#at work..... fortunately this is the only morning shift i have this month i'm pretty sure

[hua-fei-hua]

*squints out the window at the morning sun* it is Imperative that i be adopted by more femslashers

[just-another-blog-of-fluff]

Familiar - Part 10

Word count: 3,550

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x reader (established relationship)

Warnings: Just a super fluffy, semi-plotless installment to the series

It was recently our dear friend Mr. Hiddleston's birthday, so I thought I might incorporate that into part 10! This part was based on a prompt from 💙💚❤️ anon where reader surprises Tom at his hotel while he's away, managing to scare him when he arrives 😉

There will be additional parts to the series going forward! I'm lacing updates to the series in between completing my other prompts. I know I'm not taking new prompts, but I will take suggestions for future parts of the series still, and I have a bunch of inspiration prompts to work with too from before😊

Series navigation: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

"Alright, darling... I should really get going. We've got a long day of filming ahead tomorrow."

"Oh, alright..." You sighed sadly into the phone. "Get some rest, and I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight."

You pressed the end call button, watching Tom's picture vanish from your phone screen only to be replaced by the photo of the two of you that you had saved to your home screen background. He'd been away for three weeks already, traveling the country to make appearances at various conventions with the Marvel cast, and you missed him terribly.

But that was about to change.

Toby hopped up onto your bed, waddling over to you across the bedspread and nuzzling his head into your shoulder. He'd gotten a bit bigger over the last month or so, and while he was well on his way to becoming a model citizen, he was most definitely still a troublemaker. You maintained the opinion that the name 'Loki' would have really suited the pup, but Tom refused to gratify you with his agreement.

Even after Toby chewed up one of his shoes.

"Hey buddy!" you cooed, scratching behind Toby's ears. His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, his tail a blur as he wagged with sheer elation just to be standing next to you. You pressed your forehead to his, grinning with excitement as you spoke to him in your squeaky baby-talk voice you always used with him. "Daddy doesn't know I'm coming to see him, does he? No he doesn't! He'll be so surprised, won't he, Toby?"

The pup yipped, rolling onto his back in clear expectation of belly rubs - a request you never could refuse. You scratched the soft, white fur on his belly while scrolling on your computer with your other hand, reviewing your travel details for the umpteenth time.

Tom's birthday was coming up in three days. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get any time off of traveling to come home and be with you around that time, and your schedule had gotten pretty hectic now that the new semester of school had begun. You promised you'd facetime him on his birthday so you could at least see one another, but it just didn't feel like enough. Tom had always been so good to you - you wanted to return the favor and do something wonderful for him.

So, you'd called on someone you knew would be able to help you.

You'd anticipated Chris Hemsworth would be confused when you'd called him a couple weeks ago, but he didn't sound phased in the slightest. He was thrilled to be able to help you coordinate your plan to surprise Tom on his birthday. He was going to be in Boston, which fortunately was only a short plane ride away. With some bribery and a whole lot of groveling, you were able to get your work friend Amie to cover your shifts at the bar for the few days you'd be traveling. Chris set you up with the details for the hotel they'd be staying at, and helped you arrange a ride there from the airport so you could be there when they returned from the convention that evening.

Tom had surprised you so many times, you were thrilled to be able to return the favor.

The following morning, you bade a sulking Toby goodbye, leaving him in Noelle's capable hands before heading out to the airport to make your way to Boston. Before you knew it, you had arrived at Logan Airport where a car was waiting to drive you to the hotel.

You'd been to Boston before, but you'd never dreamed of staying in a hotel as fancy as the one the car pulled up to that day. Located in the heart of the city, surrounded by bustling city folk and rushing traffic, the entire building seemed to be made of polished glass windows. The interior lobby had a sleek, lounge-style feel, with sharp lines and dimmed lighting and large leather sectional sofas arranged for casual conversation. If you hadn't been tagging along on Tom's business trip, you'd have taken one look at the place and decided it was out of your price range.

Honestly, you wondered when you'd get used to these sorts of things.

At the check-in desk, you spoke to the concierge and provided them your name. His eyes flashed with recognition, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Ah, yes! We've been expecting you." He leaned forward, glancing around before whispering, "A little birdie informed us you'd be surprising Mr. Hiddleston for his birthday this evening."

You laughed at the phrasing, a sudden image of a small bird bearing a striking resemblance to Chris Hemsworth forming in your mind. "Would you be able to provide a room key for his room so I can really surprise him when he gets back?"

The concierge checked your ID, then handed you a room key and directed you to a room on the 14th floor. You took the elevator up, wandering down the empty hallway until you located Tom's room and let yourself inside.

The entire room was lined with windows, providing a gorgeous view of the city streets under the late afternoon sun. A broad king-sized bed stood toward one end of the room, with Tom's suitcase laid out on top of it. On the other end of the room was a small seating area with artistically round-shaped chairs and sofas, behind which stood a full minibar stocked with various high-quality-looking liquor bottles.

Alright. Maybe you could get used to this.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket as you searched for a spot to hide your bag out of view. It was a text message from Chris, letting you know their group was on their way back to the hotel now. Hurriedly, you shoved your bag away in the closet and shut the door, getting to work finding a good place to hide.

After running through a few ideas in your head, (bathroom... too obvious; closet... too cliché), your eyes landed on the large cabinet underneath the television across from the bed. The space was fairly large inside the cabinet, and more importantly, it was empty. You ducked inside and shifted to sit with your knees pressed to your chest, reaching out and shutting the doors to plunge yourself into darkness. It was tall enough that you could sit straight without having to duck your head too uncomfortably. Leaning back against the back wall of the cabinet, you waited in excited anticipation for Tom to arrive.

About fifteen minutes had passed, and you began to think maybe you should have waited to get yourself situated in this cramped space when you heard a key card slip into the door to the room. Your heartrate ticked up as you heard Tom's footsteps shuffling into the room, the door clicking shut behind him. He was humming, as he often did when he was in a good mood. You grinned, listening to the warm, baritone timbre of his voice that you'd missed so much for the last few weeks. It was taking all of your willpower not to simply burst out and throw your arms around him in a giant hug. No, there would be time for that after - it would be so worth the wait when you caught him completely off guard and surprised him.

You heard his footsteps pass by your hiding place, fading only slightly before the zippering sound of his suitcase reverberated through the walls of the cabinet. Silently, you shifted onto your hands and knees and pressed your face against the doors, peering with one eye through the sliver of space between them. Tom's back was facing you as he dug through his suitcase for something - a change of clothes, you suspected, given he was still wearing the Loki 'variant' jacket along with the dress shirt and pants that went with it. Holding your breath, you soundlessly pushed the doors to the cabinet open and slipped out, rising carefully to your feet and sneaking up behind your distracted boyfriend.

You got as close as you could without becoming concerned that he might back up into you without notice, leaning forward a bit before shouting in his ear.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The shout that left Tom's mouth was surprisingly high-pitched for the normally baritone-voiced man. He whipped around, eyes wide for a moment before he fully registered your face. You couldn't help but burst into laughter after hearing the sound of his shriek, throwing your arms around him anyway and squeezing him in a tight hug while your shoulders shook with your giggles. He slid his arms around you after a second, still seemingly shocked.

"How... darling, I'm so glad to see you, but how did you get here?" he asked.

"I had some help from your friends," you explained, loosening your hold so you could lean back and capture his lips in a kiss. "I see I succeeded in surprising you!"

"Uh, yes! It isn't typical for someone to sneak up on you in a locked hotel room!" He was grinning now that the shock of it was wearing off, finally registering the fact that you were there with him after three long weeks apart. "I can't believe you're here! Darling, I've missed you!" You shrieked as he dipped you backwards a bit to kiss you again, smiling against his lips. When he lifted you back to your feet, he asked, "Who is it I have to thank for setting this up?"

"Well, it was my idea... but Chris helped with most of the planning. And he may have pulled a few strings to help me book some things for us to do tonight."

"Ah, a good man," he declared fondly. "What have you planned for tonight, then?"

"To be honest, I only have a vague idea. I told Chris what I was hoping to do, and he said he'd take care of it from there. But... we haven't yet addressed the fact that you screamed like a girl when I scared you!"

Tom grinned sheepishly. "I'll admit, you got me. I was quite startled."

"Startled?? You were terrified!" you teased, giggling. "I'm gonna have to try this again sometime, maybe I'll get it on camera!"

"Oh, you think that's a good idea, do you?" he asked ominously.

"Oh, absolutely. I would definitely show all your costars. I guess I'll just have to settle for telling them the story this time..."

Tom gasped indignantly. "You will not!"

"No way am I keeping this to myself! It's too funny not to share!"

"You think it was funny, hmm?" His fingers dug into your sides abruptly, making you curl in on yourself in a fit of giggles. "How's this for funny?"

"Tohom!!"

"Don't 'Tohom' me! You thought you were going to get away with teasing me like that? Darling, honestly - you should know better by now." His fingers spidered up and down your ribcage at random, leaving you a twisting, giggling mess. You managed to twist hard enough to break free, backing away quickly with residual giggles spilling from your lips.

"N-no, Tohom! Stahay back!" you demanded, though both of you knew you didn't mean it.

"Stay back? You really think that's going to stop me?" He swiped for you and you leapt back just out of his reach. "Little rascal, you are."

"At least I don't scream like a girl!" you teased. His eyebrows shot up in amused surprise.

"Oh-ho, you don't? I'm fairly certain I could make that happen if you keep teasing me, darling."

Your face flushed with heat at the mere suggestion. He reached for you again and you stumbled sideways just in time, giggling rapidly. You'd so missed this playfulness with him gone the last few weeks.

"It won't be nearly as funny if you tell your friends that I scream like a girl."

"Oh, that's it."

He suddenly lunged forward, taking a much larger step than you'd anticipated, and captured you around the waist before you could scurry away. He pinned your back to his chest with one arm wrapped tight around your waist, dragging you backward and shoving his bag out of the way so he could scoop you up and drop you on the bed. You squeaked in surprise as he clambered up onto the bed to hover over you. Tom tickled you often, but he didn't typically make a big show out of it like this. Clearly he was keen on preventing you from telling his costars about his girlish scream.

"Are you going to keep it a secret now, darling?" he asked warningly.

"But... it's just too funny not to sh-AHAHARE THOMAS!!" He didn't let you finish, clawing at your sides and belly as he gazed down at you fondly.

"Wrong answer, love." His fingers crawled up your sides, quickly finding purchase on his favorite tickle spot of yours on the backs of your ribs on either side. You threw your head back and laughed hysterically, batting weakly at his hands. "How about now?"

"NAHAHA!" you responded incoherently, squirming under his ticklish touch.

"Hmm. I'm beginning to think you're getting immune to this spot, darling. Perhaps I've tickled you here too often." He paused his fingers for a moment, tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek in thought but still grinning affectionately. You began to regain the ability to speak, shaking your head wildly knowing where he would inevitably target next.

"Tohom, don't do ihit!! I know whahat you're thinking!"

"Oh do you? I've become too predictable as well?" He winked cheekily. "We can't be having that."

He sat up and snatched your ankles off the bed, scooping them into the crook of his elbow before tickling the soles of your feet. You squeaked and kicked helplessly, giggles streaming from your lips as his fingertips grazed the inner edges of both feet simultaneously. He'd caught you on one of those days when your feet were more ticklish than usual - quickly, the sensation became overwhelming and you tapped your hand on the mattress to forfeit. He relented immediately, lying down on his side next to you with a silly grin plastered to his face.

"You're adorable, love. But you're still not getting away with teasing me in front of my friends this evening," he insisted. You turned onto your side to face him, scowling playfully.

"Fine... I guess we'll keep it our secret. But only because it's your birthday."

"Thank you." He cupped your cheek with his hand, pressing a long kiss to your lips that sent tingles down to your toes. "Now then - what should I be wearing for this evening's festivities?"

The two of you got dressed in nicer casual clothing, throwing on your warm jackets in case it got too cold that evening before heading down to the lobby of the hotel together. When you arrived, Chris Hemsworth was there waiting for the two of you. With a warm smile, he wrapped you in a big hug as he always did in greeting.

"Wonderful to see you again!" he declared. Turning to Tom, he asked, "Did she surprise you?"

"Oh, I surprised him, all right..." you cut in, a teasing air to your tone. Tom shot you a playful glare, pinching your side.

"Wait, is there something funny you aren't telling me?" Chris asked in confusion.

"Yes, but Tom won't let me tell you. Under penalty of tickles."

"That sounds like a rather unfair ultimatum, Tom," he teased.

"Not unfair - simply resourceful," he argued with a grin. Chris looked to you, and you quickly mouthed 'I'll text you' before Tom could see.

"Were you able to get a reservation for us tonight?" you asked. Chris smiled brightly.

"Of course! I called in a favor from a friend of mine. You'll have a wonderful time!"

You'd asked him to help you book a spot on one of the Boston Harbor sunset cruises. It was a warmer than usual evening for February in New England, and so it was the perfect night for a boat ride. Something about Chris's tone told you there may be more in store for the two of you than you'd anticipated, however.

With a quick goodbye to Chris, you and Tom headed out to the car that was waiting to bring you to the harbor. The moment you stepped out, Tom's eyes lit up when he took in the sight of the old-fashioned yacht you'd be dining in that evening.

"I've always wanted to do this - thank you, darling," he exclaimed, wrapping an arm around you and hugging you to his side.

"I thought it would be a fun way to spend your birthday," you replied humbly, heart skipping at the excitement in his voice.

You led him up to the boat, providing your name to the attendant. She nodded, motioning for you to follow with a polite smile. Hand-in-hand, you and Tom followed up the ramp and onto the deck, where the attendant then led you inside the upper level of the boat through a door.

The boat was already bustling with people preparing for dinner, some wandering about the deck while others were finding their assigned tables inside. The attendant whisked the two of you past all of that, leading you all the way to the back and through another door.

"Oh, wow..." you breathed in awe as you stepped inside the next room.

The entire back wall was windows, with a perfect view of the cityscape. In the center sat a solitary table with two chairs, a glass of champagne already set at each place setting. The room was dimly lit, modern uplighting having been installed around the upper edges of the walls. With the sun still somewhat bright, natural light flooded in from the outside, but you could tell that once the sun went down the lighting would be incredibly romantic. In the back there was a glass door that led out to what appeared to be a private balcony on the back of the boat.

"Please enjoy!" the attendant stated kindly as she stepped back out of the room. "A waiter will be with you shortly."

With that, the two of you were left alone in this beautiful dining room for two. You glanced at the table, seeing a folded note tucked underneath the vase in the center. You carefully slid it out and unfolded it, reading the handwriting scrawled across the paper.

I promised I'd deliver, didn't I? Don't worry about the extra cost - consider it my own gift for the birthday boy.

Enjoy!

- Chris

"I told you he was a good man," Tom reminded you, reading over your shoulder. He stepped around behind one of the dining chairs and pulled it out, motioning for you to sit. "My lady."

"Tom! You're ridiculous!" you giggled, taking your seat and allowing him to push the chair in for you before taking his own seat across the table. You picked up your champagne glass and held it up toward the handsome man in front of you. "To another year that this earth was blessed with your presence."

"Oh, darling, I'm blushing," he chuckled, clinking his glass against yours. "Thank you for the wonderful birthday gift. I can't imagine a better way to spend my birthday."

The two of you chatted while you sipped your champagne and ate your dinners, catching each other up on things that the other had missed in your time apart. You showed him all the photos of Toby you'd taken on your phone in the last few weeks (which was an embarrassingly large number), telling him all about how the pup had successfully learned the lay down and stay commands you'd been working on with him. Outside, the sun set slowly below the horizon, leaving the sky in inky black darkness lit with the glow of the city lights.

"Shall we step outside, then?" Tom asked as you finished your last bite of dinner. You nodded, allowing him to take your hand in his and lead you out onto the balcony.

The night air was slightly chillier than it had been earlier that day. Tom wrapped his arms tightly around you, warming you up. You leaned forward against the balcony railing, gazing at the dark water of the harbor where the reflection of the city lights danced across its surface.

"Did you enjoy your birthday?" you asked, leaning your head back against his shoulder.

"Every bit of it." He pressed a kiss to your cheek, warming you up from the inside. "This was absolutely perfect. Thank you, darling."

"You're welcome." You sighed contentedly, enjoying the sense of safety you felt in his embrace. "I should tell you... I texted Chris about your little mishap earlier."

"Oh?" He squeezed you tighter, leaning over your shoulder to get a good look at the guilty expression on your face. "You know you're going to be in trouble for that later."

"Mm, that's a problem for later me. Present me wants a kiss."

A warm rumble of a laugh reverberated in his chest as he turned you around to face him, arms still wrapped tightly around you.

"Who am I to say no?"

And kiss you, he did.

[ratherembarrassing]

So I know you're keeping safe, mostly by government mandate. As someone in a country where the government is shit so I'm mostly forced to lock myself in my home, any tips for how you've been staying sane for the past two years

bold of you to assume i have stayed sane!

joke aside, i do think i've managed this particularly well, in part by circumstance and in part by nature.

i'm an extrovert who doesn't actually like going out and doing things, so everyone else being forced to live my chosen lifestyle was mostly a boon for me. i would say the number one thing that has kept me sane has been my various group chats: online pocket friends from several different fannish eras of my life, my rl friendsgroup, a couple of new discords, even my family has embraced the groupchat. without question these were the strongest bulwark against the darkness. it also helped to cultivate the groups that were on the same page as me in terms of taking shit seriously. not talking to people who weren't helped a lot, and i also had the good fortune that the only family i have in the same city as me are all as germphobic and risk averse as i am, so there wasn't any pressure in that space.

other online stuff also helped. in the early days there were lots of Events, and that's tapered off a fair bit, but things that have moved online permanently have been and continue to be great to get into. so many art and cultural events, classes and groups have fully embraced having an online presence and i have really enjoyed the increased access to things that in the past i never would have got to attend in person and therefore wouldn't have experienced at all. really embracing the opportunities that are only available because of the pandemic has been good for the ol' looking on the bright side.

on the flip side of fun new experiences, cultivating rituals in the every day has been a very good thing for me. i've mentioned this before, and it's not a new online thing, but picking up yoga for a month was something i think i fell into out of a psychic understanding of something i needed but wasn't aware of needing. it's a good example of trying new things in a short term manner, which has been an ongoing theme for me for the last two years. finding small rituals without an end goal other than to have done the thing has filled the time but also made the days go faster. at one point i was working my way through every james bond film back to back with every miyazaki film, because why not. i've been attempting, badly, for the last couple of months to do c25k with the treadmill i bought like a year ago and never used, and that's been a pretty solid routine that's reshaped my entire morning at this point, which is new and different for me. at the very start of lockdown, i was doing an instagram series of one mug and one tshirt a day, because i have a whole bunch of both things. doing that was the only reason i got out of bed some days. i think if nothing else, the last 2 years has given me the opportunity to experiment with the choices i make in my day to day life and be much more aware of those choices.

also, a note on food, because it became such a significant part of being at home all the time. in the same vein as experiencing events, the shift to every restaurant being available for delivery was very exciting to me. was i going to get to the best restaurant in melbourne any time soon? probably not. did i get food delivered to my house from them more than once during a lockdown? absolutely! again, that's started to fall off now, but i am still firmly of the opinion that sometimes you are just going to need to get delivery 5 nights straight, and you shouldn't resist that if the alternative is like, sad microwave noodles for dinner. so much of my lockdown vibes have been tied to whether or not i was feeding myself well, and that doesn't necessarily always mean healthily. in this, and keeping a stream of online purchases arriving at my door, i think you really need to go with your whims as much as you can without putting yourself in debt. however, sometimes food happiness cannot be purchased. in the last few months i was really struggling with weekends as we were opening back up and people started getting out and about, because i may be lazy but i will get out of bed for a good or even average brunch. so i started a saturday morning breakfast bagel endeavour, in part to avoid the desire to leave the house too much and in part because australia's breakfast bagel experience is terrible. that filled more than 2 months of saturdays for me, and i now have an outstanding breakfast sandwich game. that alone is probably my crowning achievement of 2021.

that's a lot of words that i don't think makes any revelatory suggestions -- keep in contact with friends, try new things, eat good food, build ongoing experiences into your day -- but maybe the way i contextualised them will give you an idea about the mindset for implementing them.

[henryobsessed]

I Took You Home - The Apartment

Summary: Reba has stepped out of her comfort zone and taken a very inebriated Henry home to her apartment. Unfortunately or Fortunately he still thinks she’s Lucy. 

Word Count: 1743

Warning: Hand Job, Stimulation, dub consent, drunk actions.

A/N thank you for the excited responses to this idea.

A/N what would you do in this situation? 

Previous Chapter one

As Reba drove, she occasionally glanced over at the sleeping form that was taking up a large part of her little Civic. What was she doing? Reba was not a brash person in fact the majority of her life apart from one little blip 10yrs ago was well ordered and spent in complete independence of a partner. However, each time she looked over, saw his chest rise and fall, and the gentle murmuring coming from his lips....... "Shake out of it, Reba" she reprimanded herself, putting her focus back on the road.

Arriving at her apartment block she pulled into the underground parking. Her car now idling she looked at Henry again, what was she thinking she hasn't entertained a guy in 10yrs let alone a drunk one. But here they were, and she was not going to leave him to sleep this off in her car. Knowing her luck, he would vomit everywhere and be left with the stench for months reminding her of this idiotic decision. Bolstering her resolve, she got out of the car and headed around to the passenger side door. Please let him have sobered up just a little bit she thought as she opened the door.

Looking down at his handsome face she placed a hand on his shoulder and said " Henry, wake up were here" He mumbled something unintelligible and then tried to undo the seatbelt. After a few tries, it was obvious that his hand-eye coordination what not working. Reba chuckled softly at his childish attempts as he continued in frustration to push the button down. Leaning into the car she placed her hand over his, stilling the action. He leaned his head into her hair as he mumbled "Sorry Lucy" the action and the close proximity of his body to hers sent shivers down to her middle a strange sensation that both excited and terrified her.

Once he was released from the bounds of the seatbelt Reba took his arm and encouraged him out of the car. Standing he still swayed unsteadily on his feet, using her shoulder for support, she somehow kept him upright as they walked to the elevator. Her apartment was on the 28th floor and by the time they reached it Henry was looking green, she quickly opened her door as Henry stammered "I'm sorry Lucy I'm not feeling great" Thankfully she got him to the hallway half bath before he began heaving into the toilet. Feeling sorry for the tall man she gently rubbed circles along his lower back hoping it would help ease some of the misery he would be feeling. They stayed there for a minute before he seemed to have finished emptying what sounded to her like the entire content of his stomach.

Grabbing Henry a glass of water she held it to lips, looking him over glad everything had made it into the bowel she asked "do you think you can stand? "he looked at her and with the smallest of nods took her hand to stand. Reba once again acting as a stabilizing force helped him down the hallway into her small but comfortable living room. At first, she thought she would just help him to the couch but looking at it now in relation to his tall frame she knew he would be pretty sore in the morning if she did that. So instead she continued to the door off the living room that lead to her Bedroom. At this moment she bemoaned the choice that she had made to only rent a single bedroom apartment.

Walking the two of them to the empty side of her queen size bed she sat Henry down. Thinking that he could just sleep in his clothes she turned around to get a spare pillow from her cupboard. As she turned back, however, she found Henry fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He was mumbling again something about protecting his shirt, not wanting wrinkles. Reba at this stage started to chuckle again, how could anyone in this state of inebriation be thinking about wrinkles. The Cute look of concentration on his face and the small pout that was forming caused compassion to overtook her senses as she watched him repeatedly try to undo his buttons with no success. He shot her a pleading look, his blue eyes pulling at her heart.

Sighing she knelt in front of him and started to undo his shirt. His warm large hands reached out settling onto her waist. Reba was trying hard not to look up at him for fear of him kissing her again. So instead focused hard on each button, he leaned his head forward against hers    "thanks Lucy" he whispered, she groaned at that statement, dam when he wakes up in the morning, he'll be in for a shock.

Sliding the shirt off his shoulders she stared in shock. His shirt had been hiding a secret as she stared at the perfectly sculptured muscles. This guy can't be real, can he? She almost reached out to touch the 8 pack before catching herself. Shaking her head, she stood stepping out of his hold and turned to go find a coat hanger so he would not have wrinkles in the morning. Thinking she could help him lay down now she turned and almost dropped the hanger as Henry stood his jeans in a bundle on the floor and the only thing covering his body, a pair of boxers. Blushing she turned around trying to find somewhere to hang the shirt.

She heard the rustling of sheets and when she looked back, he was facing her side of the bed thankfully covered by her thick duvet. She made sure that he was tucked in, unable to resist she ran her fingers through his hair causing a deep purr to vibrate from his chest at the attention. Startled by his response and embarrassed by her actions she bent picking up his jeans to distract herself. Anyway, If he was precious about his shirt she should at least hang up his jeans as well.

Settling them on a hanger she went to leave the room thinking she would sleep on the couch. But a deep pleading voice halted her. "Don't leave Lucy, please. I don't want to sleep alone. I thought you forgave me" Sighing Reba fought with herself. Surely, he's too drunk to be able to do anything, also how often would she have a hunk of a man semi-naked in her bed. What would the harm?

Reba gave up the internal fight, he seemed so lonely what would it hurt for just one night. Switching off the light in the living room she walked to her side of the bed. Nerves jangled about her body as she changed into her comfortable PJ's and slipped under the covers. Shifting slightly, she Whispered "good night Henry" hearing only a mumble she settled herself to sleep. 

Reba's eyes flew open seconds after closing them as a hand sneaked over her waist and pulled her into a hard muscular body. Settling his face into her neck he whispered "There that's better. Night Lucy" Eyes wide not sure what to do she held her breath until Henry's breath evened out into a steady rhythm next to her ear. Repeating the now all too familiar mantra to herself what would it hurt, she relaxed her body allowing herself to enjoy the feel of warmth emanating from the sleeping man behind her. It took a little bit of time especially as the soft snores began but eventually, Reba fell asleep.

Moaning Reba awoke to a set of lips gentle but more insistently kissing her neck. The sensation tingling through her body and pooling in her middle. Trying to remember the night before she instinctively moved her hand over her body to feel the one behind her. Her hand landed on something hard and long causing a moan to vibrate from the kisser's mouth. She enjoyed the feelings generated by the kissing. Still, she was not willing to let this develop into anything more as he probably thought she was still Lucy.  The taught muscle in her hand started to twitch as she subconsciously began squeezing its hot length. This was only the second time she had felt one and if his moans were anything to go by he was enjoying her touch. Realising she was unwilling to stop what was happening she relaxed and leaving her hand where it was hoped that by controlling that action nothing else would occur.

As she relaxed in her sleep hazed mind she felt her bedmate start thrusting up into her hand, increasing the moaning into her neck. The length in her hand pulsated as she increased the tension around it with the hand. His hand that had until now been securely wrapped around her waist moved its way down and with delicate fingers found her sensitive heat. This caused Reba to respond in kind with a moan her own tension building and burning with unfamiliar sensations. The kisses, thrusting, and dexterity of fingers found a rhythm that increased its intensity until Reba felt before she heard the expanding and warmth within her hand followed by a groan, as his body rigidly curled into hers as he rode out his orgasm. The sensations left burning terribly between her legs as his body relaxed troubled her and left her feeling uncomfortably wanting more.

The room was filled with the sounds of hearts pounding and lungs gasping for air and nothing more until a gruff deep voice whispered "Thank you Lucy" before soft snores began again. Shit, Reba lifted the sleeping arm of her body and moved to the bathroom. She looked at her face in the mirror. "What are you doing??" a tear made its way down one cheek as she realized no matter what, she was going to be humiliated this morning. The only thing she could think to do was cook a good hangover breakfast that might make up for the fact that she had to face the stranger in her bed.  

Next Chapter Three

A/N what would you do in this situation? have you ever wondered how to control what was happening while being out of control? What will Henry do when he realizes this is not Lucy's apartment?

I have Tagged people who follow me and who I follow if you want to be removed or added please let me know :)

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[freedom-shamrock]

Two are Better, But Three are Best - Chapter Four

Also on AO3

<<< Previous Chapter

There’s no on screen sex but the first scene clearly follows sexytimes. There’s also some talk of sexual history and past experiences.

⁂

Strategies and Best Laid Plans

The drag of Luka's fingertips over her skin spoke of love. The way he marveled over every part of her made the depth of his feelings clear. The breathy huskiness of his voice each time he spoke the words, "may I?" left her feeling treasured and safe. His insistence that she come first in all things only fueled her desire and affection for him.

Apparently it hadn't just been dirty-talk when he told her he wanted to narrow her awareness solely to him. Among her past lovers, none had ever approached sex with this mindset and goal, and she now had to admit, she was a fan.

As she lay with him, utterly relaxed, in hazy afterglow, she could only smile.

"C'mon Sweets," he murmured in her ear. "You need to use the bathroom before you fall asleep."

She let out an inarticulate grumble.

His soft chuckle gave her goosebumps. "You're beautiful like this, Nette." He brushed his nose against her ear and cheek. "I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed."

"I'm not sure I've ever been this relaxed." Her eyes fluttered open, and she was struck with how pleased he looked. "You look like the cat who ate the canary."

His grin turned smug. "Ate something, that's fur sure."

She giggled and swatted lightly at his shoulder. "You naughty man." She ran her fingers down his bare arm, marveling at the smooth warmth. "God, you're sexy. You could give Adrien a run for his money on the modeling front."

Luka snorted. "No interest in that."

She felt the idea hit her, filling her with energy, and she grinned in delight. "But you'll model for me, right? You'll let me design you clothes for performances and events, right?"

His eyes went wide. "Me, in Dupain-Cheng originals? That'd be a dream come true."

⁂

She pushed their laden breakfast plates onto the counter that divided the living room from the kitchen. His tiny apartment was actually really well designed to make the most of the space. With a couple of stools, he could fit two people on either side of the counter, which meant he didn't need to set aside space or money for a table. His arms slipped around her waist from behind, and she smiled, relaxing into his hold.

"Hmm," he hummed as he kissed her cheek, resting his head on her shoulder. "Did I already tell you how nice it was to wake up with you?"

She giggled. "Only like ten times." She slid her hands up his wrists to grasp his forearms. "And I still agree. Last night was really nice, and waking up here, being with you this morning, is definitely the icing on that cake."

"I hope that means we can do this again." His cheek brushed hers in a clearly intentional caress. "I'd like it to become a habit. Even if it's just having you here with me."

"Me too," she agreed. "Being with you this last month has been wonderful. I'm so glad we finally stopped being stupid and high-minded about this."

"One of my best ideas ever," he pointed out. "Right up there with moving back to Paris to be nearer to this amazing gal I wanted to spend more time with."

"You make the best decisions," she said, feeling all warm and cuddly. "Not that you weren't always smart, but clearly your time in university stepped up your decision-making skills."

He tightened his hold for a moment. "I don't want to scare you off and I'm not trying to rush anything here, but I want you to know that there's space set aside in my dresser and in the bathroom vanity for anything you might want to keep here.  Anything that will make it easier and more comfortable for you to stay when you feel like it."

A thrill of happiness raced down her spine to settle in her belly. "Really?"

"Mmm hmmm," he hummed.

"I'd like that."

⁂

"We still up for checking out that museum tonight?" Marinette asked, the moment Alya had picked up.

"Sure are," her best friend said brightly. "And I'm looking forward to it." Alya had expanded her freelance journalism to include art openings and reviews of smaller or less known destinations around Paris.

"And the dress recommendation is what? Semi-formal or classy club?" Marinette asked. She liked to make sure that both she and Alya fit in wherever they were going, and that they reflected well on her friend.

"Classy club," Alya said. "Where the heck are you, girl? The ambient noise is very rush hour."

"I'm walking home from Luka's," she said, stopping to wait at a crosswalk.

"Oooh.  Walk of shame time!" Alya crowed with a laugh. "How was it?  How's he measure up to… uh, what was her name? Ellie?"

Marinette rolled her eyes even though they weren't face-timing and Alya couldn't see her. "First of all, there's no shame here. I had consensual sex with my boyfriend.  Definitely nothing shame-worthy."

"Yeah, yeah," Alya muttered. "You have no shame."

"Exactly," Marinette agreed, grinning.  "And Ellie had nothing on Luka."

Alya squealed, forcing Marinette to pull the phone away from her ear. "But Ellie was the gold bar for Marinette's sexcapades."

"Key word, was , Al." The light changed and she looked before crossing the street. "Oh, it was amazing.  He was amazing. Fifteen out of ten.  Would do again." Part of the reason she didn't care for one-night stands was that she felt it took two or three tries to really get to know each other's bodies well enough to really get it right. In the case of Luka, they knew each other really well and had been getting a little hot and heavy for weeks now. So maybe that was part of the first-time success.

"You might have to keep that man, Mari," Alya said, as if she was giving serious advice, though from experience, she was only half-serious.

"I'd like to think that could happen," Marinette pointed out. "It's been really nice so far. I mean it helps that I knew him so well first. But there's still things we don't really know about each other. I'm not worried about finding a creepy dark side or anything, but it almost seems like it's been too smooth. Our disagreements have been… weirdly reflective and chill."

"Luka's kinda chill in general," Alya pointed out. "I'd assume he's a pot user, but he never smells like it, and he's too focused and sharp to be all dulled out that way."

"He doesn't smoke anything," Marinette said. Even when they were just friends, she didn't like that so many people assumed he was into the unsavory side of the rock and roll lifestyle. He drank a little, casually and socially, but never when he was upset and never to excess. She was relieved her parents had met him when he was still in lycee, and knew his unruffleable demeanor was just the way he was. She hadn't had to go through an awkward intervention with them.

"I know he's not a stoner," Alya insisted.  "But he does give off the vibe."

Marinette huffed. "In would be nice for people to stop making assumptions about him."

"There are lots of things that would be nice," Alya agreed. "Hawkmoth going into genuine full retirement is on the top of that list."

"Truer words have never been spoken," Marinette agreed before wishing her friend a great day. While it was really nice to have Paris' magical terrorist in some sort of semi-retirement, she'd really love to close that chapter of her life.  Having a slightly more stable extracurricular schedule would be great, especially now that she was with someone she could see a future with. If Hawk Moth kicked his shit up into high gear again, she was going to find him and break his teeth.  With cricket bat.

Marinette had taken on most of the duties of the guardian of the miraculous, including storing the miracle box in a secure spot in her room. She still met with Master Fu to train on more esoteric elements of her dual role as Guardian Ladybug. While attending university full time, she'd effectively gotten a PhD in the history, lore and magic of the miraculous.  It had been an intense few years. Poor Nooroo. He'd waited far too long to be rescued, but she was working on a plan for that. And maybe once that had been done she could come clean to both her boyfriend and her partner. Luka would deserve to know why she would inevitably flake on him in the future, and Chat Noir clearly needed a whole lot more support and love in his life.

⁂

It was two days after she'd spent the night, and the first time she'd been back to Luka's apartment since. They'd both had work and other things to, and he'd fortunately been able to join her family for dinner last night, so at least she'd gotten some time with him. He had a couple of late night shifts coming up, recording for some musicians who simply could not function before 17:00. One of the nicest things about his job with the recording studio, was that the odd hours meant they could get together during the day in the middle of the week pretty regularly. It might be less easy once her classes started up in the fall again, but they were already getting into a pattern they could strive to maintain.

She knocked on his door. "Oh sexy boyfriend," she called in a sing-song voice. "I'm here to take you on a date."

The door swung open, and she found herself face to face with a grinning Adrien.

"You are not my boyfriend," she pointed out.

"Oh, I'm not?" Adrien said, as if surprised. He glanced down at his shirt, smoothing the fabric unnecessarily.  "I'm… Luka's proxy for the evening."

"Are not." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What have you done with Luka? Come clean and I'll go easy on you."

Adrien laughed and stepped back, waving for her to come in. "I'm helping him stall for time," he whispered. "He couldn't decide what to wear."

She rolled her eyes and smiled.  "Honestly, I'm okay with nothing. It's an excellent look on him.  But I suppose if we're going out, he has to at least not alarm the tourists."

"Luka," Adrien called toward the bedroom. "Mari's here and she brought her A-game sass." He gestured to the couch.  "Have a seat. Can I get you a drink while you wait?"

"Oooh. Are you his butler now?" she asked.  "Where's your black suit and tie."

His lips twitched.  It was nice to see him in a happy and teasing mood.  "I specialize in butlery for the millennial generation, Mari. Casual butlery."

"Hey Nette," Luka said, stepping into the living room. "Adrien and I were doing some strategic planning and I lost track of time. Sorry about that." She hadn't seen him sheepish often, and it was adorable.

"Pish," she said, waving off his excuse. "It's fine. Did you come up with a plan?" She alternated between looking at Luka and Adrien.

"Yeah," Luka said slowly. "But we're in the early stages here, so I can't tell you anything."

"Oooh." She grinned at Adrien. "You're just an extraordinary model with an underwhelming home life, but you have a secret !" She tried to make it sound like narration for a movie trailer. While both men were chuckling, she reached out to pat Adrien's arm. "I'm okay being left out of things if that's what you prefer. You have Luka helping you out, and I know he'll take care of you."

Adrien pulled her into a firm hug. "Thanks for understanding, Mari."

"Just remember that I'm here for you if there's anything I can do to help you out, okay?" She squeezed back just as tightly. "I've got your back for hugs, pastries, and a variety of support tasks."

"I'll be following up with you on those," he promised.

They all ended up leaving the apartment together, with Adrien excusing himself when they reached the sidewalk. Once they were well out of earshot, Marinette asked how their friend was actually doing.

"Surprisingly well, honestly," Luka said, nodding. "I think he's waited until he was so ready for this that he's going to have absolutely no regrets.  Well, aside from maybe the thought that he could have kicked his sperm donor to the curb years ago. His rebellion is fully planned out. It's kind of scary how thorough he's being."

Marinette sighed sadly. "He has two modes. Dangerously rash, on par with Chat Noir, and meticulously organized. There's no middle ground."

Luka offered her a half smile. "I'd noticed that. Do you think he'll balance out a bit once he no longer has to rein himself in so much?"

She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. That sounds about right. He's so tightly controlled that when he snaps, he overcompensates by hauling ass to the other side of the spectrum."

"That's just sad," Luka said. "Does he ever get to be himself?"

"He is with you.  With his close friends away from the limelight and paparazzi, who I swear function as Gabriel's spies." While she might have admired the man's genius at one time, she couldn't see past his treatment of his son.  "I wish it didn't have to be like this, but I'm glad he's finally acting on it. He deserves to be happy."

"It's well past time," Luka agreed. "I think we should maybe try to invite him along to hang out with us some once he gets the ball rolling next week. Would that be okay?"

She nodded. "Definitely." They'd reached an intersection, and once they stopped walking, she pulled him down to kiss his cheek. "I love spending time with you.  But I can share you."

"Oooh," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Sounds kinky."

She rolled her eyes.  "I don't think Adrien does , kinky." Whether it was his conditioning or his preference, he was one of her few friends whose dating history and sexual interest were completely unknown. She'd gotten the feeling more than once that he wasn't comfortable talking about it. "We just need to make sure he doesn't feel like a third wheel."

An explosion several blocks over shook the pavement, and her head snapped up. Hawk Moth had been so quiet, and of course it was too much to expect him to stay that way.  But she'd hoped her luck would allow it to happen when she didn't have to worry about hiding her secrets from Luka. Maybe she should start carrying Sass with her, because him becoming Viperion again would definitely mask her absence.

Luka kissed her forehead, his presence soothing her as her mind tried to spiral out of control. "I'm gonna head back to my place," he said in a whisper. "You go do your thing."

She stared at him, her other freak-out completely derailed by this one.

"No panicking, Sweets." His thumbs brushed over her cheeks. "I know, I'm not supposed to know, so no need to confirm, okay? No excuses needed.  I get it, more than most would. Just be safe. I'll meet you back at my place."

⁂

Check out Chapter Five  >>>

⁂

I miss breaks.  Stupid fucking Tumblr.

Sorry this took so long.  Been stupid busy, but it’s been mostly good.

And if you’re so inclined, feel free to support me over on Ko-Fi

[agentunwin]

RUNAWAY [SHAWN X READER]

A/N: God this is honestly so bad because I just wrote it really quick just to have something to upload, so I’m sorry in advance jdks

Prompt: It’s your wedding day, but the man you actually want to marry will be sitting in the crowd.

Warnings: Cursing, angst, fluff (why is that a warning?)

Words: 2,381

Masterlist

-

The curls peeking from the side of the door are the first thing you notice. Shawn never was very good at sneaking.

And as he watches you and your bridesmaids getting ready for the big event that was starting in all but 20 minutes, he couldn’t control the stream of different emotions flowing through him. 

You’re wearing a long, flowing, diamond-studded dress like the star you are. This dress was you; the embodiment of class, elegance, beauty. You were gleaming, your makeup absolutely perfect, hair styled pristinely.

The glow emanating from your face was ethereal. You looked happy.

But not happy because of him.

Shawn's mind goes blank for a while, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time, and he only comes to when he notices you kindly waving your bridesmaids out of the room.

At this, Shawn stands up straight and clears his throat, pretending to check his time or fix his hair or adjust his tie; anything to not make himself look suspicious as the girls passed him, going to fulfill their duties somewhere else.

The room he had been listening in on was now silent, and the war inside his mind was only growing. Should I go in and say hi?, he'd ask himself, or should I just leave?

The long, strange silence is broken when your voice speaks out, catching him off guard.

"You can come in, Shawn."

Shawn's eyes go wide at the realization that he's been caught, but he stands up from the wall and nervously takes a few steps into the room, feeling blessed to even breathe the same air as you again.

You look different than you did just a minute ago. Your glow has dimmed, eyelids suddenly heavier, and your smile- if that's even what you could call it anymore- has turned timid and shy.

Was this the effect he had on you now, when not so long ago, he was the only source of your happiness?

"H-Hi." Shawn breathes out, nose stinging with warning of his tears that would inevitably fall at some point tonight. "Long time no see."

You only nod at this, lipstick-stained lips pressing together.

"Uh, you look great." Shawn compliments, eyes brightening the slightest bit. "Really great. I see you got the dress you always told me you'd wanna be married in."

"Yep. I love it." You mutter blandly as look down to your lap for a second, your left hand beginning to instinctively play with the engagement ring on your right hand. This has become a nervous habit of yours ever since the ring was given to you 9 months ago.

"That's a big rock," He chuckles, and you can tell at this point he's just trying to keep some conversation going, dancing around what he actually wants to say. "Must've cost a fortune, so I'm guessing this guy is loaded. Who is he, anyway?"

"His name is Michael." You hum, nodding your head. "He's a doctor, so yeah, he's pretty well off. That doesn't matter though."

Shawn bites the inside of his cheek and contemplates his next words. His ex's wedding day surely isn't the best day to confess his feelings, but it's been eating him alive for 2 years now. 2 years of crying himself to sleep, 2 years of writing songs about you, 2 years of misery. And god, he wants her to know how miserable he really is, but that wouldn't be fair to her.

"How's your love life going?" You suddenly ask, eyebrows raised. The question confuses him but he knows you're only trying to make banter as well.

Shawn opens his mouth but nothing comes out as he awkwardly stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"I've tried speed dating and dating apps and those sorts of things," He finally speaks up, but his next words are barely audible, you're not even sure if you hear him correctly. "It never works, though.. Because it's not you."

You bite your lip and he can see your eyes get even heavier at the shift of mood in the room. Shawn feels awkward and he feels stupid, but he continues talking, probably making things worse for himself.

"I miss you so much, Y/N. I miss coming home to you after long days in the studio and spooning with you. I miss those talks about what our wedding day would be like and what dog we'd get and what our kids would be like. I miss the way your face would light up with excitement every time you see me. Now, we're acting like strangers and it's killing me." Shawn takes a deep, shaky breath when he's finishing his words, trying to keep his tears at bay. He shuts his eyes and licks over his cracked lips, "But I also love seeing you happy. So if this is what makes you happy, you have my full support."

He doesn't open his eyes in fear of what you might do or say. He feels embarrassed that he just laid all of that on you when he told himself it was wrong- that it wouldn't be fair. But he did it anyway, and he could already feel regret seeping into his bones.

"What if I'm not?"

Your voice is shy, just a whimper on the tip of your tongue, but it's enough for him to whip his head up.

His eyes go wide and he furrows his eyebrows, "What if you're not what?"

"Happy." She sniffs, and now he can see the tears in her eyes as well.

His jaw drops and he's gaping at her, mind spinning. "Y/N, no, no, no, what do you mean? You have to be happy, right? You're marrying this guy, you have to be sure!"

"God," You chuckle bitterly, a look of disbelief on your face. "You sound like everyone else in my life. I can't do this."

That's when you start really bawling, and now, Shawn has absolutely no idea what to do with himself. He's standing in front of the bride who's hands are covering her face, completely ruining her makeup, and if someone were to walk by right now, this would not look good.

Shawn runs to shut the door and then he runs back over to you, kneeling in front of you and grabbing your hands in his. This familiar touch is what you'd missed for so long. It was strong and comforting, just like all of him.

"Y/N." Shawn says sternly, forcing your eyes up to his. "Tell me what's going on."

"He's not a good person!" Y/N immediately screams, tears streaming down her face even faster now. "All he cares about is money and his job, all I am to him is a trophy! But I have to marry him, I can't deny him because everyone in my life only wants me to marry a rich man. They don't even care about how I feel, and now I feel like I'm in hell every time I wake up in the morning and you're not next to me. I hate this, I hate him, I hate myself!"

You're pounding at Shawn's chest with every last word as you completely break down, heaving and hiccuping wildly, and Shawn swears he's never seen you so angry before.

Shawn catches your hands in his again to get you to stop and his grip is much stronger this time, making sure you don't escape him. He doesn’t know what to say or do and his mind is just trying to when you add the icing on top, your watered eyes looking straight into his.

“I miss you, Shawn, I miss you so fucking much.”

He’s been waiting to hear those words leave your lips for 2 years now, but now that he’s hearing them, he feels awful. He wanted to hear them, but not like this.

“You don’t have to do this, Y/N,” He whispers, a single tear straying down his cheek, “I’m not gonna let you go through with this if you don’t actually want it.”

“I only have 10 minutes, Shawn,” You continue to cry, burying your face in his chest, getting makeup all over his suit. “It’s too late.”

Shawn bites his lip and shakes his head, refusing to let you marry a man you despised. He glanced at the clock and got to work, quickly beginning to unzip your dress, being careful not to rip or ruin it. You only stand there and try to stifle your cries, allowing him to execute whatever plan he’d conjured up.

When the dress is off he’s folding it as carefully as he can given the time, and you’re standing there in your bra and underwear, suddenly self-conscious again. He notices your body cowering under his gaze and he wants to tell you how beautiful you are and not to hide from him but there’s no room for that right now. He grabs random clothes from somewhere in the room, probably one of the bridesmaid’s clothes. 

He helps you slip into it and his hands go to your hair, undoing some of the many pins and messing it up a bit. 

He steps back and looks at you, sighing heavily. It was a terrible disguise, but for now, it would have to work. 

Everything is going so fast you can’t even comprehend what’s happening anymore. He finds a bag somewhere in the room and stuffs the wedding dress in and then he’s grabbing your purse and your hand, rushing you out of the room. 

The banquet hall is rowdy, people all around talking and hoping to get a glimpse of the bride and groom before the ceremony begins. 

Shawn’s jaw clenches and he leans down to your ear, whispering, “Keep your head down, we’re gonna go out to my car.”

You do as he says and stare at the ground as he guides you through a sea of people, praying that nobody recognized you. The walk to the back door seems like it takes hours before you’re finally hit with the crisp, fresh air, signaling that you’d made it out.

Shawn’s rushing doesn’t stop there, however. He’s running with you to his car and telling you to get into the passenger seat as he runs around to the other side, throwing the dress in the back seat and handing your purse to you.

“Text someone and tell them what’s going on,” Shawn orders you, wasting no time in backing out of the driveway and hitting the long road back to the apartment. “Then turn off your phone. Please.”

You do as he says, texting one of your bridesmaids, then you’re shutting it off and taking a deep breath, looking over to him. “I can’t believe I actually just did that. Fuck, what did I just do?”

“Don’t worry about that right now.” Shawn insists, glancing at you for a second. You look like you could drop at any second now, completely drained of any energy. “Y/N, it’s a long drive home. You can fall asleep if you want, I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

That one fateful word slips off his tongue before he can stop himself, but instead of you wincing at the word, you smile gently at it, taking it in wholly. You nod at his promise and reach your left hand out, putting your trust in him. He gets the hint and grabs your hand, lacing your fingers in his. 

Shawn gives your hand a small squeeze and then you’re drifting off to the sound of his low singing and the hum of the engine.

A when you wake up, you’re eternally grateful that none of it was a dream. 

Shawn’s gently tapping your cheeks, trying to get you to wake up as he whispers, “Y/N, we’re here, wake up, sweetheart.”

You don’t know if you’re surprised or not when you open your eyes and notice you’re back at the apartment that you and Shawn used to own together. He helps you out of the truck and keeps your hands connected as he guides you inside the familiar, cozy building, heading straight for the elevator.

“You still live here?” You mutter, looking up to him. 

He nods, rocking back and forth on his feet. “It has a special place in my heart. Lotta memories here, you know. I couldn’t let you go completely.”

Those memories immediately come flooding back to you when he opens the door and you’re hit with a wave of sadness.

Your pictures are still hung up on the wall, serving as constant reminders of you every time he’d pass one. The apartment was exactly the same as you’d left it 2 years ago when you broke up with him, complaining that he was never home because of his music. Now it seemed like all his time was spent in these rooms, moping around and feeling miserable.

But not anymore- Not as long as he had you by his side.

The rest of that night, Shawn helps you get ready for bed, taking your makeup off, putting your hair up into a bun, giving you a bath, and dressing you in some of his way-too-big clothes to sleep in.

You’re laying on your side in the bed that you used to spend hours in. It feels familiar yet cold without Shawn’s body next to you. You don’t know what to do while you wait for him and you’re staring at your phone on the nightstand, tempted to turn it on- to see all of the slander, all of the angry and concerned messages. However, Shawn walks in, catching you staring at it, and he sighs heavily.

“Babe, please don’t think about it. You need to rest.” He mutters, climbing into the bed beside you. He pulls you into him and your body reacts to him like this is normal, like Shawn never left you. Your back is to his chest and your legs tangle together naturally as he nestles his face into your neck, pressing a light kiss there.

“I’m so glad you came back to me. This bed never felt the same after that night.” He whispers and you swear you feel a tear drop onto your skin, making you frown. “I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Shawn.” You sniff, a small smile replacing your frown. “I never stopped loving you, and I never will.”

-

A/N: god this is so bad sjdksj sorry

[hale-of-stiles-heart]

damn it, here I'm again: how about sterek + (those are all so perfect dear lord someone send help) "I picked up what I thought was a stray on the side of the road last night and it turns out you’re a werewolf. Um. Can I offer you some pancakes?"

This was such a fun prompt to work with! (also on ao3)

Stiles had a history with strays.

Ever since he could walk, toddling around the Stilinski home as fast as his tiny little legs could carry him, he had an affinity for animals. More specifically, taking in any animal in need.

Living in a residential neighborhood adjacent to the local woods meant that he had never been lacking in that department. He couldn't throw a stone around their neighborhood without finding a baby bird that had fallen from its nest or a dog that had wandered out of its yard.

In the creek behind their house, buried in the woods by a groove of black willows and white alders, he used to catch redwood salamanders and Cascades frogs. He would wade knee deep into the water in search of the sneaky amphibians, never caring that his pants got soaked.

He would keep them in an old fish tank, arranging algae covered rocks in the water of the terrarium so his new pets could spend time on land. He used to spend hours digging up worms in the backyard so he could feed his amphibians.

Of course, they eventually died — wild animals weren't meant to be in captivity, after all — and Stiles had been devastated. He had cried for hours, until his eyes were red and puffy and his throat was sore.

A few months later, he found an abandoned squirrel pup in their front yard. There had been no nest in sight, nor any mother squirrel searching for her lost baby.

The pup was cold to the touch and Stiles refused to risk letting the pup freeze to death while waiting for its mother. John had reluctantly agreed and allowed Stiles to adopt the squirrel.

For the next several weeks, he dutifully nursed the squirrel pup with an eyedropper full of puppy milk. He set up a nest for it inside, composed of old t-shirts and ripped socks that made a perfect bed for the tiny pup.

It had been a bittersweet day when Claudia had informed Stiles that it was time for the squirrel to leave. They had released it in the backyard where it ran right up a nearby sycamore tree, chattering away as though saying goodbye.

After the squirrel came a blind kitten they found wandering through the neighborhood, mewling pitifully. Stiles had snuck the kitten into his room and cared for it under his parents' noses for weeks until his mom went looking for something in his room and stumbled onto his little secret.

Unfortunately, with Stiles in elementary school while both of his parents worked full-time, they just didn't have the time or resources to care for a special needs cat. But luckily there was an older woman who ran a cat sanctuary a few towns over.

After taking the cat in, she had assured Stiles that he could visit anytime he wanted. And he did, his mom driving him over every other weekend.

Next came an entire litter of puppies that he begged to keep, only for his dad to painstakingly explain why adopting six Tibetan mastiffs was not a very good idea. And after that was the mountain lion cub that he somehow found on one of his exploration through the woods.

John nearly had a heart attack when he came home from a double shift to find his son cuddling the baby of a two hundred pound killing machine.

He then had to inform Stiles that a mountain lion was not a pet. Park rangers had been called in and the cub was safely returned to its den for its mother find.

But Stiles' affinity for taking in strays never wavered. Even as he got older.

In high school, he worked at the vet clinic with his friend Scott, just so he could help out any animals in need. It was better than working some crappy retail job like many of his classmates.

And it was a great reprieve from the everyday stress of high school. If he was ever feeling particularly stressed, he would just call up Deaton and volunteer for an additional shift.

Basically, his job consisted of bottle feeding kittens and doing trial introductions for potential pet adopters. It was a pretty sweet gig apart from the occasional bittersweet moments when animals were adopted.

Even after he moved out of Beacon Hills to attend Stanford he made a point of dedicating his time to animals, getting a job at the local pet store just outside of town. So it was no surprise to anyone that while on break in Beacon Hills, he didn't hesitate to pull over to check on what looked like a stray dog standing on the side of the road.

He had been driving in from Stanford, having enough days off for Thanksgiving break to warrant the drive back to Beacon Hills. Drumming his fingers against Roscoe's steering wheel while imagining the amazing meal his dad would be making in a few days, Stiles had been absorbed in his own thoughts.

Until he noticed a dark shape in the shoulder of the forest road leading into town. His interest immediately piqued, he had pulled over to get a better look at whatever the dark shape was.

Lo and behold, it was a dog. A stray by the looks of it.

The dog was huge, probably some sort of wolf dog hybrid that someone had purchased on a whim then realized the complications of the hybrid. Its coat was jet black with a few grizzled spots around its muzzle.

Fortunately, the dog didn't seem undernourished or injured in any way. And it wasn't wearing a collar let alone a tag bearing an address or phone number.

But what really caught Stiles' attention was the dog's eyes. He hadn't thought dogs could have hazel eyes with that much green in them, captivated by the specks of gold and rivers of bluish silver in the canine's irises.

His heart instantly captured, Stiles had coaxed the dog closer with a few soft words and careful touches. He had been glad to find that the dog was a gentle giant, docile and sweet as Stiles scratched it behind its ears.

With plans to take the dog to the vet clinic first thing in the morning to check for an implanted ID chip, Stiles had corralled the dog into his Jeep and continued his drive home. His dad hadn't even bothered to act surprised when Stiles showed up on the front doorstep with a stray in tow.

But, of course, because Stiles' life could never be normal for more than a few months at a time, it turned out that the stray he had picked up was much more than meets the eye. He found that out the hard way the next morning.

After a wondrous night curled up in bed where he actually got the recommended eight hours of sleep, Stiles woke early in the morning craving pancakes. But not just any pancakes; his mother's famous pancakes.

They were fluffier than a cloud and had just a hint of vanilla, making them perfect for any kind of syrup under the sun from traditional maple to boysenberry. His mom had always made them on special occasions, especially holidays, which made them perfect for Thanksgiving break.

Once he brushed his teeth and took care of some other hygienic needs, he tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen, careful not to wake his dad. He hurried past the living room couch where the stray dog he had picked up had spent the night, too preoccupied with his thoughts to pause and greet the dog.

He was in the middle of flipping pancakes, adding an extra bit of flair the way his mom had taught him, when he heard the telltale pad of bare feet on the kitchen tiles. Beaming, he looked over his shoulder, cheerfully greeting, "Mornin', pops— Uh... You're not my dad..."

He was pretty much stating the obvious since the tall, bearded, naked man standing in the kitchen was clearly not his father. The aforementioned bearded, naked man said as much, simply stating, "Uh, no."

"Are-Are we being robbed?" Stiles asked, turning the heat on the stove down and tightening his grip on the metal spatula in his hand in case they really were being robbed. "Because, I gotta say, this is fucking weird, man. You're not even wearing pants."

The mystery man's eyes widened almost comically as he tensed and rushed to cup his hands over his crotch. His cheeks flushed, drawing Stiles' attention back to his eyes. His eyes that were oddly familiar.

Hazel-green with gold and silver. Holy shit.

"Shit, you're a werewolf, aren't you?" Stiles groaned, feeling his own face flush. He had practically kidnapped someone! Because he thought they were a stray!

The yet to be introduced man just nodded, still looking embarrassed as all hell. Stiles let out a sigh, "Keep an eye on the pancakes. I'll be right back."

He waited for the werewolf to nod before he slipped out of the kitchen and back upstairs to the laundry room where he rifled around for a clean pair of pajama pants. After finding his baggiest pair, he hurried back downstairs where he was met with an eyeful of the werewolf's firm ass and the tattoo between his shoulder blades.

"Uh, here. These should fit ya," Stiles announced after clearing his throat, holding out the red pajama pants that just so happened to be patterned with white dog bones. Turning his head to give Mr. No Name some privacy, he wandered back over to the stovetop where his pancakes were still cooking. "I'm Stiles, by the way."

"Derek," the Sheriff's voice returned, managing to make Stiles' cheeks flush even deeper. He craned his neck to take a peek at his dad who was embracing the now only half naked werewolf, a friendly smile on his face. "Son, this is Derek Hale, my new deputy."

"Of course it is," Stiles mumbled, hanging his head as he poked at one of the pancakes with the spatula. Sparing another glance over his shoulder, he watched Derek and his dad plop down at the kitchen table.

"So... Can I offer you some pancakes?" Stiles asked, meeting Derek's mesmerizing eyes.

"Yeah, why not," Derek answered smoothly, sending Stiles a sly wink when the Sheriff wasn't looking.

It may have been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life but it made one hell of a 'how I met your father' story.

[drferox]

How to veterinarians deal with the busy career and starting a family? Do vets who give birth typically take short maternity leaves? I'm planning on vet school in a few years, but I don't know if I could be a good, present mom and a kickass vet

I’m not sure there’s such a thing as ‘typical’ in our industry. In Australia we fortunately have some federal paid parental leave, specifically minimum wage for 18 weeks. That’s a significant pay cut to have a kid, but at least it’s something.

Some employers will offer ‘top up’ maternity pay, but this will vary by employer and you typically have to have been employed there for 12 months before you qualify. Technically that’s the same rule as for sick leave, but I don’t personally know anyone who enforces that rule for sick leave.

Some vets don’t return to work after having kids, or don’t return to work for an extended time if having multiple wee bairns. This is generally because their partners are in full time work, and the financial benefit of the vet returning to work wont cover the cost of childcare they require, so it’s better financially for them to stay home.

Some vets take up locum work after having kids, so they can be paid a higher hourly rate whilst having an extremely flexible schedule. You lose protections like sick leave, annual leave and study leave if you do this, but some vets find this works best for their lifestyle.

Full time vets in general practice, or specialist vets, may take maternity leave but ‘pop in’ to take care of ‘just one little thing’ from time to time, or be available on the phone for junior colleagues.

Some end up reducing their hours to part time, working weekend shifts and weekday morning shifts only. Having a special skill makes this easier for you to negotiate.

Some vets also end up taking their kids to work sometimes, especially when called in for an emergency. Stainless steel cages are a pretty safe place for a newborn to stay out of the way of big dogs or angry cats, as strange as that sounds. I know one toddler who used to like locking herself in a dog cage to ‘pretend she was a bird’.

I’m not a mother, but it seems to me like the majority of mothers or would-be mothers spend a lot of time worrying about whether they’re going to be ‘good enough’. It also seems like nobody is ever really ready, emotionally or financially, but millions of people get on with doing the job anyway.

Certainly check with your local laws re parental leave while you’re in the plan making stage, and consider working in practices with multiple vets after graduation, as it’s easier for them to accommodate maternity leave with more staff.

Bonus if you can find a workplace who already has a staff member on parental or maternity leave, or who is about to be, so you can see how everything works out for them.