget, and the clubhouse felt like it had the potential to morph into his own personal insane asylum. 

“Angel!” The man being shouted at turned to the sound of the voice. This was the second time today that he’d been slapped in the face by a ghost of his past. The first was by his own doing. Angel knew without a doubt that walking into that convenience store was inviting hurt that he wasn’t 100% sure he could deal with, but the temptation of possibly being so close to you and not attempting to see you was too much. 

In front of him now was ghost number 2, Shania. Shania was the perceived catalyst in Angel’s love story. The cousin/best friend to the girl he first gave his heart to. The devil on his love’s shoulder egging her on to do what she desired most and covering for her disappearance acts. 

The last time Angel saw Shania she was just on the brink of womanhood. At 18 her face still held a girlish charm while her body was blossoming into full adulthood. Looking at her now the transition was complete. Her once rounded cheeks were still full but defined. Her eyes told a story of secrets that came with being grown, and her hips swayed in a way that marked her confidence. In short, Shania had finished growing up. Her hair hung in long coils hitting her waist. They were dyed a bright red and highlighted a lighter red that held a pink tone.  The colors complimented her sepia-toned skin. 

Shania threw her arms around Angel’s neck and pulled him tight swaying back and forth. Angel needed the hug. He needed the affirmation that he hadn’t burned every bridge he built while he was here all those summers ago. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath absorbing the warmth and comfort Shania offered.

“Damn, it’s been a long time,” Shania said while letting go. She smiled up at her former friend. “You forget how a phone works?” She asked following it up with a slap to his arm. “I’m mad at you Angel. Just dipped out without a goodbye and then went ghost. “ These fools” she pointed a thumb in the general direction of the members “treat information about other chapters like they’re in the CIA.” she shook her head.

“How have you been?” Shania finished with a bright smile waiting to hear about how things had been with Angel. 

Angel in return just ran a hand down his face and answered with a short “Shit” followed by a shrug of uncertainty. “I mean good I guess.” He raised his hand palm up and rolled his fingers outward in a questioning gesture. “Just doing club shit.”

Shania’s brow creased and her smile dropped, the face she was currently sporting was eerily reminiscent of her uncle. Angel was sure it was a family trait. “Wow, that was a really insightful look into what life has been like for the last'' she waved her hand “however long.”

Angel laughed, appreciating the blunt but humorous honesty. “Do you want a drink, Angel?” Shania asked and looked over her shoulder apparently feeling EZ approach. 

“Shania, this is my brother EZ. EZ, this is Shania. Shooter’s daughter.” Angel watched EZ stick his hand out and give a half-smile. Shania accepted it and gave it one firm shake. She didn’t let go though. Instead, she turned back to Angel and said “So, is the whole family fine, or were the genes reserved for just y’all?’ She finished what a laugh that mixed with Angels and was accompanied by EZ’s own chuckle. 

“I’m going to grab you a drink.” She finished with a wink and went to do just that. 

EZ stepped up to Angel and watched the girl walk away. “So, that’s Shooter’s daughter meaning she’s the cousin to the unnamed girl.”

Angel knew EZ had said you were unnamed for the sole purpose to get him talking. “She’s not unnamed” Angel answered back not without irritation. 

“Then what’s her name?”  Asked EZ angling himself towards his older brother.

Angel supplied your name. “Look, man, I don’t really want to get into this right now. Just let it alone for a bit EZ.” 

Angel stalked off towards Shania meeting her half-way to get his drink. In truth Angel really didn’t want to get into the nitty-gritty about you but he knew he had to. EZ was at a disadvantage not knowing the truth of how Angel left. There were old wounds here that he wasn’t sure fully healed. If judging by how your father reacted and how Shooter was treating him he’d have to say they were very much still open and sore. Why though? That was something that he was hoping to ply information from Shania. 

She handed Angel an open bottle of beer and clinked her own to his before taking a sip. She turned to the side so she was facing him and leaned against an unoccupied pool table.  Angel muttered a thank you and then mimicked her pose. 

Shania took a breath as if to say something, but stopped having changed her mind, and instead took a sip of her beer. 

“Does she know I’m here?” Angel asked deciding to just cut to the chase. “Hell, is she even still here?”

Shania just looked at him for a moment before answering. “Are you being serious right now? You sure you want to open that can of worms?” She huffed and shook her head. Shania set her bottle down on the green of the table and folded her arms over her chest. “Angel, I’m going, to be honest with you.” She paused again. It seemed she was unsure if she wanted to say what she was thinking, but her lips tightened for just a moment and she continued on. 

“You fucked up bad when you left here like you did. At least you gave the appearance that you did.” Her eyes narrowed briefly while she looked Angel over. “I’m willing to forgive and forget. It’s been a long ass time and it’s clear that y’all haven’t had any form of contact. My daddy and uncle on the other hand….” She trailed off. 

“My daddy won’t say anything since it didn’t involve the club, but I’d step lightly around him. Also-” she poked his arm. “Keep yo tail away from my uncle. That man has been itching to beat you down for years. He’s old but he’s quick and trust me, he hits hard.”

“Now do you really want to know the answers to those questions?” She shook her head. “Don’t go pickin’ at scabs unless you’re ready to treat the cut.”

 “I hear you, Shania. I do forreal” Angel paused “and if you don’t think it’s good for her to know I’m here, don’t tell her. I just have to know. Is she still here?” Angel tried to keep the desperation out of his voice but was failing. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about you, but as of late he felt like he was spiraling. There was a need to feel something genuine and untainted again. Something was telling him he could do that with you.

Shania nodded along and listened. “Yeah, she’s still here.”She said casually while pulling her phone out. “Well, more like here again. She moved back home a few years ago.” She continued while apparently responding to a text on her phone. 

“As far as her knowing if you’re back-” She paused again and Angel heard the distinctive single vibration of her phone. Shania nodded in satisfaction. “Put your number in here.” She handed Angel the phone. “I want to be able to get in touch with you again.”

Angel did as directed more focused on if Shania was going to tell follow through and tell you. Shania, for her part, took the phone back and continued to tap away. “She knows now and I gave her your number.” She then pushed off the table and took a swig of her drink while walking away. Angel watched her pocket the phone and felt his stomach drop, rise up in an attempt to lodge in his throat before finally filling with moths. There were no butterflies here. Butterflies were reserved for happy reunions that would be filled with smiles and warm hugs. 

In the time he’d been back Angel had been met primarily with cold acceptance or outright hostility save for Shania. He didn’t know what he’d get with you. He didn’t know if he’d get anything from you. As badly as Angel wanted this reunion he was scared to death of it. 

He’d been reminded multiple times since getting back to Santa Ana that his departure had been less than ideal. From what he was gathering, the ripples of his decisions went farther than he thought they would. Angel huffed to himself and raised his bottle to down the rest. 

When his eyes closed he saw your face; confused and tear-streaked, a silent question on your lips “Why?” He wasn’t sure if what he was remembering was the true sound of your voice or just what he imagined it. While everyone was worried about protecting you they were ignoring the vulnerability Angel was submitting himself to. 

Was your relationship as good as he remembered? Had he taken only the best highlights of it and committed them to memory, leaving all the mess to be forgotten? That was the scary thing about memories. You could never be sure if what you were recalling was the truth or the romanticized version used to get through melancholy.

Angel looked to the now empty bottle and just stared at the label, not really seeing it. Instead is mind was playing that moment on a loop. “Why?” The memory version continued to ask and never getting a true answer. “Because I could” Angel found himself whispering the implied response. 

You had his number. That knowledge left his phone feeling like a boulder in his pocket. Would you use it? Would you let this be content with never having a true resolution? If you did use it would you come at him like your pops? Would you give him a cold welcome like your uncle or would he have you back? Could he take a stroll down memory lane and make you smile like you used to? Would he get to hear that melodic laugh again? Would Angel get a chance at redemption?

Angel eased a long sigh and let the hand holding the bottle fall to his side. He took strides towards the bar looking for another drink and felt the weight of two pairs of eyes on him. A quick glance confirmed they belonged to EZ, observant as usual, and Shania, scrutinizing and assessing. It was going to be a long weekend.

[cuteblackcat666]

13 Reasons Why (13 okom volt)

Adventure Time With Finn And Jake (Kalandra fel!)

American Horror Story (Amerikai Horror Story)

Atypical (Atypical)

Awkward (Kínos)

Being Human (A vámpír, a vérfarkas és a szellem)

Black Mirror (Fekete tükör)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Buffy, a vámpírok réme)

Chamber (Chamber)

Charmed (Bűbájos boszorkák)

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel)

Dead to Me (Halott vagy)

Death Note (A halál lista)

Disenchantment (A kiábrándult királylány)

Eastwick (Eastwicki boszorkák)❌

El Internado (Az Internátus)

Euphoria (Eufória)

Everything Sucks (Mekkora szívás)❌

Eyewitness (Eyewitness)

Faking It (Simlis spinék)❌

Family Guy (Family Guy)

Fear Itself (A félelem maga)

From Dusk Till Down: The Series (Alkonyattól pirkadatig)

Futurama (Futurama)

Ghost Whisperer (Szellemekkel suttogó)

Gossip Girl (Gossip Girl - Pletyka fészek)

Heathers (Gyilkos játékok)

Hemlock Grove (Hemlock Grove)

How To Be a Gentleman (Hogyan legyünk szobatiszták?)

How to Get Away With Murder (Hogyan ússzunk meg egy gyilkosságot?)

I Am Frankie (I Am Frankie)

I Am Not Okay With This (Ez így nem oké)❌

I'm In The Band (Benne vagyok a bandában)

iZombie (iZombie)

Locke & Key (Locke & Key - Kulcs a zárját)❌

Lucifer (Lucifer)

Marianne (Marianne)

Mr. Robot (Mr. Robot)

My Babysitter Is a Vampire (Vámpírunk a gyerekcsősz)

My Mad Fat Diary (Az én őrült, dagadt naplóm)

New Girl (Új lány)

Once Upon a Time (Egyszer volt, hol nem volt)

Orange Is The New Black (Orange Is The New Black)

Preacher (Preacher)

Pretty Little Liars (Hazug Csajok Társasága)

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (Hazug Csajok Társasága: A perfekcionisták)

Regular Show (Parkműsor)

Rick And Morty (Rick és Morty)

Riverdale (Riverdale)

Room 104 (104-es szoba)

Santa Clarita Diet (Dél-kaliforniai diéta)❌

Scream Queens (Scream Queens - Gyilkos történet)

Sense8 (Sense8)

Sex Education (Szexoktatás)

Shadowhunters (Shadowhunters - A végzet ereklyéi)

Shameless (Szégyentelenek)

Skam (Szégyen)

Skins (Spanok)

Stranger Things (Furcsább Dolgok)

Suburgatory (A kondom el van vetve)

Supernatural (Odaát)

Switched at Birth (Elcserélt lányok)

Teen Wolf (Farkasbőrben)

The 100 (A Visszatérők)

The End of The F***ing World (The End of The F***ing World)❌

The Fosters (The Fosters)❌

The Good Doctor (Doctor Murphy)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (A Bly-udvarház szelleme)

The Messengers (A hírnökök)❌

The Secret Circle (A titkos kör)❌

The Umbrella Academy (Az esernyő akadémia)

The Vampire Diaries (Vámpírnaplók)

The Witcher (A vaják)

Trinkets (Csecsebecsék)

True Blood (True Blood - Inni és élni hagyni)

United States of Tara (Tara alteregói)

Witches of East End (Született boszorkányok)❌

Wizards of Waverly Place (Varázslók a Waverly helyről)

You (Te)

Just in case someone needs some good series.

(The ones marked with the red x are cancelled.)

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

❛ LIFE PLAN ❜

with Angel Reyes.

Request: Hi can I please have an imagine where your Angels girl and he and the Mc surprise you at work (I work in childcare) and he gets baby fever watching you works. Thank you x

BY @softi92

Warnings: none.

Word count: about 1k.

Aurora says: this writing hasn't been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I'm sorry about that!

Gif credits: to the author.

Masterlist.

“Teache’…”

You feel some soft pulls to one of the sleeves of your robe calling for your attention, while you control every kid finding their parents at the entrance of the kid garden. Bowing your eyes to the six years old carrying a stuffed rabbit, you squat to her putting away a tuft of blonde hair behind her ear.

“What's up, Sofia?” You ask her with a honeyed tone of voice and a gentle smile on your lips.

“My momma is gonna be late again”. She said somewhat sad, dancing his hips from left to right, really ashamed.

“Okay, com'ere, baby”. You say lifting her up between your arms, with her tiny legs surrounding your abdomen. “You know it's okay. I will wait with you, okay?”

“Thank you, teache'”.

Sitting on a bench, you put well on her unicorns shirt, leaving a kiss on his head. You have known her since four years ago. You have gone to her birthdays parties, because her mother turned into one of your best friends since the first time you had to wait for her. Marta works so much in a cafeteria past the border, in Santa Madre. So, crossing back to Santo Padre, sometimes she's late.

“She hasn't seen us yet, carnal”. Coco says having a puff of his cigar.

But Angel isn't listening, focused on the way you have to lift up the girl and take care of her as if she was your own daughter. Actually, she's also like a niece to him. He has known her since she was two years old, and Sofia loves to call him ‘tío Angel’. She melts his heart every time she does. And even if other days he would have already come to say hello, the oldest Reyes is sitting on his back, leaning forward over the handlebar, so rapturous in the way you look with that kid on your lap. You look radiant, happy, stunning. And his pulse is racing, just thinking for a second that he's looking at his wife holding his little girl.

You have been together for the last three years and he has considered asking you to marry him since the day he met you. That's easy. He's aware about what you feel for him, and that you won't reject it. But, having a child together? The fear of not being a good father kills him. It kills him so slowly, that gives him nightmares.

“Mom!” Sofia jumps off from the bench, running towards her mother, as soon as she sees her.

“(Y/N), I'm sorry”. She says hurried holding her girl, but you raise a hand in silence with a soft smile. “I made Angel and the guys wait for you, sorry”.

Frowning confused, you let your eyes travel through the sidewalk until finding them. How many time have they been waiting?

It's almost midnight and looks like the party just has started. The crowded yard, full of Mayans, are celebrating the opening of a new charter. But you're more focused on your boyfriend, who has been acting really weird for the last two days. Taking the advantage, when you find him alone sitting on a couch on the porch, you lead your feet close to him. Angel is totally assorted in his own thoughts, leaning over his thighs and holding a beer between both hands.

Resting your shoulder against the wooden column, you wait for him to notice your presence, touring the look on his face slowly. He doesn't have secrets from you, but you know that something is happening and not because of the club.

“He—Hey, mi dulce”. He just says clearing his throat, and leaving away on the floor his drink to welcome you on his lap.

Brushing his hair to the back of his head, using your fingers, you surround his neck with your arms leaving a kiss on his temple.

“You're worrying me, mi angel”.

“Why?” He questions leaning on the couch, so you can get comfy against his chest.

“Dunno… You look… lost. Where do you have your head, ah?”

“Nothing happens”. Shrugging his shoulders, you sit up with an incredulous look in your eyes.

“Angel, you can't hide anything from me, babe… Don't even try”.

The oldest Reyes rubs the bridge of his nose, snorting heavily and putting his gaze away from you for some seconds.

“Do you… think I could be a good father?”

“No”.

“Okay, that wa—”.

“You will be the perfect one. And you wanna know why?”

“Yeah”.

“Because you're not gonna commit the mistakes your parents did with you. Don't misunderstand me, I love Pops, but he could be better”. You reply pursing your lips, nodding a little. “But, why are you worried about it… now?”

Angel raises one of his hands to your right cheek, caressing it gently with his thumb, so bewitched profering a sigh of pure love.

“Everytime I see you with Sofia, my legs falter, baby... I want it. I want it with you. Have a crazy kiddo, have a family. Our own family”.

“And…?”

“And I didn't know how to ask'et”.

“Exactly as you're doing it right now, honey”.

“You would marry me, and have a family with me?”

“It's the only thing I want, Angel”. You nod pretty convinced of your words, bowing to his lips to catch them between yours in a soft kiss. “Come with me, baby”.

He looks a little confused when you get up and offer him a hand, helping him to stand up on his feet before guiding him into the clubhouse. The guys are there playing pool and poker, staring at you with raised eyebrows.

“Where are you going?” EZ asks taking off some bottles of tequila from a cardboard box over the bar.

“We're gonna give you a niece, boy scout”.

“Beautiful way to say that you're gonna fuck and cum inside her”.

“Yo! Brother, why the fuck you have to be so fucking specific?” Angel complains lifting up his free arm, shaking his head.

“Yeah, Coquito. You should watch your mouth…” Rolling your eyes, you keep pulling your boyfriend into the dorm zone, looking for his.

✨ Tag list:

@starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​@sassymox @aquamento @sadeyesgf @viviansafizada @samcrobae @jade770 @witchy-wish @rebel-without-cause-x @xx--day-dreamer--xx @spiced-reads @tita127 @ifoundmyhappythought @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @angelxshiba @destynelseclipsa @sheeshgivemeabreak @abbiesthings @knowles-morgan @lady-pswrld @minnicelli @marquelapage @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @jadesamhart @mycupoffanfiction @claytoncardenasbabymama @thesandbeneathmytoes @phoenixhalliwell @thewarriorprincessxo @sugary-x-sweet

If you want to be tagged, send me a message!

[breanime]

can i request “You mean that… there’s a baby in there right now? And it’s mine?” with Angel Reyes please ma'am?

*gif not mine*

You, Angel, EZ, Coco, Letty, and Gilly had a secret that no one else in the club knew, and you’d all sworn to never tell them…

…on the last Friday night of the month, every month, the six of you got together…

…and played charades.

Angel and EZ were always on the same team, because if they weren’t, they would bicker like the 12-year-old boys they really were, so this month, the teams were Angel, EZ, and Letty versus you, Gilly, and Coco. You loved this—this quality time with your loved ones. You loved seeing Angel so carefree, loved watching the way his eyes lit up when he won a point for his team, loved hearing his laugh, loved watching him unwind.

You loved him.

And you loved the fact that you were carrying his child…

…even if he didn’t know it yet.

You sat back, tears in your eyes, as you watched EZ pantomime watering a garden. He’d been up there for his full 60 seconds, and all Angel and Letty could guess was “masturbating!”. The timer went off, and EZ groaned, throwing his hands up.

“If the answer was masturbating, I would have stopped doing it!” He sighed.

“I said jerking off, too!” Angel argued.

“Those are the same thing, Angel!”

“Nah, there’s a difference,” Letty said, crossing her arms.

EZ’s mouth dropped, too incredulous to even respond.

“Okay, shut the fuck up, we get to guess now!” Coco announced. He turned to you and Gilly, and the three of you leaned close to each other. “Okay, so,” Coco whispered, “…the answer’s beating off, right?”

You slapped his forehead, and Gilly groaned. “He’s planting a garden,” Gilly said back.

“Watering a garden,” you clarified, and the boys nodded. You sat back. “Watering a garden?”

EZ groaned. “Fuck,” he said, handing you the card, so you could confirm that you were right—which you were.

“Annnnnd that’s another point for us,” you said cheerfully, getting up to grab the next card for your turn.

“C’mon, mi dulce, you really gonna do me like that?” Angel whined.

“Aw, baby,” you cooed, “you know how much I love doing you…” You laughed, looking down at your card, and oh…

It said: having a baby.

Hm. Well… You bit your lip, glancing up at Angel. He was arguing with EZ again/already, and as you looked at him, you just felt your heart swell. This man was going to be the father of your child, you were a family… You’d been wrestling with how to tell him that you were knocked up, and the universe gave you a perfect way to do it…

“Okay, start the clock!” You called out. You went to the middle of the room and mimed a big belly.

“Pregnant!” Gilly yelled at the same time Coco guessed “Santa Claus!”.

“Dude, what is wrong with you?” Gilly asked, glaring at his teammate. You shook your head, pointing at Gilly. “Okay, pregnant…” Gilly went on.

“Knocked up!” Coco added when you kept making the big belly motion.

“In the family way!” Gilly yelled.

“Bun in the oven!” Coco cried.

You crouched down and gestured downwards, trying to mime giving birth.

“Delivering a baby!” Gilly cried out.

“Having a baby, someone having a baby!” Coco shouted.

You nodded, jumping up and pointing at him excitedly.

“Yes!” Coco and Gilly high-fived, but you weren’t done.

You went back to the big belly motion and pointed at yourself.

“Woman!”

“Wife!”

“Girl!”

You shook your head, doing the belly motion again before pointing at your stomach, smiling widely. You could see the exact moment when Coco and Gilly caught on; Coco’s jaw dropped, and Gilly shot up, clapping excitedly. You looked over at the other team. EZ was smiling softly at you, and you knew he knew, too. Letty and Angel however, looked like their browsers were still loading… But then Letty’s eyes widened, and she stood up, pointing at you.

“Oh my God, you’re pregnant!” She cried out.

“Damn, Letty, you’re not even on her team,” Angel started. He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening, and he stared over at you. “Wait… what?”

You giggled, your heart pounding, and you nodded, placing your hands over your stomach. “Mm hmm,” you said.

Angel stood up and walked towards you slowly, his hands held out in front of him. He covered your hands with his over your stomach, staring down at it as if he could already see the baby in there. “Holy shit…” He breathed out. He looked at you, his big brown eyes sparkling, and you feel even more in love with him in that moment. “You mean that… there’s a baby in there right now? And it’s mine?” 

“No,” you deadpanned, smirking, “it’s Leticia’s.”

He laughed, pulling you towards him in a hug. “We’re having a baby!” He pulled back a bit, his arms still wrapped around you. “We’re having a baby!” He announced to the room.

You laughed as everyone ran up and hugged you, congratulating you and touching your stomach.

“You know,” Letty smirked, “that baby is gonna be adorable, but it’s be even cuter if it was mine.”

You laughed, hugging her. You looked over at Angel, and he was smiling at you as EZ, Gilly, and Coco patted him on the back and toasted his “potent fucking shit, man” (to quote Coco). Angel’s eyes were soft, and he mouthed three words to you from across the room:

I love you.

*******************************************************************************************

Awwwww Angel! Love that boy! Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!

Everything Taglist: @sweetybuzz25  @mrsjaxtellerfan  @rhabakoli  @encounterthepast @realduckvader   @justvnash @knowles-morgan  @ateliefloresdaprimavera @evanlys19  @nyxxnoxx @carlaangel86  @luminex3 @jigsawlover10  @gollyderek @otomefromtheheart  @lexxierave @crushed-pink-petals @amethyst09 @falsehopesndreams  @a-dorky-book-keeper @witchygagirl @glimmerglittergirl @nich0lasmatthews  @ben-c-group-therapy @felicity-x0 @amirra88 @yourfellowangel

Mayans MC Taglist:  @glorified-angl   @gemini0410 @jamielennkeeler    @wrcn9fvlcver    @whyisgmora @whovianayesha

[putas-in-suffering]

Fluff #65 with Angel or EZ

✨“So, we’re just going to ignore the fact that you drunk-dialed me to tell me you love me?”✨

This took on a life of its own without permission. El espiritu de la puteria was with us lol!

“Bitch, don’t even act like you’re not in love with him.”

You nearly choked on your drink at your best friend’s bold words, thankful that the bar was loud enough to conceal the not-so-secret secret from wandering ears.

But she wasn’t wrong, she hardly ever was when it came to matters involving you, having known you long enough to consider you like more of a sister than a friend.

“Okay fine! So I love Ezekiel, y que?” You responded defensively, eyes nervously darting everywhere but in her direction.

“Does he know that though?”

You didn’t trust yourself to answer, so you took another long sip of your margarita instead. The bitter aftertaste of the tequila lingered on your tongue like the words you couldn’t quite bring yourself to say to your boyfriend. It was silly really, considering how long you’d been with EZ, but it still felt like such a huge leap.

She sighed at your silence, reaching out to place her hand over yours.

“Girl, what are you waiting for? You know he loves you too. I mean, the man looks at you like you’re his whole fucking world or something. It’s kinda gross.”

You smiled up at your friend, her validation meaning more than she’d ever know.

The thought of how much you loved EZ invaded your mind, the very look your friend described flashing through your memory, bringing tears to your eyes and a warmth to your cheeks. Tequila always made you sentimental, but you also knew it wasn’t the only reason to blame for the flood of emotions you were experiencing.

“I’m gonna tell him,” you turned to face her, your posture and voice suddenly confident as you dug around in your purse.

“If I can just find my phone....”

“Oh this thing?”

Your friend playfully waved your phone in her hands. It was safer in her possession than in yours, given the state you were in, but that didn’t stop you from reaching for it, nearly spilling your drink on the bar top.

“See, that’s why I’m not giving this back,” she laughed, tucking the phone away in her purse.

“Bitch,” you spat with a laugh, which she returned.

***

You stayed at the bar for hours, laughing and drinking until you’d both had your fill of both. It was last call when you grabbed your purse and excused yourself to the bathroom. You stumbled inside less than gracefully, catching your reflection in the mirror. You admired yourself for a moment, wondering if EZ would have liked your outfit, what he might have said to you if he was there, what he might do. The thought alone bolstered your confidence.

You set the purse down on the counter to look for your lipgloss, except the contents were completely unfamiliar. A small gasp left your lips at the realization that you’d grabbed your friends purse instead of your own. But you didn’t rush to return it, not when you knew that your phone was finally back in your possession. You held it in your hands like it was the holy grail, toying with the idea of calling EZ just for the hell of it.

Maybe it was how much you missed him or maybe it was the liquid courage coursing through your veins, but you decided to call him either way. The rush had you bouncing on your heels, waiting eagerly for him to pick up the phone, to hear his voice on the other end of the line.  

After what felt like ages of ringing, he finally answered, but you winced at the sound of his voice, finding his panicked tone confusing-- the late hour not really dawning on you as a valid cause for concern.

“Hey, you okay?!”

“I’m fan-fucking-tastic actually,” you lilted, and EZ swore he could hear the batting of your lashes through the phone.

He smiled at the sound of your voice, happy that you’d had a good night out with your bestie. You deserved it-- you deserved it all, in his eyes. You’d been nothing short of patient and loyal, supporting him through all that came with joining the MC, and for that he would be grateful to you until his dying day. 

“Sounds that way. You drunk, baby girl?” His soft chuckle went unnoticed, but the implication for something else, something mischievous, was there. 

“Maybe so,” you giggled, now pacing the empty bathroom, twirling a loose curl between your fingers.

“Do you need me to pick you up or something, amor?”

Leave it to Ezequiel to be chivalrous when you were so clearly flirting with him.

“Or something...” 

Oh, so it was that kind of call.

Your sultry tone had him licking his lips, and despite his better judgement, he indulged you in whatever impulsive game you wanted to play.

“You by yourself?” His voiced had dropped an octave, sounding deeper, more dangerous.

“Yes, but I wish you were here with me.”

It was pointless to hide your neediness from him when he was always one step ahead of you, anticipating your every move, knowing you even better than you knew yourself at times.

“Yeah? And if I was, what would we be doing right now?”

“All sorts of fun things, baby,” you teased with a bite of your lip.

***

You leaned against the sink, skin balmy with sweat, the top half of your dress pulled down, chest heaving from the orgasm you’d just pulled from yourself. EZ grunted on the other end of the line, having reached his own peak, your name leaving his lips with a soft laugh. It was too easy to give into your whims, but there was no denying you.

“Fuck,” you swallowed thickly, trying to catch your breath.

“I love you.”

You spoke the words with such ease, as though you’d been saying them all along. You didn’t even flinch or think twice when they left your lips.

“I love you too, baby,” EZ confessed, his voice softer now, utterly vulnerable and sincere.

“EZ,”

Your response died in your throat as a heavy knock on the door starltled you back to reality.

“Put your fucking calzónes back on, cochina. The Uber is here,” your friend alerted you, with a little too much enthusiasm.

You visibly cringed, fumbling with the straps of your dress to regain some long-lost modesty.

“EZ, I gotta go, I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

“See you then, baby,” he sweetly offered, making you smile one last time before you stood to face the music outside.

You wobbled slightly as you exited the bathroom, the blush on your cheeks not fooling anyone as to what you’d been up to, least of all your friend who had caught the tail end of the show.

“Can’t take you anywhere, I swear,” she giggled, hooking your arm in hers to lead you outside.

“Oh please, no te hagas la santa,” you shot back with a smirk.

***

The next morning you woke up grateful the room was no longer spinning, though the same could not be said for the splitting headache and dry mouth you were now cursed with. Tequila, that sneaky bitch. You laid around most of the day, until you got a text from EZ that made you jump out of bed and straight into the shower.

On my way, see you soon.

You got ready as quickly as possible, opting for a laid back look, EZ always did say how much he liked you without all the extras. You felt the thunderous sound of his bike rattle in your chest as he drove up, the anticipation of seeing him making your restless. He never had to knock because you always met him at the door, and today was no different.

You watched him as he walked up your drive way, imagining, not for the first time, what it might be like to see him come home to you every night exactly like this. To share a home with him, maybe even a life.

From the moment he reached the door you were convinced you never wanted him to leave again. He looked up at you with that smile of his, the one that made you weak in the knees, and you couldn’t help but melt. You jumped straight into his arms, holding him so close that you could feel the beating of his heart against your own.

“How you feeling today?” He spoke softly in your ear, holding you in his arms as though you weighed nothing at all.

“Better now that you’re here,” you beamed up at him as he walked you both further into the room.

You landed on the couch with an breathy laugh, legs straddled around EZ, who was all too smug at your placement on his lap. You talked about everything from life, to the MC, and everything in between until a comfortable silence took the place of lively conversation.

Your eyes were beginning to fall closed, the comfort of your boyfriend’s strong arms unmatched by anything, when his voice cut through the silence.

“So, we’re just going to ignore the fact that you drunk-dialed me to tell me you love me?”

You stilled in the embrace, breath caged in your lungs at the blunt delivery of his words. The memory was fuzzy at best, the whole night had been a blur of liquor and laughter, but for as much as you wanted to deny it, you did remember. You couldn’t help but smile, warmth blooming in your chest, recalling how easily he had said it back, as though it had been on the tip of his tongue, aching to reveal the secret you both kept from each other.

“Well, it was a little more than that, remember, lover?” You smirked, wiggling your brows suggestively to diffuse the tension with humor.

“You’re lucky I love you,” EZ deadpanned, but a sly smile pulled at his lips soon after, his deep eyes fixed on yours.

“Yeah?” You playfully mocked, but your heart was bounding in your chest.

His face inched closer to yours, a rough hand cupping your cheek, lips brushing against yours in the whisper of a kiss.

“Yeah.”

Without skipping a beat, you closed the space between you, crashing your mouth over his in smoldering kiss full of longing and relief.

“I love you too,” you finally confessed without hesitation. “So much, Ezekiel. I have for so long.”

There was only a soft grunt before he pulled you down by the nape, kissing you with a ferocity you felt down deep in your bones. When you pulled away breathlessly, he was looking into your eyes, an overwhelming feeling so pure tethering you to him— the unbreakable bond of love.

[oikaw-ugh]

PUTANGINA KO I AM NOW DONE WITH MY REQUIREMENTS

Fuck yeah I’m semi free for the rest of the week! I missed talking to some of my mutuals here huhuhuhu I wanna catch up with my friends here so, let’s have a game :D

School Christmas party but the Haikyuu boys as your manito (Secret Santa)

Notes:

Open to all.

Mostly fitting for Filipino humor but I think it’s funny in general so let’s see.

You may send your ask anonymously or unanonymously.

Mostly crack so don’t get offended if the Haikyuu boys gives you a shitty gift HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

How to play!

Send me an ask of which Haikyuu boy would you like to be your manito.

Send me one (1) gift you’d like to receive this holiday season!

Example:

YOOOOOO I WANT TO HAVE BOKUTO AS MY MANITO AND I’D LIKE TO RECEIVE A NEW PS5 THIS CHRISTMAS!

EZ :))))

iF THIS FLOPS, FORGET THAT YOU SAW THIS!!!! AND ADVANCED MERRY CHRISTMAS <3 <3