#and the director emailed me back and said no it's right just enjoy...

[frogeyedape]

Fuck, y'all. I'm having to do accounting for a fucking fiber festival.

[eggluverz]

danheng and reader are interns at the same company and there’s one sided beef from reader’s end cuz they’re trying to compete with him but he’s clueless and just thinks she’s hardworking and cute 😭

— THE INTERNS

In which you view your internship as a competition and Dan Heng is simply attracted to your hard work and determination.

PAIRING. dan heng x f!reader

WORD COUNT. 1788

GENRE. modern au. rivals? to lovers?

NOTE. ty anon for this super fun request!! <3 clueless dan heng the loml… and reader is so chaotic ngl alsjdkdl i hope u enjoy !! ^-^

“Can somebody handle the emails from the Realm-Keeping Commission?” Mr. Yang asked as he rushed through the intern’s cubicle area. He had a cup of tea in one hand and a handful of folders in the other. “They’ve had a recent breach of contract issue so we should be getting an influx shortly.”

“I can handle it!” you immediately spoke up, sparing your cubicle-mate a brief glance. You had a smile on your face but your eyes were urging him not to butt in.

Dan Heng smiled back. “I’ll help her.”

“Great.” Mr. Yang nodded in appreciation. “We have such hard-working interns this year.“

Your eye twitched as you replied, “Right. Great.”

Once the intern director left, you turned to glare at Dan Heng. He was nonchalantly typing on his computer, no doubt responding to the Commission’s emails already. A job that you should’ve been doing alone. Alongside a million other things that naturally came with being an unpaid intern.

You wanted to prove yourself here. The Astral Express was well known in the industry and you wanted nothing more than a job offer after the internship. But how could you possibly secure that when Dan Heng constantly stole your shine? You had to keep pushing. Keep striving to do more and impress your bosses.

“Hey, Y/N,” said Dan Heng. “If you have too much on your plate, I can take care of the emails today.”

Heat rose to your cheeks as you frowned in indignation. “You think I can’t handle it?”

He titled his head to the side. The innocent look on his face made you more upset. You couldn’t tell if he was making fun of you or if he truly believed you were someone pitiful who needed constant help.

“Of course you can handle it,” he reassured. “I don’t doubt that. I just don’t want you to take on too much of the workload. I’ve noticed you push yourself quite a lot.”

You shook your head. “I’m not pushing myself too much. I can do it.”

Dan Heng’s gaze softened. “You know yourself best. But I just hope you don’t overwork yourself too hard. We’re only unpaid interns, remember.”

You puffed your cheeks indignantly. Of course he could say something like that and still be a top performer. “Thanks for the consideration, but don’t worry about me. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I better get back to work.”

He only nodded in response.

As you started scanning through the emails on your computer, responding to the ones you have already finished, you felt Dan Heng still looking at you. You turned your face away from his desk so you wouldn’t be directly in his field of vision, unsure why he was staring but not really wanting to find out. Besides, you had more important things to get to. How could you possibly get more work done than Dan Heng if you were too busy worrying about why he kept looking at you?

Perhaps his innocence was a facade and he was playing mind games to slow you down.

With a huff of determination, you worked extra fast, not wanting to let his plan succeed. He’d have to do better than that to win.

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

It was your lunch break the next day and for the first time since you started (except for those times Mr. Yang wanted to take the interns out for lunch), you were not eating at your desk to work through the lunch period.

Apparently, HR was visiting the office so you all had to follow all the policies, no matter how silly anyone found them.

Instead of your desk, you were eating at a shaded seating area outside of the office. If you weren’t going to work through your break, you might as well enjoy it and get a breath of fresh air while you were at it. With your high ambition and willingness to push yourself for this internship, you were aware it probably seemed like you were a workaholic of sorts. That wasn’t exactly true.

You saw the important of work-life balance and valued it, but you also figured an internship is where you were supposed to work extra hard. Then, once you secured the job, you would be free to relax.

You took a bite of your sandwich you packed as you stared off at the gently swaying trees in the distance.

“Hey.” You almost jumped at the sudden sound. “Can I join you?”

You slowly turned towards Dan Heng, blinking. First, he tormented you in the office as an intern who provided ample competition. Now, he wanted to torment you during your lunch too?

Despite your inner thoughts, you didn’t want to be rude. Deep down you knew he was also just an intern doing his best. You just had to do better.

“Sure,” you acknowledged. “Have a seat, nemesis.” The words escaped your mouth before you could stop yourself. “I mean… Dan Heng…”

His brows furrowed. “I find it hard to believe those two words could get confused so easily.”

You cleared your throat. “Not sure what you mean.” Before Dan Heng could respond, you changed the subject. “What did you bring for lunch?”

As he sat next to you, he showed you his opened tupperware. It contained the yummiest smelling food with very neat presentation. You figured it probably tasted even better than it smelled or looked.

“I packed a bento box for today.”

You looked down at your soggy sandwich. Was even lunch a competition to him? Did he have to be the best at everything? You vowed to look up the most intricate lunch recipe and show it off to him once you made it.

He looked at your sandwich wordlessly before taking a bite of tender meat.

Your face burned in shame.

Tomorrow, you told yourself. Tomorrow you’d show him.

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

Today, your internship started around noon. It wasn’t a whole day of work and you knew fully well you didn’t need to pack lunch. Still, you stayed up all night perfecting this recipe and you had to show Dan Heng you were worthy competition as well. You even made enough servings to pack a meal for Dan Heng to try too.

Towards the middle of your shift, you walked over to his desk.

He paused his typing and looked up at you. “Can I help you?”

You held out a tupperware of your homemade food. “Look. I made this.”

Dan Heng’s eyes widened as he cautiously took the container from your hands. “For me?”

“Yeah. I saw your bento box yesterday and wanted to prove that I can also cook! Just like I can do all the work we’re assigned!”

Confusion was written all over his face but he still managed to smile. “First, thank you for making this for me.”

You looked at him, equally confused. Why did he sound so sincere? You simply wanted to prove a point. Not do something out of the kindness of your heart.

“Second,” he continued, “I do agree you can do all the work we’re given. Have I made you feel like I believe otherwise?”

“Not exactly… It’s just you keep offering to help me even when I say I’ll do it!” you explained passionately. “You keep trying to steal my work and do more than me!”

Dan Heng blinked, mouth opening then closing. He opened his mouth once more, trying again. “I wasn’t aware you viewed it as me stealing your work.” He rested his chin on his hand as he thought things through. “I didn’t want you overexerting yourself so I was only trying to help ease your workload… I’m sorry for undermining your hard work.”

“You’re not doing it on purpose?”

“No. I admire your determination and how you always step up to the task— I would never want to take away from that,” he said earnestly. His stare was unwavering as he looked into your eyes. “I more than admire it, actually. I find it quite attractive even.”

You gaped at him, unmoving. “Huh?”

“Attractive, endearing, cute… Do you need more synonyms?”

“Me?” You pointed at yourself.

Dan Heng nodded. “Well, I was referring to your work ethic. But yes. You as well.”

You bashfully stood up straighter. “You’re not too bad yourself, I suppose.”

That wasn’t a lie. You did find Dan Heng rather attractive. His hair was dark and messy, falling around his eyes in a way you could only describe as perfectly framing the vibrant blues. He had a pretty face and a serious demeanor that initially drew you to him— Until he started competing (as you saw it, at least) with you in your internship.

As you stared at each other in silence, Mr. Yang came in with a stack of papers. “Good afternoon, everyone. Can someone run an audit of the company’s stocks?”

You jumped up, startled. You didn’t except to be interrupted like that, but you quickly regained your composure, rushing over to him to grab the papers. A part of you was thankful for the distraction, but another part of you wanted to see where it would’ve lead. “I can do the audit!”

“Great, thank you!” he said in acknowledgment before rushing back out.

Once Mr. Yang left, Dan Heng turned to you and said, “Let me know if you need any help. I’m here if you need.”

You smiled. Now that you knew he wasn’t trying to best you, you were much more open to the idea of working together. “Sure, I’d love some help.” You paused and Dan Heng raised one brow. Though it came from the heart and the sentiment was there, you both knew it wasn’t completely true. You still did want to be the very best after all. “Well… You can help, but only a little though.”

Dan Heng laughed, accepting the small stack of papers you gave him, not even one fourth as tall as your pile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

You hummed in agreement. Before focusing on your work, you thought of one small thing to ask him. “Hey, Dan Heng?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe next week you can bring me some lunch, too? Or, maybe we could go out for dinner even…”

“I’d love to,” Dan Heng smiled and it was the widest grin you’ve seen on his face thus far, “if you give me more of your paperwork.”

You gasped, feeling thoroughly tricked. So he did want to beat you—?

“That way, we can finish sooner and I can take you to dinner tonight.”

Your train of thoughts stopped in their tracks as a light chuckle escaped your lips. “Fine,” you agreed, finding yourself strangely looking forward to having dinner with him. “But just this once, okay?”

“Of course.”

dan heng: *stares at reader*

reader: he’s playing mind games to make me nervous and slow me down

dan heng: she’s hardworking and passionate and so cute u.u

[genericpuff]

alright so this is a post I've been wanting to write up for a little while now, but I was waiting on permission from a third party to post DM's (censored, of course). That permission has since returned with a yes, soooo

LET'S TALK ABOUT RACHEL'S HIRING PROCESSES-

okay this isn't gonna be as comprehensive as I'm making it sound BUT I've mentioned before on this page (albeit briefly and it's long since been buried) that I actually applied to be a background artist for Rachel a couple years ago, I think it was around the midpoint of S2, and it was (obviously) before I turned to the dark side of crit-n-shit-posting. I never got an email back, so that was that. I'd like to think there's a parallel universe out there where instead of joining the antiLO/ULO community, I became an assistant for Rachel and remained a fan. Enjoy that fridge horror thought.

That said, while I didn't get a response, someone on reddit mentioned that they did:

And they were kind enough to share further details with me in DM's.

Right off the bat, I'm fairly certain they were applying to the same ad I was (as it was a posting that Rachel had made on Twiter and the approximate years line up).

All that aside, considering what Rachel's process is like with her assistants (from what we've discussed here in GREAT detail), it's not shocking in the slightest that the vibe of working with Rachel from the very beginning was "IDK what I'm looking for".

Buuut that's not the end of the exchange because it gets better.

Mind you, this was back in 2019 and it was the experience of one user, so it doesn't necessarily reflect every assistant on the team or how Rachel does things down to the last detail. But it's pretty damning enough that you can still see the evidence of this kind of workflow in current LO 4 years later. If anything she's continued to operate with a rapidly declining pipeline because the art just keeps getting worse and worse.

Part me of wants to say that this could be on Webtoons, as they don't offer support to creators to have assistants. Creators have to pay for their assistants completely out of pocket, split from the income they make from Webtoons. This is why so many creators often don't have assistants or their 'assistants' are also their co-creators (see: Nevermore, which is drawn and written by two people working together).

But Rachel has an average of four assistants per episode, sometimes as many as eight in some cases (though it's been a while since that's happened so I won't really count it for this post).

That means Rachel's team is typically made up of five people, including herself, and that's not including the recent addition of copy editors (but that balances out with the times when Amy Kim isn't contributing , she tends to pop in and out).

Now, she's not the only person on WT with a team of this size, there are others with comparable teams if not bigger ones, but NONE of them seem to operate with as much inconsistency as LO does, and that's not on the assistants, that's on Rachel. She's said in interviews that she always wanted to be a director and that making LO on Webtoons was her way of achieving that, but she doesn't seem to have the integrity or leadership skills necessary to take charge when the team isn't working in sync. You don't see any of these insane art art inconsistencies in webtoons like The Kiss Bet or Tower of God (though they have their own problems, the art isn't one of them), and there are webtoons operating without a team at all that are drawing circles around LO right now, like Nevermore (which is, by the way, also edited by Bre Boswell, same as LO).

Now, that's not to say there isn't struggling underneath the surface, the creators of Nevermore have stated how difficult it is to work for Webtoons as it is, especially as creators who don't have assistants. But how is the #1 comic on the platform failing to meet the standards that come with its labels and awards? Why are the exceptionally better comics being drawn by 1-2 people not getting the attention or opportunities they deserve from the platform? And why does Rachel Smythe, one of the highest paid creators on the platform, still seem to struggle with managing a team of artists after five years of publication on Webtoons? Why does she choose to have a large team if she can't pay them adequately? Why have a large team at all if she's not going to utilize their skills properly? To further lighten the load of work onto others?

Really, it just goes to show the lack of care and respect all around - for the self, for the work, and for those who are pushing out the work and meeting the deadlines, whose reputations and potential are being dragged down with the comic itself.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Can you please help me find some sugar daddy fics? I've been obsessed with it lately.

Hey Lovely!

Well, I've never read any myself, so I can't give you any personal recs, BUT I did a tag search on my offline MFL list, and decided to make a new list for you because I need content, LOL!!!

So, here are the fics I have on my MFL list, and if you guys have any more to add, PLEASE do, as always!! Hope you enjoy!!

SUGAR DADDY FICS (MFLs)

See also:

Rich Sherlock (March 2020) (MY LIST)

Sugar Daddy Sherlock (SwissMiss)

Sugar Daddy Part 1 (Alexxphoenix)

Sugar Daddy Part 2 (Alexxphoenix)

Worth Its Weight by philalethia (E, 2,986 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || PWP, Daddy Sherlock, Daddy Kink, Service Domination, Gift Giving, Unsafe Sex, Sex Toys) – “Remember,” John said, “when we talked about you not buying me extravagant things?” Basically: a little bit of Valentine's Day daddy kink. Part 2 of All the Rest 'Verse

An Erotic Sail by justacookieofacumberbatch (E, 4,533 w., 2 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Age Difference, Sugar Daddy John, Yacht Daddy John, Praise Kink, Porn Without Plot, Boat Sex) – Sherlock, fresh off a Semester at Sea ship in Crete, sees a gorgeous older man, and I'm sure you can guess what happens next.

Practically Perfect by vitruvianwatson (E, 6,303 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Age Difference, Younger Sherlock, Older John, Finger Fucking, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Office Sex, Emotionally Insecure Sherlock, Barista Sherlock, Doctor John, PWP) – There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. John shook the thoughts out of his head and looked up with his fake “I’m your kindly doctor” smile plastered on his face, but a second later his jaw dropped because his “patient” wasn’t a patient at all. It was none other than Sherlock bloody Holmes. Not only that, but he was dressed in one of his more indecent outfits—skin tight jeans that looked like they’d been bloody painted on, and a purple button-down that was straining, to say the least, to remain buttoned. John wondered if he’d worked at the coffee shop in that outfit today. He shut the door and leaned back against it with a wicked smile, and John heard the click of the lock.

A Suitable Stain by vitruvianwatson (E, 7,647 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Sugar Daddy John, Barista Sherlock, Older John, PWP, Rutting, Anal, Clothed Sex, Masturbation, Dirty Talk) – John imagines what they must look like--the young, gorgeous university student, naked as the day he was born, draped over the well-dressed older doctor, the muscles rippling in Sherlock's back as his slim hips roll that beautiful arse up into the air and back down again, his spine curving beneath John's hand as he moves it to the small of Sherlock's back to feel the movement. The hard outline of Sherlock's cock slides back and forth across John's body, dampening his clothes with precome, and John moves both hands down to Sherlock's arse, squeezing and pulling him in harder.

To A Tee by lookupkate (E, 15,321 w., 14 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Sugar Daddy John, Hospital Director John, Sugar Baby Sherlock, Accidental Meeting) – Sherlock receives a text from an unknown number. The man is under the impression that he needs a sugar daddy. After careful consideration...well, he could be right.

A Kept Man Isn't A Weak Man by Elphen (E, 20,429 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Sugar Daddy John, Age Difference, Alpha John, Omega Sherlock, Mpreg, Sex Toys, Mating Bond, Possessive John, Knotting, Masturbation, Dominant John, Mating Cycles) – Sherlock is just out of university, but due to drug habits acquired at said college, Mycroft has cut him off, hoping to put a stop to it that way. Instead, Omega Sherlock struggles doubly, both with his cravings and with finding a job that will not bore him to death and support him financially. Then, when he is on the verge of being completely destitute, he finds several hundred pounds ticking into his account for no apparent reason. He thinks it's Mycroft, but instead he receives an email from someone who promises to send him more money every fortnight and put him up in a flat rent free, on two conditions; he will stop taking drugs and he will occasionally be asked to be a companion for someone. He does not want to be bought like some toy, but what choice does he have? The first time the door bell rings, he is sure the man will demand sex. But instead he finds a very sharply dressed man with money and physical power in his mid-30s who wants to talk with him and take him out to dinner. Things quickly escalates on the emotional and physical side for Sherlock, but can you really have a relationship with an Alpha like that?

Sugar Daddy John Series by Sexxica (E, 22,504+ w. across 7 works || Series WiP || Sugar Daddy John AU || Daddy Kink, Twink Sherlock, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con, Masturbation, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Dirty Talk, Comeplay, Anal / Oral, Sex Toys, Praise Kink, Lingerie / Crossdressing) – The very best of Sugar Daddy John and his boy, Sherlock.

sherlock and his daddy series by rory_kent (M, 24,433+ w. across 6 works || Series WiP || BDSM / Sugar Daddy AU || Sugar Daddy John, Age Difference, Sub Sherlock, Daddy Kink, Military Kink, Subspace, Hurt/Comfort, Coffee Shop AU, Unilock) – Sherlock didn't mean to upset daddy he really didn't!

All the Rest (of What I Want) by philalethia (E, 68,082 w., 20 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || ASiP, Texting, First Time, Daddy Kink, Sugar Daddy Sherlock, Daddy Sherlock, Sex Toys, Phone Sex, Sexting, Unsafe Sex, Service Domination) – After being invalided home from Afghanistan, John takes his therapist's advice and tries to meet people online. Specifically, he joins a fetish site, where he ends up interacting with a man called SH who keeps paying him money to perform odd tasks and seems very keen to take care of him. Basically: slow-build daddy kink. Part 1 of All the Rest 'Verse

Nine and a Half Weeks by CumberCurlyGirl and Kameo (E, 204,733+ w., 41/42 Ch. || WiP || American AU || Different First Meeting, Daddy Kink, Bottomlock, Anal Plug, Riding Crops, Spanking, Light Bondage, Anal/Oral, Aftercare, Posh John, Virgin Sherlock, Homophobia, Sugar Daddy John, Rimming, Coming in Pants, Light Dom/Sub, Past Sherlock / Victor, Light BDSM, Public Sex, John in a Kilt, Vibrators, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes is about to graduate from high school in midwestern America. Despite his intelligence, his prospects are bleak due to poverty, an indifferent, alcoholic father and poor choices. One day, at work, he sells a riding crop to a handsome blonde Brit and his life is changed. He doesn't know what hit him - until he does. This is a story of a journey to love and self-acceptance and explores many themes along the way: drug abuse, grief, coming out, age difference, consent. Lots of sex but so much more.

[calqlate]

RE: LOVE & LIFE | ONE

— SOMEONE WHO CARES

SERIES MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER

PAIRING(S): zhongli x f! reader + diluc x f! wife! reader

SUMMARY: As the wife of the famous big shot in the wine industry, you have everything you could ever ask for — a beautiful mansion, endless wealth, servants at your beck and call... However, you lack the one thing you yearn for: love. With your beloved husband neglecting you and being stuck in a loveless marriage, you decide to end it all, only to be stopped by a man whom you have never met before, and who also coincidentally happens to be your soulmate. In addition, there just might seem to be more than what meets the eye in regards to your peculiar soulmate, and you just might have to find that out for yourself.

TAGLIST: @crescentmoonnn + @deeomi + @esthelily + @mshope16 + @nerdiel-has-no-braincells

A/N: sorry for the wait, i've been struggling with the biggest writer's block as of february :") here's the long-awaited chapter, please enjoy ^^

As you walked off the plane and step foot onto the arrival hall of Liyue's airport, you combed some stray locks of hair falling into your face. Sitting through a five-hour flight while sending emails and settling a whole load of paperwork (which had been uploaded onto an online folder courtesy of your secretary Giselle) had you red-eyed and ready to take a good three-hour nap. You were presently on a business trip to meet a partner who was keen on investing in your company to expand and establish a branch of its own in Liyue. The said partner in question was Fatui Network, a trading company renowned for having a seemingly shrewd CEO who had the 'magic touch': any business she was interested in and chose to invest in seemed to turn out successful, and you were hoping for good things when she reached out to contact you when you chose to expand your business.

You were scanning the crowd for the person who was arranged to pick you up when you spotted a gingerhead in the crowd waving eagerly at you. You raised an eyebrow up at him and he gave wide, exaggerated nods as if to say "Yes, it's me!".

You dragged your luggage over to him and gave him a quick once-over. The man was fair-skinned with blue eyes that seemed to have seen many things in life despite his young exterior. He wore a bright smile which exuberated a youthful and bright energy. You greeted him with a smile and extended a hand for a handshake, "Nice to meet you. I'm [F/N] Ragnvindr, CEO of Aster Cosmetics. You must be the representative from the Fatui Network, right?"

The gingerhead grinned and shook your hand back, "I'm actually one of the directors there. The name's Ajax Tartaglia, nice to meet you."

You raised your brows and drew your hand back along with him, "I didn't think your CEO would send a director to meet me."

"Oh, we must," Ajax said, "You're a valuable business partner of ours. It's only right for one of the higher-ups to pick you up and show you around."

"That's kind of you, please deliver my sincerest thanks to your CEO," you smiled.

"That, I will," Ajax smiled, "Now, shall I show you to your hotel?"

Ajax proved himself fun to be around: he was a great conversationalist and naturally made you feel at ease. He made you feel as if both of you were friends for a long time even though you had just met less than an hour ago. He was different from the usual directors that you met on business talks and trips, and he was like the breath of fresh air you never knew you needed.

"Speaking of, Mr. Tartaglia, isn't the Fatui Network based in Snezhnaya?" you asked as the taxi the both of you were riding up pulled up to the hotel.

"We are, but I flew down a few days ago to check in on our Liyue branch," Ajax explained.

Both of you stepped out of the taxi and he rounded to the back to retrieve your luggage.

"You are the hands-on type, I see," you said with a teasing smile.

"It's good to see to things personally," Ajax smiled, rolling your luggage beside him as the both of you stepped into the hotel.

The lobby was grand and sparkling, with a huge glittering chandelier hanging from the ceiling as a centerpiece. There were sofas placed round small tables, with a vase of flowers on top of each table. The floor was covered in dark marble and it was so smooth and shiny that one could see their own reflection against it.

As Ajax went up to the service counter to get your room booking, you pulled out your phone to check your text messages. Just a few from Jean and Kaeya, but none from the person you were hoping to hear from. A slight pang of disappointment filled the pit of your stomach as you sighed through your nose. You were delusional for actually hoping for a response from him, were you not?

"Mrs. Ragnvindr, are you ready to go?"

You snapped your head up to see Ajax waving your key card idly inbetween his fingers and you shot him an apologetic smile.

"Apologies, I'm coming," you slipped your phone back into your purse and took quick steps to catch up to Ajax, pushing the thoughts of him into the back of your mind.

Despite the small little blemish that was the disappointment you felt earlier in the day, Ajax seemed to wash it all away by distracting you with the itinerary he had planned for the day. He had chosen good restaurants and cafés to have lunch and dinner and went through your proposals during the short coffee breaks.

All the distractions wore off once you were back into the confines of your hotel suite. The room was booked based on your husband's terms, which were pretty adamant demands according to Ajax.

What use is giving me a luxurious room when I've got no one to share it with? You sighed as you peeled your heels off and clambered onto the sofa which was designed for aesthetics first and comfort second. The armrest dug into your side uncomfortably and you adjusted yourself to make yourself feel more comfortable. You dug into your purse again to retrieve your phone.

There were still no texts from him.

You decided to give your husband a call via Facetime. After all, there was only a one-hour difference and it was only 11pm in Mondstadt then. Your husband was still awake and you knew that he would only sleep in the wee hours of the morning.

You placed your phone standing upright on the table, leaning your phone against the ceramic vase for support. You sat up straight eagerly, waiting for your husband to pick up.

"Hello?"

Your eyes brightened as you watched the screen shift in perspective. Diluc's hand was covering the screen partially as he moved his phone, the screen coming to a standstill as he placed his phone on a solid surface. Diluc's hair was slightly disheveled and ran down the sides of his face. Upon closer inspection, you realised that he had rather deep set eyebags beneath his eyes, and his skin looked paler than usual, making him seem ghostly.

"Diluc," you started, "Are you alright?"

"I'm doing fine," he was curt in his response, choosing not to look at you. You could hear the sounds of a typing keyboard in the background, so you knew he was still working while on the line with you. His eyes never left his laptop as he asked, "What about you? Is the room comfortable enough for you?"

"The suite is great, thank you," you muttered.

There was a moment of silence as neither one of you said anything. The only sound being heard was the clacking of his keyboard and the occasional clicks of his mouse.

"Is that all?" Diluc asked, "If so, you should hang up and go to bed."

"You should go to bed too," you whispered, "It's already so late and you're still working."

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."

"The eyebags under your eyes say otherwise," you countered.

"They are none of your concern," he said, his voice solid and holding his ground. There was another beat of silence before he said, "That's all for tonight. Goodnight."

With that, the call went dead and your screen went black. The calls with Diluc were always like this, and you really should not be surprised or even had expected something more. He was merely your husband in name, and his feelings were not yours to bend at your will.

A few involuntary tears escaped your eyes and you wiped them away quickly. What use was it to be the wife of a rich man when this marriage was loveless and cold? It went against all expectations you had of marriage: you had wanted to be married to a man who would shower you in endless love, be it a wealthy man or a homeless one. As long as you were loved, you would be okay.

However, you were not loved in the slightest, and you were not alright by any means.

You walked right towards the door and slipped your heels back on again. You needed some fresh air, so off to the rooftop you went.

The hotel had a swimming pool on the top floor which oversaw the entire city. At present, the neon city lights glittered against the still waters, which were glowing in a seemingly neon blue colour, thanks to the lights installed on the pool's tiles. You walked right to the edge of the pool which was close to the glass panels separating the pool from the sky. You closed your eyes, feeling the cool night breeze against your face.

After your grandfather passed away, your parents learnt of your grandfather's will to have you marry the eldest Ragnvindr son, and they were more than happy to pretty much sell you off to the said famous family. You remembered that they did not even bat an eye when they did so, saying it was all for strengthening the family's ties with the social circle of the wealthy, but you could care less. It seemed that in this world, no one was truly on your side.

You kicked your heels off and climbed onto the seats a little far off the pool, their backs facing the glass panels. You closed your eyes and held your hands up, walking in a single line as if you were walking on a tightrope.

I wonder, if I fell off here, would there be anyone who will care?

Suddenly, you tripped on an uneven cushion and swerved to your side, the side that was close to the glass panels. Your eyes flew open as you let out a silent scream, watching your life flash before your very eyes as you fell into impending doom.

By fate or some sort of miracle, someone grabbed your other hand and yanked you away from the edge, pulling you straight into something solid. Your eyes screwed themselves shut as you careened into something… or someone. You opened your eyes to see that you have found yourself in the arms of a dark-haired man, whose eyes were brimming with tears as he whispered the string of words you were not expecting to hear from a complete stranger.

"Please stay alive for me."

[landofzero-archive]

Ibara Saegusa - Private Room Chapter 2

Writer: Nishioka Maiko

Season: Autumn

(Location: CosPro Conference Area)

(One week later)

Ibara: —Yes, yes. I believe I explained that many times the other day, right? I’ll send you the materials via email.

That’s right. I’ll contact that person from here.

No. Everyone makes mistakes, so please be careful in the future. Yes, yes. Thank you. Then, please excuse me.

Haah…… Is it an email this time? Uumm……?

—Ahh, come on! What the hell is going on with this situation……!

Problems occur here and there every day! Even when I fix one problem, two more problems pop up in different places at the same time!

This is nothing short of abnormal!

Another email? Yes, yes. What happened this time?

…… What? ‘My working hours have increased too much this month, so why don’t I take some time off somewhere?’ What are they talking about……?

It’s true that I’ve been busy this month due to filming and management duties, and for the past week or so I’ve been working overtime all the time in order to deal with problems.

…… However, there’s no way I could honestly take a day off in this current situation. This is a person who doesn’t know the situation, so……

(No…… Wait. It’s certainly not the time to take a long break.

Recently, the real situation of major agencies with black labor systems has been a hot topic…… (1)

The public will be looking for the next sacrificial company to pop up in the news in a chain reaction.

Under such circumstances, it would be too risky for me to collapse from overwork as the deputy director……)

Damn…… I have no choice. I’ll quickly finish my day off tomorrow and return to the front line as soon as possible.

(Location: Starmony Dorms (Exterior))

Aira: Uummm…… Copy and paste the inquiry number here. All I have to do is start the inquiry~

—The status is complete! It’s almost arrived! My oshi’s national tour disc♪

What a reli~ef. I thought it would arrive later. I have plenty of time before I go to bed, so I’m gonna enjoy this to the fu~llest today.

That’s why I bought a lot of sweets and drinks. I won’t be leaving my room after today……!

Nazuna: O~i, Aira-chin. Isn’t it dangerous to walk while looking at your phone~?

Aira: Ah, Nito-senpai! Sorry. I couldn’t help but wonder if my package had arrived. Ehehee.

Nazuna: Package? Oh, were you tracking your courier package?

I understand why you’re worried about its status, but it’s still dangerous. By the way, what kind of package are you getting?

Aira: It’s the national tour disc for my favorite idol! I’ve been looking forward to its release!

Right now, my roommates Sakuma-senpai and Tenshouin-senpai are away at a long-term location shoot.

So even if I make noise, I won’t bother anyone, and I think I’ll have a good time at my solo viewing party.

I’m planning to go back to my room and start right away— hm?

Huh? Is there some kind of contractor at the dorms right now?

It looks like there are long pipes being brought in and large trucks going in and out. Outsiders also seem to be wandering around? Is there something going on?

Nazuna: Ahh…… Come to think of it, I heard that there was a problem with the water pipes on our floor and that the repair work begins today.

Aira: Ehh!? Construction!?

Th-This can’t be happening~…… Even though I just wanted to enjoy my disc quietly today~……

Nazuna: Ah. But from what I heard, the construction work will be done in the morning. Aren’t they just doing the demolition work now?

So I think we can have some quiet time after this~

Aira: Wh- that’s good news……♪ Then I don’t have to worry! See ya, Nito-senpai. I’m gonna pick up my luggage right away!

Nazuna: Alright, have fun. Bye~♪

(Location: Starmony Dorm Room (Eichi, Rei, Aira's Room))

Aira: I’m back~☆

– Even though I said that, Sakuma-senpai and Tenshouin-senpai are away for a few days due to long-term location work so there’s no way I’d get a reply.

In the end, I feel a little lonely without my seniors……

Well, it can’t be helped. It’s work. And that’s why I can watch discs without hesitation.

Ah, that’s right! I have to open the package right away! I have to be careful not to damage the package inside……

Uwaai♪ As expected of the first limited edition! There’s lots of bonuses!

Arrange the goods and discs neatly~. Take a photo! Alright! I’ll upload it to SNS later♪

Then, let’s finally have the viewing party for today’s main event—

Hmm? My face feels a little sticky. Maybe there’s still some foundation left over from work this morning……?

It’s hard to lie down in bed like this. I’ll wash my face before the viewing party.

Once I start watching it, I don’t want to be distracted by anything else. I have to be fully prepared!

…… Huhh? Even though I’ve turned the faucet all the way, the water isn’t coming out…… Isn’t that weird?

It was normal until this morning. It doesn’t look like there’s anything particularly wrong with the lower pipe.

Could it be that the water in the room is off because they’re doing repair work on the water system……?

Ehh? That’s a problem~……! I just wanted to wash my face and have a watch party.

Get the water flowing! Hey, hey!

—Eh!? The handle of the faucet came off!? UWAWAWAWAWAWA!? THE WATER’S GUSHING OU~T!?

W-Wait a minute! Can someone please stop thiiiiiiiiis!?

---

TL NOTES:

Black labor systems are systems where corporations operate with exploitative working conditions or a toxic company culture. They typically hire lots of young workers only to then force them to work large amounts of overtime without overtime pay (hence why Ibara doing so much overtime could cause a scandal for CosPro).

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[totowlff]

chapter five — trust

➝ ross brawn’s tumultuous departure from mercedes was nothing compared to what elisabeth and toto’s relationship had become. elisabeth goes to brackley to manage the fallout, but things only get more complicated.  

➝ word count: 2,4k

➝ warnings: none

➝ author’s note: enjoy!

NOVEMBER, 2013

Elisabeth slammed the black car door with a force completely disproportionate to what it took to close it, but proportionate to the anger she felt. The sound caused by the impact caught the attention of two employees, who were standing in front of the curvilinear building, talking, their eyes widening as she approached.

— Good morning, Elisabeth — one of them greeted her. He had a smile on his face.

— Good morning — she replied, dryly, not even looking at him. Her steps were heavy as she entered the lobby of the Mercedes AMG F1 headquarters in Brackley, focused on a singular mission.

Confront Toto Wolff.

She’d received an email from Bradley Lord, the team’s communications director, the night before. The message contained a link to an article — an exclusive Motorsport Magazine interview with Ross Brawn, who had just said goodbye to the team after a turbulent season. His departure was apparently all very hush-hush.

Her personal relationship with Brawn was cordial, but it was impossible not to notice something strange in the air when he was with her father and Toto. The harmony that had existed between the three of them at that first dinner in Vienna had completely disappeared. The way she saw it, the reason for such animosity was the simple fact that there were too many people wanting to run the same team. His interview confirmed her suspicions. 

However, Elisabeth hadn’t expected his revelations to be so harsh.

— What happened at Mercedes was that people I couldn’t trust were forced on me —  she muttered, reading the article's lede, dropping the cup of chamomile tea she was sipping on her desk in disbelief.

The rest of the interview made her stomach churn, with Brawn claiming to be disappointed in her father and Toto’s approach to the business. However, what made her drive nearly two hours from her Soho apartment to Brackley was Ross’ statement regarding the hiring of Paddy Lowe as the executive director earlier that year. According to Ross, Toto laid all of the blame on Niki for the decision.

— Liar — she growled, clenching her fists. 

She was at the dinner where the matter was discussed — it had been Toto’s idea to ask Lowe to work for Mercedes, starting in 2014. Her father was against the idea, saying it would be better to talk to Ross about it before signing anything with Paddy.

“How could he have been so underhanded?”, she thought, clenching her teeth.

With the clack of her heeled black shoes echoing on the gray floor, Elisabeth entered the building in silence, frowning. Her right hand was gripping the strap of her black bag that was slung over her shoulder. The oddly empty trophy case and the W03 displayed in the foyer were just blurs in her peripheral vision as she made her way to the elevator.

— Good morning, Miss Lauda — she stopped when she heard Alina, the receptionist, greet her warmly. As Elisabeth turned to face her, she concluded that her expression must have been frightening, as it made the smile on her face abruptly disappear.

— Is Wolff here today? — her voice came out cold as ice.

— Yes, Miss Lauda — she said, timidly.

— Great — she muttered, continuing towards the elevator in silence, the click of her heels following her.

The metal doors opened and Elisabeth stepped inside, pressing the button for the third floor. As the silver doors slid close, she turned to the mirror in the back of the elevator car, examining her reflection. Dressed in a black coat and with a red scarf wrapped around her neck, she looked elegant, however, her irritation was clear in her posture and in her expression. 

As she exited the elevator, she looked both ways down the corridor before heading in the direction of Toto’s office. Elisabeth walked like a woman on a mission. She approached the glass-walled room and realized it was empty. The lights were off. However, the suit jacket hanging on the back of the chair was an indication that he was here, somewhere.

But… Where?

Elisabeth turned to the right and noticed that several pairs of eyes were looking at her with curiosity, peering over several rows of computer screens. They were probably wondering what Niki Lauda’s daughter was doing there in Brackley on a freezing Thursday, and why she looked so furious.

— Where is he? — she asked, jerking her thumb towards the office behind her. Her voice was completely absent of any warmth. It caused the employees to glance at each other, nervously. 

— He’s in a meeting — a young man said, almost bracing himself for her reaction.

— Where? — Elisabeth said, looking directly at him, her tone firm. She wouldn’t be leaving that building today without speaking to Toto, face-to-face. 

— End of the hall, last door on the left — a red-haired woman, sitting next to him, replied, her voice a little shaky.

The shadow of a smile passed over her lips.

“Time to talk, Toto”, she thought.

— Thanks — she said, abruptly. Elisabeth turned back to the hallway and walked towards the room the staff had pointed out. As she approached the door, she could hear voices from inside. One voice stood out — one with a distinct accent that she knew very well.

— Last on the left. Here it is — she muttered to herself. She reached out to grab the doorknob and took a deep breath. Elisabeth needed to gather her courage for this.

“Moment of truth”, she thought as she turned the knob, flinging the door open. Inside the room, there were at least seven people seated around a rectangular table, watching a presentation by a representative from Puma of next year’s team kit.

— Toto, we need to talk — she shouted. In one movement, all of the eyes in the room went from her to Toto, seated at the head of the table. He was sitting with his mouth slightly open, as if he couldn’t believe what she was doing.

— Elisabeth, I don’t know if you noticed, but you just…

— Interrupted your very important meeting about — she added, looking at the screen, which displayed some sketches — Commemorative caps? Yes, I’d noticed, and I don’t give a fuck.

Toto took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. He was irritated.

— Could you wait in my office until I’m done?

— Negative — she snapped.

— Please? — he practically purred.

— My business with you is way more important than this… Shit — she spat, gesturing at the screen with her head. The Puma representative glared at her, clearly outraged by her words.

— Liesl…

Toto using his silly nickname for her had her clenching her jaw, anger building inside her. Elisabeth couldn't understand how he could treat this situation like a joke, especially when it involved something as serious as her father's relationship with investors. Trying to control herself, she crossed her arms over her chest, impassive. With his eyes glued to her, Toto shifted in his chair and ran a hand through his brown hair, visibly uncomfortable.

She had definitely put him in an incredibly awkward position.

— I think a five-minute break wouldn’t do any harm — a woman said in a placating tone, rising from her seat — Right, Toto?

— Yes, absolutely — Toto replied absently, his eyes locked with Elisabeth’s.

— Shall I show you to our coffee counter, gentlemen? — the woman said, gesturing toward the door. Elisabeth was still standing at the threshold with her arms crossed, staring Toto down.

Slowly, the meeting’s attendees rose from their chairs and passed through the doorway, walking by her without a word. “Stupid asshole”, she thought as the Puma representative walked past her, staring at Elisabeth with a reproachful look, which was answered by her raised eyebrow.

When the final attendee left, she entered the room and turned back towards the door, closing it and clicking the lock shut. She didn’t want any interruptions, or for Toto to try to make a run for it. Then, Elisabeth turned to face him, dropping her black bag on the table as she walked in his direction. Toto followed her with his eyes, shifting in his chair, running a hand through his hair again.

— I’m all ears.

— You’d better be, because I have a lot to say — she said, resting her palms on the table, leaning over the surface. She was trying to stare him down, but Toto’s height meant that their eyes were level.

Toto sighed.

— Go ahead.

— What’s this I hear about you blaming my dad for hiring Paddy Lowe when Brawn came to talk to you?

— Ah, I see you read the interview — his expression changed as he connected the dots.

— Of course I read it, Bradley sent it to me last night!

He continued to gaze at her with an appraising stare.

— Come on, speak! — she exclaimed. 

— Speak what?

— What the fuck was that idea of blaming my father? — she said, slapping the table.

— Well, Niki agreed with me…

— But he didn’t come up with the idea!

— I know, Elisabeth.

— So why did you say that to Brawn? — she was practically yelling now, standing from where she was leaning at the table. As she moved, Toto rose from his chair as well.

— Because I needed to buy time!

— And do you have any idea what you’ve done?

— What did I do, Elisabeth? — he asked in a mocking tone, which added to her irritation with him — Tell me what I did!

She rounded the table to approach him, her pulse roaring in her ears.

— You just sold out my dad as the main culprit for Brawn’s departure and you know how much investors liked him! What about my father’s image, Toto? 

— You talk like Ross didn’t say I couldn’t be trusted, either! — he snapped, taking a step forward. He walked toward her, drawing himself up to his full height. He was so tall that Elisabeth had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact with him. However, if Toto thought that would intimidate her, he was very wrong.

Actually, she found that she was… Turned on.

— How will he deal with the questions when he's not to blame?

— You're far too worried about this considering you have nothing to do with it — he spat.

— My father has a reputation to uphold, Toto!

— If he cared about his reputation, he would be here talking to me like a normal person instead of…

— Instead of what? — she screamed, getting as close to his face as she possibly could.

He stared down his nose at her, hesitant.

— If you have any balls, you’ll finish that sentence — she growled, close enough to him that they were practically touching, close enough that Elisabeth could feel the heat radiating off of his body. 

— If he cared — Toto said, putting emphasis on each word. — He’d be here talking to me instead of sending his pretty little girl to yell at me.

She blinked. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.

— What did you just say?

— Fuck, Liesl — he growled, before putting his hands on her face and pulling her toward him. He brought his lips to hers with a delicacy that was a sharp contrast to the harsh words they’d just exchanged. The gentleness of his kiss dissolved all the anger and contempt Elisabeth was feeling, leaving only the desire that was dammed up inside her since New Year’s Eve, in his office. His tongue asked for passage and, almost immediately, Elisabeth gave in, leaning her head against his left palm. Soon, her hands found his torso, pulling his body flush with hers as she felt her own body laying back against the hard surface of the conference table.

What had started as a curious exploration, as if they were both getting to know each other, became an intense exchange between the two of them, each of them holding onto each other as if they were the air each of them needed to breathe. 

She’d never wanted to feel a person’s touch like she wanted to feel Toto’s.

She’s never wanted to taste someone as badly as she wanted to taste Toto.

And Elisabeth wanted more. 

But then, then, in a fit of awareness, she realized what she was doing.

She was kissing Toto. He was on top of her.

Toto was the closest thing her father had to a friend. 

“This is wrong”, her mind screamed.

Moaning against his mouth, Elisabeth managed to push him away, panting. 

— No, no, no, no —  she muttered, completely disoriented — We can’t do this, I can’t, no…

— Elisabeth — Toto spoke quietly. She completely ignored him, rising from the table Toto had placed her on without her even noticing, adrenaline and regret coursing through her veins. In her mind, millions of thoughts were going on at the same time, faster than a Formula 1 car.

“I need to get out of here”, Elisabeth told herself mentally.

She picked up her bag from the table and dashed towards the door. Then, she turned the knob, unable to get the door open.

— What the fuck — she snarled, tucking a strand of her light-brown hair behind her ear.

— Have you tried unlocking it? — Toto asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Damn it”, she thought. Her hands trembled as she released the lock, freeing her from the conference room. Then, she strode quickly down the hallway towards the elevator. Around her, the faces were just a blur, the words seemed far away. Everything was drowned out by the roar of her pulse in her ears.

— Are you okay, Elisabeth? — someone asked.

— Miss Lauda, we heard screaming — said another.

— Liesl, wait — a voice yelled.

However, she ignored them all. She smashed the button to take her down to the ground floor and breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator door opened immediately, allowing her to step inside. Then, Elisabeth heard the elevator doors close behind her and allowed herself to look up, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. Her hair was messy, her lips red and slightly swollen, the red scarf around her neck was lopsided.

“What did I just do?”, she asked herself, hearing the pleasant, disembodied voice of the elevator announce that she was on the ground floor. Adjusting the posture and taking a deep breath, Elisabeth slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked back through the lobby, leaving the building.

— Miss Lauda — she heard Alina call behind her. Stopping halfway, she turned her face over her shoulder.

— Yes?

— Did you find Mr. Wolff? — she asked.

She hesitated for a few seconds.

— Yes, I did.

[38sr]

How did you got into marvel?

Hmmmmm, I guess I can answer this question now that I'm no longer working at Marvel. Before I begin, I want to preface that how I got to Marvel was very much a right time, place, fit and people situation. I don't think I would have been able to work on Spider-Man: Freshmen Year if it weren't for the genuine relationships I had built in the industry way before the production even started (or really pitched to Marvel in the first place). I go into more detail about networking and building vertical and horizontal relationships in depth in this previous ask. And with that, let's begin. So this story goes way back in March 2021 when I was going into my 3rd month as a storyboard revisionist for Critical Role: Legend of Vox Machina season 2. I had been DMed by a director I seriously admired and they asked me if I would interested in working on a sci-fi adventure show that would premiere on a streaming platform. I was so stoked. I thought, "Holy cow, I love this person's work and they actually looked at my stupid doodles and want me on their production????" So I say yes, go through the interviews, get the details of the show, etc. etc. Until we get to the actual job title they wanted to give me....which was a revisionist. I was kind of bummed out that they offered a revisionist role and not a board artist. At that point, I was a revisionist for almost a year and a half and I felt like I learned everything that I could in the position. But they persuaded me that being promoted is a possibility so I took what I could get (which I learned later is not always a good thing to do for yourself). I knew that I would be on CritRole until July and then switching back to Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3 until December of that year. I had no other job prospects beyond that so I said yes. But even though I said yes, it just didn't feel....right to me. And I should have listened to my gut at that time. Fast forward to end of July 2021. I wrapped up on CritiRole and went back home to NY for my birthday before starting Lower Decks S3 in two weeks. During that time, I had an assistant director over at Marvel contact me (we had worked together a year prior on a short pilot for an action show). They asked if I would be interested working on the new X-Men animated series as a board artist and---I said no. Yeah, I said no to Marvel. It wasn't because I didn't want to work on X-Men just 'cause. The start date conflicted with my start date for Lower Decks S3 and I just really enjoy the crew and production of that show and wanted to go back for another season. They understood and wished the best of luck for me. Although I won't lie that I was thinking about it a lot afterwards 'cause they had offered a board artist position....but what was done was done. So I go back to vacay mode. Until a few days later, I receive an email from Marvel Recruiting if I would be interested in working on an upcoming animated series. At that time, I thought the recruiter was talking about X-Men when she was actually talking about a whole different production. And granted, I can't be mad at the recruiter 'cause Disney is very lock and key with their productions. So me being dumb and not realizing it could have been a different project, I said no. Again. Yes. I did not say no to Marvel once , but TWICE. So fast forward to September 2021. I'm on Lower Decks S3 as a revisionist again. When suddenly, I get a DM from a friend inquiring me about when I would be done on Lower Decks. I tell him, " Oh, my last day is in December. Why, is the show you're on looking for board artists?" And then he proceeds to tell me that he actually left the production he had been on for 3+ years as a writer and is show-running his own show at Marvel. You've probably figured out by now this person was Jeff Trammell. Widely known for his work on Craig of the Creek (and many other productions haha) and the creator/head writer of Spider-Man: Freshman Year. We had met way back in March 2020 right before quarantine had begun and kept in touch in through social media over the years. Nothing big really, tweet here and there, comment here and there when we saw each other's work and such. I was honestly baffled. I had absolutely no idea that he moved to Marvel or had his own show there. But more importantly, this was the third time Marvel reached out to me about work. So I tell my older sister and she proceeded to push me into taking an interview with them. I really have to thank her for that haha. So I go into the interview, only with plans to hear them out and learn about the project. And then one interview led to another, and then another, and then another....until it dawns upon me: Holy crap. I...I don't think I can pass on this opportunity.

I wholeheartedly believe that I would have regretted passing on Jeff's show. The people I would work with, the project itself, and they offered me a board position not revisionist. In the interviews, it genuinely felt like they wanted me as a board artist and wanted to help me learn/grow on the production. It just...it just felt so right and I wanted to do it. But I was signed onto that sci-fi adventure show that would start when Spider-Man did. And in that moment I learned a huge lesson about job hunting in animation: Don't always jump at the first thing that presents itself to you. Learn about the project, your potential crew mates and take the time to think about whether or not it's a right fit for you/will it bring a new challenge to you. And I'll be honest, I wasn't happy with the offer I got on the sci-fi show. I had gotten comfortable being a revisionist and wanted something more challenging but didn't vocalize it properly. I wanted to learn and be in an environment that facilitated growth for greener artists....and that just wasn't what I felt from the sci-fi show. So I had to do the scariest thing I've ever done in my life which was ending my contract with the sci-fi show. I was so anxious about it....hoping that I wasn't burning any bridges or coming off as a flake for leaving (even though production didn't start until Feb 2022 and it was Oct 2021 at this point in the story).  But I had to do it and I did do it.....after 3 weeks of trying to get a hold of anyone at the studio 'cause I had no clue how to prematurely end a contract hahahahahahaha....but once it was done! I signed my contract at Marvel and would be starting on Jeff's show in the new year. And that pretty much sums up how I got to Marvel. Funnily enough, at the end of my contract for Lower Decks I had learned that the person who originally scouted me for the sci-fi show actually left the show before I did (along with other artists who I admired and wanted to work with). So in a weird way, everything turned out okay. The universe is strange like that I guess. But yeah, my experience getting into Marvel was a very much a series of life lessons that I'll never forget in a good way. I'm just incredibly thankful to Jeff for taking a chance on me and allowing me to be part of a really special production with such talented artists. If not for that, I think I would still be the same board revisionist who was too scared to leave my comfort zone haha. I hope that story was enjoyable(?). I understand that reading this might make emerging artists feel like, "Damn...I have to know someone in order to get on a good show like that?" And that's not true. It really is a matter of right time place, people and fit. And that's not something you can quantify or artificially create. It just...kind of happens and you learn how to read situations to gauge whether everything is lining up to what you like/need. And you don't really learn that skill understand you're in it as a green artist and experience it. At some point Jeff was a green writer, I was a green artist, all of us in the industry started out green without any big connections. and we had to learn how do to it. So with that, I hope what you take away from this story is building those genuine relationships with people really does go a long way in various ways in the animation industry.

[juicycoutureheaux]

Always There

Chapter 2: Happy & Sad

A/N: I wrote this while I was inspired; I’ve been bellyaching over this story for like 3 weeks and just wanted to get it published. I hope y’all enjoy it. The title is a Kacey Musgraves song, which this entire album was the inspo for this story.

The next couple of months were a blur. He felt Y/N’s absence almost immediately. He did what he did best and threw himself into work.

Claire was upset with him; she had pulled what he did to Y/N out of him.

She told him he was making a mistake, that Y/N sounded like “the one” and their parents would have definitely approved.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Y/N; surely she should have moved on by now. What was she doing? Was she still counseling others? Was she fucking someone else? He felt ashamed, he really had ruined things with her, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t thrown herself into another serious relationship.

He was growing more miserable by the day; everyday just felt lonelier. He had a taste of what a domestic, simple life had in store for him. Y/N was right, she was blessed to live in that gorgeous town, and he felt himself longing for it too.

He made up his mind and sent an email to the director. He was going to go back to that town and work something out with Y/N. He was going to apologize and make things right; or at least try to.

His flight landed in the decent sized airport in the middle of the morning. He had a plan but still felt nervous. There was a decent chance Y/N wanted nothing to do with him and wouldn’t take him back; but he was willing to take that chance.

The neighborhood of her residence was something out of a movie. Big oak trees leaned their branches over the road covering each house with a blanket of shade. Her house was a charming white cottage with azalea bushes out front. There was a colorful wreath on the door and a sturdy porch swing.

His feet felt heavy as he was climbing the steps up to the door. He knocked on the door and was surprised when he heard footsteps almost immediately.

He almost dropped to his knees in anxiety when she answered the door.

There she was, her Y/C hair was pulled neatly on top of her head, her eyes as bright as he had ever seen them. Then there it was, his eyes glanced downwards to her abdomen and she had her hand resting on a small bump.

She was equally shocked to see him. The two just stared at eachother for what felt like ages until Y/N broke the silence.

“Did Julieanne tell you?” She asked her voice just above a whisper.

“I had no idea about this!” He gestured at the small bump. “I was surprised she even returned my messages; but I guess I know why.”

She just laughed a humorless laugh. Her sister would kill to be a witness to this “grand romantic gesture.” As she liked to call it. Damn her, she read too many romance novels.

“I better get you inside, don’t want my nosy neighbors to get the wrong idea and call the cops.”

He loved her dry sense of humor, but guessing by the number of neighbors that just now decided to do “yard work” he decided there was some truth to her statement.

He stepped inside ths cottage. “Y/N I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for how I left things with you; but why didn’t you try to reach out?”

Chris took her small hands into his.

“I thought about everything you’d said to me Chris, I didn’t want to force this on you.” She looked down at her feet, avoiding eye contact. “I didn’t want to upset you.”

Chris embraced her tightly, “Y/N, all I could think about these last two months is starting a life with you and a family.” He let go of her. “I told myself I couldn’t have it, and I know how wrong that was.”

She cupped his cheek with her hand and began to stroke his stubble with her thumb. “What are we gonna do?” She asked, looking him in the eyes.

“I’m going to be there for you two.” Chris smiled at her.

“This time I mean it.”

“What about the BSAA? What about your job there? Aren’t they going to freak out that one of their leading agents is going to retire?” She said quickly.

“I’m sure I can work something out with them.”

“I’m not going back to New York.”

“I didn’t say we would have to do that.” He shrugged.

She missed him, there was no denying it. She missed the moments when he had a hopeful glint in his eye, she’d almost forget what kind of work he did and what kinds of things he had seen.

“Are you talking about moving here?” She asked hopefully.

“I plan on it.” He said confidently. “Did you know the military base here has had platoons run in with the BSAA?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? This little base here?”

He laughed. “Don’t underestimate that little base, they’ve got some pretty capable people there and some pretty impressive talent. I’ve convinced the director to come to a deal with the US military.”

“Chris no you didn’t, you literally moved heaven and earth just to come back?” She was blown away. Talk about cliche.

“Now don’t give me all the credit, it’s been in the works for years, they just needed the right person to spearhead it; and The director figured who better than a founding member?” He said proud of himself.

Y/N just stood there shocked. She was blown away; the same man that had told her two months ago he wanted nothing to do with her was in her living room promising her the world and making it happen.

“Chris, I don't know what to say.”

“Please just tell me that you’ll reconsider giving me another chance.” He said putting his warm hand on her thigh.

That made her blush. The memories of all the good times they had together came flooding back; but, the way he made her feel in that hotel room, she couldn’t move past it.

She remembered going to Julieannes and crying her eyes out until she fell asleep. She remembered feeling sick but chalking it up to her nerves.

It was Julieanne that convinced her to take the test, and another one when they both showed up positive. The doctor confirmed it and she sat in her car in the hospital parking lot crying; she would be tied to him forever whether he knew or not.

She had to heal, he had his reasons for leaving; and he was back. She took a deep breath.

“Only if you fucking talk it out with me next time rather than leaving me.” She looked at him, some anger in her eyes and some of that playfulness he had fall in love with.

“I promise babe.” He said and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. He was stroking her hair and she had her fingers tangled in his.

It felt like a dream for the both of them.

They both came up for air when Chris laid his hands softly on her abdomen.

“When will we know anything about this small person?” He said lovingly.

She kissed him on his warm forehead.

“I have an appointment in a couple of weeks, if you’d like to come along.” She said happily.

“Of course, I don’t want to miss out on anymore moments with you and our baby boy.”’ He winked at her.

She smiled. “You’re really so sure it’s going to be a boy huh?”

“Of course, there’s always the first born son in the Redfield family.”

“So we’re the Redfields? Shouldn’t I change my name?” She said, pushing his buttons.

“You know, I knew there was a reason I came down here.” He said sarcastically.

He had his speech prepared, but there was no need to; everything happened so naturally.

He pulled out a blue velvet box from his pocket. It definitely had some age to it, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

“Y/N I know this seems crazy, but one thing I’ve learned is life is short-“ she cut him off.

“Yes, Redfield I’ll marry you.” She said bluntly.

“You didn’t even give me a chance Y/N.”‘Chris said, taken aback.

“I didn’t have to, your actions were all I needed.” She said cupping his cheek again. He loved the feel of her dainty hands on his face.

He opened the box and inside was a dainty antique engagement ring. It had to be an heirloom she thought.

“I know it seems small, but I didn’t have much time. We can go shopping together and we can find the perfect ring, no matter what it costs.” Chris said nervously.

It was beautiful, it was what looked like a 2 carat European cut diamond, with intricate filigree on the sides. “Chris this is beautiful, whose ring is this?” She said still in shock.

“It was my mother’s, but it was my grandmothers before that.”

“Claire didn’t want it?” She said incredulously

“Claire thought it would be put to better use with you.”’

Y/N couldn’t believe it, she hadn’t even met Claire and she was putting a lot of faith into her being perfect for her brother. She also thought of how generous she was for letting Chris propose with their own Mother’s ring. if it was Y/N she would have kept it for herself; but, that spoke for what kind of family she would be marrying into. What their child would be born into; a loving and accepting one.

She smiled as he slipped the ring on her finger. “It fits perfectly!” She said shocked.

“I totally took a chance on it being the right size too.” Chris said, rubbing the back of his head.

“You mean you didn’t think to get it sized beforehand?” Y/N asked suspiciously.

“I told you I had a revelation and was short on time! Magical moments like this wait for no one!” He said half joking.

Y/N looked at him and just smiled. “I can’t believe this is really happening.” She leaned into his chest. “I love you Chris Redfield.”

“I love you too. Y/N.” And you shared a sweet, chaste kiss.

————//////——////———/////——-//////——-/////———/////-

After a long engagement and the birth of their son Jonah, Chris found himself standing in the groom’s suite of the little church Y/N had grown up in.

“Well, I guess I’m the one who ended up marrying Y/N in this church.”’he thought to himself.

Sure, the last couple of months hadn’t been too easy; but he got to spend them with Y/N and that was all worth it.

Chris and Y/N were over the moon when they found out they were actually expecting a boy.

The two had taken great care in constructing their nursery for their bundle of joy and were so relieved when they had finished.

When Y/N had finally gone into labor, it had actually hit her she was going to be a mother and finally panicked. Chris made sure that he was there for her through it all; the actual delivery, the sleepless nights and the postpartum depression.

She hadn’t anticipated going through a roller coaster of emotions like she did; but Chris understood and was there when she needed help.

The two made a perfect team when it came to parenting. Chris found himself extremely hands on and very supportive. He made sure that once Y/N came home from the hospital and actually sleep after her delivery; not worry about Jonah the entire time.

Y/N was so thankful, she knew he would be a great partner; but she hadn’t expected anything like this.

After a couple months of living in pure bliss with their infant son; Y/N’s father, Roy, asked them about their plans for getting married.

“You know I was just so caught up in Jonah’s arrival, I hadn’t even thought of us.” Y/N answered truthfully.

“I was thinking maybe heading down to the courthouse and just signing the paperwork. What do you think babe?” She looked at Chris.

“I think if you want an actual ceremony Y/N we should have one.” Chris smiled and took her hand in his.

She looked over at her sister and Clarke, who were both smiling so hard she thought they would explode.

“We’ll see.” She said, and with that Julieanne squealed with delight and started to plan.

It was a beautiful day in the middle of fall. The weather had started to cool down and the trees had started to change colors.

Y/N was getting ready in the bridal suite with Julieanne and Claire. Claire was over the moon when Y/N asked her to be apart of the wedding personally.

“I can’t believe the day is already here!” Claire squealed. “I can’t believe my brother is actually settling down.”

Julieanne laughed “I know, I can’t believe the same for my sister either.”

Julieanne and Claire were like two peas in a pod, within the first 10 minutes of meeting, they had already exchanged phone numbers.

Y/N’s heart was so full, she had managed to create a large loving support system for her growing family.

“Y/N, it’s time.” Julieanne whispered to her.

“I know, I’ll go ahead and go to the doors of the church I’ll See y’all in a minute.”

Y/N quietly made her way through the church walkway, from fellowship hall, to the doors of the chapel where the coordinator & her father were waiting for her.

“You ready magnolia?” Her father asked taking her arm.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She kissed her father on the cheek.

The doors opened and she stepped through the threshold.

There were dozens of smiling faces at her, but all she could focus on was the handsome man standing at the altar.

The wedding was absolutely lovely and the two of them were close to tears.

They were able to duck away for a private moment immediately following the ceremony. The two sat in the Bridal suite, reminiscing on their relationship before Jonah.

The two then joined the rest of the reception and were introduced as husband and wife. They danced and socialized with each others families. It was Y/N’s first time getting to chat with the Burtons, and she became very fond of Barry and his wife by the end of the night. They couldn’t stop cooing over Jonah.

Jill and her partner, Carlos were there as well. Y/N was ecstatic having so many important people in Chris’ life attend. She knew all of these people were important to him and that it wasn’t easy having them all here.

She made a mental note to make sure they received all Of their addresses to send thank yous.

The night eventually ended much to the couples chagrin and relief. They were sad the night had to end, but we’re relieved as they both weren’t 21 anymore and very tired.

“Where’s Jonah?” Y/N asked her sister.

“Girl, you didn’t know? Y’all are staying in a room in that fancy hotel on Desoto island for the week.”

“What?” Y/N was done with the surprises. She looked at Chris. “Was this your plan?”

Chris smiled at her. “Trust me, I had nothing to do with this, Julieanne let me know two nights ago. We got your bags all packed though.”

“I can’t believe y’all would surprise us like that; it’s so expensive! Who’s going to be taking care of Jonah?”

Claire chimed in, “I figured I could spend some time in the city with Jonah, and Julieanne’s family.”

“Y’all are seriously the best.” Y/N said with tears in her eyes.

“Y’all just have fun and relax; I also heard Jonah wants a brother or sister.” Julieanne winked at them.

Y/N playfully punched her dear sister.

——////——-////—-////—-////—-////—-////—-////—-////—-////

Chris and Y/N arrived at the beautiful hotel on the beach at around 1 am. They were sharing a bottle of champagne on the balcony of the room, the warm salty air blowing through their hair.

“Is this what you’d imagined married life being like?” She said to Chris with heavy lidded eyes.

“To be honest with you, I never thought I’d have moments like these.” Chris said somewhat melancholy. “I thought my job would have killed me or that I would have ruined everything I touched.”

Y/N leaned over and kissed him. “You’re perfect.”

He replied with a deeper kiss. She ran her fingers through his cropped hair and just relished in the moment. She broke the kiss and beckoned him inside the cool hotel room.

“Might as well make good use of this bed and give Jonah a sibling.” She winked at him.

Chris was more than happy to oblige.

“I’m so lucky to spend the rest of my life with you.”’

“I think the word you’re looking for is blessed

[curatingworship]

NEW ARTWORK INSPIRED BY RYVOLI - ACCEPTED INTO THE 2023 JURIED FRESH ART EXHIBITION

I have a new painting the was officially accepted into this year’s annual Fresh Art Exhibition at Summit Artspace in Downtown Akron. It was a true honor to be selected by juror Michael Gill, the Executive Director, Founder, and Editor of Collective Arts Network (CAN) Journal. My accepted artwork is titled:

Wasting Away in the Best of Times (We Go on Dancing Nonetheless)

So, creating this artwork was a totally awesome experience for me. My buddy Tim (whom I’ve created several short films with) introduced me awhile back to an amazing new band that his friends started called Ryvoli. I was hooked after listening to them for the first time and found myself consuming their new album and old songs on repeat all the time. Their music hit me in that right spot (like other bands I’ve mentioned before) that connected in a personal way with my story, and heartbreaks, and hopes.

I told Tim I was really provoked to create an artwork based on one of Ryvoli’s songs. He offered to connect me with Sam and Jenn from the band directly to see about collaborating on the piece. (The concept of collaborating with the musicians/song writers that inspire me to create artwork was always a dream of mine and something that I always thought should occur more often in the art/music world than I have seen.

All that to say, Sam and Jenn were totally game for helping me out. After some initial texts/emails, our collaboration resulted in several short but precious audio journal entries that Sam took the time to create for me to use in my work. I listened to the recordings many times and took notes and added my own reflections in my sketchbook as I worked on the painting. This process was so rewarding as it helped unlock a new depth and meaning in the song and lyrics that I was referencing in my work.

My favorite artwork to create is a collaborative artwork. I enjoy working on pieces with other creatives as opposed to just going it alone. I’ve always been that way. Perhaps that’s why I love making films as they have a built-in communal creative quality to them. Or maybe it’s just a lot more fun to tell stories when you co-write them with other people.

Anyhow, I hope that Sam and Jenn like what I’ve created and feel like there are at least a few bits of their work that have been honored by my own. As I said in my artist statement, I think my painting is really like a small “song” that we wrote together. I’m hoping that someone who listens to it will find some meaning and hope in their story the same way I did when I heard “Not in a Bad Way.”

Thank you Sam and Jenn for taking the time to connect with me. Your music and lyrics are special and have a special place in my story.

I’ve included the formal Titles/Artist Statements/Details about my piece below.

The Fresh Art Exhibition opening is January 13th from 5pm-7pm. The show runs from January 13 - March 18.

Artwork Title:  Wasting Away in the Best of Times (We Go on Dancing Nonetheless)

Artist Statement: Wasting Away in the Best of Times (We Go on Dancing Nonetheless) is a visual and emotional response to the song “Not in a Bad Way,” by Ryvoli. Stylistically, it is an abstract expressionist work influenced by street art and using words and language as art. Thematically, it explores the tension that exists when we find ourselves navigating or trapped in moments known as “liminal spaces.” These disorienting seasons often leave us hanging uncomfortably in transition, often forcing us to tread water somewhere in-between storms and safe harbors.

My work is heavily influenced and inspired by music and Ryvoli’s song “Not in a Bad Way” served as my primary inspiration and source material for this piece. My research for this painting took a fresh turn as I was able to connect with Sam (and Jenn) from the band through a mutual friend. This is the first piece I’ve done with an inside perspective from a song writer on the story behind the song that provoked me to create a work of art. Through our small collaboration, I ended up with several short but precious audio journal entries from Sam. She thoughtfully answered questions I had and offered honest reflections about the pain and hidden beauty behind her song. The painting contains some of those moments, as well as my reflections as I spent time listening to the song and Sam’s journal recordings.

Whenever we speak to an artist directly about their work, it connects us to their art or music in a new and more intimate way.

My hope is that this painting reveals my story (one that is rooted in many long years of chronic pain), while also re-telling a bit of the story Sam shared with me too. In the end, perhaps our collective voices have a song worth singing to someone else who is searching for some bravery as they face the hard and often lonely road that leads, sometimes slowly, through liminal spaces.

Beyond Ryvoli’s “Not in a Bad Way,” this artwork was also influenced by mewithoutYou’s “9:27 a.m., 7/29″, “My Exit Unfair”, “O’ Porcupine”, and “A Glass Can Only Spill What it Contains.”

Medium:  Acrylic, Crayon, and Hand-cut Stencil Graffiti on Canvas

Dimensions:  36” x 48”

I wanted to add the Juror’s Statement about the show...

The challenge of Fresh—to push the boundaries of what art can be— is a big one, both in the context of the times and within the practice of any individual artist.  How does art evolve, and how does an individual practice evolve, and how do we push ourselves and each other?  For most artists, this is a constant pursuit. What can we do that is new? How can the things we make relate to the world, and matter? One of the ways that happens is through the materials use, and the way they intersect with the times.  Does the medium speak to the time? Is it derived of the time? How does it relate, either inherently or in the way the artist uses it? In choosing this show, I focused on medium and material and the ways they inform the artists’ work.  

This is an incredibly varied show, not only in the media and the mix of media, but in the perspective of the artists.  There’s abstract intrigue, urgent concerns, and topical provocation, and plenty in between. And you have plenty to gain by taking a close look at each piece. I love the way the show came out, and glad to have you see and consider these works.  

Thanks to all the artists who applied to be a part of this show. Without individual artists, we would not have all this substance that enriches our lives. And thanks to Summit Artspace for creating the platform for the artists to show their work, and for people to take a look. It has been a pleasure playing a role in this year’s iteration of Fresh.  

– Michael Gill Executive Director Collective Arts Network

[w2soneshots]

First day -W2S

Words: 1.2k+

Warnings: none.

Summary: you start your first day at your new job and take a fancy to your ‘boss’.

a/n: first fic on here! I hope you enjoy💞

I walked into the wear house of my new job with a smile on my face exited for a change from my old one. I immediately spotted a familiar face. "Kristi!" I called walking up to her. She quickly turned around and smiled "y/n! How are you? Ready for your first day?" she asked. "I'm great and I can't wait!" I replied with a smile.

She quickly introduced me to Kon who is the person in charge of most of the filming, a bit like a director and who is also her boyfriend. He quickly told me what I needed to do and I got to work, making sure the set was perfect and helping to set up all the lighting.

I was then introduced to Simon who is one of the seven sidemen and who had organised the shoot today. "Hi I'm Simon." he introduced himself with a friendly smile. "y/n. Nice to meet you." I replied professionally. "So, are you enjoying your first day?" He asked. "Yeah. This set is so cool!" I answered enthusiastically. Simon smiled lightly then looked behind me and waved. I turned around to see someone walking towards us. "Aight?" Simon fist bumped the short ginger. "Yeah mate, you?" he replied. "Yeah, good good." Then he turned to me. "y/n right?" He asked. "Yes nice to meet you..." "Ethan." he added. "Ethan."

I met four other people from the sidemen and they were all lovely: Tobi, JJ, Vik and Josh. Everyone was ready to start filming but who I assumed was Harry (due to overhearing a conversation between Kon and Simon) was late. Finally he walked in and all of the boys started teasing him and going on about a red card for being so late, but he protested that he was stuck in traffic.

Kon sent me on set to adjust one of the lights that was slightly off, and everyone got in their places ready to film. "A little to the left!" Kon ordered from across the room. "There?" I asked, moving the light around. "Stop. Perfect." As I left the set I caught someone's eye. It was who I assumed was Harry since I have met everyone here, and I didn't recognise him. I smiled lightly at him and he did the same back, before I walked back towards Kon.

Filming went on for just over two hours. Since it's my first day I was basically following Kon around and doing whatever he needed done. Once we finished I helped Kristi put away some of the camera equipment.

I grabbed my bag and coat ready to leave for the day, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Harry. "I didn't get too introduced myself earlier. I'm Harry." he said putting out his hand. "y/n." I replied, shaking his hand. "Had a good first day?" He asked me. "Yes, everyone's so nice here!" I replied enthusiastically. He smiled. "I better be getting home. See you on the next shoot?" "Yep, See you there." I replied as we both walked away.

That night I was followed on instagram by Tobi (who I'd given my username to when we ran into each other as we were getting into our cars), JJ, Vik, Ethan, Josh, Simon and Harry. I followed them all back then went to sleep.

Today marks a week working for the sidemen, and I did a little research one night to figure out what they were all about, since I was clueless when I first started. Instead of a warehouse like my first day, they're shooting a side-cast (their podcast), which is located in a very tall building. From the email, I was told that James (who is one of the main camera men) would be 'in charge' today. I also found out that only four of the sidemen do the podcast at a time and today would be: Simon, Tobi, Harry, and JJ.

When I arrived I walked into reception and signed in. Once I went up the lift and found the right room I walked in and quickly spotted James. We said hello, and he told me that I would be in charge of camera two today and that the boys would be here any minute. I sat down my bag and took off my coat.

Tobi was the first to arrive followed by Simon, JJ and then Harry. They all greeted me along with the rest of the crew, and we got straight into filming. It took about an hour and a half to film the entire side-cast and then afterwards as I was grabbing my bag and coat I saw Harry walking towards me.

"Hey!" he smiled at me. "Hi, do you need anything?" I asked, feeling slightly nervous. "No, I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to go and get lunch?" a smile spread across my face, and I replied "I would love to."

I was quite surprised that Harry had asked me to lunch, but I was very happy he had. I ended up going in his car and he drove to nando's. He was the first to talk "I'm not sure if you like nando's," "Oh no I love it, it's my favourite!" I reassured him. "Thank God." he replied sarcastically. After we finished our food, he asked me if I would like to come back to his place. I said yes, and he drove to his apartment.

As he was about to unlocked the door he stopped. "By the way, I have a roommate, just ignore him." he said in a slightly jokey tone. I laughed. "Will do." Once he open the door, we both took off or shoes and he walked me through to the kitchen. "Your apartment is lovely." I complemented, looking around.

After about an hour of sitting and talking on his couch, who I assumed was his roommate walked in. He looked at Harry and raised his brows. Harry gave him a dirty look then introduced us. "y/n this is Cal, Cal y/n." he said as we both stood up. I smiled and put my hand out to shake his, and he did just that. "Nice to meet you." he smiled, wiggling his eyebrows. "You too." I replied laughing.

"So, are you Harrys bird, yeah?" He asked with a smirk. Harry punched him in the arm "ow!" Cal groaned quietly. "Uh no, no I'm not." I replied with a slight giggle, finding them very amusing. "You should get on that then Bog." My brows furrowed. "Bog?" I thought. "Bog?" I said allowed. "Stupid nickname." Harry replied .

Cal or Freezy as he told me to call him retreated back to his room after grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. Harry turned to me. "I told you to ignore him." I laughed. "He seems nice!"

I spent a few hours at Harry's place before I decided it was time to go home. We exchanged numbers before I left. "Thanks for lunch. I had a great time." he smiled. "Me too, see you at the shoot on Thursday?" "See you there."

Harry's pov:

As soon as the door closed I heard Freezys open. I turned to see him stood with a smirk on his face. "She's nice." He chuckled. "Yep." I really did like her, she's funny, kind, she smells amazing and she is so fucking beautiful. Shit, I really like her.

[overlooked-tracks]

Watch Ed Sheeran Join Russ in ‘Are You Entertained’ Music Video

The following article has been posted on July 23, 2022 at 03:49PM:

An Overlooked Tracks News Finding: Here’s an article you might have overlooked. Having a partnership with NewsAPI, we try to catch music entertainment news for you to view, read and possibly enjoy. We will continue to find what’s available in the world of music entertainment, concert information and music releases. But obviously you – the listener and reader are the biggest source for news in your area, so if you can share with us. For right now, look at what we found for you:

“From The Rolling Stone – India Magazine Website – Watch Ed Sheeran Join Russ in ‘Are You Entertained’ Music Video”

Sheeran shared the backstory of the clip, intended to be directed by the late Jamal Edwards.

Russ has dropped a music video for his recent single “Are You Entertained” featuring Ed Sheeran, who lent his vocals to the track.

The glossy video, which features appearances from Brenda Edwards and Tom Felton, was meant to be directed by British music mogul Jamal Edwards, who died in February. Sheeran shared the story behind the video in a lengthy Instagram post, noting that Russ first approached him last December in New York while he was out to dinner.

“I was a fan so we just sat and ate pasta and drink wine together,” Sheeran recounted. “A few days later I sent him the rough idea for this song, the same day he emailed me back with it finished, which I loved. He said we should do a video, so I hit up @jamaledwards, knowing that he would create something incredible for us. Jamal then planned it out for the next couple of months, sending me locations, ideas, cameos, trying to make it the best video any of us could make.”

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He continued, “We were meant to shoot in February, but the day before Russ flew out, Jamal tragically died. Our whole world was upside down, and I had to cancel and just tell Russ it wasn’t happening, but he was so so understanding, to a level I’ll never forget.”

The musicians ultimately resurrected the idea with Jake Nava as the director. “I felt so sad on the day, but very proud,” Sheeran recalled of the shoot. “I wish Jam was here to see it, I wish we’d done it together, but he would be buzzing how all his people came together and brought his vision to life.”

In May, Sheeran released new “tour edition” of his latest album, =. Pronounced Equals, the 2021 release got a refresh with the addition of nine tracks. Earlier this year, Sheeran hopped on a pair of tracks alongside J Balvin — “Sigue” and “Forever My Love” — and joined Camila Cabello on “Bam Bam.”

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[watchmegetobsessed]

Crushing - Harry Styles

a/n: just a little something that was inspired by a tiktok and @pastequeharry​ !

pairing: Harry X Famous!Reader

word count: 2.2k

masterlist

“Welcome back, I hope has everyone returned from our little break because we are playing a fun little game with Y/N, who by the way won a Grammy award for best new artist this weekend, so congratulations on that!”

Ellen smiles at you widely as she claps along with the audience and you’re just smiling shyly, still not quite used to the sound of it.

“Thank you,” you nod looking around.

“Okay, we are going to play a round of who’d you rather. Are you familiar with the game?” she asks you.

“Yes, I’ve seen others play it before.”

“Great. For those who don’t know the game, two people will show up on the screen and Y/N will have to choose one. Whoever she chooses will come with us to the next round and at the end we’ll know who is her ultimate crush.”

“Ah man,” you huff, feeling a little nervous about who they are gonna show you and the audience laughs at your reaction as your fingers dig into the armrest of the armchair you’re sitting comfortably in.

“Are you ready?” Ellen questions with a smile that tells you just how much she is enjoying this.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be, but let’s get started,” you chuckle nervously.

“Okay, let’s see our first pair,” she starts and two pictures show up on the big screen and on the smaller one at the front of the stage so you don’t have to crane your neck. “So we have Zendaya and Tom Holland. Who are you choosing?”

“You really had to start with two of my biggest Marvel crushes?!” you whine and the audience starts laughing again as you chew on your bottom lip, trying to decide. “I love them both, but I’m gonna have to go with Zendaya, because in height, we would be better. I’m sorry Tom, I still love you!” you declare, looking around all cameras, hoping they all got your confession.

“Alright. So now we’ll keep Zendaya and move on to the next person, who is… Harry Styles. Zendaya or Harry Styles?”

The blood rushes out of your face as you see a picture of Harry, memories of the two of you meeting at the award show in the weekend flooding back to your mind. Harry has been a crush of yours since probably forever. You’ve been a fan of his since his One Direction days and your career started to take off sometime around the time he started his solo career, only difference is that it took you a little longer to earn yourself a name in the industry. But this weekend you finally met him for the first time, in real life, without you just watching him on the stage with four other men.

You spotted him at the area that led to the red carpet, he was about to step out when his eyes laid on you and though he was wearing a mask, you still knew he was smiling from the little wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Your breath caught in your throat, stopping in your track as you were holding up your gown so you wouldn’t trip and fall with all the cameras around.

“Y/N! Hi!” he greeted you stepping closer, as if the two of you were old friends.

“Hi!” you managed to speak up, feeling completely starstruck.

“Love the gown! You look wonderful!” he complimented you and you could feel your cheeks heating up so fast.

“Oh, thank you, but I think you’re stealing the show with the boas,” you chuckled making him laugh as well.

“Thank you. Congrats on the nomination, I really hope you win by the way.”

“You do?”

“Of course. Listened to the album, it’s really good,” he nodded and your heart skipped a beat. Harry Styles listened to your album and he liked it? This must be Heaven, but when did you die?

“Thank you so much! I hope you win too, though your chances are better with your three nominations,” you joked making him laugh again.

“Yeah, just a little,” he nodded. “Here, let me help you.” He offered you his arm helping you step up the few steps that lead to the area where the red carpet photos were taken and you were thankful for the help, though you could already hear all the camera’s clicking in your way and you knew the photos would be all over the internet by the next day.

You only met one more time during the evening and you could only congratulate to each other on the wins before you both were snatched away, but you still play your conversation with him in your head before you go to bed in the evening.

“Um, Zendaya is everything but I’m gonna play this game honestly so I’ll choose Harry.”

The audience starts cheering and clapping at the decision as Ellen smirks at you, nodding along.

“No need to be shy, we all have a crush on Harry probably,” she jokes making you laugh. “Okay, next up we have… Harry Styles and The Weeknd.”

“I’m gonna stick to Harry,” you answer probably a little too fast, but if you’re being honest, they can’t show you anyone at this point who would beat Harry.

“Harry stays, next we have Harry and… Florence Pugh.”

“You guys made sure to make it hard for me!” you chuckle staring at the screen. “But I’m still gonna stick to Harry, though I love them both.”

“Alright, for the next round we have Harry Styles and Niall Horan.”

“I’m upset, because as a One Direction fan, I should not be forced to choose between them,” you point at Ellen, giving her a hard look which the audience finds quite hilarious.

“I’m sure you had ranked them before, don’t be shy,” she smirks and you sigh rolling your eyes.

“Okay, no offence to anyone but Harry stays. Sorry Niall, I still love you though,” you add with a smile.

“Harry is in a winning streak, it seems. Okay, let’s see his next opponent. Harry against Chris Evans.”

“Harry,” you answer with a sigh, crossing your legs, knowing well you will not choose anyone over Harry.

“Fast answer, great. Harry Styles or Ariana Grande.”

“Love Ariana, she’s a queen, but Harry,” you answer with a smile, the audience enjoying your obsession over Harry Styles and at this point you are not even trying to hide it.

“Harry Styles or Henry Cavill?”

“Harry,” you answer right away.

Henry’s picture disappears and Harry’s moves to the middle as the game comes to its end.

“Seems like we have a winner here. Harry Styles beat everyone!” Ellen chuckles as you glance at the big screen, blushing a little, but you are hoping your makeup is covering it well.

“You said it yourself, everyone has a crush on him,” you shrug, trying to play it cool.

“Yes, but not everyone was helped out by him,” she smirks as a photo of the two of you appears on the screen from last weekend and you cover your face with your hands as the audience goes wild.

“He is a gentleman,” you sigh dreamily.

“He really is and I have to say that the two of you look great together.”

“Oh stop it,” you chuckle, playing it over a little, just to make it less obvious how giddy even the thought makes you.

“Well, now we know that he is your number one choice, hopefully he’ll take the next step,” Ellen chuckles before moving on and asking you a few more questions as part of your appearance on the show.

Weeks go by and you kind of forget about the whole interview. It blows up the next few days, but nothing really happens, people just get excited that you are crushing on Harry just like everyone else, but it dies down pretty quickly.

You barely recovered from your Grammy win and yet you are already marching towards another milestone in your career. None other than Gucci asked you to be part of their new campaign in an amazing photoshoot and you just couldn’t say no, not that you ever even thought about it. After some online meetings and sending emails back and forth the first fitting’s day has finally arrived and you are buzzing!

Heading down to the showroom to go over every outfit they want you to wear for the photos, you can’t wipe the excited grin off your face. Growing up you could only dream about owning anything Gucci, now you are going to be promoting them so it truly is a dream come true.

Arriving you are walked into the showroom that is now filled with racks of clothes and there’s a podium with three mirrors surrounding it for the fitting.

“Y/N! Hi! So nice to finally meet you after all the emails and calls!” Nancy, the creative director of the campaign greets you.

“Nice to meet you too!”

“We are in a little bit of delay, I’m very sorry about that, but we can start in about ten minutes, if that’s alright with you.”

“Oh, no worries. I’m free all day,” you assure her before she thanks your patience and runs off to finish off whatever she was doing before.

Wandering around you take a look at the beautiful clothes on the racks, blown by basically everything you see and you can’t wait to wear the outfits that were meant for you. In the back of the room, a part is closed off for a changing area and you hear the door opening as Nancy walks out first, talking to someone following her behind and when you see the person, you freeze.

Harry Styles walks out, wearing a just a shirt and jeans, looking very casual but still, unbelievably hot. The man could wear a potato sack and still look better than any other men.

“Thank you so much,” he smiles at Nancy before his eyes lay on you, a wide smirk tugging on his lips in realization. “So nice to see a familiar face!” he beams, walking closer before he pulls you in for a short hug that catches you by surprise, but also warms your chest.

“Hi, didn’t expect to see you here, though you are kind of one with the brand at this point,” you tease him making him laugh.

“I am, yeah. I heard that you would be featured in the campaign as well. Amazing choice,” he smirks, glancing over at Nancy who smiles proudly, clearly agreeing with him.

“Y/N, I’ll get the changing room ready for you and we can start in five, alright?” Nancy informs you.

“Yeah, thank you!” You nod in her way and she is already off to do the work, leaving you and Harry alone.

“So, I learned some interesting information the other day,” he hums with a serious face and he got you curious about what it could be.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm, you know, I was watching The Ellen Show and you were on, playing a little game.”

“Oh my God,” you breathe out, already feeling the heat crawling up your neck to your cheeks. Harry smirks down at you, clearly enjoying that he got you so nervous and embarrassed of what happened.

“I wish I knew about your little crush earlier!” he teases you, making your groan.

“And why is that? So you could pull my leg at the Grammy’s when I was already shitting my pants?”

Harry lets out a chuckle shaking his head as he hides his hands in his pockets, his eyes running up and down your figure before they meet with your gaze again.

“No. Because then I wouldn’t have talked myself down from asking for your number.”

You can’t help the stunned reaction that takes over your face at his blunt flirting, your lips part as your eyebrows shoot up while Harry just stares back at you with a sly smirk on his deliciously pink lips.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah, but now that I know that you are crushing on me just like I’m crushing on you, I think it’s time to make the first step. So…” he pulls his phone out and hands it over to you and continues while you type your number in. “I’m not just asking for your number, but I happened to hear that you have nothing else planned for the day, is that true?”

“It is,” you nod, feeling out of breath as you hand him back his phone, your number saved in his contacts.

“Then how about grabbing lunch after your fitting? I happen to have nothing today as well, we should take advantage of it,” he suggests and you can’t push your stunned smile down.

“Sounds good,” you nod, biting into your bottom lip.

“Great. I’ll run some errands while you are here and I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“You could stay here if you want, I don’t mind it,” you tell him, feeling like he is only leaving because he doesn’t want to intrude.

“I would love to, but I really want to see the final outcome of the campaign and not spoil it for myself,” he smirks making you chuckle.

“Alright. Then see you in an hour.”

“Yeah,” he nods with a boyish smirk before turning around and walking out of the showroom.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

[handsomelyhiddleston]

Stormy Sleepover - Tom Hiddleston x Reader

I haven’t written in like, years. I previously wrote for Colby Brock at @colbybrocksmolder and someone asked me to write for Tom so I figured I’d give it a shot. 

I hope you enjoy! 

_________________________

“Did you hear there was a storm coming?” one of your PA’s, Andi, asked you. You were in charge of making sure the cast all had assistants and that their life on set ran smoothly. You’d been working with these guys since the very first Thor movie.

“I got a notification on my phone a few hours ago, but this building is so big I doubt we’d know if it had actually hit yet.” You pulled up your weather app and clicked on the “!” checking to see what the “alert” was. “Oh god” you said, shocked to read that most of the county was already out of power.

“I told you, call me Chris.” Behind you, Hemsworth was chuckling leaning over to read what you were looking at on your phone.

“Ha, ha.” You laughed at his cheesy joke. “But seriously, has anyone been outside in the last few hours?”

Looking at your phone, Hemsworth shrugged and headed towards one of the truck bays.

In front of you, you watched Evans and Tom training with each other. There were various scenes in this movie involving water and a big thing the trainers had been working with them on was safely landing in water. It sounds funny, but you can break bones or knock yourself unconscious if you land wrong.

“Bad news” Hemsworth yelled out, getting everyone’s attention. “This building has been running on generators. There’s no power in the whole lot.” He dramatically shook his arms, flinging rain water on you and Andi.

“No wonder this water has gotten so cold” Evans added, shivering. “It’s usually warmed, but It’s ice right now.”

You sent a text to the director who was in a meeting with the writers. You received a text back fairly quickly. “Let everyone know we’ve got 6 more rooms at the Hyatt Hotel a few towns over for those who don’t have trailers on the lot. Tell everyone else that it looks like the power won’t be fixed until tomorrow afternoon. There’s a whole line of downed power lines that they can’t get to until the storm stops. The generators only run lights and a few outlets and it looks like they’re going to die soon too. The 16 seater van is outside with a driver to take people to the hotel.”

“Looks like we’re done for the day.” You said mostly to yourself, with Hemsworth and Andi hearing you.

“Everybody in.” Hemsworth hollered out so you wouldn’t have to yell.

“Thanks.” You shot him a smile.

“Any time” he replied, flinging his long wet hair towards you.

“I take it back.” You laughed, moving to stand on your chair.

“I know that not everyone has a trailer in the lot yet as we haven’t actually started filming, so for anyone that doesn’t have a home here there’s a van outside that will take to you the hotel that has power nearby. It’s already super chilly in here, so I imagine it’s freezing outside.” You spoke so everyone could hear you.

“Can confirm.” Hemsworth said, starting to shiver a bit.

“There’s umbrellas near the catering tables and there’s a bunch of old hoodies and jackets in the extras costume bay. Make sure you’re warm and dry before you head to the van.”

Everyone that didn’t have a trailer on set left once they had their instructions.

“As for the rest of us, we have to hunker down in our trailers until this passes. I have solar power and full solar batteries on my trailer so all of you are more than welcome to come crash with me if your trailer is too cold or you need electricity for anything.”

You, Hemsworth, Evans, Tom, and Scarlett were the only ones on set that had trailers so far.

“It can’t be THAT cold” Evans joked, grabbing his bag and heading towards the door.

“Scarlett went to her trailer a few hours ago” Tom shared. “I only got here last night so I don’t even have my trailer set up. Are you sure you’re okay if I go grab my bag and come steal some of your space?”

“Absolutely” you smiled at him. “And if I know Scarlett, she’s already in my trailer. I don’t think her trailer was even hooked up to power yet. Her’s was the newest one on the lot.”

“Thank you, darling. I’ll go grab my bag and check Scarlett’s trailer on my way to yours.” Tom replied and then jogged towards the door.

Andi left to catch the van once you passed your notes from the day on to her. “Be safe. Don’t worry about making it back tomorrow. I will email you any further updates I have for assignments.”

“I’m going to head back to my trailer and see if I have any cell services.” Hemsworth shared after everyone else had started leaving. “I know my wife probably has all of the weather and accident alerts on for the whole county and she’s probably worried.”

“Be safe.” You said, taking his offered hand so you could step off of your chair safely. “I’ll grab the satellite phone in the emergency kit and take it to my trailer just in case we need it.”

“It looks like you may have a full house tonight.” Hemsworth Joked.

“You’re welcome to join the insanity.” You teased, throwing your hoodie on and grabbing the satellite phone.

When you made it to your trailer, you were pretty soaked. Even with the umbrella, the rain was insane.

“Thank God you didn’t leave.” Scarlett startled you.

“I knew you’d already be in here.” You laughed. “Tom is on his way. His trailer is like yours. We didn’t even get a chance to get them hooked up before this crazy storm hit.”

“Oooo Lover boy is coming.” She teased.

“Oh, shut it. We’re friends, Scar. That’s it. We’ve never been more than friends.” You started stripping out of your wet clothes and slipped on a pair of soft black sweatpants and your favorite hoodie. It was dark green with “Mischief” written across the front. There were gold horns painted on the hood.

“I’ve known your friend almost as long as you have and the way he looks at you…I’m just saying. I think there’s something there.” She teased, gathering your wet clothes and putting them in a laundry bin that was tucked under one of the beds.

You both turned to the door hearing what sounded like a woman screaming bloody murder. “Let me in” Evans yelled, banging on the door.

Scarlett opened the door while you grabbed a towel. She laughed at him, seeing him drenched head to toe. “It was unlocked, tough guy.”

“You hit an octave I don’t think I can even reach, Cap” you teased, throwing him the towel and going back into your PJ drawer for an oversized t shirt and a baggy pair of sweats.

“I was wrong. I was so wrong. It’s fucking freezing in my trailer and I didn’t realize that the water would be cold because the power has been out for so long.” Evan’s teeth were chattering as he stripped out of his clothes, trying to dry off.

“I think I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen you naked, Evans.” Scarlett laughed, handing him the clothes you picked out for him.

“Thank god you aren’t seeing the front. It’s so cold I think my manhood has retreated fully into my body” Evans replied, throwing the clothes on and drying his hair with the towel.

Both of you laughed. You started brewing a pot of coffee and turned your water kettle on for tea. “Well, Scarlett already claimed the couch.” You mentioned. “Why don’t you take the regular bed so that if Hemsworth joins, you two can bunk together. It’s queen size so it should fit you both comfortably.”

Evans crawled into bed, wrapping himself in the blankets and trying to warm up. “Where will you sleep?”

“The dining room table and benches turn into a bed.” You replied. “It’s a full size, so almost as big as the one you’re in.”

“Did you hear that?” Evans perked up, trying to look out the tiny window he could still see through from the bed.

You and Scarlett quieted down. Getting louder you could hear Hemsworth yelling “NO, I AM THE GOD OF THUNDER!” every time lighting would strike and the sky would boom.

“Looks like it’s going to be a full house tonight.” Scarlett laughed, opening the door. “Get your godly ass in here, you crazy Australian.”

“He’s clearly the superior Chris” Evans joked. “Are you fucking crazy?” he asked as Hemsworth stepped into the trailer.

“Possibly. Probably.” Hemsworth laughed, trying not to get water all over the floor.

Scarlett grabbed the towel Evans had used to dry off and put it down on the floor by the door. “Here you go.”

“Much appreciated.” Hemsworth replied, dropping his duffle bag. “Can I change in your bathroom?”

“It’s all yours” you said. “Do you need clothes or did you bring some dry ones?”

“I brought some. I also brought some fun. I’ll show you after I get out of my sopping clothes.” He answered, leaving his shoes by the door and stepping into the bathroom.

When the bathroom door clicked, you heard a knock on the door. “Tom, come in” you hollered.

Tom was wearing a long poncho with an umbrella. He had a large bag with him and when he got inside he kicked his shoes off, putting them by Hemsworth’s shoes. You grabbed his bag from him, putting it by the second bed you had just finished setting up. He closed the umbrella and pulled his poncho off, his black sweatpants and black hoodie bone dry.

“You make the other two look like heathens.” Scarlett laughed. “They showed up soaking wet and screaming.”

“He is a gentleman.” You gave him a smirk, causing his cheeks to blush ever so slightly.

“Is there even room for all 5 of us?” he cleared his throat and laughed.

“Absolutely” you ushered him towards you. “Evans and Hemsworth are sharing that bed. Scarlett has the couch. I just set up the extra bed right here, for you.”

“For us” he replied with a stern look. “I know you too well, darling” he smirked. “You’re going to offer to sleep on the floor by the couch and I won’t have any of it.”

“Tom, it’s fine. I have a sleeping bag and…” You tried to ensure him you’d be okay, but he interrupted you.

“If you try to sleep on this floor I will walk back to my freezing trailer so you can have the bed to yourself.” The stern look softened as he pulled you into a tight hug. “You know you don’t always have to be the one to make the sacrifice. Plus, I promise I don’t talk in my sleep or have crazy dreams. I’ve even been told I’m quite comfy to cuddle with.” He dropped his eyes to yours, smirking.

“Oh, if I must.” You teased him, kissing his cheek as Hemsworth finally came out of the bathroom. “Scarlett knows where the laundry bin is.” You pointed him towards the hamper full of wet clothes.

“Do I smell coffee?” Evans sat up in bed, looking towards you. “Come cuddle, buddy” he laughed opening his arms for Hemsworth who let all of his body weight drop on Evans. “Jesus Christ, you’re a brick.”

You laughed, pulling down mugs from the cabinets and making everyone coffee. “Coffee or Tea, Tom?” you looked over at him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed you two would share.

“Tea, my sweet. But let me help you.” He stood and started grabbing sugars for everyone’s coffee, asking how many they normally added.

“There’s pasta in the crock-pot as well if anyone is hungry.” You announced.

“Food?” Hemsworth’s head shot up and he crawled off of Evans.

“God, men are so simple.” Scarlett laughed, grabbing the coffee you handed her.

“You are not wrong.” Evans added, asking if he could help with anything now that he wasn’t freezing to death.

“I think we’re good.” You replied, dishing up some pasta for Hemsworth and Evans and passing them off to the boys. “Scarlett?” you offered her food, as well.

“Actually, I’m craving something sweet.” She answered.

“I’ve prepared for this one” Tom answered, going to the large bag he brought with him. “It took me so long to get here because I walked to the catering room to grab some snacks. I’ve got a whole tub of cookie dough that probably needs to go in the refrigerator soon, a tub of sour sweets, and what looks like a large cherry pie.”

“Pass the cookie dough this way” Scarlett answered. “This man has his priorities straight”, she laughed.

After everyone had sat back on their beds, dug into their food, and warmed up with their coffee or tea, Hemsworth remembered his bag. “Since we are most likely going to be stuck in this trailer until tomorrow afternoon, I brought a different kind of treat.” He picked up his bag and started pulling out bottles of alcohol and putting them on the counter. “Anyone opposed?” he asked.

“What a G!” Evans laughed, crawling out of the bed to help Hemsworth make drinks. “What kind of mixers do you have, Y/n?”

“There’s some cans of soda, some energy drinks…there’s some juice…and then we’ve got coffee for that Bailey’s I see” you answered.

Tom was smirking next to you as the Chrises started making a make-shift bar out of what they had available to them.

“We’ve got to get this started with a bang” Hemsworth said, handing everyone two shots each. “The first one is to us having a great night reunited with our make-shift family.” He smiled at everyone and downed the first shot, everyone else following suit.

Evans spoke up after. “The second one goes to our incredible, gracious, and always prepared host. To Y/n!” He downed the second shot, everyone following his lead. Except for Tom.

You shivered as the second shot went down your throat and looked over at Tom who was still holding his full shot glass, sitting next to you on the bed. He had a small smile, giving you a look you couldn’t place. Quietly he spoke to you “I’d like to add a few things to his toast, but I think it may take a few more drinks to find the right words.” He downed the shot and took a sip of his tea to wash it down.

“Who wants what?” Evans asked, making everyone a strong drink.

For the first few drinks, everyone just talked and caught up. It had been a while since the group had been on a press run or a film set together.

“Y/n!” Evans spoke up.

“Yes, Cap?” you answered, starting to feel the alcohol course through you.

“Truth or Dare?” He smirked. His eyebrow raised like he was challenging you.

“Truth.” You answered, staring him down.

“Hmmm…Have you dated anyone working on any of these movies? Cast or crew?” He asked, finishing off his drink and standing to make another.

“I haven’t” you answered truthfully.

“Wait, let’s not do truth or dare, lets do truth or shot.” Scarlett suggested, wanting to get a few answers out of you and Tom.

“I like it.” Evans said, grabbing everyone’s shot glasses back and filling them so he could hand them out as needed.

“I answered, so I’m in the clear. Hemsworth has a higher alcohol tolerance than we do so I need him to catch up. Who is an actor in the MCU you hope you never have to work with again?” You asked, hearing Tom chuckle next to you.

“I can’t answer that!” he laughed, taking the shot Evans handed him.

“That’s the point.” You laughed.

He laughed, handing the empty shot glass back to Evans. “Fine, fine. Tom. In our last interview panel together, they kept asking you if you were seeing someone and you answered no. You then said that you were interested in someone, but that you hadn’t done anything about it. Who is she?”

“Oh no.” Tom laughed, feeling the alcohol a bit himself. “I think I need to take a shot. Are all of these going to be so hard?” He grabbed the shot that Evans passed off to him.

“I think you guys just need to not be pussies and answer the damn questions” Scarlett laughed, shooting you a look.

“Right?” Evans laughed, taking the empty shot glass from Tom.

Tom scooted a bit closer to you when he handed off his shot glass. “Okay, Evans. If you had to marry one of your on screen romantic co-stars, who would it be?”

“Oh, come on! It’s gotta be Scar Jo! The one and only.” Evans laughed, putting his hands over his heart and giving Scarlett a loving look. “We’ve been in movies together damn near my whole career.”

“We would annoy the hell out of each other.” Scarlett laughed.

“It’s true. We’re practically siblings. Okay, Y/n” Evans rubbed his hands together like he was plotting. “Favorite actor you’ve been able to work with ever.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a very specific question you want to ask, but instead you’re asking questions trying to fluster me?” you shot him a look, trying not to blush.

“Hey, I’m just playing the game.” Evans laughed, picking up a shot to let me know I didn’t have to answer.

“Keep your shot. I’ll answer this one. It’s definitely Mr. Mischief himself over here.” You pointed your thumb to your side at Tom, trying not to blush.

“No, there has to be someone cooler than me.” Tom blushed, hiding his glee by taking a sip of his tea.

You looked at him, summoning the strength of the drinks you’ve been throwing back. “You should give yourself more credit. You’re amazing.”

You stayed in the moment for a few seconds, just smiling at each other. “I think it’s your turn”, Tom said, putting his arm around your shoulders.

You blushed, realizing you had just been staring at him. Leaning into his side, you asked “Okay, Evans. Have you slept with any of your MCU co-stars?”

“Oh shit!” Scarlett laughed, standing up and handing Evans one of the shots.

“Yeah, yeah.” He laughed, downing the shot. “I’ll pick on someone else this time.” He filled up everyone’s drinks while thinking of his next question. “Okay, Scar. Who is the most attractive man in the current MCU?”

“Oooh, good question.” Scarlett thought about it, going through the movies outside of the Avengers. “I have a few different answers.”

“Explain.” Hemsworth replied.

“Well, There are a few people I find attractive for different reasons, I guess.” She answered.

“How about you share this list and we decide if you still need to drink for not picking one person?” You laughed.

“Well, Hemsworth is an amazing dad. Like, you look your happiest when you’re in the messiest, most chaotic situations with your kids. Most dads are the opposite. They’re trying to escape that.” Scarlett explained her first answer.

“Valid points made so far” Evans agreed, leaning against the counter.

“Hiddleston is the fucking epitome of a gentleman. You’re literally everything women want.” Scarlett turned towards tom, making him blush.

You quietly spoke “She’s not wrong” in Tom’s ear, feeling him pull you tighter to his side in response.

“You’re too kind”, Tom answered to her, downing the rest of his drink.  

Scarlett looked to Evans. “I think I have to go with…Idris Elba.”

“I want to be mad that I didn’t make your list, but that man is truly a god.” Evans responded.

The game started to wind down as it got later into the night. Seeing everyone kind of calm down and get settled, you walked around making sure everyone had what they needed.

“Anyone want water so you don’t wake up hungover?” you laughed, pulling some water out of the fridge.

“Here!” “Please!” you handed water bottles out to everyone.

“I’m not setting an alarm for the morning. It’s super late and I doubt anyone is going to be back on the lot before dinner time anyways.” You said, grabbing you and Tom each a water bottle before turning off the main light.

You turned on the small light above your bed so you could sort out your sleeping arrangements. You grabbed your toiletries bag and pulled out a make-up wipe, trying to clean your face since you didn’t really get to do your nightly routine.

“Can I use one of those?” Tom asked, realizing he hadn’t been able to wash his face either.

“Come here” you said, scooting against Tom so you could run the damp cloth over his face. He watched your gentle movements, feeling you run the cool cloth across his skin.

“Thank you” he said, kissing the back of your hand before scooting back in the bed and laying down.

You put your bag back and drank some of your water before crawling fully into the bed and turning off the light. “Are you good?” you asked, turning to face Tom in the dark. You could feel his hand reach out and settle on your arm.

“I am” he answered, running his hand down your arm, to rest on your hip. “I want to finish your toast” he whispered, scooting his pillow closer to yours. “What Evans said was true, but you’re so much more, y/n. You’re beautiful and incredibly intelligent and there is not a single person I look forward to seeing more than you.”

“I think you’re drunk” you replied, knowing that if the light was on your face would be bright red.

“I am” Tom chuckled. “I still stand by what I said.”

You reached forward and ran your hand up Tom’s chest until you felt your fingers graze the side of his face. “I’m going to have to thank Hemsworth for getting you tipsy” you laughed, teasing Tom. You scooted closer to him, feeling him wrap his arm around your back and hold you against him.

“I couldn’t have waited much longer to tell you anyways” Tom replied. “I was just nervous you didn’t feel the same. We’ve been such good friends for so long…”

You interrupted him, capturing his lips in a kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that for years” you said, connecting your lips in a second kiss.

“Oh, thank god.” Tom said, a little louder than intended. “Can I call you mine?”

You laughed, trying to stay quiet. “Please, do.” You answered reconnecting your lips.

Tom rolled to hover over you, deepening the kiss.

“Fucking finally!” you heard Scarlett call out, making Tom collapse on top of you in laughter.

“Right?” Evans added. “It’s been ages.”

“Fair warning, I am telling this story at your wedding” Hemsworth said.

“I think our friends are happy for us” Tom said in a much quieter voice, flipping the two of you so that you were laying against his chest.

“I mean, I’m pretty happy for us” you replied, snuggling into his warm chest.

“Me too, love. Get some sleep” he said, running his hand up and down your back as he felt your breaths even out.

[miizpah]

daddy | suna rintarou

anon asks : Idk if you are taking requests 🥺! But was thinking of a suna x reader fic where they try for kids. I think daddy suna would be so cute with kids 😭🤚🏼

post timeskip ‼️

tw. breeding kink.

authors note : 🥺 requests are always open 🥺 and not me in the middle of changing up my writing theme and style 😖 this is probably the tamest request i’ve gotten, and i’m actually excited for this. daddy suna? stop b4 i froth into orbital. idk if you’ve wanted this smutty, but i literally can’t just write fluff 😔 pls enjoy!

not me changing up my writing style, i’ve been practicing with actually adding in some details and imagery — can’t believe english was my best subject 🙄

If being honest, you had always loved kids. Their tiny little fists and small pudgy feet, and the way they would run to their loved ones in pure excitement. It always clenched at your heart, making you loose your breath and your head becoming lightheaded. You wanted that, to have your own kids running up to you in excitement, screaming your name and hugging your legs. It was wholesome, beautiful, and you were a sucker for wholesome things.

You’ve thought of bringing it up with Rintarou, your want for children. You had the space, living in a big house with multiple spare rooms and baths, big open space for the living room and an even bigger backyard for the children to play. You had it all mapped out, really, the rooms you would need to baby proof, the room that you would set up as their nursery. Hell, you've already picked out a unisex theme for your baby's room. But, despite all of that, you had no clue what Rintarou would say.

He was in his prime, a pro volleyball player for the Reijins, he spent more time practicing and traveling for games than he did stay at home. And, you were only mildly okay with that fact. You too had a demanding job, and while you didn't travel as much as Rintarou, you still traveled.

Which brought you to your next thought. Both of you were too busy to have children, his job was demanding, your job was demanding, the baby would be more demanding. This was the only clear reason you were holding back on asking Rintarou on how he felt about children. Well, that and you’re kind of scared of what he would say. You knew some men would run at the first sign of responsibility, your dad being one, and you really did not want to put your marriage on the -- 

You shook your head at that dumb thought. He married you, he wouldn’t have married you if he didn’t want the responsibility of possible children in the future. 

Sighing to yourself, you look at the clock in your home office, deciding that starting on dinner now would be much better than later. You submitted your response to your boss via email, powering down your desktop and exiting your office. 

Hmm, what should I cook? You thought absentmindedly. Wait, I should... You smirk.

Only thirty minutes later, dinner was finished and set on the table, and you began to execute your plan.

...

“I’m home,” the tired voice of Rintarou came from the foyer. He stepped out of his training shoes clumsily, slipping into his house slippers before dragging himself inside the house fully. His hand clutched the straps of his gym bag loosely, eyes more hooded than usual.

He searched around for his pretty wife, looking into the living room, only finding your phone and the tv on playing some western movie with a... clown? He searched the kitchen and dining room, finding the dining table set and hot food steaming from dishes. It smelt delicious, and almost restored his energy, almost.

On the way to your room, he dropped his gym bag in the wash room, before dragging himself up the stairs. “Y/N?” He called.

“Rin?” Your voice was muffled, but could easily be detected. “I’m in our room!”

The room door was pushed open, revealing his pretty wife, in the middle of sliding on a black satin night gown. Rintarou paused in the doorway, seemingly seeing his energy levels rise up quickly. You noticed, grinning slyly to yourself before turning around.

“Welcome home, Rin,” you smile coyly. “How was was practice?” The night gown you wore was on the shorter side, allowing your supple thighs to be seen. Underneath the gown, you wore a red lingerie, with thigh straps connecting to the thong. You knew how much he loved seeing you in red.

“It was... It was fine,” Rintarou struggled a bit, eyes never leaving the way your breasts seemed to just sit there. His mouth watered. “What’s all this?”

“Hmm?” You hummed, looking down at your attire. “Oh, this? It’s nothing, really. Get showered, Rin, dinner won’t be hot for long.” With a kiss on his cold cheek, you sashayed away. 

I could bring it up during dinner. You thought with a firm nod.

Rintarou’s eyes were hot on your skin, never once looking down as he ate his food. His hair was damp from his shower, and he had forgo putting on a shirt, which he knew would make you go slightly feral. It wasn’t your fault that you liked to admire your husband’s hard work, via his abs.

“So,” you started, sipping from your glass. “What all did you do at practice today?” You ask, sitting the glass down and finally meeting his narrowed eyes. You could practically see the desire rolling off of him.

“Serving,” he humored you, bringing his chopsticks to his mouth and eating the meat and rice. He chewed exaggeratingly slow, eyes locked onto yours, finally he swallowed. “A bit of blocking, I’m working on a new technique.” 

“Oh? And, will I see this new technique?” You sit your chin on your palm, sitting your chopsticks down and giving him your full attention.

“You will,” he nodded, smirking slightly. “At the game on Sunday.”

“Hey, no fair,” you whined, lips pouting slightly. “I want to be the first of your fans to see the new technique.” You were joking, trying to lighten the suffocating mood.

Rintarou rolled his eyes, waving you off. “Number one fan behavior.” You giggle at that, leaning back in your seat. “And, you? How was your day?”

“I had to finish my project today,” you answer. “Not to be overly cocky, but it was perfect if I do say so myself. Boss will just have to give me that promotion.”

“It was that good?” He finished off the last of his food, nursing his glass of wine.

“It wasn’t just good, baby.” You said, a smirk on your lips and pride in your eyes. You were passionate about your job, and with that promotion, you would become director of your own branch. “It was perfect.”

If you became director, you wouldn’t have to travel anymore, you could even work from home. It was perfect. You had to get that promotion.

Before long, both of you had finished off your drinks, washed and put away the dishes, and found yourself lounging in the living room. It was quiet, the only sound being the tv playing a western reality show, Americans were crazily entertaining.

Rintarou was rubbing slow circles with his thumb on your smooth, hairless leg, which hadn’t been hairless early. His eyes were trained on his phone. This was the perfect opportunity.

“Hey,” you said, quietly but enough to get his attention. He only hummed, eyes not leaving his phone. “What do you think about kids?”

Rintarou looked over to you almost instantly, a look in his eyes that you’ve never seen before. He almost looked feral. “Right now? Is this a new way for asking for sex?”

“What?” A laugh startled out of you. “No! I’m saying I want to have your babies.”

“But that entitles sex? Just say you want sex.”

“Oh my God... I want to have kids, little fucking people running around our house calling us mommy and daddy.”

“...I heard you the first time,” Rintarou looked away. “But we have to have sex for that.”

You take in a deep breath, eyes rolling. “Listen, Rin. I know we have to have sex, but I am asking you do you want kids?” You explain simply.

“With you, I want lots of kids.” He looked back to you, eyes wide and honest.

Your heart clenched, painfully. A breathtaking smile appearing on your lips. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Now come ‘ere, we need to do the sex.”

“Wait,”

“What?”

“What’s the best position to get pregnant in?”

“I-”

“You know what, who gives a fuck? I’ll just plug your hole or something.”

“I’m- What the hell goes through your mind?”

Laid against the cotton sheets, you look downward as Rintarou slides his hands against your thighs, tugging on the thigh straps harshly and causing them to snap back. A soft moan escape your lips, the small twinge of pain being the start of what was next to come.

“So pretty, baby, got all dressed up for me, hm?” His words are hot against your lower stomach, placing a teasing kiss above your pelvis. “Silly little wife, tempting her husband all night.”

You whimper, legs spreading a bit wider as he settled himself between your thighs. His fingers hooking underneath your garter belt, easily unbelting it and throwing it away. His kisses trail down further, pressing a soft kiss against your clothed heat. “You smell so good, angel.”

“I need you, Rin...” You whine, faintly wiggling your hips.

“Patience, silly wife.” His hands grip your thighs, spreading them as he sat on his knees. “You’re soaking through your panties, baby.” A hand comes down, lightly slapping your clothed cunt. You whimper, bringing a hand down and gripping his wrist. “Fuck,” he groaned.

“Please, Rin. Just fuck me already!” You whine loudly, moving your hips against his palm.

“Shit, okay,” he pulled his hand away, using both to pull your panties and thigh straps off. His eyes fluttered once your sopping cunt was revealed, messy and dripping, and just for him.

You can only hum in appreciate at the stretch in your thighs as Rintarou pushed them to your chest, folding you into a mating press. Within seconds, he’s pushing into your cunt, stretching you wide. You could only lay there and take it, your gummy walls tight around his cock.

Head falling back against the pillows, you moan as you feel him still sinking into you. The position was new to both of you, and was hitting spots that you’ve never felt before. Your hands were gripping his biceps tightly, eyes fluttering close and mouth falling open as more moans spilled.

“D-deep,” you muttered breathlessly, opening your eyes and locking eyes with his. “So good, Rin~”

He smirked before leaning down and slotting your mouths together, swallowing each other noises as he finally sheathed deeply inside of you, kissing your cervix softly. Your tongues tangled together, causing your salvias to mix and dribbling between you both.

Steadily, he pulled back, cock dragging against your tight walls. Lips still locked, he pushed back in, swallowing your cries of pleasure. You pulled away then, licking your lips and taking a deep breath.

Head bowed, and eyes locked on your drooling cunt, he started to thrust at a slow pace, seemingly fascinated at seeing his cock sink into you at a new angle. One of your hands came up and tangled into his dark locks, head falling back against the pillows as you slowly fell deeper and deeper into a delirious state.

“Fucking sexy the way your messy cunt take my cock,” he looked up then, your hand falling from his hair. “My messy wife, hm?”

“Rin, faster-” Was all you could say, the slow drag of his cock fucking you into a state of dumbness.

He smirked then, liking the state you were in. His hips pulled back, and with a sharp thrust, he was fully sheathed again.

Breath warm against your cheek, he began to fuck into you like a man possessed, his hands enclosing around your wrists and pressing them against the bed. Your moans mixing with the lewd sounds emitting from your cunt, creating a symphony that only proved to make you both feral.

“Going pump you full, angel, shit.” Rintarou whispered breathlessly against your ear, sending jolts of pleasure down your spine, moans growing louder. “Fill you to the brim with my cum, going to feel it for days.”

“Yes,” you keen, gummy walls fluttering around his cock. “Pump me full, Rin. Want your cum so bad.”

“Shitshitshitshit,” he groaned, leaning back and pulling out. Easily, he turned your body around, dragging you to your hands and knees, and entering your cunt in all the same second.

You didn’t have enough time to register before he’s hammering into you, causing you cry out loudly, hands gripping the sheets tightly. “Fuck, fuck!” His hands bruised against your hips, holding them tightly as he used them as leverage to pistol into you.

“Gonna fuck so many babies into you,” he spat, slapping your ass cheek harshly. “Gonna look so beautiful swole with my child, fuck!”

You whine loudly, pushing your hips back to meet his thrusts. “Please, Rin, I wanna cum!”

He seemed to easily find your spot, the one spot that never fails to have your body shaking, muscles tensing up, and you screaming his name.

“Ah, ah, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! Rin!” Your fluttering walls tighten around his cock, body tensing as you cum. Your hands gripping the sheets so tightly, head bowed against the bed and back arched down.

“Damn, you’re so sexy, angel.” He groaned, spilling deep within your cunt. Both of you left breathless. “Don’t move, and you better not spill an inch of my cum.” He said, slowly pulling his cock free.

You sat there, catching your breath, and clenching your walls as tight as you could without relaxing. You flinch when you feel a cold metal rub against your sensitive clit. “Relax,” Rin muttered as he pushed the plug against your hole, you did as told, and slowly he pushed the plug inside to the hilt.

“Shower,” you groan, standing with the help of Rintarou.

“Shower sex?”

“Rin, you just plugged me.”

“You have another two holes.”

“I will kill you.”

“So... no head?”

note — not me tryna to reference a vine at the end, lmaooooo. i hope anon liked this, :)!! i’m not the best at breeding kinks. 😔 not edited 😔

[castiel-left-his-mark-on-me]

Below the cut is my version of "the plane story" . It's from my larger work "The Plot: The End".

Read it if you want ... don't if you don't. Misha's post today though has me feeling all sorts of feelings so I thought I would share this excerpt.

Alex and Rich were already on the plane by the time Misha and Jensen joined them, but Richard was snoring and Alex was reading something on his phone, so neither noticed them when they boarded.

“Hey, kid” Jensen says, clapping a hand onto Alex’s shoulder and making jump so hard, he almost drops his phone.

“Oh, jeez—hey! Hi …” Alex laughs, finally pulling the AirPods out of his ears so he can hear them. “How did that final scene go?”

Misha moves around Jensen to sit in one of the seats across from the other two. Jared’s private plane is small, so the seats face one another; and Jensen normally enjoys the intimacy, but he really just wanted to fall asleep on this trip, and that’s hard to do when it feels like someone is looking right at you … unless you’re Richard anyway. Jensen huffs a laugh as he looks at their unconscious director, finally turning back to Alex to answer his question. “It was … rough, but good. I think it’ll be a really impactful scene.”

“Good. That’s awesome.”

Right then, Richard let’s out a long snore, making the rest of them laugh—and it feels really good to smile after the evening they’ve had.

“Yeah—he took some sort of sleeping pill or Nyquil or something. He was out as soon as he hit the chair” Alex says, shaking his head before looking back at his phone.

Jensen finishes putting his and Misha’s bags in the back compartment before finally taking his seat with the rest of the guys. “Have you been here a long time?” he asks Alex once he buckles his seatbelt and pulls out his own phone to scroll through any messages.

“About an hour. Rich got here maybe twenty minutes ago, so then we were just waiting for you two.”

Jensen bites his lip. “Yeah, sorry about that. We lost track of time.”

Misha laughs. “Plus, we got a really drunk after filming and thought we should try to sober up before flying.”

“Ah, good call” Alex says, but he’s tapping on his phone as he says it—which most likely means, he’s talking to his girlfriend and didn’t hear a word anyone said.

Misha raises a brow before rolling his eyes to Jensen. “Kids.”

Jensen chuckles, but then he starts tapping on his phone too—texting Danneel to let her know they’re about to take off.

“Oh—yeah, I should do that” Misha says, obviously noting what Jensen’s doing; and soon, he’s taking out his phone a moment later and typing a message to Vicki.

“Kids” Alex says mockingly.

Jensen and Misha both laugh as the plane’s engines begin to roar.

They’re in the air after another ten minutes, and they all settle in for the three-hour flight to Vegas. Jensen has pulled his baseball cap over his face and is already dozing off when Misha whispers his name.

“Huh?” Jensen mumbles, slowly crawling back into consciousness with a frown.

“I wanted to know if you could send me that video you took tonight? I want to show it to Vicki.”

He pulls his hat off and rubs his eyes, blinking and squinting into the dim light coating the cabin. “Oh, yeah … sure” Jensen yawns, picking up his phone from where he dropped is beside him in the seat. He opens up his email and attaches the video, knowing it’ll take a while to actually send, but at least he can go back to sleep as it does.

“Thanks, babe” Misha whispers, but Jensen is already slipping into dreams—all too vivid, where Misha is the one getting taken away, disappearing before his eyes, saying goodbye, saying “I love you” … and there’s nothing Jensen can do about it but sit on the ground and watch it all through his tears. There’s nothing he can say, nothing he can do, no way to convince him not to go.

The explosion rips him from his dream like hurricane ripping a house from its studs, and his heart is racing before he’s even fully awake. He opens his eyes to a bright, white flash, then to flames and smoke billowing just outside the window. A screaming-hiss fills his ears and a screaming-dread fills the back of his throat.

Misha is stark white and still beside him, with matching white knuckles and nails—digging into the armrest as the plane begins to shake out of control.

Richard wakes up with a shout and Alex grabs onto him while gasping “What’s happening? What’s happening?” over and over.

The pilot crackles in over the intercom, and it makes the three men panic even more. “We’ve lost an engine. Stay in your seats and buckle your seatbelts! We're turning around for an emergency landing.”

Jensen’s chest begins to heave—he’s not sure if he needs to throw up or pass out, but all he can think about right now are his kids. JJ’s face flashes in front of him, and then Arrow’s and Zepp’s. He can hear their voices calling out “Daddy”. He can feel their little hands in his own, and he’s suddenly wondering if he’ll ever get to see them grow a day older. He chokes on his own strangled air, finally remembering to breathe, and then he clamors for his phone, pulling up the last text he sent to Danneel before hitting the call button next to her name; but his phone doesn’t connect, it just buffers and flashes as the data taps out at zero.

Jensen’s eyes jerk up to the bars at the top of the screen.

No signal.

“Fuck” he whispers.

“What now?” Misha asks, somehow hearing him beyond the constant shriek of air over twisted metal.

“No signal” Jensen croaks aloud, his mouth dry and his tongue thick against his teeth.

The plane shifts sharply to the right and they all lean away from it and into each other, closing their eyes as they mutter silent prayers.

“Jensen” Misha says, voice panicked and shaking.

Jensen looks at him, feeling hot tears stinging his eyes for the countless time today. “Misha” he whispers back softly as he takes Misha’s hand in his own.

Misha squeezes it tight and then leans forward, pressing their foreheads together one last time. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too” Jensen says, hating that even now—even with the world trembling and burning around them, he still hesitates to reach out and pull Misha in for a kiss, because they’re not alone … people can see.

“Guys—guys!” Richard, says, now calling out to them too. “Hold hands. C’mon—hold hands!” He grabs Alex’s hand beside him and then reaches over to take Misha’s.

Jensen nods and drops his phone so he can take Alex’s other hand; and finally, they’re all joined—holding onto one another for hope, or for the last moments they’re alive.

“We’re descending—prepare for more turbulence” the pilot announces, and almost immediately—the entire plane jerks upwards before dropping a few more feet.

“Oh god!” Richard yelps, tilting his head up as if to look to heaven, but his eyes are closed tight.

“It’ll be okay” Jensen says, once again—trying to will his thoughts into existence. “We’ll be okay.”

“Okay—okay, okay, okay” Alex repeats, sounding manic and anything but.

Just then, Jensen’s phone dings with a text message, and he rips his hands free to pick it up and look at it; but he doesn’t even check to see who the text is from because all that matters is—now he has a signal. A weak one, but it should be enough to get a message through. “We got signal, guys!” he yelps, both thrilled and heartbroken, because he would give anything not to say what he knows he has to right now.

He takes a deep breath.

The plane jerks again.

Jensen begins typing.

“Baby, I don’t know what’s going to happen but an engine went out on the plane. We’re trying to make an emergency landing, but just in case things go bad, know that I love you. I love you and the kids with all my heart. I am praying I make it back to you. I love you so much, Danneel.”

His throat aches as he hits “send”, and then he looks to Misha, who’s typing out a text as well—and he’s crying, just like the rest of them are crying, sending their loved ones what could be their final goodbyes. “Mish” he whispers again, pulling that watery blue gaze back to him once the man looks up from his phone; and for a second—Jensen almost tells him that he can’t bear to watch him die. That he’d sooner jump out of this plane than watch Misha disappear into a flash of black and smoke; but saying that out loud feels like he’s welcoming the possibility, so he leaves it hanging in the ether with their fates before leaning forward to kiss him; for once—not caring about who’s watching or what they’ll think, only hoping that this one kiss is enough to get across everything he wishes he had more lifetimes to say.

“Prepare for landing” the pilot cuts in—his voice crackling through the vibrating speaker.

With terrified hope in their eyes, they all hold hands again as Misha whispers “please, please, please” under his breath.

The wheels creak when they deploy, and the wings rattle as the air snags against the gnarled engine that’s weighing them down. The smoke is still thick against the windows, but Jensen can start to see the hazy glow of city lights as the plane gets closer and closer to the earth. Alex squeezes his hand tightly as they all brace for impact— and then the plane thuds onto the runway, bouncing back into the air a moment before thudding again against the tarmac; but everything still feels like it’s moving too fast, even though it’s pretty certain that they’re fully on the ground now.

“Braking—hang on, everyone” the pilot says, and the coolness in his voice is followed by the calming air around the plane as it decreases its speed. The shrieking wind dims into a low whistle, before finally silencing altogether once the plane rolls to a stop.

The smoke clears, revealing the flashing lights of fire engines and ambulances—all ready and waiting to for them, and for whatever state they arrived in. Their collective exhale at the sight leaves them all drained, too weak from the fear to even move; but once the reality sinks in that they’re all really okay, all alive, all safe, they each began clamoring to undo their seatbelts.

“Get me off this fucking thing!” Richard cries, undoing his belt first and immediately shooting up to race for the door.

The pilot meets him there, trying to slow him down and explain that they need to put the stairs down first, but Richard doesn’t wait—and as soon as that door is open, he’s hopping off the plane and onto the tarmac with a thump.

Jensen can hear Richard’s voice mix in with several more—paramedics and firefighters, all asking him if he’s okay and if anyone else on the plane is injured.

“We’re all fine, right?” the pilot asks, looking towards the other three men as he works on the release for the stairs.

“Yeah” Alex breathes, and Misha nods shortly after—but he seems like he’s just barely hanging on.

So, Jensen takes a deep breath and gets up from his seat. “Yeah, we’re all okay.” He walks over to look out the door, locking eyes with one of the paramedics that’s waiting for them on the ground. “No one is hurt, just raddled. We all just want to get off this plane and be back on the solid ground.”

“Yeah, yeah—let’s get you down” the man says, helping the pilot with the stairs and locking them into place.

Jensen turns around and waves the guys towards him, and soon—both Alex and Misha have grabbed everyone’s things and are bustling with Jensen down the stairs to finally be free of that death-trap.

“I’m never fucking flying again” Jensen spits the second his feet touch the earth.

“Same” Alex says, quickly setting down the stuff in his arms so he can call his girlfriend and let her know he’s okay.

That seems to remind the rest of them to do the same, and soon—everyone is on their phones, talking to their wives, their kids, choking back more tears as they each recount the experience.

Once the paramedics clear them, they’re finally allowed to head back into the airport, and the three men clamor inside as quickly as possible, dragging their bags and sanity carelessly behind them.

“Did you step onto the plane with the wrong foot this time, Jensen?” Misha asks as they walk down the main pathway of the airport towards the shops, clearly trying to lighten everyone’s mood now they they’re a hundred percent safe on the ground.

“No—did you not wear orange underwear today?” Jensen replies, but Misha yanks up his shirt in order to pull out a pinch of the orange fabric that’s hiding beneath his jeans. Jensen chuckles. “Well, it wasn’t us. What about you guys? Did either of you jinx the flight?”

But Richard isn’t paying them any mind. He's just blank for a second before he starts talking a mile a minute—spilling out every thought that enters his head as if his audio-button is stuck on double-speed; but Alex stays quiet in contrast—probably still in shock that his short life was nearly punctuated so permanently.

At least, that’s what Jensen is hoping is bothering the kid—because he knows there’s a very good chance that both Alex and Richard saw him and Misha kiss on the plane; but he’s just not sure how either of them will react to it once they calm down. Jensen’s pretty sure Richard won’t care in the least. In fact, he imagines the guy might already know about them and has for a while; but Alex is more of a wildcard. He knows that the kid isn’t homophobic or anything, but all this could make him act different around him and Misha, or act different on set—and Jensen would really hate for that to happen.

“I need a drink” Richard says finally, taking a much-needed breathe as he looks back at the rest of them.

“Me too” Alex mutters, and he’s quickly on the other man’s heels as they head towards the main part of the airport.

Jensen is about to follow when he feels a hand tug him back—and then, he’s being shoved down the short hallway that leads to the bathrooms. It’s three in the morning and no one’s around, and Misha’s passions seems to be fueled by that fact.

He tosses their bags to the side in order to free up his hands for Jensen’s body, and then Misha crowds him into the corner and kisses him hard, knocking off Jensen’s hat so he can run his hand through his hair; but these aren’t the lust-filled kisses they’ve come to know, nor are they romantic ... slow and sweet and soft– they’re manic. They’re desperate, and they’re filled to the brim with all the fear that swamped them while they were on that plane, and Jensen falls head-first into his frenzy, forgetting about absolutely everything else.

“I thought I’d lose you” Misha gasps, pressing himself hard into Jensen’s chest—as if he’s trying to climb inside it.

“Me too” Jensen says, eyes closed as he opens himself up to be taken.

Misha breathes him in before scooping him into his arms, lifting Jensen by the back of the legs to press him against the wall; and Jensen wraps himself around the man like a sweater, clinging to every muscle, every inch of skin that he’s kissed and cherished at some point over the last five years. Every cell in their bodies holds a memory of one another, and those cells are fusing into one as they live in the entirety of this moment, only breathing for each other and the lives they get to continue living.

Jensen pulls at Misha’s shirt as the man hoists him higher, cupping his face with his other hand and taking a brief moment to look into those blue eyes before kissing him again.

Those blue, blue eyes.

Those lips.

That hair and skin.

This is the man that he’ll love until the day he dies, and as his heart melts for him all over again, Jensen thanks God that he didn’t die today. He gets to hold Misha one more time—he gets to love him longer. Jensen gets to give himself over to him over and over again, and he needs Misha to own him completely. This man unlocks something in him every time they’re together. Jensen never saw himself as closed off, or secretive, or hard to know—not until Misha walked into his life and cracked him open like some precious ore. He made Jensen reveal sides of himself that no one had ever seen before—he caused Jensen to laugh in ways he had never laughed, love in ways he had never loved. Because of Misha, Jensen can march into life head-first instead of hanging back to see how things unfold. Misha has made him unafraid. Misha has made him who he truly wants to be; and as this man literally holds him safely above the earth, Jensen realizes how close they came to crashing into it—to losing this.

He kisses him harder; he loves him more. He holds this man with all of himself, and he swears with teeth and tongue, and with river-tears on his cheeks, to never let him go.

No matter who’s watching, no matter how hot the world burns, Misha can find his place in Jensen’s arms whenever he needs it.

[art by @liart-ez]