#anyway whatever. I will have fun being a lonely cat lady

[wickedhawtwexler]

love being ugly in my mid to late 20’s. every person I vibe with is in a relationship and it’s so funny. like the only difference between us is that you’re hot and I’m not. but of course someone loves you

[the7thcrow]

600 degrees

~

pairing: bang chan x (fem) reader

summary: you can’t cook. like, really can’t cook. good thing your cute neighbour is here to help clean up the mess.

word count: 5.1k

genre: neighbours au. strangers to lovers. the fluffiest of fluff, slightly suggestive.

warnings: a make-out session, bad humour, minho being a twat of a roommate, and tooth-rotting fluff.

rating: 14+

a/n: hi guys! hope you enjoy this one, it’s so much more wholesome and fluffy than what i usually write, but I'm pretty happy about it. don’t by shy to send me an ask or leave a comment. anything you have to say, I would love to hear. :)

...

..

.

“Fine. Since you won’t come, at least enlighten me on how you plan to keep yourself busy?” Minho asks, casually leaning against your kitchen island. He stares at you, with that familiar condescending smirk you’ve seen far too many times.

“I don’t know,” you state, rolling your eyes. Rising to your feet, you head over to your shared refrigerator, pulling a bottle of Sangria out of the fridge. “But I’m sure I’ll find something.”

“You know, if you want to drink, you could at least do it at the party.” Minho approaches you from behind, placing both his hands on your shoulders. “It’s a lot less sad that way.”

You slap his hand away, letting out a frustrated groan at the laughter he lets out from his own joke. “I get out plenty, quit acting like I’m some lonely cat lady,” you say, grabbing your favourite wine glass from the cupboard. “I like parties, I just don’t like Jisung’s parties. They always get way out of hand.”

“But Y/N,” Minho wines, picking up your freshly poured glass and taking a sip, earning himself a glare. “I never said you were a cat lady, just the lonely part.”

At that you snatch the glass away from his hands. Not wanting to deal with this torment any longer, you walk back to your comfortable, worn-in spot on the couch.

“You know I’m right,” he says, continuing despite the fact you begin to turn up the volume of the television. “And the only way you’re going to change that is by accompanying me to Jisung’s loud, out of hand parties.”

You turn to face him, raising your eyebrows. “Somehow, I doubt my soulmate associates himself with Han Jisung.”

“Well that can’t be right, because I associate myself with Han Jisung?”

“Shut up, Minho.”

Your roommate snickers to himself as he opens the fridge, taking a quick glance at everything - or for a better term, lack of anything - inside. “What are you even going to eat? There’s nothing leftover from last night.”

“I’ll make something,” you say. Frankly, you had expected the outburst of laughter, but that didn’t do anything to simmer down your growing annoyance.

“Make something?” Minho laughs, giving you an incredulous stare. “Y/N, I’ve lived with you for two years and I don’t think I’ve seen you cook anything once.”

“Hey, I can cook,” you return, wrinkling your nose. “But why would I, when I have you to do it for me?”

At this, it’s Minho’s turn to roll his eyes. “Yeah, okay, I take that back. I don’t want you to come, have fun curling up on the couch alone with your three cats.”

“They’re literally yours.”

“Whatever,” he says, opening your front door. “Just don’t burn the apartment down, alright?”

As he closes the door, you flip him off. At first, you aren’t sure if he saw, but you’re given your answer as his laughter echoes down the hallway, fading as he walks further away.

You scowl. Of course you can cook. Well, at the very least, well enough to make a meal for one on a saturday night. Minho didn’t know what he was talking about.

Minho. Your best friend and roommate for the last two years. Man, does the guy have a way of pushing your buttons. You love him, of course. In the weird, bickering, just short of volatile friendship sort of way the two of you had developed.

Still, you can’t deny that even with his painfully irritable nature, he is still a good friend. No matter how many times you say no, he always offers to take you anywhere he goes. He pushes you out of your comfort zone. He’s there to console you when a date goes bad, or you failed a test you studied hard for. He makes all his meals for two, just because he doesn’t want you to live solely off shitty take-out.

He’s your rock. Your platonic other half. Your closest companion.

Which means you are going to prove him wrong, and then rub it in his face as much as you possibly can. Of course, because that’s what friends are for.

~~~~

Then again, maybe you wouldn’t. Or, at the very least, it was going to be exceedingly more difficult now that your apartment was full of smoke.

Covering your nose with one hand, you take the tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. If you can even call them that, as they now held a far closer resemblance to that of hockey pucks. Both in looks, and what you could assume in taste, as well.

Okay, you know chocolate chip cookies don’t really count as a decent meal, but they are the only thing you remember how to cook from when you lived at home. Or maybe you didn’t remember, based on the tray of failure sitting in front of you.

Then, to make matters even worse, your fire alarm starts going off.

“Shit,” you mutter under your breath. Now you are going to have to go to the front desk, let them know everything is okay.

Maybe Minho was right, you should’ve just went to Jisung’s stupid party and eaten something there. Putting all the other painful aspects of Han’s parties aside, Felix was his roommate, so the horderves were always excellent.

They were better than your hockey puck cookies, anyway.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, you open your apartment door, prepared to get a rough scolding from the lady working the front desk. However, you are surprised to find a man standing in front of you, his hand in the air, as if he were about to knock.

“Hi,” he says, awkwardly putting his hand back down at his side. He has messy platinum blonde hair, and soft eyes. He’s cute, and the realization quickly makes you recognize him.

“You’re my neighbor,” you say, pointing a finger at him. It’s not until he doesn’t respond immediately that you realize it was a strange thing to say. Obviously, he knows he’s your neighbor, and he might be a little offended you didn’t recognize him immediately.

Then again, the two of you had never really talked before. Everytime you would pass each other in the hall, he’d always give a polite nod and continue walking. Sometimes you’d try to say hello, or start a small conversation, but he always disappeared quickly. It had gotten to the point where you assumed he had some strange, unwarranted grudge against you.

So, it was safe to say that you were more than just a little surprised to find him at your door.

“Uh, yeah, I am. Are you okay? I thought I smelt something burning, and then I heard the fire alarm go off.” He asks, peeking behind you into your apartment, seeing if he can catch sight of any flames.

Instead, his eyes land on your tray of butchered cookies, and he… smirks?

“Oh,” he says, attempting to hide the smile growing on his face. “Having some cooking trouble?”

You stare at him for a moment, watching as his lips pursed together, stifling a chuckle. “Are you...” you begin, your jaw dropping slightly. “Are you laughing at me?”

“No,” he looks down at you, finally letting his grin free. “I would never.”

“Yeah, okay,” you frown, already not enjoying that sarcastic look on his face. You thought you’d be able to avoid that humiliating look considering Minho wasn’t here, but apparently not.

 “As you can see, it’s nothing. So if you’ll excuse me,” you continue, attempting to move past him. “I need to go get my neck rung by the lady at the front desk,” However, he doesn’t budge from his place in your door frame. You cast him a glare, which only makes his smile grow wider.

“Nah, don’t worry, I’ll go let her know,” he says, already turning to walk down the hall. You open your mouth to object, but he casts a glance over his shoulder, snickering. “You focus on cleaning up whatever those black lumps were supposed to be.”

You stand in your doorway, dumbfounded as your neighbor disappears down the complex staircase. Who did this guy think he was, openly laughing at your current predicament? Sure, if the roles were reversed, there’s no doubt that you would do the same. But that isn’t the point.

No. The point is that you are not impressed by the audacity of this stranger, and you are going to make sure that this distaste is known.

Grumbling to yourself, you dump the still smoking cookies in the trash can. It’s a shame, really. You’d thought you were doing so well, too. You thought this would be your chance to prove Minho wrong. Minho. Oh, he would be having an absolute hay day if he were here right now, and the thought only makes your scowl deepen.

“Well,” your neighbor calls from behind you, causing you to jump slightly. He reappears in the open door frame, sticking his neck inside, but not fully crossing the threshold into your apartment. “She’s not thrilled, but the alarm didn’t trigger the main system’s sprinklers, so you’re good.”

You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

The man smiles. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly were you trying to make anyway?”

An embarrassed blush casts itself over your cheeks. “Chocolate chip cookies,” you mumble, not meeting his eyes.

He lets out a burst of laughter, smiling widely. You can’t help but notice that he had a cute smile, dimples on both of his cheeks, eyes crinkled. Not that you were looking. Not that you cared, obviously.

“How’d you manage to mess up chocolate chip cookies that badly?”

“I don’t know,” you say, shrugging your shoulders helplessly. “You tell me.” You gesture towards the oven. Your neighbor smirks, walking inside your apartment. He bends down in front of your oven, before taking a look inside.

“Well, nothing seems to be wrong in there…” he starts, before glancing up at the set temperature. “Oh,” he states, before looking back at you, his eyes full of pity. “Oh boy.”

“What?” You ask defensively.

“The temperature. You forgot to convert it from celsius to fahrenheit. See?” He says, leaning away from the oven to give you a closer look. “So you thought you were cooking them at 350 degrees fahrenheit, when in reality they were at over 600 degrees.”

“Oh my god,” you say, smacking your palm against your forehead. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I don’t know,” the guy shrugs. “You could have burnt your apartment down, so I’d consider it a win. You’re lucky I got here on time.”

You cast him a scowl, although you can’t seem to relinquish the faintest hint of a smile creeping onto your lips. You know damn well you wouldn’t have started a fire, and that the man showing up really didn’t stop anything but an uncomfortable conversation with the front lady. You are also sure that he is fully aware of this too, which makes your smirk grow wider. Alright, you’ll play along.

“Right, what ever would I do without you?” you say sarcastically, causing your neighbor to playfully roll his eyes. He leans against your kitchen counter, relaxing slightly.

“Does my saviour have a name?” You ask, opening the fridge to take a look at what’s inside. You feel your stomach rumble, taking a glance at the clock to see that it was already past 9:00.

“It’s Chris,” he smiles, leaning over your shoulder. “So what are you going to eat, now that you’ve successfully butchered the easiest recipe known to man?”

“Hey!” You snipe. “That is certainly not the easiest recipe known to man.”

“Fine, fine,” Chris says, putting his hands up in defense. “Maybe not the easiest, but it’s definitely up there. But putting that aside, what are you going to eat? Because I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen a fridge so empty.”

You want to quip back at him, but he’s right. Minho usually does the grocery shopping, but because of Jisung’s party tonight he wasn’t planning on cooking anything.

“Good question,” you sigh, closing the refrigerator door before leaning your back against it. “Maybe I’ll just order some take out. I don’t think my pride can handle another failure.”

Chris smiles. “Or, I have an idea,” he says, his eyes glinting. He heads over to your apartment door, and for a moment you worry that he’s leaving.

No, you’re not worried. You’re curious. That’s all. You were curious whether or not he was leaving, nothing more.

When Chris returns, he has his arms full of ingredients. Spinach, penne, tomato sauce, cream, a variety of spices. The list goes on, and he stumbles slightly, almost dropping the surplus of food onto your kitchen floor. Imagining the mess, you rush over to help him, placing the load of groceries onto the counter.

“I don’t know if you couldn’t tell before,” you say, motioning to your overflowing counter. “But I really can’t cook. I have no clue what to do with any of this.”

“That’s no problem,” Chris smiles, already separating the food into different groups. “I’ll help you.”

“No, no, no. I can’t ask you to do that,” you say, waving your hands in protest. You step in front of him, squeezing yourself between his chest and the kitchen counter, preventing him from reaching any of the ingredients. “You’ve already dealt with the desk lady for me, and brought over all these groceries. You’ve done more than enough.”

He smiles, gently placing his hands on your shoulders and effortlessly moving you to the side. “Why would I bring you these groceries if I knew you couldn’t do anything with them?” When you don’t respond, he continues. “Seriously, it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it. Just let me help you.”

You sigh in defeat, ignoring the way your heart begins to beat faster in your chest. “Alright,” you say, grabbing Minho’s cutting board from the cupboard. “Let’s do this, then.”

~~~~

An hour later, you find yourself sitting on top of your kitchen counter, Chris stationed by the stove working on the pasta sauce. You had genuinely tried to help in the beginning, you really did. But after Chris criticized your (awful) cutting technique, and said he didn’t exactly trust you to do anything else, you gave up.

Besides, you don’t have a problem watching him work. Over the last hour, you’ve come to learn that Chris is an absolute whiz in the kitchen. Moving from place to place, adding spices by intuition and nothing more. This wasn’t something you could have managed to make yourself in a million years, and it’s obvious that if you tried to assist him right now, you’d only get in the way.

Of course, you’ve learned a lot more about Chris in the last hour than just that. Where he grew up, his hobbies, what he was currently studying at the university. Music theory, as you’d learned. As cool as it sounded, Han had managed to tarnish your image of music majors, but you suppose you could give Chris a chance.

“It’s almost done,” Chris says, glancing over his shoulder to look at you.

“Thank God, I’m starving,” you reply, leaping off the counter to stand beside him.

“What, no ‘thank you, Chris?’ No, ‘what ever would I have done without you, Chris?’” He mocks offence, placing a hand on his heart.

“It’s not even done yet. I’ll thank you after I try it, I promise.” You laugh, rolling your eyes.

“Ah, so you’re only thankful if you like it. I see how it is,” Chris says, crossing his arms in front of himself, pouting his lower lip slightly.

“Guess so,” you say, crossing your own arms mockingly. Chris smiles, those cute little dimples of his dancing across his cheeks.

Then you feel it, that little jump of your heart. The faintest skip of a beat that you’d familiarized yourself with over the last hour. That little hint of anticipation that makes you decide that you are, even if only slightly, a bit interested in Chris.

After all, he’s funny and sweet. Can carry a conversation well, and to understate it, undeniably easy on the eyes. That’s more than enough to give him a chance.

Most of all, however, you like that little flare between the two of you. The sarcasm, the banter. It doesn’t feel the same as when Minho does it, slightly condescending and done purely to harbour your annoyance. No, this is different. It is a challenge. He wants you to quip back, to push further. To make him smirk, or laugh, or roll his eyes.

“Alright, fine then,” he says, taking the large wooden spoon and scooping up some of the pasta sauce. “Tell me if this is up to par, your majesty.”

You aren’t sure if he wants you to take the spoon, or let him hold it for you as you take a bite. You decide to take the gamble, gently moving your lips around the spoon, tasting the sauce. You glance up at Chris, a small look of surprise on his face. However, you don’t miss the flash of something behind his eyes. The faintest hint of affection, interest.

The sauce itself is delicious. A perfect blend of tomato, basil and cream. You hum contently, giving him a thumbs up.

“Chris, this is amazing,” you praise, admiring the small blush that sprinkles his cheeks.

“It’s really nothing,” he says, diverting his gaze and rubbing the back of his neck, shyly.

“No, seriously,” you say, taking the spoon from his hand and scooping some of the sauce up yourself. “Try it.” You hold the spoon out in front of him, and he raises his eyebrows slightly. Your gaze remains firm. A challenge.

Hesitantly, he takes the bite, not breaking eye contact as he does so. You stare at him, watching the way his lips move around the spoon, the intensity of his gaze. The action itself should be innocent, yet you feel a warmth rise to your cheeks.

Chris swallows, taking his lips off the spoon. For a moment, neither of you say anything. You can feel the change in the atmosphere of the room. The spark between you two being brought alight.

You swallow hard. “So?” You ask quietly.

“Yeah, it’s good. Very good,” he says back, his voice low and raspy. He goes to take the spoon from you, and his hand lingers a moment, his thumb trailing the skin of your knuckles.

You feel yourself lean in slightly, fully prepared to take the leap, when suddenly he breaks away from you, eagerly taking a few steps back. He looks away, placing a hand on his face, as if he were ashamed.

“Shit. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I know you’re seeing someone, we shouldn’t be doing this. I’m sorry,” he babbles, completely turning away from you.

You open your mouth to say something, but no words come out. Seeing someone? Where the hell could he have possibly gotten that idea?

“Seeing someone?” You ask, incredulously voicing your thoughts. You grab him by the shoulder, turning him around. “Why do you think I’m seeing someone?”

Chris still refuses to meet your eyes, instead focusing intently on the wall behind you. “The guy that lives here- Minho - aren’t you two?”

“Minho?” You gape, contorting your face in a look of pure disgust. “Ew, gross! No! Believe me, I am not dating Minho, I’d genuinely rather stick this spoon in my eye,” you exclaim, lifting up the utensil.

At that Chris finally looks at you, wearing his own look of pure confusion. “Wait, really? But whenever I hear you guys out in the hall, the two of you are always so… flirty.”

“Flirty?” You laugh at the ridiculousness of the statement. “If by flirty you mean he teases me literally every god damn second of every day, then yeah sure, I guess. But believe me, there is absolutely nothing romantic about that. Not in the least.”

Chris shakes his head, a smile forming at the corners of his lips. “Wow. I am such an idiot,” he sighs, a rediscovered lightness to his tone.

“No, no. Don’t worry about it,” you reassure him. “Anyone could make that mistake, I guess. It’s really no big-”

“No, it’s not just that,” he cuts you off. “That’s why I’ve never talked to you before now.”

“You never talked to me because you thought that me and Minho were dating?” You ask, slightly confused. Even if you were dating, you didn’t see why that would stop him from starting a conversation with you. “Why?”

“Well,” he sighs, his cheeks reddening further. “I thought you were pretty, and based on the way you always quipped back at him, clever and funny as well. I don’t know, it just felt wrong to try and build a friendship with you, knowing how I already felt a little....”  

You smirk, drawing yourself slightly closer to him. “A little what?”

His smile transforms itself from embarrassed to a sly grin of his own. “A little into you, I guess.”

“It really is a shame,” you shrug, trying to hide the excitement building in your chest. “Because here I was, thinking my cute neighbor had some irrational grudge against me.”

Chris leans in, so the two of you are only inches apart. You can feel the heat radiating from his skin, smell the strong fragrance of his cologne. Sharp with lemon zest and mint.

“We could always make up for lost time, you know,” he says, his eyes flashing with mischief.

That is all the invitation you need to break the space between the two of you. You press Chris’ lips against your own, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other along the line of his jaw. His lips are soft, you notice. Tender in the slow rhythm the two of you develop.

He runs his hands up along your figure. One of them finding itself locked in your hair, the other placed firmly on the curve of your lower back. Gently, he leads the two of you away from the stove, placing you so that your back is pressed up against the kitchen counter.

You run your hand down along his chest, reveling in the groan he let’s out as your fingers trail down his lower abdomen. The sound is electricity pulsing through you, charging the room and igniting the atmosphere around the two of you.

His lips leave yours, trailing your jaw before making their way down your neck. Each individual kiss is slow and sultry, sending a shiver down your spine. You take a deep breath to stable yourself, and it does not go unnoticed.

Chris smirks, shifting his gaze to meet yours. His eyes are dark, his pupils blown out with desire. “You know, if we keep this up, the pasta sauce is going to burn,” he says, letting his fingers trail along your collarbone.

“Let it,” you shrug. “I wasn’t hungry anyways.”

Chris laughs at this, leaning forward so his face brushes the crook of your neck. “Yeah, right,” he says, allowing his lips to dust your skin. Suddenly, he bites down, not enough to break through the skin, but certainly enough to leave a small mark.  

You laugh, running your hands in his hair, half-heartedly pulling him off of your neck. “Hey! That hurt,” you exclaim, only half serious.

“Sorry,” he grins, before crashing his lips into yours once again. The pace between the two of you is much faster now, each kiss more passionate. More promising. Your desire rings through you, clouding your mind in a hazy fog of lust. It is dizzying, just how much you want him at this moment.

You're certain he feels the same way, given in how tightly he grips your thigh, his breath ragged every time you break apart. It is messy. Greedy. The two of you so deeply wanting more. More of each other.

You’re about to ask if he wants to move this to the bedroom, when suddenly the apartment door swings open. It’s almost comical, how quickly you and Chris break apart, springing to opposite ends of the kitchen.

“I hate to say it, but you were right,” Minho calls as he walks inside, not yet glancing up from his phone screen. “Shit got out of hand. Someone managed to break the pool table, don’t even ask how, I don’t know either. Almost gave Felix an aneurysm. I swear the kid was about to cry, poor guy. Han had to shut everything down. So you really didn’t miss out on-” Minho stops as he sees Chris, a confused yet bemused expression crossing his face.

“Oh, hey Chan,” he says, causing you to give Chris a look.

“A nickname,” Chris mouths to you, as discreetly as he possibly can.

“What are you doing over here?” Minho asks him, crossing his arms and leaning against the door. He has that smug smirk on his face that makes you want to punch him.

“Oh, well…” Chris starts, casting you a glance. “Y/N made some food, and there was too much of it, so she invited me over.”

“Really?” Minho asks, caught off guard. He walks past you and Chris, staring at the pasta and sauce currently sitting on the oven burners. “You’re saying Y/N made this?”

“Well, yeah?” Chris says, feigning confusion. “Of course, I wouldn’t lie about something like that. Why?”

You have to stop yourself from laughing, looking at the expression of utter bewilderment on Minho’s face. Minho glances at you, narrowing his eyes, before sighing.

“Well then, I guess you proved me wrong on two things tonight, Y/N,” he says, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard.

“What are you doing?” You ask as he begins to scoop some of the penne into his dish.

“Oh, you said there was a lot,” Minho responds, raising one eyebrow. “Can I not have some?”

“Sorry, go ahead,” you say, still slightly flustered by the abruptness of his entrance. Minho finishes filling his bowl and takes a seat at the kitchen island. As he begins to eat, the room is filled with a rather tense silence. You and Chris share an awkward look, unsure of what to do next.

Minho looks up from his dish, glancing between the two of you.

“Yeah, okay,” he says, grabbing his bowl and standing up from his chair. “I’m going to go eat this in my room. Have fun you two.”

Before you can say anything, Minho disappears around the corner, down the hallway leading to his room. You turn back towards Chris. The two of you stare at each other for a moment, before bursting out into a fit of laughter.

“He’s a bit of a mood-killer, huh?” You say, grabbing two bowls from the cupboard, offering him one.

Chris nods in thanks as he takes the bowl from your hands. “Just a little bit,” he laughs, beginning to scoop some of the pasta into both of your dishes.

The two of you take a seat at your counter, spending the meal talking and laughing. Nothing else, the moment has passed, but that doesn’t bother you. You enjoy Chris’ presence. His quick humour and thoughtful conversation.

It really is something that you could get used to, you decide.

After you’re done eating, you walk Chris over to the door, handing him his surplus of spice bottles and leftover spinach.

“Thank you for doing all this, seriously. The food was delicious, you’re seriously gifted. And also, thank you for covering for me, I really didn’t feel like listening to Minho die laughing over the burnt cookies,” you admit.

“It’s no problem, really,” Chris smiles. He shifts all the spices over to his right arm, letting his free hand fall down to his side. Softly, he takes your hand in his, letting your fingers intertwine.

“Listen,” he continues, shyly looking up from your hands to meet your eyes. “If you’re not doing anything tomorrow, you’re welcome to come over for a proper dinner. You know, so I can show you what I can actually make when it’s not a last minute attempt at salvaging a meal.”

You smile a goofy, genuine grin. “That sounds good to me,” you say. Hesitantly, you lean forwards, planting a soft, innocent kiss on his lips.

As you break apart, he hums contently. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, thanks for today. You made my night, Y/N.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Chris.” You watch as he walks over to his apartment door, which is of course, only a few meters away from your own. When he disappears into his own apartment, you sigh, closing your own door behind you. You lean against the frame, letting out a shaky breath, your heart beating rapidly in your chest. It’s been so long since you’ve held any genuine interest in someone, you feel almost giddy.

That is until you see Minho, leaning against the corner of the kitchen wall, watching you with his cheshire smirk.

“Dinner tomorrow, huh?” He asks, walking into the kitchen and scooping himself the last of the pasta.

“What about it?” You retort, not giving in to that pestering look in his eyes.

“Oh, nothing. I’m sure it’ll be good, considering Chan clearly made this,” Minho says, shoveling some of the pasta into his mouth.

“I don’t know what you mean,” you say, grabbing two wine glasses from the cupboard.

“Save it, the lady at the front desk told me you almost set the apartment on fire,” Minho laughs as you pour the wine.

You let out a groan, handing him his glass. “God dammit.”

“Don’t blame her though,” he smiles, leaning back and taking a sip. “I wouldn’t have believed you could have cooked that anyway.”

You roll your eyes. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

“Had me fooled for a second there though,” he says, patting you on the head. “But more importantly, you like Chan huh?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right. Nice hickey, by the way,” he smirks, raising his eyebrows.

You pull up the collar of your shirt, casting him a glare. “Okay, maybe I do,” you shrug. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing,” he replies, before taking a second to think. “Just please don’t fuck him or anything tomorrow. Walls are thin.”

You laugh, taking your glass of wine and flopping yourself back down on the living room couch.

“Shut up, Minho.”

~

thanks for reading loves <3

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Treasure Hunter AU

I binged watch the Mummy trilogy while i had no wifi/internet for a while and I had an idea for a treasure hunter Mari with Daminette.

--------

Damian was bored.(age: 22-28 years old.)

At a gala party.

Meets Marinette who was equally bored.(abt the same age as D)

He finds out she was the finder of this famous artifact on display.

-----

Damian tugged at his collar, scanning the crowd. His father needed a plus one to show up with and everyone else were busy.

He grabbed a champagne flute and made his way to the edge of the room.

He found a woman in a black evening gown, looking as bored as he felt. short dark hair. Blue eyes.( I suck at describing people after the third time doing it. It feels overrated)

"Hello, stranger. You bored with mingling in with the assholes on their high horses?"

"Should I be offended?"

"We will see. Depends on you."

"How about you? A beautiful lady like you not kissing up their asses to climb the social ladder. That is strange."

She made a face. "Trust me. I don't want to be here but my friend wanted family time so I came in his place. What about you? Why are you here?"

"I am pretty sure my father wanted someone to get him out if the vultures came too close."

"Vultures, adept descriptions. I am glad no one realized who I am yet or i would be in their claws."

"Who are you representing, anyways?"

"Myself but Adrien or Kagami usually comes in my place but tonight, they have their son's play to go to."

"Adrien and Kagami. Aren't they the Agreste-Tsrungi?"

"Yep."

"You are the Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Globe trotting Treasure hunter and also world-class designer, MDC."

"Now you know. What's your name, handsome stranger?"

"You don't know?"

"Hey. Like you said globetrotting treasure hunter. I am not up-to-date on the news front. And when I am in Paris to do designer stuff, i am too busy to look at the news."

He gave her his hand, "Damian Wayne. Son of Bruce Wayne who is a billionaire and owns Wayne Enterprise."

She shook it.

"Pleased to meet you."

She stills design but like sent her designs to Adrien at least once every month, who had rebranded Gabriel to Miraculous Designs.

Some ppl thinks he did it to spite his father, who is in jail. Adrien and Mari has a partnership thing.

Mari also makes clothes but for a few months. And the rest of the time is spent travelling.

Exclusive designs from MDC are rare but the designs hand made by her are rarer so they are like a really big deal. They have the most amazing details. Really expensive and limited edition.

The rest of the time Mari spends finding Miraculouses (Miraculi ?) lost in the world so if she happens to find a few priceless artifacts that aren't the Miraculous. She donates it.

Alix helps and sometimes go find them with her.

She has Tikki and Plagg and maybe Wyazz all the time to look for curses and counter it.

She has also met John Constantine. They have an arrangement of sorts. A few magical artifacts that doesn't have to Miraculous business are given to him in exchange for any miraculous stuff he has or found.

Adrien funds her trips.

He is married to Kagami.

Kagami goes with Mari and Alix for a few months sometimes. Adrien likes being a stay at home dad.

Their kid is named Marin/Martin because it was Mari who got them together.

The few trips Mari dragged him on was enough to make him stay behind and run the business.

(Back to the story) Damian fangirled a little because Mari had been doing stuff like this since she was 18.

It was an amazing reputation she has.

She invites him to her next trip after questioning his skill sets.

------

"Are you good with heights, dark scary places and adventuring into the unknown?"

"Yes"

"You any good with guns, swords, knives, booby traps and keeping calm under pressure?"

"Yes. I have many experiences with them."

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes. Why are you asking me this?"

"Wanna join me on my next trip to the jungle of China? There are myths about some hidden temple."

------

Damian was a little conflicted.

He hadn't have the chance to explore the world much. He had been somewhere else for a mission (for the League of Shadows or JL business) but never for pleasure.

Being a vigilante by night and working at Wayne Enterprise by day gets a little boring after some years.

His brothers had a chance to travel the world on their own for a while. Sure, for reasons other than sight-seeing and looking for something to break out of the rut he was in. But still.

This was an exciting opportunity but a tad suspicious.

-----

"Why me?"

She looked surprised at that.

"Oh. Well, my friends enjoy coming with me on my adventures, treasure hunting and all that every now and then except Adrien but they have other things in their life to come with me all the time. I can mostly survive on my own most of the time but it gets lonely travelling on my own and it's nice if someone is there to watch my back. I understand if you don't want to come. It's just that I enjoy your company and you aren't like those assholes on their high horses. My gut feeling says I can trust you. You are not after the treasure or see it as one big game. You are looking for an escape. You would definitely catch me if I fall. As you know from my choice of friends, i have a bad habit of pulling rich kids from their stuffy lifestyle and take them on potentially life-threatening adventures." She joked. Then she lowered her voice, "Besides, it might be handy having a former assassin around."

She said in Arabic.

His hand went to his hidden knife and found it not there.

"Looking for this?" She said, holding it.

"How much do you know?" He hissed back in the same language.

"Relax," she gave back the knife, "my mother was one and I have accidentally came across a few in my adventures. I know one when i see one. I took a stab in the dark with your middle-eastern background. Speaking of, you know Talia Al Ghul by any chance."

He narrowed his eyes.

"She's my mother. Why?"

"You look like her. Met her a few times. Nice lady but scary. Mine's Sabine Cheng, goes by the Blue Reaper." She said it so casually like their parents weren't dangerous deadly assassins and had normal jobs.

"You aren't normal, are you?"

"What gave it away?"

"That you willingly gave away blackmail material to me."

"Normal people don't have assassins for mothers. And you and me aren't exactly meeting the minimum standards for normal. Besides, I just told you a family secret that you would have found out anyways with a through background search and a little digging. So far all I know about you is that your parents are Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne-I wonder how an assassin got together with a billionaire-, you are a former League of Shadows assassin, you are great with weapons, keeping secrets and so far meeting the criteria for an adventure buddy. That's all I swear. And that you have some pets. A cat, maybe."

"How you know about my cat?!"

"Cat hair on your clothes." She was good. "If it will ease your mind about me, you can ask me 5 questions that I will truthfully answer. "

"So why are you doing this?"

"That's question 1. Well, I really want whatever this is between us to work. Partners, Friends, Companions, Comrades. Whatever you want to call it. Like I said, I get lonely sometimes and need some human interaction to at least keep myself sane. You looked like you want to be somewhere else and I thought this is perfect. I am not going to tell anyone about you or push you to join me. I swear on my mother's sword."

"Are we killing anybody?"

"Mostly I try to avoid that as much as possible. Sometimes I get into situations with no other alternative. " She looked away guiltily.

"Fair enough."

"Not judging me for that. That's a first for me."

"I am a former assassin and have killed before. I have no right to condemn you for your past."

"How much are you willing to tell me about this hidden temple?"

"That has to do with a secret. I would tell you more when there are less ears around. But this temple was said to hold a magic jewel that grants some powers and it is located really deep in the jungle. Getting there might take months."

"You forgot to mention that last one."

"Oh yeah. You think you can get away for some months. This kind of stuff usually takes a while. Like I said before, no pressure. Anyway, 2 questions left."

"What's my salary?"

"Aren't you a billionaire?"

"My father is. I have a trust fund and I get a salary for doing my job at the company. You are lucky that I just finished with most of my assigned projects so I might be able to come."

"I am so sorry about just assuming things about you. You can say no to the offer. The temple is said to hold some other treasures but I mainly want the jewel. We could auction off a few bits and pieces. I usually just donate them to museums and universities or sell them to those who really appreciate the history. I would also pay for the entire expenses for the trip."

"Can I think about this?"

"Sure. Here's my number. I leave on the 1st of next month. Gimme an answer a week before that so I can make the proper arrangements. It has been fun talking to you, Damian."

She walked away, going towards the buffet table.

------

Back in the car on the way home to the manor.

Bruce asked, "Who were you talking to for that long?"

"Who?"

"The one that gave you her number."

"Oh. MDC. She invited me to join her in China next month to find some hidden temple."

"She did?"

"Yes. Not only that she found out about mother and know what I did before I came here. She doesn't know about Batman, Robin or Crow. And she said she wasn't going to blackmail me but just wanted a companion to go with her. Ideally, it would be best to silence her before she digs any further into me but I trust her. I sincerely believe that she meant it when she said that she's not going to tell on me. And I am really tempted to take up on it."

"What do you want to do?"

"On one hand, i would be gone for months so there won't be Crow in Gotham for a while and I have a few projects I need to finish up. On the other hand. Father, I have been a vigilante for over 10 years now and I haven't really done much out besides that, school and now work. I have appreciated all you have done for me over the years. But I want to go with her. Do something that is not connected to Batman or Wayne or Al Ghul. Just a little something different for myself."

"You can go if you want. I am not going to stop you. I will make arrangements so the projects would be done by someone else. The others can cover your patrols. You are still young so it is understandable to want some fun every now and then."

"Thank you, Father."

Bruce put his hand on his shoulder.

"I am proud of you as Crow and as Damian Wayne. But if you want to go find some hidden temple in China just for a break from this life, to be just Damian, go for it. There are worse things you could do. Just tell me if you are going to go on any future trips like that." (I don't know DC much, sorry if that is a little OOC but I like good dad! Bruce.)

-------

Damian dialed the number on the card.

"Hello"

"I accept your offer, miss MDC."

"Damian? Right, text me your email address. I will sent you things you would need to pack and flight details. And can you come by to the Gotham Rose Hotel tomorrow? I will give more details on the temple."

-------

Damian comes by the hotel.

Marinette tells him of the kwamis and miraculous and makes him swear to not tell anyone unless they already know.

The hidden temple actually might have a miraculous.

Damian gets a little interested in the akuma situation she mentioned.

Mari doesn't say anything about it much.

When he got back, he goes to the Bat-computer and did some digging.

Ladybug looks a little familiar. Pulls up younger picture of Mari and look at that, she used to be a superhero.

Wonder Woman was kept informed of things and made sure no one goes to Paris without her knowing.

Zatanna helped capture the villain Hawkmoth and end his 2 year reign.

Fast forward, they are in Beijing now, sleeping off jetlag.

The next morning, They get out of the city somehow to the city limits and somewhere remote.

Mari uses Kalki and transports them to the jungle.

They set up camp. Cue Campfire stories.

-----

"I thought getting here would take months."

"No actually, finding the temple would. According to my research and the map I copied through less than legal means, it is somewhere in this general area. There used to a city around here too and the king or emperor pissed off some powerful priest or wizard, take your pick. There was a curse. The city crumbled down and the temple is the only thing standing because the king went there and prayed to the gods for protection. The one who answered his prayers and protected the temple in doing so the king was pressed into service of the god. The king did everything the god said for a while but later, he started to hate it and began disobeying the orders. The god cursed him for his disobedience. The temple he was protected in became his tomb and he was tasked to protect the chest inside the temple for the rest of eternity. Anyone who opens the chest would gain the ultimate power to rule the earth. Thankfully, we are not after the chest. Some powerful crack-head with a misused miraculous tried to find it and open the chest for more power. But he never returned. My theory is that the miraculous is still in the temple. As long as we don't wake up the king or go for the chest, we would be okay."

"What are the guns for? And How did you get them past security?"

"In case of emergencies, an army of undead was mentioned and guns are surprisingly good repellent. Well, most of the time. It's useless if there is a no weapons can kill 'it' rule. Then, it's just a stress reliever. I kept them in a pocket dimension. Makes it easier to get around."

Damian vowed to never let Marinette meet Jason. Judging by the pile of guns and occasional knives and other weapons she took out of the brown satchel which apparently holds a pocket dimension, Jason would adopt her. He wondered if that was all that was inside in.

-------

They packed up and started searching the jungle for hidden temple.

It was a month and a half before they found it.

They bonded a lot during that time.

They had a moment after drinking a little alcohol which Mari has in the pocket dimension. Or Drank a lot of alcohol and had sex.

It was awkward and they both agree to not talk about it again.

Soon after, they found the temple. But it is still a little far away.

But the temple is not the only thing they found. They also found a campsite with many people milling around. Some of them carried guns.

Somewhat rich bastard who overheard their conversation at the gala. Heard treasure and found out where Mari's next expedition is.

Had the help of some scholar who wants to be famous for the greatest find since King Tut.

They found the temple even though they had no magical help, they left 2 weeks before Mari did, so yeah.

Rich Bastard's name is 'Philip Anderson'(This sounds familiar to me for some reason and I can't find out why.) and Scholar is 'Harry Scott'

They have armed bodyguards and some 'hired' help to get the treasure.

Anderson is still rich but his company had been getting losses the past 2 years and this is a quick, easy get rich scheme.

Mari and Damian: "Rich asshole on his high horse."

Anderson doesn't know about the chest but Mari and Damian thinks he does and it was what he was after.

They set up camp a little further ahead of Anderson's

Unfortunately, they were found by Harry. Somehow.

-----

I am going to continue this when I am more awake.

[heloisedaphnebrightmore]

Honest mistake [Ron Weasley x Reader]

Title: Honest mistake Pairing: Ron Weasley x Reader Word count: 2.5k Published: 13 April 2021 Author: Heloise Daphne Brightmore Warning: Alcohol, drunk teenagers Summary: [x] Winning a quidditch game means one thing and one thing only, drunken teenagers stumbling across the corridors of Hogwarts. Ron Weasley isn’t any different, he is anything but sober by the time you catch up with the trio and for once you don’t mind drunk people.  Bingo: [x] This is part of my Band–psychos 1.5k Followers Bingo Card by @band--psycho​ 

Square filled: Drunken Confession 

Harry Potter Characters Masterlist | Masterlists

Band–psychos 1.5k Followers Bingo Masterlist

If you enjoy my stories, please consider donating and supporting me on Ko-fi. Of course, it’s completely your choice, I will continue updating for free anyway :) Thank you <3

Winning a quidditch match meant one thing and one thing only. Teenagers drunkenly stumbling around the castle trying not to be caught by Filch and Mrs. Norris. It was a hard task, one that many failed to achieve. But you seemed to be on the right path as you hid in empty classrooms, behind statues and hidden passages. You were on your way to the Gryffindor common room to continue the party, you simply slipped out to help your friend going back to the Ravenclaw common room after she had decided that clumsily undressing herself on a table would be the best way to entertain the rest of the school. Although she was somewhat comical, you couldn’t let her go through with it, so there you were, trying to sneak back in.

Luckily the corridor leading to the Gryffindor tower was empty, no sign of Filch or his cat, but you still kept the noise of your shoes as faint as you could possibly manage. You quickly whispered the password to the Fat Lady, who opened the door for you, although murmuring something under her breath that you couldn’t quite catch.

“Finally, where were you?” George slurred as he threw his arm around your shoulder, his scent of alcohol immediately hitting your nostrils.

“You smell like fire-whiskey, George,” you grimaced as you removed his arm from your shoulder.

“It’s the smell of adulthood,” he shouted after you, but you didn’t even acknowledge that you heard his drunken rumbling. You looked around searching for your cousin, Angelina, who previously tried to get you as drunk as she was, unsuccessfully. Drinking wasn’t something you enjoyed, and it wasn’t because of the taste of alcohol, but because it felt like you lost control over yourself and that wasn’t something you enjoyed. You liked to be in control one way or another.

As you tried to push past the sea of people, you caught sight of Angelina, but she seemed to be rather occupied by Fred Weasley’s lips. Rolling your eyes, you turned around, searching for some better company. There was one particular ginger boy you were interested in finding, but you couldn’t see him anywhere nor did you see his friends. Hermione, Harry and Ron were glued by the hips as far as you saw and when one was gone so were the others.

Giving up on your search you flopped down on an empty armchair, not far from Fred and Angelina, who seemed to have better things to do than realise your presence. The sound of their saliva exchange seemed to bother you the longer you sat in your spot and by the time Angelina slipped into Fred’s lap, you couldn’t handle it anymore. The definition of control was something you just wanted to forget as the whole Gryffindor common room was a mess of drunkenly stumbling kids with no self-control. You couldn’t handle the sight, the noises, the crowd, you reached for the lonely bottle of fire-whiskey on the table and chugged a good shot down your throat.

Inevitably you started coughing, your body’s reaction to the unusual substance was obvious rejection, making you feel like you were about the throw up. Taking slow, deep breaths however seemed to have worked as the alcohol stayed down and after taking a second and third round, your body got used to the feeling. The room started heating up and you felt your cheeks flush, your ears burn as though someone changed the temperature in the room. But you weren’t naive, you knew it was simply the effects of the alcohol.

“Someone changed her mind about alcohol,” Angelina quipped as she finally parted from Fred. You didn’t even realise when the smooching sound has stopped, but it felt calm and somewhat pure again, regardless of all the drunk, dumb teenagers crowding the room.

“I couldn’t handle the atmosphere anymore,” you replied in a dry tone.

“Or?” she raised a questioning brow, a rather suspicious smile spread across her face.

“Or what?” you squinted with a deep frown across your brows, trying to understand her indications.

“You know, liquid courage,” she winked playfully, but her words meant nothing to you.

“I have no idea what you are on about. What would I need courage for?” You grimaced, scrunching your nose in the process.

“Obviously to ask Ron out,” she deadpanned you as if her statement was natural.

“Hold on a minute, you have a crush on my brother?” Fred quipped in with a wide grin on his face, one that didn’t indicate you were about to get out of this uncomfortable situation any time soon.

“Oh, she is head over heels for him,” Angelina laughed, slightly tilting her head back, holding onto her stomach. You didn’t find the situation quite as funny as she did, but it might have been because of the difference in the amount of alcohol you both consumed.

“So, when are you going to confess?” Fred asked with a humorous tone to his voice. Although you expected to be made fun of, it felt wrong that they found your feelings for the youngest Weasley brother comical. Watching him for years, yearning to be close to him and being swept aside to be stuck in only a friendship with him was beyond hard for you to handle and now that two people who were close to you made fun of you certainly didn’t help your unfortunate case.

“I’m glad you are enjoying the situation,” you huffed, trying to divert your attention from the couple, indicating that you didn’t find their presence interesting any longer.

“Oh, come on, we were just joking around,” Fred added upon seeing how uncomfortable he’d made you. But there was no reply, you didn’t even spare a glance at him. Fred heaved a heavy sigh and stood up, stumbling over to you and taking a seat on the arm of your chair. “Listen to me, my brother is a complete idiot for not realising your feelings, and I’m an idiot for making fun of you too, but it’s in our blood, maybe he just needs a little nudge,” he grinned proudly as if his idea was some sort of newfound solution. But in reality, you have tried to nudge the boy so many times, giving him hints, staying close to him as much as you could, but he remained blind to your feelings.

“If I nudge him anymore, I might as well push him down a hill,” you added bitterly, making Fred snort.

“I think our mother would have a say in that, but whatever you feel comfortable with,” he kept chuckling as he walked back to Angelina and captured her lips again. You never meant to be bitter about other couples, you didn’t want to be jealous, but watching them embracing each other made you feel useless for once. You stood up from the couch, securing your firm grip around the bottle of fire-whiskey as you stumbled around the room, not even trying to control your own body’s reaction to the alcohol. At that moment you just didn’t care anymore.

“Hey, we were looking for you,” you heard Hermione’s voice from across the room faintly. It took you a good few seconds to find her as you glanced around the room in anticipation, hoping the ginger boy was close by. As you caught a glimpse of Hermione’s bushy hair with Ron and Harry on each of her sides, you cut through the crowd, halting in front of the trio.

“So was I. Where were you?” You questioned as you tried to catch Ron’s eyes, but he found his shoes more interesting than your presence. You heaved a heavy sigh, one that has been an hourly occurrence around the boy, each time destroying just a little more of the hope you still harboured for the slightest of chance that you might just have a tiny chance with the boy.

“Ron got a bit too drunk,” Harry huffed in an annoyed tone.

“As if,” Ron quipped in, his cheeks crimson red, his words slurred. You found his pouting adorable, and you could barely contain the small smile threatening to grow wider.

“He confessed his undying love to me,” Harry added with a deadpan expression.

“I didn’t see that it was you,” Ron added in haste, trying to save himself from further embarrassment.

“You were looking straight into my eyes whilst you did so. So, whether you really are in love with me, or you have had way too much to drink. Your choice,” Harry raised a questioning brow, waiting for his friend to reply.

“Well, I’m certainly not in love with you,” he huffed.

“Then I guess you are drunk, what a surprise,” Harry retorted, making you giggle.

“Whatever,” Ron shrugged, heading towards an empty sofa and dropping down on it.

“Can you pay attention to him until I get some food and water for him from the kitchen?” Hermione asked with an exhausted expression and you could just imagine the amount of effort it took her not to strangle her drunk friend.

“Of course, but hurry back. He needs to just sleep it off,” you told her as she nodded and walked past you with Harry in her steps.

You walked over to the couch, looking at the boy, his limbs spread all over the cushions, his eyes closed, clearly in need of a good sleep. “Don’t worry, Hermione and Harry will be back soon and then you can go upstairs,” you tried to reassure him as you sat down beside him.

His eyes opened and effortlessly stared at you, making you feel as though you were tiny under his intense gaze. You attempted to turn away, but his blue eyes completely captured you and as much as you tried, you couldn’t get yourself to take your eyes off him. Gulping loudly, you shifted deeper into your spot, feeling as though it would be better to disappear.

“You’re fairly pretty, you know?” He asked with a lopsided grin, his confidence surprising you.

“Excuse me?” You asked, fearing you have heard him wrong.

“You’re quite pretty,” he repeated himself as he leaned closer, this time making sure you heard him well. His cheeks were slightly blushed, his freckles scattered all over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

“Qu—quiet? What does that even mean? Am I supposed to feel happy and take it as a compliment or were you trying to insult me?” You chuckled awkwardly, although you were rather happy both as a result of the bottle of fire-whiskey you were still holding on to and the compliment or so that you have received from Ron for the first time.

“Well, I mean— I can’t just walk up to you and confess my love for you, can I?” He snorted, laughing at himself, but you didn’t find his words funny. You were stunned, your smile disappeared and there was only one thing going through your mind. How sincere he was. “You would kill me if you realised how much I loved you,” he added, surprising you even more. Trying to control your heartbeat, you took deep breaths, but it didn’t seem to help. His words affected you both physically and emotionally. Your cheeks felt as though they were burning, your breathing was irregular, and you could physically feel your blood pulsing through your veins whilst your brain didn’t seem to process his words.

“What did you just say?” You asked, needing reassurance.

“I said you would murder me if I told you how much I loved you and I can’t risk that,” he slurred, his eyes closed once again, feeling tired from the amount of alcohol he has consumed throughout the night.

“Ronald, you just have,” you tried to reason with him, a small smile hiding in the corner of your lips, his confession making you feel content. It did run across your mind that it was the alcohol talking, but in the end, you just ignored the voices, because alcohol or not, no sane person would make such a silly mistake.

“No, I haven’t. You might have a hearing problem,” he replied cluelessly, shrugging his shoulder. You found his state rather funny, so you decided to push him.

“So, you don’t like me?” You asked, raising your brows curiously.

“Wait what?” he asked as though he finally realised something was wrong. His adam’s apple bopped firmly as he swallowed, his palms sweating in his nervous state. “I—you are my friend, of course, I like you,” he tried to save the situation.

“Then you won’t mind if I leave you here and go and dance with other people. You wouldn’t mind a bit,” you questioned with a rather proud smile.

“Erm— I’m your friend and I don’t feel well,” he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck, trying to keep his hands occupied. “As a friend it wouldn’t be nice of you if you left me like this,” he added, nodding along to his clever thinking.

“Okay, but after you have gone to sleep, it would be perfectly fine if I danced with others, right? You wouldn’t be jealous,” you asked with an innocent smile. Ron was clearly searching for the right words, but they just didn’t come.

“If— if that makes you happy, sure, go ahead,” he nodded along awkwardly, confused about his own words. You couldn’t stop the silent giggle from leaving your lips as you leaned closer and kissed the corner of his lips.

“I like you too, Ronald,” you chuckled at his cheeks taking on an even darker shade of pink and the surprise sitting across his face.

“Hey, we are back, let’s get you up,” Harry added as he appeared in the crowd with Hermione following him behind. “Are you okay?” Harry asked, looking at his friend who still looked at you as though he had seen a ghost.

“He is just tired,” you replied instead of him with a proud smile.

“Come on,” Harry stepped closer, hooking his arm around Ron’s body, placing his arm around his own shoulder.

“I meant it,” you quickly said causing Hermione and Harry to frown, but Ron understood. A wide grin spread across his face as he tried to balance himself.

“So did I,” he chuckled and leaned closer, hinting a small kiss on your forehead. “Hopefully I won’t be dead tomorrow and we can actually sit down and talk without me feeling like a rag doll,” he laughed, and you couldn’t stop yourself from returning his expression.

“I’d certainly love that,” you offered him a sweet smile as he nodded and stumbled across the common room with Harry’s help.

“What was that about?” Hermione asked with a deep frown, for the first time feeling completely clueless.

“I guess you will just have to wait to find out,” you giggled as you headed towards the dormitory, shoving the bottle of whiskey into George’s hand. You left the loud crowd and walked up the stairs to your room, with a wide grin across your face, impatiently waiting to wake up even though you weren’t even asleep just yet.

Notes: If you enjoyed reading this little piece, please don’t forget to leave a like, comment and/or reblog. Your opinion matters and gives us motivation. Thank you ^^

If you enjoy my stories, please consider donating and supporting me on Ko-fi. Of course, it’s completely your choice, I will continue updating for free anyway :) Thank you <3

Taglist is in a reblog from now on.

[jeonggukkiepabo]

KILLER QUEEN [KTH] ♦ Secret Easter Bunny

IT’S POSTING WEEK! You, my love @yongcherie​ are my victim, hehe. I wrote this piece for you inspired by 5SOS’ cover of “Killer Queen”, I hope you like it. <3 Truly yours, lavender.

SUMMARY:  She’s all over the news, but she’s never been seen. Everyone talk about the Killer Queen, everyone wants to be the one to catch her. Police Officer Kim had a rough day and goes home with a woman he’d never seen but was yet so familiar.

WARNINGS: smut, sexual content, dom/sub tones, mentions of crime, hate sex, unprotected sex, choking, spitting.

WORD COUNT: 3.5k

To the world, you were almost a celebrity - loved and hated at the same time. To him, you were a mystery. You would never get caught, you would never leave anything behind that could help them find you. But, all of them knew who you were. Well, at least they knew the name you went by. The “Killer Queen” had her first appearance in the late 1930s when you started robbing banks all around Seoul. Women in crime weren’t a thing yet, most of them were still located at home, not allowed to leave their houses while taking care of their many children - unlike you. You were independent, not needing a man to buy you diamond rings, not needing a child to keep you company. All you needed, all you wanted, was the thrill of swimming in freshly stolen money.

He had never seen you, but your name was known worldwide, ever since you’ve started to leave delicious looking pieces of cake behind you whenever you left the crime scene.

“My love. My enemy. You will never find me, never get me. But don’t be sad, eat cake instead. xx Killer Queen”

You loved the game, the thrill of those policemen running after you but not being able to even come near you. You’d get secret invitations from them, who were you to decline the chance of a bank robbery? Little did they know that you’ve always been there before them, sometimes even hanging out in the bank while they were there, enjoying those beautiful men with masculine features and furrowed brows, screaming while realizing you were gone, once again.

Of course, neither of them knew what you looked like, nobody knew about your curly red hair, the green emerald eyes that were always surrounded by smokey eyes. Your beauty mark right above the corner of your lip that you tugged into a knowing grin whenever you walked past a police officer.

By now, you’ve had more than enough money, you wouldn’t even need to commit crimes anymore but you just loved the fun and games. You loved getting dressed like a fine lady, but having a gun hidden in your stockings. You loved wearing that one black dress that stopped right above your knees - a shame during those years -, but your overknees were hiding the piece of skin that you always showed whenever you needed to bewitch someone. Some man.

You knew you were pretty, beautiful even. You had several men walking after you, buying you whatever you wanted from caviar to cigarettes and you were well versed in etiquette to always smile and take their offers. Of course, you’d never take those men home, because literally none of them were the slightest bit attractive. Fat snobs with more beard than the Chinamen just weren’t your type. You loved the attention, but you weren’t a whore. To be exact, there was only one man on this world that you’ve laid your eyes on.

Kim Taehyung, one of the youngest police officers this decade. He just turned 21 when he absolved the test and ever since you’ve been playing that lovely game of cat and mouse with him. The first time you’ve seen him you were speechless. You knew all of the policemen, Min Yoongi, Kim Namjoon and even Jeon Jeongguk, their apprentice. But Kim Taehyung was a whole other level, his beauty almost being the reason you got caught because you kept staring at him for too long. At his black, permed hair. Those beautiful deep brown eyes with a glint of anger in them, but also… curiosity? Your favorite part of him was his defined jawline, sharp and precise like a strong Greek god. Obviously, you’ve had never seen him without his uniform, but you knew from experience that he had to be toned - they always were. At least Jeongguk was. But that’s a whole other story. Taehyung was taller, much taller than yourself, although your long legs had always been admired by men all over the world. But Kim Taehyung, he was a giant. Everything about him was huge. Even his hands, large and long, built to wrap around your throat easily. Just the thought of him was overwhelming you and ever since that day, you knew you had to get onto him.

Today would be the day, the lovely September breeze blowed through your freshly curled hair, causing you to shiver here and there. You were wearing your favorite black dress with lace details and heels that would never allow you to run, but you never needed to anyways. You even used your favorite perfume, the one that came straight from Paris, and applied some plumping gloss before you went out of your house, picking up a piece of cake from the bakery that you sprinkled with some gunpowder until a cursive KTH was readable on the pink icing. 

For today, you didn’t plan to rob a bank, you wanted more. Your first official meeting with Taehyung should be special, you had planned this for months now. Knowing his exact working schedule, you decided that today would be perfect. 

It was early afternoon, around 4.30 PM and you knew that Taehyung would be working until 9 PM the least. As of today, it was your biggest crime ever. Murder, just to get Taehyung's attention. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right? In the beginning, you opted to kill his roommate, Park Jimin, but his cute squishy cheeks and bright eyes just screamed innocence. Instead, you opted for some random jogger, did what you had to do as you hid in the trees to leave a piece of cake behind after you called the police to report a crime. 

Hours later, it was around 11 PM, you were sitting in Taehyung’s favorite bar, enjoying some cocktails by yourself while you waited for him to arrive. Once the door opened and Kim Taehyung walked in, not wearing his uniform anymore but a white shirt and black jeans instead, you couldn’t help but sit down right next to hime. “Hello stranger. You seem distracted”, placing a glass of his favorite bourbon in front of him, you sipped on you own cocktail. His eyes scanned you from head to toe, until he decided to give in. “Yeah, I am. Work stresses me out, I’m in need of a break but I can’t because we’re working on this one case and we can’t rest until we found her and…” “Oh, you’re a police officer? You seem so young!” You smiled politely at him while looking him right into the eyes. “You should take a break whenever you need it, stranger. Work won’t pay you once you’re suffering from burnout, right? Take you wife and go on a road trip, calm down and once you’re coming back, you could always return to your case. I mean, you’re not the only one working on it, are you?”

Taehyung laughed bitterly, swallowing his entire drink in one go, catching the last drop on his lips with a flick of his tongue. “No wife, just me ‘n my hyung. It’s not that her bank robs aren’t enough for us to handle, no. She just fucking killed someone! Ugh, sorry, you probably don’t want to hear me rumble”, he twists his glass before looking at you again. 

“I’ve never seen you here, what’s your name? I would always remember someone as beautiful as you.” You giggled at his lame pick up line, placing one hand on his shoulder while leaning over to his ear. “I’m Koya. But don’t tell anyone, please. I want to keep being the mysterious red haired girl at the bar”, you winked at him before ordering another round of drinks for the both of you.

“So, officer. There’s no wife, right? How? You’re handsome, you’re successful. What are you hiding inside that pretty head?” Crossing your legs, you accidentally brushed his by doing so. “I don’t know, really. It’s just that this case follows me everywhere. You’ve probably heard about the Killer Queen, she’s always in my head. I even dream about her, almost every fucking night. I don’t even know what she looks like, yet she won’t leave me alone!” He grabbed your hands in his much larger ones, squeezing them lightly. “I’m obsessed, Koya! Obsessed! She ruins my mind without even knowing it.” You just laughed it off before placing one hand on his forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe someone should take you home, officer.” 

Taehyung shudders under your touch, sighing. “Maybe, yes. But my hyung’s home and I don’t want him to worry about yet another mysterious case. I’ll just stay here and-” “Or you’re coming home with me? I know how to take care of a lonely man, c’mon, pretty boy.” You held out your hand for him to take and once he reached out for you, you pulled him out of the bar. 

“You’ve never told me your name, officer. How should I call you, once you’re balls deep inside me?”, you were leaning over to Taehyung who already seemed a little tipsy. He turned his head in surprise, watching you carefully. “Tae… Taehyung.” “Alright then, Taehyung. Let’s take you home and I’ll take good care of you.”

Once you headed back to your apartment, you drag him into your bedroom, pressing your lips to his delicate neck and started to suck around his jawline, pressing kisses to his adams apple. You hadn’t even started - yet he was a moaning mess under your touch. In one swift motion, Taehyung grabs your chin, forcing his lips onto yours and kisses you roughly. You know you just won. Taehyung is yours for the night, all your wet dreams will be coming true and you almost forget what you had to do to get him into this position.

Taehyung’s hands hungrily roam your body, grabbing your ass and giving it a light slap that causes you to jump. “Who do you think is the one in charge here, babe?”, you bite his earlobe softly, pulling on the dangling earring while slipping your hand down his tight pants. Taehyung moans, head thrown back in pleasure. Giggling, you grab his aching cock through his underwear. “You’re right, it’s me. I’m the one that will make you feel good, that will make you come. You’ll do what I say, understand, darling? Be a good boy for me.” 

Taehyung laughs and shakes his head with a wide grin before throwing you onto your bed. The bounce almost presses the air out of your lungs and you can’t help the huff that leaves your lips. “Nah, love, I don’t think so.” Taehyung’s lips find your sweet spot way too easily, his tongue tickling the skin of your neck. You groan, trying to push him off, but his hands slip around your wrists to pin them above your head, his beautiful teeth smirking down at you. Once his mouth is right next to your ear, he huskily whispers. 

“Remember that I’m a police officer and domination is my job. Don’t you think you could change that. Mhh, you’re lucky I don’t have my cuffs with me, angel. Now, what does a pretty girl like you do in a bar? Drinking pretty drinks alone? Don’t fool me, Koya. You’ve been waiting for me, yet, I’ve never seen that angelic face of yours. Who are you, mysterious girl?” 

His fingertips slowly trail down your cleavage before he dips them in between your breasts. You try your best to hold back any moans, but you can’t help the whimpers falling past your lips as you breathlessly answer. “I already told you who I am.” Even though you’ve alway been the dominant part in any of your sexual relationships, you can’t help but submit to Taehyung. It’s like you’ve been waiting for years to find the right one to show you where your limits are. And you’re desperate to know.

“You’re not just the girl in the bar. You’re not just Koya. Tell me, what do you do? How do you know me?” Taehyung bites the soft skin behind your ear, fingers trailing down you legs, not caring to remove the heels that made them look so much more elegant. Sitting up, he looks down at you, trying to mesmerize your face. Those bright red curls, framing your head in contrast to your pale skin. Those green eyes, full of lust and admiration. Those lips, tainted by a knowing smirk. Your voice as you whisper your answer. “I’ll tell you once we’re done, as long as you’re being a good boy.”

Taehyung huffs, his lips leaving a wet trail right above your stockings. “Then I’m not going to touch you unless you beg for it, love. And your lips already made me wonder what the rest of you might taste like. Now c’mon, hurry up. Tell me who you are.” He ruffles your dress up to your stomach, your emerald lace thong now fully exposed to his starving eyes. “God, you’re a queen”, he lets out a shaky breath, growing even harder by just looking at you. 

You giggle, whispering a soft “little do you know” before pulling that dress off your body. Then, you point at his shirt, raising an eyebrow. “That needs to be off, I want to see how trained officers really are.” Taehyung raises an eyebrow as well before a cheeky smirk replaces his expression. “Mh, your smug tongue has to go, princess.” With that, Taehyung lifts his shirt over his head before stuffing it right into your mouth, smearing lipstick all over the fabric and your chin. “Sad enough that you can’t beg like this. Look at you, all dripping wet for me even though I didn’t even start yet.”

His fingers quickly pull on the expensive fabric of your thong, roughly ripping it in half, leaving the shreds wherever they landed before dipping one finger between your folds. “Mh, isn’t it sad that you don’t want to talk to me? Instead you’ll just have to lay here, watching me and enjoying the show, not getting any of it. You could’ve gotten my tongue, my fingers, my cock. Poor you.” Taehyung stands up, opens his jeans and pulls them and his boxers down his toned legs. His knees dip down besides your legs again, but this time his hands don’t explore your body. Instead, Taehyung roams his own chest, contours the abs that you want to lick so badly. His left hands reaches down to grab and massage his balls while he takes the right thumb between his soft lips, sucking on it slowly. “Mh, I’m still tasting you, Koya. Wish I could taste more of you, so delicious”, he hums with closed eyes.

Thumb still in his mouth, Taehyung grabs his cock and starts to glide his hand up and down, not being able to hold in the growl that leaves his chest. You try to sneak one hand between your legs, wanting to find at least a tiny bit of friction, but Taehyung wasn’t having it, slapping your hand away while flicking his index finger against your clit. He stops pleasuring himself for a second to pull his shirt out of your mouth. Are you still sure that you don’t want to tell me who you are? C’mon, angel, be nice. How. Do. You. Know. Me?”

You just roll your eyes, bored of his little games as you chew on your bottom lip, guiding two of your fingers in front of your mouth to spit on them. Saliva was running down your chin as you moisten your nipples and pinch them slowly. “I can play that game too, Tae.”

You move your fingers down your stomach, closer to the wet heat that throbs between your legs, circling your clit quickly before plunging two fingers into your cunt. “And I love playing games. If you don’t want to touch me, no problem. I can do it all by myself, just keep watching.” Your fingers move faster and faster while the other hand massages your breast. You know you’ll be close soon, this entire day has been riling you up enough already. Taehyung seems to notice too, pressing one hand onto your stomach to press it down, leaning over your pussy as he opens his mouth with a knowing smirk. Your eyes widen, not being able to hold back anymore as you come with a loud scream, messy and all over the bed - and Taehyung’s face. 

Looking down at Taehyung, your eyes widen as you see him trying to catch every drop with his tongue before swallowing down all you gave him. “Oh angel, look what you’ve done.” His thumb starts to rub over your sensitive clit again. “You’re such a bad girl, if I was on duty I would’ve probably gotten you arrested for your behavior, Killer Queen.”

Your smirk vanishes as you watch him with nervous eyes.

“What are you doing now, hm? You can’t run, you can’t hide. It was stupid to think I wouldn’t know, wouldn’t figure it out. Leaving a piece of cake, just for me, huh? I wish I could shove it down your pretty throat and leave you choking on it, love. I despise you. You’ve ruined so much for me. And now, killing someone just to get me to fuck you? You’re so pathetic. But I’ll take your wish for granted, slut.”

With that, he turns you around quickly, pulling you up on your fours before slapping your ass in such a pace that you couldn’t even count how many times Taehyung ended up spanking you. Then, without any warning, he slips right into you. Stretching you out so painfully, but oh so good. “You like that, bitch? Getting fucked by someone you’ve been running away from so long? Is that your game? Just to get my attention? You’re so pitiful.” Something wet lands between your shoulders, running down your spine to pool in the curve over your ass. Taehyung just spat on you. And you loved it. “I’m sure you want to feel like the guy you killed? Want to feel every little bit of oxygen leaving your body?” He whispers against the shell of your ear as he grabs your throat in his large hand. “Yes, Taehyung, fuck. Yes. Yes!”

You’re a moaning mess under his touch, obviously enjoying his roughness and dirty talk. “I’ve been watching you for so long, Taehyung. Always been there when you arrived at the crime scenes. I loved watching you getting angry, but also flustered at my remains. You never knew what I looked like, but you always wanted me. Don’t flatter yourself, Tae. You’re just as pathetic as I am. And-”, you let out more and more moans, nearly screaming as Taehyung pounds into you faster now. 

“Shut up! I can get you arrested at any time now that I know what you look like. I could never forget those tits”, he roughly grabs them with his free hand, “or this sinful mouth”, he turns your face to spit directly in between your gasping lips, “and you know that. You’re mine now, Koya. Mine.”

With that, he pushes into you one last time, feeling your walls clenching merciless around him, your wetness trailing down both your thighs.  “Turn around”, Taehyung demands as he waits for you to face him, not hesitating to shove his cock between your lips and down your throat. You swallow him down like the good girl you are, playing with his balls and looking up at him through teary eyes. His gaze was rough, not a tiny bit of affection was written in his eyes as a growl escapes his mouth, sweat dripping down his forehead onto his chest.

He pulls out just before reaching his orgasm, just to paint your face with his cum. After one last moan, he sits back down, still looking at you. “What am I supposed to do with you, Koya? You fucking killed someone, I couldn’t let you go, even if I wanted to. I must call my team. They’ll be here about twenty minutes after I’m gone, maybe even less. Be smart, Koya.”

Taehyung sighs while getting dressed, looking over just to see you lightning a cigarette without any rush. He shakes his head. “They will kill you, you know that? You’re a criminal. That’s your chance to run and never come back. Now that you’ve had me, nothing holds you here anymore. Be fucking smart!”

You just laugh it off, wiping the remains of his cum from your lips as you exhaled the toxic smoke. “And where would be the fun in that, Tae? C’mon, get them boys. Try to catch me.”

Frustration overcomes Taehyung as he grabs your cheeks. “I’m trying to help you, Koya. Run!” He presses his lips onto yours one last time before heading out the door. The last thing he heard was a faint “See you soon, Taehyung. Same place, same time? Maybe I will kidnap your little Jeonggukkie that time?” before he made his way towards the police station to report your address. 

All he could do was hoping that you were long gone before the squad enters your home. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a single chance to see you ever again. 

[giowritess]

straight to my head [henry cavill]

masterlist

Pairing: Henry Cavill x bestfriend!female!reader

Request:  “Hi! May you please write a Henry Cavill one where you’re hanging out with him and you have feelings for him but haven’t had the guts to tell him but that day your sister called you and you started speaking in Spanish to her about Henry but little did you know that he actually knew Spanish and he teased you about it. Happy ending please, thank you!”

Warnings: cursing, some angst, fluff

Word-count: 2,697

Author’s note: HEY GUYS! I can’t believe I’m finally posting my first writing piece here on Tumblr! It’s my first attempt at writing this kind of fanfiction (well, the second, actually), and I truly hope you like it, especially you, dear anon, who requested this. I did some changes, hope you don’t mind. This one was based on the song Straight to My Head, by You Me At Six, and I’d really like if you listened to it. A big thank you to my best friend, @naturiz​ for the Spanish part, and a big shoutout to my amazing beta/daughter/friend/love of my life @amirahiddleston​ <3333 I’d be lost without you!

gif credit goes to @b-n-a-o​

Straight to My Head

  You had never been the kind of person to enjoy dancing. 

   Yet, here you were, jumping, moving and swaying your hips to the beat of your favorite song in the middle of an empty dance floor. A little tequila-and-other-alcoholic-beverages-induced, yes — but you were happy, not even minding the glances you were getting. All the stress that had built up in the past few weeks had finally left your body, and you had your friends to thank for that. They were the ones who’d dragged you down here, to a cosy small pub. It had been way too long since the last time all of you had spent time together, and everyone seemed to benefit from a bit of fun and forgetting the real world. 

   Exactly as you were doing right now, completely oblivious to everything and everyone else. How good it felt to be trapped in your bubble, with nothing but your fuzzy mind and your favourite song.

   “Didn’t know you could dance, y/n,” Henry teased, not far from you. You could even hear the smirk in his deep voice.

   “Shut up, idiot,” you replied, snapping out of your bubble and walking closer to your friends.

   “Seriously, though,” he insisted, grinning like a kid, “those were amazing dance moves. You should teach me.”

   You just rolled your eyes, making him laugh, and tried to hide your smile. Your relationship with Henry had always been playful like this, ever since you met a couple of years ago. You two had been through a lot together — it was quite a fun and exciting journey to follow his success as an amazing actor that close, which meant celebrations, parties, even a few premieres.

   As the boys got ready to play some pool, you stood in the back with a beer in hand, watching him — always him and no one else. You sighed as you watched him move with the ease and gracefulness of a cat. A big, fluffy cat who seemed to be serious and almost dangerous on the outside, but was nothing more than a playful little kitten on the inside.

   The dim lighting in that corner of the room sent shadows over his godly features, the sight sending warmth up your core. He was always the most handsome man in the room. And in your head.

   That was where he was. He’d taken over your thoughts ever since you met, and there was nothing you could do to take him out; he was already at home and wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. You tried as hard as you could, even dated other people, but it was pointless. You still fell hard for him anyway.

  But Henry was your best friend, and you were his. You talked about everything, helped each other with everything — even his own love life. It hurt you. Like hell, but there was nothing you could do about it but listen and be there for him when he needed, just like he did for you. His friendship is one of the most precious things on Earth to you, but that is all you were meant to be. He was yours, but not in the way you truly wanted.

   Which was why sometimes it got too hard for you. Sometimes you had to step back and pull yourself together when it was too much for your heart. Seeing him with other women, especially when you knew he was happy, was far more than you could take, a pain you couldn’t avoid. 

   You straightened yourself up and dropped the bottle on the table. You needed to sober up. Being drunk around Henry was always a dangerous idea — you were a complete mess. Crazy, unpredictable and suddenly brave. The possibility that you’d end up saying or making anything that could lead to regrets and ruining your friendship was a giant risk — one you couldn’t take. So, you always tried your best to be as sober as possible, but tonight you desperately needed the freedom and release that only alcohol could give you. And he happened to be around.

   “Be right back,” you muttered to no one in particular, making your way towards the ladies room. They were too entertained in their game to miss you, anyway. 

   Thankfully, the bathroom wasn’t crowded, just a few girls who seemed half your age, many who had probably got in with a fake ID. You went straight to the sink and splattered the cold water in your face one, two, three times. But it was the girls’ conversation that caught your attention.

   “Did you see Henry Cavill playing pool by the back? Jesus fucking Christ, that’s Heaven made of flesh,” one of them said. 

   “Can you believe our luck? Gotta be fate,” the one applying mascara in front of the mirror replied.

   They laughed together and started to make their way outside.

   “I think I’m gonna try my luck, who knows,” you heard one of them say as they left the bathroom, and you gripped the sink with both hands, taking a deep breath. 

   You had no right to be angry with their words. In fact, you understood a-hundred-per cent how they felt — you felt that way almost all the time, too. But fuck. There was no way in controlling the anger that was taking over you, as well as the few lonely tears that escaped the corner of your eyes. There was nothing you could do about it but simply accept it. That was your job as his best friend.

   After a few deep breaths, you pulled yourself together, and finally mustered the courage to leave the bathroom. Your anger alone, still tingling through your face, your arms, your fingers, had sobered you up some seventy-per cent by now. You stopped by the bar to buy some chocolate and was met with one of your friends.

   “Hey y/n, wanna play some pool? We need someone,” he asked.

   “Yeah, sure,” you replied, eating the chocolate before you walked back to the pool table.

   You grunted at the scene in front of you. The girls from the bathroom, one sitting in the back with her arms wrapped around one of your friends and the other one — the prettiest one, with long, dark hair and a beautiful black dress that hugged her body in the best way — tangled up with Henry, laughing and touching him whenever (and wherever) she could. Which meant all the time (and everywhere). 

   It wasn’t that this kind of thing didn’t happen often — it did, in fact; of course it would, when your group of friends had you as the only woman. And you didn’t care for your other friends, they could do whatever they wanted if it’d bring them a bit of happiness, even if momentary. But Henry was… Henry. He would never be like everyone else, and you couldn’t fool yourself or your heart to believe that.

   “Girls, this is y/n,” your friend said, and the girls smiled at you.

  You tried your best to look sympathetic.

   “Hey, I’m Devon,” the one in the back waved at you.

   “And this is Julia,” Henry told you and motioned at the girl beside him.

   With another deep breath, you smiled and hoped it looked real enough.

   You didn’t know what happened to you. You’d never been this jealous, you’d always been able to control your emotions and prevent them from rising to surface. But that night felt completely different. Probably because of all the alcohol, but there was no way you’d be able to look unaffected. 

   “Ready to kick some asses?” your pair asked, handing you the stick. 

   “Born ready, baby,” you replied, applying chalk to the end of the poolstick.

Julia was Henry’s partner, of course. He had to show her how to properly hold the stick and how to play, but you had your doubts if she truly didn’t know or was just pretending. Well, you’d pretend if you were in her shoes. 

   It was no surprise when you made the first ball — you had a natural talent for the pool. Especially when drunk. And angry.

   The chocolate in your mouth felt bitter because you kept hearing Julia’s giggles and saw the way Henry touched her. Every fucking time she was going to play, he had to be glued to her back, lingering touches on her hand, her arms. It began to piss you off way more than you imagined.

   You made a ball. And another, and another, and another. Four in a row, leaving only two of your balls on the table. 

   “Fuck, y/n,” your partner said, and laughed, clearly a bit shocked. “Where did that come from?”

   “What can I say,” you replied, “the effects of anger.” 

   The game soon came to an end, you made the victory hit. You started another, trying your best to focus on the game and nothing else. But it was hard. It was so fucking hard when Julia and Henry didn’t even pretend to play properly, due to their drunken stupor and lust for one another. When his lips went closer to her ear, you finally snapped. There was no way in fucking hell you were going to endure that. No. Enough.

   “I’m through,” you stated before dropping the stick on the table.

   You didn’t care about the stupid game. All you wanted was to leave the pub, to get away, and cry and scream and fill up your sister’s inbox with countless messages rambling about it. 

   That was exactly what you did the instant you crossed the door, drinking in the cold night air and fishing for your phone. After finding her contact, your fingers started to fly across the keyboard, but you realized that wasn’t enough for how angry you were.

   “No puedo creer lo enojada que estoy por eso [I can’t believe how mad I am],” you started. Of course, it’d be in Spanish, your mother tongue: it was the only way you truly could express your anger. 

   You weren’t even sure what you wanted to say, but you had to say something, to get it out. There was a pressure in your chest that’d only be alleviated after you opened your heart to someone, obviously your sister. 

   “Tú no creerías lo tan enojada que estoy. ¡Pero ugh! ¡Simplemente no puedo controlarlo y no mames eso me deja demasiada enojada! [You wouldn’t believe how mad I am. But ugh! I just can’t control it and that makes me so fucking angry!]”

   You sent that first audio message to her. You didn’t even have an internet connection, so she’d only receive it after you connected to wifi or something, but it didn’t matter. You just had to speak. Get it out of your system.

   “Dios, desearía que pudieras verlo con tus propios ojos todos los toques y coqueteos. Simplemente me mandaron por un tubo y no sé cómo enfrentarlo, sabes? No hay ninguna explicación más allá de la verdad, que él debe haber entendido, de todos modos. O no, apuesto que Julia lo mantiene demasiado ocupado para que yo ocupe su mente [God, I wish you could see for yourself! All those touches and flirting. It just pushed me off the edge and now I don’t even know how to face him, you know? There’s no explanation besides the truth. Which he must have already figured it out, anyway. Or not. I bet Julia is keeping him too busy for me to occupy his mind at all],” you said in a single breath. There. Now you felt as if the weight was off your chest.

   After pressing the “send” button, you took a much needed deep breath. The cold weather had a calm, soothing effect on you as you breathed in the night air; you could feel yourself getting calmer. Still angry, yes, but a bit calmer.

   So trapped in your own space, you almost jumped when you heard his voice.

   “No hay nada que nunca pueda sacarte de mi mente [There’s nothing that can ever keep you off my mind].” 

     Even in a perfect Spanish, his deep British accent was still present.

   Oh, my, god. There he was, behind you, and you wanted to bury yourself six feet under and never, ever come out.

   “Henry!” Your voice was a shriek. “I… I’m… I sh…” you stuttered, not knowing what to say. You could feel your heart pounding violently against your chest.

   What to say, what to do, how to act. You had no idea Henry even spoke Spanish, and you sure as hell hadn’t expected him to follow you outside. Díos mio. Had he heard every single word you just said? You were glad that it was dark, ‘cause your face must’ve definitely been on fire.

   “I’m sorry,” he said, making you look at him with a visible question mark on your face. “For making you feel like that. I did want to affect you, though, and I’m quite glad I did.”

   “What? Henr—”

   “See, y/n,” he interrupted you, “I had a theory, and you just proved it.”

   He came closer, his beautiful face stepping under the thin lightning which made his baby blue eyes to shine. He hovered above you, like a lion over his prey, but you weren’t intimidated at all. Though confused and with your head spinning as fuck.

   “My theory was that you and I feel the same way about each other,” he continued, getting closer and closer at each word that left his lips.

   Díos. Were your dreams coming true? Was this real? Were you dreaming, or even seeing properly? You could hear your speeding heart, and you wondered if he could hear it, too.

   “Henry, I… I’m… I’m lost in translation here,” you replied, your weak voice almost a whisper.

   He had to say it. You needed to hear the words coming out of his very own lips, otherwise, it wouldn’t be real. 

   A low chuckle came from him. He left very little space between your faces when he got even closer and cupped your face with both hands.

   “I’ve been falling in love with you ever since you entered my life, love,” he said. Your knees were weak, and you felt as if you were going to fall dead on the ground. “But you never gave me any signal that you felt the same. Until I started to notice the small details. Your face, your eyes, your hands. Your words, your expressions. The little things gave you away, y/n.”

   The warm touch of his big hands on your face, all the love and tenderness with which he spoke every single word made your heart swell. No one had ever spoken with that much affection towards you, no one had ever held you that gently as he did. Your best friend. Your soulmate. 

   “So? Am I right then? He asked playfully, chuckling because you hadn’t said anything yet.

   You felt as if a lightning bolt had just gone through you, your skin prickling. 

   “Yes!” You instantly said, feeling some tears on your eyes. “Yes, Henry, yes. You are. I don’t even know for how long I’ve loved you. I was… I was scared of ruining our friendship. I’m sorry, if I’d kno—”

   He shushed you with a gentle kiss, timidly placing one of his hands in the back of your neck. You placed your hands on his broad shoulders.

   “No regrets or apologies,” he murmured, touching your forehead with his. “Though I do regret the method I used to prove my point,” he said, chuckling. “I’m sorry. I was getting desperate and running out of options. I just couldn’t bear to spend another entire day being nothing more than friends with you,” he explained, his eyes locked with yours. One of his hands started tracing the line of your bottom lip. “Not being able to touch you, to kiss you… God knows how torture it was to be around you all this time.”

   It was your turn to laugh. He felt exactly like you did, then.

   “Henry?” You whispered. “Come home with me?”

   An affirmation, an invitation, an order? You didn’t know. But all that mattered was his answer.

   “Yes.”

A/N: I hope from the depths of my heart that you enjoyed it! For now I do not have a taglist, but if you’d like to be tagged in my future works, let me know <3 

xoxo, Gio

[bathtubjohnny]

Chapter 1: Rough draft (Edited once for spelling/grammar)

TW: Bloody noses, descriptions of a corpse, mild gore and swearing, spooky zombie lady, bad formatting, rushed writing

Note: Please give me your sweet sweet feedback. Oh how I crave honest and good-hearted criticism.

*Thanks to a handful of members from a group chat for convincing me to post this*

The forest was dense enough to blot out the sun, almost completely plunging the path in darkness. It didn’t bother Sydney though; he was too focused on the building at the end of it. It was a church, and he stood in front of it, staring up at the grey steeple protruding from what was left of the roof. It was a miracle that it was still standing. The walls had been scorched by fire, and the once-beautiful stained glass windows had melted into colourful, wax-like puddles. He could still smell smoke even though the church burned an impossibly long time ago. It never occurred to Sydney that the surrounding woods were completely untouched by the fire, as if it had never happened in the first place.

The inside was different as Sydney pushed the double doors open. He didn’t recognize the inside. It was more spacious than what he remembered, but like the forest, untouched by the blaze. Instead of red carpeting there was a wooden floor; instead of oil paintings depicting the trial of Jesus, tapestries with horrific, indescribable images decorated the walls. The interior had an ancient feel to it, making Sydney feel insignificant as he stood before the rows of pews. He could tell that it wasn’t a Catholic church anymore. It was a haven for a religion that existed long before the concept of Christianity.

Across from Sydney and past the pews was a stone table where the altar should have been. There was a white sheet covering something laying across it. As he padded down the aisle towards it, he could see symbols etched into the stone, characters he couldn’t recognize. The closer he got the louder his ears rang, his sinuses becoming so congested that soon fluid began leaking down his chin. It wasn’t until he reached the table and saw the bright red droplets fall onto the stark white sheet covering it that he realized his nose was bleeding.

Ignoring his instinct to wipe away the blood, Sydney reached for the edge of the sheet and pulled it back. Underneath was a girl, or at least the body of one. Her skin was ashen and waxy, a greenish-blue in colour. Small blisters had begun to form on her cheeks and forehead, as if she had been sunburnt recently. Even though they were closed, Sydney could tell that her eyes were sunken into her skull.

“Syd?”

Pulling the sheet down further, Sydney saw that the girl’s arms had been placed palms facing up, leaving the undersides of her forearms exposed. On both of them were deep gashes, starting from her wrists and ending in the crooks of her elbows. The rest of her had begun to decay, but her wounds appeared recent, oozing thicker, darker blood than what was dripping from Sydney’s nose.

“Syd, are you awake?”

The sound of her inhaling made Sydney’s attention turn sharply back to her face as her jaw creaked open, sucking in air. He stumbled away as her eyes, covered in a watery blue film, flew open. Her head turned towards him with a snap, sending him falling backwards in shock. He hit the floor hard as she sat up, bones creaking and popping as she threw the sheet off her bloated body-

“Mr.Patrick!”

Sydney bolted up from his desk as the shout tore through his dream, nearly sending him toppling to the floor. Mrs. Bray was sitting on her desk glaring directly at Sydney, arms folded. A snort of laughter to his left made him blush as he realized he’d dozed off...again. “Uh, sorry.” He mumbled, slowly sitting back down and trying to ignore the eyes on him. Although Mrs. Bray had a stern look in her eyes, Syd was somewhat comforted by the fact that she was obviously trying not to smile.

“I get that there’s ten minutes left, but let’s try to stay awake, alright?” She sighed. “To those of you who may have dozed off, I’m not repeating myself about the assignment. You can ask your group. Now,” She side-eyed the room. ‘Is there anyone who isn’t in a group of three yet?”

Syd sneaked a quick glance across the room over at his close friend Lizzie Abrams. She caught his eye and shrugged apologetically, motioning to two other girls sitting near her. Feeling his cheeks heat up, Syd averted his eyes, staring down at his desk in embarrassment.

“We don’t have a third person in our group.” The voice to Syd’s left spoke up, making him turn. It was a girl in a worn, blue and white baseball cap, someone who Sydney unfortunately recognized. Her name was Morette Woodward, better known as Mo, and Syd knew her as being the one who broke his nose during dodgeball back in fifth grade.

She had one elbow propped up on her desk and was leaning her head against her hand while picking at her braces with the other. When she caught Sydney’s eye, she flashed him a toothy smirk.

Mrs. Bray glanced between the two and shrugged. “Perfect, evens out the groups. Now,” she turned to address the rest of the class. “I’m giving the last couple minutes of class to organize your chapters, so use your time wisely. Remember your book and your portfolio should be in at least six sections!”

Portfolio? Sydney rubbed his eyes and groaned, wondering what else he’d missed. Falling asleep at random times wasn’t a problem before, but lately he'd been feeling lethargic and finding himself unable to keep his eyes open for long periods of time.

“Hey, scooch your butt over next to us so we can talk better.” Mo nodded at a tall boy sitting beside her. Sydney didn’t know who it was, but thought he looked familiar. “Yeah hold on,” he turned his chair to face them before leaning forward. “So… what’re we doing exactly?”

“Man, you were really out, huh?” The tall boy said, giving Sydney a sympathetic grin. “You were pretty twitchy too. Were you dreaming or something?”

Syd blinked. “‘Twitchy’? What do you mean?”

“Like...mumbling and tensing up a lot,” He clenched his fists in emphasis. “It was kinda creepy. What were you dreaming about?” He was already talking again before Syd could reply. “Oh shit, you don’t know me. Sorry, I’m Henry Kaminer.”

Kaminer. Sydney didn’t know Henry, but definitely recognized the last name. He remembered reading about the Kaminers in the newspaper, and made a mental note not to bring it up.

“Oh. I’m Sydney. I don’t really remember what I dreamed of.” Sydney lied. Henry laughed. “Yeah, I heard. Isn't Sydney a girl's...? Whatever, nice to meet you Sydney."

Morette handed Sydney a sheet of paper. “I had an uncle Sid so no, it's not 'a girl's name'. Anyway, literally all we have to do is split the book up to read for a week, then do some fun little questions and activities at the end of each week." She flipped through her copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. "It's like the same stuff we did in grade 5, but with racism."

So she does remember. Sydney looked over his sheet of paper. "Oh."

"Yeah, it'll be easy." Morette leaned back in her chair and scrunched her nose up. "There's 31 chapters, but they're not too long. Let's just do five chapters each week and read whatever's left when we get to the last week." She tossed a stack of pink sticky notes at Sydney. "Use those as a bookmark."

Sydney looked down at the sticky notes. “...Thanks.”

___

“Hey Syd!”

Sydney paused at the front doors of the school just as he was about to walk through them. Henry hurried over to him, lime green beanie clutched in one hand, messenger bag in the other. The tall boy stopped beside him, huffing. “Man, I jumped down the stairs to catch up to you. Sorry, anyway. Walking home?”

Sydney pushed open the doors, nodding. “Yep. What about you?”

“Same here, but uh...which way are you going?”

“To the left.”

“Sweet! Mind if I tag along?”

“Sure,” As they made their way past groups of students waiting for their buses, they started walking down the sidewalk towards the nearby neighbourhoods. Syd, who barely made it to Henry’s elbows, couldn’t help but feel self-conscious with the giant beside him. “Do you live close to the school?” He asked. Henry shrugged. “Well, not really. To be honest I’m just tagging along to avoid my older brother, Marvin.” He chuckled a bit, but it sounded forced. “He’s got his driver’s licence and all, but…”

“But what?” Syd asked. Henry sighed. “He’s an asshole. I don’t feel like dealing with his anger issues today. So I’m here with you instead, little man. If that’s cool with you,”

“I’m not that little! But yeah, it’s cool.”

“Yeah you are, shortstack!!” Henry guffawed and rubbed the top of Sydney’s head with one hand. Syd swatted at his arm, but joined in the laughter. The two boys continued talking and joking around as they continued trekking down the street towards a crosswalk. The weather was warm for being early September, the sun beaming down on them helping to keep Sydney in high spirits.

The first week of school had been rough for him; being as timid as he was, making friends was hard enough in elementary school, never mind being in a new environment. For the longest time he’d considered Lizzie to be his closest friend, but they’d drifted apart over the summer, making him feel even more isolated than ever. As he listened to Henry telling him about his pet cat, Bowie, he felt a ray of hope that maybe he wouldn’t have to be so lonely after all.

“...he’s a really sweet boy, but he’s pretty ugly,” Henry was telling Syd. “He’s got this weird skin condition though so there’s like almost no hair on his body. I think it’s kinda hilarious, but every time he sits down his butthole sticks to our table.”

Syd snorted. “Gross.” He stopped at the edge of the crosswalk as the traffic light turned red, Henry following suit. “I don’t have any pets. My mom’s allergic to animal hair. It makes her sneeze.”

“Damn. No siblings either? Sounds quiet.” Henry leaned against a pole covered in colourful flyers and shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand. Sydney took a couple steps back so he was standing in Henry’s shadow and decided that tall people weren’t that bad. “Hey,” he said. “My house is just up ahead, what about you?”

Henry shrugged and shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. “Not me little man, I’m heading to the right but maybe I can come over and wreak havoc at your place sometime.” He flashed Sydney a grin and straightened up, a couple flyers sticking to him before fluttering to the ground. “Whoops, those seemed important.”

Syd rolled his eyes and laughed as Henry stooped down to scoop them off the sidewalk. “Nice going there, big guy.” He joked. “Careful you don’t bring the pole down too.” Henry didn’t respond; instead he slowly stood up, clutching a white flyer and staring down at it. Sydney felt his smile fade when he saw the dismayed expression on Henry’s face.

“...What is it?”

Henry swallowed hard before handing Sydney the poster. The white paper was crumpled and soft from being left outside, showing signs that it had been there a while. A photo of a man with a goofy grin and a buzzcut holding a balding cat was in the center. The words were in bright red at the top of the page as he read them.

MISSING PERSON

Jeremiah Lee Kaminer

Also goes by ‘Jerry’

19 years old, blue eyes, blonde, slim build, 6’0”

Last seen November 27th wearing a leather jacket, blue jeans, and brown hiking boots. If you have seen him or have any information of his whereabouts, please contact the Denville City Police.

“Henry,” Sydney glanced up from the page. Henry was fidgeting in place, avoiding making eye contact. “Is he...?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, staring at the ground. “It’s our oldest brother. He’s been missing for over a year. Went into a bar one night for a drink, and just…. Never came out.” A cold gust of wind sent the remaining flyers drifting down the sidewalk as they caught the breeze. Henry’s hands tightened around the poster, creasing the paper before he folded it into a square. “Whatever. I gotta go.” He turned and started heading down the street, leaving Sydney alone.

Syd watched him walk away, wondering whether he should call out or not. Deciding not to, Sydney went home, ignoring the icy loneliness that had begun to creep back.

[blissfulalchemist]

“Fine I’ll admit it. You’re the best fuck I’ve ever had.” “I knew it.” for CatWes 😈

Kate you sly devil! You absolute sinner! I never intended for this pairing but well here we are! 🙃 This will only happen once so I hope you enjoy it! 💜 This is a continuation of this prompt from way back when.

Very NSFW so yeah. And a little longer than intended.

Waiting for embarrassment to fade away was harder to do while on your own and Catlina had been waiting for almost a week now. Nothing was changing and she was running out of ways to hide her thoughts about that night. How could she have been so stupid to think he wanted her to kiss him. He probably wanted nothing to do with her now. Cat was getting up from the chair when she heard the lingering shouts of an argument and the slamming of a door, followed by the stomping of feet down the stairs. She looked out the window to see Wes’ motorcycle peeling out of the driveway. That wasn’t a good sign. She grabbed her keys making her way to her car, she had a good feeling of where he would be at.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Following behind Wes the entire way back to his cabin was difficult since he decided to make it a game, swerving and making false turns. She’d nearly crashed four times in the twenty minutes it took to get to his place. Once there though Wes was all smiles which made the whole ordeal worth it to Cat seeing as how mopey he had been at the little dock. 

“I can’t believe you still managed to follow me,” he told her unlocking his front door, “Most give up after the first crash.”

She crossed her arms, “Well I didn’t crash once so,” she stuck her tongue out at him as she followed him into the two bedroom house. She made a beeline for the kitchen seeing what ingredients she could use to make something for him. 

“What are ya doing?” Wes asked, shrugging off his leather jacket. 

“I said I would make you food. So that’s what I’m gonna do.” She put the measly offerings on the counter trying to come up with….well something. 

Wes walked into the kitchen going for one of the higher cupboards pulling down some bottles. “One for you,” he handed over the clear bottle of vodka to her, “and one for me.” He pointed the neck of the bottle at himself before twisting the top off. Cat watched as he took a drink of the amber liquid. His eyes caught hers briefly, “You gotta drink to. Looks pathetic if it’s just me.”

She pushed past him grabbing the orange juice from the fridge, “I thought you weren’t above being pathetic?” She grabbed a glass filling it a quarter of the way with the vodka, the rest with juice. 

“But I ain’t the only one recovering from failed exploits of love,” he smirked at her as she narrowed her eyes over the glass. 

She walked to the kitchen table leaning against it, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” He arched an eyebrow at her before taking another drink. Cat shifted looking away from him. He sighed, “You act like he didn’t tell me what you did. We’re friends, Cat. Or did you forget that?”

She shook her head, “It was stupid and I’m ashamed of it okay. You happy I admitted it?”

He gave a small smile, holding out his bottle to her, “Cheers to the broken hearts club.” 

She tapped her cup against his bottle, both taking long drinks. She coughed as she finished most of hers, “Wes I think you mean the lonely hearts club.”

“Huh, that has a nice ring to it,” he laughed as he got to refilling her drink, “Maybe you and I should start a band with that name. Do you like the sound of Wes Pepper?” 

She rolled her eyes giving a playful push, “Just make my drink for me pretty boy. I’ll go pick the first movie,” she gave a pat on his chest making her way to the collection he had. Slim pickings but soon neither of them would remember or be paying attention anyway. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“No fucking way! There’s no way you were able to pull a stunt like that?!” Cat shouted, hitting Wes on the arm. 

He gave a flex of his arms, “Course I did. Cause I’m amazing.”

“Pfft, okay hotshot. Whatever you say,” she grabbed their cups stumbling to the kitchen for a refill. Both bottles on the counter were half full with Wes’ first bottle off to the side, it was surprising they were still coherent. 

He turned, resting his chin against the back of the couch, “Okay your turn.” He followed her with his eyes tapping his chin in thought as she walked over handing him a glass, “I got it. What or should I say whom was your best fuck?” 

Cat spat up part of her drink, “‘Scuse me? Wes ladies don’ kiss ‘nd tell.”

He leaned closer to her, the smell of his whiskey hitting her nose, “I don’t see a lady around here.”

She pushed his face away from her, “Wes! That’s rude! I am too a lady!”

“Ladies aren’t five foot and kiss men randomly.”

“You’re right they only kiss hot and attractive men randomly.”

“Can’t you just answer the damn question?”

Cat pulled back hiding the blush running up her cheeks with the cup, “I can’t.”

“Why not?” He whined, shaking her a little.

“Cause you’ll make fun of me,” she pouted hoping he would drop the question.

He held a pinky out to her, “I promise I won’t make fun of you.”

She watched his other hand as she laced her pinky with his. “Okay. Fine. So the best fuck I’ve ever had was actually Jacob…,” she watched as his mind worked out which one she was talking about. 

Wes’ hazel eyes went wide as his jaw dropped, “You didn’t!” She nodded, taking a bigger drink, “No way. No fucking way! Jarhead?! You fucked the eldest Seed brother?”

She shrugged, “I was grieving so get off my back.”

“Now I gotta know. How many times you do it?”

“One time Wes. A one and done,” she sliced the air with her hand horizontally. She wasn’t proud but with Wes it was hard to be ashamed of it.

He leaned back against the couch, his face still stunned, “Does John know?” She shook her head. “What made it so great? Cause like he’s so,” he held a hand high above his head, “ya know and then you’re so,” he brought his hand down towards the floor, “So how did that even like work.”

“Mr. Brooks, that is none of your business. I don’t gotta tell you anything,” she gave him a wink smiling.

“Oh I’m Mr. Brooks now?” He gave her a smirk waving her off, “Okay fine. Keep your secrets. Cause you know what I bet I could have him beat in that department.” 

The statement took Cat by surprise, “You really think so highly of yourself?” Was he actually being serious? No way this was this part of their joking. 

“Yeah I do.” He leaned close to her ear, “Don’t think I didn’t ever see how you looked at me when I would sneak out of the ranch.” He ran a light finger up her arm, a touch that any other time would have her pulling away from him. The feeling of his calloused fingers showed that it had been too long since another person touched her like this. Was that why I was so impulsive that night? “I bet,” his voice deepened, eyes slowly tracing her, “you thought about asking John if you could join us now and again.” 

She brought his hand down, this was just part of their banter. Wes would never be this forward. “Again Wes, that’s none of your concern.” She pointed to his half full glass, “Should I get you another drink?” He shook his head, “But okay I’ve spilled, so now the question goes back to you. Who was your best?”

“Ladies never kiss and tell.” 

Cat picked up one of the throw pillows hitting him with it. “Fuck you. That’s not fair.”

He held his hands up in defense from the hit, “I know you’d want to.”

“Come on Wessy, you gotta give me a little something,” she prodded, placing her cup on the ground.

“Is that the line you used?” The hazel in his eyes glinted a smirk on his face, “Or did it go a little something like this,” he quickly grabbed her wrists pushing her against the couch pinning her. The action took her by surprise, her heart racing being in this position with him, a heat starting to rise. 

Wes wasn’t wrong that the idea of them together hadn’t passed her mind, she had always tried to take any advantage she could to try and just get a look at him, before she ever knew of his best friend’s existence. Back then she reasoned it had to be because he fit her ideal with the leather jacket, aloofness, and the danger of being on the opposite side of what was allowed for her. The complete bad boy, something she always had a thing for. She had never let herself think there was ever possibility of them together once they became friends, now though proved to be a great excuse to get him out of her system. Fulfill the fantasies she had envied John over. 

She gave him a smirk, “You’re wrong that’s not how that went,” she leaned her head up closer to his, their lips a breath away, “At least to start out.” She laid back down, “We still haven’t finished our twenty questions. We each have two left.”

“You’re right,” his free hand ran along her side, hard for her to discern if it was intentional or not.“You’re enjoying this position too much aren’t you?”

She squirmed under him causing her to rub against his leg placed between her thighs. She bit her tongue holding in the moan that snuck up on her, It really has been too long. “Maybe. Do you find me a little enticing right now?”

“With your personality? Normally no.” She rolled her eyes and watched as he looked her up and down, ”I’m curious. What would happen if I said yes?”

Her impulse to bring his face closer to hers was thwarted by the fact that he still had her wrists pinned above her. She leaned up to kiss his lips lightly feeling the softness of them. She pulled away, still keeping them inches away, smiling, “What do you think?” She kissed him again biting his lower lip as she pulled away, “And that counts as your last question by the way.”

“Now who’s not being fair.” His free hand traced down her jaw, neck, and chest, “You still have one more though,” she felt his heart racing in pace with hers. Wes’ hand continuing down her body as she thought of the one question she needed answered. 

“Do you want to do this?” She whispered. 

Holding her breath she waited for his answer. Wes’ lips didn’t hesitate in answering her question, the hand that was at her side quickly pushed away her shirt, his calloused hand ran along her bare skin. She gasped at his touch, Who knows maybe after this we won’t need John or Rafael. She pushed her hips up to meet his and create more friction between her thighs. He let her wrists go, his kisses moving down her neck, hands grasping at her waist. Her hands quickly moved to pulling his shirt off. “Woah,” she pushed him up, admiring him, her fingers tracing the etchings of scars and muscles. She always knew Wes was toned but like this, better than anyone she ever had in all the years she’d been having sex. “How the hell are you a real person?” Cat breathed out, rubbing her thighs together. 

She didn’t give him any time to speak or even think of a response pushing him to lie on his back. His eyes went wide as she placed herself between his hips kissing down his neck, feeling his pulse increase with each kiss. Her hands snaking down, rubbing his hardening member. His moans were spaced out and quieter as she made a trail down his torso. She stopped looking into Wes' eyes, “You’re holding back aren’t you?”

“What?” He asked breathlessly. 

“Your moans,” she brought her lips to his, “Don’t you dare hold back on those. I want to hear you,” she slid her hand into his pants pumping his length eliciting the moan she craved, her breathing became heavy feeling herself start to become wet, “Let me know how good this feels for you.” She brought her hand back out of his pants, unbuttoning them and tossing them to the side. “Remember Wes,” she kissed his neck giving a light bite, he let out a breath that was followed by a small moan, “Don’t. Hold. Back.” She placed her lips next to his ear whispering, “I get off on that.” She saw him give a smile before finding her place on his body continuing down. When she reached his cock she licked her lips giving it a few pumps, “I see why you’re so coveted.”

She brought her lips around the tip hearing Wes let out a groan, the aching need starting to grow. She was slow in her descent of his length relishing in the hitches of his breath and smooth moans. She moved up and down his shaft with increasing speed taking inconsistent pauses on the tip running her tongue around him sucking harder. She felt her need for him grow with each moan and groan from his lips. When Wes started to move his hips, lightly thrusting into her mouth she paused letting him, her own moans vibrating against him. 

“Fuck,” he pushed her off of him, “No way am I letting it end like that, Cat.” His breathing was ragged as Cat prepared herself unsure of what Wes’ next move was. His hands went to work on stripping her of her clothing leaving her underwear in place. “It’s gonna be your turn now,” he growled, his mouth quickly attaching itself to her breast. 

“Oh fuck,” she cried out her hands moving to grip his shoulders. His tongue was graceful in its movements around her nub, his fingers easily finding their way into her underwear, circling around her clit. Her hips bucked as she let moan, “Fuck Wes. You’re working hard to surpass Jake aren’t ya?”

He pulled away, his fingers starting to tease her entrance, “You haven’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.”

“I’m not your sweetheart,” she bit her lower lip groaning, Wes pulling away his fingers from her. 

“I don’t believe you ever were sweet,” he kissed her, biting her lower lip. 

She ran her fingers through his hair pulling him back down for another kiss, “Just get back to what you were doing. Or else you’re not gonna stand a chance.”

“You want me to try and beat him?” He grabbed her wrists pinning them above her head grinding against her, his kisses hungry matching hers. She wanted him, there was no doubt about it, he just wanted to drag this out. His lips moved down her neck biting her intermittently. She moaned, letting her head fall back, moving against his hips, cursing the fabric that was between them. Fuck me, Wes pulled back his touches. 

“Are you sure?” She opened her eyes, she said it out loud, Didn’t mean to do that, “Do you really want this?”

His movements paused as Cat caught her breath, “Yes. Yes I do Wes.” He released her long enough to tear off the last remaining fabric. His straining cock pressed against her clit sending a shivering moan through her body. 

“So you gonna tell me now exactly what he did?” He whispered in her ear. He let his free hand lightly touch her body, “Did he do this?” She was moving under him trying to have him in her as his fingers teased her rubbing slow circles on her bud. She bit her lip trying to hold her groan back, she loved the sound of his voice in her ear. “Or maybe,” he slid his middle finger down her slit, the tip of his finger teasing her as she let out a breathy moan, “this?” He thrusted his finger inside of her, a yelp of pleasure her response. “No, he didn’t.” He tsked as he pulled out, adding another finger, Catlina withering and whimpering beneath him. 

She wanted him and didn’t care how good it felt with him on top of her. She tried to move her hips up to push him off when Wes started to thrust his fingers in and out of her. Cat arched her back, her eyes closing, “God Wes,” she moaned, “no he didn’t.” His thumb expertly played with her clit as his fingers continued to pump in and out of her. She could feel her toes start to curl, her moans turning to screams as she felt her muscles tighten around him. She arched her back feeling her the tension release with a scream of his name as he slowed letting her ride out her orgasm. 

As she came down with her ragged breathing she looked to Wes’ face, it held a smug smile for her. He loosened his grip, which she took advantage of grabbing his face to smash her lips against his, “I’m not done having you yet.” His hands sent shivers through her body with the lightest of touches. 

He smirked, “Neither am I,” he picked her up walking them towards his bedroom. 

Cat grabbed the edge of the wall, “Wait.” She looked him in the eyes lips curving in a smile, “Take me against the wall.”

“No.”

She looked away from him nonchalantly, “Guess you don’t want to have Jacob beat then. He never took me against the wall,” she lied. She saw the hesitancy in his eyes, “Just fuck me against the damn wall, Wes.” 

He pushed her against the wall wrapping her legs around his waist, aligning himself perfectly at her entrance, “Fine but not the whole time.”

“Wouldn’t dream-,” he thrusted into her, cutting off her thought with a scream. His thrusts started hard and deep as she gripped his hair and upper back, nails digging in. He increased his speed, his grunts and moans playing in her ear. His hands gripping her hips tightly in assurance  that bruises would be left there tomorrow. “Fuck,” she let out in a breath. She felt the tensing in her muscles, her nails raking down his backside. “I’m close,” she was ready to release when the pressure disappeared, Wes had pulled out of her. He left her empty and aching for more, he couldn’t do this to her. “No,” she whined. 

He ran his fingers down her jawline with a devious smile on his face, “Trust me.” Wes brought them both to the bedroom, quickly throwing her down, crawling on top of her. His mouth and hands explored her quickly bringing her to the edge again only to stop. He continued this dance changing technique with the ending being the same each time she got close. She even tried to not say anything hoping it would give her the ecstasy she wanted, Wes was too smart for her tricks though. “You’re easy to get to the edge,” he gloated pulling away from her, she arched herself to keep contact with any part of him, “I’ll admit I love seeing you get upset when I stop.”

“Wes, please,” she begged, “just let me cum. I promise you I can keep going for a long while.”

“Is it making you feel good,” he bit the crook of her neck, Cat let out a groan, “Because I think it is.” He dipped a finger into her bringing the now slicked digit to her mouth. She took it in her mouth licking it clean, “I’m gonna make sure you don’t forget this night.” He slid his cock up and down her slit, each touch of her entrance sending shocks of pleasure throughout her body. He was slow in finally filling her, low moans from both of them. Their kisses deep as Wes thrusted slowly, Cat meeting him halfway. 

She was working on increasing the speed and force of his thrusts hoping that this time he’d let her finish. The volume of his moans increased as the intensity of his thrusts did. She held on to him, “Fuck Wes you’re well on your way to being the best I’ve ever had.” She let her head fall back, gripping on to his waist for dear life, screaming, “Just don’t stop! Don’t stop!” Her toes were curling the tension building up again. This was it, it had to be. He was finally going to let her-.

He pulled out of her just as she was ready to finish. She narrowed her eyes at his smug face, his breathing ragged. She was done with this game of his. “Damnit Wes!” She pushed him off of her, grabbing his shoulders to throw him on his back, “I’m done with your game.” When he tried to prop himself up she pushed him back down, moving to straddle him. She fought with his hands finally getting a grip on both of his wrists pinning them to the bed. She took a moment to take him in steadying her breathing. His eyes were slightly wide with surprise at the sudden showing of dominance from her, while the rest of his body was settling into the role. “Now I swear on all that is holy,” she growled at him, “you try to pull that edging shit,” she leaned close to his face, “I will tie you down to his bed and torture you the same way,” she tightened her grip on his wrists, “Do I make myself clear?”

He chuckled, “Crystal.” She gave a quick nod before sliding down his length enjoying the feeling of him filling her. She let out a moan once he was fully inside of her enjoying the feeling a moment more. Sparks flying around her body drove her to start moving back and forth with her hips, slower and softer than she liked but she didn’t want him to pull any stunts. He joined in, making sure the thrusts were deep, his moans mere breaths. When Catlina couldn’t take the slowness of it anymore, she slowly let go of Wes’ wrists placing his hands along her body. She increased the pace only when she was sure he was going to pull any tricks, her nails digging into his sides and abdomen. Their moans became in sync with each passing minute and soon she felt her muscles tighten around him, his hands moving to her hips helping in making the thrusts harder. Her eyes rolled back feeling the tell tale signs of her impending orgasm, Wes must have been holding back for too long as his thrusts became off rhythm. She moved as fast as she could against him, his nails biting into the skin of her hips, her moans near screams. She felt her whole body tense up in a way she’d never felt before. The multiple times she was denied an ending were built up inside her, charging themselves for their release. She heard Wes’ grunts and moans, his cock starting to twitch inside of her. The small movements breaking free the explosion of pleasure that racked her whole body, screaming out his name. Her vision blurred and filled with stars as he thrusted into her one last time gasping, filling her. She inhaled shakily moving against him as she came down from the intense wave of pleasure he caused. 

When the shaking of her body stopped Cat laid against him catching her breath listening to the slowing of his heart. She was exhausted, still sensitive to his touch shivering with even the slightest whisper of his hands against her bare skin. “See,” he said, his breath evening out faster than hers, ”I told you to trust me.”

She weakly hit his chest, “Shut up,” she responded breathless, “I don’t think I could ever trust you again.”

He smiled putting his left arm behind his head, “This mean it’s more than a one and done?” 

“Who knows, Wes. Who knows,” she closed her eyes enjoying the small moment of silence between them. 

His right hand started to trace patterns on her arm, “So does that mean I surpassed Jacob?”

She let out a sigh, “I’m not telling you Wes,” she just wanted  to fall asleep in his arms. 

“You have to tell me,” he whined. 

“Why?”

He glanced down to her, “Cause then I’ll assume that I didn’t and I couldn’t live with that.” Cat moved to get a better look at Wes seeing tears form in his eyes, “I’d start crying and then I’d have to retreat to the mountains and forever live as a hermit.”

“Stop exaggerating,” she watched as the water in his eyes threatened to fall from his eyes. Her eyes got wide, “No please don’t start crying. If you cry then I’ll cry and it’ll just be a mess.” He pouted sniffling, “Wes no please,” she begged the expression on his face not changing, “Okay. Okay. Fine I’ll admit it. You’re the best fuck I’ve ever had. Now please don’t cry or start living like a hermit.” 

The sad expression and tears were gone in an instant replaced by a big smile, “I knew it!” He laughed to himself, kissing the top of her head. 

She scoffed, “Were you faking the crying,” he nodded. Cat grabbed one of the pillows hitting him with it, “God, why do you have to be such a jerk!”

He shrugged, “Because I know you’ll always love me.” 

She rolled her eyes, “You’re just lucky you tired me out to argue anymore with you.” 

He pulled a blanket over them settling himself against her, “Well that was always the plan.”

[ask-thewhitewolf]

Tell me a story please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sure thing!

Um... Once upon a time there was a dumbass who lived in Brooklyn.

That sounds like the start to a story about Steve, but no, it’s about me. Because unlike Steve, I’m self-aware.

(And I don’t think I’ve said it here, but I moved back to Brooklyn at the beginning of September of last year. It’s been fun, seeing the city again. Pretty much everything’s different now, so feeling bad about not remembering things isn’t something that happens too much. Though there is still an old diner here I worked at during the summers in high school, which is nice to see every so often!)

Anyway. Story.

Brooklyn’s great and all, and being a whole lot closer to Sam, Steve, and Natalia is good too, but... the apartment I got was a bit quiet at times. It was a nice place, I just missed the farm and the kids. Still do, every now and then.

So when I was getting home from getting groceries one day and passed by some yowling ball of fluff under a dumpster... I couldn’t just leave it alone!

I took him home, washed him up, fed him, took him to a vet a day later and...

Alpine’s been with me ever since.

He’s getting bigger now that he’s eating better. (And for those of you interested, he’s a British Shorthair. Don’t know how old he is though... Seems like he’s on the younger side.)

It was pretty funny, explaining to Sam, Steve, and Natalia what happened. I took him to Sam’s place to get them used to each other and Sam opens the door and goes “What is that.” (To which I answered correctly, “A baby!”)

...Oh, and I forgot to mention. A neighbor of mine, a really sweet old lady, went to go visit some family around the same time and left her cats at home. Four little black kittens, two with green eyes, one with blue eyes, and one with blue-green heterochromia. I was out one day and I guess Alpine must have smuggled them inside while whoever was taking care of them was out too, because when I got back... they were just there. I left a letter for their apartment explaining, and got a very interesting call back, a promise to explain to the owner and... I got to keep them. Until she got back, obviously.

(I think she took pity on the fact that I’m the wierd, lonely sad old dude that lives across from her, but hey, I got kittens out of it, so whatever.)

The thing is, the kittens got lonely, right. So I’d tuck them inside my clothes when I went out, because they were way too small to walk around that much on their own and it was starting to get chilly.

Which included when I went to visit Sam and have him meet Alpine.

(Yes, I got found out. Though, it’s mostly the kittens’ fault.)

So that was a fun day.

[charmingcentry]

Lie Detector

Entry for Day 3 - 20 Questions

AO3

-

It was a trend spreading across the internet, famous celebrities are taking lie detector tests and this certainly caught Chloe’s attention.

Maybe it’s because of her new life in LA with roommate bedmate Beca Mitchell, a multi-Grammy award-winning musician and herself, a high school teacher for music theory. Surely those professions aren’t exactly on the same ranking but, it couldn’t hurt to take that lie detector test, Chloe is just fairly curious. Sometimes her curiosity breaks through people’s limits.

Taking the lie detector test was an idea suggested by her seniors, nosy ones as a matter of fact - they Facebook stalked Chloe’s college years for goodness sake. When the news spread within the redhead’s music theory classroom that she personally knew Beca Mitchell and that their teacher roomed with her, Instagram stalking came next, Chloe couldn’t do anything to can her student’s loudmouths.

“How did you two meet?”

“Did she always wanted to be a musician?”

“Is that acapella group still running?”

“Are you two in love or dating?”

“Is she always busy?”

Wait, go back.

“Are you two in love or dating?”

It was a question frequently asked by Chloe’s friends, her relatives, and even her colleagues. The redhead would always have to answer dejectedly, no; they are not dating. They do the activities that people in a relationship do, other than the sex and mouth-on-mouth kissing, but they weren’t dating. Yet, there is one part of that question Chloe is quick to respond too. She is in love with Beca Mitchell and she can’t deny any part of it.

Maybe it’s because of how blunt and straightforward the brunette is or how compassionate Beca is. Her maturity level and the brunette’s witty sense of humor is what infatuated the redhead… the little bit of cleavage when the two first met also attracted Chloe. It has been over seven years since the redhead first fell for Beca, and she probably can never get over her. -

Beca’s home, for now, taking a small hiatus from her music career after arriving home from a five-month-long tour. Chloe took Beca’s break as a chance to not only spend more time with her best friend but to take that lie detector test.

Let’s just say after a classroom full of 17 and 18-year-olds pleading for their teacher to take the test with her roommate, Chloe finally gave in.

“So Beca…” The brunette perks her head up, shoveling chocolate ice cream into her mouth, Chloe laughs at the little ice cream trickling out of the corner of her mouth. “Jeez… anyway, my students have been… inquiring some sort of, offer that you may or may not be interested in doing.” The redhead utters, wiping off the ice cream with a napkin

Beca raises an eyebrow. “That’s a weird way to put it… what is it?”

“So uh, you know those lie detector test things?” Beca nods once, stealing a spoonful of Chloe’s strawberry ice cream. “Hey!” Chloe swats Beca’s hand with her own spoon, the brunette managing to steal a spoonful, sticking her tongue out playfully. “Anyway… do you maybe like, wanna take one of those? Just for fun or something.”

“Your idea of fun is being hooked up to a machine?” Beca teases, waggling her spoon around. She immediately notices her friend’s dejected face. “Hey hey, I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” She reaches to touch Chloe’s hand. “Actually sounds pretty sweet, I’m down.”

The redhead lights up, a Cheshire Cat-like grin spreading across her face. “Awes!”

A similar smile slips onto Beca’s face, a blush spreading as well. “Yeah, awes.” Chloe scoops her spoon into Beca’s cup. “Aw come on!”

“It’s payback babe.” Chloe winks, causing the brunette to immediately shut up

“Oh, whatever… where’s are we doing that… lie detector thing?” Beca asks, finishing off her ice cream

“I asked Aubrey if she knows anyone and her cousin's wife actually does those tests (“Wait were you already planning this?”). We can do it for free it’ll be fun!” Beca nods along with Chloe’s statement. “We also get to see Aubrey~ she’ll be tagging along.”

“Yay the dictator is going see me sweating my ass off,” Beca remarks sarcastically, throwing her cup in a trash can behind her.

“Oh please, as long as you answer the questions properly you’ll be fine. And Aubrey won’t be asking anything, just watching.” Beca lets out a monotone cheer. “I know you love her.”

“I do, she just… scares me.” Chloe drops her jaw. “Tell her I swear to god Beale I’ll still tell people you sleep with a nightlight.”

“Touche… anyway come on, let’s go before paparazzi ruin our hangout.” Chloe adds as she walks out the door, Beca still inside the ice cream shop.

“Yeah… hangout.”

The brunette follows Chloe down the street as they make their way to a nearby shopping mall to look for a wedding gift for Amy - she and Bumper somehow reconnected and got back together and are now marrying. Beca feels Chloe’s arm link around hers and finds herself more enlightened when making physical contact with her friend.

“Better tell the truth when the day comes Bec.” Chloe teases as the two strolls into a jewelry store. Beca rolls her eyes.

“Same thing for you Chlo… same thing for you.”

--

“Beca come on we don’t want to be late! Aubrey is already downstairs waiting.” Chloe yells, tapping her foot impatiently. She hears a thud come from the bedroom she shares with Beca and hears footsteps rapidly sprinting down the hall. She arrives at the door, breathing heavily as she stores a paper in her back pocket. “What is that?”

The brunette pushes Chloe out the door slightly and locks their apartment unit. “Questions I’ll be asking you. I thought I lost it.” The redhead slowly peers over Beca’s shoulder and the brunette begins to speed walk. “Nuh-uh Beale, gotta wait!”

Chloe lets out a frustrated groan as she puts her own list of questions into her purse. She calls the elevator to go downstairs to the condo building’s main lobby, Aubrey has been waiting for the two of them for about half an hour. The minute the elevator lands, the redhead squeals of excitement when she notices her blonde friend sitting on one of the chairs in front of the desk. The two share a tight embrace, swaying back and forth dramatically while a smile washes over Beca’s face. Aubrey notices the shorter girl and wraps her in a hug as well, the two are good friends after all.

“Let me guess… Beca was the one not ready?” Before Beca could intervene, Chloe nods enthusiastically as they all walk to Aubrey’s car. “Expected… you were late to nearly every Bellas practice.”

“Hey! My dorm building is across the campus from where we held rehearsals… and you're lucky I even went.” The blonde rolls her eyes with her smile widening as she starts the car. “But, glad to see you, Posen, it’s been a hella long time.”

“You too Beca. Now come on, I wanna see you two try to lie to one another.” The three pull out of the condo’s parking lot building as Aubrey inserts the directions to her cousin’s wife’s clinic, starting the route once the car has merged onto the main road. Although the passenger seat was empty, with the exception of notebooks and binders containing financial information about Aubrey’s lodge, Chloe sat in the backseat with the brunette, keeping her best friend company.

“How’s the lodge doin’ Posen? Last time we went was that retreat.” Beca asks, admiring the views from the moving car.

“Pretty good, it’s fun to yell at people every day other than the sore throat. How was the tour? Sorry I couldn’t make it to any of them…” Beca waves her hand dismissively

“All’s good, Chloe told me when she came to like… five of my shows was it?” Beca questions, turning her head towards Chloe who is fighting back a smile.

“Amy bought all those tickets! But yeah… I missed you! It’s lonely at home without you…”

Aubrey lets out a laugh. “The way you two talk, it’s like an old married couple.” The blonde raises an eyebrow at Chloe through the rearview mirror, merging the car onto the freeway. The redhead blushes and laughs nervously

“You’re not wrong… we had an argument about who was cooking dinner one time.” Beca adds, looking back and forth at Chloe and Aubrey through the rearview mirror. “Even though I burn everything except for Mac N Cheese.”

“Except that one time back in Brooklyn… you made Amy and me some dinner and we came home to the fire alarm blaring. We could hear it from down the hall!”

Beca and Chloe harmlessly bicker and tease one another back and forth throughout the entire car drive with Aubrey laughing along with every remark said. The two really did argue like an old married couple, the result of avoiding to tell each other about their major crushes on one another.

-

“Nice to meet you two, and Aubrey, lovely to see you again. My name is Madelaine and I will help conduct the lie detector test between you two.” The auburn-haired colored lady leads the group into a room where the polygraph is waiting. “I will be reading any sort of microscopic changes to your breathing patterns, sweat, and also blood.” Beca gulps loudly at the last word, she wasn’t very fond of blood - she once fainted after scraping her knee badly as a teenager. “Who will be going first?”

Chloe raises her hand up slightly. “I will.” Madelaine smiles at sits Beca and Chloe down on two chairs, the auburn lady grabbing the equipment for the polygraph examiner. “I will be placing these rubber tubes around your chest and abdomen, these will read your breathing patterns.” Chloe lifts her arms up as Madelaine wraps the air-filled tubes around her body. “Next up is the blood pressure cuff and, of course, will be reading your blood.” She wraps the cuff around Chloe’s upper arm. “And finally, this is the galvanic skin resistance, it will be reading the sweat emitting off of your fingertips.” After Chloe was finished being equipped in the lie detector gear, Madelaine takes a seat at the other end of the table. “Let’s start off with some basics… is your hair color really red?”

“Yes.”

Madelaine gives a thumbs-up. “Is your name really Chloe Beale?”

“Yes.”

The auburn lady smiles at signals Beca to start. Even if the brunette isn’t the one being tested, she is still sweating crazily from nervousness. She turns to Aubrey who is watching the whole event from the corner of the room, smiling at the brunette. Beca turns back to Chloe and pulls out her list of 10 questions.

“Do you enjoy living with me?” Beca asks lowly, looking at her friend straight in the eye.

“Yes.” Madelaine puts a thumbs-up after a moment of silence.

Beca moves down her list. “Have you ever held a party at our place without me knowing?”

The redhead tugs at her bottom lip and the corners of her mouth perked up. “Yes.” Madelaine gives another thumbs-up. “Just the Bellas, nothing too big.” Beca lets out a sigh of relief.

“Do you wish I was home more often?”

Without skipping a beat, Chloe responds. “Yes.” A thumbs-up comes from the polygraph examiner. Beca frowns a bit.

“Aw… I’m sorry. I’ll try to be home more.” The redhead smiles brightly at Beca. “Alright, number four… did you actually like me when you first met me?” The polygraph examiner pen frantically moves. “Friend-wise.” The pen slows back down to its regular pace.

“Yes, yes I did.” Beca turns to Madelaine and is given a thumb-up.

“Aw, see Aubrey I wasn’t that hateable.” The brunette says, turning to her friend who is watching from afar. Aubrey rolls her eyes and shoos Beca away with her hand.

Beca focuses her gaze back on Chloe. “Do you like my puns?”

The redhead mouths ‘sorry.’ “No.” An astonished brunette snaps her head towards Madelaine who gives a thumbs-up. “Your puns are just so bad sweetie.” Beca rolls her eyes as she moves further down the list.

“Oh, whatever… I know you love them… they’re punderful.” Chloe shoots a glare at her friend. “Hehe, sorry. Okay, do you really believe Lilly was possessed by Satan?” Beca notices the horrified expression that developed on Madelaine’s face. “Long story…”

Chloe slightly laughed and cleared her throat. “Oh definitely. Yes.” Madelaine narrows her eyes at the two and slowly raises a thumbs-up.

“Alright, number 7. Were you jealous of how much time I spent with Jesse back in Barden?” The brunette inquiries.

Chloe is taken aback by the sudden change of questions but remains calm. She knows she can’t lie, so she doesn’t. “Yes.” Madelaine gives Beca a thumbs-up.

“To be fair… I did want to spend more time with you…” That washes a smile over the two’s faces. “Anyway, you’re almost done uh. Okay, did you really fail Russian Lit three times just to be a Bella?”

Beca notices Aubrey break out into a coughing fit when the question was asked and Chloe goes pale. The brunette turns back around from a somewhat choking Aubrey and sees the redhead, hesitant to answer as the pens frantically move across the paper. “I… no.” The redhead says. Madelaine gives a thumbs-up.

Beca tugs at her bottom lip before reading the next one. “Did you ever date Chicago?”

“No.” It was true, the two never dated even after that passionate kiss.

“Final question then. Are you in love with someone right now?” Beca notices the polygraph pens rapidly write against the paper and then resume to its regular pattern. Chloe takes a deep breath and looks Beca straight in the eye.

“Yes.”

“Who i-

“Those were all true, good job, Chloe,” Madelaine says, as she detaches the equipment from Chloe’s body, the redhead lets out a gigantic sigh of relief of the test being over and done with. She develops an evil smile as Beca is hooked up to the machine. She looks over at Aubrey who nods her head in the general direction of Beca. Chloe’s smile only grows wider. After the test questions with Beca were over, the redhead pulls her own list out.

“Did you really want to become a Bella at first?”

Beca’s face scrunches. “No… but I don’t regret it, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Chloe laughs at how panicked the last part sounded as Madelaine gives a thumbs-up.

“Don’t worry Beca, that’s all good. Alright, do you enjoy the fame?”

“Yes… actually… no.” Madelaine says to say it once more clearly. “No.” Madelaine gives a thumbs-up. “Takes up too much of my time and it’s exhausting. But the fans are worth it.”

Chloe smiles gently at her friend. “Do you like sharing a bed with me?” She notices how red Beca’s face turns as Aubrey opens her mouth in surprise.

“N-no,” Beca utters, Chloe already knowing it was a lie. Madelaine gives a thumbs-down. “Fine, I do…”

“Aw, Bec~” The redhead clears her throat after Beca shoots her a glare. “Okay okay… do you miss your ‘ear monstrosities?’” Chloe asks air quoting the last words that were said.

“No.” Madelaine gives a thumbs-up. “It was a lot of weight on my ears actually.”

“Did you change at all when you dated Jesse?”

“I- yes I did.” Chloe frowns a bit. “It’s fine really…” Madelaine gives Chloe a thumbs-up.

“Do I ever make you uncomfortable?”

Beca furrows her eyebrows a bit. “No.” Chloe feels relieved and quite surprised to see Madelaine give Chloe another thumbs-up… she really thought the brunette would lie more.

“Number seven… do you enjoy it when I hug you?”

The tips of Beca’s ears go red as the polygraph examiner pens start writing rapidly. “Yes…” Madelaine gives an amused thumbs-up, laughing slightly at how flustered Beca was by the question.

“Good to know… did Jesse really break up because of the long-distance?”

Beca gulps as she looks anywhere else except for Chloe’s eyes, she knows she can’t lie at this point. “No.” The redhead glances over at Aubrey who is smirking. “Do you love someone at the moment Beca.”

There was a moment of silence. “Yes.”

There’s no going back. “Is that someone me Beca?”

Beca looks over at Chloe for one moment then back to the floor. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

Madelaine detaches Beca from the machine, saying she passed all the questions except for the one. The auburn lady waves goodbye to the three, giving Aubrey a hug. Beca and Chloe remain silent for a bit until the blonde leaves to go to the bathroom. Chloe turns to face Beca, but the brunette is the first one to open her mouth.

“For my last question… is that someone me? Only fair for you to answer since I did…”

Chloe smiles gently at the brunette before taking her hand. “Yes, it is you. For so many years, it’s always been you.” The brunette tugs Chloe closer and wraps her arms around her neck, pulling in her crush for a tight embrace. “I love you so much Beca…”

“I- I love you too Chlo.”

Beca looks up at the redhead and smiles. Chloe is the one to close the aching gap between the two’s faces, planting her lips onto Beca’s. Her lips are soft against Chloe’s and are kissing back with the same amount of passion as the redhead. Chloe could feel as if she could cry because she’s finally gotten the girl she’s been head over heels for. They pull away hesitantly and slowly when they hear Aubrey’s heels come back from down the hall. After seeing the two pressing foreheads with one another, the blonde knew what was happening.

A lie detector test wasn’t so bad after all.

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

Getting In Trouble

Part 7 of A Little Less Lonely

-

"You two can stay here until we're done."

Chance nodded to his father. It was a warm day for winter. The only chill was a brisk breeze that was mostly blocked by the building.

"Yes, Father," his older sister responded expressionlessly.

"Do not upset your sister, Chance," his mother commanded firmly.

"Adriana." Chance's father gave his mother a disapproving look before he could even acknowledge what she told him. "Chance would never do anything to upset Shanya and we both know that." He turned his attention back to his two kids, "Feel free to go inside and get something to eat and drink. Your mother and I will be back once the renewal of the treaty has been completed."

"Why can't we go with you?" Shanya tried again to convince their parents to let her into the meeting, "It would be an invaluable learning experience."

"We could at least let Shanya-"

"Unfortunately children aren't allowed in official diplomatic meetings." Their father put his hand on top of Shanya's head, "We don't make the rules. We'll practice these sorts of meetings in time. For now the focus will remain on your training. We won't be long. Senace and the Nasod Kingdom have had good relations for over five thousand years. This is simply a formality."

Shanya looked down, "Yes Father."

Chance watched his parents cross the street. They ate before leaving the house so he wasn't hungry. He turned to his sister and awkwardly suggested, "Do you wanna sit here where there's less wind or..." He trailed off as she walked silently away. With a quiet sigh he sat down in the seat closest to him. He brought a few books along to read while he waited.

Chance found it difficult to focus on his books with his sister's glare boring into him from where she sat next to the other side of the building. It had been just over a year since he accidentally took the Guardian Stone from her and she hadn't spoken a word to him since.

"Come on. Why do I have to stay outside when it's just a stupid formality?" Chance's attention was drawn away from his sister by a loud boy's complaining. He turned to look and saw a boy in a black hoodie that looked much too light for snow talking to a woman Chance didn't recognize.

"Because. Children are not allowed into official diplomatic meetings. It won't be long. You just need to stay out of trouble," the woman explained. It sounded like they had had this conversation multiple times already.

"Of course I won't get in trouble!"

"Last time you told me that was in Velder and I had to bail you out of prison," the woman commented mildly.

Chance's eyes widened.

The boy pouted and looked away from her, "How was I supposed to know putting bleach in that asshole's toilet wasn't going to end well?"

The woman didn't seem impressed, "Please stay out of trouble. This one won't be nearly as long as the one in Velder."

"Fine. Fine." The boy jerked his head in Chance's direction, "I'll just go talk to that kid over there."

Chance snapped his attention back to his book. He didn't think he wanted that kid talking to him. Before he finished the page, the boy called out, "Hey, you. If you're gonna eavesdrop on a conversation maybe don't stare at the people that are having it. That's a good way to get caught."

Chance glanced at the boy, "Sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

The boy laughed. He set the white cat in his arms on the table and motioned to the other side of the building, "What's with her? She's been glaring at you this whole time."

Chance glanced at his sister. He shrugged and mumbled, "I took the Guardian Stone from her."

The boy frowned and looked from Chance to his sister and back again. "What?"

Chance shrugged, "She worked really hard. And she was supposed to bond with the Guardian Stone but it didn't accept her. She got upset and Mother told me to fetch it back for her and when I touched it, it activated."

The boy laughed, "What?! She's mad that a sentient rock didn't like her? If it has the power to choose people then it's literally impossible for you to have 'taken' it from her or whatever."

Chance shook his head, "That's not it! She worked really hard. She always exceeded her quotas for the day and I only just started reaching mine at all. She really did deserve to have the Guardian Stone."

The boy stopped laughing. He sighed, "Well apparently not if that sentient rock of yours didn't pick her. She should just accept that life isn't fair and stop being a brat about it."

"She's not being a brat about it!" Chance insisted defensively.

The boy very obviously didnt believe him, "How long ago did all this happen?"

Chance hesitated. "About a year," he answered reluctantly.

The boy's eyes widened, "She's been all mad and glaring at you this whole time?!"

Chance nodded.

The boy laughed again, "Yeah, no. She's being a brat about it." He yawned, seemingly uninterested now, "Anyway. Look after my cat for a second. I'm getting food."

"I can buy you some," Chance offered. Maybe if he was nice this boy would stop being so rude. 

The boy shook his head, "Nah." He grinned, "I can get it myself."

"The lady that you were with didn't give you any money..."

"I don't need money from her."

Chance stared at the boy. That was stealing. That was against the law. "No, really. I can buy you something. It isn't a problem at all."

The boy laughed, "I said don't worry about it." He walked confidently into the cafe.

Chance leaped to his feet and followed the boy in. He looked around but didn't see the boy anywhere. He hesitated, unsure what to do. Eventually he decided to buy himself something to drink so he didn't look weird.

The boy reappeared seemingly from nowhere in line behind Chance. He grinned, "Sup."

Chance blinked in confusion, "I thought you didn't have money."

The boy shrugged, "I do now."

Chance was almost afraid to get an answer but he still asked, "From where?"

The boy pointed to the lord's secretary that was just leaving the cafe, "That rich lady over there."

"Did you take it?" Chance squeaked without meaning to while trying to keep his voice low.

"Of course. She doesn't need it."

Chance stared in mixed amazement and horror. "What... How-What? How did you do that without anyone noticing?"

The boy grinned, "It's easy really. I'll show you sometime. You're up by the way."

Chance jumped and whirled around. He scrambled up to the counter, "Can I have raspberry lemonade, please?"

"Sure thing."

"He wants a chocolate muffin too."

"I do?" Chance looked at the boy in surprise.

The boy nodded, "Yeah." He shrugged, "Even if you don't eat it now, it's always a good idea to have food on hand."

"Oh... Okay." Chance turned back to the cashier, "Yeah. A chocolate muffin too please."

The boy smiled with a quiet chuckle, "You are one really gullible kid."

"Gullible?" Chance repeated. Was this boy just making fun of him?

"I was just making an observation. Don't get all butt hurt. You'll just want to be careful who you listen to. I'm not gonna drag you along into anything awful but not everyone is so nice."

"You just offered to show me how to-"

"Because you asked," the boy interrupted.

Chance sighed. He had a feeling this boy was going to get him into a lot of trouble.

[7deadlycinderellas]

The Starks at War, ch2

AO3 link

Catelyn had been a girl still, at the outbreak of the Great War. In her youthful naivete, she had believed the propaganda; that the war would be brief and the boys she knew would come home in glory.

Her vision had been shattered.

Her engagement to Brandon Stark had been a terribly childish decision in retrospect, the last act of tradition, the union of two great families before the walls came down.

When he had died, she had felt that her world would end. Ned had held her when he could, and when the war ended they had fallen in love amidst their shared grief. Lyanna’s death had dealt another blow to Ned, unexpectedly. Lyanna had somehow managed to thrive during the war instead of being crushed by it, and in the end, her work managed to crush her anyway.

Yet here Catelyn is, hanging blackout curtains and watching as her children leave Winterfell one by one.

Sansa had been the first, seemingly both terrified and impatient to leave. Ned and Cat had half considered pulling her out of school, but everything was already prepared, her fees paid, and her school was in Kent, far from London.

Robb was eighteen in June. He joins up immediately, taking a spot in the RAF before he could be conscripted.

When Ned raises an eyebrow at his choice of service, Robb grins softly and says,

“I get seasick.”

Jon joins him soon after. Theon has joined the regular British army, haunted by his father’s words about choice of military service.

Catelyn had looked at Ned when all three of them left, with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“They wouldn’t...not again?”

“No,” Ned insists firmly, “Everyone remembers exactly what happened then”.

When the Great War had started, all the men who could had enlisted. The army had often posted men who were from the same villages and towns together, in hopes that their already created camaraderie would make the transition easier.

It had resulted in some villages losing every single one of their young men. The idea of losing even one of her sons, even Theon, who had already left, even Jon, who she was sometimes embarrassed of, made Cat want to weep. She was so grateful for Bran’s condition, and Rickon’s age, even if thinking so made her feel a traitor.

Ned had left almost immediately afterwards to return to London. He says the government will likely want him to turn production towards the war effort, and he wants to get on top of it, especially once most of his work force disappears. He doesn’t tell anyone that watching Robb and Jon and Theon all walk down the road together broke his heart.

Bran and Arya stare after them with jealousy. They’re both supposed to be doing their schoolwork, but it’s hard to focus on maths and history when history feels like it’s happening around them.

Arya has her own responsibilities though. At the end of the month, petrol is rationed. She rides her bike to the shops every few days, to buy and carry home whatever they need. They have to cook and keep up the house mostly themselves now. The cook and the older maid have both left to return north to their families, and Beth looks like she wants to leave every day. Old Nan moves back in with her sister down the road by the church, though she still comes by to help out with Rickon

At the end of September, Arya gets another unwanted surprise.

“You’re joining up too?” She demands.

“I’m eighteen next month,” Gendry tells her, “And if I don’t join now, I’ll get drafted and might not get a choice where I end up. The Navy says they need mechanics. All the planes and tanks and everything now.”

Arya bites her lip.

“I know, it’s just. It feels like everyone’s leaving. Father’s in London again now, and Robb and Jon and now you too. It feels like everyone’s leaving and I’ll be stuck at home cleaning and knitting socks and listening to the wireless and trying not to pace and panic.”

Gendry sighs a bit.

“You’re fourteen now right?”

Arya nods.

“Keep your eyes open. With all the men enlisting, they’ll need women to do everything we would be, they did during the last war. They’ll be opening up the services to women more soon I’d bet too. But let’s hope it doesn’t go on long enough for you to be able to enlist.”

Suddenly, he starts to look a bit shy.

“Could you…”

Arya furrows her eyebrows. Shy isn’t a look she’s ever seen on Gendry, and she’s fighting the urge to make fun of him.

“Well, soldiers are supposed to have people to write to and write to them.”

That’s what this is all about?

“Soldiers are supposed to have sweethearts write to them.”

“I don’t have one of those,” he takes a long pause, “Or parents or siblings. Or that many friends really. I know you already have your brothers to keep in touch with, but could you write to me?”

Arya feels her face flush. Her stomach is twisting with a feeling she doesn’t understand.

“Sure, sure I will.”

She turns away back home and tries to forget how lonely he looked.

Beth can handle most of the cooking now, as long as it’s nothing fancy. That leads to Arya having to help with most of the cleaning. There’s less of it now, now that there’s two fewer people in the house, but Catelyn insists that they don’t close anything up.

“We may need it soon,” she says cryptically.

Because Catelyn is a lady with a capital L, and if there’s one thing a lady is good at, it’s saving face and keeping together with other ladies.

And the ladies of the country are organizing.

Children flood the countryside, from London mostly but also Cambridge and Bristol and a few even from Leeds and Manchester. Everyone’s terrified of air strikes, but no one seems sure of where will be hit. The children are large and small, dirty and clean. Siblings together grasp hands, and lone ones wrap their overcoats on tightly. They all have cardboard signs hung around their necks.

They stick them wherever they can fit. Nearly everyone in the village takes at least one. The Reeds take in a rather fat young man who had worked in a bakery in London and had screamed when he first saw a frog. Jyana Reed had said that the house was already beginning to feel empty, with her husband having rejoined up with the service, despite his age. Winterfell even hosts three; a small girl not yet speaking much, whom Arya calls Weasel, and a young woman from the East End with a newborn baby.

“I’m calling him little Sam,” the mum says, “After a man I knew.” Her name is Gilly, and she looks to Cat like she’s never had a proper meal before.

The news is almost strangely quiet. Hitler keeps trying to do things, and occasionally a ship sinks, but for a country at war, it feels rather calm.

And every once in a while the air raid sirens blare.

The pamphlets sent out with the black out directions also give safety instructions during an air raid. Everyone keeps their gas masks handy. They’ve all been drills and false alarms so far, but the raids take a special toll on Bran.

“It’s bad enough having to be carried down into the cellar every time, but what if one happens when I’m alone? I can probably drag myself down the steps- slowly- but I’ll be stuck having to hope that someone comes by and finds me. If I get down into the cellar before the bombs hit anyway.”

“At least your cellar has a proper staircase. Ours is just a ladder.” Meera tells him. She’s got a suitcase with her and has come to return something to Arya. She’s just turned eighteen, and is joining the women’s Navy. They’re so close to Portsmouth, but she’s being sent all the way to Liverpool to train.

She’s come by to say goodbye.

“I wanted to dodge Arya. I’ll write to her, but I don’t want to give her another face leaving to stick in her mind.”

“If you’d worn your uniform, you might have scared her off. I’m not sure militarism would suit her. “

“I haven’t been issued my uniform yet. Everything is being requisitioned. All the clothing factories are making service uniforms now.”

“Aren’t you...scared?” Bran had asked her when she had first told them.

“All the posters and things keep saying Wrens are “Never at Sea”, but I’m not sure I buy it. They’re throwing everything at the Germans. I’m not sure how long it will even be.”

She tries to smile, but can’t quite, and tries to lighten the mood.

“Besides, I can swim. Swim and row, so basic training might be easier on me.”

Her face goes serious again. Meera not being able to smile feels like something deeply troubling to Bran.

“Can you take care of Jojen for me? With Dad gone too...Mum will have enough to worry about without having to worry so much about him too. Make sure he takes his medicine. Make sure he remembers what’s going on when it doesn’t work and he seizes anyway. “

“I can try, “ Bran says honestly.

Jojen’s been bringing over his charts and books, and the two of them are trying to teach themselves morse code.

“I wanted to get licensed to do amateur radio broadcasting before this all started,” Jojen admits, “But the government shut down all the bands. It’s too bad, it could be dead useful.”

No one remaining at Winterfell gets much from the outside world, except through letters.

Ned writes that London has transformed. So many businesses have closed up, and houses lie empty, abandoned. He says he will return to Winterfell as soon as he can.

Sansa says that nearly half of her classmates didn’t return to school.

 It means classes are all super small now, which is sort of nice. I finished up senior-level French last year, so I’m doing more in independent study. The teacher says she doesn’t know why, I’m already top of the class. English is much the same as it’s always been. Only one of the history teachers returned, so we’re all stuffed in one class.

    Headmistress says that because of the war, they’re offering several extracurricular courses for girls who wish to support the war. I’m taking typing and first aid. I do miss my dancing lessons- the dancing master has joined up- but some of us girls still practice in the common rooms in the evenings.

Margaery got into some trouble when she decided to start a German club. She’s nearly as fluent in it as she is in French- it sounds so much lovelier coming from her than from me!- and she insists that it could prove useful for all of us if the war continues.

 All the blackout rules are terrifying though. The dormitories are such a big building, and seeing it in total darkness is like a whole different world. And the sirens. I fear I will hear them in my dreams.

She doesn’t tell them about the girl who was outside past curfew when the sirens went off. She’d returned to campus hours after, her head bloodied, having been struck in the dark by a carriage before pulling herself to the side of the road and cowering in a ditch until the all-clear blew. Headmistress had sent her home with nary a word to the others. Sansa still didn’t know how badly she’d been hurt.

Catelyn sighs again at Sansa’s letter. Typing and first aid. Sansa should have been spending her days imagining her debut into society, of meeting someone she could marry, of being a true lady as she was born for. She’d so hoped her starry eyed dreamer of a daughter could be spared the horrors that this conflict was going to bring. She could just see Sansa going into nursing with her huge heart and no idea the sorts of things she would see.

First Aid though. That sparks Catelyn’s mind, for her more wayward daughter. She reaches out to Mya, who was the daughter of a groom who had once worked for the Starks, but knew her daughter in an entire different role.

And a week into November, Arya does something she hasn’t done in over a year. She puts on her Girl Guides uniform, and goes into the village for a meeting. Her former patrol that had dwindled last she had been there, now was swollen to bursting with evacuees from the cities.

 I’m old enough to be a Ranger now she says when she writes to Gendry, Though my uniform isn’t right for it. It’s no matter now, no one’s getting any new ones. I used to go a lot, I loved the camping trips and cook outs. I even learned to use a knife there. But Mother always fretted about me spending all my time around the village girls, told me I was destined for a different life, and when I got older all the girls started wanting to do needlework badges and stuff about babies and so I bailed.

     This week we went around painting the sidewalk curbs white, so people can see them better in the blackouts. Next week we’re helping dig public shelters and starting our first aid training. I still think the songs are stupid though.

Most of Gendry’s letters have been him whingeing about basic training. Arya’s not sure to what end- he’s not going to get much in the way of sympathy from her, and she’s more than capable of whingeing right back. Besides, she thought, he should be used to terrible food and spartan living conditions, having basically had to care for himself since his mother’s passing when he was twelve. Perhaps he shares her opposition to being told what to do, she thinks, and wants someone to agree with him.

Robb and Jon also send letters, more once they both finish basic. They’ve both passed qualifications and are assigned to become fighters. This horrifies Catelyn and excites Arya and Bran.

Robb’s letters are more of what’s expected. Complaints about the food, the lack of privacy. Arya snickers at that, it can’t be as bad as boarding school can it? How much he misses everyone. That hurts.

Jon repeats all of Robb’s sentiments, but also speaks of his pilot’s training.

 Story is they picked Robb and I because we went to a “good school”. Apparently having ridden horses or handled yachts is a good base for learning to fly. I didn’t really do much of any of that, but the instructor’s say I’m a natural. The steering, handling the g-forces, it comes easily to me. I feel like this is what I should be doing.

He doesn’t give too many elaborate loving descriptions of the planes they practice on, for fear of making Bran too jealous. He does send drawings though, as amateurish as they are. Bran tries to improve upon the crude sketches on his own, planning to send them back to Jon as a Christmas gift.

Because 1939 is coming to an end, and Christmas is coming with it, no matter what else is happening.

Ned returns home in December, once the snow is falling heavily and the countryside is as cold as it gets. He brings with him several boxes, that he claims they can’t open until the 25th. He returns to hugs and great cheer, at last, a Stark returning to Winterfell in time for Christmas.

Especially since he’s the only one.

“Last letter,” Arya says, morose when the envelope in Sansa’s pretty script arrived accompanying a large parcel.

It had been awful enough learning that Robb and Jon weren’t going to be coming home. No one was getting leave this year, no matter how little seemed to be going on.

 No one can get train tickets to go home, the government has cracked down on it so much. Some of the other girls come from as far away as Scotland. A few of us as staying with Margaery’s family for Christmas, they have so much room and are just over the hill. I miss everyone, I hope you all like your presents.

She resists the urge to gush about Highgarden, the most grand estate she had ever seen. The Tyrell’s were hosting several girls from the Land Army, and there were so many people and so much cheer that Sansa felt like an ingrate how much fun she was having.

Arya was still a bit sour when Christmas Eve comes. They couldn’t put lights on the Christmas tree even, because of the blackout rules. None of the shops in the village had window displays either. The church still held their Christmas Eve service, but they didn’t ring the bells.

The person who gives Arya back her spirit ends up being of all people, Gilly.

“I’ve never really had a proper Christmas!” She admits when they’re stuffing the Christmas goose to put it in the oven overnight. Jyana has come by for Christmas Eve with Jojen and the boy they've taken in, who it turns out has lots of Opinions about food. They will have a proper feast, if not as grand as in previous years, where they were usually entertaining guests, but there’s a goose and potatoes and lots of baked biscuits, even if they came after very long lines.

“What do you mean by that?” Arya asks her.

“We were terribly poor, never had a tree or nothing. The rain and snow would leak in through the roof bad in winter. And most Christmases Papa would just extra drunk and we girls would hurt for it.”

Catelyn comes over and cuts her off.

“You shouldn’t ask things like that Arya,” she whispers to her, “That girl’s had a hard enough life, without you drudging up memories of it.”

Arya can do that. She’s old enough to realize that she shouldn’t ask where little Sam’s father is.

And when Christmas morning comes Gilly claps her hands at the Christmas tree and the red and gold decorations on the tables and staircases, and even little Sam looks delighted no matter his size. Even Weasel, usually so stoic, looked dazzled.

There are gifts. Sansa knitted and sewed things in class to send to everyone. The pullover she’s made Arya is terribly soft and goes along perfectly with the enormous wooly hat Gilly had made her. Ned and Catelyn give all the younger Stark’s books, even Weasel and Gilly. Bran and Arya had collaborated with the Reed’s boy who had come to be nicknamed “Hot Pie” to make everyone fudge. And the boxes Ned had brought from London turned out to be new clothes, sizes that would fit everyone for some time.

“I remember the last war,” Catelyn comments later in the day when the others are full of Christmas dinner, enjoying their gifts and listening to the BBC’s Christmas programme.

“Buttons, ribbon, wool. Everything was in short supply,” Ned says completing her words. “And if Bran and Arya sprout up like Robb and Sansa did at their age, we would be in trouble.”

Cat stares out the snowy window.

“Tell me this won’t last as long as the last one Ned, “ she begs quietly, “Tell me this might not be our last Christmas together.”

Ned takes her in his arms and stares out the window into the world outside Winterfell and tries not to fear what the next year might bring.

[almaasi]

reaction post typed while watching SPN 14x17 “Game Night”

this was not 45 minutes of Dean playing Twister with Cas :/

04:22pm

if this isn’t 45 minutes of team free will 2.0 having a happy time in the bunker with all their alive hunter friends and family, playing board games, everyone whistling and whooping when cas takes off his coat to play twister with dean, i will be sorely disappointed

HOWEVER

/checks

it’s meredith glynn

so maybe it won’t be the pure, fun, gay plotless fantasy that i have in mind, but it’ll probably be well-written and emotional, which is aaaalmost as good

-

04:30

DEAN’S PLAYING MOUSETRAP 

OKAY 

OKAY

OKAY

-

04:31

[distant “soN OF A BITCH”]

yeah mousetrap is like that

we have one exactly the same, it’s from the 60s or something, it sometimes functions but mostly doesn’t

when the ball hops into the bucket and rolls down the slope, that’s my favourite part

-

04:37

WHY ARE THEY HAVING GAME NIGHT and drama WITHOUT CAS

WHERE IS CAS

WHERE IS CAS

THIS IS TOO MUCH

-

04:38

ahhh thank you ms glynn for immediately answering my question

she knew!!! she knew the only question everyone would be asking at that exact moment when nobody mentioned cas is WHERE IS CAS

and then she’s like “here have some cas”

thank

-

04:39

i want a gag reel of danneel and misha trying to do this scene

we don’t have anywhere near enough content of them together, interacting

-

04:41

cas getting earrings for anael/sister jo is so intriguing to me and i really like it for some reason

“lightly cursed”

jsdfd

-

04:43

paused and screenshotted because in this exact moment she looks uncannily like my doctor

-

04:45

jo: the winchesters don’t know you’re here, do they?

cas: “why do you say that?”

jo: “i don’t know, just a general reek of ill-conceived lone wolf desperation”

i love this script, danneel’s delivery, and also describing cas as a lone wolf, i find that both attractive and accurate... kinda makes me feel better about the fact he disappears for weeks at a time, i guess it’s just a personality trait of his that he likes being alone after socialising a lot

-

04:50

mary: “i can be... closed off... hard”

dean: “yeah? :) that’s where i get it from”

aw yeah cuties talking about their feelings

-

04:51

while dean and mary talk, i think the music is that soft piano theme they use when dean and sam are having emotions, and i’m not 100% on that because i haven’t heard it in AGES, like maybe two seasons, unless i just missed it

either way it just makes me think of all the times they DIDN’T use that music with dean and cas

at least not since season 4 or 5 (sic), this music definitely reminds me more of that era than the recent eras

-

04:57

cas in that big silver pickup truck

i wonder what dean thinks of all his car choices

-

05:00

YEEEAH SAMMY SMUSH HIS STUPID FACE

-

05:03

mary telling sam she’s proud of him eyyyyyyyyyyy <3

edit: IN HINDSIGHT THESE “LAST WORDS” INTERACTIONS WITH SAM AND DEAN HURT WAY MORE. now i’m really worried about her gdi ;A;

-

05:04

the doll cas blows dust off reminds me of that weird lil doll danneel keeps in her and jensen’s house

-

05:08

laughing because how is nick even close to being jack’s father

jack is biologically the president and the presidential aide’s/first lady?’s son

and team free will are his nurturing dads, who did the actual job of parenting

lucifer is his angel father since he was possessing the president

but like

nick is the body lucifer wore, was nowhere near the president, wasn’t a vessel at the time, hasn’t physically been allowed to be near jack in all the time jack’s existed, has had almost no interaction with him, and is also a douchebag murderer

family don’t end with blood and all, sure

but like

no

-

05:18

jo/anael: “look, i just stepped in a rat, so”

oh god that reminds me of--

*trigger warning: very gross, animal death*

reminds me of that time my cat brought in a mouse and ate half and then because it was dark i stepped on it in a bare foot and skinned it with my foot and it was cold and horrible

also that time i stepped on a spider, also in bare feet, and it crunched

and that time i stepped on a lizard but it was fine and it was SQUISHY

-

05:21

i went back a bit and anael throws the doll, first it says “ma-ma~?” and then it hits the pile and goes “mhmhj!!” and that’s both cute and upsetting

-

05:24

OH MY GOD IT’S LIKE THE SAMULET BUT DIFFERENT

cute lil horned skull, i want one. seriously it’s adorable, i don’t think it’s meant to be adorable but it is

-

05:34

rock hit sammy’s face and i cringed

-

05:37

of all the wounds to the head

finally one actually did some damage

feels weird but right that dean called an ambulance like real people

edit: what did he tell the EMTs though, now sam is all healed up

-

05:40

beautiful and terrifying

-

05:41

nick: “make me strong again, make me you”

he’s gonna die isn’t he

-

05:43

dean: “count with me”

sam” “you always put me first”

noo sam !!!!

-

and then the cut from sam, dead, to nick, dead

oh gdjfgdjg help dhfgdf

-

05:47

mary: “you need help, we’ll help you”

oh now i’m worried about mary

jack you better not hurt her

-

05:48

black screen

jack’s whisper “mary”

oh no

-

05:48

THIS WAS SO MUCH

AND IT WAS GREAT BUT IT WAS SO MUCH

I KNOW I SAID TWISTER BUT THIS WAS NOT THE KIND OF TWISTER I ENVISIONED

I MEANT PHYSICAL NOT EMOTIONAL THANK YOU VERY MUCH

i have no thoughts

i can’t think, i’m just

........maryy..........

i freaking loved anael, and i loved how cas interacted with her, he’s comfortable and knows her well and is just aware of her strengths and fears and likes and needs, and anael knows him just as well, well enough that she knew his real motivations for trying to contact god

i love that this was all about jack, but i also hate it because oh no our sweet baby nougat boy is a chocolate cake now

i love how much love the winchesters have for him, how they’re not even questioning whether he belongs there or not, even when lucifer and nick are trying to claim kinship. team free will are his three dads and everyone knows it

i adored seeing mary again, it feels like it’s been ages. and i hope dearly she’s okay at the end of this, we’ve all had enough of fridging and she doesn’t deserve that to happen to her again, none of us want that

meredith glynn writes good female characters with relatable positive and negative traits and i am so pleased to see that!! i do kind of think anael was the best part of this episode, and she was written so much better here than in the previous season. that stuff she and cas talked about, her doing everything for money vs. her trying to fix suffering, but also clearly enjoying the money along the way, that was my favourite part of the episode

i think my least favourite part was the fact it was basically two stories, cas doing stuff for jack, and then dean and sam and mary doing stuff for jack. i know it’ll match up later, but i disliked the lack of contact there. at least on screen, cas wasn’t informed about all the drama the others were going through, and like anael said, they didn’t know where cas was or what he was doing.

and also given this all happened apparently around the same time, and the episodes’ air dates (maybe) coincides with when they’re set, where WAS cas two weeks ago when he left dean and the bunker and dean said he left early in the morning? i assume he was going to meet anael, but how much time passed between then and this? idk

i loved that cas picked up earrings for anael though. and knew enough about them to know they were valuable. either he’s an jewellery expert or a geologist, or dean or sam are, and all of those possibilities thrill me

didn’t like sam getting hurt but the wORST PART was jack’s downfall here

oh no

dean’s relief after sam was healed, where he had to step back and turn around, that was... something. no matter how many times he almost loses the people he loves, it never gets easier for him, and it never will

damn that rock from the middle of the road that probably shouldn’t have been there

but also. how much of lucifer’s personality was just nick? because he’s basically the same person without lucifer. i’m really curious who lucifer is, because we don’t really know, do we? i mean, actions aside, the quirks of his speech and personality were seemingly all nick’s. (i think when sam was in the white suit, that was non-nick lucifer, except that was in an alternate timeline so who even knows.)

one more thing. a tip for the non-anxiety-ridden, non-autistic people out there. when a person is stumbling away from you with their hands over their ears/eyes/head, muttering about wanting the conversation to stop or the noise to stop or for you to go away, please, under no circumstances, go after them and yell at them and grab them

not saying jack should’ve done whatever he did, but mary definitely reacted in the worst possible way to a panic/anxiety attack, especially when jack is clearly dangerous to other people, not just himself

anyway. 06:21pm.

10/10, but would not recommend unless someone really wanted their heart ripped out

would have preferred dean playing mousetrap for 45 minutes and cas coming home early to find everyone had the correct amount of soul, and then letting dean teach him how to play twister, actual twister, not this twisted goddamn fuckery directed at my stupid emotions like this actually turned out to be

[secrecykept]

@lachalaine 

Just a random, self-indulgent kinda thing of Kav and Mags in the Chesh/Jackie verse!

-----

The moment he sat down on his office chair and relaxed into it, but before he could even take a breath to center his mind and plan for the day ahead…his phone rang.

How typical.

He huffed as he snapped up the device, answering it with his usual disregard for manners.

“What.”

A laugh came through the line and drew forth a sigh from him.

“Mags,” he said, already raising his free hand to rub his temple in anticipation of the headache the woman was likely to bring him.

‘Mags’ as she was known, was many things. A fox. A witch. A great talent. A massive flirt. A morally questionable person. And she was key to a goldmine of information, she was his inside woman.

But mostly she was a giant pain in his ass.

“That’s me, Mr Alpha, Sir~!” She mocked the part of serious soldier, and he could just imagine her lazy salute. “Lieutenant Mags, reporting for duty.”

There was a pause and thoughtful hum from her before she added, “Or more like, doing my duty and reporting I guess.”

Kav rolled his eyes and inwardly asked the universe for patience. “…Uh huh. Well, go on then. Report.”

“How come you never give me a report, huh? I wanna know what’s going on with you.”

“Because you already know everything and I’m the Alpha, I don’t report to anyone.”

“That’s so boring though! Can’t you gimme any good details? I worry about you sometimes, y’big lug.”

He was almost, deep down, touched by her concern, but that fleeting feeling evaporated as she continued.

“I know you haven’t had sex in like, foreverrrrrr. I bet I could find someone real good for you-“

The predicted headache settled in the front of his skull and began to pound on it. His voice held a rough edge as he spoke. “That’s enough, Mags. Report.”

He heard her sigh before her voice came again, “Well…at five I went for a run, then I watered my plants, then I sharpened my knives, or maybe that was before but anyway, then I –“

He clenched his jaw and forced himself to release it, his breath huffing against the receiver. “Stop messing around already.”

“Alright, alright, grumpypants…” she said rather petulantly, sounding as if she might be pouting at the growl she’d been given, but he knew she’d be restraining herself from laughing. She went on, “Target One, also known as codename ‘He Can Hammer Me Like A Nail Anytime’ has been spending every chance he can get at the human’s house. He sneaks away for work and all, but it seems like it’s super rare that he’d ever miss spending the night with her. From what I can tell, she still has absolutely no clue that he’s a shifter.”

“Good…make sure it stays that way.” He frowned and adjusted his hold on the phone as he leaned back in his chair. “How the hell hasn’t she been suspicious yet…Does she really think he’s just a normal leopard?”

Mags hummed noncommittedly, the vocal equivalent of a shrug. “Maybe she just really loves big cats, and this is just a dream come true for her lonely, cat-loving soul, so she doesn’t think about it. But don’t worry too much, she’s pretty cool and they’re sweet together.”

He tapped his fingers on his desk and ignored the way his nails wanted to sharpen into claws. There were too many things that could go wrong. There were too many things that he didn’t know.

His hand shifted over to the closed laptop sitting on the desk and he tugged it a little closer, cracking it open and jabbing the power button. Might as well get some of the day’s work started.

“Yeah, well it won’t be sweet when SIAP kick down her door and fuck with her memories. And it won’t be sweet when he gets punished for being a security risk.”

“Hey now, chill out there, big kitty,” Mags soothed, “That’s what you’ve got me for. We’re not gonna let that happen.”

He scoffed and took a moment to punch in his password. “So who is she? What’s she like, huh? Must be something pretty special if he’s barely leaving her side.”

“Well, let’s see…She’s definitely not one of us, as far as I can tell there’s nothing like us in her family line. Her name is Jacqueline Dulcet, but she goes by Jackie. She’s half French. Lived in LA as a little kid, but they moved to the Philippines when she was six. Moved again when she was twelve. Went to an all-girls academy where she was a bit of a loner and struggled with the work for a while, according to records. Looks like she was some kinda sick for a while and then things picked up and she made a friend. Became a cheerleader during college…I wonder if she’s still all flexible. Do you reckon she’ll do a cheer for me sometime?”

He rolled his eyes and opened up a news site, skimming the headlines. “Stay focused.”

“Well, whatever. Anyway. She got a boring ol’ business degree when she was twenty but did the smart thing and made a much more fun career for herself with music! Though I gotta say there seems to be a weird dark patch in her life that I’ll have to try digging through later…but anyway, she’s a popular DJ! Even has a good little set up in her house for making her music, I’m itching to break in and have a look at all that pretty stuff.”

“Dark patch, huh?” He frowned, eyes drifting from the screen for a moment.

“She’s a pretty thing herself, did I mention that? A bit shorter than me but just as sexy.”

“What dark patch?”

“ – wonder if she’s straight. I wonder if she’d think I’m hot too. Maybe -”

That’s it, he thought. He’d lost her. Once Mags started on that train of thought, she was impossible to change track, there was nothing to do but accept he wouldn’t get an answer yet. It had happened so many times before, and often he suspected that she acted this way to avoid revealing what she knew, that perhaps she was waiting until she had a deeper knowledge before telling him, because she knew how impulsive he could be.

Honestly, just hearing that this ‘Jackie’ had a murky past at any point was enough to make him want to keep his brother as far away from her as possible, to go there right now and drag Chesh from the place. And maybe Mags regretted the mention of it, but it was better that he had even a little warning that there might be trouble ahead later.

He gave a simple annoyed grunt in response to her continued ramblings, and that seemed to be all she needed to keep going on her own tangent.

“- She’s got the most magic hair. It’s all purple and bits of pink and blue, and man, it must be a bitch to maintain, I admire her dedication to it, that’s for sure. Oh, and she’s a Sagittarius, and you know what that means.”

“No idea.”

“It means she’s a hot little adventurer! A fun time to be sure. Highly compatible with a wonderful Aries like myself, just so y’know. Good for our little Leo Chesh too. Damn, they’d be one hot couple, she is fiiiiiiiine.”

“You’d better stop drooling over her,” he warned dryly, “Sounds like you’re gonna fall for her too.”

“Good one, Kavi-cakes, but just you wait until you see her. I’m sending a detailed file to you now. Check it out.”

Beneath his annoyance and skepticism, curiosity began to bud and poke through. He opened his emails, and as soon as the new message (subject line: Look at this pretty lady!!) appeared in his inbox, he clicked into it and opened the attached document.

A series of images loaded in a banner at the top of the page, a gallery featuring a young woman (and occasionally a leopard accompanying her).

“Damn...” It slipped out before he could stop it.

She really was a pretty thing. She really did have magic looking hair. She really –

He hung up on the laugh in his ear and rubbed his face. 

Damn women.

After a steadying breath, he pulled his eyes back to the images on display and studied them. She seemed relaxed and happy in most of the pictures, especially those featuring her leopard companion too.

For some reason, Chesh had gotten attached to this woman, likely without even thinking about what might happen if things went wrong, while the woman herself may prove to be just as dangerous to him.

And all Kav could do was monitor the situation…

Or maybe not.

Once again, he snapped up his phone. Within a moment, he dialled.

“Mags. Get Chesh to come meet me.”

It was time to try talking some sense into him…

[arethereanyoriginalusernames]

Top 5 least favorite zoophobia character designs

-----------------------------------

Welp, got the positive list out of the way. Now yet me give you the list inevitably more people will like because everyone apparently likes it when I'm negative. Go figure. Vivziepop has a whole arsenal of character designs, and here are some of my least favourites. Same ground rules for my other list apply here. And first, some dishonorable mentions.

DM 1: Jack and Damian

First things first, I don't hate the designs of the main cast. Yeah, they're simple compared to other designs in zoophobia, but, as I've said before, I like Vivz's more simple designs. But out of all the main cast, I disliked these designs the most for one reason. At least everyone else looked like their respective animal. Spam looks like a fox, Vanex looks like a cat, Kayla looks like a kangaroo, and Zill, despite the crazy colour scheme, looks like an unidentifiable creature. These guys? Damian is supposed to be this demonic jackal, but, if you look up jackal in Google Images, you'll notice that he doesn't really look like one. He looks more like some kind of wolf or fox. I don't mind the ears (hell, the horn-like, long ass ears could be his signature look ), or the eyes (he IS a demon ) but, fun fact, jackals have black ears, a black tail, and a distinct black patch of fur on their backs. Some liberties can be taken with colours, I suppose (I mean, we have a freaking purple cat in our midst, you think I'm drawing the line at the canines? ), but perhaps parts of his fur could be made darker in order to get him to resemble a jackal. Jack is a wolf/jackal hybrid, yet he looks more like a domestic dog or a rabbit. It's mainly his ears that cause the problems. Maybe give him more wolfish ears. Seriously vivz, what wolf or jackal looks like that?

------------------------------------

For this next entry, I shall perform my best Nicholas Cage impression. *ahem*

DM 2 : Most of the Party Dawgs

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! MY EYES! MY EYES! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

*cough * Anyways, now that I've finished my hyperbolic reaction to the party dawgs, let me single some out. Koko, Mint, and Raven. Koko (aka the purple one with purple clothes) literally looks like a clone of Mint (the green one). The only differences between the two are colours, hair being parted on opposite sides, and slight clothing difference. And let's be honest, Raven literally looks like another Jayjay. But hey, at least their colours don't make my eyes bleed.

Now onto the list proper.

--------------------------------------------------

5. Tom

Look, to anyone on this site who wants to know what I think of Tom, he's just meh. There's nothing really that special about him. Oh, you're a lonely demon? It's not like we have someone in the main cast like that already. Oh, you can be something of a charmer and attract a lot of ladies? Hi Zill! And Tom's design isn't helping his case. He looks like a recoloured Bozzwick or a genderbent Ink. There's nothing really creepy or strange about his appearance. You could argue that his eyes are strange, but plenty of other characters have strange eyes, and Tom's eyes aren't even the strangest. He doesn't look demon-y. He looks like another edgy teen. And yeah, I might be a hypocrite here because I love Damian's male human design, but in his case it's kind of funny. I mean, it's just amusing to me that someone like Dame (who is also the anti christ ) looks like a hot topic addict. It's just so weirdly fitting it's hilarious. Same can't really be said for Tom though. ....

-----------------------------

4. Styx, Tentadora, and Jillian.

Three way tie! Whooo! Okay, but in all seriousness, I put these guys here because they all suffer the same problems. They need some adjustments to their designs and a change in colour pallets. Go back to ch 3 of zoophobia, and look at how much these guys seem out of place in hell. These three characters become a major distraction as your eye is immediately drawn to them instead of whatever more important scene is going on. Give them a colour pallet that helps them blend in a little more. Jillian, I feel, since the poorer parts of Hell are have a more Western feel, should have a more Western influence since that's where she came from. Maybe give her boots or a bandana. around her neck. Styx needs the most change since he looks like a recoloured Damian. Take the ears and tail away. Perhaps give him a more Victorian influence while keeping Tenta's western influence to represent their clashing personalities. Maybe give Tenta a hat or apron to make her look more like a member of Hell's staff.

3. Elijah

Look, I know a lot of people love his design, but Eli's design bugs me on a couple levels. Why? Well, look at some of the other snake characters that take on a bi-pedal stance, such as Gustav, Quinton, the Max brothers, and Castello. You might notice something. ...slightly different autonomy wise. Look, I appreciate that Vivz is making some of her characters look vastly different than others, but in this circumstance. ...why? Why does Eli get to have a more snakey influence? Shouldn't he resemble Gustav since their both snakes? Why does Eli get to have a snake head, but none of the other snakes do? I know, Dollcreep came up with Eli's original design, but Dollcreep came up with Gustav's original design too. There, we had the same problem with heads we do here, so yeah, this reflects on Dollcreep as well for inconsistency. Besides, Vivz could've fixed this problem while redesigning Elijah. As for the colour pallet, while yes, pink and white are overused in Vivz's characters, I'd argue it makes sense here with Eli being albino. However, I'd make the colours on his face and in his hair lighter. Albinos can't really keep pigments in their skin and hair, so it'd be impossible for Eli to be as... covered in pink as he is. Unless he, for some reason, constantly dies his hair and paints squares on his face. That would actually be pretty funny.

Damian : Eli, you've been in the bathroom for 2 hours, what are you doing?

Eli: Putting pink squares all over my body. As normal people do.

Damian : But...why tho?

Eli: Aesthetic.

-----------------------------------------

2. Jayjay

AAAAAAAAAAAH! MY EYE-- yeah, I'm not doing that joke again.

Look, I liked Jay in the Die Young video. Her colours weren't as saturated and they worked well together. Everywhere else? Not only do her colours clash terribly against each other, with a few exceptions, her colour pallet is always so bright it's actually painful to look at for more than two seconds. Her design in Die Young was just fine. It communicated exactly what it needed to about Jayjay. Not to mention it used contrasting colours in a way that was nicer to look at. Lesson here kids? Jay doesn't need a loud design. She needs and effective design.

Also, any Dollcreep fans who try to come out of the woodwork to say shit along the lines of "Dollcreep did it sooooo much better "

....no he didn't. Get off my front porch, you wannabe edgelords. I'm the non straight edge Lord of social ineptitude here!

And number one goes to......

-----------------------------------

1. Whitney

.....you know, if I didn't already use the Nick Cage joke already, I'd be hamming the shit out of it rn.

Look, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep this dude on the list, since unlike the others, I dunno if vivz is still using him, and I didn't want to go after a character she may have abandoned, BUT JESUS ALMIGHTY.

This design actually hurts my head when I look at it. Take everything I said about Jayjay and stick it here, except times 100! The colours are far too bright, and clash horribly. ..to quote my buddy, @imviotrash when they first saw him, "What even is Whitney? "

I'll leave so I don't need to look at this much longer, but as usual, tell me what you think!

I apologize for wasting your time.

-ATOUN

Ps. Let me know your favorite or least favorite zp designs! I'd love to see what others think!

[animatical-fandoms]

Upcoming Fanart Info!

I finished my @kwamiswaps week art a few minutes ago, and boy let me tell you, it took forever. It’s just tagged and put in my queue for each day (I think each is scheduled for like 9-10 AM or something my time? So a few things to note about each character if y’all are interested, I have basic info below the cut about each swap and my basic headcanons about it. 

If I tagged you below the cut, it means I used your existing au as inspiration for some of my designs in the coming week, and I wanted to credit you as inspiration before my queue catches up! 

Tikki

Adrien - Okay just, whatever happens in canon, all that I ask is that Adrien calls Mari “Chaton”/”Kitty” it will warm my dead, dead heart understand? 

Alya - basically my personal design for @lunian‘s Ladybird AU. It’s awesome, go read their comics and stuff! I just like Alya’s Rena cape thing, so I went for ladybug wings - Fennette will be a thing too for Trixx’s day!

Nino - The fact of the matter is in this AU, Mari was like Nino is the responsible level-headed person of this friend group he’d make the best superhero and gives him the ladybug miraculous. He and Chat!Adrien are the best of friends, and Adrien lowkey crushes on him almost as bad as Mari!Ladybug. 

Chloe - yeah, my interpretation of the wonderful @zoe-oneesama‘s Scarlet Lady AU. My version of Marigold will get featured, too :)

Luka - Plain and simple, Master Fu showed up a few years earlier, and ran into this kindhearted musician before Mari. TBH Luka is one of my faves, so he’s going to show up for the majority of the week because I loved playing around with designs for him

Felix - He doesn’t get cursed with bad luck, but with a kwami that insists he be responsible and help poor Lady Noir (Bridgette) break her curse. He’s gentler, kinder as a bug than as Felix, always happy to help others and to calm akuma victims after a fight. He’s drawn to Lady Noir, ever melancholy and mysterious, and lets himself loose with an edge against Bridgette because that’s how he’s always been. 

Plagg

Marinette - Again, based off of the canon leaked art. I just really, really hope she’ll call Adrien some version of My Lady, and make at least one cat pun, either unintentionally or specifically for Adrien’s benefit so he can squeal over it. 

Alya - Instead of Master Fu picking Adrien, he asks New Ladybug who she would like by her side. Obviously Alya is the first choice, and she’s ecstatic to be a superhero, keeping the Ladyblog focused on Ladybug because, you know, she can’t record herself. Nino and Adrien crush HARD on the new superheroes, and while that frustrates Mari, Alya is absolutely delighted. 

Nino - Adrien pulls a Marinette, afraid that he’ll get caught since he’s under so much scrutiny as a model with a ton of visibility, and though it physically pains him to not fulfill his magical girl dreams, he knows Nino would be an amazing hero. Nino takes it in stride, and he and Mari!Ladybug are the bros to end all bros. Alya, crushing on Chat!Nino, creates both the Ladyblog and another blog dedicated to Nino’s alter ego. His thought? Best girlfriend ever. 

Chloe - I don’t really know how this would happen unless Adrien did the above, but with Chloe, thinking her confidence would be an asset?  Mari as Ladybug would be irritated by Mistress Noir, but it becomes a series of growing moments for Chloe, because she gets to see what a destructive force she really can be on people’s lives and gets better at the Friend Thing. 

Luka - My boy omg this one was fun to draw. So 

Bridgette - Reverse PV like Luka’s - Bridgette thought her luck was bad enough with her being unable to speak at a normal pace and pitch in front of her crush, not to mention her clumsiness makes her look like a fool in front of him during their dance classes. Now she’s cursed with a tiny god of destruction and a Perfect Superhero Partner - well, at least her clumsiness disappears when she’s Lady Noir. A shadow to Lordbug’s light. She knows it’s as hopeless to try and break her curse with him as it is to get together with Felix, so she just stands aside as his protector. 

Trixx

Marinette - See the Ladybird AU with Alya; I couldn’t help myself!

Adrien - In the world where Alya is Chat and Mari is Ladybug, the two need help against the multiplying twins, same as before. Except Mari goes to lonely Adrien who she knows would be amazing.

Nino - The above babysitting disaster happens to be Nino’s little cousin, Chris, rather than Alya’s sisters, so Mari offers the fox miraculous to him. He and Adrien get to be bros for all sides of the mask. Alya makes an entirely new blog dedicated to the new fox. 

Chloe - I really don’t know how she would get her hands on the fox, unless she made like Queen Bee and stole it, which I suppose is plausible. Maybe I can do way better than Lila because I won’t be faking it kind of thing?

Luka - He probably would get this if another akuma was the reason they needed the Fox - maybe if Fu gave it to Ladybug while his mom was akumatized and he was worried about everyone’s safety. 

Felix - He was free of the Black Cat’s curse, and the miraculous could no longer be his. It got passed to Adrien through Fu without him knowing, and as soon as he sees his little brother vaulting across the city in a catsuit (without stripper boots, what the hell Plagg why did you make me suffer this way) he storms up to Fu’s place and says give me the fox those are children my god and becomes Mentor #1 to the new Chat and Ladybug. Naturally, no one catches on that he’s himself. He’s a professional at this secret identity thing. 

Wayzz

Marinette - In the world where Nino and Adrien are Ladybug and Chat respectively, Alya has been chosen as the fox. During Anansi, though, she’s captured - so Nino’s like omg Marinette could be the turtle and Marinette, upon receiving it, is having major panic mode set in, but you know, she does her best. Adrien takes a look at her protecting them and is like omg my Lady, a la Alya knowing exactly who Carapace was, but he keeps it to himself, and becomes more comfortable and flirty with Mari. 

Adrien - Don’t know if this fits in with any of the others . . . but probably Chat!Chloe verse, and Marinette is like please can you be my partner forever

Alya - Instead of her getting kidnapped during Anansi, it’s Nino, since Nora had a beef with him being too girly. She totally saves him and fangirls over being a superhero and he just knows. 

Chloe - How did this happen? I’m not even sure. But her being on the defensive is so out of character that I can’t even begin to rationalize it. 

Luka - Both Alya and Nino are unavailable during Anansi, so Marinette is like, Luka was super helpful on the boat and is super nice let’s do this. 

Bridgette - Fox!Felix verse - she sees her boyfriend, who was once Chat, as a fox teaching the two bb heroes the ropes. She goes to Fu, stands in the door with her eyebrow raised.  Fu had meant for her to succeed him as guardian anyway, and she takes up a job at his place so he can still hang out with Wayzz. She becomes Mentor #2 and is basically Mulan in fighting style - totally unexpected strategies. (It’s her fault that identity reveals happen, idk how, but it is)

Pollen 

Marinette - Marigold from the Lady Scarlet universe!

Adrien - From the universe where Chloe ends up as Chat, Marinette is super protective of this sunshine bee boy

Alya - Marinette actually? Gets the Bee Miraculous to Alya instead of losing it to Chloe?

Nino - Mari’s mind goes to Nino instead of Alya when the Bee is needed, and she makes it to him. 

Alix - After seeing her do so awesome with Reverser, Marinette turns to Alix for help as the Bee. 

Max - well, I don’t have too much of a headcanon for him, but kwamiswaps did a fanfic, so that’’s what this design is for! (I did little suspender stripes without meaning to omg I really do like how it turned out)

Dusuu

Marinette - I suppose in this AU, the Peacock wasn’t damaged, just disappeared - and, while visiting Adrien for a study session, she ends up with a new bird friend. 

Adrien - He inherits it from his mom okay??? Like, Fu has it and knows and is like your mother would have wanted you to have this. And this pisses off Hawkmoth to no end because he thinks whoever stole it is Definitely Not Adrien and is disgracing his wife’s name and just more angst than I expected for this Bird Boy (which, of course, makes the running gag that he’s allergic to feathers hilarious - Dusuu does make him sneeze if they get in his face, but when he transforms he doesn’t have his allergy. 

Alya - Swap the Peacock for the Fox - let’s just say Hawkmoth had a direct source to mess with Lila. Instead of illusions on the night the twins start multiplying, she creates a summoned creature to lure them all together. 

Nino - The Peacock was damaged still, but Nino was willing to risk that to save his girlfriend and the city. 

Chloe - Somehow, since the Mayor was friends with Gabriel and his wife, he ended up in possession of the Peacock before Gabriel knew what it was. Chloe gets her hands on it relatively at the same time she would have gotten the Bee and is just as Extra. 

Jagged - Who knows? It was necessary to make this once it was suggested. Let it happen. He deserves to be a flashy birb.

Nooroo

Marinette - Mayura is the main villain in this universe, and Emilie is comatose because of a damaged Ladybug Miraculous. Adrien is still Chat, but he makes “my wings�� and “my little butterfly” comments rather than “My Lady”. Gabriel has Nathalie generally doing his dirty work, and he calls Emilie his lady. It’s very sad and angsty. Mari uses her friends’ best qualities to fight against the beasts Mayura creates. 

Adrien - He’s been Chat for some time, but now Gabriel has been revealed to him and Mari, and he gets really, really angry, and steals the miraculous as Adrien. This is a Problem. Plagg is concerned Adrien is getting too angry to deal with powers of destruction full-time, so Adrien brings him to Fu and alternates between Plagg and Nooroo, and he confronts Gabriel a lot as the Butterfly because betrayal reasons. Ladybug is concerned, but she trusts him and that’s what gets him through. 

Nino - He is So Supportive of his friends, okay? He gets chosen as the Butterfly holder when, say, Bridgette has the Turtle and they manage to take it from Hawkmoth but still need help getting the Peacock or some other stolen one. 

Chloe - Okay, this version of Chloe does not get a redemption arc, like, ever - she’s Hawkmoth. Straight up.  She starts every akuma purposefully, becomes a villain, etc.  Don’t ask why; I don’t know - attention? I prefer Redeemed!Chloe, but I feel like she’d totally be past saving as this particular supervillain. 

Kagami - She’s a fencer, the Butterfly has a sword/cane, it’s a match! Adrien gets to pick some new holders in my personal headcanon. Let’s say while the Mouse and Snake go to Mari and Luka, they get the Butterfly so Adrien chooses Kagami because she tried to help him and she wouldn’t let her emotions get in the way when she chooses people with her powers. (I didn’t like my original Alya design for the butterfly, so we get Kagami instead!)

Felix - Brother!AU. He was Chat Noir when he was younger, has been abroad with Bridgette, and comes home to see the canon situation. He is Not Fooled by Adrien, Mari, anyone - he’s been there, and he has distance of not knowing most of the people involved, so he gets very, very, angry. He knows his father is Hawkmoth. So he steals the butterfly and sides with Ladybug and Chat Noir, who are both thankful but confused at this new Butterfly who’s So Angry - Adrien doesn’t figure it out, but he comforts Felix without meaning to and Felix is so touched. Felix eventually reveals that he knows who the previous Hawkmoth and the current (insert villain name) is - Gabriel Agreste. Obviously disbelief and angst, but he reveals himself and is like I am the last person to want Gabriel to be a supervillain so yeah and Agreste brotherly bonding and HawkDad butt-kicking and there.