#I’m sure this has been done a ton However

[aldamiriel-necrococo]

Like to charge RB to cast

[qatarsprint2023]

Hi can I request a lando x f!reader when she’s really sick and how lando takes care of her, like A. fluffy and comforting fic. I just found ur acc and I’m so excited for ur upcoming writings!!!!

~🎀

Thank you sm! Hope you enjoy this one, 🎀<3

Sick days and Race weekends— LN4

Lando discovers that his girlfriend got sick while he was away for a race and didn't want to worry him. — Lando Norris x f!reader, fluff, comfort, reader has a bad case of the flu, no use of y/n word count: ca. 1.2k

Ever since you were a kid you'd never been the type of person to get actually sick. Sure, a little cough and runny nose maybe, but nothing ever really drastic. Personally, you were pretty sure your immune system was simply a wonderful combination of good genes and growing up in the countryside.

Your parents had always told you that the fresh air and spending a lot of time outdoors with some exposure to animals had probably played some part in your never being sick as well and developed your immune system in a way people who grew up in urban areas would never have.

But when you moved to London for uni a little later in life, a huge city with tons of traffic, pollution and surprisingly little greenery, you found yourself getting sick more often than when you lived on your parent's farm surrounded by green grass, fields that stretched for miles and lots of animals. However this time you got sick. Runny nose, aching joints, pounding headache, hacking cough, fever that came and went as it pleased... The whole flu package, really.

You'd already started feeling a little off before Lando left for Austin on Wednesday and it had gradually gotten a little worse each day, but by Friday it all just hit like a wrecking ball. But you being you, decided not to say anything much about it and tell your boyfriend it was just a common cold you were dealing with back home.

He'd done so well in Qualifying on Friday and he should really be concentrating on his upcoming race and not his girlfriend's inane complaints from halfway across the globe. You didn't like worrying people. It didn't feel right plaguing someone else with your problems when surely you could somehow find a way to work it out yourself anyway.

But now it was Monday morning and you had curled up on the couch under the heaviest blanket you could find with a half empty tissue box and a giant mug of tea on the coffee table beside you a few hours ago already. You were cold and shivering like leaves in the wind on an icey autumn day like today, even with your hot drink and the warm blanket thrown across your body.

You couldn't have been more miserable. You felt like you were dying. You couldn't go to work, or leave the house because you simply felt awful and weak. So, you decided to just lay down on the couch and wait for Lando to get home.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting for the familiar sound of a key turning in the lock, you perked up a little at the sound coming from the door across the room. Lando stepped inside and shut the door behind him with a soft sigh slipping past his lips, not noticing you.

"Hey... P2!" you croaked weakly and forced a small smile onto your lips when you saw your boyfriend step into your shared flat, suitcase in hand, his coat and shoes still on as well after he just made his way through Heathrow airport and probably (definitely) went through a mini heart attack too when his luggage didn't immediately come out with everything else from the flight, like he always does when you're flying somewhere.

He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he'd actually heard you call out to him. It was the last thing he expected to hear. Reasonable response, you had to concur— after all, you were supposed to be at work. Then he turned to face the couch and saw you laying there, basically drowning under the heavy fabric of your blanket.

"Hey, hey... What's wrong? Why aren't you at work?" he asked in a voice that showed obvious signs of worry as he quickly kicked his shoes off and went over to you, feeling your forehead with his cold palm. "Jesus. You're basically on fire, baby... I thought you just had a normal cough?!"

"Didn't wanna worry you," you chuckled with an innocent smile, but before you knew it, your chuckle turned into yet another harsh cough. According to your mum, you sounded like an elephant with tuberculosis, like she told you over the phone yesterday. Harsh but true comparison, you had to admit.

Lando groaned and shook his head in an exaggerated way. "Yeah but, you should worry me when you get a fever like this!" However his expression softened to one of sympathy as he sat down beside you on the edge of the beige couch, gently stroking your forehead in an attempt to make you feel more at ease.

"Why didn't you tell me you felt this bad when we talked yesterday?" he frowned, some of his soft curls falling onto his forehead.

"You just got P2 and you sounded so happy about that on the phone, so I didn't wanna dampen the mood," you respond with a shrug.

"The only thing you've got me feeling right now is worried, baby. Come on, you can hardly talk without having a coughing fit," he sighed, putting his arm around you and planting a kiss on the crown of your head. "Have you had anything to eat?"

"Not yet," you sniffled softly and shook your head, rubbing the bridge of your nose with your index finger and thumb. It felt like there was someone playing a damn drum solo against the inside of your skull. "Didn't have the energy to make myself anything more than tea. I feel like death..."

"I know, baby, I know..." Lando sighed softly and gently stroked your cheek with his thumb as he stood up and placed his hands on his hips, looking down at you. "I'll make you some toast, okay? But first let's get you to bed... The couch isn't comfortable enough for when my girl needs to rest. It'll give you a stiff neck, sweetheart."

Lando gently looped his arm around your waist and helped you get up from the couch, a soft groan escaping your throat. He held you upright as you slowly walked over to the bedroom where your boyfriend lied you down in bed and pulled the covers over your shivering body, enveloping you in a warm sea of soft bedsheets.

"Alright..." he said with a sympathetic gaze in his hazel eyes and fluffed up your pillow a little, so you could lay down more comfortably. "I'll make you something and I'll bring you your tea in a minute too. Oh and some of that cough syrup we have as well. I know you don't like it, but I don't like it when you sound like you're gonna cough up your lungs any second. Do you want me to make you some soup later too?"

"You can make soup?" you retorted raspily and covered your mouth as another cough slipped past your chapped lips.

"Well... no... But I can make soup from the can?" Lando suggested with a sheepish grin, which caused you to smile a bit as well. It was so nice to have someone who just wanted to help and make you feel better.

"That'd be nice, thank you..." you replied softly and smiled, though you quickly covered your mouth as he leaned down to kiss you. "No! I'll get you sick too!"

"Well, I sure as hell won't let you sleep alone tonight, so whether I kiss you now or have my arm around you for seven hours tonight doesn't really make a big difference, does it?" he chuckled and gently took your hand away from your face to press a chaste kiss against your pale lips.

"Stay with me afterwards?" you hummed softly, not yet pulling away from the tender sensation of his lips on yours and your hand in his.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to," said Lando in response and gently gave your hip a pat. "But first I'll get you something to eat and your tea from the living room, yeah?"

[angelanderson]

I really want an Ellabs x reader fic of fem reader really needing comfort bc she's sad/overwhelmed but she tries to hide it from ellabs but obv they notice smth is off, so they tell her they noticed smth is wrong and she kinda breaks down at that, then they comfort her thru it, listening to her problems or insecurities n'stuff <33 Sorry if it's confusing and/or too long, u dont gotta do it but i'd appreciate it tons <33 (Im totally not self projecting)

ur projecting = supported. 🫢 100% sfw/comfort fic but still no men or minors. type of relationship between them is up to u! this ended up a semi- full length fic oops ? enjoy!

sometimes it just feels too hard. being the newest member in jackson means you feel like you have to prove your worth 24/7. and it’s exhausting, really. abby is just so strong, ellie has the best patrol work, and you? you feel… weak. you (falsely) feel like nothing you’ve done has proven you’re worth the space in jackson.

so when monday rolls around, you tell ellie and abby you have plans with someone else so you can just go home and hide. they don’t question that, why would they? tuesday you tell them you wanna go to bed early. okay, fine. but then it’s wednesday, and they’re starting to get that something is going on with you.

the worry starts to kick in wednesday night after maria tells the two women you asked to go home early, citing that you’re not feeling well. abby all but drags ellie to your tiny place immediately after hearing maria’s words. you always tell each other everything. so why didn’t you now?!

it’s easy to know abby and ellie are knocking at your door simply because of the sheer force of it. five minutes you try to pretend you’re not home. you don’t want them to see you in this state; you’ve been ugly crying for two hours now. however, they don’t give up. it’s not like you could expect anything else from them.

“baby, we know you’re home. let us in, yeah? we’re worried about you,” abby shouts out after another two minutes of knocking.

you respond back with a sickly voice from the sofa, “no, go away. ‘m busy.”

you can just feel the attitude enter ellie’s body now. you know how stubborn she can be. “no, we know you’re lying. i will find a way in if you don’t let us in within the next thirty seconds.”

you know she isn’t joking as you move to open the door. the sight of you upon opening the door is not a pretty one— your face is red, covered in tears. ellie takes a deep breath before she pushes in. she won’t let you shut them out anymore. abby shuts the door before them before heading you back onto the sofa with them. each other is on either side of you within the matter of seconds.

as per usual, abby is the first one to break the silence. “oh, honey, what’s going on? we could’ve helped you sooner if we knew.” the way she sounds sad just makes you feel worse.

insecurities once again bubbling over, you do the only thing you can think of: you try to shove abby away. being significantly stronger than you means it didn’t feel like a single thing. however, abby won’t put up with you lashing out right now. she knows you can be their sweet girl even in the toughest of moments.

ellie watches like a hawk as abby grabs both of your wrists to stop you from trying to push her away again. “just because you’re upset doesn’t mean you can act out. are you going to be the big girl i know you are now? or do i need to keep you here?”

the concerned sternness of her voice makes you whimper in reply. fresh tears leak down your face as you try to find the words to explain. “i- i just don’t think i deserve to be here! everyone, especially you two, carry your weight around here! and what do i do? i’m just a stupid girl working in the bar!”

and, well, neither of them could say they were expecting that response. sure, you were newer to Jackson, but so was everyone at one point. you were also one of the most popular Jackson residents— everyone loves the energy you bring to the bar after a long day of work. so it just makes sense that both women are beyond shocked to realize that this is why you’re so down. how could you not know how loved you are here?

as yet another round of tears starts to fall, you feel abby’s big arms quickly pull you into her chest. your body starts to shake with each inhale as you start to sob into abby’s chest. while ellie rushes to rub your back, abby starts to tilt your head up so you can see her.

“angel, angel, no. let’s take some deep breathes and then we’ll all have a talk, okay?”, abby coos as she wipes away the falling tears.

ellie puts your right hand over abby’s heart when your breathing doesn’t start to slow any. she speaks in the softest voice she can muster up,“deep breaths with me and abby, baby. feel abby’s heart beat. we’re all going to just relax together before anything else.”

two minutes between your favorite people is all it takes to reduce you to just sniffles. you slouch back into your seat once you’ve finally caught your breath. you look up at abby and ellie with wet eyes before letting out a long sigh. no one is sure who should speak first.

ellie decides she’ll be the one to start, “it’s not true, you know? everyone here loves you. helping run the bar is important. you create a space where we can all relax for once. emphasis on the relax part.”

abby grunts in agreement with ellie. “you know ellie’s right, don’t you baby,” abby questions before looking over to ellie, “our favorite girl’s always making everyone feel happy, isn’t she?”

“for real though, you really do play a big part here. you know ellie and i started arguing less when you came around? pretty big deal there, you know. even joel commented on it,” the dirty blonde continues on the conversation.

and that makes you giggle for the first time all day. “even joel? really?” while you knew they had a previous history of more frequent fights, you didn’t know even joel was over it back then too.

“yeah, it’s really true,” abby starts before taking a breath to think about her next words. she exhales, “strength isn’t everything, you know? you add just as much as we do here. creating a space where people can relax while we live on this hell on earth is just as important as what we do. we all do the best here because we are better with each other. our system can’t function without others.”

you’re sure you’d be crying tears of happiness right now if you weren’t so exhausted from all your previous crying. your previous anxieties start to slip away as you start to truly internalize both of their words from today. you are important. you matter here. just like everyone else.

no one is given a chance to speak before you’re pulling ellie and yourself on top of abby. “i love you, i love you, i love you both,” you whisper out. “you’re right. i promise i’ll come talk to you next time i’m feeling down, okay? know you’ll make me say that part next!”

“okay smarty pants, you better. also, we always are, darling. love you the most,” teases ellie before she presses a kiss to the back of your head.

“hey! what if i love you both the most? then what?” you’re sure you can feel ellie roll her eyes as abby whines out playfully.

“okay, okay. how about we all love each other the most? can we just agree so i can drink some water now? my head is killing me.” a major post-crying headache has just started to come on for you.

ellie rolls her eyes playful at both of you. “i’ll get us all some water”, she commands as she walks to your kitchen, “and get comfy with abby. we’ll watch a movie, and yes, you can choose today.”

yay! end note to say ur important and i’m glad ur here + love that we all each add our own special things to this earth 🫂

[cupcakeslushie]

Could you elaborate on Venus being a cyborg? I want to write a scene where Donnie performs maintenance, but I’m still not really sure which parts of Vee are metal and which aren’t.

Are any of her limbs detachable? Or is it all a metallic skeleton? Do you think she deals with phantom pains if Donnie has had to amputate anything?

Venus info dump!

@nintendogirl106734-blog Main boys with cloaking broaches!

Not a ton of peaceful moments, but when Draxum would leave the two would be able to relax and spend the day by Three’s wading pool.

Venus mask is stitched on. A lot of her skin/limbs was lost thanks to a combination of spending most of her life in a vat and also her illness. Three has to constantly perform maintenance and update her cybernetics and to make sure the transplants are healthy. So far whatever was causing her body to fail has been stopped from spreading. She does deal with a lot of general daily pain, less from Three’s cybernetics, because he did such a good job on them, and more on the joined spots where Draxum replaced with “spare parts”. It does however hurt when Three has to do mechanical repairs, but it’s normally so light and moves amazingly realistic that Venus often forgets that arm isn’t real.

Venus’s shell and plastron had to be replaced. The shell is mostly metal and much more sleek than her old shell. Three made the plastron replacements look realistic since Venus asked.

@phoenixanddust

Venus will be kind of a sad character for a while, but she will be happy in the end! Donnie and Mikey are the brothers she’s closest to. Donnie spoils her to the extreme, and Mikey is of course her twin so Vee likes to drive Mikey crazy. She is technically the baby of the family, but her and Mikey together are unstoppable when their wants align. Splinter stands no chance of saying no.

Venus does have a very dry sense of humor which leads to Three sometimes not even registering them as jokes. When she gets rescued she’s very much a girly girl. She likes dresses and bows and pink.

Three’s mind doesn’t really think of anything when he’s being rescued. It’s very much a “Savage Donnie” moment where he’s there and talking, but he’s so upset that his mind has gone blank. But even then, Big Mama has kept Venus away for nearly a year, so Three thinks he’s been abandoned and Venus isn’t really on his mind…. Their reunion Cont👇

@cavern-of-shenanigans @orderedchaosthings2

Venus will see Donnie again somewhere in the middle of “season one”. It won’t be a long reunion, but enough for Donnie to realize he’s been enjoying living with his family, while Venus has been stuck being Big Mama and Draxum’s errand girl. He feels extremely guilty for basically giving up on her. He allowed his bad thoughts, and visions (yes he does see her as well) to convince him that she has abandoned him, but it turns out, all this time, it was the other way around.

Unfortunately, Donnie was the only one to see Venus, and he thinks the fam won’t believe him when he tells them about seeing her, but he’s surprised to find out that they do and they all promise Donnie they’ll rescue her.

In season 2 they run into Venus again, and Donnie is able to have a better conversation with her, but Big Mama has done such a good job spinning lies, that Venus runs off before Donnie can convince her he’s sincerely sorry about leaving her behind. This is when the family learns that Mikey and Venus are twins. Mikey feels bad that Venus seems to have fallen into Big Mama’s web, we will see him angry with Big Mama for the first time on Venus’s behalf.

At the season 2 midpoint Venus agrees to help with Draxum’s cleansing ritual.

At the s2 finale we will see her still aligned with Big Mama BUT….[spoiler] and she will disappear to get her mind together.

She will make a short appearance in the movie.

S3 will be very Venus and Jennika heavy, and it’ll all be about their integration into the family unit. Jennika has her own life in the Hidden City, but Venus will split her time with the family and [spoiler].

The boys really all treat Venus as the little, baby sister, but all to varying degrees. April, Donnie, and Raph dote on her, Leo is wayyy too overprotective and Mikey rubs being slightly older in her face all the time, but they will team up to be The Ultimate Youngest™️. Out of all the “sister group” April and Venus get along the most like sisters. April really helps Venus be girly and learn it’s okay to enjoy these things, to be more than just a mindless drone (Leo will very often help with this mindset as well, and it allows them something deeper to bond over).

[bosbas]

Chapter 4: all they keep asking me is if I'm gonna be your bride

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: colin bridgerton x enemy!fem!reader WC: 4.2k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, a small part of the dialogue is in French, Colin in his feels asf

Summary: It took precisely two days in England for you to utterly despise Colin Bridgerton. It took him approximately twelve hours after that to hate you right back. But he doesn't care that you're the only person in the ton who doesn't like him. You're set to marry someone else anyway, right?

A/N: EEEEEP the plot is finally plottingggggggg

May 19, 1816 – By now, it’s fairly obvious that the esteemed Mr. Colin Bridergton and Lady Y/N Montclair have, to put it lightly, an intense dislike for one another. How this contention began, this author does not know. However, Lady Montclair has yet to dance with Mr. Colin Bridgerton at any ball this season, despite dancing with Benedict and even older brother Anthony Bridgerton. This, coupled with the endless glares between the two and Lady Montclair’s perpetual frown around Mr. Bridgerton, indicates a less-than-friendly relationship. 

Luckily, this rivalry is not of any particular consequence to our heroine, since Lord Arthur Barlow seems on the cusp of a proposal. After a month-long courtship, it could be mere days before the Duke asks Lord Philippe Montclair for Lady Montclair’s hand in marriage. Although certainly a controversial choice from her parents to delay Y/N’s season, the wait would certainly pay off if she marries a Duke. This union, with the Duke of Monmouth’s title and the Montclair family’s extensive land ownership, would be one of the most advantageous Mayfair has seen since Charlotte Bexley, who just so happens to be Y/N’s sister, and her union to the Duke of Somerset. Shall we expect a public announcement soon? This author is certain that both families are itching for official confirmation.

Benedict thanked the bartender, sipping his brandy as he looked around at the gentlemen around him. Though Benedict and Colin had come to White’s together, the younger Bridgerton had gotten caught up in conversation with Lord Fife, leaving Benedict alone and slightly bored.

However, Louis Montclair’s appearance quickly piqued Benedict’s interest. It was the first time Benedict had seen Louis at the gentleman’s club, and he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about your unusual relationship with Colin. It was no secret that you and Colin couldn’t stand one another, but Benedict was far too absent at social functions to piece together what had happened by himself, and he thought Louis would be the perfect person to provide some clarity.

“Louis! I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of speaking properly,” Benedict clapped him on the back as he approached him. 

Louis turned around, grinning once he saw the Bridgerton. 

“Ah, Benedict, of course. Every time my mother successfully forces me to attend a ball, you seem to be absent! One would think you’ve been avoiding me,” he said jovially.

Benedict laughed and shook his head. “Since my painting was placed in the national gallery, Mother hasn’t been too insistent on my appearance at social functions,” he explained. Then, with a cheeky smile, he added, “I believe the rivalry between our families starts and ends with Colin and Y/N.”

Louis rolled his eyes, annoyed at the reminder of your hatred toward Colin. “Lord knows what the two have against each other. Even just thinking about having to listen to my sister complain about Colin after tomorrow’s ball is giving me a headache.”

“Then a drink is in order, to be sure!” Benedict called over the bartender and asked for another glass of brandy for your brother. “Though I wouldn’t fret too much about your sister; I’m certain Colin must have done something unforgivable to elicit such a response,” he said, only half joking.

“Well, I’m sure he has. I do not doubt that,” responded Louis, grabbing his drink and thanking the bartender. 

“Oh?” prompted Benedict, surprised by Louis’ affirmative response. He led your brother to a table in the back corner, sitting down across from him. 

Taking a sip, Louis explained, “My sister might be the most irritating person I know, but she rarely holds anyone in her bad graces unless she has a good reason.”

Benedict just stared at your brother, eyebrows raised and waiting for further explanation. Had Colin acted out of line with you? He was supposed to be the sweetheart of London high society, but perhaps his brother had changed during his travels. 

Louis paused, frowned thoughtfully, and continued. “Oddly enough, I haven’t a clue why she dislikes Colin. Usually, one cannot possibly get her to stop talking about why someone vexes her, but she has evaded speaking about the subject directly thus far.” 

Spotting Colin walking toward the pair, Louis quickly stood up to greet the younger Bridgerton.

“Colin! Speak of the devil and he shall appear.”

“The devil? Your sister hasn’t rubbed off on you, I hope,” answered Colin, not entirely amused as he shook your brother’s hand and sat down next to Benedict. 

“Not at all, Bridgerton,” Louis laughed, dissipating the tension easily. “And I hope your hatred toward her is not extended toward me, too.” 

“Is it that obvious?” asked Colin, slightly cringing that his ungentlemanly behavior was public knowledge. 

Benedict snorted. “It is now that Lady Whistledown has reported on it. I don’t know how you could have possibly been so rude as to end up as the subject of the ton’s gossip sheet, but I fear for you once Mother gets her hands on today’s column.”

Colin sank in his seat in shame, embarrassed that his perfect reputation was crumbling because of you, of all people. He was supposed to be charming and easygoing, and he feared what would become of him if people started to dislike his character. 

On the other hand, your little rivalry with him would barely have any effect on you. You were strikingly beautiful and exceptionally smart, not to mention exceedingly worldly. And even if you didn’t have all those things in your favor, your dowry was large enough that any man would be stupid not to at least consider you for marriage. 

“Not to worry,” assured Louis. “I am sure your rivalry will be coming to a close sooner rather than later. It’s only a matter of time before Barlow proposes and she’ll be out of your hair. And mine.” 

Colin tensed. “Pardon?”

“Y/N is about three seconds away from being married off, so she won’t have nearly as much time to dedicate to your rivalry,” explained Louis. 

“Oh,” Colin cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Why do you say that? Has she said anything?”

Benedict set his drink down, shooting Colin a curious look. “She probably hasn’t had to. They’ve been courting for a month. If anything, it would be out of the ordinary if he didn’t propose.”

Louis nodded in agreement, blissfully oblivious to Colin’s mounting panic. 

“Well, I suppose that makes sense,” conceded Colin. “I just thought–”

He paused. After a beat, he shook his head. “But, really? Marriage? It seems so sudden,” Colin said, stumbling over his words, a growing panic in his voice slowly turning to inexplicable anger.

 “I don’t know if I would use the word sudden… Why? Did you want to marry her?” teased Louis, laughing at what seemed to be an outlandish suggestion. Then, spotting his brother-in-law, Edward Bexley, by the door, he downed his drink and stood up. “A pleasure speaking with you gentlemen, but I must greet Bexley.”

The Bridgerton boys said goodbye, but before Colin had the chance to get away, Benedict turned to his brother accusingly.

“I know Louis was joking, but do you actually want to marry her?” he asked, concerned. “You’ve been acting all out of sorts.”

“What? No,” scoffed Colin. “Not in a million years.” Then, realizing he had to explain his outrage at the prospect of you getting married, he added, “I’m just surprised anyone would consider marrying her, is all.”

“Colin,” scolded Benedict. “Have some decorum. Even if that were true, you are still a Bridgerton. Please behave like one.”

Colin’s face turned hot in shame. “You’re right; I apologize. I think I need some air,” he finally strangled out, standing up and practically sprinting toward the courtyard, his practically full drink long forgotten.

Once Colin felt the fresh air on his face, he let out a deep sigh and unclenched his fists. You getting married was supposed to be a good thing. The only person in the ton who didn’t like him would finally be gone and he could return to being the best-liked among his siblings. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t know you would end up marrying someone else. It was basically the only reason you had come to England. Besides, he saw you with Arthur at every event you attended. Why was he so upset now? Why was he surprised at all?

Rubbing his temples, Colin started pacing in the courtyard. It must have been lingering resentment toward you, he reasoned. There was no other explanation. Colin couldn’t shake the way you and the duke so easily fell into flirtatious banter while he received only cold stares and snippy comments. It was infuriating that you took Lord Barlow and his intent to marry you so seriously while you barely spared Colin a second glance when he asked you to dance for the first time.

He still remembered watching you in Hyde Park the first time you spoke with Arthur, all giggly and flirtatious while you promenaded. Exactly the opposite of how you had been with him. What would it have taken for you to look at Colin with even a fraction of the fondness with which you looked at Lord Barlow?

Then, Colin was struck by a sobering thought. Perhaps you knew that, deep down, he lacked any substance. Perhaps you were not fooled by his charismatic front and could see that he could offer you nothing. 

As a third son, Colin could scarcely boast the same riches or claim to land as the duke. But he could have loved you. And he would have taken care of you. If only he had made more of an effort with you, he chastised himself. Then he might find himself in the position of doing something of actual importance for the first time in his life.

But his need for approval had gotten in the way. And what good that had done him. You were about to get everything you wanted and marry a duke, and he was left with nothing but a bruised ego.

---

As soon as Charlotte saw Colin entering the ballroom she sighed and rolled her eyes. Now that she was the oldest Montclair sibling left in England, she was in charge of making sure you and Colin didn’t make a scene at every single event you attended. 

Usually, it was Louis who needed scolding, mischievous as he was. Charlotte had no idea why you decided to be the difficult one this season. All she knew was that Colin had the unique ability to work you up until you were engaged in a yelling match, and it was her job to mitigate this to the best of her abilities. 

Charlotte, already facing you, leaned in close to your ear. “Sois gentille, s’il te plaît. T’es une dame es tu dois te comporter comme telle,” she murmured (Be nice, please. You're a lady, and you should act like one).

Immediately realizing that Colin had arrived, you crossed your arms. “Mais Charlotte, il est trop désagréable. Il me soûle tellement !” you whined softly (But Charlotte, he’s so unpleasant. He gets on my nerves so much!).

Charlotte scoffed in disbelief at your childish demeanor. “Et toi ? Tu penses que t’es plus agréable ? Vraiment ?” (And you? You think you’re more pleasant? Really?)

You knew she had a point, but you couldn’t help the annoyed huff that escaped your lips before you turned around, choosing to face the dance floor instead. 

Violet Bridgerton was hosting a ball tonight, and it seemed like every member of the ton had made an appearance. Your mother had nearly killed you when you told her you had a throbbing headache, not accepting any excuses for missing the most important ball of the season. 

Eventually, you compromised and promised to stay for a dance with Lord Barlow and a quick greeting to the Bridgertons. You were already eyeing the exit longingly, itching to retreat to your blissfully dark and quiet room. Just a quick turn around the ballroom and you would be free, you lamented. 

Your stomach churned with a mixture of anticipation and dread as you thought of seeing Lord Barlow. While the prospect of a proposal from him should have filled you with excitement, a throbbing headache dampened your spirits and left you feeling less than enthusiastic about the impending moment. 

A proposal from a titled gentleman was what you had been working toward your whole life, and you would have liked to feel well for it. Though you liked Arthur, and the two of you got along well, you could only hope that he wasn’t planning on proposing tonight. 

You heard footsteps coming in your direction, and you turned to see Eloise, Benedict, and Colin walking over to you and your sister. 

“Y/N! And Charlotte!” Eloise exclaimed loudly upon seeing you. 

You grimaced; the pain caused by her voice overpowering the joy you felt upon seeing her. 

“Hello Eloise!" your sister greeted warmly. "Y/N has a headache, so she's only staying for a short while," she explained.

“Hello, El,” you grinned, rubbing your temples with one hand and squeezing Eloise’s arm with the other. 

“And Benedict, what a surprise!” you exclaimed, turning to greet the older Bridgerton. 

“Y/N! A good surprise, I hope. It has been quite some time, hasn’t it?” responded Benedict, smiling at you and squeezing your arm.

Your gaze shifted to Colin, who was standing next to his brother, and you tensed, already dreading the argument–or four–you would inevitably have with him tonight. You barely had the energy to stand straight tonight; you couldn’t fathom having to hold your own against Colin Bridgerton.

Eloise, sensing the mounting hostility, sighed deeply. “It’s best to leave them to it for a bit and let them get it out of their system,” she said, guiding Charlotte and Benedict away from you. 

Before Charlotte turned around, she looked back at you suspiciously. She decided you were already suffering enough from your headache and chose to leave you be, but not before raising her eyebrows at you in warning.

Clearing his throat, Colin nodded in your direction, “Lady Montclair.”

“Mr. Bridgerton,” you nodded back, much too tired to throw the first verbal punch of the night.

But as always, Colin seemed to have the unending desire to vex you. Seeing the Duke walking up to you from across the room and feeling the anger rise in his chest, he looked you up and down, searching for anything to lash out about. 

“Lovely necklace you’re wearing. It completely washes out the color of your eyes,” he commented quietly, careful that no one else would hear. 

Colin preferred to keep your quarrels private, especially after he knew Lady Whistledown had taken note of the tension between you. It wasn’t even that he didn’t want the rest of the ton knowing that you didn’t like him – it was too late for that, he reminded himself. These moments between you, although they often resulted in hurled insults and verbal attacks, felt oddly intimate to him. Despite the animosity, they were your private interludes, and he didn’t want to share them with anyone else.

You, oblivious to Lord Barlow, or anyone else for that matter, clutched your necklace, slightly embarrassed that he had noticed. It was true: the jewels did not match your eyes, and the neckpiece was so flashy that you wouldn’t have been surprised if it was making your headache worse. But your mother had insisted you wear it tonight anyway.

“I’m surprised you can look up from my neck long enough to notice the necklace’s effect on my eyes,” you countered.

Colin turned slightly red, clasping his hands in front of him. He was surprised too, to be honest. But you didn’t need to know that.

Before Colin could respond, the Duke walked up to you to greet you by placing a hand on your arm. 

“Good evening, Y/N." 

“Good evening, Arthur,” you smiled at him, headache momentarily forgotten.

Colin balked. You were on a first-name basis with the Duke already? He felt utterly foolish for not realizing that you were, as Lady Whistledown had said, only days away from receiving a proposal.

“I see you’re wearing the necklace I got you,” Lord Barlow commented, pleased. “It does wonders for your complexion.”

“Oh, yes,” you said weakly. “My sincerest gratitude for the gift.” 

You could practically feel Colin smirking next to you, and you bit your lip to keep from snapping at him. You felt an unpleasant mixture of anger at Colin’s triumph and embarrassment that he knew that the unflattering necklace had been a gift from your suitor.

Lord Barlow brushed off your thanks. “A dance, my Lady?” he offered his hand.

“I’d be delighted,” you said gratefully, placing your hand in his. Anything to get away from Colin right now. 

You had danced with Arthur enough times that you were comfortable with him, and you found yourself enjoying moving to the music as Lord Barlow held you close.

As he spun you around, he leaned down close to your ear, causing your skin to erupt in goosebumps.

“You look particularly fetching tonight, Y/N. Perhaps we might retreat to the gardens later tonight to speak some more,” he whispered.

Your eyes widened. Was he asking you to go outside for… unladylike reasons? Or was he implying he was going to propose? Perhaps both? Whatever the reason, tonight was not the night.

“I’m afraid not, Arthur,” you lamented. “I’ve got a splitting headache and will be heading home soon after our dance.” 

 “Very well,” he said with a clipped tone, leading you away from the dance floor now that the music had stopped. “Another time, then.”

“Certainly,” you replied, nervous that you had upset him.

Kissing the back of your hand dutifully, he smiled. “I hope tomorrow you will be in better spirits. I will be at the races, and it would be a shame not to see you there.”

Before you could respond, he had turned around and disappeared into the crowd.  

Exactly twenty minutes later, Colin watched as you said goodbye to his mother, hugging her tightly. He felt his heart clench. You really were the picture of grace when you weren’t around him. But it was far too late to dwell on that. 

He turned around to leave the ballroom in search of a strong drink as soon as he saw you leave through the main entrance. Now that you were gone, he saw no reason to stay. He didn’t particularly enjoy balls, even if this one was being hosted in his home, and he knew he would only grow bored now that you weren’t present to trade insults with.

Ever the dutiful son, Colin walked up to Violet Bridgerton to excuse himself before he left.

“Leaving so soon? I thought you might be more likely to stay now that Y/N is gone,” she teased. 

Colin laughed and shook his head. “I'm afraid not.”

“It’s a shame you don’t care for her,” she tsked. 

Eyes widening, Colin cleared his throat and tried to seem casual. “Why do you say that?” 

Had you said something just now? Were you having second thoughts about the Duke?

“Because I’d love to have the Montclairs as part of the family, of course. Unfortunately, Y/N is as good as married. Perhaps we can try again with Louis,” she mused. “Eloise is bound to come around to marriage at some point.”

Colin laughed weakly, not trusting himself to say anything, and gave his mother one last squeeze as he headed out to the hallway.

Finally out of the ballroom, Colin headed to the Bridgertons’ private courtyard so he could gaze at the stars, a habit he developed during his travels to guide him through rough waters that he couldn’t seem to shake even now that he was home. 

He could have taken a more direct route, but he wanted to avoid any mingling party-goers, already exhausted from the night. Colin was quite enjoying the feeling of navigating through his familiar home, realizing that he hadn't spent more than a few months in England in years.

Finally, after a few minutes of solitude, he reached the door farthest from the ballroom that led to the courtyard,

However, when he was halfway to the exit, he spotted two figures there already, partially obscured by the curtain in front of the door. He could barely make out two voices and a very flirtatious giggle. Rolling his eyes, Colin started backing away, not wanting to interrupt what he assumed to be Benedict and some very unlucky lady having an intimate moment. 

It was certainly a bold choice on Benedict’s part. The courtyard was not so private that it was hidden away from view completely, and anyone in the ballroom could have seen them. But Colin was not in the business of getting involved in his brother’s affairs. 

As he turned away, Colin heard a muffled, “Ah, I see you like to play coy…”

Well, that was certainly not Benedict. In fact, it sounded quite a bit like…Arthur Barlow?

It couldn’t be, Colin shook his head aggressively. It couldn’t.

Colin felt anger rising in his chest, his lips turned down into a deep frown. He started back toward the courtyard.

Arthur was courting you. And he had just seen you go home. He couldn’t possibly be outside with someone else, could he?

Could he?

Upon hearing a squeal, Colin reached out and pulled back the curtains slightly, only to be met with the sight of the duke���s lips on Miss Barrington’s.

Colin dropped his hand in shock, letting the curtain obscure his view once again. He could barely believe what he was seeing. Your suitor was kissing another woman. Her hands were in his hair and he was tugging at the front of her dress, rushing to untie the bows on her gown.

Colin was frozen in shock. Is this something the duke did regularly? Did this mean that you and Lord Barlow kissed? An unpleasant image appeared in Colin’s mind, but he shook it away. He needed to focus on the problem at hand.

He had caught your almost-future-husband with someone else on the balcony, and you most likely had no clue. The duke’s actions had the potential to ruin multiple futures, and Colin felt his breathing quicken as he thought of how this could affect you.

Peeking through the window once more to ensure that he really was seeing the Duke and Miss Barrington, Colin frowned deeply. He shifted his gaze to the window looking into the ballroom across the courtyard, and was satisfied when he didn’t see anyone spying on the couple. At least there was that.

Rushing back through the twisting hallways, Colin ran to speak with his mother before anyone else could catch a glimpse of what was going on outside the Bridgerton home. 

Winded as he reached his mother, Colin grabbed her by the elbow and led her outside into the hallway. 

“Need… to… speak,” he panted out.

“Colin? What on earth–? I thought you had left the ball,” came Violet’s shocked response as she placed a concerned hand on her son’s shoulder. 

Colin nodded aggressively. “Lord Barlow… with Miss Barrington… on the balcony kissing,” he said, still trying to catch his breath.

“Oh!” Violet gasped, horrified. “Are you certain?”

Colin rolled his eyes. “Obviously, Mother. What do I do? Should I go stop them? I thought he was going to propose to Lady Montclair. But Miss Barrington will be ruined if anyone finds out.”

His mother thought for a moment. “Has anyone seen them yet?”

Colin shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”

“That is the best we can hope for in this situation. I will go and stop them at once; hopefully, no one will have noticed their absence,” indicated Violet, annoyed that people felt the need to act like this at her ball in her home.

“And what of Lady Montclair?” pressed Colin. Surely you were the most important person in this situation, no?

"We ought to inform her in private, let her decide her course," she suggested, her voice low with a hint of disdain. 

Colin frowned, frustrated that the duke’s careless actions could result in you losing a suitor. 

Violet continued, "There's no need to create a spectacle, after all. A scandal of a duke’s infidelity won't bode well for anyone involved. With any luck, it went unnoticed, and Y/N can deliberate in peace. I highly doubt Lord Barlow will be forthcoming with the truth." 

Just then, the Bridgertons heard the ballroom door slam open as a chorus of giggles and whispers filled the hallway.

Colin cast a wary glance towards the departing crowd. "I fear discretion is no longer an option."

The whispers seemed to echo, disturbingly audible.

"Lord Barlow? The Duke?"

"I had heard he was set on Lady Montclair..."

"Such a shame. They appeared quite suited. What will become of her now that she's lost a Duke? I couldn't bear the humiliation."

"And Miss Barrington?"

"It seems the Duke's actions have ruined more than one woman this evening…”

—

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[eddies-house]

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 |

Smoke Signals

Chapter Six - Sugar

W/C: 4.5K

Eddie x Fem reader - Grumpy!Bartender!Eddie x Shy!Reader

A crybaby and the town grump walk into a bar...

A/N: idk why but this chapter was giving me so much trouble and i've been really doubting my writing and second guessing. It's more of a filler chapter but still important to the story. I'm super excited for what's to come tho!!

Masterlist

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Three Weeks Later

“Bambi, go home already.  Your shift ended–”  Eddie pauses to check his watch.  “-jesus, like an hour ago.  Why are you still here?” 

The floors were pristine, mopped to perfection, chairs stacked on top of the tables, and rags started in the washer.  Every glass found home on their corresponding shelves, all dried and perfectly polished for the following shift, not one imperfection among the twinkling surfaces.  The place was spotless and there you were, standing on top of the bar in order to reach the top of the light fixtures which, judging by the amount of dust on them, went neglected for some time now.  Your apron was long discarded on one of the barstools and sweat dripped from your brow, the epitome of hard work if he’d ever seen it.  The Bourbon hadn’t been this clean in years.

“I’m almost done, I swear.”  You reply quietly, clearly far more engaged in your cleaning frenzy than any conversation he was trying to coax you into.

“No, you’re done.”  Eddie marches around the bar, revealing himself just in your peripheral.  “Get outta here.”  There wasn’t an ounce of venom behind his words, however, he was without a doubt becoming increasingly annoyed.

You chance a glance down at him only to find his standard scowl etched onto his face.  Except, it wasn’t as mean spirited as you were used to and it hadn’t been for quite some time.  It was cute; the way his lip would slightly jut out and how his smile lines were so prominent, eyes drooping in irritation.  Endearing irritation that you grew accustomed to.

“I will.”  You state, feather duster swiping through a satisfying amount of dust.  “When I finish.”

“No, get down.”

Your first instinct is to obey without question.  Listen to authority.  But in the previous weeks, you’d found it easier to let loose.  Sure, Eddie was always somewhat crabby but it never intimidated you and whenever he found himself particularly pissed off, he’d banish himself to the back office which aided in releasing any tension you’d built up throughout the week.  So, it wasn’t that difficult to at least attempt some friendly banter.  Especially if you could get him to crack a smile.  It was a win in your books when he tried so hard to withhold it from you or even better, turned around completely to shield his broken composure from you.

“Don’t you have–what did you call it– ‘a shit ton of paperwork’ to do?”  You joke. 

“Ha.  Ha.  I’m serious, get down.”  He mocks, glaring up at you, a stupid little tug pulling at the corners of his mouth.  Barely noticeable, but you take note of it.

“‘M not gonna fall, if that’s what you're worried about.”  You mumble, shaking your head.

“Judging by how many times you nearly eat shit throughout the week, I’m pretty worried.”  

Pretty worried.   

Saliva caught in the back of your throat, you try to play it off like dust that had gotten trapped in your airways, clearing your throat.  Only, your body had just reacted far too quickly to his words, resulting in the failure of a simple bodily function.

“I do not…”  You crouch down, poking the end of the feather duster at his chest.  “...fall that often.”  You pout.

“Yeah?”  A tiny smile pulls at his lips.  There it is.  “That’s why I said ‘nearly’.”

If you could bottle up the look he was giving you, you would selfishly keep it all for yourself to stare at on bad days.  Such mischief and amusement lingered in his gaze.  Sparks lighting up the dark and cloudy haze he usually exhibited.  Like fireworks against a colorless sky, beautiful hues popping left and right but after all, everything is always temporary.

“I don’t ‘nearly’ fall that often either.”  You whine.

“Just get off my bar and go home.”  Eddie demands, voice warm and buttery despite his intent to kick you out.  

Staring at him expectantly, he relays the same expression to you with raised brows.  In response, you cock your head to the side, luring the word out of him.  He doesn’t quite catch on, eyes narrowing while you wait.  A smirk appears on your lips as you remain perched on top of the bar, feather duster forgotten next to you.  His eyes grow a few sizes as if to urge you to speak up.  And then he gets it.

“Please.”  It drips from his tongue like warm caramel.

His eyes relax, creases between his brows ceasing and lids becoming heavy.  Another look you would mentally take a snapshot of just to hang it on the walls of your cluttered brain.  You’d be sure to clear a spot just for it.  

“Gladly.”  You offer the same smooth tone, hopping off the bar only to lose your balance along the way.

And before you can face plant into the hard wood planks, two large hands stabilize you, holding your waist firmly until he is sure you aren't going to collapse, but not yet letting go.  If you were to set aside your cowardly tendencies, you would look up and feel his breath against your face.  And you’re sure you could probably count the faint freckles on his nose that you’d only seen briefly when almost colliding into him during a rush.  You only remain glued to the floor, both your eyes and feet.  

“Careful, Bambi.”  He scolds softly. 

“‘M sorry.”  You murmur.

“No need to be sorry.”  You timidly glance up at him.  “Just–just be more careful.”  He pleads.

You were good and ready for him to yell at you, fully prepared to recoil as he raises his voice but it never comes.  And it hadn’t since that one time with the plates but you were like a skittish animal and long before you had even known him, any conflict had you in a corner every time, eyes full of tears and lip trembling.  You could only hope you didn’t look as pathetic right now.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.”  He begins to soothe, a certain nervousness in his voice.  Obviously you did look just as pathetic if not more.

His hands had left your waist to graze over your shoulders hesitantly, concern evident in his tone while he consoled you.  He shouldn’t have to console you for fuck’s sake.  Why were you on the verge of tears over your clumsiness?

“Sorry, sorry.  ‘M fine, I swear.”  You attempt to suck back the tears, head tilted toward the ceiling, lip tucked in between your teeth anxiously.  “J-just go do your paperwork.  I’ll be gone in a minute.”  

Just when you think–no hope that he walks away, those large hands are gently grabbing at your wrists as you use your fingers to push the tears back into the corners of your eyes.  A soft touch that for some reason, only made you want to cry more.  

“Stop apologizing.”  Eddie says, attempting to catch your gaze, finding it difficult as you begin to stare at the floor, hiding huge watery globs under your eyelashes.

“Just–let me get my things–”  You begin to voice shakily, vision blurred with tears that you resented.

“Sit down.”  He demands calmly, concern carved into his features from what you can make out through blurred vision.

“No, no, it’s okay–”

“Right here, sit.”  

Eddie directs you to a barstool, the distorted world around you becoming progressively more overwhelming by the second.  And all because you almost fell in front of your boss and he had to catch you.  It wasn’t your intention, appearing as the stupid girl who happened to be a gigantic cry baby, emotions too sensitive to the horrors of the real world.  Though, that was the reality, wasn’t it?

“Sorry.”  You whisper, a few rogue tears escaping after the good fight you put up.

At this, he releases a heavy sigh.  You can’t help but feel childish and small, your confidence devastatingly lower than before as you try to regulate your shaky breathing and wobbly lip.  You just needed a minute, one minute to ride out the wave of anxiety.  Eddie lets your umpteenth apology slide, slowly slipping into the stool next to you.

“I’m–uh–I’m gonna go home.”  Your voice is an octave too high for his liking.

“Not like this you’re not.”

You remain on the stool, embarrassed, your cheeks feeling hot with stained tears.  This was hell if anyone ever asked you.  Slowly but surely revealing just how big of a wimp you were.  Sure, you’d shed a few tears when he screamed at you over the plates but he hadn’t even done anything this time.  You reacted purely on instinct and it was humbling.

“Let’s uh, let’s try this…”  Eddie starts, running a ringed hand through his bangs.  He slides a napkin in front of you before reaching for your apron on the back of his stool, stealing a pen and setting it on the napkin.  “W-write down, uh, write down your feelings?”  He says, so unsure even he couldn’t take himself seriously.

With a sniffle, you try to hide your confusion as you stare at the bland brown napkin.  Eddie groans and for a moment you think it’s because you’re not playing along but quickly dismisses the thought when he reaches for another napkin and steals a second pen from your apron.

“Um, it sounds–it sounds stupid.  It kinda is stupid.  But, um, you just write what you’re feeling?  A-and it’s supposed to…shit I dunno.  It’s supposed to help clear your head I guess?”  He explains.

You wait for him to laugh, wait for him to mock your tear stained face and absolute lack of emotional control.  You wait for the ‘why are you crying’ in the most condescending tone and the lecture as to why you had no reason to cry.  It never comes.  Instead, as you sneak a glimpse at him from the corner of your teary eye, and he starts writing. 

“So, right now, um…”  He clears his throat.  “Right now I’m feeling, uh, concerned?” 

You can tell he’s having trouble coming up with words and that this was difficult for him…feelings were difficult for him.  Something you could heavily relate to.

“Or, uh, you c-can just write…whatever…”  He trails off, clicking the pen against the counter repeatedly. 

Rather than answering, you clumsily pick up the blue pen, dropping it once with a trembling hand before fully grasping it.  Then you begin writing as he instructed.  If he made fun of you for what you were writing down, so be it.  You’d already embarrassed yourself enough.

You expected him to chime in by now, scoffing at what you had written down.  But when you glanced over, he was doodling on his napkin, something that appeared to be a dragon.  Minding his own business.  Awkwardly, you set the pen back on the counter, causing him to peek over at you.

“It helped.”  You mumble.  “A little.”

“Good.”  He replies, tapping his pen against the counter.  “So, uh my therapist usually has me share once I write everything down–or at least share the main points.  You don’t–you don’t have to but that’s just…that’s what we do.”  

Eddie expects you to crumple up the napkin and throw it out.  Then you would leave and think to yourself how ridiculous he is.  He didn’t know how to help people–hell, he didn’t even know how to help himself most of the time.  What he doesn’t expect is for you to shyly slide the napkin in front of him.  Averting his eyes, he’s unsure if he actually has permission to read but when you nod your head ever so slightly, he still has trouble looking down at what you had scribbled out.  It felt like he was peeking into your brain, something he felt he wasn’t worthy of.

Humiliated

Stupid

Exhausted

Anxious

Small

Burden

Crybaby

Lonely

So many words for such a small increment of time that you had been scrawling away on that napkin.  So many words that held such heaviness.

“Wow.”  Is all that he says upon his first glance over.

Anxiously, you suck in a breath, attempting to snatch the napkin back in regret only to fail as Eddie slides it out of your reach.  

“It’s stupid, I-I’m gonna go…”  You begin, hopping off of your stool.

“It’s not stupid–”

Then you were gone, a gust of wind practically slapping him in the face.  He couldn’t find it in himself to complain, only troubled by the inner workings of your mind.  It was all too familiar and he was beginning to feel as if he wasn’t the only one cursed with a diseased mind.  Selfishly, he found comfort in that.  

–

There’s only one thing worse than a shitty car.  Two shitty cars.  Specifically a shitty car and a shitty truck.  Both unreliable, both sputtering every time Eddie put the key in the ignition.  Grandpa Roy’s ‘Ol Reliable four-door sedan wasn’t living up to its name and was on the decline by the looks of it.  It had been for some time, though he was alway able to find a temporary fix and keep it running.  Today he had no such luck.

The truck, Sugar, was arguably in much better shape.  She was well-loved, red paint chipping after years of use and a cracked rear window.  The engine had its moments but she was still better off than ‘Ol Reliable.  

“C’mon, Sugar.  Don’t be like that.”  Eddie mutters, turning the key in the ignition a few times more, only to be met with failure.  “Fuck.”  He whispers, hopping out from the driver’s side to prop the hood open, large hands splayed out along the sides as he prepares for battle.

With a sigh, he ties his hair back and discards his leather jacket on the ground in exasperation, even going as far as to give it a small kick away from his work space.  A wooden work bench was strategically placed on the porch under the awning, leaving no issue for when winter came around so that he had easy access to his tools even in the most dreadful of snows.  Snow hadn’t kissed the ground quite yet but the further into October it got, the more crisp the air became, a subtle announcement for what was to come.

A deep, resentful groan leaves Eddie’s chest as he trudged up the steps to the porch, lips all perfectly pouted while he reluctantly pulls each of his large rings off only to drop them in a cup he’d taken from a diner years ago when he made the move to Knife’s Edge.  An already greased up rag was snatched from the worktop and tucked snugly into his back pocket.

One, two, three.  One, two, three.  One, two, three.

He counts to himself under his breath as he collects the necessary tools.  It wasn’t like he had to be at the bar yet, though he would’ve liked to stop by the store to stock up on cigarettes and see if he could find any of those cocktail cherries on sale.  He wanted to save where he could.  Every cent mattered.  Then he was more than likely going to sulk in self pity while trying to figure out how to summon money from the sky.  Maybe indulge in a beer in his office.  He couldn’t afford to comp beers for himself like that but he could dream.  After that maybe he’d have a good cry before the chaos ensued again.  

Those plans went out the window when Sugar decided to test his patience.  Perhaps he should be grateful to his unfaithful truck for attempting to lure him out of the isolation he planned to encase himself in.  It was one thing to isolate yourself at home, it was another to trap yourself at your place of work hours before it actually opened and beat yourself up over every little thing and question where it all went wrong.  

“Dammit, dammit, dammit.”  He reiterates to himself, tossing a wrench in his hand as he makes his way back to Sugar.  “Go easy on me.”  He begs.

The pumpkins you had been angling perfectly on your porch were suddenly so miserably uninteresting; how could they not be when such an erotic site was placed right in front of your prying eyes?  Regretfully, your wet dream came to life.  Except, you played no part in it and Eddie paid no mind to you.  Not that he ever would.  And even if he did, you’d made it clear that you were a nutcase.  

You still couldn’t tear your eyes away from the way his arms flexed under his short sleeves and how he grunted while tugging at something under the hood of his truck.  Drool could have been dripping from your chin and you wouldn’t notice, too hypnotized by his every movement.  He had opted to wear some black converse today rather than his standard black combat boots.  It was cute, you couldn’t lie, the small change made you giddy.  And the way his shirt was riding up as he stretched himself over the engine felt like a tease.  A peek at what you had once gotten a glance of while wasted but didn’t get to fully appreciate as your sober self.  

God, you could recall the blurry image of him momentarily pulling his puke stained shirt off cautiously, revealing his lean figure.  It was practically pixelated in your mind.  As you reminisce on what your drunk self had taken for granted, reality feels just as distorted when Eddie’s eyes land on yours.  Huge doe eyes, almost cartoon-like catching your attention as if a moth to a flame.  You want to look away, you beg of yourself to look away but your inner voice is muffled; almost as though you were under an enchantment.

And like a siren call, his voice reaches you.  You fear that you may be all too willing to drown just to hear it again.

“Will you hold this for me?”  He shouts, almost desperately.  Almost.

Your eyes widen, hands still resting atop a perfectly orange pumpkin while you sit pretty on your porch step.  An Autumn dream.  Suddenly, Eddie wishes he would’ve kept to himself rather than requesting your assistance.  Had he thought it through, he would’ve opted to magically grow another hand.  Instead, he stands with ruddy cheeks and syrupy eyes, glazed with adoration that he was frantically attempting to wipe from his vision, shoving the feelings that were oozing out of him back into his stupid sweaty skin.

“Um…”  You reply in surprise, already crossing the border between properties, a shy stutter to your walk.  “Well I don’t really know how to…”  You trail off, suspecting that he could figure out the rest of your thoughts on his own.

Oh, how he regrets calling you over.  His clammy hand clutches the wrench, providing no aid in his attempt to calm his nerves.  

“You don’t…you don’t have to, uh…”  He appears as if he’s battling his own thoughts, gaze casted toward the ground as his eyes dart left and right.  “Can you just hold this?”  He finally gets out, pointing to a part of the engine.  “Sugar won’t start and I swear I can have her running again but it’d be a hell lot easier if you could just hold this real quick.”

“Sugar?”

“Sugar.”  He confirms.  “Oh!”  Realization hits him.  “Yeah, Sugar.  My truck.”  

“Okay…”  You whisper, unsure.

You could almost forget the mortifying incident from the early hours of 3:00 AM as you took in his wet chocolate coated eyes, the light Fall breeze seeming to affect him.  His lashes clumped together like art and his nose was tinted the perfect shade of rose, those faint freckles dotted along the bridge like little constellations.

“Just, right here.”  He instructs, turning his attention back to Sugar.  

Following his lead, you adjust your hand where it's needed, an uncomfortable, greasy residue coating your fingers as he works.  From this angle, the afternoon sun casts a golden glow over his profile, flyaway curls highlighted in the light like a halo and nose endearingly round at the tip with lips tucked into his teeth as he concentrates.  And then, his tongue pokes out, an adoring sight that only makes you yearn to reach out and graze your fingertips over the stubble threatening to emerge from his cheek.

“Thought you’d name it something more…tough.”  

Your meek voice earns a glance over his shoulder, brows furrowed in that cute way that everyone always recognized as harsh and cold-hearted.

“What?”  The way his eyes crinkle at the corners paired with his confused expression only give you more reason to let your stare linger a little bit longer, a bold move on your part.

“Um, Sugar–”

“Oh, Sugar.”  

Simultaneously, you refer to his truck, interrupting each other while his elbow grazes your arm as he tightens a bolt.

“Uh, well…she’s, uh, the only girl in my life.”  He jokes, quietly chuckling.  “And, she’s not exactly brand new so I’ve gotta treat ‘er nice.”

“And…she can hear you?”  You question, attempting to hide your oncoming grin.

This time, he only glares at you over his shoulder.  There’s a comfort in the way his eyes seem to swallow you whole.  

“Okay, okay, ha, ha.  I know, she’s a truck–”

“And you keep calling it a ‘she’.”

Eddie pulls back, stepping away from the engine, prompting you to do the same as you stare up at him, a smidge afraid that you might have actually offended him.  A few rebellious curls frame his face, creating the vision of a princely man who in reality, was nothing of the sort.  Not in the sense that he wasn’t gentlemanly, only in the sense that he didn’t care what others thought.

“What?  You never heard of people calling their car a ‘she’ before?”  He asks, offense barely evident in his tone.  More than anything, he appears to be amused by your observation.

“No, I have.  Just didn’t think you seemed like one of them.”  You remark.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Again his eyebrows crinkle in the cutest fashion, lip curling ever so slightly as he brings a hand to his hip.  You begin to think that no one has ever looked so good covered in grease and you’d never been attracted to the smell of oil but you could make an exception if it meant you’d get to see his features this close.  Eddie was a pretty guy.  And the more his colors showed, the more entranced you became.

“I dunno, nevermind.”  You attempt to divert the conversation.

“No, no, you have to tell me.  Please enlighten me.”  He crosses his arms, a smug smirk pulling at his lips.  

“No, forget it!.”  You giggle.

Eddie can feel his shoulders relaxing at the sound.  Can feel his tension release even if just the slightest.  His eyes relax, a lazy gaze focused on you.  Everything suddenly feels so…calm.  As if his life wasn’t falling apart.  You were like some kind of drug that made him forget how shitty things were and if it only lasted a few seconds at a time, he would gladly invest in as much as he could until he overdosed.  Which to be fair, he didn’t think was possible.  

“No, what do you mean?  Say it with your chest, I dare you.”  He nods at you, eyes showcasing that same spark you’d notice every now and then.  The spark only seemed to get bigger and bigger.  One day you’d hoped to see a fire ignite, a full explosion of his personality.

Biting your lip, you look at him sheepishly, doubting yourself.  But something about his gaze eggs you on.

“You just…you’re all…big and bad.”  You mumble, eyes finding themselves glued to the ground.

“Big and bad?”  Eddie repeats.

It’s enough to have you backtracking, pathetically trying to erase your words.  Your mouth opens and closes repeatedly, like a goldfish.

“See, it was stupid!  I was being stupid.  Just forget–”

“Why do you keep doing that?”  He asks, genuine curiosity blended in his tone along with a dash of concern.

“Doing what?”

Your puzzled expression only makes his chest ache.  Leaves crunch under your feet as you fidget, visually nervous.  He hates that he always ends up making you uncomfortable, never able to get a grip though maybe he can blame his highschool-self.  He never talked to girls and maybe if he had, he’d be having better luck right now.  Who’s he kidding, maybe if he just wasn’t even himself he’d be making a lot more progress.

“Calling yourself stupid.”  He mentions quietly.

No one has ever confronted your self-deprecating commentary, only ever remained silent as if to agree with you or they’d simply shift the topic.  Never has someone questioned your reasoning.    

“Oh…well I uh, I didn’t think I did it that often.”  You begin to stutter, clearly taken back.  He wishes he could rewind back to when you were bantering back and forth about his truck.  He probably would’ve found another way to fuck up the conversation, even if he could go back and give himself another chance.  

“But if this is because last night I wrote–”  You start again, only for him to keep running his big mouth.

“A bunch of bullshit?”  He states.  Like it's a fact.

Your wide eyes aren’t a good sign.

“What?”

“Yeah.  Bullshit.”  He sounds so sure of himself.

“Oh.”  

You physically seem as if you're deflating, your body closing in on itself, shoulders slumping while you take a step back.  It was the opposite of what he wanted.  But he could always count on himself to ruin a good thing.

“No, no!  I didn’t mean it like–I didn’t mean–fuckin’ christ.”  Eddie runs his clean hand down his face.  “I didn’t mean it was bullshit.  I meant that…I guess I meant that you shouldn’t feel like that?”

It’s quiet.  Eddie knows he deserves a slap across the face, if anything.  But you just continue staring at the ground, lost in thought.  Moments pass and he’s starting to feel he should dismiss himself and hide forever.  Forget fixing Sugar and just become a hermit.

“Why?”  You whisper.

He doesn’t offer an answer, only shrugs slowly.  He just kept putting nails in his own coffin.

“Don’t you…don’t you think I’m those things?  Like…like there’s something wrong with me?”

Eddie steps closer, not enough to push your boundaries but still enough for you to notice.  He tugs his lip in between his teeth, pulling at it anxiously while he thinks.  And with his arms still crossed, one finger taps at his elbow in threes.  You follow the action.

One, two, three.  One, two, three.  One, two, three.

“No.”  He says simply, to which your head snaps up.

Cola colored irises are awaiting you, welcoming you in a way.  A softer expression falls over his face, his cherub-like features becoming enhanced.

“I don’t think you’re those things.”  Eddie says confidently.  “I think you’re just right.”

~end~

Masterlist

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tags - @gravedigginbbydoll @ohauggieo @spicysix @lunatictardis @ali-r3n @batkin028 @mrsjellymunson @witchwolflea @emma77645 @emxxblog @eddiesxangel @angietherose @lottie-90 @sheneedsrocknroll92 @pullingattheroots @avalon-wolf @vintagehellfire @cryingglightningg @foreveranexpatsposts @winchester-angel @mmunson86 @witchwolflea @kurdtbean @micheledawn1975 @tlclick73 @erinekc @hazydespair @whenshelanded @corrodedcoffincumslut @ms1oftheboys @lma1986 @uglypastels

[rainba]

Heey could you tell us some of they other Yan tendencies? (Like stealing stuff from darling, placing cameras, kidnapping and etc)

Hope you're having a nice day/night! (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

-💀 anon

Helloo!! I’m having a pretty good day so far, thank you for asking!! ^^ 

((Warnings: stalking, generally creepy behavior and dark content))

(*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Here’s a few of their Yan tendencies:

Kairos definitely has a thing for breaking into his darling’s house/apartment ^^;;;. Rummaging through your closets, stealing your clothes, digging through your trash, planting cameras in little nooks and crannies, etc. One of his guilty pleasures is to steal your underwear, cum in them, and then put them back in your drawer. ♡(｡- ω -)

Also– he does occasionally break into your place when you’re home as well! He very quietly opens your window, crawls inside and sneaks around in the shadows, then stands over your sleeping form. ^^;;;

And he just… Lovingly watches you! Maybe he’ll kneel down and sketch a picture of you, capturing you in all your perfection. You look so peaceful when you sleep...

And sometimes he can’t help himself- he steals a few kisses. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) Plants smooches on your forehead, on your nose, on your cheeks, and on your lips… If he becomes a little too excited, there are nights where he will just…

Masturbate over you. ^^

Kairos grabbing himself and putting his sensitive cock near your lips, shuddering as he feels you softly breathing on it… It takes all of his strength to not violate your mouth right then and there. (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Then he might cum on your face– or maybe he cums into one of your shirts… If he does it on your face, though, he always makes sure to clean it off so that you don’t suspect anything when you wake up! (But he always gets a picture first!! >_<.) 

Outside of all of that, he also just stalks you a lot. He’s always watching you– one way or another! (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Much like Kairos, Luka also has a strong tendency to stalk you– except he doesn’t do it nearly as much as Kairos does. He keeps a close eye on all of your socials, generally always knows where you are, and will occasionally follow you around from a distance. ^^;;

Out of the two of them, Luka is much more likely to kidnap his darling over Kairos– mostly just because he has a house,, and his house has a proper basement. It's also just because Luka has a lot more confidence than Kairos ^^. 

If all of Luka’s plans are falling apart and you start to slip away from him, he will absolutely resort to kidnapping you. ^_^

Luka also has the tendency to wanna ruin your social life and completely isolate you, whether it be through dragging your name in the mud or manipulating you into thinking that all of your friends secretly hate you. Fake messages, harassment from ‘anonymous people’ online, etc.. (´♡‿♡`) 

If none of this stops you from going out with your friends, then he’ll do the next best thing: make you absolutely horrified to step outside!

Tons of different spam numbers will suddenly start sending you disturbing texts, videos, pictures, and voicemails. There’ll be pictures of you in your house, videos of you spending time with your friends, threatening texts telling you that you’ll be slaughtered the next time you step out of your home... Oh, and the cherry on top: "nobody will find your body." !! 

And Luka makes sure that none of the messages can be tied to him. ^^!!!

(Tons of burner phones, all bought with cash... Things like that. ❤️)

And calling the police..? Good luck getting them to help. Nobody has actually done anything, nobody has actually been caught intruding on your property, so… What can the police do?

Sigh.

(Luka finds the dark circles under your eyes and the horrified expressions on your face to be so adorable.~ The way you start to constantly look over your shoulder, the way your windows are now always locked, and your blinds are forever shut… All because of him!) (=`ω´=)

However, there are two different ways Luka would act while he’s doing all of that: he’d either be a total stranger, taking his darling by surprise… Or… He’d be comforting you the entire time, lending you a shoulder to cry on, swearing to protect you from this “dangerous stranger” that keeps harassing you..! (¬‿¬ )

Ultimately, Luka just has an overwhelming tendency to wanna keep you all to himself.~ 

These are only a few of Kairos and Luka’s Yan tendencies,, they’ve got some more ^^;;;

And I hope you’re having a good day/night too!! :3c

(I hope I answered your question properly,, lol ^^;;;;;;;;;)

[ctitan98official]

Anonymous: sub Miranda priestly? 👀🙏❤

Fuck yeah! I’ve always had a head canon that she’s a sub. She’s just incredibly stressed and definitely needs to be taken care of. Reader, as usual, is gender neutral. Let’s get into it!

You had been Miranda’s assistant for much longer than most. You attribute your staying power to the fact that you just don’t really care about wearing expensive clothing and the latest styles. You want to be true to yourself. You don’t care if you fit in with everyone else’s expectations. Of course you dress professionally, but you don’t go overboard. You’ve done your research and understand the business, however, you’re not getting discouraged and drained by it. You’re confident in yourself and don’t feel the need to put up a facade.

Sure. Nigel and Emily tease you. But slowly, they’ve come to accept you for who you are. You three often go out for drinks after work.

Miranda, however, has apparently not warmed up to you as much. (That’s actually not true, though. She’s just really good at hiding her attraction to you.) She still won’t call you by your actual name and sends you on ridiculous errands. But, she has also started asking for you to bring the book by the house. She only sends people she trusts with the book. You’re honored.

Today, Miranda is in a much worse mood than usual.

You, Emily, and Nigel are chatting and making each other laugh when Miranda arrives. She’s half an hour later than she typically is and that’s seemingly contributing to her frustration.

She storms in and flings her jacket on your desk, unintentionally knocking Nigel’s scalding hot cup of coffee all over the front of your shirt and in your lap.

If Miranda noticed what she did, she didn’t acknowledge it. She goes right into her office and closes the door.

You hiss in agony as you bite back some cuss words.

Nigel gasps and immediately grabs some tissues to try and soak up the spill on your desk. “Are you okay, Y/N?” He asks, horrified.

“Yeah, Nigel. I’m fine… But, I can’t walk around like this all day.” You say and grimace at your stained clothes. “What the hell am I going to do? I don’t have the time to run home and change.” You ask.

Nigel looks at Miranda’s closed office door. He can tell she’s going to be a while. He turns back and grins at you. “Where do you think you are, Y/N?” He says… And immediately decides to make you his next project.

Nigel gives you tons of clothes to try on. You tell him he’s going overboard, but he just glares at you and you shut up.

By the time you’re done, Nigel has picked out the perfect sleek suit for you to wear. He helps you style your hair and tells you to go look at yourself in the mirror.

“Wow… That’s me?” You ask in shock. You look like a completely different person.

Nigel nods with a pleased smile. “It’s certainly an improvement.” He says jokingly. “Keep up that usual confidence and people are going to think you own Runway.” He winks.

“Thanks, Nigel. I really appreciate it.” You tell him.

“Don’t thank me, I was just tired of seeing you dress like an accountant.” He says, crinkling his nose.

You roll your eyes and get back to the office. As you walk in, Emily almost spits out the tea she was drinking before she starts coughing violently.

You raise a perplexed eyebrow. Emily’s cheeks are burning. “What is it, Em?” You ask.

Emily composes herself and clears her throat. “So, you actually look decent for once. Hell must have just frozen over.” She says, trying to seem disinterested in how great you look in your new outfit.

“Haha, very funny.” You say and go to sit back at your desk.

Before long, you hear Miranda’s voice from her office. “Emily.” She says. You huff. She said it in the tone she uses when she means you.

You quickly get up and walk in with a notepad and pen. “Yes, Miranda?” You ask and look down at the paper to get ready to jot some stuff down.

Miranda doesn’t speak immediately.

The silence makes you look up at her in confusion.

Miranda’s face can’t hide the shock she clearly feels. Damn. You look really hot. She can’t help but wonder how much better it would look off of you, though… With your hands exploring her body… Shit! Pull yourself together, Miranda! She thinks harshly to herself and tries to snap out of the trance you’ve put her in.

She knows what a heartthrob you are (She’s not dumb), but this… This is just not fair to suddenly spring on her.

You clear your throat after Miranda’s been staring at you for a while.

The editor slightly shakes her head before her brain gets the message to start working once again. “Get Marc on the phone and make a reservation at that place I like. And Patricia needs to be picked up from the groomers.” She says in her calm, but demanding voice. Her momentary internal freak out has finally passed.

You nod. “I’m on it.” You say quickly and leave.

Miranda clenches her jaw. This is Nigel’s doing, she’s sure of it.

——————————————————————————

The rest of the day goes by routinely. Impossible demands are met and you take great pleasure in your efficiency. Later on, Miranda leaves for the day and you finish up some work before going to take the book over.

You get to the townhouse and enter… However, there is an immediate and noticeable tension. Something is wrong. You hear a man’s furious voice and… Miranda’s. You can tell she’s trying to placate whoever she’s talking to, but the man’s voice only grows louder. You’ve never heard Miranda so… Shaken up. You look up at the stairway balcony and see two frightened little redheads peeking their faces out at you. They are silently pleading with you to do something.

Your vision goes red. You stomp up the stairway and make your way to the sound of Miranda’s voice. She sounds… Scared. You turn the corner and see a man, about Miranda’s age, yelling and berating her. You’re almost positive that this is her husband. You and Miranda’s eyes meet. She is so relieved to see you.

The man reaches out to grab Miranda’s arm roughly, but you immediately pull him back by his collar before he can lay his disgusting hand on her. You shove him hard up against the wall, seething. “Alright, you’re done, asshole! Let’s go!” You tell him and drag him harshly down the stairs with your arm tightly around his neck.

“Who the fuck are you?!” He shouts, grunting in pain from your iron grip.

“Your worst fucking nightmare if you continue to make bad choices.” You say darkly. “If I see you back here again we’re going to have a problem. Get it?” You ask and violently shove him down the townhouse’s front steps.

The man stumbles and trips over himself. He splutters as he gets up and looks at you stupidly.

“Beat it!” You yell at him.

The man sees the rage in your eyes and decides to get going. He’s not going to mess with you.

You watch as he leaves like a pathetic idiot. You make sure that he’s gone before closing the front door, locking it, and sighing. You turn around and see Miranda at the top of the stairs.

Her eyes are red from crying and she looks so… Vulnerable.

Cassidy and Caroline begin to sob as they hurry over to hug their mother.

“It’s okay, bobbseys. Mommy’s here.” She assures. Wow. Her voice is so soft and warm right now. You… Love the sound of it like this. It’s comforting.

You quietly make your way up the stairs. “Are you all okay?” You ask gently.

Miranda sees you approaching and begins bawling herself. She reaches out to pull you into a group hug with the girls. “Thank you, Y/N. Thank you.” She says.

Your eyes grow wide. You’ve never heard her say thank you before. You enjoy the feeling of them all in your arms. You could certainly get used to this.

You four finally pull away from each other, but Cassidy immediately clings to your side. She feels safe with you. Not to be outdone, Caroline quickly grabs onto your other side. You look to Miranda in astonishment and she can’t help but chuckle tearily as she looks at the shock on your face.

“I would say that you have won these two over.” She says with a smile and looks at her precious daughters.

You decide that you rather like the idea of the girls approving of you.

Miranda leads you all to the girls’ bedroom and Caroline and Cassidy immediately hop in the same bed and cuddle with each other. Miranda tucks them in and sits on the edge next to them. “Now, bobbseys. I know that was very scary.” She says. “But Y/N protected us.” She says and looks at you in gratitude.

“Thank you, Y/N.” Caroline says.

“Yeah, thanks, Y/N!” Cassidy eagerly adds.

You blush intensely. “My pleasure.” You mumble out, embarrassed.

“Stephen will not be a problem any longer.” Miranda says, looking back at the girls. First thing in the morning, she’s filing divorce papers against that son of a bitch. A restraining order too.

“So, Stephen’s not going to live here anymore?” Caroline asks.

Miranda cups her face. “No, he won’t, bobbsey.” Miranda promises.

Caroline nods, feeling relieved.

“Now, would you like a song to help you fall asleep?” Miranda entices.

The girls eagerly nod.

Miranda turns to you and pats the bed next to her. You quickly take a seat and can feel her lightly leaning against you. She’s so warm. She gently holds your hand and squeezes it.

Miranda sings a beautiful Yiddish lullaby. You are once again falling in love with her voice. You could listen to it constantly.

The girls are soothed by their mother’s singing. They quickly fall asleep.

Miranda ends the song and kisses each daughter on the head before standing up and guiding you out of the room. She turns off the lights and closes the door.

Miranda grabs your hand and leads you to her bedroom. “Y/N, I… I can’t thank you enough.” Miranda says, breaking down once again.

You wrap her in a hug. “Hey, it’s all going to be okay.” You tell her and rub her back.

Miranda lets herself cry for a minute and you calmly whisper soft reassurances in her ear. You will never let anything harm her or the girls again. Something about your dynamic with them has completely changed. You will protect them with your life from here on out.

After Miranda has allowed herself some time to cry, she suddenly pulls back and looks at you closely.

You look back at her. “Miranda?” You ask.

“I… Feel safe… With you, Y/N.” Miranda reveals. She’s just pinpointed why she loves being around you. Every time at work when Miranda has forgotten something or made a tiny mistake, you swoop in and fix it… And now… This. You’re like her own personal superhero.

Miranda’s statement makes your heart rate pick up. You love that you make her feel secure.

“I think that… I haven’t felt truly safe and protected like this since I lost my father.” Miranda realizes and looks you in the eye. “I… Want you here with me, Y/N. Please, will you stay tonight?” She pleads.

You had no intentions of leaving anyway. You wanted to make sure Stephen was really gone. You smile. “Absolutely. I’ll go sleep on the couch.” You tell her. “Good night, Mi-”

“No!” Miranda all but shrieks.

Your posture becomes rigid. Miranda’s never raised her voice before. It’s quite startling. You turn to look at her but Miranda suddenly cups your face.

“Please… Stay in here with me.” She begs.

You can’t say no to her. You nod. “Okay.” You agree.

Then… Something happens that totally changes you for good. Miranda leans forward and places a gentle kiss to your lips. Your brain short-circuits for a second before you kiss her back. Her lips are so velvety. You need more.

Miranda moans softly and it’s the most tantalizing thing you’ve ever heard. She pulls away and looks critically at you. “Nigel knew what he was doing when he dressed you.” She says with a small smirk. “What an evil way to torture me all day.” She whispers.

You laugh and wink. “You can blame yourself for that. You spilled coffee all over me.” You tell her.

Miranda is mortified. She doesn’t remember that. “I… What?” She asks, confused.

“Forget it. I’ll tell you later.” You grin and start to trail kisses down to the base of her throat.

Miranda whines as she grips your hair, wanting you to keep going. You carefully pick her up and lie her on the bed before positioning yourself on top of her. “Let me take your shirt off, doll baby.” You tell her and begin unbuttoning her fancy blouse.

Miranda all but melts as she sees the feral look in your eyes. This is what she needs. To be taken care of and… Completely worshipped.

Note: Haha, so no smut, but the unexpected dom/sub dynamics were really fun to work with on a more emotional level. Depending on if y'all like this one, I may write some smut for it. Hope you enjoyed this!

Masterlist

[kyuteflesh]

kyle “gaz” garrick / f!reader

﹒⪩⪨﹒ ﹒⪩⪨﹒ ﹒⪩⪨﹒

anotha one (much love to everyone who supported my last post 🫶🫶 ur the best). not the greatest i could’ve done, less serious this time, experimenting, barely proofread, just writing to cope. enjoy :p

more plot than porn tbh, +18

141 was finally home after what felt like an eternity.

you were close with all of the members but one: kyle garrick, otherwise known as gaz.

every time you all had plans together, garrick would be the first to tap out within an hour. tonight was the night you would figure out why.

“i have a question.” you announced, downing your second shot of tequila

“ohhh! getting serious now, are we lass?” soap exclaimed, nudging ghost who in return gave him a pinch on the arm. you could only purse your lips at him.

“go on. we’re all ears.” price replied. soap and ghost crowded next to him.

“how come whenever we go out, kyle never comes? am i that much of a dick repellent??” you huffed.

soap coughed up his drink. “far from it. honestly, he just has a wee bit of a problem.”

you weren’t sure whether you should’ve been offended or not by what he said. “and what in the hell does that mean?!”

“we all agree that you’re the bonniest l—“ johnny started, only for price to quickly cut him off in attempts to deflect the attention away from them.

“garrick fancies you very much!!” there was no way in hell he was gonna let a drunken soap spoil what they talk about when you’re not around.

…………..

“in what way???” you were flabbergasted to say the least.

“way to go, captain.” ghost grumbled, facepalming in the process.

“he told us that you were so attractive it was intimidating to him. he doesn’t wanna mess anything up, so he refrains from overstaying his welcome.” price chuckled between air-quotations.

johnny was having a blast, cackling and slapping his knee. “LORD HAVE MERCY! THAT IS THE HEADLINER OF THE CENTURY.”

several drinks later, you found yourself staying in a hotel room with the group. nothing going on besides friendly banter.

simon’s phone buzzed and everyone turned to him. “who is it? some girl from the bar?” soap grinned sheepishly. “would you shut the hell up for once? it’s garrick, said he’s about to be here.”

“about time that man shows up!” price and mactavish silently cheered together.

… so many thoughts in your brain right now. how were you going to act after finding out hes been crushing on you for how many years now??? you weren’t sure if you could deal with the anxiety of presenting yourself in this state.

that’s when you heard a knock on the door.

“well would you look at that..”

“that’s our cue, gotta go!”

“sorry l/n…”

and with that, simon opened the door for gaz, and the rest of them swiftly escaped. literally no time to process anything.

you looked up at kyle. “are they coming back?”

he shook his head and took a deep sigh.

“no, they aren’t.. i rented this room for us.”

flabbergasted x2. and he could tell.

“i know i’m practically a stranger to you, i apologize. however, i’m determined to change that.”

he’s not a stranger to you. you know tons about him due to soaps big mouth, and the times where he would barely speak– because other little fun facts got tacked on from there by the group messing with him.

honestly, that’s what draws you to him.

you weren’t gonna say that. you haven’t said anything.

he sat down next to you, taking yet another deep sigh.

“i don’t want you to think i dislike you, and i’m sorry if i made it seem that way. i really like you y/n, and i just never knew how to go about dealing with these feelings. i thought they would go away if i distanced myself but t—“ you pressed your lips to his. kyle’s eyes widened, but he promptly snapped out of it.

he wasn’t about to fumble a second time. he’s been waiting for this moment forever.

it didn’t take long for it to turn into a heated make out sesh.

he put his hand on the back of your head, gently weighing you down to the bed. he was on top of you, kissing down your neck.

gaz parted away from you for air. “is this ok?” he asked, toying with the bottom of your shirt. he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable in any way.

“of course it’s ok. you can do whatever you want with me.” you giggled.

he slipped a hand up your shirt, caressing every inch possible. “these already feel so nice. i wanna see them bare.”

your face turned a light shade of pink, “you first.”

gaz took his shirt off without any further hesitation. he wasn’t the bulkiest of the group, but he still had a nice, toned figure.

that was enough to really get you going. you followed along, straight to the point too considering you removed your bra prior to his arrival.

“bloody hell.” he leaned his head into your chest.

“what’s wrong?”

“nothing at all. you’re absolutely breathtaking.”

(SO INTO BODY WORSHIP CHANGE MY MIIINNDDDDDDDDDDDDAGHHH) gaz wasted no time sucking and kissing on your tits. his hands were wandering for a good minute before he started to travel towards the burning heat between your legs.

after finally getting your skirt and panties off, gaz took a moment to admire his prize. “such a pretty fuckin pussy.”

he started to gently massage your clit, gathering your slick to help. “all of this for me? i’m truly honored.”

“hush up already and do somethinggg.” you begged.

“aw, needy all of a sudden? where’v you been keeping it all this time?” he began to stick two fingers inside of you. “whatever you say, luv.”

he was eating you out while making sure your hole got attention too. curling his fingers, going at a generous pace. “you taste so good. need your mouth on my dick at the same time.”

kyle laid down, and you got on top of him nearing his cock. he started to lap at your cunt again, returning to his previous tempo as his digits pumped in and out.

you squeaked, starting to work his dick with your hand. you took the tip into your mouth, licking the mess of precum that was left because of for you.

as much as you’d rather have his dick inside your pussy, something about the both of you being pleasured orally was insanely hot. enough to help your climax build.

“more, please.”

“more what?”

“add more fingers. i need it, please kyle.”

practically fisting you, he had four fingers inside you now (rookie numbers tbh). you on the other hand, were gagging on his dick. you could feel it twitch with every gurgled moan you let out.

“i’m gonna cum” he choked out. this man is one hell of a trooper. a munch if you would.

“i wanna cum on your tits. just need you to finish first.” he flipped you over, back on top of you. two fingers this time, but it was enough.

“right there. don’t stop-!” you were struggling with words. squeezing his free hand. so focused on the intense feeling you didn’t care about who could’ve been hearing you.

you finally let yourself go. face glazed with sweat and spit. kyles was 10 times worse. hot tho.

kyle was eager to cum. after giving your pussy a final kiss, he started to work on his own release.

hovering over you, he continued to jerk himself off. you pushed your boobs together, anticipating the sticky coating. he groaned in response, getting shakier by the second. without any word, he finished all over your chest.

“have you gotten over your little crush yet?”

“for fucks sake. definitely not.”

[luvxkdrama]

— jealousy

pairing : jang hanseok//jang junwoo x reader

warnings : swearing, mentions of killing, toxic/abusive relationship, screaming.

word count : 1.8k

summary : jang hanseok gets furious when he finds out you hung out with another man.

a/n : I don’t support toxic relationships, this fanfic is for entertainment purposes only!

—

The sun was slowly settling down while you were making your way to the cafe at the corner of the street.

November was one of your least favourite months because of the short days and humid, unpleasant weather. It demotivated you to wake up while it was still dark outside and leaving work when the sun was already settling down.

Working at one of the best law firms never made it easy to leave work earlier than 6 pm. There’s tons of paperwork and when you’re finally done, your boss always finds something to keep you at work. You’re starting to believe he really hates you to another level, but if it’s indeed the case, it’s reciprocal.

When you finally reached the cafe, you were on your last legs. After quickly ordering an iced americano, you sat down on one of the free tables. It was usually pretty empty at 7 pm since most of the people would rather directly go home after working the whole day than stay in a cafe. However, you loved to spend time there since one of your childhood dreams was to open your own cafeteria. Sadly, your parents never agreed to it and you ended up having to follow their dream path.

“Y/N?” You turned around when someone mentioned your name, only to be face to face with a young man in his mid-twenties. At first, you had no clue how he knew you but then you slowly recognised him thanks to the tiny scar on his left cheek.

“Changho?” You smiled at the unexpected meeting. “It’s been so long since I last saw you.” You chuckled and got up for a quick hug.

“Do you mind if I join your table?” He asked, smiling.

“Not at all.”

After sitting down, you both got your drinks and got lost in a long conversation. You would never think you’d meet your best friend from elementary school again after he left to study abroad. At first, you’d keep in touch regularly but then you both got caught up with studies, work and you eventually lost contact.

Back in time, you two were inseparable and you treated him as if he was your actual brother. People at school would in fact gossip about you two dating but you never saw him that way. Your love for each other was purely platonic.

“I’m glad I came back here.” He admitted, looking at you.

“Why didn’t you stay in Australia? I thought it was your dream to work there.” You asked, sipping on your iced americano.

“I really loved studying there but I didn’t feel at the right place. The atmosphere wasn’t the same as here, in my motherland so I ended up deciding to come back here and have a new start.”

“Well I’m not gonna lie, I’m happy you’re back. I missed having my brother here.” You admitted and looked at the cafe’s clock to check the time.

“Oh gosh, I’d love to stay more here with you but I really have to go, work has been a mess these days and I’m craving to go to bed.” You looked at apologetically, scratching your neck.

“Don’t worry, I couldn’t possibly agree more, I had lost of work as well.” You both laughed and exchanged your numbers to meet some other day.

“Hold on, tell me y/n, did you finally find your prince on a white horse?” He raised one of his eyebrows, sipping on his drink.

Changho almost chocked on his drink after you proudly showed him the engagement ring.

“No way! When did that happen!?” He smiled.

“A few months ago, it was really unexpected but he made sure the moment was unforgettable.” You softly chuckled at the memory of Hanseok holding a box with a beautiful ring inside.

“I definitely have to meet him someday and tell him how much of a lucky guy he is. Congratulations!” You both high-fived and eventually left the cafeteria.

“Do you need me to call a taxi for you?” He was about to grab his phone but you shook your head.

“No need, I live around 10 minutes from here.” You reassured him but his face was hesitant.

“We talked a lot though and it got pretty dark.” He looked around at the few street lamps that didn’t give much light. “Let me walk you home, it’ll be safer.” He suggested and you ended up agreeing.

The walk was short but you obviously felt more comfortable with someone by your side.

“It was nice seeing you again, I look forward to our next meeting.” Changho waved at you and left once you were at your doorstep.

“See you!” You smiled and grabbed the keys in your purse.

“Hanseok I’m home!” You exclaimed but pouted when there was no response.

You took off your shoes and made your way into the living room but your fiancé was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t worry you though since you thought he was simply still at work.

You were about to boil some water to make yourself some tea when someone turned you around and planted a rather harsh kiss on your lips. You didn’t panic though because you knew it couldn’t be no one else other than Hanseok.

After about 5 minutes of your make out session, you broke the kiss and wrapped your arms around his bare neck, admiring his toned chest.

“Well that was a warm welcome.” You chuckled but frowned when his lips didn’t even twitch into a smile. “Did something happen?” You asked, unsure.

“Why did you come home so late, hm?” He hummed, softly caressing your neck, not even making eye contact with you.

“I got caught up with work, you know how my boss hates me.” You sighed, deciding to lie because you knew he wouldn’t like it if you mentioned you were with another boy.

“Work, huh?” His soft grip on your neck suddenly got tighter and his eyes turned cold, finally meeting yours. “Weren’t you perhaps caught up in a conversation with a man in a cafe?”

“Did you really follow me?” You sneered, not believing it but his grip got stronger.

“Why would you meet another man and why would you fucking lie to me about it!?” He screamed.

“That’s exactly why I lied! You’re already making a big deal about it even though you don’t know why I was with him!” You exclaimed, frustrated.

“Don’t you remember how many times I told you I’m the only man you need in your life? No other man can satisfy you as much as I can!” He smirked.

Before explaining everything, you freed yourself from his grip around your neck. You coughed a few times and cleared your throat.

“We met by accident today! He’s my old best friend from school. This man was like a brother to me and he’s the only one who was there for me when I was a kid. You know how my parents were at that time. He used to be the only person who actually cared about me.” You sighed, however the anger in Hanseok’s eyes didn’t go away.

“Awh, I’m supposed to get emotional? He is still a man, a very important one for you as I can see. You better not meet him again.” He gritted trough his teeth.

“Or what? You’re gonna kill him?” You sneered at him, rolling your eyes.

“You wanna bet?” He smirked, cocking his head to the side. “Don’t roll your eyes at me.” He threatened.

“I hate you.” You pushed him away and were about to leave but he grabbed your arm and put you back against the counter.

“I wasn’t done with the conversation.” He said, putting both his arms against the counter, hovering over you and blocking your way out.

“I’m tired of you being so possessive! I hate how you don’t trust me when I talk to other guys. Do you really think I’d hook up with each guy I talk to? As I see, I’m nothing more than a whore in your eyes. Plus, I just learned that you follow me around. You really don’t trust me to that point?” You sighed, becoming more frustrated.

“I don’t trust you? Oh sweetie, I trust you with my life, I just don’t trust the scumbags who talk with you. I mean, I don’t even want to start imagining what they must think when they see such a pretty face with a perfect body.” He whispered, tracing both of his hands on your upper thighs. “Regarding the following, I ordered a few bodyguards to watch you because, in case you forgot, a few people wish to kill me right now and I can’t let anything happen to you!”

“I don’t care what these men think, I only got my eyes on you anyway.” You exhaled and ran your hand trough his locks. “Plus, you keep our relationship secret so I doubt your enemies know about me.”

“Princess, you have no clue how the world I live in works, I can guarantee they have informations about you and that’s why I have to keep an eye on you.” He softly pecked your forehead.

“If you say so… but you have to stop acting this way whenever I talk with a guy, promise?” You showed him your pinky and he locked it with his as a promise. “If a guy ever gets too close to me, I’ll beat him by myself.” You said proudly, making Hanseok smile.

“Hm, sure.” Hanseok caressed your cheek.

“Let’s go to sleep now, we both have to wake up early tomorrow.” You rubbed your eyes and your fiancé suddenly picked you up.

“As you wish, princess. You do know that you can quit your job anytime though? I can give you everything you need.” He smirked and softly pecked your forehead.

“Even though my boss is horrible, I like my job. Plus, I want to have my own money that I earned by working hard.” You admitted.

“That’s my girl.” He chuckled and laid you down on the bed. “However let me atleast call your boss to say you’ll be absent tomorrow, hm? So we can have some fun together.” He whispered the last part and you felt a strand of wet kisses along your neck.

His hands were busy exploring your body while his mouth was leaving marks on your neck. One of his fingers was about to travel under your skirt but you stopped him.

“Not today, I’m too tired and still a bit mad.” You turned around and heard him laugh.

“Alright fine princess, but you better turn back around.” He quickly wrapped his arms around your waist and put your head on his bare chest. “Way better.” He nodded and you laughed before falling into the arms of Morpheus.

Hanseok slowly caressed your hair and even though he promised to not get angry and possessive when he sees you with another guy, he knew he’ll break the promise the second it’ll happen again. You are his and he can’t let anyone hurt you or take you away from him.

[conradfisheristheloml]

Ethan Landry x Reader

You giggled alongside your friends, Tara, Sam, Mindy and Anika as you made your way to Ethan and Chad’s dorm. You girls were teasing Tara about her and Chad. “Guys! Trust me, there is nothing going on between us.” You all glanced at each other due to the lack of believability behind her words. “Whatever you say,” You said unconvinced. “Y’know, it’s funny that you say that especially with what’s been going on between you and Ethan.” You eyes widened and your cheeks went slightly red. “Those are not even comparable,” you say defensively. “Also, I just ended things with Alex yesterday!” Mindy chimed in, “And does Ethan know?” You looked over at her. “I haven’t told him yet, no.” The rest of the girls share a familiar glance as you approach the boy’s dorm. You were met to Ethan and Chad chilling on the couch waiting for your arrival. You made your way over to the couch next to your best friend. “Hey,” you said as he made room for you. “Hey, how was your day.” You plopped down next to him. “Usual. You?” He looked down as he contemplated something. “Um,” he hesitated, “same here.” You were slightly concerned over his cagey-ness but decided to refrain from pushing. The movie started after that and a silence fell over the rest of the group. You and Ethan’s legs were touching and whatever space between the two of you was soon gone as you settled into his chest. This was anything but unusual for the two of you but you noticed something almost immediately, Ethan’s heart was beating the crazy. You placed your hand on his chest as you sat up kind of concerned. “Hey, is everything okay, E?” His heart fluttered at the nickname. “No, yeah I’m fine.” He lied. He found out that you and your now ex-boyfriend broke up and a part of him has his hopes up that maybe the reason you ended things had something to do with him. He knows it’s selfish but, trust is, he’s been waiting for you to end things with that ass hole for ages and now he finally felt like he had a chance. However, he promised not to get his hopes up. You returned you head the his chest as his strong arm held you close to him. Ethan’s heart was racing as he tired to study your face. You had done this tons of times but, he couldn’t help but wonder if things would be any different now. Ethan was only one awake by the end of the movie. It was about 2AM and he looked down and saw you cuddled up against him. A smile appeared on his face as you looked adorable. He gently picked you up bridal style and carefully carried you into his bedroom. With you still dead asleep, he tucked you into his comfy bed. He glanced down at you and couldn’t help the butterflies that flooded his stomach. You looked beautiful and couldn’t help but brush a soft strand of hair behind your ear. He bent down and laid a gentle kiss on your forehead before beginning to exit his room. “Hey, E?” He quickly averted his attention back to you. “Yeah?” He said. “Could you stay in here with me tonight?” His heart fluttered at those words. “Are you sure?” You nodded. He climbed into his full sized bed and nestled him self next to you. You both turned your bodies so you were facing each other. His eyes gazed over your face studying each one of your features. He couldn’t get over your natural beauty. “You’re beautiful, Y/N.” Your eyes widen slightly as your face gets flushed. You reach out your hand to stroke his soft cheek. You notice the light freckles that coat his cheeks and nose. Your gaze than falls into his head of curls and then finally down to his full lips. You both shift slightly closer to each other, shrinking the gap between each other. The second his eyes fall into your own you close the gap completely by connecting your lips.

[dccomicsimagines]

The Kid and the Bum - Batfamily Imagine - Part 1.5

Part One  Part Two  Part Three

Requested by Anon -  if you're still writing for Jason and Child!reader could you do Child!reader's first Christmas with Jason and the rest of the batfamily

Requested by Anon -  Can you do a part four of Jason and the Kid?

Author’s Note - I made this a one and a half so it fits with the timeline. 

***

Jason couldn’t believe that he allowed Dick, Kori, Steph, and Cass to drag him and you into what he could only call red and green hell. 

You squeezed his hand, staring at the Santa Claus sitting in the big red chair at the front of the line. Tons of kids around you whined and cried. The Gotham mall was at a dull roar. Jason watched your nose wrinkle. He understood. It was alien to him too. 

“Aren’t you excited to see Santa, (Y/N)?” Steph said, kneeling down to your eye level. 

“He’s not real.” You frowned at her. Jason tensed when he saw you shift awkwardly. “It’s just an old man in a costume who just wants an excuse to talk to kids.”

Steph’s eyes widened. “Oh boy.” She turned to smile sweetly at the parent behind Jason who was glaring as her kid started to ask questions about what you said. 

“Jay, step in and tell (Y/N) Santa is real,” Dick whispered in his ear as Kori rocked Mari. Mari was in a red and green dress for her picture with Santa. Jason wondered if he should have dressed you up. Then again, he wasn’t sure if he cared.

“Why? She has a right to think what she wants,” Jason hissed back. Of course, none of them got it. Jason knew what you were thinking. How could you believe in Santa Claus when you lived on the streets? When you had so many Christmases with nothing from the so-called St. Nick? The Santa Claus who is supposed to travel around the world, giving gifts to all the good children. Jason was sure you were like him and were left with nothing on Christmas morning, wondering if you were bad or just forgotten.

A pang hit Jason’s heart. He pushed his thoughts away. “Kid, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can go look at toys or something?” 

You looked up at him. Jason swore he saw faint hope in your eyes. “It’s okay.”

Cass tapped Jason’s shoulder. “She’s next.”

Jason looked up to see Kori and Dick stepping forward for Mari’s turn. “Why did I let you drag us here?” He sighed, frowning at the child screaming in the line behind them. You were watching the kid, squeezing Jason’s hand as tight as you could. 

“(Y/N) hasn’t ever done this before. Stephanie said we have to at least give her a chance to experience things,” Cass said softly. “I’m experiencing this for the first time as well.”

Jason hummed. Most of the family probably hadn’t done this before. Maybe they should have brought moody teenage Damian? At least it would have been entertaining to witness potential murder.

You tugged on Jason’s hand. He looked down at you. “It’s our turn.”

“We don’t have to see him, kid.” Jason stepped forward when you tugged him along. 

“It’s fine. Like Cass said, it’s the experience.” You dropped Jason’s hand and walked up the steps yourself. Jason almost followed you, but one of the workers guided him to wait by the exit. Kori ran off to change Mari. Dick stepped back in to stand by Jason, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Jason had to resist the urge to push his hand off. 

“Hello, little one. Would you like to sit on my lap?” Santa asked after you stopped a few steps away from him. 

You bit your lip. Jason started toward you, but Dick stopped him. “She’ll let you know if she needs you,” Dick whispered softly. 

“Shut up,” Jason hissed, rolling his shoulder to remove Dick’s hand. 

You suddenly were picked up by one of the workers and plopped on Santa’s lap. A gasp escaped you, sitting stiffly on his lap. Jason took a step toward you, however, Santa seemed to hold you respectfully.

“Now what would you like for Christmas?” Santa asked, smiling at you brightly. You gave him a shy smile in return.

“Well.” You glanced over at Jason. “I got a home this year, so I don’t need anything.” 

Jason’s heart melted into a pile of goo. He had to blink back tears, not daring to let them fall when Dick was next to him. 

“How wonderful.” Santa laughed, letting out the ho ho ho. You giggled too. Jason thanked whatever higher being that you weren’t as cynical as he was. That you could still find magic in this cruel world. 

“But I would like other kids to find homes too. Forever homes, not fosters.” You relaxed, tilting your head. “Everyone should have a home and a family.”

Jason turned away, quickly wiping away a tear. Dick patted his back. “Don’t you dare say anything,” Jason said, glaring.

“It’s okay to have emotions, Jay,” Dick chuckled softly. 

“I’ll shoot you if you don’t shut your mouth.” Jason took a deep breath and looked back at you. You were taking your photo, smiling somewhat sheepishly before hopping off Santa’s lap and running to Jason. Jason scooped you up, spinning you around. “See it wasn’t so bad.”

“He seems like a nice man, even if the workers are pushy.” You hugged Jason’s neck, happily settling on his hip. “I see why people like it, but it’s kinda pointless.”

“Why do you say that, cutie pie?” Dick asked as you all waited for Steph and Cass to finish. 

You frowned. “Well, Santa’s not real, so just telling him isn’t going to do anything. Parents get their kids what they ask Santa for.” You shrugged, hugging Jason tighter. 

Jason found himself blinking back tears again. He bit his lip. Dick shared a look with Jason. “Well, you never know, (Y/N). Sometimes, just saying a wish is enough to make it happen,” Dick said, reaching over to ruffle your hair before walking off to collect the photos. 

“Let’s go get some ice cream, huh?” Jason forced a grin on his face. You giggled in delight. Jason started toward the food court, dreading the fact he was probably going to have ask for a lot of help to try to make your Christmas wish happen. However, it would be worth it to see the joy on your face Christmas Day.

***

Jason pursed his lips as he rode the elevator up to top floor of the Wayne Enterprises building. He had to pick you up in a few hours. Hopefully, he could make it through this with only partial humiliation. Shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets, he gripped hand warmers that had long gone cold. You had put them in his pockets this morning as a surprise. 

You found out about how cold his hands were in the winter and aimed to try to keep him as warm as possible. Jason smiled at the thought. He loved you so much. For some reason, you loved him too.

The elevator doors opened to the grand waiting room. The secretary was typing loudly on her computer. She looked up at the sound of the doors and smiled. “Hello Mr. Todd. Mr. Wayne is waiting for you.”

“Thanks.” Jason hunched his shoulders and marched inside. Bruce was sitting at his desk with his back turned toward the door, looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was lightly snowing outside. Jason knew you would be bursting at the first snowfall. 

Bruce turned at the sound of the door, smiling when he saw Jason. Jason flinched at the sight. 

A frown hinted at Bruce’s lips, but it disappeared as he gestured for Jason to take a seat. “What brings you here? You don’t normally stop by my office.”

Jason hummed, collapsing into the chair. “Well, this is more of a Bruce Wayne issue rather than...” Jason swallowed hard, gripping the hand warmers in his pockets tightly. Bruce sat back in his chair. His gaze softened as he took in Jason’s nerves. Jason cleared his throat. “(Y/N) wants to help kids find forever families for Christmas. She thinks it won’t happen because she knows Santa isn’t real, even if she did tell him at the mall.” 

“Dick didn’t say that when he gave me the pictures,” Bruce said, reaching forward to turn one the frames on his desk. Inside was all of the Santa photos. Jason’s heart warmed at the fact you were among the others, part of the family. “I don’t know if we can do it in this short period of time, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Even a step to making forever homes happen would be a lot to (Y/N). That’s all she wants. To give other unwanted kids a home like she has with me...us.” Jason rubbed a hand over his face. The rebel in him hated coming to Bruce, but it was worth it for you. It was worth seeing how your face lit up when you knew your wish was going to come true. 

“I’ll talk to the foundation and see what we can come up with,” Bruce said, getting to his feet with a smile. 

Jason bit his lip. Could he really trust Bruce? The sacrifices he made for you sometimes blew his mind. “Yeah, sure. Just text me.” Jason got to his feet rather quickly. “Well, I got to pick (Y/N) up from school.”

Bruce stepped forward and hugged Jason suddenly. Jason stiffened in his arms before relaxing. He knew they made their peace, but this would take some getting used to. 

***

The next month passed in a blur for Jason. You convinced Jason to make cookies and to watch Christmas movies. He even ended up buying a tree. Your eyes were so big the first time you both turned on the lights. He caught you sitting in front of it, staring at it in wonder. It was worth every penny.

The family was around too. Jason had a scare when he showed up to pick you up from school only to find out he apparently called to give permission to let Steph and Cass take you three hours early. 

After several heated phone messages and two calls to Tim, he found out they had taken the bat plane to Metropolis to do Christmas shopping. You, of course, were thrilled and were buzzing when they returned you hours later. Jason didn’t have it in his heart to scold, but he did send a slightly threatening text to the family as a warning of any future excursions. 

When Christmas Eve was two days away, Jason found himself shopping with Dick. You were with Tim and Kon, watching Christmas movies at Tim’s place. They swore upon their lives that they wouldn’t take you out of the city without at least asking first. 

“Jay, what does (Y/N) like?” Dick asked, picking up a Barbie doll set to study it. The two of them were in the toy section of one of the big department stores. Their shopping cart filled with gifts for the rest of the family. 

Jason bit his lip. “I already got something for (Y/N).” He bought you a bike and currently had it hidden in his closet at the apartment. 

Dick blinked. “Well, what about her gift from Santa?” 

“She doesn’t believe in Santa, so why should we pretend?” Jason snapped, taking the Barbie set from Dick and putting it back on the shelf. “She has that one already. If you want to get her one, she’ll want this one.” He handed Dick a different set. Dick smirked. “Shut up, besides Bruce has (Y/N) Santa gift covered.”

Dick hummed. “Right. Has he told you about that yet?” Dick put the Barbie set in the cart.

Jason pursed his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets. The hand warmers were in there again. How were you doing this? He knew you would never tell him. “We’re supposed to be at the Martha Wayne Gardens at eight o’clock Christmas Eve morning.”

“That’s it?” Dick’s eyes widened in surprise as they moved toward the tech section of the store. Jason frowned, picking up one of those mini brands surprise balls as he passed the display. He knew you loved to open those. 

“What? Don’t tell me Bruce is trying to surprise me too?” Jason nudged Dick’s arm. Dick kept walking, pushing the cart. “Dickhead, I swear to god, if you don’t tell me right now...”

“It’s nothing bad.” Dick shrugged his shoulders. “I guess Bruce wants you to experience it with (Y/N). Be surprised with her.” Dick stopped to look at the drawing tablets. “Maybe he wishes he would have done that for you too after you first came to live with him?”

Jason shook his head, ignoring the lump in his throat. Was Bruce doing this because he knew how much it would mean to two street kids who found forever  homes? Jason couldn’t ignore the anxiety eating at his stomach.

“You sure it’s going to be something (Y/N) will love? One hundred percent?” Jason tightened his fist around the hand warmer. 

Dick studied Jason for a moment before grinning like an idiot. “One hundred percent.” He clapped a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You’re a good dad, Jason.”

Jason flinched. A rare blush burned onto his cheeks. “I’m not a dad,” he mumbled quickly, but his heart glowed. Dick rolled his eyes and focused back on the drawing tablets. Jason had to blink several times to make sure he didn’t embarrass himself by tearing up in front of Dick. 

***

On Christmas Eve morning, Jason found himself driving through Gotham streets with a light snow falling from the sky. You were in the backseat, bundled up against the cold. 

“Are we going to the manor?” you asked, leaning forward to stick your head between the front seats. 

“Kid, buckle up,” Jason said, glancing in the rearview mirror to see you were free from your seat. “No, we’re not going to the manor yet. We’re going to the gardens first.”

“Gardens? In the snow?” You sat back in your seat and buckled in. Jason sighed in slight relief. 

Jason hummed. “Well, they have indoor gardens, kid.” He smirked at your ‘oh’ response.

As he got closer to the gardens, he started to notice heavier traffic and more people walking around. You perked up at the sight, looking out the window curiously. Jason smiled. He found a parking space close by.

You hopped out of the car first, gasping. Jason joined you, following your gaze to the gardens’ entrance. His jaw dropped at the beautiful decorations. However, his heart skipped a beat as his eyes fell on the giant banner above the doors. 

“First Annual Forever Homes Fundraiser!” You took Jason’s hand and squeezed. Jason looked down at you, seeing the confusion on your face. “What does that mean?”

“Guess we’ll have to go in and find out, huh?” Jason led you toward the doors. Families were heading inside the gardens too.

Jason felt you tense from the crowds and scooped you up in his arms. The crowd was making him nervous too, but he forced himself to relax. Bruce would have top notch security at this place. 

"Bum, I don't know about this. Can we just go to the manor instead?" You asked, hiding your face into his neck.

"Let's just go in. If you don't like it, then we'll go," Jason said, holding you tight as he got in line to check in at the welcome desk. You let out a little whine, keeping your face in his neck. 

Jason blinked in surprise when he got up to the welcome desk to find Bruce’s secretary. She smiled brightly at him. “Aww, Mr. Todd. We were wondering where you were.” She tapped a button and Tim appeared out of one of the doors behind the desk.

“Hey, you made it.” Tim grinned, gesturing for Jason to come around the desk. Jason hummed. You lifted your head out of his neck to look at Tim curiously.

“What’s going on?” You asked Tim as Jason followed Tim through the door and up some stairs. 

“You’ll see.” Tim sent you a wink over his shoulder. Jason smiled when you jerked in surprise. 

The stairs opened up to a balcony overlooking the gardens. The gardens were crowded with people, booths, and Christmas lights. A Christmas themed fair. You gasped at the sight, eyes wide with wonder and awe. Jason felt a smile pull at his lips. It looked like a dream. 

Bruce and Alfred were sitting at a small table, sipping on cups of coffee and looking out at the fair. Tim went over to join them. Bruce looked up and smiled at the sight of you and Jason. Jason’s heart skipped a beat. Bruce being happy to see him still threw him, but your squeal of excitement stopped any of those doubts from brewing inside him.

You hopped out of Jason’s arms and ran to the railing to look out at the fair. “What’s this about?” You looked at Bruce and Alfred, then Tim. “Why are we here?” You looked to Jason. Jason just smirked and nodded toward Bruce.

You ran to Bruce, hopping up on his lap. “Well, I heard through the grape vine that you wanted to give other children forever homes.” Bruce’s grin widened as your eyes did. “So, I founded an organization called The Todd Forever Homes Foundation.”

Jason’s jaw dropped slightly, blushing. Tim chuckled, going over to nudge Jason’s arm. “I told him it would make you blush.”

“Shut up,” Jason hissed. He watched you. Your eyes sparkled in pure joy. You hugged Bruce’s neck tightly.

Bruce chuckled, wrapping his arms around you. “Now, it’s just a start. We’re fundraising and spreading awareness today with the Christmas fair.” 

Alfred poured a cup of coffee and gave it to Jason. “It’s already is a big success. The money made today will help several families with adoption fees and offer scholarships to help families that may need financial support,” Alfred said. 

Jason sipped at the coffee. He wanted to laugh. This was too surreal. Bruce really found a way to make your gift happen. “I can’t believe he did this.” Jason shook his head, looking out at the fair to hide the tears in his eyes. “I thought he’d just have a plan. I didn’t think he’d set up a whole organization already.”

“Well, I don’t know if you are aware, Master Jason.” Alfred patted Jason’s shoulder. “But for you, and now for Miss (Y/N), Master Bruce will do anything. For all of you.” Alfred nodded to Tim before going back to sit at the table.

A lump formed in Jason’s throat. He swallowed it as you ran back to him and hugged his leg tightly. “Can you believe it, bum?! Kids are going to get forever homes!”

Jason beamed and scooped you up into his arms. Tim took Jason’s coffee before Jason spilled it. “I know.” His eyes widened when you kissed his cheek. “What’s that for?” 

“For making this happen. Bruce said you asked him to.” You looked into Jason’s eyes. His heart raced. The hope on your face. It was a long way from the little street kid that stared at him with such distrust.

“It was actually Santa, not me.” Jason cleared his throat. He looked back out at the fair.

“Sure, sure, bum.” You patted the top of his head. “Thank you.” You hugged him so tight around his neck that you cut off his air. However, Jason found he didn’t mind.

***

“Bum, you’re next,” you shouted, picking up a present from under the Manor’s giant Christmas tree and setting it in Jason’s lap. It was Christmas Day morning and the entire family was in the den, opening presents. Jason raised an eyebrow at the sight. Cass and Steph giggled from across the room. A tiny bit of worry crept up Jason’s spine.

“Wow, thanks kid.” He read the tag. “It’s from you, huh?” You nodded, grinning as you stood in front of him. The rest of the family’s attention turned to Jason. 

You rocked on your feet, hands behind your back. “Hurry up.” You looked over your shoulder at Cass and Steph. Steph winked back at you. Now Jason was very worried.

He carefully undid the wrapping paper. “A box. What I always wanted.” He smirked when you smacked his arm.

“Open it, you bum.” You glared. 

Jason chuckled, opening the box to find the fanciest pair of leather gloves he had ever seen. “Oh wow.” The leather was so soft. He put them on, sighing at how warm they were and how smooth the leather was. No stiffness at all.  “Thank you, kid. It’s just what I need.”

“So now you can be warm even if I’m not around to put hand warmers in your pockets,” you said, sitting on his lap to hug him tightly. A camera flashed, blinding Jason. He blinked several times before seeing Alfred with a secretive smile. “Merry Christmas, bum.” You smiled up at him. 

“Merry Christmas, kid.” Jason tickled you, making you laugh. He saw more flashes of a camera, but he didn’t care. This was the best Christmas he had ever had, and the start of many more to come.

[heavyhitterheaux]

How Could You?

First Lady of Private Garden Fic

AN: The angst train is leaving the station in 3...2...1...

Synopsis: Your husband has his suspicions that everything is not as well as it seems in the Harlow household and that you aren’t being honest with him.

Pairing: Husband!Jack Harlow x Wife!Reader

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

For the past few weeks, you had been running around trying to prepare for Jack coming home to the U.S. with the help of your manager Brandi, your make up artist and hair stylist Julissa, Metta, and your best friend Diamonte (Saweetie). 

In between doing your festival shows, you wanted to plan to do something special for him and show him that you were proud of everything that he had accomplished so far.

First Class had done better than either of you thought it would and you felt it was only right for it to be celebrated. 

You would do anything and everything for that man and you were going to make sure that he knew it. 

You just had to make sure that everyone kept it a secret from Jack so that he wouldn’t find out and spoil the surprise.

It was decided that it would take place in one of Atlanta’s hottest clubs, and the guest list would be family, his best friends, and people that he has met along the way of achieving all of his accomplishments.

You were even flying in his parents, your in-laws Maggie and Brian.

The party was set to take place a week after he got back so that you could have some one on one time with him with just the two of you.

Then you would tell Urban where to take him at a certain time and surprise him. 

There were nights that you got a little amount of sleep because you wanted for everything to be perfect. Only the best for your husband and nothing less. 

It was around one in the morning when you received a FaceTime call from your favorite person and eagerly answered.

“OOOHHH damn daddy you fine as hell. You got a girl?”

All Jack did was laugh before answering you and shake his head.

“I have a whole wife and she will kick your ass.”

“Well, she doesn’t have to know.” You replied while winking. 

“You not about to send both of us into an early grave. I think not.”

“I miss you so much. Will you hurry up and come back?”

“Just another day or so my baby. I miss you too. It’s definitely not the same without you being here.”

“I know because all of PG constantly needs a chaperone.”

“Well, we have Neelam.”

“But Neelam doesn’t know all of yall tricks and the stupid shit yall be pulling.”

“I... I can’t argue with that. But how are the festivals going? I see my baby looking like a goddess. You tryna make me have to cut somebody aren’t you?”

“Never that! But it’s going well. I can’t complain. However, I saw that video of that girl touching your face and you better be happy I wasn’t there because I would have rocked her shit into the next century. Like....”

“I know you would’ve and that was actually the first thing I thought of. I was like if Y/N saw this shit that girl would be dead.”

“I’m glad you know because no one touches what is mine.”

“And vice versa.”

“But, what are you still doing up mamas? It’s gotta be at least one in the morning over there.”

“I can’t sleep without talking to my husband first. You know this.”

“You know what? The next time I leave for an extended period of time I’m going to record my voice to help you sleep.”

“Oh my gosh, yes please. I know I’ll be out in less than fifteen minutes.”

“I got you mamas. I also got you a ton of shit over here. I can’t wait to show you.”

“Hmm, new purse?”

“Purses with an s. Plural baby.”

“Outfits?”

“Lingerie for my eyes only.”

“Damn, can’t wait for that.”

“We not leaving the bed when I get back. My hand just isn’t cutting it.”

“I can imagine. Once you had a taste of this, everything else is mediocre.”

“Cocky as shit for someone who is about to be begging me for mercy in less than three days.”

“You talk a good game Harlow, let’s see if you can actually back it up.”

“You asking for it now.”

“Always ready for you.”

“Take your ass to sleep, stink. You have a show later.”

“Fine, I am. I love you Jackman.”

“And I love you, Y/N.”

“More than ranch?”

Jack had a look of disbelief on his face and he was surprised that you would even ask him that.

“Umm... baby...”

“You can’t stick your dick in a ranch bottle!”

“Well...”

“Jack!”

“I’m just playing mamas. Yes, I love you more than ranch.... sometimes.”

“You know what? Imma beat the shit out of you.”

“You do that anyway.”

“Goodnight, Jackman!”

“Night mamas. Love you.”

Jack was frustrated. He had been back for at least three days and out of those days, you had been blowing him off.

It hadn't been on purpose.

You wanted to make sure that everything was a go and ready for the party that would be taking place.

It just so happened that every single day a new problem would pop up that you had to fix. 

You kept promising him that you would make it up to him, but his curiosity was starting to get the best of him.

So, what did he do?

Elect his best friend to go with him and do some investigating.

You would use the excuse of having to meet with Brandi, but when Jack had asked her she got flustered with her answer and he just knew something was up and that she was trying to cover for you.

Jack and Urban were now sitting in his car across the street from one of the most expensive restaurants in Atlanta looking at you through a window sitting with an unknown man. They had followed you and Urban had felt uneasy about the whole thing. There was just no way in the world that you would cheat on Jack. He wasn’t believing it for a second, but his best friend felt otherwise. 

“Jack, you need to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

“But, she’s been blowing me off since I got back. All to find out she’s with this dude in an expensive ass restaurant that I usually take her to. And the fact that she’s out and about where people can see her?”

“Y/N would never cheat on you.”

“Yeah, I thought the same thing until now.”

“Jack, come on bro. She’s not like that. I think you need to ask her.”

“All for her to lie to my face again? She’s been acting sketchy as hell.”

“There’s gotta be a reason for it.”

“And she didn’t tell you anything?”

“No, nothing at all.”

Which Jack thought was weird because you told Saweetie and Urban everything. 

“Yeah, I’m...” Jack made a motion to open the car door, but Urban quickly pulled him back. 

“You better stay your ass in this car until you know for a fact what is going on. Don’t go in there and make an ass of yourself.”

“Fine, I’ll confront her later.”

“Then whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”

“Did she just....”

“No, she didn’t kiss him, they only hugged. Calm down.”

“Like that makes it any better.”

“Just wait it out.”

The next two days after that was the same thing.

You meeting up with another unknown man and they followed you.

Then the next day you actually did meet with Brandi and Saweetie when you told him that you were going shopping because the Golden Girls (your four puppies) needed new collars. 

All to come back home with no collars in hand, Jack was livid. 

It was now the day of the party and your husband was acting... weird.

He didn’t kiss you when you woke up.

Was dodging your hugs all day.

And just not being himself. 

It was almost time for the surprise party and you were currently in your walk in closet trying to decide on something to wear when Jack walked in. You wanted to have both of your outfits coordinate and had already picked his out. You just hadn’t gave it to him yet. 

“Hi, baby. You okay, did you need something?”

“Hmm, nope.”

“What’s wrong? You’ve been off all day.” You asked as you tried to give him a hug, but he dodged your embrace again.

“And you’ve been off all week.”

“Babe, come on. I told you I was just busy with Brandi. I’m sorry. I can make it up to you tonight.”

“Cut the bullshit because that isn’t true.”

“Uhh, what? I was with Brandi and Diamonte.”

Now you were panicking to try and come up with a quick excuse because you didn’t want him to find out. 

“You think I’m fucking stupid, don’t you?”

“Baby, come on. No, I don’t.”

"So, who the hell have you been sneaking around with these past few days?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Y/N. So, you think you can cheat on me and get away with it?"

"Jackman Thomas this better be a fucking joke because..."

"So, you admit it?"

"I didn't admit to shit and the fact that you think I would cheat on you!? How could you EVER think that?!”

"THEN WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU'VE BLOWN ME OFF EVERY SINGLE DAY THIS WEEK SINCE I’VE BEEN BACK!"

"I WAS PLANNING A SURPRISE PARTY FOR YOUR DUMB ASS!"

"Wait, what?"

"Because I've seen how hard you have been working and all that you had accomplished and I wanted to celebrate that. Between me doing festival shows, I’ve been planning this for weeks. I just had to tie up some loose ends this week to make sure that everything was good for tonight. Sorry for actually trying to be a good wife."

There were now tears streaming down your face as you quickly threw on some sweats and a t-shirt. You grabbed your purse and tried to make your way towards the door.

"Baby... wait a minute... I.."

"Just leave me alone. You've done enough by telling me that you don't trust me. Like I fucking love you and you know how much I do and I would do ANYTHING for you and just..."

"But I do trust you and I know that!"

"Apparently you don’t. Let my hand go because you are literally the last person that I want to be around right now."

“Baby, please.”

“Have fun at your party.” You snatched your hand out of his embrace and tried to wipe away your tears. 

You skip the steps two at a time to then be met with Urban at the bottom of the stairs. You take it that he had heard the entire exchange. He saw the tears streaming down your face and instantly felt bad. 

"Y/N..."

"I'll send you the address, just make sure he's there in 2 and a half hours."

“Where are you going?”

Without another word, you slammed the door behind you not having a destination in mind on where to go.

Your mind was blown.

He really thought that you would cheat on him. 

Taglist:

@harlowsbby

@babyharleezy

@hoodharlow

@stefansalvatoresgf

@jackiehollanderr

@primadxna-girl

@dessmxsworld

@cockslutslurper3000

@raelorns21

@variety-fangirl

@gbaabyyyy

@kamorsstuff

@harlowthot

@sinsandsuccubus

@curlyhairclub

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@thinkingaboutjharlow

@laylasbunbunny

@fluidsentiment

@charli123456789

@moody4world

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@yana4life

@beanbagbitch

@alinadolans

@carma-fanficaddict

@minaxcarter

@arination99

@xjup1t3r

@venusvinc

@jacksmoviestar

@jackharloww

@midnight-star47

@jackharlowsbabe

@minkookie95

[pennylanefics]

Decision - Josh Kiszka

a/n: the longest fic i've written in some time. i had the small idea and even tho i'm still struggling, but i'm glad i was able to get something out :)

summary: you and josh have a serious talk about what you want in the future

word count: ~ 3.1k

warnings: negative thoughts about kids (?), shaming for child-free choices

DISCLAIMER: josh is a real person, however this is a fictionalized story!!! nothing written here is reality, this is FICTION

Dating Josh was absolutely magical. He is the sweetest person ever, always buying you flowers or random little gifts that remind him of you, going on dates every week, and even making sure to call you at least once a day.

Everything was perfect. You were going on a year now, but there was one conversation that had yet to come up. That is, until you attended a family member’s wedding and were hounded by everyone, including the bride herself.

You and Josh were seated at your table in the large dining hall of an incredibly fancy hotel, the room done up with tons of decorations to make it as romantic and classy as possible. Your cousin, the bride, interrupts the two of you as you were chatting away, taking a seat to your left and throwing an arm around your shoulder.

“Hey! How are you guys?!”

“We’re doing good. Congratulations by the way!” Shifting in your chair a bit, your arms wrap around her in a slightly awkward hug. Turning back forward, Josh grabs your hand and smiles at her, nodding his head a bit in recognition.

“Thank you!! So…you guys are next, right?” She teases, raising her eyebrows. Your entire face flushes as you glance over at Josh, a similar expression painted on his face.

“Uh, maybe sometime in the future, but right now, we’re still taking things as they come,” you answer for the both of you. She laughs, obviously already intoxicated, and shoves you playfully into Josh.

“Oh, you guys will be engaged and making babies before you know it!” Your heart begins to race wildy, your head whipping back over to Josh. A tight-lipped smile graces his features and thankfully, someone calls out for your cousin, so she quickly says a goodbye and leaves you two by yourselves again.

“So, um, you wanna dance? Or go get another drink?” You offer, trying to ease some obvious tension between the two of you. You aren’t exactly sure what happened or what upset Josh so suddenly, but you could tell it was something.

Swallowing thickly, Josh nods and stands, reaching for your hand so you could follow him. Getting to the bar, he orders a soda for you and a water for himself. He’s also far more quiet and reserved, and you definitely knew something was on his mind.

Was it you implying that you’d get married? Did he want that? It wasn’t something you talked about, not even in the talking stage, so maybe you didn’t know his thoughts on that. Even when you get back to the table, he barely says anything, staring at his water or the centerpiece, swirling his ice with the straw they gave him.

Suddenly feeling so out of place and awkward, you wanted nothing more than to leave as soon as possible and escape this massive party that the reception has turned into.

“Do you wanna head back up to the room?” You lean over and yell to your boyfriend, the music getting louder by the minute. “I’m kinda over this.”

“Sure. Anyone you need to say goodbye to?” He asks, looking around for your parents, or any aunts and uncles.

“Not really. We’ll see them tomorrow at breakfast, I’m sure.”

With Josh’s hand resting on the small of your back, he guides you out of the reception hall and to the hallway of the grand hotel, walking the familiar path to the elevators. Your cousin reserved an entire block of rooms for everyone, so thankfully, you didn’t have to drive home and sit in the awkward silence that still lingered between the two of you.

However, the ride up the elevator was just as awful as it would have been in the car, just a shorter time frame. Josh stood adjacent to you, keeping his eyes forward, not even touching you. As soon as the ding of the elevator rings out and the doors open, he darts out, turning left in the direction of your room.

You linger behind, a lump forming in your throat at the thought of having this conversation go south. Your mind immediately jumps to worst case scenario of course, like him breaking up with you because he doesn’t want to get married; or worse, he doesn’t want to marry you.

Josh waits for you to get to the door before he unlocks it, letting you to step inside before he does. Taking your shoes off first, Josh walks past you and rips his jacket off, throwing it on the perfectly made bed. The moment your second heel hits to the ground, you turn right into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. Your back hits the wood as you slide down to the floor, covering your mouth and shutting your eyes as the tears stream down your face.

There was no reason for you to be so upset, Josh said nothing, but his actions were loud and clear; and with your mind was jumping to conclusions, you didn’t know what to believe. The topic of marriage comes up and he shuts down instantly, what are you supposed to think?

A sob slips from your mouth, even though you were trying hard to keep it in. Within seconds, Josh is knocking on the door softly.

“Darling?”

“Yeah?” You respond, clearing your throat, trying hard to push the remainder of the tears down and make them stop.

“Can you open the door?” His voice is filled with remorse, soft and concerned, wanting nothing more than to hold you in his arms.

It takes you a moment to wipe your cheeks and shakily stand back up. Your knees wobble a bit as you reach to unlock and slowly open the door, and the moment you do, Josh wraps his arms around you, bringing you to fall into his chest.

The dam of tears break again and you are sobbing into his shoulder, grasping the back of his white turtleneck, his hands running up and down your back soothingly, still covered by the satin of your dress.

“Honey, what’s going on? What’s got you so upset?” He wonders. In that instant, anger bubbles inside of you, and you push him away from you, backing further into the bathroom.

“You really have the audacity to ask me that when you’ve practically been giving me the silent treatment for the past half hour?” He knows exactly what he’s done, and he feels terrible for even asking that. Sighing softly, he holds out his hand his eyes silently pleading for you to take it.

Against your better judgement, you accept his offer, placing your right hand gently in his. He brings you out of the bathroom and takes a seat on the queen-sized bed, moving his jacket to the chair in the corner.

“I…realize that wasn’t the right thing to ask when I’ve been acting this way. But…when your cousin was saying how we’re going to get married and have kids, it got me thinking.”

Your heart beats rapidly in your chest, Josh’s hands beginning to shake as well. You squeeze the hand you are still holding to let him know that it’s okay for him to share what he wants, even though you were terrified of what was to come.

“I got to thinking…and I don’t…” he pauses to collect his thoughts. But you can’t take it any longer and your question ends up spilling out.

“Is it because I implied that we’d get married? Is it too early for thinking that?” Josh’s head rises in a millisecond, his eyes going wide in surprise and pain.

“What? No, no no, honey, it’s not early at all. Actually, while on tour, I often think about what our wedding would be like. I’ve fallen hard for you, really. And I do want to marry you in the future, that’s not the issue.”

“Then…what is it?” Silence falls over the two of you again, Josh taking his time for form his thoughts out.

“I don’t know how to explain this and I’m not sure how you feel.”

“Just tell me, please.”

“I…I…don’t want this to ruin what we have, though,” he whispers, casting his eyes down to his lap. Groaning, you drop his hand and stand up, pacing in front of him to let out some of your anxiety.

“Josh, just tell me so we can work this out. Because if it’s not the issue about getting married, what is it? Was my cousin coming on too strong and it freaked you out? Do you not want to marry me specifically? I don’t-”

“I’m not sure I want kids, alright!” He jumps up as well, staring you down. Tension grows thick in the air once again, as silence takes over, the only sound being a mixture of your heavy breaths and the soft hum of the air conditioning getting ready to kick on.

You gaze into Josh’s brown eyes, no longer the soft ones you fell for, but ones that held pain, frustration, and anger. Though the latter two fade away quickly, Josh being great at keeping his emotions in check and recognizing when he’s getting too much.

He takes a few deep breaths, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Oh,” is all you can muster, your shoulders deflating a bit. Josh senses your upset, and his own anxiety and worry starts to rise. You step over to the window, looking out at the bustling city below you. Thinking about how every different person walking by is living a different life, something you and Josh talked about often.

He falls back onto the bed, trying his hardest to keep his tears at bay, but it’s no use. The silence from you is deafening to him, and he can’t help the few drops that fall down his face and splash onto his forearm..

“When did you realize- Josh, baby,” you turn back around to ask him a follow-up question, but that’s when you see him silently crying, tears streaming down his flushed cheeks. You are by his side in a second, cradling his face and ridding his tears with your thumbs. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

You let him have a moment to collect himself before leaning forward and kissing the tip of his nose as softly as ever. He grins a little and sniffles, gazing up at you.

“Can I ask you some things?” You wonder, keeping your tone low. He nods and scoots back up further on the bed, pulling you with him. You collapse against his chest for a moment, but instead, you opt to lay on your side, silently asking him to join you.

“Can we get out of these clothes first?” He asks softly. Giggling, you nod and strip off the form-fitting dress of yours, leaving it in a pile on the floor, while Josh strips down to his boxers, climing back onto bed.

You go back to your positions of facing each other on your sides, though this time under the covers. His right hand falls on your waist, his left resting between the two of you, which you end up placing your hand in. He smiles softly and brings the back of your hand up to his face to press a single kiss to.

“When did you realize that you didn’t want that?” You ask quietly, not wanting to open any wounds in case there was. He shrugs his shoulder, keeping his eyes on your entwined hands.

“I’ve kind of always thought about it. Like I may be good with kids and all, but it’s not the life that I want. I have no desire to be a dad. I mean, after we formed the band, we figured we would be doing it for a while. We had no idea when we would get picked up or anything. Traveling is my life. I love getting to see new places and as much as I do love staying in Tennessee, I love exploring the world. And that’s not good for a child.”

“Right. They need stability, and you can’t provide that.”

“Not right now. And…” he hesitates before continuing on. You give him the time to prepare what he wants to say, stroking his soft, cool skin with your thumb. “When we disband and I go onto do film…kids are just…I’m not going to have time to do what I want.”

Your heart aches at the tone of his voice. There’s a much deeper feeling behind his words, and you wanted him to be open and trusting with you.

“Exactly. You shouldn’t have to give up your dreams for something you don’t want.”

“And I’ve…I’ve always been told that it’s a selfish thing to do. That I’m not bringing life into this world because I want to have a life isn’t the best environment for children. I want to be on film sets, I want to be directing and writing movies day in and day out when we disband. I don’t want kids, not now, and not in ten years.”

His words finally break your heart. He’s been shamed so much over his decision, it’s understandable why he’s so hesitant to bring it up.

“Josh,” you whisper, dropping his hand to cradle his cheek. He hums in response to let you know that he’s listening. “Not wanting kids is not something to be ashamed of, especially when you’ve been helping your brother live out his dream, and have yet to get to experience your own dream in full. You deserve to do what you want with your life, and it’s really upsetting people have told you otherwise and have hurt you for your decision.”

“I hate telling people because they think it’s strange. A guy not wanting kids? Not wanting to ‘continue his bloodline’ or something relating to that in nature, which is so weird of people to say. But, it’s not what I desire in life. I want to grow old with you alone, sitting on our porch, our dog and cat running around, watching the sunset as we slow dance to our wedding song from decades ago, looking at all the awards I’ve won for films and all the things I accomplished with my brothers.” As soon as he says the words, his expression drops suddenly.

He sits up and moves away from you.

“Unless that’s not what you want,” he adds, looking away from you. “I’m so sorry, I just inferred. I know it’s a lot to deal with and I won’t ask you to stay if you want the opposite.”

Sighing, you sit up and move next to him, sitting near the edge of the bed, your hand tracing up and down his bare back.

“Josh, can you look at me?” You beg after a few moments, wanting him to look at you when you explain what’s on your mind. He gazes over at you, eyes brimming with tears threatening to spill over. “I will admit, I’ve always thought about having kids, thinking about watching them grow up and all.”

“So is this it?” He interrupts, gulping nervously to keep the tears at bay. “Is this the end of us?”

“No,” you firmly reply, staring directly into his brown irises that you love so much. “It’s not a deal breaker for me. Kids were always a thought, but never a need for me. I want a true love, someone to grow old with and have a wonderful life with. I love getting to travel around the world with you, watching you live our your rockstar life, and when the time comes, I will watch you become an amazing filmmaker and get the recognition there that you very much deserve. I love you, Josh, and I’m not leaving you because of this. I promise.”

The tears clouding his eyes finally break, spilling over his eyelids and rushing down his cheeks.

“What the fuck did I do to deserve such a wonderful partner in life?” He mumbles, chuckling a bit. Laughing lightly, tears of your own form in your eyes at the sight of your lover so vulnerable and emotional.

“You are so incredible, Josh. You truly are the best boyfriend I have ever had, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, not even kids. In all honesty, I’d much rather have you to myself than some kids that are just going to cry when we tell them not to try and put forks in the outlets or that we can’t go to Target every single day of the week.”

This elicits a real, hearty laugh from Josh, your heart soaring at the sound. He leans his forehead on yours, a smile remaining on his face.

“I love you,” he whispers, puckering his for a kiss. You happily give him one, though you get sucked in and deepen the kiss, wanting to feel him as much as you could.

“I love you too, Josh. I’m not going anywhere, I can promise you that.” He kisses you again, this time caressing your cheek in his soft yet calloused hand, keeping you close.

“Can we take a shower before bed?” He asks after he pulls away, slightly out of breath.

“Of course.”

Unlike your usual routine of taking showers together, tonight was rather quick, both of you wanting to get done and get in bed to relax and come down from the emotional and overwhelming talk. Josh still takes his time, though, washing your hair and caring for you like he usually does, pausing to give you a kiss or admire your body.

As you two dry off, you pack your things to get ready to leave tomorrow afternoon, and before you know it, all the lights are off and you and Josh are snuggled up beside one another in bed, facing each other again. Your head was tucked into Josh’s neck, his bare chest offering some warmth for your face and hands.

His arms were wrapped tightly around you, the smell of his body wash wafting through your nose, a scent so intoxicating and one you would never get tired of.

“Thank you for being so open and vulnerable with me tonight,” you murmur after a long while of silence. Josh hums lightly and kisses your forehead.

“And thank you for being so understanding and non-judgemental. My love for you has gotten immeasurably deeper, and I wasn’t even sure that was possible, honestly.” You gaze up at him and thankfully, with the TV on, playing a rerun episode of Bob’s Burgers, you could see him and his glossy eyes and grateful expression.

“I’ll never judge you for something like that, honey. It’s a decision that you know is best for you and is what you want in life, and that’s completely okay. I hate that people have made you feel bad for it, though.”

“Fuck ‘em. I’m just glad that my love is with me and that you’re so supportive of me no matter what.” You kiss him sweetly yet softly before curling back into his chest, shutting your eyes in bliss.

“I love you so much, Josh. I’m with you till the end of time.”

—

taglist: @sacredthethread @ourlovegrows @doodle417 @digitalcalamity @rocknrolls-child @fan-girl-97 @writingcold @thecoldwind @allieisacrybaby @jordierama @streamingcolors-gvf @stardustcatcher @stardustchxrds @sacredthefran @gvfungi @Mamalikes_gvf @saremar1 @joshkiszkatoe

[the-jellicle-duelist]

do you have fresh pasta advice? specifically ravioli. I am finding a recipe now and made tortellini once before with some success but I trust you on all things food

i have advice for almost everything !

generalllyyyyyy speaking 1 cup of flour + 1 egg + 1/2 tsp of salt will get you to pasta dough. the dials you can turn are typically adding More egg yolks.

for ravioli specifically, you need to make sure you develop enough gluten. this can be accomplished in a lot of ways, but the thing to keep in mind is that the more yolks you add, the more difficult it will be to develop gluten. because yolks are primarily fat with some water. and fat inhibits gluten development.

your dough needs to be strong enough so that you can roll it Thin enough that when you lay the dough on top of itself, it has enough structural integrity it won’t rip or tear either thru pressing it together, or during cooking

pasta dough is pretty dry by design, which makes developing gluten harder. so my best advice for the mixing portion is to get your dough combined until it’s not got dry spots but isn’t smooth. cover it, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. this will hydrate the flour and naturally develop your gluten without much need to Knead

after that time, give it a few kneads to get it smoother. you should at this point wrap it up and refrigerate it for at least an hour, but 3 or 4 is ideal. you can also make a bigger batch, and then divide it and freeze it at this point

when it comes to the rolling part, i’m assuming you’re using a machine although rolling pins will also work with this advice.

with ravioli, you will want to go a step or even two more thin than with a fresh tagliatelle or similar, because again you’re basically going to double the thickness of each raviolo at its seams and edges.

it’s going to get Really Long. so start with a small piece of dough. and run it thru the machine and get it to half of the thickness levels. fold it over a few times onto itself. and start over. here again, this is also kneading the dough, but it’s also elongating the gluten strands which builds strength. (if you bake bread at all and have done stretch and folds, this is a similar principle)

your dough should be really smooth at this point. if it’s sticking at all, you can very lightly dust some flour onto the surface of the dough. but don’t go insane. if it’s cracking or splitting, repeat the previous step. i have done this sometimes two or even three times so if it isn’t Smooth, give it another go

at this point, you’re ready to do the final rolling. on your machine, process it thru each thickness until you’re down to your last 2 (some machines have 6, 7 or even 10 levels of thickness it just depends)

if your dough lets a ton of light thru, you’re probably too thin. you want the level above. if you go to thin, you can reroll it out it will be fine

the Right thickness will be something that when you fold over on itself feels more or less like where you would stop for regular pasta. (usually this is the 2nd or 3rd to last setting depending on your machine) and then fill however you want. egg white thoroughly mixed with a small amount of water makes a good sealant (and you might have an egg white if you added yolk to your base dough.) but also water works well. if you’re dough has been kind of sticky you may not need any water at all.

a lot of this is Feel, and Intuition which is unfortunately hard to convey over a tumblr post. but hopefully this gives you some things to think about as you go forth on your ravioli adventure.

[onlycosmere]

STORMLIGHT 5 UPDATE

Concept Art by Randy Vargas

Brandon Sanderson: Hello, all!  I know some of you may have been waiting for this.  It’s time for the first in a series of updates about your book!  I wanted to wait until I’d made good progress this month before I stopped to write one of these updates, and I do apologize for leaving you in the dark for so long.  I probably should have written one of these back in January, but it’s been an odd year for me, full of unpredictable timing issues. 

So, let’s get the obvious questions out of the way.  Do I have a title yet?  No.  Still thinking.  I’d like it to fit the format of KOWT or KOW, but I don’t like most of the options that have presented themselves.  It requires more thought.

When will the book come out?  I’m looking at fall 2024.  I have tried to be very forthcoming about this one—warning people for a while that 2023 might be too optimistic.  And, as I feared, I have been forced to let the date slide quite far into 2024 because of three issues.  The first is that I set myself up for a TON of revisions this year, and they’ve been taking more time than expected.  I still have two books to revise, though I’ve been spending all of August on Stormlight.  

However, that isn’t the primary reason I’ve ended up pushing back the book.  I’d planned for these revisions, and could have done those while working on Stormlight.  The second reason I pushed the book back is that I knew this book, of all the ones in the sequence, deserved a little extra time and attention.  It will likely be the longest of the series to date, and I have to be careful to juggle all the storylines properly.  I didn’t want to be rushed on it, and—though it may shock you—an 18-month production cycle wasn’t going to cut it. 

The third reason is one I haven’t been able to gauge as easily as the first two—something new to my life.  Lately, I’ve needed to dedicated more and more of my time to running a company.  I still reserve three days a week solely for writing, but that’s down from four days a week in previous years.  

The meetings take two general forms.  The first category is meetings with my team.  Things like reviewing the production of the secret projects and leatherbounds to make sure things look and feel right.  Others involve deep dives into concept art for characters and settings, so that when we create products like the upcoming Stormlight miniatures, they can fit with a canon version of the characters.  This is something I resisted for a while, feeling like it was all right if different artists interpreted the singers (for example) differently.  More and more, though, Isaac and I feel that we should have specific canon examples for continuity.  

Other meetings are editorial related, or publicity related.  Dragonsteel has kind of grown up the last few years, and I want to do it right.  That means being involved, as long as it doesn’t impact my time TOO much.  But all of that needs to be balanced with the numerous film and television meetings that have been happening lately.  Again, I want to do this right—which means being deeply involved in the projects that are moving forward.  (Announcements should be coming in the near future.)  That takes time.  So, the free time that I had during Covid to write secret projects is now being eaten up by a lot of these meetings.

I’m still finding the right balance, but this last month has seen a lot of good progress on Stormlight.  I’m sitting at 65,000 words right now as of this writing.  Roughly 16% if we assume a 400,000-word final book.  (Though this one will, as I said, likely be longer than that—so that 16% might be more like 15%.)

Unfortunately, progress is going to slow again as I have a couple of other deadlines due.  My goal right now is to do the last two revisions (Defiant and Secret Project Four) in rapid succession, in September and October, and be back to Stormlight in November.  

For a teaser, though, here is what I’m working on: I’m going to write this book in phases, straight from beginning to end, through several character groupings.  For example, the first sequence I’m writing is Szeth and Kaladin in Shinovar, including the Szeth flashbacks.  I plan to write all of their plot, from start to finish, before moving on to the next sequence of characters.

All of that 65k so far, except the prologue, has been on this plotline—and I’m loving how it’s shaping up.  I know the Szeth backstory has been a LONG time coming.  I hope it lives up to your expectations.  There are some interesting lore secrets here to reveal, and the climax is something I’ve been building to since book one—indeed, you’ll find death rattles from the first volume referencing the events here in this sequence.

I plotted this sequence at 100k.  It’s looking a lot more like 150k now that I’m neck deep in it.  The picture is related!

I know that four years is a long time to wait for a novel, and it’s been my goal in the past to keep that to 3 years.  My intention is that once this is done, we’ll have another longer-than-normal gap as I turn my attention to Mistborn Era Three (and hopefully the Elantris sequels) before diving back in to do the back five Stormlight books.  From there, I’m hoping to return to a 3-year gap between books until we push to the ending at book ten.  

A long journey, I know!  But you’ll almost certainly have television and film projects in the interim to keep you occupied alongside the other things I do.  And I continue to feel that Stormlight works best in ultra-long-form novels, rather than the (far more profitable) option my publisher would prefer of one shorter 100k Stormlight book every year.  The experience of the thick book full of interconnected plotlines and smaller interlude flourishes is part of what makes the artistic vision work for these volumes.    

As always, thank you for your patience.  My job is to make sure it’s all worth the wait, and I am striving each day to show respect for the trust you’ve put in me.  

Next update should come around the end of the year, where I’ll let you know how my November/December went.  With luck, I’ll have managed another 70k or so across the two months, and land us at around 130k, which MIGHT be the end of the first sequence.