#and yesterday and the day before I wrote one sentence each

[streetlight11]

The Boy Next Door

Summary: Being friends with a regular customer is great. But finding out that their cute friend turns out to live right next door to you? Sounds like fate to me...

Theme: neighbours au, strangers to lovers

Genre: fluffy

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, drunk people, clubbing, an elderly falling down but no major injury or death

W/C: 7k

Pairing: Kim Seungmin x Fem!Reader

a/n: Hihi! I got bored and wrote this with no particular reason. Just saw him on my phone screen one day and felt like writing a fic about him 😅 This wasn't proof read so my apologies if there's any mistakes in my writing. Hope you enjoy! ✨

Today was another day at work as it was a Thursday afternoon. You were just making the coffee orders when your manager said she was going to bank in yesterday’s profits. She would probably take about 2 hours before she comes back so you would be left alone to mend the cafe. She’s done this multiple times because she trusts you and that she knows you are well capable of running the cafe alone.

Although that sounds horrible on your end, you did feel glad that you are indeed able to make all the drinks and foods on your own after working here for almost 4 years. After you had just finished making the order, you pressed the buzzer number. Once the girl had taken her drink and returned the buzzer to you, you went over to the cashier only to see a familiar face.

“Hey… You’re early today?” You asked as Chris smiled at you. Chris is a regular customer here at the cafe you worked at for a few months now and he even became friends with you and your co-worker.

“Hey, yeah. My friends and I wanted to sit somewhere and discuss our next song. Are you alone?”

“Yeah. My manager went to the bank so I’m assuming she won’t be back for quite a while.” You shrugged as he passed you his phone with a whole list of orders. You began to key in the orders while he continued to talk to you.

“Does she do that often? Leave you to mend the cafe alone?"

“Sometimes, yeah.” You sighed.

“But that’s staff abuse, isn’t it?” Chris looked genuinely concerned for you.

“If you think about it, yeah.”

“Aren’t you gonna do anything about it?”

“No? Must I remind you that I need this job?” You chuckled softly and he sighed.

“You can search for other places, Y/N.”

“I know but… I’ve grown to like it here. Minus my manager of course.” You said with a sad frown on your face and he sighed yet again.

“It’s just that… I think you should reconsider changing-” Chris was about to finish his sentence when a guy with dirty blonde hair came over to cut him off.

“Hyung, can I add something to our order?” He asked as you looked back and forth between them.

“Yeah, of course. What do you wanna add?” The guy glances over to you briefly before he whispers into Chris’ ear with his hand covering it and you stifle a laugh. Then, Chris cracks a smile and relays the message to you.

“Can you add one chocolate muffin please?”

“That’ll be an additional $5 charge to the final bill.” You teased, only for the guy to look surprised.

“Just kidding.” You giggled, hearing Chris chuckle while his friend relaxed a little.

“O-Oh…” He whispered quietly to himself.

“He’s cute…” You thought to yourself.

Just then, another guy rushes over to make a change to the order.

“Hi, sorry but can you change the Ice Blended Hazelnut Latte to Iced Mocha? Thank you!” The purple haired guy with adorable cheeks and muscular arms directed his words to you and this made you smile.

“Hi. And sure.” You said, making the change before looking back up to ask, “Any last changes before we proceed to make payment?”

The 3 of them looked at each other before Chris shook his head to you.

“Great.” You smiled at all of them and told Chris the total price. Once he was done paying, you gave the buzzer and receipt to Chris before they went back to their tables. You prepared their drinks while humming to the song on your playlist that was playing through the speakers in the cafe. Meanwhile, Seungmin kept glancing over behind the counter where you were by the espresso machine making the drinks.

Chan noticed this since he was sitting opposite Seungmin so he smiled as he nudged Seungmin’s arm and nodded his head towards you.

“What’s wrong, Seungmo?”

“H-Huh? Nothing, hyung. Was wondering if I should get some pastries to go.” Seungmin made up an excuse as he pretends to listen to the conversation. However, a couple of minutes later, Chan caught him looking over at you again. Suddenly, their buzzer began to buzz indicating that their orders were ready for collection. Changbin was about to stand when Chan stopped him.

“Hey Seungmin? Maybe you should go.” Chan said as the rest began to pick up the situation.

Minho then poked Seungmin’s side to tease him.

“Yeah, go talk to your new crush while you’re at it.” Minho said. Seungmin hissed at him but got up nonetheless. You were just wiping the collection counter when Seungmin came up to you.

“Uh… Here you go. Thanks.” Seungmin said as you smiled at him and took the buzzer from him. The only thing is, there’s two trays for them but only one person to carry. So you decided to offer some help.

“I’ll help you with this tray.” You said as he opened his mouth to say something but you were already leaving the back counter with their second tray. Both of you made your way to the table as Seungmin began to distribute the drinks while Chris helped with the ones on your tray. Once all the drinks and dessert had been placed on the table, you tapped Seungmin’s arm softly to get his attention.

“I can take the tray.” You said and he passed it to you.

“Um, thank you.” Seungmin gave you a small smile which you couldn’t help but return.

“No worries. Enjoy your drinks.” You politely said before you walked off.

The minute Seungmin sits down, Hyunjin and Changbin began to tease him in a good way. Seungmin could only brush them off and occasionally threaten them to shut up and it worked. They stayed at the cafe for about two hours or so, discussing their new song.

You were busy the entire two hours with the cleaning and making orders but it was still manageable.

About 10 minutes ago, your manager came back when there was a queue at the cashier. She didn’t bother to help as she went directly into the back room to do god knows what. You handled the orders as best as you could without her help. Not like she’s ever been much help all these while anyways. Not too long after, your co-workers who were working the evening shift just came and they both quickly put their bags down on top of the fridge and helped to make the drinks before they could even take their aprons.

After all the orders were completed and the last customer had taken her drink, only then did they let out a sigh and talked to you.

“Where’s Manager-nim?” Jimin asked, looking around.

“In the back room. She went to the bank 2 hours ago and she just came back like 15 minutes before you guys arrived?” You explained and they scoffed.

“She’s a nightmare. I don’t understand how she’s even a manager.” Jungkook said with a disgusted face and you laughed.

“Well, while you’re both taking your aprons, you can go say hi to her.” You teased them, only for Jungkook to pinch your side and you squeaked.

Another 30 minutes passed, your shift had just ended. Your manager had already left work unusually early, not like you guys cared anyway. You went to the back to change out of your uniform and wore the clothes you did when you came to work this morning. After you’ve kept your uniform in your bag, you leave the back room to say bye to your colleagues. Jimin was making his iced tea while Jungkook was just leaning against the counter and talking to Jimin.

You walked over to steal a bite of Jungkook’s apple pie and he scoffed at you.

“Excuse me, Missy? Go get your own pie.” Jungkook said with a growing smile on his face.

“Nah. I love stealing yours.” He laughed as Jimin poured the tea into the cup filled with ice cubes.

“You’re working tomorrow right?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah, morning shift again.”

“Are you doing anything at night?”

“Hmm, I don’t have any plans if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Jungkook and I are planning to go to the club tomorrow night. Wanna come?”

“Why should I? You’re both just gonna get drunk and go hook up with someone halfway through, leaving me all alone.”

“Nah. I don’t do hookups anymore. I’ve changed.” Jungkook says proudly but you could only giggle.

“Yeah right.” You said as Jungkook rolled his eyes jokingly to you.

“Fine. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” You said before turning to leave, not forgetting to wave goodbye to them. As you were leaving the back counter, Chris and his friends were leaving the cafe as well.

“Oh Y/N. You’re leaving too?” Chris asked.

“Yeap.” You smiled at him, only for your eyes to naturally glide over to the blonde guy from earlier who was just behind Chris.

“So I’m guessing you’re heading home right now?” Chris asked, making you nod.

“Yeah. Gotta feed my parrot.”

“You have a parrot?” Seungmin asks curiously and you nod.

“Mhm! I’ve had him for 3 years now.”

“Oh, that’s nice. What’s the breed?”

“He’s an Indian Ringneck parrot.” You said as you showed them your phone wallpaper which was a picture of your parrot.

“Oh, he’s so cute!” Chris squeaked.

“Does he have a name?” Seungmin asked.

“His name is Zico! You guys should meet him one day.” You naturally blurt out this suggestion which kind of surprises him a little. Chris, not so much since he’s known you a little longer than Seungmin did.

“That would be nice. Maybe one day.” Chris smiled at you. Just then, you turned to Seungmin who had a soft smile on his face.

“I’d love to meet your parrot some day.” He said softly which made you smile. You then bid them goodbye since you would be parting ways now. You didn’t forget to say goodbye directly to Seungmin before you left and this woke the butterflies in his stomach.

The following day after work, you went home and suddenly remembered the proposal Jimin had offered you yesterday. It would be nice to just relax and cuddle up on your sofa alone at home, watching your favourite movies. However, going out to spend the night with two of your close buddies from work also sounds nice. Therefore, you decided to go ahead with the plan. You told them you’ll meet them there and so they got excited. You picked out your outfit which was a simple black sleeveless dress with strings to hold the back material together.

You paired it with a simple 3 inch heel so your feet don't hurt. When you made it to the club, you struggled to find your friends at first. But when you did, you caught them chilling at the bar. So you slinged your arms over the outer shoulders so that you would be in between them.

“Hi, handsome. Ready to party?” You asked and they smirked. Jungkook openly checks you out as he winked at you playfully.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Jimin said and you cheered. For the next 40 minutes, you drank a whole glass of Daiquiri and were now dancing on the dancefloor with them both. Jimin was standing in front of you while Jungkook was behind you.

They were your human shields from other drunk people who prey on drunk girls in the club. You held both Jimin’s hands as you danced with him to the song. Meanwhile, Jungkook was just moving to the beat behind you when suddenly, the song changed into a romantic but slightly slower beat. Jimin let go of your hands while he slowly got immersed in the song. You were just closing your eyes, allowing your body to move with the rhythm of the song when you felt a pair of hands sliding onto your waist and over your stomach.

You glance down to see Jungkook’s full right sleeve tattooed arm wrapping around your body while he pulls you into a back hug. He pressed his cheek against the side of your head only to say something in your ear.

“Whoever you date next, will be the luckiest guy on this earth.” You smiled as you pulled away only to find him smiling at you. He danced with you for a bit before the song changed again. After another hour or so, all 3 of you decided to go home and call it a night. Jungkook made sure to send you back home to your doorstep which you appreciated so much.

He unlocked your apartment door for you and brought you inside, removing your heels by the door and led you to your bedroom. Jungkook made sure to tuck you in before he wished you goodnight softly and made his way out of your apartment. He had just locked your front door just before he slammed your door shut and twisted the knob to make sure it was really locked when he turned around to find a guy walking past him. The guy flashed him a small smile and Jungkook did the same. Jungkook strolls slowly back to the lift lobby, stumbling a bit in his walk but was quick to recover.

Seungmin watched him walk to the lift lobby as he then glanced over at your door, not knowing that you lived there. Nevertheless, Seungmin enters his apartment which is right next to yours.

A week had passed and it was a Sunday afternoon. You were going to run some errands so you prepared to leave. You had just opened your door to leave when Chris shocked you.

“Y/N?! You live here?” Chris asked.

“Apparently…” You laughed as the rest of his friends were behind him only to walk around him while exchanging their hellos with you.

“What are you doing here?” You asked as you locked your door.

“We were going to just hang out at Seungmin’s place today.” Upon hearing that name, you turned around confused.

“Seungmin?”

As soon as you said his name, the door next to you opened and Seungmin peeked his head out from the doorway. He was surprised to see you but still greeted you nonetheless.

“Y-You… Hi?”

“Uh, hey!” You said with a smile on your face.

“She lives here, Seungmo. Didn’t you know?” Chris asked, only for him to shake his head.

“We’ve never bumped into each other before, hyung.”

“Really?! That’s so weird.” Chris said but then Felix joins in.

“Well, it seems like it’s fate.” Felix giggled as he rushed into his friend’s apartment while Seungmin was left standing there awkwardly blushing. You couldn’t help but giggle at how cute he looked.

“Since you guys live right next to each other, you guys can hang out more often.” Chris wiggles his eyebrows at you and Seungmin cheekily.

“Yeah. That would be nice.” You said while Seungmin glared at his friend.

“Okay then. I shall leave you guys to it. See you around Seungmin… And I’ll see you at the cafe, Chris.” You laughed as he did the same but nodded to your words. They briefly watched you leave before Seungmin grabbed Chan by his arm and forced him into his apartment.

“What are you doing, hyung?! Are you crazy?” Seungmin grumbles while Chan removes his shoes to join the others in the living room.

“Relax Seungmin, I’m doing you a favour.”

“What favour is there to do if she already has a boyfriend?” Seungmin asked and the rest of them went silent.

“Boyfriend? What are you talking about?” Chan asked, slightly confused. Seungmin sighed, feeling a little hesitant to tell them but he did anyway.

“Last weekend, when I was about to reach my apartment, I caught that guy who works with her leaving her apartment. He looked a little tipsy when he left too.” Seungmin sighed as he plops down next to Jeongin.

“Which guy?” Chan asks since he knows a lot about you at this point.

“He’s the one with the full sleeve tattoo on his right arm.” Immediately, Chan lets out a relieved sigh.

“Oh, Jungkookie… They’re just friends. He’s quite touchy with almost everyone he’s close with. But Y/N once told me that Jungkook and her are just very close friends, nothing more. So don’t worry. He’s not her boyfriend. You’re still safe to continue.” Chan encouraged Seungmin while the others did the same as well.

“W-What if you’re wrong? What if they decided to date each other now? What if she’s not telling you the truth? What if-” Seungmin was about to go on about his questions when Hyunjin stopped him.

“Kim Seungmin… Just ask her out. You can’t just assume things without getting a proper answer. Ask her out and see what she says. If she rejects you then maybe she is dating someone. If she accepts then hey? That’s one step closer for you.”

“Yeah, Seungmin ah. Just go for it. You wouldn’t know if you haven’t tried.” Jisung said as Seungmin let out a soft sigh, knowing his friends were right. He was afraid of getting rejected but at least he’ll get his answer on whether you’re single or unavailable. Then from there he could decide whether to go on or not.

A couple of days later, you were working as usual when you saw Seungmin enter the cafe alone. You didn’t expect to see him here because normally, it would be Chris who walks into the cafe at this hour. Nonetheless, when he meets your eyes, you flash him a warm smile.

“Hi.” You greeted softly and he grins at you adorably.

“H-Hi.”

“What can I get for you today?” You asked as he glanced over at the fridge to point at one of the cakes before looking back at you.

“I’ll have a cheesecake and one iced vanilla latte to go, please? Thank you.” Seungmin said and you keyed in his order.

“Anything else?”

He shook his head and you proceeded with the payment. After he had paid for his order, you gave him the receipt and he went over to wait by the collection counter. While you were preparing his order, Seungmin couldn’t hide his nervousness so he texted Chan.

Seungmin [sent at 2:13 pm]: I can’t do it

Chanie Hyung [read at 2:13 pm]: What?!

Chanie Hyung [read at 2:13 pm]: Don’t you dare back out now, Kim Seungmin >:(

Seungmin [sent at 2:14 pm]: What if she says no?

Chanie Hyung [read at 2:14 pm]: You haven’t even tried asking, how would you know she’ll say no?

Seungmin [sent at 2:15 pm]: Shit, she’s almost done. Hyung I can’t do it…

Chanie Hyung [read at 2:16 pm]: Seungmo, you’re gonna regret not asking her out afterwards… Trust me. There’s no harm in asking…

As Seungmin tries to process Chan’s last message, you gently call his name to get his attention. You slide the bag which has his drink and the cake in a small box towards him with a smile.

“Thanks for coming. Have a good weekend.” You said to him.

Seungmin simply flashed you a small shy smile before he thanked you and took the bag from you. Seungmin was about to open his mouth but then he saw Jungkook leaving the back room while tying his apron string around his back. With that being said, Seungmin left without a second thought and this somehow disappoints you a little. After he left in a rush, Jungkook pokes your side and questions.

“Who was that? Your friend?” Jungkook asked casually as he removed the portafilter from the coffee machine and gently slammed it upside down by the handle to remove the used ground coffee into the bin.

“He’s Chris’ friend actually and apparently my neighbour too.” You chuckled while he wiped the filter with a towel to clean the leftover coffee grounds.

“Oh right. He lives right next to you. I think I bumped into him that night when I sent you home after we went to the club with Jimin hyung.”

“You did?” Your voice was soft now as he nodded.

“He probably thinks I’m your boyfriend or date.”

“Well, if you saw a random guy leaving your crush’s place and is slightly tipsy, you would assume they at least hooked up.”

“Fair point. But hey, I can tell him we aren’t a thing if he ever swings by again. He probably has a crush on you.” Jungkook teased with a cheeky smirk on his face. You could say something but you didn’t wanna sound like a fool so you opted to continue with your work. You were currently seated on the floor in front of the bottom fridge, keeping the new stock of milk cartons when Jungkook’s voice catches your attention.

“Hey Cinderella, someone’s looking for you.” Jungkook said from the coffee machine with a smirk and this terrifies you. So you closed the fridge and stood up, only to be met with Seungmin.

“Hey? Did I make a mistake with your order?” You asked, only for him to shake his head.

“A-Actually, no. I um… I came back cause I wanted to… Well, I was wondering if you were free later tonight. I-It’s okay if you’re not. You don’t have to say yes.” Seungmin stuttered and from his shaky voice, you could tell he was nervous. But his simple courage to even come back and ask you this was really admirable.

“Yeah. I’m free tonight. I end at 5.” You said and he seemed shocked.

“Oh.” He paused as if to process your answer.

“Uh… Great? I’ll knock on your door at 8?” He continued from where he left off.

“Sure.” You smiled.

Finally, his lips curled up into a smile that leaves your heart fluttering.

“Alright then… See you later.” He said as you bid him goodbye. After he left, Jungkook squeaked whilst turning off the steaming wand.

“Finally! You scored a date!” Jungkook said happily as you laughed.

“Shut up, silly.” You said before going back to what you were doing previously.

Hours later, you were getting nervous for your date. You tried to pull up a nice outfit to wear instead of your usual jeans and hoodie. It took you almost an hour to decide on what to wear. In which you finally chose a black denim mid thigh skirt, a white long sleeve fitting top and a pair of white sneakers to finish off your look. This wasn’t your usual outfit so you think it was somewhat decent. When the clock strikes 8 o’clock, your door receives a few knocks and this triggers your nervous heart. Nevertheless, you went to the door and opened it, only to find Seungmin standing there looking twice as handsome as he normally does.

He wore a black shirt, a varsity jacket, a pair of jeans and a pair of sneakers. His hair was blonde and long enough to fall past his eyes. The minute you opened the door, Seungmin couldn’t help but give you one quick glance from head to toe before meeting your eyes again shyly.

“Hi… Y-You look really nice.” He said, making you blush.

“Thanks. I could say the same for you too.” You said and this time, it was his turn to blush.

“Shall we go?”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Seungmin said and this sparked your curiosity. You locked your door and soon left with him. He brought you to his car as he drove off without telling you the destination. In the car, you bonded with him and got to know more about each other. Everything was going smoothly so far and you were so happy. He brought you to a Korean BBQ restaurant and you were excited for the beef.

Dinner went well as you found yourself being comfortable around him. He was very gentle and calm around you, making you relax and not have to pretend to like being with him. After dinner, he drove you to a lookout point where you both sat on the hood of his car, admiring the stars in the night sky while you talked to him more. Though you never really opened up to him completely about your private life, he never forced it out of you also.

Simply out of respect since you two were only just starting to get to know each other anyway. About an hour or so, both of you decided to call it a night. When you made it outside your door, he made sure to thank you for tonight.

“Thank you for agreeing to hang out with me tonight. I really enjoyed it.” He says.

“No worries. I really like it too… And I don’t mind doing this again.” You gave him the hint which thankfully, he caught.

“Really?” He asked and so you nod.

“Then in that case… Do you have any plans next Saturday?” You asked.

“Hmm, that depends… Do you wanna schedule a plan for us next week?”

“I’d love to.”

“Great. I’ll see you next week then. Does 2pm sound good to you?” He asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Alright then. I’ll see you next week at 2pm. Goodnight Y/N.” He smiles.

“Goodnight Seungmin.” You smiled, turning to unlock your door and enter your apartment. He internally cheers for himself before heading into his apartment. He made sure to update his friends about his date and also the upcoming one. Only for his friends to freak out and encourage him to keep pushing forward.

For the next few weeks, you’ve been on a couple of dates with Seungmin but neither one of you have actually gone past the simple hand holding and slight cuddles. No one has been brave enough to kiss the other. The feelings were mutual and they were there. However, kissing the other person was just too nerve wracking to think about, let alone do it. Today was going to be your 8th date with Seungmin and you planned to somehow kiss him. Maybe just a peck at least. You had planned it all in your head, playing out the scenario to see if it would turn out okay or weird.

It’s been about 2 hours into your date where you were just chilling on his sofa when you received a phone call from your mum. So you picked it up instantly without a doubt.

“Hi mum!” You said cheerily into the call but all you heard was your mum’s frantic voice.

“Y/N. Come home quick. Grandma just fell in the toilet and we’re heading to the hospital now. She’s not in good shape…”

“What? O-Okay! I’ll come now.” You said as you had a tear roll down your cheek and he saw.

“Y/N? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” Seungmin asked and you quickly got up to leave but he stopped you.

“Hey? Is everything okay?” Seungmin asked as he gently held your wrist and caressed it with his thumb.

“Y-Yeah. I’m so sorry but we have to postpone the date. I’m really sorry, Seungmin.”

“No, no, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologise. But, you sound like you’re heading somewhere. Do you need a ride?”

“I-I… I can get an uber. I don’t wanna trouble you.”

“No, please. I insist.” He said kindly and you were hesitant.

“But it’s a 2 hour drive from here…” You said and he smiled.

“At least you won’t be alone on your way there.” Seungmin said and your heart instantly melts for him.

“A-Are you sure?” You asked just to double confirm since you weren’t forcing him to take you to your destination.

“Absolutely. Come on. Go grab whatever you need and we’ll head out.” Seungmin says and you couldn’t help but lunge yourself onto him. You wrapped your arms around his waist as you buried your head in his chest.

“Thank you so much…” You whispered and he heard you. So he gently wrapped his arms around your shoulders to hold you for a bit before letting you go.

“Don’t mention it.” Seungmin smiles down at you as you both leave his apartment.

You went back to yours to quickly grab your belongings and soon left after locking your apartment door. Half an hour into the drive, neither of you were talking while the music played softly in the background. You have been texting your mum for the past few minutes to get an update on your grandma. Which he gave you the privacy to do so. When suddenly, you spoke up and Seungmin glanced at you briefly before he focused his eyes back on the road.

“My grandma fell down earlier and my parents are rushing her to the hospital…” Your voice was soft.

“I’m so sorry… Did they make it to the hospital?”

“Yeah. She’s in the A&E now, with the doctors.” You stared at your phone, unable to hide your emotions. Seungmin gently reaches over to scoop one of your hands. He tangles his fingers with yours while he rubs soft circles into the back of your hand with his thumbs.

“She’ll be okay.” Seungmin said, looking at you briefly only to catch a growing small smile on your face despite the tears in your eyes.

“I hope so.” You whispered and he turned back to the road. Through the entire drive, you held his hand in yours on your lap for comfort. The drive was surprisingly faster than you thought but thankful to have made it to the hospital safely. You rushed into the building after texting your mum for updates. When you make it to the ward, Seungmin trails behind you as you open the isolation ward door to find your parents on either side of the bed while your grandma lays there with a hip brace.

“Grandma!” You called as you rushed over to them. You cried upon seeing her there with a weak smile on her face.

“Hi my dear. How are you?” She asked.

“Why are you asking me? I should be the one asking you that question.” You said sadly and she chuckled.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m perfectly fine, sweetheart.” She says, making you sigh. Just then, your dad spoke up to acknowledge Seungmin as he came to stand next to your dad after bowing to him politely.

“Oh, hello son. You are?” You dad asked.

“Hi Sir. Um, I’m Seungmin. Y/N’s friend.”

“We were hanging out when mum called and he kindly offered to drive me here.” You explained to your parents only for them to feel thankful.

“Really? Oh how nice of you, dear. So sorry to trouble you to come all the way here.” Your mum said.

“It’s fine, Ma’am. I saw how shaken up she got after she received the call so I didn’t feel good to leave her on her own.” Seungmin said.

“Thank you for being here for my daughter.” Your dad said and Seungmin smiled.

The four of you spent the next hour there before your parents told you to head home. You frowned as you said you wanted to stay over back at your old home with them so you could come and visit your grandma for the next few days.

“What about Seungmin?” Your mum asked as you both turned to look at your dad talking to Seungmin by the door, a few metres away from you and your mum.

Seungmin did send you all the way here on a 2 hour drive because he didn’t want to let you be alone. So wouldn’t it be selfish if you told him to drive back home for 2 hours on his own now?

“Will you and dad be okay if he stayed with us for a couple days more before we head back?” You asked and she smiled.

“Of course sweetie. Besides, it wouldn’t be nice if you sent him home now after all that he’s done for you.”

“I know… Okay, I'll go and ask him.” You said as you got up and made your way over to him and your dad.

“Hey dad? I was thinking of staying with you and mum for a couple of days so I could come here and visit grandma.”

“Of course you can sweetie.” Your dad said before you glanced at Seungmin and then back at your dad.

“And I was wondering if you’ll be okay with Seungmin staying with us too before we head back together?”

Seungmin’s jaw drops slightly while your dad smiles, “Definitely.”

“B-But I-” Seungmin didn't finish his sentence when you cut him off.

“You offered to drive me here for 2 hours just so I wouldn’t be alone. I can’t just tell you to drive back home for another 2 hours on your own now. That’s unfair.” You smiled at him.

Meanwhile, your dad was just silently watching from the side with a fond smile on his face. Seungmin was shy but he knew you had a valid point. So he decided to agree with your offer. With that being said, you stayed for a little while more before all 4 of you made your way back to your old home. Your mum prepared the guest room quickly before she showed him to the room on the ground level next to the laundry room. Seungmin thanked your mum as he went inside to make himself comfortable.

In the meantime, you went through your closet to try and dig out whatever mens clothing that you bought for yourself to lend to him during his stay here. You came back down to find him sitting on the bed just staring at the window. So you knocked on the door softly to not startle him.

“Hey… You okay?” You asked and he smiled.

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Seungmin said before you walked in to pass him the clothes. He carefully took them from you and placed it next to him. You sat down beside him as you softly spoke up.

“You don’t have to stay if you have important things to do back home like work. I just felt bad if I told you to go back now after you’ve driven me all the way here.”

“It’s okay. I can just call in sick. They’ll understand.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t want to hold you back.”

“Don’t worry. I want to stay.” Seungmin said, awakening the butterflies in your stomach.

“Okay…” You whispered to him.

He glanced down at your lips briefly and you caught him. Seungmin then looked back into your eyes and gave you a gentle smile.

“You should get some rest.” He said, making you nod.

With that being said, you wished him goodnight and was on your way back to your room upstairs. A few hours went by and you couldn’t really sleep. You had a lot on your mind, especially thinking about your grandma. You sighed as you turned to the clock on your bedside table to see that it was half past midnight. You wondered if Seungmin was already asleep but you didn’t want to text him. So you got out of bed and tip-toed your way down the stairs. You carefully walked over to the guest room to see the door closed.

You hesitate at first, knowing you shouldn’t disturb him. But at that moment, you were yearning for his comfort so you decided to try your luck. You went up to his door and gave it two very soft knocks. You told yourself to wait for 3 seconds and if you got no reply, then you should just head back upstairs. However, before you could count to 2, the door swung open slightly and he looked wide awake.

“Y/N? Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He asked gently to which you bashfully smiled at him.

“U-Uh, I can’t sleep… Was I disturbing you? I’m so sorry.” You said but he shook his head and pulled the door open wider.

“No, you weren’t actually. Do you wanna come inside?” He asked and so you nodded. You walked towards his bed while he closed the door quietly before joining you.

“What were you doing before I came?” You asked.

“I was actually about to text you to ask if you had any spare charger that I could borrow.”

“Oh. I do. Let me go get it. It’s in the living room.” You said and he patiently waits for you. 2 minutes later, you came back with a charger in your hand and plugged it to the socket next to his bed.

“Thanks.” He says before plugging his phone in. You were about to leave, thinking you'd already disturbed him enough when he spoke up.

“I know you have trouble sleeping but do you maybe wanna lay down and at least try to fall asleep?” He asked.

“But, what if I end up falling asleep here?"

“I can just sleep here too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah? Why not?”

“Okay.” You whispered softly as he pulled the cover back so that he could climb in and you followed after. Once you were both snuggled in the guest bed, he turned to you with a gentle look on his face.

“Come here.” Seungmin said and so you took this chance to scoot over. You snuggled into his side, resting your head on his chest while he held you close. Seungmin’s lips brushed over your forehead and you could feel it. He caressed your wrist with his thumb that was resting on top of his chest. The room fell silent for a good minute or so. With him just softly running his fingers through your hair to smoothen the tangles out. Your eyelids finally began to droop down . Suddenly, Seungmin began to sing sweetly above you. His voice was sultry and smooth.

If he was a supernatural being, he could be a siren.

This works like a charm and you slowly begin to drift off to sleep. The next morning, you woke up to the feeling of someone hugging you from behind. You let out a soft sound from trying to stretch, only to hear him whine behind you.

“What time is it?” His raspy morning voice says from behind you.

You grabbed your phone to check the time and it was just a quarter to 8 in the morning, “It’s 7:45 am.”

“Mmm, more sleep then.” Seungmin hums as he nuzzles his face deeper into your neck while hugging you tightly. You fell asleep for another hour or two before you got woken up by your mother’s voice at the door.

“Kids, I’ve made breakfast.”

Seungmin groans softly before he responds to your mum, “Okay. Thank you.”

A few seconds later, you jolted up when it finally hit you.

“Shit… She knows I’m here.” You panicked, only for him to look at you and finally caught on.

“Oh…”

With that being said, you quickly got out of bed and left his room in hopes you don’t bump into your parents. However, when you were about to dash past the kitchen to head to the staircase, your mother caught you just in time.

“Oh good, you’re up. Where’s Seungmin?” She asks with a smile on her face while she pours fresh orange juice into the glasses.

“U-Uh… He’s awake, I think?” You replied and she simply laughed.

So you excused yourself to head back upstairs and wash up. You ended up spending another two more days there to visit your grandma before deciding to head back. While you were saying goodbye to your parents on the front porch, your mum said, “Seungmin is a sweet boy. It’s still not too late, you know?”

You knew what she was saying so all you did was smile at her. After you left, you never spoke about it throughout the drive. Instead, you talked about other things so that he does not get suspicious. When you finally arrived outside at your apartment unit, you turned to say thanks to him.

“Thank you again for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” Seungmin smiled as you were running out of words to say purely out of nerves. Just then, you wanted to cut the awkwardness so you excused yourself.

“Yeah, I’ll just head back inside. Thanks Seungmin.” You quickly said before rushing in.

You let out a heavy breath while leaning against your door. You wanted to get up and move on with your day but a huge part of you was screaming at you for leaving him out there.

Maybe he already went back into his apartment.

Maybe he went back downstairs to go for a drive.

Maybe he left because you abruptly left.

However, all your assumptions were false because when you decided to open the door and find him, you were surprised to find him standing outside your door with a sad frown on his face.

“Y/N?” He whispered your name.

With that being said, you threw yourself forward to wrap your arms around his shoulders and pull him in for a passionate kiss. You used both hands to gently hold his face while his hands slid around your lower back. When you pulled away to breath, he looked at you with a growing smile on his face.

“T-That um… Wow t-that was really nice.” Seungmin said softly and you blushed. He gently tugs you back in to kiss you again. You felt him smile against your lips, squeezing your waist softly. This time when he pulled away, he guided you back into your apartment as you giggled.

“I like you, Y/N.” He confessed to which you pushed your front door closed and smiled.

“Good… Because I like you too.”

Once you confessed your feelings, Seungmin kissed you again, more passionately as that would be the start of your relationship.

[pillow-anime-talk]

his pregnant girl.

synopsis: A little slice of life scenes where his significant other is pregnant.

# tags: headcanons; current marriage relationships; slice of life; soft romance; mostly fluff; maybe a bit of comedy; pregnancy; mention of faint and vomit; sfw

includes: female reader ft. qin shi huang, adam, jack the ripper & nikola tesla {ror}

author’s note: i just woke up, thought about it and wrote it. enjoy :)

— QIN SHI

↘ When Ying Zheng saw you for the first time, he thought you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen; you had a lovely and gentle smile, your eyes sparkled in the sun like the most pretty gemstones, your skin looked healthy and tidy, and you were wearing a flowery dress that was perfect for the current weather in the city. That day, the Emperor went for a walk to the capital to see how his people were doing. However, the moment he saw you – when you were buying fresh fruit from one of the sellers – his thoughts were only focused on you and your blushes. On the same day you were brought to the palace as the first concubine, although you quickly felt something more for the King of China and he also felt the same in a very short time.

↘ Qin Shi Huang never had any more concubines; you completely occupied his mind and heart by being by his side until the very end. In the meantime, however, you began to spend private time with each other: talking, eating together and walking around the gardens in the huge palace. Those were really beautiful and memorable years for you.

↘ A few long months after your first meeting, after you moved into the palace, and after becoming the country’s first empress, a huge, loving smile lit up your face. The trusted doctor that day gave you very important information and as it turned out – you were pregnant. You almost cried at the news, thanking the doctor for his help. At first, you suspected food poisoning because of the morning sickness, but the information of having a small child under your heart, the fruit of your and the Emperor’s love, was the best thing that could have happened to you.

↘ As soon as your beloved returned to the mansion, you asked him for a private conversation. He instantly sent all the gathered guards away and took your hand. For a moment he was afraid that you were sick, that you didn’t love him, that you wanted to leave, but the truth turned out to be completely different.

↘ “...I’m pregnant.” You whispered a simple sentence, touching your slightly swollen tummy, and the man frowned. “The baby is doing well at the moment, but I was recommended daily visits because this will be our first kid.” You added quietly. After a short while, you felt a warm touch of fingers on your cheeks, and then a light kiss in the middle of your lips.

↘ “I am very happy, my Queen. I hope he or she will be born healthy.” He whispered and you nodded shyly. “Now you have to take care of yourself more than before. I’ll ask the maids to fill the tubs with warm water. If you want, I can join you. I want to see you.” He added directly to your ear and you blushed instantly on the cheeks. Even if Zheng was the Emperor, he was your husband in the first place... a bit of a playful and provocative husband.

— ADAM

↘ You realized something was wrong when your tummy was bigger than it should have been – of course you could have blamed it on eating too much fruit or drinking too much water, but that wasn’t it. You felt different; a little insecure, a little weird. For the next few days you were looking for answers to your ailments, stomach pains, swollen fingers and ankles, slightly aching spine.

↘ “... Are you okay, Y/N?” A calm voice reached your ears and you looked up at the fair-haired, handsome man who was lying on his back in the grass and looking up at the night sky. You hesitantly touched your stomach, shaking your head. You already knew the answer to your question yesterday, but you were still getting ready to confess the truth to your partner. “Tell me what is going on.” He said, this time looking straight at your face. His eyes were calm, slightly tired, but still full of warmth.

↘ “I have... a child in me, Adam.” You spoke softly, almost inaudibly, but the man understood your words perfectly. He lifted his head a bit and then the whole body. A second later he walked over to you sitting on a flat rock. He touched your face hesitantly, looking for a bit of a joke in you, but when he couldn’t find one, he just smiled. “You are mad at me?”

↘ “Where did this idea come from?” He asked surprised as he sat down next to your person. His arm wrapped around your waist and his hand touched your swollen belly. “It’s mine, so I love it. I love you too.” He said confidently and you sighed in relief. “When will I be able to see her? Or him?”

↘ “Oh, I don’t know.” You admitted slightly amused, then touched your tummy as well. “Sometimes I feel it moving. I think it’s healthy.” You said, nodding your head and your lover hugged your body tighter to his. You looked definitely different than a few weeks ago, but still the most beautiful in Adam’s eyes. Your eyes were feisty, your hair got a beautiful golden flash, your complexion definitely improved.

↘ The state of blessedness was a time full of worries, but also assurances that you two will be fine.

— JACK

↘ You and Jack have been trying for a baby for many months. Your relationship was strong and connected by marriage, so the child was the next stage of your love and confirmation of your feelings. However, it was difficult for you to predict whether the expected pregnancy was already developing in your womb or not yet; so far you have not felt any pain or nausea, on the contrary, you felt very well. Nevertheless, one day, you found a trusted doctor who had successfully provided prenatal care to many local pregnant women. After a short conversation with a middle-aged man, you were examined.

↘ “... I’ve been working for many years and if my experience doesn’t deceive me... I can say at this moment that you are expecting a baby.” He said in a calm tone. “All of my patients had the same symptoms as you, including amenorrhea and increased appetite. I can’t tell how many weeks the baby is currently, but I assume it’s the second or third month of pregnancy.” He added, and then on a slightly yellowed piece of paper he wrote you some recommendations for taking care of your health in the coming weeks. You almost passed out after leaving the cabinet, but the excitement was overwhelming in your mind. You quickly returned to your apartment in a small tenement house, where your partner was waiting for you.

↘ He was about to drop a cup of beautifully scented tea as soon as he looked into your eyes and noticed the bright orange aura surrounding you. Your aura was strong and visible like never before.

↘ “M-My darling, are you okay?” He asked anxiously as your hand embraced his much larger, slightly colder, hand. “Everything’s all right?” He asked again and you nodded your head, hugging his body as quickly as possible.

↘ “Honey, I think I’m pregnant. I went to the doctor and he said it’s the second or third month.” You whispered, a bit ashamed. Your partner looked at your belly and then at your pretty face. He instantly hugged you tighter, smiling. He was so happy and fulfilled.

↘ “My lady. Even that, we can make sure of the doctor’s words and talk about it in the bedroom, what do you think about it?” He said in a low voice, making your nose blush. You only nodded your head in response and a moment later the man lifted your body up.

— NIKOLA

↘ You’ve known Nikola since... always. You were best friends who grew up together and over time started to feel something more about each other. Nikola was a man with a big heart, both for science and for people who were especially important to him – his beloved brother, the rest of his immediate family and, most of all, you.

↘ You were a harmonious couple who supported each other always and regardless of the situation. You were proud of your husband’s zeal and achievements, of his inventions, of his failures, of all his attempts, of his small and big mistakes, of his great desires, of his smile and much more. You supported him as much as you could, always offering him a hot meal, a sweet or a cup of fresh coffee. Sometimes you would come to his studio to spend some time with him and talk. Sometimes you helped him with his ideas and not infrequently your reasoning helped him get things going.

↘ Not one invention has been named after you or the first letter of your name.

↘ As an engineer’s wife, you knew many things; you could construct a simple mechanism, describe it, you could calculate difficult mathematical formulas and you read books with interest. So when your body started changing you knew you might be pregnant; all the girls close to you had similar or even the same symptoms as you. You’ve been thinking for a long time about telling the truth to a man who is currently dealing with his greatest work in life. But if you hadn’t done it then, you probably wouldn’t have had the courage to do it later.

↘ “... Honey, do you have a moment?” Upon entering his studio, you asked uncertainly, shaking a brown basket filled with food. Your lover nodded quickly and tightened the last screw, then came over to you, kissing your forehead. “Your favourite.” You added and he just chuckled and thanked you.

↘ You sat in carefree silence for a while. Your fingers brushed the hem of your dress and your eyes wandered from one corner of the room to the other. Finally, the man asked if you were feeling unwell. You sighed, playing with the sleeve of the clothes.

↘ “I’m pregnant, Nikola.” You giggled in your soul, looking at his face.

↘ A fork with a piece of meat fell on the table next to important papers and your husband looked at you in indescribable shock. It took him a moment to recalculate what you just said to him, and then he felt that the world around is getting darker... and darker.

↘ “Nikola?!” You screamed, catching his body falling to the side. Although the reaction at first scared you, the moment your partner woke up, you experienced the greatest love attack of your life. The man gave you soft kisses all over your face, shouting every now and then that he would be a father and that he would name his next invention after your son or daughter.

[shuenkio]

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐲 | S.Jy 💨

Paring: Idol!Jake x idol!male reader | Genre: Soft smau.

Synopsis: You were so careless to the point you're stuck in a bathroom with Jake.

Cw: Cursing, whimpers, masturbate, mentioned of cum.

Non proof read 100% | wc: 1.7K

Eng is not my 1st language.

CRD to the owner of the pic and dividers. [Sadika]

A/N: I wrote this while my head is spinning. So there'd be a lot of grammar wrong, awkward part and explanation please bare with meh :<

Having finished your day earlier than the other members was the best blessing you've ever wished for. You will be able to do anything you want at the dorm. After you are done with your shooting scene for the MV, you immediately head home without any worries.

You entered the dorm room, and silence enveloped you. The usual campus noise faded away, leaving a space untouched by sound. Each step you took was absorbed by the quiet, amplifying the room's stillness. Dragging your feet to your own personal room after those roommate bunk bed days was quite a relief since you've now been able to have your own space and some privacy.

Settled down with all your stuff, you had the urge to wash up before anyone came back later. Once you were freshened up from the shower with the towel wrapped around your hair, you decided to wait for the members, which included Jake, Jungwon, and Sunoo, to have dinner together.

You take out your phone as usual to look up the fancams for the music show yesterday since it's one of your hobbies. Then you stumbled upon Jake's fancams that the fandom had gone crazy for these past few days, and they've actually gone viral on TikTok so suddenly.

As a result, you click on one of his fancams that has the most insane views. You keep watching and watching, zooming in and out, unable to catch anything special, but one thing you've noticed is that it's probably his manly, craziest, veiny hand that makes social media almost die.

"Oh, so everyone has gone crazy for these? Damn, mine can't even half of him... But he kind of looks sexy, i guess." You murmur to yourself, looking at your slimy, skinny wrist, before you zoom in accidentally on the middle part of his, where the dance move was, he's thrusting.

Nevertheless, oblivious to you, someone else had been watching you the entire time from behind your back at the back of the couch you were sitting on. The moment was such a coincidence that he caught your red hand watching his sexy and hot fancam, and he might get the wrong idea of you.

"Did you say I'm sexy~ m/n?" Jake laid down lower as his hot breath whispered, brushing against your earlobe with such a tone. Who knew Jake had been there, watching you in silence, amusing you with your secret hobby? In return, you jumped before falling from the couch by the sudden appearance of him.

"What—the—... ouch, Jake Hyung?" Rubbing the sensation on your hip slowy from the sudden fall, as you look up to see it was Jake who did it.

"Yep, mate, it's me. Who else? Care to explain it to me?" Jake chuckled at your shocked reaction, and your jaw dropped open. The fact that he knows you've just realized what he meant by that makes the tension even worse.

"I can explain. Hear me out first, Hyung!"

"Okay, okay, but I won't believe it if you say you didn't like mine."  It was so embarrassed and such a shame that Jake caught you in such a bad moment like this, and if there's anyone else beside him, the scene would be twisted into another story, but gladly nobody else, it's just Jake and you in the dorm while the other two, Jungwon and Sunoo, were stopped by the ice cream store for the late-night snacks.

You explain with your heart racing, stumbling almost every word to make it a sentence, which makes Jake even more amused by your kind of behavior like this, and he likes it.

However, once you finish, you thought you'd already escaped by told Jake that he couldn't tell anyone else that it's just between you and him, even if it was just a coincidence and bad timing, but you fear his mouth would slip, and boom, the members would tease you to death, especially the one and only Maknae.

But in order to keep his mouth shut like a zipper, Jake has to make a condition, and in return, he wants something back from you. Hearing those deals, you didn't care about the favor he wished for; all you needed right now was to make it as clear as the night sky in the summer. So finally, you accept without any hesitation, even if Jake says you haven't even heard of him yet, but you urge him to make it happen, no matter what.

"You still want to do it, boy? I don't even open my mouth yet,  mate."

"I'm doing anything; I don't care. Just say the magic words, Hyung. Just say it, and I'll do it right away." Hearing the enthusiasm in your voice and the urge to willingly do anything got the best of him as his gaze slowly turned into something you couldn't imagine, from a shy expression to the dark side of him.

"Since you are eager to do it, take a bath with me then."

"I beg your pardon." Are you hearing that right? Bathe with what and who? What in the world gave him the idea of showering together? And imagine the butt naked body of his, and you wouldn't think that would be so damn awkward as hell.

"Come on, don't make me wait long; just shower again; you're sweating, boy!!" He said as he moved to the bathroom without faze. His voice was alluring through the hallway before you even noticed that you were indeed sweating. You wanted to decline, but you set it up by yourself, willing to do anything. Now you have stumbled into your own trap. Left with no choice, you make your way into the bathroom room too, with an unexplained expression mixed with anxiety and excitement.

Closing the door behind you before you take the sight In front of you, Jake was already naked while he was taking off his undies. A heavy, deep sigh left your chest and covered your messy, flushing face with your tiny fingers. Now you're stuck in a situation you can't turn back. Seeing you cover your face, Jake couldn't help but ask.

"Why did you cover your face? Don't be shy; we're men, right?" Jake then walks to the spot where you were standing before taking your hand to the bathtub as he takes off your clothes for you. But you stop him when he's about to remove your undies—

"Hyung,  let me ask something first? "I know you don't like showering with anyone, not even Jay Hyung, but why me?" You state that, making him freeze for a while. It's actually caught him off guard when you did know him quite well.

"Well, tbh, seeing you take a shower with another member piss me off a little," Jake responded with his arms folding around his chest, slightly showing his jealous side.

"Wait—that's mean you know I've shower with Sunoo Hyung? No way, I thought you were already  asleep."

"Well, not anymore and forget it; just shower with me; it's my turn to have you." I couldn't wait any longer. In a swift motion, your clothes were thrown away by him across the floor as he took you to bathe with him in one bath tub, and yes, it's not too wide to move.

"Um, alright, possessive, lol." You reply back in a dry tone, yet deep down, you just want to scream and yell out of your thoughts at the sight in front of your eyes right now. It's super distracted, but it's such a view to not look at. His dickey was not great with the length, but it's definitely fat in the girth. Everyone is uncut, and so was he.

It was not too big or too small, but the urge you had to grab it and feel it was crazy. Seeing your eyes glancing on his lower middle leg up and down like that, Jake's smirking before licking his plump dry lip as he mutters out.

"Enjoy the view? Or you want to feel it?" Another red-handed moment. You were speechless when he caught you in the scenes again, but this time, you can't explain.

"I never knew you were this freaky Jake, Hyung."

"I still have a man body at the end of the day, and actually, we humans feel the emotion so called 'horny', isn't that right?" Jake placed his back as he lay against the wall before closing his eye. He enjoyed the warm bath, and his dickens were slightly hard and visible on the surface. Oh my, it's twitching.

"Lord, have mercy" look away, embarrassed by the unashamedly carefree side of Jake. How can he, oh, well, you just realized he's from Australia? Later on, you feel the water is splashing nonstop before you take a peek at Jake and see him... masterbation. This is the death of you.

"Jake hyung, I'm still in the bathtub. Aishh," you said, swallowing hard while looking over to see. He wrapped his palm around his shalf and stroking them, and eh, the foreskin moving up and down gave you the same aroused heat in your dick too.

"Sorry, ma'boy, but NGh, it's too late to stop it. It's feel good. I feel horny." He said in the middle of his breath, gasping for air from the heart racing jerk off. As he continues faster, you can't help but take a full view of his masterbation; the grip on his dick was so full, so tight, and so hot. The idol Jake that everyone knows, at the end of the day, he's human in any way.

Jerking off is normally something that happens, isn't it? The water started to get hot from the intense moment between you and him, especially the one who enjoys himself. The hot view soon later got the best of you before your dick also got hard, begging for a touch too, but you didn't.

You love to edge yourself and continue to watch your hyung jerk off happily.

"Motherfucking shit too hot, I'm coming—m~n" Spare no more times, Jake's balls were clenching in unison as a wave of white stuff exploded out of his dick, along with the grunting noise out of his mouth, from the pleasure.

"That was guuuood m~n...fuck... I can't move my hand m~n can you please help me clean? Woah" After all of those sessions of masterbation, he collapsed on the spot from exhaustion. The cum stained that was splashed on your fingers is still hot, and the leaking of his dick continued to drip from the big load earlier.

"Very... Freaky Jake Hyung very" And little did you know, you were pre-cum by the scenes too. 

🗣️ Please mind my English! ><

🗣️ Reblog and like is much appreciated ♥

Open request for Jay ff !!

[0310s]

gently, by your side | jaehyun

members: myung jaehyun x gender neutral reader

genre: college au, angst, comfort, best friends! to ???, more platonic stuff in this one

tags/warnings: extensive discussions of mental health and chronic/mental illness, y/n is not okay. :(

summary: jaehyun finds you after a bad week.

wc: 2.7k

a/n: this fic’s title comes from this lovely song. as someone who’s struggled with both chronic and mental illness, it really takes someone strong and amazing to keep on going, despite everything. most of the dialogue in this comes from my own musings and experiences with mental health. i wrote this for a dear mutual of mine! i hope better days will come for you soon, whenever that may be. meanwhile, i hope this gives you comfort when things are tough! sending lots of love <3 

𓉞⋆｡˚☁︎｡⋆

5 days ago 1:28 PM 🐶 cutie puppy

(y/n) we haven’t seen each other in such a loooong time imy :(( i mean i KNOW it’s just been a couple of days since we last hung out but still!!!!!!! when are we seeing each other again !!!! tell me ur schedule QUICK !!!!

4 days ago 6:33 PM 🐶 cutie puppy

heeeeyyyyyyyyy (with the intention to hang out) heeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy heeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy reply to meeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! tell me when ur free pls i miss u :((

3 days ago 11:58 PM 🐶 cutie puppy

hey i didn’t see u at the party today i thought u said u were going last week!!!  also i asked around and people said they haven’t seen u around recently??? and they don’t know what ur up to

2 days ago 2:05 PM 🐶 cutie puppy

heeeyyyy ?????????? did i do smth?????  or are u just really busy w school and work idk either way pls just let me know :(( i won’t bother u if ur rlllyyy busy

10:35 PM sorry if i’m being annoying btw

Yesterday  11:32 PM 🐶 cutie puppy

ok i thought about it reaaaaaallly hard and i don’t think i’ve done anything to make u mad or upset w me??? well aside from that time last last week that u got mad at me for accidentally messing w ur computer and deleting ur work files WHICH IM LIKE REALLY SORRY FOR but i fixed it!!!!! i thought we were good alrd!!! are u still mad at me 4 that ?

1:00 AM (y/n)?

1:28 AM idk  i thought i was ur best friend :(( did smth change???

2:47 AM pls pls reply :(( i know we can talk this out i don’t want us to not be ok

Today  3:00 PM 🐶 cutie puppy i’m coming over.

𓉞⋆｡˚☁︎｡⋆

Sitting up from your bed, your heart thuds in anxiety as you quickly scroll through your chat history with Jaehyun. Your eyes hurt and your brain feels especially foggy, like you’re looking at the world through a particularly cloudy lens. How long did you sleep? The last thing you recall was working on your assignments last night, then choosing to sleep instead when you got overwhelmed. Even then, you slept fitfully. You remember setting an alarm at 9 AM today to continue working, but even as you sat at your desk, you couldn’t type a single sentence on your laptop. Everything felt muddled and it was as if you couldn’t understand anything at all. Even the cups of coffee you drank in desperation was of no use keeping you alert; all it did was make you palpitate.

Then you gave up, went back to bed, and you’re here now. Checking the chat timestamps, you realize you haven’t replied to Jaehyun’s messages in almost a week, which has never happened before—you talk almost everyday, even multiple times a day. Jaehyun’s last message was at 3 PM, when he said he’d come over. One look at your screen shows you it’s already 3:20. If you’ve memorized his schedule right, it takes your best friend thirty minutes to get to your dorm from his Fundamental Maths class. That means you have ten more minutes to get your shit together and clean your mess of a room. 

But right when you’ve mustered the energy to stand up, you hear a series of knocks on your door. That can’t be— “(Y/n), open up, I know you’re in there!” Jaehyun’s voice echoes from outside the door. “I asked your dormmate and she said you haven’t left your room since yesterday, so there’s no use pretending!” Shit, shit, shit! You immediately spring up and hastily fold your blankets and organize your desk, throwing away stray food wrappers and plastic cups. You open your blinds to let some air in, and the bright sunlight makes your head throb even more. 

On your way to the door, you spot yourself in the mirror. There’s no other word for it—you look like utter shit. Your eyebags are dark and prominent, your hair disheveled from tossing and turning in your sleep. You look horrendous, but Jaehyun is persistently knocking on your door, so you have no choice but to fix yourself up as fast as you can. You splash water on your face and smoothen down your hair and open the door—then there’s Jaehyun in all his glory. Your heart clenches seeing him; he looks as handsome as always, his bangs fluffy and soft and his letterman jacket fashionably oversized. He looks nothing like you in your ratty T-shirt with coffee stains and pajama shorts. His hand is halfway raised, positioned to knock at your door (he could and would probably do it all day if he had to). Upon seeing you, he blurts out: “Did I do something?”

Instead of answering him, you open your door wider as an invitation, and Jaehyun takes the hint, stepping into your dorm. Once the door is shut, Jaehyun peers at your messy room and remarks, “Wow. When was the last time you cleaned up? You’re usually not like this.”

You know he didn’t mean it like that, but his comment stings at you all the same. “Sorry, Jaehyun,” you snap, “not everyone can be at 200% energy all the time like you.” At his hurt expression, you backtrack. “Sorry, that was really rude of me.”

“It-It’s fine,” Jaehyun replies confusedly. Then he looks straight at you, eyes pleading. He’s picking at the stray thread hanging from his jacket, a habit you’ve come to known is something he does when he’s nervous. “You know what, I thought about it. For days, really, if I did anything that would make you mad and ignore me. But I couldn’t come up with anything at all. I was really worried when you didn’t reply to me for days on end, especially when we talk everyday. So if I did something, can—can you just tell me? I just want us to be okay.”

Your throat closes up and your heart pounds even faster, making you feel dizzy. You have no idea how to answer him, when all he’s ever seen of you is the perfect student who does everything right, who’s smart and good at what they do without any flaws or exceptions. How would he react if he saw you for who you really were?

The words can’t form in your mouth, and out of frustration at yourself, you tear up. Jaehyun notices this, eyes widening in worry, “(y/n), baby, no, no,” and pulls you into his arms. Almost instantly, the tears cascade down your face and sobs wrack your body. You feel pathetic crying in your best friend’s arms, but Jaehyun just soothes a hand up and down your back as you break down. His other arm is wrapped around your shoulders, and it feels like your anchor when you’re drowning in all your troubles. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he says in a hushed tone, “let it all out.” You grip his jacket even tighter as you bury your face in his chest. 

When was the last time you’ve ever been hugged like this? The last time you’ve ever been truly vulnerable to anyone without that mask of perfection you often don? The last time you felt safe just being yourself? You have no idea. All you know that is in the circle of Jaehyun’s arms, you want to be small and imperfect and yourself just this once.

After your cries die down, Jaehyun clears his throat. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I don’t know what it is I did, but I’m so sorry for hurting you.”

“It’s not you, Jaehyun,” your voice is muffled by both your sniffles and Jaehyun’s chest. You don’t want Jaehyun to get the wrong idea that he’s hurt you in some way because of how broken he sounds thinking he’s done something to make you sad. “It’s just. Me.”

“You? What do you mean?” Jaehyun leads you into your room from the doorway. He’s holding your hand and doesn’t let go even when you both settle at the edge of your bed. His palm is warm and his grip loose enough in case you want to let go; you don’t. While you muster up the courage to speak, your best friend just sits there, waiting patiently. “It’s okay, whatever you say, I’m not going anywhere.” You don’t know that for sure, but him saying that makes you want to be truthful just this once, damn the consequences.

You take a deep breath, focusing on your intertwined fingers. You’re too scared to look at his face because you don’t want to see his reaction. “Jaehyun, what kind of person do you think people see me as?”

“Well…” He takes a moment to think about it. “Someone smart, talented, and who gets stuff done?”

In turn, you let out an resigned exhale. “Well, that’s the image I project. Of someone who’s perfect… someone who does things effortlessly. People think it comes easy to me. But it doesn’t. When people tell me that I didn’t need much effort to get to where I am now, I feel undermined. When I express I’m having a hard time, people brush it off and think I’m just overreacting. Because they think I’m perfect all the time. But honestly…? That’s the farthest thing from the truth."

Glancing up from your hands, you scan your room—your desk is a mess of papers and assignments that you have yet to get to. You can’t tell when the last time you spent time being actually productive when what you’ve been is fatigued out of your mind. When you try to sit at your desk and work, all you feel is difficulty concentrating and processing work and readings. Sleep has also proven to be elusive—no matter how long you lie in bed, you never feel well-rested. Simple actions and decisions require so much energy from you that you undeniably lack. You also constantly compare yourself to others, whom things like these come natural to them. But you’ve kept these feelings of yours secret for a long time—you’re utterly terrified that you’d be undermined for being useless and overly sensitive.   

“(Y/n)?” Jaehyun squeezes your hand, and you turn to meet his eyes. His eyes are sincere and kind. “I-I know I may not be the most empathic person, but I promise I’ll hear you out without judging you. I want to be here for you… and I hope you’ll let me. Please?” 

At this, you spill everything you’ve been feeling the past weeks—months, even—to Jaehyun. You stumble over your words and your breath gets caught in your throat, but he’s there to pat your back and to encourage you to keep going. Without you knowing, tears make their way down your face once again, and Jaehyun uses his other hand to gently brush them away. “It just gets so hard that I want to just. Give everything up. I don’t know what the use of trying so hard is when I see how other people don’t need this much effort to do even the most basic of tasks. It’s just so… unfair.”

When you’re finished with your rant, you don’t know what to expect from Jaehyun—but you’re stunned to see him crying. He’s sniffling and wiping at his eyes furiously. “Why…” You have no idea what he’s about to say, but you brace yourself for the worst. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” he whispers brokenly. “I didn’t know you were having such a difficult time. I feel like such a shitty friend for not even noticing. I’m sorry, (y/n).” Jaehyun’s eyes fill with tears and he starts “I… I thought we were best friends.” The best friends tell each other everything goes unsaid, but you know exactly what he meant.

“I…” You feel awful now for making Jaehyun cry. “You’re just. You just naturally have all this limitless energy. You’re…” Normal. Not like me. “I don’t know how if you were going to take me seriously if I told you what I was going through… There were times I’d see you, and I’d be so disappointed in myself for not being like you. And I was so scared that if I did tell you, I’d be letting you down.”

Jaehyun’s expression grows more miserable at this. “I-I’m sorry, (y/n), I never meant to make you feel unheard. And I never meant for it to feel like you couldn’t tell me about these things.” 

“It-It’s not your fault, Jaehyun,” you protest, but he shakes his head, obviously disappointed in himself.

“No, (y/n), I’m supposed to be your best friend. How stupid can I be if I can’t notice when you’re having a hard time? I didn’t even stop to ask how you’ve been doing because you seemed to be doing fine. But I should’ve known better. I shouldn’t have taken things at face value. I’m such an idiot,” Jaehyun berates himself. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

At his sincere apology, you can’t help but admit it to yourself—you desperately needed Jaehyun’s support as your best friend, but you were too scared to ask for it. And honestly? You felt immensely lonely without his words and presence to comfort you. 

“(Y/n), I hope you know that I see how hard you work. I know your sleepless nights and how much effort you put into every single thing you do. Despite everything you’re going through, you’re always trying to be better than the person you were yesterday, and it’s something I truly admire about you. But I hope you know it’s okay to be imperfect and flawed and to not be okay. I want to be here on your good and bad days. I just wish I could’ve been more vocal about this earlier… I’ve really taken you for granted, huh?” Jaehyun sighs wetly, taking your hand in both of his. He’s still crying; you both are, actually. What a silly pair the two of you make. 

“Thank you for trusting me and sharing all of this. It literally means the world to me,” Jaehyun rambles. “I promise I’ll be a better friend to you, someone you feel safe opening up to about anything, whether that be your achievements or your struggles. And (y/n), if it’s not too much to ask… Could I ask you to be more honest with me in the future?” He stares at you imploringly. “I don’t want you to think you have to go through all of this alone. I want to be here for you the same way you’ve always been there for me… Okay?”

“....Okay. Okay, I’ll try,” you respond softly. “Thank you, Jaehyun. I… I’ve never told anyone about this before. But thank you so much for just listening, and not judging, and accepting me for me…” While you appreciate Jaehyun’s presence at this moment, a new wave of fatigue washes over you with all this emotional vulnerability and talking. “Jaehyun… I’m still feeling really tired, so I might go back to sleep. Sorry, I know you came all the way here to see me, but here I am being shit company,” you apologize regretfully.

“Oh! That’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Jaehyun stands up from your bed to leave. When your fingers slip from each other, you feel an acute loss of warmth—both in your hands and in your heart. He makes his way to the door, slipping on his shoes, and your heart sinks. There’s something you badly want to ask of Jaehyun, but you’re too much of a coward to tell him what you truly want. You don’t want to be on your own right now, but you’d probably be asking too much of him. Accepting your fate, you settle in bed, attempting to take a nap so restless you’re sure will be of no help to your exhaustion.

However, Jaehyun himself stops in the doorway. He turns back around, a distraught look on his face. “(Y/n)... I don’t want to assume, but are you sure you want to be alone right now?” he begins. “I mean, we just had this really heavy talk. Can… Can I keep you company? I promise I’m great at cuddles—that’s what all my other friends say anyway when I annoy them with my hugs.”

When you nod, that’s all it takes for Jaehyun to shuck off his shoes, strip his jacket, and climb into bed with you. With your ear against his steady heartbeat and his comforting arm around you, you’re asleep in no time. It’s the best you’ve ever slept in months.

[spanishcorndogs]

Papaya Coloured Ribbons

[Image Credits: found on pinterest! LMK if this belongs to you, would love to give proper credits]

A/N: Uh hello 👋🏼 I wrote a quick something today! It’s not edited at all so I am very sorry for the awful sentences. Just a little light daydream I wanted to get out of my head.

[Warnings] None

—

Lando always looked for an excuse to talk to you. It’s not like he’s struggled before to talk to other girls, yet for some reason when it came to you, Lando couldn’t seem to make the conversation last longer than four seconds.

He couldn’t seem to figure it out. Last time you both talked, Lando approached you with the full intention of completing your hair, adorned in papaya coloured ribbons, yet that clearly was not how it turned out…

[Yesterday — Thursday, Media day]

As if a permanent magnet settled into your presence, Lando was automatically drawn to you. He didn’t have to talk to you, touch or hold you. Just as long as you were near, Lando could settle into the chaos of media day.

Lando noticed you had dressed a little differently today than your ordinary papaya uniform. He was incredibly intrigued at the recent change.

Your hair had half been pulled up into two ponytails, with papaya ribbons around it. Your hair simply framed yourself in such a quiet adoration, he couldn’t help but stare a little longer than normal. This seemed to catch your attention as you quietly looked up from your phone. You saw Lando staring and smiled back, not sure if it was you he was trying to greet with a stare too long. Trying to make the situation seem as normal as possible, Lando smiles right back, a kilowatt smile that brightens his eyes reflects into you. If it was possible, your smile got bigger, waving at Lando’s friendliness, pulling him in by the invisible string that kept you tied to each other.

Lando approached you with a smile that did not dim. A “Hi,” fell from his lips, loud enough to fill you with the bubbles that simmer in your throat, forcing you to breathe just that little bit more. A “Hello Lan” greeted him, raising the humidity that moistened his hands, discreetly wiping his palms on the back of his jeans.

“Hiya p,” he responded, once again using the letter reserved to refer to you. The reason for such letter absolutely lost, accepted into the normality of interacting with Lando.

Your respond to Lando with a giggle of the lips, popping your phone away to provide Lando with your full attention.

“Your hair, it’s something” he blurts, raising the awkwardness of the encounter… once again. Something Lando has found himself doing with only you recently. You couldn’t help but anxiously laugh, self consciously touching the ribbon to make sure they weren’t out of place.

As if the 5 second delay has finally reached the now mortified Lando, he couldn’t help but pull a face of surprise, registering the interaction he just caused. “NOt just something,” he stressed, “More than something,” he continued, reaching up to the end of one of the ribbons, playing with it in his hands as you placed your hands back down. “As in beautiful! Not that you don’t always look beautiful, I mean you’re always looking so absolutely breathtaking and I— Oh, uhh.” His miserable ramble comes to a stop as one tiny tug of the ribbon and it’s come undone.

You cannot help but giggle at Landos run of the mouth compliment, resulting in the undoing of the ribbons you had worked so hard in perfecting.

“Oh hahaha, that’s so fine Lan! You’re so fine” you express, as Lando unsuccessfully attempts to redo the ribbon, creating an uncomfortable knot in your hair. Attempting to rescue Lando from the panic he seems to be, you raise your hands in an attempt to free your hair from the complicated dance Lando has caused, intervening from a worse outcome.

You begin to remind Lando that his name is being called, summoned to whatever interview had filled his schedule. Yet as you had attempted to give Lando the runaway, he couldn’t seem to make out the words that stumbled out of your mouth. All he could seem to focus on was the feeling of your skin. His fingertips went alight, burning at the subtle heat that warmed your body.

“There all fixed!” You exclaimed, bringing Lando back down to the bubble he’d seemingly been floating in. “All fixed,” you repeated, tilting your head to highlight the newly tied bow that you had managed to hopefully secure again.

“Oh, oh yes it is! Good as new!” he said as he attempted to clear his throat of the bubbling nerves that settled into his throat. “LANDO NORRIS!” Someone exclaimed from afar, reminding you of the initial reason you had entered the media tent.

“Oops looks like they’ve been calling you! I best be on my way anyway.” You said, gathering your feat in the direction of your fellow colleagues who had silently snickered, watching the encounter (un)surprisingly fail.

You stood in your spot a little longer, giving Lando the chance to mutter out a word or two but it seemed the previous ramble was enough to tighten his lips closed. Lando gave you a short smile goodbye essentially running off to person calling his name.

—

a/n: Can you tell I suck at ending things? oh god. Anyway! I thought I’d give writing something a go. I have so much respect for those writing things! I have a couple things written but I’m chronically awkward and do not have the guts to share more just yet…

I have an idea for a second part and will probably just post it for myself later! Or not, who knows, ADHD hyperfixations can be so unpredictable.

Hope you have a lovely day/night. If you’re still reading this and want to talk or need a shoulder to lean on, my messages should be open. Here for you, even when the sun doesn’t shine as bright as it did yesterday, you are not alone.

[and-then-the-dragons-arrived]

I'm getting REALLY angry at all "motivational" books / blogs / posts who keep saying things like "Stop watching TV / playing *World of Warcraft* and you will have a few hours a week to create a business / write a book / whatever".

Because I don't watch TV. I watched like two EPISODES of TV series last year. And probably no more than 5 movies of which some I didn't even finish.

I'm not playing video games. I wish I could but I don't have enough time.

I'm already sleep-deprived so don't even start with "Get up an hour earlier".

And I still can't gather more than a few minutes a day to work on my personal projects.

And even if I *do* find some time, sometimes I'm too tired or overwhelmed to do anything more challenging than going to sleep or scrolling my phone. And before you start with "So stop scrolling social media and you'll be able to write", just DON'T. At those times my level of focus is so low that I couldn't put two words together.

And I still WANT to do those projects. I NEED to be creative for my mental health.

So here's to those who - like me - have daily goals to write TEN words. No, NOT ten thousand or even a hundred. Just ten words. One or two sentences. If I'm lucky and can write a few hundred, that's great! But ten words are FINE. Do you know how many words I wrote yesterday? THIRTEEN. I had literally a few minutes.

I'm often writing on my phone because turning my computer on would eat up all the time I have to write. I don't have any special ritual with scented candles or special tea because all this setup takes too much of my time.

I'm writing all this because maybe you need to hear this.

Maybe you need to hear that setting tiny little goals is OKAY. You don't need to write thousands of words a day.

Maybe you need to hear that watching a movie or scrolling your phone when you're overwhelmed is OKAY. Having free time does not equal being able to do a task, especially a creative one. You can't be always on your 100% capacity.

Maybe you need to hear that there's someone out there (me) who is doing even less than you. If you add 20 words to your current WIP today, you're still ahead of me. So if you see those writers making amazing progress each day, just think there's me who's struggling to do 1% of that.

And that's OKAY.

[your-nanas-house]

Absolutely adored the Jerome x psychiatrist thing you wrote yesterday 🥹 Would you be willing to do something similar for 'Miah? If not feel free to ignore this lol

Love your works❤️❤️

Sure thing!! Sorry it took me so long 😭 Thank you! 🥰

As cold and white as the snow

◇ Pairing: Jeremiah Valeska X psychiatrist!Reader

◇ Warnings: fluff, Jeremiah in Arkham, christmas, gifts

◇ Summary: Dr. Y/l/n takes over Jeremiah's case and tries to work with him.

◇ Note: Sorry for the mistakes and the English.

It was dark, Jeremiah was motionless sitting on the usual seat in his cell at Arkham.

It was around three months ago when the case of the second Valeska had been given to a new psychologist, pretty young one that was eager to experiment and learn... Dr. Y/l/n.

The young woman was the one that took the reins of that maddening and annoying path, doing her sessions with Jeremiah each day even if he opted to stay absolutely quiet, still and lifeless... like some kind of plant. That did not stop her though, she kept trying with some techniques so to try and make him act or reply someway.

She tried using the topics the psychopath was so fond of, she brought toys and some objects to see if his mind reacted... she even mentioned and asked questions about Bruce Wayne.

Nothing, absolutely nothing. Not even a twitch of an eye or a slight smirk.

"You didn't mentioned any wishes for Christmas so... I brought you something" The psychiatrist informed as she searched in her bag the small box she got for Jeremiah.

It was a little gift, wrapped in purple paper and decorated with a big green bow, a note was glued to it with a simple message and a poetic short sentence she got somewhere.

"I open it up for you, yes?" Y/n asked without actually expecting a reply before opening the gift and placing a maze book in front of him, a pencil right next to it before getting up

"I think I'm going to grab us two blankets, it's pretty cold in here. They should repair the stoves" she murmured lowly while heading outside of the cell they were in and coming back ¼ hour later.

It wasn't like Jeremiah actually needed a blanket since he seemed unbothered by everything that was surrounding him.... yet the young psychiatrist wrapped the warm fabric around his shoulders before sitting back down so that she could fix her own blanket.

A quick glance at the clock and she froze in her spot, the pencil slowly falling from the table and hitting the ground indicating her that someone had moved it previously since earlier it was still tied to the book with a box.

Another glance and her y/e/c eyes stopped on the book itself, which was now open on a random puzzle maze page— that was finished and complete with right choices.

"I must admit that your stubbornness really scares me, Jeremiah. But I can't stop admiring it someway" Y/n commented before glancing up at the motionless patient, knowing well that Noone would have believed her if she would have reported a movement from him.

[itmeansiris]

The Solar System Legacy Challenge: Getting to Know the Neighbors Gen 1 pt.55

The day before Zohrehs birthday Mercury and family head down the street to meet for lunch with Kiersten and her family. When they arrive they knock and a gruff voice calls out from inside

???: It's open.

In the distance they can hear a softer voice respond, Kiersten.

Kiersten: Did you even check who it was?

Kiersten opens the door and lets them in

Kiersten: Mercury! Kason! I'm so glad you guys made it. Rufus these are the neighbors who own the gorgeous blue house near the towns center. I told you they came by yesterday to say hello while you and the boys were out.

Rufus was in the middle of a flash card lesson with his youngest son. He cuts the lesson short, kissed the small red headed boy and stood to greet them.

Rufus: Good to meet you. Rufus, I see you've meet my beautiful wife. This handsome guy is Malachi and our oldest son Tucker is around here somewhere.

Kason steps forward to introduce his own family.

Kason: Rufus, nice to meet you. Kiersten it's nice to see you again. I’m Kason, this is my wife Mercury and our triplets Venus, Ishtar and Aphrodite and our youngest Zohreh.

Rufus: Well lets not stand in the doorway come in please.

As soon as everyones inside, the oldest boy Tucker comes down whining loudly to his parents.

Tucker: Mooooommm you said dad would help me with my creative writing paper. I actually have to attend school tomorrow if you forgot.

Tucker plops down at the kitchen table.

Rufus: We have company buddy.

Tucker looks around noticing there are other people in the room.

Tucker: Um...sorry. Hi, I'm Tucker.

He politely introduces himself.

M: It's very nice to meet you Tucker. If you don't mind me asking what is your creative writing story about?

Tucker smiles and animated launches into an explanation of the world he'd created and the characters and creatures that inhabited the land.

Tucker: I want the main character to become a werewolf but I've never written about werewolves. Which is where my dad came in. He loves the supernatural, but he hasn't had much time since the move.

M smiled and sat down across from him.

M: Well I just happen to know a little something about writing werewolves. Would you mind if I helped out?

Rufus and Kiersten looked at each other surprised.

Kiersten: Thank you so much, but we couldn't ask you for that. We invited you over for lunch and to hopefully make friends-

Rufus: Yeah, not put you to work.

Kason laughed, seeing Rufus and Kiersten finish each other sentences made him like them more. They reminded him of himself and Mercury. It was easy to see they had a close family dynamic and a healthy relationship.

Kason: One thing you'll learn about M, writing is never work for her. She's a pretty amazing author herself.

Kiersten stops in her tracks as realization dawns on her. She walks over to the bookshelf and pulls out a familiar book.

Kiersten: I knew she looked familiar. She wrote "Journals of a Werewolf".

Rufus takes a closer look at the photo on the back of the book.

Rufus: Well what do you know, that is you. I admit I'm a little ashamed now, I've read that series at least a dozen times. Can't believe I didn't recognize you.

M laughs and reassures them.

M: Please it's better that way. But it's nice to know you enjoyed the series. Thank you

Tucker: Sooo, can she help me?

Kiersten hesitates still

Kiersten: We really couldn't ask you to do that.

M: It's not a problem. Please I'd like to help.

Rufus: Kier she says its okay. Besides who better to help him than the werewolf master herself. Thank you Mercury. Come one Kason we can head out back. Falls taking its time and I just got a new grill I'd like to give a go before the season gets too cold. We'll take the little ones we have a swing and space for them to play.

Kason and Rufus around up the toddlers leaving Mercury to help Tucker with his story.

After about an hour Tucker and Kiersten join the others in the yard.

Kason: Where's Mercury?

Kiersten: She went down the street to change. I thought she was dressed a little warm for the weather.

M returns 10 short minutes later and everyone is already gathered outside.

Rufus: You're just in time. Your husband was just impressing us with his culinary talents and finished up what looks like an excellent set of Chimis.

During their meal Kason and M ask the Walter’s what brought them to Brindelton Bay. Rufus explained how he'd been promoted from his position as Constructor of Computers in Chestnut Ridge.

Rufus: The office out there is still small and well they aren't all tech savvy. So the only way to really get the promotion was to move my family to San Myshuno or the Brindelton Bay office. My choice was a clear one.

Kason: It will be nice to see a friendly face in the office.

Rufus smiled, the comment meant to instill a sense of friendship but Kason knew it had another meaning, but that was an issue for another time.

As the evening draws to an end M extends a invitation to Kiersten.

M: Tomorrow and the day after we’re having birthday parties for the triplets and Zohreh. You guys should all come by.

Kiersten pulls M into a hug

Kiersten: We would love to, and thank you for today.

M hugs her back. When she pulls away Kiersten wiped tears from her eyes.

M: For what? We were guest in your home we should be thanking you.

Kiersten: You and your family have made us feel so welcomed already. We've hardly seen any of the neighbors sense we've been here. The last town we lived in was so lively, and warm. The people were like family. We've been here for almost a week and your family is the first and only to come over and even introduce themselves.

M: The neighborhood is fairly quite. More dog owners than families with kids, living so close to the clinic and dog park. Don't worry it was the same when Kason and I first moved here. We can go by the cafe or the towns national park sometime.

M: And if we don't find any nice people don't worry, you and I are going to be good friends.

Kiersten giggles and wipes the last of the tears from her eyes,

M: It'll be nice to have a friend close to home.

Kiersten sighs

Kiersten: It'll be good to have a friend. I'm so excited for tomorrow.

Kason arounds up the kids as M finishes her goodbyes. Before they leave Tucker runs out and hugs M tightly

Tucker: Thank you so much Mrs.Gratz! Could you come over again and help me with more of my stories please?!

M: I told you it's okay to call me Mercury, and I would love to help you with your stories in exchange you and your family have to come over to our house tomorrow for Zohreh's birthday. What do you say?

Tucker: I get to come to your house?! Mom we can go right?

Kiersten: Of course

She mouths thank you to M again with a fresh batch of tears in her eyes.

M: Then i’ll see you guys tomorrow. Thank you for lunch. Have a goodnight.

*Journals of a werewolf” is the book that got M her 4th celebrity star. It was a best-seller and she won a star- accolade award. It’s the book most sims are likely to have read. She wrote 2 squeal’s.

[sylphiesweet]

: ̗̀➛ Rarijack Fanfic - Ch1 ౨ৎ

- ͙۪۪̥˚┊❛ w/c: 6.5k ❜┊˚ ͙۪۪̥◌

a/n: hello !! this is my first real post on here. i don't typically use tumblr, and i don't typically write fanfiction ! but i love to write, and i figured i would rather write stuff that others will want to read than write stuff that will collect dust in my folders. constructive feedback is much appreciated :)

Summary: A humanized MLP:FiM alternate universe set in the 90s where Rarity- a now famous fashion designer living in Canterlot- visits Ponyville for a reunion with her friends. Centers on the Rarity x Applejack ship. Lots of fluff, only involves the mane 6, very wholesome.

enjoy ♡

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Under the warm lamp light of the Canterlot Carousel’s tailor shop fervorously work the delicate and nimble fingers of Equestria’s greatest designer. It is well past close, the streets just beyond the doors of the boutique are desolate, yet Rarity is intent on completing her remaining custom orders. Through her rubied cat eye frames this artist fixates on the precise stitching of her sewing machine. The fabric of the garment being constructed is ethereal, it possesses an otherworldly luster that practically lights up what is an otherwise pitch-black room. Nights like these, where this lady of refined elegance works her magic for hours on end, are what have gotten her so far in such a cutthroat industry. They are also, however, what tends to be the blockage between her and a healthy social life.

Under the obnoxiously loud whirring of Rarity’s sewing machine approaches the faint sound of heels clicking against the boutique’s shiny marble floors. She doesn’t hear the voice calling her name, too stuck in her trance-like state of work. It takes the sewing machine being turned off mid-seam for her to finally look up. “What do you think you are doing, Sassy?! I am in a time crunch here!”

In front of the dramatic damsel stood Rarity’s store manager, Sassy Saddles, with the unplugged cord to the sewing machine in hand. She had a partially amused, mostly concerned expression. “I was closing up the boutique when I heard you back here. You’ve been sewing for a while, Rarity. I haven’t seen you step away from your desk all day.”

She gave her manager an unamused expression. “Time crunch, darling. Pay attention. Now plug the machine back in, will you?” Rarity instinctively bent back into position, expecting Sassy to obey and the machine to resume.

Sassy sighed. She knew there was no use in arguing, not with Rarity of all women. “Before you continue, I came to give you this.” From her skirt pocket, she pulls a wax-sealed envelope addressed to Rarity.

This got her attention. “Oh? Give it here.” She held her hand out and received the letter. Searching for something on her desk to open it with, she glanced up briefly to her manager. “Who’s it from?”

“I believe your old friends from Ponyville. It has the Princess’s logo on the seal- see?” A well-manicured finger reached over the sewing machine and tapped on the crimson wax holding the envelope together. It did indeed have the insignia of their nation’s beloved princess pressed into it.

Rarity took her embroidery shears and sliced the parcel open. The letter inside contained the iconic calligraphy of a royal friend from a lifetime ago, she would recognize it anywhere. If the wax seal and the regal writing didn’t already give away the author of such a letter, it was the words themselves. Nobody else in all of Equestria wrote with such intellectual grace. The same level of attention to detail in each sentence could be achieved by no one other than the Princess of Friendship herself; Twilight Sparkle. Seeing the penmanship of a friend from her girlhood brought a smile to Rarity’s face. It sometimes still felt like it was only yesterday that they were having sleepovers together in her quaint library, giving each other facials and sharing the local gossip. That was back when she was still a small-town girl, running her first and only boutique with a head full of dreams and a heart full of passion. The more she reminisced, the older she began to feel. The gray hairs on her head were probably multiplying with each memory. She should just read the letter already.

As her boss read, Sassy discreetly began to wrap up the sewing machine’s cord and hook it onto the side of the desk. She loved when the boutique had plenty of business, but she also knew from past experience that an overworked Rarity could lead to catastrophic things. A sigh of disappointment from the tired designer came once she finished reading. Sassy looked up, quickly folding her hands in front of her to hide her crime. “What’s wrong?” she asked hesitantly.

”Nothing is wrong… Twilight is hosting a reunion.” Rarity set the letter aside.

Sassy smiled, yet still held that look of worry in her brows. “Well, that’s wonderful!… Is it not?”

”It’s all the way back in Ponyville. That’s a trip I simply do not have the time to take, I will have to decline the invitation.” She began searching around her desk for a pen and paper to write with.

”Now hold on, Rarity!” Sassy stepped around the desk to face Rarity, mostly so they could stop talking over the sewing machine. “You have been working yourself to the tips of your cuticles. There is not another lady in Canterlot more deserving of a break than you. Speaking as both your manager and your friend, you would be mad not to accept this invite.”

Rarity paused her searching. Sassy wasn’t a stranger to dramatic speeches, nor was she, yet it was surprising to hear her actively protest like this. “How deserving I am of a break doesn’t matter when we have New York Fashion Week rapidly approaching. My schedule is absolutely full! I have to go back up to Manehattan on Monday to fit the models for the line, and then down to Fillydelphia on Wednesday for a meeting with the design team coming from Milan, and next Saturday I am flying out to Las Pegasus for the opening of the Carousel Boutique on the strip.” She had begun to spiral into one of her fast-paced, extra-dramatic rants. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Rarity looked up at Sassy and took her glasses off. “Tell me, where am I meant to fit a trip to Ponyville in all of that?” The name of her hometown was spat out with a coat of contemptment, like it wasn’t good enough to be considered on her roster of Equestria’s top fashion cities.

Sassy sighed quietly, she never knew how to calm Rarity down. “I’m not sure, but you are great at making things work. When is the party?”

Rarity put her glasses back on and pulled the letter over again. “…This weekend it seems.” Well that invalidated most of her argument, and Sassy was quick to pick up on it.

”Perfect, you could leave for Manehattan straight from Ponyville. If you think about it, a relaxing trip home before your busy week would be a fantastic reset. We both know that you can’t avoid burnout.”

Holding the paper, Rarity chewed the corner of her lip as she stared at the date written down. She took a moment to think. “I’d have to book my train tickets first thing tomorrow…” It seemed she was genuinely considering this trip.

“I would be happy to do that for you,” she replied with a smile.

Rarity’s brow furrowed in deep contemplation. “I… will think about it. Thank you, Sassy. You can go home now.”

Satisfied with that answer, Sassy nodded and turned to head out. “Good night, Rarity. I will see you tomorrow.” Her heel clicks followed her out the door, with the ring of the storefront bell signaling her exit.

It was a few more minutes of silent thinking before Rarity sighed and set the letter down once more. The decision seemed obvious, Sassy was right in saying she needed a break, yet something in the back of her mind still worried about falling behind. The days before New York Fashion Week were always ruthless, yet if one managed to stay on top of it all it could boost their reputation tremendously. If they fell behind, the consequences could be dire. Rarity had worked too hard to build a name for herself just to let big opportunities slip away.

This was a choice that could be made tomorrow, she had orders to fulfill now. Getting back into sewing position, she tried to start the machine. When it didn’t start, Rarity finally noticed that Sassy had wrapped up the cord. “What- Oh, for Celestia’s sake!” She groaned and leaned back in her chair, defeatedly. Her persistent assistant had won. It was too late to continue, anyways.

Rarity took off her glasses, leaning back even further to stretch out her stiff spine. The silence of her studio consumed her. She stopped bringing Opalescence to work with her recently, the boutique gets overwhelmingly busy and she’s an old kitty now, little lady needs her rest. Ever since then, nights like these bring a strange sense of loneliness to Rarity. When she’s not working, work is all she has to think about. She is living her dream, so where is the fulfillment that was meant to come with it? Ever since permanently moving out of Ponyville, this lonely feeling has haunted her relentlessly… Perhaps this reunion will do her good.

She gets up and turns the lamp off, leaving everything as it is to be resumed in the morning.

—

Celestia’s Sun had yet to begin its rise over Sweet Apple Acres on the day of the reunion, yet Ponyville’s hard-working orchardist was already starting her day. As was usual, the farm was quiet in the morning. Only the songs of the earliest birds could be heard. By noon, the crickets and cicadas would join them. It didn’t get much louder than that around here, not since Apple Bloom went off to college. Big McIntosh and Sugar Belle had their second kid not so long before that, and they decided it was too much work to raise their family while living on the farm. Now, it’s just Applejack and Winona left.

While it was still the quietest it would be all day, AJ ran herself a refreshing shower. “Freezing” might be the more accurate word, or at least the word most would use, but there was nothing like a shot of ice-cold water at 4 AM to wake a gal up. Purified and straight from the same rivers that ran through the orchards, the water trickled down her long, golden locks. She let out a sigh, closing her eyes and running her fingers through her hair. No one would be able to tell, not with the naked eye, but AJ had grown plenty of grays amidst all those blonde strands. The stress of managing the farm without Big Mac to help her had probably only doubled them by now, she wasn’t the same spry and young girl she used to be.

A hearty breakfast is typically in order after her rinse-off. Three eggs sunny side up, four bacon strips, two sausages, and a slice of toast. All accompanied by a shiny red apple, plucked straight from a tree in her backyard. One doesn’t acquire the muscles she has by simply working on a farm, a diet full of protein is a must. Although, coming from a long line of farmers on both sides of the family, AJ’s natural 6 '1 stature did attribute to her well-toned physique.

Today, she would be needing this protein-filled breakfast. Not that she didn’t need it every day. The reunion Twilight was throwing would be held at her barn- a good old-fashioned hoedown. Her friends were meant to arrive this evening, so she had the whole day to get her daily chores done and set up for the party. It would be a bit of a crunch to fit all that into one day, but it was worth it for her friends. The only real social interaction she got these days was on her weekly trips into town to sell her apples. It would be great to chill for a night and catch up with her gals.

Mid-apple crunch, an unexpected knock came from the porch door. Winona started barking relentlessly without hesitation. Well shit, she wasn’t presentable in the slightest. Her hair was still wet from the shower, sitting on top of the towel draped over her broad shoulders. Aside from her not-so-fashionable accessory, AJ was in just a tank and shorts. The door had to be answered regardless! She set the half-eaten fruit down and got up. If she could make a list of the least expected guests to be showing up on her doorstep before 5 AM on a weekend, this girl would be dead last. AJ had to do a double take when she opened her door. “Rarity?? Huh! Well, I’ll be!”

The plum-haired beauty smiled up to her old friend. “Applejack, darling! Good morning, dear. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She was carrying Opal in her mini bejeweled feline carrier, no bigger than a fashionable purse.

”Only breakfast. Come on in, gal!” AJ pulls Rarity in for a warm hug before stepping aside.

Their embrace, which was probably the first real hug either of them have experienced in some time, lasts enough time for their bodies to melt into one another, as if in an attempt to make up for all the time spent apart. It also lasts long enough for their pets to start bickering, with Opal hissing down at Winona from her carrier.

Rarity laughs apologetically, scolding her cat on the way into AJ’s house. “Bad kitty! This is not how we behave. You’ve known Winona for years, quit it!”

AJ chuckles, quieting down Winona as well as she follows Rarity inside. “I must say, I’m surprised as all get out to see you up so early. Are you finally past the point of beauty sleep?” She said this with an obvious joking tone, always loving to tease her “girly” obsessions.

Joining her host for a seat at the dining table, Rarity playfully scoffed. “One doesn’t simply stop needing beauty sleep, darling. Honestly, I would rather be getting said sleep now… My assistant- Sassy Saddles, you remember her right? Well, she booked the earliest train from Canterlot. Too early, in my opinion! So, here I am.” She smiled and pulled Opalescence out of her carrier and began stroking her fluffy white fur in her lap.

AJ couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the most elegant woman she knew speak her mind. It had been too long since they had spoken, her ears wanted to soak up every word she said. There was just something in Rarity’s voice, her cadence and tone and choice of words, that could hypnotize a girl like Applejack in seconds. “Well boy howdy it sure is good to see you again, girl. But, uhh… Why’d you come to my place? The party ain’t for ten hours.”

Rarity sheepishly giggled. “Who else in all of Ponyville is going to be up at sunrise on a Saturday?”

She got her there. AJ laughed wholeheartedly. “Y’ain’t wrong about that! Can I get you some breakfast? The trains serve nothin’ good.” Getting up from the table, she opens the cupboards like she already has an idea in mind of what to make.

“Oh, I’m quite alright. Thank you, dear. I will take a tea or coffee if you have any.” Rarity looked around the kitchen. It was amazing, hardly anything had changed. The only notable difference was the new pictures here and there. Their most recent family photo caught her eye. “Heavens! Is little Apple Bloom really that grown up?” She set Opal down to get up and look at the frame on the wall.

AJ, already brewing a pot of coffee, smiled to herself at the mention of her little sister. “Crazy, right? Feels like yesterday she was still runnin’ around in my old treehouse with their little crusader club… How’s Sweetie Belle?”

It took Rarity a moment to respond, still in shock at how much the Apple family had changed. “Oh, she’s just fine. I believe she’s coming home for winter break. Perhaps we could stop by to catch up with you and Apple Bloom when the time comes.” The bell on Opal’s collar jingled as she rubbed herself against Rarity’s ankles, purring at her to be picked up. Still examining the pictures, she bent down and scooped her kitty up to be held.

Sunlight had finally made its way over the hills and in through the kitchen window, streaking amber rays across the walls. The light bounced off floating dust particles, it reflected on the glass over hanging pictures, danced across the kitchen’s cutlery and crockery. Most notably, it illuminated Applejack in an enchanting halo. She turned around with a smile as bright as this early morning sunrise, pouring Rarity’s cup of coffee as she spoke. “That’d be mighty swell! Here ya’ are, darlin’.” She set the mug down and slid it across the kitchen island with a smooth wink.

Something caught Rarity in a trance. She seemed to be frozen, holding Opal in her arms and staring at AJ. The way her hair, all dewy from what she could only assume was a shower, was highlighted by the sun rays. Her gorgeously toned muscles had a glowing golden aura, as did every lash, freckle, and mark on her face. Her friend had suddenly transformed from the town farmer to a goddess sculpted by the sun. How come she had never noticed the beauty in all her chiseled features before? Sure, AJ was always a strong and tall lady, but she’s aged like a fine apple cider. She couldn’t help but continue to stare… for an uncomfortably long time.

”Uh… Rarity? Somethin’ wrong?” Applejack chuckled nervously.

”H- Huh?? Oh! Pardon me, nothing is wrong, darling. Thank you for the drink.” She set Opal back down and stepped over to pick up the coffee. One could tell from just the scent that it was as fresh as it gets, the beans were most likely hand-ground by AJ herself today. Everything on Sweet Apple Acres had that realness to it, that pure authenticity that the Apple family stood by. It could be tasted from the first sip Rarity took, rich and dense in flavor. “Mmm, it’s lovely.”

Applejack smiled, feeling the self-consciousness of being stared at wash away. “Oh! Glad to hear it.” She lifted the towel from her shoulders and wrung out her hair one last time before tossing it over the side of the sink. “So, what’ve you been up to lately? I heard the Canterlot Carousel’s doin’ swell.” In a small town like Ponyville, news of any resident’s success travels quick, doesn’t matter if they still live there or not. She walks back over to the dining table to sit with Rarity and chat.

Sipping her coffee and sitting down as well, she lets out an exasperated sigh. “Ohhh busy busy busy… I have just been eternally busy with my boutiques.”

”Wait- Boutiques plural? I thought your business in Canterlot was the only one you’ve got! Not since the Carousel Boutique closed…” Rarity’s first store location had closed not too long ago. Now it just serves as her home when she comes to visit.

She nodded, understanding the confusion. “I opened a second store in Manehattan when I closed that one. It has proven to be most successful, and I'm looking at real estate in Las Pegasus for a third store! My goal is to have one location in all of Equestria’s major fashion cities.”

Again, AJ couldn’t help her smile as Rarity spoke. “Well that’s fantastic! Congrats, Rare. Figures that a star-studded gal like you would make it so big, ain’t nobody in this town who had more passion and talent than yourself…”

While AJ had no intentions with such a compliment other than to speak the truth, it left Rarity pink in the cheeks. “Awh! Wh- why thank you, Applejack! How about you? The farm looks marvelous, I must say. Walking through the orchards on my way up here was absolutely scenic.”

She chuckled. “Scenic, huh? I appreciate it, but what you see ‘round here really is what you get these days. Those trees out front are the majority of what I have now. Had to cut a lotta acres since Big Mac moved out, it’s just too much work to handle all by my lonesome.” Applejack went quiet for a moment, looking out the window as the sun continued to rise. “Truth be told, I don’t want to lose the farm, but it just ain’t what it used to be. I ain’t what I used to be. I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout it an awful lot recently. That maybe I’d keep workin’ for a few more years, just enough to get Apple Bloom through college, and then sell it all once she’s settled…” Realizing she had gone on a little tangent, she scratched the back of her neck and laughed. “Pardon me, Rarity. That’s stuff that only Winona usually hears.”

The little border collie who was curled up under the table stuck her head up upon hearing her name. AJ bent down and petted her head as a painfully tense silence sifted between them. It took Rarity a bit to find her words. “…I’m… I’m terribly sorry, Applejack. That’s quite the burden to be carrying, especially for just one girl.” She reached out and placed her hand on top of AJ’s.

The difference in their skin was apparent not just visually, but even more so tactilely. One’s hand was tanned from the sun, calloused by years of hard work, muscular even down to the tips of the fingers. The other’s was soft, feminine, had a beautiful manicure, and only calloused where sewing needles prick. Yet, despite the polarity of their physical makeups, each one standing on the opposite ends of what society deems to be a woman, the intimate connection sparking between the colliding cells of their separate beings was undeniable.

Tender affection like this had been absent from Applejack’s life for longer than she could remember. The feeling of Rarity’s gentle skin on hers, the calming words of comfort she could give, they quickly made this a moment to savor. An urge somewhere inside herself began to crave more of this. She hadn’t even realized there was an absence of anything in her life, and a subtle taste of what she had been missing ignited a desire for more. Carefully, Applejack supinated her hand so that their palms were facing one another, and she held Rarity’s dainty fingers with her own. “Thank you, Rare. Sorry to toss all this on you, I know it’s kinda heavy.”

Rarity squeezed AJ’s hand back. “And yet you’ve been carrying it all by yourself… Both metaphorically and physically, my dear. I mean, good Celestia! You’ve really been running Sweet Apple Acres all alone? Not even a farmhand to help you?”

AJ chuckled and shook her head. “Nope, just Winona and I. But I could say the same about you! You’ve been runnin’ all these fancy stores across the country by yourself? No business partner or nothin’?”

”Oh don’t flatter me, a boutique is hardly comparable to a farm. And I have managers, assistants and such. As strong as you are, darling, you’re carrying the load of three… Have you discussed any of this with your brother?”

Talking wasn’t something she and her brother did much of recently. There wasn’t any animosity, they had a great relationship. Life had just gotten in the way. “Ah, he’s got his kids to deal with… We did have a long talk before they decided to move out, and he was worried about just this. In the end, we chalked it up to “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” And, uh…” AJ chuckled in a defeated manner. “I’ve gotten to that bridge. Now I just ain’t sure…”

Rarity also wasn’t sure. She hated seeing one of her closest friends in such a tough situation, but she was also in no position to give advice. What she could do was set her coffee down, let go of Applejack’s hand, and lean in for a hug. “I am not sure how much weight my words hold, but I am sure that whatever you decide to do will be the right choice, Applejack.”

Those words held more weight than she could carry, enough weight to knock some of the unbearable pressure off her shoulders. AJ returned the hug with a smile, squeezing Rarity gently in her arms. “Thank you…”

—

The barn at Sweet Apple Acres was lit up and lively that night. Atmospheric lighting emitted by the lanterns that hung from every pole post created a cozy environment, perfect for a long night of reconnecting with one another. Applejack and Rarity had spent the day cleaning the space up, shoveling hay out of the way and setting up tables. In between that, Rarity assisted with some of the farmwork that needed to be done. As per usual, all of the decorations credit goes to Pinkie Pie, who showed up around noon with a truckload of party supplies.

By sunset, everyone had arrived. The organizer of this party was the last to show up, as she got caught up with royal duties before she could leave. When she finally made her appearance, it was in an official royal motorcade. She embarrassedly had to command her guards to leave her there, not wanting tonight to be any different than the hangouts they all used to have in the past. If it were up to her, which it should be, she would have driven herself up here. Alas, official procedures say otherwise.

Still dressed in her formal blazer with her hair wound in a tight bun, Princess Twilight Sparkle joined her friends inside the barn. Only now, she wasn’t a princess. She was just Twilight. Almost instantly, she was wrapped in a hug of 10 arms and squeals from her 5 favorite girls.

“Thank you all for coming!! It’s so great to see you girls again.” There was a shared wave of ease that washed over the group as they were all together for the first time in years.

Attempts had been made at group reunions like this in the past, at least once a year. It was almost impossible for everyone to be free at the same time, someone always had to decline. That someone had typically been Rarity. Her surprise presence hadn’t gone unnoticed, and it was quick to be pointed out. They all moved to the lounge pit made of hay bales to chat.

“I was starting to think you hated us, Rare!” Rainbow Dash leaned over and elbowed Rarity playfully. “Your fancy Canterlot life too good for us?”

Rarity nervously laughed, pushing Rainbow off of her in an equally playful fashion. “Of course not! You know I love you girls.”

“Then how come you’ve missed our last, like, three hangouts!!” Pinkie Pie giggled from across the pit, sitting criss-crossed on her hay bale and sipping some cider.

She knew this was just friendly fire, but a part of her felt bad for being so absent. This invitation would’ve also been declined if it wasn’t for her assistant’s insistence. “The fashion industry is ruthless, darlings. Free time is nonexistent! Not if you want to survive...” Rarity was extra dramatic with this delivery, which got everyone laughing.

The ever-quiet Fluttershy took her own shot at Rarity. “Twilight is the ruler of Equestria and she can make time for us, that’s no excuse.” Everyone “oohed” at Rarity after that.

Twilight laughed this off, not wanting to draw attention to herself. “Hey now, it’s not her fault if she has a busy schedule! Besides, Canterlot is a far trip from Ponyville.”

Applejack chimes in, this time making a jab at Twilight. “Yeah, we can’t all travel in a limousine with a motorcade.” The whole group laughed, and it felt just like old times again.

The hours passed quickly, and the sky went from a peachy array of pinks and oranges to midnight hues of blue and black. The girls drank cider fresh from the orchards, snacked on pastries from the Sugarcube Corner, told stories from their lives over the past years, and laughed at jokes as old as their friendships. At some point in between all of the drinking and laughing, Applejack had snuck out of the barn. Rarity was the first to notice. She excused herself as well to go find where the party’s host had gone.

Just beyond the barn doors, under the spread of twinkling stars and Luna’s moon was a hard at work Applejack. The thud of her axe rang out through the silent field as it came down, splitting a log in two. She grabbed the fallen pieces and put them back together, taking another hard swing to split it into quarters.

Rarity cautiously stepped over to AJ, partially amused at this late-night wood cutting. “Needed some fresh air, did we?” She stopped far enough away that no stray wood chips would come flying at her.

Applejack turned and smiled at Rarity as she tossed another log onto her stump. “You think everyone would be up for a bonfire? It’s a beauty of a night out here, perfect weather for one.” She raises her axe once more and brings it down with a slight grunt, continuing to repeat the process from before. “I wish I had the idea for one earlier, woulda been convenient to do this before sundown.”

”That sounds like a lovely idea!.. Can I help you?” She asks this hesitantly, very aware of her lack of bonfire-making skills.

As the fresh quarters of wood topple over around the chopping block, AJ puts the head of her axe on the ground and leans on the handle. She wipes some sweat from her forehead with her arm as she turns to Rarity. “…You… You wanna help chop wood?…” Her words ended with a quiet chuckle. Who is this girl, and what has she done with the helpless damsel Rarity?

Taking offense to this, she crosses her arms and pouts. “Is that not what I just said?? I don’t understand what’s funny.” Actually, she does indeed see the humor in this. Normally she would pull up a chair and watch the hard work be done for her. Maybe it was all of the cleaning they did together earlier, the feeling of accomplishment a hard day’s work gave her that was incentivizing her to do more. Or maybe it was just the idea of being around Applejack.

Adjusting her leather Stetson hat to brush some blonde strands out of her face, AJ chuckled again before nodding to Rarity. She beckoned her over with two fingers. “Alright, gal. But I gotta teach you how to properly handle this thing first.” The axe handle was carved from an apple tree grown on the orchard, sanded and polished by AJ herself. She grabs a smaller, more easily choppable log and throws it on the stump.

“That’s fine! Looks easy enough. You just grab and swing, no?” She tries to take the axe from AJ, but it quickly gets pulled back.

”Whoa-ho-ho! Slow your roll there, sugar. You could pull a tendon or send this here axe flying buck wild without proper form, and I’m not tryna have any ladies hurtin’ on my farm tonight.” The axe gets placed up against the stump while Rarity gets her schooling in wood chopping. Placing her hands on her shoulders from behind, AJ guides her into position.

That same rosy pink blush from sunup today had found its way back to Rarity’s cheeks. AJ’s grip was firm yet gentle, and just one of her hands covered the entirety of her shoulder. The heat of her palms also felt nice on her skin in contrast with the crisp night air. More than anything, it was the way she effortlessly moved her to where she wanted. She couldn’t have tried to resist even if she wanted to, though she knows AJ would never actually use force on her in such a way. Regardless, the mere potential of being restrained by Applejack’s sheer strength… it made something deep within Rarity double over.

Maneuvering Rarity to the right distance from the stump, AJ then bends down behind her. She keeps one hand resting on Rarity’s waist while the other gently pushes on her thigh, manually shaping her stance. Although unusually flustered, Rarity lets herself be posed like one of her fashion mannequins. Her hand migrates from the top of her thigh to the back of her knee, using just enough pressure to force a bend. It’s taking Rarity more and more strength to stay standing, this is more touching than she expected wood splitting to warrant.

 Once AJ is satisfied with the stance, she gets up and grabs the axe, placing it in Rarity’s hands. It’s much heavier than she expected. ”Alright, now grip your left hand at the base of the helve like this… And then start with your right near the head…” As she explains, she places her hands on top of Rarity’s to guide them accordingly. AJ’s body is pressed right up against Rarity’s in doing this, with her head peering over her shoulder. A sewing needle couldn’t wriggle its way between them.

At last, this designer has been molded into the image of a lumberjack, with just an additional farmer hanging off her behind. AJ turns her head slightly towards Rarity’s and smiles. “You ready, gal?”

Still profusely blushing, Rarity nervously swallows and nods. She doesn’t feel ready at all, but she also doesn’t know how much more manhandling she can take.

Applejack, still guiding Rarity’s hands, steadily raises the axe above their heads. She then swiftly brings it down onto the little log. It splits with ease, tumbling off either side of the block. Rarity couldn’t help but smile. She got a rush of excitement at the power that chop had, even though it was almost entirely AJ’s doing.

They separated, and AJ finally let Rarity hold the axe by herself. She had the proudest grin on and gave her a pat on the back. “Well done!! Think you can handle one by yourself?” She grabbed another easy log.

Rarity nodded eagerly, readying her stance now that she knew what to do. She took a swing at the log and partially split it. AJ came over and helped unstick the head. “That swing wasn’t half bad! Give it one more go, you got it.” Her tone was encouraging in an almost motherly way. It was internally strengthening to receive praise and assurance from someone who knows what she’s talking about.

She took another swing, this time with a power-packed grunt. The log split on the second strike, sending the halves toppling to the dirt. She cheered, doing as much of a celebratory jump as she could while still gripping the axe.

AJ cheered with her, grabbing the log she split and assembling it again for a quarter split. “Hoo-Wee! That’s a clean chop, Rare! Didn’t think you packed such a punch.” That’s a lie, everyone knows Rarity is capable of going off the rails when she wants to. “Go at ‘er one more time, and we’ll have some good kindlin’ for the fire.”

”Oh no, thank you, darling, but I’ve had quite enough.” She gently sets the axe down on the stump and steps away, wiping her hands off. “I’ll give you motivational support from over here!”

Back to the same old same old. AJ chuckles and takes over, splitting the log again in one fluid motion. “Well, I appreciate the help. And I commend you for still tryin’ new things at our age. You’re always full of surprises, sugar.”

A few more split logs later and Applejack had gotten a roaring fire going. Everyone migrated outside, sitting down on whatever plank, bale, or barrel they could find. Faces were hot from the radiating heat of the fire, and backs were chilly from the cool air of Luna’s hour.

Pinkie Pie plucked an apple from the nearest tree and managed to skewer it. “I bet this will taste just like warm, sugary apple pie!” she giggled in excitement.

“I… don’t believe that’s how it works-” Twilight hesitantly watched, nervous about the fruit going up in flames.

Rainbow cackled from across the fire as she toasted a marshmallow. “You’re lacking a few ingredients, Pie.” Her mallow then proceeded to catch fire, to which she frowned and tossed it into the pit to watch disintegrate.

“No I’m not! See?” Miraculously, Pinkie held up a pie tin, already lined with crust dough. The rest of the girls took a moment to process her antics… and then all burst into laughter.

Toads chirped their song from the grass and trees, the cindering logs crackled harmoniously, and these six soulmates laughed with each other until their lungs were void of oxygen. Their riotous joy soon simmered into a quiet appreciation of each other’s company, watching the fire under the moonlit sky. Pinkie Pie shared slices of her freshly fire-baked pastry while Rainbow Dash munched on her first successful s’more, and Applejack brought her guitar over to play for everyone. It felt like an almost ceremonious closing to their reunion.

She sat on the haybale next to Rarity with her guitar, angling the neck away so as not to hit her with it. As she carefully checked the tuning of the strings, she quietly leaned into Rarity with a question. “What song should I play?”

Had she been more awake, perhaps Rarity would have gotten slightly flustered at yet another intimate moment with her shockingly gorgeous, strong, kind-hearted friend. But it was late, and the fire was cozy. Even the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering their way to sleep. She thought about the question for a moment. “...What’s that one slow song by Elvis? It’s the only thing coming to mind at the moment.” She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.

AJ thought for a moment, a small smile curling at her lips. “I think I know which one ya mean… Does it go like this?...” She begins lightly picking the strings, and the song is instantly recognizable after just a few chords. It perks up the other sleepy heads sitting around the fire, as their attention is all directed to the music.

Rarity nods, her eyelids slowly growing heavy. “Mhm… That’s the one…”

“Alright, doll.” Applejack begins playing, gaining an audience of all her friends. The flames, dying down now, dance in a way that nearly matches the song’s rhythm.

The sweetness of her music quickly lulls Rarity into the sleep that has been prodding at her. As AJ begins softly singing the lyrics, Rarity lays her head on her shoulder and closes her eyes. The blush that had been haunting her all day transferred at the touch of their bodies, it was finally AJ’s turn. Her cheeks grew rosy, but she didn’t stop her playing. A smile brighter than the fire in front of them could be heard through her words as she sang…

“… Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you

Shall I stay?

Would it be a sin

If I can't help falling in love with you?...”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

ending song reference:

thank you all for reading, even my friends who i begged to. chapter 2 will come if enough people enjoyed this one ! ( ˘ ³˘ )♡

[turtletaubwrites]

hello! i have a request if you would be willing to look into it! in chapter 10 of We’ve all Got Needs, the reader says to themself “i will just be everyone’s girlfriend, everyone’s cheerleader,” and that sentence has stayed with me since i first read it and i would love it if you could write maybe like an extension chapter that touches more on that thought? like just the reader being a people pleaser and not thinking of themself until someone gets concerned? i don’t know i just think that is such a relatable feeling for so many people, myself included, and i wish i saw it more in literature. but anyways, thank you so much for reading!

Hi, thank you for the request! And thank you, it means a lot that something I wrote stuck with you! 💜 This is short, and is basically a look at the inside of somebody's head that needs to go have a lay down and focus on themselves. It doesn't have a resolution as I wanted to keep the focus on how the reader is making excuses for her thoughts and actions. I may write a breakdown/resolution if y'all would like to see one.

This SFW one shot is not part of the poly fic We've All Got Needs story, but if it were it would take place sometime after part 10.

Everyone's Girlfriend, Everyone's Cheerleader

Pairings: Sanji x Fem!Reader, Zoro x Fem!Reader, Robin x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1021

We've All Got Needs Masterlist

Summary: You're trying to catch up on your responsibilities while balancing polyamorous relationships with the cook, the swordsman, and the archaeologist. Your friend tries to convince you to take a break, but you are too focused on keeping your partners as happy as they make you.

Rating/Warnings: SFW, AFAB!Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Reader, 18+ Only, MDNI, Reader-Insert, Fluff, Mild Angst, Polyamory, Swearing, Established Relationships, People Pleasing, Some Suggestive Thoughts/Implied Intimate Memories, Reader is Not Taking Good Care of Herself, Guilt, Low Self Esteem

A/N: Please take care of yourselves, lovelies. I heavily relate to these feelings, and it's easy to make excuses. We can't be everywhere all at once, we can't be everything to everyone. Please let yourself breathe 💜

I need some new clothes.

It’s Sanji’s day today, so you pulled on a skirt, feeling a small smile form at the thought of how much he likes it when you wear them. 

Taking your time getting ready, you couldn’t help but notice the tightness around your eyes. 

You had a break day yesterday, but instead of catching up on sleep, you had stayed up late catching up on work. 

It’s worth it. 

Each step toward the galley built your smile as you thought about your three partners waiting to shower you with affection. The heavenly smell of Sanji’s cooking met you before you stepped in the door. 

Passing Robin as you sat in your normal spot, you kissed her cheek, a thrill going through you at her teasing smile.

What should we do on our next date?

The urge to impress your mysterious new lover had started taking up space in your mind lately. She was hard to read, and you ached to keep her affection, to get to know her. 

Then there was Zoro, who wrapped his arm around you, pulling you tight against him. Sighing into his warmth, you thought of what you’d wear during his day tomorrow. 

Zoro really liked those black pants. 

You felt your skin flush at the memory of how he’d pulled those pants halfway down your thighs and… And then Sanji was leaning toward you, setting down a glass of fresh squeezed tangerine juice as his eyes poured over your blushing skin. 

Zoro squeezed his arm tighter around you as Sanji kissed your temple, whispering praise.

“You look gorgeous this morning, ma belle.”

“Hey, Y/N, do you wanna hang out after lunch today?”

Nami’s voice cut through your flustered thoughts. Her head was tilted at you with a small smile, and you felt wracked with guilt.

“I, uh. I’m working with Chopper this afternoon. I have time after breakfast though!”

You really didn’t. You were falling behind on your projects, and still needed to catch up on your monographs from your field work at the last island.

~

Nami’s smiling face was lovely to see as she leaned toward you beneath the tangerine trees. You felt yourself laughing with her, but your mind kept planning out how to catch up on everything. 

“Hey, Y/N? You awake in there?”

“Fuck, I’m sorry! I, uh… I didn’t sleep well.”

Your stomach twisted with guilt, throat tight as she scrutinized you.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine! I’m so sorry, I've been distracted. What were you saying?”

Nami’s eyes rolled up, and she nudged your shoulder.

“Your lover boys need to let you get some sleep, or I’m gonna beat the shit out of them.”

With a small laugh, you felt some of that tightness release, and you smiled at the thought. 

“No, it’s not them. I just stayed up too late last night working.”

Her narrowed eyes cut right through you, and you stilled your fingers as they had started clenching together.

“Well, maybe I’ll have to beat the shit out of you then.”

She gave your shoulder a light punch then, and you gasped, trying to change the subject. 

Nami wasn’t easily distracted.

“So, how many nights do you have to yourself a week?”

“Um, well… Right now it’s Sanji’s night, then Zoro’s, then Robin’s. Then I have a break day.”

Nami’s scowl sped your pulse, you weren’t sure why you were feeling so embarrassed about this. 

“But I can take a break whenever I want, so if I need to I can have more time for just me.”

“Uh huh… So why don’t you take a break?”

Your teeth were clenched as you hoped to hear Sanji call for lunch. 

“I took a break last night, I’m all good.”

“Working all night is not a break, Y/N. I’m starting to worry about you.”

Nami’s tone was soft and serious now, and you didn’t want her to stress about you. 

“I’m okay, really! I swear I’ll take extra breaks if I need to.”

She sighed, head shaking slightly, but Sanji’s voice cut off her reply. 

Lunch left your brain full of Nami’s words, wanting to show her you were okay. 

Maybe I should take a break tonight? That would help Nami feel better, and feel that I’m listening to her. I haven’t been spending enough time with her. 

But the thought of taking a break felt awful. You wanted to spend as much time as you could with each of your partners. The way they all made you feel was incredible, it made you feel so special. 

You wanted to make sure they felt that from you too. 

If I take more breaks, then that means each of them has to wait longer to have time with me. I don’t want them to feel neglected. 

~

“Okay, Chopper. Here’s my list of the best solvents to make tinctures with our most used plants. High percentage alcohol works great for a lot of these, but vinegar or glycerin work better to isolate certain active constituents.”

“You got it! What are we preparing today, Y/N?”

Chopper was already well versed in preparing common medicinal salves and other supplies, but it filled you with pride that your expertise in botany could help him in his studies, and that you could help keep the ship well stocked with necessities. 

I haven’t been helping enough lately.

“I was able to gather elderberries at the last island, so let’s make some tincture. It’s great for-”

“It’s great for colds!”

“Ha, that’s right. Will you grab me the measuring cups? They’re in the cupboard down there.”

~

After dinner, your mind was only on the cook in front of you. The way his eyes almost burned your skin, the way his voice filled the air with the most delectable praise, the way you wanted to drive him crazy. 

And each day was like that. Wonderful. And exhausting. They were yours. And you were theirs.

I’m okay. I’m so lucky. I’m fine. 

You whispered those words to your mirror as your eyes grew heavier each morning. 

I’ll just catch up tomorrow. 

Thank You for Reading! 💜

TurtleTaub Fanfic Masterlist

We've All Got Needs Masterlist

A/N: I hope you liked it! I'm so guilty of this, and it's taken a long time to be able to recognize when I'm acting this way. If you're lucky enough to have a friend like Nami, please listen to them before you fall apart. Or maybe just listen to me right now, and go take a break, you deserve to rest!! 💜💜

Buy me a coffee ☕🙏🏼

[canonicallyobserving911]

WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Important update regarding 'Chapter 29'

FANON FanFic: Buddie Multi-Chapter - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Currently 28 chapters completed: 1.77M Words; Rated: Mature

#1 {Previous snippet} #2 {Previous snippet} #3 {Previous snippet}

#4 {Previous snippet} #5 {Previous snippet}

The good news is the chapter is huge because there’s a lot happening with the Diaz family. 🎆🥂

The even better news is Chapter 29 was getting so big, I had to divide it into two chapters, i.e., chapters 29 and 30. 🥳😁🤗

Here’s the 4-1-1: On Sunday, June 23rd, I posted a Several Sentences Sunday and I indicated it would be the final snippet from Chapter 29. Even though that was my original plan and I was adamant about sticking to it, my plans changed as I continued to write the chapter.  On Monday, I realized in order to do the chapter justice, there was no way I could reasonably fit everything into 80K words or less.  Therefore, I took yesterday to reevaluate and I decided to divide it into two separate chapters.  It was a great decision but it wasn’t the first time I’ve done it within this multi-chapter fic.  I did it with Chapter 22 because it was huge and I didn’t know until I got ready to post it in AO3 that the site wouldn’t let me upload that many words in one chapter.  So, Buck and Eddie’s marriage ceremony and the time the Diazes spent in Italy was divided into two chapters, 22 and 23.  Since Chapter 29 is larger than Chapter 22 was before I divided it, I knew I couldn’t continue writing it until I made that crucial decision.

Please understand I love writing and I love all the fics I’ve written but for many reasons, this one is special to me.  Mainly because Buck, Eddie and Chris as well as the other main characters are growing and I can see how far they’ve come when I go back and review previous chapters.  I’m allowing the writing and the narrative to go where they’re organically going to go and for me, it’s the best way to write.  Two of my biggest pet peeves with CANON is lots of things happen off-screen and there’s not enough time in each episode for everything to be included.  I know they have 43 to 45 minutes but I like to see things happen and it’s the same way when I’m reading.  I’m still pissed we didn’t get to see Buck and Eddie sing karaoke but I digress because if I go there, we’ll be here all day.  I like to see and read everything so I won’t have to do mental gymnastics in order to figure out where or what the show or a writer wants me to know but that’s just me. 😜

I’ve posted about the way I worry over the size of the chapters in several of the notes sections and this time was no different because I literally had to stop stressing over how large Chapter 29 had become. I fully understand multi-chapter fics aren’t every reader’s cup of tea but I love long fics and not only do I write them; I read them too.  One shots are great and I’ve written some but I usually end up turning them into a series because I believe there’s even more story to be told.  When I started writing this fic more than a year ago, my initial plan was for it to be 12 chapters but by the time I got to Chapter 6, I changed it to undecided then after I posted Chapter 11, I decided the final number would be 30.  After I wrote Chapter 25, I took a few days to reevaluate where I wanted Buck’s, Eddie’s and Chris’ storylines to go and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit it all into the remaining five chapters, therefore I increased it to 40.  The good thing about that is I incorporated 2 additional chapters in the count so my plan is to still complete this fic within 40 chapters.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who’s read and commented on this fic on AO3 (I read and respond to every comment) and to those who’ve reblogged posts about it on Tumblr.  I really appreciate all of you and I know writing more than 1 million words for a fic is a lot but I love this fic, I’m going to see it through to the end and I’m going to continue to let the writing do what it does.

Since I’m planning to post both Chapters 29 and 30 no later than this weekend, I’ve included one more snippet below and I hope everyone enjoys reading it.

__________

Here’s a snippet from one of Buck and Eddie’s conversations they’re having while they’re lying in bed and it’s emotionally angsty.

_________

“Babe, you know how much I care about Bobby and my relationship with him, right?”

“Of course I do.  He’s been there for all of us but for you it’s different because he’s not just your captain, he’s also a father to you and you’re his son.  It’s been like that for years.”

“Exactly and him being my captain, mentor, friend and father figure has been great but the truth is… I don’t think he believes I can lead.  I didn’t tell you this but when I was trying to get him to notice me so he could see how good I am at being a firefighter…”  He trails off because he’s not sure if he should even mention it.

Eddie raises his eyebrows but he doesn’t interrupt, he just patiently waits for him to continue.

Since Buck’s not sure where his career will end up whenever Frank releases him to return to work and he’ll have to discuss what he’s thinking tomorrow when he meets with Captain Mehta, he decides to just say it.  “He told me I didn’t have enough life experience but I think my personal life shouldn’t matter.”

“I agree, it shouldn’t but did he say anything else?”

“No… well yeah but it was all about taking inventory of my life so I—I can be at ease but I still don’t know what that has to do with me being fire captain.”

Eddie gently squeezes his hand because he can tell his husband is getting upset.  He inhales then says, “Amore mio… a lot about your life has changed since then and it’s unclear why Bobby said those things without elaborating but I do have some ideas about why he didn’t… which we’ll discuss in a minute but let me ask you a question.  Last April, during your performance review, did you ask him about it?”

“No… I didn’t because he listed my PT scores as outstanding when they weren’t.  Then he um… reminded me that I died and I told him I needed to be held to the same standard as everyone else.  I wanted to talk to him then but it didn’t seem like the right time and I still want to talk to him but I don’t think he’ll be objective and it’s the reason why I believe it’s time for me to consider transferring out of the 118… again but it’s different this time and it’s the reason why I want to talk to Captain Mehta since I’m thinking about applying to work at another firehouse.”

Eddie’s eyes widen because he’s in shock but he recovers quickly.  “Let’s talk this through because you told me you want to be captain one day and not just any captain, you said you want to be captain of the 118.  I know you’re not ready to go back to work and you know I’ll fully support your decision if you decide not to but amore mio… how do you feel about being fire captain now that it’s possible Frank could be releasing you from therapy soon?  I’m asking because being captain is your dream.”

“I—I’m not sure but I have been thinking it might be time to give up on my dream since things have changed and if I decide to return um… it’s likely everyone on A-shift will be moving on to other things but where’s that going to leave me?”  He admits with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

“My love… you know I’ll support you no matter what you decide but I have to be honest, I’m worried”.

“Why?”

“Because being captain of the 118 is your dream and you’ve always been Bobby’s protégé.”

“Yeah, I thought so too but it’s different now because Bobby has already picked the person he wants to take his place but he’s never even considered me.”  He pauses for a few seconds then continues.  “It’s not important anyway because I can work out of any firehouse in Los Angeles”.

He frowns and replies, “Buck?!  Your dream is important and it matters.  In September, you told me being captain of the 118 is something you’ve been wanting for a long time so… talk to me.  If you don’t want it anymore I’ll understand but if you do… you know I’ll be here with you every step of the way.”

“Babe, I know you will but the fact is I’ve been on medical leave for more than five months and I—I was on paid administrative restrictions and paid administrative leave several weeks before that.  A lot’s happened over the years and I don’t know if Bobby will ever be able to see past the stuff I did.”

“But Buck…”

He whispers, “It’s ok.  I’ve made a lot of mistakes as a firefighter and I don’t know if I can come back from them.  I’ve disobeyed orders more times than I can count, I filed a lawsuit against the city and a lot of other things that I can’t change.  It’s where I am now so maybe it’s time for me to consider other options.”

What is Eddie going to say next?🤷🏽‍♀️

What is Captain Mehta going to say to Buck when they talk? 👀

Is Buck going to leave the 118 if Frank releases him to return to work? 🙃

__________

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Buck and Eddie are once again faced with their greatest fear of losing each other but this time it could be permanent and if it is, then they won’t be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

Chapter 27 - After Buck resumes therapy, he’ll continue to face the fact that he “DIED” in March 2023 and during those sessions, he’ll learn about the 7 stages of grief. As he continues his healing journey, Eddie will be right by his side just like he promised and the Diaz family will start to deal with their three minutes and seventeen seconds loss as a family.

Chapter 28 - Two years ago, Eddie was asked, “What are you afraid of?”; twice, once by Frank and once by Buck but he only answered one of them without deflecting. Since that time, he’s been to therapy and him and Buck got married but the question resurfaces when Frank asks Buck the same question and Buck asks it of Eddie for the second time. However, when Buck asks, his reasoning will be about something else entirely.

Chapter 29 - Will be posted soon.

Chapter 30 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-28 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

[ourlonelymoon]

One thing I didn't truly realise until I started writing fanfiction, is how good for you it is. And it took writing an angsty Tanthamore fic to realise it.

Like, I have loved writing since I was a little kid: I planned this whole series of dragon books when I was 9 (only the first got written), I write poems, and I journal every night. But it's not what I do - my main focus, my day-to-day, is very very STEM heavy. Writing is my hobby, my outlet. It was just for me.

And then I started posting my works and I was writing about characters in different realities, characters than I love, rather than people I knew and my own personal pining. It uncovered this whole other layer of escapism that I, even as someone already using writing as an escape, hadn't realised was there. It became a catharsis.

Tell Me When Its Over has elements of myself, in that I think it's impossible for a writer not to leave traces between their sentences, but it's another fic that has really hammered this home for me.

I have a half written, unpublished fic called An Ode to Letting Go sitting in google docs that I started writing just over 6 months ago. When I started it, I was dealing with the end of a summer fling with an ex-girlfriend (lots of history, messy, emotional, good and bad) that ended when I wasn't really ready for it to. We were friends before and after, but I've always said we weren't very good at or very committed to being truly platonic. The basis of the fic is Jade and Kit as ex-childhood-sweethearts, turning into this toxic on-and-off couple, sort of by mistake, as they try to deal with their outgrown love for each other. It is, undeniably, a story about my own relationship, albeit adapted to work for the characters.

And this is my point, because I wrote myself an ending. I gave the characters their motives, and I got them to explain, and they didn't end up together but they were happy. It was this accidental love letter to myself to show me the light at the end of the tunnel when I was miserable. Yesterday, I reread it for the first time in months and it sounds cringy but I could feel the growth in myself. There's a high chance that this fic will sit unfinished for the rest of my life because I don't need it anymore, but if it ever gets shared there is real peace in knowing that I can give other people these parts of me. And that is the magic, I think, of fanfiction and writing in general - how it can show you who you are, and heal you. When we exchange fics it's like we're all shouting out "Look at this piece of me in this character! Show me where you are.", and I think that is so so lovely.

[monsterswithimagines]

Undisclosed Desires - Part 19

Joe Goldberg x female!Reader

Summary: Twenty minutes before he would have met Guinevere Beck, Joe meets you instead. You intruige him, but it will soon become clear that there is something off about you.

Words: 888

Masterlist

Fun fact: I actually wrote a part of this (the obvious email) in Dutch and then translated it with Google Translate so it would be realistic lmao.

I have the key to your place. You have the key to mine. We are that kind of couple.

When you're at work, I sometimes go to your apartment and read your email. I don't like that you have a male friend you haven't told me anything about, even if most of what you talk to him about is me.

Still, (Y/n), can you blame me for being worried? You are not supposed to keep secrets from me. And you don't. Except for when it comes to Greybird@wirrhino.com.

I have to be fast today. Yesterday, you ran into Paco's mom, Claudia. She complained to you that she has to work, so she can't take Paco trick or treating today, and Ron isn't interested. You're too kind, so you said we'd do it. And because not just Claudia, but even Ron actually likes you, Claudia thanked you profusely and said that “that would be great, actually.”

You should know, (Y/n), that I hate Halloween. But, as you pointed out, this isn't about me, or you - “don't you think I would have rather gone to the costume party my boss is throwing, Joe?” No. I don't think you would have. But that’s beside the point.

This is about Paco. And he will be at my apartment in less than two hours.

So I have to hurry.

But your email is just so enticing. I don't find any new exchanges with Grey (I did check just last week), but that doesn't mean there's nothing for me to see. You have a new email from your mother, and it's far easier to copy and paste one long message into Google Translate than it is to figure out texts.

Your mother writes:

Dear (Y/n),

I've had to think long and hard about how to tell you this, but I won't be there this Christmas. Your grandma and grandpa don't want Steef there, so I'm going with him to his family in Utrecht. You are of course very welcome to come too. Steef would like to meet you. I talk about you all the time, my sweet, smart daughter with her great job in America.

Unfortunately, I know you probably don't feel like it. Your grandfather has his claws in you. He thinks everything I do is wrong, and you believe him. That saddens me enormously. All your life you have seen your grandparents as the people who love you. Even as a little girl you didn't see how much I loved you and how much I did for you. I had to look for love somewhere else.

I found that love in Steef, (Y/n). We love each other so much. But I can't start a life with him if you haven't met him. Then help us! I love you so much, honey. Give me that love back and accept that I want to be happy too!

I don't understand why you let your grandparents determine your entire life. Joe sounds like a perfect man. Do you really leave him alone at Christmas and New Year because you are afraid that your grandfather has an opinion about your relationship?

You deserve so much better, Poppedijn. Both of us.

To the stars and back again,

Mom.

Oh. You're going to hate this.

Usually, you and your mom email each other when you want to tell each other things you consider too long to text. Like when you tell her about your day at work, or she talks about the latest drama going on in your hometown. Only once before have I seen you receive an email like this from your mother. When you read it, you completely shut down on me for a week. You wouldn't talk about it. You wouldn't talk to anyone. You called in sick to work and shut yourself inside your apartment.

I can't let that happen this time.

I write a response. I have to translate it and send it back in Dutch, and I know it won't be perfect, but I'm hoping your mother will write that off as part of your inability to string proper sentences together when you're not writing professionally.

mom,

i understand why you have to go to utrecht. you're right, i'd rather not come. but you need to find your bliss.

i need to find my bliss, too, so i think it's better if we don't speak to each other for a while. it's not personal. i'm very tired all the time and i want to focus on joe and i don't want to think about my mom, who'd rather spend christmas with her boyfriend's family than suck it up and see her only daughter.

all my love,

(y/n)

I hit send. Then, I panic and delete the email from your sent folder. Then, I panic even more and delete your mother's email altogether. I even remove it from your deleted files.

What have I done?

Your mom is going to react to this. She is going to tell you about the email she received. Then you will wonder who sent it, and who will all the signs point to? Your boyfriend, who has access to your apartment and your laptop when you're not paying attention.

I quickly replace the laptop and leave.

What am I going to do?

[sunflowerharrington]

Wip Weekend!

thank you @oiveyzmir and @medusapelagia for tagging me! love ya!

i have two wips…

✨RULES✨

• In a reblog of this post or new thread, post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs.

• Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We're posting progress here. If you haven't made any, go make some and come back to play!

• After you've posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file.

If the filename is one you can't share from, write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

• That's it! You can invite others to join in, or just post.

without further ado

🛁 The Act (Steddie BB) - Saltburn AU

🖤 Unhealthy (unable to share snippets from)

Snippet for “The Act (Steddie BB)” under the cut. Warning for ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

“I’ll need some identification, please,” she demands, leaning over the counter, lowering her voice. “Give me any kind of card or literally anything, just as long as the CCTV sees you’re handing me something that resembles a card. I don’t care enough to actually look for legal shit.”

Eddie hands her his credit card with no cash on it, since he spent the last of it on an e-cig yesterday. She pretends to study it and hands it back to him. “Perfect, you’re sixty-nine years old, I can serve you,” she laughs, winking at him. “Kidding, of course. Now, what can I get you?”

“Six pickle shots, please,” Eddie says with a smile, standing up straight to appear more confident. She doesn’t need to know he’s not of-age, yet. To be honest, she looks like she’s eighteen herself. Nineteen at a push. She looks like she should be hanging out with Steve and his friends instead of being stuck behind that sticky bar all night. “I’ll take a lemon drop shot, thanks.”

“Pickle shots, huh? You know Hagan’s allergic to pickles, right? I’ll get you five pickle shots and two lemon drops, hon,” she pauses. “Tomothy!” She yells. “What shot?”

“Lemon drop!” Tommy shouts back. “Thanks, M! And stop calling me that!”

The girl smiles at Tommy, before turning back to Eddie. “Knew he would,” she says, and Eddie can barely hear it over the music blasting over the speakers. And he can’t help but stare directly into her sparkling green eyes as she smiles at him. But the moment is cut short as she turns around to gather everything she needs to make the shots.

She sets each plastic glass down on a tray on the countertop, making the shots with ease and such speed. Eddie’s mouth waters as he looks down at them. “$3.75 each so… I don’t have my calculator.” Where is Barbara Holland when you need her?

“You don’t know your times tables?” Eddie teases, and she playfully rolls her eyes.

“Nah, I was too busy reading magazines in the back of class to care about math. It should be around forty five dollars for seven shots.” Is she… Is she okay? She can’t be serious right now.

“The shots are $3.75, right? That shouldn’t add up to forty five dollars.”

“Okay, whatever, let’s just say twenty five dollars and be done here. I’m so sick of this shit. I just wanna lay in my bed and go to sleep, man.”

Eddie looks down at his wallet. Shit. Fifteen dollars. That’s not enough. “I only have fifteen, can I pay the rest back tomorrow? Please,” he almost begs. Get on your knees and kiss the tops of her shoes while you’re at it. Jesus. What’s gotten into me?

She flicks a strand of her short, white hair out of her face and pins him with a stern look. “I’m here to do my job and not to listen to your excuses. I don’t do “oh, Maddy, can I pay you tomorrow, pretty please, with a lemon drop on top?” Pay me now, or no shots. Choice is yours.”

Eddie “tough guy” Munson begins to shrink under her glare.

“Go easy on him, Mads,” Steve says as he approaches the bar. “Also, I saw you dropping this and didn’t want anyone stealing it,” he continues, handing Eddie a twenty dollar bill with a discreet wink.

“I—” Eddie starts, but Steve shushes him. Steve lifts the tray of shots and brings them over to the table before coming back over. “Go on, man. I’ll meet you over there. Just gonna talk to Maddy for a little while and I’ll pay with your cash.” It doesn’t even take a split second for Steve to start playing with her hair, twisting a strand around his finger to tuck it behind her ear.

She giggles, completely melting under his gaze like she’s a popsicle and he’s the sun. Who could ever melt under Steve Harrington’s gaze like that? Eddie. Eddie could.

Steve leans over the bar, closer to her, and she leans in just as much so their lips can touch. And they kiss. In front of Eddie. How dare they?

Jealousy bubbles inside him and he throws back his shot before anyone else can pick theirs up. He rolls his eyes, wanting to turn away from the scene, but his body freezes up. A murmur of annoyance circles the round table, but Eddie doesn’t care. This wouldn’t have happened if Steve didn’t kiss her.

“Okay, wait,” India pipes up, bringing Eddie’s attention away from the . “We should play a game!”

“What are we? Five years old?” Tommy says with an eye roll of his own. “Fine. Only ‘cause I’m bored.”

tagging @sourw0lfs @ghostdeb @shares-a-vest @momotonescreaming @penny00dreadful @hornedqueenofhell @medusapelagia but only if you guys want to! 🥰🩷

[wildemaven]

Farmers Market: Saturday Afternoon with Javier

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader

Words: 585

Warnings: Mentions of food and allusions to death; if I missed something please let me know

A/N: This isn’t beta’s, so all mistakes are my own- oops! I wrote this yesterday and then spent all night debating on whether I should even post it… It was suppose to be just a simple little thing, a few sentences and then it wasn’t. I tend to second guess myself so I’m just going to throw it up and let it be.

Masterlist / Saturdays with Javier Masterlist / Part 2

Javier seeks your hand as the crowd closes in. Pulling you close— the thought of losing sight of you is far too devastating. He tucks you underneath his arm— safe and secure.

His life before you was sorrow and misery..

Feeling of contentment has now settles in his bones. You bring a sense of calm he never knew before.

The warm Texas sun, a beacon of light— he’s home.

The steady strum of a guitar plays a melody he recognizes. It’s the first song you both danced to the night you met in that dimly lit dive bar on the outskirts of Laredo. The mellow chords eliciting a unusual reaction. His chest completely overwhelmed with this unexplained feeling.

The song seems to have the same effect on you, stopping you abruptly in your tracks. Your attention drawn to the band as they continue to play through the chorus.

He thinks you might want to dance like you did that night as you pull him towards you, but instead you look at him. Your face beaming with a sincere sentiment. A smile letting him know you too remember.

He’s never been one for public affection, but you seem to bring out things he’d hidden away for so long. The kiss is tender but packed with intensity and devotion. You convey the feeling right back to him with the way pull him in even closer— he’s safe.

This is the 10th Saturday spent ambling through this Farmers Market with you by his side. It’s the first routine he’d committed to since leaving Colombia.

He traded in his gun and chasing sicarios through alleyways for produced filled canvas totes and over indulging in street tacos from your favorite food truck.

He admires your instant connections with each vendor, they all know you by name now— a local celebrity in your own right.

The afternoon slowly fading into the early evening. The sky painted in hues of pinks and oranges. Your purchases for the day stowed safely over Javier’s shoulder, his free hand resting on your lower back as he maneuvers you both back towards his pickup. Fellow patrons making the same trek to waiting cars are the background noise to you feeding Javier flakey bites of a buttery croissant and sips of his watered down iced coffee— a far cry from the echos of screams and gunfire.

And like the previous 10 Saturday’s before, you spend the drive nestled in close to him, making sure he knows just how appreciative you are that he carves out time to devote to you. A lingering kiss to your temple is his response to convey how indebted he is to you. Unlike the previous 10 Saturday’s before, the overwhelming feeling that’s been burrowing in his chest all day finally makes its presence known— Love.

Looking back he knows he fell for you early on, but was hesitant to acknowledge it directly. Letting his past repeatedly dictate his worthiness. He now realizes his turning point was meeting you in that bar. Everyday since, you’d unknowingly showed him just how deserving he was of your love.

I love you dances off the tip of his tongue with such ease. And you reciprocate it back immediately, zero hesitation. The heaviness of the words now float freely throughout the cab of his truck.

It’s in this moment he knows he’d go through all the hardships and heartaches a million times over if it meant every Saturday for the rest of time was spent with you.

[bettsfic]

Oh yes! I think you would love the main protagonists and their connection. I'm feral about this movie, I just watched the day before yesterday, and I'm so anxious to have time off so I can draw fanart of the thing because it's soooo good.

Now, I love horror, so I have seen so much horror in my life that I can tell you this is one of those movies in the genre that are different. Our protagonist is Sam (short for Samira) and she has a cat named Frodo (I'm sorry but that was genius in so many ways, I can't tell you why because spoilers but they really make it made sense, there is truly a connection there). Frodo the cat is a character as well, I have never seen a movie before that has an animal that has indeed some weight into the movie (at least not one that is not like Marley and Me or those kind of movies).

Anyway, sorry, back to Sam. The first thing you know when the movie starts is that she has cancer. A woman who has cancer in a movie that develops into an apocalyptic world is really interesting. The movie explored this in detail, and I loved every second.

She is tired, she is angry, she is brave, and at the same time, you can tell she is scared af. She has some problems trying to connect with people because she thinks there is no point in it anymore, and probably because she thinks they are sorry for her and therefore their interest is not genuine.

She used to be a writer. She wrote a book about poems. She doesn't have the drive to write anymore, but she carries a notebook, whatever she goes, and I love her so much, Betty. I can't even explain the whole of it.

So next, we get to know the ML. Name is Eric, she is from England and went to NY to study to be a lawyer. He is how you write Eddie on your Stranger Things fics. I went even more feral at this point, I was chewing my fist. They were perfect together.

They connect. They make wonderful things for each other.

THEY EXCHANGE CLOTHES!!!!

OLDER WOMAN, YOUNGER MAN!!!

I don't wanna say more about it so you can enjoy it for the first time yourself, if you want to watch it. (But if you want to know more, just say so, I would be happy to talk about it for hours!)

I would say something I just learned yesterday before I go. Eric has anxiety in the movie. He has panic and anxiety attacks during the movie. What they removed is that he was trying to kill himself when the whole alien/monster ordinal began, and then, he met Sam. They erase this part from the movie, I guess because of time, because I could tell anyway while watching that Eric was maybe suecidal or that al least he was neurodivergent (again, I would love to elaborate but spoilers).

Hope you have the chance to watch it, I would love to know your thoughts if you do so. Also, you can scream at me about it if you enjoy it as much as I did.

So basically, this is a movie about two really lonely people that connect and gain perspective about life and themselves while trying to survive the beginning of an apocalypse. It felt very transformative. It was perfect.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Also, sorry for any weird grammar sentences. I hope I manage to come across all my ideas, English is not my first language.

I forgot to tell you, they are not trying to escape the apocalypse for 3rd parts of the movie. They are just trying to get pizza. SAM STOPS TO SMELL BOOKS AT A BOOK STORE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN APOCALYPSE!! HELP! SAD BOY FOLLOWING OLDER WOMAN LIKE A PUPPY!! There is so much going on, and I can tell this is not a horror per se. I just adore them so much. Sorry, I just needed to add these.

okay you have Compelled me. i will walk to the ends of the earth for any "sad boy following older woman like a puppy" narrative.

this is one of the few movies i don't want to see alone so i'll have to see if my roommate would want to go with me sometime this week. if i see it i'll let you know my thoughts!