#i want to be friends with the sheep i would herd !!

[em0dog]

i want more farm creature friends if youre a livestock species or a farm work species i need to be friends with you so bad

[coyoteuugly]

love the validation i get from having lots of replies to my discusion posts, especially when they hit me with the, i never thought about it like that

[wandamaximoffsbadgirl]

Our Safe Haven

Wanda x little!fem!reader

Word count: 1.1K

Warnings: None this is very fluffy

Authors notes: I had a thought while rewatching DSMOM yesterday. What if...Wanda hadn't been consumed by the darkhold?

“Baaaaaa Baaaaaaa.” 

You woke up to the sound of sheep with a smile on your face. Jumping out of bed and changing into your shortalls and pulling on your perfectly white mid-crew socks. Your tongue sticking out a bit as you pull on your cowgirl boots. You were ready to bolt out the front door when Wanda caught you, we'll her magic did, making you giggle.

“Mama! Mama!” you cried out with a giggle as she carefully placed you down at the kitchen table. She turned around with your breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. You wiggled in your seat as she set the plate down, leaning over to kiss the top of your head. 

“Good morning detka. Feeling small this morning?” She asked sweetly with a smile as you put some eggs on your fork and you nodded, shoving the food into your mouth, a little ‘mhmm' coming from you. Wanda simply smiled at you, the little light of her life that she found after The Westview Incident.

The moment you were done you bolted out of the house. Your great Pyrenees, Lola, getting up from her spot to follow behind you as you run to the sheep, letting them out to roam and running around with them.

.°⋆.°⋆𐚁

“Apples, right?” Strange asked, making Wanda look up. She was pruning one of the many apple trees that were on the property the two of you had purchased with the money Tony had left everyone.

“Eventually.” She handed him the small branch that was blossoming. 

“Smells…”

“Sweet?”

“I was gonna say real.” Strange said in an accusatory tone making Wanda's face fall.

“It's all very real. Thanks. I put the magic behind me.” Wanda looked over at you, watching as you herded the sheep with Lola laying nearby, watching. 

Strange followed her eyesight. Watching carefully. “Who's the girl?”

“Y/N. I met her after I left Westview. I was looking for a remote place to settle down and she worked at the general store in the secluded town. Eventually I found myself falling in love again.” Wanda smiled, a genuine smile before turning back to Strange. “Well, I knew sooner or later you'd... show up, wanting to discuss what happened at WestView. I made mistakes, and people were hurt.”

“But you put things right in the end and that was never in doubt. I'm not here to talk about WestView.” 

Before Wanda could ask why he was here you came running up, “Mama! Mama!” You hadn't noticed the man at first otherwise you wouldn't have called her Mama, you knew better as you shied away, pressing your face into her. 

Strange was befuddled by the exchange happening in front of him, but watched Wanda soothe you back down, “It's okay little one. He's a friend. He helped me save the world. Your favorite story to hear.” She spoke softly, kissing the top of your head. Wanda looked back at Strange, “So if Not Westview then what are you here for?” Wanda questioned as you looked up at her. 

It was rare that she talked about Westview. When you first met she had mentioned coming from there and that things didn't go as planned. She needed a fresh start. 

“What do you know of the multiverse?” The man asked as you turned slightly to look between them.

“The multiverse. Vis had his theories. He believed it was real. And dangerous.” Wanda's voice shifted slightly, her grip on you tightening ever so slightly. 

Vis…a name you'd heard twice. She always left him out of the stories she told. She tried once, but started to cry. The second was in passing, you heard her ask herself, “Would you have liked this Vis?” You pretended not to hear her. Deciding it was best not to acknowledge it.

“Well, he was right about both. We found a girl who can somehow travel across it but she's being pursued.” Strange informed the two of you and you looked up at Wanda happily about possibly a new friend, but Wanda looked worried. Her grip tightens further on you. A small squeak coming out of you. 

“Mama…” You spoke softly, tugging on her shirt. She looked down at you trying to hide the swirling emotions in her eyes. You saw it though and you didn't mean to, but it brought you right back to a big headspace. “Love what's wrong? What is it?” Your hands cup her cheeks and she practically melts at your touch. It grounds her back down. 

“I'm fine.” Her voice betrays her with a slight crack as she looks back at Strange. 

“You can bring her here. She'll be safe and Y/N can keep her company.” 

“Are you sure Wanda? It won't be too much trouble?” He asks as she shakes her head in response. 

“No trouble at all Stephen.” She plasters a smile on her face as Strange portals back to the temple. 

“What's wrong?” You ask sternly. “He's not here, it's just us Wanda. I know something isn't right.” She tries to pull away, but you hold her there.

“When we met I was in possession of something called the darkhold. It gave me a lot of resources, but it all came at a price. I found the price was too high once I got to know you. I knew I couldn't have both so,” her hands find yours on her face, “I gave it up so we could live our life. So I could leave my past where it belongs. But now with this I can feel that itch. The want—no the need for it again.” 

A pained expression covered your features. You could tell she was struggling and so you did the only thing you knew how to do when she got like this, her thoughts swirling and drowning her in her past mistakes, you kissed her. It was soft and she barely pressed back, but you felt it. 

“We'll get through this. I'm here for you Wands. Didn't I already tell you when you told me who you were?” Wanda looked down at you, waiting for the reminder, needing it right now. “You aren't a monster. What you did is in the past. We can't change that. We can only be better in the future.” 

She leaned her forehead against yours, a smile slowly spreading on her face. “Thank you for the reminder my little love.” She spoke in a whisper as you reached a hand to tangle in her hair, scratching gently as she closed her eyes. 

“We're gonna make it through this. Do what we have to and keep moving forward.” You tell her as she nods against you. 

“How'd I get so lucky?” she whispers.

“I ask myself that question every time I look at you.” you whisper back as you hear a portal opening behind you. Getting ready to face the next chapter of your life together.

[k3n-dyll]

"You never talked to me about Cat"

"...There's not much to talk about"

"Yikes..."

I think about this conversation between Ellie and Dina often. There's not a lot of content concerning their relationship in the game but my mind has conjured up a narrative based around the idea that the reason there 'wasn't much to talk about' in reference to Ellie and Cat is because Ellie was still so caught up in her feelings for Dina.

Ellie, unable to quell her developing feelings for Dina, thinking that maybe dating someone else will help her get over it. She respects Jesse too much as a friend to try and get with her while they're in their on-again-off-again relationship, and well, she kinda likes Cat; they're both artists and maybe they have more in common that isn't shown like love for space or dinosaurs or Savage Starlight comic books. It makes sense for them to be together.

The one problem was that Ellie was too enamored with the girl she couldn't have at that point to really truly dedicate herself to Cat. Cat's cool and all. She took the time to give Ellie her tattoo, she was often Ellie's muse for her drawings - but Dina. Ellie eats, sleeps, and drinks Dina. Her mind revolves around Dina - around what it would feel like to kiss her, hold her - to do all of the things with her that she's currently doing with Jesse.

Maybe leading up to their break up, Cat knew. Maybe that's why they broke up in the first place.

All that fucking yearning and when Ellie finally got what she wanted and more - Dina, a farmhouse with a small herd of sheep, JJ, a life - she got too caught up in Abby to truly dedicate herself to it.

[donutfloats]

One night, Lamb and Narinder are sat outside gazing at the stars, it’s before they’re in a romantic relationship (perhaps pining at this stage) so they’re just friends at this moment.

Lamb asks the question “If you had a normal life, what would you have wanted to do?”

Narinder is confused by this, “what brought this on?” He’d ask, turning to look at them.

Lamb shrugged, still gazing up at the starlit sky. “Just somethin’ I remembered thinking about a lot before.. well, you know.” They gestured down the hill, where the temple of their cult stood along with the many follower huts and other stations. “The whole cult thing.”

Narinder hummed as he turned back to gazing at the stars, “… I do not know. It was never a thought that crossed my mind as I couldn’t imagine my self as anything else other than a God.”

There was a long pause after this, the silence was then broken by Narinder.

“I assume you had something in mind for your self?”

“I wanted a family.” Lamb replied.

Narinder was taken slightly aback by this, brows furrowed into a look of confusion. “A family? That’s it?”

Lamb nodded, pushing their arms out that were propping their self up to fully lay back on the grass, their gaze still transfixed upon the night sky. “Yep, I wanted to get married and have kids. Settle down, have a house, grow our own food. Live a small, simple life.”

“How… mundane.” Narinder replied as he slumped back into the grass. “… Why?”

Now it was the Lamb’s turn to be confused as they turned to face Narinder. “Really? Thought it was obvious.”

“Enlighten me.”

Lamb rolled their eyes and sighed at this. “I spent my entire life on the move because of the hunts. I never got to call anywhere ‘home’.”

“Why a family though?”

“Well-“ Lamb turned onto their side so they were facing Narinder fully, which he recuperated by doing the same, the two now being face to face as the Lamb continued. “- I never thought I’d be able to have kids, let alone a partner. The herds were dwindling, so it was obvious that I was part of the last generation of sheep.” The Lamb’s gaze drifted, not focusing on anything particular. “It would have also been cruel to bring a child into the world that only wanted them dead.”

“So I used to just daydream about a life I wanted.”

It was quiet for a moment between the two, but the Lamb felt a sense of awkwardness rush over them as they quickly tried to fill the silence. “But uh, yeah. It’s a silly mundane thing to want I guess, especially now.”

Narinder’s expression hadn’t changed, but after a moment he closed his eyes as he in a softer tone than the lamb expected.

“I suppose the mundane wouldn’t be so bad.”

The Lamb’s ears perked up at this, surprised by Narinder’s response. “Is… that something you would have done?”

“Perhaps.” He replied

Silence fell once again between the two, but it was comfortable. The stars had been forgotten as the Lamb gazed at Narinder’s face at rest. It would be a couple hours until the sun would start to peak over the horizon, so the Lamb indulged in the serene moment by closing their eyes, drifting away to one of the most comfortable sleeps they’ve had in a long time.

[sehnsuchts-trunken]

Jake Seresin And The Unfortunate Hat Situation

jake seresin x fem!reader 3k words

summary: You’re visiting Jake’s family in Texas for the first time and so far, it’s been going well. Just that Jake may have forgotten to mention the hat rule. 

another cowboy fic because i fucking can

disclaimer: strong allusions to smut. im not kidding. this is basically straight up dirty talk all the way through

a/n: i’m warning you once about all the inaccuracies in here and thats it. read at your own risk. i have literally no clue whatsoever about texas and/or cowboys and did not have it in me to research cowboy history for hours on end, like- i tried, okay? i really did try. i know facts about cowboy hats now that i never felt the need to know (though “dont sleep with your cowboy hat on”, um... yeah? thanks? i totally would have done that otherwise) but i still do not have the information to back this shit up lmao

top gun masterlist

(yes i did have to use an everybody wants some gif. during the past week ive rewatched this film more times than i can count and i will take every opportunity i get to talk about it)

“Enlighten me”, you chuckled, spreading your arms, a bottle of beer in your right hand. “Why are none of the cowboys wearing cowboy hats? Isn’t that kind of their thing?”

You were visiting Texas for the first time - a week off of work, away from the Navy and the Dagger Squad for a bit, to meet Jake’s friends and family back home. You’d talked to most every one of them over the phone whenever he had found the time to call, but you’d never actually met them in person before this. So it had been an adventure from the start: getting on a plane in San Diego to take you to Texas where Jake had grown up, being picked up at the airport by his mother, driving two hours to the farm they owned (”You grew up on a farm?”, you’d asked when he’d told you, wheezing at the mental image of teenage Jake herding sheep), meeting his dad, being surprised by both his sisters, getting to see his childhood bedroom. 

And then, to top it off: the sound of his alarm at the crack of dawn this morning to go teach you how to ride a horse. 

Needless to say that you’d been buzzing with nervous energy for the past few days. Not that you weren’t happy - it was just all a bit much at once. 

After lunch he’d taken you into the city and you’d gone shopping for some real cowboy boots. He’d planned to take you to a bar in the evening, to introduce you to some friends. After all you only had a week here and neither of you felt like missing out on something. 

When you’d wanted to try cowboy hats in the store too, Jake had snatched them from you and grabbed your hands, pulling you close to him, telling you that you’d get one when you’d become a real cowgirl. Since you doubted that would ever happen, you’d pouted and tried to convince him with kisses and, when that hadn’t worked, half-hearted threats, but he wouldn’t be persuaded even the slightest. He’d only looked down at you with raised eyebrows until you’d caved and satisfied yourself with cursing under your breath. 

So here you were: Cowboy boots, jeans shorts and a button-up and no cowboy hat in sight. 

Actually, there was one in sight. Jake was wearing his, in all his Texan glory, laughing with some of his friends at the bar. The thing was, he was the only guy wearing his hat. There were some cowboys strutting about with them on their heads, but most of them didn’t have one - hat hair, yes, but no hat. Hence your initial question: “Why are none of the cowboys wearing cowboy hats?” 

“Shit, Jake didn’t tell you?”, Kendra - one of Jake’s only female friends here, who’d immediately decided she liked you and pulled you to one of the tables for some girl talk - let out a laugh. “No wonder it’s still on his head. We were getting worried already.” 

It was pretty clear to everyone that you weren’t from around here, so you saw no reason to hide your confusion.

“Now you’ve lost me entirely. What?”, you asked, masking your frown with a laugh. You’d been here for hardly two days and you didn’t think you’d felt as embarrassed ever before. You knew about literally nothing. At least you’d done somewhat well at horseback riding, which could’ve been because of Jake’s arms around you and his hands over yours as you - he - held the reins, but either way you were proud of yourself for not falling off and landing on your ass. 

“It’s like this: Ladies didn’t wear hats for a really long time. Cowboys wore the hats. So when you saw a lady with a cowboy hat on - that was her man’s. A sign that she belonged to him. Property shit and all.” She waved it off as if dismissing the concept. “Changed over the past few decades, of course. Better that way too. Ladies can wear whatever they want now. But the thought kind of stuck. You see a guy without a hat, he’s probably taken. You see a girl with a hat, that’s probably her man’s. And before you ever steal a hat, you should know the hat rule.” 

You raised your eyebrows. Your stomach did weird little flips as she talked. Jake hadn’t explained any of this to you. 

“The hat rule?”, you asked. Kendra grinned and leaned in, pretending to let out some big secret. 

“You wear the hat”, she said and paused for a second for dramatic effect, “You wear the cowboy.” 

You breathed out. 

“Oh.” 

Oh my ass, you thought. 

Jake hadn’t let you buy your own hat for a reason. And then he’d gone ahead and not given you that reason. What the actual fuck. 

You would’ve loved to wear his hat. You would’ve loved the thought of him claiming you like that, letting you wear his hat, showing everyone that yeah, you were Jake Seresin’s girl. But no. He’d left you completely in the dark, hadn’t let a single word slip. And he was still wearing that goddamn hat himself. 

Like a single fucking guy, not a man in a loving relationship.

Somehow, now that you knew, you were more annoyed by the fact that he was wearing it than that he just hadn’t told you at all. God, he could’ve left it at home. He could’ve taken it off. He could’ve just put it on your head without telling you why if he didn’t want to. 

And right there, that was the part you just didn’t understand. Why hadn’t he told you? He should have known you well enough by now to realise that you would absolutely adore wearing that hat. Not only because you wanted to wear a hat (which you did) but also because you wanted to wear his hat (which you did even more). After all, it wasn’t only him claiming you - it was you claiming him as well. And as horrible as the history of that hat rule was, in this present day you felt like it would only have been fair of him to tell you. You wanted to have that chance of showing him off. Of him showing you off, which he did so happily back in San Diego. 

“Hey”, Kendra said, her expression a bit more serious as she put a hand to your arm and pulled you from your thoughts. “I’m sure Jake didn’t mean to hurt you. He may seem like a bastard, but he’s actually a real sweetheart.” 

You snorted at her, nodding along. 

“He is”, you agreed. “Which is kind of why it hurts even more. I don’t get why he wouldn’t just tell me. It’s not like he’s ever been scared I’d say no to him or something.”

Kendra smiled and squeezed your arm reassuringly. 

“Try not to worry about it too much. Just ask him when you get home later, yeah? Communication is key.” Her smile turned into a grin. She winked at you. “And hey, you can always wear my hat if you’d like.” 

You forced yourself to smile as well as you took a sip of your beer. “If I actually were single, I’d definitely take you up on that offer, but I’m not, and I don’t think Jake would like it much.” 

Her grin only deepened. She had dimples, you realised, and the hat on her head matched her eye colour. You were glad to have her here with you. She was someone you were sure you could become good friends with over time. 

“That makes it even better”, she said conspicuously. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her ankles over the edge of the table as she tipped her hat back. “He never told you about the hats. You don’t know anything in his eyes, honey. Use it against him.” 

There was a twinkle in her gaze that told you she was looking for nothing short of mischief and you had the distinct feeling that she’d been the ‘bad influence’ on Jake in high school that he’d talked about so often. She seemed like a troublemaker. But she also seemed genuine. And she was right - in Jake’s eyes, you were getting to know one of his friends, talking about some girly stuff (which he probably assumed was himself), having a nice night. Not learning about cowboy customs that he’d just so forgotten to mention. 

Jake usually didn’t get jealous. He trusted you the same way you trusted him. But he got possessive nonetheless - always with a hand on your back when you were talking to someone he thought was flirting with you, kissing you at the most inappropriate times, making sure that everyone knew you were his. Now he’d had the goddamn chance and hadn’t taken it. And you didn’t fucking know why. 

But you were damn determined to find out. 

Kendra slid the hat off her head and offered it to you. You took one deep breath before you reached for it. 

You let your fingertips skip over the rim for a moment. Were you really about to do this? Then you put it on your head. 

Alright. If Jake wasn’t going to tell you about the way this worked on his own accord, you’d make him tell you. 

Kendra emptied her beer and you followed suit before the both of you got up. She grabbed both bottles in one hand, turning to you to send you another of those winks. 

“I’ll bring these back to the bar and get us new ones. The dancefloor’s all yours.” 

With a nervous smile, you adjusted your newly aqcuired hat and made your way onto the dancefloor. There was soft music playing in the background - country, of course, loud but not loud enough to disturb conversation. It wasn’t late enough for that just yet. Which was honestly a relief, since you had zero clue whatsoever about line dancing or whatever it was they did down here. This way there were only a few couples twirling each other back and forth and some people moving to the beat all on their own. You let out a breath and closed your eyes, allowing yourself to really feel the music: the guitar, the steady drums, the vocals. 

Slowly, you started swaying - from one side to the other, turning, twirling, one step, then the next, heels here, toes there. A grin was making its way onto your face. The music grew, not as much in volume as in pace, and you didn’t know just when you had started to forget about everything except your movements (like the people watching, for example), but then the song changed and you gasped as you realised you knew it. Eyes fluttering open, hands coming together to clap, lips twisting into an actual laugh as you sang along, catching Kendra’s gaze and waving her over. 

She joined you with a laugh, grabbed your hand to twirl you around, and god, her voice was heavenly. For just a split second you wondered how Jake hadn’t ended up falling for her. You certainly would have. 

And speaking - more like thinking, but whatever - of the devil, you felt an all too familiar hand on your shoulder. You turned at the same time that Kendra let go of you, allowing you to admire your boyfriend in all his furious glory. 

Not that he actually looked furious. Not to anyone but you, not with that facade he wore whenever anyone got under his skin. But you, well... You’d been with him long enough to understand that twitch of his jaw, that tension in his shoulders, that flicker in his eyes. And yet - the cowboy hat still sat on his head. 

“I got it from here, Kendra”, he said, eyes fixed on yours, as you held your breath. She snorted, but still made to move away, muttering something under her breath that you didn’t catch. Then Jake spoke again. “Take your hat, Kendra.” 

He grabbed it from where it rested on your head and threw it at her without looking away from you. She sucked in a breath. 

“If you throw my hat again, I’ll kick your ass, Seresin”, she said and you could tell that even though they were friends, she wasn’t kidding. Shit, the people here were really fucking serious about their hats. Another reason why you were mad at Jake for not telling you about any of it. 

“Next time, don’t set it on my girl’s head”, he growled - growled, really, you didn’t know what else to call it. She scoffed and walked off. 

“How could she know I was your girl?”, you whispered, challenging him even though he already looked like you’d crossed some line that he’d drawn without telling you. “How could anyone?” 

For a few moments, he kept quiet. You defiantly stared up at him. Should he think whatever he fucking wanted to, this was entirely his fault. 

Then something changed in his expression. 

“You found out about the hat rule”, he said, “And the first thing you did was go and put on somebody else’s.” 

“Well if my boyfriend doesn’t want to have me wear his hat-” 

You couldn’t react as quickly as Jake had gripped you by the waist and pulled you close to him, forcing you to tip your head back to keep looking at him. He was, in fact, so close now that you could just kiss him and honestly, you were tempted. Just as tempted as you’d been when he’d come out of the bathroom looking like that, just as tempted as you’d been when you’d left the house, just as tempted as you’d been in his truck. But you were also stubborn. And you had good reasons not to kiss him right now (even though they were getting harder and harder to remember by the second).

“Darling, I’d go wild for you with my hat on.” 

You swallowed. Hard. 

“So why am I not wearing it?”, you asked through gritted teeth. You couldn’t quite believe just how easily this whole situation was getting under your skin. But it seriously hurt your ego - and not just that. The fact that Jake hadn’t told you about something so important in his hometown, some, as ridiculous as it may be, piece of culture, something that would so clearly show everyone that you were dating him, really, actually, seriously dating him, stung more than you wanted to admit. It was like someone had asked him outright if he was taken and he’d said no. 

“‘Cause I told you to wait”, he drawled, “Didn’t I? Wait ‘til you’re a real cowgirl.” 

Curiosity and frustration were mixing in your stomach, a weird, dangerous combo. You grabbed for his collar, pulling on it just a bit too hard - nothing he couldn’t stand his ground against. You were feeling insulted by all this and you found that you should let him know. 

“What’s a girl like me gotta do to become one in your eyes, hm, Hangman?” 

Hangman. You only called him that when you meant business. It was like a mother using her child’s full name whenever it got in serious trouble. Jake stiffened, fingers digging into your hips so firmly that you were sure you’d be able to see the marks in the mirror later on. You’d hit a nerve. Always did when you called him by his callsign. No more Jake, no more baby, none of that. 

“Behave”, he said, eyes fixed on yours, that one word carrying so much more meaning. You didn’t care. For once, you really didn’t fucking care. You wanted him riled up, wanted him furious, wanted him right at this breaking point. So you smiled.  

“Like a dog?” 

He’d smashed his lips on yours before you could react. 

All teeth and tongue, decisive, possessive, angry. You didn’t want to give in as quickly as you did. But he hardly left you a choice - he was everywhere, arms wrapped so tightly around you, chest pressed so firmly against yours, not giving you the option to escape, to duck away, to tease him any further. So instead of doing that, instead of making him run after you more, you let him have the control. All of it. Instead of turning, instead of making him chase you, you pulled him close to you by his collar with all the force you could manage, pulled him into you, pulled him with you as you stumbled backwards from the sudden change of weight, put your entire trust in him to keep you upright. You couldn’t breathe. You didn’t want to if that meant letting go. 

Not with how much emotion you were putting into this fucking kiss. 

Jake was the one to break away first. Pupils blown, cheeks reddened (you were sure you looked even worse), panting. You loosened your grip on his collar and ran a hand through your hair instead. 

Somewhere in the back of your head, you remembered that you were still in a bar, still in the middle of the dancefloor, still under the watchful eyes of his friends. A different part was screaming at you to fuck it and fuck him right here, right now. 

“Shit”, he breathed, resting his forehead against yours. His hat let a shadow fall over both your faces. “You’re gon’ be the death of me someday.” 

“Hopefully not too soon”, you teased, a smile playing on your lips as he pulled back just a bit. “I still gotta find out how to become a cowgirl after all.” 

The corner of his mouth quirked up as well. He raised his eyebrows, examining you for a second. 

“You really wanna know, sweetheart?” 

You let out a laugh. “Fuck yeah.” 

He leaned in close, breath ghosting over the shell of your ear, and you had to swallow. This felt intimate, somehow. 

“You’re gon’ be a cowgirl once you rode your cowboy.” 

Your breath caught in your throat. He pulled back with a grin. Smug, you realised. He was so fucking proud of himself for this - for having caught you off guard like that. You couldn’t let him win that easily. Not with that already inflated ego. 

“All of this just to get me into your bed?”, you chuckled. “Damn, Seresin. Lotta work for no reason, hm? I’m in it at the end of every day anyway.” 

He shrugged - as best as he could with his hands still on your waist. 

“What can I say? I aim to please.” 

You couldn’t help but grin too. The angry, sizzling tension had dissolved into something much more pleasant, much more dizzying. Something that set your skin ablaze and your mind on fire. You grabbed one of his hands from your waist and intertwined your fingers with his. 

“Want to get out of here?”, you asked. He leaned in and kissed you with a smile - slow and steady and sensual, wholly different from before. 

When he pulled back, you were breathless again. 

“Always.” 

[teapartyprincess4two]

Full Set is too damn good you write it sooo well. like I actually NEED more matt stories from you 🙏

Small Town Dreaming- M. Sturniolo

pairing: neighbor!reader x bestfriend!Matt

classification: fluff, best friends to lovers (kinda)

warnings: use of y/n, slow build up, small town au

summary: There’s not much to do in this small town but fall in love.

—

Your small town has been boring for as long as you can remember. The town was so small you could probably run down every street in less than an hour. There was one movie theater that played reruns of movies no one cared about, a bowling alley with 4 bowling balls in total, a park with a wooden termite infested playground, and a library with books so old they had mold. Everyone either had a flock of chickens or a herd of sheep, spending their free time tending to the livestock.

One of your favorite pastimes was to sneak up onto the old water tower and just people watch, occasionally pulling out your sketchbook to draw the familiar faces that passed by. No one ever left this town, it always seemed to suck people right back in and keep them here forever. So many people have tried leaving, packing their bags and driving down the main dirt road to freedom. For some reason or another they always turned back though, throwing their dreams out the window on the way.

“One day I’m moving to LA with my brothers,” Matt sighs dreamily, the both of you laying on the trunk of his car as you watch the stars. Without dreams this small, boring town would crush everyone’s spirits. “That’s a good idea,” you say, squinting your eyes as you pretend to squish the stars between your fingers. They looked like fireflies dancing in the sky.

You had a lot of dreams too, most of them involving running away and never turning back, but none of your dreams were written in stone yet. For some reason you felt like you’d end up like many others, too involved in your daily life to ever do something big. You’ve seen it happen to a lot people, your mom included. She was full of dreams and aspirations, but as soon as she got married and started having children it just felt easier to stay.

“What about you?” Matt asks, turning his head to look at you. “What about me?” You say in a teasing tone, hopping off the hood of the car. You were never the type to sit still, plus you didn’t have a definite answer to Matt’s question yet. “What are your dreams?” he asks again, formulating the question in a way that was much easier to answer. It was simple, you wanted to leave, but you were too scared to say it out loud. You felt like if you vocalized it, it wouldn’t come true. Maybe you’d follow Matt and his brothers, you didn’t know yet, but you didn’t want to stay here for the rest of your life.

You take a while to respond so he interjects again jokingly, “or are you staying here forever?” The idea of staying here forever was actually terrifying, but you’re only a junior in high school so it’s easy to push the thought to the back of your mind. “I am NOT staying here forever,” you reply, shivering at the idea of this town becoming your finally destination. “I won’t end up like my mom,” you whispered, shaking your head as you looked at the ground. Matt stays silent as he hops off the hood of the car, walking over to you and hugging you. “It’s okay. You can just come with me and my brothers,” he whispers against your hair as he rubs comforting circles into your back.

The sentiment was nice and it made you smile. “That could be fun,” you murmured, dreaming about a life that seemed so far away.

—

You’re 21 years old now and that conversation feels like a lifetime ago. You’re currently in the kitchen helping your mom prepare lunch for your dad and brothers. “Make sure you don’t cut the tomatoes too thick,” she instructs as she expertly cuts onions beside you. Over the years she managed to refine her kitchen skills, the onions having no affect on her whatsoever. You, on the other hand, are wiping away the involuntary tears with the back of your hand.

“I know how to cut tomatoes,” you reply, squinting so you can see through the tears. Her eyes are trained on you as she piles the onions into the pan. They sizzle loudly, steam rising from the hot pan. Sometimes you wonder why you even bothered helping her if she was going to be so bossy. “Then why are they so thick?” She retorts, grabbing one of the tomato slices from your cutting board and wiggling it around in her fingers. You laugh as you watch the tomato dance back in forth, “fine you do it then.”

She doesn’t second guess it, instead she grabs the knife from you and swiftly cuts the rest of the tomatoes. She’s done before you can even look away. You walk over to the sink to wash your hands before replying, “no one is gonna die from a thick tomato slice.” She sends you a glare as she grabs the cutting board and slides the tomatoes into the pan. “No, but you need to know how to do this stuff for when you get married. No one is gonna wanna marry a girl who can’t cook,” she responds with a tsk, mixing the vegetables in the pan so they become sautéed.

You don’t say anything, you just watch as she tastes a now translucent onion, checking the flavor. “Needs some garlic,” she mumbles, moving towards the cupboard to grab the seasoning. Talking about marriage and relationships with your mom was always awkward because she always found a way to push your buttons. “Speaking of marriage,” she says again, turning the stove off. Now she’s completely facing you, cleaning her hands on a kitchen towel as she continues, “what ever happened to that Matt boy you always used to hang out with?”

You groaned, she brought Matt up at least once a month. “I haven’t talked to Matt since high school, mom,” you reply, rolling your eyes at her inability to remember details you repeatedly told her. She nods her head almost like it’s the first time she’s hearing this as she whispers, “that’s a shame.” The last thing you want to talk about is an old friend who actually managed to leave this town behind, so you decide to wash the dishes in the sink to avoid any further conversation. Hopefully the sound of the running water would drown out your mom’s voice.

You let the hot water run over your hands as you reminisce over all your memories with Matt. There was homecoming, football games, prom night, nights at the bowling alley, sneaking into the theater for popcorn, and of course stargazing. A small smile adorns your face at the memories, you cherished those moments despite them feeling like forever ago.

“He would’ve been a good husband,” your mom says casually, dumping any remaining dirty dishes in the sink before walking out of the kitchen and into the living room.

She was right, he would’ve made a perfect husband.

—

“I’ll be back!” You call out to your mom as you tug your shoes on and grab your coat from the couch. November was always chilly, especially in a town like yours where there were no large buildings to block the wind. That wouldn’t stop you from sneaking up onto the old tower, instead it actually excited you. The rush of being so high up was the most exhilarating thing this town had to offer.

“Where are you going?” She calls back, peering her head into the living room from the kitchen. “I’m just gonna go hang out with a friend,” you comment, not wanting to admit your true destination. She always scolded you when you told her you were going to the water tower, claiming it was dangerous and reckless. “You better not be climbing that old tower,” she gave you a stern look before returning to her cooking.

You roll your eyes, grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. If you weren’t allowed to do one dangerous and reckless thing, you’d go absolutely insane in this town. “Bye,” you finally say, dismissing yourself in a sing song tone as you walk out the front door.

The walk is short, the only hard part of your journey being the climb up the ladder. It creaks with every step, the rusty metal leaving your hands orange. Finally you arrive at the top, plopping your bag on the metal floor. You carefully take a seat, making yourself comfortable enough to begin people watching. Your legs swing back and forth as you look toward the ground, you were really high up.

People pass by, most of them by foot and you rest against the metal railing as you watch them. All these people were stuck doing mundane things like carrying their groceries home or walking to a friend’s house. So many familiar faces spark your creativity causing you to pull your sketchbook from your bag to begin drawing.

You see your brothers in the distance playing soccer on an old dirt road and you decide they’ll make the perfect warm-up sketch. So, you work diligently to replicate the figures in the distance, trying to capture their motions. The sketch is coming out good, but your pencil suddenly snaps, interrupting the flow you’d created. “Stupid cheap pencil,” you mumble to yourself, resting it in the crack of the sketch book that lays on your lap. You dig through your bag in search of a sharpener, finding it tucked between an old gum wrapper and a candy bar.

Just as you’re about to turn back to your sketchbook, the wind aggressively blows it off your lap. “No, no, no,” you yelp, trying to catch the book before it can slip away. One arm grabs a hold of the railing as the other reaches for the book that’s too far gone. You groan in annoyance, shoving the sharpener back into your bag and getting up slowly so you can make your way down and get your book.

“Ow! What the fuck?” someone exclaims from below, your book hitting them right on the head. ‘Great,’ you think, quickly slinging your bag over your shoulder and climbing down the stairs. Of course your book managed to hit one of the 200 people who populated this town. “I’m so sorry. I was drawing and then the stupid wind-“ you begin to apologize, climbing down the ladder as quickly as possible. You’re interrupted though, “Y/n?!” Everyone in your town knew everyone, who the hell was actually confused to see you?

“Yeah?” you reply, hopping off the ladder and turning towards the voice. Immediately your eyes go wide at the person in front of you. After 3 years of not seeing him, Matt stood right in front of you holding your sketchbook. He looked so much older than the last time you’d seen him. Small stubble scattered across his jaw, his arms adorned with tattoos, and he held a much more modernized look. “Matt?!” you ask in shock, rushing towards him excitedly. Seeing him after so long felt like a breath of fresh air.

“Oh my God! You look so different!” He exclaims, he’s equally as excited to see you. When you both were in high school you were inseparable. Sometimes you’d let your mind wander and dream about a life where the two of you were married, but that was then and this is now. “That’s what 3 years will do,” you chuckled, taking your sketchbook from him and putting it in your back. “Has it really been that long?” he asks, his eyes examining everything about you.

Since the last time he saw you, you’ve grown a little taller and your hair is much longer. You’ve got a woman-like essence about you that you didn’t have before, he’s sure that every guy in town is fighting for a chance with you. Last time he checked, you were the only girl worth looking at, let alone fighting for.

“Yes, dude! Where have you been?” you punch his arm playfully, earning a slight push from Matt. It felt like he never left, you two picked up exactly where you left off. “Chris, Nick, and I have been in L.A,” he responds, the two of you beginning to subconsciously walk away from the water tower. A gust of wind blows past you two causing you to pull your coat tightly around you.

“Aw, Chris and Nick! I haven’t seen them in so long,” you reply longingly, reminiscing briefly on all your memories with the other two. “Yeah we’re here visiting our parents for Thanksgiving. We should all hang out one day,” he says, the word ‘visiting’ leaving a bad taste in your mouth. It was a gentle reminder that they actually escaped this place and only came back as a favor to their parents while you were stuck here indefinitely.

“Yeah that could be fun,” you say halfheartedly. “Are you visiting too?” he asks, genuine curiosity leading him to push further into your personal life. You gulp, becoming scared to admit the truth to Matt. “Ugh no, not really,” you respond vaguely. “Oh, are you leaving soon?” he asks again, unable to stop himself from prying. He can’t help it, he hasn’t seen you in a long time and he’s curious. The two of you are now outside your house, the walk coming as second nature from all your walks home from school. “I never left,” you admit, an awkward cough following the sad statement.

Matt doesn’t know what to say, he finds it hard to believe that a girl like you never found her way out of this place. The only reason beautiful girls like you got stuck in this town was because of marriage, but Matt shook the thought from his head.

“It’s getting cold,” you say as you look back towards your house, breaking the silence that settled between you two. As excited as you were to see Matt, you needed to escape this awkward situation immediately. The wind was howling dramatically, shaking the surrounding trees and picking up the dirt from the roads. “Oh. Um, yeah. I’ll let you go. We’ll catch up another time, yeah?” he says sheepishly, feeling bad for embarrassing you. You hum in response, waving slightly at him before turning on your heel and hurriedly making your way inside.

“Was that Matt?” your mom asks enthusiastically as soon as you walk inside, leaning against the couch so she can get a better look out the window. Had she been watching the whole time? “Invite him inside!” she exclaims, not even giving you time to answer her previous question. “No, mom! He’s busy!” you lie, coming up with an excuse on the spot and watching from the window as Matt walks home.

“That boy is NOT busy. Marylou told me her boys were visiting,” she replies, rolling her eyes at your lame excuse of a lie. If she knew the triplets were in town, why did she ask if that was Matt? She clearly wanted to catch you flustered and annoyed. “Well he doesn’t want to come in,” you retort, shrugging your coat off and kicking your shoes off.

“You are never getting married, are you?” she asks sarcastically, giving you a blank look before disappearing into the kitchen.

—

Matt was home in a good 15 minutes, walking in to his house to find his brothers on the couch awaiting his arrival. “Did you bring it?” Chris asked, leaning against the backrest of the couch to look at Matt. Matt shrugs off his coat and kicks his shoes off, wondering what the hell Chris is on about. “Did I bring what?” Matt asks in confusion, walking over to the couch and sitting beside Chris.

Chris was now squished in between his two brothers, all three of them watching a random movie to pass the time. They had to resort to the old VCR their mom had because their phones didn’t get any service out in the country. Neither of them wanted to go through the hassle or rewinding the movies, so they were currently halfway through one without any context. It was hard to readjust to a slow paced lifestyle after being in L.A for so long and they couldn’t find anything to do. So, they sent Matt out in search of fireworks, but of course he got distracted along the way and came back empty handed.

“The fireworks, dumbass,” Nick chimes in, facepalming at Matt’s failure to complete the easiest task ever. “Oh, yeah, no. I couldn’t find any,” he lied, still thinking about his encounter with you. When your sketchbook fell on him, he flipped through a few pages and recognized so many of the people in the drawings. Some of the earlier pages were even filled with drawings of him and his brothers.

“Bullshit! We saw them yesterday at the corner store!” Chris shouts, getting up from the couch to go find the fireworks himself. “If I find even ONE firework, I’m beating your ass,” Chris says, pointing a menacing finger at Matt before slipping his shoes on and walking out the door, coat in hand. “Did you go to the right store?” Nick asks, watching mindlessly as the characters on screen converse. He has no idea what the plot of this movie even is.

“Well I tried, but I sort of got distracted,” Matt admits, shifting uncomfortable in the couch. He grabbed a pillow from beside him, hugging it closely to him. “How could you possibly get distracted? The store is 5 minutes from here!” Nick exclaims, looking suspiciously at his brother. Nick knew Matt was hiding something.

“I ran into an old friend,” Matt shrugged, sinking further into the couch and holding the pillow even closer to him. He knew that if he admitted to running into you, he’d never hear the end of it. He’d be bombarded with questions about you, how you’re doing, why he didn’t invite you over. Nick is looking at Matt expectantly, wanting him to spill the details on which ‘old friend’ he ran into, but Matt’s gaze is focused on the tv in front of him.

“Matt!” Nick says dramatically, pushing his brother by the shoulder to grab his attention. “Which friend?!” He finally asks once he’s successfully grabbed Matt’s attention. Matt debates whether or not he should just admit he ran into you, but before he can say anything he’s interrupted by Chris arriving from the store.

Throughout this entire conversation, Chris had managed to successfully find the fireworks and even ran into you on his way back home. You were reluctantly running an errand for your mom, but of course got distracted by Chris. He asked about you, inquiring about your personal life just like Matt had, and then insisted you come over. He said something along the lines of, “Nick and Matt would love to see you! Matt especially.” Chris was completely unaware of your encounter with Matt earlier that day, so in his mind this would be your first time seeing each other after years. So, as to not seem rude, you abandoned your errand and followed Chris to his house. He was carrying so many fireworks that he dropped a few along the way, but luckily you were there to pick them up.

“Guess who I brought?” Chris says dramatically in a sing-song tone, dropping all the fireworks at the front entrance. Nick and Matt look towards the front door, Matt’s mouth going agape slightly at the sight of you and Nick immediately jumping up from the couch. “Y/n?!” Nick exclaims, running over to you excitedly and embracing you in a hug. This was very uncommon for Nick, seeing as he wasn’t usually a hugger, but he hadn’t seen you in so long that he made an exception. “Hi Nick,” you greet awkwardly as he smothers you in his arms, hands still full of fireworks.

“Oh my God, girl. Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in so long,” Nick let’s go of you, holding you by your arms so he can get a good look at you. He noticed all the same things as Matt and Chris, you looked like a woman. “Here,” you admit with a shrug, not embarrassed to admit it anymore. You’ve already gone through this round of questioning twice at this point with both Matt and Chris. “Oh,” he mumbles awkwardly, offering you an equally as awkward smile.

Matt was still watching in shock, what a coincidence that he ran into you earlier today and now you’re in his house. Well, in retrospect, the town is so small that you probably would’ve ended up here anyway. “How has life here been?” Nick asks again doing air quotes around ‘here’ before taking the fireworks from you and dumping them where Chris had dumped the rest. “It’s.. been” you laugh, rocking back and forth on your feet awkwardly.

Nick nods, deciding he’s had enough awkwardness for one day. “Wanna pop some fireworks with us?” he asks, hoping you’ll just say yes and break the awkward tension. You look between him and Matt, wondering if this was the right decision. Matt’s smiling at you, he wants you to say yes so bad. “Sure, why not,” you reply with a shrug, deciding this will be the most fun you’ve had in a while.

Chris appears from the kitchen, lighter in hand. He’s pretending to use it as flame thrower, waving it from side to side dramatically. “Get ready to burn!” He says evily, earning a laugh from the rest of you.

—

The fireworks left long sparks of color in the sky, the booming sound resonating throughout the entire town. It’s dark now and the wind has calmed down considerably, making it the perfect time for childish shenanigans. You and Matt were sat on a pair of lawn chairs, watching as Nick and Chris lit up firework after firework. They would light one, place it carefully on the ground, and then scurry away like excited children.

Matt is staring at the sky, mesmerized at the colorful sparks that flew by. The stars were faint, the light and smoke from the fireworks dulling their luminosity. You also watched the colorful explosions, but you held your fingers out in front of you to squish the stars. You created a game out of it, trying to squish the stars before the colorful sparks reached them.

Matt noticed this and chuckled slightly, reminiscing on the old habit you never seemed to let go. Upon hearing his laughter, you turn your attention to him quickly in confusion. “What?” you ask with a small pout. He smiles sincerely at you, examining your beautiful face as the colorful light from above decorated your face. The strobing lights seemed to only further accentuate your features.

In this moment Matt felt 18 again. He felt like he was seeing you for the first time and realizing he had a crush on you. “Nothing, you just always used to do that,” he replies sheepishly, pointing towards your hands briefly. It was a habit you never realized you had, you mostly did it to pass the time. You don’t say anything, but the silence isn’t awkward. You just smile at Matt before returning to your make-shift game, occupying your mind the only way you knew how.

You felt so comfortable right now. It felt like everything was the way it was supposed to be. It felt like old times, just you and your friends enjoying each other’s company. With each star you squish, you remember all your late nights under the stars with Matt. All the meaningful conversations and deep secrets you two exchanged, both of you becoming closer and closer each time. You always thought you’d end up following them and leaving this town, but life had other plans for you. Sometimes you even wondered what would’ve happened if you had confessed your feeling for Matt, would you two be married by now? It feels so wrong to think about, because you know that if you would’ve confessed he would’ve stayed and never fulfilled any of his dreams. He, like you, would’ve been stuck here.

Matt, on the other hand, can’t stop himself from smiling as he takes in more of your features. You looked so different, yet exactly the same. He still doesn’t understand why such a beautiful girl like you would stay in such a boring place like this. Of course he wondered if you were married, it was a common custom in your town for girls to get married young. Plus there was no a shortage of men waiting for the right moment to ask you on a date. Matt remembers it all too well, you’d always reject potential suitors in favor of spending time with him. He never understood why, but he always found himself feeling relieved when you did that. Maybe he internally wished you two would’ve started dating, but he never gained the courage to confess. He shook the thought of you being married out of his head, trying to focus on all the positive things tonight has to offer instead.

“Matt! Y/n! These are the last ones, come light one!�� Chris calls out, waving the remaining fireworks in front of him, enticing you two to join in on the fun. The two of you are pulled from your thoughts, looking at Chris with smiles. Matt jumps up from his seat, jogging towards Chris and grabbing ahold of one of the fireworks. You get up a lot slower, taking in the moment in front of you. You really missed this.

“Girl! Hurry!” Nick rushes you, becoming impatient with your leisurely pace. You smile again, picking up the pace and grabbing a firework. “Ready?!” Chris asks excitedly, lighting everyone’s firework. You nod, excitement and adrenaline filling your body. As soon as he lights the fuse, you each place the fireworks carefully on the ground and run away in the opposite direction.

Lighting the fireworks was so much more exhilarating than just watching, your heart pumping rapidly as you try catching your breath. You’re standing next to Matt who wraps his arm around your shoulders and pulls you into his side, both of you looking up to watch the colorful explosion in the sky.

—

You don’t see the triplets again until a few days later, too busy helping your dad with the yard work to go anywhere. “Why can’t one of them help you?” You groan, looking at your brothers playing soccer in the field across the street. You always got stuck doing chores with your mom or dad while they got to have fun. “Can’t trust those guys to remember their own names, let alone help me,” your dad replies with a grunt, picking up two heavy buckets of water. You do the same, following behind him as he walks towards the pig enclosure.

It was so sunny today that you felt like you were melting. You were sweating underneath your overalls and the boots you were wearing were starting to rub against your ankles. “Fill that tank over there,” your dad instructs with a tilt of his chin, pointing in the direction he wanted you to go. You missed the tank as you tried pouring the water, some of it falling on the ground and creating mud. Your boots sank into the mud slightly causing you to groan in annoyance again. The pigs were oinking and squealing, almost like they were taunting you.

“Stupid fucking mud. Stupid dumbass pigs,” you grumbled, picking the other bucket up and dumping its remnants into the tank. “Language,” your dad warns sternly, only causing you to roll your eyes. He’s definitely said worse than fuck. You wipe the sweat from your forehead, adjusting your overalls in the process. “Are we almost done? It’s so hot,” you ask your dad, hoping he’ll have mercy on you and let you go inside. He doesn’t. “We still gotta shovel along the back to build that fence your mom asked for,” he informs you with no intention of letting you go early. You groan again, of course your mom wanted a fence. All you could do was prepare yourself for the long work day ahead.

-

Your arms feel like jelly, each pile of dirt you shovel sending you further into exhaustion. The sun was not letting up either, beaming brightly on the two of you. Your overalls were covered in dirt and your sweat mixed with the debris creating a gross mess all over your face and arms.

“You guys almost done?” Your mom asks as she walks over to you two. She’s holding a glass of water in each hand, working carefully not to spill any of it. The two of you stop digging and you’re silently thanking God for the small break. “We still have about 6 feet left that way and another 3 left this way,” your dad says, grabbing a glass of water and taking a few sips. Of course your side was missing the 6 feet, you were a much slower digger than your dad. You down the whole drink in one go, finally quenching your thirst after a hard days work.

“Well do you guys think you could wrap it up? We’ve got a visitor,” she says casually, taking the glasses back as she makes her way inside again. She was not going to stand in the hot sun for a second longer than necessary. ‘Visitor?!?’ you think, as you look down at your dirty overalls and muddy boots. If that’s how dirty your clothes were, you couldn’t even begin to imagine how dirty you were. “We’ll finish up tomorrow after breakfast, shouldn’t take us more than an hour,” your dad says, slapping your back as he follows behind your mom.

You jog behind him, trying to catch a glimpse of the visitors through the window. You can’t see anyone yet, so you just decide it’s probably one of your mom’s friends. If they saw you this messy it wouldn’t even matter. Both of you make your way inside, stomping the mud off on the grass before walking in.

“Y/n! Say hello to your friend, don’t be rude,” your mom immediately says once you walk in, referring to people waiting in the living room. Your mom considered everyone your friend, so you still weren’t too worried. “I’m going,” you call back, slowly walking over to the living room just in case it was someone you didn’t really know. If it was someone you didn’t know, you’d be able to excuse yourself with the excuse that you’re dirty or tired.

“Hi,” you greet plainly, peeking your head into the living room and waving at the unexpected company. “Hi,” Matt greets awkwardly, taking in your dirty appearance. You freeze at the sight of him, why didn’t your mom mention HE was the visitor? That was literally one of, if not the, most important detail of this story. “Excuse her, she’s been helping me out in the yard,” your dad chimes in, wiping his hands on an old kitchen towel before reaching a hand out towards Matt. “It’s nice to see you again, son,” your dad says, taking Matt’s hand into a firm handshake.

“It’s nice to see you too, sir,” Matt responds, getting up from the couch to properly greet your dad. He felt like he was your boyfriend, meeting your disapproving father for the first time. Your dad nods and exits the room, not interested in conversation. All he wanted was a cold shower and honestly that’s all you wanted too.

“I can come back another time?” Matt suggests, realizing he came unannounced and seemingly at a bad time “Nonsense! Y/n’s got time to chat, don’t you sweetheart?” Your mom interjects, listening to the whole interaction from the kitchen. She was whipping up a snack for you two in hopes that Matt would stay longer. She really liked Matt.

“Uh yeah, I got time,” you answered, too embarrassed to admit that you wanted him to leave so you could shower. “I can wait. If you wanna go get changed?” he says, sitting back down on the couch. You want to get on your knees and praise this man for being so considerate, but instead you give him a thumbs up and run to shower and change.

—

After freshening up you return to the living room where Matt is now talking with your mom. She made him a grilled cheese and cut up some strawberries for him, she even sprinkled sugar on them to make them extra sweet. They’re deep in conversation so you wait by the door to listen. “So, Matt, when are you planning to ask my daughter out?” your mom asks casually, unaware of the weight of her words. This sentence alone almost made you enter the room dancing just to have an excuse to shut her up.

“I’m sorry?” he asks, gulping nervously. “You heard me,” she replies, plopping a strawberry in her mouth and looking at him expectantly. “Oh- I- I thought y/n was married?” He says, unsure of what he’s even saying. Matt feels so awkward, he just takes another bite of the greasy cheese toast on his plate to give him an excuse not to talk.

When your mom hears this she laughs loudly, clearly amused with Matt’s assumption, “I wish!” Matt’s caught a little off guard by this comment, were you not married? Or at least spoken for? You wanted to slap your hand over your mom’s mouth before she said anything too embarrassing, but you decide to see where this conversation is going. You lean against the wall, getting comfortable for the eavesdropping you were about to do.

“I’ve been trying to get that girl to date, but no luck,” your mom continues, putting a smile on Matt’s face. He was both happy and relieved to hear that you weren’t taken. “She used to have a little crush on you in high school. And I’ve seen the way you look at her,” your mom won’t stop talking, she just keeps spilling your secrets. This is the first time Matt’s hearing of this, had you really liked him this whole time?

You decide you’ve heard enough, en entering the room with an awkward cough. “Thanks mom,” you say sarcastically, offering her a tight lipped smile. You look at Matt, trying to read his expression while also signaling to him that you want to leave. He gets the hint, dismissing himself politely from your mom. As the two of you are walking out you send a glare towards your mom and she returns it with a toothy smile and a wink.

“Sorry about that,” you chuckle awkwardly, shutting the door behind you. “No, I like your mom,” he replies, beginning to walk down the dirt road. “I know, but she can be a lot,” you apologize, becoming worried that she over shared and maybe scared Matt. “I can handle a lot,” he shrugs, the two of you now walking towards the old water tower. You smile at him, grateful that he’s not making it awkward. Your mom just confessed your crush to him like an old school girl and here he was being a gentleman about it.

When you two arrive to the water tower he signals for you to climb up first, holding your back securely until you’re high enough, then he follows behind you. You arrive at the top, sitting down carefully and patting the spot next to you so Matt will join. He gladly sits next to you, looking over the vast land in front of you. Miles and miles of green grass, crop fields, and only a few buildings and houses scattered in between.

The both of you talk about everything you’ve missed out on for the past 3 years, his stories being about his adventures in L.A and yours being about your life here. “I haven’t been up here in a long time,” he whispers in awe, taking in the scene in front of him as the sun begins to set. He had to admit that this was a beautiful town, despite it being so boring. “Well, you haven’t been here for a long time,” you reply, leaning against the metal railing as you join him in admiring the view.

“I was really surprised to see you that day. I thought I’d never see you again,” Matt says. After he and his brothers left they had zero contact with you and it always felt like a part of him was missing. “Yeah, it was nice catching up with you guys,” you reply, feeling like these past few days were the best you’ve had in a while. When they leave, you’ll just go back to your normal mundane life.

He can sense the sadness in your tone, feeling bad for leaving you here. “I’m glad you got out,” you admitted, resting your face on the arm that laid on the railing so you could look at Matt. “This town kills everyone’s dreams, I’m glad it didn’t kill yours,” you continued, offering Matt a small, genuine smile. If he was honest, he’d be happy staying here forever as long as it was with you.

“I don’t know. There’s one dream of mine that didn’t come true when I left,” he trails off, watching the as the sun disappears along the horizon. The sky goes from orange to purple as Matt feels the sudden urge to tell you something he’s been holding onto for a long time. “I doubt that,” you chuckle, looking up slightly to see the stars slowly come into view.

He laughs too, unsure if he should be admitting any of this to you right now. “I used to have a big crush on you too,” he admits quietly and casually, looking up at the stars too. Your neck almost snaps off as you turn to look at him, he notices this and laughs again. “It was back in high school… Getting a date with you, even just a kiss, was one of my biggest dreams,” he admits, remembering all those nights when he almost told you. “When your mom mentioned you used to have a crush on me it made me think of how different our lives would’ve been. If we ever acted on it, you know?” he continues, looking at you now.

You had a small, sad smile on your face because you weren’t sure if there was still a possibility at a future with Matt, but you were willing to try. “I mean, we can make the dream come true. If that’s okay?” you ask, leaning into him slowly.

“That could be fun,” he whispers, quoting what you told him that one night under the stars. He leans in and captures your lips in his, his last dream finally coming true.

—

MASTERLIST

A/n:

Boop another Matt story for the girlies.

Thank you anon for the nice compliment 🩷🩷 I hope you enjoy this Matt story and that it was everything you hoped for haha.

This took me so long to write idk why. Anywaysss I mentioned im writing a Nick story WELL IM PROBS SCRAPPING IT AND STARTING OVER. I find it so easy to write Nick in my other fics but for some reason when he’s the main “character” i struggleeee.

Okay I’m done now, enjoy reading. k byeeee

- L.A.M.B👼🏻💗

[amoosarte]

𝓞𝙐𝙍 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝘿𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝘿𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙈𝙎, LANDO NORRIS

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝐈. THE START OF AN ADDICTION

SUMMARY, after a brutal breakup Loretta has had enough time to be cooped up on her ranch, leaving her friends to drag her out to have a fun night out, since it's her first time being out since her break up, many eyes follow her every step, until she meets an unusual man at the club.

WARNINGS, this contains explicit language, mention of cheating, alcohol, sexual intentions, making out to sex, and the mention of one night stands.

   Loretta didn’t know what she did to deserve what was happening to her right now. The twenty-five-year-old was about to lose it when she saw her now ex-boyfriend fucking a stupid redneck in her truck.

The ounce of disgust that spilled all over her face when she open the back of her truck to some ass. Making the unfaithful bastard gasp and pull the girl off of him, calling out to the girl who slammed the car door shut.

Loretta ran back into the house, making the pair in her truck hurry up to dress themselves. The redneck gasped in horror when she saw the barrel racer fuming back outside─only this time she wasn't playing.

Loretta knew it wasn't the smartest move, but she didn't give a fuck when she loaded her shotgun. Cocking the gun, letting a new round of ammo prepare itself to be fired.

"Darling, please, let's talk about this!" The man tried to reason with her, but it only her aim the gun towards him. "You and your bitch get the fuck off my property!" Loretta's eyes spoke anger, making him drag the girl out of the truck.

"Darling, let's talk about this please." He tried to reason with her, making her lose her cool. She fired the weapon right next to the ground where they stood, making them scream. "I ain't playin’ with you! Take your bitch home and expect your shit to be dumped out by the road." Lorette screamed.

"Y-You're fuckin' crazy!" The redneck screamed, clutching the back of the man's shirt. Loretta laughed at her remark, not faltering the gun once. "You're fuckin' stupid for messin' around with a barrel racer, don't think I don't know you, you're the little bitch who picks up the cow shit." Loretta laughed at her as she got red.

Loretta allowed her eyes to shift to the man guarding the girl. "Well then, scram!" With that the pair scrambled away, making the girl form a frown. Once the pair left in his truck, Loretta sighed, what was she going to do now?

Did the breakup affect her? She would say no, but to her workers, they would say it did. Loretta never left the ranch after the confrontation. She tended to her job, gathering the sheep, leading the herd of cows to their designated land, training the horses, and much more.

She worked herself to the bone, not wanting to talk to anyone at all. She sold her truck with the help of a friend, she dumped everything she found that was his. She refurbished her home like she always wanted, and she changed her way of life.

She changed, she had given herself a makeover. She wanted to enter a new era of her life, after 5 months, she was glowing.

The blonde woke up when her rooster called out, jumping out of bed and readying herself for some horseback riding. It was a good way to start her morning, the misty morning allowed fresh air into her lungs.

Watching the sunrise made her warm as she looked at the oranges, pinks, and yellows scattered around the sky. She would greet the group of men who worked with her to keep the land tightly. It was a normal day for her until her friends showed up.

"No."She bluntly told them, making them roll their eyes. "Yes, you are coming out with us tonight," Heidi told her, making the blonde huff around her office. Daniel was standing by the door as he watched his girlfriend and his friend bicker back and forward.

"C'mon Loretta, it would be nice if you got out of the house once in a while!" Daniel called out, making the girl glared at him. "You guys know, I don't want anything right now!" Loretta established her statement with her friend.

"Yes, we understand you on that, but you can still go out as a single gal!" Heidi smiled as she watched the girl consider it. "Please! You've just been cooped up on the ranch! If it's not here you're either at the bar or doing barrel racing!" Heidi begged her friend, making her groan.

"Alright, I'll go! But don't make me third wheel!" Loretta pointed at the couple, making the girl scream in delight and the man laugh.

"Okay, we'll see you there! Don't be late." Heidi smiled and walked away with her boyfriend. Loretta smiled at her friend's attempt, now she sighed. What was she going to wear? She hadn't gone out in a long time, perhaps if she dug around well, she could find something.

When the time came nearing, Loretta dismissed the workers, telling them they had the day off tomorrow. She wore a flared jean jumpsuit that had a slit opening near her chest, exposing her breast a tad, then added an aqua-detailed western concho belt and her cleanest boots under her pants. She styled her hair in a blown-out style before fixing her makeup, and then running out the door into her new truck.

To say the least, Loretta was pissin’ her pants as she walked into the bar. Trying to find her friends in the crowd of people, she tried her best to go into a crowd of people, but after being pushed around and whistled down on, she huffed and pulled out her phone. 

Loretta sat at the bar, telling Heidi where she was at. She told the woman behind the bar she wanted a beer, wanting nothing but to chug the shit down, and she did. “Woah, shouldn't you savor the flavor?” Loretta swallowed the bitter liquid down before looking at the man beside her. 

He was wearing a black button-up, one of the expensive ones she thought, and a pair of white fancy pants and to her surprise shoes, and not a pair of boots. She finally looked at the man who caught her attention, a nicely tanned man, who had a growing goat tee and the most remarkable pair of aquamarine-colored eyes. 

“Why would you want to savor such a bitter flavor?” Loretta asked him, making him raise an eyebrow. “It’s more about the nice cold liquid that does down my throat that I like,” Loretta told him before finishing the bottle. “Say, why are you dressed like that?” She asked him, making him smile. 

“My friend never told me the dress code, his fault I’m standing out so much.” He said before flagging down the bartender. “Ah, they dragged you down here?” Loretta asked him, making the man nod. “Two beers, Honey,” Loretta told the bartender, making the man right next to her confused. “It’s on me since I’m guessing you're more of a whiskey type of man?” Loretta assumed, and oddly she was correct. 

“The beer here is the best, in my opinion, you ought to give it a try.” She placed the beer bottle in front of him before taking a swing for herself. “Lorry!” A sweet voice called out behind her, making her turn over in her chair. “Ah, We finally found ya!” A male voice called out right behind the sweet one. 

Daniel and Heidi smiled at the pair, making them look at each other. “Lando this is Loretta, Loretta, Lando, if you guys haven't introduced yourselves yet,” Daniel said. Lando looked at Loretta before raising his hand for her to shake. “Pleasure.” 

“Likewise.” Loretta smiled at the man, then took a swing of her beer before hopping off from her seat and dragging Heidi towards the dance floor. As the pair of men watched as the girl danced, they soon turned to themselves to bicker.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the fucking dress code!” Lando scolded him, making Daniel laugh. “You told me we were going to a club!”Lando playfully shoved him, making him turn red. 

“We are, aren’t we?” Daniel sent him a smirk, making the man groan. “Man, you know what I’m talking about! Plus why didn’t you tell me she was hot too!” Lando wanted nothing but to shrink down and hide. “I have a girlfriend.” Daniel rolled his eyes at his dramatic friend. 

“Either way!” Lando looked at the pair who was having the time of their life, making him think hard. “Is she single?” Lando asked, making Daniel nod. “Yup, but she said she ain’t ready for another relationship, perhaps you can change her mind, eh?” He told him. 

The night had worked in Loretta's favor, she will admit, she was having fun. As she made her way back to the bar, she noticed the same man parked in his seat. “Have you just been sat there?” She asked, getting his attention. “A beer please.” She said as she sat right next to him again.

“I’m a bit embarrassed, to be honest,” Lando told her, taking a sip of his margarita. “Why? Is it because of your outfit?” She asked, and she got her response when he nodded. “Please, you look fine, y’know what?” Loretta once again chugged her beer down, it was a nasty habit of hers. Lando got confused as she pulled him out of his chair. 

“We are going to dance,” Loretta told him before spinning around and leading him to the floor. Lando looked around him, seeing a bunch of country folk dance together. “Sorry, but I don’t know how to dance like this?” Lando looked at her nervously.

“It’s fine, I got boots, feel free to step on my toes.” Loretta joked around, trying to ease him up. 

As they stood in position, she looked at him once again. “Honestly, I don’t know how to dance this too, but let’s go with the flow?” She smiled, making him ease up. They dance, well actually, they move to the rhythm of the song, and they end up having fun.

“You know, you look really good tonight,” Lando muttered into her ear as they tried to the now crowded dance floor. 

Loretta was about to thank him when someone tapped her ass, making her spin around to see who did it, and to her surprise, it was James, her ex. “Wow, if it isn’t Loretta, always knew you were a whore, just look at how you dress.” He scoffed, making her roll her eyes in annoyance.

“Hey man, leave her alone.” Lando stepped in but was held back by Loretta. “Is this who you’re sleeping with now?” James eyed down Lando. 

Loretta scoffed, “So what if I am, why do you care? You cheated remember? You’re lost.” She said, a smirk growing when she saw the man become mad. “Whatever, let’s go Lando.” Loretta dragged Lando away before she felt someone snatch her hair, making her scream. 

“You bitch, what makes you think you can speak to me like that?” James had pulled her hair, making the girl visibly mad. Lando’s mouth dropped at the scene but before he could step in, Loretta defended herself. She threw a punch, making the man tumble a bit. “I can talk to you however the fuck I want, you ain’t no one but a bitch.” Loretta spat near him, making him more visibly upset. 

James grew red but before he could lay a hand towards Loretta, a couple of men held him back, probably the security. Loretta watched as he was dragged away, she groaned as she massaged the part where her hair was pulled. “Sorry about that.” She apologized to Lando, but he shrugged it off.

“Please you have nothing to apologize for, it was lowkey hot.” Lando blurted but mumbled the last bit. 

 “Sorry, I'm going to leave now.” Loretta blurted out, making her way towards the bar to pay. Lando stopped her, making her confused, “Don’t worry about it, I paid for it.” He told her, making her shocked. “Oh god, you didn’t have to!” Loretta pulled her phone out to pay him back before Lando laughed. 

“Honestly, It’s fine.” Lando smiled, before asking her something. “Can I walk you to your car?” Lando asked, making her red but thanks to the dim lights it wasn’t that noticeable. Never in her life had anyone offered, even when she was in a relationship, it was her first. 

“Uh, sure.” Loretta smiled, and they waved Heidi and Daniel goodbye as they walked out of the club. “Thanks to you and the others, I had fun tonight,” Loretta smiled as the air touched the layer of sweat on her skin. “Same, It was a nice difference to what I’m used to.” Lando smiled at her too, before walking her to her car. 

“Oh, you drive a truck.” Lando laughed as the girl laughed as well. “Yeah, it’s for work.” Loretta smiled at his amusement, before turning towards him. “Uh, then goodnight.” Loretta smiled at him, making him turn towards her. “Uh, I meant what I said, you looked really good tonight.” He told her, and it shifted the air. 

“If you don’t mind, do you want to go out another day? Uh as friends if you want! It's honestly fine, you seem like a nice–” Lando rambled but was interrupted by Loretta as she kissed him. 

Was it weird to kiss a stranger? Honesty Loretta felt new to this, it’s been a long time since she tried something. Then again, it felt nice interacting with men again, especially someone like Lando. She was about to pull away until Lando kissed her back, lips tasting like the bitter beer she chugged, but the strawberry lipgloss she applied every time she wandered off masked it right. 

Lando wasn’t going to fucking lie, he was attracted to the girl. Wanting nothing but to take her out, get to know her, and just be around her. How he loved how his night shifted. 

He gently pinned her to her truck door, letting his lips kiss her nicely, but her plum lips harshly wanted more. Loretta was deprived of some action and wanted more. She moaned lightly as Lando placed his hands on her hips, as she ran her fingers through his curls. 

Then the noise of a car unlocking scared them, making them jump off from each other.  “Uh, sorry.” Loretta fixed her hair, but she could feel her face become beat red. Lando nodded and cleared his throat, he felt like he was on fire. 

The pair looked at each other and smiled. “Do you, uh– do you want to go to my house? We can pick up from there if you want.” Loretta boldly asked, making the boy speechless and now very red, but he managed to give her a nod.

Loretta had no fucking clue what she was doing, she was shittin bricks when she pulled up to her front lawn, then saw his car pull up behind her. Lando felt her nervousness, and he wanted nothing but to reciprocate those feelings. But when they stood in front of each other, everything seemed to click. 

Loretta loved the texture of his curls when they were in her fingers. She didn’t let go of his lips for a second as he walked her through her front door, clinging lightly to her clothes. She broke their kiss when her back hit the stair railing, making her look at him.

She closed the front door before pulling the clueless boy upstairs. Lando chose this tiny adventure to study Loretta’s home, it was nice and homey. Then before he could look around more, Loretta pulled him into her bedroom, pulling him from his thought process by kissing his lips once again.

She had started to unbutton his black button-up as he too unzipped her jumpsuit, making them both look at their exposed skin, wanting nothing but to run their hands across it. Lando was the first to take off an article of clothes, ducking his head down to kiss her neck and collarbone. 

Loretta moaned as she felt his lips suck on her deprived skin, then the feeling of her hands running across his bare tan back. She plopped down onto the bed and she let him pull her arms out of the straps of the jumpsuit, exposing her tender breast. 

It’s been so long since she was able to expose herself to someone, so long since she tasted someone. She inhaled as she looked up towards Lando as he held himself back, making her pull his belt loops towards her. 

Allowing him to touch her, she gasped lightly as he touched her so softly and gently. She was so new to this, making her want to cling to him as much as possible.

꒰𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: @landitolover, @d6za1, @ch3rryknots @louvrepool @thearchieves @moneygramhaas ꒱

[swann-song]

daydreaming - part one

summary: a bored librarian has a crush on the cow prince, pierre chavanges. pining and daydreaming about an unreciprocated crush that doesn’t even know she exists.

pierre hasn’t been sleeping, it’s made him even more irritable than usual which isn’t safe for anyone. he had tried the herbal teas, sleep hypnosis videos, counting sheep and now he’s in the library. since he has all the extra time he might as well. he fished out his library card from him teenage years from the back of a drawer, hoping it’s still valid.

the library in droyes was an old building with new shelving, it has awkward opening hours and a nice smell. pierre hadn’t visited in years and took his time strolling through the shelves as the afternoon light filtered in. a russian classic, perfect. nothing could be more sleep inducing. he took his book to the front desk and waited in line, he lifted his head from the book synopsis when he heard your voice.

you were arguing with a pimply teenage boy with a pile of books on the desk. looking up at him from your chair, brows scrunching. you had a frown on your face in an attempt to look intimidating but pierre thought it looked more like a pout. "bring back the other 20 and then you can take these" you snatched the books from the boy, putting them on your trolley, he was about to try again and you snapped, "i should be charging you for all the over drafts, stop pushing your luck" a finger in his face as he sulked out the door. "fucking nerd" pierre heard you mutter under your breath.

*

and then all the sudden, pierre chavanges was in front of you. of all the days, all the times, he decided to visit the library in time to witness you yell at some kid. you had known pierre your whole life, he’s somewhat a local celebrity, with his own nickname and everything, the cow prince. the young farmer had a reputation for being well, great at farming. his herd was the best and happiest, he was responsible, kept to himself and the mysterious air he had made him the perfect subject for speculation, rumours and in your case fantasies. you liked the way he carried himself, the definition in his body. pierre was known to be very knowledgable, strong and a man good at his job is always something you appreciated. the pretty face also helps. his baby blue eyes and sharp cheekbones. he never brushes his hair, even now he looks like he rolled out of bed, but you still like the way it fell around his face, the longer strands have a slight curl to them.

his blue eyes landed on your face as he placed his book on the desk, your eyes rested on his hands with his long fingers more than necessary or polite. you suddenly became hyper aware of how messy your hair is, today you skipped your makeup, are wearing the same sweater as yesterday and still have a scowl on your face. you entered customer service mode to stop yourself spiralling. pierre gave you a soft smile as he handed you his card, "sorry about that" you said just to say something. pierre smiled again, this time with a twinkle in his eyes. now looking at his library card, you paused, it’s ancient. you told him you are going to take a minute to update his card, he told you he’s in no rush and you tried to calm down enough to remember what to do. pierre's eyes bore into you as you tried to concentrate on the screen, you wanted to fix the hair strands around your face, but doing so would let him know you’d care and you felt mortified.

*

pierre knew you, he just couldn’t place from where. he was sure he’d seen you in the sea of parties, weddings and anniversaries. he has this image of you in his mind, off to the corner, talking to your friends, a flicker of your eyes on him as he walks by. you had big, expressive eyes and soft lips, slightly open as you read the screen. why can’t he remember your name, your hair bouncing as you run past him. now he’s closer to you, he recognises that crisp, fresh perfume and knows he’s walked into a room that you’d been in and looked around for you.

"are you julian’s sister?" he asks you as you work. your eyes turn at him like he’s gone crazy, you lips slid into a smile, holding out your hand and introduce yourself. pierre takes it and apologises, introducing himself as well. "i know" you chuckle. your hands are soft and delicate in his, your manicured nail slightly gracing the back of his hand. he steps back and apologises again. he feels his cheeks flush a little, he’s relieved your turning your back on him to laminate his card, he watched your hands work and notes how pin straight your posture is, taking in the lines of your body. you turn around with a professional smile and hand him his things, he turns, rushing to the door. "bye pierre" he hears your twinkling voice, your hand in the air and waves a hand goodbye to you as he opens the door.

daydreaming masterlist

[peridot-tears]

Mind sharing some Ezio, Ziio, Shay and Edward Hcs?

Sofia and Claudia got along like sisters (idk I think this might actually be canon).

Ezio encouraged Flavia to be spirited and curious, and sees himself in her and the way she takes care of Marcello. If Ezio had lived to see her to adulthood, he would have been protective but let her choose her own husband.

Ezio wanted to keep his Assassin activities a secret from his children. After he died, Claudia took them in and trained them herself the way their Uncle Mario did for them.

Ziio and Oiá:ner's interactions became stilted after the birth of Ratohnhaké:ton. There was no doubt that the love was there, but Oiá:ner could not quite look at her the same again, and she had to busy herself with finding someone else to groom as successor. They were finally warming up to each other again just a year or so before Ziio died.

Oiá:ner put full trust into Ratohnhaké:ton and his decision-making going forward because she didn't want to drive a wedge between herself and her grandson the way she did with Ziio. And it was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

Modern-day Ziio would have been a leader in the stand-offs against the Canadian government and localities like the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance, which her voice actor Tiio Horn was actually in. My headcanon Ziio has a lot of Tiio Horn's traits, mostly because Tiio Horn's sass that I see in her social media comes through a lot in her voice acting for Ziio.

Ratohnhaké:ton's a BEAST at lacrosse. Man moves like WATER.

Shay died peacefully in a manner similar to Ezio's -- in a garden, watching his family.

Shay most definitely was the black sheep amongst the Templars -- not just because a traitor gets no trust from any side, but because he's Irish and many other Templars were Englishmen who were racist against him. Adéwalé called him Haytham's hunting dog, but the Templars thought the same of him.

Because of this, Shay was that high-achieving Templar the others resented, because they hated the idea of being outdone by someone they felt was lesser. They kept their distance from each other, and his friends in the Order were kept in a tight circle -- Jack Weeks, Gist, and Haytham.

That's also why Cudgel was so fiercely proud of his grandfather later on too -- despite the racism, he was more Templar than any of them.

Also, Lil Cudge seems to me like that kind of guy who in modern day would insist that the Irish were slaves. He seems to me like someone who's very loyal, but but blindly so, and someone who doesn't question tradition.

Edward wanted to raise Haytham as English as possible, but he'd occasionally slip up and curse in Welsh at times. Haytham would grow up with only vague memories of the Welsh part of his heritage.

Edward was a rambunctious lil youngster who didn't need any dogs to herd the sheep. The wolves were scared of HIM lol.

Edward's relationship with Jenny haunts my dreams. What happened in the years between her and Haytham's birth. The people need to know.

I wrote a whole other word vomit post expressing my guess that he didn't want her to get involved in the Assassin world because he wanted to protect his last memory of Caroline. He believed in being honest with your child, so she knew everything about his activities. But given that Caroline had already been disowned because of him and even now that he was a new money gentleman, he was a social pariah because of his pirate past, he wanted Jenny to live a noblewoman's life -- marry a man of good social standing and be a good wife. And although she protested, he always thought he knew what was best for her.

If Jenny knew about her brother's child and ever met him, she honestly would've adored him. Such a polite, well-loved young man. She would've been relieved that he was raised right by his mother's side, away from the Kenway drama. Thank God all he had in common with her side of the family was blood, but if she could have chosen to be blood with any remaining relative of hers, it would have been him.

[viburnt]

Could you do more of Puppy! Heeler mix Izuku when it comes to jealousy? Pls

I've been trying hard to be active guys

:((( Please enjoy! I hope you like this

Tag: @shionancientsblog @trickster-kat @doumadono @i-literally-cant-with-this @imagination-mess @shonen-brainrot

Jealous little thing! [Heeler mix! Izuku]

We already know Heeler mix! Izuku is way more confident than usual, constantly following his herding instincts and taking the role of leader. Doesn't mean he is not emotional, he is still a whiny baby for you, he is just cocky about it.

Whenever he feels his position as your caretaker/leader is threatened (in the sense that he is a herding breed and often takes care of you like a sheep), he won't doubt to face whoever his competitor is. He'll tell them in the most calm, polite and gentle way to fuck off.

He doesn't exactly says it with those exact words, but it goes somewhat along the lines of "Oh, you trying to take my place? Good luck!" Heeler mix! Izuku also gets touchy with you whenever he is jealous. Expect him pulling you by the waist to keep you close to his body, placing his hand in the back of your neck when his competition talks to you or tugging your shirt to leave certain places.

Heeler mix! Izuku NEVER communicates his jealousy to you, a bit too ashamed about it but also not embarrassed to display it in front of others to let them know you're his.

The first time you start noticed this was a pattern, you were talking to Kirishima. It was a lively chat and, clearly, Kiri was pushing his luck: Why would he put his hand on your shoulder if he didn't want to flirt with you? Izuku joins the conversation with no hesitation, subtly eyeing Kirishima while he places a hand on top of your head and asks you to go fetch something for him.

Kirishima is a little hesitant to approach you if Izuku is around.

Heeler mix! Izuku also is very... horny when he is jealous, but since this isn't NSFW, I won't go into further detail ;)

Low-key slips some items of his intonyour bag or outfit to let people know.

Do I think he publicly calls you sheep? Or wooly? Or lamb? Yes. He uses all sort of intimate, personal and embarrassing nicknames when you're with friends because you're his little lamb, he takes care of you!

You notice the way your friend's eyes change when Izuku is around: knowing, as if their gaze could understand something you didn't. It is confusing to you, your heeler puppyboy is always friendly, why is your friend awkwardly excusing themselves out.

"Ah, they must've been busy! Wanna go to my room later? Brought some ice cream and comics." Izuku says, his warm calloused hand resting firmly on the small of your back.

He shifts his gaze to your friend walking away and smirks.

Now you know.

[charlizekkelly]

dr. feelgood

NSFW prompt: “What a pretty sight.”

Pairing: Reader x Paul (The Lost Boys 1987)

Word Count: 1467

TW’s: kidnapping, murder, blood, biting and slight mention of choking.

Authors note: Am I a whore for @blondrockerpaul ? yes. did I write this because @willowbrookesblog and I were thirsting over his hands? also yes. here's some dark, rockstar-like Paul with a downright depraved and yandere edge (my speciality).

!NSFW - 18+ CONTENT. MINORS DNI!

An ebony guitar flecked with a metallic-like silver sat perched in a black-metal stand beside a lavish seating arrangement, black leather chairs bordering an abstract coffee table as the dark, sensual lighting of the room seemed to compliment the blond whose personal touch decorated it. Lavish and framed platinum awards lined a wall to the right of the room, a Scream poster catching her eye from the centre of an artfully arranged display of band posters–all signed by their respective members–and the chords to Motley Crue’s album ‘Dr. Feelgood’ played in the background.

She’d been in Paul’s dressing room plenty of times over the months since Marko had introduced them at one of his gigs, back when his band ‘Death’s Carnage’ first opened for Guns ‘N Roses. She still wondered why Marko had given her a backstage pass that day as she wandered the dark-toned room, but she scolded herself for the thought because she knew why.

Marko had been the sheepdog herding the stray toward the wolf in sheep’s clothing, and she’d been the foolish lamb. Unaware of the dangers lurking beneath his skin…or the fangs.

Her knee collided with Paul’s in the same moment his ring-covered hands grasped her waist and pulled her onto his leather-clad lap, her thighs straddling his waist as her heart jolted in her chest. Not that she could run from him, and she’d made the mistake of trying several times before.

And that worked out for you the last time you tried. Didn’t it? She thought, eyeing him with a masked sense of uncertainty.

He wouldn’t let her go, not after Marko had hand-picked her from the crowd. Not then. Not now. Not ever.

“Paul,” she uttered playfully, a soft chuckle echoing across the room as she tried to ignore the attraction she felt for him.

The broad yet chiselled plains of his face were dappled by the sensual lighting, black mesh shirt baring the toned and carved expanse of his chest as she rested one hand on his shoulder and the other tangled in the locks of his hair at the nape of his neck. The dirty blond with wild tresses and Atlantic-blue irises surveyed her as she peered up at him, his height piping hers, something oceanic undertoned by his cologne engulfing her senses.

“So, what did you think of the show?” Paul asked, brimming with his usual after-show adrenaline.

Her eyes darted to his hands, lingering on the veins that shifted with his movement as lust trickled into her bloodstream at the memory of his skilled hands wrapped around the neck of his guitar, fingers shredding the notes of his riff. And as hard as she tried, she couldn’t shake the thought of what else his hands could do whilst she’d watched him play. 

She knew what they could do, had seen the blood that’d stained them and heard the definitive crunch of bone as he snapped the neck of her friend who’d been foolish enough to try and help her escape him. His grin had been callous and tinged with baneful delight but not at her–never at her–as she tried to back away, terrified that he’d rip her throat out.

And like he’d sensed her train of thoughts, Paul had assured her that he didn’t want her dead. That he would never waste his time draining another human when he had her. That he wouldn’t let her go because she was his like he was hers.

Truthfully, she didn’t know what that meant but if it meant she wouldn’t die. Then she’d take whatever she could get, as stupid as that made her.

She managed to tear her gaze from his hands and the tide of her thoughts to meet his oceanic irises.“It was…something else.”

Paul’s calloused fingers trailed from the swell of her waist to her inner thigh, tracing salacious patterns into her skin as he pulled her closer to himself and his nose pressed into the crook of her throat, drawing a lungful of her scent into his chest, her heart rate spiking and pounding against the pulse-point his lips brushed against.

A dark chuckle reverberated from the depths of his chest, head lifting from her throat. His husky voice seemed to caress her skin like his fingertips against her inner thigh, lips brushing against hers. “Do I have that much of an effect on you?”

“Paul.”

“Words, angel,” he coaxed, sending lust careening through her bloodstream as his voice dropped several octaves. “C’mon, tell me what’s on your mind. What thoughts are running through that pretty, little mind of yours?”

“Your hands.” She admitted; her lips mere inches from his.

His blond brow arched, prompting her to continue as his lips tugged into a smug smirk. “What about them?”

Her gaze locked with his. “I was wondering if the guitar was the only thing they play.”

A mirthful chuckle rumbled from his chest before his lips pressed against hers, the hand at her thigh tightening as he dragged her closer to himself, the fabric of her skirt riding up her legs. The hand on her thigh kneaded the soft flesh whilst the other trailed up her body and tangled in her hair, tipping her head back until a soft gasp spilled from her lips and he deepened the kiss.

He pulled away a moment later, nipping at the underside of her jaw before the hand in her hair skittered to her throat. “Have I been neglecting you that much, angel?” He murmured.

His fingers wrapped around the soft expanse of her throat, his calloused thumb smoothing over the flesh above her jugular before her eyes widened and he shifted their position in a movement quicker than she could fathom so she was under him with her back pressed into the black leather, the rip of her panties ghosting the shell of her ear.

His lips pressed against hers in the same moment he sunk a guitar string-calloused finger into her cunt, a shocked gasp emitting from her mouth before his lips muffled the sound and he set a tantalising pace with his measured thrusts. Dragging back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until the pad of his thumb grazed her clit and he pulled away, pressing another finger into her cunt.

Her hips raised in reaction to the added digit, a needy moan filling the room as a satisfied smirk etched across his face and he curled his fingers, brushing a spot inside of her that drew a garbled plea from her mouth. “Please, Paul.” 

Paul’s head cocked to the side as he watched his fingers plunge in and out of her, thumb tracing another circle into her clit. “You know I love it when you beg, and what a pretty sight you are. Squirming, moaning and begging on my fingers.”

His words shouldn’t have sent a bolt of pleasure through her, but as his thumb drew that same star-inducing circle into her clit, she couldn’t bite back the moan it dredged from her chest. Her fingertips sunk into the plush leather couch as her head tipped into the backrest, baring her throat to Paul’s gaze.

“Fuck. Just like that… just like that.” She murmured, releasing a content hum as his head dipped, lips alternating between sucking marks into her throat and pressing possessive kisses against her skin.

She should’ve been terrified of him. Should have fought tooth and nail at every waking moment to be free of him. Should have driven a stake through his chest when she had the chance all those months ago. But she hadn’t, and she knew she wouldn’t, not even if her sanity begged her to. Not when some part of the rockstar had brought her to life in ways she couldn’t understand or as his canines and incisors elongated. Her heart skipped a beat before his fangs pierced her flesh, flooding her bloodstream with a million aphrodisiacs that muddled her mind and sent her over the edge, a breathy moan tearing from the caverns of her chest.

The chorus of the blond’s favourite band left to cloy in her eardrums from the speakers of his beloved stereo, her hands releasing the couch to grip at the fabric of his shirt whilst he swallowed several mouthfuls of her blood before his tongue lathed over the wound and he pressed a lust-filled kiss to her lips. Her heavy-lidded eyes blinked up at him as he grinned down at her and removed his fingers, pulling her into his arms when he sank down into the couch.

“He’s the one they call Dr. Feelgood…”

And as she fought to stay awake, She couldn’t shake the irony of those lyrics because she knew he was the only one who would make her feel good. And if anyone tried to squander him…

He’d kill anyone foolish enough to try.

[verdemoun]

Sean, who still sometimes calls Kieran “O’Driscoll boy”, accidentally slips up and reveals to Mac and Davey that kieran used to be an O’Driscoll before joining the Van Der Linde gang.

also i want to specify mac would rank in one of kieran's top 5 favorite people because mac's intimidation factor means whenever they are out in public people give them a wide berth and mac is always down to talk about horses even if it's just cool horse facts

sean definitely slips up but when mac asks he frantically covers his ass like aha yeah we call him o'driscoll boy cause he was killed by the o'driscolls and all ahahahaaha. mac thinks that's fucked up even for sean but rolls with it

makes a comment he doubts kieran likes being called o'driscoll boy which kieran can easily agree with. he still hates it and sean is trying to break the habit. it never completely goes away esp when they're bickering because there's still something deeply funny about how whiny kieran sounds when he says i ain't an o'driscoll

mac doesn't find out until a solid 2-3 years after mac and kieran become friends and mac is living at the ranch with bill for completely non homoerotic reasons. mac suggests they invite kieran out because he gets to ride a horse and also mac in certain he would enjoy the open space

not only does kieran love it but being on a horse is such a comfort for him he's thriving. anxiety gone, no overwhelming modern sensory issues being out on the land, and he's having the time of his life and casually bragging he already knows how to herd because he was quite the accomplished livestock rustler in his canon era days

bill, being relaxed and and having a tentative friendship with kieran, laughs and makes a comment 'not bad for an o'driscoll'

kieran pales and baulks meanwhile bill is yet to realize he fucked up. when mac immediately asks about the 'an' o'driscoll part bill starts laughing about how they found him in colter and how nervy he was. did not realize it was a secret until seeing the look on kieran's face. starts backpedalling: talking about how kieran saved arthur's life at six point cabin and he really wasn't much of an o'driscoll or at least not a very good one

just before kieran decides yeah this random horse probably trusts me enough to jump the fence and i could go live in the woods mac snickers and just says he's glad he didn't run into him in the old days because damn straight he would've killed him before asking his name. admittedly makes a lot more sense than sean trying to make a joke out of the gang that killed him, and agrees kieran doesn't look much like an o'driscoll at all

before long mac and bill are laughing so hard they're spooking the sheep at the idea of kieran in full o'driscoll garb trying to rob them and mimicking his voice trying to say 't-t-this is a robbery' meanwhile kieran is trying to argue he can be intimidating when he wants to be which just makes them laugh harder.

it's so unbelivable the idea of kieran duffy horsegirl o'driscoll, mac becomes one of the few who will correct anyone who slips up and is very effective at it with just how ruthless and terrifying he was and still is

when davey finds out it's the first time davey tries to have an actual conversation with kieran, asking him what it was like. kieran replies hell and davey's laugh is a lot less comforting. says he reckons he could've ridden with the o'driscolls if they weren't a bunch of teagues but appreciated colm's leadership tactics

kieran made the decision to never be in a room with davey again unless the gang kids were there because while the slur made his skin crawl, anyone who would even joke about riding with the o'driscolls is not someone who should be around children ever. he will very intentionally pull the kids close to stop them going anywhere near davey. the gang don't know why kieran has decided davey is a threat but find it very endearing how protective he is over the kiddos, including adult aged jack and isaac

[ragnarokhound]

🚪🫷 😲 🫸🚪

JAYTIMKON WOLF DOG SHEEP FIC??? IM LOSING MY MIND AND I NEED YOU TO SAY MORE RIGHT NOW

- @bi-bats

OHOHOHO WELL

if you insist ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

The premise is timkon established relationship, but Tim is scheming to acclimate Kon and Jason like introducing two cats through a bathroom door. Eventually, he gets Kon on board he and Kon tag-team Jason, pspspspsing him into their relationship uwu jaytimkon endgame FTW

More specifics and small snip under the cut ;)

This is based on that one post that went around a while ago talking about the herding dog x wolf x sheep dynamic UwU and I thought it would be interesting to do a 3-part fic with 3 different POV's and they each take turns in each of the roles depending on the POV character's perception OwO

I don't have a lot written for it yet, and I would appreciate a vibe check on my Kon voice so far because I don't write him very often (ie at all), but here's a snip of the start:

Kon does not like Jason Todd. He doesn’t really think he has to explain why, because of the, like, everything about him. But in the interest of full disclosure— He’s an asshole. He kills people. He hurt Tim real bad that one time— no, not that time, at Titan’s Tower, that other time, with the batarang he stabbed into Tim’s fucking chest— He’s also never properly met the guy, but so what? He doesn’t have to. He can tell. The vibes are rancid. So he's not really sure why, exactly, Tim is friends with him. They hang out together on the nights they're both in town, after their patrols are done. Jason never stays after Kon gets there, shifty-eyed and staring too long after Kon's kissed his boyfriend hello. Like clockwork, his heartbeat will start to race loud and annoying in Kon's ear, picking up like he's getting ready for a fight. Then Tim always asks if he wants to stay a little longer, that they were planning to watch a movie or grab ramen from that place up the street, and he's welcome to join them. Barf. Kon would go along with it. Begrudgingly. Because despite his extremely correct feelings about Jason, he knows Tim likes him. That he thinks it's water under the bridge. Tim is too generous to forgive sometimes, when he thinks he's the only one who was hurt. But Jason will just raise a cocky eyebrow, glancing at Kon like he knows what he's thinking, and smirk all lop-sided and fake. He'll beg off, making his excuses and slinking out like a thwarted wolf, knowing better than to snatch a lamb when the guard dog's on duty. Kon always tracks his racing heartbeat across town, just to be sure.

[shroudcryptid]

10 million Prompt Fills

@tanoraqui asked:

Write about your WoL bonding with the flying pig they got from the boba tea thing!

-

They were gathering stares, but the Warrior let the gazes simply flow past and away. Enough of them had tinges of envy that they felt decently sure to not be violating some unspoken taboo in the unique city.

Beside them, the porxie of mysterious origins oinks again, leaning into their hand scritching its ears. It was polite enough in its use of the large straw; its thirsty drinking would barely require a single disposable napkin to clean the table afterwards. 

tanoraqui asked:

Write a few sentences about your favorite ffxiv anime man with long white hair! Write about him doing swordy stuff, or eating breakfast!

-

“Call it a guilty conscience.” The Warrior says, mercilessly sliding another tall, cloud-like pancake onto Themis’s plate. His eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t pull the plate away, only look like someone has dropped a new toy into his hands to tease apart. 

“And you are aware I do not need to consume to survive, yes?”

“Yeah.” 

"Mm. The cream fits these well."

tanoraqui asked:

Final prompt, a gift for a friend: write about @ostentenacity’s blorbo, Thancerd(?)! Fuck him up, she likes him fucked up.

(@ostentenacity)

-

“If you’re referring to the business with the Ultima Weapon, then you must understand - I-I wasn’t myself-“ Thancred’s mouth serves him as best it can under the circumstances, the words speaking themselves distantly, without his direction. 

There’s a rising crackle in his ears. The distant sound of the Praetorium burning around him, metal screeching as it’s torn, drowning out dying screams. 

And then there’s a voice, cutting through the smog. Indistinct, indignant. Minfilia’s voice. 

Thancred blinks, suddenly very aware of the two Brass Blades leaning towards him. And promptly decks the closer one in the face. 

@scriberat

o/ azim steppe shepherd insert, whistling her doggos to surround magnai with sheep

-

The massive man crosses his arms heavily. The intent was undoubtedly to look imposing, but to the shepherd, it looked sulky. 

And, unfortunately, cute. She wanted to pinch his cheeks, watch him flush and turn away. 

“I will not ask you again, outlander. Name your affiliation. You cannot have wandered this far into the realm of Azim without aid. And the sun stands for no insult.”

She opens her mouth, but not to reply. Instead, a shepherd’s whistle pierces the air. 

Whatever the man intended to say next, it’s lost in a yelp as the herd of previously peacefully grazing sheep behind him are spooked into action as one by an overlooked, four legged creature. In the face of such a stampede, his legs, and the back of his knees specifically, are yet another obstacle to bounce off of in their rush. 

Magnai of the Oronir hits the ground hard, and by the time he staggers to his feet, the herd, the creatures, and the woman, are disappearing off into the horizon. 

@bunkahi:

Yaana with min height female Au Ra. Though she tries to act happy and strong on the outside for Neyuni, Yaana is crumbling after the return of her sister. WoL gives her a comforting hug, resulting in a surprised and vulnerable Yaana purring against them.

-

Yaana’s ears flick back and down, her tail giving a sharp lash as her new friend circles arms around her, pulling her close with that effortless, monstrous strength. She’s… she’s warm, her brain usefully supplies. Putting off heat like the electric blankets they used to be able to afford. Soft as one too. And… comforting. Safe, somehow. 

She sags forward, cheek rubbing against the other woman’s horn. Nuzzles her cheek along its satisfying roughness, as a long missed rumble starts up in her chest. 

@shadowentei

gently places erenway in ur pocket...

-

“They’re our children!” Dumplingway says, eyes wide. “I need to bring them back and show my family...! Here, hold one, his name is Erenway now-!” Before Erenville can protest, he’s leaning into his personal space, close enough for Erenville to feel his warmth in the cooling evening. Dumplingway messes with his pocket, and retreats without seeing Erenville’s massive blush. 

It’s a good half minute before Erenville cools enough to realize there’s now a small, fuzzy black rabbit poking its head out of his pocket. When he reaches down to hold it, it snuffles lightly against his finger. 

[everlasting-rainfall]

-Headcanons about the Figarland Family-

Hey so this is me having come up with some bullshit that I use to further think up scenarios about an OC of mine known as Esther and her relationship with Figarland Garling

I figured that I would post them just for fun also just to clarify something, I DO NOT AND WILL NEVER CONDONE THE ACTIONS OF ANY CELESTIAL DRAGON

I might love Garling and I understand that the man is an absolute horrid human being like honestly if I wasn’t so sure that I would die then I would try to take his ass out if I saw him in real life but I can’t fight him so I’ll just run

In fiction world though, I wouldn’t mind if he forced me to stand at the altar and say I Do while wearing a white dress…

If you have any problems with that then please just scroll on by…

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Death, Execution, Celestial Dragons, SPOILER WARNING, Kidnapping, Yandere, Forced Pregnancy,

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

CENSORED BECAUSE TRIGGERS AND CHARACTER SPOILERS

-The Figarland Family is not only known for their status and power alongside Garling being a champion but because they make incredibly powerful warriors

-But not only that, they make a lot of incredibly talented weapons smiths as well like I have an OC named Berkley who is Garling’s brother and he’s an incredibly skilled weapon smith

-The stuff that has come out of the more weapon smithing members of the family is quite impressive like they’re incredibly high end and don’t allow just anyone to have them

-Typically the really good weapons are handed to the fighters of the family while the not so great weapons are what’s given to people outside the family

-The Figarland Family has quite a few hunting/guard dogs like they’re all Tibetan Mastiff’s and they are some of the scariest and most terrifying dogs you will ever see

-People have legit horror stories about those things calling them hellhounds and things like it’s rare to meet a person in the holy land who don’t know about those things

-They are well trained, well groomed, well cared for, and know exactly how to mess you up

-No one knows that if you’re a member of the Figarland Family then these guys are total sweethearts, they enter serious mode whenever there’s a visitor or they’re outside or they have specific orders to be in serious mode

-They have a leader too and it’s a little Pomeranian that all of the Tibetan Mastiff’s listen to like these dogs stand at attention the second that the Pom barks in a specific way

-The Pom is an old dog but it’s not to be messed with and it’s been seen legit herding the mastiff’s like they’re a bunch of sheep

-Garling didn’t see the point of the Pom when he was younger and disrespected it once… Don’t ask what happened but know that he now knows that the Pom is very important and whatever you do, never mention his leg scar…

-The Dogs typically get very protective around the younger members of the family like there’s an old picture of Shanks (I subscribe to the idea that Garling is Shanks Dad) as a baby cuddled up with one of the dogs

-They also are the best friends of any Yandere members of the family as they’ll go serious mode and watch over the Darling when the Yandere isn’t around

-Garling spends at least an hour in front of the mirror every morning doing his hair, it’s even longer when he’s older and has the beard

-It’s a hairstyle that the men of the family share like if Shanks grew up around them then it’s very likely that he would have eventually been made to grow his hair out and adopt the hairstyle that his father and all the other men do

-The women of the family don’t have to do it and are pretty much allowed to wear their hair however they want just so long as it’s not like even something that the person with the weirdest hairstyle would find weird like I’m talking styling your hair into branches and hanging ornaments off of it

-Garling despite having a lot of celestial dragon bitches in love with him has absolutely no interest in any of them like he gets at least five love letters a day but he typically gets rid of them

-He has no interest in them and he doesn’t intend to have interest anytime soon as when he eventually falls in love, he wants that to be the one

-The one he dates, the one he marries, the one he makes birth his children, the one he stays loyal to

-That’s the one that he’ll personally pursue and he doesn’t give a shit what status they are as he’ll take them and just keep them in his home, they’ll never leave him and he’ll make sure of that

-This man is a natural born Yandere and I can’t be convinced otherwise…

-So as a result, Shanks mother/Garling’s spouse is still locked up in the house and not allowed to leave unless she’s accompanied by Garling himself or another family member but only if it’s an emergency

-Besides his S/O, Garling currently lives alone at the Figarland House like it’s just him and his S/O alongside the guard dogs

-He enjoys it as it’s good for quiet relaxation time whenever he doesn’t have to train or handle the other Holy Knights and that way as well, he’s able to listen for the footsteps of his S/O better

-As for where his brother, Berkley who I mentioned earlier lives? He lives on the property just not in the main house like he has a smaller house somewhere else on the property where he lives and handles everything

-It’s really the same for any other members of the family as well, they don’t live at the main house as that house is reserved for the head of the family to live in and when Garling’s father died. That became him

-If you feel lucky enough or if you’re desperate enough then if you find yourself being sentenced to death by Garling then you can actually propose a duel where if you win then you go free and if Garling wins then the execution continues

-Garling has accepted quite a few of these duels and has always come out as the winner with his fastest victory being seven seconds, he knows that he will never be defeated so he isn’t afraid in the slightest to take on these duels as they can be good fun in his own personal opinion

-However if Garling really doesn’t feel up to it or is in a hurry then he’ll either deny your request, allow one of the Holy Knights to fight you instead, or kill you right where you stand if you continue to insist or provoke him enough

-Doesn’t matter to him none