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weaselle · 4 years

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cooking for people who have no idea what they are doing (or are just, like, real depressed)

Okay, I’m a professional cook, but also, I get depressed. This is the cooking I do when I’m depressed, because I need the simplest path to a whole meal.

This is not for vegetarians, because, while I wholeheartedly support people choosing vegetarianism, and also enjoy cooking for vegetarians, for me, the simplest path to a meal includes meat. Perhaps when I am less depressed I will work on options.

A lot of recipes focus on achieving food that is in some way special, using special techniques, or using a precise list of carefully measured high-end ingredients... and that’s not this, this is all the parts of cooking that are not those things.

First, shopping

Meats Starches Veggies Sauces Breakfast/Snack

For a whole week you’re going to want

3 kinds of meat, with five portions each. So, for example, five chicken breasts, 10 sausage links, and 2-3 pounds of ground beef. Other possibilities include pork chops, salmon, some kind of steak, whatever.

You’re going to want up to 3 starches. Honestly I usually stick to just rice, but you can go with rice, potatoes, and pasta. If you want to use quinoa or polenta or something, thats on you.

And, you’re going to want about 3 types of vegetables, again, about 5 portions each -- and try to stay green. So personally, I usually get 5 medium zucchini, 2 medium heads of broccoli, and then either yellow squash or mushrooms. A bag of salad greens is also a good option, and I have an easy way to make a good salad, which I will do as a separate post.

Next pick something easy that works as either breakfast or a snack. For me this is a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a bunch of bananas. Sometimes it’s nice to have an additional option here, like cereal or yogurt.

Last, you’ll want 2-5 sauces in bottles. I would definitely recommend a low sodium soy sauce be one of them, and maybe a BBQ sauce for the other. I usually also include worcestershire and sriracha but go with whatever you want, teriyaki sauce, A1, whatever you know you’ll eat. Hell, you can use Italian style salad dressing as a cookable sauce if you really want.

Oh, and If you don’t already have some at the house, you’ll need pan lube: butter and/or some kind of cooking oil.

Okay! we’re done shopping! Affordability isn’t the main focus here, but is undeniably important -- I live in a very expensive area, this shopping trip is going to feed me well for a week and costs me about $100 bucks. When I was living in Alabama, it probably would have cost me more like $70. You won’t need to get stuff like the sauce and rice and peanut butter every week, so you’re definitely looking at a monthly grocery bill of something like $300 depending on where you live, and that’s not too bad.

Prep

hell no, I’m depressed, the only prep I’m doing is putting two packages of meat in the freezer and the rest of this stuff in the fridge. You CAN box or bag each portion of meat separately so you can really alternate what you eat -- me, I’m gonna eat chicken for two or three days, then beef for two or three days, etc.

and listen, don’t fuck around with microwave settings or running water on things to defrost them. If you package the meat all up separately, just move a portion from the freezer to the fridge each time you cook dinner. Or, if you do like me, move the whole package when you go to cook your last portion of the previous stuff, and just deal with the fact that it will probably still be a tiny bit frozen when you go to cook next.

Tip: When you cook dinner, you’re going to make enough for lunch. That just leaves you one small meal - I often smear peanut butter on a peice of bread and wrap it around a banana like a taco - fast, easy, practically no dishes, relatively healthy

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Cooking (this is going to take about 25 minutes)

You’re going to need

ONE frying pan, medium size w/ lid ONE boil pot, medium size w/ lid knife, a spatula and a cutting board.

If you want to be fancy, you can include a big spoon. Looks like this

No matter what the specific ingredients you’ve chosen, the basic format is going to be:

Start your starch heat pan, put meat in the pan flip meat and add veggies, cover with lid remove meat and add sauce finish starch put everything on a plate while it is still too hot to eat and you are standing in the kitchen anyway, wash the like, 4 dishes you’ve gotten dirty. eat.

Okay, before you even get everything else out, start your starch. For rice this means rinse the rice and put it in the cold water and set it on high heat, for pasta this means put your salted water on the stove on high heat. For potatoes, you can use my perfect mashed potatoes recipe (I’ll do that as a separate post) or, honestly, you can wait until you’re halfway done with the rest of everything and microwave the sucker for like 8 minutes. I would never do that in a restaurant, but trying to feed my lethargic depressed ass? Absolutely.

easy rice: Fill your smallest coffee cup with rice, put it in the pot. Rinse. Fill the same cup twice with water, add to rice. Bring to a boil, give a good stir, turn heat all the way down, put a lid on it for something like 15 more minutes.

Okay, now lube your pan. Butter, olive oil, whatever. You’re probably looking at an amount more than a teaspoon and less than a table spoon of whichever you use. Personally I try to use as little olive oil as possible, so I pour a large coin sized amount (a quarter in the U.S.) into the pan, ear off a piece of the paper towel I’m going to use as my napkin for the evening, fold it up tight, and sort of paint the oil around so a little goes a longer way.

Pan lubed? Great, turn your burner on. highest heat will work but is not ideal, medium heat will work better but is still not ideal. Halfway between the two is perfect for chicken, a little hotter for beef, a little lower for fish.

Now remove two portions of your chosen protein (that way you’ll have tomorrow’s lunch too). By the time you get the packaging open and stuff, your pan is probably hot. If it’s not, let it get hot. You don’t want the oil to start smoking (warning, butter will burn faster than oil) but if you shake a single drop of water off your finger into the pan, you want it to sizzle.

If your pan is hot, put your meat in. The more you do this, the more you’ll perfect the timing, but you’re going to cook it for ~about~ 7 minutes before you flip it, maybe a couple minutes longer if it’s chicken or pork, maybe a couple minutes less if it’s beef.

Now that your meat is in, prepare your veggie. Rinse it off, cut off any part of it you don’t want to eat, and then cut what’s left into pieces the size of a large bite. Don’t worry, it’s going to get a little smaller when you cook it. Take your time, you’ll probably finish in less time than the meat needs.

Time to flip your meat? Great. Do that, and then dump your chopped up veggie in the pan. It does not matter at all if the pieces are not touching the bottom of the pan -probably most of them will not be, a bunch will be on top of the meat, that’s fine.

Put a lid on it. Now add your pasta to the water, or put your potato in the microwave, or check your rice. If following my perfect mashed potato recipe, mash now.

Rice tip, checking: eat a grain, you want zero crunch. If it’s not done and there’s no liquid, add a splash of water and stir. It it’s done or close to done, but it is still very wet, give it a big stir and leave on the stove with the lid off for a couple minutes.

Your meat still has like, at least 4 minutes, so rinse off your cutting board and chef knife, get out a plate, table knife and fork.

Meat done? Great. Take the meat out of the pan, leaving the veggies in. Add sauce to the pan. I like to also use a little wine, because it’s usually already in the house, if you have some and want to, pour a large swallow of wine in the pan with the sauce. I’ll often mix a couple sauces, like worcestershire and soy (makes something similar to teriyaki) or hot sauce and BBQ

Stir the sauce around with the veggies. This, called deglazing, is an important step for two reasons, 1: it will get up a lot of the flavorful stuff that has stuck to the pan and make your sauce better, and 2: it will make washing the pan much easier. Okay, put the lid back on for one to two minutes, maybe stir a couple times. Basically you want the sauce to stain the veggies.

Your starch should be done, turn off the burner, put a portion on your plate, and stick the rest in a ziplock or tupperware or something. Go ahead and throw the second portion of meat right in there with it.

Turn off the stove and scoop the veggies onto the plate, and pour the sauce from the pan over everything.

Now, while it’s too hot to eat, and you’re standing in the kitchen anyway, wash the pot, pan, and spatula. It should be very easy because of the way you used the sauce and because nothing has had a chance to harden. This usually takes me about 2 full minutes.

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OKAY! it’s been 20-25 minutes, you’ve got dinner and tomorrow’s lunch (just add another cut up veggie, pour a different sauce on, and put it in the microwave for two or three minutes) AND there’s no danger of dishes piling up on you :) You can even add “washing last night’s plate and fork for use tonight” to where you rinse the cutting board to really keep it full circle.

It’s not gormet. It IS accessibly healthy, affordable, and easy.

If you are extra depressed, forget the starch and use more veggies; this cuts what little work there is by up to half

Using this format, you can have three good meals per day and only spend 30 total minutes a day in the kitchen — including clean up! (dishes piling up tends to exacerbate my depression and makes cooking your next meal harder)

And it’s easy to give yourself a wide variety, from soy glazed chicken, zucchini and rice one night; to steak, mushrooms and pasta the next; followed by BBQ pork chops, brocoli and potatoes... I suck at math but there’s probably a hundred options

Just to recap, because I know I was very detailed and this might seem overwhelming, once you read through the above to answer any questions you might have, simply

-Start your starch -lube & heat pan, put meat in the pan, about 7 minutes -flip meat, add veggies, lid, about 7 minutes -wash knife and cutting board -remove meat and add sauce to veggies, re-lid, 1-2 minutes -finish starch, refrigerate extra meat and starch -put everything left on a plate -wash pot and pan -eat.

#cooking #food #depression meals

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papergirllife · 4 years

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Teaser :

Idol! Jaemin x Barista! Reader

“This is the first time a barista has defied my order, and you even know who I am, this is outrageous. Female baristas are the best when it comes to making my order, and you dare to defy me?” Jaemin asked after he had taken a sip of his coffee.

“Oh please, Jaemin. Not giving you four shots of Americano isn’t the end of the world. And as for the other baristas, I’m not the type to kill my best customers by making an unhealthy drink, not everyone can be charmed by your good looks, Jaemin,” you said as you handed out drinks to his members.

“Really? I think you’re even more charmed by me than others, or you wouldn’t be worrying about my health by not serving me the correct order,” Jaemin said as he leaned over at the service counter, eyebrows moving up and down with a smug look on his face.

“Whatever floats your boat, Na Jaemin.”

warnings : tooth rotting fluff, fluffy smut, unprotected sex.

The practice room is filled with hustle and bustle as Jaemin and his fellow dream members prepare for their next comeback, checking their shoe laces before turning on the music, their hard work playing in the background as their choreographer instructs them to stretch before dancing. Practices always went like this at the start of the day, tired eyes trying to decipher the teacher’s moves as they take in the instructions and advice from their teacher, they hardly got any sleep last night, just to finish off recording the side tracks in the studio for their album just so they could focus on the performance side of things.

After the first hour, their teacher let them take a break, registering the tired look on their faces, the boys immediately went for their water bottles, but water isn’t going to help with their fatigue, so Jaemin suggested taking a walk to their usual coffee place, to Jaemin, coffee always helped him focus and gave him energy even more so than food. The boys agreed, making their way to the couch to slip on their padded jackets.

When they got to the cafe, the familiar chime of the doorbell rings as Renjun pushes open the door, the scent of coffee immediately waking them up the slightest, trudging towards the counter that was empty of people, the office workers have already retreated to their workplace, the main reason why they never went to get coffee first thing in the morning.

Renjun rang the bell as Jisung looks at the slices of cake in the display fridge expectantly, tugging on Jeno’s sleeve, hoping that he won’t be the only one hungry right now, but lips downturned when Jeno told him to save it for lunch, that their break wouldn’t be long enough for Jisung to digest the food quick enough to avoid a stomach ache.

When Jisung finally settled on what he wanted, Jaemin rang the bell that sat idly on the register, a girl who looked around twenty who was obviously new making her way to greet them a good morning before asking them what they wanted. If you knew who they were, you didn’t show any indication, unlike the other baristas, mostly female, who’d coo at them and compliment their good looks. You took down the orders with a monotonous expression, asking for their names just like any other customer, that is until Jaemin said his order, a slight wince that was a little noticeable, and surprisingly, you didn’t ask for his name, immediately knowing who he is even with his coat pulled higher, knowing who he is just from the ‘unique’ choice of drink, from what the boys could see as you scrawled his name on his cup with a sharpie, not a spelling in error, but in your defense, you got the other members’ names right as well, even going as far as writing their names on the different cake boxes to avoid mix ups.

The boys waited for their drinks patiently as Jisung tried to smell a bit of his cake through the tiny gaps of the box, trying to subdue his hunger as best as he could before the coffee arrives to fill his stomach, that boy digested this morning’s breakfast like it was nothing, Chenle telling him to eat more the next morning before he accidentally starves himself, a conversation they always have at the start of preparations.

When the first drink arrived, each of them took a look, careful not to take someone else’s drink, especially Jaemin’s, who had ordered an iced Americano in this cold weather, and not to mention, four shots. Jaemin took his drink, taking a sip to check, which he always does when there’s a new barista.

“Excuse me, miss?” Jaemin said as he waves his drink higher to try to get your attention when you were cleaning one of the machines, beckoning you back to the service counter.

“Yes?”

“I asked for four shots of Americano just now, I think there’s only two shots here,” Jaemin said as he stirs his drink with his straw, trying to show you the difference in density of two shots and four.

“Yeah, I know,” you said in a curt tone.

“Look, miss I know it isn’t company policy to make more than two shots, but I’m a regular here, and you do know where your regulars work at right?” Jaemin said as he takes off his cap and pushes his hair back, Donghyuck gagging in the background, knowing that he’s trying to charm her just like all the other female baristas who’ve worked here.

“I know who you are, Na Jaemin of Nct Dream who are under SM Entertainment, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving you that thing you call coffee, and it’s not even a matter of company policy,” you said as you look at him pointedly, not backing off of what you had stood for, the boys attention immediately fixated on you, not expecting you to shoot down Jaemin’s properly executed charms.

Jaemin props both his elbows on the service counter, mirroring your stance as he takes in your beautiful features that he had just noticed, usually he wouldn’t even spare the other female baristas a glance after getting his order, dedicating his flirtatious charms solely on getting his four shots of Americano, but today, he suddenly had a different goal in mind, exchanging his hand of cards for a game of two.

“Whatever floats your boat, Na Jaemin,” was the only thing you said before making your way back into the backroom, a confident bonce in your footsteps.

The next time Jaemin saw you was only hours later, when he was about to head home, he had chose to sit out some promotion discussions, opting to let Jeno listen to the staff drone on about the concept for this comeback, and volunteered to take Jisung for another snack run.

“Their chocolate chip cookies look so good, hyung,” Jisung said as he observes the cookies in the cookie jar.

“I’ll buy you anything you want as long as you can still eat dinner after we hit the showers.”

When Jaemin finally reached his turn in line, your beautiful face greeted him once again.

“Well if it isn’t you again, the one who stops me from having my favourite drink.”

“She’s just trying to add a few years to your life span, hyung,” Jisung pipes up from under all the scarves he had bundled around his neck.

“And this is why they say raising kids are useless and why hasn’t your shift ended?” Jaemin asked, his head cocked to a side in a questioning manner.

“Soon, guess you’ll have to wait for the next barista for your cup of death.”

“Unfortunately for me, I don’t have time to spare. So hit me with anything, as long as there’s caffeine in it, I just need enough energy to last until I get to my bed, and a chocolate chip cookie for Jisung.”

“Free rein of creativity?” you asked in a suspecting tone.

“Just nothing that contains strawberries.”

“Gotcha,” you said before you busied yourself behind the counter.

“Why are you watching her so intently, hyung?”

“What do you mean? I’m checking to see if she’s evil enough to slip a strawberry syrup or something into my drink.”

“But you’re looking at her, not the drink,” Jisung said with a slight teasing tone.

“Kids shouldn’t mind adults business, baby Jisungie.”

“I’m going to be an adult soon.”

“Kids these days grow up so quickly,” Jaemin said with a sigh as you called his name at the service counter, making his way towards your direction.

“Here, bon appetit, apple crunch delight frappe, and a cookie, I heated it up for you, Jisung, hold the top of the paper bag, it might still be hot.”

Jaemin held up his cup of drink, observing intently at the swirls of caramel that decorate the sides of the cup, as well as the cinnamon, apple powder, as well as cookie crumbs scattered on top of the whip cream.

“Is there a lot of milk in this?”Jaemin asked as he swirled his drink, taking a sip to try your drink, testing to see if it tastes as good as it looks, although it isn’t bitter, and probably had only one shot of espresso, the overwhelming sweetness of the drink with the slight bitter undertone has him hooked.

“Jaemin hyung is lactose intolerant,” Jisung said as he takes the paper bag in his hand, a worried expression as he observes Jaemin sipping from the drink.

“I used soy milk, is that okay with you?”

“Wait, how did you know Jaemin hyung is lactose intolerant?”

“I think another worker mentioned it to me, I have to get back to work now, have a nice day, you two,” you said before Jaemin got the chance to thank you.

As time goes by, the two of you make more small talk, and still jokingly argue over the fact that you’re not serving Jaemin four shots of Americano. The members watch curiously as Jaemin breaks the typical platonic flirting routine that he used to have with other female baristas, it’s not that he doesn’t flirt with you, but rather there’s sincerity in his eyes that aren’t there when it comes to the other people he charms.

There was once when the other members took a sip of his new favourite drink, thinking it wouldn’t be as bad as the poison he used to drink, but apparently, they were in for a surprise.

“This shit is too sweet, what the hell?!” Donghyuck yelled before he quickly downs a gulp of water to wash the sweetness off his taste buds.

The others quickly took a sip, saying that Hyuck was probably overreacting, but to their demise, all of them grimaced at the caramel and apple syrup filled drink, the taste of coffee barely reaching their taste buds, masked by all the sweet syrups.

“God, how does she know you so well? How did she even know about your weird preferences for food?” Renjun asked after downing the whole bottle of water, immediately popping a mint into his mouth.

“When you mentioned that, I don’t know, I never told her that before, not even the other baristas that I’ve ordered from, and she even knew I was lactose intolerant.”

“You only mentioned these things on shows, she’s probably a fan, specifically your fan,” Jeno noted.

“Well, well, well, looks like our Jaemin hit the jackpot, you did say our fans are your ideal type, or was that just for camera?” Hyuck said as he looped an arm over Jaemin’s shoulder, a teasing tone as he sings your name loudly in his ear.

“God you’re annoying, and yes I did mean it, but that doesn’t mean she’s a fan.”

“She’s obviously a fan,” all of them said immediately.

“Even if she isn’t, you were already fascinated by her the first time she wouldn’t give you your drink,” Renjun said to make a painfully obvious point that Jaemin didn’t want to come clean yet.

“I’m heading to bed, keep guessing guys,” Jaemin said as he got up from the couch, retreating into his room, but finds himself staring at the same face once he closes his eyes, your smile in his mind as fatigue finally lulls him into peaceful slumber.

A month went by and things haven’t changed much, but the boys are finally getting weekends off after getting the choreography in their mind, now they just need to practice it until it’s perfect, before the filming starts.

The winter season at times, drives customers away from the cafe, opting to stay home and settle for the instant coffee packets they have in their comfort of their own houses, but six very persistent customers never fail but to make it to the cafe’s warm confines every morning, other than the other customers that can’t start work without their daily coffee intake as well of course.

“Morning boys, what would you like to have today?”

“Morning, the guardian angel of my kidneys, every morning I feel warmer just by looking at your beautiful smile.”

“Actually I think that’s the air vent on top of your head, Jaemin,” you said as you pointed at the ceiling, trying to hide the smile on your face.

“Right, I didn’t see that until today, I’ll have my usual,” Jaemin said with a toothy grin on his face, trying his best to distract you from his failed pick up line as the rest of the boys snickers at his failed attempt, only pausing to tell you what they wanted.

When you came out with their drinks, Jaemin plucked the sharpie that was clipped onto your apron and a cup sleeve from the stand, uncapping the pen to quickly write down his number on the sleeve before reaching out your hand, trying to not get distracted by your smooth skin as he slips the sleeve onto your wrist, catching you by surprise.

“Call me,” was all he said before he ushered the boys out, not wanting them to tease him in front of you so blatantly.

You laughed at the amusing scene in front of you, Jaemin pushing the boys out as he clamps a hand over Donghyuck’s mouth. When they were out, the cafe was once again empty, giving you time to ponder over the feeling of where Jaemin held your hand, butterflies erupting in your stomach at the sight of his number on your wrist, taking the sleeve off and placing it in your pocket securely.

You and Jaemin have been texting back and forth, and you find that he likes asking very specific questions from you, other than the good morning, how was your day, and goodnight texts. He’d ask about things like what was your favourite colour, and when you say you didn’t have one, he’d send the doggy eyes emoji and said that he wouldn’t know what to get you for your first present, and you promptly told him you didn’t want any gifts from him, but Jaemin being Jaemin, got you Ryan house slippers the next day when you had randomly mentioned how cold your floorboards are these days.

“I don’t want to seem like we’re talking solely because you’re buying me stuff, you know, just because you’re an idol, doesn’t mean you can splurge on me,” you said as you were making his coffee, putting in extra effort in making the whipped cream look nice.

“Don’t worry, I have plenty of savings, and now I can finally match with someone, the boys refused to have matching house slippers with me,” he complained in that baby tone of his. “Just let me buy you a gift to show my sincerity, and don’t act like you weren’t happy when I passed you the bag, your beautiful eyes give you away,” Jaemin said as he was leaning onto the service counter, watching you focus on your work is really attractive to him, taking a mental image of this moment.

“Sure, sincerity. Though, I do hear little birdies singing about how you flirt with every barista here, and that you’re their favourite customer,” you said as you passed him his drink, fingers touching his, but he didn’t let go, your eyes flicking to the boys who were sat at a table nearby, watching the two of you like a movie, but coffee clutched in their hands instead of a soda, eyes wide in concentration.

“You’re different,” he still hasn’t let go of your hand.

“How so?” you asked as you watch him trace your knuckles gently.

“You’re the only one I gave my number to, and what we have, isn’t casual flirting,” he said as his eyes looked upwards, holding your gaze, “it’s interest,” he said before leaving, the boys following suit before waving you goodbye and a ‘see you later’ from Jisung.

You stood still at your spot even after they had left, pondering over the words Jaemin chose to describe whatever attraction he had towards you, your chain of thoughts were however broken by the distant chime of your phone, signaling the arrival of a text message. You opened your phone to see a text from Jaemin.

‘Wanna go for a bike ride tonight? I’ll come get you after dinner.’

‘I don’t have a bike.’

‘You can borrow Jeno’s.’

‘I don’t know how to ride a bike.’

You were suddenly startled by the ringing of an all too familiar song of your ringtone, pressing the call button with an unknowing smile on your face.

“You just saw me minutes ago, and now you’re calling?”

“You seriously don’t know how to ride a bike? Or is this a subtle rejection to our first date?”

“Yes, Na Jaemin, I seriously don’t know how to ride a bike, I kid you not.”

“How did you even manage to get around Seoul without a bike?”

“The bus, the metro, my legs, I never needed to ride a bike my whole life. So we can’t have our date tonight?” you asked, hoping that he’d still have it on.

“How about I teach you?”

“Falling on my butt at twenty sounds like a bad idea for my tailbone.”

“Wait, I got an idea, send me your address, I’ll come pick you up at 9, I got to go, duty calls,” was the only thing he said before ending the call, leaving you miffed about what he’s going to pick you up from. From what you know, only Jeno, Renjun, and Chenle have their driving licenses.

Guess you’ll have to wait for tonight.

“I should’ve just said I was busy if I had known you’ll pull something like this.”

“What’s the problem?” Jaemin asked as he sat on his brand new bike, not the sporty one he had, but a brand new normal bicycle, the ones that had an extra place for you to strap your bag, though, instead of the empty netted metal plate, it was turned into a makeshift seat, Jaemin had strapped a pillow there using two old belts.

“You brought a new bike just for this date?” you asked as you looked at him in disbelief.

“Well, not just for this date, I plan to have plenty of bike dates with you, so I thought why not? Come on, time’s ticking, Cinderella,” Jaemin said as he held a hand out and pulled you to him, letting him adjust the helmet he had just placed on your head.

You stared into his honey brown orbs as he fixed your helmet, looking at the little stars in his big eyes as his fingers grazed your cheeks, hoping that he doesn’t touch your heated cheeks. When he was done, you hopped onto the back of the bike, your feet dangling off the ground.

When Jaemin paddled, you weren’t used to the jolt of speed, and instinctively looped an arm over Jaemin’s waist, your body lightly crashing onto Jaemin’s back, your cheek on his shoulder.

“Hold on tight, princess.”

Jaemin took you to a nearby hill which overlooked Seoul’s beautiful night sky, but you pulled onto his sleeve and pointed at a couple nearby, alerting him of their presence.

“They might recognise you.”

“Don’t worry, I know another place,” Jaemin said as he paddled further into the area, crossing into a small patch of grassland that was shaded by some bushes. You hopped off the bike and took off your helmet, looping it onto one of its handles, and breathed in a breath of fresh air.

“This is nice, feels like I’m really in a fairytale.”

“Thought you might want to feel a different atmosphere from the busy cafe, I immediately thought of this hill, Jeno and I come up here sometimes.”

“Thank you, Jaemin, this must’ve been a special spot to you.”

“I like seeing the stars here, when the night’s clear of clouds. Look up, there’s a few above us.”

You tilted your head up to see the stars shining down on you, alongside a crescent moon, barely steered clear by a large cloud.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Not as much as you,” Jaemin said as he laid down on the blanket he had set out, a hand patting the empty spot next to him.

“Ever the flirt, aren’t you?” you teased, but nonetheless laid down onto his outstrecthed arm, letting him pull you close to him.

“It was a compliment, not flirting.”

“Okay Mr baristas’ favourite, I will take that as a compliment as per your request.”

“Finally, thank you.”

You fished your phone out to take a photo of the sky, and that’s when Jaemin noticed an all too familiar photo of himself on your home screen, from the candy lab photoshoots.

“I knew it!” Jaemin said as he grabbed your phone, inspecting your home screen like it wasn’t him on it, “I knew you were a fan, that’s the only way to explain how you knew about my lactose and my taste preferences, just let me check,” Jaemin said as you shouted for him to give you your phone back, embarrassed that you had overlooked the need to switch your wallpaper before this date, Jaemin went and clicked onto your gallery, revealing your folders.

“Look what we have here, a Jaemin file, and there’s 89 photos in here, wait a minute, why do you have a file for Jeno? And there’s 94 photos?! How could you?!” Jaemin demanded as he waves your phone right in front of your face.

“Oh please, don’t be a drama king, Jaemin. Like you said, I’m a fan of you,, naturally I’m a fan of Jeno as well, the two of you come together like couple, most of us fans think you guys are in love with each other.”

“What?! So you thought I was gay at first?!”

“Well, yeah.”

“Now I know why my charms didn’t work on you the first few times,” Jaemin mumbled into your shoulder after he pulled you into his embrace, wallowing in self pity, as well as an excuse for a hug. After a minute or so, he pulled his head away, his smile back on his face.

“I won’t be discouraged because of that, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself, princess, since you already know everything about me. Like who do you live with? That area you live in was developed long ago, very different from what I had thought of, come on, tell me.”

“I live with my grandpa, he’s been staying there for decades now.”

“What about your parents?”

“They died in a car crash along with my grandma when I was just a baby, I don’t remember anything about them.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jaemin said as he stroked your back to comfort you, his palm warming you in this cold weather, as well as this distant cold memory.

“Don’t be, we’ve moved on, it’s been so many years now. How about you? How’s idol life?”

“Wake up, train, sleep, and repeat, unless it’s during promotional periods, then things get to be more exciting, tired, but regardless, exciting, seeing the fans enjoy our hard work pays off.”

“You’ve come so far, Jaemin. I’m proud of you, all of us are,” you said, your voice soft, but full of admiration.

“Thank you, really, those words mean a lot to me. I sacrificed quite a bit to be where I am, I think I miss going to school the most, as ridiculous as it may sound to other people, I don’t have any friends outside of the company. What about you, don’t you want to go college?”

“I like what I’m doing, and my grandfather has a fair amount of shares of various companies he had bought when he was still in doing business, he’s getting old, and I want to spend as much time as I can with him, college would’ve taken up too much of my attention, plus, I could always do college when I’m older, but grandpa wouldn’t be getting any younger.”

“That’s really sweet of you, as sweet as the drink you make me everyday.”

“You don’t think it’s cowardice? Some people have said that to me, and said that it’s an excuse for not getting out of my comfort zone.”

“I don’t think not going to college is a sign of not daring to go out of your comfort zone, it’s just like choosing a career over family, it’s just a difference of commitment, and you chose to be with your grandpa, and I think that’s what you always wanted, don’t let people who don’t understand you completely to tell you what to do, and you don’t have to give them an explanation either, just be you, and that’s enough.”

“For a twenty year old, you’re pretty wise, Na Jaemin. I’ve always wondered how you dealt with the not so nice comments and put a smile on your face everyday.”

“You smile everyday too, you’re stronger than you think, princess.”

“I smile to my customers because that’s my job, and it’s not even genuine, but I can see that yours are, it’s why fans adore you, your smile brings them joy.”

“As long as they’re happy, I’m happy. So are the smiles when we step into the shop genuine? Or are those scripted as well?”

“I did say you bring happiness to your fans, didn’t I?”

“Yeah? Then is it too much if I ask for a photo of us? Of you smiling?”

“Go ahead, but I don’t think we should use flash, what if the people down there sees us?”

“Even if they do, they’re not going to trudge uphill in their office attire just for the sake of gossip. Have a little faith in humanity.”

“I don’t have much faith in humanity,” you said as you sat up from the ground, looking at the couple only a few feet below you, one glance up and they’ll definitely see you if they looked up.

“What about me, then? How much faith do you have in me?” Jaemin asked, sitting up, his hand immediately on your back, nudging you to the direction of his face, searching your eyes once more.

You heard the question, but instead of answering immediately, you pondered over it as you lift a hand up to run your fingers through his locks gently, avoiding his eyes for now, not wanting to seem like a fool desperate for love, swallowing the lump in your throat before answering him.

“Just the right amount for my heart to shatter if placed in the wrong hands,” you answered, your voice somewhat hollow, a nagging voice in your mind tells you that you might have revealed too much, even from that one sentence.

Jaemin thinks it over before replying to what you said, the mood suddenly took a somber change, and he didn’t want to put it too simply, and he doesn’t want to disregard your emotions, he wants to know how the scars in your heart come about, he wants to know who you used to smile to before him, but he doesn’t ask, he doesn’t want to pry open your wounds once more without any preparation. He knows you’ll tell him when you’re ready.

“In exchange for your faith in me, I’ll give you this,” Jaemin said before taking your hand in his, cupping it over his heart, his eyes looking into yours, hoping that you’ll take this promise into account, that you’ll allow him in your heart, even if it takes a long time.

“Jaemin, I...” Jaemin puts a finger on your lips, he doesn’t need an explanation, not yet.

“Tell me when you really feel it. ”

At that moment, he looked like the sweetest thing ever, no one has ever looked at you like you were his whole world, you could faintly see your own reflection in his eyes, right next to his own stars, you could see yourself in the windows of his soul, you were apart of the little galaxy in his eyes now, his doe eyes making your heart do flips, you didn’t know what to say, what you were feeling right now seemed too vast to be worded out, so instead, you showed him with your actions, you leaned in and kissed him, your body’s weight shifting onto his, making him topple over as he reciprocates the kiss, your hair splayed all over his face, the sweet scent of your shampoo making him a hundred times more delirious, like kissing you wasn’t making him dizzy enough, he had to summon utmost concentration in kissing you back, his pouty lips engulfing your bottom lip, sucking gently as his arms around your waist pull you flush against him, the feeling of your cold hands on his warm nape keeping him on the edge, reminding him not to screw the first kiss up.

When the two of you pulled apart for air, you could see Jaemin’s lips red and swollen as his chest heaves slightly, with a little bit of drool on his chin, still bewildered that you were the one who did this, to the Na Jaemin, the boy of your dreams. Although the two of you broke off the kiss, both your hands are still on each other, no sign of letting go anytime soon.

When Jaemin finally collected his thoughts and registered that he had finally kissed you, he fished out his phone from his pocket, a wide smile on his face, “Now about that photo.”

The boys didn’t notice anything at first, the two of you acted rather normal around each other even after the fact that you’ve been together with Jaemin for a month now, though they did pick up subtle changes like how Jaemin would have a tiny heart at the back of his name on his coffee cups, then came the homemade cookies whenever your grandpa wanted a baking session with you, the sweet aroma of chocolate chip cookies filling the air of their dorm kitchen whenever Jaemin took them out from the container you had stored them in, things started to really get serious when Jaemin slept earlier, opting out of his gaming sessions just to wake up and cook you something for lunch, neatly stored in a bento box.

After a month or so of this, Jaemin finally asked you over for dinner, just the two of you and some sushi he had bought from your favourite Japanese place, you knew what dating an idol would be like, so you assured him that you didn’t mind having a date in his living environment, on the plus side, you could look into his life clearly, no more the days of trying to gather as much information of him as possible through the confines of your phone screen.

“Where are the boys?” you asked as you removed your shoes, stepping into a very homey place, from the way they decorate and place things, this was much more of a home than a dorm house.

“I told them to go out for dinner with some of the WayV members, it’d be weird to have them looking at us on an official date, and I’d like to talk to you without the fear of Jisung burning down the kitchen a few feet away.”

“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” you questioned as you took out the boxes of sushi, inhaling the delicious smell of your favourite dishes.

“He once asked me if you needed to wash vegetables with dish soap.”

“No way.”

“Way. I don’t even know what went through his mind that moment. Let me open the boxes, you go can pick out a movie for us.”

You laughed and shook your head at disbelief, imagining the scene in your head as you picked out a movie on Netflix, playing Monster Inc.

“What are you? A five year old?” Jaemin teased as he placed down the many boxes of sushi, just realising that he probably ordered too much.

“You signed up for the full package and that includes the immature disney loving side, do you wish to have a refund?” you joked as you grabbed a pair of chopsticks, popping one whole sushi into your mouth, making your cheeks full, emitting a coo from Jaemin instantly.

“If I get to see this everyday? Not a chance,” Jaemin said as he poked your cheek.

You focused on enjoying your food and the movie, trying your best not to laugh with your mouth full, but little did you know, Jaemin was staring at you the whole time, if he wasn’t smiling like a dork because of how you were trying your hardest to not laugh while eating, he’d be sneaking a photo or two of you with your biggest smile, one that is quite a rare view to him, the way your eyes light up, and your cheeks become round, and a little bit of teeth showing in between your plump pink lips, he couldn’t get enough of how perfect you look right now, and your sweater paws only make you even more irresistible in his eyes.

When the movie got emotional, you had unintentionally leaned into his embrace as you chewed on your california roll silently, doe eyes watching the scene in front of you. Jaemin took this chance and kissed the corner of your lips, stealing your attention for a quick second, before telling you to get back to the movie, silently enjoying the feeling of basking in your warmth as he takes a sip from his iced green tea.

There was still a bit of food left, guess he’ll just have to heat it up for tomorrow’s breakfast, unless Jisung gets hungry in the middle of the night, again. When the movie ended, you had an expression on your face that Jaemin hasn’t seen before, but when you started speaking, he realised that he had just been allowed deeper inside your heart.

“When I was in high school, I dated this guy for around 4 years, I thought we’d end up together until the end and whatnot, until I realised that the end for him and I was when he needed to leave for college in another country, we tried the long distance thing, but he fell out of love, so yeah, that’s how it ended, it’s been more than a year now, I’ve moved on, but at that time, I just felt this uncertainty that I didn’t want to confront at that time, but I realised that, you’re different Na Jaemin, I lo-

“Wait! Let me say it first, I’ve been dying to say it,” Jaemin said as he clamped a hand over your mouth.

“I love you, princess, from the bottom of my heart, and I’m not leaving you, so you better not try to get rid of me.”

“I love you too, drama king.”

Jaemin let out a chuckle before pouncing on you with a big fat kiss, giving you smooches all over your face before kissing you seriously this time, the slight bitter taste of green tea invading your taste buds, you could feel Jaemin smiling into the kiss, which made you smile as well, the butterflies in your stomach going wild, kisses with Jaemin always made you feel giddy inside, like Jaemin whenever he was on a sugar rush, every feeling maximised whenever his lips touch yours.

The two of you were still smiling when you broke off for air, but the clock on the wall broke your trance, telling you that it was time to head home before the last bus. You got up and packed away the leftover sushi, telling Jaemin to put them in the fridge before getting a bag to clean away the empty boxes, when you started collecting your things, Jaemin stopped you.

“Hey, what’s the rush? Why are you leaving so soon?”

“The last bus leaves in 15 minutes, I have to get to the station now.”

“It’s late, come on, stay the night, we could continue where we left off” Jaemin said in his baby voice, a pout on his face, knowing that you won’t be able to resist him.

“I’d love to, Jae, but the boys will be home soon, I don’t want to make them uncomfortable, especially Jisung, you room with him, remember?”

“I’ll just call Hendery and tell him to take Jisung to the his dorm, I bet Jeno and Renjun would follow suit, they already can’t stand us in the cafe, they wouldn’t want to overhear us,” Jaemin said as he slid a hand up your shirt, caressing your heated skin, his large eyes pleading you.

“Okay, fine, but I’m leaving before they come back tomorrow, okay?”

“Don’t worry, it’s the weekend, they won’t be back anytime soon. There’s a new toothbrush and a fresh towel in the cupboards, and use the skincare labelled with Nana, I’ll come to you after I make the call.”

You freshened up in the bathroom, surprised to see he had a very complete skincare routine, heading to his room to slip out of your dress into the comfort of one of Jaemin’s t shirts that you recognise from one of his schedules, the shirt ending just above your knee, it was oversized on him, so it looks even bigger on you. You heard the tap running in the bathroom you had just came out from, giving you some time to look around Jaemin and Jisung’s room, looking at photos of the boys since pre debut times, cooing at how adorable they look when they were kids, as well as the more recent photos of them, Jaemin just got more and more handsome as the years went by. A pair of arms on your waist and a kiss under your ear, caught you by surprise, turning back to see Jaemin’s beautiful bare face.

“You should walk louder next time.”

“Your scared face was cute though, I think I’ll keep doing that.”

“Meanie.”

“But you still love me.”

“Unfortunately, yes,” you said before laughing at Jaemin’s offended expression, but let out a yelp when he scooped you in his arms, carrying you to his bed before laying on top of you, his elbows propped up beside your head to not squish you.

“You look really good in my shirt,” Jaemin said as he dips his head down to scan your figure.

“Really? Wait till it’s on the floor,” you said as you trailed a leg up his thigh, getting dangerously close to the rising tent in his sweats.

“Getting bold, aren’t we?”

“You started the fire, Jaemin, why? Too hot to handle for you?” that was the last struck to his ego before Jaemin takes the initiative to do as you say, slipping off his shirt off of you and onto the ground, sitting up to admire your bare beauty as his fingers slowly trace your curves, goosebumps rising in his wake.

“Even more beautiful from what I’d imagined.”

Jaemin leaned down to engulf your nipple in his mouth, the warm wet feeling of his tongue flicking against your once cold nubs making your head spin from the sudden pleasure, his other hand reaching up to play with the other one, rolling your nipple in between pads of his fingers, eyes wide in astonishment as he takes in the way your face contorts in pleasure, breathless moans of his name falling from your lips like a mantra.

Jaemin moves down southwards to your core, gently prying your legs open before asking you if you wish to continue, you let out a breathless yes and nudged his head closer to your core, making him chuckle at how much you adore his touch. Jaemin gets to work immediately, lapping up your soaked slit before giving a few kitten licks to your clit right after his fingers successfully found your sensitive bundle of nerves.

Your moans started getting louder as you curled your fingers in Jaemin’s locks, trying to stable yourself when he dipped his tongue into your warm velvety walls, Jaemin’s only goal tonight is to worship you like the queen you are, putting your pleasure as priority.

Once your walls started opening up to the intrusion, Jaemin slipped two fingers inside of you, curling into your roof, trying to locate your sweet spot, a cry from you signaled him that he had found it, and began thrusting his fingers into you at a faster pace, slipping a third finger into the mix, a smile gracing his lips when he heard a whimper from you.

Jaemin halted all movements and slipped his fingers out, quickly taking off his clothes, you opened your eyes to see why Jaemin had stopped, only to see his cock standing tall against his abs, a drool worthy sight. You were going to sit up and return the favour, but Jaemin stopped you.

“I want our first to be together, maybe next time, princess?”

“Okay,” you said as you leant back into the bed, spreading your legs wider for Jaemin, a hand tracing his muscles, fingers dipping into every curve and nudge, driving Jaemin crazy under your teasing touch. Jaemin shook his head slightly to focus on the task at hand, he could always ask you to do this again later, but he can’t afford to screw up the first time.

Jaemin took your hand that was palming his abs in his, holding it as he asks you one last time, “We could stop if you need me to.”

“I want this, Jaemin, I want all of you,” you said as you looked into his eyes, showing him that you meant every word you said.

“Okay, tell me if anything hurts,” Jaemin reminded you before slipping inside of you inch by inch, penetrating your walls bit by bit felt so good, he could’ve came on the spot if he wasn’t concentrating. Jaemin ceased all movements when he bottomed out, littering kisses and whispers of sweet encouragements as you adjust to his size, his thumbs smoothing out the crease of your brows.

After a minute or two, you told Jaemin to move, finally adjusting to his size, he was significantly bigger and longer than your ex, reaching undiscovered parts inside you as he started his shallow thrusts, not wanting to hurt you, you could feel every vein that’s mapped on his length, the veins dragging against your smooth walls felt magnified to you, perhaps it’s just been a long time since you had any physical intimacy, but to you, Jaemin made you feel like it was your first time all over again.

Slowly, all the pain faded, and it was being replaced by a shocks of pleasure as Jaemin thrusted inside of you faster, legs looped around his waist to allow him to have easier access, the position allowing Jaemin to thrust into your sweet spot as Jaemin’s hand held onto yours, not letting go. You could feel the coil in your stomach starting to wound tighter.

“Jaemin, faster, please,” you spluttered out between moans of his name.

Jaemin immediately obliged, angling your hips higher to thrust into you harder and faster, snapping his hips against yours, making your toes curl as you let out a scream of his name, fueling his desire to help you reach your high. You could feel Jaemin’s tip hitting your sweet spot repeatedly, your hand that was clasped in his was digging crescents into his palm, but Jaemin didn’t mind, in fact, he secretly loves the mixture of pain and pleasure he’s feeling, he moves his other hand that was holding onto your hips to your clit, rubbing circles on your bundle of nerves.

The stimulation on your clit by Jaemin’s strong fingers was the last push that made the coil in your abdomen snap, eyes rolling into your head as your back arched into Jaemin’s embrace, your sensitive nipples grazing his as you let out a silent scream, tears brimming your eyes from oversensitivity. Jaemin snaps a few more thrusts before reaching his high, immediately switching to a sloppy pace, careful not to drive you into overstimulation as he paints your walls white, his cum warm inside you.

When Jaemin finished, he gently pulled out as he coos at you, your face set in this beautiful afterglow as you tried to control your breathing, your eye lids fluttered shut from the exhaustion. Jaemin gets up from the bed, but was pulled back by a weak tug of your hand.

“I need to run you a bath, princess, I’ll be right back,” Jaemin said as he gently removed your hand and placed it on the bed, heading to the direction of the bathroom, coming back to you not long after, carrying you into the tub of warm water.

When you settled into the tub with Jaemin, you had on a serene expression, eyes glossy as you leant into his touch.

The two of you washed each other off slowly, getting shy when Jaemin touches your breasts once more under different conditions, making you heat up and bury your head in his shoulder. About an hour later, the two of you had to get out before your skin gets wrinkly, Jaemin wraps you in a fluffy towel before he drains the water, making sure you’re warm.

You padded back into his room, slipping under the thick blanket, Jaemin joins you soon after, leaning down to kiss you with his arms holding him up, his necklace dangling onto your collarbone. You toyed with his necklace before he had the chance to lean back, kissing him again.

You continued toying with his necklace as he spoons you, distracting him from his much needed sleep. Jaemin chuckles at how you’re observing the charm, reaching behind his neck to unclasp it, putting it on you instead.

“Here you go, now go to sleep, princess, and just ask next time, anything that’s mine is yours.”

“I was just looking.”

“Right... Goodnight, princess.”

“Night, Jaemin,” you replied before closing your eyes, the metal warm against your heart.

#nct smut #nct fluff #jaemin smut #jaemin fluff #nct #nct dream

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kpopmalereader · 4 years

Text

a friend, pt.2 ; ten

pt.1

• summary: a friend, pt.2 • pairing: ten x male!reader • word count: 2620 • to do

Lucas brushes his teeth, leaning one hand on your bathroom counter. You sit on your floor beside the door, throwing a bouncy ball, letting it bounce aimlessly and fly back at you.

“I don’t think anything’s going to change,” Lucas speaks around his toothbrush.

“It already has!” You throw the ball harder and bump your head against the wall. “We’re still friends, technically, but,” You sigh and stand. “He’s awkward and doesn’t talk to me as much. Before this, any time anyone mentioned they were going somewhere, he would ask me if I wanted to go too, but he hasn’t done that since I told him.”

Lucas wants to object but can’t speak before you continue.

“He made plans for me to record more of his dances, but suddenly he had someone else to do it and didn’t need me.” You shake your head. Lucas watches you walk, but you ignore the concerned “you’re acting stupid” look he gives you and walk back into your room. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

Lucas washes his mouth out and leans against the sink. He breathes in and out for a few seconds, going through a hundred possibilities of what he could say or do to make you feel better, to make the whole situation better.

Since you got in the car after the mall with that distant look, Lucas knew what happened. Guilt has been trickling through him since that day. It gets even worse when you have moments like this. Moments where you wish nothing more than for everything to go back to the way it was. He pushed you to share your feelings. He told you it was worth it.

He thought it was worth it. There was a part of him, and he’s more than sure there was a part of you that thought Ten might have feelings for you.

“And it’s not like I just told him I liked him.” You continue a conversation Lucas didn’t know you were having. You’re waving a French fry around. “I confessed tons of feelings. The way he made me feel and everything I liked about him. Everything.”

Lucas makes eye contact with you, and you snap your jaw down on the fry you’re holding.

“Add even more embarrassment on getting rejected and half-losing a very close friend.” You lift your eyebrows. “How fun.”

He smiles at you and shakes his head. “Let’s go do something, instead of sticking around here talking about this. We can go for a walk, or shopping, arcade, the movies.”

You nod. You’re trying to give it a chance. “Maybe.”

Lucas points at you. “Or, we can go out to a party-”

“Movies.” You nod your head. “That sounds perfect.”

“Hey, a party would be a good way to get distracted by other cute guys.”

“We can go watch a movie that has nothing to do with guys.” You offer. “I’ll start looking.”

After you eat, you choose whatever animated movie looks most exciting and head to the movie theater. Lucas pays for the tickets and the snacks, getting you a large drink and an even larger popcorn. You pick out two boxes of candies, and as you contemplate which one to buy, Lucas places both on the counter, grabbing another one of your favorites. He smiles at you, ignoring your protests, and picks out his candy.

After spending too much money on food right after lunch, you head to the screen room. Lucas lets you pick out a spot you think is perfect. (Even if he disagrees with the choice, you choose the last row, he was always fond of the middle.)

For two hours, your mind is entirely devoid of any thoughts about Ten. The movie ends. You look at each other and begin to laugh. The anthropomorphized characters and their lives have brought both of you close to tears.

You gather the leftover candy and the trash. You and Lucas walk out of the theater, ranting and raving about the movie’s aesthetic and the different theories you have for the characters. You head into the mall next to the movie theater, still talking animatedly about the characters you connected with and the scenes you liked more than anything.

The doors glide open and reveal an almost full food court that you have to traverse, avoiding large groups and the urge to get pretzel bites even when you just had a large bucket of popcorn and 2½ bags of candy.

You pass by a music shop, the records lining the walls catch your eye, and you open your mouth to ask Lucas if he wants to stop. From the corner of your eye, you can see his face fall for a quick second before he recovers and tries to usher you inside as quickly as he can. Your eyebrows furrow down, and you turn your head. Lucas tries to block your view but is too late.

Ten sits with someone around your age. They’re facing sideways, Ten’s guest’s face more obscured than his. You shake your head and turn back to the record shop.

“Want to buy something?” You smile and shrug. “I’ll pay this time.”

“Y/N…” Lucas starts. You roll your eyes and move past him. “Come on.”

You shop around for an hour before you decide to leave. As hard as you were trying to hide how much seeing Ten affected you, Lucas could still see you were hurting, and when you brought up the idea of going home, he relented.

You hugged him when he dropped you off, seeming okay. You weren’t as happy as when you were only worried if the main character of the movie you were watching was going to return home alright, but you weren’t as heartbroken and hurt as before the movie.

Lucas walks into the dorm. He rubs at his face and slumps on the couch. The man of the hour joins him not too long afterward. He’s slightly more bashful than he would typically be. Neither state the obvious.

Ten asks a question after a few minutes. “How has Y/N been?”

“Doing better.” Lucas shrugs. He scrolls on his phone casually, but all of his attention is on Ten. “We went to the movies today. Hung out at the mall after.”

Ten can’t hide how his expression changes at the mention of the mall. Lucas nods to confirm his thinking.

“I didn’t-” Ten starts. He stutters a few sounds, never forming full words. “I’m not-”

Lucas shrugs and plays it off better than Ten did. “He was alright. A little conflicted about his feelings, obviously, but he’s doing pretty good.”

Ten truly means what he says next. “That’s, that’s good. I haven’t seen or talked to him in a while, figured it was for the best, but I’m glad he’s well.”

Lucas doesn’t reply, thinking over the past few conversations he and you have had.

Ten sighs. “Seriously, Lucas, I still care about him, just not in that way.”

Lucas stands up. “I get it, but I’m not the one who doubts it.”

Winwin and Ten walk through the hallway, discussing their new specialty dance. They open the door to a completely dark house, except for the living room TV. Winwin and Ten can’t tell what’s going on, but the tense air emitting from the room clues them in. They walk closer, and Winwin looks over each of them before retreating into his room to take a shower.

Ten, however, examines everyone before his eyes fall on you. You sit between Xiaojun’s legs on his reclined chair. Your hand covers your lower face, your eyes concentrating on the screen. Two characters face-off, and you make a hissing noise. A jarring noise comes from the TV, and your hand slaps down on Xiaojun’s. You begin to use his arm as a shield and suppress a groan. You wait for a few seconds before poking your eyes out just above his arm.

Xiaojun holds your hand and wraps his other arm around your stomach, pulling you against his chest tighter. You whine, eyes squinting. The monster emerges from the darkness. You gasp and turn your head, covering your face with everything at your disposal.

“Tell me when it goes away.”

Xiaojun pats your head in comfort but giggles nonetheless. “You can’t hide from every scary part.”

“Watch me.” You mumble.

Ten stops his staring and slips his shoes off. Questions swirl in his mind, and he tries to stomach the possibilities. It’s not his place. At least you’re coming over again.

He walks past you. You’re the only one who doesn’t notice, still buried in Xiaojun’s chest.

He takes a long shower, not emerging until the movie is over. When he does come out to get some food, you’re no longer on Xiaojun’s lap, but you’re still pretty close to him. You sit smushed together on the same seat, your feet knocking into his on the recliner. He’s explaining something with large movements and dramatic facial expressions, and you’re hooked on his every word. His words enrapture you, eyes following his actions.

Ten walks in front of you towards the kitchen. Your eyes flit up and down when you notice him, going back to Xiaojun’s story as quickly as you were distracted.

Ten chews on his cheek and goes about making his food. He’s beginning to ignore the soft gasps you elicit from whatever Xiaojun says before a laugh bubbles out of you. It goes from a quiet giggle to a barking laugh, uncontrollable. Ten looks around the corner for a second, and you’re doubled over. You grip your stomach. Xiaojun’s looking at you fondly, and Ten turns away.

Ten moves back to his food, ignoring the pit forming in his stomach.

Was your relationship with Xiaojun always so close? What’s so funny? Why does this make him feel so frustrated? He’s happy you’re coming back. He’s happy you’re happy. Everyone is happy.

“Alright,” The waiter nods his head at Lucas and turns to you. “And what will you have tonight?”

The waiter speaks slow towards you, raising an eyebrow with a half-smirk.

You stutter and order your food quickly. Your eyes widen, and you shoot a look at Lucas, shaking your head. You scroll through your phone, trying to ignore the lauding and looks you get from the others. You scratch your neck and look around the restaurant.

Ten grips his cup, taking a long, slow drink. He resists the urge to roll his eyes at such a public accost, literally biting his tongue.

You finish your food with some more flirting from the waiter. He pushes his number towards you as he picks up the last of your plates. You stuff it in your pocket before Lucas can reach for it, hoping no one besides Lucas sees it. Based on the immediate raised-brow eye contact Kun makes with you, that’s false hope.

You leave the restaurant behind everyone else, crumpling and straightening out the paper in your pocket.

Winwin falls back, stepping in line with you. He doesn’t say anything, but you can feel the question he wants to ask.

“I don’t know if I will call him.”

“He’s cute.” Winwin states. “Flirty. You seem to like that.”

You roll your eyes at him and kick at a pebble. You walk along for a few minutes, the boys ahead of you in their own conversation.

“I’m still…” You pick at your finger-nails. “I don’t feel as bad.”

Winwin nods. “I can tell.”

You pull the paper out. “Still not ready for this.”

“It’s understandable. You liked you-know-who for a while, I’ve had crushes before, and sometimes you need to give it time.” Winwin pats your shoulder, looking at you in earnest. “We understand, but we’re still your friends, and we will make fun of you drastically for being flirted in the middle of a restaurant! I mean, can you believe that?

You shove his shoulder and shake your head.

“You’re a looker,” Winwin hums. “It’s not a surprise.”

The sudden redness of your face makes him start to laugh

Ten walks beside Hendery and Yangyang. He only half-listens to their conversation, too busy eavesdropping on you and Winwin.

You and Winwin try to speak quietly, but he can still hear your hesitance in following through on the waiter’s solicitation. He knows you’re talking about him. Something in his stomach churns. He’s the reason you might turn down that advance. He hasn’t decided if it’s a good or a bad thing.

He’s the one who turned you down. He saw the way you looked at him, how fast your face fell before you recovered, how your voice cracked when you said you were just friends. He’s the one who did that, so why is how close you’ve been with Xiaojun a problem? Why does the way you laugh and smile with Winwin elicit a strange mixture of jealously and happiness? Why, when he went on a date with someone he previously liked and was excited to be with, his mind was full of your smile and the way you always knew what he wanted to say? And when he found out you were at the mall with Lucas, his mind went blank, and he wanted nothing more than to cut off all contact with the person he was with and tell you it meant nothing?

Did you even care? If he told you what his mind was doing to him, would you believe him? Would it matter? Is he only being protective of you as a friend? Does he even deserve a chance with you after completely disregarding what you said before? He didn’t even give your confession a chance back then. Now when you’re finally moving on, and you have the same smile you used to, is he going to strip that away again?

Ten’s walk slows, and Hendery and Yangyang move ahead of him. He doesn’t realize he’s falling behind. He doesn’t know he’s not paying attention.

That is until he’s yanked back by a hand pulling at his jacket hood. He’s knocked back into reality before a telephone pole knocks him out. His eyes focus on the metal he almost ran into, hardly three inches from it.

He looks to his side, seeing your hand still holding on to his jacket. You seem concerned, one eyebrow raised. Your mouth is moving, but it takes him until your question is asked before his mind registers it.

“Wha-”

“Are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

“No.” Ten answers. “No. I was just distracted. Thank you.

“No problem.” You straighten out his jacket and nod your head. “Be careful.”

You start walking with Winwin once more, restarting your previous conversation. Ten shakes his head free of his thoughts. Lucas makes eye contact with him. Ten smiles and plays it off, jogging up to join Kun.

“Do you think, if Ten liked you now, you would think about dating him?” Lucas asks.

You look at him with a confused expression, wondering what angle he’s playing. “I don’t want to think about that. It’s not worth it.”

Lucas shrugs. You pull a shirt from the rack to examine it. Lucas shakes his head at the choice, and you put it back.

“It was just a question.”

“I don’t know.” You flick through the different clothes, eyes glossy. “I still have feelings for him, but it’s difficult for me to think he would develop feelings for me. I think I would always question the intention. I don’t know.”

You move to the next rack. It’s an obvious sign.

Lucas picks up the shirt you picked earlier. “I guess the shirt isn’t that bad.”

#nct #wayv #kpop #kpop scenario #nct x reader #wayv x reader #male reader #nct imagine #nct scenario #wayv imagine #wayv scenario #ten #kpop male reader #kpop x reader #kpop x male reader #nct male reader #ten x reader #ten x male reader #ten x male!reader

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agerestorybits · 4 years

Text

Fluff pile.

(Roman)

The pillow fort was made, the movies chosen. Popcorn popped. Apples sliced. Hot coco made.Smores baked. All that was left was for everyone to snuggle up and enjoy movie night.

Logan was the first down, wearing astronaut pj’s his paci on a star clip. “Cocoa?” He asked excitedly. Roman laughed and ruffled Logan’s hair. It was his night to babysit while all the others got to be little. He didn’t mind it at all. If anything it was one of his favorite moments to shine!

He pulled out all the stops, almost as if it was a friendly competition between all of them to see who could do the best job babysitting.

Roman handed Logan his mug, the one with simple math equations written on it like it was a chalkboard. “Tanks!” Roman smiled, Logan was in one of his younger head spaces.

“Where’s everyone else?” Roman asked.

“Soon.” Logan answered holding his mug carefully with both hands. Roman nodded.

“Do you need help to get settled into the fort?” Roman asked.

“I gots it!” Logan said, setting his mug down on the floor and collapsing into a bean bag before picking the mug back up.

Patton came down with Remus next. Patton in his cat onesie, Remus was wearing a zombie one. “Hi hi!” Patton waved. Remus copied him waving.

Remus going nonverbal when he was little. Roman waved back, He held out their mugs. Patton’s had ‘I like you a latte’ On it. Remus had eyes that were always looking at you.

“Hot chocolate!” Patton said happily. Remus smiled too. “Thanks!” Patton said as Remus just nodded.

“Enjoy!” Roman said eyes going to the stairs as Janus came down. He was wearing yellow and black ‘suit’ pajamas.

“Hot cocoa?” Roman asked. Janus smiled before looking at the snake mug. Roman noticed his hesitation. “Do you want it in a sippy cup?”

“Please?” Janus asked shily.

Roman waved his hand and a yellow sippy cup appeared. He poured the Hot chocolate in before closing it. He handed it over.

“Thank you.” Janus said quietly before going and taking his place in the corner away from everyone.

Patton and Remus sitting next to Logan. Roman smiled before doing a quick head count and coming up messing one.

He frowned and went hunting for Virgil.

“Stpid boton!” Virgil growled from his room. Roman knocked before sticking his head in.

“You don’t ok stormcloud?” Roman asked. He saw Virgil with his skeleton onesie misbuttoned as he tried to straighten it out.

“Help?” Virgil asked looking up at him.

Roman stepped in and quickly rebuttoned the onesies before just picking Virgil up. “Let’s ok watch a movie ok?”

“Mkay.” Virgil said hanging on to Roman as they went downstairs.

He got Virgil settled with his bat mug of hot cocoa before pulling out the snacks and turning on the movie, (Aristocats.) He settled down next to Janus in the corner. Janus curled up against him sideways, not afraid of spilling his drink. Roman hugged him with one arms as he’s eyes scanned over the others for any problems. Seeing none he turned back to the movie.

Perfect.

(Logan)

He took them all ‘camping’. (It was in the common rooms). He put glow in the dark stars on the ceiling and sleeping bags on the floor. There was a lantern on the floor that acted as the ‘campfire.’

Everyone was in their sleeping bags with their stuffed animals.

“Story?” Virgil asked from behind his paci. His arms are filled with a giant stuffed cat.

“I was planning on talking about some constellations.” Logan said.

“Oh.”

“What a con-steal-thing?” Patton asked.

“It’s a set of stars that makes a picture.”

“I like pictures!” Roman said.

“Can we just sleep?” Janus muttered. “I’m tired.” He rubbed his eyes.

Remus frowned at that. Patton looked at him. “Do you wanna hear about the Con-steal-thingies?”

“Constellations.” Logan corrected.

Remus nodded holding his plush squid to his chest. Half of his face hidden behind it.

Logan spend about an hour talking about them. The stars that made them up. (Whatever else you talk about constellations…..) Before he noticed that everyone had fallen asleep except Roman who was still wide awake listening. He was staring at Logan with awe.

“You’re so smart!” Logan paused before smiling.

“Thank you. Now I believe it’s time to sleep.” Logan said.

“Awww.” Roman groaned. Logan paused again.

“Do you want to see something?” Logan asked.

Roman nodded excitedly. Logan turned off the lantern. Roman looked up and saw the glow in the dark stars. He laid down staring at them. “Wow...You’re the best!”

“Sleep now.” Logan said, opening his own sleeping bag.

Roman nodded, still staring at the stars. He lifted his hands as if reaching for the stars. “I wish I was a star.”

“You already are.” Logan promised.

Roman giggled before yawning. He snuggled deeper into his sleeping bag and let his eyes drift closed.

(Patton)

The playground was made to be larger than a normal one so that when they played on it they felt smaller.

Patton watched from a bench as they all ran around playing. Remus (as always when he was little) stuck near Patton and was playing with toys around the bench.

Virgil was building a sand village with Logan in the sand box. Roman was pushing Janus on the swings.

They would play for another hour or so before Patton would call them over for lunch and a nap.

Remus tugged on Patton’s pant leg and handed him a barbie doll. He flapped his hands and pointed at the doll then to Patton.

“You want me to play too?”

Remus nodded and started bouncing. He flapped his hands again and grabbed another doll whose hair he was carefully brushing out.

Patton got down onto the ground with him and put a pair of shoes on the barbie before putting it in the dumptruck.

Remus frowned and shook his head. He dumped the barbie out and put a handful of grass in the truck.

Patton laughed. “Ok then. She doesn’t go there.”

Remus nodded and pointed at the grass and then at the truck. He pulled up more grass and put it in.

“Grass goes in there.” Patton clarified.

Remus shook his head.

“....trash?” Patton guessed. Remus smiled and he knew he got it right. He helped pull up some more grass till it was full.

Roman and Janus walked over, “Food?”

“Oh right!” Patton got up. Remus frowned. Patton ruffled his hair, “We can play again in a little bit kiddo.”

Remus huffed.

“Virgil! Logan! Lunch time!” Both of them ran over. Patton had packed sandwiches and juice boxes.

Everyone was quick to eat except Remus who kept playing.

“It’s time to eat now.”

Remus stared at him before. “N-n-no.” He forced out. Patton stared at him stunned. Remus never spoke in little space.

“What do you mean no?” Patton asked.

Remus pointed at the toys. “I know you want to keep playing but food is important too.”

“Pffft!”

“Remus.” Patton warned.

Remus started to tear up. Patton pulled him into his lap, “How about you eat while you play? Would that work?”

Remus nodded. He tried to put a handful of grass in his mouth. “NO! Nono! We’re eating sandwiches not grass!”

Remus sighed but accepted the sandwich.

Lunch was over quickly and there were a few yawning faces. “Time to go back.”

Remus crossed his arms and pouted as Patton picked up the toys. “Come on Remus.”

Remus turned his head away. Patton sighed and slowly started to walk away. Remus made a panicked noise and ran over, grabbing Patton’s hand. “You can keep playing back home...ok?”

Remus reluctantly nodded.

(remus)

Painting! What better activity was there for a bunch of littles? He thought. And the paint was edible...at least he ate it plenty of times with no problems.

Logan was busy carefully painting solid shapes. Virgil was painting colored cobwebs. Roman was making a castle with himself standing on the top of it. Patton was painting everyone. Janus was painting...himself.

Not on canvas. No he was covering himself in paint.

“We can play in the paint later.” Remus said.

“Bap!” Janus giggled as he slapped Remus in the face covering his face in blue paint. Remus licked some of it off.

“I’m supposed to tell you off for that. But it was funny so I won’t.” Remus said picking Janus up and carrying him into the kitchen to clean both of them up.

Janus giggled as he was cleaned up and ‘helped’ Remus get clean by hitting him in the face with the wet rag. “Thank you for helping little snake!”

“Welcom.” Janus said swinging his legs from where he sat on the counter.

“Help!” roman yelled. Remus picked up janus again and carried him back in. Roman had knocked over a paint jar all over his painting. He looked up at Remus panicked.

“Uh oh.” Patton said looking over. He patted Roman’s head trying to comfort him.

“Aww it’s ok. I can fix it!” Remus promised. He got a good look at what Roman had painted before he left and easily repainted it on a new canvas and replaced the ruined one. Roman inspected it closely before beaming.

“Thank you!”

“No problem.”

“Finisheded.” Logan said firmly. Remus looked at the carefully stacked shapes that filled the canvas perfectly.

“Good job!” Remus gave him a small hug.

“I wanna hug too!” Virgil said.

“Hey! Me too!” Patton said.

Remus grinned before grabbing both of them and pulling them close. He squished them together.

“Cuddle puddle!” Janus yelled jumping on them.

Remus laughed as Roman and Logan joined.

(janus)

It was easy, turn on the t.v pull out some toys and just sit back. Janus didn’t put much work into watching them. Even if Roman and Virgil competed for the ‘best’. He preferred to just have a relaxed non stressed time watching them.

Patton was showing Remus how to build a tower of blocks. Logan was reading a story book. Roman was watching sofia the first with Virgil.

All and all a very easy and relaxed afternoon.

Just the way he liked it. Logan crawled over with his book. “Ummm.”

“Do you want me to read to you?” Janus asked.

“It got big words.” Logan muttered embarrassed.

“Of course.” Janus had him sit down on the couch next to him. He put an arm around Logan and opened the book.

He didn’t notice Patton and Remus had come over to listen till Patton tugged on his pant leg. “Can we see the pictures too?”

He smiled, “Of course.” He tilted the book so they could see too.

It wasn’t long before Roman and Virgil wandered over as well.

He hadn’t planned on story time, but he had no problems with the change in schedule.

(Virgil)

You’d think that cooking would be what Patton would suggest for them. But no, Virgil set them all up decorating sugar cookies for halloween.

There were bats, pumpkins, and cats. All being colored in rainbow colors.

“It’s you!” Roman said holding up a bat cookie that was colored with purple.

“Thanks.” Virgil said taking the cookie.

Roman laughed, “I’mma make me next.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’m red bat...to match you.” Roman said.

“We’re cats!” Patton said. Virgil turned to see Patton and Remus with frosting whiskers.

“OH! Na….yeah! You are! Good job!” He bit his lip trying not to laugh.

Janus drew an angry pumpkin and Logan made a happy pumpkin. “It’s important to have friends.” Logan informed him off hand.

“Yes. Very.” Virgil agreed.

“Patton! We suppose to eat the frosten on the cookies!” Roman said.

Patton was licking the frosting off his butter knife. “Mmm? BUt it’s GOOD!”

Virgil broke down laughing.

“V! It’s not funny! He’s not following the rules!” Roman said angry.

“Yeah!” Logan agreed looking up.

“He can...have some frosting.” Virgil said between laughs.

Janus took a bite out of his cookie. “It’s good!”

“See?” Patton said pointing.

Roman grumbled under his breath as he went back to coloring his red bat.

All in all a very successful cooking play date.

----

“So who won?” Roman asked.

Janus rolled his eyes, “Does it matter?”

“I think everyone won!” Patton said.

“I mean...the park was fun.” Virgil said.

“So was cooking.” Patton said.

“The camping thing was fun.” Roman admitted.

“I enjoyed painting.” Janus said quietly.

“Movie night was great!” Remus said.

“I enjoyed reading with Janus.” Logan said.

“Oh yeah! That was great!” Remus agreed.

“It was nice.” Virgil admitted.

“So Janus won?”

Janus looked up, “What?”

“Good job.” Roman said. “I’ll get you next round.”

“This isn’t...oh forget it.” Janus rolled his eyes, secretly very pleased with being voted the best.

#agere roman #agere remus #agere patton #agere logan #agere virgil #agere janus #cg roman #cg remus #cg patton #cg logan #cg virgil #cg janus

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kaileeandag · 3 years

Text

Items in Alana’s Collection!

She has quite a bit of stuff, due to her mom being the primary breadwinner in the family.

Meet Outfit (Ozzfest 2002 t-shirt, blue jeans, and red and black Heely’s shoes with white socks) Meet Accessories (comes with a non-functioning glacier clear Game Boy Advance with a Pokemon Crystal game cartridge in the slot, pictures from the games Pokemon Red, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Crystal, Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite!, and The Powerpuff Girls Battle Him, autographed picture of the band Drowning Pool, sparkly light blue purse from Limited Too monogramed with the letter ‘A’, heart shaped Barbie locket containing a picture of Alana and her dad as well as a picture of Alana and her (step) mom Diana in Poland in 1998, and Hamtaro plush toy)

School Collection: -Alana’s School Supplies (light purple Hamtaro backpack, two FiveStar brand notebooks, a 5th grade math textbook, three pencils in a pink Hamtaro pencil case, and an eraser) -Alana’s Lunch Box (Dragon Ball Z lunchbox with a picture of Goku on the front, comes with these pretend food items: peanut butter sandwich with grape jelly, a pouch of orange Tang, fudge brownie dessert Lunchable, and a bag of raspberries) -Alana’s School Lunch (red lunch tray with these pretend food items: four french toast sticks with a cup of syrup, a sausage patty, applesauce, and a carton of milk)

Holiday Collection: -Alana’s Special Day Outfit (sparkly purple dress with black bolero, navy blue tights, and black mary janes) -Alana’s Nintendo Gamecube console and games (non-functional, indigo color and comes with screenshots from these games: The Simpsons Road Rage, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi’s Mansion, Animal Crossing, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, and Resident Evil 2002 remake) -Alana’s Gamecube Games (cases only, comes with these games and screenshots from each: Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, and Mario Party 4) -Alana’s Game Boy Advance games (each cartridge is non-functional, got these games: Mega Man Battle Network 1 and 2, Super Mario World Super Mario Advance 2, and Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland) -Alana’s Christmas Ornaments and Crafts (comes with these crafts and ornaments: empty jar of Gerber baby food decorated with glitter and pictures of snowmen, a homemade star ornament with Alana’s school picture on it, and a circular ornament containing a picture of Alana, her (step)mom Diana, and her dad Trevor)

Spring Collection: -Flame Red Game Boy Advance SP with Pokemon Sapphire game (game and system are non-functional, got the game on release day-March 19th,2003-and the system when it came out a few days later, on March 23rd, 2003) -Alana’s Spring Outfit (the outfit is a navy blue pair of capris, a solid navy blue tank top with sparkly decal, and a pair of baby blue and tan sandals) -Alana’s cat Pancake and Cat Bed (a black cat with a collar reading ‘Pancake Ashman’, comes with a pink cat bed) -Hamtaro: Ham Ham Heartbreak game (non-functional, comes with screenshots from the game)

Summer Collection: -Alana’s Game Boy Player (non-functional, accessory for her Gamecube enabling her to play Game Boy games, bought prior to leaving for Poland) -Alana’s Swimsuit (a blue and green Tankini from Limited Too) and Hamtaro towel -Alana’s Polish Sweets and Snacks (comes with these pretend food items: a Prince Polo chocolate wafer bar, Ptasie Mleczko chocolate covered milk meringue candy, a slice of Sernik cheesecake, and a bag of Akuku jelly filled gummies) -Alana’s Polish Flag (a doll sized Polish flag) -Alana’s McDonald’s Poland Meal (comes with these pretend food items: McChicken burger, medium fry, a cup of Sprite, and fried apple pie) -Pokemon Pinball Ruby and Sapphire game (non-functional, comes with screenshots from the game, bought in late August of 2003)

Birthday Collection: -Final Fantasy Tactics Advance game (non-functional, comes with screenshots of the game) (got after her birthday passed) -The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game) -Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game) (got after her birthday passed) -Alana’s Birthday Outfit (sparkly green tank top with navy blue shorts and brown sandals) -Alana’s Pool and Poolside Accessories (comes with an in-ground style pool with a Hamtaro towel different from the one that came with her swimsuit, and a Swimming Champion Barbie doll)

Winter Collection: -Game Boy Advance Games (non-functional copies with screenshots from these games: Fire Emblem and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town) -Alana’s Hat and Mittens (black and red mittens with matching hat) -Alana’s Navy Blue Winter Coat and Black Snow Boots -Alana’s Gamecube Games (cases with screenshots of these games: The Simpsons Hit & Run and Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom)

Bedtime Collection: -Alana’s Bed and Bedding (twin bed with a light blue comforter with Black Eyed Susan flower decals) -Alana’s Pajamas (blue pajamas with a chihuahua decal on the shirt and pants) -Alana’s Red Nightgown with Matching Slipper Socks -Alana’s Bijou plush toy (stuffed animal of the character Bijou from Hamtaro) -Alana’s American Girl Doll (mini size Molly doll) -Alana’s Bathroom and Beauty Accessories (sparkly blue Limited Too hair dryer, sparkly blue Limited Too nail dryer, sparkly blue Limited Too GirlCare Caboodle containing pretend nail polish, and Juice Bar Gummy Bear scented pretend body spray) -Alana’s TV and console (non-functional, comes with a pretend DVD player attached with screenshots from these shows: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Hamtaro, Yu-Yu Hakusho, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Ed Edd n Eddy, and Spongebob Squarepants. The Gamecube from her Holiday Collection can be attached to the TV)

Extra Outfits and Accessories: -Alana’s Bazyli toy dragon (a stuffed animal of Bazyli, a dragon from the Polish adaption of Sesame Street called Ulica Sezamkowa) (bought when she was last in Poland in the late 90′s) -Alana’s Sleepover Set (black and pink sleeping bag, copy of the 2002 live action Scooby Doo with screenshots from the movie, pretend pepperoni pizza and three pretend bottles of water, pretend bowl of popcorn, and a bag of pretend Baked Lays Sour Cream & Onion chips) -Spongebob Chapter Book Collection (comes with these Spongebob chapter books: New Student Starfish, Hall Monitor, Tea at the Treedome, Sandy’s Rocket, The World’s Greatest Valentine, and Naughty Nautical Neighbors)

#american girl #american girl doll #American Girl dolls #american girl oc #american girl fan character

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audreycritter · 4 years

Note

Based on the crazy amount of mouths and stomachs in your house, what does a regular grocery shopping trip look like?

It looks “normal” to me, but is probably an insane amount to other people. In a normal week, we go through a bag of apples (about 3 pounds), a bag of oranges (about 5 pounds), a bunch of bananas, assorted other fruits (two cartons of strawberries or 3 pounds of pears or 2 pounds of grapes, etc). We go through usually two to three frozen bags of veggies, a head or two of broccoli, a bag of baby carrots, five or six tomatoes. A dinner is usually 1.5-3 pounds of meat now, so that times 6-- it usually means about 3 pounds of ground beef, a six pound tray or bag of chicken, some sausage or meatballs. We usually try to have one vegetarian meal per week, so a pound of dry beans.

A 3 pound bag of chicken nuggets for lunches, or a box of pizza rolls, three boxes of macaroni, two packs of hot dogs. We do a lot of pasta and rice, but for pasta meals, we’re up to two pounds of pasta and two jars of red sauce per meal. A cream sauce usually requires an entire half pint of heavy cream, two cartons of mushrooms. We buy rice in bulk, and go through maybe 25 pounds a month.

Two to three loaves of bread, two pounds of lunchmeat, two packages of sliced cheese, two to three blocks of cheddar. Four to five dozen eggs, two gallons of milk. Two jars of applesauce, four cans of mandarin oranges, a couple bags of chips and boxes of crackers (thank God for Aldi, honestly). Three boxes of cereal, 32 cups of yogurt, two bags of chocolate chips, two bags of frozen pancakes. Two boxes of granola bars, a family size pack of fruit snacks. We usually only get cannisters of oatmeal and grits every other week. I make naan, muffins, rolls, pretzels, and biscuits from scratch, so we don’t buy packaged versions of those. I don’t know a good weekly estimate for flour, because I usually buy three bags at once and then only get more when I’m running low, and that changes depending on the season (I bake less in the summer).

I meal plan for an entire week at a time-- breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. We build the grocery list around that. We’ve found that Aldi is actually cheaper than a lot of the big bulk food stores around here, because multiple boxes or bags of an Aldi product are less overall than the equivalent of a brand name bulk package (where the markdown is usually from the same brand in smaller packages). These are the staples we usually have, and the variation would be in sauces and seasonings! We have a pretty well-stocked cabinet of spices, so usually we’re only buying one or two at a time to replace something we’ve run out of. We don’t do a lot of individual serving items (except for yogurt because it saves my sanity).

#big family #asks #groceries #zombiesbecrazy

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vegetalass · 4 years

Text

RDR2 Boys Cooking + Eating Habits

Arthur

Somebody else on here wrote some headcanons about Arthur not being able to cook and just eating microwave food all the time and I just have to say…. That’s canon

Lowkey though he’s trying his best to get better at cooking

Probably the only thing he knows how to make is pasta

He adds a bunch of random frozen veggies to water as the noodles are cooking

And then smothers the whole thing in butter and calls it a meal

Or he puts marinara sauce on it straight from the jar

And yes, that means it’s cold

He’s also getting better at friend rice, too

But he’s really bad at actually making rice

If he doesn’t add too much water… He burns the bottom

Charles makes a mental note to buy him a rice cooker for his birthday

Makes his own popsicles out of random fruit juices and eats them 24/7

Thinks this qualifies him as a chef

Eats pickles and olives straight out of the jar with a fork

And sauerkraut too probably

Just goes over to john’s house on his pizza nights

Puts ketchup on eggs

John

Pizza dad

Probably orders pizza, salad, and a 64oz soda twice a week

Everything else is just Dino chicken nuggets, Eggos, hot dogs, quesadillas, and frozen peas and corn

Food you feed to little kids, basically

Mostly because he does have a little kid

But also because it’s easy and takes minimal effort and he doesn’t mind eating it, too

Abigail would be mad but she has no room to talk

The most you’ll see him actually make is buttered pasta (like Arthur) or sometimes beans and rice

Abigail bought them a rice cooker a while ago so that’s one thing he doesn’t have to worry about

Probably always has some type of dessert laying around

Doesn’t mean it’s good, but it’s there

Abigail buys a bunch of those gross, low calorie ice creams and John ends up having to finishing them

Family lunches consist of a bologna sandwich on wheat bread with American cheese and mayo, a piece of fruit, a bag of chips or crackers, a go-gurt, and some gummies

And yes he makes them for himself and Abigail too

They’re all eating good at the Marston household

(Not really)

Charles

Everything he cooks are things that can’t be made in single batches

Lots of healthy soups, chilis, stew, etc…

Most of the time, he makes too much of whatever it is so he always has leftovers

Everyone is jealous when he brings them for lunch

Probably finds all of his recipes in the newspaper or random magazines he reads while at the grocery store checkout line

Everyone is like, “Charles… Why are you reading Women’s Fitness?”

And he’s like, “Check out this salad recipe, though”

Puts hot sauce on everything

Salad, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers... You name it

And he’s the king of snacking

All of his snacks are healthy, though

Raw veggies and fruit and quinoa chips from Whole Foods or something like that

Nobody likes this

He’s one of those people who brings hard boiled eggs everywhere as a “snack,” too

And yea, he puts hot sauce on those, also

He really likes those weird protein bars that are hard to bite into and taste like chalk

The flavors are either normal stuff like white chocolate macadamia or Protein Power Punch with whey, chia and seaweed

There’s no in between

He’s also a charcuterie board legend

Hosea is jealous of this talent

Micah

Spends all his money on take out

He’s totally one of those weird people who’s entire trash can is just filled with take out boxes and cans of coke or beer

Constantly eating fast food

You ask him what he bought at the supermarket and he’s like “Pub mix and bud light”

SIR

Everything that he does manage to cook only involve one step of preparation

Unseasoned, fried meats and boiled veggies

Sometimes scrambled eggs and bacon

If he’s feeling fancy, he will make plain sandwiches

This is very rare, though

Can and will complain about anyone’s cooking

Even if it’s good and he he likes it

There are certain people he can’t do this to, though, or they won’t let him eat

The only person’s cooking he doesn’t complain about is Dutch’s

Constantly snacking from an entire party sized bag of chips

And yes, he eats straight out of the bag and wipes his fingers on his jeans

His oven is dirty

Hosea

A meal for him is probably a handful of almonds and an applesauce or yogurt cup

He is constantly making a bunch of those Tik Tok recipes where you just put a bunch of random stuff into your crock pot and add ranch seasoning and cream cheese

*insert all of those memes about mom pulling out the crock pot*

If you complain, he says “Well, you’re always welcome to cook, too”

Wears an apron when he cooks

Constantly eating plain toast with butter

And bananas

And cheese sticks

Thinks that this makes him “healthy”

Definitely likes to snack on those cocktail fruit cups and canned mandarin oranges

His entire freezer is just full of ice cream

It’s all weird flavors like Cherry Garcia, chocolate banana, and pistachio though

Everyone hates him for this

Raisins are his late night treat

Has a secret stash of candy no one can find

That’s okay though because it’s mostly Werthers Originals

And Chiclets gum

He picks out all the orange ones, though

Dutch

Tries to re-plate takeout so he can call it his own

Everybody sees through this but they stopped commenting on it like four Thanksgivings ago

Buys a bunch of those meals from Costco that all you need to do is heat up in the oven

He does like fast food but only from the less popular places

Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, BK, Arby’s, etc.

A&W, too, because he’s old and weird

He can totally cook, he just never does

It’s just normal stuff like spaghetti and meatballs or chicken and rice, though

Tuna fish casserole

He over-seasons everything, though

Mostly because he’s trying to prove that he’s a good cook

Eats dessert twice, every night

Once right after dinner, and then later when he’s feeling like a treat

Will eat in bed

Uses a little bib and tray and everything

Likes pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Would eat hot wings with gloves on

He’s the one who taught Arthur to put ketchup on eggs

Kieran

The second I realized that Kieran would probably be white trash, my life changed

Hamburger Helper meals for LIFE

That one cheeseburger pasta? Kieran probably eats that three times a week

He 100% makes the ketchup-butter sketti from Honey Boo Boo

“It’s been a while since I done had roadkill in my belly”

His favorite dessert is ambrosia salad or that weird yogurt/Cool Whip covered jello that was popular in the 2000s

Probably has a TV dinner every once in a while, too

Instant mashed potatoes and minute rice type of guy

Also gives me big microwave cheddar broccoli vibes

I’ve said this before, but his house is probably stocked with all kinds of on-brand goodies

Probably always has some kind of chip and cookie around

Eats dinner in front of the TV

Dips french fries in mayonnaise

All of this said though, he isn’t a picky eater and will eat whatever is put on his plate

That’s why he’s great to take to restaurants, because he never complains

Honestly it’s just so sweet to think of him making big crockpot meals to share with ppl even if his cooking is a lil.... strange

Javier

Thinks that the hot dog combo from Costco is a suitable dinner

Also gets hot food from the grocery store for dinner a lot

Literally will just heat up a can of something and eat it plain

Beans, chili, soup…

Doesn’t doctor it up or change it at all

He’s happy to share but no one wants any

Chips and dip, 24/7

And it’s just Tostitos Hint of Lime chips and hummus

Probably puts hummus on everything, too

Corn chips, tortilla chips, tortillas, vegetables, sandwiches, etc.

Will put anything in a tortilla and call it a sandwich

Eats leftovers cold

The rest of the gang thinks this is a sin

Makes stir fry with whatever is laying around the house

It’s a little gross because he will try to add leftover beans

Refuses to eat fast food

The only exception he’ll make is for french fries and ice cream

Walks around and eats at the same time

Isn’t above asking the other boys to share with him

Despite the fact that this only happens if what they’re eating is good

Which is almost never

Sean

Sean can’t cook. That’s the end of it

The most he can make is that weird microwave Mac and cheese where the pasta is boiled in the mug??

He never does it tho and just sticks with the normal, frozen Mac and Cheese you can microwave instead

Uses his microwaving ability to make mug cakes

And microwave scrambled eggs

Burns his popcorn every single time

He’s probably set of the smoke detector or fire alarm multiple times

He’s Irish though so of course he’s addicted to potatoes and cabbage

And since he’s from the UK, he likes stuff like beans on toast and marmite

He’s a little nasty too so catch him eating bologna sandwiches on wonder bread

Not even the Marstons are that bad

When he does get takeout, he overspends trying to use a delivery app

He’s like, “And do I need the extra side of special sauce for $5…? Yes.”

Cooks like this

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption 2 headcanons #rdr2 headcanons #arthur morgan #i finally wrote the cooking one LOL #hope you enjoy!!#excited to work on some requests now!

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theeyesinthenight · 4 years

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College Tips for Neurodivergence and Chronic Illness

Hey Everyone!I just wanted to talk for a minute about the stuff that I do to make college slightly easier to get through, and ask around for if anyone else has any advice.

Physically going to class:

1. Physical Calmness: Make a small physical maintenance travel bag that you carry with you EVERYWHERE. Include things like moisturizer, chapstick, cough drops/sucking candy, nail clippers, hair ties, eye drops, pain relief meds, sunglasses- anything that you frequently need to maintain you and your body’s ability to be calm. Sensory overload frequently becomes a thing on campus, and frequently overstimming on campus can make it really hard to want to go to class every day. I carry 6 ponytails, 2 chapstick, 4 advil, 4 sucking candies, 2 tampons, emergency ear plugs and earphones, gloves, moisturizer and sunglasses every day and I swear they make the difference between wanting to run crying out of my classroom and being able to hold on some days.

2. Make Checklists: Especially if you deal with executive function issues (like me!) you can build checklists for every day, repetitive tasks as well as normal to-dos to help you manage everything at once without forgetting anything. Don’t feel obliged to make the list pretty or perfect, just keep adding and refining the lists as you notice stuff you’ve forgotten or usually do. Write lists for literally everything. There is no shame to writing everything down. That being said, if you end up scheduling your days, always leave yourself an hour or two a day and like 10-15 minutes before crucial junctures so you aren’t stressed about running late and can actually unwind sometimes.

3. Eat: Some people will have meal plans, some will cook at home and bring stuff to school, but it’s absolutely fucking critical to chemical homeostasis (especially if you do what I do and wind up in class from like 10 am to 7 pm) to plan when and what you’ll eat- either by scheduling adequate meal breaks to go buy it, or packing it ahead of time. This is when lists can help: I remember to pack my lunch and snacks every morning or prep food for consumption when I get home only because I leave it on sticky notes on my phone when I go to sleep. Just drinking coffee nearly made me have an anxiety related melt down my freshman year before I realized that the constant feelings of a racing heart were only partially because of anxiety and were also because of the sheer amount of caffeine in my system. Eating healthy is also important, and will make you feel even better than just eating, but now is not the time to put yourself on a starvation diet just to lose 10 lbs. Eating high protein has helped some of my snacky issues as well as generally gives me more energy, and making my own mealprep at home- even my own muffins and cookies- generally are more healthy for my than what I get in the store. Fruit, cheese, lunch meat (or sliced cooked meat) and pickles or olives in endless combination work great for me as mindless snacky food, as does homemade popcorn (either in a skillet or costco bags) because it’s dirt cheap and you can put anything from seasoning salt to furikake and shredded dried pork on it. If you need help figuring out recipes, feel free to pm me! I’m good at working with nutritional and budgetary restraints. Pancakes are kind of a universal good.

4. Give yourself permission to leave: If you’re triggered, or seconds away from panic, GET UP AND LEAVE. College classes are not the same as high school classes, and most teachers are perfectly fine with you getting up to get water, or go to the bathroom, or cry in the bathroom. Try to make sure you go back to class most of the time, but if you’re really that stressed, also give yourself permission to leave.

5. Find a backup note system: There will be days that you cannot go to class. Accept this. Therefore, it is critical to find a way to make sure you always get the notes. Some colleges offer note taking assistance, some allow you to audio record lectures (check 1 and 2 party consent states first), and some leave you to your own devices, in which case, make a casual buddy to get notes from. You do not need to be besties with this person, Try to make sure you know how many days you actually have to go, and minimize grade damage when you can’t.

6. GET ENOUGH SLEEP. I cannot emphasize this enough; whether or not you’re taking medication, getting enough sleep is critical to pretty much everything that might be going on in your head- hormone issues, depression, autism, whatever. Your brain is going to be stressed out by the new environment and the additional, new problem solving that it has to do; help it make its best decisions. I literally wake up on less than 7 hours of sleep and consider selling my siblings on the black market. Don’t do it.

7. Be careful about Caffeine; Some people are more or less sensitive to caffeine, or forms of caffeine, don’t develop a coffee addiction just because it’s in vogue. Matcha seems to have the most stabilizing caffeine affect on my brain of all the caffeine options, though tea still works universally better than coffee. I also make my own “lattes” and cold brew at the beginning of the week and keep them in my fridge; a 2oz jar of matcha powder may cost like 60$ but it will make me about 90 cups of tea and last me two semesters especially if I mix in other kinds of cheaper teas in my morning; it’s certainly cheaper than starbucks- cups of latte come out to 95c and have about a third of the calories (which means I can drink more of them!) Which ties into;

8. Budgetting. You might be stressed out about money or make tons of tables and charts to try to deal with that stress; there are a lot of ways to cope with it, but my favorite method (and I still use a combination of these) for dealing with food and consumable stuff you need regularly like shampoo and soap or socks are: separate that money from everything else that you need to buy, then at the beginning of a semester

Go to Costco, a particular kind of “exotic” grocery store, or a farmers market. Buy and then freeze meat, vegetables, and fruit (if you use them in baked goods or in yogurt) or get prefrozen meat- make sure you’re checking the price/lb or K for the cheapest, and bags of either rice, flour, boxes of pasta (cheap carbs) and oil- i recommend having canola, it’s utilitarian for frying with a high flash point. If your budget isn’t tiny, this is a great time to also get dried (or canned but I don’t like the texture) beans, and canned meat or sauce if you actually eat it. The key is to get cheap bulk things that will last for a semester or five, and that are always on hand.

Take the rest of your food budget out in cash. Separate it into bundles for “each week”, put them in your wallet, and return the change to the jar when you’re done. It was always easier for me to visualize how much spending money for food that I had when I physically had the cash; it meant I didn’t overspend and it also meant that I started making better “investment” decisions; I’d buy cinnamon sticks one week, or good olive oil the next, instead of dropping a couple hundred dollars on ingredients I might have never used.

Do a similar bulk buy of products you know you use, and then leave the rest of that money- also in cash!- in a separate jar with a stickynote on top. When you have to use money for stuff from it, just stuff the receipt in the jar with the cash and do your accounting When You Have Brainspace.

I deal with other bigger accounting stuff over cards, but I try to limit one card to rent, insurance, school payments, big regular stuff that I autopay and always pay off, and one card to “emergency” stuff that I’m always working on paying off- think emergency dental work, car broke, etc. That one I do gig labor to cover when I can.

Anyone else, feel free to chime in! It’s super useful to have lists of tips and tricks!

#college tips #neurodivergence #neuroatypical #dealing with college

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preferredrealty · 4 years

Text

Wrong Place, Wrong Time - A Mob!Shawn Mendes Series.

Part 4 - Business Trips and Bruises

Part 5

Masterlist

Warnings: Blood

As always: Feedback is appreciated 💛🌻

(Y/N) smiled sweetly down at a small boy who was now inhaling the massive banana split she had set on the table, setting a few spare napkins down on the table, knowing they would be needed.

Walking back into the kitchen she pulled her phone out of her apron as it chimed at the same time the bell of the door rang. Opening her phone quickly she looked at the text with a grin.

iMessage from Shawn: Table for 3?

Leaning over the stainless steel metal she peek out the hole in the wall seeing Shawn standing with the two guys from the ally that night. Deloris peaked out next to her chuckling. "You're turning this place into a gangster pit-stop." (Y/N) shook her head nudging Deloris with her hip. It had been a week and a day since the night at the beach, when Shawn wasn't texting her, he was here. She would never admit it but seeing Shawn was the highlight of her day lately. "Oh hush." She smiled at Deloris pushing through the swinging door, Shawn's eyes instantly catching hers.

She grabbed her note pad on her way out from behind the counter, walking past them casting a glance at Shawn. "Table for three this way boys." Hearing Shawn chuckle, she stopped at a more private booth leaning against one of the booths. "Hey (Y/N/N), how was your day off yesterday?" He greeted throwing a arm over her shoulders as Brian and Connor nudged their way into the side of the booth she wasn't leaning on. "It was interrupted by a curly haired devil." She teased.

She cringed as Brian took off his sunglasses revealing the healing bruises of two back eyes. She mouthed a 'sorry' to him making him cast a small smile. "Well you've kind of met Brian and this is Connor." Shawn introduced them as he moved to sit in his booth. "Nice to meet you both." She grinned pulling open a new page of her note pad. "What can I get for y'all today?" "I'll take my usual please." Shawn grinned as she rolled her eyes. "I want to try that strawberry milkshake Shawn keeps going on about." Brian said glancing at the menu. "Actually you know what, I'll just take the same as Shawn." He said with a smile. Connor doing the same.

"Alright I'll have that out with you as soon as possible." (Y/N) smiles walking back the counter, pinning up the order with the rest and starting on the milk shakes.

"So she's playing dumb about the whole thing?" Connor said as he played with the salt shaker on the table. "She hasn't brought it up but I know she knows." Shawn sighed glancing up seeing (Y/N) chatting with Deloris as she made the milkshakes. "Well she just mouthed an apology to me, so she knows." Brian muttered as Shawn and Connor laughed. "You got your ass handed to you by a girl." Connor wheezed holding his sides as he laughed. "I'll stab you, I swear some day I will." Brian groaned. Shawn shook his head at his two friends looking back at (Y/N) seeing her walking back with the three milkshakes balancing on a tray.

"Food won't be long boys." She smiled placing the tray down, passing out the drinks. Shawn patted the seat next to him signalling for her to slide in, glancing around she realised the lunch time rush was over, giving her time to sit. Brian and Connor took a sip of their milkshakes, both groaning at the same time. "This is amazing." Brian said, making (Y/N) smile.

Seeing Deloris coming out carrying two trays of food (Y/N) rushed to help her, passing out the food she nodded with a smile. "Shawn." She grinned. "Boys." She said to Brian and Connor before walking away. "Well I have work to do, enjoy your food guys." She patted Shawn's arm before following Deloris to the kitchen, mindlessly cleaning.

"So-" Deloris started making (Y/N) groan. "Is he like, your boyfriend now?" A blush burned across (Y/N)'s face making her hide in her hands. "He's my friend." was all (Y/N) said, grabbing a new batch of cookies walking out to the counter to set them up in the glass casing. She could hear Shawn's laughter from where she stood making her lips quiver into a smile. "You don't smile about friends like that." A mans voice said next to her.

Greg the chef was stood leaning against the counter sipping a steaming cup of coffee now that he had time for a break. "Oh hush not you too!" (Y/N) giggles swatting at the slightly older man, Greg was attractive, she wasn't going to lie. Attractive in a, could be your friend from schools hot dad. (Y/N) poured herself a cup of coffee, leaning next to him as they chatted.

She could feel eyes burning into her as she talked to Greg causing her to look at Shawn who quickly looked back at Connor and Brian. "Someone's Jel!" Deloris whispered as she walked past. "I swear! You two are going to drive me insane." (Y/N) groaned drinking more coffee.

(Y/N) was waving bye to a customer who came in for takeout as Shawn came up to the counter handing over money for the bill, telling (Y/N) to put the change in the tip jar. "So-" He started sitting on one of the bar stools. "I'm going out of town for a week for..." He paused to find a word making (Y/N) nod while looking at the counter. "Business trip?.." She tried making him nod with a sad smile. "Don't know what I'll do without my fix of Strawberry milkshake for a week." (Y/N) let out a breathy laugh. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere that does a good shake wherever you're going." She blushed as Shawn took her hand playing with the thin rings on her pointer and pinky finger. "I don't think I'll ever find one that compares to yours." The blush from before just darkens as she pulls her hand away, walking around the counter having Shawn pull her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. "I'll see you soon Baby." He smiles, giving her a final squeeze before walking out the door.

- Thursday passed fast, so did Friday and Saturday. Sunday, the diner was closed, she had been texting back and forward with Shawn the entire day but when the clock hit 8pm on Sunday evening the replies stopped. All day Monday she didn't hear a peep. She was spaced out during work, the day passing before she knew it and then Tuesday came.

She went about her day, shopping, meeting friends. She stopped by the diner to have lunch with Deloris her break, walked along the beach, where Shawn flood her thought to the point where she stopped at a store to buy snacks before heading home to binge watch Disney+

She had just settled into her grey cotton shorts and red 'life guard' hoodie when she heard a thump for her front door. She stood still for a moment, blood rushing to her ears as she eyed her door, another thump then a small voice made her strain even more to hear what it was.

"(Y/N/N)" She heard a week voice say making her run to the door pulling it open. Shawn lay slumped against the door frame on the floor his legs splayed out in front of him, one hand tucked under his jacket, placed firmly on his ribs, the other lay limp in his lap, bloody and bruised. "Shawn!" (Y/N) cried out dropping to her knees, her hands gently cupped his face looking into his eyes, one partly swollen. "Shawn.." She whispered as he finally focused on her. "Hey baby." He grinned, wincing as the split in his lip bled more, the blood mixing into his teeth making him cringe at the metallic taste.

(Y/N) looked around the hall of her apartment block, sighing in relief that nobody was there to witness this. "Come on." She huffed out a breath pulling Shawn's heavy lanky body off the floor, into her apartment and closed the door behind her. Setting him down gently on her bed she rushed to grab a damp cloth and the first aid kit she kept encase of an accident under her sink. When she returned Shawn was passed out, his chest rising and falling evenly making her sigh as she began to clean him up. - After getting Shawn cleaned up and a few paper stitches on his lip (Y/N) threw a blanket over him, adjusting the pillow under his head before making her way to the small plush chair she used as a desk chair, pulling it to the side of the bed Shawn was lying in, sitting next to him. "Jesus Christ." She ran her hands over her face before making herself comfortable. Eventually drifting off to sleep.

When she woke again, she was in the bed next to Shawn with his arm laid over her stomach. She looked over at him to see his eyes looking back at her. "Thank you." He whispered, eyes flooding with guilt. "Shawn what ha-" She was cut off by Shawn shaking his head. "Can we just sleep? I'll tell you anything you want to know in the morning." He sighed, pulling her closer. Nodding, (Y/N) shifted so she had her back to Shawn's chest, sleep taking over her as Shawn pressed a kiss to the back of her head.

"Thanks Deloris, I owe you one. See you tomorrow." Shawn stirred from his spot in bed, turning over he slowly peeled his eyes open. Feeling the dryness of his throat prompted him to stand from the bed walking out into the living area of (Y/N)'s apartment.

She stood in the centre of the room, pushing her phone back into her hoodie pocket after finishing her conversation with Deloris. Shawn's eyes drifted over her legs, the cotton shorts giving him a nice view. (Y/N) cleared her throat grabbing his attention. "Sorry." He rasped out, following (Y/N) as she nodded towards the kitchen area.

Shawn gratefully took the glass of water from her as she pulled herself up onto the counter, watching him gulp down the water. He shifted under her sharp stare, feeling like a child about to get yelled at. Walking over to her, he stood between her legs, trying to pull out the puppy dog eyes on her. (Y/N) scoffed and grabbed his chin with one hand. "Doesn't work when your face is beat to shit Shawn!" She pushed him away enough for her to jump down, making her way back to her bedroom.

Following close behind Shawn leaned on the door frame, watching as she lifted her mattress revealing a storage area under it with some box and clothes folded neatly in it. Pulling out a large chunk of black material she threw it towards him before pulling the sheets off her bed walking towards the laundry room. "Your shirt is covered in blood.." She muttered walking past him.

Quickly changing into the hoodie she had given him, he cringed at the thought that it might be her ex's hoodie. Walking back into the living room he found her sitting on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest. Sitting at the other side of the couch Shawn sighed. "I'm sorry Baby. I was out of it last night...I don't know why but I just thought it would be safer for me to come see you than go home." (Y/N) chewed on her nails and her mind began to spin. "When I said I'd give you a chance Shawn...I know what I was getting into but I never expected your..lifestyle to come directly to my front door." Shawn nodded looking down at his hands. "I thought I could do it Shawn, thought I would be able to get over it because - well because you're an amazing person to be around but I can't do it Shawn. I'm scared. Scared that being involved with you will get me hurt."

Shawn felt the air get stuck in his chest as his head turned to look at her, her eyes focused on the floor in front of her, lip stuck between her teeth and tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "Baby I-" He stopped before nodding. "If that's what you want..I understand." He stood, his arms falling in defeat at his sides. "I'm sorry (Y/N)." He whispered pressing a kiss to the top of her head, rushing to put on his shoes and out her front door.

It wasn't until (Y/N) heard the echo of foot steps echoing down the metal stairs that a sob broke from her chest, grabbing one of the fluffy cushions stuffing her face into it.

- Shawn paused once he was outside her apartment building, the door slamming behind him making him flinch. He turned back, his finger hovering over the button to apartment 4C before he shook his head, pulling the black hood up over his bruised face and walking away.

Unaware of the men parked in a black jeep across the road keeping a close eye on him, memorising the button he was about to press.

#shawn peter raul mendes #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes #shawn mendes x reader #shawn #mendes #mob!shawn #badboy!shawn

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haltandcatchfiretothemax · 5 years

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FEMSLASH FEBRUARY 2020 #1: In which Cameron and Donna enjoy a meal together

[TW: food, eating, eating and boredom]

On her first Saturday of living full-time at Donna’s house, Cameron wakes up at 10am to a sunny room, but no Donna. She follows the smell of fresh coffee down to the kitchen, which is also empty, and sees a square yellow note stuck to the coffee maker, which says, “Working on the space above the garage! - D” in Donna’s elegantly slanting hand. Bleary-eyed, Cameron pours herself a cup of coffee, brings it back up to the bedroom where she throws on some clothes and sneakers, and then carries it out to the garage, and up the staircase. She calls out, “Donna?”

The ways she says, ‘Donnaaa…?’ doesn’t sound all that different from the way Joanie and Haley would say, ‘Mommm?’ when they were bored and looking for her, and it makes Donna grin. Over the radio, which is playing a song by The Cure, she answers, “I’m up here!”

The room above Donna’s garage is surprisingly spacious. It’s filled with boxes, and it’s a little dusty, but there’s plenty of sunlight pouring in from the wide front window. Cameron sips her coffee, and then hoarsely says, “There are more boxes than I remember.”

Crouched down beside one of the boxes, Donna grimaces, “Ugh, I know, right?” She stands up and reaches over to turn down the radio, tidy ponytail bouncing slightly. Her hair is covered with a red and white paisley bandanna, and she’s wearing her oldest pair of mom jeans and flannel shirt, and she looks very much like Dallas era Donna. “I’ve really wanted to go through all of this stuff since you dug out the stand mixer, and now that you’re here, I was thinking, you could have an office up here, if you want some extra space outside the house.”

“I have my trailer though,” Cameron says. “And I have several acres of space. You don’t have to do this.”

“I know I don’t,” Donna smiles. “But this is all my pre-divorce baggage and I’m ready to get rid of it. And then, you have some extra space, in case you want a little more room than the airstream offers, and don’t wanna have to drive an hour south. It’s like, if you wanna get out of the house, but not really!”

“I guess that could be helpful, and convenient,” Cameron nods, leaning against the door frame. But then, straightening back up, she asks, “So do you like…want help?”

Cheerfully, Donna says, “No, I think I’m good!” Kneeling down by another box, she says, “There’s a lot of it, but it’s mine, I’ve already lived through this life, you know? I can handle it, so, this is my project for today. What about you?” Pulling several books out of the box, Donna looks over at Cameron curiously. “What are you gonna do today?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll go eat breakfast?”

“That’s a great idea!” Donna says. “You’re barely settled in, so you just relax, and there’s tons of food, we have eggs, bacon, bread, waffles, pancake mix, you can enjoy all the breakfast you want. My house is literally your house, now!”

Cameron goes back down to the kitchen and proceeds to have a large bowl of cereal. She eats standing up, at the island in the kitchen, moping into her fancy vanilla-cranberry farmers’ market granola and milk. Feeling mildly guilty, she thinks that she didn’t expect Donna to entertain her all weekend, but that part of her had still kind of hoped that she might. Pouring a second helping of granola into the milk, Cameron makes a mental note to herself to get some ‘real cereal,’ and then she wonders if maybe she should have eggs and bacon. Bowl of cereal in hand, she goes to the refrigerator, and starts looking through Donna’s perishables; predictably, Donna’s refrigerator is well-stocked, with various beverages, fruits and vegetables, cold cuts and cheeses, and expensive-looking dips, spreads, and condiments. Realizing that it’s nearly lunch time, Cameron forgets about the eggs and bacon.

By the time Donna comes downstairs, at 12:30 on the dot, Cameron is struggling to nudge a home-made reuben sandwich out of Donna’s old skillet, onto one of Donna’s nice plates. A half-full pitcher of iced tea, a jar of coleslaw, a bowl of freshly rinsed cherries, and a smaller bowl of pretzels have all been set out on the island. Eyes wide, Donna says, “…I was just gonna get some water and one of those honey almond bar things?” The sandwich slides out of the pan, but it flips over and kind of comes apart. Cameron swears loudly. Endeared, Donna says, “But I can make that my afternoon snack.” She goes to the sink to wash the dust and grime off of her hands, and over her shoulder, she says, “So I see you found the roast beef and swiss cheese? I got a few different things from the deli, I wasn’t sure what you like.” Cameron is still staring down at the sandwich. “It looks fine,” Donna insists, taking the plate from in front of her. “It’s just a little disheveled, but it will still get the job done, we both know you can relate.”

As Donna sits down across from her, Cameron says, “I definitely can relate to that, thank you.”

Donna snorts as she picks up half of her sandwich, straightening it out so that the slices of bread line up properly. Some of the sauerkraut spills out, but not enough to keep Donna from taking a huge bite.

Unprompted, Cameron says, “I like pretty much everything from the deli, but I remember my dad being into reubens. He used to say, ‘why is there nothing like a good sandwich?’ As an adult, I understand what he meant.”

A couple bites in by then, Donna says, “I didn’t realize how hungry I was, thank you for taking care of lunch.”

All of her earlier feelings of disappointment and weekend anxiety now evaporated, Cameron beams, “You’re welcome. It’s okay then? I made one for myself first, I thought it was alright….”

“It is very satisfying, well done,” Donna says.

Cameron pours Donna a glass of iced tea, and pushes the bowl of pretzels toward Donna’s plate. “How’s the sorting going?”

“It’s weird!” Donna laughs. “I feel like some kind of archeologist or something, or like a detective. It’s like, ‘Donna Clark: who was she?’”

Affectionately, Cameron says, “I know who she was. She was a geek.”

Pausing in the middle of picking up the second half of her sandwich, Donna says, “Hey!”

“A loveable geek, though,” Cameron nods. “Or, I know I loved her.”

Smiling that smile that looks like sunshine, Donna says, “She was a very lucky geek, then.”

Donna is almost done with her lunch when she says, “You know, for someone who lives off a hot plate, you make a mean grilled sandwich.”

“I have the fire pit, too,” Cameron reminds her. “When it’s nice, I like to cook over the open fire. Also, ‘lives off a hot plate’ is an exaggeration, I’ve eaten here five nights a week for more than a year.”

Dreamily, Donna agrees, “That’s true, you have.” She watches as Cameron gets up and clears their plates, glasses, and utensils and says, “I’m gonna go see if I can get some more sorting done but, are you free later this evening, maybe?”

Cameron turns back from the sink to side-eye Donna. “Am I free? When am I not free, Donna? Have you ever known me to go out and socialize?” She grabs the skillet and tuns back to the sink, grabbing the bottle of dish soap.

Donna sidles up next to her in front of the sink and slides her hand into Cameron’s back pocket, which makes Cameron jump slightly. She kisses Cameron’s shoulder, and says, “So then maybe you’ll be available to hang out with me?”

Blushing happily, Cameron says, “I could make that work.”

#it's that time of year again!#happy saturday and happy february bbys!#femslash february #femslash february 2020 #fan fiction #cameron howe #donna clark #donna emerson

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food-advisor · 4 years

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21 Shelf-stable meals for your Emergency food deliver

You’ve in all likelihood heard the recommendation to have an emergency meals supply and stock up on different simple wishes in response to the brand new coronavirus outbreak. That’s due to the fact professionals say it's miles possibly that we’ll see the new coronavirus (COVID-19) spread widely inside the U.S.

Proper now, the centers for ailment manage and Prevention (CDC) says that most people within the U.S. Have little immediate danger of exposure, but the usual danger evaluation varies extensively depending to your state of affairs (like if you’re in a network with an acknowledged outbreak, you’ve traveled to an area with an acknowledged outbreak, or you’ve been in contact with someone who has). It’s important to keep in mind that the scenario is unexpectedly evolving—and based totally on cutting-edge global circumstances, COVID-19 is likely to purpose an epidemic here in some unspecified time in the future, the CDC says.

The branch of the place of birth safety advises preparing for a potential pandemic using having a two-week delivery of food and water accessible (amongst different matters, like prescription and OTC meds). That manner, if quarantine does occur, you’re already set—and, as SELF previously reported, it’s virtually better to buy now so shops can reorder stock earlier than any capability shortages due to a pointy leap in demand and/or supply chain disruptions. (For extra professional advice on the way to get geared up for a probable pandemic, study 5 activities in case you’re concerned about Coronavirus inside the U.S. Or test the CDC emergency package checklist.)

Shelf-strong meals, especially, are your smartest buy for an emergency meal supply. That nonperishable merchandise can be stored thoroughly at room temperature and stay properly for weeks, months, or years without refrigeration (ever, or as a minimum until after starting), in keeping with the American branch of Agriculture (USDA) meals safety and Inspection carrier. That’s because they’ve been handled with the aid of heat and/or dried if you want to kill any microorganisms that can cause spoilage or foodborne illness, and then packaged in sterile, airtight containers like cans, bottles, pouches, and cartons, the USDA explains. (Shelf life varies, so test the expiration date on the packaging.)

Blanking on what the heck you should be buying? We’ve got a reachable list of shelf-strong ingredients for your emergency food supply intending to offer you tasty nourishment, pandemic, or no pandemic. First-rate case state of affairs, you wind up with some scrumptious and convenient greater food to your pantry.

Just a brief note: the goods listed here had been available on the hyperlinks beneath as of publication, but if they aren’t to be had anymore, attempt your nearby grocery save or Google to discover something similar.

The scenario with coronavirus is evolving rapidly. The recommendation and information on this story are correct as of press time, however, it is viable that some data points and hints have changed because of publication. We inspire readers to stay updated on information and pointers for his or her network with the aid of checking with their nearby public fitness department.

All merchandise featured on SELF is independently decided on by using our editors. If you buy something via our retail links, we may earn an affiliate fee.

1 - Mac and Cheese

You might have a few boxes of this goodness on your shelves already.

Products to try:

365 Everyday Value, Shells & Cheese, $1, Amazon Fresh

Annie’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese, $24 for pack of 12, Amazon

Kraft Deluxe Original Macaroni and Cheese Dinner Cups, $4 for pack of 4, Amazon

2 - Crackers

Crackers are a great vehicle for other stuff you might have on hand, like nut butter or cheese. Whole grain will be more filling.

Products to try:

Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Rosemary Crackers $4, Amazon

Triscuit Fire Roasted Tomato and Olive Oil Crackers, $2, Amazon

Blue Diamond Almond Cheddar Cheese Nut Thins, $16 for pack of 6, Amazon

3 - Applesauce

This stuff is very much for adults too. For a better deal, go for a big jar over single-serving cups.

Products to try:

Santa Cruz Organic Applesauce, $5, Amazon Fresh

Mott’s Cinnamon Applesauce, $3, Amazon Fresh

Nut/seed butter

Always amazing by the spoonful, in PB&Js, on crackers, or with apples.

Products to try:

Justin’s Cinnamon Almond Butter, $9, Amazon

Wild Friends Creamy Peanut Butter Creamy $5, Amazon

Sunbutter Natural Crunch Sunbutter, $7, Amazon Fresh

Oats

This breakfast staple is super versatile in terms of toppings (literally anything) and cooking method (on the stovetop, in the microwave, or overnight).

Products to try:

Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats, $3, Amazon Fresh

365 Everyday Value, Organic Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats, $4, Amazon

Quaker Instant Oatmeal Express Cups, Honey & Almonds, $12 for pack of 12, Amazon

Canned chili

Vegetarian or meatless, spicy or mild—just heat and eat for a filling dinner.

Products to try:

Stagg Country Brand Chili with Beans, $8 for pack of 6, Amazon

Amy’s Organic Medium Vegan Chili, $3, Amazon Fresh

Granola/protein bars

Tasty bars are one of the best snacks ever, quarantine or not.

Products to try:

Kind Dark Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars, $3 for pack of 5, Amazon Fresh

RXBAR, Peanut Butter & Berries Protein Bar, $19 for pack of 12, Amazon

Quaker Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars, $11 for pack of 58, Amazon

Dried fruit

The trail mix staple will help you get your daily servings of fibrous fruit and natural sweetness in. Maybe try a new kind—pineapple, mango, apple, banana, blueberries…

Products to try:

Mariani Mediterranean Apricots, $15 for pack of 4, Amazon

Newman’s Own Organic Prunes, $6, Amazon

Sunbest Mango Slices, $17, Amazon

Tuna pouches

Your best bet for Omega-3 fatty acids that last a long while. The plain canned stuff you had as a kid works, but there are also tons of flavorful varieties available in pouches today.

Products to try:

Bumble Bee Lemon & Pepper Seasoned Tuna, $12 for pack of 12, Amazon

Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna, Chili Lime, $45 for pack of 12, Amazon

Milk

You’ve probably seen shelf-stable cartons of nondairy milk at the grocery store—soy, almond, rice, hemp. Dairy milk also comes in shelf-stable cartons and bottles.

Products to try:

Silk Original Soymilk, Original, $2, Amazon Fresh

Horizon Organic, Low Fat Organic Milk Box, $6 for pack of 6, Amazon Fresh

Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, $10 for pack of 6, Amazon Fresh

Canned veggies

Having a nonperishable source of vegetables is key in the event you can’t hit the grocery store.

Products to try:

Amazon Brand Happy Belly Mixed Vegetables, $1, Amazon Fresh

Del Monte Fresh Cut Blue Lake Green Beans, $18 for pack of 12, Amazon

Popcorn

One of the more fun whole grains to have on hand. Go for dry kernels, which stay good longer than microwave bags.

Products to try:

Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popcorn Kernels, $11, Amazon

Anthony’s Organic Yellow Popcorn Kernels, $11, Amazon

Jerky

The gas station classic is a great source of animal protein (beef or turkey), with lots of zesty flavors.

Products to try:

Cattleman’s Cut Teriyaki Beef Jerky, $13, Amazon Fresh

Lorissa’s Kitchen Szechuan Peppercorn Grass-Fed Premium Steak Strips, $5, Amazon Fresh

Canned fruit

If any fresh fruit you happen to have already goes bad or runs out, you’ll be happy to have the preserved stuff on hand. No peeling or slicing required!

Products to try:

Dole Diced Pears in 100% Juice, $2 for pack of 4, Amazon

Dole Crushed Pineapple in Juice, $18 for pack of 12, Amazon

Hearty soups

Opt for beefier varieties like minestrone, chicken noodle, or lentil vegetable, which contain several different food groups to make a meal in and of itself. Comes in cans and cartons.

Products to try:

Wickedly Prime Chicken Noodle Soup, $22 for pack of 6, Amazon

Pacific Foods Organic Creamy Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup, $4, Amazon Fresh

Amy’s Organic Chunky Vegetable and Lentil Vegetable, $25 for pack of 6, Amazon

High-protein Pasta

Pasta made with beans and legumes is extra high in protein, which is awesome if you don’t have access to the fresh proteins you might usually have at lunch or dinner.

Products to try:

Barilla Protein Plus Farfalle Pasta, $3, Amazon Fresh

Banza Chickpea Pasta Variety Case, $20 for pack of 6, Amazon

Cereal

You can’t go wrong with cereal, whether it’s a whole grain variety, a crunchy granola, or the “kids’ stuff.”

Products to try:

Kashi Berry Fruitful Whole Wheat Biscuits , $3, Amazon Fresh

Cascadian Farm Organic Granola, Cinnamon Raisin Cereal, $17 for pack of 6, Amazon

General Mills Frosted Cheerios, $3, Amazon Fresh

Rice

From basmati to brown, any type of this beloved grain will serve you well.

Products to try:

Lundberg California Brown Basmati Rice, $23 for pack of 4, Amazon

Uncle Ben’s Original Converted Long Grain Rice, $8, Amazon Fresh

Precooked entrees

These are lifesavers any day of the week. The only thing you have to do here is warm up the food in the pouch, in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Products to try:

Tasty Bite Channa Masala, $18 for pack of 6, Amazon

Campbell’s Ready Meals, Creamy Dumplings With Chicken & Vegetables, $2, Amazon Fresh

Trail Mix

This energy-dense snack tastes just as good inside as in the great outdoors. Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate—you’ve got lots of options.

Products to try:

Archer Farms Monster Trail Mix, $15, Amazon

Powerup Almond Cranberry Crunch Trail Mix, $7, Amazon

365 Everyday Value Chocolate Cherry Carnival Trail Mix, $7, Amazon

Navy Beans

Beans are one of the greatest sources of plant protein and fiber there is. Dried and canned are both shelf-stable. Any variety will do, but navy beans are particularly versatile.

Products to try:

Bush’s Best Navy Beans, $1, Amazon Fresh

#foods #Shelf-stable #Shelf-stable food

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fracturedsword · 4 years

Text

November 1st, 2012

It was only after lunch that Michael got to the boxes. Dean had gone to see to things around the camp and Michael was left with unpacking his possessions. Some things were easy enough to place. Shotgun leaning against the wall, within reach from the cot. The bow and quiver of arrows went under it, he wasn't skilled enough with that yet to rely on it for self defense. Besides it wasn't that kind of weapon was it? It was made for precision and stealth, not being woken up in the middle of the night with an intruder at the door. Spare knife landed on a low wooden box of some sort next to the cot, making it a decent bedside table.

The backpack bought him a little time before he had to face the weight of the boxes. He'd never gotten around to fully emptying it after the Omaha trip, he'd been meaning to, but it hadn't happened. In it were a few crafts kits he'd kept for himself. He'd given the vast majority to Bobby and the kids but they had looked fun and after Samandriel encouraged him to try wood burning with him and Castiel he'd thought he'd try something artistic. After all he had fun with his brothers even if he wasn't nearly as skilled as either of them but they'd talked and had a good time and it had felt nice to do something that wasn't so serious or destructive. With a sigh he set them aside, he could deliver them to Bobby at a later date, he wasn't in the mood to attempt to learn how to create art anymore and he doubted he would be for a long time.

The little metal model kits he'd found soon found themselves in the same pile. There were only four of them and he'd originally intended them as something to distract himself with when it got colder. He tried to not look at them, but the one in the image of a sailing ship still caught his eye and with another heavy sigh he moved it from pile on the bed to shelf. It reminded him of how his brother spoke of the sea and sailors from times since passed. Maybe he'd assemble the little metal kit as some point and give it to Samandriel? Will he even accept it? He didn't know, but he still cared for him, no amount of anger from the younger angel would diminish the love he held for him.

The rest was thankfully nothing special. Spare ammunition and a maintenance kit for his weapon. Those were always kept in his backpack so he set it aside, leaning it against the wall next to the shotgun.

The boxes were more difficult and he found himself sitting on the edge of the cot with them for a good few minutes before he cared to so much as open them. I don't want to be here. Not that Dean's offer wasn't kind beyond words but there was a heavy finality about it. The air in this cabin was warm enough, sure but there was no warmth in it. It wasn't a loved space that was cared for. It didn't have exquisite spell work wrapping around the door frame or sun catchers in the window. It was a place to sleep and get out of the elements and little else. Not that that wasn't important in itself, but all the little touches that made Castiel's cabin a place he wanted to be just weren't there, and it was disconcerting for them to not be there. For the feeling of Castiel to not be there. Dean's space was utilitarian, Castiel's was a home that he had now lost. He only hoped he was the only one with this sensation. Only hoped that his brothers sanctuary still felt like a sanctuary to the younger angel. Please be safe esiasch. I meant you no harm.

A deep breath and he pushed himself up and opened the first box. At the top was a paper with handwriting he easily recognized as Castiel's. It detailed how to prepare his coffee, something even he hadn't known until now. Then again he'd only observed it once and that was before Castiel cut the regular coffee with decaffeinated coffee, since then it'd been ready by the time he got to the kitchen. He'd even put a reminder on the paper to only drink one cup per day. You are too kind Castiel, I don't deserve it. His hands shook a little as he put the paper aside and withdrew a large jar of coffee and a smaller one of vanilla cappuccino powder. Omaha had been a terrible time for his little brother and he'd still been kind enough to experiment with this on his behalf, and been, still was, kind enough to not only pack it but give him the instructions so he could prepare it himself.

The more he withdrew from the box the heavier it became. The teas and snacks. One he would have never thought to reclaim, Castiel having kept him fed and clothed since he arrived. Except that doesn't even cover it does it? Castiel taught me the very concept of eating and keeping myself fed. Told me why it was important. Convinced me to try to rest more as well. Let me sleep by his side. Let me find comfort with him. Trusted me.

The dried fruit hadn't even been for him, he'd brought that back for Samandriel and Castiel to share, yet here it was layered in between his clothes, packed carefully in that efficient space saving way his brother seemed to have perfected. There was a heavy lump in his throat that refused to go away as he pulled it all out and put it away in the cabinet Dean had pointed out for him.

He thought he'd gotten all the food items as he started to pick out the clothes, putting them away in an empty dresser drawer. He was counting the items as he went, more out of habit than anything else so he quickly found himself with an extra pair of socks. Recounting them didn't solve the issue either and if it wasn't for the care the box was packed with he would have assumed his brother had made an error. But Castiel was the meticulous sort, and had heard him joke about his cold feet more than once. Not to mention he'd likely ended up with said cold feet pressed against his legs once or twice when they slept. It was a touching gesture and Michael found himself smiling despite the way his eyes were starting to sting. It was humbling to be subjected to his brothers care and gentleness despite what he'd done. What he'd said. He didn't know what he would have done if the roles were reversed, but giving his sibling an extra pair of socks probably wouldn't have crossed his mind. And Castiel was made into a soldier? What would he have been like if he'd never been through that? If he'd never had to hold a blade and stain his hands with such things? Rubbing at his eyes he did his best to push that thought aside. If Father, God, hadn't done a lot of things, like turning them on their siblings, they'd still be happy, innocent, and still sing his praise wouldn't they? But that hadn't been enough had it?

He managed to pry that extra pair of socks out of his own hand and put them away. His heart was heavy and hand shaky as he put the emptied box on the floor, scooting it aside to be dealt with later.

Once he got the second box open he was proven wrong about the food. Nestled neatly on top of the last of his shirts was a large jar of his brothers mint tea. His favorite for the memories more than anything else. He cradled it close as he sank to the floor with it, head leaning back against the cot. His first conversation with his brother that had ended on a good note ran through his mind once more. Sitting near Castiel's warm stove, waterproofing his boots and just talking over tea after his brother had provided him gear that held up better against the weather. How can something that happened so long ago take away what I had now? He couldn't even regret telling them the truth because they deserved to know. They had a right to know what was done to them three thousand years ago. He couldn't deny them their hurt and anger either, if it had happened now he'd be outraged on their behalf. But how could he as he was now fight his past self over this? Over what he'd had done to his brothers? How could he fix this? How can I make this right? I don't want to lose them. Olani hoath ol esiasche. I love you brothers. I don't want to lose you. Zir tibibp. Zir tibibp. I am sorry.

The stove had nearly gone cold by the time the last of his belongings were put away, and even then it was hard to let go of the mint tea.

#v; ovcho #s; unpacking

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fanfic-scribbles · 5 years

Text

Lunch Buddy: Chapter Nine

Masterlist

<<Previous Chapter Next Chapter>>

Overall Story Facts:

Fandom: MCU Captain America/Avengers

Story Summary: Steve Rogers makes a friend. A prickly, generally people-averse friend, but they’ll both take what they can get.

Quick Facts: Friendship (/Eventual Romance) – Steve Rogers & Reader (leading to Steve Rogers/Reader) – Female Reader

Story Warnings: Reader-insert that verges on OFC, written in 1st person past tense

Chapter 9: Drunk Buddy

Chapter Summary: Emotions suck. But it’s nice to have someone willing to stick around despite them.

Chapter Word Count: 3370

A/N: Warning for intentional typos, drunkenness, POV being slightly down/self-deprecating in parts. I wish I had more to say but uh, new Fire Emblem game is really good and all my braincells are going towards romancing and teaching and stabbing. Please enjoy!

I was drunk. Just the right amount– I felt pretty pleasant, light and comfortable, but I wasn’t out of it. Or so I thought, until I stumbled outside and suddenly I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember how I had decided I was going to get home.

Oops.

My phone buzzed and I displayed excellent dexterity by catching it just as it slipped out of my hand. So I wasn’t that drunk and I would remember…eventually. After a brief dip into whatever nonsense Steve was sending me in the middle of the night.

Steve: Help Steve: I need a good excuse to leave a party

I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing.

Me: Does anything need saaving? Steve: It’s Tony’s party Me: Hmmmm

I tried to think, but it was hard.

Me: Sorry Steve: It’s okay Steve: What are you up to? Me: Just leaving club Me: Stopping to try to rememember Me: How I was going to get home tonight Me: I think subw Me: ay? Me: But Me: Wait Me: Wht time is it?

I squinted at the clock. Okay, slightly-more-than-midnight.

Me: Okay guess i’m not Me: doing that Steve: You were going to take the subway Steve: At this time of night Steve: While drunk?

I stuck out my tongue.

Me: Stop it Me: I can feel the look you’re making Me: Also I dint know it was so late Me: Also also: I’m not as drunk as I look in texting. A little yes but i’m more lazy than out of it Steve: Regardless Steve: Do you need a ride home?

I smirked.

Me: I guess if I can’t think of an excuse I can be one Steve: Exactly!

That was nice. I hadn’t seen him in a few days. I missed him.

Me: Ooooooooo Me: Are you hungry? Me: There’s a dumb trendy pizza place Me: That’ll probably close within a couple months Me: But it’s actually really tasty Me: Wanna meet? Me: There? Steve: I’d rather make sure you stay safe Me: It’s like a block away Me: Or smth

I made an executive decision and sent him the name of the place and the one street name I could remember.

Me: I’ll save us a table, pls don’t come in a suit Steve: It’s a little dressy for a pizza date Me: And I look cute for once Me: You will not Me: outdress me Steve: Noted Steve: Should I wear my workout gear?

I failed to see how that would make me look decent by comparison.

Me: Stop texting and get ready Me: Or unready Me: Whatever Steve: I can multitask

Wait a minute.

Me: Are you on your way????

He did not respond. I started walking. However for me, at the moment, multitasking was a touch more difficult.

Me: You are such a dick Me: I’ll see you there Steve: Wait! Steve: I’m almost there!

When my fingers failed to hit the right buttons thanks to righteous indignation and adrenaline, I stopped again.

Me: I didn’t say I was on the same street

“It’s not hard to narrow it down.”

I jumped and my phone flew into the air. I tried to reach for it but a hand came from over and behind me and caught it before it could be dashed against the unforgiving concrete. I held my chest while my heart recovered and I turned to give Steve the dirtiest look I could muster.

“Sorry,” he said. Smiling.

“You have never been sorry for anything in your life ever,” I said and put my phone in my purse. “How did you get here so fast?”

“Well, I was close,” he said. His hair looked good and he smelled nice, but he otherwise wore his standard jacket and jeans. “Also, your texting is…really slowed down.”

“Hm.” I really didn’t think I was that drunk so much as he was just that desperate to get out of an uncomfortable social situation, but I could sympathize with that to extremes so I didn’t push it. “Come on; I need food.”

“To soak up the alcohol?”

I dragged him by his jacket sleeve. Except, when we were just about there I realized I was less ‘dragging’ and more ‘leaning on’ him. I felt the creeping tendrils of ‘shit, this is a bad idea,’ but it felt like it was too late. It was too late and I didn’t want to tell him to fuck off because I suddenly couldn’t deal. If I was sober enough to realize the ways this night could go poorly, then I was sober enough to deal with it. I hoped.

“Are you going to be sick?” Steve asked and put his hand on my back. It should have been a nice, centering, kind thing, but at the moment it just felt heavy.

“Nope; just thinking about what I’m going to order,” I said and slipped away from him to get the door. He was quicker, though, and pulled it open for me from over my head just as I went for the handle. That made it slip out of my hand and I fell forward a bit, but I caught myself rather well, in my own opinion. I shot him a dirty look and he shrugged with a sheepish smile. Since he was apologetic, at least, I went forward to stand in line.

The place was fairly busy for what time it was, but I wasn’t the only drunk person there. Nor was I the drunkest, which was nice, though they were annoyingly loud, which sucked. I focused on the menu, and scanned it for things Steve might like. “Do you trust me?” I asked and looked at him.

He was frowning at the board and his “Mostly?” was the most unconvincing thing I’d ever heard.

The look on his face made me smile. “Let me guess: you’ve never had pizza outside of pepperoni or plain cheese?”

“And supreme,” was his defense. But I could understand; some of the pizza toppings here were just plain weird, to the point where even I hadn’t yet tried them.

“Okay, hear me out,” I said. “The pizzas aren’t personal but they also aren’t that big, so I’m going to order four that I know I like and that I think you’ll like, and then we’ll get one ‘Boring’ for you to snack on just in case. Sound good?”

He nodded but looked at me with some exasperation. “You got something against just cheese and pepperoni?”

I didn’t even try to hide my glee at I pointed to the area on the menu where it listed, in a wholly appropriate font, ‘Boring.’ It was just a typical cheese pizza but Steve’s look of annoyance was worth everything. Suddenly, inviting him out was a great idea– the best I’d ever had.

“Do you secretly own this place?” he asked as we waited for the gaggle in front of us to grab their cups and go.

“If I owned a pizza place I’d be bankrupt and easily mistaken for a parade float,” I said and stepped forward to order. I got my wallet open as I spoke but when I finished telling the cashier what I wanted, Steve still managed to hold his card out before me.

“Hey; you paid last time,” I said.

“And I can pay thi–”

He jolted when I smacked his hand and his card flew to the floor. I gave the bewildered woman my card before he could recover. “I give the better tip,” I said as she swiped it.

“That’s a lie,” he said as he came back up.

I shrugged and pointed at the tip jar. “Put up or shut up.”

He looked right at me while he opened up his wallet and counted out one twenty, and another, and…

My eyes widened at the end amount he dumped in the jar and when I stole a look at the girl behind the register she was straight up gawking. “You’re such a fucking show-off,” I said and signed the receipt (after adding my suddenly-so-much-less-impressive tip).

“I am so okay with that,” she blurted out.

I laughed as he ducked his head and stole away with the number and his cup. “Sorry; I concede defeat,” I told her.

“Yeah, no problem,” she said like she didn’t even hear me and she stared at the tip jar even as I went to get my drink. Then I joined Steve in the corner, where he fidgeted while we waited. When we got the pizzas and I dished out some slices, he didn’t look upon them any more kindly than he had the descriptions.

“Here,” I said and pushed one of the plates over to him. Then I stacked the boxes so the plain one was at the bottom. “Try these first. If you don’t like them then you can have the cheese all to yourself.”

He sighed and looked at each piece. “It seems like such a possible waste. What if I can’t do more than one bite?”

I rolled my eyes. “Then I’ll cut off where your icky diseased lips touched and eat it myself. Fuck, man, weren't you in the army?”

He ducked his head but he was smiling. “Sorry; you’re right, this isn’t any worse than–”

“Eat or die,” I said and threw a packet of parmesan at his face.

Thankfully he knew better than to test the strength of even a lightly-drunk woman’s stomach and he ate. And if the noise of surprise he made didn’t show how he felt about the food, the way he plowed through the rest of it clearly did. I managed to snake a few more pieces and I was still getting through them when he neared the end of his.

And yet in between inhales he still found the time to be really annoying.

“So, tonight…did you go with a date?”

There were a lot of things I could have said to that, but all of them were terrible, and none of them made me feel better, so I shook my head. “Just by myself; to get out.” He was staring at me, and I wanted him to stop. “I’ve been a little…down, I guess.”

“Hm,” he said, not stopping his steady look. “Is that why you’ve looked like you’re about to cry all week?”

I shrugged and took a bite. It was still good, but my throat had closed up, so I had to chew for a while. Steve stared at me until I swallowed. “What?” I said.

“I can be patient,” he said, smiling slightly, like this was a light thing.

I tried to act like it was. I rolled my eyes. “Keep holding your breath and I’m gonna eat your pizza.”

He relented then, thank goodness, and chowed down on the last of the food in front of him. When he sat back then, it was a lot more natural. “I can’t believe I let you pay for all that and I ate most of it,” he said.

I snorted and kept picking at my last piece. As much as I wanted to finish, my stomach wanted me to curl up in bed and forget it existed for a while. “If you admit I was right I’ll consider it paid in full.”

“You were right; that was delicious,” he said. He looked me over. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay. Sleepy,” I said and stopped playing with my food. “Do you want this? I only took a little bit.”

“Well, I guess so. Since I was in the army and all.” He took the slice and smiled mischievously at me.

“You think you can handle my poison lips?” I asked.

“For good pizza, it’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he said, so fucking deadly serious that I fell apart into helpless laughter. Then he took a bite and his eyes bulged and he grabbed his throat and my heart skipped several beats. I was almost out of my chair to try and give him the Heimlich when I realized the bastard was just playing and I punched his shoulder hard enough to hurt. Well, me, but at least he must have felt it.

“You're an asshole,” I grumbled and shook out my hand.

He swallowed and took a moment to laugh. “I can’t wait to tell Sam. He says I can’t act to save my life.”

“I don’t think it’s real brag-worthy to get one over on a drunk girl,” I muttered and rested my head on my arms.

He turned serious all of a sudden. “Shit, I forgot–” He dug through his little backpack and pulled out painkillers and a bottle of water like a proud kid showing off his potato lamp at a science fair. “I’m sorry; I can’t believe I almost forgot these.”

“You brought this for me?” I asked. I opened the pill bottle and it still had the foil and cotton, and the water bottle seal was still uncracked. He hadn’t just brought it for me, he had bought it for me. That was…so sweet, and while I took a couple of pills and drank some of the water, he cleaned up the table.

“Come on.” He held out his hand. “I’ll take you home.”

The journey was a little fuzzy. All I could think about was that he had known I was drunk and instead of taking that as a sign to stay at his boring party, he’d left to hang out. With me. And instead of just dumping me in a cab after it all, he was coming with me. To make sure I got home safe. Because he cared that much.

Familiar melancholy rose back up in me like frothing bile, and as he helped me into my apartment I felt like I was going to burst. “Th-thank you,” I said. “I can’t– I can’t believe you brought me home.”

“I’m just doing what a friend does,” he said as he helped me to my room.

“Thank you. You're a good friend,” I said as I sat down and shut my eyes. It was going to hurt so bad when he eventually got sick of me. But it was okay. I had to make sure he knew it was okay. “I’m gonna– I’m gonna miss you when you go.”

He stopped whatever he was doing at the side table, and weight settled on the bed next to me. “When I go tonight?”

“When you get tired of me, and go,” I said and leaned my head against my pillow. I sighed. It was so much comfier.

“Why do you think I’m going to do that?” he asked quietly.

“It’s okay,” I said, because he sounded hurt. “Everyone does. It’s me; I’m…I’m no good. I’m bad at staying in touch; I flake out if I can’t handle shit. I say the wrong things. I’ve had good friends but I’ve never been one. So it’s– it’s okay. When you want to go, just know it’s oka–”

I woke up with distant dreams of fluffy pancakes, a minor headache, and a vague feeling of unease. I shut my eyes tight and loosened up when that just hurt. Why did I feel so weird? I had been a little miserable and so I had gone out. I’d gotten a little drunk. I’d texted Ste– oh no. But, wait, no, it wasn’t that bad. We had hung out, had dinner, and I’d come home. He had helped me home. And then…

I sat up and wanted to vomit for reasons other than a hangover. Because I had basically done that to Steve the night before, only worse. Normal vomit you could clean up, but what could you do about emotional vo–

Okay. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I really needed to stop thinking about being sick or I was going to get real literal about it. I took a deep breath, got out of bed, and shuffled towards my door. Physically I wasn’t actually so bad off– thanks Steve– but mentally I was spiraling– thanks Steve.

No. I gripped my head. No, that wasn’t fair; I was the one in a bad place and made it Steve’s problem. Shit. I didn’t know if this was something he would be willing to pretend never happened or if this was the beginning of the end.

I took a few seconds to control my breathing and beat back the tears. One thing at a time. First: coffee. And painkillers. And maybe some pancakes. Then I could text Steve and apologize and…go from there. Whatever that meant.

When I stepped out of my room though I lost my breath entirely.

Steve. Was on my couch. Sleeping.

Steve was sleeping on my couch.

I flailed like a weirdo and forced some control while my body wanted to flee my own damn home. What had I said that he felt he had to stay? That was worrisome, but…whatever was happening, a: I had no clue, and b: he still deserved an apology. So I went about The Plan, but I made a pot of coffee and decided to dump all the blueberry pancake mix I had into my biggest bowl.

I was getting the batter just right when I heard the couch springs shift. I put all my focus into making sure the powder-to-milk ratio was perfect and then started stirring. It was very quiet, so I took a quick peek and saw him standing right behind me. “Oh. Hey.” I faced forward and started stirring in earnest. “I was dreaming about pancakes, so I hope you like ‘em. You look like a guy who can eat a lot of pancakes; I’m–”

Steve draped his arms over my shoulders in the most relaxed hug ever. Inexplicably, my head actually felt better. “How’s the hangover?” he asked.

“Uh…” I took stock. “Not bad.” I didn’t know what to say. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

If he wanted to pretend it never happened, that was one thing, but this question was not that, and I peered over my shoulder to squint at him. “Do I have to say it?”

He stood up and shrugged. “I don’t know what you have to apologize for.”

“Puking emotion all over you?”

“That’s…evocative,” he said, wincing momentarily. “And I’m pretty sure I puked emotion all over you first.” He gave me a look with meaning. Man I hated those. “Closeted bi besties, remember?”

“What’s going to happen when you’re not closeted anymore?”

He looked like he was thinking about it. “Disaster bi besties?”

“You need to get off the internet,” I said. “But…accurate.”

“Are we okay?” he asked earnestly.

“I hope so,” I said, just as sincere.

He smiled and smoothed down his few fly-aways. “Sorry,” he said and glanced up like he could glare his hair into behaving.

I couldn’t help myself. “Oh thank God,” I said. “You were so hideous before; now I can actually look at you.”

He snorted. “You don’t share your feelings often, do you?”

“Did the teeth chattering give it away?”

“Knee-knocking, actually.” He leaned back against the counter. “So…are there going to be pancakes this year, or should we go out?”

My jaw dropped and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Asshole,” I said and buttered up a pan. “I did not mix a whole box of my best stuff for you to abandon me for IHOP. You're going to eat these pancakes or else.”

“Or else what?” he asked as I ladled some batter in.

“Or else you get no coffee,” I said and pointed at the pot. He made a sound like he quietly suffered an injury and went to pour himself a cup in the mug I had set out for him. I sipped my own while I made breakfast and smiled sweetly in return for the glare he aimed at me. As I made a breakfast for me and a human trash compactor, my headache started lifting really fast, and my body settled into a relaxed feeling suitable for a Sunday morning. Thank god for coffee.

And Steve Rogers was pretty okay too.

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#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers & reader #captain america fanfic #avengers fanfic #reader insert #lunch buddy

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