#i plan my meals around my social visits so if I know I’m going to someone's house I’ll eat before or after so as not to be hungry

[lovemesomesurveys]

1. What is something in your life that you feel hopeful about right now? Uhhh. Honestly, as much as I’d like to feel that way, it’s hard. I’m having a difficult time seeing past some of the stuff I’m going through and imagining anything changing. I’m scared it’s only going to stay the same. I mean, there’s been significant progress with some stuff, but I’m still bedridden and not where I’d like to be strength-wise, though that has gotten a little better. I’m lacking the motivation and energy that I need to work on things. And the hope. :/

2. What was the last thing you worried about that turned out better than expected? I mean like I said, I really have made significant progress with one of the major things I’d been dealing with for years. For so long I struggled with it and it seemed to only get worse without much chance at all in getting better, but now here we are. Even in the hospital it had actually gotten worse. However, once I had the feeding tube for awhile and was back home where it could be better managed and monitored by my mom, things really started improving. So, I need to remember that when I feel hopeless and down about other things. If something like that situation managed to really turn around, then the other stuff has a chance as well. 

3. Name somewhere you are planning on visiting in the near future? All I’m able to do right now is go to my doctor appointments. I have two in the next couple weeks. 

4. How often do you go grocery shopping and how much food do you usually get in one go? My mom goes twice a month for our big grocery trips and gets a lot. 

5. What is a meal you eat extremely often? Or do your meals & food choices vary a lot? I’ve just been eating the same few foods to be honest. Like, I have Cream of Wheat every morning and Taco Bell for dinner like 5 or 6 times a week. I’ve started having sandwiches most days for lunch. Other foods I throw in the mix sometimes are chicken wings, hot dogs, and pizza. Oh, and of course I eat a lot of Reese’s everyday. :X

6. When was the last time you felt unable or unwilling to speak your mind to someone? I’ve been struggling with something involving a couple family members since last year and I’m afraid to address it to them. I just don’t see that conversation going well. I don’t want to cause any issues or make things weird between us. I don’t want to hurt their feelings. But I am upset with some things that were said and how they went about some things and it’s caused me to be distant and bitter. I don’t want it to be that way, but I can’t seem to just let it go.

7. What was the last thing you changed your mind about?  Hm. I’m blanking at the moment. 

8. Who was the last friend you saw, and what did you do together? I don’t have any friends.

9. Who tends to show up in your dreams? Do you ever wonder if you appear in anyone else's dreams? I always have the most random dreams about the most random people. Like, people I went to elementary school with that weren’t even my friends will show up in my dreams and I’m like wtf??

10. What is something you wish you could say to someone who is no longer in your life, or something you wish they could know? I do miss Ty. He was a special part of my life for a time and he was there during a time I really needed him. It’s like he was put in my life for that time and then he served his purpose cause it’s like he literally just vanished. He stopped contacting me and deleted all his social media so I had no way of getting in touch. But the time we had together truly was a special time and I just miss him. I even thought at one point he was going to be “the one.” Anyway, I guess I’d just want to tell him what he meant to me and how much of an impact he had on me. I wish we could be in each other’s lives again. 

11. Instead of flat earth, what do you think of the simulated earth theory, that we're basically all just a giant computer program or virtual reality? No, we’re not Sims. 

12. What worries you most about your future? Like I always say, I’m scared I’ll never get better or get worse and that I won’t do anything with my life. I feel like I’m grandpa Joe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory right now and I don’t want to spend my whole life this way.

13. What is something you do to feel better when you're scared? I mean, it depends what I’m scared about. I guess I typically talk about it with my mom and get comfort and reassurance from her and just try to distract myself with something like ASMR or a show.

14. Who do you feel you can count on the most in life? Is there anyone you wish you could count on more? I know I can always count on my mom. She is why I’m still here and keep going. 

15. What makes you trust someone? When was the last time someone broke your trust? If I feel comfortable talking to and sharing things with someone is a good indicator. I’d have to get to know them of course and establish a friendship. That takes a little time. And obviously if they don’t give me a reason to feel like I can’t trust them. I’ve met people who clearly like to gossip and I questioned whether I could trust them or not. I kind of just get a feeling, ya know? As for the last time someone broke my trust, it was last year with a couple of people. They did some things that made me feel uncomfortable sharing things with them.

16. When was the last time you shared a secret with someone, and how did they react? I don’t remember. 

17. Are you more likely to give advice or to ask for it? I used to be the one often giving advice. I don’t tend to ask for advice a lot, but I do try to look up stuff and figure things out on my own. Or I just dwell on stuff and not do anything. 

18. When was the last time you felt totally lost, figuratively speaking? How about literally? >> I constantly feel lost, figuratively speaking. I almost never feel lost, literally speaking. <<< Yeah, I feel that way as well. I’ve been in a place figuratively for quite some time where I don’t know what to do, what I’m doing, or what is going to happen. I just feel so unsure about everything. I don’t know how to get past this. I don’t even recall the last time I literally felt lost. 

19. In what ways are you emotionally strong? In what ways are you emotionally weak? I don’t feel I am emotionally strong. In fact, I feel very, very weak. I just feel like such a hopeless mess. I haven’t been handling things well. I don’t know how to get through this. I’ve just kept going and try to get through each day. 

20. What is the strangest book you have ever read? How did you find out about it? I can’t really think of a book I’ve read to be “the strangest.” Probably some book for school, ha. 

21. Do you prefer to watch movies or tv alone or with other people? Is there anything you refuse to watch alone? I love having shows to watch with my mom and/or brother. I just find it more enjoyable and it’s fun having someone to discuss the show or movie with and freak out together. I also like going on my personal Tumblr and seeing what other people are saying about it about it and reblogging a bunch of stuff. It’s just really fun to get involved in a fandom and share the experience with others. 

22. What was the last thing you broke? How about fixed? I haven’t broken something in quite awhile I don’t think. I’m not much of a fixer upper so I don’t know. 

23. Is there a sign or symbol that means a lot to you for whatever reason (eg. seeing certain animals or birds, 11:11 or other repeating numbers, syncs, butterflies, hearts in nature, etc)? Ever since I was a kid the number 8 has been my favorite number and it does have some significance to me. 

24. Do you have any personal ghost stories or paranormal experiences? No.

25. What do you get complimented on the most? I’m a total mess so I’m not getting complimented on anything regarding my physical appearance that’s for sure, ha. I also don’t have any skills or talents to be complimented on either. Sooo, nothing. 

26. What is something unusual that you find attractive? Men’s veiny hands are attractive to me for some reason. 

27. What time do you tend to eat your first meal of the day? And your last? I typically have my breakfast around 11AM and my dinner around 7 or 8PM.

28. What was the subject of the last video you watched? I’m watching Disney history and ride related videos.

29. When was the last time you traveled out of town, and where to? Last March. Feels like forever ago.

30. How would you describe your overall aesthetic? >> I wouldn't, really. I just wear and surround myself with what I like, what feels good (physically and emotionally). <<< Ha, I mean yeah same. 

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Accidentally on Purpose

Harvestella Fan Fiction - Brakka x Ein/OC

Description: After getting badly hurt on a job out with Ella, Brakka is forced to stay at her house on Bird's Eye Brae to recover. That was his story, and he was sticking to it. And no matter how many times Shrika would tease him about it, no--it was not all part of some elaborate plan just to move in with Ella.

____________________________________________

Chapter Two

It had been a few days since Brakka came to stay with Ella, and life was certainly... interesting. First off, having four different annoying fairies flying around helping with the housework and farm chores was new to Brakka. Juno was especially... annoying. She almost nagged him to rest and stop trying to do things himself more than Ella did. Brakka was stubborn, and he wasn't about to let his shoulder slow him down--unless those scary, piercing, lavender eyes belonging to Ella looked at him a certain way. He felt like a kid again, having someone taking care of him. It wasn't a bad thing, just... weird.

Something he didn't expect to like was all of the home cooked meals. Ella was always active in the kitchen, cooking and baking while singing and dancing away... it was kind of cute. And, on the upside, Brakka had never been more well-fed in his life. He didn't miss his usual biscuits he'd eat for a snack all the time; the ones Aria had accursed so much...

He was able to get up and walk around, but he needed help doing just about anything else with the state of his shoulder. He felt embarrassed that Ella had to help him get in and out of his shirts each day. Something as simple as that he should be able to do himself.

Ella would come and go throughout the day, back and forth between farmwork and visits to town. She'd make the trip and back to the clinic daily for Brakka's pain medicine, which he appreciated. Ella did her best to keep him from feeling lonely, being all by himself in the house for hours at a time. Sometimes, Brakka would just come sit outside and watch Ella do her farmwork. She didn't mind, and she'd chat with him as she worked.

Brakka just couldn't shake this perpetual feeling of... well, awkwardness.

Why did he feel awkward? Well...

He was an independent man and a mercenary. He never had to rely on anyone's help before, so he really didn't know how to accept it. Before he met Ella and Aria that fateful day almost a year ago, he was very much a solitary guy. He'd have brief conversations with his clients that were work-related, and the occasional interaction with an informant, but that was it. Perhaps you could argue that his social skills were underdeveloped because of it. Then, once Ella and Aria came bursting into his life, things changed quick. He went from a solo lifestyle to being part of a huge team, and it was kind of... fun. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, especially Ella. She'd never let him live it down for admitting he actually liked her and her friends. Brakka was always standoffish and indifferent outwardly, but everyone understood how he really felt underneath all of that. He was a trusted friend and ally to them, and they knew it. Ella especially understood how to read Brakka. He was a hard man to understand at times, always saying one thing but meaning the other.

"Don't follow me," really meant, "I don't care if you come along."

"Stay out of my personal business," would actually mean, "you can help if you want, I guess."

"DON'T talk to me while I'm in town," actually translated to, "I don't mind if you come say hello if you see me."

He was a hard man to follow, but Ella seemed to do it with ease. She found his dual personality to be amusing. It was kind of adorable to her that he'd outwardly be standoffish, but on the inside actually be pretty lonely and want to be around his friends.

Brakka was not the most verbally communicative guy, but Ella understood him and his awkward ways of expressing himself just fine. Even a subtle look on his face would tell her all she needed to know. It kind of creeped him out at first how easily she could read him, but then he grew accustomed to not having to think too hard about what to say to her. Over time he grew to like that about her.

Over time he grew to like a lot of things about her.

No matter how much he would push her away, she'd stay. Regardless of how harsh his words could be, she saw right through him. She always gave him her hand anytime he needed it. Even without asking her for help, she always gave it. She was a fearless leader with wily charms he didn't quite understand. He didn't understand how someone could be so likeable until he met Ella.

Brakka watched Ella plow her field and plant seeds as his mind wandered. In a way, he thought of Ella like a sticky trap. The harder you struggled, the more stuck you got. The harder he tried to push her away, the harder she fought to stay. He didn't notice when it happened, but she quickly became a very important person in his life. He couldn't imagine his life without her. She just sort of... grew on him.

Not that he'd ever tell her.

Brakka wasn't really one for talking about... feelings. He spent years denying them, and now that the floodgates had opened and he was experiencing everything for the first time in years, he struggled to parse through it all. He went through a lot once his quest for revenge was over. He felt lost and alone, but Ella was always there to remind him that wasn't true. She was always there. He went from having a life without purpose to now having multiple motivations driving him. Maybe Ella's altruistic nature rubbed off on him, but Brakka enjoyed his mercenary work more now that he focused on helping people. He quickly became the Order's right-hand man, and he felt bad that he was leaving them to fend for themselves for so long.

Although he did appreciate having a break from Skrika's incessant teasing.

Oh, did she get a kick out of his letter explaining his current situation. Shrika quickly wrote back with well-wishes, as well as a congratulations to graduating to domestic life. Hilarious. Brakka dreaded how much she was inevitably going to tease him about staying with Ella once he got back to work.

Shrika was scary perceptive, and she could see through Brakka in ways Ella was oblivious to. Such as, well, I don't know... that Brakka had hopelessly fallen in love with Ella months ago and had kept quiet about it all this time.

Yes, the big bad mercenary guy who always preferred to be alone had fallen in love with a bubbly altruist with a pension for getting herself wrapped up in solving everyone's problems.

Ella had quickly snuck her way into his heart without him even realizing it. He wasn't sure when his feelings changed, but he noticed how much more he worried about her when they were out fighting the war against Quietus. Sometimes he'd be so distracted looking out for her that he'd miss his shot. He'd find his mind wandering to her more often, taking place of his usual thoughts about work. Soon enough, just like how revenge had once consumed him, Ella had magically taken its place in Brakka's mind.

As perceptive as she was, Ella was completely clueless about how Brakka felt about her. And he intended to keep it that way.

He... didn't deserve her.

He was not a good person. He was a wanted man for the longest time who had to live in the shadows, and he did many horrible things throughout his life... he was once a man consumed by the desire for revenge and nothing else. He was a brute, and she was a ray of sunshine.

She was ridiculously bright and shining all of the time--a beacon of hope for the people around her, just like Shatolla's lighthouse. Someone so bright had no place being with someone stuck in the dark.

So, he kept his feelings from her. He wouldn't tell her.

"Hey, space cadet. What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Brakka shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts as he realized he was face to face with Ella.

"I've been talking to you for a few minutes now, and you've just been out of it." Ella chuckled as she rested her hands on her hips. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothin'." Brakka smiled wryly as he looked down at the ground. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay, if you say so." She shrugged with a cute grin.

"Stop that." Brakka dismissively waved at her teasingly.

"Stop what?" Ella laughed incredulously.

"You're doing it again... using your wily charms on me." He smiled and looked away from her.

"Nuh uh!" Ella giggled. "All I did was smile!"

"Bingo." Brakka snapped his fingers.

Ella scoffed in disbelief. "What, I can't smile now?"

"No..." Brakka trailed off. "It's just... you're so bright at times. It's almost too much."

Ella playfully frowned. "Sorry."

"Gah, don't do that to me." Brakka sighed heavily. "Never change despite what I say, El."

Her smile quickly returned to her face as she beamed at him. "Okay!"

Her adorably infectious grin sent shivers down his spine. It was too bright to look at, but at the same time, he couldn't look away. Ella was just too damn charming for her own good, and he worried that might get her into trouble someday. If a guy like him fell hard for her, others surely would too. He'd certainly caught Heine looking at Ella a certain way before, which made Brakka suddenly feel like breaking something in half.

Brakka suddenly winced as a sharp pain ran up his shoulder, which put Ella on high alert.

"Oh, I suppose it's time for your medicine." She pressed a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll make lunch."

"Alright..." Brakka carefully stood up and followed the petite girl back into the house.

It had only been a few days, but Brakka was starting to get used to this routine. He'd wake up, and Ella would have already been up for a few hours and made breakfast for him. She'd go out and work on the farm, and he'd either putter around the house, or go sit outside with her. She'd take a break and make lunch, and they would sit and eat together. Even though she was teasing when she said it, Shrika was right--this was very much domestic life.

What scared Brakka was how much he didn't mind it.

____________________________________________________

It was getting harder and harder to ignore his feelings for Ella as the days passed. He had grown accustomed to living with someone and sharing everyday life with them. He quickly had forgotten what it was like to be alone. He got used to sleeping in an actual bed, and he wondered how he always slept on the floor before with no trouble. Having three home-cooked meals a day suddenly became the norm, and he couldn't imagine going back to how he used to live anymore.

At first, he couldn't wait to heal up and get right back to work. Now that it had been two weeks, he was dreading leaving.

"How's the shoulder?" Ella turned the corner and leaned down to inspect his wound.

Brakka pulled his face away from hers in surprise, not expecting her to get so close all of a sudden. He fought back the blush that threatened to climb onto his cheeks. "Better. I can move it a little, though it still hurts."

"Are you still bruised?" Ella leaned in closer to take a look at his shoulder carefully.

Brakka held his breath as he stared at the oblivious girl wide-eyed. "No, the bruises have cleared up."

"Good!" Ella backed away and clapped her hands together excitedly.

Brakka let out the breath he was holding and shook his head at her. "It must be nice being so clueless..."

Ella tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Hm? What do you mean?"

Brakka just sighed. "Exactly."

A sudden knock at the door caught the two off guard, and Cres called out to them. "Ella, I'm coming in."

Ella straightened up and looked at the doctor who just walked in. "Hey, Cres! Come to take a look at our patient?"

Brakka stared down at the floor to hide his embarrassment at the statement "our" patient.

"That's right." Cres smiled, then turned to look at Brakka. "Okay, mister. Time for your medical exam."

While Cres set Brakka back up in the bedroom for a medical exam, Ella mindlessly started cleaning the house. Brakka's eyes were trained on her as she danced around with a broom sweeping, which didn't go unnoticed by Cres.

Cres smirked all-knowingly. "Shoulder's looking good. You should be fine to go home in a few days..." She lowered her voice so only Brakka could hear. "...if you want to, that is."

Startled, Brakka blinked at the doctor strangely. "Wha... of course I want to go home. And as soon as possible." He answered hurriedly.

Ella stopped sweeping for a brief moment as she heard that, then slumped her shoulders and quietly sighed in disappointment. Was it wrong of her to not want him to leave? She had really grown to enjoy living with someone again, especially since it was Brakka. Ever since Aria moved out, it had gotten pretty lonely for Ella. She had many close friends, sure, but... Brakka was different. If you asked her who her best friend was, Aria would come to mind first. But if you asked her who she truly cared about most... Brakka would be her first thought.

And she knew why. She just didn't know how to tell him... or if she even wanted to.

What if he didn't feel the same way? She didn't want to ruin their friendship and make things awkward, but on the other hand, things were already a bit awkward between them because of how she felt about him. Ella tried not to be too obvious about it, but it was hard to hide how much she cared about Brakka. Watching him jump in front of an axe for her gave her the scare she needed to realize what her feelings really were. He was more than just a friend. More than just a trusted partner that she could fight beside. He was...

"Hey, El. Could you lend me a hand with this?"

The sound of Brakka's gentle, rugged voice pulled Ella out of her train of thought, and she turned to walk over to him. "Coming!"

[survey--s]

504.

What’s your favorite amusement park? I’ve only been to a handful - out of the ones I’ve visited, I think Alton Towers was probably the best in terms of rides and queuing time.

Do you know your social security number (or equivalent) off by heart? Nope.

What would you take to a potluck dinner? I have no idea, maybe a pasta salad.

Do you have any sisters? How is your relationship with them? I don’t have any siblings.

When was the last time you changed your hair and what did you do to it? I cut it a few weeks ago - I just got rid of the split ends and styled it a bit.

What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done? I have no idea, I’m not a very romantic person.

Do you listen to audiobooks? No. I’ve tried listening to several over the years but I’ve never been able to just lie there and focus on a book like that.

Describe yourself in five words. Hard-working, organised, loyal, sensitive, animal-lover.

What was your favorite class in high school? History.

When was the last time you did laundry? Friday.

Do you own a leather jacket? Do you wear it often? I do but I haven’t worn it for years - it’s currently hanging up in the wardrobe in the spare room. I’m pretty sure it’s been there since I moved here lol.

Can you get Chinese food from a drive-thru in your town? No. Our nearest drive-thru anything is about 40 minutes away.

If you could choose your middle name, what would you pick? I’m actually quite happy with my middle name.

Would you rather see a sunrise or sunset? There’s something more magical about a sunrise.

Do you have any plans to buy any furniture in the near future? Nope.

When you go to bed, do you go to sleep straight away? No. I tend to go up around 9pm and mess about online for a couple of hours.

What do you do for a living? I run my own dog-walking business.

Do you own a suitcase? When was the last time you used it? Where did you go? I do indeed - I last used it when we went to the Peak District on holiday which was about five years ago, I think.

How many pets have you had in your life? Six in total - five cats and a dog.

Is there any soda in your fridge right now? Nope. We don’t tend to keep it in the fridge unless it’s the height of summer as I’m weird and not a huge fan of really cold drinks, lol.

Do you call it soda, pop, fizzy drink or something else entirely? I just call drinks by their name - so coke, Pepsi, Fanta etc.

Do you need to get any groceries right now? What do you need? We need toilet paper but I’ll get that after work tomorrow.

If I was visiting your town, what would you take me to see and do? Uh, we’d probably go the beach, get homemade gelato/cake from Riva and go for a meal at a nice pub. There really isn’t anything else to do here - we don’t have a cinema or shopping centre or anything like that.

What was the last thing you spent money on? Medication for the cat.

What subscription services do you have? Between us, we have Netflix, Prime, BritBox and Spotify.

Do you like olives? Yeah, I definitely prefer black ones, though I do like green olives with sundried tomato and feta cheese. 

Would you rather be too warm or too cold? Too cold. I get a headache if I’m too warm.

What’s your favorite name for a girl? Sophia or Caitlin.

How do you make your coffee? Milk and two sugars.

Do you know anyone who has a matching tattoo with someone? (including yourself)? Not so far as I know.

[michaelsgozleme]

I’m delighted to introduce my new menu at lower prices—it’s not like those other Gozleme expensive menus where you can look but you can't afford! Why did I change my recipes? Well, for nearly 300 years, Gozleme recipes have been kind of the same. There are restaurants in Turkey, and around the world, where the menu hasn't changed in 125 years! So, I decided to change the recipes in order to evolve the food. Yet, I’m not like those restaurants where they give you a thirty-thousand-page menu, and no food—my food is real, it’s authentic, every ingredient in it tells a different story! Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. This is why, if a recipe doesn't taste good, it doesn't go on my menu. And if they’re special, I put’em on the menu. Planning a brilliant menu and preparing it beautifully doesn't guarantee a recipe for success. This is why the great thing about this new menu is that it has a lot of different things on it. I particularly love The Grande. By using lots of fresh ingredients, I help keep the menu buoyant—I don't know if that's the right word, but it keeps a balance of freshness and health. I hope you’ll enjoy it as I enjoyed preparing it. Come and visit or order online to taste my new recipes. Love you all! _________________________ VISIT ME & MY SOCIAL Address: Shop 7, 35-37 Coral Street, The Entrance, NSW 2261 Website: www.michaelsgozleme.com.au Social: @michaelsgozleme Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelsgozleme Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelsgozleme/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/taifourmichael/ MY STORY Michael's Gözleme is the first Turkish "Signature" food shop to open in the beautiful beachside "The Entrance" area on the Central Coast of NSW. It serves the best authentic and traditional Turkish Gözleme. BTW, I'm Michael! I'm the owner and only employee of my shop. I cook, I clean, I prepare the recipes and food, and serve the customers--and if there's time left, I put a little boogie in it! My shop on Coral Street is the home of Gözleme, where every ingredient tells a different story, and where there’s a recipe for everyone. Michael’s Gözleme has its own "signature" Gözlemes, from the traditional spinach & Feta cheese to the authentic Sucuk (Turkish sausage), and the mouth-watering minced beef & cheese, along with the fabulous gourmet lamb, the deliciously-seasoned chicken, and my own "signature" meat lovers, veggie lovers, and Peri-Peri chicken Gözlemes. I also offer morning Gözlemes, including my special mix of Zaatar (Thyme herbs) and Mozzarella, and the Oh-So-Sweet Nutella topped with icing sugar and chocolate syrup. At Michael's Gözleme, I believe that food brings people together at many different levels. It’s the nourishment of the soul and body; it’s true love. In my own food culture, I believe that if you want to be my customer, come to my shop and eat with me… The people who give you their food give you their heart. Food can be very transformational, and it can be more than just a meal. That's how I feel! That’s what happened to me when I first came to Australia. I fell in love. And if you fall in love; well, then everything is easy. To me, food is as much about the moment, the occasion, the location, and the company as it is about the taste. When you come to my Michael's Gözleme, you won't need a silver fork to eat good food. You will soon realize, once you step into my shop, the power of food to evoke memory, bring people together, and transport you to other places. Believe me, you will immediately want to be a part of that. For me, cooking is like love-- It should be entered into with abandonment or not at all. Truly, love is delightful food, supplying, as it does, rest to the weary, strength to the weak, and joy to the sorrowful. It renders the yoke of truth easy and its burden light. HASHTAGS #turkishfoodcentralcoast #gözleme #gozleme #gozlemeçeşitleri #turkishtraditionalfood #foodturkish #turkishgozleme #michaelsgozleme #turkishonlinedeliveryfood #turkishfoodisthebestfood #turkishstylefood #turkishfoods #turkishfoodlover #turkishfoodie #turkishfoodrecipes #turkishfoodisthebest #traditionalturkishfood #turkishfood #loveturkishfood #turkishfoodindubai #turkishfoodlovers #turkishfoodsdrinks #turkishfoodinaustralia #bestturkishfood #turkishfoodies #turkishfoodculture #turkishfoodforyou #turkishfoodlove #turkishfoodfest #turkishfoodrecipe #turkishfoode #turkishfoodsdeliver #vegetarianturkishfood #turkıshfood #turkıshfoods #foodmediterranean #mediterraneanseafood #mediterraneancomfortfood #mediterraneanfoods #mediterraneanfoodrecipes #mediterraneanfoodies #mediterraneanfoodexperience #mediterraneanfoodcompanychchnz #mediterraneanfoodie #bestmediterraneanfood #mediterraneanfoodvibes #mediterraneanfoodlover #mediterraneanfoodisthebest #lovemediterraneanfood #easternmediterraneanfood #mediterraneanfoodnearme #costabravamediterraneanfoods

[nancypullen]

Bachelorette

Early this morning, around 5am, the mister and I drove through the darkness to the itty bitty Easton, Maryland airport.  He’s making a quick trip to Atlanta to visit his mother and siblings.  He didn’t fly out of Easton, but that’s where we can catch the BayRunner Shuttle that takes Eastern Shore residents right over the bridge and to the airport of their choice.  Kind of like how the Amish pay people to drive them around, we’re simple country folk now.

The truth is he knows I don’t want to drive around in Baltimore.  I have no sense of direction and I think the GPS lies.  I could get him over there and dropped off at the airport, but it’s highly likely that I could end up in Pennsylvania afterward. I’ll get used to it, I have to, but I won’t ever like it.  Mickey was raised in south Florida and grew up on interstates and busy cities.  I grew up in North Pole, where there was one road to town, one road down to Anchorage, and one road to the roller rink that was the social center of my young life.  When we moved to Tennessee I figured things out because I had no choice. If I was going to get my kids to ball games, tennis matches, math competitions in Knoxville, and Florida’s beaches in the summer, I had to be brave because it was my job.  I don’t have that sort of motivation any longer.  I can be a chicken all day, every day.  So Mickey caught the shuttle. I love him dearly but I spent more than a decade dropping him and picking him up at Nashville International. Either we travel together or he takes the shuttle. Anywayyyyyy...I drove home in the dark and as I headed east toward Denton I was driving into the sunrise. It was peaceful and beautiful.

When I arrived home I informed the kitties that we have a busy few days ahead of us.  I don’t have to plan meals and cook for anyone, or mind anyone’s schedule but my own, and for those reasons I have some crafty projects lined up.  I love it when I can lose track of time and work out an idea. Popcorn for dinner is fine, right? No one ever died from it.  The garage smells like paint right now and that makes me happy.  I’ll share the finished products in a couple of days.

Here’s a sneak peek at one quick project that doesn’t require paint.

A certain adorable grandgirl is turning FIVE in just over a week. Her parents are surprising her with a trip to Disney World (Shhh, she has no idea!) and I felt that called for a special shirt.  I ordered a cute long-sleeved tee in her favorite color, PINK, of course.  It’s got ruffles at the shoulders because she is a girly-girl.  I also picked up some sparkly mouse ears.  

Tomorrow I’ll wash and dry that shirt and then cut out the birthday girl graphic from some shimmery iron-on vinyl.  Well, the Cricut will cut it out, I’ll just watch. She can wear it on the plane, or in the park, or not at all - all told I only invested as much as you’d pay for a couple of Starbucks coffees so if she just runs around her house in it, that’s okay too.  Besides, I might totally screw it up and I don’t have a backup pink tee - I probably just jinxed the whole thing. Cross your fingers.  Other projects are for the house and yard, and I can be a bit more creative if things go south. The earring idea that I was working on has left me underwhelmed.  I’m going to keep trying though.  I was trying to make something that looked like opal stones by using translucent clay and working some glitter into it.  The jury is out.  I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either.

Wow, that’s almost in focus .I’ll figure out the opal thing but I’m going to step away from it and make a few Valentine’s Day earrings instead. And that’s all the news that is news from our little patch.  I’m happiest when I’m creating, so right now I’m so happy that I might have to hire someone to help me enjoy it all.  On Sunday I’m pulling out canvas and paints - look out!   Time for me to grab a couple cats and go read in bed.  I know it’s early but I was up before the sun and I hear warm blankets and soft pillows calling me.  Or maybe I’ve huffed too many paint fumes. Either way, I’m done. Wishing you a cozy bed and sweet dreams tonight. Sending out lots of love.

Stay safe, stay well, stay creative!

Nancy

[shawnjacksonsbs]

When it comes to circumstance, you're either the victim or the victor.       8-20-22

 “The connections we make in the course of a life — maybe that's what heaven is.” - Mr. Fred Rogers

 Dear Washingtonians,

Not all of you. Just the special ones. Nope that doesn’t sound very nice.

How about the important ones? Important to my heart . . . ones. Maybe. We’ll stick with that. lol

I meant not all of you, just my people. They, of course, are very important to me.

I know time gets away from me constantly, and I haven't been able to keep up with the one trip a year thing enough to make it routine. . . yet, but don't give up on me completely. I love and miss you all so much. You guys stay heavy on my heart all the time.

From your Facebook posts to pictures of Mt Rainer to random fence pics I see, not a single day goes by where I'm not thinking about you.

Reminiscing in memory, from the idiot that first arrived out there all those years ago that didn't have a clue how to be . . .well, how to be anything really, to the end days before my most confident move back here and all of the growth that I acquired along the way so that I could come back here, to the Midwest, to my family, and reclaim my spot.

Sharing meals, spending quality time with good conversation, “heeding advice from and learning respect for”, and just being surrounded by people that started out as strangers with extended hearts and hands that ended up being family in the end, including, but not limited to, time with my "other" mother and my "other” siblings, and all my Fence Specialists family, the ones still there, the few that left, and some not on social media, all play(ed) a huge role in who I am today, why I am today, and where I am as well. Hell, there’s even a few on Facebook that I haven’t even met in real life, still, Washington, love, and friendship.

I only get to be in this role with my family because of the love and kindness that you, my Washington families, showed me.

I just wanted to say I love you all beyond reason and understanding. And to say I miss you guys, and everything that is Washington to me, is quite the understatement.

I might be running a little late on my next visit again, but I am coming . . .sometime, sooner rather later, I hope. But our plan the next time we visit is to take a train and bring my momma and step dad. I need for her to meet the people who helped save the life of her oldest son.

Now, I'm debating trying to tag everyone in this entry, but I am going to give it a shot. Should I miss anyone, or if you know of some that won't see it, please pass along this short message.

It's just another expression of care from me to you. You guys will always have your own room(s) in my heart for the rest of my life.

Please don't forget about me either. That shit would hurt so much. It’s tough adulting and trying to stay connected. Social media for the save there for sure. I would never be able to keep up otherwise. It was reversed when I was still out there. Silence doesn’t equal neglect though, right?

Grateful beyond measure, and still living a far better life out here than I deserve to be and it all started with you guys. I hope this entry finds you all well, and in good spirits. Mine stays lifted these days, in part because of my time out there. Believe that.  

Thanks again for showing me the way out of my own way, and showing the me love, and tolerance to make it back alive and stable.

I'm still makin' it by the way, for those of you that don't see my everydays in here.

Makin’ it!

Succeeding, is all in the level of my perception. It hasn’t changed much in that regard.

Now remember that "WWFRD?" is a way of life not just a stepping stone or pit stop. And continue sharing your love and laughter with the rest of the world that is still around you, just like you did with me and keep being kind as always as you can.

Know that there is at least one person who loves you all of the time, and who smiles every time they think of you. He just happens to live halfway across the country is all.

Until next week;

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” - Winnie The Pooh

 Oh, and by the way, in case I haven't told you guys, the summers here get too hot, the winters are too cold, it doesn’t rain nearly enough, and finding good coffee shops or a decent teriyaki place is few and far between, at least this side of the old Missouri River. Lol

 Until . . . wait.

Just, here’s another one for good measure. There’s more than one way to make yourself a family;

"The family is the test of freedom; because the family is the only thing that the free man makes for himself and by himself." - Gilbert K. Chesterton

[justwannabeittybitty]

Day 10:

honestly I didn’t really want to answer this one but on the slim chance that this convinces someone to get out of this tag I guess I’ll share. I think the worst thing I gave up was my social life and a lot of the happiness that goes with it. I’ve never even been very social to begin with, but like my bf is supposed to come visit this weekend but he said yesterday he might not be able to and my first thought was ”hell yeah I don’t have to eat!” and then I just sat down and cried because I realized how fucked up that was and how lonely I was getting because of this. I’ve always thought my starving was a way of control for me because I’ve never been super strict the only rule is that whatever I write down when I plan out my meals is all I can eat, and i would know when i was going out to eat with people so i just wouldnt write a plan for that day and maybe cut a bit off the days before but then i was fine and i could eat whatever and not feel really guilty, but now its just getting worse. I went out with my parents, I knew all about it in advance and thought I would be ok like before but I wasnt, I was on the brink of tears the whole dinner just looking at the food. Eating disorders never gave me control around food like people write about, they just motivated me to avoid situations where I knew i wasn’t going to feel in control, and honestly what an incredibly cowardly thing of me to do. I’ve had friends stop inviting me out because I kept turning them down whenever food was involved without an explanation. Now I have to tell all my friends that if we want to get food please let me know a week in advance and if I do turn them down to know that its not their fault and I still appreciate being invited. I feel like im just even weirder now having to give all my friends that little spiel. And just because I’m on a rant now- I also miss being happy at work. Its so hard not to be miserable while starving and doing physical work. I used to work at a dog kennel and there was a bin of food with a screw on lid I couldnt get off so i told my manager we might need one of the guys and my 75 year old manager walked over and unscrewed it so easily and turned around to ask me if I was okay. The fact that I’m spending my best physical years in a body that constantly feels like it’s dying and its only my own fault is absolutely absurd but for some reason I’m not ready to stop yet

[countess-of-edessa]

i dont feel the need to feed everyone who comes over to my house. like if we're just hanging out i'll always offer tea or water (thats all i ever have lol) but unless ive invited someone over for lunch or dinner or something like that, theres no reason for us to eat because its not a mealtime. thats not weird to me. but why would you have someone at your house while you are eating a meal? its the being comfortable with eating in front of people who are not getting food that is super weird to me. why wouldnt you just wait until your friend goes home to eat?

[catch-the-wind]

when reader is sick hc's p2

PART 2 IS FINISHED WHOO

here's a link to part 1 uwu

so i'm still brainrotting over this and i would like to date almost every character rn~ i probably won't add more to this unprompted but if anyone wants a part 2 just shoot me an ask! <3

tags: gn!reader, xiao x reader, zhongli x reader, ningguang x reader, beidou x reader, kazuha x reader, amber x reader, keqing x reader, venti x reader, scaramouche x reader, thoma x reader

xiao

this man is so awkward goodbye

he’s really popping into the kitchen of wangshu inn like mr. smiley yanxiao i need an order of almond tofu and uhh whatever the hell it is sick people eat

asks cloud retainer if there’s a medicinal thing she’s created and hey can you fix my s/o

meanwhile his s/o is like xiao- xiao- XIAO- it’s a COLD i’ll SURVIVE, stop leaving me to find solutions and just come cuddle

so xiao cuddles <3 he’ll read to his partner but it’s likely he’s also just sitting there in silence holding his s/o

he likes the companionship, doesn’t talk much. comfy silence all around

his partner probably falls asleep on him at some point but he’s okay with it

he probably watches his partner while they rest and he’s super frowny because he hates seeing them in pain :(

but also the gentle forehead kisses while his partner rests <3

he tells zhongli that he needs time to be with his s/o while they’re ill. he makes it sound like his partner is dying which is...overdramatic but also he just wants to dote on them and make sure they’re okay

he asks verr goldet what things a sick person might want while his partner rests and then he tries to kinda sorta subtly ask for help getting them

tries to dote on his partner subtly but he’s so grumpy all the time LOL

n e ways he gives his partner smooches and cuddles and that’s all that matters uwu

zhongli

he doesn’t even have to really say it to hu tao, she just knows he’s about to ask for a few days off. he does ask, ofc bc he’s following the protocols of social etiquette

he goes to his partner’s home or they’re in his for the entire time they’re sick

has a shopping list of foods for a sick person, also gets tea

has no mora to purchase anything on his shopping list so he hits up tartaglia LMAO

tartaglia comes w zhongli just to visit zhongli’s s/o

hu tao also comes to visit zhongli and co but he’s so wary of her because is she about to pull a prank- really she just brings him some tea he likes and wishes his s/o well <3 she probably sings to them too but it’s a little creepy if you listen to the lyrics LOL

this man is not reading his partner stories, they’re getting histories, pov morax. he knows so many little details that are lost in time but are kept safely in his memories

the man works out, tell me otherwise. he may choose his own body and he knows he has cake but the man works out and trains. he’s a god of WAR and he keeps himself in good shape. n e way he works out in the living room or backyard while his s/o is sick and he trains w just a shirt and pants and he’s so pretty aHEm i think my asthma is acting up again hang on

okay but muscles rippling and you can see it through the clothes that aren’t even that tight BUT BRO WHY ARE YOU GRUNTING SO MUCH PLEASE NO ONE ELSE DOES

would probably get his partner toys and such and one of them is a little dragon <3 give it smooches every day

he’s distracted when he answers hu tao or the adepti because he’s thinking ab his partner instead

ningguang

the frown on her face when she finds out PHEW

she takes her partner’s temperature with the back of her hand and she’s all frowny all day. ganyu is lowkey concerned bc what’s the matter with lady ningguang-

her partner stays in ningguang’s home and she’s working from home for a while <3 there are millelith guards and members of the qixing popping into her home office and even beidou once or twice. bei is also worried ab ning’s partner, but she’s doing the hearty slap on the back and the “get well soon!”

ningguang ordering food from wanmin and xiangling personally delivering it <3 xiangling and guoba are both showing up with some hot soup and guoba is there for cuddles pls he’s so cute

ningguang will read to her partner, probably tells them about her day and entertains small talk until they fall asleep

she cooks some of her qiankun mora meat and tries to make her partner soup <3 the millelith and the qixing have never seen their tianquan in a kitchen working before but she would only ever do it for the people she loves

keqing is in the corner quietly shipping while munching golden shrimp balls goodbye

i think ningguang respects ganyu too much to force her to run around for stuff but ganyu probably likes ning’s partner enough to do it anyway

ning and cuddles and temple kisses and she won’t give her partner smooches on the lips :( but she’s soft for them so they get cheek kisses and spooning them to sleep

beidou

she stays at her partner’s place while they’re sick because the crux might make them feel seasick instead

but she goes back and forth to the crux to get her things and take care of business and such. her crew probably loves her partner so they have things for bei to bring back <3

bei doesn’t even leave her partner’s town but she’s got sango pearls, cecilias, qingxin, cor lapis jewelry, dendrobiums (even though those are like. blood flowers. they’re pretty it’s fine) and many many fruits

xiangling comes by with food for bei and co and sticks around to hear beidou telling her partner stories about her time at sea

beidou is. she’s so buff okay. she carries her partner in and out of the room and to the living room or kitchen or brings everything to her partner and you can see how defined her muscles are bye i’m in love with her

we already know bei learned to cook a little bit from xiangling but beidou is absolutely learning to cook more while her partner is sick. xiangling is there giving her cooking lessons while beidou’s partner watches <3 bei with that look of concentration and she’s so quick with the knives too i’m- okay but her spoonfeeding her partner?? *chef’s kiss* ;)

beidou puts too much pepper in a dish and it deffo clears sinuses LMAO but she tried and it actually does taste very good if you can handle your spice 🤷‍♀️ i cannot so find me with a gallon of milk later

n e ways beidou cuddles her partner to sleep and falls asleep as soon as she knows they’re resting <3 many cuddles and many kisses, even if they insist not to because cooties will get u sick bei 🥺

visits bubu’s pharmacy to get her partner’s medicine herself but also has remedies from other places too! zhongli deffo helps her with some other gifts for convalescents so it’s historically, traditionally and socially acceptable

kazuha

is so worried omg

wherever his ass is, he’s going to his partner as soon as he finds out they’re sick. he’s so frowny and worried it’s almost cute but also,,,kazu it’s a cold, it’s FINE

he goes to collect qingxin and sweet flowers and stuff himself and makes his own poultices and soups and such <3

he shows up at his partner’s home with arms and buckets of flowers and herbs as soon as he possibly can. bei understands if he has to go tho, she gives him leave uwu

makes his partner soup and dried fish and gives them many smooches <3 they are not allowed out of bed LOL they just have to stay there and wait for him to dote on them

many many cuddles and smooches. he plays leaves and grass and recites poems for them he’s so cute <3 sigh, this man plays grass and i’m out here simping

also comes bearing gifts from wherever he was last tho. if he was on the crux, he’s probably got gifts from beidou and the crew even if they don’t really know kazu’s partner, they just know he’s happy and that’s what matters. if he’s not on the crux, his boss probably gives him leave and a gift or smth even if it’s just like a tea or a bottle of wine or smth

he’ll cuddle and be a blanket. but he’s also got fabrics that beidou picked up in inazuma and he uses that as a blanket for his partner <3

will tell his s/o stories of his childhood, his time wandering, his time with the crew, his work. anything they want to know or have questions about, he’ll tell them.

forehead kisses, temple kisses, holding his partner’s hand and pressing a kiss to the back of their hand ugh i love him

deffo gets sick because he can’t deny his partner smooches on the lips smh. and then it’s his partner’s turn to play nursemaid

the crew from the crux probably drops by to check on kazoo man and co. they bring some regional delicacies and blankets and their best cold remedies with a slap on the back for kazu and a gentler pat for his partner. like w ningguang’s partner, bei probably gives kazu’s s/o a hearty slap but it’s not enough to hurt them

anyway i’m in love with him

amber

she’s so worried she’s such a sweetie omg

she goes to her partner immediately and fusses over them before they have to gently tell her that they’re fine

she goes to collect sweet flowers and stuff and goes to ohm, albedo and barbara for help making medicines and such

doesn’t want to leave her duties unattended to but jean also knows that amber wants to be with her s/o so she tells amber that she has fewer duties for her <3

jean tells kaeya to go make sure amber is doing okay and doesn’t need help or anything so he drags ohm, diluc, albedo and lisa too LOL

lisa was planning on going anyway, she just used diluc to carry her books w this opportunity <3 albedo is just treating amber’s partner w meds and potions and things and lisa takes a peek at that too

she’s so sad she doesn’t have ohm’s super cold skin so she can’t be a human cooling pack for her partner </3 but she gives them many smooches on cheeks and foreheads and temples

barely resists giving her partner kisses on the lips bc she still wants to go to work but also wants to give her partner what they need and sigh. it’s a struggle for amber

she wears pajamas and cuddles with her s/o <3

cooks her partner some (fully cooked!!) meals, not her specialty steak. but she makes soup and goes to good hunter and gets good hot food there too

keqing

wants to take some time off to help her partner feel better but also doesn’t want to leave work. ningguang probably sends her home at some point because she’s fretting and working and stop feeling so bad keqing, you have sick days

she still goes to work but she’s just taking marginally shorter days sigh, she goes home early instead but brings work home so she can do it while sitting with her partner

wears leisure clothes when at home with her partner but the fact that she has clothes she doesn’t use for work is shocking LMAO the cat ears stay tho ;) catgirl always

ganyu comes by with keqing’s work, some wanmin takeout and a card and gift for her partner <3

xiangling hears that keqing is home with her partner while they’re sick and brings food over to keqing’s. she’s got extra golden shrimp balls for keqing. AND AGAIN. GUOBA CUDDLES ❤️❤️❤️

keqing feels so bad for not doing as much work, she’s making herself almost as sick as her partner </3

ningguang comes over one night with beidou while keqing is doing work in bed while her partner is resting and she sees keqing stressed as all hell. she just gives keqing some food and tells her to actually rest. soft!ning and bei being moms god i love them

okay but keqing tucking her partner in with a sweet kiss before retreating to her work in the corner, the lamps turned to the lowest they can possibly be because keqing refuses to leave her beloved but can’t not do work

keqing trying to cook food for her partner that isn’t meant specifically for survival but for taste is so cute. she’s trying to cook golden shrimp balls and soup and stuff and she’s not bad at it! she took a single night of giving her s/o hot tea and some wanmin soup before she learned the whole cookbook so she can be the one to cook for them <3

venti

he brings his partner wine u cannot tell me otherwise

he goes to diluc’s. not the tavern but straight up dawn winery and asks diluc if he can get a bottle of wine for his s/o and please please please he’ll go fight some of those slimes for you, please? with the big 🥺 and staying outside diluc’s window to beg bye

diluc just gives him the wine with a glare but won’t make venti do the commission <3 venti legit says “thank barbatos” and gives diluc an ~ehe~ before he gets ready to glide away. he turns around and asks diluc if he’s sure he can’t do the comm but diluc just glares at him all broody~

diluc comes by to check on venti’s partner too bc where does venti live- venti is just camping out at his partner’s place for now and feeding them and giving them wine and diluc just kinda goes a little pink but glares while he says “get well soon” and leaves a windwheel aster from near the winery

venti makes soup and many vegetable/fruity foods because “they’re good for you! have some wine with that ehe”

jean comes by at some point with barbara to check on venti and co. they’ve got other foods and some hydro healing for venti’s partner <3

ohm comes over to see his friend and brings him some medicines, food and wine. he gets to witness the anemo god get all soft and squooshy for his s/o it’s so sweet

he uses anemo to entertain his partner with some gentle breezes playing through leaves <3 but he also plays his lyre for them and gives them smooches in between and during songs because he’s a god ofc he isn’t gonna get sick, pay the bard with kisses. and where’s his gratuity :( 😗

he doesn’t read to his s/o but he does tell them stories with a musical accompaniment. sometimes his partner will fall asleep so he just smiles so softly and tucks them in and continues playing his lyre at the window while they sleep <3

but also brushing his partner’s hair back and giving them a kiss on the forehead please i love my beloved kinnie

n e ways venti forehead smooches and playing the lyre for his s/o <3 no cough meds ehe, just dandelion wine and whatever ohm gave him (that was, in fact, the cough medicine)

scaramouche

bro this dude looks like he CANNOT be assed but he really cares <3<3

his work schedule doesn’t change but he’s going to his s/o’s home super often with soup and food and medicine and extra blankets

even to his partner, scara looks broody but he always looks like that LOL

tartaglia finds out where scara is going and he brings food and toys and stuff too <3 scara later has to read one of the kids books tartaglia brought and he refuses to voices but it’s very sweet anyway

scara probably asks sandrone if his doctor brother can get him some good cold medicine but would never admit that he asked ohm for help LOL. ohm shows up anyway and finds out <3

can and will cook soup but that’s all you’re getting from him. the takeout he brought is most definitely not something he made, no sir’am he would never do something as soft as cook for them. soup doesn’t count, it’s oboiling water with some added flavor, shut up tartagalicious he’s not soft

will give his partner kisses only after he thinks they’re asleep. refuses to give them any affection besides a headpat or two and maybe one hug when he shows real concern. his partner isn’t quite yet asleep one time and then feigns sleeping when they hear scara’s whispered “i love you” and he presses a kiss to their forehead 🥺❤️

he takes off his hat inside the house but will go around with a blanket around his shoulders to mock his partner smh. the blanket is on his head like a hood and he fake sniffles with an almost derisive laugh but he gives his partner a real smile at the end <3

9/10 times will never admit that he’s soft unless it’s a Very Serious Moment but he’s a squishy dood for his s/o and his s/o only

will not read or sing to his partner but he’ll sorta cuddle if they ask very nicely and many times. it’s just kind of him sitting next to them and they kind of have to muzzle before he’ll move his arm for his own comfort LMAO

will bring his partner gifts and food, a few flowers but he’ll just claim he’s delivering it from someone else with a look of fake disgust </3 maybe like two of those are actually from other ppl and not him

when his partner is actually feeling really sick, he won’t be a big smol meanie and he actually looks so concerned~ his partner means a lot to him and he doesn’t want them to feel sick or in pain so he’ll cuddle them unprompted and rub their back, run his hand thru their hair, soft forehead and temple kisses and “i’m here, baby” and “i love you” and falling asleep with his partner tucked under his chin <3 he’s actually so sweet bye 😭

thoma

thoma feels so bad when his partner is sick. it isn’t even his fault but he feels so bad because he wants to protect them, even from tiny little germs 😭 i’m sorry u can’t be my immune system thoma it’s FINE

he asks to take off work and ayaka just kinda sighs but smiles and waves a hand to dismiss him bc yes ofc you can, simp

ayato just laughs when he sees this LMAO BYE

thoma’s partner stays at his home, in his bed or a guest room (idk if he has his own place or stays w the kamisatos as their literal live-in maid but anyway)

his partner gets his care, any doctors or caretakers around ritou, the medic from the crux, the kamisato family doctor- this man is using some of his favors for medicine and then cuddling his s/o, ugh i want to date him sm

both kamisatos come by with some food for thoma and co but poor ayato can’t even keep his grin contained, poor thoma is conditioned to be nervous ab what ayato feeds him LOL

he’s cooking for his partner, legit gives them a list of options and an “anything you want, my love?”

cuddles his s/o even tho they might protest but it takes like 0.2 seconds to stop protesting bc that man is comfy

tells his partner stories about what it was like back home in mondstadt and his journey to inazuma and why he’s there as well as his stories about all the different kinds of people he’s met

taroumaru coming w kozue to the kamisato estate to get some hot tea to thoma 🥺 and the cuddles and nuzzles from this great doggo for thoma before he turns to his partner too 😭 straight up jumps in the bed and licks their faces a little before nuzzling in for a hug

n e way thoma gives a lot of hugs and kisses and cuddles and i think he’s hella touchy-feely and misses home and treasures his partner even more because of it

my beautiful red shield ❤️

[loopy-froots]

Childhood Friends

Brahms Heelshire x afab!Reader

Author: @loopy-froots

Word Count: 3261 (WOW wtf…)

Slight request by @leahromanof : small age gap (Brahms is 26-28 and the reader is 20)

Summary: The Reader grew up very close to the Heelshire family, as their parents were business partners with them. However, after the fire incident, Brahms and the Reader took some space from each other. While the Reader knew Brahms was still alive, they didn’t know under the circumstances he was. When a sudden tragedy strikes their family, the Reader is left with no home. The Heelshire family offer their home with welcoming arms, but much has changed between all of them since they have last seen each other.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, swearing, slasher x reader, smut, virgin/unprotected sex (masc and fem), abusive parents (fem), insecurities (on both parts), slight age gap (6ish years?), a slight size kink (if you squint?), etc.

Author’s Note: I wasn’t too sure what to write for the age gap so I hope this is good enough!!! I also threw in a lot of personal needs I’ve been having, so I hope y’all don’t mind! Feel free to let me know your thoughts!!!

~~~

*2nd Person POV*

You couldn’t believe this was happening. You were finally going to see your beloved childhood friend, Brahms Heelshire, again after close to ten years of separation. You wished this was not under these circumstances, as you never intended to cause your family such turmoil.

“Y/n! Come in, why don’t you?” Mr. Heelshire exclaims as he opens his front door. He must have seen you walk up their driveway. You can see Mrs. Heelshire inside, but she shares a concerning expression. Trying to brush it off, you step inside and am greeted by the warmth of the house. It was a terribly chilly winter day, and the walk there exhausted you.

“Come, dear! Let me get you a cup of tea to warm you up! You look rather frozen!” Mrs. Heelshire snaps out of her funk and laughs al0ng with her husband. Their jovial attitude makes you feel rather welcomed and loved.

“I cannot thank you enough, Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire… I… I’m terribly sorry that this all happened… especially so suddenly…” You look down with embarrassment.

“Nonsense! We’re always happy to have you, Y/n! Our home is yours!” Mr. Heelshire smiles at you, but you get a somewhat urgent vibe from him. You’re not sure how to feel about it, but you figure since they’re being ever so kind you were in no position to question.

“Now, dear… why don’t you tell us exactly what happened… Perhaps we may help with your parents’ situation?” Mrs. Heelshire gently suggests, but you shake your head in disagreement.

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure that’s possible… you see, I recently came out to my parents as non-binary… they’ve never been overly supportive of that kind of stuff, but I knew I couldn’t hide myself any longer…” You explain shamefully.

“Oh my… that is a rather difficult predicament, hm? However, we want you to know that we fully support you… in fact, our own Brahms considers himself genderfluid,” Mrs. Heelshire shares, which honestly makes you feel less alone.

“Really? I… I had no idea… Thank you, but speaking of which… where is Brahms…? Does he still live with you?” You wonder.

“Oh, um… yes… he does, but he’s grown to be rather… timid… so he doesn’t always come out when people are visiting…” Mr. Heelshire explains swiftly, and you try to understand. You don’t fully know what he’s been through, so who are you to judge his social anxieties?

“That’s alright. Well, I just hope he knows how excited I am to see him again…” You confess, causing a surprised reaction from the Heelshire couple.

“Really? Well, that’s certainly wonderful! I’m sure he'll become more open to meeting you after he gets used to you being in the house…” Mrs. Heelshire states with a gentle smile, and you nod your head in agreement.

With that, you are then taken on a tour of the house. You’re shown areas you can and cannot wander to, and you mentally note each location that’s off limits. You’d never want to make the Heelshires uncomfortable, despite how curious you were. They show you to your room, which you immediately recognize as Brahms’ childhood room.

“Oh wow! This looks exactly how I remembered it!” You giggle.

“I’m glad you’re fond of it still, as Brahms insisted you take his room for your own… comfort…” Mr. Heelshire shares, but something tells you he’s not entirely being honest. However, you ignore the feeling bubbling up in your stomach.

“Well, feel free to unpack your things dear. As we mentioned before, we are planning on going on a trip within the next few days. So it will be just you and Brahms for a while…” Mrs. Heelshire reminds you, and you shiver slightly for some reason.

“Oh, yes… Well, I hope the two of you enjoy it!” You politely respond.

~~~

“Goodbye, dear! And remember, follow the rules and you’ll get no trouble from our dear Brahms!” The Heelshires bid you farewell and leave in their cab. Closing the door, you sigh in relief.

“Alright, follow the rules… I can do that… it’s the least I can do since they were so kind as to let me stay for a while…” You motivate yourself.

“Y/n…” A sudden familiar, childlike voice echoes through the house. You looked around to see who it came from, but you saw no one. It had to be Brahms, right? Who else could it have been, but where was he?

“B-Brahms?” You sheepishly call out. You hear no answer and suddenly feel quite stupid. Maybe you just heard the shifting of the house or imagined someone was calling your name?

“Alright, focus… first things first, making some lunch… hopefully he’ll come down to eat with me…?” You hope. You could’ve sworn you heard another childish giggle somewhere, but you try to shake the skittish feeling building up. You quickly make whatever you feel like for lunch, desperate to finish so that you can call Brahms down to eat.

“Um, Brahms? I… lunch is done… if you want some?” You yell throughout the house, but you hear no answer. Finally feeling defeat, you turn back to the kitchen and notice that one of the plates of food has disappeared.

“How did he get to it without me noticing?” You ask out loud. Every instinct within you tells you that something was wrong, but you tried your best to give the man some time to adjust to the new living situation.

“Y/n…?” In the middle of eating, you hear a now more adult version of the voice you heard earlier. You drop your fork in surprise and frantically look around for the source. You then see a tall and scruffy looking man standing at the end of the dining room. He was holding the plate that is now empty, and you figure that must be Brahms. He was very odd looking, in all honesty. He wore a porcelain mask that resembles the type of little dollies you used to keep as a kid.

“Oh, um… h-hello, Brahms…?” You try to be friendly towards him, despite the creepy feeling you got from him already. However, him not answering causes the suspicion to form again.

“Um… did you enjoy the meal I made for you?” You try to spark a conversation, but Brahms nonverbally nods in response.

“That’s good! I’m… glad…” You smile awkwardly at him, but his masked face remains expressionless. You shift uncomfortably in your seat, and Brahms notices the tense state you’re in. He begins to step closer to you, and sets his plate on the table. Sweating profusely, you wonder what he’s doing. He steps closer and closer to you until he’s directly in front of you. While you sit, he towers over you. You’d never admit it, but he’s very intimidating. However, you try your best to be polite.

“Is… everything alright, Brahms?” You ask innocently. He just stares at you, though, never saying a word. When you were about to get up and try to walk away, he grabs your arm and pulls you into him.

“B-Brahms…?!” You exclaim as he squeezes you in his broad arms. He’s rather warm, but trembling. Your heart relaxes when you realize he only wanted a hug.

“Y/n… nice to see you again…” He finally peeps out. Your cheeks heat up, but you lean into the embrace. The two of you just hold onto each other for a few moments, enjoying each other’s presence.

“Good to see you, too! I was worried you were upset with me for coming back after such a long time…” You try to pull away and look him in the eyes, but his grip keeps you there.

“Mm, no… not upset… lonely…” He breathes into your ear, sending a chill down your back. He was… lonely? That makes you feel bad… really bad… how could you leave him like you did after the incident?! It wasn’t completely your fault, as you parents were the main reason you stayed away. They told you what a dangerous person Brahms was, and they forbid you from being influenced by him in any way.

Additionally, your parents never liked how fond the two of you seemed towards each other, despite the slight age difference you had. Brahms was only six years older, and to you it didn’t matter for terms of friendship. However, your parents saw the attraction Brahms had towards you right away. As children, it only developed into a little crush, but the older the two of you got the more obvious it became, to the adults at least. You seemed quite oblivious to his attempts to woo you, as you had just thought he was being friendly.

“I…I’m sorry, Brahms… I should’ve… I wish I’d have… I’m sorry…” Tear well in your eyes as you look down from his gaze. Your focus then shifts to the ever growing bulge in his pants that you hadn’t noticed before.

“It’s alright… happy you’re here now…” Brahms strokes your hair with his free hand, and he leans into you. You feel him stroke your neck with his nose, seemingly trying to get a reaction out of you. Completely frozen, you felt unsure of what to do. All of the sudden, your head’s ideas clicked and made you realize the years of yearning he’d been doing for you.

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t still have feelings for the boy you grew up with. You always admired how protective he was of you. You never admitted your affection towards him, though, as you thought he might react negatively. To you, the age difference acted as a barrier, but to him, it seemed he didn’t mind in the slightest. All he’s ever known was his love for you, despite the age gap. However, is this still the same boy as before? You probably barely knew him anymore. Then why were you getting so flustered over this simple interaction?

“Brahms?” You look back into his eyes with a curious glint. What was he planning with you?

“Hm?” He nonchalantly answers.

“Are you…?” You start, but then feel too embarrassed to finish.

“Yes,” He agrees without needing you to explain. You feel him jerk his hips into your stomach softly, desperate to get some friction between the two of you. As intoxicating as he was being, you still felt unsure of your stance with him.

“I’m not sure I want to… I mean, this is so soon… don’t you think?” You try to reason mainly with yourself to try and stop this from happening. With that, Brahms stops and pulls away from you with a pout.

“No?” He questions with sweet eyes.

“I… yes…?” You try to stand your ground with yourself again, but it’s no use. Brahms’ heartfelt pleading turns you to putty in his hands.

“Please?” He begs. With that, you finally agree, and he’s onto you. Groping all up and down your sides, front, and back, he feels every inch of your body as if he’s desperate to find something in you.

“Brahms… wait…?” You stop him again, realizing you hadn’t seen his actual face yet. You politely ask him to remove his mask, but he visibly slumps.

“Why…? You… don’t want to see me…” Brahms insecurely explains, but you shake your head.

“I do! Please…?” You whine as he continues to feel up your back. Brahms hesitates slightly, then agrees. With that, he slowly removes the porcelain from himself. This leaves his bare, burnt, and uncertain face into your view. You’re unsure of what to say at first, as your feelings are conflicted. However, you quickly decide to go with what your heart felt.

“You’re so handsome, Brahms…” You confess with a sheepish smile. He doesn’t respond, though, almost as if he’s debating what to say as well.

“Mm!” You moan through a sudden kiss he placed on your lips, making Brahms smile to himself in the kiss. He loved the way you reacted to his touch. He quickly realized you were feeling the same towards him, and that gave him the confidence to continue. You rapidly grew a certain heat in your pelvic area, but the feeling was still unfamiliar to you. Only on the rare occasion did you allow yourself the pleasure, but you felt guilty for it every time.

“Slut… whore… useless daughter…” Your parents’ past words radiate in your head, and a panic washes over your body. Brahms senses your inner conflict again, and stops once more.

“Y/n…?” He gently asks to see if you’re alright. Tears well up in your eyes as the guilt of disappointing your parents consumes you.

“I’m sorry, I just… my mom and dad would be so upset… I just feel so… lost…” You admit, and Brahms wipes your cheeks with his calloused hands.

“Mm, screw them…” He chuckles darkly.

“But…” You try to argue, but he shushes you instead.

“They’ve never been good to you, Y/n…” Brahms shares, and it confuses you at first. They’ve always given you food, shelter, and anything else a child would need.

“But they… they mean well…” You try to reason it out, but he still disagrees.

“I’ve been watching, listening to how they treat you your whole life, Y/n… the way they scream at you, gaslight you, disappoint you… that’s not love… that’s abuse…” Brahms whispers with a broken heart for you. The pain of realization hits you, but you try to muffle your cries with your hands over your mouth.

“I’m so sorry… I know how hard it is… but I… I want to love you… really love you…” He kisses the top of your head sweetly. His words fill your heart with hope that you might not be miserable the rest of your life.

“Really…? I mean, I would love that… but I don’t want to force you into anything…” You self doubt yourself.

“Absolutely. I mean, hell… why do you think I was doing all of this?” Brahms wonders, and you suppose he’s right.

“Yeah, true… I’m sorry, I just feel bad… but thank you, I’d love to… y’know…?” You admit with a shy grin, which he immediately returns.

“Good,” He smirks and kisses you again. This time, the kiss was much more desperate for the sweet result. Brahms shows no mercy for you this time as he begins biting your lips. Your little gasps invoke a strong sense of pride within him. He was making you feel this way, and he alone would make you feel good.

“Hm,” His deep voice rumbles in his chest. Your eyes flutter open and shut, unsure of how to go about this situation. Squirming around awkwardly, you then feel Brahms grab your waist as he lifts you up and onto the table.

“Ah! Brahms...?!” You yelp in surprise.

“Take off your shirt, Y/n.” He demands, already sliding his hands underneath. You timidly follow his instructions, removing your shirt and bra from your body. Brahms looks down from your face and onto your breasts. He adored them, so he ran his hands over them as he gave each nipple a cheeky pinch.

“Oh, Brahms…” Your eyes close in bliss, but he snaps your attention back to his eyes.

“Look at me,” He suggests sternly.

“O-okay…” You do as he wishes and stare deep into his icy eyes. He’s tender and gentle, but he still makes you feel so small next to him.

“You’re so pretty, Y/n… I’ve always loved you…” Brahms brushes a stray lock of hair out of your face, giving him a better view at your beauty.

“I have loved you for the longest time, too, Brahms… I just never knew how to tell you…” You try your best to express your feelings, but your past experience with doing so has never been easy for you. Each emotion you shared ended in an argument with your parents.

“I’m so glad… please…” Brahms pleads, leaning his forehead against yours. He didn’t have to finish for you to understand what he wanted.

“C’mere…” Your sudden burst of trust hits the two of you like a train. Brahms roughly attacks your neck with his lips and teeth, nipping at all your sensitive areas. Exploring each and every inch, he scopes out which areas you like best.

“Mm, Y/n…” He whimpers, rubbing his needy cock against your body. You had neglected it for far too long, and you wanted to give it some love too.

Lowering your hand down to his member, you stroke him through his pants. Pre-cum leaks from his tip and soaks through his underwear slightly. His moans fill your ears with sweet misery. The lack of being inside of you was killing him, but he wanted to take things slow for you.

“Ah, Y/n…! Please! I’ll be a good boy!” He begs you to allow him entrance, and you agree. Instantaneously, he pulls his clothes off and prepares his painfully hard cock to slide into you.

“Oh! You feel… so tight…!” He didn’t tell you, but this was his first time as well. The first feeling of being inside of someone, especially when that someone is you, was the best feeling he’s ever felt. He couldn’t help himself but pump in and out of you. He tried his best to go slow, but his selfish excitement got the better of him. However, you were far from upset by this.

“Ah! D-don’t… stop…!” You plead with him, and he obliges. Slapping his body into yours in a rhythmic motion causes you to quickly feel that coil in your stomach tighten around him.

“F-fuck…! You’re gonna make me…!” As quickly as it started, your love making ended. The two of you came together simultaneously, and everything felt perfect to you. However, Brahms felt a wave of guilt.

“I… I’m sorry… I wish I had lasted longer… and I shouldn’t have pressured you into this…” He goes on and on about all the things he could’ve done better, but you then stop him with a chaste peck on his lips.

“You were perfect. Thank you,” You lovingly look into his eyes. He searches for any sort of regret, but when he finds none he settles into your arms.

~~~

MY REQUESTS FOR DRAWING AND WRITING ARE STILL OPEN!! FEEL FREE TO SEND AN ASK/MESSAGE WITH YOUR IDEA!!

[bakuthedeku]

their everyday game

Read on AO3

Words: 3,000

Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Things Midoriya Izuku is: A student, a sugar baby, a boyfriend, a brat.

Things Midoriya Izuku is not: Patient.

Or: Izuku wants attention from Kacchan and he is going to get it.

A commissioned fic for @insinirate !

Clack clack clack. The room is silent but for the steady breaths of its occupants and the rhythmic beat of fingers on plastic. Clear, wall-to-ceiling windows wash the sun’s gentle light into the room, and reveal a picturesque view of the sparkling city, looking like something straight out of a magazine.

Izuku glares at the extravagant view. He bets Kacchan is writing another one of those stupid reports of his.

Buzz. The clacking halts and Kacchan glances at his work phone for but a moment before the typing resumes.

Izuku takes a deep breath. Holds it. Puffs out his cheeks.

He slumps over in his seat and sighs obnoxiously.

God, he’s so damn bored.

Kacchan said he had to get one more hour of work done, and then he’d take a break. That had been almost three hours ago. ‘One hour’ had turned into two when Izuku left Kacchan to get ready for their lunch date and had foolishly gone straight to the cafe instead of meeting up with Kacchan at the office first. He’d waited all of ten minutes at their usual table before calling a company car and returning to find Kacchan still working in his office.

If not for Kacchan’s genuine surprise at the time and his gruff, yet sweet apologies, he would be a dead man already.

But Izuku still isn’t satisfied. Kacchan needs a break, and Izuku needs attention, stat. There’s only one solution: Izuku’s gonna annoy the shit out of Kacchan. So Izuku sucks in another breath and pouts at the ceiling. “Kacchaaaaan!”

Kacchan sighs, but he doesn’t respond. The silence in the room grows thick with expectation; Izuku’s long-perfect attention-seeking tone signals the start of the game they play every day.

For a moment, the only sound in the room is the clack of keys and occasional buzz from Kacchan’s work phone. Izuku wriggles against his plush seat, making the leather squeak obnoxiously, and clears his throat daintily, earning himself a glance. “Kacchan, I’m hungry…” Izuku peaks at Kacchan from beneath fluttering eyelashes.

Kacchan shifts his eyes back to his computer and types another line, pointedly loud against the room’s still silence.

When they play this game, whoever breaks first (or whoever wants whatever they’re after more) will relent and go to the other, so this can go one of two ways; Izuku will pull himself from his lounging position to drape himself over Kacchan, or Kacchan will pull himself from his work and lavish Izuku with the attention he deserves.

Today, Izuku takes it upon himself to move things forward—Kacchan is in one of those moods where it could take hours to break him down, and Izuku needs results now.

So with an impatient, gusty sigh pulled deep from his lungs, Izuku heaves himself up and slinks over to Kacchan’s grand desk, stalking up from behind him. When Kacchan makes the mistake of glancing at Izuku from the corner of his eye, Izuku pounces.

Izuku wrenches Kacchan’s chair around and jumps into his lap, laying himself over Kacchan as well as the plush arms of his chair. Kacchan grunts out a quiet oof at the sudden weight but wraps an arm around his waist nonetheless.

“I’m working, Deku,” Kacchan says dryly.

“Actually, Kacchan, I think you’ll find that you’re cuddling me and giving me attention right now, and I can’t imagine why you’d want to stop.”

Kacchan exhales quietly and wrestles down the corners of his lips—it’s not quite a smile, but it’s a good enough start for Izuku. “I have a lot to do, so as much as I’d love to keep giving you all the attention you desire, I really do have to get back to work.”

Izuku wraps an arm around Kacchan’s neck and pretends to think, then shakes his head solemnly. “Unfortunately, it’s a no from me. I’m hungry and I want lunch.”

“Then go get lunch.”

Izuku gives Kacchan a look for being deliberately obtuse.

“I’ll order in for you, then,” Kacchan offers.

Izuku huffs and pushes himself away from his comfortable spot against Kacchan’s broad chest. “Not good enough, Kacchan! We organised a lunch date, so I am getting a lunch date. Now.” Izuku sticks out his chin and dares Kacchan to say no.

Eyes lock. Izuku stares with determination, burying his will into impenetrable crystal red and steadfastly ignoring their alluring pull. Kacchan makes an aborted noise in the back of his throat, as if he was about to say something stupid but thought better of it, and finally sighs.

“Half an hour.”

Izuku smiles sweetly. “Two. You’re late, so you’ve accrued interest.”

Kacchan decides to focus on their negotiations over Izuku’s mockingly business-like tone: “Forty-five is the best you’re going to get from me.”

“An hour, not including travel time, or I’ll get our contract from your room and tear it up myself.” Izuku juts out a petulant lip. He’d never do it, but it gets his point across—Izuku isn’t budging on this.

Kacchan stares hard for a moment, then sags and rests his head in the crook of Izuku’s neck. “You’re such an annoying little shit,” he murmurs, warm against Izuku’s skin.

Izuku hides his smile in Kacchan’s hair and holds him tight. Another victory secured.

/-/

The cafe is a relaxing, familiar space for Izuku. He’s been a regular since before his arrangement with Kacchan began, and when it breached the confines of Kacchan’s highrise office, it was only natural Izuku would drag Kacchan to his favourite little spot.

After enough of their regular visits, the staff have stopped staring at Kacchan and his crisp suits and shiny Rolex watches, and they interact more or less normally with the pair when they stop by.

They place their orders, as usual, and Kacchan pays, as usual, before they settle in their favourite corner, waiting for drinks and food.

Izuku relaxes into his plush chair. He breathes in happiness, the scent of sugar and coffee and Kacchan’s handsome cologne, and breathes out his worries. He’s already plotting ways to extend the hour he was so graciously granted.

On the table before him is a generous slice of cake, which is ‘not a meal,’ according to Kacchan, but Izuku wanted it and he doesn’t care what Kacchan has to say about it. Kacchan is still waiting on his own food; some kind of salmon dish, which is about the fanciest thing he might be able to get his hands on at a casual place like this.

Before Kacchan can grouse at Izuku further, Izuku digs into his treat with no regard for manners, or as Kacchan calls them, “basic fucking social etiquette.” Whenever Kacchan attempts to spout this particular kind of bullshit, Izuku rather enjoys pointing out the hypocrisy of Kacchan of all people criticising other people’s social graces.

Izuku glances at Kacchan and licks his lips before he fills his mouth with fluffy, sugary goodness, making eye-contact with him as he lets out an exaggerated moan. “So good,” Izuku takes care to lick his lips and smiles, warm and sweet like molten honey.

Kacchan rolls his eyes, but he swallows like his mouth is dry. “You’re a damn menace, you little brat,” he says hoarsely, despite the way his eyes have been stuck on Izuku’s lips since he licked them.

“Hey!” Izuku kicks out with all the gentleness of a fussy toddler, landing a solid kick on Kacchan’s shin. “Don’t be mean. You would’ve missed our lunch date altogether if I hadn’t dragged you here.” Izuku tilts his head and gives an Oscar-worthy kicked-puppy pout.

“Deku…” Kacchan obviously misses the point of his pouting by a mile, because now he just looks sad, and that is not what Izuku was going for! “I’m sorry I forgot, baby. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you, it’s just...”

“You’re busy,” Izuku finishes for him, and leans across the table to (affectionately) swat his dumb boyfriend’s head. “I know. I’m not mad, but I do want your attention right now, so cut out the sadness and shower me with compliments like you’re supposed to.”

This earns a snort of laughter from Kacchan, who finally catches on and plays along with their usual game. His whole face brightens with his smile. “Ah yes, of course, dear. How could I spend even a second not overwhelming you with compliments?”

Izuku nods seriously. “Exactly. I’m just so shocked. You should know better than to neglect me by now,” Izuku winks, “Daddy.”

Kacchan makes a point of rolling his eyes, but he’s smiling broadly now, all teeth and crinkled eyes. “Alright, you’ve made your point, asshole. Eat your stupid cake already.”

/-/

Once they’ve eaten, and the redundant alarm Kacchan had set goes off, they return to the car. It’s time for Izuku to execute his plan.

Before Kacchan can put his belt on like the square he is, Izuku swings a leg over his lap and wraps himself around his boyfriend. Kacchan raises a questioning eyebrow before Izuku makes his demand: “Take me shopping.”

Kacchan smacks his head back against the headrest dramatically. “You have my card. I’ll have the driver drop you off wherever you want to go, okay?”

“I said take me shopping, not send me. You have to be there or there’s no use! Kacchan needs to come with me.”

Kacchan looks sad, then, and the stupid man has apparently learnt a thing or two from Izuku, because he’s got the bestest, heart-wrenchingest puppy-dog eyes without even trying. Resting his forehead against Izuku’s, Kacchan sighs softly against his lips. “You know I spend as much time as I can with you, baby. I can only ignore my work for so long, for you.”

Izuku aches, sudden and raw. “Oh, Kacchan… I know you’re busy, you work so hard! Kacchan really is amazing. But sometimes I want to be selfish and snatch up more of your time. You put too much pressure on yourself at work. You have so many employees so you don’t have to run yourself in the ground.”

“There are things my employees can’t do-”

“Like stopping you from working yourself to death? Right, that’s my job.” Izuku wiggles in Kacchan’s lap and captures his lips in a whisper-soft kiss. “So let me take care of you.” Izuku flutters his eyelashes and pulls his trump card. “Please, Daddy?” he asks, words sugar-sweet on his lips.

Cheeks glowing a suspicious strawberry red, Kacchan huffs and grabs Izuku by the waist, easily picking him up off his lap and depositing him on the seat next to him. He waits patiently for Kacchan to break, all the while butterflies dance in Izuku’s belly at his Daddy’s casual display of strength.

“The hell do you need so badly anyway?”

Truthfully, Izuku has no idea what he would wish to buy. Spoiled as he is, there are few things he’s wanted through life that he doesn’t now own, thanks to Kacchan. “I saw this gorgeous lingerie set and I just have to try it on before I buy it. And I need you there to tell me how good it looks,” Izuku states matter-of-factly.

Kacchan clears his throat and pinches Izuku’s cheek. “Fine. Let’s go look at this lingerie, then, baby.”

/-/

Izuku drags Kacchan out of the car by his hand and refuses to let go even after they’ve made it inside the shopping center.

“Come on, come on, I wanna see what this store has!” With Kacchan in tow, Izuku makes a beeline for his favourite lingerie store.

Izuku chatters away as he makes his way up and down the store, fluttering about pretty displays and shiny, luxurious lingerie sets hung up on the walls. He semi-consciously gives Kacchan a consistent stream of observations, rhetorical questions and mumbled postulations about what Kacchan might like best. He picks out half a dozen sets in just a few minutes, handing each one over to Kacchan for him to judge and/or hold like a handsome sentient display rack.

Soon enough, Kacchan flags down someone from the store to do the grunt work for him as he follows Izuku around the store like a loyal dog, face warring between fondness and annoyance.

Izuku is quite certain that the fondness far outweighs the annoyance, though. Izuku is, after all, impossible to hate.

After completing one circuit of the store, Kacchan interrupts Izuku before he can begin on a second. “What happened to the ‘one’ set you wanted, huh?” The man crosses his arms like a brute, biceps flexing handsomely as he pours disapproval into the question.

Izuku tuts at him. “There’s nothing wrong with browsing. Just look at how pretty this one is!” Izuku pulls out the dainty belt and harness set he was looking at, wiggling it around for Kacchan’s judgment.

“Mm,” Kacchan acknowledges, carefully collected as he judges the set. With his nod of approval, Izuku gleefully adds it to his soon-to-be-towering pile of things to try on, heedless of the fact that Kacchan immediately passes it off to the poor retail worker trailing after them.

Kacchan crosses his arms. “Don’t think I don’t realise what you’re doing, baby boy.”

Izuku ought to feel sheepish at being caught out so easily, but it’s to be expected when he’s trying to con Kacchan. Instead, he tilts his head and bats his big, round eyes, the perfect picture of innocence. “But Daddy, what exactly are you going to do about it?”

Kacchan crosses his arms, but Izuku’s got him there. Kacchan wants to see Izuku in this lingerie just as much as Izuku wants to try them on. And if all of this has the bonus of Izuku keeping Kacchan to himself for a little longer, then they don’t need to talk about that, really.

“I don’t know why I put up with you,” Kacchan says, and Izuku giggles, wrapping his arms around his Daddy’s neck.

“I can think of a few reasons,” he laughs. “Now come tell me how pretty I look in these!”

/-/

The driver has to help them get everything into the car. As soon as they’re in, Kacchan orders the driver to start the car and get them back to his work quickly.

It’s cute that Kacchan thinks they’d be going anywhere near his office if not for Izuku allowing it.

“Are you satisfied now, brat?” Kacchan asks, pulling on his seatbelt only after the car has started moving (ooh, rebellious).

Izuku hums. He takes a long few moments to rearrange the copious amount of bags around him, just because he can. He pretends to think very hard about it before nodding exaggeratedly. “Yes, I think I am. For today, at least.”

When Kacchan groans, Izuku shuts him up with a kiss, and they smile like kids in love against each other’s lips.

/-/

Deku seems to have tuckered himself out during their shopping trip, which is understandable considering the sheer amount of clothes he insisted he try on before making Katsuki buy everything for him. He spends the car ride back draped over Katsuki’s side, giving a docile little mumble every now and then when he sees a dog on the sidewalk or a pretty flower that apparently reminds him of Katsuki’s eyes.

(How can the fucker get even cuter than usual just because he tired himself out being a whiny brat all day? How is that fair at all to Katsuki’s heart? Not to mention his wallet...)

(It’s not like Katsuki can’t afford it, but damn, lingerie is surprisingly fucking expensive.)

Katsuki carefully shakes Deku awake when they arrive, because he has learnt the hard way that if he leaves Deku to doze or wakes him too quickly, there will be hell to pay. So he accepts Deku’s blindly groping hand into his own and leads him into the building, where Izuku says something vague about harassing his friend in reception and stumbles off, bleary-eyed.

Katsuki has some interns come down and transfer Deku’s things into his private car so he can attempt to get some work done before Deku makes it upstairs. Deku usually settles down after a few hours of monopolising Katsuki’s time and attention, but with the mood he’s in today, Katsuki doesn’t like his chances of getting anything else done.

He’s gotten as far as opening up an email from a partner company when the door clicks open and Deku sashays in like he owns the place.

And, okay. Katsuki owns the place, and Deku has him wrapped around his pinky finger, so he does own the place in every way but name. But only Katsuki is allowed to know that, god damn it.

“You look like a bumbling fawn like that,” Katsuki informs him, just to see Deku’s sleepy eyes flash with indignation, and watch his cheeks glow a pretty, flustered pink.

Deku’s response doesn’t disappoint, and his nose even scrunches up like a disgruntled bunny, but Katsuki’s gone and shot himself in the foot because now Deku is stomping up to him in a way that says he means business. Deku collapses heavily and claims the space of Katsuki’s lap, steadfast in the fact that it is his and his alone.

Deku slaps him petulantly on the chest. “Meanie,” he mumbles, and curls up on Katsuki’s lap, nestling his head beneath his chin and settling against him, a puzzle piece slotted perfectly in its place. “I’m tired,” Deku says, as if that isn’t obvious already.

Kastuki huffs, presses a feather-soft kiss to the crown of his head. “Just rest, idiot.”

“‘Mkay Daddy…”

Katsuki strokes his fingers through the softness of Izuku’s hair and cradles him as Deku’s body relaxes into Katsuki’s own. “Good boy,” he murmurs.

Pressed tenderly together, Deku continues babbling quietly to fill the peaceful sunset air. Katsuki nods along and holds his baby securely in his arms until he floats off into sleep.

Clack clack clack. With a watchful eye on Deku, lovely and sleep-soft against his chest, Katsuki quietly gets back to work.

[cloudteawrites]

chapter: five ( 4.7k ) rating: mature (death, past abuse, eventual smut) genre: mystery | romance | hurt/comfort tags: bts x reader | ot7 x reader | hybrid | poly summary: when an estranged uncle leaves you his massive fortune you wonder if the universe is playing a joke on you. when that fortune comes with seven hybrids, you know for sure that it is. << first < previous | next > last >>

The grocery store was a mess of color and light. You swore you’d never seen so much food in one place. 

Back when your mom had been alive, you’d never really gone to traditional grocery stores. You’d always just visited markets where your mom knew the vendors and could talk down their prices on ugly produce and day old bread. After she’d died, you’d eaten whatever the staff in the group home had provided, then whatever you could scrounge up from convenience stores. Most of the time since you’d aged out of social services, you survived off the free rice and kimchi available in your goshiwon. 

Occasionally, you’d eat at work with your free staff meal, but you tried to avoid it. You knew the sight of you wolfing down ramyeon and cold kimbap as fast as you could made Jiah worry. If she ever saw you looking too haggard, she’d try to slip some home made meals to the front desk of your goshiwon when you weren’t looking and that was as embarrassing as it was helpful. 

For as long as you could remember, the question of where your next meal was coming from had hung over your head like a dark cloud. It didn’t seem like that was going to be a problem any longer. 

Aisle after aisle stretched out before you, blindingly bright. It looked like an amusement park. You were finding it hard to stop staring. You reached out in a haze and picked up the juiciest apple you’d ever seen. Sure, you sold them all the time at Quickstop, but they’d always been dull and just the slightest bit bruised. This one was perfect: fire engine red and still wet from the mister. It was cold and heavy in your hands. You almost felt like crying.

“You good?” Yoongi is beside you, leaning over on the shopping cart, his chin in his hand. He looks dreadfully bored. 

“Yeah,” you tell him, setting the apple gently back in its place. “Yeah; just got distracted for a second.” You give a single tug on the front of the basket to move him along, and he follows, shuffling against the bright white linoleum. 

“Why aren’t you getting that?” He calls, just before you can round the corner into the dry goods aisle. You turn and look at him over your shoulder, confusion slightly furrowing your brow. “Don’t you want it?”

Your eyes flick from his face back to the glittering heap of fruit. You gnaw at your lip. “...They’re 6,000 won a kilo.”

Yoongi purses his lips. “That’s not what I asked you.” 

“I don’t need them,” you huff, trying to stave off the beginnings of another argument. “There’s more important things...like you three and getting you clothes and better furniture and-” Before you get the chance to finish, the gray haired man has ducked back around the corner. He returns with two three kilo bags of apples and dumps them unceremoniously into the cart. 

He looks up at you, brows raised and his eyes daring you to say something. All you do is sigh. “Yoongi-”

“Jimin likes apples.” He says, before you can get a word in edgewise. “They’re for him.” You can’t argue with that. He pushes the basket forward and you two drift down the next aisle. 

There’s a question resting on the tip of your tongue and as you compare brands of rice, you spit it out. “So...what do you guys eat? I read an article that said to mainly feed cat hybrids fish, but...”

“But we’re not house cats.” He finishes, flipping over a box of cereal to read the back. His nose wrinkles at something he finds and he slides it back onto the shelf. It’s cute, you think- or would be if you couldn’t see the tips of his razor sharp incisors poking out when his lip curled up. Yoongi senses your gaze and looks over at you. You look away quickly and make yourself busy reading a label. “We can eat pretty much anything you’d eat. Not too much processed shit or we’ll get sick. Whole foods are better.”

You nod, making a mental note to forego sodas and chips. “And when you’re shifted?”

He shakes his head. “We don’t really eat when we’re shifted down unless we plan on staying there for a long time.” 

You choose a 10 kilo bag of rice, tug it out from the shelf with a little grunt and plop it onto the basket’s bottom shelf. That was good, you supposed. You were worried you were gonna have to watch three big cats rip into raw meat whenever it caught their fancy.  “Why don’t I push the basket and you can pick out things Taehyung and Jimin would want?”

He nods and shifts to the other side of the aisle. “What’s my limit?”

You pause for a moment, then stand and fix him with a strange look. “What do you mean?” He isn’t looking at you. He’s comparing two brands of cereal, scanning the nutritional facts on the back. 

“How much am I allowed to spend on food?” he questions, simply. “-and what foods are we allowed to eat?”

You balked at him. “.. .you want me to control your diet?”

“I don’t want you to, but most owners prefer a certain look.” He turns his flat, yellow-grey eyes on you. “So what is it? No carbs? no sugars? Low fat? No fat? Dairy-free-”

“Oh my God, no!” You yelp before he can list any more diets. You’d said it a little louder than you’d intended and a well-dressed mom at the other end of the aisle fixes you two with an odd look before hustling her twins into another part of the store. You wince, but continue in a quieter but no less urgent voice. “I mean, I’m not gonna tell you what you can and can’t eat that’s…” 

“It’s not unusual,” Yoongi cuts in before you can give voice to your thoughts. He sets one of the cereal boxes, decorated with bright colors and little cartoon animals, back on the shelf and tosses the other -something in a dull green and white box with a little piece of wheat on the front- into the cart. “You didn’t feed us last night.”

A pang of guilt shoots through you. You curl your fingers around the bar of the cart, stare at your knuckles. “I’m sorry,” you tell him, with all the sincerity in the world. “I was tired -and I know that’s not an excuse- but I fell asleep without thinking of you guys. It won’t happen again.” 

“Relax,” Yoongi drawls.”It’s not the first time we’ve gone hungry; I’m sure it won’t be the last.” He starts drifting toward the end of the aisle, but before he can go, you catch him by the sleeve of his sweatshirt. 

There’s barely an inch of fabric between your thumb and forefinger, but the look Yoongi gives you makes it look like you’d yanked him back by the collar. He whirls on you, eyes narrowed and lips twisted into something sour. You’d overstepped by grabbing him. Still, you speak. “That was the last time. I mean it.” 

The hybrid’s face shifts from irritation into something unrecognizable. He’s looking at you like there’s an equation written behind your eyes that he’s trying to work out with his own, like if he looks deep enough into them he’ll find the answers etched across your sclera. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the seconds drag on, but you don’t look away. Instead, you hold his gaze and let the moment swell under almost unbearable tension.

Yoongi gives first. He tugs his sleeve out of your grip and shuffles back out of reach. “Whatever you say,” he scoffs, stalking off into the next aisle, his ears tilted back and tail tip flicking in irritation. 

You sigh. You’d done it again. The urge to catch him again wells up in you, but you tamp it down. ‘Time and space,’ you remind yourself. ‘Give him time and give him space.’ Satisfied once the distance between the two of you is enough, you go to follow after him, but hesitate as you pass the cereal he’d been looking at. You tug it off the shelf and place it in the basket underneath a few other things so it’d be hidden. You don’t know why and if he asked you about it later you were sure you’d draw a blank. If nothing else, you told yourself as you hurried to catch up with your hybrid, he’d have a choice.

The rest of the grocery trip passed in silence, just as it’d begun. Yoongi didn’t so much as look at you, but that was fine. You were focused on watching him. Anything that he gave more than a passing glance went into the basket. If the bobcat hybrid noticed your rapidly increasing haul, he didn’t say anything about it. He was silent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Even when you flinched as the cashier announced the total and you waffled between trying to walk home or calling a taxi. Even in the lobby then the elevator on the way up as Mr. Park talked both of your ears off and you had to stop him from carrying your groceries in and stocking the fridge himself, Yoongi had remained eerily quiet. It’d given you time to think. 

You didn’t know much about hybrids. If you were honest with yourself, you hadn’t known anything about them prior to what you’d anxiety-googled yesterday afternoon. You were so far out of your depth, it was miracle you hadn’t drowned yet. Still, you weren’t completely oblivious.

In between Yoongi’s open hostility, Jimin’s blase attitude toward his own objectification and what snippets you’d heard about Taehyung’s early life, you knew something must’ve been very, very wrong with the people who’d had them before they’d been foisted upon you. The expectation that you were supposed to treat hybrids like actual pets made you uncomfortable enough without the assumption that you’d be dressing them up like dolls and locking the snack cabinets at night. 

A spike of anger shot through you. They might’ve been different than humans but they were still people. They hadn’t deserved whatever shady things their owners had done to them and you didn’t want them to come to expect them from you. You shift the grocery bags up your arm, freeing up a hand so you can punch the code into the door. There was no way around it. The four of you would need to sit down and have a good long talk. 

The second you punch the code into your door it swings open. “Hey, Jim-” the greeting dies on your tongue. It’s not Jimin who meets you at the door, but Taehyung, freshly showered, the curly ends of his hair dripping water onto the white tile and the front of his sweatshirt damp. His eyes were still hidden behind his hair but you could see more of him than you’d been able to that morning when he’d shifted. 

Well, not more of him. He was wearing clothes now, for one- a dark brown version of the sweat suit Yoongi and Jimin both wore. He was taller than you, which you’d known when he’d wrapped his arms around you, but looking up at him now you have to tilt your head back a bit. “Oh,” you say, a little dazed. “Wow.”

The corners of his mouth quirk up in a smile. “Hi.” His voice is still as deep as it was this morning. Was it always like that? He turns his attention to the hybrid behind you and his lips part in a blindingly bright boxy grin. “Hi, hyung.”

Yoongi hums a hello and slips past you through the door. His shoulder brushes against Taehyung’s and the younger hybrid chuffs happily a little in his throat. He leans down as the older man passes and bumps their foreheads together affectionately. Their tails twine together briefly before the gray-haired hybrid is out of reach and dropping an armful of groceries off in the kitchen. 

“You shifted up,” you remark “Did something happen?” There’s a tick of concern in his voice. You step to the side of the doorway so the pair can talk without you in the middle.

Taehyung shakes his head, water droplets scattering. His hyung let out a hiss that erred just on the wrong side of animalistic as some of them hit him. You freeze, but the tiger hybrid just laughs. “No, Jimin and I were just-” His smile falters. You can’t see his eyes but his ears have twitched downward and his tail is suddenly stiff, only the tip ticking back and forth. The hybrid lowers his head, and you finally catch sight of eyes, gleaming amber and full of fear. Behind him, you see Yoongi catch a whiff of his junior’s souring scent and his head whips toward the pair of you, ears straight up and his whole body on high alert. 

Worry draws your brows together. “Taehyung?” you call softly. You reach out with your free hand to touch his shoulder, then think better of it. Your fingers hover uselessly and inch away from him. In this moment, that distance feels a mile wide. The line of his shoulders is rigid and he’s withdrawn into himself. “Taehyung, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you-”

“We went out.” He blurts, snapping his head up to look in your eyes. His own are wide and earnest. “You left your backpack open and I saw the list you made with all the phone numbers and passwords and the door code was on there and I really wanted to go to the park. Jimin told me to wait but I made him come with me; we were only gone for fifteen minutes, I swear. We didn’t even make it; the same police officer from earlier was still on the street.” 

“Taehyung-”

“Please-” he cuts you off before you can even get a word in edgewise. “Please, just punish me; Jimin didn’t do anything. The whole time he was trying to make me go back. He only went with me so I wouldn’t be alone.” 

Your heart wrenches in your chest. You do touch him, then. Your fingertips barely graze the material of his sweatshirt, but he flinches and you pull away. Your hand drops to your side, limp. “Can you and Jimin meet me in the living room?” You ask him, careful to keep your tone light and non-threatening as possible. “We need to talk.” His ears droop, but he nods and shuffles off to do as you ask. You trail behind him into the penthouse, making sure to give him enough space. The last thing you wanted to do right now was crowd him.

You drop the groceries on the counter in the kitchen and look up to find Yoongi squinting at you. He’s coiled up like a spring, ready to bolt at any moment. You try to give him a reassuring smile, but it comes out watery and wan. “It’s okay,” you tell him. “We’re just gonna talk.” You can tell he doesn’t believe you. 

Still, he follows you into the living room, takes a seat on the couch while you settle cross-legged on the ottoman across from him. A few seconds later, Jimin and Taehyung slink down the stairs. The tiger hybrid is clinging to his hyung who, for once, isn't smiling. Jimin’s face is settled into a cool mask of neutrality. You almost don’t recognize him. 

They sink into the couch on either side of Yoongi, their backs stiff and eyes on anything other than you. For a moment, the four of you sit there in uncomfortable silence. You speak first. 

“Jimin, Taehyung, Yoongi-”

“Y/N,” Jimin cuts in, “Whatever Taehyung told you-”

“-I’m sorry.” You finish. That seems to surprise them. You interlock your fingers on your lap and look at each one of them individually. “I’m sorry that I didn’t check to see if there was food in the house last night. I’m sorry that I didn’t make sure you had the things you needed to feel comfortable here. I’m sorry that I made you feel like you weren’t allowed to leave.” 

Taehyung swallows, his adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He’s got a death grip on Yoongi’s arm with one hand and the other fisted in the fabric of his sweatpants. “You...You’re not mad?” The tremor in his voice makes your heart ache. 

“No,” you tell him with all the sincerity in the world. “I’m not mad at you. I’m sad that you were ever around someone who made you feel like you needed to apologize for wanting to see the sun and I’m angry that they made you think that was something to be punished for.” It was true. Beneath your sadness, beneath your shock at his expectation of punishment, anger was twisting in your gut. What type of person would reduce another to fear and trembling for the sake of leaving the house? “I’m not going to...to punish you, I need you to know that.” You tell him, before looking at Jimin and Yoongi. “Any of you. Ever. I’m never gonna hurt you.” 

Taehyung’s jaw is clenched like he’s trying not to cry. All the wind has gone out of Jimin like a deflated sail and the leopard hybrid just looks exhausted. Yoongi’s rubbing soothing circles in both of their backs. You can’t tell from his face, but by the way his ears have relaxed, you think he was worried about your reaction, too. 

You let out a little exhale and slouch. “Whatever happened to you with your previous...the people you lived with before? It wasn’t okay.”  You’re as firm with it as you can be while still keeping your tone gentle. “They were supposed to take care of you and love you and help you grow, but if they starved you, if they made you feel this bad, if they treated you like property, then fuck them. I don’t want to be anything like them.” You admit. “I don’t want to be your owner and I don’t want you to be my pets.”

��What do you want us to be to you then?” Yoongi rasps. Despite the question, there’s no challenge in his voice. He’s genuinely asking. 

One corner of your mouth quirks up and you give him a small shrug. “Friends, maybe? Eventually, if we can. For now let’s try…” you search for the word you want. “Roommates?” You supply. “We live together, but you guys don’t need to feel like you owe me anything. I’ll get you phones tomorrow, if you want, and copies of the credit card. We can get you clothes and furniture too. And if there’s anything you want to do or want to see, go see it. The door code is 0613.”

The tension that’d run between the three hybrids like a livewire is gone. Now they’re...if not relaxed, then at least relieved. There’s nothing else to be said. You stand and move to hurry into the kitchen so the trio of hybrids can have their space. The last thing you wanted to do after having a talk about their freedoms was crowd them. Before you can take three steps there’s a hand wrapped around your wrist, holding you in place. It's Taehyung's. 

The tiger hybrid is looking up at you, his eyes beseeching and a nervous tremble in his bottom lip. “Don’t go,” he croaks, sounding like he’s still unsure just how to use his voice. He tugs once on your coat sleeve. “Please.”

Your eyes flick from him to his hyungs. Jimin’s looking at you with apprehension, perched on the edge of the couch like he’s a split second away from helping the tiger hybrid drag you down- but Yoongi’s face is turned away from you. As usual, you can’t tell what he’s feeling. “I’m just going to the kitchen,” you assure him. “I’ve gotta put the food away-” Your brain short circuits as the tiger hybrid flips your hand over and presses his face to your palm. His eyelashes brush against your lifeline; his lips trace the veins in your wrist. 

You’d never say it outloud, but it was hard to deny you were touch starved. You could count on one hand the amount of times someone had touched you gently since your mother died. You didn’t show yourself kindness most days and you’d come not to expect it from others. The world was cold and cruel, and you were far too old to be seeking solace from strangers. You’d thought you were above it, but the feeling of Taehyung nipping at your radial artery is almost enough to make you go to pieces. “Just a little bit,” he huffs, his voice muffled against your skin. 

“...The groceries will get warm,” you argue, finally managing to make your mouth move. “Do you wanna eat hot kimchi?” 

“I’ll put them away.” Yoongi is up and vaulting over the couch before you can get a word in edgewise. With him gone the last of your excuses goes up in smoke. Taehyung smiles against your skin and you let yourself be pulled down.

No sooner have your legs touched the cushion, then Taehyung is snuggled up against your side, his arms wrapped loosely around your middle and the cool tip of his nose pressed into your neck. “Tell me again,” he murmurs softly. “Can you tell me again that you’re not mad?” He wanted reassurance. The least you could do was give it to him.

You slip a hand into his hair, scratch gently at the base of his ears. He chuffs happily, the sound vibrating in his chest as he presses closer to you. “I’m not mad at you, and you’re not in trouble, buddy.” You tell him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

A warm presence on your left tells you Jimin’s settled in beside you. Sure enough, a second later a golden tail is tracing the edge of your calf. “Don’t leave me out,” he purrs, settling his chin on your shoulder.

You slide a hand into his hair too, letting the locks slip through your fingers as you pet him. “Never.”

The three of you stay like that for what feels like an hour. Even when their hyung finishes putting the groceries away and returns to sit with them -albeit at the far end of the sectional- they don’t seem like they’re in a hurry to disentangle themselves from you. You’re surprised to find you don’t mind it. The weight of two grown men against your shoulders was heavy, but not uncomfortable and they were warm and the steady hum of Jimin purring is almost enough to lull you to sleep. You cut a movie on and order samgyeopsal. You think they’re gonna kill the delivery man for making you get up, and they stay glued to your back even as you pay. It’s not until the first movie goes off and Taehyung and Jimin are playfully bickering over what to watch next that you’re able to slip away to the bathroom.

You shuffle quickly down the wide hallway, trying to remember which door the closest bathroom lay behind. You careen around a corner and run smack into someone. They let out a huff and you stumble back a few steps, an apology on your lips. You look up and find Yokngi there. Guilt bubbles up in your stomach. Between Jimin purring in your ear and Taehyung rubbing his cheek against your hand every ten seconds, you hadn’t even noticed he was gone. “Sorry,” you mumble. 

He quirks an eyebrow at you. “For what?”

You’re not even sure you know.

He stares at you and you stare back, frozen. Finally, the bobcat hybrid sighs and gestures at you. “C’mere,” he mumbles. 

You approach hesitantly, not trusting him to not suddenly snap at you. “Why?” You ask, apprehensive. Should you have not let Taehyung and Jimin scent you? He’d been around the entire time and hadn’t said anything, so you’d thought it was fine. Maybe you’d made a mistake. You gnaw at your bottom lip and creep slowly closer to the hybrid before you. Another miscalculation, another mess-up, another mile tacked on to that incalculable distance between you and Yoongi. Should you apologize again? Would taking a shower help wash their scents away?

Before you can volunteer to do any of that, Yoongi reaches forward, hooks one finger through your belt loop and drags you toward him. You feel a yelp crawling up your throat, but it’s stopped dead in its tracks by the feeling of Yoongi cradling your jaw and his lips pressed against the column of your throat. His spine is tense and his tail is ticking in the way it does when he’s irritated. “...What are you-?”

“They’ve both scented you.” He murmurs. “If I don’t, they’ll think I’m rejecting you. My job as their hyung is to put them at ease. If I can’t do that, I’m useless.” Despite his closeness, despite the way his fingers were slipping into the hair at the base of your skull, despite the little nips he’d started giving you, you could practically feel his reluctance.

You exhale and push against his shoulders. “Yoongi…” He doesn’t budge. “Hey-”

“There’s no good reason for me to not just mark you and get it over with.” There was that word again. You’d forgotten about it in the whirlwind that followed, but Jimin had joked about marking you earlier, hadn’t he? And Yoongi’d gotten upset with him. From what you were gathering, it was a lot more serious than scenting. 

“I don’t want you to.” That gets his attention. The hybrid pulls away and fixes you with an odd look, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“What are you talking about? Owners always want us to mark them.” You feel that same twinge of anger again. The articles had said scenting was a sign of trust and security. It was used to mark family members. Had the people they’d been with before forced their way into their family without the hybrids consent? Without Yoongi’s? No wonder he’d been touchy about his juniors scenting you right away.

“Well, I don’t.” You give him a gentle nudge and put a few inches between the two of you. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with or not ready for.” You offer him a smile you hope comes across as reassuring. “You not wanting to is a good enough reason for me. Besides,” you say, turning to head back to the living room, the original reason for your trip forgotten. “I’ve never been marked before, so it’s not like i’m missing out on anything.”

At that, something flashes in Yoongi’s eyes that you have no name for. It passes as soon as it’d come. “Come back when you’re ready!” You call over your shoulder, retreating back down the corridor before he can say something one way or another. 

When you settle back on to the couch two minutes later, There’s a movie queued up and ready to be played. It’s an action movie, one you haven’t seen before. “Yoongi’ll be back in a second,” you tell the boys. “Let’s wait for him.” 

Taehyung hums his ascent, leaning in to settle back in the crook of your neck- but something stops him. He hovers near your neck, takes a few short inhales and tosses a look at Jimin behind your back. You frown. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah!” Taehyung responds a bit too quickly, lacing your fingers together to distract you as Jimin gives the other side of your neck the same treatment. The leopard hybrid purrs, seemingly happy at what he’s found. His ears swivel up and a second later, Yoongi slinks back into the living room. 

“Hyung…” Jimin starts, his voice taking on a teasing lilt.

“Play the movie.” His hyung orders. He does, but there’s still a little smirk on his lips.

The screen darkens and the opening credits roll as Taehyung and Jimin settle back against your side, careful to avoid your neck. Yoongi drops onto the couch, this time only a foot away from the three of you. You allow yourself a little spark of relief. The distance was starting to close.

[juliasjustanidiot]

𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 | c!technoblade

the scent of estrogen - c!technoblade x reader

synopsis: trying to tell technoblade that you’re pregnant is much harder than it seems. especially when he’s already got a great big deal of stress of his back.

no pronouns mentioned, suggests female.

tw: pregnancy, vomit, uhhhh that’s it?

wc: 1.3K

you gazed at your partner with a big grin, watching as he looked through all of his chests, restocking his potions and fed his emotional support polar bear, steve. ecstatic, you couldn’t wait to tell him the big news that you had for him. being out in the middle of a tundra biome, not a lot of stuff happened, so when stuff as big as this comes up, you get giddy.

“what?” techno said rather gruffly, turning around slightly as he noticed your staring. his tone wiped the grin right off your face, a sinking feeling residing in your stomach.

“never mind,” you look away defeated. he sighed and went back to his work of brewing potions. 

being shut down immediately before you could get a word out hurt. it stripped any excitement you had. but you then remembered the news again and can’t help yourself but start smiling all goofily. surely he’d be just as excited as you. 

you subtly glanced over at techno, checking to see if he was still busy. there he sat, crushing up some blaze rods and sprinkling the powder in the strange purple liquid. 

you were surprised he hadn’t caught on already. i mean surely he can tell something is up right? doesn’t the extra estrogen give off some sort of pregnancy scent? you thought, contemplating when you were going to pop out the big news.

he turned again to get a look at you, seeing your smile again.“what? why do you keep looking at me like that?” techno responded to the staring after he caught your glance again, seeming even more agitated. your smile was snatched once again, now was not the time to tell him the one thing that might change his life forever.

“god, keep your panties on,” you said in a bitter tone, matching his own. “i was just going to…uh….let you know that… we need more potatoes! yes! we’ve run low and i want to cook something with potatoes, so i’m going to go get some,” you made up with your oh so creative mind.

“we have a whole sack full-”

“love you! bye!” you said, interjecting while giving him a kiss on the cheek and made a beeline for the door. you let out a sigh as you closed the door and headed off for what was assumed to be a trip to get potatoes. 

you had to tell him at some point, but how? it’s not like it was planned or anything. it wasn’t even clear that he wanted a baby. all of these doubts and worries crowded your head as you headed out, walking a little ways away from the cabin making your way to the potato farm.

your feelings were all mixing around inside of you like you were a pot of soup thanks to all the hormones pumping through your veins. all of those feelings made you queasy but you kept going because you had nothing better unless you wanted to stare at your boyfriend and hope that he could sense your big secret. 

on your journey, you noticed someone was already there. it was phil. you hadn’t exactly planned on telling anyone else yet. you decided to head back home and avoid conversation for now, but then he started calling out to you. “damnit,” you said under your breath as you turned to him with the biggest neighborly smile you could force. “hey, phil!” you forced out, “it’s so nice to see you!”

“what brings you here?” he said, coming over. you noticed he had his armor on along with his satchel. he held a pickaxe in hand which told you he had just gone mining. “i’m on a scavenger hunt, actually, phil. supposedly, my long lost father’s netherite collection that he left for me in scavenger hunt format. it will essentially make me the richest person in the land.”

“really?” phil said with a hint of interest.

“no, i’m here to pick potatoes, genius,” you said, over this social interaction. you just wanted to pick your potatoes and leave, after all you were still feeling a bit sick. maybe it was the fact that techno seemed all angry and annoyed at you, or maybe it was the actual pregnancy itself.

“funny, you’re really funny,” he said ironically, picking the biggest potato in front of him and tossed it up and down as you began to get a little sweaty in the cold cold tundra. “are you okay? you look pale,” he mentioned while turning his head slightly, examining your face. right then and there all of your breakfast escaped from your mouth onto the dirt and a couple of unfortunate potatoes.

“holy jesus, that tasted like crap,” you wheezed out while you wiped your mouth with your hand, feeling absolutely awful.

“geez, okay, what are you, pregnant?” he joked, rushing over to you and placing a comforting hand on your back. you stare at him wide-eyed and intense. he could definitely smell the pregnancy hormones. you could see his face drop in awe after he saw the pure anxiety on yours. “oh god, y/n, are you pregnant?!” he let out a small wail.

“yes, so shut up and get me some water and a place to sit down before i lose another meal,” you ordered him, still feeling extremely ill. morning sickness is a bitch.

you both walked over to phil’s cabin, across from techno’s, and he found you a seat on an old chair and went to go and get a bottle of water. you sat, zoned out, still trying to get over the fact that someone knew before you got to tell your baby daddy that he is a baby daddy. rubbing your fingers on your temples, you mentally pulled yourself together and prepared to practically be on a talk show where all your personal life gets leaked out into the open.

phil walked in with a big glass filled with water. before he could even open his mouth, you blurted, “i know you have questions, so i’m just going to give you all the facts i have. techno is the father and he does not know yet.” phil handed you the water and you gulped it down slow enough not to get sick but fast enough to satisfy your dried out mouth.

“do you plan on telling him?” he asked genuinely curious. you were slightly offended by this question considering how much phil knows you love techno.

“of course i do, he was just in a terrible mood. i wasn’t going to give him the biggest news of his life if he’s distracted. we both know why he’s in that state of mind,” you answered, remembering back to him telling you about quackity’s recent visit. techno was to go to the prison to visit dream. you had a terrible feeling about it, but techno was actually considering it. 

why would he trust quackity? the dude literally brought an army to capture techno and almost executed him had dream not stepped in. he would’ve lost one canon life and you were not going to have that happen again to your husband. you told him your worries and the piglin hybrid said he would take them into consideration.

“i know this is none of my business, but i would tell him. you shouldn’t have to go through this alone because life is ticking him off. raise your standards,” he suggested to you. phil’s words were actually quite comforting. there is no reason you should be puking in potato fields for him. he should be holding your hair back and putting ice packs to your forehead.

“thanks, phil,” you said as you moved away and grabbed a sack that was lying on the ground. quickly you picked some potatoes and headed home. at this point, the sickness had passed, and now you were feeling a little delayed rage. 

you swung the door open to the home you and your boyfriend shared for quite some time now and walked over to where techno was still messing around with potions. he looks over at you, but before he could say anything you slammed the sack filled with potatoes on the chest.

“i’m pregnant.”

·  · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── ·  ·  

written by @faithajo24​ & edited by me.

taglist: @aiyncel @etheriaaly

[jayeray-hq]

Is Ushijima Wakatoshi a Domestic Deity? Or Dud?

Post Time Skip/Manga Ending Spoilers!

Warnings: none all fluff

Choose your own ending platonic or romantic!

Domestic Diety? or Dud? Masterlist — Character Masterlist

Can He Cook?

“Wakatoshi, what on earth?” you asked doing your best to hold in your giggles.

Your stoic boyfriend was standing in the kitchen, spatula in one hand, chopsticks in the other, with an incredibly concentrated look on his face. It was a look normally reserved for his opponents across the volleyball net, but while that was funny on its own, what nearly had you in stitches trying to hold the laughter in, was the apron he was wearing.

It was frilly, cute, and just a bit too small with the words “househusband in training” printed boldly across the chest.

“Tendou told me it is common for partners to express their affection by making a home cooked meal for them,” Ushijima told you, the words immediately making you want to melt, at how utterly sweet it was.

Your poor boyfriend didn’t have the most social intelligence, he tended to flounder when it came to doing or saying the right thing when it came to people. This was especially true in your relationship, which you honestly put down to the slightly disturbing dynamic between his parents, who both loved him unconditionally but resented each other.

However, no matter what he did, he did it with the utmost sincerity, which you couldn’t help but find incredibly endearing. And you’d never say no to a home cooked meal.

“I appreciate it Wakatoshi, thank you,” you told him sincerely, walking up to hug him around the waist.

“I’m glad I can show you my appreciation this way,” he told you, folding you into a warm hug, the kind never failed to make you feel safe and utterly adored, “I will endeavor to cook more often if you like.”

“Only if you feel like it Toshi,” you assured him, “Because you make me feel plenty loved.”

He nodded seriously, gave you one last squeeze and turned back to the meal, checking to make sure it was cooking well. The good that night was pretty good, a few pieces were burnt here and there, but it was all edible, and to you it tasted amazing because it was an expression of how very much your boyfriend cared for you. Though you did have to stop and ask, “Where did you get the apron Toshi?”

“Tendou sent it to me, he said it would aid in my cooking abilities,” Ushijima told you seriously, “I do not know if it helped or not, and I’m not sure what a househusband is but it kept my shirt clean at least.”

You nodded and made a mental note to call Tendou later to scold him for not explaining the joke to your poor boyfriend even if the apron was very cute, and to thank him for the suggestion of the date then settled in to enjoy the meal, and the time with your very sweet boyfriend.

6/10 He Can Cook passably, nothing too special but enough to get by, and he does it out of love!

Can He Clean?

You glanced around the quiet apartment and let out a sigh of amused resignation. You’d come over because you wanted to see your boyfriend when he got home. Ushijima had, had a training camp in Europe, and had been gone for a couple of weeks. While he was very good at keeping in touch, calling you every evening at nine pm on the dot, which was something ridiculous like 6 am for him, you’d been dying to see him in person. There really wasn’t anything quite like being held by your strong, enormous boyfriend.

Thus you’d planned to surprise him by being at his apartment when he got home today, using the key he’d given you a few months ago. You’d even brought ingredients so you could cook him his favorite Hayashi rice. Unfortunately cooking was going to have to wait a while.

It was very clear your boyfriend had left in a hurry. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink, a full trashcan, and a quick glance in his bedroom showed dirty clothes flung around haphazardly, and there were definite hairs in the sink in the bathroom from shaving before he left.

It honestly wasn’t too surprising. Your boyfriend had actually grown up with a bit of a silver spoon in his mouth. His family was incredibly wealthy and actually had maids who took care of little messes like the ones he tended to leave. Usually he was pretty good about picking up after himself, so it wasn’t quite so bad, but apparently, he’d been having an off day when he left for Europe.

Deciding the last thing he needed to deal with when he got home was a messy apartment you immediately rolled up your sleeves and got to work. It didn’t take too long, just an hour or so to get the dish washer and laundry machine going, along with wiping down a few surfaces. However it did put you a bit behind schedule with your cooking, which meant it wasn’t quite ready when the door slid open and your boyfriend arrived home at last.

He blinked, clearly startled at the sight of you in his apartment, wearing his ‘househusband in training’ apron, but the startled expression melted pretty quickly into pleasure a small but utterly sincere smile turning his lips upwards.

“I’m home,” he told you, as you bounded over to him, practically flinging yourself into his open arms.

“Welcome home,” you returned brightly, “How was your trip?”

“It was very productive,” he told you sincerely as he glanced around the room, a slight frown on his face as he bluntly asked, “Did you clean my apartment?”

“I did,” you admitted, calmly.

“You did not need to do that,” he told you, with a frown that others might think meant he was angry with you, but you knew meant he was concerned and a bit worried, “It was unnecessary. I would have cleaned it for you.”

“I know,” you assured him with an affectionate smile, pressing a fond kiss to the underside of his jaw, “But I wanted to do it for you this once. Think of it as a welcome home present from me to you.”

“Thank you,” he immediately responded, deeply sincere and as endearingly grateful as ever for any gift you gave him, “Though I will endeavor to be cleaner when I leave next time.”

You simply laughed at that, acknowledging his point, feeling incredibly soft for your sweet boyfriend, who may not be the cleanest, but who was almost certainly the most sincere and endearing man you’d ever met.

7/10 He’s got the occasional mess here and there, but for the most part he’s fairly clean and will absolutely fix his mess if you ask him to!

Average Score?

6.5/10 Ushijima is just above average at cooking and cleaning so he’s not a dud, but he’s not a deity either! Not that it matters to him, so long as he can continue to be a deity on the volleyball court!

Like this? Please feel free to drop in to my ask box and make requests! Just make sure to read the rules first!

Want to commission me or just support my writing? Visit my ko-fi!

[script-nef]

How their relationship gets revealed (iii)

Characters: Akaashi, Oikawa, Sakusa, Tsukishima, Ushijima

Category: fluff

Akaashi Keiji

You’re a best-selling novelist and incredibly famous

Akaashi has been your editor for 3 years now

He’s such a hardworking and dedicated worker

You buy him a lot of presents and he does as well

Constant uploads onto social media with new gifts and meals together

Which happens a lot because you need constant feedback and reviews

And so your readers kind of ship you with him

Lightly, like “Y’all are cute together” and “I wish I have this kind of support”

They don’t actually think you’re together and also don’t want to force it on you

But little do they know that you’ve been dating for over a year now

Because Akaashi is:

1. Kind and caring 

2. Really hot/pretty 

3. The gentlest person you’ve ever met and 

4. Is incredibly professional and can separate work from personal feelings 

5. Just look at him

He confessed his feelings for you after your last book sold over a million copies

Because he was drunk after the celebration

But you also liked him and a new relationship was born

Mainly kept on the down low because it’s just easier

You and him both have meddling people around you

But feelings grew day by day

And you desperately want everyone to know your boyfriend is such a wonderful and amazing partner like scream it from the top of your lungs

And so a new book was made

In the dedications page, you wrote “To my other half, thank you for taking care and loving me”

Reader are surprised at the relationship update

But are super happy for you even though they don’t know who it is

The book is a really sweet and cute novel

Readers think it sounds kind of familiar for some reason…

And at the end of the book, it says “To Akaashi Keiji”

(Turns out it was loosely based on yours and his relationship)

The reading community is flipped and your book reaches bestsellers in record time

Oikawa Tooru

Oikawa comes to Japan for a match against the Schweiden Adlers

His return was met with thousands of fans and plenty of photographers and reporters

Every one of his fans were saying how much they love him and hope he wins

And tons of gifts are given left and right

He gives his ever-so charming smile and gracefully accepts them

An interviewer asks him what he missed most in Japan

He rattles off a list

“My family, my friends—Iwa-chan isn’t here though—Japanese food. There’s this wonderful ramen place in my hometown! I also have to see Mattsun and…”

The reporter smiles and nods to his replies

His fans are screaming how they’ll buy anything he wants in the background

He thanks them but that just makes them scream louder

Then his face goes soft, like he’s remembering a really happy thing

“...but I missed [Name]-chan the most.”

The reporter’s eyes widens along with all his fan’s

Even hardcore, and I mean hardcore, fans didn’t know about this

“They’ve been supporting me so much and it’s been ages since my last visit… I just want to see and hug them.”

His small smile is so full of love and affection, even a blind person could see he’s in love

They had zero idea he was in a committed relationship

Most of his fans scream that they hope he has a good relationship

(He ignores the ones that are shrieking“No!”)

Photos of you with him are uploaded after he wins against Schweiden Adlers 

He’s smiling like the sun in every single one of them

Sakusa Kiyoomi

Sakusa hates interviews and reporters

Because they keep sticking microphones, which is covered with theirs and everyone else’s germs, into his face

And expect him to be polite when he’s so uncomfortable

So he has a reputation for being a little (read: extremely) difficult for post-match interviews

Nearly everyone had given up

And then all of a sudden, he’s actually civilised in interviews

Like, answering questions and even smiling a little

Everyone’s thinking 

“Is he okay?” 

“What’s happening?” 

“Oh god he’s finally lost it after being in a team with 3 crackheads #PrayForSakusa2020”

In reality, it’s because you’re the one interviewing him

He doesn't want to do it for anyone else, but you insisted that he has to

And now he responds to other reporters as well (albeit incredibly unwillingly)

But he only smiles for you

Fans start noticing after 3 – 4 interviews

“Is it me or is Sakusa really nice when that reporter asks him” 

“No I noticed as well” 

“DOES HE LIKE THEM ASDISJDW IS MY BOY IN LOVE” 

“WHY IS EVERYONE DATING OR IN LOVE WHEN I’M SO ALONE”

After a match, you finish a live report which people can chat on (just say there is one)

It’s in a sheltered place so currently not a lot of people are around

And he doesn't walk away, just keeps standing there

He thinks the camera is off now, and so do you

But is isn’t it’s still on and going live

You’re about to pack up and walk away

But a small tug stops you

It’s Sakusa and the people are going wild because holy shit, is Sakusa actually touching someone??? Our clean freak?? Are my eyes deceiving me??

You take his hand (“What the hell?”) and softly ask “Kiyo? What’s wrong?” (“DID THEY SAY KIYO UGH CARDIAC ARREST”)

He mumbles about how he doesn’t want you to talk to his teammates, even for the sake of interviews (“IS SAKUSA JEALOUS??? OUR DETACHED BOY???”)

You giggle and ruffle his hair, kissing him over the mask (“I AM FAINTING CALL 119”) while saying you need to do your job

And then look over to the cameraman

Whose jaw is on the floor

And you can see the red blinking light from the camera

“Ah, shit”

Tsukishima Kei

His teammates (*cough* Koganegawa *cough*) outed him on social media

You were working overseas and came back after months

The day coincided with a practise match, but Tsukishima was able to excuse himself

So you’re having the time of your life with your saltTM

He’s actually a really nice and sweet boyfriend underneath all that salt and sass

Even made a date course to explore the city

Had a good lunch and some strawberry shortcake in his favourite bakery

You enjoy it immensely, so he was smiling secretly

But then his phone starts blowing up for some reason

When he checks it, there are thousands of questions flooding his messages and social media

Turns out Koganegawa slipped up

He was doing an Instagram Live and when someone asked where Tsukki was

Did he come up with a good excuse?

Nope, he immediately said “Oh, he’s out on a date!”

Everyone’s confused because our salt has a partner?? Since when??

And then he realises he screwed up, especially with how private Tsukki is

The only thing stopping the exposed boy from returning to the gym and throwing hands with the setter is you

You kept saying it’s fine and it’s okay

He reluctantly gives up on planning his revenge (not really though)

You distract him enough to go to the museum he’s going to be working at

And he later uploads a photo of you from behind while you’re reading a dinosaur’s description

(And a separate one where Koganegawa is in a dogeza pose)

Ushijima Wakatoshi

Schweiden Adlers won another match

Ushijima answers interviews, like he does every match

One particular reporter asks the root of his energy and passion

They expected an answer like “thirst for success” or “pride and honour” or something along those lines

But he smiles softly, which breaks everyone watching because they have never seen that before

But the next thing breaks them even more

He says “[Name], my spouse.”

His teammates knew about you but not everyone else

People are spitting their drinks out and absolutely flabbergasted

Even his own teammates because he didn’t seem like the person to say that

He says it’s your first anniversary as a married couple

But he’s overseas so he can’t be with you today

Says that he sent a present and he hopes you’ll like it

Then bows and just walks away to change

Like he hasn’t said the most scandalous thing since the start of his career

Tons of articles and Twitter posts are made about him and this new revelation

To the point where it’s trending #1

He doesn’t care though, and you really don’t either

It wasn’t that big or important of a secret

He just didn't mention it up to now because he didn’t see the need

He doesn’t have to publicise the extent of his love for you because you already know that

The present was a brand-new, top of the line laptop along with a new phone

The same brand as his (awww couple items)

So that he can FaceTime/video call you with HD quality

His teammates have to listen to him being sickeningly cute every night now

And complain about it on interviews 

#BestHusbandUshijimaWakatoshi starts trending

[klixxy]

Genshin Fic Recs

so... i ventured into the vast world of Google looking for some good GI fic recs... only to find such a pitiful amount that i was promptly devastated. therefore, the solution is to make my own! :D

keep in mind most of these will be ChiLi or XingYun, and yes, i will try not to include smut unless it was one i really really liked. if anyone wants a separate list for just smut (though that will most likely be shorter) i can try to make one later.`

ft. my bookmark comments :)

CHILI

wrapped up in pure gold by beyondwinter

(chili; accidental marriage; chili/childe-centric; 22k words; ongoing)

"Do you understand its meaning, Childe?" He finally asks. There's a hard glint in his eyes, like he's trying to steel himself for his answer.

"Yeah." Loyalty and devotion, right? Between business partners? "I do. It's traditional, isn't it?"

Zhongli's eyes glow a warm amber in the near darkness, reflecting the soft shine of the lanterns. He studies his face with a strange intensity, as though Childe were a piece of high quality Nocticulous Jade being sold for suspiciously small sum and he's trying to find the blemishes that would explain the price. The weight of his gaze should be uncomfortable, boring into him like he can see into the very depths of his abyss-tainted soul, but Childe finds himself preening under the attention instead.

Childe accidentally proposes to Zhongli. Zhongli accepts.

The World is Water by Millereflets

(chili; smut; hurt/comfort; chili-centric; 7k words; oneshot)

Childe doesn't visit Zhongli until it's almost too late.

(my bookmarks: HOW DO YOU MAKE A SMUT SCENE SO POETIC HOLY SHITTTTT)

Set in Stone by seredemia

(chili; fake dating au; angst; some smut?; chili/chiilde-centric; 55k words; ongoing)

What do you do when you write about a certain six thousand year old consultant so much in your letters that it somehow convinces your entire family you're not only dating each other, but that you're also engaged?

In Childe's case, the answer is plain and simple: he goes along with it, of course. Absolutely nothing can go wrong if he makes a contract with the God of Contracts, vowing that the two of them will pretend to be lovers for the duration of his family's stay in Liyue. Afterwards, they'll return as normal and speak no more of this mess. No feelings or complications involved whatsoever.

Contract accepted. A fool-proof plan set in stone. Right?

Private Ledger of the Eleventh Harbinger by JuHuaTai

(chili; humor; getting together; chili/ekaterina-centric; 5k words; oneshot)

“So guess what I did next?”

Ekaterina contemplated not answering, but Harbinger Tartaglia was just… grinning and waiting. It’s honestly rather creepy the longer time passed.

In the end, she gave a long suffering sigh that seems lost on him, “You bought him the Erhu—“

“I bought him the antique, cor lapis based Erhu,”

-

When she first left her homeland for the unknown nation of Liyue, Ekaterina was ready to be many things: To be a soldier, to fell Tsaritsa’s enemies in her name, to bring glory to Snezhnaya and her leader.

Being a receptionist in a cozy bank wasn’t so bad in comparison, but she absolutely can do without the front row seat to Harbinger Tartaglia’s (expensive) love life.

i know i'm where i'm meant to go by paperclips (pastel_paperclips)

(chili; humor; fluff; chili-centric; 12k words; ongoing)

"Childe," Zhongli says suddenly. "I am enjoying myself greatly." Childe’s face breaks into a grin. "Then-" Zhongli gasps, grabbing his wrist and tugging him over to an unsuspecting peddler with a cart full of rocks. "Is that an intrusive igneous pegmatite formed in the Inazuma regions?" Childe’s grin smooths into a small, adoring smile. He has all the time in the world to figure the other man out.

OR: Finding the Geo Archon is on Childe's to-do list but hanging out with Zhongli is significantly more fun.

CHILIVEN

Crumbling Stone by avtorSola

(chiliven; ANGST; PAIN; mind control; zhongli-centric; 74k words; ongoing)

When Morax unleashes his plan to test the Liyue Qixing and his adepti, he does not take into account the stirring of the Abyss Order in the north and the corruption of Dvalin - for why would he fear an organization that works in such shadows? He is secure in his power, after all, unlike his flighty ex, the absentee archon of Mondstadt who rises only when his people are in danger.

But, somehow, the Abyss Order discovers his plan. Somehow, they capitalize on it. And he, the God of Stone who cannot sicken, is struck down - taken by an order bent on destroying all of humanity as Liyue crumbles around him. For even Archons aren't immune to Durin's blood, and Morax is no exception. But then the question becomes - if even Archons may fall to the agony of this corrupting burn - how is their traveling friend Aether immune?

The answer comes from beyond the stars - an ancient malice that knows no kindness or mercy. A malice whose legacy the Abyss Order now bears, seeking to topple all the Archons and their people into the void of utter destruction. And they have begun in Liyue.

Fortunately, it takes a long time to erode stone.

(my bookmarks: IM SCREAMING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)

PLATONIC ZHONGVEN

left-behind city by trixstar

(platonic zhongven; angst; ANGST; venti-centric; 1k words; oneshot)

"An associate of mine has just informed me that Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon has been assassinated."

Venti blinks.

Or: Venti and how he copes with finding out he is all that remains.

i circle ten thousand years long; and i still do not know if i am a falcon, a storm, or an unfinished song by birdsofpassage

(platonic zhongven; angst; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 4k words; oneshot)

Venti and Zhongli, and the vignettes of a much-needed vacation around Mondstadt.

(my bookmarks: ; - ;      ;  -  ; )

oh ye with little faith by air_fried_air

(platonic zhongven; angst; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 2k words; oneshot)

Two former archons do a little tour around Mondstadt.

(my bookmarks: why are all genshin angst fics so melancholy.... i feel so empty)

the wind through the mountain tops by glassdrachma

(platonic zhongven; humor; hurt/comfort; zhongven-centric; 21k words; finished)

Boredom brings Barbatos of Mondstadt to bother a certain ex-Archon of the Earth.

(my bookmarks: venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship venti zhongli friendship-)

XINGYUN

the art of exorcism by Agried

(xingyun; ghost au; hurt/comfort; chongyun-centric; 9k words; oneshot)

On the road back from one of his jobs, Chongyun runs into Xingqiu, the wandering swordsman. And then they keep meeting, over and over again. or, alternately; how a ghost and an exorcist learn how to love, one step at a time.

Bane of All Evil by tzitzimeme

(xingyun; humor; romance; chongyun-centric; 24k words; hiatus)

When Chongyun unintentionally offends Liyue's second most powerful adepti, he vows to mend the thorny relationship between Adeptus Xiao and human exorcists-- even though no one has succeeded in currying Xiao's favor for over a thousand years.

His best friend Xingqiu offers to come alone, mainly because he's worried about what kind of trouble Chongyun will run into. Along the way, they receive help from others: Xiangling packs them meals for their journeys, while Zhongli gives them advice on what demons to track.

Childe is just there because he thinks the whole thing is hilarious.

[On indefinite hiatus due to burnout; sorry!]

kiss me slowly (so i don't forget) by xiwangmu

(xingyun; humor; romance; light angst; xingqiu-centric; 8k words; oneshot)

Wangshu Inn Bulletin Board

Guest Message: My best friend whom I harbor affections for kissed me last night, but due to his special condition he does not recall a single moment of it. I am quite conflicted about whether to disclose these events to him or not, because that would most certainly require me to confess my feelings as well. If anyone has experience in romancing boys with excessive positive energy, this one humbly asks you to share some advice.

Reply: Our greatest apologies—although we would like to offer some words in response, we simply cannot decipher your handwriting. Perhaps you may return with a neater message next time?

time trials by idlestars

(xingyun/many ships; humor; modern au; xingyun-centric; 2k words; oneshot)

A modern social media AU.

Xingqiu Teases Demons. Chongyun Almost Cries. [The clip shows Xingqiu, lit by the sickly green of night vision, as he stares bored into a dark room. He’s alone - Chongyun left to see if Xingqiu could lure out the ghosts. Xingqiu glances at the camera, smirks, and then opens his mouth.

“Hey demons, it’s me, yah boy.”]

OTHER/GEN

woe be the wallet of the god of wealth by glassdrachma

(gen; humor; identity reveal; keqing/zhongli-centric; 12k words; finished)

Or, the story of how the Yuheng of the Qixing came to idolize, befriend, and discover the identity of the God of Geo, in that order.

(personal comments: hilarious, made me burst out into laughter multiple times, and was just a masterful piece of writing)

to dream of dust by miao_x

(guili/gen; ANGST; hurt/no comfort; zhongli-centric; 5k words; oneshot)

Some nights, Zhongli dreams.

He dreams of soft light, golden song, and a gentle breeze whispering tales of millennia past. It is warm, familiar, and comforting.

It feels like home.

And then he opens his eyes, and awakes to reality.

(my bookmarks: oh zhongli... made me cry)

To drown in your own tears by C_rin_nyan

(guili/gen; ANGST; TEARS; PAIN; zhongli-centric; 2k words; oneshot)

As Rex Lapis, he had never shed a tear, even as he slaughtered hundreds, destruction following his every step. As Zhongli, he had shed much more than he would like to admit, however.

Or, “Zhongli’s soul gave its last scream long ago, yet even now, the echo of said sound was still strong enough to reach Rex Lapis.”