#Two today since they're short and I love this AU | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

prettyboykatsuki · 1 year

Text

territorial woes | k. leona

✮ tags ; fem!reader (referred to as leonas woman very briefly) fluff, territorial / needy leona , he is sickly in love in this sorry they're so domestic, one singular sex joke, this is a college au so everyone is over 18 for sake of my sanity, sfw but this blog is 18+ so minors don't follow please and ty

✮ wc ; 2k (? ? ?)

✮ a /n ; im so embarassed that this is leaving my fingertips actually. i do have to clarify like... i dont rlly think leona gets jealous easily but he can be kind of childish bc he's spoiled if that makes sense lmao. i was so Plauged by this i couldnt sleep its like 4am. i took my melatonin at midnight im so sick. blame @/petrichorium i am not responsible.

✮ synopsis ; leona kingscholar is often annoyed, but not usually over something like this.

He shouldn't have come to class.

The clock on the wall is agitating. Tick, tick, tick. On repeat over and over, plainly the same and piercing. Leona is sensitive to his surroundings, and particularly to noise.

He hates loud noises and sharp cries and he hates the sound of the damn clock in Trein's classroom. He's never been a fan of the classroom setting, general lack of motivation aside. It goes against his very nature to listen to boring lectures and sit through assignments he's already done hundreds of times.

All of his education from being young royalty paid off but ultimately amounts to nothing, because if he wants to graduate he still has to do this all over again.

He's a hunter, so he's not opposed to sitting and lying in wait if there's a promise of reward at the end. If all this sitting around with a twitching ear and bored sigh would amount to anything he'd be a little less annoyed with attending.

And there was one, originally. A thing, that Leona had wanted (which he can only admit to himself begrudgingly) that was worth hauling his ass out of the peaceful botanical garden and into class today. That very thing which is currently giggling their heart out to one of those idiot freshman from the Heartslyabul dorm.

Tick, tick, tick. Leona snaps his jaw close and tears his eyes from the sight, nose scrunched in frustration with a knuckle pushed against his temple.

He wants to go back to his dorm. But he can't. He won't until he gets what he even came for.

The presence of another person alerts his senses, but he relaxes upon realizing it's Ruggie, sitting on the edge of his desk with that usual smug air about him. Leon passes him a glance but doesn't say a word.

"Somethin' troublin' you, my liege? Shyehehe."

Leona all but growls.

"Shut your trap or I'll hang you up by your tail."

"Ouch. That bothered by it, huh?"

"I'm not bothered by squat."

Ruggie laughs hard at that and Leona considers throwing him through a wall. Ruggie is also looking ahead where you at, staring a little more openly than Leona is. He whistles under his breath. He can't remember the names of the two brats, but they're always together. One of them with orange hair and the other with the short blue.

"They're pretty close with those two, yanno. Heard they were having sleep-overs and all durin' their first year.''

Leona narrows his eyes. The clock ticks on. Ruggie grins and Leona knows he should just up and leave. It's stupid to be hanging around here. It's lame that he's even looking. He should just go up there and—

"They're best friends, basically. Been like that since before you two had a thing going too. Way before that, I think."

Leona knows well enough what Ruggie is doing. What Hyena's are good at, goading his annoyance to push him to act. He's looking for a show, and Leona is nearly tempted to give him one. Nearly.

You're not the fierce type like the women back home. You probably wouldn't think twice about it, just bat your little lashes and wave your friends goodbye like the herbivore you are if he decided to drag you away. You'd pester him, follow him around while he acted moody and cold for a while before frowning.

You'd get mad at first, before huffing and saying sorry for something you didn't even do. Mumbling and poking around until Leona eventually drags you in his bed to nap instead of being outright about any of it. If his sister-in-law knew he was acting like such a kid to his woman, he'd never hear the end of it. It's that voice in his head that keeps him stuck in his chair, seething.

"Not like you to be so docile, King." Ruggie says. Leona shoots him a mean enough glare that he backs away in fear.

It's not like he's being docile. Not really. There's more to it than that.

Thing is, Leona is used to being chased. Regardless of his inferiority in birthright, he's still royalty. Royalty means plenty of people itching to get in his good graces to get a taste of the highlife. Leona is used to cheap tactics of seduction and luxury in order to earn his favor - he can smell it from away. He's always half expecting to uncover secret intentions.

It never happens. You are all by all measures, frustratingly sincere. Leona doesn't really know how to respond to it. You don't pay mind to his royalty or his ability aside from a normal amount of awe. You're an herbivore firstly, and a stranger to this world after that. Whatever traits in Leona you've latched onto, he can't wrap his head around nor does he understand.

It's the first time in his life that he's gotten into a romantic entanglement like this. Where everything is all lovey-dovey and things are so important. He's always been respectful to his women but he's never been seriously in love in his life. It's different from just being decent. He cares what you think to an extent that's unfamiliar. It's not like he'd ever fix his mouth to say all that, but it really matters that he does things the right way.

Leona doesn't usually act in self-interest, to begin with. Cocky as he may be - he's still king and kings act in the interest of his people. Regardless of what it looks like, you are part of his people. His pride, in more simple terms.

It's not being docile as much as it's an effort to show some respect for you.

Leona isn't usually jealous about petty, trivial shit. It doesn't matter to him what you do or who you do it with in your own time. He likes that you're independent, too.

He is however, a territorial apex predator and a prince. For better or for worse whenever he looks at you, all he can see is to prey animals encroaching on his territory.

That's the part of him that's raring to go. Teeth clenched and agitated, brows all drawn together in frustration. Leona wants to go back to his dorm, but he wont without what he came for. It's putting him in a bad mood.

But ultimately, he doesn't move from his spot. Ruggie leaves eventually when his mood has soured completely. His head is on the desk and he's got his eyes closed, but his ears twitched at the sound of your chair dragging on the floor.

"Can you guys walk Grimm back to the door? I'm gonna go with Leona. Thanks! See you later,"

And just like that, the classroom clears of the last nuisances occupying it. Leaving only you and Leona and that ticking clock together.

He hears you walk up to him before he sees it. Your voice is annoyingly pleasant to listen to.

"Leona? You sleeping already?"

He's starting to understand why his older brother folded at every single word that came out of his sister-in-laws mouth. He lifts his head just barely to look at you and you're looking at him all wide-eyed. He wants to tick you off a little, but can't conjure up any ideas.

"You done with those little yippin' herbivores you call friends? Can we leave now?"

You frown.

"You're in a bad mood. And don't be mean to them, they are actually my friends, you know?"

He scoffs and your frown deepens.

"Leonaaa," You drag out the syllables of his name as you stand beside him "What's wrong with you?"

He hears you pull a chair up. When he finally sits up, you're sitting directly in front of him on a chair turned backwards. There's hardly any room between you. Your face is twisted up with worry.

Leona reaches to pinch your nose. You pull away making his lips twitch upward.

"I shouldn't've came to class." He complains. You rub your nose but don't say anything back, considering him.

"I didn't think it was that bad today though. I guess it might always be for you though since you know like, everything, but I don't—"

Before you can keep going, he leans forward to press his lips to yours. It shuts you up effectively. Your lips are soft. They're sweet and a little sticky - mouth warm and welcoming.

When he pulls away, you blink at him.

"What were you sayin'." He asks.

You look a little taken aback.

"I don't know. Oh, uhm. I liked the lesson. It's fun to learn stuff about this world, I guess." You stumble over your words like you're shy. It's ironic to him, but charming all the same.

He grins.

"What? You nervous after a little kiss?" He teases.

You flush.

"You're not usually that forward, dummy. Which brings me to my question again, what's up? You're sulking."

"What the hell? I'm not sulkin'"

"Yes you are. Your doing the little nose scrunch thing too. Did something happen?"

He pushes the comment about his nose scrunch away entirely because he's sure thinking about too long is gonna get on his nerves. He glares at you for a while, debating on what he should say. Truth is, he is a little pissed. But he isn't going to tell you that your little chat with friends is making him territorial. That would be ridiculous.

There's a brief moment of silence before you pause. You tilt your head, eyes shining with curiosity.

"...Were you lonely?" You suggest.

His face drops.

"You're not the jealous type usually, but you're like a big overgrown kitty. So, you missed me right? That's why you're moping?"

The tone of your voice makes him want to pinch you again.

"Watch your mouth, herbivore." He grits, agitation rolling back into his tone like a wave. And you laugh, the nerve of you. Giggle a little as you lean in closer.

"You didn't say no."

"Shut up." He says, weakly.

"Leona," You say his name again, a little sweeter. Purposefully full of affection and he hates everything about how mushy it's making him feel. You reach your hand up to his head, petting behind his ears in the place you know he likes "I'm sorryyy,"

"Do you go 'nd tuck your tail between your legs like this for everyone? Where's your self-respect, huh?" He means to say with a lot more characteristic sarcasm.

But it all comes out gross and sweet sounding instead.

"Mm, no? It's just that my boyfriend is pretty shit at being honest about his feelings so if I don't dote on him he'll wither away like a houseplant and—"

He covers your mouth with his hand and glares at you, faux annoyed. And you're giggling against his palms, all bely laughs. It's all a little nauseating for him. He pulls away by cupping your jaw instead, squishing your face together.

"When'd you get so damn mouthy?" He grumbles.

"Since forever ago." You say through squished lips. He huffs, leaning forward to kiss you a second time. You're all soft everywhere. Squishy and mellow. Leona kisses you three times in the process, each one a little more impatient than the last before releasing you.

He doesn't let go, hand going to cup the back your neck instead. He cradles your head close, sighing against your mouth.

"Annoying," He says. You smile at him and he has to look away to deal with the intensity of it.

"You love me." You say with a smile. If only you knew the half of it.

He doesn't say that of course. Just scoffs as he stands to his feet, dragging you with him. He curls an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him. The warmth of your body makes him purr.

"In your dreams. You owe me for cuttin' into my naptime."

"What can I do for you my liege?" You say sarcastically, grabbing his hand openly. He squeezes it "You wanna take a nap with me?"

"Can't promise I'll get you in my bed and not fuck you about it." He says with a lazy chuckle. You nudge his side.

"You're so crass."

"You love me," He mocks. You huff.

"Unfortunately, I do. Could use some rest though," You yawn, and blinking blearily "So nap time it is. 'kay?"

He kisses the side of your head.

"Sounds good t'me."

#leon x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #writing tag #if anyone says anything about me posting this ill explode myself in the michaelwave.... please do not #i was so haunted by this i just needed to get it out of me i am not even. look #i cant explain it like i started sweating

764 notes · View notes

thefrogdalorian · 4 months

Text

The Best of Both Worlds - Chapter Seven

Din Djarin x Female Reader Modern!AU

❁ Series Masterlist ❁ My Masterlist ❁ Read on AO3 ❁

Word Count: 9456 Rating: General Summary: Despite feeling certain that you'll never see the ridiculously handsome man you gave a tour of the museum to, a special delivery is about to change everything... Content Warnings: Brief description of anxiety, reader feels a bit anxious in a crowded area. Author's Note: Big thanks once again to my amazing beta @suresnips!! I appreciate your feedback so much 💕 The slow burn is certainly slow burning. When I started posting this I was wondering whether I should tag it as slowburn which is ridiculous because 54k words in and they're still like THIS AUGHBSGJD just KISS you idiots! Anyway, really hope you enjoyed this one. I had a blast writing it. This is the last chapter I'd edited while writing, so updates might slow down a bit to once (but hopefully twice) per week now. Thanks for reading, I'd love to know if you're enjoying it so far!!

6. You're The Sunflower [Reader's POV]

You were under no illusions that the odds of seeing Din again were slim to none, but no matter how hard you tried, you had not been able to stop thinking about him. Ever since you had given him a tour of the museum on Friday night, you had been unable to shake the memory of how incredible you had felt in his presence. Of course, you were instantly attracted to him and felt the spark when the two of you shook hands. Plus, there was that look on his face when he referred to the beauty of the exhibits as he gazed at you. You had been unable to get the way his eyes had softened as he looked at you from your mind, no matter how hard you tried.

Work brought you no relief. Everywhere you went, you were reminded of him. Any time you had to leave your office work behind to face the public, you were barely able to focus on giving the various groups that you had been entrusted with a proper tour. You kept looking out for the patient brown eyes and dark curls that had left an imprint on your mind after such a short amount of time. Several times your heart leapt when you thought you saw a man with just the right physique and height, with similar brown curls. But then his head would turn and your hopes would be dashed. Unfortunately, there were so many visitors to the museum each day that these moments were all too frequent, delivering a crushing blow each time.

It was ridiculous, pining over Din and looking out for him like this. You were under no illusions to the fact that you would never see him again. The time you had spent together that evening as you gave him a tour of the museum was lovely. In another life, perhaps the two of you would have been able to explore the genuine connection. But in this life: this was it. Your paths were never going to cross again. It was utterly ridiculous to think otherwise, no matter how much you ached to see him again. You just had a little crush on an attractive older guy. You would forget about him before too long.

Fortunately, today you had no tours scheduled. You were tasked with cataloguing some of the museum’s extensive archival collection. Specifically, seventh-century Chinese pottery. Although sometimes you found such work dull, you appreciated that everything had an order to it and a system to be filed under. Once it was completed, it would be incredibly satisfying. So you had thrown yourself into such work, partly borne out of a desire to see it completed but mostly, if you were honest, to distract yourself from the kind brown eyes of a man you would never see again.

The task was going well and you were making storming progress, especially considering that it was only mid-morning. That was until the familiar presence of your manager, Julie, entered the office and disturbed your peace. The sound of a heavy object being placed on the desk with a thud, caused you to look up.

It was perhaps the biggest bunch of flowers you had ever seen, in an ornate vase with stunning patterns running the length of the glass. You could tell, just by looking at it, that it was a luxurious bouquet that had presumably set back whoever bought it several hundred pounds. Your heart skipped a beat. There was no way these could be for you.

When your racing mind finally focused on the flowers, your jaw dropped as you realised exactly what they were. With their tall, green stems and bright yellow petals, they were unmistakably sunflowers.

As you sat there, aghast at the beautiful bouquet before you, Julie finally offered an explanation: “These came in from a flower shop this morning. The delivery guy said your name. I have no idea who they’re from and trust me, I had quite a battle to get them through security. Luckily a guy called Mo vouched for you. Maybe the card makes sense to you.” Julie said, winking at you as she walked away, leaving you sitting there at your desk, mouth hanging open.

Surely it couldn’t be… from him?

You noticed the little golden card nestled in amongst the sunflowers, with trembling hands you brought it towards your face so that you could see who the flowers were from. On it, the neat black handwriting read:

Let’s show the kid a real rhino. Meet me at the gates of London Zoo.

Saturday, 11:30 am.

– D

When you saw the single letter at the bottom of the card, you almost fell backwards off your chair onto the hard wooden floor below. It was from him. You felt your skin warming furiously as you read the message. Then, you read it again to make sure that you weren't dreaming. This surely had to be a joke, right?! An elaborate scheme to poke fun at you.

But that was ridiculous, apart from Ria, who was in a different country, and Mo, who had no idea of your affection for Din, no one had any idea that the two of you had interacted. Plus, given the evident expense of such flowers, it was unlikely someone would squander such an enormous sum on playing a prank. So with all possibilities of a prank ruled out… you finally allowed yourself to believe that this was real. That Din wanted to see you again as much as you wanted to see him. He had felt the spark too and now the two of you would meet again in just a few days.

You were in complete and utter disbelief that this was real. That there was a possibility that Din felt the same way about you. That, he too, held that same curiosity towards you; that pull that made you want to get to know him better. How, though, could someone like him possibly feel this way about someone like… you?

Julie inched back into the room, clearly having kept her distance from you to allow you to process the flowers and the note. You suddenly panicked and wondered whether she had read the note, and was coming back here to reprimand you for using your job to potentially start a relationship with a visitor. You reasoned that even if she had read the note, Din had left it deliberately vague with just his initial. She would never guess it was the man you had shown around this very museum only a few days previously.

“I won’t pry,” Julie said with a smile on her face. “But whoever sent those must really care about you.”

You let out a deep sigh of relief. Julie’s demeanour proved that she was anything but mad at you. Fortunately, you and Julie had always gotten along. Unlike some of the other managers at the museum who would have hit the roof if one of their employees had been delivered such a bouquet in the middle of the day, she had been nothing kind to you. She was a couple of decades older than you and she reminded you of a family friend from your childhood. You had leant on her for advice when you had first moved to the big city.

“I think so.” You squeaked, feeling your skin burning up in embarrassment.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Julie said, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “I wish nothing but the best for you. If you want to take your lunch slightly earlier and head off now, you’re welcome to.”

“Thanks, Julie.” You said appreciatively.

Budget cuts and constraints meant that sometimes the museum was understaffed and you were overworked, but Julie was always firm yet fair on the staff. She was great at getting the best out of her employees, she knew who needed to be micromanaged and who could work just as productively while being left to their own devices. You fell firmly in the second category, much preferring to be left to your own thing. And now, Julie could sense that the arrival of a large bouquet and card would send your productivity levels plunging unless you got to take yourself off and have some time to process it.

Your phone was in your hand before you had even left the museum, you were rapidly firing off texts to Ria. It would be early morning for her, but you knew she should be awake for classes and you hoped she was there to help cease the trembling in your body that had overcome you since the arrival of the flowers on your desk.

[ilovemando] 11:37: RIAAAAA!!!!! remember din, the hot guy i showed around the museum with his son?? He fucking sent a bouquet of SUNFLOWERS to my work and said to meet him on saturday at the gates of the zoo i told him about and recommended him to visit with his kid???

[thisistheslay] 11:40: OMG WHAT!?!? FLOWERS TO YOUR DESK!!! THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING FROM A FANFIC I CAN’T BREATHE????

[ilovemando] 11:42 I KNOW. i was sure it was just my colleague pranking me but no, my manager confirmed it was hand-delivered by a flower shop this morning. and not any flower shop either, this one is like insanely london fancy. i’m just a peasant. i can’t believe this….. this kind of thing doesn’t happen to me!!

[thisistheslay] 11:45: Well, looks like it is happening to you, bestie. I’m so happy for you. What were the flowers like?

[ilovemando] 11:47: he got me sunflowers :’) after i told him van gogh was my favourite painter and i loved that piece. i can’t fucking breathe, honestly. my manager let me get lunch early and i have no idea how i’m going to eat let alone FUNCTION until saturday omg help me

[ilovemando] 11:50: but the thing is idk if it’s a date bc his kid is coming??? ahhhhh i dont wanna assume too much, maybe he just wants to be friends

You placed your phone back in your pocket as you found a place to sit in the park. Since the amount of money you had splurged on Mando merch at ForceCon, you had been forcing yourself to bring packed lunches to work in a bid to save money. It had mostly worked and you found that as the weather was improving, there was no greater delight than sitting outside in the park next to the museum and enjoying your lunch as you watched the world go by.

Once you had found an available bench, conveniently located underneath the tall trees that lined the edge of the park which partially protected you from the sun that was beating down as midday approached, you took your phone out and were relieved to see Ria had immediately texted you back. Your head had been swimming with possibilities over whether Din also viewed this as a date and you were eager to get a rational, outsider’s perspective.

[thisistheslay] 11:53: I mean, if a guy was sending a fancy bouquet of sunflowers to MY desk, I would absolutely take that romantically. Maybe he just can’t leave his kid with someone and that’s why he’s coming, I wouldn’t take that as a bad thing necessarily.

You read Ria’s message and felt your stomach flutter with butterflies once again as she reminded you of what had just happened. Din had sent you flowers. At your desk. Not just any flowers, either. Flowers that were in a piece of art you adored, that your favourite painter had created. Din had remembered that little detail about you, despite you only mentioning it in passing.

You shook your head and placed your phone in your pocket. You’d reply to Ria later. For now, you needed to eat your lunch and collect your thoughts so you could regain your composure and make progress on the task that you needed to complete at work that afternoon.

When you returned to work after your lunch break, however, you found that it was a struggle to focus on carrying out important archival research when an insanely hot older guy that you had an enormous crush on had indicated that he wanted to see you again. Not only did he want to see you again, but he had enlisted a fancy London florist to deliver your favourite flowers, a detail that he had remembered from a brief comment, no less. It was probably the most romantic thing anyone had done for you, which was not exactly difficult. There had been a sad lack of romance in your life over recent years, aside from the Mando fanfics you had consumed each night before bed. Traditional books had fallen somewhat by the wayside when you were at University, but you found that you still had a voracious appetite for reading. Especially when it came to consuming stories where you were the object of Mando’s affections.

Work kept you so busy that you found yourself quite content to be single as it meant that your downtime was yours and yours alone. Plus, adjusting to living in a new city – especially a city as massive as London – had already been difficult enough, without introducing romance into that. Yet it appeared that when you had least been looking for it, a potential love story had fallen right into your lap. It was quite remarkable timing.

Your state of mind did not improve over the next few days. It was a struggle to maintain your composure for the rest of the week and focus on your tasks. Luckily, you had been moved to have a less public-facing role as you stayed behind the scenes in the offices, working on the extensive archives. Luckily, Julie had known exactly how to deal with the situation and had understood, perhaps even before you, that you were in no position to face visitors when your thoughts lay firmly elsewhere.

Mercifully, with the help of some colleagues and a little bit of overtime, you completed the project on Friday afternoon, as planned. The relief and sense of achievement were immense, it had been no small undertaking to catalogue seventh-century Chinese pottery pretty much all on your own. You practically galloped out of work, excited for the weekend that lay ahead and in particular, to see Din again.

Despite your eagerness to leave work, you still took your time heading home, stopping for noodles at your favourite noodle shop on the way. You timed it just right so that you missed the main rush of commuters who were leaving London to return home and everyone else who was coming into London for a night out. You had had your fun in clubs and bars in the past, but you always felt ancient watching people heading for their nights out in skimpy clothes. There were a few of them, swigging from cans on the platform and laughing and chattering so loudly that you turned your headphones up to their maximum volume.

You did not begrudge them having a good time, but to you, it all just looked so uncomfortable. Rather than wearing uncomfortable clothing and cramming into overpriced bars to listen to awful music, you wanted to go home and sloth out on the couch in front of an episode of Mando. Although you had barely finished your last rewatch, you had just started another one. Despite how occupied your mind had been recently, it felt wrong somehow to not have a Mandalorian rewatch ongoing.

Lounging around on the couch in front of The Mandalorian was precisely how you spent your Friday night. With your comfortable pyjamas and facemask on, you felt somewhat relaxed, despite the churning that would commence in your stomach every time you thought about the prospect of seeing Din again tomorrow.

Although you were excited, you were also incredibly nervous. You wanted to make a good impression and hoped that the chemistry that had been there during the tour carried over to your day out at the zoo. But there were so many things to consider, questions to ask yourself about the whole situation. You found yourself dwelling on whether he viewed this as a date. You knew that you certainly wanted it to be one and sending such an extravagent bouquet probably indicated that there was at least some romantic intention there. But perhaps Din viewed going to the zoo to show Grogu a rhino as a purely platonic outing. You remained unsure of how to take it.

In addition, you were agonising over what to wear. You had triple, no quadruple checked your outfit for the zoo day out with Din. You fretted over how to style your hair, sending several shots to the groupchat to ask for their advice. As much as the groupchat had been helpful, you wished they had been physically present. There was just something about having people close that you couldn’t replicate online. Facetime and voice chats were helpful but you wished you had Ria by your side on the couch, giggling over the stupid goo facemasks you were slapping on your faces as you watched another episode of Mando. But Ria, and the rest of your friends, were thousands of miles away. You were all alone. Well, except for Mando, of course.

After finishing a steaming cup of your favourite herbal tea, you eventually turned in before midnight as you wanted to get up early to give yourself plenty of time. You were probably going to end up being at the zoo ridiculously early, but under no circumstances did you want to leave Din hanging, especially considering that you did not have his number. All you had was a time and a place to be. You were going to be there.

Despite how exhausting your week had been, sleep did not come easily. You tossed and turned, thinking about what tomorrow would bring. It was quite a turnaround of events, to go from believing that you would never see someone again to being only hours from facing them again. Nerves and excitement bubbled away in your stomach as you lay there, picturing the kind brown eyes and that crooked smile that you knew you were only hours away from seeing again…

The familiar tones of The Mandalorian’s theme song roused you from sleep at eight the following morning. You were a bundle of nerves and excitement, feeling as though your skin was tingling all over. As you lay there and slowly blinked your tired eyes open, you found yourself grinning from ear to ear as you remembered that you were awake so early on the weekend because the man whom you were incredibly attracted to wanted to see you again.

You knew there had been an undeniable spark between you and Din that evening at the museum. But you had doubted yourself and eventually convinced yourself that you were being delusional. How could he ever be interested in you? Din was just a polite, kind man, nothing more. How wrong you had been. Now, you were getting yourself ready to see him again.

Well, getting ready was yet to happen. First, you had to watch an episode of Mando as you ate your breakfast. It was a crutch you leaned on during times of great stress. If there was a big life event taking place, chances were that you had watched an episode of The Mandalorian at some point in the build-up to it. People leaned on all kinds of things, it just happened that yours was a sci-fi show that brought you an immense amount of joy. You might have been a little embarrassed about relying on it so heavily but, ultimately, you weren’t hurting anyone else with your hobby. You were proud that Mando had helped you through so much.

With your episode and breakfast finished, it was time to get ready. You had already agonised over the outfit for hours last night. However, in the early morning light, you doubted whether you looked good enough. You wanted to be comfortable considering how much walking you were sure to do, while also making an effort to impress Din. You ended up swapping out the skirt you had planned to wear for a pair of black and white striped cotton pants that were wide-legged enough to be cool in the summer. As you left your flat and headed to the station to make your way into London, you were glad for your last-minute outfit change. The thought of getting onto a busy transport network with all the grime and dirt of fellow passengers while wearing a skirt felt disgusting, somehow.

It was Saturday morning on the tube and mercifully, it wasn’t too busy. You were well accustomed to most routes by now and could use the tube with your eyes closed, if necessary. Today, however, you were so nervous that you felt yourself second-guessing your every move. Doubting whether you were heading in the right direction or on the right line and whether your tube would arrive at the zoo in time.

Fortunately, you remembered to bring your headphones, so you at least had the Mando soundtrack to keep you company. For a few minutes on the tube, you weren’t on an underground system hurtling underneath the streets of London at all. No, you were on a hyperloop pod on Coruscant, zooming along with Mando like you had seen him do several times in the show in pursuit of his most recent bounty.

As strange as it probably sounded to anyone who did not love the show as much as you did, when you listened to the music you felt as though some of Mando’s certainty in himself and the confident way he carried himself was somehow being transferred to you. You loved Mando for many reasons, but one of them was how much you looked up to him and admired him as a person. He had many characteristics that you only wished you could possess yourself. You truly felt as though he was someone you aspired to be, even if he was fictional.

You were so caught up in your fantasies, that you almost missed your stop. But fortunately, you realised in time and scrambled for the door. You glanced down at your watch and realised that you were pretty early, it was not even eleven yet. So, you decided to grab a coffee just outside the tube station so you wouldn’t be standing there at the zoo, looking like a little lost puppy. Plus, weren’t you meant to be fashionably late to dates? Or whatever this was? Wasn’t that a thing people did?

The coffee shop you selected was a bit pretentious and hipster for your taste. You had no desire to order an oat milk two pump caramel chai latte macchiato or whatever it was that people who used a lot of beard cream ordered. So you just settled on a regular cappuccino, which came with a slightly judgmental look from the barista. With your order in hand, you settled down on a comfortable seat by the window in the corner of the shop and took out your phone, firing off a message to Ria.

[ilovemando] 10:49 - ik ur probably asleep now but i’m about to go to the date with din and im so nervous aaah. he’s so hot and i feel like im going to make a massive idiot out of myself. currently drowning myself in coffee. not sure it’ll help my nerves. text me when you wake up!!

Of course, Ria didn’t respond straight away. It was not even six for her and you gathered she was asleep like any normal human would be on a Saturday. With no internet friend to calm your nerves, you instead decided to pass the time by watching the people of London pass by your window. Usually, on a Saturday morning like this, you would be nowhere near the centre of the city, preferring to keep to your quieter neighbourhood. It was a treat to sit and watch people going about their business, young and old, families and alone. You felt as though you were seeing a real slice of life outside that window.

You liked being a wallflower, a quiet observer. You used to spend more time out and about before the pandemic but after everything had locked down you realised you didn’t like people that much, as harsh as that may sound. No, since those times you much preferred to spend your time inside, watching Mando or talking to your friends. So it was strange to be out on a Saturday morning in this part of the city, watching the world go by. The longer you sat there, you found that you didn’t hate it as much as you thought you would. It was a nice change of scenery.

After a few minutes and drinking half of your cappuccino, you turned your attention inside the coffee shop. You noticed that there were plenty of couples here in this coffee shop, staring at each other affectionately from across the table, their hands clasped around their steaming mugs. It made your heart soar a little in hope, wondering whether those looks and these lazy mornings lay in your future with Din. Maybe you should do this more often. Maybe you and Din could come for a coffee here sometime.

Din, you thought with a start.

Thinking of him made you realise that you had completely lost track of time. It was now twenty past eleven and the Zoo was around a fifteen-minute walk away. You cursed yourself under your breath, you were always prone to daydreaming and could get so easily distracted sometimes, lost inside your own head. You had intended to be on time, maybe even early, to avoid giving any kind of impression that you weren’t eager to see Din again. Yet, now, to ensure that you would have to arrive there a sweaty mess, you would have to speed-walk to the zoo.

Fortunately, you still had your headphones on and you switched to an upbeat playlist, soon falling into step with the fast guitar and drumbeat as you headed to the zoo. The streets were beginning to get busier now and your earlier musings about enjoying being in the city for a change were long forgotten, replaced by a general disdain for the human race. But then you remembered where you were going and who you were meeting. You couldn't help but feel a smile creep across your face. A smile that only got wider when you approached the zoo gates and you saw a familiar figure standing there, waiting for you.

You felt yourself instantly lighten as you noticed him. A stupid, insecure part of your brain had worried that you had somehow misinterpreted things and he wasn’t going to be there. But sure enough, Din was standing right outside the gates with Grogu nestled in his arms. They were facing away from you but it allowed you to appreciate how broad Din’s shoulders looked from the back as you approached him. You were equally delighted to see the sweet little boy again as you were to see his father. After all, if Grogu had not been so drawn to Dürer’s rhino, perhaps the three of you would not be here together now.

As you approached him, you appraised Din’s outfit. He was dressed in a grey knitted cardigan with a dark turtleneck underneath it and a similar pair of dark brown trousers to those he had worn at the museum. You noticed Din was wearing his trusty brown boots once again. You thought he was a bit overdressed considering it was almost July, but British summer was typically not the warmest, so perhaps he had got it just right. Grogu was wearing a light green, short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of brown trousers. His curly hair was sticking up at all ends and you thought he looked thoroughly adorable.

You were only a few feet away from Din now, but he still hadn’t spotted you. You weren’t quite sure how to play it – should you tap him on the shoulder? But you decided against that, you didn’t want to startle him with Grogu in his arms.

“Hi, Din,” you said quietly. Din turned around abruptly to face you as if your presence had startled him.

“You came!” Din said, his face suddenly lighting up, eyes crinkling in joy. The wrinkles beside his eyes were suddenly visible, a visual reminder that he was slightly older than you. But the reminder of his age did not make him look any less attractive. Din looked distinguished and handsome.

“Of course I came! Thank you for the flowers and suggestion to meet here. I loved them, it was very thoughtful of you to remember that I mentioned loving Van Gogh’s sunflowers,” you replied, voice shaking slightly with nerves.

“I’m glad you liked the flowers and didn’t find it, uh, creepy,” Din said nervously, placing his hand on the back of his neck again like he had done the first time you had met him in the museum. It was an adorable, bashful, mannerism that you adored.

“Of course not,” you smiled. “It was incredibly thoughtful of you. I’m so happy that you found a way to stay in touch.”

“Me too,” Din whispered, his eyes shimmering with an emotion that you could not quite place. Then he shook his head slightly and remembered the child that he was holding in his arms. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing Grogu along. But, like I said, wherever I go… he goes. And I believe you originally suggested the zoo because of his love for animals, so it wouldn’t have felt right to come here without him.”

“Of course it’s fine, Din,” You smiled. “Hi Grogu!” You beamed, giving a little wave to the little boy with the big brown eyes.

Grogu returned the smile, you were pleased to see that he seemed a lot calmer than he had at the museum. You saw Din visibly relax as you were fine with his son’s presence.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Din breathed. “I was nervous that you weren’t going to show up,” he admitted shyly.

“How could I refuse an invitation to a Zoo?” You questioned with a smile.

“Really, you don’t get sick of something like this after working at a museum all week?” Din said, raising one eyebrow at you.

“Absolutely not! Well, a zoo is a bit different to a museum but either way, I always loved them since I was Grogu’s age. I was always the straggler during any school trip to a zoo or museum when I was younger. I could have spent hours there,” You began, but shook your head, realising that you were probably rambling. “But enough about me, why don’t we head inside and find those rhinos that I promised were here and that this little one would love?” You beamed, suddenly self-conscious that you were oversharing again.

Din did not seem to mind though. He seemed to enjoy your tangential little rants. Of course, a few days ago he had been a paying customer for them. Now it was just the two of you, and you were painfully aware that they could be annoying to certain people. Not everyone shared the boundless enthusiasm you held for things that you were passionate about. Not everyone found it sweet and endearing. You had learnt the hard way that people could be profoundly annoyed by your enthusiasm and did not understand that you were not trying to make them feel bad. But those judgmental people were far in the past now.

It had taken a lot of time and a lot of hurt, but you had learnt the hard way that hiding parts of yourself was incredibly draining and only caused you more heartache and pain in the long term. So, with Din, you determined that things would be different. You were going to be nothing but one hundred per cent honest with him. After all, he wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of picking out the flowers that you had mentioned just in passing if he didn’t like you on some level. It was time to be yourself and let Din see you for who you truly were.

That time had apparently come sooner than you were anticipating. As you made your way inside the zoo, you were suddenly getting the same vibe you had gotten at ForceCon. Where too many people were crammed into an impossibly small space, making things incredibly crowded. It was slightly panic-inducing, but you resolved to try and remain calm. Unfortunately, you did not have a comforting internet friend and a convenient staircase to hide under. It was far busier than you were anticipating. You usually visited the zoo when you had a half day off or on a Sunday afternoon when it seemed to be quieter. Since the weather had improved and it was a Saturday, though, it should have come as no surprise to see the zoo this busy.

Although you did not have Ria at your side, you were not completely alone. You glanced over at Din and instantly felt a rush of adrenaline course through your body. He looked so handsome, his strong side profile and beautiful nose silhouetted against the crowds of busy people. With his broad shoulders and looming presence, a feeling of calmness and security washed over you. Maybe if you had had him to ogle when you had been making your way through the crowds at ForceCon, you would have handled it better, you thought with a smirk.

That momentary relief was fleeting, though. The crowds did not cease, you found that same sensation of being swept away gnawing away in your gut that you had at the convention. But, you reasoned, you had handled that then, just like you would handle this now.

“Are you alright?” Din said, suddenly noticing that you looked slightly uncomfortable. You momentarily cringed, feeling self-conscious that he had noticed how much you were struggling.

“I’m fine, just not a huge fan of crowds,” you admitted with a slight grimace. “It’ll be fine once we clear out of the entrance though and get on the paths to one of the enclosures. Actually, I think the rhinos are right at the back where hopefully not many people will head straight away. Maybe we could go there first, work against the crowds?”

Din agreed with your suggestion and was content to let you lead the way. The three of you headed down a path that seemed to be in the correct direction of where the rhinos were. It seemed like you were walking the same way as the crowds for a little while. You feared for a second that perhaps, everyone had the same idea as you to head to the back of the zoo first.

Eventually, the tide seemed to turn and more people began heading down the narrow path towards you. You had to squeeze in and get close to Din. You inhaled sharply at the way your skin tingled as you brushed shoulders with him. It was ridiculous that such a light touch, through a shirt, could set your entire body on fire like that.

Then something bizarre happened. As you moved in to let the latest family pass, you noticed that Grogu was pointing at a young boy. You wondered for a second if they were perhaps friends, but when you looked a little closer you noticed the boy was wearing a shirt with Mando’s helmet on it. What a coincidence! You wondered if perhaps Grogu was a fan of the show. After all, despite its violent elements, it was surprisingly popular with kids. The comment Din had made in the museum about Grogu liking armour came to mind, too.

You were about to ask Din whether he and Grogu had watched The Mandalorian, but you noticed a strange look suddenly sweep across his features. It seemed to you as if he wanted this family to move past you as quickly as possible. Din sped up and hurriedly walked a few paces ahead of you further up the path, clearly eager to get away from the child as quickly as possible. You frowned slightly and followed him, wondering what precisely it was about the tiny interaction that had spooked him so much. You didn’t question Din on his actions or push for answers. You guessed that he was just a little nervous with Grogu in the crowd. After all, the kid had a habit of running off which you were all too familiar with following his antics in the museum the previous week.

Fortunately, you did not have too long to dwell on the interaction as the path came to an end and you soon found yourselves at the edge of the rhino enclosure. Din picked Grogu up, lifting the little boy so he could take in the sights of the animals over the wire fences that bordered the enclosure.

“See, Grogu?” Din said, pointing in the direction of the beasts. “It’s the same animal we saw in that artwork the other day at the museum, a rhinoceros!”

Grogu chirped in delight, bringing his hands together in glee. The child seemed happy to be here, to be spending time with both of you. He was delighted, as he took in the fact that the same animal that he had seen in picture form a few days ago, was now here before him. Grogu could not convey it in words, but you were sure that he was delighted that you and Din had gone to the trouble of bringing him here.

You looked over at Din too, finding that he was equally enthralled by the rhinos, his brown eyes wide in awe as he watched them pace throughout the enclosure. It was sweet to see whatever stress that Din had endured after Grogu had been so drawn towards that Mando shirt, slowly releasing as he gazed at the magnificent, otherworldly beasts.

You were still curious about Din’s adverse reaction to a seemingly innocent t-shirt. Perhaps Din just really hated that show, you reasoned. Pop culture was a topic that you had not really broached with Din thus far. You were a little afraid that your references might draw blanks from him given your slight age gap. Din being slightly older than you didn’t bother you and you felt as though there was no real power imbalance between the two of you. Plus, you loved how respectful and caring he was, in a way that guys your age were not.

As you and Din stood there admiring the rhinos, you found yourself mesmerised by the power of the beasts; the way their firm, coarse skin rippled as they took steps through the mud. It broke your heart to think that these creatures were poached for their horns and that some species were now critically endangered. Seeing them before you, they did not look real somehow. It was as though they were not from this universe and had fallen to Earth by mistake, one day. The rhinos looked like they did not belong here. In a way, you sympathised with them.

Despite the fact you were here with Din, you found that your mind inevitably drifted back to Mando. You thought it was amusing in a way that Grogu had been so drawn towards rhinoceroses. They reminded you of the fictional creature in Star Wars, the mudhorn, that Mando wore on his pauldron. He had managed to slay one against all odds to get its egg and keep a group of unruly Jawas at bay. You remembered watching in awe as Mando used his cunning and strength to outwit the helpless creature. The rhinoceros was probably the closest thing to a mudhorn on this earth. It was an amusing coincidence, especially with Grogu’s attraction to the Mando shirt.

After a few more minutes of gazing upon these magnificent creatures, you decided to leave the rhinos behind and head elsewhere in the zoo. Din had told you that in addition to rhinos, Grogu also liked frogs, so you headed towards the building that housed them. It was a magnificent brick building, with an ornate arch over the doorway. There were also plenty of windows to ensure that the reptiles inside were bathed in natural light. Unfortunately, it was also incredibly hot and humid inside, another measure necessary to keep the little creatures safe. You felt yourself beginning to clam up, both at the temperature change and the number of people crammed into this building. But then you looked at Grogu, his little face full of wonder as the three of you came to a halt in front of a large tank containing frogs, and your heart soared at the sight of him so excited.

You moved to continue walking further around the Reptile House, but the sound of Din calling your name stopped you in your tracks. Grogu had forced his father to stop in front of one of the tanks and was practically squirming out of Din’s arms. The mischievous little boy tapped his small chubby hands onto the glass insistently, looking at the frogs almost as though he wanted to eat them. The kid loved frogs just as much as he loved the carving of the rhino, it seemed. You watched them with a smirk on your face, admiring the sweet scene before you. Well, it was mostly sweet, Grogu was undeniably being a bit of a menace. No matter how much Din tried to tell him that he wasn’t going to be able to touch the frogs, it seemed that the little boy could not handle that fact. He was devastated by the reality that the frogs were going to remain on the other side of the glass, out of his hands.

You usually disliked small children, their wailing and constant need for attention irked you. Despite your usual disdain for children, you found it was impossible not to like Grogu. He was a cute kid, a complete charmer and, for the most part, very well-behaved. He had listened patiently to you at the museum the other day and had been exceedingly well-behaved on this trip to the zoo thus far. But it seemed that the frogs had pushed him over the edge. His bottom lip jutted out, beginning to pout. And then the wailing began. It was a terrible sound, one that was almost painful to your ears. You looked over to Din in panic, he had already gathered his son up in his arms and was pressing him against his shoulder in an attempt to console him. But nothing was working; the kid would not stop crying.

“Shhhh, Grogu, shhhhh,” Din said, pleading as the toddler’s temper tantrum began to turn more than a few heads. “Sorry about this… I think it might be best if we head outside.”

“It’s fine Din.” You nodded and let him lead the way.

Despite how busy the exhibit was, when a person had a wailing toddler in their arms, the crowds just parted instantly, without question or hesitation. You smirked as Din made his way through the crowd, mumbling ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ with a frequency that any Brit would be proud of. You finally made it outside, blinking in the light. Din swung Grogu off his shoulder and looked at his son, caressing his cheek with his thumb, wiping the tears that were staining his chubby cheeks. You were in awe at the calmness and speed with which Din had approached the situation, undaunted by a wailing toddler which was, to you, a terrifying prospect. He was a natural at fatherhood, that much was obvious.

“Alright, pal. We’re out of there now. Please calm down, Grogu,” Din pleaded, looking nervously around at the nosy onlookers.

You could tell that he was embarrassed and you felt incredibly sorry for him. After all, there was nothing to be ashamed about. Grogu was just a little boy, he didn’t understand that he couldn’t hold the frogs. You decided to step towards them and hopefully offer some words of comfort.

“Hey little guy, what’s the matter?” you asked, concernedly. “I know you love frogs, I really do… but you can’t touch them, Grogu. They have to stay in their tanks so they’re nice and warm. It keeps them safe and protects them. Just like you feel protected when you’re in your dad’s arms,” you smiled, hoping that your words were cutting through to the tearful little boy. Grogu stopped wailing and titled his head to the side, as though he was trying to process the new information you had given him and make his mind up whether it was agreeable.

“That’s right, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to the frogs, would we?” Din joined in, nodding at you appreciatively for your intervention.

Grogu was still for a few moments but then began furiously shaking his head. It seemed that yours and Din’s kind words had finally gotten through to him.

“Good boy! That’s it, Grogu, well done for understanding why you can’t touch them,” Din said proudly.

“Well, you can’t touch those frogs, Grogu. But perhaps we can head to the gift shop on the way out and there might be a frog toy there for you?” You offered with a smile, hoping that Din was okay with such an offer.

Din nodded, seemingly approving of your suggestion and you felt relieved that you had not overstepped your boundaries. Thanks to yours and Din’s soothing words, Grogu soon calmed down. Now that you did not have a crying toddler to contend with, you turned around and noticed that you were standing by a play area that was currently deserted of any children. You laid eyes upon the swingset that was currently empty, a mischievous idea forming in your head.

“Shall we go on the swings?” You questioned playfully.

“It would be rude not to,” Din said with a smirk.

You made your way over to the swings, taking a seat as Din sat at the one next to you, Grogu sitting in his lap. Din told him to hold on but you had already begun moving yourself in earnest, kicking your legs out, determined to swing higher and higher. Din looked at you, a wide smile on his face as Grogu giggled. It wasn’t long before you and Din were both laughing hysterically.

Only moments before, Grogu had been violently wailing, but that terrible scene was now a distant memory as the three of you swung on the swing set. You knew that you would feel self-conscious about unleashing your inner childish side like this with most people. But with Din, you truly felt as though you could be yourself. You felt too, that the more he saw you interact with Grogu, the more he was also beginning to lower some kind of guard that he had encircled himself in. You continued happily swinging on the playground for a few more minutes until two small boys ran up to it, their faces dropping when they saw it was occupied. You felt as though you couldn’t stay there any longer with them watching you like that, so you looked at Din and the three of you climbed off and allowed the kids to play.

After leaving the swings behind, the two of you headed to the penguin enclosure, keen to see the magnificent black and white birds swimming around with your own eyes. As you and Din leant on the railings, Grogu between you, mesmerised by the creatures, the conversation shifted towards your romantic lives.

“So… uh, I was thinking perhaps we could go for some lunch at the cafe over there. Is that alright? I mean, there’s no one waiting for you back at home?” Din asked, his deep voice trembling as his brown eyes remained firmly fixed on the penguins.

“No, Din,” you breathed. “There’s no one waiting for me at home.”

“Wizard!” Din exclaimed. “Oh uh… I mean good, I wanted to spend the entire day with you.”

“Me too, Din,” you smiled. “I take it from your reaction that there is no one waiting for you, either.”

“No, it’s uh… it’s just me and Grogu. Always has been since I found him,” Din divulged and you thought you saw him grimace slightly as he admitted that. “I adopted him, you know. Don’t know much about his early life, but I’m all he has, now.”

“I gathered you had adopted him, but blood doesn’t always matter. I think you’re an amazing father,” you smiled at Din encouragingly.

“Thank you,” Din whispered, his voice cracking and eyes shimmering at your compliment.

At that moment, the little boy you had just been discussing so fondly decided to hold out his arms to Din, an indication that he wanted to be picked up. Din leaned down to scoop him up and the moment passed, but the implications of the conversation you had just shared were clear. You were both single. There were no barriers to you exploring something together. Grogu then began rubbing his stomach, an indication that he was hungry and the three of you headed towards the cafe that Din had earlier spotted.

After a delicious lunch, the rest of the afternoon passed without incident. Mercifully, Grogu did not encounter anything else that upset him as much as the Reptile House had. You and Din strolled around the remainder of the zoo at a leisurely pace, chatting to each other a little bit about your pasts as you went along. There was nothing in particular that either of you wanted to see, happy to let the mood dictate your pace. There was no pressure, nowhere for either of you to be. You gathered from comments that he had made about how busy he had been at work that week, that this was a rare, calm moment in Din’s schedule, as it was yours. He seemed to be relishing it as much as you did.

You were enjoying every moment in his presence, relieved that the spark you had first felt at the museum had carried over to your day out today. However, it was difficult to have a real conversation with him over the constant noise and toddler that you were accompanied by. Much as you had enjoyed your day out, you longed to see Din again in a quieter environment, perhaps just the two of you. But you would not make any demands or push him. Although he had been deliberately vague about what exactly it was that he did for a job, it sounded hectic and stressful. You completely understood if he wanted to spend his downtime with Grogu. You would put no pressure on him, expecting nothing even though you were extremely keen to see him again.

Eventually, you realised that it was almost closing time for the zoo. It was time to make your way to the exits and leave the animals and lush scenery behind. Though not before your promised visit to the Gift Shop, of course. You had promised Grogu a frog, after all. Fortunately, Grogu laid eyes upon the perfect toy to offset the disappointment that he had earlier felt at not being able to touch any of the amphibians. It was a bright green frog plush that he had toddled over to as soon as he laid eyes upon, pointing to it with a chubby hand, his brown eyes looking up at you expectantly.

Despite Din’s protestations that he would pay for it, you insisted. You wanted to treat the precious little boy and reward him for how well-behaved he had been throughout the day, despite his momentary lapse. Plus, Din had bought your tickets and the lunch you had enjoyed by the penguin enclosure. You felt it was the least you could do. The child was overjoyed, hugging his new frog friend tightly in one hand as he toddled alongside the pair of you out of the shop, Din clasping his other hand.

As you made your way out of the zoo, there was an ice cream van by the entrance, clearly aimed at the crowd exiting the zoo, complete with persuasive children in tow. Grogu had locked eyes on the van that was selling the sweet, sugary treats and of course, there was only going to be one outcome, his big brown eyes were too much for Din to resist. So the three of you ordered a British summertime staple: a classic 99 Flake. It was soft-serve ice cream on a cone with a crumbly, flakey chocolate bar stuck in the ice cream.

After walking away from the van, the three of you found an empty bench to sit on, to watch the world go by and enjoy your treat. Grogu was perched contentedly on Din’s lap, and you noticed, heart skipping a beat, how close you and Din had naturally found yourselves sitting on the bench. Your shoulders and arms resting against each other, your thighs touching too. It felt surprisingly comfortable and affectionate considering how little time you had spent together. But you were certain of one thing: it felt so, so right. Of course, there were probably limits to what public displays of affection Din felt comfortable with in front of Grogu. You felt certain that this was a sign of his intentions, one that set your pulse racing.

After you had all finished your ice creams – Grogu had ended up wearing more of his ice cream, the sweet treat smeared all around his lips, on his cheeks and nose – the three of you sat there in companionable silence. You watched as the dregs of the crowd filtered through the ornate gates where you had started your day hours before. The silence was pleasant, you were enjoying the sensation of being close to Din, his warm strong body resting against yours. You wondered if he had enjoyed the day as much as you had, hoped he had, at least. You wondered whether Din would like to see you again or if that was it. As if he could read your racing thoughts, Din broke the silence that had settled between the pair of you.

“So, uh. I was thinking… I would love to see you again, perhaps sometime in the week, after you finish work?” Din offered. “I can leave Grogu with a friend and meet you at the museum. Just be the two of us.”

“That sounds wonderful, Din,” You breathed, a shy smile crossing your lips as you looked into his soulful brown eyes. “I would love to.”

“Great!” Din said, smiling widely, clearly relieved that you were both on the same page about wanting to see each other again. “Let me give you my number, I’ll be in touch.”

You took your phone out of your pocket and held it towards your chest, unlocking it with slightly shaky fingers, overcome with excitement and tremendous relief that he had enjoyed your company. You were careful to hold your phone close to your body as you unlocked it so that Din could not see the picture that was your lockscreen. You weren’t sure how to explain the photo of you standing next to the incredible Mandalorian cosplayer that you had taken a picture with at ForceCon to someone like Din. Especially considering the way he had earlier responded to the Mando helmet t-shirt. You weren’t ready to show Din what level of nerd you were just yet. Surprisingly, you hadn’t brought Mando up to him yet. It was partly due to his reaction but also because you knew by your nature, how hard it would be to hide your true enthusiasm for it and just act like a casual fan. It was best left until you had gotten to know Din a bit better.

The unfamiliarity and uncertainty that lingered, despite how sure you were that you wanted to see Din again, was a reminder that this was only the second time you had spent time together. It was hard to believe that you had just met, because when you spent time with Din, you felt, somehow, that you knew him already. You had felt instantly comfortable in his presence, as though you had known him for many years.

And in a way, you had. You just didn’t know it.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @toxic-seduction @survivingandenduring @readingiskeepingmegoing

#my fics #tbobw #din djarin fanfic #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin fanfiction #mando x reader #mando x you #the mandalorian fanfiction #pedro pascal characters

57 notes · View notes

aerkame · 1 year

Note

Dude I am loving this finfolk au of yours with welcome home! I would love to know more, especially how someone might accidentally end up on the island. Like, does home just send puppets sometimes if they think they'd be a good addition or does Wally leave to play matchmaker if someone feels lonely? Is there an economy where they sell or interact with the mainland? And I wanna know more about how Howdy's poison works and hope to see his full finman form, kinda got a crush on him. Keep doing what you do!

Ehehehe- I decided to use Howdy for anatomy practice today since you like him so much, I'll definitely try to come up with a full form for him tomorrow or this week :)

But it's nice to hear more and more people enjoy this AU! (Anatomy notes and some sketches at the bottom if anyone is curious) I'll answer as much as I can for this ask. Right below this lovely picture.

Usually people don't just end up on the island of Home "by accident". Say that someone were to be on a ship and suddenly a storm forms out of nowhere, sinking what is left and the stranger is carried to Home by a strong current. It's no accident, but it's set up to look like one.

Wally, is usually the one to make storms way out there. He never explains it, but it's already a well known fact that Home probably told him to do this. If not storms though, one or two of the neighbors do leave for the mainland to retrieve the new neighbor. Whether it be by force or deception. Finfolk (much like in Orkney Folklore) are known for kidnapping and deception so it's no surprise that they usually go this route.

However, if a neighbor takes a liking to someone they may take their sweet time on mainland. Disguised as a whole other puppet (they are known to be shapeshifters), they would most likely butter up their darling until it's too late for them to realize what danger they're in. Off to Home they go!

Even if it seems random, there is always a reason why Home might send someone out to retrieve a new neighbor to add. No one will know what reason, but sometimes Wally is the one to set things up as well. And yes, sometimes he will play matchmaker, it makes him smile to see someone in love (even though most finfolk are just borderline obsessed with puppets on mainland). I guess you could call him Cupid The Fish Demon. "That person seemed so sweet...I think Howdy would love them. What do you think Home?"

There is surprisingly somewhat of an economy that they have on the mainland. Like I've stated before, this is a universe where just about any mythical/folklore creature exists. There would of course be a market for all things magical or purposeful. It's pretty much just Howdy on the Mainland that handles his own seafood restaurant, but usually he's away at Home or handling business with an underground potion shop. The restaurant is handled by trusted employees while he's gone (he's like an owner that checks in every once and a while, probably 3 times a month to make sure things are going smoothly).

The majority of his potions are made at Home, the only place he feels his work is safe at. The potions aren't like that of Wally's work or any of the neighbor's, instead he focuses on more deadlier concoctions. Need someone to go into a never ending sleep? He's got a potion for that. Need someone to get mysteriously sick and die over a long period of time? He's got you covered. Most of his ingredients come from exotic and unknown fish native only to the waters surrounding Home. Though sometimes he will use himself for some potions that are non-lethal.

His scales and fur are usually coated in a thin layer of a slick substance. It is a neurotoxin, affecting the nerves and causing a range of symptoms depending on how much is touched or consumed (usually it's worse if you consume it). Most common symptoms are tingling, numbness, burning sensations, paralysis and sometimes loss of consciousness (though it's short unless you really take in a lot of it). He usually uses this in potions that are meant as a sort of tranq or sedative. Some potions made for causing specifically paralysis (he uses other ingredients to make it last a long while.), sleeping death (sleeping, but it outwardly appears like the person is dead when they're not), severe pain, or a potion for a long and painful death.

No matter what he makes, Howdy is proficient in it. He prides himself in his work like no other.

Some Notes

I know it may sound boring to most, but the best way I did this was looking at muscles for a good 30 minutes and drawing out different shapes that look similar to each muscle. A lot of the muscles look like stretched out diamond shapes or oddly shaped pancakes stacked on top of each other. As for the arms, you can use the chain method on them even with Howdy, it's just at an angle.

You should practice on paper first, but if you are struggling with proportions then try it digitally. Select areas (like a limb) that might seem out of place and resize it until the proportions look okay. This way you can learn how to fix the proportions and later hopefully not need to resize anything in the future.

A note for drawing buff dudes is that the muscles tend to stack on each other like misshapen pancakes or balls of dough. It's not exactly an oval or diamond, but it's shape is stretchable and changing. As for the legs, Men tend to have very square-ish hips and more blocky looking thigh muscles.

119 notes · View notes

heartfullofleeches · 1 year

Note

I am not sucrose anon but I am equally cursed and also a barista and I would like a coffee shop AU where reader owns a popular cafe using coffee sweetened with Sucrose fluids a la Sweeney Todd

I'm gonna drain the bitch

[Warnings: (candy) body horror if you squint. Reader commits a health code violation. (Does it count if they're a person made of pure sugar?) Either way, they commit some sort of crime against humanity and minors dni]

You smile at the next customer approaches the counter. "Hi, what can I get for you today?"

"Hello, can I get a cherry surprise frappe?"

You eye the door to the back, a blur of pink ducking behind the glass. "Oh, I'm sorry, but we just ran out of the main ingredient for that. It's one of our most popular drinks. If you can wait a minute, I'll run to the back real quick to grab another bottle."

Excusing yourself from the customer and the growing crowd, you head to the back. Recollections of your life before the sudden popularity boost of your cafe flood your mind as passive conversation buzzes around you.

"This is the best coffee shop I've ever been to."

"I wake up an hour earlier to beat the morning rush, but now it looks like I'll have to get up an extra thirty minutes before."

Such praise was but a fever dream for you until three short months ago. It's understandable for business to take a while to pick off when you're starting from the ground up, but almost a year in and no sign of major progress would damper just about anyone's spirits. All your troubles and woes changed that fate-filled day - when the kind baker from across the street offered you their special ingredients.

"Sucrose? You busy?"

A breathy, shaken trial at laughter comes from one of the counters; legs twitching at the note of concern in your voice. Busy - what a silly question to ask. As a model baker and business owner, Sucrose prided themselves in having fresh stock every morning and enough to last the entire day. Slaving through the night and lacking a need for sleep left their hands free for the more important things to do during the day, such as the task you'd dumped on them since your merge.

"hehe.. r...right here, gumdrop, same as always. Was starting to get a little long without ya.. Need my assistance?" Sucrose props themselves up on the smooth metal surface, melting, sticky thighs glueing them to place. You hand on their bare chest guides them to a full upright position, thumb and index finger rolling over their hardened buds.

"Not really, besides the usual. We ran out right in the middle of a rush so I have to make this quick."

Sucrose swallows, pinkish saliva trailing down their lips as their eyes fog over. "Y-yes, muffin. I'm still a little stimulated from the last few rounds, but anything for you..."

That drink really was only meant for you. Seeing their favorite human in trouble, Sucrose wanted to help out in the best way their sickeningly sweet heart could muster. Human emotion was still a new thing for them. They were bursting with so much love for that cute barista across the street that it came out in ways indescribable with words. Being sweeter than the average individual, they saw no harm in pouring their love into something to make you feel better, so they made their best attempt at iced coffee with the knowledge they picked up watching you. The look you gave them when you came back for more made it impossible to say no.

"It's almost funny really. I thought we had filled up two bottles alone last night, but they were empty before noon." Dropping to your knees, you roll the baker's apron and skirt up to their stomach, erection peaked and sprouting upwards free from the restrain of the tangled frills. The shaft was that same bubblegum pink as most of their body, head teetering on rouge. Teasing your tongue across the leaking tip produces more of that cherry flavoring so many had come love, but relief for the already frazzled baker was cut brief as you remember you had forgotten something. Sucrose picked up on your mistake the second you fell to the floor - producing a bottle with a funnel before you could go far. Their eyes avoid yours as another weak fit of laughter hits them.

"That... is definitely odd, haha. As you can see I've been in here all day so I couldn't possibly have had a hand in-..ah!"

While you'd love to hear their excuses, you have customers to get back to. Glossing your lips up their shaft as they spoke, you cut Sucrose's speech short as you part them slipping the confectioner's cock into the warmth of your mouth. Sweet as the cupcakes they're famous for, the taste of cherry taffy washes your taste buds coating the walls of your mouth sweetness as you pump your tongue in tandem with each bob of your head. Sucrose was completely over the edge with your speed and all the "preparation" they'd done while watching you from the window. Could there be any turn on greater than seeing your beloved hard at work, and hands deep in product of your own making.

"Oh.. Sweetheart, give a fiend a warning next time...aha.."

Sucrose shoves their apron so far down their throat they would've choked if they had the needs. In the same vein they could feel their cock hitting the back of yours, all willpower bled into keeping their hands on the counter and their moans to a minimum. The fans would cut out most of the sound, but they didn't want to risk anything that could jeopardize their time with you. Sucrose's lust would be the end of your already limited time together as their hands reach down to tangle in your hair. You brace yourself for what's to come by grabbing onto their leg and angling your head in a better position for the brute pace they'd set.

"Y/n... love you.." Throwing their free leg over your shoulder and around your neck, Sucrose fucks your throat as sweet nothing ramble on from their empty head. The whole reason they had gotten caught was due to a similar lapse of control. They wanted to surprise you with another bottle of their syrup and wanted it to be as fresh as possible, commiting their misdeeds right in the bliss of your bedroom. When you found them out, you weren't mad, nor as disgusted as they'd imagined. Why would you be? You're their wonderful little gumdrop who's taught them so much about the human realm. So sweet and addictive, just like the sugary concoction brewing in their loins. You were their everything. Perfection.

"Gumdrop, you're always so good to me... I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you, but I'll give you everything."

Sap-like fluid creating a slug trail down your throat, you tap Sucrose's leg to let them know to let go before it's too late. They pay no heed to your warning as their hips edge off the counter and your nose rides against their crotch; melting digits keeping you in place as they hold you under the force of their high.

"Take it... It's all yours. You're the only one who should be able to have this, but I let you share because I love you so much.. Yours.."

Sucrose rambles on as your palate is overtake by their taste. It's like a mixture of syrup and coffee creamer. That heavy, honey consistency with a creamy cherry filled softness. The type of flavor that was good in small quantities or paired with something instead of being pumped straight into your stomach like what was happening to you. Introducing your teeth to their flesh finally got them to loosen their grip. The pain only prolonged their orgasm, but Sucrose knew by now what that meant. They take the bottle from you and attach it to themselves as you head for the sink. The heat of your mouth melted their skin more to the point you were good on sugar for the rest of the week...or until they were unable to perform on their own again.

"All done!"

Sucrose proudly displays the syrup bottle on the counter beside you. A full eight ounce jar filled to the brim. They kiss you as you come up from rinsing out your mouth, reach back to squeeze your ass as their tongue catches the spit still clinging to the corner of your mouth.

"Make sure to watch your supplies more closely, Gumdrop. See you soon."

Sucrose wonders back to their side of the kitchen to figure out how to pour out the syrup again without you noticed as you head back out to the front - plucking taffy from your hair. After finishing the customer's order and handing them their change, they lean over the counter to whisper something.

"Um, hey, not to be rude, but you have something pink on your.. back pocket. It kinda looks like a handprint."

#happy april fools #They say despite starting this two days prior #Sucrose my oc #yandere #yandere oc #yandere x reader #yandere imagines #yandere headcanons #yandere insert #yandere scenarios #yandere x you #yandere blurb #yandere drabble #yandere smut #yandere teratophilia #yandere nightmare #i put too much effort into this

304 notes · View notes

exceedboundaries · 6 months

Text

Probably one of the first things I've made for Apricity: two iterator OCS and a slugcat OC! Hidden Dreamer and Fourth Tide Dreaming are a few months old, while Rain on Dawn Glass is newer and from when I actually started thinking about the AU. Both are part of a local group somewhat adjacent to the canon group's, and they're both slight oddities when it comes to, well, being iterators.

Fourth Tide Dreaming and Rivulet are both connected within this AU; while Tide is a companion to Dreamer, Rivulet is a slugcat from Tide's original community with a thirst for adventure that Dreamer set out towards Unparalleled Innocence's can upon request.

Read more below; they're all characters near and dear to my heart. (Especially Tide!)

Hidden Dreamer (or Youngest Dreamer, which was their original name), is the youngest iterator of any known in the broader region. They were created as a last minute replacement for their can after its previous iterator, First Spring Risen, severely malfunctioned and had to be decommissioned. Dreamer's ancients loved them dearly in the short time they had with them.

They're still considered young by many iterators who know of them, barely set in the ways that other iterators had many cycles to develop. They spend less time on what their fellow iterators do and spends more time on understanding the flora and fauna--mostly fauna--of the world, as well as on their companion, Fourth Tide Dreaming. They're easily excitable and chatty, and prone to loneliness. The string of colored pearls around their body in this form makes up just a piece of their treasured collection and catalog of information and messages.

Fourth Tide Dreaming, a slugcat that stumbled into HD's can, eventually became their companion. Their internals have been severely modified since then, mostly synthetic with effort put into longevity of life and survivability. Tide needs little food to survive and is slipperier than most predators expect--and more durable to match--which has often made them the messenger of choice whenever communications are slipping. They're also from Rivulet's original community, as mentioned above!

Rain on Dawn Glass is perhaps one of the tallest iterators of the lot, and one from the last normal generation of iterators. Her can is specialized towards communications, and as the greatest hub of its kind in the area, connects many local groups and regions of iterators together. Her can serves as the basis for most forums and points of connection between iterators today, as the most polished communications hub of the ancients, and most of her duties revolve around its maintenance.

She's a busy iterator, as her body effectively routes all current communications to recipients. She's used to being ignored for who she is in favor of what she can do for others, although it grates on her, and it's most often just her local group that talks to her as an actual person. She has a fond spot for Dreamer--perhaps something more--because Dreamer has never treated her with any distance or unthinking manner.

Dreamer and Rain's local group has utilized the iterator-off-the-string technology to band together to maintain Rain's can, which often leaves them dealing with nearby local groups to source ever-scarcer and ever-particular materials. They have a small contract with SRS to obtain specific compounds that Spearmaster helps retrieve.

#rain world #rain world au #apricity #rain world oc #rain world iterator #iterator ocs #slugcat #slugcat oc #exceedart #my blorbos #they are also lesbians. and very cute ones at that #i'm back to full time at work so you get my ocs. sorry

37 notes · View notes

tulipe-rose · 4 months

Note

Hello! I hope this isn’t a bad time, but could I request a short fic of Yuna and Milo? Like they’re just having some mom and daughter time :3 oooo, maybe they went to get food for Milo’s birthday since it is coming up?

If you decide to do this (please don’t if you don’t want to) you can do any au you’d like

ILY(/p) SAFFRON, BYEE! ♥️

Of course (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ Sorry for the late reply btw. I was out all day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~¶~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Milo, my little angel.

Modern au, no ships. Biological!GiYuLo au.

Fluff.

P.s Happy birthday Milo!!

Today's the most important day of the year. Well, at least to Yuna it is.

Milo will be turning fifteen today! Yuna couldn't believe how quickly the years passed. Just yesterday Milo was a little ball of energy, waddling around adorably, being their little bundle of happiness.

They already celebrated her birthday a week in advance, since Giyuu had to travel for an exchange program between schools. Milo was already content with the celebration, but Yuna wanted to give her a few more surprises.

Yuna had a plan, but she had to wait for Milo to leave before she could execute it. Milo planned to go out with her friend group today, and Yuna was going to take advantage of that.

''Mum! I'll be heading out now! I promised to meet up with the others at the station. See you later! Love you!''

''Love you too angel! Don't be late, it's a school night!''

Yuna knew she didn't need to remind her, Milo was responsible enough to meet curfew, but she couldn't help herself. She was unable to stop herself from being extra careful. She didn't want to take any chances. The surprise must be perfect!

Yuna heard the front door close with a soft thud, before getting to work. She opened her closet, revealing the hidden gifts. She had ordered some fake roses for Milo to decorate her room with, a new flowy knee-length violet dress and a white brooch she noticed Milo eyeing at the store.

A little thing about Yuna is that she loves to spoil her daughter, like her husband. She got into the habit of buying at least two gifts for Milo on her birthday, being influenced by Giyuu's gifting habits. This year she had to compromise though, given the circumstances. She gave Milo one present during the early party, and will be gifting the rest to her tonight.

The order did arrive late, but fortunately made it in time. Yuna was relieved when it arrived last night, calming her tense nerves.

She specifically disliked ordering online due to it's unexpected timings, but she had to rely on it this time, and she's fortunate enough for it not to let her down.

She spread the gifts out on her bed, admiring her taste in gifts. Soon, she started feeling like enough time was wasted, and gathered everything to place the gifts neatly inside a box with white and lavender wrapping.

With that part of her surprise done, she went onto the next part of the plan.

Now, Yuna doesn't know what's gotten into her, but she forgot to order the snacks. She planned to enjoy a movie with some snacks tonight, but she somehow overlooked the latter, and only just noticed. She did her best to be positive, feeling like getting herself down would only waste time. She threw on a quick outfit, leaving for the nearest store.

''I need to hurry up. I still have to prep the living room, putting out comfortable pillows and warm blankets. I checked with Milo, she said she'd have lunch with her friends, so that relieves me of making proper lunch. I can just heat up some leftovers, it's high time they're eaten before they go bad'' She got her thoughts organized on her way to the store, while pulling out her shopping list, looking through things she needed.

~Timeskip to when she's back home, almost done with her to do list~

''The sun's setting already? Milo should be home anytime soon, gotta put the last touches before turning the lights off.''

Yuna wraps up any leftover work, putting the dried dishes away, and taking the roses out, and placing them on the table. She fixes herself up a bit, going in for a quick shower, safely assuming Milo wouldn't turn up for another thirty minutes at the very least.

Little did she know, Milo decided to return home early. Her mother emphasized her curfew, so she decided to turn up early just in case. She tried to give her mother a call, but there was no response, so she decided to ask her about it when she got back. Milo always kept a spare key with her, since her father insisted.

The apartment was dark and the lights were off, so Milo thought that may be her mother turned in early, or went out to buy something. She walked further in to see the kitchen illuminated, going to investigate, she found a decently sized bouquet of roses sitting on the table. Milo didn't expect to see it, but she did love roses, so she picked up one of them, taking a whiff of it's fragrant aroma. She knew they were fake, but she couldn't help but admire their beauty.

''MILO!?''

''Mum! You're here!''

Yuna didn't foresee this, but she decided to just go along with her original plan, but a little improvised.

''Happy birthday, my little angel...''

She embraced her daughter, smiling joyfully, greatful for her daughter's happiness and health. Milo returned the embrace, feeling tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

''Thank you... I'm truly grateful to have you mum!''

Sorry it's kinda late and rushed, I was out all day, and organizing my thoughts was pretty hard. I hope there aren't too many errors.

''Me too Milo, me too!'' Yuna leads Milo to the living room, which was left without lights, since Milo decided that she didn't want to turn them on only to forget them.

What meets Milo's eyes is exactly what she needed after such a long and tiring, yet fun, day.

The sofa was littered with the softest pillows they owned, and her favorite blanket, suitable for the chilly weather. Milo went over to huddle up with her mother on there, smiling giddily at how fluffy everything was.

''What's on for tonight?''

''A movie chosen by the birthday girl, and a mountain of snacks.''

''Ooo! I actually saw this one movie about demons and a main character with a tragic backstory, who's mission is to take them down to save his sister!''

''That movie's a small continuation of the series. The series is till ongoing with three seasons. I don't mind marathoning it with you though! You up for it?''

''Mhm! Definitely!''

They start the first episode, with barely ten minutes in, but Milo's already balling her eyes out.

''T-tanjiro deserved better! He's such a nice character! Why d-did this have to happen to himmm.''

Yuna, also a little moved by the tragedy, but mainly by the effects and graphics, pats her daughter's back reassuringly.

They go through the first season by midnight, and Milo starts dozing off.

''Did you have fun sweetie?''

''Yes, mum. I...-'' a yawn involuntarily interrupts her speech, which leads her to change what she intended to say. ''-should probably turn in and call it a day. The characters were all amazing, but eerily familiar. It was great though.''

''That's a relief then...''

Yuna picks up her daughter, thanking her workout while carrying her to bed, tucking her in and making sure she's comfortable. She reaches out to caress her daughter's cheek, eyes overflowing with warmth.

''No matter how old you grow up to be, you'll always be my dear daughter.''

She places a soft kiss to her forehead, brushing her soft hair off of her face, with great care and gentleness.

''Sleep tight, Milo. My little angel.''

I really hope you like it Kim. I didn't proof read this, because I wanted it to be out as soon as I finished it. Sorry if it's a bit ooc, I'm not the best at character analysis (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

I'll tag @larz-barz here, because this was the only thing I was able to do for Milo special day, sorry bout that.

Thanks for requesting this Kim, I didn't know what to do for Milo's bday.

#saff-ron tag #writers on tumblr #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #oc #ao3 writer #milo suzuki #yuna handa #mutuals oc #au #request #ILYT KIM #HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILOOO #mwa mwa

19 notes · View notes

merlyn-bane · 7 months

Note

Trick or treat! 🐈‍⬛🍬 Would love wlw codywan thoughts, please! May that revolve around a published fic (She Plays Bass, maybe 👀) or unrelated ideas

Happy Halloween!!! 🎃🐈‍⬛🎃🐈‍⬛

Lol most of my thoughts regarding sapphic Codywan are screeching, ❗❗❗❗❗, and general keysmashing, but I'll do my best! 😘

Unless stated otherwise, Lady Wan is a l w a y s Mullet Wan. To me. From my own fics, she wouldn't have the mullet in the Hobbit/LoTR fusion probably, and I think I drew her with a ponytail in the Star Trek AU, but in my heart, Lady Wan rocks the Big Jedi Mullet 25/8

Speaking of the Star Trek AU, I like to think that they promoted Obi-Wan into the officership in an attempt to distance her from sciency stuff she could inadvisably touch as much as because she's just a good leader. She gives Cody even more migraines than having to try to contain her curls does

Part of why I love writing sapphic Codywan so much is because they just lend themselves to the hypercompetent-useless-lesbian trope so well, and as someone who is completely and helplessly in love with Gorls myself, I can relate haha

It's been too long since I've thought about She Plays Bass!! My thoughts for you today on that is that Cody's 1000% favorite place for Obi-Wan to sit is on her face, and Obi-Wan is rightfully obsessed with Cody's thighs and singlehandedly becomes the reason that Cody can't wear any kind of shorts/skirts on stage. Also, the mental image of them kissing on stage a la Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemmons lives rent free in my head.

She Plays Bass thoughts part two--Obi-Wan and Fox are probably fucking obnoxious together on tour. Just constantly bickering and taking the piss out of each other just because they can and they're happy to have a worthy verbal sparring partner. Everyone hates them. They will not shut up.

Cody's banana briefs are real!! I have to keep talking myself out of buying them haha. https://rodeoh.com/collections/briefs/products/brief-harness-banana

Thanks for playing, @dontbelasagnax!! Mwuah!!

#trick or treat game #ask games #codywan #sapphic codywan #wlw codywan #rule 63 #asks

25 notes · View notes

lakesparkles · 9 months

Text

Guilt (chapter 1 - bjhm fanfiction)

Actually, I'll share two fanfics today since they're for totally different fandoms.

This one is very, VERY self indulgent. I wrote it mostly for myself, but I think there is no problem showing it to other people.

It's all about my AU that Mr Peanutbutter dates both Diane and Guy. I started shipping this not seriously, but now I love them for real. It'll be three chapters long in total, I already finished everything.

Once again, sorry for any mistakes: not only because English is not my first language, but also... I probably got something wrong about Texas or the movies mentioned. And here's something I drew for it:

You can read it on this google doc or under the cut: (5662 words)

Chapter 1 - Guilt

Upon meeting Mr Peanutbutter after years, Diane tries to get used to a familiar feeling.

---

Honestly, Diane was used to the guilt.

She used to joke that it was something that had haunted her since she was five, but no one thought that joke was funny. Well, they just didn't understand it, she thought.

Sometimes she would be sitting at the kitchen table and the feeling would run over her like a truck. The old bitter guilt. She didn't know what she had done wrong though, that didn't stop the feeling from continuing to plague her throughout her life.

When she was at Boston University, she'd overhear conversations from her deer classmates, who had their own number of inside jokes. They laughed and talked about their "freeze" instinct: something about prey and evolution. Diane might not be a deer, but she related to it in a strange way, and it was not surprising to learn that humans were once hunted too.

Part of that remained deep in her brain and now expressed itself in the form of guilt. Walking the streets, it was as if she needed to run away, while at the same time she couldn't move a muscle. She felt in danger. Everyone hated her. She had done something wrong.

But what?

Having something to feel truly guilty about didn't help, however. All those years had never taught her to get used to the feeling, so it only got twice as bad. Until later. Aside from the unfounded fear, it was like she was being haunted every second of her life.

She and Guy passed a palm tree on the way to the pharmacy. He had his arm around her neck when he asked "Feeling like LA again?" and that was enough to unlock all the memories she was trying to repress. She laughed as she answered, but the guilt had already set in.

Pickles had recently been hired as a television show host (along with her new boyfriend. Was he her boyfriend? Diane didn't know that singer, even though he seemed famous). Pickles looked happy, with her tongue hanging out and tail wagging like before.... before she met Diane. Guy surreptitiously switched channels when Diane became static, perhaps already understanding her unspoken feelings.

It was something she should just get used to….Probably.

It was expected of her.

What she didn't expect was to have a new constant reason for guilt.

"If it isn't my favorite girl on this planet!!"

She heard him before she even saw him. She barely had time to react before being wrapped in a tight hug, even needing to take a few steps back to keep her balance. Such contact continued for a few seconds, Diane not knowing what to do with her arms and uncomfortably wrapping them around his waist.

When they separated, Diane had the opportunity to actually observe him. Mr Peanutbutter was staring at her, his brown eyes half closed by the smile that wouldn't leave his face. He looked exactly like he always did. Except not. She was well aware of the resistance that the other had for aging... Or rather, showing it. However, now it was as if he was finally accepting, his fur - naturally extreme yellow - becoming lighter. The region near his muzzle had been the most affected, several white hairs framing the nose. The tips of his ears also had the messiest short hairs, almost lightening too.

Only then did Diane realize that Mr. Peanutbutter was speaking to her:

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre made it look so different! Here it's kinda... Cold? And look at the buildings! It wasn't quite what I was expecting."

"If your Texas home base is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre... You're sure to be blown away! Come on, California is right next door, it's impossible that you haven't been to Houston at least once" Diane tried hard to pretend that she understood what he was saying and that she hadn't been distracted during the whole beginning, but she didn't manage to avoid interrupting herself to say: “... You seem so different, Mr Peanutbutter.”

As always, it was difficult to translate her thoughts into words, however, that didn't stop the other from giving her a small smile:

"I've been to Houston several times, just never this early and... Here" He seemed slightly shyer while answering, lifting his shoulders and tilting his head.

"Never been here outside of a plane or car, is what you mean."

"You seem different too, Diane."

The uncomfortable silence that fell between the two of them almost worried her. Maybe that's where it started: the guilt. The way he looked at her, his eyes practically glowing, disguising something she didn't understand.

Fortunately, this moment was broken by Mr Peanutbutter's inability to remain silent for more than 20 seconds:

"Let's get going!?" Without even waiting for an answer, he tightened his hand around the suitcase that was beside him, dragging it when he started walking. "I can't wait to see everything here! Where is Starbucks? Ah, my hotel too! What's in all those skyscrapers? I still can't get over that part!"

"Wow.... You and Guy are going to get along so well. He loves going out and just looking at the buildings. It's his ideal date idea” Diane smiled as she remembered how many times he'd taken her down those exact same streets, only to see the same buildings that looked exactly the same.

"Oh, Guy!" Mr Peanutbutter dramatically dropped his body weight, letting his head fall back. "You have no idea how much I look forward to meeting the man who stole my best friend's heart!"

His sincerity brought a smile to Diane's lips. She looked away and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she concluded:

"I'm excited too."

When she got the message from her ex-husband a week ago, she genuinely thought the whole situation was going to be a little awkward. According to himself, he had just joined a new project - "but the contract doesn't let me tell anyone yet", he said before giving several details about the film - which would have its beginning shot exactly in Houston. It seemed like he was just commenting on the coincidence with her, but the truth was, the two of them rarely texted each other those days. Diane quickly read between the lines, innocently saying they could meet so she could introduce him to the city and... Well, she still thought it would be uncomfortable.

However, now she and Mr. Peanutbutter were crossing the street, the sun passing through the buildings and leaving everything with that slightly cold and comfortable color of the beginning of a day. They talked and laughed, updating each other on the last few years - Mr Peanutbutter would talk about how amazing it was to share the mansion with BoJack; Diane would talk about her new home; Guy and Sonny; her book series; and how well she was doing. The two apparently haven't lost the connection they once had. She almost forgot how easy it was to talk to him, and at that moment, it was as if they hadn't seen each other for just a few days. Maybe they didn't seem as different as they thought.

When the guilt found its usual place inside her chest, Diane knew the feeling was there to stay.

•∆•

She was wrong again and it didn't make anything any better.

They found Guy nearly an hour and a half later, which was when he was free for the rest of Saturday. Part of her thought it would also be a bad idea to introduce her ex-husband to her current one… For obvious reasons. She was afraid of making Guy insecure or Mr. Peanutbutter sad. It had taken her many, many months to just open up to her husband about how her old relationship had been like. Something about it all just didn't fit in her head, like there was something wrong.

But there she was, Diane fooled again, unable to read a situation well!

And there were Guy and Mr. Peanutbutter, walking as if they already knew each other, talking and pointing at the damn skyscrapers. Guy put his arm around Diane's waist, keeping her close. Mr Peanutbutter was wagging his tail and gesticulating with his free from the suitcase hand, completely at ease.

None of that made the situation any better, like she said. Of course. The guilt doubled and commanded her to flee…or to freeze. Whichever came first.

All those years of therapy never made the bad feelings and insecurities stop. But they helped her to control herself and to smile as if she had nothing wrong with her.

She suspected she'd learned that herself, though.

"Hm, I think it's here! It looks like the photo" Mr Peanutbutter muttered as they arrived at a specific building. Diane craned her neck so she could see the cell phone the dog was holding, comparing the photo with the view in front of her. Both looked like a slightly old-fashioned mansion, with details carved into their mostly white structure.

"It's on the same street as the website, that's it" She confirmed, still moving her gaze from the hotel to the photo and vice versa.

"I didn't know this was a hotel" Guy commented by raising an eyebrow. "I thought it was one of those haunted mansions they have all over town and nobody talks about, for some reason.

"I know, right!? "Mr Peanubutter's ears pricked up. "Inside? One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, check it out! But on the outside, I feel like I'm about to enter a sequel to The Shining!

"Why are you making so many references to horror movies today?" Diane couldn't help but ask.

"Ah, I thought it would be good to open horizons for genres that I didn't used to watch that much and I'm actually enjoying it?"

Damn it! She regretted the question, her mind framing the next few seconds an instant before they happened.

"That's great, Mr Peanutbutter!" Guy could barely contain his excitement. "I'm a horror movie lover myself, I used to collect DVDs when I was younger!"

"Have you watched Nosferatu of 1922? Do you believe that no streaming has this movie? I looked everywhere and! I! Can't! Find! It!"

"Are you kidding? My father gave me a copy for one of my birthdays. I have it at home!"

"Really?"

"Do you want to stop by tonight so we can watch it? Yeah, I think that's a good idea!"

"Can I really have the honor of visiting your home now? Wow, I would love to."

"What? Of course! Having a Hollywoob star in my house has always been a personal dream of mine, y'know?"

Automatically, they both started to stare at Diane, as if waiting for a confirmation. Her already tight heart sped up, leaving her confused about what to feel. Part of her was dying to know what would happen. The other, more sensible one, knew it was a recipe for disaster and guilt. She was never one for superstition, however, this one came almost as an omen. Would it be worse if everything went right or wrong? Which one would make her feel less like crap?

They expected an answer.

Diane almost froze in the middle of her trillion thoughts.

She wanted to run away. But of course Diane would run. It was what the old Diane always did.

That's why she replied:

"After 08:00 pm I'm free!"

Mr Peanutbutter's tail didn't stop wagging after that. Not even when they said goodbye and he walked into his haunted hotel. Diane let out her breath, but the tension remained. She still didn't know why.

Guy smiled and gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek, putting his arm around her neck to guide her back to the walk:

"I have to admit, babe, you have good taste in men!"

"You're flirting with my ex-husband... Is that what's going on?" Diane opened a sarcastic smile, making it clear that she was not serious.

"What? None of that! I'm flirting with myself!"

It made Diane laugh and feel lighter. She surreptitiously hugged Guy closer, as he always managed to make her feel better.

The problem was herself.

•∆•

"Hm, how was your mansion there in California?" Guy asked as if he didn't want anything. He always used this same tactic when he wanted to know more about her old life, since Diane hardly liked to talk about that time. Something about bad memories and guilt, y'know?

She looked up from her laptop to him, who was sitting on the couch parallel to hers. Guy only watched TV before that, beer bottle in hand. Now he was looking at her with that small smile and twinkling eyes, probably trying to win her over for an answer.

Diane sighed, as he had succeeded:

"I didn't just live in mansions there. First I lived in a small and dirty apartment... Then in the mansion! So I went to another small, dirty apartment."

"Yeah, I more or less remember that part."

"Hmmm it was weird. But I liked it."

"The small and dirty apartments or the mansion?"

"The mansion."

Yeah, it was true. On a certain level it was. One of the problems Diane had to deal with all her life was getting used to change. Even the little ones bothered her. So it was possible to imagine how, suddenly, living in a house seven times the size of the previous one - with a celebrity - had affected her. Diane could barely feel at ease. It was like she was an invader, far away from her natural habitat. She found the mansion too big and too empty, realizing how there weren't enough people for that space. It was just Mr. Peanutbutter, Diane, and various things that didn't belong to her. She usually got lost all the way to the kitchen and didn't know how to get back to her room.

Part of her was afraid she would never get used to it at all.

However, Mr Peanutbutter was the part that made her resist a little longer. The dog handled everything in a calm and even humorous way, waiting for her to get used to it in her own time. He came looking in the middle of the night when she took too long, lost... but that's how she found the roof. Unlike everything else in the house, this one became her place. She could breathe or smoke, taking time to herself. Mr Peanutbutter joked that she must have had several cats as her ancestors, as she just loved to be up high and watch the stars.

It was one of the only things Mr Peanutbutter automatically understood about her, always leaving her alone when she went up there.

Looking at the situation with the brain she had now, she could understand her ex-husband a little more. Maybe his fear of her just giving up on him had been there since that beginning. It gave new meaning to jokes and patience from him, internally nervous that she might never fit in. In this she could empathize, even though she already knew how it all ended.

Despite all the initial problems, Diane was amused to think how seeing the place as home slowly dawned on her. She would come home from work exhausted, automatically kicking off her boots in the entryway and heading straight for the sofa, where Mr. Peanutbutter was waiting for her and they would both watch a movie until they fell asleep, Diane laying her head on his lap to receive caress. Her things were spread around the house, her laptop and books were the common things to find on top of the tables. They turned a room into her office. Even though most of it still obviously belonged to Mr Peanutbutter - like all the decor, furniture and dog toys - he also printed several pictures he took of her, plastered on the walls right next to his.

That house became as much of Diane's as she allowed at the moment, and she was grateful for that. She was sure there were plenty of uncomfortable and bad moments in there, but the trick of nostalgia was to make the good ones the first to pop into her mind.

Oh, if only she could explain all these feelings to Guy...

"It was similar to when I first started living with you, I guess" then Diane shrugged, trying the best way she could find. "It was kind of uncomfortable... But I wanted to get used to it, so I did!"

"Yeah, I remember," Guy chuckled, already getting ready to get up from the couch. "Don't get me wrong, honey, but it really took a little while for you to get used to it."

"I'm like that with everything."

She had her suspicions that this was a bit of a touchy subject for Guy. When they started living together, he constantly corrected her every time she called their home "his house". They had that same conversation several times, Diane not liking how much it reminded her of her life with Mr. Peanutbutter and becoming even more reluctant.

The environment she lived in Chicago, despite the extreme cold, was comfortable in an easy way that her mind was not prepared for. Guy's house was a lot bigger than her dirty apartments, but definitely smaller than the mansion in Los Angeles. Diane was a particular fan of the kitchen: something between the dark window, the plants and the decor made her feel at ease there. She used to bring her laptop so she could write on that table, finding it amusing how the closest thing she ever had to a home was actually a kitchen.

Until Houston happened.

She had to let go of her comfort zone, because she really wanted things to work out this time... I mean, she already believed that it had already worked out with Guy. He never failed to make her feel comfortable and safe, even in the small things. So she allowed him to make this new house her home too. Diane's office was one of the first rooms they planned. She even picked out some furniture and made suggestions for the decor. Anyone who entered there could see the mixture of both.

Even now she couldn't help but glance at the various framed portraits they kept in the room, with all of Guy's family included… Diane being present in most of them. She was surprised by how happy she looked in the photos. And she was even more surprised at how genuine it was.

She wondered if the old Diane would be proud of how much she had changed.

"What does Mr Peanutbutter like to eat? Do you remember?" That's what Guy asked as he stood up, stretching with will and finishing drinking the rest of the beer. "To tell you the truth, I'm never sure what people eat watching a movie."

"Popcorn is too obvious as an answer" Diane replied, taking the question more seriously than she realized. "I think another kind of snack would be better... Do we still have Doritos?

"I'm going to the kitchen to check" He took a few steps forward, but stopped to continue. "Soda or beer? I vote for beer!

"Of course you do... Two votes then."

"Excellent! Do you think he'll like Kit Cat?"

"Guy...."

"Oh, right. Chocolate. Dog. I forgot."

As Guy walked through the doorway into the hall, Diane closed her laptop with her fingertips and took a deep breath.

She would be all right!

Why wouldn't she?

Yes, she would!

No worries.

Stop thinking about it, Diane.

Diane, stop!

After checking that it was half an hour before 8:00 pm, she realized that she wasn't sure what to do. She took a quick look at the outfit she was wearing: her signature pink sweatpants and a pale yellow tank top. She even thought about wearing something more formal, but she couldn't feel the need when it came to Mr. Peanutbutter. He was more than used to seeing her for years at any time of the day and in all kinds of clothes... often without any at all.

Diane, what's your problem!?

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and walked into the kitchen then. Unfortunately, Guy was already doing pretty well on his own, expending all his skills to get Doritos and Ruffles into the bowls in an orderly fashion. She knew he knew all about his old, expensive beers and she couldn't wait to hear him explain about it when Mr. Peanutbutter arrived.

She walked around the house. She did nothing. She glanced at the watch several times and consequently made time pass even more slowly.

In the end, she and Guy ended up in the same place they started, only difference being them sharing the same couch.

To avoid an extreme urge to grab a Doritos too soon - and just wanting to stop thinking -, she settled her head on Guy's shoulder and let his fingers in her hair lighten her body. It had worked so well that she jumped when she heard the doorbell ring.

It was exactly 08:00 pm and come on, Mr Peanutbutter was still so punctual? She figured she still had a few minutes to prepare, or that she'd accidentally sent him the wrong address... Or that he just wasn't going to come.

Would she even rather he hadn't come? Her anxiety said yes. She, in fact, did not. One thing she also learned was that she could hardly lie to herself for very long. If something made her heart beat as hard as it did now, it could only mean that she cared.

She only moved when inevitably she had to pull her head away from Guy's shoulder, who decided to go answer the door, since his wife had stopped working. Diane got up right after him, even so, just standing in front of the couch like a game NPC.

You're not like that, Diane!

What is wrong?

Are you 12 years old by any chance?

Getting nervous about seeing your ex-husband?

About seeing Mr Peanutbutter?

She thought time would make things easier, however, it had been the opposite.

She snapped back to reality as soon as Guy opened the door, her brain still not used to seeing him and Mr. Peanutbutter interacting so naturally. Stepping back, Guy allowed the dog to enter at last.

Mr Peanutbutter was dressed as he had been earlier - his usual: V-neck shirt and sweatpants. The only change was that now he was also wearing a colorful blue coat, which indicated that it must've been colder outside than inside, judging that it had already gotten dark.

"Hi, Diane, hi!" He waved with one hand, and only then did she notice that his other arm was occupied by a package he was holding. It was a... plant? Mr Peanutbutter followed her gaze. "To say thank you, I brought this! It's not much, but Diane told me that you like plants and that you had some at home.” He had turned to Guy when he said that last part.

"Serious? Oh! Thank you!" Guy finished locking the door and opened a smile. "They're in the kitchen... This one will fit well, it's so beautiful!"

"It's a... It's a, what's it called? No, wait, I decorated it. Aglaonema! I have no idea what it means, but I also thought it was beautiful. It is kinda pink!"

Diane barely paid attention to what was being said, her mind still stuck on the dog's first line.

"Did you remember me saying that?" She tilted her head. "Who are you and what did you do with Mr. Peanutbutter!?"

Obviously she'd said it as a joke but, as soon as the words left her mouth…she realized she just sounded cruel. Mr Peanutbutter gripped the potted plant a little tighter, laughing awkwardly. Even Guy stared at her with an enigmatic expression - but that couldn't mean any good.

"It's beautiful, Mr Peanutbutter, thank you very much!" Diane concluded this way, trying to undo her mistake.

Fortunately, the dog's attention quickly shifted elsewhere:

"Beautiful is this house of yours! Did I just walk into the Devil Wears Prada? Because this decoration is worthy of an award!"

Diane had never watched this film before and imagined he hadn't either... But she appreciated his effort to improvise.

"The place is not very big, but it makes up for it in beauty" Guy shrugged, already starting to walk closer to the sofa, where Diane was still. "I always wanted to own a house with brick walls, and our room has a balcony!"

"Ohhhhh" Mr Peanutbutter was wagging his tail from side to side, his gaze moving to every inch of the living room.

Diane pretended not to notice how much he paid attention to the paintings—it was her favorite part there, too.

The rest of the night passed in a blur as her brain could barely focus on anything. It was one of those days she just... wasn't there. She was nowhere to be found. The three went to the sofa, talked a little. Mr Peanutbutter still had a lot of questions and ended up learning the bare minimum of their relationship. Diane even responded, telling and reminiscing - with a warm heart - of her early days with Guy. Everything seemed so peaceful. So right. She just wanted her mind to be there as much as she was.

The fact that they were watching a black and white movie about a bat didn't help either, she had to admit. It was nearly impossible to get her attention, her view flickering between Mr. Peanutbutter and Guy, watching them eat and comment on the movie.

Yeah, part of her was right. Interacting with the two of them was really strange.

Or was it weird just how it wasn't weird?

Did she want it to be weird?

Did she want everything to go wrong and have a real reason for guilt?

That way, without nothing, she knew the problem was only her.

Diane sighed. She got a Doritos. She rested her head on the couch.

Maybe she was just nervous about how nostalgic the situation was. Unconsciously, he remembered all the movie nights he had spent there in California. She ended up falling asleep every time, it was an inside joke between the two: how much she never managed to finish a single movie. She only regained consciousness when she felt Mr Peanutbutter lifting her off the couch, calmly carrying her to the bed and holding her until he fell asleep too.

At the same time, the first few days in their new home in Houston came to mind. Guy was proud of how big the new TV was, and Diane couldn't resist staying up late watching anything with him. She never cared what they watched, just lying in his lap and enjoying the feeling of him stroking her hair. The room had a huge window, every now and then Diane would turn her head and peek through, oddly reflecting how pleased she was with her new life.

The mix between these two good memories, however, only made her feel bad.

What did her mind mean by that? What are you thinking, Diane?

She got another Doritos. Mr Peanutbutter laughed out loud at something Guy had mentioned. That sight made Diane smile.

•∆•

The house without Mr. Peanutbutter felt silent and empty now, even though he'd only been there for one night.

Diane put the water bottle in the fridge, her thousand thoughts exhausting her and leaving her thinking, in the end, of nothing.

She just wanted to go to sleep.

Fortunately, she could hear Guy going to bed in the next room. All she wanted the most was to stay beside him, bury her face in his fur and realize that everything was still okay. Everything would be fine. It was something Guy was good at doing, as if his presence brought comfort in any possible situation. She knew that was one of the reasons she was so much better today, even if she didn't want to take credit for herself either.

She slowly opened the door to her room, closing it behind her. Diane didn't think much. Thinking would only make her regret it before she even did anything. So instead, she approached the bed with light steps, sneaking under the covers until she was close enough to Guy. This one barely had time to turn to her, Diane burying her face in the back of his neck right away. So he just relaxed, allowing her to envelop him in a warm, tight hug.

"Have I told you that I love you very, very much and that I appreciate every second I spend with you?" Diane murmured quickly, having some difficulty with how much her voice was muffled by all that fur he had.

"Well, you used to demonstrate that quite often, yes" Guy nodded, his voice already coming out lazy from sleep. "I really love you, too but... Any other reason for this all of a sudden?"

"What is this relationship that I can no longer spontaneously declare myself to my own husband?"

"I never said you couldn't!"

Diane sighed, realizing that she couldn't hide behind jokes anymore—which, apparently, only she understood as jokes:

"You had every reason in the world not to agree with any of this. Thank you for taking such good care of him and being so nice... Mr Peanutbutter is not a bad person."

"Is it this!? I know he's not! I was nice because I genuinely liked him."

Diane sank deeper into the nape of his neck, planting a small kiss there:

"You handled it a lot better than I could."

"It wasn't difficult," Guy laughed, half sarcastic, half serious. "Do I look like someone insecure to you?"

"Ehrrrrr..."

"You can't use anything I said when drunk as an argument!"

"Hmmmmm...."

"Or anything I said after 11:00 pm!"

"Okay, I'll let you win this time."

"I trust you."

Abruptly, Guy shifted, the sudden movement causing Diane to let out a quick, thin scream. It turned into a laugh when it was his turn to pull her into a hug, placing several kisses scattered across her face.

"You're drooling on me!” Diane pretended to complain, her humorous tone betraying her speech.

"Stop being so attractive and irresistible then!"

This took them to kiss each other for a few minutes, until sleep reached both of them and Guy ended up lying with his back on the bed - from living together, she knew that was the most comfortable position for him, since his horns always complicated everything.

Diane felt his breath. She had her head resting on his chest, which went down and up. She was quite relaxing. Diane almost felt relaxed. It was one of those moments when she loved another person so much that her body felt numb.

Guy was one of the best things that had ever happened to her.

That she could never deny, the guilt being there or not.

Damn it!

She had almost forgotten!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

No... She wouldn't blame herself. It was a loop that the old Diane was more than used to. None of it would work or make her better, no matter how angry she felt at her own feelings.

So she focused on Guy once more. It could be cheesy, but he was her safe haven most of the time. Even almost asleep, he ran his fingers through her hair, comforting her.

Diane smiled at it.

She woke up earlier than usual the next morning. To her it was always like that, either too late or too soon.

The blanket was more on the floor than on her body, and Guy had let go of her in the middle of the night, now facing the wall, his back to her. Diane yawned and it took a few more minutes for her to become truly conscious, her mind being in that strange state where no thoughts made sense, reality blending in with the rest of the dream. As her husband was a nerd for that sort of thing, - okay, she was also a little - she knew that middle ground was called the Twilight Zone.

Another yawn escaped her as she reached for her cell phone on top of the cupboard, unplugging it from the charger.

She was grateful that she was still so groggy when she noticed that she had a new message.

It was from Mr Peanutbutter.

She clicked before she even had time to think. She knew exactly the way the dog wrote, full of emojis and exclamation points.

However, this time there were only a few lines of text:

"Good morning, sunshine! Thank you for yesterday, I loved coming to your house

I have to admit I was nervous about things getting awkward between us."

What the fuck did he mean by that?

Damn Twilight Zone and its power to make her so dumb and slow!

Diane yawned yet again. She realized that she did this when she wanted to pretend she wasn’t nervous. She then went back to bed, trying to sleep again.

She already missed when all she felt was just guilt. Not this other feeling that she was also quite used to.

(NOTE: Over the last few weeks, I've been slowly rediscovering my love for writing. It's been comforting!

This was initially supposed to be a oneshot, but it would be huge so I thought it’s best to separate it into smaller chapters,,, in my head, there will be 3! But you never know when it comes to me.

Oddly my favorite part so far is writing Guy's lines, I have so much love for him inside of me)

#my writing #diane nguyen #mr peanutbutter #guy bjhm #bojack horseman #I know writing bojack fanfics is kinda of ridiculous #but this AU is important to me #and the show in general

30 notes · View notes

lo-fi-charming · 11 months

Text

Jondaisy Fic Req List

So today for @jondaisy-week, I wanted to finally sit down and make a proper recommendations list of some of my favorite jondaisy fics!

This list will include fics that fall under a wide variety of ratings; I'm leaving it up to you guys to take note of warnings and tags if something here catches your interest, since all necessary info will be on the fics on ao3. If you see anything you like, please consider commenting if you give it a read! A lot of these don't have nearly as many comments as they deserve <3

Swans Down by KingOuija

Daisy feeds Jon an entire cake. This one feels special, in how it is a moment both mundane and odd, quiet yet charged; intimate not only due to the physicality of the actions, their bodies, but also the trauma these two now share. I feel like it's impossible to pitch without underselling this one!

Tell Me To Tell You by BeneathSilverStars

Jon and Daisy explore being able to say 'no/stop' and have someone listen to them. I love this one for how it explores boundaries and trust, both with and without the aid of kink... There's just something so distinctly jondaisy about it, considering their history.

Going Soft by Prim_the_Amazing

An A/O/B setup herein Daisy's traumatic experience in the Buried causes her to shift from an alpha to an omega. This one is REALLY soft and sweet and features one of my favorite scenes from any tma fic!!

live wire by bluejayblueskies

Jon is a researcher who stumbles upon the temple of an old hunting god. Really love how Daisy is portrayed here, it's a very fun take on a jondaisy chase with interesting consequences~

Stay here under my tail by RavenXavier

Worried that Basira might be interested in more drastic measures to prevent Jon from taking live statements, Daisy offers an alternative. I love this one because I think it offers a slightly darker (yet somehow, sweet?) trajectory for Jon and Daisy's post-coffin relationship. They're till trying to be good, but maybe not doing the best job. I especially love how, in most cases, Jon is portrayed as a major element in Daisy's ability to 'behave herself', while in this one Daisy takes it upon herself to be that role for Jon. Delicious...

Blood and Quiet by PitViperOfDoom

Another take on god-of-the-hunt Daisy, though this time we also get god-of-the-hunted Jon. This one's got a bit more plot involved; it's a fun setting and explores Jon and Daisy's dynamic really nicely! And I'm a sucker for anything that's got a bit of Watership Down in its DNA.

if you're lonely- by blackwood (transjon)

A 'high school' AU where Jon and Daisy meet as kids and become friends. A big theme in this one is how both of them dealing with Gender Feelings, which holds huge appeal for me~

Heartbeating by chshrkitten

This one is short but it captures the sort of intimacy I really love with these two, something quiet and secret that happens in the dark... I love anything exploring the tightrope walk of Daisy trying to be normal about being close to Jon and wanting him in ways that might not be very appropriate, but she's trying to be better...

THERE ARE PLENTY MORE, but I need to make myself keep this list a bit short or I'll be here all day. Maybe at some point, whenever I finally do a thorough re-read of all my bookmarks, I'll come back with more! Who knows, by then there might be brand new jaisy fic I'll be dying to share~

#jondaisy #jaisy week #fic recs list

38 notes · View notes

thesweetnessofspring · 8 months

Note

You open the door. You see nothing. You walk a bit further to see who is there when you hear “You here to finish me off, sweetheart?” Right when you notice my eyes between brown mud, I say: Trick or Treat!

What are some autumn/Halloween activities Everlark would love to do together? (Panem or Modern, or both!)

Special request: Give me some brief drabble of them doing one of those activities :> Alternatively, tell me about a current WIP and give me a line from there :)

Well let's get this party started! 🎃 First some music:

In Panem, Everlark is certainly in the forest foraging nuts and apples and their garden is filled with pumpkin and corn. They're baking fall treats with the toast babies and cuddling up by the fire at night. They are all about the coziness of the season.

For a modern Everlark, here's a short-ish high school AU:

“What next, little duck?” I ask Prim over the din of the crowd. Her gaze catches Annie Cresta’s face, which has been painted with scales and starfish and shells, giving the senior the appearance of a mermaid, especially factoring in her long, wavy brown hair.

Prim has been staring at people with painted faces all night, and it’s eating away at me. The high school’s Harvest Festival is technically free. Each student gets 100 tickets to play games and can purchase more if they want to keep going. But this event is also an opportunity for fundraising for the school’s clubs and sports teams, so not everything is free, including the face painting. We’ve been smelling kettle corn and hot dogs all evening but not purchased any, sharing the free 100 tickets between the two of us, and passed by the chance to put Principal Coin in the dunk tank. The face painting is the one thing I catch her still wanting.

I can’t stand Prim’s silent longing and think about the $10 bill I have in my back pocket as my “just in case” money. More like just in case we get stranded and need bus money home. But it’s just one night…

“Hm, how about we go to the bean bag toss?” Prim says.

I take her hand in mine and say, “Actually, I have a surprise.”

We squeeze through the pressing crowds until I make out the blue pop-up tent with a colorfully painted sign decorated with monarch butterflies, pumpkins, princesses, and flowers reading: Face Painting

There’s a line and I plant Prim and I in it.

“Oh Katniss, are you sure?” Prim asked. Ever since our dad’s accident, our finances have been tight and spending money on something like face painting was frivolous for our family even before that happened.

“It’s the Harvest Festival,” I say. “We can have some fun.”

She gives me a hug around my waist and I squeeze her tight. Then I notice the face painters they have working right now. Two are kids who live off of 6th Street and are total stoners. I can’t remember their names. The other one, though, is only the sophomore class’s golden boy himself, Peeta Mellark.

What he’s doing here and not flirting with girls while scooping out popcorn with the rest of the football team, I don’t know. I check the signs at the booth and sure enough, this one is fundraising for the drama department. I didn’t know Peeta was even in the drama department. The football and wrestling team, sure, but drama?

I watch as Peeta dabs a sponge with red paint over a little boy’s face, smiling and chatting to him as his hands work. Then he uses a brush to create webbed lines, creating a half-Spiderman mask onto the boy’s forehead and eyes. And I’m surprised at how good he is for a high school boy.

Then Peeta turns to the line, which Prim and I are at the front of and I’m jolted like I’ve been caught staring at him. And I guess I have been, technically, only there had been something so fascinating about watching him paint. He smiles and waves us over to the seat now empty of the Spiderman.

“Hi,” Peeta says. “What are you getting done today?”

Prim’s eyes skate over the pictures hung up with examples of what they can get done. There’s a lot of Halloween stuff–cats, bats, spiders, witches, ghosts, pumpkins. Then some generic ones–superheroes, princesses, animals, mermaids.

“Are these all of the choices?” Prim asks.

“If you’re willing to take a chance I could go off-book for you,” he offers.

Prim considers this and I want to warn her of the risk of being disappointed if it doesn’t turn out, but I also don’t want to insult Peeta. His Spiderman was pretty phenomenal, so I let her make the choice without my interference.

“Can I get a dragon?” Prim asks.

“Sure thing,” Peeta says, “What color?”

Prim and Peeta talk a little about how she wants her pink dragon done and then as Peeta starts working on her face, discuss Prim’s most recent obsession–dragon books. The library is one of the few places we can go now and have stuff to do without worrying about money and she’s been eating up everything she can read with dragons. Peeta patiently listens as she describes her most recent read, a little dent between his eyebrows as he concentrates on the sweeping details of Prim’s dragon face painting.

“There you go,” Peeta says, handing her a mirror.

“Oh! It’s like it’s going to fly off of my face!” Prim laughs. I peek over her shoulder to get a look and while it’s not that realistic, the wings that spread over Prim’s eyes and the dragon head with silver horns on her forehead, the ribbed body and tail down her nose, are a true work of art. I feel bad it’s going to get washed away.

“Glad you like it,” Peeta says. Then he turns to me and asks, “Did you want one, too, Katniss?”

I shouldn’t be surprised he knows my name–we’ve been in enough classes together over the past ten years–but I can’t remember a time he’s used it before.

“We’re only getting the one,” I say and reach my hand out with the $10 bill.

“I can make it a sister special, two for one,” Peeta says.

I bristle and give my hand a jerk to insist he take the money. “We don’t need any charity, thanks.”

“Katniss,” Prim admonishes. She’s always the polite one and that’s why I have to be the protective one, to make sure she doesn’t get taken advantage of.

“No, no, it’s just…uh…my ex is the next in line and I…it’s a little awkward right now,” he says, giving me a sheepish smile. “You’d really be helping me out if you stayed so she got Jason or Gianna instead.”

I know who he’s talking about, but I peek out the corner of my eye to make sure. Glimmer Erikson. They’d started dating over summer apparently, something about concurrent football and cheerleader practices bringing them together. A big upset happened two weeks ago at homecoming when he broke up with her at the dance. I’d overhead some other kids talking that Glimmer had been ready to pick a fight with Clove Sanchez for grinding up on Glimmer’s ex Cato, and she ended up punching Peeta when he tried to stop her from getting physical.

And I don’t know why I know any of this, but I feel some sort of strange need to protect Peeta right now, more than my own pride. I sit down and take Prim’s spot on the chair directly in front of Peeta. He gives me a relieved smile and asks, “So, what do you want?”

“Oh, um…” I look at all of the options, but none of them really feel like me. Princesses? Superheroes? Pumpkins? I look to Prim, but even she’s stumped, the dragon’s wings on her face compressing as she squints her eyes to consider the options.

“I can go off-book for you, too,” Peeta says.

And I know from Prim’s face he’s more than capable. I shrug. “I don’t know what I want. Maybe…surprise me?”

“Really?” he brightens up at my invitation.

“Sure,” I say, then amend, “Just no cats. I get that enough with my name.”

He laughs. “Don’t have to explain that to me.”

I give him an unexpected smile. Peeta, the baker’s son. Yes, he would certainly understand.

He gives his head a little tilt, scanning my face, and then picks up a sponge with orange face paint and lightly dabs it over my cheeks and nose.

“How’d you end up doing this?” I ask. “Aren’t you on the football team?”

“I paint the sets for the drama department,” Peeta says. “And they need the help more than the football team anyway.”

“Oh, I didn’t know…” I say. “Did you do those mountains for The Sound of Music last spring?”

I hadn’t gone to the show, but the backdrops were up on the stage for months while we had a million anti-drug, anti-bullying, anti-drinking-and-driving assemblies to sit through. I’d ended up staring at those backdrops to keep some kind of sanity, imagining myself hiking along them with the trees and the fresh breeze.

“I helped. Jason and Gianna worked on it, too,” he says and switches over to a brush, dipping it in brown paint and lightly brushing it along my temple. “We’re doing Beauty and the Beast in the spring this year. You should audition.”

“What?” I ask. I had to work a part-time job at Subway after school. I didn’t have time to dance around a stage.

“You have a beautiful voice,” he says. “In elementary school, when we had those music classes? You always sang so much better than everyone else. I think even the birds outside stopped to listen to you.”

He remembers that, so long ago?

“He is right,” Prim says. “You would be the perfect Belle.”

I scoff. “Too bad I’m a terrible actor.”

“It’s a high school show,” Peeta says. “Trust me, if you don’t make the audience’s ears bleed they’ll take you.”

I don’t pursue this path of the conversation further, feeling ganged up on with Prim and Peeta trying to get me into the drama department. Instead I take notice of Peeta’s large hands with the delicate little brush, focusing on one part of my face and then another while he dabbles on reds and yellows and oranges and browns. I have no idea what he’s putting on my face, but even without Prim standing there watching him work, I trust that he’s not going to do anything to embarrass me like some other boys would have done.

“Finished,” Peeta says and hands me the mirror. I let out a little gasp. Along the left side of my face he’s painted a tree trunk with its branches extending out along my forehead, dappled with autumn leaves on the branches and down below along my cheekbones and nose that were lightly dusted with a misty orange as the backdrop for the leaves. It’s not the garish, intense painting of the provided options, but a soft, delicate work worthy of its own frame.

“Like it?” he asks, a little cocky. It’s clear that I’m in awe of it.

“It’s beautiful,” I say.

“Well anytime you want a facepaint,” he says, “I don’t charge friends.”

Friends? I wonder. But I don’t have time to think of it as the next person is coming up behind my chair. I give Peeta the $10 and get pulled back into the crowd of the Harvest Festival with Prim. We take a dozen pictures of our facepaint together and, when Prim insists, separately. And even though we have the memory preserved, I can’t stand to wash it off that night, carefully laying on my back before falling asleep so I can see it again in the morning.

Katniss's face paint inspo:

#thg trick or treat #thg trick or treat 23 #everlark drabble #everlark fanfiction #thg fanfiction

22 notes · View notes