#except in the morning if shes up she will dig us out of the blankets.. its cute but ridiculous dhdndh

[wollfling]

4 am and I can't sleep bc my joints are in so much pain 😒

[woso-dreamzzz]

Penalty

Barcelona Femení + Misa Rodríguez x Hardersson!Reader

Natalia Guijarro (OC) x Hardersson!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Someone's ego is bruised

She was hot and sweaty but above all, Misa was tired.

She’d even go as far as saying she was exhausted.

“Ale!” She complains as another ball goes rocketing past her to the back of the net,” Come on! We’ve been at this for hours!”

On the edge of the pitch, lay both Paños and Cata. They’d been Alexia’s first two victims, having been there since before Misa arrived.

“I’m just warming up,” Alexia replies, jogging on the spot before kicking another ball past Misa’s body,” I’m practicing.”

“For what?” Paños asks,” You’ve not told us anything. Are you doing another charity match? Because this is extreme.”

“No, but that’s a good idea,” Alexia says thoughtfully before letting loose another rocket that streaks past Misa’s outstretched arms.

“She’s finally gone crazy,” Cata groans,” I told you this would happen. She’s gone crazy and now we’re all suffering.”

“Again,” Alexia orders as Misa rolls the balls back to her,” We’ve still got a little bit of time before-“

“How long have you guys been here?” Patri appears out of nowhere, strolling onto the pitch  with a group of people trailing behind her,” God, you’ve killed Cata.”

“Okay,” Misa snaps,” What the hell is going on?! I thought retirement was the opportunity for us to relax. Ale’s gone absolutely batshit!”

Patri grins, all crooked and mischievous. “Her ego’s bruised. The new Barca keeper hasn’t let any penalties in ever. Alexia thought she’d be the exception.”

Misa racks her brain for who the new Barcelona keeper is, thinking for a few moments before,” Oh, Eriksson and Harder’s daughter, right?” She laughs. “Wounded your pride, did she, Ale? It’s okay. You’re not in your prime anymore-“

“I’m just out of practice,” Alexia says to Misa before turning to Patri,” How did you find out? Did you blab to everyone?”

A group of the old Barcelona team have invaded the pitch. Pina, Marta and Caro have all set up a picnic blanket as Paredes and her wife hand out juice boxes and to-go sandwiches. Jana and Bruna are squirting each other with water as Mapi and Ingrid roll their eyes.

Vicky and Salma have arrived too, talking to each other as Ona and Aitana come strolling closer.

Behind them, comes Patri’s cousin and you.

You’re talking softly to her, heads bowed as you speak whilst carrying a bag.

You’re dressed casually in just some tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt. Your jacket is flung over your shoulders and Natalia fiddles with the collar.

You’re much taller than you were the first time Misa met you. You’re taller than her definitely, taller than Alexia too. Misa’s eyes cut to Ingrid and she wonders briefly if all Scandis are tall or if you and Ingrid are just outliers.

“Morning,” You chirp, digging through your bag for your gloves.

“Ten euros on Alexia getting one in,” Jana says and Misa watches as Talia rolls her eyes.

“Don’t be stupid. Alexia’s getting nothing past her. Mi vida is the greatest keeper in the world. She doesn’t let me score against her without a fight. There’s no way Alexia can do something I can’t.”

Patri laughs, ruffling her cousin’s hair. “You think you’re better than la reina? You’re cute, Nat.”

Natalia huffs, darting away so she can smooth her hair down. “She’s not getting anything past her.”

“I’ll put five on y/n playing with her,” Ingrid pipes up,” Look at her, she’s already not taking this seriously. She’s teasing Ale.”

You’re grinning, swinging your arms easily before dropping down to tie laces that were already tied.

Alexia paces in front of the penalty spot like a lion.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

You take your time, inspecting the goalposts before whistling sharply. Without even looking, Talia chucks you your drink and you catch it one-handed. You take a long drink and Aitana giggles as you carelessly throw it behind you.

You clap your gloved hands twice before finally taking your position.

Alexia tries to catch you off guard. She doesn’t run up, she just kicks.

You leap up on one leg and pluck it from the air.

She tries to put the next into the left bottom corner but you’re already diving in that direction before the ball has fully left her foot.

“See!” Natalia swoons to everyone who will listen,” My girlfriend is the best in the world.”

Alexia’s penalties get more aggressive as time goes on but you collect them all without little fanfare.

Her last kick had you winking as you roll the ball back to her and Misa had to smother her life when Alexia’s jaw clenches.

“Give up, Ale!” Mapi yells from the sidelines,” Save what little dignity you have left!”

Ingrid smacks her on the shoulder but offers up her own teasing. “She’s already got a list of veterans she’s beaten in penalties! Don’t make her add you too!”

“She has a list?” Misa asks and Ingrid nods.

“It’s a long list,” Ingrid giggles,” She’s been collecting us like Pokémon. I think Chloe Kelly got put on the list last week. Sixty-nine mile per hour shot, y/n collected it like it was nothing.”

“Kid’s got skill,” Paños says, whistling lowly,” Did you see that goal in the World Cup last summer? She’s got flare too.”

“It was so cool!” Talia says excitedly, practically barging her way into the conversation,” The shocked face after it was so cute.”

Natalia waxes poetic about you for the next half an hour as Alexia overloads you with penalties.

None of them go past you.

“You’re so gross,” Patri complains as Talia finally finishes her latest you-centric lecture,” Can you go be in love somewhere else?”

“Nat!” Paredes calls out,” Come and grab a drink, please! It’s very hot today.”

Misa agrees It’s is very hot and she can’t believe a Scandi like you is easily keeping up with Alexia in such heat.

Aitana calls out to you in Catalan and you turn your head to respond, perfect Catalan flowing from your mouth as you reply.

While you’re distracted, Alexia strikes.

She kicks the ball hard. It’s going in the opposite direction to where you’re looking but you still move, like you’ve seen her kick out of the corner of your eye.

You intercept the ball with your chest, letting it fall to your knee and then your foot, where you boot it straight back to Alexia, who has to duck or face a ball to the stomach.

“Sorry!” You call out to her, face suddenly goes bright red when you realise how automatically you reacted.

Alexia sighs and just lays backwards on the ground in defeat.

“Another one for the list then,” Mapi laughs as you make your way over.

You sit by Aitana, who offers you a drink that you take gratefully.

“Hey,” Misa says, sticking her hand out to you,” I’m Misa.”

You shake it. “I know. We met at the world cup when I was little.”

“That was a while ago. It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too.”

She sits on your other side. “So, no penalties whatsoever?”

“None,” You reply,” It’s my special skill.”

“How?”

“She’s super smart,” Natalia says as she appears. She drapes herself over your back and props her chin up on your shoulder. “So smart. She has a degree from Cambridge.”

Your cheeks go red. “You don’t need to keep telling people that.”

“A degree from Cambridge!” Talia doesn’t pay any attention to what you’ve just said. “And she speaks so many languages! She’s working on her Basque right now!”

“Talia,” You complain,” She didn’t ask.”

“But she should know,” Talia insists,” Maybe if you bragged more then I wouldn’t have to do it for you.”

“I’m not that smart.”

Aitana scoffs. “You picked up Ancient Greek in a few months,” She says,” I think we should all be thankful you decided to do football and not take over the world instead.”

You laugh. “I’m happy I stuck with football too.”

The air is filled with ease even as Alexia crawls out of her defeat and joins you all on the picnic blanket. It’s the first time you’ve really hung out with the old Barcelona team. You know a few of them through the coaching staff, a few more through Talia but having them all together makes you feel a little lightheaded.

Cata and Paños in particular seem in awe of your skills and you used to admire those two nearly as much as Zećira. It’s all a bit surreal.

Alexia ends up next to you.

“If I was in my prime,” She says,” I would have scored past you.” She’s being deadly serious and it shocks a laugh out of you.

“Do you really think so?”

Her face betrays her true feelings even as she nods.

“We should get Jenni to try a few against her!” Jana insists.

“I’ll text her,” Marta says,” I think I saw somewhere she’s in the city. Maybe we can get her here now.”

Alexia doesn’t bother answering them. She looks at you, really looks at you. She’s scrutinising you.

Her eyes are narrowed as she stares before her features soften and she bumps her shoulder with yours. “One day,” She says,” I’m going to give you your Ballon d'Or.”

[antimony-medusa]

writing patterns tag game

Tagged by @droidofmay! I love to look at my writing so let's see. The challenge is to list out the first lines of your last ten fics, and see if there's a pattern.

1 . Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club 

The semi-silence that was finally allowing Techno to get some work done was broken by the sound of the garage door grinding open, music pounding through the walls, and several doors slamming.

2. The Pros And Cons Of Digging Your Own Grave 

Ranboo had tried to strike up a conversation with the person driving the City Defense car, really he had, but they’d responded with bland politeness, and he’d stumbled over his own words, and then he’d given up and stared out the window as they drove downtown. 

3. i love you (i want us both to eat well) 

The drop through lava and fall into ice water had gotten rid of most of the snow, but Niki still automatically stamped her boots free of ice before she tracked it into the syndicate meeting room. 

4. And It's Alright (Hey)

The coffee shop tucked to the side of the bookstore was a comfortable place to eat an overpriced pastry and read through your latest purchases (or prospective purchases), and Ao3 was taking full advantage of it. 

5. There Is Thunder In Our Hearts 

Morning: The noise of dozens of lower fae hard at work swirled around the Winter woman like an incoming tide.

6. That's The Thing, It Lingers

It was late when Tumblr heard the noise at the door.

7. Taking A Break

"I brought you a drink."

8. If I Go And Get Caught Will I Fall Too Far?

Blankets pulled up under his chin, Chayanne stared out into the dark room. 

9. Down By The River (Where The River Is So Cold)

The silver chains had bruised the side of Missa’s wrists.

10. A World Away (A Step Apart)

Tuesday Afternoon

It was a slow part of the shift, so Keystone Koffe was down to one barista and the cashier was on break. 

__

Well I'm not sure that any big obvious trends are visible, except that BOY have I multiple times gone in for the big multi-part sentence. I tag anyone who wants to do this! @creetchure if you want a specific ping! (Feel free to ignore if this is not your thing).

[crimsonedquill]

I love your work, it’s absolutely amazing (your the reason I’ve become addicted to Tumblr) I was hoping you could do a Poppy Sweeting x Male MC fluff. Kinda like after graduating Hogwarts and they live on a farm. Just super cute stuff. As I said, love your work and make sure to take care of yourself.

Domestic Fluff (Poppy Sweeting x m!MC)

Not me going all mushy inside over praise I don't deserve 🥲

Thank you for requesting Poppy fluff!!! I enjoy writing for her so much but I haven't been able to do a solo post for her since before starting this blog, so this is a return to form I guess lol. Also I couldn't decide between doing a fic or HCs, so it kinda ended up being a mix of both (but in a good way I'd say!)

Every day starts with cuddles in bed, no exceptions. If MC is the first to wake, he finds himself taking a moment to admire the sleeping form next to him, the way her peaceful features catch the early morning light. A few minutes are spent easing her into her own awakening as he softly kisses every freckle until her brown eyes open to him, her lips settling into a lopsided smile.

When they’re in the mood, they will spend a few minutes swapping lazy kisses and gentle words of affection before starting the day. If else, they’ll make it a race to see who can get out of bed the fastest.

They make fun of each other’s morning faces as they brush their teeth, trying to get each other to laugh.

When they decided to move to a small farm in the countryside after graduating from Hogwarts, they agreed to restrict their use of magic in daily tasks and chores. Being the eager Hufflepuff that she is (and always will be), it was Poppy’s idea of getting more satisfaction out of their work.

While she’s making bread, MC will always sneak up behind her and try to steal little kisses, causing them both to be covered from head to toe in flour within minutes. She always giggles and pleads with him to please let her work, even though she secretly loves it.

He never passed up an opportunity to tease Poppy about her height when she’s standing on her tippy toes to put the plates back in the cupboard – though he’s gentlemanly enough to offer to do it for her too.

After breakfast, they’ll tend to their respective routines. Poppy will go about her rounds feeding and brushing the beasts, while MC sets off doing repairs and checking the fences around their farm (they keep a particularly rowdy herd of Thestrals who have been known to get up to some mischief at night)

As he’s working himself into a sweat, MC notices a familiar sight coming up the hill; Poppy, wearing a big straw hat and an equally sized smile as she carries a tray of self-made lemonade over to him, trailed by a band of Nifflers who seem all too eager to get a taste of the golden liquid.

She always worries about him overworking himself and getting enough shadow. He respectfully tells her that she worries too much and that he loves her for it.

In the afternoons, they set aside time for picnics. They will ride out on Highwing to a quiet field or a small lake where they can be sure no one will disturb them during their few hours of alone time.

As their feathery friend takes off into the forest to hunt for her own meal, they spread out the checkered blanket and dig into the big basket of delicious pastries Poppy has brought along. Her countless nightly kitchen raids back at Hogwarts have bestowed her with a sweet tooth that MC still counts among his greatest blessings.

With their bellies full, they will lay on their back picturing cloud animals in the sky, or MC will offer Poppy his lap for a small nap while he plays some music on his flute or simply settles for stroking her hair as he watches out over the peaceful landscape, appreciating the serenity of the moment.

The sky bleeds red by the time they get back to the farm, which means it’s time to let the Mooncalves out. They share a chuckle as they watch the quirky creatures hop around, and MC will notice a slight blush colouring Poppy’s freckles as he turns to look at her. She’s experiencing a slight moment of deja vu; the whole scene reminds her of the first kiss she shared with MC, right after the Mooncalf dance they witnessed together all those years ago.

After dinner, they will sit on the porch reading to each other until the sun dips below the horizon.

As he gets ready for bed, MC can’t help but take a moment to reflect on how lucky he is to be sharing his life with this sweet, innocent girl – vulnerable but also so strong in her own right. It leaves him with a big smile as he enters the bedroom, though his expression softens somewhat when he notices Poppy staring at the wall with a pensive look on her face.

He’ll slip in and lie down on the pillow next to her, softly touching her cheek to shake her out of her trance. “My love, is everything all right?”

She notices him and her lips draw a smile, though it is distant, burdened. “I think so. I don’t know, to be honest. I was simply wondering… are you happy?”

MC furrows his eyebrows. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well… I suppose – I remember how excited I was when I told you I wanted this life and… how I dragged you along with it. It feels like I never really gave you any choice… and… and I feared –”

“That I might have any regrets?” MC smiles when he finally realises the source of her worries, taking her hand into his. “My dear, the only life I ever wanted is the one that has you in it. There is nowhere I want to be more than right here, right next to you.”

The words are enough to alleviate any lingering feelings of guilt. She smiles as he tenderly presses his lips to her forehead, and she settles into his arms, his protective embrace carrying them both into a much-needed rest.

[voxxgrimly]

The Impression That I Get (Ch. 2)

CHAPTER 2

Somewhere Out There

Tuesday, November 29th, 2005 (9:00 PM)

Departing New York city with the phone number of one Charlotte ‘Lola’ Lee rendered Henry McCoy dumbstruck. He, therefore, devoted the majority of the journey to pure solitude; without the accompaniment of the radio– preferring instead his own recollections of those sparse minutes spent in the cafe. She had been– oh, to Hell with it! He had already considered so many (too many) descriptive nouns in his articulate vocabulary attempting to mentally compartmentalize Miss Lola Lee.

There was nothing for it; she was much too exceptional for mortal words to comprehend.

In the back of his mind he realized the folly of his own thoughts; a fellow who had, in his opinion, lied to her from the onset. The ‘Hank’ she had met was a man that, at least physically, no longer existed. Well no, even that was giving his image inducer too little credit. The man that Lola had encountered had never existed. Not at the age that the hard-light illusion portrayed. Not so… human.

One big, blue ‘paw’ traced the fur of his jaw.

Henry set his lips in a thin line, bolstering his resolve to never make use of the number in his cell phone contacts. It wouldn’t be– ‘gentlemanly’ wasn’t the word. Legitimate? Perhaps. Hypothetically it was even downright fraudulent. Stars and garters–! Imagine if they were to marry–

He ceased his thoughts right there.

----------

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005 (2:00 AM)

The mansion was quiet as the grave when Hank finally arrived in Westchester County; the majority of the room lights off and the ambience of the moon prancing prettily– stylistically skating the frozen fountain waters of the stately front drive. It was through the silence he directed his SUV to near the side entrance in what had been designated visitor parking and turned the ignition. The headlights dimmed, then darkened.

He was flagging before he’d even reached the interstate exit and now, eyes drooped and his shoulders veritably hackneyed by the day’s experiences, the weary politician slouched his spine and slunk from his vehicle with all the visible enthusiasm of a permanently exhausted pigeon.

There were no encounters worth noting on the trek to his rooms; though he did register in his ‘gray matter’ the scurried puttering of tiny claws on marble near the ground floor elevator. An escaped pet– poor thing. He’d make inquiries in the morning (or whenever he deigned to rise) and help find the critter for whichever needy student would no doubt be running veritable circles with distress looking for the piteous animal. His senses would prove invaluable for the search, after all. That was of course providing Logan didn’t take on the ‘hunt’ himself at sunrise. Feral senses were a horrible test of one’s temptations; the promise of a chase likely too good for the Wolverine to pass up.

Hank felt his own hackles bristle with exhilaration at the consideration and thanked his lucky stars that he was too tired to do anything outside of his imaginations.

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005 (7:00 AM)

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The atrocious battering of his door hauled Hank out from under the safety of several layers of warm blankets– hair stuck up and fur askew. A colossal hand veritably trampled his bedside table in search of his glasses.

“Bluebell, y’ in there?”

The stench of cigars wafted in from the crack under the door and the politician wisely (tiredly) wrinkled his nose. “Unoccupied, Logan. Out of body experience.” Hank groaned. There was no sense in staying silent and praying the man would disappear; Logan asking after him was merely a formality. Of course the other feral knew where he was! He’d probably traced his scent up from the entrance hall– still present from when he had arrived last night.

From the other side of the door came a snort and a fresh puff of smoke. “Cute, Hank.”

Dig made, Logan remained and Henry decided he wanted something other than to say good morning.

Why wasn’t he surprised?

“What is it that you require, oh dear compatriot of mine?” The mutant rolled his tongue over his fangs to keep from snapping them– fingers pinching the bridge of his broad nose. “And could you cease smoking in the school? I’m well aware that Charles has chided you for it in the past, Logan! Stars, but you can be a– a–!” Nothing good would come from finishing that sentence.

He set his lips firm.

Logan seemed nonplussed. He could nearly imagine the shorter man shrugging. “Some kid lost ‘is pet… uh… lizard thing. Found ‘im in the one ‘f the bathrooms.” Logan’s rumbled guffaw drifted through. He’d steamrolled right over the other mutant’s previous comments.

Even in his partly addled state, something about that assertion stuck out to Hank as peculiar. Forget about past debates when he had such more advisable prospects to confound the poor Wolverine with. And, well, he deserved it for turning up so early! He did–! It was nearly soul crushing– devastating, even! Did the man never sleep?

“Who was in the facilities– the student or the lizard?” Lips quirked in a half smirk, Henry tugged on a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts just shy of shabby. To Hell with it– the morning was far too premature to worry about his appearance to that extent. Then Hank opened the door, leaning himself on the frame.

Finally–! Logan looked unimpressed; lips set in a mighty scowl past that ash-spitting cigar and his brawny, crossed arms. “Listen ‘ere, Blue–!” The Wolverine was revving himself up for a truly masterful rant.

Henry would have just loved to stick around for it, but he wiggled his cell phone in the man’s face– a piece of technology that had just dinged with the notification of a new text message. “As scintillating as this conversation has been, my boy, I’m afraid I must depart! Er– work! Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow! That I shall say good night till it be morrow!”

He could hear Logan chime up– growling something about it ‘already being morning, Hank!’ as he shut the door in his face.

There was no assurance of attention worthwhile re: Hank’s appearance. He had absolutely neglected the thought of his fellow mutant in favour of the subject matter apparent on his phone screen. It was enough to make his hands tremble and his palms perspire.

‘Hi, Hank! Are you going to be in the city today to finish your Christmas shopping?’

Scant few lines, but enough to take the breath from his lungs.

Charlotte Lee– Lola Lee– had messaged him asking for his company. How did he dare to refuse?

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

Read More: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48750490/chapters/122975914

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

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This story is an AU of The Last Stand combined with SOME comic elements and a LITTLE bit of Alternate Movie Timeline shenanigans. I pull stuff as I see fit and have fun! Enjoy!

I'll be posting a chapter per day / every other day until I catch up with my AO3! I'll also be posting my other Hank McCoy story titled Coffee, Tea or Me.

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

STORY SUMMARY

Secretary Hank McCoy has traditionally spent the holidays alone. This year he’d been invited by Charles to the mansion for a celebration he wasn’t morally able to turn down.

During a trip to New York for presents, Hank stumbles across a human woman he just can’t seem to walk away from. It’s serendipity at its finest during a time of year when romance seems magical.

Lola, a Journalism major with innocent dreams of making the world a better place, finds herself attracted to a muscular, charismatic middle-aged man she runs into (quite literally) in her favourite cafe. He likes wearing fine suits. She's just trying to make it to the end of her final year.

There’s more than meets the eye, however, to the gentleman that’s caught HER eye. He isn’t what he seems and he’s hiding a very BLUE secret from her.

[tinyluminaryzombie]

This Hope Is Treacherous Chapter 2

Read chapter 2 of my @jilymicro-oops This Hope is Treacherous here or below the cut!!

(To read chapter 1: read on tumblr or read on ao3)

Chapter 2 - “I hear the sound of my own voice asking you to stay”

It’s only 10:30 on a Saturday morning and Lily’s already wrapped up in blankets, crying.

Sure, she's had a strained relationship with her family for years, but it hasn’t been this bad in a while. It’s been three years since she lived at home. Distance cushioned their coldness and her friends replaced unfulfilled rolls. She'd been fine.

But today, she woke up to a single text from her sister, Petunia.

“I wanted to let you know you don’t have to waste your time coming home this Winter. Vernon and I will be spending the holidays with his parents. Also, we bought Mom and Dad a cruise trip as an early Christmas present. They’ll be off before you end the semester, so no point driving six hours for no one!”

What a callus, tactless bitch.

Except, something inside of Lily scolds her for her language. Don’t call your sister a bitch. Don’t think that way about your family. They’re your family, Lily. She knows she’s not blameless, but it's as if her family doesn’t realize they’re tearing her in two. Should she dig her heels in and fight for the family that used to exist? Or maintain the distance they created and protect herself?

She’s 21 but right now, covered in blankets, every thought seems to come from a scared ten-year-old girl.

Why don’t they want me?

It’s not fair!

This isn’t what I want!

I want my family back, why don’t they want me?

Lily can’t do this. She’s doing deeper and deeper and the farther she goes, the more ugly questions and ugly answers will pop up. She’s untethered and needs to be pulled back. Lily tries to take a deep breath and makes a plan. There are only a few people she’d feel comfortable going to. Marlene and Dorcas are the obvious choices but they’re away for the weekend, which leaves—James.

Their unspoken thing doesn’t even cross her mind. As soon as she thought of James, she knew she needed his quiet comfort, careful smiles, and loud laughter. Maybe she’d tell him what happened. But maybe just being beside him would be enough to keep her darkest thoughts at bay. Either way, she knew James was safe.

James’s apartment was only a 5-minute walk from her own. Lily walked fast, eager to see James, and knocked on the door.

No one came out. Lily wasn't sure what to do. On Saturdays, James would always cook breakfast for Siruis and any other friends who stayed over. Normally, if you wanted to see James Potter outside his apartment on a Saturday you’d have to wait until at least 1 pm.

So, she knocks again.

This time, a grunt makes it through the door.

“Alright! Alright, I’m coming!”

“What so important– Oh hey Evans, what’s up?”

Lily supposed she should have expected Sirius to answer the door, it was his apartment too. But, her focus was on getting to James’s as fast as possible. Now, as Lily walks through the door, nodding at Sirius, she feels unprepared.

“Hey, is James home?”

“Evans you ok? Want some water? Some of James’s culinary confections?”

“Sirius. Where is James?”

“Ahhh Jamesy Pie, platonic love of my life. He’s out on a coffee date, can you believe it?”

The choked-out “what” that hurdles through Lily without permission is humiliating. She’s standing right in front of a large blue loveseat, completely forgetting that she was about to sit down. Two words run through her mind over and over. James. Date. James. Date. James on a date. James on a date with someone who’s not me.

A “Holy shit Red!” tears through her thoughts. She looks up at Sirius.

“Holy. Fucking. Shit. That was a joke, red. Holy fucking shit! You like James!"

[bedlamsbard]

⭐ for the fanfic director's cut -- author's choice!

Let's talk about seven months post-Snap Grand Central Terminal + Stark Tower/MetLife Building! Seen in Horizon 14.

Natasha had been in the main concourse of Grand Central Terminal before. Even at three in the morning it had never been as empty as it was now, completely deserted except for a couple of stray pigeons that stared fearlessly at the Avengers as they passed by. Bars of thin winter sunlight slanted in through the sixty-foot arched windows on the east wall, illuminating the marble floor and striking sparks from the four-sided clock on top of the empty information booth. The departure boards above the closed-up ticket counters along the south side of the concourse were still illuminated, reading CANCELLED – CANCELLED – CANCELLED on every line. None of the station’s usual Christmas decorations had gone up even though Thanksgiving had been two days earlier; the station had already been closed then, with no civilians allowed in. Police tape blocked off the stairs to the north entrance. Somewhere far in the distance she thought she heard the rumble of the trains traveling through the empty station without stopping, but it could have been her imagination.

She had seen pictures of the concourse in the immediate aftermath of the Snap, not to mention the famous TIME magazine cover that had come out a week later: a little girl knee-deep in drifts of black ash, holding a doll and staring in incomprehension, the American flag huge behind her. From the pictures Natasha had seen the concourse floor had been blanketed in ash; the Snap had struck at rush hour, and the station had been full of people. It had become one of the most iconic images of the Snap in the United States.

The eerie emptiness of the place made the back of her neck prickle. The steps of the Avengers seemed to echo overly loudly as they crossed to the escalators on the north wall, standing still and silent and blocked off with more police tape. The engraved marble arch above them read STARK TOWER 45TH STREET.

I really wanted to dig into the visuals of post-Snap America, partially because, well -- I think in a very real way Horizon was my way of coping with the 2020-2021 hellscape. For this, I went and looked up the vast array of spring and summer 2020 photographs of New York City, specifically for Grand Central and the MetLife Building. (There's a neat post here with a slider that has pictures/video of pre/post covid New York.)

For some reason I didn't make the connection that the interior of Grand Central got smashed up in The Avengers (you see the four-sided clock bouncing as a leviathan crashes into it), so there's actually no acknowledgment of that in this scene, but we are talking about Marvel so it would probably get rebuilt exactly like the previous version.

The police taped-off stairs are another covid detail, though I've also put the police tape across the escalators leading to Stark Tower (source -- this one also has an "a day in Grand Central Terminal" video.)

Canonically, Stark Tower is the MetLife Building with the top whacked off and the Tower built on top of it, so the sign that IRL says "MetLife Building" says "Stark Tower"

I've gone off the assumption that the building's official name is Stark Tower, not Avengers Tower; the latter is a nickname, but not its actual name. That's why they're used near interchangeably throughout Horizon.

Natasha's description of going from Grand Central to the MetLife Building (a.k.a. Stark Tower) is as accurate as I could make it, because you know what? apparently you can't videotape inside the MetLife Building so the walkthroughs I found all got cut off when a security guard intercepted the videographer. My big divergence from canon is that I used the MetLife Building's lobby, not the Stark Tower lobby that we see in Endgame, which was filmed in a completely different building in Atlanta. This was specifically because I wanted to use this:

The glass storefronts of the shopping concourse on the ground floor stared emptily at them, most with the signs removed – Rhodey had been right, very few tenants had remained by the time the tower had been sold. A few had still been open until the Snap, and printed or handwritten signs on the locked doors and windows read variations on TEMPORARILY CLOSED – CLOSED DUE TO STATE OF NEW YORK MANDATES – CLOSED 30 DAYS SEE YOU JUNE 1. Through a window Natasha could see a glass-fronted refrigerator in one café, the shelves fully stocked with food and beverages except where a soda can had exploded.

MORE SPRING/SUMMER 2020 DETAILS, FRIENDS! The description of the untouched refrigerator with the exploded soda can is a detail borrowed from a friend of mine who actually works in Midtown Manhattan; she got a LOT of questions from me and walked her phone around the exterior of the MetLife Building for me at one point. The "see you June 1" sign is a real sign that I can't find a picture of right now. (In the original covid version it was, I think, April 1 or May 1.)

I have never actually been to Grand Central or to the MetLife Building (the last time I was in New York was in, I think, 2003), so I tried really hard to make it accurate; I don't know if it actually is. But I was trying for a very specific vibe that I should, I think, be familiar to us. I looked at a lot of photographs, I read a lot of news articles, I wracked my own memory, I watched a lot of vlogs about New York from that year.

[invisibleraven]

Rulie + 'I was thinking of you and got you this' plz.

Julie yawned and grimaced as her alarm blared out, signalling that it was time to get up. The last thing she wanted this morning was to extricate herself from her blanket cocoon in order to go to class. Unfortunately, with finals coming up, she had no choice. She all but yelped as her toes hit the freezing cold floor, shivering at the building's less than adequate heating.

Thankfully her slippers weren't far off, nor her fluffiest robe, making her a little less like she resembled a popsicle, and she shuffled her way towards the kitchen.

"Mornin' Julie!" Reggie chirped, offering her the biggest, deepest mug they owned filled almost to the brim with coffee. "Sleep okay?"

Julie grunted in response, but Reggie was used to her being pretty non verbal before her morning coffee. He ushered her to their small rickety table, placing a plate of eggs and toast down in front of her.

"Thanks Reg, you're a life saver."

Reggie ducked his head and blushed before digging into his own plate, the both of them polishing it off with time to spare. Julie hopped into the shower, and then bundled herself into her warmest leggings and oversized sweater. She glanced at the still pitch black sky and sighed. "I hate this time of year. I miss the sun."

"I feel ya," Reggie said, handing her a bagged lunch and her backpack. "Ready to go?"

They rushed to his truck, Julie shivering despite her puffy coat, hat and fuzzy socks shoved into her boots. Reggie drove her right to her building, smiling and waving before he drove off to his job at the campus bookstore, his class not starting for a few more hours. Julie shoved her hands into her armpits once she was inside the class, regretting not thinking about mittens when she left that morning.

Thankfully class was review, so she didn't have to take too many notes, and she didn't have to go outside to get to her next class. Not so with the class after that.

She was debating just skipping when she heard her name being called, and turned to see Reggie rushing towards her, a large cup in hand. "Hey, I'm on my break, but figured you could use a pick me up. White hot chocolate with a heap of whipped cream, just for you."

"Seriously, life saver," Julie said with a sigh, wrapping her freezing fingers around the steaming cup.

"Oh, and these!" Reggie said, whipping out a pair of soft looking purple mittens. "I know your hands get cold easy, and I saw these when I was thinking about you, so I got them."

Julie snatched up the mittens, pulling them onto her hands and felt instant relief. "God Reg, you have no idea how much I love you right now."

Reggie blushed a vibrant red, but given the cold nipping at his cheeks, Julie didn't really notice. "No problem Jules. Anyways, I gotta jet or I'll be late getting back. See you at home?"

Julie nodded, sipping her drink with a sigh, waving as he dashed off again. The girl standing next to her cooed. "Man, I wish my boyfriend would do sweet little things like that. Girl you lucked out."

Julie was about to protest that no, Reggie wasn't her boyfriend, but the idea took hold. Why the heck wasn't he? HE was sweet, caring, funny, extremely cute, and okay, Julie had a teensy crush when they first met, but she was sure it had died long ago. Except... Reggie's kindness today restored it like kindling in a fire.

She thought about it all the way to the next building, not even feeling the cold. And found herself doodling Reggie's name in her notebook instead of her lecture slides, so... maybe the fact that Reggie wasn't her boyfriend needed to change. And she knew just how to ask him.

When Reggie got home that night, Julie was already there, humming as she set the table, boxes of Chinese on the counter, cans of hard cider dripping condensation next to them. "And you call me a life saver," Reggie quipped as he took a swig from the can, moaning as the fruity flavour hit his tongue.

Julie gave him a coy smile and motioned for him to sit. Only there was a soft looking pair of red mittens in his space. Looking up at Julie, Reggie noticed her pink cheeks, her bitten lip, and the way she toyed with her hair.

"They're so your hands don't get cold when you take me out ice skating after finals. As our first date?"

Reggie sputtered for a moment, then gave her a mega-watt grin. "How about we save ice skating for our second date and have our first one right now? Dinner and movie cuddled on the couch sounds pretty amazing to me."

"I'd like that," Julie said, and sat down across from him.

Their second date did end up being ice skating, and Julie warmed down to her toes thanks in no small part to her many layers. But also because of the fiery kiss that Reggie gave her right before they took to the ice, which warmed her straight through. And if they spent their third date find a much different way to keep warm? Well Julie certainly wasn't going to complain about that!

[mustcrdgreens]

TW; kidnapping (explicit), abuse (explicit), dead bodies/gore (explicit), vomit (explicit), urine/feces (mentioned), trauma (recurring), dissociation (recurring), sex (vague), nudity (recurring), drugs (mentioned)

The explicit sections will be marked in red for skipping.

Warm late-morning sunlight shone through tinted windows to warm pale and dirty skin as Tyler awoke. Sometime after sunrise, the boy had drifted off, the fatigue of staying up all night in fear making him crash. He still has no idea what happened, the sound of his kidnapper wailing before cutting off.

Underneath the soaked blanket, Tyler waited, silent and afraid that he was being tested. That if he moved, even in his sleep, that Rob would be there, a firm hand around his throat and alcohol-heavy breath in his face suffocating him as threats spill out, about what manner of violence he'd enact. But it never came. He'd tossed the blanket off in his sleep somehow, the suffocating-feeling too much for him, it seemed. Surely he must have been safe if what he'd feared hadn't come to pass.

With rubbed-raw ankles and wrists still tied together like some animal, he forces his body to sit up. There's a circular saw amongst the tools toward the back door, and he scoots his way over the best he can, his legs pulling on his arms and shoulders painfully. He lifts his limbs, falling back onto his back with a cry of surprise before flopping onto his side once more. It takes work, but the boy manages to cut through the rope—albeit at the price of gashing his foot on the teeth of the saw. He hisses through his teeth and scrambles for the windows, to look for signs of the man.

And oh, he finds him, only a couple yards from the van, his body torn open, limbs torn off, and blood pooled around him. Acid rises from Tyler's empty stomach, and he vomits it up, foamy yellow. It gathers on the blanket that he'd already soiled multiple times between fear and desperation. Unwilling to part with the small piece of comfort he'd been given, he spatters the walls of the van with it to give it some semblance of cleaning, wraps it around himself, and climbs out the back door as a numbness overtakes him.

He moves to Rob's body without thought, standing over it for a long few minutes, before he grabs it by the hair, and begins to drag it. He doesn't quite know where he's going, but he ends up in a town. A policeman named Reggie stops him. Kind-voiced and gentle-handed, he takes him into the station. He doesn't know what happened to Rob, afterwards, and truly, doesn't care.

The blanks in his memories become apparent quickly. Settling into Miss Sunflower's house is difficult because of it, finding himself suddenly coming to in different places without knowing how he'd gotten there. She'd been who he'd clung to when he was aware, the woman reminding him of his mom to some degree. The rest of the strangers he avoided best he could.

“Dig.” “But Mr. Rob—” “If you aren't going to listen, I'm leaving you in a hole, now dig.” “I'll listen, I'll listen!” “Too late, make your grave.”

--

“No, stop! I'm sorry! I'll go back and dig!” “Open your mouth—!” “Please--agh!"

Shovels and pliers made him flinch whenever they were used around him, before the day would vanish into uncomfortable nothingness. The gap where a molar used to be was a constant reminder of why he couldn't get close to people unless they were police officers or women that the police seemed to trust enough. They could take him, hurt him, when he was finally settling in.

Until Kitty, at the very least. The girl had been around his age. She had been gentle and strange—just as strange has he felt, with how people looked at him. She spoke sweetly, smiled brightly, and he was quickly, terribly in love. He wouldn't realize until years later—with fingers intertwined and bare bodies flush together. But until that point, she was just his friend, and he kept close when he was able.

Duck had been another exception, rough hands grabbing him and jarring him out of his haze all at once, screams ripping out of him until he's sat in the seat of a truck, rather than thrown into the back. He confusedly stared, wide-eyed and terrified nonetheless, while a jacket slipped around his shoulders to preserve what it could of his dignity--he hadn't realized he was naked until that moment. He'd been driven back to the Parson's house, when he told the man that he lived with Miss Sunflower. And just like with Kitty, Tyler fell for Duck—but unlike Kitty, there would never be a sort of sexuality or romance, the love for the man something softer.

Today, he lays in the snow, sprawled out as bare as he day he was born, gazing up to the sky with hazy eyes. He doesn't know when the switch happened, between fear and joy, but it most certainly had—and today, like most days, he was happy. The people in town that he grew to care about long ago were alive. The sun is still high, and so is he, the world around him brighter than usual with the effects of the weed that was grown in the commune. He doesn't know where he is—has no idea how he got there, but it doesn't matter, he thinks. It's almost New Years and he has a long life ahead of himself. He sits up, gathers his bearings, and he starts to walk home, not minding the cold too much. It just meant that he was okay. As long as he had the sense to feel, he would be alright.

At least for a couple of months.

[sspaz1000]

I posted 2,154 times in 2022

That's 1,630 more posts than 2021!

113 posts created (5%)

2,041 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ramonaflow

@neverendingnoahreid

@mostlyinthemorning

@saraminia

@weathereyehorizon

I tagged 1,115 of my posts in 2022

Only 48% of my posts had no tags

#shallownicoleisshallow - 162 posts

#noahvember - 78 posts

#nicole is writing - 67 posts

#more for my mfl list - 37 posts

#behind the keyboard - 34 posts

#pallin’ around - 31 posts

#noah reid vs hats - 29 posts

#meet the authors - 29 posts

#schittscreekdrabbleblog - 27 posts

#screadingchallenge - 26 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and if i listen to his music i’ll just cry because there’s a song that 💯 is how i feel most of the time about life and it’s just like welp

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

How about glancing at each other’s lips? :)

Glancing at each other’s lips

Once the whiskey was consumed, David and Patrick fell back into easy conversation. They don’t know where the night is going to take them, but they are enjoying the moment.

David moves to take his sweater off and Patrick follows.

“Is this OK?” David whispers, not wanting to break the mood.

“Yes, it’s fine.” Patrick, replies, giving a small swallow.

David glances down, first at Patrick’s lips, and then to his neck, and back to his lips. Patrick nods, and then David is kissing him.

Patrick moans into the kiss, and David deepens it. After a couple minutes, they both part for air lips, red and swollen.

They both look down at their lips and give shy smiles to each other.

“I didn’t know it could feel like that.” Patrick sighs.

“Neither did I.” David murmurs. He pulls Patrick into a hug and kisses his forehead. As they both decide what comes off next.

19 notes - Posted July 1, 2022

#4

Suit

This weeks Drabble: Suit. @schittscreekdrabbleblog

Also unbeta’d

“Fine. Suit yourself.” David huffed as Patrick slammed the door to their cottage. David knew it was a dumb argument. They’d been digging at each other all week, and now Patrick had stormed off. 

Patrick knew he was being petty. He could feel the tension building all week long. There was no reason for it except maybe the change in seasons have their moods a little down. He breathes and jogs around the block.

David was pacing the kitchen when the front door opens. He peered into the living room and looked at Patrick. 

“I’m sorry.” they say in unison.

20 notes - Posted September 7, 2022

#3

Drabble: Bargain and Blanket

@schittscreekdrabbleblog word(s) of the week.

Got me some Stevie feels.

The blanket at the base of her bed is well worn. She bought it in a bargain bin at Target before they went out of business. Stevie has used this blanket during all her ups and downs over the past couple years. It comforted her when she and David went from FWB to just friends, there after Aunt Maureen died, there when she realized she owned the motel, the Emir stuff, and when she became a boss lady. As she folds the blanket, she realizes how much she’s changed since the Rose’s came to town. She smiles for the future.

20 notes - Posted October 16, 2022

#2

Wedding

For @schittscreekdrabbleblog this week and the word is wedding. Almost didn’t get this done!

The first holiday season after the engagement, David and Patrick, visited the Brewers. David didn’t know what to expect but the Brewers were extremely welcoming. One night after dinner, Marcy brings out some old photo albums and Patrick cringes. 

“There will be time for some cringing later dear, but first I wanted to show you some of our wedding photos, since you are planning your own.” She smiles at the boys. 

They sit and look through the wedding album, and Patrick as a baby album.  They laughed and enjoyed the stories. 

Later that night, David whispered to Patrick, “Thank you.”

20 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Did I actually write this this morning? Say what? I didn’t procrastinate?

@schittscreekdrabbleblog words of the week are Review and Bonus word is deer.

Something was eating the garden and Patrick was going to get to the bottom of this. He went to the store and bought a backyard camera and set it up.

When David got home from work he noticed the camera. “What’s this honey?”

“I’m going to catch whoever is eating my garden.”

David nodded and kissed the top of Patrick’s head.

The next morning Patrick reviewed the footage on his laptop. “Those damn deer!” He muttered.

David walked in, “Those deer are cute!”

“Monsters are what they are.”

“Hmm, Oh ok dear.”

Patrick glares and works on his game plan.

29 notes - Posted October 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[woso-dreamzzz]

Holiday Spirit

Barcelona Femení x Teen!Reader

Summary: You don't have travel plans for the holidays

Running away to play football in a foreign country wasn't one of your smartest moves but it was certainly one of your best.

You just wished that it didn't mean fielding questions of what you were doing for Christmas.

"When do you need to get back?" Lucy asked you one morning as you changed. She was leaning against your locker, typing away at her phone.

"Where? Home? I've got homework to do later. I think Mapi told Alexia that she would come over to supervise me. I can't go out with you."

"No, I mean for Christmas. When do you need to be back in England? Me and Keira are looking at flights. We're happy to take you back with us. Give you over to your parents when we land."

You laughed awkwardly. "Thanks but I don't need to fly back with you guys."

Lucy gave you a weird look before she nodding. "Your parents are flying out to spend Christmas here. That's nice."

You didn't have the heart to tell her that you hadn't spoken to your parents since they gave you permission to go to Barcelona and then promptly kicked you out. So, you just didn't answer her.

You were sure that it had been swept under the rug after that but Lucy must have brought it up in conversation because, as you pushed your lunch around your plate, Paredes slumped into the seat next to you.

You gave her an odd look. Irene didn't tend to sit on this side of the room. She usually kept to the older girls while you usually ended up squished between Ona and Salma - though both of them had been kept behind for media.

"Er...hi?"

She narrowed her eyes at you, like she was trying to work something out.

"Hello? If this is a test to get me to work on my Spanish, it's not going to work. I can sit in complete silence."

"When are your parents flying out?" She asked.

Your stomach plummeted and you placed down your fork. "Who told you my parents were flying out?"

"Lucy said that you didn't need to fly out with her and Keira."

"I didn't tell her that my parents were flying out," You insisted," Just that I didn't need to fly with her and Keira."

Technically, you weren't lying. That was what you told Lucy. You were already at rock bottom. You just had to get the pickaxe out and keep digging.

"Hmm," Paredes said, staring at you for a long while," You're an unaccompanied minor. Someone would have to drop you off at the airport. If you want one of us to take you there that's fine but Lucy and Keira would be the safer bet."

You just laughed awkwardly, not entirely sure how to bring up that you definitely weren't going home and your parents definitely weren't coming to you either.

"Ha, I guess so."

Paredes looked at you for a moment longer. "I want your travel plans by the end of the week. If you don't want to travel with Lucy and Keira, that's fine, but we need to know who's getting you to the airport."

Safe to say, you never did get back to Paredes about your non-existent travel plans. You hunkered down in the little apartment the club paid for and wrapped a blanket tightly around your shoulders.

Usually, the building was full of your international teammates but with Christmas in a week, everyone had already gone home - except for you.

You were content though, with all your lights off, dressed in fuzzy pyjamas as you cradled a cup of hot chocolate. A movie had been put on for background noise but you were busy skimming through tiktok on your phone so you weren't really watching it.

A knock sounded at you door.

You ignored it. You never opened the door when someone randomly knocked. Everybody knew to text you first.

Case and point: The banging got louder and louder and, honestly, you just hoped that the drunkard outside your door would realise they had the wrong apartment soon.

Your phone screen lit up with an incoming call.

You frowned.

"Hello?"

A sharp suck of breath came from Patri. "You're alive." She raised her voice. "She's alive! Where are you?"

"At home? Why?"

"Which home?" She asked urgently.

"What do you mean which home? To my knowledge, I only have one."

"Spain or England?"

"Spain. Patri, seriously, you're freaking me out here."

"Open your door."

"What?"

"Open your door right now!"

You didn't really want to, not with the drunk guy outside of it but something in Patri's voice made you obey her.

You swung open the door.

A body slammed into you, an arm around your shoulders and a hand cradling the back of your head.

"You're okay," Alexia said, sounding slightly choked up," You're okay."

You peered over her shoulder, seeing a group of your teammates behind her.

Patri.

Pina.

Paredes.

You could just about see Aitana and Marta making their way down the corridor too.

"Why...wouldn't I be okay?" You asked.

Alexia didn't release you, holding you close so it was Paredes that answered.

"Because we asked Keira if you had gotten back to your parents safely but she said that you never flew with her. So, we asked Mapi and Ingrid if they dropped you off but they said you hadn't even mentioned needing to go to the airport."

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared, peering into your dark apartment.

"And I don't see your parents anywhere."

You glared back at her. "I never said anything about meeting my parents."

Patri and Pina winced and you knew that it was the wrong thing to say when you felt Alexia tense. She pulled back and looked at you.

"What do you mean you never talked about meeting your parents?" She asked sharply.

"Why would I meet with my parents?"

"It's Christmas!"

"Technically, it's a week before Christmas."

"Don't sass me!"

You shrunk a little under the weight of Alexia's glare and you wondered briefly if you could shove everyone out of your apartment and swing the door shut in your face.

But, given the way that Alexia was holding you, and the way that Marta and Paredes were guarding your door, you gathered that that wasn't a good idea.

Aitana, Patri and Pina (the little rats) had all made themselves comfortable in your house, flicking on the lights and helping themselves to your slightly lukewarm mug of hot chocolate - leaving you completely at the mercy of the older players.

The combined weight of Marta, Paredes and Alexia's stares had you awkwardly chuckling.

"Sooo...It's kind of late. I should probably head to bed, huh? We should talk tomorrow. Good? Good."

"And let you sneak out of that conversation too?" Paredes said," Not a chance. Where are your parents?"

"England, I assume. Unless they've fallen off the face of the earth which, admittedly, would be pretty cool."

"And why are you here and they aren't?"

You shrugged. "Because?"

"That's not an excuse," Marta said warningly when it look like steam was about to come out of Paredes and Alexia's ears," The truth, now."

"Why I'm here and my parents aren't? I don't know if you've noticed but that's always the case."

Patri, Pina and Aitana snickered on the sofa, flicking through your Netflix account for something to watch.

"No more sass," Alexia said firmly," I mean it or you're going to be in some serious trouble." She sounded pretty serious too so you just sighed.

"I...I'm not going back to England for Christmas."

"Obviously," You heard Patri mutter but you ignored her.

"And your parents?" Alexia probed.

"They're staying in England for Christmas."

Silence reigned through your little apartment although you knew that everyone had already suspected what you had said. It was just different when it was finally said out loud.

"Why isn't your Mama coming to see you?" Paredes asked, a mother herself so you gathered something like this hit close to home.

You shrugged. "We don't talk. I don't talk to either of my parents. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Not a big deal!"

Alexia looked like she was about to burst into tears on your behalf which was something that you didn't quite understand but just kind of rolled with.

Aitana gently guided you over to the sofa like she thought you were about to break at a moment's notice, squishing you between her and Pina while Alexia, Paredes and Marta took refuge a bit further away on your armchairs.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Marta asked when it looked like Alexia had finally gotten a hold of herself.

"What's there to tell?" You said dismissively, swatting at Pina until she surrendered your hot chocolate back to you. It was practically cold now but you had made it using milk instead of water and you would be damned if you let it go to waste.

"Maybe about why you're avoiding seeing your parents?"

To your credit, your voice was more steady than you felt. "We don't talk anymore. They said it was either football or them." You gestured to your apartment, to the teammates scattered around your living room. "I chose football."

"And your parents were okay with that?" Marta asked.

"Well, clearly not, seeing as we're all sitting here, having this conversation." You scoffed in amusement. "In fact, I think my dad even said that if I ever showed my face again while playing football that he would swing at me."

It sounded harsh in the ears of your teammates but to you it wasn't. Your father always threatened bodily harm even against the most mundane of things like a driver cutting him off in traffic.

Alexia, in particular, looked stricken at your confession. You kind of understood. You knew that her father had been her biggest supporter and that each and every time she stepped on the pitch she wanted to do well in his memory.

You...not so much.

Anytime you stepped onto the pitch, it was a like a big middle finger to your parents (although you knew that they wouldn't even be bothered to watch any of your matches).

"That's not funny," Paredes said firmly," You father shouldn't have said that to you."

You just shrugged again, rolling your eyes. "Is this meeting of the Spanish Inquisition over? I've got a show to watch."

There was silence for a moment before Aitana spoke, sounding completely heartbroken.

"You're spending Christmas alone?"

"Yeah? Sorry, did I not make that clear?"

"Don't be silly," Alexia said though, talking over you completely as she typed on her phone," Of course she's not spending Christmas alone."

You glanced over at Patri and Pina, just in case they were privy to something that you weren't but they both just look as confused as you.

"Er...No, I am. I just said that."

"And I just said that you're not."

You cocked your head to the side. "I-I don't think that's how it works. You can't just speak stuff in existence."

"I'm not. You're spending Christmas with me."

"I don't remember agreeing to that."

"You didn't need to." She held up her phone. "Mami already agreed. She's asking if you're allergic to anything?"

"Um, no...Wait, hey! You can't just kidnap me! I'm fine being on my own."

"You're sixteen," Marta said," Go back with Alexia. You can have a proper Spanish Christmas. Her mum makes good food."

"I don't need a proper Spanish Christmas and I don't need good food. Everything I need, is right here."

"Oh, yeah?" Patri teased," Powder hot chocolate and microwaveable meals. You're eating like a queen, really taking care of yourself."

You stuck your tongue out at her before looking back at Alexia. "Honestly, I'm fine here. Your mum doesn't need to make me food or anything."

"Funny," Alexia said though her tone made it seem anything but," I don't remember this being a discussion. Besides, I already told Mami. She'll be very upset with me if I don't bring you along."

You huffed, knowing that there was no way you were getting out of this now. "You didn't have to do that. I was perfectly fine by myself."

"You're sixteen," Alexia replied," You shouldn't have be 'perfectly fine' by yourself. Aitana, help her pack her bags. Patri, Pina...I know you were planning to do it anyway but raid the fridge. Make sure nothing will go off while she's away."

"Wait, we're going now?!"

"Si, now. You said it earlier. It is late. You should go to bed. The sooner you're packed, the sooner we can go."

"Can't you just get me tomorrow?"

"No." She waved a dismissive hand as Aitana dragged you away. "Off you go. And remember to pack a scarf!"

[chattahoochiecoochie]

Mud On The Tires

Summary: Mick and his girlfriend get into a bit of trouble during a day of out door adventure.

Word Count: 2.2k

Context Clues: Georgia is the daughter of Mick’s engineer and is from the American south.

Authors Notes: This is part of a mini series, written for an oc and Mick Schumacher. Each installment can be read as a standalone, they will be posted in chronological order. The last installment can be found here.

The room was still dark when Georgia woke to the sound of her boyfriend’s voice, the soft glow of the morning barely cutting through the curtains. “Georgie.” Mick was crouched down on her side of the bed, holding two mugs.

“What time is it?”

“It’s early.” Mick set down one of the mugs on the bedside table and leaned in to give her a kiss, brushing the hair away from her eyes.

“Jus’ a little longer?” Georgia shut her eyes and turned away slightly, pulling the comforter up to her chin.

“We’ve got to get going, everyone’s on their way now.” He sat next to her, tugging the blankets back down. Mick offered her the mug, taking her hand as she sat up slowly. It was early, and longer in bed would have been nice, but he was right. Her brothers had likely left Dallas hours ago, they’d be mad if they had to wait on her.

“Are–” Mick raised a hand and nodded, as if he could read her mind.

“Sawyer texted me, they're an hour out.”

“Guess I oughta get dressed then, huh?” Georgia slipped out from the covers, stepping onto the soft carpet slowly.

“If you want.” Mick gave her a smirk, pointing his eyes to the pair of boxers she was wearing, stolen from his drawer the night before.

“Nice try but you don’t get any if you wake me up ‘fore dawn.” She sauntered away, swaying her hips just a little extra as she disappeared into his closet. “Where’d you put my bags…Nevermind!”

A short while later she came out, sporting camo from head to toe, with the exception of the worn out canvas jacket she was wearing. She did a twirl, momentarily self conscious about how old her outfit was. In true southern fashion, most of it had belonged to someone else first. Good gear was even better if it had a history. The only thing she was certain belonged to her, were the boots. Maybe the jacket too, she couldn’t remember.

In stark contrast, Mick sat on the bed in a brand new pair of jeans and a crisp new shirt, an even newer looking Carhartt on top of it all. Sensing something, he gave a small smile and looked down at his sleeves. “Still haven’t got any camo.”

“I’ve got enough for the two of us.” Georgia grinned, heading for the door. “Breakfast, cowboy?”

“We have to be quiet though, I think Gina’s still asleep.” He followed her out into the hall, pulling the door softly shut behind himself.

“Your mama?”

“Gone. Early flight. She’s going to see Dad.” She nodded, taking his hand in hers as they made for the stairs, light feet treading softly across the wood floors. They didn’t speak of his father often, at least not in a serious matter. When he was in a good mood he would tell her stories from when he was little. Once, after an interview had gone too deep on the paddock he had held her close in silence, but they hadn’t talked about it after. Michael was Micks, and he kept him close.

Georgia stayed silent in the kitchen, sitting on a stool as Mick wandered around, gasping every time a dish made a loud noise or a drawer closed too abruptly. Dropping a knife onto the counter without thinking, he caught her eye, his mouth in a perfect ‘o’ shape. He worked quickly after that, buzzing through the kitchen like a man on a mission.

“For you, my lady.” Mick slid a plate across the counter to her, the porcelain piled high with fresh fruit and scrambled eggs. He watched closely from his place opposite her as she took a bite, his brows raised in question.

“Very good.” He nodded at her, digging into his own plate immediately after. Mick watched her closely, gesturing at the food still on her plate each time she set down her fork. Begrudgingly, she finished the fruit, each bite earning him a hard stare. “You know I don’t eat much this early.”

“You need it for later.” He waved her off, taking a swig from his coffee mug as she opened her mouth to argue.

“Not if I’m not driving.” She grinned up at him, reminding him of the night before.

“Georgie, baby, you’re a very smart woman. And a brilliant mechanic. But you absolutely cannot drive.”

“Touché.” Mick took the plate from its place in front of her and piled it into the sink on top of the other dishes he’d made dirty. Before he could check his watch or his phone and urge the show along, Georgia was already making her way down the hall in what she believed was the direction of the garage.

With his hands on her shoulders Mick spun her around and pointed them both down a different hall. With his hands on her hips they swayed step by step together until they stumbled down the steps into the cold concrete room.

“We’re all packed, I took care of everything before I woke you up.” Mick skipped across the room on light feet, slapping his hand on the hood of the ATV. “I’ve got our spare gear in the truck”

“Mama is sending lunch with the boys,” Georgia ducked around to root through the bed of the truck, rifling through the tool box to check the assortment. “You got zipties in here?” Lifting the lid to another gearbox, she flipped through the pile of stuff inside. Not a zip tie in sight.

“That box there,” Mick pointed, “No the one on your right, tape too.”

“You pack any work gloves for me?” Mick nodded, flicking the switch to the garage door.

“We’re meeting them at the gas station outside the trail.”

“Let’s get to it, mister!” He gave her a grin and tossed her the keys to the truck, motioning for her to pull it out so he could move the ATV behind it for the hook up.

Less than ten minutes later they were off, tearing down the driveway, dust kicking up behind them as they broke into the day. Mick held her hand tightly in his own, kissing at her fingertips, a smile glued to his face. With the low sound of Brad Paisley’s Mud On The Tires emanating from the radio, they took off for the other side of town.

*

“Mick!” Georgia’s brother, Sawyer leapt down from his truck bed and came across the parking lot, sweeping Mick off his feet and into a bear hug. “Good ta’ see ya kid, she ain’t been botherin’ you has she?”

“Course she has!” Her oldest brother looked up from where he stood by the gas pump and gave a wild grin. “That’s all my sister’s good for, ain’t it kiddo?” Georgia elbowed him in the side, taking him into a hug just after.

“Watch it or I’ll forget I missed you.” Walker jabbed her in the stomach, a sharp reply to her snarky comment.

“Are y’all ready? Trail’s gonna be hot soon.” Sawyer let go of Mick and looked down at his watch, fidgeting with the band on his wrist.

“It’s the middle of the week, ain’t no way it’s hot.”

“You ain’t drivin’ so you wouldn’t care neither way.” Walker gave his sister a grin before turning his back to sort out the gas pump.

“We’ll lead, yeah?” Asked Sawyer, raising his brows for Micks approval. He shrugged, indifferent to the question. “Alright. Mama said hey, Daddy too but you hear from him enough I reckon.” He laughed, giving a wave as he walked around to get into the truck, chuckling like he’d told an inside joke.

Georgia and Mick made their way back to their own vehicle, swinging their hands as they held one another tightly. “It’s funny, Gary hasn’t said anything to me all week, I’m on vacation.” Mick grinned, his teeth showing as he opened Georgia’s door, ushering her into the cab of the truck.

“Careful now, or we’ll be getting calls the rest of the week.” Mick chuckled at her, shutting the door gently before jogging around to get into the driver’s seat. Georgia smiled quietly to herself, wondering how she’d gotten to this place in Austin anyways. Four months in with a boy her brothers liked and her Daddy loved like his own. Life must be lucky sometimes she reckoned, sneaking a look at the happy blonde next to her.

*

“Comfortable? The belts are not too tight are they?” Mick fiddled with the buckle of the belt strap, wiggling it in its place on her chest.

“All good, baby. Jus’ let me try it.” Georgia shimmied in her seat before pressing her foot to the accelerator, gritting her teeth as the vehicle jolted underneath her. Just like driving a car. They rolled over a bit of rocky terrain, hitting gravel on firm tires. Georgia grinned, giving her boyfriend a nervous look as she pushed them further up the trail, successful still.

“Good, Georgie, a little faster through here.” Mick pointed to the hill crest in front of them, a bare patch of even terrain laying in front of them. She pressed her boot further to the floor, plowing forward, control of the wheel slipping just slightly from her grasp. The ATV cleared the hill without a struggle, rolling down the other side with ease, until suddenly a sharp lock up in the rear of the truck sent them sailing into the bank of the trail. Without thinking Mick swung his arm out, holding Georgia against her seat as the jolt rocked them both forward.

“Fuck.” Georgia let her head fall forward, the helmet hitting the buckle on her chest. In the distance she could hear Walker and Sawyer coming up behind them, both boys hollering and screaming to see if they were okay.

“We’re alright!” Mick called out, sliding out from his seatbelt to get a better look at Georgia, whose side of the cab had taken the brunt of the impact. They were upright still, which was good, but the ATV was wedged down in the bank, stuck into a corner between two trees.

“Georgie!” Sawyers face appeared moments later, his eyes peeking out from the visor of his helmet.

“I’m okay. Rear diff locked up, couldn’t get it back in time.”

“Could be a fluid issue?” Walker snuck up behind his brother, peering into the dust covered cab.

“Not enough miles for it to be the pinion nut, at least I think.” Mick looked at both men, before turning to his girlfriend to check for her opinion.

“Fluid probably. We can definitely get it out of here and home in one piece.”

“Oughta check the side gears back at the garage though, jus’ in case.” Walker ducked out of sight, leaning down to inspect the back end of the vehicle.

“We could tow it home and fix it at the shop, in Dallas, if you wanted.” Sawyer crossed his arms, cocking his hip to the side as he offered a cheap solution to the numerous potential problems.

“I’ll have Georgie check it at the house, I don’t want you guys to worry about it.” Sawyer stuck his hands out and nodded, backing off from the concern.

“Either way I’m telling Daddy you crashed into a tree.” Her brother laughed, his cheeks flushing underneath the pads of the helmet. “Don’t worry Mick, I’ll make sure he knows she did it all on her own.”

“Sawyer don’t you dare!” Georgia unbuckled herself, leaning over to swat at her brother, missing him by a hair as he darted out of reach, laughing all the while.

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Mick looked out at her brother, turning back to glance at her with worried eyes. “I don’t want Gary to worry. He’s been so busy at the factory.”

“Yeah, don’t upset him, Sawyer, COTA is in a week.” Georgia turned serious, taking hold of Mick’s arm as she caught on to what he was trying to imply. Better to let the engineer rest and collect himself instead of riling him up for the sake of something childish.

“I won’, I won’.” He turned on his heel, wandered back to the other vehicle, shaking his head fervently, as if to say I could.

“You’re lucky you got Gina, all I got ‘s two bastards for brothers.”

“They’re not so bad.” Mick gave her hand a squeeze before slipping out of his seat and on to the hard ground. “Now hop out and spot me while I back this thing out, please.”

“Aye Aye, Cap’n.” Georgia gave him a small salute and jumped out of her seat, nearly knocking into the tree that had caused it all in the first place. She stood a few paces behind the truck, watching carefully as he spun the wheels into the gravel. With dust flying, and the sun beating down, her boyfriend doing his very best, Georgia sent up a little prayer. Bless this dirt and Brad Paisley.

[saiqherrr]

.pairing satoru gojo x fem!reader

.setting college au

.content warning smut, nsfw, angst???, degradation kink, overstimulation, slapping kink, unprotected sex, cumming inside, cheating

.synopsis you swear that you're different - that you can "change" satoru gojo.

.a/n this is unfinished but i wanted this out my drafts. i have had zero motivation to write lately. this also has not been proofread. bleh. enjoy

NOT TRUE. NOT TRUE. you rubbed your hand on the side of your neck, absentmindedly looking down at your notebook that was filled with poorly written scrabbles of notes, words you could just barely imbibe from today’s lecture. you masked your irritation while two girls shamelessly whispered gossip about your boyfriend. why should it bother you if you knew it wasn’t true? because you knew that a good portion of what they were blabbering about was true.

you weren’t necessarily a shy girl, you knew a lot of people on campus from high school. for the most part you were quiet and minded your business, however, that changed after you notoriously flashed your busty bosoms at a frat party while your system was buzzed with alcohol. that was the night satoru gojo took you home. it was by luck that you committed such a sinful act on a night where satoru really couldn’t be bothered with desperate girls flocking on him. on any other night, he’d meander around the party, letting girls approach him and kiss up to him. he’d pick a spunky, sober girl from the flock and take her up to a room that didn’t belong to them, and fuck her - just for him to forget her name the next morning.

this night was different. he had a long day and he was surprised he had the energy to come to the party in the first place. he felt embarrassed for you when you got up on that table, slurring your words and waving your shirt in the air before you unclasped your bra, the frat house erupting with screams, chants, yelling and shouting. he couldn’t bear to see you like that and it bothered him that he even cared. he had no particular reason to. but his body moved on it’s own when he walked over to that anything-but-sturdy table and grabbed you, ending the show that everyone was rooting for. he slung you over his shoulder, taking up your shirt and bra before he found the nearest bathroom.

he took you back to his own apartment he was renting nearby, letting you sleep on the couch with a small blanket that just barely covered your feet and one small throw pillow was placed underneath your head. he left a mop bucket by the couch, anticipating that you’d be facing a mean hangover the next morning. he was glad he trusted his gut with that one because after he woke up the next morning to use the bathroom, he could hear you gagging and then regurgitating  everything you ingested the day before.

after he took care of you that day, you thanked him endlessly. you were eternally grateful that he took time out his day to even do such a generous thing. it was out of character for him to do something like that, too, but you didn’t know at the time.

you don’t know how you ended up where the two of you were now, but all you know is that you fully smitten by him during those first two weeks you guys had first met. the two of you went out on a couple of dates, spent the night at his place a couple of times and eventually...you guys were having sex. so much fucking sex. he whispered appraisal in your ear every time he got the chance to bury himself balls deep in your tight pussy. he was rough, yet his words came out as soft as ever to you, stirring up all kinds of mushy feelings and affection from him.

it only took one post on satoru’s instagram - that one picture of you in his apartment, smiling at yourself in the bathroom mirror as he stood behind you, kissing your cheek while he snapped the photo. it was posted in the early morning with the a simple, but meaningful caption: ain’t she special? one post confirmed something for, not only everyone else, but for you as well; he was in love with you.

it, of course, came as a shock to your peers on campus. satoru was infamous for being a player and a sex addict. even you, at one point, had make an ancient joke about how satoru couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. being held down by anyone wasn’t a common thing for him at all. the confirmation of your relationship with him only caused people to question if all of it was a facade.

you questioned it yourself sometimes. but then you’d oddly be ashamed in yourself for doing so. he told you he loved you out the blue, took you out for fancy dinners, wasn’t ashamed to mention you to his friends and almost annoyingly professed his love to you in public spaces and online. he loved you. you knew he loved you.

keeping his words in your mind was enough to protect your mind from getting hurt by reality. you were blind to the small love marks that weren’t given to him by you. you were deaf to the sound of satoru sweet-talking a girl on the phone, assuming you were asleep, when you were really wide-awake. you suddenly had anosmia whenever he’d come back to the apartment smelling like cheap perfume. you ignored it all subconsciously and it was starting to catch up to you.

you were clearly aware of satoru’s behavior before becoming official with him, but since he had treated you with so much tlc, you figured you would be the turning point in his life. you believed that he’d change now that he had such a smart, respectable, sexy, and compliant girl by his side. he didn’t need anyone else, right? wrong. you were not his turning point. you were simply another climax in his life, a feeling you gave him every time your pussy clamped down on his cock, except, he got to feel that from you more often than others. that’s how other people looked at it.

in two weeks it’d make a year since the two of you started dating. a full year of this? maybe he was in love in with you, but just because he was, it didn’t mean it got rid of his urges. so that’s why you were trying to ignore the chattering behind you right now. you know you couldn’t be mad. you knew satoru was a fucking sleeze.

“throw it back on me baby, you know i don’t like doing all the work.” satoru's vainglorious words sent blazes of warmth to run everywhere on your body. your hands held the sheets underneath you as you shook your body to and fro, shivering each time your skin connected with his. his throbbing cock kissed your cervix and massaged your pulsating walls. you were recovering from an orgasm that you had moments before, juice running down your legs, but satoru fucked you through, bringing you close to overstimulation.

you wanted to tell him it was too much, but he had your own, soaked panties in your mouth, causing you to be quite inaudible. so many reasons to be uncomfortable yet you adored and wanted the entire. the fully body mirror that was across from you reflected the pornographic scene and felt yourself getting aroused all over again from the sight. drool dribbled from your mouth, tears rolling down your cheeks, satoru’s strained face. it only motivated you to go faster, milking his cock with your cunt eagerly.

satoru reached beside him, getting his cell phone and lazily opened up the camera app. he happily recorded the way you ricocheted your full ass on him, holding it and smacking it multiple times. once he was happy with the footage he had, he threw it phone to the side and he reaches around and takes the lacy material from your mouth, causing you to hack uncontrollably and lick your dry lips. he proceeded to grab your hips, digging crescent shaped dents into your skin. he pulled you to him, fucking you like he had gone batshit crazy.

he had you blabbering nonsense now that your mouth wasn’t restrained, but he managed to hear you say “’s too much!” and you stammered while moaning his name.

“too fucking bad. hold out just a bit longer, you weak slut,” he growled. “fuck...” you were reaching your high again, legs shaking viciously before they gave out and you imploded on your stomach on the bed. it didn’t stop him from ramming into you over and over again. you were so compliant to him. the way he fucked you was intoxicating. he made you crave sex more than you ever did in your life. “cum again for me baby, i’ll come with you.”

with both of your eyes screwed shut, you clenched around his slobbered cock, stomach convulsing violently and came hard. you practically screamed his name like you had no fucking sense. it’s because you didn’t. your psyche had gone clear and your body was numb. you couldn’t even process that satoru had came as well, rubbing excess semen in between your ass cheeks, watching strings of your release and his own drip from your gaping hole. he turned you around so that you were on your back and brought his hand, slapping you hard against your cheek, bringing you back to your senses.

“don’t scream like that again. y’lost your fucking mind,” he threatens you in a low, aggressive tone before snickering. he grabbed your delicate bosoms tenderly, scouring your stiff, aching areolas. you gasped intensely while sweat moved down your face, eyes half-lidded. he sucked your nipples graciously, running wet circles around them with his tongue. his ivory locks of hair tickled your skin, you bring your hand to run your fingers through it. he brought his lips to the space in between your breasts, sucking feverishly on your soft flesh until he could see visible marks form, leaving his mark on you.

“did i...did i do good...?” you breathed out, closing your eyes.

you felt his warm lips leave your skin and he chuckled softly before kissing you tenderly. “yes, yes you did. you did so well.” he was proud of himself for taming you, making you so docile to him. you were strong-willed and independent outside of the bed so seeing you lie here so pathetic under his gaze, losing yourself because of his touch was a sight to see. he felt lucky to have you...

you were truly such a beautiful girl. as embarrassed as he was for you when he first saw you flashing to all those people at that frat party, he silently admitted to himself that you looked fucking hot. if you weren’t so drunk that night he probably would’ve fucked you. he got his wish...eventually.

if anyone ever asked satoru why he has stayed with you for so long, he wouldn't have the option to offer an unmistakable response. whenever he was asked, he gave them a straightforward, “i love her.” he couldn’t quite understand how or what you did, but you allure him in a way no other person can. you unknowingly had him wrapped around your finger. he didn’t mind being tied down by you. well, that’s because he wasn’t entirely “tied down.” it was no secret that he sneaked around with other girls on campus, but what other option did he have? he was an addict. he couldn’t go a fucking day without burying himself in someone’s cunt - or someone’s ass, or getting his dick sucked by some whore after class. he couldn’t fuck you everyday. he didn’t want to use you for that purpose. you surprisingly meant something to him. he hoped all the warm gestures he gave you was enough to prove he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

[harryhandstan]

prompt: harry wakes up early on starbucks cup release days and surprises you by buying all the ones he thinks you’ll like. he’s usually able to escape the paps but this time they catch him and he ends up having to explain it in his next interview and gets all shy and can’t stop blushing.

a/n: hello all!! first I want to apologize for my 4 month long writing absence. life just has not been kind to me lately and unfortunately zapped a lot of my creativity energy, but I’m happy to have something done now! hopefully I can continue and keep a more consistent schedule for the remainder of this year!

immense thank you’s are owed to my kind friends @tobesolonely and @meetmymouth for the encouragement to find my creative spark for writing again and for being amazing betas! and to @taintedwonder for the lovely idea! @theharriediaries​ was so sweet to beta for me as well!!

word count: 2.1k

writing tag | masterlist | tiktok inspo 

Harry was usually smarter than this. He had a schedule, a plan, a way to get in and out pretty quickly without being seen. 

But today, he’d lingered too long at the mugs, curious if you’d want one of those as well. Your go-to was iced coffee, even year round in the winter you would prefer something cold over anything warm. He was thinking though, of the nights you were stressed and wanted a cup of soothing tea before bed, or those slower mornings where you don’t have to rush and a mug of coffee fits nicely in your hand while he admires you from across the kitchen table.

By the time he’s decided that yes, you do need this mug with the pastel rainbow print to add to your collection, along with a few of the other cups he thinks you’ll adore and a fresh bag of your favorite flavor of coffee, there’s already a small crowd of people forming in the lobby of the coffee shop and he hopes that he can get through them without being recognized as usual; prays that it’s only the regulars filing in for an early morning fix of caffeine before they rush off to start their day.

The barista thankfully is quick, skillfully giving him his total before rushing off to make the drinks he ordered for the two of you as well. He sees the way her eyes keep darting to him though, knows after years of experience that she knows who he is and is trying to work up the courage to say something to him or ask for a photo. He almost considers offering, she’s been so nice not to draw any attention to him, maybe something discreet could be pulled off. 

In the end he chooses not to, not wanting to assume that’s why she keeps looking over at him. It could be that he still has the hood of his sweatshirt tucked over his beanie or the fact that he’s now walking out of the shop with a small handful of the brown shopping bags with the familiar green logo imprinted on the front.

He breathes a sigh of relief when he makes it back to his car without anyone stopping him. He’s so distracted by securing the bags in the backseat he fails to hear the small clicks of the camera not too far away.

There’s a small comfort in the quietness of your shared apartment when he returns. While he loves coming home to the sound of you dancing around the kitchen making breakfast, his favorite is getting to wake you up himself. There’s a sweet softness in the way the side of your face rests against your pillow, mouth parted slightly and a gentle snore vibrating through your chest. It never fails to make him smile. He cherished the way you inhale faintly, stretching your limbs before blinking a few times, adjusting to the new day you’re waking up to. If he was there, already awake, your eyes always found him before anything else.

This morning is no different, except for the confusion on your face when you find him sitting on the edge of the bed instead of snuggled next to you. 

“You’re up to something, I can tell.”  You’re propped up enough now to accept the coffee he’s holding out for you. You take a few small sips, sighing and letting your head fall back against the headboard as you savor the taste.

“M’that easy to read, huh?” He chuckles, his hand on your thigh now, warming your skin even through the blanket, “Well..would you like your surprise here or will you be joining me in the kitchen while I make you breakfast?”

“Oh I get a surprise and breakfast today? What’s the occasion? Little early for my birthday, H.” 

“Don’t need an occasion to spoil my girl, do I?”

“I guess not.” 

You shrug, trying not to let the guilt bubble up enough to where it flashes across your face. One of his loudest love languages had always been gift giving, a quality about him you thought was wonderful, but still had a hard time accepting. You had to be careful about mentioning things you may want around Harry, he would use any excuse to treat you.

He’s rambling off his reasoning already as he leads you into the kitchen and settles you in one of the tall chairs next to the counter. He always ends his explanation with “I know you told me not to, but…” followed up by what you’re sure to him sounds like a very logical justification for why you need/deserve whatever he was gifting you. There’s nothing out of the ordinary of your regular kitchen set up this morning though, so you do what you normally do when he announces a surprise for you; let him take the lead, not wanting to take away from his excitement. 

“So..surprise or breakfast first?” He stands on the other side of the counter now, his hoodie and beanie discarded, wearing a t-shirt you were sure you bought for yourself but he seems to have laid claim to.

“Breakfast, please. If you don’t mind.” 

“‘Course not. Any requests, baby?”

Your heart flutters for a moment, just as it does each time he uses that particular term of affection for you. He’s already opened the refrigerator, scanning over options for what he could make for the two of you. You recover long enough to tell him no, that whatever he wants to make would be fine, sitting back and enjoying the view as he cracks a few eggs into a bowl.

You don’t even notice that you’re staring until he turns and catches your eye, “What? Did I get a shell in the eggs or something?”

You giggle as he even picks up the clear bowl of eggs that he’s already scrambled and seasoned, even going so far as to swirl his finger through the liquid to double check before you can stop him.

“No, it’s just..I can’t get over the fact that you’re making breakfast for me while wearing my t-shirt.”

“S’it yours?” He glances down at it, “Thought it was mine, sorry..”

There’s a smirk on his face as he turns back to the stove, and you know just by seeing that he knows you don’t mind; you love seeing him in your clothes as much as he adores seeing you in his.  

It’s not long before he’s presenting you with a plate, sitting next to you with his own plate in front of him. When you don’t immediately dig in, he leans over to inspect the food, worried that maybe he’d overdone the eggs or your toast was slightly more brown than you liked. 

So when you say, “You’ve forgotten something very important, haven’t you?” he panics, thinking maybe he should’ve taken the time to include fruit to balance the meal. You take pity on him, not making him wait too long before you lean in and he instantly softens, realizing what you’re asking for. 

He meets you the rest of the way, lips soft against yours, the taste of the coffee you’ve both had lingering for a moment before he pulls away, “Very important. How could I ever have forgotten?”

When you’ve both finished eating, he downs the last of his coffee and stacks your now empty plates to take to the sink, pecking your forehead with another quick kiss, “Alright, close your eyes. Count to 20.”

You begin to count off in your head, and you hear his voice, a bit further away, “Out loud, angel.”

There’s a rustling of bags getting closer as you count, and you can even hear a few clinks as they come closer. You can feel him moving around you, positioning things perfectly for when you open your eyes. 

He’s still behind you when you finish counting, hands squeezing your shoulders to urge you to open your eyes. When you do, you immediately recognize the bags and know exactly what he’s done.

“Oh no. Absolutely not. This is too much, Harry. I let you spoil me with little things here and there, but I cannot accept this.”

Sitting in front of you are..you stop to count them now; 1, 2, 3, 4..6 bags from Starbucks. You know from experience that each one of them contains 2 cups or mugs. You’re sure at least one of them also includes your favorite roast of coffee. He had done this before around Christmas time, when you’d mentioned how adorable a few of the ones from the holiday collection had been, not thinking that he would go back later without you and buy all the ones you’d touched or admired.  

He ignores your refusal, “You can take back any you don’t like. Go on,” He peeks inside one of the bags closest to him and then pushes it closer to you, “Start with this one.”

“Harry, really..”

“Don’t think, just open. If you really won’t accept any of them then I’ll take ‘em back and buy you something from somewhere else.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” You try your best to look serious, but you can’t stop the smile from spreading across your face, “Thank you, H.”

You finally go through most of the bags, offering oohs and ahhs and even a few squeals of joy at certain ones. 

“I think I got all the ones you’d pick for yourself. Saw you eyeing one or two the other day and the others I just guessed.”

He had done very well in choosing for you, even going so far as to get the two of you a matching pair of the kind that changed colors with the temperature. 

“For our smoothies.” He explains when you give him a particularly soft look at the idea of matching with him. 

“Also got us a matching set of these,” He skips to the last bag, too eager to wait for you to open it yourself, revealing the mug he’d taken the extra time to select, “For our Sunday morning tea. Or if you change your mind and ever want a hot coffee.”

All you can do is repeat the same expression of gratitude as before you had opened them, “Thank you again, H. I love them all, really. No more though, alright? We’re running out of cabinet space. Did you go to our regular spot or a different one so you wouldn’t be recognized?” 

“Different one. Can’t believe I wasn’t spotted though. Must’ve been too early for the paps to be out and about.”

“Or maybe you aren’t as interesting as you think you are, babe. Harry Styles coming out of a Starbucks is old news now.” 

His eyebrows shoot up in mock surprise, “Oh is it now?”

“Mhmm. You’re just plain boring now, H.” You shrug, peeling at the price tag on the bottom of one of the cups, avoiding his gaze; knowing if you look at him you’ll break into a fit of laughter. 

He’s impossibly calm, just like he is before any interview he does. 

You sit across the room from where he’s currently getting his hair done. The stylist was nervous, understandably so, her hands unsure at first. It only takes a few moments of being near Harry; working his quiet, delicate magic of putting anyone he’s near at ease. By the time his hair is finished he’s pulled a few laughs from her and she leaves the room with a big beaming smile and a wave to the both of you.

Now that you’re alone again, he beckons you closer and tugs you down to sit in his lap, despite your protests of the possibility of wrinkling his incredibly expensive suit. 

“Don’t care,” He leans up to press a kiss to your neck, keeping his face tucked there in your warmth, “Just want you close for a moment.”

Normally you would run your fingers through his hair, but you don’t dare do that now, hand drifting to the side of his face instead, “Not nervous are you, H?”

He lets you gently push him back enough to see his face again, “Never. Just happy to have you here with me, that’s all.”   

It’s not until he’s in front of the audience, presented with the evidence of just a few days before, displayed on a screen for all to see. He had been caught, despite his confidence of getting away. He falters for only a beat, head down in hopes to hide the blush spreading high along his cheeks. He finds you in the crowd, sending a bright smile your way before he shrugs, turning his attention back to the host.

“What can I say? My sunshine likes her coffee.” 

//

tag list: @harrysblackcoat​, @summertime-pills​ 

thank you for reading!! as always likes, rbs, and feedback is welcome and appreciated!!

[rhysismydaddy]

Prisoner's Game Pt. 2 (Rowaelin)

Part 1

~Rowan~

Rowan didn't think he'd ever been so pissed off in his life.

The only time that even came close was when he lost his first and only court case, but over the years he'd come to live with that.

This though?

This immature, childish, irritatingly clever woman... he had a feeling he'd carry the rage he felt against her until the day he finally died of it.

Although, if he was honest, his returning move had been a little childish, too.

He'd ordered one of the guards to strip her cell of everything except the chess set. Her mattress, the makeshift knife he shuddered to think she'd had in the same room as him, her pillow.

If she wanted to steal his shit, he'd steal hers, too.

He'd also had the guard move one of his pawns forward on the board.

Not the most creative, but he didn't have many options.

What did you take from a woman who had nothing? How did you punish someone who was already serving the longest punishment available?

The bank had seized her assets when she'd been locked up, and the lease on her apartment had long since run out. She didn't have any personal items with her, didn't seem to even care about anything besides making his life hell.

Case in point, when he got home that night, exhausted from dealing with Aelin and spending a long day at the office, he'd discovered her retaliation.

She'd stolen his bed.

The whole goddamn thing, frame and all.

How she'd managed to get it out of a penthouse condo with security not realizing a thing, he had no idea. He knew from experience it wouldn't even fit through the door.

It'd seemed if she was going to be uncomfortable, so was he.

Steaming with anger, he'd showered and flopped on the couch like an idiot, not even able to sleep thanks to the rage she'd worked him into.

She was completely kicking his ass. From the inside of a jail cell.

He hadn't gotten more than a few hours of sleep before giving up on even trying. At six, he'd dressed and driven to Whitehorn and Salvaterre, the law firm he was a partner at.

If he couldn't sleep, he'd at least figure out how the hell she was pulling this shit off.

Looking through her folder, he went through her daily schedule, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

Eight am wake-up, breakfast, shower, lunch, yard time, dinner, lights out at nine. Between activities, she worked out in her cell or read a book from the run-down prison library.

In the eight years she'd been in prison, she hadn't had a single visitor. Her cousin Aedion--a playboy Rowan couldn't be paid to associate with--delivered a care package on the first of every month.

Strange, considering nothing of the sort had been in her cell.

She'd been in solitary confinement ever since randomly attacking her cellmate a little over a month ago. She was still allowed yard time and meals with the other prisoners, but she was chained at all times.

Also strange, considering Aelin wasn't the type to do anything randomly.

Rowan watched the security tapes he'd strong armed the guards into giving him, going through the past few days to see how she'd gotten out of her cell to rob him.

He watched as she was escorted to the yard, watched as she ate breakfast and lunch and dinner alone, watched as she put herself through vigorous training in her cell.

Days of footage, and he didn't find anything.

Feeling like a bit of a creep, he watched the nighttime footage of her sleeping, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

She didn't move too much or too little--both of which would indicate it wasn't really her under that thin blanket. There were no attempts to pick the locks in between her wrists and ankles, no digging into the wall behind her toilet.

Nothing.

Which meant someone was helping her.

He could go through the official channels and ask the police for her known connections, but he hadn't reported either of the robberies yet.

Partly because he wanted to deal with her himself, partly because he felt a bit stupid getting robbed from a woman in the most secure prison in the city.

Which means he'd have to go about it a different way.

Grabbing his keys from his desk, he debated how else he could make her miserable, unfortunately finding nothing else he could do to her, no revenge he could get from robbing her tiny little cell.

No, he'd have to try something new.

Maybe he could bribe her into confessing. She didn't have anything right now, but maybe he could give her something to lose.

He'd bring her lunch, force himself to apologize for yelling at her, and just politely ask who her accomplice was.

He thought on it as he rode down the elevator to the garage. It probably wouldn't work, but he didn't know what else to do.

And besides, he knew from experience Aelin didn't respond well to his anger.

Checking his email to make sure he wasn't missing any important meetings, he pressed the button on his car fob, expecting to hear the resounding beep from his designated parking spot.

Except the beep never came.

Slowly looking up, Rowan had to amend his earlier statement.

Now he didn't think he'd ever been so pissed off in his life.

He stormed over to the security booth, hardly refraining from grabbing the man inside and throwing him to the ground.

"Where's my car, Rolland?"

"In your spot, boss," the stout little man replied instantly and surely, snapping his gum and looking at him in confusion. "Haven't seen you drive out yet."

"Yes, exactly. Which is why it's a mystery why it's no longer in it's spot."

Rolland caught up slowly. "You mean... it was stolen? From here? From you?"

Jaw so tight his molars were practically fused together, Rowan growled, "Just let me see the security tapes from this morning."

The guard nodded quickly, eyes nervous as he typed something into the desktop in front of him.

"That's weird," he muttered a moment later, typing faster and sending Rowan a nervous glance.

"What?" he asked, trying to calm himself down with a few of the breathing techniques he'd learned over the years.

"The tapes are gone, but there's... this."

Rolland turned the screen so Rowan could see it, and all the breathing in the world couldn't keep him from slamming a fist into the side of the security shack.

The footage was gone, and on the blank black screen read: Bishop to J7.

He was going to fucking kill her.

~Aelin~

"Enjoy your taxi ride here?" she asked sweetly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

Rowan scowled at her as he crossed the small room inmates could use to talk to their lawyers. He yanked the chair across from her out, then threw himself into it. "You are such a pain in my ass."

She just shrugged.

He sat across from her, angry and broody, and for a long time, he just stared at her.

Finally he asked, "Why are you doing this, Aelin?"

"I told you. You locked me up for something I didn't do. I want you to be as miserable as I am. It's simple, petty revenge."

Nothing about it was simple, but that was besides the point.

He was quiet for another moment. "Why now?"

She sighed, but she wasn't upset. Truthfully, she'd been waiting for him to ask that question.

"I want to tell you a story."

He stood up suddenly, face exasperated. "I'm not fucking joking around. And I'm not going to let you waste any more of my time."

He made his way to the door, and his dismissal of her pissed her off enough to say, "Sit down, or your car's going off Whigsby Bridge."

He smiled like he'd won their little game. "So you admit you have it."

"Sure," she said casually, honestly not giving a shit about the car.

His brow furrowed. "You're giving up? Just like that?"

"You're a fucking idiot if you think this is about your car, Rowan. But sure, I admit I know exactly where it, and your bed, and your little dagger are being hidden."

He narrowed his eyes. "This conversation is being recorded, and you just admitted to being an accessory to robbery, so-"

"You aren't going to press charges," she cut him off, pulling a cigarette out of her pocket and lighting it.

Nasty little prison habit she'd developed, smoking.

Or maybe she just did it because she knew he hated the smell.

"Oh, really?" he asked incredulously, eyeing the cigarette with disdain.

She grinned. "Once you sit and hear my story and realize I'm telling the truth, you're going to feel so guilty you won't even care about the car. Now sit down. I'd hate to see a classic get totaled because you're being stubborn again."

He glared at her, but came back to the table and sat down again.

Then reached over and snatched the cigarette from her lips, putting it out against the steel table top.

She just pulled out another, lighting it with one of her last matches. The irritation on his face made it worth the loss.

He waved a hand as if to say Get on with it.

She'd debated how to tell him this story for a long time. It was long, and messy and not particularly pleasant for her. But she wanted him to know the full thing, so she'd decided to start at the very beginning.

"My parents died when I was four," she began, ignoring his dramatic sigh. "I went into foster care, and as you can imagine, I was a particularly unruly child."

She smiled at the few memories she had. "I stole from the nuns, snuck out of my room at night and ran through the house, set all the clocks back an hour so we could sleep in. Small stuff. But it irritated them, because they couldn't prove it was me."

"Sounds familiar," he grouched, making her grin.

"I was adopted by Arobynn Hamel a year later."

As she'd predicted, his mouth fell open at that.

Arobynn was the known king of the underworld in Rifthold. He had a hand in every aspect of crime, yet no one could do anything about it because he never committed the crime himself.

His name was revered, so much so no one ever dared to cross him.

"But your record says-"

"That I stayed in foster care until I turned eighteen, I know."

Arobynn hated public records and had a deal with someone in the system that he'd take some of the kids off their hands if they kept quiet about it. Illegal as hell, but he wasn't someone you refused without suffering serious consequences.

It was the perfect crime. No one would miss unwanted kids, and it gave the system one less mouth to feed.

"I didn't know it, but he'd been watching me for a while. He... I don't know, saw something in me. Natural, innocent talent he could work with and turn into something different. He adopted me on my fifth birthday. And then he started training me."

"To do what?" Rowan asked, shoulders tensing.

"Everything," she answered with a shaky laugh, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "Stuff I wanted to learn, like how to pick a lock or walk without making sound. But as I got older, he taught me other stuff. Stuff I didn't want to know."

"How to kill," he finished, picking up on her tone.

She nodded, finishing her cigarette and flicking the butt on the floor.

"I was good," she told him quietly, looking down at the table. "By the time I was fifteen, he said I was the best he'd ever had. None of his other... children could beat me in a fight, not even the older ones who had a hundred pounds on me. And I could steal anything and not leave a trace."

His eyes didn't show an ounce of doubt, and she didn't know how to feel about it. But she kept going anyway.

"I was his favorite. I was his best asset, and I didn't care about anything that would compromise me. I lost my parents, and despite how much he wanted me to, I never loved him. I had no weaknesses. Except Sam."

"Another of his students?" Rowan asked, and it wasn't lost on her he said students instead of children.

She nodded. "We were adopted around the same time, grew up together. He was a year older, and whenever I had a problem, he was the one I'd turn to. He was good to me, and by the time I was seventeen, not a small part of me loved him."

Aelin broke off and took a deep breath, wishing she had another cigarette and trying to figure out how to put into words how much he'd meant to her.

"Was?" Rowan asked, so softly and quietly and understandingly that she was reminded of the man he'd once been, the one she'd loved.

Shaking her head to clear it, she said, "He made a mistake. He went on a job; he was supposed to break into one of the underground casino's owned by Arobynn's competitor and memorize the ledger, but he got caught. It was messy and horrible and stupid, and the owner wanted blood. Arobynn promised he'd kill Sam as retribution."

Rowan's eyes widened, almost like he hadn't realized how brutally she'd been raised until that moment.

"I begged him not to. Sam had saved me and helped me so many times that I couldn't not do the same for him. I told him I'd do anything."

She studied her hands, regret and guilt thick on her skin. "Arobynn said if I took ten of the jobs Sam was supposed to do, he wouldn't kill him. I thought they'd be similar to the one he'd messed up on, small break-ins or robberies. So I accepted."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she batted it away as she continued, "The second I shook his hand, Tern--another of Arobynn's--shot Sam in the head."

Rowan's face blanched so quickly, she thought he might pass out.

He started to say something, but she spoke faster. "I... snapped. I killed Tern, tried to kill Arobynn. You called me a murderer, and that's true. I am, and I don't regret it. Tern was a sadistic bastard, and I'm glad he's dead. And one day, I'll kill Arobynn for what he did."

Rowan shook his head, confusion and shock and something similar to pity in his eyes. "Why didn't you leave, run away?"

She leveled a look at him. "I didn't exactly have a choice, Rowan. My punishment for Tern lasted for over a year."

There was a long pause.

"Punishment?" he asked in a breathless voice that made something in her chest hurt.

She looked at the table again, skin pebbling at the memory of that year. "He locked me in a cell in the basement, in the dark. Once a month he'd come in to ask if I knew someone named Sam. It took me ten months to get confused, another three to say no."

Still not meeting his eyes, she looked at his hands, noticing they were clenched so tightly the knuckles were white. And a part of her, buried under all the rage and resentment and sadness, warmed at the thought that he was... he was angry for her.

"It took me a long time after to figure out what was real and what wasn't. But Arobynn never let me forget our deal. And right before I met you, he told me the first job."

"What were the jobs?"

Aelin looked back up at that, the air thick between them as she said, "You already know."

"The murders."

She nodded, somehow managing to keep her spine straight despite the feeling of a hundred pound weight being lifted from her shoulders.

He at least knows why now, she thought to herself.

It was one of the things that had bothered her over the years. That he didn't know why she'd done what he thought she'd done. That he thought she'd.. wanted to do it.

He was silent for a long time, just watching her with a carefully emotionless face. "Thank you for telling me that," he said eventually. "I never could understand why."

Then he stood and walked to the door again, and it was only when his hand was on the handle she spoke again. "You asked why I'm doing this, and why I'm doing it now."

He opened the door but paused. Waited.

"It's because I tried to tell you this all those years ago, and you didn't care. You just assumed I was guilty because the evidence looked like it."

She spoke around the lump in her throat. "I told you I didn't kill those people, Rowan, and you didn't even care."

He spun around, slamming the door so hard it rattled, and in a split second, he was in front of her. A hand on the table, the other on her chair, he leaned down and got in her face.

He was so angry, so unbelievably enraged she couldn't believe it. He was angry?

"I didn't care? I didn't fucking care, that's what you think? Watching you get dragged away in cuffs was the worst moment of my life, and you think I didn't fucking care?"

Shock hit her like a bucket of ice water.

That moment was crystal clear in her mind, and she couldn't put what he was saying with what she knew.

He'd watched her with that same expressionless face, with cold eyes that had haunted her ever since.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he wasn't done.

"I fucked loved you! I thought you were the love of my life, Aelin. I begged you to tell me something that would help, tell me anything. But you didn't! You just kept saying you were innocent; you didn't give me anything to actually work with."

"I-"

"I found that stupid fucking list five days before I reported it, did you know that?"

She shook her head, because she hadn't.

"Exactly. You don't know what the hell you're talking about," he growled, eyes flashing. "I spent five days investigating it myself, trying to make sense of why you'd know those names. After your arrest, I spent two weeks trying to find anything, a single piece of evidence, that said it wasn't you. And after the trial, I spent another two months trying to poke holes in my own goddamn case."

He slammed a hand into the table. "I did everything I fucking could! I was desperate for it not to be you. I argued my case so your lawyer could plead circumstantial evidence. I put you on the stand so you could say anything you wanted. I went for life sentences instead of the death penalty to give you time to actually tell me what the hell was going on!"

She was breathing heavily, heart breaking and reforming over and over again at what he was saying, what he was implying.

"I didn't assume shit," he said in a low voice, so close they shared air. "You didn't tell me anything."

Aelin's voice trembled as she croaked, "I tried."

He shook his head, letting out a breath of amusement. "No, you didn't. If this past week has proven anything, it's that you don't try to do anything, you do it. You didn't tell me anything, Aelin. You're still not telling me anything."

"I'm telling you to look again! I'm telling you you didn't look hard enough, because I left breadcrumbs only you could find, breadcrumbs that explain everything."

"Stop playing games with me!" he shouted, eyes flashing with a fresh wave of anger. "It's been eight years! Stop holding onto whatever secret you're holding onto and just tell me!"

Gods, she wanted to.

He was the one person she couldn't trust with this secret, this stupid, most important secret, and yet he was the also the one person she wanted to tell it to.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but what came out was, "I didn't kill them, Rowan. I promise I didn't kill them. I can't... I can't tell you anything else."

"Jesus, Aelin," he spat, pushing off the table and turning to leave.

"Just look into it," she called after him, fingers digging into the table to resist the urge to try and follow him. "I promise you can figure everything out, and you'll understand everything. Please."

She knew why, after all this time, it was so important for him to know the truth when that hadn't been her original plan.

It was because she'd spent eight years believing he hadn't tried, believing she hadn't been a good enough person for him to even look into the possibility it wasn't her.

And maybe it was because he was once again leaving her, or maybe it was because she felt like she was in that courtroom again, begging him to believe her, or maybe it was because of something she didn't even understand yet.

Regardless of the reason, she found herself saying, "I loved you, too, you know."

He looked at her with sad eyes that she was sure mirrored her own and shook his head. "Not enough, apparently."

"You don't believe that," she argued, shaking her head and trying to keep the building emotions down.

"If you'd loved me, you would've told me. You would've given me the proof, whatever breadcrumbs you're talking about. You wouldn't have let me watch them take you away."

"Rowan-"

"You wouldn't have thought, for a second, that I didn't try to fight for you. And you sure as hell wouldn't have waited eight years to do whatever it is you're trying to do."

"I had to," she whispered, even as she knew it wouldn't be enough.

She shook with the effort to not tell him everything, but even after all he'd told her and how everything had changed, she just couldn't. Not yet.

He stood at the door, watching her with those eyes she'd once thought looked like the most beautiful emeralds. "Sometimes I think about it, you know. What life would be like if I hadn't tried to fix your sink in the middle of the night."

She smiled sadly. "Me too."

Rowan shook his head, gaze taking in her face like he thought he'd never see her again.

He thought it was over now, she realized. He thought that now she knew he hadn't given up on her immediately, now that she'd told him the story she'd wanted to tell him, that it was over and she'd give up.

"Look again," she whispered. "You know I didn't do it. It's why you're here, why you kept looking after the trial ended. You know I wouldn't."

"Goodbye, Aelin," he said instead, not telling her any of the things she really wanted to hear.

It wasn't until the door shut behind him she finally let herself cry.

She'd told herself that it didn't matter; that in a month the truth would come out and everything would be normal again.

She'd told herself she was only messing with Rowan for revenge, not because she wanted to see him again or test that he'd find the clues she'd left for him.

She'd told herself this was just a game.

She'd told herself all sorts of things that turned out to be lies.

~~~

Part 3

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[adonis-koo]

Blue Spring

| 1 |

↳ Summary: Jeon Jungkook, only well known as the youngest (and hottest) dad at the daycare, he’s got it all, the looks, the sweetheart personality, the body, but here’s what gets everyone- he doesn’t wear a wedding ring. The only problem lies in his fickle one year old daughter that hates just about every daycare worker out there...Well...besides you that is. Which of course leads to Jungkook liking you just as much as his daughter...if not maybe a little too much.

Or in other words...You and Jungkook are secretly crushing on one another but too shy to admit it.

↳ Pairing: Single dad!Jungkook/Reader

↳ Genre: Daycare AU, Slice of life, copious amounts of fluff, a hair of angst, future smut

Word Count: 4K

___ | Next

Seven thirty sharp. Your mind was groggy and you couldn’t stop the yawn that escaped your lips, you had stayed up too late the night before studying due to a test you’d have later today without even thinking about the shift you promised your coworker you’d cover. So here you were at First Steps 7:30 in the morning, coffee in hand and your hair in a messy bun.

You hadn’t even bothered getting changed besides your fitness pants. Outside of that you were still dawned in your oversized university sweatshirt. At least you’d be with the kids most of the day, one of the perks of working at a daycare was you rarely had to get dressed up.

Another perk was during naptime you could squeeze in a little more time to look over your notes, but maybe you shouldn’t get ahead of yourself considering you only slept six hours and currently look like you just rolled out bed.

Opening the door to the entrance you were greeted with the sound of cartoons, a morning routine while all the kids had their breakfast snack and got out their energy while playing. What drowned out the volume however was a familiar loud screech and whine from a little pair of arms that attached herself to the much larger figure.

“Awwwh, poor baby.” You cooed as you kneeled down, your lips quirking into a pout at the all too familiar sight, “Mina! Daddy has to go to work, he’ll be back for you later”

The little one year old suddenly perked up at the sound of your voice making you laugh softly before she quickly toddled over to you as best she could, fat crocodile tears dribbling down her cheeks as she threw herself dramatically against your chest making your lips pull into a big animated pout, “Awh it’s okay baby! Poor thing, it always takes her at least ten minutes to stop crying anytime you go.”

You picked her up, maneuvering her up to your hip as you kept her balanced in one hand, turning to fully face the tall man who you had grown acquainted too, “She’d probably cry the whole time if it weren’t for you Y/n, really thank you.” Jungkook gave an endearing smile as he let his little girl wrap her tiny hand around his finger, tears still dribbling down her cheeks as whines escaped her.

Mina, was a tough one. When new kids came in it was usually guaranteed they’d have a little separation anxiety from their parents, especially if it was the first they had ever done something like this. Usually it was recommended that the parent only leave them for an hour or so at first before they started dropping them off full time but that wasn’t always the case.

Regardless, you were both used to it and trained for it. You could almost always coax a child into looking over at the toy wall to find something they liked, or maybe they liked being read aloud too. And with particularly hard ones, you’d even let them pick out a movie if it was movie hour. But almost always, after a child was initially acquainted to you, they’d let you at least hold them or maybe coax them to play with you.

Mina, was one of the few exceptions. She had major separation anxiety from her dad and did not want any of the workers holding her- even trying to play with her. You had heard plenty about the ‘cryer’ in your work’s group chat as various staff who had worked the days she was here tried to figure out how to handle her. Then, you finally met her.

She looked doe eyed, hugging onto her dad's leg when you kneeled down and introduced yourself with a bright yet sincere smile.

You weren’t sure if it was how you said hello to her, or if it was the way you smelled like your favorite lotion, but for some reason this little girl was stuck to you like glue ever since, “You know you're her favorite right?” Jungkook joked the dimple on his cheek showing as he gave a rather boyish- yet charming smile. He was a sweetheart, through and through, you could tell how much he cared for his daughter and it only added to his charm further.

“Well, it is a part of the job,” You glanced up at him returning a tiny smile of your own as you shrugged.

You’d deny all of your coworkers giggly words and raised eyebrows anytime you were in the same room as them when Jungkook dropped Mina off. You’d also deny that you were almost always flustered in his presence, Jungkook was young, like young. He could have only been five years older than you at most. If not closer to your age.

And it wasn’t like you were blind either, he was obviously attractive. He was the talk of your coworkers day, mainly because he had a child, right? But here’s the thing, he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

At first you were the rational one, maybe he just had a girlfriend and they were going to tie the knot eventually? Or maybe they were one of those couples that didn’t believe in marriage. Chloe had proposed that maybe he wasn’t a jewelry type of guy and always forgot to put it on. Or maybe they were a couple that did something unorthodox like wedding bracelets.

It was Lisa who chimed in last, reminding you both that this was the dad who had his ears completely punctured with over four piercings on each side. He was definitely a jewelry kind of guy.

So why wouldn’t he wear whatever jewelry they chose as their wedding bond?

Regardless, the reason your coworkers constantly winked in your direction was because it was obvious Mina had taken a liking to you, which meant Jungkook had as well...Maybe a little too well, according to them at least.

The rest was self explanatory.

“Still, Mina’s a big daddy’s girl. I felt awful leaving her here all day the first few weeks.” Jungkook gave a bashful smile as he set the large backpack down, Jeon Mina labeled on the front which held all her favorite snacks, diapers and any possible blankets or stuffies she’d need or want from home. You usually didn’t go digging around through bags but it usually helped if a parent brought in something from home. Especially for ones like Mina who could really benefit from it.

“Oh I can tell,” You gave a laugh as Mina, as if sensing she was being talked about broke into tears again as her little hand tightened on her dad’s finger, “Oh honey, shhh,” You bounced her a little on your hip with a coo before glancing up once more, “But it’s a transitional stage for her, for any of them who tend to have separation anxiety. You might feel awful but I promise it’s fine, it’s something they all go through and adjust to as they get older. I see it all the time.”

Jungkook smiled a little at your reassurance, something about him just looked so endearingly boyish still despite being a fully grown man, maybe it was the little dimple that appeared on his cheek or the beauty mark just beneath his lower lip, “I know, it still doesn’t make it any easier though,” Just as he said those words he sighed a little as he glanced over at the clock, “Anyways I need to head on to work, I will see you later.”

Mina as if sensing his departure immediately began crying once more as he pressed a kiss on her forehead, your heart speeding up a little at him being so close, the strong scent of cologne meeting your nose before quickly disappearing. Mina had tried her best to hold onto her dad’s finger as he easily pulled away, giving a semi guilty smile at the wallowing drama queen he called his daughter as he gave you another smile and nod before exiting.

Setting your coffee down against the counter you sighed, taking a deep breath as you held Mina in both arms, her little face thrown down against your shoulder as she pitifully cried against you. Nothing like being clung to first thing in the morning before you could even drink a full cup of coffee. God you had so much respect for mothers.

“I just think, if the opportunity is there, and if he’s single...why not take it?” Lisa raised her brows as she coaxingly tried to convince you of an honestly, unprofessional idea.

Sighing you pinched the bridge of your nose as Mina colored beside you- well, if scribbling with a colored pencil counted as coloring, “Lisa, that’s a horrible idea. We don’t know if he’s single or not, and honestly? It’s none of my business. Besides he’s a dad, I don’t know….” You paused your words as you glanced around before lowering your voice into a whisper, “I don’t know shit about parenting.”

Chloe clacked her tongue as she leaned back in her seat, the tiny cherry red kids chair which almost all of you sat in rather than fight over who got to sit in the big chair, often making kids think they could sit on it in which they’d be disappointed in the result, “Y/n we work with kids everyday.” She cut into the conversation deadpan.

Leave it to Chloe to point out the obvious but working with kids or not that wasn’t even close to the same thing.

“Yeah, but we don’t live with them, Chloe, we don’t have to discipline them everyday, we don’t have to call the doctor when they get sick or- or tuck them in at night or let them sleep with us when they have a nightmare- being a caretaker and a parent might be similar but they aren’t the same.” You tapped your coloring pencil against the page of the coloring sheet Mina had picked out for you, well more like the first one she could find and drag out before slapping it against the table and pointing at a chair. If she could speak you were certain she’d be demanding for you to sit.

Having a tiny child boss you around all day wasn’t the greatest job in the world but it could certainly be worse.

“Honestly, who said anything about parenting? I mean...a flings a fling-” Chloe paused, glancing over at the four year olds who were all playing before lowering her voice and leaning in a little, “You’ve seen his body and he’s clearly interested in you, how can you not see it?”

You could feel your face flush as you looked away from her, scowling at the table. How can they talk about this in front of his daughter! Albeit she was only one years old and looked perfectly happy scribbling her piece of paper, even going as far as to help you color yours as well.

Swallowing thickly you lowered your voice before exasperatedly hissing, “I am not messing with that! It would be different if he was actively trying to talk to me but I don’t think that’s what he’s going for.”

Lisa raised her brows almost looking offended at your words, had it not been for one of the four year olds calling for her you were positive she would’ve went on a massive rant about how dumb you were, “Uh he always talks to you when he’s here? How much more does he have to beg for your attention Y/n?- Coming Wi Joo.” Standing up she huffed before making her way over to where the kids were.

Speak of the devil you were surprised at who had poked their head through the door, Jungkook had stayed behind watching with a soft smile at his little girl happily coloring beside you, tugging on your finger to make you look at her picture as you nodded, leaning in as you whispered, “I think someone is here for you.” Mina glanced up as you pointed your finger to the door.

You had never seen a toddler look so frantic as she cried in happiness, Jungkook never came by this early so it must have been a treat. Unfortunately Mina was still clumsy on her feet and tripped on her way to her dad before dramatically rolling onto her back as she cried.

“Oh my goodness!” Jungkook exclaimed as he walked in with a chuckle as he glanced down with precious eyes at his baby who glanced up at him with foe crocodile tears, purposely acting like she was hurt so he’d pick her up, “Is my babygirl okay?” He leaned down before effortlessly picking her up, her crying immediately stopped as a giggle bubbled on her lips as if feeling she had successfully tricked her dad into picking her up, “Was she good?”

Jungkook had asked as he turned to you, standing up as you rounded the table with a nod, “Oh yeah! A little fussy this morning but I think it was because she hadn’t had a snack yet, not to mention she was pretty upset for you leaving. I think all is forgiven though since you came by early.”

Laughing Jungkook nodded as he shifted her to his hip, “Yeah I only had a half day at work, so I figured I’d take her to get some lunch before dropping her off at her moms. She’ll probably be mad at me again but what can I do?”

“Uh Y/n- Ji Woo puked, you mind getting us some more paper towels?” You cringed as you looked over at Lisa who had pulled a crying Ji Woo along to the bathroom as Chloe hearded the other kids away from the mess.

“Oh she’ll survive. She loves to be a drama queen though, right Mina?” You poked her cheek making a giggle escape her lips as she grabbed your finger with both of her hands, a bubble escaping her lips as if she were trying her hardest to say something, little brows focused, “M…!” You laughed at her cute little focused expression, her doe eyes glancing at you like her little life depended on it, “Anyways, have a good day guys, I’ll see you later.”

You gave a short wave to them both, intending to go and get more paper towels because the sight of the bile was large and it was clear someone had still been motion sick even after the car ride. God didn’t his mom say she’d stop letting him eat in the car before taking him here?

“Oh uh!”

You turned around at the sound of Jungkook’s almost jumbled words, his eyes wide as if he had forgotten something before sharply forcing his voice to sound more calm, “I was uh wondering….” He suddenly looked a little hesitant, eyes glancing down as you raised your brows, “Umm, I...I promised my boss I’d come in on Saturday to help with a project and I really need a babysitter for Mina....Would you mind...if you aren’t busy of course!” He suddenly rushed. You tilted your head at first, mainly because it looked like he wanted to ask you something else but had changed his mind.

Tugging on a strand of your hair you quickly glanced over at the Chloe who had been telling the younger kids to stay away from the mess despite their ignorance, “Uh yeah! No, as long as you don’t mind me studying while watching her, um. I- uh- I...really need to go over and help...Let me uh-” You grabbed one of First Steps business cards before turning it over and using the back to write down your number, “Here, you can send me the details and we can work out pay a little later.”

Jungkook’s eyes lit up before he smiled, grabbing the card from you as he nodded, “Yes- absolutely! Thank you Y/n, I’ll uh,” He gave a small laugh as he glanced over to your frantic coworker, “I’ll leave you to it, say bye Mina.” He grabbed her little arm as he made her wave making you laugh as you quickly ran over to help Chloe.

Maybe...just maybe your coworkers were onto something.

You swallowed thickly, feeling only slightly intimidated at the size of the house. Jungkook couldn’t have been in his thirties already, right? I mean, you knew he was definitely older than you but still...there was no way someone in their twenties could already afford to live somewhere so nice. Right?

Meanwhile you were stuffed in a small apartment close to the uni with three roommates who all lived on ramen, you included. Fixing the bag over your shoulder you took an inhale before stepping up to the door and knocking, it was only a few moments before the door swung open. Much to your surprise you were met with a wet headed Jungkook, dawned in sweatpants and a loose white shirt that still somehow strapped against his broad shoulders, “Oh good you’re here! Come in.”

Jungkook ushered as he stood aside, carefully you took your shoes off as Jungkook waved you over, “Mina is in the living room right now watching cartoons, she’s never hungry this early in the morning but she has some chocolate milk, um, oh yeah, she’ll probably want breakfast around nine or so. I have some cereal in the dolly if you want an easy way out,” Jungkook had lead you into the kitchen- the very nice kitchen, granite countertops, smooth tile flooring and a spacious middle counter, “But I also have plenty of ingredients if you wanna be adventurous and making pancakes or anything- word of advice she’s picky about eggs.” Jungkook sent a playful wink your way making your face flair up as you gave a laugh- though it felt more nervous than anything.

“Also, feel free to eat as well, I don’t want you to starve while you’re here,” Jungkook continued, eyes genuine as he paused for a moment, making you nod before he gestured you into the living room, the lights were all turned off and the curtains had yet to be drawn making the room much more dark than it appeared except for the TV.

Your heart was ready to melt at the pile of blankets on the couch, Mina was practically buried in them happily, her stuffed bear she always carried with her nestled against her as she sleepily yawned, “I’m not really a restrictive parent when it comes to TV but if it’s grating on your sanity you can feel free to turn it off at any time, she’ll be a little whiney about it but there’s plenty of toys in her room, speaking of,”

You passed into the hallway with Jungkook as he walked all the way down to the end, opening the door into a much brighter and frilly room decked in light princess pink, toys scattered across the floor, “All of her coloring and markers are in her closet, any toy she could possibly need is in here, she might insist it isn’t but trust me- it is. I usually put her down for a nap around after lunch and get her up around three or so before dinner. That pretty much covers everything. Since she’s home she probably won’t cry, I’ll be home around two or so anyways so I’m sure it’ll go by quick for her. Uh do you have any questions or…?”

“No! I mean, it sounds good to me. I wrestle with kids everyday when it comes to nap time so I doubt anything will be any more challenging than that. Uh otherwise I should be fine, I can always call if I have a problem but I’m not worried about it, Mina’s a good kid at daycare so I’m sure she’ll be fine at home. Is there anything you want me to make sure to do?” You asked as you both walked back down the hall

Jungkook gave it some thought for a moment before giving a shrug altogether, “No, I have complete faith you’ll be fine. I know you guys get to deal with a lot of bitchy parents but I’m not really….” he paused for a moment, looking away with a familiar expression to Mina whenever she was focused, “I trust you, that’s all.” Oh...your face flushed a little at his words, both of you paused for a second as you realized how close you were to him at the moment.

Why did this feel so domestic?

Jungkook looked like he just rolled out of bed...and so did you...it almost felt like it another universe rather then coming over to watch his daughter it was like you could be living together- No! No! No! Don’t let your mind go there! Both of you broke out of whatever tranced silence had took over at the gurgle of excitement. Blabber coming from Mina in excitement at the sight of you, her thumb escaping her lips as she dropped her blanket, toddling over to you before hugging your leg, “Awwwh goodmorning honey.” You couldn’t help but coo out, internally squealing at just how cute she was.

God you loved kids.

Picking her up she excitingly bounced against your hip before wrapping her tiny arms around you. Jungkook’s eyes crinkled a little at the sight, “Alright, if you’re set here then I better get going. I’ll be back soon.” He leaned in kissing Mina’s forehead as she cooed softly, clearly in contentment as he smiled once more before exiting the kitchen. Except unlike at daycare she stayed calm the whole time, maybe not even realizing he was gone. Instead, Mina chose to snuggle up against you as you laughed walking back into the living room before carefully sitting on the couch.

Glancing at the entry way you couldn’t help but wonder where Jungkook worked for him to be going in wearing such casual attire. He was usually a little more formal with his clothes, not suit and tie but well fitted jeans and maybe a button up. Clacking your tongue you forced yourself to relax, you were going to be here for over six hours, might as well get comfortable.

The hours did in fact go by fast, you had spent most of the morning studying before going into the kitchen, deciding you’d make plenty of breakfast for both you and Mina while splurging on premade french toast sticks in the freezer while making sausage to go.

Given Mina couldn’t talk yet it had been a little lonely within the hours but it was a good time spent on studying until she was suddenly out of sight and getting into something, or trying to fall off something, or...well...you get the idea.

Naptime was more difficult than you anticipated, especially given how easily she was knocked out at daycare, but then again she also used a lot more energy there when crying. Mina was in the comforts of her home and was not happy to be told it was naptime.

You never could get her in her room but she eventually lost the battle when she cuddled in your lap and eventually fell asleep, your text book in hand as you tiredly rubbed your eyes, yawning before forcing your eyelids back open.

You hadn’t even heard the door open until the sight of Jungkook quietly came into view, he was in silent awe at the sight, you looked picture perfect with Mina sleeping against you, he felt his heartrate spike when you noticed him, giving your own sleepy smile as he sat down next to you, not too close, but enough to get a good look at your tired features, “Was she good?”

You gave a tiny nod as you set the text book down, “Yeah, stubborn about naptime but here we are.”

Jungkook gave a soft laugh, mindful of his voice as he didn’t wanna wake his princess, eyes affectionate as he glanced down, “Sounds about right, I usually get a naptime too when she gets like this. Guess you found out she’s a big cuddler.”

“Oh yeah, she tried to toddle off a few times but she stuck to me most of the day. She’s never been this clingy at daycare but I can understand why.” You carefully shifted in your seat a little, trying to straighten yourself from your sunken position without waking her, it was silent for a moment before you decided to tread carefully, “So uh, where do you work Jungkook? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh no it’s fine, I work as a game developer for Bandai Namco. We’ve been working on a new expansion for the Soul series lately and we’re behind so I’ve been going in extra to try and get us ahead again. I wish I didn’t have too since Saturdays are the only days I get to really spend with Mina…” A twinge of guilt flickered on Jungkook’s face as he pressed his lips together, yet if you looked closer you could see he seemed almost sad, maybe disappointed in himself, “I um, I know you’re studying but...How about you? I’m assuming you’re in university right?”

You gave a small smile as you nodded, “Yeah, I’m studying in nursing right now,” You could tell he seemed a little taken aback by your answer making you laugh, “I know, a lot of people assume I’m in for teaching, especially sense that’s the norm for daycare workers, but…! I am hoping to get in at the children’s hospital, I love working with kids.”

“You’re great with them,” Jungkook hadn’t meant to let it slip from his mouth but it was too late, silence had taken over once more as you gave a shyer smile as Jungkook fumbled, cheeks beginning to dust pink, “I mean...uh! You are! You know how to calm them down and uh…Mina really likes you, so um, that counts for something. She’s really picky with people, you didn’t hear it from me but she really doesn’t even like her mom.”

You tried to laugh yet you couldn’t force it, something felt particularly taboo about laughing at that yet you didn’t know why. You couldn’t help but wonder why Mina’s mom couldn’t watch her. Or why Jungkook seemed so serious despite his joking tone, “Well I think deep down all kids secretly have a favorite parent,” You kept your tone light yet neutral, not wanting to tread on sensitive ground with whatever seemed to be going on with Jungkook’s significant other.

You weren’t sure what the story was but going off his words yesterday at the daycare he must have been divorced if Mina’s mom didn’t live with him. And give his joking- yet serious comment their relations must not have ended kindly.

“Fair enough, maybe it’s just me but I think I’m a pretty awesome dad.” Jungkook boasted with that boyish grin making you stifle your laugh. After the initial ice had been broken you both seemed to hold a conversation easily and before you had knew it the hours had slipped away from you. Mina eventually waking up from her nap only to gurgle in delight at the sight of her dad, crawling into his lap, “Oh I should probably get going,” you had checked your phone only for your eyes to widen at the time, “I promised my friends I’d help get snacks for movie night.”

Shifting in your seat as you stood up, Jungkook mirroring you leaving Mina on the couch with a whine in complaint, “Oh yeah of course! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you…!”

“No! It’s okay,” You rushed out, feeling your cheeks begin to warm as you rubbed your neck, “...I actually enjoyed myself…!” You shuffled in your spot feeling your throat become dry at the silence as you wracked your brain to find something else to say.

Jungkook cleared his throat, feeling a little meek as he rubbed his nose, “W-well um...maybe we can uh...maybe we can do this again sometime?” You felt your face burn at his shy expression, peering up at you hesitantly before continuing, “O-or maybe go out to eat sometime…? With Mina of course!” He rushed, “She’d be a little mad if we left her here.”

You couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped you despite the nervous butterflies in your stomach, “Of course she would...id...I’d like that a lot..!” Oh god, did he just ask you out? Your brain was wrecked with a million thoughts as you and Jungkook fumbled with your goodbyes. The warm air meeting your lunges with relief as you stepped outside before shoving your face into your hands. He asked you out! Jeon Jungkook, only the hottest dad at the daycare really just asked you out!

Sucking in another breath of air you couldn’t help but let the giddy grin tug on your lips. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea. Jungkook obviously liked you enough to try a date and...and why not not! Maybe your friends weren’t wrong after all.

Note: thank you all for being so patient with me! I know Blue Spring has been highly anticipated and the wait is over! It was originally meant to be a oneshot but it just got ridiculously long lmao so by popular choice it’s going to be a four part mini series! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!! 🖤