#ace martin

[angelamontoo]

Crack-up(1936) Directed by Malcolm St Clair

One of Peter Lorres most underrated films and characters. He gets top billing, which I find pretty cool, especially since he's billed quite low on some of the others I've talked about so far despite his characters having equal or greater importance to their respective films plot

Of the movies I've talked about today, it probably has the least noteworthy cast other than Lorre to me personally, but by no means a bad one.

A lot of people seem to strongly dislike Brian Donlevy as Ace Martin, but I enjoy him in the role and think he has a pretty fun dynamic with Peter Lorre. Ralph Morgan also gives a wonderful, understated performance as John R. Fleming, who keeps up his state of sorrow throughout the film, even in scenes where John is both silent and sharing the screen with a character played by known scene stealer, Peter Lorre

[cult-of-the-eye]

I love how intricate asexuality can be. No sex at all? Sure! Just want to watch? Brilliant! Only comfortable with topping? You go girl! Only rarely feel aroused and when you do it's very touch and go? Wonderful! Kinky but not in a sex way? Coolio! Queerness is full of nuance and people are complicated and things never live in a vacuum!!

[torpublishinggroup]

Celebrate Pride with Tor Publishing Group!

Rakesfall by @adamantine

They met as children in the middle of the Sri Lankan civil war. Later, in a demon-haunted wood, an act of violence linked them and propelled their souls on a journey through the ages. As they reincarnate ever deeper into the future, a truth emerges: Some stories take more than one lifetime to tell.

Running Close to the Wind by @ariaste

In this queer pirate fantasy, Avra Helvaçi has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world. To avoid capture, he flees to the open sea, where only his on-again, off-again ex aka pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār can help him survive, profit, and become a legend.

Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Something evil is buried deep in the desert. It wants your body and wears your skin. Welcome to Camp Resolution, a queer conversion center where everyone leaves a different person. In 1995, seven queer teens were abandoned here by their parents, but survived. Sixteen years later, they’re scarred and broken, but back to face an evil that threatens the world. 

Kinning by Nisi Shawl

In this alternate history where barkcloth airships soar and former colonies claim freedom from imperialist tyrants, the identity of the island of Everfair still wavers. Victorious in the wake of the Great War, a new threat looms. Can Everfair continue to serve as a symbol of hope for anticolonial movements around the world, or will it fall to forces within and without? 

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by @rebeccathornewrites

Can one of the Queen’s private guard and the most powerful mage in existence leave their lives behind to settle down in their new bookshop that serves tea? This cozy fantasy is steeped in sapphic romance and nestled on the edge of dragon country. 

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

Once there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power and connected by a single city: London. After a desperate attempt to prevent corruption and ruin in the four Londons, there are only three. Now the worlds are going to collide anew—brought to a dangerous precipice by the discoveries of three remarkable magicians.

Now available in paperback!

The Archive Undying by @emcandon

This is a story about misplaced faith, complicated love, so much self-loathing, and yeah—giant robots. Plugged into his AI god when its apocalyptic corruption renders him unfortunately immortal, sad gay disaster Sunai takes a die-again-or-die-trying approach to things. Unending life’s tough when intimacy is somehow scarier even than either of the warring police states set on turning you into a weapon or the rogue undead mecha-fragment of your old god that wants to eat you. 

Now available in paperback!

The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen

A dazzling historical mystery that dives into the shadowy, closeted world of the Navy, emerging in the gay bars of the city. It’s a whirlpool of missing people, violent strangers, and scandalous photos in 1952 San Francisco. 

Now available in paperback!

Celebrate Pride with more titles from Tor Publishing Group here!

[mlmshark]

One gripe I have with the tma fandom is that they will not stop sexualizing Jon aka the ONE asexual character and then be like “Well asexuality is a spectrum! Asexual people can have sex!” Which yeah, true, but they say Jon doesn’t period. Literally the direct quote is like “Oh yeah Jon doesn’t at all.” AT ALL. Now stop writing/drawing that man having sex so fucking much

[girlokwhatever]

I would LOVE a makeout sesh with Kate! either hcs or a little smut fic either works 🤪

kate martin x fem!reader making out hcs

✧˖°༉‧₊˚.☁︎𐦍༘⋆‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊ kate martin making out with her gf,,

— there is no such thing as space when you and kate are making out

- she holds you so close it’s actually insane

— she’s so whiny and needy for you

— hands are gripping your thighs, kneading them and keeping them pressed against her body

— lowkey kinda sloppy but she can’t help it

- like she’s so obsessed with you

— loves to french kiss the hell out of you

- constant battle for dominance

— will make out with you absolutely anywhere in your apartment

— she’s so out of breath but she’s not a quitter

— if you pull away she’s immediately kissing somewhere else

- neck, jaw, shoulder, collarbone you name it

- will give you an insane amount of hickeys on accident

— the make out sessions start as soon as you put on her favorite chapstick

— can never make out in one position for too long

- will go from sitting down to flipping you on your back

— ESPECIALLY LOVESSS when you straddle her during make outs

- will help you grind on her lowkey

— it always starts out fast and passionate but ends up so slow and languid cause yall have been at it for so long LOL

— refuses to answer the phone during a make out sesh

- “kate, your phone is ringing”

- “it’s fine, just c’mere.”

— if her hands aren’t on your thighs they’re probably up your shirt ngl

— it’s her fav pre-game pastime!!

— will literally beg to take your clothes off cause she just wants to be close

— likes when you tug on her hair

- especially if it’s in a ponytail

— she literally wants to make out at least once a day

- “no kate, i just finished my makeup.”

- “please?”

- “…fine.”

— sometimes she does ask but most of the time is just happens naturally

— loves loves loves her early morning make out sessions with you

— makes jokes about how easily she takes your breath away

- literally only because she won’t let you pull away

— walking around with your lipstick all over her mouth afterwards 🤭

— will start off by giving you little pecks or kissing your neck to get your attention

— sometimes gets your foundation on her nose too LOL

— it’s like tradition now honestly

— “babe, wear that strawberry chapstick today, it’s my favorite.”

- “i thought the lemon was your favorite?”

- “i just said that so you’d kiss me.”

✧˖°༉‧₊˚.☁︎𐦍༘🪐⋆‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊

kate and reader are my fav cutie pies tbh

[lamaery]

Simply wanted to draw a Jon. It's been a while. And it felt wrong not to add a Martin. Cow-mug or cat-mug? ----------------------------- image description: Two digital potraits of Jonathan Sims ex-archivist and his Martin K. Blackwood painted in a dynamic mixture of rough, broad and thin, squiggly brush strokes. The first images shows Jon's head and upper body, sitting and reading a paperback book. His long black, salt and pepper hair is gathered in a loose knot at the back of his neck. The black beard on his jawline, pointy chin and upper lip is not very dense. Small round scars pepper the brown skin of his face, neckand the back of his visible hand. Additional there is a thick pink-white-ish line stretching across his pronounced Adam's apple. He wears a thick woolen cardigan in a deep green and rectangular glasses through which he gazed with his large, heavy lidded eyes not directly at the book in his hand, but just over the pages at something else to the left. His expression is not fully open and happy, but certainly unguarded and soft. In the shadow of the book cover which has the symbol of a green eye on his, one can make out a black ring on the middle of his left hand. Martin is depicted as a light-skinned, big, broad man with a round face and tousled, ash-blond hair. He too wears glasses, although their frames a big and much rounder than Jon's. He wears a green-blue pullover and holds two mugs in his hands, both steaming with hot tea. One mug features the cartoony face of a cat, half hidden behind the tea string and paper bit on those. The other mug has a shaggy Scottish highland cow on it and the painful pun "Cow are you?" There are soft dimples in Martin's round cheeks as he smirks mirthfully down to his right.

[foreingersgod]

ngl i be thinking about sleepy sex with kate like we’re both in bed tired but horny so we have to do smthn about it 😞

Needy . KM

pairing: kate martin x reader

synopsis: request ^

A/N: THIS IS POORLY WRITTEN SMUT, MINORS & AGELESS BLOGS DNI (READ AT YOUR OWN RISK)

also someone asked for this a while ago in a request (kate martin x black!reader smut) but i think i lost it because i can’t find it! so i tired to keep this pretty neutral so that it will still work, but if you want me to write something different, please send the request in again!

my masterlist

“oh my god, kate” you all but moaned, attempting to whisper. her breathe was staggered, lips on your shoulder, tongue darting out to run along your skin.

“i know, baby” she sighed assuringly “i know”

she was leaned against the headboard, hair free from her signature ponytail and cascading down her shoulders. kate was completely bare of her clothes, having lazily discarded them when she arrived in your shared room for the night. her long legs were spread to make room for you, extending out onto the sheets. you however, were up against kate’s chest, legs hooked over her thighs as your pressed your cunt against hers.

you had already been asleep when kate got home, utterly exhausted from work. your boss was nagging you about paperwork, clients kept calling to complain, and it seemed that everything was going wrong that day. kate, too, was struggling. she wasn’t playing well the entirety of practice and coach was on her ass about it. she was overwhelmed and tried just the same. both of you were ready to call it quits for the day, just wanting to curl up in bed next to one another.

but when she laid down next to you, feeling you roll over and tuck yourself into her body, she couldn’t help the feeling that overcame her. when your leg draped over her waist, hips pressing into hers, she felt the familiar throbbing between her thighs. she needed you bad. she hated to wake you up when you were this tired, but it felt like she was going to explode.

so she shook you awake with a polite shove of your shoulder. she pressed sweet kisses to your cheek as your eyes fluttered open. you groggily asked what she was doing, wanting to fall back asleep, but you knew exactly what the answer was when you heard her voice. a mix between a whine and a groan escaped her throat.

i need you so bad…please

and that’s what led you to this moment, moaning quietly as you rolled your hips into kate’s. every bit of clothing was discarded on the floor below you in a state of urgency as you climbed atop of kate’s body. her strong hands guided you into postion, fitting you snuggly as you lowered yourself onto her.

she whimpered, relieved to feel the feeling of your pussy on hers. unable to handle the pleasure, she desperately grabbed at your tits, pinching your nipples gently to coax you to go faster. you complied, snapping your hips quicker and harder. exhaustion still held a tight grasp on your body which caused you to rest your head in the crook of kate’s neck. kate mirrored your tiredness, hands now guiding your hips to alleviate some of the work.

“that’s it,” kate moaned again, her voice was strained as her fingers dug deeper into your skin “fuckin’ me so good, baby”

you could feel the pleasure building up inside of you. head falling back in pleasure, your hands came up to rest on kate’s shoulder to steady yourself.

“kate kate kate” you mewled. your eyes squeezed shut, mouth falling open “m’gonna cum-oh my god-i’m cumming i’m cumming”

she could feel you, soaking wet and pulsing beneath her. it was enough to make her bite her lip, suppressing the most pornographic moan she could possibly make. her legs tightened around yours as your humping reached its peak. she watched as your chest heaved as you panted, sweat dripping down your cleavage slowly.

“oh kate-” you gulped, knowing your high was approaching. she understood immediately, one of her hands coming to your messy folds to find your clit. her finger rubbed small circles on your bud, encouraging your orgasm as you continued to languidly move your hips.

“jesus christ…you’re doing so good, gonna make me cum” she was going ballistic, eyes about to roll to the back of her head in complete bliss “don’t stop, don’t fucking stop”

and you didn’t-you couldn’t stop even if you wanted to.

finally, she felt your body jerk against hers. your breathing became broken and you let out a satisfied, yet quiet cry as you reached your release. the action alone, paired with your rhythmic thrusts, was enough to push kate to her own orgasm. wetness pooled between you, dripping onto your thighs and sheets until you finally slowed your pace. kate was still riding out her high when you collapsed into her, arms enveloping around her neck.

“i love you” you muttered into her ear, finding the last bit of energy you had.

“love you more” she turned to place a kiss against the side of your head.

you could have laid there for hours if you could. having kate totally bare for you, mumbling sweet nothing into your ear. something you knew to be truly euphoric. it was a perfect moment and you wouldn’t trade that for anything, even the best sleep of your life.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

A/N: alright i don’t think i’m very good at writing smut, so apologies for how shitty this turned out

*no taglist (except for my bb @girlokwhatever) for this one because i’m too lazy to check account ages lol

[randomesque-musings]

I love all these girls so much but this is the energy right now LMAO

[starofdelphi]

HAPPY ACE DAY, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS JONATHAN SIMS!

[ilypaigebuckets]

Can you maybe write a Kate Martin x reader fic where the reader is asked to be mic'd up at one of her games?

sorry i couldn’t think of a good title for this🙁 i hope you like this tho!

Mic’d Up - Kate Martin x Reader

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Ever since your girlfriend had gotten drafted, the media had been all over your relationship. Even at Iowa fans had loved the two of you together, but once she was drafted into the Aces was when your love really made headlines. People admired you and Kate not only as a queer couple in media, but also as a healthy and loving couple. There were countless edits of the two of you flirting at halftime, snuggling up to each other before and after games, and overall just being a really cute couple.

You were so excited when you were asked to be mic’d up for the Aces latest game. While you were a little confused at first because you weren’t actually a player, the team’s media manager assured you the fans would love it. So there you were, standing in front of the basketball court to film your introduction before the game started.

“Hey, guys! It’s Y/n L/n here, professional WNBA girlfriend and today I’m mic’d up for the Aces game!” Suddenly Kate ran up behind you and hugged you from behind, lifting you off the ground. You giggled and Kate set you down on the ground. You turned around and wrapped your arms around her shoulders, going on your tiptoes to hug her closer.

“Speaking of girlfriend, this is my superstar girlfriend Kate!” Kate rolled her eyes are you playfully and looked away, embarrassed from your praise of her. “You ready for the game, babe?” She sucked her teeth in response to the question and held you close to her chest, absentmindedly playing with your hair.

“Uh honestly I’m pretty nervous but we’re just gonna give it all that we got and I’m just gonna try my best!” You smiled at her answered and reached up to pinch her cheeks, “Isn’t she just adorable, guys?” You asked looking at the camera.

Soon enough, Kate had to go warm up and you went to your spot. You watched her warm up and made conversation with a random man sitting next to you.

“Who are you here to watch? You see 20? That one’s mine!” You took out your phone and started taking pictures of Kate warming up. “She’s so cute. Look at her!! She’s gonna shoot it!” Kate runs and shoots the ball and makes it in the net. She was so excited when she made it and looked over at you to see if you saw it too. She ran up to you and sat in the empty chair next to you, talking about her shot and her plans for this game.

“AMAZING BABY!! Yes I saw! Focus, honey! Yes I love you too! Good luck! Yes, okay baby focus keep warming up!” You could tell Kate was nervous out of her mind for the game so you took her hand in yours, completely forgetting you were mic’d up. You reassured your girlfriend that yes, you were watching her and yes, she was doing amazing and yes, you loved her very much and yes, she did have to leave right that second and go check in because the other team had arrived and they were about to start the game. Kate nodded her head at you and stood up. It was funny, you knew she had to go but as soon as she started to get up you grabbed her hand.

“Wait,” you told her and you pulled her in for a quick peck on the lips. She smirked at you and winked as she walked back to her teammates. You laughed and whispered to yourself, “Wow I love that I get to do that.”

The game was very eventful, but the Aces were doing amazing. Your girlfriend, especially was on fire. She was making shots left and right and it was clear she was growing more confident the more she played. You watched the game earnestly as Kate ran after a player on the opposing team and she was about to make a shot. Suddenly, Kate jumped up and blocked the ball.

You couldn’t help but jump up in joy. “That’s my girl!” You raised your arms above up to cheer and accidentally hit the guy next to you in the head. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” You said to him, but he was laughing so you knew it was alright. “I hope nobody caught that..” you whispered to yourself.

“Guys,” You said to the mic, “Kate looks so editable right now. Look at how cute she is. Like you know that one song ‘ and you say daddy’s home’? literally her right now. Okay let’s edit that part out. Please.”

The whistle blew and the game was over, the Aces having won 76-68. Kate was over the moon and ran over to you as soon as she finished celebrating with her teammates. She ran up to you and picked you up, twirling you around. “I love when she does this,” you whispered into the mic. She put you down and you put you hands on either side of her face. “I’m so proud of you.” You pulled her face down to kiss her forehead.

Kate grinned and stole a kiss from your lips. “I’m glad. Wanna go get ice cream now?” You laughed and nodded, rolling your eyes.

“I hope you guys enjoyed me being mic’d up! Great job to everyone tonight and to everyone watching thanks for the support I know the team really appreciates it!” You pulled the mic off your shirt and handed it back to the media manager, following Kate into the locker room.

[leilanihours]

# WHERE'S THE TROPHY? SHE JUST COMES RUNNING OVER TO ME

pairing: kate martin x gf!reader

word count: 914

warnings: one or two suggestive comments from kate, nothing else

summary: kate has her priorities set when her team wins the final four game.

⭑ from lani: im so obsessed w kate rn so heres a short and kinda bad blurb i wrote in like half an hour

"AND THAT WILL do it, folks! the iowa hawkeyes secure the victory and will head over to the championship!"

you shoot up from your seat as soon as the buzzer goes off, screams filling your ears, signaling not only the end of the game, but also the end of an era.

being so close to the hawkeyes through your childhood best friend, caitlin, and your girlfriend, kate, you knew all too well what kind of pressure they were put under tonight.

they have all worked extremely hard to get to this moment, and they weren't planning on backing down anytime soon.

the arena is booming with a myriad of pumped up iowa fans and family, the energy unmatched.

you smile as you watch your girlfriend celebrate with her teammates in a huddle, her eyes welling with happy tears before she quickly makes her way out of the large hug. you try to follow her through the crowd with your eyes but lose track of the girl almost immediately.

you see caitlin getting handed the trophy, holding it proudly over her head and grin immensely. you had known caitlin since elementary school, and watching her work towards one of her biggest dreams makes your heart swell.

however, your eyebrows are furrowed as you try to relocate your girlfriend, who is currently no where to be found near her team.

you begin to make your way over to the girls to ask where she went but you are stopped when you feel a pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind.

you're startled at first until you realize it's none other than the very same girl you were just looking for.

"hi," she whispers in your ear.

"kate!" you exclaim, turning around to properly hug her, "you did so good tonight, love, i'm so proud of you."

"thank you so much, baby, it was so much fun," you're both practically yelling now, as the volume in the gym overwhelms your voices.

she plants a loving kiss on your lips, which you graciously accept by placing your hands at the nape of her neck while hers rest on your waist. smiling into the kiss, both of you are entranced, finding solace in each other's arms despite the thousands of nosy fans and pressing photographers.

"you look so cute in my jersey," she mumbles into the kiss before pulling away to get a good look at you.

"it's your jersey that makes me look cute, trust me," you smile.

"nah i think you're doing all the heavy lifting. especially with these jeans 'cus, damn, you look sexy," she rasps in your ear as she places a swift slap to your ass.

"kate!" you warn, looking around to see if anyone caught the exchange, "you're insane."

"only for you, baby, only for you," she says as she leans in to place a kiss on your temple. the two of you tightly locked into a swaying hug, automatically melting away any and all stress that rested on either of your shoulders.

"wait," you pause, departing from the hug, "why aren't you with your team? they're all taking pictures with the trophy right now."

"mmm," she looks up in fake-thought, "i think i'd rather be here with you right now."

"kate, you need to go celebrate the win with your team!"

"do i? because knowing lisa, we'll practically be attached at the hip and sick of each other before the next game," she jokes.

"kate," you look at her expectantly.

"okay, fine, i'll go," she sighs, "but only if you come with me."

"what? i'm not even part of the team!"

"hey, you might as well be considering how much they all love you."

"they do love me, don't they?" you smirk teasingly.

"not as much as i do," she smiles.

"you're so corny tonight," you giggle, poking at her sides.

"alright, whatever, let's go take some pictures," she says, playfully pushing you away before coming right back to your side.

one of her hands comfortably rests on the small of your back, the other holding your shoulder to protectively guide you through the swarm of paparazzi and reporters.

as soon as the girls notice you and your girlfriend's presence, they race to hug you. you're barely able to express your excitement through their tight grasps, not even attempting to break away.

kate laughs as she watches you interact with her friends from the side, smiling longingly at you before caitlin jumps up from behind her and places their "final four champions" hat on her head.

she's about to speak when she notices her gaze settled on you dancing with gabbie and jada while the rest of the team is clapping and laughing.

"dude, you're so down bad," she laughs, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"man, get outta here!" she jokingly shrugs her off before pulling her over to celebrate with everyone else.

she rushes back over to your side and not once does she leave from her spot next to you, regardless of the pictures and videos that would be posted all over social media soon.

and let's just say that there were so many pictures and videos, including ones of moments you thought weren't captured - the most viral of which being when kate slapped your ass eagerly.

but neither of you cared, because right now, it was pretty hard to fight what had already been written in the cards for you two - the alchemy, if you will.

[angelamontoo]

Ik all of the 2 other people who've seen crack-up can't stand Brian Donlevys acting in it, but tbh the more I watch it the more I enjoy Ace and Gimpys dynamic

Like, what's not to love? The Barron will call him a complete moron who he doesn't think deserves to live unprompted and Ace will just smile fondly in response

[siriuslyapuff]

mic'd up for aces v fever/ k.martin

kate martin x reader!

summary: you're mic'd up at the Aces game versus the Indiana Fever as your girlfriend plays her (and your) best friend.

!𝑨𝑩𝑩𝒀 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑺¡

okay okay my first wbb fic on here (lol pls be nice)

also, this is my first ever y/n fic so...

Two days before the Aces were set to play the Fever, you were sent an email from the Aces media team. Kate had been sitting behind you as you opened it, laughing immediately at their request. They were practically begging you to be mic’d up at the game, courtside. They wanted you of course, due to your connection as a Hawkeye, deciding to come back for a fifth year instead of entering the draft as you were going for your masters. It also helped that their star rookie was your girlfriend. 

It was an easy decision. You told them, yes, ignoring the teasing from your girlfriend as you did so. Honestly, it seemed like a great idea to you, getting to commentate on your girlfriend and your best friend as they went head to head for the first time as pros. 

“Baby, you realize this is the perfect opportunity for me to embarrass the hell out of you and Cinamon?” Kate got quiet real fast after that threat. 

🂡🂡🂡

The day of the game had arrived, and you decided to go with Kate to the lab, as it was a home game for the Aces. As soon as you arrived the team swarmed upon you, laughing and asking for you to add in specific commentary tonight during the game. 

“No Syd I will not tell everyone you’re single and ready to mingle,” you playfully shove the older woman, laughing with everyone else as she starts to fake cry. “Go away you baby, I gotta go get mic’d.” 

They all began to hype you up as the media crew came over with a little clip-on mic and pac. You listened intently as they walked you through how it would work tonight. You’d be seated right next to your coaches, and former coach Lisa Bluder, and would have the mic the whole game. You couldn’t be more excited as you knew this would give your girlfriend even more publicity and love from the media and fans. 

You turned to her as she grabbed your hand. 

“I’ll see you in a bit when we head over to Michalaub,” she leaned in, connecting your lips, leaving you wanting just a little bit more. 

🂡🂡🂡

The media team had your mic on as you and Kate made your way into the arena for pre-game shoot-outs. The Fever was already there practicing and you giggled to yourself as you saw Caitlin stretching. 

“Hey guys!” You turned to the cameras, “My name is y/n l/n, some of you may know me as number 26 for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and my favorite title, Kate Martin’s girlfriend!” 

The entire team started laughing as you introduced yourself and you turned around to shush them. Cait couldn’t know you were mic’d up yet. It had to be a surprise. 

“Anyways, I’m going to be mic’d up courtside tonight at the game versus the Fever. But for now, I have a reunion to get to.” You winked at the camera, spinning on your heel and cupping a hand to your mouth. 

“Hey, Cinamon!” Her head whipped around from where she was standing with your girlfriend, the two of them having had their reunion. 

“Tink?” Her eyes went wide with disbelief, she’d known you’d be at the game but had no idea you’d be at shoot around. 

The pair of you collided, and she spun you around the same way Kate had done to her. Tears immediately pooled in your eyes at the contact. You and Caitlin had been friends for years, both of you meeting when you played for USA in 2018. You both committed to Iowa and roomed together Freshman year, she was the sister you’d always wanted, and it had been painful to be away from her. 

“How are you?” You whispered, being mindful of the fact that you were mic’d up. 

“I’m fine,” she smiled at you, repeating what she’d said to Kate, and you knew she’d also seen through the bs answer, but you let it go. 

“I’m all mic’d up tonight,” you grinned, pointing at the mic on your shirt, “Kmart’s scared I’ll embarrass her.” 

“Hey, I never said that!” Kate butted into the conversation, “She’s lying CC.” 

“You calling me a liar right now?” You raised an eyebrow, eyes glancing down at the mic on your chest. 

Kate folded immediately, “No Baby, I would never.” 

You and Caitlin look at each other before bursting out into laughter. Some things never change. 

🂡🂡🂡

“Hello, Las Vegas!” You had a cameraman pointed at you from next to one of the hoops, the media crew had told you they had a few different angles on you, all connected to your mic. “I’m here with some of my favorite women!” 

You wrapped an arm around your former head coach as she laughed, wrapping her own arm around your shoulders. 

“Hey Tink,” she pressed a kiss to the side of your head. She’d been the one to give you your on-court nickname. It started as ‘Tinkerbell’ because you would flit around the court like you were flying while playing defense, and the team eventually just shortened it to ‘Tink’. 

“Hey, coach! You excited for tonight?” You pulled on your shirt so she could talk into the mic. 

“Very excited, it’s going to be weird not yelling at Kate and Caitlin, but I guess I’ll manage.” You and Coach Jan erupted into laughter, and so did Coach Hammon who was listening in with a smirk. 

“I’m also joined by my new head coach!” You positioned your body to face Jan, grinning at her. 

“You excited to see our girls play?” 

“Of course I am! I’ve got my phone ready to take all the behind-the-scenes pictures and videos.” 

“Me too!” You grin, “I can’t wait to hit Caitlin and Katie with the evil 0.5s.” 

You hear the whistle blow, and watch everyone come out onto the floor. 

“There’s Cinamon!” Your eyes find Caitlin and she sends you a grin. “Look at her, my sister from another mister.” 

You watch as the Aces get possession of the ball, eyes following Caitlin as she defends Kelsey. Moving down the court you can’t help but laugh as you watch Jackie attempting to guard her. 

“Jackie’s in for a challenge, CC is hard as hell- oh shit- wait fuck- no sorry, am I allowed to swear? Whatever, Cait’s hard to guard. She’s knocked me on my ass -sorry- a few too many times.” 

“Let’s go!” You stand up as Jackie drains the three, smirking at Cait as she runs past you. 

“Cait that's not your basket.” You laugh as she shoots after Kelsey gets a foul. 

Cait turns the ball over and you share a look with Coach Bluder, this has been a problem since you were Freshmen. Caitlin just sees the game differently and is six steps ahead of everyone else. It was you and Kate who were able to keep up with her pace, which is what made you so unstoppable on the court. It would take time for the Fever to match what she was putting down. 

“Come on Cait, shake it off.” You watch as she misses a three, shaking your head, “she's gonna be pissed about that.” 

Your eyes flit away from the game and onto the figure of your girlfriend as she sits on the bench, eyes fixed on Caitlin and the game. 

“Kmoney is locked in everyone, she’s got her serious face on.” 

Caitlin fouls and you let out an audible “oh shit” before apologizing into your mic again. 

“Cait never loses the ball like that- oh she got it back!” 

Your eyes flick between the bench and the court, waiting for the moment Kate takes off her warmups. 

“A’ja’s going to have a nasty bruise from that.” You watch her get popped in the face, the entire crowd going crazy over it. 

“Guys I’m just sitting here waiting for my girlfriend to go in,” you smile at one of the cameras pointed at you, before pointing at the jersey you’re wearing with Kate’s number on it. 

“I'm repping 20 for a reason. Ooo that sounds like the Sabrina Carpenter song ‘Pushing 20’,” you start humming the song. “Kate when you watch this, that should be your theme song.” 

“LET’S GO!” You jump up from your seat as Caitlin drains her first three of the night, holding up three fingers at her. “That’s my best friend!” You side-eye your girlfriend who’s looking at you with a raised eyebrow “Sorry Katie. You’re still number one in my heart.” 

“Okay CC’s on the bench guys, geez she looks wiped already, girl needs some sleep.” 

“Okay, Megan’s getting ready to check in, a win for the Hawkeyes tonight.” You high-five her as she passes you. “Guys I never played with Megan, but she was a legend when CC and I came in as Rookies.” 

Your girlfriend comes running towards you, “Yes Baby!” You catch her warmup shirt that she tosses aside slapping her ass as she passes. 

“My girl is so fine,” you’ve completely forgotten your coaches are sitting next to you until Julie reaches over. 

“Hey, that’s still my niece Tink!” 

“Sorry, Julie!” Caitlin also gets up to check in, squatting down right next to Kate. You watch them exchange smirks, knowing they’ll be guarding each other. “Here we go, Coach!” 

You nudge Coach Bluder who looks a bit teary-eyed herself. 

“Shit Kelsey,” you catch the ball that bounces out of bounds keeping KP from falling on you. 

“Sorry y/n,” she grins before locking back into the game. 

The buzzer goes and you stand up as Kate and Caitlin check into the game together, “That’s my girl!” 

“Guys I might start crying and that’s embarrassing.” You say as you sit back down, eyes filling up with tears. “It’s weird seeing them in different colors, and sitting on the side instead of being on the floor with them.” 

“Sorry guys you might have to cut this,” you stifle a small sob as you watch them defend each other. It was one thing talking about it, and making jokes, but seeing it happen, and not playing yourself was a whole other thing that had your throat tightening. 

“I’m filming!” Jan says, making you let out a choked laugh. You push back the tears, telling yourself to be happy that they’re both living out their dreams. 

You pull out your phone, taking a few photos and videos of your girl and her best friend as they guard each other for the first time outside of carver-hawkeye. 

They’re both trying to play it cool, but the smile on their faces as they sprint down the court towards you tells a different story. 

“CC and Kmart together again.” You point to Cait who points back giving you a grin. 

“All that’s missing is their Tink.” Coach Bluder says, patting your knee. 

“Look at my girl go!” You grin, pointing at Kate who grabbed the ball in the turnover, making her way down the court. 

“How is that not Aces Ball!?” You’re just as pissed as your girlfriend, who’s gotten good at challenging ref’s over the years. “She’s going to complain about that to me later guys,” you whisper into the mic. 

“Okay guys, the first quarter is over. We had our on-court reunion with my favorite Hawkeyes. How are we feeling, because I’m emotional.” You’re having a one-sided conversation with yourself as Coach Bluder gets up to go sit with the commentators for the second quarter. 

“Guys she’s starting in the second quarter! My girl is a pro now!” 

“I’m never letting that go CC,” you say as you watch her basically throw the ball out of bounds. 

“Look at her, I’m literally the luckiest girl in the world.” 

“Cait just missed that three and it landed in Katie’s hands, once upon a time that would have ended up as an assist.” 

Your eyes widen as you watch Kate go down, her knee at a weird angle, your heart in your throat. “That better not be a bad fall.” You say to Jan, “Thank God.” You mutter as she gets up, sprinting down the court.

“Oh shit, that looked like it hurt,” all respect for your language went out the window the moment Kate fell. You were fired up, the worry for your girlfriend at the max. Even as you watched Cait get smacked in the eye. 

“Cinamon shoots two.” She drains the first, “nice CC,” drains the second, “easy money.” 

“Good job Baby,” Kate smiles at you, hand grazing your leg as she walks back to the bench. 

“Syd babes that was a flop.” You laugh watching her go down. 

“Get some Money!” Kate runs past you again to check-in. “Katie in, CC out.” 

“Shit Kate!” Your hand flys to your mouth as you watch her ankle go, and the limp-hop she does after. “That is not good guys. She shook it off pretty good, but I can tell when my girl is in pain.” 

Kate goes down again, and you can’t help but clench your teeth as you hear the skid of her thigh on the court. “Come on baby, shake it off.” She gets up slower this time, you can tell it’s wearing on her, but she's pushing through. 

“Yes, Money Martin with the assist!” 

“Jesus Christ, is it throw y/n’s girlfriend to the ground day or something?” Kate goes down yet again, this time a foul is called, thankfully. A’ja runs to pull her up and you grin, “Look at A’ja helping my girl out like the good vet she is.” 

You turn your head to look over at Caitlin who has her face buried in her towel, only her eyes showing, and you know it’s her way of keeping her eyes on the game without revealing anything. But you can see worry in the crease between her eyebrows, you’re both not liking the ground time Kate’s been getting. 

Kate walks past you as she comes in for the time-out. She sends you a nod, letting you know she’s okay. 

“Okay guys, sorry for the lack of comments, it’s been a bit tense here. Gotta make sure my girl is fine before I can be commentating.” 

“You would make a terrible sports commentator,” Coach Bluder says, laughing at the put-out look on your face. 

“Cooked by Bluder, everyone!” You hold your hand to your chest in mock hurt, “demolished by my coach. But alas, she’s right. I’d just be too busy talking about my girlfriend to be a good commentator.” 

Coach leans closer to you, “She’s censoring herself for you guys, these are tame compared to the comments she drops during Hawkeye practices and games.” 

“Okay, enough mic time for you coach!” 

“Look at her go bringing the ball up! My little pro.” You practically have heart eyes, and for the first time, you see yourself projected on the jumbotron. 

“Oh okay, I see how it is,” You grin, finding the camera that’s projecting you, winking pointing to your jersey, then the court where Kate is.

The crowd goes insane, causing some of the players to look up, earning a laugh from Caitlin and a wink from Kate. 

“I’m more popular than both of them combined.” 

Kate comes back to the bench again and you squeeze her hand as she passes. She sends you a smile, finding her seat next to Megan again, both of you locking back into the game. 

“Let's go! Halftime baby!” You stand from your seat. “See you guys after the break!” 

🂡🂡🂡

“Okay everyone I’m back! Let's go! I have a feeling we’ll be getting some money this quarter.” 

You turn to look at the empty seats around you. “Well, you may notice I am now awkwardly here alone. Coach Bluder and Coach Jenson are off socializing, so I’m left to man the fort.” 

“I can’t believe they called that a foul,” you mutter, as Coach Hammon goes to challenge the foul a second time. 

“My lover is back in the game, you guys.” You watch as Smith misses both foul shots. 

“That was a waste of a foul.” 

“MONEY!” You shout, jumping to your feet as Kate scores her first points of the day, draining a three with ease. “That’s my fucking girl! Let’s fucking go! We are so back!” 

Kate points to you as she runs down the court, making a heart with her hands as you hold up three fingers. 

“Get her babe!” Kate’s on Caitlin again, and your bias towards your girlfriend begins to show as she plays solid defense. 

After A’ja’s fouled you can see Caitlin talking to the ref about Kate, you can’t make out what they’re saying, but it’s got Kate smirking. 

“They’re talking mad shit to each other, I just know it,” you whisper into the mic. “I wonder how personal those insults are getting.” 

“Baby’s gone beast mode,” you say as you watch Kate celebrating A’ja’s shot. 

“Look at her cheesin’ isn’t she the cutest.” You watch Kate grin at whatever Caitlin says to her. 

“Kmoney for the block!” You yell, “a fucking beast!” 

You stand as she goes for the three, but it rims and falls out of the basket, “shake it off, baby! Plenty more buckets to make!”

“Quarter three is over guys, and my beautiful girlfriend has been burning up the court!” 

“That’s my fucking girlfriend!” You stand throwing up three fingers as Kate drains her second three of the night. “Redemption baby!” 

She points at you as she runs back down the court. 

“Kmart is on fire right now guys!” 

“That’s a fucking foul! Yeah, call that shit! It’s in Let’s fucking go!” You’re on your feet, ignoring the laughs from your coaches at your yelling, you’re saying everything you can’t say when you’re on the bench. 

“My girl is the goat guys. She’s on fucking fire.” 

Kate's eyes find yours, grinning when she sees you standing, clapping for her, a triumphant smile on your face. 

“Drained it!” You watch her make the foul shot, clapping your hands together as you finally sit back down. The jumbotron is split between the two of you, one half showing you’re over the top reaction and the other replaying her basket. 

Caitlin stands in front of you as she checks back into the game. “Let’s go CC,” you can’t see her face, but you can sense her little smirk. 

“Y’all see the bruises on that girl’s arms? Geez, maybe I need to send her some arm guards for real.” Coach Bluder bursts out into laughter at that. 

“Katie’s back on the bench guys, so my commentary will be limited as I will now spend this time admiring her.” Your coaches snort, as they know this is a very common occurrence for you. But you ignore them, eyes finding the tired ones of your girlfriend. 

‘you okay?’ you mouth, looking at her intently. 

She nods, ‘I’m good, love you.’ 

‘I love you too.’ 

Your eyes move back to the court, finding Caitlin’s very tired-looking figure. Her hands are on her knees and you just know she's done for the night. She spends more time in the game than on the bench, and it’s wearing on her. WNBA is way more physical and demanding compared to the NCAA, and Caitlin is getting the short end of the stick. 

You pull out your phone, pulling up her contact. 

‘cinnamon, if i don’t receive photo evidence of you resting over the next few days. i’ll fly to indiana and sit next to your bed while you sleep.’ 

You hit send, knowing she won’t see it until after the game, and that you could tell her in person, but this way she knows you were thinking about it during the game itself. 

“CC is 100% done for the night guys, she’s tired.” You say as you watch her check out of the game and head to the bench. 

“But my girl is back in playing the last few minutes of the game!” 

The quarter moves on and your eyes intently follow Kate as she runs up and down the court. But you’re silent as you observe, too entranced with Kate to remember your mic’d. That is until she’s fouled again.

Your breath catches in your throat as you watch her knee go at a dangerous angle yet again as she goes for the three. 

“You’re literally kidding!? Yeah, that’s another fucking whistle!” You watch her take a few stumbling steps before regaining her footing. “You got this Katie.” 

“Three foul shots, if she makes just one, guys, she’ll go double digits for this game!” 

“Get in there… YES!” You grin, clapping your hands together as you will the ball to go in. 

“And she hits the second, that’s my fucking girlfriend!” You can hear A’ja laughing at you from the bench and you send her a look, getting a grin back in response. 

“All three! Twelve points tonight for my girl!” 

“And Aces win!” You jump up from your chair as the buzzer sounds. Your arms wrap around Coach Jensen as she stands up as well, both of you laughing with joy for Kate. You pull away, your eyes finding Caitlin on the floor, sending her a smile, asking with your gaze if she's okay. She nods at you, knowing you want to spend the next few minutes with Kate. 

‘See you later?’ you mouth and she nods again. 

“Kate was on fire tonight!” Jan exclaims, “Twelve points is incredible for her!” 

“She was amazing,” you say as you see her heading back from the commentator stand. She jogs over to where you guys are, launching herself into your arms. 

“Hi baby,” she says into your neck, hands around your waist. 

“Hi lovebug,” you tighten your arms around her neck, “you played so well tonight.” 

“Mmm,” she mutters, nose still pressed against your throat. “I need you at all my games now.” 

“Every game this summer till training camp for Iowa, baby.” She pulls back, finally pressing her lips to yours, not a care in the world for whoever is around. 

She pulls back, glancing down at the mic still attached to your shirt. “Alright guys, I hope you had fun listening to my amazing girlfriend’s commentary, but now I want her all to myself.” 

Kate plucks the mic from your shirt, handing it off to one of her coaches before taking your hand and leading you towards the rest of your little ‘party’. 

🂡🂡🂡

After the game, you meet up with Caitlin, pulling her into your arms, knowing how she beats herself up after a loss. She melts into your arms as if you’re sixteen again and living without a care in the world. 

“You played good tonight cinnamon, don’t beat yourself up. You’re drained from your game in LA.” 

“I know,” she mumbles, “it still sucks.” 

You rub her shoulders, sending Kate a reassuring smile at the look of concern on her face. “It’ll get better CC, you just can’t let yourself burn out. You gotta take care of yourself.” 

“I’m trying Tink. It’s hard. But I’m trying.” 

“Call me whenever you get down, okay?” You pull back, looking her in the eyes. “I’m here for you, Katie’s here for you. We want you to be happy and enjoy yourself. So talk to us okay?”

“Okay.” She smiles, a mischievous look crossing her face, and you know what’s coming because you saw her do it to Kate and yelled at her for it. 

“Don’t you fucking dare Clark!” 

“Too late,” she smirks, hand connecting with your ass. You yelp shoving her away. 

“Hey, woah woah, hands off Clark.” Kate pulls you into her arms, making sure you don’t step on her, as she’s not wearing shoes, again. 

Cait puts her hands up, grinning. “Sorry Cap.” Kate makes a face, hand going down to wrap around your waist, keeping you at her side and away from Caitlin’s ass slaps. 

The three of you were back together again, and you knew, somehow everything would be okay.

[mlmshark]

“Omg, I don’t get why people get so mad at a canonically asexual character being sexualized! Just don’t read it if you don’t like it!” Are you fucking stupid? Repeat that back to yourself

[pookierookie]

she is my everything

[k8martins]

•*⁀➷ interlinked

summary: lil blurb, cuddling w kate after practice

request: no / yes

warnings: none, absolute toothache fluff

a/n: tired as hell writing this so i hope it’s fire.. and tysm for the love on my other fics!!

——————————————————————————

you sat on the bed as kate finished up her night routine. she had finally come home from her practice, and you refused to fall asleep until she was here. kate came home looking typically exhausted; you urged her to take a calming shower and then the rest of the night could be spent intertwined. it was apparent that she was in a rush, the way she was frantically brushing her wet hair and drying it.

finally, she was done and walked toward you and the bed. kate was ready to just climb and collapse in your lap.

“wait, baby lemme lay down first,” you said softly, giggling at the desperation to be close to you. kate groaned tiredly as you scooted back to the headboard. you held your arms open as she crawled onto you. before settling onto you, she kissed you softly on your lips, then tried to get another on your chin. kate could never steal enough kisses.

it always felt so right cuddling with kate, the way she would naturally melt into your arms with her head on your chest. the warmth your bodies created made you want to stay that way forever, tangled up with her. it was addicting to hear her breathing slow down and watch her weary eyes flutter shut. the lazy kisses never failed to make your heart swell. your hand always found its way to her shiny hair, gently stroking small pieces. either that, or slowly running your hand up and down her back.

this time, the smell of kate’s body wash was floating in the air. you loved deeply breathing in her scent any time of day, but especially after she showered. you brought your face down to sniff her hair, which made her giggle and hide her face in your chest.

“you’re such a weirdo,” she teased.

“sorry kate,” you said, smiling dumbly.

before bringing her face back up, she peppered small kisses along your chest. it was several pecks later before her beautiful eyes met yours again. continuing to stroke her hair, you felt her gently gripping at the fabric of your shirt. she kept her big blue eyes on yours before looking away, but keeping her head angled up towards you. nothing needed to be said except for comfortable silence; solitude in hanging onto each other.

“practice was so annoying. i was just thinking about you the whole time,” kate admitted, breaking the silence. sometimes she wanted to talk about it, sometimes she didn’t. you could hear the tired rasp in her voice, and didn’t want to pry.

“mhm… well i’m always here waiting for you when you’re done.”

kate smiled and closed her eyes against your chest. she moved her leg so that it was draped over yours. her hand also came up to the ends of your hair, lazily twiddling it and murmuring about how soft it is.

“even if you had practice at like… really late… and came home at like 2 a.m i’d still be awake. i swear,” you said, giggling but telling the truth.

kate laughed at your ridiculous comment and brought her eyes back up to yours. they were half lidded and heavy, but open just enough to stay looking at you.

“you know you don’t have to do that.”

“but i want to do that.”

she hummed and pulled you closer, if that was even possible. taking one big sigh, you knew kate was ready to fall asleep.

“i’m soooo tired,” kate said in her raspy voice.

“just go to sleep,” you whispered.

kate almost instantly fell asleep at your words, still holding onto you tightly. you gave her one last kiss on the head before drifting off to sleep.