#deprived myself of the best food out here

[glitterandhelium]

was so stupid yesterday, finally let my anger get the better of me :(

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Healthy Habits To Look & Feel Your Best Without Restriction or Unrealistic Routines

Realistic ways to maintain a healthy life/body/appearance (size and weight are all personal, not the most important metric – for certain). No diet culture or delulu-land tips here.

What I've done to maintain my 30-pound weight loss for over a decade, glowing clear skin (no pimples or discoloration, etc.), and super healthy, full & shiny hair, still living life and enjoying it – the mindful way.

Eat home-cooked meals & (plant-based) whole foods – 90-95% of the time

Incorporate at least 1 salad into my daily routine (either a large, hearty lunch salad or a simple green salad as a starter with dinner)

Include at least 1 fruit/vegetable in every meal or snack

Never restrict food groups – whole grains/potatoes, healthy fats, protein-rich plant foods, and produce are all essential to consume every day

Focus on meals, but have whole food snack options on hand to enjoy if genuinely hungry (mainly fruit, lupini beans, edamame, carrots/celery/cucumber with hummus, plain popcorn, handful of almonds/cashews)

Have breakfast after one coffee (before a second) and have dinner late enough (8-9:30 pm) to curb late-night hunger

Only have fruit and tea after dinner; Always stop consuming food at least 3 hours before bed for better sleep/digestion

Order whatever I want when going out to eat, but split dessert

Have at least one indulgent meal/dessert per week

No sugary cocktails – wine, champagne/prosecco, martinis, gin & tonic, margarita, French Connection, Sambuca, Grappa, tequila on the rocks, etc. are great options. Bellinis/fruit plus wine/spirits cocktails are a good middle ground. Sugary drinks worsen the hangover – big-time

Perceive healthy eating as a form of enjoyment, creativity, and nourishment, not restriction or deprivation (it's not if done liberally enough)

Consume a vitamin B12 and vitamin D supplement daily. Keep digestive enzymes on hand for when they're necessary

Always have a large glass of water first thing in the morning (before coffee) and by my side all day long

No soda, juices, sugary drinks, etc. Black coffee, tea, and water only on the daily – wine and no-sugar alcoholic drinks on rare occasions. Smoothies can be a great snack or breakfast, though!

Incorporate an (almost) daily walk into my schedule as a form of exercise and a mental health reset (I aim for 4-5 miles/10Kish steps per day on average)

Do short, low-impact strengthen training exercises 3x a week (15-30 mins each usually) for bone health & toning

Never forcing myself to do strenuous exercise/workout formally in a gym – it's not for me; it doesn't make me feel/look better and throws my hunger & energy levels way off. To each their own, though

Have a variety of playlists ready to go for waking up, working, dancing, walking/workouts, doing chores, and reading/relaxing

Internalizing that sexual health is a core aspect of your health & well-being – on all counts

Maintaining a simple skincare routine 2x per week with high-quality products and a couple of weekly treatments

Prioritizing my body care routine with as much as my facial skincare routine

Wearing at least SPF 30 daily

Exfoliating 2-3x per week

Learning what hair products work for my hair type; Using a deep conditioning mask and a scalp mask weekly

Using only cold water when washing my hair

Incorporating face & body massages into my weekly at-home routine

Using Uriage lip balm, hand cream, and deodorant religiously

Flossing 1-2 times a day/using an electric toothbrush

[its-time-to-write]

masterlist

i figured it was time to make one. it's in order based on when i wrote it. please, please let me know if a link is broken/mislabeled!!

*81 fics*

All of these are Jamie Tartt x reader

dress

Jamie and Keeley buy you a dress for the benefit gala

three times 'cause i've waited my whole life

secret relationship to engagement

you're losing me

first kid

don't make this any harder

Jamie wants to take you to Brazil, you’re both idiots

would hit him in a heartbeat now

Your ex boyfriend is a footballer and also a douche

silent sleepers

Jamie contemplates your relationship on the team bus

what it is

Jamie is sick ft. Roy

don't go wasting your emotion

Secret relationship + you own a bookshop! Ft. Roy and Keeley

you know, you'll always know me

You’re a famous singer! Congrats!

i don't know how you keep smiling/i'm just choking almost constantly

Jamie’s dad is a douche

i'll still be right next to you my dear

Jamie is a dad

can't really say i'm enjoying it now

Yikes it’s a breakup fic, but happy endings only in this house

mine of you with me

Reader and Jamie go semi-public with their relationship

today's a day like any other

The Tartt family thru the years

there's orange juice in the kitchen

Oof ouch period cramps

i can't breathe without you

Nate kisses you w/o consent

damned if i do give a damn what people say

You’re a theater actress! How exciting!

island made of faith

People think Jamie’s dumb, and he’s not

take your time while you're mine

You’re Roy’s other sister ft. all the Kents

honey, i'll give you all my time

Vienna. Enough said.

feeling fragile can't you tell

Jamie gets hurt

wrote all your lines in the script in my mind

Oh no! Some girl kissed Jamie and it wasn’t you! + Colin as the bff

stick together like glitter

Babysitting Phoebe + angst

your mind is not your friend

Angst + comfort after you have a bad hookup

chasing shadows in a grocery line

You’re pretty sure you have a hot stalker

don’t go yet

Tee hee protective Jamie at a club

kicking myself to keep from crying

The morning after your mind is not your friend

i think we could do it if we tried

High school sweethearts reunited after 6 years🥺

i’m glad you exist

You and Jamie go to a wedding

send for me

BREAKING: shit day at work made better by local boyfriend

tell me where to put my love

day off = food + snuggles

bored

The longest angst I’ve ever written. Def not the best angst I’ve ever written.

would it be enough if i never gave you peace

you’ve got baby fever and your pretty sure it’s going to kill your brother

wishing on every one

You own a flower shop. It’s adorable.

lyrical eyes, indigo smile

Bea meets the team for the first time!

something to rely on

You storm the pitch and smooch your bf

flipped the script

Enemies to lovers slow burn (or maybe fast burn, idk)

i fancy you

London Boy by ms. T. Swift

you don’t want to know me

Jamie shows up at your door after s.1 Man City

you’re in the kitchen humming

Post-Mom City

family that i chose

For the child-free girlies!

never wanted you to hate me

Pt. 2 of you don’t want to know me

wonderstruck

BFF Keeley tells you to give her awful ex a chance

in love with an idea

idk it’s like a confession of love? kinda cute

sinking into your worn-out mattress

Touch-deprived therapist! reader

you’re a mansion with a view

just two footballers doing an England promo, nothing to see here

i know what i’m doing

Post-Roy/Jamie locker room hug after Man City

wonder what it’d be like

Jamie tries to win you back

if only love were true

You’re a single mom in dire need of a plus-one

i know now it’ll pass

It’s hard to love someone when you’ve been told you don’t deserve it

the way it goes

The Greyhounds are protective of Jamie

how to love being alive

Idk this one’s like whatever and also supes long

there is happiness

GEORGIE GEORGIE GEORGIE

it’s just wanderlust

Relationship soft launch

glitter on the floor

You like to knit. You also think you’re a comedian.

maybe tomorrow you’ll know

The “he’s a prick to everyone but her” trope

hustling for the good life

I swear this is my last chaptered fic

let’s fall in love for the night

Kent!reader is having a baby

soft hands hit the jagged ground

friends w/benefits

for you, there’ll be no more crying

anxiety at work + bf jamie

smile at me

there was only one bed!!!!

slow motion double vision in rose blush

happy b-day Jamie Tartt

half-moon eyes

it’s just a question!

can’t hear my thoughts (i cannot hear my thoughts)

I’m allowed to write what i want, ok???

here in my arms

more Kent!reader + a baby named George

coffee at midnight

prick coach wakes you up bc of your prick boyfriend

healing me fine

Just a lil engagement fic for ya

i don’t know anything

if you’re interested in Bea

right words at the right time

It’s a wedding fic

move fast and keep quiet

boxer!reader + smitten Jamie

not saying you’re in love with me

You meet over Bantr!!!

we could be so good

Jamie comforts you after a bad date

i hold it like a grudge

i don’t even know how to describe this one but u might cry

there for you

sick fic

before you go

physio!reader

you’ll probably date her

chronic illness + childhood friends. gotta love it

feel it burn

Gym anxiety

play it back

Old movies of bb Jamie

ours

Thanksgivinggggg

light in the hallway

MORE Kent!reader

stuck by you

Bad family + good Jamie = fic

[velocesainz]

heyy<3

could i maybe request a 'this is me trying' inspired fic with Steve Harrington, where r is staying up nights trying to finish hw and stuff and it gets really bad and r's very tired and Steve starts to notice it happening more often that not and helps r take a break from it all and just relax for a bit?

thank you<3

A/n: this is such cute request I’m dyinggg

Late night breaks

Stranger things masterlist | main masterlist

Summary: you are studying really hard for your finals at Hawkins high and have also been assigned a huge load of duties and it’s really stressing you out and Steve notices and helps you de-stress

Warnings: cursing, super fluffy

Pairing: Steve Harrington x reader

Reader pov:

I was working on an extra project I was assigned by Mr. Clark

I hadn’t slept in quite a few days finishing up projects, homework and studying that O could barely focus on anything but keeping myself awake

It had been a really rough final year with huge responsibilities being given to me and I just didn’t want to disappoint them

I wanted to prove myself worthy of the faith they put in me but there was only so much I could do

I was struggling immensely to finish this science project.

I had a pounding headache, my eyes were bloodshot, I was thirsty, I was hungry and sleep deprived

My body was barely alive at this point.

Steve pov:

I walked into my girlfriends room only to find her hunched over in her seat by her desk with a small lamp on trying to completer some work

She has been working extremely hard over the past few days preparing for finals and complete last minute assignments or work the teachers assigned her

I noticed how much more tired she became.

How pale she was

How weak she was

The eye bags under her eyes

I talked the teachers into withdrawing the work they had given her since she was working non-stop to complete them and was neglecting her own health in the process

I walked over to her, grabbed the book tossing it onto the desk and pulled her into the bed with me

“Steve what are you doing? That project is literally due tomorrow! I have to finish it” she blabbered

“Darling calm down. I talked to Mr. Clark and he is more than willing to give the project to some one else. He had also noticed the eye bags and your pale and weak “ I explained

She let out a loud sigh of relief

I started massaging her stiff shoulders to help her relax and she just melted into my touch

“I also got you some food and water. Have that while I massage your body” I said getting up and grabbing the tray I left on her dresser

“You’re literally the best boyfriend I could ever ask for you know that?” She told me with a look of adoration

“My job is to serve the lady of my dreams and I’m doing my job” I responded cheekily

“Oh you and your stupid lines” she laughed

A/n: sorry if this was a little short m, I didn’t really have much to write here. As always let me know your feedback on this fic. Kissies ✨

[technicallymaximumkitty]

Sir Pentious headcanons because I am cringe but I am free

fair warning this is gonna be long because the autism is peak RN and i am increasingly sleep deprived, ENJOY!!!

He is half indian half british

Was white passing and his face was covered in moles and birthmarks 

He was an orphan boy who worked in a textile mill as a kid

He got out of the textile life when a mechanic was looking for a new apprentice. Sir Pentious wasn't the first choice but runner up, and willing to do anything, he shoved the kid that was gonna be chosen into a machine that ripped their hands off. The kid being unable to work anymore, Sir Pentious was chosen.

As a teenager he was drafted into the army, he was never unable to climb ranks 

He died from lead poisoning (that’s why he is a poisonous snake, get it? Poisonous? Lead poisoning? I’ll see myself out) 

Sir pentious wasn't a sir in life, he only got that title in hell

All his shirts are button ups because he cant fit anything over his frill 

The egg bois are basically furbys 

All the egg bois do have names, given to them when they were first invented, but they never get called by their names. They barely remember because they have the memory of a worm 

Sir Pentious makes food hate crimes, not on purpose but still

The first time Alastor made jambalaya Sir Pentious started crying because the air was too spicy for him

Yes he has the worst pallet in the world (i mean ofc he’s british/j) 

This dude will be happy just eating bread from the bag for dinner

He was never married in life 

I know the son was a throw away line, but like what if? He had one? Out of wedlock?

MF is so old fashioned about romance 

He has autism because i said so

User vobomon has the theory that Sir Pentious has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, i agree

When he sheds (it’s biannually) he hides for like a few weeks until everything grows back (the scales on the ends of his frill are the first to fall out and take the longest to grow in) 

He’s not inept at slang but he knowledge dose stop at 2007

Angel tried to pull an updog with Pentious but it failed and Angel was about ready to strangle the man on site 

(played out like:

Angel: he pen, smells like up dog in here no?

Pentious: smells like what?

Angel: up dog.

Pentious: what is this, up dog you speak of?

Angel: you know, up dog.

Pentious: no, i do not know what this up dog is, what is it?

*it carried out for like five minutes of this back and forth*)

He watches people sleep because he saw to many of his friends die in his former life (living on the streets and all) so he keeps a close eye on his new friends out of habit 

He and Niffty are banned from the coffee pot 

His egg bois were trained on lucky charms 

Charlie is is best friend in the whole wide world (they even have friendship bracelets to seal the deal)

Nifty used to leave the mice she caught in front of Pentious’s door for hime, they were asked to stop and now treat it like a drug deal 

Was really good at holding down his alcohol, gotten soft over the years

Both his fangs are sweet fangs

Once ate an entire container of sprinkles in front of the others

Man can and will choke on water 

He’s got the immune system of a victorian child (ie gets sick like once every other week)

He paints his claws 

Skills he learned living in hell: sewing, baking, computer science, rocket science, speaking indian and french, anthropology degree, book binding, toxicology 

Parrots slang he hears even if he doesn't know what it is 

(ie: Vaggie: I am about to kill Angel if he doesnt shut up.

Pentious: oh! Is this your villain era?) 

Stims by flapping his hands and frill 

He need chewelry or he will gnaw on his hands 

His hat is not alive, it acts like necomimi

Is immune to exhaust fumes at this point

Discovered hyperpop and scares Angel Dust when he tries to get the radio to play songs he actually knows and likes 

In his early years of having the egg bois he would eat eggs in front of them to scare them when he was upset at them, they never caught on because, well they are the egg bois 

Is a cat person

Runs a youtube channel where he swings between building tutorials and gossip commentary he’s got five followers and four of them are the egg bois and each video will rake up about 20 views 

He and emily are best friends (also with friendship bracelets) and they are like sugared up three year olds together 

They warrior cats roleplay together because let me have this

He goes around saying he kins victor frankenstein 

Ate a plastic bag once 

[financeprincess]

It is so inspiring hearing about your weight loss :) i was wondering if you had any particular weight loss tips you’d like to share? I went through a period of weight loss myself, but have lately gained back a lot of what I’ve lost and I’d like to know if there’s anything that helped you get back on the wagon. Love your blog btw!

Don’t be too hard on yourself, its rough out here especially in the US. it’s easy to accidentally slip up and gain 15 pounds just by eating a lil extra every day.

Some things that helped me:

Intermittent fasting, only a 13 hour window though. The 16:8 was too much for me and with women it can screw with your hormones if you’re not careful.

Drinking lots of water. Like a ton. I put those hydration multiplier electrolyte packets in my water as well.

Get good quality sleep. I got some Brooklinen sheets and they are 100% worth it. Definitely improved my sleep quality. I also have a really nice down duvet and an Egyptian cotton cover for it. I also have a silk eye mask and a silk pillowcase from Slip that I love. Sleep is extremely important.

Get 10k steps a day or at least just walk as much as you can. I’m sedentary a lot for school/work/etc. so I absolutely have to get out and walk and get moving. Even if you just aim for a mile or two a day it’ll greatly help.

If you don’t want to lift weights that’s okay. It’s not for everyone. I used to be super into powerlifting and got pretty muscular but it doesn’t excite me like it used to. I do a mix now of walking, jogging, pilates, rollerblading, cycling, kickboxing, swimming, yoga, ice skating, and weightlifting. That way I’m never bored and the variety allows me to choose what I want to do.

Consistency is key. Doing 4 workouts a week at a light/medium intensity is better than doing 1-2 a week of super high intensity and burning yourself out. Every little bit helps.

I do a full body stretch every day. This is super important. Our bodies get so stiff during the day. If you don’t stretch this can lead to injuries when you try to do other things.

I love the sauna (and hot yoga too). If you can find and afford a gym that has a sauna, I would highly recommend. Sometimes I will just go and walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes and watch YouTube videos and then sit in the sauna. It’s the best.

Make sure you’re not deficient in anything. Take a complete multivitamin and get blood work done. I was severely deficient in vitamin D and it was making me depressed. Once I took a supplement, got more sun and got my levels up it really helped my overall health.

Cut out grains, sugar, junk food, fried foods, etc. and just eat real foods. Anything with a long ingredient list usually isn’t a good idea. It’ll take a minute to get used to it but once you start eating almost exclusively vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats you won’t miss it. I have such a big sweet tooth sometimes I’ll have to eat like five servings of berries with a few tablespoons of honey just to satisfy it, but that’s better than ice cream or candy any day.

Don’t deprive or starve yourself. I eat as healthy as I can manage 80-90% of the time. But every once and a while I will eat a huge plate of pasta, gelato, tiramisu, croissants, those types of foods that I love. It’s not helpful to punish yourself and you gotta live a little.

I got a smart scale in my bathroom, the one I got is from FitIndex. It has an app that connects to your phone and it syncs to other health apps. it shows you body fat, muscle mass, water weight, everything. Honestly super triggering at first because I felt called out lol but now I step on it once a week just to make sure I’m on the right track.

You do not need a gym membership to workout. YouTube is the best. I love Yoga with Adrienne, MadFit, Move with Nicole, Charlie Follows, Vicky Justiz, and there’s a bunch of others. Find what you like and try to stick with it as much as you can.

Rest is super important. Don’t run yourself ragged. If you’re sore don’t force yourself to workout.

MyFitnessPal is super helpful. If you have a history of disordered eating this might not be for you but it’s good to be conscious of what you’re eating. Figure out what you need to lose fat/maintain/gain muscle and then track to see where you’re at and adjust accordingly.

Eat more protein. Protein, healthy fats, and fiber keep you full. You will be starving if you eat only salads. Fruit smoothies with protein, protein oats, salmon, yogurt, eggs, etc.

Get cute workout gear. It makes it more fun for me to workout with my pink towels, my pink hydroflask, my lululemon yoga mat, I have a baby blue jumprope and pink dumbbells and pastel colored resistance bands for at home workouts. A lot of my workout clothes are from lululemon, alo yoga, free people, and aerie. I have some of those blender bottles in cute colors for preworkout, protein powder, super greens powder, electrolyte mixes, etc. Some of this stuff is pricy but I’d rather be investing in my health than paying medical bills down the road so it’s 100% worth it to me.

The only way to see permanent change is to make it a lifestyle. Unfortunately you can’t just go back to eating unhealthy foods once you hit a certain goal. Those models who say they live exclusively off of pizza and pasta and cheeseburgers are lying through their teeth. It’s perfectly healthy to have days off where you indulge or don’t exercise but most of the time you’ll have to find ways to eat healthy and exercise and prioritize your health.

[puffpasstea]

omg yayyy that angsty sick matilda blurb sounds amazing!!! i can't wait <3

So, this took a COMPLETE TURN!!! It's also wayyyy too long to be a blurb, but I really hope you still like it. 🥺🥺🥺 Please let me know what you think! Warnings: dom!harry, fluff, mentions of smut.

-----

I knew when I’d gone to bed feeling achy all over and drained of energy after doing the bare minimum that I’d wake up feeling sick this morning, but the reality of how I felt still exceeded my expectations. I dragged my feet across the floor to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a thermometer to check for a fever. Luckily, there it was within normal range. I was probably just dehydrated and sleep deprived. In fairness, I’ve never had the best immune system anyway, as a child, I got the sniffles pretty much twice a month. My grandmother and her friends always speculated that it’s because I never got enough bonding time with my parents as an infant. Some people informally diagnosed me with a deficient immune system, stemming from some kind of imbalance or other. When I’m not in denial about how I treat myself, I tend to think it’s because I run myself into the ground on a regular basis and overall suck at looking after myself.

I would never confess or try to explain the thought process to anybody because I know just how insane it sounds  when said out loud, but I often feel that I don’t deserve to rest. And, even if I did, it wouldn’t matter either way. Because, unlike the average person, I had no real personal life, or a family who depended on me. All I had was work. It’s my one real responsibility; the one thing I’m decent at; the one thing I actually enjoy. So, I didn’t need to take breaks, and if I end up falling ill, it wouldn’t matter anyway. The only person who’d end up being affected would be me. Comforted by my dubious logic, and the fact that I had no fever to speak of, I decided I’d power through and go into work. I was going to spend my time in the microfilm room, alone, for most of the day. Maybe, if I get everything done early, I could get a nap in before dropping by the film set.

I stuffed my work bag full of tea bags, Emergen-C, and cough drops, just to be prepared for the worst and got out the door. Thanks to the regular covid testing policy on campus, at least I knew I wasn’t carrying a deadly disease. That was a silver lining.

The first couple of hours of work went by fine, it was when I began to feel weak and queasy that the trouble started. I probably needed to eat something to get my energy up, but I had positively no appetite or desire to eat. The very thought of food made me nauseous. I had some generic meds in my desk drawer that I could take, but those probably shouldn’t be taken on an empty stomach.The irony of the dilemma frustrated me. I feel too sick to eat, so I need to take some meds, but I can’t take any meds before I’ve had something to eat first. The adult thing to do here would probably be to seek medical help. So, I tried to imagine what a doctor or nurse might say to me. “Get some rest and  drink some fluids.” Which would mean skipping out on work; the only thing that gave me purpose. Nope. Finally, I made the decision to put a couple of spoonfuls of sugar and a squeeze of lemon into my hot tea, to see if that would help. On the plus side, working with microfilm required very dim light and precise temperature control which probably mitigated the headache some. If there ever was a day to be sick on the job, today was it.

Around lunchtime, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Out of an abundance of caution, and a superstitious kind of respect for these materials that hardly anyone ever requested anymore, I decided to take the call outside. Cracking open the door and stepping into the hallway proved disorienting. But I told myself I was just dizzy because my eyes needed to adjust to the light. Caller ID on my screen showed that it was Harry, causing an almost reflexive smile to appear on my face.

I swallowed, picking up the call. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, sweets. Am I interrupting anything?”

“No, never. What’s up?”

I heard him chuckle nervously on the other end of the line. Though he seemed uncertain, the sound of his laugh always made my heart skip a beat. Not that I’d ever tell him that.

“C’mon, out with it, Styles. What’s going on?”

“Uhh, well, this is gonna make me sound like a horny shithead, but, I’m free for the next couple of hours, and- last week, when I had this time off, we-”

“Oh, so, this is a booty call?”

All I heard in response was a bunch of incoherent stuttering. One of the reasons that I found Harry’s dominance so compelling was the fact that, meeting him in the context of everyday interactions, you’d never guess that he had it in him to be that cruel or strict. It always caught me off-guard whenever he would flip the switch, and it was always the hottest thing ever.

“Not when you put it like that.”

“Like what?”

“Come over and meet me, and I’ll show ya.”

I weighed the options in my mind. Not that his offer wasn’t tempting, but I hated being around people when I was sick. I’d purposefully come in through a different entrance so I wouldn’t have to run into Fran and let her see me like this. If I declined Harry’s offer, though, he would almost certainly know that something’s off. We always found a way to hook up when the opportunity presented itself. To be sure, he always checked in and made sure I never felt pressured or obligated. Sometimes I’d have to get impatient and yell that I definitely show up because I want to, not because I have to, before he’s fully convinced, but we always, always met up. Even if it meant delaying for a bit, or waiting until later in the day. I mean, sure, the sex was fun and all. It wasn’t just about the sex though. Spending any time at all with Harry meant the world to me. He always made me feel seen and heard, and allowed me to explore sides of myself I never thought existed. He was also, always, unexpectedly wild and funny, and I got to see glimpses of what he’s personally like, that often lingered in my memory long after our interactions had ended, and I would fantasize about spending my life with him and sharing these moments everyday. In other words, even if he weren’t calling me for sex, I’d still want to go. The question is, would I be able to hide my current state from him?

“Hello? Have I lost you? Connection in the trailer’s kinda spotty sometimes…”

“N-no, I’m here, Harry. I can hear you.”

“Oh, well- umm… listen, I didn’t mean to make you feel like an object, I’m so sorry….I came off sleazy for sure…I just thought It’d be nice to-”

“Hey, Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Come over here an fuck me, will you?”

“On my way.”

***

Harry’s smile slowly dissolved as he got closer and closer to me. I unlocked the old office-turned-storage-room that we often hung out in for privacy, and snuck him in.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” 

“Uhh, well, hello to you too?” I deflected. He was already seeing right through me. I loved that Harry knew me so well, could read my body like an open book, knew exactly what I needed when I needed it, and knew exactly how to give it to me. But, times like these made our intimacy feel overwhelming and suffocating. 

“No, I mean it.” He cut straight through my attempted bluff. “What’s wrong? Your eyes look glassy, and…well, you seem off.”

I entertained the idea of playing it off like I was offended. “Excuse me? Just go ahead and call me ugly, why don’t you. after you called to-”

“Baby, you know I think you’re beautiful. Always. Don’t act like that isn’t true. We both know it is. Now tell me what’s going on?” He reached over to caress my cheek with the back of his hand. “Shit, you’re burning up….”

I stared into his eyes, unable to speak, and unable to look away. My anxious mind ran over the different possibilities for this conversation. I wasn’t sure which would be worse, having to tell him that I’m sick and him insisting on doing something about it, or having to tell him that I’m sick and him walking away from me. 

I don’t know why it felt so inconceivable to admit to him that I was feeling ill. Harry had seen me at my worst pretty early on in our friendship. He’d cleaned my apartment, shaved my body, washed my hair, without batting an eye. Hell, he’d even stuck his dick in my ass, beat me bloody, and spent many nights looking after me in subspace, at my most vulnerable. So why was this so hard? Maybe because I hate asking for help, or maybe it’s because Harry had already done so much for me. I didn’t want him to feel responsible for me. I also didn’t want to appear helpless and needy. And yet, this instance, the only thought I had was how I’d crumble to the ground if he pulled his touch away, let alone left the room.

“I-I swear I wasn’t feverish when I came to work this morning…” I wrapped my arms around the arm that touched my face, to make sure he kept it there.

“You’ve been sick since this morning?”

“Since…last night.” I mumbled.

“So, earlier, when I called and you hesitated…” I could see in his eyes that the realization hit him. “Oh, god. And I didn’t even bother to ask how you were doing before I asked if you’d wanna suck my dick…what kind of- shit. Shit. shit! I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“Harry, Harry, Stop!” I squeezed his hand to get his attention. “You didn’t ask me to suck your dick. I believe all I heard was incoherent stuttering…”

Harry rolled his eyes, cracking a smile. “Okay, brat. Gonna let that one slide. Only cuz you’re ill though...”

“Seriously, I was the one who asked you to come over. Stop berating yourself please.”

“Alright, well, it’s a good thing I came, isn’t it?” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get you outta here. C’mon…”

“I’m in the middle of work!”

“Work will survive without you for half a day. All the dead poets will still be dead tomorrow. Let’s go.”

“I can’t-”

“You seem to forget who’s actually in charge here…”

***

On the way home, I fell asleep in the passenger’s seat of Harry’s car, with his hand on my thigh the whole way. When I woke up,  blinking the sleep away, and attempting to open my eyes, all I saw was Harry’s gentle smile, inches away from me. “You’re awake..” He’d bent down to cradle me into his arms, and carry me out of the car,

“W-wait, what are you doing? This isn’t even my place!”

“Yeah, it’s mine. Think i'm lettin’ you spend the night alone when you’re this sick? Who’s gonna look after you if your fever doesn’t go down? Hmm?”

“I- Harry, I’m a grown woman. Can take care of myself, you know. I HAVE gotten sick before…”

“Honey, I don’t doubt that you can. But just cuz you can, doesn’t mean you should have to.”

Despite my relentless protests, Harry refused to put me down until we’d reached his bed. He set me square in the middle of the king sized bed and promptly went on to take my shoes off for me. Which I fought him for, and attempted to kick his hands away. A Battle I quickly lost.

“It’s pathetic…” He shook his head with a smile as he undid my shoe laces. “On your very best days, I can tie you up and pin you down with one hand. We’ve done it countless times. Tryin’ to fight me when you’re sick? It’s just sad…”

I blushed at the recollection of my body underneath his, aching for his touch.

He disappeared into one of his gigantic closet and came back moments later. “Heating pad; some clothes…boxers might be a bit loose, but that’s probably more comfortable anyway, and here’s an extra pillow to prop you up. Want the TV on or do you wanna just sleep while I make us some soup?”

“S-soup? Harry, you're supposed to be on set in an hour!”

“Took care of that. Don’t worry.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Chicken noodle or Italian vegetable? I’m thinkin italian…”

***

I stared down at the empty soup bowl in my lap as Harry watched the tv with his arm around me.

“Harry?” my voice was already strained. Tears pooling in the corners of my eyes,

“Hmm?” his eyes still on the screen.

 “Can I ask you a question? But please be honest.”

“‘Course, always.” He muted the tv and turned around to face me, giving mr his undivided attention.

“What happens on a film set when a leading actor suddenly disappears in the middle of a work day?”

 “Oh…” He turned his attention back to the TV, apparently deeming my concern unserious. “Depends on the circumstances…”

“Let’s say he disappeared cuz he skipped out on work to go make Italian vegetable soup for the woman he’s sleeping with.”

Harry looked visibly irritated. With a loud huff, he ran his fingers through his hair, pressing his lips together tightly…

“First of all, I’ve already told you to quit worrying, I have everything under control. Second, you’re not just some ‘woman I’m sleeping with,’ alright? Get it through your thick head, I’m in love with you! I know you’re too fucked up to accept that as fact, and I get that. I don’t blame you. I mean, you couldn’t even tell me you were sick! Think I don’t know why that is? I may not experience the things that you do, but I’m not an idiot…” He took a pause to catch his breath and to gain control over his tone. “You’ve got it in your head that you don’t deserve love. Any time I try to show you any decency or step closer, you bolt right away under the assumption that caring about you is this huge fuckin burdon to me. Well, it’s not. I’m not gonna argue with you about it. I know I can’t just convince you of it in one conversation….but I’ll be damned if I don’t spend the rest of my life trying to show you what it means to love you.”

Hot, stinging tears ran freely down my face. “You- love me?”

“Mhmm.” Harry nodded and reached for the remote, unmuting the TV as if he’d just taken a quick bathroom break, or something.

I laid my head on his shoulder and continued to silently cry as he kept his focus on the film. Neither one of us said a word for several minutes.

“Told them I had covid symptoms, by the way…’don’t wanna put anyone in danger before I’m sure..’ you know…”

“What?” I pulled my head off his shoulder to look him in the eye. He burst out laughing. “I’ll conveniently test negative tomorrow and go back to work.”

[hecksupremechips]

For the kiss thing, how about as a promise? You can do any ship you like!

I’m doing some akishinji cuz I’m deprived 👍

Its been months since Shinji woke up from his coma, but Akihiko still feels the grip in his chest tighten with everything he does.

It’s in the way Shinji laughs freely now, not suppressing his giggles with his hand as often. It’s how Shinji dresses now, wearing a simple black turtleneck that fits his body in a way that shows his the weight he’s slowly regaining. The way his eyes sparkle when Fuuka is able to make food that’s actually edible, the way he gives little kisses to Koromaru’s nose when he’s being good, the way he carries Ken to bed when the kid falls asleep on the couch again. Everything he does, his voice, his body, his smell, it’s-

Pain

Horrible, aching pain in Akihiko’s heart knowing that this can’t be real, Shinji can’t possibly be here with him again, laughing and smiling like he used to. Lingering when his fingers brush against Akihiko’s hands, running said long fingers through his hair, bumping their shoulders together as they do the dishes.

Here they are now, doing exactly that. Shinji made the dinner and Akihiko is in the kitchen, their kitchen, taking care of the dishes. Ken excused himself to his room to finish some homework, though Akihiko suspects the boy is really reading the newest issue of the manga he swears up and down he doesn’t like. Koromaru is curled up in his doggy bed taking a nap. And Shinji?

Shinji makes himself comfortable coming up beside Akihiko, grabbing a handful of plates and gently scrubbing away. Akihiko feels slight irritation rise in his voice as he gives Shinji the side-eye.

“You know, I can get those myself. You don’t need to help me.”

The words come out short and tired. Shinji doesn’t get snarky in return, however. He just gives the slightest, tiniest smirk and continues scrubbing.

“I know, but I wanted to help out. You seem…” He trails off a bit, running his plates under the water before he speaks again. “Stressed. More than usual.” Shinji briefly glances over at his best friend, who is busying himself with drying the last of his dishes. Akihiko quickly, perhaps aggressively, towels away at any remaining drops of water and stacks the dishes dishes together with loud clattering noises. He sighs.

“I’m fine.” He says, throwing the towel over his shoulder as he turns his body to look at Shinji, giving his friend a shaky smile. The other man doesn’t look convinced, shifting his weight to lean against the kitchen counter and eyeing Akihiko skeptically. Akihiko, not being one for returning eye contact, feels his palms sweat under the harsh gaze. But he doesn’t back down, leaving Shinji to sigh and prop himself to sit on the countertop.

“Okay Aki, whatever. Guess I was just seein’ things.” Shinji said.

Akihiko thinks that’s the end of it, making his first steps to turn around and leave, when he feels a hand on his shoulder yanking at him.

He finds himself pulled into a position standing between Shinji’s legs spread out on the countertop. Akihiko looks up, searching his friend’s face for answers, but they all die on the top of his tongue when he sees Shinji pointedly looking down at where their hands are now linked together, avoiding Akihiko’s gaze. Is he embarrassed? Not that Akihiko can blame him. The way he finds his hands being cradled by Shinji’s leaves him feeling all sorts of hot, face burning and palms sweating. The tightness in his chest only increases as he moves in slightly closer.

Shinji speaks again, barely audible.

“You know I…” He clears his throat, unsure. Akihiko squeezes his hands, fingers shaking at how warm they feel now. Shinji takes a deep breath.

“You can tell me anything, Aki. I know I’ve fucked up a lot, but…” He glances nervously at Akihiko, their eyes meeting briefly before Shinji averts his gaze again. “I’m not leavin’ this time. I’m…I’m always gonna be with you. I promise.” He offers an awkward smile, trying to look comforting.

Akihiko lets out a small breath he didn’t even know he was holding, and something in him breaks. Before he can even stop himself he’s crying, his body shaking in small sobs as hot tears roll down his face. He feels two arms wrap around his shoulders and he’s pulled into a tight embrace. Akihiko holds his arms strongly around Shinji’s waist and buries his face into his friend’s chest. It’s absolutely going to stain that sweater with tears and snot. A shame, really. Akihiko quite likes that stupid turtleneck sweater, the way it clings to Shinji’s body and makes Akihiko feel dizzy.

The two of them remain in an embrace for a while, small sobs slowly turning into sniffles. Shinji lifts Akihiko by the chin to get a better view of his face.

“You’re such a crybaby Aki,” Shinji chuckles, not sounding too convincing as a stray tear falls down his own cheek. “Gonna wake up Koro-chan at this rate”

Akihiko chokes out a giggle and lightly pushes the other man on the shoulder. “Shut up, asshole. Let me care about you.”

The two of them laugh softly, basking in each other’s warmth for just a bit longer, before Shinji’s fingers end up tangled in Akihiko’s hair. Akihiko runs his hands hesitantly up Shinji’s torso and rests them on his chest, not really caring about how bold it seems. They look at each other, both a mess, and slowly lean in until their lips meet. Akihiko gasps in surprise because holy shit, this is actually happening, and leans in about as close as he possibly can. The kiss deepens, painfully awkward due to both of them being completely inexperienced and over eager, but it doesn’t matter because they both want this so badly it’s painful. Gentle squeezes and touches become rougher and tighter, and before they know it they’re making out in their kitchen on a Tuesday night and Akihiko couldn’t be happier.

[stoobfoobnoob]

‘Closed for Remodeling’

Vernon x reader, Mingyu x reader

ANGST! angst! angst!, unrequited love, best friends, university au

Mentions of smoking, drinking, food, y/n is a bit bitter in the beginning

Synopsis: Do you believe in the “right person, wrong time”? Vernon and Y/N have been best friends for as long as they can remember, but what happens when one realizes their feelings too late? 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is probably one of the most pathetic things that you ever put yourself through in your 20 years of life. Maybe if you woke yourself up and listened to the countless pieces of advice that your friends have given you, you wouldn't be sitting in front of your best friend and his new girlfriend. 

The song playing in the back, faded as you watched him put his arm around her. You could feel your eyes rolling back into your head as she lays yet another peck on his cheek. 

What does he see in her? You thought to yourself. 

You and Vernon found this restaurant on a random December night when the streets were covered in fairy lights and candy canes. The two of you have been held up in the library studying for hours when he tapped your shoe and convinced you to finally get out of that hell hole. 

He was wearing the same oversized leather jacket that Seungcheol gave him on his birthday that now lies on his girlfriend's lap. 

"I'm genuinely going to kill myself if we keep studying for this goddamn test!" You screamed into the air, seeing your breath in the winter weather. Vernon just laughs at you as you lose your mind. 

He could hear your sniffling and the fact you'd been rubbing your nose for the past five minutes. 

He couldn't remember the last time you guys had a proper meal that didn't consist of caffeine, beef jerky, and peppermint candy that the librarians had around the library. 

You kept rambling on and on about how you wanted to drop out and that you didn't even notice the little restaurant.

He pulled your arm and turned you around, 

"Let's eat." His eyes were glistening in the twinkling lights and his skin looked like it was shimmery. 

You walked into the restaurant and the two of you were instantly hit with the smell of kimchi tofu stew. 

The old lady at the front desk got up from her seat to happily greet the two of you and brought you over to the booth. The restaurant itself was small and had two booths and about 6 other tables and there was only one other person eating inside. It was covered in old family pictures you could only assume were the old lady's family and a tiny little Christmas tree in the corner. It was wilted and dry which you took note of because you told Vernon.

"Are you sure you wanna eat here?" You pouted your lips, judging the restaurant and he just looked at you and laughed 

'We're already here, Y/N. Who knows maybe we'll like it," he shrugged

Vernon never fully judged anything until he tried it, the complete opposite of you. Lo and behold, the old lady made the best food you've ever had. 

The flavors hitting your mouth and filling your very very deprived stomach made you dance in your chair and Vernon just watched you with a little smile. 

"I told you it was gonna be good." he teased you as he took another bite.

When the two of you were sufficiently full the old lady brought over the bill and you went to grab it when Vernon's cold fingers touched yours, 

"I got it," his fingers lingered on yours a little too long.

"Your hands are really cold." You chuckled.

He quickly pulled away and insisted that he pay for dinner. 

It was small things like that that really made you aware of your stupid infatuation with him. 

He insisted on paying for the dinners, the coffees he bought you before class without asking, and the notion of doing things together without talking about it first. Maybe he was just a nice guy and liked treating his friend out. 

---

"Babe, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be back," his girlfriend told him while patting his thigh. 

He nodded his head and watched as she moved across the room.  

You could hear someone shifting next to you, 

"You're really bad at hiding the way you feel," 

Mingyu whispered in your ear, you met him last semester and found out that you ran in the same circle. 

Mingyu was conventionally attractive and had that nice guy reputation, but when your friends decided to have a small get-together a few weeks back your first impression of him was that he was a bit dorky?

"What are you talking about?" you question, eyebrows furrowed together.

He presses a finger in between your tense eyebrows and you automatically relaxed them. 

"That's why. Your facial expression says it all-" 

That action took you aback. 

If Mingyu across the room could see it then Vernon who was sitting right in front of you could too. Right?

"It's the end of finals, we are officially on winter break. Why are you so upset?" Mingyu asked while opening a bottle of soju with a spoon for Dino. 

"I'm not upset" You tried to shrug off his comment, tried to smile and lie it off.

He made the gesture of holding up the soju as if to ask you if you wanted to drink and you shook your head, 

"Y/n I think I know you enough to know when you’re upset." He leaned in looking you in the eyes. 

The two of you had studied a few times together and occasionally got lunch as you both waited for your next class, but you never told him anything personal like that. 

Maybe he's just really observant. 

You open your mouth to say something before Seungkwan pulls him away to talk about some funny incident that happened to them. 

You didn't even notice that Vernon was staring at you.

'What?' you mouthed at him. 

He nudged his head towards Mingyu and gave you a sly smirk before his girlfriend finally came back and got too distracted to talk to you again. 

Minghao who was sitting next to you tapped your shoulder and you hummed in response. 

"I think Mingyu likes you," 

You loved Minghao, he was sweet and a great listener. However, he's always gonna stir the pot when he wants to and today was no exception.

Perks of being the quiet observer. 

You just looked at him like what was he even talking about? 

"It's the way Mingyu keeps looking over here, and I know he's not looking at me." Minghao took a sip of tea looking at you suggestively. 

Mingyu glanced over in your direction every few minutes while Jeonghan and Seungkwan were mercilessly teasing him. 

He saw the way your jaw clenched when Vernon and his girlfriend whispered in each other's ear. 

Taking a step in your direction, Hoshi intervened.

"Oh my god! Y/N this is our song!!" before dragging you out of your seat and into the middle of the restaurant. 

There was an old karaoke machine that the old lady had brought out for Christmas and Hoshi took your hand to put a mic in it, shaking your head at him. 

"No, I am not singing!" Hoshi was yet again the drunkest person there and was not leaving until you had this duet with him. You could hear the others cheer for you and yell your name as the girl's part was coming.

The heat found its way to your cheeks and lifted the mic to your lips, shyly singing the lyrics. You turned around to see that DK was filming Hoshi who was so immersed in the song that he forgot to sing his part. 

Vernon was watching you. He watched you sing for the thousandth time and was still shocked as he was the first time you sang in front of him. 

He remembers when it was just the two of you in his car when this very song came on and you just sang at the top of your lungs while the windows were down. That was the day you both got accepted into the same university. He remembers that day because he couldn't stop thinking about you that same night. 

Vernon glances to see that his girlfriend was on her phone not paying attention to the free entertainment that always made him and his friends laugh so bad it hurt. He doesn't pay too much attention. 

Here it comes, he thinks to himself. The best part of the song- is the bridge. He likes this part because it has a quick build-up and the rhythm just makes his heart jump and the lyrics really suit well with your voice. He only likes it when you sing it. 

The others know it's coming, you know it coming, and it is hands down one of the guys' favorite songs to hear you sing. 

But Vernon's girlfriend was still on her phone. 

Vernon notices that Mingyu got up from his seat, he walked over to where DK was filming Hoshi and Vernon could just see it. The way he was looking at you, it was the same look he gave you in his car that day. 

Everyone quickly moved on to the next song as Woozi and Seungcheol pour Hoshi yet another shot. 

The adrenaline that rushed through your body a few seconds ago finally comes down when you excuse yourself from the table. Opening the old door, the winter wind harshly hits your face. Sitting on the curb, you pulled out the cigarette from your pocket. 

A nasty habit you picked up from Wonwoo about 6 months ago now, when the door opened again. 

"Since when did you start smoking?" the familiar voice asked as he sat next to you. 

You started smoking when he got into a relationship. The sting of smoke in your lungs felt better than the unrequitedness of it all. 

"Oh you know, not that long ago." You shrugged, taking a long drag.

You had sworn to Vernon when you were both 16 that you would never smoke when he confessed to you that he hit his friend's vape in the bathroom sophomore year. 

Going on and on about how smoking is bad for you. 

You hope he doesn't remember that.

Vernon wants to talk to you. Have a conversation like he used to. He wants to tell you that you shouldn't smoke, but he doesn't. He just sits there with you in silence until you finish your cigarette. 

"I think-" 

"I-"

"you go first," He says. 

You stare at him. Looking into his eyes, you feel like your cheeks are going to burn. He's patient with you- always has been. 

You let out a sigh,

I'm in love with you, but it's too late.

"I'm gonna head home." You say before going back in. 

Your head hurts, your heart hurts, and all you wanna do is get past Vernon's girlfriend so you can get your purse and go. 

"Hey, y/n?" she mumbles. 

You wanted to turn around and snap at her, but what did she do wrong?

"Yeah," You tried not to sound mean. 

"I was wondering if you could send me the address to Nonie's favorite bakery?" She smiled. 

Nonie? Nonie? Who the fuck is Nonie? 

A sigh escaped from your mouth before you nodded and agreed. 

"Thank you so much! You're literally a life savor, Y/Nie" she said. 

Who was she to call you by your nickname you thought. She was nice, great even. There was no real reason for you to be this mad at her, but you are. 

"Hey, I'm gonna head out." You told Minghao who gave you a nod which was soon followed by a line of goodbyes and hugs from everyone else. 

"get home safe!" Seungcheol waved, 

"Wait, you're walking home?" Mingyu stood up, everyone looking at the tall man. 

"Yeah," god you wanted to leave. 

You could see Dino and Seungkwan look over at each other as if wondering why he asked. 

"It's late, Y/n and cold let me walk you." 

This makes Vernon's ears perk up. If he wasn't with his girlfriend he would be leaving with you, no questions asked. He would walk you home and make sure you got to your place okay. 

But he couldn't this time.

"What no! It's fine it's like 15 minutes from here." You assured him, but Jeonghan had to chime in too. 

"Yeah, let Mingyu walk you. You've had a couple of drinks anyway." 

Rather than arguing, you reluctantly agreed for him to walk you. 

It was the middle of winter and the sun had set hours ago, so having some company was actually not a bad idea. 

"Do you wanna talk about it? The thing that was bothering you earlier?" He remembered. 

"How observant of you." You sarcastically replied. 

"I'm just a nice person, but if you don't want to it's fine." His pace was slow and his voice felt genuine. 

He was much taller than you expected now that you were walking next to him, and the scent of his cologne was seeping through his sweater. 

Sandalwood and violets. 

The walk wasn't awkward as you would've thought. Walking on the side closest to the road, you could feel Mingyu's hand on your shoulder moving you inside of the sidewalk. 

The small gesture makes you feel some type of way. 

"I didn't know you could sing like that." The comment made you laugh, it made it sound like it was something you were serious about.

"What? You're good, Y/Nie!" He nudged you with his arm,

"I'm only good when I've had a few shots." You joke, looking at the street ahead of you.

There was a moment of silence, but it wasn't awkward. It felt nice just being in each other's presence.

Mingyu suddenly stopped in his tracks to look at you,

"I hope whatever it was that was bothering you... doesn't anymore." There was sincerity in the way he spoke, it sounded like something straight out of a romance movie. You couldn’t help but laugh at the corny vibe it gave off. 

“I appreciate it Mingyu, but I’m fine.” You were getting tired of having to prove to everyone that you were okay. 

----

That night the images of Vernon being so sweet to his girlfriend plagued your thoughts as you tried to sleep. It didn't help that your old fridge was making that buzzing noise and no amount of music could drown it out when your phone started to blow up. 

Seungkwan was sending videos and pictures from dinner, you swiped through the pictures to see Vernon and his girlfriend holding hands and you groan at how much you wished that it was you. 

The other pictures were of the guys making little kissy faces at each other when a picture of you and Mingyu popped up. 

The picture was of you smiling and Mingyu looking at you,

You remember that you were looking in Hoshi's direction because he was doing something insanely stupid while Mingyu looked at you. 

Little did you know that Vernon was staring at the exact same photo. 

Why did it bother him so much? He wondered. His girlfriend was in his bathroom getting ready to sleep in his bed and yet here he was getting all bothered about another man sitting next to his best friend. 

Vernon convinced himself that it was just him being a good, concerned best friend, but was that really the reason?

Looking at you and Mingyu made him scroll through his own camera roll, finding old photos from a few years back where the two of you made silly faces, or the two of you at the prom, and the ones from graduation. He smiled endlessly reminiscing back to when the two of you were in high school. 

Until he found a video he secretly took of you.

It was two years ago and you slept over at his place, the video was of you in the kitchen the next morning singing that song. You had just woken up, so your hair was a mess and you were wearing his shirt. 

He hates to admit it but he's fallen asleep to that video too many times he could count. Your voice just made him feel safe enough to sleep too. 

Vernon's girlfriend makes her way to the bed and he quickly exits from his camera roll. 

He felt like texting you. 

He doesn't. 

So instead, he listens to you sing in secret.

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Hiiii! I am new to writing on Tumblr, but I have been on the app for a while. This is only the first part of this story! 

[of-a-chaotic-mind]

Curiosity Part 2

Summary: Reader finally runs into Colby again but things quickly take a shocking turn.

TW/CW: Mafia/Vampire!Colby Brock x Reader, a man gets shot, Colby reveals his fangs, Reader is held at knife point.

Requested?: No

A/N: I'm not sure how I feel about this one tbh.

Part 1

(Y/N)'s POV

I had spent the past week since my late-night adventure unable to stop replaying the encounter. Specifically everything about Colby. The man wouldn’t leave me alone, constantly being in my thoughts and dreams. Part of me wonders if by some miracle he was doing it on purpose. I attempt to shake my head clear as I enter the office building in which I work. I have said nothing about the night to anyone. Sometimes I catch myself wondering if it was actually real or just a weirdly vivid dream.

I trudge through the first half of my work day and when it’s finally time for lunch I make my way to the break room for my food. I avoid eye contact with anyone around and only speak when spoken to to not seem completely off my rocker. I plop back down at my desk to poke and nibble at my food but am soon lost in thought, staring at the small fan perched on the edge of my desk.

After I’m not sure how long, a hand breaks my eye contact with my fan making me drop my fork into my still mostly full bowl. I look up at my coworker and best friend with confusion written across my face.

She chuckles, “You good (Y/N/N)? You’ve been really off all week.”

I shove the thoughts of Mr. Mysterious out of my head and nod, “Yeah, just haven’t been sleeping well.”

She tilts her head, “Are you sure? Seems a bit more than sleep deprivation. Kind of feels like your mind is just somewhere else.” I shrug, knowing I’m caught but hoping to avoid explaining myself. She doesn’t seem to accept my answer as she pulls up a chair beside me. She pats my shoulder gently, “Do you wanna talk about it? You know it’ll stay between us.”

The problem here is I really do want to talk about it but I don’t want to worry anyone or sound crazy. I decide to dance around the bush, “I may have met a guy.”

She slaps my arm, “No way! Who? Do I know him? What’s he like?-”

I halt her barrage of questions by placing my hand over her mouth, “Shhhh! It’s not like I want the entire office to know!”

She composes herself before whispering, “Sorry, sorry. Go on.”

“Well, he’s the mysterious type. Talk, dark, and handsome ya know?” I explain. She nods, encouraging me to go on so I do, “I don’t know I just can’t get him out of my head.”

A grin stretches across her face, “Ohhhh fun. When are you seeing him again?”

I think for a moment before shrugging, “I’m not.”

“What do you mean you’re not?” She inquires in shock, “If you can’t get this man out of your head then you obviously need to see him again.”

“I don’t know… I just… Something just feels strange about it,” I stumble out.

“If you don’t see him again, I’ll never let you live it down,” she declares before noticing the clock shows lunchtime is over, “Welp, keep me updated.” She gets up from her chair and wanders off, grinning at me over her shoulder before disappearing behind the cubicles. I take my lunch back to the break room fridge, thoughts quickly slipping back to Colby.

Finally, the work day ends and I make my way back to my apartment. Even as I go about my evening routine and get ready for bed I can’t help but wonder if my friend was right. Maybe I should go see him.

Colby’s POV

Sitting here, deep in thought at the bar there’s only one thing on my mind, (Y/N). All week she has had me distracted. I don’t bother to look away from my glass as someone enters the room. The chair to my right slides out before being filled. Clearing his throat, Sam speaks up, “Whatcha thinkin’ about man?” My only response is a shrug. “It’s her isn’t it?” He inquires. Again, I simply shrug. Sam claps a hand on my shoulder, “I’m telling you, bro. She’ll find her way back.” He orders a drink before suggesting, “Or maybe you go looking for her?”

I shake my head, “Wouldn’t know where to start.”

“With this,” Sam replies, sliding a slip of paper in between me and my glass.

My eyes drift down out of curiosity and find a receipt for a gas station not too far from here. “Where’d you get this?” I ask as I scan over the purchased items.

“She dropped it on her way in,” Sam answers, “I figure maybe she frequents there and if so, maybe you can catch her.”

Jake stretches and sits up on the nearby couch, “Or you could always stalk her Instagram like I did.” My head snaps up as he shuffles over showing me his phone. There she is. Somehow this goofy fucker found her. I look up at him in confusion. He shrugs, “Figured there couldn’t be too many in the city by her name,” he takes the seat to my left, “I was wrong… but I finally found her while you were over here in your sulk fest.”

I take Jake’s phone from him and scroll through it briefly before handing it back to him. I take a deep breath looking up at the clock, it’s late but worth a shot. I down the rest of my drink before scooting away from the bar and exiting the building. I need to find her, there’s just something strange about her that I can’t let go of.

(Y/N)’s POV

I toss and turn for hours after going to bed. Finally, I toss the covers off of me as I decide to make a gas station run for snacks. I guess I’ll just follow my new routine of snacking all night while I stare zombie-like at the TV screen. Slipping into my sneakers and shrugging on a jacket, I make sure to grab my keys on the way out. The walk to the gas station is quick and soon I’m heading back to my warm, humble abode.

Since I got so many snacks and drinks this time, I decided to throw my hood up and take a shortcut through an alley way. However, I soon find that to be a terrible idea as a man steps out of the shadows in front of me. I look up half expecting it to be Colby or maybe even Sam but the man before me is nowhere near the oddly comforting duo. This man looks like he’s seen some shit and quickly spits out, “Drop your shit, cutie, and give me your wallet while you’re at it.” I attempt to sidestep him but he blocks my way and holds a knife to my throat.

Colby’s POV

During my wandering around the area surrounding the gas station, I began to get more and more disappointed. That is until I saw her. My heart skipped a beat and I a smile etched its way across my face. There she was. I followed close behind, too nervous to actually call out to her. What if she thought I was a creep for looking for her? To be fair, I guess I am a creep considering where I am now. I watched as she entered the gas station and after some time returned with several bags. I almost reached out to her then, I wanted to offer to carry her bags and escort her home. Still, I stayed in the shadows. Perhaps, if I had stepped out and helped her then she wouldn't have walked right into a man I knew was dangerous. He ran with the Red Gang. He was a lacky but I’d seen him out and about.

My stomach drops as I notice him pull a knife from his pocket before placing it to her throat to stop her from sidestepping him. I don’t think this time, only act. In a flash, I pin the man against the wall by his throat, baring my fangs at him. He immediately cowers before me, “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Brock. If I had known she was with you-“ His words halt as I squeeze tighter.

Behind me (Y/N) speaks up, “Colby, don’t. Let’s just go.”

I look down, concealing my fangs and eyes before looking over my shoulder at her, “You okay?” She nods. I look back at the man in my grasp and decide it’s better to not start a turf war right now. I release him and turn to (Y/N) offering my hand, “Let me carry some of those for you.”

(Y/N)’s POV

Gratefully I look down and begin untangling some bags to hand off to Colby. As I return my gaze to him I notice the stranger raise his knife and aim it at Colby's back. Before I can speak up to warn him, the stranger lies dead, a red dot on his forehead where the bullet entered to end his life. Colby looks up in the direction the dot is coming from with a disappointed look on his face. I follow his gaze and spot Jake who waves with a smile upon making eye contact with me. I look back at Colby with shock on my features. Colby doesn’t look at me, only clenches his jaw before commanding, “Get down here,” not directed at me but at Jake.

In the blink of an eye, Jake is at our side, “You know I’m not gonna let you waltz into enemy territory alone, Boss. Always gotcha back.”

Colby purses his lips into a scowl before removing all of the bags from my hands and shoving them at Jake, “Back to the bar.”

Before I can even take a breath, I am standing in the middle of the bar in which I had originally met Colby, unable to even think straight.

Masterlist

More Colby Brock Imagines

[consult-sherlockholmes]

tips on how to deal with chronic pain from both you and john? i know that gunshot scar must hurt at times.

You are correct, it hurts sometimes given the destroyed nerve endings and tissue damage. Well I am probably not the best person to ask about pain management because I either ignore it (which sometimes can turn out bad if the pain is a sign of something being wrong) or I consume strong painkillers that I didn't exactly get prescribed and have my other sources if you know what I mean. So not something anyone except me should do. John is probably a better source for answers concerning this, given he is also a doctor. However, I won't tag him here because the above might make him angry, so please do send him your ask yourself if you want his input. But maybe I can give some healthier general advice otherwise, like trying to distract yourself from the pain by focusing your mind, working or doing something that brings you joy (as chronic pain also tends to make people depressed so doing something to distract you and make you happy is important). I try to distract myself with my mind palace sometimes, especially while I was in hospital, although then I was on a constant drip of morphine which made things much easier to deal with. Depending on the source of the chronic pain light exercise or physical therapy to strengthen the muscles of the area could improve the pain. I think physical therapy helped John with his shoulder.

Taking better care of yourself in general like a healthy diet, as certain unhealthy foods can increase inflammation and pain, so they should be avoided. Especially heavily processed foods, high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats should be avoided, as well as red meat and milk products. Food that is anti-inflammatory should be consumed, rich with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, like vegetables, fruit, olive and flaxseed oil and fish. So a vegan/pescetarian diet would be recommended. Being well-rested, as pain also tends to get worse when sleep-deprived and stressed, trying to improve your general mental state. Poor sleep also causes more inflammation, which means in turn more pain.

Of course all those things are easier said than done, a permanent change in lifestyle is difficult, especially if you are already suffering. And it is probably annoying to just hear people always say 'just work on yourself' which is not at all what I am trying to say here, because sometimes that just isn't possible, but maybe things can at least be improved with small actions. It's important to start with small steps and not overstress yourself, as that would be negative again. Am I doing all of those things myself? No, but as I said I am not a good example, so you should probably do the opposite of the things I do. I am just trying to give advice based on research about chronic pain and inflammation, which often go hand in hand.

And hopefully you have a good doctor that can help you with that, prescribe you good medication, maybe some light painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications, that can be taken long term and doesn't have too many side effects. But most long term use of medication has side effects in the long run, but constant pain also has negative effects, so best to ask a doctor. Sadly, the stronger painkillers like opioids are not at all made for long term treatment, or you will get dependent or addicted. That happens faster than you think. I know opioids seem alluring, just taking all pain completely away and maybe getting a high on top of it, but in the long term it will just lead to more severe problems. It's a curse in disguise of a blessing. And if you just go to doctors and right out demand they prescribe you opioids they might not take you seriously, and might think you are an addict trying to get your hands on drugs and react badly guess how I know. Maybe you should better go ask John I am not very helpful concerning this.

[sunbrightheart]

@elucienweekofficial | day five: nature. | Chapter One: The Inner-workings Of Meddling. | Read more here.

Lucien

With smooth, controlled movements, Lucien opened the largest pocket of his leather travel bag and carefully placed the metallic container down upon his folded clothing, securing it in place to make sure it didn’t shift in its position when he winnowed.

It was intricately assorted with trinkets and nicknacks he had accumulated over the months on his travels throughout Pyrthian and the Continent, intended for an ideal gift to the princeling of Night as an apology for his extended absence.

And knowing the eccentric nature of the youngling and his interest in all things puzzling, Lucien was sure Nyx would enjoy it.

“Kit!” A gruff voice called, “It’s almost mid-morning!”

“I am quite aware of the time, General.” He responded, equally exasperated. “There is no need to fret like a mother hen.”

With a fond shake of his head, he rechecked that he had all his belongings packed within their designated pockets, proceeding to clasp the buckles and mount the bag upon his shoulder. Deft fingers retrieved a long, golden hairpin—a gift from Nuan, that also transformed into a quill when pressure was applied to the pearl at the tip—from his dresser and twisted his hair into a stylish bun.

It made for a fashionable up-do, as well as keeping his hair intact for the less than ideal winnowing conditions, even as early spring reigned upon the Human Lands.

“Kit!” Jurian hollered,

Past the threshold of his room on the second floor, down the corridor to the narrow staircase leading to the open foyer of the formerly known Nolan Manor—now called the Exiles Manor, a running joke between the exiles themselves—stood Jurian in all his barely contained, sleep deprived glory. Disheveled and donned in his usual getup, he looked about ready to command the sun to rest behind the world with the sheer force of his will.

As was the usual for Jurian, seeing as he detested the very sun that arose within the sky.

“You were supposed to meet with Feyre an hour ago.” The man stated, levelling him with an arched brow.

Lucien sniffed, feigning haughtiness, “With a male as myself assigned three, bordering on four separate jobs, I think I am allowed a bit of leeway.”

Jurian huffed out an unconvinced laugh, “You’re stalling.”

“I’m stalling.” He sighed, shoulders slumping forward in resignation.

As much as he was elated to reunite with his beloved friend and her son after having not seen them in so long, the fact stayed that he did not enjoy travelling to the Night Court. Tried to avoid visiting the place when it seemed unnecessary to do so otherwise—unless for the cause of occasionally reporting to Rhysand.

It wasn’t the court itself, or even the starlit city of Velaris. He admired the starry, picturesque landscape and the jovial atmosphere that surrounded that of its people, was fascinated with the Illyrian culture and enjoyed the flavour-inducing native delicacies of their food.

But it seemed however hard he tried to revel in such things within the moment, that he was reminded yet again that he simply did not belong.

The Nights’ High Lord was accommodating at best and patronising as worst; his Inner Circle were distrustful of him if not a bit hostile, and enjoyed taunting him for the amusement of their own as they waited for his well-crafted exterior to crack; and though she was likely the most welcoming of them all in comparison to Feyre’s chosen family, Elain avoided him as if he were contagious.

Lucien didn’t begrudge them, of course. But each time he visited, it became increasingly difficult to ignore their blatant display of arrogance.

So, the solution? He stayed away.

A calloused hand gripped his shoulder, bringing Lucien out from his reverie. He looked over to the man beside him, who was observing Lucien with a calculating gleam in his dark eyes.

“What was it that you were intending to do for the day?” Jurian asked,

“Take the little one fishing, perhaps a swim in the Sidra if the weather is agreeable.”

Jurian hummed as he rubbed an absent hand along the rough stubble lining his jaw, a troublesome smile alighting his features into the epitome of mischief. The particular expression did not bode well for Lucien, and put him immediately on edge.

“What is that look for?” Lucien demanded, an accusing finger pointing at the mans face.

“Nothing,” With a wave of his hand, as if expelling a rogue insect, Jurian dismissed him. “Now hurry along, you’ll be late otherwise.”

“Since when did you care for being on time?”

Jurian merely winked at him.

Yes, Lucien thought, as he readied himself to winnow. This, indeed, does not bode well.

Elain

Elain wiped the beading drops of precipitation clinging to the hair at her temples, most likely leaving behind a streak of soil across her forehead from her earth-sunken fingers. It was well into mid-morning, the early spring sun setting into her ever chilled bones as warmth unfurled around her like the heat of an open furnace.

She had forgone her usual gardening hat—a well thought gift given to her by none other than her now brother-in-law, Cassian—in favour of savouring the first licks of light across the Night Court. The previous winter just gone had been disastrously frigid, and though it made for the excuse of spending excessive time with her youngest sister and her family, it had Elain realising how much she missed the delectable heat of the sun rays lighting down upon her skin as it did now.

Not that many of the others seemed to mind either of the two seasons, seeing as they ever rarely got sick of the snow-misted chill permeating the air, as was the usual of the Night Court. It always seemed to be a bit colder, the darkness of the shadows altering the very weather.

Which however ridiculous, seemed to reflect Elain’s innermost feelings—particularly how stagnant she felt. So unlike the liveliness of those around her who always had something to do, meetings to attend to, people of important standing to entertain.

It reminded her yet again of how desperately lonely she was, how much she missed the company of another.

She knew she had her sisters, and in addition their mates; she had the presence of Rhysand’s extended family and their Inner Circle; she even had Nuala and Cerridwen as her beloved friends—despite their occupation as Rhysand’s handmaids and their occasional spy work for Azriel.

But in conclusion, that was about it.

They each had their own lives and assigned jobs that they all had to attend to, and Elain was merely assigned to her own devices of gardening. Or baking, or babysitting Nyx.

Which, thinking of her nephew, he was bound to be causing a fuss with his mother right about now, who as Elain knew was currently communicating via missive with some delegate of the Human Lands. Despite herself, she entertained the thought of if whether her sister was writing to Lucien, and then immediately chastised herself for thinking so even though she didn’t know why.

Absently cleaning away errant clippings and debris of the patch of pansy’s she’d been tending to, Elain tucked them away into her basket along with her sheers and trowel. Standing, she straightened the skirts of her dress that was fashioned out of a used males tunic and brushed her soiled hands against the gardening apron she wore.

Collecting her things, she mindlessly stored her belongings away into the little nook shed off to the side of the deck, and proceeded on into the kitchen through the backdoor.

Cerridwen was already there, kneading some dough upon the counter.

Elain smiled softly at her friend, then looked around seemingly noticing the absence of her sister.

“Nuala’s tending to the princeling while your sister is finishing off some paperwork.” Cerri answered, before she could even ask. “Also, her High Lady told me to inform you that she will be leaving for her studio soon to deal with some matters.”

“Of course,” She murmured, squashing the oily sensation of shame that crept its way through her chest. “I’ll just go freshen up a bit, I think.”

She left but not before extending the offer to Cerridwen should she need any assistance, moving out from the kitchen and up the stairs to her room with the intention of the washing off the grime that had collected during her time outside.

Perhaps a cool bath would do, Elain thought.

Walking past Feyre’s painting studio, she couldn’t help but peer through the door to check on her sister. All manners of equipment lay strewn throughout the room, hazardously scattered amongst any piece of furniture it sought purchase.

Brushes lining easels, canvases upon tins of paint. It was all very chaotic—very Feyre.

As if in a summons to her thoughts, her youngest sister turned her head up at her presence and smiled brightly. She was wearing midnight blue coveralls and underneath a white tunic splattered with all sorts of coloured paints.

“Come in,” Feyre insisted,

Patting the vacant spot next to her at her work table, Elain ambled over and sat down beside her sister. There was ink and a quill laid on the space, along with errant pieces of parchment indicating that she was still very much busy.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” Elain said apologetically, casting a smile over at her sister. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and if there was anything I could help you with?”

Feyre shook her head, waving an errant hand. “I’m not busy, I was just finishing off some last minute missives before I headed over to the studio. Which if you weren’t doing anything, you’re more than welcome to join me, if you wish?”

From the way her sister was smiling at her, Elain thought that there was perhaps other ulterior motives behind them merely visiting the Rainbow’s artist quarter. Storing her speculations away in the recesses of her mind, she agreed to accompany Feyre after bathing and changing quickly.

Elain just hoped that freshening up wouldn’t be attempting to do so in vain, only to be swept up in the firing line of paints, water or any other substances that would likely require her to shower again.

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: How To Master Your Money & Tips On Financial Literacy

Understanding and taking control of your finances improves your quality of life in many ways. Making strides toward better financial literacy can save you a lot of stress, unnecessary fees and helps you play a more active role in taking control over this aspect of adulthood. Once you understand the game of money, saving, and investing, it becomes infinitely simpler to devise a plan to set yourself up for a more financially-free future. Here are some practical tips to keep your finances streamlined, secure, and systemized to help you gain more financial literacy and win in this area of life.

Overview:

Track Your Income & Expenses

Set Financial Goals & Realistic Limitations

Invest Higher-Quality Items To Save Later

Educate Yourself On Different Types of Banking & Investment Accounts

Establish Credit, But Know Yourself

Create An Emergency Fund

Leverage Credit Card Benefits

Understand The Power of A Roth IRA (or Backdoor Roth IRA) & HSA

Automate Whenever Possible

Get Familiar With Taxes & Write-offs

Stay Informed About Employer Benefits

Purchase Seasonally & With Discount Codes (When Available)

Protect Yourself

Read Books

Seek Expert Advice

TIPS ON MASTERING FINANCIAL LITERACY:

Track Your Income & Expenses: Always have a record of all of the money going in and out of your accounts. Use the tool on your banking account app(s) to confirm your monthly income and expenses. Tools like Mint also are great to track your spending to see where every dollar is going all in one place. Aside from personal use, for small business owners, Quickbooks is my favorite invoicing and expense-tracking option. 

Set Financial Goals & Realistic Limitations: Once you know your exact monthly income, budget your essentials, savings, investments, and fun money accordingly. Make sure necessities like rent, food, health insurance, electricity, WiFi, toiletries, etc. are accounted for before anything else. Depending on your financial situation, experts (not me – I try to educate myself as best as I can, but am no expert!) recommend trying to save and invest between 15-30% of your pre-tax income. Give yourself the liberty to spend the rest (say 15-20%) of your income, so you don’t feel deprived and stay on track with your goals.  

Invest Higher-Quality Items To Save Later: Initially purchasing a higher-quality item often cuts your overall expenses in a certain area over the long run. (Ex: Well-made clothing, shoes, furniture, kitchen appliances, coffee maker, hair dryer, etc.). If you invest upfront on an item you regularly use, there’s a lower chance that it will deteriorate, rip, break, or otherwise become unusable for the next few years. When you opt for the cheaper option, this practice might save you a few bucks in the short term, but you will probably end up having to replace it a few times over time and spend more in the long run. This tip might seem counterintuitive to some, but it truly does save you a lot of money (and frustration). However, I will place a caveat here and say that this advice comes from a place of privilege. Never purchase something you can’t afford. If you have the means, spend a bit more upfront - it is better for your future wallet, allows you to indulge in a better quality of life, and helps you let go of any scarcity mindset/financial limiting beliefs. 

Educate Yourself On The Different Types of Banking & Investment Accounts: Know the differences between and the use purpose of different accounts: Checking, Savings, CDs, 401K, Roth IRA, HSA, etc. Always opt for a high-yield savings account option to help preserve your money’s value over time with rising living costs and inflation. 

Establish Credit, But Know Yourself: Your credit score is like your adult report card. It’s essential for so many aspects of life, like renting or buying a home, insurance, cell phone plans, etc., so it’s important to start building your credit as early as you can. However, if you know you’re the type of person to overspend with a credit card, look into secured credit card options (you deposit the money that acts as a credit limit, so it’s like a debit card with credit-building benefits). 

Create An Emergency Fund: Pay yourself first. Have between 3-12 months of expenses available in a high-yield savings account at all times. If you have a family or are self-employed, aim for 6-12 months of necessary savings to stay sane. Saving this amount of money takes time. Be patient, and cut back on frivolous expenses if needed for the short term. 

Leverage Credit Card Benefits: If you have enough self-control, always use a credit card instead of a debit card – but spend in the same way you would as though the money is coming directly out of your bank account. This gives you additional flight and other purchasing perks, such as cashback and exclusive discounts. Using a credit card provides additional security, too.

Understand The Power of A Roth IRA (or Backdoor Roth IRA, depending on your income) & HSA: Compound interest is your best friend financially. Depending on your income, invest as much as you can into a Roth IRA account or set up a backdoor Roth IRA through your brokerage firm (I use Vanguard!). HSA (Health Saving Accounts) accounts offer so many benefits – they can serve as a tax write-off, lower your overall healthcare costs, and be leveraged to use as an additional retirement investment account, too (I use Fidelity). 

Automate Whenever Possible: Automate a portion of your paycheck to savings and your investments, so you never see this money. Pay yourself first before spending (on anything but necessities). 

Get Familiar With Taxes & Write-offs: This mainly applies to anyone self-employed or a small business owner (been in the game for 5 years!). However, this point can also potentially be beneficial for students who can leverage an education credit for tax purposes. Explore all of your options to see what write-offs are available in your specific situation. Understand how your income and expenses influence your tax bracket. Investing in a CPA can save you a considerable amount of money and all of your sanity if you’re not a salaried employee. Look over the standardized section C document, and speak with a professional to help maximize your write-off potential (legally and honestly, of course). My CPA is my lifeline! 

Stay Informed About Employer Benefits: Always maximize your 401K match (whatever percentage that is at your company), any wellness perks (like a gym membership or massage credit), or any meals and car services credits for late nights/work trips. 

Purchase Seasonally & With Discount Codes (When Available): Try to purchase items off-season when you can (e.g. purchase classic winter closet staples in the summer when they’re on sale). Utilize plug-ins like Honey or Cently on your browser to have discount codes for any site readily available. 

Protect Yourself: Stay on top of fraud alerts. Freeze your credit bureau accounts if necessary. 

Read Books: Educate yourself on saving, investing, budgeting, building a business, etc. See the ‘Finance’ section of my Femme Fatale Booklist for some recommendations. I also love Graham Stephan’s Youtube channel – his videos are highly useful and practical for beginners in this life arena! 

Seek Expert Advice: Use licensed professionals (CPAs, brokerage firms, your bank, etc.) as a resource, too, for your personal goals. 

This is a lot to take in, so try to implement one action item (or a few) at a time, so you can work towards your goals without getting overwhelmed. Also, for reference, I’m in the United States, so all of these tips are focused on how the system works in my country - if you know of any international equivalents, feel free to drop them in the comments to guide others.

Hope this helps xx 

[hlficlibrary]

HL FIC LIBRARY 📚 AUTHOR REC

AO3: 2tiedships2

Tumblr: @2tiedships2

STATS:

📚 Number of fics: 30

📚 Posting Since: 2018

TOP 5 FICS:

1️⃣ Everywhere And Nowhere [M, 16k]

Niall took a seat and said, "Apparently Louis' downstairs neighbor is a fan of giving Louis creepy gifts. Maybe I should go introduce myself and tell him that Louis actually prefers food."

"What has he given you?" Liam asked.

Louis shrugged as it were no big deal. "There was a rabbit's foot keychain on the door a little after he left from introducing himself and there was a small teddy bear sitting by my door tonight. Obviously I can't prove it's from him, but they seem to have his scent. I could be wrong though."

"Wow," Liam said, looking deep in thought. "That's old school."

"What's old school?" Niall asked. "Giving creepy gifts?"

"I've never known an alpha to do it, to be honest, but he's courting you."

Louis couldn't contain his look of disbelief directed at Liam. "He's courting me. Like some sort of romantic shit they'd do in the 1800s or something?"

2️⃣ Quiet People Have the Loudest Minds [M, 38k]

Broadway shows were one of the few things that could keep Louis’ attention for a full two hours without needing to move about. But not tonight.

The alpha next to him was both infuriating him and practically turning him on at the same time. He needed to leave. The alpha, that is. Louis was staying.

Or the one where Louis is a nonverbal omega who has accepted the fact that he will never find an alpha that will treat him as an equal. On the other hand, he’s never met anyone like Harry.

3️⃣ I Wanna Be More Than Friends [NR, 20k]

He hadn't meant to scent Harry. They were best friends and that was it. Scenting best friends wasn't exactly socially acceptable.

"Lou," Harry whispered.

Louis jumped at his name and sat up straighter to provide a bit of distance between himself and Harry.

"You can't scent me, Lou," Harry stated.

Which of course Louis couldn't scent him. They were best friends.

"I mean," Harry continued. "I wouldn't mind exactly, but if I can't scent you, I don't think you should scent me."

"What do you mean you can't scent me? I mean, I get it because we're best friends but..."

"I mean I can't smell you, Louis. I fucking can't smell you. I can't smell anything, okay?"

Or the one where Harry’s an alpha with no sense of smell, Louis’ an omega who isn’t allowed to scent his best friend, and that’s all they’ll ever be. Obviously.

4️⃣ Your Touch Is The Only Thing I Feel [M, 16k]

Liam. Liam was finally here. Louis kept his eyes closed and cuddled farther into Liam’s side, revelling in the pheromones Louis’ body desperately needed. He wasn’t sure how long Liam had been holding him, but Louis figured it had to have been at least an hour by the way his body had loosened. The need of an alpha’s touch seemed to have been temporarily lifted from his mind.

Louis listened to the sounds of the pub around him. It was louder than before he had fallen asleep and he briefly wondered why Liam hadn’t just woken him to go back to their flat.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Louis’ eyes flew open at the sound of Niall’s voice, and the arm that had been around Louis shoulders lifted in the same instant. He missed the warmth immediately.

Louis looked from Niall’s stormy face over to the person who was definitely not Liam. The alpha Liam impersonator, who smelled a lot better than the actual Liam now that Louis was alert, looked back at Louis with wide eyes and familiar furrowed brows.

Or the one where Louis refuses to settle for just any alpha despite intense touch deprivation. Fortunately Harry isn't just any alpha.

5️⃣ I Know How To Whisk (But Teach Me Anyway) [M, 32k]

Louis scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “I don’t understand. Unmated alphas don’t just go into a rut out of nowhere. Unless…”

Louis grabbed onto Niall’s arm in desperation. “Am I a homewrecker? Does Harry have a mate? Oh my God, was he not flirting? Did the change in his scent not have anything to do with my smell yesterday? Did I just make that up!?”

Louis let go of Niall and dropped his face in his hands. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“You’re an idiot,” Niall stated. Louis looked up to find Niall rolling his eyes. He snapped his laptop closed and moved to stand up. “I need to get some work done. Why don’t you stay here and think back to ABO dynamics 101.”

With that Niall hopped off the couch and headed to his room. He stopped and turned to Louis before he made it to the hall and said, “Oh, and Lou. You may want to reconsider your outlook on soulmates.”

Louis yelled after him. “Soulmates aren’t a thing, Niall!”

Or the one in which banana bread just might make Louis change his mind about soulmates.

HIDDEN GEM:

💎 The Unfinished Fic (With an Ending) [NR, 4k]

Louis greatly regretted all of his life decisions up to this point. Okay fine, maybe not all of them, but definitely a vast majority. After all, if he’d not told one little white lie about loving cricket just to impress a fit guy at the pub, maybe he wouldn’t be stuck at what was, one hundred percent, the most boring “sporting” event of his entire life.

[lovely-ell]

Alastor & Reader - Take A Breath

A/N: Hello lovelies! This was requested by @willowaudreykeyes and I hope they enjoy this piece. This is basically Alastor & Overworked Reader, or at least that is how I envision it. I can relate to this on a personal level, and I hope this can bring comfort to those who find it! Considering this is only my second piece, I am of course nervous about writing but I hope you find it entertaining! If you have any feedback, do let me know! I appreciate it more than you know!

Synopsis: As one of Alastor’s close friend’s, they have been helping out at the hotel for some time. As they do not have as intimidating a reputation as the Radio Demon, Charlie has tasked them with some more gentle and personal tasks. In addition to their regular hotel work, it becomes extremely taxing on them until they just break one day. Alastor helps them get through it and offers a listening ear.

Warnings: Mentions of overworking/burnout, definitely some angst and a bit of swearing. Slight mentions of therapy/rehab and sleep deprivation. A bit of self loathing. Anxiety/panic attacks are referenced, some cruel jokes made by Angel. Mostly platonic but some intimacy if you squint.

Fanart: I couldn’t find the person, if you find them please let me know!

I wished the days would just get easier or stop altogether. It was exhausting. I hated it. The hotel itself wasn’t that bad, but working for Mr. Radio Demon made it grueling. If there was one thing that me and him could agree on, though, was that the whole “rehabilitation and going to heaven” thing wasn’t gonna work out. Simply put, we had our chance, we fucked it up, and we end up down here. No point in trying to redeem ourselves when we’re already in hell and had countless opportunities on Earth. Regardless, as much as me and him see it as futile, I still worked at the damned hotel.

Charlie, for some unknown reason, took more of a liking to me than my boss. Could be the fact that I don’t have posters plastered everywhere about myself and my achievements as a powerful demon, but who knows. For this reason, she has given me (another demon, who is in hell for a reason) the task of creating the rehab programs and hosting 75% of the therapy sessions. The only responsibility I didn’t have constantly was cooking. Me, Angel Dust, and Alastor rotated the meals per the week. This was Alastor’s week, and he was making his famous Jambalya.

As he carried the platter of food to the table, the scent wafted through the air with a comforting notion. I had offered to help him, but he insisted that since it was his week, he would do it. Did seem as though he greatly appreciated the offer, I will say.

“Thank you so much for cooking, Alastor! This is delicious”, Hell’s princess shouted from one head of the table to the other. “Oh it was really no problem, do enjoy!”, laughed the infamous overlord, taking great credit for his cooking. I have no shame in admitting that he is the best cook of all of us. At least, generally. Angel makes the best Italian food though.

Alastor turned towards me, two chairs to his right, “I suppose we should get straight to business, shall we?”. We usually start with how the front desk went, and today was my day. I guess I had just gotten the worst day to be on the 5am - 5pm job, as we had gotten many walk-ins, but none of them checked in.

“How did your shift go, Y/N?”, he questioned, attracting the gaze of all the other demons at the table. Satan, how did he always gather so much attention?

“Well, not great…” I solemnly spoke, my eyes averting away from their stares. Even still, I could sense Charlie’s frown and Vaggie’s look disappointment in my sleep. “Oh…well how many checked in?”, she said, trying to establish some form of hope in this hopeless hotel.

“None. We had 6 walk-ins but none of them stayed after I explained the rules.”, my fingers scratched my scalp in frustration as I looked down. The dining hall fell silent for what seemed like an eternity, until the spider stripper finally spoke.

He playfully kicked my shin, “Well damn toots! Whad’ya do this time?”. I heard a few half-hearted giggles from across the table, my eyes beginning to burn. I started to scratch my head harder, not that I had any nails that could do any damage, since I had bit them too short

I tried to contain my anger, not uttering a word. I looked to my right and shot him a glare, the atmosphere getting tenser by the second. Just by that stupid grin on his face I could tell he was getting a kick out of this. “Cat got ya tongue? Eh, oh well. I’d say I’d kill ya but Ms. Princess can do that herself!”, he cackled at the table, nearly falling out of his chair. I rubbed my temples, trying hard to contain myself. Satan, he was funny sometimes but he could be annoying as all hell at others.

I abruptly stood from my chair, knuckles turning white from the strength in which I held my fist. I turned around and left through the back door, undoubtedly getting glares and confused stares.

I took a few laps around the hotel, then settled on the front stairs. I wanted to pull my hair out. Anything to distract me from my thoughts. I had so much paper work to complete, so early it was due. My chest felt heavy as I struggled to take a full breath. I couldn’t see as well and my hearing was muffled. My head spinned with deadlines and the threat of reprimand. Reprimand for something I clearly deserved it for. I was the most emotionally healthy besides Charlie in the entire hotel. It’s supposed to be my job to-

“Take a breath, Y/N”, a voice spoke from behind me. I covered my ears with my hands, hoping to make it all stop. My hands were gingerly pried off of my ears one at a time with gentle claws. “Shh…breathe in my dear”, it spoke again, now creating soothing circles on my back as my head was between my knees. I tried to follow it’s instructions, but I couldn’t manage. “God, why can’t I do anything right!”

It stopped rubbing my back, and it shifted up to my chin. With one claw, it carefully lifted my head so I could see it. It was Alastor. Why was he here? “Sweetheart, it’s alright to not be perfect. We are in hell, after all”, the demon spoke, moving the loose strands of hair away from my teary eyes. My face crashed back into my knees, muffled sobs escaping my lips. I heard his shoes click to my side, and stop with a slight thud. He stroked my hair in an attempt to soothe me.

“Shh…breathe sweetheart, breathe in deeply…”, the overlord spoke, still running his fingers through my h/c locks. After a few minutes, I finally was able to take a deep breath, “Good darling, now try to hold it for me. It’s alright if you can’t”. I held it until he gave the command to let it go, and I did. After that my breathing slowly but surely slowed on its own once more. “Great job my dear, but we really must have a chat if that’s alright”, Alastor questioned, waiting for my approval. I internally groaned, “What, do you need me to work an extra shift tonight?”, I answered with my own question.

“Work? My dear you can’t be serious!”, he said to me, taking my hand in his. “Let’s head to my room, shall we? It would most likely be better to talk of such topics there”. For once in my life I think I may have seen his smile falter

I followed him up the outside emergency stairs, entering his room not moments after getting inside. The Radio Demon motioned towards his bed where I soon sat, him locking the door behind us.

He sat on the bed, averting his gaze for a moment before asking me, “Since there is quite no other way to ask this, I’ll get to it. What is going on Y/N?”. I froze, my thoughts racing. Did I do something wrong? Forget to fill something out? “Al, what did I miss? I thought I did everything that was due?”

“No, no no! Not work! Get work out of that silly little head of yours!”, he said exasperatedly, tapping his nail on the top of my skull. “What is wrong with you, as in why did you abruptly leave dinner to be found sitting on the hotel steps, in the dark, hyperventilating?”, he shifted his body towards me, resting a hand on my shoulder. “I…I’m not sure…”, I answered truthfully, I still don’t know quitewhat happened.

“I can tell you exactly what happened”, he spoke to me. I turned my head up in interest, and he continued. “Charlie has given you some emotionally and mentally taxing jobs in addition to regular hotel tasks, due to your unnaturally friendly behavior in Hell”, the demon said, crossing his arms. “And since you don’t know how to say no, you willfully took all of these tasks and are now overworked and burnt out”, Alastor said, almost in a way a parent would scold their child, but with more care and concern in his tone. Burnt out…that sounded exactly how I felt.

“But who else is going to do it…?”, I lowered my head, not daring to look into his eyes. He once again lifted my chin with his finger, forcing me to look into them. “I’m not sure, but you shouldn’t have to do it all on your own”, he said sternly, but he seemed to have more to say. “You can’t do this to yourself, Y/N. I may be your employer, but I do care for you. And that is why I’m having you take a mandatory 2-week break!”, cheerily he exclaimed, as if it was a cause for celebration.

“Alastor! Who is going to do all of my work while I’m on break! I can’t do that!”, I yelled desperately, in hopes of finding someway to could convince him. “No buts! It starts this evening, right now! I will have the work divided between the hotel, but please, do get some rest my dear”, he said, before lifting himself off of the bed, and beginning to leave. I felt something deflate within me, and wanted to make one final, yet absurd request.

“Wait, Alastor?”

“Yes darling?”

“You don’t have to but..”

“But what?”

“May I have a hug, please?”

“…I suppose one wouldn’t kill me again”, Al said as he walked over, enveloping me in his arms. I sunk into his shoulder, a restful slumber finally falling upon me.

[certifiedbitch777]

New Year, New Me?

Entry Date: 2/2/2024

I am currently 23 years old. The age I always hear carries the most tribulations for our early 20s, which has pretty much been my pain point as I have no idea what I'm doing in life.

Shocking, I know, right?

Before I got my current corporate job, I had so much passion. I want to try out everything in life. I wanted to be a writer, dancer, singer, actor, psychologist - Shit, I even tried to do IT because why the fuck not? I had so much energy and drive I felt like I could conquer the world. And yet, here I am now, and I have no passion, interest, or drive. I'm literally just floating in life right now, not knowing what the fuck to do next.

I'm in survival mode, to be honest. The only thing that is hardwired into my brain is the goal of getting this shmoney.

Despite all this, I still feel lazy since I have no ambition for anything outside of money. My mind is plagued by what I should and shouldn't do and all I can land on is 'I don't fucking know :|'. 

Regardless of this unclarity and lack of ambition, I only want a clear sense of direction. I want to get going already, but I don't know what steps to take. Again, I understand I'm only 23 years old, but still. I need that clarity to take action on a path I know I will be satisfied with, but once again IDFK.

There's no way around this phase at this point; It's inevitable. The only thing I guess I can implement is going on a deep assessment of my life (once again) and reviewing what is and isn't working for me. I've just been avoiding doing this because it is tiring and tedious.

Fuck, maybe I'm just being lazy.

I mean, tbh, it isn't fun; It just sounds like a load of work.

Damn, I think I'm lazy...

I mean, they say it takes 30 to 60 days to break a habit. I'll start looking into my bad habits and see what I can get out of that. 

Here's a list of my current shitty habits that I'll be challenging:

Sleeping before or at midnight: My sleep schedule is terrible for a variety of reasons, but I want to start sleeping before midnight to practice better sleeping habits. For reference, I typically stay up until 3am despite working in the morning.

Waking up before 8am: Okay, so this is mainly to be able to study for my permit (Yes, I'm 23 and don't know how to drive. Who's gonna check me??) and work out. This will also allow me downtime after work (5pm).

Consistent Oral Hygiene: Okay, before y'all supposedly clean freaks call me gross, I'm not saying I don't brush my teeth. I do, and twice a day at that, along with using my Therabreath mouthwash. I just need to be consistent with flossing, specifically at night. I've been getting better at it, but I want to implement it into my daily routine.

Taking Daily Medications: I suck at consistently taking my mood stabilizers, as it just makes me feel dreary and sleepy throughout the day. Since I stopped taking it consistently, my mood hasn't been the best. Needless to say, I'm not gonna do that anymore.

Working Out: I've been athletic for as long as I can remember. However, in recent years, I've been on and off and want to get back to having a snatched waist with a phat dumpy. I'm already comfortable with my current size, but to be back in shape wouldn't hurt. I think I'll be sharing my journey with pictures every so often so that you guys can have a realistic peek into my journey.

Eating Habits: I need to eat healthier, PERIOD. I don't have the worst eating, but it's terrible for me because I'm very impulsive with food and suffer from an eating disorder. I have toggled between binging and starving myself many times in the past, so I want to try to find that sweet spot where I can eat healthily and not feel deprived to the point where I binge.

Prioritize Health: Both physical and mental. I suck at this and, at times, can let work take a toll on my everything. Last year almost broke me, and I don't want this year to be the same. I need to be happy and healthy. No comprising at all.

So yeah, that's my list. Once again, I'm just going to point out I am a lazy girl and I have terrible habits, however, I do want to make a change because I'm really tired of this loop.

I want to reach all of my financial, personal, and career goals this year so badly. The good thing is I have some steps to outline what I need to change. The challenge is pushing through to get the end result :\

Anyway, I will most likely post my initial progress for my journey for working out and do bi-weekly check-ins to track my progress.

This may sound corny, but New Year, New Me?