#Tess lives au

[messrmoonyy]

- of smoking and dancing

Tess servopoulos x reader

Request- I know smoking is bad but seeing gifs of Anna smoking made me desperate to see Tess smoking it’s so hot somehow 😭😭 flirting and sharing a pack? Ahhhhhhh! ‘ combined with a bunch of requests for some kind of fluffy follow up to this drabble here

Warnings- I guess slightly ooc Tess. Shes a little awkward. A little soft. ( WC- 2.2k )

A/N- don’t smoke kids lmao. I really didn’t feel like posting this tbh. Some of my tess readers have been VILE in my ask box lately. Pls remember I am a human being. And not a word machine ready to churn out fic as you demand it.

Tess masterlist

“ you are a hard woman to find “ Tess tensed slightly as you spoke behind her, her hand loitering a little awkwardly half raised between her mouth and her side, cigarette balancing between her fingers. She collected herself quickly, bringing it back to her lips.

“ maybe you just don’t look hard enough “ that made you laugh a little, the small quiet kind meant to be shared between two people only. The kind that meant you weren’t trying to draw attention.

In all honesty she liked to think she was a little hard to find. Prided herself on her ability to go unnoticed when she chose it, slip around and keep herself to herself. She didn’t like company much. Not really. Yours though… she didn’t mind that. On the times she allowed herself to have it.

“ didn’t know you smoked “ you mused moving to stand beside her, tucking yourself into the shadowed spot behind the Bison that Tess had secluded herself to. She’d only left her house in the first place because Joel had asked, making stupid comments about you as he did. Acting like some burly Texan Cupid. Ass. But she had slipped away as soon as she’d seen the opportunity to. Not that she’d gone very far.

She didn’t quite know why she hadn’t just gone home. Or maybe she did. Maybe she knew exactly why she had chosen to hang around a little. Smoke the pack of cigarettes she’d been slowly making her way though since she’d found them. As if by some miracle they’d make her pluck up the courage to well… do something.

“ I don’t “ she didn’t. Not really. It’d never been her thing. She preferred the burning warmth of liquor than smoke. But she wanted an excuse to be outside and not look like some creeper loitering in the dark. And maybe they didn’t have the stress relieving factor of a glass of god knows what Tommy had been brewing. But they did have a little. And didn’t come with a free headache.

“ funny that… can I? “ Tess shrugged, half expecting to see you reach out and take it from her hand. But instead your leant forward a little, lips parting slightly in a way that made Tess’ skin flush. She placed it between your lips and watched you smile as you leant back, taking it from her fingers “ smokings so gross “ you sighed, blowing out a steady cloud of smoke “ specially these. How fucking old are they? “

“ I’m not forcing you to take the damn thing “ that made you smile again, tipping your head to the side to watch her light up another “ also… I don’t know. Found them in a house in the town by the creek trails “ you hummed a response, nose crinkling a little as you blew out some smoke and turned your wrist to look at the stale thing in between your fingers.

“ why you hiding away out here anyway? “ Tess shrugged leaning her arms down on the fence in front of her. You moved to stand beside her and she knew you were looking down at her without even needing to see your face. Could feel it.

“ just wanted some air “

“ sure “ you scoffed, holding your hand out over the fence to tap away the ash “ I always see you you know. How you turn up at these stupid things, hang around a little then slip away “ Tess shrugged again, glancing up at you. You flicked away your cigarette half smoked and turned to lean back against the fence, something clearly going on inside your mind that she could not figure out yet.

“ I don’t really like crowds “

“ I figured that much “ you said with a smile, glancing back down at her again in a way that made Tess’ skin flush “ you might like it if you involved yourself a little. Even just danced some “ it was Tess’ turn to scoff and she too tossed her cigarette and straightened herself out, resting her hip against the wood.

“ I don’t dance “

“ so you won’t dance with me? “ it was the first time you’d asked since she’d rejected you the last time. In the months in between you hadn’t seemed deterred by it. Had taken it on and acted as if it had never happened, continuing to try spend time with her and Tess had been trying her best not to push you away.

In fact she had been trying her hardest to actively try and be… friends. But sometimes those weird hopeful feelings would surface within her and she terrified herself. Would take two steps back from the one step she had taken forward. Not that you ever seemed particularly put off by it.

She still hadn’t answered you and gave a small sigh.

“ one dance. And if you absolutely hate it then you can run off back out here, hide away in the dark like some little cave troll and smoke your stale ass cigarettes and I’ll leave you to it “ the smile on your face as she spoke had her mind made up before she could even truly decide that she did or did not want to go back inside.

“ one “ you beamed at her as she said, truly a utter ray of sunshine on her moody and miserable self.

She tucked her cigarettes and matches down into her jean pockets and followed you back inside. As the night was wearing on it seemed a little less crowded than when she had first arrived, which she liked. Less people to look at her. Less people to talk.

Though Joel and Ellie clocked her the moment she stepped back inside, Joel looking incredibly smug watching you grab a hold of her hand and lead her out into the empty space that was serving as a dance area.

“ I think- “

“ don’t back out on me now Tess “ you said in a challenging tone, smile so cheeky she wanted to kiss it right off of you. And wasn’t that one of those terrible two steps back kind of thoughts.

“ I don’t know the steps “

“ no one knows the steps you just.. go with it. Just hold my hand I got you “ but before you could so much as twirl around the music switched from the previous upbeat song, to something slower. Her eyes darted over to where the music was coming from and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

Her eyes found Maria who looked incredibly proud of herself, even with Tess giving her a glare that could kill the woman she was sure. She froze as your arms looped around her neck, eyes leaving Maria to look at you instead.

“ this is better, no steps to this kinda song “ she felt like an awkward teenage boy at his first school dance, with no idea how to even look at a girl never mind dance with one.

But it felt nice. To have you holding onto her like that, standing so close there was barely an inch between the two of your bodies. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around your waist and you smiled.

“ see “ you said “ easy “ she could feel Maria’s eyes on her. Joel’s. Ellie’s. But it almost didn’t annoy her as much as it had at first. Because of the way you were looking up at her, the at you were so close together she could smell the shampoo you used. She was hyper aware of every part of your bodies that touched, skin burning and prickling at the sensation.

“ I don’t think you can class this as dancing “ you laughed a little and shrugged.

“ hmm maybe not. But it’s nice right? “ you were talking softly, directly to her and not for the prying eyes or ears of anyone around you.

She mulled over the question. Of course it was nice. It was beyond nice. It was what she had spent months pining for and moping around about. Hating herself for wanting you close and hating herself for how far she seemed to be from the woman back in Boston she had shaped herself into.

“ it’s nice “ you smiled warmly, arms tightening a little around her.

“ you’re doing me a favour too you know. Some guy from farming rotation? Been asking me to dance all night. Think he’ll get the picture now “ that made her chest tighten a little. Some stupid worry that, had you only asked her to dance to scare off some guy? “ I only really wanted to dance with you though “ you said silencing her fears before she could ever even dream to make them vocal.

The slow songs continued to play. And you both stayed there in that gentle swaying embrace, occasionally speaking about random things and fess listening diligently to everything you had to say to her. Eventually the crowd grew bored, demanding something a little more upbeat. And as much as Tess hadn’t particularly wanted to be there with you at first, she now didn’t want it to end. But unfortunately it had to.

You sighed as the song changed, taking a step back from her and rolling your eyes. Tess felt awkward again. And annoyed at herself for feeling awkward. She was ready to flee back outside and hide but you took her hand.

“ do you wanna go get some air? “ you asked her. She wondered if you sensed her discomfort, could feel the heat radiating off her “ kinda hot in here huh? “

“ yeah “

It was chilly outside. The temperature having dropped a lot since she had gone inside with you. But it was a nice contrast on her overheated skin, a nice break from the noise too. There were a few people lingering around, a few kids running around and playing with sticks as if they were swords. It made her smile.

“ I love being outside at night“ you mused, sitting yourself down on one of the benches outside. She slotted herself in beside you, chill escaping her as you shuffled close to her “ pretty. Calm “ Tess noticed you still hadn’t let go of her hand that you had grabbed to lead her back outside

Tess said nothing. Instead tried to internally process the entire situation. The night as a whole. How much she had enjoyed allowing herself to be in your company.

“ oh oh look. See him over there? That’s the one I told you about “ you said and nudged her with your shoulder, nodding over to a man leaving the bison looking a little worse for wear.

“ he seems… nice “ you laughed at that and snuggled a little closer to Tess “ you cold? “

“ hmm little “ she hesitated for a moment before freeing the arm trapped between you both and looping it around your shoulders. She felt you physically relax against her, sighing softly. The feelings were creeping again. And the fear that came alongside them. The fear of being vulnerable. Of letting someone in.

“ so you don’t. You don’t like him? “ she spoke in some attempt to derail her thought process.

“ I don’t like him “ you said immediately, not even a second thought “ I like someone else “ her chest hurt. A pang deep down that she couldn’t ignore if she tried.

And she hated it. She hated it so much. That she had allowed herself to feel. To strip back the layers of scary Boston Tess, leave herself some silly little crush and let herself be vulnerable.

“ I’m sure they’re very lucky “ she practically whispered.

“ they don’t even realise “

You turned your head slightly, cold nose brushing against her neck. She suddenly felt warm again. An anxious warmth radiating from her chest in a way she was unfamiliar with. Her old self would be laughing at her.

“ have you told them “ she felt you smile, felt the way your cheeks lifted and a small laugh vibrated past your lips.

“ the signs are obvious “ your face lifted from her neck and was suddenly incredibly close to hers. She licked her lips nervously. She wanted to kiss you. God did she want to kiss you. Old Tess would’ve. Old Tess would’ve kissed you months ago.

But that wasn’t her anymore. This was her. Sat with her arms around a girl that she liked. But didn’t like her. She was a fool. Really she was.

“ you’re a very smart woman Tess “ you started, voice low. Soft “ But fuck you’re oblivious as hell sometimes “ and then your lips were against hers, kissing her softly but with a quiet determination. She froze at first, unsure on how to react. But then she was kissing you back, hand reaching up to cup your cheek. Your hand twisted into the collar of her sweater like you didn’t want her to let go.

And she didn’t plan on it. Kissing you softly, slowly, savouring every single moment in case you decided you regretted it and she’d never get to kiss you again.

It seemed to last forever, so sensual and slow and she forgot where she was. Forgot about everything other than how incredible it felt to kiss you, to feel your cold hands in the collar of her sweater. To feel your cheeks flush with warmth under her fingers. She could taste the smoke, smell the fruitiness of your hair, the softness of your skin.

She didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want to stop.

But all good things must eventually come to an end.

When you did finally pull away it was barely a few centimetres, brushing your nose against hers before pressing your foreheads together. Her thumb was brushing softly across your cheekbone, reluctant to let you go.

“ you should’ve let me do that a long time ago “ you whispered, a smile tugging at your lips.

“ maybe I should’ve “

[compassinmyhead]

Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: The Last of Us (Video Games) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Ellie (The Last of Us), Joel (The Last of Us), Tess (The Last of Us), Cat (The Last of Us), Original Characters Additional Tags: halloween fic, Life in Jackson, Tess Lives, father daughter shenanigans, referring to Ellie as Joel's daughter is my drug of choice, a bit of Ellie/Cat sprinkled about, episodic, the only thing that connects each chapter to the next is the fact it's Halloween Series: Part 4 of Here We Are Again Summary:

There is a haunted house in Jackson. No one goes there unless on a dare.

--

In which Ellie spends her first Halloween in Jackson with her family, her friend, and a haunted house.

[mariatesstruther]

ellie and baby miller both doing the “dang mom said no, lets ask dad” thing, except it’s “dang my dad said no, let me go ask his brother” because tommy lets ellie get away with everything and joel lets baby miller get away with everything

neither of them ask tess or maria because they’re too smart for that obviously

[seven-eleven-slushie]

Fyi in Greece it's pretty common for parents to call their kids "my light" (φως μου) as a term of endearment. So if Tess is of greek origin, which is likely considering her last name is Servopoulos, there's a chance she'd call her kids that :))

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Gremlinverse

(Brief warning for mention of Past Samos being ignorant bordering on ableist -- early 2000s writing really did not do him any favors -- and getting walloped for it)

The drive across the desert had not been a silent one. Between Tess pointing out every animal they saw to Mar, and Daxter trying to convince Sig that he knew how to drive and should totally get a turn at the wheel, Damas was amazed he could hear himself think. One of the little ones stood up in his periphery, sending a little spike of panic through him. Before the child could either topple over the side or get his sticky fingers on the gear shift, Damas scooped him up on instinct and set him on his knee.

Belatedly, he realized it was not the Mar he'd assumed it was.

"Ah-" Damas cringed. "Sorry, wrong kid."

He let go and Jak quickly slid down into the space beside him.

"We'll pretend that didn't happen," Jak answered.

"Agreed."

Jak cleared his throat of embarrassment. "Tess has Mar pretty well trapped back there, anyway. He's not getting out of his seat."

Damas raised a brow. "You got out of yours."

"So?"

"So Mar is you, and you are Mar." Damas glanced back at his toddler with suspicion. "Now that he's seen you do it, it's only a matter of time before he figures it out."

Jak looked like he was going to deny this, but then he made a conciliatory face.

"Okay, yeah, he kind of is an escape artist. You'd think he wouldn't be able to get that far on stubby little legs, and yet."

"And yet," Damas agreed. He paused, and leaned back to study Jak’s face.

"Do you have a scar under your left eyebrow?"

"That," said Jak, "is weirdly specific. Why?"

"Mar's first Escape was launching himself out of his cradle at ten months old," Damas said with a grimace. "Predictably, he landed square on his head and screamed bloody murder."

He puffed out his cheeks and shook his head.

"Scared me half to death."

Jak touched two fingers to the place on his forehead where the eyebrow grew unevenly.

"Do you think the Before Damas was scared, too?"

Damas looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well," he said slowly, "if I am him, and he was me, then I'd say he must have been."

Jak peered out at the dunes around him and casually remarked, "One time back in Sandover Samos asked if I didn't talk because I got a head injury, and the fisherman boxed his ears real hard."

"As well he should have!" Damas growled. "Idiot sage. Didn't he know how to recognize a different dialect of signing?!"

Jak shrugged. "For once, he wasn't trying to be mean, that's the funny part. He was trying to figure out where the scar came from and he let that slip."

The boy gave a grim smile wholly out of place on such a young face.

"Boy, he never did that again. He found something new to belittle me about every week, but when it came to me not using my voice, he learned to keep his big mouth shut."

"I think," said Damas, "I think I would have liked to meet that fisherman."

"His name was Ollie." The grim look softened into a more nostalgic one. "He was one of the only ones who was always nice to Daxter. He'd offered Dax a place under his roof a couple times, but Ollie also had breath that could kill plants at short range. Probably because of the fish he ate raw. He didn't believe in cookstoves."

Damas thought of Kleiver, who had similar thoughts on oral hygiene. He made a face.

"That doesn't sound like an environment your friend would enjoy. He's quite serious about health and cleanliness, isn't he?"

"Well one of us has to be!" Daxter interrupted.

Jak turned around and stuck his tongue out at him.

"Oh, what are you, five?"

"Why don't you come down here and say that to my face, huh, Bigfoot?"

Sig rolled his eye. "Do I need to separate you two?"

Both boys paused and looked confused.

"Why?" asked Daxter, "This is normal!"

"Yeah," Jak added, "I get two years of payback for him always callin' me Bigfoot, and he gets to make short jokes. Fair is fair."

Sig cringed, and Damas fixed him with a look.

"Your impudent past has come calling," he said dryly.

"Oh, so when they're being goblins it's my impudent past, right." Sig shook his head and swerved around a tight cluster of desert sheoak trees.

"I could say something about that, y'know."

"You could, but you won't."

"Won't I?" Now Sig had a smug little grin on, one that matched Daxter too well to mean anything but mischief.

Surprisingly, Damas matched the challenging tone with a wry smile of his own.

"No indeed, you will not. Because that would entail admitting to certain exploits we both agreed never to mention again."

The buggy slowed, and Sig leaned an elbow on the console. "What, this isn't you mentioning it right now?"

The wry grin widened into a crocadog smile. "Keep pushing, you'll find out."

Tess giggled and shifted little Mar on her lap. "Uh-oh, it's double trouble!" she joked.

Mar wrinkled his nose and looked baffled. "What's funny?" he asked, "Are they fightin'?"

Tess wasn't fluent yet in reproducing the signing dialect the boys used, but practicing with Daxter got her far enough to understand most of the things Mar said.

"Just pretend fighting, the same way Jak and Daxxie do," she reassured him, "See? They're smiling! They're doing that silly grown-up thing where we have to see who can look the most serious while playing."

Mar relaxed. "Jak-jak is good at that game!" he observed innocently.

Then he perked up and pointed to a glow on the horizon.

"Look look!"

Damas looked back, and his whole face softened when he saw the excited gleam in Mar's eyes.

"You see the Lighthouse?" he asked.

"Almost home!" Mar answered, hands animated enough to be a shout.

"Almost home!" Damas echoed aloud. "Are you ready to see Mommy?"

"Mmm-a!" Mar croaked, flinging his arms into the air.

Jak turned around to lean over the back of the seat, pillowing his cheek on his arms.

"What's she like, anyway?"

Mar blinked, stumped. What kind of question was that? Mommy was, well, Mommy! Didn't Jak-jak remember?

"She goes swimming, and paints stuff," he said confidently, "And she likes sandwiches."

Damas turned his head quickly to disguise a snort of laughter as a cough. Of all the things to remember-!

Phobos didn't actually like sandwiches all that much. But as a two year old, it was the only food Mar could be trusted to handle on his own. He had made "sandwiches" for his mother to take onto her boat with her often enough for it to stick in his memory, clearly. And Phobos, of course, didn't want to discourage his burgeoning kitchen endeavors, or his wholehearted gestures of affection. There had been more than one week where all Phobos had for breakfast was two pieces of flatbread with tomango paste and three pieces of cereal stuck to it.

The face that Tess made above Mar's head, a grimace aimed at Daxter, indicated that the young rebels had also sampled Mar's version of sandwiches at some point. Evidently his choice of ingredients had not improved in the two years he had been gone. Nevertheless, Damas had promised himself many times that he'd choke down any nasty sandwich his son offered if he only could see him again.

"Sandwiches?" Jak asked Mar, looking dubious. "Uh...okay, if you say so."

He slid back around to face the windshield.

"Probably shouldn't have asked the toddler," he muttered.

Sig grinned and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, cherry. She's...she's a lot like you, actually. No nonsense, loves exploring, used to climb everything, especially if you told her not to-"

"Hey!"

"Well you do, kid." Sig accelerated to cut across a sandbar in the middle of a lush, green, riverbank. Water splashed up, almost as high as the doors as he guided the vehicle through a shallow place in the Cacomiztli River.

"And so did she, when we were kids. Heh. She used to get my cousins into so much trouble."

"Yeah," Daxter said, finally dropping back into his own seat, "That sounds like Jak."

A pair of eyes appeared over the edge of the roll cage, narrowed at Daxter.

"Dax-" he warned.

Daxter, predictably, did not heed the warning whatsoever.

"Hey, Sig, ask Jak what he did on his ninth birthday."

Jak hissed for all the world like a caracal.

"Daxter, I swear by my tiny little hands, I will end you!"

"You can't reach," Daxter teased.

"Wanna bet?" Jak jumped up, about to launch himself at his friend's head.

"Hey!" Sig leaned out of the way of a small, sharp, elbow. "Park your carcass! I'm driving here!"

Damas hooked an arm around Jak’s middle and pulled him back down onto the center console he'd made his seat. That arm stayed across Jak's torso like a makeshift seatbelt, to the boy's exasperation.

"Next person to get out of their seat is washing the garages when we get home. You can go back to killing each other after we shut off the engine!"

He paused, then scoffed. "Ah. I've become that parent."

Having started out with only Mar, Damas had never anticipated becoming like the Wastelanders who had to spend half their oasis trips dealing with offspring practicing for their Arena trials on each other in the back of the buggy.

Tess cackled. "Oh Daxxie, your face! Don't worry, babe. I'd help you if you had to wash a garage. A little."

"I wouldn't," Mar added bluntly.

[bumblepony]

I also forgot to post that I put up the second chapter of my Who's Your Daddy Fic.

[frizz22]

We’re Shitty People ch. 10

Read on AO3

Start at chapter 1

At what point, Tess wondered, were they doing more damage to themselves than to the people they wanted to hurt?

[jomiddlemarch]

what I like to call making muffins of us

Grace couldn’t say that the man who appeared to be robbing the coffee-shop was easy on the eyes, because everything about him looked hard, his dark eyes, the angle of his jaw, his broad shoulders, and that ass in those worn jeans, but she had to admit he was hot as fuck.

“Hey, what d’you think you’re doing?” she called out from the table in the corner that was her regular spot, for all that a workaholic hospitalist clocking seventy-plus hours a week to pay off her student loan debt and help support her elderly parents could be said to have a regular spot for the purpose of drinking coffee; Grace made sure it was cost-effective by taking advantage of any special that was offered, including the pastries dropping to half-price after 3pm. As attempts to stop thieves went, her intervention wasn’t very impressive. She was, however, only supposed to be meeting Lauren before they went to the yoga class Lauren insisted was a good work-out and not creepily appropriative of Asian culture and yet Lauren appeared to be standing her up and Maria, the barista she knew best, didn’t work on Saturday mornings if she could possibly help it, which evidently she could, because she was nowhere in sight, unlike the undeniably gorgeous man who looked intent on ripping off Tess, the coffee-shop’s owner, who’d let her in and then told her she had to run a quick errand but would be back in twenty. Grace’s sense of ethics was balanced out by her sense of self-preservation. It would have been so much easier to have to perform CPR on the guy, but the universe didn’t seem inclined to help her out.

“S’okay,” the man said. He basically tossed the words over his shoulder, which felt pretty dismissive. That got Grace’s hackles up, as Lauren would say, reminding her of every senior fellow who’d brushed off her concerns about the labs on the old lady (and it was always an old lady) or the department chairs who couldn’t remember either one of her names and called her “you” as if it didn’t matter. Hackles up, Grace was somewhat less judicious about her personal safety.

“Like hell it is,” she said, raising her voice and standing up. She had her hand on her backpack, which wasn’t nearly as helpful as having it on her phone, which she could use to call the police. There was probably some mace in her bag but she’d be more likely to pull out the sunscreen and prevent him from getting basal cell carcinoma. “You’re trying to rip off the coffee-shop, you’re a thief—”

“I’m not a thief,” he said. At least he turned around and stopped moving towards the cash register. “I can’t be a thief—”

“You can tell that to the cops when you explain why you have all the petty cash in your wallet,” Grace said.

“I’m the owner,” he said, offering a smile that was half-smirk. Like he’d gotten one over on her and she’d just agree with him because he was so goddamn attractive and it would be far nicer for this to be an awkward encounter with a frisson (or sonic boom, but whatever) of sexual tension between them, rather than an interrupted robbery.

“You’re not the owner,” Grace said. “I know Tess, I’ve been coming here for over two years. I’ve never seen you before. Or heard of you.”

“Sorry, I’m the co-owner. The silent partner,” he said.

“That’s rich,” Grace scoffed.

“Not really,” he said. “Coffee-shop’s still restaurant industry. Staying in the black is a miracle.”

“I meant that you’re the silent partner owner,” Grace said.

“You planning a citizen’s arrest?” he said.

“What? Am I nine years old? No,” she said. Lauren could show up any time at all. This guy was hot but she wasn’t about to have a whole attracted-to-bad-boys thing happening. It frankly sounded exhausting.

“So, how’s it going to play out? I’m curious,” he said. He was now behind the counter, since her repartee hadn’t been very effective as a crime-deterrent, but he wasn’t ripping open the cash register or similarly rifling through the shelves looking for a cashbox. He looked comfortable there and she couldn’t deny that if he’d slung a dishtowel over his shoulder or wrapped an apron around his narrow hips, she’d have assumed he was subbing for Maria and hoped he could make a decent café au lait with properly scalded milk.

“I’ll see what Tess has to say, I guess,” Grace said. “If you try to flee—”

“If I try to flee?” he repeated and laughed. “C’mon, don’t rat me out to the feds—"

“Asshole,” she muttered. It was possible he wasn’t a thief but jackass was rising to the top of the differential.

“How ‘bout this? I’ll tell you some shit to put your mind at ease, then I can make you something fresh. It won’t be on the house, you won’t have to worry about ripping Tess off,” he said. “I don’t do matcha lattes though.”

“I don’t drink them,” she said.

“Smart,” he said. “So, Tess and me, well, it didn’t work out, but we’d already started planning this place. We kept it going and managed to salvage a friendship, mostly because I do any repairs for free, or get my brother Tommy to help out.”

“Nothing’s free,” Grace said.

“You’re right. I lose money on the labor, but I’m a GC, so I take it out of the people who want a six burner Viking Professional when they can’t fucking fry an egg,” he said.

“So, you’re Robin Hood?” Grace said skeptically.

“My name’s Joel. Joel Miller,” he said.

���You think I’m going to tell you my name now?” Grace said. “I’m not even totally convinced you’re not robbing the place.”

“You could lie, I’d never know the difference,” he replied.

“Grace,” she said. Let him wonder if it was the truth. She wasn’t going to offer up her last name.

“I named the shop,” he offered.

“You named this place Tesseract Coffee?” It was the reason she’d first walked in, the refreshing absence of any pun on beans or grind, the reference to A Wrinkle In Time, then finding out the owner’s name was Tess—the coffee was good and the pastries better than they had a right to be, but she would probably have hung around even if the coffee had been mediocre.

“I read. And I have kids. Two daughters. I read to them. Meg’s a favorite,” he said. “And Mrs. Whatsit.”

“Yeah?” If he was lying, he was running a fucking masterclass in deceit.

“Sarah’s not as into it, she’s been all about princesses since she turned five, and she likes music more these days. But Ellie, she’s read the whole series about six times,” he said and he couldn’t be feigning the fond affection in his voice, the way there was finally a softness about him, in his dark eyes. “She was Aunt Beast for Halloween, that costume was a bitch to make, thank God my neighbor Marlene helped me—”

“Their mom didn’t?” Grace asked. Evidently, she had decided to believe him. Evidently, she was now going to ask some questions that would clarify if he was available, like there was some scenario where this turned out to be their meet-cute in a rom-com. She hoped, more for Tess’s sake than her own, that she’d made the right call. She hadn’t managed to date successfully since she and Kian broke up when he got that fellowship in Chicago, so anything normal materializing out of this was improbable. Honestly, with her track record, they’d be more likely to end up in a zombie apocalypse dystopia, where the memory of freshly ground coffee beans and the busy gurgle of an espresso machine were nearly beyond her recall.

“Sarah’s mom moved to Miami after we split up. She has her for the summers. Ellie’s mom, it’s complicated, she died when Ellie was a baby and I found out after. We’d only dated a little while, I didn’t know she got pregnant,” Joel said.

“That’s a lot,” Grace said.

“Yeah, I know.”

“I meant, to tell a stranger,” she said.

“But you’re not a stranger anymore, are you, Miz Grace?” he replied. He didn’t smile at her, but the expression in his eyes had altered, appreciative and teasing.

“Just Grace,” she said. If this went anywhere, if the look he was giving her delivered on even half of what it was promising, there’d be time enough to explain she was Dr. Grace, Dr. Grace Yang, and neither the Dr. nor the Yang was going anywhere.

“You met Joel, I see,” Tess said, walking in from the back, glancing over at him. He nodded. It didn’t seem like they were going to have much more of an exchange.

“She thought I was robbing you,” Joel said.

“Then I’m glad it was Grace and not Bill I let in early,” Tess said.

“Doc here would’ve had her work cut out for her, patching me up,” Joel said.

“I didn’t tell you—” Grace broke off.

“The clogs are a dead giveaway,” he said. “Plus your lanyard’s hanging out of your bag. I pay attention to detail.”

“You do now,” Tess said, just loud enough for them both to hear.

“Yeah, well, I screwed up a lot of stuff before I figured that out,” he said. “And I don’t just mean that kitchen reno on South Cedar. Or Ellie’s bangs.”

[seethesunny]

Happy anniversary to the first "for all the joy that is to come" piece for those who celebrate 🤲🏼❤

[tessaservopoulos]

how everything still turns to gold

fandom: the last of us (tv) pairing: joel/tess, familial joel/ellie/tess rating: e summary: a tess lives au. how joel, ellie, and tess make their way to wyoming, and beyond. notes:  would I be me if I didn't write a Tess Lives au? probably not! this is not a new concept, but I wanted to try my hand at it because I want to explore how Joel/Ellie/Tess would develop, and specifically Ellie/Tess because they could have had such a good dynamic. I have not played the game, so I am going off tv canon, and even that will probably deviate here and there as we move forward! Title is from Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. Please let me know what you think!!

[artekai]

Kai couldn't do DEH because it'd be OOC, but you know who could? Fross

[navybrat817]

Sundresses and Leather

Pairing: Tattoo Artist!Bucky Barnes x Baker!Female Reader Summary: Your first date with Bucky doesn't go as planned, but that makes it all the more special. Word Count: Over 4.7k Warnings: First date, tension, flirting, brief moments of insecurity, slight feels (it's me), Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?). Graphics talent and thanks: Banner by @sgt-seabass. Divider by @firefly-graphics. Bucky edit by Nix. Moodboard by yours truly. Previous Part of AU: Sweet and Strong A/N: More Hottie and Sugar from our Sin on Skin AU. ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby (thank you for spitballing), but any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Tonight was the night. You were going out with Bucky Barnes. Excited for the date was a bit of an understatement. You may have told a few customers you had a date when they wished you a good day.

Thank God they were mostly regulars and seemed happy on my behalf.

"Maybe a sundress isn't nice enough," you told Tess, regretting the words the moment they left your mouth. She didn’t need to deal with you and your overthinking. Again.

"It's plenty nice. You’re going to look amazing,” she argued, going to check on the next batch of cookies. “And he can lift the skirt and bury his-"

"I thought you said I didn't have to get laid on my first date with him," you cut her off.

"You don't have to, but the visual alone will give him something for his spank bank later."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," you smiled, but it quickly faltered.

You weren’t sure why a cloud drifted over your sunny disposition. Bucky was a good guy, a far cry from Richard. Gorgeous, kind, hardworking, the whole package. There was chemistry between the two of you that went beyond mere attraction. Maybe it was the fact that you were falling hard and fast for him that suddenly made you so nervous. You didn’t want to scare him away.

But he said he couldn’t stop thinking about me and he wouldn’t say that if he didn’t mean it.

Tess gave you a pointed look. “Stop overthinking. I’m begging you.”

“I’m not trying to,” you sighed, your nerves almost tempting you to grab a treat from the case. “What if I fall on my face?”

“Like Bucky would let you hit the ground. Even if you do stumble, that’s life. It isn’t going to change the fact that he likes you,” she said as you helped her with the cookies. You still had work to do. “The guy said he can’t get you off his mind and to text him whenever you want. He does not strike me as the type to just say those things and I know he doesn’t strike you as that type either.”

It took a moment, but your smile came back. She was right. Life wasn’t perfect and you were far from it, but Bucky liked you just as you are. Tonight would be unforgettable no matter what.

“I appreciate the pep talk,” you said, thankful that she told you what you needed to hear. “I’ll even tell you the dirty details if anything happens.”

“Hell yeah, you will. Remember, at this point, I’m living vicariously through you until I find my own hunk,” she winked. “But I mean it. Have fun tonight and get your man.”

I will.

After your shift, you rushed to change for your date. You somehow managed to arrive a few minutes early outside of Bucky's shop and took a deep breath to get yourself under control. Catching your reflection in the window, you smiled before you turned away. Since Bucky hadn’t given you any hint for what you were doing, you chose your nicest sundress and kept your makeup minimal. You looked and felt beautiful, though you wished you would’ve brought a jacket with you.

Maybe Bucky will let me borrow his if he has one.

“Holy shit.”

You spun around when you heard Bucky’s voice behind you, your heart fluttering as he met you on the sidewalk. Instead of the jeans you usually saw him in, he wore khakis, a button up shirt, and a blue blazer that matched his eyes. He had his hair down, perfectly parted on the right side. You were so busy staring at the broad, handsome man that it took you a moment to realize he was trying to hand you something.

Flowers.

“Sorry. You just… wow,” he said as you took the small bouquet, sweeping his gaze over you as your cheeks grew warm. “You look so beautiful.”

You giggled and quickly covered your mouth with your hand, butterflies in your stomach when he gently smiled. “Don’t apologize,” you smiled back, taking a moment to smell the flowers. “You look pretty ‘holy shit’ yourself.”

His nose scrunched as he laughed and offered you his hand. “So, you’re telling me I clean up well. Steve insisted on the blazer when I said I wanted to bring my leather jacket.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Though I wouldn’t have minded the leather jacket,” you said. He would’ve looked gorgeous, as always. “And thank you for suggesting we meet here. We had a last minute order and I was scrambling."

"It's no problem. One of my clients was running a few minutes late and I almost had to take you out in jeans."

"I wouldn't have minded," you said. You both worked hard and understood that things would come up from time to time. "So, where are we headed?"

He cleared his throat as he led you to his car. “Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?”

Your stomach dropped a little. “Mmm. Bad news first,” you said after a moment. “Always better to end on a high note.”

“Bad news was I had planned to take you out on my motorcycle so we could have a picnic in the park. There was going to be live music and I would’ve asked you to dance,” he explained, looking up at the sky. “But…”

“The weather called for a storm tonight, didn’t it?” you mused, a wistful smile on your face when he nodded. The image of being in his arms under the stars as music drifted through the air made your heart skip a beat. It sounded like the perfect evening.

“Yeah. The band is rescheduling,” he said, tucking his hair behind his ear as he looked at the ground. “Then I thought I could take you to this art gallery nearby. They normally have these stunning paintings of landscapes and various statues, but the current exhibit is on human sexuality and reproduction. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but maybe it was too much for a first date.”

“Oh, come on. It couldn’t have been that bad,” you argued as he stopped and took out his phone.

“No?” he asked, tapping his screen before he showed you what you assumed was the page for the gallery.

“…That’s a giant dick,” you said before you could stop yourself, tilting your head as you stared at the phone. “And does that say BALLS?”

An older woman crossing in the opposite direction gave you an amused stare before you and Bucky burst into a fit of laughter. You had to hold on his arm to keep from collapsing on the ground. It was the funniest thing you had seen since you could remember and to think you almost saw it in person.

This date is off to a great start.

“Maybe I wanted to see a giant dick and balls,” you said once you caught your breath, pointing at him when he opened his mouth. “And don’t say ‘all I have to do is pull down my pants’ or something like that.”

But I know he has a big dick. I know.

He smirked as he started walking again. “Only if you ask me nicely, Sugar.”

He’s going to kill my ovaries.

“I’ll ask you very nicely, Hottie,” you teased, wondering exactly where you were going then. “If that was the bad news, what’s the good news?”

“I managed to get us a reservation at one of the nicest restaurants in town,” he said, standing a bit taller.

He’s trying to impress me.

“That's really nice. And I’m sure dinner will be amazing,” you assured him, hoping he didn’t beat himself up over having to change his plans. It wasn’t his fault it was going to rain. He could’ve taken you to a fast food place and it would’ve been fine because you were with him.

“Speaking of, I better get us there so we aren’t late,” he said, opening the door for you to get in. “Maybe if you agree to a second date, I can take you out on my bike and have that picnic.”

“I’d love that,” you smiled, carefully putting the flowers in your lap and trying not to appear too eager that he was already thinking of a second date. You glanced around the car when he got in and drove off, noticing it was cleaner than when he took you home days prior.

Did he clean it for me?

You grinned as he hummed along to the radio, watching as he drummed his fingers along the steering wheel. “You could’ve made it as a musician if you weren’t a tattoo artist.”

“Now you’re just flattering me, Sugar,” he said. “Believe it or not, if I wasn’t a tattoo artist, I would’ve liked to be a science teacher. I loved science and everything space related growing up.”

“Really?” you asked. He would’ve been a wonderful teacher, no matter what age group he taught. “Okay. That’s another date night.”

“What? Playing teacher?” he joked, taking his eyes off the road for a second to wink at you.

“No,” you giggled, carefully shoving his arm since he was driving. “We’re going to a science museum. That's our third date. I’m going to watch you happily geek out over everything.”

“Yeah?” he asked, glancing at you after he parked the car. “You’d do that?”

“Yeah, I would. I think it would be a blast.”

I just want to spend time with you.

A soft expression took over his features when he took your hand and brought it to his mouth. His lips lightly brushed your skin, heat pooling in your gut as he made eye contact with you. The look alone made you want to skip dinner and go right to dessert. Why not throw caution to the wind?

“I’ll make it worth your while,” he promised before he got out.

You exhaled slowly and mentally told your libido to calm down. At the very least, you had to get through dinner. He went through the trouble of getting a reservation at a nice place and you weren’t about to take that away from him.

“Oh, wow. I haven’t been here before,” you said once you got a look at the name. Richard used to brag about the place, but never actually took you. From what you remember, he said the food was supposed to be expensive. You didn’t want Bucky to splurge on you.

“I haven’t either,” Bucky admitted. A fancy place didn’t seem like his style. “But it looked romantic.”

You bit your lip as he opened the door, the flickering candlelight in the entryway alone providing an intimate ambience. The date may not have been what he planned, but he clearly did his research and put thought into doing something nice for you. When was the last time someone tried to do something nice for you? When did anyone go out of their way to make you feel special?

“Hello,” Bucky said as the hostess greeted you. “Reservation for two under James.”

James?

The hostess scanned her screen before she looked up. “I’m sorry. That name isn’t coming up.”

Bucky’s cheeks turned pink when you glanced at him. “It should be under James, miss. James Barnes. Reservation for two for 7pm. I spoke with Charles. He confirmed it.”

You moved closer to Bucky when the hostess searched through her screen again. As calm as he sounded, you sensed he was anything but inside. You hoped he wasn’t embarrassed. Maybe she skipped over his name. A simple mistake.

“Charles did make a reservation for you, but he entered it for 7pm next Friday,” she said as she looked between the two of you. “We’re fully booked tonight. I'm sorry, James.”

Oh, no.

There was a tick in Bucky’s jaw before he shook his head and you wanted nothing more than to hug him. “No, that’s… It’s for tonight.”

“I’m so sorry. I can see if we can squeeze a table in for you, but it’ll be at least an hour,” she said, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. She probably expected one or both of you to make a scene. "I can get my manager?"

Bucky swallowed when he looked at you, his cheeks still pink. The candlelight danced in his eyes, but all you saw was sadness. No. You wouldn't allow that. This was your first date and it was going to be amazing.

You put a hand on his arm, his muscles relaxing under your touch. "It's okay. I know this amazing place that’s right around the corner."

"Are you sure?" he asked, the hostess visibly relaxing when you nodded.

"You have a good evening," you said to the hostess and tugged Bucky back toward the door. "I'm sure. Trust me. We may even beat the rain if we walk now."

“Okay,” he said, avoiding your gaze as you left. “Fuck. This is the worst first date, isn’t it?”

Your heart broke for him. All he wanted was to give you a nice evening and everything he tried fell through. “Not even close. And you have nothing to apologize for. Charles messed up the reservation, Hottie, not you.”

“Yeah, he did,” he said, his lip tugging like he wanted to smile. “I just really wanted tonight to be special and since I couldn’t give you the date I planned, I wanted to at least give you something nice. I couldn't even do that.”

Hearing that made you stop, even when you felt the first raindrop. "Tonight is special because you're spending time with me. That's all I wanted," you promised, squeezing his hand for good measure.

"That's really all?" he asked as he squeezed your hand in return.

"Well, not completely," you teased as another raindrop landed on your shoulder. "Maybe a kiss at the end of our date."

A wide smile formed on his face as he leaned in, not quite kissing you. "Whatever you want, Sugar."

As romantic as it was to stand on the sidewalk with him, the rain began to come down harder and had you rushing with him around the corner. “If you're still disappointed, you’ll feel much better when we eat. Antonia’s has the best food,” you said, holding out your hand in a grand gesture as you arrived. “Tada!”

Antonia's was a bit of a hole-in-the-wall kind of place. Not extraordinary on the outside, but lively and bright on the inside. The food and service were top notch. It was one of your favorite places.

“Wait, Antonia's?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes. “This is where you’re taking me?”

“Yeah,” you replied, suddenly nervous as you faced him. Did he not like it? “Is this okay?”

“This is one of my new favorite restaurants,” he said.

No way.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. I designed one of Antonia's tattoos. And I decided to check out the place."

He's full of surprises.

"Then you know you're in for a treat," you winked.

The hearty aroma of the restaurant filled the air as you went inside and wiped some of the rain off your dress. Antonia was speaking with the hostess as you went up to the stand. The owner was involved in virtually every part of her restaurant.

"Welcome to…" Antonia began as she looked at you, then at Bucky, then back at you. "Oh! You two… it's a date!"

Antonia looks so happy.

"Hi. And yes. We're on a date," you giggled when Bucky sheepishly smiled. It was sweet. "You wouldn't happen to have a table for two available, would you?"

Antonia put her hand over her heart and flagged down a waiter with the other. "Lover's special for these two. Go."

You exchanged a look with Bucky, who appeared just as confused as you were. "Lover's special?"

"Yes, yes. Come with me," she said, patting Bucky's cheek before she took you through the restaurant. You expected her to seat you at one of the few empty tables, but she passed them to take you to a door in the back. "Tonight is special and that means a special dinner."

Your eyes widened at the sight before you once she opened the door. There was a lone table in the middle of the room, flowers similar to the bouquet Bucky gave you sat in the center. Unlike the bright main room, the dimmed lights gave the room a romantic glow.

Perfect.

"Peter will serve you. And if you need anything, just ask, okay?" Antonia asked, putting her hand over her heart again. Were there tears in her eyes? "Two of my favorite customers. Together! Enjoy!"

You had to pause and swallow the lump in your throat once she left you alone. A restaurant owner showed more enthusiasm for your date than your mom did for anything that involved you. She likely never would.

"You okay?" Bucky asked, pulling out your chair.

"I'm fine," you replied, refusing to let the thought of your mom damper the evening. "A little chilly. I should've brought a sweater with me."

Bucky removed his blazer and put it around you, tenderness in his blue eyes as he rubbed your arms. "I can't wait to see you in my leather jacket," he said, helping you take your seat before he took his.

Oh, he's going to give me his jacket? Am I going to only wear his jacket? Fuck.

"Thank you," you said, inhaling as he rolled up one of his sleeves beneath the elbow and then the other. You reached across the table to lightly trace one of the tattoos on his right arm. "It was nice of Antonia to put us back here."

"Then why did you look so sad when she left?"

He caught that?

"She just looked so happy to see us together and I didn't expect that. It's nice that someone is rooting for us," you said, tracing your finger along his wrist before you stopped. "I'm sorry. I should've asked before I started touching."

"Don't apologize. I like your touch," he said in a low voice.

You lifted your gaze, seeing fire in his eyes that had nothing to do with the dim lighting. When he turned his hand over to hold yours, you made no move to pull away. You wished you could put your hands all over him.

"Hi! I'm Peter!" The waiter greeted as he brought water to the table. Bucky didn't let go of your hand. "I'll be taking care of you tonight."

"Only one taking care of my girl tonight is me," Bucky said. As much as you loved hearing that, you were glad he gave poor Peter a tiny smile so he could relax. "I'm kidding. It's good to see you, Peter."

"Y-You, too, Mr. Barnes. And you, Miss. You have the best cupcakes in town."

"Thanks," you smiled, quickly putting in your order before you gazed at Bucky. "So, James. Tell me more about you. How long have you been friends with Steve?"

"James is my first name. Everyone calls me Bucky," he chuckled before he shook his head. "And that punk."

You smiled softly as you listened to Bucky, not at all surprised by how easily the conversation went. Steve was his best friend since childhood and they served together before they went into business together. It was evident that he took pride in his shop and respected everyone who worked there. He carried the same affection in his tone when he spoke about his sister, Rebecca. He liked to frequent art galleries with Steve, but also enjoyed riding his bike, reading, and everything science in his spare time.

I could listen to him talk for hours.

"You know, you haven't said much about yourself," he pointed out as he set his napkin on his empty plate.

"I haven't?" You asked.

"No, you haven't and I don't want to monopolize the conversation," he said, leaning forward to give you his full attention. "I want to know more about you."

You tightened the blazer around you, unsure of what to say. "My life isn't exactly exciting," you said, wishing you could think of something clever or fun to discuss.

"Doesn't have to be exciting. I just want to know you," he said before Peter showed back up.

"Would you like to look at the desert menu?" he asked as he took your plates away.

"I think you can bring the check. We're going to skip dessert," you answered, giving Bucky an assuring smile when he frowned. "Let's go to my shop instead."

If Bucky wanted to really know you, you had to tell him more of your story. Your bakery was the only place to do it. And it would be the perfect way to end the evening.

After you left the restaurant, with Antonia asking you to come back again, Bucky drove as safely as he could to the bakery. The rain didn't let up at all. You shrieked as you struggled to get the keys out of your purse, Bucky's blazer now soaked the longer you stood there. "Why didn't I get these out when I was still in your car?!" You shouted over the downpour.

"Why didn't I bring an umbrella?!" He yelled back, putting his hands over your head as if they would protect you.

The two of you practically fell through the door once you unlocked it and shut off the alarm. "We made it," you laughed, careful not to slip on the floor. He had his arm around you just in case. Tess was right, He wouldn't let you fall. "I'll get us some towels and you have your pick of any dessert I have in the fridge."

"You have any cupcakes?" He asked.

Your breath caught in your throat when you stepped back and caught the outline of multiple tattoos through his soaked shirt. "Yeah."

"See something you like?" he smirked, running a hand through his wet hair.

Fuck me.

"I do," you said, glancing down at yourself. "But I'm freezing and I owe you dessert."

Tess might also have words if I let Bucky ravage me by the front door.

You took Bucky to the kitchen and grabbed a few towels. It wouldn't dry you off completely, but it would help. You also put on some soft music. Not to set the mood necessarily, but just in case.

"So, this is where the magic happens," Bucky said, running the towel along his exposed skin.

"It is," you said, placing your hand on the counter. "You said you wanted to know me. It starts here."

"In the kitchen?"

"In the kitchen," you repeated, going to the fridge to take a container of cupcakes out. "I used to visit my grandparents every weekend when I was growing up. My dad wasn't around and my mom said it was for family quality time, but she never stuck around. The reality was that I cramped her style and she passed me off to them because she knew they wouldn't say no."

Bucky's jaw clenched as you let him take a cupcake. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," you said, gripping the lid tightly before you closed the container. "I remember crying because I wanted to take dance classes and try and make friends. My mom said I would be a terrible dancer and that it would be a waste of time and money. A great thing for a kid to hear, right?"

"Jesus," he whispered.

It wasn't exactly the happiest conversation to have, but you wanted to show Bucky a part of you that you didn't show to most people. "My grandma wiped my tears away and brought me into her kitchen. Said she had the perfect cure for the blues. Baking. And that's what we did every weekend until I got old enough to look after myself."

"Your grandma sounds amazing," he said, carefully examining the cupcake in his hand. "And baking became your passion."

"It did. She taught me to pour love into every creation I make. And that's what Tess and I do for others. If someone is having a bad day, at least they can have a treat and feel a little better," you said, pride in your eyes as you looked around. "My grandma supported my dream, but my mom almost disowned me for wanting to run this place. It isn't good enough in her eyes."

I'm not good enough.

Bucky's nostrils flared as he set the dessert down. "Your business isn't good enough for her? What the hell? It's flourishing. I can barely find a lull to come in to get some undivided attention. And your customers love you. She should be proud of you."

His defense of you was heartwarming. "Doesn't matter how successful my business is. She wanted me to marry rich, probably so she could get money from me, but I didn't. She berated me when I broke up with Richard. No matter what I do, I'm never going to be good enough in her eyes," you told him, patting the counter with your hand. "But this makes me happy and that's enough."

"That's why you were sad that Antonia was so happy about our date, wasn't it? Because your mom either doesn't or wouldn't support it," he guessed, reaching for you and pulling you into his arms. "She'll probably hate me. I'm not rich. Covered in tattoos."

"I don't care what she thinks of you. I don't need a rich guy or fancy dates. I just want someone who can provide companionship and support. Someone who respects and cares for me," you said, wrapping your arms around him. "A good, hard-working guy like you deserves the same."

It was too soon to voice it, but Bucky was the kind of man you needed in your life. Someone you could share parts of yourself with and know he wouldn't judge. A man who made your heart race beyond lust.

A partnership.

He stared deeply into your eyes and you had no idea what was going through his head, but his gaze told you so much. How could a pair of eyes be so expressive? "You're perfect, Sugar, and more than enough. You hear me?"

Tears welled up in your eyes before you blinked them away. He sounded sincere and unashamed at his declaration. You hadn't done anything to deserve such praise. "No, I'm not," you whispered.

"You are to me. You took a chance and asked me out. Soothed me when tonight didn't go the way I thought it would," he said, gripping your chin to recapture your gaze. "And you trusted me enough to share something vulnerable with me when you didn't have to. It means everything."

"I feel like I can open up to you," you said as the two of you slowly swayed to the beat. You couldn't remember why you were nervous about your date to begin with.

"And I'll take care of you. I mean it."

I hope he knows I'll take care of him, too.

"You know," you began with a soft smile. "Our first kiss was in your shop."

"It was," he smiled.

"So I think it's only fair that we have our second kiss in my shop," you said.

"You did say you wanted a kiss to end our date," he said, bringing a hand to the back of your neck, but giving you a chance to stop him.

You didn't.

Even though you expected it, you still gasped when he molded his mouth against yours. Your heart pounded furiously in your chest, making you both eager and pliant as he licked his way across your lips. When he brushed his tongue against yours and took possession of your mouth, you mewled. Desire nearly blinded you from the taste of him.

I want more.

"I don't want our date to end," you breathed, clutching his arms to steady yourself.

"It doesn't have to," he said, resting a hand on your hip. His eyes were dark and full of want. To have him look at you that way, how could you possibly end the evening with one kiss? Why deny yourself what you both wanted?

"No, it doesn't," you agreed with a coy smile. "So. My place or yours?"

So. How do we think the evening will go? Love and thanks for reading! 💙

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[mariatesstruther]

hey @clickergossip remember my maria get’s possessed by a succubus au. her comes vampire tess. this is also for demon!maria master @liveandletcry23

maria graduates college at the top of her class with her lil friend still inside her, just kind of chillin and goin along for the ride at this point. she’s been with maria for years, mostly coming out at night or to party or when they’re in bed with somebody, and her and maria have come to a sort of understanding

maria goes to work for the da and begins to make a name for herself teaching at the local community college. she goes clubbing most nights, of course, and one night when she’s out particularly late, she meets tess through a mutual friend introducing them at the bar. her whole world shifts when she meets this woman

at least she thinks this is a woman—maria is not entirely sure. there’s something immensely haunting and undeniably attractive and a little strange about her beauty if one looks at her too long, but people still often do, and maria gets why: tess is absolutely the most gorgeous being she has ever seen

their first night together, they drink and talk and dance and fuck the night away. maria hasn’t felt particularly subby in bed for years, but with tess it comes naturally. they spend the next day wrapped up in bed together, and the next, and the next. they spend years wrapped up in eachother, tess not aging due to her condition and maria not aging due to her special friend—btw, the succubus fucking loves tess: they love how easily her and maria draw in naive men to feed from, they loves the excitement maria finally gets to feel every day of her life, they love that tess takes care of and protects maria in every way she can

eventually maria meets tommy, and she falls in love with him so hard and fast that even her succubi can’t deny how sweet it is. she agrees to leave, and her and maria (and tess) have a tearful goodbye

tess is at first very sad and lowkey upset at maria for letting her demon go, for giving up the life they lead for a simple man, but then she meets joel through tommy and—well. she kinda gets it

[jksprincess10]

My ex boyfriend’s parents || Joel x Tess x reader

AN: So i’m nervous af to post this. It was long awaited,  a lot of you asked for a part 2 of this fic. It can also be read alone. It was my first time writing a threesome, so I hope it’s okay. 

This is for the bi/pan girlies or they/thems only.

Summary: After discovering Chad was cheating on you, Joel offered you to  show you what a real man felt like. Now, his wife was taking part of it as well. (no outbreak AU)

CW: threesome, cunnilingus (fxf), voyeurism, exhibitionism, masturbation, unprotected sex, praise kink, nicknames (babydoll, sweetheart, etc.), weed consumption.

That special night, Tess simply watched as her husband took care of you, until you were too tired and had to leave, but with the promise of seeing them again.

Back to his usual gaslighting, Chad had tried calling, but you ignored his calls.

When the number called again, you heard Tess’s familiar voice on the other end. She had left a message.

**

This time, your ex boyfriend’s parents met you in your small apartment. You didn’t want to risk seeing your ex again by coming to their home. 

But… you wanted to see them. You wanted to feel the same high as you felt last time. You were chasing after Joel’s raspy voice, after Tess’s softness. They were two contradictions, yet, they fit together perfectly. And they could give you everything you wanted.

You awkwardly stood in your living room and gestured to your whole apartment. There wasn’t much to visit but it’s all you could afford.

“So, this is it. Make yourself at home…”

Tess abandoned her handbag on the floor and came up to you with a smile. “It’s nice, sweetie. Cozy, too.” She cupped your cheek with her soft hand, making you blush.

Joel was standing behind her, hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“You look nervous.” He stated.

You bit your lip and sat on the two-seater couch. “It’s just… I’ve never done it with more than one person.”

“Aw, isn’t she cute being all shy and nervous, my love?” Joel’s wife asked him. He smirked and nodded.

“We can help her relax…”

He bent down to grab his wife’s bag and retrieved a small pack of joints.

**

As the smoke filled your lungs, you felt more at ease. Joel had sat beside you, while his wife was sitting on a chair from your kitchen. She looked at the two of you with interest, waiting to see who would make the first move. You just told yourself fuck it, and went for it.

When you finished smoking and after you abandoned the joint in an ashtray, you climbed up on Joel’s lap, your ass sitting on his thick thighs while your back was pressed to his chest. His free arm held your waist, while his other one was busy still holding the joint to his lips.

“Babydoll, you’re bein’ so good for me. Can ya feel how you makin’ me feel?” He lifted his hips a little, so you’d feel his hardness.

“Yes…” You turned your head to press a kiss against his rough cheek.

You didn’t even see Tess getting up and approaching the two of you like a hungry feline. She kneeled in front of you when you finally noticed her. Her soft hands caressed your clothed thighs.

“What do you think… about us making you feel good, sweetheart?” She pressed a kiss to your knee, beautiful eyes looking up at you.

“Please.” You breathed.

Joel crushed the rest of his joint in the ashtray. Then, his hands found your stomach under your shirt, going up slowly to feel your naked breasts. Your whined needily. Tess laughed softly, amused by your reaction, as she slid down your pants.

She smiled as she discovered the skimpy underwear you were wearing. “Not so sweet after all…”

Joel looked down to admire your lace panties. He groaned in approval, and leaned down to kiss your neck. “Babydoll, aren’t you naughty? You really wanted this, didn’t you?”

You nodded shamelessly. Tess’s index and middle finger slid on your covered core, feeling how wet you were. Satisfied, she pulled you in for a kiss.

It was a lot, all at once; Joel’s open-mouthed kisses on your neck, while his wife’s tongue was exploring your mouth. Her kiss was slow, sensual. While you were concentrated on kissing her back, her fingers slid in your panties and felt your bareness.

“F-Fuck…”

“I’m gonna prepare you real good, make you cum a few times, so Joel can fuck you freely. Sounds good?”

“Y-Yes.”

Her fingers circled expertly your clit. It was your first time getting touched by a woman. You knew you were attracted by them, but you never had the chance to act on your need. It just confirmed how you felt.

To get a better access, she slid down your panties, and you kicked them away. Joel’s calloused hands took care of your bare thighs, spreading them for her wife.

“Such a perfect pussy.” The woman said, her pale eyes admiring your cunt hungrily.

She leaned in, her face disappearing between your thighs. She licked at your folds eagerly, not taking her time, and focusing on making you cum. You squirmed, moaning freely. Joel occupied one of his hands with your boobs, fingers playing with your hard nipple.

“You like this, babydoll?” Joel’s raspy voice asked in your ear.

“Y-Yes. I like it.”

You were closing your thighs, you were so close, but Joel hand held them open. Tess sucked around your clit, guiding you through your first orgasm with her. Even after you were done, she kept going, making your legs shake under the caress of your oversensitive pussy.

“Joel, you wanna touch her?” Tess asked against your wet skin, leaving a kiss behind.

“Yes.” His fingers sneaked under your leg, and he inserted a finger in your wet heat. He felt you tighten around his digit, as Tess went back to eating you out. The combination of Joel’s thick finger curling into your heat and Tess’s rough sucks on your clit sent you over the edge again and again. The sensation of your numerous orgasms and the left-over high made you dizzy.

Tess took a break, moving away so she could look at Joel inserting a second finger.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart.” She praised.

You blushed under her burning gaze. While Joel was still taking care of getting you ready for his cock, Tess pushed your shirt away to look at your tits.

“So pretty…” She cooed.

The combination of Tess’s words and Joel hitting that sweet spot over and over made you spill around his fingers with a loud cry.

“I think she’s ready, what do you think, babe?” Tess asked her husband.

Joel’s fingers left you empty, filling your mouth instead. You sucked on his digits, tasting your salty juices.

“She is. C’mon, let’s go to the bedroom, babydoll.”

In your bedroom, you realized how small your bed really was when three people were trying to fit in it. Joel got rid of his clothes, and you took off your shirt completely.

You were totally focused on the graceful movements of Tess taking off her clothes. She had small, perky breasts, and a toned body. Miss Miller was as beautiful as her husband. She smiled at you when she saw you were looking at her.

Joel’s body took over yours, his large shoulders dominating you completely.

“You did the tests we asked you to do?” Asked Joel, while he was spreading your thighs. He pumped his cock a few times, while your gaze devoured the way his rough hand was stroking his length.

“Yes. All clean.”

“Good girl.” Mr. Miller smiled.

Tess laid beside you on the bed, her face turned to look at you. You met her pale eyes with yours and kissed her while Joel was inserting his bare girth between your opened thighs. Feeling him like that was different, and it was even better than the last time. You let go of Tess’s lips to concentrate on the rough pleasure Joel was procuring you.

Beside the two of you, Tess was pleasuring herself lazily. She could get off on the simple view of you getting railed by her attractive husband.

Your arms circled Joel’s neck, bringing him closer, as he was fucking you deeper, hitting that sweet spot with his tip. You muffled your loud moans against his lips, kissing him clumsily, teeth clashing. You could hear Tess’s sighs. Your walls tightened around Joel, your back arched and you abandoned your body to your sweet release.

“So tight… g’nna make me cum. Where d’ya want me, babydoll?” He asked between rough thrusts.

“Inside. Please.”

Joel shot warm ropes of cum inside you. In your blurry state, you could also hear Tess coming.

Your ex boyfriend’s parents let you calm down, both holding you close. Not long after, Joel got up to use your bathroom.

As he was coming back, he heard your phone ring. He answered. Chad’s sorry voice was on the end.

“Stop calling her, son.”

He slammed the phone down before he could even answer.

You were Miss and Mr. Miller’s toy now.

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

As per the poll Tuesday, we've got Gremlinverse (delayed to noon because of errands I had to run) shenanigans: specifically Jak discovering disadvantages to his new size.

At first, Jak had enjoyed the Underground's reaction to his new stature. He was used to being underestimated, but when what seemed to be a ten year old kid blew up a deathbot, their reactions were so much funnier. They were nicer to him, too. Well, that might’ve been because they were patronizing him. That's what Daxter seemed to think. Tess, on the other hand, was sure that it was more about guilt.

Seeing their tank so much smaller and more vulnerable, she insisted, was a wakeup call. It meant they had to come to terms with the fact that they'd repeatedly endangered the very people the Underground had been supposed to protect.

Jak thought it was a nice sentiment, but unlikely. After all, Torn hadn't thought twice before giving up little Mar’s location to Praxis when he thought Ashelin's life was on the line.

Besides, he didn't need hollow contrition. "We're sorry" was easy to say, but meaningless if they were still treating him like a glorified errand boy.

They hadn’t sent him on any real missions since he'd come back from the Nest, but that may have been because Sig was watching them like a glinthawk, just waiting for one of them to cross a line. But that brought Jak to a new problem: the longer he hung around headquarters, the more they started treating him like an actual kid.

He had almost seventeen-

Okay, that wasn't true. He had twelve years of memories and experience. Just because his body was small and his emotions were big didn't mean he suddenly didn't understand anything! And it certainly did not mean he required assistance getting up onto taller objects!

The first time it happened involved Jak dangling from the Underground leader’s grip. He glared, looking like he wanted to rip Torn's hair out. Coincidentally, Torn also looked like he wanted to rip Torn’s hair out.

"What, so Mar and Daxter can sit on your nasty table, but I'm not allowed?" Jak challenged.

"First of all-" Torn closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "Mar is a toddler and he was getting underfoot. Daxter was a rat and you would've stabbed me if I'd thrown him off the table."

From the spartan bunks along the wall, Daxter snorted and looked up from trying to remember how shoelaces worked.

"Well, he got an accurate read on that, at least."

Jak folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. It was actually a very endearing expression, but Torn had been around him too long to be swayed by it.

"Well you're the one who made me work for you guys, and technically I wouldn't have shrunk if you hadn't betrayed us to Praxis, so if I climb on stuff you're just going to have to deal with it."

Torn lifted Jak a little higher with a frosty look. "Watch it, brat. You cause trouble on purpose and I might just put you in the Junior Freedom League to straighten you out."

Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say.

The next thing Daxter knew, Torn had dropped Jak with a high-pitched wheeze of pain. The former KG was doubled over and in clear distress, and Jak was on the table again. The former ottsel shook his head and went back to fighting with the boot laces.

"Brutal," he commented, "but not unprovoked."

The next time someone tried to pick him up without permission, it was Brutter.

Compared to Torn, Jak was far more forgiving with Brutter. Most likely because Brutter had treated him like an equal from the very beginning, and even now acted as though nothing had changed. So when Daxter brought Jak with him to do a little pro bono pest control on Brutter's fishing boat, the Lurker hadn't had any objections to letting Jak crawl through the vents with the plasma swatter. (Jak could tell why Daxter liked the swatter so much. It made a really fun splat when hitting metalbugs.)

He'd chased the pests from one end of the cabin to the other, filling his pockets with metalbug gems as he went. Under normal circumstances they would have been Daxter's pay, but Jak was the one crawling through the dusty vents. If Dax wanted them, he'd have to come take them.

Almost unrecognizable with dust and bits of metalbug exoskeleton, Jak had finally crawled out and bumped into Brutter's leg. As if on instinct, Brutter reached down without looking and scooped Jak up off the floor.

"Hey!" Jak yelped.

Brutter's eyes snapped down to the filthy kid he was holding under the arms, and he blinked twice before letting out a loud hoot of laughter.

"Brother Jak!" he laughed, setting him down, "You not little baby Babak! You big kid! I forgot we not home with tribe for a moment."

He took off his glasses and wiped them on his coat, then squinted at Jak again.

"Oh, Jak really is that dirty. Was not imagining baby Babak hair then."

Jak rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. No charge for the extra vent cleaning as long as you don't tell Daxter about this."

"My lips are sealing, Brother Jak," said Brutter agreeably. He stepped back and obligingly did not cough when Jak sent up a cloud of dust and lint while brushing himself off.

"Many thanks for stopping to help with buggy pests! I am not wanting to drag you two away from hero business."

Jak flashed a genuine smile at Brutter. "Hey, we can always make room in the schedule for a brother. That's what a tribe is for, right?"

Brutter laughed again. "Ah! Brother Jak and Orangey Pal should have been born Babak. Already you have the heart of one."

Jak’s smile widened. "Really? Uh, th- thanks, Brutter."

Alright. The rest of Haven's current leadership could go kick rocks, but "Captain" Brutter was okay. He still went out of his way to make Jak feel accepted.

Daxter's voice echoed up the hall as he made his way in from the deck.

"Found the problem! One of these fish swallowed a metalbug egg."

He dragged the offending carp behind him, wrinkling his nose the whole way. Between thumb and forefinger he held the split fish carcass out towards Brutter.

"Ugh," he gagged, "Now I gotta sweep the whole harbor and make sure there's no submerged nests. That's disgusting."

He glanced up and blanched.

"Speaking of disgusting: Jak! What happened to you?!"

Jak didn't think he was that dirty.

Daxter did not agree.

And unfortunately, Daxter was now bigger than Jak.

When they got back to the newly christened Naughty Ottsel and Daxter threatened "tub or dish pit sink", Jak remembered that being the smaller one came with some distinct disadvantages.

And that this was most likely karma coming back to bite him for all the times he'd (literally) dragged Daxter into his reckless exploration.

"Dax-" Jak ducked and slid behind a table. "Look, I'll just rinse off in the bay. It's fine."

"Fine?!" Daxter sputtered, "You're a walking health code violation! Hey-! Get your metalbug guts-coated hands off my tables! I have to sanitize those now!"

Tess watched with some amusement from behind the bar. "Hon, you're gonna need a real bath eventually. You have the kind of hair that requires regular maintenance if you don't want it to break."

Sitting on the counter, Mar waved a pudgy hand in front of his face. "Jak stinky," he agreed.

"Traitor!" Jak hissed from under the table.

That was all the distraction Daxter needed. The gangly teen stooped down and seized Jak by the ankle. What commenced was a skirmish that rivaled the fights Krew used to host in the Hip-hog's boxing ring. Chairs were knocked over, paintings fell from walls, and at least one table was overturned.

Mar watched with interest as Jak dodged and squirmed and overall did an excellent impression of a fluid. When the insults started getting particularly creative, Tess sighed and leaned forward to cover Mar's ears.

Several patrons entered, only to take one look at the two boys tussling amid upended chairs and immediately back out again.

"Sig!" Daxter hollered at the next person to enter the bar, "Sig, gimme a hand before he contaminates the whole establishment!"

Jak slid out of Daxter's grip and made for the door. "Don't you dare, Sig!"

Concerned, the Wastelander shut the door and turned to Tess for an explanation.

"It's Wash Day," she said with a shrug.

"Ah." Sig narrowed his eye. "What kind of product you got?"

"Um...I've got a hydrating brand from uptown," Tess answered, "And I have a little bit of that hair mask you use, but there's not much left."

"That's not bad." He snorted. "I thought you were gonna say bar soap with the way he's flippin' out."

Sig set down his Peacemaker and waded into the fray. He caught Jak by the back of the shirt and hefted him up under one arm like the world's angriest suitcase. Before Daxter had time to thank him, he'd been hoisted up by the scruff of the neck.

"Well cherry, if your plan was to take Daxter down with you, you've certainly managed," Sig said dryly. "Now you both need a wash."

Tess pushed off the counter. "I'm gonna go run a bubble bath. It'll do you good."

"No!" Jak kicked and squirmed, but Sig’s grip held firm. "I'm not a little kid! Nobody is bathing me! Besides, they're just gonna send me out to crawl through sewers again or something anyway. What's the point?!"

When he looked up, Sig was scowling.

"They better not send you back out today," Sig threatened. "I got some Wastelander friends coming by to make sure you and Mar are okay. If you aren't there when they turn up, they're liable to turn the city upside down looking for you."

Jak stopped squirming. "Huh?" He wrinkled his nose. "Why me? What do they want me to do?"

Sig took the moment of peace to hurry up the stairs behind the bar to Tess’s apartment. Gooseberry scented soap already drifted in occasional bubbles from the tiny bathroom.

"Well, most likely they're gonna want you to go home with them." Sig glanced down at Jak and prayed the spitfire would take it well. "It's where Mar was born. We were thinking you could stay for a while, y'know? There's room for you both."

Tess poked her head out of the bathroom. "Hey, sorry, but we've got kind of a bubble apocalypse in here. Mar got a little excited with the soap bottle."

Mar was not the slightest bit sorry.

With a snort, Sig finally set the boys down. "You see the state of these two? What can it hurt?"

Tess grimaced. "Yeah...you guys leave your clothes in my shower before you get in the tub, okay? I'll put out something clean you can change into."

Daxter nudged Jak. "You first, squirt."

Jak leveled a chilling glare at him. "Just so you know, I am going to use up all the hot water."

"This is why we use hot springs baths in Spargus," Sig sighed. "We don't have to bother with who gets the hot water. Jak, rinse your hair real good and when you get out I'll show you how to wash it without drying it out."

"Uh...it's supposed to dry out?" Jak raised an eyebrow at Sig. "That's what happens after you get out of water?"

Sig drew a hand down his face and groaned something that sounded like "Damas owes me for this", but they couldn’t be sure.

[atomicami]

the perfect fit

model!abby anderson x fashion designer!reader

- summary: it’s the start of your new job working for armani as a fashion designer, and your first assignment is to design and create a suit for an upcoming runway event. despite the fact that you can’t stand your chosen model, you also can’t help but find her very attractive too.

- content: smut MDNI, no outbreak/modern au, nyc living, reader has a degree in fashion design, reader is a bit of a perfectionist, model!abby, abby’s a little cocky, work sex, fingering & strap usage (r!receiving), abby refers to her strap as her cock, size kink, and i think that’s it but lmk if i missed anything

- author’s note: so i was highly inspired by this abby x model!reader fic that i decided to try to write out a fic of my own with this new pairing!! i hope y’all like it :)

also dedicating this one to my girl @whore4abby ily darling 🤍

New York City was always known to be the place where one’s dreams were meant to fly as high as the skyscrapers that rose in its urban atmosphere. It was known to be the perfect capital city for all professions, including fashion.

Living in New York had always been the dream for you, and although you were now residing there for school, you weren’t exactly fulfilling your dreams just yet. So when you had called your parents one day to break the bad news to them, you knew that they weren’t going to be on board with your sudden change of plans.

“You’re switching majors? But why?” your dad asked through the phone. “I thought you wanted to study law.”

No, you didn’t. Your parents had been telling everyone they knew in your small town that you were going to major in law after high school and become the best lawyer to walk the streets of New York, and as a result, you couldn’t help but select that major just to please them.

“I don’t, Dad…If you had listened to me in the first place, you would know that I never wanted to do that,” you tell him.

“Well, that’s alright, law school isn’t for everyone now.” your dad told you before continuing. “What are you going to study instead? Medicine? Psychology? Business?”

You took a deep breath before continuing. “Fashion design…” you mutter back to him.

You can already imagine the outburst he was going to have. It was almost as if you could feel the anger bubbling within him through the phone.

“Fashion?! Are you seriously out of your mind?!” your dad exclaimed back at you. His reaction was so uncalled for that you had to take him off of speakerphone.

And after a long lecture from him later, he simply told you that he wasn’t going to pay for your tuition anymore before hanging up the phone.

Even though you were expecting that kind of reaction from your parents, your father more specifically, you still couldn’t help but feel so…discouraged. You’ve been wanting to be a fashion designer ever since you were little, and your parents’ lack of support did nothing but steal your happiness in fulfilling your dreams.

But at the same time…you felt determined to prove them wrong. You wanted to show them that you weren’t making this change just take the easy way out, you were doing it because you’ve been wanting to pursue this career your whole life. You wanted to show them that you were meant to be working in a fashion studio, not a courtroom.

Fast forward to now, and you’ve graduated from Parsons at the top of your class with a fashion degree, only to soon land a job working as a fashion designer at one of Giorgio Armani’s establishments right here in New York City.

Once the first day of your new job came around, you needed to give the best impression there, making sure to arrive before your boss did. After all, if it weren’t for Tess selecting you as one of the potential candidates as a fashion designer for that establishment, you’d probably still be job hunting by now.

You sat at your desk, eyeing the surroundings of the large studio you were in at this moment. All of the fabrics, mannequins, tools, and machines just waiting to be used. It still felt like a fever dream to you.

The sound of the opening doors of the warehouse startles you, causing you to and some of the designers in the studio to turn around, while the others are still chattering.

Tess walks into the studio and stands in the middle of the room before bringing everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone,” she shouts with a loud clap of her hands, causing the rest of the room to quiet down. “I have decided to put you all in charge of creating the looks for Armani’s upcoming winter fashion show. Each of you will be given a model to work on, and you are welcome to create whatever you’d like, as long as it meets the requirements for the show.”

“But, isn’t the winter fashion show only a month from now?” one of the designers asked.

“Yes, Yes it is, actually,” Tess replies with a nod. “So I expect to see the best work done by you all within the time being. I’d like to see how well my designers can work under pressure.”

You let out a sigh in frustration and held your face in your hands. How the hell were you going to have a look ready in just a month?

Tess checks the time on her watch before looking up at the clock for reassurance. “The models should be arriving any minute now, once they get here I’ll be assigning them out to everyone, and we’ll start today off by taking their measurements and sketching out designs. When you are finished, I—“ Her words are cut off by the sound of the warehouse doors opening again.

You look over again with the rest of the designers to see another staff member enter the room with a variety of models trailing behind her in a single file line. She then approaches Tess to talk to her for a brief moment before soon exiting the warehouse by herself. “Alright everyone,” Tess shouts out again, looking down at the clipboard that was in her hands. “When I call out your name to your assigned model, I would like you to stand up from your desk so they know who you are.”

As Tess begins to assign the models, the sound of a chair swiveling over to your left makes you turn your head, and you see that it was Dina scooching closer to you. “See anyone you might like?” she whispers over to you, her eyes still fixed on the line of models in the room.

“I honestly could care less about who Tess puts me with,” you whisper back to her, leaning back against your chair and crossing one of your legs over the other. “As long as they don’t give me a hard time, I should be good.”

Dina nods in response, she opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by the sound of Tess calling out your name. As a result, you rise from your seat and stand behind your desk.

“You’ll be working with Anderson as your model,” she tells you, and you watch as Tess looks over to your model and points at you, indicating her to walk over to where you were.

Intimidation strikes through you as she approaches your desk. You can’t really put your finger on it, but from the first impression, you’re quite convinced it's because of her broad figure that stood out from everyone else. You look over to Dina, to which she looks back at you and simply mouths a ‘good luck’ on your end.

Tess soon does a quick check around the room, making sure each designer has a model to work with. “Alright, now that everyone has an assigned model, you can all get started. Remember now, the winter show is a month from today, so I hope you can all make the best use of your time.” and with that, she exits the studio, leaving you and the rest of the designers to be.

Abby has her side resting against your desk, watching you draw out some looks on your sketchbook. “Just so you know…” she starts, leaning in closer to your right side. “I’m like, the biggest model here, so don’t be surprised when you run out of fabric for that pretty outfit you’ve planned out for me.”

You look over to Abby and roll your eyes before setting your pencil down and opening the side drawer of your desk. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” you tell her as you take out the soft tape measure from your drawer and stand up from your seat. “Come on, let me take your measurements now.”

Based on that first interaction alone, you knew that Abby was going to be a distraction for your project, and boy you were right.

This past month has felt like hell for you, and Abby’s cocky, conceited persona wasn’t making it any better for you.

Things were fine at first, at least enough for you to manage. But it wasn’t until the second fitting that she’s been starting to really get on your nerves.

The fitting room in the Armani establishment was spacious, each designer/model pair had their spot to do the fittings and make any adjustments if needed.

Abby walks over to your side of the fitting room fully dressed in her runway outfit. You had beautifully created a navy blue suit that complimented her freckled skin and blue eyes perfectly, and the entire outfit had Swarovski crystals sewn all over the place. It was a timeless and classic look for the show.

It’s a shame that your model has to be so arrogant for the time being.

You look over to her and snap your fingers. “Stand over there,” you tell her, pointing over to the small, round altar that was next to you. Abby simply obliges and stands up on the altar to face you, both of her hands crossed at her front.

You notice this and walk over to her, grabbing at her hands. “I need your hands at your sides, you’re a model, not a security guard.” you tell her sternly, separating her hands so each one is at her side. You then sit down on the stool behind you, bringing yourself down to face her lower half so you can check the fitting of her suit pants.

Starting at the bottom of her pants and making your way up, the pants seem to fit well on her so far. Given Abby’s large build, the fit is as snug as can be, but not too tight to where it would make her uncomfortable when walking. If you had made it any tighter, you’re convinced that the fabric might rip.

However, it wasn’t until you look at the waistline of the pants. For some reason, that area looked unusually tighter than it was compared to the last fitting. The zipper on her pants looked like it was going to burst. It’s almost as if she was hiding something underneath…

You tap the side of her thigh to get her attention, causing her to tilt her head down. ”What’s this?” you ask, pointing at the slight bulge that was sticking out of her pants.

She simply smirks back at you and shakes her head. “Wouldn’t you like to know…” she mumbles out, looking back up.

Your eyes were still fixed on her face, and you grabbed at her crotch, causing her to slightly jerk back. You knew damn well what it was that she had in those pants.

“Jesus,” she says, looking back down at you. “Chill out, will you?”

“Take it off,” you tell her sternly, standing back up from the stool. “I’m not going to have my look completely ruined as a result from one of your little games.”

You were close to having an outburst in the middle of the fitting room since you were starting to get some looks from some of the other designers and models in the room, including Dina. It was a good thing that Tess wasn’t there to see it though.

Abby simply rolls her eyes at you and clears her throat before stepping off of the altar and exiting the fitting room to go change. The two of you were being quite immature about this, but you were seriously in need of your look to be perfect for the show, and Abby was keeping you from doing so.

A couple more weeks pass by and before you know it, the day of the show is just right around the corner from now.

Your shift at the studio had just ended, and people were starting to gather their things to leave, while you still sat by your large mannequin, making adjustments and adding touches to your look.

Dina walks up behind you and taps your shoulder, causing you to pull out one of your headphones from your ear and turn around.

“Hey,” she says. “Some of us are going to head out to Dalton’s for drinks. Wanna come with?”

You shake your head in response. “I can’t, I really have to finish this look in time for the show, I have to make sure everything’s perfect.”

You hear her let out a sigh and nod. “Alright well, just don’t stress yourself out, okay?” she asks, gently squeezing your shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” she says, and you nod back at her as you watch her put her bag over her shoulder and exit the studio.

Once she leaves, you notice Tess at walking towards you at the corner of your eye. “Hey kid,” she says leaning against your desk with her arms crossed, keys jingling in one of her hands. “You plan on leaving soon?”

You let out a sigh and turned your head to face her. “Just let me stay a little longer, Tess…I promise I’ll be out of here soon.”

She sighs back and hesitates for a moment while rubbing the back of her neck. “Alright, I’ll give you an hour, but that’s it. I don’t want you spending the night here.” She then gets off your desk. “I’ll see you tomorrow, the doors will lock automatically once you leave.”

You nod in response and thank her before watching her walk away from the dim lighting that shined on your side of the studio. You were instantly relieved to be able to have some time for yourself to work on the suit.

However, that doesn’t last long when another set of footsteps enter the studio and begin to approach you from behind once again.

A large hand grabs at your shoulder, this time causing you to jump up and turn around in fear for a moment before realizing who it is. “Jesus, Anderson…you scared the hell out of me,” you say, trying to catch your breath. “What are you even doing here? Your final fitting isn’t until Friday.”

Abby lets out a chuckle at your frightened reaction and shakes her head. “I just came here to get my car keys,” she says, grabbing them off the shelf where she had left them. “I left them last time I was here.”

You rolled your eyes and stood back up to face your desk and away from her. “Well, now that you have your keys, can you go now? I need to keep working.”

As you were about to put your headphones back on, Abby began to speak once again. “What’s your deal?” she asks you.

You let out a huff and set your phone down before looking back at her. “My deal is that I’ve had to deal with your arrogance this past month and it’s been driving me insane. All I want right now is to have this time to myself so I can finish this suit in time for the show.”

The smirk that was growing on Abby’s face right now was so big you could practically see it from your peripheral vision. She then begins to walk around until she’s behind you on your desk. “It seems like you could loosen up a bit, you know…” she tells you as she slightly leans in closer to your ear, trapping you between your desk and her chest. You could already feel a familiar bulge poking at your lower back. It was that same bulge that you were just grabbing at in the fitting room not too long ago.

You roll your eyes at her in response. “Is that so?” you whisper back to her, just enough so she can hear you. “And what might that be, exactly?”

Her hands make their way down to your waist, grabbing you and turning you around so you are now face-to-face with her. “How about I show you, yeah?” she whispers to you, to which you nod desperately.

Despite how much you couldn’t stand her, you really couldn’t help but be into her at the same time, and not only has she also been aware of it, but she felt the same way with you too.

You feel her hands move from your waist down to the buttons of your pants, and you look down at your lap as a result. “Let’s see what we have here now…” she murmurs, slowly undoing your pants and sliding them off your legs and to the ground. Once your pants were fully removed, she helped give you a boost so you could sit up on your desk.

Abby instantly opens your legs the second your ass hits your desk, immediately eyeing the visible wet patch that was seeping through your black underwear. “Well well well, what do we have here…” she mutters out, hooking a finger underneath your underwear and shifting it to the side, causing your wet pussy to be exposed to her and the cold air of the studio. “This all for me?” she asks, looking back up at you.

All you can simply do is bite your lip and nod as you try to resist the cold air hitting against your pussy. “Fuck, yes, Abs…it’s all for you…” you whine out to her.

“That’s what I thought,” she mutters back. Two of her fingers make their way into your cunt without warning, causing you to jerk back and involuntarily close your thighs shut. However, her other hand makes her way into the middle just in time before you do so. “Nuh-uh, don’t get shy on me now, princess,” she says, forcing your legs back open to stand in the middle. “You’ve been so bold with me this past month, so you’re not backing out of this now.”

Her fingers successfully go into your pussy the second time around, causing a moan to escape from your mouth as a result. Abby’s fingers were huge, to say the least, but they managed to stretch your pussy out so well. There’s no way that your pussy can’t take anything bigger than this.

But what Abby was about to pull out next was going to prove you wrong.

As Abby’s fingers continue to pump inside you, she begins to undo her jeans with her free hand, effortlessly getting them open and slightly pushing them down to her thighs. She then digs that same hand into her boxers and pulls out her black strap-on, causing your eyes to widen at the immense size. She was fucking huge.

“A-Abby…” you stammer out to her, quickly shaking your head. “That—That’s not gonna fit…It’s too—“

“Yes it will,” she says, cutting off your words. “My cock’s gonna fit. You’ll see.”

Her fingers quickly slide out of your cunt, leading you to whimper at the loss. With both of her hands now, she rubs her cock against your folds, collecting some of your wetness before sliding it into your tight hole. The stretch of the strap was a bit uncomfortable at first, but after a moment, you were shocked to see how well your pussy was easily taking it from the tip down to the base. It really was the perfect fit.

Abby smirks as she looks down at the piece of silicone that connected your bodies. “See? I told you it’ll fit,” she mutters out, bottoming out completely inside you. “This fucking pussy was made to take my cock.”

You were already starting to feel dizzy over Abby’s cock nestling inside your pussy. You were desperate for some movement.

“A-Abby…” you whine out to her, squeezing her bicep. “N-Need you t-to move…”

“What’s that, princess? You want me to move my cock?” she asks, to which you nod in response. “Need me to thrust my big cock in that desperate little pussy of yours? Don’t worry, baby, I’ll do just that for you.”

And with that, she begins to slowly thrust inside you. You could practically feel it all within her movements, the girth, the veins, hell, even the tip would kiss at your cervix every time she bottomed out into you.

Abby grabs at both of your thighs, slowly starting to speed up her pace. “I think I can go a little faster now, don’t you think? Your pretty pussy’s already doing so well for me, angel…”

“Fuck, y-yes, Abby…f-faster…” you slur out as you throw your head back in pleasure, gripping both of your hands onto your desk while she continues to thrust inside of you.

One of her hands leaves your thigh and grabs at your jaw, tilting it down to face her. “Look at that now, my girl’s getting so cockdrunk for me…I bet it feels good, doesn’t it?”

Abby’s gaze soon brings down to your chest, smirking once she notices your hard nipples poking through your shirt. She then lets go of your jaw and pulls your shirt up to your tits, watching in awe at the mere sight of them. “No bra?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t take you to be such a slut like that…It’s almost as if you were waiting for this to happen.”

At this point, your brain was losing focus, and you couldn’t figure out what Abby was saying to you right now. Once she sped up her pace again, all you could think about now was getting to your release.

Abby now has her gaze focused on the sight of your pussy, watching as it squeezes and contracts around the strap with every thrust. “Looks like you’re getting close, princess. Are you gonna come for me? Gonna be a good girl and cum on my cock?”

“Y-yes, f-fuck! I-I’m getting close…” you whine back to her, leading her to thrust even faster inside of you, your moans soon getting loud enough for them to practically echo inside the whole studio.

It didn’t take long for you to reach your peak. Your cunt pulsed a few more times around Abby’s strap before cumming completely with a loud moan of her name, causing a white ring to form around it.

As you began to catch your breath, Abby slowly pulled herself out of you, groaning as she saw a thick white string of your cum connecting between your pussy and the tip of her strap before soon breaking. She then ran her fingers through her length, collecting all of your release before soon sticking them inside of your mouth while it was still agape.

After sucking her fingers clean, she pulls them out of your mouth and tucks her strap back into her boxers before putting her jeans back on. You watch as she briefly gets down onto her knees and brings her face into your fucked out pussy, gently licking and sucking it clean, savoring each bit of it as she did so.

Once you were all clean, Abby rose back to her feet, helping you with your underwear and with the rest of your clothes as well. Her hands then moved from the button of your pants back down to your hips, guiding you off of your desk and back on your feet. You stumble a little bit into her at the sudden movement.

“Hey, you okay?” she asks softly, catching you in her arms.

“Y-yeah, yeah I’m okay…just a little worn out.” you pant out to her as you gain back your composure to turn around towards your desk and gather up your things to leave.

“Well, at least let me give you a ride back to your place,” she insists, grabbing her keys off your desk. “It’s already late outside, and I don’t think it’s quite safe for you to be walking around out there at this time.”

You hesitate for a moment at first. You’d honestly hate to inconvenience Abby to give you a ride home, but given that she was the one offering, you didn’t seem to mind too much about it. In all fairness, it was already late hours in the city, and given the damage she’d done to your legs, there was no way you were going to last walking for five minutes down the street. So you end up accepting her offer.

“Yeah, sure…I’m not stopping you, honestly…” you tell her with a chuckle as you put your bag over your shoulder, ready to head out.

You then follow along beside Abby as the two of you exit the establishment and make your way to wherever her car is situated. Abby opens the passenger door to let you in first before letting herself in on the other side. She then starts up her car before merging into the city’s busy roads.

The ten-minute drive flew by surprisingly fast, and before you knew it, she was now parked in front of your apartment complex. She leans in to give you a quick kiss before soon pulling away. “So, I’ll see you on Friday, then?” she asks.

You can’t help but smirk back at her, even though you were biting your lip to hide it. “I’ll see you on Friday, Anderson.” you tell her with a nod before opening the door to let yourself out.

But Abby doesn’t leave just yet. Instead, she makes sure that you get into your apartment safe and sound. Once your lights were on, that was her cue to go.

You watch from your apartment window as she drives back into the busy roads, soon disappearing from your view.

And for the first time this month, you have to admit that you’re now actually looking forward to seeing her again.

a/n: i hope you guys liked this fic!! i might make another part if this goes well?? but aside from that my next fic will be bfm!abby for those who are waiting, i promise 🤞🏼 lmk if you’d like to be tagged for when i post it!!

(also ty for 700, i love you guys 🫶🏻)

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