#and i'm guessing she thought i was patting her dog but i was just standing there and saying hi. since her dog was already sniffing me

[emptysekai]

i love when random strangers yell at me for something that i didn't do. working in the city is great

[engie-ivy]

(I really thought this was gonna be a lot shorter than it is! I still couldn't resist the epilogue😅 Written for @wolfstarmicrofic 30th: Traitor, to add some Fluff to an angsty prompt!)

1651 words

Part Two: Label-Stuff

Remus and Sirius are in a strong, committed relationship.

They just don't know it yet.

Couple-Stuff

"Remus, it's just you and me now, there's no one else left." Mary clutches Remus' shoulders as she looks him in the eyes. "We're the last ones standing, the only ones who haven't succumbed. The others all have fallen. It's just you and me."

Lily rolls her eyes. "Dramatic much, Mary?"

Mary shakes her head disappointedly. "Alice was a lost cause ever since she laid eyes on Frank back in third grade. Then Marlene met Dorcas at the coffeeshop and we lost her pretty soon after that. Of course no one can forget the day Gideon took Emmeline away. And now the unthinkable has happened, and our very own Lily gave in to James Potter, of all people." Mary pats Remus' shoulder. "We're the last ones who are still living our best single lives, free and independent."

"Goodness, Mary," Alice sighs. "You talk like being in a relationship means your life is over. It's just the beginning of a whole new and exciting phase!"

Lily nods in agreement. "I must say, it's a lot better than I thought it would be. There are actually so many new experiences to enjoy in life as a couple!"

"Yeah," Marlene says. "Even that stupid lameass couple-stuff isn't so bad when you have someone whom you enjoy being in a stupid lameass couple with. Like going to the bloody Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and sharing one of those giant, ridiculous caramel syrup waffles."

Mary looks unimpressed. "I spend Saturday morning in my bed after partying on Friday night, because, oh yeah, I still have a life."

"I actually like the Farmer's Market," Remus disagrees. "I usually go with Sirius. He pretends he thinks it's all so lame, but who always wants to share the syrup waffle?" He chuckles fondly.

"It's not just outings either," Lily says. "Just the normal everyday stuff too, like cooking, having dinner, doing the dishes, you never have to do it alone anymore."

"Sitting on my couch in my pj's watching trash tv with a bowl of food in my lap is like the best moment of my day," Mary says. "Never eating alone anymore sounds like a literal nightmare," she shudders.

Remus shrugs. "With Sirius and I being roommates, I haven't really been doing those things alone for years."

Emmeline glances at him. "Well, yeah, I guess you can do those kinds of things with a roommate too, but as a couple, you can add sappy romance to that everyday life! Candlelit dinners, movie dates, walks on the beach, watching the sunset…"

"Why does that have to be exclusively for couples?" Remus protests. "I mean, Sirius and I both love dinner and a movie, or taking the dog to the beach and watching the sunset. We can just do those things together."

Mary gives Remus a strange look, but then focuses back on Emmeline. "I can do all those things with three different guys each week if I want to."

Emmeline shakes her head. "It's not the same as being with the one whom you know is your person."

Alice thinks for moment, trying to find the right words. "Think about it like this," she says slowly. "When you're all dolled up, in full makeup, wearing your best outfit, ready for a night of fun, yes, you can have a good time with anyone. But the best thing about being a couple is that when you feel like absolute crap and look like an absolute mess and just want to stay in bed all day, your person will also be there, taking care of you, bringing you comfort food, making you feel better."

"Sirius has a sixth sense for when I'm having a bad day," Remus says with a soft smile. "Whenever I feel down, Sirius will bring home my favourite chocolate cinnamon buns, which they only sell at a bakery on the other side of town. And he's probably the only one who can make my tea exactly as I like it. He will make sure there's always a mug with hot tea on my nightstand when I'm sick."

Alice tilts her head and studies Remus thoughtfully.

Mary arches an eyebrow looking at Remus. "I was gonna say isn't that what you've got a mum for, but apparently, you can also have a roommate for that." She shakes her head. "Anyways, I still don't think having someone to bring me tea when I'm cranky is a good enough reason to have to constantly take someone else into account, deal with jealousy and spend time with in-laws you don't like."

"But even that is suddenly not so bad anymore!" Lily argues. "I always thought that I would hate having to spend my Sundays having dinner with my in-laws, but James is taking me to his parents' house this Sunday for the first time, and I must say, I'm actually excited!"

"Oh, you should be!" Remus says enthusiastically. "Sunday dinners at the Potters' are amazing! I'll tell you, Monty's Sunday roast is to die for!"

The girls all stare at him.

Remus scratches his head awkwardly. "Sirius started taking me with him years ago." He smiles sheepishly. "He says I'm Effie and Monty's favourite by now."

Lily keeps staring at Remus as she continues. "And I'm also going to spend Christmas Day with James' family…"

"Oh," Remus immediately chimes in. "Great! Effie pulls out all stops. Sirius and I always help with-"

"Bloody hell, Remus!" Mary breaks in. "You bloody traitor!"

Remus closes his mouth and blinks at Mary in confusion.

"Here I was, thinking that you were my last ally among the couples, but it turns out that you've been in a bloody relationship with Sirius Black this whole time!"

"I'm in a… With… What?" Remus sputters. "No! Sirius and I are friends, just friends!"

"Remus," Lily says calmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "The only way your relationship with Sirius differs from a couple's, is that you're not having sex with him."

Remus' cheeks turn red and he averts his eyes.

Lily's eyes widen. "Remus John Lupin!" She gasps. "You didn't!"

Remus' face turns bright red as he stares at his hands. "It… happened. Once or twice."

Lily shakes her head. "I can't bloody believe you!"

Remus lifts his head and looks at her defiantly. "Well, can you blame me?" He says defensively. "You know what he looks like! Besides, what's the harm?" He shrugs. "We're both single, but we still both have… urges, so to speak, and we find each other physically attractive, so why not?"

"And do either of you ever sleep with anyone else?" Marlene asks seemingly casually, studying her nails.

"I'm not," Remus says. "I mean, Sirius is just objectively incredibly attractive, no one can deny that, and we have great… uhm, chemistry in the bedroom, so it really wouldn't make sense for me to go out of my way to pick up some random guy. I don't really know about Sirius, but I don't think…" Remus trails off, pausing on the idea of Sirius with someone else and feeling inexplicably nauseous, and suddenly he wants nothing more than to change the subject. "Look, this is all very personal, and none of your business!"

"And do either of you ever date anyone else?" Marlene asks undeterred.

"We're not dating!"

"Fine." Marlene rolls her eyes. "Does either of you ever date anyone?"

Remus shakes his head. "Why would we? Sirius is my best friend for a reason, I can't imagine having a better time with anyone else, and I have zero desire to spend an evening making awkward small talk with a stranger. Besides, we both aren't looking for anything. Sirius does not want to give up on his freedom, and I don't want to deal with all the expectations and accompanying anxiety that come with a relationship."

"Oh, for god's sake, I can't bloody believe it!" Lily pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead. "You and Sirius are both so bloody afraid of commitment, but you completely failed to notice you've been in a bloody committed relationship to each other for years!"

"Sirius' and mine relationship is platonic!" Remus insists. "And, well, sometimes also physical, I guess. Platonic and physical, not romantic. I mean, not that I don't love him. Of course I love him, but more in a way that we complete each other. Sirius just feels like home, he's the only one who…" Remus trails off and runs a hand through his hair. "Wait, what was I saying again?"

Mary gives him a flat look. "I believe you were explaining how you love Sirius and are physically attracted to him, he's your other half and you're safe haven, but oh, all in a purely platonic way of course."

Remus groans and hides his face in his hands. "I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"Jamie?" Lily asks hesitantly.

James hums while he's laying with his head on Lily's lap, as she runs her fingers through his hair (like she has absolutely not been itching to do since fifth grade, no, absolutely not).

"Would you…" Lily is very careful to breach the topic. James isn't exactly good at dealing with change, and she doesn't want to upset him. Remus and Sirius are his best friends, and he might not be happy with the dynamic of their group potentially changing. Besides, those boys are both like brothers to him, so what if it makes him uncomfortable if the relationship between the two of them turns out to be not-so-brotherly?

Lily braces herself. "How would you feel about Remus and Sirius potentially one day being… more than friends?"

James stills, and a moment passes with him just laying motionless with his head under her hand, as Lily holds her breath.

Then James sits up and turns to her, his eyes wide and blinking at her. "Haven't they been a couple for the past three years?"

Read Part Two here!

[pixiesfz]

I’m sorry this took so long to put up I just had the WORST writers block

a walk down memory lane j.r x reader

plot: you take Olivia’s dog on a walk and run into Jill

warning: mentions of sa, bruises, anxiety, this series is based of the book it ends with us

“So can you just look after him for a couple of days?” Olivia asked you from the doorway as you patted her dog Stanley.

“Absolutely, my life’s been a bit boring so he should shake things up” you smiled, standing up to grab the dog food from Olivia’s hands.

“Speaking of your life” Olivia trailed off and you looked down to your feet “I can sense something is up with you and Ellie”

You froze.

How do you answer her? You couldn’t just straight out tell her that your girlfriend had hit you, Ellie loves you and you knew it and she hadn’t hit you again, at least not purposely.

But you could feel yourself pulling away.

She may have loved you but you didn’t love her, not anymore.

“I uhm- yeah” you stated shortly and your friend quirked her eyebrow “what’s happened?” She asked and you sighed, lifting your hand to brush your hair back, not seeing Olivia’s eyes stare at your bruised wrists from when Ellie accidently gripped your wrist to tight on a walk.

“We just had an argument that’s all” you shrugged and she nodded, not convinced.

“Well if anything happens call me, I’m here for you” she said and you nodded “thanks”.

"Please do" she said softly, urgency written on her face as you tried to look away from her.

Letting Stanley off of his leash at the local park you finally took a deep breath.

You knew you had to get out of your relationship, you knew it would be the best option for you but you were scared.

really scared.

You stared at your wrist, covering it up with your jacket before Stanley came running up to you with a soccer ball in his mouth, thankfully not having popped it.

“Stanley that’s not ours” you laughed at the sight

He dropped it at your feet and sat down, wagging his tail.

“I didn’t know you had a dog”

You looked up from Stanley to see Jill who was smiling ear to ear.

“Oh uhm I don’t, I’m just looking after a friends” you told her and she nodded “but he needs to learn not to steal” you joked and grabbed the soccer ball and looked at Jill

“This yours?”

She nodded “yeah but he looks like he wants it more than me right now” she laughed and you laughed with her.

A silence fell over as you both watched the cute dog roll the ball around.

"How are you?" Jill asked and you shrugged

terrible, unsafe, sick of life

"I'm good"

"Anything else?" she asked and you let out a small laugh "sorry I didn't mean to be blunt I just have a lot on my mind I guess" you told her and she nodded her head "Is it because of looking after a living animal, I remember you couldn't even keep a plant alive" she laughed and you thought back to the multiple plants you tried to have as a teenager.

"Not a good plant mum but I think a dog mum may be different, they at least speak when they aren't fed" you smirked before Stanley barked from his spot, now revealing a popped soccerball

"I can get you a new one-" "Don't bother I have plenty, it is my job after all"

You smiled "Isn't it cool? We both got into our dream jobs" you smiled and Jill turned to you "Did you get into writing?" she smiled and you nodded "As soon as I moved I got into it, can be slow at times but I don't regret it"

Jill smiled, proud of you and your achievements "Last time I checked you were still at Wolfsburg" you said, explaining your shock at the game "you keeping tabs on me?" Jill teased.

You gave her a look "Oh c'mon of course I would, I just happened to miss your transfer to City" you told her and her smile grew. "I tried to check on with you" she admitted "I couldn't get access to your phone, your parents basically cut me off every time I rang the home number but I asked around"

"spying on me?"

"Well I cared" she told you and you both shared a look.

"I just wanted to make sure your safe, it is the one thing you deserve most"

you weren't safe.

You didn't respond with words but looked down nodding your head "thanks Jill".

"Any popular songs I may of heard that are actually written by you?"

You smiled "Do you know Adele's song 'All I Ask'"

Jill gasped "Yes"

"Yeah I didn't write that one"

You tried not to laugh at Jill's lack of excitement as you joked "Well it's good to know you still haven't lost your humor"

You felt your phone buzz against your jeans as you shared an apologetic look with Jill "I have to-" "take it, I'll play with the dog who's name is?" she pondered off as you accepted the call "It's Stanley!" You yelled out to her.

"Who are you talking to?"

A chill ran up your spine.

Why didn't you check the caller ID.

"Just someone who wanted to pat Stanley" you said, technically telling the truth "You've been out a long time" Ellie's voice grew accusingly.

"I took him to the park" you said as if it wasn't a big deal.

Unbeknownst to you Jill watched your phone call, she assumed it was your partner when you accepted the call but something didn't feel right to her about Ellie.

But she wasn't sure if it was because Ellie was living the life she always wanted, a public relationship with you.

Your breath hitched on the phone when Ellie didn't answer straight away, only a strained hmm on her behalf "Is that why your standing there talking to your ex-girlfriend" You widened your eyes and started to frantically look around which caused Jill to stand up with caution.

"we're going home y/n" Ellie commanded you, her tone angry as you grew scared

"y/n are you okay?" Jill softly asked you

You nodded your head before picking up Stanley's leash "okay El" you said, your voice quiet, damaged.

You dropped your phone from your ear "It was nice talking to you Jill but unfortunately I have to go" Your heart was racing as you clipped the dogs lead onto his collar, your breath shortening as Jill watched in confusion before you walked away quickly into a sleek black car.

Ellies hand clung onto your thigh as soon as you sat down and tears pricked your eyes "It was just a conversation-" "Shut up" she told you and you took a big breath in.

You couldn't do it anymore.

As Ellie's grip on you tightened your left hand reached behind your back to find your phone and pulled it out to the outer side of your outside leg to hide it.

You texted on Olivia's contact before typing.

'help me'

Though she would get the message and come home it wouldn't save you from the punishment you would get when Ellie pushes you threw the front doors.

[mytheoristavenue]

GOTG Rocket Raccon x Reader - You Don't Have to Like Me.

Summary: Ever since you joined the team, Rocket has always had a chip on his shoulder about you. Now that he's the leader, you question whether you should stay with the new gaurdians.

Warnings: Angst, fluff, vol. 3 spoilers, takes palce after vol. 3, mentions of character death, mentions of the blip/snap

You smiled, reaching your fists toward the ceiling of your hotel room, hearing joyful music from outside. The concpets of last week's events were still surreal to you, and you hadn't quite processed them or the feelings that they had generated. You'd decided to simply take a few days to rest in solidtude after everything that happened.

Sractching at your door demanded your attention as you slipped out of bed, kicking into your house shoes. Wandering over, you opened the door, once again smiling softly at who was on the other side. "Good morning, Cosmo," you said, voice cracking with sleep. You reached over to a nearby table, taking a dog buscuit from an old tin before tossing it to her. She caught it between her teeth expertly, wolfing it down with a giggle. Once done, she sat obediently in front of you.

"He's looking for you." she said knowingly. "You said after a few days you'd come out, but not yet. Why do you hide?"

Your relaxed grin faltered into a somber one. "I won't be hiding much longer, Cosmo. I made my choice." Your reply seemed to spark something in the canine, prompting her to bark and jump up at you, licking your face before regaining her composure. "Oh, (Y/N), I knew you'd stay! I-!"

"I'm leavng, girl." your voice cracked a bit as you held back tears, smile still forced onto your lips. The dog instantly froze, halting her celebration to look at you, heartbroken and you reached out to pat her head.

"Is not funny." she whimpered, slowly padding closer to you before stopping short again, looking passed you at your luggage. "N-No...you can't leave."

"Cosmo-" you tried to interject, her rising upset as she began to back out of the room. "H-Here, have another treat and we'll talk about this-" Before you could reach back into the tin, she was gone, having darted out of the room sobbing, leaving you with slumped shoulders and a heavy concious.

"You've gotta stop pissin' off my crew." Your head snapped up toward the doorway to find none other than the captain himself standing there, sillouetted in the dim hallway light.

"Rocket..." you trailed, unsure of what to say. "I heard you wanted to see me?"

"That's true." he nodded, slepping inside and kicking the door closed behind him. "Been looking for you for three days now. Checked your apartment but you weren't there."

"I moved." you excused sheepishly.

"I could tell." he rolled his eyes. "And concsidering this is the second hotel I've tracked down that has you in their system, seems like you just keep moving."

"Just antsy, I guess." you laughed nervously, stepping further in front of you luggage, in hopes he wouldn't see.

"And I take it I'm just supposed to ignore all your shit over there in a conviniently portable little pile, right?" he ask rhetorically. "I hope that's so you can move into another room to keep hiding from me and not what I think it's for?"

You sighed, finally giving up the rouse, perfect posture faultering as you slumped down onto the bed. "I thought I'd go travelling. Live up the transient life, ya know? Maybe go check out Terra, meet up with Quill-"

"(Y/N), quit rambling, you know I hate that shit."

"Sorry."

Rocket shooked his head sternly, hopping up on the bed with you, letting his legs dangle off the edge. "So, you're really leaving?"

"Theres nothing left for me here." you shuttered, holding back tears. "Mantis was my best friend and I don't even know where she went, the Guardians are done, Quill's gone-" you stopped, should you begin to shed tears. "Everyone that's still here has a purpose in staying, and I don't."

"The Guardians aren't over, just made-a different people. Still got you and me, and Groot." He offered, stealing a glance while you stared down at your lap.

"You never considered me a Guardian, Rocket." you retorted, your tone suddenly taking a sharpness neither of you were ready for. "Just admit it."

"Bullshit." he scoffed, rolling his eyes and looking away, dramatically slapping his thighs. "You know better than that. What's this really about?" You sniffled, feeling the willpower to hold back your unchecked emotions much longer. Your fists clenched at your knees as the first offical tear rolled down your cheeck, falling away from your skin and hitting your clothed leg. The raccoon eyed you closely, concern growing more and more evident on his brow as he leaned closer. "(Y/N)?"

"I watched you die, Rocket!" you finally shouted, sobs freeely tumbling out of your throat. "I watched your heart stop and I held you for dear life and I begged you to come back! I cried over your body and held you so tight than your fur shed in my hands!" you shuttered, bringing up a hand to wipe your tears against your wrist. "You always hated me but I care about you so much and I just can't see you die again! I don't want to have to go through that again!"

Rocket was utterly speechless, what was he supposed to say? 'There, there'? "(Y-Y/N)? I-" he tried cautiously, but paused, having forgotten to find the words to say before opening his mouth. "I-I don't hate you..."

"You've never once been nice to me, Rocket..." you accused, giving him a side eyed glare before obscuring your face again.

"I-I know, but..." he swallowed harshly, gleaming eyes trained on you. "I never hated you..." Silence befell the room, only interupted by your distress hiccups. This was definately not the 'talking to' Rocket had imagined giving you once he found out you were thinking of leaving. "Look, I shouldv'e said this earlier but...I want you on my team. Sure, it'll be a little different with the kid and whatnot, but we'll-"

"I said no, Rocket." you snapped, malice powering your voice.

His brows furrowed as he knodded in aknowledgement of your choice. "Fine, but just so ya know, I watched you die too once." You froze, immediately understanding what he was refferring to. "Not to throw a pity party, but I don't think you know how it feels to have everything you have ever known or loved ripped away from you all at once." he spat, jumping down from the bed, on his way out the door. "Twice."

"I didn't think me being gone bothered you as much as the others..." you confessed quietly, eyes still glossy.

"That's what you get for assuming. Makes an ass outta you and me." he retorted over his shoulder. "And for the record, I did miss you when you were gone. So fuckin' much." You had long since begun to feel an overbearing weight of guilt as your wrist cralwed up toward your chest to soothe its ache. "And I'm never gonna stop missin' you after you leave."

"Rocket," you barely whispered, but he heard you, his ears twitching instantly. "I'm so sorry..."

"This might be kinda sappy," he sighed, making sure to turn away from you so you wouldn't be able to read his face. "but I love ya." You were blown away, unable to form coherent thoughts, let alone words. It had always been so rare- almost impossibly so- that Rocket ever spoke freely about what he felt, but it seemed that after what happened last week, he was a new person. He was nicer, more open, more serene. Perhaps he'd made peace with some old, injured part of himself. "I tried to fight it for a long time. Thought I could only love one person, and that now that she's gone, nobody could ever make me happy again. But you do." He paused for a moment, taking a deep, awkward breath. "And I'm sorry I was such an ass to you while figurin' that out."

The warmth you felt in your chest was immeasurable as you collapsed to the floor and lunged towards him, engulfing him in a much needed hug. You sniffled, tears pouring down your cheeks, absorbed by his wiry fur. Rocket was initially rigid, unable to forsee this reaction in you, but he eventually loosened his muscles enough to wrap his small arms around your neck. "I don't knwo what to say..." you admitted.

"Don't say anything," he replied, nuzzling into your collar. "You talk too much already." After a few moments of just holding eachother in silence, he spoke up again. "Look, I can't offer ya much. I can't promise to be the perfect man and I'm never gonna sweep ya off your feet." he sighed, pulling away and holding you at arms length. "But I can keep ya company, keep ya safe..."

"I don't need any of that stuff, Rocket. I just wanna feel wanted..." your breath shuttered,

"I want you." he mumbled, his voice trailing off as he lost his train of thought. "I don't really know what I'm doin'. I think I need somebody to keep me in line, a smartass who ain't afraid to talk over me." Glancing down at him, you found him looking back smirking. "Don't suppose you could give me any names?"

"Groot?" you snickered, cheeks still red and damp from crying. He joined you in a laugh.

"I was thinkin' somebody a little more cuddly, ya ever try cuddlin' a tree? I've had thorns in my ass for years."

"Cosmo?"

"(Y/N)." he finally said half sternly. "I want you to stay here with me. What do I gotta do to get you to stay?"You suddenly felt so serene here with him, under his touch and lazy sense of humor.

"Well..." you began cautiously. "If I did stay...would I just be a Guardian to you?"

Rocket glanced away, finding it hard to face you for long periods of a time while he made himself so vulnerable. "You can be whatever you want to me. What do you wanna be?"

"I kinda wanna be your partner..." you confessed, also looking away in the opposite direction. "Like, romantically."

"I don't think I can do that, (Y/N)..." His answer shattered you and your blood ran cold. You were so confused, surely you couldn'y have gotten a wrong signal?

"W-why? I thought-"

Rocket laughed, cocking a brow at your gullibility and tilted his head. "Feel like theres probably a rule out there about the capatain fraternizing with his crewmember. And i wouldn't want the others to get jealous if I treat you better..." You remained silent, unable to disern if he was playing with you or rubbing salt in the wound until his tiny hands found home on your cheeks, pulling you closer. "But then again, I never cared for rules much." Before relief could fully wash over you, he'd pulled you in, nuzzling each of your cheeks gnetly- his version of a kiss. You returned the gesture after a moment, not fully understanding it at first.

"So you wanna be my partner, huh?" he finally asked, parting and putting a small amount of distance betweehn the two of you. You nodded, unable to catch your breath under his gaze. "I reckon that can be arranged then, under a few conditions."

"What's that?" you asked, cautiously.

"Go get your apartment back and unpack all this shit." he laughed, tossing a thumb over to your pile of luggage. "And you gotta promise not to abuse your power." he smirked, carnivorous teeth gleaming in the daylight that poured in from the window.

"What power?"

"Well," he started, shrugging cockily. "Sleepin' with the captain always has it's perks-"

"Rocket!"

[kasdan]

in which you convince carol to wear her dress she had on in Aladna for you

marvel masterlist

a/n: after i've seen the marvels this mf dress has been engraved into my mind ever since i had to write something about it. she looked so good in it i just widhwjsnwao

pairing: carol danvers x f!reader

word count: 1.4k

warnings: slight spoilers from the marvels, both carol and reader being menaces, reader is put in a dress, fluff, mild language, suggestive themes

You sat there at the kitchen island, staring at the back of Carol as she stood at the stove, cooking breakfast. You had your hands folded under your chin, elbows resting on the counter as you watched her move.

You've been trying to get her to put on the dress she had on at Aladna for weeks now. You wouldn't even have known about it if you didn't get a text from Kamala with a picture of Carol in the dress and a vast array of emojis to go along with it.

It is safe to say you were not expecting the photo and were completely caught off guard, not ever seeing her in a dress before, and definitely not expecting she would look that good in one.

When you confronted her about the photo, she rolled her eyes and muttered something about killing Kamala before she explained that it was "nothing" and to forget about it, but you definitely didn't forget about it.

Ever since you've been trying to get her to wear the dress for you, even giving her the best puppy dog eyes you could manage, but all you got in return was a smile and pat on the cheek before she moved away from you, ignoring your pleas. Unfortunately for her, you don't give up that easily.

You would find every small opportunity you could get in order to subtly (and not so subtly) remind her about the dress. Casually walking down the street, hand in hand, I saw a dress shop come up, and before I could stop to look in, Carol was dragging me along the path, past the shop, knowing about my antics.

"I didn't even do anything." You laughed as she just shook her head and dragged you further down the path, so the shop was out of sight.

Every time I made the slightest note to a dress, she immediately shut it down, and I knew there was a different reason to her reacting like how she was other than her simply not liking dresses, but I never pushed her on it.

"No." A voice shook me out of my thoughts to see Carol placing a plate of food in front of me.

"What?" I looked up at her, standing with her hands placed on her hips, staring at me.

"I know what you're thinking; you're always on that damn dress." She couldn't help but let out a chuckle as she looked at you filling your mouth with food.

You swallowed the food you had in your mouth and opened it to speak, but before you could, Carol put up a hand, stopping you. "Okay." You lifted your eyebrow at her in question before she sighed. "I will put on the dress." You shot up out of your seat in excitement at her statement, but she was quick to add on to her sentence. "But I will only wear it if you're also wearing one; it's only fair." Your face dropped, and you just saw her smirk at you from her spot on the other side of the island.

You also hated wearing dresses and how they felt, and it was clear that Carol was betting on this one factor in order to get out of the situation completely, but the need to see her in person with the dress on overweighed your own discomfort in the situation.

"Okay, deal." Her facial expression didn't change, and you could see her trying not to show the shock on her face when I agreed.

"Okay." She spoke slowly, as if trying to find a bluff anywhere as an escape from the situation she found herself in.

"I'm guessing you're picking out the dress I'm wearing." The smirk grew back on her face at the statement, and I was immediately wondering if it was too late to back out.

It was. It was way too late to back out as you stood in the bathroom, inspecting the dress you had on. It took Carol no less than a day to find a dress for you to wear, which made you wonder just how long she had been planning this before. It was honestly the worst-looking dress you've ever seen, from the color to the design. Of course, she had to go and find a dress in your least favorite color and the most obnoxious design.

"Are you ready in there, or do I need to break the door down in order to get you out?" You heard Carol's voice from the other side of the door, and you couldn't help the groan that left your mouth as you took another glance in the mirror at the dress. "You know, we could just get dressed in our regular clothes and pretend none of this ever happened." You shook your head and forced open the bathroom door, not going to let anything stop you from the opportunity.

You stop in the doorway speechless as you find Carol standing in front of you, fully dressed in the dress you've been trying so hard to get her to wear for the past few weeks, and it made the feeling of you wearing whatever she put you in worth it. Somehow the dress looked even better on her in person, and it amazed you how someone could look that good in something.

You're interrupted in your daze by the snort that she let out before quickly covering her mouth, even though it doesn't do much when you can see her shoulders shaking gently in a silent laugh.

"You're an ass." You let out a laugh of your own and shoved her shoulder back when she only started laughing harder.

"Okay, no, I'm sorry, you look great." Her statement was extremely disbelievable, as she couldn't get out the full thing without laughing at it.

"I hope you're enjoying me in misery."

"I could say the same for you." You just rolled your eyes at her and instead grabbed her arm, forcing her to follow you.

"C'mon, just because of that, we're going to dance in these now." 

"Woah, hey, that was not in the deal." She made a poor attempt to break free of my grasp, which didn't get her anywhere as you led her to the living room. You make a poor excuse for a stage, sliding the table out of the way and going to turn on the speaker in the room. Carol rolled her eyes when she heard the song that was put on. You were making sure to find the dumbest song you could.

"May I have this dance, milady?" You made a dramatic bow at her, holding out your hand toward her.

"You're so dumb." She laughed and grabbed the outstretched hand towards her, pulling you into her. She made an attempt at trying to teach you basic moves, but she quickly stopped when you just kept stepping on her instead of moving the way she was trying to show you. You both jump and spin around the room until you've collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.

She grabbed your hand and started to rub small circles in the skin as she turned to face you. "I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time with the whole dress situation." You opened your mouth to tell her that it was fine and you shouldn't have pushed her that hard to do something she didn't want to, but she squeezed my hand, wordlessly telling me not to say anything. "I've never been that comfortable in dresses; they've never been my thing, and having to deal with assholes asking me why I never wore them and telling me that I would look better in one, I just kind of swore them off from my life, not seeing the use really." She's spaced out, looking at the wall over your shoulder as she continued to softly rub circles into your hand.

She let out a breath and fixed her gaze on you, the corner of her mouth lifting up into a small smile. "I was scared to put on the dress for you because of it, but I realized that there was no reason for me to be so resistant in doing it, and that it was dumb for me to act that way because I trust you."

"So you're telling me I didn't have to wear this awful piece of clothing?" A loud laugh escaped her, and she rolled to lean over your body.

"No, this was definitely needed. It will forever be engraved into my head."

"Carol!"

"Hey, I'm sorry." She chuckled, moving her hand to your cheek. "I could take it off for you if you'd like."

"Oh, I think I definitely need you to do that." She let out another smile at your statement and leaned down to bring her mouth to yours. That dress was definitely worth it.

buy me a coffee ♡

[ssentimentals]

labels {boo seungkwan}

pairing: seungkwan x fem!reader

prompt: 'i know you don't like labels so can i be your one-and-only-person?'

warnings: none, pure fluff as usual!

seungkwan smiles widely, showing off two huge bags in his hands. before you can ask what is happening and did he buy the whole store, he says: 'i wasn't sure in mood for what you'd be, so i got both salty and sweet things.'

you smile back, shaking your head. sometimes he can be so silly but in the most endearing way that makes your heart feel like it's too big for your chest. you come closer, taking a look at what's inside the bag and cheering at the sight of your favorite chips. 'you are the best! let's go?'

you already secured your favorite spot with the blanket and now when you both sit there, he feels like this is going to the best day. in all honesty, it always feels like day is going to be great if you are in it. he sits next to you, emptying the bags and grinning at your excitement. this place became a home for you two, somewhere to hide from the rest of the world and all the troubles. your friendship blossomed here - quickly and unexpectedly - and seungkwan loved to think that you two have a secret place to go to.

'no way,' you take a look at the snacks he bought and start clapping. 'those are my favorite! i love you, thanks!'

his smile falters a little at the 'i love you' part and seungkwan pretends to be busy on the phone, looking down. you are a very easy-going person and 'i love you' falls from your lips all the time: you say it to strangers who pick up things that fell from your backpack, you say it to your friends when they say goodbye, you say it to the passing dogs or cats. he loves this about you, loves how you don't hide your emotions, loves how your heart is full of love. it's just, he can't help but wonder - is there a place specifically crafted for him there? does your 'i love you' to him means something more? the desire for it to mean something more fills his entire being - he's afraid it might overflow if he won't control it.

'earth to kwannie!' you shake him awake, smiling. 'i took some card games with me, do you wanna take a look?'

'of course!' seungkwan says it a bit too loudly but you don't react.

you start explaining which games you took and he tries to pay attention, he really does but when you decide to lean on him, all of the thoughts turn into a mess. this casual way of you entering his personal space, how you don't even have to think twice or ask him - it makes his heart race knowing how comfortable and safe you feel around him. his whole face is burning and the scent of your shampoo tickles his nose; seungkwan has to physically stop himself from burying his face in your hair, wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you close. you two already act like a couple without being one and he doesn't want to scare you away, not when he knows your stand in this thing. ('i don't like this whole...'boyfriend and girlfriend' thing, you know?' you said, walking with him to the cafeteria. 'i just- i don't like labels i guess? the need to call each other something when you both know how close you are and- i don't know, maybe i'm weird.'). he didn't say anything at that time but then it took seungkwan one whole week to find and read all articles on the topic of 'labels' in order to grasp what you meant and what it meant for him.

('i think she was inwardly telling me to fuck off,' he wailed loudly, leaning on vernon's shoulder. 'god, she really was, right? should i just back off?'

vernon patted his back and shared a look with seokmin who sat on the floor. 'i honestly think she just shared her thoughts,' vernon commented. 'no, seriously boo, i'm not saying that to appease you, i really think so.'

'i agree with vernon here,' seokmin voiced, nodding. 'i actually think..she's done it on purpose? like, so you would know, you know?'

'so i would know,' seungkwan repeated dumbly. 'for what?'

'for when you'll confess, idiot.' vernon rolled his eyes. 'cause you are going to confess, right? at this point i think everyone's waiting for it, including her.'

seungkwan sat up, eyes full of hope. 'you think so?'

'we know so, boo.' seokmin assured him with a gentle smile. 'it's the most natural thing ever for you two.')

natural. seungkwan watches you laugh at the way he's losing the game and thinks that a) you are beautiful, b) he can lose every single game just to hear you laugh and c) he's in too deep to back out now.

'so,' he starts, awkwardly clearing his throat. thinking that he's thirsty you immediately hand him water and he smiles, taking it. 'i wanted to-'

'wait, there's something on your mouth,' you reach out and wipe away few chips crumbs from the corner of his mouth and then sigh when you notice few spots on his t-shirt. 'i love you kwannie, but you're so sloppy sometimes.'

his breath hitches. oh dear god, here we go. 'you love me?' he asks, hating the way his voice comes off high-pitched. natural, my ass.

your eyebrows furrow and you tilt your head to the side a little. '...of course i do. even when you are such a sloppy eater.'

right. seungkwan tries to calm his racing heart and speaks slowly: 'do you have spots like this one with anyone else?' you shake your head and he continues: 'so, it's only me. and you love me even when i eat like a pig.'

you look weirded out but he doesn't blame you - he'd be weirded out too but he can't say what he wants any other way. bringing your knees to your chest, you stare at him with worried eyes. 'where this is going, boo? i don't understand.'

'you don't like labels,' seungkwan states and gives you a whiplash with the sudden change of the topics. 'right?'

'yes..' you drift off, confused. 'what this has to do with-'

'considering that information and that i am in love with you, i thought that we-' he swallows before continuing: 'i know that you don't like labels so can i be your one-and-only-person?' you blink in stupor and seungkwan thinks that if he doesn't say everything now then he might never say it: 'i mean, we are so close and you have a secret spot only with me and you love me- i mean, you say that you love me and even though you say that almost to everyone i think when you say it to me it's a bit different - i mean, i'm assuming that it means different and i really want it to be different and - i think that we can be so good together! only with your consent, of course- cause-'

'seungkwan!' you interrupt, reaching out to take his hands in yours.

'yes?' he squeaks, shutting up.

'breathe.' you let out, squeezing his hands.

seungkwan's brain comes to a halt and he exhales, not breaking eye contact with you. 'does that mean that you-'

'just breathe for now, kwannie.' you interrupt again, rolling your eyes at his behavior but not being able to hide a big forming smile on your face. 'that was some speed.'

'yeah?' he asks out of breath, still trembling with a need for your answer.

'yeah,' you chuckle. 'i think vernon raps slower than that.'

you both grin at each other at this and - seungkwan suddenly understands that you already gave him your answer. he sees it in your eyes - how they sparkle, in the way you hold his hands - steady and with all the care, in your smile - how you can't seem to stop it from forming. relief washes over him when you start caressing his skin with you thumbs, smiling gently at him. 'you know, now that your hands are in mine, i feel like the luckiest person to walk the planet.'

'oh for god's sake,' you mutter, leaning forward and hiding your face in his neck.

this time seungkwan doesn't hold back - he leans in, wraps his arm around your waist, pulls you closer and buries his face in your hair. and it feels just like he thought it would - like the most natural thing in the world. 'so how do we call each other?' he asks, squirming when you tickle him a bit. 'if girlfriend and boyfriend is not it?'

'i like the way it is right now. we don't have to change anything.'

seungkwan nods in agreement. 'you are mine and i am yours one-and-only-person,' he concludes and then looks down at you. he leans in, pecking your nose. 'i like that.'

'i like that too.'

with a startle, seungkwan realizes how easy it is. how everything is easy with you and this is how it's meant to be, natural.

a/n: boo is the cutest! come check out my other works here - nini

tag list: @smalliechelle @jaetaimjadore @yeow6n @pearlygraysky @a-wandering-stay (let me know if you want to be added!)

[buckysouvenir]

at the fair

chapter 3 of healing hearts.

reblogs, likes and comments are always encouraged and highly appreciated! thank you ♡

⋆ series masterlist 　　⋆ steve rogers masterlist

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

as days turned into weeks, y/n found herself seeking comfort in steve's company more often than not. with each passing day, their conversations grew more comfortable, and the weight of her heartache seemed to lessen just a little.

they talked about everything and anything, sharing stories, laughter, and even a few moments of comfortable silence. y/n found herself opening up about her dreams, her fears, and her plans for the future. steve, in turn, shared his own aspirations and reflections.

"hey, y/n," steve called out, his voice gentle yet carrying a note of curiosity.

y/n turned, a surprised smile forming on her lips when she saw steve approaching. "hey, steve. just finished a bit of a workout."

steve nodded, his blue eyes scanning her face. "you okay? you looked lost in thought there."

y/n sighed softly, her shoulders relaxing as she met his concerned gaze. "yeah, i guess i've just been going through a lot lately. trying to keep myself occupied, you know?"

he understood the sentiment all too well, given his own history of seeking comfort in physical training. "i get it. sometimes it's good to have a way to clear your mind. you can call me if you want... company to workout, i mean."

she chuckles, "yeah... if i ever need a new punching back, your number will be the first one i'll be calling." y/n says as she grabs her workout bag from the floor and starts to walk away.

"well, speaking of things that might make you feel better, i was wondering if you'd be up for something." he spoke louder to get her attention.

"of course! what is it?" she stopped in her tracks to start paying attention to the super soldier coming to her diction.

"there's a dog adoption fair happening this weekend and i'm invited to help as... you know, captain america... anyway, uh, would you like to go too?" steve said while fidgeting with his water bottle, afraid the other avenger could sense his nervousness but y/n's excitement completely blinded her.

y/n's eyes lit up with excitement. "A DOG ADOPTION FAIR??" she squealed.

steve smiled, encouraged by her enthusiasm. "i thought you might like it. you're such an animal lover, and-"

she jumped and hugged him, "YES! oh my god thank you yes i'll go with you. you have no idea how much i love dogs."

"i'm getting an idea of how much" he said, patting her waist but lingering a little bit longer.

"sorry" she said, embarrassed, letting go of him. "and i'm so sorry i'm sweaty"

steve let out a soft laugh, "it's ok, i'll get a work out in now anyway"

y/n gave him a pressed smile, "ok, uhm... send me the details then?"

"yeah, sure!"

they said their goodbyes as y/n practically skipped away. steve couldn't help but feel a sense of joy himself, her genuine enthusiasm was infectious. with a contented smile, he pulled out his phone and sent her a message with all the information.

the weekend had finally arrived, and y/n's excitement was palpable as she got ready for the dog adoption fair. She stood in front of the mirror in her room, adjusting her outfit and trying to find the perfect balance between comfort and style. the fair was just a short while away, and she wanted to make sure she looked presentable.

as she put on the finishing touches, she heard a knock on her door. she crossed the room and opened the door to find steve standing there, dressed in his full captain america suit.

her eyes widened in surprise, "hey... what are you doing here?" she said, letting out a chuckled laugh but quickly slapping her mouth.

steve looked a little taken aback by her reaction. "i came here to pick you up... what's so funny?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

y/n put her hand down from her mouth, but a smile still played on her lips. "it's just... the captain america in full uniform"

steve's brows furrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "we've been on missions together with me wearing this suit all the time. what's so funny?"

"it's just that... it looks a little out of place outside of a mission context." y/n's laughter subsided, and she smiled at him warmly. "But don't get me wrong, you look great buddy!" she said patting him on his shoulders like a child.

he grinned, rolling his eyes playfully. "i can't win with you, can i?"

y/n chuckled again and crossed her arms. "you win all the time, cap. it's just a little different seeing you like this in civilian settings."

he shook his head, "fair enough", a fond smile on his lips. "you ready?"

y/n nodded enthusiastically. "absolutely! and i promise not to burst into laughter when we're there."

steve chuckled. "i appreciate that."

the dog adoption fair was in full swing, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy. y/n and steve had arrived together, and their presence only added to the event's liveliness.

steve, dressed in his full captain america suit, had become an instant hit among the attendees, especially the children. his charismatic smile drew people towards him like a magnet. he was a natural with the dogs, his gentle demeanor instantly putting them at ease.

y/n found herself busy helping people take pictures with steve, ensuring that everyone got a chance to capture a memorable moment. she laughed as kids lined up, waiting for their turn to stand beside him. grabbing the parents phone, she snapped photos of the heartwarming interactions between steve and the children.

"say CHEESE" y/n called out, her grin matching the children's enthusiasm.

steve crouched down, his shield by his side, as he posed with a wide grin. "CHEESE"

"thanks for doing this, cap!" a father said, shaking steve's hand.

steve's eyes sparkled as he replied, "it's my pleasure."

the children cheered and giggled, their faces lighting up with joy. steve's genuine connection with them was evident, and y/n couldn't help but admire how effortlessly he brought smiles to their faces. amidst the laughter and excitement, her gaze often found its way back to steve, who was already smiling at her. she reminded herself that she needed to focus on the dogs and the event, not get distracted by her growing fondness for steve. after all, they were just friends, and she didn't want to complicate things further, she thought.

however, there was one challenge that y/n couldn't ignore. every time she walked past a dog in need of a home, her heart melted. each wagging tail brought a smile to her face.

steve slowly walked up to her while she was holding a puppy, "you know, you can't have them all y/n" he said, earning a playful pout from her.

"i know!" she replied, rubbing her face on the dogs fur. "it's just... they deserve loving homes."

a fond smile on his lips as he watched her interact with the dog.

"and they will find them, with or without us adopting them all."

"yeah... but i would chose the adopting them all ourselves option if you wouldn't mind."

steve laughed, "i think it's a great idea but i don't think the rest of the tower would agree."

y/n rolled her eyes but agreed with a smile on her face.

"though i have to say, you'd make one heck of a dog mom," steve teased.

"STOOOP! don't give me ideas."

he chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on her. "you just have a big heart, that's all i meant."

y/n met his gaze, her heart fluttering at the sincerity in his eyes.

as the day went on, y/n found it harder to focus on anything other than steve. she caught herself stealing glances when he wasn't looking. she watched as he patiently listened to children's stories, posed for countless pictures, and interacted with the dogs as if they were his own.

each time she caught herself, she reprehended herself for feeling this way, especially given her recent breakup with bucky, especially for the fact that he is her exes best friend.

eventually, she allowed herself a moment to appreciate the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and the genuine laughter that escaped his lips.

as the sun began to set and the event came to a close, y/n and steve shared a quiet moment. they leaned against a nearby railing, watching as families left with their newly adopted furry friends.

"you did amazing today, steve," y/n said with a soft smile.

he looked at her, his blue eyes warm. "it was a team effort. you helped make today special for a lot of people too. mine included."

y/n's heart swelled. as they stood there, side by side, she couldn't help but feel joy.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

#taglist: @yoruse @pattiemac1 @mrsevans90 @lauraashley93 @ozwriterchick @elthoughtzos

[hrts444taylor]

How to get a girlfriend #6

006

"DOGS"

"you need to decide where you want your date to take place, chris!"

alahna jumps up from the couch and holds up some yellow cards in front of her, smiling brightly. she looks at her friend and motions for matt to join her.

"matt and i came up with some ideas for your date! we know what she likes, so we figured it would be best to do this. all you have to do is choose a date out of these!"

"why are we still doing this?"

the boy sighs loudly, rolling his eyes at his friends. he thought he would be done with this shit, but all it did was backfire him even more and now he has to continue with their plan.

he just wants to enjoy his time with romi and get her to like him on his own. not with his friends by his side.

although... he did have some trouble with the fact that he had to come up with a planned date. he didn't think that far yet and the thought of planning a date freaked him out. so maybe, maybe it's okay for his friends to help him out just a little bit.

"because you're a dumbass and you need us! you're not going to tell me that you came up with a date already, chris," alahna says, looking at her first card and smiling at it.

"no, i don't but," the boy says, his eyes on the ground. "just spill your ideas."

the girl shouts a 'yeah!' and sticks a card to the wall. "alright! the first idea is a coffee shop! we all know how cute that can be!"

chris nods to himself. "yeah, she is a coffee addict. one problem though... i'm not."

alahna sighs and places her hand on her face, shaking her head. "you're helpless, chris. there are so many other things you can order in a coffee shop! plus, it shows how you think about stuff that she likes, too."

the boy nods a little and bites his lip, then thinks. "okay... well, what else do you got?"

matt sticks another yellow card on the wall and points at it. the card says; 'dogs' in thick and black letters.

chris frowns, his eyes moving over the word again. "dogs? why dogs?" he asks the two, moving his head a little to the side. he doesn't understand why he would go on a date with romi and a dog.

"let me explain, dear chris," alahna starts, then points at the card as well. "dogs are cute and romi absolutely loves dogs. she wants one herself when she grows up so we thought it would be cute if you guys walked a dog together!"

the male shakes his head at his friends. "that's absolutely not happening. dogs aren't my friends at times and one time i got bitten by one. i hate dogs. trevor is an exception but, walking them seems like not a good idea."

matt and alahna sigh, then stick another card to the wall. "what about going for dinner together?"

"what topics would we talk about?"

and another yellow card is stuck on the wall, this time another one-word card. "bowling?" nick asks, talking for the first time in a few minutes, "that's fun."

"i've never been bowling before," chris answers to the girls and nick, shaking his head a little. "but it seems fun though."

"oh, no," nick says. "please don't do that. you'll make a fool out of yourself," he says, moving his glasses further up on his head.

alahna nods at his words, then smirked. "he already does, though."

"why are you guys always so mean to me? i thought we were supposed to be friends! i'm starting to think that you all secretly hate me."

"we don't! you don't have to worry. alright, none of these are going to work. alahna, what do we do now?" nick says, looking at his friend.

alahna looks at the last card in her hands. she sticks the card to the wall and takes a deep breath. "i guess it's going to be a lame movie night, then."

nick laughs, patting his own knee as he keeps on laughing. "oh! that shouldn't be a problem! chris is already lame, so she wouldn't be surprised if the date was lame too!"

chris rolls his eyes and stands up, rubbing the dust off of his pants. "you guys are no help. the movie date sounds good to me. i don't like going all out anyway and i don't even know if she likes me. so, if you'll excuse me, i'll go and sit in my room while i do nothing but cry about you, stupid idiots."

the boy walks away from his friends and up the stairs to his own room. His friends start to laugh and shake their heads. "oh, that poor bitch... i feel sorry for him," nick mumbles, his eyes focused on the staircase.

matt and alahna nod at his words, also looking in the same direction. alahna then shrugs and crosses her arms, pointing at the last yellow card on the wall.

"you can say what you want, but he has a date idea now!"

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Heart’s Choice - Chapter 12

*Warning Adult Content*

- Carlos -

For a cop, Turner drives recklessly and fast, making me press myself into the backrest of the passenger seat and grip the hand hold hard.

When we arrive at his house, he roars up the paved driveway, screeches to a halt, jerks the gearshift into position, stomps on the parking brake, pops his door open and leaps out all in one smooth motion.

Then he marches up the path to the front door.

I follow him uncertainly, not knowing if he wants support or privacy at this point.

He takes the wide, flagstone steps three at a time, bounding to the top, stops short, stares at something on the ground and swears.

Then he unlocks the door, throws it open and unleashes a pair of demons.

I fall back in fright as two enormous German Shepherds barrel towards me, barking furiously and wagging their tails.

With classic finesse, I trip and fall on my ass, then roll and cover my head with my arms, hoping to protect myself from the ferocious beasts.

I feel wet noses, warm tongues and hot breath on the back of my neck as Turner shouts at the top of his lungs in the background.

"Rick. Morty. No. Get over here, now."

The dogs take off again, racing back towards the house and leaving me to pick myself up.

I lift my head and see Turner kneeling to welcome the tail wagging duo with open arms, allowing himself to be showered in hyperactive doggy kisses.

Getting to my feet, I approach cautiously and hang back a bit while Turner hugs each dog in turn.

He looks up at me and despite how stressed out and angry he'd seemed a moment before, I see a genuine grin stretching his face.

"So, uh..." I rub the back of my neck. "You gonna introduce me?"

Turner gets to his feet and the dogs flank him, each sitting obediently, watching me with heads tilted to the side, perked ears and bright eyes.

"Yeah. My, uh... my ex-wife's brother breeds them for the police but these two flunked out of puppy academy and were put up for adoption. Becky brought them home on a whim."

"Rick and Morty, huh?"

Turner laughs.

"My ex-brother-in-law's sense of humor. Just be glad we didn't end up with their brothers, Beavis and Butt-head. Morty's a girl, by the way."

"Becky is your ex?" I ask, extending a hand, palm down and fingers loosely curled, for the dogs to sniff.

One at a time they touch their noses to my knuckles, learning my scent.

"Yeah. She's an attorney, like my brother was. He introduced us.

"Does she live in Spring Lakes?"

"Nah. Down at the capitol, in Sacramento. 'Bout five hours away. Which is where she's on her way back to now, dog-free."

He grabs a fistful of hair, the dark brown tufts jutting from between his fingers and sighs.

"Shit."

"I take it you guys didn't talk about, uh... doggy custody."

In the meantime, the pair seemed to be warming up to me fast, melting my heart with their adoring eyes and making me forgive their initial excess of exuberance.

"We did," Turner says. "Or at least I thought we did. When we split, she said she wanted them. I agreed, though I'd have agreed to anything then. Now she says they're too much to handle and that they should be with me because I have more room. I work twenty-four hours straight sometimes. How am I suppose to take care of two large dogs?"

"I can help," the words leave my mouth before I can stop them. "I like dogs."

Turner raises his gaze and three pairs of eyes lock with mine, two brown and one hazel.

"Yeah?"

My heart thuds in my chest, as if I'm standing on a precipice, about to take a leap of faith.

"Yeah."

Turner nods.

"Okay. I appreciate it. At least until we get this figured out."

Unsure whether he means Kyle's murder and the attempts on my life or the argument with his ex and the doggo problem, I follow him inside.

"Your ex-wife has a key?" I ask, as he disarms the security system with a code.

"Nope. She just knows where I hide the spare. Time to change up my habits, I guess."

He turns his attention to the dogs and gives them each a smile and a pat on the head that makes me irrationally envious.

"Better get you up to speed, then. The good news is, they're potty-trained."

Taking care of dogs is more involved than I realized.

They need walks and exercise, toys and treats to keep them entertained, regular grooming, meals twice a day and of course, lots and lots of attention.

Between them and my newly acquired dinner duties, I barely have time to worry about anything else or to acknowledge the growing tension between Turner and myself.

Sometimes he looks like he hates the sight of me, sometimes it seems like I got a serious closet case on my hands.

Meanwhile, three more days go by.

"Why the special timing?" Turner asks, as I set down a platter of steaming hot beef empanadas for dinner.

They're baked, rather than fried but the pastry turned out golden and flaky and the filling is delicious, if I do say so myself.

"Phases of the moon are important in a lot of ritual magic," I explain, sitting opposite him.

I've told him everything I know about the second phase of the ritual, the Feast of Blood which, if the practitioner stays on schedule, will need to be completed by dawn on Saturday, fourteen days since Kyle's murder and five days from now.

"Kyle was murdered on a new moon, which is good for secret things and dark magic. Also, if timed right before or while the moon is completely dark, it's good for endings and if right before or after it starts to come back, it's good for beginnings."

"So, you think Kyle was killed during that phase, beginning the cycle of the ritual?"

"Probably. This next feast will take place on the full moon, which is good for magic that centers on things coming to fruition or reaching full potential. Finally, the last ritual, assuming we don't find and stop this guy, will be on the next new moon. The demon will enter this world in the absence of light, take and kill the host and if the summoner plays his cards right, grant a favor in return."

"What does this 'demon' want? Assuming it's real," Turner says, waving a half-eaten empanada at me. "And not just in some looney's imagination."

I sigh and slip Morty a bit of shredded beef under the table.

Turner scowls but says nothing, awaiting my reply.

I give myself a moment to think and to come up with an explanation he'll understand.

"You heard of multiple dimensions or the multiverse theory?"

He nods, mouth full.

"Well, it's kinda like that. Some of these dimensions are non-material, pure energy, where beings exist without physical bodies. A lot of these beings would fall under what, in English, we call 'demons,' for lack of a better term. Most aren't 'bad' or 'evil,' in the way we usually think, just like lions and hyenas and other predators aren't 'evil.' They're just doing what they do to survive. From an antelope's perspective, though, a lion might seem pretty malevolent. The humans are the antelopes in this scenario."

"They see us as food?"

"More or less. Human life is like sunlight, heat, warmth to them. They crave it and are drawn to it but usually they can't touch us. Like fish watching birds fly overhead, forever separated by the realms in which they live. Through rituals like the Feasts, though, they can enter this world by possessing a host. After the host's death, they're then free to roam this plane, in search of other victims, until somebody like my aunt comes along and ends them, or sends them back where they belong."

"Speaking of your aunt..." he wipes his fingers on a napkin and reaches for another empanada. "You heard anything?"

"Nah. Not yet."

I got two more texts from 'Alejo,' though, asking me to 'hang out.'

I hadn't even had a good time with him but that's the most I've been pursued in a while and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't flattered.

Too bad I'm under anti-murder quarantine and can't take him up on it.

The way Turner keeps staring at me, I'm gonna need to blow off some steam or at least get blown, before I explode.

"Can't you send her an email or something?"

I laugh.

"That's what Ian said."

"Ian?"

Turner's sharp tone makes me look up at him.

He's watching me with that look again, the one that makes me feel too warm and brings me back to that lion and antelope analogy.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear he wanted me bad.

"My friend," I clarify.

"He and his partner helped me get out of a bad situation with my aunt."

"Abusive?"

"I wouldn't go that far," I say with a shrug. "But it wasn't healthy, either. What about you? Why'd you split with your wife?"

He frowns, still watching me keenly but he doesn't seem upset by the question.

"I kept something a secret that I shouldn't have. She found out."

Intensely curious, I wait for him to say more but he changes the subject.

"I'm thinking of revisiting the scene tomorrow. Bring the dogs along. They flunked out of police academy for being too playful but they're still well-trained. Maybe they'll be useful. You might, too."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

I roll my eyes.

"You up for it?"

Sighing, I rise and start to clear the table.

"Yeah, count me in. Besides, we're low on groceries. We can stop at the market afterwards."

He frowns.

"Can't you just order online?"

I release my breath in a huff of annoyance and shake my head.

"Yeah, I can order online. Sorry. I forgot we wouldn't want you to be seen shopping with a queer."

I flounce into the kitchen with as much flounce as I can muster, put in my earbuds and start on the dishes.

With upbeat Latin pop pounding in my ears, I don't hear Turner follow me and jump out of my skin when I turn around and find him leaning against the opposite counter.

I take my earbuds out and frown at him.

"What do you want? You ate six empanadas. You can't still be hungry."

"Not for food, no."

"What, then? I didn't make dessert."

He crosses his arms.

"I get the feeling you're attracted to me, Carlos."

I blink at him as my brain double checks that my ears heard him right.

"Yeah, well, can you blame me? You're hot as hell and I'm gay as fuck. Don't worry, though. I'm not dumb enough to come onto you."

I start to put my earbuds back in, intending to ignore him but he pushes himself away from the counter and walks towards me.

I back away and bump into the sink.

He places his hands on either side of me and I hold my breath.

The look in his eyes is smoke and fire and I can't tell if he's about to kiss me or fuck me up.

"I'm attracted to women," he growls.

"Okay," I whisper, eyes wide. "I believe you."

"I'm attracted to men, too. In fact, right now, I'm very attracted to you."

My mouth goes dry and my heart starts to race.

"You are?"

"Yeah and it's a distraction I don't need. I been fighting it from day one. I just lost."

He leans a little closer and my heart skips a beat.

"Really?"

"Yeah. So I'm gonna make things clear for you, Carlos. I wanna fuck you hard and fuck you for days. Fuck you until you can't walk, take care of you until you can and then fuck you again. That's my cards on the table. That's what you're getting into if you light this fire. Now it's your turn. You gonna do the dishes or me?"

I can barely breathe, my blood is so full of hormones and adrenaline.

He hasn't even touched me and my legs are already weak.

I'm a little scared and not at all certain this is a good idea.

It feels too intense and too soon, then again, it won't be the first stupid move I've made and as I meet his eyes and see the raw desire reflected back at me.

There's only one honest answer I can give, even if it's just something he needs to get out of his system, there's no denying I want it, too.

"The dishes can wait."

[softquietsteadylove]

Ice queen / tyrant king au. Thena being a little bit jealous ^^

"Good!"

A little too good. Thena shifted in her seat, watching over Gil's physiotherapy appointment, although she'd been told a few times that she didn't have to. She had responded that she wouldn't be told what she did and did not have to do, thank you very much.

The Ice Queen took no orders, especially not from a handsy physiotherapist.

She was just doing her job, Thena reminded herself as Gil tried a tentative bicep curl. The therapist's hands her on his chest and back, monitoring the movement of his muscles as the surrounding and connecting musculature was put to the test.

Thena still didn't see why he had to be shirtless for it, but she wasn't the authority here. If she were, she would have thrown this woman out already.

"Feel that, in there?" the therapist asked with a grin, jiggling Gil's pectoral muscle before giving it a friendly pat, "that tightness? That's a good sign, but just don't go too hard too fast. From the looks of it, I'm guessing your usual workout routine is pretty intense."

Thena rolled her eyes.

Gil shrugged once he was freed of the relatively light weight he had been given for this particular exercise. "I don't work out as much as I used to, I guess."

"Could'a fooled me!" she laughed.

Thena mumbled under her breath, although neither Gil nor the other woman caught it. She shifted in the chair again, leaning her jaw into her palm.

"I'm going to go update your file, and then I'll give you some plans for what to do once you're released!"

"Thanks," Gil nodded to her as she trotted out past Thena and out of the room. He peeked at her, reaching for his shirt. "How's business?"

"Hm?" Thena blinked, still staring at where the physiotherapist and her bouncy blonde hair had floated out. She turned back to him, "sorry?"

"You seem off," Gil stood, walking over to her and leaning down to kiss her cheek. The fact that she allowed it was indicator enough. "Something up?"

"No," she denied blatantly, standing and pushing Gil to sit down in her place. "Just thinking."

Gil kept his eyes on her. "You sure nothing's bothering you?"

"I'm sure," she growled, and there was his Ice Queen--his Thena.

Gil looked over to where the therapist had left and back up to her. "It doesn't bother you, does it?"

"What are you talking about, Gil?" Thena sighed, her irritation increasing the closer he got to the problem. She tugged at the sleeves of her sweaterdress. "Physiotherapy is a very important part of your recovery. You should be-"

"I meant her."

Thena bristled, and they both knew it was plain to see. She shrugged, "what would bother me about her?"

Gil's grin, which he had been doing his damnedest to keep under wraps, grew wider. "I dunno, just...I know you can be a little jealous sometimes."

Thena glared down at him, "you're speaking awfully brazenly for a man with a hole in his chest, Tyrant."

"Hm, yes, but it's recovering well," he smiled at her, pulling her hand to hold it over his heart. "Beating just for you, baby."

Thena rolled her eyes at him, but he didn't release her hand, and she didn't snatch it back from him either. "She seems awfully eager to paw at you."

"It's her job to paw at me, Princess," Gil chuckled, much to Thena's annoyance. "But for what it's worth, she really enjoys listening to me talk about my wife."

"Okay," Thena sighed anew, now pulling her hand away from him, although Gil let go of it reluctantly, sliding it out of his hand until the very last second. "Very funny."

"I do tell her you're very funny," he proclaimed with a proud little grin on his face. He thought he was so cute. "And pretty, and you smell like lilies, and your skin is soft as silk, and-"

"Okay, here we go," the physiotherapist bounced back into the room.

Thena blinked as she bounded right up to her, smiling at her with all the eagerness of a dog wagging its tail. She took the papers from the younger woman silently. "Thank you."

"He kept telling me his wife would be joining him for his session one of these days." Oh, he really had talked about her. "And wow!--you're just as beautiful as he said you'd be!"

Thena looked at Gil, who was smirking at her--smirking! He thought he was so fucking charming. She looked at the taller woman again, "thank...you?"

"These are all the recommended stretches and treatments for the next few weeks while he's still getting back to full strength. Ajak will go over everything too, I'm sure. But he's doing so well, I'd say a few bags of groceries here or there wouldn't hurt."

Yes, groceries--that was definitely what he moved around on a daily basis, and not people's limp, unmoving bodies.

"He already asked if he could carry you through the threshold when you got home but I told him to wait on that one."

"Gil!" Thena huffed at him, feeling her cheeks warm at the utterly embarrassing question he had asked.

He just shrugged at her, "I wanted to know!"

"You both take care," the physiotherapist waved at them as she headed out of the room again. "You behave, Mister--no more worrying your beautiful wife!"

Gil just waved at her as she left them alone again. He turned back to Thena, looking far too amused by it all. "I told you."

Thena huffed, gripping the collar of his t-shirt to haul him up and pull him back to his hospital room again. "Let's go, you."

Gil sighed dramatically, draping himself over her shoulders as he walked behind her, "my darling wife has so little faith in me. What did I do to deserve this?"

"That's enough, Gil," Thena grumbled, not entirely prepared to walk all the way back to his room with him attached to her like this.

"Have I not been faithful and dutiful and loving?"

"Stop it!"

[demonfriend666]

Sinner Blitzo

What if Blitzo was human then ended up in hell only to be found by an owl demon that is that fic

(Sneak peek at the first chapter)

(Bill in the living world)

Bill had just came home from work, "fuck, it took me forever to find that stupid bitch today" he muttered as his dog Luna ran up to greet him at the door wagging her tail he patted her white coat spotted with black.

Bill loved his dog Luna for a couple of reasons when he adopted, she was feisty as well as a cuddle bug when she wants to be, but Bill's favorite thing about (along with her lovable side) was her coat color reminded of the horse breed Appaloosa with the same coloring.

Bill sighed "well Loonie at least I'll get a decent pay this month, and thankfully she was easy to take down after I found her" Bill said stretching a bit "I hate it when they fight, last one almost broke my jaw" he said with sigh flopping on his couch, then he saw Luna putting her head on his lap "awe don't worry cupcake I'll get you the horse sweater with the check coming in" Luna then barked happily.

Bill being an assassin did make a descent amount of money but more than often found himself in months with now targets. Bill had to do small jobs like part time jobs or planting evidence on people (so they go to jail not die) overall Bill's life style was at least calm at home since he tried to keep his 'work' away from home.

Looked in the fridge seeing nothing but leftovers from fast food places and groaned, "fuck I forgot to go shopping this week" he pulled out the leftovers one from a sandwich from 'make it your own sandwich' , another the which was noodles and egg rolls from 'Asian food and stuff' then the last one being yellow chicken curry from 'OMG Thai' Bill forgot how old the stuff was so he decided to just sniff each one.

The curry smelled like vomit making Bill almost vomit, "ok that one is out" Bill immediately tossed. Bill then sniffed the noodles and egg roll "smells ok" then Bill opened the sandwich container and saw the sandwich was covered in blue and black mold, "well that's fucking gross" Bill tossed the container. Then took the container of noodles and egg rolls and dumped them on a plate "I guess I'm having Asian tonight" he said plopping the plate in the microwave.

As Bill's food warmed up Bill looked through his mail seeing he had a letter from Fizz (his neighbor/friend/pet sitter)

The letter said

'Hey Bill

wanted you to know your dog was walked fed etc while you were away on your business trip (don't know why you take so many of them) anyways pay me back some time this week

Your Friend Fizz'

Bill sighed "at least you were well cared for while I was awhile Luna" the microwave then buzzed breaking Bill from his thoughts.

After eating some leftovers put his dishes in the sink "I'll wash these tomorrow I'm to fucking tired to think about dishes" Bill whined.

As Bill started to walk towards his bedroom he then notice Luna was making a low growl the living room window with her fur on the back of her neck standing up which she never does, even when there is company over (which was mostly Fizz).

Bill slowly got up grabbing his pistol from his coat pocket, he went to open the curtain to see what was upsetting his poor Luna secretly hoping it was just a hobo or a lost cat.

As Bill peeled back the curtain he briefly saw a glimpse of light from the roof top of the apartment across the street before Bill felt something hit his shoulder. Bill looked down seeing blood pouring from his shoulder.

Bill didn't fall over having adrenaline coursing through him, instead he shot in the direction of the sniper. Bill growled "I fucking hope I can him them from here" he hissed to himself. There wasn't anymore shots Bill sighed in relief. Bill then went to pull the curtain closed when five more bullets hit Bill four in his chest and one hitting his eye.

Bill coughed up blood desperately trying to think as blood spilled out of his chest 'Fizz would have heard the gun, hopefully he'll be here soon'

Bill fell feeling his limbs go numb 'I need...to make sure... Luna is ok... until Fizz gets here...' before passing out he grabbed Luna's food spilling the whole bag on the floor with Luna whining by Bill.

[davxdalexander]

David's Cabin - Redwood Prom

where Val tries to convince David to come to prom with her and they share a dance @vallaurent

David Alexander

-David was sitting relaxed in his arm chair, the TV showing whatever DVD he had put into it on a low hum as he just relaxed. Roxy was nestled at his feet until he heard a knock on his door and she was up, walking to the door. His brow knit in confusion before he pushed himself up carefully and opened the door.- Val? What are you doing here?

Val Laurent

-her hands pushed to her hips, she looks him up and down; she's still dressed up in her white, mid-thigh dress- I could ask you the same hun. Why aren't you at prom?

David Alexander

-David gives her a confused expression as he points behind him- Because I'm not going?

Val Laurent

I can see that. -she looks at him; she can feel the chill of the night air- Why aren't you goin' hun?

David Alexander

-David notices her chill and waves her inside so she can not be freezing- They're not really my thing.  I'm not exactly a dancer or a party person.

Val Laurent

-she steps inside, immediately turning to look around the inside of the cabin with curiosity- Why not? It's fun, you know.

David Alexander

I think your idea of fun is vastly different than my idea. -he closes the door behind her as he walks back to his arm chair- Enjoying a nice, peaceful night in is fun to me.

Val Laurent

Hey, I love havin' a nice calm night, too from time to time. -still looking around, she follows him to his armchair- Have you even tried it? Parties? Dancin'?

David Alexander

-David nods- I went to a couple proms when I was in high school and went out dancing with some of the guys when I was in the Army, but that was another life time ago.

Val Laurent

Hey, a lot can change in that time, y'know? Maybe you just didn't go with the right people. -she tilts her head at him- Can I tell you a secret?

David Alexander

-David looks at her before shrugging while sitting on his arm rest- Alright, shoot.

Val Laurent

I used to hate parties. -she goes to finally say hi to Roxy, holding her hand out so the dog can sniff it- Back in highschool. And when I first got to New York. Too loud, people were just there to get drunk. Or hook up. Which can be fun, but y'know. -she begins petting the German Shepherd- I used to tell myself I'd never go to them again.

David Alexander

-Roxy instantly goes to Val and sits down so she can pet her- And....let me guess; you went to one and found out how much fun you had at them?

Val Laurent

-she chuckled, amused- No. Not like that. In New York, I eventually moved in with a couple of people. Kind of a communal house. They threw parties every month. -she scratches behind Roxy's ear, seeming almost a little absent at the memory- I didn't wanna go to them at first. But one night I did - I didn't like it immediately. Cause I thought I didn't enjoy it before. So why should I like it now, you know? But then, I started enjoying it. Just... Talking to people. Drinking. No alcohol. Just... Spending time with people.

David Alexander

-Roxy tilts her head and her back leg starts to go as Val finds the sweet spot. David smirks as he watches her but continues to listen to Val- Contrary to popular belief, I do talk and spend time with people. I just don't feel like doing it in a place with loud music and other people. I prefer more one on one encounters.

Val Laurent

I know you do. -she winks at him, giving Roxy one last pat before standing up and making her way over- My point is- you can start learnin' to like things. Even if you didn't think you'd like them. You just gotta do it with the right people. -she steps up to him leaning against the armrest- And I've been lookin' forward to havin a dance with you.

David Alexander

-David watches her for a moment, his brow quirking up as she stepped towards him- I'm not much of a dancer, Val.

Val Laurent

Well, then you're in luck 'cause I'm a great dancer. And I don't mind teachin' you. -she stops in front of him, reaching out and grabbing his hands in hers- We can do a test round here, if you wanna.

David Alexander

-David looks at her hands as she grabs his. He gives Roxy a look before standing up- I don't got much in the way of music 'round here.

Val Laurent

Well, what do you got? C'mon, don't tell me you don't listen to music.

David Alexander

I listen to music. I got a bit of country and I think some smooth jazz. Y'know, relaxing music.

Val Laurent

Country I can work with. C'mon, put it on.

David Alexander

-David lets go of her hand before heading over to his stereo and put the CD on. The room started playing with Tobey Keith's Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue- Sure you can work with that?

Val Laurent

Absolutely. My hometown was kinda half-country so I grew up around country music. And dancin' to it. -she grins at him as she steps close to him; the song starts out slow and so does she, beginning to lead him with a bit of a slow dance- Ya just need a cowboy hat, now.

David Alexander

-David took her hands and rests his one hand on her hip while his other takes her hand. He follows her knowingly but he doesn't say anything- I'm from Texas. I got a Cowboy hat 'round here somewhere.

Val Laurent

You're from Texas? Born and raised? -she asks as she presses up to him, interested spark in her gaze- You should put it on it, you know. It'd look good on you.

David Alexander

Born and raised 'til moved to Louisiana when I was in my teens. -he gave her a shrug as if it wasn't a big deal- You really want to see it, huh?

Val Laurent

Why did ya move? -the song begins to pick up, which means that Val takes a step back, switching styles, but still holding onto his hand- I would love to. Would you put it on for me? -she smiles at him, eyes innocent-

David Alexander

A long, long story. -it really was, even though he could explain it in probably two sentences. but it wasn't one he liked sharing. people tended to look at him differently- Ah, come on. You can't give me those puppy dog eyes. Roxy's already bad enough. -but he still lets go so he can go back to his room and emerge with the hat on his head-

Val Laurent

-she grins triumphantly when he walks away, and her eyes light up when he comes back- Ooh, I told you, you'd look good! Look at you! -she reaches to cup his face as she looks him up- Anybody ever told you that you're really handsome?

David Alexander

-David stifles a laugh but does manage to shake his head at Val's sudden excitement by the hat on his face- I think maybe a couple people have but they might be just being nice.

Val Laurent

Well, if more people are tellin' you, you should start believe it. I wouldn't fib to ya. You look handsome with it. -she smiles at him, honesty in her gaze- So handsome that I'm forgettin' I'm supposed to teach ya how to dance.

David Alexander

-there's a sort of playfulness in his eyes as he looks down at her- So I shouldn't mention that I do know how to dance....

Val Laurent

-her eyes widen for a moment- David! -she hits him gently against the arm, but she's grinning- And you didn't say anything. All while I was slowdancin' with ya.

David Alexander

-he can't stop the laugh as Val hits him and he shrugs- Well, you seemed so adamant about it and I didn't want to break your heart.

Val Laurent

Hey, my heart ain't that easily broken, darlin'. Takes a lot more than that. -she shakes her head, still bemused- Now ya owe me a real dance. I hope you know that.

David Alexander

-his chuckles subside a bit as he nods- Yeah, guess I do. But not at the prom. Can't have the whole town knowing I know how to dance. Ike might have a heart attack.

Val Laurent

I think he'd ask ya to dance, actually. -Val bemused smile softens a little as she looks up at him; she's still standing close to him- You really don't wanna go, huh?

David Alexander

Yeah, that might be more scary, actually. -he meant it as a joke. He notices how her smile seems to falter a little and he sighs as he puts his hand on her shoulder- Not really, Val. I kind of just want to relax for tonight. I ain't as young as I once was.

Val Laurent

Hey. You ain't that old. Pretty sure I've seen Ike and Cole getting some good dance moves on, too. -she sighs, softly- Well, I ain't gonna force ya. Guess you'll just have to dance with me right now.

David Alexander

I guess that's fair. -he takes her hand and gives her a spin before pulling her in close. he wastes no time taking the lead as he moves them to the music while quietly humming he song-

Val Laurent

-she's clearly surprised when he takes the initiative but she quickly leans into it, laughing as they dance along; by the end of it, she is looking up at him, one arm wrapped around him, starry-eyed- That was amazing.

David Alexander

-he continued to hum along to the song as he danced Val around his living room. when the song came to it's end he did a slight dip before slowly bringing her back upright. He huffed his laugh as he shook his head- Nah, I just had a great dance partner.

Val Laurent

-she couldn't help but squeal at the dip before she pulled her back on her feet properly- You really should be showin' those skills of, you know

David Alexander

What makes ya think I'm a show-off? -there's a teasing sort of grin on his face as he lets go of her-

Val Laurent

Oh, I know you ain't. But ya should be. -she smiles up at him, her gaze flickering teasingly- I like it when you are.

David Alexander

-he hums and nods- I'll take it under advisement. -he backs up as he takes his hat off- Still not going, by the way.

Val Laurent

Aw, darn it. Almost got you. -she can't help but laugh- I guess I'll leave ya to it then. Not like I can drag ya to somethin' you don't wanna go. -she turns away, dress swirling as she does, but giving him one last glance over her shoulder- I mean it, though. Ya should show off more. It suits you. And I like it.

David Alexander

-david shrugs nonchalantly as he watches her head out the door. her comment makes him chuckle under his breath and he nods- I'll keep that in mind, Val. Go have fun.

Val Laurent

Will do. And if you do decide to come -she grins- You owe me a dance. -with that, she leaves David's cabin-

[neufdoigts]

Finished the farseer trilogy... Have some.. thoughts .. spoilers obviously.. *breaks down in tears*

-every time I saw robin hobb recommended in a thread after I finished a fantasy series I would ignore it!? Why did I do that?? For like! 6 years?!

-if I read this in middle school I would have so so heavily imprinted on this book it's unreal - like I would have begged my parents for a dog and named it nighteyes kind of imprinted

-i know this because as it stands I have very much imprinted on it now

-i love how much hobb is willing to let her characters suffer and they don't even have it coming for them the world just sucks

-im a slut for the "you know how story ends before it begins" trope but it still managed to break me

-willfully forgetting how fitz was taking drugs for the skill and talking about how he doesn't talk to anyone he used to know at the beginning of ass apprentice and ass quest so I could be like >:'0 at the end of the series

-the parts where fitz talks about his mother and not remembering her, or feeling unloved while growing up at buckeep...it feels subtle and it hurt because it really felt like a thing that was just a constant background to fitz' life we never find out anything there's no reveals it's just like a constant dull ache in his life and like.. ouch

-like fitz feeling constantly used and lonely is honestly so heartwrenching and relatable and idk I feel like that has the possibility to be annoying to people because it's like why is he so whiny but I found it really realistic and I cried at those rants at the beginning of ass quest when he and burrich were yelling at each other and in royal ass when patience asks him what he'll do and fitz is like "what I've always done, what I'm told" 🥺

-when I started the series I was like oh my god he's a bastard prince assassin this is the ultimate edgelord set up but no the fact that he's a bastard is actually really ejsjsjsjjs

-this applies to all the characters that normally I would be like ok so regal is hot and evil I will probably simp but not hobb made me fucking hate him!! Burrich is the "old" gruff man character ok I guess he'll be really heartwarming but when fitz hated him in book 1 I was totally with him ok what I guess I'm really saying is robin hobb is a good writer and makes me feel feelings that she wants me to feel... 🤦‍♀️

-i don't like dragons because I'm scared of reptiles but at the same time I wish there was more dragons

-really appreciated how even tho this is generic medieval fantasy world it wasn't wildly sexist too for no real reason

-i LOVE HOW MANY CUDDLES AND HUGS ARE IN THESE BOOKS so cozy...makes me feel like there's genuine affection between characters.. makes me feel lonely as hell but it's worth it because it thaws my cold little heart

-nighteyes is the cutest motherfucker in all the realm every time he's like "I'm a great hunter I deserve pats and ear rubs" I'm like yeah big boy!! You do!!

-theres like a huge time skip between these books and tawny man right?? So like?! I don't know what the lifespan of wolves are but nighteyes is almost definitely dead right :( I would accept any bullshit magical way to keep him alive

-the fool goes from weird egg looking kid to toymaking priest not-softboy to dragon riding gay legend wish that could be me

-when I heard the later series were called like fitz and the fool while reading ass apprentice I was confused but now I understand I want to know everything about the fool I love him

-REGAL DYING BY FERRET DHSHSHSH amazing better than any ending possible actually

-when kettricken named her son sacrifice. I literally. Cried. Just little things like 6 year old fitz getting veritys old toys and fitz still thinks it's the best gift he ever got. Waterworks. Whenever anyone says they love fitz right before trying to get him to do something for them. Just. 🥺🥺🥺🥺 Stab me in the heart miss hobb why don't you

-i really love every single character in these books no exceptions they're all stellar

-my only problem now is im not gonna read anything new until like February also I'm sad that the next trilogy doesn't follow fitz !? 😢 But I'll still read it because I trust her

-somewhere between a 9/10 and a 10/10 I need to internalize this

[bradtomlovesya]

ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ꜱᴜʀᴘʀɪꜱᴇ

Hello Hello! I'm back with a request ;). Sorry for the delay.

Based on this request --Here--

I wrote this with my bestie @brad-is-my-dante :)

Warnings: Fluff

Word counter: 999

Enjoy ♡

It was 6 o'clock in the afternoon. Brad had gone to the studio to record a few songs with his band mates because the UK tour would start soon and they needed to get everything ready before the tour. I was alone at home (Except for Jesse that was accompanying me) and I decided to do our cleaning every Saturday. Today was the turn of our closets and the small closet in which we kept other varied things, such as his golf clubs.

As I packed up, Jesse was beside me watching me with her tail wagging until she walked towards one of Brad's golf bags.

"Oh, this is in need of a wash isn't it?" I ask Jesse and she answers me with a bark

When I picked up the bag, I could see that it was a little heavy because there were things inside, so I delicately placed it on the table for fear of having something expensive that could break inside it.

I opened the zipper and slowly took things out I had headphones, a speaker, sneakers, a T-shirt that was definitely sweaty, some golf balls and curiously there was a ring box at the bottom of the bag amid the small pieces of few grass spread

"I guess your dad never gets tired of buying him rings, Jesse" I smile at the dog who looked happy as I show her the box "Well I'll put this bag to wash and this shirt too, they're terribly dirty, stay there I will be back in a moment"

Quickly descending the stairs and heading towards the laundry room, I put the bag and T-shirt into a quick wash and went back to the bedroom to find Jesse playing with a sock I had laundered.

"Hey Jesse" I laugh "This is not a toy and by the way I just washed it" I gently take the sock out of her mouth

"Well, let's finish this mess" I pat her head "But first I'm curious about your dad's new ring, is it another one from Dolce Gabbana?" she answers me with a bark

Turning my attention to the table I take the beautiful little velvet box and open it slowly, it was a beautiful silver ring with a stone set in the middle and some around it, this ring is not masculine

"Fuck..." I look at Jesse amazed "I think I screwed up a surprise" I feel myself sweating, Will Brad ask me to marry him?

Jesse barks and runs out excited, I think someone has arrived

“Jesse!” I hear Brad scream happily. “Love, I'm home!” He shouts.

"Fuck!" I whisper to myself and then I answer him with a yell "I'm up here babe! Come to me!"

“I’m coming!” I hear footsteps in the stairs. “Babe you won’t believe what just happened at the studio” He says laughing and stops in front of me.

"I bet it was fun" I smile at him "Brad I didn't know you were going to try on women's rings" I show him the ring and try to be as nervous as possible

“What?” He asks confused until he sees the ring in front of him, “Fuck…” He gulps. “W-where did you f-find that?” He stutters.

"I was cleaning your golf bag to put it to wash and…" I sigh and bite my lip "Accidentally I found this…" I look at him fondly "Is that what I'm thinking?"

“Uhh…” He scratches his chin. “Well… You never take my golf bags so I thought it was a good hiding place” He giggles but I could feel the nervousness in his voice. “But yes, I guess you’re thinking what I’m thinking so yes.”

"I spoiled your surprise, didn't I?" I bite my lip and put the ring back in the box and look at him "I'm sorry my love" I give him a tender kiss "When were you planning to do this?"

“No no” He shakes his head. “Don’t apologise” He kisses my forehead “I have had it for some weeks…” He bites his lip “I was just waiting for the perfect moment but then i saw you so sad because I will leave for some months for a tour and i was scared that you said no just for that so decided to keep it a secret until tour has passed” He takes my hands.

"oh babe..." I feel tears in my eyes "I would never say 'no' to you" I smile "I love you and only a crazy person would tell you 'no'" I squeeze his hand and pet it with my thumbs "If you think better, I can pretend I never found the ring, so you can propose to me after the tour, what do you think?"

“Actually…” He takes the ring and stands on one knee in front of me. “I don’t want to keep waiting for this. I already know that you are the love of my life, y/n” His eyes fill up with tears. “I have known since the first time I said ‘I love you’ and you said it back. You’re absolutely and completely perfect for me and if you’re okay with me leaving for tour i hope you’re okay with me being yours and you being mine for the rest of our lives” He lets me see a big smile “Y/n Y/l/n, would you give me the honor of being my wife?” He was crying and sobbing already.

"Brad… I..." I hiccup just noticing now that I was crying "Yes my love, I accept to be your wife" I hold my hand out to him and as soon as he finishes putting the ring on we hear a bark that slightly scares us

"I think someone was extremely happy" he gets up and gives me a kiss "I love you, my fiancée"

"I love you too, my fiancé" I giggle and we hear another bark, "We love you too Jesse" we laugh together

A beginning of something even happier...

[voxmortuus]

Silly Crush | POSSIBLE CHAPTER SERIES

Stu Macher x F!Reader

Scream FanFic

TW: Fluff, mild language, heated make-out session

Forgive my writing. It’s been a while.

GIF created by @2026

Late summer of 1996, just before school starts back up again. The summer fair had come to town, this year it decided to not skip town, the weather was perfect for it! Being the loner you usually steered clear of these things, but you had befriended Tatum and Sidney. It was nice to have friends that you could talk to, to trust, plus the added perks of Stu's flirtatious nature, though you could never bear to tell him that you had a crush on him, you'd be risking your friendship and likely look foolish, there was no way you thought that Stu would be into someone like you... I mean, after all, he was Stu Macher, he and Billy were kind of known around Woodsboro High.

Slipping into your favorite pair of black overalls, one strap off, and slipping on a black crop top and a pair of black LEI black platforms a touch of makeup, and braided your hair into long pigtails, and headed out. Tatum loved your outfit. "We'll meet the guys there, Stu had to do something." Tatum chirped while you hopped into her red Volkswagen bug and takes off down the road. "What did have to do?" You casually ask. "Something with Billy, said they'd show up after, some project they're working on." Sidney chimed in. "Yeah something stupid important." Tatum mocked. With a chuckle, you shake your head and watch out the window.

Getting out of the car after she parked it you three look around and decide to head to the benches waiting for the two boys to arrive. Tatum played with her gum and Sidney reading a book, you sat there, people watching, three unlikely friends, but so far so good, this was going to be good for you, real good, so you hoped, minus the odd guilt of crushing on Tatum's man. Letting out a soft breath, Stu and Billy approach from behind startling their better halves. Stu looks at you and gives you a sweet smile. "Hey Y/N. Glad you made it." It could be he was being nice, but the feeling behind his words was something more. You give a kind smile back and flush slightly. "Me too." Clearing your throat and with a side stare from Tatum and a smile from Sidney the girls hop up and look around.

Without any hesitation Tatum looks a Stu, "It's time for that big blue dog you promised me!" She grinned taking his hand and dragging him away. Sidney looked at Billy, "Ferris Wheel?" with a shrug and a nod. "Sure." Sidney looks at you. "You can come if you'd like." You shake your head and give a smile. "Nah, I'll be good, I'll be here. It's just nice to get out of the house." Sidney nods and pats your shoulder before she and Billy take off to the wheel while you sat there, alone, like always. "I knew this was a bad idea." you tell yourself before letting out a sigh and slump on the bench picking at your glitter nail polish and staring at the ground a bit.

After a few hours had passed Tatum started to feel sick, of course, that's what happens when one inhales two cotton candies and a thing of funnel cake and a corn dog and a diet soda. She looks at you. "Hey, I'm going to head home, thanks for coming with us, Stu is going to take you home if that's alright?" You look at her "Yeah, that's fine. Feel better." You tell her. "Billy, Sidney you ready?" she askes them almost feeling ignored you look down at the ground, your jaw clenches, Sidney touches your shoulder again and the three of them take off. Stu sits next to you and looks ahead of himself. "You know, she doesn't mean to be a bitch all the time." You look up and over at him and arch a brow. "She's not a bitch, just, set in her ways." With a chuckle, he shakes his head. "No need to be polite. She brought you here and ditched you. Personally Bitch move." He stated

Shaking your head you know how people like that can be, you slump a bit more. "Nothing like being a third wheel." you chuckle. "It's alright though, it was nice to get out of the house." you state with a soft voice and maybe some optimism. Looking at you he smiled. "How about I make up for it?" You quickly shake your head and smile. "You don't have to, there's nothing to make up for." Shaking his head again. "I don't think you understand. Let me make it up to you. I don't think I'm giving you much of a choice." Clearing your throat you look down and pick at your nails again and nod your head. "Okay Stu."

Standing up he takes your hand and your whole body gets warm, flushed, and nervous as he takes you to win you that blue dog he botched trying to get for Tatum. "Until I win the big blue one Merve." He tells the man behind the counter. "Anything for you Stu." He chuckles and hands him some baseballs. You watch as he looks at you. "I'm bad at this." He laughs throwing a few, "Not too bad." you reassure him. After a good five minutes, he wins you the large blue dog, smiling you bite your lip taking the dog. "Thank you," you tell the man and then at Stu. "And thank you. I have the perfect spot for him in my room." You beam a smile nuzzling into the dog a bit.

"Next stop!" He takes your hand and takes you to get something to eat. You blush a bit as he took it upon himself to order for you. Taking a seat a the picnic benches Stu looks at you and looks around. "There are a few more stops before we hit the big ending." He nodded to the Ferris wheel. Biting your lip and taking a bite of your burger you look at him and back at the end of the strip and let out a shaky breath. Nerves are going to get the better of you, you know this and grip the large paw of the dog and look at Stu. "Thank you, for all of this so far." He laughed. "Don't thank me until the end." He tells you.

Finishing food he takes you to the water guns, the ball toss and ends up winning you a goldfish, the thunderbolt, and last but not least, you two are standing in line for the Ferris Wheel, your stomach is turning, nerves, the Ferris wheel was a special ride. "We don't have to do this." You tell him. "Nonsense, we're going." He laughs taking your hand and getting into a cart and closes the door. Placing the dog and the bag with the goldfish on the bench across the way Stu decides to sit next to you with his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. Taking in his cheap cologne your eyes close, feeling this odd sense of safety.

The ride takes off and you jump a little and he pulls you closer. "Heights make me uneasy." you tell him, looking down at you. "I'll protect you." He tells you with a cheeky grin and looks around. "Thank you for tonight, I'm glad I came." She smiled. "I'm glad you came too." A few times around the wheel stops, Looking around Stu chuckles. "Uhhh, bad news, we're going to be stuck here for a bit." Your eyes grow wide and you get closer to him and bite your lip harder. Stu holds you petting your head a bet and you look up. "Well I guess, we should talk... I need to distract myself. I'm a horrible friend Stu." You tell him.

With an arched brow, he looks at you, "How so?" you fidget and he looks at you, waiting for you to speak. "I've uhh, I've got this thing for someone, and this someone has someone, and this someone's someone had befriended me this summer and I feel like a bad friend for liking this someone." You state, "Vague... I'm sure Sidney would understand, everyone's got a thing for Billy." He moves away a little bit. Shaking your head you look up at him. "No Stu, I like you, and Tatum would have a cow if she found out." Stu looks at you. "You like me?" He asks you, nodding your head he chuckles and smiles. "I like you." He tells you.

With a nervous laugh, you lean into him and bite on your lip. He looks down at you, and tilts your head up, and presses his lips to yours, his hand resting on the side of your neck as you grip his shirt and press into the kiss a bit more. His tongue dances with yours as the kiss becomes a bit more heated, his hand moves from your neck to your breast gripping it in his hand as the other pulls you closer. He pulls you on top of him and you look over his face, moving your hips a bit and he lets off a soft groan, pulling you closer back into a kiss as his hands rest on your butt pulling you even closer, any closer and you'd melt into him. His hand slips under your shirt playing with the perky bit of flesh and the suppleness of your breast while your fingers play with his hairline.

Tongues dancing together he lifts his hips up into yours. Looking over his face. "We shouldn't do this here, not here, and it's too quick, and I... Stu..." Stu looks at you. "Yeah Y/N?" He askes with a smile. "Do you love Tatum?" You ask him. "I wouldn't call it love, she's annoying, needy, and overly clingy... I offered to take you home, I wanted to tell you I liked you, and was hoping that maybe you'd be my girl." He looked over your face. Hugging him you nuzzle into his neck. "Yes, absolutely. Tatum is going to shit." You chuckle shaking your head. "She will at first, but she'll find someone else to occupy her time." He smirked and places you next to him and fixed your shirt, taking care of you, holding you close.

The wheel starts moving again and when you two get off the wheel, he smiles taking your hand, and escorts you to his car where he then takes you home. "I'll come by tomorrow we'll go see a movie or something. After I tell Tatum see ya." He chuckled planting a kiss on your lips before you get out of the car and make your way inside with your dog and fish. Your mother looks at you. "Well well, looks like you had fun." You smirk big and nod. "Night mum. Love you." You kiss her cheek and rush upstairs. Putting the fish in a bowl and the dog on the foot of the bed you strip down into something comfortable grab your journal and being to write. "Dear Diary, Tonight, was the best night EVER!"

—————————————————————————————————

If you want to be tagged let me know. This is the first of many stories! I am also taking requests!

@luciferslittleastre

[bloody-bee-tea]

@srabaskerville

16) “Oh my god is that a dog?! Did you get us a dog???!!”

(Yes, Nie Mingjue is alive, no, I have no clue how that works, especially plot wise. I'm just here to give Mingcheng a happy end)

Nie Mingjue is always allowed to come to Lotus Pier, even unannounced, but he doesn’t make use of that privilege a lot. So when Jiang Cheng finds him waiting for him at his personal pier Jiang Cheng gets a little bit worried.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jiang Cheng immediately asks him, walking up to him and patting him down for any invisible injuries.

“I’m perfectly fine, my heart,” Nie Mingjue reassures him and catches his hands in his to kiss his fingertips.

“Don’t scare me like that, then,” Jiang Cheng snaps, mostly to cover up how hot his cheeks go.

“That wasn’t my intention,” Nie Mingjue says and kisses one of Jiang Cheng’s burning cheeks because of course he noticed. “I’m fine. I’m just here to see you. I’m allowed to, right?”

“Of course you are,” Jiang Cheng grumbles but he leans in for a proper kiss, too. “You just don’t do it often enough, so I got scared,” he then admits and Nie Mingjue sighs.

“I’m sorry, I will drop by unannounced more often then.”

It’s meant in a teasing way, but Jiang Cheng can’t help his very serious nod.

“See that you do.”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t want to admit that he misses Nie Mingjue whenever they can’t see each other—which is still way too often, even though Nie Huaisang is officially the Sect Leader now—and he wouldn’t mind it if Nie Mingjue came by more often.

Or stayed.

“I will,” Nie Mingjue promises him and then his expression goes sort of carefully guarded. “There’s actually a reason I’m here,” he then says and just like that Jiang Cheng is on guard again.

“What’s going on?” he demands to know, because only if he knows what the problem is can he help Nie Mingjue. “What do you need?”

“You,” Nie Mingjue immediately replies and Jiang Cheng goes hot in the face again.

“Stop that,” Jiang Cheng chastises him and lightly slaps his chest. “Be serious if you have something on your mind.”

“I do,” Nie Mingjue says and then scratches the back of his head. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Okay,” Jiang Cheng cautiously says and narrows his eyes at Nie Mingjue.

With how Nie Mingjue has started this whole topic, Jiang Cheng is wary of the surprise, he’s not going to lie. It doesn’t seem like it will be a surprise Jiang Cheng will be particularly happy about.

“What is it?” Jiang Cheng asks when Nie Mingjue doesn’t do something for a long moment and Nie Mingjue jerks.

“Okay, here we go,” Nie Mingjue mutters and then startles Jiang Cheng when he whistles.

Jiang Cheng frowns, but it’s not long before he hears paws on the pier and his heart is beating quicker when he turns around.

There’s a dog running towards them, full-speed, ears flopping, tail wagging and Jiang Cheng is afraid that it’s going to propel itself right off the pier.

“She can swim,” Nie Mingjue whispers to him and puts a hand to Jiang Cheng’s waist.

“Oh my god, is that a dog?! Did you get us a dog?!” Jiang Cheng breathes out and he’s already on his knees before Nie Mingjue can even answer him.

The dog seems to be a little sweetheart, because she immediately shoves her snout into Jiang Cheng’s face, her tail wagging excitedly the whole time.

“What’s her name?” Jiang Cheng wants to know as he pets her up and down and Nie Mingjue laughs.

“That honour goes to you, my heart,” he tells him and Jiang Cheng turns big eyes on him.

“Really? How old is she? You didn’t give her a name? What have you been calling her? How long have you had her?” He’s rattling off the questions as they pop into his mind and he cannot believe that Nie Mingjue had her for longer than a week and didn’t bother to name her.

“She’s around one now, and I didn’t give her a name, because that’s your duty as her other parent. I’ve been calling her Sweetheart,” Nie Mingjue then admits with a sheepish smile and rubs the back of his neck.

Jiang Cheng snorts into Sweetheart’s fur before he intensifies his pets.

“Aw, you’re a real Sweetheart, huh? You’re the best girl there is, right, yes that’s right,” Jiang Cheng mutters to her, allowing her to slabber all over his face for now.

“Wait,” he then says and turns accusing eyes on Nie Mingjue. “Do you want to tell me you have had her for a whole year and you didn’t tell me?”

“Of course not!” Nie Mingjue gives back. “I wouldn’t do that! A traveller came by like one or two months ago and he left her in Qinghe without an explanation. She kept wandering around the Unclean Realm and so I took her in,” he explains. “I spent the last few weeks trying to train her a bit but I’m not good at it. I mean, I love dogs, but I never had one, so I don’t know how to go about this.”

“Oh, I see,” Jiang Cheng says and turns his attention back to Sweetheart. “Well you at least hear when Mingjue whistles for you, so you must be a bright girl, huh?” he whispers and Sweetheart blinks at him.

“She knows to keep at my side when I walk, too,” Nie Mingjue says. “But I didn’t get further than that. I think she wants to learn, so the fault here clearly lies with me,” he admits with a shrug and Jiang Cheng laughs.

“Of course the fault lies with you, she is perfect after all,” Jiang Cheng gives back without hesitation and laughs when he sees Nie Mingjue’s face.

“Fine, fine, I guess I should leave you two to it then,” Nie Mingjue huffs out and actually turns around.

Jiang Cheng is still laughing, but he reaches out and grabs the back of Nie Mingjue’s robes.

“Get back here, you big baby,” he says with a chuckle. “Besides, you can’t leave her here,” he then tacks on and turns his attention back to Sweetheart.

“What do you mean?” Nie Mingjue asks and he squats down next to them to pet Sweetheart as well. “I got her for you, of course she’s going to stay here.”

“Mingjue, stop it,” Jiang Cheng bites out and he moves away from both Sweetheart and Nie Mingjue.

It’s kind of unfair that they both look at him with an identically hurt face.

“You know I can’t keep her here,” Jiang Cheng presses out and he refuses to look at Sweetheart again. “It’s fine if she stays with you in the Unclean Realm but she can’t stay here.”

“And why is that?” Nie Mingjue demands to know, standing up and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Sweetheart seems to notice that there’s some tension in the air, because she whines lowly and presses herself flat onto the pier.

“Look at her, you’re scaring her,” Jiang Cheng accuses Nie Mingjue who just raises his eyebrows at him.

“I am scaring her? I don’t think so,” he calmly gives back. “Now tell me why you can’t keep her here.”

“You damn well know why,” Jiang Cheng snaps out but he can’t quite meet Nie Mingjue’s eyes anymore.

“I seem to have forgotten,” Nie Mingjue gives back, and Jiang Cheng wants to strangle him. “Why don’t you remind me?”

“Why do you always do this?” Jiang Cheng hisses but Nie Mingjue calmly stares at him.

Jiang Cheng grits his teeth but Nie Mingjue can always out-stubborn him and he does it easily this time as well.

“Because if Wei Wuxian ever wants to come here—” Jiang Cheng says eventually but can’t bring himself to finish.

“And does he want to come here?” Nie Mingjue relentlessly asks and now Jiang Cheng feels like crying.

“How would I know, it’s not like he’s talking to me,” he gets out, and then Nie Mingjue is there, pulling him into his arms.

“I know, my heart, I know,” Nie Mingjue reassures him and presses a kiss to his head. “I think it’s time to maybe accept that he doesn’t want to come back.”

That only makes Jiang Cheng sob harder, but he can’t even deny that Nie Mingjue is right.

“It’s been two years since the temple,” Nie Mingjue whispers. “How often did he come by?”

“Once,” Jiang Cheng croaks out, and he doesn’t even have to think about it. He is keeping very close track, but there’s not much to count, if Jiang Cheng is being honest.

“And he only dropped by because Lan Wangji had official business here, and Wei Wuxian trusts neither of you with the other,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng would snap at him for being this ruthless, but it’s the truth.

And it’s choking Jiang Cheng up to know that his brother doesn’t even want to come back home.

“My heart, it’s admirable that you are waiting for your brother like that, but it’s time that you think about yourself. It’s time that you allow yourself to be happy.”

“And Sweetheart is the way?” Jiang Cheng wants to know because it’s easier than addressing anything else Nie Mingjue just said.

Jiang Cheng knows he’s right—he knows—but whenever Jiang Cheng sees a dog at Lotus Pier there is that split second where he wants to step to the side, to shield Wei Wuxian from seeing it and it’s so, so hard to get over that habit, even after all these years.

And if he keeps a dog at Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng would admit that he doesn’t want Wei Wuxian to come back. That he doesn’t expect Wei Wuxian to come back, and that hurts like hell, if he’s being honest.

“I thought it might be a start,” Nie Mingjue says with a shrug and pets Sweetheart’s head, making her perk up immediately.

Jiang Cheng can’t help the twitch of his mouth when he sees it and he has to admit that Nie Mingjue might be right.

But it’s hard to let go of the past and his promise.

“I don’t know if I can,” Jiang Cheng admits with a whisper, but his heart melts when Sweetheart whines again and presses close to his leg.

“Maybe it’s time to work on it,” Nie Mingjue tells him gently as he pulls Jiang Cheng close again. “Keep her here for a while. I’m her dad, too, though, so I might want to have her at the Unclean Realm every now and then as well.”

“Maybe I want to have you here more than Sweetheart,” Jiang Cheng mutters petulantly and he can feel how Nie Mingjue freezes against him.

They never really talked about that, and it was impossible when they were both Sect Leaders, but things are different now. Nie Huaisang has officially taken on that title now so that means Nie Mingjue has a lot more freedom.

Which means he could come to stay with Jiang Cheng more permanently if he really wanted to.

“Really?” Nie Mingjue whispers out and Jiang Cheng forces himself to nod.

They have been together for years now, so Jiang Cheng isn’t doubting Nie Mingjue’s love for him, but living together is still a step they haven’t taken together yet and it’s making him nervous to admit that he wants that.

“Why didn’t you say, my heart?” Nie Mingjue wants to know and Jiang Cheng shrugs.

“There was a lot going on,” he says, purposefully evading the question.

“There’s always a lot going on,” Nie Mingjue huffs out. “You’re lucky there’s nothing going on at the moment for now.”

“I know,” Jiang Cheng gives back, distracting himself with petting Sweetheart again. “She really is a sweetheart,” Jiang Cheng then says.

“Yes, she is. And she and her dad would really like to stay with her other dad,” Nie Mingjue says and Jiang Cheng freezes at his words.

“What?” he breathes out and Nie Mingjue puts a finger under his chin to raise his head.

“We would both be very happy to stay with you, here, if you would have us. But only if it’s both of us, you can’t separate her from both of us,” Nie Mingjue sternly says but Jiang Cheng can see the happiness in his eyes and it makes it easy to nod.

“Yes, please,” he gets out, too overwhelmed with happiness to say anything more but it seems like that isn’t necessary at all.

“Alright then, my heart,” Nie Mingjue gives back and pulls him in for a kiss. “Welcome us home then,” he whispers when they part and Jiang Cheng beams at him.

And then he turns towards Sweetheart.

“Welcome home, Sweetheart,” he says and ruffles her fur, pressing his lips together when Nie Mingjue huffs.

“I see how it is,” he mutters. “I bring him a dog and he instantly replaces me.”

Jiang Cheng laughs at that and turns back to Nie Mingjue.

“But you’re my soul, are you not? How could I ever replace you?” he asks and cups Nie Mingjue’s cheek in his hand.

“I should be asking you that,” Nie Mingjue grumbles but he also leans into Jiang Cheng’s hand.

“Welcome home, my soul,” Jiang Cheng says and pulls Nie Mingjue in for a soft kiss. “I am so happy to have you.”

“And Sweetheart,” Nie Mingjue mumbles against his lips.

“And Sweetheart,” Jiang Cheng agrees, though it will probably still take him some time before he can fully enjoy her presence at Lotus Pier.

But if he has Nie Mingjue by his side for that process, Jiang Cheng knows that it will turn out alright. After all, like this he has everything he could have ever wanted right here.

Dialogue Prompts

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