#i need to get reacquainted with the little guy

[withahappyrefrain]

I’m just *know* peter is the kind of guy to pound into you before giving you the softest most gentle kiss

He absolutely is! 18+! We have some size kink because I'm a basic bitch.

"Peter." Your voice was barely above a whisper, strained and desperate. Hands clutched his dark locks, tangling yourself further with him.

"I'm right here ladybug," His words did little to soothe the throbbing ache between your legs. You needed him, all of him.

"Please." You try to cant your hips upwards, in a pathetic attempt to get more of him. And he knew exactly what you were trying to do, able to hold your hips down to the mattress.

"Just gotta ease in ya, 'kay?" A whine escaped your lips upon feeling his cock sink further into you. It felt so good and yet still not enough.

Peter pressed a kiss to your collarbone, "I know, doing so good for me. Taking me so well."

He was always gentle when it had been awhile since you two were intimate. Insisted on easing into you, getting you reacquainted with the sheer size of him.

Whines became all out groans as he bottomed out. Back arching in pleasure, you threw your head back as you reveled in the fullness you now felt.

"Feel so fucking good bug," Peter groans into your skin, feeling practically drunk off your scent.

"I-Peter-fuck." Your head is too busy spinning from how divine it feels when his cock brushes against that one spot.

Peter can't help but let out a chuckle, the corners of his eyes slightly creasing, "Already bug? I just started."

"Oh fuck off," the last word goes from intelligible to babble due to Peter finally increasing the pace of his thrusts.

All you could do was cling onto him as your body was submerged in total pleasure. It felt amazing to be full of him once more, to be consumed by only him. The scent of cinnamon was filling your nostrils, your fingers could feel every scar and mark on his body.

He pushed himself off of you, ignoring your whines as he sat up.

"Peter-"

"Just trust me bug."

That wasn't hard. You trusted him with your whole heart, with every fiber of your being.

His large calloused hands wrapped themselves around each of your ankles, bringing your legs up to his shoulders.

"Pete-oh!"

The new angle allowed him to thrust even deeper. Your fingers quickly found the bedsheets, grasping the fabric as your body was entirely at his mercy.

"You're s'pretty like this bug. All spread out just for me."

Heat flooded your body from his words. You could feel his honeyed eyes on you, taking in the way your breasts bounced with every thrust.

"Fuck, l-ladybug," Peter's voice faltered as your tight walls clenched his cock.

"P-Peter," you could barely get out his name. All you could focus on was how his cock perfectly found the spot that was making you start to see stars. You were on your way, given the way your thighs began to shake, the way the coil in your stomach was whining up.

"Whatcha need bug? C'mon, use your words, you can do it."

You whined, a hand trailing past your breasts to where your body and Peter's connected.

He moved your hand away from your body, replacing it with his own. Fingers far thicker than your own, calloused from years of hard work, found your clit, rubbing tight circles on the sensitive bundle.

"That's what ya needed, huh? Your poor little clit, I'm sorry bug."

"Th-thank you- fuck!" The last word was screamed, your release hitting you like a freight train. Peter didn't relinquish his intense thrusting, continuing with his ministrations to help you ride out your high.

It felt like you were falling, white hot pleasure coursing through your body. Your eyes fluttered closed, seeing stars as you rode out the wave.

Peter watched you carefully, looking out for any signs of you coming down from your high. Once the loud moans had turned into whimpers, he gently placed your legs down, bending down so his chest hovered over yours.

"Bug?" You felt his thumb stroking your cheek. Upon opening your eyes, you found Peter, his face inches away from yours.

"There she is, my ladybug," He said gently before pressing a kiss to your forehead, "C'mere."

His arms wrapped themselves around your waist, helping you sit up as he pulled you into his lap.

"You okay?" He asked. You nodded, still trying to catch your breath.

"Good." His fingers hooked themselves under your chin, allowing him to tilt your head up.

His lips met yours, gently pressing against yours. His kisses were warm and comforting, always making you feel safe and loved. This particular one was soft, a stark contrast from moments ago.

"You did such a good job ladybug," His lips moved from yours to your cheek, peppering your skin, "You wanna keep going or do you want to take a break?"

"Can we take a break? I want you to come but I need time-"

"We have all the time in the world bug."

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Halloween prompts year 2 day 23

Au where Danny hides his powers and eldrich nature from his husband Tim and Tim hides his vigilante career from Danny.

Both are very successful and neither suspects a thing. Tim had originally planned to admit to being a hero at some point but they were always either interrupted or it just wasn't the right time and then Danny had mentioned a few times during thier engagement and marriage that he couldn't handle being with a superhero or vigilante and that it was a deal breaker. Unfortunately Tim was already deeply in love and couldn't bare to break up with him so now he lives in fear of Danny finding out and blackmailed the rest of the family into never letting it slip.

Danny is in a similar situation, ever since the portal incident people were afraid of his other half and no matter how hard he tried they always ended up hating him. He loved Tim and couldn't bare the thought of his husband having that same look of terror. Of hate. So he hid. Its all he could do. Back when he and his friends went on that road trip and gained the power of the reality gauntlet he had tried to undo his undeath entirely only to find out Danny had glitches spacetime enough that even if he undid it (which the gauntlet was incapable of doing) he would eventually wind up with the portal opening up on top of him at another date. Call it fate or destiny or whatever you like. He was stuck like this.

So he did the next best thing. He erased any proof he had ever existed. Even from the minds of his own friends. He then skipped town-or in this case universes- and used the gauntlets power to carve out a false identity in this new world full of heroes and hope

Luckly there was no one who could rat him out...until some blond guy in a trenchcoat started following him around the grocery store and talking to him. At first Danny was a little confused and annoyed but when he asked what the blond guy wanted he asked, "I wanna know what you are." And Danny went pale.

Constantine then proceeded to blackmail Danny into helping him with a case or else he would expose his dirty little secret to Tim.

Danny made the a deal, ensuring that it would only be this one time. He told Tim that he was being blackmailed but insinuated that it was something petty between him and some of the other high society house spouses. The kind of drama that Tim always made extra sure to steer clear of. He swore to Tim he was this close to spiking Bethanys muffins with a laxative in retaliation for something and Tim gave helper suggestions for how to do it without being caught while they got ready for the day.

Ever since Alfred passed away it was up to Danny and a few other people to keep the Waynes from falling apart. Honestly, no one realized how much that man did until he wasn't around anymore.

To be fair he pretty much spoiled Tim by picking up after him to the point the man can't function after a few days. If Danny ever had to leave Tim alone for prolonged periods of time he would return to a giant mess and something burning in the kitchen.

Danny would clean, Tim would spew a fountains worth of apologizes, he would forgive Tim (as if he was ever mad in the first place. This just reaffirmed that Tim needed him to protect and care for him, making his core vibrate in happiness) then they would...reacquaint themselves. He nearly shifted forms the first few times this happened. That would be one heck of a way for Tim to find out about his ghost half.

Danny smiled, thinking about those memories. He truly adored Tim and couldn't imagine a life without him. He would just have to make sure this trench coated guy never came anywhere near his precious husband.

John would really like to know what this entity was and what it wanted with the Wayne brat. It couldn't really be in love with the kid, could it? He had personally seen these relationships work out before but there many more he had seen that hadn't. He didn't want to take that risk, so he needed to get close enough to evaluate the situation himelf.

[sissylittlefeather]

Come Back, Joe

A/N: The people demanded a smutty one-shot and a smutty one-shot they shall have. Now, this one is for the character Joe Lightcloud from Elvis's movie Stay Away Joe. The movie is not my favorite (at all), but Joe is sexy AF. And honestly, we're kind of kindred spirits in some ways. So, thus, a fic was born. It's a dirty, smutty little ride, lemme tell ya. I hope you all enjoy it!

OH, reader is Native, so just use your imagination if you're not.

Warnings: definitely 18+, minors DNI at all, kissing, cussing, fingering, oral sex (both receiving), p in v penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, and use of alcohol

Word count: ~4.5k

Unfamiliar with Joe? Here ya go:

"Joe's back!"

"What do you mean he's back?"

"He's back at Charlie's place! He's having a party tonight."

You try to hide your excitement that your best friend is back from wherever he was this time. He does this. He leaves and comes back. Every time he goes, you're worried it's the last time you'll see him, but he always seems to come back eventually.

"We better go get ready then." You walk around the counter of the diner you work at and take your apron off. Bonnie smiles, glad that you're leaving with her. Your boss yells at you from across the restaurant.

"Hey! I told you if you left again you'd be fired!" You turn around as you walk out and holler.

"Guess I'm fired then!" You turn back to Bonnie and both of you giggle as you make your way out of the diner. It's been months since you saw Joe last and he always throws the best parties.

******

You arrive at the party in the middle of a fight. This is not a surprise to you. There's always at least one fight at any good party. Still, you can't find Joe. Eventually, he comes back inside to break up the fight followed by a pretty girl adjusting her clothes. This is also not a surprise to you. And even though you wish it had been you to get to him first, you can't be mad. It's not like you've been a saint while he's been gone. In fact, you currently have the arm of your newest fling wrapped around your shoulders. You take another sip of your beer and wait for Joe to see you.

He finally catches a glimpse of you from across the room. His eyes run up your body from your boots to your low cut jeans and silver belt buckle, up to your pink and green plaid shirt tied up so that your belly button is showing, all the way to your hair in two long black braids.

"Well, I'll be damned." You hear him behind you before you feel him tug on your braid. You slip out from under the new guy's arm and turn to face him. He grabs both braids and pulls on them.

"What're these? Handlebars?" You push on his chest with both hands and then he grabs you and picks you up, spinning you around with your feet off the ground. He sets you down and steps back to look you. "Yep, still as good as I remember."

"Shut up, Joe, and give me a real kiss."

"You don't have to tell me twice, honey." He pulls you in and wraps his arms around you, leaning in to part your lips with his and slide his tongue into your mouth. The kiss is familiar and you both sink into it happily.

As you make out, your newest fling grabs Bonnie.

"Who's the guy?"

"That's Joe. It's not worth trying to fight him. You won't win. They belong together, but they seem to be the only people who don't know that."

"Hmm. You need a new drink?" Bonnie nods and they walk off together, leaving you and Joe to get reacquainted.

You spend the rest of the party together, drinking and dancing and doing all the things that you both love. At the end of the night, you tumble back to your car and slide into the backseat together. You both kick off your boots and he tears at your new shirt. A couple of buttons pop off and he pulls it off of you and then sends your bra flying into the front seat. His denim jacket and yellow button down are the next things to go and you press your skin against his. It doesn't take long for him to get both your and his jeans off as well, kissing down your body. You know where he's headed and you're not complaining. This is his favorite thing and he's so skilled, you'll let him do it as often as he wants. He situates himself between your thighs and drags his tongue up your slit to land on the sensitive spot at the top. He moves his tongue over and around your clit before grunting into you.

"Goddamn, I missed you."

"Don't stop!"

"Yes ma'am." He dives back into licking your pussy and you arch your back and moan. The way he moves his tongue is unrelenting and you feel the electricity gather deep in your abdomen. He slides one finger and then two deep inside you and pushes them in and out quickly.

"Oh, fuck, Joe!!" You scream as your orgasm slams into you, running like wildfire in your veins until your legs shake as he continues to lick you.

"You want another one, baby?" He whispers before going back to moving his tongue on your clit.

"Mhmm." You groan as the sensation overwhelms you. He sucks lightly on your clit and then goes back to running his tongue in circles around it.

"Come on, baby. Daddy wants to fuck you." He does a come here motion with his two fingers inside you and you gasp as another orgasm explodes between your legs. "There it is. Good girl."

He kisses your clit one last time and then moves back up your body, dropping his lips onto your skin periodically as he does. When he gets back up to your mouth, he dips his tongue between your lips and then nibbles on the bottom one.

"Sit up." You say seductively. He follows instructions and sits up on the back seat as you position yourself with one knee on either side of his hips. He holds your ribcage with both hands and lines you up to sink onto his cock. As he slides into you, he groans and rolls his hips forward. Once he's filling you completely, you kiss him on the mouth again and whisper.

"I missed you too." You begin to bounce up and down on him and he grunts. His dick hits the perfect place inside you to drive you wild. After a few minutes of this, you switch to rolling your hips against his, pushing him deeper and deeper. While you work his cock with your pussy, he lets his mouth wander on your breasts, sucking on each nipple gently. He holds your back with both hands and drags his tongue up your neck to nibble on your earlobe.

"Mmm. I'm gettin' close, honey." He flips you over on the car seat hovering over you and fucks into you vigorously. You wrap your legs around him and he groans. "You're gonna kill me."

"Like you don't love it." You moan into his ear as he gets closer and closer.

"I do love you-IT. I LOVE IT." He slams into you one last time and cums hard inside you, shuddering as he does. He stays with his head on your shoulder for a bit, really hoping you didn't catch what he said. But you did. And you're not sure how to respond. You want to tell him that you love him too- always have- but you're pretty sure that's not what he wants to hear. So instead you swallow your feelings, again, and pretend like it didn't happen. You lift his head up off your shoulder and run your fingers through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead.

"You got somewhere to stay tonight?"

"There's some ground around here with my name on it."

"You wanna come with me?" His brain is screaming just say yes, but for some reason he can't. You're not sure why you even asked. He never stays with you.

"Nah, honey, I'm okay here."

"Alright then. Well, I'd better get going." You both move to get dressed and he fetches your clothes from the front seat for you. Once you're both fully clothed again, you slip out of the backseat and stand next to your car.

"Bye, Joe." You smile halfheartedly, knowing it'll probably be a while before you see him again. He starts to walk away from you and you turn to open your car door.

"Y/n, wait." He walks back to you and wraps you in his arms, pressing his mouth to yours. He kisses you two or three more times before he finally lets go of you. "I'll see you around."

He heads back toward the house and you get in your car to drive home.

******

A couple of weeks go by and you're back to working your job at the diner. You had to do something to pay for the small apartment in town that you and Bonnie share. She keeps you informed about Joe's activities. Her brother is Joe's best friend, so she has a direct line to what he's doing. Usually when he's in town you see each other a lot more, but he seems to be particularly busy with the cattle situation and that girl Mamie Callahan. You hear about several parties during this time but you're not excited to watch him flirt with Mamie, so you keep your head down for the moment.

You're not sure why it seems to bother you this much. Normally he flirts with girls and you flirt with guys and then you fuck each other in between, but something changed the last time you were together. He seemed to mean it more. You both did, really, and it seems to have you both a little freaked out.

But more importantly, in that time when Joe's occupied, you meet Paul. Paul is a traveling salesman who happens to come into your diner one Thursday night. He takes you to dinner the next night and a romance is born. He's the complete opposite of Joe and you decide that's probably a good thing. To begin with, he's white, with sandy blonde hair and green eyes. He's gainfully employed and never has more than two drinks. And he probably wouldn't cheat on you even if he could. You're not in love with him yet, but you could be, and he's the kind of guy you should marry. Not Joe. No matter how much you love him.

Either way, about three weeks after his coming home party, Joe wanders into your diner around closing time.

"You didn't come to my party."

"Which one?"

"The big one. After the house fell down and we brought the cattle home."

"Your wedding party, you mean?"

"Wedding... no I didn't get married."

"What happened to Mamie?"

"She went home with her mama. Is that why you didn't come? Because of Mamie?" Somewhere inside him there's a sliver of happiness that you were jealous.

"No. I had a date." The happiness is snuffed out and replaced with something else.

"A date?"

"Yes. It's what real men do when they like a woman." He's been around for your hookups, but a real date is completely different.

"With who?"

"His name is Paul."

"I don't know him."

"You don't need to." You stand in opposition, the air between you charged with anger or sex or love or all three. He tips his hat up and pulls a cigar from his pocket.

"Well, I came to see if you'd like to have a drink with me."

"Sure." You angrily finish your closing duties and holler to the manager that you'll see him tomorrow. Then, you take off your apron and go with Joe. He's bought a new convertible, so you slide into the passenger seat and try to calm yourself. He gets in the car next to you and aggressively starts it up. You sit in your seat and fume silently. He has no room to be upset here. Last you heard he was going to marry Mamie Callahan.

He looks over at you as you stare out the window. Inside he's a mess of anger, jealousy, and confusion. Why should it bother him that you're dating someone real? He's not trying to get into anything real with anyone, even you. Although, if he was ever going to, he always thought it would be with you. Maybe that's what's upsetting him. There's an unspoken promise between you that the only serious thing you'd ever have would be with each other. Now you've gone and violated that. He whips the car into the bar parking lot and jumps out.

"You comin'?" He asks you sullenly.

"I'm not sure why, but yes."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Why are you so angry?"

"I'm not." You walk into the bar together and sit silently drinking shots of whiskey. After four of them, you look at your watch. It's almost 9 and you told Paul you'd call him tonight. You slide off your stool and head to the pay phone right outside the bathrooms.

"Where are you goin?" He hollers as you walk away.

"Phone call." You hold up your change and walk away without turning back. After talking to Paul for a few minutes, you feel Joe come up behind you.

"Paul, babe, I need to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" He agrees and you hang up. When you turn around, Joe is looming over you.

"Babe?"

"What about it?" You can tell Joe has had a few more shots since you left him at the bar.

"You never called me babe."

"You never took me on a date."

"What do you call what we're doing right now?"

"You do this with your buddies. This is not a date." He seems a little stricken by your comment. Did he really think this was a date?

"Whatever. Babe better hope I never run into him or I'll-"

"What, Joe? Beat his ass? Why?" The tension is building between the two of you as you yell at each other.

"Because maybe I wanted to take you on a date!"

"Then you should've asked me because it's too late now!"

"Oh, is it?!"

"Yes!" You stand and glare at each other for about thirty seconds before neither of you can stand it anymore and his lips crash into yours in a passionate kiss. Your hands go straight to the buttons on his shirt and he turns you around and walks you into the bar bathroom, locking it behind you. He grabs your ass and pulls your hips into his where you can feel his growing erection. You kiss deeply with your tongues dancing against each other and tear at clothing until you're naked enough for him to turn you around to face the mirror. He bends his knees slightly and pushes into you from behind.

"Fuck, yes, Joe!" You scream as he pounds into you, holding onto your hip and your shoulder while he fucks you. He watches your breasts bounce in the mirror with each thrust and grunts. The heady combination of whiskey and sex has you both speeding toward a climax. He moves the hand that was on your shoulder down to your clit and rubs circles as he continues to rut into you. It doesn't take much longer for your orgasm to overwhelm you and you cum hard on his dick. Once he's certain you're satisfied, he pulls out and turns you around to face him. He lifts you slightly to sit on the edge of the sink and slides his cock back inside you. He kisses your mouth again passionately as he fucks you for a few more seconds before he has to give in, shuddering and filling you with his warmth.

"Yes, y/n, fuck yes!" He cries out before collapsing on your shoulder as you both try to catch your breath. "I want you to be mine, y/n."

"You should've thought of that a long time ago." He slips out of you and you both put your clothes back on in silence. After you're dressed he puts his hand on your cheek.

"Why is it too late?"

"He's a good guy, Joe. He'll take care of me and be true to me. I'm not sure I can trust you to do either of those things." That cuts him; you can tell. But he can't deny it. You unlock the door and walk out of the bar bathroom with him following you closely. You slap a $20 bill on the counter for your drinks and head out to his car.

"Y/n wait!" You round on him and hope he can't see the tears in your eyes. He can.

"What?!"

"What if I-"

"Just stay away from me, Joe. I can't keep doing this. And I don't want one of your half-ass promises. I want something real. Someone who loves me." He stands and stares at you silently willing himself to say that he does. But he still can't.

Just then, Bonnie and her brother pull up. Brock gets out and you jump in the truck with her.

"Can you take me home?"

"Sure? What happened?"

"Nothing." As you drive away, you notice Joe looking at the ground and shaking his head. Then he goes back into the bar with Brock. You ride in silence as Bonnie takes you back to your apartment.

******

Another month passes and you continue to date Paul. You don't tell him about Joe, but it's over, so there really isn't anything to tell anymore.

Joe, on the other hand, spends two weeks in a bar trying to forget you. But no matter how much liquor he consumes or women he tries (and fails) to fuck, all he thinks about is you. After his two week bender, he gets up one morning determined to make something happen.

When it's time for Paul to move on to his next town, he has the crazy idea to ask you to go with him. It's only been a couple of months, but you decide to say yes. You can always come back if you need to, but something tells you you won't be back. If you leave with Paul, he becomes your future. This is okay except for one thing: Joe. You haven't heard anything about him in the month since you've been apart. You're not sure where the disconnect happened, but Bonnie doesn't share any more information with you. So when you decide you need to talk to Joe, you have no idea where to start looking.

"Bonnie, I just wanna say goodbye."

"Why? Why not just go, since you've clearly moved on?"

"I don't know! I just feel like I owe it to him."

"He's still living out at Charlie's place."

"Thank you. Was that so hard?"

"No, but I don't see why you need to hurt him twice." You think about what Bonnie said, but you still need to say goodbye. He's probably moved on anyway.

******

When you get out to Charlie's place you're surprised to see a trailer out there, in addition to the newly built little house. You knock on the door to the house and Charlie answers. He points you to the trailer and says that's where Joe's been living. You're a little shocked because you can't remember the last time Joe had a proper roof to sleep under, but you make your way to the trailer anyway. You put your hand up to knock, but your heart stops when you do.

What are you doing? He did exactly what you asked him to do and here you are coming back to him. You turn to walk away and then hear the door open behind you.

"Y/n, you're here?" You turn back to see him standing in the doorway looking just as good as ever.

"Yeah, I was looking for you." He steps out of the trailer and walks over to you.

"You told me to stay away."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm not ready for you to be here yet."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, not like that. I just... I wanted to have the house out here before I showed you."

"Showed me what? It doesn't matter. I'm leaving, Joe."

"Wait, what? Why?"

"I'm going with Paul." He bristles when he hears the name.

"You're still with that guy."

"Yeah, I am."

"You can't go with him." The old familiar anger washes over both of you.

"You don't tell me what to do!"

"I'm tellin' you what not to do!"

"Same thing!" His nostrils flare and you clench your fists.

"Fine. Now I'm tellin' you what to do. Stay here with me." You see his jaw flex, his blue eyes bright with passion.

"Joe, why the hell would I stay here with you?!"

"BECAUSE I FUCKIN' LOVE YOU, OKAY?!" Your mouth pops open in shock and he rubs his eyes with his hand. "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to scream it at you like that. But look, I've been working the bull riding shows and saving up money. The cattle business is starting to bring in some income too. My plan was to get us a little house out here- with plumbing and everything- and have it all ready before I came to you."

"You've been doing all of that... for me?"

"I wanna marry you, y/n. I tried livin' without you and I just can't do it."

"What about Mamie? And all the other girls out there just like her?"

"Brock can have 'em. I just want you."

"You're sure about that?" He nods his head and walks over close to you.

"I'm damn sure." He puts his hand on the side of your neck and pulls you into him, kissing you deeply. He backs away and looks into your face. "So, what do ya think? You wanna marry me?"

"I don't know. You've changed so much; I feel like I don't even know you."

"Say yes and at the party tonight I'll show you that not everything has changed." He grins devilishly and kisses you again, this time wrapping his other arm around your waist to press your body into his. You throw your arms around his neck and hold onto him tightly. This is everything you've ever wanted from Joe, so you know your answer. When he finally pulls back out of the kiss, he hovers over your mouth in anticipation.

"Yes."

You hear a whoop behind you and you both turn and look to find Charlie there watching you. He hollers from the porch.

"It's about damn time you two kids figured that out." Joe hollers back.

"Spread the word. There's gonna be one hell of a party here tonight." He crashes his lips into yours again and you practically drag him into the trailer, your mouths never leaving each other.

You kick off your boots and he does too as you stumble back to the small bedroom. As he undresses you, he presses hot kisses to your skin and then lays you down on the bed. He takes his clothes off too and then lays down next to you, running his hand over your body gently. Then, he leans in and kisses your neck and down your chest to one of your nipples. His fingers tease the other one and he takes your whole breast in his hand and squeezes gently.

"What are you doing?" He's never been this gentle or slow with you before, so you're not sure what's happening.

"I'm making love to you. Don't you like it?"

"Oh. Kinda just want you to fuck me like always." His eyes light up and he looks down at you hungrily.

"I can do that. C'mere." He lays on his back and situates your hips over his face. He starts in on your clit, licking quick circles over and around it. You have to lean your head against the wall and bite your lip to keep from screaming. He slips two fingers into you and pumps them in and out while he sucks on your clit lightly and then goes back to licking circles.

"Oh, fuck, Joe. Goddamn that's so good." The pressure begins to build and the sensation of his tongue on you is about to drive you crazy when he whispers.

"Cum for daddy, honey."

You slam your hand on the wall and do as you're told, walls fluttering and pulsing as your climax pounds into you from every direction. You grind against his face as you ride out the high of your orgasm.

"You want another-"

"No." You pull back off of him and crawl down to between his legs.

"Oh god, baby, yes." He moans as you hold his cock in one hand, rolling his foreskin back, and lick up the shaft to the head, swirling your tongue around the tip. His hand finds your hair and he grabs a handful as you bounce up and down on him. Then, you push as much of him into your mouth as possible, letting him hit the back of your throat as you press your nose into the soft patch of hair at the base of him. He groans and leans his head back, holding your hair a little tighter.

"Honey, if you don't stop, this is gonna be as far as we get." You bounce two more times and then suck off the tip with a small pop.

"Yes sir." You smile and move back up his body. He rolls you over onto your back and kisses your shoulder as he lines himself up with your entrance.

"Now can I make love to you?" You laugh and nod.

"Yes, baby." He pushes into you slowly and kisses your mouth as he picks up a steady rhythm.

"I do love you, y/n."

"I know, Joe. I love you too." He peppers you with kisses all over your face and neck as he pumps in and out of you. It doesn't take much longer for him to cuss and fill you with his warmth. You lay there together naked and wrapped in each other. There's a new satisfaction to the way you are together knowing that it's real and nothing is going to tear you apart this time. You're lost in this post-sex bliss when there's a sharp knock on the door.

"Joe! Get out here! I heard we were havin' a party!" It's Brock and you hear Bonnie holler next.

"Get your clothes on and come on out! We brought beer and whiskey!" Joe looks at you and kisses your forehead. Then you both jump up and dress as quickly as possible. You've never been the type of people to miss out on a good party. He takes your hand and you make your way out of the trailer to a cascade of whoops and hollers. You'll have some kind of ceremony soon, but to your friends and family, you're already married. Joe keeps you close to him all night, but the party rages on. At the end of it, he grabs you and pulls you out to his car.

"Joe, we have a perfectly good bed in the trailer."

"Yeah, but I promised you not everything had changed."

He winks and you climb into the backseat. He might have a job and roof, but he's still your same old Joe.

******

The End

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@ccab @elvisfatass @aliypop @joshuntildawn13 @rjmartin11 @your-nanas-house

Idk who else would want a Joe tag.

[ladylooch]

Hi, can you please write a timo meier imagine about reader and timo having sex and reader fakes an orgasim at night and tells some of the wags about it next day about how she really fooled him with her acting, not knowing that timo and his teammates overheard everything, his teammates laugh at him and timo gets embarrassed and upset at reader?

Eager Beaver with Timo Meier

A/N: Sometimes I write things and I’m like lmao a man would never say this, which is why we all love it 😆 Hahahaha. Poor Timo just wanted to show you a good time after he got home! Why you gotta do him like that!? Literally!

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: SMUT 18+ Content, Swearing, Angst. 

Tonight, Timo is an eager beaver. He’s been on the road for a long time, bouncing around the  East coast. He came roaring into the bedroom when he got home, flipping the covers off your body and dive bombing your breasts. He spent time kissing along the swells, but then he was dipping into your pants with quick fingers that had you reeling trying to catch up to what was happening.

“Please tell me you are close.” He moans into your hair. His thrusts are sooooo slow. And you’re nowhere near there. But his breathing is picking up. And his moans are filling the air of your bedroom. And you think the right thing to do is to perform a little bit to help him out. 

“Yeah, baby. Feels so good.” You coo into his ear, tugging his ear lobe between your teeth. His jerky hips buck into you as you heighten your breathing, moaning his name and arching your back like you’re coming. Timo finishes inside of you, melting into your body afterwards. 

“I needed that.” He confesses, running his hand along your cheek. “It was too long of a trip. I hate missing you that much.” You smile, ignoring the guilt of your conscious that pokes at you for pretending.

He’s happy. You’re happy. No harm done. 

The following day, Timo is whistling as you and him walk into the Children’s hospital visit you both agreed to. A few other team members and their significant others are joining too. He is happy after being reacquainted with you and has an extra pep in his step at seeing some young fans too. The Sharks are filming the visit for a PR video, so both you and Timo get mic’d up when you enter.

“I think this is where I leave you.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss you. The boys are going to do room visits while the girls are heading to some arts and crafts time. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me.”

“I know. Me too.” You kiss him back with a little tongue that adds a bright glint to his eyes. 

“Last night not enough, eh?” You widen your eyes and laugh off the pinch of guilt. 

“Good night, huh?” Erik’s wife, Melinda, asks you.

“Ah, yeah I’m letting him think that.” You chuckle. You and Melinda have a good relationship and it feels silly to lie to her about something so minor. 

“Little bit of a show?”

“Eager beaver didn’t know how to wait.” You joke back. 

“Babe.” Timo calls urgently. “Your mic is hot.” You cringe, looking at Melinda who covers hers in shock too. You had completely forget. 

“Sorry.” You cringe, looking at the producer who shrugs like he doesn’t care.

“We can cut it out.”

You look over at Timo who’s cheeks are red and eyebrows pulled down in agitation over his blue eyes. Can the producers cut it out of his brain too? Shit. You open your mouth to say something and he shakes his head, walking off with the rest of the group to the elevators. You close your eyes, knowing him well enough to understand he is really upset. 

The day drags on, The kids are cute and you do your best to interact with a positive attitude. But all you want is to see Timo and explain. What you’ll say, you still haven’t figured out, but it has to be something to soothe him. 

At the end of the event, he is somehow in a worse mood than before while you’re walking to the car together.

“What the fuck was that?!” He snaps at you. “I just spent two hours being annihilated by the guys for that. In front of the PR team. And young kids.” 

“I’m sorry. I forgot about the mic.” 

“I don’t..” He trails off, hands slapping against his thighs as he keeps walking to the car. “I don’t know what to say.” He completes his thought when you’re both in the car. You try to reach for his hand and he pulls away. “No, I’m really upset. I’m going to drop you at home and leave.” His tone is final. He refuses to look at you on the speedy ride home. You get out of the car and Timo roars off behind you before you’ve even gotten into the front door.

It’s agony being at home without him. You have no idea where he is. Your heart aches for what happened this morning. You feel so awful about what you did last night too. Why didn’t you tell him to slow down? Why didn’t you show him what you needed instead of pretending everything was fine? Why didn’t you remember the mic they put on you literally two minutes before that happened?

The sun has set when the garage door begins to open. You set your glass of wine on the end table and turn to look over the couch at the door. Timo comes in with take out bags for dinner and a bouquet of flowers. You hide your face in the couch cushion, feeling completely unworthy of whatever romantic display he is about to do. He puts a hand on your hair, tugging your pony tail for you to look at him.

“I was really embarrassed earlier and I didn’t know how to communicate with you about why.” You rest your chin on the back of the couch while he kneels down to be eye level with you. His thumb strokes your cheek while the rest of his fingers caress your neck. “I missed you and thought I showed you how much last night. That’s why it was so upsetting. I can take the heat from the guys. Whatever. But not giving you that experience feels awful.” 

“I’m sorry. I should have told you, but you were so eager. And it was hot. I loved so much of that but I was also half asleep when you came in and…” You close your eyes, having a hard time seeing his forehead crinkle in worry. “It wasn’t enough.” You finish, not having any other words to describe it. He nods. 

“That is fair.” He leans forward to share a tender kiss with you. “Let’s make a deal to not do that again.”

“Never.” You agree, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He lifts you over the back of the couch, standing with you in his arms. Your ankles hook together at his lower back. The hug lasts for awhile, softly stroking each other’s back, leaning heads together and sharing a few more smooches. “I love you.” You say sweetly. He smiles, the corners of his eye crinkling in joy. 

“I love you too.” He murmurs. “Come see what I got us for dinner.” 

[bronx-bomber87]

Hello all we’ve had an amazing string of Chenford and Tim/Lucy backstory goodness. S2 is very kind to us. This ep it tapers off a bit still have some Chenford but Rachel is re-introduced back into this and is the driving force of it. I mean with all the eps we just had you forget he’s even dating her tbh haha as I’ve said all season Rachel’s moments with Tim all have their purpose. Including this one. I would apologize for the lack of content but its not my fault LOL This will be much shorter than the last 4-5 have been ha but let’s get started :)

2x15 Hand-Off

Their scenes start off with the war bag room. Lucy is asking if Tim is nervous to meet Rachel’s dad? Tim doesn’t seem in the least phased by it. Lucy tells him it’s ok if he is just a hair scared. That Rachel adores her dad so much would make sense. Tim shrugs it off, thinks he has an in with him being a cop for 30 years. Lucy scoffs and says yeah but it was in a place that had 2 stoplights haha Tim doesn’t let her deter him and says a cop is a cop. LA or Mayberry.

This where it gets really adorable. First off I love his cute little smile when he says Mayberry. I think that show must be a good memory for him. One of his few in his childhood. He also seems so proud of himself for the reference. It goes way over her head sadly. Lucy is beyond confused and not getting his reference in the slightest. Cracks me up she gets him in so many ways but not this one LMAO. Tim gives up and says never mind…

They’re in the shop starting their day when Lucy asks where he’s taking her dad? Says it can’t be too fancy or he's gonna look like he is showing off. But he is visiting so a possible celebrity sighting wouldn't hurt. Tim delivers his answer proudly. Lucy approves (you know he secretly wanted that approval) He’s learned a thing or two since her birthday. Tim’s smiles when Lucy says she likes it. I love that its too cute. He seems pretty proud of his choice and the fact that she likes it. You know he's happy she isn't giving him any crap for his plans. He is a little more confident in his choice this time around than he was with her birthday gifts.

Rachel ends up calling Lucy interrupting their little moment. Tim is all cute and smiles until the phone call ends. Lucy has decided to recruit them to find her dad’s missing suitcase. Naturally they both see this situation differently. Lucy sees it as an opportunity to bond for Tim, to get off on the right foot with her dad etc. All Tim can see is the low solve rate and her father being disappointed in him cause of it.

Clearly impressing her dad is more important than he lead on…because well Tim. Lucy god love her thought she was doing it to help him. Always has his best interests at heart. Even when he so vehemently disagrees. All he can think about now is how they're not going to find it. That he will let her dad down before he can make a good impression. It’s awkward after that and Lucy goes on about their bread LMAO Her nervous rambles as Tim shakes his head. I love our girl so much.

Tim could not be cuter walking up to meet Rachel. Also his smile as Lucy and Rachel's dad get reacquainted. Then the awkwardness kicks in when they shake hands. Tim is doing his best to be respectful but is already striking out with him. The inner T.O. coming out in him. He tells Colin the chances of finding his suitcase is low. Crashing and burning fairly early into this intro.

Her dad bites back that a cop should have beat integrity and such. Tim says it’s easy to when you have 9 criminals LOL Oh Tim. Her dad says he’ll crack the case for him then by driving around. Tim's need to prove himself kicks in. He tries to fix it by inviting him into the shop. Says they can cruise around since he saw the guys face. Not doing so hot my love….

Lucy jumps in to help Tim. Invites Colin into the front seat says she can sit in the back while they drive around. Lucy makes sure to check back with Tim. She knows he isn’t happy about any of this. From being roped into it and now having to ride around with him. The need to prove himself is very real. Their body language in this scene cracks me up. Complete antithesis. She is taping her hands against her belt happily. She see's this as positive thing where all Tim is feeling is dread. You can sense his discontent.

What also cracks me up about this scene is it’s them in a moment. Lucy his sunshine human personified telling him to be positive, when literally that’s the last thing he wants to be LOL. Grumpy and Sunshine at their finest in this moment. His face in the last gif I’m dying. He’s so moody atm and her sunshine attitude about the whole thing is too funny. You can also see the panic on his face. We all know his deep rooted issues with his own father. To have to try and prove his worth on the spot to someone else’s not his idea of a good time…

The silent communication continues between these two. Just look at them above. They’re out looking with Colin and Tim says his spiel about LA. Her dad puts him in his place a little and Tim knows it. I love him checking in with her in the mirror. Lucy acknowledging him before he returns to the convo. It’s the little things I love so much with them. She does side with Tim in the fact this guy could be long gone.

Colin is strong in his resolve this guy is still around. He is so sure they're going to find him. They roll up on a taco spot where he spots the guy. Tim looks impressed. They confront the man and his partner jumps Lucy. She handles herself like a BAMF while Tim chases after the first guy. Colin clothes lines the guy fleeing impressing Tim further. It's a pretty good action sequence.

My fav kind of shot tall and smol in this scene. Why do I love their height difference so much? haha Whenever I see it just makes me smile. Colin is letting them know about how back in his town they didn't have partners. If you couldn't do the job alone you shouldn't be doing it. He forgets LA is crazy populated no way people could do this job solo. He really should be impressed by their dynamic together. They are alway so amazing to watch in the field together.

They look beyond adorable as they smile and look at each other after he says his partner bit. Lucy is happy she’s being called his partner and not just his rookie. (We all know she is more than just his rookie hehe) Tim is just looking proud she is his partner. God they cute.. They handled that whole takedown perfect together. They are so in sync with everything they do. From this arrest to this moment. I love them sfm. They are simpatico in the field it's a thing of beauty to behold really.

Colin finally gives Tim some praise. Something I think he wasn't expecting to get at all. He lets him know what a good cop he is. Starts listing off all the reasons why as well. Tim is all happy until he says ‘Just not for my daughter.’ Poor Tim looks crushed. I know he feels like he did all the right things and is still in the wrong with Colin. Seems like a backhanded compliment at this point. Praising him but also saying it's why he isn't right for her. What a gut punch to him. To praise him then use that as the very reason why he shouldn't be with her.

Tim defends himself and what he does passionately. Which I find very attractive. Something about the way Tim says ‘Sir, It’s every cops duty to’ *fans self* sexy af the way he wears his pride on his sleeve about his job. Yum Tum for me. Colin doesn’t chide Tim for wanting to go out into the darkness. That he was just like him. Putting the job first. Above his wife and above his daughter. The toll it took. He doesn’t want his daughter left alone in the dark. I get it but damn way to crush Tim.

This moment shows why Lucy is meant to be his person. She’ll join him in that fight in the dark. They’ll be together battling the crazy side by side. I.e. the s5 finale and the way they were a power couple in battle. Also why Rachel would not have worked out for him in that regard. The biggest take away from this scene is she’s not Lucy. Tim lays aside his career and job for her. He doesn't blink. You see in his defense he doesn’t say he would stay for Rachel instead of going out into the night. Only that it’s a a cops duty to....

I said earlier his scenes with or about Rachel has purpose. This is one of those moments. In this instance it’s to show why Lucy is his end all. The things he would be willing to do for her vs what he would do for Rachel. I mean hell look at this season. What he’s already done for Lucy while dating Rachel. Gave up a promotion to stay with her and the influence she has on his life. One of many things he does and will continue to do for her. Because when it’s the right one all the stuff Rachel's dad is posing at Tim right now doesn’t matter.

Tim tries one more shot at changing Colin’s mind. It’s then one of the main reasons her father doesn’t want her with Tim gets revealed. She might have Huntington’s disease. It’s hit his whole family. Rachel refuses to get tested to see if it’s hit her too. You can see Tim struggling really hard with this information. Clinging to the possibility it might not happen to her.

Colin then says once again that if she gets it she’ll need someone who will stay. Someone who will will give up everything to take care of her. That Tim isn’t that person. Not for Rachel he isn’t. We all know if it was Lucy he wouldn’t hesitate. There is hesitation in him during this. Can't blame him in the least. It's a lot of intense information to take in at once. This is once again the difference between Rachel and Lucy.

Tim of course goes to his safe space about this immediately. They’re talking about it at the station together. Lucy has looked up the disease and all its symptoms. I love him going right to her with this. Needing her perspective and take on this whole thing. Lucy had no idea Rachel might even have this. So she’s playing emotional catch up herself. Which unfortunately doesn't give Lucy enough time to advise him like she normally would since she is reeling herself.

Rachel meets up with them and blows up cause she finds out they both know. That her father has let them both know her secret. Lucy says how sorry she is. Tim tries to be sweet and have them talk about it. She refuses says it’s her life not his or her dads. Then takes off. Tim looking at Lucy like a wounded puppy. Hurts my heart to see him brushed off like that.

Rachel comes to find him afterwards. He drops everything to talk with her. He is incredibly sweet and understanding about why she hasn’t taken the test. Says he knows his job is unknown as well. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to do it every day. Tells her he’s not going anywhere when she gives him an out if he wants it. Such an honorable and good man. Ugh my heart. I adore this man so much. I loved getting this insight into him by watching how he is with her. How he is in a relationship. Pre-Lucy. When he loves he loves VERY hard. I truly love Rachel for what she did for Tim post-Isabel.

We get to see how loyal, loving and tender he is when he’s with someone. He always makes that person #1 Makes my heart happy to see him happy. It’s not with Lucy right now but it’s what he needs to get there. They both are so not ready for what is to come with them yet. So for now him being with her is tolerable haha Honestly more so than Ashley but I have my thoughts behind her as well but we will dig into that when we hit s4. The difference between Lucy and all the other women he dates is Lucy putting him first we see that in S5 and honestly in general before they're together.

It's why he continually gravitates back towards her. She gives him what he's been denied his entire life. Being put first. Her thinking of him before herself. She did that in this episode. Tim didn't see helping Rachel's dad the way Lucy did. Her saying they'd help out was her way of helping him out. To get Tim off on the right foot. Was her way of taking care of him. It's why their pre-couple time is so important before they dive into what we have in s5. Beautiful trust and love is built there long before they're a couple. Anyways before I ramble on anymore about them I'll stop haha That’s all she wrote for them in this one not a lot but enough to build a review out of it. Ha

Side notes-Non Chenford

Lopez and Grey’s SL was deep and emotional. Poor Angela her first day on the job someone dying in her arms. Grey having it be his partner. Going to a parole hearing to deny this man further freedom for what he did. Rough.

Nolan’s SL was amusing with Seth green and all.

Jackson catching a killer by accident with Smitty too funny.

Thank you all for your continue likes/comments/reblogs. Never stop thanking you all for it. Means the world to me. Shall see you all in 2x16

[swamp-chicken]

here is etho's POV of that fluff fic I wrote... I really don't know why I wrote this other than I am procrastinating ! hehe. and to get reacquainted with etho's pov... it has been a while!

------

it's the beginning of the server. the night is dark, they haven't had a chance to light the place up much. There are only a few houses surrounding spawn and etho has a bed in a cave, and that's about it.

still, the guys are meeting at spawn to celebrate, in the little ring created by the surrounding structures. they have a bonfire there, and some torches set up for safety.

etho's been around long enough that he knows how it'll go by now. they'll drink and goof around and come up with plans and also bdubs will be there, cracking jokes, the hair curling softly over his forehead.

tonight will be a little different than usual. etho has a plan.

etho approaches the group, silhouetted dark against the fire. they've already gotten started without him, and the sound of laughter and chatter spills across the plains. genny spots him first. "hey, it's etho!" he calls, and a dozen or so voices echo his greeting.

etho pulls near. bdubs is smiling at him, face glowing in the firelight. "hi," he says. his hair is curling over his forehead, just as etho imagined it.

etho can hardly make eye contact. "hi yourself." he gathers his nerves and plants himself directly beside bdubs, tries to ignore the way bdubs' eyes widen slightly.

genny is passing out beer. he hands some down to bdubs.

bdubs wiggles a can etho's direction. "want some?"

etho bites his lip. his plan would likely be easier to enact with a little liquid courage. "sure," he says, taking the can from bdubs.

etho hazards a glance at bdubs' face. it's mostly neutral, but one of his eyebrows is raised incredulously. etho smiles to himself. bdubs' face always shows exactly how he's feeling, no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

"you're finally joining us plebs?" bdubs asks.

etho pops the tab on the can with a hiss. "it's a special occasion," he says. "new world and everything." he sneaks another look at bdubs face, notes the flush on bdubs' cheeks. etho's heart knocks in response. a brand new world, full of new possibilities.

etho takes a big sip of his beer to distract himself, choking as the carbonation hits his throat.

"hey, hey, hey!" bdubs laughs. "easy, there!"

etho coughs. "I-- I swear I know what I'm doing."

bdubs is almost entirely turned towards him, the rest of the group forgotten in the shadows. "oh, obviously." his eyes are glittering with mirth.

genny peers over bdubs' shoulder. "no way, is etho drinking?"

the statement draws the attention of the others. "I never thought I'd see the day," millbee remarks.

etho shrinks a little from their attention. bdubs leans back on his hands, his shoulder brushing etho's. "he's handling himself better than you, genny. I don't think any of us can forget that time you ended up naked in the center of spawn after mc drank you under the table."

the group breaks into delighted laughter. yes, it had been quite the incident.

"he's got an iron constitution," genny sniffs. "don't let his shrimpy facade confuse you."

"excuse me!" mc splutters.

etho laughs with the rest of the group, leaning into bdubs' side gratefully. bdubs tilts his head back, smiling up at etho. "you were there for that, right?"

etho shakes his head regretfully. "no, but I definitely heard about it."

bdubs pouts, then brightens. "I bet we can get genny to do something crazy tonight while you're here. want to bribe him to dance or something?"

etho chuckles, leaning further into bdubs side. the warmth in his chest is almost unbearable. "would we even need to bribe him?"

"good point."

etho has a few more beers, the warmth in his chest extending out to his fingertips, leaving him pleasantly drowsy. bdubs is so funny etho can't stop laughing, even though he doesn't know what he's laughing about anymore. all he can see is bdubs' curls shining in the firelight, the warm curve of bdubs' cheek. then there's the flash of bdubs' wide brown eyes as he catches etho's gaze, sharing the punchline of the joke with him. etho can't look away.

the warmth is ripped from him unexpectedly, and etho blinks, perturbed. bdubs is leaning away from him, towards the group. talking about... a nether hub?

etho shakes himself, trying to sober up. he'd almost forgotten the plan. "I'll do it!" he says. the group blinks at him, faces blank, and bdubs favors etho with one of those incredulous eyebrows. "really?" bdubs asks.

etho tries to will down the heat in his cheeks, but he can't stop the smile spreading across his face. "yeah, it sounds fun."

bdubs' answering smile is brilliant. "yeah, it could be fun. I'll help too."

etho sinks back, satisfied. plan: executed. guude officializes it.

"you know, they're going to hold you to that," bdubs cautions, turning to etho as the group resumes their conversations. "you can't wiggle out of it by claiming you were under the influence."

"I know." etho narrows his eyes. did bdubs really think etho had only agreed to do the work because of the alcohol in his system? "I really have been wanting to work on something big. a community project."

bdubs looks unconvinced.

and, well, honesty is the best policy. "something with you," etho blurts.

etho's toes are curling with embarrassment, but maybe exposing that little piece of his heart was worth it. bdubs' cheeks are heating up spectacularly.

"aww," bdubs says. his voice is steady, but his eyebrows are jumping all over the place. and then he's off to the races, babbling about building plans. etho sinks back into bdubs' warmth with a fond chuckle.

etho is comfortable, drowsy, and a little drunk. goal achieved, he's happy to nod off on bdubs' shoulder. bdubs doesn't let him.

"tired?" bdubs asks, running a hand down etho's side. etho can feel bdubs' voice vibrate in his own chest.

etho nods, reluctant. "should probably go to bed."

"come on then," bdubs says, rising. etho wants to cry from the lack of warmth at his side. bdubs pulls etho up easily, steadying etho as the world spins around him.

"I'll walk you back to your house," bdubs face swims in to view. "protect you from any creepers."

etho's laugh carries him forwards, bdubs hands gently catching him by the shoulders. "right, you'll protect me." etho snorts. bdubs' face is so close.

bdubs pulls back, indignation painted across his features. "what, you don't believe me? I'm a stone-cold monster killing machine! creepers run from me, skeletons cower in fear!"

he's too cute. etho gathers bdubs into his arms, noting how well he fits in etho's embrace. "I'm so glad I met you, bdubs" etho murmurs, hiding his flushed face in bdubs' hair.

again, his honesty pays back in dividends. "o-oh," bdubs stutters. "that's very… you're sweet." when etho pulls back, bdubs' face is bright red, he looks gobsmacked.

"I think I can make it back on my own," etho says. "thanks for offering." bdubs is still gazing at him, lips parted. etho wants to cradle his face, wants to brush the curls off his forehead. he wants to step back into bdubs' space and feel that warmth fill him up again, never wants it to leave.

but, no, that was not the plan tonight. and some things, etho thinks, should be acted on only when sober.

etho gathers his dwindling self control and straightens. "goodnight," he says, wincing at his own abruptness. and then he turns on his heel, unsteadily makes his way back to his little cave in the ground. he has a nether hub to begin planning.

[bread--quest]

sunny being a spooky little guy in their first ever interaction :eyes:

actually y'know what this is basically at a ending point anyway and i've just been looking for an excuse to post it so. surprise sunny treat!

By Season 22, Day 70, Liquid Friend has more or less gotten reacquainted with the Vault. It and Plasma have dusted off their office and gotten it back in working conditions, said hello to their old friends, and reintroduced themselves to the people who have come here since they left. The Vault's gotten bigger since it was last here, but Liquid still knows its hallways like an old friend, and it knows all the people in here by name at least, if not more.

Which is why it's taken completely by surprise when it rounds a corner to see someone it's absolutely never seen before standing there, happily dusting a wall.

Liquid runs through all the people it knows of in its head. Obviously this is not Uncle Plasma. They are also obviously not Clare (although they do have little wings and a glowing, flickering halo), Parker, New Megan, or Fletcher. They could be Cote, maybe, since Liquid's never actually seen Cote, but that would raise a lot of other questions. Definitely not Nagomi. Not York. Not Chorby, Aldon, Goodwin, Pitching Machine, or Valentine. Not James Mora either.

Well, what the heck.

"Hey there, uh..." Liquid takes a slight step forward. The person(?) turns to face them with wide golden eyes. "I'm Liquid Friend. It's nice to meet you! Are you...lost?"

"Are you lost?" Liquid Friend's own voice says, and Liquid jumps, startled, and thinks for a second it was an echo, but one of the many strange things about the Vault is that it doesn't usually echo, and anyway that was far too pitch-perfect and crisp to have been a quirk of architecture, which means...

"Did you say that?" Liquid says, and this time it keeps an eye on the person so it can tell for sure— when their mouth moves, what comes out is Liquid saying "Say that?" A perfect echo.

Okay. That's a little creepy.

The person moves forward, towards Liquid. They're keeping one hand on the wall, Liquid notes— maybe for comfort? To keep from getting lost? For steadiness? They move like someone who's not quite used to having a body. Their hand leaves a bright gold streak behind it as they drag it along the walls— do they have wall polish on their hand, or something? (...Is wall polish a thing?)

The person stumbles a bit closer and then stops. They don't seem threatening, exactly, but Liquid's getting the willies for sure. It might be time to call in backup.

Liquid turns around and calls "PLASMA? THERE'S SOME KIND OF...HAUNTED BABY OVER HERE!"

Haunted Baby makes a startled yelping sound and Liquid looks back to see them stumble backwards a few steps, plastering themself against the wall, eyes wide.

"Oh no! Did I scare you? Was I too loud?" Liquid says, bubbling in distress.

"Too loud," echoes Haunted Baby, looking very betrayed.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Liquid says, kneeling slightly to be more on their level. It notes a couple interesting things about their appearance—same golden tint to their skin as the Replicas, the little halo and wings that look like a mimicry of a Legend, hair orange-brown but golden-tipped in a way it doubts is hair dye—but mostly focuses on the fact that they look, more than anything, like a frightened little kid. "I'll be more quiet now, promise. I didn't mean to scare you. It's okay. Do you need help? Are you– do you know where you are?"

Haunted Baby visibly brightens– as in, they look happier, but also as in their halo and wings glow slightly and, unless Liquid's mistaken, their eyes get brighter as well. 

"The Vault," they say, in a voice that isn't Liquid's but seems like it shouldn't be theirs either, far too big for that tiny body and with an echo of its own, like the hallway itself is trying to amplify it, and it's Liquid's turn to rock backwards slightly, very startled and the tiniest bit afraid.

"Liquid?" Plasma's voice says, and Liquid finds to its great relief that the voice is coming from Plasma's mouth this time (inasmuch as Plasma has a mouth, anyway.)

"Plasma!" it says, scrambling back to its feet. "I'm so glad you're here." If it was possible for anyone to pinch Liquid, it might ask Plasma to pinch it to make sure it's not dreaming.

Plasma nods towards the tiny figure standing across from them, looking blissfully unaware of the mega-spooky thing they just did. "Is this the...Haunted Baby?"

"Haunted Baby!" chirps Haunted Baby, in Plasma's voice.

Plasma's expression doesn't appear to change much, but Liquid's known them long enough to know they're startled. "Ah."

[hellcat8908]

Taken: Part Three Cassian x Reader

Warnings: Violence, Nudity, Small amount of Torture, Language

A few hours later you're tucked between Cassian and Azriel as Rhys leads you through the prison to an interrogation room. You stop outside a window, you're breath catches in your throat as you see the dark haired man cuffed in chains. Cassian notices but doesn't comment, instead he turns to you, "his name is Merikh. Azriel already got the vital information we needed from him, the only reason he is still breathing is for you to get closure. Remember we'll be right outside the door should you need us." You kiss his cheek before walking into the room casually with your head held high. He smirks at the sight of you. You pull out the chair sitting back making yourself comfortable. You notice his various injuries and smirk. "So Merikh, how about you and I get reacquainted."

*Meanwhile outside the room*

"So what did you two bet?" Cassian asks. Rhys feigns offense, "What makes you think we put bets on this?" Azriel laughs, "Rhys thinks she'll attack him in under 15 minutes, I think you'll interfere before she can." Cassian rolls his eyes, "There's no way I'm stopping her from getting her closure however she needs to." Rhys states, "If he was smart he wouldn't antagonize her, and if he's really smart he'd choose his words carefully. Having said that, I hope he is an idiot." Az and Cass both laugh and settle in to watch this play out.

*Back inside the room*

"I haven't got anything to say to you." He practically spits. "That's funny because you had plenty to say to me before. What's the matter big bad Merikh can't talk without his toys." You taunt him. "I see you haven't lost your smart mouth. Maybe I should've cut chunks out of you to teach you a lesson." He pulls on his chains, you don't bother to flinch. "So why torture women? Did mommy not love you enough as a child?" You ask disinterested, "doesn't really matter, looks like you won't be doing it again for a long time." He smirks at you, "thought you would've remembered what happens to girls who run their mouth." He says looking you up and down, "Maybe you like when I whip you and you're hoping I'll do it again." You give him a look of disgust, "I only like it when Cassian punishes me, he makes me scream in the best ways." You tell him with a wink. You smile deviously at him as you reach in your boot and pull out the dagger he used on you, "look familiar?" You ask.

Meanwhile in the hall Azriel and Rhys turn to Cassian, Rhys quickly saying "I thought you searched her for weapons?!" Cassian smirks at him, "I did and when I found her without I gave her that one." Rhys rolls his eyes as Azriel turns his gaze to Rhys, "are you going to allow this?" He asks surprised. Rhys just smirks, "Azriel you're more than welcome to try to take it from her if you want. Besides we all agreed his sentence would be death, we just didn't decide who would do it." Rhys turns his attention back to the room as Azriel and Cassian do the same.

"Careful you might cut yourself with that dagger." Merikh warns you. "Maybe you should be careful because I could easily carve you up with no regrets." He lunges at you across the table, you quickly bring the blade down on his hand pinning it to the table making him scream. "Now that wasn't a very smart move on your part, now you've got a dagger through your hand, here let me help you with that." You grab the dagger and pull it out. "If I know the guys as well as I think I do you just made one of them a little bit richer, I'll have to find out who." You smirk as he sits back in the chair holding his hand. "What do you want?" He says, his voice practically dripping with venom, "I already told them everything I know." You let out a laugh, "I don't want anything from a lowlife such as yourself, what I wanted was to come here and show you that you didn't win. You didn't break me, I'm still here and still standing despite what you put me through."

"Based on the dark circles and bloodshot eyes, I'd say I won. Doesn't seem like you're getting sleep and you've been crying your eyes out." He says with a laugh. You use the tip of the blade to pick your nails even though they are spotless. "Have you always been this cocky in assuming you are some master interrogator? In fact you did a pretty piss poor job on me. You didn't get anything useful out of me in the time you had." You tell him, looking him in the eyes watching him getting angrier. "Azriel is a master interrogator, based off your injuries you folded before he really got started. Which is good for you but boring for him." You stand up putting the dagger in your boot and move your chair and the table off to the side of the room.

Outside in the hall the boys look at Cassian silently questioning what you're going to do. He just shrugs and smirks turning his attention back to you. Rhys looks at Azriel, "should I be worried?" Azriel shrugs, causing Cass to laugh, "the only person that should be worried is Merikh. And based on the look in y/n's eyes he should be passing himself." Rhys studies you harder through the glass trying to read what you're planning. As you feel him you turn to the window and blow them a kiss before turning back to Merikh. Rhys smirks, "oh yeah he should be terrified."

You dim the lights expanding the shadows in the room. Merikh rolls his eyes as they try to adjust. You move silently through the room staying out of sight as you nick him with the blade randomly on his arms legs and back. He can't keep track of you in the darkness. His frustration grows and soon he's yelling at you, "Enough games if your going to get revenge at least have the balls to do it face to face." You laugh at his words, "how about I do you one better" you say walking up behind him, your face visible above his head as you pull his hair forcing his head back as you press the blade to his throat, "how about I just kill you now and be done with it. No, that's not much fun for me though. I got it how about I undo your chains and you and I see who's better." You look to the window shaking your head knowing Cass will break down the door if you do that.

You grab the chains for his arms and remove the slack, keeping them forced at his waist. You run the dagger down his neck under the neckline of his shirt before cutting it open. You rip it off and then cut his pants off, exposing the fact he isn't wearing anything underneath. "We'll now I see why you torture women because you could never pleasure them with that." You smirk, "shit I'm upset I had to see even see it." You drag the dagger down his chest, adjusting the pressure as you do, leaving shallow and deeper cuts. You move to his arms and legs cutting him up to various degrees listening to him scream as you cut over some of the tender parts.  You step back and admire your work. Satisfied you sit back in your chair cleaning the dagger.

"Azriel can you come in here please." You ask sweetly. A moment later the door opens and Azriel walks in standing beside you. "I assume he informed you who hired him." He looks at you questioningly. "He gave up a family in the court of nightmares." You turn your attention to Merikh who's staring at you wide eyed. "You may need a few more answers from him about who exactly hired him." You tell Azriel handing him the dagger as he looked at you puzzled. "My father hired him, this dagger is a family heirloom." He takes the blade and turns his attention to Merikh. You make your way to the door Cassian instantly wrapping you in his arms as soon as the door shuts. Rhys looks at you concerned and curious. "I know I have some explaining to do to both of you."

Part Four (Finale)

[diaryofapickme]

An Introduction

For some odd reason or another, when I was little, I would pretend not to remember or know people, I very obviously knew, such as my kindergarten teacher. At the dentist or the doctor, I'd close my eyes the entire time they were examining me.

Which then turned into ignoring people, namely boys (I knew) as a preteen; that transitioned into making a fool of myself while giving someone the cold shoulder as a teenager. I'd like to think I'm above that now, though I secretly fantasize about running into the last guy who broke my heart, staring him down across a crowded room, and then pointedly ignoring him once he notices.

I'm bad about making eye contact too. Often staring into the distance and making complete and total eye-contact with a stranger across the way (which has now become a running bit amongst my friends and I--don't perceive me, while I eat my sandwich, and make direct eye-contact with you).

To make matters worse, I'm notoriously bad at names (and remembering faces too). Though my favorite bit, which is genuine more often than not, is to ask a guy, when he's showing off a group picture of him and his friends, which one he is. The one time I approached someone I thought I knew on campus, they turned out to be someone else entirely, though coincidentally, they were in one of my classes (we never spoke again--and I don't remember her name).

I frequently misspeak and call someone by the wrong name as well. One of my close friends' roommate has a cat named Oliver, and I always start the night off calling him that, but at some point...he becomes Archer (and I don't know where that came from). I dog sat a few weeks ago, for a dog named Stevie, and yet for some unfathomable reason, kept calling her Riley (or Bailey) (or Sydney).

And in all irony, one of my biggest insecurities is feeling isolated (and forgotten), yet I have insurmountable proof that I exist, that friend's and even strangers remember me.

One of my first times on campus, a peer, whom I only had an online class with--one that I wasn't even required to have my camera on for, recognized me, from behind.

Just recently, I was on a trip, walking up and down the beach, and a woman approached me to ask about my hair.

So logically, yes, I exist. I am remembered. I am known.

But in the quiet hours of the lonesome night, I sit in bed, feeling insignificant.

-

I have this ever growing urge to be everything I know that I'm not. I feel like I need to prove myself to someone, to reinvent myself, to be this cool girl.

(to be fair, I know exactly what inspired it, who inspired it)

I'm going into my last year of college, and I'm not okay; I feel that I have the world upon my shoulders trying to navigate the work-force, and graduate school.

I think I'm standing upon a precipice of self-destruction and self-discovery, one misstep from falling into chaos and disorder, and I just might be okay with it.

So here's to living my best life this last year--pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and living despite it all (living in spite of it all).

I

think

I'm

due

for

a reintroduction

to

myself.

and maybe, just maybe, once I get reacquainted with myself, I won't feel so insignificant after all.

[teaandatale]

Steggy Week 2022 – Day 2 (Monday): Favourite Era

A FIC PREVIEW of "This Tune of You"

But we have to start with the link above as this is a bit of a mash-up of both Day (1) Inspired By and Day (2) Favorite Era, where this was inspired by a lovely bit of old fanart and set in one of my favorite “eras” for Steggy, a Modern AU set just after Avengers 1, where Stark Tower plays a big role. Let’s rewind to a simpler time of 2015, when this idea first came to me, while I was enjoying Steggy from the sidelines and Stark/Avengers Tower found family AUs were still all the rage. Back then, I loved nothing more than an AU where Peggy was brought forward in time to be with Steve. Only surprisingly, I had a more angsty take on such a reunion.

Let’s start with the original inspiration for this fic! At a time when I was not actively on tumblr but discovered Steggy and needed content to obsess over, sometime in 2015, I came across the loveliest fanart of Peggy with a caption that immediately captured my muse.

Shout out to @illustratedkate-blog who made a headcanon that Peggy in 2014 would have loved the Arctic Monkeys (and wearing cool ass leather jackets & shades as seen in the art. I don’t think is on tumblr anymore. I wish I could have let them know back then how inspiring their art was to me.

The song in question that Peggy (and consequently I, who had already been very obsessed with the Arctic Monkeys at the time) is "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys.

This was one of the first fics I ever attempted for Steggy (though never finished & never shared, because I was still super insecure about sharing my writing). I like to think I’ve improved a lot in the last seven years, so I hope I will one day be able to rework and finish this.

Until such a time, enjoy this collection of random snippets from the fic.

Title: This Tune of You

Summary: Not long after the Battle of New York, a still struggling to adjust Steve has another big surprise. A blast from his past, Peggy Carter mysteriously appears in one of Stark’s labs at Stark Tower. But the reunion is difficult, both Steve and Peggy now displaced in time, and not any better about discussing feelings than they did back in the SSR Bunker in London in 1943. They remain in this weird place, where they should have the closest connection, but instead of a spark rekindling, they have an argument about what Peggy’s appearance in the 21st century could mean and, in their stubbornness, it drives them apart. They begin to avoid each other.

Peggy who had never been one for sitting around, decides to take life by the balls and reacquaint herself with this world in 21st century. But after Tony shoots down her trying to visit England as New York City was feeling very lonely, she makes it her mission to seek out any still existing British comforts to make her more at ease.

She ends up discovering the Arctic Monkeys while hearing a song play while trying to get a handle on shopping malls, and the sound of it, the punching drum sounds, the forceful guitar, the lyrics, they all speak to her current state of mind. Her obsession with the new music leads ends up consumes all of Avenger Tower. Meanwhile, Steve continues to seem oblivious, as Peggy starts to get attention from many people, especially men, except for the one guy she wants it from.

**

“Have you no idea that you're in deep? I've dreamt about you nearly every night this week. How many secrets can you keep? Cause there's this tune I found That makes me think of you somehow an' I play it on repeat”

Peggy Carter was still getting used to the fact that department stores, shopping malls, and all stores otherwise carry more options ready-to-wear than she could imagine. But Peggy has never been one to let unfamiliar settings daunt her. Pepper offered to do a little shopping with or for Peggy, just to get her started, but Peggy is a go-getter. And if the modern woman can be a chameleon, she wants to enjoy figuring out what innovations she appreciates on her own. Although she did take the names of the brands that Pepper was wearing as a starting point.

And as she walks carefully around lacquered mannequins, through racks of blouses and displays of jeans described as 'skinny' and 'leggings,' Peggy hears a loud strange sound float in the store. Peggy drops the dark jeans she was inspecting and listens to the assertive drum beat fold into an electric string sound. She is mesmerized by the repetitive beat, moving her like an extension of her heartbeat. Then she catches snippets of the lyrics and she knows that she's just fallen in love with this strange music. And she desperately needs to know what it is.

She seeks the saleswoman who's folding sweaters and asks her if she knows what the music is called. The girl with the perfectly straight jet black hair tells her she's pretty sure it's an Arctic Monkeys song but immediately pulls out her phone offering to Shazam it for her. She helpfully explains the app when Peggy tells her she doesn't know what the means. Peggy tells her that she's still getting used to her iPhone but the girl doesn't seem to be put off from Peggy's lack of smart phone knowledge.

"They're like, rock music, alternative, I guess I'd call them," the girl tells her as they wait for the app to perform its magic. "They're a British band."

This seals it for Peggy. She knows next to nothing about what the hell alternative means but she already feels a kinship to the Arctic Monkeys, whoever they might be. With the song name, Peggy thanks the girl and takes her up on her offer to show her the new line of jeans the store just received. Peggy walks out with a new leather jacket (faux leather, she's learned), and a new pair or skinny jeans that Joy, the friendly saleswoman, told her make her legs look great. Peggy agrees even though they feel a bit strange.

**

Peggy still frowns at the sight of Steve every time that she sees him in the Tower, steadfastly looking away from him every time he tried to meet her gaze. This time he's walking up the stairs while Maria talks over the files she's glancing through. At the landing, after a quick pause to look at Peggy, Pepper and Natasha, nodding politely, they part ways and Steve heads down the hall. Maria collapses into the couch as Pepper leans forward to pour her coffee from the French press.

"Gramps all set for the mission?" Natasha asks.

"Ramping up to go," Maria replies.

"Guess that explains why he's wearing half of his suit," Natasha says with a sly smile.

"He runs a little hot," Peggy says automatically, in a bored tone.

"Oh, we know," Natasha quips, setting the three of them into fits of giggles.

Peggy rolls her eyes, not in the mood.

"Sorry Peggy," Pepper says sheepishly with a shrug. "He may be an idiot but he's very easy on the eyes."

"All those bulging muscles... His chest is bigger than mine," Maria adds, sighing a little.

Natasha smirks. "Can't deny he looks good in those tight shirts Carter," Natasha says.

“Oh please,” Peggy huffs, “as if I wasn't the first person to touch them," she says in an offhand voice.

They all laugh again as Maria whoops and even Pepper leans in when Natasha asks for that story.

**

Tony, Clint and Natasha spy on Peggy in the training rooms a little too often. But Peggy's been giving them so many opportunities, since she started working out as much as twice a day. They heed Natasha's warning not to disturb Peggy though, and instead commit to quietly watch in awe as Peggy shreds the equipment.

"Isn't this sexy rock music? Meant for a young crowd?" asks Tony.

"She is sexy," Clint bleats as Peggy continues her rotation of one-handed push-ups and leg extensions.

"Oh god, not you too," Natasha scoffs.

"What? You can't deny it," Clint retorts.

"Of course not. But you two are acting like pervy teenage boys. She's gorgeous. And she'd eat you both alive."

"I'm sorry, who's standing here with us?" Tony asks.

Natasha smirks. "Oh I have a different interest regarding this situation."

She leaves them confused and slightly worried, but not enough to prevent them from gawking at Carter.

**

Tony's curiosity has peaked. "J.A.R.V.I.S how many times has Peggy played that song?"

"Seventy three plays in the training room, sir. The total count for that album totals over two hundred."

Tony shakes his head. "No wonder it's stuck in my head."

**

Steve keeps attempting to find ways to talk to Peggy, maybe suggest they go to the coffee place she and the others seem to like so much. But he can't seem to find a good moment, or get his mouth to open at all around her. But after seeing her come back with a guy, he can't stop the angry jealousy. He think he's calmed down enough by the next day when he sees her at the team meeting. Tony suggested pizza afterwards and Steve takes the chance to ask Peggy to talk. He insists on finding a more quiet spot.

They find an empty room off the lounge. He just wants to talk, ask her how she is, but the conversation goes from nowhere to havoc in seconds. He seems to be offending her every time he opens his mouth and he starts to get frustrated at her constant frown.

"You seem to be getting along just fine," he says icily.

Peggy's crossed arms turn into dangerous fists at her hips. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"New clothes. New friends. Guess you've come up with a new you to go with your new life."

"And what would you have me do? Lock myself in this Tower? Pretend I'm still in the nineteen forties?"

Steve shrugs petulantly, his arms now crossed, tight against his chest. "Seems like you're just fine leaving everything else behind. Going out for drinks. Coming back at all hours."

The accusations in his tone sets Peggy off. "Who do you think you are? My keeper? My father? Who I spend my time with is none of your concern!"

"Yeah I see you keep making that clear. So that's it? You're just moving along with no interest in the girl I used to know? You have no interest in what I think?"

"What did you expect Steve? You brought me here, to a time where every single person I've known is dead!"

"I'm not!" Steve yells.

"Oh and look at how that's served me! When I wasn't the perfect fantasy you imagined you walked away." Peggy's voice breaks, and she feels her chest heaving.

"You think this is fun for me? That I belong here any more than you do?" Steve is practically screaming.

"Dammit Steve!" Peggy curses. "You have a team! You have a place here! You're just a bridge away from Brooklyn. I have no home and I can't even step on British soil because Peggy Carter doesn't exist. I don't even exist in this world! So you'll excuse me for not feeling sorry for you, for not looking back at what is no longer mine!"

[ask-harvester]

Today on Miles Draws Something, I decided to do a little art experimentation, now that have a much nicer set of inking pens and alcohol markers. I’m currently trying to reacquaint myself with them since it’s been a hot minute since I’ve used alcohol markers.

This one is based of a guy I keep seeing in my dreams… I can’t remember his face and I just… keep drawing it wrong so I ended up just… doing a lot of hatching over it. Somehow it feels more accurate than anything I could do to try to depict him. The only thing I can remember clearly is that he dressed in a fancy suit (in approx. these colors), had curly hair, brown skin, and pointed ears.. I just couldn’t get this guy out of my head and I needed to draw him..

I’ll try to post more of my art soon, hopefully it will be less ominous than this.

- 🫀

[fawnandshadows]

Upcoming writing schedule

Hi everyone!!

I hope you had an amazing Elriel Month!! If you missed any of my fics you can read them here. This past month has been really crazy busy for me, and there are so many amazing fics I need to catch up on!!

Hopefully, my schedule will clear up soon and I’ll be posting more.

I just wanted to give you all a little update about what I’ll be working on next.

🌹 You Painted Me Golden — I have about 4k words written for Chapter 11 and I can already tell that this will be the longest chapter yet! I really love what I have written and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. This is what I’m going to be focusing my time on, so unless I get a crazy bout of inspiration for a random one-shot expect Chapter 11 to be the next work to come from me! If you haven’t read it yet, you can catch up here!

🌹Azriel x Elain x Cassian one-shot — this is yet to be named. I’ve had this fic started in my drafts for the longest time, and I’m really excited to get back to it! This is going to be smutty, with no plot in sight. The idea for this fic has been rattling around in my head for the longest time and I’m so excited to flesh it out and put it on paper. I’ll set the scene for this one…Imagine Azriel, Elain, and Cassian sitting in a darkened room one night. Azriel’s hand is on Elain’s knee, and Elain turns to Cassian with large, brown eyes and asks, “Do you think I’m boring?” Set during ACOSF.

🌹The Rose and The General Part Two — hehe you guys know that Casslain is my favorite crackship! I do have part of this written, but I am going to have to change some things because Part One really took on a life of its own and went in a direction that surprised me. So, this will have a little bit of reworking to do. You can read Part One now!

🌹Fade to Black (An Elorcan fic) — this will be Elide and Lorcan’s first time together! Set in KOA during the infamous fade to black scene. I haven’t written any TOG fics, and I want to make sure I do the characters justice! I’m going to have to reacquaint myself with the characters, so it will take me a bit of time to do that. Expect this one later in the Summer.

🌹A Night to Remember: Part Two — I haven’t forgotten about this one, I promise!! Elain, Ruhn, and Hunt will continue their night together…but this time her husband Azriel will join them! In all honesty, there might be a Part Three to this fic. There is so much I want to explore with these characters and this setting that is going to take time. Part One is available here

If you would like to be tagged in any of these let me know! This schedule is obviously subject to change, but You Painted Me Golden will definitely be next. And look for YPMG updates in between the other fics! If you would like to be tagged in any of these upcoming fics, please let me know <3

[missnenesworld]

reconciliation (?)

he sits alone, at the bar he told Nene to meet him at. Mikey tends to drink alone a lot. apparently helps him clear his head. there's so many nerves and emotions swirling in her tummy and making her head foggy.

"hey Mikey," she says softly while sitting next to him. he takes a brief glance at her then looks back at his half empty glass of whiskey and coke.

"hey." it's low, void of emotion. it's almost like the two were never close at all. like she weren't planning to say yes if he proposed or have his kids in the future.

"I think we should talk about our past. I don't want to tear our friends apart over our miscommunications." he hums and swirls the brown liquid around. she's used to him not looking at her when she speaks. she realizes she knows so many things about Mikey. too many for them to be strangers. "I just want to know one thing for sure."

now he's looking at her. for once his gaze had softened since they got reacquainted. "what is it?"

she plays with the string on her hoodie, nervous to ask but also trying to keep her heart steady and breathing calm. this question is one she feared asking. "wh- when did you sleep with her?"

"that one break we took at like a year and a half. remember that shitty argument? how I never give you any attention even though I was working and trying to get my racing kicked off?" irritation pricks at his tone.

Nene's lip trembles at the memory. she wasn't sure their relationship was going to last after that argument. he didn't speak to her or see her for two days. only told her he needed a break from them. "yeah I remember..." she pauses and quickly wipes a loose tear. "why did you do it Mikey? I really don't understand."

he sighs and downs the rest of his drink. "you made me feel fucking weak. I didn't think love was for me until you came around." he looks at her again and he looks so much like the Mikey she loved. vulnerable and gentle. "I don't regret those two years but I do regret how I ended it." she lets him finish. she knows he has to get this out. "I kind of hated how you made me feel. you had too much control over me."

this is too much for her heart to bear right now. "Mikey... I'm sorry I- I always loved you the best I could-"

"no. you shouldn't apologize. you really did the best you could until the end. it's my fault for not talking to you, telling you about the baby, and just leaving without a word."

hearing all this is making Nene sob. she can't help it. this raw feeling of closure is hitting her all at once. she jolts a little when feeling a thumb wiping her tears. "Mikey..."

he shakes his head and continues to wipe the tears that keep sliding down her face. "when I get custody of my little girl I want you to meet her." she nods, trying to calm herself down. "it's okay. just let it out okay?" he hands her some tissues to wipe her face.

"i'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"it's okay," he whispers, hand still on her cheek.

he's so close. his face is close. oh god!

the two start leaning close, those familiar feelings taking root and clouding their judgement completely. their lips nearly touch when Mikey pulls away.

Nene is confused. did she do something wrong? oh god was it her breath?! he chuckles a little and she gets even more confused. "you should stick with Mitsuya. he's a stable guy. you need that in your life."

it feels like her heart is torn in half. he's right. she almost forgot about it honestly. Mitsuya is so good for Nene. always wanting to take her out, comfort her, help her with your homework. but Mikey. that was her first love, someone she couldn't see herself without.

Mikey can see the cogs turning in her brain and smiles a little. "look. spend a little more time with him. give him a couple months. if you still feel the same way about me then... maybe we can give it another shot."

this idea makes her heart soar. like she had been given a prize and not a life changing ultimatum. "yeah i'll try that," she says with a smile. her smile always seems to light up her whole face and Mikey had always loved that.

"you drive here?," he asks after ordering another drink.

she shakes her head. "i took the train. I still don't have a car."

Mikey huffs a small laugh. "drink with me for a bit. then i'll take you home on my bike."

the offer is so enticing. the thrill of riding with mikey on his bike, arms wrapped around his midsection and head on his back. she nods and sends him a bigger smile. "that sounds nice Mikey."

rekindling of something old or the start of something new...

[rockheadcd]

@electrivolt​ said: "Okay, we're almost there— close your eyes now." He's perhaps a little too excited for this, after do much waiting and planning and making completely sure the surprise in question is still there by the time they could finally hike their way up here.

And now that they're finally there, Lux finally nodding towards his trainer when asked to check ahead, Volkner can't really help himself, can he? Taking his love's hand so eagerly and finally guiding him through the cave, his feline companion leading the way. Finally, there they are— and there it is, the two fossils in all their glory, the biggest and most complete specimens he has seen after going over everything the museum could hold with his love and the personal collection too. He couldn't just not bring him here to this kind of discovery, could he?

"Okay, we're here. Open your eyes, love." And he can't really hold back the grin on his face. It was hard enough to keep the secret this long— they deserved this moment, right? / remember the dinos in the highlands? yeah.

"Okay, okay, I don't wanna trip—" Roark tries his best given the uneven terrain of the mountains, worried that if he does take a tumble, Volkner's coming down with him. But, his love has been buzzing with excitement the entire morning over this special place he's been dying to show him for weeks now. He didn't even specify it was in the heart of the mountains themselves until he told him that they needed to hike to get there—here, rather. Considering the wariness Volkner had coming back from Hisui, slowly opening up about the dangers that eventually would haunt him, Roark couldn't help the surprise of him changing his attitude towards the highlands. Maybe enough road trips and reacquainting himself with the person whose family just preferred being out in nature more than civilization had finally gotten him to be comfortable again—or, whatever this one thing he found just simply trumped all of the fear and negative associations all together. 

Whatever it was, Volkner was more than certain that he'd be beyond excited for this surprise, all the way out here and even farther off the beaten path than they'd ever have taken even for their stargazing.

—and he was right.

"No way."

When Volkner gives him the affirmative, that's all he can really say, looking back at his love and then back towards the specimens in genuine disbelief. But, that's certainly real, if the grin his love has is any indication. Roark gets closer, much closer, to the fossils that aren't even halfway in matrix, running his finger along the divots of the Bastiodon's skull. It's real, through and through, and rivals the specimens he's uncovered in the mines. "Earthquakes must have loosened the wall here over time until it was just a little bit of dirt just sticking to the bones themselves... look, these clumps could fit right back on the spikes.." He clamors over the pile of worn away dirt, cold and a little damp against his jeans to examine the rib cages that are still left, counting segments and vertebrae and approximating the size of both 'mons in his head. "These aren't your average size dinosaurs, these look like they were alphas, too. That skull is about the size of your Rampardos, love! I'm surprised they survived this long in open air like this, but.. given their typing, their bones are dense and resilient. I want to say these guys have been here while Coronet was a lot shorter than it is now, based on how the limbs have shifted over time.. it looks like their skulls got too heavy when enough soil eroded away." He comes to gently touch the missing tip of the Rampardos skull, examining the way the cracks trickle down from the highest point and into the rest of the skull. "I wonder if these two were fighting over territory? This Rampardos hit something hard enough that it completely shattered it's point, but the rest of it's horns are perfectly in tact.. and Bastiodon is missing part of it's nose cavity.." His examinations are spoken with utmost awe, so surprised at this moment frozen in time long enough for him to be shown it—if Volkner wasn't there to begin with, he'd have never known it existed. He pulls out his phone to take a few pictures to send to his dad—typical fossil behavior, of course, but he's debating on if they should be extracted at all. Well... as long as they're taken together, then the museum could recreate their final moments, hypothetically speaking. Roark is relatively certain these two died on impact, or at least hit one another so hard their pea brains hemorrhaged not long after.

At least for a moment, he could finally peel himself away and tackle hug his love and squeeze him to death in appreciation. "I can't believe you found this—in the past, no less! This is one of the best discoveries in years.. the best thing ever, really! You really have no idea how much this brings—not just for me, but literally for the entire field of paleontology for Sinnoh! You're getting named for this, you know!" And he can't help but smack him with a big ol' kiss now that his contained excitement is pouring out—"I love you so much—" Really, the fact he held onto this place existing and thought of him, even waited long enough to be able to show him in person.. "How long were you holding onto this? The whole time you came back...?" All things considered, there were a lot more important things to manage than some perfectly preserved fossils—they could handle some months of being undiscovered, surely, but still.

Roark lets him go but a hand doesn't leave his lower back, just.. taking in these two specimens in their sheer size and mostly complete perfection. He sure felt lucky being in the presence of history like this.. and boy, was all of this completely worth it. Volkner sure knew how to spoil him. "I don't think these can fit on your bike, though.."

[scottie-writes]

Under the Influence(CH.2)(Harrington!Reader)(Cousin AU)

CH. 2 Welcome to hell Hawkins

Summary: Summer is long and boring - but maybe your parents had the right sort of idea.  You become reacquainted with your cousin, and your small-town adventure begins. 

Tags: female reader, Harrington! ReaderCousin! AU, Scoops Ahoy, SFW, TW!mention of abuse(alluded to),

w/c: 3.2K

A/N: If you're here, thanks for returning and thanks for reading. If you're new, Welcome! you can find chapter 1 here We're still building, but we get to say hello to a familiar face, with more on the way soon! I swear Eddie is going to make an appearance in the near future!

...“It's decided.  She’s going to Hawkins.”...

-⌘-

The sound of your fork hitting the plate as if it comes from miles away, your parent's voices blurring as your mind whirls.  

Hawkins? Really? Did he think sending you away was the solution? It just solidified that you were not the child your parents wanted, and now they couldn’t even face you.  You could hear your parents discussing things, your dad sounding calmer now, but you only caught bits of what was said. “Do you think that will help?”, “I can’t stand this all summer, Mary”. 

Again, it was about them more than it was about you.  They were selfish, you decided.  They are selfish, stuck-up assholes.  Eventually, they turned to you, the subject of their never-ending disappointment. 

“Well, young lady, what do you have to say to that?” Your dad asked; surely he didn’t expect an answer from you? Surely he didn’t actually care about your thoughts on the matter? Not when it was blindingly clear they didn’t care one iota about who you were or what you needed.  You felt defeated, a hollow ache in your chest threatening to consume all of you if you dared examine it too closely.  You didn’t even notice the few tears that had escaped your eyes. “Fine”, you huffed, shoving your chair back, bonding your dinner in favour of the sanctuary of your room.  Why fight anymore? They didn’t care enough to try to set you straight for more than a few days.  

That night you cried.  Not entirely sure why; you should have expected something like this would happen.  In truth, you thought they would last a bit longer, at least two weeks, and then the anger would fade; work would reassert its dominance in their lives, and the grounding would be all but forgotten. You didn’t think they would get rid of you, like a sweater that was no longer in fashion. Once you heard them go to bed, you brought out the packet of cigarettes you had managed to hide away in your room and snuck out to the street outside your house.  You wandered for a short while, smoking and thinking.  You had two cigarettes left in that packet; you knew you would need more soon.  All the stores nearby would be closed by now, not that you had your fake ID anymore.  That had been swept away with your tapes - the cassettes being a convenient hiding spot for that particular piece of evidence of your misdeeds.  You head to your friend Tina's house.  A friend was maybe a strong word - you guys liked to smoke together.  Tossing a few rocks at her window to get her attention, you beckon her down to the street.  Filling her in takes a little longer than you would like. 

“Dude, is it true you punched the principal?” She asked, eyes wide and searching your face. “What? No! Who told you that?” You ask, lighting one of the last cigarettes before handing it to her. “It’s all over school,” She says almost gleefully.  “You’re a legend. Some kids are saying you tore up his office and got sent to juvie for assaulting him with a knife.” She chuckled before passing the cigarette back to you. “A knife? Seriously? The student body needs to get a handle on their fantasies.” You say, taking a long drag. “Well, as you can see, I’m not in juvie," she snorts and nods, the cigarette passing between you both. “I didn’t even really do anything.  I got mad a screamed a little.  I did break his clock, though.” You smirked at the memory of that stupid “teacher of the year” hitting the ground.  

“Either way, y/n, you're never living that reputation down now.  I even heard the teacher gossiping about it," which earned a groan from you. “What are you doing here anyway? You on the run?” She said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. You sigh and push your hair out of your face, “Kinda,” scuffing your toes along the pavement.  “My parents are sending me away for the summer; they think it's gonna straighten me out” Tina laughs again and finishes the cigarette, dousing it on the street. “Damn, that sucks” “Yeah, they took all my shit, so my ID’s gone. I was wondering if you had any smokes stashed away you would mind donating to a legend in need” you give your best attempt at puppy dog eyes as you plead with your occasional smoking buddy.  “Jeez man, ugh, I dunno. Hang on, lemme go check”.  

As she retreated into her house, you sat down on the step, head in your hands.  This is what it had come to.  No friends to say goodbye to, just an acquittance to ask for favours from. Before you could wallow too deeply, Tina returned two packets in her hands.  “All right, just because you're a legend now.  I’ve got a full pack and a half pack,” she hands them over to you and pats your shoulder. “Make good use of them.  I expect you to return the favour when you come back,” she says.  “Thanks, Tina, you’re a lifesaver” “Yeah yeah, don’t get all mushy on me”. You give her a mock salute as you start to make your way back home.  You would have to make these last. 

-⌘-

You’re an expert at sneaking in and out of your house, but you're still relieved when you make it back inside without your parents stirring.  Once back inside your bedroom, you tuck your newly acquired packets into your hiding spot - the belly of a stuffed animal that once carried a hot water bottle.  You’d had it since Christmas 1972, the only year Grandpa Otis chose Chicago over Hawkins. He brought you the bear, and it had kept you warm for years; it was one of the few things your parents didn’t feel the need to remove from you.  They probably thought it would remind you of better times.  You stuffed the two boxes into the bear, having smoked that last of your own stash on the way home and disposing of the carton. Looking around your room, you saw the life your parents had wanted you to have. The soft pink walls that would seem cosy to some made you feel like you were suffocating.  Looking in the mirror, you appeared out of place. Messy hair, flushed skin, and smeared mascara- the result of a seemingly endless supply of tears.

It took two days for your parents to arrange everything. “They're so looking forward to seeing you, dear,” your mom cooed as she 'helped' you pack. She relished the opportunity to get rid of the clothes she loathed the most. Your comfiest pair of Jeans, riddled with holes at the knees, were promptly removed from your bag and thrown in the trash. Usually, you would push back demand to keep them, but your fighting spirit is gone; why fight when they didn't even want you around anymore? You stopped seeing what went into your modest suitcase; it wasn’t much.  You were only going for a few weeks, after all.  In a shocking turn of events, you were given a modest allowance, $15 for the whole summer, so you didn’t have to be more of a burden on your Aunt and Uncle than you already were. It wouldn’t stretch too far based on your current spending habits - vices don’t come cheap, but from your parent's perspective, you weren’t supposed to be doing anything fun anyway. 

-⌘-

You get off the bus in Indianapolis, yes, the bus; they didn't even have the decency to drive you to hell themselves and are surprised to see Steve waiting for you. You walk up to him, bags in hand and sweat forming on your brow. " uh... Hey,” you give him a small wave as he takes your suitcase, leaving you with your tattered backpack and heads for the trunk. "I was expecting either Aunt Pearl or Uncle Andrew - not that it's not nice to see you”, you say as you both get in the car. “Yeah, well, they both had to work this morning, and I'm their errand boy these days," he says, starting the car up "It's nice to see you too.” He says after a long silence. You give him a small smile as he turns the radio on the rest of the drive passing in comfortable silence.

As you arrive in Hawkins, it's hard not to notice the changes. The stores on Main Street were either closed down or looked like they were on the verge of it. Steve must have noticed you staring  "they opened a mall,” He says with an easy tone, "it's a cool place, but it's tough competition” you nod silently. "I got a job at an ice cream place there; yeah, it's gonna do me for the summer, get me some life experience before going to college..." you let Steve ramble while you get lost in your thoughts.

Your Aunt is home by the time Steve pulls in the driveway. She hugs you as you come in, sending Steve to deposit your bags in the guest room.  

" y/n dear, it's been so long, my you’ve grown up so much since we saw you last," you placate her with small talk, both of you avoiding the reason for your visit. She rambles about your parents, how much the town has changed in the past few years and about a few other things you don’t catch.  You shift on your feet, you had been standing in the kitchen for about 15 minutes listening to her natter on, and it was starting to give you a headache.  All you wanted was a smoke - you hadn’t had one since you got on the bus, and that familiar itch was creeping up your throat.  She must have noticed your attention wandering then, “Oh, look at me twittering one.  You must be exhausted, dear. Why don’t you get settled and washed up.  Dinner will be ready in about an hour. ” You gave her a tight smile as you nodded and headed towards the guest room — your room for the next few months.  It hadn’t changed much in the past few years; the room was a familiar shade of yellow - although the paper had been changed.  It was stripped now, the last time you were here and had been swirly.  It was a nice change from your own suffocatingly pink room back home.  

Your bags sit on the bed, the soft pastels taunting you as your hang up the dresses and sweaters sets your mother had packed for you.  You noticed that a few of the t-shirts you had picked out for yourself had mysteriously disappeared.  You were left with one plain black shirt on one band shirt your mother obviously hadn’t looked too closely at. “Bitch,” you mumbled as you searched the rest of your bag.  As suspected, you had been left with only two pairs of jeans - light wash and pristine. You thank your good sense for wearing your black pair on the trip.  Luckily your hide-a-bear had made it to Indiana with you fully intact.  You pulled out a carton of cigarettes without really thinking about it.  

“I wouldn’t smoke those anywhere near the house if you know what's good for you” the sudden interruption jolted you as you remembered you hadn't even shut the door. “Jesus, Steve, you nearly gave me a heart attack," he chuckled as you stuffed the carton back into your bear and placed it pride of place on the middle of the pillows.  “What the big deal anyway, you gonna rat me out?” Steve looks a little disgruntled as the words leave your mouth. “Nah, what you do to your body is up to you.  But my dad has a nose like a bloodhound” he leant his body against the doorframe crossing his arms, and he looked at you, eyes serious and unwavering “I hung out with a friend once in junior year; they had one cigarette - I didn’t even touch the thing” His pitch was climbing, and a tone of defensiveness was creeping in “two hours later I came home, and my dad could smell it on me - Let's just say the aftermath wasn’t pretty” a grimace crosses your face as you wonder just what exactly your uncle’s punishment had been. You let out a heavy sigh and push your hair back off your face “sheesh, all right. well, thanks for the heads up.” He nods and moves to leave before turning back “besides, those things’ll kill you,” you smirk as he walks away.  You close the door this time and stretch out on the bed.  It was going to be a long summer. 

-⌘-

Dinner is ready precisely as your uncle arrives home from work.  It was a slightly awkward affair.  Your Aunt was the epitome of sunshine on a cloudy day - her tone was always delightful, and she carried most of the conversation herself your Uncle emulated the clouds, passing brief grunts of acknowledgement and adding his pessimistic two cents to her stories.  He finally addressed the dark cloud looming over your head towards the end of dinner. 

“Now, Y/N, I think it’s time we discuss why you are here.” He pushes his empty plate away and reaches for his beer. Your Aunt goes to start clearing the dishes, and he stops her. “Not yet, Pearl; I think we all need to understand the ground rules here” Her eyes flutter once, then rest on the table in front of her; you catch Steve rolling his eyes as subtly as possible.  Your Uncle clears his throat, getting your attention. “I am aware of your less than desirable behaviour, young lady.” He fixes you with a stare, giving you the impression that looking away would land you in a world of trouble “ Your school work is disastrous; you are rude and impetuous.  I mean swearing at a teacher, your principal, no less! In my day, that would never fly.  You're lucky your father didn’t beat the sense back into you long ago.” You flinched at the words, remembering Steves's face from earlier and understanding just what kind of man your Uncle was.  Your father had a temper, but he had never been violent. “I understand from speaking with your father the conditions of your punishment whilst at home.  You will be under the same conditions here.  You will not leave this house without our express permission, you will not be out of this house any later than 10pm, you will not engage in any illegal activities, and most importantly, you will not make a spectacle of yourself in this town.” 

As he lists the conditions of your sentence, you feel a flush creep up your neck and into your cheeks.  You find yourself holding back tears, and whether they were borne of anger or sadness, you weren’t quite sure.

“I have a few conditions of my own.” He continued, “In this house, we earn our keep.  You will have chores that will be completed to my standard without complaint.  You may seek a summer job - should you be successful, the limits of your punishment will be renegotiated.” He finally takes a long sip of his beer, and your eyes slip down to the table. This is a side to your uncle you had never seen before, he was calm and collected, but you could sense the roiling storm under his words - the one that would break free should you disappoint him in any way. “Do we understand each other, Y/N?” You raise your eyes to meet his “Yes, sir” he gives you a curt nod and leaves the table.  You understand from his mannerism that there will be no further conversation on the matter.  Following Steve's lead you help to clear the table and take up position in the kitchen to do the dishes.   

“He means it, you know”, Steves says as he scrapes leftovers into the trash, “huh?”,  “His conditions,” Steve says with a raised eyebrow. “He’ll see them through.” His tone is sombre, but with an edge that you can’t ignore.  You mumble and agree and nod as you dry the plate in front of you, returning it to the right cabinet once you’re satisfied. Steve continues, a little light entering his voice. “I mean, he is a man of his word.  Nothing stronger than the Harrington word, y’know.” He’s preoccupied with scrubbing a baking dish. “He’ll follow through on that job promise.  I took advantage of the same deal, if I’m honest.” You continue to dry and put away dishes quietly. “I could get you a job at Scoops if you’re interested. It pays crap, but it gets you outta the house” you consider it for a moment and flat him a smile.  “Thanks, Stevie, but it doesn’t sound like my kinda thing.  I’ll just be a house rat for the summer.” He nods as he hands you the last dish. “Besides, what’s a few weeks of solitude?  Maybe I’ll get some reading done.” He huffs and runs a hand through his hair handing your the last dish of the evening. “Whatever floats your boat, lemme me know if you change your mind.” He pats the doorframe before leaving you with your thoughts.  You sigh and lean against the counter, contemplating the lot life has handed you.  

As you climb the stairs to bed, your mind swirls.  You notice the creaks in the stairs, thinking about how in your own home, you knew the floors so well you could sneak in at 3am making less noise than a mouse.  You would have a much harder time sneaking out of here.  And even if you managed it, where would you go? The Harringtons were well known in Hawkins, and it was only a matter of time before everyone knew you were one of them.  There would be no hiding in plain sight here.  You stared at the bear on your pillow, itching to take its contents and release your stress, but Steves's words and your Uncle's threats echoed in your mind.  No point risking it on night one. 

You pick through the last of your things, a worn copy of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ at the bottom of your backpack.  It had been your favourite growing up, but you hadn’t touched it in a few years.  The thumb the pages, soft under your fingers.  You remember the first time your mom read it to you.  You had a nightmare about the Witch, and it was a while before she read it to you again.  But it quickly became a favourite and fuelled your love of reading. You sit it on the nightstand and pull out the magazines you’d bought at the bus station.  Flicking through them until your eyes got drowsy and falling asleep with the lamp on. 

[reddy-reads]

march and april roundup

still kicking! let's start with march

basically, all I did in March was re-read. Well, I also tried to read Rumphius's Orchids (translated by EM Beekman). While it was a good book, it is also a nonfiction botanical text. I got what I needed out of it :) (the badge reads "did not finish / you tried")

I did so much rereading that I decided to make a new little stamp thingy that says "COZY RE-READ." Admittedly, T Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead isn't really... cozy... but it's still a good read. The narrator is so likeable and has such a strong character voice.

April was pretty similar. I threw in a few re-reads there too, but I didn't include all of them. BUT! I was still on a T Kingfisher kick, so I read Summer in Orcus. This led to me rereading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, which led into reading The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There. I like the world building for those books, which is a bit nonsensical and fairytale-ish in the best way. I also reread The Martian, which I didn't mean to do. I was picking it up to put it away, flipped open to the first page, and then BOOM I was 60 pages in already. If you haven't read it, I recommend it.

Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House gets a new decoration I made, which reads "Finished it / Why tho?" and has a shrug guy. Suffice to say, I have mixed feelings, at best, about that one. Basically, I think the pacing was dogshit, and I wish someone had warned me that there's sexual assault (and of a minor) in the book, but I accept fault for not checking before reading. I picked it up because it was recommended to me by several people.

I did enjoy Rosemary and Rue by the ever-excellent Seannan McGuire. I look forward to reading more in that series. It was a good adventure. The protagonist is up against a wall for so much of the book, but she keeps moving forward even when it seems like she is sinking. The setting has a lot of meat on its bones, which is perfect for a series. It feels like a good example of starting a character off at a low point to make their fight upwards more satisfying.

Finally, I postponed my "book of the month," which I will be reading this month (May) or possibly choosing to donate.

A theme that stood out across these two months was "fairy tales." I really got into a fairy tale kick with T Kingfisher and Valente, and I think it was Rosemary and Rue that started it off. (I started R&R in March but didn't finish until April.) It was really cozy and pleasant to reacquaint myself with some of Kingfisher's fantasy/fairytale inspired stuff.