#good thing because 6 months later it smells good again

[melonn-soda]

❝ PERSONAL STREAM (A Little Too Personal..) ❞

word count: 1.9k

warnings: subbot! cis male reader, domtop! cis male kamo choso, camboy! choso, slight dumbification?, praise kink, reader referred to as a size queen (term is used for a man), mention of edging (choso), mentions/descriptions of manhandling

prompt: congratulations! you just won a solo fan call with your favorite camboy! hope you have fun watching him getting off to you being just the goodest boy ever :)

notes: a gift for and and idea from @sooniebby I jus made it into a choso fic. I've been holding it off for a while now, I think. this isn't as good as had wanted it to be but it's fine regardless. not beta read, sorry not sorry

fem aligned dni

you can’t believe it.

you actually can’t believe what you’re reading right now.

in your email inbox, something you barely ever check unless needed to, had a message from the user of a porn website (not your proudest moment) that you signed up on just to watch his videos, telling you that you won this month’s drawing. you had to stand up, walk around, eat breakfast, and come back to your computer to see if it was still there. if it was still real. you swore you’ve never felt so excited yet so scared in your life.

to know that, somehow, you won that solo fan call, to know that he’ll be jerking off for you, to know that no one else can see him but you, talking to you, and- shit. you were getting hard. you looked back at your computer screen. the email is still there. you’re not crazy. you feel like you are though.

the roll of the cheap gaming chair you bought from amazon sounded muffled in your ears as you backed away from your computer, getting up to get ready for the day with that email still lingering like an itch on your scalp that you can’t seem to satisfy. you need to get to work.

your co-workers noticed the blank stare in your eyes as you slipped on your chef coat and pants, hands on autopilot as you tucked hair into your hat and tied the apron around your waist. it smelled of fresh detergent since they just washed your uniform. your friend had to even point out that you cut your finger when dicing onions because you were too out of it to even notice. or was it that working in the food industry made your fingers numb to the sensation since it happens so many times? ... huh.

when you got back home, you opened up the email again. it’s still there. it’s still real. did you want it to be fake? part of you says yes but the majority of you hoped not. i mean, you’ve been following this guy for.. what, months now? lord knows how much money you’ve sent to him. he wants to start the call at 7pm on discord.

you thought he might use something else other than that app but he was probably just using an alternative account and he most likely changes his user after every raffle. if you were him, you would do the same thing.

...

you should probably take a shower.

it was 6:40 and your hair was still damp with water, towel resting on your shoulders to catch any stray droplets from getting your shirt wet. you kind of wanted to back out. the fear of being one to one with the camboy you’ve been fantasizing about for a long while now was scaring you a bit.

fingers fidgeting with the paper stars littering your desk and your foot rapidly tapping against the floor, you watched the seconds go by on your desktop. your dominant hand reaches for your mouse and highlights his username to copy it and paste it onto the add user section, sending the friend request to see that he accepts it not even 2 minutes later. ...was he getting ready?

your webcam was sitting on your desk, not properly hooked onto the top of your computer. it was plugged in but you hardly ever use it so it just sits where it is. should you set it up? ..no, you didn’t feel like it. your mic was completely ready though, as always. you and your friends would always play together on call, so it was your most used piece of equipment.

4 minutes.

your stomach twisted in anxiety.

choso sighed as he applied lotion all over his torso, all too used to the way he prepared everything during streams and bonus videos locked behind an even bigger paywall. this sidegig he was doing felt like a chore sometimes but money was money, and by god did this account make him a lot of it.

lots of women flocked to his account, entranced by the way his voice stuttered whenever he close, his hips that instinctively jerked because his hand wasn’t able to move any faster, and the whimpers that teared into the mic when he came all over his hands and milked himself for all that he’s worth. they mostly talked about how perfect his dick looked but that was an average comment in his chat.

he saw the friend request notification pop up on his computer and figured he’d at least get his cock hard before the call even started. he put on some random porno in the background, stroking himself with little care and when he got half-hard, he figured that would’ve been enough. he accepted the friend request and close the tab with the video playing, looking over to see that he had 4 minutes until he would start the call.

fingers moving expertisley across the keyboard, he made sure to tell you that the first 30 minutes of this session was free, any longer and you would have to start paying up. you replied with a very short, “got it.” and left it at that. you seemed to type out something more before it quickly went away, causing choso to raise an eyebrow. were you scared?

35 seconds.

choso was getting tired of waiting, so he began the call. unbeknownst to him, you freaked out when you heard the ringtone rumble through your speakers, hesitating to accept the call. in the end, you did anyway because you didn’t have to pay for this private session for 30 whole minutes.

the half-curse’s hand went back to his dick, stroking it with barely any passion behind his movements. however, he wasn’t expecting to see the face of the winner from the drawing within 5 minutes of the call, teeth biting into his fist as his other hand’s fingers worked himself open. choso swore he was no longer half-hard, dick twitching to life in his hands, pre already leaking from the tip of his cock.

he was used to mostly knowing that women were behind the screen and heavily suspected that you might’ve been one- but fuck, to know that another man was getting off to his voice, his cock, drove him wild.

maybe he’ll get rid of that 30 minute rule.

you didn’t mean to turn your webcam on.

you could feel your stomach sink when you could see yourself on full display for the camboy in the discord call. it was too late to turn it off now. whatever. you only live once.

“aren’t you just the cutest?” you aren’t sure why you flinched but the way his voice carried those words certainly got you feeling things, “how about you turn your mic on too, yeah? wanna hear your pretty voice.”

shakily, the hand you were biting on reaches for your mouse and you click unmute. your fingers that were inside you accidentally pressed against your prostate, causing a loud moan to fall from your lips, immediately slapping your hand over your mouth to silence yourself. you don’t want to get a noise complaint from the neighbors... again. the first time having to explain that to an officer was embarrassing enough.

“good boy,” he grunts into the mic, bucking his hips up with a loud smack coming from his end of the call, “jus’ the sweetest little thing, aren’t ya? betcha’d be just absolutely adorable if i were to fuck you stupid. it hasn’t even been 15 minutes and you’re drooling all over your pretty fingers.”

you didn’t even notice that you’ve been panting so much that spit began to run down your chin, too absorbed in the way the camboy’s dick spilled even more pre over his massive hands. fuck, just how strong could he be? could he manhandle you? yank your head back using your hair as a handle while blowing your back out? shove you down on his cock because you simply weren’t riding him fast enough?

“you got a dildo on you, baby?” he asks you, his hand slowing down to a stop. his words pulled you out of your abundance of fantasies to shift your focus back into reality, vision a little blurry from the tears resting on your eyelids.

you managed to fumble out a small, “mhmm..” just loud enough for him to hear and he tells you to grab it. in a slight daze, you reach into one of your many desk drawers to pull out the toy that sat in its box, already cleaned from its prior use.

“do a favor for me, yeah? put it in nice and slow, imagine it’s my cock stuffing you full. how big ‘s your toy? five- six inches?” he sure likes to ask a lot of stuff, you notice.

“‘s seven..” you mutter, wincing when you push the toy inside your hole, stretching you full and your mind goes numb.

he chuckles, deep and breathy and shit- “so you’re a size queen? that’s what they call it, right?” he starts pumping his fist around his cock again, albeit slower than before. you would take a bet that he was edging himself, “that’s it. such a good boy f’me.”

legs quaking in place, you managed to get it all inside you. sitting on it was much harder on your chair than you anticipated, the current position you were holding getting uncomfortable. cautiously, you lifted your hips, wrapping your hand around your own dick and giving it a few strokes while breathy moans left your lips, slamming yourself back down on the dildo. your eyes widened in surprise as the tip of it pressed against your prostate, a loud whimper echoing throughout your room.

“fuck-! you’re so cute, mmph- k-keep going, baby. i’m getting close- ah!” you could see that his hand was moving much faster than when you last looked up at your camera, quick breaths and filthy pleas paired with the desperate thrusts of his hips.

 stumbled cries left your lips when you began to keep up with his pace, fingers getting sticky with pre as you continue to stimulate yourself. through blurred tears, you could see his hips rut one last time before a stifled moan left his throat and his fist was coated with his cum, dripping onto his pants.

he winces at the overstimulation from just shifting his hand to let go of his softening cock, grabbing a tissue to clean himself up while watching you bounce up and down your toy. you could even say he was jealous. even so, he could tell you were pathetically chasing your own orgasm, breathy sighs escaping from the confines of your lips. eyes closed in slight shame yet concentration, your thumb came up to the tip of your dick and rubbed, causing a yelp to slip through and your eyes opened once more.

however, you weren’t expecting to see the gorgeous face behind the creator of all those inappropriate streams you’ve watched the second your hips slammed back down on the dildo. 

“[name]..”

ropes of your own release spilling out of your dick, it finally registered in your head that the camboy was willingly letting you see this. your thighs quaked not only in nervousness but also in fear that you might get a boner again just from how handsome he was. his face was pale although dusted with a bright hue of red covering his cheeks, eyebags signaling a lack of sleep, he had some sort of black line going over the bridge of his nose and cheekbones, and slightly messy black hair tied up into short ponytails. if he wasn't attractive to anyone, he was at least attractive to you.

his pretty and slightly plump lips opened to speak once more, “do you.. wanna meet up in person..?”

“h-huh...?”

[residentrookie]

(8/31) prompt: takeout — 1,213 words (implied nsfw) (regulus conveniently forgets to tell james about his birthday) @jegulus-microfic

Regulus wouldn’t say he has a favorite time of day per say, but if he were held at gunpoint and forced to pick he supposes he’d choose somewhere in the range of 5:30 and 6:00 pm. If you asked him why, he’d tell you it’s because he likes watching the sun go down and not because that’s when James Potter stops by his apartment after his daily trip to the gym. 

And it’s definitely not because he always arrives dressed in his tight, slutty tank tops, skin still glistening with a light layer of sweat, salty and earthy and so distinctively James smelling. 

(In truth, it makes Regulus feel fucking insane, but he tries to hide that bit.) 

Today, when he rips open his door at 5:47 he’s met with that exact sight: James, smiling but slightly out of breath, a duffle bag slung over one toned shoulder that’s of course sinfully on display. Seriously, his fucking arms…

“Hi.” 

Regulus smiles back helplessly, the smallest uptick of one side of his mouth. He opens the door wider, tilting his head to invite James inside. They’ve been seeing each other for about a month now (and these evening visits have only been a thing for the past week), but James seems to have a routine already set in place. He toes his shoes off by the front door (Regulus never asked him to, but he must have noticed that Regulus always removes his own and followed suit). The duffle bag comes off his shoulder about five steps inside, set neatly against the wall and out of the way, before he turns to Regulus and gives him “the look.” It definitely belongs in the category of “begging” (Regulus is getting better at identifying that one) but as for what he’s begging for? 

Regulus rolls his eyes but huffs a laugh. “Seriously? Again?” 

If the sex wasn't so good, he'd be forced to believe that James' only reason for coming here was to raid his kitchen.

James’ face grows somehow more pitiful. “I forgot to pack a snack after the gym and I’m starving, Regulus, honestly, or I wouldn’t ask—” 

He would, he’s shameless. Regulus doesn’t mind. 

“Fine. But I’m not cooking you anything tonight. It’s Friday. I don’t cook on Fridays.” 

“Okay, fair.” 

Regulus waves a hand behind him as he saunters to the living room. “Anything in the fridge is up for grabs.” 

“Fuck yes,” James says with the enthusiasm of a growing teenage boy (he’s 25). “You know, I would take this opportunity to shower you with compliments but uh,” he pauses, knowing Regulus’ curiosity will force him to glance back over his shoulder, “I’ll save that for later, yeah?” 

James’ cheeky grin only grows as he watches Regulus’ face get hot. With that, he’s ducking his head down into the fridge and Regulus is left to wonder exactly how fast James clocked his praise kink. He supposes he’s not exactly subtle about it. 

“Hey what’s in this brown box, Reg?” James asks a few moments later, his voice muffled as he rumages through the fridge. “Leftovers? Or takeout?” 

Regulus blinks, remembering. “Oh, uh, neither— that one— actually, that’s—” 

James reappears, his face a mask of confusion as he stairs down into the open takeout box. “Cake?” 

Regulus’ face is burning again, but for a completely different reason. “Um. Yeah.” 

“You don’t eat cake.” 

It's true. Regulus told him that once on a date when James insisted on ordering dessert for them. He’d just forgotten to mention his only exception. 

“Well. I do when it’s my birthday.” 

The takeout container drops from James’ hands, forgotten. He stares at Regulus with utter horror, eyes wide and jaw hanging. 

“Y-your— birthday— When? When the fuck did you have a birthday and not tell me about it?” 

Regulus winces a bit at James’ tone, his brother’s earlier words coming back to him. 

James is a birthday guy, okay? Any chance he gets to celebrate the people he loves is like… like a fucking holiday for him. So just let him have it. 

Okay but I am not a “birthday guy," Sirius, Regulus had pointed out stubbornly. His brother of all people, the only other person with first person insight into their upbringing, should know this by now. Shouldn’t I have a say on who does and doesn’t know about my birthday? It’s not a big deal.  

Sirius had sighed, one of those really put upon exhales that made Regulus roll his eyes at the drama of it all. Whatever, Reg. Tell your boyfriend or don’t, I don’t give a fuck. Just know if you don’t, you’ll regret it. 

Not my boyfriend, Regulus had mumbled, resisting the temptation to add the word “yet.” 

“You were out of town,” Regulus points out to James weakly.

He bats the excuse away. “So this past weekend, then. I was with your fucking brother, he couldn’t have mentioned it?” 

“I asked him not to.” 

“Of course you did. Oh my god, I wouldn’t have gone out of town if I knew, I would have planned something— a nice dinner, like steak or something, or no, you like that Italian place in town— and then we could have had a picnic on the beach because it was a full moon and I could have made chocolate covered strawberries because I know you like those, or actually I could have made you a fucking cake since you seem to eat them exclusively on your birthday.” He pauses his rant, looking increasingly agitated and distressed before turning to Regulus, incredulous. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have— I would have—” 

“James,” Regulus says, stepping back into the kitchen, walking all the way up to him. “James. Hey.” It takes a second for the tension in James’ shoulder to drop completely, but when it does, Regulus continues. “My birthday isn’t— it’s not exactly my favorite day of the year. In fact, I try to treat it exactly like every other day, like there’s nothing special going on at all.” 

“But that’s so sad,” James whispers. 

Regulus shrugs. “Not to me. My parents made my birthdays hell. They were family events. It was about everyone in the world except for the person actually turning another year older and I had to wear fucking ties and I hated them and everyone there. And they never let me eat the cake. It was “for guests.” 

James sighs. “Everyday, I think I can’t hate them more…” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Regulus admits. “I should have. I know you enjoy… celebrating.” He bumps James’ shoulder lightly with his fist. When he goes to move his hand, James captures it, holding it to his chest. 

“I want to celebrate you however you want to be celebrated, baby.” James’ voice is soft and warm. Regulus closes his eyes and leans into it. 

“However I want, hm?” he murmurs, his forehead resting against James’ chin. “You mean that?” 

He feels James pull away before looking up, brown eyes engulfing him in a sea of sinful intentions. 

“You know I do.” 

“Thought you were hungry,” Regulus says breathlessly, already pulling them away, backing up in the direction of his room. 

“Believe me,” James tells him shamelessly, “I am.”

[elizabethwritesmen]

but now i'm your daisy

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Part 1 I once was poison ivy

Older!Firefighter!Steve x reader

Synopsis: After a lifetime of running from your feelings, it's hard to face the ones you have for Steve. Fortunately, he doesn't give you much choice, and they're stronger than anything you've ever felt, anyway.

Warnings: SMUT 18+, unprotected, a little bdsm if you squint (consensual bondage and choking but nothing extreme), angst, talk of manipulating men and talk of drunk driving, very long chapter but the end is worth it (;

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My name is whatever you decide And I’m just gonna call you mine I’m insane but I’m your baby

The bath helped ease my aches more than I thought it would, but I still felt horrible when I got out. I groaned at the thought of how long it would take for the pain to go away. Knowing Steve was coming over, though, was a good distraction. He told me he’d be there around 7 so I took a long nap and woke up at 6, rushing to get ready.

Considering the only state he’d seen me in was freshly wrecked and a mess, I wanted to look good. Of course, I wouldn’t mind him seeing me freshly wrecked and a mess again. But for a much better reason.

I curled my hair lightly and shook it out until i had beachy waves, then put on light makeup. I didn’t want to do a full face, I was running low on time and energy, so I just filled in my brows, dabbed some blush on my cheeks, put mascara on, and finished off with glossy strawberry chapstick. My body was shaking with the need to rest by the time I was done, so I didn’t bother looking for a nice outfit. I just pulled on a tank top and a comfy pair of shorts and went with it.

Not long after I finished, I heard his knock at my door. I opened it to reveal him standing there, jeans and a v neck where his work clothes once were. His hair was neatly combed back, one perfect strand falling into his face. He was even more handsome than I realized, all cleaned up and fresh. He even smelled good, the same cinnamon from before stronger now and filling the space around us.

“Hey,” he smiled, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a bag, presumably full of food.

“Hey,” I grinned back and sidestepped, “Come in.”

“Thanks,” he took my invitation, stepping past me. I lead him to my kitchen, gesturing for him to set the food down on the bar.

“I brought mexican food, I hope that’s okay. Just some tacos and queso. I wasn’t sure what you’d want, and everyone likes tacos, right?”

“Yes,” I giggled, “Everyone likes tacos.”

“Oh, and I remember you saying something about losing a cheesecake in the wreck, so I got you another one.” He pulled a box from his bag. Not just a small to go box, either. A full sized cheesecake with the logo from a local bakery on it. I’d been there before, I knew their stuff was pricy.

“Steve,” I sighed, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” he shrugged, opening my fridge and slipping the box in.

He was just so nice. He wasn’t like the other men I dated. He didn’t bring me cold gifts and nice dresses or custom jewelry. He brought me a full sized expensive cheesecake because I was sad about losing mine. I felt warm, like my stomach had melted and turned to a puddle. It was honestly scary. I looked at him and felt more than I ever had with any other man. I’d dated guys for months on end before and they didn’t spark the reaction Steve gave me. It was intimidating. What was even more intimidating was knowing I wasn’t good enough for him. He deserved someone who hadn’t done the things I’d done. He deserved someone pure.

“I’ll go get your jacket,” I cut into my own thoughts and rushed out of the room, fearful that the dam would break and tears would spill over. My emotions with him were high. Maybe it was the way he took care of me. Nobody had ever done that before in my life. Sure, I’d never wanted for anything, but being financially taken care of and having someone take care of you are two different things.

I returned with the garment in hand a moment later and he slung it over the back of his bar chair, taking a seat.I pulled two plates from my cabinet and grabbed the one across from him while he laid all the food out between us.

“I got chicken and beef. I didn’t know which you’d want. There’s two of each.”

“I’ll take a chicken and a beef, and you can take a chicken and a beef,” I offered, and he nodded, splitting it onto the two plates. He set the queso in the middle and spilled some chips onto each plate.

“I know this probably isn’t as extravagant as the date you were on last night, but I hope you like it,” Steve smiled at me, seeming shy all of a sudden.

I furrowed my brows, chewing through the bite I’d taken of my taco and swallowing as quickly as I could. “I don’t need extravagant, Steve, this is perfect for me. In fact I think this is the sweetest thing any man has ever done for me.”

“But it’s not fancy, and I’m sorry. I’d like to do better one day, if you’ll let me.”

I sighed, giving him the most pitiful look I could manage, “I’ll let you, Steve. I’d love to go on another date with you. But I don’t want or need anything fancy. I’m more of a lowkey girl.”

“That’s not the idea I got from the dress you were wearing last night,” he pointed out. And he was right. It was custom made, tailored just for me, and it cost that man about $4000.

“I…” I started, unsure of how to proceed, “I didn’t buy that dress. The man I was out with bought it for me.”

“Oh,” confusion filled his face. He thought it over for a moment before concluding, “So you have a sugar daddy?”

I couldn’t help the snort that came through my nose. It was funny, really, to hear it put into those words.

“Not quite,” I explained, “There’s not really any… sugar involved. Just… I didn’t have a lot of advantages growing up, but I had so much ambition. I made the best grades I could but college is expensive and they only got me so far. Now I’m waitressing, but it still doesn’t cover everything, I mean I have a mortgage and a car note, insurance, tuition. Sometimes I go on dates with men who like to help me.”

“Why do they help you without any.. you know… sugar?”

“Because I make them feel good about themselves. And they don’t know there’ll never be anything physical, so they hope for it.”

His silence spoke volumes. I should’ve kept my mouth shut, but I didn’t want to lie to him, and it was the second time he’d pressed me about it. I don’t know why people say the truth sets you free. The truth felt like a horrible ball of pitch black nothingness, sucking the energy out of the room.

“You can go if you want, I understand,” I whispered, too afraid to speak up.

“No,” he rushed out, “It’s not that, I just… I don’t know how to be right now. You understand that I can’t take you to those nice restaurants, or buy you elaborate gifts. I can’t do any of the things you’ve said.”

“I know,” I nodded frantically, “That’s not why I’m here with you right now. I… Steve, you’re different.”

“Different how?”

“Look, I know you probably don’t understand and you might be judging me but I haven’t always had a choice. When I was a teenager, older men were always trying. Trying so hard, it was creepy. I went so long without giving in, but one day I just didn’t have the money to get anything to eat and my parents wouldn’t help me. They said they’d already done too much for me, you know, raising me and all. I let one of the men take me to dinner, and then it happened again. And again, and again, until dinner turned into nice parties and fancy dresses and paid bills. I know I should be ashamed, and believe me, I am, but I can’t change any of it and it’s gotten me to where I am now.”

“Sweetheart,” Steve hummed, that soothing tone back in his voice, “You don’t have to be ashamed of what you’ve done to survive.”

Tears were flowing down my cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumbs, keeping my face in his rough hands.

“I’ve never wanted more, Steve. Never. I’ve never looked at a man and felt anything but indifference. But like I said, you’re different, and I just… I’m scared.”

“It’s always scary the first time you give up your power. I felt the same way the first time I ran into a burning building. But I haven’t regretted it, and I hope you don’t regret meeting me.”

“I don’t. I really don’t.”

“Then don’t worry about anything else.”

We finished eating and he helped me clean up. Or rather cleaned up everything for me.

“You didn’t have to wash all of my dishes,” I huffed.

“It hasn’t even been 24 hours since that truck hit you. You’re not lifting a finger, I’m here to take care of you.”

My eyes hit the floor at his words, not able to look into his anymore. He kept saying that, and it wasn’t just talk. He was making sure to do it, and to do it well.

“You keep saying that,” I breathed out, a small giggle following.

“Because I mean it.”

“I know.”

He stared at me for a moment, the look in his eyes heavy and intimidating, before putting the last dish away.

“Let me take you to dinner Friday night.”

My eyes widened at his sudden words, and I couldn’t fight the frantic nod that followed. “Please.”

“I know you’re probably sick of dressing up, so we can go somewhere more casual if you want.”

“I’ve never dressed up for you.”

His eyes darkened and he stepped closer to me, brushing my hair behind my ears.

“You wanna dress up for me, huh?”

“Yes,” I whispered, leaning into his touch, “Wanna look pretty for you, Steve.”

“You look pretty without trying. But I’d love for you to look pretty for me.”

“Steve,” I whined, “Please. I’ll wear whatever you want me to wear, just kiss me.”

He obliged with a groan, cradling my head in his hand carefully and letting the other one fall to the small of my back. I arched into him, pressing my mouth into his, wanting more and wanting to be closer.

It ended entirely too soon, and I stood dumbstruck, dazed and kiss-drunk.

“I’ve got work early,” he whispered, “I should probably go. But I’ll pick you up Friday at 7.”

I nodded, walking him to his truck. He pressed me up against the door and kissed me one more time before climbing in.

“See you Friday,” he winked.

“Can’t wait,” I smiled, breathless. My heart was racing, my mind full of him.

“I’m not leaving til you get inside safe,” he told me, and I nodded, springing into action.

Echoes of your name inside my mind Halo hiding my obsession I once was poison ivy but now I’m your daisy

Good morning pretty girl. Just got to work.

The message was sweet and simple, and it put a smile on my face as soon as I woke up.

I quickly responded,

morning stevie, be careful saving the world today

And from that moment on, we didn’t skip a beat. Never did more than a few minutes pass between messages.

I called the insurance company and they set up a rental car for me until they could finalize my claim and get me a new car. One of my coworkers, who happened to live close to me, offered to take me to pick up the rental, and I graciously accepted. When she picked me up, she had flowers and a “Get Well Soon” card signed by everyone at the restaurant. Along with a message from my boss, I had the next two weeks off to recuperate and more if I needed it. I was grateful to have such a nice work environment.

I didn’t tell Steve about the car. Instead, I decided I wanted to surprise him. I stopped at the store on my way home and got the ingredients for homemade baked macaroni and barbecue chicken. I whipped it up, a large helping of both because I imagined a bunch of firemen would be pretty hungry, and packed it all into passenger seat.

I put on light makeup again, and slipped on jean shorts and a low cut t shirt with a pair of matching sneakers. My hair was still wavy from the night before, so I didn’t bother with it.

I was relieved to see that both fire trucks were there when I pulled into the parking lot. My tummy was knotted up as I worked up the courage to step out of the car. The knots unraveled though, as I jumped, a knock on my window startling me.

I turned to see Eddie standing there, gesturing for me to roll it down.

As soon as I did, he commented, “Nice wheels, insurance kicked in?”

“Not quite,” I shrugged, “it’s a rental.”

“A nice one, too,” he observed the car, looking every corner over. “Came to surprise Steve, huh?”

“How do you know he didn’t know I was coming?”

“Because he’s been bugging me about you all day, saying he wishes he didn’t have to wait til Friday to see you.”

I blushed, “Yes, I’m here to surprise him. And I brought all of you some food.”

“You sure do know the way to a fireman’s heart. Here I thought Steve only liked you for your looks.”

“Will you help me carry the food inside?” I asked, rolling my eyes at him and fighting a laugh.

He ended up carrying all of it, and I followed behind him.

He lead me into a small dining room where two men sat, laying the macaroni and the chicken out on the table and searching for dishes and silverware.

“Billy, can you get the rest of the guys? Don’t tell them why, she’s here to surprise Steve and I want his live reaction,” Eddie instructed one of the two men, and he nodded, doing as asked.

Moments later, five more guys were filing in. Steve was the last of them, and he looked tired. I couldn’t help the twinge I felt in my heart. But then his eyes landed on me, and everything changed.

His eyes brightened and a smile overtook his face, “What’re you doing here?”

“Well I accidentally made all this food and didn’t know who else to give it to,” I shrugged jokingly, erupting a laugh from Eddie.

“Yeah right,” the long haired man smirked, “She came to smooch you up, Steve.”

“Eddie,” Steve warned, cheeks heating at the looks he was getting from the other firemen. He then turned back to me, “Wanna go somewhere and talk for a minute?”

I nodded, grabbing his outstretched hand and following him to the fire trucks. He sat on the back of one and I joined him.

“Extra food, huh?” he smirked. I nodded, “So you’re telling me you didn’t make all this on purpose so you could see me again?”

“Well,” I hummed, “Maybe I did. What about it?”

“It’s sweet,” he smiled, “Nobody has ever done something thoughtful like that for me.”

“Somebody should’ve a long time ago,” I mused, “You deserve thought. ‘ts why I think about you all the time.”

He blushed, letting out a chuckle, “Oh yeah? Guess it’s a good thing I found you.”

“You didn’t find me, I wrecked my car to get to you,” I laughed. Our banter felt special. It felt right.

“Sureeee, you probably begged that SUV to hit you. All so I’d have to take care of you.”

“Exactly,” we giggled for a minute and then settled into a comfortable silence.

Finally, he broke it with a sigh, placing his hand on my knee carefully, “I don’t want to wait until Friday to see you again. Let’s go to dinner tomorrow night instead.”

“Tomorrow night would be perfect!” I exclaimed, grinning wider than I ever had, heart beating so loudly I swore he could see it.

“Pick you up at 7,” he leaned in and kissed my cheek, “Now let’s get back to the guys before they have an excuse to make dirty jokes.”

And we did. His coworkers were all nice, and they all seemed to like me. I liked them too. They had plenty of sideways remarks and jokes about Steve and I. They told me he’d never brought a girl by or even told them about a girl before. He blushed so hard I just knew they were telling the truth. They also told me he hadn’t stopped talking about me.

By the time I left, I was on cloud 9, my heart fluttering in my chest. The only thing on my mind was Steve, Steve, Steve. I couldn’t think about anything else. He’d made an irreversible mark on my heart.

The next day, I raided my closet, desperately looking for something to wear. I tried nearly everything I owned on before settling on a cream satin mini dress. I had on the cutest pair of black underwear I owned and slipped a pair of fishnets on over them. I didn’t need a bra with that specific dress, the bosom was tight and pushed me up perfectly with no help. All that was left was shoes.

I wanted so badly to wear heels. But I was still sore and weak, and wasn’t sure how well I’d be able to walk in them. I shrugged it off, finding my favorite pair anyway, black closed toe louboutin stilettos.

I washed and curled my hair, and put on a full face of makeup, finishing it off with eyeliner and a red lip tint. I wanted him to be able to kiss me without worrying about getting it all over his face. I painted my nails black and finally I was done. I was pleased with what I saw in the mirror. I only hoped he felt the same way.

When he knocked on my door, it felt just like the first time. I took a deep breath, checking my teeth in the entryway mirror then letting him in.

The way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine. His eyes raked me over like a starving man with a meal, stopping on every curve, admiring every inch.

"I.." he stuttered out, seemingly lost for words, "I knew you were gonna look good, sweetheart, but I didn't know you'd look this good." He stared at me some more, then muttered a "Fuck," as if he couldn't help himself.

"You look good too, Stevie," I bit my lip, taking him in almost as hungrily as he did me. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans and a white button down with a sports coat over it. His nice boots matched.

He cleared his throat, easing some of the tension between us. "You ready?"

I nodded, grabbing my small purse from the table beside me and following him outside.

I let out a breath as I stumbled over my own two feet, almost falling flat but Steve caught me by the arm and set me upright.

“Sorry,” I huffed, “I wanted to wear these shoes so bad but I guess I’m still too sore to walk in them. I’ll go change.”

“Don’t,” He shook his head rampantly, his arm sliding around my waist and holding me up like he had before. “I’ll help you walk in them. You wore them for me, I don’t want you to have to change out of them.”

I smiled at him and let him lift me into the truck. He slid the heels off of my feet and set them gently on the floorboard beside me, promising he’d put them back on when we got to the restaurant and explaining that he just wants me to be comfy. I giggled, heart warmed by the gesture.

We chatted the entire car ride about nothing in particular. The conversation flowed so easily we could’ve gone on about the weather for an hour. Finally, we pulled into a small parking lot with a red brick building in the center. It looked unassuming, just a small sign above the door with its name. Other than that, nothing stuck out about it at all and it was pretty tiny compared to other restaurants.

“It does look like much but just wait,” he winked, coming around to my side and slipping my shoes back on as he said he would then pulling me out of the truck. I leaned on him the entire walk in and, to my surprise, he was right. The inside was not what I expected.

The place was small, but it was advantageously so. There were about ten tables altogether, all round black metal with ornate chairs pushed under them and red tablecloths. Everything was bathed in warm lighting and there was a small chandelier above each individual table, casting a glow on the fancy gold centerpieces. Water glasses were set out next to bread plates and silverware, and menus were neatly stacked at each seat. I’d been to enough restaurant to recognize a fancy one, and that’s what it was, but it was also quaint and homey. The kind of place you dress up to feel comfortable at.

“This place is perfect, Steve,” I commented, taking everything in as the hostess lead us to a two seater corner table. Next to it was a window with a view of an enclosed patio garden, warm fairy lights strung up highlighting an array of purple and red flowers. “Fantastic,” I whispered, to myself mostly but Steve smiled anyway.

“I made reservations for the best table here,” he chuckled bashfully, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“The best table here for me? Steve, this is too much, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

“Just tell me you love it.”

“I do.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear. Now look at your menu, they’ve got a lot to choose from.”

I did as he asked, a shy smile crossing my face. I liked the more demanding side of him. Still gentlemanly but firm and unyielding. He wasn’t going to let me complain about being spoiled. He just wanted me to be happy.

“Hello,” the waiter smiled, his attention focused on me. “I’m Max, I’ll be taking care of you. What would you both like to drink?”

“I’ll just have diet coke, please,” I smiled softly as I ordered, and he kept his eyes on me for a moment before slowly turning to Steve.

“Same here.”

Max left us to look over our menus and Steve snorted.

“What?” I asked, eyebrows furrowing.

“The waiter has a little crush on you.”

I rolled my eyes, “You’re silly. No he doesn’t.”

“He just looked you up and down, and that wasn’t a friendly smile, it was an ‘I want to see you naked’ smile.”

“Well. Too bad for him, I’m not available,” I shrugged, sending him a wink.

“Not as long as I can help it,” he smiled back, turning back to his menu.

Max brought our drinks and took our order, and I started to think Steve was right. He was paying a lot of attention to me, and the looks he was giving me were more flirtatious than they should’ve been.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, ma’am?” he asked me, ignoring Steve completely.

“I’m okay,” I politely smiled, trying to ignore the way his eyes held me in place, my skin crawling due to his blatant ignorance of the man across from me. But when he simply smiled and walked away instead of asking Steve if he needed anything, just as he had asked me, I’d had enough. “Excuse me? Are you not gonna ask my date if you can get anything for him?”

“Oh,” Max’s eyes widened as he feigned shock, “I just thought since you were okay, he would be okay.”

“Well, this is a shocker so stay with me, but I’m actually not a mama bird spitting my food into his mouth. If he needs something he can tell you himself. So ask him.”

I turned to Steve and his expression sent me reeling. His eyes were dark, heavy on me, his lips parted just enough for me to catch a glimpse of his perfect teeth, the same ones I wanted to rake over me and mark me up.

“Sir,” Max cleared his throat, “Is there anything you need?”

“I’m good, thanks. I think I have what I need right here.”

The waiter looked thoroughly uncomfortable at this point, so he took his leave, and my eyes didn’t leave Steve’s for a second. The mood shifted, and I didn’t see how it could possibly go back to normal.

“You gonna do that every time a man flirts with you?” he asked me.

“Next time I’ll say you’re my husband. That should scare other men away,” I hummed, not really thinking through the words. I realized what I’d said right after it came out of my mouth, though, and briefly wondered if I’d screwed up. This was a second date, much too soon to joke about marriage. He would probably say something awkward, or take his leave. He would probably think I was some lunatic looking for a mail order man or something. Oh God, my brain ran wild.

“Good girl,” he cooed, smirk turning the corner of his lips upwards, and I gasped. I felt every inch of my body heating up and suddenly I just wanted to go.

“Steve,” I whined, desperately and needy. A plea of his name was all he needed to call the waiter over.

“We’ll be taking our food to go,” he informed, and goosebumps littered my skin.

Max nodded awkwardly and mumbled a “yes sir,” shuffling off to the kitchen to do as Steve asked.

The implication was pretty clear, but I was worried that I was wrong and he wanted the food to go because he wasn’t enjoying himself. It would be pretty embarrassing to assume he wants to take me home and him feel oppositely. “Did I do something wrong? Are you wanting to leave?”

“You didn’t, but I do. I think the food will taste better after.”

“After what?”

“Wait and see,” he winked.

The table was filled with tense, electric silence for a few minutes until finally the waiter brought a bag full of food and the check. Steve paid, leaving a 20 on the table as a tip.

“He was so rude to you, why are you tipping so much?” I asked.

“I always tip. Even if the service sucks.”

Fuck, that was hot.

He grabbed my hand and helped me out of my seat, walking me to the truck carefully and lifting me in like he did the first time. Only this time, he leaned in and captured my lips in a slow burning kiss.

“Steve…” I whispered as I pulled away, “Where are we going now?”

“Back to my place,” he stated, as if it were obvious.

“What are we gonna do there?”

“We could watch a movie,” he thought for a second, “Or I could take you in my bed.”

“Second option sounds good,” my eyes widened, giving him a once over. He chuckled, closing my door and getting on his own side.

“You’re really cute, you know that?”

I blushed, staring at my lap until my cheeks turned to their normal color.

It was a 20 minute drive to his house. We didn’t talk much, I think we were both too nervous to know what to say, but he played slow music at low volume and it only seemed to make the mood more ambient.

“Here we are,” he said as he pulled through a black iron gate into a secluded and dimly lit driveway. The house was two story but still very small, bathed in warm lighting from lamps above each window. It was red brick with black wood accents and a black roof. It was nice, the kind of house that comes straight out of a catalog. He had a little garden on the side, and I thought briefly about how it would be a perfect place for fairies and gnomes.

“You ready?” he raised a brow at me. The look on his face was heavy, but so was mine as I nodded slowly.

He opened my door for me as per usual, and helped me all the way to his front door. As he unlocked it, I took in even more details. He had one of those big welcome signs beside his door, the vertical ones. He had two rocking chairs with cushions on them and a small table, two coasters. It didn’t seem like a single man’s home, it definitely had a woman’s touch.

“Who decorated, Steve?” I asked as he got the door open.

“Oh, my friends, Nancy and Robin.”

“Were either of them your girlfriend?” I asked curiously as I followed him in.

“Nancy was in high school but that was 18 years ago,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “We haven’t even thought about each other that way since. Just friends. She’s married now with a couple kids.”

“Neat,” I forced out, not knowing how to respond. The thought of him with another girl made me want to throw up, but I plastered a smile on my face.

“Baby,” he smirked, “I promise. I haven’t had feelings like this for anyone in a really long time. It’s been a couple years at least, and even that wasn’t like this.”

“I haven’t either,” I commented as I pulled off my shoes and kicked them to the door. My toes wiggled comfortable in their new found freedom.

“Well then…” he looked deep in thought, his nerves on his face like a novel, intricate and beautiful and twisty, “I’ve run from things like this in the past. I know you have, too, and I know you’re probably scared. But I want to be with you, really, I do. I want to go on more dates and I want you to keep some of your things at my place and I want all of my sheets and clothes to smell like you all the time. I like you, a lot, really, I do. It feels like more than just… I don’t know how to explain it, all I know is I don’t want to run from it or push it down. I don’t want to risk losing it. So will you?”

I let him ramble, face stoic though I wanted to smile. I could tell he was overthinking by the tremor in his voice.

“Will I what?”

“Be with me?”

“I’m with you right now, Steve,” I giggled. He huffed and ran a hand through his hair.

“No, I mean, will you be with me. Be my girlfriend. Anything, I just want you to stay tonight and tomorrow and whenever else you want.”

“I’m with you right now, Steve,” I repeated, more emphasis on my words, “As far as I’m concerned I was yours the second you picked me up off the road. Your girlfriend. Whatever you want me to be.”

The grin that spread across his face was wide and contagious, and he wasted no more time, taking three big steps towards me, backing me into the wall behind me. His lips landed on mine in an excited rush, teeth and tongue clashing.

We kissed like that for a moment before he turned me around, lifting me onto the table on the opposite wall. He pulled me to the edge, my hips meeting his, meshing together like they were meant to be that way. I let out a shocked moan, tugging his hair, pulling him closer, and he groaned.

His mouth found its way to my neck, leaving wet kisses down the column of my throat and grazing his teeth in the crook.

“Please,” I hummed, pulling his face back up to mine. As we kissed, I pushed his jacket off his shoulders and started working on the buttons of his shirt. I whined, unable to undo a single one of them, too preoccupied with his mouth and he chuckled, patronizing me.

“It’s okay, baby,” he breathed out, “I’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of you.”

I moaned as the words passed through his lips, loving the way they embraced me. He didn’t miss a beat, smirking at me and sliding his hand up my thigh to where I needed him most, pressing down just rough enough to send a jolt through my whole body.

“That’s what you want, huh? To be taken care of?”

I nodded rapidly, leaning in to kiss him again, desperate and rutting against his hand.

“Easy, pretty girl, I’ve got you. I promise.”

He finished the buttons on his shirt and let it fall to the ground with his jacket, and I almost fainted at the sight. He was perfect, all tan skin and chest hair, taut and warm and ready to be touched. He pulled me off the table and before I could even react, he spun me around, bending me over it.

“This dress is so nice, don’t wanna rip it,” he cooed, his hand starting at the back of my neck and making its way down to the zipper of my dress. he tugged until it fell completely open, sliding it down each arm and onto the ground, leaving chills in his wake. “Fuck, baby, you’re so perfect,” he groaned, his hand finding the area between my shoulder blades and pushing me right back down.

His hips met mine, grinding against me in a slow and torturous way.

“Please, Steve, need you,” I gasped, rutting my ass against his bulge, needy and desperate.

“I know, baby. Turn around for me.”

I did as he asked, facing him, looking up to meet his eyes. He ran his hand up from my hip to my throat, pressing lightly on both sides, and my breath caught.

“You like that?” He asked, pulling me closer to him with the hand that was cased around my neck.

“Yes,” I whispered, pulling him closer, wanting more.

“Such a good girl for me,” he praised, “Come on baby, let’s get you to bed.”

He lead me down the hall to a staircase, and I began following him up, but by the fifth stair my legs were ready to give out.

“Steve,” I whimpered, leaning on the wall for support, struggling to hold myself up.

“Fuck, I forgot you’re hurt. Here,” he rushed to my side, winding his arms under my ass and lifting me into his arms. I squealed, wrapping my legs around him.

“Please don’t fall!”

He rolled his eyes as he carried me the rest of the way up the stairs. When he got to the door at the end of the hallway, he pressed me against it, his lips finding mine again. I was rutting my hips against his, unable to create the friction I wanted. He quickly noticed, opening his door carefully so he wouldn’t drop me and walking me to his bed.

I expected him to drop me or even throw me on it, but he laid me down gently, not releasing his hold on me until I was flat on the mattress. He crawled tentatively on top of me, towering over me, yanking his belt off one handed and in one fluid motion. The other hand was on me, feeling anything he could reach, eager and needy.

“Fuck,” I moaned, more turned on than I thought I’d ever been. I began pushing off my fishnets, but he stopped me, holding my wrists above my head with one hand and ripping the tights with the other. “Steve!!”

“I’ll get you a new pair,” he shrugged, then ripping the lace of my panties, “of both.”

I sighed, leaning back as his fingers found the place I needed him most. They rubbed slow circles that turned into quick motions, then they slid right where I wanted them and I cried out. I was so wet I could hear it, and his eyes widened.

“All this for me?” he asked, and I nodded tentatively, “My good girl.”

“Your good girl,” I agreed, and a dark look settled on his face as he began sliding his fingers in and out faster. “Please Steve, want you now.”

“Anything for you,” he smirked, climbing off the bed and stepping out of his pants and boxers. My jaw went slack at the size of his bulge. It felt big but I had no idea it was that big.

He climbed back on top of me, grabbing me by the hips and pulling my core flush to his. The contact had me reeling, my head falling heavily back into the mattress under me.

He hooked one of my knees into his elbow and lifted my leg, teasing my entrance slowly. I shuddered, a plea heavy on my lips, but he shushed me before it could come out.

“I promised I’d take care of you, and I’m going to,” he said, his voice low and gravely, sending shivers down my spine and straight to my center.

He pushed in slowly, letting out a groan as my walls clenched around him instinctively.

“Fuck, you’re tight. So perfect for me,” he whispered as he pushed further, then pulled back.

It only took three slow thrusts for him to set a steady pace, and I was a mess. A puddle on the bed under him, useless and ruined already. I rotated my hips up to meet his with every motion, helping his rhythm along, my walls fluttering around him steadily.

“Please, Steve, harder,” I groaned and he obeyed, pushing even farther, hitting exactly the right spot that made me see stars.

It wasn’t long before I felt a knot in my stomach, an urge I had repressed for too long, and I moaned, breathy and desperate. “‘m gonna cum,” I hummed.

“Not yet, you’re not,” he stated. His hands found mine, pinning them above my head onto the mattress, his lips meeting mine in a frenzied kiss. His hips didn’t stop for a moment, the rhythm speeding up but not breaking. “Keep these here,” he demanded, letting go of my hands and using one of his to balance. The other started rubbing slow circles on my clit.

“Fuck Steve can’t hold it please” I managed to say in my messy state, and he nodded, his lips finding my neck, latching on and sucking. I knew there’d be a mark there and it put me even closer to the edge, wanting to be his. Wanting him to claim me.

“Cum with me, baby,” he whispered, and that’s all it took for the band to snap. My walls clenched right around him, my eyes shutting as my head fell once again. I felt him release inside me, warm and wet, but he made no move to pull out or roll over. He just laid on top of me and stared at me for a moment.

“What?” I giggled, in a giddy haze. I was sure nothing could bother me then. The moment was perfect.

“You’re perfect. I know I said it, but I really meant it.”

“I was just thinking the same thing!”

He smiled and pulled out, laying beside me.

“That was good.” His comment threw me off guard, and I full belly laughed.

“Yeah,” I said in my fit of giggles, “I hope so. I was planning on doing it again.”

“How about in the morning, on the kitchen counter after I make you breakfast?”

“I couldn’t imagine a better time,” my smile was huge and contagious, filling the room with buzzing energy.

“Well then let’s get some sleep so it’ll come faster,” he grinned back, climbing out of bed to grab a wet towel, a T shirt from his drawer, and a pair of boxers. He slipped his own boxers back on on the way back into bed.

He went to work cleaning me up with the towel and my heart swelled, watching him.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I pointed out, and he chuckled.

“What part of ‘I’m gonna take care of you’ don’t you get, Y/N?”

“Oh, sorry, you’re right,” I rolled my eyes, “Carry on. Throw in a nice facial and massage while you’re at it.”He sent me a glare and I laughed, “Kidding.”

“Put these on,” he instructed, handing me the shirt and underwear, and I did as he asked. “I’m gonna go put our food in the fridge real quick so we can eat it tomorrow.”

He left and was back moments later, and we settled in. He pulled me tight to his chest and I’d never felt so safe as I drifted off.

-

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed and the smell of fresh pancakes. I climbed up, padding my way into the kitchen to see a shirtless Steve slaving away at the stove. I pranced behind him and gave his ass a little tap, laughing when he jumped and the pan splashed, ruining the pancake he was working on.

“Can’t you see I’m cooking here? And all you’re worried about is groping me. I’m not a piece of meat you know,” he joked.

“Sorry, sorry, you’re right. I’ll behave myself,” I shrugged, playing along, turning my back to walk to the other side of his counter but as I did I felt a slap on my own ass.

“Hey!” I squealed, jumping out of his reach. Soon, we were in an ass slapping war, pancakes forgotten, giggles filling the room.

In one swift motion, he caught me in his arms, keeping me in place, not budging an inch.

“I’ve got you right where I want you,” he smirked, pressing his forehead to mine, our noses brushing.

And I wanted to be where he wanted me. I wanted the moment to last forever. Maybe it would.

All of the time I spent surviving, and Steve was the first man to show me how to live.

[weirdwildwonderland]

I know ppl downplay certain siblings trauma a lot but let me just reframe everyone’s for you based on the seasons

1) imagine the person you love the most sending you 185828282 miles away for 4 years to live on the moon. Completely alone. When you get back you find out that all the samples you put so much work into didn’t even get read or taken out. The person who sent you there tells you later that he put you there to guard the most precious thing in the universe but you can't help but think that he sent you up there because you died and came back looking like a monster. He left you on the operating table for two months and when he saw you again he couldn't even look at you.

Imagine being a little kid and being told you’re not special. And then living with 6 other people who are constantly praised because they’re more special than everyone else. Imagine them 30 years later still talking about you behind your back and blaming you for everything that went wrong.

Imagine being 12 and being so restless to see the world and to see what you can do that you go somewhere no one’s ever been. And it’s hell. And no one comes to save you. You think about how you saw your family dead in those first days. And it haunts you for those next 45 years.

2) imagine being transported back in time. You have powers that can kill people. And since you’re from the future you have history books on your side. You have the power to stop one of the most famous assassinations in history and prove to your dad (who’s alive now) that you’re GOOD. That you’re not the impulsive emotional crazy mess he always said you were. You just want him to love you, because whether you want to admit it or not, you want his love and validation more than anything else in the world. You don’t prevent the assassination.

Imagine having to witness all the stupid things your brother does. You just want to give up sometimes but you literally can’t. So you put up with his attitude and stupid justifications and you never get to hug those 5 other people that you miss so much. Your brother says that ghosts can’t time travel. You don't get to say goodbye to him. Even though you hated him sometimes he had a good heart and you miss that good heart all the time.

3) imagine going through brutal racism and dehumanization every single day. Not knowing if your husband is alive or in jail or not. Constantly on alert. Your husband is the only thing keeping you from losing it. And the thought that your daughter will be there when you get back. You didn’t get to see her before the first apocalypse. You failed her as a mother and she died that night not even hearing your voice. Your brother was on the phone for you. You leave your husband for her. It’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done. Except she isn’t there.

4) (speculation) you used to be immortal. You got really sick one time from walking barefoot in a field and from something you smoked. You got shot by a spear gun. You came back. You can drink however much you want. You can get run over by a bus and you heal in half an hour. Now that you don’t have your powers it’s different. Everything is terrifying on a new level. Salmonella from the canteloupe and liver poisoning from the alcohol and flu from your brother's new kid. The clorox wipes smell like a security blanke and you can't get close to anyone anymore. Not even your sister. Not even your niece. And it makes your brother sad. You don’t smoke anymore and you’re so, so quiet. No one notices. You’re finally quiet.

[island-in-the-shadows]

I've been seeing posts about that last scene between Oliver and Venetia and I definitely think it's a scene worth highlighting more. And yes, she's right for a LOT of it. And yes, it's very interesting that Oliver was openly crying even before he has his Category 5 Hurricane level breakdown at the grave. One of the things I personally find interesting is her scoffing at: you only knew him 6 months. Yes, that's true. And yes, Venetia is drunk and grieving and she lost her brother so comparatively Oliver crying so much would be silly. If I lost one of my brothers and some guy who'd known him six months was having a breakdown I would feel like that person is being ridiculous and that their grief means nothing compared to mine because I knew my brother for a whole life. I understand her perspective very well.

But I also think about things from Oliver's perspective. Of course, Venetia doesn't know that Oliver has (gonna go with has cuz 15+ years later he's still into Felix) these consuming feelings about Felix. She belittles his grief and, by extension, his love. Six months is not a lot of time. But six months is also PLENTY for people who fall in love. And if we include the time he was smitten but didn't actually interact with Felix, Oliver has been actively high on Felix for at least nine months at this point. I say high because that's (in a chemical sense) basically what happens when you're in love or super into someone.

So yeah he killed Felix (and I still think part of him held out for it not working at all). And yeah, he knew him for only six months. But, to him, the grief is seriously intense. All those good chemicals in his brain that were high on Felix are depleted and he's in a state of withdrawal. Is it any wonder he was wearing Felix's aftershave or wearing his clothes? They are tangible ways to feel like Felix is still there. And yes, I know there's also he partially wanted to be Felix thing but that's not what it is here. Smell is powerfully linked to memory. Smelling Felix's aftershave could easily trick his brain into believing Felix is there. Wearing his clothes has him feeling connected. Idk I just find his grieving process interesting as fuck especially given the circumstances and that he's trying to stay at Saltburn no matter what (though, again, I personally view this as going back to Felix).

TL;DR: Venetia is Mother for calling him out. Six months is quite a bit when you're in love with someone so Oliver probably felt belittled when Venetia dismissed his grief.

[bambikisss]

불타오르네 (Fire!) :: C.San [2]

Singer! reader x Firefighter! choi san

-> A few months after your successful concert, you learn that you are nominated for three Grammys. After celebrating with everyone, San sneaks you away to celebrate with you privately and discuss your future together.

-> Smut Warnings: lots of teasing, breeding kink (San), use of a mirror, use of spit (like once), mentions of multiple rounds, sex in public (and maybe more)

-> Story warnings: mentions of San getting hurt in a fire

A/N: Due to many people wanting a part 2, here is part two of the first San firefighter fanfic. I hope you enjoy it!

~Bambi

TAGLIST: @atinytinaa @cookiechristie @brown88 @babiestarrcandy @jo-hwaberry @hgjfever @bubbleseo

@earth-to-leiki

"Congratulations on the nomination, first of all, Y/N."

You thanked your manager, leaning on the counter as you opened up your notebook, prepared to take down whatever your manager wanted you to do before she picked you up later. She was there when you got your Grammy invite, announcing later that day that you were nominated for three Grammys. Your manager and you shared some tears and hugs as you soaked it all in, then moved to hug the rest of your team. It was so surreal to you; the same year you got to hold a solo concert in a large stadium, you got three Grammy nominations.

"So, the award show red carpet starts at 6, so be ready by then and I will come to get you. Then, we can get your Grammys!" you smiled at your manager's excitement, thanking her before hanging up, writing down your instructions. You may seem calm on the outside, but you were so nervous as the Grammys are a big thing. You were about to touch another milestone.

As you were finishing your writing, a pair of arms wrapped around your waist making you smile. "Did you finish getting ready for your shift?" you turned to face San, kissing his cheek as he hummed. It was obvious he had just gotten out of the shower; his hair was still wet and he smelled like his body soap, his warm chest pressed against your back. "All I have to do is pack my lunch, then I'm done, Ms. Grammy." you smiled as he kissed you, his arms moving from around your waist to then pick you up, placing you onto the counter. He softly bit your bottom lip, moving down your jaw as your hands moved to press him more into you, making him smirk.

"You have to make your lunch and go to work, babe," you moaned, trying to arch away from his body. San laid you down on the counter, gripping your thighs before pulling you to the edge of the counter, pressing his hardening cock against you, making you moan. San chuckled darkly as he rolled his hips, slowly pushing up the large T-shirt you were wearing, admiring the bra you put on after many rounds of sex last night. "Sounds like you don't want me to go, Y/N" pressing your thighs against his chest as moved, his fire station crewneck showing off his collarbones. He watched you with a smirk as he moved, raising his pierced eyebrow as you repeated that he had to get his stuff ready before he was late again. Despite how good it felt, you didn't want him being late as the last time he was due to San taking his time eating you out before his shift, he had to hold plank until a fire was called in.

San gave in as he glanced up at the time, leaning down to kiss you softly before helping you sit up, moving to pack his lunch as you jumped off the counter (before San rushed over and steadied you as your legs felt like jelly).

"Are you excited for tonight?" He asked you, smiling when you nodded, finding how excited you were cute. He was proud of you for getting a nomination, even more, because you had gotten three. He had listened to you talk about all the things you wanted to do at some point in your career, and getting a grammy was at the top of them. So, for you to get it so soon, and even be nominated to get three made him very proud. You wrapped your arm around his bicep, watching as he finished packing up before hugging him, kissing him softly. "I'll make sure to lock out when I leave," you had spent so much time over at his house that he ended up giving you a key so you could come and go as you pleased.

After San finally left, you took a quick shower before getting dressed in one of San's many black shirts and sweatpants, putting on one of his caps before leaving, going back to your home to begin getting ready. Even though you had a while, you had many things to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, Y/N, we have to finish your makeup and then you're ready to walk the carpet."

You nodded, wiping your hands on your dress. You were nervous, to say the least. Your manager tried to offer you some confidence, sighing when you held her hand. She made sure there were no cameras around before taking out your phone, showing you the message San had sent you. She knew if she couldn't help ease your nerves, then he could.

Sannie: Hey Y/N! I know you're busy right now and won't see this till afterward, but know that I'm so proud of you and that I know you're going to do amazingly on the red carpet. I'm watching when I can so know that me and the rest of the crew are watching you and supporting you. Good luck, baby.

You smiled at his message, taking a deep breath as your makeup artist finished, ushering you to begin your walk along the red carpet. You braced yourself as you neared where the paparazzi were, taking a deep breath before smiling confidently. You felt your nerves leave your body as you listened to the fans cheer for you, smiling softly as you thanked them and made your way to the interview area.

As the night went on, you chatted with some friends, waiting until each category you were in came up. Much to your shock, you won each nomination. You couldn't help but stare at each award you won, trying your hardest to not cry in your speeches. After the show was over, you went to the after-party your manager had set up. You changed into a different dress before joining the party. It was filled with some of your closest friends and staff, all rushing to congratulate you on your wins. You did feel emotional, thanking everyone and saying you couldn't do it without them. It almost felt like a dream.

When you had a moment to yourself, you checked your phone, to see if San had texted you back. You had texted him an hour ago to see if he was alright and how his shift was going. You pouted as you noticed he hadn't responded, your best friend rushing over when she noticed it. "You don't get to be pouty right now, Y/N. It's your party!" she hugged you as you told her you were just a bit sad that San wasn't there. He was the reason for some of your recent inspiration and you missed him.

She offered you a smile before turning you around as the wide door opened, showing San and some of his crewmembers following behind him. He held his arms open as you ran into them, picking you up as he congratulated you. He kissed you softly, ignoring the cheers from everyone, handing you the flower bouquet he brought with him. He cupped your face, letting you know how happy he was for you, which filled your heart. Hearing praise from everyone else didn't feel as good as it did coming from him. He leaned down to kiss your forehead, hugging you once more as his friends mingled with everyone else to give you both some alone time. San glanced around to make sure no one was paying you both any attention before pulling you out of the room, leading you to a random closet outside of the large ballroom filled with friends and family. When you asked him what he was doing, he only offered you a smirk before shushing you with a kiss. He wrapped his arms around you, luring you into a deep kiss as you ran your hands through his hair.

"I'm proud of you, baby," he whispered against your lips, his fingers playing with the strings of your dress, slowly pulling on it. You bit your lip as you felt your dress become loose, San's hand moving to touch your back before moving to rest on your lower back, slowly pushing down your dress. His eyes darkened as he watched the straps fall down your arm, leaning down to kiss your neck as you whispered his name softly. "Keep quiet for me, baby. Don't wanna let passersby hear how I'm rewarding you," he gently bit your lower neck, licking it afterward. You gently whispered his name again, moaning softly when he began to push down the dress further so he could see your breasts. He stuck his tongue out, licking down your body to your breasts, sucking gently on one as he played with your other nipple. You dug your nails into his shoulder, mewling his name as he offered attention to your breast before he switched to the other one, offering that one the same attention as he played with the other one. San looked up at you as his free hand moved down your body to slip into your panties, playing with your clit.

You gripped his bicep as he slowly played with your wetness, his finger moving into you as he moved his lips to meet yours. "So wet, just from some simple kissing, huh? Should I take care of my sweet girl? Don't you deserve to be taken care of, baby?" He chuckled as you moaned out a yes, his fingers moving faster in you before he removed them from you. He cleaned off his fingers before completely removing your dress, sinking to his knees as he placed one of your legs onto his shoulder. You looked down at him as he kissed the inside of your thigh, slowly making his way up to your pussy, licking it softly.

"You can't get too loud baby, or I'll have to stop. I know you don't want that and I definitely don't want to stop, but, you gotta be quiet for me. Can you do that?" He waited until you nodded, rubbing the leg on his shoulder before whispering "good girl."

He moved back to attending to your pussy, licking and sucking on your folds. You tried to keep quiet, gripping a nearby table as he wrapped his lips around your clit. He moaned as he fucked you with his tongue, making eye contact with you as you tried to meet his tongue. When you let a small moan slip out when he sucked harshly on your clit, he pulled back, shaking his head. He placed a finger on his lips as you whined, telling you to hush. "I told you to be quiet or I'd stop. You wouldn't want to have to end your reward without you coming, right? All you gotta do is be quiet."

He went back to eating you out, spitting onto your pussy before diving back in. He pressed his hand against your body, stopping you from moving as he focused on you. You let your hands go into his hair, tossing your head back as you shut your eyes. San moaned against you as he felt you get tight around his tongue, pulling back to ask if you were going to cum. You nodded frantically, covering your mouth as he sped up his ministrations, moaning when you came. He kissed your cunt, moving to sit on both of his knees as he placed your other leg onto his shoulder, placing your back fully against the wall as he dove back into your pussy. You tried to keep quiet, biting your lip as San ate you out.

You whined softly that you were close again, both of you pausing when you heard your manager outside the door asking if anyone had seen you. You tried to push San's head back, biting your lip as he shook his head, going back to sucking on your clit. You gripped his hair as your hips rolled against his face, tossing your head back as you let out a silent scream. He moaned softly, cleaning you up before pulling back, his mouth and chin wet from you. He carefully let you stand up, moving to stand in front of you as you tried to catch your breath. You opened your eyes to San calmly picking up your dress, helping you get dressed. When you were sure your manager was gone, you gently shoved his shoulder, making him chuckle. When you asked him how he was able to be so calm, he only shrugged. He wrapped his arms around your body, carefully tying your dress as his mouth rested by your ear. "When I get you home, we can test your vocal ability." You asked him what that meant, only being met by a simple shrug. You shoved his shoulder again making him smile.

He held your hand as he checked the hallway, walking out of the closet when he was sure it was empty. "Alright, go back into the party," he gently tapped your ass, beginning to walk to opposite way. When you asked him why he wasn't going back to the party with you, he said he had something to take care of. At your pout, he walked back up to you, wrapping his arms around you as he gently kissed you. "Come to my house afterward. Don't drink too much."

"Y/N, there you are!" You turned in San's arms to see your best friend opening the door from the room where everyone was, music now filling the hallway. "Come on, we're going to take a victory shot!"

"Go on, babe." San gently kissed your forehead before he left, leaving you to join your friends at the party.

After an hour of partying, you drove to San's place.

You carefully opened and closed the door, hoping to not wake him up as it was pretty late. Your heels clicked against the floor as you placed your bag on the counter, noting how dark and quiet the house was. When you were debating whether or not to sleep in the guest room, the bedroom door swung open, the red light filling the hallway.

You bit your lip as San came into view, making your breath hitch. He wore a simple black tank top and his spare firefighting pants, showing his abs and v-line. He slowly walked up to you, holding your hand as he led you to his room. Even though you had been in his room many times before, something felt different about this time. He had some R&B playing in the background, his red light filling the room as well. You noticed a new chair sitting in a corner, which San led you to. He had you sit down, turning to stand in front of you before leaning down to kiss you gently.

You tried to stay calm, moaning softly as he gripped your thighs. "I'm here to do a body inspection, baby. Since you're so hot, I have to make sure everything is up to standards." You had mentioned in the past how hot you found San being a firefighter was, San, in turn, teased you about it. You nodded as he kissed you again, biting your lip as you watched him sink to his knees. He placed your foot onto his chest, his hands carefully untying the straps to your heels as he kept eye contact with you. He kissed your ankle as he tossed away your heel, switching to do the same with the other one.

His hands carefully moved up your legs, spreading them open as he moved closer to you, licking his lips. He pushed up the dress, revealing yourself to him once more. He placed a kiss on your clit before removing your panties, wrapping your legs around his head as he pushed you back so you laid down fully against the chair. "All you have to do is relax, baby. Just relax while I inspect this pretty pussy."

"San, fuck," your eyes closed as he licked your pussy, his eyes closing as he moaned against your folds. He sucked on your clit, pushing a finger into you before adding another one. You let your hands go into his hair as your hips rolled to meet his movements, whining as he added another finger before curling it. "Mmm, my baby responds so well to my fingers. Do you feel good, baby? Does this feel good?" He smirked as you moaned his name softly, his fingers moving faster in you. As you squeezed around his head, San licked up your wetness. You gripped the back of the chair, your back arching as he sped up, moving you to the edge. "Let's test how well you can squirt for me, baby" he opened your legs wider, looking up at you as you came, curling his fingers as you squirted.

You tried to catch your breath as he cleaned you up, moaning as he stuffed his face back in between your legs as his tongue licked up your wetness.

As you calmed down, tossing your head back to rest on the back of the bed as he kissed your thighs. He rubbed your legs before slowly sitting up, hovering over your body. You opened your eyes to see him, San smiling before kissing you softly. He picked you up, placing you gently on the bed as his lips moved to bite your neck. You watched him as he removed his top, smiling as he crawled over you, his lips reconnecting with yours. The moment became sweet, replacing the sexual tension with love as he rubbed your sides as his lips moved to your collarbone. You ran your hands over his shoulders, running your nails over the broad area as he returned to see your face. "Tell me what you want, baby. This is your reward for winning," his voice deepened, staring into your eyes as his hands rested by your head. The intensity alone from his stare made you turn away from him, murmuring into a pillow what you wanted.

"No, no no," his hand moved to grip your jaw, turning you to face him as he leaned closer to your face. "Say it to my face, baby. Look me in the eyes like a good girl and tell me what you want."

His lips leaned down gently moving along your jaw as he waited for your response, not letting you turn away as his breath tickled your skin.

"I want you to fuck me, San." He hummed at your desperate voice, moving back to see your face. The red light made San look unreal; along with his dark eyes and smug smirk, it made you clench around nothing. His finger moved up to your lips, tapping it he tilted his head, his face full of fake confusion. "Fuck you where Y/N? I can fuck your mouth, or, I can fuck your wet cunt. Where do you want me to?" You tried to turn away again, only for San to grip your jaw once more, turning you to face him again. He looked like you were prey; like he had chased you down and now had you where he wanted you after he wanted you for so long. "I won't repeat myself again, Y/N. Where do you want me to fuck you?"

You felt your cheeks heat up as you let out a small whimper before saying "my pussy." At your words and small voice, his face returned to his darkened face with a smirk, chuckling darkly when your thighs clenched around his leg. He got off the bed, carefully removing his hot fireman pants and underwear before joining you on the bed. He placed your legs around his waist, chuckling when you tried to sit up before shoving you back down. "Since you asked so nicely," you were about to say something when you overcame by pleasure, making you toss your head back. San looked down at you as his hips began at a rough pace, his thighs hitting yours as he filled you up. He leaned forward to wrap his hand around your throat as he moved faster, chuckling when you whined out his name loudly.

"Aww, my baby is so loud for me, huh? Who's pussy does it belong to, huh?" You couldn't help but let your eyes roll to the back of your head, moaning louder when San applied pressure to your throat. You felt a surge of confidence as his hips began to roll into yours, chuckling softly before responding with "not yours."

At your cocky response, his hips stilled, making you whine before looking up to meet his eyes. He only shook his head before pulling out, moving to sit by the headboard, staring at you. When you asked him what he was doing, he didn't respond, only ushering you to sit on his lap. "You want to be a brat and not answer my question correctly, I'll stop. This reward can end right here, right now." You felt your core clench at the sound of his voice, moving to sink back onto him, only for his strong hands to stop you. He held you so you couldn't sink down, letting the tip of his dick rub against your folds as he made eye contact with you, making you whine.

"Answer my question correctly, and I'll let you have it." You bit your lip, trying to maneuver out of his grip, moaning when his hand made harsh contact with your ass before gripping it. After he did it again, you moaned out that it was his, San letting you sink down on him. You rested your head against his chest as he filled you up, happy to be full. After a bit of waiting for him to move, you asked him why he wasn't, making him laugh. "I said you could have it, not that I'd fuck you. You wanna be a brat, you gotta earn back my help."

"Come on San," you tried to convince him, biting your lip when his hands gripped your hips. He helped you rise before sinking down on him, helping you to ride him. When you got the hang of it, his hand loosened, letting you take the reigns. "That's it, Y/N. Ride me good and I'll fuck you so well," he groaned softly against your lips, pulling you into a hot kiss as you moved. With the promise of him fucking you, you moved faster, rising before slamming back down on him. He tossed his head back, moaning your name loudly before his head tilted to be able to see the mirror, moaning at the sight. When you turned to look as well, you couldn't help but moan as well. San looked so fucked out, his hands resting on the plush of your ass as you moved, San moaning at the sight of your ass jiggling at every movement. The sight of your riding him drove you both crazy, making you speed up. "Fuck, baby girl slow down, fuck," he closed his eyes, tossing his head back, giving you access to his neck. You licked and sucked on his sweet spots, moaning as you felt yourself clench around him.

He could tell you were close, gripping your hips to halt your own movements before he began to fuck up into you, drilling you with his cock as he kissed you messily. You moaned into the kiss as he moved faster, gripping the headboard as you felt like falling. You couldn't help but try to cover your mouth as you felt your orgasm approaching, one of his hands immediately moving to slap it away as he held it. "I wanna hear you scream my name, Y/N. Scream my name while you cum on my fucking cock."

You let your eyes roll back as you screamed his name, San immediately moving you to lay against the bed, his hips not stopping as he leaned down to kiss you, the bed creaking loudly from his harsh movements. "You better take all the cum I fucking give you, Y/N. Gonna fill you up and give you my fucking kids. Just so everyone knows how well I fucked this pussy." He growled out, his eyes soon blowing wide as his hips shuddered, meeting yours as he came, collapsing against your body as he held you close. You shuddered as you felt him fill you up, his free hand coming down to play with your clit until you came once more, breathing out heavily.

After a few moments, he gently pulled out, chuckling as you whined at the feeling of his seed slowly spilling from you. He kissed his teeth before pushing it back into you. "I told you to take what I give you, there should be no mess, Y/N. Gonna have you full of my fucking kids."

"San," you breathed out. He soon meets your eyes, leaning up to kiss you lovingly before laying down next to you. He moved to gently hold your hand, squeezing it comfortingly as you both tried to catch your breaths. He leaned over to kiss your forehead before sitting up, leaving to draw a bath for your both, coming back to pick you up once it was done.

He placed her into the water before getting in behind you, placing you onto his lap. He gently washed you as you relaxed tiredly against his chest, absolutely spent. Once you both were done, he helped you get dressed before placing you on the bed, laying down next to you as he turned the light off. He pulled you close, kissing you softly. "I can't really feel my legs," you told him, making him laugh. "I could tell. You can just stay here tomorrow."

You nodded, placing a kiss on his cheek before falling asleep, smiling softly. The next morning, you woke up as San placed a glass of water on the nightstand. He was dressed for his shift, filling up his backpack with things he needed. When he noticed you were awake, he leaned down to kiss you softly, running a hand through your hair. "I left you some water right here along with breakfast on the counter when you're ready for it. I might be back late, so don't wait up for me, alright?" you nodded, kissing him softly before watching him leave. You took the day easy; taking a shower before getting dressed, washing the sheets, and cleaning up his house. Around 8pm, you were watching TV in the living room when you heard the front door open, which made you excited that he was home early. You jumped up to hug him, pausing when you saw his appearance.

San's left shoulder was bandaged up, some of the gauze that were also wrapped on his left peck peeked out from the top of his loose shirt. He looked exhausted, dropping his backpack that was in his right hand before walking up to you, hugging you tightly.

You pulled back to look at him, your hand becoming shaky as you reached out to touch the bandages. "What happened?" you felt your heart break as San gently held your hand, moving it to his cheek as he tried to return to your embrace, needing to more than anything right now. "While I was working a fire, I wrapped someone in my jacket. While I was helping them get out, I got scorched." You knew being a firefighter was dangerous and knew that he could get hurt, but, you still weren't prepared to actually see him hurt. No matter how many times San talked to you about how there was always a possibility of him getting hurt and to not always freak out and worry about him, you couldn't help but get teary-eyed at how broken he looked. You let your thumb rub his cheek, standing up on your toes to kiss him gently. He let his free hand hold your hip, returning the kiss softly. While San was usually energetic and loving, he was now tired and weak. He needed you.

You led him to the bedroom, having him sit down on the bed before going to grab the first-aid kit, helping him take off his shirt before replacing his bandages. You tried to hide your reactions for his sake, San noticing how quiet you were being. He rubbed the backs of your thighs as you finished, looking up at you as he noticed how teary your eyes got. He could tell you were scared and worried about him, pulling you close so he could hug you, You gently straddled him before laying your head in the crook of his neck, hiding your face as you hugged him, San doing the same thing. You held him as he kissed your neck, whispering how much he loved you. "I'm ok, Y/N, I promise."

"I know, I know... I just got a bit scared when I saw you," you wiped your eyes before meeting his eyes with a smile, San returning it as he rested his forehead against yours. He rubbed your back, kissing your nose.

"I love you, Y/N." he whispered, his eyes meeting yours as he held you tighter, feeling drunk as you kissed him. "I love you too, San. I love you so much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm so excited that you're here, Y/N."

You thanked the fire captain, thanking him as he hugged you. "I know coming to a fireman dinner party isn't how a superstar like yourself want to spend their evening, but thank you for coming."

"No, it's alright. When San brought it up I immediately cleared my schedule to come." You smiled as his wife hugged you, complimenting your dress. Ever since everyone had heard that you and San were official, they had been dying to meet you. After you all talked for a bit longer, you went off to find San, smiling as he walked over to you from the bar with a drink for you. He kissed your forehead, handing you the glass of wine, holding your hand gently. "Are you having fun, Y/N?" You nodded, taking a sip of the wine as he led you outside. While he was glad everyone loved you, he loved the moments when it was just you and him.

The dinner party was held at a fancy country club that had a beautiful garden that was lit up at night. He sat down next to you on the couch, wrapping his arm around you as he kissed you lovingly, smiling as he tasted the wine on your lips. He placed his free hand on your thigh as he pulled back, placing your head onto his shoulder. "When do you leave for Coachella?" he looked down at you as you shrugged, mentioning how you have a rehearsal coming up. San nodded, deciding it was a good moment to go through with his surprise.

"I'm surprised you aren't wearing any rings, Y/N. I feel like this outfit needs a ring." You hummed as you took a sip of your wine, turning to face him as you placed it down. San reached into his pocket, placing a ring on your finger, making you pause. "This is your ring, and here is mine," he paused to put one on his own finger, smiling as he held your hand once more, the bands clinging together. You looked down at the rings, smiling softly as he kissed your cheek before placing his fingers under your chin, gently moving you to face him. "I may not have enough money to buy you a ring you deserve, but I'll save up for it. These promise rings will be a nice placeholder for now, don't you think?" You nodded, leaning in to kiss him lovingly. He smiled into the kiss, cupping your face as he pulled you close. When you hummed against his lips, he asked what you were thinking about. "I'm trying to think about ways to thank you."

"Well, I saw a spacious closet on the way out here," he laughed, holding out his hand as he stood up. You sighed jokingly before holding his hand, letting him lead you back inside and to the closet. "How long do you think we'll have before people realize that we're missing?" you asked as he locked the door behind you both, San shrugging as he began to untie his tie. "All I need is 20 minutes with you. Should be enough until we get home." he smirked before kissing you, picking you up to place you on the bench, his free hand moving to push your panties to the side. "I'm all wet, Mr. firefighter. Get to dealing with it," you hummed against his lips, making San moan before dropping to his knees, pulling you to his lips. "Yes ma'am."

[jaestrz]

𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 - 𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐨𝐧 이주연

genre: fluff (soft hours) [juyeon x reader]

‘cuz all of the small, things that you do. Are what remind me why I fell for you’

The apartment smelled nothing except for his cologne. It shows how you never really cleaned the house properly so the scent would stay. You missed him too much it hurts your head.

It’s been so hard without him at home with you. You couldn’t think the last time you had a good day since he left for tour. God. Only God knows how much torture it is to be separated by your loved ones. Every single room felt empty, quiet. Cold. Without his presence. It’s not like he didn’t communicate with you, it’s just the difference with the time zone. Juyeon was at the other side of the world.

But that never stopped his accompany for you. He adored watching you close your eyes. You sleep so calm.

You don’t know what to feel without Juyeon because for 6 months without him, you were like a lost puppy not knowing the way home. Wake up to see Ju yeon wasn’t in your screen anymore and he had left his usual text messages, got ready for nothing and ended up back in bed after one meal.

You don’t even know how you survived that. You were too caught up in bed, inhaling his cologne and fell asleep without checking your phone or surroundings for the whole day.

The sound of the apartment main door creaked when Juyeon opened it. A weird express of emotion caught on his face when he notice how quiet the house was with the living room lights off. Juyeon checked his messages and you didn’t text him anything. The previous information that he would return was only left unread by you. Your shoes were still there, beside his unused one.

His footsteps padded their way, bringing his luggage and duffel bag with him into the room. When he turned on the light, Juyeon acknowledged your sleeping presence. He noticed how you were sleeping with all of your plushies that Juyeon found familiar. How could he forget? Half of them was his gift to you. But then he remembered how you had rarely go to bed with them anymore. This would be the first time since ages. Juyeon settled his things aside so he could keep it away later and went to shower quietly. And quickly. He wanted to be in your arms as fast as he could.

Maybe the quiet lasted a while because you soon woke up to his own phone notifications.

“I see a sleepyhead waking up, hi love. I’m home.” You see Juyeon walked towards you with damped hair, laying beside you. You laughed, feeling him snake his arm around your waist to close the gap in between you and him. This felt much better for you. Probably for him too.

It felt like heaven again. “I miss you. Badly.” You murmured, half asleep. Earning a chuckle from Juyeon himself. “I miss you too dummy. Did you took care of yourself nicely when I was away?”

You shrugged. You don’t know if you took care yourself either. “It was okay. Your mom came here a few times so I wasn’t lonely.” His hands found its way to play with your hair while listening to you. “you didn’t go out with your friends?”

You shook your head. There was nothing but silence that filled the room.

It wasn’t like an uncomfortable situation or boring. It felt more like he was hearing what your heart says and it was comforting. You wanted moment like this to stay forever. You don’t want this to end. Juyeon’s eyes never left yours, he just stared and kissed you deeply.

Your eyes hold a lot of stories that you didn’t unravel to him. As if he could see the worries in your eyes.

“Is there something bothering you love? You can tell me sweetheart. We promise to not keep secrets from each other right?”

You stopped breathing for a second seeing how your vision starts to get blurry, Juyeon wiped the tears that was streaming down your cheek. You were struggling to form words in your head. “breathe baby. I’m here.” You love how transparent you could be around him. No judgements, no lies, nothing fake.

Just him. Juyeon.

“I had bad days. I denied it so much so I could think that it was good when in reality it was worse than I thought. There was a day where I think I didn’t do anything and just stayed at home. I had nightmares and you weren’t there so it was harder for me to sleep. I know it’s your job and I agree to it so it’s stupid of me-”

Juyeon hold you so close and careful, as if you were made out of porcelain. His heart felt like it shattered into pieces knowing he made you feel that way. “Your feelings are valid sweetheart. Don’t think that you’re stupid because you felt that way y/n. You deserve to tell how you feel.”

To him, what you feel was the most important thing in the world. Juyeon needs to know if you’re alright or not. So it could be avoided in the future if he accidentally hurt your feelings.

“I’ll be here with you from now on. It’s okay, I promise. I understand what you feel. It must’ve hurt a lot.” Juyeon sighed sadly. Hearing your breathing slowed down.

“I love you so goddamn much.” You breathed. There was a soft kiss on your lips before he returned.

“I love you too y/n. With my whole universe.”

‘When we’re apart, and I’m missing you. I close my eyes and all I see is you.’

‘And the small things you do.’

[demonangelgirl134]

Me as a creepypasta

Without the background and effects:

Status: dead

Species: demon/vengeful spirit

Cause of death: Strangled

Profession: murdering bad people and helping the wronged

Preferred killing style: waiting until the victim walks up a dark staircase or hallway at midnight or 3 a.m., then stabbing in the back, and burning the body (sometimes just burning alive depending on the type of person)

Preferred weapon: Kitchen knife

Abilities: invisibility, quick reflexes, night vision, apparition, voice mimicry, shape-shifting, paralysis, revivival

She only attacks people who intentionally hurt others and have no regard for anyone else, like any kind of abusers, rapists, pedophiles, murderers, child neglecters, cheaters, those who physically harm others on the streets for fun, druggers, etc. If you don't do any of that bad stuff, she'll leave you alone to live your life, but if you do, she'll stalk you for a while & haunt you by turning invisible and whispering creepy things, mimicking the voices of the people you've hurt or mimic the sound of child laughter, scratching the walls, giving you nightly sleep paralysis, standing menacingly in the dark, and moving things around, then when the time comes for her to strike a month later, she'll wait until you walk back to your room at precisely midnight or 3 a.m., then she'll sneak up behind you and stab you 6 times in the back, then reveal herself to you as you lay helpless and slowly die, being the last thing you ever see, and saying the last thing you will ever hear in a demonic voice: "this would've never happened if you had never done what you've done". And once you finally die, she'll drag your lifeless body to the middle of a dirt field and set it ablaze. Or, if you've done worse, she'll just skip the stabbing and drag you to the field and set you ablaze while you're still alive or remove anyone else along with their belongings from your home, lock you inside, and set it ablaze with you inside. Then she'll revive the ones you killed and give the ones you've hurt a streak of pure good fortune and correct their lives before moving on to another victim. But if you truly correct your ways and become a better person within the month that she's haunting you, she just might give you a second chance and spare your life. And you'd better do it because there's no other way to get rid of her.

Ways to tell that she's haunting you:

You are experiencing nightly sleep paralysis at 3 a.m. and seeing a blonde and blue haired demon girl in a black suit with black and green eyes, occasionally saying, "You still have time to right your wrongs" before it ends

You're constantly hearing child laughter or the voices of the people you've hurt out of thin air

You're hearing scratching on your walls

You're having a streak of sudden bad luck

Your dog constantly starts barking at nothing (she's completely visible to animals)

You occasionally catch your cat purring and rubbing on nothing (she's a sucker for cats)

You occasionally wake up to the smell of sulfer and chemicals

You sometimes see a dark figure in the dark at the top of your staircase or at the end of your hallway

You sometimes come home to the words "You still have time" written in blood on your front door

Things not to do while being haunted:

Call an exorcist (because she's too strong)

Continue to do bad things during the month (because she'll only escalate the torture)

Try to move out (because she'll always follow you)

Just not leaving your room when the time comes (because she'll just extend the time and wait until you do)

Immediately go back to your old ways once she detaches from you (because she'll just attach herself to you again and not even wait a month to kill you the second time)

What to do to survive her and end the haunting:

Take her advice and change your ways for the better before the month ends. She's nice enough to give you time to do so, so take this advantage and make time.

Facts:

She's a sucker for animals, especially fur babies, and if her current victim has a cute pet like a dog, cat, hamster, mouse/rat, etc., she can't help but play with them in her free time, And the fact that she's only visible to animals when she's invisible makes it all the better experience

If a victim was hurt in some way and only does the things she usually targets people for out of grief and not knowing of any other way to cope with it, she'll go easy on them and the sleep paralysis won't happen every night, she tries not to freak them out with her whispering by instead saying things like, "you're better than this" or "there's healthier ways to cope with your trauma" instead of the creepy things she'd usually say

She would occasionally target racist or homophobic people because when she was alive, she did programs about equality & accepting others for who and the way they are

If someone were to witness her killing a victim, she would tell them, "I'm sorry you had to see that," and give them a hug before disappearing with the victims body

I haven't figured out a name for this creepypasta yet, so if anyone can give me some ideas, that would be much appreciated. (I'll pick my favorite ones and make a poll, and I'll name my creepypasta the name that wins)

[scifrey]

Cling Fast

By Losyark

Read below, or read the updated/edited version over on AO3.

The Sandman (Netflix with some sprinkling of comics canon, and Gaiman Cinematic-Literary Universe canon) Dreamling (Hob Gadling x Dream of the Endless | Morpheus) Complete Mature Unbeta’d

Hob Gadling is a clingy bastard, and he’s not ashamed to admit it. He clings to life. He clings to hope. He clings to his love of humanity. He clings to his Stranger. He also, unfortunately, has a habit of clinging to his name.

Which means, when the BBC is looking for a new pet history expert to appear in their educational docudrama series “Elizabethan Manor,” they’re overjoyed to find a professor of domestic history who, according to their meticulous research, is actually descended from the Master of the National Trust building they’re filming in - Gadlen House.

Only Hob knows how right they are.

Picks up a few hours after the end of Episode 6.

*

Author’s Note: I don’t know what I’m doing. New to this fandom, new to this ship, and this is the first fanfic I’ve written in over a year. I am just coming back from a creative burnout so bad that I ended up leaving my literary agent.

I haven’t written anything that isn’t loosely connected drabbles in literally years. So, I don’t know what’s going to happen with this fic. It may get written, it may fizzle. I have the idea plotted out, but I’m trying to approach it cautiously, with my eyes averted, in case it spooks and bolts.

That’s why I’m posting this here instead of AO3, I guess. I want to see if it’s something that resonates with people, and me, before I commit to posting it there.

*

Prologue

"One hundred years, then?" Hob's Stranger asks, hours later, when Hob's talked himself hoarse and his business partner is flipping chairs onto tables to mop. Hob's marking has been jammed unceremoniously into his briefcase and completely forgotten, and there are three empty pint glasses at his elbow. The wine glass in front of his Stranger is still full.

"2089 or 2122?" Hob asks, through disappointment like broken glass on his tongue.

Chapter One

The problem with Hob Gadling is that–and he will admit to this–he really is a bit clingy. Always has been. And sometimes it bites him straight in the arse.

Chapter Two

“Remarkable,” Doctor Harriet Butler says, freezing mid-handshake when she meets Hob’s eyes. “Just remarkable, the resemblance–”

“I’ve heard that a lot today,” Hob tries to interrupt, embarrassed by how much two separate BBC Historics production assistants have already gushed over him in the short walk from the Broadcast House lobby to this back office. 

Chapter Three

It's a diary. It's Eleanor's diary. Hob hadn't even known El had kept a diary.

“It’s her handwriting,” is the first shaky thing he says, flipping open the cover. “I… I never thought I’d see it again, I never…” the rest of the sentence is lost in an ugly, phlegmy hiccough.

Chapter Four

Hob spends the next month finalizing deal memos outlining compensation and percentages, which Lucienne helps him parse, and then quibbling with the legal department of the BBC on the actual phrasing of the longform contract to ensure he’s not accidentally signing away his soul. He’s already done one deal with an all-powerful, unknowable entity without being aware of what he was agreeing to. He’s not keen on doing it again.

Chapter Five

Either out of pity for his exhaustion or because he had duties of his own to prioritize, Morpheus doesn’t appear to Hob during his sleeping hours in this week. Hob only manages to concentrate enough to relocate himself to the castle only the one night. He finds himself alone in the throne room, and enjoys the opportunity to spend some time with his own company, after so many hours being crowded by the rest of the Historics team.

Chapter Six

Hob's house used to smell of—of flowers from the garden, and good clean horse sweat from his rides, and El's sweet perfumes, and the waft of fresh bread or sugar-and-rosewater from the kitchens, and the fatty funk of tallow candles burning, and whatever Robyn was into lately, mudpies or oil paints, and the polishing oils the servants used on the wood and boots, and the gentle fragrance of whiskey and porto after dinner, and… And now it just smells like aggressively, astringently nothing. Like a museum.

Chapter Seven

Hob wakes up with a splitting headache, but otherwise no other effects from his hangover. Except for the sinking feeling that comes with remembering that he screwed up his 1589 feast again. Would it be pathetic to try a third time? Especially knowing now that Morpheus rarely eats, and when he can be persuaded to, it's never British fare. Yeah, it would be pathetic.

Chapter Eight

For the first time in six hundred and seventy-two years, Hob is genuinely angry at Morpheus.

Chapter Nine

Hob throws the door of the flower shop open hard enough that it rattles in its frame. “Sorry!” he shouts. “And sorry, I know you’re about to close, I was stuck at work for hours and I just–” He looks around the shop, realizing that he is utterly, utterly out of his depth. “I need help.”

Chapter Ten

Today is the day that Hob drowns, and on the whole he's feeling pretty sanguine about it.

Chapter Eleven

Somehow, the summer and Hob's brush with the glitz and glam (more like the sleep deprivation and hurry-up-and-wait) of The Biz comes to an end. The first week of classes start up, and as he promised Morpheus, Hob eschews sleep in order to review the texts, and write the syllabuses and prepare the lectures that he didn't have time to over the summer. Morpheus only throws sand in his face and drags him down into the Dreaming twice, when Hob hadn't caught so much as a cat-nap on his junky office sofa in over forty-eight hours.

[through-space-and-galaxies]

vance hopper hcs (pt 8) [random hcs]

prefers to eat toaster strudels without the icing

isn't that picky of an eater tbh

is a decent cook because of all the times he helped his mom cook

likes cooking grilled cheese because of how easy it is for him

besides his dyslexia, he actually gets decent-ish grades (c's, a rare b, etc)

English and math are his worst subjects because of the reading involved in it

weirdly good at science tbh likes it a lot actually

pinball special interest started when he was around 6 or so

before his skateboard broke he was actually getting good at it, could land a few tricks, etc

bites and picks at his lips a lot so they're constantly bleeding, him getting a busted lip is the only time he stops

used to go to the library when he was a kid, around 8 or 9

officially got diagnosed with autism at age 9

anger issues started around that time too which was mainly just overstimulation and a struggle to manage emotions (bpd kicking in)

has to go to therapy but never went and kinda regrets it. went to therapy when he was younger though (6-13)

hates hospitals and the bright lights, the sharp smells, etc so he tries to never go

picks at scabs (im also guilty of this 😭😭😭)

breaks pencils way too often because of how fucking hard he writes, man is GRIPPING onto the pencil for dear life

doesn't understand "your mom" jokes./j

has tripped up the steps before and has beat up a kid for laughing at him, didn't go to that place for a week because he was so embarrassed

that one dude who was watching him play pinball? was his bf yeah/j

low key shows off for partners 💀

gets flustered whenever people call him pet names

loves pet names but specifically: baby, handsome, honey

loves to tease

low key has a bit of a tex' accent but will never admit it (unless you like it ofc, then he's teasing you on purpose with his accent) (also yes this is inspired by that one southern vance fic/hc shut up/j)

grew up in texas from a baby to 6 years old, loved living there a lot but barely remembers it

his dad is white, Texan, and has a thick southern accent

his mom on the other hand is hispanic (Puerto Rican), white, and she's from cali!

his mom and dad met in Austin texas, his mom just moved at 16 and his dad met her around the same age too, a typical high school sweethearts situation

actually looks a lot like his dad beside his hair, nose, and lips. hair pattern, nose, and lips are all his mom

HATES deviled eggs (i am projecting here bcs i hate deviled eggs with a burning passion)

really likes cherry-flavored things, if he carried around chapstick it'd be cherry flavored

likes strawberry flavored things as well but mainly cherry-flavored shit

hates brushing his teeth because of the mint flavor

i mentioned him having a sweet tooth and loving caramels and im mentioning it again

loves bubble gum for no reason (cough there is a reason, he likes it because of the flavor and it gives him something to focus on)

belt chain that he plays with a lot because he likes the sound of it

steals a lot of food, clothes, and small items

washes his jacket like once a month

washes his clothes though like once a week, always on Thursday though, if he breaks the routine there's a fight happening later on

once washed a pair of jeans and they shrunk in the wash and he got SO mad he couldn't wear it anymore because they didn't fit

yawns really loud

loud sneeze too

once scared his mom by sneezing

prefers short socks but because of his daily boot wearing he wears long socks

likes plain socks the best, favorite is black socks

isn't into sports. like at all. likes hockey though

tell me he wouldn't play hockey, he so would

puts on lotion a lot

he smells like cig smoke, caramels, hint of deodorant, and a hint of baby powder because of his lotion

used to babysit ages 13 to 14

hates winter because he has to actually wear a jacket that covers his arms and the sensory of it drives him insane

couldn't find his classes first day of school so he just left bcs he got so pissed off

favorite teacher is his pe teacher because the teacher lets him burn off steam and lets him eat with them when he's just not feeling other people

loves horror movies

also loves shitty and cringe romcoms so he can laugh at them

[justabooknerdposts]

Meeting Estelle

Prompt 6: Can you do one where Percy and Annabeth meet Estelle for the first time, which prompts them to both think about their future together and possibly having a family one day?

This came from a request in an AO3 comment.  Honestly, I loved this prompt idea—it was something I kind of wanted to do anyway, but hadn’t figured out how to put it into a full story, so it was great to just be able to do this scene.  Also, it may tie into my own personal feelings that guys holding babies is like the cutest thing ever lol thanks for the prompt!  Hope you enjoy reading it!

*

As the automatic doors whooshed open, the antiseptic hospital smell hit Annabeth, making her already nervous stomach twist harder.  “Are you sure I’m allowed to be here?” she asked Percy as they crossed the reception area.  “I thought the rules were family only?”

Percy gave her a look that said Seriously?  “Annabeth.  You’re family.”

She had to look away, letting her eyes fall on the green stripe painted halfway up the hospital wall, as if trying to bring a breath of brightness to the place.  She didn’t want to reveal just how much his words made her entire body feel warm and fluttery.  “Okay, fine.  But if anyone asks…”

“I can just say you’re my sister.”

“Yeah, that’s weird.  Don’t do that.”

“Just trying to have a plan, Wise Girl.”

“And that’s why I make the plans, Seaweed Brain.”  Annabeth took his hand, leaning into his arm.  “Why don’t we just use your usual strategy?  If anyone asks, we’ll wing it.”

Percy grinned at her.  “Works for me.”

Luckily, no one asked.  Percy was able to get the room information they needed from the nurse and they headed to the elevator.  While they waited, Annabeth caught movement out of the corner of her eye.  Percy was tapping the fingers of his free hand against his leg in a staccato rhythm. 

“Nervous?” she asked him.

Percy gave her a small smile.  “Just a bit.”

She squeezed his hand.  “It’s going to be good.”

Percy returned the pressure, then kissed her cheek.  “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Of course.”

The elevator dinged pleasantly as the doors opened, and they stepped inside.

Percy gave a small shudder as the doors closed.  “Maybe we should have taken the stairs.”

“Maybe.”  Annabeth drew in a deep, slow inhale.  Nearly ten months out from the Doors of Death and she could still almost smell the sulfuric scent of Tartarus.  “At least there’s something good waiting on the other side of this elevator.”

“True,” Percy said.  “Although, if there’s a giant or any other mythological crap, I’m just going home.”

Annabeth laughed and squeezed his hand again.

Luckily, when the elevator doors opened, all they revealed was a hallway.  On the maternity unit.  Annabeth’s nerves started to buzz again.  She’d never really been anywhere like this before.  When her half-brothers were born, she hadn’t gone to the hospital; her dad and stepmom had just come home with babies.  She realized halfway down the hall to room 307 that she was biting her lip and made herself stop doing that.  When they reached the right door, Percy knocked lightly.  Sally’s voice, sounding a bit tired, said, “Come in.”

The hospital room was surprisingly cozy, well-lit, with pink curtains and several vases of flowers and a couple of balloons on a table near the window.  The TV hanging on the wall in the corner was on low.  Paul was sitting near it, fast asleep in a hospital chair, head back in what looked like an uncomfortable position, his mouth hanging open.  Annabeth caught Percy’s eye and they both stifled a laugh.  His parents had gone to the hospital yesterday afternoon and around 4 a.m. this morning Percy had received the call that his baby sister had arrived.  Annabeth knew this because she’d been woken up by a fuzzy Iris-message at 4:08 a.m. with her boyfriend shouting, “It’s a girl!”  His brilliant grin and obvious elation were the only reasons she hadn’t tried to smack him through the I-M.  Since, fortunately, it was now a few hours later on Saturday morning, they had come to the hospital as soon as visiting hours started to meet the newest member of the Jackson-Blofis household.

Sally was sitting up in bed, wearing a blue terrycloth robe, her hair in a loose ponytail, looking tired, but very happy.  She beamed when she saw them and gestured with one hand for them to come in.  In her arms was a tiny bundle of pink blankets.

“Hey, Mom,” Percy said, speaking softly.

“Hi, sweetheart.”  Sally gestured for him to come closer.  When Percy reached the bed, she leaned up to kiss his cheek.  “Want to meet your sister?”

Percy swallowed and nodded.  Annabeth felt a little bit like an interloper on this family moment as Sally explained to Percy how to hold his arms, then shifted the bundle of blankets into his arms.  “Percy, this is Estelle.  Estelle, this is your big brother.”

“Hey, Estelle,” Percy said softly.  He studied her tiny face for a moment, just barely visible over the edge of her blanket, then leaned down and very gently kissed her forehead.

Annabeth completely melted.  She had thought all along that Percy would be a cute big brother, but she was so not prepared for the sight of him actually holding his tiny baby sister and being so adorably sweet with her.  If she wasn’t already head over heels for him, this would have sealed the deal.

Not to mention the way that Sally was looking at her two children.  Her expression was so tender and happy that Annabeth had to look away, blinking quickly.  Percy was talking softly to baby Estelle, but Annabeth couldn’t make out the words.  That was okay—she didn’t think she would be able to handle any more cuteness without getting really choked up and completely embarrassing herself.

“Annabeth.”

She looked up when Percy said her name.  His face was lit up with such a clear, obvious happiness that it made her breath hitch.  She swallowed, getting a hold of herself, and said, “Yeah?”

“Do you want to hold her?” Percy asked.

Annabeth looked at Sally.  “Is—is that okay?”

“Of course, honey.”  Sally smiled.  “You’re family.”

Tears pressed against the back of Annabeth’s eyes at that, threatening to fall, but she hurriedly blinked them back.  Focus, she scolded herself as she slowly approached the bed.  There was a chair beside the bed and, not totally trusting herself to hold the baby while standing up, Annabeth sat down in it, then, remembering what Sally had told Percy, held out her arms.  Glancing at his mom, who nodded, Percy carefully settled baby Estelle in Annabeth’s arms.  When he took his hands away, Annabeth automatically pulled the baby closer to her chest, to hold her more firmly.  Estelle appeared to be fast asleep, the tiny bow of her lips just slightly open, making the softest noise as she breathed.

“She’s so light,” Annabeth murmured, because it was the first thing that struck her.  She’d expected the baby to feel more weighty in her arms, but she felt light, like not much more than a bundle of blankets.

“Seven pounds, ten ounces,” Sally said.  “Two ounces more than her brother.”

“Dang, she’s beating me already,” Percy said, but he was grinning.  When Annabeth glanced away from Estelle to meet his eyes, the way he was looking at her made her stomach do backflips.

“She’s adorable,” Annabeth said, and it was true.  Estelle had round cheeks, a smattering of dark hair, and a nose that looked just like both Sally’s and Percy’s, which made Annabeth smile.  And then, unexpectedly, she had a flash of the possibility of another baby, one day in the still pretty far future, with dark hair and Percy’s nose, but who also maybe looked a little bit like her, too.  Annabeth swallowed hard and gave herself a mental shake.  Today is about Estelle.  Snuggling the baby closer, Annabeth looked up at Sally.  “I love her name.  How did you decide on it?”

“That was my mom’s name,” Sally said, her smile turning a little wistful.  She put a hand on Percy’s arm.  “I wish she could have seen you both.  My dad, too.  But this felt like a nice tribute.”

“For sure,” Percy said.  He kissed his mom’s cheek.  “Do you need anything, while we’re here?”

Sally shook her head.  “I’m fine, honey.  Paul’s been taking good care of me.  He only just finally fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago.”

“How do you feel?” Annabeth asked, feeling a little bit awkward about the question, but also genuinely wanting to know.

“Tired and sore,” Sally admitted.  “But that’s normal.  And it’s worth it,” she added, with a smile that traveled from Percy to Estelle and back again.

*

An hour later, Percy and Annabeth left the hospital.  Paul had woken up from his nap only about ten minutes after they got there and he was so obviously a proud papa that Annabeth had thought he might actually “burst his buttons”, as the phrase went.  It had been a very enjoyable visit.  They’d only left when Estelle started to fuss.  Within half a minute, she’d worked herself up to a sharp cry that still somehow didn’t seem that loud, since it was coming from such a tiny baby.  The nurse had come in to offer to help Sally with feeding, and Percy had suggested that it was probably time for them to go.  But there was a good chance they’d come back later in the afternoon to visit again, and bring his parents anything that they might need in the meantime.

When they stepped outside the hospital, the spring morning was crisp and cool, the air slightly damp.  A light breeze ruffled Annabeth’s hair.  Around them, the city was starting to wake up, the hustle and bustle a bit of a shock after the relative quiet of the maternity ward. 

Percy drew in a deep breath.  “I have a baby sister.”

“You do.”  Annabeth took his hand, lacing her fingers through his.  “And she’s adorable.”

“She is,” Percy agreed.  “Mom and Paul looked really happy.”

Annabeth nudged him with her shoulder.  “You looked pretty happy, too, holding your baby sister.”

Percy grinned.  “Yeah, that was fun.  I think I’m going to like this whole being a big brother to a mortal sibling thing.”  His grin softened when he met her eyes.  “You looked cute, too, holding her.”

Annabeth smiled, thinking again of the soft feeling of Estelle cuddled against her chest, the flash she’d had of the possibility of their own kid one day, and about how Percy and Sally had both called her family.  She kissed Percy, lightly and sweetly.  “This is a really good way to start a Saturday.”

“Definitely.”  He squeezed her hand.  “What do you think, want to go get some breakfast?”

“That sounds great.”  She grinned, letting him lead her up the street to a brunch place they’d gone to before, ready to enjoy this beautiful morning.

[nerdyquestier]

Oboro-centric fanfic idea:

After the whole ordeal of him being made into a kinda-Nomu, he regains part of his conscious mind when being told to look over and protect Shigaraki. We saw him being good with kids Before, so what if that need to take care of (protect) a kid was so close to how he would have functioned without the brainwashing?

A whole two or so years of gaining Shigaraki’s trust (kid preferred Tomura to Tenko anyways because Trauma) later, and Oboro finally has a finalised idea to get the both of them out and away from AFO. Oboro had been getting more and more lucid as time went on so he was able to somewhat properly parent Tomura — eg getting him an informal education about heroes via pre-quirk media, Mic’s Radio show, and stories of training/friendship with Eraser and Mic.

What if when he got out, our Local Overworked Detective (TM), aka Tsukauchi, found him and a kid that was missing (thought to be dead) and flat out refused to let either of the two out of his sight for a solid day? — Oboro would have been around 19-20 by this point, so Tomura would have been around 8-9(?) (aging him down a couple years to make it fit nicer so he’s 6-7 at this point)

What if one of the first interactions either of the two had with a hero After (after they got out, after they were saved by themselves, after heroes failed for both of them again), it was a very uptight, upcoming intelligence hero, and sidekick of All Might himself, who tried to arrest Oboro for his hair flickering between being darker and lighter as he tries to avoid panicking in a loud, crowded place where people keep bumping into him?

What if the first time Oboro tries to reach out to Mic, Mic immediately cusses him out over the phone because he’s drunk and doesn’t recognise the code that he’s trying to get through to him?

What if Oboro thought that Aizawa died after no backup came for either of them so didn’t read into Mic seemingly hating him?

What if Oboro only met Aizawa after getting his Pro Hero license (alongside a Police Officer one, because Tsukauchi insisted), while their patrols just briefly overlapped?

What if Aizawa found his (dead for 4 years) best friend on a rooftop humming to himself in his hero costume on the anniversary of said “death”, proceeded to sing along and sit next to him, while hoping, praying to anything out there that it wasn’t just a dream, or a hallucination?

What if Tomura was adopted by Oboro legally for his 10th birthday?

What if Oboro was Underground Royalty because of how difficult it is to see clouds in the dark?

What if Oboro gets injured a month before his 22nd birthday and is rushed to UA to be seen to by Recovery Girl by insistence of Nighteye and Tsukauchi, rather than a hospital, and when he wakes up, his quirk had taken his sight?

What if they think it’s temporary? What if it wasn’t quite as temporary as they thought?

What if he’s scarred and bruised and his hair has blood scattered in the mist and he wakes up in pain and terrified because he can’t move?

What if when he tried to speak, all that came out was a whimper that was heard and reacted to by sleep deprived Best Detective and Nighteye as they tried to reassure their friend (younger brother, really) that he wasn’t back in the Doctor’s labs?

What if it took several minutes for that to even register for Oboro over the sharp smell of disinfectant and the uncomfortable bed he was on and the feeling of his quirk screeching and whining internally that the room he was in was too small, too dry?

This is my first post, I hope I did the things right 😅

[thesewordsareallihavetogive]

ch. 5: A Safe Place to Land - Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x nurse!reader

Summary: 4.6k words. After an unexpected breakup with her long-term boyfriend, y/n had one goal: to keep her head down and finish her travel nursing contract as soon as possible. That was until Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw derailed her plan entirely. Just as y/n finished picking up the pieces of her broken heart, Rooster came along and showed y/n what it’s like to be loved again–if only she’ll let him in.

chapter playlist: “Never Til Now” by Ashley Cooke and Brett Young, “You Matter to Me” from Waitress

Warnings: nothing crazy! lots of fluff, several pinches of angst, some cursing. multiple allusions to 18+ content & smut, but nothing graphic. i’m too much of a wimp to write smut but one day i’ll get there

a/n: hello hello! this chapter was a long time coming, but i’m so happy with how it turned out. i hope you guys like it!! thank u for ur patience & support xx

series master list | master list

The phrase “distance makes the heart grow fonder” is nice in theory. It’s a mantra y/n repeated to herself several times over the years when she missed her family and friends while traveling. She now found out that this mantra didn’t work as well when her not-boyfriend was somewhere on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean. 

In Rooster’s absence, y/n returned to her hermit ways. On her days off from work, she’d spend countless hours reading, binge-watching shows, online shopping, and her favorite activity of all: napping. She ventured to the beach a few times but found that it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable without Bradley by her side. y/n reminisced about Rooster spinning her around until they both got dizzy or dunking her in the water, just for her to pull him in after her until they were both soaked and sore from laughing.

Over the course of the three-week mission, y/n wore Rooster’s clothes more than she wore her own. The hoodie she stole was a staple of her nightly Netflix sessions and she often fell asleep in the shirts Bradley ‘accidentally’ left at her house.

The only thing that could tempt y/n off the couch in the evenings were the sporadic calls she shared with Bradley. She jumped every time her phone rang, leaping over the coffee table and sprinting towards the counter her phone was on, only to be disappointed when it wasn’t Bradley. The few times that he was on the other end of the phone talking to her made her forget all her woes.

There were a couple times y/n missed Rooster’s calls because she was at work. Aside from the sad sinking feeling inside, she felt like shit. Bradley always made sure to leave a voicemail. Though he did miss hearing her voice, he was never bitter when y/n missed his calls; she had a job to do, just like him.

y/n was comforted by the way her bed sheets still smelled like Rooster. Old spice and jet fuel and safety. She desperately clung to the remnants of Bradley’s lingering presence in her home. The night she felt the most alone was the same night her sheets stopped smelling like him. Despite her desire to hang on to any trace of Rooster, she was overdue to wash her bedding. She laid awake that night, tossing and turning in her fresh clean sheets. Had her bed always been this cold?

Instead of being lulled to sleep as she inhaled the comforting aroma as she’d done for the past two weeks, y/n found herself turning to Bradley’s voice for comfort. She had three months' worth of random voicemails he’d left her. 

His morning voice drifted from the speakers–the voicemail in question was delivered before 6 a.m. a little over a month ago. Rooster wanted to call to say good morning before a god-awfully early training session, but y/n was still fast asleep.

“Hey, baby. Just wanted to say good morning. It’s…” Rooster paused to look at the clock on his dash. “5:29 a.m. So you’re probably still asleep. Which is a good thing, because this is way too fucking early to be up and moving,” he cleared some of the morning grog from his throat. “Anyway… I’ll talk to you later. Have a good day, darlin’.”

y/n smiled warmly as his words rolled over her. She remembered how they spent the evening after his training. Bradley and y/n had planned to watch a movie or two at home, but they both fell asleep against each other on the couch by 8:30 p.m.

The next voicemail featured a very tipsy Rooster. y/n would dare to say drunk, but Rooster prided himself on not getting drunk because he was a self-proclaimed heavyweight. Lively chatter from The Hard Deck could be heard in the background. Bradley didn’t go out with his coworkers nearly as much as he did before he met y/n, so on the rare occasion that y/n worked night shifts, Bradley distracted himself from his loneliness by hanging around his old stomping ground.

“Hey! y/n! Oh, shit, you’re working,” Bradley pouted, suddenly remembering the reason he went to the bar in the first place. “I miss you. Pool isn’t nearly as fun without you,” he cut himself off with a chuckle then a heavy sigh. He wasn’t wasted, but he definitely wouldn’t remember this in the morning.

The rest of his words weren't quite intelligible. y/n suspected Bradley got roped into a game of darts or was handed another shot based on the groan he let out before the message ended.

The final voicemail y/n listened to before drifting off to sleep was from just a few days ago, directly from the aircraft carrier’s satellite phone.

“Hi, baby. It’s me.” y/n could tell from his voice alone that he was exhausted. The communications room on the ship was mostly quiet. Rooster all but sprinted there to be first in line to make a phone call home. There was a brief pause of silence before Bradley spoke again. “God, I miss you so much. I can’t wait to get back home to you… take care of yourself for me, okay?” Rooster sighed heavily.

At the end of the message, Rooster let out a deep exhale–like there was something else to say, but the words couldn’t quite escape his lips.

Bradley Bradshaw had been holding himself back from saying three little words since the day he was deployed. He almost told y/n he loved her right before he left her house the morning of his mission. In the peaceful quiet of the early morning darkness, Bradley realized he was irrevocably and unequivocally in love with y/n y/l/n.

He convinced himself that it would’ve been cruel to tell y/n he loved her for the first time just before he left for a mission. What if he didn’t come back? Not only would she be left grieving Rooster, but she’d also be stuck mourning everything that could’ve been. Bradley couldn’t bear to burden her with that.

So the words were left unsaid for the time being. Every time Rooster and y/n spoke on the phone, I love you was perched on the tip of his tongue. With each passing day, the words rattled around his brain and begged to be said out loud.

That all changed after a close call during one of the mission flights. Rooster toed the line between risky and deadly a little too haphazardly. He noticed the enemy missiles soaring towards him far later than he should’ve, but just in the knick of time to launch his own flares and avoid the fiery explosion. The aftermath of the missile attack sent Bradley into a mental tailspin.

Rooster concluded that dying without ever having told y/n he loved her simply wasn’t an option. A world in which y/n never knew just how much she meant to Bradley was unfathomable.

But she deserved better than being told I love you for the first time from a satellite phone with spotty reception. No, Rooster needed to be sure she heard every word he was saying. He needed her to see just how much he meant it; how his words were the absolute truth. He wanted–no, craved–to hold y/n in his arms and hold her gaze with his own when he finally confessed his feelings.

On the other side of the world y/n mindlessly scrolled through her email while one of Rooster’s vinyl records played softly in the background.

A few weeks ago, y/n got a record player for her house because Rooster stated that vinyl “just sounds better.” She rarely touched the record player; it was pretty much reserved for Rooster’s use exclusively whenever he was at her house. Of course, the compromise wasn’t one-sided. Rooster caved and bought a bluetooth speaker so y/n could play her seemingly countless playlists.

“Why listen to one album at a time when you could listen to a hundred different songs on shuffle?!” y/n argued enthusiastically. She was over the moon about Rooster’s latest purchase. The small speaker sitting on the kitchen counter had y/n pulling Bradley off the couch and into an uncoordinated dance.

“This is so stressful,” Rooster whined when there was an abrupt shift from Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” to “You Outta Know” by Alanis Morissette. If it weren’t for y/n’s wide grin and bright eyes, Rooster might’ve second guessed the purchase.

In Bradley’s absence, the record player was the only thing she’d been listening to music on. In fact, she was listening to Rooster’s albums exclusively. Less than a day had passed after y/n bought and set up the record player when he brought over a box of vinyl records. y/n sat on Bradley’s lap on her living room floor, his arms wrapped around her waist, as she thumbed through the box. Her eyebrows knitted together when she saw that more than half of the box was full of his favorite records.

“Roos, these are your favorites,” y/n said, confusion in her tone as she pulled out a Jerry Lee Lewis album to prove her point. “Why are you leaving them here?” Bradley nestled his head further into her neck and pressed a gentle kiss against her pulse point.

“So you can develop taste,” he teased jokingly. y/n scoffed and lightly swatted his arm with her free hand. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he turned y/n around in his lap to face him. “I’m over here a lot anyways. We can listen to them together,” he suggested before pressing a sweet kiss against her lips.

y/n’s reminiscing was cut short when three new emails stopped her in her tracks. Her stomach dropped when she realized they were all new contract offers from the travel healthcare agencies she worked with. Each of the contracts she was sent were in one of her ‘bucket list’ cities. One in particular was a contract she’d been hoping for for years–it was a specialty trauma center job in Boston. The other two contracts nearly made her eyes bug out of her head; the salary was almost double what she was currently making at the base hospital.

Three months ago, signing any of the offered contracts would’ve been a no-brainer.

When y/n was with Ethan, she factored his deployments and where he’d be stationed into deciding what contracts she would accept. But she never held back or hesitated to sign a dream contract thousands of miles away, even if it meant they wouldn’t see each other for quite a while.

From the very first moment y/n arrived at the Navy base, she couldn’t wait to leave. She was desperate to erase any trace of Ethan from her life.

Now? Her chest tightened just thinking about how far away each of the jobs were.

y/n had a wanderlust soul for as long as she could remember. She was happiest when she was on the move, jumping from city to city, coast to coast. It could be a lonely lifestyle, but it was something of her own. Something she could control. 

y/n wasn’t averse to commitment; she had a wedding board on Pinterest up until three months ago. Staying in one place and setting down roots never seemed to interest her though.

Not until now.

Now, she had something to stick around for. y/n couldn’t remember the last time she felt like she had a true home. The Navy base wasn’t her home, not by a long shot, but Bradley Bradshaw sure as hell felt like one.

For the first time, she considered staying.

The thought of her contract ending soon had been eating y/n alive for the past few weeks. The realization that staying at North Island, staying with Rooster, was an option threw her for a loop. She’d been on the go for so long that she forgot what it felt like to settle down. After that revelation, all of y/n’s missing pieces seemed to fall into place. The relief she felt was unmatched by anything she’d ever felt before. The weight of the world and her heavy heart vanished, replaced by a feeling of wholeness. Unfortunately, it was short-lived; killed off by a dark thought creeping into her mind.

What if Rooster didn’t want her to stay?

After pulling into y/n’s driveway, Rooster shut the door of his bronco as quietly as he could. He fished the front door’s spare key from underneath a potted plant, unlocked the door, and shut it silently behind him. He found his quiet movements weren’t really necessary when he heard one of his ‘80s vinyl records playing loudly. The electric guitar riffs and heavy drum solos all but blocked out every other noise—save for y/n’s loud singing and the clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen as she cooked dinner.

Rooster came to the end of the hall and leaned against the door frame of the kitchen, watching y/n dance around while she used a spatula as a microphone. She looked so happy and carefree; Bradley almost felt bad for interrupting her solo dance party. Almost, but not enough to stop himself.

When there’s a brief pause in between tracks, punctuated by crackling from the record player, Bradley cleared his throat. y/n shrieked and jumped, her eyes shooting wide open as she flung the spatula in her hand with the force of an Olympic javelin thrower toward the source of the noise. Rooster narrowly dodged the projectile metal utensil flying past his head.

Bradley turned to y/n with a surprised smirk, impressed by her aim. Once she registered that it was Rooster standing in her kitchen and not an intruder (she’d been watching a lot of Criminal Minds to pass the time), her jaw dropped and she stood frozen in place.

Bradley and y/n hadn’t spoken in several days. With the mission coming to its end, Rooster was busier than ever. When he wasn’t flying, in briefings, or going over flight plans and strategies until his brain turned to mush, he was savoring every spare moment he could get to scarf down a meal in mere minutes or sleep.

Bradley told y/n he’d be back in North Island on a Friday. That was true at the time. Just over a week into the mission, plans changed. The timeline was moved up, making the crew substantially busier, but it also meant they’d be back to the base on Thursday, a full day earlier. Rooster might have left out this development during the brief phone calls he shared with y/n.

When the shock wore off, y/n launched herself at Bradley, nearly knocking him backward in the process. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms were linked behind his neck, clinging to him like her life depended on it. If it were anyone else, Rooster might’ve protested the way y/n’s limbs constricted around him tighter than he thought possible, making his muscles ache and his lungs strain for air. But it wasn’t anyone else, it was y/n.

So, the aviator held her just as tight, burying his face into her hair and pressing gentle kisses throughout. Bradley hoped that the hug could tell y/n everything his words couldn’t.

y/n let up from squeezing Rooster to pull back and look at him. Her eyes dotted across his face in disbelief, like she wasn’t sure he was real. Her fingers traced across his sun-kissed cheeks, memorizing each new freckle, before ghosting her thumb over his bottom lip. The heavy beating of his heart against her chest and his calloused hands rubbing the bottoms of her thighs let her know he was really there. Bradley delivered a pinch to her ass with a smirk, further solidifying that she wasn’t dreaming.

She was still at a loss for words, so she did the next best thing. y/n kissed Bradley hard and deep, mustering as much of the three weeks’ worth of longing as she possibly could into a single kiss. She was quick to take charge as their tongues danced together, but Rooster soon gained dominance. He backed y/n up against a wall, his muscled thigh holding her weight as one hand tangled in her hair and the other explored the curves he’d missed so dearly. 

Their lips stayed locked until they damn near turned blue. Both of their eyes were wild as they pulled apart. Few words were exchanged before they began stumbling towards y/n’s bedroom, only making it halfway before they collapsed onto the couch.

The dinner on the stove was long forgotten.

Bradley laid in a daze on the couch, chest rising and falling as y/n grabbed water from the kitchen for them. He propped himself up on his elbows just in time to see y/n sauntering back in wearing his old Navy t-shirt with a glass in each hand. He licked his lips as he took in her appearance. Her hair was a mess, thanks to him, yet it still framed her face in breathtaking trusses. Her swollen red lips were almost as gorgeous as the mischievous grin she wore, her eyes glimmering as she took Bradley in.

He sat back in awe, his lips parted in the dopey grin y/n occasionally teased him for. This is it, he thought. Rooster hadn’t had a serious girlfriend since his days at UVA, and even then they were few and far between. Technically, he and y/n weren’t dating, but he was ready to spend the rest of forever with her.

Once Bradley’s haze wore away, he remembered one of the many things he’d been planning to ask y/n once he got back. His fingers brushed against hers as she handed him the glass of water before she curled into the other end of the couch with her feet resting in Bradley’s lap.

“So… I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Bradley began while he gently massaged her calves. “The Navy ball is in three weeks. I honestly don’t like going to these events, but I’m in the running to win an award so I have to at least show my face. I was wondering… if you’d like to go with me? As my date?” he asked hesitantly. Rooster hoped y/n didn’t catch the way he nervously gulped in between sentences.

y/n looked like a deer caught in headlights. She was hoping to delay this conversation for another day at least. She just wanted one night to exist in their happy little bubble. But reality was bound to set in, whether she liked it or not.

Maybe this is when the other shoe drops, y/n thought. Things had been so good, maybe even too good, for the past few months. All good things come to an end, and she feared this was it.

So, she sucked in a breath and put on a brave face. She’d gotten pretty skilled at masking her emotions over the years, but Bradley saw right through her. He was always able to, right from the beginning.

“Roos, I would love to, it’s just um… my contract, it uh- it ends in a week,” y/n finished meekly, rushing the words out. It got really quiet then.

More emotions than y/n could count flashed across Rooster’s face before he finally sat up straight to look at her, his eyes never wavering from her face. His heartbroken look had her regretting every second she didn’t let him know she’d be leaving soon.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Bradley asked, his voice quiet. y/n couldn’t meet his eyes. She looked down at her hands twisted in her lap and willed the water rimming her eyes to go away. When her tears started to fall, Bradley moved down the couch and held her face, gently wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

y/n sniffled and met his eyes, placing her hand over his against her cheek.

“I didn’t want you to worry about me while you were away,” she smiled sadly. “I didn’t want to distract you, and I didn’t want to mess up what we have going here. I don’t want to mess up what we have,” y/n emphasized at the end, holding Bradley’s gaze and making sure he heard her. She was bound to cry harder if she stayed on the same train of thought, so she switched to the facts.

She told Bradley about her contract, its duration and her official end date. She told him what her options were going forward and about the three new contracts she’d already been offered. Rooster heard what she said, but it wasn’t all processing. He was lost in his head and maybe caught every three words. y/n took a deep breath before she spoke again.

“I was thinking about-“

“Stay.” Bradley blurted out, eyes wide once he realized what he said out loud.

“-staying,” y/n finished with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He took the words right out of her mouth.

Bradley, whose mind was still running a mile a minute, hadn’t processed y/n’s admission yet and dove into an on-the-fly plan to talk y/n into staying.

“You could find another contract around here! Or extend the one on base? You could take some time off. You could stay with me for a bit! Or I can help you with rent if you’re worried about that when you’re not working. Shit, that’s a lot, but the point is-” Bradley continued, bordering on manic, his hands waving around as he spoke mostly to himself.

y/n shushed him and cupped his face in her palms, just like he had moments ago.

“Bradley, did you hear me?” y/n asks slowly, enunciating every word. Rooster huffs.

“Unfortunately, yes. Your contract is almost over and you’re leaving,” he left out the “me” at the end, but there was an unspoken understanding that it belonged there. The typically confident and bright-eyed aviator looked heartbroken and lost. y/n hated that she made him feel like that, even for a second.

“No, Brad. I mean yeah, my contract is almost up, but I’m thinking about staying. If you’ll tolerate me hanging around,” y/n said with a wink, biting her lip in anticipation.

“Are you serious?” Rooster’s face is void of emotion, just wide eyes and a slack jaw as he waited for her answer.

“Yeah, if that’s oka-” before y/n could finish, Bradley jumped off the couch and scooped her up with him. He spun them around in a dizzying circle, pressing his lips against hers with a force that almost rivaled their earlier kiss in the kitchen.

y/n laughed as Rooster peppered kisses across her face when he finally put her down, keeping his hands planted firmly on her hips even after he was sure she had a stable footing.

“That’s okay with you? If I stay?” y/n asked with a hesitant grin, her eyes searching his for any sign of doubt. She found none.

“That’s more than okay. That’s- that’s everything,” Bradley chuckled breathlessly, pulling y/n into him by her hips. With her face mere inches from his, he rested his forehead against hers. “Please don’t go,” he whispered, eyes shut as he held his breath.

“I think I can manage that,” y/n said with a cheeky smile. Bradley chuckled again; deep and full and happy. He pulled her against him and locked his lips with hers until his lungs ached.

The burning reminded him of his brush with death on the mission and all the things he would’ve never been able to say. When their lips finally pulled apart, Bradley held y/n at arm's length so he could look her in the eye.

“I love you,” Bradley stated like it was a fact. Because it was. y/n gasped, one hand gripping his arm tight as she took a step back in shock. His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath, but his head was absolutely clear. Bradley recognized the shock and maybe even a hint of fear on y/n’s face and he understood. Hell, he was scared out of his mind when he first realized just how in love with y/n he was. He smiled and shook his head, tracing his fingers soothingly along her exposed skin. “You don’t have to say it back, but I just need you to know. I love you, y/n.”

Tears brimmed y/n’s eyes and her face cracked into a wide smile.

“Take me to bed, Bradshaw.”

Rooster and y/n’s legs were tangled together underneath her sheets as they came down from their respective highs, both deeply sated.

y/n was absolutely spent—it had been a rollercoaster of an evening. Her eyes were on the verge of fluttering shut, her hair was wildly spread across the pillow, and a thin layer of sweat covered most of her skin. Rooster was certain she’d never looked more beautiful. y/n would’ve scoffed at him if he said that out loud. Moonlight streamed through the open window blinds, highlighting y/n’s features. It also illuminated a hickey Bradley was sure she’d give him shit about later, but for now, he enjoyed the sight.

Bradley ran his fingers through y/n’s hair and kissed her temple before speaking softly.

“y/n, baby,” he cooed quietly to get her attention. In her tired state, y/n simply offered him a small hum and turned into his chest, giving him what remained of her attention.

“How would you feel about making things official?” Rooster asked as casually as he could, poorly veiling his anxiousness. y/n laughed breathlessly and entwined her fingers with his before rolling halfway on top of him. She reached up to caress his jaw with her free hand, finally opening her tired eyes to meet his.

Bradley was nervous. He was holding his breath; y/n knew this because his chest wasn’t moving anymore, she could only feel the steady thump thump of his heart beating against hers. Whether y/n knew it or not, she held Bradley’s heart in her hands. It was hers to break or have forever, and this was the deciding moment.

“I’d like that a lot,” y/n whispered, a sleepy smile spread across her face before she closed the gap between them.

“Good,” Rooster said gruffly against y/n’s lips before he flipped her over, pinning her beneath his body once again. y/n’s contagious laughter cut through the darkness as Bradley’s mustached lip traced down the side of her body.

Three months after the most fateful ER trip of his life, Rooster had never been so happy to have his arm sliced open and get stitches. He’d been on the run for most of his adult life; he forgot what it was like to have a home. For the first time in a long time, staying still didn’t terrify him. Bradley thanked his lucky stars that the woman wrapped in his arms decided to stick around and settle down with him.

After flying solo for so long, Bradley Bradshaw finally found a safe place to land.

a/n: AHHH?!? pls lmk what y'all think!! there's one final part for this series -- the ✨epilogue✨ i'm so excited about it omg. have a good day & stay safe luvs <33

[johanna-swann]

Okay, so here is how Buddie can still win without us throwing Marisol or Natalia under the bus and without them being just meaningless props:

Buck and Natalia date for a while (I'm thinking at least 5 to 6 months) and they take it relatively slow with the big steps like their first "I love you" and meeting the family and stuff like that. No rushing in, no moving to fast. They're really happy together.

Eventually they start talking about living together but can't really decide where that is supposed to be. Buck is all for abandoning the loft (fuck that loft), but Natalia's appartement isn't really that big either. They discuss looking for a new place together and Buck throws the idea of children into the room. He's just trying to be practical because moving is exhausting, especially in LA, and do they really wanna do that again in a couple of years?

And that's what eventually breaks the deal. Because Natalia can handle the dangers of the job (death is her job after all), she loves Buck's eccentricities, she loves his found family and they fit together really well. But she doesn't want children of her own. And that's not really a negotiable topic for Buck. Holding Kameron's baby in his arms really showed him how much he wants to be a dad. So they decide that even though they work as a couple and they're both rather heartbroken about this, they need different things for the future.

Eddie and Marisol have a really good relationship too. He thought she was kinda cool the first time they met and she just gets what makes him tick. He may not be in love yet, but he definitely has a crush on her. It's not like the thing with Ana. He was with Ana because he felt like that's what he was supposed to be doing, but he chose Marisol because he wanted to.

Everything is going great until one day over dinner Marisol says "I love you" and he can't say it back. Sure, he likes her. A lot. But love? She says it's okay if he's not there yet, she just wanted him to know. But as the weeks go by Eddie feels more and more uncomfortable with the situation. It's been months, why won't the big feelings just settle in? Where's the feeling of "I want more of this, I want to live with you, I want to marry you one day"?

Because in general, that is what Eddie wants. A life partner who he can share everything with. And he really likes Marisol. Why won't those two things just fit together? Marisol is a great person and patient, but at some point she notices Eddie's discomfort and sits him down to talk things over. Eddie answers her questions honestly because how else are they supposed to work things out?

At the end of the night she breaks up with him. She doesn't think that Eddie will just magically wake up one day and be madly in love with her and silently Eddie agrees. He's sad to see Marisol go and doesn't want to lose her. But it's not fair to her to keep her waiting for something that's just not gonna happen.

So coincidentally, Buck and Eddie end up single again roughly around the same time. Again. Neither goes back to dating. Eddie because if the past has shown him anything, it's that he can't force a relationship with a random stranger. Buck because he's scared of getting his hopes up again for something that the other person can't give. They just stay single and start spending more time with each other (and Christopher) again. They talk about their hopes and fears about dating and love. It just grows naturally from there.

And - magically or not - one day Eddie wakes up to the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen and the smell of fresh pancakes in the air and he steps into the room, eyes finding Buck and Chris next to each other sporting twin grins, and he's in love. Maybe the realisation should scare him, but it doesn't. It just feels normal. The sky is blue, the earth is round and Eddie Diaz is in love with his best friend.

He tells Buck later that day. It's a quiet moment, Christopher's working on a school project in his room, Eddie's washing the dishes, Buck dries. "I love you", he says calmly. There's no expectation behind it, no big speech following the statement. Buck looks at him. Surprised at first, a small smile beginning to light up his entire face. "Of course", he whispers, as if he should've known all along. "I love you too."

[oddree13]

Restless Year - Chapter 6

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

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(Read on AO3)

Chapter 6 - Laid

Steve cannot remember the last time he had a hangover. The sunlight is slowly starting to steam into their bedroom, and it’s making him increasingly aware of the pounding in his head and the way his body cannot stand the covers right now. After too many tosses and turns, Steve rolls out of bed desperate to get the sweat off his body. 

Doing his best to not wake up Eddie, Steve pads to the bathroom and immediately regrets turning on the lights. The lack of a window in their bathroom makes it impossible to see otherwise, so he squints his eyes and struggles through it. Splashing water on his face and gulping water straight from the tap, he dares to look at himself in the mirror. He looks wrecked, and not just from exhaustion. Following Eddie’s performance, Steve found himself pinned against the wall in his office, and was marked within an inch of his life. His fingers travel over the hickies covering his neck and a particularly tender spot sends a shiver down his spine. He tries not to let his mind wander, and wonders, if he should try and eat something but the thought of food, makes his stomach turn. 

Stepping out of the bathroom, Steve becomes aware that despite freshening up, his body feels hot all over, which is odd with the windows open in their room letting in the fall air. And that’s when it clicks for Steve - this isn’t just a hangover. What he and Eddie got up to last night seems to have sped some things up because when he looks at the bed it’s clear his body has been gearing up for heat. 

A glance at the clock tells him it’s still far too early for Eddie to wake up even with his upcoming shift. Steve wonders if he can hold off, and hide what’s going on until Eddie comes home later this afternoon. It’s not that he doesn’t think Eddie wouldn’t call out, but the store still has events going on today and why his body couldn’t hold out another twenty-four hours is beyond him. 

Taking a deep breath, Steve figures if he can stop Eddie from noticing he’ll go to work, which means symptom control. He squats down alongside their bed to pull out a box, but the movement causes slick to build up, his body wrongly assuming he’s getting ready to be taken. Steve grips the edge of his mattress and breathes in again to keep himself together long enough to grab what he needs from the box and scurries to the bathroom. 

Back in the harsh light, Steve washes the toy and opens the bathroom mirror to get the lube. But before he reaches for the bottle he dips his hand into his boxers to discover lube is definitely not needed. With one hand bracing the sink, and the other the toy, Steve pushes the small faux knot in and out of himself a few times before letting it settle, making him shiver with relief. That ought to hold him for now.

It's not as if Steve doesn't want this heat. On the contrary, Steve's been looking forward to it for months, ever since he came off suppressants. What he does hate is that it came three days early, interfering with already set plans. And it's not like it's going to be a short one either. It's Steve's first heat off medicine since he presented, which means he's going to be a mess. Lucky for him it's the kind of mess Eddie revels in. 

Walking back into the room, he quietly gets back under the covers and settles some pillows strategically next to him to lessen the chance that Eddie discovers the wet patch his body so generously produced. And just when Steve thinks he’s covered his track enough Eddie begins to stir. 

“What time is it?” Eddie yawns, stretching his arms out to reach for Steve only to find pillows. With a frustrated grunt, Eddie tosses them aside and pulls Steve to his chest. It starts with a small sniff, and then another. There goes Eddie making it to work today. 

“You smell so fucking good for me baby. Is this an early gift for me?” All Steve can do is nod as Eddie kisses all the way down to his exposed collarbone before licking a slow stripe back up, skimming along Steve’s jawline. Usually, Steve can’t smell himself but the room is gradually filling up with their combined scents as the alpha laves more attention on him.

“Should have woken me up sooner sweetheart. How long have you been aching?” Eddie moves a hand down between Steve’s thighs and feels the heat between Steve's legs. It’s incredible like he’s radiation pure need. 

“Not too long," Steve swears as Eddie tugs down his boxers, tearing the fabric in his urgency. His insistence is short-lived when Eddie's hand dips lower and brushes against the flare of his toy. 

"Tsk, tsk princess. We both know toys won't do much when you're so pent-up like this. What has it been? A year since you had a proper heat? And you thought silicone would be better than me?" Eddie grips the toy and begins to thrust it in and out of the omega, gently at first. But when Steve doesn't answer Eddie's question, the alpha pulls it out far enough that the knot is stretching Steve open. 

"No! No! Promise! Just didn't want to keep you from the shop," he cries, catching his breath when Eddie lets the toy settle back into Steve's body. Steve leans down to nuzzle into Eddie's neck, breathing him in. It's a comforting smell, but so distinctly alpha that it makes him dizzy.

"The shop comes second to you, especially today. You're in heat - a proper one. And nothing is stopping us now.” 

Eddie leans up to pull Steve into a kiss. It’s not bruising or hurried, because it doesn’t have to be. They’re not on a time crunch, counting down the minutes until their hotel reservation expires, or getting off with enough time to come down so they can air out Steve’s bedroom. No, this time around there is nothing to rush them except the anticipation of bonding and as long as Steve has a mark by sundown he doesn’t care if they take their time.

Eddie’s hand trails up to the omega's jaw, tilting his face up to look at him. "You're mine for as long as you'll have me, Steve Harrington. And I intend to make this the best heat you'll ever have." 

*

Every nip from Eddie draws out a sound. A whimper, a mewl, and outright moans from Steve. As good as it feels he regrets agreeing to Eddie’s offer. 

"What do you say I make you come before you even take me on? Make you beg for me to breed you?" 

Now, he’s looking down his body where Eddie is settled between his legs and has been for who knows how long. He’s lost track of not only time but of how many times he’s come around Eddie’s tongue and fingers. “I don’t think I can take anymore,” Steve whimpers from against the headboard, his mind finally getting a bit of clarity.

"But you taste so good baby, and we have all day,” Eddie smirks before adding in another finger, scissoring and thrusting in and out of him as he licks Steve slick from his lips. The amount of slick he's putting out is incredible, especially when Eddie curls his fingers and massages his insides in a way that makes him scream. 

"That's it. Tell me how good it feels.”

“Fuck, alpha, please. I swear if you don’t take me soon I’m going to pin you down and take your knot myself.” The statement causes Eddie’s fingers to still inside him and Steve looks down to find the alpha’s eyes blown wide.

“Usually I’d say patience is a virtue, princess, but I want that. Do that,” Eddie blurts out before he’s removing his three fingers from inside Steve, causing the omega to miss the sensation of fullness. Eddie moves up the bed and settles on his back beside Steve, giving him a little ‘go on’ wave. 

Steve rolls his eyes and gets onto his knees, straddling Eddie’s thighs. His legs are shaky, not helped by the several orgasms already wrung out of him. 

“What are you looking at?” 

“You,” Steve answers because it’s the truth. Even with the hazy of sex and heat all around them, the need that is trickling out between Steve’s legs, all he wants to do right now is take Eddie in. He lets his hands trace the scars on his alpha’s stomach, his fingers trailing the puckered skin before moving up to his pierced navel and nipples. Steve admires the tattoos he’s come to adore, and when he finally meets Eddie’s eyes again the alpha is looking at him with a soft smile. 

“C’mere.” Eddie pulls Steve towards him until Steve is straddling his stomach. The alpha starts to pepper light kisses along Steve’s thighs and his stomach, not even leaving marks. 

“What’s got you all sappy?” Steve wonders as he reaches down to run a hand into Eddie’s curls, scratching his scalp. 

“Hmm, just reflecting on the choices that got me here. When we were in Hawkins I never thought we’d get this. And now here we are.”

“Here we are. But are you sure you want me like this? Don’t you want a bit more of a traditional claim?”

Eddie shakes his head at the suggestion. “When have I ever struck you as a traditional alpha Steve? If my fucking gorgeous omega wants to ride me until I pop a knot I’m not going to turn that down. Besides,” he purrs, roaming his hand over Steve’s abdomen, “I want to see your face as you take me. Now hurry up baby, I want to feel you from the inside.”

Steve scoots back, bracing one hand on the mattress, and using the other to guide Eddie’s cock into him. The moment Eddie’s head catches his rim, he wonders how he thought silicone could even satisfy him. He slowly sinks down, adjusting inch by inch, because even with all the prep Steve has never been able to take Eddie quickly.

“So fucking good Eds. You’re so big, it feels like you’re everywhere.” Steve rises and comes back down sharply, gasping when he realizes that barely even got him halfway down his alpha’s shaft. Then without warning Eddie is gripping his hips and thrusting up, pushing himself further into Steve. 

“Sorry, sorry, hours of pleasuring you has me on edge,” he confesses, and Steve can only nod because the way Eddie is rotating his hips to hit Steve’s sensitive spots has him seeing stars and remembering why he’s bouncing on Eddie in the first place. He needs a knot. 

With single-minded focus, Steve slams himself down so he’s flush with Eddie’s hips,  using both hands on the headboard to pump his hips with more leverage. The omega rocks back and forth, chasing his own pleasure while Eddie indulges in Steve’s love of dirty talk. 

“That’s it, princess, take what you need from me. I know what you want - you want me to fuck you good. Fill you up so nicely that when we’re done you’ll look properly pupped - is that it? I know that’s all you’ve wanted and I’ll let you take it from me. So come on Stevie, give me a knot.”

The alpha tilts his hips up as Steve’s hole starts to milk his shaft, coaxing out his knot. Eddie can only muster a few more thrusts until he’s thrown over the edge, his teeth sinking into Steve’s neck, hands gripping bruises into his omega’s hips. His knot starts to swell and uses shallow thrusts to get himself as deep as he possibly can be. 

“Eddie! Alpha, fuck,” Steve cries out, feeling the stretch of Eddie’s knot, coming untouched when his body takes in the thickest section. Steve starts to go limp so Eddie sits up a bit and holds Steve to him as he pushes his knot into him. Small thrusts follow, trying to get as deep into Steve as he possibly can as he licks the claiming bite on his neck. 

“You okay baby?” His voice, already hoarse from the night before, now sounds wrecked. 

“So full, Eds, fuck,” he shivers, the aftershocks of his climax and claiming making him squeeze around Eddie’s knot and press into his prostate. Once he snaps to again, Steve finds Eddie’s gaze, not on him, but looking behind him in a kind of daze. 

“What are you looking at?”

“I can see us. The mirror is behind us,” he whispers, and Steve cranes his head to see exactly what Eddie is staring at. It’s the sight of Steve’s stretched-out hole, tight and swollen where it was pulled stretch around Eddie’s knot. 

“You like seeing my knot in you?”

Steve nods, and without thinking, he reaches out and traces his rim. “Baby boy you cannot be doing that so soon after,” Eddie whimpers, but Steve can’t help himself. He can feel how wet and hot he is around his alpha and can’t pull his eyes away. That is until he sees the mark on his neck. His hand trails from his backside to gently touch at the claiming bite on his nape. 

“I think I like that sight better.”

*

It takes three days for everything to finally settle down. Again Steve finds himself waking up to a pounding headache, his mouth too dry, and is now certain that alcohol hangovers and heat hangovers have too many similarities. 

Reaching out next to him, Steve finds Eddie’s side of the bed empty and frowns. Where the hell did his alpha go? 

Sliding out of bed, Steve doesn’t bother with clothes, only pausing to admire himself in the mirror. He’s marked all over, hickies and bruises littering his thighs, hips, chest, and shoulders. His claiming mark is the most prominent of all and Steve can’t stop from touching it. It’s official. 

“Shit!” he hears from the hall bathroom and walks over to see what his alpha is up to. The door is cracked open and he sees paper towels with droplets of blood littering the sink. 

“Eddie, what are you doing?” Steve worries and walks in to see Eddie poised with a needle in his hands, his neck awkwardly craned. 

“Oh hey baby,” he greets as if this sight is normal and not at all concerning. 

“Care to explain what you’re doing?”

“Well it was going to be a surprise because usually, you sleep like the dead after sex, but here you are. Not that I’m not happy to see your gorgeous face, especially when you’re all marked up. Which brings me to what I’m doing, and that’s marking myself up.” Steve takes a closer look and realizes that Eddie is using his stick and poke kit and is halfway through tattooing Steve’s bite mark onto his neck.

“Eddie what-”

“Your bite mark from me stays, but you can bite me over and over again and it won’t...and that’s frankly unfair. Hence the ink.” Eddie waves his hand over the inkpots lining the sink and Steve doesn’t know how one person can love so much without effort. Hopping up on the counter Steve grabs their shower mirror and holds it up for Eddie. “Here this’ll help you not strain your neck. And this better not get infected,” he mumbles, kissing Eddie’s cheek as he comes down from their bonding session sitting naked on their bathroom counter watching his alpha tattoo his bond mark.

[housewifebuck]

Do you have any tips about welcoming a new cat when you already have one ?

I've lived a long time with three cats. Now two are unfortunately gone (at age 16 and 15 <3). The one I still have with me is 13 now, and while she used to live with other cats, she has never 'welcomed' any new cat since I already had the other two when I adopted her when she was a kitten.

She's a little fearful so as much as I miss having more than one cat, I'm kind of scared that she would not take well suddenly having a new cat (she's been alone with me for a year and a half now), and I don't want her to start having medical issues because of it since she's completely healthy rn (and in the same way I don't want to adopt a cat and then have to send it back to the refuge because my cat can't accept it...).

Sorry for the long ask, I'm just really undecided about this (but let's be real for now I'm going with the no new cat option because my cat's well being is more important than anything I could want).

hiii!!! again this is gonna be a little long probably so ill put it under the cut heheh

I totally understand your hesitation even with a cat that has been around other cats before. adults, especially seniors, don't always take to new blood in the household. that said! I have had a lot of adopters with older cats successfully integrate new cats/kittens into their homes. here are some of my top tips for doing it successfully:

adult cats tend to tolerate kittens under 6 months the best. they are less of a "threat" and adults will typically be less territorial towards them. That said, if you have a senior cat who is not super active, a single kitten may not be a good match because their energy levels will not match. Cats are pack animals, which means most of them do instinctively want companionship, but only if their personalities work together. For this reason, among many others, I always recommend adopting kittens in pairs. this way they can entertain each other while still providing company for the older cat.

a slow introduction is the most important thing any time you are bringing in a new cat. keep the new cat or kitten in a separate room like a bathroom for at least a week. let them smell each other under the door. have their first face to face meeting be through a baby gate or something similar so on the off chance one of them reacts violently, they will not be able to get to each other before you can intervene. generally, if a cat is going to react aggressively to the point of attacking it will happen during the first or second meeting. they won't seem to be okay and then suddenly start fighting later. feed them near each other a few times and closely supervise their first few weeks of interaction.

hissing, growling, fleeing, and even mild swatting when they get too close to each other is all normal behavior when introducing a new cat. very rarely will a cat take to a new animal in their environment without some combination of these behaviors. they are not cause for immediate concern. these are "warning" behaviors that just mean one cat is telling the other to get the fuck up out of their face basically. calmly separate them and try again later. it's super unlikely especially with a borderline geriatric cat that she will react so negatively that you'd need the following information, but just in case....

actual red flags that mean you need to intervene immediately (my favorite method to intervene in a cat fight, as stupid as it sounds, is keep an upside down trash can or laundry basket nearby to put over top of the aggressor):

"mooing" (you will know this sound when you hear it. it's pretty self explanatory.) or yowling. 99% of the time these sounds means a fight is about to break out.

offensive/defensive posturing. examples: standing with their chin tilted down and ears flat, hackles raised, poofy tail. or crouching or lowering their front half to the ground, hissing, backing away. these stances are accompanied and sometimes preceded by a "pinched" facial expression and dilated pupils.

MOST IMPORTANTLY:

the best thing I can possibly recommend to you, and literally anyone reading this, is to look into fostering. not only are all rescues everywhere absolutely desperate for foster homes (we can only rescue as many cats as we have foster placement for), but it's also an excellent way to test the waters when you are thinking of adding a new cat to your home. in the event that your cat says Absolutely Not to adopting another cat, fostering is often a good alternative. your foster cats would need to be kept in a separate room (could literally be a bathroom or walk in closet) away from your resident cat anyway, so it is usually way less stressful for residents. not to mention it is so so rewarding emotionally and you get to play with kittens all the time literally for free and with none of the responsibility that comes with adopting. all you need to do is provide them with a warm loving place to hang out until they find their forever home:)