#flufftober day 23

[i-am-a-l0st-gh0st]

Hi, can I make a request where Reader is a Yapper and Genshin (S/O) was busy, then Reader stopped talking cuz she thought that Genshin (S/O) wasn't listening, but they confirms that they're actually listening by answering the thing she was talking about??

Kaeya x fem!reader- Day 23

summary- A shown above T'/w- Slight anger, fluff, ranting a/n- THIS IS SUCHA CUTE REQUESTION I AM A YAPPER

Flufftober 2024

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You couldn't stop talking about the latest thing you were hyper-fixating over. It was something no one who kept your company could avoid. Kaeya seemed interested for a moment but soon drifted off into his own world.

But still this went on noticed by you. Your voice filled the space of the room, making the usually dull atmosphere of the loungeroom, cheerful.

His hand was running through your hair, occasionally stopping. But why he was zoned out, you didn't know. Sometimes a pained expression appeared on his face, but then it quickly turned back to normal. The feel of his fingers were warm, and soothing. It made you want to lay with him forever

"So do you get why I'm so obsessed over the characters now.?" But your words were met with silence. You started to become frustrated with his silence. You moved around on the seat next to him, hoping to gain just a snippet of his attention.

*Hmph, why won't he talk?*

Soon you had given up on talking and just laid on his lap in silence. Maybe he just didn't care about what you had to say. Sure it was getting late, but he could've just told you instead of ignoring you. You sat for about a minute in silence before he spoke up.

"Why'd you stop talking? Did I not scratch your head enough?" He pouted, his face softening.

"Because you weren't listening."

"Well I was, I was just off in my own world at the same time."

"Fine then answer my questions."

Sure enough, he answered every one of them perfectly. He had repeated the same words you'd said 5 minutes ago, despite not being fully in the moment. His eyes softened as he told you how sorry he was for making you feel like he didn't care. You saw how sorry he looked, his eyes looking like a lost dogs. You couldn't stay mad at a man like this for long

"Still mad at you." You lied as you leant more into him, begging for his touch.

He ran his hands along the curve of your back, tracing the pattern of your spine. It rested on the part just above your waist, where was was rubbing circles to comfort you.

He was the sweetest man and would hurt anyone, well that you knew anyway.

[gh0st-onesh0ts]

Argenti x gn!reader- day 23

summary- You meet argenti"s fan and go to one of his concerts

t/w- Concert, jealous (??) fans, fluff

Argenti charmed everyone with that cheeky smile and flowing red hair. Alas, he only had eyes for his one true love. You. If any of his crazed fans found out about your relationship, they'd probably lose it. Argenti didn't care about how the fans would react, aeons he wasn't even worried about dropping hints about you. He wrote all his songs about you, about your eyes, your hair, your smile, your voice. It was all something from a movie.

The first show you went to after you had started going out, you got a glimpse of how crazy the fans were. They were all sweet, you talked to them like you hadn't just kissed the singer 5 minutes ago. Every chance he got during the shot he glanced at you. Especially at certain parts of the songs. The parts you'd helped him write.

"And I can't stop thinking about you." He sang, the words simply rolling off his tongue.

The show was like magic, it was a surreal feeling to see all these people that knew him as a singer. It scary to think about how many there were. All these people were banding together to enjoy the one person.

You sung along with the words you knew all to well. Argenti had played some the night before. His fingers always danced along the strings creating a soothing melody. You felt safe, despite the amount of people. The closeness and voices of the crows made you feel connect, despite never meeting them before.

And man was the after show even better. You were the only invited, and he sprinkled you with kisses all of your face and neck. He cuddled you on the couch in his apartment, allowing your face to bury into his neck. THe room was quiet a stark contrast to what was happening before.

"So how were the fans?"

"Lovely actually."

"Really?"

"Well very enthusiastic. About you, its cute actually."

"Well, none of them have much of a chance, I think I got the best per

[gremlin-girly]

Flufftober 23

Prompt: comfort Food

Pairing: Wanda x Reader

Warnings/tags: FLUFF, very bad jokes, very, very bad cooking on reader's part, gagging, pet name/term of endearment (Honey)

Summary: Wanda is feeling homesick and you make an attempt to cheer her up. Word count: 1k

A/N: sorry sorry - I had a job interview Thursday morning so I've been prepping for it. And then i realised i skipped an ENTIRE prompt by accident 💀😭 Anywho - enjoy ! - Love, Grem x

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If anyone had asked you why you were attempting to cook paprikash at 2am in the compound kitchen, you didn't know how you'd respond.

If the kitchen survived your cooking, that is.

You'd only managed to set one dish rag on fire so far (and begged FRIDAY not to sound the fire alarm) as well as burning your peppers. Because making your own paprika was 'so easy' according to Sokovia4eva29 on Reddit. It was not.

However, you knew it'd be worth it to see Wanda smile.

That's what kept you going past midnight. You wanted to surprise her with a taste of home. She'd been sullen and homesick all week and you could no longer stand to see her so sad and withdrawn. You'd browsed Pinterest, blogs and Reddit until finding a recipe you deemed worthy of following.

However, 3 hours into cooking, you realised you must have gone wrong somewhere because the paprikash you had made was foul. There was too much salt and you didn't know how to fix it. Three hours of work and prep wasted.

You didn't want to even think about the waste of money or food.

You could cry. You really could. You try it again just to make sure it's as disgusting as you think it is, and it turns out you were correct on you first assumption and gag into the sink. You run the cold water and watch it swirl in the drain. How could you have messed it up so colossally?

"Y/N?"

You jump ten feet in the air at the voice behind you and you're about to call for FRIDAY until you realise it's Wanda. She's stood in her pyjamas, weary-eyed and an empty glass in her hand.

"Oh, hey Wands," You say, trying to be nonchalant at her sudden appearance. "Coming to look for microchips for Vis?"

She gives you a wry smile but doesn't laugh, she only wiggles her glass. "Just water."

You kick yourself internally and move aside to let her fill her glass. "Sorry," You grumble. "That was a stupid joke."

"It was. But don't worry about it." She waves a hand dismissively, turning the faucet off and sipping at her cold water. Then her nose scrunches and her brows furrow as she tries to place the aroma of whatever abomination you had cooked. "What's that smell?"

"Ah," You say, trying to hide your embarrassment. "That would be my..." your brain falters. You definitely would not call what you made food. You don't think it would count as edible. "Biohazard."

"Your biohazard?" Wanda cracks a smile. "What do you mean?"

You can feel your cheeks grow warm at her smile and you smile back, awkwardly shifting on your feet. "Well, I tried cooking."

"Cooking?"

"Yeah."

"Cooking what?"

"...paprikash." You say quietly with a small shrug.

Wanda's face brightens immediately and your heart flips. But your stomach drops when she asks to try it.

"That's not a good idea, Wands." Your voice is slightly pleading, your eyes silently begging her not to try it. You're terrified she'll keel over, not even considering the fact she'd never speak to you again for committing such an atrocity that is supposed to be her national dish.

"Please? I'm sure it'll be fine." She bats her eyelashes at you, and you know you can't win. You sigh and grab a spoonful of the poor paprikash imitation and hand it to her.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." You say, watching as she blows on the spoon gently before popping it into her mouth.

"It's... mm.." You can tell by the look on her face she's trying to find something good about the dubious food you've summoned in the saucepan. Nothing about what you have made is remotely natural. Or delicious. "It's good."

"Don't humour me." You immediately retort, grinning madly. "It's disgusting."

"It's not - ugh-" Wanda gags and gives you an apologetic look. "Sorry. Yes. Yes it is. How did you manage to make it so bad?"

"I don't know!" You throw your hands to your head looking distraught. "I followed the recipe to the t."

"Can I see it?"

You nod, handing her your phone with the recipe open on the browser. Wanda takes a moment to scan the recipe, nodding along in approval before frowning.

"How much salt did you use?" Her lips twitch and you very shrewdly say you followed the recipe instructions.

"And how much was that?" She probes again, smiling a little more. The dawning realisation that you may have measured the unit of salt wrong is finally sinking in, and you look at her wide eyed, biting your lip.

"A... a tablespoon." You murmur quietly. Wanda bursts into a fit of giggles.

"A tablespoon?" She guffaws. "Honey, no - it says teaspoon." She turns the phone towards you, her finger pointing at three little letters that clearly say tsp. In your tired haze you must have misread it but that doesn't halt your embarrassment.

"Teaspoon..." You say airily and nod at her. "That... makes a lot more sense than tablespoon."

Wanda grins at you, not even trying to hide her amusement. "It does. Why were you making paprikash at 2am anyway? You could have asked me to help you at a reasonable hour tomorrow?"

Wanda tilts her head at you curiously, watching you fidget under her gaze.

"I - uh - well," You clear your throat. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"A surprise?"

"Yeah. For you," You give her a sheepish smile and she looks surprised for a moment before breaking into another sweet smile. "I know you've been feeling homesick recently and I wanted to cheer you up." You cast a glance at the saucepan and grimace. "I'm sorry it's... well, just plain awful."

Wanda chuckles again and her eyes are a little brighter than they've been all week. "It was still a nice surprise so thank you anyway."

"You think so?" You say, your heart leaping to attention.

Wanda nods. "I do. Even if it's the worst paprikash ever made." She grins over at you again, and you swear you could melt on the spot. "I can probably fix it. How about we do that tomorrow?"

"Really? I'd love that." You beam excitedly at her. "And I promise not to ruin paprikash ever again."

"I'll hold you to that." Wanda's eyes twinkle from behind her glass as she takes one final sip. "Goodnight Y/N. See you tomorrow."

"Night, Wands." You give her a small wave goodbye, practically buzzing with excitement for tomorrow. Maybe cooking isn't as bad as you thought after all.

[dailyreverie]

Chain 'round my neck

A/N: ...can you still tell taylor swift is my entire personality this year? Whatever. Title comes from the song "Call it what you want" from Taylor Swift.

@flufftober - Day 23 Trinket

Pairing: Steven Grant x reader

Word count: 820

Flufftober masterlist

He was going to hate you. Steven was going to get home any minute now, and he was going to hate you. You had been looking for the necklace for what felt like hours now, everything you had in your handbag now scattered on the bed, your boxes of earrings emptied out the same way, yet the very same necklace Steven gave you for your birthday, with your initial beautifully carved in gold, was nowhere to be found. 

Did someone ripped it on the bus? Did you take it off at work and don’t remember? Damn it, you didn’t even had a good excuse for it and you could already hear the clink of Steven’s keys outside the door. “I’m home!” He called, with his usual chirpy tone and a smile in his voice.

“Shit,” you muttered to yourself, going through your scattered belonging one last time before facing him. 

“I have a surprise for you, love!” The excitement in his voice only twisted your stomach more, guilt eating your insides.

“Steven, honey, before you say anything-”

“Is everything alright, love?” Steven found you sitting by the edge of your bed, the place you landed after giving up with your search. He joind your side, backpack still across his body, finding your hand and looking for your eyes.

“No, it’s not alright.” You took a deap breath, bracing yourself and looking for the strength you needed. “I lost the necklace you gave me.” Your eyes were filled with tears when you looked up at him, and even though you expected him to get mad, you still squeezed his hand; it was natural by now, looking for his reassurance any time you were upset.

“Oh. Honey you didn’t-” Steven tried to stop you, but you kept going about it anyway.

“No, no, I did. I lost it, and I don’t remember how or when, I don’t even remember if I wore it this morning now and I feel like shit because I love it so much and-” 

“I have it.” He spoke a bit louder, only so you could hear him above your nervous rant.

“What?” You asked after a beat. “You have it?”

Searching in his bag, Steven pulled out a little red velvet bag and placed it on your hand, leaning to see your reaction only to find you confused.

“I took it this morning because I needed to get it fixed for this.” He signaled the bag with his head, waiting for you to move and open it, not realizing how confused you were until he looked at you and saw your furrowed eyebrows. Steven chuckled, kissing your cheek sweetly, making you turn to look at him with tear-filled eyes. “Here, let me.”

With delicate fingers Steven took the small bag and untied the cords, opening it and pulling your necklace out of it. Extending it over your hand, you felt your heart swelling when, right next to your golden initial, you saw a golden moon - a crescent moon, pointing to the right just as the moon in their suits did.

“Seven… this is…” You were speechless, looking at the moon in your hand not knowing what to say.

“I saw it at an antique shop, the one we like by the museum. I saw it last week when I went for a book and it made me think of you, and how beautiful it would look on you. I needed the chain to get that little loop on top just right, I’m sorry, I should have-” He stopped when your hand reached his cheek, cupping it before meeting his lips in the middle.

“It’s beautiful.” You beamed, kissing him again and feeling him smile too. “Thank you,” You whispered, not trusting your own voice after going through so many emotions only to land in the love you had for him.

He swiftly took it from your hand, softly turning your shoulder to guide you to face away from him so he could place the necklace were it belong around your neck. When you faced him again you were both smiling like a goofs, the reflection of the sunset outside casting over your room making the charm shine. 

“Now we’re all matching.” Steven said with a grin, his eyes locked with yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him close for an embrace that made the remains of the worry and anxiety you felt before fade away, leaving nothing but the endless love you felt for each other.

“I’m sorry I freaked out.” You whispered, now feeling a bit embarrassed. 

He chuckled and held you tighter, his voice soft and affectionate. “You know I love a good treasure hunt.”

Maybe you necklace was never lost, yet still, you had found once again how truly lucky you were to have Steven in your life, making every moment as enchanting as a crescent moon on a starry night.

🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂🌙🍂

Thanks for reading! Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!

[divinemissem13]

@flufftober day 23: stormy night

[becausebuckley]

too loud, too quiet (just right) | buddie | getting together | 4.5k

buck rides out a storm at the diaz house. written for @flufftober day 23: stormy night!

It’s too quiet in the loft. Too quiet, and at the same time, way too loud. Buck has been home all day, making use of a day off work to run some errands and do some desperately needed cleaning. He made himself dinner, had a nice hot shower. Now, he’s spread out on his — frankly uncomfortable — couch in lounge clothes, a glass of soda on the table and a book in his hand. A book he hasn’t read a word of since sitting down, because it’s too quiet and too loud and he can’t focus at all. The silence in the loft is deafening, broken only by the occasional creak of the building settling and the soft rustle of pages as Buck absently flips through his book, not taking anything in at all. He hears the occasional hum from the fridge, but that’s it. Sure, he could turn on his television, or some music, but he’s just not in the mood. Some days, the artificial noise only makes him anxious when he’s here alone. Outside, the wind rages on. Rain lashes against the windows in sheets, creating a constant pattern that should be soothing but instead sets Buck’s nerves on edge. There’s no lightning yet, the storm not expected to fully break for another hour or so, but every little noise has Buck flinching away. Another creak from a nearby tree. Buck drops his book on his stomach, startled.

read the full fic on ao3 here!

[woncon]

Flufftober Day 23

Trinket

🍁 hongjoong x gn!reader

🍁 special thanks to @honeytwo for helping me translate this into english, correcting my grammar and other mistakes. thank you for everything! °♡̷•.

🍁 flufftober masterlist | main masterlist

✁- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It wasn't gold or silver, but a plastic bracelet resembling tiny, colourful crystals. Yet you wore it as if it were your greatest treasure. You showed it to all your friends. You only took it off when you went to shower. Sometimes you found yourself sticking your fingers under it, twisting it, unconsciously playing with it. When you realised this, you smiled happily, as if you were twirling your wedding ring.

All because your boyfriend gave it to you.

One afternoon, when you visited him at the office and cuddled on the couch by the bush, you again seized your gift with your fingers.

"Do you like it?" Hongjoong often needed repeated confirmation to really believe something. He wasn't too confident in his abilities.

"Very much! I love it. Thank you for buying it for me." Smiling, you nestled closer to his chest.

"But it's not valuable."

"How can you say that?! It's pretty and you gave it to me. Its value is not determined by what it's made of. I wouldn't be happier with a gold bracelet because I know it's expensive and until you're promoted, we have to be careful of how much we spend. For me, this is the perfect gift. Just go with it."

"All right," the man hummed. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head. His fingers traced the surface of the gift unconsiously.

flufftober taglist (send an ask! <3)

@jaeheekangslover

@haechansbbg

[ragana62]

Fictober Day 23

We're still a bit in catch up mode, but here we are with Day 23 of @flufftober, "Stormy Night".

Bad Dog

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairings: Remus & Lily, Remus/Sirius (background)

Summary: Everyone always talks about heightened senses like they're some sort of superpower. For Remus, they've always felt more like a recipe for guaranteed headaches, and never more than during a storm. Over the years, he's come up with his own means of managing it, but when his boyfriend gets a little too excited trying to demonstrate his new trick, that goes right out the window, and he's left improvising.

[rainisawriter]

Little Starfish – Floyd (PSF #23)

PSF Ficography | H&F Flash Ficography

Genre: Fluff, soulmate au

Prompt: Trinket (@flufftober) / Never have I ever… taken a bike ride through the woods (@slumberpartybingo Fall Flash)

Word Count: 3,315

Pairing: Reader x Floyd

World: Twisted Wonderland

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You groaned, letting your head fall back to stare up at the ceiling of your classroom. It was lunchtime so most of the students had retreated to the cafeteria but your head was hurting too bad to deal with the noise.

Kazu, your childhood best friend and fellow degenerate, entered the room with an armful of snacks and drinks. He made a beeline for your desk, dropping off his haul onto it before sitting the wrong way at the desk in front of you.

“I managed to get some goodies today. Look at this!” He grabbed a bag of combos, waving them at you frantically. “Every single time, they’re out of combos because of Billy in class C. Today, I finally beat him!”

You scoffed, sending him a look as you grabbed your favorite drink. “Only because he’s not here today.”

“Hey!” He pointed a finger at you, his ring glinting under the bright lights of the class. “A win is a win, no matter the circumstances.”

“Uh huh, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, my guy.” You leaned forward, scanning the pile of snacks for something that looked appetizing. You would have preferred to get lunch from the cafeteria, but they didn’t allow you to take food out of the room, much to your annoyance. 

“By the way,” he popped a twizzler into his mouth, talking as he chewed. “Did you hear that they finally reopened the Coral Cove trail?”

“Yeah?” You quirked a brow, your interest peaked as soon as you heard the name. “Did they catch the murderer?”

“Nope. Dad says they’re still completely clueless,” his nose wrinkled in annoyance. “It’s been months, they can’t keep the case open forever.”

“Isn’t it against police code or something to talk about cases outside the force?” you wondered, snatching the pizza-flavored combos before he could.

“Oi, those are mine!”

“Says who?”

“Says me!” he scowled, smacking his hand on the desk.

For a moment, the two of you just stared each other down, daring the other to give in. His eye twitched and you grinned, slowly leaning forward. Finally, he broke.

“Damn it, fine! Don’t say I never do anything for you.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Anyway, do you wanna hit the trail this weekend? We haven’t been allowed to ride there in ages and it’s not like we have Halloween plans.”

“Bold of you to assume I have no plans.”

His eyes widened as he sat up straight. “What? Did you get invited to something?!”

You snickered, turning your gaze to the window. Despite being nearly one in the afternoon, the sky was covered with grey clouds, the sun nowhere in sight. 

It truly did feel as if an age had passed since you were last on the trail. After a bird watcher spied a body floating in the lake, the cops completely cordoned off the lake, the trail, and the surrounding forest. It seemed a bit overkill to you, especially since there were always cops guarding the area.

You and Kazu had been caught sneaking in a handful of times when they first closed it off. It was a shame because the trail was quiet and peaceful, usually devoid of other people. Growing up, the two of you spent more time there than at home.

“Oi~” Kazu pouted, resting his upper body against the desk, pushing the snacks closer to you. “Answer me.”

“No, I didn’t get invited to anything. I’m as big a loser as you are.”

“Good,” he nodded, seemingly satisfied. 

“Wait for it,” you whispered to yourself, watching as realization flashed across his face.

“Hey, I’m not a loser!”

You just laughed, leaning back in your chair.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

The day of Halloween was cloudy and grey, rain falling from the sky as a fine mist. The wind was strong and chilly, something you thoroughly enjoyed. Most people didn’t want a rainy Halloween but, for you, it was perfect.

You threw your leg over the bike, stifling a yawn as you started down the quiet street. Most of the people in your neighborhood were older couples, so only a couple of houses had Halloween decorations up. It honestly hurt your soul, though you couldn’t judge – there were none up at your house, either. Not because you couldn’t be bothered but because you didn’t have the money to spare.

Kazu was waiting at the start of the trail, taking shelter under the seating area on the right side of the parking lot. When he noticed you approaching, he stopped sipping on his Kool-Aid Jammer to scowl at you. “What the hell took you so long?”

“I was enjoying the rain,” you shrugged, coming to a stop in front of the seating area.

“Your love of rain is bordering on unhealthy.”

“Your love of Kool-Aid Jammers is, too.”

“Hey! It’s a delicious drink for all ages.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Let’s go!” You started to bike down the dirt trail, tall pine trees towering over you on either side. Despite being autumn, the needles of these trees didn’t change color, remaining a rich dark green. It was a shame, really, because it made it feel less like Halloween.

“Move it, granny!” Kazu grinned, racing past you, his legs pumping as if he were being chased by Satan himself. 

You rolled your eyes at him, continuing your leisurely pace down the path. You just wanted to take in the nature around you since it had been so long since you were last here. The trees blocked most of the rain, though every minute or so a large drop would hit the top of your head. 

After about fifteen minutes, the path started to veer toward the left, right up against the side of the lake before following around its length. As you started to ride beside the water, you caught sight of something glinting just beneath the surface.

“Oi, Kazu -” you turned toward your best friend, only to find him halfway to the other side of the lake already. Shaking your head, you climbed off your bike, resting it against a thick tree just off the path. It was doubtful that anyone else would be riding by, but better safe than sorry, you supposed.

You squatted down at the water’s edge, squinting your eyes to try and make out what the object was. It appeared to be a necklace of some sort, with a round pendant stuck in the dirt. You reached out for it, hand sinking into the ice-cold water, but the tips of your fingers just barely scraped it.

You should have just given up and returned to your bike ride, but something was compelling you, whispering to you. You needed that trinket. Shifting onto your knees, your palm pressed into the dirt, water coming up to your elbow and lapping against the t-shirt you wore. You stretched your body as far as you could, reaching desperately for the metal chain.

The dirt gave way beneath you and you cried out as you fell face-first into the cold water, fingers curling around the chain and yanking it free from the dirt. The pendant sent a ripple through the water before it started to glow a bright blue, forcing you to close your eyes. There was a sudden yanking sensation, as if you were being sucked into a drain or something.

When the light faded and you opened your eyes again, you were surrounded by inky darkness so thick that you could barely see your hand in front of your face. You glanced upward but couldn’t see the surface of the water.

Your need for air was growing so you started to swim upward, sure that it couldn’t be that far off. The lake was only about twenty-five feet deep at its deepest section and you had been right at the edge and yet… no matter how far you swam, the surface never came.

Your heart was racing in your chest as your lungs started to burn, desperate for air. You were trying not to panic, knowing it would only make things worse, but what other options did you have?

A long shadow darted through the water to your left and your head snapped toward it, eyes frantically searching for the source but it was too dark. Was your mind playing tricks on you? You whipped around when you caught sight of it again, this time behind you but again, there was nothing there.

Panic was beginning to rise because you knew you couldn’t hold your breath much longer, plus there was now something circling you, most likely waiting for you to run out of air so it could strike.

A pair of strong arms slithered around your waist, a firm chest pressing against your back. Lips pressed against your ear, voice amused as it spoke to you as if you weren’t underwater. “What do we have here? A lost little starfish~”

A man appeared in front of you, a frown on his face. His skin was blue-green in tone and he was covered in scales, the lower half of his body fading into an eel-like tail. Your wide eyes met his mismatched ones, lips parting in shock. This was a poor choice on your end as water invaded your lungs.

Your body tensed, hands grasping at your throat.

“Huh? What’s wrong, little starfish?”

“I believe they’ve run out of air, Floyd,” stated the male before you, bringing a hand to his chin.

“Oh, right,” giggled Floyd. His clawed hand gripped your chin, turning your face toward him before his lips pressed against your own.

Your body stiffened in shock and you wanted to push him away, but he was providing you with much-needed air so you refrained. It helped that his lips were plush and soft against your own, feeling as if they were made just for you. He felt it, too, becoming intoxicated by the way you felt against him. He gripped you tighter, tilting his head to the side and swiping his rough tongue across your bottom lip.

Jade frowned as he observed his twin, realizing that the taller of the two had just imprinted on you, claiming you as his soulmate without even realizing it. This concerned him for multiple reasons, the biggest of which being the fact that neither of them knew who you were. He couldn’t prove it, but there was a voice at the back of his mind saying that you didn’t belong in this world.

You shoved at his shoulder, trying to push him away but he was like a stone wall, unmovable. When you tried to pull away, he followed you, tail swishing back and forth in the water. Since neither was working, you did the next best thing – you bit down hard on his bottom lip, making him whine in pain and pull away, blood staining the water red.

“That wasn’t very nice, little starfish,” he scowled, eyes narrowed at you. “Don’t make me squeeze ya!” As if to prove his point, he increased his grip to an almost painful degree before lessening his hold.

You wanted to yell at him, to tell him to let you go, but you couldn’t speak underwater like he could. Instead, you clenched your fists and started to kick and punch him, eyes narrowed to try and communicate how angry you felt.

“Stop it,” he scowled, grabbing hold of your wrists so you’d stop hitting him. In response, you leaned forward and bit his slender wrist, tasting blood and saltwater on your tongue. He hissed in pain, jerking back from you and loosening his grip enough so you could slip away.

You turned, trying to swim away and up toward the surface, desperate to find air and safety. In the blink of an eye, he had swam past you, coming to a stop directly in front of you with narrowed eyes and a scowl on his lips. 

“You’re gonna drown, little starfish,” he pouted, reaching out for you again but you flailed wildly, trying to put some distance between the two of you. He moved easily through the water but you were awkward, barely moving at all.

You knew he was right. The need for air was growing again, your head feeling light and your vision blurring. Like it or not, he was your only chance at survival and he knew it.

Floyd grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. He held out his hand to you and you glanced nervously at his sharp nails. “Do you want me to save you, little starfish?”

You quickly nodded, squeezing your eyes shut tightly, lungs burning. A strangled sound left you and he quickly closed the distance, his lips finding yours again, filling your lungs with air that you accepted greedily. His tail shifted into the water, propelling both of you upward at a rapid pace. He passed twice the distance you had in just a few seconds.

You felt yourself break through the surface and you gasped loudly, sulking in air greedily as you coughed and sputtered. Rain was falling steadily from the grey sky above, creating tiny ripples on the surface of the water.

Floyd watched you closely, head tilted to the side and a grin on his lips. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt protective over you. 

More than anything, he just wanted to be close to you. He shifted closer and you quickly moved backward, eyes wide. Seeing the fear in your eyes made him frown, hurt and annoyance swirling in his gut. He had just saved your life, why were you acting scared of him?

“What… what are you?” you breathed out, eyes flickering to Jade when he broke the surface behind his twin.

“We’re eels, silly little starfish,” giggled Floyd, his tail breaking the surface of the water before sinking back under with a splash.

“E-Eels?!”

Though Jade couldn’t be sure that you weren’t from this world, he decided to bluff it and ask if he knew it to be a fact. “Do people like us not exist where you’re from?”

You quickly shook your head no and he hummed in interest.

Floyd frowned, glancing between the two of you. “Whatcha mean, Jade?”

“Your little starfish is from another world. One without magic, correct?”

You nodded, looking between the two. Your eyes were filled with confusion, a twinge of fear, and you looked exhausted.

“Come, we must get your starfish to land.” Jade swam past you with ease, dipping his head beneath the water.

Floyd swam closer to you with a grin. “Get on my back, little starfish~”

You hesitated, glancing around but you could see nothing but water. You had no choice so you slowly got behind him, your chest against his back and arms loosely around his neck.

“You gotta hold me tighter than that or you’ll fall off!” His fingers wrapped around your arms, tugging them tighter around his neck. “Hang on tight, okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” you replied shakily, swallowing hard as he shifted beneath you, his body easily sliding through the water. Though he hated swimming slowly, he knew you were already scared so he refrained from going too fast.

You felt relief wash over you when land finally came into sight and you relaxed against him, closing your eyes. A smile came to his lips when he felt the tension leaving your body. All he wanted to do was hold you tightly, to bury his face in your neck and mark you as his.

When he finally reached land, you slid off his back and pulled yourself up, the cold wind making you shiver. You wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to find some warmth but since you were soaked to the bone, it did little to help.

Floyd frowned, pulling himself up onto the earth with his tail still in the water. He held his arms open, motioning for you to come closer with his hands. “Come here, little starfish.” 

You crawled over to him, teeth chattering. You honestly didn’t expect much warmth from him at all because he had felt cold under the water, but now that he was on land, his body was a bit warmer. You clung to his scaly body, trying to soak up what little bit of warmth he offered. 

Floyd held you tightly, a frown on his lips as you trembled against him. “Hurry up, Jade.”

The shorter twin stepped out from behind a tree, in human form and dressed in his NRC uniform. “Don’t be so impatient, Floyd.”

Floyd cupped your cheek with one hand, nuzzling his nose against the other. “I’ll be right back, little starfish.”

Confused, you watched him slip back in the water. Your eyes fell on Jade, brow furrowed. “How did you… you can change your form?”

“This is my human form,” he explained, eyes landing on a cluster of mushrooms at the base of a tree. He squatted down to inspect them, humming softly. “With the help of a potion, we are able to exist on land with very little trouble.”

Floyd burst out from behind the tree, his uniform messy and half-heartedly thrown on his body. He, too, was in human form, a grin on his lips as he rushed over to you. The air was knocked from your lungs when his body crashed into your own, arms tight around your body.

You wanted to complain, but he was so much warmed now and you found yourself leaning into him, much to his delight. He placed his jacket around your shoulders before returning his hold to your waist, face buried in the crook of your neck.

“Floyd,” said Jade sternly, sending his brother a look. “We should return to Night Raven.”

“I don’t wanna,” he muttered, lips brushing against your skin when he spoke. You were glad that you were already trembling because the action brought goosebumps to your skin.

“Do you want your little starfish to get sick?” Jade quirked a brow, holding back a smirk when his brother’s shoulders fell. He chose not to mention that NRC was probably the only way you were gonna be returned home.

“Fine~” He pulled away, bringing you to your feet with ease. “Ne, little starfish?”

You offered him your name and he tested it out before wrinkling his nose and shaking his head.

“No, you’re my little starfish!” He pouted, resting his forehead against your own. “Promise me you won’t ever leave me. If you do, I’ll squeeze ya!”

You didn’t know what that meant and you really didn’t want to find out so you hesitantly nodded. The bright smile that took over his face after this surprised you. He grabbed your hand and started to run through the woods, giggling like a boy on Christmas morning.

Despite your current situation, his carefree laughter brought a smile to your face and you soon found yourself laughing along, your worries temporarily forgotten. 

Jade sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This whole situation was quite messy and he knew Floyd wasn’t going to take it well when it was time for you to return to your own world. He was the last person that Jade would have expected to imprint on someone, especially upon just meeting them.

Of all the people to be his soulmate, why was it someone from a different world? It made no sense to Jade. He started to follow the two of you when something caught his eye, glowing softly among the grass. Curiously, he leaned down to pick it up, eyes widening when he realized what it was.

What was the Jewel of Mamoten doing there? His eyes narrowed at you, a feeling of worry settling in his gut. It was no coincidence that both you and the trinket had appeared at the same time, he knew. This might get more annoying than he had originally thought.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> General Taglist: @asterhaze, @mrskenpachizaraki

[esta-elavaris]

Flufftober Day 25: Nook ~ Cullen Rutherford/F!Inquisitor [2,285]

My Flufftober '23 masterpost can be found here 💜✨

It began like most things in his relationship with Evelyn did – with a fantasy. A pipe dream, or so Cullen always deemed them back then. First because he believed she would never, could never return his feelings, and then even after…because making plans for the future, for after the Inquisition, felt a lot like tempting fate.  

But, despite all of his fears, and despite all of the odds, the future came. And it was a good one. Evelyn recovered from the loss of her arm, from the injury that almost took her life in Orlais, and on the other side of it they found what they’d spent so long wishing for. A quiet life of their own. Together. A home that they built themselves, to their exact tastes, laughing in the face of all of the little foibles that reared their heads in the process – because they were nothing compared to what they’d already faced. It was when the building was more or less complete, however, that Cullen was reminded of a conversation they’d had back in Skyhold, when their relationship was still a somewhat new, tentative thing.

“Where is it you go, when none can find you?”

They’d managed to steal enough time for lunch together – in his office, so he could return swiftly to his mountain of work immediately thereafter. There was little chance of them making room on his desk for it, but he’d produced a small folding table that he may or may not have stashed to the side for this very purpose, and it worked a treat. At Evelyn’s insistence, he took the chair and she perched atop his desk on the small space that did allow for it…and in a manner that played into more than one of the other sort of fantasies he’d had regarding her. The less-than-gentlemanly ones.

At his question, the smile slipped from her face, replaced by a guilty frown and he regretted asking in the first place.

“I don’t do it when I know I’ll be needed urgently. Or even semi-urgently,” she explained quietly. “Just…when I really, really need it.”

“I never thought for a moment that you were neglecting your duties,” he rushed to reassure her, “I cannot even imagine what it is you face…”

“Considering your standing by my side, staring at it with me, I suspect you can,” she replied.

Cullen liked the notion of that. Not at what they faced, of course, but that she viewed him as being right beside her in it. But why had he brought it up? Even if it didn’t have the sound of an accusation, it brought the world back in here with them. But Evelyn weighed him up for a moment, eyes filled with great consideration. Then, finally, she smiled a little and plucked up a lemon cake from the offerings on the table.

“Come – I’ll show you.”

He was powerless but to follow – wherever she was concerned. Were she any other, that might worry him…but were she any other, he would not have been falling so hard and so quickly. Andraste only knew how his luck was so great that it appeared to be very reciprocal.

Trying to give the impression that he was simply the Commander following the Inquisitor on matters of official business, he followed her across the battlements until she came to the derelict tower across the way – although he did a poor job at hiding his surprise when it became clear she wasn’t just passing through it to lead him elsewhere. How could she be here, of all places, when it was so commonly passed through?

Then, however, she climbed up onto the window ledge and used it as a jumping point to vault up to the small perch above. It had once been a floor for a second story within the tower, but it had decayed and crumbled so that now a perch was all it was. A precarious one, at that.

“Are you coming up?” she called down.

If she moved back far enough, it was easy to see how she would not be sighted there. Particularly since few would be mad enough to go climbing up there to begin with.

“I’m not sure it’ll hold my weight.”

“That muscle-bound, are you? Be careful, Cullen, or you’ll send me swooning.”

He chuckled. “I’d be amazed if it could support a mouse, Evelyn.”

“You’ll be fine. I give you my word.”  

Who was he to argue against the solemn vow of Inquisitor Evelyn Trevelyan? He climbed up, albeit with less grace than she’d done, and blinked in surprise when he did so. Having expected it to be entirely empty, he found instead that there were a few meagre signs of the time she spent here – namely a worn old blanket, a couple of books, and a jar of assorted dried fruits. Neither boredom, nor chill, nor hunger would have to send her from her refuge.

“Welcome to my kingdom,” she teased. “What’s wrong? You don’t look impressed by all of my riches.”

He didn’t feel impressed, but rather…sad. Desperately sad. That this was the best escape she could hope for when everything out there got to be too much. Considering all she did for everybody, all she gave, she deserved more than this.

“How do you read in this gloom?” he asked.

“Ah – you see the gap in the wall there where it’s crumbled away? In the afternoon, the light is better than any candle. It’s quite cosy, I swear. You should’ve seen the hiding places I used to wedge myself into back in the Circle.”

“And in the morning, when the sun is at the other side of the castle?”

“I’m never here in the morning. I only come when I’ve done everything else that might possibly need done, by which point my duties fall back to hearing Josephine tell me about the latest marriage proposals sent my way.”

Well. He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t glad she sought to avoid that.

Since then, although he never let on to the woman who eventually became his wife, he’d had it in the back of his mind that if they were ever as lucky to have what they did now, he would make sure it housed a nook of the kind that she deserved. And when she left to visit family not long after they were finally done building their home, it allowed him to turn it into a surprise.

When he insisted on adding more space onto their would-be study than was strictly necessary, Evelyn hadn’t questioned it much – but now that she was gone, he could see about the things that she definitely would have questioned. Such as his designs for the large, ornate circular window that would act as one “wall” of the nook. For while he was fairly good with his own two hands, glass-work was beyond his realm of experience, as were the wrought-iron designs that would line it. He wanted this to be fantastic – he needed this to be fantastic. For her.

Even if that meant driving the local craftsmen towards murderous urges with his stubbornness. But those coincidentally faded the moment they realised what they put together would be going to the Inquisitor. Cullen had long since concluded that they’d faced enough, done enough, and sacrificed enough, that they were entitled to the perks that did come along. Which was why he finagled the best, plushest cushions for the nook – with covers made from the finest, softest forest green fabric available – for half the price. They even threw in a matching set of drapes to cover the nook and conceal it from view once it was done. Josephine would have been very proud. It was so spatious and comfortable that, given her small stature, Evelyn could sleep there, if she liked – although he hoped she would not – and wake up without so much as a stiff neck.

The cushion would rest atop the shelf he’d built, nestled between two curved bookshelves (also built by him) that provided ample room to house every book she owned…and hopefully at least some of the many she would no doubt acquire going forth. There was always room to store more – in a drawer, beneath the seat. He could build that-

No. He was getting too carried away with himself. She hadn’t even seen it yet. Cullen did, however, allow himself to add in an extra little ledge to allow room for a lantern, along with snacks or a tankard. Open candleflames by books seemed like a bad idea. As did wine, for that matter.

By the time the day of her return came one glorious golden morning, Cullen’s arms and shoulders were sorer than they’d been since he was regularly running drills with the Inquisition soldiers, and he found himself eagerly awaiting the sound of her horse on the road. Almost as much as he had when she used to be gone from Skyhold for sometimes months at a time, seeing through gruelling Inquisition business.

When her Amaranthine Charger came bounding up the road towards their home, Evelyn grinning atop it, Cullen was powerless but to return the smile – catching her when she all but launched herself off of the horse at him before the stallion even came to a proper stop. She kissed him, grinning through it all the while, and he cared not about the dust from the road that caked her – not only because he never cared about such things, but because this sort of greeting was something they’d been denied so many times in the past, having to prioritise professionalism.

“Come – I’ve something to show you,” he set her down and took her hand, self-control the only thing that stopped him from dragging her to the house.

He also chose to ignore her mutter behind him of I’ve heard worse lines, I suppose.

The curtains to the nook were drawn as they walked into the study, and her ride in would not have afforded her even a glimpse of what lay on the other side – so she had no reason to think there was anything but the window that had previously been there. But even that gave her pause, and she paused, one dark eyebrow raising in bemusement.

“You bought curtains, Cullen?”

The confusion was fair – Josephine would have had to draw blood if she wanted to get him discussing the décor of his tower, back in the day. She often threatened to do just that. A day where he begged Sera for a lunch date would come sooner than one where he took it upon himself to spontaneously pick up a pair of floor length velvet curtains for their study.

“I think you’ll find what lies beyond the curtains to be of greater interest.”

“Did you clean the window?” she teased.

“See for yourself,” he nodded in the direction of the curtains.

A perplexed furrow in her brow, her hand slid from his as she moved forth. Cullen watched with bated breath as she dipped one hand between the curtains and parted them – and then her jaw slackened and she went very still, staring ahead in disbelief. After a moment, the hand raised again, pushing the right side of the curtain fully aside, and then it moved to cover her mouth, trembling as it did so.

When she turned her head to look at him, her eyes were filled with tears.

“Oh, Cullen,” she breathed in disbelief.

“That was not what I intended,” he said softly, moving to stand behind her, wrapping his arms about her middle and taking in his handiwork once again.

With no small amount of satisfaction. He was worried that, once she’d seen it, he would belatedly notice streams of deficiencies in the finished product. But there were none.

“I thought about waiting until you returned and putting it together with you – with your input…but I couldn’t help but risk it. I thought it might be a nice surprise.”

“It is,” she replied quickly. “The nicest surprise. It’s perfect – it’s…I could never even imagine such a thing, much less piece it all together. I can’t believe…you did this for me?!”

“Who else?” he chuckled, squeezing her. “I’ve wanted to for years. I almost did in Skyhold, but we were looking to the future…I didn’t want to make something like this for you and then have to leave it behind. But here…”

“For years? Why for years? I don’t…”

“Since you showed me your perch in that tower.”

Afterwards, at the time, he’d offered to let her make use of his bedroom – and then quickly flushed and clarified that up in his loft, she might be more comfortable, and none would go seeking her there, for he could run interference. But she’d refused, admitting that if she heard him having to run such interference – while working, no less – she’d only feel guilty and give herself up swiftly thereafter. Still, the mental image of her huddled up on some miserable little slab of rotting wood in a threadbare blanket and calling it an escape always bothered him.

“You…Andraste, Cullen, since then? Because of that?” it sounded like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sob, lifting one of the hands that were wrapped around her to her lips, and keeping it there.

Cullen smiled softly behind her. Even after all this time, she still had no idea the things he’d do just to make her happy. It wasn’t personal – that much he knew. When they first met, she loathed the idea of one so much as helping her carry something. If anything, he blamed the Circle. It only meant that he’d have to continue driving the message home.

Links: AO3 -- FF.net -- flufftober masterpost -- dividers by cafekitsune

[merlatealeaf72]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Hatchetfield Series - Team StarKid Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Girl Jeri/Emma Perkins Characters: Girl Jeri (Hatchetfield), Emma Perkins Additional Tags: Flufftober 2024, Fluff, Comfort, Post-Nightmare Time 2: Abstinence Camp, Emma Perkins and Girl Jeri are childhood friends, Girl Jeri survives Abstinence Camp, implied bisexual Emma Perkins, Girl Jeri Needs a Hug, Weed, Mentioned Ziggs Series: Part 23 of Mer's Flufftober Summary:

@flufftober Day 23: Stormy Night

Emma never expected to find Girl Jeri at her doorstep, covered in blood, in the middle of a thunderstorm. But here she is.

[cryingtulips]

@flufftober 2023 n.22 (picking) + n.23 (trinket)

Summary

Ranboo’s crown means a lot to them. It’s the only thing she has left from the Ender, from her kingdom. Forged from end crystals and obsidian made from their mother’s breath, it holds a lot of value in the Overworld. Despite this, Ranboo knows nobody from the Pub(e) would ever dare to touch their crown. Well, except for Tommy. - Or, Ranboo, being new to the Overworld, takes a while to get used to all the new cultures and ways of life. This includes the act of giving and what it means to be family.

[mslaevateinn]

A trinket to remember their rocky start and get him through the rocky days

Here is a drabble for the twenty-third day of Promptober!

Written for: “Trinket” for @flufftober

Pairing: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets No warnings Word count: 100

Hugh touched the chain around his neck. He had picked up the habit a few years into his relationship with Paul, whenever his partner did something reckless.

Can be found on AO3!

Hugh touched the chain around his neck. He had picked up the habit a few years into his relationship with Paul, whenever his partner did something reckless. Lately with the spore drives, he had been doing it a lot. Despite helping to design a safer navigational tool than the barbaric system Paul had been using… Hugh was never serene.

But this necklace, as illogical as it sounded, helped. Paul had bought it for their meeting’s anniversary on Alpha Centauri. A gem pendant, star and their initials. A trinket to remember their rocky start and get him through the rocky days.

[lilolilyr]

(re)adjust - a J7 drabble for Flufftober 2023 day 26: prompt ‘fireplace’

Kathryn snuggles against Seven's chest,

Enjoying the warmth, even breaths

Seven's hand in her hair.

~

The fire before them burns

warmth spreading over their skin

more genuine than in space.

~

They aren't used to it

So much on earth forgotten

Or to Seven completely unknown.

~

Too many changes at once,

The goal they'd fought for

All too suddenly been achieved.

~

Where do you go afterwards

When you arrive home except

Home is in the stars?

~

But no matter the uncertainty

The need for adjustment, time

They are safe and together

~

And in front of them

real flames,

keeping them warm.

[wardenred]

Flufftober 23: Trinket

More MTWNK, more Sufjen and Vel, sometime late in the book (the parts I haven't yet drafted). Not the fluffiest fluff ever, but it's fluf to me.

“I’d like you to take this with you,” Sufjen said, handing Vel a plain copper pendant. “When you go into that dungeon.”

The metal still held the warmth of Sufjen’s skin. Vel stared at the pendant: a simple circle with no gems or adornments, but it radiated enough power. “What is it?” 

“Just a trinket.”

Vel rolled his eyes. “Yes. Sure. But what does it do? Is it going to strangle me if I act against your orders? Brainwash me into thinking that helping you achieve your goal is the most important thing in the world? Will it—”

Sufjen scoffed, cutting him off. Vel expected frustration and annoyance, but when he looked up, Sufjen was smiling. It looked forced, but then, his smiles always did. It took effort for him to smile, Vel thought, because of the markings on his face. To get the corners of his lips up while the scar tissue weighed them down.

That made his smiles all the more valuable. Especially the long, warm ones, like this one. The kind that always made Vel’s heart skip a beat.

“You know,” Sufjen said conversationally, “a month ago, I would have drawn all sorts of conclusions out of this little display. I would have taken these comments at face value and believed that you don’t trust me after all, and that no matter what you’ve said, my past is too heavy a burden for you to carry. I would have made it all about me.”

“I—” Vel started. Sufjen held up a hand to silence him

“But you’re not saying this to hurt me, are you? You don’t genuinely believe I would harm you at this point. It’s just how you are. You have to assume the worst, even in your jokes, because then the world won’t catch you off guard. If I turn out to be the villain here, you can tell yourself you’ve been right about me all along. You can pretend the jokes were honest-to-the-gods suspicions. You’ve known from the start the worst thing is going to happen, so you’re prepared to face it, so it shouldn’t hurt so much. Right?”

Vel looked away. A big part of him wanted to deny this, to claim that Sufjen didn’t know what he was talking about. Except. 

Except.

“I still want to know what it does,” he muttered, as much an admission as he could muster.

Sufjen reached out and closed his fingers around the pendant.

“The same thing I always want to do. It will help you keep yourself safe.” He leaned in, the distance between them shrinking faster than a chopped down centipede tree. “If you want to know all the gory technical details, you’re welcome to my lab when you’re back.”

[autobot2001]

Day 23.2; Sleepless Night

Fadnom; transformers Characters: Crosshairs, Drift, Jamie (OC) Rating: E Description; Drift struggles to sleep and as a result, sleeps in late, which worries his friends.

OC-tober; falling asleep Flufftober; "hey, wake up!"

Crosshairs worries about Drift but doesn't argue with him when Drift tells him he'll be fine. Even while Drift tells him this, Crosshairs can tell Drift is distracted. He hates how it's not in a good way. Crosshairs doesn't bother arguing with him. He does plan on returning early tomorrow morning.

It's a relaxing evening watching TV. Both Drift and Jamie like their time alone together but also are missing Crosshairs being with them. As Drift thought, Jamie is asleep by ten.

Drift struggles to get to sleep once Jamie is in bed. He stares out the door to the deck, looking at the sky, tempted to find something to do on his phone, but even Ratchet argues that doesn't help anyone with insomnia. Drift doesn't answer since he's seen Jamie fall asleep countless times while watching TV. Not every night, but he thinks he has enough evidence to prove Ratchet wrong. Drift looks at the time on his phone. He can't believe it's already two in the morning. Great. Drift sighs. My holoform might not be fine without sleeping for a week.

Jamie finds it odd Drift isn't awake yet but doesn't wake him up.

Crosshairs is already in the kitchen, sitting at the island, when Jamie walks in. Cogman is cooking breakfast, but both mechs look at her, worried. They know they shouldn't worry that Drift is still asleep at nine-thirty, but it's not like him to be asleep past eight. Crosshairs can't ignore that Drift is still asleep.

Crosshairs was thinking Drift would be awake when he walks into the room. He's concerned seeing Drift asleep. He lies on the bed. "Drift? Hey, wake up." He gently shakes his friend. "Go away," Drift complains without opening his eyes. "You feeling ok?" Crosshairs asks, feeling Drift's forehead. "Tired." This concerns Crosshairs. He's never seen Drift like this. He knows Ratchet did his best to program holoforms to be exactly like humans, and depression can make humans tired, but even with everything else they've been through while on Earth, Drift has never been like this. Drift tells Crosshairs he was up until at least two in the morning. Crosshairs sees how tired Drift is as he sits on the edge of the bed. Drift leans on Crosshairs once the mech sits beside him. Crosshairs doesn't know what to say. They both worry about Jamie, but their relationships are different. Sure, Crosshairs considers Jamie his sister, but he knows it's different than being in love with someone. "Go back to bed,* Crosshairs insists, "I'll get Sideswipe over to play video games with Jamie." "No, you know she'll worry. I never sleep this late. I'm going to take a shower." Crosshairs watches Drift get clothes. He knows Drift is right, and they won't be able to get away with the lie that Drift is sick. Crosshairs goes downstairs to tell Jamie that Drift is up and showering. Hoping the shower wakes Drift.