#and then watched 5 and 6 together and it just hit me all at once
Photo
Cynthia & Lydia (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies)
#grease rise of the pink ladies#grease rotpl#rise of the pink ladies#rotpl#cynthia rotpl#lydia rotpl#ari notartomaso#niamh wilson#i think i need a gif tag#look i promise i'm not a grease blog now#i just tripped and stumbled onto some feelings it'll be fine#lydia and her gay lil berets got to me#cynthia and their utterly swagless charm got to me#the two of them together in profile got to me!!#their gay little duet got to me!!!!#i was watching this show normally for Weeks.#and then watched 5 and 6 together and it just hit me all at once#short king ‘wait does this mean i’m a thespian?’ cynthia#known thespian 'i've studied your gait' lydia
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Whumptober 2023
Welcome to Whumptober 2023 — the sixth year running!
COMPLETIONISTS/PARTICIPANT BADGES CAN BE FOUND HERE
To those of you who participated last year, welcome back! To everyone joining this year, welcome!
Please make sure to read the Event Info carefully, as most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else, you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.
This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.
And this years playlist can be found here.
There are 139 prompt options in total this year - this is including the alternatives list! A special thanks goes out to those who took part in our trope vote back in July. From the 1526 responses to our list of 223 tropes, we looked through the popularity results, as well as your honourable mentions, and were able to produce this years prompts list. Stay tuned, as we will be posting some of the results at a later date!
We’re very excited to see the community come together once more and be a wild, chaotic bunch of creators and consumers of whump. Go wild with the prompts, and support your fellow creators - we wish you all the fun!
Best of luck and happy whumping,
Mods Vanne, Yenn, Kitty and Surro
(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information and FAQs are posted below the cut!)
Whumptober 2023 Prompt List
No. 1: “But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”
Safety Net | Swooning | “How many fingers am I holding up?”
No. 2: “I’ll call out your name, but you won’t call back.”
Thermometer | Delirium | “They don't care about you.”
No. 3: “Like crying out in empty rooms; with no-one there except the moon.”
Journal | Solitary Confinement | “Make it stop.”
No. 4: “I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.”
Cattle Prod | Shock | “You in there?”
No. 5: “You better pray I don't get up this time around.”
Debris | Pinned Down | “It's broken.”
No. 6: “Do or die, you’ll never make me; Because the world will never take my heart.”
Recording | Made to Watch | “It should have been me.”
No. 7: " “I paced around for hours on empty; I jumped at the slightest of sounds.”
Alleyway | Radio Silence | “Can you hear me?”
No. 8: “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier.”
Overcrowded ER | Outnumbered | “It’s all for nothing.”
No. 9: “Learning everything ain't what it seems, that's the thing about these days.”
Polaroid | Mistaken Identity | “You're a liar.”
No. 10: “Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?”
Broken Phone | Stranded | “You said you'd never leave.”
No. 11: “All the lights going dark and my hope’s destroyed.”
Animal trap | Captivity | “No one will find you.”
No. 12: “I haven't slept in days but who's counting?”
Red | Insomnia | “I’m up, I’m up.”
No. 13: “It comes and goes like the strength in your bones.”
Cold Compress | Infection | “I don’t feel so good.”
No. 14: “Feed me poison, fill me ‘till I drown.”
Flare | Water Inhalation | “Just hold on.”
No. 15: “I don't need you to help me I can handle things myself.”
Makeshift Bandages | Suppressed Suffering | “I’m fine.”
No. 16: “Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”
Gurney | Flatline | “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”
No. 17: “You’re the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest.”
Collar | Touch Aversion | “Leave me alone.”
No. 18: “I tend to deflect when I’m feeling threatened.”
Blindfold | Tortured For Information | “Hit them harder.”
No. 19: “I’ll take one final step, all you have to do is make me.”
Floral Bouquet | Psychological | “I’m not as stupid as you think I am.”
No. 20: “People don’t change people, time does.”
Blanket | Found Family | “You will regret touching them.”
No. 21: “See the chains around my feet.”
Vows | Restraints | “Don't move.”
No. 22: “They never saw us coming, ‘til they hit the floor.”
Glass Shard | Vehicular Accident | “Watch out!”
No. 23: “It’s gonna get me by the end of the night.”
Shadows | Stalking | “Who’s there?”
No. 24: “I’ve got a head full of chemicals; mouth full of ridicule.”
Goodbye Note | Neglect | “I thought they were with you.”
No. 25: “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave.”
Storm | Buried Alive | “They’re not breathing!”
No. 26: “Sometimes I get so tired; I don’t even know myself.”
Seeing Double | Working To Exhaustion | “You look awful.”
No. 27: “You drew stars around my scars; But now I’m bleeding.”
Matches | Scars | “Let me see”
No. 28: “We might not make it to the morning; so go on and tell me now.”
Bloody Knife | Sacrifice | “You'll have to go through me.”
No. 29: “I only sink deeper the deeper I think.”
Scented Candle | Troubled Past Resurfacing | “What happened to me?”
No. 30: “It’s okay, just to say, ‘I’m not okay’.”
Borrowed Clothing | Bridal Carry | “Not much longer...”
No. 31: “I thought that I was getting better.”
Emptiness | Setbacks | “Take it easy.”
Alternatives List:
Betrayal
Aftermath of Failure
Brass Knuckles
Decoy
Body Modification
Playing Cards
Examination
Hunting
Drugging
Shaking
Panic
Broken
Miscommunication
Lab Rat
Reluctant Whumper
Event Info & Rules
~ Please read our extensive event info posts before sending us an ask ~
WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. The 'theme' of each day is the line of lyrics.
The prompts are merely to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don’t have to include the exact wording of prompts into your work). Feel free to run rampant on interpretation. For example, if the prompt is "flame", you could create something with reference to a candle/campfire, your character could have suffered a burn, or the flame could be related to the 'spark' of a relationship. It's truly up to you!
In total, there are 4 prompts for each day: there's lyrics, an object, a trope and a line of dialogue to choose from. We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.
Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, photo/video/audio edits, paper crafts and elaborate recommendation lists (not just a list of links). Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.
When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:
#whumptober2023 …..(the event tag)
#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(day number)
#lyric, #bruises, #stabbing, …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)
#fandom or #OC, … (ironman, originalcontent, oc …)
#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)
#teeth, #gore tw, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Add "tw" AFTER the trigger/content warning. )
#nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)
#your own tags go here
PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober-archive blog. They must be tagged in the order above. An elaborate post about our tagging system can be found [here]
Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.
Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month. A form will be published at the beginning of November asking you to tell us if you completed the event. You do not need to post anything you have created, we rely on trust and we will not check this.
Questions not addressed in one of our many event info posts can be directed to this blog. We will not answer any questions that have been answered in the FAQs or rules already.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does this year’s prompt list work? What do I have to choose?
You can create something based on:
The overall theme/lyric of the day
Prompt 1, 2 or 3
One or several of the alternative prompts
A combination of the above
Q. Is [specific anything] allowed?
When in doubt: JUST DO IT!
Q. Do I have to do all 31 days?
Participate as much or little as you like! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.7, #radio silence). If you create works for 31 total theme days you will become a completionist. But apart from that, there are no repercussions if you don’t fill prompts for each day.
Q. Can I post early/late?
Yes, you can post whenever you want. We will only reblog posts during October, but you can use our prompts all year round. The day you post will only affect your probability of being reblogged.
Q. Will you reblog my post?
Due to the sheer number of content posted during Whumptober we can’t promise to reblog every single post. We will make a random selection trying to capture a wide variety of content. The following will increase your chances at being reblogged:
tag your post properly
post within 2-3 days of the theme you want to fill: if you fill the prompt for Day 1 your chances of being reblogged during October 1st to 3rd are highest and will go towards zero afterwards.
Q. What if I don’t understand a prompt/theme?
Send us an ask! We’re happy to help with wild, unhelpful clarifications or brainstorming. That being said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation. Don’t take them too literally. For example: You can be choking on a cherry, someone else can choke you or you could be choked up on emotions, etc.
Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?
This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gifset or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe.
Q. Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges?
Absolutely, as long as the other challenges allow it too.
Q. Can I upload/repost my Whumptober content to other social media platforms?
Of course! You can post your own content wherever you like (or you can opt to not publish it at all). Additionally we’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there. It can be accessed here. The tumblr blog @whumptober-archive is the official archive, so please respect the boundaries of any closeted whumpers in your social circle.
Q. Can I use prompts to write a new chapter for an existing fic?
Yes.
Q. An existing fic I am currently writing contains many of the Whumptober prompts, can I use it?
If you are actively writing this fic at the moment with the Whumptober prompts in mind, yes. If you’ve previously posted something that checks the boxes, we ask that you not include it retroactively for this current year. You can, however, add new chapters relating to one or more of the prompts.
Q. What kind of characters can I write for?
Fandom characters, OC characters, human, furry, alien, cyborg, RPF, whoever you like. You can use the generic “whumpee” character or have specific ones.
Q. Does it have to take place in a specific fandom?
No, you can create works for your own worlds or for fandoms or for both. You can also create more generic or pan-fandom works. You can do cross-overs or use OCs, whatever you want.
Q. Can I use a prompt multiple times?
Yes, but it only counts once towards being a completionist.
Q. If I’m not comfortable with one day’s prompts can I use a prompt of a different day as a substitute and still be a completionist?
No, you can’t exchange prompts for different days. However, if all four prompts of a specific day make you uncomfortable, we have created an alternate prompts list that you can draw from. You can exchange any prompt with these, but please make sure not to use them twice.
Q. Where can I post my work?
Post where and how you want. You don’t have to (cross)post it to Tumblr or at all. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive.
Q. Can I start posting early?
You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? That being said, you can post early, but we won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st.
Q. Do I have to finish a fic I started/can I post WIP’s?
Yes you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish it in October for it to count towards being a completionist.
Q. Is co-writing allowed?
Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you.
Q. Do I have to create 31 standalone pieces to be considered a completionist or can I write one continuous story?
One continuous story is fine. The challenge is to write something for 31 prompts. If that’s spread over 31 fics or just one, you are still considered a completionist. (The same goes for every other media you choose.)
Q. Is there a min/max limit on word count?
There is no limit.
Q. Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many?
No limit and combine as many as you’d like.
Q. Is a hc/angst/emotional whump focus ok?
Of course! We are not going to establish a threshold for whumpiness. If you think it’s whumpy enough, then it’s whumpy enough. It can be physical, psychological, emotional, or any combination of the three.
Q. What’s considered nsfw?
See this post
Q. What is whump?
Typically the genre includes situations where a fictional character is hurt, be it emotionally, psychologically, or physically. Fanlore provides information here.
Q. My interpretation of the prompt isn’t whumpy at all, does that count?
If you don’t think your interpretation is whumpy, then it doesn’t count for Whumptober. Remember that whump comes in many forms, though, and that we don’t have a whump-checker or a threshold for how much whump needs to be included. If you think your interpretation contains enough whump to count, then it does.
Q. Can I start working on the prompts before October?
Absolutely! That’s why we post the prompts a month in advance. We recognise how difficult it can be creating for 31 days in “real time” so feel free to start creating early!
Q. How do I tag triggers?
tw at the end of the word, ex. #gore tw
Q. Do I have to use your tags?
Yes, if you want your work archived on the blog. If not, feel free to use whatever tags you want.
Q. Does combining prompts count towards completion?
Yes
Q. Can we @ you?
Yes but we mostly rely on the #whumptober2023 tag.
Q. Is there anything we are absolutely not allowed to write?
There are no rules, but please make sure to properly tag your trigger warnings. And keep in mind Tumblr’s policies if you are posting it here (or the policies for whatever site you use).
Q. Where can I go for brainstorming help?
Here on Discord or come into our ask box.
Q. My characters are minors, is that ok?
Yes, but as with everything else, use clear and descriptive tags.
Q. Can I cross post on other blogs?
Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable. You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once.
Note: This is a creation challenge, please don’t repost your old work under our tags (unless it’s been changed or edited for the event).
Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!
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6 to 1 | lando norris (part 5)
paring: lando norris x leclerc!reader
part 5 in the 6 to 1 series (read part 1 here)
in twelve short hours, you were everything from drunk to lonely, to desperate to scared to anxious to content to happy to scared once again. it didn't help that lando was with you to experience all of it, it was worse that he still chose to stay
word count: 6.7k
tags/warnings PLEASE READ: some mature themes including alcohol consumption, reference to not being in control of your body/surroundings, faint anxiety, subtle references to non-con situations (but no actual non-con acts, dont worry)
Lando held out his arm for you to use to balance yourself as you pulled your heels off. You tossed them to the side and sighed happily when your soles pressed against the hardwood floor.
“Come on,” Lando encouraged, hand going to your back as he led you down the hall, “let's get you to bed.”
You had practically passed out in the car when Lando picked you up. You desperately wanted to stay up and talk to him, but you were drunk and tired and keeping your eyes open in a moving vehicle wasn’t doing anything for your intoxicated state of mind.
And now Lando was pushing open the bedroom door, keeping his mouth shut at the state of the room and the sight of your clothes piled up in the corner. You wanted to apologise for the mess but in your defence, no one was supposed to be here except you.
“I’ll go get you some water, okay?” Lando waited until you were situated on the edge of the bed before leaving the room. You knew this was probably the best time for you to change out of the dress and put on something more comfortable but when you reached for the zipper that rested halfway down your back it became very clear that you could not rid this dress from your body alone.
You weren’t sure how to ask Lando how to help you without him getting the wrong idea. It wasn’t that you wanted to strip in front of him but you also weren’t about to fall asleep in the dress you’ve been wearing for sixteen hours.
When Lando came back he put the glass of water on the bedside table, stepping over a curling iron that you had dangerously left in the middle of the floor. You watched silently as he adjusted the pillows against the headboard, fluffing them out for you.
He glanced over his shoulder, probably wondering why you hadn’t moved an inch since he had left to get water. The way you sat there with uncertainty told him that the contents of everything you ate and drank were about to work their way up.
“Do I need to go get a bin for you?” Lando asked.
“What?” Your eyebrows pinched together. “No, no, I’m okay, I just-” you pointed to the back of your dress, “I need help.”
Lando was about to ask for clarification but then his gaze landed on the zipper. He let out a very quiet, ‘oh’ before walking towards you and helping you stand up. Your eyes locked for a second and even in the dimly lit bedroom, even when you needed a second to focus, the mix of green and gold in his irises had you forgetting what it was you just asked for help with.
He probably got the hint that your request had vanished from your mind because Lando took it upon himself to gently spin you around. He collected your hair that was pinned back in a high ponytail and rested it over your shoulder. A chill travelled through you when his thumb brushed against your bare skin before he took hold of the zipper.
There was a very strong chance he could hear your heart racing in your chest.
Staggered breaths hit the back of your neck as he pulled the zipper down about halfway. His other hand found a home on your hip, his fingers lightly pressing against the silk orange material.
“You do look stunning in this dress,” Lando whispered, eyes raking over the indents in your skin, the freckles on your back that he had never noticed before.
“Oh but let me guess,” you rolled your eyes and attempted your best British accent, “It’d look better on the floor?”
Lando laughed and your stomach turned in knots when he dropped his forehead to your shoulder, his curls brushing against your neck and it took everything in you not to reach up and tangle your fingers through them. His grip on your side tightened, only for a moment, before he inhaled quietly and lifted his head.
You turned around and his hand on you loosened, but he didn't drop it from your side. You tried to focus on keeping eye contact with him, but your line of sight kept dropping to his lips.
Did you want him to kiss you?
Even if you were waiting for it, that moment wouldn't come. Not in the state you were in currently in. The most he did was lift his hands to cup your cheeks, dipping your face enough so he could kiss the top of your head.
And just because you were drunk and didn’t know how to react to a gesture as soft and caring as this, you relied on your usual banter to get you past this blurred line you found yourself standing on.
“That counts as one of your seconds.”
Lando dropped his hands from your face and stared at you, confusion written all over his features. Now that the material of the dress wasn’t constricted against your body, the straps hung loosely over your arms. It would take you less than a second to slip out of the garment, but that would be the alcohol making the decisions for you.
“It absolutely does not,” he argued, not daring to let his eyes drop from yours, even if the loose dress hung lower on your chest than it was before.
“Yes it does.”
“You won’t remember it in the morning.”
“Yes I will.”
Lando didn’t believe you. He’d seen you drunk only twice before and that was at the club after the Miami grand prix, both this year and last. Which was horrible because you were technically underage at the 2022 event but with your brothers and the drivers keeping an eye on you, you knew you were fine.
Last year, you were a wild card. Switching from dancing one minute to chatting up strangers the next and everything in between all night long. The next morning, Lando had overheard Charles telling Carlos that you didn’t remember a thing.
This year was no different. You let loose in Miami and the following morning, you had no recollection of anything that took place after the race.
But you weren’t as drunk now as you were then. Or at least you thought that to be true. You were still in control of your actions. You could tell a bad decision from a good one. You knew that standing this close to Lando after missing him for the last week and half wasn’t a good idea but acting on the pull you felt towards him was an even worse one.
Lando lifted his hand to brush a strand of hair out of your face, the same strand that kept getting caught on your earring all night.
“You are…” he took a deep breath, you couldn’t even begin to guess how he would finish that sentence. He might have wanted to compliment you again. Or he could have made a ridiculing comment about how he couldn’t handle you. The way he looked at you hinted towards a mixture of both sweet and sarcastic.
But he didn’t voice the rest of his thoughts. Instead, Lando shook his head slowly and gave your hand a gentle squeeze before he stepped back.
“Get some sleep, yeah?”
Roles reversed when you found yourself refusing to let him go. The second his hand fell from yours, you grabbed it again and kept him from heading to the living room, undoubtedly where he was planning on spending the rest of the night.
Because of course he would give you the bedroom, his bedroom.
Lando cared about you more than you wanted to admit because that would mean you’d have to admit that you also cared about him.
“Can you stay?” The question slipped past your lips before you could stop yourself. Maybe you weren’t in total control of your actions.
“We both know that’s not a good idea.”
Lando was thinking clearly. He might have wanted to share a bed with you, but he knew how incoherent and intoxicated you were and if he was going to spend a night with you, the first night, he wanted you both to be sober for it.
“I think you should get ready for bed,” he changed the topic before you could fight him on his decision. Lando backed up and headed into his closet, grabbing one of the hoodies, his hoodies, from the hanger. He handed it to you, but didn’t stay, instead walking into the ensuite. “Do you have- oh, yes you do.” Lando walked back into the room holding a package of makeup wipes. He pulled the wrapping back to pull out a damp tissue.
Lando put the makeup wipe in your empty hand and then gestured with his chin to the hoodie, wordlessly reminding you that getting ready for bed was probably, definitely, the best thing for both of you.
You nodded and walked into the bathroom to change. Lando wasn’t going to give in to what you wanted, but you were surprised to see him leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone when you walked back into the bathroom, fresh faced, in an oversized hoodie, and still quite drunk.
“Okay,” you flailed your arms to the side and Lando looked up, placing his phone on the tv stand. You’d be lying if you said you missed the way he smiled when he saw you in one of his jumpers, something that he thought he’d never see.
“Water’s on the table,” he pointed out. “Try not to throw up in the bed-”
“I’m not going to throw up in the bed.”
“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep.”
“I’m not that drunk,” you scoffed, but as you crossed your arms over your chest, you nearly lost your balance. You caught yourself, thankfully, but it only further proved Lando’s point that you were most likely not able to control whether or not you got sick during the night.
“Come on,” he pushed himself off the wall and stepped around you to pull the covers back on the bed. He nodded his head towards the very inviting mattress, “Bed, now.”
“I don’t need you to parent me.”
“I’m not parenting you, Y/N, it’s 1:30 in the morning and we should both be sleeping,” his little laugh that followed told you that he wasn’t all that mad about being awake right now, even if there were dark bags under his eyes and a couch that was calling his name.
You slid into the bed and pulled the blanket up to your chin. You were about ten seconds away from falling asleep, but that didn’t mean you wanted him to go. Before Lando could leave you for the rest of the night, you stuck your arm out of the blanket and grabbed his hand.
“I’m not staying,” Lando said with a soft laugh, already knowing what you were going to ask of him.
As much as Lando wanted to crawl into bed next to you, he knew you’d regret it in the morning. You were drunk, you weren’t thinking straight, you just wanted company and you missed Lando and now that he was right in front of you, you didn’t want to let him go.
But you wouldn’t want this if you were sober. You would be kicking him to the couch before he could even think about sliding into bed next to you. You’d be making a joke about how this would be the one and only time he’d ever help you undress. There would be more banter, more sarcasm, more eye rolls.
Drunk you was funny, adorable, irresistible, even, but it wasn’t you. And Lando knew you too well, respected you too much, to take any sort of advantage over this scenario, even if you didn’t see it as such.
You covered your mouth with your other hand as you yawned and asked, “What about just until I fall asleep?”
That was the compromise. Much like how you could give him thirty seconds of pretending he wasn’t a driver instead of two minutes, you were hoping he would stay until your eyes closed. After that, he could go. It wasn’t like you’d be awake for much longer anyway.
“Please?” god you were begging now. That’s how Lando knew you were well past the point of intoxication. You’d rather die than ask him for anything.
But maybe that’s why Lando eventually gave in, because this would be the only time you’d ever ask him to lay with you. There was a very strong chance this would be the first and last time he’d be able to crawl into bed and hold you against his side as you fell asleep with your head on his chest.
Lando sighed quietly and nodded, trying not to let his happiness show when your face lit up as he walked around to the other side of the bed. He didn’t get under the blanket, he was smarter than that, if he let himself get comfortable he’d never get up.
So he got on top of the blanket as you curled yourself into his side. Lando rested one arm behind his head and used the other arm to pull you closer. Immediately, you abandoned the pillows he had so nicely fluffed for you and used his chest as a pillow instead.
You could feel his heartbeat beneath your cheek and found comfort in it, much like how he found solace with each breath you took as your eyelashes fluttered shut.
He gently played with your hair and his fingers against your scalp had you smiling as fatigue took over your body.
Lando kept his gaze on you the entire time. Waiting to see if he could tell when you fell asleep, hoping to find out if you were someone who snored or spoke when you were sleeping.
You twitched against him, indicating that you were definitely no longer awake, but Lando stayed there for an extra minute or two to make sure of it. He wished he could have stayed there all night, but you would lose it on him in the morning if you woke up next to him.
It didn’t matter how bad you wanted him now, it wasn’t real.
And that was the reality that convinced Lando to carefully slide out of bed. He didn’t even allow himself to sneak one more look at you before walking out of the room, dragging his hand through his hair and wondering what it would take for you to want him like this tomorrow and the next day and every day after that.
——————
You wished you knew how you ended up back at Lando’s place last night, but the details were fuzzy and your head was still spinning as you slowly came to that morning.
You remembered saying bye to the bride and groom before getting into a black car. Did you order an uber? If yes, what else did you buy last night? You wouldn’t have been surprised if you asked the driver to stop at a drive-thru for a late night burger and fries.
Reaching towards the bedside table, you blindly searched for your phone and was met with a glass of water instead. The force of your hand knocked it sideways and you sat up in a panic.
“Shit,” you muttered, grabbing a pillow to cover the spill up. You weren’t an irresponsible drunk per say, but it was unlike you to pour yourself some water when you came home after a night out.
You rubbed your hand over your face, fully expecting to see mascara smudged on the pads of your fingers when you pulled your hand back, but it was clean. You had absolutely no recollection of taking your makeup off before bed.
And then you noticed the baby blue sleeve covering your arm. You pulled at the material against your chest and made out the white Quadrant logo printed on the jumper. This was Lando’s hoodie.
There was no fucking way you went into his closet and willingly put it on.
You climbed out of bed, ignoring the faint pounding happening in your head and praying it would go away after you made yourself something to eat. You were lucky, you didn’t struggle too badly with hangovers, instead you struggled with filling in the gaps of what happened the night prior.
You made your way down the hall with the sole intent of making a plate of eggs and bacon and then crawling right back into bed. There was a carton of eggs in the fridge and you already knew where everything in the kitchen was after making the most of it and all of its spacious glory these last two weeks.
So you grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and cracked an egg into it. After tossing out the shell, you grabbed a second egg.
“Morning.”
And then you used that second egg as a weapon.
You spun on your heels and threw it in the direction of where the voice came from, which just so happened to be from the hallway right outside the bathroom door. A normal reaction would have been to scream or jump at the thought of an intruder being in the home, but no, you relied on a goddamn egg to save your life.
At least your aim was good. It hit the ‘intruder’ right in the chest but you covered your mouth with your hands when you realised who you had just gotten egg yolk all over.
Lando stood there, yellow staining the cotton in the centre of his shirt as yolk dripped to the floor. A few broken shells clung to him, but the majority of it was on the floor near his feet.
Any other day, you would have apologised for the mess you caused.
But any other day, you probably would have been made aware if you were in the same room as Lando.
“I prefer my eggs scrambled, but sure, this works,” Lando nodded, accepting that this was the reality he had woken up to. He stepped over the eggshells and reached for the roll of paper towels that was in the corner of the kitchen.
All you could do was stand there with your back against the fridge as you tried to piece together the events of last night.
Did Lando pick you up? You didn’t even know he was in London. This flat only had one bedroom, you didn’t share a bed did you? Maybe he showed up this morning, but why would he show up unannounced?
You yanked on the collar of your jumper, his jumper, “Was this your doing?”
Was that really the question that took priority right now?
Lando barely glanced up from trying to clean himself off, “You’re asking if, in your intoxicated state, I got you naked and forced a Quadrant jumper on you? Yes, Y/N that’s exactly what I did.”
Now that you heard it out loud, the idea was pretty preposterous. Lando was annoying in plenty of ways, but he wouldn’t cross a line like that.
But he basically confirmed being with you last night.
You dragged your hand through your hair, still attempting to put the pieces together yourself as you grabbed a towel from the drawer and held it under the stream of water from the kitchen skin.
“Did you pick me up last night?” You asked, crossing the kitchen and walking over to him. Lando tossed the crumpled paper towel on the counter and didn’t say anything as you dabbed the cloth over his shirt, trying to get the egg out.
“You asked me to,” he answered, already sounding defensive.
“When did you get to London?”
“I arrived in the UK a few days ago, but I just got to London yesterday.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” You stretched out the material of his shirt, trying not to notice his tanned skin underneath or the fact that he had a v-line that disappeared into the hem of his grey sweats.
“I did tell you,” he chuckled. “When you called me last night.”
“I called you?” Your eyebrows pinched together, trying to focus on the yolk stain but the timeline of events slowly being put together was a bit distracting. The frustration that you couldn’t remember any of it but Lando could was being taken out on his shirt. “Why would I call you?”
“I don’t know, but it was right after I commented on your post.”
You remembered posting the three pictures, but didn’t remember any notifications that followed, “What did you say?”
“That you looked good in orange.”
“Why did you-” you cut yourself off, annoyed for a handful of reasons and you threw the towel on the counter beside you. “You know what? I don’t care. I don’t care!” You forced yourself to smile, wanting to make the best out of this situation but Lando saw right through it. You backed up, glancing between his eyes and the stain on his shirt, “You should throw it on the wash.”
“Oh if anyone needs to do laundry, it's you,” Lando laughed, “I saw the pile of clothes in the bedroom. Have you done any washing since you’ve been here?”
He was in the bedroom with you?
Lando meant it as a joke, trying to poke fun of the mess you made in his home, but the instant he saw the panic sink in, he knew he said the wrong thing.
“Woah, hey don’t worry, nothing happened last night,” Lando quickly assured you. Still, your heart was racing and it only intensified when he stepped forward and put his hands on your shoulders, “I promise, Y/N, nothing happened. I didn’t even sleep in the room, I wouldn’t do that, you were drunk. I like you but I’m not- I wouldn’t have dared try anything,” he painfully swallowed at the thought that you might not believe him. “I gave you the jumper and those cleaning wipe things, you changed in the bathroom, I laid with you for like five minutes until you passed out and then I left. I slept out here. I promise.”
You still felt uneasy at the idea of Lando being with you when you were in such a vulnerable state. You had no control of your actions, no memory, just his word that nothing happened and you wanted to believe him, but you weren’t an idiot. You were a girl and you needed your walls to be up, it was the unfortunate world you were brought into.
You had heard horror stories of friends thinking they could trust the guys they were with only to be proven wrong in the worst ways.
You shook Lando’s hands off of you, putting space between your bodies again.
Lando watched as you turned your back on him to try and go back to making your breakfast. He noticed your fingers trembling as you grabbed another egg and cracked it into the bowl. A couple shells landed with the yolk and you swore under your breath.
He approached you hesitantly and when he put his hand on your back you flinched and tried to step away from him again.
“Don’t-” you tensed. “Please, Lando just don’t touch me right now.”
He held his hands up defensively and glanced at the eggs, “I was just going to say I can do this. Go take a shower or go back to bed for a bit, let me make breakfast.”
“Breakfast in bed isn’t going to make me trust your word,” you said. Your stomach twisted, but not in the butterfly kind of way. It was the kind of knot that made you feel physically sick. “You don’t get it, Lando, this probably isn’t something you’ve ever had to worry about. But I don’t remember anything from last night and I’m just supposed to believe that you didn’t do something? I didn’t even know you were in the city until right now, I can’t-” you shook your head. “I want to believe you, really, but when I woke up this morning I thought I was alone in this flat so already this is not off to a good start.”
You grabbed a fork from the drawer and tried to fish out the broken shell, ignoring Lando just watching you. When it was clear that you were too anxious and on edge to try and make breakfast, you dropped the fork to the sink and declared you were giving up. You didn’t even let Lando get another word in before you walked down the hall towards the room, slamming the door after you.
You peeled the quadrant hoodie off of you and threw it in the corner of the room. You felt gross and even if he really hadn’t done anything, there was a sickeningly crawling feeling that spread through your body.
A shower was the first step to get rid of it. Rid yourself of last night, of the wedding, of everything that was said or done within the last twenty four hours. You turned on the water and stepped in, letting your senses drown in the steam and scalding hot water.
You rubbed your hands over your face, taking in a few deep breaths before reaching for the bar of soap.
The longer you stood there, the more you thought about how you might have overreacted.
You had every reason to be paranoid. Every person who woke up in that same scenario would be, but it was Lando.
Lando wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or betray you. He wouldn’t take advantage of you. The worst he might do is take a photo of you blackout drunk and use it as black mail, but he would never, ever put you in an unsafe position.
Even in your drunken state, you must have known that. Why else would you have called him? You weren’t someone who ever went home with a stranger or had one night stands with a person whose name you would forget in the morning, but you called Lando.
He was the one you wanted to be with at the end of the night.
You didn’t know what time you left the wedding, but you could imagine it was late. It wouldn’t have surprised you to know that Lando didn’t hesitate before grabbing his keys to drive to you because he’d rather take you home than let you get in a car with a stranger. He was letting you stay at his flat for christ sakes, this man would do anything for you.
He was wholesomely trying to work his way up your driver ranking, slowly, cautiously, all while gaining more and more of your trust as the days went on. He wanted you to like him. He wouldn’t jeopardise your friendship by any means.
Also, he’d have 19 drivers on the grid to answer to if he ever did try anything. And some team principals. And your other brothers.
Lando liked you and there had been a few blurred lines within the last couple weeks, but he wouldn’t dare cross one like this.
When you finished showering, you were a bit more clear headed than you were after your alarming first few minutes of being awake. You took your time washing your face but decided to let your hair air-dry. His hoodie in the corner of the room wasn’t one you reached for, but it didn’t cause you to tense up when you looked at it.
You put on a pair of sweats and an oversized shirt instead and after telling yourself one more time that Lando was someone you could trust, you walked out of the room.
His back was towards you as he sang along to whatever song was playing on his phone. He had cleaned up the mess that was on the floor and changed shirts so there was no trace of the egg you had thrown at him.
He didn’t hear you leave the bedroom, too engrossed in putting the finishing touches on breakfast. He had pulled out everything he could from the fridge to make a few omelettes. You saw two plates each with toast already on them and from the smell of it, it seemed like he was about done.
Lando then heard your quiet footsteps as you approached and he glanced over his shoulder to give you a shy smile, “Hey, sit down, breakfast is about ready.”
But you didn’t sit. Instead, you walked right up to him and slid your arms around his waist to hug him from behind. You pressed your cheek to his back and let out a deep breath, closing your eyes.
He hesitated. You weren't usually one to make any sort of move like this towards him, but then rested his hand over yours and chuckled softly. He could feel your hair dampen his shirt and he was a little constricted in his movements as he tried to finish cooking, but he didn’t care.
You were hugging him. That’s the only thing that mattered.
“I’m not going to apologise for reacting the way I did,” you whispered. “But I know now that you wouldn’t ever-”
“I kissed the top of your head,” Lando interjected. You could feel his body tense as he inhaled a sharp breath.
You lifted your head from his back right as Lando turned to face you. You could see the guilt painted all over his face. He looked as though he was confessing to a crime.
"You-" there was no memory of that exchange. "You did what?"
“You asked me to help you with the zipper on your dress and I did but then I kissed the top of your head and I know I shouldn’t have and I’m sorry,” Lando admitted. “And then you told me that it counted as one of my twelve seconds, which I think is a little dramatic, but I’m still sorry."
"Lando, if all you did was kiss the top of my head, I think we're fine," you assured him, your words were followed by a light hearted laugh, but he still wanted to apologize.
"I didn’t even think about how you would react this morning seeing me and I understand now why you acted the way you did, I wouldn’t trust any person who was in my house if I woke up after a night out either." He didn't even want to put himself in your shoes. "I promise, next time you call me at midnight to pick you up I will take you straight home and I’ll walk you to the door but I won’t come inside because-”
“Next time?” your eyebrows furrowed together. Granted, that was not the most important part of his little ramble, but it was the part that stood out. “You think there’s going to be a next time?”
“Oh, definitely,” Lando answered too confidently. “Because you know I’ll drop anything for you.”
Your breath caught in your throat. All you could do was look up at him, trying to tell if he was being truthful or not.
You laughed it off, “No you wouldn’t.”
All Lando did was raise his eyebrows. He wasn’t going to try and convince you he was being honest, he was going to let you believe what you wanted to believe. He turned and grabbed the handle of the pan to slide the omelette onto a plate before handing it to you.
You took it without exchanging another word and went and sat down at the dining room table. Lando joined a minute later with his own plate and added salt and pepper to his. You grabbed a forkful and waited for it to cool off before eating it, pleasantly surprised at how it tasted.
You thought you were a better cook than Lando, but you might just be wrong.
“So,” you quickly swallowed, “If we were to date, who would do the cooking in the relationship?”
“Don’t,” Lando barely looked at you before he stood up to grab a few glasses of water.
You put your fork down and stared after him, “Don’t what?”
“Don’t tease that,” He clarified with a faint laugh. “Don’t tease a relationship.”
“It’s a hypothetical question, I’m not teasing anything.”
Lando rolled his eyes as he sat back down, sliding you one of the glasses. He took a large sip before finally answering, “Fine. Hypothetically, we would both cook.”
“And the cleaning?”
He took a quick look around the flat. He didn’t have to say anything, you got the hint. You had stuff thrown everywhere. Shoes, jackets, empty bottles of sparkling water. You didn’t pack much for this trip but surprisingly, none of it was in the suitcase anymore or properly put away. This wasn’t your flat but you sure made yourself at home.
You rolled your eyes, “Okay, you’ll do the cleaning.”
“Hypothetically.”
“Hypothetically,” you agreed.
Lando took a few more bites before he kept going with this topic, “Would you come to the races?”
“I already do.”
“As my girlfriend,” he added, speaking with his mouthful. “Not as Charles’ sister.” He took another bite and then finished with, “Hypothetically.”
You inhaled a breath, leaning against the back of the chair. You avoided his eyes as you picked at the food on your plate.
It wasn’t a genuine question but at the same time, you both knew it was. Calling it a hypothetical was a safety net. Something to fall back on if one of you said something that the other didn’t agree with. Or worse, if you both said all the right answers.
“I think it would be like shared custody,” you eventually said with a hint of a smile. You kept the tone playful, but still answered as truthfully as you could, “One race with Ferrari, the next with McLaren and I’d keep going back and forth.”
Lando rolled his eyes and scoffed, “I don’t want to share you.”
“Hypothetically,” you included at the end of that sentence because he seemed to forget that this scenario wasn't real.
Lando’s eyebrow twitched as he took a sip of water, not agreeing to that final word. Hinting at the fact that maybe he was telling the truth in that sense. He didn’t want to share you.
He didn’t want you to hang out in the Ferrari garage. He didn’t want to see you flirting with Carlos. He didn’t want you spending your nights in hotels or air bnb’s away from him. He would never say that out loud, knowing how possessive it would sound. But what you didn’t know wouldn’t kill either of you.
“Hypothetically, I’d be able to kiss my girlfriend for more than twelve seconds,” Lando said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
You pointed your fork at him, “You mean eleven?”
“Oh so you are counting the head kiss from last night?”
“Yes.”
He nodded with a sigh, “I understand.”
That’s how the rest of breakfast went, trading hypothetical questions that held a bit more truth to them than either of you were willing to admit. He finished eating before you did, but sat at the table and waited for you to finish. He laughed when he pointed out you had spinach stuck in your teeth, but he quickly stopped laughing when you threw half of your toast at him.
When your plate was empty, Lando grabbed it and made a comment about how he would do the cleaning, remember? You followed him to the kitchen and tried to help him with the dishes but he just playfully pushed you away. When you tried to remind him that he cleaned up after you made pizza that first night and it was only fair that you help this time, he pretended to be deaf.
Lando held out his arm to block you from grabbing the used pans and when you tried to step around him on the other side he just backed up and kept backing up until you were fully out of the kitchen.
“Sit down,” he demanded, trying to sound as stern as possible as he pointed at the couch.
And just because he was really cute when he tried to sound intimidating, you held your hands up in surrender and sat down on the couch. You watched him clean for a bit but then you spotted your phone on the coffee table, surprisingly not dead.
You answered Charles’ text asking how the wedding was and Arthur’s message asking for a life update because you had accidentally ignored the his last four calls. You texted him and promised that you’d call him later, not even annoyed that he was checking in on you so much. You were lucky to have such protective and caring brothers.
You didn’t let yourself think about how livid Charles would be if he knew where you were right now.
There was nothing on social media about you being spotted with Lando, so you were in the clear for the time being. But if you left the flat with him, surely people would find out.
“What are you doing today?” You asked, looking up from your phone screen to see him finishing up. He wiped his hands on his sweats and had to think about it for a second.
“Whatever you’re doing,” he landed on.
He walked to the back of the couch and leaned forward, dipping his head next to yours. You had to crane your neck to meet his gaze and you were momentarily caught off guard by the way the sunlight seeping through the window hit the side of his face, more specifically showcasing the stunning array of colours in his eyes.
“Tu as de beaux yeux,” you whispered before you could stop yourself. Lando gave you a look of confusion before you realised that you had complimented him in French. Maybe that was for the better. If you had complimented him in a language he understood, he’d hold it against you forever.
But it was true. He had beautiful eyes.
“What did you just say?” Lando asked quietly.
“I said you smell like eggs.”
Lando rolled his eyes and tugged on your hair, knowing that you were not only lying, but trying to be annoying as well.
“I have a proposition for you,” he then said, clasping his fingers together over the back of the couch. “We can do whatever you want today, if you let me plan what we do tomorrow.”
“What makes you think I want to hang out with you tomorrow?”
“Hypothetically, my girlfriend should always want to hang out with me.”
Your eyes widened for a second at the mock arrogance as you turned back to your phone, “Someone’s a little full of themselves today, hey?”
Lando snatched your phone out of your hands and tossed it onto the loveseat, ensuring he’d have your full attention as he jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to you. You expected some banter to follow after that comment, but when you met his eyes you could see a deep weight of concern in them.
“I’m sorry if I crossed a line last night,” Lando said quietly.
“By kissing my head?” You asked and Lando nodded. He was so sweet. You reached forward and rested your hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I like to think your intentions were good.”
Of course they were. He made sure you had changed out of your dress and washed your face before crawling into bed. He got you a glass of water. You still couldn’t get over the fact that he picked you up from the wedding in the first place.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” you told him. It was genuine appreciation. Usually you were on your own. Sometimes if you were with Charles or Arthur during a night out, they’d walk you to your room but they’d make a joke about how you were an idiot for drinking so much. They wouldn’t stay longer than they needed to.
“I like taking care of you.”
You rolled your eyes, covering half of your face with your hand as you rested your elbow on the back of the couch, “You can’t say things like that.”
“Why not?”
Because then you’d really start to like him. Because then you’d rethink your no dating drivers rule. Because then all of these hypotheticals would turn into the real thing. It was bad enough that he already made you feel uncharacteristically giddy in his presence and that he had a calming aura that pulled you to him when it was just the two of you alone.
You pulled your eyes from his and inhaled a deep breath, reaching for the remote to turn the tv on, “You just can’t.”
Lando couldn’t say things like that because what started as meaningless flirting was now starting to sound real. He was only supposed to work his way up your driver standings, not work his way into your life, your thoughts, your heart. He had to tone it down before it got any worse.
But deep down, you feared it might already be too late.
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POV: You are Sukuna's Vessel 4
Warnings- mentions of blood, self harm
wc- 1.7k
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6
You stir, your head pounding as you find yourself in a dimly lit room. Your vision swims, your body protesting as you try to sit up.
You hear familiar voices, a sense of relief washing over you as you recognize them.
Gojo, Megumi, and Nobara, standing just outside the door,. Gojo's voice is filled with concern, Megumi's with worry, and Nobara's with anger mix with grief.
You listen intently, straining to hear their conversation.
"... How can there be a highly special grade curse in such a friendly competition?", Nobara asks, her voice quivering.
"I mean yes, there were a few special curse meant for you all guys to handle together as a team, but we did not expect death of any competitor" Gojo says, his voice filled with sadness.
"We must always be vigilant," Megumi adds, his voice filled with concern.
"Momo Nishimiya's death is mysterious", Yuji speaks.
You swallow hard, the gravity of the situation hitting you.
"What do you mean by she is dead?" you call out, your voice barely above a whisper.
Their heads snap towards the sound of your voice, their faces lighting up with relief.
"Y/N!" Nobara exclaims, rushing to your side.
"Are you alright?" Megumi asks, his eyes filled with worry.
"Yes I am alright but I don't understand, how is she dead?", your eyebrows frown with concern.
Gojo steps forward, his eyes filled with sympathy, "It appears there was a highly special grade curse in the mix, it killed Momo," he explains, his voice somber.
"We found Nishimiya's dead body a few distance away from your dead body. Thankfully, no one else got hurt." he adds. "But for now, you all can return to your rooms." Gojo says, extending a hand to help you up.
As you stand, you can see Yuji staring daggers at you.
"Is something wrong?", you ask Yuji..
"N-no nothing", Yuji laughs giving you an awkward smile.
You follow the group back to your room, your thoughts whirling with the day's events.
Yuji's behavior towards you feels off, the air thick with tension.
In your room, you collapse onto your bed, your exhaustion finally catching up to you.
Yuji lingers by the doorway, his eyes fixed on you for a few seconds then finally leaving.
Once everyone has left the room, you can't help but feel a sense of unease.
Something's off. Presence of a highly special grade curse, Momo Nishimiya's death and Yuji's strange behavior hangs heavy in the air.
You decide to take a shower but the thought of Sukuna seeing your naked body, stops you.
"Don't worry brat, I am not going to see your body", Sukuna replies.
"Stop reading my mind", you speak back to him in your mind.
"Oh I cannot help it", he chuckles.
You shake your head, trying to clear your mind as you undress, stepping into the shower. The warm water cascades over you, washing away the grime and stress of the day.
You try to focus on the soothing feel of the water, ignoring the feeling of being watched. "Sukuna stop I can feel your eyes watching me."
"I swear I'm not looking," he says, his voice filled with mischief. "But it's hard not to look, your body looks so soft, gentle, and vulnerable." Sukuna adds, his voice dripping with amusement.
You roll your eyes, trying to ignore the sensation of being watched.
"Just leave me alone," you say, your voice tinged with frustration
"Hmm.. I wish I were in my real form infront of you, I would have-", his words interrupted by you,
"I don't want to hear your non sense."
Sukuna's laughter echoes in your mind, his voice fading as he withdraws a bit.
You step out of the shower, reaching for a towel to dry your hair. As you dry off, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Your reflection stares back at you, your skin flushed from the heat of the shower. You run a hand through your hair, trying to smooth it down. Your skin prickles as Sukuna's mouth forms on your cheek,
"Don't you think your hair makes you look weak?" he asks, his voice filled with amusement
You jump, your heart racing at the sudden appearance of his mouth.
"Stop it!", you snap, your voice shaking with anger and fear. "And I know it's perfect," your breath hitches.
"Oh brat I just wanted to give you some suggestions," he says, his voice filled with mock contrition.
"Do you think I need it?", you reply.
"Fine brat if you want it that way."
You slip into bed, your exhaustion finally getting the better of you. As you drift off to sleep, you can't help but wonder what tomorrow will bring. The weight of the day's events and Sukuna's presence still lingers, but for now, you'll rest.
Midnight comes, and once again, Sukuna takes control of your body. He pads over to the mirror, his reflection staring back at him. He runs a hand through your hair, his eyes narrowing in thought.
"Brat really thinks she can do disobey me, the king of curses," he murmurs, his fingers idly playing with a lock of hair.
He glances at your body, "I'll show you who's the owner of this body."
He sighs, his eyes flicking over your physique, "I mean you would have been killed today if it's not for me" he adds, his voice filled with amusement "You have the guts to order me around. I'm going to teach you a lesson. You care about your hair so much, let's see what I can do to ruin it."
He rummages through your drawer, finally finding a pair of scissors.
With a decisive snip, he starts cutting your hair. It falls in clumps to the floor, the sight making you wince even in sleep.
He continues until your hair is as short as he can get. A brutal bob that makes you look like a completely different person. He examines his handiwork, his eyes narrowing in approval
"Not bad, but I think we need to do more" he mumbles to himself "but I still look so weak."
Sukuna gets to work again, trimming your hair into a boy cut. The transformation is dramatic, your appearance changing drastically.
When he finishes, he tosses the scissors back into the drawer. "Better," he says, his eyes appraising your new look.
"Now this body needs to get trained," he adds, a wicked grin forming on his face. "But for today this is enough. This will finally make you understand, who is the owner of this body."
He runs his hands over your new odd-looking hairstyle, then slides down to your breasts and squeezes them slightly. Walking back to the bed, he lays down, relinquishing control over your body.
The first thing you notice when you wake up is the unfamiliar sensation against your neck. You reach up, your fingers encountering the short crop of hair.
Panic rises in your chest as you realize what has happened. You rush to the bathroom, your heart hammering as you gaze into the mirror.
The reflection staring back at you is a stranger, your hair cropped into a weird ass boy cut. Your stomach twists in panic, your mouth going dry.
"Sukuna!" you shout mentally.
"I gave you a present, vessel" he says, his voice filled with mirth. "You needed a change, don't you think?"
You take a deep breath, trying to calm your pounding heart. "Why did you do this?", you ask, anger rising in your voice.
"Because it was annoying me during fights," he replies, his voice carefree. "And also you should thank me, I made you look more handsome, right?"
You stare at your reflection, not sure how to respond. Tears well up in your eyes, panic flooding you. You swallow hard, your hands shaking as you touch your new haircut. Your heart races as you contemplate the situation.
"You need to accept it, brat," Sukuna says, his voice calm "I own this body of yours."
You take a deep breath, trying to compose yourself.
"I hate you, Sukuna," you say, your voice trembling with emotion "Why do you keep doing messing with my body?"
"Because your body is my vessel," he replies, his voice unrepentant "and you accepted that didn't you?"
You clench your fists, your anger and humiliation rising.
"Come to think of it, why do feel that you are to blame for Nishimiya's death?", now you are speaking aloud.
Sukuna laughs, and his laughter only makes you angrier, "I had no idea that your subconscious mind is this powerful."
"You shouldn't have done that," you snap, your voice shaking. You finally realize the reason for Nishimiya's mysterious death, "Do you have any idea how guilty I feel right now?"
"I can understand but I really don't care", he answers in a nonchalant tone.
You take a deep breath, trying to find your composure.
"You don't care huh.. What's gonna happen if I just die and don't allow you to take control" you say, your voice cracking in anger.. Your eyes drift back to the mirror infront of you. With a cry of rage, you smash your fist into the mirror, shattering it. Blood wells from your fingers, but you ignore the pain. You grip a shard of glass, your eyes wild with fury. Your heart races as you raise the shard, aiming for your chest.
"What are you doing?", Sukuna says, his voice alarmed.
You take a deep breath, your heart pounding in your chest. "If I die, you die" you say, your voice breaking.
Sukuna hisses in your mind, his voice filled with malice. "Stupid brat, you won't kill me," he snarls, his voice filled with venom. "You'll only kill yourself!"
Your hand trembles, the shard poised above your chest.
"If you die, the curse will transfer to someone else, Yuji consumed only 4 fingers, there are 16 more," Sukuna says, a mocking tone lingers in his voice. He knows you will never hurt yourself.
For a moment, the room is silent, the tension suffocating. "I am sorry I don't want to be live like this." You thrust the sharp tip into your chest, a scream tearing from your lips. Blood gushes from the wound, your vision swimming with pain.
Sukuna rages in your mind, his voice filled with fury. "You idiot! You stupid brat!" he roars "Give me the control right now!"
As your world fades to black, you can feel him struggling for control. His power surging through you as he fights to hold on to his vessel.
In the end, it's too late. Blackness claims you, your consciousness slipping away.
Taglist : @moonlightazriel @unholiiness @nyxlai @cocoaxbunny @persephone-lilly @iraa567 @rabbidbunwy @sweetchildcloud @lotus-n-l0ve @smashhed @imhellakawai @loveoreos @selfloverrrrrr
Dividers from @cafekitsune
#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#jjk x reader#jjk x you#jjk x y/n#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jujutsu kaisen headcanons#jujutsu kaisen sukuna#sukuna#ryomen sukuna#sukuna ryomen#jjk sukuna#jujutsu sukuna#sukuna x reader#sukuna x y/n#sukuna x you#sukuna jjk#jjk sukuna ryomen#jjk sukuna x reader#sukuna ryoumen x reader#sukuna ryoumen x you#ryomen sukuna x you#ryomen sukuna x reader#yuuji itadori#yuji itadori#jjk itadori#itadori x reader#jjk yuuji
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10 domestic things that harry does
summary: i just had this really cute idea in my head. all this was typed at 12am so enjoy!
warning: small mention of a bad relationship with food & fluff so sweet it hurt me.
wc: 1.5K
1. wiping off something
Harry has the purest heart and he knew that he was absolutely falling for you when he began to wipe things off of you. And I mean wipe off anything. The first time that he can recall when he did it is when you were over at his house for the first time. You both were sitting at his dining table after a night out and decided to eat pasta. Some of the sauce hit the side of your top lip, and in your drunken state, you couldn’t feel it. In the middle of the conversation, he wiped the sauce off of your lip and continued on like nothing was wrong. You noticed it but decided not to comment. It only continued from there. He would wipe away your tears, sweat, and anything else. He was a man in love, and that was one of the small ways to show you.
2. binge watching
Harry didn’t get much time off, but when he did he did one of the many activities that you loved (he loves it too) binge-watching. Harry and you could finish off a series within a weekend, it was some quality time that you both loved to do together. If there was a new show out, you would tell him about it and he would have the snacks ready. That was the dynamic between the both of you. Whether it was watching several romcoms, and rating them on your shared letterboxd account; Or starting a reality series that was popular it was something he loved. You both would rot on the couch together talking about the show while it was going on. Laughing, crying, and sharing every emotion in between it was something just for the both of you
3. “let me get the dryer going.”
Every time you would step out of the shower Harry would have a fresh warm towel ready for you. It’s not something that you asked him to do or something that you even expected him to do. It was just something that he loved to do. He would ask you to tell him when you were about five minutes away from being done in the shower or bath. Once you called out for him he would repeat the same phrase each time, ‘let me get the dryer going.’ Once you turned off the shower, he would be right outside the door greeting you with a warm towel and a kiss.
4. feeding you
This was something that was really special to your heart. You had always had an unhealthy relationship with food. It was a long journey that you’ve had to overcome. Even on some days, it could still be difficult for you. When you and Harry started casually dating you were nervous to eat around him. It was something that Harry picked up on and decided not to bring up to you. He just would silently start creating a safe space for you. It started by doing little things. If you were out to dinner together he would offer you a bite of his food after tasting it first. He would make up an excuse each time about how you had to try his dish. Slowly but surely, it started to work, if you were at his house and he cooked you were his taste tester. Eventually, you felt safe enough to eat without any judgment.
5. “tell me all about it”
You talked and he listened. If you had a bad day at work, or just in general he was ready to listen to you. He never got short with you or told you to wait a moment. If he could sense you were in a mood or keeping something from him he would ask you to open up. Tell me all about it, he would say. He would lay back and listen to you talk. When you were finished you would let him know, and he would offer advice if it was needed. Sometimes you just needed to vent. You were happy to have a place where you could.
6. trinkets
Harry had to travel a lot. He was going from state to state, country to country, and continent to continent at times. Even miles apart from each other, he would be thinking of you. So, something that he started doing was collecting trinkets from each place to give to you when he returned home. Most people call them souvenirs but once he heard you call them trinkets, so he picked up on it. They all varied. Sometimes it would be a silly stuffed animal that a fan would throw on stage, or he would happen to see a silly shot glass and get it. They all were an arrangement of things, but you knew that he would have a bag full of fun memories and trinkets only for you.
7. spa day
Harry had dedicated one day out of the week to have a spa day. He insisted that even if the both of you had a shit week, there would be one day out of the week to always look forward to. With no technology near you to cloud your mind. It was genuinely relaxing. You would shower together, wear facial masks, do each other's nails if it was needed for a touch-up, and just enjoy each other. You had partners in the past who would have never painted your nails. It was so refreshing to be in a relationship where your partner didn’t care about the standards society set up. This day was just used in general as a reset day. Mentally and physically. Harry valued mental health, and he would make sure to value yours too.
8. finishing your sentences
As your relationship progressed, you both began to know the ins and outs of each other. Harry had started the habit of finishing your sentences as the relationship progressed. It wasn’t something that he was purposely doing to you. He just knew you because he studied you. He got the time to know you. That was all that meant. It was cute to you, if you were telling a story about your childhood infront of friends, Harry would finish it off by retelling it as if he was right beside you when it happened. He knew it from memory because he tried his best to remember everything you told him. In his defense, he was the best storyteller.
9. studio time
Now, it was known to the world by now how much Harry prided himself in his music. He hated showing things to family and friends before they had the chance to be finished. In past relationships, no one was allowed to come to the studio. He would show them after his album was mixed, and produced to perfection. This relationship was different for him…he hated to be away from you for too long. When he was in the studio he never knew how long he would be tied up in there. Often times he would end up pulling overnighters, so when he started falling for you, he decided he refused to let the silly rule he made prevent him from having you near. So, one night at the beginning of your relationship he was ready to kiss you goodbye to go head to the studio when he decided to invite you. You agreed immediately excited to see him at work, and that was the beginning of your visits. Your intentions were never to distract him. He would often become distracted on his own doing anything to capture your attention. If he was recording, he would call your name from inside the booth to startle you. If he noticed you were nose-deep inside a book, he would make everyone go to break, so he could cuddle up to you and hear you read to him. If he couldn’t think of a lyric he would tease you asking you to make up something just wanting to see you squirm. Each time he would ask you would say, ‘I’m feeling the pressure’ or something else along the lines of ‘so if you win a grammy, do I?’ He loved studio time a little more with you around.
10. phone calls
Harry was normally always under you, but if he wasn’t the next best thing was a phone call. He loved keeping you on the phone for hours if he was away from you because it was like he had a piece of home with him for those few hours. If he heard you burn yourself he could see it in his head, or if you're telling him about your day he can see your facial expressions in his head. Harry didn’t only call you when he was away from home, no that would be too simple of him. He would call you on a long drive on his bluetooth or if he was on a jog. Instead of listening to music or a podcast, he would often rather talk to you. He also didn’t care to even talk most of the time, he just wanted to hear your voice. Harry just loved you, no matter how consuming it felt for him sometimes. He would never stop doing these little things to show his love to you. He wasn’t and would never be ashamed of his love for you either.
#harry styles#harry styles fan fic#harry styles x reader#harry styles x you#harry styles fic rec#harry styles fic#harry styles fluff#harry styles x y/n#harry styles imagine
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Currently Watching - April
aka The Masterlist
Because I love a good little list - in alphabetical order! 😊
Regularly updated during the month, latest update 28.04.2024
A little link to my favorite bl-tropes-collection 💙
I am happy about gif-requests 🌼
Here you can find all of my gifs.
Tracking: #josistag
At the end you can have a look at what we can expect in April with a MDL link and a link for a trailer (if avaible).
This is guaranteed to contain spoilers!
1. 25 Ju, Akasaka de 🇯🇵 (2/10)
They were fellow students and now they have to play in a BL together. One of them is two years older and popular. For the other one, this is his first big role and he needs it, so he is determined to to anything he needs to do, to be a good actor. Even when this means to find a partner and fall in love to be able to play the role perfectly. Why not try to be lovers with your co-star. All for the sake of the series of course.
2. Blue Boys 🇰🇷 (2/4)
This short series is quite good. I saw the first episode by chance and I was hooked, but lost it again, because I couldn't track it on MDL. Now it is up there. I hope these two can resolve their missunderstanding, with talking! But they are too hungry for each other...
3. Boys Be Brave! 🇰🇷 (2/8)
Enemies to lovers, but different. Jinwoo likes Kisub and Kisub knows this. But while Kisub gives his heart away to every person who hits on him and can't really say No to anyone, Jinwoo loves to build up his wall and hide behind a strong No. Their worlds collide, when Kisub moves in with Jinwoo, if he likes it or not. Great first episodes!
4. Cityboy_Log 🇰🇷 (11/?)
Soon-to-be Idols, actors and models vlog their days of photo shoots and meetups and how they fall in love with each other. It is surprisingly good and the acting is excellent. It really feels like a "real" vlog and that is what we are all here for. I really enjoy those four men on my screen. I don't know when they show new content. It was said they'll be back in march... well... guess not.
5. Deep Night 🇹🇭 (3/8)
his is everything I was expecting, so it didn't disappoint, I guess. To be honest, I watch this for First. I guess he would have chemistry with a stick, soooo this is nice. And I hope the story, at least stays like this and won't get worse... Update: This show is a mess 😂 there is so much going on all at once and at the same time nothing really happens? It is so confusing, yet very entertaining. But Wela, my dear, it is totally okay to be pissed if one fucks with you, while you are so drunk you can't remember shit the next day... Just a thought.
6. Kare no Iru Seikatsu 🇯🇵 (3/8)
Kazuhito has no girlfriend and the ones he had, broke up with him, because they felt he likes someone else... Who might that be?... The story is simple, I guess? (But perhaps not that simple... The preview for ep 3 looks interesting.) Childhood friends are forced to move in together after spending time apart. One is a little bit naive and is trying to find out why girls breaking up with the most charming and handsome guy he knows and the latter is in love with the naive one and in the end they have their happy ending. I like it. I want to see their growth.
7. Love Is Like A Cat 🇰🇷 (8/12)
Okay, Uno is just a bad character. He feels empty. I have no emotional connection to him. Everything feels... rushed and strange. What is this show? It is really not that good. I skipped half of the episodes. JM is cute and he is doing a decent job. I watch only for him. But not the flirting between the vet and him. This feels kinda awkward... And I stand by what I said last week. It didn't get better. This scene in the woods was cute, but what is Mew doing? What are those acting choices? No shame to him, but what was the director thinking? He can do so much better than that! He is just a whiney persona...
8. My Stand-In 🇹🇭 (1/12)
Okay, hear me out. I watch this for Poom and for Poom only. But the story lookes interesting, it was quite intriguing. I don't know why, but I cringed a bit too much at some scenes. But Poom is beautiful and that is all I care about. Yes, I can be this shallow!
9. Only Boo 🇹🇭 (4/12)
The cringe was so strong with this one this week! I had to pause multiple times, but at the same time I enjoyed it so much! Moo is so unhinged and I love him! But please! Don't let Moo's cousin become a possible love interest for Kang. I know we got this dream sequence this week, but there is something in the air between Shone and him... and I don't like it. The second couple... I felt really sad for them this week. Beeing in love with your best friend is never easy...
10. Unknown 🇹🇼 (12/12)
The story about found family, childhood trauma and struggling topped with a lovestory between "brothers". They aren't really brothers so I really don't care and just enjoy this forbidden and hurtful lovestory to the fullest. This is exactly what I hoped for! The longing, tension and hurting is so good! It is the aftermath of the shooting and Qian is still dealing with his emotions and his feelings for Yuan. The love between them is real and strong, but Qian is afraid and can't just let his heart decide over the head, yet. He loves Yuan, but is afraid what that means for them and especially for Yuan's future. And yet he held him back. He was the one reaching out in the end! I have said enough about them and this first part of ep 11 in my post. I love them. My heart belongs to them. I wish we had more developement between these two as a couple, but I still love them and I forgive this show the rush in the end, because I love it so much.
11. Word of Honor 🇨🇳 (20/36)
Those two flirt a lot and are a married couple. Everyone knows that. And I love and enjoy that! Overall this is such a fun watch and the different sects and intrigues are sometimes a little bit confusing, but interesting. I love this world of martial arts and I love how protective Wen Kexing is over Zhou Zishu.
Finished in April
Series
My Strawberry Film 🇯🇵
This is what I call a love triangle. And the fact that the screenwriters worked for Eien No Kinou or Jack o'Frost promised some heartbreak and teenage angst. And they delivered. I really like this series. And I felt so many emotions, especially for Ryo. And I really loved the ending. No fake relationship and no unrealistic confessions, just some teenagers in love and being friends. And I think Hiraku was such a sweet friend in this last episode. He apologized and he finally recognized Ryo's feelings for him. And I believe they stay friends in the future. It might be difficult, but a good friendship is worth fighting for. It has so much to do with respect and love for each other. It is a solid 8 out of 10 for me.
Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto 🇯🇵
The story about highschool sweethearts, who didn't have the chance to enjoy their young love, because of horrible family backgrounds. Their story is devastating and I am happy they found their way back to each other. The story was good, the acting was good, I am in love with Furuya Robin, which is nice, and the side characters were special (shoutout to Yuto!). I wish there was more "passion" from Miyata, but I guess it is due to his character. Overall it was a good watch and I enjoyed it!
A good 8 out of 10 for me.
Jazz For Two 🇰🇷
I love bls about music and about traumatic pasts. The second couple has my heart. I just love them coming together. Usually I hate this bully-trope, but with them, I kinda enjoyed it. Perhaps because Jooha always looked like a hurting puppy. Overall the homophobia in this one is strong and I think it is interesting to see them deal with their own feelings. Internal and external homophobia is such a big thing in all their stories and I wish they had more time to show the developement from hating themselves to loving the other person and themselves. But in my opinion they made a good story and a good show. I like it very much. And what was that kiss in the end? Wow!
A good 9 out of 10 for.
To Be Continued 🇹🇭
I really like this one! I read some comments that the reason they never got together was just stupid, but from their perspective I can understand why they reacted how they reacted. They were young and unsure what to do and what all of this meant for them and their friendship. What I liked about the show was the present and past scenes. We learned so much about their past and the scenes fitted perfectly. It was a really good series and I am glad I waited to binge it. Guess I come back to this one from time to time. Rewatch value is there. And those two have really good chemistry!
A good 9 out of 10 for me.
Movie
Short Film
Dropped in April
We are 🇹🇭
I dropped this after the first half of the first episode. There are a few reasons for that. First, I need some shows to binge on lonely sundays. And second, I just don't feel like watching this one. It was so quirky for me. Not my kinf od humor right now.
Looking forward to in April
Love is like a cat - Trailer (Apr 1st)
We are - Trailer (Apr 3rd)
Memory in a letter - Trailer (Apr 6th)
Grey Shelter (Apr 11th)
Kare no Iru Seikatsu - Trailer (Apr 12th)
The Spirealm (Apr 15th)
Boys be brave! (Apr 25th)
25 Ji, Akasaka de (Apr 19th)
Kimi to Yukite Saku: Shinsengumi Seishunroku (Apr 25th)
My Stand-In - Trailer (Apr 26th)
Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko 2024
Knock Knock, Boys - Trailer
#currently watching#josi watching bl#masterlist#bl series#bl drama#monthly overview#bls in april#cityboy_log#my strawberry film#Unknown the series#koi wo suru nara nidome ga joto#love is better the second time around#deep night the series#jazz for two#word of honor#only boo!#love is like a cat#Kare no Iru Seikatsu#Living with Him#25 ji akasaka de#at 25:00 in akasaka#to be continued#boys be brave!#blue boys#my stand in
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⭒❃.✮:▹ holiday hoes
“so if you’re keen to listen, here’s an offer i’ll propose. let me work and i’ll provide you with a touch o’ that gold!” —liquid gold, lackadaisy
❝for the christmas spirit I’m going to be doing something… special, this year~
for the following days, i’ll be challenging myself to write an nsfw prompt that’s holiday related, based on the prompt list i gave myself. the masterlist will be posted soon enough, so stay tuned~❞ —kosmo
the list will update as each day passes. all fics are NSFW and must be read with caution!
ALL readers are gender neutral, however some fics may have gendered body language.
┅✦┅
✿ prompts ✿
1. “all dolled up” — phantom x reader, lingerie
- you wanted to look extra pretty for phantom on the holiday season
2. “a different kind of warmth” — swiss x reader, cockwarming
- when the icy cold temperatures hits, swiss has his own unique way of warming you up
3. “gingerbread houses” — aurora x reader, food play
- what a fun little activity to do with aurora! surely she won’t have any other ideas in mind… right?
4. “red ribbon” — rain x reader, bondage
- there was leftover ribbon from gift wrapping that you decided to use, and maybe you’re just the best gift for rain
5. “naughty list” — terzo x reader, spanking
- how sad… you ended up on the naughty list, looks like papa terzo will have to ingrain some discipline into you
6. “candle queen” — sodo x reader, wax play
- the scent of the candles just made this year extra cozy, maybe sodo has some tricks up his sleeve for how to make things cozier
7. “frosted windows” — cirrus x reader, mirror sex
- the fogged windows are perfect places to trace pretty little shapes on, cirrus however has a different shape in mind
8. “come watch me play” — vessel x reader, exhibitionism
- vessel likes to put on a show for the christmas cheers. what kind of performance does he have in mind?
9. “unwrap your present” — cumulus x reader, stripping
- you came home from a long day of work, just finally getting that well deserved vacation. cumulus has a pleasant surprise waiting for you
10. “festive little fantasies” — copia x reader, toys
- your gift for copia surely got him excited….
11. “picture perfect” — iv x reader, aphrodisiacs
- ivy was not expecting this little christmas get together to get all.. steamy.. but now he has you all to himself
12. “not so angelic” — omega x reader, corruption kink
- the little angel that came down from heaven to spread the joyous spirit… surely omega won’t try anything
13. “holiday blow” — iii x reader, blowjob
- as iii is writing letters to his loved ones, you decided to give him a little treat underneath his desk
14. “stuffed like a present” — mountain x reader, cum bulge
- mountain wants to give you something that’ll leave you completely filled
15. “nice list” — secondo x reader, praise kink
- what a good pet you’ve been… and it looks like secondo has taken notice
16. “blind to the light” — ii x reader, blindfolding
- ii wanted to add more spice to the bedroom for this year, and spoil you prettily for his holiday affairs.
17. “give you more” — zephyr x reader, overstimulation
- you decided to be extra generous to zephyr, and assist him when he’s in dire need of some love and affection
18. “my special gift” — sunshine x reader, thigh riding
- sunshine has a special way of showing off what’s hers.
19. “miss me on holiday season” — aether x reader, sexting
- aether is away for the festive spirits, that doesn’t stop you from missing him though
20. “just this once” — ifrit x reader, hate sex
- stuck in a log cabin with an old enemy, except ifrit’s been feeling extra lonely this christmas
21. “take me to church” — swiss x reader, blasphemy kink
- christmas is all about celebrating the birth of jesus… swiss wants to show you off to him
22. “forever ingrained” — vessel x reader, photography
- a new polaroid camera? vessel is getting a few ideas on what to do with it…
23. “christmas tree” — phantom x reader, public sex
- while searching for the perfect christmas tree, phantom finds himself needing some attention
24. “sharing is caring” — sodo and rain x reader, threesome
- sodo and rain learn to share their special gift
25. “merry christmas” — all era iv ghouls x reader, fuck party
- the ministry is all decorated in festive decor and it truly feels like the holidays are in season! now… what do these ghouls want to do with you?
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#ghost fanfiction#sleep token fanfiction#ghost bc x reader#sleep token x reader#the band ghost x reader#papa emeritus x reader#nameless ghouls x reader#vessel x you#vessel x reader#holiday prompts#holiday writing#smut prompts#smutty drabble#ghost bc smut#nameless ghoul smut#sleep token smut#spicy content#christmas prompts
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Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 19
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | AO3
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This time, it's Steve that wakes them up in the middle of the night.
Eddie's disoriented for a moment, unsure what jolted him awake, until he looks over and sees Steve laying on his back in the low light, tense and straining.
"Scoops Ahoy, I work for Scoops Ahoy!" Steve's shouting, the words rough like they're being ripped from his throat. "I already told you!"
Fuck.
"Steve?" Eddie asks, voice raspy from sleep. "Hey, Steve, come on, wake up."
Steve shouts again, jerking like he's struggling against something - or maybe like he's getting hit - and Eddie bolts upright, hands hovering over him.
Should he touch him? What if it makes things worse, what if -
"Steve," he says again, a little louder, as he risks pressing his hand to Steve's chest to shake him a little.
Steve's eyes fly open, and Eddie watches him do the same thing he'd done in the hospital when Dustin jolted him awake - reach one hand down under his bed and reach the other hand out in search of a bed partner.
Only this time, Steve's first hand comes up gripping a baseball bat with fucking nails hammered into it, and his other hand comes into contact with Eddie. There's a quick stab of worry that he's not going to be familiar enough to shake Steve out of it the way Dustin had, especially since Steve's eyes are still unfocused and distant as they land on Eddie.
He must be familiar to something in Steve, though, because he doesn't move after that, watching Eddie and breathing harshly.
"Robin," Steve says a little desperately. "They got her, too, we have to - Erica, Dustin, fuck, I gave them Dustin's name, we have to make sure-"
"Dustin's okay," Eddie manages to get out, all in a rush. "Robin got out, Erica and Dustin are okay."
The vague familiarity shifts into a firm recognition after Eddie speaks, and Steve's eyes focus a little more clearly on him.
"Eddie?" he asks, and Eddie can see Steve trying to sort himself out, to put things back into place. "Vecna. Max, Lucas, are they-"
"Safe," Eddie cuts in. "They're safe, Stevie, everyone's safe."
Steve's quiet for a moment, breathing slowly starting to even out, and then he shifts, eyes roaming over Eddie before settling on his face.
"You too?"
Eddie swallows. "Yeah, me too. I'm here, and we're all safe."
Steve tilts his head, face a little scrunched like he does when he's considering something, then he nods. "Okay."
He sets the bat back down, tucking it under his bed once more, then pushes himself up so he's sitting back against his headboard. Eddie joins him, feeling his own heartbeat start to slow.
"Wasn't sure that was going to work," Eddie admits.
Steve quirks a little smile. "You're my soulmate. You can't lie to me. If you say everyone's safe, then they're safe."
Oh.
"I, uh. Good, that's good, then."
Fuck, Eddie's bad at this.
Except it seems to work for Steve, who just sits there with him.
"Hey, I never asked - are you okay with hiding out here?" Steve says after a while.
Eddie tips his head to stare at him. "Does it look like I've got any other options?"
Steve's shoulders droop a little. "No, yeah, I know that, but - are you okay with it?"
"This is a hell of a lot nicer than the last place I was holed up in." Eddie gives a careless shrug, a little pleased that he can actually manage the motion without pain, now. "Plus, you know, it's got my soulmate, and room service, so I'm pretty good here."
Steve seems to accept that, because he gives an amused little huff and knocks their shoulders together.
"You're the one we need to be worried about, not me. If they find me, you should say I forced you to let me stay here," Eddie says, even though he's pretty sure he knows what Steve's response to that is going to be. "We don't have to tell anyone."
Steve snorts. "If they find you, the first thing I'd do is tell them you're my soulmate and you have every right to be here."
Eddie's breath catches. All right, no, he hadn't known what his response would be. He'd assumed that Steve wouldn't go along with pretending Eddie'd forced him into this, but he hadn't imagined that Steve would want to publicly announce their soulbond like that. "Steve," he whispers, not able to get anything else out.
Steve waits for him, though, the two of them sitting up in bed, not quite touching each other but still so damn close.
"Claim your soulmate rights, then," Eddie says after a while. "So they can't question you too."
"No," Steve replies without hesitation. "They're not going to get you for this, Eds. If I need to be there to show them that you're not lying, I will."
His heart immediately lodges itself right in his throat. "You don't want to do that."
"If they bring you in? Damn right I do. They can handcuff me right next to you."
Before all this, the mention of him and Steve and handcuffs on one or both of them might have got him thinking something very, very different. It's a testament to how much they've been through that his mind doesn't even go there.
Or, really, it's a testament to the fact that he can still feel Steve's heart beating rabbit fast under his palm, can still hear him screaming Scoops Ahoy, I work for Scoops Ahoy! that makes him immediately and viscerally opposed to the idea.
"Maybe I don't want you to." It comes out snappier than he'd meant it to, and he winces.
Steve watches him, head tilted just a little like he's waiting for something.
To see if Eddie's lying, he thinks.
When nothing comes, Steve nods to himself. "Too far?" he asks quietly.
Eddie considers that for a moment. "No," he admits, because he doesn't want to deflect and any other answer would be a lie. He shifts, until he can find the spot on Steve's ribs where he'd seen you know all I care about is you and your safety earlier, and rubs his thumb over it. "I don't want you to go through anything like that ever again, especially not for me."
Steve sucks in a breath, though Eddie doesn't think he can feel anything with his shirt in between their touch.
"Not fair," Steve murmurs. "I don't know where my response to you is."
Eddie swallows roughly. "Inside of my left thigh."
For a moment, as Steve shifts a little, he thinks he might actually reach for it - doesn't know what the fuck he's going to do if he does, because there's no way Eddie's going to be able to hide his reaction - but Steve just sighs.
"It's just the Hawkins PD," he says softly. "It'll be different."
He guesses he can't really protest that, even though he kind of wants to. Steve was the one who went through it, and if Steve says it'll be different, he needs to accept it, just - he still doesn't like it, doesn't like the idea of Steve having to put himself in that position just for Eddie. He doesn't say anything, just sits there with their only point of contact the hand on Steve's ribs that he can't bring himself to move away.
"You talked to me again." Steve's voice is quiet - they both know he did, so it's not about the words. It's a prompt, the same way Eddie took to prompting Steve when they were planning for Vecna.
"I was worried I was going to lose you," Eddie admits. "Me being mad at you for high school shit felt overwhelmingly stupid, in the face of that. I didn't want to risk that no one else knew you were lying about not being hurt worse."
Something complicated flickers through Steve's expression, and he tips his head down, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Eddie sucks in a breath and lets it out, thinks about asking what is it - but he doesn't want to put Steve in a position where he has to lie or deflect if he doesn't want to say it. So he settles for, "Will you tell me?"
He can see Steve's throat working for a moment before he answers.
"I tried not to lie, when they asked me things," Steve says, so quiet Eddie can barely hear him. "I knew I had two soulmates by then, but I didn't know one was Robin, and I didn't - I didn't want the first real thing you guys got from me after so long to be that. Half truths are easy for me, anyway. But some things-"
He cuts off, head thumping back against the wall.
"Steve," Eddie says, slow and gentle. "Can I touch you more?"
Steve nods, and Eddie scoots closer so he can carefully pull Steve into a hug. Steve sinks into him, wrapping his arms around him without hesitation, and Eddie thinks fuck it, clinging on as tight as he can.
"You don't have to look at them," Eddie mumbles. "You won't ever have to see them if you don't want to. But I'm proud of those words on my skin, Stevie. They mean you survived, they mean my soulmate is a fucking badass."
The breath that Steve pulls in sounds ragged. "Robin said that, too. That every time she felt something getting written on her, she knew it meant I was still there. She helped me talk to you, after. I just - I wasn't sure it was you, or anyone in Hawkins, but I couldn't risk it. I was afraid they'd come after you."
Eddie's not sure what to say to that. He settles for burying his face into Steve's neck, and just breathing him in. They stay like that for a long while, until finally Steve hisses softly and starts to pull away.
"Can't hold my stomach muscles like that for so long yet," he says, and Eddie doesn't think he's imagining that Steve sounds reluctant.
"You wanna lay down?" Eddie asks before he's really thought it through.
It takes a little bit of shifting around to find a position that's comfortable for both of them. They end up on their backs, sides pressed together, half turned so they can look at each other.
"Hi," Eddie says once they're settled, hearing the dopey grin in his voice and completely uncaring.
"Hi," Steve replies, his own smile soft and pleased and full of a silly affection. "Oh, hey, do you want to tell everyone tomorrow?"
"That we're soulmates?" Eddie asks.
"Yeah. I mean, you don't gotta let me hold your hand and stuff like I do with Robs, unless you want-"
"I want," Eddie cuts in, before Steve can say what else he does with Robin that he won't be doing with Eddie. "If you want, I mean. I don't know, I'm new at this soulmate stuff. I'm counting on you to be my Yoda here."
Steve wrinkles his nose. "That's the little green guy, right? Who talks in riddles?"
Eddie huffs out a little laugh, watches Steve's eyes crinkle in amusement for a moment before he responds. "You and Dustin had a secret handshake with a lightsaber battle and you're calling Yoda the little green guy who talks in riddles?"
Steve shrugs, the blankets shifting with the movement. "I call it like I see it. Little green riddle guy and the teddy bears."
Eddie groans, tipping his head away. "I can't look at you right now, man."
Steve bumps their shoulders together - and then does it again, and again, and again, until Eddie finally gives up the act and looks at him.
"How about we figure this out together?" Steve asks.
Oh.
"Yeah, I can do that," Eddie agrees. "Let's tell the hoard tomorrow."
—
They tell Robin first, the next morning.
Not that there's really much to tell. Once the rest of the party has absconded to the living room with breakfast and the three of them are alone in the kitchen, she immediately rounds on Steve and lifts up her shirt, pointing accusingly at I don't think you're clever written just below her belly button.
"Really, Steve?" she demands. "What, were you and Eddie missing a few with the demobat bites, so you just had to create some more to make up for it?"
…fuck, despite them talking about Robin half the time, Eddie had completely forgotten she was going to get those lies written on her, too. He swallows, trying to ignore how loudly his heart is beating.
She looks between them, though, and her demeanor softens.
"Oh," she says quietly.
The next thing Eddie knows, he's getting folded up into a hug with her and Steve - both of them are holding onto him so tightly that he can't really tell who's grabbing what part of him, that it honestly hurts a little, and he never wants it to stop.
"They've always meant something different to me," Eddie says, somehow able to admit that now that he's completely wrapped up in the two of them, when he couldn't say it directly to Steve last night.
"They're the only reason I knew I hadn't lost my soulmate before I told him I knew who he was," Robin replies, and oh, that must be her chin hooked over his shoulder.
"I told him," Steve says softly, voice muffled from somewhere in Eddie's hair. "About them being a lifeline."
They stay like that for longer than Eddie can keep track of - for longer than they probably should, with his and Steve's injuries, and with the rest of the party out in the living room.
Eventually, Robin pulls back to look at him, her eyes narrowed a little.
"You're mine now, too," she tells him. "You know that, right?"
Part of him wants to brush it off and say something about how he'd known for a while that she and Steve were a package deal, or make a joke about how possessive this weird little party is, but - the words die on his lips as he looks back and forth between her and Steve, sees the almost identical solemn expressions on their face.
"I, uh. Yeah, I'm working on getting that."
He is. He's working on believing all of them when they say that he's one of them - and when they show it to him, over and over.
Steve reaches out to both of them, taking one of their hands in each of his and lacing their fingers together, giving a brief squeeze before he lets go. "Ready?"
"No," Eddie grumbles. "But let's do this anyway."
He takes a deep breath, like he's fortifying himself, then follows Steve and Robin out into the living room.
"Are you guys done having your soulmate cry session?" Erica asks without even looking up from the mountain of syrup drenched French toast she's working on.
"Erica!" Lucas hisses.
"What?" Erica demands, looking up to point her fork between Steve and Eddie. "Did you want to wait for those two idiots to bluster around figuring out how to tell us, like we didn't already know?"
Mike - kind of looks like a fish, gaping at them, and Eddie doesn't manage to hide his somewhat hysterical giggle. "We didn't already know!"
Erica switches her gaze over to Mike, raising a very judgmental eyebrow. "That sounds like a Mike Wheeler problem."
"We didn't know," Lucas says. "We just kind of suspected after the whole 'oh yeah, Eddie used to talk to his soulmate like Steve and Robin did' thing."
Shit.
Okay, yeah, in hindsight he guesses Robin admitting to talking to her soulmate as well wasn't a cover at all now that he knows everyone knew about her and Steve's soulmate situation.
"He's also living in your house and wearing your clothes, Steve," Nancy points out.
"For almost a week," Dustin adds. "The only other people who've stayed over that long are me and Robin."
Steve sputters. "Because he's on the lam!"
Eddie smacks a hand over his own mouth so that hysterical giggle doesn't become semi hysterical laughter.
"On the lam?" Max scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Okay, he's been on the lam in your house, in your clothes, for almost a week. We weren't supposed to wonder?"
Steve groans. "Okay, fine, but I'd do it even if he wasn't my soulmate. You guys know that, right? That I'd do the same for any of you?" There's a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, that Eddie thinks he can only pick up because they've been in each other's space so much - like Steve honestly thinks there's a chance the rest of them don't know how much he's willing to do for them.
Erica tilts her head at him, watching Steve closely as she considers that. "Okay, then, I'll take your teal sweater."
There's a beat of silence.
"What?" Erica asks. "He may be a nerd and a dumbass, but at least he has decent fashion sense."
"I want the red sweater," Dustin announces.
"The blue and yellow striped polo!" Lucas chimes in.
"The gray jacket!" Max calls.
Robin bursts into laughter, sounding like it's erupting out of her after too long of holding it back, and Eddie refuses to look at her because if he does he's going to -
His eyes make contact with hers as she bends over, cackling, and nope, that's it, he's laughing too.
Max is whispering something in El's ear when he looks back over at them, making El light up a little before she says, "I would like the green plaid button up."
Which prompts Will to perk up, bumping her shoulder with his and going, "No, El, that's not fair, come on."
El gives him a tiny smile, something almost mischievous in her eyes. "If you get the purple one we can share them."
"Done," Will agrees.
"This was not an invitation for you shitheads to raid my closet!" Steve bitches, looking between them all like he isn't sure if he should be flattered or irritated, and mostly just coming across as that fond exasperation that Eddie already knows so well.
"Kind of sounds like it was, man," Argyle informs him, with Jonathan nodding solemnly in agreement.
Eddie's pretty sure they're both a little stoned, which is kind of impressive considering it's just past 10am, but who is he to judge?
"…I wouldn't turn down the blue Henley," Jonathan says after a moment.
Eddie sputters. "Uh-uh, nope, that one's mine, Byers, I've already been wearing it and everything."
"Not the dark blue one, the light blue one," Nancy puts in.
"No one gets any of his khakis!" Robin manages to get out in between giggles. "I already have dibs on those."
Dustin makes a face at her. "You have dibs on everything."
"Soulmate privileges," she replies matter-of-factly.
Steve is suspiciously silent. It doesn't seem like his input is actually needed at this point, considering all of them have worked themselves all up and are gleefully letting themselves get distracted with something that isn't the open gates or Upside Down creatures or the police, but Eddie glances at him out of the corner of his eye anyway. He looks bemused - like he can't quite figure out what's going on here, but he doesn't want to interrupt it.
"Mike, do you want to claim something?" El asks - almost politely, like she's just worried Mike hadn't gotten his turn.
Eddie's pretty sure if it was someone else asking that question, they'd get a full on Mike Wheeler scowl, but she just gets a little huff.
"Why would I want anything of Steve's?" Mike retorts.
Nancy makes this little noise of disagreement. "Mike doesn't need to claim anything, he already has-"
"Nancy!" Mike hisses, sounding horrified.
Max immediately pounces on that. "Oh my God, what is it?"
Mike scrambles up from his spot by Will and El, like he thinks he can just tackle Nancy and solve the problem. "Nancy don't!"
"Christmas sweater!" Nancy announces from where she's ducked behind Jonathan and Argyle, who look somewhat confused but perfectly pleased to be there.
"Christmas sweater?" Lucas repeats. "Wait, the reindeer one? That's Steve's?"
"You kept it?" Steve asks. His face is doing this smug, cocky grin, but Eddie can hear the faint note of surprise in his voice.
"Kept it? He wore it the last two Christmas breaks," Dustin retorts, somehow looking even more smug than Steve. "When did you even get it?"
"New Years 84," Mike grumbles, apparently resigned to the fact that he's not going to get at Nancy as he settles back in between El and Will. "Mom and Dad made us go to this stupid midnight celebration as a stupid family and it was stupid cold and no one told me it was going to be outside half the stupid time. Steve still had the stupid reindeer sweater even though it wasn't Christmas anymore-"
"The Christmas season lasts until New Years, everyone knows that," Steve cuts in.
Mike rolls his eyes so hard that it looks painful.
"It's okay to like Steve," El informs Mike. "We all do."
Mike turns red, which is expected. Steve's ears go pink, which - is not expected, but is both really fucking adorable and a little sad. Does he really not get how much these people like him?
Eddie'll have to talk to Robin to see how she's working on that, he thinks.
"I don't - that's not -" Mike stammers.
"Friends don't lie," El says seriously.
Or at least, it seems serious, until he catches the glint in her eye, realizes it looks remarkably similar to the one in Will's as he adds, "Yeah, Mike. Friends don't lie."
If Eddie didn't know better, he'd believe those two really were twins.
"I like the reindeer sweater," El adds, graciously giving Mike an out.
"How about this," Steve says. "If we all stop plotting to steal my clothes, El gets a reindeer sweater for Christmas this year and everyone gets a pool party when Eddie's out of the woods."
Eddie doesn't want to ask if Steve means when he's healed up enough for a pool party or when his name has been cleared. Instead, he goes for, "What if I want a Christmas sweater?"
Steve gives him this bitchy little look.
Unfortunately for Steve, Eddie just thinks it's cute.
"Fine, everyone gets a pool party and Christmas sweaters," Steve says. "Deal?"
The younger members of the party all look at each other.
"Deal," Erica says, at the same time as Mike goes, "Ugh, fine."
Steve rolls his eyes. "All right, what's the plan for the day?"
—
It becomes a routine over the next few days. The Harrington house seems to fall into a kind of headquarters for the party, and from after breakfast to after dinner, there's always at least a handful of them over.
Robin and Eddie put their feet down in unison over Steve attempting to sign himself up for the first patrol, and get him to agree to wait until his stitches are out by the combined forces of their glares. Steve sulks a bit, but settles for the less physically intensive shit like manning walkies, restocking their first aid kits, volunteering at the high school, and making sure everyone is fed. It makes it easier on Eddie, too, means he can help Steve in the kitchen or take his turn manning the walkies, distract the kids by talking D&D, keeps him from feeling useless.
Eddie won't admit it, but part of him is nervous about Robin finally being able to come stay over at Steve's. He'd told her he'd stay in the same room as Steve until she was able to, after all, and if she tells him to get his ass back over to the guest room, he will. Most of him doesn't really think she would - not since both she and Steve know about his nightmares - but it's, you know, a possibility. Especially because the only other option is for all of them to share Steve's bed, or one of them to sleep on the floor, and he just.
Well.
He can't sleep on the floor, not yet. He's not healed all the way.
If he's really honest with himself, he's nervous because he wants all three of them to share Steve's bed. He wants both of them close by, wants to be able to wake up and have them right there, and he feels guilty about it. With him there, there's no way Steve and Robin could get up to any kind of celebratory thank fuck we're alive activities.
Granted, he's not sure Steve's up for much of those activities, but from what he hears on the rumor mill, Steve's a pretty resourceful guy. Eddie's sure they could get up to something. They've disappeared into the bathroom together a couple of times, and he doesn't think they've been in there long enough for anything too heavy - not that he's got enough experience in anything to know, but still, they could -
No, fuck, that isn't the kind of thing he needs to think about for so, so many reasons, and he does his best to push all of that right out of his head.
There's no reason to be nervous.
When the others go home for the night, and it's just the three of them left helping each other climb up the stairs - it turns out there really isn't.
Eddie's leaning half on Robin, and she doesn't even hesitate as she turns to guide them both to Steve's room. Robin's up first in the bathroom, then Eddie, and when he comes out and Steve goes in - the bed's already been turned down, the pile of pillows he and Steve have been using arranged to better suit three people.
Robin's sprawled on one end of the bed, the opposite side that Steve likes. Eddie hadn't really thought about sleeping arrangements. The obvious configuration is to put Steve in the middle, but he knows Steve needs to be on the end, closest to the door and to the nail studded bat he's got under the bed. Which must mean -
"Come on," she says, scooting over a little.
Eddie swallows, wordlessly shuffling into bed and settling in the middle.
"You better not kick," Robin tells him.
And he's got a great comeback for that, really, he does, something about her elbows and his wounded guts, but he must take too long, because her expression goes more sober.
"You almost died, Eddie," she says softly. "You're going to be the PB&J in this sandwich for a while, until we can both get that image out of our heads."
"I, uh. I didn't know," he says, which sounds so dumb he can hardly believe it, but she at least seems to get what he's saying.
"Well, you do now," she tells him matter-of-factly. "Better get used to it."
Steve's soft humming grows a little louder as he comes out of the bathroom, climbing into bed on Eddie's other side.
There's more than enough room for all of them, but they're still so close, the three of them, and Eddie isn't sure if it's everything he's ever wanted or if it makes him want to run again.
Both.
"Light off or on?" Steve asks them.
Eddie glances at Robin, but she's looking at him, so he pulls in a breath and thinks about it for a moment. "Off," he says eventually.
Steve clicks off the lamp on his nightstand, then settles back down. None of them are touching, but both Steve and Robin are so close that he can almost feel them, and he wants - fuck he wants them closer. He feels kind of pathetic about it, partly because it goes against the image he's worked so hard to maintain and partly because he knows he can't ask for it. He's too afraid to ask for it, to be told no, that's weird, you're a grown man and you shouldn't want to cuddle with your soulmate and your soulmate's soulmate.
But then Steve reaches across him and takes Robin's hand, lacing their fingers together. Their joined hands rest on Eddie's chest, careful of where his injuries are, and Eddie - tries not to move, tries not to tremble, tries not to even breathe hard. Slowly, he lifts his own hand and settles it over theirs, fingers curling to hold on. Steve gives a contented little hum, and Robin echoes it on his other side, and Eddie -
Eddie closes his eyes against the sting of tears, sudden and shocking, sandwiched between the two people who've made him feel the safest he's been since Uncle Wayne. There's a thought there, lurking in the back of his mind, but he's asleep long before he can sort it out.
—
The next day, he's sitting at the kitchen table with Robin, watching Steve fry up some eggs and bacon, when it comes back to him.
"Are Mrs. Byers and Hopper the only Hawkins adults who know about all of this?" he asks.
Robin and Steve look at each other, and Robin shrugs.
"Technically, you and Steve are adults now, but yeah. Why?" Robin asks.
Eddie frowns. "Something Mike said. How Joyce left you guys here, and Nancy told him she wouldn't have done that if they weren't all safe."
There's another, longer look exchanged between Steve and Robin.
"The Byers house was listed for sale for a while before they moved," Steve says, a little reluctantly. "Their family's been through a lot. After Hopper - I think she just wanted out."
Eddie's mouth opens, closes as he thinks better of blurting out his initial reaction, then opens again. "So, she just - moved across the country, leaving the only ones who knew anything about what's been going on here as a bunch of high schoolers and one who only just graduated? Even though every time you guys had thought it was over in the past, it came back?"
Robin's flat, steely look tells him exactly what she thinks of Joyce Byers moving to California and leaving them all behind without her needing to say a damn thing. Steve looks like he's physically repressing himself from saying something bitchy, and turns all his focus back onto carefully flipping the eggs without breaking the yolks.
"Shit," Eddie says absently. "Can we tell my uncle? He might take a little convincing, but he won't freak out, and I can guarantee he won't ever leave us."
"I'm not going to object to another actual adult being in the know," Robin says, but she's looking over at Steve.
His jaw has tightened, and he moves the pan over to an unused burner and turns off the heat. Eddie bristles, ready to leap to his uncle's defense, but when he looks closer at Steve, he realizes he seems - nervous.
"We haven't signed any NDAs yet, this time," Robin says, voice gentle.
"And Eddie hasn't signed one at all," Steve says, a little slowly, like he's thinking carefully.
"I'm not scared of any government types, anyway," Eddie adds with a teasing little laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
It makes Robin grimace, though, and Steve scowl.
"It's not funny, man, you don't know what these guys are capable of," Steve says.
Eddie holds up his hands placatingly. "You're right, I don't. I shouldn't have laughed."
Steve relaxes a little, digging for some plates and dishing out the eggs and bacon. "Sorry. Nancy and I used to argue about it. She wasn't scared of them either."
He looks at Robin, who makes an encouraging little noise.
"My grandpa Otis fought in World War Two. He used to tell me stories, when I was little, and sometimes he'd talk about the Germans disappearing people. One time I told him it was a good thing we lived in America and our government wouldn't do that, and he just kind of smiled at me and said, that's what they say, isn't it?"
Eddie feels a little chill go up his spine.
"Benny Hammond didn't kill himself, and Bob Newby didn't have a heart attack," Robin says quietly. "Nancy and Jonathan got abducted from the park one day just for talking about telling Barb's parents the truth. The more people know about this, the more likely they are to die."
His mouth goes dry. Eddie knew them. Uncle Wayne was friends with Benny Hammond - used to go to the diner after a shift, and on his days off he'd take Eddie, let him sit up at the counter and eat a mountain of hashbrowns cooked almost black, just the way he liked them. Bob Newby never minded Eddie hanging around the RadioShack, gave him a great deal on his amp and helped him pick out his speakers.
"What happened?" he asks.
"They killed Benny because he knew too much," Steve says bluntly. "I don't think people know we know that, but I overheard Hopper talking about it. Bob Newby - demodogs, at the lab."
Eddie breathes out, curling his hands around his coffee mug as he considers. "I don't think I can keep it from him," he says finally. "We've gotta - I have to tell him something."
Steve and Robin look at each other again.
"Okay," Steve says. "It's your call, Eds."
The trust in that statement hits Eddie so hard that he has to close his eyes for a moment, swallowing roughly to get himself under control.
"We gotta do it quick, before they get their shit sorted and we get government agents waving stacks of paper in our faces again," Steve adds.
Eddie nods, opening his eyes so he can look at Steve and Robin. "Okay. How do we get me to him? I can't exactly just waltz into the school gym."
"It'll be easier to get your uncle here," Robin says. "Dustin's been talking to him a little when we volunteer at the school."
"We've been working on a plan," Steve agrees. "Figured we could tell him I want to donate some stuff, but it's too big to fit in my trunk, ask if he'd come to pick it up in his truck."
"Yeah, that'll probably work. Guy's got a heart bigger than anything, he won't be able to resist helping," Eddie says.
Steve shoots him a little smirk. "I'll tell him I know where you get it from, then."
"Do not!" Eddie demands, hiding behind his hair so Steve can't see him smile. "If you try to charm my uncle I'll never forgive you."
"What's the thing the green riddle guy says? There's no trying, only doing?"
"That's it, we're watching The Empire Strikes Back tonight, you get no choice," Eddie says.
Robin groans. "I hate you, Steve, how many times have the munchkins already made us watch that?"
She doesn't say no, though, and Eddie grins for a moment before something occurs to him.
"Wait, is Family Video even still open?" he asks.
"Not yet," Robin says. "It got a little damaged in the fall out. Keith says the owners are planning on opening back up when it's fixed, though."
Steve snorts.
"What?" Eddie asks.
"The idea of the owners actually fixing anything," Robin answers for him.
"They're probably just going to slap new paint over the cracks and call it good," Steve agrees. "But it's fine, I've got it here. The way the kids like to watch them, it was easier just to have their favorites on hand."
Right, Dustin'd said Steve had a VHS collection. Eddie'd kind of assumed that meant, like, Rocky and Top Gun and Rambo, maybe some ones like Romancing the Stone or the Shining for his dates. Past Eddie's really killing him with the assumptions, here, it makes way more sense that Steve'd drop VHS money on the kids.
"Which probably means I have most of your favorites, too," Steve adds with a little smug grin.
He should probably protest that implication that Eddie has the same favorite movies as the kids, but - it's probably not wrong, and really, Eddie's the one winning here if it means Steve's collection is to his taste.
So instead he shoves a forkful of bacon and eggs into his mouth, just so he can talk with his mouth full as he says, "So you'll take Dustin to the high school today to talk to my uncle?"
Steve and Robin pull near identical faces of disgust at him, and he grins at them.
"If you swallow your food before you say anything else, then yes, we'll make plans with your uncle today and watch Star Wars tonight," Robin says.
Eddie considers that for a moment, then nods and finishes chewing. "Deal."
Up next: Steddie grappling with the blurry line between platonic and romantic, and a Munson family reunion!
-----
Part 20
Tag list (always happy to add more!): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination
#steddie#eddie munson#steve harrington#robin buckley#steddie fic#platonic soulmates stobin#steve and robin and eddie#steddie soulmate au#soulmates au#stranger things
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six months - j.m x gn!reader
posted april 10th, 2023 11:31 pm
i've been on hiatus for quite some time now, and my birthday was a few days ago and that inspired some writing. I finally fell down the jj maybank rabbit hole and decided to test this out, lmk if you enjoyed xx - xe
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wordcount: 0.6k
You didn’t think anything of it when you made it to John B’s and was greeted by JJ with nothing more than a hey and a quick kiss on the cheek. 5 minutes afterward though, when JJ followed John B out to the pogue, Kie sat by you on the couch.
“Isn’t today your anniversary?” She asked, pulling her knees to her chest.
“Yeah, six months, why?” You watched as Pope got up and went to go catch up with the boys.
“Are you guys doing anything for it? To be honest, I didn’t think JJ could last in a relationship this long” Kie jokes, nudging you a little while you laughed.
“No, I don’t think so, I mean, I didn’t plan anything. I don’t know I guess it just flew by so fast it doesn’t feel like its been that long you know?”
And besides, you always thought that six months isn’t even that impressive. Not for you and JJ anyway, he was already your best friend before you got together, now it just felt like he was your best friend who got kissing privileges.
“Do you think JJ is planning anything?” you shrugged in response.
It didn’t seem very JJ to do something for an anniversary
But just maybe a little part of you hoped he had. Or that he’d at least mention it sometime tonight.
Kie stood up, making a comment on how long it was taking the boys to come back just as the three of them came into sight.
“Hey, what took you guys so long-” you were cut off by John B.
“We have to go get some supplies to clean the pogue,” You gave him a confused look before responding, “Clean the pogue? I don’t even think I’ve seen you hose it down before.”
Pope piped up, “It’s filthy, here take this rag and go start wiping down the outside,” he tossed you a grease-covered green rag as John B grabbed his key and signaled for Kie and Pope to follow him.
You saw Kiara nod at JJ before she smiled at you and followed the two boys as they rushed to the old van.
“The fuck’s that about?” You asked, standing up and making your way to your boyfriend.
“No idea but it looks like we got stuck with the outside job,” You looked at JJ, even more confused than before.
“What? You’re actually gonna listen to them?”
“The pogue is practically our safe haven, good to treat her nice by keepin’ her clean.” You scoffed in response, giving JJ a lighthearted glare before he laughed. “C’mon,”
Reluctantly, you followed him to the pogue, playing with the dirty rag in your hand as you walked, occasionally hitting his shoulder and laughing at how he’d tried to grab it from you.
As the boat you spent so much time on came into view, you noticed it looked completely different.
“What the hell?” JJ smiled in response before turning to face you and opening his arms in a “Ta-da!” form.
Inside the pogue was an old picnic blanket from John B’s porch, Kie’s cooler, and some fake candles scattered around the boat.
You pouted, looking back at JJ to see him still smiling proudly. “Happy anniversary, mama”
“Did you guys just do this?” You asked, staring in awh of the setup.
“Yeah, you like it?” “course, I do, I didn’t think you’d want to do something like this,” JJ furrowed his brows at you before throwing his arm around your shoulders.
“Seriously? I’ve been spoken for, for 6 whole months, that’s a new record for me” You laughed in response before asking, “What’s in that cooler?”
Once again that ever so proud smile returned to his pretty face before he happily told you he and Kie made sandwiches and John B stuffed the cooler with beer.
“So it’ll be just us, on the pogue, all night?” you asked, stepping inside the boat and watching as JJ copied your actions.
“All night, baby.”
#jj mayback x reader#jj mayback imagine#jj maybank x pogue!reader#jj maybank x you#jj maybank x y/n#jj maybank fluff#jj maybank blurb#outer banks imagines#jj maybank x reader#jj maybank imagines#Spotify
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A Gun Amongst Daggers Summary + Teaser
So my people, you loved my Jake one shot back in February, so hopefully you all will love this multi part just as much! Welcome to A Gun Amongst Daggers, my newest piece that is also Hangman X Fem!Reader. Meet Hangman and Bear, my latest in a long line of Top Gun Maverick OCs but she is just a placeholder for the reader!
So this will get spicy towards the end because I’m a sucker for slow burn (and I am apologizing in advance, I am taking it to the extreme). That being said: ALL BLANK BLOGS OR ONES WITHOUT AN AGE WILL BE BLOCKED. I AM NOT LOOKING TO GET REPORTED BECAUSE YOU READ SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T EXPECT OR SOMETHING THAT MADE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. SO 18+ ONLY. THIS STORY ALSO DEALS WITH SOME SERIOUS SHIT, SO THIS IS YOUR WARNING.
Summary: When Jake meets a woman at the Hard Deck, the last thing he expects is for her to be a Navy Seal. And not just any Seal, the Commander of Seal Team 3. She’s beautiful, smart, dangerous, and everything about her just makes him want to get close. Her name? Bear. When the Seals need backup, Cyclone puts the Daggers on their radar and now, Jake has to work with Bear and her team, all the while trying to stay professional. Can he do it? Or will he end up falling for the Navy sniper and mission Commander?
And because I’m nice, here’s a bit of part one below the cut:
It was a miserable day when Jake walked into the Hard Deck. Training had been cancelled due to shit weather and no matter how much of a workout he had had earlier, he was still as twitchy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The weather wasn’t helping either. It had been raining nearly all day, letting up for maybe 20 minutes at a time before it came pouring down again. Climate change was a serious concept, but right now it was fucking with his plans and his job and Jake very much wanted it to stop. Taking a quick glance around, he saw that there were a few patrons in the bar, mostly older men just sitting and drinking in near silence, the jukebox playing some classic rock song just loud enough to be heard. He had promised to meet Coyote here around 5 and seeing as he was early, Jake went ahead to order a drink. “Hey Penny.”
“Hangman,” Penny replied with a smile. “Your usual?”
“Nah, not drinking tonight. Too antsy. Just a water and Javy’s usual, thanks.” The blond glanced around the room as Penny went to grab his drinks and his eyes fell on a woman sitting quietly in the corner of the room, silently watching each and every one in the bar with a clinical gaze. His curiosity got the better of him and Jake grabbed his order before making his way over to the corner table. “That seat taken?” He asked with his usual sly grin on his face.
The woman glanced up at him, eyes flicking over him quickly before quirking a brow. “And what if it was?” she replied coolly, a narrow gaze pinning him to the spot. She took a sip of the drink in front of her, eyes never leaving his face.
“Well I’d like to think that I’d be better company than your imaginary friend here,” Jake said, trying to regain his footing. The woman was intimidating; sharp eyes that seemed to never miss a thing and a face that he recognized as one he made when the weariness hit on occasion.
“Is that painful for you, Flyboy? The thinking?”
Jake was taken aback by her snark. Normally he’d respond, fire an insult of two back, but he kept his mouth shut for once, watching for even just a flicker of emotion on the woman’s face. But there wasn’t any. She just looked bored. So Jake did something that he would almost never do, he walked away, set his drinks down on a table near the door and waved Javy down when his friend walked in.
===
A/N: If this is something that intrigues you, and you want to be updated, please let me know in the comments, via reblogs, or just send me a message. I know how easy it is to be reading 6 series all at once and sometimes if you aren't tagged, you might not find it again.
But all together, I'm looking at a total of 22 parts. So yeah! Hope you enjoyed, please do me a solid and spread this around and have yourselves a good day!
I am tagging those who initially expressed interest waaay back in February plus those in the Controlled Chaos Squad. Giving so many thanks to @mayhemmanaged @startrekfangirl2233 @sarahsmi13s @cassiemitchell @dakotakazansky for proofreading and being my biggest supporters! I love you all!
Taglist:
@fandomxpreferences
@dempy
@gizmodear
@fighterpilothoe
@dakotakazansky
@startrekfangirl2233
@sarahsmi13s
@horseshoegirl
@roosters-girl
@lovinglyeternal
@lavenderbradshaw
@roosterforme
@bobby-r2d2-floyd
@bradleybeachbabe
#a gun amonst daggers#jake hangman seresin x reader#top gun maverick#top gun maverick x reader#jake seresin imagine#jake seresin x reader#jake hangman seresin#hangman fanfiction#hangman top gun#hangman x reader#top gun imagine#top gun fanfic#jake seresin#top gun fanfiction#top gun x reader#jake seresin fic#top gun hangman#controlled chaos squad#callsign bruiser
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sleepy - part 1
COD - Phillip Graves x fem!reader
[18+]
wc: ~970
summary: You and Phillip haven’t seen each other in a while. He comes home after a long mission and all is finally right in the world
part 2 | masterlist
warnings: mostly SFW, mentions of reader and phillip being sad, mentions of kissing and stripping down to boxers, domestic fluff, no use of Y/N or description of reader, reader can jump in phillip’s arms, some proofreading
As the founder and owner of a PMC, Phillip Graves does not have the luxury of a weekly 9-5. There are moments where he spends months on end preparing a mission and executing it. He usually welcomes the structure and constant work as it means his business is thriving.
Once Phillip met you, the non-stop work days have become difficult. You understand who he is and how there might be moments where you won’t see Phillip.
He loves how accepting you are of his life but, as your relationship becomes more serious, he craves for more time with you. You've practically moved in by the 6-month mark, although you two haven’t spent much time together since he's taken on new clients.
You usually prefer your own space but, after staying a week in Phillip’s home where he was in and out at random hours of the day or night, he’d commented how nice it was to get even five minutes with you.
Phillip encourages you to spend more time at his home, or as he simply calls it “home“, so at the very least you two can sleep in the same bed before he leaves for base in the early mornings.
This particular month hit you both quite hard. You haven’t heard from Phillip after four weeks on assignment. It's made you considerably agitated and nervous. You know how difficult it is for Phillip to call you when he’s away, but it still doesn’t stop the emotions from coming in. Meanwhile, Phillip is irritated at how long this mission is lasting.
It should’ve been an assignment completed in two weeks, but it’s unfortunately proved much more difficult. He misses you tremendously, but can do nothing to contact you. Phillip has to make do with the small photo he carries in his ID card holder to remind himself of your gorgeous face and eyes.
Eventually, the mission ends and he calls, informing you with obvious happiness in his voice that he should be home in the afternoon. All he has to do is inventory on his equipment and finish up some reports before he drives home. You prepare Phillip’s favorite meal and get one of his favorite whiskeys ready.
The moment you hear the key unlock the front door you run into the hallway. Phillip drops his bags by the door and holds open his arms as he hears your footsteps. You immediately jump on him, feeling the anxiety leave your body as you feel him squeeze you tight and trail kisses on your forehead.
“Ya’ miss me babydoll?” he asks, laughing as you pepper kisses on his face.
“So much!”
Phillip has dark circles around his eyes, you assume from stress and lack of sleep. Despite that, everytime he looks at you, there is adoration and love. The moment he steps in the door, he feels truly home. Not because this is ‘his’ home, but because he knows you’re there. Phillip can smell your amazing cooking, can see the throw pillows you added to the couch, the new decorations on the entrance table, just touches of you everywhere.
When you jumped in his arms, Phillip knew at that moment you’re what he wants to come home to for the rest of his life. He’s been eyeing a ring that matches you perfectly at the jewelers in town, but that would have to wait until tomorrow when he isn’t on the verge of passing out.
You try to get him to go upstairs and rest after dinner, but he declines and instead helps you clean up the dishes and kitchen. Phillip makes you popcorn and serves you another glass of wine while you top off his whiskey and pick an action movie to watch in the living room. You snuggle together on the large couch with the A/C on and a fluffy blanket over the two of you.
“Thank you for the perfect evening, babydoll.”
“You’re welcome, Phillip. I’m just so happy you’re finally home.”
The movie plays in the background as you two kiss, Phillip too exhausted to do anything more but still wanting you close to him. He eventually falls asleep on the couch and you manage to gently untangle yourself to put the remaining cups and popcorn bowl in the sink.
It’s still early, around 10 PM, but you don’t want to wake Phillip from his slumber to go upstairs with you in case he can't fall asleep again. You walk upstairs to get your comfy pillows and saw that your phone was blinking with an incoming call.
Your friend is calling you for some late night gossip about her new boyfriend and you sit on the bed to not disturb Phillip downstairs. Pretty soon 10 PM becomes 1 AM and once you hang up the phone after promising your friend you would have lunch and go shopping with her this week, you realize how tired you are.
You lay your head down just for a second, but are woken up a few hours later. Phillip looks sleepy and adorable with his eyes half lidded and his hair sticking up in a few spots.
“Why’d you leave me alone downstairs?” he asks, voice raspy and confused.
“I’m so sorry Phillip, I got a phone call from my friend and I guess I just fell asleep after. Come here, baby.”
You scoot over on the king size bed while he strips down to just his boxers. Phillip climbs in and pulls you to lay on top, your head on his chest and your thigh over his hips, while his hand caresses your back. You give him a kiss on his chest before sleep takes you both once more, your hearts and minds at peace once again.
#phillip graves x reader#phillip graves x female reader#cod x reader#cod mw2#phillip graves#graves x reader#graves x you#shadowlali
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Sweet Creature: Chapter Nine
Pairing: Dieter Bravo x F!Reader
WC: 8k
Warnings: 18+ Blog; Fluff, a kiss of angst, talk of past relationship and break up, pregnancy scare, mopey Poppy, nervousness and anxiety, brief mentions of sobriety, smut, self doubt, public speaking, reader has the nickname Poppy- zero physical description, to dumb dumbs in love
A/N: This is a doozy of a chapter, there was so much to pack in for these two. I can’t believe we’re nearing the end, I had definite moments of sadness as I was wrapping up this chapter but also found so inspiration to help tie up the story for these two! You can listen to Dieter & Poppy’s Playlist Here. Also a big thank you to @gnpwdrnwhiskey for constantly listening and helping me through this one, I definitely needed it on this chapter.
Series Masterlist / Playlist / Main Masterlist
Previous/ Epilogue
It had taken a few months for Dieter to tangle himself into your life.
Inching his way into your mind, settling deep within your bones and eventually finding shelter in the most sacred of places— your heart.
It took only a matter of a few short days for him to imprint himself into your home, pieces of him lingering in your space, even long after he had left.
But you can’t seem to pull yourself from the confines of your bed, each morning since his departure, you study the hollowed out spot where his worn body claimed as his, still having yet to find the energy to make it or wash the sheets clean of the hours of intensity and conversations ingrained into the plush pillow-top.
Your fingers run over the creases of the pillow, remembering how you would trace the same lines etched across his face in the early mornings, the usual scrunch between his brows smooth and relaxed, the faintest of snores escaping his parted lips— memorizing his angelic dreamy state.
A soft thread catches the path your finger continues to take. A silky strand of hair, no longer a part of him, now woven in through the fibers of your cotton pillowcase— proof he was here and existed in this space with you, with those unruly thick curls tousled with ardency, sweat and sleep— your fingers still managing to work through the wildness.
*
-Saturday Morning-
“What was your last serious relationship like?” Dieter asks, laying on his side with an arm bent, head propped on his hand, your bed sheet draped over his naked lower half.
His free hand mapping out the plains of your exposed skin, the morning sun filters through your bedroom window, providing a soft muted light as his fingers continue to unearth new details of your body he has yet to see in daylight.
“Oof! Hitting me with the serious stuff first thing in the morning.” The rasp of sleep still coating your throat, your body turned in close towards him with one arm tucked between your pillow and resting head, your free hand mesmerized by the texture of his skin— connecting invisible lines between each freckle painted across his neck and chest.
“Question for a question then. But you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s— just a lot for some people to hear. Kind of just keep it to myself, less questions and ‘how come’ once they find out.”
“Hey, I won’t judge you, for anything you tell me— ever.”
Dieter watches the way your eyes flit about for a few seconds, his hand stopping to rest on your naked hip with a gentle squeeze, a reassuring gesture of sincerity in his words.
“Frankie was my high school sweetheart, we started dating our senior year. We were together— gosh…. 5, almost 6 years.” You let out a sigh, all the memories of your previous relationship flooding back to you, having been locked away for so long.
“After high school, when we realized things were getting serious, we decided to figure out what we wanted moving forward. We were on the same page with everything for the most part, no real deal breakers. We would get married after college, buy a house— a seemingly cookie cutter life together.”
“I’m not following— sounds like the perfect life to me.” Confusion settles across his forehead, brows drawn together as he studies your face.
“Except, I couldn’t give him the one thing he wanted— kids.” You notice the way his face drops when you say it, knowing his first thought is exactly what everyone else usually assumes when you tell them.
“I guess I should rephrase that— I didn’t want, don’t want kids. It was something we established too, both on board with living a childless life. We agreed we would be the best Aunt and Uncle for our friend’s kids.”
Dieter nods at your admission, the hand on your hip starting to leave feather-like strokes the length of your side, goosebumps scattering across your warm skin.
“It wasn’t until we were well into our relationship that things changed. We had a bit of a pregnancy scare, we were both very careful too, so it was a bit of a shock when it happened. I was angry with myself— how could I let it happen? What did I do wrong? All the things running through my head the minute I saw those pink lines, wondering how we were going to afford a baby on our combined income, all while trying to get through finishing college— I spiraled pretty hard for a good week. But, through some routine testing, we discovered it was a false-positive— I was so fucking relieved!”
Your fingers still over the hollow of his neck, taking a deep breath, not really sure how Dieter is taking everything you’re saying.
“In the midst of my inner turmoil over the thought of being pregnant, I hadn’t really checked in with Frankie to see where his head was at, I had just assumed he was riding the same boat as me.”
“He changed his mind?” He asks.
“Yeah— or it was what he had always wanted, he just didn’t realize it until that week, when it was almost a possibility.”
“So you broke up?”
“We stayed together for another year afterwards, thinking we could work through it. But I couldn’t keep that from him, it would have eaten me alive being the reason he wasn’t 100% happy. We decided it was best if we split.” You can’t help the smile that starts to develop, Dieter’s receptive demeanor made this whole moment feel a little less heavier than you thought it would be.
“I ended up running into Frankie a few years ago. We caught up and I learned he ended up joining the army, Special Forces I think, met his wife while saving her from some bar creep, always the chivalrous one— and they have two little girls. I like to think we both ended up where we were supposed to be.”
There’s a prick of something that ricochets across his chest— the pairing of unaltered reverence and adoration. You just want the best for others, and it shows even in how not that long ago how you went to battle for Diem out of pure love, wanting the best for her and Wren— he respects you so much now looking back on it.
Dieter leans over and places a few soft kisses to your lips, the last one lingering a little longer before pulling away to rest his forehead on yours.
“Thank you, for sharing that with me.” He murmurs against your lips.
“Of course. My question now— What about you? Do you want kids?” You ask.
Dieter gently pushes you to your back, settling himself between your legs, peering down at you with a soft smile.
“I’ll only ever be Uncle Dude— never had the desire to be a dad.”
His head dips down to your still bare chest, the few kitten-like licks before he takes your nipple into his mouth, scorching and persistent, causing your back to arch up into him, eyes fluttering closed and mouth wide as you emit a breathless whine.
A few intense sucking motions before he gives your breast an experimental bite, his eyes observing the way your body writhes at the juxtaposition of sensations before releasing it with a pop, blowing a stream of cold air across your wet skin and watching the way your nipple instantly tightens.
He crawls up your body, one arm resting next to your head as the other snakes down between your bodies taking hold of his now hardened cock, a few quick strokes before he’s notching the head at your now dripping entrance.
“Doesn’t mean I don’t like partaking in the act.” His words punctuated by him fully sheathing himself into your cunt.
“Oh fuck! Dieter—“ Your laugh quickly exchanged for a heady moan.
Your bodies meld together in a heated indulgence. The slippery grip of dewy skin as your bodies work in a synergistic fashion, calculated snapping of hips take you both to a climactic level of bliss.
*
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ
The vibration of your phone against your nightstand draws you back from the reliving of your weekend with Dieter, interrupting the playlist streaming through the phone speaker.
You grab your phone to check who the message is from…
Mom ❤️: Hey Sweetheart! Let me know when you’re heading over. Going to sit by the pool for a bit until then. This place is beautiful, I might not ever leave! Talk to you soon!
The music promptly picks back up again with its uptempo beat, you connect your phone to your speakers in the living room, the words floating brightly in the background as you will yourself out of bed.
In route to a much needed cup of coffee, you pull on the fuzzy warm jacket that seems to have established itself as an essential element in your daily life, dropping your phone in its cavernous pocket before bringing the fleecy fabric to your face for a brief moment. It’s a cognitive experience, the inhalation of the still drenched in his signature Dieter-musk, making your insides gooey and flustered.
‘Ooh, I lose control, can't seem to get enough, uh-huh
When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love?’
You chuckle into your cup as you take that first sip, the words a flawless depiction, and complete coincidence of every morning this week.
A quick text back to your mom to fill her in on the day’s plans.
Poppy: Hi Mom! Had a bit of a slow morning, but I’m up and moving now! Going to shower and get ready. I thought we could go to this new sandwich shop that just opened. I've been wanting to try it. I’ll text you when I’m on my way to the hotel. Love you
Your mom had gotten in late last night, still having not seen her yet. Diem was so kind to put her up in the Capri for the weekend, your mom insisting she didn’t want to intrude and give you space.
It was her first time visiting since you had moved, but not her first time to Ojai. She had visited on numerous occasions in her travels before having you, it was usually a brief stop for a few hours to grab a quick bite and then off to her next stop.
As a child, you would spend hours browsing through her endless collection of photo albums, dreaming up your own stories about visiting her favorite places— grainy Kodak Portra 160 was her film of choice, the color grading and light leaks adding to the cinematized scenes. There was something alluring about Ojai, always spending a little extra time with those images, it had become your ‘one day I am going to move there’ place. So, when you had started actually considering moving, your mind instantly went to Ojai— it was a no-brainer this was the place you were meant to set your roots in.
A slow sip of the ambered liquid trickles down your throat, its atomic structure hitting every nerve as it slowly expands in your veins, giving you the ample amount of energy to keep you from crawling right back in bed.
A thrumming piano tune dances across the room, instantaneously reliving the moment you coerced Dieter to add it to your growing playlist, selfishly you hope the familiar high falsetto voice evokes the same memory for Dieter as it does for you when he shuffles through the songs.
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
*
-Sunday Afternoon-
“Add. The. Song. Dieter!” A purely joking dramatic version of yourself pleads with him, you sense the song isn’t a front-runner for Dieter, but you’re enjoying the banter it’s causing.
The popular chorus continues roaring through the living room where you’ve both been camped out for the last hour, switching off listening to music on bith your record player and Dieter’s Spotify account.
It felt silly when you suggested you both should create a compilation of songs that you could listen to and think of the other person— complete cheeseball move. It was reminiscent of junior high when you would download songs off shady sites and then burn the perfect cd mix for your crush, labeling it— I really like you but I’m not good with words, so here’s some songs instead— the cover art hand drawn sharpie doodles and emo quotes that could bring a 15 year old girl in love to tears. Being it was modern times, Dieter opted for a playlist of top favorite songs between the two of you, dubbing it ‘Dieter’s & Poppy’s Mix Tape.’
He wants to engrain this scene in his mind forever, your naked form cloaked in his beloved brown jacket, dancing around your living room, belting the lyrics in the most out of tune way.
“Streetlights, people!— Dieter, please! You said our favorite songs— this would be a favorite of mine! Add the damn song!!”
“This— This is your favorite song? It’s like the most overplayed karaoke song in the history of music” His cocked eyebrow as he holds his phone with the Spotify app open in his lap, finding it hard to hold off his growing smirk and not surprised in the least that it’s a top pick for you.
“I’ll have you know, I am the reigning Karaoke Queen, west of the Mississippi River— you're in the presence of royalty, Babe. Don't stop believin' Hold on to that feelin'!” Grabbing another slice of cold pizza from the half eaten box on the coffee table, you continue twirling about on your tippy toes, maintaining your off-key singing between bites.
“Something tells me your full of shit. Fine— It’s added. But I’m adding ‘You Need to Calm Down’ for tax.”
“I need to do what?” Your twirling ceases, the bottom of his jacket swaying about as you watch the way he stares down at his phone, fingers pecking at the screen.
“No— it’s a song. According to Wren, “it’s a Taylor Swift masterpiece!’” His air quotes and deadpan expression almost take you out.
“Never would have pegged you as a Swiftie, but I love it.”
“Well, it’s all she wants to listen to on the drive to school. I can’t help it if i know every word to almost every song.”
The next song plays through, Dieter continues to watch you from his spot on the couch, loving the carefree manner in which you move, your infectious smile on display as you sing along to a song you definitely do not know a single word to, eyes closed and arms stretched out letting the chorus fully envelop your mind— this whole moment solidifying his love for you.
He brings his phone up and snaps a few pictures, each image progressively blurrier as he tries to capture you dancing, his last attempt is more or less successful, the timing just right and the result an accurate depiction of how he wants look back on this time together— a flash of your beaming smile that causes your eyes to crinkle at the edges and your audacious desire to be completely yourself in front of him is a picture worth taking.
“Are you taking a picture of me?” Breathless and smiling.
“Guilty. I need something to remember this day while I’m away.”
“Okay, but take a better one then.”
Grabbing his sunglasses off the table to situate them on your face, your bare leg crossed over and kicked out to the side in an ameture Radio City Rockette fashion, middle fingers erect while your hands cover your now exposed breasts, a one-sided nose scrunch and curled lip with some semblance of a smile, all while the remaining slice of your pizza dangles from your mouth.
“Beautiful, just like the other ones.” His chest vibrates at the sight of you, he pats his thighs motioning for you to come over to where he’s seated. “Alright Karaoke Queen, get your sexy little Believin’ ass over here!”
Tossing your crust back into the pizza box, you skip-hop over to him, your knees sinking into the cushions of the couch as you straddle his boxer clad lap. His hands sliding under where his Jacket is splayed open, his warm touch glides over your thighs.
“Let me see— the others, please.” You ask timidly, not sure what ‘others’ entails, pulling his sunglasses off and tossing them to the side.
His thumb swipes and presses across his phone screen, then hands you an open folder of images, tiny intimate squares fill the screen. You click on the most recent ones of you here in your home, laughing at how ridiculous you think you look, glancing up to see Dieter’s head tilted to the side and his gaze fixed on you. Refocusing on his phone, you start swiping, so many images of times you had spent together, except you're the main focus of each photo, very much unaware of your photo being taken.
There was the afternoon spent baking cupcakes for no reason other than they sounded delicious. Flour covering the surface of the counter, while you and Wren laugh at something completely unrelated to the making of said cupcakes— equal amounts of flour coating both your hands and faces.
There’s the backyard dinner Diem had invited you over for. You were seated across from where Dieter and Diem were sitting, listening intently to something she was saying. The sun warm against your back as it had started its descent, your elbow propped on the table and chin resting on your hand, your attention focused on every aspect of the conversation.
The first evening Dieter and Wren had attended your art class together, a few of you talking about something art related and then a couple of you actually painting and drawing— your face naturally lighting up at you sharing art with others.
Each swipe revealed another image, so many of you smiling while looking off at whatever had your attention, full body laughs shared with someone out of frame, deep in thought or absorbed into something you were reading or looking at on your phone.
Seeing your life candidly curated in a digital collection of photos has so many emotions whirling through your mind, love being the most prominent one.
Your breath hitches when you scroll to the last image in the folder.
You're at the front of your classroom, a stack of papers tucked against your chest as your smile beams out to your class. You note your outfit isn’t your usual uniform, you're wearing your favorite band tee, jeans and sneakers— it’s the morning you were late and Dieter stepped in to help you out, bringing a sense of ease to your disarray of a morning.
“I think that was one of the moments I knew.” Dieter’s smoky voice cuts into the air, pointing at the image you’ve been studying a little longer than the others.
“Knew what?” Looking up from the phone to see his chestnut eyes twinkling with adoration, his hands gently rubbing against your hips.
“Knew that I needed you in my life, however that was.”
“There were others?”
“Your art class was another.”
There’s a beat of silence between you, the start of the next song picking up its pace.
“Do you ever imagine what it would be like if we would have met each other sooner than we did?” Something you’ve thought about at times, wishing you had more time with him, maybe if you had met sooner. Your fingers trace along the ridge of his collarbone as you wait for his answer.
“No— you would have definitely deserved better than who I was back then. You would have hated the thought of being in the same room as me.”
He wouldn’t have been anything close to who he is now, grateful you were never fully subjected to the asshole he used to be.
Your hand settles on his bare chest, right where his heart is beating fiercely.
“I deserve you now though. And I definitely want to be in every room you walk into.”
‘Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face, and I
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you’
Your lips meet his in an unhurried embrace, Dieter pulling your lower body closer to his, his fingers digging into the meat of your backside when your hips start to gradually begin to grind against him, his cock hardening with each brush of your wet cunt.
His hands create their own intimate paths over your body, one traveling up the length of your spine, the other moving to the underside of your breast, cupping the supple weight of it in his palm. A swipe of his thumb over your sensitive nipple has you gasping into his mouth, the catalyst for your silent plea for more— and he hears it loud and clear.
His hands. His mouth. His cock— all working in perfect, articulate motions. Until you’re succumbing to the culmination of purposeful exertion and precise execution.
The last 48 hours were spent with Dieter's departure looming in the background of your minds, not allowing yourselves to stew on the impending heartache that was to come the moment you said your goodbyes.
Between the hours of relaxed conversations and alleviating desirous needs, you both managed to get through the weekend with a strong sense of optimism about the future. A shared commitment to each other, with endless promises of check-ins whenever possible and working out a plan to see each other once Dieter had his schedule set, it was enough to keep the sadness at bay— it gave you something to look forward to.
The afternoon slowly began to bleed into your final evening together, tangled limbs and intimate memories treated with exactness, fueling hushed whispers of ‘I love yous’ embedding themselves into every single part of your soul.
*
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
You hadn’t been expecting anyone, the rapid knock on your front door was a complete surprise.
After confirming your name with the sweet delivery lady, she hands off the beautiful dried floral arrangement, mentioning a card was tucked into the center, wishing you a great rest of your day before driving away.
You had never seen anything like it before, an incredible assortment of dried flowers, stems and oversized leaves arranged meticulously in a ceramic vase.
Placing the flowers on the kitchen counter, you pull the small card from it, reading the small written note:
Poppy, I’m so proud of you! You’re so talented and I can’t wait to hear how tonight goes. Love you, Dieter
You smile at his thoughtfulness, missing him so much and needing to hear his voice desperately.
Pulling your phone from the coat pocket, you dial his number and hope there’s a chance you catch him at a good time.
“Hello.” There’s warmth in the way his voice cracks through the phone.
“Hi. I just got the flowers— they’re absolutely beautiful, Dieter. Thank you!”
“I can’t take full credit. Nessa, my assistant, said you might like them, something about them lasting forever. Anyways, she set up the order while I was in a meeting.”
“Well, I’ll have to thank her at some point then.” There’s some static carrying through the line as you continue your conversation.
“How are you feeling about today?”
“Good. Just finally pulled myself out of bed. Going to get dressed, then have lunch with my mom before I get ready for tonight. I miss you, Dieter.”
There’s a brief moment where it sounds like the call cuts out, looking at the screen you see it’s still counting up the call minutes, still connected.
“I— you too. ‘Ant wait— it goes….”
“Dieter?…Hello? Babe, your phone keeps cutting out.”
*Call Dropped*
The connection was lost, conversation cut short, staring at a now black phone screen.
Poppy💐: Your service must be shitty or something, couldn’t hear most of what you were saying. Call me when you can. Love you 💜
You attach a photo of the flowers along with your message. Knowing if he was in a bad service area, you wouldn’t be getting an immediate response, so you take that as your cue to get yourself ready.
Poppy: Getting dressed! Should be leaving here in 20 minutes. See you in a bit mom! 😘
*
Your mom’s presence was exactly what you needed today. Seeing her sitting across from you now makes you feel less overwhelmed by the fact that your boyfriend isn’t here and you’re hours away from sharing this passion project of yours, something so intimate and personal, with a room full of art loving strangers.
But even in her presence, you still find your mind wandering— Dieter being the central character of your deviating thoughts— even things outside your home, the smallest of details, reminding you of him in some way.
Bart’s across the street, a favorite spot for both of you, especially after the talk you both shared coming to an understanding and moving forward together with a new perspective on each other.
Someone walking by, where your mom and you are sitting together on the restaurant patio, was carrying a merchant bag from a store you had bought Dieter’s birthday present. There was a gold colored velvet button up shirt cover in a large geometric print that you had seen while out shopping with Diem one weekend, she had made the offhand comment that it was totally something Dieter would wear and when you had found out a few days later that Dieter’s birthday was the following weekend, you immediately went back to buy it for him.
You had also thrown in a pair of tiny Frozen charms, Elsa for Wren and Olaf for Dieter, for the Crocs you had seen him wear around Diem’s house on movie nights, in the chance he hated the shirt you knew he was a sucker for kitschy gifts— by the way he wears the shirt regularly, it’s fair to assume he likes it.
You even think of him in the most laughable ways too, like when a car similar to his drives by the restaurant, you of course immediately think of him— you find yourself to be a lost cause at this point.
“I’m so sorry, Sweetheart, I’m sure Dieter would love to be here if he could. Aside from him leaving, how was the rest of the week after he left?”
“Hmm?”
“I asked how’s your week been? We haven’t talked much since last week.”
“Oh my gosh, Mom! I’m so sorry— I’m literally the worst person to be around right now, I’m sure. I’ve been so in my head lately, I can’t even think straight.” You cover your face as you apologize for being lackluster company to her, realizing you’ve spent most of lunch off in La-La-Land.
“My week was good though. With summer break starting last week, I spent most of this wrapping up last minute grading and finishing up paperwork. Monday and Tuesday I went to clean up my classroom, just mainly clearing out old projects and lesson plans from the past year. Which then left me the rest of the week to get my canvases prepared and hung up over at Reverie, where the art opening is tonight.”
“Sounds like it’s kept your mind off of Dieter not being able to be there tonight.” She gives you a sympathetic look, and it makes you feel so appreciative that she flew out to be here for you.
“If I’m being honest, it really hasn’t. I just selfishly keep wishing he didn’t have leave so I could have more time with him. And then I hate myself for even thinking that, because I’m so happy and proud of him— he deserves this, I just miss him so much. We’ve tried to talk and FaceTime when we can, but his schedule right now has been busy, so I just sit and wait for him to call most evenings. God, I sound ridiculous!” A slight crack to your voice as you’re overcome with emotion, it’s sadness and happiness all wrapped up in a perfect little box sitting in your chest, lifting your chin up as you fight back the tears that threaten to break.
“Oh, honey.” She passes you a few clean napkins, noticing the few tears that managed to escape. “Maybe give him a call in a bit, I’m sure hearing his voice will help you feel better.”
“Yeah, I’ll give him a call when I get home. Thanks mom. I’m so glad you’re here! Let’s talk about something else, bring the mood back up. How’s retirement going?” Changing the subject to hopefully suppress your mopey demeanor, dabbing your wet cheeks lightly.
“Oh, it’s great! I’ve actually been thinking about doing some traveling now that I have all this time.”
“I love that for you mom. You should go, see the world— you deserve it.”
She shared about the places she had already started planning to visit— in and around Canada, parts of Europe, then several areas of South America. You greedily wished she didn’t want to go, feeling a steady wave of emotions rock through you at the thought of her being gone for so long. But, you know how much traveling means to her, it’s pure joy watching the way she can’t stop smiling as she shows you landmark places she’ll be visiting— a true testament to chase after the things you love.
*
Doubt.
Fear.
Trepidation.
A war of anxieties. Ruthless, belligerent intruders, battling for control and power. Your mind slowly forfeits, white flag in waiting, ready to surrender yourself to the helm of your own enemies.
Even with the excitement surrounding tonight, you hadn’t really mastered the art of calming intrusive thoughts and apprehension once they began to build their way into your consciousness.
There’s the brief moment where you consider getting back into your car and driving home— rid yourself of the stress and anxiety that is overcoming you at the thought of being the center of attention tonight— albeit your art the main focus, but with that will come talking about yourself and it has you ready to bail.
But, you had put so much time and effort into this collection, executing and curating an intimate journey of discovery in the form of detailed lines and brush strokes that make up a whole series of paintings you are incredibly proud of.
Breathe.
In.
Out.
Dieter comes to mind, the words he shared with you before he left:
“You were made for this, it’s who you are and it’s what you know— don’t let you be the reason you stop chasing what you deserve. I believe in everything you do, you should too.”
His words wash over you, each one forging a path for you to conquer your reluctance to seek out something that you have always dreamed of doing.
You pull out your phone to shoot Dieter a quick text before heading into the gallery.
Poppy💐: Hi! I miss you and wish you were here ❤. Hope you had a great day. I’ll have Diem take pictures to send you later. Call me when you can. Love you xo
Remembering back to when Dieter had shared something he does when his anxiety starts to surface, deciding to take a minute to borrow his technique to help ground your thoughts.
You see the vibrant lights from the front windows of Reverie Studio, the way the moon is peeking out from behind the building making its way through the sky, the streak of lights from headlights of passing cars, blurred bodies of people milling around the streets unbothered by you rooted in the center of the sidewalk, the time stamped over an image of you and Dieter as the lock screen on your phone.
You feel the weight of your phone leaving your hand as you drop it in your purse, the flowy dress that you picked out with Diem a few weeks ago specifically for this evening, a folded piece of paper with notes for the small speech you were going to give, a good luck charm in the form of Dieter’s 1 year chip clutched tightly into your hand.
You hear the muted chatter of the early birds spilling from the open door of the gallery, the mingling musical instruments in the local park showering concert goers with an original melodic song, an indistinguishable mix of hello’s and goodbye’s wrapped around gossip filled phone conversations.
You smell the sweet-vanilla-waffle confections of the little ice cream shop that stays open late during the summer, a hint of a smokey musk dusting the air reminding you of the woody spicy that’s so distinctly Dieter.
You taste the delicate flavors of a savory future, one that has a palatable balance of sweetness and verve— something so delectable that you don’t think you’ll be able to stop reveling in its richness.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ
Your immediate thought is it’s Dieter, pulling out your phone to see it’s instead Diem.
Diem: Are you going to stand out there all night?? Get your ass in here!
She’s standing in the window with Wren on her hip, both of them waving at you.
Feeling a somewhat renewed sense of confidence, you wait for a break in the passing cars and jog across the street to join the crowd already forming inside.
You’re completely taken aback once you’re through the front door, not by the overwhelming number of people who showed up to view your work, but by how the room is filled with a plethora of vases overflowing with poppies.
The edges of the room, table tops, display pedestals all covered in a sea of pinks, oranges and pale yellow flowers.
“So glad you could show up!” Diem and Wren wrap you in a joint hug, a warm greeting with a touch of her special sarcasm.
“Where did all these flowers come from? They weren’t here yesterday when I stopped in to do some final touches.”
“A certain someone might have wanted to surprise you with something special.”
There’s an immediate pang in your chest, his thoughtfulness and his way of showing support by filling the studio space with your favorite flowers, you have to actively fight off the urge to cry tears of happiness.
You snap a few photos, focusing on the ones that sit below where your canvases are hung on the fabricated display walls.
You can’t contain the smile plastered across your face, seeing your work being admired by those in attendance, getting a chance to catch up with friends and fellow artists and having your mom close by listening to her talk up your talent with complete strangers— all still while wishing Dieter were here bask in the excitement with you.
“If I could have everyone’s attention please.” The owners ask, the room’s noise quickly reduced to a curbed level. “We thank everyone for coming to show their support for this wonderful event. We’ll have her share more about it with you and then we’d like to say a few words afterwards.”
Applause breaches the silence as you’re beckoned to the center of the room, your paper of scribbled notes in one hand and Dieter’s chip in the other, making your way to the front of the mass of people.
You introduce yourself as you take in all the faces, some familiar and some new, Diem and your mom in a side embrace with Wren to the front of them, each person enthralled and eager to hear you share more about you and the art behind you.
“Art has always been a part of me, in so many different ways. Growing up I would tear apart my mom’s magazines to make collages of pretty pictures, sorry mom.” Glancing down at your paper as a wave of soft laughter filters around, it elicits a surge of excitement and sureness blooms somewhere deep in your soul, deciding to for-go reading anything you had written and just share from the heart.
“And then I got my first sketchbook, that thing never left my side. Always with me at school, trips to the grocery store and even on days when my mom worked late, I’d sit in the corner of her classroom and just draw— creating little scenes from memory. I filled the pages rather quickly too, pages were barely hanging on with the amount of wear and tear I had put it through. Before I knew it, I had amassed a collection of sketchbooks and canvases over the years. Art has always been a part of who I am and I think it always will be.”
Everyone seemed so fascinated by everything you’re sharing. Explaining the story behind your collection— starting as a literal dream and slowly becoming a now etched on canvas reality.
Even the collaborative piece with Dieter is hung among the others, you went the extra step to add his name onto the little artist placard:
Artists: Dieter & Poppy
Title: ‘Sweet Creature’
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
$: (Not For Sale)
“Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here tonight, I appreciate it so very much, I’ll be around the rest of the evening to chat more or answer any questions. And thank you to Reviere Studio, you’ve become like a second home to me. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to share my love for the arts with the many who attended my classes in this very space, but also to be the last art showing truly means so much to me. I will miss you all.”
Another round of applause and cheers fill the open space. You feel like it went pretty well for how nervous you were earlier in the evening, not really sure why you were doubting yourself to begin with.
The crowd slowly starts to disperse as you start to weave to where Diem, your mom and Wren are standing, getting stopped for hugs and hellos from former class attendees, congratulatory remarks for complete strangers too— you’re even shocked when Betty and Marilyn stop to share their well wishes with you.
“I’m so proud of you sweetheart, it’s all so amazing!” Your mom wraps you in praises and a tight hug.
“Thank you mom, I’m so happy you could be here!”
“I’m happy to be here too!” Wren’s excitement is barely containable as she bounces off the floor.
“I’m so happy you’re here too Wren!” You tell her as you bend down to give her a hug as well.
Standing back to your full height, you turn to Diem and just wrap your arms around her shoulders and hold her close, she returns the same energy.
“Thank you so much for everything, you are literally the best friend I could have ever asked for. I love you so much Diem!”
“God dammit, Poppy! I didn’t wear any waterproof mascara because I wasn’t planning on crying tonight! I love you too!” She pulls away and starts fanning her face, drying up the tears that had started to fill her eyes.
“Excuse me! We have a quick, exciting announcement to make before the evening continues with drinks and appetizers.” The sweet owner Susi’s voice boomed out to the guests.
*
Dieter doesn’t like lying, not in general at least and especially not to you— open and honest is how he continues to move forward with his life.
But this doesn’t feel like a lie, in a sense. A secret. A surprise.
Taking this role meant sacrificing his time away and that terrified him, especially being his first project to jump back into.
After a call with his agent on the drive back to LA Monday morning and a check in with his sponsor, Dieter requested a meeting with the movie’s higher ups.
That meeting didn’t happen until a few days later, but when he found out filming would be held in and around LA, Dieter learned his request for weekends to travel back to Ojai was successful.
That gave him less than 24 hours to get flowers ordered to be delivered to the gallery, let Diem in on his plan to ensure everything was in motion, all while you had no idea what was happening.
Dieter settles in the back of the crowd, tucked out of sight, finding it difficult to keep his eyes off you as you stand up there.
Watching you share about your life and how art has always been a big part of it, the two of you so similar in many ways makes him feel a deeper connection to you.
He recognizes the paper you’ve started crumpled into your hand, worn and creased from the repetitive folding and unfolding, scarred by the cross-hatching over abandoned words or shelved sentences, bullet points of importance to add substance to your speech. He likes the version you who was pacing around her living room Sunday morning, paper in one hand and pen in the other, reciting each line with a fluctuating ambivalent tone, stopping intermittently at the coffee table to rework a line or add something he had suggested. But he loves this version of you standing before him right now, no hesitation in your words, speaking with certainty and feeling— you were more than prepared.
The way you wear your confidence stirs something inside of him— trying his best to keep a low profile, because all he wants to do is scoop you up and kiss you breathless, to tell you over and over, how perfect and amazing he thinks you are.
He notices the light catching something you’re intently smoothing your fingers over, tracing repeatedly over every word— It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it— engraved on his 1 year chip, a habit he’s welcomed into his daily routine. You had refused to take it from him when he offered it, not wanting him to be without it longer than necessary, but he had vowed to take it back the moment you were reunited. Placing it in your palm, hinting at the streak of luck it had brought him over the past year, ensuring that it would do the same for you— but he knew you wouldn’t need any.
He wants more of this— more time with you. To feel immersed back into this normal paced life and experience the joys that you feel regularly.
He has to shuffle himself around a bit when the crowd starts to move about, still trying to not be seen, watching you celebrate post speech with your mom, Diem and Wren— eagerly wanting to do the same.
The gallery owner’s announcement signals the beginning of something exciting.
He just hopes you’re as ecstatic about what’s about to be revealed as he is.
*
Susi takes a moment for everyone to quiet down and focus their attention on her before continuing her speech.
“Earlier this year, we had made the difficult decision to close our doors— deciding it was time to seek out a new chapter with new adventures and close this chapter on Reverie Studio.”
You’re sandwiched between Diem and your mom, hands intertwined as your head rests on Diem’s shoulder, somber as Susi’s heartfelt words about the studio’s closing.
“But we have some exciting news to share with you all. The gallery and studio are now under new ownership and will continue to stay open. It will be under a new name, but will still retain what Reverie had previously been known for— classes, art openings, studio space. And while we’re sad to hand it over, we’re excited to see it continue to serve the community.”
The delighted commotion pours out into the streets, catching the attention of passersby’s curiosity.
“So, we welcome you to the new home of Les Coquelicots Studio. The new owner is somewhere here in the audience too.” Heads begin to turn, seeking out where this mysterious owner is, when Susi points towards the back of the room and waves. “Ah, there he is. Please be sure to make him feel welcome and thank him before you leave. Thank you all again for coming and have a wonderful rest of the night.”
Music begins to brim over the conversations that start to pick up, guests dispersing to fill their small plates with finger foods and refilling of drinks, ambling about observing your artwork and surrounding art pieces.
But you're too focused on the fact that you had no idea that the space wasn’t closing, as you continue turning about scanning the room for the new owner.
Everything stills.
No sound.
No horde of people.
Just him.
Dieter Bravo.
All Dieter-like too, leaning against the back wall, hands secure in his pockets, the slightest tick of his jaw punctuating his dimple.
Your brain is actively working to re-hardwire your body to function properly, but you’re motionless. Speechless.
He’s here, propelling himself forward and making his way to you, even as he stands before you, it doesn’t feel real.
“Surprise.” His voice nearly takes you out, it hasn’t been that long since you had last spoken, but you’ve missed its gravely tone so much.
“What are you doing here? I thought— I don’t know what I thought because I can’t think straight at the moment. How are you here?” Dizzy with total surprise and confusion.
He leans in, laughing at your flustered smile, hands slinking their way to your face, his touch charged with fervor as his thumbs sweep over the apples of your cheeks.
“Came to see my girl.” He smiles softly, his words a breath away from where you want him most.
You close the distance between you, his lips fitting perfectly against yours, unbothered by the room full of people around you. You knew you would never get that same feeling or experience like with your first kiss, but this is second best and you welcome it fully.
Before the kiss has a chance to turn into something more than what is appropriate for the setting, you pull away, resting your forehead on his, breathless and happy.
“It’s you isn’t it— You bought this place?” The answer is clear as you look into his warm eyes.
“I did.”
“Les Coquelicots? Monet’s painting?”
“Poppies.”
This is it. Your forever. With him. Always.
“I know how much this place means to you, think of it as a thank you— for giving me a chance, for believing in me.”
“You didn’t have to buy me an art gallery as a thank you, dinner would have been fine.” Your fingers catching the rampant tears streaming down your cheeks, emitting a breathy laugh.
“We can go to dinner after this then.” His words mumbled in a kiss against your forehead.
“You still didn’t answer my question— How are you here? What about your movie?”
“When I found out we would be shooting locally in LA, I told them I had one request— that I was able to go home every weekend if I wasn’t needed on set.”
“But your home is already there?”
“I’m selling my home in West Hollywood— my realtor is getting it ready to be listed next week, hopefully moved out by the end of the month. So I can move home.”
It goes without saying that you know what he means, but you want to hear him say it out loud.
“Do you mean here? You’ll be moving here?”
He nods his head in response.
“What if this place gets too boring for a big movie star like yourself?” Biting your lip with a hint of a smile.
“Poppy— wherever I go, you bring me home.”
The kiss is short, but full of a warmth you crave when he’s in your presence, your arms linking around his neck as he pulls flush against, white knuckle grip on your hips— the two you lost in each other as the work around you carries on.
“Hmm— so, you’re gonna move in with Diem permanently?”
“Nah, I’ll find some place eventually.” He winks, no real rush to move in together, but he sees it as an option at some point in the future.
“Well, if you’re over living with your sister, I have a comfortable couch with your name all over it.” You snort at your offer.
“Poppy, I’m not sleeping on your fucking couch.”
“Suit yourself then.” You mirror his wink before pulling him in for another string of small pecks.
“I love you, Dieter.”
“I love you too, Poppy”
Next
#sweet creature series#dieter bravo x you#dieter bravo x f!reader#dieter bravo x reader#dieter bravo x fem!reader#dieter bravo x female reader#dieter bravo#dieter x poppy#pedro pascal#wildemaven writes
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New Years with Loki hc’s:
He would be so confused on why this was such a big deal to many midgardians…its a new year…so what?
Besides his confusion, he loved new years eve parties, and with you it just makes it 100x better
His first new years eve party was hosted by Tony Stark so of course it did not disappoint
He wore a nice black suit with hints of green silks inside his coat jacket. You on the other hand wore a tight fitting dress, also having hints of green through glitter spread around the dress
Loki could not keep his eye off you
The night was filled with great conversation, food, drinks and celebration of the year that passed by and the year to come
Loki kept hearing about “resolutions” and of course when it came to Midgardian things he did not understand, he would ask you
“Why is everyone asking me my “resolutions”? From Stark to the spider boy to even the arrow guy…what is a resolution darling?”
“Well a new years resolution is something people make as a sort of change in their life, sometimes they’re big, sometimes small. It’s just something people make as the new year comes, since its like a restart of everything”
“That sounds…odd, why do people wait till new years to make a change, just do it now”
“I cant really answer that honey, everyone is different, plus I have my own resolution”
His eyebrows raised at your response “You do? Enlighten me my dear”
“Yea one of my new years resolution is to spend more time reading, hopefully finishing books i have been putting of. I guess mine is small but it is some improvement…you should make something!” You encouraged him as to bring in the new years spirit
“Me? Improvement? Make a resolution? Darling I don’t need one. I’m perfect. duh” He snickered
You laughed at his response “You know there isn’t such thing as perfection, thats what makes life beautiful, its always changing and you find the beauty in it…plus, even perfection such as yourself can always self improve somewhere”
“That defeat the whole purpose of perfect, I don’t need some resolution…i am PERFECT darling!” He kisses your cheek as he finished his stance
“Okay! Whatever you say honey”
The night goes on as normal but of course your words linger Loki’s mind…and he took a minute to do some reflection…i mean he knew he was perfect, but even perfection has room for self-improvement…hmmm..
As the final 10 minutes of the year approached, your tipsy self found Loki and fell onto him
“Woah! Darling you ok?” He says as he holds you up
“YUP JUST TIPSY! …its a-almost n-new years…i need to be sober for our kisssssss”
“Kiss? I can kiss you right now you know”
“nOOOO new years eve kiss! I need water…NOW”
Loki rushes to get you water to get you back to being sober and by the time you gathered yourself and your thoughts, there was about 3 minutes to go
“OKAY IM GOOD! so basically a new years kiss is when we kiss once the clock hits 0! so basically…an i love you kiss, happy new year! Ya get it?”
Loki nods…he would kiss you any day at any time but he knew to wait, this was special to you as he could tell
As everyone gathered and the clock counted down, you and Loki stood together side by side
“10….9…8…7!”
Loki watches as everyone was here, celebrating the past and the future, all in the present moment…
“6…5…4...3!”
As the last 3 seconds ticked by, he took one good look at you. He knew how the past year had been for you…filled with so much good, too much bad in his opinion but amazing moment you both shared…and he couldn’t wait to see what the future brought for you in your own right, but for where you both will be and the memories to be created…he couldn’t wait
“2…1! Happy New Year!” Everyone cheered, screams of happiness filled the room and hugs and love was spread all around
You looked up at Loki and awaited for him to kiss you, which he did once you gave that glance that drove him insane
As the kiss went on, Loki felt nothing but happiness…how lucky is he to be with someone like you? What a lucky god he is….
Pulling away, you hugged Loki and watched as the fireworks went of and your friends greeting one another, you and Loki also greeting back
The excitement slowly died down and many went back to partying and drinking…Loki looked at you “Darling…I have a resolution”
You looked at him happily “You do?! You wanna share or keep it to yourself?”
“No no…you should know…My new years resolution is to make us happier…build us closer to our future…and of course…love you more and more each day…”
Looking at Loki, your eyes welled up in happy tears and you kissed him once more “Oh i’m so lucky to be with you…my love, I love you so much”
“I am just as lucky as you…I love you too…happy new year” He says with a smile as he held you close
#loki#loki laufeyson#mcu loki#loki god of mischief#loki marvel#loki series#marvel#loki season 2#loki x reader#loki x reader fluff#fluff#loki and reader#loki is in love with you#loki and you#loki and reader fluff#new years eve#loki hc’s#loki hcs#loki hc#you are in love with loki#loki is a sweetheart#loki tom hiddleston#loki 2011#loki fanfic#loki show#loki and y/n#loki x y/n#loki fluff
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Red Wine Supernova
Once again this is written on a whim in the middle of the night and inspired by one of my favourite songs and my favourite doctor.
Season 5 Reid without the leg injury.
2k word count.
It was the middle of a sweltering heatwave in Virginia, almost record temperatures for the entire week. Every one in the bullpen was sticky with sweat and completely over it.
You had even taken to completely drenching your long, dark sheet of hair in the bathroom sink for some type of relief. While it helped to keep the heat of your head for a while, the rest of your body was still sweating bullets. If you were wearing a bra, it would surely be completely soaked through.
You'd think the most coveted unit in the FBI would have better airconditioning but apparently not.
After giving up on fanning yourself with the abandoned case files strewn out on your desk, you wandered down to Penelope's office to see if she was having better luck in the heat.
Upon entering the room you realised the only thing hotter than the sun outside was the man sitting in front of you.
His overgrown caramel brown hair shook as he turned his head around to greet you.
"Hey you." Spencer smiled up at you front his perch next to Penelope's desk.
Penelope was currently in the middle of an in depth tangent about something but you couldn't focus on a word she said because of the cherry red lollipop swirling around Spencer's mouth.
You had never been so jealous of a piece of candy.
Despite the weather, you felt heat build between your thighs for another reason. The vulgar sounds that came from between his lips only added to your arousal.
"Hey, you okay over there." Spencer's voice showed a tinge of slight concern at my dazed state. Meanwhile I watched a massive, teasing grin appear on Penelope's face in the corner of my eye.
She knew I had it bad for the resident boy genius and went to great lengths to force me to tell him. Despite her meddling, I never could work up the courage to tell Spencer how I really feel.
I'd known since the very first time we met in the elevator, on my very first day heading up to level 6 from the computer crimes unit. I was a ball of nerves and was badly failing to hide my anxiety from the tall man to my left. Not realising he was my new team member and a literal genius, I blurted out just how very nervous I was to be starting in the BAU.
I will never forget the comforting smile and supportive words that put me at ease that morning. I was a pure stranger to him and he had treated me with such rare kindness that fully kickstarted my secret admiration for him.
Since that moment, along with Penelope of course, we became the best of friends. Unfortunately for me, thats all we ever ended up being.
"Anyway that's why I'm never going back there, it's so hard to find somewhere with decent karaoke songs these days." You slowly starting taking in what Penelope was ranting about and affectionately rolled your eyes in response. An undeniable truth about Miss Penelope Garcia was that she loved her karaoke.
"What, is it too much to ask for some Lana on the catalogue?" She had you there. Despite your amusement at her passionate tyrade against the local karaoke bar, you agreed with her exquisite taste in music.
You both pretty much loved the same artists and you tried to attend as many gigs together as possible. Well, as possible as it was in this job.
" What is Lana?." A soft smack to Spencer's silky head from Garcia swiftly followed.
"You deserved that pretty boy." You liked to test the waters with how much flirting you could pass off as a joke with him. The flush that hit his cheeks everytime you did was your favourite shade of red.
"Oh my god Reid, we have to go out tonight and educate you." That send Penelope bouncing down the hall to alert the others of her plans. Your still damp hair shook as you laughed at your friend.
"Educate?" You looked up to meet Spencer's confused expression. "I have three PhD's."
"Yeah and a lot to learn apparently." You learned forward as you rose from the chair next to him. Probably giving him a direct view down your slightly damp shirt.
You took his deep gulp and flustered look at your cue to exit. Nothing better than leaving things on a high note with your favourite doctor.
Later that night, after much convincing (and promises of free drinks) the whole gang had shuffled into a new karaoke spot that Penelope had been dying to try.
You were honestly suprised she hadn't been to them all yet. Even more surprised she hadn't been banned from any either. She had a tendency to get overzealous while performing, which may or may not include giving Morgan a lapdance to National Anthem.
Before you had all rushed the elevators to head home and change before the big night ahead, Penelope had given specific instructions for you all to come "hot to go."
Everyone had hit really hit the mark, including yourself. It had been a while since you had really let loose and you weren't holding back.
Your third glass of red wine matched the tight fitted dress that clung to your body in all the right places. Chunky black heels elongated your smooth, freshly shaven legs and your hair was thrown back into wild, unkempt curls.
You ignored the eyes that lingered on your body as you grabbed another round for the table, desperately scanning the room for your guest of honour. It wasn't like Spencer to be late, so you had a sinking feeling that he might not be coming at all.
Before you could pout for too long, in walked Dr Spencer Reid, looking drop dead gorgeous for an entirely new reason.
His previously long locks has been cropped into a shorter, messier cut. Althought you loved his old hair, his new style stirred something deep inside.
You barely noticed the bartender place the stacked tray of drinks Infront of you as your eyes followed Spencer across the room. Luckily, he didn't notice your staring as he sat down with the rest of the group.
You quickly thanked the bartender and headed back over to the table, ready to get a better look at the eye candy waiting for you.
As you approached, you heard the playful banter that was directed at Spencer's new look.
"What did you join a boyband?" Even the ever serious Hotch was chiming in to tease the blushing doctor.
"Penelope did say come hot to go didn't she?" You playfully leaned foward and ruffled Spencer's hair, careful to not let yourself indulge too much. "Spencer was just following orders."
Okay maybe you were leaning way too close to him while you said it but you could only blame the wine.
" You like it?" The sincerity in Spencer's question gave you butterflies. He genuinely wanted to know what you thought.
"I love it Spence." You slightly slurred the compliment as you had just polished off a fourth glass but you meant every word. "You can pull off any look, I swear you just get prettier each day."
You bravely placed a delicate hand over his under the table that only he knew about. Despite being slightly tipsy, you commited this feeling to your memory because you knew it wouldn't last.
Before you could say anything more, Morgan and Rossi were dragging him up to the stage to perform a cheesy Bon Jovi song that Spencer definitely didn't know the words too.
Despite usually being the sober one, you noticed him chugging the beer he had been nursing to ease into the embarassment.
Your whole team cheered and clapped as they bowed to their adoring fans, you yelled extra loud for your new favourite boyband as they retreated back to the booth.
"Wow Spence, you're a natural up there." You jokingly teased as he squished in next to you, thighs slightly touching. He replied by stealing the rest of your drink and downing the rest of it.
A tempting red stain lingered on his boyish smile shining back at you, proud of what he had done. It took everything you had not to lean in for a taste.
You wish it was always like this. Spencer playfully teasing you and looking at you like you hung the moon. You knew he was a light weight but your drunken mind pondered whether there was something else there. Whether he felt anything back.
You made the executive decision to let him know exactly how much you wanted him.
"Pen, we're up next." You locked eyes with your go to duet partner as she registered the devilish look you had.
A couple minutes and one more glass for good luck later, you were making your way to the stage.
The opening beat to one of your favourite songs started and you danced around as Garcia started the first verses. You felt the wine rush to your head and let yourself go to the song.
You acted as a very enthusiastic backup singer as Garcia ended the first chorus and you started singing. You made sure to look directly over at Spencer to make sure he heard every word.
"Long hair, no bra." You jokingly palmed your chest as a joke while singing "that's my type."
"You just told me, want me to fuck you."
You made sure to hold eye contact for this next line, staring intently into Spencer's blown out pupils.
"Baby, I will 'cause I really want to."
You twirled on the spot, breaking your intense connection with Spencer to scream along to the chorus with Penelope.
Your lips turned up into a smirk as you anticipated your next part. You returned your gaze back to it's rightful place.
"Well, back at my house, I got a California king. Okay, maybe it's a twin bed, and some roommates."
"Don't worry we're cool!" Penelope was taking her supporting role very seriously and you blew her a kiss for it.
You then turned and made a show of pointing a nail at beet red man in front of you.
"I heard you like magic
I got a wand and a rabbit
So baby, let's get freaky, get kinky
Let's make this bed get squeaky"
You let Penelope take the rest of song song as you screwed your eyes shut and swayed your hips to the beat. You were too turned on to feel embarrassed about your not so subtle confession.
You finally looked up to see that your favourite face was still looking back at yours.
A bright smile lit your face as your rushed off the stage to ask him what he thought. You made sure to get as close as possible this time, not caring about the watchful eyes around you both.
"So Spence, what did you think?" You tried to continue your seduction but you couldn't focus as he assessed you with his eyes.
"I think." A wide smirk appeared as he reached behind you. "you have something behind your ear."
A torn piece of paper appeared between his fingers. You could see the start of a few numbers before the paper folded in.
" I already have your number Casanova, we work together remember?" You teased.
" It's not my number." You slowly unfolded the rest of the message, eyes like saucers as you realised what it said.
"It's my address, and I do actually have a California King."
#spencer reid criminal minds#spencer reid imagine#spencer reid fanfiction#dr spencer reid#spencer reid#spencer reid one shot#criminal minds#matthew gray gubler#red wine supernova#chappell roan
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Happy Saturday all :) We only have 5 eps left in this season. I can’t believe it. 17 days to the premiere. Well 18 for me since I don't have cable just Hulu but still. Ahhh the Dim and Juicy Ep. I remember the 3 week hiatus to get to it was the worst. Felt like we had a lot of extended breaks in S5. Drove me insane. But anything is better than the one we’re coming out of now ha I’ll take 3 weeks over 9 months any day heh.
I liked the parallel in this how unhealthy Jake/Sava were. And how solid Tim and Lucy are. I mean Dim And Juicy were a mess. My god the man cheated on her more than once. They are not relationship goals lol I enjoyed them nonetheless though. I know Eric and Melissa had a blast filming this. Did my best to get everything in. Content heavy one. Let us get started.
5x18 Double Trouble
We hit the ground running in this one. Sava is waiting for Jake outside of prison. He’s getting released due to overcrowding. Not because he was good LOL Even Sava makes a crack it wasn't that. Been serving about 6 months for the drug charge got in 4x22. It’s a trip to watch them. We get all the benefits of Melissa and Eric’s chemistry inside another couple. It's wild. Sava all but squee's when she see's Jake which is pretty cute.
They launch themselves at each other once he’s free. All kisses and hands. Saying how much they missed each other. All the chemistry and swaying cuteness that comes with them. This scene is pretty cute to watch. They do look like they are so in love which makes what Jake does later so confusing and awful tbh. He greets her friend Lisa with a hug and you can see Sava breaks it up pretty quickly.
Sava brings Jake back to her side. Asking what he wants to do first? Being the classy gentlemen he is saying she knows what. Ha Horny horn dogs. I do love it though. it’s like getting the most reckless AU version of Tim and Lucy. Although they wouldn’t cheat so it’s not entirely accurate lol Sava asking him if he wants to go straight? Jake replying 'Nah, screw that. Let's be bad.'
This leads us into the documentary. Shots of Jake and Sava during it. My god they are sex crazed af. I think that’s why everyone loved watching them though. heh They legit were gonna make a sex tape and got caught LOL I remember being so excited and confused as to what this episode was going to be ha. All I knew was going to be a documentary one and I always have a soft spot for these ones.
We start off with Lucy getting mic’d up. She looks way more nervous this time around. Why you ask? Her person isn’t with her. Her safe space and grounding force is missing. She even asks why she can’t be interviewed with him? They want their POV's to be separate this time. It’s so sweet she misses him and needs his presence to calm her nerves. This makes me so happy I cannot.
We watch her take a deep breathe knowing they have to be apart. They ask how Lucy knew of Jake Butler in the first place? Lucy goes on to explain about Tamara’s car and drugs they found in it. Which led them to Jake. They bring up the fact he and Tim look alike. Tim is already grumpy and hates these damn things. What happens when you remove him away from his sunshine human.
He’s extra grumpy. It shows in his very first shot. His body language screaming how much he doesn’t want to be here. The crossed arms (mmm hello biceps.) Tim defiantly saying how they don’t look the same at all. Refusing to believe they are anything alike. Other than looks Jake is the complete opposite of everything Tim is for sure. He’s so sassy and salty when the director says they’re identical. ‘Says you.’ Oh my love. I adore you.
They come at Lucy with both barrels about being Dim and Juicy for their OP in 'Double Down.' Knowing their ‘pretend’ intimacy was so much more than that. Lucy looks like she’s getting overwhelmed poor thing. She tries to divert it back to what they accomplished with their OP. Not the fact that they were UC together as a couple. The director presses more asking if that’s when her and Tim became intimate?
There’s a reason they pulled Tim from her for these questions. He would’ve knocked this guy out for them being so personal. Also for making her feel uncomfortable asking them. She can’t even look the man in the face when she says this BS line about pretending. Cause it’s utter crap and she knows it. Yeah they were in other relationships at the time. To quote Angela from 5x01 ‘All true. Not what I asked.’
Lucy defending them both. Saying they didn’t get together until they were both single. Which is true and I am eternally grateful for. Do love her making sure everyone knows this. That they didn’t do anything untoward during their OP. Cause they wouldn’t while in relationships. Not who they are. They were damn close but didn't. Why they are the opposite of Jake/Sava. The director says he wants to dial in on that. Lucy becoming agitated asking do we really have to?
These questions clearly getting under her skin. The director noting it’s astronomical they would even meet the both of them. Let alone have both Jake/Sava together and her and Tim as well in a relationship. Before she can answer Tim interrupts says interview is over. She asks what's wrong? He tells her not here.. Lucy thinking it’s linked to questions she’s being asked. I love him holding the door for her as they leave. Ever the gentlemen.
The closeness and height difference is glorious in this shot. You can tell when they’re alone by her body language Lucy goes into calm down Tim mode. Her hand reaching out for his and subtly touching it. Thinking she has to get him to settle down for hearing those questions. Before Lucy can talk Tim explains why he removed her. Has nothing to do with that. He pulled her over because Jake has gone missing. Doesn’t want to do police work in front of the cameras. Saying Nolan and Celia got missing persons call and it’s about Jake. Lucy is shocked saying 'What?'
Nolan and Celina show up and Sava is freaking out cause Jake is missing. The director asks why Jake and Sava are at a mansion in Beverley Hills? We find out they’ve been casing rich families. Taking over jobs like handy man, nanny etc so they can live in these fancy houses and steal their stuff. It’s pretty smart despite being awful LOL This last family needed a handy man. Jake beats the crap out of the current one. Strong arms his way into taking his job.
I do love seeing how tall he is in that camera shot. mmm. Tall drink of water that man. Jeans and a leather jacket? Yum. Gimme. Luckily this family needed a nanny as well. So they both fit right into this scenario. Angela saying Sava slid right in LMAO I’m dying at Wes’s reaction. They’re so cute I can’t stand it. I do love me some Wopez. He tells her that's a really descriptive way to say it HA These documentaries always produce the funniest little moments like this. Why I love these and have a soft spot for them.
We return to Nolan’s and Celina questioning Sava. She is still panicking. Saying this is why she didn't want to call the cops. Nolan noting because they're doing something illegal? She tries to defend their jobs there. That they're "straight" now. John gets her back on track by saying Jake disappeared? We cut to another video slash moment. Sava and her videos ha it is super cute how he looks at the camera. That smile we all love. Jake saying she needs to remind him to erase security footage. My god they’re sex bunnies LMFAO. He gets up to grab another beer and asks if she wants anything? She said lobster salad.
The ass tap he gives her on his way to get another beer. my goodness. I love it. Reeling over here. Don't worry about me. They must’ve had so much fun filming this. I mean Eric mentioned it was one of fav eps of the season. The BTS they did leading up to his showed how much they enjoyed it. Her little dance after he says he’ll get her lobster salad. Haha Sava just living her best life in this moment and it’s showing. Sadly this is the last time Jake is seen alive on camera.
We find out Jake took off and never told Sava where he was going. Which is heartbreaking. Because she clearly loved this man very much. Moral compass or not she loved Jake. That gets them on the topic of lying and secrets in a relationship. They ask her if Tim and her keep secrets? Lucy says nothing big.
That honesty is the most important thing in a relationship. Cutting to Tim and his reply I’m rolling. Eric killing it in this episode with his sarcasm. The king delivers once again. I mean he’s not wrong he is sitting there because of her secret. Well intentioned secret though LOL One born out of love. This one was funnier than the other two I thought. Just lots of funny/punchy bits like this one. I enjoyed it so much.
We return to station. Aaron’s calling in he found a body. That it’s Tim. The expressions in this scene are primo. First off Lucy and Celina's confusion is hysterical. Standing next to him and hearing this when he's very much not. Tim looks so annoyed Aaron couldn’t tell it wasn’t him LOL Also irritated at the thought of being dead. Like he's insulted he would ever be dead in a dumpster haha Oh Tim I love you so much.Like Aaron you’re all looking for Jake and your mind goes to Tim LMAO Never gonna live this down my dude....
Tim grabbing Lucy’s radio off her hip is doing things to me. I also adore the looks when he does. She just allows it only looking down. Such a deep level of comfortability in this action too. Lucy doesn’t react at all. Just used to Tim and his antics. It’s the little glances through out this portion love too. Tim's look into the camera cracking up as well. Like this friggin dope thinking i'm dead... His face the literal version of SMH ha I loved this mini moment so much.
They ask Tim if it was disconcerting he saw a version of himself dead in the dumpster? Being Tim he’s not going to show a documentary crew of all people his vulnerability. That’s reserved for one person and one person only. We shoot back to Lucy who says she has nightmares. God I can only imagine the nightmares seeing that produced for her though. Even though it wasn’t him you know she carried that with her when they left.
I bet you she had nightmares that night and Tim had to soothe her. Damn that would be good fic... LOL Anyways they ask Lucy if she thinks Tim has nightmares? Lucy tells them no but he’s been doing the job longer. I love her defending his high walls though. Saying why they’re in place. Not wanting them to judge him for it. Refusing to let anyone cast a negative light on him.
The director asks if she’s jealous he can turn it off like that? Lucy’s answer is great because it’s very her. Telling them No. Personally she needs to feel for people it’s who she is. I totally get that I am a massive empath. It’s how I connect with people as well. It has it's downsides it’s true but worth it in the end. When they ask her bout his walls being an issue? I LOVE her smile. Because those walls have never really been an issue. A challenge for Lucy yes in slowly breaking his down over the years. But never an obstacle for them.
We all know she saw behind his walls very early on in their relationship. Saw the man hiding behind that wall. Tim has been a soft marshmallow for her for YEARS. Legit years. Why she has zero hesitation in her reply. He was soft for her long before they got together. It’s just now he allows himself to fully be this way openly and he’s ok with it. Well when they’re alone he is. Of course he’s going to be rough and grumpy with the crew. They’re not his person. Nor would he ever tell them he was soft for her.
That's not Tim Bradford at all. But his actions speak louder than his words ever could. You have to earn that out of him though. Lucy earned it million times over. Why she is the only one who gets to see it. Does crack me up the way the director says. ‘No sir....’ After Tim asks him if he looks like a big softy? You know Tim loved instilling that fear in him. He may be super gone for his wife. But he’ll be damned if he doesn’t command fear and respect around everyone else. These two the epitome of Grumpy x Sunshine per usual. Tim is hard ass unless you’ve made past his wall. He loves Lucy most so she gets all the soft goodies haha
Sava shows the director a video she’s scared to share with the team after being questioned. Thinking they’re gonna use it against her. It’s a video of them driving around being all cute. Saying I love you to the camera and such. But then get run off the road in an attempt to kill them. Their car gets totaled and Jake has them bail completely. Car and everything they leave behind. They were able to locate the car for evidence after they see this.
They couldn’t get anything from the car scrapings unfortunately. Had the most common paint out there. So another layer was added to this mystery. Who was the driver? Sava then gets a text threatening her about an item she had no idea about. One that needed to be delivered. It was sent to her and Jake. The texts went on to be violent in nature toward Sava. So it was time for Lucy to go UC to figure this out. Meet up with this person threatening her.
Thanks to Lucy’s UC Op the SL finally has some answers. The guy contacting them was related to Jake they were cousins. He was into some shady stuff and was an international arms dealer. This where I really feel bad for Sava. She had no idea about these back ally dealings he was doing. Not only that but he was cutting her out of the deal on top of it. That Jake targeted this family for a specific reason and she had no idea. Makes me sad when she says she thought he loved her oof.
That she knew him. Pretty sad. We find out later through Sava. That Jake always had a burner phone. They were able to get that number through this whole thing with the shady cousin. It’s where we find out Jake was cheating on Sava. Again….Lucy calling him the Shakespeare of sexting LOL They ask her if she’ll read some of them? It’s adorable how flustered she gets. Saying she can’t her Nana would be watching this. HA
The director does the dumbest thing he could do. Asking Tim if he would read some? Like did you really think that was gonna happen bud? Like really? His reply of if Lucy wasn’t gonna he sure as hell wasn’t going to. Telling him to take that away from him. Have you not paid attention at all in these documentaries? Why would they think asking was a good idea? LMFAO Mess with the bull gonna get the horns people.
We find out the person Jake was cheating on Sava with was Lisa. Her best friend…Like damn it’s bad enough to cheat but with her best friend? God…As douchey as it gets on his part. Jake breaks up with her via text but Lisa can’t handle the fact he was choosing Sava. It’s when everything comes together. We find out she tried to run them off the road and kill them. When that failed she asks for Jake’s forgiveness. Wanting to meet up. When he showed up she killed him immediately and dumped his body. Shit….That's a seriously scorned women right there.
This next portion is the definition Grumpy x Sunshine. They ultimately decide not to charge Sava with anything. The director asking what Lucy thinks of this? She of course gives the softest, most empathetic, and hopeful answer. Because it’s Lucy Chen. She exudes all that in her decision making. It is her super power after all. Naturally her answer was geared towards a second chance. Thinking maybe this will put Sava on the right path.
We cut to Tim saying ‘Of course she said that.’ He knows his girl so well. What’s so great here is his expression as he says it. That smile of his when he says that line. We all know one of the reasons he fell for her is that sunshine. That empathy and her seeing the best in people. She charmed her way into his heart with it. He truly does admire her for it. You can see the fond affection his face and tone when he says this.
He may not agree with her but he loves that about her. The man loves her so much even when he’s being sassy it comes off as affectionate. It's the first time we see him smile this episode. Why? He’s talking about Lucy. She brings it out in him. She melts him even without even being present. Just the thought of her and he lights up. Her compassion is one of his fav things about her. Gah they cute.
They finally get to to be interviewed together. It’s the best part of the episode. Director not wasting any time with his first question. Asking them if they’re worried cause their doppelgänger relationship was so dysfunctional? Lucy once again seeing the best in them. Telling him it was an unfair characterization of them. That Jake cheated not only that but cut her out of a gun deal after that. Not healthy in the least but to her not dysfunctional.
I adore how riled up Tim is with his questions. Protective Tim has entered this conversation. Getting very agitated with what he’s implying. Look at how Lucy looks at Tim as he goes off on his rant. She loves this man sitting next to her. Grumpy rants and all. The amount of affection on her face as he continues his tangent. She could watch him go off all day. My heart. The director saying he thinks it's reasonable question. Tim doesn't agree and tells him off. Saying they’re working too hard. Ha I love him.
Tim continues on (very passionately might I add) about separating their relationship from Jake/Sava’s. Want's to make it VERY clear they are nothing like those two. That the only thing they share is looks. He is so offended he would even compare the two. I mean it’s true. They’re not on the same planet as Tim and Lucy. Lucy continues to look at her man with serious heart eyes. Her smile giving me all the feels.
She is loving his fierce defense of them as a couple. Saying Jake/Sava based their lives on deceit. Of course it infected their relationship. He’s not wrong…This next bit gets me all in my feels. The way he looks over at Lucy. A real genuine smile just for her. Look at his smile. I'm a puddle. He is the absolute softest for her. *heart clutch*
Saying they’re in a very different place. His passionate defense is of them is sexy if you ask me. Also look how different he is with her by his side. Sharing more than he's been doing in his previous interviews. Being a little vulnerable cause she’s there with him. More than he has the entire episode. I cannot. This makes my heart so happy.
The look on Lucy’s face when they ask what place they’re in? She is also ready to throw down with them. Incensed they would even ask that. Her reply is perfection. Saying ‘If you don’t know, then you haven’t been paying attention.’ I remember thinking this was a shot at anyone complaining this season. (and I LOVED it) Which blew my mind btw whenever I saw it. Cause if you could be negative in a season this good what makes you happy? I remember unfollowing some people cause I didn't want their tainted vision in my feed. If you could look at their relationship and not see the beautiful progression you weren't watching the same season as me.
To not see what they’ve built to this point in the season. You are like Lucy said clearly not paying attention. I remember seeing some posts about not enough PDA, kisses or intimacy. (there was lots of intimacy btw just not straight up making out) You’re missing the point of the realistic healthy adult relationship that's being portrayed. They're not teenagers who will be angsty over nothing. These are people in a stage of their life where that nonsense isn't going to happen. Any angst they've had has been productive. If you came out of this episode thinking they needed to be more like Jake/Sava you missed the point entirely. Of this season really. They are not them.
The beauty of Lucy and Tim is in the small tender moments. The little things that add up to so much. Yes I love kisses and such don't get me wrong. God I love them. Will lose my mind over any in S6 no doubt. But there is so much more to a relationship than just that. The emotional intimacy and how they’ve grown together since 5x10 is unreal. The massive shift in Tim alone is enough to tell you how well written they are. What a healthy adult relationship looks like. Had their bumps along the way but what couples doesn’t? I just loved that line from Lucy. S5 is a game changer in the best way for them. If you can’t see it or how they've both grown together you clearly haven’t been paying attention. That line was amazing and I loved her saying as such.
The director takes shot at what place they're in. Coming up with some buzz words. As generic as he could possibly be. Lucy calls him out for it. Because it no where near describes what these two have. Tim is simmering as this guy continues to try and rile them up. I adore him ready to go off and Lucy immediately calms him with a single touch. That’s all takes for him to go from raging bull to heart eye Tim in an instant for her.
Tim was ready to thrown the hell down. I love protective Tim. Lucy taking the wheel in this moment is everything. Her touch basically saying she's got this. Looking directly at her man when she says this next line above. Also don’t think I didn’t see your eyes move to his lips madam. I do adore how she is looking at him. Exuding every ounce of love in her body for him as she speaks. They’re so in love make my heart hurt in the best way. Her eyes so full of warmth and affection for the man sitting next to her. They really are in a beautiful place. Making my shipper heart so very happy.
Tim’s sweet smiles as she rubs her thumb up and down his wrist in a soothing manner. I love it so very much. Never be over how she make's sure to keep eye contact as she calms him down. Tim also doesn't break his eye contact with her as she does this. They're killing me with all the shipper feels in this moment.
Let’s not forget her necklace on full display here. In this beautiful moment. Happy looks so damn good on them everyone. Another thing I love so much is how Tim lets her take over. He was ready to shut this down. Kick them out. She places her hand on his arm and he’s at peace. Lets her direct them from here on out. Only Lucy has the power to soothe him this quickly and effectively.
She’s calmed Tim down enough to have him rejoin the convo. Saying as police officer your future is never certain. Lucy adding on anything can happen at any time. Tim rolling it into kicking them out is amazing. Telling them straight up they’ve overstayed their welcome at this point. I mean they really have LOL Cracks me up how she turns her head towards him. Not really shocked but realizing he's over this now. Her smile is the best.
I love him pointing his finger. The shots at his relationship with Lucy were his breaking point. That is the most precious thing in world to him. Something so sacred. Why Lucy had to stop him from eating them lol Lucy’s reaction is the best. She loves this insane man sitting next to her so much. Her pushing his arm down like 'Ok babe that’s enough.' lmao. Such a wifey move to do that but also she knows Tim is at his limit. Tells them it's time to go now....
I love them instantly going into couple time mode once it's over. Lucy asking if he wants sushi? Tim saying how it’s perfect. Then looks back at them glaringly. Saying this place better be spotless when they get back. I love her escorting him out of the apt. Hand on his back directing him towards the front door before he pops off more. Such a married move. God damn I love them so much everyone. Fantastic ep from start to finish. ❤️
~~~~
Side notes-non chenford
Grey’s picture and how happy it makes him I love it so much. It’s so cute I can’t stand it.
He was so distraught when it was destroyed lol They replace it and it’s so sweet hilarious adorable thing for Grey.
Thank you to all my readers you make my entire day when you like, comment and reblog. Tis been a joy for me. See you all in 5x19 :)
#Caitlin Rewatches The Rookie#chenford#chenford hiatus#waiting on s6#winter rewatch#S5#5x18 Double Trouble#the rookie 5x18#otp: doing my job#otp: you know me so well. too well.#otp: some things matter more#otp: you did good#otp: you're nothing like him#otp: just doesn't feel like pretend#otp: unless it is#tim x lucy#tim bradford#lucy chen#lucy x tim#eric winter#melissa o'neil#the rookie#tim bradford x lucy chen
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Hyperfocus:Ribs
NGL, this was long overdue but I have been busy as of late ^w^
I'm just sitting down, reading, a relatively often occurence. I look up as they come in, and a smile lights up my face. I wave them over, setting the book down and hugging them, then moving over on the bed so they can lay next to me, they themselves getting a novel. Life can be so chaotic, fun but wild at times. It makes these times with them, just quietly being together, enjoying each others presence, all the more precious. Of course, them being them, the silence wouldn't be forever. I feel a poke in my side, and look up, only to see them reading. Hmm. I slowly look down, and 3 minutes later, another poke. I whip my head up, and see them looking at the book, a barely contained silly smile on their face. Aha. I roll my eyes playfully, then pretend to look back down. As soon as they slowly reach out to poke my sides again, I grab their wrist, turning, straddling their wasit, and using my forearm to hold both arms above their head, on the pillows. I smirk as they struggle to pull free, but don't, and touch foreheads with them softly, whispering "New Story. This one is about the Little Lee who liked to poke the bear...The Lee with Ticklish Ribs~". My insinuation is noticed, I can tell by the small look of lee panic in their eyes. I smirk, and simply rest one hand on the left side of their ribcage, before drawling out "Now...let's see how many toys we have to play with, hmm?~". I roll their shirt up, before resting two fingers on an individual rib, "counting" it, by vibrating both fingers on the rib and moving on to the next rib as they squirm around under me. "1......2......3...4.....5....6....Dang it! You're so Squirmy! I lost count of which one I was on...guess we gotta start allllll Over!~ Try to be still this time, Darling. 1.....2....3.....4...5...6...7...8..........Ah heck, I got lost in your eyes about that. Dang. What number was I on? An 'EEHEHEHEHEIHIGHT' ? What is that? Guess we'll just restart again~". I "lose count" 3 more times, and get it right on the 6th try, then I stop, locking eyes with you, and growl out happily, my voice deepening. "I'm gonna do it again. Not because I lost count. Because I can tell you're loving this, and that's just so cute I wanna keep going forever, Sweetheart~". The Flustered Expression on their face tells me I hit the money on my Analysis of their feelings about this whole event. Good. I count the ribs one more time, Painstakingly Slowly, and then finally, I stop counting, and get up.
Oh but I'm not done.
Not by a long shot.
Instead, I tell you to wait, leaving the room for just a second before coming back with a couple of paintbrushes, and paint that's safe for their skin. I giggle evilly, then climb back on the bed, drawling out "Here's the deal, cutie. You have to keep your hands above your head, whether gripping each other, or on the bedframe, while I paint. If you can't, I'll pin you again~". I tilt my head, smiling as they lock their arms over their head, then go over, and straddle them once more, beginning to paint. I'm thorough, using a smaller brush to get in between each rib. My concentration is pure, but not enough to not notice how hard they're trying to keep still for me, which I note on: "Awwwww, you're doing such a good job Baby!~ Being nice and still for me...guess you still like this, huh?~". I wink at them, both of us knowing full well that you loving it was the entire reason I do this. After about 3-5 minutes I finish painting, then raise a washrag, giggling as I begin to scrub the paint off, wiggling my fingers through the rag, and watching them stop holding their arms above their head, cooing "Calm down baby we've gotta get you clean!~". When done, I grin at them then say slowly, softly "There we go...clean enough to eat~". I chuckle when I see their eyes widen, and before they can stop me, I start nomming their ribs gently. I do this for 2 minutes, then, scrub them off AGAIN, and finally, pull you into a hug, stroking their back gently. After a while, we get back to reading, and it's like nothing happened.
Except for the blush on their face.
And the warm smile on mine.
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