#eve studio pet

[satorubi]

𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 — ft. nanami kento

@ SYNOPSIS ! : romantic sex by the fire with nanami.

@ CONTENT WARNING ! : WC : 2.2K — minors do not interact. soft dominant kento, submissive reader, fem! reader, blowjob, reverse cowgirl, squirting, use of profanity & pet names. <> happy holidays !! here’s this little piece for @hiraizens a white christmas collab <3 thank you for letting me participate in this event, it was so much fun to write for !!! i hope you enjoy — reblogs and interactions are always welcome !!

the living room was consumed with the faint crackling sounds of a warm fire and a mellow rhythm of your throat gawking around your husband's length. strangled groans left nanami’s lips as he watched you suck his cock in awe.

he usually despised decorating for the holidays— but you loved it, and who would he be without a happy wife? he prepared for a hard day of putting up the tree and hanging strings of lights all around your shared studio apartment, but it seems as if there’d be another reason behind his exhaustion. as of now, nanami could say that he might’ve just started a new holiday tradition.

“f-fuck, baby. keep going.” he placed his hands on either side of him and grasped at the couch resting beneath him. slouched and grinning, he adjusts his glasses and moves a hand up to the nape of your neck. as you tugged at his head with your mouth, nanami began to guide your head back and forth, allowing you to take more of him in.

“take all of me, sweetheart- yes. yes, just like that- use your tongue too,” he encourages, and you listen, just like the good little slut you were. you loved giving nanami head. not only did you gain an orgasm or two out of it, but seeing him fall completely apart at your touch was something you’d pay for.

you liked to start while he was still on soft; sucking him until he’s at his full potential. it all intrigued you, watching him grow and discover veins you never knew he had— it was captivating.

“god- yn, open up more f’ me. fit it all, beautiful. i know you can.”

his praises boosted your confidence by a lot, your throat gradually opening up to accept more of him inside of your mouth. this drove him straight into a wall. nanami was groaning and moaning as you slowly deepthroated as much of him as you could, your nose almost touching his shaven pelvis.

“i’m gonna’ cum- fuck! keep it there. keep it right there, darlin.’ breathe..nice and slow.”

nanami bites down onto his bottom lip as let’s out a disgruntled, “ssss’ fuuuck,” as he poured his seed down the tunnel of your throat. with the amount of cum he released and the warmth of it all, you gargled and choked around him— so much that a mixture of your spit and his cum began to pour from the corners of your mouth.

“can’t wait to treat that pussy well. i’ll fill you up nice and easy, gonna make you a mommy on christmas eve, would you like that?”

he pulls you away with a pop! and you take your position on the couch; legs spread and pussy available for his use. you were already wet from your act of oral service, so he could keep the need of preparation. he knew this, holding his thick cock in his hand and tapping it onto your cunt as a way of asking if you were ready.

“put it in, kento. need to feel you.”

nanami didn’t let you get another word in, aligning his cock with your opening. your face held a frustrated expression. you were ready— more than that if you were being honest, and nanami was teasing, per usual.

“patience is a virtue, my love.” his joke went in one ear and out of the other the minute your walls closed around him. nanami was practically being sucked in by you, and you were already a moaning mess.

“pussy’s so tight- just for me, too. i fit just right.” the thumb of your husband’s hand flicks at your clit, sending you into an overstimulating frenzy. every time you fucked nanami, you didn’t fail to notice how well he took care of your body. he knew every button to press, every spot to tap, and every itch to scratch. it never really took much time for you to reach the finish line.

“aah- kento, r-right there. you were made for me, baby. fuck me like you mean it, please.”

taking your words to heart, he picks up the pace. each thrust to your cunt feels like it could bruise you, but you wanted more. he was hitting it so hard now, his cock making you feel so, so full. nanami was paying attention to nothing else but you, his eyes giving you a sincere glare.

“yeah? that feel good, just like this? don’t stop talking, tell me how good my dick’s making this pussy feel,” he says. nanami was trying his best to not completely bottom out, but he had to come to the conclusion that that was just the effect you had on him. with your walls squeezing him like this and your hips trying their best to fuck him back, he knew wouldn’t be lasting very long.

“you make me feel s’ good, k-kento. i could watch you fuck me all night..” the innocent look on your face told the wrong story. you were hugging on him so tightly that nanami almost felt that he was beginning to lose himself.

“gonna’ make me cum, yn. you feel so good, baby.” he covers his comment with a sheer laugh, showing his pearly whites while still rupturing your insides.

“mmm’ i see you’re breaking your own rules tonight.” you reference nanami's ‘i don’t cum until you do’ lecture and it earns a couple chuckles from the man.

you must’ve sparked something deep within him, because without any reason, he pulls out of you and sits onto the couch. nanami pats his lap, cock still standing intimidatingly tall as precum leaks from the tip. “come, sit,” he ushers.

if there was one thing you loved more than decor, it would be riding nanami kento. just the thought of it alone made you squirm; the ability to fuck yourself, using him and slamming your ass down onto his thighs as hard as you wanted.

a wild ride, you’d say.

“not too fast. ease on it, little one.”

you decided to sit with your back facing his chest. this way, you had more freedom to move. without nanami’s hands guiding your hips, you were able to fuck him to his and your paradise.

“so b-big, kento,” you stumble, feeling nanami’s hands repeatedly slap your ass cheeks as you slowly begin to bounce on his lap. his cock was toying with your guts and you were feeding into it happily.

“you can take it though, right? cause you’re a good girl. you’d never waste an inch of me.” the schleching of your cunt proved just how wet you truly were. it was so easy for you to glide up and down his length, taking him in whole with all the strength you were given.

each pound was followed by a groan from nanami. you were hearing all types of swears and somehow, respectfully degrading words as your pussy absorbed his cock like no tomorrow.

with every bounce, it felt like you got tighter— and it was probably true. he just felt too good. he was digging in so deep, and at such a fast pace. for someone who preached for you to go slow in the beginning, this was very hypocritical.

“i’m your g-good girl, kento! fuck me, baby.. want you to cum inside me s-so bad.” your begging did nothing but get him all the more sexually frustrated. he was molding your walls to only fit him, to only be able to feel him and only him.

you could’ve sworn all hell had broken loose when he latched on to your arms and pulled them behind you. while intertwined, your pretty nails claw at his forearms as a support beam. he was yanking you down every time you came up and you were sure you were past the stage of cumming already.

your tummy was bubbling, but not with the familiar feeling you knew from before. this time, it was powerful— more than any orgasm you’d ever produced.

“fuuuck nanami! m’ cumming! m’ fucking cumming for you, baby!” your squeal and with another sharp thrust, you shut your eyes and braced yourself for the intense pressure to your stomach. all you heard next was small droplets staining both nanami’s lap and the wooden floor beneath you both. tears sat pretty at the brim of your eyes and you were sure the world around you was white.

“that’s it, pretty girl. let it all out, i’m here to clean it up. make all the messes you want, nothin’s gonna’ amount to the one i’m gonna’ make inside of you.”

his dirty talk felt more like a promise as he continued to fuck upward into you. each tap to your cervix had you crying out new profanities, making nanami’s eyes flicker in awe. although he couldn’t see your face, the man had enough memory to know exactly what you looked like when you were blissfully overstimulated.

face scrunched with your mouth held agape, whiny little noises your mouth incoherently let out, and sweat making your skin glisten with glee. most of the time, nanami didn’t even think you were on planet earth— too dazed and fucked out to dare open your pretty eyes.

“i hope this isn’t too much for you, sweetheart. don’t want my little bunny passing out on me. i haven’t even gotten the chance to fill you like i promised.”

by now you were barely able to keep your head up right. the arch in your back was in need of readjusting and your sighs had become heavy. it was only then when the poor man felt bad for you.

you were just so sleepy and weak, ready to be put in a warm bath to finish off the night, but you were determined— and when you were in that mindset, there was no pulling you out of it.

“can you make me cum, love? please- wanna’ give it to you so bad.”

his sweet words seemed to have worked. fixing your posture, you rested your back against his chest, both of your feet planted on either side of him as your legs are left spread. his cock was still inside of you, your eyes drawn to the pretty sight between your thighs.

nanami’s chin met the space between the side of your neck and your shoulder, peeking over to look at what’s got your undivided attention.

“well, would you look at that..so fucking beautiful.” nanami then sticks two fingers into his mouth, setting them up for your puffy clit. he reaches a hand down to rub at the bud while also resuming his hip thrusts. you had absolutely no choice but to keep your gaze right where it was.

you moaned watching his thick cock split you open within just a few movements. your cream was costing him more and more each time he disappeared inside of you, “o-oh my god! that feels s’good n-nanami. feel like i’m gonna’ cum again.”

he was turning your pussy into mush, his cock digging so deeply into your core he could leave an outline along your walls.

“i told you i’d clean up the mess. i just wanna’ make you feel good, yn. just let it happen.” even while fucking you messily, the man was still so gentle and attentive. his only drive of continuing being to get you to cum for the second time tonight.

and you too had that idea in mind.

“cum inside me, my love. it’s yours.. it’s only yours- please!” you beg and beg until you can’t anymore, using all of the strength you had left to bounce up and down on his cock again. this beside nanami’s praises had you feeling, yet again, ready to burst.

that same feeling from earlier had made its way right back to you— and nanami felt it too. “i’m so proud of you right now, baby. so, so proud. look, you’re doing it again- just for me,” he gasps. his words were all you needed to hear— your cunt erupting around him one last time.

nanami followed behind you, spilling his seed straight into your womb. he kept thrusting and thrusting, trying his best to fill you with as much as he possibly could. you were draining him and sucking in every last drop until he had nothing else to give you.

“take it all, baby. k-keep it in there for me,” he groans softly, giving you one last pound to the cervix. as nanami pulled out of your cunt, you were mesmerized by the beauty of your work. his cock looked like it’s been dipped in cream; your slick covering him from the base all the way to his tip as he softens down.

“i love you, baby. did so well for me.”

you couldn’t even send him words of affection back due to your eyes batting shut. the next thing you knew, you were sprawled on the sofa with a snoring nanami right beside you. by now you’ve been cleaned up, as well as the couch and floor. a new pair of christmas themed pj’s hid your figure— nanami wearing the same.

he really did clean up after himself.

deciding not to wake him, you simply get up from your spot and make your way toward the bedroom to finish what you’d started earlier — gift wrapping.

although the clock hadn’t touched midnight, you’d already seemed to have been given the wonderful gift of nanami kento, and you wouldn’t change it for the world.

SUUNMIC 2022 ©️ all rights reserved to @suunmic. please refrain from copying or reposting as your own.

tags : @venusflytrapstar @kamikat @honeyxluv

[timid-raccoon]

New Year's

Another New Year’s Eve had come and gone without you. I still remember our first one, just shortly after we had met. I remember you looking at me across the small crowd with that dazzling smile, cheeks rosy from the cold and the drink in your hand alike. Your warm eyes sparkled with the fairy lights that were wrapped around the pergola on our mutual friend’s patio. This was the night we shared our first kiss, under the flashing lights of the fireworks illuminating the night sky that mirrored the fireworks erupting in my chest.

A quiet walk home, memories of a lost loved one, and a snowflake.

Author's note: This is the first fic I’m releasing into the wild, so please be nice, but also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as this isn’t exactly beta read (other than me sending this to my sister and her saying she liked it). I recommend listening to the piano versions of the EP “One” by Sleep Token - especially “When The Bough Breaks” - while reading, which can be found here. 

Crossposted on AO3

Word count: 1.1k

I buried my head deeper in my scarf, pulling my shoulders up to shield myself against the cold gust of wind that tousled my hair. The fingers gripping my umbrella were starting to go numb despite the thick gloves I was wearing. The walk home was quiet, the fresh snow that was softly crunching under my feet laying a silent blanket over every sound, swallowing and muffling it. Hardly anyone was out on the streets – people were surely still sleeping or nursing their hangovers from partying until the early morning hours. It was only just after 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day, after all. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp winter air through my nose to help wake me up, having only gotten a few short hours of sleep myself. The smell of the softly falling snow filled my lungs and I opened my eyes again, blinking into the bright white morning light as I exhaled a cloud of condensation.

Another New Year’s Eve had come and gone without you. I still remember our first one, just shortly after we had met. I remember you looking at me across the small crowd with that dazzling smile, cheeks rosy from the cold and the drink in your hand alike. Your warm eyes sparkled with the fairy lights that were wrapped around the pergola on our mutual friend’s patio. This was the night we shared our first kiss, under the flashing lights of the fireworks illuminating the night sky that mirrored the fireworks erupting in my chest.

It was only a few months later that we decided to move in together. From the very beginning, everything with you had just felt right. When Steven had first introduced us, conversation was immediately flowing easily, skipping the superficial small-talk and cutting straight to the deeper questions that life and the universe held. I was captivated by your intellect and the way you expressed yourself, going from profound philosophical musings to sarcastic remarks without missing a beat.

With you I had felt like a queen. You were very attentive, always making a point to remember every detail about what I liked or disliked, knowing what I needed before I even said anything. Like how once we had settled in our cozy 2-bedroom apartment with a small balcony and a beautiful view of the sunrise from the kitchen window, it was only natural to you that we would adopt a cat, just because I had mentioned once that I was bummed I couldn’t get one because my own 3rd floor studio apartment was too small for an indoor cat. When we went to the shelter just to look, it was love at first sight. He came straight up to us, happily meowing and pushing his head into your hand as you squatted down to pet him. I thought I might dissolve into a puddle at the sight. The two most beautiful creatures I had ever laid eyes on right before me – one with long auburn hair held up by a claw clip, eyes shining in utter adoration, the other mostly grey with barely visible tabby markings on his back, a white moustache, and the biggest blue eyes, purring contentedly. We took him home the next day after getting all the essentials and named him Frodo.

Sometimes you almost felt too good to be true and I was honored you had chosen me out of all people to do life with. The most mundane things turned into cherishable memories just because I had you by my side. Even the one New Year’s Eve we spent at home just the two of us because you were sick, cuddling on the couch with Frodo and watching old movies, felt special.

On our last New Year’s together I didn’t know you would be ripped from me just shortly after, leaving your own dreams and aspirations unfulfilled, leaving me and your friends broken and empty.

On that final morning when I left for work, I didn’t know I would never again come back home to you greeting me with the lightest of kisses on the tip of my nose, like you always did, making me scrunch up my face with a smile. Frodo kept searching the apartment for you for weeks, meowing at the front door, like he would when you were gone on tour, but this time I couldn’t console him by assuring him you would be back soon. Your office chair became his favorite place to nap in.

Nicholas and I still hung out every now and then, even though I only knew him because of you, him being your long-time best friend. We didn’t see each other often these days with you gone, but when we did it was always like greeting an old friend, being connected by the grief and pain we felt and a mutual understanding for it that was always there, without having to say a word. Even two years later I still saw little glimpses of you in him, tiny mannerisms and phrases he had picked up from you and I was sure you had left the same imprint on me for Nicholas to see. He knew, New Year’s was still just as hard for me as it was for him, that day being the last time he had seen you, so when he had asked me to come over for a small party with his closest friends, a sense of gratitude had flooded me. I wouldn’t be alone, I would be with people who understand, celebrating life in all its beauty and all its darkness.

I had left Nicholas’ place before most of the others had woken up, after roughly cleaning away the worst of the mess in the living room quietly, carefully stepping over the sleeping bodies on mattrasses on the floor and giving the still sleepy host a quick but tight hug goodbye, putting all my appreciation for him in it and promising to text him when I got home okay. The night had been fun, but with my social battery drained and the weight of everything still heavy on my heart, I just wanted to get home, take a hot shower, and spend the day wrapped in a blanket, cuddling Frodo.

When I arrived at the door of my apartment building, the snowfall had subsided and even the sun tried breaking through the tiny patches of blue in the otherwise still overcast sky. As I fumbled for my keys in my deep coat pocket, a lone snowflake flurried its way under my umbrella and landed right on the tip of my nose. A warm shiver spread through my body and I closed my eyes, scrunching up my face.

“Hi Noah,” I breathed into the air with a soft smile on my lips.

[angelofthenight]

Playlist for Last Man Alive

( This just a playlist of random songs that go with/relate to my fic,, if u think of a song that u think should be here feel free to comment it and I’ll add it! Songs in green are the ones that suite the most perfectly )

~

Closer - Nine Inch Nails

Don’t Blame Me - Taylor Swift

Boyfriend - Dove Cameron

Dear John TV - Taylor Swift

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things - Taylor Swift

Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me - Waitress

Meant to Be Yours - Heathers

Karma - Taylor Swift

Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne

I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift

The Red Means I Love You - Madds Buckley

Lotta True Crime - Penelope Scott

Invisible String - Taylor Swift

Dead Girl Walking Reprise - Heathers

Jealous Girl - Lana Del Rey

Haunted TV - Taylor Swift

An Unhealthy Obsession - The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra

Love Story cover - Sarah Cothran

You’re On Your Own, Kid - Taylor Swift

Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell

Gods & Monsters - Lana Del Rey

The Beast in Me - Bonnie Pointer

Right Where You Left Me - Taylor Swift

Until I Found You - Stephen Sanchez

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Oblivion - Grimes

Yo Girl - Heathers

Always Forever - Cults

Hey Lover - The Daughters of Eve

Get Out Of My Head - Tryhardninja

Tag, You’re It - Melanie Martinez

I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

Tonight You Belong To Me - Patience & Prudence

Cool for the Summer - Demi Lovato

Pacify Her - Melanie Martinez

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Knee Socks - Arctic Monkeys

Christmas Kids - Roar

You Don’t Own Me - Lesley Gore

You Don’t Own Me - SAYGRACE

Illicit Affairs - Taylor Swift

Smoke and Mirrors - Jayn

Enchanted TV - Taylor Swift

Little Girls - Annie 2014

Hellfire - Hunchback of Notre Dame

Call Me Crazy - Gabbie Hanna

MONTERO - Lil Nas X

Strawberry Shortcake - Melanie Martinez

You Belong With Me TV - Taylor Swift

Senpai Notice Me - Random Encounters

I Can Hear The Bells - Hairspray

All Men Are Pigs - Studio Killers

Gorgeous - Taylor Swift

Take A Hint - Victorious

Play Date - Melanie Martinez

Our Love is God - Heathers

Better Than Revenge TV - Taylor Swift

Ready or Not - Bridgit Mendler

Teacher’s Pet - Melanie Martinez

Norman fucking Rockwell - Lana Del Rey

August - Taylor Swift

Cake - Melanie Martinez

The Archer - Taylor Swift

Bloody Mary - Lady Gaga

Clean TV - Taylor Swift

Hopelessly Devoted To You - Grease

Final Girl - Graveyardguy

My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift

This Little Girl - Cady Groves

Obsessed With You - The Orion Experience

Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve - Taylor Swift

Lay All Your Love On Me - Abba

EVIL - Melanie Martinez

I’m Still Standing - Elton John

Using You - Mars Argo

All I Want For Christmas Is You cover - Chase Holfelder

Betty cover - Chase Holfelder

Michelle - Sir Chloe

You Are My Sunshine - Jimmie Davis

The Wolf - SIAMES

Obsession - Animotion

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! - Abba

Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears

The Point of No Return - Phantom of the Opera

You’re the Inspiration - Chicago

I’m Just Ken - Barbie

Don’t You Want Me - The Human League

I Want You (She’s So Heavy) - The Beatles

Sunshine Superman - Donovan

Don’t You Ever Leave Me - Hanoi Rocks

Oh! Darling - The Beatles

[here4kpopfics]

Promises | JJK

Pairing: Jungkook x (f)reader 

Genre: fluff

AU: established relationship

Wordcount: 2.4k

Summary: Jungkook takes you somewhere special for New Year’s Eve. 

Warnings: little bit of language. Pet names (Bug is his name for her) suggestions of smuttiness. Just all around fluffy cuteness that is long overdo for these babies. 

Rating: PG15

AN: I’ve missed my Love Bug couple too much and needed to give them something good to end the year on. And, seeing that they were the first thing I’ve written in over a decade, it’s only fitting we end the year with them. This is based off Twenty-Five Twenty-One, so there's little bits of spoilers for the show in there if you haven't seen it, which I recommend you do. Thank you to @playmetheclassics and @yoon-kooks for betaing/editing/being amazing. Banner and divider by the babes @classicscreations Happy 2023, everyone! Hope it’s a good one. 💜

Series Masterlist | Masterlist | Taglist | AskBox | Coffee?

“Jungkook, where are we going?” Your hands fly up to grab the hands holding a scarf as a makeshift blindfold around your eyes. 

“Trust me, Lovebug.” Your boyfriend giggles as he leads you up a path. 

“Koo, I trust you with every part of my body and soul—”

“Aw, that’s sweet, Bug. I love you too.”

“But I’d like to know where we are because I am freezing cold, and I’m scared I’m going to trip and die before the new year starts.”

Your boyfriend laughs behind you, one hand escaping your grasp to settle on your side. As much as you don’t want to be blinded anymore, your hand quickly moves to keep the blindfold in place to not ruin the surprise . 

“Bug, I’ve got you. You know I’d fight a rock if it scratched your skin.”

“You’d fight The Rock? Damn, that’s some confidence, Koo.” You both snicker like children. His hand on your waist tightens when you lose your balance from laughing. 

“Shut up, smartass.” 

“Language!” you gasp, smacking the hand holding the blindfold.

“That’s rich coming from you, bug.” He quips, kissing the top of your head. 

“Fuck off, you blueberry,” you mumble, making him giggle as he brings you to a stop. 

“Excuse me, we decided it was Kooberry.” He quips back, referring to when you first saw him after he spontaneously colored his hair without telling you. He had only sent you a vague text to pick a color. You immediately called him a Kooberry when he walked in the room, and you both laughed until your stomachs hurt. 

“Not when you’re being a buttface.”

“There’s my Bug with her venomous words.” You grin at his teasing words, loving the small implication about your relationship with him instead of being annoyed. 

When you first started dating, you were quiet, hesitant, afraid of physical affection, and very careful with your words. Jungkook understood all of that was for reasons you wouldn’t share until well into the relationship. A bad ex, family drama, your own self, and more. But he was there to support you as you slowly emerged from your safety bubble, allowing you to be more yourself. Allow yourself to be louder, take risks, let people you love know you love them, state your opinions, and speak freely. 

Sure, your relationship isn’t perfect. Neither is he. Jungkook has his own inner demons, his own real self he had tucked away. So as you started to grow out of your shell and be more yourself, you’d see the same issue in your boyfriend, which led to arguments like the one that solidified your relationship in Yoongi’s studio. 

Every argument had to end with a solution after that. Whether it was one of you admitting defeat, finding a compromise, or getting an outside party (usually your best friend Danny) to decide. And the relationship’s been mostly steady since then. 

“Okay, okay. Are we there yet?” you ask with hesitant enthusiasm. “We haven’t moved, so I assume we are.”

“We are Bug. Ready?” You nod, pulling down the makeshift blindfold when he says so and backs away from you. 

And it’s beautiful. 

A large hill overlooking the brightly lit city covered by the night sky.

A specific city.

 A specific hill. 

You quickly spin around, taking in your surroundings before your eyes land on Jungkook’s nervous ones. 

“You found it?”

It’s one of the special weekends when you and Jungkook have the weekend off entirely. A rare occurrence that results in a Kdrama marathon. First, you sped through The Business Proposal. After was Crash Landing Into You. 

You ended the weekend with your favorite, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One. You’ve watched it so often, with and without Jungkook, that you had certain scenes memorized. 

You’ve made it past episode fourteen. Heart shattered over Yu-Rim and Hee-Do’s conversation about Yu-Rim moving to Russia, Ji-Woong’s confession at the airport, and Yi-Jin betraying his friends for his career. 

You’re now settling into the fifteenth episode, Jungkook curled behind you on the couch, fingers mindlessly tracing along your skin.

Yi-Jin just finished a news report and is fighting through the crowd to find Hee-Do. They escape the crowd, and he brings her to a giant hill overlooking a good portion of Seoul, and they count down to the new year. It is a moment of hope before the rest of the episode destroys you. 

And as you do every time you watch this scene, you curl up as small as you can because it terrifies you how much they love one another, and how in the span of a year, something in that love dies. 

That’s your biggest fear when it comes to Jungkook. You love him. He loves you. It’s a love so strong that it seems unbreakable, but somehow you feel like it could shatter at any second. 

And as if it was practiced repeatedly, Jungkook’s fingers stop trailing your skin, a large tattooed arm snaking its way across your stomach to pull you closer to him. His legs tuck themselves behind yours, your back pressed perfectly against his chest, and his head resting just above yours as he whispers repeatedly in your ear how much he loves you. 

You turn to face him, tucking your face into his shoulder after the two characters get drunk and return to Yi-Jin’s place. Jungkook smiles, knowing exactly what you’re doing, as he manages to grasp the remote that’s almost out of reach and turns the volume down so it can barely be audible. 

“Life is precious. You know that, right? So, while we have the chance, let’s love each other with no regrets.” He quotes the lines perfectly, moving your hair out of the way to reveal a small smile forming across your lips. You both stay still, quietly listening for the scene to play out until it gets to the line you love to hear.

“Don’t pile up all that pain. Cheer up.” 

You look up at him, your heart struggling to beat normally at the view of the man looking down at you right now like you’re his entire world.

“I love you in every way,” you whisper Yi-Jin’s line before Jungkook can, eyes lighting up at his big bunny grin.

“Me too, Bug. Me too.” 

You snuggle in closer, both of you not caring to watch the rest of the episode because it makes you both sad. 

“I wanna go to that spot someday…you think it’s in Seoul?” Your question is somewhat muted by your face being tucked into his neck, but you hear and feel him hum in response. 

“It has to be.” 

“We should go there one day.” 

“Okay. I promise to find it and take you there, Bug.” You hum happily, wiggling closer to him, if that’s even possible, and falling asleep in his arms. 

“Jungkook, where are we?” You don’t miss the grin that flashes across his face.

Like he was expecting you to ask that specific question.

“Somewhere with no people and a great view.” He says the line so calmly that you can barely bring yourself to react the way you want to. Instead, you hop around the natural overlook in excitement. 

“You found it!! How did you find it? Was it hard?”

“Bug, do you know how often different Kdramas use the same filming locations?” 

“Oh? What else was filmed here?” 

“Couldn’t remember if I tried. It all blends together when you’re skimming through show after show to try to pinpoint it.” 

“Wait, how many shows did you go through?!”

“Like ten. But hey, I found it! I promised I would, and I did.” He has such a proud goofy grin that you can’t help but jump into his arms, wrapping your arms around his neck while his wrap around your waist. 

“This is amazing. Thank you, Koo.” You lean in to kiss him, laughing when he starts to sway you back and forth, your feet dangling in the air. 

When he sets you back down, Jungkook’s face changes from the happy and fun-loving one that you know and love to that one expression that makes your heart skip a beat. It’s the same expression he had when you first kissed. The same when you finally slept together. The same expression when he told you he loved you the first time. 

That expression terrifies you. 

You love it. 

It’s the expression you never thought someone would look at you with. 

“What?” You quietly ask, already losing yourself in his eyes. 

“You have no idea how much time I spend thinking about you.”

“Okay, okay. Stop quoting the show.” You smirk, patting his shoulders playfully. But his arms tighten around your waist, bringing you closer. 

“No, but really, Bug. I want to give you the world. And I get that this is still new. But I want you to know you’re it for me. The one I’d marry in a heartbeat the second you say you’re ready.”

You whisper his name softly, the feeling of the wind being knocked out of you becoming too much. 

“I’m not proposing right now, y/n. Don’t worry, Bug.” He laughs softly, a hand coming up to cup your cheek that you immediately lean into.

“I’m just saying, or rather wondering, if in a year…if I bring you back here to this spot…” His free hand reaches down for your hand, thumb running over your ring finger. “If I get down on one knee with that ring I know you’ve been staring at since we started dating, that one with your favorite stone that may or may not already be in our apartment right now. If I did that…what are the chances of you saying yes and making me the luckiest man in the universe?”

It takes you a second to process his words, eyes searching his as you try to convince yourself this isn’t a joke. He’s not lying. He’s completely serious. But as you open your mouth to speak, he’s talking again, words sprinting past his lips. 

“Wait. Before you say anything, I know you’re scared of the endless possibilities of the future and how we can’t predict it. But what I know is that right now, at this moment, you’re the only thing I see when I think about the future. When I think about my job and the opportunities I’m given, I think about you and how to make sure it works for both of us. When I think about family, I think about you and Bam. Every morning I wake up thinking about you and how to make you smile.” He finally takes a breath, smiling at you.

“Okay, now you can answer. Sorry.”

“Jungkook,” you laugh softly, “you are insane.” 

“Guilty.”

“Sometimes, you jump straight into things without thinking. And sometimes you overthink things to the point of thinking the worst is real.”

“And which is it right now?” He asks quietly and nervously. 

You watch him skeptically before giving a slight grin. 

“Both,” you whisper. 

“Koo, you could have asked me yesterday, and I would’ve said yes. You could ask right now, and I’d say yes. Next week? I’ll say yes. Next month? Yes. Three years from now? Hopefully, I’d still say yes.” Your grin grows wider as his eyes light up, nerves evaporating quickly. 

“I meant it when I said it in Yoongi’s studio, Jungkook.”

“A great time, by the way.”

“Shut up.” You glare. Yes, you brought it up first, but every time there’s a mention of having sex in Yoongi’s studio, you want to hide under a rock forever. 

“Sorry.”

“What I was saying is that you’re it for me, too.” Your hand wraps around the back of the one cupping your cheek, the other entwining with his other hand. 

“Yes, I don’t like thinking about the future because it’s so unpredictable. But you have this weird ability to change how I view things. You made me unafraid to be close to someone, emotionally and physically. You make me believe there’s good in the world, that love can last and doesn’t always fail.”

You both sniffle at the same time, laughing at the unintentional synchronization. 

“I love you, Jungkook. I doubt I will ever love anyone more than the way I love you. So yes, if you were to hypothetically bring me back to this hilltop next year and get down on one knee with that ring I’ve been staring at since we first started dating, actually well before we first started dating…” you take a deep breath. “Then I would say yes before you even finish your question.” 

“Yeah?”

His lips meet yours before you can say the word back to him, both hands cupping your cheeks. You let out a small whimper, encouraging him to tilt his head to the side to deepen the kiss. 

When you two start to lose breath, you hear a faint shouting from the city below. You pull away from him, your favorite goofy just kissed smile appearing, and turn around. He grabs the sides of his coat, wrapping you in it with his arms around your waist, keeping you close to his chest as you two join in on the countdown. 

“FIVE!”

“FOUR!”

“THREE!”

“TWO!”

“I love you in every way,” he whispers quietly in your ear. 

“ONE!”

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

You rest your head against his shoulder, letting him lean forward to kiss you into the new year. You jump a little at the sound of the fireworks going off across the city, making you both laugh. 

“Right, Bug. You hate fireworks. Let’s get you home so we can start the new year off right, yeah?” His voice is low, sending a shiver down your spine, and you instantly know what he’s implying. 

“And how should we do that, hmm?” You tease, letting him sway you back and forth in his arms. 

“I have a few ideas…” he gives your neck a small bite, lips following you as you try to pull away with a giggle. 

“Okay, okay, okay. Let’s go, and you can elaborate on these ideas somewhere warm.”

“Like the car?”

“…Okay.” You pull away from his arms, turning towards where you assume you two came from and ignoring his shocked expression. 

“Wait, what? Did you just agree to car sex?” You shrug at his question, skipping away. 

“Hey. ‘New year, new me’, right?” You call back, trying to contain the laughter as he grabs your hand with too much enthusiasm, running back to the car as fast as he can.

[alexturne]

Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner on Sinatra, the tao of Natalie Imbruglia's 'Torn,' and the songs that make him cry (Entertainment Weekly)

On the eve of their new album, The Car, the Britpop giants' frontman shares the soundtrack of his life.

By Leah Greenblatt, October 19, 2022 at 03:00 PM EDT

Soundtrack of My Life is a recurring column in which musicians recall their favorite songs, artists, and albums.

Seated in a shabby-chic hotel lounge on a blazing September day in New York City, Alex Turner looks like the timeless picture of a louche, untouchable rock star: slick swoop of chestnut hair, fine gold chain glimmering on his neck, indefinable swagger. Even his late-summer sweater, some kind of gossamer knit rendered in the rich sea-foam green of Pantone swatches or private Aegean islands, looks both expensive and effortless.

But the frontman of arguably one of the biggest bands of this millennium is endearingly uncool when it comes to showing up for the assignment — in this case a look back at the songs and artists who shaped him as a boy growing up in Sheffield, England, the only child of two secondary school teachers. "I was racking me brain for this," he admits in his undimmed Northern accent, holding up a little piece of paper covered in hand-scratched recollections. (Mistaking the hotel lunch menu for his notes at one point, he even cracks a self-deprecating joke; Tuscan kale, he knows, is not quite the answer we came for.)

Turner's deep-dive instincts and attention to detail track in his songwriting — bracing, immersive tales of late-night longings and intergalactic space stations, rendered in grand Cinemascope — and in the electric headlining sets the Arctic Monkeys have become known for, after 15-plus years of live shows and more than 25 million albums sold. In advance of their seventh studio release, The Car, the 36-year-old singer dug deep into memories of the Beach Boys, Natalie Imbruglia, and the stuff that middle-school crushes are made of.

My first musical memory

"It's always about being in the back of the car at that age, isn't it? There's a lot of things from that [era] I remember. Pet Sounds, certainly. The Carpenters. In me dad's car, less so with my mom at the wheel, there'd be a lot of Sinatra as well... My dad was a science teacher when I was born, but around that time he stopped teaching physics and started teaching music instead. He played in swing bands and stuff, so that was his thing. And the song I remember asking him to play when I was really little was Sinatra doing this song about how 'there's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil.' What always impresses me is the way Sinatra delivers the vocal, the timing of it all. And with the Beach Boys, too, there's something involuntary about the reaction, hearing those harmonies. It's magic. I mean even the name of it, Pet Sounds, and the sleeve, I think is kind of mad. Them feeding the animals on the cover? Now you can't think of those two words without thinking about all the harmony and the imagination that's in there."

My first time performing in public

"I didn't start playing guitar till much later. I used to go for piano for lessons once a week from about 8 years old. But I wouldn't say I really took to it. I don't think they were thinking, 'That's it, we found the thing! Here he is.'" [Laughs]

In high school you had to pick music, art, or drama, and I went for the drama, funnily enough. I don't think I particularly excelled in dramatics. But I remember in primary school, me first big moment on stage was when I was given the job of the narrating donkey for the nativity play. I mean, it was a lot of responsibility at that age to be given the job as narrator. They were like, 'But there's a catch: You're the donkey.' I was like, 'All right, well, I'll take it.' Matthew [Helder], our drummer, in fact, was also in that production. He might have had a more senior role. But his mom found some footage from it, which hopefully is under lock and key somewhere. [Laughs] Yeah, you'd need a retina scan to get into that vault."

The first album I bought with my own money

"I think it was probably the third Oasis record, Be Here Now. I was too young for the one before that [(What's the Story) Morning Glory?], though I do remember being aware of it. You used to always be able to get records in the supermarket, so I'd be in the store with me mom, and you might go around to that section and be like, 'What's all this?'

The first single I can remember buying is 'Torn' by Natalie Imbruglia, but it wasn't with my own money. No, wait, I might have done — I might have mowed the grass to get 'Torn.'" [Laughs]

My first concert

"I remember getting the train to Manchester to see the Vines in October 2002. It was me, Matthew, Nick [O'Malley, the band's bassist], and another friend of ours. I mean, funny that three out of the four of what became the Arctic Monkeys lineup were there. It wasn't usually like that. I saw that other friend a couple of weeks ago, actually, and we still talk about it now, getting the train in the morning, going right up to the front. And all the opening acts — this band called the Bandits and this band called Nada Surf. 

That was really the start. We were going to shows whenever we could after that. We'd just started playing together that summer, in me parents' garage. We'd be trying to play 'Get Free' by the Vines. And the Datsuns — they had a song called 'Harmonic Generator,' and we used to do a cover of that. I'm sad that I missed [seeing] the Strokes in Sheffield for Is This It, though. I was a little bit late to the party there."

The song that reminds me of my first crush

"This is one of those things you're always supposed to remember fondly, isn't it? Sadly, I was sort of struggling to pin it down. But there's someone called Andreas Johnson, and the song was called 'Glorious.' It was on the radio a lot at the time. It had this big guitar and orchestra parts; it's hard to describe. And also maybe the song 'Crush.' I mean, it's a little too on the nose possibly, but the artist is Jennifer Page. Yeah, I may have listened to it yesterday — there was a line it in that made me smile.

I can't remember really talking to anyone about music at that time. A few years later I probably wouldn't shut up about it. I do remember we'd have these dances every now and again at school, and there used to be this one called the Snow Ball or something where two people would stand in the middle and were supposed to dance, but they didn't. So there'd be like a girl and a guy holding hands, but as far away as possible, and then the song would stop and they'd go and get another two people, and this sort of really uncomfortable line would form. I hadn't thought about that for a really long time."

The first song I ever wrote

"There's one that springs to mind, but it's a melody rather than the words. I had a dictaphone — you know the one where you have the little cassette inside — and I found that again recently, a few little scraps of ideas. Do I have songs that haven't found their way into things yet? Definitely. There's one that's tried to get on a couple of records and didn't make it, and it's probably coming up on 10 years old now.

One of my favorite songs ever is 'The Beast in Me' by Nick Lowe. A friend of mine was lucky enough to bump into him on vacation and he asked him about it then, and apparently he said that was [a song] for him that was sticking around for ages. So hopefully I'll find a way to get some of [my own] out there at some point."

The songs that make me cry

"'Les Choses de la Vie' by Philippe Sarde is from the movie of the same title — it's the main theme. It does a pretty good job of stirring up emotions without getting anywhere near words, which is something I'm becoming more interested in as time goes by. That's a beautiful piece of music.

And 'Where Did Everybody Go?' from Nat King Cole has incredible, incredible vocals. The way it's laid out, it's got this introduction and this sweeping instrumental section that segues it into another song almost. It's a really simple, straightforward set of words, just done in an excellent way."

The song people might not expect me to love

"I think George Michael's song 'Outside' is brilliant. I remember saying how good I thought it was, and somebody was maybe surprised. Just melodically, that bit in the chorus, 'I know you want to, but you can't say yes'? It's pretty exciting."

The musical moment I wish I had a time machine for

"The Last Waltz with the Band and Dr. John and everyone, that would have been an interesting night. Unique. I'm a big fan of that movie and the performances.

There's a live album with Sinatra at the Sands that is a favorite of mine that I feel would be an interesting show to be at in a different way. There's this song on there, 'Don't Worry 'Bout Me,' that he introduces by saying he thinks it's one of the best standards. There's a bit where the band is just ripping, and he sings this note that sort of slides up. I don't know what it is — it's a dolphin thing, it's a quack. And the way he makes his way through it? Beautiful."

The song I want played at my funeral

"I was talking about this with the guys in the band, and 'Dance Commander' by Electric Six is the one that sticks. We're kind of back in that 2002 region again, aren't we? But the lyrics on some of that shit are brilliant. Depends what kind of funeral you want, I guess." [Laughs]

Arctic Monkeys' new album, The Car, is out Friday.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

[cafemilk-tea]

The Puppy Interview

➙ taglist: @justmochi @ateezjuliet @itzy-eve @billboard-singer @cosmicwintr @kimhyejin3108

“Puppies!,” Evelyn clapped her hands excitedly as the door to the studio opened and in came 4 overexcited puppies racing toward the five members, “They’re so full of energy.”

“They’re so excited,” Seokmin commented as the puppies raced back and forth.

“They remind me of us when we were younger and always running around and playing.”

The brown and white spotted puppy raced right toward Evelyn, jumping from her lap to the floor and back again, playing with the tan puppy.

MBTI is currently trending in Korea right now, but how much do you know about your astrology charts?

“During free time at school, my friends and I would sit around and read each other’s charts and see how accurate they were,” Evelyn reached her hand out to tap on the floor to get the puppies attention, “We actually got in trouble once because we were too invested in the charts and we missed a part of the next class.”

“Ah you were a rebel,” Dino chuckled, throwing a toy for the puppies to chase.

“Not always!”

What is your love language?

“I love giving people gifts. Whether it be something small like a snack while I’m out or giving them flowers when they’ve accomplished something, seeing their reactions afterwards makes me so happy.”

What’s the funniest SVT meme you’ve seen posted by carats on the internet?

“I like the ones where Mingyu stretches his arms back but in reality he was flexing his arms on how big they were.” Evelyn giggled as the other members laughed along with her, Mingyu turning towards the camera in confusion.

“He does it on purpose too!” Seokmin grabbed at Evelyn’s shoulder when Mingyu started convincing the camera that he doesn’t.

What would you want people to think of when they hear “SEVENTEEN” 100 years from now?

“Our bond with each other and carats,” Evelyn smiled, petting one of the black and white puppies, “I think it’s a really special and unique bond that we all share. We have that trust and we understand each other.”

What would you name these puppies?

“Evie, what do you think?” Mingyu nudged her, pulling her back into reality. She was too focused on receiving puppy kisses that she hadn’t really heard the question to begin with.

“I like those names!”

“Eyy you weren’t even paying attention,” Seokmin, smiling that he caught her in a lie.

If you were a dog, what breed would you be?

“I think I’d be a Golden Retriever! They’re super friendly with everyone.”

“They are a loyal and trustworthy breed too,” Minghao nodded along with Evelyn.

Before he could continue, one of the puppies decided to start barking. At the same time Evelyn and Minghao barked back causing them both to burst out into fits of giggles when the puppy barked back at them as if they had understood.

If you could speak to your teenage self, what would you say?

“It might be hard and you want to give up now but don’t give up hope. Good things will come your way and to just give it time,” Evelyn flattened herself to the floor to be on the puppies level. She was rushed by two of them licking all over her face and she instantly regretted ever laying down.

Every member seems to be working out quite often. What’s a must-have song for the gym playlist?

“I don’t typically listen to music that much, but when I do it’s usually just one of our faster pace songs. They always put me in a good rhythm.” Evelyn leaned her face down to pretend she was tugging on the toy with the white and brown puppy.

“One time when we went together, Evelyn turned on ‘HIT’ and was walking in time with the beats on the treadmill,” Chan let the puppy he was petting go as they raced off to be with the others, “I was think wow she is really cool with not tripping and keeping the beat going since it’s a really intense song.”

What are some songs from your older discography that you think newer Carats should listen to?

“Don’t Wanna Cry and Pretty U are good! I would also recommend Campfire! It’s a nice song to turn on when you just want to relax.

Minghao reached over and grabbed Evelyn’s arm, forcing her to look at what he was freaking out over. One of the puppies needed an urgent bathroom break and went on the floor. All of the boys screeched when all of the puppies decided to go investigate and walk over the pile. Evelyn became their shield as Minghao, Seokmin, and Mingyu forced their way behind her.

“Guys, don’t step in it!,” Evelyn reached forward to pull the puppies away from the pee spots, “They’re definitely going to need a bath after this.”

If you could only do Dark or Cute concepts for the rest of your career, which would you choose?

“I’ve always loved our cute concepts, they’re so refreshing and bright!” Evelyn threw the bone toy, giggling as two of the puppies tackled it.

The brown and white puppy picked it up and dragged it back over to her, causing her to squeal over her cuteness.

What phone app do you use the most?

“I use YouTube the most,” The others nodding along as Evelyn spoke, “One of my favorite things to watch is Carat’s videos of our funny moments. Whenever I’m not having a good day, I always turn to those kinds of videos because not only are they of us but Carats made them, so they make me happy.”

Out of the foods you’ve tried so far while on tour, which one would you choose as your favorite?

“That steakhouse we went to was phenomenal,” Evelyn agreed with Seokmin and Chan, rolling one of the puppies over to rub at her stomach.

“I could eat there multiple times and not get bored.”

You have to form a new unit! Who would you choose and what would you call it?

“What if we made a sub-unit with the five of us?” Seokmin suggested, looking around at all of the members.

Dino nodded in agreement, turning to watch the puppies, “That would be cool!”

“Go ahead and name us,” Evelyn smiled at him.

“We are ‘Buzzfeed and Time Square’,” Seokmin was confident, feeling instant regret at everyone’s disgusted faces. He laughed awkwardly, slowly falling backwards out of embarrassment.

“Okay, it’ll just be the four of us,” Evelyn smirked, trying her best to hold it together but failing as Mingyu leaned on her as his laugh echoed.

Do you have any personal goals unrelated to SEVENTEEN?

“I’m with DK, there’s so many places we haven’t visited yet in the states that I think it would be fun to stay in each state and explore the area and go sightseeing.” Evelyn watched as the puppies were getting rowdy, running back and forth in front of them. She couldn’t help but to play with them when they stopped in front of Mingyu, clearly wanting attention.

“So you step in your own poop then step on me? On me?” He matched their every, grabbing Evelyn’s hand and shaking it, “Evie is sitting right here, yet you want to walk all over me?”

“Of course! As the puppy man, they want to be with their fellow kind.”

Carats have been getting creative with their concert signs. Are there any signs that stood out that you still remember?

“There was a sign all the way up on the 3rd floor that had my name on it, but it was glowing and even all the way down on the stage, I could still see it.” Evelyn looked over to Chan as he began to speak.

“Can you even see that far away?” His eyes grew wide that she could even see it with her bad eyesight.

“It was bright enough that I could make out what it was.”

What was the most difficult situation you faced during your debut?

“I joined much later than the other members, and I was always nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them or that I wasn't a good enough fit for the group. Especially with being the only girl in the group, I didn’t want people thinking I would slow their progress. So I definitely felt huge pressure to not let anyone down, the guys especially.” Evelyn welcomed the brown and white puppy as she climbed into her lap, settling down to watch the other three run around.

She pouted when she realized the puppy had fallen asleep, slowly raising her arm up to grab the other members' attention.

“You were quick to pick up though, don’t be hard on yourself,” Minghao reached his hand across to pet gently at the sleeping puppy.

“Yeah, you blended in so well it was like you had been with us the entire time,” Seokmin smiled at her with Chan nodding in agreement.

“Wah, Evie is so cool,” Mingyu pinched at her cheek, eyes sparkling.

Which Kpop group would you want to see do the puppy interview next?

“Our other members! I think it would be fun to have everyone here!” Evelyn looked down at the puppy waking up from her quick nap, wanting to jump back into playing like she hadn’t stopped at all.

“We have a lot of dog lovers!” Dino nodded.

“Or even let the members who are cat lovers come play with the kittens!,” Evelyn scratched behind the puppy’s ear that was closest to her, “That would also be a lot of fun!”

~

Once the camera’s cut off, the members were allowed a little extra time to be with the puppies before the end of their schedule.

“I’m gonna take this one home,” Evelyn pouted, holding the brown and white puppy in her arms, “I’m gonna miss hanging out with you and your friends, but I hope you get adopted into a good home.”

“I take it you want your own,” Seokmin rubbed the back of the tan puppy, watching as he ran after one of the toys Chan had thrown.

“Really badly,” Evelyn let the puppy go as she started to squirm, “I just haven’t had time to start looking.”

“I’m sure when the time is right you’ll find the right puppy!” Minghao spoke, reaching over to tap Evelyn on the knee.

[lunarheslwt]

Hi! I'm back with the first 28th appreciation fic recs of the year! I wanted to put together all the fics I've read and loved over January for this month's 28th appreciation, so here they are! Click on the links for full tags and summaries. If you read any of these make sure to show the authors some love by leaving kudos and comments!

🌿Is it a sign? by @greenblueish

(25k | E | deaf character au)

the one where Harry meets a certain handsome alpha at his sister's wedding and learns that speaking verbally doesn't have to be the only means of communication.

Thoughts: incredibly sweet, a perfect light and easy read, the way they connect in this story just feels so real and so wonderful!

🌿Stroke of twelve by @larry-hiatus

(2k | E | new years eve pwp)

He was close, he was so close, and he knew it was much too soon; the countdown to midnight hadn’t even begun yet.

Or the one where Louis wants Harry to hold off his orgasm so they can come together at the stroke of twelve on New Year’s Eve.

Thoughts: so bloody hot, top notch desperation, for some reason I was holding my breath till the countdown hit one which really says something

🌿Whoever, however by @brooklyn-babylon / @twopoppies

(8k | E | amateur porn filming au)

Louis could feel his heart rate pick up as he positioned the camera and Harry slowly stood up. They both knew what came next –– it had been clearly outlined in the advert Harry answered. The studio Louis worked for was filming a new series of camboy videos. Louis’ job was to make it look like amateur porn –– sweaty, sensual, dirty –– but well lit and edited. He was an artist, thank you very much.

—-

Or: Louis has a much better day at work than he’d expected.

Thoughts: incredibly hot, desperate Harry is so >>>> the descriptions in this are amazing, I just love the idea so much. The visuals!!

🌿Pretty miscalculations by @hellolovers13

(5k | E | Dom/sub pwp)

After rudely interrupting Louis’ Christmas shopping, Louis offers Harry a choice and an opportunity to try out his new purchases.

Thoughts: so hot, love how caring L is yet willing to push Harry a lil, how sweet and shy Harry is, I'd read more in this universe any day

🌿Take care by @sun-lt

(4k | M | service top L)

“What do you want, then, beautiful?” It’s a silly, cheesy pet name, but it feels so very true when Louis says it. He hopes Harry knows that he means it, that he means every pet name he’s ever called Harry. Doll, beautiful, love, baby.

“Want you to take care of me,” Harry repeats.

_

Or, Harry’s exhausted and needy and Louis loves him entirely too much to ever say no.

Thoughts: the softest thing I've ever read, incredibly comforting, tender and so so lovely pls go read!

🌿in the pub that we met he’s got his arms around you by @onlythebravest

(13k | T | best friends to lovers au)

Harry's best friend Louis comes to visit him where he attends uni, meets Harry's friends, who point out that they don't know what platonic means.

Thoughts: comfort read!! Incredibly soft, realistic friendship dynamics, 10/10 read if you're touch deprived tbh these are very soft boys and a very soft story

🌿Sweaty palms and racing hearts by @onlythebravest

(1k | G | first date au)

A short story of two shy, nervous and blushing boys on a date at the cinema

Thoughts: so pure, so sweet, these shy boys have my heart, the author writes fluff in the softest ways

🌿Printed against the sky by @larrysballetslippers

(4k | M | non sexual age play, canon compliant)

after some intense weeks of promo, Harry really wants his daddy. Louis happily fulfils his needs, but it wasn't the best day to do so.

Thoughts: everything she writes is gold, this is so pure, and so very sweet

🌿Lust for life by @maroonmoonlouis

(32k | E | 1970s Hollywood starlet au)

or the 1970s au where the pressure of being an aging starlet begins to weigh heavy on Harry's heart before he meets Louis

Thoughts: a gem!! Very much sucks you into the era and story, so much preciousness in this little beauty!

🌿Bless you! by @neondiamond

(2k | G | kid fic au)

Harry and Louis’ young daughter, Ava, really enjoys when Harry says ‘bless you’ after she sneezes.

Thoughts: the most precious little fic ever, so so so sweet and it made me smile bless

🌿All the lights are sparkling for you, it seems by @thebreadvansstuff

(3k | T | disaster birthday au)

Harry is determined to make Louis' birthday count, but his plans turn into a fiasco.

Thoughts: so fucking precious, I could hug Harry in this, sweet and funny

🌿the prettiest customer (and the cutest barista) by @onlythebravest

(1k | G | awkward coffee shop flirting)

Louis is the pretty customer that comes in and orders hot chocolate while Harry is the cute barista that takes his order.

Thoughts: so very precious, awkward shy Harry has my whole heart, the cutest lil thing you'll ever read

🌿Leather over lace by @larry-hiatus

(4k | E | pwp)

Harry wasn’t planning for his trousers to rip on stage. He also wasn’t planning for everyone to see his lace knickers when it happened. But what he really wasn’t planning on was his boyfriend punishing him for it.

Thoughts: so fucking hot. Begging y'all to go read it. Em deserves so much credit for how quick this was and how unbelievably good it was.

I probably would've read way more too but the second half of that month had me using all my free time to finish up my own fic. But anyways if you check these out please show the writers some love. @ writers: kisses for y'all bc I appreciate you and your work sm 💗

[artfromthebeginning]

Art From The Beginning ❤️

Hi! My name is Eve and this is my small art business, Art From The Beginning! I primarily sell custom pet portraits, but I’m working to release more original paintings as well. I’ll be working to upload my portfolio over the month, but if you’re interested in seeing more of my work then pls follow me on Instagram or Facebook @art_from_thebeginning!

Lots of love from the studio of Art From The Beginning! ❤️

[qnewslgbtiqa]

Pet Shop Boys planning first Australian tour in years

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/pet-shop-boys-plan-first-australian-tour-in-a-decade/

Pet Shop Boys planning first Australian tour in years

British music icons the Pet Shop Boys have shared that they’re planning an Australia tour – hopefully – for next year.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe went on The Project to talk about new album Nonetheless, their 15th studio album, out today.

Neil said, “We’re planning to do a tour in Australia. I think maybe next year.”

But he quickly added, ‘What I should say is we’re in discussion about coming to Australia next year.”

The Pet Shop Boys have been touring their Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live tour around Europe.

The concert was also filmed and released in cinemas globally – including Australia – earlier in the year.

Neil and Chris haven’t performed in Australia since 2014. They performed a pair of shows at Carriageworks during that year’s Vivid Sydney event.

Their last full-scale tour was in 1994. The boys returned for a festival in 2007 and a Sydney New Year’s Eve show in 2011.

The @petshopboys may be international superstars, but they still have time for Aussie TV, and they tell us why they love Ja’Mie from Summer Heights High. pic.twitter.com/JZsWY4bLxh

— The Project (@theprojecttv) April 25, 2024

Pet Shop Boys on Troye Sivan and All of Us Strangers

Elsewhere in the interview, the Pet Shop Boys also gave a big shoutout to Aussie singer-songwriter Troye Sivan.

“I really like his album [Something To Give Each Other],” Neil told The Project.

“Last year, it was the pop album I listened to most.”

The boys also gave their thoughts on two high-profile projects that have used their music recently.

Andrew Haigh’s tearjerking All of Us Strangers and Emerald Fennell’s wild Saltburn both use Pet Shop Boys songs in pivotal scenes.

“There’s a sort of tradition with us – which these two films aren’t in, happily – where a director will want to use It’s A Sin to establish you’re in a gay club in America in the late 80s. It’s a bit corny, that, and reductive maybe.

“In Saltburn, they sing Rent and it’s part of the plot.

“In All Of Us Strangers, [Andrew Scott’s character] is with his family. It’s Christmas 1987 and Always On My Mind is number one and we’re even on the television in the scene.

“It’s an incredible moment of togetherness for them, and it’s a great use of the two songs in both films.”

Neil also said All of Us Strangers director Andrew Haigh would direct their next music video.

“The visuals on that are going to be incredible,” he said.

Pet Shop Boys’ new album Nonetheless

Pet Shop Boys’ new album Nonetheless follows their 2020 album, Hotspot. The new record is the boys’ first after returning to their ‘80s-era label Parlophone.

“We wanted this album to be a celebration of the unique and diverse emotions that make us human,” Neil and Chris explain.

“From the more dance-orientated tracks to the raw poignancy of the introspective ballads, with their beautiful string arrangements, each track tells a story and contributes to the overall narrative of the album.”

“It was great to work with James Ford, who we think has brought new elements to our music.

“James has dared to make us a bit more minimal at times and the final result is a record we’re very proud of.”

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Niceness Test

Book: Desire & Decorum Pairing: Prince Hamid x MC (Daphne) Rating: T Word count: 9481 Reading time: ~38min (… 🫣) Summary: After receiving a box of childhood treasures, Daphne is challenged to prove she still would make it to Santa's nice list. Author’s notes:

Daphne Wang, Kyle and Stacy Evigan are creations of this author. The others characters are owned by Pixelberry Studios;

Yes, it's a Christmas fic. In May. I started writing this in December to answer @missameliep's ask and it became this monster of a fic with mini stories in it. Sorry not sorry;

No fictional kids nor fishes were harmed in this piece. Daphne and Briar just have a very "peculiar" sense of humor 😅

Warning: This piece contains brief mentions of adult material (alcohol abuse, solvent intoxication). Reader discretion is advised.

Ithaca (NY), first week of December 2022

Loud barks echoed from the lounge whilst Daphne set up the dining table for dinner. As she caught the sight of Maya running through the hallway, the front door opened. Once Hamid's laughter reverberated through the walls, it wasn't hard for her to guess what happened. Maya probably rushed to climb on him whilst Drake threw himself at Hamid's feet and his entire chubby body shook in excitement. Their pets were always happier when Hamid was home. A sentiment she wholeheartedly shared with them.

"Aşkım?"

"Just a second!" She answered and continued to fold the napkins.

But before she could finish it, she yelped as warm lips brushed against her neck.

"How dare you deny me my welcome home kiss, Miss Wang?" Hamid murmured against her skin.

"I wasn't denying you a kiss..." She spun around to give him a peck. "I was postponing it."

"And I hope you have a plausable reason for this."

"I do."

The lady pointed to the green napkins on the plates.

"You and the napkin foldings again..." He tsked.

"Hamidciğim, we're hosting our first Christmas Eve supper in three weeks! I have to prepare myself for it."

"By folding napkins into layered triangles?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen to wash his hands.

"It's a Christmas tree!" She protested.

"Is it?"

When Hamid returned to the dining room, she placed a small shiny star on top of every napkin folded into Christmas trees.

"Oh..." He nodded, admiring her handiwork. "I see it now. Nice touch."

"Thank you."

"But are we expecting guests or can we eat now? I smelled spicy chicken pad thai the minute I walked in." He pouted.

"You can eat, silly... I was just practicing folding the napkins while waiting for you."

"Thank you, my dove." He placed a kiss on her cheek and took a seat on the table. "You got a package from Mrs. Daly," he prompted.

"Finally!" She grinned and rushed to the lounge to search for the package. Daphne rarely could contain her curiosity about any mail they received, even if she didn't know the content. Once she found the package, the lady then opened a drawer to find anything sharp to cut the packaging open.

"Aşkım, can't you open it after dinner?"

"You know I can't wait," she replied as the letter opener cut through the brown sealing tape.

"But I'm starving!"

She giggled. Hamid never hid from her how much he disliked having meals by himself and she found it adorable that even their pets obliged to his request. Grabbing the package, she returned to the dining room, where Hamid and their pets had already started their meals.

"You didn't need me here." She pursed her lips.

"I beg to differ," he said with a wink. "What's in there?"

"I don't know. I just cut the tape. Give me a second."

Her lips curled upwards as she looked through the content of the package.

"Oh, man..." Her eyes gleamed as she picked up a rag doll wearing a traditional hanfu dress and hugged it. After unfolding a letter that was on top of the doll, she began to read it.

Edgewater, November 22, 2022.

Dear Daphne,

I hope all is well with you and Hamid. Do you remember that when we moved here, you accidentally ended up with my box of kitchen utensils and losing one of your boxes? Well, whilst cleaning the attic last week, I found this box among a few untouched ones that I believed it was Briar's old clothes and decided to send it to you. I'm happy to have found your missing box and, hopefully, its content will bring you as much joy as it used to when you were a kid.

Love, Pavarti Daly.

His brows shot up in surprise. "Is it the box you thought was lost for good when you moved to the UK?"

"Yeah..." Daphne croaked whilst she produced dusty sketchbooks and old opera playbills from inside of a pocket worn out Pucca backpack.

Hamid then sauntered over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Are you okay?"

"Mmhmm..." She sighed, returning the hug. "I thought you were starving."

"I am, but I can wait."

"Thank you… I needed this," she murmured, pressing her head against his chest.

"I had a feeling you did," he said, kissing her temple before looking down at the box. "Is that a Hello Kitty cellphone?"

"Yeah..." She then reached for the mobile and opened one side of the cat shaped device to inspect it. "How did you know?"

"Malak had one of these. This thing has the most annoying ringtones..." He made a face.

"They weren't annoying."

"If you were raised with Edmund and Harry, they certainly would've sided with me."

She playfully elbowed him, making him chuckle.

"Just so you know, I'm very attached to it."

"Why?"

Her thumb brushed against the mobile buttons. "This was my first phone. It was the first Christmas gift dad gave me. Mum didn't approve of it in the beginning. 'What would a twelve year old do with a cellphone?'" Her nostrils flared and lips twisted in scowl as she mimicked Mary's voice. "But dad said he needed a special line so he could talk to his favourite girl in the world. I was over the moon when he said that. And though mum set a bunch of rules for me to use it, she let me keep it."

"Vay, vay, vay...¹" Hamid marvelled. "Convincing your mother into accepting the phone is one thing. But winning his daughter's and former wife's hearts with one single line? Lord Vincent never ceases to amaze me."

"I know, right?" Daphne beamed. "I used that phone for years until dad bought me the Sailor Moon smartphone."

"The one that came with a selfie stick as shaped as Princess Serenity's wand you still have."

"The very same. But when I inherited my father's title, Lady Grandmother gave me an iPhone and said an accomplished lady should leave these childish things behind." Daphne looked down at the box and fiddled with the glittery wings of a fairy Barbie.

"I wonder how Lady Dominique would feel about the fact that I often make video conferences in an office cramped with action figures we use as bookshelf holders."

She giggled.

"What else did you get in there?"

"Curious, aren't we?"

"How can I not be? Look at this!" He picked up a photograph of two year old Daphne beaming as she wore a traditional qipao dress for lunar new year.

"Oh, I remember this! I still lived in Shanghai when mum took it. I think we were at a temple fair…” She said, analyzing the picture more thoroughly. “I haven't seen this picture in years!"

"One more reason we should keep looking. By the way, this is mine now," he declared, taking the photo frame back.

"Hamid!"

"Consider it my Christmas gift this year."

"But I already bought you a gift!"

“My dove, you have to stop spoiling me on Christmas…” He joked.

“I don’t! You keep confiscating things from me and then saying it’s your Christmas gift!”

“Lies…”

Daphne shook her head and continued to rummage through the box.

"Anything interesting?"

"Not exactly..." she answered, glancing at worn out Coney Island souvenirs, old movie tickets and dusty sketchbooks. "I'll probably throw some of these out though."

"Why?"

"Because they're old and dirty."

"You never throw away sketchbooks."

"But I have to see if they're in good condition or not. "

She grabbed a dirty teddy bear with a paw and an ear missing.

Hamid immediately sneezed.

"I guess some of these aren't worth keeping. Gesundheit," she said, offering him a spare napkin.

"Thank you. Aşkım, you don't have to throw it out. We can get it cleaned."

"It has parts missing. If we throw it in the washing machine or send it somewhere to clean up, the remaining parts might fall off."

Hamid looked at the worn out and dirty teddy bear. "Are you sure? You've been missing the content of this box for so long."

"It's just an old toy. I'll survive without it."

As Daphne continued to see the content of the box, Hamid's eyes landed a small bundle of notes tied by a red string.

"What are those?"

Daphne reached for the small pile of notes when it suddenly hit her. "Old Christmas wish lists."

"Christmas wish lists?" Hamid's brows knitted together. "I thought kids could only ask for one gift."

"No, you can make a list with everything you want and put it in the letter. But mum never let me ask for more than three gifts. She used to say Santa can't carry a full bag just with gifts for me. Most grownups, including both of my grandmothers, praised mum for it. They used to say it was a smart way to teach me about thinking of others and not becoming selfish."

"I wouldn't have expected anything less from Mrs. Wang." Hamid smiled fondly. "So are these?"

"Draft lists. I made one every year and mum helped me choose three gifts and write the letters."

His brows shot up in surprise. "How old were you when you started doing wishlists?"

"Hm..." She squinted her eyes in deep thought. "Five or six, I think... I used to see mum making lists for everything we bought."

"Everything?"

"Yeah… She made these huge lists when we went shopping for clothes, or to buy the stuff she needed to customise any of her costumes or our clothes to make them cooler. It looked fun."

“Has anyone told you you’re adorable?”

"You do every time I do something you find funny or weird."

The couple shared a knowing smile.

"May I?" Hamid pointed to the bundles of notes.

“Sure.”

He then unfolded the paper and cleared his throat. "2003 list — Great year to start, by the way — Staedtler colour pastel pencils, Strathmore 400 Series watercolor pad, Powerpuff Girls dolls, Totally Spies board game... You were very thorough about this."

"Of course. I couldn’t learn how to use watercolour paint or markers if Santa got me the wrong kind of paper."

"Fair point." Hamid grinned and looked at another list. "Ohuhu Fine Line drawing pen, Barbie Fairytopia, Polaroid camera, Pucca backpack... It seems like you got a lot of those gifts," he commented, glancing at the box.

"Good kids usually do," she answered with a complacent grin.

"Oh, look who's being a smug..." He teased, nudging her playfully. "I doubt Santa would see it as a quality good kids must have."

"First of all, smugness won't make anyone end up on Santa's naughty list. And secondly, Santa isn't real, so—"

"What?!" Hamid mockingly gasped. "Santa isn't real?!"

She pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile.

"How could you let me believe in this nice old man that comes to our house all these years to bring gifts? Why do you insist on celebrating Christmas then?" He gesticulated profusely as he spoke, pretending to be offended.

The lady folded her arms. "Are you done?"

"Oh, the betrayal! The lies! You..." He made a dramatic pause, pointing his index finger to her, then placing a hand on his chest. "You lied to me, aşkım."

She slapped his arm playfully. "Get over yourself and go eat your chicken before Maya does."

Hamid then turned to the table, where their cat calmly approached his plate.

"Maya, no!"

He grabbed the cat as she yowled in protest.

"Allah, Allah… What's with you and spicy food, huh?"

Whilst Hamid and Maya seemed to be in a heated argument, Daphne giggled, petted her pug (who ate his food oblivious to everything else), and took a place on the table to make herself a plate.

Once the cat was back on the floor Hamid spoke again. "You didn't tell me how you found out Santa wasn't real."

"The flat we lived in when I was ten had central heating and no chimney. I got curious about how Santa would get in."

"Of course you did." He grinned. "What did Mrs. Wang say?"

"Mum said he'd just get in through the window. So I decided to hide behind the sofa and wait for Santa to open the window for him. Later that night, I saw mum placing the gifts under the tree and putting the cookies we left for Santa earlier back in the cookie jar."

"Aw... How upset were you?"

"On a scale of one to ten? I'd say nine."

"Yikes!"

"Once mum explained the history of Saint Nicholas, I was okay with it. And it started to make sense why she never let me ask for a unicorn."

Hamid cackled. "Well, it also explains why you were always on the nice list."

"Hey!" She frowned. "I deserved to be on the nice list. I was a good girl back then! I still am!"

"Is that so?" A corner of his mouth lifted. "Do you mind if I put your level of niceness to a test?"

"How do you plan to do that?"

"Oh, that's easy." Hamid reached for his phone on the side table, typed something then showed the screen to her.

"How to be on Santa's nice list?"

"There's no better way to figure out than using Santa's parameters of niceness."

"Very well." She squared her shoulders and lifted up her chin. "I'm positively sure I'll crush it, but if you insist."

Hamid arched an eyebrow and chuckled before turning his attention back to the list on the phone. "Number one: leave milk and cookies for Santa."

"That's the first one?"

"And you're already failing it since you don't do it anymore."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"I don't make the rules." He raised his hands in defence. "It's a tradition of your culture. And you're not starting off so well, aşkım."

She folded her arms. "That's just one item. Go on."

"Number two: give your friends and family presents — yes; number three: do your homework — always; number four: be a good friend — absolutely, you're the best."

"Aw... thank you!"

"Of course." He winked and continued. "number five: do good deeds for your neighbours and community — Hm..." He scratched his stubble pretending to be in deep thought.

"What? I am a good neighbor!"

"Do you think our building manager would agree with that?"

August 2022

"You've got to be kidding me..." Daphne's nostrils flared as she approached the refreshments tables.

"My dove, settle down..." Hamid wrapped an arm around her as he tried to reason. "Nothing is going to happen. It doesn't matter if the majority of the residents and tenants don't have or want pets. Our building was already pet friendly before Mrs. Evigan moved in and it's illegal to forbid any of us to have pets."

"Then what's the purpose of this poll anyway?"

"She wants to reduce the noise in the building at night to a minimum and wants to know how many residents have pets," the building concierge, Mr. Carson, said whilst he poured himself some coffee.

"But all pets here are neutered and most of them are well behaved," Briar mentioned.

"That little spawn of Satan she gave birth to is much louder and causes way more trouble in here than all the pets of the building combined." Daphne fumed.

Whilst the concierge, Briar and a few neighbors close to them chuckled, Hamid gave his partner a look.

"It's true and you know it," Daphne affirmed.

"I think it's because of Mrs. Tilbury's dog howling," their next neighbor Kyle mentioned.

"But it's so unfair. Mrs. Tilbury passed away a week ago. The poor dog missed his owner." Briar frowned.

"The dog is not even here anymore. Her relatives took him away when they came by to gather her things this morning," Mr. Carson, added between small sips of coffee. "Oh, this is good stuff! Is it Turkish coffee?"

"Yes, it is." Hamid smiled proudly.

"Oh, I've been craving a good dose of caffeine all afternoon! Thank you, Mr. Osmanoğlu." The man took another sip in delight.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Carson. Please take one cup to yourself before you go back to the hall." Hamid grabbed the carafe to offer more coffee to the concierge.

"Okay, so what now?" Briar asked.

"Once we inform if and how many pets we have, we can come up with a counter offer to find solutions for the noise," Kyle, the neighbor, suggested.

"Our apartment has soundproof windows and thick drapes ever since Hamid moved in, but I don't know if everyone can afford it," Daphne acknowledged.

"Yeah, those aren't cheap. But it was very clever of the two of you to do it."

"I know my cat. If we didn't take care of it right away, lockdown would've been more chaotic than it already was," Hamid explained.

"How about calling a vet and pet trainer to help? Maybe a professional to give us tips on how to reduce stressful situations for pets, how to keep them distracted..." Briar suggested.

"That's a great idea, Briar! Maybe Luke can help or recommend someone who can," Daphne mentioned.

"Or we just buy duct tape and give it to Stacy. Maybe she'll take the hint and manage to control that little brat," Briar joked.

As the group chuckled, the new building manager approached the table.

"The ninth floor residents are always laughing, huh... I feel inclined to join you almost every time," The tall and ash blond haired woman scrutinized each resident and stood next to Hamid.

"You don't say... How sweet of you!" Kyle replied, pretending to be pleasantly surprised.

"Of course! You are all so cheerful. It's a true pleasure to have residents like you," The building manager said, grinning widely at Hamid.

"We know," Briar answered, then mumbled to herself. "You almost make me hate my bff's partner for being nice even to people who don't deserve it..."

"What?" Stacy asked.

"Oh, it's nothing! Just an inside joke." Hamid promptly answered.

"About what?" The building manager asked.

"Cat memes!" Kyle declared.

"Turkish cat memes," Daphne added.

"Yeah, we have a lot of those." Hamid commented.

"I'm not very fond of cats. Or dogs. Or any animals for that matter..." The woman said.

"Yeah, you've made that pretty clear, Stacy," Daphne commented, giving the woman a subtle glare.

"My dove, please. We can handle this situation without confrontation." Hamid murmured.

"Maybe you can..." Daphne folded her arms.

"I don't hate all animals, of course..." Stacy continued to babble.

"We know." Kyle answered, forcing a smile.

"Your son, for example..." Briar mumbled, making the neighbor almost spit out his coffee.

"My Trevor got some gold fishes from his grandmother last week..."

"Oh, those poor fishes..." Daphne muttered.

"I know... It's like the fish killer girl from Finding Nemo..." Briar added.

"...They're very soothing, you know." Stacy affirmed as she tried to touch Hamid's shoulder.

"So I've heard. But I prefer pets with more capability to interact with me," Hamid commented, moving away from the woman to pour himself coffee.

"Oh, you brought Turkish coffee! How nice!" Stacy marvelled.

"I did. Your tea, my love." Hamid offered his partner a cup of tea.

"I see you two have different tastes... That's too bad..." Stacy said with a suggestive smile.

"That's called having your own personality," Daphne taunted, sipping her tea.

As Briar and Kyle suppressed giggles, Hamid wrapped an arm around his partner and smiled.

"I believe what Daph meant to say is that after over three years of relationship and almost two years living together, we learned to compromise."

Daphne gave him a side eye, but didn't argue.

"Words to live by," Kyle agreed.

"I see..." The building manager scrutinized the couple for a second then continued. "Anyway, before we continue the resident council meeting, can you pour some of your delicious Turkish coffee?"

"We're almost out of coffee, but I can—" Before he could answer, his phone began to buzz. "Sorry. I have to take this. My dove?" He gestured to the nearly empty carafe.

"You know what? Nevermind..." Stacy waved dismissively with her hand.

"Oh, don't worry. Daphne can make a killer cup of coffee." Hamid smiled at his partner and walked away to answer the call.

And to everyone's surprise, the lady didn't oppose it. "I'll be happy to make you a cup right now."

"But I—"

"Go back to your seat, Stacy." She gently pushed the building manager away from the table. "I'll take a cup to you."

As the woman walked towards the desk in front of the conference room, Daphne waved to her and turned back to the table to prepare more coffee.

Briar eyed her friend suspiciously. "Daph?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really making that tyrant coffee?"

After a few extra spoons of coffee, Daphne grabbed salt and pepper shakers and added them to the mug. "I sure am."

First week of December 2022

"She had it coming," Daphne said before taking a bite of the chicken.

"Aşkım..."

"She wanted to ban pets from our building!"

"She has no power to do that and you know it."

"She was hitting on you!"

"Was she?" He feigned shock.

The lady pursed her lips.

"She's not my type."

"Because she's blond, petty, and hates pets?"

"Yes. And more importantly, I only have eyes for British ladies from Edgewater." Hamid said, reaching for her hand across the table.

"Is that so?"

"They must be the daughter of the earl, of course."

"That's a very specific type of woman, Mr. Osmanoğlu." Daphne lifted a glass of water to her lips, hiding a smile.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," he replied, plastering his best smile. "Anyway..." Hamid then looked back at his phone. "I guess being a good neighbour is one more requirement you failed to accomplish."

"Whatever... Two items isn't a big deal. Proceed with the list."

"Okay." He continued to read the list. "Number six: donate to charity."

"Done."

"True. Number seven: be on your best behaviour all year."

"Done."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. What are you talking about?"

His grin widened.

January, 2022

Daphne winced as she walked out of the bedroom to join Hamid for lunch. Following her gynecologist orders, the lady decided to seek healthier choices to handle PMS. Yet, given how sore her legs were, she questioned herself how this could possibly be the healthier option.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" She cried out. "Ugh! Why even sitting down is so goddamn hard?"

Taking pity on his partner, Hamid helped Daphne sit on one of the kitchen stools. "It'll get better with time, aşkım. Have you stretched a bit today?"

"I did. It still hurts! And I'm not putting ice packs on my legs. It's too fucking cold today."

He arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"What?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing. How about an Advil and a glass of water before lunch?"

"Don't we have anything stronger?"

"Ibuprofen will do just fine until the pharmacy sends the OTC cream I asked for. Here you go." Calmly, he handed her a packet of the medication and a glass of water.

"Thank you."

Once she took the meds, Hamid placed the dishes on the kitchen island and whistled as he put down two bowls with cat and dog food for their pets.

Her mouth watered at the sight of grilled salmon with mustard yogurt sauce, brown rice with cauliflower and lentils salad.

"This looks nice! I'm a bit surprised you added cauliflower though."

"I can make an effort sometimes..." He gave his shoulders as he sat across from her.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

"I can survive a meal with stinky vegetables. Let's dig in."

Whilst the couple chatted between bites and small interactions with their pets, Daphne hummed savouring pieces of salmon with the sauce.

"Hamidciğim, this sauce is marvelous!"

"Really? Do you see yourself having another meal like this again?"

"Maybe..."

"Maybe?" He grinned.

"Hold your horses, mate. I'm not becoming a gym rat like you. I barely survived jogging with Annabelle."

"Healthy meals are always a good start to a healthier lifestyle. By the way, I have to ask... Why jogging?"

"You know I'm not a sports enthusiast. What else could I do? And jogging seemed easy enough... Ann said 'just put on some gym shoes, training clothes and bring a water bottle'."

"Just because something looks easy it doesn't mean it actually is."

She made a face.

"Aşkım, perhaps you could've chosen something you like to do. It'll be easier to stick to it in the long run."

"Like what?"

"You love dancing. Why didn't you take a dance class? Plus, there are other exercises you might like to try like pilates, yoga..."

Pilates? Yoga? What was he insinuating with that?

The lady narrowed her eyes. "Why? Because it's what girls usually do?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You think I'm weak, don't you?"

"What?" His brows furrowed in confusion.

"You do. That's why you're telling me to start yoga and pilates instead of jogging."

"Daphne, it was just a suggestion. Why would you assume I think you're weak?"

"Because you just did!" She snapped.

"I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but if you keep assuming the worst from me, I'm not sure if I want to. Now, if you excuse me..."

Hamid stood up carrying his plate, threw the remaining food in the trashcan and disappeared into the hallway.

"Where are you going?!" She yelled.

Already wearing a black leather jacket and holding his car keys, Hamid returned to the kitchen.

"Out."

"Out?"

"I have plans for later."

Daphne closed her eyes as she inhaled sharply. It was infuriating how often he simply stood up and left in the middle of an argument, even though he wasn't the kind of person who walked out of a fight just like that. Did he do that to piss her off?

"Have a good meal, Daphne."

Once the front door was slammed shut, Daphne screamed in frustration, knowing no one could hear her. Yet, in response, Maya hissed at her whilst Drake barked in clear distress.

"Shut up!" She yelled once more, making her dog hide in a small corner in the kitchen and the cat hiss once more.

The lady frowned. She didn't yell at her pets. Why was she so explosive all of a sudden?

As she finally understood the reason behind her outburst, Daphne closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Now certainly was a good time to seek some more effective ways to handle her mood swings.

...

Daphne's fingers pressed against the clay as she tried to shape the lump with her hands. Sculpture was a form of art the viscountess rarely tried. Molding things wasn't her forte. It was too messy to her liking. But while looking for ways of managing her mood swings, she recalled the day one of her professors mentioned the benefits of sculpting clay to reduce stress and anxiety and decided to give it a shot. After what happened earlier, she was willing to try anything.

Just then, the faint sound of the door closing followed by Drake's barks reached her ears. She furrowed her brows and glanced at the clock on the wall. Hamid was supposed to be watching a football game with his friends. He wouldn't be back anytime soon. Maybe she was mistaken. But once she heard his voice talking to their pets, she knew. It wasn't just her imagination.

Joy and guilt grew within her as she stood quiet, waiting for any sound he'd make as he walked around the flat. Was he mad at her? No, anger wasn't an emotion he nurtured for long. But he could be upset. Or disappointed. She honestly didn't know which one was worse.

As the sound of the TV reached her ears, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Perhaps it wasn't the right time to walk out of the studio. But she couldn't wait. She needed to see him.

In the lounge, Hamid sat on the sofa, grumbling in Turkish at the players on the TV and taking a few swings of beer.

Hiding in a corner, Daphne gazed at him for a few seconds, chewing on a nail. She should say something. Preferably an apology. But what if she messed it up again? What if he didn't want to talk? He was watching the game after all. Ah, the guilt...

"I thought you said you'd stop chewing on your nails."

Her eyes went round in surprise. Wasn't he supposed to be watching TV?

"Are you lurking in the corner?"

"No! I— Um..." She looked down at her hands. "I thought you were going to watch the game with Yusuf, Bart and Vee."

"Annabelle had food poisoning, so Vee stayed with her."

"Oh... What about Yusuf and Bart?"

"Bart said I was too cranky today and Yusuf told me to go try to fix whatever was bothering me."

"Are you going to fix it?"

"I have to. I won't be able to sleep at night not knowing if you feel cramps and might need tea, a hot bag or a hug tonight. And I know you won't ask for help if we're still fighting."

The lady fiddled with the hem of her blouse as her eyes began to water. It was so annoying to realise how well he knew her.

"Can you come here and help me fix it?"

Daphne slowly walked to the sofa and took a seat beside him.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you. I misunderstood what you said for something silly Ann used to say about Felicity Holloway back in A-Level years."

"What did she say?"

"Yoga and pilates are for people who can't handle a real sport."

"I don't know if I agree with that... Have you seen Alisha's and Sevim's videos doing yoga on Pictagram?"

"But I'm not going to be upside down in the first week of classes."

"Just like you're not going to be running one kilometre by the end of this week if you choose to jog again. You'll start slow with everything."

"Except dancing..."

"Well, isn't it a coincidence that dancing was the first exercise I suggested?" He gave a knowing look.

"Ugh, fine... I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'll go with you to the gym and ask the receptionist about the dance classes."

"You're forgiven, my dove."

As he leaned in for a kiss, Hamid pulled back and brushed a thumb on her chin. "Is it mud mask day again?"

"No... Why?"

"You have clay on your face."

"Oh!" The lady stood up and rushed to the nearest bathroom. "I was trying to make a clay sculpture. Touching clay keeps the person grounded and reduces mood swings. It's very soothing," she shouted whilst cleaning her chin and left cheek.

"Really? How's it going?"

"I couldn't do more than a weird ball and a lot of mess in the studio. But it's better than jogging."

He chortled. "Would you do it again?"

"Not without a few sculpting classes."

"No problem then." Hamid reached for his mobile on the coffee table and began to search for sculpture art classes.

...

Late May, 2022

"Yes. Absolutely! Yes, I can!"

Daphne's whole face lit up as the art curator who interviewed her for the internship spot in a famous art gallery in Ithaca gave her a few instructions before finishing the call. Getting any job at any art gallery was something the lady dreamed about for years. But working for one of her favourite contemporary artists was so much more than she could've asked for.

"Thank you! See you on Monday!"

Once she hung up the phone, Hamid abruptly stopped the car and turned to her.

"Monday? What happens on Monday?"

"Not much..." She answered, pretending to be calm. "Just my first day as a hostess/tour guide at State Of The Art Gallery."

"I knew it!" Hamid immediately unbuckled his seat belt and cupped Daphne's face with both hands to give her a tender kiss. "Congratulations, aşkım! I told you that spot belonged to you."

"Thank you," she answered with a timid smile.

"We have to celebrate it. How about lunch at that Italian restaurant you like?"

"But you just said we should eat something lighter because of all the junk food we had last night."

"Aşkım, you just got your first job at the most prestigious art gallery in Ithaca. We need pasta, good cheese and the best vintage we can find to celebrate!"

Daphne giggled in response. Over the years, Hamid became the first person she shared dreams and goals with. His enthusiasm and support for her accomplishments, no matter how big or small they were, were infectious.

As he started the car again and drove off, using a few voice commands, he continued. "You have to tell Lord Vincent about it. He'll be so proud of you."

Daphne smiled shyly. "I'll call him when we get home."

"Call the guys too. We have to go out for drinks later."

"I don't know... Maybe they already have plans."

"That they will cancel as soon as you tell them," he insisted. "Aşkım, this is your first job. The one that will help start your career! We have to celebrate now and the day you get your first payment. And you know the rules. All drinks will be on you that day."

"What?!" She glanced at her partner in horror. "No! Have you seen how much Ann, Vee and Bartie drink? I can't spend my entire first salary just on booze and snacks! Plus Edmund might come too! He's the worst!"

He chuckled. "It's fine. I can afford our monthly bills by myself. Besides, I doubt Lord Vincent will cut off your allowance until you get a higher paying job."

Daphne didn't say a word as she shifted uneasily in her seat. She knew the money wouldn't be an issue for them. She simply couldn't help wondering if she would manage to keep that job.

As soon as the couple arrived at the restaurant and took their seats, the lady grew quieter. She wanted to be happy. She got an amazing job opportunity. She'd be working with something she loves just a year before graduation. However...

"Daphne?"

"Huh?"

Whilst the waiter expectantly waited for her to drink some of the wine and give her opinion, Daphne noticed Hamid's gaze, studying her face intently. Why was it so easy for him to know something wasn't right? This was one of those moments when she wished Hamid wasn't so perceptive.

Once the waiter poured more wine and left, Hamid placed his glass on the table and gauged her expression one more time before speaking. "For someone who just achieved their first professional accomplishment, you don't seem happy."

"I am." She lifted her glass of Chardonnay to her lips, so glad they were big enough to hide most of her face. "I just think it's a bit soon to celebrate."

"Soon?! The job is yours! You start in three days and it's Friday. It's the perfect time!"

"Yeah, but what if I don't go that well there? What if they fire me in less than a month?"

His brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would they do that?"

Color drained from her face as she held her glass mid air. How could her tongue slip like that? She barely started drinking!

"Aşkım, is something wrong?"

As Hamid reached for her hand, his brows furrowed in worry. Perhaps, it was time to tell him the truth. If things turned as bad as she expected, he would find out anyway.

"I did something..."

"Okay..."

"Something that can compromise my job at SOTA Gallery."

So many emotions seemed to cloud Hamid's handsome features it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Isn't there a way to undo or fix what you did?"

"Maybe... But it's more complicated than I thought it would be."

Hamid moved closer to the table, looking more confused than before, lowering his voice. "Daphne, what did you do?"

"I..." She looked down at her hands. It was too embarrassing to admit it. "I fluffed up my resume and lied to the art curator who interviewed me."

"And...?"

"And?!" Daphne stared back at him in horror. "There's no 'and'! Things are bad enough as it is."

The diplomat let out a chuckle in relief. "Aşkım, tons of people fluff up their resumes and lie a little during the interview. I told you I only got the job at UK Parliament because they needed someone who could speak Korean fluently and I lied saying I could."

"But you learned enough to keep up a conversation with the ambassador of South Korea."

"No, I didn't. I was lucky Mr. Park has a good sense of humor and found my knowledge on K-dramas amusing," he corrected. "But back to you, what did you lie about?"

"Oil painting."

Hamid pressed his lips together, but the corners of his mouth were still lifted up.

"You're laughing."

"No," he said, doing his best to look serious.

"You are! I can see it. You're laughing at me." Daphne scowled.

"I can't help it... It brings back some interesting memories..." He smirked.

"Will you ever stop mocking me because of that night?" She grumbled and then forced a smile as the waiter returned with their entrees.

"My dove, it's okay," he said, pausing to take a bit of his entree. "You thought the studio had the proper ventilation for you to try oil painting. It was an honest mistake. Did I expect to find you dancing to Jefferson Airplane half naked in the lounge and saying you finally understood Sharknado? No. But it was—"

"Absolutely ridiculous? Embarrassing?" Something ludicrous that only an intoxicated person would do?"

"Perhaps for you. I'm still bummed my phone battery died before I recorded your speech about vampires being real," he teased.

"Hamid!" She hissed.

"I'd just record the audio. Your theory was too good to be forgotten."

Daphne heaved a tired sigh. She might lose the biggest opportunity of her career so far and her partner was mocking her for the night she accidentally got high on oil painting and Port wine.

"Why did you lie about that anyway? You have enough artistic skills and experience to boast about for days."

"The art curator, Ms. Giordano, has specialized studies in oil painting. I thought about impressing her with what I know about it."

"And you succeeded. You may not be an expert, but it isn't a subject you're completely illiterate about. You can keep up appearances whilst you learn more about it."

"But I told her I have a painting and she said she'd like to see it."

"That's not a lie. You have a painting."

"That thing I painted that night is rubbish! I shouldn't have let you keep it."

"But The Attack of Vampire Sirens is one of my favourite paintings nowadays! Annabelle liked it too. And it gives you something to show to one of your bosses."

"I'm not showing that thing to her!"

"You have to," he warned. "You have no other work in oil painting. And you have to keep up the lie. You shall never admit you lied just to get the job. Never!"

"I know! Everyone says Laura Giordano is mean, but she was kinda nice to me during the interview. If I say I lied, she might never look in the face again..." Daphne whined.

"Well, let's hope she didn't mean what she said or you'll have to paint again."

"No! Oil painting is evil!"

"It's summer... You can paint outdoors. Preferably in the balcony. Or anywhere windy. With no alcoholic beverages near you..." He suggested as his lips curled upwards again.

Her shoulders slumped.

"Aşkım, there's nothing to worry about. It was just a little lie you said so your mean boss would like you. If she's really that mean, she won't even remember what she said."

"Really?"

"No. But now you can finally share The Attack of Vampire Sirens on your social media." Hamid wiggled his brows.

"Ugh..." Daphne hid her eyes with one hand in frustration.

...

September, 2022

Daphne rubbed a few drops of oil between her hands and smoothened the length of her hair before pulling it into a ponytail. As she checked herself in the mirror, her nose twisted in annoyance as the dark tresses covered her sports bra. Has her hair ever been that long before?

She looked down at the long locks and moved her face from one side to another. Perhaps the issue wasn't the length. During her teenhood, she had time to change haircut and colours whenever she saw fit. Lately, however, she barely had enough time to braid her hair on her way to work or uni.

Staring at herself in the mirror again, her brows furrowed in concentration.

Do I really want to make any changes now?

She then walked back to her vanity dresser and grabbed her phone. Maybe Pinterest could help.

Among the many pictures on the search, a selfie in particular caught her attention. Sitting on a salon chair, Felicity Holloway smiled as the most popular hairstylist of Edgewater pressed his face next to hers. One could almost mistake them for being close friends. But Daphne knew better than that.

Initially recommended by Lady Dominique, Théo Cellier was a pleasant surprise to the viscountess when she moved to Edgewater. With his impressive skills on cutting and colouring hair, his knowledge about the latest trends in fashion and art and sharp sense of humor, Daphne grew fond of Mr. Cellier for a while.

Yet, their friendship didn't last long. Unfortunately, Mr. Cellier's beauty spa was popular among gentry folk for more reasons other than just a nice hair change due to his terrible habit of gossiping. Even this most innocent conversation a client of his had over the phone could be spread across the country within minutes. And much to her disappointment, the Foredales often were a common topic of the hairstylist's and his clients' malicious comments.

As she accidentally tapped on the picture instead of scrolling past it, it redirected to the hairstylist's Pictagram profile. Felicity's selfie was new, but with relatively low engagement, given the number of followers in the hairstylist's profile and the complexity of work done. She did look pretty with a cut that framed her face and a few light ash locks that brought more light to her sandy blond hair.

She snickered as her thumbs typed a message to DM Briar. But before she could hit send, she felt something gently falling over her feet. As she looked down, her dog whined, staring at her with pleading eyes whilst his walking harness and leash rested on her feet.

The lady smacked her forehead with one hand as she remembered why she was getting ready to leave in the first place.

"I'm sorry, sweetie! I got a little sidetracked here..."

She scratched his fur and put the harness on Drake.

"I'll put on a shirt and training shoes and we'll be out in a minute, okay?"

As the lady walked into the closet to finish getting dressed, the dog barked in excitement, she didn't mind to look. Drake was one of those extra friendly dogs who got easily excited about almost anything. He certainly found something in the room to play with. As long as he wasn't trying to eat her moisturizer again, it'd be fine.

"Ready to go? Oh hey, girl!" She smiled at Maya coming out from under the bed to rub her body against Daphne's legs. "I thought you'd sleep in the balcony all morning. You don't mind staying alone for a few minutes, right? Hamid will be back from the gym soon."

Whilst Maya stretched herself, one of her paws touched the screen of Daphne's phone and the cat laid on top of the device, the lady scanned the room, searching for it.

"Odd... I left it right here..." She said, approaching her vanity dresser.

Before she could search a bit more, the dog began to whine again.

"Oh well... I guess we'll enjoy the scenery together today, Drake," she said, bending down to scratch the cat's fur and picking up the leash to take the dog for a walk. A few minutes without her phone wouldn't do her any harm, right?

...

About one hour later

Daphne closed the door behind her to help Drake out the harness. Usually, the dog arrived home a bit calmer. But whenever he sensed the fragrance of Hamid's cologne in the air, it was harder to get him to settle down.

"I know what you want, but wait a minute! I can't take it off if you don't stay quiet."

"Stop torturing my dog and just let him come to me already," Hamid joked as he approached the entryway.

The dog began to shake his entire body, waggling his tail in joy.

"Great. Now it'll be impossible to get him out of the harness."

"I'll take it off when he's calmer." The diplomat then crouched down and beamed at the dog. "Gel, oğlum! Gel!²"

Daphne pursed her lips, but set Drake free to rush to his other pet parent.

"How was the walk?"

"Good. The weather was nice, Drake is getting stronger. We walked for twenty minutes today."

"Excellent! Well done, oğlum!" He then gazed at her with a curious look whilst still petting the dog. "Is everything okay, aşkım?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't bump into any unpleasant acquaintances today, did you?"

"Huh?"

"You know... People you dislike or who can easily make your blood boil such as your boss, Theresa Sutton... Felicity Holloway..."

Daphne made a face. "Good God, no! Mrs. Giordano is still in Italy being cruel in Italian to other Italians. Theresa and Felicity haven't returned to classes yet... Why?"

"Bartie and Briar just sent me a Pictagram post that made me wonder what could've happened so early in the morning for you to make such a nasty comment about anyone online."

"I did what?"

"Well, you are half British and you do have your grandmother's passive-aggressive sense of humor..." He rambled on, scratching his stubble in thought.

"Passive-aggressive?! But you always say I'm adorable!"

"Of course, you are, my dove." Hamid then stood up, pulled her into a hug and kissed her temple before he mumbled. "Most of the time..."

"Excuse me?!" She pulled away with a scowl. "Hamid, what on earth are you talking about?"

The diplomat fished his phone out of his trousers pocket to show it to Daphne.

Her eyes went round and jaw fell slack in horror. Among the comments on Felicity's selfie on Mr. Cellier's profile, the top comment was Daphne's.

"Too bad no amount of bleach and purple shampoo can make her soul as bright and shiny as her hair..."

"But I didn't post that!" She blurted.

"Are you sure? I've seen you say worse to her face..."

"I always try to be polite, even if she doesn’t deserve it. She is the one who starts with the insults. I wrote that to DM Briar!"

"Did you mistake the DM button for the enter a comment button again?"

"No! I didn't send it! I don't even know where my phone is!"

Hamid arched an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"It's somewhere in the bedroom... I didn't have time to check properly. Drake started whining again, I didn't want to frustrate him now that he has more energy to walk."

"I'm not sure what happened, but we have to find your phone and a way out of this scandal because you're trending."

"What?!"

"Well, not you... #bleachgate is trending on Twitter NY and UK."

"Bleach gate?"

"Her classmates began to tweet about it, then our friends joined in telling how Felicity bullies anyone she might see as beneath her and the story spread. Gossip blogs here and UK tabloids are delighted with all the freely given content."

Daphne quickly read the tweets in horror. "Oh my god..."

"I gotta say that's quite an accomplishment to be trending right now. It's already noon in the UK and there's a Premier League match being aired right now."

Her shoulders slumped. "Hamidciğim, I don't want to be trending on anything. It was supposed to be just another dumb joke shared in a private chat with a friend."

"It's alright. We can fix this. Go look for your phone. I'll reach out to my contacts at The Sun and The Daily Mirror to see what can be done about this."

"Thank you."

After a quick search in the master bedroom, Daphne found the phone on the floor, under a very sleepy and grumpy Maya, who was clearly displeased to be woken up. Now in possession of her phone again, the lady read the news, tweets mentioning her and the tag and DMs from several people from her secondary school years, Felicity's classmates at Cornell, whilst Hamid worked from his phone and laptop.

"Oh... This is bad..." She commented, whilst scrolling through the tag search.

"It sure is..." Hamid added as he sat back on the sofa. "Three former members of Lochdale staff came forward to sue Felicity for racial profiling and harassment.

Daphne's head snapped to the side in shock. "Seriously?!"

"What? Didn't you expect the girl who bullied you and all of our closest friends for years to not be racist or not harass her parents' staff?" He gave her a knowing look.

"That's not what I meant... I just didn't know that accidentally commenting on Pictagram instead of DMing Briar could've caused this."

"I guess no one did..."

"What do I do now?"

"Not much. Mr. Cellier deleted the picture, but screen captures of the selfie and your comment are everywhere. You can come forward in your own profile and say your phone was hacked and apologise or you can leave it be?"

"Lying doesn't seem like a good idea..."

"I agree. Anyone who digs a bit on these British gossip blogs will figure out you two have a history and might see the 'hacked account' or the apology as a lie."

"But can I really leave it be?"

"Yes. You have no obligation to comment any further about it and your opinion about Felicity is the least of her problems right now. She can try to sue you for defamation, of course. But given that you won two lawsuits against her not so long ago and with all these new allegations against her, her lawyers will most likely advise her not to go through with it."

"Okay. I'm not going to say a word about it."

"Good choice." He nodded. "You owe me a kiss, by the way."

Daphne moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you again for doing this."

"No problem, aşkım."

Sighing in relief, she reached for her tea and continued to scroll through social media.

"You do know that not saying anything further also means not hitting likes on memes and other shitposts about it, don't you?"

"I'm not doing anything..."

"You just hit like on Annabelle's tweet of Bugs Bunny wishing you all a pleasant evening meme about the bleach gate."

"But—"

He stared at her and shook his head.

"Ugh... Fine..." she grumbled.

First week of December 2022

"That's so unfair! I was PMSing! I can't control my hormones," Daphne whined.

"Yes, you can. You have improved significantly since you chose to have healthier habits. But okay. Let's say Santa could excuse you for snapping at your loving life partner for no reason. Yelling at our fur babies though?" He tutted.

"But I apologised!" The lady pouted.

He chuckled.

"Okay, but you can't blame me for lying about my oil painting skills. You said it yourself it wasn't all a lie."

"You actually told your boss your favourite technique was impasto."

"But it's the truth!"

"You hadn't tried impasto until then. You just said it because you knew Mrs. Giordano is a Van Gogh fan. And don't even get me started on the bleach gate," he pointed out.

"It was an accident!"

"Posting as a comment was an accident. But what you said...."

"The woman made my life hell for years! What's a little dissing compared to what she did to me?" She insisted.

"I know. And I'm not judging you." He raised his hands in defence.

"Thank you."

"However..."

"Ugh..." She rolled her eyes.

"Aşkım, you are Christian. There are several Bible verses about loving and doing good for your enemies. I don't think a Christian entity known for doing good deeds to everybody would overlook that."

She folded her arms.

"You'll have to face that fact you'd be on the naughty list this year."

"All right!" Daphne scowled. "I don't mind if I only get coal for Christmas."

"Don't you?" Hamid raised an eyebrow.

"I'm an artist. I'd see it as an encouragement to make more coal sketches," she replied, doing her best not to look annoyed. It was just a silly test anyway. Besides, if she didn't want to be mocked for the rest of the month, admitting he was right would be for the best.

But before the subject died down, a sly grin played on his lips as he mumbled. "Hmm... Interesting..."

Something told her he wouldn't let go so easily.

County of Edgewater, December 25th 2022

Laughter echoed along Edgewater manor as The Foredales and closest friends ambled toward the lounge. Christmas mornings usually were the best part of the day for Daphne. Though they considered it an event, the family now was more inclined to skip formalities. Aside from everyone helping with the vast and delightful breakfast, they exchanged gifts and chatted until it was time to prepare for luncheon. She was more than happy to go back home and partake in this new family tradition.

As Lord Vincent, Lady Dominique, the Dalys and Veronica's mother chatted by the fire, the young ones gathered around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts.

"Darling, this is beautiful!" Bartholomew gushed over the glass bird house.

"Now the birds will always keep you company when I'm not around," Yusuf said, smiling fondly at his partner.

A unison "aww..." erupted among the women whilst Edmund looked somewhat confused.

"How will that attract birds?" Edmund mumbled in confusion.

"Put bird food and water on the little space in there and hang the house on a window or balcony for the birds to come," Daphne explained.

"Oh... that's cool." Edmund nodded.

"And really cute," Veronica added.

"And so romantic..." Briar swooned at the smiles Yusuf and Bart shared.

"I guess Bart got all his gifts. You can choose who's next now, my friend," Hamid suggested, sharing a secretive look with Bartholomew.

"Hm..." Bartholomew looked around the group and declared. "I say it's Daph's turn now."

"I'm cool with that," Daphne said with a grin.

"In this case, I'll go first." Hamid then reached for a large box under the tree and handed it to his partner.

The lady beamed at the sight of the pretty gift box and carefully undid the ribbon tying it. But as soon as she removed a few paper tissues, Daphne pursed her lips.

"That doesn't look like a 'aw... thank you, love' face," Veronica commented.

"I agree," Yusuf nodded.

"What is it?" Briar then grabbed the gift and glanced at the couple in confusion. "You gave her coal?"

"Me? Noooo..." He shook his head, pretending not to know about it. "Krampus dropped by last night and left this gift for her."

"So I guess Krampus also left a note saying 'Welcome to the naughty list, Daphne!'," Annabelle added, showing off the note that was inside the box.

"I bet he meant every word," Hamid said with a mischievous smile whilst his partner glared daggers at him.

"Is it me or does it look like a sex joke?" Veronica asked.

"What?!" Edmund blurted in horror.

"I thought so too," Bartholomew joked.

"If there wasn't a note allegedly from Krampus, I swear it'd be a sex joke," Yusuf teased.

"Maybe this is some sort of fetish related to the holidays," Annabelle surmised.

"Oh, for the love of God..." Edmund grimaced in discomfort.

"I don't know. I've seen fetish related to Santa, string lights, gifts. But Krampus?" Briar made a face.

"Oh, girl... If I got a nickel for every weird fetish and turn-on I've heard about..." Veronica taunted.

"And coming from these two, you never know..." Bart continued.

"Are my ears bleeding? I can feel them bleeding..." Edmund whinged as he shifted uneasily in his seat whilst the others (minus Daphne) laughed.

"All right, that's enough! Can we move on now?" Daphne cut off, still struggling to hide her annoyance.

"I know that face. You're in big trouble, Osmanoğlu," Annabelle whispered to Hamid, who simply chuckled.

"I think that's kind of the point." Yusuf tittered.

"Okay, let's move along. Here you go, Daph," Bartholomew then handed the lady a medium size box.

"Thank you, Bartie." The lady smiled in gratitude. But as she opened her gift, Daphne arched an eyebrow at her friend. "Bart?"

Bartholomew shared a glance with Hamid then pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh as his eyes met Daphne's.

"Ugh..." The lady rolled her eyes.

"What?" Briar asked as she peaked at the gift. "I don't get it... You like getting art supplies."

"This is different and both of them know why."

Bartholomew and Hamid chuckled.

The others then glanced at the gift box and found an art supplies kit for charcoal drawings.

"Well, at least now we know it's not a sex joke," Yusuf commented.

"Are you sure?" Veronica teased.

"Hey!" Yusuf whined.

The others doubled over.

"Can somebody go next? I don't feel like getting coal anymore," Daphne grumbled.

"My dove, you're not getting coal from everyone."

"Do you expect to believe you didn't tell everybody?"

"I didn't know." Annabelle raised her hands in defence.

"Me neither," Briar answered. "I would've joined the prank though..."

"Me too. You should've told us, mate..." Edmund joked.

"Sorry, eniştem³... Next time, I'll give you two a call," Hamid said with a playful grin.

"Excuse me?!" Daphne snapped.

"I'm joking... You're not mad at me, are you?" Hamid asked.

"Of course I am! You're mocking me, you got Bartie on board for this and I didn't get a single real gift until now."

"Hey, mine is a real gift!" Bartholomew protested.

"You're on thin ice, Bart. Very thin ice." Daphne hissed.

Hamid then wrapped his arms around Daphne, who didn't hug him back, but didn't pull away either.

"My dove, you are getting real gifts. Great ones, as far as I know. But when you said you wouldn't mind getting coal, I couldn't resist it. It's too much fun to tease you."

The others laughed.

"Will you forgive, aşkım?" Hamid murmured, kissing Daphne's shoulder to make his request more compelling.

"I don't know..." She said, pretending not to be affected by him. "Do I get a real gift from you?"

"Yes."

"How good is it?"

"It's very shiny, expensive, it has a colourless gemstone usually weighed in carats."

"Fine..." Daphne replied, doing her best not to smile. "I'll think about it..."

As Hamid kissed Daphne's cheek several times, Bartholomew prompted. "You know, diamonds chemical composition are quite similar to coal, so if you think about it—"

"Your thin ice is melting, Bart!" Daphne glared.

Laughter erupted in the group before they continued to share Christmas gifts.

______

¹ Vay, vay, vay: Turkish expression of surprise 

² "Gel, oğlum! Gel!" : "Come to me, son!"

³ Eniştem: my brother-in-law

[bright-and-burning]

thank u for the tag @monacotrophywife this took. too long to get around to lol

15 questions !!

are you named after anyone? my govie name no but eve yes! it’s my great grandma’s. my dad’s family has a kind of idk policy where your first name is Yours but your middle name is from somebody else. so my siblings and cousins and i have Original Names (not original as in like mackayleigheey just original as in not somebody else’s already. bc believe me some of our names are BASIC) and our middle names are all from grandparents + further back.

when was the last time you cried? i’ve been on the verge of tears a LOOOOOT lately. and i shed like five tears last week. but like Really cried was like january 11th ish when i moved out. i’ve had this stuffed rabbit since i was ~2 and my parents bought a perfect duplicate like the second month id had it bc i was so attached that they were like. we can NOT lose it and not have a backup (despite this i called both the same name). so i packed up one rabbit to take with me to my first solo apartment as a Real Adult and left one in my childhood bedroom. and that fucked me up soooo bad lol like the idea of here’s kid eve and here’s adult eve diverging paths… anyways.

do you have kids? i fuckin better not

what sports do you play/have you played? soccer, taekwondo, dance (ballet and tap for ~10 years) if you count that, running, a little bit of figure skating but like bootleg (aka my dad teaching me or me teaching myself w second hand skates) uhhhh. i feel like im forgetting something. oh gymnastics when i was very small. they had a lot of like, free/reduced cost sports opportunities for poor kids in my city so i’ve done a lot of things lol. owned a lot of second/third/fourth hand sports equipment over the years. if you’re in america (i cannot guarantee this exists anywhere else) and you’re in need of expensive sports equipment for cheap (or you’re looking to donate old sports equipment!) find yourself a play it again sports they came THROUGH for me and my siblings as a bunch of athletic poor kids

do you use sarcasm? frequently irl. probs less so online bc i don’t feel like it carries very well lol

what is the first thing you notice about people? hair!!!!! but otherwise it varies a lot. my favorite way to interact w ppl for the first time is to find something to compliment them on so i’m usually scanning everything to find like, oh they’ve got cool hair, cool tattoos, funky shoes, a fun patterned scrunchie, whatever.

what is your eye color? i Technically have heterochromia. but mostly green, i just have one solid brown stripe across my left eye

scary movies or happy endings? i don’t like Most Horror in general (tho i do fuck with a psychological thriller or black comedy movie a la the menu or last night in soho) so i’m gonna say happy endings

any talents? is it rude to say lots. lol. painting is probably my most “surprising” one. i can also still passably tap dance despite it being nearly 10 years since i stepped foot in a real studio. speed reading is another one; for some novels (shoutout pratchett for writing the world’s most readable and engaging novels) i was averaging like 550 wpm

where were you born? los angeles, baby. city of angels. la la land. tinseltown. etc

what are your hobbies? i am very good at picking up new hobbies and very bad at sticking with them for very long (until i get reinvested for like three weeks before dropping again etc). right now probably baking is the big one? writing. i’m trying to get back into painting this week actually!! we’ll see if i succeed

do you have any pets? my apartment is unfortunately pet free :( but my family pets are WONDERFUL. i have a dog who is a pitbull-corgi-mutt (so literally picture a corgi butt, legs, and the floppy baby corgi ears, plus a fat pitbull body, skull, and smile), and an orange cat :)

how tall are you? 5’0 on a good day

favorite subject at school? MATH!!!!! god bless math everybody. i had optional math homework in high school and sometimes when i was really annoyed w my other work i would procrastinate by doing the optional math work lol

dream job? i mean if anyone wants to step up and be my patron so i can oil paint photorealistic fabric folds all day… no but uhh what i do rn is my “realistic” dream job. my unrealistic but still technically feasible dream job is sports analytics. and my totally infeasible and impossible dream job is Art.

i’m gonna be honest i am so deeply behind on this that i think everyone has done it already. but if you haven’t and you’d like to, please consider yourself tagged <3

[steliosagapitos]

          Blessed Bealtaine/Beltane To All )O( 

         ~ “Beltane is an ancient Celtic festival that marks the beginning of summer.  It is one of the major festivals in the wheel of the year and is a sacred day and night of union between the Goddess and the God. Beltane in English, Bealtaine in Irish, Calan Mai or Calan Haf in Welsh, Bealltainn in Scottish Gaelic, and in Manx Gaelic Boaltinn or Boaldyn. It is one of the four seasonal festivals; along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh. This is a time of year when the veil between the worlds are thin and people would light bonfires on May Eve/Walpurgus nacht (April 30th) to ward of mischievous spirits, and to represent purification, tending the fire until dawn breaks. Historically in rural communities, cattle were driven between two bonfires to protect them from disease and evil spirits. It was also considered to be lucky to leap over the bonfire. The Maypole is a tradition that still exists today where people will dance around the maypole weaving ribbons (and magic) while they go. In Edinburgh, Calton Hill, there is a Beltane Fire Festival on May Eve every year with music, dance, fireplay, drumming, and immersive theatre that heralds the Goddess and God and the start of summer. It is a visually spectacular event that attracts thousands of visitors and is not to be missed. There are celebrations throughout England; Thornborough Henge, near Ripon in North Yorkshire hosts a weekend festival of camping, stalls, a Beltane fire, with the main Beltane Ceremony observed on the closest Sunday to May 1st. Drummers, dancers and a mummer’s play are part of the festivities, with Handfastings performed by the local Druid by appointment in advance. Family friendly, pet friendly this is a celebration for all. Hastings, Sussex, celebrate the Jack in the Green festival over the May day bank holiday weekend which hosts live bands, dancing, social events and family fun. The main event is a procession through the streets of old Hastings town on Bank Holiday Monday. The procession is filled with unique characters such as drummers, mummers, Morris dancers, giants and the beloved Green Man. Glastonbury, Somerset, also hosts a variety of celebrations. There is a gathering to witness the Sunrise at Glastonbury Tor, followed by a procession in the town of Green Men, Morris dancers, Druids, Witches, and other Pagans, Dragons, and Maypoles. There are a number of artisan shops on the high street that sell Pagan wares, not forgetting the fantastic Artist Linda Ravenscroft who has a gallery and studio at the Market Place. Throughout Wales, there are parades, fetes, Morris dancing, music and singing of Carolau Mai, or May carols, the crowning of the May Queen and May King, and dancing round the Maypole which is  very much an essential part of Welsh culture. It would be fashioned out of birch wood and painted bright colours, adorned with ribbons and hoisted into the air and dancing would commence.The drinking of beers and elderberry and rhubarb wines were supplemented by metheglin, a variant of mead laced with spices. The drink had its origin in folk medicines, and traces its etymology through a combining of the Welsh words meddyg (meaning healing or medicine) and llyn (liquor). ‘May Day’ in Wales was also associated with festivities on the village green, or – to be more Welsh about it – the ‘twmpath chwarae’. Literally the ‘tump for playing’ was a place where people could gather in the evenings, long before television, for dancing or for sports. On Calan Mai, musicians would play while traditional dances were performed. One popular theatrical entertainment was the traditional ‘mock battle’ between two men dressed to represent Summer and Winter. ‘Winter’ would arrive carrying a stick of blackthorn decorated with pieces of wool to represent snow. He would inevitably be defeated by his garlanded opponent, willow wand tied with ribbons.  At the end of the fight, a May King and Queen were crowned and the serious business of eating, drinking and cavorting would continue long into the evening.In Ireland, Bealtaine is celebrated at the Hill of Uisneach. The Bealtaine Festival was revived on the Hill of Uisneach in 2009 and today’s' festival remains much as it was in ancient times, a chance to meet old friends and make new ones. A family-friendly event that welcomes all the different tribes to celebrate the beginning of summer at the sacred centre of Ireland. In 2017, the ceremonial fire was lit by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins; making him the first Irish Head of State to do so since the last High King, nearly a thousand years ago. It is  gathering where heritage, art, culture, music, fire-dancing, talks, workshops, wellbeing, yoga, story-telling, children's fun and food is enjoyed and celebrated before the great Bealtaine Fire is lit at sundown. Mayday celebrations vary from town to town, region to region but all have the same theme – the celebration of the start of Summer.  With the arrival of the annual of the April Lyrids meteor shower (April 16th – 25th) and the first Swallows and Bats sighted here on the Ards Peninsula this week – Summer is here ! What are the Bealtaine/Beltane/Mayday celebrations happening near you ? Get in touch as we would love to find out. However you choose to celebrate, have a magical weekend.  Love and bright blessings to all.” ~

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — February 26-March 4

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

02-26 → Gong Jun flew back to Beijing.

02-27 → Fresh posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun, shortly followed by a promotional video.

→ Madame Tussauds posted a gif that used shots of Gong Jun from The Flaming Heart, Dream Garden, Rising with the Wind, and their own photoshoot with him.

02-28 → 1000th day since Word of Honor filming began.

→ Gong Jun posted a douyin from his trip to Thailand. Caption: “Thailand travel guide” with “guide” (gonglue) written with the gong from his name. BGM is Small Town Summer by LBI利比, one of the songs he sang for his New Year’s Eve performance. Fan Observations:  -  He’s been including images of trees a lot recently.   -  A review of the Small Town Summer candy: It’s a song about falling in love in the summer while listening to Jay Chou.

→ Deeyeo posted a teaser image for their upcoming endorsement with Gong Jun. (1129 kadian) Caption: “He can freely switch between different roles, and he has made breakthroughs in various challenges[.] 9:00 on March 2, stay tuned!”

03-01 → At midnight in all timezones, Zhang Zhehan’s music released by Xinxi (ie. the Light and Another Me albums) were removed from Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music. It was noticed soon after that these songs had also been moved from YoYo Rock’s main YouTube channel to their indie channel, where they were unlisted but at that time could be found through a public playlist. Fan Observations: -  The scammers and whalers were all silent on the topic, suggesting that this was not their doing, if it was CAPA’s doing it should have happened long ago, and if it was a matter of contracts expiring it’s surprising that both albums would be affected at once.   -  The most likely explanation at the time of this post is that either Zhang Zhehan or Xinxi specifically requested for the songs to be removed, Zhang Zhehan being more probable as Xinxi’s main concern would be the revenue gained from the songs still being up.  -  The purpose of having Zhang Zhehan’s old songs in the same place as the new stolen ones is to give the new songs the impression of legitimacy, so taking them down counters that. [full breakdown of the above points]   -  The fact that YoYo Rock moved and unlisted them was likely to try to avoid copyright claims. It’s possible that this was in response to a cease and desist. Addition 03-05: [breakdown about the YoYo Rock videos]

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted his schedule for March: magazine shoots on 03-02 and 03-05, event on 03-04. Caption: “Spring is blooming, the sky is clear and the air is fresh! Boss @ Gong Jun Simon's March itinerary is coming, the new month is full of energy!” BGM is 春之行 by 灰澈. Fans left comments en masse on the post asking the studio to take action against recent anti activity. 

→ Deeyeo posted a teaser of their commercial with Gong Jun that would release the following day. (1129 kadian)

→ Gong Jun posted three photos of himself with a dog to his Xiao Hong Shu, advertising Tangle Teezer’s pet brush. (14:06, 1640 kadian) Tangle Teezer later posted a behind the scenes video of the photoshoot.

→ Madame Tussauds posted a video of their photoshoot with Gong Jun. Fan Observations:  -  In the video, he signs a book with the date 2021-07 (exact date cut). This led to speculation of if it was originally intended for there to be matching wax models of both Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.  -  It was noted that on 2021-05-10, Zhang Zhehan wore a very similar white suit by the same brand as the one Gong Jun wore for the Madame Tussauds photoshoot.

03-02 → Gong Jun posted the full commercial he did for Deeyeo, formally announcing his endorsement with them. This was reposted by his studio and Deeyeo. Deeyeo also posted a photo ad and a promotional video with the announcement. 

→ 361° posted two photo ads featuring Gong Jun. (1129 kadian) Fan Observation: The blue jacket is called 云舒防晒衣, with 云舒 being the same as in the Word of Honor line “Take a lover’s hand, and watch the clouds unfold,” referencing Zhou Zishu’s name (episode 25).

→ Zhang Sanjian appeared briefly at an airport in a paparazzi livestream accompanied by Xie Yihua, wearing baggy clothing, a hat, glasses, and a mask. No one said his name.

→ The unlisted YoYo Rock videos were found to have been privated.

→ Madame Tussauds posted nine old photos of Gong Jun.

03-03 → Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun posted sixteen photos from his trip to Thailand with a caption playing on the lyric “You know you don’t know (你知不知道 不知道)” replacing “buzhidao” with “pujidao” (Phuket Island). He also posted the photos to his Xiao Hong Shu, caption: “I didn’t have fun!  As if 🤭” and Instagram, caption: “Happy Time !” (11:17, 511 kadian) Fan Observation: Possible ring sighting in the first photo.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted an additional nine photos of the Thailand trip. Caption: “Green trees by the sea, resting along the road, please check the travel postcards from boss @ Gong Jun Simon.” 

→ Gong Jun’s 2017 drama Advance Bravely became available for streaming on Viki.

→ Gong Jun liked two videos on Douyin, one about a dog who “wants to love you unconditionally” and another of an older woman talking about how having a good husband made a hard life easier. It was noted that the date had three 3s in it, Zhang Zhehan’s favourite number.

03-04 → Tangle Teezer posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun. (1129 kadian)

→ Madame Tussauds made a post announcing that the unveiling of Gong Jun’s statue would be shown on a livestream that afternoon.

→ Deeyeo posted a short Q&A video with Gong Jun. [subbed video] Fan Observation: When asked which of his past roles he’s most similar to he said Yuan Che from Love Lost in Times. Yuan Che’s most notable characteristics are that he’s extremely loyal, and that he waited a long time for his love interest to return.

→ A livestream was streamed showing Gong Jun touring Madame Tussauds, then the unveiling ceremony. (full recording in above link)  Fan Observations / Highlights:  -  It was emphasized that new technology was used to make the figure feel more lifelike. Guests are allowed to touch it. [subbed clip]  -  Gong Jun commented that the fingernails are too long, he keeps his shorter. (The hands look very off in general tbh.) [clip] He also made a lot of comments about his abs lol.  -  When talking about being approached to make the statue, he said “approached us”, and when he was addressing someone with the surname Zhang he said “Zhang-lao— Zhang... Zhang-zong” [clips]  -  Many noted that the pose looks as if it was meant to have someone else standing beside it, with people comparing it to the Tom Ford event specifically.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted nine photos of Gong Jun touring Madame Tussauds. Caption: “No time to explain the new style of aesthetics at the beginning, and boss @ Gong Jun Simon uses a different fashion attitude to create a modern new force.”

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted six photos from the unveiling. Caption: “Through the modern tunnel, boss @ Gong Jun Simon and ‘Second Jun’ appeared at Madame Tussauds Shanghai, weaving fashion trends with original colors.”

→ Madame Tussauds posted another six photos from that day. They also posted additonal photos and a making-of video to their WeChat.

Addition 03-05: ONOFFON Collection made a post highlighting their jacket that Gong Jun had worn to the event.

Additional Reading: → Flora’s daily fan news → My own observation: The Instagram was unusually inactive this week.

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This post was last edited 2023-03-05.

[apaise]

❛ the holidays aren’t so bad with you around. ❜ lena @ billie

decorating the studio had started out like a prank war at first. when lena was out on patrol one night, billie had made the executive decision to fill the studio with some of the ugliest christmas decorations known to man, stuffing their tech in some itchy snowman stickers and putting posters of santa doing yoga on the wall. from that point on, pun intended, the kitschy christmas only kept snowballing, with both of the girls contributing to the holiday madness. 

they closed the competition with a tie by picking out the saddest charlie brown-esque tree they could find together, retiring to their studio with milkshakes and cheese pizzas. honestly, it was a pretty perfect christmas eve, but then -- one of their reindeer candles set the charlie brown tree on fire, leading to lena sweeping up gizmo and billie blasting the tree with the extinguisher.

looking at their sad tiny tree now charred to a black twig, billie shakes her head. ❝ it’s a message from the christmas gods, ❞ she murmurs. ❝ they are unhappy with our tribute. ❞ she sets the extinguisher down afterwards, and that little thunk on the ground is enough to immediately cause the tree to crumble to ashes, their christmas boy now a pile of cinders. 

that hilarious timing has the girls promptly bursting into laughter after, dissolving onto the couch with gizmo as he attempts to steal a slice of pizza. 

following a fire, billie might’ve thought lena’s statement was sarcastic if she didn’t feel the exact same way. ❝ hey, don’t make me emotional on christmas, ❞ she nudges lena with her knee. ❝ that’s playing dirty. ❞ but she can’t hide her smile. 

❝ . . . you too though, ❞ billie returns, voice a little quieter than usual. ❝ i didn’t really think i could have a happy christmas out here.  new york is the worst, ❞ she jokes, unable to sit too long in the sentiment.

billie reaches over to give gizmo a pet on the head as he lies in lena’s lap. ❝ but you should come out to michigan sometime. it’s like negative twenty degrees, ❞ she murmurs, trying to make this invitation as casual as possible. ❝ but my mom makes a mean turkey. ❞ recognizing one of the words, gizmo meows, and billie gives him another scratch under the chin. 

❝ obviously you can come too, gizmo. that wasn’t even a question, c’mon. ❞  @feveredblurs

[flyinghighpetresort]

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[shawnmendesbuddy]

Day 8–All I Want for Christmas (25 Days of Ficmas)

A/N: I used the song ‘All I Want for Christmas’ and said that Shawn wrote it. So, all the credit to Mariah Carey. 

Shawn stared at Y/N as the winter sunlight poured in through the window and onto her body. He couldn’t help but admire her. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever met. And the skin of her bare shoulder was so soft as he rubbed it up and down, pressing a kiss to it. 

He whispered a soft ‘I love you’ to her before unwrapping his arm from her waist and standing from the bed. He yawned and stretched before walking to the bathroom. He wasn’t supposed to go into the studio today. It was the day before Christmas Eve, and he had to finish a song he had been writing for Y/N. He was going to give it to her as a Christmas present, and he was almost finished, he just had to perfect the chorus. 

He walked out of the bathroom, slipping on a simple white shirt and a green cardigan over it. He looked back and Y/N and smiled, still enamored by her beauty even after a year with her. Even when she was sleeping, soft snores leaving her lips. 

Shawn had woken up Tarzan who now was slowing sitting up in the bed and preparing to jump off onto the floor. Shawn sped walked over to him and petted his head. “You need to stay right here Tarzan. It’s five in the morning. Mommy won’t be happy if you wake her up right now.” He placed a kiss on the dog’s head and started to retreat from the room. 

“Shawn,” he heard a soft, tired voice whisper. Shit. He had woken her up. 

“Yea baby,” Shawn walked to her side of the bed and kneeled down. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead as she yawned. 

“Where are you going?” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rubbed Tarzan’s head. 

“I’m going into the studio baby. I know I said I was done until the New Year, but I just got some inspiration. I’ll only be a few hours, I promise.”

“Ok, good luck baby,” she whispered, already falling back to sleep. 

He kissed her head one more time before leaving for the studio.

*****

“Teddy! I just can’t perfect this!” He yanked on his hair and stood from his chair. 

“Sit back down! We’re almost there, I can feel it. You’re on the edge of a breakthrough. Just sing through it one more time and maybe the lyrics will come to you.”

Shawn nodded picking up his guitar. When he finished strumming the last chord, he had a smile on his face. “I’ve got it.Santa, won’t you bring me the one I really need? Won’t you please bring my baby to me?” He sung holding out the e in me. 

“Booyah! Nice job Shawn! She’ll love it.”

Shawn stood up hugging Teddy and wishing her a merry Christmas. “I owe you one for coming in today.”

“Just make me the godmother to your children and it’ll all be repaid.”

Shawn laughed unlocking his car and getting into it. He started to heat it up when Y/N called him. It was 8:30 which meant she must’ve just gotten done with the gym. 

“Are you done with the studio yet?”

“Just finished up. Why?”

“Could you possibly bring me home a peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks?”

Shawn’s face lifted into a smile. “Anything for you baby. I’ll be home in 20 minutes.”

Shawn hung up the phone and Y/N smiled to herself. That was all the time she needed to finish wrapping his presents andpull the muffins out of the oven for him. 

*****

Shawn grinned as he heard Christmas music coming from their kitchen and the smell of chocolate chip muffins filled his nose. “Hmm, I love you baby.” He said as he walked into the kitchen, placing down her hot chocolate, and stealing a muffin from the tray. He pinched her bum, kissing the side of her head before heading over to pet Tarzan. 

“Shawn, can I take you out to eat tonight. You’ve been working hard in the studio, and I just want to celebrate you.”

“That sounds good.” He couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend. He couldn’t wait to make her his wife someday soon. He patted his coat pocket and felt the velvet box inside. 

*****

Christmas morning had finally arrived and to say Shawn was nervous was an understatement. They cooked pancakes together and FaceTime both their parents. And finally, it was time to open presents. 

Y/N had given Shawn a new guitar—which cost her three months’ worth of savings—to which Shawn was thrilled with. He was worried about the cost, but she told him that it wasn’t a big deal. 

When Shawn nervously tuned the new guitar, she had given him and began to strum the first chord of his song, he felt his palms shake. “I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need…”

Y/N couldn’t stop smiling the entire time he serenaded her. When he had finally finished, he got down on one knee and Y/N gasped. “Baby, all I want for Christmas is you for the rest of my life. I love waking up with you and going to bed with you and I would love it even more if you were my wife. I would love to wake up to Mrs. Mendes instead of Miss L/N. It has a better ring to it anyway. I told myself I wasn’t going to ramble, but here I am. Will you marry me?”

Her eyes glossed over with tears as she leaned forward to kiss him with all her might. He smiled into the kiss placing the ring on her finger and wrapping her up in a hug. “Yes, yes! I love, I love you, I love you! I can’t believe you wrote a song for me. Are you ever going to publish it?”

“Nope, it was just for you.” And he sent her a small wink. “Merry Christmas darling.”