#No more holding a frying pan and cracking eggs into it

[oculusxcaro]

One thing that makes me sad about Khare is that even if by some slim miracle she does end up getting cured (or her body somehow manages to fight off the mutation), she's still going to have a hard time living a day-to-day life given she's an amputee. Cooking, cleaning and other chores would be much harder to do with only one hand and some tasks becoming downright impossible to do. The scarring she could live with but Khare would feel even more useless only having some of the functionality she used to.

[elexaria]

dating simon riley wasn’t always easy. “i’m a bloody nutcase, eh?” he’d joke when he’d wake up in a cold sweat, taking deep breaths as his calloused thumb rasps against the soft cotton bedsheets, grounding him back to reality. “puts all my efforts to shame when i wake up like this. fuck’s sake.”

therapy is mandatory, especially given his role as lieutenant. the traumas of childhood, the torture. he thinks he’s good at dealing with his problems, thinks therapy is a waste of time. “what, it’s just a bloke sat there starin’ at me? hell, get me a piece of paper with some made up degree on it and even i could be a therapist.” he grumbles after you point out that, in fact, he’s not as good as coping with his trauma as he thinks he is.

“you need to actually give this a go, si. it’s..” you pause, biting the inside of your lip as you make breakfast. his hair is disheveled, wry strands of grey sticking up against the grain. his dark circles only exemplify just how tired he is, especially when he has his night terrors. you shake your head, sighing as you crack another egg into the frying pan. “how can i expect you to stay safe out there when you’re barely able to look after yourself when you’re home?” you sigh out as he grunts, taking a seat at the small dining table, his eyes skimming through the morning paper.

god, he’s such a stubborn bastard. it takes months to get him to at least consider finding a new therapist, to get him to actually care about his mental health. christ, if he can’t do it for himself, can’t he at least try for your sake?

and then, it’s like he has a lightbulb moment. you come home after a long day at work, only to find him sat at the dining table, writing scruffy notes in a ring bound notebook. “mission notes?” you ask curiously, keeping your eye on him as you make yourself a cup of tea. he grunts, shaking his head as he continues to write.

“it’s a diary. supposed to help with your mental health or summet.” he replies, settling his pen down to meet your gaze. you must have had a look of confusion on your face, and it makes the corners of his lips twitch up into a half-smile. “yeah, i know. a bloke like me with a diary, like i’m a bloody teenage girl.” he quips, now grinning as his fingers toy with the corners of the notebook. “writin’ about all the boys i fancy on the field.” he shoots a wink, before continuing to write some more in his notebook.

it’s actually surprising, a smile on your lips as you watch him in his own little world, actually making an effort in his mental health recovery. you come over, settling a warm cup of tea by him before pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of his head, still smiling as you make your way upstairs to give him some privacy. he comes upstairs after half an hour, chucking the diary into his bedside table drawer before sprawling out onto the bed obnoxiously with a deafening groan. you whine and complain when he purposely stretches on you, gently crushing you with his bolder-esque shoulders with a massive grin on his face.

there were still bad days, though. days where he’d hide himself in the garage to work on some of his projects. but you’re both trying, he feels his heart break when you gently knock on the door, holding a plate of snacks and a cup of tea for him, and fuck, it makes his bad day slightly better.

that evening, he curls up besides you silently on the couch, his journal and pen in hand as he clears his throat. you curiously peer down as he begins to flick through the pages of chicken scratch, gently tapping the page as he looks up at you. he clears his throat, and begins to read out the sweetest paragraph, one that makes your eyes well up with tears.

“no idea where i would be without you, love. you make the darkest days of my life brighter than ever. you make life worth it.” he ends his speech , the timbre of his voice cracking with emotion as he looks at you. and right there, you know that through all the trials and tribulations you two will go through, you’re the love of simon riley’s life and he would never let you forget that.

[5starluvr]

Sweet mornings

Paring:Hwang hyunjin x Reader

Genre: fluff,fluff and more fluff

A/n:A post to remind everyone that I exist😪

You crack eggs into a sizzling pan, the familiar rhythm of the morning a comforting constant. Sunlight streams through the kitchen window, painting golden stripes across the countertop as the scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the air. Humming along to the quiet melody playing from your phone, you're lost in the routine when suddenly, strong arms wrap around your waist.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Hyunjin murmurs behind you, his voice a low rumble tickling your ear. He nuzzles his cheek against your shoulder, his scent of mint shampoo and laundry detergent a welcome contrast to the frying bacon.

You yelp, startled, but a smile tugs at your lips despite the initial scare. "Hyunjin! Don't sneak up on me like that," you swat him playfully. "Almost gave me a heart attack."

"But how else am I supposed to get my morning cuddle?" he whines, exaggerating a pout.

You roll your eyes playfully. "Fine, fine. Your cuddle privileges are reinstated."

He tightens his hold, pressing a light kiss to your exposed shoulder. "Mmm, breakfast smells amazing. What are you making, Chef Y/N?"

"Just your usual," you reply, expertly flipping the bacon with a spatula. "Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. You know, the survival essentials."

Hyunjin chuckles. "Survival essentials, huh? That toast better not resemble charcoal again." He playfully pokes a finger at your back, earning a light swat with the spatula.

"Hey! I've improved!" you protest, your cheeks warm with laughter. "Besides, who cares if it's a little burnt when you have this amazing breakfast chef right here?"

Hyunjin spins you around in his arms, trapping you between him and the counter. He leans down, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Alright, Chef. How about I sweeten the deal for some extra crispy toast?"

Your heart hammers in your chest. "Oh yeah? And how exactly do you propose to do that?"

Hyunjin's lips curve into a sly grin. "Just one taste," he whispers, leaning impossibly close.

Before you can respond, he captures your lips in a soft kiss, the taste of coffee and sleep lingering between you. He pulls away, his eyes locked with yours. "Deal?"

[just-late-roman-republic-things]

Roman politicians attempting to fry an egg.

Marius: Holds out his shield over an open fire and smashes an egg on it. "This is an old trick from my days crossing Numidia." Burns his hand holding the shield; does not appear to notice. You probably don't want to eat that egg.

Sulla: Used to scramble eggs all the time for hangover cures. Likes to add cheap shitty garum for flavoring. Assures you that the egg is "definitely not poisoned."

Lucullus: Knows 14 different ways to flavor an omelette but stares blankly when you tell him he's not allowed to hand instructions to his chef.

Crassus: Spends more time assessing the value of the house than watching the stove. Burns the egg. Eats it anyway.

Pompey: Claims he can make a much better fried egg than Crassus. Egg ends up on the ceiling.

Caesar: Buys pre-hardboiled eggs and eats them whole while typing emails. If you can pry him away from his cell phone (and your wife) he'll put the egg in the microwave.

Cicero: Starts a house fire by accident.

Catiline: Starts a house fire on purpose.

Cato the Younger: Insists on doing it the old fashioned way. Open fire, iron pan, no stove. Does not check if egg is fresh and gives himself food poisoning.

Mark Antony: Cannot fry an egg because he threw his entire stock of eggs at the side of Cicero's house.

Lepidus: Cracks open egg; yolk and white immediately get all over the floor. Storms off, slips on yolk, and gives himself a concussion.

Octavian: Looks up an egg-frying tutorial. Writes out steps and list of supplies. Locates egg, pan, cooking oil, salt, spatula, and stove. Catches himself on fire midway through because he didn't remove his toga.

Marcus Agrippa: Has a great time testing out modern culinary appliances. Fixes the leaky sink. The kitchen is spotless when he leaves. "What egg?"

(More Roman politicians in strange places)

[joehawke]

idk why this just popped into my head, but thinking about Steve who’s actually insanely smart, he always got straight A’s in school and the whole “dumb jock” was just a stereotype that Steve got stuck under and just never tried to prove wrong. Who cared whether or not he was actually smart? So he just played along. (Besides, it was an in to flirt with the girls; to pretend like he didn’t know what he was doing.) His parents had him tutored since he was old enough to count on his fingers, and sure it was exhausting, but it was something he was good at. Math, reading, science, it all came easy to him. He liked being able to impress the people around him. When he got involved with the upside down, the one thing that didn’t crumble around him was his studies. He was determined to make his parents proud. When it was time to send out all his college applications, his parents hadn’t returned home in months and by the time he heard back from the schools the upside down was worse than it’s ever been and it just wasn’t a concern anymore. So Steve stuffed the enveloped futures away. He had completely forgot about them. Until now.

It’s been a month since Hawkins cracked open. Max and Eddie both have been discharged from the hospital, on strict rehabilitation protocols. Because Wayne still had to work despite the government hush money, Steve decided it was best for Eddie to stay with him. Besides, the house is quiet and lonely, why not put it to good use? Steve had been downstairs frying eggs on a pan when Eddie came bounding around the corner clutching a stack of opened envelopes. He looked confused.

“What’s wrong Eds? What are those?” Steve asked, and when Eddie started rifling through the envelopes Steve caught the slightest sight of his school symbols. His heart dropped. “Eddie it’s not -“

“Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia -“ Eddie starts naming off as he rifles through each envelope.

“Eddie.”

“You got into them all Steve. There’s like 10 different top notch schools here that you got into. Why has no one heard about this? And why are they stuffed in a drawer?”

“Because I’m not going” Steve says simply, like it was the easiest decision to make.

“What? What the fuck do you mean you’re not going?” Eddie asks appalled. And Steve gets why, he does, but he’s also determined to stand his ground.

“Why does it matter? I’m not going” Steve pouts, crossing his arms.

“Stevie. Did your parents pay for you to get in or something? Did they use the Harrington name you hate so much? There’s gotta be a reason you won’t go besides just being a stubborn asshole” and Steve gets why he‘a asking, and he’s never been hurt by it, but part of Steve flinches at the fact that Eddie couldn’t believe that Steve got in on his own account.

“No. It doesn’t matter, can we just drop it?”

“No. No we can’t. Do you know how badly I would KILL to get into any school, let alone an IVY. This is incredible Steve.” Eddie states, padding closer into the kitchen and Steve has to hold back a laugh at his rabbit slippers.

“I can’t go” Steve says quietly, turning away from Eddie and back to the stove where the eggs are starting to burn.

“Why though? Can you tell me that much?” Eddie asks, matching Steve’s soft tone.

“Because I have to be here. I have to be here incase Vecna isn’t really gone. Incase the kids need me. Incase Robin needs me. I can’t just leave…” Steve says, turning back towards Eddie to look at him before turning back towards the burnt eggs.

“Stevie. They’ll be fine. When are you gonna put yourself first sweetheart? I need a valid reason why you’re staying and I’ll drop it, because these aren’t -“

“Because you’re here!” Steve yells, turning back towards Eddie. Steve watches as Eddie’s lips part ever so slightly as his breath hitches before he continues. “When I got accepted into those schools the people who I did that for weren’t here anymore and fucking Henry Creel apparently was more prominent than ever, and the kids needed someone to take a hit and someone to protect them and Robin was here and she was the first person to care about me and what would that say about me if I left? And eventually those stupid schools were the furthest thing from my mind and then I thought about maybe going, maybe getting away from this hell… you came along and I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave you Eddie. With the regards of sounding cheesy, you carved a spot into my heart along side those bat bites and how was I supposed to just let you go after that?” Steve’s out of breath, and tears are starting to gather at his waterline, but he doesn’t care because Eddie is looking at him like he hung the sun and the moon and the stars and he remembers why he stays. And when Eddie’s lips collide with his own, he thinks he found home.

“We’re not done talking about this” Eddie says, and Steve chuckles as Eddie dives back in.

[verahella]

♡ 𝐃𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒 — 𝐆. 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 ♡

it was nine pm on a sunday night and you were not ready to deal with an emotional, drunk sorcerer laying on your couch. you look back down at the note in your hand, which you had found stapled to a stumbling gojo’s jacket on your doorstep.

you can take him back. we never want him over again. love, nanami and geto.

you sigh, crumpling up the paper and throwing it into the dustbin. like the past ten minutes, satoru immediately whines your name the moment you’re gone from his vision.

“i’m coming, you man-child.” you grumble, going to the kitchen. like a pacified baby, your boyfriend’s yells quieten when he sees you and he smiles bashfully at you from the couch.

you pick up a pan, placing it in the stove. heating the stove, you go to the fridge in search of eggs. you know satoru gets incredibly hungry after he’s turned sober so you hope to minimise the amount of food that giant intakes by feeding him beforehand. you crack an egg into the frying pan when a pair of arms wrap themselves around you. satoru settles his face into the crook of your neck, humming quietly.

“‘missed you.”

“you were gone for two hours.”

“two whole hours without your presence right beside me? i’d rather be cut in half.” he slurs his words, planting a plethora of kisses on your skin.

you laugh quietly, flipping the pan. “okay, drama queen.“

the two of you fall into a comfortable silence, you shuffling around every once in a while to get ingredients while satoru clings onto your back like a koala, stealing kisses from you.

after a few minutes, you settle on the couch, handing him the plate of food. he shakes his head, putting it aside as he buries his head into your lap. you thread your hand through his hair, scratching at it gently, “is something wrong?”

satoru sighs, turning to look up at you. his eyes have turned glossy and his nose red. his lips have curled into a soft pout. it’s time for the emotional outburst.

“i just love you so much.” he wails, hugging your stomach.

you stifle a laugh, “is that so?”

“this isn’t funny. i’m being serious.”

“so am i, sweetheart. that is a grave mistake indeed.”

satoru frowns at you, leaning in and bumping his nose into yours. “it is. i love you so much that sometimes i feel like my heart is about to burst from it’s seams. and i don’t want it to but i also don’t want to stop loving you. i want to keep loving you till the end of our days and after that too. because just seeing you and knowing you chose me to spend your life with and experience all that…nothing is a greater gift.”

you don’t think you can say anything more romantic after his drunken ramble that so you don’t. you hold him gently, kissing away his frown. “you could become a poet, ‘toru.”

he tilts his head, thinking. “i was thinking a singer. because then i can serenade you while you throw tomatoes at me.”

you laugh at his sudden mood change. “how about we just get you to bed, hm? you can serenade me tomorrow.”

he’s too tired to refuse, so he simply nods, curling around you. he falls asleep in seconds while you stay awake, heart beating from his confession throughout the night.

[cerise-on-top]

Giving König a Bracelet to Help with His Anxiety

@puff0o0 Hey, I'm the anon who said they'd write this! I know you deleted that ask, which is why I'm not really sure if you care about this anymore in the first place, so if this bothers you, just tell me and I'll delete it! Either way, I hope it's enjoyable enough and thank you for the idea!

From the doorway you watched the behemoth go about his day, with him currently picking out the food he would like to make. From what you could see, both options he weighed seemed to have been some form of pasta, although his large frame did cover the picture of the second bag. With a sigh, he put down one of them, the winner seemingly being noodles with broccoli sauce.

“I hoff meim Liebling werdn’s schmecken. Guad sans jo eigentlich scho.”

Fascinating, he was speaking his mother tongue again, but seemingly in the way where no machine translator in the world could help you. Strange as it was, to have been so confident in what little German you did know, there were many times you failed to understand him, but that’s what made it all the more charming as well. Either way, dialect or not, you had something else planned, something transcending language.

Creeping up to him, like a benevolent shadow, you took the piece of jewelry out of your pocket, holding it in your hand as you gave it another quick glance. It should fit him, but hopefully, it won’t pinch him too much. Seemingly distracted by the packet of noodles, or maybe he was just playing along with you, it was hard to tell, you stood behind him, not making a move. It was a bit ironic in your eyes: The gift you had gotten him takes its bearer’s anxiety and cleanses it, yet here you were, worried he might not like it. It still wasn’t too late to go back, or maybe leave it somewhere for him to find. Which, however, would make way for another problem, mainly that he would think it belonged to you when such couldn’t be further from the truth. You were certain König was a different man on the battlefield, fierce, frightening, fatal, but when it came to domestic things, he seemed a bit lost.

He was a sweetheart to you at all times, very aware of his strength and how easily he could hurt you by accident. He’s cracked several eggs on his hand instead of inside the frying pan, he’s even broken glass by holding it. And even then, the problem wasn’t the splitters in his hand, he was more worried about you being mad at him for breaking it. The guilt in his eyes was something else as you patched him up.

“I don’t deserve someone like you.”

And every time anew, you would tell him:

“Who said that?! Who do I need to cuddle the sadness out of?!”

Stupid as it was, it would always make him smile. But you couldn’t always be there with him, reassure him that everything was going to be alright. You probably didn’t need to, but you couldn’t help but want to, no matter what. For as scared as you were this time, you had to bite the bullet, let it be known that you loved and cared for him, even got him something. “Honey?”

“Oh, you’re back home. I am so glad to see you, I was just about to make dinner. Say, do you like broccoli?”

König turned to face you, his slight excitement was evident in his voice, the fact he tried to swallow it down even more so. It was adorable how his eyes almost glistened in the artificial light just because he was looking at you instead of pasta instructions now.

Softening your grip on the small bracelet, you hadn’t even realized you were gripping tightly enough to cause pain, you put your other hand on top of it, making sure to conceal it entirely. This was all or nothing. “I, uh, got you something. Can I have your arm for a moment, please?”

“Naturally.” Taking the pack of pasta into his other hand, he extended his arm towards you. It never ceased to amaze you just how big it was, his hand, too. He could likely take someone’s skull and crush it using just one. But in that moment, all it did was hang there, giving you the opportunity to attach the bracelet. That you did, putting the hook through the loop to make sure it wouldn’t fall off.

“There we go.”

König lifted his arm towards his face, inspecting the little accessory closely. While he wasn’t quite sure what those pretty crystals were, he could make an educated guess, having listened to you talk about them from time to time. The purple one, he was sure, he could make out fairly easily, the faintly pink one made his gears turn for a moment. “...amethyst and rose quartz? Is that what those are?”

“Oh, you actually remembered.” Taken aback for a second, you recovered quickly enough, taking his arm into your hands. You ran your thumb over the back of his hand. “But yes, that’s what they are. Good job, König, that makes me really happy.” Flashing him a smile, you took a shaky breath. “I got you this because it will help with your anxiety, though it seems like I should have one myself, haha. The amethyst calms the mind and the rose quartz will soothe the heart. But generally speaking, rose quartz will also help you when you can’t sleep at night. I want this to be yours so you will be well wherever you are.”

König’s eyes widened for a moment, breaking eye contact with you to look at the bracelet instead. It was absolutely gorgeous, a reminder from you that everything will be alright, no matter when or where he may be. Softly, he rubbed your arm with his free hand before pulling you into a hug. You couldn’t complain, he was tall, strong and warm. It calmed your senses, feeling his arms wrap around you, as he muttered his gratitude to you.

“Danke, Schatzi, ich hab dich so so lieb, du hast ja gar keine Ahnung.”

That German seemed to be easier to understand than what he said about the noodles earlier.

“I love you too. Be well and come back to me always, alright? Do you promise you will do that for me?”

You pulled away from the hug, putting a hand on König’s cheek while caressing it gently with your thumb.

“Yes, of course.”

________________________________

“I hoff meim Liebling werdn’s schmecken. Guad sans jo eigentlich scho.” = "I hope my darling will like it. They are normally pretty good."

[sailing-through-hawkins]

✧ written for 'charm' ✧ word count: 548 ✧ rated: T ✧ cw: none ✧ tags: fluffy and humor! also eddie being roommates with stobin ✧ @steddiemicrofic (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

It’s a lazy Saturday and Eddie has never loved waking up late more than this moment.

Sunlight filters through the bedroom window, shining directly onto the expanse of Steve’s back like a beacon, highlighting every mole and scar and muscle in golden light. He sleeps on his stomach, because he’s a weirdo, with his arms crossed under his pillow. His face is right in front of Eddie, who smiles when those pretty lashes flutter.

“Mm?”

“Morning, baby.” Eddie presses a kiss to his forehead, fireworks lighting up his chest when Steve blinks his bleary eyes open and smiles the sleepiest, sweetest little thing.

“Mornin’,” he yawns and even the ever-invasive morning breath can’t keep Eddie from enjoying the moment. “Breakfast?”

By the time they get downstairs, Robin’s already up and scribbling away on the kitchen table, the lid of a pen being crushed between her teeth. She gives them a wave without even glancing up from her papers and Eddie snorts when he realizes there are at least three pens, all with their lids off, stuck in her hair bun.

Steve looks over at him from the coffee machine and gives him a small smile, setting off even more fireworks that fizzle at the tips of his fingers. He reaches out, he doesn’t know (or even care) for what, and settles a hand on that small spot on Steve’s back, right where his tailbone is. It’s funny that people have tailbones when they don’t have tails. If Eddie had a tail, he could - he could do all sorts of things, couldn’t he?

Humming, Eddie strokes his hand up Steve’s back, smirking when he shivers but still stares at the coffee machine, his cheeks turning a pretty pink. With a tail, Eddie muses as he reaches the nape of Steve’s neck and rubs circles at the warm skin, there’d be even more to touch, right? He could wrap it around Steve’s ankle, slither it up Steve’s leg, brush up against his thighs and keep them apart until -

"Hands off, that's soulmate-only privileges."

Eddie blinks at the firm grasp his wrist is caught in. Robin is holding his hand away from Steve’s head with a glare. Damn, she has a strong grip, Eddie can’t even wriggle his hand at all. “What privilege?”

“Steve’s hair.” She says and lets go as Steve shuffles away towards the stove top, his coffee mug full and steaming.

Wait, what?

Eddie scoffs. "Uh, I'm his boyfriend? I totally get to touch Steve’s hair."

"Oh I'm sorry,” Robin gasps, her eyes wide and her tone sickly-sweet. “Did I stutter? Did I fucking say boyfriend privileges?"

“I – what?! I totally get boyfriend privileges, I get to touch his hair!” Eddie sputters, looking over to Steve as he starts cracking two eggs with one hand (damn that man for his ability to do anything and make Eddie wanna kiss the life out of him) into a frying pan. “Right, Stevie?”

His boyfriend, sun to his moon, light of his fucking life, shrugs and gives a sleepy, "It's her good luck charm."

Robin walks backwards and leans against Steve, pointedly ruffling his hair. "Exactly. It’s finals week and you will not blow this for me, Munson.”

Eddie throws his hands up. “Guess I’ll just suffer then!”

[childside]

Ok ok ok I'm in the mood for angsty Tommy back story astksjqldjll (I'm sorry for grammar :' (

--

It's Wednesday morning, finally he and Buck get their day off together. He's halfway go to the kitchen where he could smells buck's cooking with softly music from the Bluetooth speaker. He watches Buck busy with frying pan, toaster, ane other kitchen appliances. He smiles until he's close enough to listen to the music and Buck's singing the chorus.

"Just the two of us, we can make it if we try, just the two of us~"

And Tommy can feel his heart cracked.

-

One day when Tommy was 10yo, he just got back from school, his abusive dad at work and his drunk mum sleep on the sofa with the radio on, not too loud but just normal volume where he can hear it from the kitchen.

He know best that if he wake up his mom and ask for lunch she would bee pissed and hit him and just shouting at him. So he tried to to find anything edible from the fridge or the shelf. Got some leftovers bread and a half empty peanut butter jar. He usually get used to eat anything from the fridge when his mom drunk like today, but sometimes he just want a warm meal, as simple as Mac n cheese, pancakes, bacon, omelette or proper sandwich. And today is the day where he feel gloomy enough to eat his bread and peanut butter, he wanted to cry but he hold it as much as he could.

Not until he find Ginger the cat enter the kitchen from the back door. Ginger used to be his family pet, his grandma give it for Christmas few years ago. He loved Ginger, but when his family started to crumbling apart, with his drunk mom and abusive dad, they abandoned Ginger too. No one care enough to feed it or just play with it. Except Tommy. But as he getting older, he need to let Ginger free. Ginger can at least have a chance of getting food from neighbors or trash can outside. Tommy know it's dangerous but it's better for Ginger. So he let it free. But somehow Ginger keep coming back. It doesn't ask for food or stay long. Just checking in the house and greet Tommy, usually in the kitchen or Ginger climb Tommy's bed and snuggle just for a few hours before it go back outside again.

So when Ginger find Tommy sit on the kitchen floor eating his "sandwich", Ginger get closer and Tommy hug it tightly. The radio play a song Just The Two Of Us, a romantic song about lovers, but Tommy doesn't understand about it yet, doesn't care about the whole lyric, but all he could hear is "just the two of us, we can make it if we try, just the two of us.." and his can't hold his tears any longer. He sobs quietly while hugging Ginger. He keep saying "Just the two of us Ginger. We can make it if we try" in his head. Ginger stay with him in the kitchen for few more hours.

Unfortunately, when his parents divorced and he needs to move with his mom, of course he needs to left Ginger. The day when they're ready to move, Ginger show up and he hold Ginger tightly. He cried. No more "the two of us". He would fight the world alone from now. And Ginger would go to adventure alone without place to coming back. Tommy cried so hard and his mom have to force him to get in the car. He left Ginger. He feels guilty. He left Ginger. But over the year he learned that life must go on.

----

"Just the two of us, we can make-" Evan mid singing stop when he turn around to the kitchen aisle to get spoon and see Tommy, standing still, while tears streaming down his eyes. Tommy cover his face and crying uncontrollably, for the first time in forever. Evan turn off the stove and hold Tommy quickly. Tommy's board shoulders shaking as he melt down on the kitchen floors, and he feels like he's back to his old kitchen, eating leftovers bread and scrapped the almost empty peanut butter jar, with Ginger on his lap.

Tommy still crying but he's aware that Evan's here, together with him on kitchen floor, holding him tightly. The kitchen smells delicious, he can smells bacon and eggs, he can smells Evan's coffee and his own hot chamomile tea. He's with Evan. He's not alone. He has the love of his life to get through the day forever, hopefully. He realizes that his life is so much better than he was long time ago.

Evan's take care of him calmly until he's stop crying. Instead of asking or panicking, he ask,

"what do you need Tommy? What can I help?"

Tommy shake his head and get up to open the fridge. Evan follow him. He looking at the fridge and take a jar of peanut butter. It's still almost full. He remembers they bought it last week while grocery shopping.

"Do you want peanut butter toast for breakfast?"

Tommy just look at Evan's blue eyes and hug him tightly, while holding peanut butter jar in his right palm. "No, I would love to eat your cooking. Thank you Evan. Thank you. I love you."

Evan kind of confused but he hold Tommy back, understand that Tommy will talk about this later.

"I love you too."

[the-lumpfish-king]

In my post about the number of pancakes needed to crush a human skull I referenced an alternate image with 5376 pancakes instead of 5264.

So without any further ado, I have one question for you:

The bnuuy is dead once again

Original image with 56 pancakes by jean bomjan

This image made by @mousefluff

Ingredients

100g plain flour

2 eggs

300ml semi-skimmed milk

1 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable, plus extra for frying

pinch salt

Method

STEP 1: Put 100g plain flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl.

STEP 2: Make a well in the centre and crack 2 eggs into the middle.

STEP 3: Pour in about 50ml from the 300ml of semi-skimmed milk and 1 tbsp sunflower oil then start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Once all the flour is incorporated, beat until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add a little more milk if it is too stiff to beat.

STEP 4: Add a good splash of milk and whisk to loosen the thick batter. While still whisking, pour in a steady stream of the remaining milk. Continue pouring and whisking until you have a batter that is the consistency of slightly thick single cream.

STEP 5: Heat the pan over a moderate heat, then wipe it with oiled kitchen paper.

STEP 6: Ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the pan to move the mixture around for a thin and even layer. Quickly pour any excess batter into the mixing bowl, return the pan to the heat.

STEP 7: Leave to cook, undisturbed, for about 30 secs. If the pan is the right temperature, the pancake should turn golden underneath after about 30 secs and will be ready to turn.

STEP 8: Hold the pan handle, ease a palette knife under the pancake, then quickly lift and flip it over. Make sure the pancake is lying flat against the base of the pan with no folds, then cook for another 30 secs before turning out onto a warm plate.

STEP 9: Continue with the rest of the batter, serving them as you cook or stack onto a plate. You can freeze the pancakes for 1 month, wrapped in cling film or make them up to a day ahead.

Recipe from the BBC

[second-axis-point]

Joel’s husband taking the reigns for the first time in a while but a nice twist. The reader and Joel are on a nice day out, spending some time together in the little town, and it’s full of hand holding, kissing, food, and Joel being taken care of for a change. The reader takes Joel into their room in Jackson. His husband wears a cowboy hat Joel adores and rides Joel. When I tell you RIDES, and then after, Joel gets to ride his husband but his husband is still in “control”, gripping Joel’s ass and making him feel good. And for aftercare, just Joel and his husband in the shower together, sitting on the shower floor, Joel leaning into his husband. Kisses are shared and Joel’s husband says how much he loves Joel.

I promise you I don’t have a controlling kink, I just wanna take care of Joel while driving him cock crazy

Pairing: Joel Miller x Male!Reader

Warnings: 18+ please

Content: Fluff, Smut, Aftercare, More Fluff

Word Count: 2.4k

HUSBAND JOEL FOR THE WIN! This one is going to be way longer than usual just because there's so much detail, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thank you so much for being specific and for the request! 💙

A Day Off

You slowly came back to consciousness, back aching and neck cracking uncomfortably. You roll onto your back and reach over to the other side of the bed. Your hand meets Joel's warm back. He was still fast asleep. You lean in to place a light kiss on his spine before sitting up and getting out of bed. You trudge to the bathroom to brush your teeth and shave. You get dressed in your usual flannel and jeans and walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. The sky was still dark so you decided to make breakfast since you were already there.

You start with making coffee, throwing the empty bag away with a huff. You made a mental note to remind yourself to get more. You grab the pack of bacon from the back of the fridge and a few eggs from the top shelf. It still amazes you how life in Jackson was almost as it was before the outbreak. You grab your slightly dented skillet and an old frying pan and set it on top of the oven. You light the stove and tear open the pack of fresh bacon. You toss it in the pan and let it cook while you crack the eggs and whisk the yolks.

As you took the bacon from the skillet you noticed that the sun was just starting to come up. Joel would be up soon. You place the dirty skillet to the side and bring the frying pan into flame. You butter the pan and start on the scrambled eggs. As you finished with them you noted the smell of coffee in the air and the shuffle you heard coming from the bedroom. Joel was up. You grabbed mugs and plates and set them out on the counter. When you moved back to the kitchen to grab the rest of the food, you heard Joel pad behind you. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pressed his face into your neck.

“Mornin’ sweetheart.”

You say as you offer a piece of bacon to the man wrapped around you. He took it from your hand like a dog before releasing you and grabbing the mugs. You put bacon and eggs on both plates and walked to the table. Joel walked in a second later with the mugs of coffee and sat down next to you. The two of you ate and talked about what you might be assigned today before Tommy shoved open the front door and walked into the house.

“Thanks for knockin’”

You joke. He gives you a grin and reaches for a piece of bacon on Joel's plate. Joel swats his hand away before he could get some. You point to the kitchen and watch as Tommy jogs out of sight, presumingly stealing the rest of your breakfast.

“What are you doin’ here besides raiding our kitchen?”

You ask over your shoulder. Tommy walks back in and puts a hand on Joel’s shoulder as he stuffs his face with the rest of the bacon.

“I came here to tell you two lovebirds have the day off. Ellies spending the day with Maria so you have the day to yourselves.”

You look at Joel with surprise. Tommy stays for a few minutes but eventually turns to leave. You wave and get up to grab your and Joel’s plate while he grabs the empty mugs. The two of you wash up together and Joel goes back to the bedroom to get dressed himself. You grab your jackets and hand one to him before you walk out into the crisp early morning air. Joel’s hand slips into yours as you walk down the street.

“So what’s first darlin’?”

You ask, your breath visible in the wind. He looked around before settling on one of the shops just across the road. You follow his gaze and tug him across the street. You hadn’t been settled in Jackson for long so all the little stores were new to you and Joel. You walk in to see a bunch of little trinkets and toys lined up on the shelves. You were looking for something that Ellie would like when Joel came up with two hats in hand. He put one on your head and the other on his. You laughed at the goofy smile that he had on his face before grabbing a rocket ship toy off the shelf and walking to the shopkeeper. 

You paid for the hats and toy and walked back out onto the street. Joel once again put his hand in yours while you continued down the street. Joel stopped and stepped in front of you, grabbing both of your hands and kissing you on the forehead. Your hats shift sideways, making you laugh. Joel pays no mind and continues peppering your face. He kisses your nose, then both of your cheeks, then your chin, and finally you lips. With practised ease you kiss back, moving your hands to rest on the sides of his face. He pulls back and rests his forehead against yours.

“What’s next?”

The two of you spent the next few hours wandering around Jackson, looking at the livestock looking in the shops before ending up in the bar. You sit next to each other and wait to ask for drinks, you and Joel’s intertwined hands resting on your knee. You slip into comfortable conversation in the midst of the crowded bar. It was only about midday but the building was surprisingly packed. You order and enjoy your drinks, still idly chatting with your husband.

You leave the bar and start heading back to your shared house. Joel had filled the quiet moments with compliments and kisses. It was the most you’ve had in a while. You got to the house, taking off your jacket and hanging it back up. You watch Joel do the same before he locks the front door. You look at him curiously. His chocolate eyes had a darker tint to them. You knew what he was thinking before he even said anything. You give him a wicked grin and step closer. You put your hands on his chest and lean in close. You reach a hand up to take off your hat but Joel stops you.

“The hats stay on for now.”

He told you, moving your hand to his shoulder. You grab the collar of his shirt and pull him in. Your lips meet and your whole body heats up. Joel grabs at your hips but before things could progress any further, you pull away and start to push him towards the bedroom. You shove Joel onto the bed and close the door. He scoots back to the headboard, sitting himself up against it, and watches you crawl up the bed and into his lap.

He puts his hands on your waist and you move yours up from his shoulders to the sides of his face. You lean in again and kiss him with passion, accidentally knocking off both of your hats. Neither of you pay any attention, too caught up in eachother. He licks the bottom of your lip, asking for permission. You groan as you open your mouth and allow his tongue to explore. You start to fight for dominance but allow Joel to win. You slowly grind your hips and Joel’s grip tightens. He moans but stops you from moving. He pulls away and starts to unbutton your flannel. You help him by just pulling it over your head, his hands wandering over your exposed skin. You quickly unbutton your jeans and kick them off awkwardly along with your socks. Joel does the same, leaving the both of you in just your tented boxers. You sat back in his lap and ran your hands over his chest.

“You wanna keep goin’?”

You ask Joel just in case. He nods frantically and you reach into the bedside drawer for the lube. You slick your fingers and reach behind you, sliping your digits in and out of your ass. Your head drops down and your breath hitches. Joel watches you prepare yourself as he palms himself through his boxers. You groan as you pull your hand away and yank down Joel’s underwear. You start kissing down his torso, nipping at the skin every now and then, until you reach his throbbing dick. Joel tosses his head back when you wrap your lips around the head of his cock. He lets out an obscene moan when you take him fully into your mouth. You start bobbing your head, swirling your tongue around the tip with every pass.

Joel tries to buck up into your mouth but you pin his hips to the bed. He tries to say something but it's mostly incoherent babble. You loved when Joel got like this. Squirming and moaning under your touch. You pull off and take him in your hand, slicking the rest of his cock before moving back up and align yourself with him. You take it slow, making sure you don’t hurt yourself. You fully seat yourself in his lap and bury your head into his neck. You hug your arms around his shoulders and wait for yourself to adjust to him. 

Joel doesn't force you to move, letting you take it at your own pace, but you do feel him getting antsy after a few moments. You suddenly roll your hips causing Joel to gasp. His grip moves from your thighs back to your hips. Joel snaps his hips and you moan. He apologises but you cut him off by raising up off of his cock almost completely and dropping back down.

You start at a slow rhythm. Joel moans into your ear and you feel your climax building. You reach one hand down to start jerking yourself off but he grabs your wrist. You drone in disappointment and release yourself. Joel doesn't give you time to complain before he wraps his own fingers around you, stroking in time with your rhythm. You feel your release build more and more as you ride him. You cry out to warn Joel.

“Joel, I'm so-close. Please-”

Joel stills his hand and stops your hips. He pulls out and you whimper as your orgasm slips away.

“Hold on, hold on baby, I want to try something different.”

You lean back to look at him, his cheeks are flushed and he looks sort of embarrassed. You follow his lead as he flips the two of you. You rested back against the headboard while he sat in your lap. Oh.

“You sure?”

He nods and reaches for the lube. You watch as he stretches himself just as you did before. It was the hottest thing you’ve ever witnessed. He didn’t quite meet your eyes, too shy to look at you. You grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at you. You lean closer to kiss him. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss and whines when you pull away.

“You think you're ready?”

You ask him before he pulls his hand back and nods. He slicks your cock with the excess lube on his hand and lines himself with your tip. He pushes in and stops. He squints his eyes as he adjusts. You put your hands on his thighs, reassuring him.

“It’s okay sweetheart, take your time.”

He takes a breath and continues until you are fully sheathed inside him. He was quicker to adjust than you were. He only raises up about half way before coming back down, setting a slow and shallow pace. He puts a hand on your chest to stabilise himself. His lazy rhythm was driving you insane. You grab onto him and scoot further down the bed. You hold him up a bit before you start thrusting into him. Joel moans, low and deep in his throat. His nails dig into your chest as you relentlessly drive into him. You moved a hand from his ass to his neglected cock and jerk in time with your thrusts. Joel’s moans get louder and he starts meeting you halfway. He rises and pushes back down, forcing you deeper inside him.

You feel your climax building once again. White hot heat rising in your stomach. The sight of Joel with his eyes half lidded and his mouth half agape could’ve made you cum right then and there. But you hold back, wanting Joel to finish first. By the look of him, you knew you wouldn’t have to hold out much longer. His whimpers were becoming more high pitched and his bounces became a bit sloppy. It only took a few more thrust for Joel to still his hips and throw his head back.

He came onto your hand and chest and clenched around you, causing you to cum as well. You felt the hot liquid around your cock as you filled Joel. He whimpered and slumped forward but you barely noticed, too preoccupied with your own climax. Once you came back down you wrapped your arms around him. Joel whined as you carefully pulled out. You shushed him and rubbed his back, waiting for him to come around as well.

“Holy shit.”

You hear Joel mumble into the crook of your neck. You smile and sit up.

“How was it?”

You ask him genuinely. Joel’s face was flushed and he had a slight sheen on his forehead.

“Amazing.”

He answered simply.

“We should probably shower before any of this dries.”

He motions down to your stomach. You nod and move to the end of your bed. You surprise Joel by moving your hands under his thighs and carrying him to the bathroom. He clings to you before you let him stand just outside. Thank god your shower could fit two people. You warmed up the water and signalled for Joel to get in. You washed the night's activities off of you and Joel did the same. He sat down on the tiled floor, his legs a bit too wobbly to stand for long periods of time. You sat down next to him and leaned his head onto your shoulder.

“You’re the best husband a man could ask for, you know that?”

You said simply. Joel picked his head up to look at you with his signature puppy dog eyes. You smile at him and he leans in again. Only this time the kiss wasn’t heated. It was filled with love. You were so happy that you had him. Joel was happy that he had you. The two of you towelled off and got dressed before you made dinner together.

[criminalamnesia]

Into Your Arms

warnings: fluff, more teasing and Jake being a flirt, not proofread (for the most part), part 2 to Habits of My Heart!

summary: after surprising Jake at the hard deck, you spend the night at his apartment. now you’re trying to figure out what’s happening to your friendship.

author’s note: part 2 to ‘Habits of my Heart’! also I wasn’t expecting to further that story, but it’s been getting some love and I’ve got some ideas, so maybe this will be a little mini-series? Let me know your thoughts! also you can read ‘Habits of my heart’ (aka part one) here

You woke up the next morning in a daze. Had last night really happened, or were you dreaming? Had Jake kissed you? Had you kissed him back? Maybe the few beers you’d had impacted you more than you thought.

You knew that nothing else had happened. You two had made-out for a while, then you just talked until the late hours of the night. You were too tired from your flight for anything else, and besides– he wasn’t getting you that easily.

Jake had fallen asleep first. You two had been laying side by side in his bed, staring at the ceiling and saying whatever came to mind. It made you think of some rom-com, but you didn’t want to ruin the moment.

When you eventually heard his soft snores, you stifled a laugh and got comfier on your side of the bed. He had always been the first one to fall asleep, ever since you two were kids. You could stay up until the next morning– but Jake? He was out by midnight.

“I need my beauty sleep,” he would grin, and you would always roll your eyes and give a witty retort.

Your thoughts of last night quickly dissipated at the sound of a loud bang coming from a different room, followed by a loud curse. You snorted, rolling out of Jake’s bed and trodding into the kitchen. You were still wearing your clothes from yesterday– some jeans and a t-shirt. Not the best to sleep in, but you were exhausted.

Jake was wearing a raggedy navy t-shirt and sweats, fighting to make a decent breakfast with a variety of ingredients strewn across the counter.

“Having fun?” You said, causing him to startle. He jumped, dropping the egg he’d been holding. It fell to the floor with a crack and Jake groaned as the yolk spread onto the tile.

“Give a guy some warning, would you?” He huffed, grabbing a paper towel to clean up the mess.

You rolled your eyes and stepped further into the kitchen. You’d never been in his apartment before– well, this apartment. The navy had him moving a lot, and because you were both so busy, there wasn’t much time to spend at one another’s homes.

You took it in, ignoring his annoyed muttering as he cleaned up the mess. It was nice, definitely Jake’s style. A little more modern, but still homey and cozy-feeling. Perhaps that was his country roots peaking out.

He tossed the dirty paper towel into the trash and turned back to his concoction. You approached him, standing on your tiptoes to look over his shoulder.

“What the fuck is that supposed to be?” You asked into his ear, causing him to jump again.

“Jesus fuck, stop doing that!” He turned, crossing his arms over his chest.

You laughed, “aren’t you supposed to be in the navy? I thought you guys needed to be aware of your surroundings all the time.”

“Excuse me for trying to focus on making us breakfast,” he grumbled, turning back towards the stove.

“Have you ever even used this kitchen before?”

“Yes!” He shot back.

“Have you used it other than to reheat leftovers or microwave meals?” You followed up.

“…Mind your own business. Always so noisy, it’s not attractive, honestly,” he muttered the last bit to himself as he reached for another egg.

You rolled your eyes and moved towards him, pushing against him to move him out of the way. Caught off guard, he stumbled to the side, but not without protesting as you surveyed his work.

“Jake, your mother is an amazing cook, and you’re telling me this is what you’re going to make me eat? Did she not teach you anything?” You grabbed the frying pan, holding it up to show him the very burnt, sad looking omelette.

“Just cut off the burnt parts,” he told you.

“It’s all burnt, dipshit,” you replied.

He huffed, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms once more.

“Fine then, let’s see you cook, master chef.”

“Hell no. Let’s go get McDonalds or something,” you told him, reaching to turn off the stove before tossing the burnt omelette into the trash and dropping the dirty pan into the kitchen sink.

“My burnt omelette would be better than McDonald’s,” he said with a hint of disgust, following you as you walked out of the kitchen.

You shrugged, turning to face him as you both entered his bedroom. “Then go fish your burnt omelette out of the trash. I’m going to get something.”

He groaned but didn’t protest. Jake started towards the bathroom, but you ran past him, quickly slamming the door behind you and clicking the lock before he could come in.

“Dibs on shower first!” You called from behind the door.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, then you heard him laugh.

“You left your clothes out here.”

In your haste to beat him to the shower, you had totally forgotten your change of clothes (which were actually some of his old clothes, seeing as you’d left all of your things at the hotel you were supposed to be staying at). And knowing Jake, he wasn’t going to just give them to you.

“Leave them by the door?” You asked hopefully. He laughed again, the sound growing fainter as he presumably left the room. You groaned before accepting your fate and turning the shower on anyways.

—

Ten minutes later, you cracked open the bathroom door the tiniest bit to see if Jake was in his bedroom. You were clutching the fluffy bath towel around you like your life depended on it.

You didn’t see him through the crack, so you opened the door a little wider. Still nothing. Letting out a breath of relief, you pushed the door fully open and made your way to his dresser. The clothes you had forgotten were still sitting there, and you thanked whatever higher power there was that Jake wasn’t cruel enough to remove them.

With the clothes in one hand, the towel with the other, you tried to silently creep back towards the bathroom.

As soon as you turned around, however, you were met by Jake’s smug form as he blocked the entry to the bathroom.

You groaned and he grinned, then whistled as you watched his eyes take you in very slowly.

“You’re a perv,” you said, annoyance in your voice.

“No ma’am, I’m an opportunist.”

“You’re full of shit, that’s what you are. Move, Tex. Or I will move you.” You walked towards him, a mere foot separating the two of you. He was still wearing that shit-eating grin.

“We gonna wrestle? I’m not one to question your choices, but you may not want wrestle in a towel…”

“We’re not going to wrestle. I’m going to kick your ass for being annoying.”

“Is that a promise?” He asked.

“It’s a threat,” you responded.

“Hot.”

“Jake, move!” You groaned, using the hand holding your clothes to push at his shoulder. He laughed, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into his chest. You stumbled forward, and you surely would’ve face-planted had he not been there to catch you.

“Easy there, hot stuff. Don’t want you fallin’.” He chuckled, tucking his chin to look down at you.

“I have never wanted to punch you in the face more than I do in this very moment.”

“Keep talking dirty and see what happens,” he replied.

You scrunched up your nose and once again pushed at his chest. “Gross. Has anyone ever told you how gross you are?”

“You have. Many times. Including right now.”

You wormed against him, but he grabbed you by the shoulders to still you. His grip wasn’t forceful– it was gentle. You stopped moving, looking up at him. He grinned down at you.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, his voice quieter than before.

“Oh, so now you’re asking if you can kiss me?” You replied, vividly remembering last night when he just crashed his lips to yours with no warning.

“Well, can I?” He asked again.

You paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.”

Without another word, Jake leaned his head down and pressed his lips to yours. Your eyes closed as your savored the feeling, and you had to stop yourself from throwing both your arms around his neck.

You pulled apart first, and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could even get his first word out, you shoved (a little harshly) him and stumbled into the bathroom, slamming the door in his face. He was too stunned to stop you.

“Now we’re definitely going to McDonalds.” You called out to him through the door as you began to get dressed.

“Yeah, whatever,” he replied, but you knew he’d give in to whatever you wanted. He always had.

—

After Jake showered and changed, the two of you climbed into his truck and made your way to McDonalds. He grumbled the entire time, but you ignored him in favor of eating your food.

After leaving, he started driving in new direction. Confused, you raised your eyebrows and looked curiously out the window. Jake didn’t say anything, and for once, you didn’t pester him about it.

Ten minutes later, he had pulled into a public parking area with beach access. You frowned as he turned the car off, looking at you with a smile.

“What, you don’t like the beach?” He asked, brows furrowed in slight confusion.

“I do, it’s just that I’m currently dressed like Adam Sandler in your baggy clothes, we don’t have towels or anything, and we’re not wearing bathing suits.”

“I think I just fell asleep while you were talking, that was so boring and whiny. C’mon,” he grinned, pushing open his door and hopping out of the truck. “Live a little!”

Begrudgingly you followed him out of the car. He waited until you were beside him to start the trek up the sandy dunes to the beach. You followed behind, internally cringing at the feeling of sand getting into your tennis shoes.

When the two of you finally made it to the firmer sand, you took a chance to admire the pretty blue water. You’d never been to California before, but you’d always heard about their beaches.

Smiling, you made your way towards the water. Luckily, there weren’t very many people around. The ones that did paid you more than one glance, but you ignored them as you slipped off your shoes and socks, abandoning them at the waters edge. You stepped forward as the next little wave came crashing forward, washing over your feet.

Jake made his way to stand beside you, having also shed his shoes. He was more appropriately dressed– having worn flip flops and clothes that properly fit. Then again, he’d known where he was taking the two of you. Smug bastard.

“Happy now?” He asked, bringing you out of your thoughts. You turned your head to look at him.

“Mhm. Happy with the beach? Yes. Happy with you? That’s yet to be decided,” you told him.

He sucked in a breath, pushing his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “Tough crowd.”

You giggled as you dug your toes into the wet sand.

“When are you leaving?” He asked after a moment, turning his body towards yours.

“I’m supposed to fly back tomorrow. I’ve got work to get back to. It’s a miracle I was able to get these few days off, and I’ll be making it up in overtime– but it was worth it. I guess.”

You tacked on that last part to try and not give his ego a boost, but you knew it was a futile effort. Jake’s ego was almost as big as Texas.

He nodded his head as his lips quirked up in a smile. It wasn’t one of his smug or teasing ones. It was real, genuine, and it made you happy to see it.

Jake was so rarely serious in front of you. He had walls– you had them, too. But not to his degree. Getting him to open up was like pulling teeth, so you cherished any true, real, deep emotion and vulnerability you could get out of him.

“I could fly back with you.”

Your eyebrows shot up, mouth slightly agape. “Don’t you have things to take care of around here? I mean, you just got back.”

He shrugged, taking a hand out of one of his pockets to push it through his wind-blown hair. “I already talked with Rooster. His girl’s looking for a place to stay. I told him she could rent my place from me for a bit until she finds something else, or until I come back. It’s worked out.”

“And you didn’t bother to tell me this?”

“I talked to him while you were in the shower. You used up like, all of the hot water, by the way.”

You lightly hit his arm, offended. “I did not! I made sure to be quick.”

“Whatever you say,” he chuckled.

The sound of the crashing waves washed over both of you. You inhaled the sea’s salty scent deeply before turning to face Jake.

“You have to buy a plane ticket.”

“No problem,” he replied.

“Where are you going to stay? Your parents don’t have room for you anymore.”

“I can’t stay with you?”

You groaned, hanging your head. You were going to offer him a place to stay ever since he said he was coming home, but he didn’t have to know that. Plus, it was fun to tease him.

“I mean, you can, but your ass is sleeping on the couch.”

“We can’t share? We shared last night juuuuust fine.”

“Oh, fuck off. That’s different.”

“Is it?” He asked, brushing your shoulder with his.

“Yes. We were both a little intoxicated and we fell asleep talking. That’s not how it’s going to be back in Texas.”

“Does it have to be like that for us to share a bed?”

You sighed, pinching your brows together in frustration. Why did he ask so many questions? And why was he trying to bait you?

“Because things are… mixed up between us now.” You told him, folding your arms across your chest.

“I think they’re perfectly clear,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You like me, I like you. We kissed.”

“That doesn’t exactly make us a couple,” you retorted.

“Well, do you want to be my girlfriend?”

You went silent, thinking about his question. You had known him for so long, and a relationship could ruin everything. Or it could be everything. Big chance, big payoff, big risk.

But you didn’t know if you were ready to enter a relationship with him. He’d just gotten back, for heaven’s sake. You hadn’t properly talked to him in weeks, and he still wouldn’t lower his walls around you. You wanted him, you knew that you did, even if you didn’t want to admit it.

But when did he start wanting you?

Jake looked at you expectantly. You inhaled deeply.

“No. Not yet.”

He looked surprised, but he quickly masked his emotions and nodded nonchalant-like.

“Okay.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I just don’t want to jump right in–”

“Okay,” he interrupted. You rolled your eyes.

“Don’t get upset, Jake. You just came back. We haven’t seen each other in forever. Forgive me for wanting to go slow.”

“No, you’re right,” he replied. You looked at him, and you could tell he was being genuine. But you could also tell that he was a little hurt. It occurred to you that no woman had probably told him ‘no’ before.

You gave him a small smile before stepping closer to him and resting your head against his shoulder. He instantly leaned his head on top of yours and wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

“Thanks for bringing me here, even though I look like Adam Sandler.”

“You’re welcome, Adam.” He laughed.

“Shut up.”

[enchantedchocolatebars]

A small snippet from Chapter 3 (Bardie Girl) of my big chapter fic "A Winsome Witch And A Happy Human" (Fic is very canon divergent).

Commission cover art here.

Cover art poll here.

Chapter titles here.

A fun piece.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Synopsis

(They'll be no more sneak peeks for the chapter after this. My next goal going forward is to get chapter 3 out! <3 Enjoy! ❤️)

Once upon a time, in a fantastical fantasy realm that was akin to a small girl's dream, there lived a princess.

One glorious afternoon, as the gentle glow of the sun shone brightly in the mesmerizing blue sky, a single cottage castle could be seen standing tall in the center of the forest.

A pair of bluebirds then fly upward into view from below, holding a white banner between their beaks that reads 'Princess Clara's Castle' for a moment before taking off, a trail of clear magic dust fluttering behind them.

The castle resembled a standard cottage home, with white and grey stones used for its exterior construction, but what differentiated it from others was its royal structure.

Inside, Princess Clara slept soundly beneath the comfort of her soft and woolly comforter, dreaming a lovely dream as a cozy smile rested upon her soft and tender face.

While the princess continues to sleep, her bedroom door creaks open as a small group of critters from the forest enter inside.

These cute critters consisted of birds, rabbits, deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons.

The fauna were her companions and inhabited the castle with her.

As the diverse group of animals crowd together closely around Princess Clara's bedside, a doe lightly nuzzles her cheek with her nose in an attempt to gently wake her.

As the princess slowly opens her eyes, she gets a glimpse of her friends surrounding her bed and lets out the gentlest of laughs.

"Good morning, everyone," she softly greets with a yawn and stretches as she turns to look at the time on her handmade wooden wall clock.

"Well, afternoon," Princess Clara corrects herself with a sheepish smile on her face, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

Although the princess didn't mean to be such a sleepyhead, she could never resist the temptations of her warm bed.

"Who's hungry?" she asked her animal friends, putting aside her embarrassment for now.

"I'll make up for sleeping in so late with some brunch. How does that sound?"

The offer caused the eyes of the critters to light up with joy as they accepted with nods, causing Princess Clara to giggle in her hand as she sat up.

"Then it's settled," she said, stepping out of bed and dancing across her floorboards on her tippy toes toward her closet while she hummed a merry tune.

Princess Clara's feathery companions tweeted the catchy melody of the song with her, their voices harmonizing beautifully.

Two of them flew over to open her closet door for her, helping the princess slip into one of her favorite house dresses while tossing her nightgown into the hamper.

Now dressed for the day, Princess Clara dips and twirls out of her room and into the kitchen, her forest friends happily following behind her.

...

"Hmm," Princess Clara hummed to herself in thought, tapping her chin with her index finger as she stood in front of her dainty stove, a frying pan sitting on top, as fresh veggies and oil sat on her counter.

Her animal friends, also in the kitchen, were eating their feed of mixed berries that she had prepared for them and placed in pretty porcelain bowls.

"What goes good with fresh veggies?" she whispered.

Tweet, tweet!

Shifting her sights to her open window sill, Princess Clara spots the pair of bluebirds who were holding her banner in the beginning, fluttering over with eggs well wrapped in silk.

The eggs are gently placed on the counter alongside the veggies and oil as the birds took their place on her window sill.

"Oh, eggs! Of course!" Princess Clara exclaims excitedly, finding the answer to her question as she cracks a smile, just like she was planning on cracking those eggs.

"Thank you," the princess told the two birds, who both received gentle rubs to the skin behind their beaks from her as they happily chirped.

With a gentle clearing of her throat, Princess Clara gracefully twirls in place, placing a hand on her chest, and begins to sing lyrics to a theme.

While singing, the princess twirls for a second time, holding out her index finger for one of the bluebirds.

One decides to flap over and step onto it, joining Princess Clara for a lovely duet.

As the caroling continues, the two take turns.

When Princess Clara hits a high note, she allows the bluebird to do the same.

The princess keeps hitting higher and higher notes, and the bluebird struggles to keep up with her.

As the theme comes to a close, Princess Clara hits an ear-piercing high note that causes the bluebird to gradually bloat up and explode.

The princess's eyes widen in shock at this as her animal companions who had witnessed the small explosion gasp.

Horrified looks filled the room.

...

"... And there!" Princess Clara said, carefully slipping the small sweater she had knitted with the assistance of her animal friends onto the bluebird who had previously exploded and was now featherless.

The sweater fit like a glove and had a few of his feathers nicely glued on to it.

When the bluebird gazed down at his new outfit, he instantly let out a chirp in delight, hopping in place.

"Yay! He likes it!" Princess Clara cheered brightly, her animal friends joining her.

Placing her index finger under the bluebird's foot, the princess lifts gently as the bird steps onto her finger and proceeds to perch.

She starts to rub her cheek against the side of his face, causing him to chirp softly at the affection.

"I'm so sorry about that," Princess Clara whispered, soft sincerity weaving through her voice.

She believed that his feathers would eventually return over time.

[pearlypairings]

Hi babe happy birthday!! For the cute birthday scenarios, how about hellcheer and one baking a surprise cake for the other?

eddie x chrissy || fun, fluff, goofy mistakes || 959 words

A/N: you've been so patient rosey, to be last but not least :) hope you enjoy the fluffy cake disaster that only a ADHD/distracted Eddie could make enjoyable <3 thank you for this one! ending on a high note:)

previous prompt

A scoop of powdery white mystery rested lazily atop the magazine cut-out on the counter. Eddie couldn’t remember if he’d scooped the flour or the baking powder and smelling it gave him no further clue. He slipped the recipe out from underneath to reexamine the ingredient list. “Son,” Uncle Wayne mused, approaching from the trailer’s quaint living space to haunt over the haphazard piles of ingredients and bowls and spoons. “Wouldn’t everyone be happier if you just bought the damn thing? Leave baking to the professionals. I can’t remember a Munson ever baking a cake, not even Great Grandma Gin.”

“Exactly, Chrissy won’t expect it.” Eddie picked up the scoop and poured it confidently (still wondering how bad the mess-up would be if he switched ingredients on accident) into the big mixing bowl amidst other dry ingredients. “You know how she is, always one step ahead. I never get to really surprise her. It’s about time that I give her a real shock.” Wayne shook his head, peering into the metal bowl with skepticism before taking stock of the cracked egg shells and milk carton close by. “Your girl is more likely to get the shock of food poisoning, but don’t mind me. I’ve just got her health more on my mind than your grand ideas.” “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll be sure not to save you a slice after your shift.” Eddie waved him away, his eyes glued to the numbers on the recipe instructions. With a shrug, he tossed the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and took their trusty, chipped wooden spoon off the sidelines. Sure, the recipe called for a mixer, but a little elbow grease and their lucky spoon had to wind up with the same outcome. His uncle stayed away from the kitchen while Eddie finished up. He’d had to borrow a cake pan from little Red and her mom down the way and promised to return it the way he found it—washed with maybe a few extra burnt bits stuck on the bottom. The Munson’s oven was more of a holding bay than an operational cooking appliance, so he cleared out the old frying pans and boxes of cereal too big for the cabinets before he clicked it on and set it to the proper temperature of 375 degrees…or was it supposed to be 325? Whatever, it’s hot enough at least. At any rate, the batter was to the brim of the pan when he slid it onto the rack like a brain surgeon who’d pivoted his career to expert baker. He saluted the oven, fully trusting it would honor its commitment to cooking the hell out of Chrissy’s cake. When enough time had passed (vibes were essential to this part, he thought a timer was a bit much), the dingy dishtowels were his gauntlets—primed and prepared to face the flaming hot metal inside.

Upon first glance, there may have been some spillage over the sides when it rose; he forgot about the whole “cake rising” part. And shit, sure, the edges looked darker (a rich toasty black-brown) than he expected, but the frosting would solve all of that, he assured himself as he placed the pan on the stovetop to cool. That much he remembered from little Red’s mother’s parting advice. By the time he’d finished swirling the last swatch of frosting, Chrissy would be here any minute. Wayne had already left for his shift at the plant and for that miracle, he was glad. Eddie would have never heard the end of his digs while they waited for her arrival, if he had seen the cake. Hell, his uncle probably would have gone out and bought a replacement cake for her. His disaster of a birthday cake had more potholes than the Forest Hills trailer park and more cracks than old Harry’s truck windshield. The only thing holding it up was his overabundance of frosting gluing pieces together and poorly filling the divots, lumps, and bumps across the top. A whole army of swirly, wax candles didn’t help his case much, but those were the finishing touches he needed for the surprise to feel complete. There were a couple of taps on the trailer door, and her familiar voice greeted him affectionately beyond the screen. Chrissy let herself in, wearing the prettiest white blouse he’d ever seen, probably a well-deserved birthday splurge from the mall. He called her over to the kitchen, stepping out to showcase his Frankenstein creation. “What are you doing in the—” Chrissy’s eyes froze on the deflated, over-iced cake. Her soft features exploded in glorious shock, and with a squeal, she rushed the last few steps and jumped into his arms. “That’s mine, right? You made that for me?” “I did, pretty girl.” He kissed her, hoping he still tasted like vanilla from all the frosting he’d been sampling. “Surprised?” “I can’t wait to try it!” She nodded, nuzzling into his neck and squeezing her arms tighter around him.  “Let’s light the candles first.” Eddie touched her feet back down onto the floor, looking between her pretty smile and the funky cake. He pulled open the drawer to get his lighter, shuffling a few items around to find the shiny black box while his back was turned. “You might wanna wish for a better tasting cake, just as a warning.” And before he had time to react, Chrissy had scooped a healthy finger-full of icing and slathered it down Eddie’s nose with a devious cackle. She retreated without hesitation, ducking behind Uncle Wayne’s favorite chair and hiding from the fistful of cake he carried behind his back. Her laugh was uncontrollable. Eddie had the biggest grin on his face. Sometimes cakes were really sweet. Sometimes cakes were made for throwing. Sometimes surprises went sideways in the best way. He wanted to record that laugh forever.

[plantsarepeopletoo]

Only Friends Music EP5 (part 1/2)

The Extra Hour

Another installment of the Only friends music series. The details continue to be amazing, all praise Jojo. 

Quick recap, music is used in three different ways:

Just background music (Background) - It’s important and creates an atmosphere, like using Disco Frog for Mew and Cheum’s chat at the bar. These I will not use unless I see a theme or something important later.

Playing with Music (Playful) - It’s like body language, the music will pause, start up, move along faster or slower. It's intentionally moving with what is happening on screen.

Verbal/Vocal - Music that is telling us things. It could be songs that have names that seem important or have lyrics that may or may not be in the show. If there are lyrics I will include them, but will specify if they are in OF, and where they start and stop.

Master List here, in my pinned post. These will be long and split into parts, mostly because of lyrics and Music players. Written after EP6 came out, so some EP6 spoilers.

Thank you @rocketturtle4 and @shouldiusemyname for help editing and song lyrics.

[1/4]

Song: Happiest I’ve Ever Been by Big Girl Scene: Ray and Sand are domestic in the kitchen Type: Vocal

Lyrics not in the show (transcribed by me):

And I haven’t cut my hair since I walked through the door It's never been quite this long before Taking some time to get all settled in And I’m the happiest I've ever been I never thought that I’d move out of town There’s something about this place that holds me down Made some mistakes but I can start again And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been I’m grateful to know you So grateful to show you All the things that I’ve been holding deep within Love is complicated That times I feel frustrated But I know that in the end Our love will win And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been I never thought that dreams could really come true I never thought I’d ever find someone like you We lose our way but always lean back in And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been (x3)

This song starts as Sand cracks an egg into a frying pan and makes breakfast, an act of service and time for Ray. In the voice over, Sand had just described how his most precious thing is time, it keeps running like an hourglass, but Ray gives him one more turn. Now, he’s choosing to give that time to Ray by making breakfast. Today, Ray isn't an intruder demanding precious time from a reluctant Sand. Today, Sand is happily giving Ray his time.

Two important themes in this song are resilience and connection. Ray’s need for connection was front and center in the last episode, when we saw Mew and Ray’s past. Last episode Sand and Ray started to build their connection, their relationship, but it's foundation is built on sand, and once it rains and the waters rise, the house will fall. This unsteadiness will continue to be a theme this episode.

The second theme of the song is resilience. Love and relationships can and will be tough, but the song seems to allude to the fact that if they can find their way back together, then their love could survive.

Song: Tell Me Something New (Tigerblood Jewel Remix) by Wellness Scene: Kitchen sex Type: Vocal

Lyrics not in show:

I waited for someone to save I wanna tell you something new You drove us both into a wall I drive away into the night  And I, contemplate for a while (Chorus) Don’t you think it would be for the best If I packed my stuff and leave sooner than this Don’t you think it would’ve been for the best If I packed my stuff and leave sooner than this Don’t you wish I would’ve been someone else I wanna fill your gaps without making a mess And you, won’t you tell me something new I wanna tell you something new I wish you all the best I can But I stop myself for a while I’m sayin things I don’t believe The panic’s rising up in me And you, why won’t you tell me something new (Chorus)x2

Last episode we touched on the song, Almost the Same. “Without the words, feelings unheard, can be just as sincere. Something’s not right.” Their relationship isn’t quite right yet, they have not fixed their root problems, in this case, Mew and Ray’s past. Sand is unwilling to touch the subject of Mew, while Ray is unwilling to touch the subject of who they are to each other, because they fear their budding relationship will crumble around them.

Tell Me Something New is a prophetic song for the end of Ep5 and 6 from Sand’s point of view. Sand took his time to save Ray, only to find out that Ray really did have a past with “The glasses boy”. He thinks that Ray is using him to fill the gaps left by Mew. After they drive into that wall, Sand thinks that maybe it was all a waste of time and they’re unable to make a connection again and really Talk about it. If they had talked, and told each other “something new” before the end of this episode, they might have been strong enough to withstand Boston.

I’m sayin things I don’t believe The panic’s rising up in me And you, why won’t you tell me something new

Later, they will be hurting, and Sand will protect himself by saying things he doesn't believe. But, for now, we get something nice.

Song: I Wanna Get High On You by Elwin Scene: Top and Mew go on a bike date Type: Vocal

Lyrics in the show:

Feelin’ in my bones I can feel it in my veins Hands in the sky I can feel the winds of change You live and you learn And I hope I’ve seen enough To make something right And make up for what I’ve lost I was down but things are looking up I wanna get high…

Lyrics continue, not in show:

(I wanna get high) on you Caught by surprise by you Want you to make my heart feel As much as I know it should I wanna get high on you …. Things turned around Didn’t ever think they could I’m done with the bad I need a little bit of good Set out in the world Like everything is new Stepped on a path That lead straight to you I was down but things are looking up (chorus)

If this is from Top’s perspective then it's telling how he's replacing the high from drugs and the pleasure from being a playboy with the high he gets from being with Mew.

Top’s song, Lonely Party from EP1, talks about needing someone to find him a soul and a purpose in life, that he’s lonely even though he’s surrounded by people. Here with Mew, he’s feeling free, feeling different with Mew. It might not be love, but for now he wants to keep Mew around while experiencing this high. Mew is introducing him to a fulfilling high, the likes of which he has never experienced before, and all the more fragile for it, whether or not Top knows it.

If viewed from Mew’s perspective, he thinks he’s learned enough to go forward. That he’s ready to try to fall in love, ready to feel that new high.

Either way, they’re asking the other to make them feel something more, “make my heart feel as much as I know it should”. From Mew, he knows of love from books, as for Top, we do know it has been a while since he’s even cared about another person’s pleasure in bed. So they both seem to be chasing a high that they believe the other can give.

Song: Next Station by I’MIN Scene: Top and Mew continue their biking date after sitting for a while Type: Vocal

No Lyrics heard in the show, translation by google translate:

Verse 1: The emotions mixed in the sighs Just as when we meet and intersect, we become lost, I can't figure out what to do And on the passing road, for a short and long time Even though everything around me has changed The destination is always the same Pre-chorus: Maybe you can feel the pressure that I been living on I can say that it’s been on my mind but I’m moving along Chorus: The emotions mixed in the sighs actually Just like you can't figure out where to go when you meet and cross paths, Just like you can't figure out where to go Maybe one day, maybe one day it’ll feel alright Verse 2: chasing something that disappeared As you go, before you know it With a nonchalant expression I walked for a while Like a handle stuck on a train Like those worn out chairs Sometimes I want to stay still for a while Pre-chorus: Maybe you can feel the pressure that I been living on I can say that it’s been on my mind but i’m moving along Chorus and Outro: In the passing light Among the scattered people Behind the approaching expressions Maybe one day, Maybe one day it’ll feel alright (X2)

Thanks to I'MIN for responding to me on Instagram for the lyrics!

Music starts after Top says “I am happy! As long as he doesn’t mess with me” and they get up to continue to bike. Music stops as Mew gets hit and his glasses break. Beginning the metaphor of Mew’s “sight” being taken away. Top could be feeling pressure from everyone but Mew to be perfect and a stereotypical ‘top’, and here he can try for a day where it feels alright.

Song: Falling Through Scene: Sand refuses to drive with Ray/The motorcycle ride Type: Vocal, Playful

Lyrics heard in show: 

Some day you’ll rise And come into a field of view Be visible to a few

Lyrics not in show:

Some day you’ll rise You said that an angel will illuminate the sky But my reflection is slowly fading out In the vision of you and I I’m missing every moment with you And I’ll be waiting  Waiting here for you I feel this is too good to be true But times are changing I’m falling, falling through Summer moved on I followed every trace of you Grasping every mem’ of you You said you were sorry but I know you had to leave And maybe that’s why I’ve been fading out At least that’s how I feel I’m missing every moment with you And I’ll be waiting  Waiting here for you I feel this is too good to be true But times are changing I’m falling, falling through Some day you’ll rise and some day you’ll see That I’ve been waiting, I’m waiting here I’m waiting here for you Some day you’ll rise  And come into the field of view Be visible to a few Some day you’ll rise 

This song plays twice. The first time is after Sand says “I don’t trust you with my life” which does hurt Ray. The moment passes quickly, but Ray sees that Sand doesn’t think of him as someone who can be trusted, an emergency contact.

Ray doesn't want to be a burden, he's got a car, air conditioning, why not use it and use him to go places? Ray is used to using his house, money, alcohol, as incentive to get people to be with him, like when he was trying to get Sand and the girl Sand was with to come keep him company. Or the song (Stay) True from EP3 when Sand and Ray make out in the car.

I've got camels and candy I can be your daddy … I've got cigarettes and brandy Which could come in handy If you just help me loosen up my hand grenade’s fuse

Ray's whining might seem like he's unwilling to go on the bike, but I wonder if it's because he wants to be useful. If Sand takes away his usefulness, what value does he have? Meanwhile, Sand might actually have only wanted to show Ray how his life is.

The guitar starts to play as Ray agrees to go with Sand. Another song, La Chapelle Dormant, plays while Ray and Sand tease each other for a moment. Falling Through starts properly as they drive off.

"Some day you’ll rise" the imagery of the sun rising brings to mind Ray. Specifically, Ray rising out of the darkness of his depression or rising above where he thinks he is, a burden on society, someone who only knows how to spend money, to be who he wants to be.

Ray wants to be a good friend, a dependable person, a happy person with true connections with the people around him. Ray wants to be an emergency contact. This faux date gives Ray a glimpse of a day where his money or material possessions are not the priority or his appeal. Sand is showing him that Ray can have fun, be valuable just as himself.

(Or it could be hinting at the song "Burst to life" in EP6, the song that plays while he's taring into everyone at the bar. But more on that in EP6. )

Even while they’re having fun together, the music tells us how they are still on unsteady ground in an undefined relationship, Sand waiting for it all to fall through and he’ll fade. The line, “I feel this is too good to be true” calls back to the song, The Happiest I’ve Ever Been earlier in the show:

I never thought that dreams could really come true I never thought I’d ever find someone like you

Both songs are optimistic, both songs have faith in love getting them through to the bad times, getting them through the night.

[2/4]

Song: Faster Car by Loving Caliber Scene: Top fixes Mew’s glasses in the café Type: Vocal

Song plays very very quietly in the background and the lyrics sound very muffled, which adds to the ambience of the cafe scene.

Lyrics “heard” in show:

I've been feeling so small Watch the clock ticking off the wall But tonight I'm letting it go Spend my coin for show I'm gonna be myself Or I could be someone else No one's stopping me now I'm gonna skip my breaks I'm gonna make mistakes I just wanna feel alive It's just what I do when I'm out so Try not to hold me down Feel alive when I'm in this town Look at those beautiful stars I wanna drive a faster car Nothing can break me No, no, nothing can break me Try not to hold me down Feel alive when I'm in this town Look at those beautiful stars I wanna take a trip to Mars Nothing can break me, No, no, nothing can break me Look at those beautiful stars I wanna drive a faster car Lay my troubles to rest Blow the smoke through my cigarette City lights looking fine And I know that this is my time now I'm gonna be myself Or I could be someone else No one's stopping me now I'm gonna skip my breaks I'm gonna make mistakes I just wanna feel alive It's just what I do when I'm out so

Song starts with the scene, Top is fixing Mew’s glasses. Mew’s blind now, his way of “reading” is gone, and he’s relying on Top to fix it. In this episode we're seeing Mew letting off the brakes, ready to go faster in this relationship.

The line, “I’m gonna make mistakes” and the earlier song I Wanna Get High On You, saying “You live and you learn, And I hope I’ve seen enough” are interesting because one is accepting that mistakes are going to happen, but the other almost mirrors Mew’s surety that he knows how to read people.

From Top’s point of view, he could be himself, or he could be what Mew wants him to be. Going back to Lonely Party from EP1 again with the lyric “You gotta help me find a soul”, Top seems to be only known for being Top-tier, and with Mew he doesn’t need to be that, but he does need to be what Mew wants. So even now it feels like he may not be his real (sober) self. Though what his real self looks like is debatable, on one hand, Top seems to be a critique of “tops” in the BL genre. He’s rich, handsome, strong, experienced and possessive. On the other, he seems to have a hard time saying no to pleasure, given how hard it is for him to say no to Boston in the earlier episodes. An earlier theory discussed with friends was the idea that Top was so numb from drugs that he just let things happen to him. Whether or not this is true, he still seems disconnected from himself. It will be interesting to see how his character arc and background unfolds in the second half of the series.

Song: So Perfect by Lindsey Abraham Scene: Top and Mew at the cafe, talking about glasses  Type: Vocal 

Top says, “I like you better looking like a nerd.” and the song starts when Mew retorts “Whatever happened to worrying about my eyesight?” and the music pauses while Top explains that he does want Mew to see him clearly, but the glasses make Mew look both cute and sexy. The song continues playing as Mew blushes. Top is saying all the “perfect” things to make Mew feel good, while nudging Mew to do something he wants Mew to do.

Song: Minimal Meaning by Marten Moses Scene: Top pays and Mew feels insecure Type: Verbal

Mew notices something a little off with the waiter when he hands off the check, and abruptly feels insecure. He rubs his arm in a self soothing gesture as Top pays the bill, seemingly unaware of what Mew is thinking. Is Mew looking for meaning when there is none? Either way the music conveys Mew’s feeling of unease.  

Song: Sunset beach by White Bones Scene: Boston notices Nick’s change in appearance. Type: Background

The song is funky which is a departure from Nick and Boston’s normal genre. This genre shift paired with the piano chords of the song Strong Bonds that play while they’re in the pool hints at Boston’s feelings for Nick might be stronger than he’s willing to admit. Strong Bonds pauses while Nick asks about Boston’s other partners and continues as Boston talks to Nick about being recorded by Gap. The music builds as Nick tells Boston it serves him right, and Boston kisses Nick playfully. Boston goes on to talk about not sleeping around, how it feels empty lately. Boston might not be realizing his bond with Nick is making that feel empty. This is the first time Boston has talked to Nick without Nick having to sulk first. 

Song: With You It’s Different by Blue Topaz (again) Scene: Boston and Nick in the Pool Type: Vocal

Starts to play when Boston says “There’s only you” and they kiss. Last time this played was with Top and Mew in the shower, Top saying he cares about Mew’s pleasure.

With You It’s Different, Nick is different for Boston, he feels safe, accepting of Boston’s worst sides, and Boston can be affectionate. There is a bond, but Boston is unable to or unwilling to put words to what he actually wants Nick to be since he’s assuming he’s moving to NYC after college.

Song: Minimal Meaning by Marten Moses (again) Scene: Top looking at Boston in the pool Type: Vocal

The same song that plays in the café while Mew is insecure about the waiter and Top. Here it starts when Top sees Boston with Nick, mirroring his unease about what Boston might be planning with getting close to Nick. 

Continue to EP5 part two

Master List

[justcallmefox89]

Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty - One

An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.

Masterlist

Callum makes a request.

“Callum?”

“Hm?”  I don’t look up from the herbs I’m chopping, afraid that once I quit moving I’ll start spiraling after that argument with Pops and my grandda.  So for now I focus on a task I know I can handle; feeding my men.

Drake takes a tentative step into my kitchen, Liam right at his heels.  “You doing ok?”

“Yeah,” I answer absently, setting aside my knife and turning to remove a few strips of bacon from a frying pan and setting them on a folded paper towel. 

“Hey… talk to me.”  Drake steps closer, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.  Liam stands to the side awkwardly, a yearning look on his face, but he ultimately remains at distance. 

I sag against Drake, soaking in his warmth and the comforting scent of his cologne.  “I’ll be fine, love.  It’s just been a long fucking night,” I mumbled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

He snorts out a small laugh and tightens his hold on me.  “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry,” I reply, lightly slapping his ass.  “You’ll be punished later.”

Drake shivers, but the subtle press of his groin into my thigh lets me know he isn’t totally opposed to the idea.  Liam clears his throat softly, interrupting us before my teasing can begin in earnest.

I sigh and gently push Drake towards a seat at my kitchen island.  “Sit down you two and I’ll get you something to eat.”

“We’re not - ” Drake begins, only to be interrupted by an unholy growl from Liam’s stomach.

“That’s what I thought.”  I smirk at the pair.  “Now sit.”

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

Liam sits silently on a stool next to an equally quiet Drake, watching Callum butter two small ramekins before deftly cracking three eggs in each, then topping the eggs with a splash of cream and a generous sprinkle of a creamy, herbed cheese.  He places lids on the ramekins and gently sets them in a large casserole dish half full of warm water, then places the entire thing in the oven. 

“So…”  Callum draws out the word as he places several thick pieces of buttered bread into a toaster oven.  “I’m willing to go back to Cordonia with you.”

Drake straightens up, a tentative smile on his face.  “You are?”

Callum reaches into his refrigerator, removing a large contained of cut fruit and a pitcher of orange juice.  “For a few weeks anyway.”

Liam frowns, accepting the glass of juice Callum hands him with a small nod of thanks.  “Have you changed your stance on my… previous offer?”

“No,” Callum says simply, passing a second glass of juice over to Drake.  He moves fluidly through the kitchen, dishing out portions of cut cantaloupe onto two small plates, crumbling the cooked bacon into a bowl, setting various pots of jams and marmalades in front of the waiting men.  “I was serious when I said it was either Madeline or me.”

Liam tamps down the anger that threatens to flare up.  “Then why bother returning to Cordonia?”

“For Drake, you massively egotistical asshole,” Callum snaps.  “Mine isn’t the only heart you’re breaking by marrying Madeline.”

The king winces, glancing over at his best friend and former lover guiltily.  “I didn’t mean to imply - ”

“I know,” Drake interrupts quietly, toying with his glass of juice.  “It’s fine.”

“No it isn’t!” Callum growls, glaring at Liam.  “Why do you let him treat you like - ”

“Callum, stop…” Drake pleads, fatigue written in every line on his face.  “Just let it go.”

Callum opens his mouth again, clearly ready to argue the point, but eventually relents.  He rolls his eyes and gives Liam one last glare for good measure.  “This conversation isn’t over, Your Majesty.”

“Looking forward to it, Mr. MacKenzie.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

Callum turns his back on them, opening the oven with more force than is strictly necessary.  Soon he’s setting steaming ramekins before Liam and Drake.  Callum tops the shirred eggs with finely chopped herbs and a sprinkle of crushed bacon.  He pushes the plates of toast and cantaloupe closer to the pair.

“Go ahead and eat,” he urges.

Despite his annoyance Liam eagerly tucks into the impromptu breakfast, his eyes rolling back in his head as the flavors of the creamy, cheesy eggs combine with the freshness of the herbs and the saltiness of the bacon and explode across his tongue.  Drake lets out a pleased moan next to him, verbalizing Liam’s thoughts.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?” Drake mumbles through a mouthful of melon.

Callum hums in acknowledgement, pulling a container of cottage cheese from the refrigerator.  As Liam eats he watches as Callum carefully measure one cup of cottage cheese and top with an equally precise half a cup of cantaloupe and begins to eat.  The Callum he remembers would have already been on his second dish of eggs. 

Liam narrows his eyes, carefully studying Callum as the other man leans against the countertop and slowly eats his meager breakfast.  Caught up in all the other drama of the night, Liam hadn’t really taken in Callum’s appearance and what he sees now shocks him.  Callum’s once robust frame is now far leaner than Liam remembers, replaced by smooth, lithe lines of muscle that have clearly been hewn by many hours in the gym.  He wrinkles his nose, Callum’s new diet making slightly more sense.  The shorter haircut just emphasizes the sharp lines of his cheekbones and jaw, making his face look nearly gaunt in the soft light of the kitchen.  Previously unseen dark circles rim Callum’s eyes, the green of his eyes even more vibrant against their bruising.

Callum sighs and sets his spoon in his now empty bowl.  “I meant it when I said I’ll go back to Cordonia for a few weeks.  But if I do this I want Drake to do something for me.”

Liam glances at Drake to see if he knows what’s going on.  His best friend looks equally confused.  His eyes flick back to Callum, curious as to what his request will be.

“Drake, I want you to consider moving to New York after Liam’s wedding.  To moving in with me.  To being with me.  Only me,” Callum says calmly, speaking to Drake but staring directly at Liam.