#LIKE LAST TIME??? and i'll probably just end up with my ear feeling like its been sliced off??????

[aroacee-of-spades]

...

[findafight]

Wait. Wait. Kinda part 2 to this post. For the angst of it all. Cw: implied and assumed homophobia

Because sure, after that dinner Joyce relents in not being, y'know, openly confused or frustrated with Steve being around. El obviously adores him and Jim is always glad when he comes around. Joyce can put up with Steve for them. But she's a stubborn woman, and somewhere in her mind, Steve is a Bad Egg. So she's still not 100% on board.

All this rears its head one night after a lot of their world saving group has had a movie night and ended up in a puddle on the floor. Steve is squished between Robin and Eddie, snuggled up all cozy. Joyce sees this when she quietly pads out of her bedroom to just. Check on the kids.

Eddie and Steve are sat up, Robin's face pressed against his hip. They're whispering something, heads leaned close. And they lean in further, silhouetted by the moonlight filtering in, and kiss. It's pretty chaste, though not a peck.

Joyce's blood boils. Steve has a girlfriend, he should not be going around kissing his friends like that, stringing them all along. She feels strangely vindicated, that her assumptions about Steve were right, that he wasn't actually a good guy or had changed at all. She almost yells at him then and there, but holds off. No need to wake everyone up. She can lecture him in the morning.

Once everyone is fed and lounging in the late morning, she pulls Steve out onto the porch.

"I saw you kiss Eddie last night" she says, without preamble. "And I cannot believe you would think behaviour like that is acceptable in my house."

Steve blinks, clenches his jaw. "Jo--Mrs Byers. I--"

"I don't want any of your excuses! It's despicable what you're doing, and I won't have it. For whatever reason, those kids look up to you. What kind of example are you setting for them? For El?" Steve's eyes widen, and if Joyce hadn't been so caught up with her anger she probably would have seen that instead of being ashamed or embarrassed, Steve is scared. "She looks up to you so much, though I can't imagine why. You need to clean yourself up, Steve. For real this time. You can't go around doing whatever you want. It's disgusting and disrespectful. Did you even consider the people you'd hurt? How doing shit like that would affect the lives of people who care about you? They deserve better than that." She shakes her head. Arms crossed. Steve is tense in front of her, but he doesn't say anything. To her, that's as good as confession. "Everyone talks about how you've worked hard to improve yourself, become a better person. But after last night? I just don't believe it. No one who's really changed, really a good person, would do what you did." She sighs. "You should probably leave now."

Steve nods stiffly. "Right. I'll. Uh, I leave. Can you...please, don't tell anyone, ma'am. I'll Grab my bag and I'll get outta your hair, but don't tell. I'm so sorry. Please." She purses her lips. His girlfriend deserves to know, but Joyce has no clue who that is (it might be the Robin girl attached to his hip, but she has no way of knowing). She nods once. Steve's shoulders slump.

Stepping back into the house, Steve quickly and jerkily snags his backpack from the corner it was shoved into before leaning over to whisper something in Robin's ear. The girl nods, looking worried.

He doesn't look at Eddie.

For a while, her house is Steve-free. Joyce breathes easy, hoping their talk was a wake-up call for steve. He is painfully polite when they bump into each other, Robin usually by his side with a strained customer service smile. Small talk is non-existent.

But then Will starts getting quieter. Maybe avoiding her. Certainly does his best to be small and doesn't look in her eyes. She has no idea what's going on, and she's worried.

What if the Upside Down came back? What if there's something wrong with her boy? What if everything they've fought for and sacrificed didn't mean anything and it's never actually over?

She tries to talk to him, but he shrugs her off, says he's fine and not to worry about it. Assures her it is definitely not the Upside Down.

Finally, after two weeks of Will looking absolutely miserable when he talks to her, she gets Jonathan to try. Tension around the house is high, Steve is barely around and always skitters away when he sees her, and in combination with will, it's out everyone on edge.

She doesn't mean to eavesdrop. But she doesn't not mean to either. It's just that they're on the porch, and she was in the kitchen and heard something, and when she went to see, she heard them talking.

"it's not--i want to tell you but it's not my secret to tell."

Jonathan sighs. "Will. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong. Please. Talk to me. I'll love you no matter what, you know that."

Will heaves a breath. "I had a talk with Steve --" and oh, the rage in Joyce's chest when she hears that. What did he say to her boy?? "And...uhg. fuck. Okay, you have to swear, swear! You're not going to tell anyone what I'm going to tell you. If you figure it out, because I don't. It's not mine to tell."

"okay. I swear. I won't go spilling Steve's secrets."

"you have to mean it, Jonathan. It's dangerous!"

There's ruffling fabric. Jonathan's voice is softer. "I promise."

"Steve said he was telling me because he thought we might be...similar. In some ways. And he talked about who he's dating. And that Hopper and El and Robin and Eddie know. And that they're all safe. Y'know? Like you are."

"okay..."

"and I said you were, and he said that was really good, and then emphasized that if I ever wanted like, and actual grown up to talk to, not just another teenager, Hopper was safe. But. The way he said it made it seem like...I don't know, but something was off? And I asked him." There's a pause. "I asked him if Mom knew. And he said yes. But he hadn't... Before that, he hadn't said she was safe. Jonathan..."

Something...wasn't adding up. Joyce was trying to puzzle what she wouldn't be safe to talk to about. She'd been in the tunnels and Upside Down and through it all. Her children, and by extension the children that had helped save them, were always safe in her house. To come to her if they felt unsafe. Why Steve would tell her own son she wasn't --

Will continued. "Steve said that it'd probably be different because I'm her kid, y'know? She--she did all this stuff to get me back and to keep me safe and loves me. So she could. So she'd maybe change her mind. For me."

"Will..." Jonathan's voice sounds pained.

"but what if she's not? What if that's where it ends? Shell save me from a demogorgon but not love me for this. Steve's saved my friends half a dozen times, Jonathan! He got--he got tortured" that is not something Joyce knew. When the hell did that happen? "with Robin to protect Dustin and Erica, Billy beat him half to death when he stepped in to protect Lucas and Max! He's good! I'm not as close to him as the others but he still told me. He trusted me enough with a secret that I can't even say outloud about myself yet! And Mom still-" will hiccups, and Joyce wishes she knew what he was talking about. Wishes he was saying these things to her, so she could comfort him.

Heaving a breath, Will is quieter. "Steve's the reason no one's died. He's El's first brother. And she still called him disgusting for-- for kissing someone he loves."

Ice fills Joyce's veins, a heavy pit balls in her stomach. Because that's not--she didn't--it wasn't like that.

But Steve had begged her not to tell anyone. Had stood still and not tried to justify anything and called her ma'am when he asked her not to tell. Held himself still when she was around and bolted at the first possible opportunity, leaving disappointed people in his wake. Oh, shit. Oh, she's fucked up so badly. Hurt some kid because she was suspicious of him from over three years ago and assumed the worst. Instead of realizing that maybe the reason he and his girlfriend were keeping it quiet was because he didn't have a girlfriend at all, and that the boy he kissed that night was his boyfriend, she had just assumed he was cheating. And then she'd told him he was disappointing and disgusting and a bad influence on the kids. Even after, he still made sure Will knew there were safe people around, that he'd have someone to talk to. And all she'd done was make him scared of her.

"oh, buddy."

Will's voice is muffled, and Jonathan has probably pulled him into a hug. It cracks when he speaks. "how can she say that about Steve but still love me? When so much of this shit's been my fault?"

"none of this is your fault. Don't believe that, will. No one blames you or El for any of it. You know that, right?"

"okay..."

"it's true. And as for mom...I don't know." Jonathan huffs "I'm not sure. I'm sorry, buddy."

Joyce turns then, feeling sick. She shouldn't have eavesdropped on her children, but now she had she was going to make things right. Hopefully.

Ensure everyone, including Steve, knew she was safe.

Part 3

[roosterforme]

Always Ever Only You Part 18 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: You missed the quality time you'd been spending with your husband as soon as it started to slip away. You were busy with work, and Bradley was being called upon again, just like he always was. But before he prepares to leave, your curiosity gets the best of you.

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, oral, smut, talking about trying for a baby

Length: 5200 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order. Always Ever Only You masterlist. Gorgeous banner by @mak-32

As May became June, the temperatures got hotter and the beaches got more crowded, and your evening walks with Tramp became a little less frequent as a result. You also felt like your time with Bradley was starting to become a little more sporadic. Work and other obligations were starting to break into the bubble that the two of you had managed to re-form, and you kind of missed how cozy you'd been.

"I'll be home late on Tuesday, Roo. I have a meeting with Bickel."

"Mav asked me to teach on Thursday, so don't wait for me if you're hungry for dinner."

By the time you got to Friday night, you ended up at the Hard Deck, because everyone kept bugging you to go. And you knew that Bradley was proud of your hard work and the fact that your boss seemed to be lining you up to take over after his eventual retirement. And it wasn't like you weren't absolutely thrilled that Top Gun was entrusting Bradley with teaching their incoming students with more frequency. But you were just craving more of the intimate hours you got used to at home. With just Bradley and a bath with champagne followed by him reading from his notebooks. 

"You want another beer?" Bradley asked you next to the noisy pool table as you shook your head. Nat had already given you two, and you just wanted to go home already. You tried to socialize with everyone a little bit more. Fanboy was about to leave for a long deployment, so you made sure you gave him an extra hug or two. And then Payback showed up with the girl he was dating, so you chatted with her for a little bit. But after another hour, you were feeling antsy. 

Any day now, you were certain Bradley would be telling you he had been chosen for the top secret special detachment. And in just a few more days, he would be on base in Lemoore until the judge made a decision regarding Admiral Dean and Slayer. And there was nothing you could do about either of those things. 

You were also pretty sure you were almost done ovulating right now in spite of your best efforts to try not to think about it. And the past few days had been a bust with how busy the two of you were. The last thing you wanted to do was push Bradley to have sex when one or both of you were tired or clearly not in the mood for it. But there was a tiny bit of doubt that was creeping in, making you feel like this was a wasted month. But on the other hand, just looking at him right now was making you warm. You knew it was probably just your hormones, but you wanted him and his attention all to yourself.

Immediately you set your empty beer bottle down and wrapped your arms around your husband as he talked to his best friend. He rubbed your back as you pressed your cheek to his chest, already feeling a little better. You didn't care if Nat heard you; she was already Bradley's sounding board for so many things. So you smiled at her and then looked up at him as he paused with his beer most of the way to his mouth. 

"Bradley," you said, your voice a little needy even to your own ears. "I love you, and it's been a really long week, and I just kind of miss when we were spending so much time together. Can we go home now and relax?"

Bradley handed Nat his half empty beer and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Can we finish talking about this later?"

"Absolutely," Nat replied with a smirk. "Goodnight, you two."

Then he laced his fingers with yours and led you out of the bar and onto the deck where he immediately picked you up for a piggy back ride. "Why didn't you say something sooner? I thought you wanted to come out and see Fanboy and do the whole Hard Deck thing tonight."

"I kind of did," you said, kissing his ear as he carried you to the Bronco. "But it got old fast compared to being at home with you. It's just been a long week, and I missed you. And I know you'll be in Lemoore in a few days, and then the special detachment is coming up, and-"

"Hey," Bradley said firmly as he set you down next to the Bronco. "I'm right here, and I'm more than happy to take you home and stay there for the rest of the weekend. I'd love to do that, in fact."

You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him. "Maybe you can call Nat tomorrow? And finish your conversation with her then?"

"Maybe," he replied. "Or maybe I'll be too busy with my wife. Either way, it works for me."

He buckled you in with another kiss before he climbed in and zipped the short distance back home. Then you made a sandwich for a late night snack and cut it in half to share with him. He lifted you up onto the counter and finished his in three bites, and you felt so much better being at home alone with him. You finally felt like you could focus. 

"Are you still hungry?" you asked while he downed a glass of water and watched you finish eating. 

"Not for a sandwich, Sweetheart." His voice was raspy, and the fine hairs on your neck and arms were standing on end as he took a step closer. 

"Oh," you whispered as he leaned against the counter with his hands on either side of your thighs. You ate the last few bites slowly before you asked, "Are you going to tell me what you're hungry for? Maybe it's something I could get ready for you?"

He groaned softly as he kissed the side of your neck and whispered, "I wanna eat your pussy, Baby Girl. Will you let me?"

An hour ago, you had been feeling overstimulated and annoyed. Now you were unbuttoning your shorts and whining your husband's name. Next time you wouldn't wait so long to tell him you just needed a few minutes alone with him so you could feel better. 

"I'll take that as a yes," Bradley said as he sank down to his knees in front of you and helped you out of your shorts and underwear. He spread your legs wide and ran his index finger back and forth across your clit. "Let me enjoy this perfect pussy, and then I'll read to you from my notebook in bed."

He peppered a few kisses on your thigh, then his mouth was all over you. Your fingers gripped his hair as you tried to stay upright while he buried his face in you. "Roo," you gasped as his mustache hit just the right spot. You rocked gently against his face as he licked long stripes up and down before letting his pretty lips settle on your clit. He knew exactly how to get you off, but right now, he was taking his time. 

"Fucking gorgeous," he whispered, looking up at you and smiling before kissing you everywhere. He fucked you expertly with his tongue, and you were afraid you were pulling his hair too hard, but he didn't stop. 

Soft, needy sounds gave way to you begging him to let you come. "Please, Daddy!" 

He grunted and fucked you with two fingers while he sucked on you in a gentle, steady rhythm. The pressure was just right. His rough mustache was perfect. You came, tugging on his hair until he was standing up. His cheeks were rosy, and his pupils were blown wide, and his face was wet from a mix of your pussy and his saliva. 

He was the most handsome thing that ever existed, and now he was kissing your lips with that mouth that tasted like you. This time you were a little gentler as you combed your fingers through his hair while he rutted against you. 

"You just needed a night in with your Daddy. You feel better now?"

"I really did need you," you promised. Then you softly asked him, "Do you want to fuck me?"

He was panting slightly as he muttered, "Of course I do. You're my perfect wife."

You undid his pants and pushed them down a few inches, and he was right at your entrance, ready to go. But he was hesitating, his cheeks growing a shade darker as he swallowed hard. "I'm not gonna last."

He was just that turned on from going down on you. "I don't care," you promised him. You were so relaxed and sated, you kind of felt like you could melt into a puddle on the kitchen island. And then he was thrusting inside you, his hips rolling and pushing your thighs wider. 

He wrapped his hands around your waist and shook his head, and soon he was muttering that he was about to finish. So you leaned back on your elbows and planted your feet on the edge of the counter and said, "I was a good girl all week. Give me a cream pie?"

Your husband stroked your rooster tattoo with his right thumb as he fucked you harder until you were struggling to keep your feet planted in place. "Oh, shit," he growled when he came. Once his movements had stilled, he withdrew from you and smiled. "That's a beautiful cream pie, if I do say so myself. We do some of our best work in the kitchen." 

You were both giggly and a little bit messy as Bradley carried you to bed. When he flipped to a random page in the notebook, you curled up against him. "What am I supposed to do when you're gone again? We have no idea how long you'll be in Lemoore. And who knows about the special mission either."

He sighed and kissed your forehead. "As far as I'm concerned, Lemoore should be cut and dry. I'll drive up with Nat and Bob, and we'll all read our statements. And hopefully that's it."

"And hopefully Dean and Slayer get fucking reprimanded to the letter of the law," you added.

"Well, that too," he said with a laugh. "But I'll be back home quickly, and we don't even know if I'll get selected for the detachment, so let's not worry about that yet." Then he cleared his throat and started to read from his notebook.

"I can't believe how much time I wasted with other women. The few minutes of satisfaction did not outweigh the fact that I didn't really want to get to know them at all. And maybe even worse, the fact that I could tell they thought I was only good for one thing. The more I think about it, maybe I really only was good for one thing."

You cut him off with a kiss and said, "I don't really like this page. I don't like it when you're hard on yourself."

Bradley looked at you with soft eyes and smiled. "Want me to read something else?"

You wrapped your arms around him a little tighter, but you said, "No. Finish this one."

He cleared his throat again and continued. 

"At the time, I guess I thought I was living in the moment, and that I'd have these experiences to look back on someday when I was older. But now I don't like thinking about it, because the main thing I remember is that I was selling myself short in every way. What's the point in having meaningless sex over and over again when what you're actually craving is attention and affection? What's the point in kicking someone out of your bed after an hour when your skin starts to crawl, when all you really want is to find the right person to keep with you all night long?

I don't understand how my wife is so gracious. I really don't get the way she can look at me and see something worth her precious time. But I'm so thankful she does."

You snuggled against him quietly, your thoughts swirling. "Roo? I don't understand why you didn't just try to take me home with you after we met."

Bradley snorted and chuckled as he set the notebook aside. "You mean when I couldn't stop staring at you when we were on base working together? Or you mean the night when we first talked at the Hard Deck?"

You closed your eyes and considered the difference. Jake had asked you out during work hours two days after you met him, but you were already distracted by Bradley at that point. And maybe you'd have let Bradley take you home from the bar, but then you probably would have never gone on a real date with him. 

"I think I would have gone home with you from the bar," you said softly. "If you'd asked."

Bradley's fingers dug into your body as he said, "Then you would have thought I was a joke just like every other woman. And maybe that's why I didn't try my shitty pickup lines or any of my moves on you. Yeah, you and I were flirting, but everything I did and said to you was sincere, because I could tell I was getting your genuine undivided attention. You weren't only looking at me like I could take care of you physically for an hour.  And that was a very rare thing."

"Oh," you sighed, crawling fully on top of him now. You smiled and kissed him until the concerned crease in his forehead smoothed out. "You always make me feel like you knew we would get married someday as soon as you looked at me."

Bradley rubbed his hands up under your shirt. "I think I subconsciously hoped so, Sweetheart. But I had to play the limited cards in my hand just right to even stand a chance."

You were starting to get sleepy now, and his rough hands felt so good everywhere. "What would you have said to me if you just wanted to hookup?" you asked, laughing as he groaned. 

"You don't want to know, Sweetheart. You would have probably laughed in my face and walked away, because I was using the same dumb tactics since I was twenty four."

You kissed his sternum as your mind once again swirled with information. "This is all very intriguing," you murmured as you started to doze.

----------------------------

Bradley was waiting on the porch with you after work on Monday evening, his arms wrapped around you as you kissed him. It was a five hour drive up to Lemoore, and Nat was on her way to pick him up. 

"Call or text me when you get there," you said between kisses as your fingers teased and tugged at his hair. "Even if it's late."

"I will," he promised, kind of no longer content to just be making out with you. There wasn't enough time for anything else, even though you were moaning softly into his mouth and letting your hands explore the front of his body now. "Baby Girl," he warned. The last thing he wanted was an erection when he had to leave you in the next few minutes. 

But you just kissed him harder and said, "I love you," and now Bradley was thinking about retiring and spending every night with you for the rest of his life. 

"Fuck," he grunted when he heard Nat's SUV. When he opened his eyes, she was careening into the driveway behind your shitty little car. His best friend was such a bad driver, he wasn't exactly sure why he and Bob agreed to put her behind the wheel today, but he certainly wouldn't mind if Nat totaled your car right now. She came to a screeching halt mere inches from your bumper. At least that disappointment was enough to stave off his boner. 

You walked Bradley to the driveway, and Bob put the passenger side window down so you could chat with them while Bradley put his garment bag in the trunk along with your small overnight bag he was using. If he wasn't back by Wednesday night, he was going to be so pissed off. 

"I made you guys cookies and some blueberry muffins," you told Bob, handing two containers over. Bradley snuck up behind you and pressed himself against your rear end as you tried to have a normal conversation with his friends. You ended up just saying good luck before turning to face him. "You're obnoxious," you whispered. 

"I know. It's just because I love you so much," he replied with a smirk, earning another heated kiss before you pushed him toward the back door. "I'll let you know when we get there."

Bradley had to push snack wrappers and other assorted trash onto the floor with a grimace so he could buckle his seat belt. Nat turned to look at him. "You and your wife are so gross," she said with a laugh.

"Not as gross as your car. Hey, any chance you can put it in drive instead of reverse and then floor the accelerator?" he asked, only half kidding as he looked at your car.

"No," Nat replied as she backed out. "She'd never forgive me."

Then the three of them waved to you, and they were off. Bradley tried to have a muffin without making a mess of the crumbs, but he watched as Nat just brushed them onto the floor while she drove and ate. "You guys think anything will even happen to Dean?" she asked with her mouth full. 

"If everything is good and just in the world, then yes," Bob said in an even tone. 

"I fucking hope so," Bradley added. "If for no other reason than the fact that they are making us go up to Lemoore."

------------------------

On Tuesday, the courtroom was packed with people who were there to make statements against Admiral Dean. There were so many people in fact, that Bradley was surprised this man had been allowed to fuck up this many missions for his own agenda before he ended up in front of a judge in a military courtroom. The benches of witnesses were jammed as Bradley squeezed in next to Nat, and the room was so warm, he didn't know how he'd manage all day in his dress blues. 

"Look at everyone," she whispered as she tugged at her collar. "We'll be here all week."

Bradley had to listen to the two lawyers argue for a bit, but once things started rolling, he was starting to get a solid picture of what was going on here. Admiral Dean moved from the Atlantic Fleet to the Pacific Fleet with a small reprimand after showing clear favoritism to the pilots out of Naval Air Station Key West. He'd cost an aviator her life among a laundry list of other fucked up things, a fact that made Bradley's somach turn. He nudged Nat's leg with his, thankful his friend was still here even though she looked like she was half asleep. 

But once Dean had been placed in Lemoore, things somehow got even worse. Bradley listened to a statement from a pilot who felt like he had been forced into early retirement by Dean. Then there was a weapons systems officer who said she'd been passed over for promotions by Dean because she tried to call him out on his behavior. 

When he, Bob and Nat were called up with the others who had been in the air with Slayer back in April, Bradley had to stand there and feel the glare from two sets of eyes burning into him as he gave his honest testimony of the events of that day. He didn't hold back. He talked about the fact that he had been named the spare when he would have never gone off course like Slayer did. He made sure to make his point when he said everyone in the air was at risk simply because Slayer had been selected for the mission over him. And he ended things by pointing out that by the time he got to the scene of the dogfighting, some of the others were already nearly out of ammunition and fuel. 

He made eye contact with Dean and then Slayer once he was finished, and then Bob was called up. And then Nat was called up. And then all of the others as well. The details that were being recounted could all be pieced together to give an honest picture of what happened that day. Dean should have been squirming in his seat, and Bradley was delighted to see that he was as the day wore on and on. 

Bradley's stomach was growling loudly, and he was annoyed when the judge said, "Let's all reconvene tomorrow morning for final statements and a decision. Everyone is dismissed for now."

"We have to stay another night?" Nat whined, yanking at her tie on the way out of the courtroom. "Just strip the asshole of his rank right now."

Bradley tended to agree with her. What was the sense in drawing this out any longer? He could have been on his way home to you, but instead he was picking up takeout for dinner and walking it back to his tiny hotel room across the street from the barracks on base. He inhaled his dinner while he texted you some updates, and just when he was hoping to call and maybe have some filthy phone sex, he got a call from someone else. 

He sighed and answered. "Hey, Mav. What's up?"

"You're still in Lemoore?" 

"Yeah. Until at least tomorrow," Bradley grunted. 

Mav paused for a beat. "I wanted to tell you in person, but tomorrow night won't give you as much time to prepare. You've been selected. For the special detachment. You'll have to fly out of Miramar by Comanche on Monday morning."

Bradley's heart was pounding with anticipation and nerves. "Where am I going?"

"That's all the information I have. The clearances for this thing are tight to say the least. When you get back down here, you'll need to talk to Admiral Simpson and Admiral Bates immediately."

"Fuck," Bradley whispered. "Thanks for the call."

He sat in silence for a few minutes, wondering if he should call and tell you right now or wait until he got home. He collapsed back on the bed, knowing this was the kind of conversation he'd rather have with you face to face, but it would be much worse if you thought he was trying to hide anything from you. He reached for his phone. 

After one ring, he heard your voice. "Roo." You sounded so sweet, he could picture the way you must have been curled up in bed reading by now. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah," he grunted, rubbing his face with one hand. 

Your soft laughter made him want to touch himself as you said, "Can we talk about how much I want to suck your cock right now?"

"Fuck. Baby Girl. Wait."

Your voice took on a different tone entirely. "What's wrong?"

"Maverick just called me. I'm going on the special detachment. I leave Monday." When you asked him for details, he had none to give you. And when you asked him if he was happy, he didn't really know how to respond. "I think... relieved is the right word for how I'm feeling. I don't want to leave you again, but I do feel like this is something I needed."

And then you told him that you were proud of him.

-------------------------------

You had a missed call from Bradley plus a new text message when you looked at your phone the following afternoon, but you couldn't even call him back. You were sitting between Cat and Commander Bickel for a video conference with a group in Annapolis. Video conferences were the fucking worst invention. You didn't want to have to look at that bald guy in Maryland picking his nose on a huge screen. And you certainly didn't want to have to listen to this other idiot talk about things that had nothing to do with your lab for hours on end. 

The only good part was the catered lunch, but even that prevented you from calling Bradley back. You looked at the most recent text he sent you saying Dean and Slayer had been sentenced and that he was on his way home. You sent him back a thumbs up. The details would have to wait until later. 

"Come here," Cat said, giving you a look as she jerked her head to the side.

"What?" you asked as you tried to eat your sandwich before the conference started back up for the afternoon. You had been alternating who you ate lunch with when you made it to the cafeteria, and you'd also been trying to give her and Jake plenty of time together this week without being the third wheel. 

"I'm not worried exactly, but... Jake has a lot of women texting his phone," she said bluntly. "Should I be worried?"

You were kind of stunned, not that you really paid much attention to what he used his phone for. "He has other women texting him?" 

Cat nodded, and you thought it wasn't fair that someone that beautiful should look so insecure. "Most of the messages are from phone numbers he hasn't saved in his contacts. And I didn't go snooping, but he's not trying to hide it. He just leaves his phone out, and then I see them."

You felt a little sick. "What are they saying to him?"

"Hey Jake, it's Brittany, haven't seen you at the bar. Or Jake, call me if you want to come over. Or my personal favorite, Wanna come over and fuck?"

"No," you gasped. "Oh my god, Cat. There's no way he's hooking up with anyone else. It's probably just some residuals."

She shrugged and picked at her own sandwich. "Well it's a lot for me. And this is kind of the reason why I didn't want to get involved months ago," she whispered, looking sheepish. 

"I'll talk to him."

"No." She shook her head. "Then he'll know I told you, and I don't want to make him mad at me."

"He won't get mad at you, Cat." You wanted to be reassuring, because you really were sure he wasn't sleeping around. "Is he being sweet to you? And Jeremiah?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. She closed her eyes and whispered, "We slept together for the first time last weekend. It was... it was so good. And he's great with Jer. Like a natural." When she opened her dark eyes again she looked less calm. "I'll talk to him myself."

Then Bickel called everyone back to their seats. "The conference is picking up again," he said in such a monotone voice, you loved him even more for hating this meeting. "Could have been an email," he muttered, and everyone from your lab erupted into laughter as you took your seats. 

You used the minute of confusion while everyone moved around the conference table to text Jake instead of Bradley. 

I sincerely hope you have your text messages under control. 

-----------------------

Bradley had already been home for a few minutes when you ran in after work. "Well? What happened?" you asked while you hopped around inside the front door as you removed your boots one at a time.

He was stretched out on the couch staring at the ceiling. "Just give me another minute. Nat's driving did a number on me."

But you strolled over and laid down right on top of him which made him laugh. "I don't want to give you another minute. I missed you."

"I missed you, too." You kissed him and Bradley ran his hands down to your lower back. "And you know I love your ass in your uniform pants."

"What happened with Dean and Slayer?" you asked, not letting him indulge just yet. 

"Well, Dean will not be retiring as an Admiral, and Slayer is on a year-long leave or absence with one third pay."

You smiled instantly. "They stripped Dean's rank?"

"They sure did, Sweetheart. And they are going to force him to retire without benefits."

"Damn," you whispered as you kissed his chin. "He had it coming. They both did."

"Now onto more important things," Bradley said. "Two nights sleeping on that shitty hotel room bed made my back hurt."

"You poor, sweet thing," you crooned softly. 

"I know," he murmured. "I require a bath complete with you and some champagne. And then I'm hoping you'll welcome me back to our bed in the warmest way."

"I think that can be arranged." You got up and started to unbutton your uniform shirt on your way to the refrigerator. "We have one bottle left."

When you turned back, he was already gone, and you could hear the water running in your bathroom. "Seriously?" you asked as you ran in there to find him naked as the tub filled. 

"What? I missed you a lot."

The special detachment was going to feel like forever, you just knew it. And you'd be surprised if he'd be allowed to have contact with you at all for the duration. But that wasn't the only thing that you'd been thinking about this week. After he left for Lemoore, you'd read his notebook from cover to cover, and while you were certainly curious, you didn't want to make him uncomfortable. 

You slipped into the tub and into his open arms, the water just almost too hot to handle as he popped the champagne bottle and took a sip as it overflowed slightly. You straddled his thighs and pressed the bottle to your lips as he started a playlist on his phone. 

"Roo?"

"Yeah, Sweetheart?"

He set his phone down and pulled you close as you said, "I read your notebook while you were gone."

"You'll have it memorized soon," he replied with a chuckle as he kissed your shoulder. 

You took another sip of champagne before handing him the bottle. "I keep thinking about how you said you used to pick girls up before you met me, and..."

He raised one eyebrow as he drank, and then he licked his lips. "Yeah?"

"Well, I'm still curious."

He laughed and shook his head. "First of all, I was a bit of a mess before I realized I stood a chance with you and cleaned up my act. You already know that. And second, there's no way you'd have gone for any of my bullshit, I can almost guarantee that."

"But like, what were your go-to lines? What were your moves?" He tipped your chin up and looked at you closely. "Come on. Just humor me."

"God, Baby Girl. I'm sure it was all really quite embarrassing. Especially when I was younger."

You kissed his cheek and then his lips and you could feel him start to stir against your thigh. "Could you try it on me?" you asked softly. "For fun?"

Bradley's cheeks were pink and his lips tasted like champagne, and for some reason you desperately wanted to know what it would have been like if you met him five years earlier and he tried to get you to go home with him right away. 

He was stroking your tattoo absentmindedly beneath the water as he eventually asked, "What exactly did you have in mind, Sweetheart?"

"Well, there's this bar..."

-------------------------

I have been excited about the next few chapters for such a long time! So happy you're here! Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 19

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[iouinotes]

"The Cole Effect" | Cole Walter

pairing: Cole Walter x female!reader

show: My life with the Walter Boys

warnings: smut, but just a little (I had to after seeing him in that last scene)

word count: 4k

summary: Cole asks the reader out on a date and after he convinced her, they spend a fun (if you know you know) evening together.

a/n: please pretend that his restored car has backseats...thanks (also I'm sorry for the way this ff ended. I wanted to write smut all the way, but it just didnt feel right anymore after the first half. So please enjoy the rest of it and bear with me...)

"So, when do I pick you up?"

He leans against my locker, looking over my shoulder and reading my notes. "Cole, how many times do I have to tell you? I dont have the time and patience, I'm sorry-" sighing I look at him, studying his smug grin.

"You have the chance to get to know me better. In my opinion, that sounds like the perfect way to spend the afternoon." He smiles at me, his eyes scanning my face.

The fact is, I didnt want to fall in love with him and I knew, if I would let him take me out, it wouldnt turn out for the best. Well, mostly for me. He would probably date the next woman, that would catch his eye. And I would be on his list, sitting at home on the weekends and waiting for him to call. No, that wasnt how I planned to spend my time.

I mean, he obviously is very handsome, blonde hair, dreamy eyes, pink lips that somehow always look kissable. And to be honest, sometimes when I get lost in a daydream, forgetting about the math class, he appears in my head. Always smiling as bright as the sun. I dont know what it is, but something about him is so attractive, I dont even know how to discribe it.

Of course, I'm not the only one who feels that sort of attraction. His magical appearance, how he talks, walks, smiles, flirts.

It´s called "the Cole effect". For most of the time, I didnt really get it. But as soon as his eyes landed on me, as soon as he talked to me, trust me, I got it. He is charming, enchanting, funny and he has a way with words that makes it addictive to hear his voice.

It´s crazy, but it is reality.

When I look at him now, I feel another pair of eyes watching me. Erin. The girl, who is in a on-off realtionship with him. Cole has many women, who want him, not just because he is popular. But because he is what every girl dreams of. Thats the problem, he is a dream till he gets bored and then you find yourself in your own nightmare.

"Its just- I cant. Also, there is a really pretty and wonderful girl, standing right next to you, thats been waiting for you to notice her." I never unterstood how Cole could want someone else, when Erin existed.

"Well, Im currently talking to her, so I know when to pick her up." His eyes stay clued to me. Confused, I draw my eyebrows together. "But Erin is this way-" I turn my head to look at her, but at the same second I feel a finger tenderly turning my head back. I freeze, butterflies awake in my stomach and I have to keep myself from looking too flustered by his gesture. Of course, my body has its mind of his own, so I feel my cheeks turn red.

At that, he grins. "I know you feel it, beautiful. One date, thats all Im asking for. I promise, you will have a good time." Im too caught up in my emotions to think reasonable. So I quietly nod and feel myself holding my breath, when he leans down to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His finger again, linger slightly on my cheek.

"See you then, 9 o'clock. I'll be on time, you have my word." Winking, he turns around and walks down the aisle.

Finally I get to breath again.

☀️☀️☀️☀️

Why the fuck did I agree to this? Standing infront of my mirror, I look at my summer dress, warm yellow colour with beautiful, little sunflowers on it. It was the dress, I got a lot of compliments for. But then again, what was my intention with wearing this dress? Im not sure.

While I pick out a golden necklace in the shape of a sun and put on a few bracelets, I leave my hair down and the way it always is. I don't want him to think that I'm trying too hard.

He knows the truth anyway.

A few minutes later, I hear the doorbell ring and with one last, deep breath I open the door. If I'm honest, I would have liked to close it straight away. Because there's no way to avoid staring at him the whole time when he looks like that. Wearing blue jeans, slightly oversize, a white tank top and his red jersey. He looks hot, in a way I want to spend the rest of the day, riding something other than his car. God, help me survive this.

To my suprise, he is quiet the gentleman. He compliments my dress, he holds the door open to his car, he lets me pick the music and as I sit in the passanger seat, listining to Taylor Swift, I smile to myself. Unfortunetely I´m not very subtle about it, because he asks me right away about my good mood.

"I dont know, Im just having a good time, I guess." I look at him, while he is focusing on the road. I see one of his hand rising, so he dramatically holds onto his chest.

"I'm hurt. Did you think, I was that boring?" Laughing, I shake my head. "No, its not that. To best honest, I didnt expect myself to enjoy today." I turn my head and look at my lap, fiddling with my fingers. "Why not?" I see his head looking in my direction, a curious tone in his voice.

"I´ve had a hard time this last year, everything with school and you are- I mean, I dont know what intention do you have with me? Im not a one night stand type of person, I want something real. You know, like in the love songs, the real feelings, a real relationship. With a person, who wants me the same way, I feel about them. I think, thats the reason Im not sure, if this-" I gesture between us "is a good idea."

He´s quite for a moment and I feel more embarassed, the more seconds pass.

"Im sorry. I didnt mean that we´re going to be, you know like a thing. I respect your decision to spend your time with other girls, I didnt mean it is something bad. Its just-" He finishes my sentence. "-not for you. I know." His eyes are on the road, but I see his hands nervously tapping the wheel.

"Sorry, if I just crashed the vibe. I didnt intend to do it." I look at my hands. "No, its okay. Dont be sorry. I like your honesty. You know, you state your point. Thats good."

We look at each other and I try to search in his eyes for a sign, that he´s pissed. But he just lightly smiles at me, reaching out and holding my hands. While one of his hands is still on the wheel, of course. I feel myself blushing.

"Look, lets not pretend that I´m the best choice for a relationship or boyfriend material. Because I´m not and you knew that, even before you agreed to spend the afternoon with me. So, I´m just curious. Why did you change your mind?"

His thumb is massaging the back of my hand and I try not to settle with this warm feeling in my chest. "Because you dont give up that easily and it's hard not to give in to you." I see a smile tuck at his lips. "You think so?" I role my eyes.

"You know the affect you have on people, Cole. It wouldnt suprise me, if you run for president and won. People like you." He laughs at my comparison, turning the wheel and driving into the driveway to a nice restaurant. When he parks the car and turns of the light, he turns in my direction and looks at me.

"Do you like me?"

The question suprises me. "What?" I laugh quietly. "You said, people like me. So, do you like me too?" His eyes search mine.

"Well, if I would hate you, I think i wouldnt have agreed to go to dinner with you." He leans forward.

"Well you could just be here for the food?" I grin at him. "You got me, Im just hungry, sorry. Can we go in and be silent the entire time?" His hands are still holding mine, but now one of them is caressing my arm, leaving me with goosebumbs.

We sit in silent, but when he opens his mouth to break the comfortable atmosphere, Im shocked by his honest words.

"Well, I like you. You´re funny, endearing, honest and smart. You are nice to everyone, even if you have do deal with a guy like me, who gets on your nerves, so you agree to go on a date with him. It´s something about you, that is special and I would like to get to know you better. If you do, I promise you´ll get more food."

I smile at his last sentence, even though I dont know what to say. "God, you´re making me speechless." He leans even closer. "I can do many other things, that can make you speechless." At that I look at his lips. I see him grin and when I look up again, he is even closer than before.

"There are two choices now. One, we go into his lovely restaurant and talk about god knows what or two, we test whether the seats can be tilted backwards." At his voice I feel myself getting flustered. God knows, I would love to test what the car is capable of. But we´re out in a driveway, infront of a restaurant and people could see us. And even though I´m not really against the idea, its to early.

"Or three, we eat first and maybe later, you show me why I need to hate you less." He rises his eyebrows. "So you really are just here for the food." I laugh. "I guess, I am."

The time we spend in the restaurant was wonderful. I didnt expect us to connect this way, its like he just gets me. We ate a huge meal, in the end we almost forget to pay and I feel myself being so entchanted to him.

Even though the waitress tried to flirt with him (which by the way is rude, because what about girls support girls?), he kept his attention on me, also reaching out infront of her and taking my hand. I really couldnt tell myself to stop imagining, what it would be like, if we were a couple.

I mean, its ridiculous, because he made it very clear, that he didnt want to be in a relationship. But still, a girl could dream, right? Right.

After we did pay (much to the relief of the waitress), we went outside and walked a few minutes along a path, our hands entangled by the time we got back to the car. I didnt want to admit it, but he managed to make me fall in love with him in one day.

And even though I was scared, he made me feel alive. I couldnt concentrate on anything over than him, his sweet compliments, his eyes that kept looking at my lips, his arm that went around my shoulder to keep me warm.

He was so caring, it made me loose my mind. I didnt want the night to end. So when we were back in his car on the way home and he asked me, if I wanted to see his new car, I agreed.

We talked on the way back about our interests. He told me about his passion for football, even though he didnt get to play anymore and about his fascination for restoring cars. I told him about my love for books and that I would rather spend the day waching a new Netflix series, than doing sports. We talked about our goals for the future and that we both want to get out of this town, finally seeing something new.

By the time we arrived at the ranch and he parked the car outside the door, it felt like I knew his past selve, his present and future self. I never had a date like this before, something so honest and great.

But I mean, I also never knew a person like Cole before, so maybe that is the reason.

☀️☀️☀️☀️

When we arrived, it was dark outside, but because it´s summer, neither one of us felt cold. "Is it okay for me to be here? I mean, are your parents cool with you, bringing a girl home?" I look to the house, checking if some of his family members are still awake, but no lights are seen. "As long as they dont know about it, they´re cool." He grins at me and I shake my head.

"Come on, I want to show you what I´ve been working on for the last months." He leads me, one of his hands on my back to the garage, opening the door and letting me in. Its dark inside, but I hear him shifting around to find the switch to turn on the light. When I hear a click and the light flickers on, I look around and at the tools, all the stuff standing around and finally at the car.

He´s standing next to it, a proud smile on his face. "So, what do you think?" Im walking towards him, inspecting his work. "I mean, I dont have a clue about cars, but it looks really good and like it was restored by a proffesional." My fingers run over the open hood.

When he carefully closes it a few seconds later, I look up and see him watching me. "What?" I say, starring back. He takes a step towards me, searching in my gaze, trying to make out if I want this the same way, he wants to feel me. But as I stand still, waching him get closer, centimeter by centimeter, until our faces almost touch, I feel myself breathing heavily.

His hands sneak around my waist, pulling me gently closer to him. He turns around, so he leans onto the car, directing me, so I stand between his legs. I feel myself getting hot, I hear his breath and watch his eyes trailing down to my lips and finally to my eyes. I do the same. And before I know it, he leans in and catches my lips in a captivating way. I feel myself melt.

One of my arms sneak around his shoulders, so I get closer to him. I feel butterflies fly around in my stomach, smiling in the kiss and when he breaks apart, he looks at me.

"Hate me less now?" He wispers.

"Not really, try again."

So he does. Our lips meet, our breath gets taken and I feel my knees weaken, when one of his hands capture my face. He holds me still and I feel every touch, my skin burns.

The temparature rises and when one of his hands travel down, first to my neck, then to my collarbone and lastly to my shoulders, his fingers hold the straps of my dress. Again, he breaks apart, so I open my eyes and immedialy want to kiss him again. Although my hands wander over his shoulder, Im not sure what to do now.

"Are you nervous?" His hands caress my sides, his question leaves me uncertain. I nod, not in the right state to use my words. At that, he gently smiles. "Then I will help you relax. You can do that for me right?"

His words make me clench my thights and I feel myself getting wet. When I nod again, he leans forward and wispers in my ear. "Good girl." That and that his lips nip at my ear and leave a wet trail at my neck, makes me whimper slightly. I feel him smirk, so he earns a light smack on his arm. He laughs quietly and when I open my eyes, his ones are shining with a hidding mischief.

"You enjoy this too much." I say it as a joke, but he takes it seriously. "I do, actually. I dreamt about you making these sounds a lot more often, than I would like to admit."

At that, I gasps. "You what?" I try to concentrate on his words, but his wandering hands dont help with that. He kisses me, but now he turns us around and presses me against the car. Helping me sit on it, so he can get between my legs.

"I said" he beginns to speak and his lips find a certain spot, that makes me moan. "I want to hear all the little sounds, that escape you." My hands wander to his hair, holding it and messing with it. His hands again find the straps of my dress and when I kiss him more passionate, he slowly beginns to pull it down. First the right side until he lets go of it, so he can pull the other one down. All that, while still kissing me.

I feel myself getting lost in him, his lips are like a drug and I feel myself getting addicted. When I feel the air hitting my skin, I break apart. He looks at me, checking if I’m still okay with what we´re doing. "What do you want to do?" he holds the straps of my dress, gesturing that he wants to get me out of it. I breath, trying to know, what I want.

I come to the simple conclusion, that I do want him. Even if its just for now. So I kiss him and try to strip him out his jacket. To do that, he lets go of my dress and it falls to the floor, leaving me in my underwear. His eyes scan my body as his hands caress my skin, his finger going from my shoulders to my breasts.

Breathing heavily I look at him. "Your turn." His hands leave my body and with a teasing smile he takes off his jacket, leaving me starring at his muscles.

One of his fingers turn my head to look at him. "You like what you see?" His grin says it all. My hands find their way to touch his arms, going further down until i tuck at his shirt.

"I would like you more without it." His eyes turn dark. Swiftly he strips off his tanktop, leaving us both starring at each other. Before I can do something else, his arms direct me to him.

"You´re having second thoughts about this, sunshine?" He´s touching my necklace.

"Have you?" I look at him, seeing him smile.

"Never." His hands go to my legs, so he can lift me up and my legs hold on to his hip. I lean towards him, kissing his neck and stopping by his ear.

"What do you want to do to me?" At that, he stands up, still holding me, while opening the door of his restored car and lays me gently on the back seats. He´s hovering over me, a look in his eyes that makes me shiver. When he leans down and presses a kiss on my chest, near my neck, I try to focus on my breathing.

"I want to do so many things to you." His hands tangle in my hair, lightly tugging on it while he leans down, his lips ghost over my own.

"I want to-" his voice goes quiet, I feel his hands touching my legs, breaking them apart, so he can sit between them. "-take of your panties first. Alright?" I nod, looking up to him. Slowly his fingers find my underwear, so he can slide them down and I get out of it.

When he holds them in his hands, he puts it in his pocket, because he still wears his jeans. He starts to kiss me, leaving my mind with a relaxed feeling, going further down, kissing my chest and my stomach, eventually leaving a kiss above the one spot, thats been dying to be touched.

"I already have you this wet, how sweet of you." When his hand comes down and touches me, sliding one finger gently over my folds, I try to hold myself together.

"You dont need to be quiet. Nobody can hear you." But when I keep holding in my moans, he takes it as a personal challenge. As he leaves kisses all over my body, his finger carefully begin to speed up and I feel my walls clenching.

"God, you´re so tight. How long havent you been touched?" His mouth his hot on my skin and when he adds a second finger, I moan loudly. My eyes squeeze shut at the feeling that consumes me, I cant concentrate on a word he says.

"Already too turned on to answer me, huh? Thats a shame, because Im curious to know the answer of my question." He stops the movements of his fingers, leaving me with a needy feeling. And when I try to move, he stills my hips.

"As much as I like to see you sqirm, I want you to answer me. Can you do that for me?" I try to remember his question. "I-I havent." He rises his eyebrows in confusion. "You what?" His fingers leave my body. When I open my eyes, I realise what he has been asking me.

"I-I havent been touched like that before." His mouth opens in disbelief. "You never had a boyfriend or someone you´ve been intimitated with?" I look at the ceiling of his car. "I mean, not really. I´ve dated someone once, but we didnt reach a level, where we got to this point. So, I never did something like this." I can see the conflict in his eyes. "You´re sure, you want me to be your first?" Its sweet, that he cares.

"I- I guess so, Im sure it wont be a bad experience with you." He quietly laughs. "I hope so, but I cant get my head around the fact, that this is your first time. I mean, youre beautiful and fun to be around." He´s silent for a moment. "You know, we dont have to go all the way, right? I wont be mad, if we stop here."

I think for a moment and while my hands trace his muscles, I try to sort out my thoughts. Now that his fingers are no longer distracting me, I try to understand my feelings.

"We should maybe take it slow? I do want to get to know you better, before-" I dont have to finish the sentence, he just nods and when he smiles at me, I feel myself relax.

"That´s okay, don´t worry. I can drive you home, if that is what you want?" My eyes are searching for a sign, that he is mad. But he just gently brushes my hair aside and kisses the side of my mouth.

„I like you. That means, so we are clear here, that I want you to want me. And if thats the case, which I hope so, then we dont need to rush anything. If the time is right, who knows what will happen. Even if that means, I need to beg you to go out with me again.“

I raise my eyebrows, laughing at his words.

„You would do that?“ He shrugs, smiling at me.

„For you, I would.“

[byeuijoo]

not our wedding 𐀔 park sungho

genre : fluff ⋆ warnings : swearing, slightly suggestive ⋆ word count : 1055

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ୨ ✩ ୧

the elders often say that marriage is the happiest day in a lifetime. and thinking about it, that was probably the case for your best friend. for months she's been telling you about her beautiful princess-like white dress, her big ceremony, her long list of guests, her bridal bouquet.. for over a year, your days were spent preparing for the happy event with her. guide her in her choices, support her in her decisions, reassure her, assuring her that she was going to make the most beautiful of marriages. then one day she asked you, almost to tears, to be her best man as well as her bridesmaid. obviously, you couldn't refuse.

until today.

it's the big day, everything seems to be ready. except you, because of that damn dress and the zipper in the back that you can barely reach. waddling from one foot to the other, trying as hard as you can to reach the zipper, you end up kicking the seat next to you in rage.

« fuck. » you cursed, just as the door opened, instantly attracting your attention. you were more than relieved to come face to face with the questioning face of your best friend's brother, sungho. « oh thanks god, i'm so glad you're here, » you sighed, motioning with your hand for him to close the door behind him and approach you, « help me with that fucking zipper, please. »

turning your back to him as you heard him lock the door, you lifted your hair out of his way and instantly presented him with your bare back, half-covered by your dress. « i was looking for you, » he declared, now close to you, « my sister kept saying she wanted to see you. »

you nodded, even though you seemed suddenly disconnected from reality. sungho's delicate fingers grasped your zipper, pulling it up gently, so that you could feel his fingertips graze your sensitive, shivering skin. you tried so hard to control your breathing, looking for a spot in the void to calm your pounding heart. « i could have reached her much sooner if i hadn't had this zipper problem, uh.. » you declared, less loudly than expected, because that sungho had to lean over your shoulder to hear your words, his breath tickling your skin.

then, when you felt the zipper catch at the top of your back, you let go of your hair, pivoting to face him. your pupils locked onto his, and out of the corner of your eye, you could see a slight smile tugging at his rosy lips. « can you help me with that tie? » blinking at his words, a scoff left your lips as you nodded your head, raising your arms to reach his tie.

« after all these years, you still don't know how to tie a tie? » you asked him, a slight mocking tone in your voice, without knowing that it was simply an excuse for you to do it for him. « nope, » he replied, sliding one of his hands into the small of your back, « i think i'll need you for the rest of my life to do it. »

you froze in place, not daring to look up at him, simply staring at the tie still being unfinished between your fingers. but that was until you felt your body being guided, moving on its own, walking backwards until you reached the wall behind you. and only then did your eyes meet his, plunging into the depth of his pupils, into the sincerity of his gaze, letting you drown slowly, cutting off your breath.

his face came dangerously close to yours, suddenly deviating to your ear, where he placed a light kiss just below, on that sensitive spot capable of driving you crazy. « the bridesmaid is not supposed to be more beautiful than the bride.. » he whispered in your ear, as your hands came to rest against his chest, feeling the palpitations of his heart beneath your fingers. park sungho was a menace, and you always fall into his trap — like every time you find yourself trapped in a room alone.

your kind of love story has lasted since kindergarten, playing cat and mouse has always been your favorite activity. he was always there when you deigned to be interested in something else than him, constantly reminding you of his existence.

to the point of promising to marry you one day.

« oh shut up.. » you say suddenly, before his face drifts back to yours, the tip of his nose brushing your cheek. then his teeth found your skin, biting gently so as not to hurt you, but hard enough to make your belly vibrate.

« make me. » were the last words he spoke, his eyes fixed on yours, before your deft fingers tug at his tie to pin him against you, your lips melting against his. his hands slipped here and there, exploring parts of your body he wanted to know by heart, finally lifting your thighs to sit on the window sill, leaving him a certain hold on you that you didn't want to break. your fingers intertwined with sungho's dark locks, creating a beautiful mess that would certainly not go unnoticed.

the kiss was feverish, demanding, passionate, urgent, as if all the heat in the room had seized your bodies. his hands seemed to boil over your skin, even when one of them cupped your cheek, holding your face against his to kiss you even harder. only your jerky breathing and the occasional moan filled the silence of the room — or at least until someone knocks on the door in a violent way and pushes you both to separate from each other in fourth gear.

in the next second, the panicked face of the future husband was in front of you, dragging you out of the room to join your best friend elsewhere. casting an apologetic glance and a small smile towards sungho, the latter waved at you before completing the correct placement of his tie, raising an eyebrow with a provocative gaze full of innuendo.

perhaps later in the party, after the long festivities, this room would be closed again, leaving only your two feverish souls trapped inside.

⠀

reblogs & feedbacks are highly appreciated !

[a-strange-echo]

Flufftober Day: "4+1"

Pairing: Sirius Black x animagus!Hufflepuff!reader

Summary: 4 times the marauders saw a big white dog plus the time they "adopted" it.

Word count: 1 282

Warnings: none, just fluff

Author's note: English is not my first langage, so please be mindful. Also, do not hesitate to tell me if there is any mistakes, i'll rectify it.

Author's feelings: I like the begining, i like the ending less. i might try to re-write it once the flufftober is over.

(Image found on google, credits to the original artist)

The first time the marauders met the dog was during a full moon. They were out during the night to go to the Shrieking Shack but Remus’ transformation appeared earlier and he shifted in the middle of the woods. It was a very difficult full moon that night, the three other men struggled to keep the wolf in the forest and not wandering outside towards the school or the villages. Peter had yet to transform, he was scared of the wolf he had to admit. It was comprehensible, when a full grown were-wolf is charging at you, you either run and die or are paralysed by fear and die. Luckily, a bark that didn’t sound like Sirius’ pulled him out of his paralysis just in time for him to shift in his rat form and dodge the wolf’s paw swing. It was now that a big white dog came out of nowhere, took Wormtail in its mouth and ran probably the fastest it could away from the wolf. The rat squeaked when he felt the teeth around his smaller form but realized the dog was still mindful to not squeeze too tight to hurt him. The dog finally released the rat a few meters away from the wolf who fortunately didn’t chase after them. Sirius went to check on his friend scared the dog was ill-intentioned but found it gently releasing the small animal and booped it with its nose as if to ask if he was alright.

After this, the unfamiliar dog ended up helping them during the whole duration of the full moon’s effect on Remus. The dog left before the sun rise, much to Sirius’ chagrin who would have liked to spend more time with a fellow dog.

“Mate, stop mopping, you’ll meet this dog again.” James tried to cheer him up later the next with a slap on the shoulder.

And he did meet the dog again. Around a month later. It was snowing heavily on the ground of Hogwarts and the marauders decided to have some fun and pull pranks in the snow when, at some point, Sirius heard a bark in the distance. He turned to his friends who heard it as well and, when they nodded, he sprinted to a secluded era and shifted in a dog, following a scent in the snow to find a white dog, the same white dog, playing in the snow as well. It was playfully growling and biting the snow when he arrived. He approached carefully when the other dog noticed his presence, head low but tail wagging gently to show he wanted to play. The white dog got into a play stance, head on the ground, butt in the air, tail wagging left and right and Sirius mimicked. The other dog jumped at him, biting his ear playfully and the two dogs started to play-fight. It lasted a while, until the two dogs were lying on the ground, paws in the air and tongues lolling out of their mouths. Sirius wondered if he should risk his new dog friendship and decided to roll on his side and shift back in his human form once the dog was looking at him. He saw the momentary shock on the dog’s face before he was the one surprised when the white dog also shifted to a human form. What was his surprise to see, in the place the dog once was lying in, the cute Hufflepuff he talked and joked with when they walked into each other in the hallways. They laughed it off and continued to lay on the ground for a while again, this time as humans, talking and laughing with each other.

“Shift back.” they had asked at some point.

Sirius was confused but obliged, seeing them do the same short after. The white dog slapped its paw on Sirius’ side, leaving snow paw print on the black fur. The dog then booped its nose against the side of his muzzle before leaving, strutting happily and disappearing behind the castle. Sirius was sure in this instant they had just flirted with him and quite literally marked him as theirs. At least, it was what he now firmly believed as he returned to his friends, doing a show of parading with the paw print in front of them. Today he did not just win a never ending list of teasing puns, he also got a situation-ship with another animagus, and by the little show he did, earned them a new nickname: “Snowpaw”.

The third time the marauders saw the white dog, was one evening when they were all in their dorm room. Well everyone except Sirius who claimed had some business he needed to do. So when James saw by the window his friend, in his dog form, running towards the lake where the white dog was waiting for him, he gasped dramatically. The noise attracted the other two boys who where quick to gather at the window to see a black dog and a white one sitting by each other on the lake shore, their tails on top of the other’s.

“-He didn’t tell us he had a date!” James voice was so high pitched with excitement, it could shatter glass.

“-Probably because he knows we will tease him for having a date with a dog.” Remus deadpanned.

“-I am the only one who realized this dog acts like Padfoot? Maybe its an animagus too.” Peter suggested, leaving the two other stunned. “I’m just saying.”

The last time they saw this, now, familiar dog was when Sirius dragged his three friend out of their shared room one day. It had taken some time for Sirius to convince Y/N to meet his friends. They were important to him and he wanted his lover and his friends to get together. However, Y/N wanted to take things slow, after all they only had been dating for a little over 3 weeks now and didn’t feel ready to talk to Sirius’ friends by fear of saying something to upset them. Even if Sirius reassured multiple times that they couldn’t say anything to upset them, Y/N was still adamant. So settle on meeting the friends in their animagi forms. When James, Remus and Peter got to where Y/N and Sirius were waiting for them, they were confused to see the white dog and Sirius waiting by its side in his human form. He quickly explained the situation and soon, his friends smiled wide, shifting into their animagi except for Remus who couldn’t but he was happy to just sit in the grass and enjoy the company of his friends.

It took Y/N some time to announce to Sirius’ friends who they were and that they were dating him, but they didn’t regretted it. It was nice to be part of a group now and to have someone who shares the same experiences as you. The relationship lasted long, very long, even after Hogwarts. It wasn’t a surprise when James took the mic at Sirius and Y/N’s wedding, doing his best man’s speech.

“-I have to say, I still feel betrayed that you didn’t tell me first you were dating someone, Sirius. I expected better from you.” he shook his head in disappointment. “Y/N I am very happy to have you, officially, in the family. Is this an adoption? It’s an adoption right?” people laughed at that, included the married couple.

“-You can count it as such, if you want, James.” Y/N went along.

“-Good. We are waiting for puppies now.” He said last then took his place back behind Sirius who had a hard time controlling his blush and laughter.

[puhpandas]

Rabbit Burrow

(5180 words) part 2 (1 found here)

Tony Becker, one year after surviving the attack from GGY, tracks down Gregory post-SB. But he has to get through Vanessa and Freddy before he can get to Gregory.

Its only after Tony has run through the interaction with Vanessa ten times over that he realizes she never told him how she knows Gregory.

He'd been nothing but restless since she left. His eyes have been darting to and from the digital clock on the end table on the other side of arm of the couch, and his brain has been so scattered, all he can focus on is the awaiting reunion.

The baking show has long since switched to a new episode since he last checked the TV. Tony's worried that at this point, his fingers will start bleeding if he keeps picking at them like this.

The only saving grace in a long chunk of nothing-but-anticipation is when Tony's phone buzzes at 6:01pm, right when he had started to gather his thoughts and began plan out the reunion in his head like remembering a speech.

Ellis: dude where r u????

Ellis: yr mom said u arent home and she keeps asking me if ur with me and where u r

All Tony does is sigh. He cant even find it in him to feel bad that his Mom and Grandma are probably worried. All he can think about is how his arms are shaking and his stomach feels floaty.

He types back with thumbs that have peeling skin on the edge of the fingernails.

Tony: Remember how I covered for you that one time?

Tony: I need you to cover for me. If you need to tell her that I'm with you and I'm staying over do that. I just need any excuse.

Ellis: yea i remember but why?

Ellis: if a guy covers for u u can at least tell him what the deal is

Tony: I'm doing something really important. I can't tell you all the details yet.

Tony: I just need you to trust me. Please. It'll help me out a lot, Ellis.

Tony: I promise I'll make it up to you next time you need something.

Ellis: dude didnt know it was that important

Ellis: dont worry then. u know i can tell a mean lie when i need to

Tony: Dude thanks. That's a big relief. It wont be in vain.

Ellis: my services will not be for free tho

Ellis: i will need something in return

Tony: What do you want?

Ellis: for u to buy me a cookie next time i see u at lunch

Tony finds it in him to roll his eyes at that. He smiles a bit, and right as he goes to send back I'll buy you two, Freddy Fazbear makes some sort of clunking sound.

Its enough to make his already fluttery heart clench and himself almost fly off of the couch. He jerks and yelps and can only stare Freddy Fazbears black eyelids phwip open, and his pupils glow..

They're blank, though, like they're on but Freddy himself isnt. His body whirs and shifts slowly, as if running a diagnostic, and after his ears wiggle, theres a clear difference.

Tony just sits rigid as a board with eyes wide as saucers as Freddy doesnt notice him right away. He just takes the jump cables off of his ears and sets them on the carpet, and moves his torso to face the window.

Which Tony is blocking. Since hes on the couch sitting directly next to the animatronic.

Theres a staring contest with a distinct lack of breathing for all but a few moments, before the small black plastic pieces that are Freddys eyebrows tilt downwards.

"Wait wait wait!" Tony holds out his hands, but Freddy doesnt get off the couch and attack him like his fears. Freddys eyes dont leave his once, and it reminds him too much of those few times Freddy would stare him down and be hot on his heels in the Pizzaplex during the GGY debacle.

Freddy pauses, not even so much as twitching as he burns an LED hole into him. Tony tries to get over the unease and stutters out, "Um, Vanessa trusts me. I talked to her. She told me to stay here."

For a fleeting moment, Tony believes he somehow said the wrong thing and that Freddy is now going to grab him and beat him into a pulp like he feared back at the Pizzaplex all that time ago. But during the rigid silence, the glow in Freddys eyes flickers for half a second, and some sort of beeping sound emits from a hidden speaker.

"I have just contacted her." Freddy finally breaks the tension, and Tony sighs at how his voice does not sound aggressive. In fact, Freddy hadn't spoken at all when Tony had been afraid of him last year. "You are telling the truth... my apologies."

"Theres no issue." Tony manages when Freddy looks so undoubtedly apologetic theres no doubt that he's not genuine. He scratches the back of his neck. "...I guess I wouldnt be too keen on a stranger being in my house when I wake up either."

"Yes," Freddy nods, and his ears bob at the motion. Theres a split second of silence where the baking show Tony hasn't caught a single second of is the only noise in the room. "so that begs the question; why are you here?"

Tony jerks. "What?"

"You are a stranger in my house, like you said." Freddy points out, not unkindly. "I would appreciate knowing why. Even if you already went over it with Vanessa."

"Oh. Well. I dont know what all Vanessa told you, but... I'm here for Gregory."

Freddy doesnt immediately turn distrustful or wary like Vanessa had. Probably because he already knows Tony is a friend. "She said you were an old friend of his." Freddy confirms. His "So, you are the boy Gregory talks to much about."

Tony doesnt really know how to respond to that. He grabs a fold of fabric from the arm of his jacket in-between his fingers. "Uh...yeah."

"I'm sure you've already talked to Vanessa. So I wont beat around the bush." Freddy says. "But Gregory has tried so hard to remember you."

Tony brows furrow. "...She said he has dreams sometimes. And that's how he knows I-- we exist."

"Yes." Freddy nods."But she probably did not tell you that he tries to figure out what reminded him of you, so he can continue to keep dreaming."

Tony's eyes widen, and he picks at his fingers. No. Vanessa did not mention that. She said nothing about Gregory actively searching for Tony around his life to see him in his dreams.

Freddys LED eyes dim, and his ears and eyelids droop in a clear sign of upset. "It breaks my heart. To see Gregory try to gather the broken pieces of his memories." His eyes stare at the couch cushion below them, before they dart up to look him in the eye. "You were obviously very important to him, if he searches like this."

"He is to me too." Is all Tony can manage. He's suddenly getting a sense adjacent to deja vu.

"Its clear that he is." Freddy is still looking him in the eye, but somehow, Tony feels like he's smiling at him. "If you came all this way to see him."

And he really did come a long way, didnt he? He took a bus to a different county. He spent hours and hours scouring the internet for any mention of Greg after he suddenly up and went missing as soon by the time Tony had recovered enough to look for him.

Greg has searched too, apparently. Tony cant help but be aware of. Even after losing his memories.

"What is your name?" Freddy suddenly asks him.

"Tony Becker." Tony answers easily. "I guess he doesnt remember my name, huh?"

"No. But he has tried. Believe me when I say that." Freddy says. "He wants to know more about his life before what happened more than anything."

"...You think he'll be happy to see me?"

"There is no doubt, Tony Becker."

The last time he had seen Greg, it was in a dusty back room with a knife in his back.

But despite that, it isnt what Tony thinks when he thinks Greg. When he thinks of Greg, he thinks of the sleepovers and the days Greg would show up at school one day with his hair different lengths. He thinks about how He, Greg, and Ellis would Vs. eachother on the air hockey machine. He thinks about the stories they'd come up with in creative writing.

When he thinks of that afternoon at the Pizzaplex, he doesnt think Greg. He thinks GGY. Maybe its that first inkling of separation that got him here.

Theres been a stretch of silence while Tony soaked it in. The rain outside has slowed, and the sun peeking through the gray clouds shines through the window, white lines on the coffee table like the blinds are a stencil.

"But the truth is... I do not think Vanessa feels the same." Freddy suddenly says. "She wants to protect him from the awful memories. I do not have to deal with them like she does, but I assume they... that they haunt her."

His ears droop. "I believe that she does not want Gregory to have to as well."

"So shes trying to keep them from him?" Tony asks, a brow raised. "But that's his choice, isn't it?"

"That is how I feel." Freddy agrees, looking at him again. It's starting to become less uncomfortable. "Listen, Tony Becker. I may not know for sure, but I feel that Vanessa is afraid to let you near Gregory. Seeing you will make him remember so much."

His mind immediately jumps to a thousand implications at that."If shes scared, what does that mean?" He asks. "She'll make me leave? She'll change her mind?"

"I do not think so." Freddy assures. "But my point is that she has been trying for so long to keep Gregorys memories under wraps. It is not with malice, but this is why I ask you this."

"Gregory has long since chosen to remember, even if Vanessa does not want him to." Freddy says havent left his once, and Tony doesnt look away, either. Freddys pupils suddenly appear brighter in a way when he speaks again, "To keep them from him after he has already made his choice would be cruel. Which is why I would like you to help him, Tony Becker."

Tony hasnt forgotten how Greg fought for him that day at the Pizzaplex. He hasnt forgotten how all that mattered was Tony escaping. Not if Greg would get in trouble. Not if something would happen to him.

Gregory has, though. Greg has forgotten a lot of things.

But if seeing Tony in danger that fateful afternoon made him remember himself enough to fight, and win against mind control?

Tony can fight for Greg's memories, too. Even if it takes another year.

"He deserves to remember his old life." Freddy says. "Vanessa has told me that his parents are dead. Any life he had before is nothing but a faint memory." He hums, melancholy. "But it's one I want him to remember."

Me too Tony almost says. Because all Tony has wanted throughout this last year is his friend back.

"Greg was one of my best friends." Tony says quietly, eyes downcast. He counts the threads in the couch cushion. "I want him to remember me and Ellis and... everything. It's why I'm here."

"I have not been able to help him, no matter how much I've wanted to." Freddy responds, sounding sad. "But I am glad you are here. Now Gregory truly has a chance of obtaining what hes been chasing for so long."

"Me too." Tony replies, not knowing which exactly hes responding too.

"So," Freddy pauses. "what do you say?"

"I'll do it." Tony responds immediately. "But... I just have to ask. Why do you trust me so much? Vanessa wouldnt even tell me anything until I answered her riddles."

Freddy hums. "It is exactly as you said." Freddy answers. "You earned Vanessa's trust. So in turn you have earned my trust. I trust Vanessa to trust you."

Tony doesnt respond, for a moment, just taking that in.

The amount of faith you have in someone to trust them that much. To know you can rely on them. To have no doubt...

Tony glances at the hallway he can see just over the back of the couch and down the hall into the room with the slightly open door, with the pens and pencils and bed and desk, and wonders how tightly wound the people in this house are with eachother.

"...Then I'll return the favor." Tony smiles. "You're friends of Greg's, and, well... I was friends with him, once upon an time. And he still seems to think so." He holds out a hand. "Any friend of Greg's is a friend of mine."

Freddys ears wiggle, and his eyelids come up in a way that make him look overjoyed. "Any friend of Gregory's is a friend of mine." Freddy repeats, shaking Tony's hand. "We are in this together, now. We will have to be there for Gregory if he remembers not so great things."

"And for the great things." Tony smiles, going over the few months worth of memories of their three amigos friendship he has in his head. "Its worth it, I think."

After all, if Tony's found a way to seperate killer Greg with his Greg, then he thinks Gregory probably can as well.

"I'm glad we have that settled." Freddys ears wiggle, and his eyes do that dimming thing again for half a second. "Because Vanessa has just contacted me and let me know that she is almost back with Gregory."

He makes some sort of choking noise. Theres a thousand things on the tip of Tony's tongue in seconds. His eyes blow wide as saucers, and he twists his back to look at the clock that reads 6:34.

He immediately feels like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on his head. He stutters, trying to gather his thoughts, and eventually gets out "How long?!"

"Soon." Freddy smiles. "It wont be long, now. It seems all the work you've done has paid off."

Tony cant find it in him to move his mouth after that. Just too rigid. It feels like theres electricity buzzing up his skin and a wildfire in his chest. It feels like he cold start floating like a balloon at any moment.

He doesnt respond to Freddy, after that. He just twists his body to face the front door (his back twinges. maybe he shouldn't slouch over his laptop and desk so much) and waits.

A few minutes is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Not really when its put up against the year he's taken to track Greg down. But its somehow more agonizing waiting now when he knows Greg is in arms reach, instead of it being uncertain if he'd ever see him again.

It's not uncertain, now. Is the thing. Greg is on his way, and Tony, for once, doesn't even know what to think. All he can do is sit there and be clammy and impatient.

Freddy chuckles. Tony ignores it. He burns a hole into the front door just across the living room, only hearing his own jumbled thoughts and roaring in his ears over the baking show on the TV.

Its Winter right now. So by 6:45, all the light outside has darkened into pitch blackness. The residential street lights outside the apartments make the raindrops on the window glow. The TV is still going in the background.

Freddy is as still as he is, joining him in watching the door as restless as a bored puppy. Listening to the ventilation inside of Freddys inner workings is the only thing that reminds Tony to breathe.

After multiple agonizing minutes, Tony jerks when the slam of a car door is heard distantly outside the window.

"Are you ready, Tony Becker?" Freddy breaks the silence. Looking back at Freddy is the first time Tony looks away from the door. "We do not know how much he will remember at first. It may be messy. It may not."

Messy is definitely a word he would use to describe a lot of the things that have happened, here. So he just nods, a tilt of his head. "I'm ready."

"He is ready, too." replies Freddy.

And that's all that's said until the doorknob begins to rattle.

All that Tony manages is a strangled gasp before he's bolting off the couch, almost tripping over Freddys legs. His converse slide on the laminate wood, and he stands there. In perfect view of the door.

His legs feel cold and his chest airy as he watches. He waits for movement, and cant help the tremble in his hands when the deadbolt unlocks. He can hear voices. Only because hes straining his ears, but he can hear a high pitched voice muffled and faint behind the door.

The doorknob rattles, and Tony watches as the deadbolt unlocks from the inside. His heart stutters in his chest when he hears voices outside, and he can pinpoint one of the pitches as Greg's.

"Come on, Vanessa. Were home. Now tell me what the suprise is!"

"I think you'll want to see it for yourself, Greg."

"Its inside? Well what could it possibly be if you wont even give me a hint--"

The knob twists, and the door creaks open. Its steady and agonizingalmost as if it's in slow motion.

And there he is.

Theres the pale skin and short stature and blue clothes. Tony isnt breathing when he just looks, and sees the boy he'd been searching for so long right in front of him.

He has raindrops in his chocolate brown hair. Greg doesnt look away from Vanessa while he walks in, at first, but Vanessa looks away from Gregory. She meets his eyes, and Tony doesnt have it in him to dissect what the look could mean.

All he cares about is how Greg follows her gaze.

He stops in his tracks, his mud stained Pizzaplex brand sneakers planting him firmly in place.

It's like everything else falls away when Greg meets his eyes. Huge, amber eyes that grow as wide as saucers when they see him. Theres a dark jagged scar wrapped around his cheek that makes it to his nose that wasnt there before.

The silence is deafening, as they just stand there and stare at eachother. Tony thinks he isnt breathing. Theres electricity shooting up his spine. His fingers twitch and tremble. Greg just stares, mouth agape.

Tony's own twitches, and he smacks his lips together, testing if he can still speak at all. His legs are rooted to the ground as he says, just above a whisper, "Greg."

Greg's face shifts ever so slightly, and it's only now Tony realizes his eyes are a bit faraway. Like he's...

Remembering something.

In an instant, they dart and blink, and Greg is looking at him again.

Tony dares to break through the water by taking a step. He never tears his eyes away from Gregory's own.

At some point, Vanessa moved away from the door and somewhere else in the house.

Which means the coast is clear when Tony takes a step, and then another, and Greg is meeting him in the middle.

Hes almost sprinting when they crash into eachother like waves. Immediately, Tony wraps his arms around Greg tight, and Greg clutches back just as desperately.

"Tony." Gregory says breathlessly. Tony can feel Greg's hair brush against his cheek and his hands ball up his jacket. "Its you. That's your name. You're the..."

"The one you've been dreaming about?" Tony chuckles, and to his suprise, it's a little wet. His legs ache from pushing himself into the hug so much, but he ignores it. "Yeah. Me and Ellis. Your friends."

"Tony and Ellis." Greg repeats, and Tony could cry at how it's the same voice in all of his memories. A few things are different; Gregory's face has changed a bit, and so has his hair and clothes. But all of the things that made him Greg back then are still here.

"I--" Greg stutters. "I tried so hard to remember anything about you. I was gonna track you down, I hope you know. Cause you're the only things I remember about..."

"I know, Greg." Tony replies. Greg pulls away from the hug, and Tony still has a grip on his shoulders. "They told me everything."

He jerks his head towards Freddy and Vanessa, and when Greg looks over at him, Freddys ears wiggle and Vanessa does a small little wave.

"Some suprise." Gregory chuckles, wiping at his dry eyes. "Jeez, its just-- I just remembered so much. Just by seeing you, and--"

Greg's eyes turn a little misty as he looks in Tony's own. "We were friends." He says. "And I forgot you for so long."

"It wasnt your fault." Tony smiles slightly. Greg still has to look up at him a bit, like he did last time Tony saw him. "Freddy and Vanessa told me you tried your best to remember us."

Gregory nods, glancing over at them. "I did." He says. "I wanted to know what triggered the first dream so bad. But... I never figured it out."

"I guess it doesn't matter now." Tony says. "I'm right here in front of you, and you remember now. Ellis'll be really glad to see you, too."

Gregory chuckles. "I missed him." He says. "I missed you, too."

"Me too." Tony replies, and it doesn't feel like those two words can encapsulate how much Tony has felt the past year. "Ellis really missed you as well. He still is. You don't know what happened to him when you went missing."

Gregory ducks his head, eyes downcast. "I wish I did."

Tony eyes Freddy from the corner of his eye, and he nods. Tony looks back towards Greg. "I can tell you some stuff, if you want. Vanessa said something reminded you of me one day." He smiles. "I can try to help remind you of stuff enough to remember more."

Gregory's head shoots up, and to Tony's suprise, tears gather in his eyes. As quick as they come, he ducks his head, using the sleeve of his navy jacket to wipe them away. "Yeah." He sniffs. "That'd be great."

"I'm glad you guys reunited." Vanessa pipes up to their left. "But, Gregory, I think you should go take a breather. I wanna talk to Tony anyway."

Greg doesnt answer for a second, but eventually he nods, smiling at Tony as he peels himself away. Tony takes note of how the tooth Gregory had been missing last year is still gone.

Tony watches him go, and his eyes dont leave his back until the door to his room shuts.

"Kid," Vanessa grabs his attention. She gestures to sit down on the couch, and he moves over, sitting in-between Freddy and her. "that went well. Really well."

Tony just nods, not able to shake the trembling in his fingers and the floaty feeling in his chest.

"It doesnt seem like he remembered anything bad." Vanessa points out. "He couldnt have. He wouldn't be so calm if he did, trust me."

Tony remembers Freddys words about how Vanessa grapples with the things shes done, so he does. He nods again, and Vanessa smiles. "So that's good. Listen, kid. If you can somehow have Gregory remember his old life without any of the mind control murder stuff, that would be the best case scenario."

Freddy whirs and straightens out a but, opening his mouth to speak, but he stops at the last second. "It wouldnt be unfair to Gregory if he wasnt remembering anything good, Fred." Vanessa points out.

"That is true." Freddy agrees. "There is no point in Gregory remembering anything harmful to him if avoidable. Vanessa knows that better than anyone."

Tony opens his mouth to speak, but pauses.

Not remember anything bad? As in he wouldnt be able to remember that day at the Pizzaplex?

How Greg had put himself on the line and fought for Tony's life? How he'd succeeded? How Tony always desperately wanted to see Greg again just to talk about it?

Words get caught in his throat, but he pushes them down and shoves his feelings aside. He just nods. "I'll do my best."

"Thanks." Vanessa says, and she sounds more relieved than Tony's ever heard anyone. She puts a hand on his shoulder, offering him a smile. "Really. Thank you, kid. I'd do anything for Gregory to never have to remember the same things I do."

Tony just nods again, finding that for the first time in his life, he has no words to say. "Yeah."

"I am sure you're dying to catch up with Gregory." Freddy smiles. "Go on, Tony Becker. We will give you both space."

Tony smiles, shooting up and shimmying past Freddys legs in-between the coffee table towards the hall. "Okay. Sure." He only lingers for another moment to say "Thanks!"

Its jet black outside when Tony passes a window, and by the time he makes it to Greg's room, the only light available is a small table lamp on the desk with paper strewn about. Greg sits on his bed, deep in thought, before snapping out of it when Tony walks in.

"Hey." Gregory smiles, and Tony grins back when he shuts the door behind him. He cant help how his eyes wander about the room, taking in every detail as he moves further into the room. His backpack is tossed on the floor beside his bed, and theres comic pages and drawings thumbtacked up across every wall. Theres a corkboard with blocky letters written on paper sheets scattered around, and his bedsheets have constellations on them.

Tony's eyes linger on the desk, where there are multiple comics covering every inch, some half-finished and some fully colored.

"You would draw comics when we were friends, too." Tony says, making his way over and peering at all of the different drawings. "I'd call them graphic novels. I'd write the story and you'd draw."

"I think I had a dream about that." Greg says. "We'd go in your room and brainstorm, right?"

"Yeah." Tony smiles. He looks at the dates scribbles in the corners of them all, and notices that most of them are recent.

"Its one of the only dreams I had." Gregory says. "It... it would make me so mad because it never went any different. And it had been the only indication you even existed for so long." He chuckles without humor. "The other dreams weren't much different, but, well, I was never really able to figure out how to trigger a new dream."

As he keeps looking, some of the older comics, like the ones on the walls and the underneath the piles of recent ones have dates from a few months ago.

It's like a tiny lightbulb goes off above his head. He turns to Gregory, asking "Do you remember when you had the first dream?"

Gregory pauses for a moment. "Yeah." He says. "It was a few months ago. The first dream I had was about us drawing comics in your room."

Tony smiles, finding the earliest date to be near October last year. Its February now. "Did you ever think the thing that triggered that memory was drawing a comic?"

Tony watches as the gears turn in Greg's head. Hes silent for a moment, before muttering, "No. I didnt."

Tony looks at the window on the wall by Greg's bed and watches as raindrops drip down the screen on the other side. Crickets are chirping faintly, and he can hear Freddy and Vanessa's voices muffled behind the door.

The days events catch up to him, and right as the first inkling of tiredness creep up on him, he says "So how about we try to make a comic together like the dream? Maybe it'll bring back some new memories."

Gregory is silent for a moment, and Tony watches as his eyes widen, and a grin gradually stretches across his face. "Okay." He says. "Yeah. Let's do it."

So it's in Greg's room, instead of Tony's, where they hunker down for the night and squish next to eachother on the same chair at the same desk and brainstorm a comic. Tony makes a point of calling it a graphic novel like he used to, because Greg would always say something about it, and unsurprisingly, this time is no different.

The only light is from Gregory's small table lamp shoved to the very corner to make room for more papers, and it's only when they have everything ready does Greg finally ask about the story.

"You said you'd write the story and I'd draw." Gregory says. His shoulder is pressed up against Tony's on the chair and his voice is loud in his ear. "So what's the story?"

Tony hums for a second, jumbled thoughts and ideas running course in his mind, then he gets an idea.

He grins slowly as it dawns on him. He glances over at Greg.

"You always liked nonfiction better, right?" Gregory says, voice up an octave like a question. "Real life stuff."

"Yeah." Tony confirms. "This is a real story."

"So tell me." Greg smiles, leaning back to get a good view of Tony. Tony himself does the same, and Greg is doing one of those lopsided smiles that shows off his missing tooth. "And I'll start drawing the panels."

Its only after theyve hunkered down does Tony really let himself revel in the fact that he found Greg, and he's here and okay. It may not be perfect, since Tony never really will be able to speak to that Gregory that saved him that day and thank him, but its content. Tony has his friend back, and he can't ask for any more.

He's long since decided on a story when he finally tells Gregory. He smiles softly, before saying,

"This story is about a kid named Gregory, who once hacked the school PA speakers and started beatboxing."

🔎🐰

Ellis: um so how long will i have to keep this up???

Ellis: would be nice to know

Tony: I dont know how long I'll be gone.

Tony: I'll buy you as many cookies as you want for this.

Ellis: we will negotiate when you come back

Ellis: for now ill uphold my end of the deal mr. becker

Tony: I'll uphold mine early.

Tony sent an image

Image ID: A boy with short dark brown hair and a green jacket angling the camera so by his head is a boy with pale skin and chocolate brown hair. The boy with dark hair is smiling and the boy with brown hair is looking suprised at the camera.

Ellis is typing...

ao3 link

[stellas-starry-stove13]

♥︎ • “In the dark or light, I'm right here.”• ♥︎ Akito and Rui x fem! reader (separate)

Dishes: Pancake and Soda candy

Drink: Strawberry sundae (dating)

Cuisine: Oneshot

Ingredients: Milk chocolate(?) (hurt/comfort) (not really)

Customer: @kanasakiis

Notifing: @akitosheart, a pancake has been made!

C/N: Um... Yes char just let her go into the dark by herself but it doesn't last very long... I feel I did something wrong but I tried my best and of course had to give a 'happy' ending so.. Here you go. Thanks for ordering once more though <3 oh, also they might be a bit short sorry, Im trying not to pressure myself like how i used to write, like how i nerfed from posting everyday to every other day

“Well, I think it's about time for you to go. My dad doesn't like when we have friends over after 9:00. I need to get some things done anyway.”

“Oh, okay.”

I watch her gaze out the window and into the starry night sky, before standing up from my desk chair.

“I'll walk you out.”

I state before walking beside the girl and sliping my hand into hers despite knowing it'll stay there for a minute only.

“See ya tomorrow.”

I say with a small smile as my lips drift to her own for a goodbye kiss.

“Bye...”

After a short amount of time, I head back into my bedroom, unbeknownst to me that my girlfriend is currently trembling in the dark without me by her side. I shift my hand to the doorknob before deciding against it after the sound of light knocking rings through my ears.

Did she forget something?

“Huh?”

“U-Um... Actually c-can you walk me home?”

I immediately notice the slight fear in her voice and body language and am unable to decline her request as concern for the girl forms on my face.

“Uh, sure.”

Stepping outside, I'm immediately met with the cool night air hugging my face.

“Are you okay?”

I ask, concerned for her, though trying not to show it.

“I'm sorry.... I just didn't want to walk home by myself in the dark.”

It takes me a moment to process those words, but after I do, a frown envelopes my face.

“Oh... Are you scared of the dark?”

“.....”

Silence finds its way into the atmosphere before I see slight nod from Y/N.

I sigh and grip her hand warmly, looking at her with a scolding expression as I lead her into the direction of her house.

“Just tell me that next time.”

“Sorry....”

Another sigh escapes my mouth as I shake my head once.

“You know.... In the dark or light, I'm right here.”

“Enjoyed the show?”

I ask, a cat grin slipping onto my lips as I stand in front of the girl, awaiting an answer.

She nods in satisfaction, causing me to let out a low hum before speaking once more.

“Well, I'm going to go help clean up. Feel free to help us, but I understand if you have to go home.”

“Yeah, I should probably go home now..”

“Alright. Goodnight, sweet pea.”

I pat her head lightly as my lips make contact with her forehead, a small and friendly smile crossed on them.

“Bye.”

I hum to myself again after watching Y/N walk away, my focus fixated on the task at hand. My face becomes more serious and focused though as I open up RoboNene's back, planning on making a small upgrade to the robot.

Only three minutes later, I glance by the lamp posts and see the familiar girl leaning against the post, as if waiting patiently for someone.

“Hm?”

With curiosity bouncing inside of me, I approach Y/N to ask of her actions.

“Y/N? I thought you were going home.”

“Oh, uh... I'll just wait instead, actually.”

“May I ask why?”

My eyes catch the slight parting of her lips before they watch it stick back together again.

“Um... Well I didn't really want to go alone... In the night.. In the dark...”

I remain silent, not expecting such an answer from her before nodding my head.

“I see. In that case, would you want me to walk you back right now? I'm sure the others don't mind cleaning up by themselves.”

“Oh, uh.. are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Without remedy, I take hold of her hand and lead her towards the exit of the bustling theme park.

I hum in silence as the cool night breeze envelops my face, leaving me with a warm smile.

“You know, you don't strike me as one who would be afraid of the dark.”

“? How did you..”

I chuckle at her cute look of surprise and pat her head with a smug grin.

“Never underestimate a director's observation.”

“....”

I watch her avert her gaze from my own, seemingly embarrassed.

“Don't be embarrassed, sweet pea. Everyone has their fears. Besides..”

I tilt her chin towards me.

“Wether in the dark or light, I'm right here.”

[snapscube]

hey big fan of your channel and art!! was wondering if for the midnight snap series what kind of sound design you were doing it rlly sounds nice!! (also smth that could be nice with it is maybe a little bit of like tape saturation or something might be able to make the audio sound "warmer" if youre like not already doing something like that already, but you probably know better than me!!) feel free to ignore that, but wanted to say in general its so well done and sounds so good!!! its really cozy and nice!!

hey thank you!!! yeah i'd.... genuinely LOVE to talk about my thinking and approach behind the sound design, i'm actually so happy you asked me this LOL this is the kind of shit i live for.

you might assume that it's just me recording the game audio and talking quietly with my normal stream settings, and that is kinda how it STARTS, but there's actually a bit more i've been doing behind the scenes :) nothing too crazy just yet but a little goes a long way when it comes to sound! i'm hoping to really nail down the soundscape and increase the quality over time and specifically up the soothing vibes by a lot. as well as get a little better about mic etiquette and my style of speech. BUT in terms of what i'm doing in post:

the first piece of the puzzle and definitely one of the most important sauces in the whole mix is the Hard Limiter. it does what you might imagine it does, basically just places a hard barrier and says "any sounds that exceed this volume.... no you don't", sort of like a much more intense compressor. currently i have a Hard Limiter on both my commentary AND the game audio, commentary i have set to peak at around -15 to -12 db, whereas game audio is more around the -23 to -20 range. in my more polished audio from later in the AC episode it's enough difference that one doesn't drown the other out in most cases, but not a wide enough gulf that people are struggling to pay attention to one in particular or have to frequently change volume (preferably they don't have to change it at all!). i took this screenshot of the episode's complete waveform when rendering out the audio-only version of AC part 1 and it was super satisfying cause like.... yeah. this is exactly the kind of waveform read i was going for. just super even and smooth across the board, save for a couple anomalies i'll buff out over time.

the next thing i do to both my own commentary and the game audio is actually just cutting down on harsher, higher frequencies with an EQ and just upping the bassier, warmer tones. i started with something super small in the first couple of episodes, i'm probably gonna go a bit harder on it for future stuff though. i wanna find a balance that doesn't make the game sound unrecognizable or anything but is noticeably easier on the ears and sounds more like a nice rolling wave rather than beep boop pac-man time.

past this i have a couple more things added to the commentary track:

to intensify the previous effect mentioned and cut down on harsh frequencies in my speech, i actually have a dedicated de-esser on my voice as well as my usual warmer EQ. i have the de-esser going pretty hard too, you might hear the difference from my usual stream commentary if you were to listen closely. really just taking those harsh t's and s's in my speech and making them sound more like a nice "shhhh", this one is super important i think

last thing i have to speak on otherwise is actually a plugin i found and bought specifically for this show and ends up being subtle but i think SUUUPER helpful in the long run, and that's this plugin called "spiff". spiff is a plugin by oeksound and i guess it's referred to as like, a transient editor? i'm actually not sure how it works at all on the nitty gritty level BUT the important thing is that they have a very important preset in the software, and that is a preset specifically designed to lessen and/or remove like... mouth sounds. yknow like lip smacks and the like. just kinda the gross smacks and clicks you don't hear as much in normal speech but can come through really intensely on a recording and kinda make ya uncomfortable. it obviously doesn't remove a lot of the more intense stuff, it's not a magic wand in my experience. but listening to the output of what it's removing on its own makes it REALLY clear there's a lot of little things it picks up and just kinda makes speech more soothing to listen to. not something i'm racing to apply to my normal streams, BUT for a sleep aid series where good audio is key????? 100% worth it, i like it a lot.

anyway yeah that's about it for now! a lot of it is pretty simple in and of itself but it's stuff i've been working at and experimenting with since i first started doing tests for the show and it's gonna be real nice to keep honing this stuff in. also cool suggestion with the tape saturation idea, i might look into something like that! once i nail stuff like leveling and frequency tuning for this show, i wanna look into some fancier ways of making the soundscape unique to this show compared to my normal streams so ideas like that are super helpful!

[eating-plastic]

Autumn Leaves: Henry Barrow x Reader

Warnings: fluff, first kiss, Henry and reader reunite, some swearing, murder, death (Henry and Marie go sicko mode on Gallows Creek), some guilt (Henry questions his mother's actions), I feel like I gotta say this but spoilers (mostly for the bad ending of the game), probably some grammatical errors

Word Count: 2576 words

A/N: Hey everybody! Let's break up the puppet master stuff with some x reader thingys. Leading the pack is a sequel to my first Henry x Reader fic Carnival Lights. I wasn't going to write a part two, but someone wanted it, and that got me brainstorming. It's funny, I never thought I'd like Henry so much (well, I like my version of Henry lol). Enjoy!

--------------------

Ever since that night at the carnival, Henry never forgot you. The first chance he got, he tried to call you. He wanted to believe that you gave him a real number, but there was still this sliver in his mind that wouldn't have been surprised at you deceiving him.

Of course, the moment he heard your voice on the other end of the phone, guilt consumed him for thinking such. You were so happy to hear him, eagerly asking how he was doing and asking him what he had seen on his "road trip" with his mother. He told you everything, with the exception of all the "murder stuff".

Despite wanting to make his mother proud, and wanting to see her plan through, he missed you. That longing to see you again grew with every phone call. With every mile driven in-between the two of you.

--------------------

Henry was lying down on the bed in the motel room his mother had rented. While he was originally listening to the TV, now he was just staring up at the ceiling. His mother sat on her own bed, writing in a notebook on her lap and occasionally mumbling something. He brings his wrist up to his face to look at his watch. It was almost time for him to find a phone booth and call you. He always tried to call you at a set time, so he would never miss you.

He sits up and stretches, before walking to where he and his mother's black trench coats hung.

"I'm going out to get some fresh air, mom," he calls while putting on his coat.

"Alright, be careful,," she replies, glancing up from her notebook, briefly.

"I know," he opens the door and exits the room.

Henry wastes no time walking to the phone booth that stood by its lonesome. He pulls his coat tighter around himself when he enters. It was autumn now, and the weather was getting chilly. He reaches into his pocket for some quarters and inserts them into the machine. He always made sure he carried change on his person now.

He then raises the phone to his ear and waits.

"Hello?," you chirp from the other end.

"Hey, Y/N," he smiles at the sound of your voice.

"Oh, Henry! Hi! How are you?" you ask. He can practically feel your cheerful nature radiate through the phone.

"I'm doing alright. How have you been?"

"I'm good. Nothing too big to report. Just hung out with friends a bit," you respond.

"Well, as long as you're doing okay," he thinks for a moment. "I uh...the road trip's been fine. In fact, tomorrow's the last day."

Tomorrow. The big day. The day that Gallows Creek pays. And then after that...well...Henry wasn't too sure. His mother said that they could finally live a normal life, but where? He thought about asking her to move to your hometown, but then he'd probably have to explain why. And if she said "no"....

Fuck it. He was going to see you again, no matter what she decided.

"Oh, did you have fun?" you question.

"Yeah, it's been fine. I just...I really miss you," he sighs.

"I miss you too. Will you...will you ever be in town, again?" your voice drops.

"I want to. Believe me, I do. I'm...I'm gonna see if my mom would think about swinging through, again. You know, after tomorrow," he decides.

"Really?" you light up.

"Yes...really," he nods to himself.

"And...and if she says 'no'?"

"Then I'll figure something out. Look, I'm not gonna stay away from you any longer than I have to, okay?"

"Okay," a small smile spreads across your face.

"Okay," he parrots. "I, uh...I guess I should say goodbye now, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," you sigh. "Good night, Henry."

"Good night, Y/N. I...," he stops himself. "I...I'll see you soon. I promise."

"You better," you quip.

You both hesitate, before ending the call. Henry lets out a shaky breath as he puts the phone back. He was really going to do this. He was really going to go through with his promise.

With that, he walks back to his motel room. When he enters, his mother's bed was now littered with pictures of different people. People he had never seen before. As he glances at them, he feels a bit of guilt twist in his gut. Some of the people in the photos had smiles on their faces, looking innocently into the camera. They really did remind him of you.

He just shakes his head and turns his attention back to the TV. He didn't want to think about that. Instead, he thought about how the faster Gallows Creek reaped what they sowed, the faster he could see you again.

--------------------

As night fell on the small town of Gallows Creek, so did a dark, suffocating cloud. Blood stained the streets under the moonlight. While only some who were lucky managed to escape the wrath of Marie and her son, a devastating list of victims piled up.

Then the end came. Henry visited the radio station KFAM, and stared at the silhouette of Forrest Nash. A savior to few, but definitely not to all. He could hear his mother as she slowly cut away at the man that took everything away from her, Teddy Gallows Jr.

Life really was cruel. His mother, young and alone, trying to raise him with what little money she could scrape up. Meanwhile he sat upon his ivory tower getting richer and richer. If he had it his way, he would take a swing at him too. But no, his place was here. His job was to kill the loose end.

Then Peggy came into the picture. He remembered looking at the photo of his aunt, he did feel a bit ill. She had a smile similar to your own. It was bad enough having to listen to her screams as she died, but Forrest made it worse. He begged, he cried, he sobbed. He wanted Henry's mother to stop, and honestly he did too.

When he had enough, he burst into the room and stabbed him over and over again. Henry just wanted him to shut up, he wanted it all to shut up.

Once he was done, he ran out of the station, keeping to the shadows of the dark alleyways.

--------------------

Henry continues to stare up at the ceiling of the motel room. His mom had been gone for a while now. Sure, there was no possible way that cops could stop her, they both made sure of that. But of course that wouldn't stop vigilante justice from rising up. His mother was just one woman, and a group of people who wanted to avenge their slain neighbors could easily carry that task out. Fortunately, he hears the sound of the lock to the motel room clicking.

His mother walks into the room and removes her mask, an exhausted look on her face.

Henry gets up from his bed and runs over to her.

"Mom, are you alright? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Henry," she nods. "I'm...more than okay."

"So, it...it's over, now?" he asks, hopefully.

"Yes, it's done," she raises her hands to hold her son's face. "Now we're free. We can finally live a normal life."

"Where?"

"Anywhere you'd like," she smiles.

"Really?"

She nods once more.

"Then...then can we live...," he gives her the name of your hometown.

"I don't see why not. Although I don't know why out of all places you'd want to move there."

"I, um...," Henry sighs. "There's something I have to tell you."

A look of concern spreads across Marie's face.

"Okay."

"I...remember when we stopped there and...I had to kill that man at the carnival?"

She nods.

"And I told you that someone was following me around?"

"Yes."

"That...that wasn't true."

Marie's eyes widen.

"Henry," she places a hand over her heart.

"I know I should've done what you told me, and I did...eventually. I...I had fun with them, mom. For once in my life I felt normal. For once in my life I had fun. I...they gave me their number and I've been keeping in touch with them ever since. I...I love them, mom."

He finishes his confession and doesn't break his gaze from his mother's face.

A whole range of emotions go through her mind. She was upset at her son for lying to her. For getting distracted. Then again, that man paid in the end and...and her son was in love. And how was that something to be upset over.

"Oh, Henry," she pulls him into a hug, which he returns. "Remember to hold onto them tightly. To never let them go."

He nods.

"Now," she pulls away. "We've got a bit of a trip ahead of us. We need to rest up the best we can."

Henry smiles, and his mother walks away into the bathroom. He looks down at his hands. Hands that were conditioned to bring pain and death. But not anymore.

--------------------

Leaves in shades of oranges and browns dance in the wind as Henry walks down a sidewalk in your hometown. He and his mother pulled in a couple of hours ago, and he needed to stretch his legs.

Oh, and he also wanted to look for you as well.

He could've called you, but he wanted to find you. He wanted to surprise you. Luckily, he gets his chance.

As he passes by some diner windows, he glances inside and sees you sitting at a booth, too invested in your menu to notice him.

He enters, and you still don't look up. You don't look up until he is right by your booth.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Your head shoots up and a smile spreads across your face.

"Henry!" you stand from your seat and pull him into a tight embrace. He happily returns it. "When did you get into town?"

"A couple of hours ago. Decided to do some exploring."

You giggle and pull away.

"Oh! Are you hungry? Do you wanna have some lunch with me?" you ask

"Food sounds great."

Henry was no stranger with diner food once his mother decided to set her plan in motion. And you know what? He still enjoyed it. From eggs and pancakes to greasy hamburgers and french fries. So he ate what he ordered so eagerly, that you playfully asked him when the last time he even ate was.

Once the two of you finished eating and he made sure to beat you to paying at least for his own food, you decided to show him around town. All while you held his hand in your own, this time without the barrier of his leather gloves.

As you both walk, a flier catches your attention.

"Oh, hey! I got an idea!" you exclaim.

"What is it?" Henry asks, intrigued.

"The fall festival starts tomorrow. Do you wanna go?" you look up at him, still beaming.

"With you?" he asks, jokily. You nod.

"Well then. I think I do."

--------------------

You stand by the entrance of the festival, glancing around. Your friends came by and asked you to join them, but you told them you were waiting for someone, so they hesitantly left you be.

You eagerly bounce on the balls of your feet, the smells of cinnamon permeating the air. Then you spot him walking towards you, a smile on his face and his hands in his black trench coat pockets. You run to him, greeting him with a hug as you did back at the diner.

"What took you so long?" you ask.

"Sorry, my mom and I had to, uh, figure some things out," he says in a way that makes you want him to explain.

"What do you mean?" you look up at him. "How long are you two staying?"

"Hopefully forever."

Shock spreads across your face.

"Wha-wait? What?"

"Yeah, we...we're trying to find a place to live."

"I...," joy consumes you and you hug him even tighter. "Oh my God! Really?"

Henry chuckles and returns the hug, before patting you on the back.

"Come on. Are we gonna stand here, or are we gonna go to a festival?"

"Oh, right! Sorry," you pull away, and he offers you his hand, allowing you to drag him wherever you wanted to go.

--------------------

The night was no different to the night when you both first met, filled with games and candied apples. The only changes were that the weather was colder, and Henry was warmer.

Now the two of you were sitting at a picnic bench drinking some hot cocoa. While you were interested in your sweet beverage, he was glancing up at the lights strung up above you.

"This is nice," he remarks absentmindedly.

"It is," you smile over at him. He takes a deep breath before turning to you.

"Can I tell you something, Y/N?" he gazes into your eyes.

"Of course you can," you say, your cheeks growing warm from his eyes.

"I like this," he begins. "I like...I like hanging out with you."

"I like hanging out with you too, Henry," you nod.

"It...it's more than that," he shakes his head. "You're so sweet, so gentle. It's hard to believe that someone like you exists....And honestly, I am so happy that...that you decided to follow me around."

You let out a small laugh that makes his heartbeat increase.

"Yeah, I'm...I'm happy I decided to bug you, too. I had way more fun with you than I would've had by myself."

"There's...one more thing," after some debating in his head, Henry takes both of your hands into his own. "Until I met you, I didn't have the best life. My mom had me when she was young and my dad was killed. She had no one...she had nothing, and she tried to give me the best life she could, but....I knew that that life wasn't normal, that I wasn't normal. But you didn't care. You saw something in me."

He moves closer to you.

"When I'm with you, I feel normal. I feel so happy with you, and...a-and I love you, Y/N....I-I really really do."

You were silent throughout his whole confession, but you're smiling harder than you had ever before.

"You mean it?" you lean closer to him.

Henry nods, smiling back at your positive reaction.

It was at that moment that you felt like your happiness was overflowing, bubbling over the surface. So you do the first thing that comes to your mind.

You kiss him.

It's a little rough and awkward with you doing it so impulsively and with Henry having never kissed someone before, but you two evened it out rather quickly. And it felt like the best experience in your life. Both of your minds were completely empty, the only resident now being bliss. To make it even better, you both taste the hot cocoa on each other's lips.

Eventually, you two pull away, your smiles still not wiped away.

"I love you too, Henry," you begin. "I promise that I'll do anything I can to keep you happy."

Henry laughs.

"Believe me, Y/N, with you, that won't be very hard."

[buccig4ng]

Hii I was wondering if I could get a mista x reader lemon and he gives lots of praise cuz why not 🤪 anyway ty for taking the time to read have a good one 😌

oh my god this is such a good ask! i added a little bit of plot as well, i hope you don't mind!

summary: mista and you are out on a mission, and he starts acting like a needy bitch. you accept his offer after a bit of persuation, and hoo boy, do you not regret it at all.

word-count: 1039

warnings: 18+ content, afab reader, pet names (baby, darling, sweets, etc.), language, a lot of praise, semi-public sex, softdom!mista, just a long blowjob really.

!! nsfw under the cut, minors dni !!

You didn't know how it escalated to this. The last thing you remembered was you and Mista going on a mission together. Nothing too crazy; you just had to take out a couple of people. You both had arrived earlier than necessary, as Bucciarati had instructed you two to do so incase the targets arrived early. You suspected that Mista had had a crush on you for quite a while. Sure, he had always been a touchy bastard, but today more so than ever. Probably because of all the waiting you had to do; Mista had many qualities but patience was definitely not one of them. You had tried telling him off multiple times to stop doing that, reminding him that you were in the middle of a mission, but it seemed like he had no intentions to budge. "(Y/N)~" he whined, "The targets aren't going to arrive for another hour or so. What do you say about having some fun?" Mista winked cockily at the end of that sentence, making you cringe a little bit. Okay, maybe he was attractive as hell and you yourself had a teeny-tiny crush on him, but come on; Bucciarati would murder you both on the spot if he found out that you both had done the nasty on a job. "Mista. No." You replied sternly, hoping he would back down. Spoiler alert: he did not.

For the next 15 minutes or so, all you heard was Mista pouting and complaining, and your own agitated voice telling him to shut the fuck up. Finally, when he leaned down seductively and whispered in your ear, "C'mon (Y/N), I promise you won't regret it," did you widen your eyes and slowly pulled him closer to you, whispering back, "Okay, fine. But we better make this quick."

And THAT'S how it escalated to you being pinned against the heavily vandalised wall of the dark alley you were waiting in, all hot, flushed and sweaty. Mista was kissing you with a fervent amount of passion, and you reciprocated it to the best of your abilities. You felt his hands roam around your entire body, before dipping down to your hips and holding your body as close to his as was humanly possible. Your own hands rose up to his face, holding it tightly as you pulled away for a minute in order to catch your breath. Mista smirked at you, before nipping at your soft earlobe, eliciting a surprised gasp from you. He stopped, and spoke in a quiet, raspy voice, "(Y/N), you have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," He nipped at your ear once again before continuing, "You'll be a real good girl for me, won't you?"

You felt your panties getting soaked at his words. The effect his words had on you was surreal. "Mista," you whined, "I'll be as good as you want me to be." "Now, that's what I like to hear, darling." Mista chuckled, before pulling at your top, signalling you to take it off. Hurriedly, you rid yourself of your top and unhooked your bra, leaving the sight of your bare chest for Mista to take in and relish. "Holy shit," Mista exhaled, "You're so pretty, (Y/N). You're so fucking pretty." Feeling yourself blush at his words, you couldn't help but let a small smile form on your lips. Mista grabbed one of your breasts and licked its nipple, before taking it in his mouth and sucking it gently. You began to let out small whimpers and gasps; Mista was godly with his tongue. He switched his attention to your other nipple, sucking it a little harder now.

Is this what heaven felt like? You sure thought so. Just then, Mista stopped sucking on your nipples and said, "Playtime's over, baby. Shall we begin the show now?" You nodded, maybe a little too eagerly, and dropped down on your knees. "Damn," Mista cocked an eyebrow as you unbuckled his belt, "You're so eager to make me feel good, aren't you? Going to please me well, darling?" You nodded, once again, with the same amount of excitement. Once you stripped him of his pants, you could see his clothed erection, standing proud. You widened your eyes a little bit, and rushed to pull down his boxers. There it was, his cock in all its glory, red and huge and throbbing. You kitten licked the tip of his cock a few times and licked a stripe from its base to tip, making Mista grunt softly.  You managed to take most of him in your mouth, and used your hands for the little portion that still remained. You started moving your mouth, resisting the urge to gag as his dick went further and further down your throat. "Fuuuuuuck, baby," Mista groaned loudly, "Feels too good, never felt this good before. You're doing such a good fucking job, making me so happy." Mista ran his hands through your soft, silky (h/c) hair, with a look of pleasure on his face that you made sure to burn into your head. You wanted to remember this moment forever. You felt his cock twitch a little bit, before it unloaded a sizeable amount of cum into your mouth. You swallowed every little drop of it; it tasted a bit salty, but it definitely wasn't unpleasant.

Mista pulled his dick out of your mouth, and looked at you with a loving gaze in his eyes. "You did so well, baby. I'm so proud of you." You smiled a bright, genuine smile at him; Mista praising you made you feel butterflies in your stomach. He took one look at his watch, his eyes widening. "Fuck," he exclaimed, a bit of panic in his voice, "They'll be here any minute now." You stood up quickly, putting on your bra and your top. "Sorry about that, sweets," he said, a bit sheepishly, "I couldn't do much for you. Can you wait till this mission is over? I'll make you feel so good that my name will be falling from your mouth like a prayer." You chuckled, "How could I say no to something like that? Of course I'll wait, Mista."

Boy did he live up to his promise.

[lady-pug]

if we could wake up

Chapter I of Wouldn't It Be Nice

Summary: You sustain a head injury while on a mission but Whiskey isn’t fast enough to administer the alpha gel, so your memories of your time at Statesman don’t come back. Instead, you only remember up until the day before you were recruited and your memory ends up being reset every night. Jack makes it his mission to make you fall in love with him everyday (50 First Dates AU)

Pairing: Jack Daniels | Agent Whiskey x Reader

Word count: 1,1k

Warnings: major head injury (bullet to the head, but it's reversed using Statesman technology), memory loss

Notes: Hello dearest readers, it is I. I bring thee something that has been sitting among my WIPs for over two (I kid you not) whole years. I’ve had chapters one and two of this story completely ready stored in my files alongside all my other WIPs and simply never remembered to publish it FOR OVER TWO YEARS! Shame on me, wtf. Which makes me quite sad because it was one of my favorites to work on when I first came up with this idea. But anyways here it is.

I distinctly remember having come up with the idea for this after watching ‘50 First Dates’ four times in the same week (if it wasn’t clear by now this is my all time favorite rom-com) and thinking it fit right up with this cowboy right here.

I really hope you, dear reader, enjoy this story, and if you spot any mistakes, please feel free to warn me and I'll correct it right away, and feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

Reader is female, but no physical descriptions provided

Next part | Masterlist | Read on AO3

Bullets were flying, coming from everywhere. Whiskey could barely look over the cover he was hiding behind before someone was shooting at him.

“Ginger!” he screamed into the earpiece “Cider’s down!”

“What happened?” he heard the static voice of Agent Ginger Ale, or as her friends liked to call her, Elizabeth or Liz, over the comms.

“Dunno. Some goons are shooting at us. She just went down.” he ducked again after failing to locate his partner “Can’t even find her. Probably shot at.”

“Get to her immediately. If she got hit in the head you need to administer the alpha gel as soon as possible!”

“I’m trying here, Ging! Ain’t as easy with twenty guys aiming at your head.”

“Use one of those stunning bombs I made you.”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to use those prototypes yet.”

“That’s all you got now!” he could tell Ginger was becoming agitated “Just do it, Jack!”

He did just that. Picking up one of the stunning bombs in his pocket he threw it as hard as he could towards the barricade. A loud, piercing sound erupted almost immediately, hurting his ears even from where he was. Poor goons, he thought. With his ears still ringing, he took off using his whip and lasso to take out the men one by one.

Once the place was clear and no other enemies could be detected, he ran towards the place he last saw you. Where you had gone down. He came to a halt, however, his heart dropping to his stomach when his eyes landed on your slumped form, a bullet hole on your temple and blood covering the ground.

“Shit, Ging! They blew her brains out.”

“Administer the gel, quick! It’s been way too long already.”

He fumbled with the equipment, almost dropping the roll of gel, before he quickly placed  it over your face, making sure to cover the wound.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m here. I’m going to take care of you. Ging is going to fix your pretty little head in no time, yeah?”

The gel inflated and seemed to be doing its job. 

“Ginger, the gel’s been administered. What now?”

“I’m sending a rescue team your way. Try keeping her head slightly elevated.” she said “And Jack? She’s going to be okay.”

Jack nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. He moved around and propped his back against a tree, his legs extended in front of him. As carefully as he could, he dragged your body, laying your head on his lap, running his fingers through your hair.

“You are going to be fine, sweetheart. I promise.”

The following hours were amongst the longest of his life. Jack would even go as far as to say it was almost as long as the hours he went without any news from his wife the day she had died. As soon as the plane landed on the tarmac, a gurney was ready to take you, rolling you to Ginger’s lab.

She wouldn’t allow him to go inside. The machine you were currently hooked onto had nanoparticles working on your brain to regenerate your neurons, astrocytes and neuroglia, or something sciency he couldn’t quite understand. He was in absolute agony not knowing how you were.  

Finally, after what seemed like weeks, Ginger finally walked out of the lab. He scrambled to his feet from where he was sitting slumped against the wall in front of the lab’s doors.

“How is she?” he blurted out.

“Stable. But the damage to her brain was extensive. And the alpha gel wasn’t administered within the correct window of time.”

“Shit, Liz- I- If I had gotten to her quicker…”

“Hey, hey Jack” she laid a hand on his shoulder “It’s not your fault. There were 23 men shooting at the both of you. Our entire elite squad couldn’t take them all out that quick. You did all you could.”

He sighed, only half believing her.

“What does that mean to her?”

It was Ginger’s turn to sigh.

“I don’t know yet. I’ll only be able to assess the real extent of the damage once she wakes up.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Why don’t you take a shower, maybe try taking a nap? I’ll wake you up if anything changes.”

He nodded, actually wanting desperately to clean up now that Ginger mentioned it, but already knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink until he knew you were safe. 

Jack walked slowly back towards his quarters, almost dragging his feet into the shower. The water seemed to sooth his aches, but not his worries. He couldn’t get the image of your form, suddenly dropping lifeless, out of his head. Everytime he closed his eyes that scene replayed in the back of his eyelids like some sick, twisted film.

He couldn’t lose you. He couldn’t lose another person he- shit, did he love you? You have been partners for years now, always had each other's backs. You were one of the few people he truly trusted, someone he felt comfortable enough to open up and be vulnerable. To be himself. Recently, he’s started feeling something more than just the friendship you’ve nourished for the past years. He felt the urge to protect you, even though he knew for a fact you could look after yourself. He wanted to kiss you goodnight and wake up next to you the following morning. So did he love you? 

Yeah. Yeah, he did. He knew that now. And he couldn’t lose you.

Laying on his bed, his hair was still wet from the shower when Ginger pinged him. He was out of bed and halfway across the base in the blink of an eye. He couldn’t remember running that fast in years. Bursting through the door of the lab, he found you sitting on one of the pristine white beds, Ginger in front of you holding a clipboard.

“Sweetheart…”

Both you and Ginger looked at him with wide eyes. Ginger walked around your bed in his direction.

“Whiskey, wait-” but he didn’t listen.

“Sweetheart, thank all things sacred, you’re okay!” 

He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around you in the tightest embrace you two had ever shared. He pulled back, hardly noticing the way you stiffened in his embrace, cupping your cheeks so he could look into your eyes.

“Jack-” he faintly registered Ginger’s voice behind him, but he didn’t truly care. All he cared about was that you were safe. That is until you opened your mouth to talk.

“I’m sorry,” you smiled politely at him “but who are you?”

[jesssssssssica]

won't say i'm in love gr63

get a grip y/n. look at you, falling for a guy with two first names. curse you george russell and your gorgeous green eyes that lure you in and your muscles that for some reason make me starstruck every time i see them.

for some reason you make my stomach feel so strange like there is something in there, and no before you say anything, it’s not butterflies. no, it’s probably just me feeling sick whenever i see your face because you annoy the hell out of me, yeah that’s probably it, definitely not anything to do with me maybe possibly just the tiniest bit in love with you. that's simply not possible.

i don't even know why i continue to think about this topic, this possibility that i, even in the slightest, could possibly love, no like a man like you. especially not when no man has ever made me feel like this.

how come the first man that makes me feel as if i'm someone is george freaking russell? the same george russell that pushed me off the goddamn track and ruined my chances of getting a world champion title. the same george russell that would always seem to roll his eyes and scoff at anything i would say when interviewed together.

how could i ever feel such a thing for a man that angers me so very much? or am i just overexaggerating everything? maybe we're just close to the border that separates love and hate. either way i'm sure it's just a little thing, i'm sure it'll pass soon and that way george russell will just be another one of the 19 drivers that i have to go against every weekend. i'll just remember him as someone that was part of that weird phase that everyone goes through.

i mean if i was wanting to start a relationship with someone why would i choose someone that i spend so much time with, someone that i literally have to compete against every single week? it just doesn't work and besides all that it's george russell.

it doesn't help either that i always have lando and alex down my ears going on and on about how george and i are "made for each other". oh how i wish they would realise that nothing is ever going to happen between us, even though that would be nic- what am i talking about.

every time lando and alex bring him up i can't help but listen to the 'proof' they have that something is brewing between me and number 63 and i have to give them credit because sometimes it even has me believing in the possibilities. i mean the last time they spoke to me, for the rest of the day, i was constantly blushing and getting flustered every time george would pass by me, occasionally brushing against each others sides. but nonetheless i will forever see george russell as nothing more than competition, which once again shows that we would never work out, how can you love someone and yet still want to punch them so hard in the guts.

even if i were to possibly like him, i wouldn't dare ever say it out loud, not a chance. i mean how cliché is it that the girl who swears she absolutely hates this one boy ends up falling for him in the end.

and it's not as if i don't understand the self sabotage i'm doing to myself, i've been through this before and by now i thought my heart must've learned its lesson, to not fall in love, but no here i am falling in love with him.

and yeah maybe it will feel so good in the beginning, having someone that treats you like a queen, desperate to impress you so they can reel you in but then it turns sour but it's strange because it's almost like a nice sour, oh i really am desperate.

i know how wrong this is of me, feeling as if i've committed a sin, for falling for someone, especially a man like george russell, a man i was committed to hate for the rest of my life, though i can’t seem to help myself.

i can’t help that he has the most gorgeous eyes and the most perfect face and soul and i most certainly cannot help it that whenever i’m around him, my stomach seems to explode into a hundred pieces.

i can’t help it either that george just won’t seem to leave me alone, no matter how obvious i make it that i want to put some distance between us, making it practically impossible for me to not find him a little pretty.

i thought i’d learnt my lesson from the rollercoaster of my last relationship, where it starts out peaceful and lovely and then you suddenly want to rip your hair out in frustration, crying your eyes out at the stupidity of the situation. 

though it seems i had not. 

of course i didn’t. 

and of course the reason i find myself falling is because of george william russell. 

brilliant. 

though i’ll never say it aloud. never. i can’t let myself fall for another person, not when i know i could get hurt. i want to say something but surely this is all just an exaggeration, i’ve just never been able to tell the difference between love and liking someone in a platonic way. 

yes, that’s it, i’ve just finally come to the realisation that me and george are friends and that’s this feeling that i’m going through.

oh, let’s be realistic y/n you love him. 

but i will never say it out loud.

[praisethesuuun]

Hello 💖 I am not sure if you still open a request, but can I request a one shot about Thor? I am sorry but I do not have any plots on my mind, so please feel free to write any topics you want

Thank you 🙌 Hope you have a nice day

I tried my best, dear anon, hope you like it! I tried to use my knowledge in runes as I read them myself - even if mine are dedicated to Odin - and adapt them imaginatively. That said, I'll leave you with the reading🧡

Thor x reader: Worth

Type: fluff

Warnings: none

Our world is full of secrets. You intended to discover them all, stealing the eyes from the beating heart of nature, visiting worlds never seen before. Your curiosity urged you to let your mind travel, like a bird taking its first flight.

Power radiated from the bag containing your runes, unleashing moments of pure freedom in your soul, especially when you felt your patron's hand guiding yours with each draw. It was warm, empowering, and strong, like lightning striking the surface of the water, spreading its shock everywhere. Your beloved runes were consecrated to Thor, the only god you felt right, because that's what you felt as soon as you said the name of the first sign during the blessing; the god of thunder had accompanied you throughout your life, guiding you on the way to Valhalla at the time of your death.

His presence was unique, radiant, Thor inspired your every reading and, once you arrived in heaven, you were surprised to hear the request he had made of you: "Fight with me, if you're strong enough, I'll take you under my wing"

This was the proposal he had made to you three days ago and you were terrified of it. "Please, just help me..." but your runes weren't responding, probably Thor was blocking their power to prevent you from predicting the outcome of your test: he wanted to see your maximum power, what you had learned in the years he had been with you, he wanted to see his future apprentice.

In fact, Thor was so hoping to see you win: your fighting style was worthy of a god, the runes danced across your skin in unrestrained prayer, flooding his ears every time you invoked him. Before you, many shamans had consecrated their runes to him, but none had been able to handle the power of Thurisaz, his personal symbol…only you.

No matter how many times your arms burned when you held it close in your hand, the flashes that erupted didn't emphasize you more than you were used to; before long, you were able to trap thunder in a mortal body.

A human with that much strength and power couldn't go unnoticed, which brings us to your current situation.

"I could block it with Isa, then...no, it's not good..." you muttered under your breath, while you were searching for something - anything, at this point - to beat your god, a task that looked impossible.

Holding Uruz in your hand for strength, you rolled your eyes, only to collapse on your bed, defeated and with a thousand thoughts in your head: who would have ever thought you'd end up like this?

The match would have been the next day, early in the morning, when dawn turns the clouds pink and the sky begins to turn clear blue.

"Let's hope we don't die for the second time"

And that was your last thought before you collapsed.

❛ ━━･❪ ᛟ ❫ ･━━ ❜

On the other hand, Thor was having a great time listening to you from behind the door, after all, it was at his personal temple that you were staying overnight. He really hoped you would prove your worth.

There is a belief that each god takes a human - usually, wizards or shamans - under protection by staying with him as he grows up and blessing him with luck and power. Well, Thor had vied to have you: apparently, Zeus had eyed you too, not only for your good looks, but also to add you to his collection of heroes; but do we really want to trust Zeus? No. Thor couldn't stand it and, being his blessing on your family for millennia, he certainly couldn't leave you at the mercy of that pervert.

Just the thought made his blood boil.

To tell the truth, initially he didn't even want to fight you, yet his father Odin was obsessed with this thing, where you had to prove that you could be a brave warrior; perhaps this obsession of his was linked to your death, this had been natural, you hadn't died in battle or in some heroic enterprise, yet you were there.

When no more curses were coming from your room, Thor walked away silently, which seemed impossible given his size, and then headed in the direction of his rooms. "You're going to make her win anyway, aren't you?"

"Go away, Loki"

The last thing the god of thunder needed was the god of mischief. It was not uncommon for the latter to appear at the wrong time on the wrong day, Thor was used to it by now, but this time Loki had to be careful of his words. "So? Cat got your tongue? Well...more than usual" said Loki floating gracefully at the height of the other's head, speaking close to his ear and trying to keep up. Thor was already starting to get annoyed, but still didn't want to respond to provocations. Though, he somehow wished the god of deceit was right: if only he could have let you win so easily, he wouldn't be so agitated now.

Valhalla had strict rules, laws that the gods must follow to the letter; Fate is an ancient force that has ruled the universe since its inception. We cannot oppose it. "We'll see," replied the red-haired god, before abandoning his heckler to take refuge in his chambers.

Loki stood there, with an amused grin.

❛ ━━･❪ ᛟ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"When the sun touches the tip of that pillar, our fight will end"

Thor's voice was low, hoarse; you've never heard him like this, partly because of his reserved nature, partly because of his scarf that muffles his words. Your heart skipped a beat as you prepared yourself inside the small ring, carefully drawn on the ground and with an agile hand. Just over two fingers deep and shaped like a perfect circle.

Your sparkling eyes were in stark contrast to his, precious as pure gold, but with enormous concern. His hammer rested on his shoulder, as if it didn't weigh at least a ton; you were always so surprised to witness the physical strength of the god, it was just a shame had to unleash it at you now.

"Uruz" I said, while two magic circles appeared on your legs, shining like dew in the sunlight; you leapt forward avoiding a hammer blow in the face. Thor didn't seem surprised and, within a few seconds, he grabbed the hilt of his weapon again, preparing to attack again. At the same time, your move had placed you behind the god, freezing his legs with Isa engraved on your hand. Your arm was engulfed in ice, spreading across the ground and attacking the god's metal boots.

Thor broke it without any problems. "Shit"

A kick sent you flying to the ground, with a searing pain in your knees and taking your breath away. Your eyes widened, all your enthusiasm turned to adrenaline and survival instinct. Despite the shock, you were still able to cast Algiz, creating a shield around your figure, parrying an attack and establishing distance.

When you turned to look at your opponent, he had a satisfied smile, the most beautiful you've ever seen. You blushed suddenly, surprising you with your mind to make you have certain deathbed thoughts. "Wait..." you said, something wasn't right "...where's the hammer?"

Your mind didn't even have time to process it, that Thor, leaping quickly, was able to pin you to the ground, unloading all his weight on you. You were looking into each other's eyes, intensely and suddenly; from the touch of his hands you could feel the storm, the immensity of a god as powerful as he was. A shiver ran down your spine as the air generated by the spinning Mjolnir kicked up a fuss, passing over you two before stopping after hitting a pillar as thick as a house.

Thor's expression hadn't changed, indeed now it even seemed playful. "I won," he said slowly. Your heart broke, while your eyes became clear at the thought of having failed your God. "I'm so so-"

But I didn't have time to finish the sentence, that his soft lips crashed on yours, capturing them in a sweet, comforting kiss. Actually, Thor didn't care about Fate, the fact that you lasted more than half a second was already a record for him. You didn't think twice about reciprocating, feeling flooded with an energy you've never seen before and feeling the runes quiver. There you were, just the two of you, with all the time in the world and the fresh morning air; the thought of letting him down was gone, as a new life of learning opened up before you.

[rendy-a]

Ready to Dance with the Third Years

This is the last preview before the event comes. I'll probably get to 500 followers some time this week, so watch for it! I hope you've been enjoying these little mood-setting fics until then.

“Awe, come on, Prefect,” Cater wined, “Just one shot?”  You rolled your eyes back at him, “And who would I even dance with?”  Today you were in the courtyard with the third year students turning it into a ballroom dance space via magic.  Well, mostly magic.  You were just trailing around the seniors and doing any odd task they handed to you.  When Cater had called you over, you expected some odd job to run and not…this.  “This place is totally camable but I just need some dancing to really light up those likes.  Come on, Prefect, do a friend a favor?” 

You hesitate; it’s not that you are unwilling its just that you don’t know how to dance.  You hesitatingly admit to this face and Cater is astonished.  What?  It’s not like everyone knows how to dance!  Looking for back-up, you call over to Trey, “You understand, right Trey?  Just not everyone knows how to do these fancy dances.”  He adjusts his glasses and gives you a surprisingly evil looking grin, “Oh, I can’t say I do, Prefect.  I’ve been dancing with Riddle since we were kids.”  Your expression must look astonished based off the laughter of the Heartslabyul boys.  “Yeah, Riddle always did enjoy orderly ballroom dances and liked to teach Chey’na and I.”  You could well picture it.

That doesn’t mean that everyone dances though!  You sweep your gaze over the room, looking for an ally in this.  You mistakenly rest your eyes for just a short moment on Rook but that was too long to escape notice.  In fact, by the way he quickly rose and came to join you in your conversation, it was obvious that he had been listening.  “Why, Trickster, you have not yet had the joy of dancing with a partner?  C'est vrai?”  You don’t respond but that in no way discourages Rook from continuing on.  With a dramatic gesture, he lays his hand to his head, “To never feel the heat of your dear one in your arms as you twirl beneath the moonlight?  Quelle dommage!  But Trickster, is this not the perfect opportunity to learn?”

Then, with a sly look on his face, he adds, “Perhaps you shall even find a Prince Charming to partner with,” and looks pointedly at a garden bench.  You look tentatively over it and find an annoyed Leona napping on the other side.  He seems as though he intends to ignore you but Rook approaches the end of the bench and allows Leona’s tail, flicking in agitation, to brush against his glove.  In a moment, Leona is up and sliding to the far end of the bench and away from the huntsman.  Rook smiles, “Why it is Roi des Lions!  I wonder what brings you to this bench?” 

Trey and Cater join you in leering over the side of the bench, all present knowing that Leona is here slacking off from duty.  You smile as wickedly as the others, “Gee Leona, what ARE you doing over here?”  Leona considers the attention, twitches an ear and remarks, “So the Herbivore needs to learn to dance, huh?”  You point your finger at him and shout, “Don’t change the subject!”  It’s no use though, he has appealed to the crowd successfully and Cater jumps right onboard, “Yeah, I’m going to get a great shot of the Prefect dancing for my magicam…just as soon as they learn how!”  You consider trying to appeal to Trey but when you turn your head, you see he now has that same wicked smile directed at you.  Traitor.

You scratch your head thoughtfully and attempt to weasel your way out of the situation, “It’s not so much that I NEED to learn to dance, its more like I just…am choosing not to dance.  Be…because there isn’t any music.  I mean, if there was music, I totally would but there isn’t so…”  Then you give your shoulders an exaggerated shrug as if to say, ‘Looks like there is nothing to be done.’  Suddenly, a dulcet tune played on violin reverberates in the courtyard.  Your expression drops in dismay as you turn to find Lilia holding an instrument.  “It’s quite a shame Malleus isn’t here.  He is far better at playing this one than I.  Unfortunately, it appears that someone failed to deliver an invitation to him.”  Cater guiltily looks away.  “However, I’d still be delighted to play a tune for the Prefect so they can learn to dance.  Dancing is an essential skill for young people.”  He then gives you a delighted chuckle, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

You force out a thin smile, “Oh, great.  Thanks ever so much, Lilia.”  You’ve amused him, you see it in his face full of plump cheek and gentle eyes.  It was nothing like the smile Leona was giving you; that was sharp, predatory, and calculating.  “So, what’s it going to be, Herbivore?  More excuses or are you going to show me what you’ve got?”  You raise your chin and give him the haughtiest look you could manage, “Well, Your Highness, if you are going to call for me to dance, how shall I refuse?”  Then you turn as you walk to position and jibe, “I just hope your feet feel the same way afterwards.” 

Leona gives you a tight look, but you feel that warning is fair.  You weren’t wrong, learning to dance was a bit more difficult than you expected.  It’s not even that you stepped on his feet on purpose, it’s more like you think you’ve finally gotten the steps only to have him turn unexpectedly or move in a different way and suddenly, there you are stomping all over his toes.  Leona was not amused but it felt like everyone else was.  You could see the snickering each time you stumbled.  Finally, someone was unable to hold it in, “Kwe he he!” came a laugh from the shadows and Leona whips his head around and snarks, “If you think you can do better, Radish Sprouts, feel free to cut in!”  A yelp and flare of flame confirms Leona had identified the source of laughter correctly.

Idia slowly creeps out from behind a tree and looks nervously at the group.  You can tell he is mumbling but cannot make out the words.  From the way Leona’s mouth creases into a tight line, you suspect he can.  “Does Idia know how to dance?” you ask in disbelief.  Idia gets a crazed half grin showcasing his sharp teeth and brags, “You’re a total noob.  I’ve got high score on all the Doko Dance games.  I’ve also memorized every cheer for my favorite idol groups.  Some might call me a pro even!”  Leona doesn’t enjoy the challenge and remarks dryly, “Well, well, it looks like Radish Sprouts wants to dance with the star of the ball after all.” Then he swivels you to face Idia and gives you a little push. 

You crash into Idia and its like you’ve tripped some switch to send him into panic mode.  The smile is wiped from his face and his fiery hair flames into a brighter red tone.  “What happened?  How did I trigger so much aggro?  I need to perform a stealth check to get out of this situation.  I don’t want to get paired up with the noob on this mission!”  Unfortunately, this time you are close enough to Idia to hear his rambling.  You aren’t mad, not really, because you’ve long since come to understand that Idia just is this way.  He can be annoying but is mostly harmless, except to your ego.

A sharp clicking of heals alerts you to someone’s approach.  “Is this where everyone has been?  I’ve finished the Pomefiore section flawlessly, but it looks like the rest of you still have work to do.” Vil finished his rebuke in a cold tone.  Idia squeeks and rushes off.  The others leave in a much more casual manner but seem to agree it’s not worth going against Vil over.  Except for Leona.  He bares his teeth and drawls, “I was so looking forward to the work, but it seems the poor Herbivore here needs a Prince to teach them to dance.”  He steps toward you, but Vil smoothly steps in between to block him.

“I may not be a real prince, but I play one on TV.  I assure you that, by the time the set-up is finished, I’ll have the Prefect dancing to the Pomefiore standard.” Vil cooly replies.  Leona gives a mock bow and saunters off to prod his dorm students into finishing the Savanahclaw chores.  You give Vil an awkward smile, “Gee, thanks for helping me.”  He smiles at you in a way that isn’t comforting at all, “Don’t be so eager to thank me, Prefect.  I am quite the demanding teacher.” 

You found this to be true.  Vil danced with an easy grace and skillfully avoided your clumsy steps.  Each mistake though was met with unforgiving correction.  It was a hard afternoon of practice but true to his word, by the time the sun was beginning to set, you could passably waltz.  You remarked on how good he was at teaching dance.  “I should be.  I’ve had my fair share of whipping country potatoes into shape.  You are hardly even the worst case I’ve had this year,” he responds with an amused grin.  You picture Epel when he says this and silently promise to treat him to something nice at lunch tomorrow. 

Finally, the last of the tasks needed for the goodwill dance are complete.  You head home to Ramshackle, weary but satisfied.  As you pass along the fence of the dorm, you spot some tell-tale green lights in the distance.  A small grin alights your face and you quicken your pace.  “Tsunataro!” you greet.  In the twilight, the fae prince was quite an intimidating sight but never seemed as such to you.  A barely perceivable smile sits on his lips as he returns the greeting.  “You missed the set-up earlier,” you comment, “were you busy?”  A strike of lightning flashes in the distance and you decide you should maybe let that subject drop.

“Well, it was boring anyway.  You didn’t really miss anything,” you begin, “Oh!  Except for one thing!  I learned to dance.”  You allow a prideful expression to grace your face.  “So now I’m fully ready to dance with the next damsel or Prince I come across.”  Malleus chuckles deeply, “Oh, so you are requesting a dance from me, Prefect?”  You startle, realizing how your random comment could be interpreted that way, “Oh no, not…I mean yes.  I do request the honor of a dance.  If you are willing…”  You trail off and look nervously at your friend.  When he smiles at you and gives a hearty laugh, you smile back before holding out your hand. 

The goodwill dance was only a few days away, but you were no longer afraid.  In this single day, you’d danced with a celebrity and two princes.  The time to be nervous was over.  You were the Prefect of Ramshackle dorm and a traveler of worlds.  This dance had better be prepared for you!  You grin up at the darkening sky, feeling your confidence surge.  You were ready to be the star of your own story.  Starting with this dance.

[spinjitsuburst]

Can you tell more abt morro in the cabinet man au im curious

MORROOOOOOOOOO

i love morro so SO much i couldn't stand the idea of not using him in the AU so i said fuck it its MY turn with the sad ghost man

season 5 and the day of the departed happen RIGHT before Prime Empire - at the end of the season, instead of succumbing to his death, Morro's arm gets grabbed last minute. But not by Wu.

By Lloyd

they end up saving Morro from his death that we see in the show. Morro doesn't understand. Lloyd... doesn't really understand it either. the experience of being possessed and forced to hurt his friends while trapped in his own body was horrible, sickening, terrifying.

But Lloyd can empathize with Morro all the same. And the idea of his uncle losing his adopted son not once but TWICE drove Lloyd to action before he could even process what he was doing

it takes quite a while but eventually the ninja and morro warm up to each other - i could probably write a whole fic in and of itself about that period of time but for now i'm just sticking with the aftermath of it -and Morro ends up getting revived along with Cole during the day of the departed

Morro doesn't fully stick around all the time - he spends a lot of time with Wu and the ninja, but he also really wants to rediscover himself and who HE wants to be, outside of the green ninja. he's actually not with the group when Prime Empire happens, so when he shows back up they suddenly have a sparking new member with pointed ears and a tail. They realize that maybe Morro could be the one to help Jay, who's in this strange state mentally of feeling like he's not really a person. He and Morro become close FAST, and end up being best friends

(a page from a comic that i'll probably never end up finishing at this point lmao)

like i said, morro kind of pops in and out of the AU - he's still trying to figure himself out and after everything, he's tired of fighting and just wants to spend time with his family and friends

so far i know he ends up being present in the Hands of Time, Tournament of Elements, Skybound, and Seabound. The other seasons are kind of up in the air as to whether he'll be involved or not