#and in the evening I can burst into tears ANY SEC

[herstoryheaven]

Lando Norris x Reader: Racing Through Fear

Prompt: Y/n stands in the pouring rain among a crowd of Formula 1 fans. When Lando Norris' car crashes violently, Y/n doesn't hesitate to jump onto the track to save him. This act of bravery leads to the confession of hidden feelings.

Reader: Gender Neutral

Word count: 1840

Average reading time: 6 min 40 sec

Category: Hurt/Comfort

Warnings: This story contains intense scenes involving a race accident, resulting in injury and emotional distress. If you are sensitive to these topics, please read with care.

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Disclaimer: All events portrayed in my stories are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental. Any actions or behaviours portrayed by the characters may differ from reality and cannot be connected to any actual person. This work is purely fictional and intended for entertainment purposes only.

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The rain was pouring down, drenching everything in sight. Y/n stood among the crowds of Formula 1 fans, her excitement mingled with an underlying layer of anxiety as the weather showed no signs of letting up. She pulled her raincoat tighter, shivering as the cold seeped through. The circuit was a mess, puddles forming everywhere, and the whispers of concern grew louder amongst the crowd.

"Is it even safe to race in this?" someone muttered nearby.

Despite the worried murmurs, the race went to a start. Engines roared to life, and the cars zoomed down the track, spraying water in their wake. Y/n's eyes were fixed on one car in particular, Lando Norris'. Her heart raced along with the cars, a mixture of pride and fear surging through her for her friend.

Several laps into the race, disaster struck. Lando's car hit a particularly treacherous patch of water, hydroplaning uncontrollably. Y/n's breath caught in her throat as she watched the car veer off course, crashing violently into the barrier. The collective gasp from the crowd was deafening.

Red flags waved, and the race paused. Panic surged through Y/n as she realized there was no communication from Lando’s car. The team's radio was down, and there were no marshals nearby to assist. Her gaze fixed on the small fire beginning to form at the back of the car.

Without thinking, she bolted from her spot, jumping over the barriers and sprinting onto the track. Rain floods her face, blurring her vision, but she is determent. The only thing that mattered was reaching Lando.

"Lando!" she shouted, skidding to a stop beside the wrecked car. "Can you move?"

Lando groaned, clutching his wrist. "I... I can't, my wrist..."

Y/n's hands trembled as she removed the steering wheel, her heart pounding wildly. "You have to get out, now! There's oil leaking and a fire starting. The car might explode!"

Lando's eyes widened in realization, and with Y/n's help, he managed to climb out of the car. Together, they ran, the adrenaline giving them a burst of speed. They barely made it over the barrier when the car exploded, the force of the blast knocking them to the ground.

Lando instinctively covered Y/n with his body, shielding her from the flying debris. They lay there for a moment, panting and shaking. When the danger passed, Lando helped her to her feet, his eyes scanning her for injuries.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice shaky, his eyes searching hers with intensity.

Y/n nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Just a few scratches. What about you?"

"Just a sprained wrist, I think," he replied, wincing slightly.

Marshals finally arrived, ushering them both to the paddock for medical exams. Lando was checked first, and surprisingly, his injuries were minor. Meanwhile, Y/n tried to slip away, feeling out of place amongst the drivers and team members.

"Hey, where are you going?" Oscar called out, stopping her in her tracks. He jogged over, concern written all over his face.

Charles, Carlos, Max, and George quickly joined them, their expressions mirroring Oscar's worry. "Is Lando okay?" Charles asked, his voice tinged with urgency.

Y/n nodded, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands. "He's fine, just a sprained wrist I heard."

"And what about you?" Max asked gently, his gaze lingering on her face with genuine concern. His normally sharp, competitive demeanor softened due to the day’s events.

"I'm fine, really," Y/n insisted, though her voice wavered slightly. She tried to smile, but the adrenaline was still coursing through her, making her feel unsteady.

George placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his touch grounding. "Thank you for what you did. That was incredibly brave," he said, his voice filled with admiration.

Carlos stepped closer, his eyes warm and sincere. "You didn't hesitate for a second. That takes a lot of courage."

Y/n shrugged, feeling overwhelmed by their praise. "I just did what anyone would do. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing."

Oscar shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Not everyone would have had the guts to do what you did. You were amazing out there."

Charles nodded in agreement, a hint of a smile softening his features. "We all saw what happened. You saved Lando’s life."

Y/n felt a blush creep up her cheeks, the intensity of their gratitude and concern almost too much to bear. She had always admired these drivers from a distance, and now, here they were, complementing her for what she did.

Max took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "You might not realize it, but you’re a hero today."

Before Y/n could respond, Lando emerged from the medical area, spotting her surrounded by the other drivers. His face lit up with relief and gratitude. He walked up to her, his eyes locking onto hers with a look of intense emotion. "Thank you," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity.

Y/n shrugged again, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I couldn't just sit there and watch you possibly die."

Lando pulled her into a gentle hug, his warmth seeping into her cold, damp skin. "I owe you my life," he whispered into her ear, his breath hot against her neck. He pulled back slightly, noticing her soaked clothes and trembling hands. "Come on, let's get you into something dry."

The other drivers nodded, stepping back to give them space. "We'll catch up with you both later," George said with a reassuring smile.

He led her to the McLaren hospitality area, handing her his hoodie and a pair of women’s sweatpants he found. She changed quickly, feeling a warmth spread through her from the dry clothes and Lando's kindness.

The race was canceled due to the severe weather, and Y/n found herself sitting with Lando, talking quietly. She explained her actions, her voice trembling at the thought of what could have happened. Lando reached out, taking her hand in his, their fingers intertwining.

"Thank you for saving me," he said again, his thumb stroking her hand gently. "But promise me you'll never do something so reckless again."

Y/n managed a small smile, her heart fluttering at his touch. "Only if you promise not to be so reckless on the track."

He chuckled softly, squeezing her hand. "Deal."

As they sat together in the quiet of the McLaren hospitality area, the events of today but a distant memory. The adrenaline that had once coursed through their veins had settled into a serene calm. Lando's thumb traced gentle patterns on the back of Y/n's hand, anchoring them both in the moment.

"Y/n," Lando began softly, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart flutter, "I don't know how to thank you properly. What you did was beyond brave. You risked everything for me."

A blush crept up her cheeks as she glanced down at their intertwined hands. "I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. If your car had exploded and I just sat there and didn’t even try anything I would have never forgiven myself. I care too much about you to not have done anything."

Lando's heart swelled at her words, a warmth spreading through him that had nothing to do with his dry clothes. He gently lifted her chin with his free hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I care about you too, more than I realized until today."

A shy smile played at Y/n's lips. "I guess it took a bit of chaos for us to see it."

Lando chuckled, the sound light and genuine. "A bit of chaos and a very brave heart." He leaned in closer, their foreheads nearly touching. "You know, when I was in that car, all I could think about was you. I didn't want to leave things unsaid."

Her breath hitched, and she whispered, "What do you mean?"

He paused, his eyes searching hers with a depth that made her heart skip a beat. "I mean that I've been falling for you for a while now, and today just made it crystal clear. I don't want to waste another moment not telling you how I feel."

Y/n's eyes glistened with tears, but this time they were tears of joy. "Lando, I feel the same way. Seeing you crash... it was the scariest moment of my life. I realized how much you mean to me."

Lando's smile was radiant, his face inching closer until their lips met in a tender, heartfelt kiss. The world outside seemed to disappear as they lost themselves in each other, the kiss deepening with every passing second. It was a kiss filled with unspoken promises and the relief of two longtime friends finally coming together.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless, their smiles wide and hearts full. Lando pressed his forehead against hers, his voice barely above a whisper. "I promise I'll be more careful out there. For you."

Y/n nodded, her fingers gently caressing his cheek. "And I promise I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

He hugged her tightly, as if afraid to let go. "You're incredible, you know that?"

She laughed softly, the sound like music to his ears. "I think we're both pretty incredible."

The rest of the drivers, who had been watching the tender moment from a respectful distance, approached them with wide grins and teasing remarks. Oscar clapped Lando on the back, chuckling. "Took you long enough, mate."

Charles nodded in agreement, a playful glint in his eyes. "We were starting to think we'd have to lock you two in a room together to get you to admit your feelings."

Max smirked, adding, "Looks like a bit of danger was just the push you both needed."

Y/n blushed again, but Lando just laughed, his arm securely around her waist. "Yeah, well, sometimes it takes nearly losing something to realize how much it means to you."

George grinned, giving Y/n a gentle pat on the shoulder. "We're glad you're okay. Both of you."

Carlos stepped forward, his expression sincere. "You both showed incredible bravery today. It's a story we'll be telling for years."

As the group shared in their relief and happiness, the bond between Y/n and Lando only grew stronger. They spent the rest of the day together, surrounded by friends who had become family. The rain outside eventually subsided, giving way to a clear, starry night.

Lando and Y/n found themselves alone again, sitting on a quiet balcony overlooking the now peaceful circuit. The air was cool, and Lando draped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"You know," he began, his voice soft, "this is just the beginning for us."

Y/n smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know. And I can't wait to see where it takes us."

He kissed the top of her head, his heart full. "Neither can I."

Under the starlit sky, they sat in comfortable silence, knowing that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

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[cowgurrrl]

You're My Only Hope for Heaven

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Author's note: oh bitch I'm having a fucking blast with this dynamic the slow burn is slow burning

Summary: An unlikely patron saunters into your bar [3.5k]

Warnings: one (1) creepy guy, one (1) fake marriage, lots of flirting that’s not flirting but it’s not not flirting, one (1) kiss

You try not to make it a habit of picking up bar shifts during the week. Not only is it almost always slow, and you barely make any money, but it's hard to go from teaching for eight hours directly to another job. You'd much rather be at home, grading or doing something for yourself for the first time in weeks. But you couldn't say no when Katie called you, almost in tears, begging you to take her shift so she could deal with a burst pipe in her house. You don't regret doing her a favor, but you do regret other things as you stand behind the mostly empty bar as whatever game is happening plays on the screen above your head. You think it's a UT game. Or maybe A&M. Or any of the other SEC Texas schools with an absurd football budget. 

You're basically yawning your way through your shift and working through your newest painting in your head, trying and failing to not think about school until absolutely necessary. Principal Martinez is cracking down on the stupid minutiae the school board demands of its teachers, and you spent most of your afternoon writing student objectives on the board. On top of that, your art club kids have been begging you to plan a field trip to the local art museum for weeks. You finally relented, but the paperwork is mind-numbing and requires much more work than you thought. Between working, making art, and trying to live your life, you barely have time. 

Another reason you hate working weekdays is the creepy regulars. Normally, you can ignore them on a busy Saturday night, but it's harder when it's as dead as it is. You have no idea how Katie deals with them on a regular basis. It started with a guy at the bar, you think his name is Steve, asking you progressively invasive questions. "How old are you?" "You gotta boyfriend?" "What time do you get off?" One right after each other, even after you made it clear you're not interested. Fake laughing and making excuses to run to the back or change a keg don't throw him off. 

"Keep it up, and I'll cut you off." You finally threaten after he asks you why you're being a bitch. You roll your eyes when the bell above the door rings, probably admitting yet another asshole who's gonna make your night hell. When you turn toward the door, the words leave you before you can stop them. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Now, is that any way to greet your customers?" Joel chuckles, and you sigh as he sits down in front of you. Thankfully, his brother is not in tow, and you can save yourself a little embarrassment. "I didn't know you worked here."

"I don't," you say. "Whatcha drinkin'?" 

"Looks like you're workin' to me." He smirks and you shoot him a look.

"You wanna free drink or not?" 

"Shiner," he answers quickly. You hum in acknowledgment, not even bothering with the POS system and going right to the fridge to pull a bottle out for him. You pop the cap off and place a napkin under the beer before sliding it to him. "Are you bribin' me?"

"You've gotta be faster with your questions, Miller. You've already accepted it. Might as well enjoy." You say, and he laughs. 

"Well, alright, then," he says, raising his beer to you before taking a quick sip. "So, what's this, then? You moonlightin' as a bartender?" He asks, and you fight yourself on how to answer. What if word gets back to parents? Administration? They couldn't reprimand you for that, right? You know plenty of other teachers with second jobs, so it can't be that taboo. Still, you're hesitant to open up to Joel. Out of all the people who could've walked into your bar tonight, it had to be him.

"Something like that." You settle on, wiping a sticky spot on the bar to avoid his gaze. If he feels anything negative about you having a second job, his face doesn't show it. He has a soft smile on his lips and a slight sunburn across his nose, highlighting the freckles living there that previously went unnoticed. You want to tease him about not wearing sunscreen, but the joke dies in your throat when he rests his elbows on your bar, showing off those stupid biceps you can't not look at. He catches your eyes lingering near the short sleeve of his shirt and opens his mouth like he's going to say something, but a grating voice from the other side of the bar cuts him off.

"Excuse me, sweetheart! You've got other patrons over here!" Steve yells, and you feel your eye twitch at his attitude. Joel notices.

"What's wrong with him?" He asks quietly, leaning forward over the bar to get closer to you. Looking into his brown eyes and confused expression, an idea forms.

"Pretend you know me." You say, and his eyebrows knit together, every emotion visible on his face. 

"I do know you."

"No, I mean," you sigh. "That guy over there is a regular on Wednesdays, and the girl who usually works is married, so he doesn't try anything with her, but I won't give him my number, and he's making me fucking miserable. So, just... pretend to know me." Joel is bigger than Steve. Much bigger. Probably a whole head taller and much broader than the man on the other side of the bar. One word from Joel, and he might actually shut up or, better yet, leave altogether so you can finish your day without any more hiccups.

"Okay," Joel agrees, and you reflexively reach out to touch his thick forearm and squeeze. You don't even realize you did it until he smiles like he won a staring contest or something.

"Thank you," you say before turning and bracing yourself to deal with Steve. "What can I do for you, sir?" You ask, but before you can even finish your sentence, he holds up his empty beer bottle and waves it in front of your face like you're stupid. 

"Another beer." He says, and you bite your tongue. 

"You got it."

"Finally," he groans. "You'd think for such an easy fuckin' job, you'd be better at it." 

"What the fuck is your problem?" You ask, refusing to move from your spot to get him his beer, and he scoffs.

"My problem is that you're bein' a fuckin' bitch and ignorin' me when I didn't do nothin' wrong." He's slurring his words together at this point, and you wordlessly go to the POS system to close his tab and send him on his way. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you!" He yells after you.

"Hey, man, why don't you leave her alone? She's just tryna do her job." Joel speaks up from the other side of the bar, and Steve straightens up in his seat as he assesses Joel. 

"This isn't any of your fuckin' business. Stay out of it."

"It's my business now. That's no way to speak to a lady. I think you owe her a mighty big apology." 

"I don't owe her shit," he spits, and you look over to see Joel setting his jaw and squaring his shoulders. "Why's this even matter to you, big shot?"

"That's my fuckin' wife you're mouthin' off to," Joel says without hesitation, and you quickly school your expression. Wife? You asked him to play along, but you didn't think he'd say that. "So, if you wanna keep the rest of your teeth, I suggest you apologize to her, leave her a nice, big tip for dealin' with your sorry ass, and get yourself a ride home." 

Steve is silent as you take the empty bottle away from him— just in case things get really ugly— and slide him his card and bill. He eyes Joel carefully for a few tense seconds before picking up a pen, signing his check, and leaving without another word. The second he's out the door, you feel a weight lift off your shoulders and sigh at the relief. You scrub a hand down your face and look over at Joel.

"You okay?" He asks gently like you're a spooked horse, and you nod. You take a few minutes to get yourself together, putting in Steve's 30% tip and cleaning off the empty bar before returning to Joel. "What?" He asks when he catches you smirking.

"At least buy a girl dinner before you call me your wife." You say, and he laughs, shaking his head. 

"You said the other girl is married. I just took it and ran," he says. "And I already tried to take you to dinner, but somebody said no." 

"School regulation says it's unethical." 

"Well, we're not at school now, and you're certainly not a teacher right now." He says smoothly, vaguely gesturing to your all-black outfit, and you give him a look. "What time d'you get off?"

"You're gonna get me in trouble." You whisper, and he leans forward across the bar. 

"All I did was ask you a question." He whispers back, playfully mocking you. It could be the smile on his face, the relaxed humor behind his eyes, or the fact that he stood up for you because you asked him to, but you glance between him and the clock and take a deep breath. 

"I get off at 12. Unless it stays dead like this, then I'm closing early," you say, and his smile grows. "But this is not a date." 

"'Course not." He chuckles, and you raise your eyebrows at him. 

"I'm serious. I need you to say it's not a date, so I know you won't come after me if your kid fails my class." 

"Is my kid failing your class?"

"No, she's amazing. But for my own mental well-being, I need you to say that this is not a date." You say, and he grabs your wrist to stop your anxious wringing. 

"Let me buy you a drink. That's it. Nothin' more," he says, squeezing you. "This ain't a date." 

"Thank you." You sigh, and he nods. 

You spend an hour or two idling between conversations with Joel and trying to look busy for any manager who might care enough to check the cameras. You're pretty much done with all your closing duties by 10:00, and you wait until it's been a full hour since anyone else came in to flip the closed sign and do a few last-minute things. When the bar is completely clean, empty, and ready for the next shift, you slink back behind it to make yourself and Joel a drink before sitting beside him. 

"You feelin' proud of yourself for getting us here?" You ask as you clink your glass against his and take a sip. 

"Yeah, I've got the prettiest girl in the whole place sittin' by me," he says, and before you can even scold him, he throws his hands up. "Not a date." 

"Not a date." You repeat.

"Still true, though."

"Don't make me regret saying yes to you, Mr. Miller." You say, and he gives you a look. You like teasing him, especially since you can always see exactly how he's feeling. He's not particularly subtle, contrary to what you're sure others think about him. 

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Joel?" 

"As many times as it takes, I guess," you shrug. "You also clearly have an aversion to being called Mr. Miller."

"My dad was Mr. Miller." He says, and you roll your eyes, groaning and half-folding in on yourself dramatically. 

"Oh, my God, do you know how many men have said that to me since I've become a teacher?"

"Well, it's true!" He says. "Are you sayin' other people are tryna tell my wife to call ‘em by their first names?" He asks, and you laugh. 

"Believe it or not, you're not the first single parent to ask me out." 

"Am I the first one you said yes to?" 

"So far." 

"So far?" He asks, raising his eyebrows, and you hum. "I'll take it." 

Unsurprisingly, Joel is really easy to talk to. He asks questions about your life outside of work, where you went to school, and what made you want to be a teacher. You ask him about his job and family and, somehow, end up talking about the latest cheesy action film he's seen. When both your drinks are empty, the glasses sit there, the ice slowly melting as you talk into the night. Every time a hint of anxiety creeps up your spine, he makes you laugh or tells you an interesting story from his past and distracts you from it. You lose hours sitting there, and you don't even realize it until your phone pings you with a reminder, and you suddenly see it's past midnight.

"Oh, shit," you mumble, showing Joel the time. "I gotta lock up."

"And you have school tomorrow." He says, and you groan as you stand and grab your glasses. 

"Don't remind me. I've got like five million things waiting to get done there." You say. He watches you step behind the bar, leave them in the sink for the opener to find, and no doubt send a catty message in the group chat asking who closed the night before. His eyes don't leave you even when you reach up and grab your bag, your sleeve falling down just enough to reveal a nasty bruise.

"Woah, that looks like it hurt," he says, gesturing to your arm. "How'd you get that?"

"Promise you won't laugh." Your response does nothing to clear up his confusion, but he raises his right hand and makes a cross over his heart.

"I promise." His tone is gentle and even, but you're still hesitant to actually admit it.

"I fell off a table." 

"I told you!"

"Hey!" You scold. "You promised you'd be cool about it!"

"I promised not to laugh." He says, and you roll your eyes. "They still haven't come to fix it for ya?"

"Would I be climbing on tables if they did?"

"Fair enough," he shrugs. You find the bar keys at the bottom of your purse and walk over to where he's still sitting, your hand resting on the back of your chair. He shifts forward until he can catch the edge of your sleeve and roll it up to see the bruise in all her glory. His fingers are warm, and his touch light as he traces the edge of it, not firm enough to make it ache but enough that you feel the pads of his fingers. You freeze like your stillness will be enough for the feather-light touches to continue, your eyes meeting for a split second. He clears his throat and rolls your sleeve back down for you, drawing his hand back. "Tell you what," he says. "I gotta buddy who gets me a good deal on some spare parts. Let me see if I can track down the part you need, and I'll come fix it myself. Free of charge."

"You don't have to do that." 

"And let my wife fall off tables?" He asks, a smirk pulling on his lips, and you shake your head. "It's the least I can do for the free drinks and, ya know, teachin' my kid." 

"Fine, but don't make it a thing. The maintenance people already don't like me. I can't imagine seeking outside help will make them like me." 

"I won't make it a thing," he promises, leaning back in his chair as his eyes travel up and down your body. He sighs heavily and sucks his teeth like you're suddenly too much, and you smile. "It's a damn shame this wasn't a date."

"What'd you do if it was?" The question borders on dangerous, but you can't take it back now that you've said it. It seems to have piqued Joel's interest, too, because he raises his eyebrows at you.

"You really wanna know?" He asks, and you nod.

"I really wanna know," you say. "How does Joel Miller end a successful date?" He gets a little bashful at the question, a blush creeping up his neck, and you knock his knee with yours to get his attention. "C'mon, don't get shy on me now."

"Alright, alright," he grumbles. "If this were a date, and we were gettin' ready to go out separate ways, I'd walk you out to your car, open the door for ya 'cause a lady should never open her own doors," his voice is slow and low, and he watches your face as he speaks. "And I'd kiss you. Nice and slow so I don't scare ya off or anythin'. I might put a hand on your waist or bite that pretty lip or somethin'. And right when I can feel you wantin' a little more, gettin' a little desperate, I'd stop, say goodnight, and walk back to my truck." His words have a devastating effect on you, and you can't look away from him. The heat rolling off him in waves makes you too warm and flustered. His gaze flicks from your eyes to your lips, his own tongue darting out to wet his plump bottom lip, and you have half a mind to think he's looking at you like he wants to eat you alive. You have half a mind to let him. 

"You're right," you finally breathe. "It's a shame this isn't a date." He nods and stands, his broad chest grazing yours as you look up at him. You're not a science teacher by any means. If you were, you might be able to explain the magnetism you feel toward Joel or what stupid chemical in your brain makes you wonder what tricks he keeps up his sleeve. But you're not. You're an art teacher. So, the only thing you can focus on is the deep brown of his irises and the heavy lashes and crow's feet that frame his eyes. And the swoop of his salt and pepper curls, the tint of his slightly pink forehead and strong nose. You want to capture his image in the dim lighting of the bar, but you settle for committing it to memory to scribble in the margins of your notebook for the rest of the week. Why couldn't you have been a science teacher?

Neither of you says anything as he finally steps away, giving you the space to turn off the last of the bar lights and push through the haze he created in your mind. He lingers by the door and opens it for you when you go to the front and step into the humid Austin night. You lock the doors and give him a small smile when you turn around to see him rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. 

Then, just as he said, he walks you to your car and opens the driver's side door for you. His truck, the only other car in the parking lot, is parked a few spaces away from yours. It would've been so much easier to just ignore you, get in his car, and drive away, but here he is, being the gentleman he's always been toward you. You step into the space created by the open door and throw your bag in the passenger seat, but don't get in the car. Not yet. He sighs heavily, like he's in physical pain, when you meet his eyes again, and his hand flexes around the edge of your car door. 

"Thanks for my not date." You mumble, and he nods. You're close (and weak) enough that brushing his lips would just take a strong breeze. It freaks you out how okay you are with the idea of "accidentally" kissing Joel Miller. You should be panicking. Alarm bells should be sounding in your head, but the only thing filling the cavernous space is the echo of his voice explaining what he'd do if this were a date. Idiot.

He leans on your door a little more, and your heart quickens, thinking he might actually be the one to make the move. His head ducks just a little, and you get a strong whiff of his cologne, your eyes fluttering shut at the scent. Your throat is suddenly dry, and you're all but pushing up on your toes when he swerves past your lips and presses a chaste, firm kiss to your cheek. His beard scratches your soft skin pleasantly, and you keep your eyes closed until he pulls away, looking like he just won a prize.

"Get home safe." He says as he steps back, still holding your door open. You sigh and fight a smile as you look at him— cocky, vindicated, and knowing exactly what he just did. 

"Goodnight, Joel." You manage to get out before sitting down and letting him gently shut the door for you. You wait until he gets in his truck to roll your window down and shout his name until he does the same. "I'm gonna get you back for that."

"Oh, I'm countin' on it, darlin'."

TAGLIST: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @marantha @cosmoscoffeee @shyminnie07 @beezusvreeland @eddiemunsonsbedroom @harriedandharassed @doodlebob-mp3

[wehaveimagineshere]

Thanks for answering my question! I ask because I wanna keep the Carlos train going lol. I'd love to read something about him and his wife (the reader) being new parents to their first kid. Like putting her to sleep or playing with her. Anything super fluffy and sweet!! Thinking of Carlos with a little baby makes all my insides go fuzzy and he's such a girl dad to me. Thaaaaaaanks!!!!

(Also I love how much attention he's been getting here >.< normally you expect a flood of Leon but not this time!)

Of course, thank you so much for asking for clarification! Omggg he's definitely a girl dad, 100%, this is such a cute ask!!

I love how much attention Carlos is getting too! He's such a sweetie and I am so happy he's getting so much love! I expected a lot of Leon too but I honestly haven't gotten a single request for him yet. Not complaining cause it means I'm getting all these Carlos prompts instead! I love it!

~*~*~

There's one thing that became blatantly obvious not long after you brought your little girl home.

Holding her head against your shoulder, her body snug against your chest, you walk toward the sound of the front door closing, Carlos' "I'm home babe!" echoing into the house.

Your little girl goes still upon hearing his voice, and you can already picture her wide brown eyes, the same hue as Carlos', darting left and right over your shoulder, trying to find the source of the sound.

"Hey hey, look at my girls," he says as you turn the corner, smile blooming across his lips as he quickly steps out of his shoes. "One, as sexy as she'll ever be," he starts, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. "The second, being the cutest thing to ever live," he continues as you flip your baby around.

Her squeal nearly blows your eardrums as she finally gets to see him. Chubby little hands outstretch, fingers doing a weird wiggle as her body does the same.

Carlos takes her gently and holds her up, her little fingers doing those wiggles on his cheekbones as she does a mix between a gurgle and a laugh. "And what have you been up to today?" Upon her giggle, he lowers her to cradle her against his chest. "Sounds like you've been taking care of mom."

"She definitely has," you say, leaning in to give your daughter a quick kiss to her forehead before turning to give your husband a kiss on the cheek. "We had a full four hour nap earlier."

"Heeyy, way to go!" He kisses the top of her head. "Do you know how hard it is to get this woman to rest?"

You roll your eyes.

"I've had to beg on my knees once, you know," he continues, ignoring your eye roll. "I only succeeded because I managed to get your mom's pants down."

"Carlos."

"What? It's how she was made."

Your baby paws at his nose, drool leaking onto his shoulder.

"Still. No kid, at any age, wants to hear stories about that with their parents."

"Look, our agreement was that I could still swear until she starts learning words. Should be more specific." Hefting her up, he offers her back to you. "Hold her for a sec?"

Her expression shifts as if in slow motion. The smile turns into a frown, little eyebrows furrowing as her tiny brain tries to understand why daddy is holding her away. When she sees your hands reaching for her, the horrible fact that she's about to be passed settles and tears burst free, her wails nearly shaking the walls.

Grabbing her quickly, you make sure to position her so her back is to your chest. Adopting the bop dance that's become second nature, you manage to shush her down to pouty sniffles.

"The moment you walk in, all she wants is you," you say with a sigh.

Sticking his jacket into the closet, Carlos throws you a grin. "She knows who's more fun."

You scoff, fighting down the smile. "Oh yeah?"

"Dad comes home, and--" He snatches her up, doing a little spin. Laughter peels from her chest. "--she knows she's going to have a good time."

"She even takes bath time so much easier when you're the one doing it."

"I'm a natural."

That smile finally breaks free and you cross your arms. "I can't really deny that," you say softly, taking in the love of your life holding his little girl like she's the most precious thing in the world.

"You did good, you know," he says back, placing your daughter back against his shoulder as he leans to kiss your cheek. "She's one heck of a cute kid." His head yanks to the side as she finds a lock of hair and tugs. "Hey, we've talked about this."

Laughing, you follow him into the living room, finding your spot next to him as he frees his hair and places her on his legs. Pressing both index fingers against her cheeks, he smiles as she blows a raspberry with his help.

You thought you'd seen every expression Carlos could make, but the way he looks at his daughter always makes your heart melt. And you don't really blame your little one, really, for loving him just as fiercely back.

[nicoforlifetrue]

im writeing a fic for plot swap

so the plot swap post has turned into an entire fic, with a plot chart and everything, this is going to be the basic outline for the difference in au vs cannon considering canon color crew plus purple minus orange are going to be in the au. call this the character chart. if you want to go into the au blind when i post it ignore this

Alan Becker, aka the creator, dad

actually a good stick dad, and cared for them as best he could, currently mia after the hollow heads watched him collapse and be taken away by people. the hollows are doing everything they can to find him.

Victim Becker, aka the firstborn, Vic, was an accidental creation

created rocket corp in an attempt to find the creator, runs it not to dissimilar to a mafia, ruthless with anyone perceived as being in the way, over protective of his brothers has mercs watching them near constantly so nothing can happen to them. considers his siblings an ace up his sleeve if the cards are down considering there powers are much stronger then his.

the chosen one Becker, aka the second born, cho, tco, one, created to give vic someone to spend time with

after a brief stent of destruction after alans disappearance and the pc shutting down now spends most of his time either training second or keeping the home feeling like home, the only sibling actually copeing instead of just trying to fix the problem, he and alan worked on his temper but after alans disappearance its almost as bad as when he was born.

the dark lord Becker, aka the third born, dark tdl, created to give cho someone to spar with

the most laid back after Alan's vanishing, but handling it worse then cho, has not processed what's happening at all, takes his bursts of rage out on any website that bugs him even slightly, vic encourages this, spends most days tearing the web apart trying to locate any sign of alan or sneaking second away from the mercs to go mess around in the city.

the second coming becker, aka the youngest child, sec, tsc, orange, also a complete accident

having only been around for two weeks before his dads vanishing act he blames himself for it, hasnt met any of his friends yet and is lonely, clinging to his brothers for interaction, has really bad social anxiety yet always running away from his babysitters to try and make friends, most of his brothers fear as a result of there dad vanishing has focused onto him, resulting in them being over protective. powers activated when the pc shut down, has a very basic grasp on them but they tend to react to his emotions without his imput.

the color crew(red green blue and yellow)

where never broken out of their game and are still there stuck, sick of being stuck in the fighting loop.

mango tango, aka mt, dad

suspicious of rocket corp but keeping his head down for his family, never went on his rampage because gold never died. retired professional fighter teaching gold how to fight and teaching purple he doesn't have to fight, current stay at home dad.

lilac, aka mom

also suspicious of rocket corp and is also better at keeping her head down then her husband, divorced navy when purple was six and her then husband broke their kids arm, marryed MT when purple was eight, works as a software engineer, her company is offten hired by rocket corp. her illness was treatable because of vic digging into hospital record and other such databases in an attempt to find alan, leading to her actually getting a diagnosis and eventual recovery. she can no longer work in the field and works from home most days, refuses to let MT get a job so she can quit, she likes her work too much and she knows he adores spending so much time with the kids.

marigold, aka gold, big sister

unaware of her parents worry's, is two years older then purple and wants to be a professional fighter like her dad, didn't die because the hollows had gone to the fair before them, and sec had gone in when the error was made but instead of dyeing his powers teleported him to freedom. dosent have any freinds because her energy scares most people away, she dosnt mind. she asks too many questions in too public places for her parents liking, shes going to get into something she cant get out of one of these days.

purple, aka little brother

very aware of his parents concerns, also doesn't have any friends so spends most of the time with his sister, interested in the use of icons outside of their apps, aka one of the things rocket corp specializes in, try's to keep his head down but he's got a strong sense of justice that doesn't like keeping quite

[shrinkthisviolet]

Or ❛ who did this to you? ❜ with Morgan and Barry?

So this one…really got away from me 😅 it’s much longer than expected, and for that reason, if anyone prefers to read it on AO3, you’re welcome to do so (this is the case for all my prompt fills ofc, which are cross-posted to AO3 in this series, but I mention it for this one specifically because of its length).

Also…Happy Birthday Iris! I’m later to posting this than intended, but I wrote and finished this during June 24th, so it counts to me. Also, Iris is fairly prominent here for that reason (Morgan & Iris took as much center stage as Barry & Morgan in this prompt fill, hope you don’t mind 😅)

And one more thing…this takes place between 1x11 and 1x14 (connected to this fic, though it can theoretically be read as a standalone ig). And, obviously, it’s not canon to the AU—it’s a branching path, something that could’ve happened.

All that said, enjoy:

“You’ve got me, always. If you need anything…”

“I’ll call.”

Morgan hadn't expected to call in that favor so soon, but with her head still ringing from that hit earlier (so stupid, so, so stupid, why hadn’t she dodged it?), she had no other choice. Dad was home tonight, and she was nearly late for curfew, even without factoring in the necessary time to change out of her suit before he caught her.

She didn’t think she could stomach one of his lectures tonight—his disappointment cut deeper than any knife.

So, as her head swam and she struggled to walk steadily—were headaches this bad usually? She’d never had one like this. She hadn’t gotten a migraine, had she?—she called Iris.

“Morgan?”

“Iris!” Morgan sighed in relief. “Thank God, I…listen, I’m sorry for calling so late, but I really need your—”

“Where are you?” Iris sounded so worried already…but for what?

“I’m on my way—”

“Hello?”

Morgan frowned. What…? “Iris, I was saying, I’m on my way ho—”

“On your way where?”

“Home!” Was the connection bad or something? “Listen, I need your—”

Someone pushed her just then, and she turned to shout at them…only to see a car whiz by.

“Watch where you’re going,” her mysterious savior snapped, disappearing into thin air.

She, however, was more focused on what had just happened. She’d nearly been hit by a car. A car that she…hadn’t even heard. What the hell is going—?

“…home alone? At night?” Iris definitely sounded worried now.

“It’s okay,” Morgan insisted, “I’ll be fine, I just…I just need you to call Dad and tell him—”

“What street crossing are you on? Barry can come get you.”

“No!” Morgan couldn’t think of anything worse than Barry having to deal with her problems. He already resented her enough as it was. “No, I…I’ll be fi—”

“Morgan. Street names. I think you might have a concussion.”

Morgan burst out laughing. “A c-c-cussion? Come on, Iris, get r—”

“Please,” Iris begged—much to Morgan’s surprise, as Iris never, ever begged.

So she sighed and said, “One sec,” and slowly walked over to the nearest street signs, squinting. “It says…Pourer and Maim?”

“…do you mean Porter and Main?” Iris replied after a long time.

Morgan squinted at the sign. “I don’t…the letters are all wonky, I can’t…I can’t tell.” Tears welled in her eyes. “God, I’m so sorry. You can hang up if you want, I’ll figure this out mys—”

“Don’t be sorry! I’d feel terrible about leaving you to this—Barry’s on his way, and I swear he won’t bug you about anything. Okay?”

“Okay,” she relented, though right as she said it, she found herself picked up and swept off. Against her better judgment, she leaned her head on Barry’s shoulder.

He shook her as he set her down on a soft bed, looking surprisingly regretful. “Sorry. But we’ve gotta check you for a concussion first.”

When she nodded, he looked concerned, as if she hadn’t answered immediately, exchanging a look with Iris.

“Morgan, honey?” Iris squeezed her hand, smiling sadly when Morgan met her eyes. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go anywhere in this state. Barry already called Caitlin, and—”

“You didn’t have to bother her,” Morgan whispered, wondering why Iris’s sentence kept going even though Morgan had interrupted and Iris was no longer speaking. “I’ve had headaches before, I can sleep this off.”

“Morgan,” Barry said slowly, “do you realize that you’ve been answering our questions and reacting to us half a minute after we’ve spoken?”

Morgan blinked. “I…what?”

“And your speech is slurring,” Iris added, brows knitted. “Not much, but still. Caitlin says those are the two main signs. By the way,” she added to Barry, “what did she say?”

“She said she can’t make it tonight, so I should call her back and let her know how the injury looks. Speaking of which…?”

Morgan drew back nervously. “Why are you helping me? You hate me.”

“You’re hurt,” he said, as if that explained anything.

“So what?”

His face crumpled at that. “Morgan. Please. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. But I…I can’t leave you in this state. Please let me look?”

Despite her reactions apparently having a time delay, he didn’t do anything until she nodded and took her hood off, exposing the bruising on her face…and the one on the back of her head that was tender to touch—she winced as Barry’s fingers brushed over it.

“Who did this to you?” Barry growled, much to Morgan’s surprise. “Who would dare—”

“Is this from your…side hobby?” Iris asked delicately.

Morgan blinked, confused. Why the discretion? Doesn’t she know that Barry knows?

Barry frowned. “Are you talking about Sentry?”

Iris blushed, her cheeks darkening. “What? No. What gave you that ide—”

“You told her?” Barry’s eyes held pain, anger—and that pissed Morgan off even more.

“So what if I did? It’s my secret, not yours!”

“You had no right to tell her about me!”

“I didn’t!” Did he truly think so little of her? “I only told her about me!”

“Wait, wait.” Iris frowned. “Barry? What are you talking about?”

Barry froze. “Um…I…that is—”

Iris’s eyes widened just then. “This has to do with why you’re fighting, isn’t it?”

“No! I mean…yes, but no, not like—”

“Once Morgan’s asleep,” she interrupted sharply, “you and I are gonna talk, Bartholomew.”

“Okay,” he muttered. “Okay, that’s fair.”

“In the meantime,” she declared, “go call Caitlin and tell her about this. And as she suggested, Morgan, you’ll sleep here overnight.”

“But…but Dad—”

“Do you remember his number?” Iris asked gently. “It’s okay if not, I could just get it from—”

“I’m his daughter,” Morgan snapped, “of course I know his number.”

“Okay,” Iris replied, taking out a piece of paper and a pen, “then relay it to me. Slowly.”

“Sure. It’s 816…uh…42…8…?” Morgan’s eyes welled with tears again as she smacked her head. “Come on, I know this! I—!”

“Woah, woah.” Iris pulled Morgan’s hands away from her head. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not!” She cried. “It’s…he’s my father, why can’t I…why don’t…?”

“It’s okay,” Iris repeated softly.

Barry came back in just then, saying, “Caitlin said she can drop by in the morning. And she’s calling Dr. Wells, so don’t worry.”

“It’s not her problem,” Morgan whispered. “It’s not…none of you need to…”

“Hey.” Barry kneeled down beside her, his expression softer than she’d seen it in the past few weeks. “I think maybe once you’re healed up…you and I need to have a talk, huh? An overdue one.”

“What?” He wasn’t making sense. “What kind of…?”

“I think…I think I might’ve been wrong about you,” he admitted. “Really wrong. In a way that hurt you for so long. I just…I just wanna make sure.”

“You should fill me in first,” Iris reminded him sharply.

“Yep,” he agreed, blushing. “I’ll do that first. And then…and then us. Okay, Mo?”

She was definitely hallucinating now. Or dreaming. Or something. Maybe she had a concussion after all, and she’d passed out without realizing and was delirious now. But…but this was a nice moment anyway, wasn’t it? Even if it wasn’t real? “Okay,” she agreed, her voice breaking. “I’d…I’d really like that.”

“Good.” Barry squeezed her hand. “Then let’s get you settled.”

And so they did. As Morgan drifted off to sleep, Barry and Iris sat on either side of the bed, and Morgan clung to Barry’s hand.

“Sleep tight, Mo.” He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

And she believed him. Barry was a terrible liar, and he’d surely be the same way in a hallucination or dream too.

But then…is this real after all?

To clarify a few things:

Concussions can have many symptoms, even far more dangerous ones, though the ones I focused on are delayed reactions, confusion/disorientation, and forgetfulness. Slurred speech is alluded to, but I didn’t focus on writing it as a speech pattern 😅 so she has mild slurred speech (a mild-to-moderate concussion in general tbh). Also forgive me for any inaccuracies, I’ve never had a concussion, this is solely based on me skimming the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic pages about them. (Also ofc Morgan gets checked over properly by Caitlin the next day, and probably goes to see her pediatrician too)

The person who saved Morgan from that car didn’t actually disappear. It just seemed that way to her

816 is the area code around Kansas City, which is a city in Missouri that borders Kansas. For convenience, that’s where Central City approximately is (it’s canonically at the border anyway)

prompt list!

Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):

@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs

@thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @starstruckpurpledragon @negative-speedforce @angst-is-love-angst-is-life

@miss-eli-starfleet

[aquilathefighter]

Fluffbruary 23: Scrap

This is late because oops! a plot happened! It's a lot of fun though :)

Find all of my @fluffbruary ficlets on AO3 here!

Fandom: The Sandman (2022)

Relationship: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Hob isn’t home, Dream realizes as he appears in the dark flat. Papers are strewn everywhere. Dream looks to the calendar nailed to the wall to orient himself to what Hob’s up to.

The entire week is labelled “MIDTERMS” in thick black marker. That explains the paper. He walks over to the coffee table, piled high with exams and essays. Dream fingers the stapled pages, catching bits of panicked midnight typing and occasionally salient analysis. As he’s flipping through, a scrap of paper flutters onto the floor.

It’s a torn bit of a legal pad, clearly scribbled out while Hob was supposed to be taking notes in a meeting. The writing is messy, but still intelligible once Dream looks closer.

It reads:

To-do

order rose delivery—100 RED!

horse and carriage to inn 7:30

practise speech

pick up ring—lunch

His hands shake as the paper threatens to fly from his hands. He manages to tuck the slip back inside the stack of essays and sits down. Dream is at once elated and anxious. Has he ruined the surprise?

In hindsight, it seems pretty obvious what was to happen tonight. Hob had asked him to be early and to wear something special. He’d even hinted at Dream getting a manicure! Dream puts his head in his hands, still shaking. His lips threaten to break out in a full grin, and he lets them, for once.

Then, he hears the unmistakable combination of humming and jingling keys, someone who is entirely too peppy after a full workday. Hob bursts through the door, flicking on the lights and illuminating a Dream who is bordering on giggling.

“Oh! You’re here already. Good to see you, love.” Hob shucks off his shoes near the door and hangs his messenger bag on the hook. Then, he crosses to the couch to give Dream a peck on the forehead.

“Hello, Hob,” Dream attempts to straighten his face.

“What’s got you all smiley, sweet Dream?”

“I am.” He schools his face, though his excitement still glimmers in his eyes. “Merely excited for our outing tonight."

Hob comes around the couch to grab Dream’s hands and pull him up.

“You are so gorgeous tonight, dove.” He fingers the silk cuff at Dream’s wrist.

Dream’s wearing a black silk shirt, loose and billowy in the sleeves but tight around the waist. The laces at the chest are loose, exposing his pale skin from the base of his sternum up to the hollow at the bottom of his throat. Hob drops Dream’s hands to hold him. His hands slip lower to rest in the back pockets of Dream’s tight leather pants, giving his arse a brief squeeze.

“So beautiful for me. Just hang on a sec and I’ll get changed. Then we can leave.” Hob presses a kiss to Dream’s lips as he drops his arms. He walks into the bedroom and shuts the door. A little suspicious, since Hob never had any shame about getting changed in front of him before. The door was shut before he went in there, too. Dream wonders what Hob is hiding.

When Hob emerges, Dream’s jaw drops. He’s wearing a fantastically tailored tuxedo that accentuates his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A red rose boutonnière completes the ensemble; Hob is glorious in Dream’s preferred colors.

But more shocking than his boyfriend’s appearance is the truly absurd number of roses in his arms. Hob smiles as he approaches, taking pleasure in Dream’s reaction. Although Dream understood what 100 roses meant in concept, seeing them here in the Waking, in Hob’s hands was overwhelming. He steps closer to Hob, reaching out to accept the gift as tears glimmer in his eyes.

“My beloved, whatever is the occasion for a gift such as this?” Dream asks, trying to keep his tears from spilling over.

Hob grins even wider, his excitement starting to show.

“It’s a secret,” he sings, leaning in to kiss Dream again.

“You and your secrets.”

Dream sniffs the roses, taking in their sweet and heady scent, then reaches into the dream of an award-winning florist for a vase wide enough to hold the vast number of stems. He fills it with water and looks around, searching for an empty space to set it down. Every surface is still covered in students’ assignments. Hob wraps his arms around the vase, which Dream releases from his grasp.

“I’ve got a special place for these, love. Be right back.” He pops into the bedroom and quickly returns with a plastic case containing a matching boutonnière.

Setting the case on the table, he grabs the flower and pin. Then he moves into Dream’s space to pin it on the fine silk near the collar. Dream holds very still, enjoying the attention his partner is showering upon him tonight. He’s almost forgotten the secret information he wasn’t supposed to know.

“With that,” Hob steps back, checking his watch, “it’s time for us to be on our way. And we’re going the slow way. I insist.”

He takes Dream’s hand, leading him down the stairs and heading through the door that will take them through the New Inn. He preens at the knowledge that Hob wants to show him off tonight. As they cross the threshold, he hears several patrons gasp.

“What’s the occasion you lot are all dressed up for, Rob?” The bartender, Ted, asks.

Hob leans on the bar top, still holding Dream’s hand.

“That, my friend, is a secret,” he juts a thumb at Dream. “Surprise for that one.”

“Right, then,” Ted grins conspiratorially. “Enjoy your night, Rob, Murph,”

Hob leads him out the door and parked in front of the inn is a horse and carriage. A white horse. Dream feels the tears well up in his eyes, knowing Hob absolutely made sure of the color of the horse on purpose.

The driver opens the door as they close in, and Hob gives him a hand as he climbs inside. Hob follows him in, presses against him from shoulder to knee, and wraps an arm around him.

“Hi,” he says, grinning at him.

“Hello again, my love.”

The carriage starts to move, the clip-clopping of the horse’s hooves a familiar sound, steady and natural unlike the cars, trains, and buses Hob often tried to take him on. They do not talk during the carriage ride, comfortable silence taking over as Dream enjoys the warmth of Hob’s body. He rests his head on his shoulder, which Hob takes as an opportunity to kiss the top of his head an excessive number of times.

After some time, the carriage slows to a stop and the driver comes around to open the door. Hob climbs out first, offering his hand again to help Dream down the stairs though he knows he doesn’t need it.

As he steps out into the night, he realizes they’re in front of the White Horse. Gone are the chain-link fence and graffitied signs, and in their place… The building is restored, lit by candles as it had for most of its life. Dream turns to Hob and finally lets his tears loose. Hob pulls him into his arms as Dream sobs, rocking back and forth and rubbing his back soothingly. As his crying slows, he pulls his head away from the wet spot on Hob’s shoulder to look in his eyes.

“Hob… how?”

Hob smiles, the warmth in his eyes overtaking Dream. If he weren’t already completely lost for this man, he would be.

“Well, got more leverage now with the history department, met a few historical reenactors with more money than sense, some more magical beings owed me a couple favors… et voilà.” Hob briefly lets go of Dream to throw out jazz hands in celebration.

“You have restored it. To its former glory.”

“All for you, duck. For us.” He presses a hand to Dream’s cheek, wiping away the few remaining tears. “Now, my darling, shall we?”

Dream nods, sniffling one last time.

Hob leads them” to the door. When they enter, the inn looks as it always did. Warm candlelight fills the room, rustic wood refinished and rotting planks replaced. At the center of the room is a table with an elegant candelabrum and another bouquet of red roses arranged in a crystal vase. Hob pulls out a chair for Dream, then seats himself opposite him.

“Well?”

“It is most wonderful that you have done this, Hob.”

Hob smiles.

“Well, since I didn’t get to have our last meeting here, I wanted to make up for some lost time.” He fiddles with something in his jacket pocket that Dream pretends not to notice.

“So, I thought I’d tell you about the 21st century so far! It’s been lovely. I’m a history professor, teach medieval history, try to dig up sources for what I know happened then. And I own a pub! Bought it after the White Horse shut down. It’s a nice place to go for a pint.” He shoves his hand in his pocket again.

“They’ve got a word for people like me now, too: bisexual! Somebody who likes all sorts of people, men, and women, and all the people who don’t fit in those boxes. Pretty cool, that. It’s legal now, anybody can marry anybody! Been going to pride parades, mentoring my queer students, making sure everybody knows ol’ Robbie is there for them.” He scratches the back of his neck, the sweat beading there giving away his anxiety.

“Erm, yeah, so I’ve got a boyfriend now. He’s really great. Breathtakingly gorgeous. Endlessly creative. We sure took a long time getting together, several lifetimes it feels like. But he’s my oldest and best friend, he is the most ridiculously romantic person I have ever met, and,” Hob is out of his chair and walking over to Dream’s side of the table. He’s pulled whatever could possibly be in that pocket out and he’s down on one knee beside Dream’s chair.

“And I’d love to spend the rest of eternity with him,” his voice wobbles a bit. “Dream of the Endless, most impossible creature and love of my life, will you marry me?”

Dream doesn’t even realize he’s stood up from his seat as he smiles down at Hob.

“It would be my honor to accept your hand in marriage, Robert Gadling.”

Hob slips the ring onto his finger, which he reshapes to make a perfect fit. No need for resizing when you can resize your own body parts. Dream laces his fingers together with Hob’s and pulls him to stand. As soon as he is up, their mouths lock onto each other, magnetically charged as if that’s where they’re always meant to be. The wet heat of Hob’s mouth is doubly intoxicating when Dream realizes that he’s kissing his fiancé. He delves his tongue into his mouth, tracing over smooth, warm flesh, the ribbed texture of the roof of his mouth, his perfect, beautiful teeth. Hob moans in response, pulling him closer and running his hands down Dream’s sides. He has no clue how long they kiss for until Hob has to pull back to catch his breath. Ugh, human lungs.

“So, did I surprise you?” Hob pants.

“My fiancé,” Dream is going to milk that title for all it is worth, “I must confess something to you.”

“Go on,” he says, furrowing his brow.

“I would be remiss not to tell you I became aware of tonight’s events prior to your arrival in your home. Your list fell out of a stack of essays I had been investigating. My greatest apologies, Hob.”

He studies Hob’s face, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Oh, is that it?” He grins. “I was expecting you to say something way worse! Most people figure out they’re gonna get engaged before they actually go on the date, silly creature.” Hob brings Dream’s hand up to his mouth and presses a kiss to the ruby set on the black gold band. “I really don’t care that you found the list, love. I know how nosy you are.”

Dream huffs at the comment.

“However, I have greatly enjoyed the night you have planned for us, beloved.”

“I’m so glad, duck. Now, would you like to continue the night? Our carriage awaits to take us back home, where I am going to make love to my fiancé.”

Dream shivers as Hob uses his new title.

“Lead the way.”

Hob takes him back outside where the horse and carriage are parked. He grins at the driver, who has a knowing twinkle in his eye. The pair climb inside and manage to wait until the door is closed to get their hands on each other again. Hob slides close, turning to kiss Dream again but instead finds himself with a lap full of Dream, hunched over in order to not bump his head on the ceiling.

“Hello, fiancé.”

Dream growls.

“Oh, you like that one don’t you,” he smirks, leaning in to whisper in Dream’s ear, hot breath tantalizing against his skin. “Fiancé.”

Dream grab’s Hob’s head, pulling him away from his ear and towards his lips.

“Yes. Now put your mouth to better uses than this merciless teasing.”

Hob doesn’t need to be told twice, pressing his open lips to Dream’s, biting at his lower lip and licking it afterward. His hands move to grip Dream’s arse, steadying him against the rickety motion of the carriage. Dream’s hands grip his hair, tugging as he beckons Hob to kiss him deeper. He makes a tiny whimper as Hob’s tongue flicks against the tip of his own. All of his senses are filled with Hob; the Dreaming and the infinity of all that he is seem lightyears away when they are together like this. They press together, like even one atom’s worth of space apart will kill them. Hob’s chest rises and falls against Dream’s torso, providing a rhythm for their lips to match. Their intensities are equally matched in pressure and frequency, and neither can handle how perfect the moment is.

Until they feel the carriage come to a stop. Dream rolls off of Hob into his own seat, managing to look perfectly composed with a wave of a hand. Hob, on the other hand, looks wrecked. His hair is tangled, sticking every which way, the boutonnière has been completely obliterated, and his bowtie is hanging limply about his neck. He glares at Dream.

“A little help, dearest?”

“But you look so enticing this way.”

Despite his protests, Dream restores Hob’s appearance as well. Though surely the driver knew what was happening during the ride based on his smirk as he opened the door. Dream crawls out first and takes Hob’s hand, eager to get inside his flat. Hob barely has time to shout a thank you before Dream is dragging him towards the front door of the New Inn.

The entire room cheers as they walk through the door. Hob grins, glancing at Dream’s smug face.

“Let’s see the ring!” Marie, a regular, squeals.

Dream twists his left hand loose from its connection to Hob’s hand, holding it out like a king expecting it to be kissed. Marie grabs his hand and brings it up to eye level. Dream bristles at the unexpected touch.

“Hey Marie, I know you don’t mean anything by it, but he really doesn’t like people he doesn’t know very well to touch him.”

She drops her hand immediately, but Dream keeps it at her eye level, shooting Hob a grateful glance.

“So sorry! It sure is beautiful though. Congratulations, you two!”

Hob smiles politely. “Thank you. Now,” he slips his hand back into Dream’s, “this one is tuckered out from all the excitement. We’ve got to get to bed.”

Marie nods, making no comment on the half-truth. Hob weaves through the crowd, pulling Dream behind him and through the private door up to the flat. He pulls the keys out of his pocket one-handed, fumbling to pick the correct one out without letting go of his fiancé. He manages to get the door unlocked and hip-checks it open.

“Shall we, fiancé?” he asks, knowing Dream is on the edge of whisking them into the bedroom with their sand. Such an impatient man-shaped thing sometimes.

“Move, my fiancé, or I will make us move.”

Dream looks at him like he’s about to pounce. About to devour him. And Hob couldn’t be more excited.

[wonik1ss]

౨ৎ The Office of IVE ! — an yujin [ 600 ]

005. the wicked witch of the west | masterlist

taglist : @dearyujimin @aeriniee @jinsoulinator @dollinin @minaripenguu @gayforalll @hyejuwu @tenjito @baewonlove @strawberrytoki @yerimbrit @jjkills @skriri @dearyujimin

“kiss marry kill the pope, biden and nayeon”. you laughed as you dipped your drink then almost chocked out it hearing rei’s answer.

“marry the pope.. kiss biden and def kill nayeon”

“you can’t hate her that much”. liz laughed and sat on the break rooms table.

“she called me nokia rays”. leeseo chocked in her donut as she laughed. rei flicked her head as wonyoung walked in head down.

“I’ve been preparing for the show like next month and I think I wanna kill my self.. like grab some mixed match outfit and just put me in it!”. liz burst out laughing and the rei clamped her mouth shut as wonyoung glared at her.

“we can help wony”. wonyoung perked up and grabbed your hands.

“really.. like no take backsies?”

“I don’t know about th-“. you nudged gaeul in the gut as she nodded.

“you all are definitely invited to me and han sohee’s wedding”. wonyoung sipped her fake tears as leeseo piped up.

“isn’t she dating that guy who’s ex is besties with blackpink?”. wonyoung glared at the girl.

“they broke up! get over it!”. lesseo nodded as gaeul fixed her hair.

“anyone know why everyone’s so quie-“. rei’s mouth dropped as she stared at the break rooms doors. as you turned around to look you saw nayeon yelling at the receptionist. you all bolted to your cubicles. but as you stepped one foot in your’s you heard a ‘oof’.

“are you fucking kidding me?!”

“sorry mrs. im”. you practically bowed an 180 but when you got up nayeon was still glaring at you.

“you decrepit little bitch.. did your mom not teach you to watch where the fuck your going”. you eyes the older girl as she wobbled on her heels. definitely wasted.

“yes.. “. she scuffed as you bowed again. this time as you got up she nudged your head with her hand. you saw wonyoung hold leeseo back and gaeul typing on her computer. everyone was watching. your breathing got faster

“I didn’t know we were hiring sluts now..!”. nayeon bowed down to flick your head. you played with your fingers as you felt your eyes get wet

“I mean..! why do we even have a foreigner in the office..?! do your even speak ko-“. as nayeon’s voice rises and her hand did too you prepared for the worst.

“that’s enough nayeon”

“that’s ms.im to-“. nayeon stopped hand mid air being stopped by yujin’s. nayeon was going to talk again before started instead.

“do you have any business being here..?”

“I mean..!”

“do you”. you were shocked at the drop in yujin’s voice.

“no..”

“so then leave”. nayeon scuffed as she pulled her hand back and threw both her shoes at yujin’s office. you flinched as you felt the glass break and gaeul jump out of her seat. you heard yujin mumble a cruse as nayeon smiled at some interns as they walked into the office.

“are you ok?”

“ya.. but you should really be asking gaeul that..”. yujin nodded and ran over to help gaeul up. you were scared the girl got fired but as she ran over with naeyon’s shoes in hand and her work bag you smiled. Rei being the nosiest asked gaeul what happened first.

“I got the rest of the day off.. I can come in late and I got her prada shoes !”. wonyoung gasped appalled as gaeul spun around.

“maybe I should be yujin’s sec then..”. leeseo laughed as liz nudged rei.

“did you see how she changed”. you shoke your head as liz went on.

“she went like.. alpha mode when the wicked witch of the west tried to hit you”

“liz never say that sentence again”. liz pouted as wonyoung spoke up.

“she’s right though..”

“you know what I got a lot of work to do since your lazy as can’t do it instead”. wonyoung gasped as you got work and the group dispersed. what a hectic day.

[genderdotcom]

see the day

(888 words) the dark urge and karlach chat about birthdays. pre-relationship, early act 1

“You know what, I never even asked what date it is.” Karlach leans back against the damp log, sizzling slightly. “I mean, I know it’s been ten years- time doesn’t flow that differently down there- and I can see that it’s summer. But- other than that?”

Japhet looks up at the sky in silence for a long moment. Crickets chirp and frogs burble on the river’s shores. 

“I don’t know either. Part and parcel of the amnesia, I suppose. Why do you want to know?” It’s the amnesia that makes them curious, they think- but it also obscures the truth of their thought; I don’t think I’ve asked as many questions in my life as I have in the last two tendays. I must not have cared. Or there was nothing new happening.

“I dunno. Wanted to know if I’d missed another birthday, I guess. It’s in summer.” She laughs as she says it, but her smile is more of a wince than anything. 

Another lapse of conversation, this one lasting long, silent minutes. There’s nothing more for them to do tonight- dinner has been cleaned up, the tents have been set, and the sun’s slow descent gives them plenty of time to recuperate. But something niggles at their mind.

Birthdays… 

Their brow furrows.

“I don’t know how old I am.”

Karlach pries open one eye from where she’s sprawled, giving them a slow blink.

“Ah- I’m sorry. I just realised that in my amnesia, the memory of my age has completely disappeared.”

“Sorry, what? Think I dozed off there.”

“Huh.” She levers herself back up to a sitting position, leaning towards their face with a squint. “Okay, let me have a look.” 

Her golden eyes rove across their face, bending this way and that to take it in from all angles. This close, they can feel the puffs of heated air from her shoulder vents, the slow exhalation of her breath. They see how her eyes flick to their lips; they lick them almost unconsciously- her vents flare. A burst of heat flowing over their skin, strong enough that they blink back tears.

“Absolutely no idea. Sorry, mate, but you could be twenty or sixty and I wouldn’t know the difference.” She snorts. “I mean, I’m twenty-seven- or thereabouts- but I don’t really have an intuition for elves and such. Half-elves. D’you remember your birthday, at least?”

“Shit! Sorry.” She scoots back from them, an embarrassed grin blooming across her face. “Guess I’ve finished my professional examination.”

“And? What verdict have you arrived to?” With the new distance placed between them, the evening chill creeps in. A sense of loss. 

Birthdays. That’s the thought that had brought them to this- but even the concept feels foreign. What would they do with a birthday? What does anyone do with a birthday? Birth just brings forth thoughts of the gnolls they'd fought only yesterday, spawning from distended hyenas in a beautiful- gory- explosion. Perhaps it’s more like that. A more fitting beginning for the creature they are than any sort of celebration.

“I… am not sure I have ever had one.”

“Oh.” She looks terribly sorry for them, all of a sudden. “That might just be the amnesia, but- that’s really sad, Japhet. No… cakes or anything? Gifts? Well, I never got much of those either, but- celebrations? A candle to blow out?”

Gifts just put them in mind of- something. Luxurious black wool grown heavy with blood, keeping its warmth close, an endless embrace- and a headache that robs them of any more detail.

They shake their head.

“We should ask Gale about the date. Perhaps there’s time for us to celebrate your birthday, still.” The thought ill fits their mind, but they continue on. “You can show me what it’s like.”

Karlach smiles- small, at first, then breaking into a grin as a thought seems to occur to her. 

“Wait- I’ll do you one better. Stay here for a sec.”

She stands up in one explosive motion, leaping over the log she’d been lying on and bounding over to Gale. 

They watch on in slight confusion as the two exchange a few words. Karlach gestures grandly, flames flaring yet again- and Gale matches her enthusiasm. Finally, she returns.

“Well, I’ve missed my birthday by ‘bout a month- but we can still celebrate yours. It’s the fifteenth of Flamerule right now- let’s just say your birthday’s on the twenty-second. Sound good?”

They blink slowly.

“Why?”

“Why not?” She counters. “I mean, you can pick another date, but this way we get to celebrate it. Unless we go squiddy before then, at least.” She’s getting antsy the longer they look up at her. Shifting from foot to foot. Even if they’ve never had a birthday- they’ll try it for her.

They’d only met her a scant few days ago. She only saw them this way, as a friend, as someone she should get close to, because she’d arrived too late to see Alfira’s ruined corpse. They’d packed up camp, and by the time they’d returned to the Chionthar’s shores rain had washed the blood-drawn circle clean away. She didn’t know the depths of horror they’d sunk to without even a conscious thought.

“Thank you, Karlach. I appreciate it.”

She grins and flares so bright it reflects off the water for a moment.

“Aces.”

[leslovesfatties]

Disclaimer: I wanted to use a different name because it felt like I made it my experience which it is not. Idk where I’m going with this story

FFA/BHM fiction. A throwback to high school crushes. Part 1 of ?

Leslie

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” he bumped into me, carrying his chair overhead.

“It’s okay,” his stomach barely touched me and it felt electric. My heart leapt into my throat. I knew I would want to feel it again.

My friends saw and came over, whispering to each other about him.

“I heard he got kicked off the team for being too fat.”

“Obviously! Go ask him.”

“No, you ask!”

Fine.” Mia walked over to his table and I kept my eyes down on my project.

“So, why aren’t you on the varsity team?”

“Coach said I was too lazy.”

Mia and Ashley looked at each other, clearly not convinced. I was too shy to say anything.

He really was huge. At least six feet tall, and God knows how much he weighed. I had the biggest crush on him but I couldn’t even say hi to him.

“Leslie, you coming?” Ashley asked as the bell rang for lunch.

“I’ll be there in a sec. I just have to clean up.” I wanted an excuse to talk to him.

“Hey, Miles.”

“Oh, hey. Sorry for hitting you with that chair earlier. I can’t see past this sometimes,” he slapped his belly for good measure. I gulped, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me.

“It’s okay! Sorry about Mia and Ashley. They can be…insensitive.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I’m used to it.” Well, that broke my heart.

Eventually, I mustered up the courage to ask for his number and we texted nonstop. I confessed my crush on him and he wanted to take me on a date. I froze. I was so nervous. What would people say if they found out? I know I shouldn’t care, but I don’t want to be bullied again.

~

He went to hold my hand and instinctively, I pulled away. Immediately, I could see the hurt in his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered, trying to find my voice.

“It’s fine.” He pulled away, visibly hurt.

I swallowed hard. I had no rebuttal. I was too afraid. What would people say if they knew? I hate to say it, but we live in two different worlds.

“I can just take you home.”

“No, please. I’m sorry. I just-“ he cut me off.

“If you’re too embarrassed to be seen with me, just say so.” He tried locking eyes with me. He wanted me to stop being a coward, and he deserved that.

My silence was answer enough.

“I’ll take you home.” He stood from the table and waited for me, tears welling in my eyes.

I followed him, head hanging down. I don’t want to be like this. I hate it. I hate myself for caring what other people think.

He started the car and squeezed his eyes shut.

“You know, I don’t blame you for being embarrassed. I get it.” He paused. “But, it just sucks. Imagine how I feel. I can’t get away from it.” He looked up at me, anticipating an answer.

“I’m sorry. I thought I was ready.” I still couldn’t look at him.

“Do you think you ever could be seen in public with me?” My heart broke. He deserves better. I burst into tears.

“I’m sorry!” I blurted out. “I’ll be better! I’m sorry.” I hid under his arm. He was too good to me. I felt a tear fall onto my head as he held me. I looked up at him and he wiped his face.

“Let’s go home.” He kept tugging at the fabric of his shirt so it wouldn’t hug his belly or show any defining features.

Miles

I was exceptionally aware of my size. Of how much space I took up. Of how I must look sitting next to her. A behemoth. A monster. I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to be seen with me. It was stupid. I was stupid. I wanted to go back in time and never invite her on that stupid date. What was I thinking? She looked absolutely mortified when I had tried to hold her hand…in public!

She was still crying in the passenger seat. Her tiny body looked even smaller as she retreated from me. I wanted to hold her and tell her it would be alright.

“I shouldn’t have asked you on a date. That was stupid.”

“No, no. I’m sorry. I wanted to, but…” she didn’t finish.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” I could feel her peering up at me but I wasn’t ready to make eye contact.

“That’s a shitty thing to do.”

I sighed. “I get it. Pretty cheerleader, football player who almost got kicked off the team for being too…fat.” Dammit. My voice cracked. “It would have never worked.”

She linked her arm into mine and put her head on my shoulder, sniffling.

“It could work if I wasn’t such a pussy!”

She was bullied all throughout elementary and middle school. In high school, she had reinvented herself, become popular. I wasn’t exactly unpopular, but definitely not dating material for someone like her.

“It’s like coming out of the closet if you’re gay. You can’t just, like, be expected to tell everyone you like fat guys. They’ll think something’s wrong with you.”

I pulled into her driveway and her parents were still out since we weren’t supposed to be back for a while. She told them she was going out with friends. She stroked my arm and kept her head on my shoulder. I wanted to hold her but I suddenly remembered my size and pulled away.

“I promise I’ll be better.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. I can’t blame her for caring what other people think. I do every day. I wish I could disappear, but that’s hard to do when you’re almost 400 pounds.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I fidgeted with my seatbelt that felt uncomfortably tight.

It was awkward for the next few weeks, but we started subtly flirting with each other again. Leslie would walk over to my seat and pretend to need help with her pottery, touching her arm next to mine or discreetly going to the kiln room the same time as me. Once after class I had to stay behind to lock the projects in the drying racks and Leslie followed me in.

“Hi.” She whispered.

“Hi.” I whispered back, my heart rate steadily climbing.

All five feet of her stepped closer to me, as if wanting to ask me something. Before she could speak, I kissed her. I pulled away almost instantly, but she grabbed my sides and pulled me back in. I gasped as I felt her grip on my love handles, but I didn’t care. She wanted me and I wanted her. Badly. We stayed there for what felt like seconds until we heard something crash and break outside. We both gasped, thinking we were alone.

Leslie held up a shushing finger and I nodded.

“Hello?” One of our classmates, Sean, it sounded like.

“Fuck,” I whispered. Leslie looked mortified.

His footsteps of course came around the corner.

“Jesus Christ!” I tried to shrink down to nothing. Leslie looked like a deer in headlights.

“It’s not what it looks like. She needed help and everyone else had left.” I tried to cover.

“Oh my God,” he laughed. “Dude, check your shirt.”

I looked down, shocked to see the sides wet with clay on them matching Leslie’s hands.

“I pushed him off of me!” Leslie’s voice surprised me. My heart fell into my stomach. She didn’t just say that. She couldn’t have.

“What the hell, Miles?”

“No, no, that’s not what happened, I-“

I looked at Leslie, feelings of betrayal and nausea mixing.

“I would never kiss him.”

No one would believe me. No one would believe that she willingly kissed me, that she pulled me in. I froze. I couldn’t believe it. How could she do this to me? Now I’m going to be known as the fat guy so desperate that he had to take advantage.

Ignoring Sean, I managed to calm my voice enough to look at Leslie and add, “I will never forgive you.”

I convinced my mom to call the school so I could leave early. I know they’re calling me a coward behind my back. I’ll probably get kicked off the football team. All because she was too embarrassed of me. Again.

Leslie

I will never forgive myself. I cried later and told Sean what had really happened. He didn’t believe me until I showed him texts between me and Miles.

“Please keep this between us.” He nodded, but I couldn’t be sure.

A few weeks went by and he had been avoiding me, understandably. I called and texted and waited after school for an opportunity to talk. Finally, he met me by the vending machine before class.

“Can you wait for me after football practice?” I asked.

“Uh, sure.”

Instead of waiting with the rest of the girls after cheer practice, I went to find him. He looked so hot in the biggest football jersey they had, dripping with sweat. I was so nervous I couldn’t stop pacing. He said bye to his friends and I caught his eye.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” I barely squeaked.

“Why did you want to meet?” He held his helmet in one hand and I could feel myself start to tremble.

“Can we um…can we maybe, start telling people about us? I fucked up. I’m sorry. I never should have done that.” He looked past me to where my friends sat on the wall waiting for pickup.

“You really want to tell people about us?”

“Yeah…If you’re okay with it.” He looked skeptical.

“What makes it different this time?”

“You deserve better. I want to prove that I can be better. I understand if you can’t forgive me, but I want to show you I’m not embarrassed. I was stupid.” I gulped hard, heart threatening to flutter out of my chest. I placed a clammy hand in his and he looked shocked.

My friends sat on the wall, whispering to each other once they saw us.

“Leslie!” They called over to me but I looked up at Miles, still holding his hand.

“Are you sure?” He asked. I nodded.

We walked over hand in hand…I felt like I was trembling. I wanted to run.

“What? Are you guys…?” Mia waited for me to fill in the blank.

“We’re together.” I looked up at Miles, smiling but feeling lightheaded. He returned the smile.

“Aww, that’s cute.” It felt a little patronizing, but I’ll take it.

After my friends left, Miles asked if he could take me home and of course, I agreed.

“Thank you for doing that.”

“I should have done it sooner. I told Sean I was the one who came onto you, by the way.”

“Oh, well…that’s good. That really sucked.” Followed by silence.

“I know. I told him that day. He swore to keep it between us. I’m so sorry, Miles.” I started tearing up and he reached for my hand.

“So are we…”

“Dating?” I asked.

“Yeah, dating.”

“I hope so.” I sniffled back tears.

[whumpdoyoumean]

A/N: I was not planning on writing this, but here is a lil part 2 to my Fire Country tag! xxx

“Bode? Bode, c’mon. Come on, Bode!”

Jake pats at Bode’s face, shakes his shoulders, but nothing works. He just watches helplessly as Bode’s lids flutter, and then his eyes roll back in his head, his face going slack. 

“Oh my god, Jake is he--” Freddy begins, and Jake waves him off with the hand that’s not currently at Bode’s neck feeling for his pulse. He knows how that sentence ends and he doesn’t want to hear it, doesn’t want to even think it. 

He feels the thump thump of a heartbeat a second later, just like he knew he would (hoped he would). 

“He’s alive,” he says, and out of the corner of his eye he sees Freddy nearly collapse with relief. “But he’s tachy.”

“Tachy? What does that mean?”

Jake looks at Bode’s sheet-white face, at the sweat beading his forehead and the paleness of his lips, and his stomach knots with worry. 

“Jake?”

Jake looks up at Freddy, who’s staring at him wide-eyed. He looks like he might burst into tears at any second, which is how Jake is how Jake would be feeling if he stopped to let himself think anything. 

“It means his heart is beating too fast. It’s his body trying to compensate for blood loss. He needs that ambulance, Freddy.”

“Is there anything I can do?” the man asks helplessly. 

“Actually, yes. I need you to go find Captain Perez and ask him for an update on the ambulance. And bring me some blankets!” 

Freddy nods and jogs off toward the smoldering fire camp. Jake turns his attention back to Bode. 

“Alright, Bode, come back…” He makes a fist and rubs his knuckles firmly and quickly against the man’s sternum. Bode groans, one hand reaching up to bat weakly at Jake’s, and Jake lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Good, Bode, you with me?”

“What th’ hell?” Bode slurs, one eye opening and then the other as he glares up at Jake with an expression that’s equal parts confused and pained and that’s a million times better than unconscious. 

“You passed out there for a sec, B. You’ve lost some blood but you’re gonna be okay. Ambulance is coming. You need to stay awake though, okay? Don’t--don’t do that again. You scared me.”

“‘m sorry. I…I screwed ever’thing up.”

There’s a part of Jake that agrees, but a bigger part that knows if Odin had gotten away then he would’ve gone on to cause more damage, hurt more people. 

“Naw, Bode. You had to stop him. He was dangerous.”

Bode puts one hand over Jake’s, and Jake can’t help but notice that his hands are clammy and trembling. 

“‘s not what I mean.”

Jake frowns slightly and Bode continues. 

“Back when I…left, I--” Bode swallows thickly. “I should’ve--should’ve said somethin’, I should’ve…”

“Hey, that’s all in the past now,” Jake says. He thinks the blood has finally stopped, but he’s afraid that if he takes any pressure off then it’ll just start again and Bode will bleed out, so he keeps his blood-slick hands over the pile of reddened gauze. 

“And I’m--I’m sorry about Gabriella.”

Jake sighs, closing his eyes for a moment. Freddy comes jogging up right then, and Jake is grateful for the disruption. 

“Here,” Freddy says breathlessly, his arms piled high with blankets that smell like smoke. 

“Good, drop ‘em here. We need to get one on him, and use the others to prop up his feet.”

Freddy nods obediently, dumping the blankets onto the floor. He piles all but one next to Bode’s feet. 

“I won’t hurt him if I move him?” he says. 

“‘m okay, Freddy.” Bode’s voice is low and scratchy, not at all convincing, but Freddy nods seriously. 

“K, I’m gonna lift your legs up, now.”

Bode’s brow furrows as Freddy lifts his legs, jaw tightening, and Jake is glad that Freddy can’t see the pain on his face. 

“There we go, buddy. Jake, is that good?”

Jake looks over and nods. “Yeah, looks good.”

“Here.” Freddy holds out the last blanket. 

Jake still doesn’t want to move his hands, but he’s certain now that the bleeding has stopped and Bode needs to stay warm, so he carefully lifts his hands away from the wound, watching for any fresh blood and, on not seeing any, takes the blanket and drapes it carefully over Bode. 

“What’d Cap say about that ambulance?”

“He called again, said they’re getting close. Maybe eight minutes out.”

Eight minutes. It’s not a long time, usually. An eight minute wait at a restaurant, or eight minutes until kickoff of the big game, even eight minutes on hold isn’t too bad. But there are other times when eight minutes feels like an eternity. Eight minutes in a bad fire can feel like an eternity. 

And so, it turns out, can eight minutes waiting for an ambulance to come for your ex-best friend turned rival turned whatever the hell is going on now. He still doesn’t know exactly where they stand, still has a lot of anger and hurt over a lot of things, but he does know, is absolutely certain, that he doesn’t want Bode to die. 

“How we doin’, Bode?” he asks.

“Pain’s not…not so bad anymore. Gettin’ cold.”

Jake feels a spike of concern, and he feels Freddy move closer to him. 

“That’s bad, right?” he whispers.

“We’ve just gotta keep him talking,” Jake says. 

“Hear that, Bode? Keep talking!” Freddy encourages.

Bode’s breath is coming in in fast, short bursts now, his skin ashen, and Jake guesses that if he could see better, he’d see a bluish tint to his lips. He’s obviously struggling to stay awake, but he’s fighting and that’s what matters. As long as he keeps fighting…

“Come on, Bode.”

“If--if…”

Jake has the sick feeling that he knows where this is going. 

“If I don’t--”

“Don’t talk like that,” he says gently. 

“No!” Bode says it with surprising strength, then winces. When he speaks again his words are quiet and halting. “Jake, if I don’t…if I don’t make it I need…I need you to tell my mom that I. I tried. I just w-wanted to keep her safe. ‘n tell my dad I just…I hope I made him-m proud.”

Jake reaches under the blanket, finding Bode’s cool, clammy hand and gripping it tight. 

“You’re gonna be fine, Bode. You can tell them all of that, and more, alright?”

“‘n tell Gabby…”

Jake feels a stab of jealousy and guiltily shoves it down.

“Tell ‘er thank you. For savin’ me. And--and thank you. For not turning me in.”

“It was nothing,” Jake says. “I…probably deserved that punch.”

Bode’s mouth turns up in something approaching a smile and he nods once. “Yeah.”

“Do you hear sirens?” Freddy says suddenly, and Jake looks up toward the road. He can hear the faint sirens, and distant red lights are visible through the trees. 

“They’re here, Bode! They’re almost here, you’re gonna be okay. You hear me?”

“Hear you,” Bode breathes. It’s obvious he’s getting tired, though, his eyes getting a distant look to them that Jake doesn’t like. 

“Hey,” he says firmly, reaching up with both blood-caked hands and taking Bode’s face between them. “Stay with me now, I mean it this time.”

He doesn’t pay much attention to the ambulance as it pulls up, focused as he is on trying to keep Bode awake. He barely hears the sir, we’ve got it from here. Hands he doesn’t know reach for his arm and he pushes them away. 

“Sir!”

“Jake!”

It’s Gabby’s voice that finally reaches him. He turns to see her cutting through the small clearing, face twisted with sadness and worry. Her dad is hot on her heels.

“You have to let them do their job,” Manny says.

Jake blinks and stands slowly, letting himself be jostled out of the way as the paramedics kneel on the ground next to Bode and get to work. Gabby stands near them, talking tearfully to the barely-conscious man. Manny takes Jake by the arm and leads him off to one side, and then pulls him into a hug. 

“You did good,” he says. “They’ve got it from here.”

Jake doesn’t return the hug, standing stiffly and staring off into the darkness. 

“Hey, you good?” Manny says, pulling away. “Jake?”

Slowly, Jake shakes his head. 

“I didn’t say it back,” he finally says. “I didn’t tell him I was sorry.”

xxx 

[sillyromance]

All i want is Blades calming down a distressed reader. The rest? Surprise me.

Good day/night, dear brownhood69!

So, I have finally managed to finish the story!

Hope, you'll enjoy!..

🛩️Blades

A giant space monster.

- Oh, Y/N! I'm so excited! We are finally going on a date! Can you imagine that? I have never thought I could be that happy...Well I have, but...

Dani was turning around in front of a mirror; her dress's skirt plainly floated in the air, slightly waving; white fabric with bright red spots on it suited her perfectly, tightly wrapping around her slim strong body, thin belt beneficiary marking her beautiful tiny waist. She truly seemed to be on cloud nine...

You, however, couldn't share this delight with her.

That day wasn't so pleasant in your case, although it would be hard to say what exactly went wrong. It just grew from something small - perhaps, the coffee was too bitter in the morning, or it was too hot outside, or the chief acted too impatiently with you - it wasn't unnatural since five robberies happened in Griffinrock that month; poor police officer was boiling like water in a teapot. So, who knows? Anyways, everything seemed to be out of normal way of going, and the longer you were watching how Dani was preparing herself for the meeting with her boyfriend, the harder it was for you to keep yourself from bursting into tears. You tried to be nice and respond with congratulations and recommendations, but soon you gave up on this and just sat there with red eyes, lowered shoulders and weak smirk which were brilliantly unnoticed by the young woman before you.

At last, she turned back to where you were, shining like a star; a rope of pearls perfectly emphasized her elegant white neck. She was too far in her thoughts, so you didn't even hope she would recognise your state; in order to that, you continued playing along: hugged her, said some reassuring words and then looked, standing in front of the window, as she disappeared in a taxi. Well, at least now you could be alone with your grief...

You fell on the matras, wiping salty streams from your burning cheeks.

However, crying didn't bring you any relief. Squinting at the blinding-white sphere of the chandelier and listening to the monotonous, heavy ticking of clocks hanging above your head, you decided that lying on a bed in an empty room and starring at the dull grey seiling weren't good options for you too. You harshly got up, left the room and started pointlessly wandering around the station, hands in pockets.

The halls were cold, dark and lifeless. Evening light colored the walls into deep purple, wine red and smoky-blue; they ghostly, grumpily glowed at you as if the house got abandoned decades ago. The kitchen looked unfamiliar, messy. Or was it just your upset imagination creating an illusion of sadness and sorrow consuming the place while it was spoiling only your soul?.. Some questions was impossible to answer - and unnecessary either.

You didn't remember how but you came into the transformer's living room. It appeared the bots were somewhere else as well as their human partners...

Well, not everyone.

Blades was watching TV, the head on his fist, faceplate being unusually strict, almost angry. When you took a closer look, it wasn't hard to see his spirit was just as low as yours.

- Hey, Blades...

He flinched - and widened his optics in surprise as you approached him.

- Y/N! I thought you left with the rest...

You climbed on the couch and took a spot right beside him, his huge leg touching yours. The mech hesitated for a sec, but then his servo fondly embraced you.

- I wasn't even going to... And how about you? Why have you stayed at home? I thought Dani would like you to make her company on the way to the meeting...

He exhaled, slowly tapping on an armrest.

- Well, I thought I would be an extra one, you know... It's her date after all. Sometimes, we should understand when it's required to refuse doing something, so others can feel better.

You nodded, nestling deeper into his enormous palm.

- Sure.

Silence came once more. The TV was showing some meaningless old comedy with a lot of singing and dancing; it wasn't even funny. Anyways, neither Blades nor you was really interested in that, although none offered to cut it off. Something simply had to fill the air to keep ears occupied.

- You don't seem glad about your decision, don't you?

You rose the head to look at him; the helicopter tried to avoid your gaze, staring at his feet.

- It's rather... Confusing. When I stay on my own like this time, I can't help but think that something feels missing. That's all. Me and Dani rarely go separately. I mean... There was never anything standing between us. But nowadays, she has another life. Perhaps, in the future, when she marries him, she won't even do rescuing any more... And I will be lost...

He sighed once more even deeper, slamming a servo over his knee in frustration. You gave him a reassuring pat.

- It's OK, buddy. Don't think this way. He's her lover - and his importance is undiscussable. But you're her best friend and a work partner - and your role in her life, mayhaps, even greater because, ironically, many people are much more honest with friends than with husbands or wives... Believe me, Blades, he will never replace you - you two are not the same.

The words you said had their effect on the mech; after some minutes the transformer's back straightened up, he smiled at you kindly, tightening his grasp in attempt to imitate a human hug.

- Thanks, Y/N. I should be reminded of that more often...

- You're welcome, Blades. I'm happy to assist.

You got out of his hand and laid on the back of the sofa, folding your arms across the chest. You thought the bot would leave you alone now. And still, he didn't go. Instead, he gingerly picked you up and brought close to his face - you could see his orange eyes peering at you with concern.

- However, it seems you can't help yourself, are you?

This hit hard. He nailed it.

- Maybe, should we help each other?.. What would you say on some "hanging out" with me for a couple of hours?

His soft voice washed over you, weakening the shield you built in front of your heart. The thing he offered was familiar; everyone in the team tried it if not many times but once. However, you was the least experienced of all - especially, due to the fact that you didn't have a personal partner.

When you came, all bots had already had human co-workers, so you was bound to work with everyone, accidentally switching between the duos. It took time for you to get along with everybody enough to be seen as a functional part of a team; and still, you stayed a loaner.

But, meanwhile you were learning more about your alien combats, you found out that you had a soft spot for Blades. He wasn't redundantly sarcastic and hot-tempered like Heatwave, or obsessed with law and rules like Chase, or concentrated on his own thoughts like Boulder. The helicopter seemed to become the most "human" like of his comrades, moreover that he was highly interested in all kinds of Earth pop-colture and seeked to know as much of his small friends as he could. Meanwhile others complained about his childishness and cowardice (which, however, never seemed to be a problem when he was up to complete a new rescue), you accepted them as things that made him - him. And overall, this bot had a spark of gold - the reason which made you love him even more.

You answered on his worried tone with a reassuring smile.

- I think... I don't mind. But... I know so little about this stuff...

He giggled soundlessly, rubbing your head with his thumb.

- Don't be afraid - there is nothing too complicated. All that's needed is for you to stay still and for me - to do what comes naturally... I'll be careful. I promise.

After that, he winked at you playfully and opened his mouth slightly, putting your tiny body in its dark, warm cavern.

Although you knew it was safe, you couldn't help but winced when your skin touched his tongue. You looked over your shoulder; silhouettes of his dents loomed dangerously in the deem, feeble light coming through the narrow gap between his jaws. You could clearly see a piece of the room outside, and it sent shivers around all of your being. It was... strange to be here. Willingly.

Then Blades started closing the maw - in the beginning you seriously feared he could harm you... Only you to be proved that he was really aware of what he was doing: you didn't even get a scratch, though his "teeth" clinged right behind your feet. You felt his glossa begining to move; it was gently turning you on the back, and on the sides, pressing you to his cheeks and to the ribbed roof above... Frankly, it was pretty nice; the muscle was tender, saliva draining your clothes and hair appeared to be not as icky as you expected... Of course, when thinking about where you were, you felt an unpleasant, vertigos sensation coming...

And at the same time, you couldn't deny you enjoyed every moment. There was something unrealistic and fascinating in your state - you didn't have powers to defend yourself now, a much stronger being was holding you in its mouth, licking and rolling you around as if you were just a little candy... And regardless, that creature was so caring, so kind; it loved you...

All this together made you even more will-less and obedient.

Finally, Blades titled his helm back. Your body, richly covered in slime, slowly slipped along his glossa and came to the opened entrance of the throat, your feet now wiggling in his pharynx. But the mech waited - he didn't want to accidentally scare you, moreover that he could easily recognise tension occupied your body again at the minute you got close to the point of no return. He wordlessly asked for the permission to continue.

It was very thoughtful of the bot; you got a chance to look around his mouth once more. Then, you turned back, gazing into the depth of a weakly glowing, squishy tunnel craving for you to duck right in.

You could stop now.

Gooey slime sparkled with light orange on your skin and tender, smooth grey surface of the alien flesh.

Dull pain inside your skull didn't let the brain think correctly.

Two more heavy seconds dropped and disappeared.

Whatever... What was done - it was done. You patted the glossa and forced yourself to relax, laying an aching head on your crossed hands.

And a gentle, but powerful tug dragged you down...

His throat readily caught you in a delicate, plushie hug, and then unobtrusively pushed further. The mech made long pauses between swallows, so you wouldn't get overwhelmed or hurt by the muscles contracting around. His spark pulsed steadily, loudly, but somehow soothingly beside you; his rhythmic ventilating brought peace and comfort. It was easy to focus on all these normal, beautiful sounds of a strong huge body living, breathing... Consuming.

A ridiculous, funny thought came to your mind: you were his meal now; and the deeper you was gliding - the more it seemed to be right. And you smiled, at the first time on that day.

Finally, you was released into a bigger room with yielding, bouncy walls. They eagerly embraced your tiny form with their wrinkles and waves, the fueltank growling quietly at your presence. It was like being in a huge bed of cushions and blankets piled up in a heap; but unlike cloth, everything you touched was a part to a living person. The flesh leaned to you, curiously examining your hands running over it; soft blue light flowed out of the walls from the thin tubes filled with energon which gurgled faintly, running to other organs; muscles massaged your body, exhausted by the recent stress. "Now I see why Dani likes when Blades devours her." - You smirked, submitting to the sensations you were drowning in.

- Hey, are you OK, Y/N?

The phrase came unawares. It could sound strange, but you didn't expect Blades to speak to you after everything took place. People don't usually talk with food they ate. However, it was a pleasant surprise - after all, you were a person too, and it was very nice of the bot to remember this fact.

On the other side - why shouldn't he?..

You shook your head. It appeared your bad mood was influencing your mind in a much worse way than you suspected.

- Sure, don't worry about me. - You responded, stroking the nearest plump bump pulsing on your side. - How are you?

The environment around you heated up a little. Was it... blushing?

- I'm fine, thank you. - He answered with a shy chuckle, starting to fondle his tightened middle - you could easily distinguish his digits rubbing you through the layers of flexible metal. - I hope the slime doesn't bother you too much. Dani said you don't like feeling dirty...

- It's nothing, Blades. I have already got used to it. - The warmth grew even stronger, successfully showing his embarrassed. This made your cheeks go red as well. - Actually, the whole process is very pleasant indeed. Thank you, friend, and I hope you liked that too.

The helicopter laughed quietly in response, making the fueltank quiver. He undoubtedly did.

- You know... - You pressed yourself against the spot where you could feel presence of his servo. - I couldn't get rid of my sadness all day but now it's slipping away... Although, there is still a needle poking into my soul, it's much, much better now...

Suddenly, as it usually happens with people when their mental state is unstable, you broke down. Your legs stumbled, making you crush on the soft floor; you knew that if you continued talking this way, you would obviously begin to sob and whimper.

- Could you tell me some of your tales, please? - You said with a shaky voice. - I don't want to concentrate on this any longer.

The fueltank churned gently, kneading and rubbing every inch of a tiny visitor. Blades pressed harder in attempt to reach you again - your anguished tone hurt his spark like a knife.

- Well, of course... What would you like to hear?

You nuzzled in the wet tenderness of his "stomach".

- Something that ends up with: "...And they were eaten by a giant space monster."

... You both had never laughed that hard in your entire life.

[ginger375]

LUtober

See the full collection on AO3.

Day 20: Desolation

Twilight did not understand Wild some days.

Trekking through the Gerardo Desert of Wild’s era was a trial on the best of days, but actively taunting a Molduga was not his idea of a good time.

He sat on top of some ruins with Wild, having tagged along against his better judgment. The rest of the group was back at camp, taking a well-deserved rest in the shade.

Wild, however, was just gleefully tossing bomb after bomb down on the sand, trying to lure the beast to breach the surface. They had planned to come this way tomorrow, and Wild decided the best option was to rid the area of the Molduga now so they wouldn’t have to deal with it later.

“I don’t think it’s working, cub,” Twilight said as he held a hand above his eyes to try and shield the sun’s glare off the sand. He could barely see a ridge of moving sand on the far side of the ruins where Wild assured him the Molduga was lurking.

“He’ll be along eventually,” as he chucked another round bomb as far as he could. The desert wind picked up for a moment and rolled the bomb closer to the far end of the ruins. “Ah, perfect.” Wild detonated the bomb, causing the moving sand to pause and change direction. He threw another a bit closer, the movement drawing it even closer.

Finally, the beast went for the bomb, bursting forth from the sand and nearly blocking out the sun. Wild detonated it, stunning the creature as it fell back to earth.

“Hold this a sec,” Wild said, handing Twilight the Sheikah Slate while he readied a bomb arrow to fire at the Molduga’s thick hide.

Twilight held the slate like it had personally offended his ancestors (maybe it had?), but took a closer look at the map on the display screen. Wild had left a pin marker for where camp was, a spot called the Southern Oasis, and a yellow arrow for where they were now. Twilight fumbled his fingers a few times to zoom in on their spot when words appeared over the area.

“This is… Arbiter’s Grounds?” Twilight trailed off, looking around at the desolation before him. A few pillars and archways in varying states of decay and weathering were all that remained.

It can’t be the same, can it? Wild is however many thousands of years ahead of Twilight, there’s no way this was the site of his…

“Yes! Done like dinner!” Wild cheered as the Molduga met its end in a massive puff of black smoke, leaving behind pieces of fin, guts, and a couple of… treasure chests?

Wild jumped down to collect his spoils, leaving Twilight to slide down after him with far less enthusiasm. He still held the slate as he looked around at the ruins, trying to picture the structure in his own era.

He heard Wild say something about a Golden Bow, but his own thoughts were racing–Did the structure crumble, or has it been buried? Is the Mirror Chamber buried beneath his feet? Is this really where he last saw her–

A loud ringing sounded in his ears, blocking out any other noise around him. He could feel his heart racing and his vision started to darken around the edges. His hands started trembling as he sank to his knees. What was happening to him? He couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn't BREATHE—

“Twi?” He felt the hand on his shoulder “Look at me, please?”

Twilight forced his eyes open to see Wild with deep concern etched on his face. He was still having trouble catching his breath as he felt tears well up.

Wild took his hand and rested it over his own chest before placing his hand on Twilight’s chest in return. “Breathe with me, okay? Inhale with me… and let it out… slowly now.”

As his breathing slowed, so did his heart beat. Wild pushed a waterskin into his hand and asked him to drink. The water was warm, but welcome on his parched throat.

“I don’t know what just happened…” Twilight trailed off.

“You were having a panic attack. Flora has them sometimes,” Wild said softly. “Let’s get you out of the sun.”

Twilight allowed Wild to lead him to a pillar that offered a small amount of shade, where he all but collapsed and rested against.

“I’ve never had that happen before,” Twilight said after another drink of water.

Wild hummed in acknowledgement, letting Twilight speak if he needed to.

“There’s an Arbiter’s Grounds in my era. It’s where I…I’ve never told you about this, have I?”

Wild shook his head. “You don’t have to if it’s too much right now.”

“No, I think it might be a good idea.”

The sun reached its zenith and was on its way back down to the horizon by the time the two heroes made their way back to camp, with Twilight’s heart feeling a bit lighter than before.

[incorrectinfinity]

Ok I am gonna talk about the things I like in this post because it's fresh in my mind and most of these things will be spoilers! Also this could be long.

First of all hi pjo mutuals!!! Idk if any of you are reading this but I really am thankful so many of you decided to stick around despite the Cookie Run hell of it all.

It's been like two years now and even if we haven't talked much in that time, you guys mean a lot to me <3

ANYWAYS THE SUN AND THE STAR!!!!

This book has been on my mind since it was hinted at at the end of TOA, so it's been a sec. The idea of this book actually helped me quite a bit when I wasn't doing very well mentally, which is very sad!

Ok, first thing's first.

Ok my soul can be put to rest now.

Second of all, my statement still stands:

For the most part the queer representation is pretty damn good this time around!

Epiales and Menoetes immediately getting defensive was a bit jarring and a little bit worrying to me but thankfully their bursts of anger about it last like five seconds each.

I'm really glad they say the words gay and queer naturally and not like they're some forbidden line to be crossed in a novel for young teens/late tweens. It genuinely made me smile.

Persephone even bringing up the notion of aromantic people almost made me lose my shit!! I am aromantic!!! That's me!!!! Just like me fr!!!!! But seriously I kinda feel forgotten a lot in queer media and literally any mention of aromanticism makes me smile, it was a very nice thing to see.

That's barely even mentioning the queer characters!

Nico bluntly saying he's gay is so fucking satisfying to see now, it's so nice to see him so comfortable with who he is.

Will canonically being bisexual is really nice to see, I could feel the writers' sigh of relief as they put the discourse to rest.

SPEAKING OF DISCOURSE... Piper MyQueen! It's nice to see a questioning character because I haven't really seen one represented before! She's still figuring herself out after the months following the end of toa and it's nice to see the message that it takes time to figure yourself out being shown because it's a surprisingly rare one to see. I appreciate how she also gravitates towards the queer label :)

Now minor characters:

Epiales: I appreciate them because of how ridiculous their existence is

Hiss-majesty: iconic and also that name makes me confused

Menoetes: my beloved

Geryon: Ok that's just hilarious I cannot deny that

Thirdly....

BIANCA DI ANGELO MY BELOVED MY ULTIMATE FAVE I MISSED YOU HOLY SHIT.

Besides uh....

That. I have LOVED seeing how Bianca and Maria have affected Nico over the years! It's so tragic and amazing and YES.

Seeing Bianca one last time and Maria for the first time ever was so so so satisfying even if they didn't say much. I almost teared up a bit. A lot. I got emotional.

Nyx using them against Nico was SO fucked up and I love it

Speaking of... Nyx.

Design.

Design.

Very cool, moving on.

Hades and Persephone's growth was so unexpected I am just gonna be real.

Hades was going to happen naturally because of what we say in HoO but him caring enough to send Nico a prophecy? And bring back Maria and Bianca? That's so sweet! I love that! I love that SO much! And also he isn't completely not an asshole which is appreciated.

Persephone is my favorite one of Riordan's interpretations of the gods.

I never thought I would say that sentence ever in my life. She's so caring and sweet for the 10 minutes we see her and I really appreciate her growth and seeing how she's finally getting over her grudge. It was unexpected and completely welcome.

Also I appreciate clarifying that Hades and Persephone's relationship is a good one from Persephone herself.

Also Nemesis is a badass and I did not realize how much I missed her! She has no reason so be so cool and yet she still is.

Gorgyra's chapters were all wonderful, I love her SO much and I hope Bob visits her sometime.

Speaking of which: Bob and Small Bob are amazing as always.

I appreciate the theme of change around Bob's character, he's different from how I remember him being is HoH but that's probably more natural than Nico's change in character (which I don't mind as much as most people I've seen but is still jarring) because of him and Iapetus switching every two seconds for over a year so yeah.

Small Bob is Small Bob. Cat. Gato. Wonderful.

Will actually having more of a character was nice to see too! Also his ultimate magic hidden deep within being hayfever is very funny to me.

Actually talking about the trauma these characters have been through and addressing it is also very satisfying.

Overall I think it was a good send off to these kids who have been through too damn much. I will have a post airing my criticisms probably but I really did like this lovable train wreck of a book, me from two years ago would be very pleased.

Can't wait for the road trip book where both Percy and Annabeth come out as bisexual simultaneously and for this series to be OVER!!!

[withleeknow]

in exchange for a WT snippet, I can proffer this for the microwave https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeq3Murh/ 🫡 when the husband agenda crosses over with the rockstar boyfriend vibe also I just love seeing idols pursue their goals like “go little rockstar” indeed also this is the hottest thing he's ever done

foing back to our roots for a sec: new airport mimo alert https://tinyurl.com/2s38mae3 it's giving duality bc smth abt this look is extra extra adorable but also when + how did he get so buff overnight tf

SO MANY SKZOOS MY HEART 🥺🥺 do you have any BT21 babies in your collection?:) + TWO MORE DAYS JENNN! the way they simultaneously applied for paid leave THIS IS THE REUNION OF THE CENTURYY 💜💜

the microwave exploded wtf... what if i start watching en-o'clock and just fully bury myself in the rabbit hole... 🫠 this is awful onigiri i cannot have another boyfriend, the roster is overloaded and the microwaved exploded !!! but man every time i see him with a guitar i black out for a second...

AIRPORT MIMO 😭 i'm not saying that i spent a good chunk of my day yesterday staring at the pics and sweating through my eyes but... yk... i don't wanna talk about the boobs there's nothing there i refuse to look at them lest i want to yeet myself out the window

BUT I WAS JUST SAYING THIS LAST NIGHT

for some reason this look is just sooooo wt coded to me. maybe not everyone will see it but this is the vision in my head of them in the future in their happily ever after era lol. his hair is a little shorter than it is now in the fic... maybe they've moved in together at this point, some time after graduation... maybe this is him getting back from vacation or an internship abroad or smth idk... she's picking him up at the airport... she's pouty bc he cut his hair... i need to stop bc i'm getting ahead of myself bc this is wayyy into the future and you guys haven't even experienced their angsty era yet lol

SKZOOS MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BABIES. if you decide to get any skzoos for yourself, know that i am 100% with you 😭 i don't have any bt21 plushies (yet!) but i have a mang standee, rj and cooky airpods cases, and a tata keychain! do you have any? 👀

NOW JUST ONE MORE DAY ONIGIRI. LESS THAN TWENTY FOUR HOURS. FUCK ??? when i read that they'll all be there to welcome him back i almost cried. MY SEVEN 😭 oh my god i will definitely wake up tomorrow in tears when i see pics of them together. god i can't believe we're here onigiri we're gonna cry so much tomorrow 😭

also yesterday my friend sent me this and i just... [bursts into tears] fuck look at his baby maknae line and his rapline why would someone make this beautiful thing 😭😭😭

ALSO. here's another wt snippo for you hehehhe. i realized i don't have a lot of juicy snippos that i can post without essentially giving out spoilers lol

It's been about two weeks since you'd seen him, though the memories of that evening are still fresh in your mind - the evening of the group dinner, when he'd kissed you goodnight and left for his parents' house the following day. True to his words, he did send you pictures of the cats - ones of Soonie wearing a matching hoodie with him, a few of Doongie and Dori napping at the foot of his bed. There was an accompanying text - The kids miss you - along with a frowning emoji, and it made you wonder if what he really meant was I miss you.

[thekenobee]

I was born with wide arms and not until recently I began to love the way the look and how they're built. I used to hate this not- feminine part of me and be ashamed of it .

I also began to go to the gym (7 years after my knee accident during the handball match, and 4 years after my last surgery(third one).

I was trying to have a causal conversation with my father and showed him the muscles I've been working on with my coach and he said

That if I continue to work out my upper part of the body

It will be out of proportion

[shawtuzi]

Can you do something where plug!eren is fresh out of jail and is absolutely feral for his gf cause he hasn’t seen her in so long. Love u and ur writing :).

oh my god yes i most definitely can!!!! and thank u sm i love u more *kiss kiss*

this is 18+////cw include: black coded reader, unprotected sex, creampie, some mushy stuff at the end i couldn’t resist///wc: 1.5k+

let’s say eren did get busted and this is no beuno at all because everybody know most states be tripping over a simple weed charge. and unfortunately for this simple weed charge eren got sentenced three. fucking. years. to say it broke you was an understatement and what broke you even more is that eren didn’t expect you to wait on him. but you did of course because that is your man, your life, your cinnamon apple and he is worth waiting for.

eren stayed on his best behavior hoping to get out early for any reason they’d let him if he was the “model prisoner” and it paid off. eight months later a guard came up to eren and told him to get his affairs in order because he’d be leaving the next day. when eren told you the good news you couldn’t help but bust into tears. it was an extremely lonely eight months without him, yes your friends were around and kept you company but after spending months practically joined at the hip with eren it was very hard to adjust without him around :((

you showed up at the prison at exactly twelve sharp like eren instructed and five minutes later you finally saw him in all his glory. “eren!” you squealed running into his arms, wrapping your arms around his neck. “hi baby,” eren sighed dreamily nuzzling his face into your hair, the familiar smell of your coconut scented shampoo nearly bringing him to tears. “‘missed you so fuckin’ much jesus christ i’ll never leave you like that again i promise y/n,” he muttered squeezing your smaller form closer into his body. you couldn’t even speak afraid your voice will crack due to the happy tears streaming down your face. “missed you too eren it was so lonely without you,” you whimpered burying your face in his chest.

the two of you stayed like that for a good ten minutes, just embracing each other and whispering sweet nothings to calm the other down until you finally pulled away taking in eren’s figure. he’d gotten extremely fit, the white t-shirt he’d worn going in prison now nearly bursting at the seams from how swole his biceps had gotten. “you look good,” you trailed your finger down his arm making him give you his award winning smirk.

“yeah? how good?”

those three words were how you both ended up on the side of the rode, eren dragging you to the backseat so he could finally have his way with you after eight grueling months. “e-eren it’s only about twenty minutes till we’re…home,” your voice trailed off towards the end once you felt his lips on your neck. eren shook his head now yanking down your tank top to expose your breasts, “fuck no i waited eight months for this i’m not waiting a second longer, now lift up a sec so i can take these off” he rasped tugging at the waistband of your shorts. you immediately lifted your hips up bringing a loving smile to eren’s face, “still such a good listener huh? trained you real well didn’t i” he chuckled before pressing sloppy kisses all over your tits while also yanking your shorts off.

“yeah just for you eren all for you,” you whined tangling your fingers in his hair which was now slightly longer. “m’skipping the foreplay jus’ wanna fuck you right now,” he yanked down his sweats letting his dick spring free of its confinements. he was a lot bigger than you remembered. eren pressed a soft kiss to your cheek after seeing the slight fear in your eyes, “it’s okay i’ll be right here to take care of you when we’re done and if it really hurts too much just lemme know okay?” the softness in his tone had you feeling more relaxed already especially after hearing ‘i’ll be right here to take care of you.”

you were so lost in thought that he actually here in front of you you forgot to give him the ‘okay’ to continue. “y/n? you okay baby? do you want to stop?” eren was about to lift you off his lap but you quickly snapped back to reality (oh there goes gravity) shaking your head that you in fact didn’t want to stop. “no! no it’s okay i’m fine i’m just really happy to see you is all,” you smiled giving his lips one, two, three kisses before pulling your panties to the side, “now please fuck me….been waiting eight months for you rennie.” eren mumbled a quick “goddamn y/n” before rubbing his tip between your slicked folds before slowly pushing it in the both of you gasping in unison.

“s-shit okay i’m gonna go slow- fuck i don’t wanna cum too fast,” eren shuddered at the feeling of how warm you are, internally cursing at himself for already being at the brink of cumming. you brought your hands to his cheeks rubbing slow circles on them with your thumbs, “s’okay babe we have all the time in the world now, well kinda what we’re doing is pretty illegal and we should hur- oh shit!” you cried feeling all of eren’s dick enter you at once.

eren dug his fingers into your hips so hard you felt the bruises already forming but you didn’t care—what’s a couple bruises when you have the love of your life back in your arms? “goddamn y/n have you always been so tight?” eren grunted now moving you up and down at a steady pace, “and i don’t give a fuck about none of that that’s what we got tinted windows for,” you wanted to roll your eyes at his words knowing if it wasn’t so deserted where you were now you would’ve made him wait patiently. but it was so you could quite honestly care less about anything besides the man in front of you.

“eren,” you whimpered wrapping your arms around his neck. “i know baby i know i’m here just lemme make you feel good—that’s it there you go take this fucking dick,” he grunted taking one of your nipples into his mouth. eren began to grow impatient taking it upon himself to begin bucking his hips up, the tip of his dick now kissing your cervix in the most delicious way possible. your moans were like music to eren’s ears, each sharp gasp and little whimper you let out only fueling him to go harder and faster. “fuck fuck fuck i’m cumming s-shit,” eren growled slamming you down one last time before spurts of his warm cum began to fill your needy pussy.

you had never felt more comfortable and happy than you were now fucked out and stuffed with eren’s cum, “‘feels good…missed the way your cum feels in me ren” you sighed dreamily burying your face in his neck. “mhm ‘n i missed the way your pussy squeezes me so good, now i want us to cum together this time—think you can do that for me ma?” he ran his fingers gently up and down your back making shivers creep down your spine. you nodded quickly beginning to grind you hips slowly in his lap, the mixture of your wetness and his cum slowly trailing it’s way down his thighs and into the car seat.

“feel so damn good-shit i promise i’ll never leave you like that again y/n i swear. fuck i’ll stop dealing, get a job at the auto body shop connie told me about, get us a bigger ‘n better house and we can start a family yeah? give you a couple of my babies?” eren was completely fucked out babbling whatever came to his mind and he meant every single word. he didn’t care that he wouldn’t be making as much money all that mattered was you and you only. he didn’t care that he was only 23 talking about starting a family because he knew one day he would make you a mother to as many kids as you wanted.

a dopey smile made its way onto your face but you didn’t have time to savor the sweet moment your brain turning to mush when you felt eren’s thumb on your clit. “f-fuck eren yes that’s all i want with you please don’t stop!” eren didn’t plan on stopping either. he planted his feet more firmly before fucking into you with everything he had, “so fuckin’ wet” he muttered to himself, his head lolling back in pleasure. a few more harsh thrusts and soon you and eren were cumming at the same time, eren letting out the most pornographic moan you’ve ever heard. “shit—c’mere lemme hold you for a minute….missed being together like this,” eren wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you close.

you rested your head on his chest, the steady beat of his heart making it hard for you to keep your eyes open. “did you really mean what you said earlier, you know about getting a job at the shop and a new house and the other stuff?” your voice was strained and whisper like but eren caught every word. “and by other stuff you mean starting a family? yeah i did, i meant every damn word too,” eren chuckled pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “you cool with being the mother to my devil spawn?” he giggled giving your ass a playful slap.

“i’d be more than happy to eren <333”