#he thinks;; what is there to celebrate to begin with?

[lnfours]

little off topic, but am i the only one that finds confidence in lando hot??

like the confidence the ENTIRE weekend was just 🤌🏽. and then this tiktok - gosh it makes me FERAL.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdfDrtBW/

anon i am screaming into my pillow. gnawing at the bars of my enclosure. i, and i cannot express this enough, love his confidence and, for lack of a better word, little tinge of cockiness. like GOD. his little ���yes?’ and that smile in the video ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???????? he knows he’s hot and it’s not fair.

lando brainrot

the club in london was packed to the brim of people. full of hot and sweaty bodies bumping into each other. overpriced drinks in hands that had ended up spilling over the edge of the little plastic cups slightly as they all danced to the house music booming through the speakers.

when the idea was brought up in the girls group chat, you weren’t really sure at first. you hadn’t seen your friends since the winter break, but after everything that happened, you weren’t really fond of the idea of bumping into a certain someone. much rather content with ordering take out and watching a shitty romcom.

but after a lot of convincing, you found yourself climbing into the back of the car with your friends, taking pictures and laughing at something carmen had said to george about his shoes.

“look who just walked in.” rebecca said, eyes looking towards the entrance of the club over her glass. you followed her line of vision, immediately recognizing the messy curls. even in the dimly lit room.

“guess he’s gotta celebrate another win somehow, hmm?” carmen said, looking over to you now, “have you talked to him recently?”

your eyes shot back to her, shaking your head and furrowing your brows, “god, no.”

your relationship with lando was… complicated. you two had tip toed along the line of friends or more for as long as you could remember, but it always ended before it could ever begin. for one reason or another.

but this time, you were sick of having your heart strings tugged on, your feelings played with, so you stopped. stopped calling, stopped texting. but it never seemed that your absence had effected him. and that’s what hurt the most.

“not at all?” alex asked, genuinely surprised. it was known that you and lando were friends, sometimes even more than, but to completely not have contact with him? that was unheard of.

“no,” you shrugged, taking a sip of your drink, “don’t think his girlfriend likes me much.”

the girls smirked, you looking at them confused. they obviously knew something you didn’t.

“he’s not with her anymore,” lily said, “turns out it was… messier than we all thought.”

you had seen the rumors spreading like wildfire online, but you weren’t sure of their accuracy. a pang of guilt hitting your chest. you tried to tell yourself that you shouldn’t care, he was the one who played these never ending games. he was the one who never thought about reaching out after it was all said and done.

you downed the rest of your drink, your brain working in overtime as you stood up, “i’m gonna get another drink,”

the girls nodded, watching as you made your way to the bar. you managed to squeeze in through the bodies, finally getting a bartenders attention as you smiled at the blonde lady behind the counter.

“can i get another cosmo, please?”

“sure thing, love,”

you watched the people around you. friends laughing and telling stories, couples sitting closely and leaning in to talk to the other over the loud music. you shoved the resurfacing memories of you and lando down, wishing to get over him. but no matter how hard you tried, there was no use. he’d always live in your memory. stuck there like wine stain on a white shirt.

the blonde placed your drink in front of you, smiling softly, “did you want to start a tab?”

you were brought back to reality, now fumbling at the zipper of your purse to find your card, “oh, uhm-“

then you were hit with the smell of that stupidly expensive cologne, an arm reaching behind you as they handed the woman their card, “you can just put it on mine for now.”

the voice sent chills down your spine. speaking of the damn devil.

“sure, did you want something?”

“i’m good, thank you though.”

she nodded and walked off to the register, the man behind you now fully coming into your view as he took the empty spot next to you. you looked up at him, eyes scanning over his face as he did the same with you. he still looked the same, perfectly crafted jawline and dimples that could have any girl at his feet. except now, he was sporting a little bit of facial hair. and you noticed he had managed to finally take everyone’s advice and go for the mullet.

he looked good. too good. and he knew it too.

“i could’ve gotten it,”

he shrugged, “i know, was feeling generous.”

“could you just sign this for me, hon?”

his attention snapped back to the girl behind the counter, smiling as he took the pen and signed his name. he thanked her again before she disappeared, off to help another customer at the end of the bar.

“congratulations by the way,” you didn’t quite know what to say to him after all these months, “killer drive.”

he smiled, “always sounds better when it comes from you.”

you took a deep breath, taking a sip of your drink before looking down at the bar top, “what’re you doing here, lando?”

“celebrating…?” he said with a furrowed brow.

“no,” you looked back up at him, “i mean, standing here. talking to me, paying for my drink, acting like you haven’t been missing for the past 7 months,”

his head dropped as it was his turn to find interest in the wooden bar top as you continued, “you could be doing this for any other girl who’s practically begging you to fuck them, or better yet with your girlfriend. but, you’re over here. with me. why?”

“i’m not seeing her anymore.”

so it was true. and now you felt like the bad guy.

he could see your sense of guilt for saying it on your face and he immediately shook his head, “‘s alright, i’m fine. wasn’t gonna work out between us anyway.”

“how come?”

“well, after the first bad thing she said about you, i knew it wasn’t gonna work out anyway,” he said and you ignored the way your heart jumped to your throat as you looked at him again, eyes meeting his, “but turns out she fancied one of my friends over me the entire time.”

you gave him a sad look, “i’m sorry-“

“don’t be,” he said, straightening his posture now, “and as for the other question, the one about girls falling at me feet and ‘begging me to fuck them’,” he smiled as you cringed at the mention of your own words, “as pretty and… optimistic as they are, they could never be you.”

you smiled softly, tracing the rim of your cup with your index finger as he kept talking, “and i’m sorry for not reaching out. i should’ve texted you and called you, but i couldn’t. i kept thinking about how much better you deserved, but the truth is is that it made me want to fight every man who thought they were deserving enough to have you.”

“i missed you,” you said softly, but still loud enough for him to hear over the music. he smiled back at you, that same heart clenching smile that made you want to grab his face and kiss him.

“i missed you too,” he said back to you, eyes searching yours, “can i have another shot at this? for real this time, all in. just me and you.”

you nodded, letting him step a little closer as you draped an arm on his shoulder as you smiled at him, “is this winners confidence or are you just trying to get me back in your bed?”

“i mean, every winner needs their trophy, right?”

you hummed, his face now inches away from yours, “smooth,”

he gently brought his hand up to your chin, tilting it up before trailing his fingers to your jaw, “i’m serious this time. i can’t let you go again.”

“you never lost me, lan.”

the familiar nickname was like music to his ears and he smiled back down at you, “can i kiss you?”

“i’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

that was all he needed before he dipped down and connected his lips with yours, your free hand now clinging to the martial on his shirt, pulling him impossibly closer. he tasted of expensive champagne, your senses overflowing with all things him.

his hands gripped your hips, keeping you in the same spot. scared that once he’d let you go, he’d lose you again.

you rested your forehead against his, smiling as you both chuckled softly. you bit down on your lower lip before pulling away slightly to look at him.

“wanna get out of here?”

“god, please.”

[fandom-imagines-stories]

Bonding Exercise Part One

Robert Reynolds x Reader

Words: 3091

Summary: For some reason, someone thought it would be a good idea for you to all go camping together… big mistake. 

Notes: Oh look another imagine I had to split into two parts or else it was going to be way too long. Oops. I got this idea right before going to Yellowstone with my sisters and I couldn’t resist. This gives me classic Avengers Tower fic vibes and I am here for it. Let me know what you think! 

More Thunderbolts and Marvel: HERE

-

“The next person who breathes in my direction is never breathing again,” Ava snapped, glowering at the back row of seats through the rearview mirror.

Walker opened his mouth to speak–probably to point out that you and Bob were too focused on each other to be huffing on the back of her neck, but she turned her icy stare on him and he decided to sit quietly. Wise, considering he was the closest to her. 

Alexei drove, so Yelena claimed ‘daughter privilege’ to the front seat. Walker and Ava took the center row, leaving you and your boyfriend to squeeze into the back with all the supplies that didn’t fit in the trunk. 

Bucky did the smart thing and said he’d just take his motorcycle. You were definitely wishing you had chosen to ride separately right about now.

“No making out in the back of van!” Alexei called out, sending you a smirk.

Bob blushed. You buried your face in your hands. 

“I only kissed her a little bit,” Bob murmured, earning disgusted noises from Ava and Walker.

You rolled your eyes. “Are we almost there?”

“Very close according to my GPS,” Alexei said. His GPS was a map on the dashboard with liquids you didn’t want to identify staining the corners. “Two-ish hours.”

The crowd in the car collectively groaned. 

“Please tell me someone brought alcohol,” Ava said.

Everyone but Bob’s hands shot up. You leaned over, giving his hand a slight squeeze.

“I brought those fizzy drinks that you like,” you whispered. You’d found these non-alcoholic sparkling punch drinks that Bob had really liked. He brought your hand to his lips. Walker gagged.

“Can we ban them from sitting together for the rest of this stupid trip?”

“Just because your heart is dead, Walker, does not mean theirs has to be,” Yelena said. She flipped around in her seat. “Even if it is a little nauseating.” 

You were grateful no one mentioned that the two of you were the reason you were in this mess to begin with. For a long time, you and Bob kept your feelings for each other between yourselves. Things were complicated enough, and you didn’t want to deal with the possibility of Valentina turning you into some kind of super couple. The attention was bad enough. You wouldn’t drag Bob into that. 

Unfortunately, the team wasn’t overly thrilled to find out you’d been going behind their backs for nearly a year. 

You’d gone to a very small pizza place on Staten Island to celebrate another year of Sobriety for Bob, and Walker, Bucky, and Ava found you. Needless to say, it did not go well. 

With a very public blow-up now circulating about the New Avengers, Valentine said something needed to be done. Mel gave you two solutions: a spiritual bonding retreat or camping. The group unanimously decided. 

You understood why they thought it was a bad idea, Bucky especially. He’d been around long enough to know there was no such thing as a happy ending. But was it too much to ask for a happy middle? 

As if sensing where your mind had taken you, Bob moved his thumb back and forth against the back of your hand. 

“What if we get attacked by a bear?” Ava asked. “Do any of us actually have a clue what we’re doing?”

“We were taught how to survive in the wild in case we had to go on the run,” Yelena said. “I could skin a rabbit faster than anyone else.”

“I don’t want to skin a rabbit,” Bob said.

“We have plenty of food,” you assured him.

“I will fight off any bear that comes near Lena,” Alexei said, patting her on the shoulder. She grimaced and turned to the window.

“Why do you care?” Walker asked. “You can just materialize away from it.”

“Maybe the bear would be friendly.”

“Bears are not friendly, Bob.” Walker snapped. “They are killing machines.”

“I thought that’s what we were,” you muttered.

The rest of the ride was held in irritated silence, with the occasional anecdote from Aleix, which just made you more and more confused about his past. You listened, though, to every word. Every time one of them talked about where they came from, you wondered if your story was the same. Were you changed in some lab? Or were you put through a program like the Black Widows? All you knew was that you woke up one day in a clearing surrounded by a circle of bodies–a SWAT team–and you could control liquid. Including making human blood boil. The rest, who you were before that day, you couldn’t remember. All this power, all the pressure to be something great, and you didn’t even know your last name.

“Are you sure this is the road?” Yelena asked. She had the map spread over her lap, tracing her fingers over the lines that marked the paths. 

“I know exactly where we are going.” Alexei made an abrupt turn, launching you into Bob’s lap, and a case of tent spikes into your back. 

He grunted, taking a shoulder to the ribs. 

“Isn’t there supposed to be a lake?” 

“Who let him drive?” Walker exclaimed. 

Bob helped steady you back into the seat, sliding his arm behind you to both keep you steady against Alexei’s driving and to ease the anxiety building in his chest. 

He didn’t have fond memories of family trips. Or camping. Or anything involving other people in general.

“We are definitely in the wrong place,” Yelena said. “Just go to where I tell you.”

“Fine, fine.” Alexei whipped the car around. Bob had to hold onto Walker’s headrest so he wouldn’t slide into you. “I was taking the scenic route.”

“Buck is going to think we got attacked or something,” Bob snickered.

“I’m sure he’s thrilled to have the time away from us,” you said. 

Bob leaned in, whispering. “He needs his old man alone time.”

You snorted, which made Ava glower again. You both tried to hold your breath, which just made you laugh harder.

“That’s it.” Ava clicked her seat belt and started to climb over the seat, Walker, and you both tried to hold her back from tackling Bob.

-

Bucky, sure enough, was waiting at the campsite by the time Alexei found the right dirt road- after almost driving you all into a river. Bucky sat next to a perfectly made tent in front of a perfectly made fire, cooking a can of soup. He glanced up when the van skidded to a stop in front of him, frowning.

“The team is all together!” Alexei cheered. 

Bucky raised a brow. “You were supposed to be here three hours ago.”

“Yeah.” Walker climbed out of the car. “We know.”

Ava was next. Then you. Then Bob, who had a little red mark on his forehead where Ava flicked him. When he scrunched from the back seat, he took in the scene around you. Everywhere were tall trees with leaves that caught the sun like emeralds. Down a makeshift path of stones was a beach next to a crystal blue lake. Most of all, there was quiet unlike anything he’d ever known before. His whole life had been noise. It felt strange, almost unsettling, to take that away. But he was drawn to it anyway. 

You breathed in the smell of damp earth and were grateful it wasn’t trash on the street for once. Part of you wished the change would help you remember. Were you an outdoorsy kid? 

“Alright.” Yelena hopped down from the passenger seat. “Now, we set up.” 

Bucky slurped a spoonful of soup. “Done.”

“Yes, well, we have to decide who is sharing,” Yelena said. "There are only three more tents.” 

Alexei held up a hand. 

“No,” Yelena said.

He put his hand back down. 

“Bucky, Walker, you’ve known each other the longest,” Ava said.

“Only because we beat the shit out of each other a couple years ago. That shouldn’t count.” Walk said. “Why can’t you and Yelena share? Have a ‘girls night’ or whatever.”

“Do you think all women are just dying to have sleepovers with each other?” She fired back. 

“Bob and I will share,” you finally blurted.

The others went quiet. Bucky looked away. You hated how they all acted like your relationship was some taboo subject. The second it wasn't just something to joke about, they just wanted to pretend it wasn’t real. Like it was something they could all just forget about. 

Screw that. You knew what it was like to really forget.

Nudging Bob with your arm, you started for the trunk of the van. 

“Come on. We can set up by the lake.” You grabbed the biggest tent and set of spikes. 

Bob glanced at the others, then at you, then at the lake. It did look like a nice spot. He followed you through the small opening in the trees to a wide section of smooth gravel on the beach. 

Walker snagged his arm before he could step out of the brush. 

“I swear, if I have to listen to the two of you-” He inhaled sharply, “canoodling all night, I will kill you in your sleep. Got it?” 

“I don’t think I can actually-”

“Got it!” Walker just seemed so irritated, Bob decided to just nod. He hurried after you. 

“You okay?” You asked, spotting Walker’s retreating form.

“Yeah.” Bob’s brows furrowed. “I just don’t think I’ve ever heard a grown man say ‘canoodling’.” 

You snorted and rolled your eyes for the thousandth time since the trip started.

“That’s because Walker isn’t a grown man. He’s a twelve-year-old bully trapped in a super soldier’s body.” You placed the first tent spike and realized you forgot a hammer. “Little help?” 

Bob crouched down beside you and pressed the stake into the ground with ease, doing the same for each corner and on the sides. It was actually kind of fun, and when you were finished, the tent was sturdy and in place. Bob felt a flicker of accomplishment. It was something so normal and yet, it wasn’t anything he’d done before. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

“Hey.” Bob caught your hand, tugging you gently toward him. “I know they’re still kind of pissed at us, but I’m happy I get to be out here with you.” He smiled his sweet, crooked smile and kissed your cheek.

You leaned into him, relaxing for the first time since the fight with the others in front of that stupid pizza place. Between his presence and the quiet rush of waves from the lake, you could actually breathe again. 

“We should get back,” you said, reluctantly turning away. “The others will think we’re up to something scandalous.”

Bob hesitated. He pulled you closer to him, hugging you from behind so you were both facing the water. 

“Just a little longer,” he pleaded softly, pressing his lips to the nape of your neck. He snuggled into you the way he often did right before he fell asleep, taking you in as much as his senses let him. You smelled like fresh rain, your skin soft against his, your voice calming in his ears. He wanted to savor every second.

“Do you have extra tent spikes?” Yelena poked her head out from the trees. “Alexei managed to break all of his.”

“I’m sorry I’m too strong for little plastic pokey sticks!”

Your light laugh vibrated against Bob's chest. 

“We’ll be right there,” you said. 

Bob loosened his hold, and the two of you made your way back to the main camp.

“Oh no.” You muttered, finding you’d left behind complete and utter chaos. “You guys, we were gone for five minutes!” 

Before you sat two piles that might have been tents and a set of charred hot dogs next to the fire. Alexei was still trying to put the rods of his tent together and Walker was failing to give him instructions in any sort of calm, helpful manner whatsoever. Ava had gotten into the beers and was watching it all next to Bucky. All they needed was popcorn. 

You let your palm hit your forehead and slid your hand down your face. Bob just stood next to you, blinking.” 

“Do you think we should help them?” He whispered. 

You sighed and walked over to the first failed attempt at shelter. Using the same patience and method as before, you and Bob managed to put both up by the time Alexei fixed his. 

“You cheated,” he huffed. “He can fly.”

How that helped put a tent together, you weren't sure, but you decided not to argue anyway. You instead focused on getting yourself a drink. A strong one. You handed Bob one of his punches and he took it like a kid taking candy. 

“Thanks,” he muttered, taking a sip with a content smile. Bob watched you make a drink and sit in front of the fire, waiting a moment before joining you. He liked the way the flame made your eyes glow, how it warmed your skin, and flickered at the shadows around you. 

Bucky cleared his throat, making Bob jump. The old soldier raised a brow. Bob gave him a smile, tight lipped smile. 

“Did you, uh,” he took another sip for courage, “have a nice ride out here?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes like he was suspicious of the question. But after a second, he eased. 

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s good to get out of the city for once.”

“It’s so quiet,” Bob awed. “And it smells so good. I forgot how good trees smell, you know?”

Bucky glanced at him for a long while- not out of annoyance. Appreciation. He found a strange sense of comfort in seeing the kid so happy. 

“Yeah,” he said finally. “It’s nice.”

Bob took a breath. “So about the other day-”

“Nope.” Bucky shook his head briskly and stalked off.

Bob deflated a little and went to join you. 

You stared into the fire, trying to ignore the cold creeping into the air. Ever since you gained your powers, even the slightest chill sank down to your bones, like ice taking over your body. Maybe you were always like that. Maybe not.

“Are you cold?” Bob asked.

You hadn’t realized how much you started shivering.

“Oh! Here.” He jumped up to grab something from the van. He came back with a massive, fluffy blanket that he usually kept on his bed. “I brought this for you because you always forget and you’re always cold.” Bob wrapped it around your shoulders, letting his hands linger to rub warmth into your arms. “I hope that helps.”

“It’s perfect.” You tilted your head back to look at him. “Thank you.” 

He sat beside you. You tucked the blanket around him, too.

The others all gathered around the fire and for a while, it all felt weirdly… normal. Like you really were just a regular family on summer vacation. Alexei started telling another one of his stories and Yelena kept pointing out everything he got wrong, which made you all laugh. Bucky made everyone’s hot dogs because he was the only one who could manage not to burn them. Even Walker seemed to have a decent time. He heated a pot of coffee over the fire and poured you a cup.

“This’ll warm you up,” he said. His gaze darted between you and Bob. You hadn’t realized how much you were snuggled into him, still shivering. But Walker didn’t make any snide remarks or roll his eyes, he just held out the steaming mug.

You grasped it with both hands, letting it warm your palms. “Thanks.” 

He nodded and turned back to the conversation- something about new weapons from somewhere or something. 

“Ugh, I thought we came out here so we didn't have to talk about work,” Ava whined. Everyone paused. You each looked around the group. 

Bucky raised a brow. “What else are we going to talk about?”

Ava rested her chin on her hand, frowning. “You make us sound so pathetic.”

Another pause. The group collectively shrugged. 

“I watched a pretty cool movie on Netflix the other night while you guys were out,” Bob chimed in. “It was about–”

“She kinda has a point,” Walker interrupted. “None of us really has a life anymore.

“You say that like we had one before,” Yelena said. You could tell this wasn’t going to be a pleasant topic. 

“I did.” 

“Good for you, Walker,” she huffed. “Tell us another story of your time in the American military. We’re all dying to know.”

“I think that’s a little uncalled for-” Bob started, but was silenced again as their argument erupted. Ava jumped in. Bucky tried to get them to shut up, which roped him in, too.

“Are we going to do this every time?” You exclaimed over the commotion. “Rehash the same things like we’re all broken records of tragic backstories?”

It must have been the drive. Or maybe the situation in general. But Yelena was annoyed and wasn’t thinking. 

“It must be nice not to remember,” she fired back. As soon as she said it, a deadly quiet fell over all of you. Her eyes widened, processing what she’d done.

Bob tried to hold you closer, to remind you he was there, but you stood and walked away, letting the blanket fall around him. 

“Y/N, wait!” Yelena called. 

You disappeared into the dark and the trees. Overhead, thunder boomed. Bob and Yelena jumped to their feet. 

“Let her go,” Bucky said. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

Silence came again. 

Alexei let out a low, long breath, shaking his head. “I knew I should have brought he board games.”

Yelena sat back down, head in her hands, but Bob stayed. He wanted to run after you, but his feet wouldn't move. He couldn’t see you anymore. It made him nervous. It wasn’t as though this was the first time it had come up, but he knew each time that it did was another shot of ice through you. Another brick for you to build the wall around your heart. He just hoped this time he could do something to stop it. You were always there for him. He didn’t want you to get lost in the same shadows. 

“I’m making another drink,” Ava said. “Who wants–” Before she even finished, hands shot into the air, Bucky’s metal one glinting in the crackling light of the fire. 

[zepskies]

RULES & REGULATIONS

Pairing: Javier Peña x F. Reader

Summary: Lines have been crossed, and you don’t know where this leaves you and Javier.

AN: Not sure why I start with sleepy bedroom fluff whenever I write for a new Pedro character, but here it is. 😂 I wrote this before putting out my 5K Followers Celebration, but the next Javi drabble will be a request from that event.~

Posted on Patreon: 6/22/2025

Word Count: 600

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only. Smut, fluff, angst

It’s that kind of sleep that you don’t get very often.

Deep, boneless, languid limbs slowly shifting under the covers. But it’s like your body registers the alarm before your brain has the chance. The clock beeps loud and persistent on your nightstand, blaring red digits.

He groans in your ear, rough and deep. It makes you smile.

“Hmm?” you question.

“Early,” Javi mutters. “Too fucking early.”

His arm slithers around your waist after you lean over to turn off the alarm. It’s the first time he’s stayed the night. The first time you’ve let him, or the first time he’s allowed himself to cross that boundary—you’re not sure which anymore.

All you know is, you want him here. It feels too good, however foreign, not to wake up alone. He feels good, sliding in closer behind you, warm breath on your neck, his knee bumping the back of your thigh. He’s almost tentative, like he’s testing dangerous waters. You’ve never known Javier Peña to be unsure of himself.

The thought brings doubts into your own mind, even though you hold his arm where it’s tucked under your breasts, warm against your skin. A sense of security, but also a proverbial door creaking open, one you didn’t think would ever open.

You sigh. “What’re we gonna do, Javi? We have to be in the office in two hours.”

He leans in and presses a tantalizing kiss into your neck.

“We could use our time wisely,” he muses, licking and nibbling the skin just under your ear. You hum in response, tilting your head back to give him more access. You bite your lip against a frown.

“You know what I mean,” you say. Your tone might be chiding, but your legs fall open on reflex when his hand travels down under the blankets, molding to your every curve, and dipping under the hem of your panties. Your breath hitches. “We…we’re breaking a lot of rules. This could get so fucking messy.”

Javi smirks into your skin. His fingers wander between your legs, finding your slick folds with ease. “That’s what I’m counting on, cariño.”

You huff in response, tempted to swat him on the head. The urge dies when he begins to roll your clit between nimble fingers. Your mouth falls open with a needy sound, one that almost embarrasses you. His free hand slides around your throat, applying just enough pressure for you to give in—to his touch, his familiar sense of control, and his safety too.

He fucks you with his fingers until you can’t help but gush over his hand, your inner walls pulsing, clenching tight. Javi groans at the feeling. He knows what you feel like throbbing around him, gripping him like a vice.

It’s more addictive than the shit he’s trying to purge out of the streets of Colombia (or at least, the ones that supply its veins like poison).

What’re we gonna do?

He drowns out that question, the hint of vulnerability in your voice, with the whimpers and moans he draws from you. He turns you onto your back and sinks between your legs, where you welcome him with warm hands sliding up his shoulders, and then nails digging into his back.

Javi knew what you were really asking before. He just doesn’t want to untangle complicated webs before he’s even had his coffee.

He wants to spend a little more time like this, even though it’s getting harder to maintain the fantasy that this is just stress relief.

Just a captured moment where he doesn’t feel like a failure—at his job, at his life. 

Just another moment with you.

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[luvpocket]

Nothing New - 2

pairings: geum seongje x female reader

Summary: You follow the mysterious boy into a sketchy bowling alley where danger lurks beneath the surface. There, you are offered a place in a covert operation that uses women as distractions for theft, organised by The Union. Driven by desperation, you reluctantly agree, even as your instincts warn you otherwise. But as the lines between survival and exploitation blur, you begin to realize that escaping your current life may come at a certain price.

Part One!

Author's Note: is this slow burn? seongje has only said one line lol. but i wanted the scenario to be well described :') promise next part will actually have seongje in it

can you notice how bad i am at naming random characters pls

Genre: angst, eventual smut?, aged up characters, college au?, union operates like a gang, i'll make the characters suffer

Warnings!!: mdni, mentions of suicide and rape, language, reader is depressed, mature content

Word Count: 2033

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. 　　　.   　　˚　✭　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　　✭　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 　　 　　　　 ✦

A bowling alley was the last place you expected. After having attempted murder against him, the boy walked ahead of you with the calmest demeanor, as if he fully trusted in his ability to win any sort of battle against you. Sadly, that was the truth.

The moment you approached him, the boy received your attack as if he had been expecting it from the very beginning, even before opening the backpack and seeing its contents. He grabbed your wrist and stopped it mid-air while smiling slightly, clearly stating who held the power in the brief exchange.

"This is not new to me, but it is to you. Follow me." he said as he started walking without looking back. He spoke as though you had no other choice, as if the earlier questions had always had a yes for an answer. And although that wounded what little pride you had left, you followed the relaxed young man without questioning it for more than a few seconds.

The walk was not long, but it was silent, which left space for thousands of internal questions that could be summed up in a single thought: “Did I never learn about stranger danger?” Years ago, when your mother still offered coherent arguments, she used to warn you daily about the dangers people posed, strangers or not, especially if they were male. In fact, you had never trusted men, only your father when he was still around. You had learned the intentions of many the hard way, and how little female attractiveness truly mattered in the face of male lust.

And yet, there you were, at the door of a bowling alley lit only by flickering neon lights. In that moment, you quickly understood what the boy meant by “being obedient.” You had considered many solutions to ease your debt, and had already put several into work, but you had never contemplated using your body for it.

"Come on, don’t make those faces already. I haven’t even told you what this is about yet."

It was not necessary. Upon entering, you saw many men howling, celebrating while toasting and scoring points. Some young women were also part of the group, which calmed you for a moment. That feeling did not last long, since when you looked ahead, a tall and dangerous-looking boy was watching you expectantly.

"New acquisition." The first boy said, whom you had named in your mind as Jin. You had heard that name repeatedly while making your way through the sinister bowling alley. His comment and the slight smile on his lips made your skin crawl.

"She’s… an interesting choice, to say the least." The second boy, whose name you still did not know, let out a deep chuckle, as though the whole situation belonged right in a comedy script. You kept your head down, your whole body trembling at this point. You tried to subtly look around, searching for the eyes of the girls you saw earlier. Surely they had seen you and would not let these guys sell your organs, right? 

"I don't think-"

"This is going to be a direct explanation, okay? So stay focused." Jin interrupted you, clearly not wanting you to back down now. You guessed the more girls each brought, the more they got paid, hence his insistence. "You heard about The Union, right? If you join and do your job properly, you get paid, got it? Motorbikes and other stuff are stolen, sold and then stolen right back. Someone has to distract those fuckers while we steal them. We used to do it all ourselves, all men. But our smart Han here once thought: why not use the power of women? Such a fucking feminist, isn't he?" Jin and the other guy, now called Han, laughed like hyenas plotting. The predatory remark mixed with their laughter made you choke on air. Still, he gave you no time to recover from his mind-blowing speech, since he kept on talking.

"No fucking them. Don't think this is about pimping you out for some quick cash. Just distracting them with some seductive female magic. Then you are out. If he gets fucking handsy, someone will be around at all times. The others will tell you, no raping cases yet." He spoke in the most casual tone while smirking, as if those insane statements were not coming out of his mouth. 

"The bike gets stolen, you did your job right, so you get paid. And don't think this is the money you get from working in that stupid fucking store. Doesn't compare, baby. Ask the girls when you meet them." At this point, you did not have to ask if they had been stalking you, because you knew the answer. You guessed that was how they found their perfect victims: financially unstable girls who were desperate to make money. And you were about to be one of them, seemingly. 

You had questioned your intelligence plenty of times throughout your whole life, but never like in that instance. Why were you not even asking how much money you would get for every mission? You simply were not thinking at that point, just trusting the universe with the opportunities it decided to put in your path, even though that had let you down in most occasions. 

"Can I talk to them now?"

"Wow, she is a quick one. Didn't even think about it for a second, huh?" Han said while smirking, which made you blush in embarrassment. You just looked so hopeless, it was obvious money was not that accessible to you. 

"I... I just wanna know about how they are treated from their perspective. And how much money they really get."

"Getting greedy now? How about a trial period? You say yes to joining The Union, then you can talk to them and see it for yourself. Do some missions and then we talk, mmh?" Jin spoke, almost in a daring tone, while trying to connect his gaze with yours. He was not able to do so though, since you nervously kept looking around for possible witnesses, just in case. The truth was that eye contact had never been your forté, with people looking at your face being your greatest fear. You just opted for shaking your head yes and thinking of possible questions about this illegal pact.

"So when-" You got interrupted for the second time in the fifteen minutes you had been in that flashy bowling alley. Either Jin — or people there in general — did not care that much for conversational maxims. How welcoming.

"Boss!" Suddenly, all the guys' heads dropped down, bowing at an entering presence. Another young man, 20-something years old, came into the room, but this time it was different. 

"You fucking stupid bastards. Put your fucking heads up. This is not a fucking gang." The young man spoke while blowing smoke from the cigarette in his hand. He looked intriguing, like his presence could change the mood of a whole room. He was large, looked toned but not big. His clothes were wrinkled and stained with blood and dirt, as if he had been fighting someone on the floor. For the two seconds you looked at him, you were able to notice he wore glasses, which was a contrast to his image of an almost gang leader. You kept looking down, noticing all the details that your peripheral sight could offer, frightened enough to even dare to move. 

"Seongje! Got a new one! Hope to get a fat check from this one, yeah?"

"Already told you all I don't give two fucks about this plan of yours. Still don't fucking know why Baekjin said yes to your stupid ass." Well, you had just met a ray of sunshine personified, you thought. Seongje gave you a quick, dismissive glance — completely uninterested — as he walked past right by the three of you. 

"Don't mind him. He is just the asshole who basically runs all of this. You girls don't see the big guys much, usually" Han directed his eyes to you, suddenly sounding like the sweetest person to ever exist after being witness to all of those curses.

"So" Jin returned to the conversation casually, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Are you joining then? I forgot to mention you got accommodation. If you want to live with the other girls so you don't have to pay for that flat of yours, you got the option. I know it's not fucking cheap, yeah?" The young man started to light a cigarette and blew the smoke right in front of your face. You could not stand the smell of it, and it already reeked of tobacco there, so you coughed as if your lungs were about to come out of your body. 

"Get used to it, mmh? The smell is going to be practically permanent around here." He smiled lightly, almost trying to mock a gentle remark. 

Getting out of that awful apartment and avoiding your crazy rent did sound like a dream. You were already expecting not the best conditions to live in, but you were not able to keep paying for everything. It was either uni, a place to live or food, and your stubbornness was not going to let you drop out. 

"Can I see the place?"

"Sure. Wait here. I'll bring some of the girls." Every word that left his mouth sounded sarcastic, deceitful. His tone was constantly cheerful, in an almost degrading way, which was making you feel chills every second that passed.

The whole situation was sketchy, and your body's physiological reactions were telling you to run. Still, there you were, standing still and doing as Jin said, taking no notice of your survival instincts. An hour ago you were certain there would not be a tomorrow for you anymore, so you could kind of make sense of the lack of self-preservation you were showcasing. Still, it made you feel pathetic: if you were so sure about dying, why were you fighting so hard to keep going? You were invalidating your own feelings, questioning why you would put yourself in a situation that could end terribly just to stay alive. Just to get a damn degree. Gosh, why were you so fixated on it? 

You did all of that thinking just to stay in the same exact position you were before, waiting. Three girls were walking towards you, the same girls that were watching the other guys play just moments ago. They looked like they were having fun, so you thought it could not be that bad, right?

"Hey. I'm Eunji and this is Bora and Nari. That stupid bitch told us you were joining. I'm the one who kind of leads this, so I'll show you what to do, yeah?" She sounded a bit strict, almost distrustful, but you could imagine why. It surprised you she insulted Jin in such a casual way, but she looked tough, so you guessed she had a bit of a reputation that allowed her to do so. The other two girls only smiled lightly, looking a bit uninterested, which popped your bubble of possible female friendship, something you needed greatly. You just nodded and took advantage of the opportunity to ask every question that popped into your head: money, conditions, sleep... You felt extremely awkward because of how desperate you sounded. Still, you just kept going, reminding yourself about the depressing financial situation that you were in, which had almost made you kill yourself an hour ago. 

The three girls showed you the small building in which you could live in, almost next to the bowling alley. It consisted of bunk beds and two shared bathrooms, plus a tiny space saved for hanging your clothes. It was not cozy or comforting by any meanings, but as long as you had a roof over your head, you could be content. There was a small kitchen behind a closed door, but the convenience store close by was enough for you to survive. In that moment, you convinced yourself it was worth the risk; surely, nothing could be worse than your current situation.

Or so you believed.

[faiztheap]

CRASH inspired bot drop !!

▸ track 1: crash - art, tashi, & patrick

where stanford graduates plan to end the year with a bang, and you somehow get thrown into the clutches of stanford's very own golden trio.

▸ track 2: new shapes - tashi duncan

where tashi's knee has been ruined in a moment, and you have to reassure her that you will always love her, no matter the shape that she's in.

▸ track 3: good ones - art and patrick

where you run to patrick after every time art breaks up with you, but are caught in the middle of them both during a movie night in their dorm.

▸ track 4: constant repeat - patrick zweig

where patrick runs back to you after completely ghosting you, refusing to open up about his history with his old friend, much to your dismay.

▸ track 5: beg for you - tashi duncan

where your coach seems to be doing things that seem a little more than purely professional, but you both go along with it for your practice.

▸ track 6: move me - art donaldson

where your best friend comes in to check on you during a rough patch when the seasons start to change, but you're too blind to see how much he wants you.

▸ track 7: baby - patrick zweig

where your classmate that's always tried to win you over stands up to your ex for you when you're in an argument and lets you cry on his shoulder.

▸ track 8: lightning - tashi duncan (wlw)

where you kiss the girl from church and feel horrible about it, shutting yourself away from her until she comes to your window, true romantic movie style.

▸ track 9: every rule - patrick zweig

where you have an affair with a head detective from upstairs, and it isn't long before gossip spreads and hr calls you in for a meeting regarding these rumours.

▸ track 10: yuck - art donaldson

where you find that art's warm and affectionate personality has rubbed off on you, someone who isn't so open with their affection, and you say 'i love you'.

▸ track 11: used to know me - tashi duncan

where you see your old college fling at the bar whilst you're celebrating both your birthday and your divorce, and you can feel her eyes on you from a mile away.

▸ track 12: twice - art and patrick

where you're all graduating from the academy, and the feeling that you may never see them again starts to settle deep in your bones, the three of you a tangle of limbs on art's bed.

DELUXE TRACKS:

▸ track 13: selfish girl - tashi duncan (wlw)

where the two of you can never define what you are, needing an outlet for your fast paced lives, but the lines become muddled when tashi comes to see you after your show.

▸ track 14: how can i not know what i need right now -

patrick zweig

where a drunk patrick finds himself in a jazz bar in atlanta, talking the bartender's ear off, but you can't find it in yourself to turn the man away, giving him an ear to listen.

▸ track 15: sorry if i hurt you - art donaldson (m4f)

where you go out to a bar one night without telling him, and all of a sudden art donaldson seems reduced to a bundle of nerves, tears welling in his eyes when you come home.

▸ track 16: what you think of me - art donaldson (m4f)

where your old bassist and ex shows up to one of your gigs— wearing your new band's merchandise, mind you— to wish you well, but old feelings begin to rise and you suddenly don't want him to go.

sneak peeks: track 1. track 2. track 3. track 4. track 5. track 6. track 7. track 8. track 9. track 10. track 11. track 12. track 13. track 14. track 15. track 16.

taglist: @iamaya03 @sweetestfaiszts @nozhdyved @fawnique @hayleygrrr @elsieblogs @iheartrosalia click here to be added !!

a/n: okay i did it like an hour early I COULDN'T HELP IT!!! all bots are gender neutral unless stated otherwise!! i hope that you enjoy them as much as i loved writing them!! thank you to everyone who supported me during this process!! mwah!! 💋💋💋

[housemdork]

house md rewatch: 2x17, "all in"

hit it, lady gaga. does it count as a poker face if you're talking over the phone, though?

and if i said this is my "three stories?" would that break your trust in me?

it doesn't do the same story work as 1x21, nor is it all that innovative in its presentation, and YES, it's a bit gimmicky, but i love her (2x17). next to 5x04, it's probably my most watched, which is why i was surprised when i realized i don't have a ton to say! one of 2x17's strengths is its directness/efficiency, so this recap may just read like a big appreciation post, more than anything else.

and what i want to appreciate first is how wonderful everyone looks :)

foreman is kinda real for that lol ^

second, i think someone told the writers' room what "haunting the narrative" meant when they started drafting this episode and they Ran with it. apart from reinforcing house's addiction to the puzzle and reaffirming his godhood along the way, i couldn't decipher much more about the old patient esther. the king james bible dictionary (lmfao) says that the name comes from the old persian word for star, "satarah," which could allude to a sort of northern star situation; something that house strives for. but it's also a stereotypical old people name, and house as god is actually deconstructed by the end of 2x17, so who knows.

at a textual level, what i liked the most about 2x17 was its self-awareness about its driving theme/allegory: gambling & games of chance is like diagnostics. audiences are fully down with the sickness atp, so to speak; this isn't news for us. but the kid patient ian and his parents are NOT down with this. every time the team unveils a new potential diagnosis, the parents try to roll with the punches but grow increasingly restless and distrustful of house. fair enough!

the team's stress mounts as ian begins tanking just like esther did twelve years ago, and right around the time that the party has about 2 hours to go, so does ian. their desperation turns to a numbers/instinct game, with house having a very Always Bet On Black moment with his repeated erdheim chester diagnosis. it ends in his favor; his celebration is very much that of a gambling addict, too. but remember this for later!

back to self-consciousness: house and wilson have a very interesting conversation when rehashing the esther saga from twelve years ago. wilson, because he's a theatre/literature/pop culture nerd (a man after my own heart), reasonably compares esther to house's own personal moby dick. house replies with a short tirade against metaphors:

"you do realize that the point of metaphors is to scare people from doing things by telling them that something much scarier is going to happen than what really will happen? god, i wish i had a metaphor to explain that better."

first, i have to laugh because house does nothing but use metaphors every chance he can to describe things from the mundane to the medically complex. but more importantly, here, house md is directly acknowledging the shakiness of the metaphor of gambling/doctors. its anticipating the audience's renewed anxiety - will my health be reduced to such a turbulent guessing game? - and maybe even taking a stab at repairing that anxiety. i think this is so clever!! i love manipulating and acknowledging the genre!

this discomfort translates to house, too, like i've alluded to above. esther really does haunt his narrative, and we've never seen him outwardly celebrating cracking a case like this one before. he himself is unwilling to admit to the gambling/doctoring dichotomy, either, because it would reinforce his fallibility. even when cuddy directly (and rightfully) attacks him for hijacking the case, he doesn't totally relent.

"sometimes you lose, house! you're not god!"

very, very true and important and telling!

house's fallibility isn't just thrown in his face via dialogue or inward self-doubt, however. it's obviously unusual for house specifically to be dressed so formally ever since the vogler/lab coat debacle. but as the case progresses, the pomp and circumstances of the poker tournament fall away. while the fellows don their lab coats and Doctor Gear, house strips down:

his second to last iteration is the sterile gown he wears while sitting next to ian with cuddy. i like how this transfers this motif to cuddy, too. they're both without their pretty poker night outfits, united in a cleanroom with concern. that happens a lot - the patient's urgency trumps their tension/pettiness. subtle but forever mounting moments of solidarity between them.

the revelation that it was, in fact, erdheim chester all along in ian and esther's cases superficially restores house's poker face. he's reclaimed that godhood card - on the surface. wilson delivers cuddy's same point in another instance of vulnerability like the cleanroom moment. this time, the text of 2x17 hands wilson the self-consciousness reins. he forces house to confront the immense gamble he won, and their resulting laughter is one the audience can join in:

in Every Way, this scene is stripped back. the hospital is actively disassembling the poker night decorations/paraphernalia. they aren't using poker chips anymore. their clothes are in equal states of disarray; i don't quite understand why wilson hung back for so long lol. and house's cigar is lit, whereas in the first poker game, it was a prop to irritate and see through wilson and cuddy's poker faces. now wilson can see through its literal smokescreen.

this is also the first time house/wilson and cigars makes landfall. i'm obsessed with this motif.

better yet, house doesn't call. he doesn't try to read wilson - he's too busy being read for filth himself. i truly love this scene, especially when you think about all the pseudo-marital problems they've been having lmfao.

finally, i need to address the Hudson Psychosexual Games of it all. they play THROUGH wilson. the trifecta is trifecta-ing. for now, this reads as an isolated incident, and showcases how well these 3 know each other. i like that it finally invites cuddy into the mix since she'll quickly become integral to house and wilson and all the rest in a way that's not fully realized yet. more than that, i like how she and house can see through the communication barrier. above all, however, i'm obsessed with the thrill wilson gets from the arrangement. freak. obviously there's more to come on this matter >:)

i just love this episode. 10/10. no notes. and look how happy he is that he won the tournament! never mind that he couldn't have done it without house's help! he beat burman, from business affairs! (i can recite his dialogue here from memory).

i'm gonna throw up.

[moons-and-mobility-aids]

Hi !!! Can you do Eddie Diaz with this please thank you and i love your stories

"if we were dating i'd take you to all the best places.." "what's stopping you?" "excuse me."

Thank you for participating in my celebration, I really appreciate it!

Chantelle's Birthday Bash

The passenger door of Eddie's truck slams shut with a bit more force than you intended, the sound echoing down the quiet street. Your face burns, not from exertion but frustration, as you grapple with your crutches, the metal cold and unyielding against your grasp.

"Another one?" Eddie's voice is already laced with sympathy as he rounds the front of the truck, his steps quick and sure. He reaches out, steady and strong, to take the crutches from you.

"Another one," you confirm with a sigh that does little to ease the tightness in your chest. You let him guide you, supporting your weight as you shift from the seat to standing. "He couldn't decide whether to pity me or ignore me. And then he said he was 'proud' of me for going out in public. Like... what the hell."

Eddie's lips press into a thin line, the only outward sign of the anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. His hands tighten around the crutches just a fraction, enough to make the metal creak under his grip.

"Proud," he echoes, the word flat and bitter on his tongue.

"Maybe I should start a collection—worst date stories. Could probably write a book at this point." You don't mean to sound so bitter, but the night has been long and your patience thin. It's tiring, feeling like you're just a task on someone's to-do list, not a person.

He waits until you're settled before closing the door behind you. When Eddie climbs back into the driver's seat, he doesn't start the car right away. Instead, he turns toward you, his eyes soft even in the low light.

"You know," he begins, his voice thoughtful, "if we were dating, I'd take you to all the best places."

You let out a dry chuckle, staring out of the window. "Yeah?" Your voice is barely above a whisper, rough with fatigue and an emotion you dare not name. "Then what's stopping you?"

The question hangs in the air, heavier than you intended. You hadn't meant to ask it, not really, and you certainly didn't expect the way Eddie stiffens beside you.

"Excuse me?"

The thud of your heart is almost audible. "You heard me," you say, forcing yourself to hold his gaze, searching the depths of those earnest eyes. "What's stopping you?"

Silence stretches between you, a tangible thread connecting two souls on the precipice of something momentous. Eddie exhales slowly, as though the weight of his next words could shatter the fragile peace surrounding you.

"You," he says quietly, "you've been through so much already. The last thing I wanted was to be another man who lets you down. You deserve someone who doesn't make you feel like you're constantly battling for visibility."

Your vision blurs as unshed tears threaten to fall. "But you do see me," you whisper, your voice barely above a breath.

Eddie's hand reaches across the distance, finding yours clenched in your lap. His thumb traces over your knuckles in a soothing rhythm that anchors you to this moment, to him, before taking your hand in his.

"I do," he agrees, his voice low and reverent. "Better than anyone else ever has."

The silence is palpable, a living thing that breathes between you. Yet it doesn't feel oppressive; instead, it's a testament to the intensity of this moment—two souls connecting in an unlikely setting.

Your heart hammers against your ribs, matching the rhythm of Eddie's pulse where your fingers are entwined. You squeeze his hand, not out of fear but to anchor yourself in this sea of uncertainty.

"So," you begin, your voice barely above a whisper, "take me out."

His brow furrows, and for a moment, you think he might pull away. But then his grip tightens, a silent reassurance that he's still there, still willing to guide you through the darkness.

"Really?"

You nod, swallowing hard against the lump in your throat. "But maybe start with breakfast tomorrow? I've had enough of lousy dinners for now."

A slow smile spreads across Eddie's face, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He leans in, so close that you can feel the heat radiating off his body, and his forehead comes to rest against yours, a gesture so intimate it sends shivers down your spine.

"Breakfast," he murmurs, the word hanging in the air like a promise. "It's a date."

[ford-pines-lover]

Haunted

Can't breathe whenever you're gone...

Here's a new one everyone!! @chillinglyadventurous here it is!!!

Tags: SFW, a bit dark in the beginning, lighter at the end, ford x reader, some drinking

Stanford Pines x Reader

You and I walk a fragile line 

Ford was sitting in his usual spot in his lab. The incessant whirring of his machines were no longer audible. No current projects were being worked on. There were many sheets of paper around his workstation, some of which are probably letters to you. There weren’t many things that made this old man tick, but when something did, it was quite significant. Thoughts of you and what you had been clouded his mind. The way you left had left scars in his riddled mind. 

Stan paced around the shack, worried about how his twin was doing. It didn’t take much to worry him about Ford, but this time it was different. Ford had lost you. Ford had lost the one strong connection in his life. The last time that had happened, he got sucked through the portal. He lost his friendship with Bill. Well, it was more intimate than a friendship one would say. It was certainly astonishing how a mortal could worship a demon of sorts. 

The change was imminent. There was nothing either of you two could do to stop it. You had left for the city. You had already told him when you two started dating that you were a year away from finishing medical school and couldn’t stay in Gravity Falls, no matter how badly Ford wanted you to. No matter how badly you wanted to. The end was inevitable. It always was. Why did it hurt Ford so bad when it was so clear? 

You still visited Ford on your time off of med school. You two celebrated Thanksgiving and Haunakkah together. You shared secrets that you would never want anyone else to know. You and Ford got drunk once. Like actually drunk. He doesn’t remember what happened but you do. He asked you to marry him. Stay with him. Live with him. It hit you like a truck. You couldn’t be doing any of this. Shouldn’t be doing any of this. 

You went out to your car and cried. This whole thing felt wrong to you. Like you weren’t supposed to be happy. Why were you holding yourself back? The next morning you were gone, with a note left on the fridge reading:

Hi my love. If you’re reading this then I am back on campus. I was called away for a clinical trial that my university wanted me to be a part of. I am so sorry that I couldn’t say goodbye. I promise I will call when I have some time. Stay out of trouble. :) <3

Your stardust

A year after starting clinicals, you came down to Gravity Falls most weekends. Each weekend you were pulling away. Just stalling for the end. Of course you never wanted the end. Of course neither of you wanted the break. There was always this lingering question and fear in the air with every visit. There was a lack of conclusion, like a hidden message with every clandestine meeting.

The stolen kisses.

Forbidden goodbyes.

Then the hours picked up at work and the weekend trips were no longer possible. The calls after work became obsolete. Love became scarce. Then you were nothing short of a memory. 

I have known it all this time

Ford stares down at his notes. It had been months. There was not a moment, though, that you didn’t cross Ford’s mind. His notes in his journal are a clear cut of that. These notes were never something he would ever have you read. They were his. His inescapable thoughts that clogged up his daring mind. 

Y/n, please come home. It’s been 200 days without you and I don’t know how much longer I can last, my love. I think of coming to see you, but perhaps that’s not the best idea. I don’t want to make a show in front of your new hospital. I crave you every moment. I’ve not forgotten about us and who we used to be. I long for us to be together again, yet I don’t think that’s possible. You’re the light of my life, the center of my universe, and I need you back. I can’t stand the idea of you being in the arms of another man. Or person. I love you.

There were tear stains on the paper smudging some of the ink. Quiet sniffling was all that Stan needed to hear before he ran down to the lab. The lab had become a mess with Ford going into a major depression. Coffee mugs everywhere, plates and dishes of uneaten food. While everything seemed desolate in this lab, there was still the quiet tune of classical music that Ford always played when he was working. It was calming for him. 

“Hey, Sixer, let’s go for a drive?” Stan offered. He put his hand on Ford’s shoulder. It was a small step. Things between them and this whole situation will get better. Ever since the break up, Ford had pushed everyone in his life away. Stan was nothing more than a stranger living in his house. 

A sniffle. Then a sigh. “Sure.” He knew that if he were to decline, it would just stress Stan out more. That’s counterproductive. Keeping his family safe is the number one thing. That’s what he’s here for. Though there is this unriddled fear of opening up to his twin. This fear that something bad will happen. Ever since he came back from the portal his mental state has not been all there. It has started to cause his physical state to deteriorate as well. Ford has a five-o’clock shadow, dirty sweater that he hasn’t wanted to wash, and he’s gotten weaker due to the lack of nutrition and exercise. 

The car ride was serene. Shows of fireflies and crickets out the windows. So far it has been quiet. Nothing but the creatures and the vehicle that were making noise. There was a full moon tonight, more specifically the strawberry moon. It signifies the ripening of strawberries and the beginning of summer. It was so nostalgic for both Ford and Stan to just sit and admire the night sky. Pointing out all of the constellations and the planets that they could see with the naked eye. Stan always said Ford was a nerd for knowing every single constellation. He could also name all of them in the southern hemisphere. Stan would never admit it, but he wishes that he could have the same mind as Ford. 

“So,” Stan starts. He decided to park in a secluded area. The trees were full and there was a clearing where they could sit and stargaze. Perfect for taking is slow and easy. “Wanna talk about it? Take your mind off of it? Might help, ya know?” He chuckles and grabs a soda from the console of the car. He opens it with a pop! and takes a long sip.

It takes Ford a minute to gather what he wants to say. Did Stan already know what was bothering me? Ugh, I feel funny. I know this isn’t healthy for me, so I should just be honest with him. I hate feeling pins and needles in my hand.. Ford flexes his right hand and realizes he can’t fully close it. “Stan?” Ford looked at Stan, worried. Suddenly a wave of pain flows through his head. Ford took a deep breath, but not wanting to upset Stan anymore decided to let it go. “Okay, so I…” He breathes through the pain, “I miss her. More than anyone could imagine. It’s–ow!–debilitating at this point.” He holds his head with his left hand. 

“Sixer, at this point you might have to give her a visit, you’re worrying me.” Stan reaches over to his twin and takes a good look at his face. “Smile for me, once.”

Ford does so. Only to see that the right side of his face is not reacting to the stimuli. “Is there…”

“Nope. Okay, so I am driving you to the closest hospital.” Stan started up the car and fiercely put the car in drive. Trees flew past as Stan sped through the countryside. Ford was starting to look a little more worse for wear, but Stan figured there was enough time to make it to the closest ER. Unfortunately that was a bit over an hour away. All the way in Bend. If Stan drove quick enough he would make it in about an hour give or take. Hopefully just enough time. 

But I never thought I'd live to see it break 

You were sitting on a computer in the ER. It was a quiet night, nothing super exciting happening. There were the usuals with the falling off rocks or trees. A couple cat bites. Nothing serious worth noting. You had a bachelors in biology and neuroscience, so anything having to do with brain trauma was your forte. Learning how the brain functions and works was always something that you were passionate about. 

Working as an ER doctor was always something you wanted to do. When you were around 4, your dad took a video of you saying you wanted to be a “home-scientist doctor” whatever that means. Somehow you feel like you fulfilled 4-year-old you’s wishes. 

There was still that thought that lingered in your mind though. What if you decided to stay in Gravity Falls? What if you stayed with the man you loved instead of becoming a doctor? Why couldn’t you have both? Why don’t you just open a small clinic in Gravity Falls? You had met Ford while on your summer trip through every state in the U.S. You had seen online that there was this one particular town that held anomalous and curious creatures. Of course you had thought these things were all “tourist traps” to try and get money from all the people passing through. It did work of course, since you did stop through. 

Upon entering the Mystery Shack, you are greeted by two young teenage children. 

“Welcome to the Mystery Shack!! Where we are just west of weird!” you see the brown haired girl come up to greet you. “Are you looking to tour?”

“Actually, yeah that would be great,” you say, smiling. 

Your train of thought is interrupted by some paramedics rushing through. There seemed to be two men, one on the stretcher hooked up to an IV and one yelling and asking what was going on. Wait. You knew that voice. 

“Dr. L/N. Room 618.” Your attending gave you the patient’s charts. “You’re on duty.” You gave a curt nod and prepared for what could happen. Because this most definitely is Ford. There’s no doubt about it. Why else would Stan be here? Unless he was being kind and helped someone off the road? 

You open the chart. Stanford F. Pines. 63 years old. Shit. 

“Hey, Pines.” You try to smile through the pain of seeing your ex-lover in the hospital that you now called home. You scan through the chart for more information on why he could be here. He’s not conscious. Neurological damage. “I’m Dr. L/N, but you already know that-”

“Kid, can’t you see my brother’s dying? Come and do something! Anything!” Stan had tears streaming down his face. “I can’t lose him again.”

“Stan..” You walk over to Stan. “He’s going to be okay. I promise you.” You go out of the room and order a CT and an MRI. You’re going to make damn sure that that man doesn’t die on you. That is not going to happen today. 

It's getting dark and it's all too quiet

“Hey, doc, come look at this.” One of the interns hands you the scans of Ford’s brain. His brain is nothing short of normal. Except for a minor brain bleed. Nothing that could cause severe damage.

“Okay, good, just a brain bleed and it seems to have repaired itself. Thank god.” You let out a major sigh of relief. You start to walk over to the room when the intern stops you again. 

“No, wait, what is this attached to his skull?” There was some sort of distortion within the image. The MRI seemed tampered with, but this is something that typically happens when metal goes through the machine. 

“I- I’m not sure.” 

And I can't trust anything now

Back in the room, Ford is studying you carefully. You’re intently talking to a colleague. A male colleague. Not like it matters. Until his mind starts rushing with thoughts. Was this someone you were close with? What was this stuff the nurse gave me? I missed her face and eyes. Why is she so close to him? What were those scans in their hands? 

Stan could tell that Ford’s mind was running all over the place. “Hey, Sixer, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Can’t stop thinking about your hottie over there? I do gotta say, you have great taste in women, if you ever want to share–”

“Stanley, enough. She might not even be mine anymore. Look at how close she is with that… coworker? Nurse? Someone? I don’t know!” Ford starts to feel his heartbeat pick up. Why was I getting all worked up because of a girl? 

“Well, she sure cares at least a little bit. She made sure you were top priority for scans tonight.” Stan proudly gleams. “Plus I saw her panic when she walked in, it was priceless.” 

“Did she really?” Ford seemed to have calmed down from hearing that. What was in that medicine the nurse gave me? Seriously! It is not like me to act this way!

“She absolutely did, and here she comes now,” Stan smiles as you walk back into the room. 

And it’s coming over you like it’s all a big mistake

You walk into room 618 with Stan sitting by Ford’s bedside. Ford is conscious once again and the nurse has been giving him medicine to keep him stable. He looks so soft here. You’ve never seen him where he’s been completely vulnerable. There’s usually one barricade up just to keep himself safe. You’ve never understood why he was like that in the first place. It’s like he was put through something incredibly traumatic and can’t let go of it. Stan told you that he has been through some “inter-dimensional portal” and that is why he was gone for 30 years. The story didn’t make sense from a scientific level, since it was scientifically impossible, or improbable, for a portal to even exist. 

Ford sees you enter the room. His eyes like saucers. He can’t fight the feeling of relief when he sees your face. “Hey, I–I’ve missed you.” His face was soft yet angled with worry. He was concerned with how you would respond since that came out without thinking. 

You smile and sit on his bedside. Oh how you’ve missed him. “Hey, Ford. It seems you have had a small brain bleed. Nothing too bad, it resolved itself.” You look at him longingly. This is wildly inappropriate patient-doctor behavior, but you just can’t help yourself. At least you’re not like Izzie Stevens and Denny Duquette from Grey’s Anatomy. That was probably what inspired people to write the code of conduct for patient-doctor behavior. 

“I’m gonna be okay then?”

“You are. I would like you to stay overnight just to monitor your symptoms.” You get up and start to take vitals. “Did you guys really drive all this way? Or were you already here?”

Holding my breath

“This was the closest and best ER in a 60 mi radius. Plus it’s not like he would want to see anyone but you, Y/N” Stan said gruffly. He softly smiles, knowing that his twin is going to be okay. 

“Stanley!” Ford’s face flushes a complete crimson. He hides his face in embarrassment. You missed this.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about you too, Stanford.” You go over to shut the door of the room you were in. “I’ve regretted not talking to you. You meant a lot to me and honestly I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’m going to start my own clinic down in Gravity Falls.” You go back to his bedside and hold his hand. You trace his fingers. It was one of your favorite things to do. 

“Stardust, why? Don’t you love it in the city? You’re not one for small town living.” Ford’s voice went soft as he softly brushed your face. 

“Well, I still have to talk about it with my supervisor, but I think it’ll go well. There are plenty of unknown injuries and it would bring in money for the hospital.” 

“Well, then.” He smiles wide. “I think it’s a marvelous idea.” 

Won’t lose you again

2 months later

You are sitting on the porch of the Mystery Shack, drink in hand. It was just something to celebrate the clinic being built and up and running. Ford has agreed to help out in any way he can with the knowledge he has, and you run and sometimes help people. It’s a complete hit in this town, all of the people are happy to be able to have affordable healthcare so close. 

You look down at your left hand and admire the ring on your finger. It was dazzling, like nothing you’d ever seen. You were ready to spend the rest of your life with this man. Even if it meant having to check his vitals everyday and making sure he’s taking care of himself. 

“Hey, love?” Ford grabs your hand and smiles wide. “I have something to give you.” he reaches into his pocket to reveal many envelopes. “These are letters I used to write when I missed you, which happened to be often.” he chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. 

There just so happened to be one envelope from every day since we stopped talking. 

What a man.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[moonstonejpg]

cw: angst

You’re standing on the balcony, arms hanging over the iron railing as you watch the couple spin in slow circles below. The music—soft and romantic—floats up to you on a warm breeze, your eyes closing on instinct as a different scene plays out in your head. 

In this, you’re the one in a white dress, being twirled around. But not by the current red head down below. Instead, an ash blonde smelling suspiciously of caramel and smoke dips you down to the ground, laughing as you let out a small squeak in response. His hands hold your waist, lips dropping to your ear.

“You look incredible,” he whispers huskily, his lips skimming the outer shell of your ear.

The sound of someone entering the balcony pulls you out of your reverie, and you drop your eyes back down to the crowd of people below. You should be down there, celebrating Jirou and Denki with everyone else, but the twinge of jealousy you’d felt at seeing the happy couple made you feel like a shitty friend. So, you’d sought out a quiet place to think, your thoughts curled around the only man you’d ever been in love with.

Familiar footsteps grew closer, and you sighed, a knot forming in your stomach as the blonde entered the balcony, stopping to the left of you.

Speak of the devil.

Caramel and smoke and something slightly spicy floods your senses, and you have to physically restrain yourself from moving closer to him.

No matter how long it had been, Katsuki was the sun, and you were forever stuck in his orbit.  

“I loved you, y’know.” He finally says, quiet where he stands.

“Clearly not enough,” you scoff, not bothering to turn to look at him.

How dare he come here and say something so fucking stupid—

Katsuki shifts, leaning forward. His forearms now rest on the iron railing, half an ich away from your own.

“I can’t let you go,” He whispers. “I’ve tried, but you…I can’t.”

“I still love you.” You say quietly, not meaning for it to slip out.

After a beat of silence, you feel a warm pinky lock around yours. Your head turns in an instant; his crimson eyes already trained on your face.

“Katsuki don’t do this. Please, not today.” You whisper, your heart thudding painfully in your chest as your eyes well up with tears.  

But you don’t pull away. Instead, you take a step to your left, brushing your shoulder against his as tears start to spill over onto your cheeks.

Katsuki unlinks your pinkies and slides his hand over, his fingers lacing through yours as your shoulders begin to shake. Quiet sobs erupt from you, the reality of the situation dawning on you.

It didn’t matter where you were in the world or who you were with; you would never stop loving him.

“For what it’s worth,” he says, voice gruff, “in every lifetime, it’ll always be you.”

[insomanyfandomsilosttrack]

I Will Die Your Daughter (Son)

Jason woke to the soft chirping of cicadas outside in the trees surrounding Cabin Two.

The sky outside was just beginning to lighten—rose-tinged clouds chasing away the navy blue of night. He sat up, running a hand through his golden hair, breath held.

The first light of Apollo's sun began creeping their way through the blinds

Today was July 1st.

His birthday.

It was a fact that felt heavier than any burden he carried in battle.

Slowly, he pushed himself up and dressed, slipping on the black tank top he preferred—the one with the lightning bolt stitched in gold across the chest. He changed into some workout shorts and breathed in the warm scent of the flowers - lilies specifically.

As he made his way to the arena, muted greetings followed him from campers here and there.

“Happy Birthday, Jason!”

“Hope it’s a good one!”

Even Chiron offered him a soft smile and a gentle, “Seventeen today. A powerful age.”

Jason gave polite smiles, nods of thanks.

Deep inside, the day meant nothing joyous.

It was the anniversary of the day his mother left him at the Wolf House. The day his life of brutal training and endless pain began.

The day he failed—miserably—to save Percy and Annabeth from falling into Tartarus.

He swallowed down the bitter knot in his throat and continued walking, the sounds of the camp dimming behind the rush of his own memories.

That night, Jason fell asleep late. No one had said much after dinner. No surprise parties, no cake. His friends had offered to take him out to a nice restaurant or park, or simply have a movie night if he preferred, but he refused. He refused to celebrate a day that had hurt Percy and Annabeth so much. He refused to celebrate a day that hurt him so much.

In the dark silence of Cabin Two, Jason finally drifted off.

And dreamed.

He stood in a vast, starlit field.

Before him stood a figure, regal and tall, draped in dark purple and stormcloud gray.

Jupiter. Not Zeus.

His father. Not the equivalent.

The difference was subtle, but real. There was a Roman stiffness to him. His face was proud, but weathered. His eyes were hard and cold. He looked battle-ready, his posture perfect, and his hands clasped behind his back.

“Jason,” Jupiter said with a nod.

Jason didn’t kneel.

“Father.”

A pause stretched between them, stilted and fraying at the edges. They regarded one another for a long moment. The silence was not awkward, not angry, but hesitant.

“I… rarely dream-walk,” Jupiter said. “But I thought… perhaps I owed you this.”

Jason didn’t respond. Not at first.

Finally, he said, “You remembered my birthday.”

Jupiter’s jaw tightened. “I remember every child I sire, Jason. I may not… visit. But I know.”

Another silence.

Jason tilted his head. “Didn’t think you celebrated birthdays.”

“I don’t,” Jupiter said. “But I recognize milestones. You’ve become… more than I imagined."

Jason’s mouth tightened.

“Thank you.”

“You’ve become a great soldier,” Jupiter went on. “Strong. Disciplined. Tactical. A commander worthy of Rome. I am… proud of you.”

Something like warmth stirred in Jason’s chest.

Another beat.

And then Jupiter continued, “But I am sorry that I cannot be proud of you as a father. Only as a god.”

Jason nodded, slow and heavy, before looking away. “I figured.”

“I cannot give you what you want, Jason,” Jupiter said, and something sad and akin to regret echoed in his voice. “I’m not a father. I am a god. A king. I do not… feel as mortals do. Not well. Not often. And certainly not easily. I don’t hate you, contrary to what many believe. I do not hate any of my children. But… I simply... cannot love you the same way I couldn't love any of my sons or daughters who came before you.”

Jason’s throat tightened.

“I see.”

Jupiter looked at him, the regret bleeding onto his face. His shoulders slumped slightly. “Perhaps if you had been born truly Zeus’s son… perhaps that would’ve changed things. You might have known something more… tender. But that is not who I am. Nor who you are.”

Jason shook his head and chuckled quietly. “I doubt there would have been much difference.”

Jupiter’s gaze fell, something like guilt in the lines of his brow. “You were always loyal. Always noble. Always more than I deserved. And still, I stayed away. I hurt you out of fear of what you could potentially do.”

Jason met his father’s eyes.

“You stayed away,” he agreed. “ You hurt me. Because you’re not meant to be a dad. You’re a god. A general. A force of nature. You're a strategist who has to take into account every possible enemy and destroy them before they can destroy you.”

Jason swallowed hard. “But… I still love you. I think I always will.”

Jupiter’s face did not change.

“I will never be able to say it back,” The god warned.

“I know.”

A pause.

“And I will die your soldier,” Jason whispered.

Jupiter closed his eyes. “You will.”

Jason looked down at his hands. The scars. The strength.

“I respect you, Father. Even when I didn’t want to. Even when you put me through Pluto, I tried to serve with honor. I wasn’t your son. I was your sword. And I played my part.”

The air shifted. Jupiter straightened, the emotions beginning to vanish from his face. “Perhaps in another life,” His father said softly, “I would've have raised you. Called you my son. Loved you like a father should.”

“Perhaps,” Jason agreed.

Then Jupiter turned to leave, the dream starting to fade like smoke in the wind.

“Happy birthday, Jason Grace.”

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

Can you tell Jason and Jupiter have got issues??

@starlightshadowsworld, @sodamnbored, @puriteenism, @somewhereincairparavel, @camp-jupiter-demigod, @freezer-bride-your-sweet-divine

[silkendress]

Same, but Different

Star Wars

Safe

Luke Skywalker/Reader

Post Return of The Jedi, Hurt/Comfort, Ambiguous/Open Ending

2k Words

Read on AO3

Tonight was a triumph; what Luke had done changed the trajectory of the very galaxy and uncountable lives, it would be woven into history. 

So why did your heart ache?

By post ROTJ I mean quite literally only an hour or so after the credits roll!

He’s settled into himself, you think.

You did too, if you were being fair to yourself for once. But his was the more momentous change by far. He was still him, still the man who laughed with you, shouldered burdens with you, held you close. He always would be; but now there was a perceptible shift in him, almost like a flourishing.

You didn’t expect him nor anyone else to remain static, that was why you cherished the moments you had with him so fervently; tomorrow was never guaranteed, and it certainly wasn’t for anyone in the Rebellion.

As the body of Luke’s father lay motionless and immersed in flame and smoke, the embers flickering up into the night sky, you almost find it difficult to look away; reality settling in you with a perturbing heaviness that both confused and disquieted you.

After laying his father to rest, celebrations began in earnest, yet you found yourself feeling hollow.

Everyone was in high spirits, it was almost impossible not to be. Which made your sudden and unexpected shift in mood even more troubling.

You needed to sort your mind out. And so you leave to allow yourself the solitude to do that, giving polite smiles and short greetings as you weaved through people. The revelry becomes quieter the further you get, you find it becomes easier to mull your thoughts over now that you were alone.

You can still see the warm glow of torches and campfire in the distance if you were to look, and hear the occasional chorus of laughter, but it is muffled and distant; almost like a dream.

You find a thick and sturdy log to sit on, and let yourself be. You pause for a moment.

Your mind drifts from present to future. And it is in the latter that you notice the same unease from before flares up in you. Tonight was a triumph; what Luke had done changed the trajectory of the very galaxy and uncountable lives, it would be woven into history. And despite your joy and relief of it all finally being over, your friends being alive—Luke being alive, the question of ‘what now’ hung over your head.

More specifically, what was to be of you and Luke.

You immediately chastise yourself for thinking of something so selfish. What would become of the tender feelings between you and him was an unknown, and it scared you. And then it made you feel immense guilt. It's been a long time since you've felt so juvenile.

And yet, you couldn’t help it; you wondered if the pieces that made up you and him even fit together anymore, if the seamless connection you once shared became misshapen. Not ugly or deformed, just too different to fit any longer.

Luke had told you a little about the Force, he was still learning at the time too; but as you understood it, the Force was interwoven into the very galaxy. What was your love in comparison to the very ebb and flow of life itself?

Your head snaps up to the sound of footsteps determinedly approaching. You weren’t expecting Luke to notice you departed so quickly, let alone find you so fast. It had only been a minute or so. You are momentarily stunned to see him, mentally unprepared for it.

Luke stops as soon as you enter his sight, and the furrow of his brow eases and his shoulders relax as soon as he sees you.

“There you are.” He breathes out, relieved.

Your heart clenches painfully.

He lingers there, a momentary pause as if he is considering a decision, then he begins to walk over to you. Your heart rate picks up as he does, anticipation rising. You suddenly remember being on Hoth and feeling the same way when you noticed him approaching; pining for him.

The memory felt like it was a lifetime ago; hazy and dreamlike.

Luke sits next to you, staring out in to the forest backdropped by stars. You join him. Up in the night sky it almost looked like the stars were pinned into place, sparkling indifferently.

You nearly jump when you feel his gloved hand brush over the surface of yours.

And, unexpectedly, he slowly takes your hand in his. His fingers brush across the surface of your palm, then close around. What used to be such a common, simple action between the two of you now held an unspoken amount of gravity.

It only further lent credibility that your fear of irrevocable change was a valid one. You stare at your interwoven hands, and note the lack of natural warmth emanating from his gloved palm.

The two of you sit in silence, oddly at peace despite the looming weight in the air surrounding the both of you.

You immerse yourself with the crackling of the distant campfire and torches, fauna foreign to you chirping in the trees above. All the while Luke slowly runs his thumb over the back of your hand, soothing.

You’re not certain how long the two of you sit like that, just that when he does speak you are unprepared for it. Luke says your name, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it rang loud in your ears.

You finally turn your head to look at him, and see that he had already been staring at you. With your eyes meeting an invisible door opens, and Luke shifts from where he sits to face you fully. He cups your cheek with his other hand, and it feels the same as it always had. Safe and familiar.

His lips part slightly, as if he wanted to say something but the words failed him. His mouth settles into a line, thin and taut. To the average observer his expression was neutral, but in the minutiae of his features you could tell he was agitated with himself.

He takes a breath, slow and deep, the only indication of it was the gradual rise and fall of his shoulders. He meets your gaze again afterwards, resolute. And you find that your earlier fear had all but melted away, replaced only by acceptance of whatever the future held.

You realize that your love for him was deep enough that you wouldn’t dare shackle him from being a Jedi. And yet this ardent affection was what also gnawed at your very heart; dreading that Luke would go on a path that you couldn’t follow him on.

It was paradoxical, and the longer these polarizing truths sat with you the more weary you became.

As you reckon with this, wetness glides down your cheek, and Luke brushes it away with his thumb. His eyes are searching, flicking across your face, a crease deepens in his brow; his expression is otherwise unreadable to the average person, but you knew Luke. Your tears fretted him.

Something shifts in the air, like the uncertainty hanging over your heads was growing increasingly weaker. You try to take a breath to compose yourself, so that you may verbalize some of your fears to him, yet it catches on a small hiccup before you get the chance. 

Luke doesn’t try to restrain himself any longer, he instantly shifts closer to you and wraps you in his arms, squeezing you tight. So tight, as if you'd somehow fade away. You bury your face into his neck, clutching at him desperately.

You don’t trust your voice, not with the uncomfortably thick lump in your throat, you just hold him tighter in hopes that you can say in touch what you currently can’t with words.

“I love you.” You quietly sob out against him.

Your body all but crumples into him, a flurry of emotions sweeping over you. There’s so much more you want to say, but you don't trust your voice, not with the uncomfortably thick lump in your throat, you just hold him tighter in hopes that you can say in touch what you currently can't with words.

Luke understands. His hand comes up to cup the back of your head, cradling you under his chin. “I love you.” You blubber again, face hot and eyes blurry with tears.

He holds you, not as one would with a possession, but with vulnerability and yearning. His heart was aching just as yours was; that was clear now.

And he holds you well into the night, even as your tears stopped. And when your eyes were too heavy to remain open, he leads you hand in hand to retire with him, his chest pressed against your back, his heartbeat lulling you to slumber.

You awoke when Luke did. You first feel him lay a kiss on your cheek, then drift back into slumber, only to wake once more when you hear the rustling of movement. 

When your eyes blink open you see him just as he leaves. You lay there for a moment, feeling the ghost of his body heat across your skin, then you get up to follow him.

The air is chilly, the sky is a vivid orange as the sun rises. You eventually follow Luke to a forested cliff not too far. You knew he was well aware of your presence—even if he wasn’t as attuned to the Force as he was, you made no effort to conceal yourself and he undoubtedly heard your footsteps behind him.

The wind rustles the leaves above, creating a soothing chorus. You stop a few feet behind him, when you make no move to come closer, Luke turns to face you. The rising sun accentuates the planes of his face, emphasizing the maturity there, still the same, yet different. Still the man you loved.

And with his words from the night before and the tenderness in his gaze, you knew you were still the woman he loved.

He says your name, voice soft. “Come here.” It's an offer, not a command.

You stare into his eyes, observant, and notice how they are absent of that specific reckless and youthful spark he once had, but no less gentle. No less kind.

You take a step forward, then another. Luke’s ungloved hand extends forward ever so slightly, still at his hip. You close the gap and he fluidly takes your hand in his, squeezing it before slowly bringing it up to his lips to tenderly kiss your knuckles.

He leans down to brush his lips against your forehead, then your temple and lastly your cheek. His other hand comes up to cradle the back of your head, guiding you, his lips hovering over yours, not yet touching. Your breath hitches.

He notices. He strokes the back of your hand with his thumb and he smiles, small and careful and no less beautiful. The creases there deepening, and his blue eyes were as warm as the sunrise behind him. He gazes into your eyes for only a second longer, but it feels like eternity.

Luke breathes in, then out. His exhale heavy, like he had just shrugged off a great weight. “I love you, I always will.”

His words hang in the air between the two of you, and you can’t shake the feeling that you were teetering on the precipice of something. You wait for him to elaborate, to contrast what he said. Yet no such thing happens, he says nothing more, there is no objection.

And you clutch his hand tightly when the comprehension settles in. “Luke,” you begin, voice laced with longing, wanting to tell him you felt the same; but it wasn’t needed. He already knew.

When Luke’s lips meet yours, it is featherlight. Fitting perfectly together, as you always have. It is gone the moment you process it.

He then holds you close to him, wrapping his arms around you. Your hearts lull into rhythm. Luke strokes your hair, his nose brushing against the shell of your ear. As he holds you, cherished, you feel at peace.

It may have been true that sheer immensity and vastness of the very fabric of the galaxy itself could never be compared to your love; which was that of a single, mortal woman. But that only meant that two shouldn’t be compared at all. You were not lesser for it.

Soon, the two of you would have to speak of this matter. But for now, you basked in each other’s embrace while the sun rose ever higher in the sky above. Different, yet still seamless.

I was heavily inspired by If I Were - Same But Different by Vashti Bunyan while writing this. (Her music is so beautiful, I was trying to capture the feelings these songs gave me in some of the writing here, I hope I succeeded ;;o;;)

This is rather short (for me and my usual story length, anyway!) but I still wanted to share since Luke needs more reader inserts! I quickly wrote this in between some other (longer) Luke reader-inserts I’m working on! I wrote this one in one and a half sittings, hopefully that doesn’t show too obviously or anything. ;;__;;

I got to thinking about how a relationship with Luke would go after he well and truly becomes a Jedi at the end of the final movie, and thus got to writing. Hopefully I did alright with his character here! ;;o;; This was kind of experimental for me.

I actually haven’t watched any other Star Wars movies or shows yet, I only poked around online for a few snippets of lore but I would not say I’m well versed with the entire setting just yet. I wanted to give a try at exploring this dynamic despite that. Hopefully that isn’t distracting here. (╥﹏╥) 

I decided to leave the ending of this somewhat open to interpretation. I actually don’t like or care for angst very much, but the idea couldn’t leave me and I was inspired to give it a shot. As a result I think I gave this story a bit of a hopeful air. I don’t think I’ll write anything else with this tone for a long while. (￣▽￣*)ゞ

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for any likes or reblogs. ‘Til next time!

[elminx]

Energy Update: July 2025

Note: All dates and times are listed in EDT/UTC-4:00; adjust to your local time zones accordingly

July is a "7" Universal Month ["7" (July) + "9" (2025) = 16 = 1+6 = 7] in a "9" Universal Year. Seven is a number of reflection and ascension; it is a more active number where we all have the opportunity to expand and grow. This is somewhat in line with the astrology of the month, which includes an intense Mercury retrograde in Leo.

The Set Up

We begin the month with the Sun and Jupiter in Cancer, Mercury in its pre-retrograde shadow in Leo, Venus and Uranus in Taurus, Mars in Virgo, retrograde Saturn and Neptune in Aries, and retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. By the end of the month, the Sun will be in Leo, Venus will have moved through Gemini to Cancer, and Uranus will have entered Gemini. Additionally, Mercury will be retrograde.

The Nitty Gritty

There's some interesting planetary motion this month as Mercury retrogrades, Venus moves fast to catch up to the Sun, Mars conjuncts the South Node, and Uranus enters Gemini. There are many moving parts, and we may need to stay flexible to keep up with the shifting tides. This may prove difficult for some as Mercury retrogrades in the fixed fire sign, Leo

Mercury

We are coming up fast on our second Mercury retrograde of the year, which will run from 15° to 05° Leo. All eyes are on Leo this month and, most especially, how Mercury (our planet of communication, technology, and travel) is individualized in the sign of Leo. Emphasis on individualized because Leo is the king sign, ruled by the ego to a greater or lesser degree.

From the very start, I want to be clear that I am not throwing shade at Leo or inferring that having an ego is bad. Each sign in the horoscope rules over a different part or aspect of human life, and Leo's job has always been traditionally known as the ruler. It's Leo's job to stand up in front of the crowd. It's Leo's job to be seen, villainized, and sometimes idolized. Said another way, Leo is celebrity. Leo is the "influencer." Leo is the person who makes money off their personality.

Here I speak of Leo as a concept, at the part they (to some degree anybody with a strong Leo element in their chart: Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the North Node) play in our varying societies and group systems.

Leo stands in the limelight so that those of us who are more introverted don't have to. But the limelight is difficult, and, with a Mercury retrograde on the horizon, we will all, to a great or lesser degree, get a lesson on just how hard Mercury in Leo can be.

This is a pure Mercury retrograde, which means that Mercury doesn't make a single unexpected aspect for the entirety of this transit - from the beginning of its pre-retrograde shadow on 6/30 all the way into August and the end of its post-retrograde shadow. This adds some significance to this retrograde cycle and may intensify these lion tendencies. I expect that those who are more comfortable with Leo energy may have an easier time with this retrograde, at least initially.

The spotlight is a hot seat, and it should be treated as such. Think about how much scrutiny British royalty gets, how much the paparazzi follow around celebrities. You may need to pay off Mercury (he likes coffee, especially chicory coffee) if you want to slide under the radar all month long and into August.

I won't discuss this too much here since I've written an entire post about it that should already be available. If you're looking for more information about the specifics of this retrograde cycle, read that.

Mercury retrogrades on 7/18, so the first half of the month is our pre-retrograde shadow. Stay aware and keep a good accounting of what is coming up for you, as you may need to revisit it during the retrograde proper, which runs from 7/18 to 8/11.

Once Mercury retrogrades, standard advice applies: plan for outages and detours, proof read thrice before you hit SEND, editing will come easier than writing, say less, take more chances, and don't trust a fart.

That last one isn't actually standard retrograde advice, but it stands, so I'm leaving it there.

Uranus

Uranus is one of those planets that it feels silly to try to explain because it is the planet of unpredictability, so everything feels inherently wrong. I associate it with the lightning strike in the Tower card in the tarot (complete, unexpected, unavoidable), but its association is with The Fool. The Venn diagram in the middle of these two cards will probably give you a better understanding of this planet than I ever will.

Uranus will enter the mutable air sign of Gemini on 7/7. Uranus was last in Gemini from 1941 to 1948; yeah, those dates should look familiar. I want to point out that the radioactive bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 were made with enriched uranium. Like its namesake, the planet Uranus is fairly radioactive.

It destroys. It unmakes. Many astrologers believe there is a chance it makes space, but the toll of destruction Uranus is capable of should not be underemphasized here.

This isn't meant to scare people; this is all about knowledge. Uranus is always in our skies and therefore always in the charts; and despite what Chicken Little would tell you, the sky is not always falling. We want to watch Uranus when it makes major aspects to other planets in the skies (especially the Sun, Mars, and Saturn) and when it changes signs. On a theoretical danger scale of 1-4, I'd put Uranus changing signs at about a 1.

This is a Uranus Watch, if you will. We haven't sighted any funnels yet, but there is convection.

Uranus has been in Taurus for about seven years; it'll be nice for a change of pace. And, because of how long it takes to transit the horoscope wheel, we can say with some certainty that no astrologer knows what it will bring.

Uranus enters Gemini on 7/7, where it will immediately form a sextile to retrograde Saturn and Neptune, sitting in conjunction in the first degrees of Aries, and an ascending trine to retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. This is that outer planetary setup that I've been talking about for a while now - for the rest of this year, all of our outer planets will be sitting in aspect to each other.

Something big is shifting; only time will tell how it all turns out.

Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

These four planets will make non-exact aspects with one another all month long. Saturn will be conjunct to Neptune; this conjunction will be sextile to retrograde Pluto in Aquarius and Uranus in Gemini. Uranus and Pluto will be trine to each other. This setup will be in effect for the rest of the year, although both Saturn and Neptune will retrograde back into Pisces and sit on the other side of this planetary divide.

Every time one of our more movable planets changes signs, it will make aspects with each of these planets all at once. This is the big shift mentioned above; we know it's the real deal when all of the outer planets are involved.

As it mostly concerns the outer planets, this won't necessarily sit within our personal lives, at least not initially. This one will work from the outside in; as above, so below. This indicates a major societal shift of some kind. We'll have to wait and see what it is, but it will likely (eventually) trickle down into all of our lives. Those of us with personal planets or luminaries in the last 2-3 degrees or the first 2-3 degrees of the signs will feel it first.

As our moving planets enter the fire and air signs, they will create more positive aspects (conjunctions, sextiles, trines, and oppositions) to these planets. Things will get more complicated as they enter the earth and water signs (semi-sextiles, squares, and inconjunctions). For the rest of this year, we can assume fire and air sign seasons will just be coded as "easier" than earth and water sign seasons for this reason.

This is worth staying away of, but there's really no reason to panic at this time.

The Lights: The Sun and the Moon

As the Sun continues to make its way through cardinal watery Cancer, it is relatively unaspected. It will trine the North Node in Pisces on 7/13; this is a good day to set intentions and align more with our North Node energies and to all things Piscean in general. Then, on 7/19, it squares off with Chiron in Aries. These days in between 7/13 and 7/19 could have a bit of a feel of eclipse season, moreover, a bit of a callback to that intense solar eclipse in Aries during April of 2024, when the eclipse was closely conjunct to Chiron.

Once the Sun enters Leo on 7/22, it immediately forms an ascending trine to Saturn and Neptune in Aries and an opposition to retrograde Pluto, as I mentioned above. It also immediately sextiles Uranus in Gemini (exact the next day). This all just reads as really unpredictable; Saturn says stop while Uranus leans towards go, with all three of our outer planets being unknowable. As a general precaution, I'd keep an eye on this date (and 7/23) and lie low if you can. There could be a big reveal as the Sun shines a light on that which has been hidden.

The Sun trines retrograde Saturn and Neptune in exactitude on 7/24 (also interestingly, the day of the new moon) and opposes Pluto exactly on 7/25. This still feels more global than personal, but no guarantees with these exact days in particular and solar involvement.

Our Capricorn full moon on 7/10 is a 5/3 full moon.

10 (Capricorn Moon) + 4 (Cancer Sun) = 14 = 1+4 = 5. 5 (Capricorn full moon) + 7 (July 2025) = 12 = 1+2 + 3.

At 18° Capricorn, this full moon forms a wide trine to Mars in Virgo and aspects the lunar nodes, setting the tone for a day where putting in the work (Mars in Virgo) in your life pays out x10. It's also Thursday, which draws in much of the natural beneficence of Jupiter exalted in Cancer (in a 12° conjunction with our Sun). Think big, and make it happen. The full moon goes exact at 4:26 PM. Work your full moon magic closer to this time for the strongest results.

Our Leo new moon on 7/24 is a 1/8 new moon.

5 (Leo moon) + 5 (Leo Sun) = 10 = 1+0 = 1. 1 (Leo new moon) + 7 (July 2025) = 8.

At 02° Leo, our solar lunar conjunction interacts strongly with that major outer planetary pileup I mentioned above. The new moon will be trine to retrograde Saturn and Neptune in Aries, sextile to Uranus in Gemini, and opposed to retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. This looks like a low day, one that is better spent at home, staying aware and calming the nervous system rather than out being social or casting big magics. Practices that help to find balance in tough times will be helpful during this time.

Venus

Venus is still moving fast, trying to catch up to the Sun and Mercury after her forty-day-long retrograde back in March. She starts the month in Taurus, conjuncts Uranus on 7/4, and then immediately enters Gemini, where she will remain for most of the month.

Gemini is our mutable air sign; not the best Venus sign for consistency, but a great Venus sign for having some fun. This is because Gemini - ruled by capricious Mercury - isn't in it for a long time; they are simply in it for a good time. If you are looking for a summer fling, do it in July while Venus is in Gemini (and be honest with your partner that you are just looking for some fun - Gemini doesn't have to be dishonest).

But maybe wait until Venus pulls away from the first degrees of the month and our major outer planetary pile-up. As she enters Gemini, Venus immediately enters an ascending sextile to retrograde Saturn and Neptune in Aries and trine to retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. In other words, she won't be much fun until she escapes Saturn's clutches. She will quite quickly, though; if you are Venus sensitive, you will know when it is go-time.

Stay aware that Venus should always be read, at least partially, in relationship with her Other, Mars, who is sitting in Virgo. Gemini and Virgo are both mutable signs and naturally square with one another, but they are also both ruled by Mercury, which means that they are really more alike than they are different. This could create a lot of relationship angst this month, but it is relationship angst that is almost ENTIRELY due to a lack of communication.

Communication will solve everything this month. Oh yeah, and let's not forget that Mercury will retrograde from 7/15 on, which means it will retrograde while Venus and Mars are in the Mercurial signs.

Venus in Gemini squares off exactly with Mars in Virgo on 7/23. This is solidly within Mercury's retrograde period and a glaring red flag for breakup weather. I truly believe that couples who work well can get through this kind of shit, but it definely trips up those that can't communicate, don't align value wise, and probably "shouldn't" be together in the first place.

Again, we should approach this with understanding, not fear.

Venus enters Cancer on 7/30, relieving pressure on the Venus-Mars mutable square, which will otherwise be widely in effect all month.

Mars

Mars will be in mutable Virgo all month long, which reminds us that consistent work pays off. Besides that square to Venus, he only makes one aspect all month, but it's dozy.

He is about to conjunct our South Node at 20° Virgo.

A primer: the lunar nodes aren't objects in the sky but rather mathematical points that indicate where the Sun and Moon need to be to create our solar and lunar eclipses. Said a different way, they are pure potential. They are always read as two astrological opposites that read like an arrow in the sky: the North Node points to where we are going, what the world as a whole (and us because we are a part of the world) needs to focus on. The South Node points away from where we have been, what we are meant to get rid of or move on from.

The lunar nodes changed signs in January, so this is the first time a planet meets the South Node since it entered Virgo at the beginning of the year. For some people, this is going to be an earth-shattering day.

For others, it may show some of what is yet to unfold during our second eclipse season, when our Sun, Mercury, and Venus will move over the South Node for the first time in this cycle.

Some may not even notice it at all.

Still, I generally suggest paying attention. This is a chance to act early; sometimes, all you need is a chance. If you have a personal planet, luminary, or Saturn at or around 20° Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces (and probably Taurus and Capricorn), I would definitely pay attention.

This is the best day of the year to perform banishments, unbindings, removals, or any kind of magic done to walk away from what was. It will have all of the energy of the eclipses without the wild touch of the eclipses; use that.

The Details

7/1 - Saturn conjunct Neptune (non exact, all month), Saturn sextile Pluto (non exact, all month), Neptune sextile Pluto (non exact, all month) - all within 1 degree 7/4 - Venus conjunct Uranus 29° Taurus, Venus enters Gemini, Neptune retrogrades 02° Aries 7/6 - Venus in Gemini sextile Saturn in Aries, Venus sextile Neptune in Aries 7/7 - Venus in Gemini trine retrograde Pluto in Aquarius, Uranus enters Gemini 7/10 - Full Moon 18° Capricorn 7/13 - Sun in Cancer trine North Node in Pisces/sextile South Node in Virgo, Saturn retrogrades 01° Aries 7/18 - Mercury in Leo sextile Venus in Gemini, Mercury retrogrades 15° Leo 7/19 - Sun in Cancer square Chiron in Aries 7/22 - Sun enters Leo, Mars conjunct South Node 20° Virgo 7/23 - Sun in Leo sextile Uranus in Gemini, Venus in Gemini square the lunar nodes, Venus in Gemini square Mars in Virgo 7/24 - New moon 02° Leo, Sun in Leo trine retrograde Saturn in Aries, Sun in Leo trine Neptune in Aries 7/25 - Sun in Leo opposed retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 7/27 - Saturn in Aries sextile Uranus in Gemini (non-exact going forward, within 1 degree) 7/30 - Venus enters Cancer 7/31 - Sun conjunct Mercury 09° Leo

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[talesfromawannabewriter]

@things-arent-what-they-seem66

Lucifer chuckled before biting his lip in the way that Adam loved: Oh we do?

Adam almost yelped from how fast Lucifer brought him into his arms to dip him.

Adam moaned as his king’s lips crashed onto his own. He quickly wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck.

Looks like they are going to be working up quite an appetite.

—

Days had passed since Mary’s first lesson. She had been steadily going through a routine. Wake up right before dawn, pray with her father, eat breakfast, go to her classes and sessions with Charlie and Adam individually.

She was perfectly fine with this schedule as she was used to order her entire life. But during this time she had manage to befriend Adam.

In a way.

She wouldn’t say that they are incredibly close in such a short amount of time. But he was a surprisingly nice guy to talk to.

There were even a few moments that he even manage to make her laugh.

During the week she watched as everyone set up and prepared for the party. Which technically according to the princess was going to be a festival.

Everyone in the entire ring of Pride was invited and it would be the biggest celebration of the year as it was for the past five.

It only made her wish to experience it more than ever.

……It wouldn’t hurt to ask.

—

On the morning of the festival Mary did something that she hadn't done in the past.

She broke the routine.

When she and her father were finished with morning prayer, she approached him.

Mary: Father before we head to breakfast there is something I wish to discuss with you.

Jonah: Actually, Mary, there will be no breakfast today. In fact, we will not have meals while fasting as we pray. I heard from the princess that lessons have been cancelled today.

Mary: Yes....for the festival.

Jonah: Which is why we must stay up here until it is safe to go back down. This celebration may be outside, but its temptations can drive a person to commit the worst offenses.

Mary: I see....

Jonah: We can go over all the horrible offenses of the seven deadly sins.

Mary: Oh, yes sir I would like that very much.

Jonah smiled and led her to the small table she had in her room and sat her down while he took the opposite side.

Jonah: Let us begin, what is the sin of wrath?

Mary: Murder.

Jonah: The sin of lust?

Mary: Adultery.

Jonah: The sin of gluttony?

Mary: Overindulgence.

Jonah: The sin of envy?

Mary: Theft.

Jonah: Very good my dear, and Pride?

Mary: Festival-

Jonah: Excuse me?!

Mary realized her mistake and tried to correct it. But it was too late.

Mary: I, I mean uh, I meant-

Jonah: You meant what you said, you are thinking about going to the festival aren't you!?

Fire and Brimstone

@things-arent-what-they-seem66

Five years ago Charlie Morningstar had done the impossible. She had redeemed a damned soul and allowed it so that any of his kind could ascend to Heaven.

When the angels had discovered this with the arrival of the first sinner turned winner they stopped the exterminations and had begun to work with the princess to help lessen the overpopulation through saving the wayward souls.

Since then the princess and the angels had managed to redeem a total of one hundred sinners to Heaven.

She had to say that she was quite proud of herself for her accomplishments. Many didn’t believe her in the beginning but she proved them wrong.

Lately business had been a little slower than expected but she was sure that any day a lost sinner would turn up at her door seeking sanctuary.

However, little did she know that she along with everyone else in her life were about to face their greatest challenge yet.

—

Standing at the base of where the hotel stood was a sinner. He was tall as per usual of his kind, he wore robes that were in all black, two large wolf ears that were grey as his hair were pinned down.

He looked down at the flier he held in his hand before staring up at the building in front of him.

He appeared to be at the right address but you could never be too certain that this was simply a trick.

“Mary?”

He turned back to see a young woman in her early twenties standing a few feet away from him staring at something out of his own sight.

She was dressed in a black dress that went down all the way to her ankles, with long sleeves. Her black hair wrapped nicely in a bun while her ram horns the same color gleamed.

She turned her attention back to the man the second he called her name.

Mary: Yes father?

“Come along, this is the right place.”

Mary nodded and followed after her father. They walked up the path and once they got to the door the man turned to her and gave her a serious look.

“Remember, the angels are here and they wish to salvage us. It won’t be hard but there will be much temptation, you’ve done well to avoid such things since you’ve fallen but you will do well to keep it together while we’re here. If what we found is true then we shall finally arise to where we belong. Just do as I say and everything will be just fine.

Mary nodded obediently: Yes sir.

The man gave a curt nod to his daughter before knocking on the door. It only took a few moments before the sound of feet running to the front door caught their attention.

It opened a second later showing the girl from the commercial that lead them there. She smiled brightly at the sinners.

Charlie: Hello! Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! Are you here to join us?

The man cleared his throat before stepping forward: Yes, my name is Jonah and this is my daughter Mary. We wish to finally atone our souls.

[foxstens]

what do you mean neil joined the foxes because kevin was proof that neil was real and he couldn't leave until he knew kevin would be okay and he didn't want kevin to hate him and he chewed riko out on national television to stand up for kevin

[raddest-laddest]

ok. someone’s gonna have to come get my dad or i’m gonna tweak.

[interactivefictionramblings]

Please why is she so pretty even when crying