#I still dab hard every couple of months

[marchharesteatable]

was having some real cool cramps so had some sweet toast with buder my friend made and am feeling gooey

may also be the heated socks and hot water bottle

hmu while I smoke this bowl

[theloveinc]

Soppy pathetic bkg is always my fave (in relation to ur post about him being devastated without you). But even just generally, especially like when ur first getting together and he's shy and pathetic asf !!!

(referenced post here!)

Okay excuse me while I make a big mess all over this but, SO TRUE...!!! And everyone knows it, too.

Big meanie Bakugo sweating bullets on your first date, trying to hype himself up to pay. Not because he doesn't want to, he really has enough money to go around, but because he's nervous about getting any pushback from you, or getting all flustered when you pull out your card and try to fight him on the bill.

He literally nearly FAINTS when the waiter comes over at the end and you reach for your purse... slamming his money down on the table so hard that everyone in the general vicinity jumps and he goes bright red.

Thank god you only giggle, turning warm yourself as (instead of getting out a credit card) you pull out a tissue to dab sweetly at his forehead.

(He apologizes when he drops you back at home, head down and voice gruff because he doesn't want you to know he's embarrassed, or scare you off with how much he already cares... and you have to be the one to take his hands and lean in for a kiss he thinks about until the next time he sees you and you kiss him AGAIN...)

...Or, or, or when you're with friends who want to get crepes in the park, and he's immediately getting you one without REALIZING THAT MEANS you're gonna share!! Walking over with a big, strawberry banana ice cream mess he's prepared to hand off forever and going absolutely stone still when you take a bite and then ask if he wants any.

The answer is FUCK YES, of course, yes, he'd split any and everything with you, but like... that doesn't mean he knows what to do? Or where to bite so that it's not like you're kissing?? Or how to avoid people from looking and then teasing him???

And he gets so overwhelmed that he just has to stand there holding the dessert til whip cream starts dribbling all over his hands and now you're asking what's wrong and ad;lkdfnkjahdfnadfja RAWWWRRRR he's making the crepe explode and covering it up with the excuse that there was a hair on it and offering to get you another one that you try to share with him too, andandAND—

(His expression: 😐, meanwhile him on the inside: *//screaming fire flames nervous shouting dying crying hell is a place on earth*)

...AND then finally you both get through that awkward stage (though it takes, uh, MONTHS), and now, though he's fine sharing food and fighting with you over the bill, the first time you need to go away for a couple days, he's LOSING his mind (and that's a habit he never manages to kick). Whether it's two days or twenty-two days or twenty-two hundred days.

Sitting next to your suitcase bitching and whining, all mopey when he sees you pack your good underwear and he can't figure out why you'd even need those... or your travel teddy bear and he's suddenly getting so possessive over it like that means you're leaving, YOU'RE LEAVING HIM??????????????

("No, silly. I'll just be a train ride away," you say, trying to pull the little green and blue toy out of his hands to put back in your bag. "And it's only for four days, you've been through much worse."

Bakugo pouts, holding on tighter to the neck of it even though he's hardly ever acknowledged the silly thing before. You tug at it again, then suddenly find yourself being pulled back into the mattress, where Bakugo wraps you up in his arms instead of admitting to the simple fact that he's going to miss you more than he though capable.)

You've never seen him so soppy (yes that is the perfect word for it) and even he, himself, is surprised because this has never happened before AND he realize this must've been how his mother felt every time his father went off to visit his grandparents for the weekend.

YES, BAKUGO IS PATHETIC FOR YOU.

[cariantha]

Prom

Book: Open Heart, Book 2

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks)

Rating: Teen

Category: Fluff

Word count: 2.2K

Summary: Ethan helps Sawyer remedy one of her biggest regrets.

A/N: This fic was inspired by an ask from @jerzwriter who wanted to know whether Sawyer and Ethan attended their high school proms.

Sawyer slept peacefully in his arms for a couple of hours before waves of excruciating stomach aches began to crash over her. Having done everything he could medically, all Ethan could do now was hold her hand through it and hope that the others would be able to manufacture a miracle.

Sawyer could no longer diminish the severity of the pain. She cries and wraps her arms around her waist as the next bout of sharp cramping cripples her body. 

“I know, Rookie… I know,” he gently rubs her back, feeling otherwise helpless. As her suffering subsides, Ethan eases her back against the pillow and dabs the tears from her face with a tissue. The dull reflection in her eyes concerns him. As the maitotoxin steals the strength from her body, the hopelessness of the situation robs her of the will to fight. 

“What a waste,” she whispers looking up at the ceiling. 

“What’s a waste?”

“My life.”

“How can you possibly think that?” he questions, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. With plastic-covered hands, he brushes some stray hairs from her face.

“I spent half of my life doing what I thought other people expected of me. I’ve spent the other half working myself to death to become a doctor. And for what? I’m finally at the finish line and it’s all been for nothing. I could have spent more time with my family. Hell, I could have had my own family by now. I could have traveled. I could have… I could have gone to prom!” she turns and sobs into the pillow. 

“Sawyer, you can’t think like that. Don’t think about what you didn’t get to do. Think about what you’re going to do when you get out of this room.” 

They both sit in silence for a moment when Ethan shakes his head with a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” she asks, wiping away the new tears.

“Prom? Really? That’s one of your biggest regrets?” he laughs.

Sawyer plays it back in her head and starts laughing with him, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. 

“It’s stupid, I know!” she admits, “But it was just one of those rites of passage moments that I missed out on.”

“Why didn’t you go? It’s hard to believe that no one asked the smartest and most beautiful girl in school.”

Sawyer can't help the big smile that spreads across her face. A small win for Ethan as he tries to keep her spirits up. 

“Thank you. No one got the chance to ask because I graduated from high school a year early. I didn’t get to do any of the senior year stuff like spring break, ditch day, prom, graduation parties…” 

“I didn’t go to my prom either.” 

“Really? Why?”

“I couldn’t justify digging into my college savings for an over-the-top one-time date. My dad offered to help with a little extra cash, but I didn’t feel right accepting when he still had to work overtime to make ends meet. And honestly, there wasn’t anyone I was willing to suffer through that kind of evening with.”

“If I had been in your class, would you have asked me?”

Thinking of all the things he would have done differently since meeting Sawyer, “I would have been the first in line to ask and I would have spent my whole damn savings just to impress you.”

She holds onto that thought as another agonizing wave of pain rolls over her.

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

It’s been several months since the attack and Sawyer slips into a period of depression, the aftermath still too heavy a burden at times. All that hangs in the air as a result of the impending hospital closure causes overwhelming anxiety and sadness. 

Ethan begins to notice the signs. Lack of interest. Withdrawal. Tiredness. Dwelling on the past. 

To his credit, Ethan’s made quite the effort to remedy his biggest regret. Determined to make every precious moment count, he holds Sawyer in his arms every chance he gets and shows her as often as possible just how much she means to him. But he wants to do something more. Provide a distraction. Give her something to look forward to. Make up for lost time and missed chances. And that’s when the idea comes to him. He’s going to take Sawyer to prom. 

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

“Hey, Dr. Hottie! What brings you to my neck of the woods?” 

“Kyra,” he warns.

“Sorry. I need to remember you can report me to HR now,” she laughs. “What’s up, Doc?”

“I was hoping for your assistance with a personal matter.” Ethan takes a seat in front of her desk and explains his idea. “Given your experience with event planning, I figured you’d be the best person to ask. So, what do you think?”

“What I think, Dr. Ro-man-sey… is you just got my vote for prom king.”

Rolling his eyes at the new nickname, “Ok, so where should we start?”

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

A few days later, Ethan is in the cafeteria waiting in line for the cashier. From behind him, he hears, “Hi, Dr. Ramsey!” 

“Trinh.”

“Kyra filled us in last night and I’m so excited for Sawyer. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

“Thank you.”

“So, how are you planning to ask her?”

“I was going to mention it tonight during dinner.” 

“No, no, no,” she shakes her head, “You have to come up with a cute prom proposal.”

“A what?”

As they reach the register, Ethan pays for both of their lunches. 

“Thank you!” She follows him to a table, sits down, and continues. “A prom proposal. Hold on… let me show you.”

Sienna pulls out her phone and opens the Pinterest app. She starts showing Ethan the different ideas and he vehemently shakes his head. 

“No.”  

“Ethan, it’s a major part of the prom experience nowadays.” 

As he pinches the bridge of his nose, Sienna scrolls down the page, commenting on the different photos. “What about this one?... Ooh, this would be super cute… Aww, look how sweet…”

“Go back up,” he instructs and points. “That one.”

She pauses to consider, realizing that was probably as “cute” as it was going to get coming from Ethan Ramsey. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Here’s what I think you should do…” 

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

The next day, Ethan asks Sawyer to meet him for an afternoon break at Derry Roasters. He arrives twenty minutes beforehand to place a special order with the friendly barista who is more than happy to accommodate.

Arriving right on time, Sawyer greets him with a quick peck. “Hi.”

“Hi. I placed our order already,” pulling a chair out for her to sit. He notices the slump of her shoulders and the circles under her eyes. He reaches for her hand and holds it in her lap until their order is called.

“For Ethan!” the barista shouts. 

“Here you go,” Ethan returns, strategically setting the cup in front of Sawyer. 

“Thank y– wait, I don’t think this is mine,” she responds, looking around the café for a pair of teenagers.

“That’s your usual. It’s what I ordered.”

“Yeah, but it says, ‘Prom?’ I think this is meant to ask someone to prom,” showing him the writing on the cup.

“It is. So? Will you go to prom with me?”

“What?” she giggles, looking at him like he’s crazy.

“I want to take you to prom.”

Ethan can see the smile starting to form at the corner of her lips and a twinkle of excitement in her eyes. 

Raising her eyebrows, “How are you going to do that?”

“I have my ways.”

“And when is this happening?”

“Saturday after next. You can go dress shopping this weekend.”

As she looks at the cup in her hand again, a huge smile spreads across her face. Her eyes start to glisten with happy tears and she moves into Ethan’s lap wrapping her arms around his neck. Placing a gentle kiss on his lips, “I would love to go to prom with you, Ethan.” 

“Sawyer! Your date is here!” Sienna sings out. She and the other roommates all gather in the living room to see their friend’s grand entrance. 

With one last check in the mirror, Sawyer makes her way down the hall. A vision in glittering gold sequins, but it's the sparkle that has returned to her emerald eyes that captures Ethan’s attention.  

“Hi,” welcoming him with an uncontrollable smile. Her fingers run over the lapel of his tuxedo jacket, “Wow, you look great.”

“And you look–”

“Appropriate?” she teases. 

“Will that joke ever get old?” he wonders out loud. Leaning close to her ear, “I was going to say hot. If we didn’t have an audience right now…” he trails off placing a kiss on her cheek. Offering his arm, “Shall we?” 

“Oh, real quick. Si? Would you mind taking a couple of pictures before we go?”

Minutes later they step out onto the street and Sawyer can’t believe her eyes. “You rented a limo?” 

“Of course I did. It’s the prom.” As the chauffeur comes around to open the door, Ethan reaches into his pocket. “I have something for you. Hold out your hand. It’s not the traditional flower corsage…” he explains clasping a vintage Tiffany’s bracelet around her wrist, “but I wanted you to have something to always remember this night.”

Looking up into his sincere eyes, she kisses him. “How could I ever forget?” wrapping her arms around his waist, “And in case I forget to tell you later... thank you for the most amazing night.”

While Ethan and Sawyer enjoy a five-star meal at an exclusive restaurant downtown, her friends change and head to the venue with their plus ones. 

As the limo pulls up in front of the hotel and the chauffeur opens the door, Sawyer immediately spots a familiar face. “Alan?” she meets with a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I had to see my boy off to his first prom and get a photo for the mantel.” Taking a step back he squared up his phone, “Squeeze together and say ‘Prom!’” 

Alan escorts them inside, and when Sawyer enters the beautifully decorated ballroom, her eyes begin to swell. There is a dance floor in the middle of the room flanked by a couple of tables on each side. On stage, a live band plays a Bruno Mars’ cover of “Just the Way You Are”, a popular song from the year Sawyer graduated high school. As she turns to Ethan, she sees a small crowd gathering behind them. 

“What?!,” she spins around in shock, “I can’t believe you were all in on this!” 

She hugs each of her friends and exchanges pleasantries with the newcomers. Elijah and Phoebe. Bryce came with his kid sister, Keiki. Jackie, Aurora, and Kyra with dates that Sawyer hadn’t met before. And Rafael who had suggested to Sienna that they go together, knowing she was still struggling to move on after Danny. 

Off to the side, Sawyer noticed one other person.

“And where’s your date, handsome?” she kisses the older man on the cheek. 

“Oh, I’m not here as a guest, my dear. I’m your chaperone for this lovely event,” Naveen jokingly clarifies.

“Well, I’m going to save you a dance anyway. As you know, I sort of have a thing for authority figures,” she quips, backing up and wrapping an arm around Ethan’s waist. 

As the evening carries on, Sawyer hits the dance floor with her friends. Ethan cuts in for nearly every slow dance, only allowing turns for Alan and Naveen. Sawyer tries to get Ethan to stay for a couple of upbeat songs. Arm looped behind her and around his neck, she rocks her hips from side to side. Ethan stands in place, and with his hands on her swaying hips, it looks as though he’s moving along to the beat.

When the band starts playing another lively tune, Ethan makes his way to the bar for a drink. 

“It’s like a trial run!” Naveen shouts over the music.

Alan clinks his glass against Naveen’s.  

“What are you two conspiring about now?” Ethan interrupts.

“Naveen was just saying tonight could be seen as a trial run… for you know… da-da-da-dum, da-da-da-dum,” Alan hums with a crooked smile. 

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Ethan rolls his eyes and moves around them. “Bartender, a double?”

After Sienna surprises them both by announcing Ethan as prom king and crowning Sawyer prom queen, the evening begins to wind down. Naveen offers to give Alan a lift back to Ethan’s apartment. The friend group splits off, some heading home while others continue their date night activities elsewhere. 

Sawyer finds Ethan, his hand outstretched to tuck her into his arms.  

“This has been the most amazing night. I don’t want it to be over yet,” she breathes into his chest while squeezing him.

“It doesn’t have to be,” he says, holding up a hotel key card. “I’ve arranged for a private afterparty in a suite upstairs.” Leaning down to whisper into her ear, “If you think I’m not going to make a play on my girlfriend and try to steal her prom virginity… you’ve misjudged me.”

“Well then, consider yourself lucky, Ethan Ramsey. Because I was definitely planning to put out for you tonight.” 

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @potionsprefect @jamespotterthefirst @annfg8 @peonierose @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @jerzwriter @quixoticdreamer16 @mysticalgalaxysstuff @inlocusmads @txemrn @trappedinfanfiction @mvalentine @takemyopenheart @ofmischiefandmedicine @openheartforeverinmyheart @doriopenheart @coffeeheartaddict2 @genevievemd @starrystarrytrouble @hopelessromantic1352 @kyra75 @lsvdw-blog

[kueble]

Sweet on the Vine (Like Strawberry Wine)

Here is something that is only (slightly!) late for last year’s @witchersummercamp. Oops. My original artist backed out, and I managed to convince the amazing @mysticcoyoteart to work with me.  They created Jaskier’s look, which I fell in love with.  Please make sure to check out the art here.

Teen. Warnings: None. 2,000 words

Geralt/Jaskier

---

Retirement has turned out to be a little too relaxing, so Geralt hardly puts up a fight when Jaskier suggests they head into Beauclair for the Strawberry Festival.  Normally he’d do anything in his power to avoid a town full of drunken partygoers, but it turns out looking after a winery is a bit boring, especially since Barnabas-Basil does all the heavy lifting anyway.

Now, though?   Now he wonders what the fuck he was thinking.  The streets are packed with bodies, and the hot summer sun isn’t doing anyone any favors.   Geralt lets Jaskier lead him through the crowd, their fingers threaded together in an easy way that still makes his heart flutter, and leans in to inhale the sweet citrus scent of his lover’s perfume.  It calms something deep inside of him, and suddenly the crowd doesn’t seem so boisterous.

Jaskier - as always - is dressed to impress, not to blend in with the crowd.  Geralt remembers watching him flit about the tailor’s shop months ago, already looking for an outfit that would help him stand out.  He walked up to Geralt with a bolt of pink and strawberry printed fabric, his eyes bright and a pout already firmly in place, and Geralt knew they’d pay whatever the man asked for it.

Now he looks stunning, the petal pink fabric hanging off his curves in a dress that somehow manages to be both fitted and loose all at the same time. It’s hard not to get lost in the sharpness of Jaskier’s chest compared to the flowy fabric as it swishes around his heels.  Though they have nowhere pressing to be, so Geralt indulges himself and lets his eyes linger on his lover as he leads him through the growing crowds.

The city is one big colorful bustle, festival goers crammed into every nook and cranny.  They spend the morning darting between the vendor booths, Geralt tagging along after Jaskier like a lost puppy.  It’s hard to rein in the bard, and even more so when so many crafters have their best wares on display.  Jaskier flits between the stalls, his elegant fingers picking up one piece of jewelry after the other before bemoaning the fact that he can’t buy them all.

Geralt manages to distract him with a booth full of writing journals and doubles back to one of the jewelers.  The woman seems to expect his return and smiles before holding out the ring Jaskier had been fawning over.  Geralt manages to talk her down in price a bit, but his coin purse is still left much lighter.  But as he pictures the delicate silver band and its large opal resting on one of Jaskier’s fingers, he knows the purchase was worth it.

He sidles up next to Jaskier without missing a beat, and Jaskier appears to have been lost in the journals the entire time.  He holds up a couple of options - both eerily similar - so Geralt just points at the one on the right.  It seems to placate him, and Jaskier grants him a warm smile before turning to pay the vendor.

Once the noonday sun rises, the sound of Jaskier’s belly growling calls them both to lunch.  His cheeks are flushed pink - sheepish looks good on him - and Geralt just rolls his eyes before herding him towards the food tents.  They split a couple of chicken and venison meat pies, and even Geralt has to admit that the savory crust is the best he’s had in years.

—

“Oh, you have just got to try this, love,” Jaskier mumbles around a mouthful of berries.  The red juice trails down his chin, and there is a dab of clotted cream in the corner of his mouth, and Geralt can’t help leaning in to teasingly lick it away.  Jaskier jumps, squealing against Geralt, but he’s grinning when they pull apart,

“Tastes delightful,” Geralt says with a smirk.  Jaskier just snorts before dipping another strawberry into the cream and holding it up in front of him.  Geralt leans in and closes his mouth around the treat, eyes closing on their own as the sweetness bursts across his tongue.  He chews slowly, savoring the decadent taste of berry mixed with the sugary cream.

Never say Toussaint doesn’t know how to throw a festival.

“Want another?” Jaskier asks, but they don't have a lot of extra funds and Geralt would rather watch him enjoy the strawberries than eat them himself.

“Not really one for sweets,” he mumbles, and Jaskier shoots him a knowing look before popping the last berry in his mouth.

“Thank you, dear,” he says with his mouth full of fruit, and Geralt snorts before leading him towards the mead tent.  Certainly they have enough coin left to slay his thirst.

—

As soon as Geralt hears the band, he knows he’s about to be dragged into a dance.  Decades ago, he might have refused, probably would have stomped his foot and held his ground and missed out on seeing the joy on Jaskier’s face.  Thankfully, spending years with Jaskier has taught him how to give in and let go.   Retirement is good for them both, and Geralt plans to spend the rest of his days keeping a smile on his lover’s face.

“Dance with me?” Jaskier asks, almost shyly as he holds out a hand.  Geralt covers it with his own and leans in close to whisper into his ear.

“They’re not as good as you,” he says, and Jaskier laughs bright and openly as they move into the crowd of dancers.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, darling,” Jaskier tells him with a wink, and then they’re moving together with the grace built by years of practice.

Geralt feels every year of his age right now, but Jaskier’s youthful energy makes them fit right in with the villagers around them.  The song is bouncy and light, and they hold each other up as they spin to the beat. Jaskier feels perfect in his arms, like they were built for each other, and Geralt can’t help squeezing him tighter as they dance.

Leaning in, Jaskier presses a quick kiss to Geralt’s cheek, his lute-calloused fingers laced with Geralt’s and their warm palms touching as they spin with the rest of the crowd.  Geralt nearly trips over his own feet, and Jaskier just leans back, giggling at him but still smiling brighter than the hot afternoon sun.  He looks absolutely gorgeous like this, his eyes alight and his cheeks flushed with exertion.

“Where is that famed witcher grace and agility?” Jaskier asks with a smirk.  “Gone soft in your retirement?”

“Wasn’t aware this was a competition,” Geralt says slowly before grinning at him and adding, “you want to see some skills?  How’s this work for you?”

Without any further warning, Geralt lowers his hands to Jaskier’s waist and tosses him up in the air.  Jaskier lets out a squeal, his lithe arms flailing before Geralt catches him quickly.  His dress swirls around them, the printed fabric swishing as they move.  He supports Jaskier by holding his slim waist and encouraging Jaskier to tuck his legs against his hip.  He does so, throwing his head back and laughing as Geralt keeps dancing.

Someone near them whistles appreciatively, but Geralt keeps his focus on Jaskier.  The corners of his eyes are crinkled, his whole face lit up as he looks down at Geralt.  They move in slow circles as the band winds down, and Jaskier leans in to kiss him as the last few notes of the song trail off.  His mouth is soft against Geralt’s, his hands even softer as he threads his fingers through Geralt’s hair.  He lets his feet drop, the petal pink heels clicking on the cobblestones beneath them, and grabs a fist of Geralt’s shirt, pulling him even closer.  They stand there kissing long after the next song starts, the dances moving around them without missing a beat.

—

By the time the sun sets, Geralt is more than ready to head back home.   But of course Jaskier won’t leave before the fireworks go off.  One well-timed pout had been enough to get Geralt to start searching for the perfect viewing spot.  They end up on a stone bench in the middle of one of the public gardens.  The Duchess’ palace stands tall above them, but neither of them felt the need to push past the festival crowds to fight for a seat inside.  No, this little alcove they found is much better.

They had a late dinner in one of the town squares, splitting a platter of meats and cheese and more of the sweet sun-ripened strawberries it seems every dish at the festival features.   His belly is pleasantly full, and the taste of sugary strawberry wine lingers on his tongue.  Geralt sighs and leans into Jaskier, humming happily before wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  Jaskier sighs softly and nuzzles their cheeks together, his tanned skin still warm even as the night cools down around them.

Suddenly Geralt remembers his earlier purchase and slides a hand inside his pocket, his fingers easily finding the cool metal of the ring.  Jaskier is lost in his own head, his fingers tapping a lively beat against Geralt’s thigh, and Geralt realizes he’s most likely composing something.  He waits for the tapping to stop before clearing his throat and getting the bard’s attention.

“Yes, dear?” Jaskier asks, tilting his head as he turns to look at Geralt.  There’s something about the softness in his eyes that makes Geralt’s chest pull tight, and he ends up fumbling over his words.

“I, er, for you,” he mutters before shoving the ring at Jaskier.  He almost drops it, but Jaskier’s nimble fingers manage to hang on, and he lets out a gasp before holding the ring up in front of him.

“You went back for it!” he exclaims, eyes watering as he looks between the silver ring and Geralt’s face.

“You deserve pretty things,” Geralt mumbles, which just makes Jaskier move even closer to him.

He slides the ring onto his hand before holding it up to examine it properly.  The fiery opal looks elegant on his long finger, like it’s always belonged there.  Geralt tries to pretend he’s not pleased by the way Jaskier is preening over the jewelry, but he loves being able to provide little extravagances for him.  He didn’t lie when he said Jaskier deserves this and so much more.  Thankfully they have years ahead of them, and Geralt vows to keep spoiling him until his last day on this earth.

“The prettiest thing I ever got was you,” Jaskier tells him sweetly, and Geralt can feel his face flushing.  He tries to look away, but Jaskier cups his cheek in one hand and smiles dopily at him.  Geralt knows without a doubt that there’s a matching look on his own face, and he just doesn't care anymore.  Let the festival goers judge however they want.

His love ought to be celebrated, ought to be seen.

“Charmer,” Geralt manages to blurt out, and Jaskier just offers a shrug and another smile.

“Says the man who keeps charming me, over and over, each and every single day.  You’re a romantic, witcher mine, and there’s no use denying it,” Jaskier points out, much to Geralt’s dismay.  He takes a breath, like he’s about to argue more, but then a flash of light explodes above them, the boom echoing off the stone walls of the buildings surrounding them.  Jaskier gasps and turns his face towards the sky to watch the fireworks.

The Duchess puts on a stunning display, and they spend the next half hour watching the fireworks bloom in the night sky.  Well, Jaskier watches the fireworks.  Geralt watches Jaskier, as he is wont to do.  The bright colors flash around them, highlighting Jaskier’s cheekbones and the curve of his mouth, and Geralt thinks it’s one of the most gorgeous sights he’s ever seen.  His favorite views aren't fit for polite company, so he focuses on this moment instead of reminiscing.   Besides, he’ll have plenty of time to take his bard apart on their bedsheets once they return home for the night.  For now he is more than content to hold Jaskier in his arms while the fireworks flash and rain down around them.

[panickinganakin]

stepping stones to hell ch. 11

hello!! all previous chapters can be found here! also if you’re interested you can find it on ao3, i typically post there a bit before i can update on here.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The next few days passed in a blur. They had played more kickass shows and this tour was honestly one of the most fun they had ever done. As the second week was coming to a close Robin realized she was sad there was only a week left. However, on the opposite side of that, she was excited to go home and see Nancy. 

Just like the week before the two had talked nearly every day on the phone with the exception of Monday. Nancy had a busy schedule and had to fly out for an interview. However, everyday before that they hadn’t missed an opportunity to talk to one another. 

She learned so much more about Nancy. She learned her favorite flower was a pink orchid. Nancy had also mentioned that if she had to choose her very last meal it would be her mom’s twice baked potatoes and Salisbury steak but  chicken cordon bleu was a close second. 

There had even been a night where the band got to stay in a motel. That night Robin and Nancy had stayed on the phone until Nancy fell asleep. So Robin also learned how Nancy sounded as she fell into a deep sleep. 

Robin had laid there for a while, phone pressed to her ear, listening to Nancy sleep before she finally hung up the phone and went to sleep herself. 

It was finally Tuesday which meant they would have another day off tomorrow. Robin loved Nashville so playing a show in Franklin meant they were so close. She had already planned to make a trip out tomorrow and search all the local shops. 

“Bubs,” Gareth called from behind Robin. She turned to see him holding up a cropped Dio shirt, her gray cargo shorts and a pair of fishnet gloves. “Eddie said wear this.” 

“Why?” she sat down her eyeliner and stood up. She crossed the dressing room to take the articles of clothing from Gareth who gave a shrug in return. 

“I don’t know. He said wear it. Something about how he dresses us better than we dress ourselves.” He added an eye roll for dramatic effect. 

“Well, what are you wearing?” She looked over at his usual ripped jeans and Ozzy shirt. 

“Me? This.” 

“How come you can dress yourself?” she asked in an almost offended tone. 

“Because I only spend a handful of songs out on stage.” He smiled before walking backwards toward the door. 

Robin flipped her middle finger up and Gareth exited with a laugh. She waited for the door to close before she started to change into her new outfit. It was true, of course. Everything Eddie put them in was always their best looks. But, still. She at least had to pretend to be irritated because she would never admit to Eddie he was right. His ego was already big enough. 

After she was in her newly assigned outfit, she finished the eyeliner she had been in the middle of when Gareth had come in. Digging through her make-up she found a dark red lipstick she decided to wear tonight. Usually she would opt out of dark make-up because washing her face on the bus was hard but tonight she would be in a hotel so it was the perfect opportunity to go all out. 

She dug around her bag some more, pulling out some face glitter she had bought a couple months back. Eddie had shown her to dab some hair gel on her cheeks before dusting glitter on with a brush so the glitter would stay. She did as he had shown her before deciding on adding some to her chest and the exposed part of her stomach as well. 

She took a few steps back, staring in the mirror. She looked really cool in her opinion. Feeling satisfied with herself she slid on her chucks before leaving the dressing room to venture to Eddie’s. 

She knocked once before opening the door. Eddie was sitting in a chair and Steve was using a comb to tease parts of Eddie’s hair before spraying hair spray. “Damn, Bucks. You look badass,” Eddie grinned. 

“Thank you! I thought the glitter added a nice touch.” 

“Indeed,” he grinned. 

Steve looked up from Eddie’s hair and smiled, “You look great.” 

“Oh my god he learned to compliment you. It’s been years. This is incredible,” Eddie mused. Steve rolled his eyes and flicked Eddie’s ear who gave a dramatic yelp. 

“What’s the occasion?” Robin asked, taking a seat on the floor in front of them. She motioned at her outfit then at Eddie’s more-eccentric-than-usual outfit. 

Eddie bounced his leg quickly and Steve touched his shoulder, “Calm down.” 

“We have guests tonight.” 

“Who?” 

“You’ll see,” Eddie gave a quick smile but it fell quickly. It was hard to read his expression but she was almost sure he was nervous. 

She watched him wring his hands before he started to twist his rings. “Why are you nervous?” she finally asked. 

Eddie bit his lip, “Do you know who played in Nashville last night that our record label invited to come to the show?” 

“Who?” Robin raised an eyebrow, a little more confused now. The guest was an artist? 

It wasn’t unusual for musicians to show up with VIP and watch side stage. In fact, they had met a lot of people in the industry because of their shows. However, Robin had never seen Eddie so nervous to meet someone. 

 “Metallica is going to be here. James, Jason, Kirk and Lars. All of them.” 

Robin felt her jaw drop. Why did they want to see Corroded Coffin? I mean she knew they were good but Metallica was huge. How often were they able to make time for smaller bands? I mean, it’s true, Corroded Coffin was on the cusp of pretty heavy fame. A whole sold out tour? 5,000 people every night? That wasn’t small. 

Robin just stared at Eddie, blinking. “W-what? Why would you tell me that? What if I fuck up?” 

“Pffft, not possible. You’re practically the best drummer ever.” Steve said in a nice tone. “See. Compliment.” 

Robin rolled her eyes; she knew that was not true at all. She hadn’t even been drumming for ten years of her life. She was good, she did know that. She had practiced hard to get this good in the time since she started. But, she wasn’t even close to a legend. Not to mention everyone else in the band had been playing their instruments years before she started. “I’m gonna be sick.” She announced, standing up. 

“Where are you going?” Steve questioned after her.

“To find a heavy traffic sidewalk to lay on!” She shouted back as she walked through the door. 

*

To say Robin was nervous would have been an understatement. She stood in the hall, trying to hold her hands together to keep them from shaking. Which was nearly impossible.

Down the hall she could hear a group of voices approaching, one of which was Steve’s. He was introducing people as he passed them. She knew he was with the band. They must have arrived not long ago and he was walking them down since the show was starting soon. Damn. Steve was truly cut out for the management job. He sounded so professional and calm when he motioned at Robin.

“Oh, this is Robin Buckley, our drummer.” Steve said with a huff followed by a smile. Though he sounded collected she could see his eyelid twitch when he looked at her. He was hiding his nervousness considerably well.

James held out his hand for Robin to shake followed by Jason, Lars and Kirk. “Huge fan of you guys, it’s crazy you're here,” she said, trying to make sure the tremble in her voice wasn’t noticeable. 

“Likewise. We were psyched to hear you guys were playing tonight while we were still in town. We’ve been trying to catch a show for awhile,” James offered with a smile. 

A while?! What the fuck did that mean? Metallica knew who they were and apparently had known for ‘a while’. What. The. Fuck. This made her chest feel slightly cold. She couldn’t blow this. 

James turned to say something to Eddie who gave Robin a huge, shocked smile. Robin gave him a thumbs up before starting her walk to the curtain. She could hear the crowd chanting for the band which normally thrilled her but tonight made her feel more nervous. 

“Here,” Gareth said, meeting her with a bottle of water. He glanced at the rest of the band in disbelief where they stood conversing with Metallica. “Can you believe this shit?” 

“No!” Robin said quickly in a whisper. “Like, what the fuck? Right? It doesn’t seem real. Them? Us? A while? What the fuck?” she whispered.

“Dude, I know! I thought Eddie was lying. I almost shit a brick when I walked out and seen Lars fucking Ulrich standing two feet away from me.” 

Robin felt better knowing she wasn’t the only one shocked. She sighed and grabbed Gareth’s shoulder. “Tell me I can do this.” 

“Are you kidding?” He placed both hands on her shoulders and shook her easily. “You’ve got this shit! You’re gonna go out there and blow their minds.” He ruffled her hair slightly before a crew member of the venue called for thirty seconds. 

She bounced on her toes anxiously, waiting for the cue to go. It didn’t take long before she, Lance and Jeff crossed the stage with Eddie a few seconds behind. The room erupted in cheers. 

She took her seat, unable to see much of the room from the lights spilling over the stage and moving quickly. She waited for Jeff to start, followed by Lance before taking her sticks and bringing them down, falling into her usual rhythm. 

Fog flowed over the stage from the machines set up at both ends of the stage. The lights changed to red as Eddie stepped up to the microphone and started to sing. 

Robin was trying hard to focus on her breathing as well as keeping her time. You do this multiple nights a week, you’re fine. 

They’re normal people just like you, Eddie, Lance, Gareth and Jeff. 

She pushed her foot against the kick pedal and blew out a breath. 

The first song came to an end and they immediately fell into the second song. She felt herself becoming less nervous as the song finished. She rested her arms in her lap for a second after adjusting her in-ear monitors. Eddie always talked for a minute between the second and third song. 

Gareth rushed some water to her as Eddie whistled into the mic. “Franklin Tennessee, holy shit. You guys have really packed the house tonight.” He paused, giving them time to cheer. “Tonight we have some very special guests in the house. Some back here and I also see a familiar face down in the crowd.” 

Robin raised an eyebrow, trying to see if she could notice whoever it was Eddie was talking about. The glare of the light shining right down on him made it impossible for her to see around. “Anyways, we just want to say thank you guys for always showing up. Did you know this leg of our tour is completely sold out?” As Eddie continued Robin pulled out one of her in-ears so she could hear just how loud the crowd actually was. 

Her eyes widened. This was the best show yet. Wait until Wheeler hears about this. She thought.

Eddie finished up his speech and the band started on the next song. Robin looked around at the fans as the lights started to dim finally. She saw a woman with short wavy dark hair smiling directly at her. Robin’s heart skipped a beat. 

Nancy was here.

Robin couldn’t help but smile in her direction. No one else in the crowd would have known but Nancy did. She held up a hand and gave a small wave at Robin. 

Robin smiled again before stomping on the kick pedal. Seeing Nancy here seemed to make all of her anxiety about playing this show ebb away. An overwhelming feeling of confidence washed over Robin and seemed to extend right out of her hands as she continued to play. 

Focusing on the show as best as she could, she only took a second to wonder why Nancy was here while she stopped for water. She met Steve at the curtain for water as Eddie took the stage with Jeff and their acoustic guitars. “What’s Nancy doing here?”

Steve smiled and shrugged, “I don’t know.” Robin raised an eyebrow and Steve raised his hands defensively, “I’ll let her explain it. But dude! You’re killing out there. And those guys,” Steve pointed his thumb in the direction of Metallica, “are eating it up. Keep it up!”

Robin waited for Eddie and Jeff to be almost to the end of the song before running back out to her platform and sitting herself on the stool. Nancy was singing along to the song but stopped to smile at Robin when she watched her return. Robin smiled, looking down at her hands, she knew everyone could see her face turning red if they were paying attention to her. 

As they started the last half of their set Robin couldn’t help but to continue to steal glances at Nancy. Everytime she looked at Nancy, she was bouncing around, never missing a lyric or beat. 

Damn. Tonight was wild. Metallica and Nancy had shown up, more than likely to surprise her. She couldn’t wait to tell Nancy how this really was the best show so far. 

[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

11/30/2022 DAB Chronological Transcription

1 Corinthians 5-8

Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible Chronological, I'm China. Today is the 30th day of November, welcome. Well, here we are, you guys. We are at the very end of the month of November. It is insane. Past has gone by, but here we are, and we have one more month left together reading the Bible chronologically. And whether this is your first year or I don't even know, multiple years of reading the Bible just straight through or chronologically, I hope you feel so one, like, accomplished, because I truly do think that reading the Bible should be something that Christians and Christ followers are doing frequently and daily, as it is our daily bread. And I know sometimes too, that doesn't always happen. But whether you've been here every single day or you've played catch up or you skipped to catch up, you're here. And the Lord is faithful and he's good and he's kind. And so, yeah, I hope that you are having a good week and that you are really truly feeling the hope of Jesus and the hope of our Savior and just hopeful about whatever is going on in your life. Any situations that are feeling without hope may today just be a turning point and say, you know what? Maybe these past few days haven't been very hopeful or I've forgotten to put my attention there. This week isn't over. We are still in the week of hope. And so may you just really center your eyes there. So today we are continuing on in the book of 1st Corinthians, chapter five through eight, continuing on with the Voice Translation.

Commentary

Sometimes I have a hard time with Paul's scriptures, and maybe if I actually understood who he was and knew him, I would be able to have a better understanding for sure. But some things that he says are just so dang black and white that I'm like, interesting, interesting perspective. You know, like the whole singleness thing, I just feel like that's super black and white. It's like, either get married and you're like, yeah, you're blessed, but be single and you are super Megablessed. It's like what? Wait, I'm out. I hear what you're saying. I hear the point that you're making, but it's something where you're like, be like me. And I'm like, okay, we're having another John situation here, aren't we? The one whom Jesus loved? But I definitely hear what he's saying. I think people have, I'm sure, better thoughts and formulated opinions than I do about all, and I don't really have a problem with him. I think sometimes he's so black and white that it's like, okay, can I introduce you to some color? Which I'm sure is how people in my life feel about me. My brain is very black and white as well, but in this circumstance of talking about sexual morality, I do think that it's good what he's saying. I know that traditional viewpoints are not popular anymore now. Like, where we have people confused about what gender they are and trying to claim that there's just an attack from the enemy on our identity and who we are made in the image of God, right? And so we see this in so many different areas where an example is like an attack truly on identity. So much so that you could claim to be a different gender than when you were born or that you are without gender and that's just not how God created it. And I'm doing exactly what Paul said. I'm not going to do you a disservice and not tell you the truth. This is the truth and I'm telling it to you in love. And so we see that attack, we see the attack on family with I saw something years ago that said the enemy will try to drive a couple together so much before they get married and then try to drag them apart once they are married. And I was like, yeah, I can definitely see that for sure. And so I do think in the church we need people talking more about this topic. It's uncomfortable. And really there's only one person that I can think of off the top of my head that her and her husband have a podcast and they have done some really great work and honest conversations about talking about topics that no one really wants to talk about because they're uncomfortable and like, will I have vulnerability hangover after this? Or does this protect me or people are going to think less of me afterwards, just different things like that. And I get it, I understand. And at the same time, keeping things in the dark continues to keep things in the dark and it actually is just an invitation for other people to keep in the dark too. So I do think that there's a lot of value in what he's saying. But when I was talking about traditional values where it's like the man is the head of the home and the wife is his partner and is submitting to him. There's a war on that right now even where there's this kind of like awakening where the woman should be strong, independent woman. And that resonates with me because I'm strong, I'm very independent, but I also know my place biblically and I know my place in the role of a household and the role of family and what God has orchestrated. And so I can still be strong, I can still have my independence, but when it's outside of what God has ordained, I'm actually out of the line and not allowing my husband to live in the identity that God has called and created him to as well. And so I will say that. And so I'm kind of leading into what I feel like may rub people the wrong way about what Paul says about sex and about intimacy, where it's like your body doesn't belong to you and your spouse's body doesn't belong to them and basically like any time they ask like you should be able to have it. I think the point that he is trying to make here is if you are going to deny it, it's better to give because there could be temptation outside of being like no. And so I think that could be a tricky slope because it's like, wait, time out. You're saying that if I say no to my spouse like they're going to go and look for other places? They shouldn't right?. But also I don't know, I don't want to say like an X amount of time because I don't feel like that's my space. But I don't also think if this is what Paul is trying to say, then I don't agree with it. But every time your spouse is in the mood, I don't think you have to say yes. I just don't think that that's real. I think consent is still real in marriage and even just being super vulnerable, even during if you're like, hey, I'm just not feeling like you should be able to say that and there has to be respect for it. And all my postpartum mom said amen, that is real and that makes you uncomfortable, I'm sorry but there are some things that just don't get talked about in the Capital C churc. And I'm not going to air out all of my things either just because it's like if you have questions we can chat, but also like that it is a huge vulnerability thing. But anyways, all this to say, I hear where Paul is coming from, I think what he's saying is rooted in goodness and sometimes his delivery is a little too intense for me and I feel like I'm intense, I'm black and white. But he does say like, hey, it's kind of like a disclaimer on his end. I do believe that I'm hearing from the Lord in this. And so yeah, maybe we don't only know that's a big deal to claim Christ behind what you're saying. And so I don't think that he would be someone who would abuse it. I really believe that he his heart is good and true.

Prayer

So Lord, I just thank you for your word today. I thank you for the insights and the wisdom that you gave Paul and ultimately God, I thank you that his heart was that people would be well and that people would seek you and put you first. And God, really, anything can be made into idols in modern day. Like, you know it, you see it. Family can become idolized, a marriage can become idolized, our children can be idolized or our job positions. Really anything that we are putting before you is misplaced. And so, God, I pray that there would just be a level of humility in our hearts and recognize that from you are all things. And so we want to give to you all things. And so just understanding that we should hold things in a place of surrender and gosh, how tricky that is as you're showing me that. But God, I pray that we'd be people who are just aware of the things of your kingdom and just be aware that when we are kingdom minded there is a kingdom of darkness who ultimately wants after us too. And so we just see the areas of where the enemy has tried to come in, where he's trying to attack on family and marriage and even intimacy. And I just thank you that you set people's words and actions in motion long ago that would transcend all the way till now that would still have a rippling effect of holiness and just wholeness. And so God, I pray that if we are married or if we are single that we would seek you first, that we would ask you do you have marriage for me? And God, I thank you that you give us the desires of our hearts. You place the desires in our hearts and then you fulfill the desires in our hearts. And so I pray that we would seek you out, that we would truly be in dependence with you, God, that we would depend on you for the questions to ask and the answers to fulfill them. And yeah, I just thank you for the people who are married in this community. God bless their marriage and their unity. I speak hope and love and joy and peace and patience, gentleness, kindness and faithfulness and selfcontrol. And God, I just pray that your peace would fill each and every single home, that you have the ability to give that much peace, that much love. And God, that you would steward relationships well, that you would cultivate them well, that communication would be pure and pure and the Holy Spirit would stand guard over each and every single mouth in homes. And yeah, I thank you God, that it's not too late to have these moments kindled in marriages. And God, I just pray over the singles that they would truly desire you first. God, you know, you know that I did not wait patiently, that I did not wait perfectly, but that I waited upon you and I really sought you out. And so I just pray that people would understand that that's the most important thing, most important thing is not to be married and to have children, although that's what you've created us for. And so I believe that your answer would be yes, if that's what we desire. But God, I pray that that wouldn't be what our heart is so set on that we are missing the things of you and that we aren't even consulting you or praying or asking you. And so I pray that you would be the center of it all and it's in your name we pray, amen.

Community Prayer Line

Hi DAB DABC family. This is one beloved daughter. I am calling on behalf of a friend who lives in Cape Down, South Africa. Her name happens to be Jasmine Thompson. No relation, of course, but we've been friends for years online here. And she is a Christian, but she's very, very poor normally has no place to go, no heat, no in the winter, it's not cool in the summer, no place to go, no food. Lost her mother a few years ago, has her son, who they have a great relationship normally, but now he has a girlfriend. They have a baby. And the girlfriend now has kind of turned her son against her because I don't know what the problem is with the girlfriend, but she is against Joseline Jazz. Other siblings aren't nice to her, so she doesn't have really any love in her in her life. She just she has this very sorrowful life. She's crying all the time. She's very, very sad. But she has so much strong faith in the Lord. Never complains. I mean, I'm just in awe of her faithfulness to the Lord. And she cannot connect to apps like DAB and so forth. And so I just ask you to please, please pray for her. Pray for her to be able to connect to DAB and resources and send people in her life to show her the love of Jesus so she's not alone and sitting just only over there in her suffering. My time is up, but please pray for everything the Lord will lead you to. Thank you so much. I love you.

Good Afternoon Daily Audio Bible Community this is Diane Allison, and Jeff Brown calling on Thanksgiving Day, November 24. And I'm calling to respond to Brian from London. And this is just a prayer request. And what I wanted to say was I just love Daily Audio Bible. I love you. And I'm answering on chronological what Jill was speaking about in the Book of Galatians, the first three chapters. I love, love, love the Book of Galatians. And here's my favorite verse in the Book of Galatians. I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live. Yet it is not I who live, it is Christ who lives within me and the life that I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And I want you all to know that I pray for everybody, but I only respond to one person usually each day. And I want to respond to Daniel from the United Kingdom. You have a deep voice and you pray. The prayer I got from the Lord in the last few months asking, you shall receive, seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. And it is Pat. My friend gave me that and I was crying. I called her and I was crying. I don't know how, I don't know how. She said yes. You do. She said, just take scriptures. The Lord gives you and meditate on them.

Hi, DABC family, this is God's child. I just finished listening to the recording reporting on the 24th and I was so encouraged by Diana from Indiana's prayer for those battling with mental illness. I personally deal with a lot of anxiety and I was so encouraged by her prayer, so I just wanted to pray alongside with her. Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for my dear sister, thank you that you placed this prayer that she prayed for those dealing with mental illness, but I just want to pray alongside with her. I pray that you would touch any and everyone in this ministry and this platform dealing with the sickness or any emotional instability. Lord, I personally deal with worry and fear. And Lord, I just ask that she would touch our hearts and our minds, and that you would bring healing on Lord Jesus, and that you will cast out every fear and every anxiety for God. The word says that you have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind. And Lord, I just claimed this in my life. And also I pray also for anyone dealing with anxiety or depression. I thank you, Lord Jesus, for hearing my prayer. And the prayer is owed.

[writerkatsblog]

I'm technically a day late but Happy Qixi festival! Does Shambhala have the Qixi festival? It's connected to the cowherd and weaver girl so I'd imagine yes?

If so, what would Fei/Hai do to celebrate? Something super cheesy and sweet? How about the other couples from Omi's family? Can we get some cute happy funny stories/headcanons from back when they were still, uh... alive and being cute and happy and funny?

Oh! I didn't even realize til you pointed it out, anon! Happy belated Qixi Festival! And yeah, I definitely think that they have their own version of the festival!

I think the festival is something celebrated village-wide. Basically a big old party celebration where newlyweds and longtime couples alike celebrated their love. Because of their unique version of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story, I think they have some traditions unique to the village. One of which being sort of a couples walk. Two volunteers stand on either side of Mazu River, holding a rope between them. Then one of the couple will cross through the river to the other side, where their partner is waiting with a towel to dry them off. Sort of symbolic of the journey the Cowherd took every year to meet the Weaver Girl, and how the Weaver Girl took care to greet and thank her husband for making the journey to see her. Another common game done for fun in Shambhala is that married women will set out pieces of their embroidery work and see if their husbands can discern which ones their wives made. It's not an especially serious competition, and it's not uncommon for the wives to play jokes on their husbands by copying the embroidery styles of their friends to dupe them into picking the wrong ones on purpose just to razz them.

Pretty common in the village for people to give the women and girls of their families hair accessories and combs, or toys for the younger girls. For the men it's common for them to be given alcohol (for the adults) or toys (for the boys), though it's also not uncommon for some of the older end of the boys on the scale to be snuck a sip or two of the alcohol for the occasion. Unmarried couples will usually give each other black chicken feathers (natural or dyed) as gifts, representing magpie feathers.

Qiaoguo is a common treat. A lot of fish shapes, but birds are another common image for the treats because of the magpie part of the story. Lots of fresh fruits are shared on the occasion, a regular unofficial festival game ends up being a competition where people see how far they can spit the fruit seeds (Omi's great grandma Lien is the longest running unbeaten record holder in the village).

One year when they were teenagers, two of the rope holders were Fei's friends, and he concocted a plan to impress Hai by having them hold the rope taut so he could tightrope walk across the river. He got halfway across before he stumbled headfirst into the river, splashing Hai in the process. But instead of getting mad when he made his way sheepishly to shore, she just tackled him into the river and splashed at him playfully. That year the tradition turned into a water fight, but no one was particularly mad about it.

Back when they were younger, Boqin and Lien would end the night's festivities by slipping away so they could watch the stars together up on the mountain. Instead of the usual gifts, Lien would make him scarves and hats so he wouldn't be too cold when he went up in the colder months to stargaze. Boqin, who's a dab hand at whittling, would carve wooden combs and hair accessories for her that looked like snowflakes.

No matter how hard she tried to trick him, Zhenwu has never once failed to recognize which needlework was Shui's in that particular festival game.

The first time Xi and Dasao tested out the wheelchair they made for him in public was at one of the festivals. One of the wheels ended up cracking due to a miscalculation on its construction, but they still had a good time together, with Dasao helping him around by carrying him. And they were right back to working on it again the next day to make sure that didn't repeat itself.

Shancai and Longnu kept the last gifts Dandan and Niu ever gave each other during the Qixi festival. They made sure to put them onto their shrine every year so the two can join them in spirit.

Erniang's first ever gift to Qing during a Qixi festival was a flower crown, because her original gift idea ended up not working out. It ended up being a tradition between them in the end, with him picking her a bouquet of flower and her making a crown to give him when he gave her the bouquet.

[vizthedatum]

CW: trauma anniversary week and I will not be okay and while THAT IS OK, it will look messy

—

Hey - life has been good, it really has. I want it to keep getting better.

I’m holding myself accountable and also letting people know: this time last year was around my last week with my ex-spouse.

At this point in my healing journey, I’m in a space where I do not want to suppress anything anymore.

Unfortunately the reality of all my memories are extremely distressing.

My ex-spouse was incredibly dysfunctional.

And my parents are and were incredibly dysfunctional humans - especially during my childhood.

I got really good at excusing poor behavior… or literally seeing life through a very toxic positivity/rose-colored lens. I had to… it was self-preservation.

Do you know what happens to a person when they CHOOSE to not be dysregulated and to finally heal?

It’s not calm. Regulation means that I must feel and express.

—

The last week I was with my ex: I had just gotten back from MN, stayed in an Airbnb (to isolate because they didn’t trust me not to have covid), basically was hedonistic with two other people I was dating (that they knew about; one of which who is more chronically ill than they have ever been), and I was healthier because I’d been away from them for a couple weeks (despite me having a very stressful time).

I came back and they flipped love-bombing and straight up screaming every hour.

It was hell.

I numbed myself with massive amounts of weed (edibles, dabs, etc. I was keeping myself constantly high.) and klonopin. I couldn’t sleep. I was so afraid.

I finally put up my touch boundaries.

I was so explicit.

And I guess there’s more. Like how I broke up with them and they still wanted to be married.

—

What I’m saying is:

I will likely go through severe mood swings and SI for the rest of the month.

I have made a bunch of time to socialize with people and also spend time alone.

I am trying so hard to be healthier. I want to do this.

Healing from my entire life has been long overdue.

Healing is not pretty even though I have life in my eyes again.

Please check on me even if I don’t respond. Do not call the cops on me. Do not institutionalize me. I’m trying not to dissociate but it will happen (it happened this morning.. and I watched it happen as if I were outside my body).

I’m trying my best and it’s hard.

[some-stars]

i think personal hygiene struggles are maybe the most shameful secret part of mental illness and i hope it will help someone if i say that until a couple weeks ago i hadn’t brushed my teeth (except for the week before a dentist visit) in three years at least, and the only reason i started doing it regularly is because i have to wear a night guard now. and i just want to tell you, if you also have a hard time brushing your teeth for sensory reasons, that my body adjusted SO fast. the first three nights i gagged a lot and then it just stopped. it helps to use a toothpaste that doesn’t foam too much (but still has fluoride)—i use jason powersmile, which doesn’t have SLS. it does foam a little but if you just use a tiny dab of toothpaste, which is all you need, it’s not unbearable. i definitely don’t brush for the full two minutes and i still can’t brush before noon or i WILL throw up, and im putting off flossing for the time being until my gums get a little more used to being touched, but it’s a huge improvement, i just feel so much better every night. so if you haven’t been able to brush your teeth i want to encourage you to try and not feel shame or guilt or anything like that, even if you can only do it once a day, even if you don’t floss. you’re not gross or awful for not doing it but you’ll be happier if you can start.

also, even if you can’t brush your teeth regularly yet, PLEASE go to the dentist for a cleaning twice a year. it’s not the most fun thing but it’s over quickly and during the time when i wasn’t brushing but was getting twice yearly cleanings i only got one cavity. if you live in a mid-size or bigger city there’s probably a sliding scale clinic, and even if their closest appointment is six months away, it’s someplace to start. if you’re worried about being dentist-shamed for not brushing, do what i did and brush for the 4-5 days prior to your appointment and then just lie and say you brush regularly if they ask (which they probably won’t, they just assume everyone does). a lot of people have genetically bad teeth, no ones going to challenge you about it. it’s SO important to see a dentist if you can’t brush regularly, so they can catch cavities and fill them early while it’s still a mildly uncomfortable ten minute procedure and not a huge painful deal.

mainly i just want to say to people who struggle with brushing their teeth, you are not disgusting and you have nothing to be ashamed of. it’s a symptom of mental illness and/or sensory processing disorder like any other. and you will feel better if you can start brushing, and it’s never too late to start, and it gets a lot less unpleasant very quickly. i hope that helps 💕

[finelinevogue]

Can you do something where Y/N is sick and Harry has to take care of her please?

i actually had written something similar to this before so i present you a lengthy blurb;

You were pretty sure if you got invited in to hell it would feel something like this.

Hot. Sticky. But chilled.

You had come down with a concerningly high temperature. Along with the added luxuries of a deafening headache, cold sweats and an upset tummy. Your body was burning all over, as if it had just been freshly cooked in the oven but you felt colder than ice. It was a confusing juxtaposition, but there it was.

You'd called Harry, since he was in the studio recording his new music and asked him to come home early. You didn't even get to the reasoning of why he should come home before he hung up, telling you he was already vacating the premises. You hated to be that needy girlfriend who had to call about nearly everything, but Harry loved it more than anything. He loved the fact that you needed him. It gave him purpose, apparently .

You couldn't work out whether you regretted asking him to come home, or whether it was a blessing. It was a very fine line.

It was a blessing because, he looked after you like a mother would her child and made sure he stood by your side any time you found yourself lurched over a toilet. He made you chicken soup from scratch and even tested it to make sure it wasn't too hot, or salty - despite being a vegetarian himself. He even made you honey and lemon tea, which he had to run to the store for the honey. When you say run, you mean run. He didn't want to leave you alone at all, so he put on his running shoes and sprinted to the shop and back. However, it was a slight regret because of how fussy he was over you. He loved it to bits - nursing to your every need.

You truly believed you didn't deserve Harry. He was just too kind and pure for his own good. You were unarguably lucky. Laying on what felt like your death bed, didn't feel so lucky though.

It was now 10 pm and you could hear Harry turning on the alarm for downstairs, the loud beeping noise preventing you from sleep. That's all you'd done all day. Sleep. You thought it'd be more magical than it was. It was just uncomfortable though, because of how cold and hot you were.

Your much better looking other half trudged through the bedroom door within a minute of the alarm going off. He was only wearing checkered pyjama bottoms and a white t-shirt and yet he made it look like Gucci Runway 2021.

The jingling of keys signalled Charlie was also present. Charlie was your 2 year old Golden Retriever. He was beautiful. When you and Harry has moved in together 2 years ago you'd managed to persuade him to get a dog. Within a few weeks of moving in you had a 5 month old puppy running around your house. He was your best friend, no doubt about it. He was also ridiculously photogenic.

"Hey Chaz!" You cooed as Charlie walked over to your side of the bed, where you were snuggling down under the sheets. You reached out your hand to give him some loving and attention. You could tell by the small smile and sparkling eyes that he was one happy boy.

"Alright, buddy. Let's leave mum alone." Harry came behind Charlie to manoeuvre him into his bed, which was in the corner of the room. It was more like a big cushion. He started to whine after being forced to leave you - having not seeing you all day. Harry was strict in keeping him downstairs so not to disturb you whilst you were sleeping.

"H it's alright, let him on the bed. He can curl up on my feet." You sympathised with Charlie, as you always did, hating to hear or see him upset. Harry was like the 'bad-cop' when it came to parenting Charlie, because you were too sweet to say no to him.

"You're one spoilt boy, aren’t you?" Harry messed around with Charlie, before telling him he could get up on the bed to see you. Charlie leapt on the bed and wandered over to give you all the kisses he could, before Harry came to calm him down - as you really didn't have the strength.

"I missed you too, Chaz." You quietly laughed, not wanting to set your headache off even more.

"You gonna let me kiss mum now?" Harry rhetorically asked, but as he came over to you Charlie laid down on you so your face was buried underneath his body. You could feel him panting with his adorable tongue out above you, as he hid you from Harry.

"Someone's jealous."

"Feeling like a bloody third wheel over here." Harry tutted and you laughed until you got hot with the movement.

"Harry? Can you move him please?" You whined as you tried to shuffle around.

"Okay Chaz. Let's let mum get some sleep, alright?" Charlie is slowly removed from you and ends up curled on top of your feet, keeping them warm for you.

Harry slipped into the covers and shuffled his way over to you, putting the back of his hand over your forehead and hissing quietly at the simple touch.

"Baby you're so hot." Harry complained.

"I know." You teased with a wink at him, taking his worry out of context and turning it into a flirting compliment.

"Oh piss off!" He chuckled and wrapped an arm around your waist to bring you closer. "What am I going to do with you, baby?" Harry then planted only a few delicate kisses to your lips - not wanting to overwork you and your tired body.

••••

You woke up with drowsy eyes to find you're in bed alone.

Your throat was incredibly dry and your whole body was sticky from sweat. Your pyjamas were damp and your face looked like it'd just been drowned in a rainstorm. It was disgusting. Still, you brought the duvet up to cover yourself more, as you let out a dramatic shiver. Why was it so cold?

Mixed into the background noise you could hear the cheering of crowds and it really confused you, until you looked at the wall and noticed the football was playing on re-run on the TV. Manchester United Vs Manchester City. You hated that you knew that just from their football uniforms, but that's what you get for living with a football-crazed boyfriend.

You noticed Harry emerge from the bathroom, a washing up bowl in his arms. He came and sat down in bed, the bucket of water to his side. "What are you doing?" You quietly asked, peering up at him through tired eyes.

"Oi, you're meant to be sleep y’minx." Harry told you off.

"I can't. I'm too uncomfortable. I'm hot, but i'm cold. I also find it hard to sleep without you next to me." You huffed out in annoyance.

"My poorly baby." He leant down to kiss your forehead, "c’mere, baby." He urged.

He helped you move, seeing as your body was really weak, so you could lay down against Harry’s body. He was sat up against the headboard as you nestled down between his legs, your back to his front. It was a lot more comfortable than before - probably because Harry was closer to you. Charlie noticed the disturbance and waited for you to stop moving around, before maintaining the job of guarding your feet.

Once he was happy in his position he fell asleep again, making you jealous of his ability to do that. Especially now.

"Why's the football on?" You asked, motioning towards the TV.

"Had to keep myself awake somehow." He explained, but it only made you more confused.

"Why?"

"So I can take care of you, y’muppet." His words actually melted your heart - more than chocolate could melt on your forehead right now.

After you'd settled, Harry reached into the bucket and drained out a cloth. He made sure all the excess water was cleared before moving it away from the bucket. You hummed in appreciation when he placed it against your forehead, rotating it to the back of your neck also in order to relax and cool you. It made you realise just how hot you were.

"I think i'm dying, Harry." You groaned as the nausea came over you again. Harry kept a firm hold of the cloth on your forehead, dabbing gently and careful to not let any water drip down into your eyes.

"No you're not, baby." Harry gave you a light-hearted laugh.

"Well, living shouldn't feel as shitty as this H." You grumbled, not appreciating his lack of understanding.

“Then just let me take you to the chuffing hospital!" He exclaimed, making Charlie stir slightly.

Harry had been demanding you go to the hospital all day and all evening, but you were too stubborn to go. That, and you were terrified of hospitals - more terrified of needles and blood than anything else. However, you were starting to reach the point where you were giving in to his request, though. It was becoming unbearable to sleep and harder to breathe. You were worried for yourself.

"I don't like it." You pouted like a child, as Harry wrung the cloth through the fresh water again.

"I don't care whether you like it or not, Y/N, I really think we should go. More like need." Harry insisted and you could tell he wasn’t giving up without a fight. You didn’t want that either.

You hated how he was right.

It was only going to get worse from here, and you didn't really want to be alive when that was going you happen, so going to the hospital to get checked over and drugged up seemed like the best option to go for. The more sensible option.

"Fine." You finally accepted, Harry slinking his arms tight around your waist after discarding the cloth in to the bucket. He nuzzled his head into the crook of your neck and planted an abundance of kisses there, your skin burning just to the touch.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He repeated in-between kisses.

•••••

It took 20 minutes to get in to the car. 20 minutes.

All because Charlie was reluctant to letting you get up and go. So Harry had to dress you into a more appropriate attire, with a dog sat on your lower body. It was then half an hour later that you were in the hospital.

The hospital was quiet at this time of night and for that you were grateful. It was obviously a night where little numbers of people were doing silly things to get themselves hurt. There was the odd patient for a minor cut injury and there were a couple of people in for burns. There was even a woman in because she accidentally superglued her hand to a bottle of superglue - ironic, but painful.

You sat patiently on Harrys lap, waiting for someone to escort you to a cubicle. You were freezing cold, to the point where your teeth were chattering - your outside body was giving off the opposite temperature. You tried to get as close to Harry's warmth as possible, pushing your body against his.

"You're alright baby." Harry shushed you, as you let out a small tremble.

"If I do die—"

"Which you won't." Harry chuckled.

"I know, but if I did I want you to know that I love you." You told him. Even though he's heard you say it a million times before, it still made his heart flutter as you spoke each word.

"I love you, baby." He kissed the side of your head. "But you're going to be just fine, so no more talking about you dying okay?"

"Why? It's only a natural thing." You pointed out.

"Sure, but I don't want to think of a world without my girl living in it. So zip it before I make you."

You never thought of dying as a world without Harry before now and it wasn't the time to start thinking about it either. It was a horrible thought and you understood why Harry didn't want you speak about it. That world would be so dark and empty and you hated thinking about it.

Harry was called to the front desk to fill in some forms for you, since your hands were too cold and shaky to do it for yourself. He accidentally wrote 'Styles' as your second name, before realising his mistake and scribbling it out.

“Shit.” Harry went red in the face and chuckled over his silly mistake. His hand was shaky and you smiled at how he got so flustered over something so simple. You rested your hand on top of his, bringing his attention to you.

“One day.” You told him and he leaned to give you a kiss on the lips. You couldn’t help but feel like his lips were a future promise to make sure he wouldn’t have to scribble out his second name the next time it was written next to yours.

The doctor saw you shortly afterwards and you thanked your lucky stars that there was no injections or removal of any blood involved, Harry sticking with you the whole time. Turns out you were suffering from a moderate fever, but the doctor said with good rest it should pass. The doctor had given Harry permission to make a big fuss over you - explaining how he was going to love it and you were going to hate it - and to make sure to come back with even the slightest worsen of the fever. You got given a prescription list of various medications that you'd need to take over the next week or so. After collecting the drugs, you were back in the car on the way home.

"Told you you weren't going to die." Harry smiled, happy to have you still by his side, whilst holding your hand over the gear console.

"Unfortunate for you, I guess."

"Will you shut you, y’bloody nuisance. You know I can't do life without you, Y/N." He spoke softly, squeezing your hand tighter to assure you that he's going nowhere.

"Same here." You smile at him and he smirks back at you with his dimple-loving smile.

"You’ll always be it for me, baby." Harry speaks, before you drift back off to sleep.

Happily.

[magniloquent-raven]

(pt1 here)

billy grew up afraid of finding his soulmate.

when he was eight his father caught him trying to wash nail polish off with soap and a hand towel.

he’d heard girls at school saying it was what you did when your soulmate was a boy. you were supposed to paint yourself up all pretty and find the person who matched. and it was easy enough to sneak into the vanity and steal a bottle of his mother’s nail polish. but once the paint dried he realized it would be impossible to hide from his father, and he panicked.

his mother showed him the bottle of nail polish remover after neil left. dabbed some on a cotton ball to rub at the thick layer of paint. she was silent, kneeling on the floor in front of him cradling his sprained wrist while he sat on the edge of the tub and cried.

they both had questions, but neither of them got answers.

it took billy months to work up the courage to try again.

he wasn’t sure why he was bothering, at first. he knew he couldn’t look for his soulmate the traditional way. and he was constantly terrified that his father would find the supplies he’d started hoarding. it seemed like more risk than reward, and yet. he couldn’t stop himself.

every time he was allowed to wander off in a store alone he’d slip something into his pocket. a tube of lip gloss. a compact full of shiny powders. he wasn’t even sure what some of it was, he just liked the colours. liked the pictures they hung alongside the displays. he wanted to look like that. beautiful.

and in his heart of hearts, he wanted the boy who was out there waiting for him to know he existed. whether they’d be able to find each other or not.

he’s more careful with this than he was with the nail polish. his father works saturday nights, and his mother always visits their neighbour while he’s at work. despite having the house to himself he locks his bedroom door.

the first thing he tries is the watermelon lip gloss. it’s sticky, and the wand doesn’t fit in his hand comfortably, but once he’s smeared it on he feels...good. he likes the way it catches the light. likes the way it smells. he looks at himself in the mirror and likes seeing something different.

the high doesn’t last long, it inevitably gives way to paranoia, anxiety that has him glancing at the locked door every thirty seconds, heart pounding, wondering if just maybe his father will get home from work early, and he jumps at every sound, hearing boots thudding on the porch and car doors slamming and anything that could be neil coming through the door.

cleaning himself up is hard. panic makes his hands shake, his eyes well up. he drops everything on the floor when he tries to tuck the bag away. and he has to spend twenty minutes with his back to his bedroom door getting his breathing under control when he’s finished.

but he does it again the following saturday. and the one after that.

for five months he does this. locks himself away with his stolen treasures and lets himself live a little. it gets easier as time goes on. and his mind wanders sometimes. to a future where he gets to share this with someone. the boy out there who’s supposed to love him one day.

it’s a small bubble of a dream. one he doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on. not when there’s neil’s voice in his head, telling him that no one could love a fucking freak, ‘cause fags don’t get real soulmates anyways.

he wants and he wishes, but the more he thinks about it the more he doubts. he’s never gotten a mark from his soulmate, and even if he did some day, what if his father’s right, and his “soulmate” doesn’t want him or makes him miserable or...worse.

so he does his makeup for himself.

until, like all good things in his life, his father ruins it.

he never found out what set neil off initially, something going wrong at work maybe, or the martial strife of the week getting to him. whatever it was that started it, neil eventually decided billy should bear the brunt of the fallout.

so he went through his things. said billy’d been acting cagey lately, and he was going to find out why.

and then found the makeup bag stuffed into an old sweater in his closet.

it was ugly. the things neil said that day would play on repeat in billy’s head for years afterwards. the scars his belt left on billy’s back were nothing in comparison.

the next saturday came and went. billy spent the evening curled up under a blanket not bothering to wipe away the tears dripping down his face.

by morning he’s resolved to forget the whole thing. to put it behind him. because it was stupid, and risky and childish and maybe his father was right. he’s almost convinced himself. and then he notices ink on his arm, as he reaches up to rub his eyes. messy scrawl, i bet you looked pretty crookedly written up his forearm.

he didn’t think he was able to cry any more, but he manages it.

for the first time his soulmate isn’t just a concept, or a what-if, he’s...a person. he’s a real person out there somewhere. someone who doesn’t even know billy and still wanted to reach out, to offer comfort. it’s more than he’s gotten from anyone else. even his mother. who he knows loves him, and she does her best to protect him, but when she found out about his makeup stash she just looked sad, and she’s said nothing to him about it.

but his soulmate…

can never, ever meet neil.

the thought hits him right in the chest.

whoever he is, he cares, he’s good. and neil breaks good things.

billy falls asleep that night tracing the empty space where his soulmate’s message used to be, wrapped up in worries and dreams, and terrified for someone he’s never met.

the doodles that come and go over the years are terrifying and exhilarating and billy manages to hide every single one from his father. they only ever show up during the day, and they don’t linger. something billy is both grateful for and resentful of.

sometimes he’ll watch other boys’ hands in class. check them for drawings. he thinks he’s being careful, but a girl in his chem class, becca, catches him. she says it’s only because she knew what to look for. they share a cigarette under the bleachers and she tells him about a girl who likes green eyeshadow and writes homework reminders on her wrists using stars instead of bullet points.

it takes billy six months and a couple shots of tequila to tell her about watermelon lip gloss and bet you’re pretty and they both cry when he starts to wonder if his soulmate will be disappointed that he isn’t a girl.

on a rainy april afternoon she asks him to go to a gay bar with her. he tells his father he’s going on a date. she tells her’s that she had to reschedule a tutoring session and it’ll run pretty late.

they wait til it’s dark and get ready in a dingy gas station bathroom. when she’s smearing on her eyeliner she catches sight of his face in the cloudy mirror. he wasn’t going to ask her for anything. he wouldn’t have brought it up. the twinge in his heart and a hollow feeling of longing aren’t anything new, he can deal.

he feels and empty kind of rage every time old, well-meaning relatives give max girly lip gloss kits and eyeshadow pallets and shit normal preteen girls who care about finding their soulmates actually appreciate. she always rolls her eyes and throws them away. susan will fish them out of the trash sometimes, and leave them under the bathroom sink, like if max just sees them there she’ll suddenly give a shit and start using them. like them being there does anything but taunt billy with what he can’t have.

neil watches him like a fucking hawk every time that shit comes into the house. and max doesn’t fucking care. doesn’t notice.

but becca offers.

and.

he’s not about to say no.

he should’ve said no.

it feels good at first, like it used to, it feels like freedom and he likes what he sees when he looks in the mirror, and he kisses a boy for the first time and it isn’t fireworks but it’s something, and he thinks maybe it’s going to be a good night, but then…

neil is waiting on the curb outside becca’s house. they were heading there first, because her parents wouldn’t notice, she said it would be fine, she has makeup remover he can use, he can clean up and head home and everything was supposed to be okay, except. it wasn’t.

it’s the last time he sees becca. neil tells her parents what was actually going on, and she isn’t allowed to visit him in the hospital.

and then six months of rehab, one rushed wedding and a big ugly sold sign later, neil carts them off to hawkins, indi-fucking-ana. as a “family.”

billy was certain this town would be nothing but a prison. it’d be somewhere he’d never find a place to be himself, neil would make sure of that. there wasn’t a single thing to like about this place and its bullshit small town sensibilities. for all the open space it might as well have been stone walls and steel bars.

except.

except...here was a boy with soft eyes and nimble fingers, who gets a little wrinkle between his brows when he concentrates, and is always moving, fidgeting, fiddling with zippers and touching his elbows and looking at him makes billy itch. to touch, to soothe, to take, and…

things get complicated when aimless blue waves scrawl up billy’s arm. when steve follows him out into the parking lot. calls him pretty to his face. and suddenly billy’s eight years old and realizing this shit is real. terrified of what that could mean. spinning fragile dreams like spider’s silk, hard to shake but easy to destroy.

even entertaining the idea of putting on makeup while he’s still in hawkins is stupid and dangerous, but goddamn if he hasn’t risked more for less.

he’s sure he’ll regret it. like he’s regretted every other desperate bid for freedom. but when faced with steve harrington’s smile, he can’t find it in himself to say no.

(edit: pt3 here)

[keiarchived]

Come To The Back | 18+

bodyguard!Dabi x rich spoiled!Reader x bodyguard!Hawks

warnings: dubcon/noncon, drugged, intoxicated, somnophila, breeding kink, split roasting

words: 1.6k

note: Decided to take part in BNHA Degeneracy discord server’s 9 to 5 collab last minute 👀 one of the nastier stuff I’ve written 💦 scummy duo ahead, read with caution ⛔️

Babysitting spoiled brats like you can never be less annoying, all you ever really wanted to do in your spare time is to party, get wasted and high. Whilst the duo have to follow you around all day because it is your daddy’s order after all, ‘Keep my daughter safe or I will have your heads.’ He made sure the consequences were known if they failed, Keigo and Touya were merely bodyguards send to protect this spoiled brat daughter of this billionaire. They have no influence like he does, sure they could run but they can’t hide forever. You are supposed to be good for your daddy, stay out of danger since his rival is out to get him and his family.

Getting only a few hours of sleep each day because of you had begun to wear their patient, it wasn’t as though they could talk to you about it. Believer me, they tried. But of course, your spoiled brat ass went running to your daddy and complained about how Hawks and Dabi were being mean to you which results in their first warning; wedges cut for a month all thanks to you. They simply don’t get paid enough for this, for putting up with you and your father’s bullshit.

But a job is a job, they needed the money. Let’s just hope this issue your father have between him and some of his acquaintances resolves quickly before one of them snaps out of bitterness.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” The taller male huffed heavily, palms resting on either side of his hips as he stared down at your unconscious form. Your so-called friends were long gone after the party at this particular club has ended, leaving you out cold in the VIP booth before moving on with their night. You were mumbling none sense as Keigo went ahead and sat you upright with a soft coo, “Hey, you okay? Just drunk, stupidly high or both? Know where you are an angel?” Of course, the only responses they managed to get out of you were mumbles and grumbles that made absolutely no sense. “She’s definitely out of it.”

“You don’t say, let’s her out of here.” Touya bites back with a sigh, cigarette between his fingers. Seems like tonight will just be another night of them carrying your unconscious form back to the mansion, tugging you back into that warm and cosy cover of yours — or at least that’s what they should and suppose to do.

But rather they end up stripping those slutty clothes of yours, that’s what you want right? For men like them to use this body of yours, just admit it. You had been tempting and playing around with the duo for long enough, wearing these short skirts whenever they are around. Swaying your hips and batting your eyes at them whenever you pass them, you know fair well they cannot touch you because if your daddy knew; they would be gone. Good thing the man himself is gone for a couple of days due to a business trip, oh and they are going to have their fun with you.

One cock in your mouth and another buried deep inside your pussy, the duo wasted no time in stripping you naked after all. With your intoxicated and drugged-out self, it was easy for them to move you around, passing you between the two of them. “Fuck me, this pussy is good.” Keigo chuckled breathlessly, snapping his hips into that tight cunt of yours. Surely this is just an act right, pretending to be asleep so that they can continue to use you and let out their pent up frustration on you. 

A cloud of smoke slipped between Touya’s lips has a low groan rumbled at his chest, stroking that slightly bulge neck of yours whilst a sadistic smirk tugged at his lips. You look much better like this, with cock at either end of your holes and being used them.  “You should try these pretty lips too, given if you can last another round.” Touya taunts, earning a grunt from Keigo as he merely rolled his eyes at the other. “Fuck off.”

Just as the two began to bicker at each other, noises begin to come out of you. “Looks like our princess is awake.” Slowly, Touya slipped his hard pierced cock from those pretty plush lips. Allowing you to take a gasp of air whilst being as confused as ever with those hazy eyes, “Wh-what you doing?” There was a sense of panic in your voice and honestly, either one of them can blame you. Waking up to your bodyguards fucking you into cloud nine doesn’t happen every day and god knows how long they’ve been at it, “Oh don’t worry dove, we’re just taking good care of you. Right Dabs?” It was hard to keep his voice level without cracking as your ridge walls clamps down so tightly around his cock, even harder to hide that shit-eating smirk. Your jaw feels sore from how Touya been using you roughly, pussy feeling full, nice and stretched by Keigo’s cock.

“Exactly, you should be grateful, your highness. We don’t do this often, not free of charge at least.” Dabi’s voice was dangerously low as he mocked, reaching behind your neck and forcing you to take a look at the way his partner in crime’s cock disappearing into your slutty cunt. Even when you were passed out, it didn’t stop you from moaning and gushing slick between your legs. “This is what spoiled brats get when they tease too much.” A desperate whimper fell at those words, now that you are slightly more oriented you could feel the pleasure that comes with every thirst of Keigo’s hard cock. It would be a complete lie if you said you have never fantasied the duo take you like this before, they are handsome and attractive after all. Keigo with his witty charm and Dabi with his mysterious charm, it is hard to say no.

“That’s it baby, take it all! I-I’m cumming!” Keigo unloaded yet another ropes of cum deep inside your cunt, right up against your cervix adding to the growing mess. This totals up to three for his scores, Touya had been keeping track. Your lips hung open with drools tickling down the side of your lips, body reaching its own high whilst Keigo pulled out from your soaked pussy.

“Aw look at you, so pretty and all fucked out.” The sandy blonde man coos almost sympathetically, tugging those loose strands of hair away from your sweaty forehead. Seems like Touya had been doing quite the number on you too whilst fucking your throat open, it must be sore from those smooth metal rubbing and nudging along your velvety walls. You could feel your conscious fading in and out from that orgasm alone, swallowing on your own drool thickly as Keigo’s cum seeps out from you. Too bad this is far from over, Touya’s smirk widens as he leans down to capture those swollen lips. Exploring every inch he possibly can, warm metal swapping across your inner cheeks and lips. After all, you deserve a reward after taking Keigo’s load so good with your well-bred cunt.

“Don’t pass out on us just yet princess, you can take a few more rounds can’t you? For us hm?” Touya coos softly, cigarette scent lingering as he traces over your chin with his rough fingers. Keigo and his partner in crime exchanged a look; the look with a same shit-eating smirk stretched across their lips before switching places with Touya running his cock back and forth between your swollen slit and Keigo nudging at those pouty lips of yours. “Good girl.” One of them praises but you weren’t so sure who it was from, head spinning from the alcohol and drugs you had consumed hours before.

Touya is much rougher than the blonde when it comes to pounding you, with a merciless pace as the tip of his cock continuously hammer at your cervix. Pressing all of the right buttons inside with those round metals of his piercings, “Fuck.. you are good.. should’ve done this a long time ago.” He can barely count the number of time he had wanted to put you back in your places with his hands, forcing them to stay up all night just so you can get home safely — thrust, railing them on purpose — thrust. But Touya managed to hold back, that was until now where the final line has been drawn. It is a risky bet but Touya bet on that you wouldn’t tell your daddy how good your bodyguard fucked you, filled you to the brim with cum and made you into their own personal cumdump. You wouldn’t, why would you when you could have them do it all over again?

Keigo had you choking on a mixture of your own saliva and his essence, quickening his pace once as you could feel the way your throat burns deliciously around him throbbing cock. Maybe you shouldn’t have teased them as much as you had, maybe you should’ve listened to Dabi’s warnings of this dangerous game you had been playing with them. But it’s too late now, they had caught you by your cunt and lips. “Fuck... gonna breed you, see how your daddy likes it when he finds you all swollen with some unknown child.” Touya grunts, letting out a breathy laugh before it turns into something sinister. “You wouldn’t even know who’s the baby daddy would you?” Touya hissed at the way you suddenly squeezed around him when he mentioned it, “Oh you like it huh?” Which only made him grin wider as his climax approached and without a second warning — ropes of warm cum painted both ends of your walls white.

Your bodyguards are now a panting mess as they withdraw from you, sitting on the edge of your now white stained bed whilst a faint chuckle escaped Touya’s lips. “Liked the idea of bearing our kid that much? You slut.” The night is still young and it will be a few more days before you daddy comes home from his business trip, you couldn’t help but wonder what other ways the two of them would use you. Licking over your lips hazily, out of focus eyes gazed towards the two male. You want more, don’t you?

[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

9/12/2022 DAB Chronological Transcription

Ezekiel 46 - 48

Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible Chronological, I'm China. Today is the 12th day of September, welcome. So great to be here with you today. As we are blazing through the month of September, the weather has been so nice. So beautiful. I mean, we had like two weeks of straight rain, really like straight downpours all day long, which really just cooled everything off. And we moved over the summer and our backyard is filled with all these really beautiful old trees and so now they're starting to turn and our yard is being filled with leaves. And I feel like the blip of summer that Nashville gets is almost here. So it's like you have to really watch for it or else you will blink and you will miss it. I hope that wherever you are, I feel like I've yet to meet someone. When you ask them what their favorite season is, if fall isn't a first answer, it's probably the second. So I don't know anyone who doesn't really like fall. So wherever you are, I'm hoping that if the seasons are changing, I know we have people listening all over the world. And I'm aware that seasons are different in different parts of the world. So whatever the weather is outside, may it be beautiful and may it be pleasing to you. That's all I have for you. Okay, today we continue on in the Book of Ezekiel. Slowly but surely we are making our way through it and we are in chapters 46 - 48 today.

Commentary

How fitting is that? So we are reading about Israel finally being restored, finally redeemed, and all these generations later, right? This is a prophecy of the Dead Sea becoming a place that will once live, where there will be fresh water, where not animals but fish will live. Which is crazy because every time we go to the Dead Sea, we see how much the waters are receding. And I just remember this prophecy and even to the point of it, talking about fruit trees bearing fruit around, it is crazy because if you've ever been to the Dead Sea, you're like trees. What are we talking about the same place? And it just reminds you that nothing is too hard for the Lord. Even that, we focus on that like, wow, I can really increase my faith here and the things that I'm believing the Lord to do for me. And then boundaries of the land that will be divided among the twelve tribes of Israel with their inheritance, and then coming all the way down to the gates of the new city. And I love that what is sealed up in today's reading is the name of the city, from that time on will be, the Lord is there. And if that just doesn't proclaim the hand of God and his restoration and his heart towards the people, His, God's people. I'm not really sure what does we've read this entire year we've been in the Old Testament, which is no secret, and we have read time and time again of it's a time for creation, time for building. There's a time of death, there's a time of destruction, there's a time of rebuilding, there's a time of turning towards the Lord and turning away from the Lord. We're creatures of habit, and we are people who are in need of a Savior. And I think that's something that really hit me a couple of years ago when I started chronological. I read it once when I was still doing Daily Audio Bible Teens, and I got to the end of it and was like, wow, there really was a need for a savior. That wasn't something that really clicked for me until I read chronologically. And so as I'm reading through every single part of Scripture, that is a reminder of where the Lord has delivered from, I'm just in awe of the fact that God would be so gracious, be so kind and have the heart to restore. And then obviously we're not there quite yet in Scripture. His heart would be to restore and his heart would be I will send you my only Son.

Prayer

And so, God, I just thank you for your word. I thank you that we are constantly seeing your heart for us and how much you love us and how much you care for us. And I thank you that we have Your Word to remind us of Your nature and your character in your heart when we so quickly forget. And God, I pray that we would be people who do not forget your works, your hand, and your benefits. And Lord, I also just thank you for the fact that we are in need of a Savior, and in that need you provided you sent us Your Son, you gave us a Savior who has overcome the world, who has reconciled the way back to you. And through Him we have eternal life, we have salvation, we are saved. And so, God, I just thank you for that. I thank you that, that's no small thing. I thank you that we now have so much more than what we could even comprehend available to us. So God, I just pray that you give us eyes to see and ears to hear. I thank you for your word today. And it is in Your name we pray, amen.

Announcements

Dailyaudiobible.com is our website. That's the place of connection so you can see what's happening here in the community, so be sure to check that out. We also have a place where you can get connected as well, which is Facebook.com/dailyaudiobiblechronological, oh that's a mouthful. And you can check out what's happening there. And it's just another great way to get connected, stay connected. And that is all for today. I'm China, I love you and I'll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.

Community Prayer Line

Good evening, Daily Audio Bible community. This is Diane Olive and Jeff Brown from Newburgh, Indiana. Shalom. Shalom. We're putting our logs on the fire with the DABC community. And Jill had the reading for today. And I want to join with Darby in Africa for praying for Big Joe. He's trying to reconcile his family. And I'm adding my prayers to yours, Derby and Big Joe, I'm praying for you. I know that God will be with you and as you endeavor to bring your family together. And I want to thank Jill. You touched my heart and I have nothing to say except I will obey. And I think that the lesson for this day was so strong in me, I'm going to take a few days to ponder it and I'm going to start the work in me. And thank you, Jill. I'm going to go back and read this over and over and over again to get the lesson that the Lord wants to teach me, that I need to start the work in me and not point the finger in condemnation against other people till I've been one of the fat sheep. And I have to repent of that. Please forgive me, Lord. And I'm joining Weight Watchers. This is my first.

Jill, this is Adrian from Maryland with Mighty Tortoise. This is September 9. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement to listen to the Spirit and reach out to others as the Spirit prompts. I actually just went through this myself this week. For several days, God had been prompted, had been like just pushing a friend, a long ago friend into my mind. I just kept thinking about it, okay, there must be a reason. Finally I said, okay, Lord, I think you want me to pray for her. So I started praying for her and then all of a sudden he started prompting me and pushing and not just prompting, he was pushing me to send her a note. Finally yesterday I was like, okay, Lord, can I just finish my breakfast before I write the note? So finally so I got my breakfast done and I write the note. And when I took my Yorkie Maxie out for a walk, we dropped it in the mailbox. I'm just praying now that she will hear my encouragement and in the spirit that it was meant. I just prayed for her health and her spiritual health and peace and for her physical health. If anything was wrong, that God please heal it, and then we'll just see what happens. She hasn't responded to my notes over the years, so I've given up trying to head her a note when Tom died, and she never responded to that. So I don't know. So I had to give it to God. But thank you so much for the encouragement this morning, Joe. That meant a lot to me. It kind of prompted me to believe and understand that, yes, I think that was God prompting me. I already knew that, but it just helped confirm that. So thank you so much, Joe. We love you again. Your friend, Adrian from Maryland.

Hey, DABC family. This is Adam Cnablock from Michigan. I'm calling in to pray for my sister Amanda from Colorado. My word. I totally get a little bit of what your husband is going through with losing his job and trying to find a new one. That is tough when he's trying to provide. And I just pray that God will open the right doors for him and that he will just trust in the Lord with all his heart. Not lean on his own understanding in all his ways. He'll acknowledge him knowing that God will make straight his path and also praying for your son that he will have the ability to go back to school. That the teachers would be more understanding of his autism. Because I happen to be, believe it or not, autistic myself. I'm 25 years old and I've had to overcome a lot of things and it's not an easy road. People can be very cruel and misunderstanding at times. So I just pray, father God, please give Amanda and the family some peace. Help her husband to finding the right job that you have designed specifically for him, and I pray for her son that answers would be given and that you would help him to be able to go back to school to where he can overcome things and just thrive in Your powerful name. Jesus, please just help this family draw them closer together more than ever before. Let them see your mighty hand at work, that they will be able to do it all. And after all is said and done, they will reclaim that you alone, Lord our God, that you are worthy of praying for all you do. In Jesus name, amen.

[alpacaparkaseok]

Make a Move

➣ Pairing/genre: roommate!Hobi x reader

➣ Premise: You thought ‘Hope’ was a girl, but looking at the hot dude currently claiming to be your roommate, you might be wrong.

➣ warnings/tags: pure fluff, reader gets a lil sick for a minute

➣ word count: 4.6k

➣ a/n: this was a commission by @hobi-gif for Army for AAPI! Thank you so much for commissioning this, I hope you enjoy it! You guys, check out ways to get involved in this awesome cause by clicking the link!

--

You look down at the application, and back up at the person standing in front of you. Down, then up.

Twice more, just to wrap your mind around the dumbest mistake you’ve ever made.

“Umm…Hope?”

The man fidgeting nervously before you manages a bright smile. “Yep. That’s me!”

Again, you stare down at the application. “I…you’re the one moving in?”

Hoisting the heavy-looking box higher in his arms, the man – Hope if he’s to be believed, offers a strained nod. “Yeah, it’s sort of a nickname…Hoseok. I’m Hoseok.” He looks around, poking his head through the doorway to your small apartment. “Mind if I set this down? It’s kinda heavy…”

You step aside in a daze, watching as Hoseok sweeps inside and sets the box down with a thud on the counter. A moment later another head is peeking inside before carrying in another box.

“Hey, I’m assuming you’re one of the roommates?” The newcomer asks, sweeping some of his ashen-blond hair off his forehead and extending a hand out to you. You take it with some trepidation.

“I am. And you’re Hoseok’s friend?”

“Namjoon. Just stopping in with a few of his things. Oh,” Namjoon waits until Hoseok walks back outside before continuing, speaking to you in a hushed tone. “I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for letting him move in. Ever since our landlord found out we had seven people instead of six, it’s been hard trying to find a place but Hoseok was adamant he be the one to move out. Did want to separate the others-”

“Wait, woah,” you hold up a hand, effectively cutting him off. “Seven? Seven people living in one tiny apartment?”

Namjoon tilts his head to one side, brows furrowed. “He didn’t tell you? That’s why he moved out; someone had to. Our apartment has a six person limit, so once our landlord found out Hoseok volunteered to be the one to move out.”

It appears that Hoseok hasn’t told you a lot of things.

“I…no, he didn’t mention that.”

Namjoon moves on, unphased. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for taking him on. It’s nearly impossible to find a place this time of year, and we weren’t sure if you would be chill with having a male roommate, but it really means the world. This way he can stay close to us-”

“Close?”

“Yeah, we live just a few blocks away. He didn’t say that?”

At that moment Hoseok walks through the door, still wearing that sheepish smile that he directs at you.

“No. He must have forgotten to mention that, too.”

--

           Once Namjoon has left and Hoseok gets into organizing all of his things, you set up camp on the couch. Book in hand, you can’t help but assess your new roommate.

           A part of you wants to get rid of him, but another part of you is interested to see what might unfold from this strange situation. You’ve never had a male roommate before, and if Namjoon is any representative for what this man’s friends look like…

           You suppose it’s not too much of a pain to allow Jung Hoseok to stick around for a little while.

           Hoseok hums to himself, occasionally making little sound effects as he puts a bowl away or opens a cupboard. Every once in a while he’ll ask you a question, like, “Is this spot free to use?” or “Are you allergic to anything?”

           You’re nearly heading to bed when Hoseok knocks softly on your door. Your rooms are on opposite ends of the apartment, something you find yourself being extremely grateful for tonight. The knowledge that a stranger is chilling in your apartment is enough to have you feeling a little worried.

           It’s simple. Sure, Hoseok seems nice enough. Friendly even. But he’s too attractive to be normal.

           “What’s up?” You ask, opening your bedroom door to see Hoseok with his arms full of shampoo and other shower items.

           Despite the large bottle of Pantene blocking his chest, it’s easy to tell that he doesn’t have a shirt on beneath his robe.

           Indeed, the sight before you is enough to have you clutching the doorframe until your knuckles are white in an effort to not gape.

           Wearing nothing but basketball shorts and fluffy white robe, Hoseok shuffles from one foot to the other. “Oh, I was just wondering if you had any preference about where I put my things in the bathroom. You know, if the left side is specifically yours or something like that.”

           “Huh?” You shake your head, forcing yourself to only look at his eyes. That turns out to be even worse, in some weird twisted way. “Oh, yeah. Well, I tend to put most of my stuff on the left side of the vanity. But you can put your stuff wherever. I’m not worried about that.”

           Hoseok nods, taking a step back. He bids you a quiet goodnight before retreating back down the hallway.

           A few seconds pass as you remain in your doorway, thinking hard.

           No, you’re not worried about sharing a drawer in the bathroom or putting the A/C on a lower setting, as he asked you about earlier.

           You’re just worried about the fact that you’ve never found a pair of basketball shorts more attractive than just now.

           Basketball shorts paired with nothing but a robe?

           “This is gonna be great,” you mumble to yourself, closing your door and leaning against it. Only when you hear the sound of the shower going do you allow yourself to relax. “I’m gonna die.”

--

2 weeks in

           “I’m headed to the store, you need anything?”

           You pause, assessing the contents of the fridge. “Um…eggs?”

           It’s not very often the two of you are in the apartment at the same time, your schedule being polar opposites. However, it’s always relatively friendly. Still a little awkward, but always cordial.

           Hoseok – or Hobi, as he’s repeatedly invited you to call him – scans his little list. “Already on the list. Anything else?”

           “You already put eggs on the list? Like, for me?” The two of you by no means share groceries.

           Hobi shrugs. “Yeah. I figured you were nearly out since you eat them like every morning.”

           “Hey, not every morning-”

           “Every weekday morning.” He wiggles his eyebrows at you. “Tell me I’m wrong. I’ll wait.”

           You groan. “Yah, just go. I’ll text you if I need anything.” Turning back to the fridge, you utter out, “Annoying little-”

           “What was that?”

           “Nothing!”

           You wait until you hear the door close to let out a sigh. “Huh.” You didn’t even realize that he would notice those kinds of things. It’s a strange feeling, having someone notice even the most mundane parts of your routine.

           You…like it?

           Opening up a few of the cupboards, you realize that you’re nearly out of bread. You grab your phone, pulling up Hobi’s contact and calling him. He picks up after a couple of rings.

           “Hey, did you remember something else?”

           “Yeah, would you mind picking up some bread, too?”

           “Oh, good one. Um…” you can hear him moving around, and you swear you hear the click of a pen before he speaks up again. “Wheat, right?”

           Again, that strange feeling stirs in your chest. “Right.”

--

2 months in

           “I’ve never met anyone as obsessed with skincare as you.”

           Hobi chuckles darkly, beginning to apply his night mask to the other side of his face. “I doubt you’ve ever met anyone with such oily skin before, either.”

           You lean up against the doorframe, resting your head against the side of the door. Hobi continues applying the crème, looking utterly focused on the task. His forehead scrunches up in little lines as he looks up, rubbing underneath his eyes.

           If you’re being completely honest, it’s adorable.

           To put the icing on the cake, he begins humming to himself and leaning in closer to the mirror, making you chew on the inside of your cheek. It’s horrible enough that he has to be wildly endearing, but does he really have to be so cute?

           It’s exhausting.

           “It smells good,” you sigh out, eyes drifting shut. Hobi’s good looks isn’t the only thing that’s been exhausting to you lately. School is trying its best to wreck you and you hate to admit that it’s doing a great job of it.

           “You want some?”

           Eyes fluttering open at his question, you furrow your brows. Hobi is looking at you in the mirror, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He squeezes out a bit of the night mask onto his finger, turning to you.

           “You already washed your face, right?”

           “Mm.”

           “Good,” he nods more to himself than to you. “Close your eyes.”

           Giving him a distrustful look, you realize that you’re too tired to bother bickering with him at the moment. Instead, you close your eyes and hold your breath.

           A moment later the cool feeling of Hobi’s fingers dabbing the cream on the tip of your nose. He repeats the action all over your face, his other hand coming to cup your chin as his thumb absentmindedly traces your jaw.

           You suddenly feel extremely off balance, swaying on your feet. Hands shooting out to steady yourself, you instinctively cling to the front of Hobi’s sweatshirt. He chuckles lowly, making you tighten your grip.

           “Don’t fall over,” he mumbles, beginning to rub the night mask into your skin.

           You don’t say anything, settling for an annoyed huff. After a moment, Hobi takes up humming the same tune he was before. The two of you settle into a comfortable daze, your shoulders relaxing as the seconds tick by.

           “You know,” Hobi muses as he switches to your right cheek. “We’re pretty good roommates. Don’t you think?”

           “Mm. I’m still angry you put ‘Hope’ on your application, though. That was a dirty move.”

           Hobi’s laughter has you opening your eyes just to catch the expression of happiness he’s sure to be wearing. Sure enough, his head is thrown back and his heart-shaped smile in on display, the sight tugging at the corners of your lips.

           Catching your eye, Hobi smirks. “How can I ever make it up to you?”

           You purse your lips, melting a little at the concentrated pout that forms as Hobi resumes applying the night mask. He’s moved up to your forehead now, making your eyes drift shut again.

           “I vote you make me French Toast one of these weekends.”

           “Oh, and that’ll solve it?”

           “No, but it’s a start.”

           He chuckles quietly, pausing and then tapping lightly against your cheek. “All done.”

           Opening your eyes, you see the slightly confused look in Hobi’s eyes as he squints down at you. “What?”

           He blinks. “What?”

           You nod at him, “You look confused or something.”

           “Oh.”

           When he doesn’t answer after a long moment, you step back into the hallway. “Alright…I’m heading to bed. Thanks, Hobi.”

           His brows are furrowed as he turns back to the mirror, the confusion only growing. “Night.”

--

3 months in

You’ve quickly come to learn that there are pros and cons to having Hoseok as your roommate.

           One very strong pro is the fact that he’s a clean freak. You swear you haven’t had to worry about vacuuming for the past three months, he always beats you to it.

           “What are you doing?”

           He pauses mid-fold, eyes wide as he looks up at you. “…folding.”

           “My laundry?”

           He glances down at the shirt in his hands as though just realizing that these are your clothes. “I…yeah. Yeah, I am. It’s just, you left your basket out here by the couch so I figured I might as well fold it and put it away if you’re gonna leave it out here.”

           The passive aggressive tone in his voice rolls off your shoulders, knowing that he didn’t intend it that way. It’s obvious to tell that something is on his mind as he continues to you’re your shirt and place it atop a neat pile beside him.

You find yourself sitting cross-legged across from him and silently joining in on the impromptu folding party. Once you finish, Hobi clears his throat and avoids eye contact with you.

           Perhaps it has to do with the fact that he accidentally grabbed the same pair of lacy black underwear at the same time as you, which ensued in an awkward match of tug-of-war that you quickly won once he realized what he was holding.

           “So, the guys are doing a thing tonight.”

           You blink, pulling the folded laundry toward you and getting up. “…ok.”

           Hobi’s face lights up in a grin, and he jumps to his feet. “Really? You’ll come?”

           Perhaps it’s the utter joy you see in his eyes or the way he’s currently shaking your shoulders and causing the socks on the top of your pile to tumble to the ground, but you burst out laughing.

           “Hoseok!” You shout through your laughter. “You didn’t even invite me!”

           He immediately stops shaking you after that, scrambling for some form of a response. Swiping one of the pairs of socks that slipped to the ground, he kneels down on one knee and looks up at you with a giddy grin.

           “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to visit my friends tonight?” With no shortage of sound effects, he offers up the socks as though proposing to you with a priceless diamond ring.

           “You’re an idiot.”

           Hoseok’s smile only grows. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

--

           Hobi’s light knock on your door goes unnoticed as you slumber on, completely dead to the world. After you had put your laundry away, you felt a wave of exhaustion overtake you.

           He knocks again, and this time you rouse just enough to grunt out something incoherent. He slowly opens the door, poking his head inside.

           “You still gonna come with me, sleepyhead?”

           His chipper voice makes you wince, your head pounding. “Mm, jus gimme…” you close your eyes again as the dull light filtering in through your blinds is enough to send you spinning. “…a sec.”

           It’s quiet for a moment, and you think that Hobi must have left. A second later, however, you hear him padding across your floor.

           “Are you sick?” He answers his own question as he places his hand against your forehead. “Oh, jagiya, you’re burning up.”

           The pet name has your temperature rising a bit more. “Mm fine.”

           Hobi chuckles softly, taking care to be quiet. “Have you eaten? Where’s your water bottle?” They’re all rhetorical questions apparently, because moments later he’s scooping your water bottle off the floor and tiptoeing back out of your room.

           After what feels like hours later, Hobi sidles back into your room with a full water bottle, some soup he must have microwaved, and another glass of liquid. It’s steaming, the scent making you scrunch up your nose in distaste.

           “What…” you can hardly muster up the energy to finish your sentence. Hobi perches on the edge of your bed, carefully placing everything on your nightstand.

           “It’s medicine. Drink it, and it’ll help. But first you need to sit up.”

           Easier said than done. Your body is exhausted, and your arms shake a bit as you attempt to scoot back against the headboard. Cheeks burning a brighter red, Hobi thankfully doesn’t comment on it. He just patiently readjusts your pillows and tucks your hair behind your ears with meticulous movements that have you smiling softly.

           “Ok,” he sighs out once that’s been taken care of. “Now, eat some soup…” his words trail off as he hands the bowl off to you. He watches as you bring the spoon to your lips, mumbling, “Blow, it’s hot.”

           Fighting the urge to roll your eyes, you follow his instructions. Once you’ve eaten over half of the soup and feel too full to continue, he hands you the steaming cup that has you scrunching your nose up all over again.

           “C’mon,” he urges, “my mom used to give this stuff to me all the time when I was a kid. It works like a charm, promise.”

           “Mhm.”

           “What?” He crosses his arms, frowning. “You don’t believe me?”

           You shrug, mindful of the full contents of the glass. “It’s just easier said than done, that’s all.”

           “Here, I’ll take a sip to show you that’s it’s not bad!” Reaching for the cup, you burst out into a fit of laughter as Hobi stares down at the liquid with unabashed terror. He clears his throat and squares his shoulders. “Right…just one sip…”

           Blowing across the surface carefully, he sacrifices his tastebuds. The instant he swallows, he thrusts the cup back into your hands and dives off the bed. “Ach!” He rushes out of the room, no doubt heading for the kitchen. Indeed, a moment later you hear the faucet running and wonder if he just decided to shove his head under the running water instead of wasting time on grabbing a cup from the cupboard.

           With your water bottle on hand, you attempt to chug the medicine. It’s horrid, making you gag, but you continue until the contents are drained. You’ve just managed to drink some water to rid yourself of the lingering taste when you hear Hobi’s phone ring.

           “Hey hyung,” he’s still in the kitchen, but you can hear him clearly. “Oh, yeah…I don’t think we’re gonna make it. No, it’s not that, she said she’d come.”

           You freeze, holding the still-warm cup close to your chest. For some reason, your stomach does a little flip when you hear the way Hobi’s tone changes as he speaks about you. It’s infinitely softer, something you don’t recall hearing before.

           “She took a nap and woke up with a fever-” he pauses. “Yeah, I just gave her medicine. But she needs to rest. She’s exhausted. What? Ugh, really Jin? I’m not-” The sound of Hobi shuffling about has you leaning closer to the open door, trying to hear what he’s saying. His voice is much quieter when he speaks next, but you can still hear bits and pieces of what he’s saying. “I can’t just make a move on her while she’s sick, that’s unethical!”

           Clapping a hand over your mouth before he can hear you snort, your eyes widen. Make a move?

           On you?

           “Yah, quit it. Tell everyone I say hey, I’ve gotta go.” Again there’s a pause, quickly followed by an annoyed hiss. “See, this is why I never tell you anything.”

           He quickly says his goodbyes after that, and you scramble to appear normal despite your pounding heart. You hear Hobi’s sigh from the kitchen, and you wish you could know what he was thinking.

           “Alright,” Hobi calls, heading back into your room. The second he enters you feel as though you’re seeing him for the first time. “Let’s get it- oh, you already finished it?”

           You blink, suddenly blinded by the sight of his adoring smile. As he settles down on the edge of your bed, you manage a feeble nod.

           “Jagi,” again with the pet name, “you look exhausted. Let me take the dishes and how about you go back to sleep?”

           Despite the fact that you literally live in the same apartment, the thought of Hobi leaving you alone in your room has you stalling. “Uh, who called?”

           There’s a flicker of panic that’s quickly replaced with an easy smile. “Jin hyung, he was wondering where we were. Don’t worry, I told him we weren’t gonna be able to make it.”

           You’ve heard plenty about Jin – truthfully about all of Hobi’s friends. You were excited to meet them tonight, after hearing so many stories.

           “I’m sorry,” you frown, still clinging to your glass. “You can still go, if you want.”

           Hobi looks at you like you’ve grown a second head. “Why would I…? No, I’ll stay here with you. Can’t leave a sickie on their own, you know that.”

           Groaning, roll your eyes. “I feel like an idiot.”

“If you’re an idiot, I’m an idiot.”

You snort, setting your glass down before you cause an accident. “Isn’t it, ‘if you’re a bird, I’m a bird’?”

Hoseok shrugs, a smile playing on his lips. “Close enough.”

He holds your gaze for a few seconds too long, but neither one of you look away first. Instead you bunch up your blankets in your fists and offer him a crooked smile. “Thanks, Hobi.”

His eyes linger on your smile, his lips mirroring it. “Anytime.”

--

4 months in

           Nothing has changed, and yet everything has.

           Ever since you fell ill, you’ve been jumpy. Anytime Hobi accidentally brushes up against you as he reaches for something in the kitchen, whenever he knocks on your door, even when he calls you from the grocery store. It all makes you jump and sends your heart racing.

           “You’re so dramatic.”

           You look up at Yuri, your most brutally honest friend. “…ouch?”

           She shakes her head, sinking down lower in her seat across from you. You keep boxing up your leftover food to take home, wondering if Hobi would like it.

           “I mean it. You’ve been freaking out about this guy for over a month now without doing anything about it.”

           You pause, looking at Yuri with wide, pleading eyes. “What am I supposed to do? He’s my roommate!”

           “So what? Your lease is up in a few weeks, isn’t it? If it backfires, just move out.”

           You snort. “Easier said than done. I can’t just up and move whenever I like, you know.”

           “You can’t or you don’t want to?”

           “Shut up.”

           “I refuse. Now,” Yuri checks the time on her phone. “tell me what you like about him.”

           “I never said-” you sputter, but Yuri holds up a hand and cuts you off.

           “Actions speak louder than words. He’s literally your background on your home screen.”

           Ok, that sounds like a bit much. It’s true, though. A week ago Hobi finally got to take you out to meet his friends. Together you went on a midnight hike (something you’d honestly never do again) and found a breathtaking view at the top. His friends, specifically Jimin and Taehyung, had practically shoved the two of you together for an impromptu photoshoot under the night sky.

           The photos are a little blurry and dark, but you love them. Enough to add one as your background. “But you can’t actually see us in the picture, it’s just pretty-”

           “Sure it is. You two make a cute couple.”

           “W-we do?”

           Yuri jumps up, clapping her hands and startling a couple just a few tables down. “Aha! See, you do have feelings for him!”

           “Ok, ok,” you hold up your hands in surrender. “Just sit down.”

           Once she’s taken her seat again and apologized loud enough for the couple she scared to hear her, you lean in close over the table. She rubs her hands together, looking every bit the scheming friend she is.

           “Alright, let’s plot, shall we?”

--

           Hobi checks the window for the eighth time in under five minutes, brushing the curtains aside to see if your car is in the lot yet. It’s not.

           “C’mon Jung,” he rolls his neck, bouncing on his feet. “Calm down. Keep it chill. Everything’s fine.”

           Everything is not fine.

           Things haven’t been fine for months now, something he’s been able to deny to an impressive level. Last weeks, however, the lie came to an end.

           His friends loved you. Like, ranted and raved about how funny and cool you were until he was worried he needed to organize an intervention. Then, the icing on the cake.

           Yoongi had grabbed him while you were hiking back down, sandwiched between Jin and Jungkook. He nodded down at you, turning a knowing eye to Hobi.

           “So…when’s that gonna happen?”

           Hobi played dumb, frowning at Yoongi. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

           “Hoseok, c’mon.”

           You laughed at Taehyung, who jogged up ahead. He was quickly joined by Jungkook. Hobi’s pretty sure his heart stopped beating as you turned around, searching for him. Once your eyes found his, your smile widened.

           Yoongi laughed at his side. “You’re whipped, and you don’t even realize it.”

           Indeed he was. Dangerously so, if he was going off of the amount of times he’s knocked on your door to ask you out only to change his story at the very last moment to ask you something stupid instead. You never seemed to mind, just laughing at his strange questions and teasing him mercilessly.

           “Ok,” Hobi whispers to himself, still bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You’ve got this. Just rip it off like a Band-Aid. Quick and to the point.” He tilts his head to one side. “But not the painful part. No pain.”

           He’s in the middle of his pep talk when the sound of your key in the lock alerts him to your return. Hobi is standing in the middle of the living room, looking like an idiot. Naturally, he shoves his hands in his pockets. Yeah, that makes him look less like an idiot.

           The second the door opens and you step into the apartment, every thought eddies out of Hobi’s mind.

           You freeze, not expecting Hobi to be standing in the middle of the living room impersonating a lamp when you got home.

           “Hi…?” Hobi swallows at the sound of your voice, watching your every move as you slowly lift up the bag of leftovers. “I brought home leftovers if you want some…”

           “I need you to go out with me.”

           Now you’re really frozen, staring up at Hobi as his eyes widen at his own words.

           “What? What for?”

           “For me.”

           You slowly close the door behind you, setting the food down on the counter before turning to face Hobi again. “For you?”

           He nods, a panicked look in his eyes. “Yes. For me.”

           “Hobi, I don’t understand. Do you need a plus one or something for an event? Is that what it is?”

           Removing his hands from his pockets and taking a step towards you, Hobi shakes his head. “What? No, I need- I need you.”

            It’s a good thing you already set the food down. “Me?” You squeak out, looking your roommate up and down as he takes another step.

           “Us.”

           Clearly there’s been a communication error. Hobi brushes his hair back from his face, chewing on his bottom lip before coming to a stop before you.

           “Us,” he repeats, voice low. “I need us to be a thing.”

           “O-oh.” That’s all you can manage as you try to recall if Hobi has ever looked at you like this before. It’s hard to contain yourself when you realize that he has, however he’s always been quick to mask it with something else. Or, more often than not, a silly question.

           “Will- can you…” he stops, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Without his gaze on you, you gain a bit of courage and raise a hand to cup his cheek. His eyes fly open, and he offers you a shy smile. “Do you want to go out with me? On a date?”

           Craning your neck, you hold your breath and plant a kiss on his cheek. You delight in the way he instantly flushes, garnering more courage by the second.

           “Yes.” Then you arch a brow. “I have one condition, though.”

           Hobi’s eyes are half closed as he looks down at you, appearing as though he’s slipped into some euphoric realm. “Hmm, anything.”

           “I demand French Toast.”

           Dissolving into a fit of laughter, Hobi sinks to the ground, taking you down with him. You protest, but not too much. Holding you tightly, Hobi subsides in his laughter enough to wink down at you. “French Toast it is.”

--

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© alpacaparkaseok

[sunmoonandeddie]

who you are and who you’ve been

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

word count: 8,490

summary: Sometimes love takes a little longer to find you.

warnings: SMUT.  Mention of past abusive relationship, drinking, swearing.

a/n:  Thank you so much to @zeilenkrieg for commissioning this and being so patient while I wrote it!!

“Mama!  Mama!  You here?”

You sighed as you looked up from your coffee, seeing your daughter coming through the living room.  She had on that pair of daisy dukes that she stole from your wardrobe—the ones you used to wear in the heat of summer, a white shirt tied to let the sun on your tummy.  You used to scandalize your own mama with that outfit… 

You had argued with her that she had worn the same kind of outfit back in the seventies, and that vintage was in.  But she liked to wear hers with cowboy boots and you preferred it with a good pair of sneakers.

God, you missed being young…  Your twenties had been absolutely wild, even if they had started out with that horrible pandemic in 2020.

You still washed your hands after touching almost anything.  An instinct that never went away.

That year and the couple years before had been… insane.  But at least it incited real change in the world.  The people had learned from their mistakes, at least for now.

History did have a habit of repeating itself.  Humans were fickle, forgetful creatures like that.

“Yes, honey bun?” You said as you stood up, moving to hug her.

At thirty-seven years old, she was the only good thing that ever came out of your marriage.  That, and knowing how to wash blood out of clothing.

The only problem was that by the time you’d finally left him, you had no friends left.  You were in your forties by then, with no family besides your daughter, and no friends left to speak of.  You hadn’t even had Facebook at the time to keep in touch with old schoolmates from university.  And by then, what was the point?  They were all leading completely different lives and probably hadn’t spared you a thought in at least a decade.

“When’s the last time you left the house?” She asked, her hands on her hips in a stance that reminded you so much of yourself that it scared you.

Now that… that was hard to answer…  You honestly didn’t think you’d be able to remember.  You got practically everything delivered, you worked from home… 

Shaking your thoughts away, you shot her a look.  “I’m fine right where I am.”

“Your doctor called and said you haven’t been taking your medication.”

“Fuckin’ snitch,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes as you turned back to the window, staring down at the now cold coffee.

Josephine rolled her eyes.  “He said you haven’t picked up your refill in over two months.”  She came over to stand next to you, staring out the window with you for a long time.  “Mama, you’ve gotta take your medicine…  You remember what happened last time…”

Ah, yes, the infamous incident.

Which was an incident in a long line of incidents.

There had been a… few times when you’d stopped taking your medication—either intentionally or simply because you had forgotten—and it had resulted in a stay in the psych ward at the local hospital.  It had happened far too many times for your daughter to not be in contact with your doctor so she would be informed if you had stopped getting your refills.

You didn’t blame her, of course.  But it did make you feel like a horrible mother.  One who couldn’t even take care of herself to the point where your daughter had to.

“Yes, I remember last time,” you sighed, staring at a cardinal.  “You know, my mama used to tell me that if you see a cardinal, a loved one who’s passed is visiting you…”

“Mama, I signed you up for a seniors’ social club.”

You blinked.

And then, you blinked again.

You turned to look at your daughter, disbelief written all over your face.  “No the fuck you did not.  I swear to all that is holy, Josephine Ann, if you signed me up for one of those… those… pre-death support groups, I’ll tan your hide!”  You gasped as some of your coffee splashed onto your sweatshirt.  “I brought you into this world, and I sure as hell can take you out of it!”

“You’ve been saying that since I was two,” She said, taking your arm and guiding you to sit down at the kitchen table.  “And it’s not a pre-death support group.  I feel like that’s offensive somewhere so make sure you don’t go running around the group saying that.”  Josephine used a paper napkin to dab at the coffee on your sweatshirt, muttering about throwing it into the wash and getting you a new one.

This was what you meant by your daughter taking care of you.

“Josie, really, I can get my own sweatshirt.”

“Doesn’t mean you gotta,” she said as she came back with a new one, helping you change.

Sometimes you felt like she thought you were a hundred years old.

“Honestly, mama…  I just want you to be happy…  You should have friends.  You shouldn’t be cooped up in this house all day, all the time.”

“What do I need friends for when I’ve got you?  And Danny?” You asked.

But you had been hit with the sudden reality that except for Josephine and her girlfriend, you were alone.  Completely, and utterly, alone.  Hell, they were the only people you had ever invited over to the tiny one bedroom you owned.

Repairmen didn’t count because they were there to do a job, not keep you company.

God, you had wanted more than this, once upon a time.  You had once had dreams, of maybe being a writer and making the New York Times’ Bestsellers List, of a husband who adored you and brought you flowers every Friday, of lazy Sundays eating waffles on the couch with the love of your life.

But life didn’t end up the way you had dreamed it.  There were no book signings or meetings with editors… there were no gardenias… and there was no smell of waffles and syrup.

And you’d made your peace with that.

Sort of.

Josephine’s arms wrapped around you as she rested her head against yours.  Like a mirror of yourself, she was, from her face down to her toes.

Thank god.  She didn’t deserve to have to look in the mirror and see reflections of her father.

“Will you at least try it?” She asked gently, her hand running up and down your arm, her freshly manicured nails tickling your skin.  “It’s not like a pre-death support group, as you call it…  It’s for seniors or people who are approaching seniority and are still active and want to go out and have fun, but maybe need some friends to do it with.  Please?”

And how could you say no when she wanted something so badly?

“Alright,” you said after a moment.  “I’ll go once.  And if it’s horrible, I’m not going back.  And I’m gonna tell Danny how you forced me to meet a bunch of strangers.”

She squealed excitedly, running off to your bedroom and going through your closet.  “Okay, the first thing the group is doing is having a first meeting at a bar, and we’re gonna get you all done up.”

Oh, good.  She was going all in.

“When’s the first meeting?” You asked as you sat on the bed, leaning back on your hands as you watched her.

“Tonight.”

Uh.  What?

“TONIGHT?!” You shouted in shock as you jumped up.  “What?!  You didn’t think to ask me about this a few days ago?!”

She snorted, picking out a few tops that you hadn’t worn in what felt like decades.  “I signed you up this morning, I didn’t know about it a few days ago.”

You watched in exasperation as she threw article after article of clothing onto the bed for you to try on.  “I don’t think I need to wear four pairs of jeans to a bar,” you said, beginning to pick up a few of the pieces.

Josephine gave you a look as she continued.  “Considering how long it’s been since you’ve been out, I think it’s fair that some of these might not fit anymore.”

Well, you had lost some weight…  Not necessarily in a healthy way, but she was right.

In the end, she ended up shoving you into the bathroom and forced you to do a full shower—which meant body and hair.

You hadn’t even gone to such lengths when you were going on your first date with her father.

She spent hours on your hair and makeup, chattering away excitedly about the vacation her and Danny were planning.  A South American cruise.

Josephine had never married, never had kids.  Never wanted to after seeing what her daddy had put you through.  It left a sour taste in her mouth, and even though it was legal now, her and her girlfriend hadn’t breathed a word of a wedding.

Though, you suppose they had a common law marriage at that point, if lesbians were included in it.

“Perfect,” she said as she got you to slip on an old jacket of yours that was a little too big.  “Come on.  I’ll drive you and pick you up.”

“Oh, honestly,” you snorted as you grabbed the purse Josephine had shoved all your things into.  “You’d think I could take an Uber.”

The bar wasn’t what you had expected when she had first told you that’s where the meeting was going to be held.  The last bars you’d been to had practically been nightclubs.

But this was… upscale.  Sophisticated.

Now you understood just why she had put so much work into making you look presentable.

It didn’t look like anyone else was there yet, even though most of the patrons were around your age, so you took a seat at the bar, the group’s site pulled up on your phone.

“What can I get for you, miss?” The bartender asked as he set down a coaster in front of you.

A snort erupts from your throat as you look at him.  “You always call women as old as me miss?”

“Oh, come on, you’re a catch,” he said, shooting you a playful wink.  “My dad’s single, you know.  If you were… looking.”

“Thank you, but I’m not,” you said gently, your cheeks flushed.  “Can I get a Manhattan?”

The bartender nodded, gracefully backing off the subject of you possibly dating his father.  And barely a minute and a half later, there’s a perfectly made Manhattan set on your coaster.

You’d barely taken a sip before someone came up beside you.  “Do you have Macallan’s 18 Year Sherry Oak?” A man asked.  At the bartenders confirmation, he hummed.  “Can I get a double on the rocks?”

The bartender dropped a large ball of ice into a glass before pouring two shots of whiskey over it and handing it to the man.

“Macallan’s, huh?” You said softly, your heart pounding.  Josephine had told you to make friends.  That was the whole point of this, even if the man wasn’t part of the social club you’d been forced into.  “You know your whiskeys.”

The tall man took a seat beside you, his eyes boring into the side of your face.  You hadn’t dared look at him yet.  “I’ve always preferred those who choose a Manhattan over a martini any day.”

“And why is that?” You asked, finally looking up at him.

And oh, you wished you hadn’t.  He was… stunning.  The very definition of male beauty.  His salt and pepper hair reminded you of the photos of the men in the forties…  The 1940s, that is.  Blue eyes so striking that you lost your breath, and broad shoulders that you knew would haunt your dreams.  He was wearing a glove on his left hand for some reason, but you didn’t linger on it too long.

But at least he was at least your age, if not a little older.  You’d die if you’d just sort of flirted with a twenty-something asshole who just bought expensive whiskeys for the sake of buying expensive whiskeys to show that he had money to blow.

“Martini drinkers think they’ll get some kind of award for their choice of drink,” he said, “as though choosing a drink that generally tastes like shit is some kind of accomplishment.  Unless you’re just taking a shot, a drink should taste good.”  He looked you up and down, letting his pretty blues linger on your lips.  There were faint crow feet at the corners of his eyes, but they just seemed to make him even more handsome.  “And a Manhattan doesn’t need a fancy whiskey.  It is steady and sure even with the cheapest five dollar bottle you can get from a gas station.  Someone whose drink of choice is a Manhattan is sure of who they are and what they want.”

You hadn’t felt this hot under a man’s gaze in decades.  “Really?”  Swallowing around the lump in your throat, you took another sip of your drink to buy you a moment.

“Mmm…”  He stole one of the two cherries from your drink, biting it off the stem.  You were transfixed as he slipped the stem into his mouth, sticking his tongue out about thirty seconds later with a perfect cherry stem knot on display.  “Really.  I’m James.  What’s your name?”

Butterflies filled your stomach as you gave him your name.  God, you felt like you were sixteen again and being flirted with for the first time.

His eyes flicked down to your open phone that rested on the bar, the social club’s page still up.  “You’re here for the meeting, too?”

“Um…  Yes,” you said, ducking your head.

“But, doll…”  He leaned towards you, a charming smile on his lips.  “You don’t look a day over thirty-five.  Are you sure you’re a senior?”

Blinking, your mouth hung open in a soft o.  “Are you planning on flirting with every woman in the club like this?”

James looked around dramatically, his gloved hand resting over his heart.  “A club?!  Is that what you call this place?” He asked, mockingly serious.  “Damn, what does that make all those dirty, gross places these young kids go to now?  Brothels?”

For some reason, you felt comfortable enough to shove his shoulder, surprised a little at the feeling of metal under his jacket sleeve.

For the first time, he looked a bit… uncomfortable.  He had flinched a bit, his bright eyes focused surely on his drink.  “Um…”

“You’re the Winter Soldier.  James Barnes,” you said curiously, your head tilting to the side as you looked at him.  “I thought I recognized you from somewhere.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Mmhm,” you drawled, taking the cherry left in your drink and biting it off in a way that you hoped was alluring.  “Though, I gotta say, it is a bit awkward to meet the man I wrote two papers about in high school.”

Shit, his laugh was beautiful.  Everything about him was beautiful.  Like Apollo or something...

James’s head was thrown back in laughter.  His cheeks were flushed, his eyes squeezed shut.  “Did you actually write two papers about me?” He asked as he tried to catch his breath.  At your nod, he smirked, leaning in close again.  “What did you write about?  How devilishly handsome I am?”

You couldn’t believe you were saying this.  “I mean, I can show you the papers and actually let you read them, but they’re at my place.”

Before he could pick his jaw up off the ground, there were other seniors in the group coming up to greet you.  Your throat was dry as the Sahara as you turned to face them, plastering on a smile as you tried to ignore the heated gaze on your face and the way he licked his lips.

The meeting was… long.  Boring.

Or at least, that’s how it felt when you had James’s dark, sultry eyes on you the entire goddamn time.

Mind fuzzy, you vaguely remembered agreeing to come to the next meeting, and even signing up for a hiking trip they were taking the next weekend.

As you headed outside, you felt Bucky’s hand slip into yours, his long, calloused fingers intertwining with yours.  “So…  Am I gonna get to come over and… read those papers?” He murmured, his lips brushing against your ear.

God, you could practically feel yourself bursting into flames.  You weren’t gonna survive.

Thank god your daughter had forced you into a full shower.

But what about how dirty your house was sure to be?

“Um…  Y-Yeah,” you said as you turned to look at him.  “But, my daughter is gonna be driving me home…  I don’t want her to know I’ve got someone coming over.  She’s nosey.  Real…  Real nosey.”

“Of course, darlin,’” he chuckled.  “Here, why don’t I give you my phone number, and you shoot me a text with your address when you’re ready for me to come over?”

Your head was swirling as you got into your daughter’s car, your phone burning a hole in your purse.

“How was it?” Josephine asked nervously once you got about halfway home.  She couldn’t tell from the look on your face.  “Did you like it?”

“Hm?  Yeah.”  Swallowing, you shot a text to James with your name, telling him you’d text him when it was all clear.

“Are you gonna go again?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

She seemed both dissatisfied and pleased by your vague answers.  At least you were getting out of the house.

Once you got home and said goodbye, it was a mad dash to ensure that your house was clean as could be.  Josie had put in some work while you’d been gone, it seemed.  She’d done the dishes and the laundry, as well as dusted.

Thank fuck.

You struggled for a solid twenty minutes to put fresh sheets and pillowcases on the bed, lighting two candles and placing them in a manner that you hoped seemed natural.

“Shit,” you cursed as you smelled under your arms.

Okay, quick body shower.  It seemed all that flirting had made you a tiny bit sweaty.

You turned the water to scalding and scrubbed your body down, exfoliating and using your best scented body wash.

And to be quite frank, you’d never shaved your lady bits as quick as that.

As you texted him your address and that it was safe to come over, you pulled on your clothing from the bar (though, you did put on nicer, matching lingerie underneath.)  By the time he’d gotten there, you’d downed two shots of tequila for a bit of liquid courage and had poured yourself a glass of wine.

“Hey, baby doll,” he said, a crooked grin on his face as you welcomed him inside.  His glove had been abandoned, and black metal fingers lined with gold glittered in the light.  “Woah…  You know, I wasn’t sure how your place was gonna look, but this is very… you.”

“Oh, really?” You asked as you offered him a glass of wine, which he gratefully took.  “How so?”

“I don’t know,” he chuckled as he swirled the deep red liquid in its glass.  “It’s cozy.  Sweet.”

Your throat was dry as you watched his adam’s apple bob as he took a drink.  “Um… so those papers…”

Bucky whispered your name, moving closer to you as he set the wine glass down on the counter.  “Baby girl, I’m not really here for the papers, am I?” He asked as your back hit the island.  “If I am…  If I am, then just tell me, and I’ll stop this.”  His slightly chapped lips ghosted against yours like the tease he was.  “Am I here just for the papers?”

“No,” you breathed out, before pressing your lips against his in a firm kiss at last.  His breath was minty and cool, with just a touch of the wine you’d been sharing, like he’d brushed his teeth before coming over just like you had.

Could it be possible he was just as nervous as you were?

But he was perfect?  Why the hell would he be nervous?

Your thoughts were cut short as he reached down, his hands firmly grabbing your ass as he lifted you up and set you on the counter.  “That’s a good girl,” he growled as he kissed down your neck, his hands working at your blouse.  “Couldn’t stop thinking about you during that whole stupid fucking meeting.  Just wanted to kiss you.  Just wanted to… to touch you.”  He pulled back, kissing you fiercely as his hands moved from your blouse to hold your face again.  “You gonna let me touch you, angel?”

A whine escaped your throat as you nodded, desperately yanking at his shirt.  Once it was off, you didn’t hesitate to run your hands over the broad planes of his chest.  He wasn’t quite as toned as you remembered from when you were younger, when you used to (occasionally) stalk (lightly) his social media accounts.  There’d been so many pictures of him on vacation with the other Avengers… all tanned and toned…

But you liked this better.  There was a softness to him now, a gentleness.

You were so distracted by his physique that you didn’t notice he’d gotten your shirt and bra off until the cold air hit your chest.  “Fuck,” you mumbled as his lips found your neck, trailing down to your breasts.

You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been kissed, let alone the last time you’d had such… attention.

Especially when his hands worked your pants off and he stood between your legs, moaning as his fingers tickled your thighs.  “You’re so beautiful,” he said as his lips wrapped around one nipple, suckling at it and teasing until it was diamond hard, and he moved on to the other.

Gotta be fair, after all.

“James…”

“Fuck, baby girl…  Never been with a woman as beautiful as you,” he growled, kissing down your tummy.  “You’re not making it out of here without orgasming at least twice,” he warned jokingly.  He was half bent over in front of the island, watching in wonder as he slowly pulled your silk panties down your legs and revealed your aching core to him.

“I-If you’re not comfortable standing like that, w-we can move somewhere else,” you stammered, suddenly growing self conscious.  What if he thought your pussy was weird?  Granted, you’d overcome thinking that when you were in your early twenties, after learning that each one looked different.

But he was born in the forties.

But that meant he’d probably seen an exponential amount of pussies!

Oh, god, there was no way you’d have anywhere near as much experience as him.  The only person you’d ever been with was your ex husband, and he wasn’t exactly the paradigm of lovers.

“Hey.”

You refocused with a shake of your head, your eyes meeting James’s.  “Yes?”

“You’re in your head,” he said softly, his forehead resting against yours as he slowly ran his fingers along your sensitive folds.  “There’s no need…  It’s just you and me, okay?  And you’re absolutely perfect.”

Your heart was melting inside your chest as you nodded, stealing a tentative kiss.  “Okay…  Just you and me.”

James nipped at your lower lip as he lifted you up, wrapping your legs around his waist.  “Come on.  I don’t want our first time to be on a kitchen counter.  Though I make no promises I won’t help christen every inch of this house after,” he said with a playful growl.

You whispered directions to your bedroom as he held you tight to his chest, his lips finding purchase on your neck.  “And here I thought you said the super soldier serum was wearing off,” you joked.

The man snorted as he pushed you up against the hallway wall.  “Trust me, doll, no lack of super soldier serum is gonna stop me from fucking you right,” he said, his voice husky and deep.

Before you could even open your mouth to reply, two thick fingers were slipping inside of you to slowly tease your cunt, his lips ghosting over yours.  “Does that feel good, sweetheart?”

You couldn’t find it in you to be embarrassed at the whimper that fell from your lips.  “Y-Yes.  Yes.  Please, I need more, James…”

James smiled into the kisses he’d been giving you.  “I’ll give you everything you want.”

“That’s a tall order.”  You threaded your fingers through his hair, shivering at the way his metal fingers dug into the plumpness of your ass.  “You sure you can fill it?”

He doesn’t respond with words, growling as he kisses you fiercely, carrying you to the bedroom.  You don’t have time to think before he’s crawling over you and kissing up your tummy to your lips.  “I need to be inside you,” He whispered as he stroked his length.

“Please…  Don’t wanna wait anymore,” you said.  Vaguely, you’re aware of the twinge in your knees from all the physical activity, and you knew you’d be sore as hell in the morning.

Fucking worth it, though.

James didn’t hesitate to line himself up, the head of his cock pressing against your entrance.  When he finally pushed in, unison moans fill the air.

“I…  I haven’t done this in… so long,” you finally admitted as he slowly pushed in more, taking his time.  Eyes locked, your mouth fell open in a soft ‘o’ as he bottomed out, his hips meeting yours.  “Oh, fuck…”

“Then I better do a real good job fucking you right.”

You weren’t quite sure how long you two lasted, but you do know he manages to pull three orgasms out of you in the space of just a few hours.  There’s snack and water breaks in between rounds, his cool metal hand running up and down your spine to cool you down as you two whisper in the dim light of your desk lamp.

You can’t remember a time that you’d felt so at peace.

A spark had been lit inside your chest as you two laid there in bed, legs intertwined.  Both of you were quiet, his fingers moving to caress your cheek.

There were no words that needed to be said.

His sea blue eyes are sparkling in the dim light, and your hand runs over the sharp stubble that lines his jaw.  It had certainly marked up your neck.

“I had intended on asking you on a date,” he said quietly as his hand found yours, bringing it to his mouth.  Chapped lips kissed each of your knuckles like you were something precious, something to behold.  “I didn’t think the five minutes or so before the meeting counted…  But I’d still like to take you on that date, if you’ll let me.”

“That sounds nice,” you said, a grin twinging at the corners of your lips.

“Yeah?” He asked, sitting up a bit as his fingers brushed against your forehead.

“Yeah.”  A giggle escaped your lips as he playfully tackled you, starting yet another round as his hips rolled down against yours.

The next morning, you woke up alone.  The sheets beside you were mussed, though the space James had been occupying was still a bit warm.

Jazz music floated down the hall, through the cracked door, and you could vaguely hear the clinking of pans.

It took you a minute to gather the will to get yourself out of bed and find your robe, but you finally did it.  As your feet hit the ground and you pushed yourself to a stand, you winced.

You had been right about feeling it in your knees.

You forced yourself to walk smoothly down the hall, despite how much it hurt.  Embarrassing yourself in front of James was the last fucking thing you wanted to do.

He was in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove and humming along with the old jazz song playing on the Bluetooth speaker.  He had a pan full of pancake batter in front of him, a whole stack he’d already made on the side.

Standing in the doorway, you couldn’t help but grin as you watched him.  He’s so handsome… and he seemed so at home in your kitchen.  In your home.

Maybe he’d like to move in…

You shook your head, knowing that it’s already too much.

But the thought was nice.

Him in his pajamas, making coffee…  Him in your shower…  Him in your bed every night…  

Yeah.  It’s a really, really nice thought.

“Hi.”

James jumped, his eyes wide as he whirled round to face you.  “Hi.  I thought I had another thirty minutes before I had to go and wake you up,” he said.  “I’m making pancakes.  For you.  For us.”  His cheeks flushed, turning a bright red as he turned back to the pan to quickly flip the pancake.  “I hope you don’t mind that I used your flour and shit…”

“Oh, no, I…  I almost never cook,” you admitted as you moved over to stand next to him, watching as he made two more pancakes.

As he carried the huge plate to the kitchen island, he teasingly grabbed your ass and squeezed.  “Maybe I’ll have to stay the night more often, if only so you get a homemade breakfast.”

It was sweet, and domestic, and somewhat terrifying.

You hadn’t had a man do anything for you like this since you were in your twenties, when your husband was still sweet and loving.

But even so, this was somehow better than anytime your husband made his famous burritos.

Maybe because James’s cooking actually tasted good.

Your first date was to a movie, a drive in.  Something that’s designed to be vintage but really just looked cheesy as all hell.

But it’s perfect.  Perfect and cheesy and romantic.

Your only complaint was that he didn’t kiss you at the door when he dropped you off.  He pressed his lips to your cheek and whispered a goodnight, and that was it.

It took two more dates within the same week for him to kiss you again.

Bright and early on the next Saturday morning, he knocked on your door, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“I figured I should make up for you having to be up so early with this,” he said as he came inside, kissing you quick before moving to put the flowers in a vase.

At this point, he knew your house almost as well as you did.  It felt good, when you two moved around like you were part of a team.

“Have you gotten your coffee this morning?” You asked, already pouring two travel mugs full of the good stuff.

He came up behind you, kissing your shoulder.  “I have, but you know I’ll never say no to more, doll.”

The rest of the group eyed you curiously as you got out of the same car, a few elbow nudges and whispers in the air.

“At least I know no old ass dickheads are gonna come hit on my girlfriend,” James growled in your ear, his calloused flesh hand squeezing your hip.

“Jamie…,” you whined, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.  No one had ever claimed you in such a way that made you feel so desired and… and worthy.

James made you feel worthy.

Which is something you’d only ever really gotten from your daughter.

It sent a bolt of arousal through you, and you were tempted to drag him back to the car so you could bring him right back home and do something about it.

Also…  Girlfriend?  Were you his girlfriend now?  Officially?

That just made you wanna find somewhere to fuck him even more.

But alas, you pushed the thought away as the lot of you boarded one of those white airport vans that took you out of the city to the closest state park.

“It’s beautiful,” you breathed out as you stared out the window, forehead pressed to the cool glass.  The morning air was a bit chillier than it had been lately, signaling the coming onslaught of winter.

Maybe Bucky would wanna make hot cocoa together… go sledding…  Would him, Josephine, and Danny would all come over for Christmas and New Years and—

Would he even want to meet Josephine?

Would Josie wanna meet him?

She had no idea that you’d found a—A boyfriend?

“Not as beautiful as you,” Bucky murmured against the shell of your ear as his vibranium fingers intertwined with yours and squeezed.  His stubble tickled your neck as he rested his head on your shoulder, watching the passing scenery with you.  “I’m really glad I met you, doll…”

“Me, too,” you said, grinning as you squeezed his hand back and leaned your head against his.

It was strange, falling so hard for someone so quick after everything you’d been through.

But you had a gut feeling.  One that you had never had with your ex husband.

James was a good one.  A really, really good one.

That reminded you.

When were you meant to tell him about all the shit you’d been through?

Despite the amount of time you had spent together already, you hadn’t found the courage for it.

Soon, you decided.

But first, you had to get through the damn hike.

Bucky was glued to your side the entire time, even though you were a lot worse at hiking than he was.  He would hold your hand, guiding you anytime there was a fallen tree or a creek.  His blue eyes were soft as he murmured encouragement, quietly praising your every move.

It was intoxicating.

So when you two fell behind from the group, watching them go around a curve and down a hill, you dragged James behind a large rock formation.

“Baby doll?  Darling, what the hell are you doing?” He laughed as you pressed a fierce kiss to his lips.

“Can’t a girl be spontaneous?” You teased as you dropped to your knees, ignoring the way a twig was poking into your left knee.  “Need to taste you.”

His eyes locked on you as you worked at his jeans, getting them down and off, his nails scratching at your scalp as he got a good grip on your head.  “Fuck…  Are you really this needy for me, angel?  Fuck, you’re so god damn gorgeous…  Look at you.”

Your heart pounded against your rib cage as you finally freed his length, a grin on your lips as you wrapped your hand around him and slowly stroked him.

Bucky’s eyes rolled back as your mouth wrapped around the head of his cock.  “Fucking shit…  Good girl…  Suck me off real good, baby.”

The group probably would notice your absence, not that you particularly cared.

Not when you had your man so weak for you.  And all you’d had to do was get on your knees.

His metal and flesh hands guided you to take more of him in, going at a slow pace so as not to hurt you.  He was so big there was no way you’d get all of him down your throat but what you couldn’t take in your mouth, you pleasured with your hands.

Pleasuring your partner like this was addicting.  You’d never felt the desire—no, the incessant need—to please your ex husband.  All you could think about was getting Bucky off, making him feel so good that he couldn’t see or walk straight.

You choked around him as you took him as deep as possible, your eyes glassy.  When you popped off, you stroked him as you moved down to carefully suck at his balls, fighting a grin as he gasped, his hips stuttering.  Before he could orgasm, you took him back in your mouth, wanting to swallow him down.

“Fuck, fuck—  Oh, shit…  Baby—  I’m gonna…  I’m gonna—”  Bucky broke off with a shout as he came, spilling down your throat.  His large hands stroked your cheeks as you swallowed all of it, barring the little bit that had gotten on your lower lip.  “You did so good, darling,” he cooed as he helped you stand, pressing you against the rock behind him as he kissed you.  “Are you okay?  I didn’t hurt you, right?”

“No, you didn’t,” you said, a faint smile on your lips as you helped him put himself back away.  “You were perfect, James…”

When you finally caught up to the group, a few of the others shot you knowing looks.

But Bucky just had a satisfied smirk on his lips, his hand tightly intertwined with yours even as you flushed in embarrassment.

“Once we get home, it’s your turn,” he whispered in your ear as you all headed back for the van.

Your relationship with James was… wonderful.

It was easy in a way you’d never had before.

Within just two months, he was living at your house almost full time, to the point where you’d been thinking about asking him to move in.

It was like you two were magnets.  Even when you both had work to do, you did it in the same room, slowly gravitating towards each other until you were sitting close, your foot running up his calf.

And he’d gotten you to start writing.

“It’s your dream, doll.  You’re never too old to chase your dreams,” he said one night as you two laid in bed.  His metal fingers were tracing shapes on your spine, a chill from the cracked window ruffling his sweaty hair.  “If you don’t mind me asking…  Why did you stop in the first place?”

Ah.

The conversation you’d been avoiding for so long.

Sitting up, you pressed your hands to your face as you tried to find the words to say.  “Um…  I was married before…  I know you know, but, uh…”  Your fingers fiddled together nervously.  You swallowed around the lump in your throat.  “My husband…  He wasn’t…  He wasn’t nice.  At all.”

Bucky immediately sat up behind you, his vibranium hand resting flat on your back to reassure you that he was there, and to give you something to focus on while you spoke.  He didn’t need to speak for you to know.  He was there and he wasn’t running.

“I married him young… and I had Josephine young…  He’d always been so… possessive, but I just considered it protective,” you continued, pulling strength from his touch to keep on going.  You needed to tell him this.  You needed him to understand.  “Then after Josie was born, he started getting violent.  He’d always been mean, but he’d never hit me until after I gave birth…”

James was tense behind you, slowly scooting over so he could wrap his arms around you, his legs resting on either side of yours as he held you.  He needed you close.  Needed to know you were safe in his arms and that man was long gone.

“Put me in the hospital a few times…  He at least didn’t do it in front of Josie.  That’s the one thing I asked of him that he listened to.”  You couldn’t help but snort as you slowly relaxed back against him.  “She always thought all the bruises and shit was just a side effect of how clumsy I am…  But she came home one day during college, to surprise us…  She walked in on him holding a frying pan above his head, about to swing again.  She jumped in between us and told him if he ever touched me again, she’d kill him.”  You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding as his lips pressed to your bare shoulder.  It was soothing, feeling his skin against yours.  “She moved me out of that house and into her apartment, helped me get the divorce, get back on my feet…”

“Remind me to tell Josephine thank you,” he said quietly as he squeezed you close.  “Thank you for telling me, doll…  I…  I can’t imagine how hard that was…  But he’ll never touch you again.  No one will ever touch you again if you don’t want it.”

“I know.”

He nuzzled into your hair, breathing in the scent of your shampoo.  “I love you.  So much…”

A peace settled over you as you rested your head back against his, allowing yourself to truly fall into him, to relax.  “And I love you…”

After that night, Bucky slept over at your place five to six nights a week, only going home to get more clothes and do his laundry really, even though you’d told him a million times he could do it at your place.

“Wake up, sweetheart,” he murmured in your ear one morning, pushing your hair away from your face.  “Time to get up…  I’ve got breakfast ready for you…”

Groaning, you tried to pull him down for more cuddle time, but he wasn’t having it.  He always woke up before you, too many years a soldier coming into play.  He’d go for a run and make breakfast before waking you up.

“Come on, doll,” he chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to your lips as he got you to sit up, your vision blurry from sleep still.  “Medicine,” he said, pressing your pills into your palm and putting a glass of water in your other. 

Ever since he’d found out about your prescriptions and how you had a hard time remembering to take them, he’d taken it upon himself to make sure you did, every morning and night without fail.

“What’d you make this morning?” You asked sleepily after swallowing your pills, letting him pull you to your feet.  His t-shirt clung to you as you followed him down the hall.  Your hand was tucked into his as you rounded the corner to the kitchen.

What neither of you had heard was the sound of the front door opening.

“Mama?!  What the hell?!” Josephine demanded, standing in the kitchen with Danny right behind her.  “Who the fuck is this?!  What is he doing here?!”

Oh.

Yeah.

You’d neglected to tell your daughter, afraid of how she might take it.

“Hello.  I’m James.  Or Bucky,” your boyfriend said as he held out his hand to you, clearly unashamed and standing his ground even though he was only wearing a pair of pajama pants.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Your daughter repeated angrily, ignoring his hand.

“Josie,” Danny began, trying to soothe her.

But your daughter was nothing but determined when she was in her protective mode.

Before you could open your mouth, Bucky supplied, “I’m her boyfriend.”

You felt a flush coming over you as she stared at the two of you, slack-jawed.  “He is,” you said, wrapping both of your arms around his metal one.  You were so nervous, you were shaking.

“When did this happen?!” She demanded, beginning to pace back and forth around the kitchen.

“Um…  The first meeting at the bar… for the club,” you said.  Seeing her so upset made your anxiety spike, and you knew James could feel it, could hear the way your heart rate increased exponentially.

Josephine whirled on you, her eyes—so much like yours—wide with disbelief.  No.  Betrayal.  “You’ve been seeing someone for almost three months and you didn’t tell me?”

“I…”  Tears pricked your eyes as you tightened your grip on Bucky’s arm.  This was not the way you wanted them meeting to go.  “I was scared… of how you’d react…”

At that moment, Bucky turned to meet your eyes, his forehead almost pressing against yours.  “Darling, I feel like this is a conversation you two should have alone, yeah?  So I’m gonna take—Danny, right?  Yeah—Danny to the living room with some coffee so we can get to know each other, okay?”

After a nod, and a squeeze of his hand, he got two mugs of coffee and led your daughter’s girlfriend to the living room.  You could see them sitting down from the corner of your eyes, but you were much too focused on Josephine.

“Mama, I—”

“I love him,” you said, before she could say anything more.

Her eyes were shining, locked on you as she waited for you to speak.  In her gut, she knew this was something you needed to get out.

“I love him more than I’ve ever loved a man.  More than I loved your father,” you whispered, your voice cracking.  “And I know…  I know you’re as protective as you are because you saw how he treated me.  You saw how much I hid that he was hurting you, but Jamie isn’t like that.”  Your fingers fiddled as you tried to keep yourself from pacing.  “He’s kind and adoring and gentle and…  and he loves me.  More than I thought anyone could ever love me.  And I know you feel like you need to take care of me and I am so grateful.  And I still need you.  Everyday.  But Bucky…  I love him.  I love him and he loves me and we take care of each other.”

Josephine reached out, slowly taking your hands in hers.  “He…  He makes you happy?  He takes care of you and you’re safe?” She asked, voice trembling as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Yeah.  He takes real good care of me,” you insisted with a weak laugh.  “And I’ve never been so happy before, honey.  I promise.”

“Okay…,” she said, taking a deep breath.  “I’m still giving him the shovel talk.”

Bucky looked up as Josephine entered the living room, looking much calmer.  He wasn’t sure what you’d said, but it had seemed to placate her for the time being.

“Can we talk outside?” She asked him, keeping her chin high.

God, she looked so much like you.

He nodded stiffly, getting to his feet and leaving his mug behind as he followed her to the front door and out onto the porch.  The former super soldier watched as she paced back and forth, biting her thumb.  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said finally, breaking the silence.

Josie stopped in her tracks, listening quietly.

“Your mama loves you something fierce.”  Nervously rubbing his hands on his pajama pants, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so nervous meeting a girl’s family.

Though, he supposed it was a bit different when it was meeting your girlfriend’s daughter.

“And I love her.”

Your daughter, your mini me, stared him directly in the eyes.  “I’m sure she’s told you about my father.  What he did.”

“She did.”

“So you know that if you put one fucking foot out of line, I’ll filet you?”

“I do.”

She eyed him for a long moment.  “What are you in this for?  What’s the long term?” She asked.  “I’ve heard of elders just… settling for someone because they don’t wanna be alone in their twilight years.  Is that what this is?”

Bucky tried really hard not to feel a little bit offended.  He wasn’t that old.  “I’ve been alive since 1917,” he said slowly.  “I have no doubt you know who I am.  But I’ve been alive a hundred and something years, and I’ve never met someone who makes me feel the way your mom does.”  His heart clenched inside his chest as he thought of you, seeing your shy smile in the mornings, how you clung to him when you went out in public, the sound of your voice as you read an excerpt of your writing to him, so nervous about what he would think.  “And I…  I can say that everything I’ve been through…  Everything I’ve ever been through was worth it, because I got to meet her.  And I get to be hers for the years I have left.”

She looked absolutely speechless.  “Good,” she said, coughing to clear her throat.  “Good.  I just…  I can’t see her get hurt again.  Not after everything.”

“Trust me, I don’t plan to,” he said, his mouth dry.  “I…  I actually have something to ask you about…  Been waiting to meet you to talk to you about it…”

Inside, you paced the kitchen and living room, going back and forth and back and forth, sometimes moving to the window to try to hear what they were saying.  But they were keeping it all very hushed.

“It’s gonna be fine, mama,” Danny said, standing up and moving to wrap her arms around you.  “Josie’ll see how much you two love each other, and it’ll be fine.  She’s just gotta have her protective moment.  You know how she is.”

Sniffling, you hugged her tightly.  “I shouldn’t have kept it from her for so long…  I was just so nervous…  They both…  They both mean the world to me.”  You paused, snorting.  “I knew you’d approve of him.  I wasn’t so worried about you.”

“Oh, please, the way that man looked at you?” She said, laughing as she kissed your forehead.  “Mama, there’s no way in hell that man would ever hurt you.  He looks at you like you’re his entire universe.”

Heart warm, you glanced towards the front door, wishing they’d just come inside already.  “I’ve never felt something like this…  But fuck, if the whole shit show that’s my life wasn’t worth it for him…  I wouldn’t change a thing, as long as it means I get to end up with him.”

You broke out of her grasp as the front door opened and they came back inside, looking relaxed and even… happy?  “Well?  You aren’t gonna kill him?” You asked Josie as you moved to James, heart racing.

“Nah…,” she said, giving him what seemed like a secretive smile.  “As far as dads go…  He’d be pretty nice to have.”

“What?” You said, brows furrowing as you looked between the two of them.

Bucky chuckled, winking at Josephine as he led you to the stove where breakfast was still waiting, making you waddle as his arms wrapped around you from behind.  “Don’t worry your pretty head about it, baby doll.  It’s all good.”

You still couldn’t help but feel like the two were planning something as he made your plate for you, cutting up your pancakes and filling up your coffee.  “Why do I feel like you two are gonna end up ganging up on me?”

“Oh, come on, mama,” Josephine said with a smirk on her face.  Her and Danny had made their own plates and joined you and Bucky in the living room.  “How could you ever accuse us of such a thing?”

“Yeah,” James said as he fed you a bite of pancake.  “How could you ever accuse us of such a thing?” He asked, before leaning in and stealing a kiss.  “I love you.”

You’d never felt more relaxed, surrounded by the people you loved the most in the world.  What you’d said to Josephine had been true.

“I love you more,” you said, leaning back in for another kiss.

You’d never been so happy.

[chyanxrene]

Paris - ft Blaise Zabini

♡ Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Blaise Zabini x Y/N

♡ Summary: Threesome with Draco and Blaise, that’s all

♡ Warnings: Explicit content, just pure smut, MxMxF, anal (ish), degradation, drugs, alcohol, spitting (let me know if I’ve missed anything)

If you looked up confidence, you'd see Y/N's name under there, she knew what she wanted and with a few simple words she could get it. Regardless of how others saw her, the negative comments they made, she ignored them— typical signs of jealousy.

It only boosted her ego further.

Sure, she slept with quite a few boys over a number of years, but that didn't make her a slut— as others called it. She enjoyed sex as much as the next male, it was her body and she could do as she pleased with it.

It was her seventh year in Hogwarts, the final year. After the war, many students weren't too bothered about the exams, most still reeling from the aftershock of the lives lost and numerous casualties.

However the one thing about the war which was seen as a positive, was that all the houses congregated into one. The four houses that once stood tall, rivalling against the other every year, now stood together.

Of course there were some objections— mainly from the Slytherins and Gryffindors, however everyone shortly after accepted the new outcome.

Y/N was grateful for the change, this meant she was able to meet with people that she hardly spoke with, she enjoyed learning about others traits and being surrounded by good company.

And most of all, she enjoyed a good party.

That's where she first met Draco Malfoy, it was the beginning of the seventh year. She'd never spoken with him before. Slytherin were always secretive when it came to their parties, so she had never been to one, until a few months ago.

Obviously she saw had him around school, in a few of her classes, but they'd never spoken. So after one too many shots, the party ended quickly, ending with the pair tangled in his silk green bedsheets.

Bodily fluids, and the smell of sex and alcohol still surrounding them.

It was always a one time thing with Y/N, she made sure she never went back to the same male, or female twice. Relationships were not on the table for her, so she didn't want to disappoint anyone.

The same could be said for Draco, he clearly had the same thoughts as Y/N, which led to the pair hooking up a few times per week. No feelings were involved at all, which is just how they liked it.

Rough, filthy, sheet-clawing sex is what he gave her. Y/N was used to being the more dominant and controlling one in the bedroom, but it appeared she had met her match.

It was a Friday evening, Y/N usually spent her nights in the dungeons, drinking and relaxing with the former Slytherins. Usually ending her night in Draco's room, but today she had an idea, today she wanted more.

She carried her flask into the common room, no more passwords so she easily walked in. The smell of the room instantly flooding her nostrils, cannabis and alcohol.

Pansy had her arm draped across Theo's shoulder, taking the blunt from him and placing it between her lips. She took a long, slow pull, holding the smoke within her mouth for a few moments. She grabbed Theo's chin, forcing his mouth open before blowing the spoke into his mouth.

"Starting the party without me?" Y/N laughed, rounding the chairs and settling in front of the couple.

"You're always late, Y/N, then again not even Draco's here, so I guess you're not that late," Pansy lazily smiled.

"Where is Draco anyway?" She frowned, looking around the room, which only Theo and Pansy occupied.

"Probably shagging someone— who knows," she laughed, she dabbed out her blunt and leaned back into the plush sofa.

"Respect me a little Pansy," Y/N heard a sharp voice coming from the top of the stairs, she turned her gaze to investigate the face of the voice.

There he was, dressed in his turtle neck and school trousers. Blaise stood next to him, the pair glanced at Y/N, and then whispered amongst themselves. Usually she didn't react to whispering that she knew was about her, but this made her feel some type of way.

It wasn't nervousness, it was pure excitement, she had wondered if Draco had the same idea as her. But by the look on his face, she knew he had the same idea. They were similar in many ways, perhaps in an alternate universe they would've been together, but not in this one.

Draco and Blaise strolled down the stairs, talking between themselves, Draco's hand gestures appeared to show enthusiasm to what he was saying. Blaise had a smirk across his mouth, taking in everything that Draco was informing him.

Y/N watched their every move, waiting for them to join the threesome in the centre of the room. Draco found his place beside her and Blaise sat on the spare sofa to the right of them.

"It's rather cozy tonight, don't you think Y/N?" Draco spoke, interrupting the silence that everyone had previously sat in.

She nodded slowly, taking a swig of her flask. The alcohol burning her throat, she could almost feel it flow through her bloodstream.

Pansy raised an eyebrow, and then lit another blunt, "what are you up to Draco?" She laughed, handing the now lit blunt over to Blaise.

Y/N watched as he placed it between his lips, his eyes closing as he inhaled, opening shortly after when he exhaled. Y/N felt a tingle in her lower stomach from just watching the action.

"Nothing Parkinson, just noting the coziness of this room," Draco smirked, his eyes glanced to the side of Y/N's face.

He took the flask from her, forcing Y/N to let out a groan of protest, but he ignored it. He swallowed the rest of the contents in the flask, dropping it back into Y/N's lap.

Some liquid lingered on his bottom lip, a droplet close to streaming down his chin. But Y/N caught it just in time, using the pad of her thumb to collect the liquid and brush it back onto his lower lip.

Draco's gaze was heavy, a darker shade of blue now in place of the grey hue that they usually had. The tip of his pink tongue darted out, licking his lower lip slowly.

He maintained eye contact with Y/N, he wasn't tasting the alcohol— no, he was tasting her.

Y/N's breath hitched in her throat as she watched him, his eyes never left hers. But they did flick from her lips to her eyes a few times. Draco Malfoy was a tease, and she loved it.

"Let's play a game, shall we?" Theodore laughed, he grabbed everyone's attention by his sudden suggestion. Pulling Draco and Y/N out from the current trance that they were both in.

"Sounds fun," Blaise muttered, his eyes notably heavier from the drugs that he had consumed.

"How about, never have I ever?" Pansy raised and eyebrow, looking at everyone's faces to see if someone were to disagree.

"I love this game," Y/N replied, sitting up eagerly waiting for the game to start.

"I'll start," Pansy spoke, "never have I ever, had sex with someone in this room," she smirked, raising her cup to her mouth.

Everyone followed suit, it was an easy question, something to warm everyone up. Theo was next, he took some time to calculate his question, or maybe he was just slow because of the blunt he had smoked.

"Never have I ever, thought about fucking a teacher," he smirked, drinking a shot of his drink quickly.

Unfortunately for Theo, no one else agreed with him, so he was now the recipient of a room full of laughs towards him.

"You're sick in the head," Blaise laughed, almost coughing from how hard he had laughed.

"Okay, I'll go next," Blaise smiled, "never have I ever wanted to sleep with my best friends partner,"

The shots were consumed by everyone, up next was Y/N, the alcohol had already gone to her head. Igniting all of her senses, she desperately craved to be touched, her skin raising with goosebumps from the lack of it.

Draco placed his hand over her knee, his thumb rubbing circles around her skin. Y/N was grateful that a he had opted to stay in her uniform for the rest of the day.

She cleared her throat, "never have I ever had a threesome," Y/N smiled, not drinking anything as that wouldn't be true. Pansy, Blaise and Draco on the other hand, gulped their drinks.

"And no one told me?" Theo frowned, Pansy slapped the back of his head, "you're too emotional when it comes to sex Theo," she laughed.

"Fuck you Pans," he chuckled. It was finally Draco's turn, he waited for a moment, swirling his cup in his hand, watching the brown liquor almost spill off the edges.

"Never have I ever, thought about fucking two people in this room at the same time," Draco spoke, raising his head to watch Y/N's answer.

Pansy scanned the room, squinting her eyes, she shrugged and then drank her drink. None of the males consumed their alcohol, so they waited for Y/N, to see what her answer was.

Y/N felt the rooms air become heavier, almost stuffier. The heavy smell of Draco's cologne, mixing with the light touches he pushed onto her skin, made her wet. There was no more denying it, or trying to fight it off.

Y/N downed the rest of her drink, dropping it onto the table in front of her.

"How did you know?" She whispered to Draco, however she didn't look at him, she didn't want to make it too obvious.

"Your eyes give it away all the time— tell me who you want, and I'll bring them for us," his breath was close to her ear, he kissed her earlobe and leaned back, fingertips still brushing up and down her bare thigh.

Y/N knew exactly who she wanted, she didn't need to think about it twice, "Blaise," she said, now facing Draco. He raised his eyebrow, his signature smirk forming onto his lips already.

"As you wish, darling," he smiled, "I'll see you in ten minutes," that wasn't a question, it was an order. Y/N knew what he meant, 'go to my room and wait for me there'.

So she did, waving goodbye to Theodore and Pansy, who were in a world of their own.

She climbed the stairs, the adrenaline edging her already. Excitement filled her body, she'd wanted this for weeks, ever since she first spoke with Blaise. The deep, soothing voice, she instantly imagined him talking her through an orgasm, and from then on she wanted him.

Y/N made it to Draco's room, she settled onto his bed, that she had grown do accustomed to throughout these past months. She kicked off her shoes, then placing them to the side as Draco hated a messy room.

It seemed like forever since Draco had told her to go to his room. She decided to make herself comfortable, propping herself up onto her elbows and flexing her toes.

She heard muttering from outside the door, signalling Draco and Blaise had arrived. She sucked in a breath and waited for them to enter the room.

Draco walked in first, holding a bottle of fire whiskey, Blaise followed behind, he had removed his tie grasping it firmly between his fingers.

"There's my little angel," Draco brightly smiled, even though he would never be with her, he still adored her and cared for her. So every compliment he gave to her, he meant with his entire heart.

"Hi Draco," Y/N said, greeting him in a friendly voice, Draco then frowned, which made Y/N raise her eyebrow, "you're not going to greet Blaise Y/N?" He tutted.

Draco strolled over to her, grabbing a hold of her chin firmly, "where are your manners," he spat, looking directly into her eyes.

She licked her lips, a playful glint in her eyes, "my apologises, hello Blaise," she smiled. Blaise nodded, throwing his tie over to Draco, who swiftly caught it with one hand.

Draco hummed in response, nodding towards her wrists, she held them up immediately, holding them together whilst waiting for Draco to bound them.

"My sweet girl," Draco mumbled, pressing a kiss onto her forehead, he tied her wrists together, then secured them to his bed frame, "how are you feeling," he asked.

A standard question, each time they had intercourse, he needed to know how far to push her.

Y/N smiled, "perfect."

He nodded, and moved towards the end of the bed, he gripped each ankle of hers and dragged her closer to him. The harsh movements caused Y/N to let out a unexpected moan.

"Blaise," Draco said, nodding towards his friend. Y/N watched as Blaise made his way beside her, sitting on the bed so his back was facing Draco. He stroked the fallen hair out of her face, his movements were soft, just as she expected.

Draco settled onto his knees between Y/N's legs. He widened them, pushing her skirt up so her underwear was on full display. Her arousal apparent, the red underwear she wore was visibly darker in the centre.

"I can't wait for you to taste her Blaise," Draco growled, his hands gripped each thigh, spreading her legs further apart.

A hum came from Blaise, noticeably deeper than Draco's however the effect was still the same. As Draco left kisses on her inner thighs, Blaise took the time to leave wet, sloppy ones across her jawline.

Y/N's eyes screwed shut, feeling Draco's fingertips brush the centre of her underwear, he let out a breathy laugh from hearing her own heavy breaths.

Blaise quickly tangled his fingertips between her hair and forced her head up.

"Watch him," he whispered, his eyes were stern, a warning in his voice. She became intrigued to know what would happen if she didn't.

He continued holding Y/N's head up, his spare hand unbuttoning her shirt, revealing the lace red bra that matched her underwear. Blaise let out a sigh, diving forwards and kissing her chest.

Y/N's eyes never wavered from Draco's, she watched as he curled a finger underneath her underwear, the cool air penetrating her sensitive skin. He shot her a wink, and snapped the underwear against her skin, a hiss resulting in the action.

"Please— Draco," Y/N pleaded, Blaise's mouth never stopped, his teeth and tongue nipping and sucking along her chest. Leaving red and purple bruises in its wake.

"Oh, look Blaise, she's begging," Draco chuckled, his thumb ran up and down her clothed pussy, forcing the lace material against the soft skin.

"Of course she is," Blaise smirked, he pushed her bra down, revealing her breasts.

Draco took the opportunity to fully snap her underwear, leaving her cunt exposed, the warm arousal now cooling instantly against the cold air.

He leaned down, breathing against her pussy, the smell of her arousal made his cock strain against his boxers. Both of the boys movements were timed a little too well, as if they had planned this.

Draco licked a long strip up her pussy, swirling his tongue around her clit before sucking on it. Blaise, similarly done the same, swirling his tongue around her nipple before sucking on it.

The sensations drove Y/N insane, the stimulation that both boys were providing her with was unlike any other. She wanted more, she was greedy, so she would get more.

As usual, Draco groaned at her taste, dipping his tongue in and out of her hole, gathering the wetness on his tongue to lubricate her clit— not that it needed it.

Blaise massaged her breast, removing his mouth fully from it, he leaned up close to her ear. His breathing heavy, almost panting. A finger suddenly slipped into her pussy, curling instantly to stroke her g spot.

"Oh— God it feels so good, don't stop," Y/N whined, her hips bucking at the feeling. Blaise's hand held her hip down, securing her in place, "don't be impatient," he whispered in her ear.

Sweat formed across her forehead, the coil inside her threatening to break soon. Draco used this as an advantage, stretching her out with not one, but two extra fingers.

Y/N gasped, and then moaned loud, a little too loud for Blaise's liking. He shoved three fingers into her mouth, preventing her from letting out a single word.

"Do you like when he fucks you with his fingers, hmm— Y/N?" Blaise spoke, his deep voice hot against her ear.

Draco continued thrusting his fingers in and out, flicking his tongue up and down her clit.

"Answer me princess," Blaise repeated, he too began thrusting his fingers in and out of Y/N's mouth, however not as harshly as Draco.

Y/N nodded eagerly, tears forming at the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. Saliva escaped from the sides of her mouth, falling down her chin.

"You want to cum?" Blaise asked, he had a fake pout on his face, watching poor Y/N struggle against his tie.

Draco removed his mouth, leaning up onto one hand, the other still pushing in and out of her. His mouth was shiny from her arousal, he licked his lips and stared at Y/N, waiting for an answer.

"Answer him," Draco demanded, slowing his movements, Y/N let out a disgruntled moan, her eyes pleading with both boys to let her cum. Blaise removed his fingers, allowing her to breathe— and then speak.

"Please, please," her voice hoarse, tears fell down her cheeks, as Draco continued to edge her, knowing exactly how to bring her to the brink and then take her back down again.

Blaise turned his head back to Draco, "make her cum."

Draco nodded, thrusting his fingers out mercilessly, he eyed her every movement. Each heavy breath, each shake of her leg, he watched it all, he was in awe with how responsive she were to him.

"Shit," Y/N rasped, her orgasm tumbling through her body. Her legs shook uncontrollably, her mouth opening to let out a scream but it was muffled by Blaise's lips.

His tongue entered her mouth, flicking and sucking her own. Draco slowed his movements, the wet noises from her cunt, was music to his ears. He removed his fingers, pushing them straight into his mouth.

Her taste was delicious, if she'd let him, he'd do it all day, just to taste her.

Blaise's mouth left her own, leaving her breathless, he reached above her, undoing the tie. Y/N had almost forgotten the ache she experienced from having her arms stretched above her head.

"Let's put that mouth to good use," Draco said, undoing his belt and ushering her towards him. Y/N scrambled to the edge of the bed, kneeling in front of where Draco now stood.

"Tell me how you feel, darling," he whispered, brushing her crimson cheek with his fingers.

"Amazing," Y/N smiled, tilting her head back so her neck was on display. Blaise sat behind her, collecting her hair into a pony tail.

Draco looped the belt around her neck, securing it so it gave her little room to breathe, just how she liked it.

Her hands fumbled with his button and zipper, eager to please him. She heard Blaise behind her, repeating the action. Draco lifted her head using the belt, "you'll be a good girl won't you?"

Y/N nodded, the pair both gave each other a brief kiss, before Y/N was pushed down into an arch by Blaise.

Draco pulled down his trousers and boxers, revealing his hard erection. The tip oozed with pre cum, which made Y/N's mouth water.

He brushed her hair, massaging it and stroking it at the same time. Y/N jolted forward, feeling Blaise run two fingers up her leaking pussy, he collected her cum onto his finger tips and then licked it off with his tongue.

"You're right Draco, she tastes amazing," Blaise said to his friend who stood opposite him.

Draco nodded, and guided his tip towards Y/N's mouth, she happily opened it. Sucking on his tip, her tongue flicking around allowing his pre cum to dance along her tastebuds.

Blaise ran his tip up and down her entrance, she heard him spit behind her, but not on her. He lubricated his dick with his saliva, wanting a smooth penetration for him and her.

Light thrusts came from Draco, not wanting to choke her with his dick so soon. He waited for Blaise to push inside of her, her neck still at a tilt from Draco holding the belt.

Her hips were gripped tightly, a bruising grip at that, but she relished in pain, so she didn't care.

Draco nodded towards Blaise, both boys having mischievous looks upon their faces. And without warning, both boys pushed inside of her, filling her body to the brim.

Y/N couldn't even moan, all she could do was squirm around, Blaise stretched her similar to how Draco did. She could feel the curve of his dick, the veins inside of her.

She clenched around him, a groan coming from Blaise as he picked up the pace. Draco's tip hit the back of her throat, over and over again. The belt restricting her airways, forcing her to breathe through her nose.

The corners of her mouth hurt, her throat sore but she was determined. She hollowed her cheeks, flattening her tongue to take in more of Draco's dick. He didn't give her any chances to take a breath, he was now in control of her breathing.

Blaise's thrusts were brutal, his hands squeezed her ass and then smacked them. The stinging pain subsiding quickly by the amount of pleasure she was receiving.

"Your mouth— is so— fucking good," Draco grunted.

Saliva and tears dropped onto the floor below, her arousal leaking onto her thighs, she was a filthy mess.

Y/N tensed, feeling Blaise's thumb rim her other hole. She had done this before with Draco, however it still came unexpectedly. Draco noticed the reaction, and immediately told her to relax, she followed the orders without question.

She felt warm spit cover the hole, lubricating the area before Blaise could push his thumb in. His thrusts never faltering— in a way, distracting her from the taboo feeling she were about to endure.

After Blaise prepared her, he slid the thumb inside. There was a slight pain, but it didn't last long, Y/N was too caught up with what was going on in her mouth and cunt. Her entire body felt full, and she was content with it.

"So— tight," Blaise groaned, his head thrown back as he continued to pound into Y/N. Each thrust he gave her forced Draco's dick inside her throat even further.

Blaise reached around her body, rubbing her clit quickly with his other thumb. Y/N became lightheaded, her vision blurry, stars now in replacement of Draco who was in front of her.

Her orgasm tumbled through, forcing her to choke on Draco's dick. She squeezed around Blaise, as her second orgasm arrived. Her finger nails digging into the mattress below her, toes curling against the sheets.

Draco was first to cum out of the two boys, he enjoyed seeing her reactions, so his orgasm had always been nearer. He filled her mouth, some of the cum dripping out of it.

Blaise followed shortly after, pulling out and painting her ass with the ropes of his cum. Both boys letting out satisfied groans, Y/N almost stumbled forward but recovered her balance quickly.

"That was-" Y/N couldn't even think of a word, she was in a state of bliss.

Draco collected the escaped cum with his finger, pushing it into her mouth, just before she was about to swallow he held her jaw, "hold it," he ordered.

Blaise used his two fingers to wipe some of his cum off her ass, the cum threatening to drop onto the bed. But he was faster, Draco dragged Y/N's head up with the belt, so Blaise had better access.

He guided his fingers that were coated in his orgasm into her mouth. Both boys cum now mixing with her own saliva, she swallowed instantly, not giving the action a second thought.

"Rest now darling, you did so well for us," Draco whispered, brushing the strands of hair that had stuck to her face away.

"So perfect," Blaise said, kissing the crown of her head.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Y/N," Draco suggested, pressing his mouth into her forehead, he waited for her answer, but it was delayed.

There was a sudden knock at the door, angry bangs from outside the room, all three of them turned their heads to the side.

Draco raised an eyebrow at Blaise, which Blaise shrugged off.

"Next time, invite me you fuckers!" Pansy yelled, Theo was heard cursing, telling Pansy to leave them alone.

Y/N laughed to herself, after this, there would definitely be a next time, and was more than happy to invite Pansy Parkinson into the mix.