#i tweaked the hearts ones a tiny bit

[divadoom]

[sunnys-sonata]

Save me 🥲

[clandestineloki]

miguel o'hara x shy crybaby housewife!reader (p3)

[based off of a request where a kind anon asked me 2 write one where he snapped at her, tweaked it a little bit so he's actually not mad at her but more concerned, it just came off in the wrong way]

tw: mentions of blood and wounds from shards, suggestive bit at the end

miguel whos just gotten out of the nice warm bath you made for him

having put on a tight white shirt and sweatpants, drying his hair when he hears a something breaking in the kitchen followed by a scream

he rushes to the kitchen where his dimensional jump watch is on the ground in pieces, debris all over

and you're kneeling over it, trying to pick up the bigger pieces

"shit!" he yells, kneeling down and surveying the damage. "get away from that!"

"i'm sorry!" you cry, clearly shaken. "i-it was on the table and i hit it with my elbow-"

"i know- please don't- just let me-" miguel tries to gently usher you away, but you shake your head.

"it's my fault," you cut him off. "i'll clean it up-"

"I SAID GET AWAY! THIS COULD EXPLODE SO LET ME FUCKING HANDLE IT, ALRIGHT?!"

it stuns you into complete silence, making you flinch away and lean against the kitchen counter.

miguel sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"sorry." miguel says bluntly without looking up. "just- fuck- the last time this happened it broke my nose so don't touch anything-"

he pieces the parts of the watch together, brows furrowing when he sees the tiny projector panel is missing. "what? where's the-"

shaky hands place two broken pieces of the projector panel in his hands

his brows furrow when he sees there are specks of blood on your palms

and he realizes you were trying to fix it on your own :((

he looks up and you're staring up at him with tears in your eyes, your bottom lip wobbling as your breathing quickens and the tears stream down your cheeks.

"i-i'm sorry," you whisper, and his heart shatters

"amor-"

before he can react you stand up and flee to the bathroom

"oh no," miguel leaves the watch pieces right there on the floor and follows you

he finds you at the sink

running your hands through warm water as you cry quietly

miguel feels immense guilt for yelling at you

he wraps his arms around you from behind as he looks at you in the mirror

"bebita," he whispers. "let me help you..."

you're still looking down, avoiding his gaze, and he sighs, pressing a kiss to your neck.

"bebita, i'm sorry," he mumbled. "i was scared you'd get hurt, i didn't mean to yell at you..."

you sniffle, turning off the tap. "i messed up."

"we all do," he whispers. "i messed up too, you didn't deserve that, you were just trying to help."

you shake your head, turning to face him and showing him your palms filled with cuts. "yeah, n' look what happened."

"you think too lowly of yourself, cariño," he lifts you up on the counter, taking the first aid kit from the drawer and fishing out the tweezers, some cotton and some rubbing alcohol.

he presses a kiss to your lips. "i'm not mad at you for this. i want you to know that. i had no right acting like a jackass."

you laugh softly through tears, and he smiles sadly, taking your left hand and looking for your injuries

the next few minutes are completely silent as miguel picks out the tiny shards from your palms

he kisses each palm when he's done, then pours some alcohol on a cotton ball.

"bebita, this might sting a bit. take a deep breath for me."

you start sobbing, and he looks up at you.

"bebita, i haven't even put the alcohol-"

"i'm sorry," you whimper, crying harder, and his heart breaks again.

"amor," he leans in, brushing stray hair away from your face and thumbing at your tears.

"you're very pretty even when you cry, but please don't be sad..."

miguel pulls you into a hug and you let it all out while he shushes you softly, kissing your hair and whispering words of love

patiently waiting for you to come back to him, wiping away your tears and sniffling, looking up at him with a tentative expression.

miguel smiles. "there she is," he mumbles, kissing you sweetly. "nobody's mad anymore, i know you meant well, you always do."

he kisses your nose. "i love you."

"love you too," you whisper, and he smiles.

"do you want to watch a movie with me while i clean you up?"

"mhm."

"your pick, amor. anything you want, anything-"

"can we watch top gun?"

"no."

"but you said it was my choice!"

"anything but that! you know i hate top gun!"

"we watch top gun or im not cooking paella for a month"

"BEBITA POR DIOS!"

you giggle and he sighs.

"fine. you're lucky you're the love of my life... and that i dont know how to cook my own paella."

"how about this?" miguel lifts you up in a princess carry.

"i'll watch top gun with you WITHOUT complaining if you promise to never let me yell at you like that again."

you look at him in confusion. "but-"

"promise me." he whispers.

"okay," you nuzzle into his neck. "i promise."

"good. and remind me to eat you out more often im forgetting how good you taste ;)"

"MIGUEL!!"

[evielmostdefinitely]

Pls do something with peacekeeper!Coriolanus I have yet to see anyone do that trope + I feel like he’s more mean and protective in that era

mastermind |peacekeeper!coriolanus snow x capitol!reader|

prompt: based off above prompt, but wanted to tweak it a teeny tiny bit so this is how coriolanus meets capitol!reader. the plot of the original film is altered a little to fit this.

contains: tw- violence, guns, shooting. dark, protective, manipulative coriolanus. not super heavy, but there are some kinda darkish themes so read at your own discretion.

“Snow,” Commander Hoff’s gruff voice rang through the doorway, hitting Coriolanous head on, his heart lurching with fear. They found out about Lucy Gray, that she’d escaped after Mayfair and Billy’s death. Or maybe worse, maybe she hadn’t headed north, maybe she’d told them. 

His mind raced as he took a step forward, helmet in hand respectfully, hoping Hoff wouldn’t see the way his hands trembled. “Commander, Sir.” Snow held his head high. If this was to be the end, he wouldn’t go out crying. Not like Sejanus- no, Corio would have pride. 

Hoff set the papers down on his desk with a huff, head jerking back for Coriolanus to come towards him. “Snow, I need you to escort Miss Duke to the Mayor’s office.” He nodded towards the corner. “I guess with the recent tragedy of his daughter, Mayor Mayfield’s mind has been elsewhere. He didn’t get his quarterly tesserae count turned in. The Capitol sent Miss Duke to get them, so make sure she gets there.” 

Coriolanus’ eyes wandered to you, standing in the corner properly, hands clasped elegantly in front of you. A shining beacon in the dark skies of the coal country, a glimmering ray of good after all the bad Corio had. He could tell you were from The Capitol, though you tried to dress more humbly for the visit to the district, he supposed. 

You gave him a smile, and for a moment, Corio’s heart leapt with excitement. That familiar rush of heat returning, coursing through his chest. “Private Snow will take you there, Miss Duke. He’s one of our best. On his way to officer training in Two. You’re in good hands.” Commander Hoff nodded. 

You thanked him quietly, kitten heels clicking across the hardwood floors. Coriolanus followed you, trying to keep his stoic expression, though his eyes wandered to the swell of your ass, hugged perfectly in your dress. 

“Snow,” Commander Hoff called before he left. “A word?” 

The icy chill of fear flooded back into Corio’s system, gripping the knob. You didn’t seem to notice, nodding politely, shutting the door behind you. 

“Sir?” Coriolanus swallowed the lump in his throat, approaching the desk slowly. 

Hoff leaned back in his chair. “You know who that is, right?” 

Coriolanus blinked. His mind had been so occupied with his impending doom, his fate had seemed to turn and tread on the worst sides of things, he was so sure it would continue. “Miss Duke?” 

Hoff blinked at him, laughing softly. “Yeah, Duke, Snow.” He pressed. Coriolanus felt dumb, small like he did when he talked to Highbottom. “Snow, does the name Atticus Duke mean anything to you?” 

Coriolanus' eyes widened lightly, turning towards the door in surprise. “Atticus Duke? The-” 

“-The man who owns half of Panem?” Hoff snorted lightly. “Yeah, that’s his youngest out there. Only girl, alright?” 

Coriolanus felt his curiosity peek. He’d been wallowing in the loss of Lucy Gray, he didn’t even put it together. Thinking you were just another Capitol girl. Not the Duke Heiress. 

“Yes, sir. I-I see that now.” Corio nodded dumbly. 

“Good. So you know that her father paid for the destruction of the rebellion? That he funded the Capitol? And that if these people see her, those fucking Rebels are likely to want to hurt her?” Hoff pressed, his eyes narrowed in seriousness. “And that if something happens to her, our entire platoon will be hanging from that tree- or worse?” 

It shouldn’t have made Coriolanus as excited as he was. The thought of having that much power. He could easily have that level of control, have people quaking with fear- even the powerful ones, trembling at his feet the way Atticus Duke did. Oh, how he envied it. How he craved it. 

“Yes, sir.” Coriolanus nodded. 

“Snow, listen to me.” Hoff sat up straight, leaning over the desk. “If any of them get close to her, no mercy- do you understand?” 

Coriolanus nodded again, spine straightening with authority. “I have others trailing and leading the both of you- crowd control, but I wanted her to feel safe. Feel welcome. So I stuck her with you. Figured a familiar face from the Capitol would put her at some ease. Keep her from telling her father something that would have him questioning my rank and order around here.” 

“I understand, Commander.” Coriolanus said firmly. “I’ll keep her safe.” 

“Wow,” You muttered, looking around the cobbled street. The Peacekeepers ahead of you barking orders, scaring off any pedestrians wandering about. “Is it always like this?” 

Corio blinked, his gun cradled in his hand, finger on the trigger- ready. “Always like what?” 

“This,” You waved around you. “It’s very…” 

“Depressing?” Corio muttered, a grumble, eyes scanning the perimeter in front of him over the gray skies and smog filled air. 

“Yeah.” You smiled softly. “I pictured it… prettier?” 

“It’s the coal district, Miss Duke.” Coriolanus said, the barrel of his gun pointed for backup at a scurrying coal miner. 

“So that’s what makes it so sad?” You challenged, brow raised. 

Corio didn’t answer. He knew what you were implying, and he wouldn’t humor it. Instead, his eyes scanned the street. “May I ask why you’re here?” You asked, tilting your head to the side. 

“What?” Corio snapped, harsher than he meant to. 

“Why you’re here?” You repeated. “I, uh, I don’t want to sound rude. I just- I saw you on the games. You were the mentor who won. I just, I figured you would be at University with the others.” 

“I made an enemy. A powerful one.” Corio quipped shortly, jaw set. He couldn’t let his mind race and spiral, not now. He needed to stay focused. 

“Oh,” You muttered, looking down at the wet, broken road. “I’m sorry.” 

Corio’s heart skipped, maybe with joy, maybe with fear. “May I ask you why you’re here?” Coriolanus asked, eyes cutting down towards you. 

“I have to get the count for the tesserae.” You motioned towards the Mayor’s office before you. “I have to take them back to The Capitol.” 

“Yes, but,” Corio paused, scanning the area. “You’re- Surely, you don’t need to do that, Miss Duke.” He muttered, voice dropping to a low octave. 

You blushed, sheepishly looking towards your shoes, ruined from the muck in the road. “So, Commander Hoff briefed you on me?” You grinned. 

Coriolanus didn’t answer. “I already knew.” He lied easily, eyes cutting to you. “We’ve met before. In passing. I was Sejanus’ friend.” 

“Oh,” Your face fell. “Right. I-I am so sorry for your loss. It was-” 

“-Yes.” Corio nodded, the bile rising in his throat. “We-We met at the Academy’s Ball two springs ago.” 

You turned, looking at him fully for the first time. He tried not to blush, icy eyes meeting your own for a moment. “That’s right.” You grinned. “You-You had longer hair. Tigris’ cousin?” 

“Yes.” Coriolanus nodded. 

“She was apprenticing for my aunt.” You smiled softly. 

Corio looked at you, his rigid posture slacking just for a moment, relaxing in your presence. “Why aren’t you doing something like that?” He asked, brows furrowing for a moment. “Or in University, yourself. Surely that would be… more appropriate than this.”

You bit back a smile, chin ducking down. “Maybe.” You shrugged. “I like this job, though. I get to see the Districts.” 

“Why would you ever want to do that?” Corio snarled lightly. “I can’t wait to get out of them. Get away from these people.” He muttered bitterly. 

You blinked at him, eyes narrowing lightly, stopping before the steps of the Mayor’s building. “You seemed quite fond of that song bird you helped win.” You countered. “And she was among these people.” 

Coriolanus was stunned, mouth opening stupidly, before swallowing his jumbled words. Instead, he offered you his arm politely for you to steady yourself on while you climbed the steps to the Mayor’s office. 

Coriolanus waited outside the office at attention while you collected the tesseraes for the quarter from a distraught, and clearly drunken, Mayor Mayfield. His slurred speech, pores sweating out whiskey soaked odor. 

You took the envelope, thanking him before quickly slipping out. Coriolanus stood beside you, falling back into step with you, the other Peacekeepers joining around the two of you. 

“You’re returning to The Capitol today?” Corio asked, though his eyes stayed straight ahead. 

“They asked me to stay the night.” You answered simply. “Something about a train leaving in the morning?” You looked at him carefully. You knew he was to join you with the others. You’d given the orders from Dr. Gaul to Commander Hoff that morning.

Coriolanus frowned, turning to you curiously. “Tomorrow? Why would they make you-” 

The ravenous bark of Peacekeepers in front of you made you jump, a deranged looking man, covered in soot from the mines, charging at you with a vengeful pace. You froze, clutching the envelope in front of you like a shield, glued to the concrete in pure fear. 

“Gimme that envelope, you stupid bitch!” The man roared, mere feet away from you. “Get my daughter’s name outta there! Take it out!” 

You flinched, bracing for the impact of him hitting you, his body hurling towards yours. It never came. Instead, a shot behind you had a gasp tearing from your lungs. The bullet so close to your own head, you heard it whizzing past you like the June Bugs that flew in the fields in the countryside of the district. 

The man grunted, a bloody gurgle, a crimson patch seeping through his stomach. The other Peacekeepers seized him, shouting and grabbing at him, hauling him away roughly. Your hand trembled, pressing to your lips. Coriolanus stood behind you, gun lowering, finger still on the trigger. 

His face was hard, stoic, eyes narrowed dangerously- furiously. “Come on.” Coriolanus muttered, a hand gently on your back, guiding you forwards. The crowds were peering, poking around at the sound of gunshots, the groans and screams of the man. “We need to get you to the Commander’s Quarters.” 

“Snow, hey, look we-we didn’t see him-” One Peacekeeper jogged frantically, hands trembling in fear. “He just- He came out of nowhere. I’m so sorry, Miss.” 

“It’s alrig-” 

“-Come on.” Coriolanus hissed, cutting your apology off short. “We need to get her back quickly. Can you manage that?” He snapped at the other boy. 

The other boy faltered for a moment, scrambling back into line. You were still shaking, pushed into Corio’s side far closer than what would be appropriate for two strangers. “He-He was just saying sorry.” You muttered, your own eyes scanning around you. 

“He nearly got you killed.” Coriolanus snapped, his eyes hard but they never met your gaze, scanning around you protectively. “His carelessness nearly cost you your life.” Cost us all our lives, Corio thought. 

You didn’t respond, only stepping with his quickened pace. 

“Are you alright?” You asked Coriolanus, peeking around the corner of the train station towards him. 

He was surprised to see you, though he supposed he shouldn’t have been. He assumed the ‘Princess of Panem’ would have her own private carriage on the train, not subjected to riding with him. 

“I think I’m supposed to ask you that.” Corio gave a half smile, a tone much lighter than it was before. 

You blushed, looking down. “I’m alright.” You sighed lightly. “I told your Commander that. I promise I don’t need an escort back to The Capitol.” 

Coriolanus looked down at his bags. “I’m not- I’m returning to The Capitol as well.” He said, chest boasting at the words. 

“Oh?” You lifted a brow. “No District Two?” 

“No,” Corio shook his head. “I’ve been asked to return.” It was vague, and he knew it- knew it piqued your interest. 

“Well, congratulations. I’m sure your family will be excited.” You smiled politely, lifting your own overnight bag when the train doors opened. 

“Here,” Coriolanus stopped you, reaching for the strap of the bags. Your hands brushed in the smallest way. Overlapping as he took the bag politely, a surge of electricity jolted between both of you, rapid sparks that would crescendo in the days, weeks, years to come. 

You blushed, turning your head to hide the way it flustered you. It was so embarrassingly juvenile, his eyes sparkling, lips tugging in a grin when he looked at you, pinky grazing over your knuckle just for a moment before he held the bag. 

“Allow me.” Coriolanus was smug, proud, pulling the bag up. He let you on first, placing the bags away, eyes cutting towards you. You were stealing a glance at him, turning after being caught sheepishly. 

You had the window seat, looking out at the smoggy station. “Is this seat taken?” Corio asked, hand resting on the arm of the seat next to you. 

You shook your head, moving your hands to your lap. You were so poised, Corio knew it had been drilled into your head since you were young, just as it was to him. His mind raced with excitement, the idea of getting you to be so improper, defile you. 

“Do you know your orders once you return?” You asked, looking at him carefully. The trains whistle trilling in the background. 

“I’m not sure.” It was a complete lie, he only knew a fraction of what awaited him when he returned. All the more reason he needed an ally, a powerful one at that. 

“Why?” Corio pressed, leaning forward to look at you. His dog tags hung loosely around his neck, draping over his underclothes of his uniform. It made your heart race. 

“I was just curious.” You shrugged, swallowing gently. 

“You were wanting to see me again?” Corio pressed, boldly. His heart skipped when you whipped around, staring at him with a wide eyed expression. 

“W-What?” You choked out, trying to remain calm, composed, but your heart was beating so fastly you were sure it would burst. 

“Were you wanting to see me again?” Coriolanus hummed, shifting in his seat to turn towards you. You were pressed against the glass, pinned by his gaze. “Because I was hoping to see you again. If you’d have me.” 

“You would?” You squeaked, sure that your fluster was apparent all over your face. 

“If you’d let me.” Corio purred smoothly. “I’d like to take you out sometime. Get to know you better. I’m very,” His fingers brushed over your own hand, satisfied at how you shuddered. “Interested in getting to know you.” 

You swallowed. No man had ever been so direct with you. He’d saved you the night before, so effortlessly. The feeling of his bicep around you, shielding you away, strong and steady. It had you sneaking your fingers between your thighs later that night shamefully at the thought. 

“I-I would like that.” You nodded, mind screaming when his hand held your, cradled with such care, you almost forgot how brutal he was yesterday. 

“Tomorrow?” Coriolanus asked, head tilting to the side. He wanted to set the date before you forgot, before you had time to ask around about him or think too much about his actions before. 

“That-That would be lovely.” You nodded, tongue swelling thickly in your mouth, heart hammering as he pushed closer and closer. 

His hand cradled your jaw softly, thumb stroking over your cheek bone. “May I?” Corio hummed, eyes lustful. 

You nodded. You weren’t quite sure why, you’d certainly never done something like this before. But then his lips were on you, hand cradling your jaw, moving to the back of your head gently. He migrated into your chair, somewhere between the Districts, hands on your back, pulling you in closer and closer. He kissed you like a man starved, possessively and passionately all at once- it made your head spin. 

It dawned on Coriolanus, what Dr. Gaul was talking about. Sacrifice, while brutal, was necessary. Losing Lucy Gray, Sejanus, without that would it have ever brought you to him? He would be in the woods, starving with a girl who nearly used him to survive, or hanging from a tree next to Sejanus. Certainly not sitting side by side in the train car, stealing small smiles and gentle kisses with you. His fate had turned, re-routed and he could see it now- his future, his empire with you. 

[kaeyacollection]

Who's ready for my Master Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss Crepus Theory!!

I originally posted this over at Hoyolab and people there seemed to really like my favorite joke theory that Crepus just tries to gaslight the whole of Mondstadt right after obtaining Kaeya

Majority of this will be the same but with little tweaks for the wonderful tumblr audience

This joke stems from Kaeya's introduction:

and the use of the word "rumored"

Cause it's not like it said beyond Teyvat or the seven nations just Mondstadt

And I mean like c'mon how many families are living off the grid in Mondstadt

(Actually... Don't answer that I forgot Glory's boyfriend is just

Out there in the bush with Razor...)

Initially I had the idea of Crepus walking around the markets one day carrying Kaeya with Diluc beside him running into Varka who asks:

"Who's the boy?"

"You mean my son?"

"Not Diluc the boy you're carrying"

"I have two sons? You know this??"

But then the Caribert quest came out mentioning Kaeya ran away from home near immediately and was dragged home by Crepus just as fast and it became even funnier

Cause imagine you're by the docks one day and richest man in town gets off the boat with no cargo but instead a tiny child you may not have seen before that Crepus seems to be very cross with at the moment and threatening to turn him into a leash kid if he runs off again

In a small town that loves gossip do you know how fast that information is spreading? Cause I do and Varka's knocking on Crepus's door 30 minutes later like:

"Is this what we're doing? We're just taking kids now?"

Both paths lead to Varka asking where Kaeya comes from and getting hit with a

"I think you're a bit too old to still be confused about the birds and the bees Varka"

Varka getting frustrated to the point he just starts demanding Kaeya tell him what's up

Love to see him following in his fathers footsteps of stressing Varka the fuck out

And upon hearing how his birth father left for juice and didn't return Varka went

"Good! That was ALL I needed to know!!"

Follow ups on if his father intended to abandon him or got lost in the storm and needed a search party?

Don't care!! You weren't kidnapped!!

Welcome to the knights! 🤝

Which bringing it back to it only being a rumor

In a town of alcoholics, who's gonna call out the one guy with the winery?

Here's some add ons that got sparked from the comment section 😘

Bonus panels would have included Varka showing up with Rosaria one day mimicking Crepus about "wHaT you ForGot I haD a Kid" sparking a trend within the community of just adopting random children to the point posters are made saying "In Barbatos name: See a child Take a child"

Alice seeing it and pulling a "when in rome" tucking both Albedo and Diluc(who is yelling he is an adult) under her arms and telling Klee if she ever sees someone in need of a mom let her know she'll send over the paperwork right away

And then the last bonus: Venti wakes up, walks in through the gate while playing a tune, and stops when he sees the poster, not sure if he needs to start yet another revolution, or if this one is fine actually

I imagine the posters had to be taken down because visitors were losing their kids left and right and the solution of parents pinning a note saying "not dead & still want custody" to their kids shirt didn't catch on but the saying still lives strong in the hearts of Mondstadt's citizens I mean look Bennett and his 27 dads Mondstadt may have a lot of orphans but the demand is even higher

Comment on original post:

"I have a headcanon where Kaeya fooled first Crepus, then the rest of Mondstadt but.this is too funny!! I want to see this happening!"

Which prompted one of my new favorite lines at the end:

"Wait by fool Crepus first do you mean like Crepus finding him out in the storm bringing him inside to ask him where he lives and Kaeya's just

"? I live here? You adopted me? Are you feeling okay?"

Cause I'm absolutely cry laughing over this that's so good but that also means when Kaeya runs away Crepus is just

"hey no no l'm not misplacing you a second time come home" "

[munsonthings86]

hello, can I request a Steve Harrington fic where r working too hard for school and has been pulling all nighters frequently to keep track. R ends up being too tired and falling a little sick and not leaving the house except for when she has to go to school and her friends notice, Steve notices. Steve comes over, tries to help her and something along those lines. You can write it however you want, you can change it up if you want. Thank you :)

thank you for the request! tweaked it just a tiny bit, hope you enjoy :)

contains: cursing, fluff, overworked reader, soft!steve harrington, forgotten date, 1.0k words

School. Study. "Sleep". It was an endless, mind-numbing cycle that you were convinced was spiraling you into borderline madness. The condition of your bedroom was identical to how your brain had been feeling for the past week: cluttered and chaotic. With empty coffee cups littering your small floral desk, and your blush duvet covering more of the carpeted floor than your actual bed, you could hardly even recognize the room anymore.

The dirty laundry strewn across your floor would often trip you when you walked, but the assignments that you were practically drowning in made it impossible to shift your focus onto tidying the place.

You'd become a hermit; only leaving the comfort of your home to go to school and occasionally, the library, on the days that your room felt like more of a prison than a place of rest. Robin and Nancy, along with your boyfriend Steve, were certain you were avoiding them like the plague. They'd beg you to hangout with them, even bribing you by offering to treat you to lunch at the local diner, but the only thing you could say in return was a dry, "maybe later".

You didn't mean to be cold to them, but you were laser-focused on your agenda, determined to work first and play later. It's what led you to where you were now: head buried in your third textbook of the night, butt aching from being sat on your wooden chair for far too long.

On a Friday night of all.

From your window, you heard people, around your age you assumed, parading the streets and laughing loudly– enjoying their simple, young lives. Something you wished you could be doing too. But your work wasn't going to do itself.

You were color-coding the notes on your flashcard when three knocks sounded at your door, to which you mumbled a soft, "Come in," that even you barely heard. Your mother walked in, a mess of flour and an assortment of seasonings splotched on her apron from cooking dinner. "Honey, Steve's here," she smiled softly, though it was evident on her face that she was biting back the urge to tell you to clean your room, bless her.

The yellow highlighter you had was soon forgotten as your eyebrows furrowed, wondering what Steve was doing here. He usually called first.

Steve gave her a sweet grin when he passed her, leaving the door slightly cracked open, per your mothers request. In his hands he held a large box of pizza and a bouquet of pink roses; looking as dashing as ever with a crewneck and blue jeans adorning his body, with his hair being the perfect kind of messy.

You can't help but smile when you see him.

"Well, this is a rare sighting," he laughed, referring to you, "Should probably get this on camera." He kicked his white sneakers off where your own shoes were piled at, setting the pizza box down on your dresser.

"Very funny," you deadpanned, arms crossed on top of your chest. "What're you doing here?"

Steve approached you, something like a frown weighing on his lips. He taps the bouquet against his chest a couple times when he gently reminds you, "It's Friday."

You almost want to reach into your own body to catch your heart when you feel it completely sink. Friday's were you and Steve's designated date nights, never missing one since the two of you began dating a couple months ago. With the way you'd been so stressed and busy lately, it had completely slipped your mind. Suddenly, you felt incredibly guilty.

"Fuck," your head fell into your hands as you rubbed at your tired eyes, harshly. Your words were muffled when you continued, "I'm sorry, I'm the worst."

Steve shook his head almost instantly, gently resting the flowers down on the desk next to you. "Hey, c'mon," he started, moving your hands from your face, standing you up in front of him. "It's okay, I know you've been busy lately."

He rubbed at your shoulders tenderly and the warm touch melted you. It was the first time you truly relaxed that whole week. "You're not mad?" You asked the question in a hushed tone, looking up at him with glittering eyes that were a bit red, your nose a similar hue. You must've been getting sick. His poor baby.

"Not even a little," he gazed at you with heated, sincere brown eyes and you couldn't will yourself to look at anything else. He kissed your forehead, and it's a bit salty with sweat, but he doesn't mind. "Just worried, is all," he murmured, adjusting the pendant on your necklace that had somehow found its way onto your back.

"Can I help at all?" He nodded at the books on your table.

"Steve, no offense but it's AP Calc," you smiled, lightly scratching at his scalp when your arms found their way around his neck. You laughed when his eyebrows raised as if he was startled, slightly shaking his head. "Christ," he says through clenched teeth, though he doubles down on his offer, "well, then I guess I'm learning AP Calc today. No biggie," he shrugs, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

"You don't have to do that, Stevie," you spoke against his lips, admiring how unbelievably sweet your boyfriend was. You knew how much he hated school, especially math, so you were more than grateful that he was willing to put himself through quite literal torture, just to make your night a bit easier. "But I want to," he kissed your nose. "Dinner first though, 'cause I know you skipped out on lunch."

Squinting your eyes, you released your hold on him. Sometimes it scared you how well he knew you. "How-?"

"I have eyes everywhere, love," he answered your question before you could even get it out. You rolled your eyes, a smile playing at your lips, already knowing that his "eyes" in question were just Robin and Nancy looking out for you.

💌 1 new message from jojo: writing this while procrastinating on like ten assignments was so funny lol. comments and reblogs are always appreciated! inbox is open!

[babybluebex]

telling robert fischer you’re pregnant idec don’t look at me you KNOW how i feel about babies

yes yes, you are a FIEND for the babies, i'm aware of this... lucky for you, i am too 😈 also i tweaked this a little tiny bit to be more like what i texted you about sooooooo

Ever since Robert split the company, he had been happier. Of course, he really only split it because of you... And him.

"Mikey, just one more spoonful of carrots, then you can have a cookie," you heard your husband say from the dining room, and you nervously looked down at the bathroom counter. The plastic test had been saying the same thing for the past ten minutes, and, every time you looked back at it, your heart thumped with adrenaline. But no, it couldn't be. Michael was hardly 11 months old, and he took up most of your time; you and Robert had only had sex twice (three times, if him kneeling between your legs while Michael was napping counted) in the past six months. While it certainly wasn't impossible, it just seemed so soon.

When you finally left the bathroom, you found your boys sitting at the table, Robert spooning mashed carrots into his son's mouth, his own dinner cold and forgotten. When you had first gotten pregnant with Michael, you were worried about how much time Robert spent at the office and if he would be able to be there for his son. To your surprise, though, Robert had come through for you. He had used his father's alternate will that split up the company in order to take time for you and his son, and, even though the inheritance was smaller than Robert would have wanted, it meant he got to be with you and Michael. And there for you he was; he worked from home every day except for Fridays, he went with you to every doctor's appointment— even when you went into labor on a Friday morning, he skipped out of his meetings for the rest of the day to be with you. Robert was the best father you could have asked for, always prioritizing Michael before himself, and it made you pleased to know that fatherhood had completely changed him. You loved the Robert that you used to know, but Robert as a dad just made sense.

"Rob?" you said quickly. "I need to talk to you."

He looked at you with worry in his eyes, and Michael glanced at you. He was the spitting image of his father, dark downy hair and clear blue eyes, and he smiled his toothy little smile at you and squealed, slamming his hands down onto his high-chair tray. He started to babble, looking at Robert as he said "Da-da-da!", and Robert nodded slowly.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, and you hugged yourself as you shook your head.

"Just..." you started softly.

"Just what, sweetheart?" Robert asked, sounding a little urgent.

You sat down next to him at the table and wiped up Michael’s chin, covered in carrots, and you sighed. “I think I’m pregnant,” you said, and you watched Robert’s face turn from one of worry to one of surprise.

"Oh!" he said. "Well, that's good! I was worried it was gonna be something bad."

"I want to go to a doctor and get a test done," you told him, and you watched him pull Michael from his high chair, settling him easily on his hip.

"Alright," Robert agreed easily.

"Robbie," you said quickly. "Do you not hear me?"

"I hear you, sweetheart," Robert told you.

"Well?" you asked. "We can't have a toddler and a baby running around! It'll be too hectic! And Mikey is still a lot of work, we'll be stretched so thin with him and a newborn."

"I think we'll be fine," Robert said. He held tightly onto Michael as he reached down into the pantry for his son's favorite cookies, the shortbread kind with a thin chocolate on the bottom, and he turned back to you for a moment. "I'll just take less hours at the office."

"You already don't have that many hours," you said softly. "I just... I'm just worried, y'know? I don't know if I can do that."

Michael grabbed at the cookie in Robert's hand, and Robert gave his son a playful scowl. "We ask before we take things, Mikey," he said. "Here, ask nicely."

Michael reached out his chubby little fist again, but this time he babbled away a quick "Dada!". Robert smiled and broke the cookie into a smaller piece, more manageable for Michael, and your son pushed it between his lips, gnawing on it with his growing teeth. Robert came back to the table, handing Michael off to you, and you held your son firmly, sighing.

"I think you can do that," Robert said finally. "You're a strong woman, and such a good mother. I mean, you already take care of me and Mikey so well. I think you're capable of more than you think you are."

"But..." you started, bouncing Michael lightly. You shook your head lightly, and Robert leaned forward, resting a gentle hand on your knee.

"You're not alone," Robert told you. "You've got me here for you, no matter what. Alright? We're gonna do this together."

You pressed your lips together and sighed through your nose, and you watched your son eat his cookie for a minute. His big blue eyes caught your gaze, and he extended his hand to you, giving you the sloppy, gnawed-on remnants of his cookie, and you couldn't help but smile. "Thank you," you whispered to him, taking it into your hand, and you looked back up at Robert. "If you say so, Robbie. We have to think of more names."

"I hope it's a girl," Robert said, reaching out to pinch Michael's belly. "You want a sister, Mikey? A little sister?" Michael giggled and squirmed in your arms, obviously wanting down so he could play, and your smile grew.

"I want another boy," you said. "Just have a bunch of little rascals running around."

"Who says a girl can't be a rascal?" Robert asked. "She can be whatever she wants to be."

"That's true," you chuckled. "Can you try to get me a doctor's appointment for later this week?"

"Sure," Robert said. "Did you take a drugstore test?"

"Yeah," you told him. "Just a few minutes ago."

"Why?" Robert asked. "What made you think to do that?"

"Well, I'm late, for one thing," you started. "And I'm getting that same sick feeling whenever I eat that I did back when I was in my first trimester."

"Okay," Robert said softly. "Well, we'll go later and see what the verdict is. But, I'll let you know, if it is a girl, I'll start crying."

"Oh, whatever," you giggled, and you leaned over Michael to kiss Robert softly. "My big crybaby."

[midmourn]

play the part

PAIRING Lee Donghyuck/Haechan/GN!Reader/Na Jaemin

SUMMARY Haechan’s your boyfriend, but Jaemin’s your best friend. How could he ever compete?

GENRE Angst

CONTENTS Brief mentions of (almost) vomiting, I think the phrase is called emotional cheating, alcohol use, surprise sad ending

WORDS 1,428

LISTENING TO that way by tate mcrae, traitor by olivia rodrigo, high infidelity by taylor swift

NOTE im not writing a part two so please don’t ask, thank you <3 i found this in my google docs so i tweaked it just a tiny bit and i couldn’t find it on my old blog so idk if i ever posted it or not

When Mark finds Haechan, the younger boy is still nursing the drink that he had received from Jaehyun when they first stepped inside the party. “Woah,” he tries to joke, already knowing how his best friend was feeling, “Still drinking that drink? You’d usually be in your fifth one by now. Finally decided to take AA seriously?”

Haechan doesn’t laugh, and Mark’s smile fades, sighing as his shoulders slump. Mark downs the rest of his own drink before setting it aside, not wanting it anymore. Haechan doesn’t look up when Mark sits beside him on the railing of the balcony, “You know, it’s probably not safe for us to be this close to the edge while drinking,” Mark gestures to the ground beneath them.

“I feel like death would be better than life right now,” Haechan murmurs, and even those the words could be taken as a joke, both of them know it’s not. And Mark has a pretty good idea on why that is. Mark follows to where Haechan’s gaze is, finding a group of people sitting around the pool in Jaehyun’s backyard, but Haechan’s eyes were only on two people— a familiar head full of of black and a familiar face.

Jaemin’s arm was thrown around your shoulders, the back of his head facing Mark and Haechan but your face was clear for Haechan to see. The grin on your face was so bright that even Mark’s eyes hurt. He wasn’t close enough to be able to see, but if he was, he was sure that he would’ve been able to see the stars decorating your eyes. Mark remembers when you and Haechan first met, the younger would not shut up about you. Mark knows things about you that he shouldn’t, and that’s because of him.

“They’re just friends,” Mark says, swallowing the lump in his throat for he can’t swallow the empathy swelling up inside of him— knowing exactly how his best friend feels. “You’re their boyfriend.”

“I have the title,” Haechan sighs, tilting his head up to drag his eyes away from the two of you. His glistening eyes stare up at the dark sky, clouds decorating the sky and moving to cover the moon. “But he has their heart.”

“If they had feelings for him, they would break up with you, Hyuck,” Mark tries to reassure him, but even Mark doesn’t believe his own words. He wishes he could help more.

“Not if they knew I’d be heartbroken by it,” Haechan swallows the rest of his drink down, welcoming the burning taste. It couldn’t beat the burning in his heart, though.

“Either way, you’re heartbroken,” Mark argues, shaking his head as he turns to face Haechan. “But if you were over, at least you’d be free to move on.”

Haechan doesn’t respond for a moment, only rolling his shoulders as he looks back down at the group of people again. He licks his lips before saying, “I have the title. That’s enough, right?” When Mark doesn’t respond, he exhales through his nose sharply, “I’m their boyfriend. I love them. That should be enough.”

There’s a painful silence before Mark speaks with an underlying tone of hurt, “Sometimes, it isn’t enough.” He’s starting to wish he had another drink. “Hyuck, you’re going to have to do it if they won’t.”

“Guess I’ll just have to play the part, then,” Haechan says suddenly, pushing himself off the railing and onto the balcony floor.

“What part?” Mark asks, eyebrows furrowing as he turns to him.

“Acting like I’m really stupid,” Haechan smiles, but it’s an empty smile. Mark’s not familiar with it— and he hates it. “And that I have no idea that they’re falling in love with their best friend.”

“How was your day?” Haechan asks, his phone laying on his bed with the speaker on. He’s drying his hair with the t-shirt he had on before he took a shower, staring into his mirror in front of his bed. “Have fun?”

“All I did was sleep and play Among Us with Jisung so,” you giggle and his heart swells at the sound, a smile forming on his lips. “Yeah, I did have fun.”

“So you’ll play Among Us with Jisung but not me?” He snarks, throwing his shirt into his dirty clothes hamper but you know he’s joking— he’s always joking like that. “Maybe you should date him instead.”

You giggle again, “Jisung is too young—”

“It’s barely two years,” he sits down on his bed, grabbing his phone to go through his photo gallery, almost every single one being of you. “I’ll even tell him for you, that way if you get rejected—” A small smile is on his lips as he stares down at a picture of you and him, visiting your shared lock at the Love Lock of Namsan Tower.

“Hey!”

“— You don’t have to witness it and ugly cry.”

“In this hypothetical situation, even if he said he liked me back, you’d still tell me he rejected me, wouldn’t you?”

Haechan laughs from surprise, sometimes forgetting just how much you know him, “And you’re right, for once. I’d then tell him the text was for someone else to humble him.”

Your laughter is loud and unapologetic, just how he likes it. “Oh, you are so—” You cut yourself off and it’s silent from your side before you start giggling, “Stop it.” His eyebrows furrow, head tilting as he pauses in his scrolling. What had he done? “No! Don’t be like that and don’t you dare—” You start giggling loudly again, shrieking for whoever to stop what they were doing. If you weren’t laughing, he’d have been concerned.

Haechan says your name once but when it’s not heard over your laughter, he frowns and goes back to the call, seeing that he’s not on mute. He says your name again and when no reply, he goes to say your name once more but a familiar voice stops him. His body freezes as his blood goes cold, staring down at his floor when he recognizes the voice.

No one has a voice like Na Jaemin does. And even if there was, he’d recognize that voice anywhere.

It’s when even after you stop laughing, and you talk to Jaemin like Haechan still isn’t on the phone with you, is when his heart finally drops like an anchor to the bottom of his stomach. You forgot.

They forgot, they forgot, they forgot, his mind chants back at him.

Haechan doesn’t register when your voice first cuts off, only looking down when he realizes and seeing that the call ended. He doesn’t remember if he ended it or if you remembered and did it yourself. Either way, his heart still hurts. Tears stream down his face as sobs rip out of his chest, with loud, violent sounds. His chest hurts, too. His chest is tightening, and coughs start to cough, each cough getting more violent than the next. He doesn’t know if it’s because of the harsh crying or—

He turns to find a water bottle for him to drink but his vision is blurry from crying and the coughing won’t stop, no matter how much he tries to breathe and calm himself down. The crying doesn’t stop, either. He has a feeling he’s about to throw up and pushes himself off his bed, stumbling to his bathroom with his hands on the walls and door frame so he won’t fall.

It doesn’t work, and he falls on his knees anyway. In only a matter of a few minutes, he’s soaked to the bone and his shirt is wet— his previously dry hair is clinging to his forehead and neck. Bile— he thinks— crawls up his throat and he throws himself to where he knows the toilet is, clinging onto the bathroom sink as it comes up and into the toilet.

He doesn’t know how long it’s been when he finally comes around, dried tear streaks on his cheeks and his vision is no longer blurry. His breathing is still heavy, but it’s slow and ragged. He’s not coughing or crying anymore. He can’t help but look in the toilet, not even knowing if he really threw up or if it was just his imagination. His breath catches in his throat, the sight of a familiar singular flower floating in the otherwise empty toilet. A light pink Orchid, your favorite flowers. He knows because he gave them to you on your first date.

Haechan isn’t stupid— and the flower only confirms his thoughts.

[nastylittleghouls]

Querencia

Relationship(s): Aether/Aeon

Rating: Explicit 

Words: about 1.6k (One day I’ll be able to write something small but today is not that day) 

Summary: It’s still difficult for him to stay quiet and unmoving, so unlike his nature. To not react without prompting to how Aether looks at him from time to time, over the rim of his glasses, appraising. Promising. Sometimes telling him to stretch out his legs or get his pillow with a gentle nudge of quintessence.

or

Aeon just wants to be Aether's good boy

Tags and warnings:  D/s dynamics, pre-negotiated scene, face fucking, Aeon being a good boy and a fiend for Aether’s monster dick, a tiny smidgen of angst- blink and you might miss it. Implied quintosis, a little bit of mean!Aether and orgasm denial. That's about it I think 

Notes: This is the result of @a-hearts-a-heavy-burden and me losing our minds about Aether pleasuring his guitar and ending with how willingly Phantom/Aeon would get on his knees for the big quint. It took a bit of a different direction than I thought but I am not mad about it. Unbeta'ed.

AO3 link for the so-inclined

Querencia: The place where one's strength is drawn from; where one feels at home; the place where you are your most authentic self.

Aeon slips into Aether’s office while he’s making his ward round. He knows the basics by now. Had watched longingly how Dewdrop knelt at Aether’s feet. And Aether, ever the observant one, had taken him under his wing with a loving but firm hand while Aeon had hung onto every word, every touch like the air he needed to breathe. 

Take off your clothes. Fold them neatly and put them on the chair. On your knees. Head bowed. Hands on thighs, unless other instructions are given.  Be seen but not be heard. 

He had felt like he had found another purpose in Aether’s pride. 

It’s still difficult for him to stay quiet and unmoving so unlike his nature. To not react without prompting to how Aether looks at him from time to time over the rim of his glasses, appraising. Promising. Sometimes telling him to stretch out his legs or get his pillow with a gentle nudge of quintessence. 

The way people come and go. Either treating him like he isn't right there, naked, rock hard, and leaking a puddle on the floor, only stealing looks at him. Or partaking if Aether allows it. 

Like Swiss dropping by to discuss plans with Aether, his hands casually wandering over Aeon’s upper body with teasing caresses over his neck and tweaking his nipples as he talks. Or Dew nudging the tip of his boot under his balls, making Aeon’s sensitive cock slide over the leather just so as he leans over the desk to pull Aether into a heated kiss. Tempting him to seek friction at the display in front of him and testing his obedience. No doubt hoping he’ll fail as Dew enjoys seeing him punished as much as he enjoys being part of the aftercare. 

He hopes he’ll be spared by visitors today. He selfishly wants Aether for himself, wants to be good only for him. 

The door opens and Aether finally returns. If he‘s surprised to find Aeon here again so soon he doesn‘t let it show. The spade of his tail drags fleetingly over Aeon's spine as he passes to get to his desk, making him arch up, and ends with a playful slap on his ass. That’s his greeting, his acceptance of Aeon‘s servitude. 

Aeon breathes the air with Aether’s renewed scent in deeply, then curls his tail around himself and waits. Let’s himself thrive in the simple but meaningful act of kneeling in Aether‘s presence, for Aether, ready to dedicate his body to him to ease his stress level and make the crease between his eyebrows vanish. The thought makes him glance at Aether‘s cock, laying against his thigh under the loose scrubs, moving enticingly when he shifts his leg. The things he would give to have that long thickness filling him already.  Stretching him impossibly wide, the ache, the taste… 

They both need each other, Aeon‘s sure of it. 

When Aether finally beckons him over, his body excitedly rises upwards, one alredy foot on the floor, about to push him upwards and he instantly knows he fucked up. He bites back a frustrated whine and lowers himself back down. Apologizing and hoping Aether won’t punish him for it. 

Aether just sighs with a hint of disappointment.

“Go on. Try again”.

Relieved that Aether feels gracious today, his voice having that certain cloying tone, Aeon rises again, properly only onto his stiff knees this time, and crawls over to Aether. His cock bobs in front of him, dripping all over the floor as he moves, giving Aether a good view of him. He wants to preen under his gaze.   

Aether’s large hands greet him when he settles again, stroking Aeon’s beaming face as he smiles down at him. The smaller ghoul nuzzles into the touch, kisses Aether’s rings reverently. Tries to wriggle his tongue under them to taste his sweat, and licks at the pad of his fingers where the ink has stained them. His eyes never leave Aether’s face, looking at him like he’s one of the seven princes of hell himself. 

„Such a sweet boy. Kneeling so prettily for me. You wanna help me relax, don‘t you? ” 

Aeon shivers at the praise before he nods fervently, eyes wide and glassy, whispering a “yes, sir. Please” and letting his mouth drop open and his tongue roll out in invitation, eager to be of use. Aether strokes his cock leisurely, pleased with the way Aeon offers himself and follows his every movement. Every word. Attention fully on him. Like it should be.

“Hands behind your back, grip your wrists. If you let go, I’ll stop. Understand?” 

Aeon nods again, shifting to do as he is told. Curling his fingers around his wrists as tight as he’d want his cuffs to be, digging into the finger-shaped bruises already on his skin. The feeling forces him to take a deep breath. 

It's a slow and intentional thing when Aether squeezes his cock from root to tip, forcing pre to pool in the slit. He shifts forward and drags the head of his cock over the smaller Quint's tongue with a small moan, Aeon's eyes rolling into the back of his head when the taste hits, a reedy whimper escaping his throat. A high-strung please is pressed into Aether’s mind along with it. 

Fingers fisted in Aeon's hair, Aether uses his grip to feed the little ghoul his cock, slides in until there’s no more for Aeon to take and then just holds him there.  Lets the tip rest at the back of his throat, groaning approvingly when he feels Aeon swallow around him, body going slack at the weight, at the way he can feel every single bar of his Jacobs ladder sitting on his tongue, how it fills his whole mouth and stretches his lips wide. His mind goes pleasantly hazy, everything narrowing down to Aether and pleasing him. Helping him destress. Being useful. Nothing else. 

Aether pulls him off, only to instantly push him back down and press in deep again, not letting him draw a full breath. Saliva drips messily over Aeon's chin and onto his chest as Aether uses him, fucks Aeon’s mouth in deep strokes, his sounds of pleasure washing over Aeon like warm summer rain. The small Quint’s hungry little whines and moans fill the room, slender hips hump the empty air in a desperate search of friction he’s not allowed. Drawing quick little breaths whenever Aether pulls his cock out just enough that air can flow and flushing hotly at the loud wet squelching noises he’s sure everyone can hear every time Aether pushes back in.   

„Lucifer, your pretty mouth. Made to be ruined”

The praise has Aeon tonguing at the metal adorning Aether’s cock, doing his best with the little room he has. He just wants to give Aether more and show how grateful he is.  

“That’s good. Really fucking good. Such a sweet boy for me,” Aether breathes, head tipping back. His fingers tighten in Aeon’s hair, his thrusts get a little sloppier, just that little harder. Aeon keens, long and high, too far gone to notice that Dew’s name falls from Aether’s lips in the throes of pleasure, in between his praises.  It almost overwhelms him, his ruddy cock kicking hard between his legs. His tail curls around Aether‘s ankle, needing something to ground himself before he loses it.

Then Aether slides in deep again and comes, momentarily depriving him of the taste where he wants it the most, staying there until his cock’s done twitching.

It's wonderful.

Aether drags his cock out oh so slowly and leans back in his chair, breathing labored. He graciously lets Aeon follow and keep mouthing at him, catching what he couldn’t swallow with his tongue, watching the blissful face of the little ghoul as he enjoys his extra treat. He ponders how good Aeon’s mouth would feel struggling on his knot and his cock twitches, causing a delighted noise from the ghoul beneath him. 

Maybe later today. 

His fingers in Aeon’s hair loosen and his hand just rests affectionately at the back of his head, twirling the short strands around his fingers until he starts to soften and overstimulation sets in.

“That’s enough, little star”.

Aeon takes the cue and when Aether’s all clean and tucked back into his pants, Aeon rests his head on his thigh, gazing adoringly up at him with a hoarse sounding purr, still happily working his mouth around the ache in his jaw, the cum still swirling around in his mouth. His face is a mess of fluids, lips swollen and Aether makes a mental note to snap a photo for his collection

„Please, sir. Would you…“ Aeon sounds wrecked, his voice cracking then giving out. He swallows. 

“Hmm?” A Cheshire cat-like grin appears on Aether's face as he tips Aeon’s face up and offers his water bottle to him. Encouraging him to take a sip.  He knows exactly what’s coming. Or rather, what isn’t. 

“M..may I come, sir?” 

Aether makes a considering sound, reaches down to drag a fingertip over the length of Aeon's sensitive cock, then sucks it into his mouth. Aeon’s eyes widen, and a wounded sound that shows how close he is to coming leaves him, hips jerking forward in minuscule motions even after Aether’s touch is gone. He pants as his cock keeps throbbing and pre-cum drips in rivulets down the sides. 

“I think I’ll keep you like this for a while longer,” Aether says, then folds his hands behind his head and smirks. 

“Now lick your mess off of the floor.”

[bealovesmarauders]

🐚 james potter asking you out to the yule ball. friends to lovers!

enchanted / james potter

⋆ ࣪.      ⁺⑅     ⋰˚     *.ﾟ    .˳⁺⁎˚     ˚⁎⁺˳ .    ༺ ˖

james potter x fem! reader, fluff, childhood friends to lovers

wc: 1k

in which your childhood best friend james potter takes you to the yule ball<3

this night is sparkling, don’t you let it go

a/n: uhhh so i know i said i was just doing a drabble but this is. quite a bit more than a drabble like somehow it turned into a full fic?? i also tweaked this a tiny bit so it’s childhood best friends to lovers, i hope that’s okay:) also i think my characterization especially in the dialogue is rly off here idk whats up with me lately. ty for the ask my love<3

⋆ ࣪.      ⁺⑅     ⋰˚     *.ﾟ    .˳⁺⁎˚     ˚⁎⁺˳ .    ༺ ˖

it started, as it always had with james, with a note.

you’d instantly recognized his chicken scratch handwriting on the torn piece of parchment floating towards you, the hasty smiley face and heart with an arrow drawn through it symbols you’d seen hundreds of times before. the time you were sick at home and couldn’t play outside, so he’d slipped a note into your mailbox to say he missed you. the apology note from when you were six years old and he’d crashed into you on his toy broom, consequently breaking your arm in the process. the letters he’d written to you on vacation the summer he visited his grandparents and aunts and uncles, detailing all the hijinks and shenanigans he’d gotten up to with his cousins. since childhood, james had been your best friend- the person who knew you most in the world, always a shoulder to cry on, someone you knew you could count on forever. the boy you loved, secretly, ever since that day so long ago when he’d taken you to his secret treehouse and smuggled a tray of euphemia’s famous cardamom shortbread cookies to share.

but this note was different.

y/n,

i’ve got something to ask you. meet me in the room of requirement in 5 minutes?

- prongs x

uncrumpling the scrap of parchment, a smile spread across your lips, blush coloring your cheeks. searching for james across the great hall, you spotted him sitting with the marauders, where they were all supposedly studying for the charms test next thursday. james was sprawled across the bench, laughing about something sirius was saying, but straightened up when remus elbowed him in the ribs, peter whispering something in his ear and gesturing to you. james’s hazel eyes lit up, and he raised his eyebrows in the form of a question.

biting your bottom lip, you looked down at the note and back up at him again. oh my god. it was finally happening. you scrawled a note back, tucking the one from him into your pocket, and cast a spell on it quickly, watching it fold into an origami bird and fly over to the marauders, delicate paper wings fluttering like a hummingbird’s.

jamie,

of course. 

- y/n xo

james’s stomach filled with butterflies when he saw the hugs and kisses at the bottom of the paper, along with your childhood nickname for him at the top. no one called him that, not even lily. and you’d always signed your name like that, ever since euphemia taught you how to sign your name way back when, but he couldn’t help but think maybe it meant something different this time. maybe it was finally his chance. a smile playing on his lips, james ambled out of the great hall, presumably to your secret meeting in the room of requirement. his walk was nonchalant- but the silent cheers of the marauders, along with the back pats and not-so-subtle spray of cologne from sirius’s pocket were anything but. you caught sirius’s eye and threw him a questioning look- what did they have planned?- but he only shrugged, raising his hands in mock surrender.

casually gathering up your books and leaving the great hall to go find the room of requirement, you smoothed your hair and tried to hide the blush growing across your face, creeping up to your ears. you couldn’t help but silently scold yourself- james was your best friend, and had been for years. sure, you’d always been harbouring a small crush, but you’d always vowed to never act on it- you didn’t want to ruin your friendship. nevertheless, you made your way to the room of requirement, and tried to quell your beating heart as the door swung open- revealing your best friend, suddenly all decked out in a suit. 

“james,” you said, all breath suddenly gone from your lungs. he was so pretty, with his messy dark curls a contrast to his freshly pressed tuxedo, the collar stiffly starched and swan white. he looked happy, hopeful, nervous- a bundle of emotions. in his hands was a singular rose. 

“hi,” he said back. slack-jawed, you took a step into the room of requirement. it was stunning. it seemed to have converted itself into a romantic tea room. fresh flowers were hung everywhere, and on a small side table there lay an envelope. your interest piqued, you looked at your best friend questioningly.

“before you say anything,” james said hurriedly, “like i said, i want to ask you a question. so i’d like to invite you to open that envelope right there.”

eyebrows raised, you took it carefully and pried the wax seal open. what was going on? you set the envelope down, and slowly unfolded the piece of parchment inside it.

will you go to the yule ball with me?

you looked up at james, eyes wide. was this some sort of sick joke? but a bouquet had materialized in his hands and he was bouncing on the soles of his feet. when he met your eyes, the doubt must have been clear, because his face immediately fell and he resembled some sort of wounded animal. slack-jawed, not wanting to leave him hanging, your brow furrowed. “are you- are you serious?”

instead of making a wisecrack about his best friend’s name, james nodded. “if you’ll have me. y/n- i love you. and i don’t want to ruin our friendship, but-”

without another word, you cut him off, stepping forward and engulfing him in a hug. he smelled like cedar wood and butterbeer, cotton and leather, with a hint of sleakeasy’s hair potion sprinkled in. your best friend. the boy who loved you. james. and then you kissed him- sweet and lingering, his hands traveling up your back and cupping your face. it was even better than you had ever imagined.

“so..is that a yes?” james asked, and you giggled. “if you’ll have me.”

he smiled, the same genuine one from when you were kids, dropping another gentle kiss on the tip of your nose and tenderly squeezing your hands. “of course i’ll have you, darling. m’gonna give you the best night of your life.”

[willalove75]

The Estate | Lady Dimitrescu x Fem!oc Chapter 2

Summary: Your first day of work continues and you try your best to impress your new boss.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI

Tags: Fluff? Dash of angst at the end, not much else to tag for now!

I'll add more tags as needed!

Notes: Chapter 2! I am trying to make this a genuine slow burn so it's going to take a tiny bit to get going (especially to get to the fun smutty stuff - but don't fret, it will definitely happen!) but I hope you all stick around and enjoy the ride! I have a lot of great things planned for this fic so stay tuned!

After Alcina leaves for her meeting you get settled at your desk. Opening the new laptop box you're surprised to see it's a new MacBook. You were expecting some kind of crappy ThinkPad. Once you're settled and hooked up to the two monitors you start diving into the estates social media accounts. Switching between checking them out on the computer and seeing how they look on your phone, you start taking detailed notes of your initial impressions. You note a few analytics you were able to find and you write down some ideas on how to improve the channels.

After you vetted the social media channels you look at the past marketing strategies your predecessor had laid out. Impressed with the work they had put into the strategies, there wasn't much that needed changing. Most of the things you tweaked were more personal preference than anything else.

You thought it would take time to get back into the groove since it's been almost two years since you've done any of this, but to your pleasant surprise it was seamless. Before you know it you have half a dozen pages of written notes on the social media accounts and marketing strategies. Although you're not sure if it's because it's your first day on the job and you want to impress your boss, or because it's been so long since you've been able to sink your teeth into something like this and you're making up for lost time. Glancing between the monitors and your notebook, invested in your work, you didn't realize Alcina came back from her meeting and was standing in the doorway watching you.

With her arms loosely crossed over her chest, leaning against the doorframe, Alcina watches you for a few minutes as you work. Observing you as you look between your notebook, writing what looked to her like very detailed notes, and your computer screen. You're completely oblivious to her presence. The corner of her lip curls up just a little as she hears you muttering to yourself. She's impressed with your diligence, but is curious if the effort you're putting in now will last or if you're just trying to impress her on your first day. Dropping one arm, she gently knocks against your office door.

You're pulled from your hyper-focus when you hear a soft knock on the door. Looking over, you see Alcina leaning against the doorframe, one arm laid across her chest.

"Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't see you there." You say as a blush creeps across your cheeks.

"No apologies necessary," She says, her voice as smooth as velvet. "I see you've made some progress with the social media channels?"

"Yes, I was able to go through them. Not as thoroughly as I wanted to, but enough so I could get an idea of where everything stands."

"And what are your thoughts?"

"Oh, did you want me to go over everything now?"

"I would. I am very curious to know what your thoughts are, especially since you came so highly regarded from your previous employer."

You feel your heart almost leap out of your chest.

"You- you talked to my last boss?"

"I did. I do with all of my potential employees, especially those with a two year gap in their CV's." She says, raising an eyebrow at you.

You let out a nervous chuckle and you feel yourself getting warm.

"Wh-what did they say? If you don't mind me asking, that is." You quickly add.

"That you were an excellent addition to their staff. That you are brilliant at what you do and that it was a pleasure to work with you. Your boss also mentioned that he was sad to see you go but wished you well."

A blush creeps across your cheeks. You really liked your old job, but after everything happened you couldn't stay - you couldn't do anything for two years honestly.

"Oh, well, that's really nice of them to say. Did he, um, say anything else about my resignation?"

"Only that you resigned due to a personal issue outside of work."

A wave of relief washes over you, you weren't ready to have that conversation with your new boss - not yet at least. There was a part of you that thought you were insane for calling your old boss, asking him not to mention details of your resignation. But it seems like the conversation paid off, and as usual, you were able to trust him.

"Oh, good." You say with a little too much relief. Alcina tilts her head and her eyes narrow a bit at you. "Not good, I meant, it's nice to know that he respects the privacy of his employees, past and present." You say, trying to save yourself. Alcina purses her lips a bit, you can tell that now she's even more curious about why you left your last job and why you haven't worked since. "The last two years have been, difficult, really difficult actually. But things are finally getting better and I'm really excited to be working again, to be able to put my skills to good use."

Alcina can't quite make heads or tails of your situation. She knows you have a 3 year old, so she was one when you stopped working, "Perhaps it had something to do with her daughter? Or maybe something happened to her. Maybe she was sick? But she looks healthy." Although Alcina knows better than anyone that looking healthy doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy. She wants to push you for more information but not only does she know that's incredibly unprofessional and inappropriate, she can tell you're avoiding talking about it so she lets it go for now.

"Then I would love to see your skills." She says as she walks up to your desk and stands behind you.

"O-okay." You say, looking up at her. She looks down at you and the corner of her lip just barely curls into a smile, her blue-grey eyes boring into yours. Fuck, she's gorgeous. You take a subtle deep breath to calm yourself and inhale the scent of her perfume. It smells expensive and mature, but also pretty and calming. It completely distracts you for a moment. You can hear her shift her weight from one leg to the other behind you and you snap back into the present.

"Is there anything in particular you want me to start with?" You ask, looking up at her over your shoulder.

"No, just show me what you've done so far." She replies with a wave of her hand.

You flip to the first page of your notes and start from the beginning. Starting off with the estates Instagram page, you tell her your thoughts on the visual aspects, the layout, the images themselves, how they could be improved, captions and hashtags that could be utilized more often, ideas for reels, stories and posts that can promote events and day-to-day operations. Next you move to the Facebook page, showing her some of the analytics you've collected, how the page can be improved, etc.. You go through the rest of the social media channels; telling her that embracing newer apps like TikTok and more professional ones such as LinkedIn can help drive traffic to the other social media accounts as well as the website. Alcina rolls her eyes at the mention of "TikTok" which makes you giggle a little.

"Something funny?" She asks with an unamused edge to her voice.

"Oh, no, sorry." You say, freezing in place. "It's just, I've seen that reaction quite a lot when talking about TikTok and it always makes me laugh a bit."

"What about it is funny?" She doesn't sound offended, at least you don't think she does. God you hope you didn't offend her on the first day.

"Because it really is a stupid app, it's like Vine but for Gen Z kids." She gives you a look when you mention "Vine," which lets you know that she doesn't know what that is. "Uh, Vine was a short form video social media channel, you could only make six second videos and it was mostly used by Millennials and some Generation Xers. It became massive quickly and a lot of the videos turned into popular memes. It was only around for four years before it was shut down, but it had over like, 200 million users or something crazy like that. Anyway, TikTok is similar to that. It's definitely hard to take it seriously when there's a lot of ridiculous videos on it. It's so massive and so popular, it would be stupid to not utilize since it can drive so much traffic to our other socials and even drive people through the doors."

"Is that your professional opinion?" She deadpans. You look up at her, confused. "That it would be stupid to not use it?"

Biting your lip for a second, you realize that what you said without thinking could easily have come off as if you're calling her stupid. With no way of digging yourself out of this one you shyly reply "Yeah."

Alcina quirks and eyebrow and her eyes go back to the screen.

"Interesting, continue."

After you go through the rest of the social medias and a little bit of the analytics that you found, you move onto the marketing strategies your predecessor left. Alcina is quiet but nods her head along as you go over what they left and what your thoughts are on it. After you mention the few things you plan on changing you make it a point to let her know that it's more for personal preference rather than professional reasons. She looks pleased as you go over what the person before you left and she gives you a nod of approval when you tell her what you plan on changing.

"I like the changes you plan on making and I agree with you in terms of personal preference. John was brilliant but I couldn't stand the way he did things. But how he did what he did worked so I had no real qualms with it. I already know I prefer your way."

"Thank you. It seems more logical and straightforward doing it like this, at least to me. I try to keep things as simple as possible so there's little room for error or miscommunication."

"Those are all things I appreciate. Very well done Kathleen, I must say I am impressed." She places her hand on your shoulder and you have to stop yourself from relaxing into her touch.

What is wrong with you? Have you really gone that long without physical contact? There's a part of you that thinks that it's just her putting you under her spell - whether she knows it or not. But you quickly push that thought out of your head. She's your new boss for gods sake! You need to get laid. You make a mental note to give your friends-with-benefits guy a call this week.

"I must say, I had my concerns when I hired you. I was aware of the fact that you've been out of work the last two years. My main concern was that you would be a bit rusty right off the bat, but just from what you've shown me you've already been able to put those concerns to bed. I am pleasantly surprised and happy to see that your work is just as wonderful as the work in your portfolio." Alcina gently squeezes your shoulder and takes her hand away.

"Oh, thank you so much. I really, really appreciate that. Please let me know if you have any other concerns so I can do my best to ease those as well." You say with a smile.

For a moment Alcina looks impressed but just as quickly as the look appeared, it disappeared.

"My only other concern would be that you strive to impress me early and then fail to do so after the first few weeks. Which I certainly hope is not the case. Aside from that, I believe you're going to do a wonderful job here."

"I absolutely understand. I know I tend to hit the ground running, but I can assure you I have the endurance to keep up the pace I've set."

"We shall see about that." Alcina says as she heads towards the door. "Wonderful work Kathleen. I am looking forward to see how well it all pays off."

Once Alcina is out of sight you lean back in your chair and exhale. It worries you a little that she seems to have some doubts in you. But from her perspective, you can understand why she would and you try to not let it get to you. You pick up your phone and you realize that you were with her for over an hour. There's no way, it felt like you were talking to her for maybe 30 minutes. How did that take over an hour?! And how was she standing there in those heels for so long without fidgeting or sitting down? That thought alone bewilders you. You're sitting for most of the day and you can't wait to get your shoes off the second you walk inside. She gave you a thorough tour of the place and stood there for over an hour and walked away like it was nothing? You were impressed to say the least.

With only a few hours left in your day, you decide now is better than ever to have lunch. After debating for a few minutes if you should shut your door or not, you decide to close it to give you a few minutes of peace while you eat. As you're eating your lunch at your desk, you scroll through Facebook and Instagram mindlessly. Michelle hasn't texted you since this morning so you're assuming everything is fine but you text her anyway to make sure. She responds a few minutes later with a picture of Emma asleep, taking her afternoon nap. The door to your office flies open and almost slams into the wall, causing you to jump in your seat.

A young, redheaded girl walks through the door with a backpack slung over her shoulder. When you jump she notices you and jumps too, letting out a yell.

"OH MY GOD WHO ARE YOU?" She yells.

You sit there for a moment in shock, unsure how to answer. This girl can't be older than 16, who is she? And what is she doing here?

"I-I'm Katie, the new marketing and social media strategist. Uh, who are you?"

The sound of heels against the floor takes your attention away. When you look at the door, Alcina is standing there with an unamused look on her face. She's looking at the young girl, you almost feel sorry for her but you're grateful she's not looking at you like that right now.

"Daniela." Alcina says through her teeth.

"Hi mommy!" She says, amping up the sweetness. Daniela wraps her arms around her mother and Alcina returns the gesture. She looks up at Alcina and Alcina arches an eyebrow at her, very well aware of that fact that Daniela is trying to soften her up so she doesn't get in trouble.

"Hello bug. Did you forget that our new marketing and social media strategist was starting today?"

"Yes, sorry mamă."

"Mhm." Alcina mutters before placing a kiss on the girls forehead. She pulls away from the girl, leaving one arm around her shoulder.

"Kathleen, this is my youngest daughter Daniela. Daniela, this is Kathleen."

"Wow you're pretty!" Daniela says.

You try and fail to bite back the smile that crosses your face and Alcina lets out a low, wait did she growl? That's what it sounded like, towards her daughter.

"Sorry." Daniela says, looking down at the floor.

"Its okay." You say with a smile. "It's great to meet you Daniela."

"It's nice meeting you too Kathleen!" She says, the excitement in her voice suddenly back. "Can I call you Katie?"

"Daniela." Alcina warns.

"It's okay," you say to Alcina with a smile. "Yeah, you can call me Katie."

Daniela's face lights up and she looks at her mom, beaming.

"So Katie, what's your favorite color?"

"Daniela that's enough." Alcina says, softer this time. "Kathleen is busy and has work that needs to get done. Your shift doesn't start for another 30 minutes, why don't you go find something to do until then?"

"You work here?" You ask, your words leaving your mouth before you even realize it.

"Yeah!" Daniela says, turning towards you. "I wait the tables, I can't serve alcohol until I'm 18 so I can't be behind the bar like Cass, but I can't wait to learn how to bartend! Mamă," she says, turning back towards Alcina. "where am I supposed to go now? There is where I would hang out!"

"You can stay in my office bug."

"Ugh. But your office is so boring!"

"I apologize draga mea but that seems to be your only option. Unless you want to start sweeping the tasting room before your shift starts?"

Daniela pouts at her mother who looks down at her adoringly.

"Fiinnneeeeee." She says, defeated. "Bye Katie! It was really awesome meeting you!"

"It was great meeting you too Daniela."

Daniela walks out and heads towards her mothers office and Alcina turns towards you.

"I apologize, again, for my children's behavior. Daniela seems to have a never-ending amount of energy. I would like to promise it isn't always a zoo with them around, but-"

"It's okay, really. I get it." You say with a smile.

"I appreciate your understanding. Now that you met two of my three girls, I'm sure you will meet Bela tomorrow. She only has one morning class and is usually here for the rest of the day. If you would like, I can have her show you what she's been doing with the social media channels tomorrow and have her start to gradually hand over the reigns."

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Excellent."

Alcina turns on her heel and walks out of your office. You almost completely forgot about your lunch so you scarf it down quickly and get back to work.

As you're focused on working out the latest marketing tactic, you hear a "pssst" at your door. Looking over, you see Daniela, now in a white button down shirt and black dress pants, her long red hair is pulled back tightly into a ponytail.

"Hey Daniela, is there something I-"

"Shh!" She says, putting her finger over her lips. "I don't want mom to hear. She'll get mad at me for bothering you." You can't help but giggle at her and she steps further into your office. "Sorry if calling you pretty before embarrassed you. Mom is always telling me I have to think before I speak but you're just, super pretty, and I just blurted it out and-"

"Daniela," you say and you notice her starting to spiral. "it's okay, I'm not upset, I promise. Thank you for the compliment."

Daniela tilts her head at you, almost as if she's confused that you're not upset with her. She squints her eyes at you, as if she's trying to decipher something.

"You're different. I like you. I'm going to give you a new nickname."

"And what nickname will that be?"

"I don't know yet, but when I know, you'll know." You look behind her and see Alcina standing behind Daniela with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes narrowed at her daughter. How did she not make a single sound in those heels? And how long was she there for? Alcina clears her throat and Daniela jumps and turns around, looking like a deer in headlights.

"Mamă!" She says, trying to butter her mother up again.

"Don't even try."

Daniela smiles wide at her mother and turns back towards you.

"Bye Katie!"

"Bye Daniela." You say with a smile.

Alcina's eyes don't leave Daniela's head as she turns and leaves your office and Alcina follows behind her.

"Ce ti-am spus despre deranjarea ei? Nu înțeleg cum ai întârziat la tura ta, în timp ce ești aici de o jumătate de oră." (What did I tell you about bothering her? I don't understand how you're late for your shift meanwhile you've been here for half an hour.)

"Imi pare rau mama!" (I'm sorry mom!)

The rest of your day goes by rather smoothly and by the time you know it, you're packing up your things and getting ready to leave. Before you go, you stop by Alcina's office and knock gently on the door.

"Come in."

You open the door and Alcina looks up from her computer and smiles.

"Ah, Kathleen, is it the end of the day already?" She asks, more to herself you think, and she looks at the clock.

"Yeah, it went by fast. Is there anything else you need me to do before I go?"

"There is not, thank you. But I did want to speak with you, do you have a moment?"

"Absolutely." You say and she motions to the chair in front of her desk.

"So, how was your first day?" She asks, taking off her glasses and giving you her full attention.

"Honestly, it was great. I feel like I got a lot done and made some great headway on the new campaigns and strategies."

"I'm very happy to hear that. Is there anything you're unsure of or any questions you have?"

You pause for a moment to think.

"Um, not right now, but if something comes up I will let you know."

"Excellent. I'm glad you had a productive first day. I am looking forward to see the things we spoke about come to fruition."

"So am I."

"Well then, if that's all, I will see you tomorrow. Have a wonderful rest of your day Kathleen." She says with a smile.

"Thank you, you too."

After getting your stuff from your office you walk through the tasting room and see Daniela.

"Katie!! You're going home already?!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Will you be here tomorrow?!"

"Yes I will be!"

"YAY!"

"Daniela." Cassandra growls from across the room. Daniela shrinks down a little and looks up at you apologetically.

"It's okay kiddo." You say, giving her a gentle smile. Daniela's face lights up again and she gives you a big smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow Katie!!"

"See you tomorrow Daniela." She heads over to one of the tables and you turn towards the bar to say goodbye to Cassandra. She glares at you and turns her back to you. "Alrighty." You say quietly to yourself and head to the car.

You pick up Emma and talk to your in-laws for a bit, giving them a brief recap of your first day. They both seem happy for you and you sense a little bit of relief from them too, but you know neither of them would ever say it out loud. When you get home you talk to Marge, giving her the same brief recap and she tells you she's proud of you. With Emma in tow the two of you head upstairs. Emma insisting on walking up the stairs herself since she's "a big girl."

Once dinner was eaten and cleaned up you gave Emma a bath and put her to bed. When she's finally asleep you pull out a bottle of wine and pour yourself a glass. With your wine in hand you sit on the couch and flip through a few suggested shows, settling on re-watching a few episodes of your favorite comfort show. After finishing the wine and relaxing for a bit, you get yourself ready for bed. Before you know it, you're fast asleep. It's the fastest you've been able to fall asleep in a long time and you're grateful for it.

When you open your eyes you find yourself in that all-too familiar field. Where the sky is clear and blue and the green grass is blowing in the wind.

You look around and finally spot the figure in the distance once more. Your heart clenches in your chest and you try to move towards it but you can't. No matter how hard you pull against your legs your muscles won't budge. The harder you fight against the led in your legs the harder it becomes. A silent cry rings out into the air and you find yourself becoming more and more desperate to move.

When you look up, you see the figure begin walking towards you. No matter how loudly you try to call out to it no sound passes through your lips. It closes half of the distance between the two of you before stopping once more. With one final desperate pull you're finally able to move your leg. Your movement is so slow, it feels like cinderblocks are tied to your ankles but you continue moving closer.

The shadow across the figures face lightens just enough so you think you can make out who it is. With your heart hammering inside of your chest you try and push forward faster. Just before the shadow falls away the figure begins to fade. You try and scream. You feel it reverberate through your vocal chords but again no sound comes out. Desperately you try and push forward faster, trying to reach it before it disappears.

Just as you reach out to touch it, it vanishes.

"NO!" You scream.

Your voice echoes through the valley. It combs through the tall grass and expands in the air reaching as far as the eye can see. Tears stream down your face and you fall to the ground on your knees. Another wail tears through your vocal chords. The sound flies through the air and as if it hits a wall, it reverberates back to you.

Your eyes snap open and you shoot up out of bed. With a ragged breath your eyes scan the room and you realize you're in your bedroom. You put your hand over your chest and you feel your heart hammering away inside of your ribcage. The sound of your alarm goes off again and you shut it off. Dragging your hand across your cheeks you realize you're wiping away fresh tears.

Looking down at the empty side of the bed you feel your heart ache. You grab your necklace from around your neck and trace the heart shape with your fingers in an attempt to ground yourself. When you feel your heartbeat finally settle you decide to get out of bed and get ready for your second day of work.

[writingbymoonlight]

rainy day

ft.: timeskip iwaizumi x reader

word count: ~1.1k words

You’re running late and, as you speed-walk down the paved sidewalk, you mentally prepare yourself to deal with Oikawa’s smug face because you know he will, inevitably, make a snarky remark about your tardy arrival.

Whenever you hang out with the former players of Seijoh’s volleyball team, you have a habit of being late. It wasn’t on purpose, though. And today, you were certain that you were going to be punctual. However, like always, before you stepped out the door, you ended up looking at yourself in the mirror and decided to tweak your appearance. 

This time it was your outfit you resolved to change. You felt that your original outfit was too formal for the restaurant.

Honestly, you blamed Iwaizumi Hajime for your indecisiveness: you have had a crush on the man for, like, forever, but he somehow managed to fill your stomach with a million butterflies every single time you saw him. Whenever he was around, you wanted to make sure you looked especially nice and put together in hopes that it would disguise the fact that he turns you into a flustered mess. 

Oikawa, Matsukawa and Hanamaki had all caught on to your habit of putting extra effort into your appearance when it came to Iwaizumi. Mercifully, they decided not to tease you about this. Well, they didn't do so in front of Iwaizumi. When he wasn’t present, they would tease you relentlessly about your crush. 

Unfortunately, fretting over your outfit has come at cost.

You are a few streets away from the restaurant when a water droplet falls upon your head, and dread suddenly creeps up on you as you realize that you left your umbrella at home. Then, within a matter of seconds, the skies open up and a torrential downpour commences. Instantly, you race towards a small corner shop with a tiny awning that offers you some shelter from the cascade of water.

“Crap,” you mutter before inspecting your clothes. You managed to evade most of the rainfall, so you luckily avoided becoming thoroughly soaked. You cast your gaze up to the sky and, through the curtain of falling raindrops, you see that the previously overcast sky is now completely covered by ominous dark grey clouds.

You absolutely weren’t going to make it to the restaurant on time. 

After a couple of minutes of impatient waiting, the pouring rain subsides a bit, but even if you sprinted to the restaurant, you would still end up drenched. Sighing, you take out your phone and look at the weather report, which had stated earlier that the rain wasn’t supposed to last too long. Maybe you could wait out the rain or you could send a message to your group chat and ask if-

“Y/N?”

At the sound of a familiar voice uttering out your name, your eyes shoot upwards, and you are met with the sight of a casually dressed Iwaizumi watching you curiously, with his head tilted to one side. He’s standing about two meters from you, holding a large black umbrella that is protecting him from the rain. 

“Iwa! Hey…” you greet, but your sentence fizzles out as you gradually grow bashful under his stare. You must look pretty idiotic, stranded beneath a random awning.

“Let me guess…” Iwaizumi says, trying to suppress a smile “...you forgot your umbrella?”

Yeah, you are definitely a little embarrassed right now.

“Maybe,” you meekly admit as you awkwardly cross your arms over your chest and gaze down at your shoes as if they are currently the most interesting object on the planet. 

Your response causes your dark-haired friend to chuckle and it’s a sound that you’ll never get bored of. It’s deep yet jovial and light-hearted. It’s the type of laugh that promises that he is laughing with you and not at you.

“Come on, you can share my umbrella,” Iwaizumi insists and as you slowly move your eyes back towards him, you notice that he’s looking at you with a friendly grin that makes your heart flutter.

Part of you freezes up at the thought of being in such close proximity while sharing an umbrella with him. But it’s not like you can reject his offer. You can’t say, “No, that’s fine! You go on without me and just leave me behind!” 

So, instead, you reply with: “Thank you, Iwa.” 

You rush over to his side and attempt to avoid eye-contact as the two of you start strolling towards the restaurant while the rain pitter-patters on top of the umbrella. 

There is no silence between you, as Iwaizumi doesn’t hesitate to inquire how your week has been and, soon, you both fall into conversation. That’s the thing about Iwaizumi: despite being nervous around him because of your crush, he’s always been able to dispel your nerves quickly and unknowingly. He’s so easy to talk to that you forget that you’re walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the handsome, well-toned man. 

He tells you about how Miya Atsumu was practically flailing on the ground the other day when he thought he broke his ankle when, in actuality, it was a minor sprain. You vent to him about how you and your annoying coworker are up for the same promotion, and he assures you that you’re going to be the one to get it. 

Once the restaurant is in sight, you become aware that your alone time with Iwaizumi is now coming to a close. And with this realization, you become abruptly conscious of how your hand barely grazes his, which results in a shiver down your spine. Or maybe the shiver was because your slightly damp clothes are causing you to feel chilly. 

Either way, walking close beside him feels so right. As if being by his side is exactly where you’re meant to be.

You don’t want this stroll together in the rain to be over, but alas, all good things must come to an end. The moment you step into the restaurant, you spot Mattsun and Makki waving you over from a table located near the front door. 

What you don’t know, as you head towards the table, is that, about three blocks from the restaurant, Oikawa, who was surprisingly running late as well, spotted you across the street. He thought of calling out to you and Iwa, but settled upon taking a picture of you two sharing an umbrella.

And the setter sends the picture to the both of you, respectively, later that night and he texts each of you “Don’t you look like an adorable couple?”, with the hopes that it would encourage one of you to finally confess your feelings to the other.

[partially-controlled-chaos]

WIP (almost) Wednesday

Posting this on a Tuesday because I won't be able to actually post on Wednesday and I wanted to get this out. Also gives me a chance to update the tag list because my memory is horrible and I don't want to leave anyone out.

Anyway, here's a little snippet of Chapter 2 of New Life Shall Prosper because I won't be able to work on it for a few days.

“Halsin!” You called when your eyes finally spotted him, quickly ushering him over to you with a wave of your hand, the other placed along the side of your extended belly. Halsin’s head quickly snapped in your direction, seemingly hearing the urgency in your voice as his gaze settled upon you. He had been conversing with Thaniel before you interrupted, but he wasted no time in giving a quick, light pat to the boys shoulders to excuse himself before he made his way to you. His steps were quick, bordering on a jog as he approached as quickly as possible. 

“I’m here, my heart.” He said as he came to you, “Is something wrong? What can I do?” You now realize that your excitement had come across as potential cause for concern and that concern had quickly consumed his mind. His face was stoic, but with a quick glance to his eyes you could see the worry building. His hands had instinctively made their to your arms, holding you close as he searched your face for answers. There was a twinge of guilt that made its way through your mind with the realization you had instilled fear in your beloved druid, but knew that concern would quickly melt away once he realized why you’d come to him to urgently.

“Nothing,” you said as gently as you could, your excitement almost taking your breath away, “Nothing’s wrong; far from it. Just…just wait. It’ll come back.” Without giving a more detailed explanation, you took his large hands from their place along your arms and moved them to your abdomen. You both stood there in silence, staring down towards your stomach as you waited for another sign of movement.

“There!” You whispered as quietly as possible, but your excitement had still gotten the better of you, “There, my love. Do you feel it?” You placed your hands atop his, pressing them lightly to your belly with the hopes he could have his first feel the feather light kicks coming from within.

The worry that was written across Halsin’s face quickly disappeared and was replaced with a look of what you could only call bliss. The fear in his eyes softened and his eyelids seemed to droop. His lips pulled into a smile and you could swear you caught the faintest glimpse of a tear threatening to fall to his cheeks.

“Yes, my heart, I do.” Halsin whispered as he pressed lightly against you, desperately wanting to feel another gentle bit of movement. As quietly as he could, the druid gave a gentle chuckle as if he was in disbelief in what he was feeling.

“I was afraid it would stop if I kept walking,” you explained as he shifted his hands around your front side to feel more, “I didn’t want you to miss this.” 

With his hands still cradling the swell of your belly, Halsin leaned forward and pressed his forehead to yours, sighing happily as he felt another kick against his palm. Several kicks later, you felt him lean more heavily against you, almost nuzzling as his shoulders and muscles relaxed with your touch. He basked in the feeling of his little one moving against your combined touch. You hummed in contentment as you felt him rock you both back and forth slowly, as if you were entangled in a slow dance together. In that moment, despite being surrounded by dozens of people, there were only the two of you, standing together as one to bask in the warmth and joy that was the child wriggling in your belly. Nothing else mattered except the safety of the embrace you shared and the soft, tiny kicks you both could feel.

“Thank you,” he whispered against your skin, “for everything. For this.”

Not written in its final form and not edited, will probably get tweaked again before the final posting. Still not sure how long chapter 2 will be because I'm trying to decide how much fluff is too much fluff when my brain keeps adding scenarios.

Tag List: @incrediblethirst, @reignydeys, @thoughts-of-bear, @im-eating-rn, @beardedladyqueen

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/728337438156734464/since-we-ended-up-talking-about-experimental oh god fucking dammit that slipped me by entirely. thanks for the free beta I guess lol. *goes to fix*

see, your version as two sentences makes sense but is also the kind of prose I'd consider just the tiny bit boring, and I feel like there should be a way to do it as one and still have it be comprehensible yknow

that's exactly where Experimental Grammar(TM) would have a place

--

My dude, you opened with "The fact that". We're in wordy-and-stilted territory here.

I think there are ways to do it as one sentence and probably lots of them, but we're going to need a little style.

The fact that the only genuine human connection he'd had in months had been with a criminal on track to one of the worse penal facilities really shouldn't be something to shake him to his core.

is, at its heart... not very interesting to start with. I'm not saying my version is interesting. It's not. It's just the clearer version of what you gave me.

If this were in my first draft (and it totally would be), I would rewrite the sentence entirely, not tweak it.

"One of the worse" is a culprit here. So is "really". This feels flabby and generic. It's only one of the worse and not one of the worst? Is this only, like, B-grade sucky?

Who is this person? This collection of banalities won't tell us. Sure, it's in the middle of something else that will help, but it's still so plain and so loaded down with helpers like "really" instead of having strong word choices in the first place.

Is this a person who uses very long sentences that get lost in their own verbiage? That's a style choice and it can work.

Look, if you want wordy, do wordy. But pick better words.

That his sole, solitary spark of human connection in this bleak year had been with a genocidal maniac on his way to a lifetime in The Poison Hells should not have sent this bolt of ice through his guts.

The fact that the only living creature to break through the gray fog of these past months was a venal excuse for a public servant headed for exile in a second-tier penal colony should not have likewise destroyed his calm, and yet...

And if they aren't someone who specifically wants to wax lyrical for too many words before a period, why stop at two sentences?

What was wrong with this piece of shit he called a brain? Two months of cold, calm quiet and then—then—that little shit Danvers said one word and he melted like a kid's popsicle in the sun. Was he really that desperate for human companionship? No. Fuck that. Danvers could try what he liked, but he was up against thirty years on The Rock no matter what any of them said now. Only that weasel was too stupid to know buttering up a guard couldn't do shit. The other option wasn't worth thinking about—the option that Danvers hadn't been trying anything.

Are these good? Eh. Nothing one puts in a writing advice post is ever good enough and is doomed to vivisection, but they're at least less boring.

I'm sorry, dude, but what you gave us, we gave you back.

[wavypotatochips]

So u know that rat vidal right? So how about after a game he starts hitting on ramos gf and starts begin a little touchy and she's obviously uncomfortable but then ramos comes and things get ugly??

𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 | 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙤 𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙨

𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: Sergio Ramos x Female Reader

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : Suggestive 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ : 2k

𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: Thank you so much for requesting and so sorry for the wait! I had an exam (which I am 100% I failed LOLZ) so I have been dealing with that c': Ive never done something like this before and I did tweak your request a tiny bit so I Hope you like how I represent your idea ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚!!

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ REQUESTS ARE OPEN, currently swamped with college work, uploads may be limited to weekends for the time being. Thank you for your patience c’: ♥

[Spanish Translator was used, so the direct translation may not be accurate]

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙉𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.

You sat nervously in the stands, scanning the field for a glimpse of your boyfriend, Sergio Ramos. As a passionate soccer fan, you couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement every time he stepped onto the field.The temperature is 68 degrees with a moderate breeze outdoors, perfect for the friendly match against Chile that is about to begin. The roar of the crowd grows louder as the teams emerge from the tunnel, and your heart skips a beat as Sergio's name is called out over the loudspeaker. You watch with bated breath as he runs onto the field, his powerful presence commanding the attention of everyone around him.

As the game began, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as you watched Sergio dominate on the field. His expert footwork and lightning-fast reflexes left the opposing team scrambling to keep up, and the energy in the stadium was electric as he made play after play. You cheered at the top of your lungs every time Sergio made a successful pass or blocked a shot, feeling your heart swell with pride every time he helped his team move closer to victory. "GO SERGIO, YOU GOT THIS!" You shout loudly, adrenaline running through your veins from the excitement. Even though it's simply a live friendly game, the manner yellow cards are being given out makes it appear much more serious than it actually is. Ramos already received one yellow card, and with the way he keeps playing hard defense, a red card wouldn't surprise you. But even as the game grows more tense, you know that Sergio has the skill and determination to lead his team to victory.

You decide it would be better to start leaving the stands as there are only 10 minutes left. You excuse yourself as you walk by some of the other players' families in the VIP lounge area and begin your journey to the team tunnel. You've never been to this stadium, but you think you can manage to find the team's tunnel again with the aid of the numerous signage dotted throughout the stadium halls. All you have to do, really, is retrace your steps from the time you went to the lounge before the game- how hard can that be? Well, after 15 minutes of being lost throughout the stadium and trying to dodge the thousands of other supporters, you realized that indeed, it was difficult. Currently, you are adjusting your hair and adding another coat of gloss while looking in the bathroom mirror. You're dressed simply, in a white tank top, High waisted light blue jeans that are ripped, and white sandals to highlight your white toenails. You rub your lips together to spread the gloss and hum to yourself before grinning, satisfied with how you look.  As you exit the bathroom, you slide your lipgloss back into your front pocket. 

Looking to the side to read the directions written on the wall you accidently bump into a Chilean player as you walk; you hurriedly apologize.

"Don't worry, bella dama(beautiful lady)," the male adds as you look up to see who is speaking. The moment your eyes land on his iconic mohawk, you mentally cringe at the person—it's the one that was constantly fighting with Sergio during the game. You merely give him a brief smile and swiftly maneuver past him to continue your way. "Do you need help?," he wonders, seeing you gaze at the signs once more. Even though you don't want to talk to the guy that irritated your lover because whoever he dislikes you dislikes as well, but you know it is best to overcome your pride and ask him. You turn and say,”Yes actually. Seeing you are a Chilean player I am definitely in the wrong location. Where is Spain's tunnel?” 

"Follow me espléndida (gorgeous), I can lead the way," he motions for you to come over to him. You didn't like how he started constantly complimenting you, as you only appreciate hearing comments from Sergio's mouth, and you didn't like how he didn't explain to you the directions, preferring to have you follow him. But, you merely nod your head and proceed to walk in his direction. Eventually, you are strolling alongside him as he guides you to their side of the stadium. 

He asks, "What's your name?" in an effort to strike up a conversation. You chose to reply "Y/N" since you didn't want to be rude.

He says, "Lovely name for a beautiful woman," and you get the impression he's taking a closer look at your physique. 

You respond, "Thanks, my boyfriend tells me that all the time," to let him know you are not single. 

“Is he a player?” 

"Yeah, that's the one that nutt-megged you tonight,” thinking of your boyfriend's face, you declare with pride, "Sergio Ramos.”

The Chilean athlete laughed as soon as Ramos' name was mentioned, "That pussy? Cariño, déjame mostrarte cómo es un hombre de verdad. (Honey, let me demonstrate what a true man looks like.)"  He comes to a stop, turns to face you, and takes your hand. You immediately pull your hand away from his after giving him a puzzled glance as you find his behaviors to be very unsettling. 

He licks his lips and says, "You can do so much better than that. Let me just take you back to the locker room and show you how a genuine pro does it." He reaches his arm around to touch your butt with a wink, but is stopped by a strong blow to the face.

When the game was over, Sergio started looking for you because you weren't where you two had planned to meet. When he couldn't reach you due to his dead phone, he searched about to see whether anyone had seen you. He started to scan his surroundings and was thrilled when his eyes eventually fell upon you, but he did not anticipate to see Marco Vidal standing next to you and conversing with you. Ramos was able to see right away that you were uncomfortable, and as he got closer, he started to hear Ramos making filthy remarks. Sergio's blood began to boil and he became even more enraged when he saw him about to touch you. Vidal stumbles back, but quickly regains his balance and lunges at Sergio.

Everything happened so rapidly that you hardly had time to respond as your eyes fixated on the conflict taking place underneath you. "Sergio STOP!" You scream, praying that no one has their phone out right now to record. Although fans are obviously not permitted in this location, it wouldn't be shocking if a staff member secretly recorded. Fortunately for you, nobody is present right now. But, it also means that nobody can assist you in breaking up the fight.

Sergio shouts, "You fucking puta! (bitch) " as he spins Vidal around so he is now on top. Ramos is first struck in the face by Vidal, but Ramos then uses all of his strength to continue punching Vidal. You start to hear footsteps running towards you, indicating that it is most likely the police or security, as keys jingle and someone talks on the walkie talkie. Vidal makes every effort to get Sergio away from him and protect his face, but it was clear he had no chance when Ramos started striking him repeatedly and blood started to splatter all over the place. "Haz otro intento de tocar a mi chica (Make another attempt to touch my girl.)" Ramos screams angerly, "I fucking dare you!," striking Vidal one last time before standing up. While Vidal lay there moaning in pain, he stood over him, panting fiercely. Sergio's knuckles are bleeding and bruised, but he didn't seem to mind. Your safety was the only thing that mattered.

"Ramos, we have to go," you say as you hurriedly take Sergio's arm, " NOW.” As more people start to arrive where you are, you pull as hard as you can. You grab him, and he follows behind as the two of you sprint into the closest family restroom. You quickly lock the door, "Sergio wha-," your sentence is cut short when you discover his bottom lip is busted and blood is still dripping from his mouth. You quickly grab a tissue, dampen it, and start tapping it against his lip lightly. He asks, "Are you okay?" with worry. He is just concerned with you, not what just transpired. You reply, "Yeah, my love, I am okay," knowing it wouldn't be the greatest time to lecture him on what had just happened. You know how protective he is of you, so you'll just talk about it tomorrow. The man in front of you, though, is all that needs your attention right now. He yells, "I can't believe his idiot talked to you that way, WHY HE TRIED TO TOUCH YOU!" as his rage rekindles. “Bebé cálmate por favor... se acabó (Baby, calm down please… its over with),” You answer in a calm manner and put your hand on his chest while looking up into his eyes. He looks you in the eyes, lets out a short sigh, and nods his head. You give him a caring smile and gaze down at his right hand, where bruises are starting to show up. "Wash your hand while I double-check  we can leave," you guide your head towards the sink as he nods and turns around. You call out, "Hey," to get his attention. When he turns to face you, you smile and say, "I love you so much, thank you baby." "You don't need to thank me, beautiful," he says with a smile. "Tienes mi amor eterno (You have my eternal love), and I promised to protect you at all times." With a smile that never left your face, you said, "And I will always feel blessed that I have you in my life," and then you walked out of the bathroom.

As the water flowed from the faucet, Ramos rubbed his hands together vigorously, trying to wash away the blood and grime from the fight he had just been in. His heart is still pounding from the adrenaline rush, but his thoughts are focused on you. He loves you more than anything in the world and would do anything to protect you. As he rinses the soap from his hands, memories of the two of you times together begin to flood his mind. He remembered the first time he met you, how your smile had lit up the room and his heart had skipped a beat. He thought about all the little moments you two had shared since then, the inside jokes and the quiet moments of understanding.But as much as he cherished those memories, he knew that love wasn't just about the good times. It was also about the hard times, the times when you had to stand up for the people you cared about. He thought about the fight he had just been in, how he had stood up for you. Even though deep down he knew he shouldn't have done it, he thought it was the right thing to do. Also, the fact that he still harbored resentment at Vidal—who kept babbling bullshit on the field—didn't help. As you wait outside for him, you open the door just enough for you to peek through and give him the all-clear to leave. It turns out that Vidal made up a lie to hide the truth when the security and crew found him. You don't know why he did that, but you can guarantee it was because he didn't want anyone to know how your boyfriend beat his ass. He glances in the mirror and sees you giving him the thumbs up, before shutting the door again. As he dried his hands on a paper towel, he felt a sense of pride and determination wash over him. He would always be there for you, no matter what. He would protect you with all his strength and never let anyone hurt you. He knew it wouldn't always be easy, but he was willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe and happy.

With a deep breath, he throws the paper towel away and heads back out into the world, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. He doesn't care if the word spreads and the media portrays him badly. As in his heart, he knew that his love for his girlfriend would always be his guiding light, shining bright through even the darkest of times.

𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙉𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.

[weirdowithaquill]

Hear me out:

Tweak it a bit so an engine can work on this, then plop Neil on the skr with this, now he and Skarloey can go on a woodland date (double heading a train).

I would say yes, were there not a few technical difficulties with this set up - ones that have much more to do with the loading gauge of the SKR than the actual bogie wheel idea.

Obstacle one:

This is just outside the Thin Controller's house - this bridge is quite literally at the exit to Crovan's Gate yards! Neil would not fit under that - I mean, potentially he could if you chopped off his funnel - but that's a bit cruel to the poor engine.

Still, even if you made it past obstacle one - there's obstacle two:

This is at Cros-ny-Cuirn: the first station on the line. And it's another low bridge - one that's potentially (though it may be the angle) got an even narrower clearance than the first bridge! Were Neil to try and get through this spot, his funnel and possibly any other fittings atop his boxy boiler would have to be removed.

Surely - surely - after all this, they have to be in the clear, right? Nope. Cause here comes the real deal breaker - obstacle three:

It's Rheneas Tunnel. Rheneas Tunnel is the real dealbreaker behind why Neil (or any other NWR engine) could never traverse the SKR. This tunnel is tiny! Duncan caused the roof to partially collapse - and he's a narrow gauge engine!

And before someone mentions the rock and roll: Peter Sam lost his funnel to an icicle in this tunnel cause it's so narrow that an icicle can dangle low enough to do that kind of damage!

To be even more clear: the TV series does not do justice to just how tiny and narrow this tunnel is - look at it! It's a miracle the SKR engines fit; Neil has no chance.

Sorry to be a bit of a Debbie Downer, but Neil just couldn't traverse the SKR: he's too tall and too wide. Though I may be relatively open to the zanier ideas of the Thomas fandom, I am at heart a bit of a purist. I grew up on the books more than the TV series, and it very much instilled in me a similar outlook to the Reverend himself.

Then again, the Reverend would tell me I've lost my mind for entertaining the idea of engines being in relationships so...

Were it the CGI Skarloey Railway, they'd be fine - but both classic and book series would be a no.

(Then again, nothing after Season 7 actually exists...)

Thank you for the ask!