#Sunset Seasons Greetings

[cborrador]

Brillo y Encanto: Disney Jollywood Nights

¡La preparación para las vacaciones está en pleno apogeo en Walt Disney World Resort, ya que el Lugar Más Mágico de la Tierra se prepara para celebrar “la época más maravillosa del año”! Mientras la planificación y los preparativos culminan en otoño, muchos Miembros del Elenco pasan meses, a veces un año completo, preparándose para compartir la alegría de la temporada. Aquí tienes un primer…

[hereindreamlandpng]

PEAK OF SUMMER

A LITTLE BIT OF GOLD~

~TO BREAK UP THE DARKNESS

I’d love it if you tag me if you use them, thank you 🖤

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Feel free to send me an ask or message me with suggestions if you feel like it. 🖤 Like and reblog if you like them.

Happy dreaming

[buckleberry4ever]

Huckleberry Pie: We just met Sunset Shimmer & Twilight Sparkle!🤩

Blueberry Muffin: Twilight and I definitely have the same hairstyle.😁🩵💙

[optimist-pine]

Bodyguard

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader

Warnings: people are naked, but it's barely even borderline suggestive

Summary: You need a bath, but there's no way you're going alone

Era: Season 1, the Quarry

Your skin practically crawls from the buildup of dirt, sweat, and who knows what else that's managed to accumulate over the past three days. You still haven't quite adjusted to the reality of not having on-demand access to a hot shower and your scalp is all oily, and itchy, and eugh - gross. A little shiver runs down your spine at the thought - well, maybe that's just more sweat...

The bold shades of the sunset are beginning to fade as you make your way to the Dixon brothers' camp. Currently they're the closest thing you have to neighbors, your tent being between theirs and the rest of the group. You're dying for a quick dip and rinse in the pond, but you don't actually want to die for a bath, and you know it's a dumb idea to go alone. Everyone else seems busy though and you've come to the conclusion that Daryl seems to be your only option.

Most of the others actively avoid the brothers, and you can't say you blame them. Merle's constantly stirring up trouble and being a general annoyance, and Daryl's quick to jump to his defense. But, on the rare occasion when Daryl isn't being held under Merle's thumb, you catch glimpses of a very different person than what he usually puts out.

He's sitting in an old lawn chair by the side of a fire when you approach, poking a stick around in the coals. Little sparks shoot off where the fresh evening air hits them, and the smell of woodsmoke fills your lungs.

"Hey." You greet. A spot of doubt begins to arise within you, but you quickly stamp it out. With recent events you were beginning to discover that there wasn't much room left for second guessing or overthinking anymore.

"Need somethin'?" He asks, eyes flicking up to you for a moment before returning to the flames.

You hang your thumbs in your belt loops, fingers tapping against your hips. "If you're not busy, I was hoping maybe you could go down to the water with me? I'd ask someone else but they all seem rather occupied at the moment... and I don't think Shane'd let me go alone." You say.

He looks up, jaw set awfully close to a scowl. "I ain't gonna be yer damn bodyguard." He huffs.

"No- I don't want you to watch me or anything like that- I guess I'm just asking for companionship?" You reply. "You could do whatever you're gonna do here, but just do it down there?" You hike your thumb over your shoulder in the direction of the pond.

He stays silent, but a sudden chorus of laughter flows out from the direction of the rest of the group. You study the way the firelight smooths out his rough edges, and you can't help but wonder if the look in his eyes is just boredom or if it's really loneliness.

"Unless you prefer Merle's company, then by all means I'll leave ya to it." You continue, trying your best to ignore Merle sawing logs in the tent, and erase the image of his hand too close to his crotch from your mind.

He jams the stick into the dirt hard enough that it remains standing when he lets go. "A'ight. Lemme get 'mah stuff."

"Awesome, I'll be over at my tent when you're ready." You smile, pleased and a little surprised that you'd managed to get him to say yes. Admittedly, Merle wasn't so bad when he was passed out, but it was reassuring to know that you were at least preferred company over an unconscious jerk.

---

Dirt and gravel crunch under your boots as the two of you walk, your knapsack bouncing steadily against your back with each step. "Thanks for coming with me. I'm not necessarily afraid of the dark or anything, but there's a lot worse things in the woods now than just coyotes." You explain. "And it's just nice not to be alone."

He simply grunts in response.

Good thing you didn't ask him along for his conversational skills.

When you reach the edge of the water you find a rock close to the shore to set out clean clothes and a towel. You see Daryl settle down, back propped against a boulder as he starts rummaging around in his own bag. "Whatcha gonna work on?" You ask.

He pulls out a whetstone and a couple large hunting knives. "Cleanin' mah tools." He replies.

You begin to undress, but a feeling of uncertainty causes you to pause. "Man, I wish I didn't feel like he's sitting up there right now with those binoculars..."

"Who? Shane?" He asks sounding surprised.

"Yeah." You shudder. "Guy gives me the creeps."

You hear scrape of the knife grinding against the sharpener. "Well, hurry up an'ere won' be anythin' ta see." He says.

"Yeah..." You keep your eye on Daryl while you finish, but he doesn't lift his gaze even once beyond sharpening his knife. "I won't be long." You assure him as the cool water rises around you.

As soon as you're far enough in you dive forward, the rush of water instantly reviving and refreshing your whole body as it flows past. You rise upwards as giddiness fills you and you break the surface with a laugh. "This is heavenly!" You gasp. You continue diving and twirling, every sore muscle and painful bruise easing away.

You pause to catch your breath and a small splash has you immediately alert. You left your knife up on the shore with Daryl, but you hadn't heard any sounds of alarm from him so surely it's not a walker. But when you look to the shore the sight has you almost equally as shocked. Daryl is chest deep in the water - bare chested that is - ripples being sent out across the still expanse as he sinks further in.

"Hey!" You yell. "I asked you out here because I thought you weren't some sorta pervert!" You hope it's dark enough that nothing in the water is visible because he's only getting closer.

The moon is full and bright, and the way it reflects off the water makes him look almost ethereal. "Can't protect ya if I'm up'ere an' yer alla'way out 'ere." He reasons.

"I don't need protecting." You roll your eyes. "And all the weapons are up there, Dixon!" You send a splash of water directly into his face.

He returns the splash. "Looked like I was missin' out on alla fun." He shrugs. "'Sides, ya never know when somethin' might jus'-" he disappears under the surface of the water and barely a second later something wraps around your ankle, tugging you under the surface.

When you're released you bob back up to the top wanting to be stern, but you're too busy giggling and swallowing mouthfuls of water to do so. When he surfaces behind you, you turn and splash him again sputtering, "Daryl you- that's not- I can't-" and end up full on belly laughing while trying to stay afloat.

You think you catch the shadow of a smile on his lips before he turns and floats away, like he's done nothing worthy of retaliation. 'Oho boy is he gonna get it.' As quietly as possible you lower yourself in the water, and using shadows from the moonlight, you swim under his head. Reaching up with both hands you use all your strength to grab his shoulders and pull yourself above the surface while pushing him down as hard as you can. Then you make a break for it.

You hear him gasp for air, coughing and sputtering as you swim as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

"Get back 'ere, woman!" He shouts, his tone highly amused. "Yer gonna hafta pay 'fer that!"

You don't realize how loudly you're laughing until the beam of a flashlight is suddenly shining directly in your face.

"Everything alright here?" Shane questions, standing on the shore not far from your and Daryl's discarded clothes. A few of the others are with him; Dale, Andrea, T-Dog, and Morales.

Even in the chilly water you can feel your skin begin to flush all the way down your neck. "Yes! All good!" You squeak out, squinting in the harsh brightness.

"We heard yelling." Andrea chimes in.

You're confident that in all your life you've never been more embarrassed. "That was laughing, guys. I wanted a bath and I asked Daryl to be my bodyguard. We were just, uh, blowing off some steam and I guess we got a little loud... Sorry if we worried anyone." You glance at Daryl who appears to be doing his best impression of the invisible man.

You can make out Dale's hat exceptionally well even in the darkness. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Their hesitation to leave sparks frustration within you - do they really think so lowly of Daryl? Is that what this is all about? Sure, nobody really knows him all that well, but you're all practically strangers and he's done alright by you. The desire to defend him takes over and you snap at the group, "Ah, what're y'all, the fun police? Go ruin somebody else's night and leave us be."

You don't take a good breath until they're all headed back to camp, and it's once again quiet and dark. You sigh, tilting your head back to watch the stars so high above as you float. "Dead people walking around eatin' living people - ya think they'd have bigger problems to deal with than a couple'a skinny dippers." You remark.

A quick exhale of a laugh, not quite a snort, echoes across the pond. "People're always jealous of'a good time if they ain't havin' one." He says quietly.

You pull your fingers through the water, feeling the tension push against them. "So... are ya feeling jealous, or did ya have a good time?" You ask.

"S'pose it wasn't too bad." He says. "But I ain't yer damn bodyguard."

And you grin.

---

Yeah, maybe it's a little awkward getting dried off, getting dressed, and walking back to camp but you sleep more soundly than you have since you arrived. And maybe you're a little annoyed with the way everyone seems to have nothing better to do than gossip, but that new gleam in Daryl's eye when he looks at you wipes it all from your mind. And maybe a lot of things suck, but at the end of the day there's someone who actually likes you, and maybe that's enough.

[rainyorca]

I'll swim down with you 𓇼 Kenji Sato X Reader

Content warnings: F!reader, Established relationship, childhood friends, kissing, fluff, a little bit of smut.

Words: 1,916

Notes: Rewatching Ultraman made me realize that Kenji does in fact have pools on his deck but I don't know if they're meant to be swam in, however, i really wanted to write something involving them soooo…..I am very deeply in love with this man and have seen this movie more times than I’ve seen my dad this summer.

𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼ ꩜𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼ ꩜𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼ ꩜𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼

The setting sun casts beautiful rays of golden light on the Earth, blanketing everything in warmth. It’s mid-June, which means baseball season is at its all-time high right now. For Kenji, it’s rather exciting but for you, it’s a little upsetting. You don’t get to spend as much time with him anymore due to practice and his games, but you still attend his games, all of them in fact as long as your work schedule doesn't overlap. As well as his duties as Ultraman, sometimes you don't even get to have him in bed next to you. 

You sit in one of the pools on his wooden deck, bathing in sunlight. You like to sit in the water and watch the sunset over the ocean, the view is out of this world. It's one of the many things you like about living with him. Ken is currently at practice, which he has practically been at all day in your mind, then again you left for work early this morning so you haven't seen him at all today. You close your eyes, sinking further into the pool and letting your head rest on the edge. The wood is smooth beneath your head, but you slide your hands under your head for more cushion. There's music playing softly in the background, one of your favorite songs from your favorite playlist. This was your idea of relaxing after work, especially with such a hectic day you had. 

“Ken is home,” Mina’s voice erupts softly from behind you, making you jump. You turn around to face the floating supercomputer. “I'm sorry, did not mean to startle you,” she says, her tone flat as usual. “It's okay,” you smile softly, “thank you for letting me know, Mina.” The floating circle gives you a nod before flying off to greet Kenji. You turn back to the sunset, waiting for Kenji to come by. You can hear him talking to Mina inside but it stops momentarily before starting up again. Kenji’s footsteps could be heard approaching you now, but you're too lost in thought to turn around or even notice.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asks, you can practically hear the smile in his voice. You turn around, smiling when you see him. “I’d enjoy it a lot more if you joined me,” you respond, tilting your head at him. He shakes his head with a smile, “I know, that's why I put my swim trunks on.” You watch him lift his shirt over his head, the golden light hitting his toned body perfectly. He looks warm, and the light makes his skin look supple and soft. He dips his feet in the water, pulling back from the slightly coldness but slowly easing himself in. The water isn’t too deep, he can stand perfectly straight and it only goes to his waist. He rests his back against the edge just like your doing but he follows your movements when you turn around to face the sun. He squints a little, turning his head to look at you rather than the bright sun. “How was your day?” he asks, his voice as soft as silk. You peer into his big gray eyes, resting your head on your hands again. “Hetic,” you respond simply, “How was practice?”

He picks up on the simplicity of your answer quickly, dropping the subject knowing you don't want to go into detail. “Practice was good, but I was a little distracted today,” he responds, reaching up and brushing a water droplet off your face only to get more on you. “Why’s that?” you ask, giggling softly at his failed attempt. “Because I kept thinking about you,” he smiles, almost teasingly because he knows what you’re gonna say. “You’re so corny,” you scoff, smiling brightly, “why were you really distracted?” He shrugs, “I'm serious, I was thinking about you.” There's humor in his voice and his expression is rather playful. You roll your eyes, turning your head to face the sun again. 

His eyes linger on you for a moment, taking in the softness of your face and admiring how your eyes look in the sunlight. A few thoughts from the past show up in his mind, like how upset you were when you found out he had to move back to Japan, or the sweet moments in high school when you went to all the school dances with him. You have always been a special person in his life and for so long, he feels rather grateful that you're back in his life as his lover rather than just a friend. He snakes a hand around your waist, turning you around so you're facing him and not the sun. Your back is pressed up against the edge again and he's standing in front of you, staring down into your eyes. 

“You’re so warm,” he says softly, running his hands up your exposed torso. “I’ve been out here a while,” you respond, reaching up and resting your arms on his broad shoulders. “I can tell,” he hums, reaching up to cup your face with his large, wet hand. “You’re warm too,” you point out, tilting your head a bit so you can melt into his touch. He drops his hand, sneakily lifting you so he's carrying you. You wrap your legs around his waist, holding onto him as he backs up from the wall of the pool. He smiles, spinning you around slowly in the water. You close your eyes, throwing your head back and hanging off him a bit as he spins you. 

There's a mischievous look in his eye, but it all goes away when you dip underwater. He surfaces you quickly, laughing at your surprised expression. “Oh you asshole,” you splash him with water, wetting his hair and face. “I couldn't miss the opportunity, sorry,” he lets go of you, protecting himself from your splashes. You give him your best angry expression, but it doesn't last long. You can't resist his charms, and that award-winning smile always makes you smile. He swims up to you, reaching out to grab you again and pulling you into his chest before you can get away. “I won't do it again, I promise,” he says, shaking his hair and sending water flying. “If you do, we're going to have problems,” you respond, pressing your hands into his chest. 

His eyes glide over your face, his smile still plastered on his lips. He cups your face again, making you tilt your head upwards so he can have access to your lips. He tilts his head a little, leaning in to place a soft kiss on your lips. You kiss him back almost immediately, sliding your hands over his shoulders as you have done before. The soft, pillowy feeling of his lips is enough to send you into a trance, parting your lips for him. Your heart rate spikes a little when you feel him pull you in tighter, his brows furrowing and what seems to have started off as an innocent kiss was now becoming something more euphoric and titillating. He tilts his head a little more, deepening the kiss with a quiet grunt before moving you back to the edge of the pool. Your back hits the smooth edge, the coolness of it suddenly more noticeable. 

His grip on you tightens, his knee coming up to part your legs slowly before pressing into your clothed cunt. The sudden shift in demeanor, and movements, makes you gasp a little. He pulls away slowly, a new look in his lidded eyes. He leans down to kiss the line of your jaw and then your neck. “I haven't been able to give you much attention lately,” he says softly but sensually, “the attention you need and crave.” You tilt your head back just a little to give him more access to your neck. His breath is warm and it fans over your neck, the tickling sensation making goosebumps rise on your skin. His knee presses up against your cunt again, a little harder this time making you squeak in surprise. You lift a leg slightly, opening yourself up more. 

Ken moves his hand down, further and further until stopping at the waistband of your swimsuit bottoms. He slips his lithe fingers underneath the fabric, inching closer and closer to your cunt. His lips find yours again in another aggressive, hungry kiss as if he's trying to devour you through the kiss alone. One of his fingers brushes over your sensitive clit, causing you to startle, and a sharp gasp erupts from your throat. The sound is like music to his ears, the noises you make are just perfect to him. You brace yourself, one hand on the edge of the pool, the other digging into his shoulder while he holds you still. He rubs agonizingly slow circles on your clit, drinking in your expressive behavior, soft moans starting to slide off your sinful tongue. 

You were his weakness, just like he was yours. It was hard to resist him really, a struggle you’ve had since your younger years with him. In moments like these, it was even harder. The sun was still setting on the horizon, however only half of it was visible. The night sky started to pool in, blanketing the sky with specks of stars. He couldn't help himself, hearing your delightful and heavenly moans, he needed to hear more, to feel more. His fingers speed up, rubbing a little harder but oh so perfectly. You part from his lips with a rather pathetic gasp, your mouth staying slightly open as he continues to draw his fingers over your clit. 

He leans in, mouth open against your soft neck, tasting, feeling, the area with his mouth. “I wanna memorize every part of your body,” he hums, breath ragged, “I wanna touch you everywhere, make you mine.” He blabbers, his words digging deep into your core, making you squeeze around nothing. He lifts his head to look at you now, bumping noses as he continues his movements against your clit. His eyes bore into yours, lovingly but lustful. You keep your eyes open, or at least try to. You can't help but close them every time a shock of pleasure rushes up your spine. “I wasn't lying when I told you,” his lips curl into a smug smile, “that I was thinking about you. I’ve been thinking about this all day.” 

“Ken,” you breathe, your moans melodic and messy. “You seem more sensitive than usual,” he points out a little teasingly. That warm tingling feeling starts to build up in your stomach, pleasure shooting up your spine as your climax starts to work its way out of you. Just as you're about to release, Mina’s voice sounds from behind Kenji causing both of you to stop. 

“A phone call from your father, Ken,” she says monotone. Kenji sighs, looks back at Mina, and then back to you, his fingers still positioned on your clit. “Before you try to put it off, it's urgent,” Mina continued before Ken could even speak. He groans, clearly irritated, and then gives you an apologetic look. “I’ll be back,” he says, kissing your forehead before releasing you gently. Your body relaxes, and you catch your breath, watching him get out of the pool and follow Mina into the house. A sigh escapes your lips, irritated but otherwise calm. You decide to stay in the pool until the moon comes up.

𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼ ꩜𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼ ꩜𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼ ꩜𓆉︎ ☼ 𓇼 ☼

[withleeknow]

seasons of you.

pairing: minho x reader genre/warnings: established relationship, tooth-rotting fluff or at least i hope so lmao, not v edited and literally no one is surprised lol i sound like a broken record atp just adding that into every post word count: 0.7k note: inspired by a highly fucked up thing that @matchannie said to me yesterday lmao it has not left my brain since you said it you absolute monster

as always, i’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have, and please drop a like and/or reblog if you enjoy reading ♡

navigation / masterlist / ko-fi

minho falls in love with you four times a year.

minho falls in love with you in the spring, over blooming cherry blossoms and vibrant daffodils that greet you on your weekly sunset walk. over the feeling of your fingers intertwined with his own without soft fluffy gloves getting in the way, now that it's finally warm enough to retire that extra layer of protection for the season. over the sun coming out of hibernation and filling your days with golden light, falling upon your face and casting you in a magical hue. over the remnants of winter that still leave behind a palpable chill in the air early in the morning or late in the night, that has you reaching out for the comfort of his warmth. over your delighted smile when he brings home a bouquet of tulips after a long day at work. over your glassy eyes, reddened nose and flushed cheeks as he takes care of you when the seasonal allergies kick in.

minho falls in love with you in the summer, over picnics in the park where you both lay on blue gingham picnic blankets, your head on his chest, as you watch the clouds overhead drift peacefully. over watermelon gelatos passed between teasing lips, the confectionary melting too quickly for your liking under the blazing sunlight. over spontaneous drives to the beach even though neither of you can swim, but you go just for fun, just to build sand sculptures in the shape of your cat babies and stand on the edge of the water to splash at each other. over long naps on the couch on days where you're too lazy to venture into the outside heat, preferring to stay cuddled up together under the air conditioner with niki playing in the background.

minho falls in love with you in fall, over shared slices of pumpkin pie as you watch the leaves turn yellow and red right outside your window. over the adorable way you hide your face behind your hands on nights where he puts on a horror movie because he insists on honoring the halloween spirit. over your off-key rendition of taylor swift's all too well (the 10-minute version) for most of the season because you adamantly claim that it's autumn's official anthem. over weekends spent attached at the hip, baking sugar cookies for hours on end. over your crestfallen pout as you take note of how the days keep getting shorter and shorter, already missing warm sunny weeks with all your heart.

minho falls in love with you in winter, over matching scarves and beanies, even though he often has to carry them for you because you have a bad habit of forgetting them before you go out. over the first snow of the season because they say that if you witness the first snowfall with the person you love, then you will stay together for a long, long time. over sweet cuddles in bed as a bad christmas movie plays on tv, and you fall asleep on his shoulder about half an hour into the movie despite being the one to select the movie in the first place. over your return from a shopping spree with your girlfriends with nothing for yourself but everything for soondoongdori, from christmas themed clothes to treats and toys.

but then again, maybe it's not entirely accurate to say that minho falls in love you merely four times a year. if he wants to be precise, then he would say that he falls for you anew every morning he wakes up and sees you asleep in his arms like a delicate miracle granted by a star he once used to wish upon. if he wants to get technical, then he falls in love with you with every smile that you send his way, which is a terribly sappy thing for him to admit but it doesn't make the statement any less true.

minho loves you every day of every week, of every month, of every year. he's loved you before he even met you, when you were just a romanticized idea in his head and hadn't yet walked into his life like the angel he was always meant to find. he loves you every minute of every hour; there isn't a second where you're not on his mind, not a single beat of his heart that doesn't spell out your name. he loves you throughout the seasons and a million times in between.

permanent taglist: @onlyycb97wife @starsandrqindrops @borahae-reads @abbiestearsricochet @cutiespaghetti @anthropologykpopmultistan @moonlinos @mjnhoz @caitlyn98s @piercidh34rts  @stayceebs97 @linocz @yaorzu-blog @biribarabiribbaem @kayleefriedchicken @extrhotjne @caitxx1 @palindrome969 @todorokiskitten @azuna-sz @meanergreener @nxzz-skz @jazziwritesthings @poutypoutybin @bookyeom @jisuperboard @wyzminho @amarecerasus @channection @lastgreatamericandynasty1 @judeduartewannabe @chanshyunjin @firelordtsuki @astronomicallyyy @alm334 @lashaemorow

all rights reserved © withleeknow. reposting, translating and/or modifying is not permitted by any means. [posted 08.04.2024]

[pitchsidestories]

lunch II Ona Batlle x Lucy Bronze x Reader

masterlist I word count: 1181

a/n: hi, it's based off this request here. We're not completely happy with it, but hope you'll still enjoy it. <3

warnings: smut ahead, mdni, 18 + content

In front of her eyes, laid a stunning coastal landscape, but the beauty of it couldn’t satisfy the hunger Ona felt inside.  

“I’m so hungry.”, the defender mumbled.  She was certain that the sound of the crushing waves against the shore made it impossible to hear what the brunette just said. But the young woman was wrong of it.

Her brother who came to a halt next to her, raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“You haven’t even touched your food.”, he reminded her.

“Not like that.”, Ona replied smirking.

“Oh my god, Oni!”, the older man spat his coffee out, he wasn’t expecting such a reply from his little sister.

Before she had to explain herself in front of him, the defender thankfully received a phone call from her girlfriends.”

“Sorry, I need to take it.”, Ona bit her lip in an apologetic manner.

“Go ahead.”, her brother waved it off.

“Thanks.”, the football player got down to the beach, looking for a stone to sit on, when she chose to videocall her lovers back.

The young woman was excited to watch the sunset, the sun made her skin appear golden, her heart sank from longing once she saw Lucy and you on the screen of her phone. The sight of you both almost pained her physical.

 “Finally.”, you sighed relieved while you looked at your girlfriend who wasn’t in the squad for the last away game of the season, your hair was still wet from the shower.

“Hey, girls.”, Ona greeted you both with a warm smile on her lips.

“Hi, you already look like vacation herself.”, Lucy noticed the tanned skin of the defender and the many adorable freckles around her nose.

For a moment the Catalan player turned around so you got to see the sea in its full glory.

“Oh my god, we’re jealous, that view behind you looks stunning.”, you replied.

“I can’t wait until you come and join me.”, Ona answered, her voice full of yearning.

“We can’t wait either, pretty girl.”, the older defender assured the younger one.

“Who are you calling pretty girl here, huh?”, she teased her.

“Both.”, Lucy said in an honest tone.

“Just hurry up and come here, I’m starving.”, the Spanish woman’s eyes darkened with want and desire.

It didn’t get unnoticed by you.

“We’ll be there as quick as possible we can’t let you starve.”, you promised her.

“Good.”, Ona nodded, visibly satisfied with that answer.

“See you soon, love.”, the older defender muttered her goodbye.

“I can’t wait.”, the Spanish woman admitted passionately.

“We’ll arrive at lunch time.”, you added who couldn’t wait that much longer either.

The following day Ona was waiting in the hotel lobby. It was Lucy who reached her first and gave her an heartfelt kiss: ”Hi, Ona.”  

“Hi, my loves.”, she chirmed, giving each of you a kiss on the mouth.

“You look great.”, you complimented her.

“So do you.”, the young defender winked at the two of you, eager to guide you to somewhere you all could be alone without any other people watching.

“What’s for lunch?”, the older English woman asked curiously.

“Just you wait.”, Ona grinned mysteriously while leading Lucy and you to the room you’d share in the upcoming days. You could already taste the anticipation. Just for the food or for something else? Likely it was both.

When you arrived, you turned your head around in confusion:” I don’t see any food here?”

Wordlessly, Ona opened the door out to the balcony. There was a hot tub peacefully bubbling just for the three of you.

Glasses of wine stood on a table right beside it, small plates with olives and nuts right next to them. You could not help but notice that there were small bouquets of flowers on the balcony as well.

“Maybe I prepared a different kind of lunch.“, Ona smiled innocently.

Lucy immediately understood the hint. She licked her lips impatiently: “I like that.“

“Oh, me too.“, you smirked.

“You can leave your travel clothes on the chair.“, Ona suggested, pointing at an empty chair inside the hotel room.

“Someone’s really impatient.“, Lucy laughed while pulling her shirt over her head anyway.

You bit back a comment about how was being impatient now.

“In my defense, I had to wait a long time for you two.“, Ona shrugged with nonchalance.

You laughed as you slipped into your bikini: “Don’t worry, we won’t let you wait any longer.“

“Finally…“, Ona smirked once you had all changed and were ready to finally slip into the pool.

You enjoyed the warm water as it touched your skin.

Ona handed you and Lucy the glasses of white wine.

“Cheers.“, she said, holding out her glass so you could all clink your glasses together.

You took a sip of your wine, it was sweet and delicious. Ona had created the perfect relaxing experience for the end of your season.

You were about to compliment her on that when you suddenly felt a hand grip the inside of your thigh.

Lucy smirked at you, tightening her grip and you immediately knew that it would leave a bruise.

You sucked in a breath as Lucys hand started wandering, sneaking into your bikini bottoms.

Simultaneously, Ona untied your top, pressing hungry kisses down your neck and your breasts.

You felt yourself lose focus. You even had to put your wine glass down, too scared that you would drop it while your girlfriends spoiled you.

Maybe they were impatient to get this started but you were impatient to finish this. You thrusted your hips towards Lucy, signalling her to move faster and deeper.

And then finally, relief floated your body. You moaned as quietly as possibly, suddenly remembering that you were still at a hotel.

Ona kissed you excitedly. You knew that watching you come turned her on, you could tell from the way she was shifting impatiently.

You were eager to share this feeling of ecstasy with her, so you slipped onto her lap and ran your hands along her tanned abs. Her freckles were even more pronounce from the time she had spend in the sun. You felt almost hypnotized by the beauty of them.

But before you could do more than press a few kisses along her jawline, Lucy pulled you both towards her: “Let’s take this somewhere more comfortable.“

You had to agree. The pool was nice and warm but not spacious enough for what you three were planning to do.

Ona and you followed her out of the pool and straight into the hotel room where you all stripped out of your wet swim wear.

As you climbed onto the bed, you realized that Ona had also prepared this. There were scented candles, massage oils and various toys on the bedside table. You smiled, Ona had really been craving to see you.

You could not wait to repay both of your girlfriends. And you wanted to taste them both.

Even if that meant lunch would turn into dinner. You would take your sweet time to satisfy this hunger.

[phan3145]

Title: Slippery Slope. Fandom: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Rating: T. ( Cursing, almost drowning) Pairing: Eventual Noa x Human!Reader.

Chapter 1: Seven Months Ago

Noa

It wasn’t very cold this late in the season thankfully, but the constant rain made a chill cling to his body. Anaya and Soona walked next to him, the misting of water clinging to their fur and making it stand on end. It seemed as if it was finally ready to stop for a short period though, he noticed the dark clouds above head dissipating. Soona, seeing the same thing, shook her body to clear it of the remaining water. She sighed happily as Anaya chose to copy her, more obnoxious as he purposely shook to throw water back onto Soona. She hissed playfully before hooting, pointing forward at the younglings in lesson down by the creek with his mother.

He kept his eyes peeled for any potential threat, Eagle Sun visibly gliding overhead. He had a weird feeling about today, one that left him on edge as he continued to scan their surroundings. Anaya attempted to say something amusing to get his attention, but it was ignored in favor of his need to focus.

He heard Soona scoff and hoot behind him, but he truthfully hadn’t heard a word Anaya said. He stopped abruptly when he saw movement across the creek, or at least, he thought he had. It was downwind, so even as he scented the air, he wouldn’t be able to detect anything. Nothing that could threaten his clan outright.

“ You are…distracted.” Soona questioned, “Worried?”

Anaya hooted, “Too serious…now that he is leader…why not go…down and have fun…with younglings…elder?”

“Why?” He questioned, turning to bat at Anaya. “When you are here.”

Soona hooted as Anaya jumped and avoided his swings, “The creek is high…perhaps smart..to be on look out…Dar should have waited…until drier to take…younglings out.”

“Mother knows…what’s best…never would put young ape…in danger.” He reasoned, another flash of movement across the creek once again stilling him. “Besides…who knows when rain…will stop for good.”

He made motion for Soona and Anaya to follow him, making their way down the muddy, uneven embankment to the edge of the water, where his mother and the younglings were. She was teaching them about high waters and how the fish migrate, how rough waters mean fishing that day would be near impossible for Eagle. Instead, learning to build wooden traps for fish, allowing Eagle to rest while they hunted.

The moment the three of them descended the creek bank, all concentration by the younglings was lost. They rushed over to meet the infamous Sunset Trio, chasing after Anaya as he ran around them, and grasping at Soona’s decorations when she crouched to greet them. He made his way towards his mother, a few younglings silently trailing after him. It was a reminder that as the new Master of Birds there was a sort of reverent respect that came with that.

“Hah!” he exclaimed, jumping around to face the younglings. They fell on top of one another and hooted their enjoyment at the scare before running off to join Soona or Anaya.

He hooted lowly to himself with no small amount of pride. Who was the elder now? He didn’t need reverent respect. He didn’t feel as if he had fully earned it. Not like his mother…not like his…

“Son,” his mother called warmly. “Nice to see you bonding…with younglings for once…You seem…concerned…what troubles you?”

His mother, ever observant, as he leaned down to touch heads with her in a brief greeting. He tried to be discreet as his eyes trailed over that same spot across the creek where movement had been. From this vantage point he could see that there was nothing, but still scented the air to be sure.

He caught a whiff of small game, rabbit or a raccoon perhaps. Another whiff made him think again…perhaps skunk. His mother followed his line of sight, returning her gaze to him after a moment as she signed, I’ve noticed all lesson. Subtle movement, but does not leave or reveal itself. I think, no threat.

He huffed, returning her message, If no threat, why sign?

“Better to be safe…Just in case…though the creek…does provide safety…from anything on that side.”

She was right of course, the creek now mirrored a small river, swollen from the rain. It’s height would be more concerning if it wasn’t for the fact the bank’s own height could hold three times the creeks height. He imagined a long time ago more water existed than what does today, making it impossible to trek from one side to the other.

Most animals could swim, but not ape. They didn’t have much of an advantage if something wanted to cross and attack. An elder such as his mother and a group of younglings? It would be too easy. He never had to worry about such matters before, never had anyone truly depend on him making the right decisions. How did Koro do it? How did he make it look so effortless?

His eyes hadn’t strayed from that part of the creek, waiting for any type of movement to alert him of another presence, but his gaze remained distant as his thoughts danced around him. His mother saw that far off look and slowly placed a gentle palm on his forearm, knowing that what her son’s eyes were looking at was not what he was seeing. In that way, he reminded her so much of Koro. His concentration was broken then, finally turning away from the vegetation and to the chimpanzee who raised him. He offered an apologetic look, the gentle motion allowing him to take a breath and relax into her touch.

Of course, the relief didn’t last long. There was a shifting and a rumble in the ground that caused everyone to freeze in place. It ended almost as soon as it started, his instincts telling him something was wrong. Again, he scented the air, only smelling his clan and the wet ground. Then, Soona hooted for his attention, pointing wildly up stream.

He noticed water, much like the salty waves that had been present at Proximus’ kingdom, descending towards them. He remembered then. There was a dam far upstream…and he could only conclude that the deafening noise and shift of ground was from it breaking. The harsh build up of rain that had been relentless, it must have overwhelmed the decaying structure.

Without wasting any time he called out, “Climb!”

He began to help his mother out of the creek bed, making sure she was secure on higher ground before racing to help Anaya and Soona further up stream. They were hoisting younglings up the bank, which had become unstable. A few had reached the top, only to slide back down from the ground giving way beneath them.

He saw the wave gaining momentum in the distance, the creek water already rising at their feet. He screeched for attention, ordering, “Soona…Anaya…go up top. Grab younglings from…safe footing.”

They did as he instructed, sliding a few times themselves before reaching the top. They backed up a step or two as the soil crumbled beneath their feet along the edges. He immediately began handing younglings up to them, whimpering and crying in fear as each one waited for their turn. Once up, they would run to his mother, who waited at the edge of the tree line, keeping track of them all and making sure they stayed back and out of the way.

Soona began to have a panicked look on her face the longer it took to get the younglings up. He ignored it, turning away to grab the last two before he heard her call, “Noa…the water!”

He didn’t waste time looking, holding a youngling by the scruff of their neck in each hand, before practically throwing them up into Soona and Anaya’s outstretched arms. He felt their weight released from his grip just as the wave had struck his side. He thrust his body forward and for a moment, digging his palms and feet into the moist soil of the side, he believed that it would hold him.

It did prevent the initial wave from taking him…but the rushing current was too strong for the loose dirt beneath his grip began to melt and crumble between his fingers.

“No..no…no!” he called as he felt his body be pulled away from safety. He kept trying to grip the soil as Anaya and Soona chased after him, knowing if he could just hold on for a few seconds one of their arms would be there for him to grasp onto.

It was not to be, as a log came charging rapidly towards him. He couldn’t have avoided it, feeling his body be knocked under the water as it slammed into him. Pain exploded in his left arm from the impact, and as the water carried him further under he felt his body roll and tumble against the sediment at the bottom of the creek.

Small rocks ground into his fur and scraped his nose, disorienting him further before he found a way to kick from the ground and burst back to the surface. Taking a large gulp of air, he was brutally reminded of another situation similar to this. Just then, another rush of water forced him under. The scars of Proximus and his Kingdom were more than skin deep, as he felt fear churn his stomach, more so than the water that churned his body. He heard Soona calling his name, somehow managing to breach the surface again. Anaya was screeching in a panic as he attempted to keep pace with his body being carried down stream. Anaya had always had been the fastest amongst the three.

He found himself submerged again, only for a moment as the creek had been shallower here, his feet instantly catching on the bottom before the current catapulted his body forward again. He tried thinking of a way to get out of the water, before his body lost the will to fight the current. Breaking to the surface, he noticed movement up ahead, on the opposite side of the creek from where he had been. That same flurry of movement he had seen before in the corner of his eye. It’s then he noticed the drop off from the creek. It wasn’t high, in comparison to the heights he’s fallen from, but the pool of water beneath it was deep. If he went down he’d never come back up.

Body going under once more in the torrid rapids of the raging water, he found himself thrown towards the middle of the creek, further away from Anaya and Soona on his left. He had a choice to make then and was running out of time to make it. With determination to reach the opposite side and stop himself, he willed his body into a crouch under water, forcing it not to tumble forward. In this position, he used all four limbs to launch himself from the bottom of the creek, angling his body towards the right.

So close still, he heard Anya and Soona relentlessly calling out to him, but further away from them now as he reached for anything in sight. The vegetation towards the edge, the rocks along the sides of the bank covered in slippery moss; he hoped against hope that something would not give way under his weight. In vain, he saw the drop approach, desperation heightening his fear amid the crushing force of the water. Then, he saw an arm suddenly thrusted out for him to grab.

He took it, not hesitating nor having the time to notice what kind of arm he was desperately grasping hold of. He sputtered up water once he stopped moving, taking in a full breath of air that shook his water logged lungs. He heard a whine above him then, head snapping up when he realized he was merely being suspended in the raging water, not being pulled out. He realized then, it wasn’t an ape arm holding him. Tanned, hairless flesh greeted him as he followed the length of the arm up to lock eyes with the straining female Echo above him.

Aghast amazement filled his eyes as she struggled to support him. It was more impressive she was able to stop him at all, surely he thought his weight would overpower her. A coil of rope was around the arm grasping his, and she made a motion to loop it around his other arm and shoulder. Here, he did hesitate, but the crunching sound of her feet sliding against the rock made him realize…it was either trust her, or take her down with him.

He did as she instructed, letting the loop encircle him under his arms and around his shoulders. She glanced behind her before looking back to him. She motioned with her left hand to grip the rope. He did as she wanted, and he felt her grip on him loosen. He panicked, clasping onto her hand tighter. Her face scrunched in pain before she once more gestured for him to grip the rope. That’s when it dawned on him.

She intended to let go.

He couldn’t see if the rope was secure to anything besides himself and the girl. The idea filled him with fear, but feeling debris start to brush against him it was only a matter of time before something bigger came along like that first log. He nodded once at her, bracing himself as he released her hand and gripped the rope. He went back under the water, his heart stopping at the notion that he might not resurface this time, before a harsh lurch returned him to the surface. He tightened his grip, eyes closing briefly before opening them to find his bearings. Looking up, the girl was gone.

Then, he felt the rope pulling him. It was slow, but big lurches at a time had his body steadily rising from the water. He hooted, reaching for the edge of the rock the girl had grabbed him from, attempting to pull himself up. The current was still very strong and he noticed he had suddenly lost his advantage. He was no longer being pulled upwards, freezing midair with only half of his body out of the water. His feet scrambled for purchase under water, his upper body muscles screaming as he tried to move with no real leverage. Just as he thought he wouldn’t be able to lift himself from this vantage, the girl had returned, poking her head over the edge of the rock.

She tugged on his arm, her gaze shifting across the creek for a moment before releasing him as if his fur had burned her. She made as if to back away, then looked down at him once more. He saw her swallow, look behind herself, then further up the river. Her eyes locked with his, steeling herself for he didn’t know what. Suddenly, she was crouched in front of him.

His shock was obvious when her arms went under his, a gasp leaving his mouth as she pressed herself cheek to cheek with him. Time seemed meaningless then, being enveloped this close to her, the newness of her scent flooding his senses. He felt her jaw clench, heard the deep breath she took before she began to pull him up with, what he imagined was, all of her might. Time resumed, he began pushing himself forward as she pulled, trying to assist her as much as possible.

The tips of his fingers were starting to crack open, some already bleeding as he refused to release his grip from the rough surface of the rock below him. Once the majority of his body was over the ledge, he heard the girl grunt, using her weight as a counter balance, leaning back and pulling his weight into her lap. From here, his feet kicked off the side of the rock, gaining momentum to throw himself forward the rest of the way.

He was out of the water, having just enough mind to roll to the side as his body collapsed in relief. He was still partly on top of the girl, her arm and shoulder pinned under him. She didn’t protest though, her body having fallen sideways too. Both of them were panting, more than willing to take a moment to relax now that their excursion had ended. He raised his head to face her fully, grateful beyond words as their eyes locked onto one another. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, given the circumstances of what had just happened, but he only now noticed the intelligence that was held in her exhausted gaze. He blinked once, a thousand questions flooding his mind. He blinked twice and the realization must have shown on his face, for in the next instant he felt her arm frantically wriggling out from beneath his weight.

He was too slow to react as she fell backwards in an attempt to free herself from him. His shock wore off as she scooted away on all fours, springing to her feet. He attempted to do the same, watching her bolt for the tree line in front of them. He thought surely he could catch her before she vanished, gaining ground quickly on all fours. He lunged for the material of her clothing before he was harshly reminded of the rope.

One minute he was on her heels, and the next thing he knew his face was planted into the ground. His pride more wounded than anything, he hissed as he looked up at her retreating form amongst the vegetation. He pulled the offending rope off of him, showing no gratitude even though it had just saved his life. He huffed, ready to charge forward when he was reminded once more of the world around him.

“Noa!” Soona called from across the creek.

He stopped then, turning to see her and Anaya waving with concerned looks on their faces. He grunted, waving his arm in a sign that he was okay, his focus drawn once again to the tree line next to him.

“Noa…no…don’t!” He heard Anaya yell in warning.

Soona was quick to join in, “Just meet back…up river…go home…don’t chase!”

He swallowed, frustrated as his breaths came in quicker bursts. He contemplated letting the Echo go, forgetting any of this had even happened. He wiped excess water from his face, looking up to see Eagle Sun flying above the tree tops… further into the woods. Tracking. He was tracking the Echo. With that, his mind was made up.

“Get everyone…home safe.” He called to Soona and Anya. “I will…return…by nightfall.”

With no time to listen to their cries of protest, he launched himself into the woods in search of the Echo girl who had just saved him. The only thing that ran through his mind as he pursued her tracks, was a single sentence.

Here we go again.

[lovebugism]

hiii idk if you’re still taking requests but can you do something smutty with steve in season 3 w his scoops ahoy uniform on after he gets home from work or something🙏🏼🙏🏼

like sub!babygirl!steve is so 🤤🤤😽😽 and a

dom!femreader 🫶❤️❤️ AND OMG HE HAS A MOMMY KINK😧😧 I BEG OF YOU

✶ ┄ OH, BABY !

summary: after a long day at work, steve harrington needs someone (*cough cough* you) to take care of him. pairing: sub!steve harrington / f!reader word count: 5.6k warnings: sub!steve, brief use of a mommy kink, r calls steve daddy like twice i think, mention of a breeding kink, 18+ mdni (ignore any typos, i am way too tired to proofread <3) a/n: hi, it's me again, turning a blurb request into a full length fic. also i can't stop writing for sub steve apparently. all i can say is baby girl is baby girlin real hard in this one lol thanks so much for your request! enjoy xoxo

( BLURB SLEEPOVER ) | ( MASTERLIST )

It’s sunset by the time his shift at Scoops concludes. He serves the last few remaining customers while Robin less than kindly ushers out the loitering teenagers that have stuck around all day. 

A group of moms clad in vividly colored spandex tells him “we’re being bad today” like some sort of mantra that makes them feel better about ordering plain vanilla ice cream. Some middle school aged girls with a mouthful of braces, crimped hair in pigtails, and absolutely wreaking of fruity perfume and daddy’s money try helplessly to flirt with him while they use a matte black card to purchase a banana boat sundae.

His last customers of the night are an old married couple, all gray and wrinkly and smiling like life’s still so new to them. They order one strawberry cone to share between them and hold onto each other’s shaking, frail hands as they make their exit.

Steve smiles as he watches them go. He sees a lot of you and him in them. He hopes by the time you both are all old and brittle, you’ll still be happy like that, still so in love.

Working in the downstairs abyss of Starcourt makes him feel crazy sometimes. With no windows and only manufactured fluorescent lighting for ten hours straight, it makes time feel less and less real.

Sometimes he’ll be in before sun out and cower like some sort of vampire when his shift is over. Other times, he’ll come out when it’s pouring down rain and be absolutely baffled at the sight of it because it was perfectly sunny when his shift started.

Everything else but ice cream all but ceases to exist in the hole of Scoops Ahoy — weather, time, life.

Even though it’s closing when he leaves, Steve doesn’t realize how dark it’s gotten outside until he’s walking through the desolate parking lot to his car. The bustling mall has fallen asleep with the rest of the town. The sky has long turned to a navy velvet, the stars and full moon bright white silk. 

It makes his limbs heavy and his eyelids heavier as his tired bones ache for rest.

Steve makes the longer drive out to the cabin rather than his own home to see you. Hopper’s out for some conference which means El gets to spend every ounce of her time at the Wheeler’s and you and Steve get to play house. 

He doesn’t bother to knock before he comes in. He shuffles through the entrance like his feet are made of lead and leans his weight against the door after he clicks it closed.

The sound of his arrival gets your attention from where you scurry around the kitchen. A smile pulls slowly at your face as you turn over your shoulder to look at him, placing a cover over a pot of something that smells like your infamous chicken alfredo.

“Hey, Stevie,” you greet with a beam and a sort of sunshine in your voice that Steve’s been missing all day.

His body relaxes for the first time since he got up this morning at the sight of you, freshly showered and in your pajamas for the night — an oversized t-shirt that definitely didn’t belong to you before, because it used to be his.

You look more like home than any four walls could ever be to him.

Steve tries his best to give you a smile in return, but it’s weighed down by fatigue and not all there.

You can see it all over him, every ounce of exhaustion on his lax and tired features. Slinging ice cream for less than grateful customers for ten hours straight has taken an obvious toll on him. The bright blue sailor’s uniform makes him look more boyish, but no less tired — or hot.

Your heart swells at how cozy he looks, fatigued and warmed and in dire need of being taken care of. It makes you glad that you started dinner earlier than normal, even happier that you’ve got the house to yourselves.

You exit the kitchen and walk the short distance to him, taking his scruffy cheeks in your palms and rubbing your thumbs against his cheeks.

“Hard day?” you wonder softly and smile to himself when you feel Steve nestle further into your touch.

The boy hums lowly in reply — neither a yes or a no, but a short hmph that means he doesn’t want to talk about it now. He doesn’t like thinking about work when you’re in his arms and all over him. He’d rather pretend like you’re the only thing that exists and let the rest of the world slip slowly away.

He turns his face to kiss the inside of your wrists. You smell like lavender, he finds, and it makes him that much more tired and needy for you.

His hands settle on your arms, fingers wrapping themselves just below your wrists. “Just tired,” he answers finally. “How was your day?”

“Better than yours, I’m assuming,” you quip with a smile. Your hands drag from his face, down the tense columns of his neck, and settle at the white lapel of his uniform. Steve lets you pull him down by his red neckerchief until his lips press against yours, the pillows of them far cozier than the bed and blanket he so craves right now.

He grows somehow heavier against you. He exhales deeply through his nose as his aching muscles start to relax, the warmth of it brushes against your cupid’s bow. His hands fall to your back and ball into your shirt as he clutches so ardently onto you, as though terrified he might have to go another agonizing ten hours without you.

Your smile contorts against his mouth. A laugh exhales sharply through your nose at this tired boy, exhausted and too willing to let you swallow him whole.

As much as you want to take care of you him, you want him to get a little food in his belly and fresh clothes on his skin.

He’s got freshly laundered cottons sitting in a drawer you cleaned out in your room especially for him and a pot of his favorite food simmering on the stove. He’ll be golden in an hour or more and you’ll happily take care of him then.

Steve whines when you pull away from him. The pathetic sound bubbles from his throat and his face screws up like you’ve actually pained him by not kissing him more. He ducks down, looming over you, as his lips chase yours.

You giggle at him, letting him kiss you — one, two, three quick pecks and a fourth sweeter, more drawn-out one he presses against you as the two of you stumble back into the living room.

“You need to eat first, okay?” you protest when you part from him again, lips clicking wetly as they separate. “You probably haven’t had anything all day.”

“I had half a banana in the break room at lunch,” he retorts, half-heartedly.

“Exactly,” you scold. “Go get changed and then we can eat, ‘kay?”

“If you wanted to see me naked so bad, you could’ve just said.”

You roll your eyes at him and how he’s still so sly despite being so damn tired. You push playfully against his chest and squirm out from under where he’d cornered you between his body and the back of the couch. “You smell like a sundae and cheap cologne—”

“Blame those assholes from Abercrombie.”

“—hit the showers, Harrington,” you tell him with a playful sternness, swatting him on the ass as you pass by him.

The action stopped surprising him a long time ago. He’d complained relentlessly about corporate and the stupid outfit they made him wear to work every morning until he realized how much you liked it. 

After that, Steve figured he could put up with the itching and the chaffing and the weird stares from other mall-goers. As long as it meant you being unable to keep your hands off of him, dropping to your knees in front of him before he left for work, visiting him at lunch because you just had to see him again.

“You comin’ too, or…?” he jokes in reply, already inching towards the bathroom, but secretly hoping you’ll say yes.

You refuse to amuse him, though, and instead tell him that you have to keep stirring the pasta so it won’t burn. He’s too tired and too excited to wash all the muck of the long workday from his body to beg.

You knew just what he needed — like you always do. He’s as good as gold by the time he gets out of the shower, smelling of your shampoo and practically glittering at how good he feels.

His skin gets to breathe for the first time all day when he slips on a pair of boxers and a faded forest green Hawkins High sweatshirt. They’re freshly washed. He can tell by how soft they feel and the way they smell of fresh detergent. 

It makes his heart swell. 

While he’s been slinging ice cream and questioning all of his life choices, you’ve been washing his clothes, folding them and putting the in their own drawer in your dresser. You’ve been cooking him his favorite dinner, knowing he hasn’t eaten all day, because you know everything about him. 

You do it all because you love him. You don’t have to think twice about it before you so effortlessly take care of him.

He swears you’ll feed him if he begs hard enough, but Steve hasn’t reached that level of tiredness yet. He does, however, force you to sit halfway in his lap while the both of you opt to eat on the couch in the living room rather than the kitchen table.

A repeat of Miami Vice plays on the tiny television across the room and you tell him about what you’d done on your day off in between shoveling forkfuls of pasta into your mouth with your legs slung into his lap.

Most of it was spent taking care of chores, a feat made harder without Hopper and El to take on the extra workloads but easier because their absence meant less shit to get done. 

You drove Dustin and Lucas to the Wheeler’s house later that morning, then doubled back across Hawkins when Max called and all but begged you to free her from the hellscape on Cherry Lane, as she so lovingly put it. You picked her up and dropped her off with the rest of her friends.

And even though they all swore they had rides back home, they’d called again some hours later and asked too sweetly if you could take them back across town.

You complain and grumble about it, but you do it for them anyway.

Because you take care of people. That’s just what you do.

“So you were a personal chauffeur for a bunch of kids all day?” Steve jokes and laughs to himself as he swipes a smudge of alfredo sauce from your chin with his thumb

“Basically,” you nod in reply.

When that’s all done — and the episode is over and the dishes are in the sink and your teeth are freshly brushed — you tell Steve to get into bed, and then to get his head out of the gutter at the look he gives you after.

He’s pleasantly surprised when you bring a whole basket of things from the bathroom and into your bedroom. He watches silently, obediently, as you light a candle on the far side of the room before climbing into bed beside him.

“Scoot down a little,” you tell him. “And take off your shirt.”

He does it all without question. He rises, strips himself of his top, and tosses the thing mindlessly on the floor beside the bed. With his lean torso and bare chest on display, spotted with tufts of chestnut-colored hair and smelling of your body wash, he lazes back onto the bed again with his head on the pillows.

Steve holds his breathe when you straddle his chest.

“Comfy?” you ask him quietly.

He can only nod in response.

His eyes are wide, twinkling with love and curiosity. It makes you smile. He’s always so soft in his way, so compliant with you — and, fuck, if you don’t love how he looks when he’s underneath you.

You lean down to press a chaste kiss to the chiseled tip of his nose then reach for one of the many bottles stacked inside the wicker basket. You drip the rose-scented liquid onto a cottonpad and tell him that it’s cleanser.

“I thought I was already clean?” he retorts.

“Well, this shit is gonna make ya glow like a baby, Harrington,” you tell him and swipe the stuff up and down his face — across his forehead, along his nose, and around his stubbly jaw. “Which means it’s perfect for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Means you’re a baby,” you quip once, then smile lovingly down at him. “My baby,” you correct.

“Damn straight,” he hums with a soft smile, then shuts his eyes when you trade the cleanser for what you call a liquid exfoliator. He doesn’t ask what that means. He doesn’t say much of anything really, because he’s enamored with the way you dote on him.

Your day has been just as busy as his, maybe not as mind-numbing, but still busy. You’ve been bouncing all across town, trying to make sure a bunch of kids weren’t putting themselves in total danger — Steve knows firsthand how hard that can be.

And yet, you keep caring for him, like it’s more important than how tired you must be.

The way you’ve settled on top of him is just a bonus. It’s not as domineering as you usually are in this position, straddling your legs over him and forcing his face between your legs with your fingers tangled in his hair. He wouldn’t have minded if that’s what you’d done in the first place. He would’ve thanked you for it, really.

It’s comforting more than it is anything, the subtle weight of you on top of him, keeping him grounded.

You rub something that feels like lotion into his skin. The tips of your fingers massage his face — they dig softly into his temples, relieving all the strain there, then trace around his curve of his jaw. Steve sighs and melts into your touch. It makes you laugh.

“Look at you,” you giggle, all soft like the moonlight streaming in rays from the windows. Then you tease him. “My baby’s gettin’ all pampered tonight, huh?”

“That stuff smells really good,” he notes. “Think it’s safe enough to taste?”

You know he’s joking, but you flick him in the center of his freshly moisturized forehead anyway, when his tongue darts out the side of his mouth to lick around his lips.

“You’re such an idiot,” you scold with a laugh. “There’s no way we’re gonna be able to have a kid if you keep acting like one, Steve Harrington.”

The boy's eyes fly open. “…A kid?” he repeats in something short of a whisper.

You only hum in reply with a little shrug like you’re trying to play it all off. Like you didn’t just drop the biggest bomb on him and left him to pick up the pieces. Like it isn't the sweetest goddamn thing he’s ever heard in his life (even though you are sort of making fun of him).

“You want a kid with me?” he presses, eyes sparkling and full of hope.

“‘Course I do,” you shrug again, focusing on capping the moisturizer and putting it away rather than meeting his intense gaze. “Want anything and everything with you, Stevie.”

The boy doesn’t bother to hide the grin your words put on his face. He’s all but beaming from where he lays beneath you, trying to make sure he’s still breathing because his heart has started to flutter something fierce.

It was something the two of you only ever talked about in passing — usually him bringing up the idea of having kids and you swatting them all down.

“We’re too young,” you tell him. “We’re too broke”, “we’re too dumb.” The occasional “my dad is literally in the next room, he’ll kill you if he hears you talking like that” shuts him up real quick.

But here you are now, telling him you want a baby with him, that you want everything with him. It drives him absolutely insane.

“Yeah?” he hums in response, idle hands rising and settling upon your bare thighs, rubbing at the smooth skin there, petting you almost. The room gets suddenly and unbearably hot with the look he gives you, innocent and knowing and hungry.

You feel him shift from underneath you, the hardening cock in his boxers making it hard to stay as comfortable as he had been.

“You wanna be a mommy, honey?” he all but coos. “Wanna take care of our kids like you take care of me?”

Though his words set a fire in the pit of your stomach, the tone of them makes you roll your eyes. It’s like flipping a light switch when it comes to Steve. It takes next to nothing to turn him into a puddle of mush.

He’s always raring to go when it comes to you, and you’d be lying if you said it was totally invigorating. 

“What happened to my sweet, sleepy, baby Stevie, huh?” you tease, hands leaving his face to caress the ones he’s got resting on your thighs. “Thought you were too tired?”

He shakes his head defiantly. “Never too tired for you.” 

“I’m supposed to be taking care of you,” you scold with bubbly laughter when you feel his large hands trail up your legs. His finger falls beneath your shirt, the tips of them sneaking into the rounded hems of your underwear, all but cupping your ass to drag you further up his chest.

He’s practically salivating at the mere thought of tasting you. Of knowing that the only thing separating you from him is a couple of inches and the thin fabric of your underwear.

He knows that when he slides them to the side, you’ll be wet and needing him underneath, slick enough for his tongue to slip right in.

And, truth be told, oral sex wasn’t the easiest when you weren’t alone. It was too precarious of a position. If Hopper knocked on the door and barged in hardly a moment later, you needed to break away quickly.

So when your dad and little sister were home, it was easier to use your hands to get each other off. And, maybe, if Steve was real good, you’d let him fuck you.

But his mouth on you? There wasn’t enough good he could be for you to let him do that, not when your father was on the other side of the door in the living room. Because you’re pretty sure death would be easier than your dad catching Steve Harrington giving cunnilingus to his daughter. You’re pretty sure you’d die on the spot, anyway.

But Hopper is miles away. Your sister is on the other side of town. And you’re alone with your boyfriend, hidden away in a cabin in the middle of the woods. It’s the perfect recipe for the best sex of your life.

“Don’t care,” Steve murmurs, pressing kisses to the inner parts of your thigh when he settles you more intently over his shoulders. “Wanna make you feel good.”

“Yeah?” you croon. From below you, the boy notes the arched brow and knowing glint in your eye that usually means trouble. “Daddy wants to make mommy feel good, huh?”

Steve knows exactly why you said it. Why you chose to say it like that. It’s the same reason you brought up the kid thing in the first place. Because you knew it would drive him crazy.

And it’s not like you ever had to try to make him mental, all you really had to do was walk into a room and he was done for. But you didn’t just want to just make him go insane, you wanted to ruin him. 

And you know you’ve done just that when a groan spills from his mouth and two strong hands dig rather ruthlessly into your hips. He pulls you down without warning, pressing your clothed pussy closer to his face and dragging his nose between your covered lips. A moan leaves your mouth in a heavy exhale when the tip of it nudges your clit.

“Like being called daddy, huh?” you tease through bated breaths.

Steve nods in reply as he hooks a finger through the hem of your panties and slides them to the side, putting your pretty, glistening pussy on display for him.

He was right about what he said before — you were soaked. 

All but drunk on the sight of you, he presses open-mouthed kisses to your inner thigh. “Like the other thing, too,” he mumbles against your skin, like he’s hiding himself there.

“The other thing?” you question with pinched brows. The confusion ebbs like a rolling tide as you realize: “Oh. You wanna call me mommy, Stevie?” you ask with a joking lilt.

“Shut up,” he groans against you.

He’s pleasantly surprised when your hand grabs the strands of his hair like reigns, pulling him back just before he puts his mouth on your pussy. He’s even more stunned at the stern expression taking over your features, not nearly as playful as you’d been moments before.

Suddenly you’re ten feet tall, and he’s nothing more than an ant, at the mercy of your boot.

“That’s no way to talk to your mommy, is it, Stevie?” 

He shakes his head with glazed over eyes. “Sorry.”

“Sorry… what?”

There is an underlying tone in your voice, something teasing and yet somehow serious all at once. It’d make him roll his eyes if he weren’t lying beneath you like this. Now, with your pussy mere inches from his face, he isn’t quite sure how to be anything but obedient.

“Sorry, mommy,” he corrects.

A flip switches and you’re smiling again. “Good boy,” you praise and it makes his cock twitch in the confines of his boxers. Your hand guides him to your pussy again.

Steve’s always been good at oral. A little too good, actually. It made you jealous sometimes, to know that his technique has been perfected over years of experience.

“All the other girls were just practice for you, honey,” he’d soothe your seething rage with a wink and a tongue shoved deep into your cunt.

You believe him now, that every other girl was just an obstacle for him to get to you, because no one’s had him like this. No one will ever have him like this.

You’re the one who’s got him on his back with his mouth on your pussy. You’re the one who’s got him calling you mommy.

And it makes you feel like a fucking giant.

He wastes little time to envelope your cunt with his mouth. You feel the muffled grunt he lets out at the tangy and familiar taste of you. His tongue pushes into your cunt, licking you with the intent of devouring you entirely. His nose presses intently against your clit, prodding the little button as you ride his face. He encourages every thrust, guiding your hips up and down his mouth.

“Fuck, Stevie,” you whine and feel him smile drunkenly against your pussy, never ceasing his assault against your sensitive skin.

Your head falls back, suddenly too heavy to hold up. Your gaze settles on the ceiling, though you’re not exactly looking at it, and moans fall from your open mouth and into the heavy air — billowing laments in the moonlight.

“You make me feel so good,” you murmur to yourself, but to him especially, knowing he turns into a ticking time bomb when he’s praised. “Always make mommy feel so fucking good, baby.”

He groans against you, and it makes your hips twitch over his face.

Your head turns and your glazed over eyes fall on the hard cock trapped in his underwear. It’s more than apparent against the thin fabric with a wet patch of precum darkening the plaid cotton. The sight of it, paired with his lips wrapped around your clit, makes you moan most pitifully.

“Fuck, Steve,” you cry. “You’re gonna make me come. Holy shit, baby— gonna come so hard in your mouth.” The promise makes Steve double his efforts against you, wanting nothing more than to taste every drop you can give him. “I’ll ride you after, 'kay? Make you come so hard you can’t see straight. Fuck. I’m so fucking close.”

You figure his muffled whine is an affirmative.

“If you make me come now, maybe I’ll let you come inside me—”

You barely get to finish your sentence before Steve’s wrapping his arms around your thighs and keeping you pressed against his face. His tongue works overtime inside of your cunt, attentively flicking against every part of your velvet walls that it can reach, while his nose nudges your clit most relentlessly.

It has you reaching your climax within seconds, hips jerking against him while his hold on you tightens. Steve only lets you go when he’s certain you’ve ridden out every inch of your orgasm.

You’re shaking and half-numb when you unfold your body from his and settle next to him on the bed. You press yourself over him as your lips swallow his, tasting yourself on his mouth that glistens with you.

Your torso is splayed over his bare one, knees digging into the mattress at his side as you arch your back to push yourself further into him.

“Was that good for you?” he mutters after you’ve pulled away, sliding the tip of your nose up and down the bridge of his.

A laugh escapes you in a sharp scoff. If he couldn’t have felt how good it was for you — after you all but writhed against him — surely he must’ve tasted it dripping like honey from your cunt.

“It’s always good,” you assure him, then murmur more quietly, “Always so good for mommy.”

You keep the promise you’d made him no more than minutes beforehand. You pull down his boxers at the same time he’s trying to get you out of your shirt, and it’s just a mess of yearning limbs until the both of you are naked.

You rub yourself over his cock a few times, getting it all slick with you in the place of lube, because you know taking him is never an easy feat. The stretch of his dick inside you is always delicious but fuck if it doesn’t burn. It’s like fire in every sense of the word, hot and filthy paired with a distant ache.

Steve lets you set the pace as you get used to his length nestled deep inside your velvet. His hands rest compliantly on your hips as you grind against him, honeyed gaze fixed on your fucked out features as you take him — brows pinched, eyes squeezed shut, bottom lip trapped between your teeth.

Then, when every inch of him is snug in your cunt and your senses return to you, you deny him of his want to touch you. Your fingers wrap around his wrists and push them into the pillow on either side of his head. “Mommy didn’t say you could touch her, did she?” you purr to him as you lean over him. He shakes his head obediently, if only it meant that you kept fucking yourself on top of him.

And you do. Most ardently.

You keep your bare chest pressed against his fuzzy one, nose-to-nose as you slide your hips over his. And even though he’s had you like this before (in this position and many others), it feels brand new every time. It’s like he’s never felt you before despite how familiar you feel.

It triggers his body into a sense of fight of flight, as though frightened he’ll never get to have you again. It leaves him fucking you like it’ll be the last time he’s inside you, every fucking time.

It never is, though — obviously. Most times he only has to wait a couple minutes or more before he gets to take you again.

But now, with his hands balled into fists beside his head and your’s braced on his chest, digging into the patch of hair there as you rock back and forth on his hard cock — the tip of it nestled deep inside of you and hitting every sweet spot that makes you keen — has left him an absolute wreck beneath you. 

He’s chasing his pleasure like he’s never felt it before. Like he won’t feel it again.

“Your cock feels so good, Stevie,” you moan above him.

“‘M not gonna last long, baby,” he mutters between harsh and labored pants.

“’S okay… I want you to come,” you promise and press a too sweet kiss to his swollen, pink lips. You move your hips more intently over him. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills your bedroom. “Want you to fill me up.”

“Yeah?” he breathes out in something short of a whimper. His eyes are glassy and his brows are furrowed and it takes everything in him not to fuck up into you — because he wants to be good, he wants to be good for you. 

“Yeah… Want you come in me… Fuck me until it takes,” you babble over top of him, knowing exactly what it’s doing to the whining boy beneath you. “Wanna give you a baby— fuck— I wanna make you a daddy, Stevie.”

A whine spills from his throat. His toes curl into the fabric of your comforter, eyes rolling back into his head, body tensing as he digs his fingers into the skin of his palms that still ache to touch you.

Your name spills from his mouth along with a string of curses and pretty little cries when he stuffs you full of his come.

You happily accept every load he shoots into you as work him through every aftershock of his orgasm. Yours doesn’t come so easy — you roll your hips over yourself and rub your clit until you’re twitching right along with him. 

You come down from your highs together with a tender softness. You lay over him, one hand combing through his curls and the other stroking softly at his sweat-slicked bicep. You watch with heavy eyes as his orgasm rolls over him. 

His chest rises and falls with every heavy breath, stuttering when another pang of pleasure hits him all of a sudden. “Fuck,” he whines harshly into the heavy air.

He’s happy you don’t deny him when his arms wrap around your waist, hands rubbing up and down the expanse of your slick back.

You press tiny kisses to his face as he comes down — his nose, his cheeks, his forehead his stubbly chin and jaw. You press one, two, three pecks to his lips before you slide off of him, then laugh when he whines.

You’re gone for hardly more than three minutes, but to Steve, it feels like an eternity’s gone by.

You return from the bathroom, wiped freshly clean, and blow out the nearly burnt-out candle on your dresser before you slither back into his side. One of his arms curls beneath your shoulders to pull you closer to him with his other rests on the back of yours that’s settled on his chest.

You share one pillow, noses inches away from one another’s, while you bask in the warm moment and the sex-coated air around you before you have to break it.

“You know I’m still on the pill, right?” you ask him.

He nods.

“And that we’re—”

“Way too young to have a kid right now?” he finishes for you, though the idea makes him sad. He nods.

“Yeah… And—”

“Too broke? I know that too.”

“Also my—”

“Your dad would kill me if I got you pregnant?”

It makes you laugh. You hadn’t realized you’d talked about having kids this many times — at least, not enough for him to memorize all the reasons why it’s not the best idea right now.

“Yeah, I know it’s not happening any time soon,” Steve says with a sigh. “I like to pretend, though. Plus, it’s not even about that to me, you know? I just… I just like being with you and… everything.”

Everything, you repeat to yourself. A word that means so much and nothing at all.

No one knows what everything means, they just know that it’s a lot, a whole lot. That’s what makes it so special. Steve wants it all with you — the overbearing dad, the sister with powers, the teenage kids who never let you have a single second to yourselves when they’re around. 

It’s a lot sometimes, most times, but he’ll weather it all with you.

“You like being with me?” you echo just to see him nod.

He does. “I love being with you,” he corrects.

“Love calling me mommy, too, huh?”

He realizes then, the sincere moment was just a set-up for that stupid joke. He groans and flops his head back on the pillow, but makes no move to distance himself from you.

“Oh, my god,” he moans in annoyance. “Am I gonna have to deal with this the rest of my life?”

You nod. “Sorry, Harrington, but I’m never letting that shit go.”

Good, he thinks to himself, even though he pretends to hate it because it makes you laugh. He never wants you to stop.

[mapofthemazeinthemirror]

warnings: Soobin and reader share a bath together but it’s just fluff note: I hope we’ve got some Swifties here! inspired by Paris by Taylor Swift. I've listened to it a thousand times but one day it prompted this idea.

☆ gender neutral reader

TXT member Choi Beomgyu spotted out and about with a date!

When the photos hit the internet, you weren't even in the country. Neither you or Soobin saw the articles, the tweets, messages from the band's management, or even teasing texts from the members. You were so far removed from it all, and blissfully happy.

It was the longest vacation you'd had together, with Soobin finally having the time off to travel out of Seoul. Sure, you'd gone with the boys for tours when allowed, but it was finally just you and your boyfriend – in a place where he wouldn't be recognised, and with no work schedules to squeeze time together around.

For the first couple of days, you didn't leave the hotel room, the 'Do Not Disturb' sign a blessing. No early calls, no waking up to knocks on the door or an empty bed. Just sleeping in, waking up and ordering lunch, then napping together or watching a movie. You didn't even mind the jet lag; it was a good excuse to stay in bed and cuddle.

On the fourth day of your stay, you explored the hotel, making it to the in-house restaurant for breakfast. The place was quiet – off season at this time of year, the waitress explained. There was a moment where you thought she recognised Soobin, with the way her eyes kept flicking up and between the two of you as she wrote down your order, but then, as she leant down to take your menus, she smiled and made a comment about how cute of couple you were. Soobin grinned, half shy and half proud, reaching for your hand and placing a kiss to the skin as you were left to yourselves again.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎☆

It's a change of pace to walk around the city and not have phones pointed at Soobin. To not hear screams or gasps or whispers at every turn. The two of you wander freely, sans masks or dark sunglasses, in the light of day. There's plenty of time to dawdle, enjoying the sights, going wherever you're drawn to go. The city is beautiful, and shopkeepers and cafe owners greet you with friendly smiles as you stop by.

The freedom Soobin feels is evident in the way he carries himself and how he keeps looking over to grin at you. You find an ice cream parlour and share the dessert on a bench, watching birds and clouds, the occasional person passing by with a cute dog that you both get excited over. When you move to get up, Soobin grabs your hand and tugs you back to his side, wrapping an arm around you with a chuckle. The sunlight and cool breeze lull you into a somewhat tranquil state. You don't think about home or what's to come after this retreat from real life. Meandering back to the hotel as the sun is setting, you catch a mesmerising sunset from the viewpoint of your room's balcony.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ☆

The bath tub in your hotel room is big enough for the both of you – two and a half, you tease at the way your boyfriend's feet stick out over the edge. Still, this was a luxury you never got at home; the tub at both of your addresses too small to fit the two of you at once. And, you point out, it's nice to enjoy a quiet bath without rambunctious maknaes playing doorbell dash in an otherwise quiet hotel. Maknes and Yeonjun, Soobin adds.

He plays quiet music on his phone to add to the atmosphere, humming along softly as he places his hands on your shoulders, applying gentle pressure until he feels the muscles relax. Then, he picks up one of your hands from the edge of the tub to trace with his finger, eyes following the lines of your palm. You watch, almost hypnotised, as his large fingers fold over yours, the rest of you encapsulated between his long arms and legs. Between the low lighting of the bathroom, the warmth of the bath, and his voice, you're sent into a light sleep, only waking when you're pulled from the water, which has turned lukewarm.

You mumble an appoplogy, eyes opening for only a moment before they droop to a close again, and he whispers something back, but you don't take it in; mind and body too relaxed. Feeling the mattress underneath you as he sets you down on your back, you sense something being wrapped around you and realise it's one of the hotel robes, but you can't find the will to help him get your arms into the sleeves. You hear yourself giggle and Soob's chuckle echo back, his forehead pressing against yours for a moment before it's gone, and you wonder why. Thoughts of how much you love this – feeling like you're in your own little world, where there's only the two of you – flood your mind, and you almost start to drift off again until you hear the sheets rustle beside you.

Soobin's hair tickles your jaw as he kisses your neck, arms finding your waist in the dark. His skin is warm and still damp, and this somehow adds to how sleepy you feel. Your arms are too heavy to reach for him. Soon, his movements still, his cheek resting against your collar bone, and you're both out.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ☆

It isn't until you're in the airport, full from breakfast at their swanky little restaurant, and having perused all the little shops to pass time, that Soobin finally sits down and opens his messaging app to flick his members a selfie of the two of you with your luggage and sad faces to say you're on your way back. His eyebrows draw together, lips moving wordlessly as he sees how many unread texts are in the group chat. But not just normal conversation that's been going on without him, as his eyes register your name multiple times. Scrolling back, he finds the first message he hasn't seen – a link to a popular tabloid. The first thing he sees is a candid photo, definitely Beomgyu, and definitely you, though thankfully most of your face is obscured by the shadows of night as you walk from the back door of a stadium to a waiting van. Then he sees the title. The members apparently find it hilarious, but as he backs out of the group chat and sees numerous messages from management and other staff, he knows the company isn't taking it as lightly.

He clicks his phone as you sit down beside him, and despite the storm that he knows is coming, he can't help but smile at how content and loved-up you still look. He decides he'll wait to fill you in, let you enjoy the end of the trip. He himself feels like he's on a love high, his heart warming up as you thread your arm through his and drop your head to his shoulder.

written by mapofthemazeinthemirror - do not repost my work in any form

[tj-dragonblade]

Dreamling Fic Masterpost

In honor of Dreamling Week, here's an updated masterpost of everything I've written for them so far, split into SFW and NSFW. Each section is arranged oldest to newest. Links go to Tumblr posts, and each Tumblr fic post has the direct AO3 link also.

You can also find me HERE on AO3.

(Read More for length so it's not ridiculous when pinned)

💕🌼The Fluff and Assorted Other Offerings🌦️❤️‍🩹 If it's rated M there is a brief spicy passage somewhere in the fic but not enough to warrant the full E

Use Your Words Rated T, ~2500 words Hob finds mistletoe hung in the bar. Dream is. Insistent. That they adhere to tradition.

Old Acquaintance Rated G, ~800 words It’s New Year’s Eve at the New Inn, and Dream and Hob are on the same page

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: velvet Rated G, 165 words One of Hob's favorite things about Dream

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: memory Rated G, ~230 words Dream is distracted by a memory

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: thread Rated G, ~200 words Hob loves his grey hair

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: daydream Rated T, ~800 words Hob's daydreams are not the only distracting ones

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: enthusiasm Rated G, ~200 words Enthusiasm is one of Hob's defining traits

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: trust Rated T, ~1500 words Dream finds Hob cooking for him (aka The Spicy Omelettes one)

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: grass Rated G, ~330 words A date in Fiddler's Green

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: fireplace Rated G, ~170 words Generic hearth metaphor

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: strong Rated T, ~3400 words Dream helps a drunken Hob get home (aka The Drunken Confessions one)

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: teach Rated T, ~520 words Dream teaches Hob how to summon him; self-immolation discouraged

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: vague Rated M, 465 words Sometimes Dream speaks vaguely. Sometimes he is Very Direct

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: glasses Rated T, ~330 words Sometimes Hob wears Glasses

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: yesterday Rated G, ~470 words Time works different in the Dreaming

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: recovery Rated T, ~2900 words Dream is dating; Hob works hard to just be a good friend while watching it fall apart (aka The Thessaly Breakup fic)

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: friend Rated T, ~1800 words Dream contemplates friendship, Hob, and the blurring of boundaries

In the Morning Light Rated T, ~1960 words Dream visits Hob on a rainy morning

Anticipation Rated T, ~700 words Dream chooses Hob’s Halloween costume (spoiler alert: it's the Wavemother's robe from BG3)

Untitled Knight Hob/King Dream Scene Rated M, ~1300 words A synopsis-plus-scene-draft of a potential Knight Hob and King Dream AU that in all likelihood I will never actually go back to, but I like what's here so it goes on the masterlist

The Keeper and the Traveler Rated G, ~1700 words Not-Exactly-Human AU. A campfire folktale about finding what you didn’t know you were searching for, or something like that. Inspired by Nightwish's 'The Islander'

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm Rated M, ~6900 words It’s winter in London and Hob is interested in sharing various cold-weather human experiences with his distinctly-not-human boyfriend

Shampoo Rated G, ~550 words Fluffbruary 2024 prompt 'Scent'. Big changes also mean small changes, and sometimes a loss can bring gain as well

London Fog Rated M, ~3500 words Sequel to Caribbean Sunset. Human AU. Dream does his best to ignore Possibilities while he copes with returning from holiday

Before I Go Rated G, ~850 words Fluffbruary 2024 prompt 'Evening'. A Season-of-Mists-style leave-taking visit, some time later in their relationship

Vogue Rated M, ~750 words Fluffbruary 2024 prompt 'Photography'. Human AU. Dream comes home and Hob greets him with a camera.

☂️The Umbrella Boys series, a Human AU☂️ A Sweet Romance Beginning in a Queue Rated T, ~4500 words 🎶Bus stop, wet day, he’s there, I say, ‘Please share my umbrella’🎶 Love Rain Down On Me Rated M, ~2300 words 5 times those Three Little Words go unspoken, and one time they do not.

Chaos and Calm Rated G, ~1550 words Searching for rain boots and meeting friends in the park. No real plot, just meandering domestic parenting vibes.

🔥🌶️The Spice and the Smut🌶️🔥 (aka The Stuff You Hide in the Pantry at Work For) 😉😘

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: snack Rated E, ~1800 words Hob comes home to find Dream waiting from him in the traditional murder-widow robe

Built For You Rated E, ~820 words Hob questions Dream on some particulars of his waking world anatomy

Insatiable Rated E, ~3100 words Dream gets rimmed and railed within an inch of his life

Of Cutoff Shorts and Classic Cars Rated E, ~4300 words Hob has made some very distinct wardrobe choices on a hot day. Dream approves.

Little Indulgences Rated E, ~1000 words A spot of fun with lingerie and sex toys

Caribbean Sunset Rated E, ~5500 words Human AU. Hob hooks up with a beautiful stranger on a Caribbean cruise

My Song Can But Borrow Your Grace Rated E, ~6800 words Fanfic for Flatter the Mountain Tops by Teejaystumbles (linked in the post). Dragon AU. Hob wants Dream in dragon form to fuck him while he stays in human form; Dream is beginning to see there’s more to it than just a size kink.

Appreciation Rated E, ~4300 words Sequel to Anticipation. Hob wears the costume (the Wavemother's Robe from BG3); Dream has his fun.

On the Edge of a Waking Dream Rated M, ~3900 words Monsterfucktober Bingo Square 'Ghost'. Human AU. Dream never believed in ghosts until his boyfriend became one

The Beauty of the Beast Rated E, ~3100 words Monsterfucktober Bingo Square 'Were-creature'. Recently-turned werewolf Hob wants to protect Dream from this new side of him. Dream is. Not interested in being protected.

Ambrosia Rated E, ~4000 words An exercise in celebrating the human messiness (and messy humanness) that Dream finds so attractive in Hob

Customer Service Rated E, ~4500 words For the Dreamling Week 2024 June 5 prompt 'Dirty'. Human AU. Mechanic Hob's just trying to fix the rich guy's Porsche but the rich guy is looking at Hob like he's a five-course meal

[moriwood]

XOXO — k.sn

kim sunoo x male reader fluff (???) 3.1k words

Anonymous love letters land in your mailbox, signed “XOXO.” Determined to discover the author, you search for clues in every letter but you only find dead ends. After some red herrings and an erased memory, the real culprit was hidden in plain sight all along.

includes: you’re kinda dumb here n sunoo’s kinda uhh… creepy? he has superpowers? VERY VERY LOOSELY inspired by the xo mv warning: n/a?

Like a sunflower in meadows of green and gold, I always turn to you, my admiration yet untold.

XOXO

That’s what the scented paper in the navy blue envelope said in neat handwriting. It sat atop your mailbox, along with a small bouquet of sunflowers. The gift and the mysterious message thrilled you, but you have no idea where it came from. Perhaps it was a case of mistaken delivery?

Unable to contain the excitement, you dial Sunoo right away, knowing he’ll be as intrigued as you about romantic things like this. 

“Guess what, Sunoo?” you exclaim, a mischievous lilt in your voice. “I got a love letter! And sunflowers—your favorites!”

Sunoo’s loud gasp crackles through your speakers. “Ooh? What does it say? Who sent it?”

“Hold on, let me read it to you,” you say, dramatically clearing your throat and reading the letter aloud to him. “It’s got no name on it though,” you trail off. 

Sunoo hums in thought. “Sunflowers… Jay?” he suggests.

“The florist?” you echo, raising an eyebrow. “Just because of the flowers?” you ask, doubtful of the logical leaps.

“Well,” Sunoo muses, “if the bouquet didn’t come from him, then chances are the mystery person bought it from him…”

Taking Sunoo’s advice, you head to the local flower shop the next day. Tucked away on a small side road, it’s a quaint place nestled between dull low-rise apartments. The doorbell softly chimes as you come in, a wave of floral scents welcoming you. Sunlight spills through the windows, casting a warm glow on the polished wood floors. Behind the counter is the familiar florist, humming contentedly as he meticulously arranges a bouquet as usual. 

“Good afternoon,” Jay greets without glancing your way. “Need anything? New flowers in season.”

You cut to the chase. “I got a bouquet of sunflowers yesterday and it made me think of you.”

Jay looks up smiling warmly, although he seems to be quite confused. “Someone gave you sunflowers? Well, they’re beautiful and they’re in season.”

You nod. “With a love letter and everything.” 

You watch his reaction closely, hoping for a hint of recognition. Jay’s eyes widen, then he chuckles softly. “Sounds… romantic,” he comments, pausing. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

You shake your head. “No idea,” you admit. “The flowers had me thinking they got it from you.”

Jay tilts his head, thinking of his most recent clients. “Sunoo got one. Then I think Heeseung?”

“Heeseung?” you ask, curious how the rugged leather-clad motorbike enthusiast found a reason to visit such a flower shop.

“Said he’s getting ‘em to cheer someone up,” Jay adds. “Maybe it’s him?”

You laugh. “I don’t think he swings my way. If it’s Sunoo or Heeseung, then this person probably bought it elsewhere.”

“I hope you find out soon,” he butts in. “Or maybe not. Then I’ll make you a better bouquet. No secret messages though, just a delicate arrangement of flowers from your favorite florist.”

As you come home to the sunset, you sit at your kitchen table, eyes drawn to the sunflowers that you’ve potted by the windowsill. Their bright yellow petals seemed to glow against the fading daylight. You send Sunoo a message, updating him about what you found out from Jay, but he doesn’t reply.

You then read through the letter again, your finger tracing the ink as if it would help you recognize the handwriting any better. It felt vaguely familiar, with lines and curves you’ve seen elsewhere, but you can’t pin its author.

— 

A few days later, another navy blue envelope greets you, this time with a pair of leather gloves. The letter reads:

Under the starry night let's ride, Where our hearts could race side by side.

XOXO

A single name immediately flashes through your mind: Heeseung. You suddenly recall your shared adventures of racing through empty streets on your motorcycles late at night. It has been a few years since he introduced you to the rush of it all. But his mixed reputation has always drawn him as a ladies’ man, it was a very long shot that Heeseung is the suspect you’ve been looking for.

The sun is setting as you pull up to his garage later in the afternoon. He’s hunched over his bike, recklessly tinkering with it. His trademark leather jacket is absent and lousily hanging on a nearby hook, leaving him in a tight white shirt covered in grime. The sharp smell of grease and gasoline is a stark contrast to Jay’s flower shop, yet Heeseung looked surprisingly clean. Heeseung looks up as you approach, his eyes lighting up in recognition.

“Ayo!” he greets, wiping his hands on his shirt. “Long time no see.  Out tonight?”

“Nah. Just missed you,” you smirk.

“Hm?” Heeseung raises an eyebrow, suspicious of you. “Some shit’s up. My gut says so.”

You hold your hands up. “Got new gloves from a secret admirer,” you proudly announce, showing them off. You study his expression as you did with Jay the previous day, scanning for any hints of shock.

“Attaboy!” he exclaims, leaning on his workbench. “I wish my girl would surprise me like that for a change,” he huffs.

You pause. “Girl?” you ask, not that surprised to finally confirm that it isn’t Heeseung.

“Yeah, been seeing this girl for a while,” he explains. “Been giving her all she wants—flowers, dates, whatever. Not my style, but I kinda wanna make this one last. Settle down, y’know?”

“Good for you, you’ve got a girl. I don’t even know who’s sending me these love letters,” you lament. You proceed to recount the past few days to Heeseung: the envelopes on your mailbox, the poetic messages inside, and the oddly familiar gifts. He listens with a mix of genuine amusement and secondhand embarrassment.

“Poems and gifts!?” he reacts, stunned. “That’s a hopeless romantic, man. Someone real young.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Like who?”

Heeseung grins. “Ni-ki?”

You laugh. “Ni-ki? That kid’s barely out his diapers!”

He shrugs. “You never know. Kids these days grow up too fast.”

You leave Heeseung’s garage still puzzled on who the secret admirer is. Before leaving, you promise to race him again soon, by then with your significant others as passengers. Now you lie in bed, one hand wearing the leather glove, playing with your fist as you continue to wonder who could be behind this stunt.

The mystery weighs on your mind, and you decide it’s time to update Sunoo. Picking up your phone, you dial his number and listen to the familiar ring.

“Hey!” Sunoo answers cheerily after the third ring. “What’s up?”

“It’s not Jay and it’s not Heeseung,” you begin, voice tinged with frustration. “Now, Heeseung’s pointing to Ni-ki.”

Sunoo hums. “What if this person’s totally unrelated to the notes… Like they’re intentionally misleading you?”

You pause in thought.

—

A week passes by and a third letter arrives, with two paper rings delicately interlinked together in a chain. It says:

Slow your pace, no need to chase, Soon enough you'll meet my familiar face.

XOXO

The message is quite clear: this is someone who is close to you. As you stand there outside, staring at the letter, you hear a voice call out your name. You turn to see Jake, your neighbor, holding a slice of bread and a copy of the daily newspaper.

“Another love letter?” he asks with a playful grin.

Your heart pounds. “How’d you know?”

“It was obvious from the flowers,” he yawns, stretching lazily. “Who’s it from?”

You hand the envelope to him, and he reads it over, chuckling. “No name, huh? Kinda creepy, not gonna lie.”

“It’s cute and wholesome,” you argue, a blush creeping up your cheeks. “Any idea who it might be?”

Jake’s smile widens. “I’m an early riser, you know… Might’ve spotted someone familiar delivering these.” He takes a bite of his bread and mumbles, “But it wouldn’t be fair for me to expose them right now. They’ll reveal themselves in their own time.”

“Come on, Jake,” you plead, “just a hint?”

He shakes his head, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Nope.”

You sigh. “I’m gonna assume it’s you,” you tease him, poking his arm.

“If it’s gonna be me, I’d go straight to the real expensive rings,” he laughs. “I can tell you this much: they’re always carrying around this mask. And their hair is…” 

“Their hair is what?”

Jake pauses dramatically as he finishes his bread, brushing the crumbs off his pajamas. “I’ll tell you about it if you get another letter.” 

With that, Jake waves you goodbye and heads back to his home, leaving you with more questions than answers. As you stand on your porch, processing Jake’s hint, your phone buzzes in your pocket. You pull it out and see Sunghoon’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hey, Sunghoon,” you answer.

His calm and collected voice greets you. “Could you meet me at the train station tomorrow?”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Just come,” he repeats, tone firm. “I have something to tell you.”

He abruptly ends the call before you could even respond, leaving you staring at your phone in bewilderment. He simply texts you a meeting place and time, and a brief apology for hanging up so quickly. You send Sunoo a text about the odd event, only to be stunned by him calling you almost immediately. 

“Don’t go,” he says, uncharacteristically serious.

“Why not?” you ask, puzzled.

“I just… have a bad feeling about it. Don’t you think it’s suspicious? Like a drug deal or something.”

“Another envelope came in today. Then Sunghoon says he’s got something to tell me. What if it’s him?”

“You should stop trying to find out who it is,” Sunoo grumbles. “It’s really dumb.”

“Weren’t you so interested at first?” you protest. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

There’s a long pause on the other end of the line before he speaks again. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. Please don’t go. Trust me on this.”

With your curiosity fueled by Sunoo’s sudden apprehension, you decide to ignore his warning and head to the train station the next day.

—

The sky is heavy with gray clouds, and the nightwind is unusually cold. You realize it was a poor choice for you to walk outside with no umbrella. Some blocks away from the station, the first drops of rain begin to fall, quickly turning into a cloudburst. You curse under your breath, seeking refuge under the awning of a convenience store. 

The rain roughly hits the concrete pavement, the chill seeping through your clothes. You begin to consider cancelling your meeting with Sunghoon, watching the bustling city slowly devolve into a muted gloom.

Just then, you see Jungwon approaching, an umbrella in hand. He spots you and rushes over, pace quickening to avoid getting too wet himself.

“Hey! Waiting for the rain to pass?”

“Yep, forgot my umbrella,” you sigh. “Where’re you going?”

“To the station, seeing my parents back home.”

“I’m going there too,” you reply, glancing at Jungwon’s umbrella that could definitely fit two people.

“Wanna share this with me?” he says with a kind smile, waggling his umbrella.

“Thank you, Jungwon,” you smile.

Grateful for his thoughtfulness, you ask him to come with you inside the store, buying popsicles for the both of you.

“Popsicles in the cold,” Jungwon laughs. “Makes sense.”

“Didn’t your parents tell you that you beat cold with cold?” you reply, making him laugh louder.

You huddle under his umbrella, making small talk as you walk together. The rain remains strong, but Jungwon’s presence brings some comfortable warmth.

As you reach the train station, you thank Jungwon again. He hesitates, looking as if he has something important to say. Despite the downpour outside, the station is busy, with people catching the last trains, announcements of delayed departures and chatter filling the air.

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you,” he starts, cheeks slightly blushing. “I’ve been meaning to—”

Before he can finish, Sunghoon’s presence interrupts him. “You came,” he gently calls out, eyes shifting between you and Jungwon.

Jungwon’s expression shifts to a sour one, but he maintains a polite smile. “I’ll tell you next time,” he says quietly to you, handing you his umbrella before walking away. “I’ll see you around. You too, Sunghoon.”

Jungwon promptly leaves, guilt gnawing at your gut for some reason. You shout after him, “Your umbrella!” but he’s already gone. Turning to Sunghoon, you find him staring straight at you.

“So, what did you wanna talk about?” you ask, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts of Jungwon.

“I thought you’d cancel. It’s raining hard,” Sunghoon says, concerned. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and offers it to you. “Wipe yourself off, you might catch a cold.”

As you wipe off some droplets of rain on your arm, you repeat, “Tell me why you wanted me to come here.”

Sunghoon takes a deep breath. “I’m moving away tonight,” he begins in his earnest voice. “And before I leave, I want to tell you that… I like you.”

You blink once. Suddenly, your vision dissolves into a hazy blur. Sunghoon seems to be saying something but you only hear incoherent noise. Then all you see is pitch black.

—

Today the third letter lands in your mailbox, along with an eccentric kitsune mask. It says:

My immature guise holds a power sublime, A single blink could alter our destined time.

XOXO

This one perplexes you, a poem you cannot comprehend and a gift you cannot link to anyone you know. Could the sender just be an insane stalker? As you stand there outside, staring at the letter, you hear a voice call out your name. You turn to see Jake, your neighbor, holding a slice of bread and a copy of the daily newspaper.

“Another love letter?”

“How’d you know?”

“The bouquet,” he yawns. “Who’s it?”

You hand the envelope to him, and he reads it over, grumbling. “That’s too much for my morning brain.”

“Any idea who it might be?” you ask.

Jake’s smile widens. “I’m an early riser, you know… Might’ve spotted someone familiar delivering these.” He takes a bite of his bread and mumbles, “But it wouldn’t be fair for me to expose them right now.”

“Come on, Jake,” you plead, “just a hint?”

Jake pauses. “I can tell you this much: they’re always carrying around this mask. And their hair is blonde.” 

“As in this mask?” you ask, raising the mask that came along with today’s love letter.

“Yep,” he nods. “I think that’s more than enough for you to guess correctly.”

Jake waves you goodbye and shuts his door on you. As you stand on your porch, processing his hint to the list of people you know, you hear another voice calling for you. It’s Ni-ki, the kid Heeseung told you about.

You turn to see Ni-ki, looking serious as he steps out of his car.

“Let’s go to Sunoo’s right now,” he says in a commanding tone.

“Why? What’s going on?” you reply, confused with what Ni-ki was trying to do.

“He’s been acting strange lately,” he says. “I think he’s hiding something.”

He grabs your hand to pull you away, noticing the mask you are holding.

“Holy shit!” he exclaims. “That’s exactly the one he was wearing. I knew Sunoo got into a cult—”

“What cult?”

“Hurry up!” Ni-ki tugs at your hand, leading you back to his car.

As Ni-ki pulls away, he glances at you with worried eyes. “I just wanted to surprise him with a visit. But he was going out, and he was wearing that mask.”

You carefully inspect the mask. “What do you think this means?”

Ni-ki sighs, grip tightening on the steering wheel. “I shouldn’t have followed him. He went to your place so early in the morning then left something. Then he did it again. And again.”

The realization hits you like a ton of bricks. Sunoo was behind the love letters. You feel shocked, confused, and relieved all at the same time.

You arrive at Sunoo’s house and catch him sneaking back, hooded, holding a kitsune mask that is perfectly identical to yours. Your heart races as the pieces finally fall into place. You rush out of Ni-ki’s car, ignoring his pleas. “What if he casts some curse on you?” he hisses quietly.

“Sunoo!” you shout.

He turns, visibly startled before he musters up a fake smile. “Hey, it’s so early! What brings you to my humble abode?” he awkwardly greets you.

You hold up the latest letter and the mask. “We need to talk.”

Sunoo’s smile falters, spotting Ni-ki’s car behind you. “Ni-ki brought you here?”

“Don’t change the topic,” you grunt, pulling Sunoo inside his home.

The tension in Sunoo’s living room is palpable. Sunoo’s eyes are fixed on his carpet, feet shifting left and right like a child who’s about to be reprimanded.

“Sunoo,” you begin, “I need you to be honest with me. Are you the one who’s been sending me the letters?”

He hesitates for a moment, then nods slowly. “Yes, it’s been me all along.”

You press a finger to your temple and breathe deeply. “Are you making fun of me, Sunoo? Did my enthusiasm satisfy you—”

“It’s not a joke!” Sunoo cuts you off. He meets your eyes, vulnerable. “I didn’t know how to confess, so I came up with all of this. I got a lot more letters prepared but things just went awry.”

You place your mask on his coffee table and pull him into a tight embrace. “You didn’t have to be scared. I’m open to receiving a lot more letters, Sunoo.”

Sunoo chuckles, a bit sheepish. “Although I do admit I enjoyed watching you figure out who I was through our friends.”

You shake your head, smiling. “You really are something else.” You step back, looking at the matching masks that you and Sunoo now have. 

“So the sunflowers were because they’re your favorites?” you ask. He nods, a warm grin spreading across his face like the bright petals of a sunflower.

“And the gloves because…?”

“I wanna go on rides with you,” he replies. You nod, imagining Sunoo hugging you from behind as you drive through the city under the night sky.

“And the mask…?”

“That’s a long story,” he replies, voice dropping to a low, enigmatic tone. “You want more letters, right?”

You smile. “I will gladly be your audience. Show me.” 

He grabs his mask and slowly puts it on. “I think you should blink first.”

You blink, and immediately your head rings. Your vision blurs, and then everything goes black.

author’s note:  i wanted to keep this one very cute and wholesome but i think i just made a horror story AJSFODJZXICVHUOHVBOUAEHRTB

— moriwood.

[holdmytesseract]

The Equation of Love

☆ The Baby Fever AU ☆

Loki x Y/N feat. Ella & Narfi

Summary: When fears and doubts overcome Loki and he starts to question a lot of things, you are his safe haven he can return to.

Warnings: fluff! a lot of fluff! a bit angst, tears, small 'hints' and 'references' to Ep. 6 - but no spoilers

Word Count: 1,8k

a/n: This story is me, trying to cope with the season finale. I don't know why, but my mind just led me here. To this universe. ❤️‍🩹

Baby Fever Crew: @lady-rose-moon @muddyorbsblr @chennqingg @smolvenger @alexakeyloveloki @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @jennyggggrrr @stupidthoughtsinwriting @eleniblue @loz-3 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @fictive-sl0th @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @lovingchoices14 @glitchquake @lokidbadguy @icytrickster17 @mandywholock1980 @november-rayne @xthatpottahfanx @simping-for-marvel @lou12346789 @aagn360 @anukulee @multifandom-worlds @hisredheadedgoddess28 @vbecker10 @jaidenhawke @km-ffluv @lokiforever @crimson25 @kimanne723 @cakesandtom @buttercupcookies-blog @salvinaa @javagirl328 @noideakitten @zombiesnips-blog @dustychinchilla74 @frzntrx @lokisgoodgirl @princess-ofthe-pages @coldnique @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokisrealpurpous

Baby Fever Masterlist °☆• Loki Masterlist °☆• Masterlist

There was nothing. Just silence. No birds singing their songs, nor crickets chirping in the crisp air of the night. No loud voices, car horns or crying babies. Nothing. It was just Loki, his steaming cup of tea and the rising sun above New York City.

Peace... That was what he felt.

The god smiled; tired but happy eyes gazing out of the window to watch the sun replace the moon. Messy curls, tousled by sleep hung in his face. The hem of his green and black checked sleep trousers hung low, but comfortable snugly around his hips.

He wiggled his toes in his slippers; feeling the warmth of the fluffy socks he wore.

Loki took a deep breath - and a sip of his tea. His restless head had ripped him out of sleep; kind of forced him to get up. Sometimes, his mind could wander to very dark places. Especially at night. And he knew exactly that it was not good at all, but... Escaping the claws of your own fears and doubts wasn't easy. A battle the most people might already lose before it even started - and Loki was certainly one of them.

This is the here and now, Loki, he told himself. This is your present. Your future. Y/N and the kids are your future. You found your glorious purpose. Your place in the universe. This is exactly where you need and want to be. Don't revel in the past. It's history. Just a written chapter in the story of your life. Just a-

In order to silence the million voices in his head, he made himself a cup of tea, decided to watch the sunset and think about all the good things in his life... You. Ella. Little Narfi. His brother. His parents. The second chance life - and especially you gave him...

It was a tough process, but through the years, the god learned how to let the good thoughts overweight the bad ones. Nevertheless, was it a cruel battle every time.

"Daddy?"

The god ripped his eyes open at the call of the term that never failed to give him chills and causes his heart to beat just a little bit faster. Within the blink of an eye, he turned around; away from the large window pane in the living room - only to be greeted by the frame of his daughter. She was tiredly rubbing her eyes; cuddle blankie held by her in a death grip.

"Ella?" Loki said with a slight surprised voice; immediately magicked away his mug and squatted down to be on eye-level with the seven-year-old. "Princess, why are you awake?" "Wanted to cuddle you, but you were not there, so I looked for you." She slurred; voice thick with sleep. Ella had slept in yours and his bed tonight, because of a nightmare which had plagued her...

Loki’s heart jumped at the little girl's words; eyebrows slanting. "Oh no... Apologies, sweetheart. Daddy just... needed a moment to think." She yawned. "Think? About wha'?" He shook his head and opened his arms. "Nothing you should worry about, princess. Come here." Ella smiled almost deliriously, before she slurped into Loki's awaiting arms and cuddled against her father. He wrapped her up in a tight embrace; gently lifting her off of the group. Ella slung her legs around his back; even deepening the hug. "Love you, daddy."

Loki smiled; his heart pumping pure love through his veins. "I love you, too, princess."

He pressed a soft kiss against the crown of the girl's head and just held her.

Soon enough her grip on him slackened; legs no longer wound around his torso, but rather dangling loosely at his sides. Soft snores and deep, even breathes signalled the god that Ella had fallen asleep again... In his arms. His smile even widened, as he kissed the top of her head again; identical raven curls tickling his lips. His... She was his. One of the good things he accomplished in his life.

He smiled. "My love..."

Loki redirected his gaze on the rising sun again. It was almost over. The night was barely hanging on - just like the dark cloud above his head.

The god kept his gaze glued on the breathtaking skyline; totally lost in his thoughts once again. That was until he felt a pair of warm, familiar palms gliding over the small of his bare back and settling on his sides.

You pressed your chest gently against his muscular back and pressed soft kisses onto the skin of his shoulder blades; your lips leaving a tickling, sizzling sensation behind. It was magical.

He chuckled. "Well... Our princess came to look after me, too. She wanted to cuddle - and just slept in in my arms." Loki felt your lips on his skin again - and he could swear that you were smiling. "Thought so... My sweet daddy's girl." You whispered; lifting a hand to run your fingers gently through her loose, wild raven curls, as her head was resting on Loki's shoulder.

"What are you doing here, babe? This early on a Sunday morning?" You felt how he took a deep breath. "Thinking. And you?" You pressed your cheek against his bare skin; inhaling his scent. Home. He smelt like home.

"I just finished nursing our baby boy, and then decided to look where my husband and daughter vanished... The bed is way too big without you. And cold." Loki’s heart fluttered, before it felt like exploding - a firework of oxytocin and love.

A pleasant silence settled over the both of you for quite a few moments, in which you relished in closeness of the other.

"What's on your brilliant mind, huh?" Loki didn't answer you; only swallowed hard. And he did not have to say a single word to you. The sudden tension which built within his body was enough for you to tell what was going on.

You and Loki were in no need of words to communicate.

"I see... The clutches of your past wound themselves around you once more... Am I right?"

You heard your husband sigh deeply. "It's not just that, darling." "What else? Do you wish to talk about it?"

"The what if, darling."

The god stepped out of your hug and walked over to the sofa, on which he laid down Ella. He made sure that she was comfortable and draped a blanket over her, in order to keep her warm.

Then he returned to you; a longing look on his face. You welcomed him with open arms - and your husband didn’t hesitate for a moment; immediately sinking into your embrace and touch. You just held him with your hand buried in the soft raven curls on the back of his head. "What is bothering you, my love, if not the past?" You whispered and placed a sweet, reassuring kiss on the side of his neck. Loki needed another moment, before he answered you.

"The what if?" "Yes." You pulled back from the hug, just enough to look into his stunning, but tears clouded eyes; awaiting his further explanation. "What if... What if I've never been given a second chance? Here, on earth, to prove myself worthy of the mercy I received? What if I've never met you? What if you would've never given me a chance? What if... What if Thanos would've been successful?" He swallowed hard. "What would have happen to me? Where would my place in the universe be? Without you, Ella and Narfi... Where do I belong?"

You listened to his every word, patiently. His worries and fears send a jolt of pain through your heart; causing your expression to change. With furrowed eyebrows and tears in your eyes, you looked up to Loki. "Oh, my love..." You said; starting to gently comb your fingers through his long hair. "I wish I could give you an answer to all those questions, but... I'm afraid I can't. I understand why you are asking yourself this, though. Life has been not always very kind to you and left you standing more than just once at the abyss - and wherever your path may have led you without all the things that happened between us... Know that we were always destined to be. There's no version, no outcome of this - of our story, where we wouldn't have ended up together." You softly smiled at him through tears; lifting your other hand to cup his cheek.

"Besides, you are free now, my love. Free to make your own choices. No mind control. No one who decides for you. This..." You gestured around yourself. "Me, Ella and Narfi... This is yours. The story you've written and still writing. This is your story, Loki."

A few tears rolled down the god's cheeks; a breathless chuckle left his lips. "You... You truly think that, darling?" You couldn't help but smile even wider; your thumb gently wiping away his tears. "Know so." You whispered, before you leaned in and captured your husband's lips in a tender, almost feather-light kiss. "I am convinced that in every possible timeline, every parallel universe - if something like that exists, we are exactly where we belong... Together."

The god answered nothing, was too overwhelmed by your beautiful words and all the thoughts and feelings coursing through his mind and body. Instead, he dropped his forehead to rest on your shoulder; tears soaking into the fabric of your comfortable sleep shirt and hands holding onto your body for dear life. You let him cry; comforting him as best as you could.

You didn't know how much time had passed; how long you were standing there with Loki wrapped up in your arms, but at some point you decided to leaven the situation a bit. Once more wandered your hand into his wild locks. "You still here with me, baby?" All that you got was a low grunt. You giggled; twirling a strand of his curls around your finger. "Have I rendered you speechless, my love? Silver-tongue turned to lead?"

Loki couldn't suppress the small giggle, which bubbled up within his throat at your sentence. "N-No..." He lifted his head again; smiling, with dried tears on his cheeks and slightly red and puffy eyes. "I-I just... Your words touched me deeply. Thank you. Thank you for your advice. For your love. For being mine - and for giving me all this. A life, children... A purpose." This time, you were the one who didn't give him an answer. You pulled him in another kiss; letting him feel all the love you could give.

"I love you, Loki. Always have. Always will." Loki took your hands in his; fingers intertwining. "I love you, too. I just can't grasp all this sometimes. My mind needs a reminder from time to time that this is truly the reality." You squeezed his hands. "I know - and I'm here to remind your mind, because you deserve this... Happiness."

[macaroonff]

This Autumn, - Shin Ryujin

Genre: Roommates x lovers, College +Domestic Au, Autumn feels Pairing: Shin Ryujin x fem! Reader ↪Content warnings: Mentions of a dysfunctional families, slight angst, mentions of homophobia, mention of insecurities Word Count: 7k+ words Suggested Songs: We found Love in October- Girl In Red I wanna be your girlfriend- Girl in Red Bubble gum- Clairo Duvet- Bôa October Passed Me By- Girl in Red Girls-Girl in Red Softly- Clairo You know where this playlist is heading- feel free to recommend more ↪not proofread

Sometimes fall meant that the clarity of summer had ended, and that the dryness wasn't accompanied by sweat, but by the heaviness of hoodies and the bareness of barks. A bore compared to the freedom and excitement that summer offered; a dispirited time when you look back to the last three months. 

Of course autumn wasn't all bad. The colours took on a warmer palette as the trees bore themselves devoid of its warmth: warmth which could be found in campfires and cosy sheets; in people's hugs and weighted blankets; in hot lattes, crunchy leaves and early sunsets.

But when assignments piled up from the start of the season, finding opportunities to revel in such warmth seemed unsuccessful. You hurriedly tried composing yourself from last month's activities: internships, staycations and pool parties, returning from a whirlwind of adrenaline. It was exhausting, and you were burnt out before the semester even started. 

But a student you were; a decent one you tried to be, as you file your assignments, albeit slowly due to sleep deprivation. The first week of autumn went by with professors dumping assignments immediately as you try to ease the pace at which you deal with it. Clearly, autumn had you drained from day one.

Autumn hated you more than you hated it.

Autumn, two weeks in wasn't too bad. You took time to catch up on deadlines, you made plans with friends, went on walks and you got especially close to your new roommate. Her name was Ryujin, a dark haired divinity with prominent features that meshed gently. Someone who never forgot to get you your daily dose of iced latte and her favourite mocha bread from the café opposite your dorm.

It started when she came back from her evening lectures on a Thursday, holding one mug in her hand, a woolly scarf tucked into her shirt. She came in to see you with hands knitted in your hair, frustrated at the work you had, feet bobbing in concentration. 

A small 'hi' was all that you returned when you noticed her presence.

"Another stressful assignment?," she asks, concerned. Her low timbre is soothing and takes you out of your sums for a brief moment, a sigh escaping your chapped lips.

"It’s calculus." You make eye contact for the first time since she entered, a polite smile greeting her, though the frown almost tilted the other way. 

She waved her hands in a light motion acknowledging your concern, the room key in her palm dangling in it to make a soft clack. 

"Understandable, it's a real headache, especially since you're in Mr Lee’s course. Anything I could help you with?"

"I just need a break," you reply dejectedly, hoping to get away from your monotonous, monstrous tasks. 

"Wanna watch a movie?" she asks, a soft grin hiding on her face. She watches your ears perk up and your eyes shine at the suggestion, to which a chuckle remains stuck in her throat.

"Why don't you choose something and I'll join you after I'm done freshening up." she hands you the remote before walking into her room, grabbing her white towel from the laundry rack.

You sit in silence and wallow in contemplation. Choosing a movie, should be easy. 

Would a sappy rom-com distracting you from your lamentable, gapingly non-existent love life suffice? Or did you need another of those poorly directed and filmed action ones, which would, undoubtedly help you fix your sleep schedule. But then again, would Ryujin watch it? What’s a movie she’d like? Slice of life? Coming of age? Horror?

A change in the lighting of the room, and Ryujin’s tap on your shoulder was what eventually brought you out of your dilemma, and you take your vacant stare off of the blank tv screen towards your roommate instead.

The warm lights had blurred everything in the background in a way that it brought Ryujin’s face into focus, a soft glow emanating from her cheeks. Her hair was wet, the towel lazily wrapped around her supple hair, doing a measly job at keeping it from seeping into her t-shirt. Her oversized black t-shirt had patches of darker spots that clinged to her because of it, making you worried she might catch a cold. You rush to hand her a new towel, one that would actually help. 

“Don’t catch a cold, not the best time of the year to fall sick.” you whisper.

She smiles in appreciation and holds your arm, accepting the fabric for you. "You're cold too y/n. It'd probably be best for us to grab some blankets." 

After ten minutes of rummaging through your creaky cabinets and five minutes of popping corn, you were ready to distance yourself from your headaches, with new-found warmth in your newly washed duvets. 

Snug and pressed against the cushions of the sofa, with your head on her shoulder. Snug as she pats your back until the television's whisper no longer has your attention and you find your heavy eyelids closing on their own. 

Snug as you embrace sleep after months of running away from it.

Snug, however, wasn't what you felt when you woke up in the morning, blankets tangled between your legs, and an annoying ache in your ribs, due to the crushing weight of your favourite cushion. 

Snugness was replaced by the bitterness of another new day, and your long forgotten assignments weighed heavier than they did before. 

All of a sudden last night's peace was something you regretted. And you regret having been swayed by someone you considered an acquaintance.

If Shin Ryujin hadn’t offered, you'd never have taken a break. You'd never have given yourself the opportunity to be wasteful with time. You shouldn't have been tempted by the thought of a moment's freedom. 

Freedom that remained a mirage. A mirage that showed you a time of comfort. Comfort that would last one evening until you'd have to revisit everything you ran away from.

What's the point in having comfort if it's given by someone you interact with for three hours a day? What was the point in comfort if it was momentary?

Shin Ryujin was a roommate you'd have for only two more months until her grandparent's apartment was done with renovations.

Shin Ryujin was temporary.

Autumn three weeks in, was no different. Except that your backlog had increased, your sleep schedule got worse and all that you cared about was getting over with your to-do lists. How you had energy to do everything one by one remained a mystery, but you soon realised that it wasn’t energy that drove you to finish work, but the fear of running out of it sooner or later. As if it wasn’t already obvious, you were on the brink of burnout.

Not that you hated burnout. For some reason being burnt out meant that you'd be forced to take time out for mental health sooner or later. You would be forced to slow down like you did last week. 

Sitting down and finally looking back, last week felt like a distant memory so far away from your reality. It was a privilege you gave yourself, and it was so worth it, contrary to what you felt immediately. She was right, the movie did help, the movie did get you back into a safe space from your anxiety; and you never cared to thank her for it. 

You’d do it today. Thanking her. You absolutely had to.

You spent the next ninety minutes planning the best way to return the favour. Essentially, you spent the next ninety minutes going back on all the little things Ryujin did for you. Which led to the realisation that her love language was a careful amalgamation of acts of service, quality time and physical touch. 

“Maybe I’ll just bake mocha bread. I couldn’t go wrong with that,” you contemplate. You weren’t the best baker on earth, however you had enough experience to go ahead with it.

All you needed was milk, eggs, flour, yeast, sugar and coffee. Everything you had at home, really not much could go wrong.

Until it did. There was no way the universe would let you have anything good before your semester tests. Of course it had to sabotage you when you tried to do one thing with actual love behind it.

The microwave oven she brought in with her beeped once before a loud pop stopped you in your tracks. It was overheated, and nothing you did brought the irksome device back to life. No matter how many buttons you pushed vigorously, or hit the back of it tiresomely, the empty  black box on the door showed no sign of the tiny numbers signalling time left.

Time left. You look at the Ikea clock hung on the wall. Ten minutes more for the bread to be baked until completion, and thirty minutes until she’d come back and discover this mess and the damage to her microwave.

And boy does she love that microwave.

Shin Ryujin knew something was wrong when she entered later at night, almost too late for you to be up right now, just a little before midnight, the smell of sweet coffee greeting her. She’d gone to visit the apartment her grandparents had bought for her, a half hour from here. She was so caught up in finalising the layout that she forgot to mention that she’d be late home. What’s worse was that she had got caught in heavy traffic, and her phone lost charge in the middle of dialling you. 

And when she got up here, completely spent from the work, it took very little for her to be consumed by frustration. Not particularly because of you. None of it had to do with you. She knew that the tedious microwave was ancient and that her parents only gave it to her to get rid of it. She also knew that she should’ve told you about it sooner, before it actually became a problem. So no, in no way was this your fault. 

She looked at your head buried under your arm on the dining table with a mitten on one hand and a post-it under your elbow. The post-it didn’t say much, just scribbled and crossed out words that all seemed to resemble different “I’m sorrys" and “microwaves". You had multiple other post-its crumpled nearby and she picked all of them up and carefully opened them one by one. Between the creases, one said, “I’m so sorry for the microwave Ryujin, ik you treasure it because your parents lent it to you. I just wanted to thank you for last week and I thought I’d bake your favourite but -” it stopped there at which point you must’ve crumpled it. 

Ryujin let her sight wander across the baking utensils washed and stacked neatly on the drying rack and a box of half baked, burnt dough nearby. She smiles, both grateful and apologetic, an urge to caress your head settling in. She takes a closer look at you, trying to figure how she could deposit you to your bed. 

She slowly lifts your head up, wiping excess dough from near your frowning mouth, and her eyes wander up, to your slightly fluttering eyelids facing the yellow lights. It was then under the warm lights that she noticed semi-dried tears under your lashes. Another surge of guilt ran through her, thinking of how worried you must’ve been. 

In the cold kitchen, she lifts you off the chair as carefully as she can and gently drags you across the living room. It was when she’d propped you against the headboard that you stir awake.

Through half-lidded eyes, you take in whatever you can. Ryujin was holding on to your hand gasping slightly.

“Ryujin?” you whisper.

“Shit I didn’t mean to wake you up,” she looks at you a little surprised.

“I’m so sorry-” you mumble in desperation.

“Shh," she places a palm over your eyes, "don’t worry about it love. Go to bed, we’ll talk in the morning”

You aren’t convinced but you also realise that now isn’t the best time to talk. Ryujin’s eyebags seemed deeper in the warm light and you knew both of you needed a decent rest. It had been a hectic time for the two of you, and all you needed was sleep.

Ryujin still had the benevolence to pull the blanket over you and stroke your hair until you fell asleep.

It was the second time you fell asleep in her arms.

The following weekend you were on a shopping trip.

At a semi-large Ikea warehouse about forty minutes away from the campus. It was Ryujin's idea to come out here despite you convincing her to find a shop closer, but she insisted.

"Trust me, it'll be fun. We can look at furniture too."

Of course, she needed new furniture. It slowly dawns on you that you have very little time to spend with her in your home. Home.

You don't remember the last time you called your dorm a home. For all that you knew, it was a messy damp space that you couldn't wait to escape from, an absolute nightmare with it's cramped furniture. But it was cosy, something you couldn't deny now.

Maybe because you were with her. All her little habits that grew on you, her impeccable daily routine that had become a source of stability in your life, even her lesser known quirks such as keeping a picture of her two cats at home framed on her desk and kissing the before going to her classes in the morning.

You admired all of it, and it wouldn't have been the same if it were someone else. You never felt like this with your previous room mates. They were just people who lived in their own solitary spaces. But with Ryujin, somehow you were involved in most housework together. You felt involved, and somewhere more loved than in your own home.

Your family wasn't bad, at least on the surface. They never compromised when it came to your education or your standard of living. But somewhere between those lines were impossible expectations they wouldn't hold themselves to either. And you got tired of them easily. They hid toxicity behind "criticism", where criticism only meant negatives beyond your control. Your last year of high school, particularly faced extreme criticism, and you felt your confidence dipping. You managed though. You're not entirely sure how you coped, but with support from school, you managed a scholarship, a meagre one but still enough to get away from your family.

You hadn't seen them in three years.

Ryujin, on the other hand, had a lovely family, and you were, at times jealous of how perfect she seemed; how perfect everything around her seemed.

She seemed to have every aspect of her life in order. Whether it be top of the class majoring in Business, or being captain of the girl's football team, or the fact that she could spare three hours to stay with her paint brushes and that they would come out having the entire beauty of the universe encompassed in them. She could manage being both a homebody, while still being popular in school, she could be assertive when she needed to be without actually disturbing the fragile ego of most in her class.

She surpassed every definition of balance mentioned in the dictionary. She was living it, breathing it. Stability.

You admired her, a lot, but you couldn't stop this ridiculously miniscule base of malevolence in your heart. And every day you were scared it would become worse.

Especially now, when all she wanted was to spend precious time with you, constantly putting effort into your friendship whereas you were held back by bitter thoughts. And you hated yourself for it.

You force back your envy, distracting yourself by browsing through the shelves of cutlery displayed. You notice the absence of Ryujin's presence, and slowly find yourself lost in this maze of a shop. Maybe it was better that she wasn't in this aisle now, or else you wouldn't be able to face her with the guilt of having thought of her so poorly.

You find yourself interested in the array of pretty pink melamine plates stacked in front of you, in the stainless steel spoons with animal handles, and little napkin holders shaped like boats. You pick up different pans, weighing how heavy each is, looking to keep your brain unnecessarily busy. If you spend a second more comparing yourself with Ryujin, you knew you wouldn't be able to think of anything else for the entire day, or week.

You remember what your therapist told you, all the comfort and validation that you needed pouring in through words. You open up your notes, all the affirmations typed out one by one. You repeat them in your mind, with a new goal in sight.

You wouldn't let your insecurity ruin another good relationship. Especially not with Ryujin.

She emerges after some time, holding in her hand, a grey device, and a grin painted on her face. "I think this is the one. It's a cool toaster cum oven sort of thing, and it's cheap," she winks at you.

How was she so decisive? you think again. It had only taken her fifteen minutes. If it were you, you'd have taken forty minutes more.

"I trust your decision," you reply, giving her a soft smile. You notice her eyebrows raise a little. "You sure?," she asks. "You usually don't agree this fast. You have this terrible habit of sitting on decisions for ages." she rambles on.

You take a moment to process this. You knew it was true, and she probably didn't mean malice, but it was not something you'd accept easily.

Ryujin never had to think twice about what she wanted. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she always got it. Whereas every decision you seemed to make bore consequences you didn't want. And often, the times you didn't heavily weight them out was when things backfired. The last time being with the microwave oven.

It was the only way you knew to trust yourself.

So it irks you greatly when Ryujin calls it a "terrible habit". Because for you, it was a habit that gave you security. Certainty wasn't achievable, but you'd try as fucking close as you could get, and Shin Ryujin won't tell you otherwise.

She'd never understand how imperfect you were. She'd never understand the little complexities that hold you back. For the most part, she had life easy. What would she ever understand?

You ignore her comment, instead picking up a ceramic mug from the shelf, thumbing on the floral patterns glazed onto it.

Ryujin barely senses your predicament, instead grabbing onto the mug placed besides the one you hold onto. "These are pretty, it's like a cute matching set. We should get them," she winks.

The rest of the day follows with more furniture in your cart, and mostly unnecessary plushies plaguing your living room. New pillows, potted plants, wardrobe organisers, a work desk and the biggest Djungelskog bear lying near the couch.

It dawns on you the next morning, after waking up to the chaos, that she was shifting out in two weeks.

On the first of October.

All of a sudden she was busy, very busy, and the two of you barely met, with bigger gaps in your schedule. Part of it was because of Ryujin arranging her main furniture in her new house, and part of it was because you were busy with academics, only that it was voluntary this time. It just so happened that you needed a few more credits to retain your scholarship, the only thing weighing your new found freedom. Along with that, you busied yourself so that you didn't have to face Ryujin later at night.

You were scared. Other than the obvious rent that you'd have to pay by yourself, you also avoided other parts of this change that bothered you. Which was spending time with her. You were scared you'd miss her a bit too much.

Sure, you were friends who were only half an hour away, but now that her colourful room started fading into a bleak white, the emptiness of it reminded you of why you hated autumn. The fall orange left you feeling lonely, and like the very leaves that craved pigmentation, you craved more life. Regardless of the minimal time you spent with her in the evenings, she slowly integrated herself into your life in the smaller ways.

Now they weigh too much in your life for you to be able to cope without it. You ended up distancing yourself from her, in a pathetic attempt to cope with the anticipation of absence. Maybe you just needed more friends, the thought crossing your mind a lot more these days. But you had plenty of them at uni, most of who you loved. But none of them were Ryujin.

None of them cared for you as much as she did. None of them taught you how to care for yourself like she did. None of them held you in their arms throughout the night, until you felt rested and loved. Nobody inspired you as much as Ryujin did.

Maybe Ryujin wasn't just a friend, something you were scared to consider in the past few weeks. It was a feeling completely new. Other than a failed situation-ship in high school, you never considered the possibility of a relationship, much less exploring your sexuality.

It was an intimidating prospect that you hadn't considered. Something that initiated urgency more than curiosity. Unlike the diverse spectrum that your feelings for Shin Ryujin belonged to, your thoughts focused on just one. She was important in more ways than platonic, and the distance that was to be would be extremely difficult to cope with. The distance that you had created seemed silly, but at the same time there was nothing you could think to resolve the conflict. You were going against this wall you'd built for yourself, and the facade of distance only grew day by day. So much so that at one point, Ryujin stopped approaching you first.

In a way, you deserved it. For someone who had been so unreceptive to her life as a coping method, this is the least you deserved for being a little jerk. Why would someone pursue any relationship, even platonic if you'd put yourself back into the mega cage you thought you'd escaped from. Something you'd escaped from only temporarily in her presence. Something you're going back to by the next week when she's gone.

You suffer multiple sleepless nights, the mid terms only a catalyst to your loneliness, when all you remember is Ryujin and her quirks.

You do accept another roommate later on, a mutual contact in your friend group, someone who was introduced to you by Ryujin herself. She'd dropped in a small text at 8 in the morning, on the way to class, you'd assumed. All it did was talk about how a common friend, Yeji needed a room to stay.

You accepted it of course, because you didn't have to foot the entire month's bill but also because you thought having someone else would curb your loneliness. And this loneliness was stupid. Ryujin wasn't the only thing you had in your entire life, and she should've been inconsequential, the same way the daylight hours gradually decreased. But it isn't too hard to notice once the sun's gone down.

The new roommate was like a transition from summer to winter, but unlike Ryujin , who helped ease the transition between the seasons, this one only reminded you that it would be cold. She wasn't a bad roommate, no she was perfect, did the laundry on Wednesdays, did the evening dishes at 6 and gave you lots of personal space. She was nice, but not like Ryujin.

You hated how you compared her to Ryujin, how you compared everything to her. "She isn't your entire world," you remind yourself. "Shin Ryujin was only temporary."

You'd decided that your feelings for her were only a means for you to be validated. That was all you'd craved from her, and that was all she'd given you- validation.

On October 15th, you feel relieved. Your mid terms were over with and you had a little bit of free time. Were you going to spend it wisely? Of course not.

You were going to sit in bed all day, scrolling through Youtube, a luxury you'd afford yourself rarely in the last month. You went home early, to a somewhat excitable Yeji. Another rare sight.

"What's up?" you ask her, noticing her vibrant demeanour.

"Nothing much, Ryujin's coming over today."

You're surprised to hear this, and a little disappointed that Ryujin never told you herself. Or maybe there was no reason to, it's not like you kept in touch with her.

"That's cool, are you guys ordering something? Or should I make food for you two?" you offer, realising the amount of free time you had.

"We'll just order pizza," she replies. She hesitates for sometime, as if she has something to say. "Y/n?" she calls out slowly.

"Hmm?" "...you're nothing like what Ryujin described you as."

You still in your spot.

"It's just that you're really kind you know. I thought you'd be more distant, and cold."

"Ryujin said that? About me?"

She nods her head.

Is that really how she saw you? Distant and cold? Sure you were closed off towards the end, but is that really who you were to her? After all the good memories? You weren't sure anymore, insecurity creeping inside you.

It hurt. Was it this easy for people to be unforgiving? But then again, you never apologised, so in a weird way what Yeji relayed sounded justified.

You offer her a stiff smile.

"I'll be in my room then, tell me if you need anything."

Dejected, you go back to your blank room, where even the orange of autumn feels comforting, something you hated previously. You stay inside the entire evening, occasional sounds of muffled laughter behind your walls being all that you focus on for the duration. Every time you heard her laugh loudly from behind the door, you wondered if she ever laughed like that in front of you. Did you ever make her feel happy? The same way she did to you?

You want to go out and say hi, but after what Yeji said, you stop yourself. She must hate you now, there was no other way.

It isn't later at night, after you're sure the laughter was no more, and only when the silence of the room becomes comforting, you step out to see a dim blue light in the darkness of the living room, Yeji working on the dining table. "Y/n, didn't come out to say hi to Ryujin?" she asks, with pity that sounds forced.

"Yeah, no I was just napping," you lie, "did anything fun happen?"

"Mhm, we were discussing Ryujin's blind date tomorrow with a senior from the engineering department. Apparently, he's handsome," she shrugs her shoulder.

"Ryujin likes boys?" you ask without realising.

"Hmm, I'm not sure actually."

A small part of you feels dejected as you get a glass of water, all while contemplating if you should have reached out.

"You like her don't you?" Yeji whispers, looking up from her laptop.

It's the second time you still in your spot. Yeji had brought up something you never thought was prominent.

"Your lights were on, I could tell from your slightly ajar door. You weren't sleeping were you?" she gives you a knowing smile.

"I'm not judging you- it's just that it's obvious that you miss her. It may or not may be romantic- but you do miss her don't you?". You don't know how to reply to her. You barely knew Yeji, but somehow she very accurately read your emotions.

As if she knows what you're thinking, she continues.

"You know, every time that I've tried bringing up Ryujin, you've always changed the conversation, instead isolating yourself in your room."

Looking back, it made sense. You didn't want to think about her anymore. Your meeting with Ryujin's was temporary and never mattered. It was almost crazy how dependent you were on her within just a few months.

" I realised that I don't know much about Ryujin, nor does she about me. Sure I know she loves mocha bread, she loves her big Ikea Djungelskog soft toy, that she's watched the perks of being a wallflower more times than she can count; but I don't think I could be truly vulnerable with her. I'm scared to be vulnerable with her."

Yeji sighs, almost disappointed. She went back to working, despite her twitching lips, like she had more to say.

That night, you reflect for longer. Why was it that you felt scared to lean on Ryujin? Technically you told her about troubles with academics, problems with some of your classmates- that is considered being vulnerable right? Then what was it that you wanted her to know, but you never wanted to admit? Was it your insecurities? Was it the thought she'd never understand it?

It was like your mind had accepted that you and Ryujin had come from two different worlds, and if you invited her into yours, she would run away, like your family. Despite you coming to terms with it, the distance with your family was a wound still fresh. And nothing would change, until you could put it behind you.

25th October, Yeji handed you an invite to one of her friend's Halloween parties.

After your confession, she'd been a little nicer; she was more active in initiating conversations, and you realised she was more extroverted than your first impression. Eventually, you did watch the Maze Runner with her again, and you appreciated how she gushed about Dylan O'Brien throughout it, dispelling any awkward moments.

"I designed this invitation by the way, cool isn't it?", she asks about the party invitation in your hand. It had black bat details engraved in a glossy reflective paper. "Please come, we've had a difficult week, one party won't hurt will it?" she states, the question more rhetorical.

You agree quietly, excitement bubbling in you.

Until it did hurt, a week later.

Barely five minutes after you enter the loud, congested apartment, with strangers in costumes, you felt a part of your heart drop. There was a tight feeling in your chest, something you were sure wasn't because of the new corset you wore. Because you felt comfortable seconds before you saw Ryujin with her hands wrapped around this guys neck, kissing him on the couch as if he were her entire life. At first, you weren't even sure it was her- her hair was shorter, dyed a platinum blonde. She wore a leather jacket and a white skater dress, dressed so differently than what you were used to seeing her in.

You weren't able to comprehend how good she looked in his arms, with all her attention focused on him, smiling. The same smile that you'd missed for a month. When she does look away from the vampire- you assumed was her boyfriend, her eyes scan the crowd and she almost looks bewildered. You were stood so motionless near the entrance from where you could see them, that even the crowd that pushed past you couldn't bring you to move. It was suffocating, and unconsciously you head for the exit, looking to get away.

But fate wouldn't be so kind would it? The universe wouldn't just let you be would it? "Are you leaving already y/n?" Yeji screams from across the room, which you were sure was audible to everyone. She finds her way to you, a smile on her face. "You just came in, why are you leaving? Cool outfit by the way."

"Thanks," you offer her a stiff smile, eyes going back to Ryujin, who because of Yeji, had finally found you.

Yeji, who just noticed the tension, holds your hand and pulls you towards Ryujin.

"Atleast say hi, y/n, it won't hurt."

Yeji's assurance of "it won't hurt" was what brought you here, it was indeed what hurt you. Her saying this now wasn't helping, and you scoff. It was almost like Yeji knew this was going to happen. It was like she knew how much it hurt you, and may even enjoy it.

"Why did you invite me Yeji? You knew about this didn't you? It hurts, I..I shouldn't have come." you spit out, trembling.

"Y/n, there's something you need to know."

"What? that she has a boyfriend?" you spat, annoyed by her deception.

Yeji sighs, holding onto your shoulders, somewhat urgent.

"No, it's something only Ryujin can tell you. Please, just talk to her. This once."

At this point, you couldn't trust anyone, neither Yeji, Ryujin, nor yourself. It was like you were at different crossroads- to run away, or to confront her again. She hadn't even done anything wrong, all she did was kiss a guy. She didn't owe you anything.

You choose to run away, until you notice Ryujin approaching you with her boyfriend. It's like she withheld any decision you make, with her forcing you into a circumstance you would not choose for yourself.

"Y/n?" she asks softly. Her otherwise comforting voice now made you uncomfortable, almost bringing you to tears by how much you missed it.

"It's been so long," she holds your hand gently.

Her hands felt colder than before, and before you could say anything, the tall, matching vampire spoke up.

"Hi y/n, I'm Jason, her boyfriend. I've heard a lot about you." he looks friendly, and he doesn't seem to hold any malice. But you still hated this guy.

"You have?" you ask saltily. "...good things I hope." you couldn't help but say drily, hands fiddling with the witch hat you'd worn.

"A moment please love," Ryujin signs to her boyfriend, who goes towards the bar with Yeji.

Ryujin takes your hand and drags you towards what you assume to be the bedroom, away from the crowd.

You enter the bedroom with her, with your head ringing because of the way she called him love. You remember how she'd called you love the day you'd tried baking, the day you'd fallen asleep in her arms. You thought the word "love" meant nothing, that it was an endearing term with no implications. But if that was the case- why did she address him as love?

Jealousy eventually overrode the confusion, and the hurt that stained you previously had multiplied. You couldn't feel more stressed, it was so much more than any calculus assignment you'd ever come across.

"Are you crying?" she eventually speaks, eyes concerned. You didn't even realise the visible tears falling down your cheek slowly, your mascara ruined in the reflection of the mirror behind her.

"What do you wanna talk about Ryujin?" you huff. "Y/n, do you need time to calm down? I don't think you're in the mood to talk."

"I'm fine. Just get to the point please." you say, barely concentrating on what was going on. She comes in to hug you, but you step back.

She looks upset by this, seemingly as confused as you. "I...I thought we were friends y/n," she whispers in the same tone she'd always used to comfort you. "We weren't this far apart were we? Why do you hate me?" she raises her voice in desperation.

This was an accusation you could not believe she had made, hate was too strong for what you felt for her.

"I don't hate you Ryujin." you speak, resigned. "Then why do you look so upset, why can't you even say hi?" she emphasises, her voice breaking in between.

"Because it hurts... I can't"

You fall against the bed post. Eyes finding the bear plushie you bought her. You slowly realise that this is her bedroom, and that you were in her new house- the apartment you'd never come to before. You were barely able to process all of this when she speaks up again.

"You can't what y/n? You can't accept the fact that you like me?" You look back at her, eyes widened, as though whatever little sanity you had remaining was destroyed like the branches of an autumn tree- fallen, and weak. It was almost humiliating.

"I don't like you Ryujin," you hide behind your words like a coward. "Don't lie to yourself y/n, is it that difficult to accept that you like me?"

You don't know where this was coming from. If she knew you liked her, couldn't she just let you down gently?

"What does it matter? You have a boyfriend. Even if I did like you; no even if I loved you, nothing would change." you say dejectedly. It must have been true, because there was silence that persisted for longer than you wished it would be.

"What if it did change? What if I said I liked you too? Would you believe me?" she asks quietly, reverting back to her calm persona as she takes a big breath. You scoff, noticing how different she had become in a month. The audacity she had to ask you if you believed her, right after making out with her boyfriend in front of everyone in the room disgusted you, something you don't think you'd ever be able to comprehend.

"Why would I believe you? I saw your boyfriend. Besides, if you did like me, you'd be honest with me. I think that's the least I'd expect from you, so don't play with my feelings; because unlike yours, I can say with conviction that mine are real."

You see her expression change, her eyes becoming teary.

She sits beside you, against the wooden footboard. "I can't be honest, because I'm scared. There's so many people watching me- so many people who my family knows. I barely had, or still have any privacy in my life. Do you know why my grandparents left me this apartment? Because they don't trust me." she pauses for a minute. Taking another deep breath, eyes now fixed on to the floor.

You don't know where she's going with this, but don't say anything because this may be the last time you'd get any closure.

"There was a girl I really liked in high school, but we could never be together, because my family refused to let me meet her. They pretend to be liberal in their thoughts- but they're as homophobic as they get. There's no way they'd understand. The only time I felt safe was in our dorm, because there was no one who would snitch on me, nobody who cared. It was utopia- where you were my solace, and I just basked in the temporary peace.

But when my grandparents asked about you, they'd worry I'd gotten too close to you, refusing to believe you could be just a friend. Two months after I shifted in to our dorm, they made preparations to isolate me in this house of theirs."

She couldn't continue, as tears you'd never seen from her before, collected as a tiny stream between the cracks of the tiles on the cold floor. You understood what she meant. In an evening's moment, you realised that she wasn't this perfect being that she always projected. Yes, she was amazing, but she had her own challenges, something you thought she'd never had. Unlike the two different worlds you thought you were in, your access into her world made you realise you were more similar than you could've imagine. All of a sudden you hated your past self for being so mean to her, for harbouring insecurities that in hindsight were not worth the pain.

"Jason, is my neighbourhood friend, and he's the one of the few people I can trust. He's pretending to be my boyfriend, so that if my family ever found out, they wouldn't doubt me." she explains, trying to resolve your distrust.

"I'm so sorry," you whisper, leaning your head against her shoulder, gently holding onto her hand."

The two of you sit their in silence, reflective, though relieved.

She gently kisses your forehead, arms wrapping around your waist.

"I missed you y/n. So much. But I'm also scared to go back to you, to our place. I don't know what we're going to do. I'm sorry too, for the situation I put you in. For the situation I've put both of us in."

You rub her arms gently,

"It's ok, we'll figure it out slowly. I'm sorry too . You were always there for me- and I, like the coward I am was scared of being attached to you, your generous love . I was also so insecure of how perfect you were- but now it's all so inconsequential."

To this Ryujin laughs, and she wipes her tears. "It's funny how both of our insecurities hurt us in the end. I promise, I wont' let it affect us in the future. I won't ever hurt you again y/n. I love you, so much."

"I love you too Ryujin."

You know that it's going to be a long road ahead of the two of you, but you'll be alright. You comb through her hair, leaning in to meet her lips. Her quivering lips are not soft as you expected, but slightly chapped, brushing against yours. She drags a cold finger down your spine, causing you to lose your breath. Her pulling you closer, slipping behind your corset, unzipping it. Your hands are tangled in her short locks, and you pull away in between to breathe.

With the kiss, and this new path, the autumn you hated so had come to an end. Autumn had become easier to think about, among the loneliness of the dry leaves and the warmth devoid in the air, you'd treasure the warmth that she provided. Shin Ryujin, unlike autumn wasn't temporary. Autumn will come and go, but Shin Ryujin would always stay, and you'd treasure her in every season. In the end, autumn didn't hate you as much you did, because despite everything, autumn gifted you Shin Ryujin.

Am I actually posting an autumn fic when its almost summer? Yes, yes I am. This is long overdue and idk why it took me this long to finish it ahhhh.

I appreciate any feedback, feel free to interact with this post!

Thanks for reading <3

-Macaroon

[footiehoefics]

Change of heart

Sikeee, I'm posting it right now hehe. @trentskinator98 my love has been waiting for this one ever since I made the polls HAHAHA so I'm so excited for you to read it and for everyone else as well! I had this idea on my notes for so long so writing it was so fun! I hope you guys enjoy it and if you have any ideas you are welcome to message me or send me an ask :)! TW: none, Angst/Fluff, 3.5k words

gif: @pernillecfcw

Looking at your reflection in the mirror, you were satisfied with how your look had turned out. Light yellow dress, white high heels, hair down, bronzed natural makeup and a little bit of jewelry. You turned around to see your boyfriend struggling with his tie, again. 

“Why are this things so fucking hard to put on?” he mumbled to himself

“Mase, baby, there will come a day where I won’t be able to do your tie so you really have to learn.” you said smiling, walking towards him to help him. 

“Stop, don't say that, I am not thinking about your death right when we are about to go to a wedding.” he said, giving up with the black tie. 

“Oh my God,” you laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that weirdo, I just mean maybe one day I won’t be with you getting ready.” you said, grabbing the tie getting closer to him. 

Your face was almost touching his, your arms wrapped around his shoulder trying to fix his tie situation with the stubborn collar he had. “You look beautiful by the way.” Mason said, making you blush. “You still blush at my compliments?” he asked you, smiling. “Of course I do.” you said now looking at him and giving him a peck. “And you…” you said, giving him another kiss, “look  very handsome. You need to wear a suit more.” He smiled at you, kissing you again. He brushed his tongue over your bottom lip asking for access but you knew if it got heated you wouldn't leave in 5 minutes. “Mmm Mase no” you mumbled in between his kisses. “Why not?” “Because we have to leave now, the wedding is in 30 minutes.” You detach yourself from him, smirking at yourself at how horny your boyfriend was. 

You grabbed your purse and walked down stairs to head out. You were excited about the wedding. One of yours and Mason’s friend was getting married to his highschool sweetheart who you both knew very well. Marc, your friend, actually introduced you both 6 months ago. It had been 4 months of heaven with Mason. It had its bumps since his football career was not great towards the end of the season, but you tried to be there for him while giving him his space and he appreciated it more than anything. 

Pulling up to the venue, you saw Ben, Kai and Sophia waiting for you two at the entrance. 

“Wooww you look insane.” you said to Sophia while getting out of the car. “Thank you.” Ben replied, smiling. “Not you Ben.” You told him, rolling your eyes playfully at him. 

Both of you greeted everyone with hugs and made your way into the wedding ceremony. Hand in hand, you both were in awe of the venue and the decoration. It looked beautiful. It was an outdoor ceremony during the afternoon with a perfect view of the sunset. The party however, would be inside one of the ballrooms of the very fancy hotel  which you were now dying to see. 

“This is so beautiful, wow.” you said in awe of everything. One of the servers came towards all of you and offered drinks which you gladly accepted. 

“Kai, we really need to start looking for wedding venues.” Sophia said, admiring the whole place. You laughed at her comment and Kai just rolled his eyes. 

“When are you planning on doing the wedding?” Mason asked, taking a sip of his drink. 

“Next summer, after the season is done-” Kai tried saying when Sophia interrupted him “Which means I will do all the wedding preparations while he is playing football every 3 days.” Both you and Mason laughed at her comment. 

“Soph, are you going to be like a bridezilla?” Mason asked giggling. “Oh stop, I hope for my sake not.” Kai replied 

You were engrossed in their conversation and the jokes when you noticed someone entering the venue. 

You couldn’t miss him, and it was not a surprise to you he was here. After all, he and Marc were friends. Joe, your ex boyfriend started greeting people once he entered. You gulped nervously. Having your boyfriend and your ex boyfriend at the same wedding was not ideal.

Joe and you had broken up almost a year and half ago. It wasn’t a quick relationship, you were with him for 4 years. He had proposed to you even. He had invited his whole family, leaving your family completely out of it, and proposed on a lake. When he proposed you were shocked. You were not expecting it at all, due to the fact that he had cheated on you a month prior. He did not know you knew he had cheated, so the audacity of him to propose after cheating made your blood boil. You found out about his infidelity 3 days before he proposed. You of course rejected his proposal, leaving him in a state of shock. 

You loved him, of course you did. However, there was never a point in your relationship where you thought you would marry him. He was not the dream man you always thought you’d end up with. To be completely honest, you had stayed with him for so long because it felt easy. It scared you leaving him after building a life with him and finding someone new, even though you knew you needed someone else. 

When you found out about him cheating, it hurt, but not nearly as much as you had thought. Maybe because you could finally use that as an excuse to leave him? 

When he started getting on one knee, you immediately knew what he was doing. You wanted to grab his arms and pull him up and avoid the embarrassment. It pissed you off. He took that away from you. Your marriage proposal was supposed to be one of the best moments of your life, and he took away that moment from you. 

Long story short, you said no and explained why. He turned white as a ghost and didn't even try to deny it. You spent almost 30 minutes figuring out what to do with his family who were in the cabin waiting to surprise you both. You decided to go to a hotel and stay away from him. To this day you don't know what he said to his family. The next day you went to the cabin, grabbed your things and left him. 

Mason knew all of this. He knew he had proposed, how he cheated on you and everything shitty he did to you during your relationship. One of the first dates with Mason was a golf date and dinner at a pub. You stayed in that pub until 3 am talking about everything. You opened up so much to him. Ever since that day you both knew you were it, although you had never said it to each other. 

As soon as you saw him, you got visibly nervous. You didn't even want to say hi to him. You also didn't want Mason to talk to him. Joe loved to rile people up, you knew if Joe said anything to Mason, he would get pissed and a scene would happen. You didn't want the wedding to become a fighting pit. Today was not about you, Joe or Mason. It was about the love of your friends.

Mason snapped you out of your thoughts by handing you another drink. “You okay?” he asked, grabbing your hand and rubbing it with his thumb. “Yea I’m fine…should we go sit down?” you asked him, smiling. He nodded his head, but he knew you like the back of his hand, and he could tell something was bothering you. 

—-

The ceremony was beautiful. Vows always made you tear up, resulting in Mason making fun of you and Sophia lending you powder to fix your make up. 

The bride and the groom made their exit and you were all guided to the party. Outside looked like a painting with the sunset in the background, but inside it looked like you were in a Palace. It was beautiful, there was a big bar, a dance floor, the buffet filled with delicious food and all the tables beautifully decorated with flowers. 

You were seated between Mason and Sophia. Your table was great, it was a mix of Mason’s friends and yours. You were having a really lovely night you had forgotten Joe was there. 

That was until everyone got up to dance.  All of you had a bit to drink so everyone at that point was tipsy including you both. You left the dance floor to go to the bar and grab more drinks for everyone. 

You were about to thank the waiter when you felt a cold hand on your shoulder making you turn around. 

“Hello stranger.” Joe said, smirking. You saw his piercing blue eyes stare at you, you didn’t know what to say. 

“Long time no see right?” He asked kind of hugging you sideways. You didn’t want to be rude so just smiled and lightly hugged him back.

“Yea long time no see.” you took a sip of your drink, not sure what else to say. I mean, there was nothing to say really. 

“Who are you here with?” Joe asked you sitting down on the stool in front of him 

“Oh I’m with my boyfriend.” you replied

“That’s right you’re dating Mason right? The football guy? Yea, Marc told me about that.” he said, taking a sip of his drink. 

“Um yea, we’ve been dating for a little while…” you wanted to get out of that conversation. You had no idea how to hold the conversation, and you knew it looked weird. You also didn’t want Mason getting a bad impression of what was happening. 

You started looking everywhere for him, your eyes darting from left to right, trying to avoid Joe’s gaze. 

“You looking for him already? I bored you that quickly?” he asked, laughing. 

“No…I just um…need to give him his drink-” you stuttered but got cut off by someone hugging you from behind.

“Ayoooo guys I’m so happy you’re here!” It was Marc. He looked wasted. You could smell the tequila, and you could see a red stain of wine already on his shirt. 

“I’m so glad you guys are talking! Do we get some shots?” Marc asked, almost yelling in your ear. 

“Oh no thank-” you were about to say. 

“Yes please!” Joe replied laughing at Marc’s state. “What do we want? Tequila? Jagger? Vodka? The lady chooses” 

“Um, just tequila, with lime please.” You replied. You were feeling uncomfortable being there. Marc was now in between you two with one arm over your shoulder and one over his shoulder. 

You took your shot, instantly regretting it. It was really strong. You were about to say goodbye, but you felt a pair of warm hands grab your waist. You turned around, and were relieved to see your boyfriend. 

“Oh hey. I was about to go and give you your drink.” you said smiling trying to get as far away as you could form Joe so they didn’t start talking. You handed Mason his drink and saw he was looking directly at Joe. 

“Well, well Mason!” Joe said enthusiastically. “We finally meet, I’m Joe, your girl’s ex boyfriend.” Joe said, smirking at him. Mason shook his hand with a blank expression on his face. You wanted to go hide in the corner from the awkward tension you felt. 

“Heyyy what about another shot now with Mase!” Marc exclaimed. “Marc, I think you had too many shots already.” Mason said with a tone of concern as he watched his friend stumble towards the bar table. 

“Oh c’mon it’s his wedding, let him enjoy himself.” Joe said, patting Marc in the back. “I would’ve gotten this drunk if we had gotten married.” Joe laughed along with Marc. You were now red in the face. This was exactly what you wanted to avoid. You just laughed awkwardly, trying to not make it awkward but Mason was stone cold serious. 

“Too bad you cheated on her and were a piece of shit…” Mason said, almost mumbling to himself taking a sip of his drink but all of you could hear him clearly. 

Joe stood up from the bar stool, “What did you say?” he said, visibly angry at Mason. 

“I said you are a piece of sh-” “Okay, okay, how about we go back to the table and leave Marc and Joe?” you said getting in between him and Mason. 

“Yea guys c’mon we are having a good ti-” Marc fell off the stool trying to break the situation. “Oh shit.” you tried getting him up, but Joe got a hold of him and took him outside to his now wife. 

Once you saw he was with his wife, you turned around and Mason was not there anymore. You started walking back to the table, and saw he was walking in the same direction as you. 

“Mason!” you tried calling him over the loud music. He didn’t stop at the table, instead he went straight towards the bathrooms. You followed him there and called him out again. “Hey don’t ignore me please” you said grabbing his arm making him stop. 

“What do you want?” he had never used that cold tone with you and you didn’t like it. 

“Babe, I’m sorry about that.” you didn't know how to start, but sorry seems good enough. 

He didn’t answer you. “I mean, what was I supposed to say? I didn’t want to cause a scene-” you tried saying. 

“Oh yea so me shutting up was the solution.” He put his hand in his pocket, and replied with an annoyed expression. 

“What? No. I just…” his response kind of shocked you. You both had never argued before and never had this big of problems. “Mase I just didn’t want this to turn into something more okay? We are at a wedding, Jesus.” 

“Yea whatever, you can go and hang out with him more if you want.” With that he turned around and entered the men’s bathroom leaving you speechless. 

Did you fuck up? Maybe. But the situation made you uncomfortable and you were terrible at handling those types of situations. His comment and reaction upset you, but he had the right to be mad. 

—-

You got back to the table, and it was empty. Everyone was on the dance floor  having a great time. The whole night had been magical and amazing. That was until 20 minutes ago when Joe had approached you. 

“Your boyfriend went missing again?” you heard someone say behind you. You turned your head around to see Joe smirking. 

“Don’t Joe, please.” you said, rolling your eyes and turning your head away from him. He grabbed the chair next to you and sat down. If Mason saw you again with him after what happened he would get more pissed. 

As soon as he sat down, you stood up and started walking away. “Oh c’mon, is your boyfriend gonna have a melt down if he sees you with me?” Joe said, making you stop in your tracks. 

“Listen to me, I don’t want to talk to you okay? I don’t want you to fuck this up for me! I respect him enough to walk away from a bad situation, unlike you with me who had no respect for me whatsoever!” you said angrily. 

Joe was taken back by your response. “You really need to get over it my God…” 

“Joe, I did, I probably wouldn't be dating anyone otherwise you idiot.” you said calming down a bit more. “I got over the fact you cheated on me and had the fucking audacity to propose to me after the fact, you took that away from me, a moment that was supposed to be the best moment ever, you took it away. So please, fuck off, leave me alone, and let me enjoy the night with my boyfriend okay?” Joe looked at you not knowing what to say, so he just left. 

—-

After an hour or so sitting at the empty table, everyone was instructed to sit down and listen to the speeches. Mason came to sit down by your side, this time not holding your hand or placing his hand on your thigh. It was weird being that close to him and not touching him. You knew he was still mad so you gave him space. 

“You okay babe?” you heard Sophia whisper in your ear. 

“Yea I’m good don’t worry.” you sheepishly smiled at her. She knew there was something going on, but didn’t want to ask you right at that moment. Instead she just leaned her head on your shoulder to offer comfort and you leaned your head on hers. 

—-

The speeches were done, and you cried again. Sophia gave you her powder to touch up your make up for the second time that night. 

The DJ started playing slower songs for the bride and groom to have their dance and moment. After two songs, the DJ encouraged everyone to join them and dance.

Mason got up from his chair, you assumed he would go to the bar with Chilly, but instead he held out his hand for you. You were confused as to what he wanted to do. 

“Dance?” he asked, slightly smiling. You smiled back at him, grabbed his hand and let him lead you to the dance floor. 

Once you reached the dance floor, he grabbed you by the waist with both hands and you placed both your arms around his shoulder, hiding your face on the crook of his neck. 

Your heart was beating really fast. Should you apologize again or should you let the romantic moment carry on?

“You know I never gave much thought to marriage until I met you?” Mason said, making you look at his brown eyes. 

“Really?” you asked.

“Mhm, I never ever met a girl that made me think “I would want to marry her one day.” 

“So…you want to marry me?” you asked, gently rubbing his neck with your hands. 

“I do, do you?” he asked.

“Of course I do.” you said, whispering it. 

“I always wanted to get married Mase, but I was never with like my dream man.” you said again. 

“Oh so I’m your dream man?” Mason asked, smiling to himself and making you giggle. 

“Yes Mason Mount, you are the man of my dreams.” you said giggling. 

You both stared into each other with a lot of love. 

“You know I love YOU right? No one else, no one else comes close.” you spoke up, resting your forehead on his. 

“And I love you…” he kissed you lovingly. You could hear the soft music playing and the outside noise but in that moment it was you and him. 

“I’m sorry about earlier, I really am. I didn’t know how to-” 

“Shh, stop. I know you are sorry and I know it was that dickhead that wanted to provoke me.” he said, making you laugh. 

“He can be very annoying.” “Pff, he’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met and I met him for like 5 seconds.” Both you and Mason laughed at his comment. 

You both kept dancing to the song the DJ kept playing, in the same position.

—- 

 Your feet started to hurt, so you decided to go outside and get a bit of rest and fresh air. You sat down near a balcony with the amazing view of the city. 

Mason had given you his jacket since your dress was not made for cold nights. You were sitting on his lap, one arm around your waist and the other intertwined with your on top of your thigh.

“You know… I got addicted to you so easily.” he said, making you look at him. He was still staring at the amazing view in front of him. “I care about you more than you think, I think about you all the time and I appreciate you being by my side this summer when things got hard. I know I can be a pain in the ass when I’m moody but you didn’t care.” he said giggling. Everything he had said, no man or boy had ever said to you in your life. You felt tears building up in your eyes. 

“Mase…” you tilted your head to one side looking at him lovingly, and he hugged you. He knew you were overwhelmed by his love, but you would have it any other way. 

“Weddings make you so soppy.” you said after hugging him tightly. 

“Get used to it because at our wedding, God…” he laughed. 

“I love you so much, more than anything.” you said, cupping his face with your hands. 

“I love you baby.” He kissed you and you kissed him back. 

You still couldn't believe you were dating the man of your dreams and you were going to marry him one day. After Joe, you didn't even know if it was possible. But Mason changed your perspective completely.

No word could describe what you two felt for one another.  

[novlr]

What are some ways to describe summer ?

Summer is not just a season; it’s a vibrant setting that can add life and color to your writing. Whether you’re crafting a sun-soaked romance or a beach thriller, the way you describe summer can immerse readers in your story. Let’s dive into how you can capture the essence of summer, focusing on the various senses and elements that make this season unique.

Sights

Sunsets that paint the sky in hues of orange, pink, and purple.

Children chasing ice cream trucks down suburban lanes.

Sunbathers dotting the coastline.

Sprinklers casting rainbows across freshly mowed lawns.

Flower gardens in full bloom, a riot of colours.

Sunglasses showing reflections of the bright world.

Sun hats and flip-flops scattered around pool decks.

Fireflies illuminating the night.

Street markets bustling with locals buying fresh produce.

Hikers on forest trails.

Sounds

The cacophony of cicadas in the late afternoon.

Waves crashing against the shore in a constant rhythm.

The sizzle and pop of barbecues in backyards.

Children’s laughter as they play outside.

Ice clinking in glasses of lemonade or cocktails.

The distant whirr of lawn mowers.

Splashes and shouts from swimming pools.

Chirping songbirds greeting the morning.

The crackle of bonfires during cool summer nights.

The melodic chimes of ice cream trucks roaming the streets.

Smells

The salty tang of sea air at the beach.

The overpowering scent of chlorinated pools.

Freshly cut grass after morning lawn care.

The scent of sunscreen and tanning oils on warm skin.

The smoky aroma of grills at a neighborhood cookout or family barbeque.

Fragrant blossoms like jasmine and roses in full bloom.

The earthy smell of rain on hot pavement.

The mix of fruits, vegetables, fried food, and flowers at an open-air market.

Melting tar with an accompanying heat shimmer on hot roads.

Campfire smoke clinging to clothes and hair during outdoor adventures.

Activities

Beach volleyball games, sand flying as players dive for the ball.

Leisurely picnics in the shade of ancient trees.

Hiking trips taking advantage of the long daylight hours.

Sailing and boating, the wind filling sails on sunlit waters.

Outdoor concerts, where music floats on the warm night air.

Road trips with car windows down, hair whipping in the wind.

Fruit picking in orchards and berry farms.

Camping under the stars, a tent and a sleeping bag for a home.

Water fights with hoses, water guns, and balloons.

Attending summer festivals full of food, music, and dance.

Character body language

Wiping sweat from the brow or fanning themselves to cool down.

Squinting against the harsh sunlight or seeking out spots of shade.

Sipping cold drinks, or gulping down water.

Lounging lazily, limbs relaxed and sprawled out.

Applying sunscreen meticulously.

Adjusting sunglasses or hats for better protection.

Dipping toes tentatively into the sea or a pool.

Tugging at clothes sticking to sweat-dampened skin.

Laughing with carefree abandon, a reflection of summer’s ease.

Turning pages of a paperback with fingers damp from pool water.

Positive descriptions

The liberating feeling of diving into cool water on a scorching day.

The tranquil peace of a sunrise beach yoga session.

The simple pleasure of ice cream melting on the tongue.

The bliss of a hammock nap swayed by a gentle breeze.

The joy of endless blue skies promising adventure.

The warmth of sun-kissed skin after a day outdoors.

The satisfaction of a well-tended garden coming to life.

The contentment of sharing a sunset with loved ones.

The thrill of catching the perfect wave while surfing.

The comfort of balmy evenings spent on porch swings.

Negative descriptions

The oppressive heat making the air feel thick and suffocating.

The relentless buzzing of mosquitoes on a muggy night.

The sting of sunburn after a day of neglecting sunscreen.

The frustration of packed tourist spots and overcrowded beaches.

The exhaustion induced by long days and sweltering heat.

The discomfort of air thick with humidity.

The annoyance of sand finding its way into every nook and cranny.

The disappointment of a rained-out picnic or canceled event.

The lethargy of a heatwave, energy sapped by the relentless sun.

The discomfort of trying to sleep in an overheated, uncooled room.

Helpful Adjectives

Scorching

Balmy

Sultry

Languid

Radiant

Dazzling

Parched

Breezy

Rippling

Sweltering

Sunny

Lush

Blistering

Tropical

Vibrant

Humid

Verdant

Golden

Glowing

Fragrant

Torrid

Tranquil

Crisp

Sizzling

Flaming

Steamy

Refreshing

Shimmering

Lazy

Stifling

Invigorating

Sparkling

Zesty

Fervent

Stuffy

Arid

Saturated

Juicy

Sunbaked

Fetid