#before that i was like…. more chill about him lol...

[lightsoutmatthews]

protective auston has me feeling some type of way lol can you do something similar for willy? something like they are already an established couple and he never had to be protective before so she’s never seen that side of him? thanks!!!

Oh Annon you got my creative juices flowing with that one because I was debating between this and what I wrote for Auston and I was HOPING someone would send in another request. 🙏🏼

I got you – William Nylander

You weren’t used to this side of William.

He wasn’t exactly a hothead, never had been. If anything, William was calm to a fault. He didn’t raise to bait, didn’t snap back when people ran their mouths in interview or chirped him on the ice.

At home, with you, he was easygoing. Chill. Unshakably steady and calm. That was one of the first things you loved about him. He made you feel like you could relax. No drama. No big emotional explosions.

So, when it happened, it caught you off guard.

The two of you had been dating for multiple years at that point. You weren’t still in that careful stage where you pretended things didn’t bother you.

You lived together, shared grocery lists, fought over whose turn it was to do laundry. You knew his morning coffee order by heart. He kept a drawer in the entryway just for your keys because he said you always lost them in your bag.

You had been through quiet nights and loud ones. Road trips. Boring errands. Injuries. Post-game slumps. Summer lulls.

But you had never seen him like this.

It started at a team event. A charity dinner. You were used to those, dressed up, made conversation with executives, sponsors, teammates and smiled for the photos.

Most people were nice. Some were fake-nice. A few were a little too into the whole girlfriend of an NHL player thing, but you learned to brush that off.

The guy who crossed the line didn’t start off as a problem. He was older, some kind of donor or sponsor of the team. He wore a watch that cost probably more than your car and looked like he lived on red wine and bad decisions.

He was talking to you and a few other people near the bar. You didn’t catch his name, just his business card when he slipped in into your hand.

“You should call me some time,” he said, his tone light but with a weird edge. “I do consulting. Media stuff. You´ve got a great look, could be good on camera.”

You gave a polite smile and stepped back half an inch. Not rude, not obvious. Just enough to signal you weren’t interested in his offer. You figured he would take the hint.

He didn’t.

“You with someone tonight?” he asked, like he hadn’t noticed the very obvious fact that you were standing less than ten feet away from your boyfriends table.

William had been stuck in a conversation with a couple of board members, his eyes flicking to you every few minutes like a clockwork. He was watching. Not hovering, just being aware.

“Yeah,” you replied making your voice sound as flat as possible. “I´m here with my boyfriend.”

“Let me guess. One of the players?” he chuckled, like it was a cliché.

“Yeah,” you repeated, less amused.

He laughed some more, leaning in a little closer. “That´s fun. Bet he gets jealous real easy.”

You didn’t say anything. You didn’t have to. You felt it before you even saw him.

William´s presence sliding in between you and the guy like a wall. Not loud. Not even rude. Just there.

“Hey,” William opened the conversation, resting his hand lightly on your lower back, eyes on the man in front of you. “Everything good here?”

The way he said it was casual, but something in his voice was different. Tighter. Like a string pulled taut.

You turned towards him instinctively, he looked at you first, not the guy. You nodded. “Yeah, we´re just finishing up.”

But William didn’t move. Didn’t smile like he usually did with sponsors. He looked at the man, quiet for just a beat too long. Then, still calm, he said, “She´s with me.”

“I gathered,” the guy huffed, like William was being dramatic for stepping in. Still, he looked at him a little more carefully now. “Maybe you shouldn’t leave your girl alone in a room full of men eying her up and down in that dress,” he added regardless.

Now it was William that huffed. “Maybe you should take a hint when a woman is clearly not interested and taken.” He paused for a second. “I remember you seeing us walk in.”

The guy raised his hands in defense. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Sure,” William replied, still even.

The hand on his back never moved, it anything, his fingers curled a little tighter around the fabric of your dress.

It was a short exchange, a minute tops, but it changed something.

The man backed off, chuckled something under his breath, and walked away without another word. Then it was just you and William.

You looked up at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, features softening. “You?”

“I´ve had worse,” you nodded carefully.

He nodded too, but he didn’t say anything else. His jaw was tight. Not really angry, but protective in a way that felt new.

You didn’t say much about it first. He stayed close the rest of the night, never smothering but definitely within reach. His hand found yours often and you caught him glancing around more than usual.

It was weird, seeing him like that. Not because you didn’t like it, if you were honest with yourself, you kind of did, but because it was different. Like you had unlocked a version of him you had never needed before.

Back home later that night, your brought it up.

“You dint usually do that,” you opened, slipping out of your heels. “Get, I don’t really know what to call it, protective, I guess?”

William, who was changing out of his dress shirt on the other side of the bed, looked over at you, “No?”

You shook your head. “I mean, you´re not the jealous type. You don’t get weird when people talk to me.”

“I´m still not jealous,” he argued, walking over and dropping onto your side of the bed next to you. “That guy just sucked.”

“He did suck,” you chuckled.

William tilted his head a little, thoughtful. “I didn’t like the way he looked at you. Especially, knowing you were taken.”

“He was a creep,” you offered.

“It wasn’t just that,” he muttered, much quieter than usual. “He didn’t respect you.”

You looked at him, there was something serious about his voice that made you sit up straighter.

“He didn’t listen when you said you were with someone,” he continued. “Didn’t take you seriously because you were with a player on the team. I know you can handle yourself, but I just…” He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair.

“What?” you asked gently.

“I just didn’t like it,” he summed it up. “I didn’t like the idea if you feeling like you had to be polite to someone like that. I know it happens more than I probably realize.”

You were quiet for a moment. “It does.” He exhaled loudly. “Yeah.”

Your reached for his hand. “You were good, though. You didn’t cause a scene.”

“I wanted to,” he admitted. “Like, just for a second, I felt like, I guess possessive. Which really isn’t me.”

“It´s okay,” you hummed. “It didn’t feel like you were trying to control anything. You just showed up. That’s all.”

He laid back on the bed, letting out another loud exhale while staying quiet for a second. “I don’t ever what you to think I don’t care,” he muttered, looking up at you, instinctively grabbing your hand. “Sometimes I worry I come off too chill. Like I don’t notice that stuff.”

You laid down next to him, carefully curling into his side. “You notice plenty,” you mumbled into his bare chest. “And I like that you´re not the type to get into a fight or argument over nothing.”

His glaze softened and he carefully wrapped an arm around you before placing a soft kiss to your head. “But if it’s not nothing?”

You smiled, squeezing his hand that was still resting in yours. “Then I´m glad to know you´ve got my back.”

[aspenmissing]

So I have this idea that won’t go away and I know you’ll bring it to life perfectly. Viktor x fem reader ok, Viktor is an inventor and likes to ‘tinker’ so to speak so I think it would be so cute if she called him a her tinker fairy offhandedly like it’s late and she’s seeing what he’s up to and he replies excited about his new idea and it makes her smile and call him a tinker fairy for the first time and she explains that fairies have different jobs and his would totally be a tinker fairy (if you’ve seen tinker bell you probably know what I’m talking about lol) Anyway you can have creative liberties with his reaction and if slowly she uses it more in interactions calling him her tinker fairy and like one day she doesn’t call him that and she always does at least once a day now and he’s upset and finally admits he actually likes being her tinker fairy.

If you do end up doing this, I wish you a cool pillow and happy dreams (I wish you those things anyway tho haha <33)

ᴛɪɴᴋᴇʀ ꜰᴀɪʀʏ

ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ || ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ || 2661 ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ || ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ɴ/ᴀ

ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ: ᴏʜ ᴍʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ!!!!ɪ ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇᴅ ᴛɪɴᴋᴇʀʙᴇʟʟ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ (ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴀ ʀᴇᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ɴᴏᴡ - ꜰᴀᴡɴ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍɪɴᴇ). ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴀʙꜱᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴛɪɴᴋᴇʀ ꜰᴀɪʀʏ, ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ! ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴘɪʟʟᴏᴡꜱ!!! <3 <3

ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ | ᴠɪᴋᴛᴏʀ | ᴊᴀʏᴄᴇ | ʜᴇɪᴍᴇʀᴅɪɴɢᴇʀ

The hour was late, and the glow spilling from Viktor’s lab lit the hallway in flickering shades of gold and blue. You padded barefoot across the cold Academy floor, the stone chilled even through your thick socks, familiar with the quiet hum of Hextech energy that buzzed softly behind the door. He was at it again—had been for hours now. You could hear the soft clinks of metal, the occasional frustrated murmur, and once, a small triumphant exhale.

You paused for a moment, one hand on the doorframe, watching the way the light cast shadows that danced across the hall. A part of you knew you should go back to bed. It was late, after all, and you had your own work to tend to in the morning. But another, stronger part of you missed him—missed hearing him talk, missed the sound of his voice when he got excited, missed the way his eyes would shine when he realized he was onto something. So, you knocked once, lightly, more for courtesy than necessity, before nudging the door open.

“Viktor?”

He didn’t look up right away. He was bent over a desk cluttered with schematics and small tools, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, hair tousled and sticking up at odd angles, and a streak of grease marked one cheek like war paint. The tip of his tongue peeked out in concentration as he adjusted a gear with surgical precision, the lab dim except for the focused beams of warm light from two hexlamps overhead.

“Ah—Y/N,” he said when he finally glanced over, a wide, boyish grin tugging at his lips despite the hour. His eyes, tired but bright, sparkled with energy. “Look at this! I think I’ve figured out a way to reduce the heat output from the core by fifty percent! That means more stable energy bursts, safer activation, and—oh, and perhaps even miniaturization—imagine what that could mean for medical devices!”

“Slow down,” you laughed as you stepped fully into the room, letting the door click softly shut behind you. “Viktor, you haven’t even blinked in the last minute. Did you eat today?”

He waved a dismissive hand. “I had a sandwich. Or, well. Half of one. I think.”

“You think?” you raised an eyebrow.

He hesitated, eyes darting toward an empty plate half-buried under scribbled notes. “It had tomato on it. That counts as remembering.”

You chuckled, weaving through the mess of the lab to perch on the edge of his worktable. You brushed a stray wire off the surface before settling, resting your palm on your knee. “You really are something else, you know that?” you murmured fondly. “My little tinker fairy.”

Viktor blinked. The tool in his hand lowered slightly as he looked up at you again, startled.

“…Your what?”

You grinned at his reaction. “Tinker fairy.”

He stared, head tilted slightly. “As in… a fairy that tinks?”

You snorted. “Not exactly. It's from a story. You know—Tinkerbell? From Peter Pan? She’s this tiny little fairy who wears this cute short green dress and fixes and builds things. Basically, she’s a fairy engineer. Very temperamental, by the way.”

Viktor narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly trying to recall the reference. “I do not remember this story. Was it a scientific text?”

“Oh, definitely,” you said dryly. “Very rigorous. Peer-reviewed by pirates and Lost Boys.”

That got a laugh from him, low and warm. “So… let me see if I understand this correctly. You are comparing me—scientist, inventor, theorist—to a glitter-covered, four-inch creature who flies around causing mayhem in a short green dress?”

“Exactly,” you said sweetly, leaning back on your palms. “But you’re like… the smartest, most useful tinker fairy. Always fixing things, building stuff no one else could even dream of. Honestly, I think you’d run circles around the other fairies.”

He looked down at his workbench, clearly fighting off a smile. “You are ridiculous.”

“But I’m not wrong.”

“No,” he admitted softly, still not quite meeting your eyes. “No, you are not.”

You watched him for a beat, heart swelling. “You’re blushing.”

“I am not.”

“You absolutely are. You have that flustered expression, like when I catch you talking to yourself.”

“I do not talk to myself.”

“You mutter equations out loud, Viktor. And give your prototypes pep talks. I once heard you tell a gear to ‘cooperate or face my wrath.’”

“That gear was being very stubborn,” he said, folding his arms, looking put-out. “And I think it’s entirely reasonable to assert dominance over misbehaving machinery.”

You laughed, and he shook his head again, though now the smile had fully overtaken his face. You leaned forward a little, nudging his arm gently with your foot.

“Admit it. You kind of like it.”

He gave you a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. Perhaps. It is… endearing.”

“Endearing?” you echoed, tilting your head. “You mean you like it when I call you that?”

His ears turned pink. “I did not say that.”

“Not in those words, no. But you didn’t not say it.”

He looked away, suddenly very interested in aligning the tools on his desk. “It is a unique name,” he said finally. “And… oddly specific. And I suppose… if it is coming from you, it feels less like mockery and more like—”

“Affection?” you supplied.

He glanced at you, his expression softening. “Yes. That.”

You smiled, warmth pooling in your chest. “Then I’ll keep calling you that. If you want me to.”

There was a long pause before he said quietly, “I do.”

The silence that followed was comfortable. Viktor reached for your hand on the edge of the table, his grease-streaked fingers brushing over your knuckles.

“…Would you like to see it?” he asked, voice gentler now. “The new core? It’s still unstable, but—”

“Of course I would,” you said, hopping down and moving closer. “Show me what my favourite tinker fairy’s been building.”

He chuckled, finally letting himself smile without restraint. “You are never going to let me live this down, are you?”

“Not a chance.”

The nickname stuck.

It started as a joke—something said on a sleepy whim at the edge of a long night, a teasing little thing you never expected to linger. But linger it did, weaving itself into the quiet spaces between you like thread through cloth, subtle and steady. A gentle ritual, sweet and constant, like the way he always made your tea just how you liked it, or the way you never left the lab without brushing your fingers over his shoulder in goodbye.

“Good morning, tinker fairy,” you’d whisper, voice low and syrupy, as you padded into the lab with his tea in hand. Most days he didn’t even look up from his work—just reached blindly for the cup, already smiling as the words warmed his ears more than the drink warmed his fingers.

Some days, you’d lean over and gently tuck a curl of hair behind his ear, lingering close enough to smell the faint ozone tang of Hextech energy on his skin. “You know fairies need sunlight too,” you’d murmur with mock-seriousness, cupping his cheek. “You’ve been in this cave for hours. Come outside before you start glowing in the dark.”

“Do not tempt me,” he’d murmur back, rubbing at tired eyes behind round lenses. “I might take that as a challenge.”

=

On others, your voice would take a more pointed edge, arms crossed over your chest as you stared at the still-wrapped sandwich on the edge of his cluttered desk. “You didn’t eat your lunch again, tinker fairy.”

“It was an oversight—”

“It’s been sitting there for six hours.”

“I became distracted.”

You’d sigh, cross the room, and unwrap it for him yourself, placing it directly into his hands like a bribe. “Then I’ll distract you into eating. Bite. Now.”

At first, he’d grumble. Pretend to roll his eyes. Mutter something about how calling him that was going to tarnish his reputation as a respectable scientist. But he never stopped you. Never really meant the resistance. And slowly—so slowly he didn’t even realize it at first—he stopped pretending. Stopped fighting the smile that tugged at his lips when he heard the name. Stopped trying to correct you with a weary sigh or a good-natured “I am not a fairy.”

You noticed it in the way his shoulders would ease a fraction when you said it. In the way the tension drained from his brow after hours of failed tests and fruitless hypotheses, soothed by the gentle cadence of your teasing. He stood a little taller when you called him that, a little steadier on his cane. Like the nickname wasn’t a joke anymore—but a charm. A spell only you could cast.

=

No one else called him that. And no one else could.

Not even Jayce, despite the fact that he’d definitely overheard it once. You’d been leaning against Viktor’s lab bench, watching him sketch something wildly complex on the back of a napkin with chalk-stained fingers, and casually murmured, “You’re such a little tinker fairy when you’re in the zone.”

Jayce had paused in the doorway, eyebrows raised so high they nearly touched his hairline. “Tinker... what now?”

Viktor had looked up slowly, blinking once like a man who'd just been exposed to bright light. “It is… nothing. A personal—joke. A private thing.”

Jayce had blinked. “Okay, then.” And mercifully let it go, only muttering “weird couple stuff” under his breath as he walked away.

=

Even Heimerdinger hadn’t been spared. The professor had once stopped mid-conversation during a lab visit, ears twitching at the sound of you calling across the room, “Careful with that crystal casing, tinker fairy. It’s still volatile.”

Heimerdinger blinked, tilted his head like a curious owl, and asked, “Tinker fairy? Fascinating. Is that some sort of new subclass of engineering assistant? Or perhaps a regional dialect?”

Viktor had turned scarlet. He’d mumbled something vaguely apologetic and practically bolted for the nearest storage closet to hide until Heimerdinger’s visit ended.

You, of course, had simply smiled. The name was yours. His flustered silence was yours too.

It became part of your rhythm. A beat in the music only the two of you could hear. Something quiet and constant in a life full of loud, unpredictable days. It was there in the late-night tea offerings. In the soft way he would hum when you ran your fingers through his hair. In the almost shy way he would say your name when the world had been too harsh, too heavy, and he needed something solid to cling to.

A thread stitched lovingly into the fabric of your shared life. A little piece of Viktor—strange and brilliant and wholly, wonderfully his—that belonged only to you.

Which is why, when it didn’t happen one day, he noticed.

It was a quiet morning.

You padded softly into the lab like you always did, barefoot and still half-lost in the warmth of sleep. The floor was cool beneath your feet, the gentle chill of early Piltover morning threading between your toes as you moved through golden slats of sunlight peeking through the windows. In your hands, you carried his favorite tea—brewed just the way he liked it: steeped for precisely four minutes, one drop of honey stirred in counter-clockwise, just the way he claimed made it taste better. You never questioned it.

You found him as you often did—already hunched over his workstation, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a dozen half-built mechanisms and open notebooks scattered around him in a constellation only he could navigate. His brow furrowed, lips pursed in quiet thought, utterly engrossed.

You smiled.

Stepping up behind him, you leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to his temple, your nose brushing lightly against his hair. He stilled for just a moment at your touch, as though registering your presence not with surprise, but with silent gratitude.

But you didn’t say it.

No teasing comment. No playful scolding. No affectionate hum of “Good morning, my tinker fairy.”

Just silence.

You set the tea beside his hand with a light clink of ceramic and let your fingers graze his for a heartbeat. Then, without a word, you turned and left him to his work.

Viktor sat frozen for a moment, eyes locked on the cup.

At first, he tried to reason it away. Maybe you were tired. You hadn’t looked fully awake when you walked in—your eyes soft with sleep, your voice absent altogether. Or maybe you just forgot, lost in thought, caught in the undertow of whatever dreams had followed you out of bed. He told himself it wasn’t important.

But by midday, the absence had grown roots.

He kept glancing toward the door, half-expecting to hear your voice float in with that familiar lilt, that nickname only you were allowed to use. He’d never told you that. Never said it aloud. But he loved it. The way your voice curled around the words like a ribbon. The way it made him feel lighter. Brighter.

By evening, it ached.

He watched you from the doorway of your shared apartment—quiet, unmoving. You sat at your vanity, brushing your hair in slow, absent strokes, lost in thought. The room was awash in amber light from the setting sun, casting a warm halo around you. The bristles of the brush whispered through your hair, rhythmic and soothing.

He stood there for a long time, one hand resting atop the polished head of his cane, the other twitching faintly at his side.

Then, in a voice low and careful, like he was afraid of shattering something delicate:

“…You did not call me it today.”

You paused, the brush mid-stroke. Your gaze lifted to meet his in the mirror. “Hm?”

He stepped a little closer, his cane tapping softly against the wooden floor. “The thing,” he said, his tone faltering. “The… name. Tinker fairy.”

You blinked, slowly lowering the brush. “Oh,” you breathed, puzzled. “I… didn’t even realize I hadn’t.”

Viktor nodded once, eyes flicking away from yours, gaze falling somewhere near the carpet. “But you always do.”

There was a tremble in his voice, almost imperceptible. The way he held himself—shoulders stiff, jaw tight—told you this had been weighing on him all day.

He took another slow breath, gathering the pieces of something tender and offering it up to you with quiet bravery.

“It’s not… I know it’s silly. Just a joke at first. But I like it.” He swallowed, then continued, softer still. “When you call me that, it… it makes me feel seen. Not just as the inventor. Not just a mind or a tool or… a problem to be solved. But as me. Someone you… choose.”

He hesitated, then added, “It feels like something that belongs to us. Like a thread only we hold.”

Your chest ached.

You stood slowly, crossing the room with careful steps until you were in front of him. He didn’t look up right away, and you had to guide his face toward yours with a gentle touch beneath his chin. His eyes—those brilliant, gold-flecked eyes—met yours with quiet vulnerability.

You took his hand in both of yours, warm and steady.

“Oh, love,” you whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of his knuckles, “I promise I won’t forget again.”

His breath hitched, and you felt the faintest tremor run through him.

You leaned in, resting your forehead against his, noses brushing. The moment stretched between you like a held breath, your hands cradling his as though they were something sacred.

Then, with a soft murmur, just for him. “What’s my favorite tinker fairy been working on today?” He let out a breathless, almost disbelieving laugh—small and real and full of quiet joy.

“Something wonderful,” he said, his voice like dusk and honey. “But you first."

[tellyouily]

a new kind of bright

dnf - fluff - 1.2k words

inspired by what george said on stream about having fixed his sleep schedule lol

read on ao3

-

Fifteen minutes in the sun.

That’s all it has taken for George to get his sleep schedule on track. First thing in the morning, before breakfast or anything else, he goes out on the patio and sits there for fifteen minutes. And it works – he feels relaxed during it, energised afterwards, and he gets tired at a normal, healthy time at night.

No wonder he had the most trouble sleeping in London; there was barely any sun to begin with. Here though, he’s had no issues with that so far. Florida is sunny almost all the time.

This morning, he opts for a hoodie before stepping outside.

It may be sunny, but it always takes a while for the temperature to rise from the chill of nighttime. Dream thinks it’s partially due to all the trees surrounding the house somehow “storing” the cold. And yeah, it sounds kind of dumb, but George is inclined to believe him.

He sits down in one of the two chairs placed against the house wall, closing his eyes against the warm, yellowish light of the direct sun. It feels more effective this way, with his eyes shut, like he’s fully soaking it in. Recharging.

About two minutes in – he doesn’t set a timer for these outings, so it’s just a guess – the glass door opens behind him. George looks over.

It’s Dream, wearing the same hoodie George is, except he has the hood up. He looks soft and freshly woken up – which he probably is.

“Oh look, we’re matching,” Dream says with a smile, squinting in the sun. He slides the door shut.

George hums, watching him walk closer. God, he looks good in the mornings. George doesn’t think they’ve ever been outside together this early before, but with this view, he thinks they should start doing it more often.

Dream grabs the second chair and pushes it closer until it’s flush with George’s.

He sits down with a sigh, turning to him. “Hi.”

George lifts his feet off the ground and turns to the left at a slightly awkward angle to put them in Dream’s lap, having to bend his knees over the armrests.

“Why’re you not talking?” Dream asks with a huff, placing his hands on George’s ankles.

“Hi,” George says. “You’re here.”

It’s been a few weeks now of him doing this every morning, and Dream has only joined him twice. Before now, that is – this is the third time, and George is determined to make Dream see the benefits of making it a habit.

Dream laughs. “Yeah, thanks for noticing.”

His voice is deep, gravely with sleep and something else, too. Lack of sleep, George guesses.

“When’d you go to sleep last night?” He asks, also having to squint in the bright light. Having his eyes closed definitely makes this a little more comfortable, but if he has the option to stare at Dream, he will always choose that.

A yawn. “Late.”

“Well, why are you up so early? You should be in bed right now.”

Dream’s smile is softer, then. “I woke up when you did and couldn’t get back to sleep,” he says.

“Oh,” George says shortly. Oops, he probably should have considered that. “Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Dream shakes his head, yawning again. “I think I’m just a very light sleeper. Or, I know I am.”

George hums. “You didn’t use to be.”

“I know. I guess I’m getting older,” he closes his eyes.

Sunlight always brings out the freckles dusting his skin, and now is no exception. George immediately gives into the urge to reach over and touch his cheek.

Dream’s eyes flutter back open.

“You’ve always been a heavy sleeper, though,” he says, meeting George’s gaze. “For as long as I’ve known you, anyway.”

“I'm just the goat,” George says with a shrug, rubbing his thumb over Dream’s stubble. Inside his hood is like a warm alcove compared to the slight chill in the air, and George enjoys the scratch of his beard against his fingers. In many ways, Dream is actually like an infinite fidget toy.

He considers what Dream said. It’s true; sleep has always come pretty easy to him once he’s actually gotten past the falling asleep part. His parents always used to say he slept like a rock.

“I literally barely notice when you get in and out of bed,” he says. “Like I guess I felt it last night, subconsciously, but I didn’t like, wake up.”

Dream leans into the touch without trying to hide it. “You’re the goat.”

“Maybe it’s time you listen to me and start following my routine.”

Dream grins. “Maybe. Actually, I'll follow it right now. How long have you been out here?”

Breaking his own rule of not using a timer – mostly to avoid being on his phone – George pulls out his phone with his free hand and checks the time.

“Okay, I’ve been out here for like… ten minutes, so I've got to stay for five more. You have to stay for like, twelve more, though. At least .”

Those stats make Dream sigh dramatically, letting his head fall forward.

George smiles, brushing over his cheek. “Luckily for you, though, I’m willing to sacrifice my time and sit with you until your fifteen minutes are up.”

Dream’s spirits seem lifted by this, literally. “Oh, thank god.”

George laughs. “You’re an idiot.”

They fall into an easy silence, accompanied by the rustling of trees and occasional warble of the birds that live in their backyard. George slips his hand down to the nape of Dream’s neck and lets it just rest there. It’s even warmer here, all thanks to Dream’s body heat. George likes that.

“You know, it’s actually pretty nice,” Dream says. “Sitting out here, I mean.”

George rolls his eyes. “That’s literally what I’ve been telling you.”

“Yeah, and you were right,” Dream says with a smile.

“Well, obviously. I’m always right.”

Dream laughs a quiet, sort of private laugh, closing his eyes against the sun. Yeah, you are is what George hears in it. What he chooses to hear in it, anyway.

He retracts his hand from the warm alcove of Dream’s hood, and Dream grabs it before George can pull it back towards himself. George immediately spots the sleep ring on his right hand, silver and gleaming in the light. Maybe he can finally convince Dream to let him borrow it soon, just to try it out. That would definitely level up his sleep schedule game.

Today feels like the type of day where Dream will say yes to almost anything George suggests. He’ll ask later, though; right now, it’s nice just sitting here.

“What do you usually do after this? Eat breakfast?” Dream asks, sounding genuinely curious.

George nods. “Then I get ready.”

“Huh.”

This is all sounding very promising – curiosity means Dream is surprised by how much he likes doing this and is considering doing it again. At least, George wants it to mean that.

“Are you gonna join me?” He asks. “We can eat together.”

Dream laughs, probably at the transparent hopefulness in his voice. “Well, I can’t say no to that . Your like, whole face lit up. You look so happy.”

“I am happy,” George says, smiling.

He is ; he’s getting to spend the morning with Dream. Dream is finally giving in and giving George’s miracle sleep-schedule-cure a chance. So far, today is looking pretty ideal.

Dream looks at him, his gaze unabashedly sweet. He laughs again.

“Sure, fine, I’ll join you. All I’m doing today is editing anyway. It’ll be like a morning date.”

George decides he likes the sound of that.

[mweoi]

ㅤ𖹭 #𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗕𝗜𝗡 ::ㅤ𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗜𝗠 𝗪𝕺𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗗𝗘⠀⠀【...】

ㅤㅤ𝑛. ⠀﴾⠀cw. 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳. pure fluff but there’s a lil kissy kiss thing at the end h e h e . . ;b⠀━╋⠀﴿⠀ 𝖻𝖿!𝗐𝗈𝗇𝖻𝗂𝗇 ⎯⎯ 𝖿!𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋.

⠀͙ࣳ #𓂃 𝗆𝗐𝖾𝗈𝗂 ⁝ 𝑟𝑖𝑟𝑖 speaks . . SO ! this is the last upload for today 😿 sadly I gotta get back to my studies .. cognitive distortions and attachment styles are calling BUT ANYWAY ! hope you enjoyed this before I go back to analyzing behavior instead of writing abt it lol

he looks unbothered but is secretly the clingiest guy you’ve ever dated : wonbin seems chill. he's got that effortlessly cool, slightly sarcastic aura that makes people assume he’s emotionally detached or doesn’t need anyone, but the second it’s just the two of you ? this boy melts. he’s the type to sit cross-legged on the couch with his head in your lap, fiddling with your fingers while you scroll through something. hugs from behind when you’re cooking. whines a little when you don’t cuddle him first. he won’t say he misses you, but he shows up with your favorite snacks and stays longer than he meant to. if you ever pull away first, he looks up like “wait, where are you going? I didn’t say you could leave.”

he always acts like you're the one who's obsessed.. but it’s so clearly him : he teases you like it’s his full-time job. calls you dramatic when you ask for a kiss, tells you you’re “so clingy” — but meanwhile, he has your selfies saved in a hidden album and checks your texts the second they come in. will text “you miss me?” and when you say yes, he just types “knew it 😏” — but he’s smiling into his pillow like an idiot. he plays the nonchalant card but if you’re busy for too long, he gets genuinely pouty and types out a message like “wyd” then deletes it and sends “u good?” instead, pretending he wasn’t just staring at your name for five minutes.

dates with him are quiet but intimate : record stores, late-night walks, sneaking into a closed skatepark just to sit on the ramps and talk about the future. he doesn’t like big, crowded things — prefers the kind of dates where time slows down. he’ll pick a flower off a bush and tuck it behind your ear. he’ll pull you close on park benches and let his arm stay around you long after it’s comfortable. he’s not trying to impress you, he just wants to exist next to you, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. when the sun hits just right, he’ll take a photo of you and save it quietly. when you notice and ask what he’s doing, he just shrugs and says “you looked nice. had to.”

he gets weirdly possessive in subtle ways : not in a jealous, overbearing way — but in a quiet, protective, “you’re mine and I don’t need to explain that” kind of way. you could be talking to someone else and he won’t interrupt, won’t act immature.. but his hand will find yours. his thumb will rest on your wrist. and when you’re walking through a crowd, he’s always behind you with a hand on your lower back, steering you through. if someone crosses a line, he doesn’t argue, just pulls you in closer and says “let’s go.” and when you’re alone, he mutters things like “you don’t have to talk to people like that when I’m around.”

he has the softest 2am voice and it’s UNFAIR : when he’s half-asleep, his voice goes lower and raspier, and everything he says suddenly sounds five times more intimate. late-night calls turn into confessions. he mumbles “you’re the only one that makes me feel like this” and sighs like he’s scared to admit it. his words slow down, but they hit harder. when you’re lying in bed next to him, and he’s barely awake, he whispers things into the dark like “don’t go anywhere, okay? I don’t think I’d be fine if you left.” and then pretends he didn’t say it in the morning.

he’s lowkey a tease but only for you : wonbin’s sense of humor is dry and sneaky — he’ll drop a flirtatious comment with a straight face and act like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. touches the inside of your thigh with his hand when you’re sitting close. grazes your waist when he passes behind you. raises a brow when you shift away, like “what? you’re jumpy.” and if you ever try to turn the tables and fluster him ? he’ll bite his lip and chuckle, lean in close and whisper, “careful. you won’t win.” and you won’t. not when he’s got that lazy smirk and slow blink that makes your brain go static.

he sends you songs instead of paragraphs : he’s not the most verbal with emotions, but he feels everything deeply. he won’t send long romantic rants, but he’ll send you a song at 3am and say “this made me think of you.” or he’ll text lyrics like “you look like you should be mine” and leave you wondering if he wrote it. he keeps playlists for you: one for when you’re sad, one for when you’re in love, one that’s just called “you <3.” when he misses you, he sends a song with no context, but the message is always loud.

he stares when you’re not looking ( and sometimes when you are ) : he’s a quiet observer. watches you tie your hair, take your jacket off, laugh at something dumb — and doesn’t say anything, just keeps watching. sometimes when you catch him, he doesn’t even look away. just keeps his gaze steady and says “i like watching you.” it’s not creepy, it’s just honest. when he stares too long, you ask “what?” and he just shrugs and says “you’re the kind of pretty that doesn’t make sense.”

he's not good at big romantic gestures but he's excellent at the quiet ones : he won’t show up with flowers every week or scream his love from rooftops. but he’ll remember the exact way you like your coffee. he’ll hold the umbrella over you, not himself. he’ll charge your phone for you without being asked, buy you that thing you mentioned once in passing. he’ll learn your routines and sync up without ever saying why. and when you realize it’s love ? it’s not because he said it, it’s because he showed you a hundred tiny times and never asked for anything back.

you’re his safe place : he doesn’t open up fast — not because he doesn’t want to, but because he’s used to handling everything himself. but one night, he’s sitting next to you, and something shifts. he talks about his fears, the pressure, the insecurity. and he doesn’t look at you while he says it, like he’s afraid you’ll change your mind about him. but when you don’t flinch, when you reach for his hand instead? he swallows thickly and breathes out like he hasn’t in weeks. you don’t have to say much. just stay. and when you do, that’s when he knows: you’re home.

and then there’s the kind of kissing that makes you forget what day it is : wonbin kisses like he’s memorizing you. he doesn’t rush, doesn’t just go for your mouth — he touches your face first, traces the side of your jaw with his thumb, and waits for your eyes to close before leaning in. sometimes, he pauses right before your lips touch, breath mingling with yours, like he wants you to feel every second of it. and when he does kiss you, it’s slow. deep. unhurried like he’s got nowhere else to be. one hand on your waist, the other behind your neck, pulling you in just a little more. he kisses you again before you can even pull away. and again. until you’re both dazed and pressed together and his voice goes all low and soft when he says, “you’re driving me insane. you know that?” it’s never just about heat with him. it’s about being close. about feeling understood. about letting the world blur until it’s just your mouth and his hands and the silence between heartbeats. and if it’s late, the kind of night where the lights are off and his hoodie is hanging halfway off your shoulders — he’ll lean in again just to whisper, “stay with me a little longer.”

[reclusiarch-orm]

Vallan again. Inquisitor portrait, sort of. Infodump under a cut because I am at least THAT polite lol.

Decidedly ill-tempered qunari, makes a horrible first impression on the inquisition and sustains that until the attack on Haven. He DOES NOT want to be in the position he's in and takes that out on everyone around him. He'd LIKE to go back to the free marches, he'd LIKE to at least be paid a good sum for staying on and working. Is he? I think they have to pay him or he would run away and take the anchor with him. Fuck the world. Everyone's always more than fine throwing tal vashoth at their problems and if they die, well. At least no humans are dead! Cassandra is his mortal enemy. He knows she'd let him die if it closed the breach. He makes it clear to her that he won't kneel to have his throat cut. If he'll die either way well then he's just taking thedas with him! They hate each other.

Manners wise, he's threatening (overtly), rude and mean. Very standoffish. His first response to most things is aggression. If not in battle he's either shitfaced in the tavern or asleep on the tavern floor, or asleep in the stables with the horses. In battle, he's a two-handed maul wielding reaver, his party's only warrior (he does NOT get along with the other three). The party is just the handful of people he can stand. Sera (she's chill like that) Vivienne (they share pro-circle beliefs) and Cole (who Vallan is projecting his dead younger brother onto so hard Cole is almost growing horns). Later on, Dorian replaces Vivienne sometimes.

This character only functions in the inquisitor role because I'm pretending there's two anchor-marked characters. My friend's inquisitor is also in this story; Athera, a Dalish mage woman. I haven't drawn her successfully yet (her face is hard for me lol) but you'll see her too eventually, when i succeed. I will rant about their dynamic as well at that time. She's much more diplomatic, curious and empathetic. Vallan and her don't get close until a fair bit into the story, but her curiosity eventually leads her to him like a puzzle. There's reasons he is the way he is and she will find them. I write him more as a companion, and her as the main inquisitor in most plot points; he's the show of force, the military side of the inquisition. She is the locus of faith and the heroism before the people. He couldn't be that if he tried he's just too abrasive

[tm-trx]

Pit Babe 2, ep 5

Live Reactions:

(warning: may will contain inconsistent punctuation/capitalization, stream of consciousness, and rampant speculation)

Kim is NOT happy about Kenta snooping around looking for Tony’s lair

aw Babe’s so happy to show off his ring

so everyone's using the scooters now; still such a weird visual with fully suited up race car drivers

uh oh that didn’t go over well

Well this is frustrating - there are feelings on both sides and yet neither is willing to break the stalemate and move past friendship.

you’re not fooling anyone Pete lol

yet another suspicious reaction from Chris that probably means nothing

family cookout - so domestic - I love it.

Why does this whole ‘Alan’s old and creaky’ feel like both a PSA and foreshadowing at the same time.

yay more racing

that’s a new one: give up your boyfriend and i’ll let you win first place

Did that asshole really brake to give Babe the win??

Chris’s turn to seduce Pete now?

What just happened?! is Pete a touch telepath now? what’d he see?

I mean yes Chris is right, sometimes it’s okay to just keep things physical; but not sure it’s the best thing for Pete in this situation.

What’re you looking for Chris? and what did you find?

Come on Charlie, how do you stay cold in front of that cute little face?

nice; Kim to the rescue

so Kenta’s not the secret operator then

one-sided love sucks rocks

not sure instagram is the most reliable source for investigating secret special senses but okay

how is Willy falling for this - hah nice he’s not

oh. shit.

and of course that’s when Charlie walks in

Final Thoughts:

current Tony Mole count:

Willy (still the likeliest candidate)

Chris (I know it's more likely that he's Way's brother, but he could still be in deep cover, so he stays on the list)

Tony making an army of enhanced Alphas is kind of terrifying. It’s the next step up from what he was doing before. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s got military contacts waiting for him to succeed. This whole plotline smacks of old skool The Sentinel fic and I am here for it.

Are the Sonic/North fans happy with the developments or frustrated? I’m not super invested in them and I was frustrated.

Pete and Chris are in a workplace romance novel and I’m loving it. I need to know what that was when Pete touched him. And what was Chris looking for on Pete’s computer? It looked like he found the profiles of the kids Tony stole. So maybe he was looking for information about Way? That would support the “Chris is Way’s brother” theory.

I was so confused about how Pete had the chemical already, when he’d literally just asked Chris to look into it, and then I realized I missed a line. Now Kenta going to that specific company of Tony’s makes sense.

On the one hand, Charlie needs to work through his jealousy issues on his own; it’s not Babe’s responsibility to constantly reassure him. On the other hand, Babe’s erring on the side of caution a bit too much when it comes to what he’s telling Charlie. I’m always going to prefer couples teaming up against an outside force over this. That said, I can’t help loving possessive!Charlie when he sees Willy.

Was Kim shadowing Kenta on the sly the whole time or was he the getaway driver that got left behind? I loved the way that whole scene was filmed. The spin! So dynamic.

So that last scene. oof. I had a feeling the show would go there. The way Pavel delivered that “Charlie” line was perfect and gave me chills.

Will this week be the week I finally go back and rewatch season one? Tune in next week to find out!

My Pit Babe 2 recaps: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

[odeqaard]

2021 marc márquez you are so important to me!!!

[wasabikitcat]

community college is so funny because half of the teachers are like "For this class you need to use lockdown browser for all quizzes and tests. You need to buy this 70 dollar textbook, and all papers turned in must be in APA format with a title page even if they're only 500 words long. I will not accept late assignments. Also you have a minimum of 4 assignments a week." and the other half are like "you don't need proctoring for the final exam I trust you. here's a download link to a pirated copy of the textbook. as long as your writing is coherent and demonstrates an understanding of the material I literally could not care less what format you use. I can't figure out how canvas works so I'm not giving you due dates, just make sure it's turned in before the grading period ends. your only weekly assignment is a forum post with a minimum of 100 words."

[sysig]

My fourth wall OCs! ♥ (Patreon)

I tried to put everything in the tags but ended up being too long-winded lol, so here it is instead!

For this year’s big behind-the-scenes project, I realized I haven’t given colour references to a lot of my 4th Wall characters! There are...a surprising proportion of femboys who are aware of their existence here now that I look at it lol - I mean technically only Cory and Mint count there but that's still 2/8 - a fourth is kind of a lot! Their sizing is pretty funny to me as well, Cory’s proportions make everyone else look tiny by comparison, he’s just got a very large eye! Set right next to Gijat too, Vortians are so compact - he’s fully grown he’s an adult he’s just small!

Okay, for actuals now, starting left-to-right - while they’re obviously organized by height, it's funny because Cure is also the oldest by creation date. She's front of the line on everything! How silly. She's larger than your average plush bear but only by a little - just enough to be like Mildly intimidating if she approached haha. Puntable - and yet unpuntable lol. It's not just her being the oldest of the lot that makes her more powerful (although that is a contributing factor - she’s aware of her status both in and out of character!). It's not just Kids Rules either since she was made such a long time ago - y'know like ''Oh yeah well my character is [very powerful for X reasons]'' - although yes Also That lol. She's a Fourth Wall OC down to her roots, always intended that way - not everyone here can say that!

Tala also has that edge! Though in a very different way haha - she's also the only one here with a physical counterpart, which is fun :D Means she can go on “actual” adventures and bring that knowledge back with her cartoon versions - both are as real as the other! I keep forgotting her bow, agh, I need to take some more pictures of her sometime so my mental picture of her is more up to date haha

I guess my blankslate HF expression kind of counts?? Lol, it’s mostly for funsies, they’re more like a Concept As Person so?? Sure lol, With Accessories of course lol - haven’t been fighting it much lately so that’s all for now ♪ I wonder if they’ll stay so lucky in the near future hmmm

Gijat! ♥ He ended up being an accidental fourth wall character actually haha, he wasn’t designed with that in mind! He's not meant to know such things, but he did fairly well with it while he was part of the main rotation :) He was designed to be a story character but he ended up being my favourite comfort character so he got a few glimpses out <3 He hasn't for a while though! He's been retired for a long while actually - he's the second oldest character in the lineup after Cure but she had more staying power, sorry Gi <3 I did draw his fairy version not all That long ago tho! It’s hard to let go of anyone for Too long haha

Cory ♥ My sweet special boy <3 He's also the third oldest here! He was the first one to assert himself as a fourth wall OC haha ♪ Cure didn't really congeal into an OC for a long time - she stayed a concept and Gijat was on accident - whereas Cory purposefully and clearly looked outward from the start. He Has a story but it's never been all That developed - he has some non-4th Wall character-friends but his main focus is other, unrelated characters. He's always been very interested in other OCs, a lot of which stems from Bar actually haha - he and Bar are near-contemporaries - they're both featured here for a reason haha

Mint >:| He's...fine. He was inspired from a weird source and has therefore always Been weird - and also asserted himself like Cory. Same story - he has canon story elements but for the most part he's interested in others! Usually in a Pursuit kind of way, and not just limited to my OCs >:/ He needs to behave himself is what - he also has like 1000 outfits and they rarely repeat, ugh, pick one! I wasn’t familiar with the eGirl aesthetic at the time I made him, but he 100% fits it, look at him in his elf ears and heterochromatic contacts smh. I don’t actually know his real eye colour, or hair colour! He wears contacts and dyes his hair and won’t tell me, he even started dating a non-4th wall character without asking! He’s a real wild card

Erase is probably the babiest of the list despite Tala being newer and younger - everyone else was made before Erase! They’ve had had less screen time and less development than everyone else too.They're an incredibly light and oddly harmless fourth wall presence lol for all the danger They pose in Their story :0 They're fairly polite all things considered. They actually have a degree of respect for the fourth wall - unlike Some people (Mint) - probably from acknowledging The Player/Character vs. developer. If there's a hierarchy capable of being distinguished then Erase is going to place Themself in the safest spot. Y'know - to cause problems from lol. I do need to play with Them more - They're fun! But fun isn't quite enough to be full-fledged Interesting just yet, more to do, more to do

It's almost unfair to have Erase right next to Bar lol - possibly my most Interesting OC of all time. First created in 2015 quite soon after Cory, even in the same notebook! He retired in 2017, I think? 2018 at the latest - and then was revived in 2020 and has been here again since. And that's just his timeline! Not counting everything that went into him character-wise. Obviously my sonas don't count as 4th wall OCs because y'know - they're me - but Bar falls kind of unclear of the line between OC and sona, he's always been a weird one. He was initially meant to be an RP character and then over time he developed into a 4th wall OC/sona of a Kind. Nowadays he's a fully-fledged 4th wall OC by design - his change in design from his 2020 revival was meant to represent his transformation thereof - but he's always been weird! If I had to pick a character that I’d consider “overdeveloped” or put too much of myself in - even more than some of my sonas - it'd be him. He's one of my favourites because of that but it's hard to quantify how exactly I feel about him haha. I love him! It's painful! He's great! He's awful! He's very important to me and he'll never return to being what he was first created for again. I do quite like his new design <3 Paying homage to the video that sent him crashing back into relevance for me haha

It was fun to draw everyone :D And it's nice that they all have colour references now! Mint has definitely been the longest without one, everyone else has had at least Something - even Erase! And They're way newer! I did make Mint in a couple online dollmakers but that's not quite the same thing haha, he really needs his clothes hand-drawn :P

It's good to have them all :) They're a fun bunch and I like all of them <3 I think it’s kinda funny and a little strange how few crossovers they’ve had with each other though! So far it’s really only been Tala-Bar-Cory - the rest are aware of each other but haven’t really met, how strange, considering what they are!

[zdechlyryba]

an edek themed collage 🪲

[weirfq1]

with all these gaston crackships/rarepairs that are coming out lately it would be so fucking funny if he had a flig with all the main characters (ambar, nina, simon... hell luna too if you want) and they all know it except matteo

[apollo-just-ice]

The funniest and saddest thing perhaps is how captivated I have been by Skaði/Njörðr lately…

Yeah. Njörðr from Feh and his… presumably existing wife that isn’t even in Feh in any shape way or form atm.

I mean I’ve taken what can be learnt from Norse mythology and have made her into my own character, basically, but still…

I am working on a fic rn but man. Who is gonna get this except me? It’s crazy. But I am having fun with it soooooo. Hopefully that’ll be enough <3

[moinsbienquekaworu]

But what about... The OC......

[butchdykeorpheus]

tbh "[insert book here] is a published [fandom] fic with the serial numbers filed off" is no longer really enough for me to like. side-eye an author / their book. like obviously context matters so depending on the situation/book/fandom/fic/author/whatever it might be a valid criticism and imo there are some structural and stylistic differences between what's acceptable in fic vs what makes a good book that you should be mindful of when adapting a fic into original work but i've read some genuinely good fics that are au enough to easily stand on their own if you tweak them a little and ctrl+F / replace character names

[shroomierambles]

why’s it so embarrassing when u start catching feelings for someone aaaaaahhhhhh

[sysig]

for requestober ! my heart's been aching for yanderapy for a while and i would like to get something about them :3 i don't have a specific prompt . i do like to see them more on the angsty-unhealthy-relationship side lol like some of the requests you made last year . overall , just seeing anything about them would be nice . X3

Day 1 - Sodium Chloride Couple