#Istg I go back Tuesday and all I’m going to do until then is my assignments

[hey-op-just-kill-me]

Lmk how two of my professors are going to assign research papers the day before break and then make them due the day we get back.

[suntoru]

hello!

I'm super stressed atm, have an exam on Tuesday, and I need a bit of motivation because I really doubt myself sometimes although I'm trying very hard 😭😭

do you think you could write a short piece about one of the genshin boys (heizou, tighnari, cyno, scara, childe or one of your choice instead) comforting a reader in the same situation? if not then I totally understand (couldn't find whether or not your requests are closed so I hope I'm not bothering you) thank you so much <3

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ heizou + childe w/ stressed out reader!!

summary: reader is stressed out bc of exams!! what do the boys do to help?

a/n: hi luv!! basically my requests are actually closed but i decided to make an exception just this once <3 u got this, dw too much!! i hope i was able to bring u some comfort

wc: 655 words

warnings: burnt out reader, overworking, mostly comfort n fluff, maybe a bit of swearing?

─ ✰ HEIZOU

mr. smartass here does not get the definition of stressing over work istg he’s too intelligent for his own good

at first, he supports you a lot, he encourages you to do better too. he likes that you’re working hard to reach your goals <3

he does his own work beside you, so you can study together!

type to help you and tests you on the questions

however, after a couple days, he starts to notice you’re not doing so well. you’ve got bags under your eyes from skipping out on sleep to study, you’re more grumpy than normal, and you just look stressed.

that’s when he makes the connection that a), you’re overworking yourself, and b), you’re stressed about this.

to be honest, i don’t think he’s the type to directly confront you about this unless it becomes too much, he’s more of the subtle type.

he’d definitely ask if you’re okay in a lighthearted manner, but you can tell he’s serious. welp now he’s monitoring you on a daily basis

“y/n, do you wanna take a break and go get some food?” “you’re gonna do so well, don’t worry.”

but if you choose to talk to him about your worries, he’ll listen silently, only nodding his head to show he’s paying attention. he’ll wait till you’re finished until he speaks.

he pulls you into a tight hug, cradling the back of your head as he comforts you. his voice is laced with confidence and you can tell he means what he says.

“babe… i know you can do this. there’s no one i believe in more than you. you’ve worked really hard for this, and that’s all i need to know. and even if you don’t meet your expectations, i’ll still be proud. i’m here for you if you need anything, anything at all.”

makes sure you’re getting enough rest, you’re eating enough and taking breaks.

when the day of your test comes, he gives you a confident smile, and a kiss on the cheek as he winks.

“i’d say good luck, but i know you’ve left nothing up to chance.”

whatever the outcome is, he takes you on a date after <3

overall 7/10

─ ✰ CHILDE

…run.

bro does not understand the term ‘busy’. he thinks your attention should always be on him.

worst study buddy 😭 type to end up distracting you instead of actually helping

ANYWAYS.

one of the first people to speak up about this, solely because you aren’t spending a lot of time with him anymore.

not slick with it either, just full on blunt.

this dramatic ahh collapses in your lap on the brink of tears, shiny puppy dog eyes staring straight into your soul.

“do you still love me anymore?”

explain to him that things exist other than him

please do tell him that you’re just worried and stressed though.

if you end up crying, his personality does a full 180. you’re now situated on his lap, his fingers brushing away any tears.

he feels guilty he didn’t notice sooner, he cups your face gently.

“hey, hey… i’m sorry. i didn’t realize this was so important to you… i’ll help you study, okay? for real this time.”

to the best of his ability, he helps explain concepts and showers you with praise if you answer correctly.

makes you flash cards with cute doodles (mostly him)

on the day of your exam, he picks you up and twirls you around.

peppers kisses all over your face.

“my scrunkly baby, you’re gonna do so well!! my smart precious clever genius… i might not be there with you, but take my luck!! well, not like you need it <3”

whispers in your ear before you go:

“…and don’t forget… a mark on a piece of paper doesn’t define you.”

takes you shopping and buys you whatever you want after, super clingy for the next couple of days

4/10 but he’s trying

©kaeffeinee 2023. do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works on any platform.

[ph4ntomp0st]

Dearest B, i’ve been falling for you.

OKAY it started like last year in April, keep in mind at this point I had 1) started dating P, 2) had sex with P. B was in my art class last year, and ever since I first noticed her (in April), she has been on my radar ever since. April last year was a fall from grace because I could not take my eyes off her, didn’t even know her name, but I wanted to know. So I shut up I started eavesdropping in on her conversations with Y. I would hear everything. I was silent for about four weeks until I heard the MAGICAL PHRASE: ‘Come on, B.’ In the midst of May.

I felt the pieces click into place. At this point I had just been watching from afar, now I had an in. It seemed rude to start something without even knowing her name, and it was late enough into the school year that asking seemed off, because we had already had brief chats asking for paints.

Every interaction we had is burned into my head. The amount of plotting, analysing, overthinking I did was enough to drive anyone insane. On the 18th of May, it was a Wednesday. I had to stay behind after school for a couple hours, so what do I do?I grab a grape big fizz from the dairy and when I come back, I go for a walk in the schools forest. I do my laps, I take selfies with possums and interesting mushrooms. Anyway, as in making my way back, I walk past the hockey court. I look in, obviously, because there’s people there and I want to see who. Then I make direct eye contact with her. I keep walking, but I do think this is the start of my obsession and undying admiration kicking into full gear.

Never spoke about this with her. I dot think she would even remember. BUT I DO. Another time, also may, would have been the 17th or 24th, I see C has come back from DOE, because I’m there after school. You know who else just came ack from DOE? B. When C and I chat, she comes over and starts a convo with me about the progress her groups has made while she’s been away, on tye model, because our project at this time last year was building models of architecture .

Keep in my mind I’m with P at this point, and probably had sex with him within 72 hours of this event, because this was on a Tuesday.

As she talks, I fall in love with her voice. I had heard it before obviously, when eavesdropping, but it’s so much different when someones speaking TO you. She knew I existed, was in her art, and felt like she could talk to me about something so insignificant. I have clung to this memory like a koala does a tree. It is my lifeline.

I had to finally tell my friends about P and me because i knew if i didn’t, there wouldn’t be anyone to keep an eye on me and stop me from fully going for B.

Come prom, P not supposed to be there. I’m ecstatic. I show up. He’s there. My mood dampens, my smile fades. Fuck. Plans ruined. P is on my arm the whole night. B sees us together on the couch and istg I see something in her head click, and the light in her eyes dies for a second. My heart drops, I’m devastated.

I don’t talk to her for ages, and have to stay away from her. I can’t make eye contact with her. I feel like she’s avoiding my eye. But this could all be in my head. I’m devastated, in pain every art lesson. I’m back to admiring from afar. I’m kicking myself. I desperately want to end it with P and go for B fully, but I’ in too deep with him. I can’t stand the way she looks so effortlessly peaceful. Im someone who constantly spends life plotting, planning. If I do’t swim I die. But she makes it all look so easy and calm. I want her. I want her to want me. I want to make her life turbulent.

Anyway, for ages, no talk. I’m letting her be, I’m avoiding her. I’m trying to get over her. July goes by. Nothing. August. We went into lockdown before the end, but before we did, house music.

C had been lying to me about her birthday during art when I was mapping star charts, so I figure I would ask L (They’re twins). In house music practice, it happens that L is right in front of A and me. So I lean forward between rehearsals and ask.

‘L, when is your birthday?’

‘May 16th.’

L has turned around, and so has the girl next to him. I don’t realise who it is until she’s looking right at me. It takes me way too long to register, but I had just leaned in between B and L. At this point, I had no clue either of them knew each other, let alone were friends. This was a realisation moment for me. And I felt guilt. I didn’t want B to feel pressure that I was forcing myself into her life.

The air was taken from my lungs. True shock. I can’t stand it.

House music happens, and we go into lockdown. It pains me to see her on zoom. I can’t take my eyes off her panel.

We get out of lockdown. Desperation has only grown. I hold my breath every time I’m around her. I don’t dare make any move, in fear I won’t be able to retain subtlety. Until.

Before art one day, C is walking with the back pocket of her bag open. B steals her wallet and hands it to me, flashing a grin I can see from beneath the mask. I eventually give it back to C in a dramatic way during the lesson and I swear, me and B met eyes for a second when I did.

Anyway, from that point on, I wanted to compliment her, tell her she had very pretty eyes, because she did. Right up until the last lesson. And I just- didn’t. I never told her last year. My entire holidays were spent missing her and not my own boyfriend.

When I break up with P, my first thought Is that I’m now free to go for B. I get my approved lessons back, Digi, French, Art. Exactly what I wanted. On my first day back, I’m praying she is still in my Art class. Spoiler, she’s not. Devastation ensues.

I don’t talk to her until Feb 28, the day after I have a big day out in the city, meet an 18y old guy called Tom, we hang out and become friends. I first approach him because some guy tried to molest me. A day of new socialising with new people gives me the confidence.

A couple weeks prior, I had heard from G that she was in advanced math. So I tried to get in. I made a whole drama among the maths department, got my parents involved, shat on my math teacher, did all the most dramatic eventful things for the chance of maybe being in one of her classes. So I’ve been given a shot. Its a Monday, my meeting with head of math is on the Wednesday.

She walks down the hallway as per usual.

‘Hey B, you’re in advanced aren’t you?’

‘Math? No, I’m not smart enough for that.’

It feels like I’ve been kicked in the gut. It was the first interaction we had had of 2022, and I was wrong. From that point on, I had to be right about everything. It was a blow to say the least.

I eventually dropped out of the advanced math race bc I had to keep up with 6 curriculums in two weeks. I was not gonna loose sleep for math.

Anyway that was February. Over the course of march, I slowly started approaching her now and then and just chatting, having a nice little talk. Full confidence, still admire myself for that. Just out of the blue. We talked. I figured out when she had eco, sports, and science.

She reciprocates one day after school, I think I’ve got her, hook line and sinker. But I don’t. Because I start upping the intensity and lessening the frequency, and guess what? She never reciprocates again. So for the last few weeks of T1, I leave her alone. I visit [her geo area] during the holidays and walk around to get a sense of where She lives. When I get back, first day, I kiss D, one of my closest friends.

B’s off my mind.

Then she’s not. i cant stop thinking about her, even while i’m making out with D and pinning her to the bathroom wall.

I tell D i want to stop.

D’s pissed.

Now B’s free range again.

[lovely-keii]

Their S/O Asks Them If They Forgot What Day It Is

A/N: I saw this tiktok where the girl gets dressed up and asks her boyfriend if he forgot what day it was even though there was nothing planned

Characters: Lev Haiba, Bokuto Koutarou, Oikawa Tooru, Tsukishima Kei, Kuroo Tetsurou

Lev Haiba

he was on the table trying to do a tiktok dance

you were on the couch when you saw the video

you decided to do it because it could probably get lev off the table

you got up and got changed into a nice outfit

“lev?”

he stopped dancing when you called him

“YES? OH YOU LOOK PRETTY!”

“babe, im in the room, you don’t have to shout.”

“oh, okay!”

his face was all :) you kinda started to feel bad

you frowned

“did you forget what today was?”

he started to think

“it’s tuesday.”

it was saturday

“lev, it’s saturday, and you really forgot what today was supposed to be?”

“saturday?”

istg this man-

“babe we were supposed to have a date”

you were like :( so he was like D:

“oh no, im sO SORRY ILL GO GET CHANGED AND WE CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!”

at this point you felt bad and kinda stupid so you just told him

he kinda just paused, stood there like :0

then he went “ohhhh”

tried to get back up the table

so you asked him if he wants to go now

he got a leg off the table and went “OK :D”

Bokuto Koutarou

he was attempting to do his math homework

keyword: attempting

he was failing miserably

you then remembered the tiktok you watched decided why not

you got up and got changed

when you got out

he was like :D then :| then :0

he was like “are you going somewhere?”

silence

“are we going somewhere?”

he gasped

“OH MY GOSH WE’RE SUPPOSED TO GO SOMEWHERE? I FORGOT!”

this man R U N S and changes

he grabs your hand and says lets go

you’re like “WAIT HOLD UP!!”

he does not hear you

the entire way to the mall he does not hear you

you scored yourself a free date

so when you were finally able to tell him, you’d been in the mall for about 15 minutes

you guys were eating ice cream

his face was a mess and he just

smiled

like :D

it was adorable

“so i didnt forget?”

“nope”

he cheers!!

so cute jsgjhdgjdhdj

Oikawa Tooru

this going to be embarrassing for the both of you

i mean with his ego and all-

so you get changed and you’re looking all hot

he’s practically drooling then his head is like

“wait-”

and then you go

“babe did you forget what today was?”

he scoffs and tries to look smug but he’s internally panicking

“wHAT NO! I JUST WANTED TO SEE YOU BEFORE I GET CHANGED!”

you’re like ?? but also you expected it

“oh? so where are we going”

he’s panicking hard

“OH MY GOD BABE DID YOU FORGET”

how the tables have turned-

and so now you’re confused but also rlly defensive

“what? no! im literally changed, tooru!”

he fake gasps

“yeaH BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING! THATS WHY YOU’RE ASKING ME”

and now you’re both trying to one up each other

he starts trying to convince you that YOU forgot

and you’re kinda believing him

then he’s like

“ok let’s go, let me get changed first”

you wait for him still kinda defensive 

your head is like “no i didnt forget >:(”

you guys are about 15 minutes from the mall when it clicks

“babe this was a prank”

so now you’re both like :\

“i’m disappointed in the both of us”

“let’s just get food”

Tsukishima Kei

you decide to do this to him

he’s busy “doing homework”

but over his shoulder you can see the dinosaurs

you’re kinda bored until you see the tiktok

you get up and he just looks at you like ?? then turns back to the dinos

when you get back he has not moved an inch

still watching the same show trying to hide his giddy smirks

“tsukki did you forget what today was?”

he looks at you and is shocked

he thinks your really pretty but won’t say it out loud

he gets up and gets changed just leaving you in the room alone like

kinda awkward for you because you’re just alone

“uh hi wall”

he comes back at the exact moment and is now judging you

“did you just try and start a conversation with the wall?”

“it was awkward, okay?”

he helps you up from the bed

you start following him

and for a second you actually think you’re going on a date

you stop and he just waits for you

“babe it was a lie, we didn’t have a date today”

“oh so thats why it wasn’t it my calendar”

“babe you have a calendar of our dates??”

he blushes and just walks away

he still brings you on a date though

Kuroo Tetsurou

see, this is a man of utmost grace and respect

he does not forget dates

so convincing him will be hard

just pout, he’ll believe it, just pout

you got bored and he looked bored too so why not

you go and get changed and he doesnt even spare you a glance

he thinks you’re just gonna get water or something

but when you come back in a really nice outfit

he’s like “O//v//O”

“why are you dressed up?”

“you forgot?”

“forgot what?”

“the date!”

he frowns a little then looks at you again

“sorry love, i must’ve forgotten. let me just go and get changed and we can do whatever you want.”

you just gape because wow that’s rlly nice of him

“TETSU!! YOU DON’T HAVE TO!!”

he’s confused

“y/n i love you but i’m not going to a mall in my pajamas, plus you took the effort to dress up”

now you’re all soft

“tetsu, it was a prank!”

he’s like “ohhh”

nonetheless, he brings you out and let’s you choose whatever you want to do

[morvantmortuary]

I've had like zero energy the past two days because of my period, and I've been wondering how the Morvants would be with a reader who struggles with it

well first of all, babe, a big solidarity high five from me, bc Omg Same :’D I’ve been on the daily pill since I was a teenager, and Istg my symptoms have only gotten worse. the first two days of my placebo week every month just wipe me the fuck out now, and those were this past monday and tuesday for me and I swear I’ve been at half-battery since ☠️ I’m feeling a bit better today - I got up at a normal person time and have managed to get some stuff done - but I hope if you’re starting to feel a bit better if you’re not quite on your feet again yet 🖤♥️ Fatigue as a symptom can be hard, esp. when lots of people already don’t take PMS super seriously.

The Morvants, however, know bodies can be complicated things, and would be happy to help their sweetheart out when you weren’t feeling well 🥰 (mdni, we get a bit 18+ below the cut)

Maxi would love the excuse to have a slow, sleepy day with you - but Death usually has other plans. If he has decedents to prepare or services to arrange, he’ll have to tend to those, but depending on where you are when you wake up will dictate how his day goes:

If you wake up with him at the Mortuary, he’ll insist you stay there with him so he can take care of you. You’re welcome to spend the day in his bed sleeping as you need to, or working remotely, or whatever you need to do. You can even stay in pajamas all day, he’ll be the last person to judge. Instead he’ll check on you whenever he finishes a client appointment or an embalming, bringing you a snack and something to drink, some pain killers if you’re having cramps or a headache, or ordering delivery for the pair of you from wherever you like. He’ll linger with you as long as he can until he’s called away for work again, fiddling with your hair, adjusting your pillows or the fans in your room.

If you wake up at your house, he’ll still do as much of the above as he can when he can get away - if your neighbors weren’t so used to the hearse in your driveway, they’d be concerned about how much it drives back and forth on these days, as he walks in with your favorite silly little coffee drink or some other treat from town to cheer you up whenever he walks into your room.

When he’s finally off work for the day, his attention is entirely on you. If you haven’t bathed yet that day and want to, he’ll take it upon himself to care for you that way, whether that’s stepping with you into the shower to wash your hair and lather your skin (and get the formaldehyde smell off himself, tbh), or drawing you a bath to let you wallow in the warm water as he rubs your muscles where they ache.

After this, he’s going wherever you want to go in his old joggers and a t-shirt: if you want to just lay in your bed with a hot water bottle and listen to podcasts or watch movies on your laptop, he’ll spend the rest of his evening as your big spoon, idly kissing your neck and shoulders (and muffling soft scoffs if you’re listening to a true crime podcast about cops being fucking incompetent again). He’s content to drift in and out of naps with you, holding you firmly in his gator’s grip and sniffing lightly at your hair as he enjoys your warmth and nearness.

If you’re feeling well enough to hang out on the couch, he’s right there with you. If you want to lay on his chest while the two of you watch creepy YouTube videos or play video games, he’ll absently kiss your forehead every now and again, his hands resting on your body where you aren’t pressed up against him and rubbing circles there when he’s distracted. If you just want to binge a season of whatever new spooky tv show you’re watching together or a bunch of bad horror movies, he’ll lay on you if it won’t make you feel sore, happy to provide some comforting weight (and enjoy the solid thud of your heart beneath his ear) and cuddle you like you deserve. 

If you want, he’ll absolutely read to you from an old favorite, or something you’d been meaning to get around to forever but just didn’t have the energy for. His drawl adds something to the book, a dimension you hadn’t considered when you read it alone, and you’re reminded as you listen just how long your beloved has been living in Cajun/Creole country - it gets a little stronger the longer he reads as he relaxes into his words, and you go back later to re-read some passages, smiling to yourself at how the words sounded completely different on his tongue.

He’ll bring you snacks as you desire, cook about any comfort food you ask for (you discover he’s actually really good at pancakes and crepes when you guys opt for breakfast for dinner one night), and build a nest of pillows and blankets for you both if it means you’re comfortable and looked after

We know our boy absolutely has A Thing for period sex, but he obviously won’t ask if he knows you feel exhausted/gross. He’s had partners like that before, he knows it sucks. But the minute your hand tangles a bit too long in his hair, or he feels you grind ever so lightly against his thigh if you were laying on him, he’ll turn to you curiously, his hand sliding over your lower back. “Can I help you with somethin’, baby doll?” He’ll ask innocently enough, eyes wide and soft, but you can see the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as you feel a mirroring one on your own face.

If you tell him yes, he’ll ask you exactly what you want, and give it to you. In spades. He’ll plant soft kisses down your stomach as he moves, pulling your pajama shorts down and shushing you gently as he kisses your inner thighs. “Easy, darlin’,” he murmurs, glancing up at you over his glasses. “You don’t have to do anythin’, just let me take care of you.”

He’ll put your thighs on his shoulders and keep your hips in his grip as he devours you whole, and by the time you’re shaking and out of breath from overstimulation, his mouth is as red as his eyes are now shining. He licks every drop of blood and slick from his face as he looks up at you, still your sweetheart, but something closer to the feral, frightening thing you know that’s hiding inside him. (…If his tongue looks maybe just a touch… longer? Narrower? Than it normally does? You’re willing to chalk that up to the fact that you’re literally seeing stars, holy shit.)

If you prefer something else, he’ll lay you out however you’ll be most comfortable - on your back, or maybe on your stomach - and wet your cunt thoroughly with his own spit and some careful applications of his fingers before he works himself into you, taking his time not to overwhelm you (but unable to resist a light lick of his own lips when you moan at the stretch, the ache of adjusting around him). Slowly, with soft reassurances in your ear - “There you go, pretty, look at you, I knew you could. You’re so good, takin’ all of me like this—“ he’ll pull you so his hips are flush with you, watching you squirm admiringly for a moment before he experimentally rolls them to move in you. “It’s okay, angel,” he murmurs, his thumbs running over the soft skin of your hips. “You relax. Daddy’ll do all the work.” You then only have to lay there and whine for more as he gives you all of him, as slowly or as rough as you want, until you’ve thoroughly soaked his cock as many times as you can manage and he’s filled you with as much as he can give, pressing soft kisses to your panting face as he lovingly fucks his cum further into you, before the two of you at last collapse in an exhausted tangle to cool off before you can cuddle properly.

This always happens when you’re not well - there comes a point whee he lays awake, gazing at you like it will never be enough no matter how long he looks. The monster inside him is only ever silent when you’re this close, when it knows you’re safe at his side and only Hell itself could part you. It has no business being this close to you, but as much as he hates it, he can’t help but agree that this is the most at peace he ever feels. The thing inside him - not quite demon, not quite him, all reaper - would tear the world apart for you, this one or the one beyond.

Hex’s work doesn’t demand as much socially from him, so if he can afford to cancel his latest shoot or cancel whatever plans he was making to stalk his next Chain link, he will. He’ll be happy to either bring you to his place or to come over to yours, armed to the teeth with your favorite junk food, his softest flannel shirt for you to borrow, and scratchy beard kisses wherever you want them.

As much as his first thought to make you feel better is usually to get you moving, he understands that in cases like this, that’s just not going to work. So he’s determined to keep you comfortable: he rubs the muscle balm his mom used to give him after training with Maxi and his dad into your lower back, he rubs your feet if he thinks that would help, he sits behind you while the pair of you watch tv to rub your neck and shoulders.

He keeps you on a steady diet of fruit juice and homemade dishes, a constant deluge of scents of cooking and baking coming from the kitchen of whoever’s house you’re crashing at. It feels like every time you wake up from a nap, he’s standing over you with a new batch of rolls or conchas, or with a new smoothie recipe, or something smothered in cheese. If you really want something greasy and fried from your usual take-out place, he’ll get it for you without complaint, but he always prefers to cook for you when you’re not feeling well. He’s proud to be able to take care of you that way and it dispels the nervous energy he always has just under the surface when you’re not feeling well.

He’s content to lay around wherever you want to lay around - be it your bed, his, or the couch at either person’s house. He’ll be tweaking some photos on his laptop while you scroll through your phone, or he’ll happily hold you between his legs so you can rest against his chest as the two of you take on a season of your shared favorite shitty reality show. (He’s a sucker for Catfish and the Circle - cyber drama always intrigues him, and the wilder episodes will have him cackling in a way you only ever hear when he’s with you or around the twins. The boy was raised on telenovelas, after all.) He might doze off in the middle of your favorite prestige drama or procedural (if he’s not quietly mumbling observations about the camerawork and the lighting to himself), but he mysteriously always keeps up with the plot. If you turn on Great British Baking Show, he’ll wake right back up, I promise. He might even want to make you more snacks after, just to try his hand at some of what he saw.

If you’re napping on the couch or reading quietly, he will take stealth candids on his phone. Lots of them. He loves it when you’re just hanging out with him, casual and in your comfiest clothes. He thinks you’re beautiful - even if you don’t always - and he’ll want to look at this photos later, to admire the light on your skin and the engrossed expression on your face.

If you want to bathe, Hex will happily offer to help - but if you just want to stick to dry shampoo and a washcloth, he’d help with that too, making sure to spray the deeper layers of your hair evenly and get that hard to reach spot between your shoulder blades for you. He’s done that plenty of times himself when he was on the run traveling, he knows sometimes that’s all you need if you just don’t have the energy. He’d always make sure you had fresh pajamas, though, even if it meant you stole a t-shirt and a pair of his worn-out sleep pants for a day or two.

If you need a nap buddy, he’s always down to be a nap buddy. He sleeps a bit more restlessly than most (as happens when you tend to slip a bit more easily Beyond the Veil from your dreams), but even if he can’t be your big spoon the whole time, he’ll sleep with one part of him always in contact with you - be a hand on your thigh, or his shoulder blades against your back, even intertwining his legs with yours. Even if he can’t sleep, he’ll lay there and watch you, taking in the little things about your face: the way your brows knit together and smooth out when you dream, your little sniffles and mumbles in the deepest parts of your cycle - how vulnerable you are, and how much you trust him to let him see you like this. 

Period sex isn’t quite as much of a thing for him as it is for Maxi - he has his own... cravings, as it were - but if you ask him, he’s not about to deny you. 

This could be anything from sliding his fingers past your waistband and teasing your clit while you watch a bad movie, pretending not to notice as you flinch and whine and writhe in his lap while he makes you come until you’re ready to cry without once pulling away his hand, or on your sides in bed, whispering to you as he fills you while holding one of your thighs on his hip. 

“Aww, pobrecita,” he mock-coos at your muffled moan, tilting his head to look at you as he snaps his hips against yours. “You’re just feeling way too much, huh?” He nips your lower lip before you can respond, pressing closer to you and deeper inside in the same movement. “Don’t worry, baby, I’m gonna make you forget all about that...” His hair falls in his eyes, but you don’t miss the way he grins as you whine and cling to the fabric of his shirt, the way his free hand squeezes your ass as he eliminates any possible space left between you two. 

He only lets you go when you’re having to bite back a scream, having left a few bites of his own along your collarbone and shoulder earlier. When he does, he smirks. “How’re you feeling now, Querida?” he asks like he doesn’t know, his tone light as he takes his time cleaning you up.

For acting so smug, he really is a big softie. He’ll get you anything you like after before he stretches out next to you, sighing contentedly as he pulls you against him and fits you under his chin. He strokes your back, singing what sounds like a lullaby under his breath as you fall back asleep on a wave of hormones, satisfaction, and exhaustion. You feel a soft kiss to your forehead as your eyes finally close, and his lips linger there like a ghost.

He’s overwhelmed with how much he loves you. He hadn’t believed Maxi when he talked about that dark other self living inside him, how possessive and utterly greedy it became when he found his own Obsession. But he gets it now, and he has to banish that shrieking wraith inside him that wants to take you over just the same, to keep you prisoner to his worst impulses and fears. He never wants you to know about that, just how much of you it would take for himself. It scares him too.

While the boys are sweet, Rora’s the one who will absolutely Get It. “Oh, Petal,” she frowns, taking in your dulled eyes and the bags beneath them. “You too, huh? Don’t worry,” she runs a hand over your hair, affectionate and soothing all at once. “I remember how this works.”

She’ll move a bare-bones version of her workshop into whatever bedroom you make your main crashpad - yours at your house, hers in the Mortuary - tiny portable desk and all. When you want to just lay there, slipping in and out of consciousness or boredly scrolling through your usual apps, she’ll sit off to the side, a silent but constant watchful presence as she works. She knows that sometimes cuddling just doesn’t cut it, and being able to stretch out in a big empty bed alone is the best remedy, but she still wants to be close to you. You’re impressed with just how quickly that woman can taxidermy small rodents. It’s kind of alarming.

Heating pads, ice packs, anti-ache ointments of her own concoction - you want it, she’s got it, and she’s got it in a million combinations she probably tested on herself back in the ‘90s. She keeps you regularly dosed with Motrin (or whatever painkiller is most compatible with anything else you take), giving you your next set pills as soon as is reasonable so they can’t wear off and leave you achey, so you can sleep as much as you need to.

(If you express surprise she isn’t sticking entirely with Natural TreatmentsTM, she snorts. “Cramps are never the time for farmer’s market bullshit, Little Bee. There’s treatments, and then there’s painkillers.” She gives you a withering, knowing glance. “I know which one I’d prefer to have when a linin’ of tissue is tryin’ to expel itself from my body. I’m not about to mess around when it comes to yours.”)

She brings you fruit-infused water from the kitchen with fresh slices floating in it, ones she obviously just cut herself. She’ll have a glass herself in the process, but she’ll watch you like a hawk to make sure you’re staying hydrated, only swapping that out with something caffeinated if she thinks that would help your sleep schedule from getting completely out of whack.

The woman has an entire collection of silk sleep masks you didn’t know about. She’ll pass you a fresh one each day you’re not feeling well, and you luxuriate in the cool smooth fabric against your tired eyes. You wouldn’t have thought to get one of these for yourself, but you’re grateful for her stray flourish of fanciness she only shows on unexpected occasions.

She will take her time showering with you or giving you a bath, if you want one. As much as you know showering can sometimes give her a bit of vertigo in her host body, she’ll focus intently on yours, covering your skin with her favorite English lavender soap and giving your hair whatever it needs to keep it clean and healthy. She spoils you after with sweet-smelling oils, thick creamy lotion, a facemask or just something cooling for your undereyes if you’re feeling up to it. Her hands are firm but tender as she rubs your scalp, your shoulders, your thighs and the backs of your calves - everywhere that can get too tight if you’re stressed, or laying down a lot.

Rora doesn’t have quite the same attention span for bingeing that the boys do - when she was alive, she got told off for watching tv for too long, and she’s still getting used to the whole “everything streaming all the time everywhere” kind of thing. But she’ll sit with you through whatever you feel like watching. While she has patience for all sorts of shows, she perks up during nature documentaries, shows like How It’s Made, or - her favorite - anything involving cold cases or autopsies. If you watch a costume drama, she’ll pretend to only be politely interested for a while, but eventually you’ll hear her softly gasp at an especially pretty dress, or titter or tsk at something happening on screen. When the service finally asks if you’re still watching, she glances at you, holding a pillow to her chest and looking somewhat enchanted. “...Maybe just one more? Y’know, just to make sure the Duke gets what’s comin’ to him,” she’ll ask quietly. 

(You finish the rest of the season in a night, and spend the rest of the evening googling whatever you can find out about the upcoming next season as she looms quietly over your shoulder. When you show her the tag for the show on a site like this one or AO3, she’s mesmerized.)

(You open your eyes at one point late that night, aware of her cool, solid presence beside you - still, but with her breathing too shallow to be asleep. You peer over her shoulder to see her browsing the same tag on her phone, screen on minimum brightness as she scrolls with abandon.)

(If she hears you chuckle, she doesn’t say anything. But when you kiss her shoulder and wrap an arm around her waist, she squeezes your hand as it rests on her stomach and finally sets her phone on the bedside table.)

Period sex for Rora is, like many things, a bit complicated - it brings up memories of her own original body, but she’s never not enticed by yours. If you ask, she’ll answer with a kiss, and her cool hands sliding possessively over your frame as she hums low in her throat.

Rora’s fingers are strong and sure despite their aristocratic taper, and she knows exactly the way to work them in you to make you feel like you’re lighting up from the inside. She twists and scissors them in a way that makes just how wet you are extremely audible, her emerald eyes never leaving your face as you come undone repeatedly under her calculated touch.

Or, taking another route, depending on who’s house you’re at she’ll pull out one of your favorite toys - or her old reliable of a spotless hitachi wand if you’re at hers - and apply it mercilessly to your clit with a cool reserve. She observes with a deceptively stoic mask how long it takes your thighs to shake helplessly, for you to try to flinch away when it all becomes too much, and exactly how many soft pitiable whines it takes until you soak the sheets with a softly pink-ish rush of warmth. “That’s okay, daffodil,” she soothes, leaning down to kiss your flushed brow when you mumble a slightly teary embarrassed apology. “They’re just sheets, nothin’ worth gettin’ upset about.” She runs a hand over your hair, and her pale pink mouth quirks in the hint of a smile. “You wanna go again? It’s good for you - it helps, I swear.”

If you ask to make it up to her, by burying your head between her cool thighs and feeling her nimble fingers now curl helplessly in your hair, for once - she won’t refuse. After, she’ll take your face in her hands with a still-dazed expression, and kiss you messily with an open mouth to hide just how much her breath is still shaking.

Rora watches you sleep - it’s no secret. She has problems getting to and staying asleep since she came back to this side of the Veil, and she would sooner shave her own head than get out of bed and risk disturbing you. But sometimes she feels something else watching out of her eyes, taking you in with an avarice that isn’t entirely hers. She and the boys have talked about it since she found you: that urge to keep, to claim, to never let you out of her sight again. To never let you be parted by something as flimsy as the Veil. While the creature in her head coos over you like something more precious than gold, counting your every breath, she knows in her conscious mind that she would bring you back a hundred times if she never had to be without you again, damn the consequences. She has lived too long alone, her and the monster inside her - and neither of them will be denied now.

Sorry this took a while, sweet nonny!! I was feeling a bit worn down myself this week 🖤 I hope you’re feeling better now, and have this for the next time Shark Week decides to throw you out of whack 🥰✨ sending love your way!

[khaleesiofalicante]

bestie do you really think it's funny to make me cry?

OK WHERE DO I START AUJHUJHDSDUJHFV

deep bre-INCOHERENT SCREAMING

That's it. that's all I have to say.

THEY PASSED THE CHILD PROTECTION BILL I'M GONNA BE CRYING IN A CORNER IF ANYONE NEEDS ME

All those shadowhunters who ran back to Idris I hope you starve to death there. have fun!

Anjali is so awesome OH MY GOD I LOVE HER ALREADY

Rafael is THAT kid I see...it suits him so well.

It had been two very long years stuck in this small office room. But every time Alec saw the way David giggled when Lexi called her father Jalapeno poppers or some other equally ridiculous name, Alec knew it was worth all the trouble.

THIS OMG I'M NOT OK

Alec wondered if that’s why so many leaders before him had been awful. It was easy to be a bad leader. But it took effort to be a good one.

This is so true...I'm so proud of him...

Dani...bestie THAT IMMORTALITY CRISIS WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME. I know it's gonna happen but I was having a very good day. why do you hurt me in such ways... (I'm pretty sure my family thinks I'm mentally unstable after the way I screamed reading)

“Anjali,” Diego sighed. “What have I told you about doors?”

“Knock them down?”

“I said knock on them!” Diego corrected, shaking his head. “Not knock them down!”

I'm in love.

HUHYUHKSDYKFVYUFVYU ALEC'S CONSUL VOICE I'M SCREAMING

SIMON BESTEST!! HIM SORTING THE STUDENTS INTO THESE GROUPS I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! AND ANJALI BESTIE GOOD LUCK AT BEATING THE SEELIES!! (good luck with stealing the weapons)

well, Rafael do you perhaps have a little crush? (Grammarly ik I'm writing in lowercase stfu)

ok ok I know this is pretty sad but every time someone gives Magnus or Alec the "you haven't talked to him yet?" look I start laughing-

ALEC'S SO CLUELESS ABOUT MAX AND DAVID I CANT-

“So, you are just going to leave me here and go to York then?” Max demanded now; all puppy dog eyes. “Like my mom left me at the academy?”

Yeah. He took the news a little too well.

MAX PLAYING THE ADOPTED CARD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

“Is it because you don’t like me?” Max pouted again. “Like my mom…Who left me all alone.”

“You can’t play the adopted card with me, you lil shit,” Rafael laughed. “I’m adopted too.”

I'M SO IN LOVE LEAVE ME ALONE

AWW MAX SEEING THE INSTITUTE AND IMMEDIATELY GOING "David would love this" ISTG THIS KID I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

“Weren’t you listening to a podcast on Mayan Civilization during breakfast?” Alec raised an eyebrow.

“Bapak said it’s historically accurate!” Rafe argued.

“Bapak is not that old!” Alec countered.

“Maybe he is,” Max said, analyzing the paintings on the walls. “Maybe you don’t know it.”

“Excuse me, I know how old my husband is,” Alec said indignantly.

“Then where are the receipts dad?” Max asked. “Show us the receipts!”

Where are the receipts, Alec? EXACTLY!

THANK GOD SOMEONE ELSE HAS CAUGHT ON TO MAX'S VERY OBVIOUS CRUSH

“I think he likes David,” Rafe whispered.

“Of course he does,” Alec whispered back. Why were they whispering? “David is a sweet boy.”

“No. I think he ‘likes him’ likes him,” Rafael giggled.

Alec looked at his son sharply. “But-He is..Da..They are children!”

“You’ve never heard a childhood crush?” Rafe grinned.

“No, I was too busy…studying,” Alec sniffed.

“That’s not what I heard,” Rafael bit his lip. “I heard you had a thing for boys in motorcycle jackets.”

“Okay that’s it! You are not allowed to hang out at Hotel Dumort anymore,” Alec said.

Really Alec? Studying? REALLY???

MAX AND RAFE RACING TO THE TRAINING ROOM!!!

the reference to the infernal devices...I'M GONNA KILL THE ALREADY DEAD STARKWEATHERS! I'M ABOUT TO DO SOME NECROMANCY SHIT TO BRING THOSE FUCKERS BACK JUST TO KILL THEM SLOWLY

Hugs max it's gonna be ok buddy.

In that moment, Alec remembered all the talks.

He remembered how his mother had lectured Izzy about not going out alone late at night, but she hadn’t said anything to Jace or Alec.

He remembered the way Jem spoken quietly to Mina in soft Mandarin about how people might call her names, but he hadn’t said anything to Kit.

He remembered the way Julian had told Ty to be careful about kissing his boyfriend in public, but he hadn’t said anything to Dru.

I hate this so damn much. I hate it. It sucks how there will always be people who will be targeted for being born the way they are. Whether it be skin color, sexuality, body type, or anything, people will always fucking talk and make the world unsafe for certain people just because they aren't generic male cishets. If you're a girl you're in danger. If you're a POC you're in danger, If you're neurodivergent you're in danger. If you're a member of the LGBTQ community you're in danger. If you're disabled you're in danger. If you're part of any minority you're in danger. If you dare to be different you're in danger. Fuck people. I'm a queer POC female and it's scary. I don't want to be always checking my surroundings when I'm out. I shouldn't have to feel this scared walking out of my own house but I do and it sucks. Ok, I feel like I'm derailing from the main point here.

Sorry for that just got really heated for a second there.

NO NOT THE NIGHTMARE. BABY NO

DAVID MY CHILD!! OMG, HE'S GONNA TAKE UP ARCHERY SOMEONE HOLD ME WHILE I CRY!

“This is who you are,” David said, his voice oddly soft now. Softer than usual. “And you’re beautiful.”

Alec blinked at that.

“Blue,” David said quickly. “I meant you’re blue. Uh, yes.”

BESTIE I SAW WHAT YOU SAID THERE. WE ALL DID

Also, alec sitting outside max's room...IM GONNA-

“David is in there,” Alec whispered. “I just wanted to…check…if everything was okay.”

“Alexander, are you spying on our child?” Magnus demanded. “Without me???”

“What? No! I-”

“Move over!” Magnus sank down next to him. “What are they saying? Are they kissing?”

“WHAT? They are not kissing!” Alec said in alarm. “Wait. Are they???”

He couldn’t hear anything now. Alec panicked.

“I haven’t talk to the kids about kissing yet,” Magnus pointed out. “We can’t talk to Max without talking to Rafael first.”

“Wait. Is Rafael kissing people???”

“Rafael is not kissing people,” Rafael replied as he walked past them to the kitchen. “Also, you guys are shit at whispering.”

Alec rolled his eyes at him and turned to Magnus. “It’s stressful enough that we need to talk about racism in the shadow world. Now we need to talk about kissing??”

“And other stuff,” Magnus chuckled.

Alec groaned into Magnus’ shoulder. “By the angel. Fine. We’ll just tell them there is no kissing. Until they are 30.”

“Hypocrite,” Rafael coughed into his hand as he walked back to the table with a bag of chips.

THIS WHOLE SCENE OH MY GOD.

And srsly alec? 30? really? whips out the extract "kissed" from cassie's website According to my files here-

“And David?”

“Yes, sir?”

“The bedroom door stays open from now on.”

David blinked, his cheeks pink. “I…What?”

“Door stays open,” Alec said, lowering his voice, just a register. “Is that understood?”

AYY ALEC DAD MODE YUCDUHDFHFUHJIUHC THIS IS SO AMAZING IM GONNA SCREAM

Alec advising David with the bow is so close to my heart...IDK WHY IT JUST IS

That conversation...PEOPLE FUCKING SUCK I HOPE HUMANS GO EXTINCT BECAUSE I SURE AM READY TO DIE SO LET'S TAKE THE EARTH DOWN-

“Why don’t shadowhunters have acne?”

"What?" Alec blinked.

“Their skin is like so freaking perfect and smooth and they can just freaking go through puberty without a one freaking pimple and don’t even get me started on the freaking dimples and then-”

Magnus started laughing. Alec felt a little confused.

EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS !!!!! THAT DAMN ANGEL BLOOD

That part about how we normalize these little things which are actually hurtful...I didn't realize that. I guess we really do, huh? This just made me want to be more careful with others and if I feel others do this with me, to stop them and correct them.

I loved this chapter so much. You're such a great writer.

I wanted to share something of my own now!! I FINALLY GOT MY COPY FOR RWARB!!!! I told my parents it was a thriller about how the first son and the prince forge a friendship and discover secrets about the government and the monarchy-

The place I bought it from sent me a very cute bookmark. It's a pride bookmark and it's just my first ever pride merch and I'm close to tears. Let's just say my family isn't the most accepting so this bookmark's really precious to me

Sorry, the quality isn't the best. I was in a hurry. It's almost 4 am now I'm gonna try and sleep (I'm gonna reorganize my bookshelf). See you on Tuesday!!

Thank you so much. I love reading your comments. They are so honest and full of life. You are going to LOVE rwrb. It's such a good book and it's so romantic and raw and perfect. Lmao about your parents. What they don't know can't hurt them ;) And I loooooooooove your bookmark. Be gay. Do crime.

PS -

"It sucks how there will always be people who will be targeted for being born the way they are. Whether it be skin color, sexuality, body type, or anything, people will always fucking talk and make the world unsafe for certain people just because they aren't generic male cishets. If you're a girl you're in danger. If you're a POC you're in danger, If you're neurodivergent you're in danger. If you're a member of the LGBTQ community you're in danger. If you're disabled you're in danger. If you're part of any minority you're in danger. If you dare to be different you're in danger. Fuck people. I'm a queer POC female and it's scary. I don't want to be always checking my surroundings when I'm out. I shouldn't have to feel this scared walking out of my own house but I do and it sucks. Ok, I feel like I'm derailing from the main point here."

THIS IS THE MAIN POINT. YOU GOT IT. SO CONGRATS <3

[gheeeyah]

Peace and quiet.

That is what I want, and that is the reason, I like staying in his place. The peace and the quiet. On weeks that he doesn't have his kids, I spend a night to two nights just because I treat it as my recharging days as well, away from everyone and not doing anything.

We're fuck buddies. Friends with benefits. And funny cause I have accepted that, that's all we'll ever be. In the beginning, I thought maybe we'll be something more and my feelings got in the way, but I realized, we were only meant to enjoy each other's company.

2 more months and we've been in this set up for a year. There are a lot of moments and instances I thought that with whatever we have, that's it. We're done but so far, hasn't happened yet.

I used to just stay 2 nights max, and mostly on the weekends, but recently, I've been staying 3 nights max in his place. Due to current 5 days lockdown in Victoria, I stayed in his place for 3 nights. Sunday-Tuesday night.

He needed to work from home as well, so while he was working, I was at home doing whatever I could do. He'd wake up early, do exercise and then make breakfast. He'll wake me up when food and coffe is ready. He'll shower then start his work and i'm still in the kitchen drinking my coffee. I'd do whatever I can while he's working and offer him food when it's his lunch time and then go back to whatever I'm doing. Then when it's 5:30 when he's supposed to be done working, I sit beside where he sets up his work space and I wait for him to finally get up and say that he's done but he doesn't finish until 7:30 or 8pm. Last night I made dinner for us and we sat there eating dinner while he was finishing that paper. He finally said that it, he's done and we proceeded to sit in the lounge and watched a movie.

After watching the movie, I started to watch coldplay concerts on youtube and that is what we did until he decided he's tired and wants to go to bed. After few mins, I followed him.

Him: oh? You're going to bed as well?

Me: yeah, Had to wake up early tomorrow.

I know I swear I said I mostly come to his place for the peace and quiet but to be honest, I also look for his quirk remarks, everything na lumalabas sa bibig nya, natatawa ako. ISTG i laugh and smile a lot when I'm with him or when I talk to him. He is so annoying.

Lord, when you think it's time for me to have another relationship, sana ganito lang. Sana chill lang din.

[firebrands]

acta non verba

Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, T, college AU, 2.5k words

fill for stony bingo prompt: gladiator

also onao3

*

There are few things in academia that Tony actively dislikes, and being called to his lab advisor’s office after class is definitely one of them.

 Tony fidgets as he stands in front of his professor’s large oak table.

 “You can sit,” Dr. Pym says, motioning to the couch across his table. Tony doesn’t move, hoping that by standing up, they can keep this discussion short.

 “After the explosion last week—” his professor starts, and Tony immediately opens his mouth to defend himself. Unfortunately, Pym has spent a sufficient amount of time with Tony, and raises a finger to silence him before Tony can make a sound. “—we believe that the best way you can give back to the school is to serve your mandatory hours tutoring,” he finishes.

 A moment passes. 

 “I would rather die,” Tony says emphatically.

 “Spare me the theatrics, Tony,” Pym says, sighing. “Just two hours, twice a week. We have some engineering, math, and physics students who’ll do this as well, so you’ll only have one tutee.”

 “From where?” Tony grinds out. “Can’t I just… make a program to teach math…?” he asks hopefully.

 “While that would be fantastically helpful, I don’t want you spending more time on something that can be solved by just showing up,” Pym says primly. He pushes a piece of paper across his desk. “We’re having the orientation tomorrow morning.”

 Tony wants to throw a tantrum, because morning? Tutoring? Tutoring in the morning? But he also knows that battles with Pym rarely ever end in his favor, so he doesn’t. 

 Instead, he finds satisfaction in slamming Pym’s door as he leaves.

 *

 Tony, after two years in university, has come to realize that a lot of it is about weighing costs. This is what he tells himself as he takes two steps at a time to get to the assigned room Pym had given him. It’ll be even more annoying if I don’t do this, Tony reassures himself, as he pulls open the door.

 “Nice of you to join us,” says Pym coolly. He motions to an empty chair, and Tony sags into it, breathless from his mad dash from his dorm room to the classroom. Tony doesn’t have time to survey the rest, instead focuses on blinking away the spots in his vision. Too early to be this tired , he thinks.

 Pym talks about the importance the school gives on providing support for all students, or something, Tony isn’t really paying attention, even if his condition has stabilized.

 “Since you’re all from different colleges, we’ve partnered you up.” A table flashes on screen with their names. “Let’s go around the room introducing ourselves.”

 Tony rolls his eyes and plays videogames on his phone as people introduce themselves. Eventually, he’s called to stand. “Tony,” he says, then sits back down.

 Eventually, people stand to introduce themselves; again, Tony isn’t really paying attention, until someone hovers beside him awkwardly.

 “Hi,” says the hoverer.

 Tony sighs, and looks up, meaning to say “hi,” in the least friendly way possible just because it’s 9AM and no one should ever be friendly in the morning.

 He meant to say that.

 Now he’s just staring at the beautiful, blonde, buff guy standing beside him. His shirt is a size too small, and Tony wants to write a check to whoever told him that it was the right fit. Good lord, Tony thinks. And then the rational part of his brain, small as it is, finally catches up with him.

 “Hey,” Tony says, doing his best to sound suave.

 “I’m Steve,” he says, offering a hand. Tony shakes it. A good grip. A good hand. Oh, god. His thoughts on Steve’s hand stutter to a halt when Steve tells him what he’s taking.

 “An art student?” Tony scoffs. 

 Said art student raises an eyebrow in response.

 “Why are you even taking a math class?” 

 “It’s part of the curriculum?” Steve’s brows knit together and that’s when Tony realizes: hey, he’s even cuter when he’s annoyed.

 “Okay well I’m only ever free Tuesday and Thursday evening,” Tony says. 

 Steve bites his lip and looks irritated. “Fine. I can move stuff around. You better be fucking great at math,” he huffs.

 “Oh darling, I’m fucking great at a lot more than math,” Tony smirks.

 Steve, god bless him, blushes.

 *

 Steve’s late for their first session. They’d chosen the study hall for their lessons; it was situated right at the midway point between their two colleges, and it was usually only filled up by quiet freshmen (the library, on the other hand, was filled with over caffeinated seniors, which didn’t sound very productive to be around).

 Tony’s scribbling calculations about the battery he’d been trying to figure out when Steve comes rushing in. “Sorry I’m late, but I got you coffee to make it up to you,” Steve says, and Tony hides a smile by taking a sip of coffee.

 Steve’s wearing a dark blue henley that brings out the color in his eyes and Tony thinks that he should probably inform Dr. Pym that he is no longer qualified to tutor as he’s going to lose his damn mind.

 When Steve starts solving the problems on the worksheet Tony prepared,  Tony sends Rhodey a message: Oh no. hes stupid cute.

Rhodey immediately responds: ur so dumb istg

 Steve touches Tony’s arm to get his attention. “Okay, I don’t understand how you got from this,” he motions to his calculations, “to this,” he finishes, pointing at the equation Tony had written out.

 Tony stares at the problem equation, then casts a glance at Steve’s hand on his arm. He wants Steve’s hand everywhere, he thinks, with a hint of mania. 

 Steve follows Tony’s gaze and snatches his hand away. Tony tries not to weep at the loss, and instead writes out step by step how he got to the solution.

 After an hour, Tony stands up to get another cup of coffee, and he’s so distracted by the weight of Steve’s hand on his arm that now he can’t remember where they were sitting. Tony peers around and spots Steve resting his face on his palm, seemingly lost in thought.

 Tony stares, memorizing the slant of his nose, the soft curl of his lips.

 And then he walks straight into the glass door.

 Thankfully, the coffee is safe. Tony’s reputation, not so much: everyone had turned to look, and Steve covers up a laugh with his hand.

 “Don’t laugh, do your worksheet,” Tony hisses, sitting back down beside Steve.

 Steve continues to chuckle as he does his calculations. 

 Now it’s Tony’s turn to cover his mouth with his hand, horrified by how fond his smile is.

 *

 “Earth to Tony!”

 Tony looks up from his laptop, where he was preparing a new worksheet for Steve. “What?”

 Rhodey frowns. “I was asking what you wanted to get for lunch.”

 “Whatever you’re getting, honeybear,” Tony responds absently, still tweaking equations as Rhodey huffs and walks away.

 Tony’s reviewing the worksheet when Rhodey comes back with their meals and gently pushes down the monitor of Tony’s laptop to get his attention.

 “Okay! Okay already!” Tony screeches, snatching his laptop away from Rhodey’s reach and saving the file before folding it shut. “Jeez,” he says.

 “Didn’t think you’d have it this bad,” Rhodey smirks, digging into his mashed potatoes.

 “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tony sniffs, removing the plates of food from his tray and arranging them on the table. “It’s—it’s not that big of a deal,” he says. “Totally harmless, he’ll be out of my hair in a few months.”

 “You guys are a walking thinkpiece about the need to bridge the gap between STEM and humanities,” Rhodey says, rolling his eyes.

 *

 Tony spends more and more time with Steve, eventually meeting his friends (and vice versa). It’s nice, mostly because having more friends means more people forcing him out of the lab and forcing him to live a life, which—it’s nice.

 None of these things matter, of course, at 3 in the afternoon on a Saturday, where Tony is sitting on the floor of Rhodey’s dorm room with his head in his hands.

 Thor pats Tony’s head consolingly. “You could try and talk to him?”

 “He doesn’t like me that way, okay?” Tony’s voice is small, muffled by his position.

 Rhodey groans. “Everyone can see it,” he says.

 “That he doesn’t like me?” Tony asks despairingly. 

“No, that he does like you,” Thor says, rubbing Tony’s back. “Like, everyone. Both sides.”

 Tony curls even deeper into himself. “Yeah, but you’re all idiots,” he mewls.

*

The October air is crisp with the onset of autumn, and Steve lets out an exasperated puff of breath as he pulls up the blanket draped over his shoulder. Sam raises an eyebrow in response.

 Behind them, Bucky slams the door to their apartment shut with a triumphant woop, and begins hustling Steve and Sam down the street: “Let’s go! ”

 Steve’s toes are cold in the night air, and he has never hated Halloween more in his life. Yes, even more than that one time his mom and Bucky’s mom had plotted against him and dressed the two of them up as Woody and Buzz, forcing them to go around the neighborhood much to ten year old Steve’s chagrin.

 “I hate costumes so much ,” Steve whines, and it’s likely the fifth time he’s said it this evening alone, but it bears repeating. Sam and Bucky roll their eyes in tandem. 

 *

 Thor’s house is noisy and cramped and Steve bites down hard on any more complaints, instead making a beeline for the kitchen. Sam and Bucky follow after him, carrying a bottle of tequila and vodka each. 

 Of course, the kitchen isn’t any better—in fact, it’s worse. Still, Steve needs a drink, or fifty, to make this night somewhat bearable. The things he did for his friends, really.

 Thor is in the kitchen, dressed as a pirate (wide brimmed hat and eyepatch included). He’s talking to a guy dressed up as a gladiator, wearing a gold chestplate on top of red robes, and as they approach, Steve realizes who it is.

 “Tony!” Bucky grins, draping an arm around the shorter man and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Tony smiles up at him and the disentangles himself to give Sam a quick hug. “Elvis and… hot professor?” Tony asks, turning from Bucky to Sam, respectively. 

 Sam is clearly taken aback, but before he can correct Tony, Bucky says, “and obviously you went above and beyond with the costume again.”

 Tony preens, and Steve has to wrench his eyes away from the way muscles in Tony’s arms flex as he wipes nonexistent dust off his chest plate. “What can I say? Not all of us can come in wearing a blanket and look as good as him,” he says as he nods at Steve, who's wearing a toga and a crown made of fake golden laurel leaves. 

 “Ugh,” Steve says, eloquent as ever.

 Tony takes this as an opportunity to keep teasing. 

 “Oh boys,” Tony says as he’s approaching Steve, “did you oil him up?” He traces a finger down Steve’s bicep.

 Steve flinches away. 

 Sam laughs. “That’s just his sweat,” he says. 

 Now it’s Tony’s turn to laugh and Steve fights down a blush as he begins looking around for something to drink. 

 *

 So the party’s pretty fun, and it was a blessing in disguise that Steve was barely wearing anything. It’s so crowded in the house, and everyone is sweating. 

 Steve bends down to pull out a beer from one of the coolers stationed strategically around the house and when he straightens back up, Tony’s standing right in front of him. Steve, momentarily disoriented by how stupidly hot Tony is, hands him his bottle of beer.

 Tony, the unflappable flirt, winks at Steve.

 Steve’s however many drinks in, so it’s not his fault that he’s flustered. It’s awful, how flustered he is. 

 Tony laughs, and blows him a kiss as he’s walking away.

 Steve turns to the cooler and briefly considers just dunking his head into the ice water.

 *

 Natasha passes Steve the joint, angling her head away from him as she blows out a cloud of smoke. 

 She juts her chin forward, motioning at the general area where Tony is currently talking to Bucky. Tony looks regal, which is crazy considering he’s wearing sandals, to match the rest of his costume. Still, Steve lets his eyes wander over the expanse of exposed flesh. Tony’s legs, Tony’s arms—Steve swallows as he checks out Tony’s ass.

 “You two should take a picture. It’s cute,” she says, jolting Steve out of his thoughts. Natasha smirks, fully aware of what Steve was doing.

 Steve does not deign to respond, and scowls at her as he takes a hit.

 “Why are you so huffy?” Natasha asks, rolling her eyes.

 “It’s just like,” Steve says, passing her the joint, “you know! He’s just fucking with me.”

 Natasha’s face crumples with disbelief. “You are so dumb.”

 *

 Steve is leaning back on the couch, watching the strobe lights make patterns on the ceiling. He’s having fun, even if he’s just seated with his legs sprawled out in front of him. This is what a good time is like, for Steve: a little tipsy, a little stoned, and very comfortable. He’s not really into parties, much less costume parties, but Sam and Bucky had forced him to come. But they all shared in the knowledge that Steve only agreed because he knew Tony would probably be at Thor’s party, too.

 After a while, Steve gets bored of the lights and he toys idly with the label of his beer bottle, and startles out of his concentration when Tony flops down beside him.

 “Hey,” he says. “You good?”

 “Yeah.” Steve smiles slowly and nods at him. 

 Tony leans against Steve’s bare arm and Steve has never felt so happy to be in costume in his life, he thinks serenely. He hazards resting his hand on Tony’s leg, reassuring himself that if Tony said anything, Steve would just laugh it off and say he was drunk and high (which is sort of true). 

 Thankfully, Tony doesn’t say anything. Instead, he spreads his legs a bit wider, pressing his thigh against Steve’s. 

 Steve lets out a shaky breath. 

 Tony turns to look up at him, his chin resting on Steve’s shoulder. Their eyes meet, and they stare at each other for a moment; Steve can feel Tony’s shallow breaths, can smell the alcohol on him, along with a hint of tobacco. Where would Tony have a pocket to keep cigarettes? Steve thinks, as he continues to chart the plains and valleys of Tony’s face, from the thick lines of his eyebrows to the soft swell of his lips. Steve bites his lip, and he sees that Tony’s eyes flick down at the movement.

 Tony looks up at him again, and he offers Steve a small, apologetic smile.

 “I want to kiss you,” he whispers.

 Steve smiles and leans forward, finally locking their lips together.