#I used to work out at home but I got a gym membership and it feels much better to just grab the keys and go leave the house

[zelkam]

I somehow developed the funniest coping mechanism that actually works, because I started working out whenever I'm stressed and now I turned into a gymbro; like I'm still stressed, but at least I'm stressed with abs 💪

[darlingdarkly]

New Year, New You Part 2

Johnny “Soap” MacTavish x f!reader

Personal Trainer AU

Just over 3.5k words

CW: dubcon!, dark fic, dark content, obsessive behavior, dirty talk, explicit language, E rated, 18+, mature themes

Part 1, 3

You enter the building, it’s noisy and busy in the lobby. Coming up to the kiosk you sign in and a new bracelet is spit out at you. You put it around your wrist and step past the lobby and further into the building. Sitting alone at a table in the smoothie alcove is Johnny and when he sees you his face lights up. You told yourself the night before, somewhere between coming down from your Johnny fueled orgasm and the drifts of your dreams that the first day was a fluke.

They’re all trained like this, to seem super bubbly and interested in you. It’s a ploy, a sales tactic, it’s to get you back in the door, have you pay that membership fee so you’ll be the center of attention of this super attractive, highly magnetizing flytrap. If you were a man there’d be an extremely fit, ultra flirty woman counterpart to come over and hyperfixate on you until you caved and bought a membership for the hopes of getting your hands in that tight little sports bra and the gym raked in another sucker.

They probably pay them extra too, some kind of bonus or sales commission for the trainer who racked up the most membership fees that month. Johnny was just trying to meet his quota and you were fresh meat. You ignored the empty pit that had formed at the center of your chest with this epiphany and told yourself you weren’t even mad about it. It was a ruse, clear and simple but what they didn’t know was that they weren’t gonna make a sucker out of you, that was for sure.

If Johnny was gonna use you, so be it. The joke was on him, he’s gonna put all this time into you and when your two weeks were up you’d be gone. The first thing he said to you was “Homework?” With his hand out, like there was some physical object you were meant to place in his hand. You were pretty sure he had given you a few sets of exercises to do, physical activities. Not paperwork. “Yeah, I did it.”

He looked up at you, head tilted like a dog. “Proof.” You laughed, a trill little nervous sound. What could you possibly have to be nervous about? Pleasing him? Being in some sort of trouble with this man you just met yesterday? But you couldn’t exactly shake the feeling. “I… I don’t.. have proof. But I did it.”

He sighs and gestures for you to sit down. You pull the chair out and sit across from him and he leans forward muscular arms on display as they rest across the tabletop. “I’ll let it go this time, since ye didn’t know but when I assign ye homework I expect proof.” You take your gym bag strap off your shoulder and set it down beside you. “Proof like a log book? Or something?”

The grin that grows on his face is gorgeous but condescending. “Can cheat a log book can’t ya hen? No. I need video evidence.” Your jaw drops a little. “You want me to videotape it?” He nods and smiles. You consider this, it’s a little strange, but you guess you can do that, prop your phone up and videotape your evening workout assignments. “Ok.”

He sits back in his chair and you relax. You go to get up and he adds. “One more thing, hen.” You stop and sit back down in the chair. “Got a few questions before we start today and I want ye tae be as honest as ye can. Can ye do that fer me?” This sets you a bit on edge but you nod in agreement.

The questions start out basic and non intrusive. Have you ever worked out before? Ever worked with a personal trainer before? Then they grow a bit more personal. What kind of home do you live in? Do you have any family living with you? A boyfriend or husband? Roommates? You answer them slowly but honestly.

Then the questions take on a more medical standpoint. Do you have any allergies? Any health problems he should know about? Are you on birth control or IUD? Are you sexually active? You look around to see if anyone is paying attention to your conversation but it seems not to be the case. Your mind is trying to process an answer to that last question but before you even can he looks up from where he’s been recording your answers in his phone and asks “When’s the last time you orgasmed?”

You're dead quiet. Did he just ask you that? Your ears must be deceiving you. “I’m sorry?” He doesn’t even smile, just asks you again. “Orgasm. When was your last orgasm.” You cough at the utter vulgarity of it. “None of your business.” He chides you, like you’re a child. “Nothing to be ashamed of, lass. I’m yer personal trainer.” He says it like it holds the same weight as being your physician.

When you still don't answer he begins to explain. “Yer body lass, is a very particular beast. It needs balance. A very carefully curated balance of nutrition, regular exercise, mental and emotional inputs, creative and productive outlets, and a series of stress and tension releases, among other things. As yer personal trainer it is my job tae make sure yer body is in balance and yer living as healthy and fit as I possibly can. Yer sexual health is as important as yer mental and physical health, and I’d even go as far as to argue it’s an integral part of an adult’s mental well-being and stability. We’re both adults here lass, so I’ll ask ye again. When’s the last time you had some real resease?”

Your mouth is dry, and as you sat there and listened to him you felt a little ashamed of yourself, thinking he was being lewd by asking you these, on the surface, seemingly crass questions when in reality he was just doing his job. Trying to be to the best of his ability as attentive to your needs and as thorough at his job as he could. You felt suddenly compelled to apologize for being perhaps rash and accusatory, jumping too quickly to conclusions.

Your next instinctual thought is the one you jump on, pure honesty and your cheeks flare with heat as you say it. “Last night.” And while you had been honest to try and save some sort of face you come to immediately regret your decision as the professional, serious demeanor he’d donned to pry the answer from your lips drops. His eyes are shiny devious lights, lips turning upwards at the very corners, bright white predatory teeth flashing at you from the parted lips, wolfish in their grin. He leans forward and you feel your heart beating louder in your chest as his eyes hold yours, locked and daring, his hands disappear from the tabletop.

When he speaks next his voice is fundamentally different, almost like you’re speaking to a different man. His voice is gruff, tone a whole octave lower as he growls out from his chest in a voice just loud enough to float to your ears. “Dirty girl. What were ye thinking about hmm? Did ye think about me while ye touched that pretty little pussy?” He must see the way you feel reflected across your features because his eyes darken and he continues on.

“Aye. It was me wasn’t it. What’d ye think about me doin’ tae ye. Did ye think about mah fat cock in that tight little cunt? Bendin’ ye over and sliding in til’ I’m buried to the hilt?” You felt the palm of his hand glide up over the curve of your knee, his fingers wrapping around the width of your lower thighs as they snaked up your leg while he poured filth into your ears.

“Or did I have ye on yer back, legs spread nice and wide while I feasted in the valley of yer thighs til’ yer eyes rolled back and ye were scremin’ mah name tae the heavens?” Your jaw dropped of its own accord and he smirked, fingers squeezing the meat of your leg as he held you captive with his eyes.

“Aye that’s it then.” Your mouth closes and opens like a gaping fish as you try to get a grip of the situation and stutter some kind of refusal. Some kind of response that will make you regain control of the conversation but the sudden change of direction, the pure whiplash of it puts you at a loss for words. All you seem capable of doing is yammering out meaningless syllables and the starts of words. “You- I didn’t- Wait-“

But he’s not done and he silences you as his fingers brush the hem of your sweats. The shudder that runs up your spine is violent and makes you twist in your seat, unintentionally bucking into his touch.

“Nothin’ tae be ashamed of hen, I thought of ye too last night. Fist wrapped around mah cock as I thought of that sweet wet little gob of yers. How pretty ye’d look on all fours fer me. We’re gonna have a lot of fun, me n’ you.”

With that he stands, hand removed from your leg and you didn’t miss him quickly adjusting the growing tent in his gym shorts as he rose. He leans over the table and your head cranes back as he leans in close. “Go get changed. I’ll see ye in the gym, it’s time for our first session.”

You finally manage to collect yourself in the girls locker room. Luckily it’s mostly empty as you slide your sweats off to find your panties ruined. How had it gone so sideways? You came in determined to outplay him and instead you find yourself wet and hanging onto every single one of his words like some kind of filthy slut. That’s the only word for it, you feel like a filthy little slut. Just the pure audacity of him, to speak to you in the most vile and shameless way, had you soaked.

It was the thought of him, thick cock in hand, stroking it with slow languid strokes as he dreams of you on his knees in front him, your hand replacing his, the look of pure ecstasy in his eyes as he watches you take him down your throat for the first time, bobbing your head up and down his- STOP. This is not helping. This is exactly what he wants. But it doesn’t make it easy to push the fantasy from the forefront of your mind (because actually getting yourself to stop imagining it is impossible).

You finish dressing, zip up your gym bag, place it in the locker and leave as you watch the red light replace the green. He’s waiting for you in the open gym by the free weights and when he sees you there’s a content little smile on his face, like he wasn’t just wrecking your entire train of thought with nothing more than dirty words and a hand trialing up your thigh minutes ago.

You get the first word in, you know it’s the only way you’ll be able to control the conversation, if he speaks your whole argument may crumble to dust before you’ve gotten your point across. “We need to set some boundaries. You can’t just speak to me that way. It’s inappropriate and unprofessional and I won’t stand for it.”

To your surprise he just smiles and agrees, which deflates your sails completely. But you showing up after yesterday and staying for the session even after the “inappropriate and unprofessional” talk when you arrived was all he really needed to know. He’ll let you tire yourself out like a horse with bit in its mouth for the first time. Wild horses must be broken.

“If we’re going to do this then I want you to treat me with respect and decency. Do we have an agreement?” He stands there with his arms crossed over his chest and a neutral expression on his face, and the pause he leaves between your demands and his answer makes you feel a little like a child throwing a tantrum. “Aye, lass. I’ll treat ye with all the decency and respect ye deserve. Are ye ready to get started now?”

You nod and he motions you over to a matted area of the room, free of weights and other objects so you can stretch. Something you think would go like him demonstrating and then you imitating while giving you verbal pointers, but no. It actually means he shows you once and then makes you imitate it and if it’s not exactly how he did it he comes over to you and rearranges you.

Hands all over your body pushing down on your lower back for proper push-ups, hands gliding up your legs all the way to the undersides of your ass cheeks to straighten your legs for proper toe touches, he’s sitting on your feet for your sits ups, claiming your feet are wobbling too much, leans in way too far while you’re coming up so you’re face to face when you do and you catch him several times staring at your lips, his own slightly parted, even having to tell him you’ve done your last set of ten when he was supposed to be keeping count.

When you’ve finished what he calls your warm up he explains the next steps in a proper session. “I wanna work on yer flexibility. We’re gonna have ye doin’ full on splits by the time done with ye.” And he’s smiling and laughing like it’s some sort of secret joke between the two of you.

You sit on the mat, legs spread out before you in a comfortable V. Slowly he begins to spread your legs wider and wider. They come to a natural stop and he gets between them, using those toned strong arms to push past their limitations. Your brow furrows as the burn in your hips intensifies. “Johnny, s’too much.” But he keeps going, pushing on your inner calves, stretching them wider. You roll onto your back and think that he’ll stop but he doesn’t, just climbs over top of you and continues to push. His crotch presses up against yours as he continues to split you. “Johnny!”

“Just a wee bit more, lass. You can do it. Doin’ so good fer me.” And you hate the way the praise sinks into your skin and soothes you. He’s stopped pushing, just holds your legs at this shockingly obtuse angle you never knew you were capable of achieving. You’re whining and whimpering, the ache and burn of your legs fills your mind, all encompassing and excruciating, you can feel tears forming at your waterline, threatening to spill. “Johnny, please!” And he finally relents, slowly releasing the tension on your thighs until you’re breathing heavily and lying limp.

You have time later, at home in bed recounting the events of the day, to imagine the absolutely scandalous sight the pair of you must have made. Your back on the mat, Johnny practically mounting you on the floor of the open gym as he spreads your legs wider and wider while you whimper and whine as cries of his name and “it’s too much” fall from your lips. It’s enough to make your face heat with embarrassment but also make you extremely wet.

He doesn’t move, still slotted obscenely in the space between your thighs, your legs wrapped loosely around his waist as he rubs soothing circles into your hips. The burn in your legs is slowly ebbing to a dull throb and as you lie there you wonder just what you’ve gotten yourself into but he doesn’t let you marinate in your thoughts for long as he rises and extends a hand to help you up.

What follows is him shuffling you around to numerous machines you’d have been too shy and un-knowledgeable about to try on your own, instructing you how to properly use them, the muscle groups they worked on, and setting your weights and reps for. He was very adamant about the rule of three. For the first session it was important to establish a baseline to follow, a minimum amount of each exercise that you were fully capable of carrying out. You could push your limits later but for now he wanted at least three sets of each activity.

And through it all you found that you were actually learning a fair amount about exercising that before seemed daunting and out of reach. You thought that maybe, with his help, you’d actually be able to accomplish some real tangible goals, results you could see. He finished off where the whole journey began, you on the treadmill, he set you off on a jog and spoke to you as you began to move.

“I’ve got some things tae handle, hen. I want ye tae try and keep jogging the whole time I’m gone. Do ye think ye can do that fer me?” You nod, and he walks up to the side of the machine, standing there until you look over and catch his piercing blue eyes. “Yer not just cheating yerself when you slack off, yer cheating me as well and trust me I’ll ken if ye do. I always get what I’m owed, bonnie.”

The threat in his tone chills you but he smiles as he says it and you wonder just what sort of consequences might come with a thing like that. You decide then that you’re not quite ready to find out and with that he leaves you to it.

He’s not gone long. Ten minutes tops and while you’re tired and had slowed to a lighter jog at times you know you had done as he asked and was sort of glad with what you’d been able to manage. He gets you to stop and congratulates you on a fine first session. Even pulls you in for a hug, despite the sweat that’s collected on your skin. It's longer than you’d have liked but at least he’s not outwardly groping you.

He takes you down to the smoothie alcove, orders you a smoothie and has you sit down. You take his offer immediately, glad to be momentarily off your feet. He brings you your drink and lifts one of your legs, unlacing your sneaker and pulling your sock off. “Johnny what are you doing?” He placed your shoe and sock on the floor by your chair and begins rubbing your foot. “Dinnae want ye tae be too sore to workout tomorrow. The first session can be very taxing on the body. Build up of lactic acid in yer muscles and ye’ll be cryin’ tae me tomorrow about why ye cannae come in. Cannae have that now can we?”

You sit forward as much as you can with your foot in his hand. “Actually I need to talk to you about that, I can’t come in tomorrow, I’ve got a huge work thing and I’ll be staying late to help prep the presentation for it.” He hums and switches feet, getting your sock and shoe off before he answers. “Ye can still do yer homework and send it in, I’ll give ye my number. I wanna see the same thing ye did last night on video this time and I wanna see ye practice yer stretches, ye ken?”

You nod in understanding and he begins working up your leg towards your calves, you bite back a moan at the painful but magical sensation. “And I wanna know about these things ahead of time. I’m a flexible man bonnie but I need tae fit these kinds of changes in yer schedule in advance.” You say you understand and even thank him for being so understanding, which brings a huge cheeky grin to his face.

He gets behind you and massages your shoulders as you finish your drink and the feeling of his warm hands on your shoulders and back have you on an erotic edge that you feel uncomfortable with in such an open setting. You quickly finish the last of the smoothie and rise from your seat. After you’ve said your goodbyes and he’d given you a card with his number on it you head for the locker room and begin undressing. You unlock your locker to find your gym bag unzipped and open.

It gives you pause, you’re almost certain you did not leave it this way, you’ve always had the habit of rezipping your gym bag after changing. You quickly rummage through it but find nothing missing. Phone, keys, wallet. Everything was there. You shake it off and label it as a mistake. You must have left it unzipped when you were changing and still flustered from your first little chat. Swinging the bag over your shoulder you leave the locker room and head home, waving to Johnny on your way out the door.

[salsasvault]

this popped up into my brain and i decided to write it instead of my paper due on monday

nsfw below, mdni

gym!ghost x reader

tw: pervy simon, mentions of stalking

It was the new year, meaning the collective motivation to be better than the year before was flowing through everyone, including you. The past year had been a whirlwind, and so celebrating the new year felt right.

Like most, you decided this would be the year you focused on yourself, that 3 am motivation to change your life coursed through your veins and so you impulsively bought a gym membership.

You had joined the gym once, trying it out for a couple of days then shying away, all the different equipment required far too much learning and you simply didn't have the time. But this year you felt motivated enough that you would try.

And so on the first day, your membership was activated you made your way over to the local gym, dressed in the new sportswear you had bought the weekend prior.

Parking your car you walk in, a small bag in hand, still unsure what you're supposed to bring to the gym, so you settled with a water bottle and a change of clothes.

At the front desk, you're greeted by a man in his late 40s, he went over the basics, where everything was, how to get in if there was no staff, and the basic rules.

After your introduction you headed to the lockers, securing your bag inside, you popped your earbuds in, the playlist you made especially for today filled your ears, and you headed straight for the treadmill.

Sure it's stereotypical for a first-time gym goer to only use the treadmill, but you just needed to get a lay of the land and so what if that's the only thing you did while you were there, who really was looking?

Simon joined this gym a few months ago, after getting stir-crazy in his small flat, he thought what better way to spend his leave than working out?

With nothing to do, during every leave, he would come to the gym, spend 2-4 hours doing whatever he felt kept his body sharp, then he’d head home, eat, sleep, and repeat. It was a grim cycle, only interrupted by Soap's persistent invites to local pubs and deployment. That was until he saw you.

A normal Tuesday for him, he had been in for roughly an hour when you walked in, it was a small local gym so they rarely got newcomers however because of the new year it was to be expected. He paid no mind, not even a glance at whoever had walked in, and went back to whatever workout he found himself doing.

That however didn't last long, mid lift his eyes caught sight of the shy little thing on the treadmill. One of the only women occupying the space. You were dressed in basic workout clothes but he'd never seen them look better on anyone. He could tell you were shy, unsure of your surroundings by the way your eyes darted around the room, taking in every machine, each person.

You were trying to acclimate yourself and wasn't that cute. A slight smile played on his lips but he didn't let it last long, going back to finishing his set.

He continued his workout, observing you at every chance he got, and by the end of the hour it looked like you had enough and were headed to leave. He watched you wipe the sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand, his mind thinking about you wiping your mouth the same way after he'd filled it.

He mindlessly shot up to follow you.

After an hour on the treadmill, you decide that was more than enough for one day, especially your first day. And so you wiped at any sweat gathering on your forehead and headed to the locker room.

The gym had showers but you weren't too comfortable using them just yet. Though this gym was uncrowded, it consisted of mainly men and you were unsure how you felt about that.

You open the locker, get your stuff, and close it, only to be startled by a man you hadn't heard come in.

"Sorry! Didn't hear you come in." tensing immediately, you nervously laugh. He was at least 6'2 maybe 6'3, towering above you.

"S'alright didn't mean to startle ya'" His reply was smooth, voice deep. "It's no problem." You give him a smile, standing awkwardly, unsure of where this interaction was going.

After what felt like a couple of awkward minutes, he talks again.

"Just wanted to introduce myself, Simon Riley, saw your new 'ere and thought having a friend might help." He gave you a soft smile, one that seemed genuine, not like the countless creepy ones you've received during your short time here, and so you relax, just a bit, thanking god that he wasn't fully a creep

"Oh thank you! that's really nice of you, it'd be nice to have a familiar face."

"Since you're new, how about next time you’re in I'll show ya' around, show you the basics, help ya' out? Couldn't help but notice you stuck to the one machine, nothin' wrong with that just might be better to see what else is there yeah?"

Your cheeks heat just a bit, you hadn't clocked anyone staring at you, but then again you hadn't noticed him when you initially surveyed the area. You were still weary but the offer sounded good enough, nothing too bad.

"Uh-yeah sure! That sounds great actually, thank you, Simon."

"S'no problem, see ya' next time." He doesn't so glance back, abruptly leaving. You wondered how he would know when you'd be in next, considering this gym operated on a different days for everyone basis. But you shoved that aside, he probably had one of the fancy passes that allowed him in whenever, and based on his body, it's safe to say he was here often.

With the interaction over you push the slight heat creeping up on you down, leaving to head home for a hot shower.

Simon couldn't have imagined that going any better, he didn't quite realize what he was doing till it was done.

The moment you opened your mouth he swore he hardened right there and then, the sweetest voice he'd heard. He knew he intimidated you, saw the way you were weary, a couple of his best-mastered smiles and he had you relaxing into his grip.

Who else was going to protect you against the number of creeps that littered the gym?

And the way you said his name? He couldn't let you go after that.

If he broke into the gym computer to find your billing address, what days you come in, and your number, who's to know? And if he finds out everything else he can about you, like your name, birthday, social media, and access to the cameras he's discovered outside your house, really it's just a matter of getting to know you.

And so what if after a couple of weeks of coming to the gym, the panties you bring with you start going missing?

Simon's bleak life's been given a mission, that mission being to make you his.

[eclectic-sassycoweyes]

Been thinking a lot about not only TK using Carlos’ bicep as his personal ‘emotional support bicep’ which 🥹🥹🥹 - also thank you and creds to @paperstorm for making the huge contribution to the whole entire fandom with this description -

But, also about the whole thing from Carlos’ perspective and how Carlos reacts to it, and feels about it, makes my stomach do a little swoop every time I come across a gif from either the wedding ep or the scene where they’re waiting for news on Marjan

Like, I’m thinking about semi-lonely, tense pre- and during season 1 Carlos needing someone, not just to love and be loved by but to take care of and hold and be there for🥺 Like we all know Carlos must work a lot to maintain those biceps and of course this is probably for his own sake bc he likes them, and to be good at his job etc but,,

He’s obviously gotten some attention from it, guys who finds him sexy and maybe likes a little power play

And he can appreciate that especially when ‘guys’ are in fact TK who enjoys it and wants him to use his strength a little bit to press his hands into the mattress above his head: (🔥)

Or to ‘twist his arm’ 😏😏

But more than that S1 Carlos longed for his body (huge bicep) to be appreciated in different ways. To be the one that someone (TK) needed to be held by, to be the shoulder (bicep) that someone (TK) could cry on, and lean on (both figuratively:

And literally:

- He needed to be that for someone (TK), to take on that role in a healthy, loving relationship. And he certainly got that from TK. But he got even more than that, more than he could have dreamed of, bc with TK he’s also become a shoulder (bicep) to sleep on:

Not just in the domestic privacy of their own home, but in public, among a wonderful new group of friends and family:

As well as a shoulder (bicep) to both lean on and rub their thumb back and forth on for self soothing:

In short, that work paid off exponentially as he got to be someone’s (TK’s) ‘emotional support bicep’. 🥲

And what completely gets me is the way he’s so casual about it in this last one. Like I imagined the first couple of times Carlos in his head would have been like ‘oh, okay, my bicep is now your pillow, I see, I’ll stay as still as possible or react in some way like by kissing your hair or something or move so you’re more comfortable’, and ‘oh okay, you’re not letting go, you really must love that bicep, I’ll buy a permanent gym membership and think of that ever time I work out, this bicep shall be forever dedicated to your needs’ while in his head being all 😳🫠🥰😌🥹🥹🥰

But now he barely reacts, it’s so natural. He just barely registers that ‘oh, my adorable, emotional boyfriend (husband😭) (TK who I know in and out and who know me the same way😭) is (once again/per usual😭) reserving my bicep for emotional support reasons while he cries on me, imma let him do his thing while I grab his ankle, both to comfort TK,’ - but also bc while TK needs to physically lean on someone (Carlos) when he’s emotional (or sleepy, or just, it’s right there anyway), what Carlos needs it something (someone) (TK) to hold on to, to tether himself to bc it’s overwhelming for him to lose control of his emotions.

And TK is the perfect rock for him because he’s not only so open about his emotions, and an adorable kitten boyfriend (husband), but because he’s also and at the same time incredibly strong and prepared to catch Carlos at any time😭

The naturalness of it all just says so much about how long they’ve been together and built their relationship, how well they know and how comfortable they are with each other and how they’re perfect for each other and fit together like two pieces of a puzzle! There are some thoughts here about different kinds and ways of embodying ‘masculinity’ and vulnerability but I’m not nearly eloquent enough rn to go into that..

Anyway, with TK, Carlos, now without even giving it a second thought, has gotten the relationship he dreamed of and more, has gotten exactly the appreciation for his strength and body (biceps) that S1 Carlos longed for and worked so hard for, and gets to take on the role in his relationship that he needs and be who he always were and I’m just 😭🥹🥹🥰🥰🫠 slowly melting away over it.

[our-marvel-universe]

Fitness

Pairing: Ari x Reader

Warnings: None

Summary: You are planning to cancel you're gym membership but then you meet Ari

WC: 1.6K

A/N: This is for Navy & Roo's @the-slumberparty this was from a generator or prompt list before the challenge actually started. My prompt was Active.

That's it you were done. All the new year, new you nonsense was over.

You used to spend so much time setting resolutions, unrealistic ones at that, not meeting them and then beating yourself up about it. But you were different now. Thanks to all the work you'd been doing on yourself, mentally and emotionally, you were in a much better place. You were learning to love the body you were in and you wanted to take better care of it. No you didn’t have any weight loss goals. What you wanted was to move your body in ways that felt good. To build up your strength and endurance. You wanted to be stronger and you couldn’t do that if you were feeling self conscious in a gym full of people.

Once you realized it was the gym itself that made you nervous you found alternative ways to work out. You’d started working out at home with short YouTube videos and were going on lots of walks and even a couple short hikes. Who needs those fancy confusing machines? Not you. Which is why it was time to cancel this membership. To be honest you signed up online last year and never even stepped foot in the place. It was an unnecessary expense, but not anymore!

Unfortunately they wouldn’t let you cancel online so you are here to do it in person. Maybe as a treat you’ll go out nice for dinner. After all, you'll have an extra $35 bucks a month in your pocket once you got this sorted.

Going up to the door you're almost knocked over by some gym bro rushing out. Yuck . This is exactly why you are leaving too much testosterone.

As you enter you take in the place there is pop music playing over the speakers. Lots of cardio machines and weight machines and of course free weights. But there's something about this place that's different. You expected to see an endless sea of muscle tees and hear lots of grunting from John Cena looking guys. Or smaller guys who imagined they could look like John Cena if they tried hard enough. But today in this gym there were a lot of women. A curious number in fact since there was a women's only gym on the other side of town. At least you thought there was.

Huh, maybe it closed. Shrugging to yourself you start to make your way to the front desk.

On your way you pass what you assume to be the smoothie bar. Behind which a handsome dark skin man with bright eyes and an easy smile is making drinks for about 5 different women. Huh, maybe you’ll grab something on the way out.

You’re waiting at the front desk for someone to help you. You would go ask smoothie guy but he’s clearly preoccupied…

“Hi, can I help you?”

Turning around every thought you had drifts out of your head as you lock eyes with what could only be a beautiful figment of your imagination. 6’2” maybe 6’3” shaggy brown hair and a thick beard. You’ve never really been into beards before but he might change that.

“Are you alright? Can I help you with something?”

Ok so you didn’t cancel your membership. In fact you had signed up for personal training sessions. You didn’t plan on it but you and Ari got to talking; he was so kind and patient when you told him about your concerns. How you weren’t sure how to use the machines and didn’t know which workouts to do. You couldn’t believe you were being so bold and honest with him, but you’re glad you were.

After you confessed everything to him he offered you 3 complimentary personal training sessions with him. Since you didn’t like the crowds he offered to meet you later in the evening after the post work rush. On your first session with him Ari took you through every machine in the gym and taught you how to use them. He’s been nothing but kind, encouraging and supportive ever since you met.

“Great work!” Ari said as you finished your last rep.

You’ve been working with Ari for about 2 months now, doing 1 private session a week and coming another 3 times on your own. Working out was officially a part of your regular routine, and you were in the best shape of your life! You could feel yourself getting stronger and your confidence was obviously growing.

Private sessions or not, Ari always seemed to find you. You had a sneaking suspicion he was going out of his way to talk to you. In fact this session tonight was an extra. Usually you meet with him on Mondays but he said he had a cancellation and offered you a Friday slot as well.

“You did amazing today!” Ari said before wrapping you up in one of his big bear hugs and spinning you around.

“Me? I couldn’t have done any of this without your help”

“No, no way I just guided you a bit here and there you’re the one who put in all the hard work.”

Ari was always saying things like that, how strong you are, how dedicated, how beautiful. If it was anyone else you’d think they were sucking up so you would keep coming back, but Ari? He was being nothing but sincere.

He’s still holding onto you, your arms are wrapped around each other, and he's looking down at you with his beautiful blue eyes, and he’s so tall you have to tilt back your head so you can meet his intense gaze. The moment is heavy and you start to think that maybe…

There's a loud bang in the gym, probably someone dropping the squat rack on the ground too hard. But the sound breaks the tension. Ari clears his throat and takes a rather large step away from you. “

Seriously great work today, why don’t you head home, I can clean up here.” He says as he starts to wipe down the equipment you were using.

“Ohh um sure, I’ll head out then. I’ll see you next week?”

“Yeah definitely!”

As soon as you turn off and head to the locker room Ari is kicking himself. Christ, there goes yet another opportunity to ask you out and he botched it..again! The guys keep bothering him about it, apparently the entire gym staff knows he’s harboring the world's biggest crush on you. And all the extra pressure from his staff is not helping his nerves.

Ari has never in his life had a hard time talking to women but something about you, he gets so tongue tied and nervous it’s not like him at all. A minute ago when the two of you were standing there wrapped in each other's arms, God it felt so good to hold you like that it took all his strength not to lean down and kiss you. But then he chickened out of course. Ughh he’s got to think of a plan. Maybe it would be easier if he just texted you…? No he’d rather do it in person, like a gentleman, he just didn’t know what he was going to say.

Ari’s at the front desk with Sam, one of the other trainers. The gym is usually slow on Friday nights so the two of them just have to wait for the few stragglers that are here to finish their workouts and then they’ll head home.

He thought you might have left already but you stroll up to the desk looking absolutely lovely in a different outfit than when you came in.

“Hi” You say smiling at him “Hey Sam” You acknowledge the man next to him.

Sam gives a quick “Hey” back before giving Ari a gentle nudge and heading to the other side of the desk so he can look busy with paperwork while still eavesdropping.

“Hi, did you need something before you go?”

“No, actually I wanted to ask you something,” You take a deep breath before verbalizing the question that’s been burning on your tongue for weeks, “Would you like to go out with me sometime?”

For a split second Ari is convinced he heard you wrong. For a moment he’s convinced this is one of his many fantasies about you, but he quickly recovers and gives the only logical answer.

“Yes, yes I would love to go out with you.” His smile is so wide it almost hurts, and you have an equally wide grin across your face. You try to reign it in just a little bit. Right now you have the overwhelming urge to squeal and jump around but you’re pretty sure that might make Ari change his mind.

Calming your inner turmoil you look to him and say “Great well, I don’t know if you’re free this weekend at all but...”

“Actually he’s free right now” Sam interrupts.

“You sure man?”

“Yeah, I’m sure, we close in an hour anyway, you two go out and have a good time” Sam waves the two of you off.”

“OK it looks like I’m free now” Ari says with a chuckle. “If that works for you?”

“Yes, that definitely works!”

“Ok, there's a really good Mexican place right up the street. We could walk there if you want?”

“Mexican sounds perfect.”

“Ok then, after you.” He says as he gestures for you to lead the way. You head towards the door figuring he’ll catch up. Ari steps around to the front of the desk wrapping his knuckles on it before whispering a quick “thank you” to Sam. With his long legs he catches up to you quickly and by the time you make it out the front door the two of you are holding hands as you leisurely stroll to your destination.

Thanks so much for reading!! Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Have an awesome day! <3

[katzchai]

private session for free // seo changbin x reader

pairing: seo changbin x reader contains: fluff, personal trainer seo changbin, date invitation

"okay, maybe it's not that bad." i said to myself while looking at my reflection in the glass doors.

i've moved to a new city a month ago and i've finally built up the courage to get out of the apartment after work and try a new gym. back in my hometown, i'd visit the gym once a week for the fitness class and i loved it. perfect amount of a workout and fun.

if someone would try to call me a gym rat i'd laugh in their face. do i like going to the gym? like the actual gym? hell no. i always hated the PE classes at school and i still remember all the times when the coach would scream at us because we couldn't hit the ball right or run for longer than 5 minutes without a break. it wasn't until the coach got sick in the middle of the last semester and we got a new PE teacher that i started to enjoy something gym-related.

our new teacher introduced us to fitness and she would hold one class a week. that was the only time i had fun. after graduating and starting a job i decided to try fitness in my free time and it became a part of my friday. everyone would go to clubs on fridays but me? i'd get my bag and go straight to my favourite gym in the city.

now after moving for a new job, i had to find a gym in the city that's not only close to me but also feels good - the right vibes have to be there - otherwise it's not fun at all. i did my research on maps to see where the closest gym is and i found one 5 minutes away from my apartment so after work i went home, grabbed my bag and i came here.

now, as i'm standing in front of the doors i'm thinking if i'm at the right location. everything inside looks so - black and white. no character to the place and i'm rethinking my decision to come here. but hey, momma didn't raise a quitter.

as i'm opening the doors and stepping into the gym i hear lots of very upbeat music. "okay, i can still turn around and go back home." and as i'm about to turn around a lady behind the desk pops up. 

"hey! welcome to hitshOt, the only gym in the city where nobody judges you. is it your first time here?"

"yes, hello. i was thinking about signing up for the gym membership."

"awesome!" the girl behind the desk has a name tag and while i'm coming up to the desk i read that her name is dabin. "we don't offer any free trials but we offer the best equipment and the best personal trainers so i'm sure you'll find something for yourself here."

"oh actually, do you offer any fitness classes? i'm not interested in the typical "macho" stuff. i prefer something more... fun."

"i'm so sorry but we don't. we're in the process of firing more staff and maybe one day. but hey, you can go in and take a look around and if you decide to stay you can pay me once you'll be going out." am i disappointed? yes. this is the closest gym to me and the ratings were high but if there's no fitness this is not a place for me.

"well... i'm sure the gym is amazing but no thank you. i'm not interested. to be honest with you Dabin i hate working out in a gym because it seems like everyone is waiting for you to fail. i'll keep an eye on your website to see if there are any fitness classes in the future though."

as i'm picking my bag from the floor i can hear a strong voice behind me. "who said that the gym is only for the typical "macho" stuff? i'm pretty sure you can do anything in there and have fun." i turn around and see a very muscular guy who is definitely at the gym almost 24/7 - i mean who has arms like that and doesn't go to the gym? "do you think that maybe you could give the gym a chance with me?"

"and who are you?"

"changbin. i'm a personal trainer here and before you say anything - i'm willing to get you on a private session with me for free. i've got time since the person who was scheduled didn't show up and i can show you around and maybe you'll decide to stay with us."

"and what if i don't want to try out the gym with you?"

"i can take you out for a coffee and convince you that working out can be just as fun as fitness."

shocked i start to wonder why this guy is so keen on getting some one-on-one time with me. i won't lie he is handsome and i'm all for the meet-cutes but something seems fishy.

"i can see you haven't decided yet, so i'll be in the cafe next door," he says and walks up to me. when he stands next to me he whispers "the coffee and the private session will be on me, beautiful. no matter what time."

and what do i do? i say bye to dabin and walk out of the gym and head to the cafe. you never say no to a free coffee. and a private session with a "macho" like that.

[katnisspeetaprim]

B.S Standards pt.1

Kim namjoon/Reader

Summary: Ever since moving to Korea to be with Namjoon, the high standards for beauty have been taking a toll on your self esteem...

Warnings: Body image, swearing, over exercising, vomiting, pregnancy

Word Count: 1728 M.list

Before moving to Korea you never had any issues with the way you looked or even your weight. You knew you weren’t the skinniest girl in the world, but you still loved yourself. That was until you moved to Korea and found that most high street stores didn’t even carry your size. This caused you to pretty much have an internal breakdown, having not realised just how strict their beauty and weight standards were before hand.

Namjoon had been amazing, doing his best to make you feel better about the situation. He was silently cursing himself for not having the foresight to warn you about the sizing in stores, not having really had to deal with it himself. He’s always been skinny so it just wasn’t something he needed to worry about.

‘Babe if they don’t have your size then we don’t need to give them business.’ He’d reason with you with you as you stormed out of another store, embarrassed beyond belief.

‘Besides, there are so many online options! Will you stop!?’ Namjoon had to jog to keep up with you, having to grab your arm to force you to a stop.

‘That’s not the point Joon!’ You snapped, taking him by surprise when you ripped your arm from his grasp.

‘It’s humiliating to be told point blank I’m too big to shop somewhere...’ Your voice got softer as you spoke, defeat clear in your tone as the emotions finally caught up to you. Namjoons face softened when he saw just how much this was effecting you. To him, you were beautiful, the most perfect woman, and it was breaking his heart that his own countries standards were making you doubt that. He glanced around and noticed that you had caught a few peoples attention with your outburst. Namjoon took your shoulder and quickly guided you to a more secluded section of the street before speaking.

‘Listen to me.’ He was stern as he grabbed your hands. You refused to meet his gaze, trying hard not to cry.

‘You don’t need these high end fancy clothes to be beautiful. If these places wont even cater to bigger sizes, then they aren’t worth your time.’ He gently tilted your chin up so he could see your face.

‘Should I try to loose weight?’ You mumbled meekly, eyes watering as the question fell from your lips.

‘Hey! I don’t want to hear you speak like that!’ Namjoon snapped, immediately wanting to shut that down. Your eyes widened at his harsh tone.

‘If you want to loose weight, you do it for you! Not some bullshit standard!’ he grasped your arms tightly as he spoke, more tightly than you are sure he meant to. He knew he may have been a little sharp, but it was what you needed to hear.

‘I do want to do it for myself...’ You trailed off, trying to convince yourself more than anything. Namjoon thought over your words for a few moments before sighing, releasing your arms to rub at his face.

‘If that’s what you truly want, then let me help you.’

Over the next few months, you had been working overtime in the gym. You had basically taken over a spare room in yours and Namjoons home and turned it into a home gym, spending more money than you wanted to admit to. You’d bought all different kinds of workout machines, not even really knowing how to use most of them when they arrived, but you quickly managed to figure it all out thanks to helpful YouTube tutorials. It would have been a lot cheaper to just get a gym membership, Namjoon had even offered to introduce you to his gym, but that would mean working out whilst other people, strangers, were present. Whilst you knew that other gym goes most likely wouldn’t pay you any mind, you didn’t want to deal with the anxiety that would come with a public gym.

Namjoon had been supportive of you trying to loose weight. He’d even been helping you just like he said he would, joining you for your workout’s and giving you different sets to work through that worked well for him in the past. He would then always make sure that you were eating properly afterwards too.

You definately noticed the difference, already dropping a whole dress size thanks to your nearly constant exercise over the past few months and not to mention the dieting, but it wasn’t enough for you yet... You needed to fit into those clothes that you couldn’t before.

‘Y/N?’ There was a light knocking on the door to  your gym. Pausing your workout, you turned to see Namjoon pushing through the door.

‘You’re still working out? Have you not stopped since I left earlier?’ Namjoons face scrunched up in concern as he checked the time on his watch. He had to run to his studio earlier to help Yoongi out with a new track. He popped his head into the room before he left so he knew you were working out for a while already. He had been gone for around 2 hours so he had expected you to be finished and showered up by now, but here you still were.

‘I took a short break, but I’m not done yet.’ You were breathing heavily as you spoke, exhaustion winning you over. You cringed as you caught sight of yourself in the mirror. Your face was beat red and drenched with sweat, not to mention your hair, which was sticking out in all different angles.

Your whole body ached, all you wanted to do was rest and relax. It didn’t help that you were also feeling nauseous all day, but you knew you had to push through it. You took a step towards your weights, when suddenly your head became fuzzy, causing you to loose balance and nearly toppling over.

‘Y/N!’ Namjoon was quick on his feet as he rushed to steady you.

‘This has gone too far. You need to rest.’ He demanded, not willing to take no for an answer. He grasped onto you tightly, almost fully holding you up by your arms.

‘I’ve been feeling so tired and sick the past few days...’ You trailed off, finally giving in to your body. A pained groan slipped from your mouth and you grasped your forehead as a wave of pain shot through.

‘And you’re making yourself worse by pushing so hard.’ He shook his head as he lead you towards the bedroom.

‘I think I’m gonna be sick!’ You suddenly blurted out, pushing away from him roughly and darting to the toilet, just as bile began to build up in your throat. You made it just in time to let out the contents of your stomach into the toilet.

You felt Namjoon come up behind you and start rubbing your back as you continued to throw up.

‘Maybe you should see a doctor Y/N, this isn’t good.’ Namjoon was no longer angry, now he was just worried. Surly over exercising wouldn’t cause you to throw up like this, so something else must be going on.

‘No, no doctor. I’ll be fine.’ You forced out before another wave of vomit came up. Namjoon decided to let it go for now, knowing there was no use arguing with you when you were like this. For now, he would do his best to make sure you were taken care of.

You weren’t fine, in fact over the next few days, the vomiting and fatigue only got worse. After almost a week of this with no signs of stopping, Namjoon suggested that you take a pregnancy test.

‘You can’t be serious Joon!’ You stared at him wide eyed as you sat up in bed.

‘I’m dead serious.’ He stared down at you, face hard and unmoving. ‘When you refused to see a doctor I looked up your symptoms and it makes sense.’ You rolled your eyes as he explained but you said nothing, not wanting to believe that what he was saying could be true.

‘Please just humour me Y/N.’ You looked over to see him pulling a home test out of a pharmacy bag. You stared at the test in disbelief.

‘Joon are you insane!? What if someone saw you buying that?’ You exclaimed.

‘I don’t care about that, just please.’ He pleads with you , holding out the test for you to take. You looked at it for a moment before sighing in defeat. Using the small amount of energy you had left, you forced your way out of bed and snatched the test from his hand.

‘Wait out here.’ You grumbled as you walked into the en suit bathroom. Namjoon just nodded, not wanting to push his luck since he’d finally gotten you to agree.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and dropped his head into his hands. Neither of you had really talked about having children. It was like a silent agreement between the two of you that focusing on your careers was the most important thing right now. Though Namjoon couldn’t stop the small smile appearing at the thought of having a baby with you.

He hadn’t even noticed you leaving the bathroom until the test was thrust into his line of sight. He jumped back and glanced up at you, unable to read your expression, before looking back down to the test. 2 pink lines stared back at him.

‘I guess you were right.’ You trailed off nervously, not really sure what to think in that moment.

Namjoon stared at the test, mouth agape, before transforming into the biggest grin possible. He was up in a flash and pulling you into the tightest hug, taking you by surprise.

‘Y/N this is amazing news!’ You could tell from his tone of voice that he was over the moon. You had always thought that you wanted kids, but now that you had worked so hard to loose all your weight, you couldn’t help but think about how you were about to put it all back on.

‘Yeah...’ You whispered back, wrapping your arms round his neck. More to comfort yourself, rather than a happy embrace. You couldn’t let him know you were upset. You wouldn’t let your own insecurity ruin his chance at having a happy family...

[nobedofroses]

December 17th

pairing: pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x reader

warnings: fluff

words: 1.6k

a/n: oops, this one got long too, but Joel and a bookshop, how could i not just keep writing? picture prompt from @toomanystoriessolittletime's winter writing challenge ❄️

more Joel, Full List

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He always came in alone. Well, except for his daughter, Sarah. But every week, without fail, the two of them came in for your story time and then browsed and read for around another hour afterward. 

It made you wonder if he was single. Or maybe his partner worked on Saturdays or liked to sleep in or hated books or any other reason why he was always alone. You had snuck many glances at his left hand ring finger (in case he had forgotten to wear it one day but had it the next week) and there was never a ring. Never even a tan line, and he had been tan in the summer. 

You wondered if he worked outside or just liked to spend a lot of time outdoors. He had these big, functional muscles that made you think they came from his line of work rather than going to the gym multiple times a week. Besides, who had the time with a five year old at home? 

They were easily your best regulars, only missing it one or twice outside of when it was canceled due to holidays. But, aside from small chats with Sarah, you knew less about them than people that came half as much. Which only made you more curious, more interested. 

During the story and if there was an activity afterward, you were always focused on the kids, but as soon as everything was packed away and you went back to your duties as a member of staff, it was all you could do to keep yourself from following him around the store. 

You still caught yourself staring, taking several minutes to shelve one book left on the “decided not to buy” cart if it was remotely in the same section as he was. And since you were the de facto staff for the children’s section, in charge of restocking, tidying the toys, and answering questions, whenever Sarah had a question she came right to you. 

She was an adorable and smart child and it melted your heart every time he referred to her off handedly as “baby girl.” 

You had known his name, Joel, since one of the first times they came in because he had a membership and never had his card on him, so you had to look him up by phone number and confirm with his name. And technically, he must know your name too since you told everyone before every book you read. But you don’t think he had ever used your name, only ever telling Sarah to thank her “teacher” at the end of every story time. 

If only you could work up the courage to talk to him, then you were certain that fate would take control and the two of you would end up finding out you had great chemistry and were compatible and go on dates and you could definitely be a good stepmom, you were sure of it. 

But months went by and you never said more than a couple words to him. You were worried that soon enough Sarah would age out of story time and they would stop coming. Or at least that they would stop coming when you were working and you would never see them again. 

Then in December, when you were working your Friday morning shift, Joel came in, just himself this time. You had been putting away finger puppets that had been abandoned on the floor and when someone said your name, you turned, all of them still in your hands. And then when you saw it was Joel, you promptly dropped them all. 

Quickly bending down to pick them up, you nearly knocked heads with Joel, who was doing the same thing. The two of you had the puppets in their bin in a minute, and then you stood up again, your face and chest and neck burning with embarrassment. 

“Thank you for helping,” you said quietly, just glad your voice didn’t shake. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Joel said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking sheepish. Which, you decided, was a very adorable look on him. “I left work for a couple hours to do some Christmas shoppin’ and figured I should come here today without Sarah so she won’t see me buy all her presents.” 

You smiled and nodded, “That’s smart, um, is there anything I can help you with?” 

“Yeah, that’s why I was comin’ over to talk to you. Honestly, Sarah asks for the books that “teacher” reads all the time and we don’t have any but a couple, so I wanted to see if you have a list or somethin’ that I could just get her favorites from,” Joel said, his eyes intent on yours, making your heart do something funny. 

“Um, yeah, I mean I don’t have a list already typed up or anything, but I know most of them off the top of my head. I can just start grabbing them and you can pick from the stack, if that’s okay?” you offered, hoping that he wouldn’t be annoyed that it was going to take longer. 

“Sure, that’s perfect. I can hold them while you search,” he offered with a smile that made your tummy swoop. 

From there, it took about ten minutes to get all of the books that you had read in the past couple of months and could remember right away since they were in different sections. Then there were a few that Joel prompted you for, like “the crystal book” that was about geodes, or “the worm book” that was about compost. 

During the fifteen minutes or so it ended up being, the two of you talked more than you ever had in the previous eight months. It was still pretty surface level talk, but you did find out from a passing comment that he was raising Sarah alone and you let it slip that you were single as well. You also discovered that he was a contractor, which explained the muscles. He asked you if you were happy with your position and you told him you were, that you loved introducing kids to reading and just getting to spend time with them because they were always so interesting and funny. 

By the time he had chosen ten out of the twenty books you had gotten from the shelves, you were way less intimidated by talking to him and even the tiniest bit hopeful that it would happen more often in the future. 

And then he surprised you, “I don’t want to overstep or anything, and I know you’re at work and this is weird so feel free to say no, like, we’ll still come to story time and I won’t make it uncomfortable or anything—”

You had been very confused at first, wondering why he was rambling on since that really didn’t seem like something he would typically do, but when you actually paid attention to his words, you wondered if maybe he was trying to ask you out. 

Gently, you interrupted him, “Joel, I promise I’ll listen with an open mind, don’t worry.” 

He shot you a self-deprecating smile and you got butterflies, “Well, I was just wonderin’ if you’d let me take me out to coffee— dinner, I mean, or a movie or somethin’. To thank you for all your help today.” 

You couldn’t help the grin that came to your face and you nodded, “Yeah, I’d like that, I’d, um, really like that.” 

Joel smiled back and the two of you couldn’t stop after that, looking at each other and getting that tingly, excited feeling the whole time you were ringing him up. Once he had paid, you offered to help him carry his books out as an obvious ruse to spend more time with him because with arms like his, ten children’s books were probably like carrying a pillow. Joel thanked you for your help but didn’t actually end up giving you any of the books to carry so you opened the door for him instead. 

When you got to his car, his hands were a little full since he was also carrying a coffee you had made him at the little cafe inside, so he asked, “Actually, could you grab my keys? They’re just in my inside coat pocket.” 

 You swallowed thickly and reached forward to grab the keys, fingers brushing his abdomen when you did and then you unlocked his truck for him. Once he had leaned in and set the books and coffee down (which exposed a delicious sliver of his tummy to you when his shirt rode up), he stood right in front of you, crowding into your space just a bit. You loved it. 

“Thank you again, for everything. I’ll call you soon so I can get you that dinner,” he said, speaking softer than in the bookstore since there was nothing around to overpower his words. “Just need a day when I can get a sitter. Or if my brother is willing to give up a night at the bar.” 

You laughed lightly but said, “I don’t want to cross any boundaries, but I wouldn’t mind dinner with you and Sarah if it comes down to it.” 

Joel smiled knowingly and said, “But if Sarah’s there, I can’t do this.” 

And then he leaned in, holding your face gently with one hand, and kissed you. It wasn’t very long or very deep, but it was very warm and it made little fizzes of excitement spread through your body. 

He pulled back partway like he was going to stop and then kissed you again instead, and this time your hand came up to his chest, needing to steady yourself at least a little bit. Then he really did pull back and swept his thumb over your cheek, no doubt feeling its warmth and you smiled sheepishly, “No Sarah then.” Joel laughed, “No Sarah.”

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[starlitmark]

Summary: You’re vocal about how much you appreciate him going to the gym. He wants to show you how beautiful your body is to him. Pairing: Jacob x fem!reader Tropes: established relationship au Genre: smut Rating: R 18+ Warnings: implied body image issues, language Smut Warnings: body worshiping, protected sex, praise kink Word Count: 1,167 Host Tags: @sanjoongie @thelargefrye Before You Interact February Filth Masterlist

Listen to ♡ IT’s You by Ateez

Jacob’s been going to the gym consistently with his friends Eric and Kevin for several months now. The progress he’s made is noticeable and completely drool-worthy. Of course, you’ve always talked about getting in shape. Not that you’re unhealthy. It would just be a good outlet for your physical and mental health. There are, of course, days like today when you feel like utter shit about yourself. Jacob is out with his friends at the gym, and you’re just home. You could join a gym membership and go, but you always have an excuse. The primary one is that you don’t want to go alone. Could you join Jacob? Yes, but you don’t want to be the tag-along girlfriend. Jacob has even offered to have you join the three of them. Still, that insecurity block stands in your way. 

You busy yourself with tidying around your shared apartment. However, what was originally tidying became a deep cleaning. As you grow hotter, you change into a cropped tank top and a pair of loose shorts. You’re quite literally on top of the kitchen counter, scrubbing the top shelf of the cupboards when Jacob gets home.

“Hi, love.” He chuckles, kissing your thigh lightly, “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” you shake your head, “I just wanted to clean. How was the gym?”

“Same as always. Shower stalls were open today, so I got to shower before coming home.” He smiles at you, “You only ever clean like this when stressed. What’s on your mind, love.”

Jacob wraps his arms around your legs just below your butt and pulls you down to be stood in front of him. You turn around to face him properly and see his concerned expression. His eyes search yours for any sign of what the issue may be. You look away and start picking at your fingers. Jacob quickly takes your hands in his and stops you from picking. Your eyes travel across his body, noting how muscular he’s become, especially in the last few months.

“You’re taking care of your body so well, and it makes me anxious knowing I could be doing something about taking care of mine, but I just don’t. I know it’s completely my fault, but I still can’t help it.” You admit.

Jacob smiles softly and kisses your forehead, “I think you’re perfect the way you are. If you really do want to start working out, you know the guys would love to have you join us.”

“But what if–”

“What if nothing.” He cuts you off, “If you want to join us, then you’ll join us.”

Jacob wraps his arms around you, holding you tight against his toned body. You sink into his touch and finally start to relax. That lingering insecurity about your body still stays in the back of your mind. Your boyfriend knows you better than anyone; he still senses the tension in your body.

“Let me show you just how beautiful I know you are.” He nearly whispers.

You look at him and see the genuine love in his eyes, “You just got home, though. Aren’t you tired after your workout?”

He shakes his head, “No, let me show you how damn beautiful you are to me.”

Jacob leans down and kisses you softly. Even if the kisses are fluttery, barely there, you can feel the emotion through your soul. He squeezes your body against him again. Your hands wander up his arms and wrap around his shoulders. His muscular body makes a shiver run down your spine and settle in your core. Jacob easily lifts you up and carries you to your shared bedroom. His lips stay on yours in a soft yet passionate kiss as he lays you down on the bed. You can feel how hard he is against your thigh. The only time his lips leave yours is when he finally strips you of your clothing. 

“So gorgeous.” He muses under his breath, “So damn gorgeous and all mine.”

He starts to trail kisses all over your body. Any bare skin he can reach is immediately covered in kisses. Each kiss is tender and conveys a million emotions in one action. He kisses down your jaw to your chest, across your belly, and all over your legs. Each time he places a kiss, he pauses for a moment to look at you, ensuring that you’re still comfortable.

“Jacob,” you practically whine as he kisses your inner thighs.

Jacob places a few more kisses just out of reach of your soaked core before looking at your eyes again. His pupils are blown wide with pleasure, even if he’s not on the receiving end. 

“Everything okay, my love?” He asks softly.

You nod and shift your hips, “Just need you. Right now.”

Jacob chuckles lightly before standing up fully. He starts stripping, and you happily watch as more and more of his muscular body becomes visible to you. As he tosses the last item of clothing off to the side, he turns toward the bedside table. He roots through it for a moment before pulling a condom from the drawer. Your eyes stay locked on his cock as he rolls the condom down his shaft. He groans at the feeling before turning back to you and quickly finding his place between your legs. You whimper as he grinds against your pussy for a few moments. You’re wet enough that you don’t need prep at all, and feeling him grinding against your bare folds doesn’t help at all. 

“You ready, beautiful?” Jacob asks, a moan invading his tone slightly.

“I need it, please!”

Jacob smiles at you before pushing into you. He drops his head to kiss your breasts. The kisses are wet, and there are small shiny spots that are left behind by his spit. 

“So beautiful, I’m so damn lucky to call you mine.”

Jacob thrusts into you slowly, ensuring you know how loved you are. Despite the motions being slow, you feel the slow burn of arousal run through you. Jacob praises your body, whispering sweet somethings. The insecurities you were fixated on earlier are nowhere near your mind right now, not with how Jacob worships your every curve, edge, and mark. You feel his fingers slip between your bodies, toying with your clit to help your orgasm along. 

Your orgasm burns through you slowly as if each nerve in your body is lit like sparklers. You hear Jacob groan as he stills inside you. He pulls out a moment later and quickly removes and knots the condom before tossing it in the trashcan near your bed. He turns back to you and kisses you all over your exposed skin again.

“You believe me now?” He asks between kisses.

You giggle lightly and lace your fingers in his hair, “I don’t know if I do.”

“I’ll just have to keep doing this over and over until you believe me then.”

“I could think of worse things.”

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[dee-the-red-witch]

Tw: weight loss talk. Dysphoria. Transmisogyny.

This week was... rough.

The monthly deposit from my gfm had to go almost entirely to rent. Which means despite clearing nearly half my goal, I actually have zero put aside for when I'm in recovery. And I don't know what to do about that whatsoever. I'm having to support three people entirely on my own, anmmwith a job and a setup that was never meant to do so.

Thanks to said surgery requirements, I ve also had to souble down on working out. 20 lbs to go to get under the weight limit for the utterly fucking idiotic requirement set by the anesthesiologist. Only last week the apsrtment complex gym flooded, which means it's shutbdown for repair for weeks, and I'm stuck using anregular local gym membership. Gym used to be my meditation. A spot of peace away from a constantly chaotic home. Now it's big, constantly full of people, and given I'm stuck in one of the more cis and conservative suburbs... i feel like the freakshow display. Even knowing everyone around me is just focusing on their own shit, I can't help but feel like I'm under observation. Which isn't helped by shit like tonight's session. When I got the membership, I was assured I'd be fine using my preferred locker room. Appsrently allowed doesn't include not havingna female employee I hadn't meant previously follow me back to the lockers and spend the whole time while I was changing doing the worst job of spot-cleaning the counters andnkeeping a direct line of sight to the locker section I was standing in. I never even go past the first bay of lockers. Just in quick enough to get my warmups off ao I'm down to shorts and a tank top, throw everything including my purse into the locker, lock it all up and go. I don't use the bsthroom there and I've never even gone back far enough to see the shower or locker room.

And no I'm not looking for advice. I'm venting. I have done nothing to deserve being treated like this. But when I needed just a space and peace and a good workout, I ended up in an overcrowded environment, treated like a monster, and given my home situation, there hasn't really been anything to make me feel any the less freakish.

And finally? It's becoming more andnmore clear that I need out of my present livingnsituation. For a number of reasons I don't want to go into here. Which means trying to find somewhere local, affordable, stable and at least not actively hostile, and that has enough space for me to work. And to probably have to do it before my surgeries.

And again, I have no idea how I'm going to do any of this.

Leaving reblogs on, because yeah, this is the shit trans women put up with at times. Even in 'friendly' areas. Which is probably worth reading and understanding for someone? No idea.

[double-detonation]

Double Detonation Chapter 4

Using my quirk at my feet, I accelerated forward faster than I ever thought possible, screaming, "Katsuki!" I caught him before he could land face-first on the concrete. I sat on my knees, holding him up in a sitting position while he coughed up some gunk. I cringed at the sight, patting his back gently. I didn’t really know what to say, my body was shaking as pros closed in on us. Katsuki groaned and turned his head to look at me, a small smirk forming. I looked confused as he spoke, his voice a bit rough from the near suffocation he just endured. “T-told you, th-at, you could move faster.” I frowned in annoyance. “ARE YOU SERIOUSLY JOKING AROUND RIGHT NOW!” I shouted, smacking him gently on the back of his head. He hissed. “Oi, what the hell woman!”

The pro heroes start praising my brother’s quirk for the sheer power he showed when he was captured. No, please, stop encouraging him. His ego is already big enough as it is. I groaned to myself. I looked over, hoping to spot Midoriya. Once I spotted him, I got up and walked over to him, frowning at his expression. “You moron, do you have a death wish!” The walking twig shouted at him. OH HELL NAW. I quickly moved my way over. “There was absolutely no reason to-” I pushed the man with white hair to the side, standing in front of Izuku. I crossed my arms and glared at both of them.

“I don’t fucking think so. There is NO way in hell I’m going to let you talk to Izuku like that!” I growled, looking back at Midoriya with a small smile before scowling back at the two men. “He was the only fucking person who tried to help my brother in there!” I spat. “You should be ashamed of yourselves! You both are heroes. You should be setting an example rather than chastising someone who acted more like a hero than you lot today!” I finished, turning back to Midoriya, seeing him standing and fiddling with his fingers with a small blush on his cheeks.

I walked over to Midoriya, giving him a gentle hug. “Thank you Izuku, I owe ya one, okay?” I smiled at him, causing his blush to deepen, turning him into a human strawberry. “I-I didn't really do anything m-major, it's okay! You d-don't owe m-me anything!” He stutters, waving his hands around nervously. I chuckle softly at his antics. “Seriously though, if you need something, just call me.” I waved him goodbye, heading back towards my brother.

“C'mom, let's go home ‘Suki,” I said, starting the walk home. Katsuki looks at Midoriya with a fierce glare before following.

It has been about a week and a half since the incident. Also, the same amount of time when I decided I was going to fully train my quirk and my body like I was supposed to. The feeling of not being able to do anything when someone I loved was suffering…never again. I started using my allowance money to pay for a gym membership. I purposely chose one that was an hour away so I could get in a good run every other day. I didn't really work out in my past life due to health issues, but damn it felt nice being able to run without dying from exhaustion. 

My favorite part of the gym has to be the rock climbing course. I can't just go around parkouring things without getting into trouble, but here, I can do it as much as I want. Though the adults watching get mad at me if I try to do stupid shit, joy killers. I try to improve my time on the course every time I come but sometimes I rush a bit too much and fall, ruining the run. Speak of the devil. “Ahh shit!” I yelled as I missed my footing, and fell on the floor padding. “Damn it!” I shouted in frustration. Knew I should have gone for the closer stone. “That could have been my best time yet,” I grumbled into my hands.  

“Woah, dude you good? You fell from the top level.” A guy's voice spoke. A hand reached out towards me.

Hearing a voice next to me, I looked up towards them. My eyes widened at this guy's very familiar appearance. Crimson hair and eyes…oh shit. “O-oh um, yeah I'm good,” I replied, taking his hand. He pulls me up, giving me his signature toothy grin. “That's good, even with the padding it can be easy to sprain your ankle or something.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. Shit, am I seriously meeting one of my favorite comfort characters in person…BEFORE I EVEN ATTEND UA! Kazumi panic mode has been initiated, requesting backup.

I chuckled nervously, starting to pick at the skin on one of my arms subconsciously. “A-ah yeah, that would have sucked, my name's Bakugou K-Kazumi.” I stuttered, offering a slightly shaky hand to greet him properly. God damn it nerves, stop it, you're fine! I swear his eyes fucking sparkled at the gesture. Ugh, why is he such a fucking cinnamon roll in real life too!

“Sweet! I'm Kirishima Ejirirou. Are you new here? I haven't seen you at this gym until recently.”

Recently!? He's fucking been here and I haven't noticed! “N-no I'm not, I don't live near here, I live about an hour or so away. I just use this gym as an excuse to make me run.” I explained. 

Kirishima looked a bit shocked. “You run here for an hour!? Do you also run home?”

“Yup, though I don't go to the gym every day.” I'm too damn lazy to do that.

“Damn dude, I'd be too exhausted afterward to go running home, and I live nearby, respect man!” Kirishima laughs wholeheartedly with his sharp teeth showing, making me smile softly. “When do you normally leave?” He asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Eh, about 7:30. Gives me enough time to be home before curfew.”

Kirishima looks excited for a moment before calming himself down. “Would ya by any chance want to spar some? I- haven't really got many friends that would be willing to go to the gym with me- it's okay if that's a no tho!”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket for a second to check the time. I still have about an hour before I have to leave. I shrug, shoving the phone back down. “Sure why not.”

I regret agreeing to this.

I thought I was getting better at hand-to-hand combat fighting Katsuki. But God, he was kicking my ass, and that was without his quirk. Kirishima sent a quick, and hard kick to my side, making me kneel down, gasping for breath. I was on the floor panting, fuck. I almost wonder if Katsuki has been holding out on me, but I know he wouldn't do that. Fucker is too prideful to not go full strength. I held my hand up to signal a stop. “J-Jesus Christ red, what are you made out of.”

“S-sorry didn't mean for it to hurt that much.” He laughed nervously as he helped me up. “I got thick skin, even without my quirk.” 

I already knew what it was, but if I was going to build any friendships with anyone, I can't just be some weirdo who knows almost everything about them right away. “If you don't mind me asking, what's your quirk?” I asked gingerly, knowing it was a rather sensitive topic for him.

“Eh..my quirk is Hardening.” He replied with a voice that was a bit solemn, holding out his arm, turning the skin into a rock-like texture. “It's not very flashy but I'm aiming for the hero course of UA, which is why I'm here training.” He said, looking at me. “What about you?”

I frowned at his tone. Poor baby needs to build more confidence. “Mine is called Explosion. As the name suggests, I can make explosions with my hands and feet using my sweat.” Kazumi explained. “I would show you but…I would rather not accidentally blow anything up right now, sorry.”

“It's all good man, but I definitely want to see it one day, it must be pretty flashy if it's explosive!” Kirishima exclaims, his eyes widening slightly. “Oh shoot!” He pulled his phone out, unlocking the screen to the contact list page. “Mind if we swap numbers since you live far away? I'd love to keep in touch.” He asks, handing me his phone.

My face lights up at the thought as I make a new contact. I click the camera button, taking a quick selfie before typing in my phone number. This is exciting! The only people I have on my phone are my family and Midoriya. I finish up the information and hand the device back. “Text me and I'll save the number,” I said as I picked up my backpack. Kirishima and I walk towards the exit, the sliding glass doors open and we step onto the sidewalk.

“Bet, it was nice meeting you Bakugou!” Kirishima smiled, waving me goodbye as I walked off. I nodded, lazily raising my arm to wave it. “Yeah, you too,” I said, stepping up the pace into a sprint as I headed home.

I huffed as I made my way through the door. Hearing a notification from my phone, I threw myself on the living room couch and dug out my phone from my pocket. “Hey, it’s Kirishima! Thanks for the great day!” I smiled widely, instantly typing him back. “No problem man, I had fun even if you were kicking my ass.” I sent a message back with a laughing emoji. What I didn’t realize was that Katsuki heard me coming home and that he was currently behind me, watching.

“What the fuck, since when did you use emojis, and why are you smiling so goddamn much.” He demanded, throwing so many questions at me unexpectedly. Hearing his voice, I jumped, closing my phone with a slight blush. “N-none of your business! Stop stalking me!” I shouted.

Katsuki narrows his gaze at me, a shit-eating grin forming. “OLD HAG, KAZUMI HAS A BOYFRIEND.” I jumped again at the volume, my eyes widening. “Katsuki!” I yelled, jumping over the sofa to tackle him to the floor. A woman's voice from the floor above shouted. 

“WHAT!?”

Ending note: Hey everyone, sorry that this chapter took a bit longer to write than the others. I took a bit of a break last week since I was a bit tired from work and didn't have the motivation to write. I did start, but I never finished and I hated it for a while because I was unsure of what I wanted to do for it. I figured it out tho so I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

[i-know-you-wanna-kiss-me]

life update because i ♡ oversharing:

i'm basically not moving in with my grandmother. but it's okay!! i made the decision myself because i'm literally a baby and i love being around my brother, i'd miss him too much and i have fun at home. i have the option of staying at the school im currently enrolled in or moving to a few different ones, or doing it online. i haven't figured it out yet. i was doing soooo well when it came to working out in may-june but the weathers been so bad lately so i'm just going to have to get a gym membership. luckily for me, my tiny town has like four different gyms for no reason. literally doesn't even take ten minutes to walk from one end to the other, idk who's going to them. i think i'll pick one in our neighbouring town because its in a hotel and my brother goes there and he says its nice. going to gradually build up my dream wardrobe. i need to throw away a lot of stuff. my room is a mess and i have clothes to donate and also lots of clothes to wash. going shopping next week and getting my hair and nails done. school starts at the end of august for me. cried because i missed my sisters today. its hard without them. my younger brother screamed at me for sitting beside our mother because she said that she didn't want anyone too near her. i guess he thinks that it's hypocritical because she said that to him and then didn't mind me sitting right beside her, but she just meant that he was too close to her and kept leaning against her. he got angry at me anyways. he thinks that i'm better loved. other than that he's been nice to me. my other brother asked me to buy him some skin care products the other day. he said that i have nice skin and that i'd understand what would work well for him. then we talked about how your skin can look nice but not really nice in the way that it glows. i got him some witch hazel and different serums and face washes and creams. drank my fav sparkling water and got made fun of for it. sorry but its nice. i have a mild cold and im on period, so it's a lose lose situation. and i just remembered that i'm going away for the weekend, so im supposed to swim. it'll be fun. i don't want to go out so i'll just be left in the hotel room to order room service and stuff.

the nail inspo that i'm using xxx

[aurumacadicus]

Just saw a post of a TikTok saying cardio/running doesn’t make you skinny and as someone who runs regularly I want to add something without derailing the post.

Most of the thin people you see in pictures/on podiums were thin before they started running. If they weren’t, they also changed their diets substantially in conjunction with their exercise. People who run competitively or do long distance running want to be as fast as possible and to do that isn’t just physical; it’s caloric, too. To run long distances and run them well requires fuel. Every time I pick up running again (I’m a fair weather runner, I hate being out in the cold), because I don’t eat before my run, I am starving by the time I get home. Yeah you’re burning calories, but extended running is a strain on the body. It’s why long distance runners carry snacks (nutrient-dense stuff made specifically for running) that they eat at certain points of their runs to make sure they have the right amount of fuel for their bodies.

My older sister, when she trains for marathons, has bought a meal plan to make sure she gets the right amount of food for the distances she goes. I have a copy somewhere I can get a picture of to show you if you’re interested. The food is healthy but it’s also calorically dense. Carb loading isn’t a joke, it’s something common in long-distance runners. My mom has made offhand remarks that she’s surprised my sister isn’t skinnier with all the running she does and I’m just like. Have you seen how much she eats? She’s constantly trying to top her marathon PR and to be fast as fuck you’ve got to be fueled as fuck. This year she’s training for a half-Ironman so I get the feeling if she’s not working out she’s going to be eating.

So like. I’m sorry if I ever made you think I ran to lose weight and that you could too. I run because my sister runs and we like to do it “together” (she zooms around the track and waves each time she passes me, I huff and puff and feel accomplished because I did something, we finish at the same time and complain about the same fucking insects that bothered us). I run because it doesn’t require a gym membership, just a good pair of sneakers and a sports bra, which I already own. I run because I like the way my legs look after I build muscle on them. I run because I also have a drive to beat my 5K PR and have dreams of running a 10K.

I do not run because I want to be skinny. That’s just setting myself up for failure. I burn three hundred calories maybe when I run and I eat it all back because I’m not in a position to change my diet right now. And I’m okay with that.

[naamahdarling]

I need to walk for health because I'm not loving how I feel, but I over-exercised as part of my ED so exercise triggers my ED thoughts (including suicidal ideation) and the risk of relapsing is Real. Searching for a solution that won't push me into relapsing OR turbo-charge my dysphoria OR enrage me has been upsetting in a way I don't know if anyone who has not had an ED can understand. If you know, you know.

So I finally thought about the zoo, and it was such a great idea. It's perfect. So I went and got a zoo membership two days ago so I can just go whenever and I probably should not have spent the money but boyfriend made really good tips this week and offered to cover it, and it occurred to me this one thing does ALL of the following for one (1) entire year:

I can access a very walkable space.

Place to go when I am restless but can't afford to go back home for a while.

Not a gym.

My hearing-impaired ass will be safe from car traffic.

No dogs.

No people on bikes that I can't hear.

Not jostling for space with joggers/bikers/etc. on those overly narrow public park trails and sidewalks, which makes me hate my body even more.

It's very very safe. No harassment, no crime.

Very few other people visibly exercising.

Less people Looking At Me (they are mostly busy Looking At animals).

Lots of bugs.

Many plants.

Things to touch.

People-watching.

Place to draw many things! <- Main appeal.

Non-zookeeper staff there is mostly queer! And when they learn you are queer they tell you which animals are gay.

It's the penguins. They have gay penguins.

Sneps.

Stared at by tigers -- all the intensity of being about to die with none of the fear!

Smells smells smells! Stinky smells, good smells, food smells, flower smells, lots of animal smells.

Lots of personal space. Hand sanitizer everywhere.

No music outdoors.

Train?! Train!

Petting zoo.

Will acclimate me to weather and sun over time.

Free! Ish.

I can go and just take short trips if I want.

Picnic area.

Access to attached huge nature park and educational/rec center.

Can bring a friend.

Cheap admission to many other zoos and aquariums.

I have raging ADHD and don't have the dopamine to spare on exercise for exercise's sake. Some of you will know what I mean, will understand that this is. Just. A terrible hurdle.

Downsides:

Sunscreen. Blech! (Lotion is heavy and hurts to apply and remove but spray works.)

Long drive, I live across town. (Can't change that but I can get up earlier.)

Lots of glass and I hate reflective surfaces. (A Challenge, but I can hopefully cope.)

It is hot outside a lot (but that's true of anywhere not indoors, and there's tons of shade and benches and indoor areas).

That's it. Those are the downsides.

Our zoo is good. It used to be really bad when I was little but over the last 20 years it has been revamping everything, the new enclosures are gorgeous and enriching. It isn't depressing to be there. It's nice.

We went today and had a great time. It felt way better not trying to see everything in one go, and I'm not tired or sore. I just feel good.

I just...wanted to talk about this. How hopeful I am today, to have not just solved a problem but maybe snatched a little happiness for myself for a while. To potentially make any further headway on an ED at this point, 15 years or so out, is pretty remarkable. There's pitfalls to watch for but this is so much better than anything else I've considered.

Maybe I will get bored of the zoo. I don't know! But I think that will take a while.

Look at this bad picture of three snep siblings lolling like housecats:

Not gonna get bored of those mighty beans.

[lonelysatoru]

one piece characters as goodwill workers

Luffy

somehow became a team lead (nobody knows how)

before he was a team lead he used to always get in trouble for always going into the breakroom for a “quick snack” (a full meal and 15 minutes laughing at the gc)

he used to never show up to work on time until he forced his roommates to come work there (roommates being zoro, sanji, and ussop)

hasn’t gotten asked to close since the time he fucked up the counting machine i the cash office so bad everyone was stuck there until 11:30pm trying to figure out how to fix it so that the store manager wouldn’t kill them (the cash machine was broken for months after)

works best in hardline

works morning shift bc that’s when sanji comes to work

usually works door because he’s super friendly and can carry a bunch of stuff inside at once

sorts through donations slow bc he gets distracted by the cool stuff

also isn’t allowed to price anymore bc he once put a vase worth $2,000 on the floor for 5.99 bc he thought it was ugly and didn’t think to look it up

whenever they get secret shopped and he’s at the door they get high scores

when ever he has to roll carts he takes forever because the regulars like to stop him and talk to him (and he could talk forever)

got banned from dressing the mannequins because he’d put the ugliest shit known to man on them for a good laugh

got employee of the month once and never ever let anyone forget it

songs along to the songs that play over the speakers EVERYDAY, regardless what song it is

uses the company card to buy food for everyone

is the person that buys cupcakes for a employee birthday or milestone 🥹

zoro

is also a hardliner

he’s only allowed to do sorting tho bc he’s rude to the people at donation door

their lowest score was when he was at the door in luffy’s absence (made a side comment about someone donating their garbage, or as he called it, useless shit)

got wrote up BAD for that too but he didn’t care

he’s better at sorting than luffy is bc he doesn’t get distracted and thinks a lot of the stuff is trashy

also always shows up to work on time and doesn’t ever miss a day

pretends to be annoyed when luffy sings along to the songs over the speaker but got super concerned the one day luffy didn’t sing along

has never gotten employee of the month and despises it so much bc sanji always makes fun of him for it

disappears for a realllyyyy long time every single day to go to the bathroom (goes to sleep for 20 minutes)

got in trouble for taking super long bathroom breaks so now he cuts his breaks down to 15 minutes and doesn’t get in trouble for it bc they don’t have the employees to fire him

usually works afternoon shifts bc that’s when ussop comes to work

only works there bc luffy begged and bribed him with the fact that they offer gym memberships through one of their programs

got banned from using the intercom bc during closing he got asked to make the closing call and went “attention goodwill shoppers. if you’re still in here at 8pm you need to get your shit and go. i wanna go home”

always takes his lunch with ussop bc he works in the front and is always willing to take him to go get something to eat if he’s still hungry after the lunch sanji packed

hates closing bc the people that show up around that time don’t leave fast enough for him

whenever he has to grab price checks from the front customers stare at him bc they think he’s hot

got made fun of by luffy bad when a grandma tried to set him up with their granddaughter after he helped her take her stuff out to the car

is the guy the cashiers call to grab stuff from top shelves

sanji

is a PRICER in hardline

works very quickly and efficiently bc he doesn’t like getting in trouble and wants to impress the store manager (happens to be nami)

has gotten employee of the month 3 times and rubs it in zoro’s face BAD

has gotten asked to help at other stores a few times and always smirks at zoro while they ask bc he knows zoro will NEVER get asked that

is always making side comments about zoro while he prices, which always leads to them fighting but they stop whenever nami comes into the back cuz they know to shape up when she’s in the area

always gets the store bonuses bc he noticed the super expensive items before they go out and sends them to ecom

they always make count when he’s the one pricing, even if it’s a slow day at the donation door

is the designated training buddy for new comers so he knows how to do everything in the store

drives luffy to work in the morning so that he’s not late

always makes lunches for zoro, ussop, and luffy (also makes lunch for nami and gets so red whenever she comments on how good his food is)

brings baked goods to work for everyone to eat sometimes and pretends he doesn’t like the praise

takes full advantage of the grocery and gas option goodwill has for workers (they pay for employees groceries and gas)

writes those stupid little praise cards for everyone in the store but swears he only writes ones for the women in the store

always goes home for his lunch break

sits in his car for his 15 minute breaks bc if he sits in the breakroom with luffy he loses track of time and they end up getting in trouble (once sat their for 40 minute cackling with luffy and a coworker)

ussop comes to him and tells him what areas in the store needed to be decorated and he keeps it in mind by putting his decorations in a different cart

when ussop calls for a price check he goes to get it to see if he’s having an anxiety attack (can always tell over the speaker no matter how crunchy it is)

when he goes up front to get price checks he never notices but people stare at him when he walks by

gets asked what kind of cologne he’s wearing everytime he steps foot out onto the floor

usopp

is a cashier

got super bad anxiety working up front by himself the first few weeks he started, but once he got used to it he was able to hide it better

gets REALLY bad anxiety when he’s left up at the front alone bc someone called out and they’re spread thin

never ever forgets to tell everyone the return policy

whenever he finally gets backup he gets told to roll carts or fill up the endcaps of the aisles until he feels calmer

dresses the mannequins bc he has the best fashion sense/eye for display out of the other employees

excels during holiday seasons bc he’s fantastic and bringing together the random donated items

always takes his lunches and 15 minutes breaks at the same time

always goes on lunch with zoro so that they can get food

was the unlucky soul who got stuck with luffy until 11:30 when he fucked up the cash machine

begs nami to switch the station to the throwback station every thursday bc at night when everyone’s gone he gets to sing along to california girls at the top of his lungs (zoro always tells him to shut up)

gets pretty good reviews when the secret shoppers comes to his register bc he’s super easy going and will have a conversation with anyone

knows all the tea in the store and more often than not ends up sitting with nami in her office or while they price new goods and just GOSSIPS

keeps trying to convince sanji to become a store manager since he knows how to do every job in the store

nami

is the store manager

rules the store with a iron enough grip that they know not to mess around too much, but loose enough that everyone knows they can come to her with anything and talk

isn’t super strict about the dress code unless one of the big bosses is coming

she loosely follows the rules and policies goodwill sets in place if she thinks they’re stupid

for example: there’s a rule that employees can’t buy the color of the week. but she’ll let you buy the color of the week if you want it (she just doesn’t give them the employee discount)

lowkey hates being the store manager bc she always has a ton of paper work and meetings and emails to tend to like everyday

prefers to help in softline over hardline bc luffy’s off key singing makes her head hurt. plus sanji and zoro’s bickering also irritates her

on the rare occasions one of them isn’t there she’ll go back there and stay bc usually luffy without zoro/ zoro without luffy is just less annoying

is super serious about everyone making count and sending stuff to ecom bc she wants her bonuses (also bc if they can reach their budget continuously the workers can get raises but she’ll never say that)

whenever a customer is being rude to her workers they know to call her bc she’ll kick them to the curb IMMEDIATELY, regardless of if they were gonna pay for their things or not

gave zoro the title of “security guard” bc if a customer is particularly aggressive she gets on the unofficial pokémon walkies and calls for him. as soon as he comes out from the back and the trouble maker sees him they ALWAYS take the base outa their tone and leave 😭

okay i’m all outa ideas 🫡

[archoniluthradanar]

Portrait of a Volturi mate - Felix

I am the human mate to an extremely strong Volturi guard.

I liked working out. My gym membership, unlike those of so many, was well-used, and I was certainly not on the lookout for dates. I wasn't interested in growing obscenely huge muscles either. My goal was to increase my strength. The fitness center in Pisa was adequate for my needs, even if it was a ways from Volterra, where I lived.

It was a late Friday night, Fridays being when I preferred to work out. I'd get done with work earlier, so was able to grab a quick meal and head to the gym for more than just a couple hours. It tended to be a bit busier though, and the pick up attempts could be quite annoying. This night was the worst ever.

Some man sauntered over to me while I was working with the free weights. He offered to spot me if I wanted to work with the barbells, but all I wanted was to be left alone. This was my last workout before heading home. But he would not let me alone, buzzing around like some drone bee. He finally left, and I didn't give him another thought.

As I walked out to my car, the same man accosted me before I was able to unlock the door and get inside. Apparently, he didn't appreciate being refused. I kicked him in the shins and tried to knee him in the groin, basically using every trick I knew to fight him off.

That was when I met Felix, someone strong and impressive in more ways than one. 

My attacker was lifted from my body and tossed more than fifteen feet from me. He hit the concrete, hard, and lay still. I sat up, in tears, more from anger at my own weakness than fear. A gloved hand reached down to me in the darkness. I took it first, then looked up to see a very tall, burly and handsome man with eyes as black as the night sky. It was too dark to see well, so I gave it no thought. I was still shaken and this man asked me if I was alright.

"Do you need a physician?" he inquired.

"No, thank you. You got to me before he did anything." I was picked up off the ground and held by strong arms.

"My name is Felix. I'm just glad I was able to help you." He saw my tears before I had wiped my face, and bent, looking up into my face. "Are you sure you're alright?" HIs concern seemed genuine.

"Yes, I'm just angry I wasn't able to fight him off myself. That's why I work out to begin with."

He smiled at me, perhaps impressed with my desire to be strong, when he already was. I had no idea at the time just how strong he was.

Felix drove me home, wanting to see me there safely. He told me lived in Volterra too, so it was not out of his way. When we reached my small cottage, he parked the car in the short driveway and walked me to my door.

"May I see you again? I can help you work out if you'd like. Show you a few tricks maybe."

"Yes, I'd like that, "I replied with a smile, eager to see him again.

He then bent low to kiss my cheek, and with a nod, he turned and walked into the night.

He came back as promised, and we would go to the gym and work out together, after he bought a membership. I never saw my attacker again, probably for the best, since later in our relationship and when I knew what he was, Felix admitted he would have killed the man.

Now that Felix and I were officially mated together, we'd work out in the training room of the castle, not only with each other, but with Demetri and Santiago joining us. I've learned a great deal about strategic fighting where strength is not an issue. One day, I will be a vampire and I'll be stronger than any human. That really pleases me, and I can't wait to see what I'll be able to break. Felix merely laughs at my excitement, not in a derogatory way. He sometimes calls me his powerful little warrior. At 5feet 8inches, I'm hardly small, but compared to his build, I guess I can accept "little" when combined with "powerful" and "warrior".

I love Felix so much though. In other circumstances, I might have feared him, but when he looks at me, his eyes soften and his smile never fails to warm my heart. His arms hold me gently, but he enjoys picking me up and speeding around the castle. I said when I'm able to do this on my own, I'll be hitting a few walls. Felix swears he will teach me how to stop before that ever happens.

As far as his desires go, he will pick me up and toss me over his shoulder when he wants to bed me. I burst out laughing all the way to our room, knowing we'll be quite occupied with each other for at least five hours. Felix tells me it will be longer once I am able to withstand his strength with matching strength of my own. I plan on holding my powerful mate to that promise.

I was into building up my body to become stronger, but instead I'll be a vampire with that built in, and with the man I'll love forever.

**This is the last of my "Human mate to a Volturi..." series. It was fun doing them, and thanks for reading/reblogging them**