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hansensgirl · 4 years

Text

don’t feed it, it will come back.

summary. | “Don’t let me in with no intention of keeping me. Jesus Christ — don’t be kind to me. Honey, love, darling... Don’t feed me, I will come back.”

warnings. | Non/Dubcon, dark themes, drugging, sex pollen, stalking, obsession, lying, manipulation, angst, smut, fluff, Master kink, praise, degrading, dumbification, unprotected sex, blood, choking, possessive behaviour, creampie kink, stomach bulge kink, cat and mouse chase, fingering, slapping, corruption kink, yandere, grooming, kind of DDLG themes, collars, age gap, facefucking, mentions of bullying, scary stuff, anxiety, mourning, mentions of death, virginity loss, overstimulation, kidnapping, and more. +18, DARK!FIC. MORE WARNINGS AT THE BOTTOM!!

word count. | 10,601.

pairings. | Dark!Bucky Barnes x Innocent!Reader, Sam Wilson x Innocent!Reader.

a/n. | happy halloween!! i’ve changed up many things because why not. thank you so much for 5.1k!! thank you sm @barnesjamcs and @mypoisonedvine for beta-ing, ilysm!

You’re stuck. You’re stuck in that moment where you’re asleep, yet awake at the same time. Time is distorted and you can hear your grandmother faintly humming the ‘Monster Mash’ from down the hall. Childhood memories flood your mind and you blink back the tears that come up. Your eyes are bleary and you can’t tell if the thing in the corner of your room is a chair or a demon. The former seems more reasonable, but the horror stories that the people down the street used to taunt you with believe otherwise. “Sweetheart? Are you awake? You’ve slept in an extra half hour, that’s unlike you.” Your sweet grandmother croons from the other side of the door. You let out a smile and slowly get up with a sigh. “I’m awake, Nana! I guess I’m just extra tired from when I walked yesterday.” You reason, still sad that the bullies destroyed your bicycle that your grandma gave you when you turned twenty — just a mere few months ago. You don’t have the heart nor the courage to tell her, and you don’t think you ever will.

“I hope that darned Johnson gives you your bicycle back! I got a new basket, handwoven by yours truly… You can put your little treats and books in there and ride your bike all over town!” She admits, unable to hold back her secret. Your heart breaks, even more, hating that her basket will have to go towards pens and pencils that she had bought you. They won’t be able to hold your groceries or her fabrics that Mrs. Rogers would save for her. You get up from your bed and revel in the warmth that your llama pyjamas provide. You slip on some old slippers that Natasha’s mother gifted you — even though Natasha loathes you for some reason. And so does Anthony, Steve, Wanda, Thor (named after the Norse God), Clint, T’Challa, Okoye, Vis, Carol, Steven, and Loki (again, named after the Norse God). Sam (you call him Sammie, which always earns you an eye roll), Rhodey, Peter, Shuri and Pietro don’t really mind you, but they’re also not your friends. Except for Sam, who’s known you since you realized brownies are even more amazing when you add a bit of coffee to them.

They’re all older than you and you’d think they’d be around your age, but no. All are around 10 or 18 years older than you and it’s safe to say that they definitely won’t be maturing until they’ve got their pension plans secured. You giggle at the thought and smile to yourself as you remember that Sam wanted to show you some new flowers but you know it’s code for you to bring him some scones and let him rant about how he can’t wait until he makes enough money to leave town. If he leaves town then you’ll be lonely… The thought sends you spiralling and your heart drops to your stomach at the revelation. You gulp nervously and push it out of your mind. You reluctantly walk down the hallway and you’re greeted with the lovely scent of pancakes and pumpkin spice. Your mouth waters at the smell and a fresh wave of autumn-themed nostalgia hits you. Your feet parted against the wooden floors that you’ve spent ages mopping. She’s already cut the pancakes up and you can’t suppress the child-like giggle that bubbles in the air.

Cheap, silver forks that you had gotten for $2 per pack are set on the table. You can remember that sale like it’s your last name and date of birth. Summer clearance, a real jackpot to say the least. You scored quite a lot of things and you feel the almost two months old embarrassment from when you had to make two trips from the store to your home to bring everything back. You sit down but you don’t dig in yet, no. You watch your poor grandmother dance around the kitchen and it’s not the dance that one would immediately think of, not at all. She frantically moves around the kitchen and occasionally takes a peek out of the window. “Nana… Can you sit down and eat with me? Please? Just- just like old times…” You beg quietly, your voice nothing more than a whisper. She turns around and looks at you before nodding her head, and you give her a meek smile. You both dig into your delectable breakfasts and the only things that you can hear are birds chirping and forks scraping at the plate.

It’s tense. Awkwardness ready to burst at the seams yet it never seems to happen. Syrup covers your plate and you have the greatest urge to lap it all up like a kitten. “I… I remember when your mom used to do that… Always had to scold her, but she’d never learn.” Nana laughs to herself. She sounds tired, so fucking tired. You let out a dismal chuckle, breathy and full of air. You hold your hair back and indulge in an old childhood habit. Sweetness explodes in your mouth even though the syrup was slightly watered down. You pull away and sadness once again fills the air. “I can’t wait for you to become a…” The word is at the tip of her tongue but her old mind erases it. “Writer...” You fill in for her, before picking up your dishes. The walk to the kitchen isn’t far, only about three steps that you already have forgotten. She follows behind you, placing her dishes atop of yours. “Go sit down, Nana… I’ll show you a new piece I wrote!” You bargain, and she lets out a squeal. A victory, at last. Truth be told, you don’t want to show her your latest piece.

It’s sad and dismal, no happiness wavering from it and it’s a pitiful rendition of “hope.” You wash the dishes with care, passing your soapy hands over the ceramic gently. “I hear we’re getting a new neighbour, I can’t wait to meet them…” Your grandma speaks up, catching your attention. New neighbour… You grip the dishes tighter at the mention of a new neighbour. You scrub the syrup away from the plates and forks a bit harder, too. You finish off washing all the dishes and stack them away in the old wooden cupboards. “You bake him something… I’ll knit him something too! You know these brisk winds, always so brutal.” She croons, before running off as quickly as her old limbs can take her. You smile at the enthusiasm she radiates and notice a container sitting on the old burner stove. It’s covered in a dingy cloth — a makeshift one to be exact. A piece of extra cloth that couldn’t turn into anything more than a rag. You smile and walk back to your room to get ready for another autumn day that’ll be filled with sadness.

You don’t have many clothes to choose from, unlike most of the town-folk. You don’t have the privilege to go out of town and to the nearest snob-infested city just for a small sweater that’s going to be thrown away after two weeks. No, instead you buy your grandmother fabric from Mrs. Rogers and she makes you something that you’ll always end up loving. It takes you a mere two minutes to choose a huge cable knit that goes down to your knees (you had begged her to do it and even bought her a month's worth of yarn). You’re careful to dodge your grandmother, knowing that she’ll start tearing up because you look just like your mother. You can’t have that happen, not today at least. With a meal for Sam ready in your hands and a book, you’re off wandering to his home. You wave at the little kids across the street that are busy hanging up Halloween decorations and smile to yourself. You try to remember the entirety of Lana Del Rey’s cover of the infamous “Season Of The Witch” and your memory doesn’t completely fail you.

Sure, your voice can’t compare to hers but that’s not what matters. The ‘for sale’ sign that was in front of your neighbours’ house is now gone, and there’s not even a ‘sold’ sign. Hopefully, they’re nice… You think to yourself, before speed-walking to Sam’s townhouse. Your feet pitter-patter against the concrete and they carry you as fast as they can go. “Sam! Sammie!” You cry out, running to him as fast as you can. You slam into him and hug him tightly as if you haven’t seen him in years. He lets out a groan just to tease you, earning him a huff of annoyance from yourself. “How are you?” You ask, pulling away from the warm comfort of his body. You look up at him and watch as he rambles on about the stress he’s getting all thanks to those bratty adult-children. “I can’t wait to leave this town…” He sighs exasperatedly, rubbing his forehead. Your frown and try to push away the impending goodbye. You hand him the meal and his eyes light up. “Eat up, Sammie! Can’t have the smartest man in town going hungry!” You cheer, watching as he shovels pieces of syrup-covered pancakes into his mouth.

You lead him to his porch and you sit him down in the swing chair he repaired all by himself. “So… When you leave town, where are you going to go?” You question him, looking down at the ground instead of at him. Through a full mouth, he manages to speak still. ”New York, I have some family up there and many opportunities too!” He exclaims, careful to not spit at you. You let out a giggle at his enthusiasm and you can’t lie and say that you’re not excited for him to start up the life he’s always dreamed of since you were both wee things. “But… But you won’t forget me, right?” You hesitantly ask, fiddling with your cold fingers. Selfish… You’re being selfish… You know you’re being selfish but the question slips out before you can even register the words in your troubled mind. You don’t look up at him and you’re ready to retract it along with litanies of “I'm sorry, please forgive me!” “Never, Dollie, never.” He sighs, the sound settling deep in his bones. He looks at you with sincerity and reassurance — comfort in his eyes that you’ll always be weak for.

You stare at each other for a bit, a tension building in the bitter cold air that’s just ready to snap. You can swear and say that his eyes travel down to your lips — almost as if he’s ready to kiss you. You lean in as well, because why not? Until he abruptly pulls away and apologizes to you. You watch as he heads inside to wash his hands and you sob on the inside. Oh, how you wanted to kiss the syrup off his lips until yours grew numb. You curse yourself with darned words that your mother would’ve been unhappy with. The rest of the day is awkward — not that it usually isn’t. You follow him around like a lost puppy and admire him from the short distance that is between the two of you. You can’t handle the silence- well, heavy sighs and grumbles. He occasionally spares you a few glances that you hang onto for dear life. “Uhm, Sammie? Is everything alright?” You ask him, after spending minutes to find it in you to speak up after a few hours.

He sets down the screwdriver in his hand that he has been gripping for hours now. He takes his glasses off and you hold back the frown that threatens to drag your lips down. He pulls you into an abrupt hug, and usually, you’d be filled with glee. But… but the way he holds you is different. His arms that surround you are tighter than usual, and the way his chest rises and falls is irregular. “W- What’s wrong, Sammie? Talk to me, please.” You desperately whisper to him. The winds of autumn are loud, but they don’t have the power to silence you. “‘M… I’m leaving tomorrow morning…” He admits. Suddenly, the world stops spinning on its axis and your heart isn’t beating anymore. You swear that you could die just then and take him down with you, but the Reaper is ready for you yet. You look up at him and his eyes mirror yours. Glassy with tears that are ready to fall. “A- Already?” You ask incredulously. He nods and smooths one of his coarse hands over your head.

You let out a shaky breath and your throat tightens up. A sob is stuck and it’s painful, but you can’t let it out. Nodding your head, a sad smile stretches across your face. “So… New York, huh?” You joke with him, but he doesn’t smile. “Don’t do this, dove.” He warns — no, he begs. You’ve never heard him beg, but you hope that he never ends up doing it again. “Send letters, please… And take care of yourself too. I can’t wait to see you make it big, Sammie.” You say as you blink your tears away. You try to pull away from the hug but he pulls you back into his strong arms. You look down to the wooden floor and he presses a kiss to the crown of your head. He lets it linger for a few moments and then pulls away from you. You’re no longer in his arms and you no longer feel comforted. Suddenly, though, it’s as if gravity pulls him down to you and his lips are against yours. You can recall the way your Mother would lovingly kiss your Father and how you used to blanch at the sight. But now you understand it all. Your lips stay locked for a few more seconds until he pulls away.

Sam places his forehead against yours and you’re glad because you know you’ll end up with a pain in your neck by tomorrow morning. “I don’t want to go and leave you, dove.” He expresses wholeheartedly, a pang of sadness in his voice that’s usually all bright and cheery. “You have to. Go for me, go for the sake of yourself… Please.” You plead to him. You can easily be selfish and beg him to stay, but you know how much New York means to him. “I’ll drop you home, one last time?” He proposes, linking your arm with his. You nod and let out a breathy chuckle — fake happiness staining your face. You play the act all too well, but Sam knows you better than yourself. He unlocks his arm and pushes you in front of him, hugging you from behind and continuing to walk. He hums an old 50’s tune that you can’t place your finger on. You want him to walk slower; to take shorter strides. The neighbourhood is dark, even though it’s only 7:32. “You’ll write to me, right?” You ask, breaking the silence. It seems that it’s your job, and you don’t mind.

“Of course, I’ll write to you until you can get a phone.” He chuckles in your ear. You laugh with him, knowing how he loves to tease you. “And you’ll visit too?” You question, shivering as a gust of wind blows by. “Are you kidding me? That’s a no brainer, dove.” He says as he squeezes his arms a bit tighter. You revel in the feeling and savour it for however long he’ll be gone. If it was possible, you’d lock the feeling in a jar and store it away forever. You never knew that the walk from his to yours was that quick. You stand outside of your home and turn around, still in Sam’s arms. “You’ll wake me up in the morning, won’t you? Just so that I can say goodbye properly, please.” You ask him, even though you’re practically teetering on the begging side. “Of course, Dovey.” He smiles down at you, and you mirror him. Tears glaze over your eyes and they glisten in the pitch-black darkness of the October night.

He kisses your forehead and whispers a soft “good night” against your cold skin. You’re not sure if it’s the chilliness or the sadness in his voice that sends shivers throughout your body, but you try to ignore the feeling. You don’t want to go inside, no. You want to spend the whole night with him, doing the things that you both love such as baking and reading poetry. “Go get some rest, dove, I’ll see you in the morning.” He smiles, before starting to back away from you. You nod and turn to walk inside your small home, not even noticing that your grandmother was pacing inside the kitchen. You kept looking back at Sam, just like in those romance movies that you found in the attic when you were 12. He looks at you too, as he slowly inches away from the front of your home. You unlock the door and fall into your grandmother’s arms, letting your sobs reverberate around the room and your tears stream down your face.

You don’t remember falling asleep, and you certainly don’t remember changing your sweater to your llama pyjamas. You wake up and your bloodshot eyes immediately fly to your digital clock. 8:07. You shoot up from your bed and throw your sheets off of your body. The cold harshly welcomes you but you don’t care; you’re not here to stay. You run out of your room and slip on the first pair of shoes you can find, “darn it,” you groan under your breath and your foot doesn’t successfully slide into the shoe. You dart out the door after fumbling with the lock, before running down the street. The lights on the sidewalk are still on, even though it was bright. Your lungs are burning and against their will, you keep on running. “Sam!” You yell, spotting his car parked on the road. You continue to run and start to cry too. Your face and hands are numb from the cold weather. “Sam! Stop!” You yell even louder, feeling as though you’re in a dream.

As much and as quick your feet carry you, you’re still so far from him. He starts up the car and begins to drive away slowly; almost as if he’s purposely stalling for you. You miss the uneven sidewalk that has always been the cause for most of your scars that littered your legs. You fall to the ground and luckily your hands stop you from knocking your head into the concrete. You look up and let out a piercing sob that makes the pigeons fly away. You watch as Sam drives off, leaving you behind without even saying one final goodbye. Your tears fall onto the ground and are immediately soaked up. You can hear your grandmother calling your name through your cries and the distant sound of his car driving away. You’re sure that you look insane, but you don’t care. The love of your life is gone, and he’s not coming back for now.

You stay cooped up in your room for days on end. Occasionally, you help your grandmother out, but you don’t speak much. You stay in your pyjamas, switching between the llama ones and the sloth ones. You’ve convinced yourself that maybe Sam leaving is for the best. Your sadness still dwells, but you’re happy that he’s pursuing his dreams regardless of anything. “I’m so happy you’re feeling better, sweetheart. But if you ever need to talk, I’m always here for you.” Nana tells you, and you give her a sad smile. “Thank you, Nana.” You gently speak, tightening the lid on the jam jar. You give her the plate you prepared and take a seat at the table. “I heard that our new neighbour is coming today, I’m planning on knitting them a sweater and baking something.” She recounts, and you sigh playfully. She lets out a breathy chuckle and you think about your neighbour. Are they a man, or a woman? Are they nice, or rude? Are they like Sam? You ask yourself, but quickly push the third question out of your mind.

“Can I bake them cookies?” You ask her, before digging into your toast. “Of course! Maybe do macadamia ones? And regular ol’ chocolate.” She gleefully adds, the crinkles in her eyes deepening as she smiles widely. She clasps her hands together and lets out a noise of excitement. You watch her with a smile of your own, and you feel grounded. You slowly eat your food and stare out into space, letting your mind wander to the farthest places. You think back to your joyful times with Sam. Each memory makes you miss him more and more, but you keep on telling yourself that he’s in a better place. He’s happy, and that’s all you care for. You eat your food slowly until you realize that it’s half past nine. Shoveling the rest of it into your mouth, you stumble over to the sink and wash your plate as quickly as possible.

“What’s got you in such a rush?” Nana asks, adjusting one of the many sweaters she wears. “The store! It’ll take me awhile to get there, and I really want to avoid running into any of them.” You explain, changing your tone just so that she knows who you’re insinuating at. “Oh… Go on, sweetheart, dress warm!” She ushers you, grabbing your coat for you whilst you run back to your room to change into a sweater. Before, you couldn’t even bear to look at Sam’s favourite sweater of yours; but now you’ve realized that it’s best to face the music. Maroon had always been his favourite colour, and you remembered the joy on his face when you wore your maroon sweater. You smile in front of the mirror, pleased with your appearance. You grab your coat and slide your shoes on, before yelling goodbye to your Nana.

You hum some random Halloween tune under your breath and slowly walk down the street. Your eyes are trained on your hands as you fiddle with them. Suddenly, you crash into a slightly soft yet hard wall. You whine in pain, still weak as ever, something that Sam would playfully mock you about. “You should watch where you’re going, little one.” A husky voice warns playfully. You furrow your brows -- one of your many little traits that was left in your Mother’s will for you. “I’m so sorry, Sir! I didn’t mean t- to bump into you, I swear.” Litanies of apologies spill from your mouth and you don’t even look up at your victim. “Don’t worry, little one... Hopefully you’ve learned your lesson.” He lets out a breathy chuckle as he stares you down. Your eyes move from your hands to the house next to you, and you notice the abundant amount of luggage.

Embarrassment engulfs you in a tight grip and you groan softly. “You must be my sweet neighbour, hm?” He teases just like Sam would. You shyly nod and squeeze your hands together as you begin to become nervous. You hesitatingly look up at him, and your breath is taken away. You’re sure that he’s God’s favourite, because no regular man is as beautiful as he is. “Uh, yeah! Nice to meet you…” You introduce yourself and give him your name, reveling in the way it rolls off his tongue and falls past his lips. You nod your head and smile at him, your trip to the store long forgotten. “I’m James, James Buchanan Barnes.” He smirks. His accent… His accent is different. A Brooklyn drawl mixed with a few European accents. “Oh sweetheart! I thought you left!” Nana calls out, startling you and slightly annoying James.

“I uh… I bumped into our new neighbour!” You exclaim to her, stepping away from him so that she can wrap her arms around his large form. She does exactly that, and the large man — James — reciprocates. She pulls away after a few fleeting seconds and sighs, staring up at him. You watch him with wonderment and tune out your grandmother’s sweet voice. Dressed in all black, long hair, a five o’ clock shadow and a beautiful face. You find yourself in some sort of trance, eyes raking him up and down with no shame. His do the same, except he’s more careful and sly about it. “Thank you for your welcome, maybe we could get to know each other better?” He offers, raising his eyebrows and both you and your grandma. You both eagerly agree, excited to learn more about your new, elusive neighbour. “Sweetheart, how about you take our neighbour, James, with you to the store? Give him a little tour?” She proposes. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to.” James entices.

“I… Of course!”

You and Bucky — James, but he insists on you calling him Bucky — walk slowly to the store. Every now and then, the wind picks up and sends shivers throughout your body. The cold doesn’t faze him, he tells you. “I actually prefer autumn, fall, whatever you kids call it these days, over anything else.” He jokes around, making you bubble out in giggles. He smiles down at you and watches you with careful eyes. “Shy? Your laugh is very cute, little one.” Your eyes nearly fall out of their sockets as he praises you. “Uh, yeah, uhm, thank you so much…” You gleam and preen under his gaze, and Bucky is already in love with the sight. “Hobbies?” He questions, shooting a glare at those that even dare to glance at the two of you. “Writing and baking! But mostly writing, what about you?” You ask, shoving your cold hands into your pockets.

“Hmm, I’m not sure. It depends… Perhaps watching...” He ponders out loud. “Like bird watching?” You press, looking up at him for a bit. His eyes lock with yours and you can’t seem to look away. “You’ll see, little dove.” He reassures you, still staring back at you. You shyly look away and keep quiet for the rest of the walk. A faint smile is on your face and you’re not sure why he’s the cause of it. You let it fall and keep your shy resolve. “Is that the store?” He asks you after a minute or two of silence. You nod and don’t utter a word, scared that you’ll end up rambling to him. You bit your lip as you try to hold in your glee as you notice that the supermarket has already been decked out with Halloween decorations. “Do you celebrate Halloween?” Bucky questions, grabbing a cart for the two of you. “Mhm, favourite holiday ever. I love everything about it! You?” You try to keep your reply short, but when it’s about your favourite holiday you just can’t resist.

He agrees with you, and you’re happy that he isn’t a scrooge about Halloween. You lead him through the aisles and pick up what you need, and want. Bucky pushes the cart for you and makes sure you don’t wander out of his sight. The Halloween and autumn display catches your eye and your heart fills with a type of glee that only holidays can bring. You want to pick up everything — from the Halloween cookie cutters to the small decorations that would look lovely sprinkled around your home. You don’t even hear Bucky behind you because you’re too caught up in deciding what you want. Bucky watches you with careful eyes, trying to figure out what’s going through your head. “You should get one of everything, maybe a few little ghosts, three pumpkins,” he suggests to you, “it’s Halloween, you’re not allowed to only get one thing.”

You giggle and shake your head, even though he’s right in your mind. “I wish I could, but I need to spend my money on needs and not wants.” You sadly admit, wishing that you had the type of money the other’s in town have. You walk away from the display and you don’t give it another look, before heading to the freezers for your eggs and milk. Bucky frowns deeply and watches as you slowly walk away. He picks up almost everything that’s on the display and throws it into the cart. He could never see a frown on your face ever again, knowing that his heart would break into two. He trails behind you slowly, forced to make his usually long strides shorter just for you. You turn around to place the milk and eggs in the cart and a heart gasp leaves your mouth. You look up at him in shock, which then turns into your usual confusion.

“Uh- Are you getting those?” Your voice is no more than a mere whisper, and Bucky is lucky that he can hear you. “Nope, for you.” He pops the ‘p’ and then smirks at you. You’re flabbergasted. Shock and confusion still reside in your mind and you can’t find it in you to object to him. “I’m paying for it, little dove.” He reassures you, his voice turning from gravelly and deep to soft and calm. You smile brightly at him and without thinking, you engulf him in a hug. He revels in your touch and pulls you closer to his warm body. Bucky rests his chin on your head and dips his nose down to your hair, inhaling your scent before you could pull away. You stare up at him and smile widely, letting out a squeal of happiness. “Thank you so much! Oh my- How do I repay you? That’s so much money, is there anything I can do for you?” You ramble, straining your neck to look up at him.

“Hmm… I would love to be your friend, and maybe I could come for dinner every now and then?” He ponders aloud and you immediately agree. You couldn't wait to go home and tell your grandmother, knowing that she would be the happiest woman on Earth. You both go through the aisles again and he keeps on encouraging you to pick up the things that you lay your eyes on. The cart is filled and your heart is fluttering with gratefulness. Everytime he shoots a look your way, you send one right back at him. His eyes are the colour of the sea, beautiful and bright yet dark and mysterious. Yours, on the other hand, are soft and innocent. Both are just as beautiful, though. “Once again, thank you so much, Mr. Barnes.” You say, smiling at him. He carries all of your bags and you hold a small, painted pumpkin to your chest.

“Don’t worry, little dove. Oh, and call me anything but Mr. Barnes, formalities haven’t been my thing as of now.” He speaks with eloquence and such grace that makes you think he’s from another century. You giggle before speaking, “you speak like you’re from another century…” You joke, before giggling again. Bucky’s jaw hardens and his stare goes from adoring to menacing. You stop laughing when you don’t hear him joining you with his own rupture. Swallowing thickly, you look ahead to the horizon. It has already gotten a bit cloudy, but you don’t mind. You’re careful to not trip on your own feet, wanting to avoid embarrassing yourself for the second time. “Sorry about the joke, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…” You apologize after around five minutes of silence. You chew on the slightly dry skin on your bottom lip as you wait for him to speak.

“It’s okay, little dove.” He smiles, not even letting it drop. You look down at your ghost-painted pumpkin and smile, before giving it a kiss. Bucky snorts, making you pout at him. “Hey!” You cry out it faux offence. He only laughs harder, before biting his lip. The sight of you pouting at him sends blood rushing down south, but you’re oblivious to what you’re doing. The rest of the walk home is filled with jokes and questions about each other. During another moment of silence, you realize that you haven’t thought of Sam since this morning. You feel guilty at first, knowing that it’s wrong to forget about him so quickly. Shame eats you up like it’s starved until your mind convinces you otherwise. Sam would be so happy that you didn’t dwell on him leaving, he’d be so proud of you. You promise yourself that you won’t be sad, but you also won’t forget him. Ever.

“Do you have any other friends?” Bucky asks you as you both turn a corner. He remains closer to the road, whereas you're on the inside. “I had one, but he left to go pursue his dreams in New York.” You sadly explain to him, and he lets out an “oh.” You turn again, but this time you’ve reached your home. Your grandmother can be seen dancing around the kitchen, flour in her grey hair and an apron on top of her fuzzy sweater. “I can take them in now.” You tell Bucky, stretching your arms out to him. He lets out a breathy chuckle, what seems to be one of his many habits, and walks towards your home. You’re in shock once again, before realizing that you haven’t moved. You run behind him and frown as you see that the door was unlocked the entire time.

“Nana! Did you leave the door unlocked again?” You ask her and you hug the smaller woman. “Oh, I probably forgot to unlock it… ‘m sorry, sweetheart.” She apologizes against your forehead that she just covered in kisses. You can’t blame her, honestly. Slowly but surely, her old age had started to catch up to her. “Uhm, Mr. Barnes bought all this stuff for us, Nana! Can he stay for dinner? As a thank you?” You excitedly ask her, and she mimics your happiness with a smile that’s similar to yours.. “Of course! Thank you so much, Mr. Barnes.” She gratefully expresses and ushers Bucky further into your home. You take your shoes and jacket off and he does the same, wishing that you could shed more than that. “It’s nothing, and please, call me Bucky or James.” He assures in his Brooklyn-European drawl. He watches you with careful eyes and doesn’t tear his gaze away from you.

Dinner is lively. It’s more lively than it’s ever been since you were seven years of age. You’re all laughing, smiling and happy. Even though it’s only 5 in the evening, it’s still dark. “Where are you from, James?” Nana asks him, and he gulps thickly. “Romania, actually. But I grew up in Brooklyn.” He recounts to you, and then shoves some pasta into his mouth. The flavour of spicy marinara fills his mouth along with yours as well. Through a full mouth, he still speaks. “This is amazing!” He exclaims, covering his mouth with the utmost politeness. Your Nana thanks him and you nod in agreement. The rest of the evening is filled with compliments and questions, but also with wandering eyes and strong gazes. Six o’ clock hits, and 7, 8 and 9 does too. “Well, I should go retire now, thank you for the lovely welcome.” He sighs deeply, almost as though he is regretful. You say good night to him before running off to your room.

Bucky closes his door behind him and hastily shed his clothing off of himself. Underneath his dark black jeans is his hard cock. Dripping with pre-cum from it’s raging red tip, he throbs with want and need. He’s not sure if he should take care of it or not, but as soon as he thinks of you all plausibility flies out the window. He rushes up to his room, dark red walls and ominous lighting are all a blur to him. His room is even darker. The only bright things in it are the many photos of you that line his bedside tables and walls. He walks up to the window and pulls the purple curtains to the side. He watches you cuddle with your stuffed animals — your innocence only making him harder. His cock hangs heavily and he still has the urge to jerk off. “No, I have to be patient.” He tells himself, pulling his boxers back up. “Just one more fucking day until you’re all mine, little dove.”

You wake up earlier than you usually do. Rousing from sleep with a smile on your face, you find yourself in the same clothing from yesterday. You frown and walk into the bathroom for a quick shower. The water is as cold as the winter, and you have no choice but to bear it. Even though your teeth chatter, you tough it out as much as you can. Today… Today is Halloween. You jump with glee and joy for your favourite holiday. You don’t even bother making your bed because the decorations waiting for you are far more enticing. “Nana! I’m going to decorate the house!” You yell to hear, earning a loud “ok” from her in return. You grab your two step ladder that Shuri gave you when you were 15 and you sigh with delight. In just a mere two hours, you’re able to turn your home into the perfect Halloween.

Your stomach continues to growl, but you choose to ignore it. You play old Halloween classics in the background that you found in your father’s DVD and cassette collection. Nostalgia hits you like a truck and you recount all the memories of your childhood. You sniffle a bit as Coraline’s voice rambles on from behind you. Rubbing away the tears that threaten to spill, you continue to place fake pumpkins around the living room. You occasionally get distracted from the movies that play in the background, dragging you away from your tasks. The doorbell suddenly rings, sending a sharp shrill piercing through your calmness. You keep a hand on your heart as it beats through your chest. You rush to the door and quickly unlock it, just to see Bucky in all his great glory.

“Bucky! Hi!” You greet him, moving out of the way so that he could come in. “You’re up awfully early.” He notes, choosing to stay outside. You nod and smile at him, before remembering your manners. “Oh! Happy Halloween!” You tell him, holding out a ghost cookie for him to take. He takes it and devours it like he’s a starved man. “Happy Halloween to you too, little dove. I see you’re decorating. Is that what’s got you up so early?” He asks you, drinking in your form. Nothing else but an overly large cable knit sweater… Fucking beautiful. “Yep! Are you going to decorate?” You ask him in return, leaning on the doorframe. You notice that he’s holding a tray of desserts that make your mouth water. “No, not really. But I am baking, can you try this for me? I don’t really trust myself.” He smirks, handing the tray to you.

You gladly take it and your stomach rumbles loudly, embarrassing you. Bucky laughs but you shy away, turning your face away from him. You take a cookie from his tray and devour it because you are starved. “C- Can I have them all? They’re so amazing, Bucky!” You exclaim, nearly drooling at the amazing taste. “Go ahead, little dove.” He ushers with a wicked smirk that you pay no mind to. You shovel cookies into your mouth like no tomorrow. He watches you, tilting his head and palming himself through his jeans. His half-hard cock slightly bulges through the material, but you can’t see it. You hand him back his tray that’s covered in crumbs and a few sprinkles. Bucky stretches his hand out towards your face and grabs your chin gently. He uses his thumb to wipe the crumbs and slight drool off of your mouth. His thumb dances over your lips and you look at him with such doe eyes that he can feel himself get harder.

“Be sure to come trick or treating at my house, little dove, I have something special to give you.” He says, before smiling at you and walking away. You watch him and feel yourself start to smile brightly. You haven’t felt this way about anyone, not even Sam. Bucky… Bucky is different. He holds this elusiveness that keeps you hooked like he’s a drug. You feel your heart fluttering and butterflies flying, even though you’ve only known Bucky for almost two days. “Was that James, sweetheart?” Nana asks, just waking up. You turn around and nod, remembering the way he let you have all his cookies without even hesitating a bit. “Can I trick or treat-ing tonight? Please Nana! I’ll be safe, I promise.” You beg her, folding your hands together in a plea. “Of course, sweetheart. Just stay safe, okay? I don’t want anything bad happening to you.” She agrees, making you squeal. “Of course, Nana!”

Your stomach cramps up, but it isn’t too painful. Something… Something sticky and slick pours out of your cunt and you don’t know what it is. You don’t want to miss out on your trick or treat-ing, so you choose to keep quiet. You walk with your thighs clenched together; the only way the pain will relieve itself. You say a quick goodbye to Nana and exhale heavily as soon as you get outside. Your makeshift cat ears rest on your head perfectly and you try to keep your smile from faltering. An older choker your mom had from the 90’s is wrapped around your neck and even has a bell on it. You slowly walk to Bucky’s house, which has a single pumpkin on the doorstep and nothing more. You hold a pumpkin basket in your hands and admire the way kids run from one house to the next on their own missions. You turn back to Bucky’s house and raise your fist up to the door, but an extremely painful cramp stops you.

You double over and try to keep in a cry of pain. The door suddenly opens and Bucky looks down at you in pain. “Oh little dove, is everything okay? Do you want to come in? Here- Let me help you.” He rambles as he grabs a hold of you. He leads you into his home and you don’t even look around to admire it. You fall to the floor and sob in pain, begging for help. “Shhh, be quiet, hey, no tears now… I’m here to help.” He lifts you up with ease and reassures you at the same time. Bucky gently sets you onto his couch and takes your jacket off of you. You drop your pumpkin bucket and realize that your palms are overly sweaty. “Wh- What’s happening to me, Bucky? It hurts so b- bad!” You cry out, falling onto your back and pulling your legs up to your chest for comfort.

Bucky cooes and you and pulls you up to him. He cradles you to his chest and shushes you. Your sobs echo throughout his living room and your tears soak into his sweater. You look up at him and he flashes you a smile, fangs sparkling and sharp. You gasp through your sobs before realizing that he dressed up as a vampire for Halloween. Bucky runs his hands up and down your body, caressing you gently. He pulls the headband out of your hair and plays with the bell on your collar. His left hand — which was covered in a glove — trails it’s way between your thighs. You’re soaked, leggings damp and sticky and so are your thighs. He pulls your pants down, and you’re too out of it to even realize what’s going on. He lifts you up slightly to untangle your pants from your feet and you take the opportunity to look around his house. Through your bleary eyesight, you can see pictures of someone scattered along the crimson red walls.

You squint and try to figure out why the pictures look so fucking familiar. Bucky stands back up and blocks your view. His hands travel up to the bottom of your black sweater and he rips it into two instead of pulling it over your head. You furrow your eyebrows as you feel a sudden gust of coldness taking over your body. “W- What?” You rub your head in confusion and realize that you’re naked. “Shh, it’s okay little dove. Your Master will take care of you now…” He reassures you again, but he only makes you more confused. “Aw my dumb little baby doesn’t know what’s going on?” He mocks, before lightly slapping your face. Drool leaks out from the corner of your mouth and your eyes are glazed over. “You see, dove… You were made for me! I’ve spent centuries searching for the perfect little dove for myself, and there you were. You know, I know every little thing about you? I’ve been watching you for years, baby.” He explains, and you furrow your eyebrows.

He opens his mouth to speak and continues to tell you every little thing he has done. “All these pictures are all of you. You’re so beautiful, baby. Sam never had to leave, but he was in the way of everything. Too bad he tried to come back, now he’s at the bottom of Lake Erie. Oh and those bullies? The people that thought it was okay to make my little dove feel like shit? They’re dead too, it’s not like they magically disappeared. And since you’re so out of it, I might as well tell you. I’m a vampire.” Bucky bluntly monologues, leaving you in shock and horror. You feel the urge to throw up, but you also want to scream and cry your heart out. You feel your chest tighten and you gasp for breath. “Shh it’s okay, little dove.” He whispers in your ear, before nibbling on the skin. “Are- Are you-” You try to ask him a question, but the pain is so bad that you can’t speak properly.

He nods his head and presses a few kisses on your face. You grumble and pull away in disgust, before trying to pull away from Bucky. “Aw that’s fine, I love it when my prey has a bit of fight.” He chuckles, before pushing you away from your body. “I’m going to give you five seconds, and you’re going to try to run away. I’m going to catch you, okay little dove?” He explains, and he doesn’t even give you time to agree. “Five,” he shouts, making you jump. You try your hardest to ignore your pain and focus on escaping. You know the door isn’t a possibility, so you dash down the hallway. “Four!” He calls out in a sing-song voice. You cringe and turn on your right, going up the dark stairs. “Three! Two! One!” He yells out, before running after you. You run into a room and shut the door behind you, before realizing that your inner thighs were glistening and sticky.

You reach down to your thighs and run your finger through the slickness that drips down. You’re too distracted by it to notice that Bucky was nearing you. Suddenly, the door bursts open and you're falling onto the floor. Bucky quickly pounces on top of you and rips your bra into two. You cry out but you know that nobody will be able to hear you. “Fuck, I can’t wait to ruin you, turn you into my personal dumb little slut.” He spits, pushing your legs apart. He tears your underwear off of you and you sob loudly. Bucky smashes his lips against yours, dominating you in the kiss even though you can barely register it. He runs his thick fingers through your sopping wet folds. Your clit is swollen and sensitive and you’re leaking like no tomorrow. He rubs your clit slowly, enjoying the way you write wildly underneath him.

He shoves his tongue into your mouth and his left hand comes up to wrap itself around your throat. He squeezes the sides and you let out a throaty moan. You don’t know what any of the things you’re feeling are. He presses harder on your clit and pressure builds up in your lower abdomen. White hot flames burn inside of you with passion. Suddenly, Bucky pushes a finger into your tight, wet hole. He feels around and chuckles wickedly when he finds your special spot. You see blurry stars in your vision. “That’s my good little dove, taking her Master’s fingers so well.” He praises against your lips, before kissing you fervently. He quickly thrusts it in and out of you, watching as you go through at least fifty different emotions. Tingles erupt throughout your entire body, and you whimper against Bucky’s mouth.

His finger continues to massage against your g-spot and you cry out in pleasure. “W- What’s happening, Bucky?” You ask him in confusion and bewilderment. “Don’t think, little dove, just feel.” He shuts you up quickly and suddenly the pressure that was building up explodes. Your jaw slacks and drool leaks out of your mouth as your cunt constricts around his finger. “Look at you, going all stupid with my finger in your pretty little cunt. I bet you won’t be able to handle my big fat cock in your pussy, ruining you over and over.” He growls, grinding his hard cock against your thigh. He continues to fuck you with his finger, despite your protests and pleads for him to stop. The feeling is too much for you to handle, but that doesn’t stop him. He pulls his finger out of your cunt and the pains immediately return.

He sucks your arousal off of his finger and moans at the sweet taste. Suddenly, he gets off of you and picks you up easily. You’re still in your collar, much to Bucky’s enjoyment. “Why are you crying? Hm? I’m helping you out, little dove. This isn’t wrong or anything, okay? I would never do anything wrong, and I’m quite hurt that you think I’m a bad person.” He whispers, shaking you in his grip. “I…” You don't know what to say. He knows what’s right and what’s wrong… you don’t. “I’m just helping you out, little dove. Because you’re mine, and I love you. This is love, okay? Anything else is just bullshit.” His whisper turns into a ferocious growl, scaring you. He throws you onto his large bed and puts you on your knees. Bucky strips himself quickly, eager to feel you wrapped around his cock.

“Say ‘ah’ little dove.” He smirks, and your jaw hesitatingly slacks open. He pushes his boxers down and his leaking cock bounces up. Truly, he is big. Long and thick, a phenomenon. He grabs the base and gives himself a few strokes, rubbing the pre-cum that leaks from his tip onto your tongue. He moans softly and suddenly pushes into your mouth. Bucky’s cock hits the back of your throat and you gag loudly. Bucky shoves your head down his cock until your nose meets his pubic hair. He keeps you there for a few seconds, enjoying the way you struggle around his cock. Your gags resonate in the room and your tongue laves against the bottom of his cock. Thick veins throb and pulsate against your wet muscle. The manly, musky taste of him fills your mouth and you’re in love with it.

He growls loudly and slowly moves your head up and down for you. Your bell jingles with each movement and he fucks your face relentlessly. Your gags fill the room and fresh tears stream down your face. You try your hardest to breathe slowly, but Bucky’s cock makes it difficult for you. His swollen, heavy balls slap against your spit-soaked chin and he thrusts in and out of your mouth. He moans loudly and the need to cum grows. You struggle to breathe and easily remember all those nights of panic attacks. You hit against his thigh gently, looking up at him so that he can let you breathe. Black dots decorate your vision and you can see Bucky smiling down at you before moaning loudly. He suddenly pulls you away from his cock and trails of saliva follow. You gasp for air as though you were just drawing. Or you were thirteen and having a panic attack in the hospital as you watch the doctors cover your mother’s head with a sheet.

After a few seconds, Bucky shoves you back onto his cock and you let him. “Shit, such a good fucking girl. Look so beautiful with your face stuffed full with my cock, so good.” He praises, making you preen under him. You grab onto his thighs for support and let yourself be limp under his touch, fully trusting him. Your short nails leave crescent shaped scars that make Bucky hiss. Bucky uses your mouth like a fleshlight, chasing his orgasm without stopping. He moans loudly and you can feel more slickness leaking out of you. It comes in ten-fold but you know that he’ll take care of you. You just know it, deep down in your innocent heart. “Oh, fuck!” He shouts loudly, his metal arm whirring wildly. “Fuck, ‘m going to cum.” He moans, thrusting even harder. You feel yourself losing air, and you wonder if you’re going to pass out. Soon, Bucky pushes your head down and his hips still.

Hot, thick ropes of cum shoots from his tip and he fills your mouth up with no shame or regret. It’s so much, too much. His cum overflows and leaks from your mouth and you’re left with no choice but to swallow it all. Bucky pulls his hard cock out of your mouth and smiles at you. There’s still some left on the corners of your mouth, and a thin sheen of his covers his cock. “You looked so fucking slutty with my cock down your throat, little dove. I know you liked it.” He smiles down at you, before pressing a chaste kiss on your forehead. Bucky once again picks you up, but this time he throws you at the mountain of pillows. He climbs on top of you and kisses you passionately. You try to mimic what he’s doing, but you soon give up. He chuckles against your mouth and pushes your legs against your chest. Bucky grabs the base of his cock and he settles between your legs. Your sticky thighs touch his and he pulls away from your mouth.

“You want your Master’s cock, don’t you little dove? You’re drooling for it, and so is your cunt.” He husks, making you whimper. He slaps the tip against your clit and you jolt from the sensitivity. He rubs his cockhead through your soaking folds and teases your sopping hole. “Y- Yes, Master…” You sheepishly admit, not even knowing what either of you are saying. He curses under his breath and drops his head into the crook of your neck. He bares his teeth with a not-so quiet hiss and drags his fangs against that spot on your neck. He’s careful to avoid your collar, knowing that his sharp teeth can easily destroy the cheap lace of it. “O târfa atât de bună, atât de bună pentru stăpânul ei.” The European langue falls from his mouth beautifully and you have no idea as to what he’s saying.

Bucky feels you getting wetter as he speaks, your cunt giving away how much of a slut you are for him. The throbbing veins of his cock pulsate against your needy pussy, much like how they were throbbing in your mouth. Your wetness mixes with the extra cum and saliva that stained his cock from before. You’re a complete mess. Cunt dripping, drool leaking and you're panting like a wanton bitch in heat. Bucky moves his head up to your ear, lciking the shell of it. “O să te iau iar și iar, o să te fac o mizerie stupidă pe scula mea. Poate și degetele și gura mea, te voi umple iar și iar. Ți-ar plăcea asta, nu-i așa? Porumbelul meu... Atât de nevinovat. Abia aștept să te văd plin cu sperma mea, o să-ți distrug păsărica.” He groans in your ear, watching you become needier and needier with each fleeting moment.

“You want my cock? Beg for it, beg for it little dove. Let the whole neighbourhood hear how much of a cockslut you are.” He commands loudly, pulling his face away to see you burn up. You don’t know what to say, so you choose to remain silent. You look up at him, his eyes dark and blown out. They no longer carry that comforting look that you trust. “Aw, does my little dove need some help? That’s okay, I’m here to take care of you. You gotta repeat after me, okay? It’s okay if you hesitate or stutter, but don’t go purposefully messing it up.” He explains, before slapping you lightly. Your bell jingles and Bucky chuckles along with it. “Say that you want your Master’s cock so bad- that you need it. And beg for it too.” He elucidates, and you let out a little ‘oh.’ “I… I want you c- cock so bad, Master! I need it, please give it to me! I’ll do anything, just please give me your c- cock… Please, Master? I’ll be so good!” You plead, taking both you and Bucky by surprise.

He gets even harder than he already is and he can swear he could cum on the spot right there and then. “Fuck, little dove, you’re already my little slut and I haven’t even fucked you yet.” He remarks, before slapping the fat tip of his cock on your swollen button. One. Two. Three. You yelp and whine each time, before begging him again. “P- Please, Master…” You mewl, throwing your head back. Bucky growls at the sight of your pretty neck, all sweaty and ready for him to sink his fangs into. Suddenly, he pushes into your tight, wet cunt. His thick cock painfully stretches you out, but all he feels is pleasure. Your pain soon turns into euphoria and you feel full… A little too full. “Ngh… Master...” You whine in pain. Bucky fills you up to the brim and it’s almost like he’s never going to bottom out.

The sounds leaving your mouth make it hard for him to control himself. He wraps his metal hand around your neck and looks down to where you’re connected. Through your stomach, you could see his cock bulging through. The sight has him ready to pound you into oblivion. Bucky begins to snap his hips back and forth, hammering into you at an inhumane pace. Your mouth falls slack and your eyes roll back into your head. Your hands search to hold something for support, but you can’t find anything. “La naiba, ești atât de strâmt, porumbel mic.” He growls under his breath and you moan loudly. The sound is lewd and pornographic. Loud, wet squelching noises reverberate each time his cock drags against your sensitive walls.

“Uită-te la tine, atât de drăguță cu scula mea mare care ți-o trage. Îți distrug păsărica inocentă.” he moans, fucking you even faster. Wetness coats his cock and you’re moaning litanies of “Master” over and over. His balls slap against your ass and Bucky pounds into you relentlessly. The light from the moon shines brightly and you look like a beauty under him. Bucky squeezes the sides of your throat even harder and your tits bounce with every harsh thrust of his cock. His other hand, the flesh one, moves to your swollen and sensitive clit. He begins to rub your pearl with slow, hard ministrations. You clench around Bucky’s cock and can feel that weird fire inside you burning up again. “M- Master! That- That thing… It’s happening!” You cry out, feeling the veins of his cock throb against your walls.

Tears fall from your eyes and Bucky coles at you. “Poor little dove, can’t handle your Master’s big, fat cock.” He husks, staring at your stomach as he can so is cock driving in and out of your tight pussy. “Master!” You cry out abruptly, your back arching off of his soft bed. Your pussy convulses around his big cock, milking him for all his worth as you cum. You gush all over him, cum dripping all over your pussy and his cock. You continue to clench around him, hugging him tightly as he continues to fuck you. Bucky stops rubbing your overwrought clit and pressing down on the bulge of his cock. “Look, little dove. Look at how good your Master is filling you up, deep in your tight pussy.” he growls, making you look down. You moan even louder at the sight of his cock bulging through your stomach. “C’mon, beg for your Master to fill you up.” He demands, fucking you even harder. Through your moans and sobs, you manage to speak.

“Pl- Please fill me up, Master. Please, I ne- need it so- so badly…” You beg, before cumming again. You squeeze Bucky’s cock even tighter and soak his cock with your sticky cum. Bucky snarls like a ferocious animal as he feels you milk his cock for his cum. “F- la naiba, rahat, am de gând să cum. O să te umplu, porumbelul. Fill you up to the brim with my cock, watch it leak out of this pretty pussy ‘a yours.” He groans, his thrusts becoming more and more sloppy. “Give me one more, little dove. I know you’re sensitive, but you can do it, cum on my cock.” He growls, and on command, you come undone around him. Bucky sinks his teeth into your neck, making you cry out in agony. His hips still and his balls tighten up as he cums. Thick, hot, white streaks and ribbons of cum paint your walls and you both moan at the feeling. He keeps his cock locked inside you and laps up the crimson liquid that spills from your neck.

You can feel him getting even harder inside you and you moan loudly. Bucky lazily kisses you with his blood soaked mouth. You whimper as you can taste the metallic flavour of it on your tongue, but he only cooes at you like you’re a little baby. “Bu- Master? Am- Am I going to turn into a vampire?” You frightfully ask him once you’ve calmed down. “No, but you are mine. You always have and you always will be mine.” He smirks, rubbing his nose against yours. Your pains haven’t completely dissipated, and Bucky knows that. Feeling his cum spill around his cock, leaking out of you, he chuckles like usual. “Can I go back home, please?” You beg him, thinking about your poor grandmother. He shakes his head and his jaw clenches with anger. “You’re not leaving me, little dove. No matter what.” He reassures, starting to slowly thrust into you. You moan softly and close your eyes, letting sleep take you over.

“I love you, little dove. You’re mine, and there’s no way you’re escaping me.”

WARNINGS. | Dark!Vampire!Bucky, feeding, murder.

2K notes · View notes

werewolfdays · 4 years

Note

1 from the prompts?

1. Someone stole the blankets.

Being a light sleeper means that I usually wake up whenever Nadya gets out of bed. I always keep myself awake until she comes back in case something’s wrong. Also, I soon found that it was almost impossible for me to sleep anyway when she wasn’t beside me. She didn’t get up in the middle of the night too often, so I never really minded the slight disturbance whenever it happens.

There was something different about her tonight though. All day yesterday, Nadya was sniffling quietly or trying to stifle a cough. And tonight she was stealing all the blankets, which wasn’t that unusual, but she was also tossing and turning quite a bit. I sensed something must have been off, but I figured it was just allergies or whatever. At least that’s what I’ve heard humans complain about in the past, but now I could hear her start to retch inside the bathroom after she stumbled out of bed. I quickly got to my feet and rushed to the door.

My knuckles tapped the bathroom door, “Nadya, what’s wrong? You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just a little—” Nadya’s hoarse voice was cut off by a violent cough, followed by more retching.

“I’m coming in.” I announced, not waiting for any protest before opening the door.

Poor Nadya was sitting on the floor, basically hugging the toilet and sniffling miserably. She brushed her hair back, which was sticking to her forehead by a thin layer of sweat. Nadya’s skin was always the shade of a darker tan, but the ashen tone it had adopted tonight was the palest I’ve ever seen her. Her head slowly raised up to look at me like it weighed a hundred pounds and she shivered even though she was wearing a long sleeved shirt. The sight was more than a little heartbreaking.

“Oh, love...” I kneeled beside her, rubbing her back soothingly, “What’s wrong?”

“The flu, I think.” she mumbled, sounding like her whole head was stuffed with cotton.

The back of my hand went to her forehead and I could immediately tell she was running a fever. “Jesus, babe. You’re almost as hot as I get when I shift.”

“Yeah, downside of being a human. We get the flu.” She stated dejectedly.

I managed to give her a crooked grin to lighten the mood, “You sure you aren’t pregnant?”

Even with her stuffy nose, Nadya managed to snort at me like that was the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever said, which it was. Then her snort turned into a weak laugh and I was glad to see some brightness in her weary brown eyes, “You’re funny.”

“Well, we do have sex a lot.” My shoulders lifted cheekily.

Nadya shook her head, still laughing at me, which made me feel a little better about the state she was in, “Shut up.” She scolded in amusement. Then her eyes suddenly went wide and she turned her head down to the toilet to puke again.

I clenched my jaw and brushed her hair over her shoulder to hold it out of her face while I continued to rub her back until she was finished. For once, I was going to have to be the one to nurse her back to health. Only, I wasn’t entirely sure how considering I’ve never been sick like this. I was worried about somehow making it worse.

Nadya spit any remnants into the toilet and I left only to quickly fetch some water and a box of tissues. When I came back to sit beside her, she accepted a tissue I offered and said, “I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” I told her while I urged her to drink some water. “In sickness and in health, remember?”

She rinsed her mouth out and chuckled, “I didn’t know we were married yet.”

An amused grin parted my lips, “Only if you want to be.”

“Sure, let’s say our vows right here in front of our toilet.” Nadya replied sarcastically.

“Maybe a romantic ceremony is overrated.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “This coming from you?”

I rolled my eyes and brushed her ashen cheek with the back of my finger, “Drink your water and tell me how to keep you from dying.”

Another coughing fit shook her shoulders, but it thankfully didn’t make her vomit again. After a few exhausted sighs, Nadya told me, “Fluids. Rest. You’ll have to go into town tomorrow and get me some flu medication.”

I was relieved that I got the water right so far, even if that did set the bar pretty low. “Okay, I think I can manage that.”

Her eyes twinkled at me knowingly, “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. I’m not as breakable as you think.”

“I don’t think you’re that breakable.” I said honestly, “If anything, I’m more breakable than you are.”

She gave me a genuine smile that was obviously an agreement with that statement, “Well, there you go. I have total faith in you.”

“You done?” I asked, nodding at the toilet.

She nodded in confirmation, “Think so. For now.”

“Okay, let’s get you back to bed.” I stood up and flushed it for her, then offered my hand.

Nadya accepted my outstretched hand and I carefully pulled her to her feet. My arm went around her waist as I led her to the bed, carefully laying her down. Before tucking her into the blankets, I went to the closet and pulled out the flannel that she liked to steal from me the most. She smiled excitedly when I helped her into it and sank back in the blankets with a happy wiggle that made me laugh a little.

“Where are you going?” Nadya asked when I went to the front door.

“I’m gonna go get you some tea, I’ll be right back.”

For the rest of the night, Nadya was in and out of consciousness. Waking up to sniffle, sneeze, and cough for hours was taking its toll on her. I heard it in every frustrated huff she made after she regained breath. The only bright side was that she didn’t have to get up to go puke any more. If all the stores in town didn’t close so damn early, I would’ve gone to get her medicine immediately, but she had to endure this night. I stayed awake, sitting up in bed and doing my best to make her as comfortable as I could. She seemed content enough with having her head in my lap and being as close to me as possible.

Nadya gave up on trying to get a good night’s rest just before seven in the morning. I looked down at her while my fingers combed through her hair to see her eyes, though half-lidded, were open and staring at the wall. Hoping that she might drift off anyway, I didn’t say anything until her stomach growled loudly.

“Hungry?” I asked softly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Mhm.” she simply hummed and nodded.

My thumb caressed her shoulder, “How about I make you something to eat and go get your medicine?”

“Can you have Toby or Skye go and get it?” Nadya rubbed her eyes sleepily, “I don’t want you to be gone too long.”

I smiled to myself, “I’m sure they won’t mind.” I bent down to place a kiss to her temple, feeling the abnormal heat of her fevered skin against my lips, and then I carefully slipped out of bed, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Keep trying to get some sleep, okay?”

“I’ll try.” She promised.

The first place I stopped by was Skye’s room. I knocked on the door a little louder than necessary since it was early in the morning and she was likely still asleep. A few seconds passed without a single sound on the other side of the door, so I tried knocking again with more force and called her name.

“Skye, come on, wake up. I need a favor.”

There was a loud muffled groan, followed by some shuffling and then stomping feet as they trudged towards the door. When the door opened, I was greeted by a messy haired, tired looking Skye as she blinked at me in irritation, “What do you want?”

I got to the point, “Nadya’s sick, I need you to go into town and get her some flu medicine.”

Skye scowled, “Why can’t you do it?”

“Because I need to make her something to eat.”

She just stared at me like I hadn’t spoken English, “You know it’s like seven in the morning, right?”

I rolled my eyes, “Just go get the damn medicine. She barely got any sleep last night.”

“Ask Toby.”

“Toby’s working.”

“Fine.” She relented with a long sigh, “Let me get dressed.”

“Thank you.” I told her gratefully, then I reached out to stop the door as she was closing it, “Wait, it’s chicken noodle soup, right?”

“Huh?” Skye asked in slight exasperation.

“What humans eat when they’re sick.”

She actually thought about it for a moment and shrugged, “Well, if modern cinema has taught us anything.”

“Right.” I mumbled more to myself than Skye because she didn’t wait for me to reply before closing her door.

It was simple enough to find a recipe, even more simple was the recipe itself. Just some noodles, chicken, and vegetables with broth. For being so easy, it looked and smelled pretty appetizing and I hoped that Nadya would be able to keep it down. I had it poured into a bowl and set on a tray with some crackers and freshly squeezed orange juice by the time Skye returned.

“Here’s the medicine.” Skye announced as she entered the Den’s kitchen, plopping a grocery bag on the counter next to the tray I had set up.

“Thanks.” I said as I started rummaging through the bag. There were several boxes and bottles that made me think she had bought every single type of flu medicine that exists. “Um—”

Skye answered my question before I got the chance to ask it, “I didn’t know which one to get.”

“I guess I did forget to ask Nadya about that…” Buried in the pile of medicine were a couple of packages of marshmallow pumpkins absolutely covered in orange sugar with faces piped on them. I raised my eyebrow at Skye.

“Figured that would make her feel better more than your stupid soup will.” My sister teased.

I chuckled and nodded, placing them back in the bag, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

She looked too proud of herself, “Now, go take care of your sick human. I’m gonna go take a nap because someone, who shall remain nameless, pounded on my door at seven in the goddamn morning to make me go get her fiance some flu medicine.”

I smirked at her, “Get out of here.”

Once I got back to my room, Nadya perked her head up from a massive ball of bunched up blankets at my arrival. Even being as sick as she was, she still looked adorable. Though my heart still seized when I heard her sniffle and cough.

“Hey, I got some stuff for you here.” I motioned at the tray and plastic bag in my hands. “How are you feeling?”

“I threw up again.” Nadya said, sounding far less than pleased about it.

My chest pinched in sympathy, “Then it’s a good thing Skye bought out the entire pharmacy.” I set her soup down on the nightstand beside her and set the bag on her lap.

Nadya went for the medicine first, “Sheesh, you weren’t exaggerating all that much.” She noted as she sifted through the bag. Then she noticed the marshmallow pumpkins and lit up faster than a Christmas tree.

I plucked the package out of her hands before she got the chance to tear it open, “Medicine and food first. Then you can eat the sugary garbage.”

She pouted at me for a second before realizing I was right and then settled on some liquid flu syrup. That wouldn’t have been my choice, it reeked of medicinal and chemical awfulness, but Nadya downed a dose of the stuff with nothing more than a grimace. I tried to hide how impressed that made me. After that was over, she eyed the bowl of soup on the nightstand and gave me a sweet smile.

“Did you make this?”

“Of course,” I returned her smile and got back into bed, “Like I’d ever let you eat something out of a can.”

“You don’t always have to spoil me.” She said, placing the tray in her lap with an excited grin on her face, “Canned things do the trick sometimes too, you know.”

“In the apocalypse, sure.”

She shook her head and laughed at me through a cough before bringing a spoonful of soup up to her lips. Her smile only grew at the taste, “Okay maybe you can keep spoiling me a little bit… just a little bit though.”

I grinned and kissed her cheek, “I can work with that.”

“You sure you can’t get sick?” Nadya asked warily.

“Positive. Why?”

Her lips pursed like she didn’t believe me, “I was gonna say that you probably shouldn’t be kissing me right now, just in case.”

“Don’t you worry, I have the super werewolf immune system.” I reminded her, leaning back in, “Which means I get to kiss you as much as I want.”

She chuckled softly as I planted light pecks all over her face, “You must really love me if you think any part of my face is kissable right now.”

“Mhm, that’s why I gave you this.” My hand went to her left hand where my fingers started to twist her ring around.

“I guess that is good proof.” Nadya remarked and continued to eat her soup.

She took her time with it. I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or if it was hard for her to put anything down. Either way, I was pleased to see that she was able to eat the majority of it, as well as the crackers and juice. After she put the tray aside, I noticed that she had gotten sluggish and hoped that the sleepless night was finally catching up with her.

“That medicine helping at all?” I asked after I had put the excess boxes and bottles into the bathroom.

Nadya nodded at me from her blanket nest, but still shivered, “Yeah, just a bit. You don’t have to stay with me all day, the stuff I took should knock me out any minute.”

The tired pace of her sentences confirmed that, but I still frowned at her. All the blankets on the bed were pulled over to her side, even more than she usually hogs them, and she was wearing two layers of long sleeves, yet I saw her shiver again.

“You look cold.” I noted in concern.

“It’s normal and shouldn’t last too long,” she said through chattering teeth, “Just sucks that I can’t get warm enough right now.”

I gnawed on my bottom lip while I tried to think of a solution. Then an idea popped into my head, “I think I know what might help.”

Nadya tilted her head at me curiously when I pulled my shirt over my head, “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna shift.” I answered while I continued to undress.

She opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it and I noted an amused twinkle in her eyes. Since she didn’t object, I smirked and summoned my wolf to start my transformation. My eyes ignited with gold, then my bones started to shift and pop back into place, white fur sprouting out of my skin until I felt the familiar moment of vertigo. Once I was a wolf, I shook my ruff and stretched my limbs to work through any remaining discomfort, then I hopped up on the bed.

“There’s a joke here about how you shouldn’t be allowed on the bed like this,” Nadya quipped, “But I’m too tired to make it.”

I gave her an annoyed grumble, which only made her snicker, and curled my large wolf body around her. The added heat of this form with my fur should offer all the warmth Nadya would ever need. Nadya wrapped her arms around me, pulling herself as close to me as possible, and buried half of her face in my fur, sighing in relief at the comfort it gave her. I felt more content too and nuzzled her head lovingly with my snout.

“Thanks, Jay.” Her mumble was slightly muffled and she snuggled against me before finally settling in the perfect position to drift off.

#asks #anon #ocs #my ocs #My writing #sorry this took forever for me to get to!#also this may or may not be something that I had started back in december when I was really sick #and I was going through my docs and thought it would be cute to finish cause it fits in this prompt #Jayde #Nadya #Jayde pov

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serpentlopez · 5 years

Text

A Thousand Years

Who: Eliana & Ale ( @serpenthart )

What: A different kind of Thanksgiving dinner, plus revelations and an update in a certain relationship status

When: Nov 28, Night

Where: At Eliana’s trailer

Notes: Things unspoken come to light ( basically it’s super cute! )

Eliana

It wasn't that Eliana was a bad cook; it was more that all kitchen appliances basically hated her. At least that's what she told herself when she gave up on her original plan of making a kind of Thank You Thanksgiving dinner for Ale. Turkey with all the sides had quickly become the one thing she actually could cook - pizza. Pulling the pan out of the oven, she turned it off and started plating everything. Even she looked at the finished product with a little frown on her face. It certainly wasn't the kind of meal anyone would expect on the biggest eating holiday of the year but what else could she do?

Eliana carried the plates over to the coffee table in front of the couch and then brought over their drinks, both soda and beer depending on whatever he'd want. She'd just placed the bottle down when she heard his key in the door. When Ale walked in, the first thing she said, a smirk on her face, was, "I didn't burn anything this time."

Ale

Thanksgiving for Ale was usually a turkey sandwich with a soda at Pop's, followed by some icre cream, or cake, or both, to then be finished with a drink at some bar on the outskirts of town, while thinking about his family back in Miami, and sometimes they even Face Timed, so that was nice too. But this year there was a pleasent change of plans: Eliana had invited him to have Thanksgiving dinner with her, and he was more than happy to do that.

Before heading to her place he stopped at the grocery shop and bought some ice cream cake, along with a bottle of rosè wine, which would go fine with whatever she would be cooking. After tying the bag to the bike he roared it back to life and set way to her home. As the chill wind of the night brushed on his face, Ale was thinking of the past days, the events that had finally brought them to that seemingly calm and peaceful moment that would be Thanksgiving dinner. He thought of how his mind fell into a dark place every time he remembered how Eliana had literally died in front of him, and how awful that feeling was. One of void and sadness. So needless to say he was happy for that night, and any time they got to spend together.

He climbed off his bike and grabbed the bag with dessert and the wine in it, then quickly went up the steps to knock on her door, then a smiled light up his face when he saw hers. "I'd say that's a fucking plus, babe" he said, walking to her and kissing her softly on the lips. "I brought dessert and some wine, I hope that's okay."

Eliana

Eliana lit up when he walked in, and the closer he walked to her, she felt something shift inside of her like the ground was suddenly a little unsteady. It wasn't the first time they'd kissed. She and Ale had been intimate with each other, with others joining them, but as soon as he kissed her, there was a spark of something that made her heart race just a little faster. A flush crossed her face when their lips parted and she looked down at the bag to try and hide her face.

"Yeah, that's great. I actually picked up a pie from the store but I forgot to take it out to thaw so it's still a pumpkin pie-sicle so we needed dessert. Thanks for thinking of it. Here, let me put that up." Taking the bag, Eliana brushed her hair behind her ear and put the ice cream cake in the freezer before pouring some of the wine for both of them. "I'm sorry it's just pizza," she said as she walked back into the living room to hand him one of the glasses. "I wanted to cook something nice but I never made a turkey before and I figured a thank you dinner shouldn't give you food poisoning."

Ale

Ale handed her the bag and took his jacket off. "I'm happy with pizza. With anything really. I'm just happy to spend tonight with you. It beats spend it alone." He took the glass from her when she poured the wine in it, then smiled. "Here's to us, and a happy Thanksgiving together. I guess... we do have a lot of reasons to be thankful this year."

Eliana

"I know you would be but after everything, I wanted to do something nice." To be honest, Ale had been her saving grace. He literally kept her alive and staying with him when she got back from detox had been a godsend. He'd done more than he had to when he helped her clean out the trailer too. He'd done more than anyone should have had to do and the simple words 'thank you' never seemed to be enough. "I know more than anything I'm thankful for you," she said, the words slipping easily as she looked into the glass. "I know exactly where I'd be right now if I hadn't had you around. I don't really know how to thank you for that." Lifting her gaze to his face, Eliana let the warmth wrap around her, a comforting feeling she was so used to having when they were together. "You saved me, you know."

Ale

Ale chuckled. "Pizza and beer? Can't get any better than that! Well... Just the company makes it ten times better, that's for sure." His eyes met hers as she looked up, and he cupped her chin gently, the pad of his thumb stroking the spot of skin softly. "You know how" he said, the words 'staying clean' lingering in the air, then he sighed, his eyes looking directly into hers. "My life would had been a whole pile of suck without you in it, you know that..."

Eliana

Eliana let out a little chuckle because it was so on point that this big family type holiday comes around and she winds up with pizza and beer on the coffee table since she didn't even own a kitchen table. But that slight embarrassment ebbed away like the tide when he touched her skin, looked at her with those eyes that somehow made everything feel right. She nodded one, her soft breath whispering, "I know" as she made that promise to try her hardest. Grinning, the woman nodded and put her hand on his wrist, leaning into the touch of his thumb. "Leaving you to your own devices would have been my biggest mistake." The wave of emotion was still inside her as she stepped in and curled her arms around his waist, holding her body tightly against his chest. "I'm glad to be here with you," she said, trying to calm the way her pulse raced. "Do you, um," Eliana looked up, still pressed against him, "Are you hungry?"

Ale

Ale nodded. "A huge one. Just imagine the mess I'd be in. Terrible." He scrunched his nose and laughed softly, his arm going around her small waist and pulling her even closer, the space netween them non existent now. "I'm glad to be here too" he said, his tongue licking his lips slightly, then he cleared his throat and nodded. "Actually... I am?" He made a pouty face, then chuckled.

Eliana

"Good," Eliana said with a smile, enjoying the comfort she felt around him, "because it's going to get cold if we don't eat it soon." As much as she didn't want to leave the hug, Eliana let her hands down and led him over to the couch. She put her glass of wine down and crossed her leg as she picked up her plate, popping one of the toppings into her mouth. Eliana knew what she had planned on saying to him but now that he was here, her nerves were aching. She picked up her slice and took a bite, getting comfortable on the couch as she looked over at him, her bare feet slipping underneath his legs to keep them warm. "Are you stuck working tomorrow or is the shop closed?"

Ale

Ale chuckled and followed her to the couch. "Ugh no. Cold pizza, bad" he said and also took a slice as he sat down on the couch, only leaning over to grab a couple of napkins for them to hold under their food. He took a big bite out of it and moaned softly at the delicious taste he was enjoying, then he leaned back and realy got comfortable. "Hmm? Oh... No no. No working. Fuck that. Whoever has car problem tomorrow will have to walk until Monday." He winked at her and chuckled, then single handedly grabbed and opened a couple of beer cans for him and Eli. "What about you? Any plans?"

Eliana

Maybe it wasn't the ideal Thanksgiving of anyone's dreams but there was something beyond comforting about being here with Ale, some fresh pizza, and drinks. It made her think of what she'd spoken about with the therapist, trying to face the bad while also coming to realize that maybe she was worth the good things in her life too. Eliana laughed, unable to hold it back when she heard his reply. "The exercise will do them good," she grinned, remembering that her bike was still parked outside his place. She hadn't ridden it since that night. "Oh, no. No plans. Nothing until Monday," she said, taking another bite and washing it down with some of the beer he'd just opened.

"I need to get a job, too many bills to go broke. I might go back to the parlor and see if they'll take me back." Looking over at him, Eliana set her can down beside the pizza and leaned back on the arm of the couch. She'd spent such a good portion of her life denying certain things that now being in a situation where someone expected her to be honest and leave it all out on the table in front of her made her start thinking about all the things she kept secret. Like her therapist said, it just took a little courage. "Can I tell you something without it getting weird?"

Ale

Ale continued eating while he also listened to what Eli was saying. "If you feel you're ready to go back to work you should do it, babe. Not only it will help with your bills but it wouls be a good distraction from... you know, trouble." He finished his slice and took a long sip of his beer before he too put it down. "Sure! You know you can tell me anything."

Eliana

"Yeah well, the therapist thinks I'm rushing things a little getting back to work but I can't not do it, you know? I basically emptied my cash into paying this place, lights, heat and water and I haven't even gotten my bills yet from the hospital or my detox which I'm sure are going to majorly suck. Even if I am rushing, or going back too soon, there aren't many options otherwise." And there was no way in hell she was going to even consider asking her father for monetary help. It was the least he owed to her but Eliana didn't want a cent of his money after everything he'd allowed.

Wrapping her arms around her legs, Eliana looked over at her friend and confidant. One of the only people who had always been there for her. She was worried about saying what she wanted to say but even her therapist had told her that keeping things a secret had been part of her problem. Maybe it was time to be honest while she still felt she had the courage. "I, um.." And as soon as her mouth opened and the words started, Eliana felt all of that courage start drifting away. Even when she tried to grab onto it with both hands, it slipped through until she was doused with nervousness and insecurity. Letting out a puff of air, Eliana shook her head and forced herself to speak. "I never really trusted any guys after, you know, everything from when I was young. I uh, I mean, you know me, I pretty much kept everyone at arm's reach as much as humanly possible. Didn't want to care too much because.. well, you can't really trust people not to hurt you and it just hurts more when it's someone you have feelings for."

She stilled for a moment, swallowed the knot in her throat, and continued. "What I'm trying to say is that... Ale, you kind of-- kicked all those insecurities in the ass. And... and even though it really kinda freaks me out to admit it, I do have feelings a-and I have them for you." Finally, Eliana lifted her eyes to look at him, hoping not to find that look that said he was trying to determine the right words to let her down easily. "And that was my whole rambling mess that's probably super embarrassing and we can totally forget happened if you want."

Ale

Ale could only imagine the kind of debts Eli had at the moment, especially the medical bills, which he was sure were higher than anything, and that could only add stress in her life. Stress that she didn't need, at all. "There's nothing wring about trying to focus back in work. But know that, if you need it, I could give you the money you need. I mean, I could help with it..." Not that Ale had that much amount of money, but he had asked for money before. Who's to say he couldn't do it again? He frowned at first when he saw that, whatever she wanted to say was turning into a struggle to do so. But the further he listened he understood why the amount of hesitation. "You do? For me...?" More than anything, his voice was filled with genuine surprise. "Fuck... I can't believe it..."

Eliana

Though his offer brought a light-hearted smile to her face, Eliana was quick to shake her head. "No. I couldn't ask you to do that, babe. You've done too much already. I'll figure something out. I mean, most people pay their medical bills for ages as it is, you know?" Though she had kept the smile, the idea of those bills was no fun. Just another unfortunate side effect of her idiotic decisions. Her hand slid down his arm gently, "but the fact you even offered means so much to me." But it wasn't talk of medical bills that truly caught her attention. It was the surprise in his voice at her revelation.

"Yes, for you," she said almost incredulously. Who else could she possibly be talking about? She'd thought for a moment she could have had feelings for Puck. Helping him recover had gotten her closer to him but she couldn't deny that all those moments she had with Puck only left her body missing Ale. Her thoughts were always brought back to him. "Why not you, Ale? You're... the best guy I've ever known. You made it easy for me to open up to you about my past. You never made me feel bad about who I was. You make me feel safe and cared for and.. You really don't see how incredible you are, do you?"

Ale

Ale fidgeted with his hands on his lap, his eyes looking down at them as if they were the most interesting thing, when in truth he was trying not to stutter and stumble with his own words. "I guess I don't see it." He shrugged, then finally looked up at her. "Never in a million years had I thought Eliana Lopez would feel that way about me. Especially when-" He swallowed hard, then took a deep breath before continuing. "- I've had those same feelings for her, ever since we were kids." He swallowed again and tried to read her reaction.

Eliana

There was something sad about the way he said he didn’t see it. Eliana had always known he had some concerns with the way he saw himself but she hadn’t realized just how much until that moment. Ale was funny and caring. He would give anything for his friends and bend over backwards to help anyone. His looks, while they were obviously incredible, we’re only the cherry on top of a person that anyone would be lucky to have by their side.

Eliana’s eyes narrowed and she prompted, “Especially when?” But her voice was almost a whisper, heart fluttered in her chest. After a breath, he said probably the one thing that could have shocked her the most. “You— Really? I never thought—“ but she wasn’t sure how to verbalize it. Ale had been carrying feelings for her all these years? “I never knew. You.. never said.” Though Eliana was sure why. She’d never been open to relationships before. Looking up at him, a small chuckle passed her lips. “All the time and neither of us said a thing. How awful are we?” She smirked.

Ale

Ale was still wriggling his hands nervously, cracking his knuckles even. He looked down and shrugged. "I never did because... you were Eliana Lopez, the girl no one could have. The girl who would split the crowd in the hallway like the Red Sea when she walked in. The girl everyone hated, but every girl wanted to be her, and every boy wanted to have her." Another shrug. "Unreachable." He chuckled and nodded. "I suppose we are. And also blind and deaf!"

Eliana

Hearing the way that Ale saw her back then was such a strike to her. Especially with everything she'd run away from, Eliana had been as distant from most people as she could be. It was the only way she felt she could protect herself. Using her feet that were still under her legs, Eliana pulled herself closer to Ale and put her slid her hands into his nervous ones. Her fingers slid into the space between his and she gave them a light squeeze. The truth was, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she had never been unreachable to him. He'd been the only guy she truly trusted. "I haven't been in a relationship before. I know you know that, and I-- I really don't know if I'd be good at it. But I don't want to not try with you. If you think we could take it slow? I mean, if you wanted.."

Ale

Ale looked up only when he felt the warmth of her hands calming his, his look still somewhat baffled with everything that's been done and said, but her words were loud and clear, and they brought a genuine and also playful grin to his face. "You're asking if we could be girlfriend and boyfriend?"

Eliana

Eliana liked the feeling she got when he looked up at her and the smile crossed his face. He always looked so perfect with that smile adorning his face. She'd always known there was something special with him, even when he didn't see it himself. At his words, her cheeks reddened and she laughed at herself and her difficulty saying those words. "Yeah," she said softly. "I guess I am." Her lips widened with the smile. "But one step at a time. I'm still working on stuff and I don't want to back you into a corner or anything, or do too much too fast. You're.. my first."

Ale

Ale chuckled, loving her cheeks flushed with a pink color. "Baby steps, got it. But at least one thing we have to do correctly..." He swifted in his seat so that he was facing her properly, their hands still twined. "Eliana Lopez... Would you be my girlfriend?"

Eliana

Knowing that he understood what she needed and was willing to give it to her was not really a surprise. That's just the person that Ale was. He was the person who'd inevitably taught her that it was okay to love and that not all men were bad. Some truly cared without wanting anything from you. Curiosity coiled on her face as he moved and then hearing his words replaced that wonder with pure happiness. The words were so simple but so perfect, and they set butterflies free in her belly. That happiness came out in a light giggle and she nodded, "I'd love nothing more." And because she couldn't resist, Eliana leaned in the short distance between them. "Does this mean you want to make the first move for our first kiss as my boyfriend?" She teased, her pulse racing at the mention of calling him her boyfriend.

Ale

Ale smiled brightly when she said yes. "I've said those words in my head so many times, you wouldn't believe it..." he said coyly, then looked right into her eyes when she got close and grinned. "Don't mind if I do... girlfriend" he said, his hand finding its way behind her neck and pulling her in their lips locked together gently at first, then slowly parting and surrendering to it all.

Eliana

It was surreal to think that he'd felt that way, and even said these same things in the past, even if it was just to himself. It made her feel alive in so many ways that she didn't even fully understand. But it felt good, and it felt right. Girlfriend. Her soft laugh was caught against his lips and swallowed by a kiss that made the room spin and her heart flutter. They'd kissed before many times but this one even felt different and she wanted to soak in it. As the kiss parted, the lingering sensation of his lips against hers, Eliana brushed her hands up his chest and then wrapped them around his neck. It had always been him, and in the end, it felt good to admit it. Guess it really did just take the right person. "Are you still hungry," she asked, "or would you rather take me in the other room so I can kiss my boyfriend more?"

Ale

Ale put his hands around her waist when she put hers around his neck and smiled. "I am. But not for pizza anymore" he said, a goofy grin curling his lips as he held onto her tight and stood up, picking her up in the process.

Eliana

"Oh, is that so?" Eliana asked just as Ale stood from the couch and brought her with him. She let out a little squeal, the jovial laugh tumbling from her lips as she clung to his body. This face, she thought as she looked at the grin he wore, this was the face she wanted to wake up to and these were the arms she wanted to wake up in. Suddenly, nothing else seemed to matter. Brushing her lips against his, Eliana let the last of her fears and doubts disappear, exchanging all of the bad she'd worried about for so long for this. For him. For them.

#para #para: ale #para: a thousand years #elianaxale

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the-energon-hole · 6 years

Note

Could I request some fall/autumn/halloween headcanons with tfp Smokescreen and Bee with their s/o's?

((A/N - I got stuck on this one, so I’m sorry if it seems a little off in anyway I had to adjust it so many times.))

Bumblebee

-”Oh, do you like that picture Bee?” You asked as you sat in an old lawn chair in the garage next to him. You were wrapped up in a nice warm blanket sipping a nice warm cup of coffee in your pajamas, it was a little self indulgent to do this with Bee, but the two of you decided that a night in could be relaxing and fun. No Decepticon Autobot War, no patrolling around the dusty old desert to keep watch for danger, and absolutely no one else but the two of you just sitting around and having a good chat. It was becoming a rarer and rarer commodity that the two of you would get time to yourselves beyond the little sneaks of affection you could squeeze in when there was down time at the base- it was nice to just sit and relax and talk to each other the way normal domestic partners were able to do, even if your relationship was far from normal. Bee beeped quizzically at you as he found one of your old photo albums lying on one of the workbenches in the small concrete room, you let him go through all your old photos… even if some of them hurt to look at and remember. The one he was asking about though was a fond memory you had from when you were younger and much more entrepid than you were now. It was a picture of you wrapped up in a warm and colorfully knitted scarf with mittens to match that were covering your hands, and as you had them thrown over your head there were leaves of so many varying colors flying around you in a messy fashion, some even sticking to your flushed looking face and to the dark beanie that covered your head. “That picture? Hmm… I can’t remember who took that one, but it was a trip I took up to the mountains so I could see the changing of the leaves for the first time. You don’t really experience seasons out here in the desert, so it was nice to be able to experience it at least once in my life.” Bee beeped at you quizzically again with a lot of inflection in his tone, and it finally hit you what he meant through his words… he had never experienced Autumn either. He hasn’t been able to see the world beyond the desert and the city the resides within it. It was then that you vowed to take him on the most amazing road trip once this whole war was over, you were going to show him the most amazing and beautiful places that the world has to offer.

-You sat cross legged on Bumblebee’s yellow and black hood as you examined a medium brown shipping box that was surprisingly light for its size. Bee beeped quizzically at you as you rotated the box in your hands as you shook it a little to try and guess what was inside. It was a package you ordered months ago and completely forgot about due to the fact you got swept up in an alien war between a species that consisted of giant robots- you argued that was a pretty fair reason to forget about your mail delivery on a consistent basis. Bee beeped at you again a little louder, which pulled you from you thoughts enough to chuckle and answer hks question- “Sorry, Bee, it looks like a package I ordered a while ago. I forgot what it was that I bought and I was trying to think of what it was that I could have ordered.” Bee responded with a noise of understanding as you adjusted yourself on the top of his hood so that you could properly open the box without making to much of a mess that you would have to clean up later. “Oh! This is the knitted Fall Ware I bought from that online designer I like” you exclaimed as you pulled out a plush looking scarf that was very soft to the touch, the next item you fished from the box was a sweater made of the same material that had a beautiful and artistic depiction of a tree losing its leaves that had changed to all different kinds of colors as they almost appeared to sway in the breeze on the still image on the piece of outerwear, and the last thing you pulled from the box was a cute little beanie that had a similar pattern to that of the sweater that was made of equally soft material. Bee beeped at you again as you wrapped the scarf around your neck in glee as you strokes at the fabric with your fingers, “These were fashion accessories that were apart of a bigger fall line by this internet designer, aren’t they cute? It’s a little too warm to wear them out here in the desert, but I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to snag myself a set when the time came.” Bee didn’t understand what you meant by fashion, but he was happy that you were happy about getting clothes that were meant to match the season of autumn. Besides, he thought you looked nice with all your new pieces of clothing- the warm colors matched your personality in a way he couldn’t describe, it was like a reflection of not only the changing of the season but also of who you were on the inside.

-You sat in your driveway in your new Halloween costumes as you watched the sun orange and yellow sun begin to dip down over the horizon. You’d be surprised at the fact that this small town does have quite a population of children, young children specifically- the ones that like to dress up in fun costumes and run around and collect as much candy as their bags could carry. You always loved Halloween and being able to celebrate it when you were little, and now that you were older and able to give out sweets on your own, you found it endearing and cute to see all the little ones running around asking for candy. You had the driveway decorated in a small way- a few body parts here and a few spiders there, but the big focal point of your decorations was none other than the bot himself, Bumblebee! He stood there nervously as the first group of kids of the night ran up to him and marveled at the “decoration” while the parents asked how you managed to accomplish such an amazing feat of engineering. “How did you get it’s eyes to glow so bright?” “It makes sounds just like a real machine!” “Oh, wow! It’s so warm and not cold at all!” After the night went on for awhile, you noticed Bee was actually having a good time receiving so much attention- you knew he would like pretending to be a statue more than he thought, olus, it was a good reminder for him about what it was that he was fighting for here on earth. These kids, these families, these people all called this floating rock their home and had nowhere else to go in the entire universe- this was a good way to not only see what he was fighting for, but for him to feel appreciated by civilians without giving away the fact he was an alien machine from another galaxy. so many kids dropped by that there was almost a party there on your block, but as it grew later and passed their bedtimes the crowd of people began to dissipate as they all waved goodbye to both you and the “statue” you let out a sigh of relief as your street was once again empty with all the houses that had light in them begin to grow dim. “How’d you like your first Halloween, Bee?” You asked as he transformed back into a car so you could usher him back into the privacy of your garage. He beeped happily at you as he began to describe all the kind things those kids said about him when they came up to place their hands on his frame- he felt so warm and loved as they spewed kind words at him in a way he had never experienced before. It made you smile as he continued on and on about his whole experience as if you weren’t there to see it, and it warmed your heart so much as you politely sat and listened to him speak with great passion and love.

Smokescreen

-You sat inside Smokescreen’s quarters that was located in the Autobot base doing nothing more than making a huge mess out of the project you had began just a few hours ago, but then again, the whole fun of this project was to get messy and mushy while teaching him the wily ways of humanity on the side. “So, why are you making a big mess again?” Smokescreen asked you as you sat on his desk covered in orange stringy pumpkin guts as you were trying to make the most traditional Jack-O-Lantern you could from this small one you picked up from the grocery store, you sighed at his question again as you tried not to touch your face out of frustration because you were still very sticky, it was literally about the third time he had asked that question- “It’s an old Hallow’s Eve tradition that dates back generations of humanity. Some people say that these little guys are supposed to protect your home from the undead, and others say they are meant to light the way for the good spirits to come and find you and give you blessings…” You explained as you finally began to carve into the surface of the pumpkin with your carving knife. “And… You believe that?” He asked in a rather crude tone as he cut you off before you could even finish your story, but you know he didn’t mean it on purpose- he just didn’t understand human customs and traditions quite yet, so it was only natural for him to think that what you were doing was rather… alien. “Does it matter if I do or not?” you shot back at him in a lighthearted tone as you placed a small tealight candle into the now hallowed and carved out shell of the tiny pumpkin “The point is that it’s tradition- and this tradition in particular can bring a lot of happiness to people. It’s a fun family activity that helps everyone get into the mood of the season, you know?” You light the candle and closed the pumpkin up to show Smokescreen what it was that you were trying to teach him about. It was nothing fancy, just your run of the mill goofy face with triangle eyes and a jagged mouth, but it seems Smokescreen just made a strange noise as he just couldn’t wrap his mind around the concept as he looked down into the face of the Jack-O-Lantern you just carved. “C’mon, help me with the next one you big grump.” You snickered as he made a face at you calling him a grump- you pulled out another round pumpkin that was much bigger than the last one that could really use a face- the point wasn’t for him to understand really, the point was for you two to finally spend some time together doing the things that you wanted to do instead of having to worry about the war that was going on outside of these walls, and he was just happy to be spending one on one time with the one person who understand him… even if he doesn’t understand you completely yet. Hew was trying to understand, and you really appreciated the effort, even if he did fall flat sometimes.

-”Thanks for taking me all the way out to the nearest coffee shop, Smokescreen” you said as you swirled the hot cup of liquid around in your cup as you sped down the freeway to head back to Jasper. You felt a sense of comfort when you felt the warm liquid swirl around in the paper cup that was in your hands, it was a little sappy, but you knew that this little cup of coffee guaranteed that you were going to have a great start to the new season (even if you didn’t really get to experience it due to living in a desert climate). “Anything for you, though, I have to say- it smells a little funny but also a little familiar… funny in a good way, I think?” He responded as you took a big whiff of your coffee through the small ventilation hole on the top of the cup. Pumpkin Spice, for you it was the perfect sign to let you know that it was the changing of the season, a perfect way to remind you that the rest of the world is experiencing cooler and cooler weather while beginning to prep for the upcoming holiday season. “It’s a special kind of spice that uses seasonal vegetation to celebrate a successful year of harvest- it’s a very popular scent on top of flavor. I use it all the time in the house as a candle because it’s kind of comforting.” You told him as you took a sip of your slightly too hot coffee- you might have to wait for it to cool off just a touch before you can really enjoy all of the flavors in the bitter liquid. “That must be why it is familiar! It’s comforting for me too… it reminds me of you, and anything that reminds me of you always makes me feel better.” You made an ‘aww’ noise at his words ad you put your hand on his dashboard. You could hear his voice stutter a little bit as he made a noise of sucking in air “I-I mean, you know- I like you and stuff but I- ummm.” He was stumbling through his words as he was trying to articulate his thoughts- he was so bad with words and it was so endearing and adorable to you. “You care about me and it’s very sweet, but don’t worry, just because you spill your guts to me it doesn’t make you any less of a macho mech.” You heard him sigh in relief. “Good! I mean- not that I think that kind of thing matters or anything. I mean- it does matter, but it doesn’t also… I mean-” “Relax, Smokescreen your emotional secret is just between you, me, and this cup of coffee.” You cut him off as you raised your cup a little to signify a mock toast as you took another sip of your seasonal drink. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” You just chuckled as you got comfortable in the driver’s seat once more as you opted to just watch the dry scenery pass you by once more- you reminisced about never being able to truly see the colors of fall, but that was ok, so long as you were surrounded by the people and bots that loved you nothing else really mattered.

-You jumped in your seat as you placed your hand over your chest in a way to try and quell the dramatic beating that you could feel inside of it. Smokescreen made a surprised noise as well, but his reaction was less dramatic than yours, which made you laugh harder at your own silliness. You both sat in front of a projection screen in his room just watching old classic horror movies from the 80s, you have seen all of these movies so many times as they aired as reruns on TV or they are always playing in the background during this time of year in shopping malls and movie theaters alike. “This is pretty gruesome! Why would those two teenagers stop in the middle of the woods to exchange fluids?! There is a guy trying to kill you!” Smokescreen emphasized as he was having a hard time understanding why humans would willfully do sexual things when there is a crazed serial killer on the loose. “You know Smokey, though this is a fictional movie, it has been known that adrenaline can increase the libido in humans- so scary things can make humans a little frisky.” You explained as you watched the killer hack up the poor teenagers who were screaming and begging for their lives. You didn’t really think beyond the words that came out of your mouth, as you were pretty much used to explaining things like this to Smokescreen, but when you caught him staring at you it made your face begin to flush as you asked him what he was looking at you like that for. “Are you watching this movie to… get your… libido er- going?” you nearly choked on your own oxygen as you coughed and almost panicked at what it was that he was implying. “Of course not! It’s nearly Hallow’s Eve and I was simply trying to get into the spooky mood!” you exclaimed as you put your hands on your cheeks to feel just how warm your face hard really gotten. “Ah…” He replied as he shifted a little in his seat on his berth. “Does that disappoint you?” you asked in a stoic way as you saw your opportunity to try and force Smokescreen into being more open and honest with his feelings. “I-I mean… I don’t- I don’t know. Yes? No?” He stammered as he too tried to cover his face in embarrassment “I mean- I like you. I think you’re attractive and I mean- who wouldn’t want to lay with you? N-Not that I want to right now! I mean, if you want-” You just chuckled as your face began to return to it’s normal color as you watched him struggle to find the words that were stuck in his audio box. “I know what you mean Smokey, I was just teasing you, you big goof.”you said as you gave him a gentle punch on his his servo- it was the closest appendage to you that you could reach to emphasize that you were just playing around with him. “Ok, good! Good” he sighed as he tried his best to turn his focus back onto the movie and to not try and think about the jarring conversation he just had with you where he nearly let his whole spark just puke out all of the deepest thoughts he had locked up in his processor. It wasn’t the right time to talk about that yet, but when it will be, he hopes that he doesn’t stammer and lose track of his words like he did earlier.

(02/11/2019)

#Long Post #Transformers Prime #Bumblebee #Smokescreen #Headcanon

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jupiterparker · 6 years

Text

trick or treat (p.p)

Words count: 2.1k

Paring: Peter Parker x Reader

Warnings: none

A/N: I hope you guys all have a fun and safe halloween!

In which -> pumpkins and costumes are bought, and no actual trick or treating happens

Masterlist

“What do you mean you haven’t ever gone trick or treating?” Peter yelled, causing you to drop the pumpkin you were holding out of surprise.

He quickly grabbed the pumpkin before it went smashing all across the ground, “And now you drop the pumpkin tsk” he mock teased you.

You offered a sheepish smile, shrugging your shoulders at him as you took the pumpkin from him. “I just never went trick or treating I guess? It does take place at night in the cold, so possible sickness and extreme amounts of candy? That’s a no from my parents” you offered.

Peter stared at you disbelieving, not ever hearing of any kid not allowed to go trick or treating on Halloween. “So...” he started tentatively, as if he knew he was about to say something stupid (he was), “you’ve never had candy then?”

You were all of a sudden glad you had the pumpkin and not Peter. As if Peter had the pumpkin, he would have dropped if out of surprise as you slapped the back of his head because of his idiocy. “I take that as a no then?” Peter said, laughing at how annoyed you look at him.

You rolled your eyes at his laughter, replying “No dipshit, the grocery store has candy you know.”

“But your parents and candy?” Peter tried pointing out.

“I said excess amounts. Besides Peter, you know me, I’ll get my candy and chocolate one way or another” you replied, acting offended that Peter wouldn’t know that. After all, he did tease you about your sweet tooth so often.

“True” Peter nodded, conceding this mini-debate to you. Peter walked slightly ahead of you to pay for the pumpkin that you were carrying. As he talked to the cashier, you looked around you, breathing in the fall atmosphere.

The fields were still full of pumpkins, with the surrounding areas full of colorful trees shedding their leaves. You noticed what seemed to be a giant pile of leaves near the gate, it was a pile so big it was just begging to be jumped in.

And you would have if it wasn’t for Peter. “Y/N! Where are you going?” he yelled out to you. Looking back at him, you noticed you had gradually drifted towards the said pile of leaves. Gently, you put down the pumpkin and pointed at the pile, yelling “I’m going to jump!”

At this Peter seemed a little frightened, motioning for you to wait as he ran up to you. Out of breath, he panted and help up a single figure, signaling to you that he had something to say.

Your heart started beating rapidly all of a sudden as you waited, but you ignored it, brushing it aside. It must have been from impatience of waiting for Peter, as your heart went back to normal the second he started talking, “You shouldn’t jump in the pile of leaves Y/N, because-” Peter started explaining before you cut him off.

“What do you mean I shouldn’t jump! The pile of leaves is perfectly there! There’s no sign!” You yelled, annoyed that you waited for so long to be told not to do the thing you were waiting for.

“I was about to tell you before you cut me off you know!” Peter said, raising an eyebrow at pouty face.

“Sorry” you muttered, giving Peter the biggest 5-year-old smile you could muster. Peter just laughed at your expression as you picked up the pumpkin and started heading towards the gate. Before Peter could stop you from going (it’s not your fault the gate entrance and the pile of leaves are in the same spot), you quickly said “I know, not the leaves for some fucking reason” while pointing at the gate.

Peter rolled his eyes at you before continuing, saying “Like I was saying before, you shouldn’t go in the pile of leaves because they are so neat right now. You are going to cause the owners so much trouble to try and put together the pile if you jump” he explained. You still wanted to argue with him, but you had to appreciate how nice and caring Peter was, so you decided to just shut up about it.

But then as you guys put away your pumpkin to go back to your house to carve, you saw three little kids jumping in the same piles of leaves. Peter looked to where you were staring and panicked, shoving you into the car before you could run off and do the same. As you both left the pumpkin field, you glared at Peter the entire time for depriving you, a poor sweet innocent child, of some fall festivities.

“Y/N, you’re not a poor sweet innocent child you know. Definitely not a sweet innocent one” Peter said, as apparently, you talked out loud by accident. You turned to the door to check if there was a hairbrush in the side that you could chuck at Peter. But you stopped as soon as you looked out the window, surprised about your location.

Instead of seeing your home, you were outside some costume shop. You dropped the hairbrush as you shifted back to face Peter, removing your seatbelt in the process “What are we doing?” You asked Peter, even more, confused and thankfully (for Peter) forgot about chucking a hairbrush at him.

“We need to get a costume!” Peter replied, super cheery. But you were more confused, and his answer didn’t really clear things up for you. You had no reason to need a costume. In fact, you were pretty sure that all of your plans that you had made today with Peter only included pumpkins. So unless you had to take in the pumpkin from the pumpkin patch inside the store to find a costume for the said pumpkin, you had no clue where the costume store fit into all of today.

“For what?” You asked slowly, as you were trying to figure out what you were missing. Was there a party you had completely forgotten about or? That would be a much better explanation than needed to get a costume for a pumpkin. Or maybe Peter just needed to get his costume in general and he decided to just drag you along. In that case, you were going to throw the hairbrush at him again.

“Do you not remember our earlier conversation at the pumpkin patch?” Peter asked deadpan, not believing you at all. As you shook your head no, he groaned before continuing, “you know, the one where I said I would make you go trick or treating this year?”

“You do realize we just ended up arguing if I had ever had candy before? And that you never said I was going trick or treating this year?” You pointed out, laughing when Peter thought back to the previous conversation and smacked his forehead.

“Well, I meant to, okay!” Peter said flustered, “I guess then I should also now tell you we are getting matching costumes then.” You froze at this, your mind racing and you didn’t want to take it the wrong way.

“Like… couple costumes?” You asked slowly, clarifying, as you unsure of what Peter was trying to imply.

“Yes?” Peter replied, unsure of where this was going. Maybe you were just overthinking it then?

“Aren’t couple costumes, you know, usually for couples?” you asked. You watched as Peter’s face turned a bright red, and he turned away from you for a couple seconds to think.

“Yeah, I guess so then,” Peter said slowly, choosing his words very carefully.

“Does that make us a couple then?” you asked. When Peter didn’t respond for a couple seconds, you continued rambling, “you know what, its stupid. I was just thinking of one of those math rules you know, where a equals b and b equals c so a has to equal c. But you know what that's really stupid and-“

“Y/N,” Peter said, cutting you off. You turned to look at him which resulted in a very awkward eye contact for a couple seconds. You looked away, acutely aware of the extreme blush that was on your cheeks.

You really wished you both weren’t still in the car, you felt trapped there, just waiting for Peter to finish his sentence.

“Yes, it does make us then a couple I guess” Peter continued before quickly adding on, “I mean, only if you want to Y/N?”

“Of course Peter” you replied sweetly. Of course, you would agree as you thought back to earlier to when your heart was beating rapidly at Peter, at least now you know why that was the case. All of a sudden, you remembered where you were, and decided to add on saying “but only on one condition”, your voice becoming very serious all of a sudden.

“What?” Peter asked, head tilting to one side like a puppy, oblivious to the situation right now.

“Can we please get out of the car now!” You groaned impatiently, sticking your tongue out at Peter as you gestured towards the locked doors. Peter laughed at your childish before turning off the car and unlocking the doors, prompting you to run out and yell “Freedom!”

You quickly stopped your chant, however, at the sound of Peter’s laughing accompanied by the sounds of his phone. You turned to face him taking a video of you, saving it before you could come over and delete it. You mocked glared at him, feeling like a child again, as Peter took your arms and dragged you inside the store.

Costume stores were just a tad bit overwhelming, you decided as you gazed on the rows and rows of pictures of costumes. The all of the walls were just covered with the costumes like a catalog, and then the middle of the store just had rows and rows of Halloween decorations, with some dressing rooms.

Peter saw you looking a little overwhelmed, and being the helpful person he was, started laughing at you, “Right, I assume you’ve never been inside here before?” He asked amid his laughing.

“Correct, I’m like a Halloween virgin,” you said, shaking your head in defeat. Peter stared at you in silence before doubling over in laughter over your choice in words.

“That’s not the choice of words I would use, but you do you” Peter explained, giving you a slight smile.

“So then costumes?” You reminded Peter, gesturing for Peter to go ahead, so you could follow, as you would have no idea where to start in this massive store.

Peter expertly wove through the crowd of people, mainly little kids, who were all trying to write down the numbers of the costumes they wanted. You were too busy watching them all squirm excitedly, that you didn’t notice that Peter had stopped, and you bumped right into in him.

Rubbing your forehead from the impact, you looked up in front of you and Peter to see where you stopped. It seemed like you were in front of some costume pictures, and Peter pointed to the one that he was aiming for. Squinting to see which specific costume he wanted, you really hoped it wasn’t what you thought it was.

“Is that…” you started saying, unsure if you were looking at the right costume, “a peanut and jelly sandwich costume?” You asked, looking at Peter for confirmation or denial after you finished. It was a set of two costumes, each a slice of toast. One of the costumes had ‘peanut butter’ on it, and the other ‘jelly’. If they hugged each other, it would then look like a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Yup!” Peter said excitedly. He looked so happy that you felt a little bad not wanting to do it. You made a mental note of the expression on his face, deciding to go along with it. But, it turns out that you didn’t really have a choice. Mainly because Peter had already bought it, and was just picking it up today so you could try it out.

You waited for Peter to pick up the costumes, and when he came back, he handed you your jelly costume, because apparently he already called dibs on peanut butter.

Peter placed the costume in your not so open arms and pushed you into the dressing room. Before you closed the door and try it on, you yelled out to Peter, “we better have food on Halloween, especially if we are going on a date together dressed as food!”

The last thing you saw of Peter before you closed the door, was his face turning bright red at you calling it a date.

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nancypullen · 5 years

Text

Chugging Along

I’m well aware that every year at this time I get whatever the summer version of cabin fever is - heat insanity? humidity madness? temperature derangement? Whatever you call it, it’s enough to make a normal(ish) person batty. It’s probably a good thing that the mister has been traveling a lot because A)I’m grumpy and B) I’m not cooking much. It’s just too dang hot. I’ve been taking advantage of ready made stuff. The seafood counter at our local Publix makes killer fresh salmon burgers. I bought just one southwest salmon burger for about $2 and cooked it up with some fresh green beans that I blanched in salty water. I mixed up a quick aioli for dipping and I was out of the kitchen in minutes.

I like mine really cooked, a little crunchy on the outside. I don’t use a bun, they’re yummy enough all on their own. I purposely bought just one because if I had two of these I’d eat two. Tonight’s five minute dinner will be zucchini noodles. Spiralize one big zucchini with my little handheld gadget, toss the zoodles in a skillet and throw a few shrimp on top, spice it all up and it’s done fast - minimal clean up too! OH, speaking of picking things up at grocery stores, look what we spotted outside of Kroger last Saturday! The home decor stores in our area have had Halloween stuff out for a couple weeks, but when Kroger puts out pumpkins you know it’s getting close. Eeeeek! I could squeal with excitement. I may have done an old lady jig when I stopped to take this photo. I love them all, and I get that they’re big, heavy luminary creations - but the prices are ridiculous. I might give half that, but not a penny more.

That same day we zipped down to the Wilson County fair grounds to drop off my talented husband’s entries in the photography contest. I also entered a couple. One photo is just a nice picture of Eugene, a snail that I bonded with this summer - I really think it captured his essence. The other photo is a beautiful shot of my grandbaby. That’s right, I put her in the fair. I’m not allowed to share her on my blog or on any social media platforms, so I entered her in the fair and now 500,000 people will see her. So there. Well, not all of the people who attend the fair will check out the photography exhibit, but a good portion of the 500,000 will. I don’t expect either of my entries to be ribbon winners, but it’s fun to participate. Driving in the road was lined with sunflowers, what a cheerful welcome!

The place was abuzz with folks entering everything from quilts and jams to pies and paintings. There were people pulling wagons loaded with metal sculptures, stained glass, floral arrangements, and just about anything else that can be cooked, crafted, or created. The Wilson County Fair is famous for a reason. My water aerobics instructor will be competing in the Ms. Senior Wilson County pageant on Saturday night. I may have to go cheer for her. Saturday is just such a busy time to go - ugh! Of course, we’ll be under heat advisories for another few days - when your heat index looks like this, is there really a good time to go?

Am I the only one that thinks that map looks like the flames of Hell? In 63 days we’ll jet out of Nashville on a trip to Maine. The mister wants to photograph Acadia National Park and I plan to decimate the lobster population. Hey, we both have our hobbies. That promise will get me through the next two months of sizzling weather. Well, maybe a month and a half. I don’t have a project going at the moment. I’d better dream one up. I’m crafting with my dead people and enjoying that. You know this lady spoke to me.

I’m bagging and boxing stuff for Goodwill. It seems like I get rid of a closet full of junk and overnight it multiplies somewhere else. I’ll keep chipping away until I’m satisfied. I just really, really want a place for everything and everything in its place. No boxes that go untouched for years, no saving a dress because I might be invited to Buckingham Palace someday, and if I’m being honest I could get rid of half of my dishes too. My only other plan for the week is to get a large portion of this hair cut off. It’s far too long for a woman my age. It’s well past the band of my bra and that’s probably not a good look for a gal who has 55 years under her belt (and on her face) The only thing stopping me right now is ease of throwing it up in a ponytail or a clip when it’s really hot. I’m looking at something about this length, so I guess I could still clip it.

That’s not me, obviously. This is me, showing my sister my giant, glittery earrings. We’re both like magpies, easily distracted by shiny things.

She’s up in Maine right now, soaking up time with her grandson and enjoying cooler temperatures. She has the nerve to text me her morning temps - one morning she said it was 52 and I’d woken up to 80 that day. That’s just cruel. The weather, my hair...I’m just ready for a change. Change is good. What could go wrong?

Ta-ta for now. I’ll keep you updated! XOXO

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zecretsanta · 6 years

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Fic: Something I need

To: @eatingfireflies

From: @hardcoreprince

Merry Christmas, D!!! I was super excited to get you as my giftee! I hope you like what I’ve put together!

Notes: In my mind I kind of continued off what I established in The Knowledge Argument, but you definitely don’t need to read that to read this. It’s really just a bit of pure fluff. Enjoy and Merry Christmas, D!!

AO3 LINK

“Do you really need another boyfriend? You’re so greedy!”

Carlos blinks as he tears his eyes away from his phone and stares at his sister, who is grinning maddeningly at him. They’re sprawled out on the couch at his apartment as a cheesy Christmas movie plays in the background. They’re only about twenty minutes in. The city slicker main character is still adjusting to life in a small town.

“What—”

“Don’t play dumb.” Maria sits up and examines him critically. “No morphogenetic field required, I can tell you like Aoi. You’re texting him now, aren’t you?”

Carlos goes a little red as he stares down at the phone in his hands. “Maybe I am,” he mumbles. “But it’s not like that! He wanted to know what we needed at the store.”

Maria shakes her head. “I wrote him a list. It is like that. Geeze, maybe I should become a firefighter. I can’t even get one boy to date me.” She sighs and shakes her head ruefully.

“We’re not dating!” Carlos laughs a little. “Maria, anyone would be lucky to date you.”

She scoffs. “Don’t give me that line. Anyway, we were talking about you. Why not? What’s the harm in one more? Junpei’s dating him too, isn’t he?”

The phone vibrates in Carlos’ hands, only further incriminating him. Another message from Aoi. It had started out with Aoi asking Carlos to remind him what he wanted from the market… but it had quickly devolved into a conversation about what brand of crappy instant coffee is better, which turned into what Carlos thinks could be flirting…

“He is,” Carlos says carefully. “But I don’t want to assume that just because Junpei is dating him means that I should, or that he even likes me. That’s too complicated, right? This thing with Akane and Junpei… that’s enough without me getting involved with someone else.”

“He’s not a stranger or anything, he’s Akane’s brother. And I think he does like you.” Maria lifts her eyebrows a little and leans closer, as if she has a secret. “Anyway, I know you like him because you forgot to check the roast.”

A jolt of panic goes through Carlos as he leaps from the couch. “Oh sh— shoot, the roast!”

Maria’s giggles follow him into the kitchen as he scrambles to the oven. “I’m not twelve anymore!”

But all his haste was for nothing. When Carlos cracks open the oven, the roast looks fine, despite the fact that he was supposed to check on it ten minutes ago. As he pierces the skin with the thermometer, he tries to put what Maria said out of his mind. But it’s hard when Aoi is coming back in about ten minutes…

Junpei, Akane, and Aoi have been visiting for the past few days and his apartment has never been more crowded. Junpei keeps telling him to get a bigger place but Carlos insists the housing market is terrible and he doesn’t have enough time for that. So, they’ve made do. Carlos, Akane, and Junpei sleep in Carlos’ room and Aoi gets the couch. Aoi initially complained, saying he didn’t come all the way to America to couch surf, and almost got a hotel. But Akane sweetly reminded him that hotels did not offer five-star breakfasts and cute firemen to cook them. Carlos had blushed at that and Aoi had rolled his eyes but agreed to stay.

How Aoi ended up in America in the first place was all Junpei’s doing. The official line is that Junpei insisted it would be pathetic if Aoi spent Christmas alone, so he dragged him all the way out to California. Maria suspects Aoi tagging along has less to do with that and more to do with Carlos. But Carlos doesn’t think it’s too much of a stretch to bring your boyfriend when you’re visiting your other boyfriend with your girlfriend…

What has his life become?

The door squeaks open in the other room just loud enough for Carlos to hear it and he smiles. He washes his hands and leaves the kitchen to find Aoi, Junpei, and Akane coming in the front door with probably more groceries than strictly necessary. Aoi had only proposed the trip to get some (good) wine to go with dinner, and Maria made up a list of a few things they could use, but it looks like they’ve come back with much more than that.

“Blame Junpei,” Akane says when she sees Carlos’ questioning gaze. “He was the one who insisted on getting three flavors of instant ramen like he’s still at University.”

“I’ve never seen those flavors,” Junpei scowls, brushing past Carlos to drop his bag in the kitchen. “Besides, Akane bought a lot of coffee creamer.”

“I’ve never seen those flavors,” Akane parrots innocently.

Carlos shakes his head, but he’s smiling. He looks to Aoi, who’s struggling with an overpacked bag, and takes it from him effortlessly. “What did you buy too much of?”

Aoi grins and there’s something about that expression that’s so inviting and teasing that it makes Carlos a little bit flustered. “Alcohol. Too many flavors and all that shit. Americans really like that flavored crap, don’t they?”

“I guess…” Carlos says with a little shrug. He peers into the bag and sees a variety of holiday flavored wines and vodkas. Are you planning on drinking all this?“

“Oh?” Aoi steps closer to Carlos and even though he’s shorter, Carlos can’t help but feel like he’s being loomed over. “Can’t hold your liquor?”

Carlos can only stare as Aoi brushes past him to bother Junpei in the kitchen. Now without Aoi in front of him, Carlos can see Maria and Akane watching him.

“Told you,” Maria says, giggling.

Akane grins. “You were right. My brother and your brother… we’ll be, double sisters in law?”

That really makes Maria laugh. Carlos goes red as the both of them giggle at his expense. “It’s not like that,” he insists.

Akane steps forward and cups Carlos’ face. He leans into her touch. “Sorry, just teasing. I know how you are, don’t worry, okay? It’s Christmas Eve.”

But Carlos is very good at worrying.

During dinner, Aoi serves Carlos a generous helping of a very sweet wine that tastes off puttingly of peppermint. There are three bottles of various flavors open at the table and it seems random who has gotten what.

“Pumpkin spice wine?” Junpei sputters, looking scandalized. “Aoi… you’ve really gone too far this time.”

“Don’t blame me,” Aoi says with a little shrug. “I’m just the messenger. You should really be blaming this fucking sinful country for concocting such an abomination.”

“Mine’s not bad,” Maria offers. holding it out to Junpei for a taste. She’s sitting next to Carlos. Across from them are Akane and Junpei, and right next to Carlos at the corner of the table is Aoi.

Junpei sips the dark liquid suspiciously and pulls a face. “Is that supposed to be chocolate?”

“You’re so uncultured,” Aoi says with a long-suffering sigh as he clinks glasses with Akane.

In turn, Akane drinks her white wine and blinks. “Cheesecake. Here, Jumpy, maybe this is more to your taste.”

After Junpei decides he definitely does not like that one either, he looks to Carlos, who shrugs. “No, you won’t like mine. Peppermint. A lot of it.”

Junpei turns to Aoi with disgust. “Why did you even buy that? Anyone who drinks that better not kiss me.”

Before Carlos knows what’s happening, Aoi is reaching for his glass. He downs the rest of the wine in one go, not breaking eye contact with Junpei. “Whoops. Guess I don’t get to kiss you now. Big fucking loss. I’ll just have to kiss Carlos.” Aoi leans over and slips an arm around Carlos.

Carlos goes a little red and even redder as Maria catches his eye and raises an eyebrow at him. He coughs and averts his gaze as Junpei fumes.

“You’re a dick,” Junpei grumbles. “I didn’t want to kiss either of you anyway.”

“Liar.” Aoi idly refills the wine glass and passes it to Akane as Junpei’s eyes go wide.

“No, don’t do it, Kanny, please. I swear I’ll shift right now to some other timeline where you don’t ruin the taste of your lips.”

Akane grins at Aoi and takes the glass. Junpei gapes at her as she brings the glass to her lips ever so slowly. Even Carlos holds his breath with anticipation. But she doesn’t take a sip. Instead she giggles and puts it down. “Jumpy, you’re so dramatic.”

Carlos starts tuning out the rest of their banter because Aoi’s arm is still draped tantalizingly around him. He serves himself some more of the offending wine and drinks it too quickly. The roast is good, no harm done for ignoring it for a little while, and the meal passes by comfortably with Aoi’s arm around him. Every time Carlos thinks he’s going to pull away… he doesn’t. If anything, he draws closer.

Towrds the end of the meal, everyone is a little tipsy and Aoi leans close to Carlos’ ear to whisper, “Meet me outside in two minutes.” He gets up from the table and stretches out like a cat while Carlos stares bewilderedly after him “Be right back,” he tells the table. “Gotta take a piss.”

“Go wash your mouth out,” Junpei gripes. “Plenty of mouthwash.”

Aoi flips him off as he leaves, and Carlos is left with a growing pit of dread in his stomach. He watches the next two minutes crawl by as he stares at the clock on the wall. When it’s finally time for him to get up, he lurches unsteadily to his feet and Maria looks up at him with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah.” Carlos waves her off. “Just need to get some air.”

“Okay…” Maria is looking at him with too much scrutiny, so he hurries out of the kitchen before she can pick up anything weird from him. They’re so much more in tune these days that he’s had to ask her to stop prying into his mind. She complies… most of the time.

When Carlos gets outside the front door of his apartment, Aoi is waiting there, bathed in his porchlight and smoking a cigarette carelessly as he leans against the railing. “You actually waited two minutes.” He shakes his head and grins. “What a fuckin’ dumbass.”

Carlos falters. It’s cold outside and he’s just wearing a stupid holiday sweater Maria picked out for him. He shoves his hands in his pockets and averts his eyes. “I’m good at following instructions,” he offers.

At that, Aoi snorts and takes a drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out. “I just didn’t want the others to get suspicious. You blush too easily.” He takes a step towards Carlos, who instantly gets tense. “Relax. Jesus.” Aoi reaches forward and brushes a piece of hair from Carlos’ face.

“Oh,” Carlos says softly. A puff of his breath materializes between them. He tries to look anywhere else but Aoi is so close. “This won’t… this doesn’t complicate everything, does it?”

“Goddamn, you talk too much,” Aoi says, slipping one of his hands behind Carlos’ neck. His hands are cold, and it makes Carlos shiver. “I’ve already stolen one of my sister’s boyfriends. Another one isn’t going to hurt, right?”

“I-I guess?”

“You like me, right?” Aoi’s words are more of a demand than anything. He already knows the answer, obviously. His brazenness makes Carlos laugh helplessly.

“Y-yes, but—”

“Then quit fuckin’ talking! Jesus, I’m trying to make out with you at a holiday party. I shouldn’t have to say anything except ‘you, me, outside.’”

Carlos doesn’t have time to say anything to that before Aoi is leaning up and pressing mouth firm against Carlos’. He tastes strongly of peppermint wine but it’s not off putting anymore. Carlos slides his eyes shut and winds his arms around Aoi’s waist. He lets himself relax and the cold melts away as Aoi digs his fingers in Carlos’ hair. He’s not as tall as Carlos, so he’s pulling him down, pressing his body up to meet him.

When they break apart, Carlos is breathless and pink and Aoi is grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat. “Alright, fix your face, they’re going to wonder where we’ve been. I’ll go first.”

And then Aoi is gone and Carlos is standing on his porch wondering what the hell just happened.

The next ten minutes pass by in a blur. Carlos returns to his kitchen. Maria raises her eyebrows over and over at him, Junpei is still complaining about the wine, and Akane is giving him a knowing look. Finally, Maria excuses herself, saying she’s meeting up with some friends, and she winks at Carlos not so subtly as she leaves. Now, left with a mountain of dishes, Junpei says they should clean up later and the four of them end up crammed together on Carlos’ couch.

Carlos ends up exactly where he does not want to be, stuck between Akane and Aoi. Akane curls into him at once and Aoi slings an arm around him.

“Of course, I’m on the end,” Junpei mutters as he makes himself comfortable on Aoi’s other side.

“Quit whining, you’re going to have to learn to share this solid asshole.” Aoi pats Carlos’ shoulder appreciatively. “You two have really been holding out on me.”

“I knew something happened when you both disappeared,” Akane says, looking up at Carlos brightly. He’s trying very hard not to look flustered. “You have my full support. Jumpy? Tell him you support him.”

“What? Hell no. I can’t let Carlos date this… this degenerate.”

Aoi swiftly elbows Junpei in the stomach and Junpei starts swearing at him and Carlos can only watch in mild horror as the two of them start wrestling on the couch, right there next to him. Akane puts a hand on his cheek and gently guides his gaze to her.

“Jumpy’s joking. It’s alright. We’re both happy for you. I know it seems like too much, but you don’t have to worry.” She smiles at him and her eyes are so soft and gentle as she leans forward to give him a chaste peck on the lips.

As Akane pulls away, Carlos is smiling. “Uh, thanks, Akane. Guess it’s too much to ask for a normal Christmas, huh?”

Akane grins back him and puts a hand on his chest as he slips an arm around her. “Don’t worry. This is as normal as it gets.”

After a moment, Aoi settles back against Carlos, apparently done wrestling with Junpei.

“You see what he’s like?” Junpei grumbles, resting his head on Aoi’s shoulder and closing his eyes. “But if you must… I guess I support you.”

“Didn’t need your approval, asshole,” Aoi breathes into Carlos’ neck.

Carlos laughs. He’s comfortable and full and still a little tipsy and maybe just slightly overwhelmed to suddenly find himself entangled with Akane’s brother but… he’s happy above all else. And as the four of them eventually fall asleep on the couch, watching a movie that none of them were paying attention to, Carlos can’t believe how lucky he is.

#zero escape #zero time dilemma #eatingfireflies #hardcoreprince #aoi/carlos/junpei/akane #akane/carlos/junpei #zecret santa 2018 #submission

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arcaneapologist · 6 years

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Partners in Crime- Ch 10

hey what do you know. i forgot it was monday. again. anyways... here’s chapter 10. i apologize for the title but uh. i really struggled with it and decided to make the temporary title the permanent title. so uh. here’s the link to a03. and a big thanks to @vinndetta who wrote a small lil fic that gave me some inspiration rewrite/finish this chapter.

Chapter 10: FUCK THIS FUCKING THANKSGIVING CHAPTER.

Dan was wandering through the grocery store by his house, attempting to decide which two side dishes to make for Thanksgiving. It was proving to be far more difficult than he imagined, as he had no idea how to cook. Dan still had two days, but he wanted to get this figured out sooner rather than later. Especially since everyone else already knew what they were making. Then, there was the subject of decorating his house. He’d found out Suzy and Holly and Arin went all out when it came to Holiday decorations.

He left the groceries and headed towards the seasonal aisle. Maybe while looking at something else would help him figure out what he was going to make. He picked up a few plastic pumpkins and set them in the cart, then turned in a circle. There was so much to choose from, and this was something else he’d never been good at. Dan pushed his hair out of his face and groaned. Why did everyone have to come to his house? Because you volunteered your house, Dummy. Though it was still small, his town-home was far bigger than anyone else’s apartment.

“You alright there? You seem to be having some sort of crisis.” A giggly voice asked from behind him.

He turned around to find the girl from a few weeks earlier, “Oh. Hello again.”

“It seems like I’m following you this time.” She took a step around her cart, suddenly serious. “But really. Are you okay?”

“Ugh... No.” Dan sighed. “I’ve got... I’ve got like five people coming over for Thanksgiving and I have absolutely no idea what I should cook or how to cook or how to decorate... Or anything really”

The woman laughed and walked over to Dan’s cart, examining the contents. “Well. For starters, you should probably get a tablecloth, and, unless you want to be washing dishes all night, some festive, cute paper plates and plastic silverware.”

She walked a little further down the aisle and Dan followed her, “Right… I’m sorry, what was your name?”

She put on her sweetest smile and ran a hand through her hair, “My name is Clara. What’s yours?”

“Danny. I… I think these will work?” They stood side by side, looking at the plastic tablecloths and paper plates, while he pretended to have any idea of what defined “festive and cute.”

“Yeah. I think those would be great, Danny.” She pulled a small, artificial hay bale from a shelf and threw it in his cart. “This is also nice. Hay just screams fall, you know? How many people do you have coming again?”

“There’s five coming, so six altogether.” Danny found a bag of fake “fall harvest food”, as the label called it, and threw that in the basket as well.

“And you said they’re all friends? No family?” Clara knew he hadn’t said, but wanted to see just how much he was paying attention to the conversation.

“Right. I’ve got my three best friends, and then these two guys that I’ve only met once. But the other three insist they’re super nice and I should invite them, anyway.” Dan rolled his eyes, not seeing the smirk on Clara’s face. Dan was as clueless and flighty as his ex had said. She could probably openly stalk Dan and he’d be none the wiser. The only hindrance she’d face would be Arin,Suzy, and Holly. There’s no way Matt and Ryan would remember her well enough. Besides, if they did, she could take care of the, fairly quickly.

“You should make macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. You can buy the boxed stuff and have it done in thirty minutes. Plus you don’t have to be able to cook at all.”

“Yeah…And Arin loves mac and cheese.” He mumbled, mostly to himself. Then turned and smiled at Clara, his voice softening . “Thanks for all your help. I hope I run into you again sometime soon.”

“Yeah, no problem Danny.” Clara smiled and waved as he walked away.

~~~

Dan was elbow deep and cursing into a pot of mashed potatoes when all of his friends got to his house for Thanksgiving. He’d stupidly changed his mind at the last second and decided to make the potatoes and mac and cheese from scratch instead of out of the box. The macaroni had turned out fantastic, but the potatoes were giving him hell. He could barely hear the knocking on the door over the mixer in his hands. He yelled for everyone to come in, instead of acting like a proper host and answering the door himself. He dumped more milk and butter into the pot, hoping the potatoes would thin out some.

Ryan came in first, Matt right behind him, each carrying a store bought pie. “Hey dude. Can we put these in the fridge.”

“Yep.” Dan grumbled. “Don’t fucking care.”

Suzy and Holly came in next more side dishes. Holly gave him a tight hug from behind “Happy Thanksgiving, Danny!”

Suzy set her dish down, then checked his pot of potatoes before grabbing the milk jug. She poured even more in, enough to worry Dan that the potatoes would be soup. “Put the mixer on the highest setting, Sexb//ang, and go to town… And happy thanksgiving.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek before following the other three into the living room. Sure enough, in less than a minute, the potatoes were the perfect consistency. It wasn’t until Dan set the mixer down that he realized he hadn’t seen Arin. He grabbed a paper towel to wipe his hands off with, before heading into the living room. As he walked past his front door it swung open, revealing a breathless Arin and a very large foil wrapped turkey.

“Sorry I’m late. I was seeing my mom.” He smiled at Dan, before yelling. “In the kitchen guys. I’m starving, let’s eat!”

“Happy Thanksgiving, by the way” He gave Arin a small pat on the back.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Dan.”

They all crowded around Dan’s tiny kitchen table, having to leave the food on the counters just so they had somewhere to eat. Dan soon found out Suzy, Holly, and Arin had been right. Inviting Matt and Ryan was a great idea. They bickered like they were brothers and seemed to turn the most normal sentences into a joke.

Once they’d finished eating everyone pitched in to help Dan clean up the dishes, before they settled into the living room. Dan wanted to watch the football game, but he seemed to be the only one. He was overruled in favor of the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, though everyone agreed to let him check the score during the commercials. None of them talked all that much, instead sitting in comfortable silence and playing on their phones.

Dan continued to surprise himself with how close he had gotten to Matt and Ryan in just a few short weeks. They were stretched out on the loveseat, facing opposite directions with their feet in each others faces, and sharing a blanket. When he found out they were trained assassins he was a little apprehensive, but now they were like the younger brothers Dan never had. He let out a heavy sigh, his thoughts turning to his own family he doesn’t talk to. Right before she’d cut ties with Dan, he’d found out his sister was expecting her second child, another son. His nephews probably didn’t remember him, but he wished they did. He wished he’d gotten his act together sooner.

Dan let out a small laugh at the thought of even having his act together now. He could see his family’s reaction upon hearing, “Yeah, guys. I hang out with a bunch of criminals. The usual run down: a con artist, two disguise and surveillance experts… Oh and two professionally trained assassins.” His family would probably move states and change their names. Dan shook his head and reached for the TV remote. There was a very real possibility that his entire family had moved and Dan wouldn’t have even known about it.

Arin stirred from his section of the couch, leaning over and setting his head on Dan’s shoulder, “Why the face and the sighing, buddy?”

“Just… Thinking about my family… Or lack thereof I guess.” Dan shrugged.

“Yeah… I get that. But sometimes family isn’t… Family, you know? It’s not always the people who raised you. Sometimes the people you meet in your twenties or thirties are a better family than the ones who raised you.” Arin still sounded groggy and like he was ready to go back to sleep, but he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“Sure.” Dan could tell himself that all he wanted that his friends were all the family he needed, but it didn’t make a difference.

“Dan, I know you don’t want to believe me, but I promise you all of us here love you and care about you.”

“Arin… That’s not it. I miss my family. I miss my sister and my parents. I have two nephews and I’ve never even met one of them. My parents celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary and I wasn’t there. Do you know how awful that feels?” Dan ran a hand over his face. He didn’t want to discount how close he was with any of his friends, but it just wasn’t quite the same.

“I… I don’t… But I’m really sorry.”

Arin stood and moved to wake up the rest of the group, they all had somewhere they needed to be. They all noticed the shift in Dan’s mood from earlier and seemed reluctant to leave, but he politely pushed them out the door. Dan just needed to get out and get his mind off of everything. He waited a few minutes before grabbing his own coat and keys and heading out the door.

#yeah it's alright. not the best. not the worst #i struggled so. much. with this chapter #like. a lot #but here it is #i really like the next two chapters tho #there's conflict and scary stuff!#my writing #partners in crime fic #egobang #polygrumps #shipgrumps

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kristallioness · 6 years

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December Recap

(+ A typical Estonian Christmas dinner table!)

Merry Christmas, dear followers! I hope you've all enjoyed the holidays, cause I sure have and I'm gonna summarize my entire December month right here (since I've been rather quiet these past few weeks, but that's only because I was so busy doing all of these wonderful things).

First and foremost, I wanna introduce you to some Estonian food that's usually eaten during Christmas (yes, it's okay to reblog this post cause the personal stuff will be under the cut). I took a few photos of all of these delicious meals and am gonna describe what they are exactly. Here is my family's dinner table in its full glory:

So, where do I start?.. The 3 bigger pots on the left contain boiled potatoes, small sausages ('sardellid' in Estonian) and sauerkraut (a type of cabbage, the English name of this food should have a German origin). These combine into one dish and they're eaten together, like this:

The 4th, bigger glass plate on the right contains blood sausages, which is the second typical dish (the kind that we buy come with slices of bacon). They're usually eaten together with lingonberry jam or pumpkin slices (my dad prefers to add some mustard), BUT.. ever since I was a little girl, I've had this quirk of adding ketchup to any kind of meat to make it tastier. So, when I began eating blood sausages, I obviously chose ketchup on the side:

Besides that, Estonians LOVE black bread (note the bag in the background), which is made of rye and completely different from any other kind of bread everywhere. This is where a really good joke about my people comes from: whenever Estonians travel to another country, they can't find their "usual" bread in any grocery store (it's all white!) and it's one of the things they'll miss the most while being away from their homeland:

Now (coming to the foreground), I am in NO way trying to advocate drinking (since I'm a teetotaller myself), but for those of you who are interested in trying a unique brand of alcohol from Estonia, then you should definitely buy a bottle of "Vana Tallinn" ("Old Tallinn").

Since both Estonia and Latvia celebrated their centennials this year, I watched a documentary about the latter's history in November (Latvia's Independence Day is on the 18th). They mentioned the "Riia palsam" ("Riga Balsam") there, which reminded me that I've never tasted our very own "Old Tallinn" before, so I wanted to give it a shot.

It's a liqueur and this was my first time drinking it - I didn't like it (exactly like all the other times when I've taken sips from different kinds of alcohol, I don't think I've tasted wine yet though..). The smell reminded me of that disinfecting liquid that doctors would use to clean wounds. I preferred that box of non-alcoholic glogg on the right more than "Old Tallinn", ha-ha!

I think that's about it for what I wanted to say about our food, now onto more personal stuff. I didn't mention any desserts (since there isn't anything unique), but in our family, we like to buy premade gingerbread cookies from the store (not enough time to bake any of our own) and decorate them with colourful frosting (it's still fun!).

You can guess which ones are made by me or my mom (hint: all of the ones in the first photo + I wrote the characters' names from both Avatar series and Voltron + drew some pretty winter-related items/patterns + the little map of Europe and Estonia in the bottom right corner of the last photo):

Besides that, I like to buy an advent calendar filled with little chocolates for the first 25 days of December. Just like last year, I bought a "PAW Patrol"-themed one this year. And on a trip to our capital Tallinn, I finally managed to buy the third pup plush I was missing - Marshall! (I already bought Chase and Skye back in May.)

Speaking of that trip to Tallinn, then I went there together with my dad since we'd bought tickets for the big finale of the 7th (golden) season of "Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt" (which might've been the last, but nobody knows for sure, not until next autumn).

It's a show (the finale was live on TV) where 4 men and 4 women (who are our own local, famous actors/singers) parody or try to mimic an artist/band and one of their songs as well as they can (and they work really hard on tweaking their performances to look amazing + the team behind the cameras and in the make-up/dress room, the back-up dancers and mentors Maiken and Villiko contribute just as much).

There are 8 pre-recorded shows shown each weekend on Sunday, which lead up to the big finale. In each of these shows, the 4 judges give the participants points for their performances, based on how well/accurately they did. The one who receives the most points wins that night and gets to donate 1,000 € for charity (they pick an organization that they'd like to help).

The 4 participants with the highest scores by the end of those 8 pre-recorded shows will be the finalists in the finale (the other 4 will perform, too), where only the audience can vote for them via telephone. Ultimately, their votes will choose the winner of the season, who gets to donate 10,000 € for charity.

This year, the winner was Saara Kadak (on the left, with the show's host, Märt Avandi, on the right). She mimicked ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" (my mom's favourite band) and did it ever so beautifully (in my opinion, she deserved to win)!

A day after the finale, a lottery-type of competition was held on Facebook. I entered and, for the first time ever in my life, I actually won something! A poster of Saara Kadak (with her golden signature on it) and the cheerleaders of TalTech (my old university, previously known as TUT or TTÜ in Estonian), where she was dressed up as Toni Basil and together they parodied the song "Hey Mickey" in one of the pre-recorded shows (it was awesome!):

Since we're still on the topic of concerts, then I'd like to mention that I also went to a special Christmas concert (which was part of a bigger tour) at our local church, where Koit Toome and Valter Soosalu sang some lovely holiday-themed songs. I enjoyed it very much, exactly like last year when I went to Elina Born and Stig Rästa's concert. (I think this is going to be a new tradition for me, to go to at least 1 Christmas concert before the holidays.)

After that concert, me and my dad drove to a small town called Väätsa to go have a look at their cultural center. That little place has become famous for organizing weird (but in a good way), yet fun events. This winter, the locals had decorated all the windows of the building with pretty installations/decorations, some of which moved around thanks to their mechanisms/reacted when someone walked by (such as these two coffee mugs, where the coffee started to pour down from top to bottom when my dad passed the window):

On our trip to Tallinn (the same day I bought Marshall and we went to the finale of SNKT), my dad and I wanted to visit the annual Christmas market in the Old Town (it's up from the middle of November until the beginning of January). Did you know that it was chosen as the best one in Europe this year? If you happen to visit Estonia next year, why not pop by and have a look for yourself (that's the old Town Hall in the background):

Finally, here's a glimpse of our Christmas tree and the presents I received this year (I checked this Monday and my preordered copy of "Imbalance: Part One" was shipped on the 18th and it should arrive at the beginning of 2019, yay!):

Most importantly, seeing just how much truth has suddenly become public about how weak our healthcare system is when it comes to people with rare diseases/who need their medications financed by the health insurance fund (and how stingy the council can be when making these decisions) and how our own country charges 9% off from all donations made to the Cancer Treatment Fund, I decided to help out by donating 15 € to 3 different charity shows this year:

Donated 5€ to "Jõulutunnel", which raised money to donate to the Children's Fund of the Clinic of Tartu University for helping kids with rare diseases this year.

Donated 5 € to "Jõulusoojus", which raised money so they could buy the physically-impaired children a robot that'd help them learn how to walk (again).

Donated 5€ to "Inglite aeg", which raised money to help specific people who sent them their stories, people who usually don't have enough money to pay for an expensive treatment or cure and can't live a normal life or who are suffering in a different way (such as losing their home to a fire).

*wipes beads of sweat off her forehead* Phew! Writing this post took me like.. 2+ hours! Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed reading about how December went by for me. Thanks for sticking around!

#personal #shards of Kristal

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seungkwanslowqualityenglish · 6 years

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Pumpkins

Who: Jacob [ The Boyz ]

Word Count: 1004 Words

Warnings: n/a

Genre: AU / Fluff

Masterlist l Mobile Masterlist l Request Here l Rules

Pumpkin patches were always something you never saw the reason in visiting. Why make a trip to a pumpkin patch to buy one, when you would literally just go to the grocery store and buy one. It would probably be cheaper, not take as long, and would not have been such a hassle. Yet, here you were, standing in the middle of the pumpkin patch watching as your boyfriend went around trying to pick the ‘perfect’ pumpkin. Jacob had already covered half of the field, and seemed dead set on covering the over half, unless he found the ‘perfect’ pumpkin soon.

Maybe someone heard your prayers, since you saw him stop for the first time in the last twenty minutes. He picked up a pumpkin, finally having decided the one he deemed to be perfect. It was not long before you were watching Jacob loading the pumpkin into the back of your car, finally ready for the two of you to leave. As the two of you finally ended up heading home, he talked animatedly about what he planned to do. In short, being making a pie.

Starting the pie was not that hard, making the filling and all, Jacob had not burned or destroyed anything, yet. But that was the only thing that had gone well. You should have known how this would go, but you did not have the foresight to be able to predict just what would happen. Jacob’s favorite food was cereal, which should have been telling of his baking skills.

What started as jokingly throwing a little flour your way, ended up in eggs being thrown. The kitchen being completely covered in a number of various substances. The flour, sugar, and eggs covering the countertops and floors, the pie filling also ruined from the warfare. Had any of the other members decided this to be the time to visit, they would surely be surprised due to the mess that the two of you were standing in the middle of. Jacob’s arms were wrapped around you, his lips on yours, which he did as a way to stop you from getting any more of the egg in his hair. Finally parting your lips from him, you found yourself laughing, despite the fact someone would usually be angered at some type of mess like this. “You ruined my kitchen.” You said, he cutting you off with another kiss, knowing what you would say next. “And the pie.” You added, when he finally pulled away.

Jacob found himself laughing also, the mess not only in the room, but also all over the both of you. “Hey, you assisted in it.” He said, before you did to him what he did to you, and cutting him off with a kiss. It distracted him easily, and the two of you carried on until he finally remembered all the egg in his hair and your hair, that was probably drying and going to be hard to get out.. “We should probably clean up, since I doubt you want dried egg in your hair.” He finally said, after parting his lips from yours.

His words reminded you of the mess, the flour and sugar covering all your clothing, the egg in your hair, and the mix of all the above all over your kitchen. It was not long before the two of you had finally showered and started to clean the kitchen. The kitchen was clean before long, and the two of you found yourself in the living room, laying together on the sofa.

The two of you only rested for a few moments, before Jacob jumped up, as though he had remembered something. And he had remembered something, the frozen pumpkin pie he had bought only days before, since he wanted to be prepared in case he messed the pie up.

Watching as he pulled the frozen pie out of the oven, you found yourself shaking your head. “Why didn’t you just make this one to start with?” You questioned him, wondering why he didn’t just start with it.

“But wasn’t it so much more fun to make one from scratch?” Jacob asked you back, as you watched him preheat the oven for the pie.

Laughing shortly, as you sat on the counter. “One, you didn’t make one from scratch, and two, you ruined my kitchen.” You said to him, watching as he moved over to where to sat, sitting on the counter besides you.

“We might had had you not retaliated.” He said, before finally putting the pie into the oven. Which he then disappeared into the living room, as you watched the pie bake.

Moments later you heard strumming as Jacob started to bring his guitar into the kitchen. “I swear if you are about to serenade the pie, I might leave you for the local Beyonce lover.” You said, partially joking, but also somewhat serious.

“Hey, I think a pie song is better than some Beyonce song.” Jacob said, sitting his guitar onto the table, before coming back to where you are sitting, and wrapping an arm around your waist. “Plus I’m pretty sure Kevin’s still has some hope Beyonce might leave her husband for him or something.” He said, as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you.

As you pressed your lips against his, you hummed. “I guess I might just have to settle for a pie song then.” You muttered, before the two of you kissed once more.

Moments later, the oven’s timer started to go off, but Jacob did not move away, he attempting to continue your kiss. “I swear if you burn that pie, I’m not gonna let you make any more pies in my house.” You muttered, making him finally groan and move away to get the pie out of the oven. It had not even been three minutes before his lips reconnected with yours in a kiss, which you returned, as the two of you waited for the pie to cool.

#kpopwritingnet #kreativewritersnet #jae #jacob #bae jacob #jacob bae #the boyz #the boyz jacob #jacob the boyz #genre: au #Genre: fluff #the boyz jacob bae #jacob bae the boyz #bae jacob the boyz #the boyz bae jacob

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thisislizheather · 3 years

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March Magic 2021

Above Photo: Cherry Blossoms are in bloom at the University of Washington right now - Photo By Kai Wang

Am I alone in thinking that was the longest March of all time? It truly felt like it would never end. Usually I love my birthday month, but with everything still the way it’s been for the past year, there really didn’t feel like much of a reason to celebrate. Also, Nathan got COVID. It was awful and scary and I was worried about how he’d be, but all is well and he just got his vaccine this past weekend, which is incredible. So a real roller coaster type of month, but thank god it’s over.

Here’s everything that went down last month.

I recapped how my winter list of things to do went.

Forever an optimist, I made a list of spring things that I’d like to do. One of my favourite things to do is get a pedicure on the first day of a season. I don’t get them very often at all, so it’s a nice way to usher in some new weather.

I finished watching Superstore, which is such a great show. I would’ve never watched it on my own, so this is why you have to listen to your best friend’s recommendations sometimes. They know more than you. Also, it was weird as hell to hear the Smashing Pumpkins song Today in one episode. Just seemed like a strange pairing, them and this show. Or any show, really. But I mean they did lend a song to that Apple ad, so I guess the old days of Billy Corgan complaining about everything are over.

I read and reviewed Joan Rivers’ book Enter Talking.

I made my way back to Lilia with Irene to devour their seasonal leek focaccia & green salted butter, which is always heaven on a plate. (Me and focaccia have had a pretty strong love affair going on for some time now. I plan on making it at home soon, but I can’t decide on the flavouring I’ll want to add to it. There are too many possibilities.) We also shared two pastas: the corzetti with pine nuts, marjoram & parmigiano reggiano as well as the sheep’s milk cheese agnolotti with saffron, dried tomato & honey. Always a good meal here. Might benefit from some new pastas, though.

Above Photo: My sweet baby girl, leek focaccia & her green salted butter

Above Photo: Stunning Irene & pasta

Above Photo: I’m very excited for bread

I got my first Moderna shot! I usually have tons of anxiety around needles, but somehow it wasn’t a problem this time (maybe because I had the kindest nurse on the planet). It sounds so simple, but she told me to look away, to take a deep breath and while I was taking that breath she put the needle in and THAT WAS IT. So grateful for that advice. Must remember that for life now. I have my next shot on April 8th! (I did get COVID arm, but it went away in 24 hours so it really wasn’t a big deal.) Also, I’ll definitely ask a medical professional, but if it’s allowed then I’m definitely getting my card laminated for free.

There’s this great, cute new store called Gift Box on Broadway in Astoria. It’s very similar to Lockwood, only better. Lots of cards, gifts, beauty products, candles, that kind of thing.

It’s green garlic season and we must all celebrate! I’ve also decided that I might devote my life to compound butters. Making them, eating them, giving them away as gifts potentially. Maybe this is what’s been missing.

Google image search the vagar faroe islands and let’s go.

I can’t stop putting this Esti vegan feta on everything, it tastes exactly like regular feta only slightly less salty.

Everything from the brand Umbra is gorgeous.

These are officially (and my niece Layla can attest to it) the greatest socks on the planet. Not too tight, not too short or high, and soft as a cloud.

Best kale caesar dressing I’ve had in months. And I love the idea of using breadcrumbs instead of croutons to liven things up a bit.

I made this roasted winter citrus and wow was it hot fruit. It should be a crime to make something look this good, but taste average as hell.

I started using the app Google Keep to organize all of my lists and tasks and I love it. It’s so much better than using Notes.

HOW have I never even HEARD of Shake Shack’s Innovation Kitchen?! AND HOW HAVE I NEVER BEEN. It’s moved to the top of my current Must Visit list.

I may or may not have fallen down a rabbit hole of incredible Melissa Clark recipes. Love this woman.

If you live in Englewood, New Jersey, how do you not just LIVE at this bakery? My god. Every item. In my mouth. Now.

And listen, I’m no scientist, but this seems like huge news…?

If you find yourself anxious or unsettled, this video of lasagna being made from scratch is the most soothing thing I’ve come across in months.

Target sells candles?! I’m the last person on earth who learned this. $4 for an actually great mini candle is wild.

Tried a slice of the red velvet cake from Milk Bar and it was unexpectedly good. I don’t usually care about red velvet (because it’s a scam?), but honestly their cakes always find a way to taste amazing.

I made this cajun linguine and it was so lackluster, I hate when a pasta recipe doesn’t work out. It’s so upsetting. Also, cajun seasoning can blow me.

They’re opening a Sonic in Manhattan, which I’ve never been to before, is it worth going?

I know Eataly is for tourists, but once in awhile I like to stop in to peruse. I tried one of their prepackaged foods (the eggplant parmesan) and it was a hard pass. Just no flavouring at all. The only thing that saved the day were their individual little Italian chocolates. Always amazing. I do want to eventually try their dried pasta Afeltra since I’ve heard such good things about it.

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not ready to watch documentaries about the pandemic yet. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to. I mean… we’re still IN IT, for christ’s sake. HBO needs to just sit down.

Tell me that you know the song Sea of Love.

You had me at “cheese-oozing focaccia.”

Great piece on diet culture by Julia Turshen.

When I was in Seattle in April a few years ago, I wandered onto the University of Washington’s campus and was blown away by their gorgeous cherry blossoms. They have a livestream of them right now, if you’d like to take a look.

With plastic bags officially banned now, I desperately need a basket bag to take when I go to the farmer’s market. So f-ing lovely. Everyone will think I’m Belle or some shit.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a fresh Jamaican patty in my life, so I’m definitely going here the next time I’m in Mississauga.

I love this chickpea salad, especially after adding basil.

Some of these are actually really great tips.

How on earth have I never heard of the restaurants Dell’anima or Anfora?! They’re both under the Joe Campanale umbrella (of L’Artusi fame)! I’m so excited to go. Just look at those menus.

Speaking of, I can’t go for too long without eating the wagyu steak tartare at L’Artusi. It’s a problem. (It also makes me want to buy a really great finishing olive oil, so I’m looking into that. I’m thinking either Monini or Frantoia.)

Above Photo: Wagyu steak tartare at L’Artusi

One thing I’ve started to do that you should too: buy good butter. I stopped buying margarine many years ago and thought I was a better person for buying regular grocery store butter. But sweetie, you can do more. The butter (specifically European butter) in specialty shops or some bakeries or markets is EONS better than the run-of-the-mill basic grocery butter. And it enhances literally everything that you use it in. Right now, the butter in my fridge is beurre de baratte butter and it’s ridiculously good. Obviously I’m not going to use this butter when I’m baking because I’m not a millionaire, but when I’m making something savory for dinner? Or a compound butter? Or on top of asparagus? On some bread as a snack? It’s unreal.

Speaking of food advice: don’t buy your parmesan at the grocery store either. I’ve never had amazing parmesan from there. It’s always the same, even the expensive stuff. Get your ass to a cheese shop. Enough already, you’re an adult.

I tried a CBD chocolate and just as I thought: it’s a scam. Just like red velvet. It did nothing for nobody.

I bought this tea tree toner on a whim from The Body Shop and I might keep buying it for the rest of time. I use it on my face right when I get out of a hot shower and it’s kept my face feeling incredible lately.

A new coffee shop opened up in my neighbourhood called Coffee Avenue and I can’t recommend it enough. The macadamia milk hot chocolate blew my face off.

I finally ate at Bar Primi in the city and it was spectacular. We had the ricotta crostino with hazelnuts & truffle honey (which is almost like a dessert, it’s so good), the linguine with 4 cloves of garlic & breadcrumbs as well as the penne ragu alla bolognese with ricotta which was the very best. Can’t wait to go again. Loved the atmosphere of the place, too.

The seasonal candle is out at Trader Joe’s and it’s grapefruit, which smells perfect. I’ve finally stopped hoarding their candles and have started burning them. Only took me a year of lockdown to realize I should try to enjoy my life.

Lemon Kit-Kats exist and all is right with the world. Delicious.

I don’t go very often, but I’ll always love The Dutch. Perfect cornbread. Perfect tartare. You can’t go wrong.

Above Photo: Housemade scallion-chipotle cornbread with whipped butter

Above Photo: Wagyu steak tartare, capers, bearnaise aioli

*Note: if it seems like I eat a lot of steak tartare - I do. Good observation. It’s incredible.

Controversial opinion but the Dove chocolate peanut butter eggs are one millions times better than Reese’s peanut butter cups. I couldn’t believe it either.

This leads me to another declaration: Easter candy might be better than Halloween candy. Hear me out. Halloween candy is almost chaotic when you think of the candy options, it’s overwhelming and more often than not, disappointing. Easter candy, however, is usually always new and fresh each season. They’ve got to work harder to get you to notice Easter candy, so infact you’re getting a more well thought out product, which usually tastes better. Anyway, can you tell I’m depressed…?

I went to the new Ulta location in NYC in Herald Square and it’s great, it seems bigger than the UWS one and it’s way more convenient to visit. Must remember. Oh! But speaking of Ulta, remember how last year they had such great birthday gifts? They really dropped the ball this year. They’re trying to give a $5 Mario Badescu facial spray as the March gift?! Are you fucking serious?! That’s the worst. Literally the worst gift of all the months. Fighting every urge in my body to write them a strongly-worded letter about this. Just insanity. I didn’t even go claim it. Keep your damn gift, no spray can calm me down from this.

New love: macadamia milk in my iced coffee in the morning. Just heavenly.

I rewatched Wall-E and what a great movie. For all ages. Too perfect.

Love the song Team by Lorde.

I watched the Woody Allen & Mia Farrow documentary on HBO and it’s obviously a must watch. So many things I didn’t know about that story were shown, this man needs to be stopped.

If you ever get a new phone and you want to transfer over all of your WhatsApp messages to your new phone (and you’ve never backed them up), you can pay $40 and use this site to do it.

The new Super Mario World in Japan looks incredible.

Do not judge me, but I ordered (and returned) a SKIMS bralette. I was swayed by a few photos of women wearing it and wanted to see for myself what it felt like. Verdict: crap. Sure, the material is soft but only because it’s so poorly made and unsupportive. An immediate return. The beautiful colours of the bras are what sells the product, in my opinion. It’s so hard to find well made, beautiful browns and neutrals in undergarments.

Speaking of what’s her name, I also ordered this KKW mini lip liner set that I’m unfortunately in love with. I use it as a lip liner and filler, and each fucking one is gorgeous. I’m going to do a post to show you. You’ll see what I mean.

I came across this wonderful stationary store in Chelsea, City Papery. I could spend hours roaming the aisles in there. Made a mental note to go back to get some really beautiful envelopes (why on earth am I still buying the basic-ass white envelopes at CVS??), such a great store.

I’m proofreading a book right now about the idea of living with intention and I’ll post a link to it as soon as it’s released later this year. It’s honestly one of the best self help things I’ve read in a long time.

I’ve had a Pinterest account forever and I recently organized a lot of the recipes into seasonal categories, which has inspired me to make so many new meals this season. Check it. Also, I haven’t tried these yet, but these spring recipes (below) sound delicious.

Blueberry Ricotta Cake with Lavender Glaze

Banana Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Almond Pudding Cake

Asparagus Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Apricot Shortbread Bars

Buttermilk Lavender Scones

Carrot Cake Bread with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lavender Mascarpone

I’ve mentioned my filmmaker friend Dusty before (his film Violation was at Sundance this year), well his movie is a Critic’s Pick in the The New York Times this month, which is amazing and so well deserved. Truly could not happen to a better person.

I have eaten approximately five pounds of asparagus since spring began and I can’t see myself stopping anytime soon. It’s so fucking good. One grievance: that huge, fat asparagus. Why’s it so big like that?? Unnatural as hell. Give me that thin, beautiful asparagus that’s increasingly so hard to find any day. And to anyone who’s like, “Don’t you hate how it makes your pee smell?” - why you gotta go smell your pee? Be normal, weirdo.

I did Nathan’s podcast and we talked about how it’s been so beneficial to get some intentional offline time each Sunday.

Here were the best tweets of the month.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m trying so hard to find a way to stream the last three episodes of Stanley Tucci’s Searching For Italy which has been impossible to find, will definitely go check out Little Island, excited to maybe go to the Kusama exhibit, I’d really like to make the Carbone garlic bread, I want to locate and try milk bread, my brother Robbie told me to mix balsamic vinegar & mayo and put it on a burger so I’ll try that soon, I bought some dried Rao’s pasta so I can’t wait to make it, I’m so excited that movie theatres are opening on the 2nd here (I’ll be fully vaccinated very soon so this is great), and I’m adding a resolution: I’d like to do one new thing on the first of every month (examples: buy stock in something, eat ramen, etc.).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in February over here.

#best of NYC #NYC #NYC 2021 #this is liz heather #Liz Heather #march 2021 #things to do in NYC 2021 #Kusama exhibit #Stanley Tucci #Positive Anger #monthly post March 2021 #monthly post #best tweets #how to spend spring

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nic-and-annie-in-france · 5 years

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Counting my blessings 💝

Recent purchases that have made me happy:

The new Beaujolais. Beaujolais is a kind of wine that is only fermented for a few weeks before it is sold, and each year’s batch is released on the third Thursday of November. We grabbed a bottle the day after it came out. I don’t like wine too much so I didn’t care for it, but it felt like a rite of passage for us to try.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream. There are only ever five or fewer flavors to choose from at the grocery, and aside from chocolate, they are mediocre at best. We spotted the mint chip this time and just had to buy it.

Chicken noodle soup. I’m not sure why we never discovered or bought this last year, but we found a carton of soup called “poule au pot” or “hen in the pot,” which is basically the French version of chicken noodle soup. I think the name of it is so cute, and it makes a wonderful comfort food as the weather gets chillier!

Fig bread. Figs and fig-related products are more common in France, and I’ve been loving it. I spotted a loaf of fig spice bread in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, hidden among rows and rows of foie gras. I wanted it to be akin to pumpkin bread or banana bread, but was afraid it would be more like a fruitcake. We took a risk on it and it tastes just like a Fig Newton but in cake form. So good.

Roasted chestnuts. All the Christmas markets we went to last year seemed to have tons of roasted chestnut vendors. I decided I finally wanted to try them, since they were so popular. We got some at the Chambéry Christmas market. In my opinion, they were just okay, and tasted more like potatoes than I was expecting. I was glad to have tried them, even if I didn’t like them.

Our Thanksgiving dinner. The holiday for us consisted of an American-ish Thanksgiving meal and watching TV in bed. Nicolas cooked us a rotisserie chicken, green beans, baked sweet potatoes, bread, and squash soup. For dessert we had an apple pastry with vanilla ice cream. It was only a rough approximation of turkey and pumpkin pie, but it was enough for us.

Air freshener. Our apartment is small and has no ventilation to speak of, even in the kitchen and the bathroom. We finally got around to buying a lavender-scented spray, and it does so much to freshen up our little studio.

Social interactions that have brightened my day:

Kindnesses from teachers. I’ve had no problems with my teachers so far this year, and a few of them have gone the extra mile to make me feel welcome. A few highlights:

One teacher, M, requested a lesson on Thanksgiving. I did the lesson, and then the next week, three other teachers said to me, “We heard you did a lesson on Thanksgiving with M, could you do that with my class next lesson?” From this I gather that M liked my lesson enough to speak highly of it to the other teachers when I wasn’t there.

I was reading a graphic novel in the break room during a free period when a teacher who was walking by asked what I was reading. I showed him the book, and he told me that he really liked that author. He told me about another book the author wrote and offered to let me borrow it.

I have to take a bus to and from one of my schools each week, and one of the teachers at that school has organized a ride home for me several times so I don’t have to ride the bus.

Most of the time everyone calls me Ann and pronounces it the French way, but I have one teacher who tries his hardest to pronounce it the American way, and has gotten all his kids to do that too. The way they say Ann rhymes with “rain” and “Spain,” but I appreciate the effort anyway. This teacher has also asked if I like it here, given me the rundown of the fun things to do in the area, and told me that he’s available to help if I ever need anything.

A dinner invitation. Another teacher invited me to his house to work on lesson plans and to have dinner last weekend. With my stranger danger instincts kicking in, I said, “I’ll have to check with my husband and see when I’m free,” to which he replied, “Bring him too!” So last Saturday Nicolas and I had dinner with the teacher and his family. I was anxious about it, but it was a lot of fun and the family was really gracious. They served us a dinner in several courses, as is more common in France. This was a special treat for us, because our budget doesn’t allow us to eat multi-course meals in restaurants. They served wine and crackers as an apéritif, chicken tajine (a North African dish that is really common here) with an endive salad, a cheese plate (we even tried the stinky ones!), a homemade after-dinner beverage called génépi that tasted like alcoholic mouthwash (it was better than it sounds), a Spanish version of crème brûlée, and an herbal tea. One of the teacher’s sons speaks good English and he and I were both able to translate for Nicolas. So often we only get to see French culture from the outside, but our evening at their house felt like one of those rare opportunities to see it from the inside.

Bumping into a fellow assistant. During training and orientation, I met an assistant, B, who is working in three other primary schools in Aix. I hadn’t seen him since then, so I was curious how his school year was going. I happened to see him from across the street as I walked home for my lunch break on Tuesday, so I called over to him to say hi. We only chatted for a minute, but as I had just had a rough morning at school, it was really nice to talk to an English speaker, trade complaints, and trade encouragement.

Crafting with fifth graders. One of my classes is making Christmas decorations to sell at the Christmas market in order to raise funds for a field trip. Even though this meant my English lessons were canceled, the teacher told me to come anyway and I could speak English with them while they worked. When I got there, she put me in charge of a glue gun. I didn’t speak too much English really, but it was fun to just make stuff with the kids. And they were super polite: “Ann, could you put a little bit of hot glue there, please? Yes, that’s good. Thank you!”

Things we’ve crossed off the to-do list:

Finding a routine. I finally feel like I have my work schedule down, and I feel much more comfortable walking into each classroom. Now that I know what to expect in each class, it’s not so scary to go to work each day.

Getting Nicolas signed up for a French class. We went to the Red Cross three times in an attempt to get Nicolas signed up for the free French lessons they have. The first two times they were closed, and on the third time it was open but the person in charge of signup wasn’t there. On the fourth attempt, Nicolas had to go by himself because I was at work, but the person in charge was finally there to get him signed up. He can tell you all about it in his upcoming post.

Finding a language partner for me. One of my big goals for the year was to find someone to practice French with on a regular basis, so that I could have a safe, designated time to really practice my conversation skills without feeling like I am imposing on someone at work or at a social gathering. In a conversation before class with one teacher, I mentioned that I had this goal, and she said, “Well, why not me?” And that was all it took! She takes me to her house, talks to me for an hour in French, and then I talk with her daughter (who is in high school) in English for an hour in exchange. I was so worried that it would be awkward, or that I would say something embarrassing, but it has turned out to be very pleasant and I feel like I get a lot of good practice.

Medical visits. A couple of weeks ago, we each had to go to two medical appointments as part of the visa validation process. We were able to go at the same time to both of them, which saved a lot of hassle as we had to go to Chambéry for one and to Grenoble for the other. I was able to do some of the talking for both of us, but Nicolas did fine in the parts he had to do by himself. We both got to see X-rays of our lungs and got screened for a few diseases (all negative), and our visas are now validated!

Other happy things:

A day off work. Yesterday was the first day of a multi-industry strike protesting some proposed reforms to the retirement system in France. The public bus and train systems are striking for an undetermined amount of time—some people guess it will only last for the weekend, while others think it could go on until Christmas. Many teachers were on strike yesterday as well (and yesterday only, they don’t plan to continue), and my school was closed as a result. So, I’m excited to have an extra-long weekend, and I’m grateful we don’t have any travel planned for the immediate future.

Christmas decorations. Storefronts in our town are now decorated with Christmas trees and fake snow, and men have been out in cherrypickers stringing lights across the cute pedestrian streets. The Christmas market opened on Sunday so we hope to check it out soon too.

Two thrift shops on my to-visit list. On one of our visits to the Red Cross, we discovered that our local branch also functions as a thrift shop. We looked around the store briefly as we tried to find an employee to talk to, but I’m eager to go back and see if they have any good bargains. There’s also a similar place called Emmaüs I’d like to explore soon. I know that eventually I’m going to feel the urge to browse around a Goodwill, so I’m glad that I’ll have those two places to scratch that itch.

#annie #tapif #travel #france

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lalka-laski · 5 years

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When was the last time you spent over $10.00? On what? Yesterday I bought an assortment of groceries. Not my weekly groceries per se, but stuff I needed for the next few days. It was a bit of a splurge! Take a guess - do you have more pairs of socks or underwear? I hate undergarments of any kind really, so I avoid both socks and underwear when I can. My guess is that I have more pairs of socks though. Create a holiday - what day would it be on and what would it celebrate? I think Boxing Day should be more closely observed in the states. I hate the fact that the normal rat race and hustle and bustle of everyday life resumes immediately after Christmas. I love the idea of a day for people to or relish some alone time, eat leftovers, BE STILL. Have you ever smacked somebody’s butt? Mhm Honestly, have you ever stolen ANYTHING? Think hard. Well one time I didn’t pay for a bottle of shampoo at Walgreens. I had it absentmindedly tucked under my arm while I was cashing out my other items and neither myself nor the cashier noticed. I didn’t realize this happened ‘til I was out in the parking lot and I didn’t bother going back inside to correct the error. So, that’s my history as a shoplifter I guess.

Who is one person who you love but never ceases to piss you off? I can think of some family members who fall into that category Who is one person who loves you that YOU never cease to piss off? I’m sure said family members have the same exact thoughts about me. That’s what family’s all about! Kids under the age of 13 with a cell phone; ok or ridiculous? It seems a bit ridiculous to me but I don’t know. There was a time when anyone under 18 or 16 having a cellphone was absurd and unnecessary. The world evolves! Do you think you could you hop on one leg to your kitchen without falling? From what distance? Two wires-one destroys the Earth. You have 5 seconds to decide:blue or red? I’m inclined to believe the red one would destroy the earth (color theory or some shit), so I’d choose the blue. What is the worst thing to drink right after brushing your teeth? Orange juice Right now, are you wearing eyeliner? No, I barely wear it anymore simply because I haaaate the process of removing eye makeup. Are you better or worse off than you were two years ago? I’m LEAPS and BOUNDS better. To the point that other people compliment me on how happy I am and how much progress I’ve made. If Justin Bieber was your brother would you be proud to admit it? I have no strong feelings on him As a kid (or even now. ;)) what was your favorite playground activity? Swings Who do you wish karma would bite in the ass? A certain person whose name is not worth typing What are the colors of the flag for the country to the right of yours? Countries are not left and right of one another. That’s not how directions work?? Have you ever given yourself a google diagnosis when you were sick? Yeah and I’ve died every time. Could you (willingly) go ten days without touching a computer? As long as I have my phone, yeah. Loophole? Have you ever dropped anything in a toilet on accident? I ruined a phone that way! T BAM! Chocolate no longer exists. Do you miss it? Of course I’d miss it. But my sweet tooth has really diminished as I’ve gotten older so I think I *could* live without it. BAM! Dinosaurs are alive! Do you want one as a pet? Hell to the absolute no. What is the most annoying sound in your opinion? Alarm clocks Are you more mean to people when you’re late for something? I’m more tense for sure but I’m never mean. My lateness is my own responsibility. Honestly, do you think you give yourself enough credit? I have been better about it lately Pumpkin pie, vanilla ice cream, sugar cookies, cheese, apples - pick two. Sugar cookies and cheese. If cheese is an option, I’m always picking it. Have you ever been caught in a lie? Well yeah, haven’t we all? Congrats! You just won a $1,000 gift card to any store. which do you pick? OOH some kind of home decor/furniture store! Wow, this is a sign of my adulthood right here. The old me would’ve chosen, without hesitation, to spend that money on makeup or clothes. But now all my mind is thinking is: LAMPS! PILLOWS! RUGS! QUICK! Fill in the blanks: I wish that _______ would kiss me right now. My babe

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aowanders-blog · 6 years

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Camping Food

One of the easiest camping foods to pack is trail mix, and when it comes to camping food…..simplicity is king. Especially if it has flavor, didn’t require any cooking or washing any dishes. DEAL, right?!?!

Camping food like trail mix is an excellent alternative to traditional camping foods because its versatile, cheap, lightweight & lasts forever. You can buy it pre-made or make it from scratch. It only costs a couple of bucks, and over the years my trail mix recipes have saved me thousands of dollars in camping food supplies and thousands of hours from washing dishes.

From tropical to downright nutty I have a trail mix recipe for every camping occasion, but most of my creations come from spur of the moment in-store cravings. Budgets beware when I’m hungry I just don’t care. Click the following text if all you want is my latest camping food trail mix recipe OR usual camping food trail mix ingredients.

When I was growing up camping was our families vacations. We didn’t stay in fancy hotels, all-inclusive resorts or even campgrounds for that matter. My mom would do the grocery shopping, and my dad would do the packing. The last item we always loaded was the cooler or coolers depending on the time of the year or length of trip. These camping chests would be loaded with burgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments and a few treats. Then topped with sodas & ice. Which was always my job. If my brother & I were fighting at the time his soda’s wouldn’t get covered in ice, and well shaken.

Healthy trail mix wasn’t stashed in our bags or secretly hiding under the car seats. We were a burger & brat camping family. That relied heavily on BBQ sauce to bring some excitement into our campfire food.

Trail Mix Hobby

Trail mix wasn’t even on our radar, but besides being a great alternative to your traditional campfire foods. Healthy homemade trail mix can turn into a hobby. From smoking or dehydrating your own meats & fruits to creating your own marinades & seasoning recipes. You can take it a step farther by candying your own candies and hiding your own little treasures under a candy-coated shell.

I haven’t taken it that far yet, but I am courting. So if you have any dehydrator tips leave them in the comments below. Specifically for off-grid or backcountry lifestyles like mine. Or if you just want to share stories of sibling torment those are always fun to read too.

What ingredients are in trail mix?

The most common ingredients in trail mix are nuts, dried fruit & chocolate. Walnuts, cashews & peanuts dominate most trail mix recipes. Cranberries, bananas & raisins are usually the dried fruit of choice. When it comes to chocolate………….. M & M’s take the crown. This is what I call a Walmart Trail Mix. Basic, affordable & functional. And you can make an incredibly tasty trail mix from big box stores like:

Walmart Trail Mix

Target Trail Mix

Costco Trail Mix

Amazon Trail Mix

Dollar Store Trail Mix

By buying pre-packaged trail mix flavors and mixing them all together you can create your own homemade trail mix concoction. Big box stores generally carry four trail mix recipes: Cajun, Mountain, Indulgent or Tropical.

Cajun Trail Mix

Maybe your the type of person that likes Tobasco sauce with your cereal, or cuts your own hair with a lighter. Well, you’re probably a Cajun trail mix fan then. This healthy camping food is usually a blend of sesame sticks, peanuts, almonds & buttered toffee nuts coated in a bold spicey salt. Other variations will also include chex, toasted corn & wasabi peas. Be careful though of those wasabi peas they pack a punch, but if you want to have some fun with your younger sibling tell em ……………a fat lie on how awesome they are.

Mountain Trail Mix

Maybe wasabi peas aren’t your thing but you like to kick bananas & stare down crickets while still craving a healthy camping food. Give the pioneer of store-bought trail mix a try then. The usual suspects include raisins, M & M’s, cashews & peanuts. It’s not going to win any awards for its exotic flavor profile, but it travels well and keeps your energy up. The mountain trail mix is a gateway to healthy camping foods, and your kids will love it. Well, they’ll probably just love the M & M’s but they’re better for you than playing with a flamethrower in a tent right?

Indulgent Trail Mix

Have you ever done any fan kicking? Or dancing in the rain? Not all trail mix is healthy for you, but neither is fan kicking or bacon & french fries. And almost every restaurant in America serves up both these ingredients. Sometimes you just want to indulge in your camping food, and the Indulgent Trail Mix will let you let you dance in the rain. I promise. Maybe

With a blend of white chocolate, dark chocolate & peanut butter drop chips its no mystery why this is a popular choice. Regrettably, this trail mix finishes off with golden raisins, cashews & peanuts though instead of ice cream & a Netflix Original series. Pick out the raisins –still goes great with ice cream, and makes a great non-cook campfire food treat that everyone will love. Seriously who doesn’t like ice cream?

Tropical Trail Mix

I have a friend that is padded room crazy, but loveable. Which is exactly is how I feel about tropical trail mix recipes. The healthiest trail mix is the mountain mix. Particularly if you pick out the M & M’s, but a lot of people think the tropical trail mix is the healthiest on the market because of the dried fruit. Unfortunately, because companies add a lot of sugar to their dried fruit the tropical mix is one of the unhealthiest trail mixes for you. Don’t get me wrong I am a big fan of the flavor profile of tropical trail mix recipes, but it’s just not the healthiest camping food for you unless you make it yourself.

A traditional tropical mix recipe will include a lot of dried fruits like papaya, mango, pineapple, peaches, and apricots. As well as coconut shavings and your usual ingredients like golden raisins, cranberries, banana chips, honey roasted peanuts & toffee brittle. Tropical trail mix recipes are full of exotic flavor profiles and are the most unique homemade recipes.

Homemade Trail Mix

For years these four trail mix recipes found their way into my backpacks, cupboards, and tuppaware. I would buy various quantities of each one. Sometimes mixing them together and sometimes not. It wasn’t until an adventure in Utah went horribly wrong that I discovered the ultimate homemade trail mix method. I came across a climbing group that spends 6 months a year in the backcountry and the only camping food they pack is three 50 gallon drums of homemade trail mix to snack on. One they buy. One they make and the third is a combination of both.

Being the trail mix superfan that I am. I felt like a rock band groupie stumbling backstage by “accident.” wink wink. This group of dirtbags (what climbers like to call themselves) is what I like to call trail mix hobbyist. They dehydrate all their own fruits & meats. Wish I would have paid more attention to their dehydrator, but I guess we’ll just have to chalk that up to another travel regret. They also make all their own chocolates & granola bars.

Learning Homemade Trail Mix

I was lucky enough to get an invite when they went on their resupply field trip. Instead of buying pre-packaged trail mix recipes like I had been doing. They bought items in bulk. Five pounds of cashew. Twenty pounds of almonds. Three pounds of pumpkin seeds. Two pounds of this; Eight pounds of that. Bags & bags of oats, raisins, pistachios, coconut flakes, sesame sticks, pretzels, wasabi peas & so much more. The big surprise for me was hundreds of boxes of cereal. Cocoa puffs, chex, corn flakes, cheerio’s, Golden Grahams, cookie crisps & mini wheats. The check out lady probably thought this was our first time out of the bunker in the last 50 years. We almost needed to rent a box truck to get our trail mix supplies back to camp.

When we got back to camp the music was turned up. Bags were ripped open, and the creation party began. I’ve been to keg parties, bong parties even sushi-rolling parties in Montana, but I had never even heard of a trail mixing party. Twelve hours & 10 cases of beer later these dirtbags had restocked their camping food supply for another 6 months of climbing adventures. All the barrels were full. Everyone had their own bucket, basket or ziplock bag filled with their own unique trail mix recipe. It was like going to Colorado’s Microbrew Festival. Where you go from booth to booth trying each trailmasters’s mix, and voting on who’s was best.

That moment in time with strangers in the desert of Utah showed me how to pursue a passion I never even knew I had. Traveling alone with strangers will open your eyes like this. Might even unlock personal mysteries, but most of all travel will turn you into a sponge. Everywhere you go and everyone you meet will have you soaking up information, mannerisms & viewpoints. I tell you this because before meeting this group of climbers I made trail mix from the “big four” recipes that big box stores carry, and now I am on the hunt for a dehydrator. Did I mention that yet?

My “pre-travel” self would have imploded trying to figure out a solution to my situation. Where my “post-travel” self just rolled with the punches, and by doing so found a solution, entertainment, great friends & a hobby I can do anywhere in the world.

How do I make Camping food trail mix?

Those gravity-defying hippies opened my eyes to a way of life & new trail mix recipes. I don’t take it to the lengths they do yet, but if I find the right dehydrator …..never say never. Knowing that I could create my own healthy homemade trail mix with an exciting flavor profile combining both taste and texture was a game changer for me. So when its time to pack camping food for a backcountry trip I can now bring more then brauts & burgers to the table. These days my go-to camping food is trail mix for a number of reasons. It’s a great social snack around the campfire at the end of a long day of hiking. Has a long shelf life. Healthy, versatile & customizable. Plus, I would be willing to bet there are more trail mix recipes then there are websites in the world.

For me, I don’t have a “structured” method when creating my trail mix. I mean come on I don’t even have a structured life let alone measuring cups and spoons. But I did go to a friends house and try to create a “structured” trail mix recipe for you. You can find that further in the reading, but for me, I just throw it all together. If I bought too much like I did in the pictures above. I just wait a few days, and then add the remaining ingredients. In this case, I had no room for the cereal, but a few days later I did.

That’s why I love trail mix. You can add anything you want at any time to your recipe. My original recipe wasn’t my end recipe. Because not only did I add cereal a week later, but two weeks after that I also added chocolate truffles & teriyaki chicken jerky. Eventually, I added honey roasted peanuts & cocoa puffs too.

I don’t always do healthy or indulgent recipes. Sometimes I call an audible in the middle, end or even the beginning. Which is why I love trail mix because of its versatility. I have never had meatloaf and dried fruit trail mix before, but I am sure there is some drunk decision making still left in me. So never say never.

So it is safe to say I don’t have a “go to” camping food trail mix recipe, but my usual suspects include:

Gluten Free Honey Nut Chex Mix(mainly for filler)

Dried Mangos, Apricots, Strawberries & Cranberries

Bulk Nuts salted/unsalted/honey roasted/chocolate covered (almonds give me a stomach ache but I still throw em in there)

1-2 Indulgent items (peanut butter filled pretzels, candy covered burnt peanuts or something else covered in chocolate)

Wasabi Peas or something spicy

Nature Valley Granola Bars (chocolate 1st choice) break em into bite-size also makes a great cereal)

dried veggie chips

1-3 wild cards (triscuits/wheat thins, coconut flakes, toffee brittle, beef jerky, popcorn, dried green beans, dried peas, etc etc)

Back to the beginning of Camping Food Post

Is Trail Mix Healthy?

Trail mix ingredients have earned a reputation of being a healthy nutritious camping food designed to fuel your body and give you the energy you need to be physically active, and while most trail mix ingredients live up to this reputation some ingredients do nothing more than drive up the calorie count of this camping food. The answer to “Is trail mix healthy?” Is most likely no. It has nuts and fruit, two major ingredients that do technically belong under the healthy camping foods umbrella, but store-bought trail mix recipes bring along saturated fats, artificial flavors, and added sugars. So finding a trail mix recipe in stores with health benefits and no unhealthy benefits might be a bit frustrating.

But if your playing chess with a unicorn, the nutritional value of trail mix is probably the least of your concerns. Peanuts, raisins & dried fruit carry a lot of nutrients and protein, but they also provide a lot of calories and sugar. If your a healthy person trail mix is healthy for you, but then again if you are an active person what isn’t healthy for you? If trail mix was good for weight loss corporate America & affiliate marketers would be all over this cash cow camping food. If trail mix was heart healthy & lowered cholesterol TV ads would be saturated with products.

The ingredients in this camping food are good for you, but the way the ingredients are manufactured is what triggers the unhealthy alarms. Serving size also contributes to this equation. Something I believe I am immune too (not really but I can dream right) because when I break out this camping food its generally an hour later before I pack it back away.

How Do You Ensure A Healthy Camping Food Trail Mix Recipe?

To make a healthy trail mix recipe all you have to do is remember three things: Raw, Unsweetened & Unsulfured.

If done right a trail mix recipe can be nutritious & healthy. Alternatively, if you buy from stores to make this camping food healthy and nutritious you will need to avoid the unhealthy ingredients. It takes a little more effort and a few more dollars, but if you’re after healthy camping food all it takes is awareness & effort. Farmers markets are great for finding raw healthy trail mix ingredients. Particularly, vegetables and fruit you can dry your self.

Healthy Trail Mix Recipe

The homemade trail mix version you can tweak and clicking the links below will take you to the exact ingredients I use:

2 Cups Cheerios

2 Cups Granola (crumbles or bars)

1 1/2 cups raw nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts etc..)

1 cup raw seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc..)

1 cup unsweetened, unsulphured dried fruit (apricots, mangos, papayas, cherries, cranberries, raisins etc..)

Fun stuff (amounts vary) (beef jerky, chopped dark chocolate, wheat thins, triscuits, rice cakes, dried strawberries, popcorn, pretzels etc..)

Spice i.e. 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg (optional)

**Some of these items will require a Prime Membership to get lower prices.

My Go-To Camping Food Trail Mix Recipe:

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw pecans

1 cup raw walnuts

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup chocolate granola

1 bag of rice cakes

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of raw coconut flakes

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup dried strawberries

1/2 cup unsweetened, unsulfured apricots

1/2 cup unsweetened, unsulfured mangos

1 bag of ramen noodles( i don’t use the salt)

1 box of gluten free honey chex cereal

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon,

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of garlic

**NOTES** I toast the pecans and cashews for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before adding to the rest of the ingredients. I also crumble up the rice cakes & granola bars. Sometimes I will put the granola bars in a separate container for easy cereal making access.**

Back to the beginning of Camping Food Post

Is Trail Mix Good For Weight Loss?

I get this question all the time. I want to say yes, but then I look down at a bowl filled with chocolate, candies & gas station store bought dried fruit. Trail mix is associated with outdoor adventurous activities. Which makes people assume this camping food is healthy and good for weight loss.

Unfortunately, this camping food isn’t focused on weight loss. Mainly because nuts are pretty high in calorie count. Unless you are engaged in a physical activity these calories will be stored and turned into heart-healthy fats by the body. This transforms this so-called “healthy” snack into a high-calorie dessert. A small handful can easily contain 300+ calories. Not what you want if weight loss is your goal.

Speeding up your metabolism and energizing your body are two factors everyone needs when trying to lose weight. Proper portion size and combing trail mix with another appropriate diet will help you lose weight fast. I wish I could tell you this is the magic bullet where you could eat as much as you want, and the pounds would start to shed quicker then it began. But weight loss requires activity, and no matter how healthy or unhealthy this camping food may be it is not a substitute for activity.

Is Eating Trail Mix Bad For You?

Eating trail mix as your camping food for 6 months straight is most likely extremely bad for you. Eating this camping food for 6 months straight while climbing mountain faces for 10 hours a day is probably necessary. Trail mix is high in fats, sugars & calories.

Three things active people need to sustain their energy. Eating trail mix isn’t bad for you it’s just not good for you if you’re not active. Trail mix is a camping food. Nothing more nothing less. Eat it in moderation and you will be just fine. Unless your allergic to nuts then I suggest you delete everything you learned from this post. In fact, why are you reading this post? Don’t drink almond milk either.

Trail Mix Stole My Heart

I love trail mix. I love creating it, and the people I go camping with love inviting me because they know I am bringing trail mix as my camping food. Its a great social snack around the campfire at night. It’s the perfect camping food because of its lightweight. Travels well and keeps my energy up. Does that mean I am going to fill my cupboards full of this camping food?

Well, probably, but I also camp 350 days a year. Ski 100+ days a year. Kitesurf ~ well I have the gear but have only used it once. My lifestyle might be different than yours, but trail mix is wonderful. Especially for people like me that hate doing the dishes. Or spending an hour cooking for five when I only have one. I love to snack all day every day. Specifically, if it doesn’t require a trip to the store or prepping. Trail mix may not be good for you in large doses, but what it is? I’ve tried to give you as much knowledge & background information as I can about trail mix, but at the end of the day the only thing I can guarantee you is this:

Trail Mix Is Highly Compatible With My LIifestyle

My Camping Food Trail Mix Recipes Camping Food One of the easiest camping foods to pack is trail mix, and when it comes to camping food.....simplicity is king.

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