#i'll write a new post sharing details but this was a good excuse to post this mini-comic.

[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's Absolute Match Mind's Quest (Part 2)

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

Note: This date explores some very suggestive themes, so if you do not meet the game's required 16+ age rating, I'd suggest to avoid reading this date.

Part 1: HERE

[CHAPTER 5]

After successfully communicating with the organizer of the charity match, I shared the news with Kiro that I was going to join the cheerleading team.

Of course, he was surprised and delighted. We agreed to supervise each other and continue our "hellish training".

There were more fulfilling things to do in the long summer. While the exercises were obviously boring, they made my mood warm up every day.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day the baseball game started.

MC: Savin, have you seen Kiro?

Savin: He seems to have been called to the other side. Do you want me to find him?

MC: No, I'll go find him myself!

Savin nodded and gave me a thumbs up.

Savin: With the way you look today, I guarantee that Kiro will be looking straight at you!

I laughed twice, pulled on my cheerleading skirt with slight embarrassment, turned around and walked quickly in the direction he pointed.

-

Though this charity competition wasn't such a high-key event, many influential figures were invited, and the backstage area was bustling with people.

MC: Sorry, excuse me, thank you... Kiro! I'm here!

I waved my hand energetically. Kiro looked around after hearing the sound. His eyes lit up instantly when he saw me.

He walked quickly through the crowd and came to me, his eyes full of amazement.

Kiro: Today you, you....

MC: How is it? Youthful, right?

I smiled, raised my pompom and struck a pose.

Kiro: Very youthful!

Kiro: I can't believe you actually hid such a cute appearance and are only showing it to me now. No wonder you refused to let me come watch you rehearse yesterday.

MC: Hehe, of course the surprise must be discovered on the same day the surprise is happening!

MC: Originally, I wanted to wait a little longer and let you see it during the performance, but I was afraid that it would be too late to perform the ritual for you.

Kiro: Ritual?

MC: Did you forget?

I took out the prepared marker, took his hand, and wrote my name one stroke at a time on the inside of his wrist.

MC: You said during the game, that writing the names of important people on your wrist will bring good luck to the game. I remember that.

This is another reference to Kiro's Heatwave Date :>

Kiro opened his mouth and then smiled.

Kiro: Mm, I'll definitely live up to this mark.

He gently held my hand, folded our palms together and covered the handwriting.

Kiro: Then, we agree that we'll be each other's witnesses later on, and that we'll both stand in the most dazzling place.

-

After the lively opening ceremony, the music sounded again.

MC: Three, two, one, GO!

The girls on the cheerleading team jumped briskly onto the sports field with neat steps.

Almost instantly, I locked onto those pair of eyes I wanted to see most in the sea of spectators.

Blue, bright, and only mine.

Whether I was jumping, catching a throw, or even turning my back, I could clearly feel that line of sight firmly locked on me.

My heart felt as full, as if it was filled with air, but my body was lighter than the clouds.

Did Kiro feel the same way on stage every time I looked at him from off stage?

Accompanied by the rapid drum beat, the once extremely difficult movements during practice no longer seemed to be difficult at this moment. I supported my teammate's hand, stepped hard, turned around, flipped, and froze in the final step.

Woah--

I knew that the applause on the field at that moment may not have been because of the cheerleading performance, but a warm up for the next game.

But I also firmly believed that the handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes in a baseball uniform who stood up to applaud - all of his cheers were only for me.

I took a breath to calm down and watched the players from the two teams appear one after another.

The captain on the left was Carol. He was standing next to Kiro while watching the cheerleading performance. When our eyes met, he smiled and winked at me;

And the captain on the right was of course, Kiro. He tried his best acting like a big star, but the moment he saw Carol making a face, he couldn't hold back from giving him a smack in the face;

MC: Pfft...

I suppressed my laughter and watched the two teams shake hands with each other.

The other members of the cheerleading team all left the field, leaving me the only one still standing on the field. Kiro looked at me with slight confusion.

At that moment, the referee handed the baseball to me.

Referee: Please kick-off the game, miss.

MC: Okay.

Kiro: .....!!

Hmph, how unexpected!!

If there were a comic-like dialog box above my head at this moment, it might have been an extremely big and extremely gorgeous dialog box that I could show off to everyone.

This was the second surprise I had prepared for him.

Kiro: MC...

For the first time, Kiro's eyes were extremely wide. If the referee hadn't order the athletes to get into position, he might have rushed in front of me by now.

In the end, Kiro walked to home plate and raised his bat.

I held the ball in both hands and took a deep breath.

MC: I hope...

I hope the next word didn't need to be said. All of my hopes were in my hands.

I raised my hand, twisted my body as much as possible, and swung the ball hard.

Boom!

-

Referee: Strike out!

Referee: After the end of the first half, there'll be a ten-minute intermission.

Unknowingly, the seventh game had concluded, leaving the score between the two sides very tight. Although this was just a friendly charity match, the competition's intensity was not low. While Kiro's baseball abilities were good enough, he hadn't reached a level where he could crush his opponents.

What's more was that he was facing against Carol.

I clenched my hands and looked at Kiro not far away.

The halftime break was very important, and he was discussing follow-up tactical arrangements with his teammates, a serious look on his face.

When Kiro entered working mode, his eyebrows seemed to be three points sharper than usual, and his blue eyes were astonishingly bright.

Even though his teammates were all leaders in various fields, at this moment, they all listened to his explanation with conviction and admiration.

Six or seven minutes passed, and since the tactics were almost planned, everyone dispersed to take a final break. Kiro also smoothed his sweaty hair and hurried to the bathroom.

MC: Huh?

When he raised his hand, I realized that the name I wrote before going on the field had been smudged by sweat, leaving only a few strokes remaining on his wrist.

[CHAPTER 5: Interweaving Emotions]

The sun shone brightly and the lawn on the court was coated with a fuzzy halo. The cheerleaders were in uniform and exuded youthful vitality under the dynamic music.

Obviously they were all wearing the same uniform, and their formations changed at an almost dizzying extent, but Kiro's eyes never strayed from the girl's body for even a second.

Carol: Hey...

She smiled brightly, and the dangling pompom in her hand was the finishing touch, making her entire body sparkle.

Kiro couldn't help laughing along, turned on his camera, and zoomed in a little bit to try and capture his Miss Chips in the fast-paced dance.

Carol: Kiro, it's all so blurry and you still want to take pictures? Where can I see your partner here?

Carol: .....

Carol: Hey, Bro!

Kiro felt a heavy tap on his shoulder. He subconsciously turned his head and saw Carol, who was seated with him in the stand-by area, raising his eyebrows in depression.

Carol: I've been talking to you. Why are you just looking at your sweetheart?

Kiro: She's performing, so of course I've gotta watch her at all times.

Kiro said, his eyes falling on the girl again, the smile in his eyes never disappearing.

Carol: Then the two of you really match each other.

Carol: When you were practicing, she was in the same state as you, with almost the same expression. Looking without blinking - yes, just like that - and smiling from time to time!

While Carol was describing in shock, there was a bit of envy in his eyes.

Carol: Tsk, no wonder you didn't admit that I was your "soulmate" before. The compatibility between your souls is rare in this world~

When Kiro wanted to respond to his opponent, he found the girl on the court looking at him for a moment, and he quickly straightened up and waved.

After a while, he turned back to look at Carol, who looked even more "haunted", with a hint of apology on his face.

Kiro: Uh... what did you just say? Soulmate?

Kiro quickly went through every detail of his and the girl's daily life in his mind, and unconsciously felt sweetness in his heart.

Kiro: Almost, but the word soulmate isn't good enough.

Kiro: In my heart, she is MC. She is my favorite person.

Kiro: As long as I look at her, I know what's in her heart. Whether she is happy or sad.

Kiro: That's why I'm eager to bring her the best things in the world!

Kiro: But you won't understand, even after I've told you all of this.

Kiro: This is a unique connection between me and her. Go ahead and envy it~

The more Kiro said it, the prouder he felt. Because no matter how good the pronouns were, he couldn't explain the girl in his heart. She was so unique that even the most beautiful words used to describe her would feel a bit inferior.

But as he talked, Kiro noticed that the person beside him remained silent and he turned to look back--

Carol was very dramatically covering his ears.

Carol: Wow, I'd love to see you show off your affection, but isn't this "dog food" a little bit much?!

Kiro: You even know the term "dog food". It's very local~

T/n: The term "狗粮" (dog food) is Chinese slang used to refer to PDA, i.e. public display of affection :>

Kiro smiled and bent his eyes, the little pride in his heart swelling like a balloon. Just as he was about to continue being arrogant--

The music on the field stopped and the performance ended.

Kiro immediately stood up and moved his wrists and ankles, his eyes filled with determination. Then, he turned to Carol and raised his eyebrows provocatively.

Kiro: Chat's over, old classmate. Now, you have to be careful.

Kiro: Because I won't let her down.

Kiro: Today's victory will belong only to "us".

[CHAPTER 6]

Two minutes to go.

I clenched the marker in my hand and looked at the bathroom door anxiously.

The moment Kiro appeared, I immediately rushed over and pulled him into a corner of the stairwell.

Kiro: ...?!

MC: The wording is blurry. Let me make up for it.

I couldn't help but uncap the pen and write more seriously and vigorously than last time. Kiro laughed and carefully wiped off the wet water stains on my wrist.

Kiro: You seem to be extra superstitious today.

MC: I can be as superstitious as I want.

MC: And I have even more superstitious tricks.

I stood up on tiptoes and fiercely kissed Kiro's lips, almost knocking his teeth in my haste. He smiled and gently accepted the tip of my tongue again.

One minute left.

Please, please, pass all my luck today to him through this kiss.

I didn't know if there was such a god in the sky that could grant my wishes, but I would still stubbornly pray for it.

As long as Kiro was fighting everything in this world, I would make this wish.

Thirty seconds to go. An announcement was made outside reminding the players to enter.

I pressed against the tip of his nose, and said word by word.

MC: Because I've see how hard you've worked this month, I really want you to win.

MC: It doesn't matter if he's an MLB super rookie. You're still my superhero.

I kissed those most beautiful eyes in the world again, and then pushed Kiro towards the arena.

MC: So, you can definitely win.

-

MC: Although Carol's "Fire Team" was about to strike out with a beautiful outfield ball to send the game into overtime...

MC: Kiro, the ace player of the "Sunshine Team", hit a perfect homerun, base, and hit in the tiebreaker!

I deliberately emphasized the word "homerun", leaned on the sofa, took a sip of beer, and continued reading.

MC: "Then, in the defensive round, Kiro made another critical hit, completely ending the game and winning the final victory."

MC: "All income and prize money from this competition will be donated to the Youth Sports Development Foundation..."

Kiro: Why are you still reading the report? The game ended long ago.

Kiro's voice sounded from above my head.

After the game, Kiro and I were really tired, so we simply declined most of the subsequent interviews and activities and went home to lie down.

MC: It hasn't been that long. It's only been half an hour since we got home, of course I'm still very excited. Here, look.

I showed Kiro the screen of my phone with a smile. There was a photo of the victors, hugging and celebrating.

--And this time, I was also among the victorious group, firmly captured by the image.

MC: I emphasized to Xiao Zheng and the others that this photo was very important and had to be taken!

MC: This way, we can make up for the regret of not having a celebratory photo at Hitachi High School last time!

Kiro: ! Quick, send me a copy!

MC: Sent, check~

I not only sent him this photo, but also some other photos of the game, as well as bits and pieces of training over the past month.

Kiro: So many...

He slowly looked through them one by one in amazement, and I leaned on his shoulder, smiling contently.

MC: Is it a lot? I still think it's little.

MC: If I were a photographer, I'd take a thousand time-lapse pictures during your competition and pick them slowly!

Kiro: Hahaha!

While we were looking through the photos, we casually drank a bunch of beers. Suddenly, Kiro's cell phone rang and he clicked on the screen.

MC: What's up?

Kiro: It's Carol. He said he's going back to the United States tomorrow morning and wanted to treat us to dinner tonight.

Kiro: Do you want to go?

MC: Hm... after all, he is your friend, so I do need to be there.

MC: But I'm still so tired now...

I pointed at Kiro's baseball uniform and then at my cheerleading uniform.

MC: See, we haven't changed our clothes since we laid down here.

Kiro: Shall we take a shower then?

MC: Let's rest for ten more minutes, shall we?

Kiro: Hmm... No, I'll get sleepy if I lie down any longer.

MC: But right now I'm too lazy to move even a finger--

Before I could even finish speaking, my body suddenly rose into the air, and Kiro picked me up.

Kiro: It's okay, you don't have to move.

-

MC: Wait a minute, Kiro. I seemed to have missed something.

Perhaps it was dopamine, controller of excitement, or perhaps it was the gradually brewing drunkenness. While Kiro was helping me unscrew the liquor, I suddenly pulled him back.

Kiro: Eh? Is it a bath towel, or a change of clothes? Should I go get it for you?

MC: It isn't...

I hesitated and couldn't answer, so I just took two more steps towards him.

MC: It's... something about you.

Kiro: [still clueless] About me? What is it?

I still couldn't answer, but my instincts drove me to seek out for him.

Not on his sleeves, not on his fingers, not on his chest...

The hormones caused by teen sports mixed with alcohol filled my nasal passages, making my head dizzier.

MC: It seems like... It seems like it's here.

Finally remembering, I gently licked the corner of Kiro's mouth.

MC: Yes, I remembered, you missed the praise.

As I spoke, I rubbed his neck again and again, and his center of gravity grew unstable for a moment. I tipped Kiro slightly and we sat on the ground together.

The showerhead slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. The inverted water rolled twice, and fine water droplets began to scatter unscrupulously.

Kiro blinked, and his breathing became a little faster.

Kiro: ...MC, are you drunk?

MC: ...Am I? Maybe so.

MC: Anyway, don't change the subject! You anyways missed it. You didn't say it.

I reluctantly pried open Kiro's lips, as if wanting to get the treasure that a brave man deserved after going on an adventure.

MC: I've praised you for being so amazing on the field, but you haven't praised my performance yet.

MC: Hurry up, or else the peacock who spread their tail and got no response will be angry...

Kiro suddenly raised his hand and lifted up his team uniform.

My hand that had initially been loosely clinging to his arm failed to grasp it, and my entire body suddenly fell into his arms.

Kiro: Don't be angry.

His breath touched my lips, and his voice mixed with the gurgling water.

Kiro: It was an oversight on my part. I should've really praised MC.

Kiro: How about using my entire body as your prize?

MC: Really? It's all mine?

I blinked in surprise and confusion, and my hands suddenly fumbled away indiscriminately.

From his eyes, to his nose, to his cheeks, to his Adam's apple...

Kiro's body continued to heat up under my touch and caress, and the heat captured in my palms spread to my body along my fingertips.

He kept maintaining a posture that allowed me to ask for anything. Only his rapid breathing and tight muscles guided the smoothest path.

Guiding me into opening this gift that was mine.

I couldn't help but confirm it again.

MC: Is it all mine?

Kiro: It was yours from the very beginning.

MC: Huh, if it was always mine, it can't be considered a prize for my hard work today, right?

Kiro: .....

Kiro: I found that Miss Chips is very logical when drunk.

His Adam's apple rolled, and the corners of his mouth curled up helplessly.

Kiro: Then should I tell you some hidden rewards?

He grabbed my hand. But this time, the rhythm of the body was completely dominated by him.

It was like an unimagined arrangement of a familiar piece of music, and the unaccustomed rhythm made it impossible for me to resist.

I could only be passively guided by him, and go with him to open doors that I'd never touched before.

The salty sweat mixed with alcohol filled my mouth with the taste of summer.

Kiro: Particularly dazzling...

I seemed to hear Kiro's dazed murmur, and I opened my eyes in a daze.

MC: ...what did you say?

Kiro: I'm talking about you on the court today.

His eyes were hidden behind his wet bangs, like the most bewildering ocean.

I was immersed in this ocean, but I knew it was about to set off a giant tsunami.

Kiro: And you now.

Unknowingly, the water had flowed along the floor tiles.

Translation Masterlist: here

[amadwinter]

A different kind of WIP Wednesday

Not a fic this time, but after a wonderful post about making bad art from @unspuncreature and a little encouragement from @lilredghost (thank you 🧡), I wanted to share something else I have in progress: my drawing abilities.

I wouldn't necessarily say I'm good. In fact, sometimes my drawings are downright bad. But considering there have been times in the last year where I haven't even been able to hold a pencil due to health issues, I'm happy to be where I am and just keep improving little by little each time.

I've never shared any of these with anyone before so I'm quite nervous, but there's no time like the present.

Many photos from my sketchbooks ahead!

So, for starters, I've been drawing sporadically since I was about 11 (about 18 years). I've never seriously made a habit out of it, and I've never attempted any formal instruction or classes. One day, I'll post images from my sketchbooks from over the years, because yes, I have kept all of them for posterity's sake

Last year, 2023, I made a New Years Resolution to draw something every day.

I actually made a decent go of it and drew more than I have in years.

But then I suddenly had some health problems pop up that made my goal impossible. I struggled to hold a pencil and even write a sentence legibly. I won't go into details here, but after a few months and going through occupational therapy, I was able to write and draw again(My other symptoms, however, haven't been resolved).

I did some drawing here and there, but nothing consistent. And it felt like some of the progress I made earlier in the year had vanished. I was utterly demotivated, and could only see the bad in everything I drew.

In December, I finally decided: screw it. If I'm going to draw badly, I'll just draw badly. And its done wonders for my confidence.

But for every drawing I'm proud of, there are far more that all I can do is laugh at because of how terrible they are.

And each time I draw something I'm not happy with, I take it as an excuse to practice more, practice often, and practice everything.

I don't really have a system or a plan in place. I start out with a warmup of stick figures based on soccer, figure skating, or something similar, and then it's whatever I feel like. Sometimes it's figure sketches, sometimes it's working on hair, sometimes it's just whatever the hell I feel like.

But above all, I'm having fun doing it. Even when it doesn't turn out like I want to, even when it's not perfect, I enjoy just putting pencil to paper with zero expectations beyond doing my best and enjoying the process.

[pathos-logical]

Do you know of any resources or posts specifically about captioning comics? I am very new to this, but I love comics and I make comics so I want to learn how to caption them properly. Thank you for your blog and all you do!

Delighted you asked this, since it gives me the excuse to share one of my top favorite posts about exactly that!!! I used @/TheQueerWithoutFear's addition in this post as a personal bible when starting out with art IDs! I think this post also has advice which is generally applicable to lots of comic IDs, since people can get bogged down writing every single detail of a piece when the broad strokes would do and thus detract from the overall comprehensibility of an ID. I also really appreciate this site as a great resource for examples on how to write concisely and with an audience in mind, and this post also lays out a lot of good tips! I'll round out this post with some general advice/guidelines:

Neither alt text nor caption IDs are better or even necessarily more accessible than the other; what matters is good formatting (so please don't put IDs below a readmore or use anything but plain text, use sentence case and primarily formal language, use brackets and "ID/End ID" formatting for caption IDs but omit them from alt, etc!)

For comics, especially long ones, I personally favor conciseness over strict fidelity to art, though this is highly subjective and depends on the piece and sometimes my mood. What I would boil this down to is that you don't need to include every detail in a piece to write a good ID, and using narration/prose is often more understandable than transcribing visual techniques (Ex: "She notices something to the side" is clearer and more succinct than "Action lines next to her face indicate she saw something to the side")

Organizing an ID's information in a top-down format is best for comprehensibility: start with who/what is featured (and where they're from, if applicable) and what they're doing, and then move on to background, style, and details

Last, you're welcome, and thank YOU so much for reaching out!! Artists like you make the world go round!! Please feel free to reach out if you ever have more questions, and have a wonderful day!!!

[e-adlirez]

An Independent Callout Update

Hi everybody, this is uh, this is exactly what it says on the tin, and I figured I'd make one.

Last you saw me I was offering some appreciation for some funni Tumblr art, and sharing a project long-ish in the making (it was like two months it's not that long). I figured y'know, maybe we can let sleeping dogs lie, maybe I can work on other things and maybe take a br--

NOPE JUST KIDDING someone's still up and about and still trying to prove himself somewhere in the blameless route. I've genuinely never seen someone make this many backflips to make them look innocent since Grace Chastity, which is an accomplishment, by the way! Not a good one by any means, but an accomplishment nonetheless!

Let's dive into it, shall we?

Here we have a Cadillac trying to claim that he was hacked. As you can see, he's failed miserably at trying to ping @2deadkat, @ratonahat and @bloombirdreads, in an attempt to call for help. He's failing to ping them because they blocked his ass a whiiiillleeeee ago. And of course, the "it wasn't his fault, it was someone else acting in my name!" excuse! This is peak "I can't be having impure thoughts! This is the other guy's fault for making me horny!" Cadillac is there something you wish to confess in front of the class?

Two holes in his excuse:

One, you didn't seem to have any issues when you were trying to convince me into thinking that you were trying even the tiniest modicum of owning up to your mistakes (which I have screenshotted here in case you think you can delete them and say I can't prove anything). It was really more of a "I'm changed in literally 2 days, I'm not like that anymore!", which is about as believable as falling into a black hole and coming out alive. In other words, not at all. Even less believable since your writing style doesn't seem to have changed from your older posts to your newer posts, hm....

Two, Cadillac, even if you were telling the truth and got hacked, how did you not notice? Getting your account hacked is a very big deal! You could lose personal information, get doxxed, have your account become a mouthpiece for scams, and that's only the half of it! How did you only notice this just now, on December 22nd of 2023? This is a big affront to your internet safety! It would be impossible!

And if you want to say this is a recent development, then uh, buddy, I have some news for you.

Here I have a screenshot from one of my personal Discords, and so far it's the earliest secondary record I have of Cadillac's shenaniganery.

And you can tell it's really early because a reply to the mini-rant around the same day mentions this funny little detail:

This was back when Cadillac had only made two shirtless G posts on his blog. From July 26th, 2023 to December 22nd, 2023-- that's a five-month time period! Almost half a year of not realizing that you've been hacked! And the strangest thing is you haven't changed a bit before or after! This hacker must've done a very good job making your posts sound like your own by extrapolating your internet personality from-- and I counted-- eight bare-bones posts, hm? /sarcastic

Well okay, remember how I said Cadillac's been very consistent this whole time? Well, I lied. There's Cadillac's most recent post as well:

Dear me, you're sounding awfully mature and respectful here! Is this a miracle? Could you possibly have actually been hacked and the person behind the screen is actually a decent person all alo--

OOP I GUESS NOT!

Buddy, I didn't even need to pull up GPTZero for this, you were sounding so corporate and so fake it wasn't even a contest. You ain't slick, Cadillac, not slick at all.

And for the record, I plugged my entries in the callout post in there too because why not

Yep, a lotta hooman to go around with me, Cadillac. This one in I'm writing right now took about an hour :D Whether or not it's because of having to find sources or just to find a good way to say what I want to, I'll leave that for everyone else to decide.

Anyway, this is your Cadillac callout update, goodnight tristate area.

Yes Cadillac you can bet your ass that the only reason anyone would ever be unblocking you would be for no other reason but this: making callouts that aren't going any time soon. I will admit, one flaw in my original post was the fact that I hyperlinked more than I screenshotted, giving you an opportunity to wipe the evidence. Well, you've got nowhere to hide now, Cadillac. I've caught you in 4K, and these posts aren't going anywhere.

[future-boi]

So uh, I've been hearing a lot about that bttf fic your writing. I was wondering if you could share a bit of its plot? I just really wanna know what it's about :D

(And if you have shared its plot and my blind self missed it would you mind linking it?)

Oh 😳

Well it's still heavily under the works... I've only mentioned it here and there, but haven't taken the time to create it's own post for it...

But I guess I'll do that right now! The structure is still subject to change but here's what I have in mind so far:

It'll be split into 5ish parts. I haven't written them all, but I can say for a fact they will vary in length. Part 1 will follow the first movie EXCEPT for the ending where Doc shows up and says they need to go to the future. Part 2 will be exploring the Lone Pines timeline and Marty adjusting to his new family. Then, it will end with Doc going to Marty and taking him to the future to save his kids. Part 3 will be a side story or collection of stories of what happened since 1955 that led to the Hell Valley we see in the movie (should just be through George and Lorraine's POV) [It will be pretty short compared to Parts 1 and 2, I can already tell]. Part 4 will return to the main story with Marty accidentally creating Hell Valley and traveling there [meeting his alternate family and self] until he travels back to 1955 to fix it. Part 5 is him traveling back to 1955 to fix it lol.

As you can see theres so many details im leaving out but thats the general outline and you can follow it pretty easily with the knowledge of the movies. It's also subject to change. I might shorten it to 4 parts. It used to be 6 but I thought about it and decided to combine some things. Plot twist: we get 8 parts.

The gist is that its more focused on the McFly family so we're going to see more of Dave and Linda and how their lives changed throughout the 3 timelines, not just George and Lorraine. Marty also gets his own character arc too. From the beginning, not just from the second movie. So please bear with me as the characters might be a lil OOC... ima try to excuse it by saying its cuz I'm changing the rules of the franchise's universe a bit, but its up to your interpretation...

And I've never written anything before so a part of me is like bruh this is too ambitious what is goin on. But another part of me is like LESGOOOOO

Don't think I described the plot well AT ALL. Sorry. But... its basically just Back to the Future? Changes here and there. Some big, some smol. It really feels like fanfic in one of its most distilled states lmao. [A remake??? A re-imagining??? Zemeckis and Gale would hate me]

I just feel like itll take a while 😅 It's been about ~3 months since I've started working on it and I only have the first draft of part one and the rough draft of part two. But I'd say it's looking pretty good so far.

💝 Thank you for the ask! 💝 It gave me an opportunity to give a real update.

[pomegranateandhoney]

Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance by Nellie Wilson

It's the most wonderful time of the year......to take down a billionaire. Brooklyn Peters has finally landed a spot at her dream company which will allow her to use her boring marketing skills to live her dream of saving the planet. When she catches the attention of the CEO, who happens to be her idol, she gets a close up peek at what is going on behind closed doors. Not only is the corporate wunderkind a creep, but he’s also actively working against everything Brooklyn believes in.

Good thing she recently made the acquaintance of Max Matuschansky, a journalist who specializes in corporate reporting. The Christmas season provides a convenient excuse for Max to snoop around…as long as he’s comfortable being Brooklyn’s date to corporate “holiday” events. Which, as a proud Jewish man, he isn’t. But something about this story and Brooklyn makes him reconsider.

Between Brooklyn’s crash course in teaching Max about Christmas traditions and late night writing sessions, the attraction between the two gets harder to ignore and maintaining their journalistic ethics is key to keeping them off the naughty list. There’s more at stake than just their hearts, because this season, it’s time to actually make the world a better place.

Next book I'm sharing from my reading list this year is this one! This is a contemporary romance, in which Nellie has essentially written a Christmas book about being Jewish. This is a very quick read, almost feels like a novella, and in addition to the romance plotline we have a billionaire takedown/journalism plot. I do wish she'd explored this a bit more fully -- I feel like this book could have, overall, been longer and a little more fleshed out and it would've been much better.

However, I absolutely loved the male lead in this book, who feels a lot like the love interest in an early aughts rom-com, which totally worked for me. I loved the details the author put in about Jewish culture, and how the gentile female lead interacts with Max and her own ignorance. There's a few lovely lines in here, such as:

“Something that I’ve realized about Judaism,” he says, slowing down and looking for something on the ground, “is that we honor the past by caring for the future.”

Overall this is a cute, fun read. I gave this 3 stars as well, my usual for a book I generally enjoyed. This is an open-door romance, which means it includes explicit sex scenes; I believe the number of scenes in here is two, if I remember correctly. Consent is verified.

Content warnings for this one: sexual assault mentioned/implied.

And yes, in case you're wondering, I do read a lot of romance. This is something I could talk about at length -- why romance gets a bad rep and what it says about misogyny in our society (and internalized misogyny) -- but I won't. In any case, I'll continuing periodically posting about Jewish reads, I think, just to spread a little Jewish joy :)

Happy New Year.

[hoshinokaabi-secretsanta]

Hi there, mod team, and thanks for your hard work in organizing this event!  Kirby’s kind of a new fandom for me, but I’ve been getting super into it, and itching for an excuse to dabble more.  I have a few questions, if you don’t mind?  I’ve done a number of exchanges over the years, and there are a few things in your rule set I’d appreciate some clarification on—even if it’s just to declare, “Assume Good Faith,” and go from there!

Firstly, if I want to participate as only a writer, do I need to provide a link to examples of my writing for the Portfolio question on the sign-up?  I would assume so, as the rules elsewhere say that writing and art are both allowed, but the rules seem to focus mostly on art, particularly in the Portfolio section.

Relatedly, if the poll option for matching participants by skill level wins, will writing also be privately assigned a technical skill ranking to help with matching?  Since the rankings will be private, is there any plan to address what to do in case someone with, say, a high writing ranking but a low art ranking is matched to someone with the expectation that they’ll be doing fic but they decide they want to try doing art instead?

Secondly, can you elaborate on specifically how you’ll be applying the rule against romantic content between adults and minors?  Read-as-written, I can see at least three different ways it could be interpreted, so some clarification would be much appreciated!

Is character maturity determined by canon?  If so, which canon(s)?  If multiple forms of canon are accepted, is it okay to request ships that might be okay in one canon but not in another?

Is character maturity determined by the mods?  If so, can you share which characters you’ll be considering as minors versus which will be considered adults?

Is character maturity determined by individual participants?  If so, does that mean that any ship is alright as long as the characters involved are both depicted as being on the same side of the minor/adult line, but determining where that line falls is left to the judgement of the individual participants, in accordance with their wishlists/blacklists?

Thanks very much!

Hey! Super appreciate how nice you are. I hope you enjoy this fandom, first of all. It's a very comfortable one to be in, in my opinion 🥰

I apologize the rules and otherwise are biased towards visual artists! As you'll soon see in my answers here, in my experience with hosting events, the more details you specify for people to follow, the more confusing it gets and the less people follow any of the rules in the first place. I understand too many rules and guidelines is overwhelming, so it was important to me to keep things curt in the initial posts. That means guidelines for writers, and age specifications, got cut a little because it applies to very little people in the first place. I realize that's disrespectful to other types of artists participating in our event though, so I added onto the rules post and I'll try to elaborate more here.

Answering your questions proper now: yes, please include a portfolio even if you're a writer! I understand the length of a piece can vary a lot, as does the amount of effort you put into a writing piece does not necessarily equal how "finished" you think it is, so writing portfolios don't need to follow the "at least three finished pieces" rule. Just include whatever you have, with showing one piece minimum, and at least one piece out of however many you choose to link must have at least 1200 words, since that's the minimum requirement for our event.

Writing will be its own category, rather than using the 5-point ranking scale, if that option on the poll wins. This is because making wishlists and blacklists work in a smaller pool of people (the people who stated they are okay with receiving writing as a gift) is quite difficult. You bring up a good point with the conflicting skills in differing arts though! Now that you mention it, multiple people who stated they could gift multiple arts only put drawings in their portfolio (no one has to change that by the way, if you're reading this and panicking). In that case, we might just assign them to someone who only wants to receive drawings to get rid of that variable all together. Again, due to the very low amount of writers/other artists participating in the first place, those will be assigned on a case-by-case basis. I will say we will follow what's in people's portfolios first and foremost though. We won't go and personally hunt down someone's other art work if they didn't list it. If someone stated they could gift both writing and drawings, but only showed drawings in their portfolio, mods will giving them a point ranking and be running under the assumption they'll be gifting drawings, while keeping the "writing" part in the back of our minds.

Onto your second question: I can also see three different ways that could be interpreted 😆 I tried to purposely keep it vague. You hit the nail on the head with "assume good faith". Stating that in the first place was mostly to scare away any true... questionable people rather than something I expected to enforce. From a cursory glance at people's wishlists so far, yep, there's either none or maybe one ship that could be considered that in anyone's canon on anyone's list, so I don't feel the need to set out guidelines for it. If you, or anyone, is really concerned about a ship you'd like to request being seen that way, I'd recommend thinking about and following the general fandom's view on things (ex: Kirby being seen as a child in any canon). Us mods wouldn't step in if you were to, for example, request Magolor/Kirby, because you could interpret those two to be in the same age range and we will assume good faith, but most people wouldn't be comfortable fulfilling that request. The same goes for any sort of non-adult/minor controversial ship too, really, but we don't have any hard-set rules on this.

[demenior]

Brine King (ft Eadwulf) 👀👀👀

Check my list of current wips here and send me a title and I'll post a bit or share some details about it.

The Brine King au started as a 'what if Fjord released Uk'otoa' concept. While I adore the idea and have a LOT of it planned, I know I probably will never write it.

So I took up the critical role wildflowers event as an excuse to write the idea, while tailoring it to what my giftee wanted.

which worked out perfectly because they're a fellow fjord/jester/eadwulf fan and because this Brine King au was begging for a Scourger thread to weave it all together.

Here's a blumentrio reunion to celebrate (Caleb snuck into Eadwulf's bedroom, was surprised to, uh, interupt his old loves)

---

Eadwulf stares at Bren, wide-eyed and face slack with shock. He’s in no state to compose himself, or take the lead. So Astrid will.

“What are you doing here?” she asks. Why did he come to Eadwulf, and not me? She wonders. And then scolds herself.

“We heard about the position you’ve been offered. Ambassador to the new Brine King ,” Bren says to Eadwulf. Bren always had a way with words, about coming around to a point. To let him speak is to be hypnotized by him, Astrid knows this.

Eadwulf makes no effort to cut him off. He hangs on every one of Bren’s words.

She glances out the window. It’s far from dawn, but not that far. The sky is beginning to light. There isn’t much time.

“You said you have information?” she interrupts. Focus, she reminds himself.

“I do,” Bren agrees, and he only glances at her before focusing on Eadwulf.

He’s here to manipulate Eadwulf, she’s sure of it. But to what end?

“Wulf,” Bren says slowly. Eadwulf shivers. Astrid flashes handsigns. Danger. Danger. But Eadwulf doesn’t look once in her direction.

“I want to make a deal,” Bren says.

Eadwulf stays silent.

“We knew the man, before he was Uk’otoa’s Champion. We have information on his behaviour, his person, and how to beat him. We were in Nicodranas, before…”

“Why didn’t you go to the King? Why come to us?” Astrid presses, “this information could make you rich.”

Bren flinches like he’d forgotten she was there. She’s more certain than ever that he had thought Eadwulf would be alone. Good thing she decided to stay. Eadwulf would be eating out of his hand if she wasn’t here.

Why is Bren treating them like the enemy? She wants to ask. She wants to hold him, and kiss him again. If only he wanted that to. But he left them, she has to remind herself. He abandoned them. He doesn’t want them.

She digs her nails into the skin of her arms, and keeps her face neutral.

Eadwulf needs her to speak for him, to protect him.

“Because I have no love for the King,” Bren says, and leaves it there. Eadwulf shivers again. Astrid’s breath catches in her throat. Bren can’t be saying— not after all this time?

This must be a dream.

As if he can read her mind, Bren steps towards Eadwulf. He holds his hand out. Eadwulf steps towards him.

Astrid takes a half-step forwards, before she realizes what she’s doing. It’s too late, and Eadwulf has fallen into Bren’s orbit. His hand settles on Eadwulf’s shoulder. She sees Eadwulf shudder. His knees tremble.

“I know you will have orders, and I know you are going into danger,” Bren says softly. Eadwulf has to lean closer to hear him.

Astrid pushes into their space. She’s losing Eadwulf.

She wants Bren’s soft voice for herself.

“I will tell you every piece of information I can think of. Every scrap of every moment I spent traveling with Fjord. But I need you to make a deal with me, old friend.”

“What?” Eadwulf asks.

Stupid, Astrid wants to say. He shouldn’t speak. You should always let the target make the offer first. He knows this. Astrid doesn’t think she could hold her tongue if Bren was this focused on her.

She can’t think when Bren looks up at them through his lashes. When he lays a hand on her arm as well. His touch is like a wildfire, sending gooseflesh down her arm. She wants to touch him in turn.

“There is a woman, with Fjord. He took her from us. She is a prisoner… if she’s still alive. I need you to help her, in any way you can.”

Astrid’s mouth falls open. No noise comes out. No, no, no! Eadwulf will die for their Master. But he will do anything for Bren. This will get him killed.

Bren knows about Eadwulf’s tender heart. It’s why she and he worked so hard to protect it, during their training.

He must know what he is doing. And he doesn’t care?

“Your woman?” Eadwulf blurts out. He sounds jealous.

Bren takes that information carefully. He doesn’t deny it immediately.

“She’s precious,” Bren agrees. Neither a confirmation, nor a denial, Astrid notes.

“Why me?”

“Because we cannot get into the fortress,” Bren growls. His grip on both of them tightens. Astrid’s head spins.

“Don’t do this,” she whispers. To which of them, she cannot say. There is a second collar on Eadwulf now, that Bren is placing himself. And it looks more like a noose.

[faintingheroine]

Hey, I've finished reading Aşk-ı Memnu last night! I've really enjoyed it, so I'm grateful to you for posting about this novel so much and sparking my interest in it. I have several questions I'd like to ask and thoughts I'd like to share about it, but I fear that putting them all in one single ask would make for a rather messy and disorganized post, so I'll probably send them to you one at a time in the future (so that I may also ruminate further on the novel, and maybe come up with additional questions and observations). Here's one question for now: what do you think was the reason for Beşir hesitation to reveal about Bihter and Behlül's affair to Adnan Bey, if he had been aware of it for some time? When he finally disclose it in the last chapter he seems confused and regretful about this delay himself, so I wondered what could have been the (probably unconscious) reason for it. I have come up with a few hypothesis, but I'm not really convinced about them, so I'd like to know if you, having examined the book much more deeply and for a longer time than I did, have some insight on this topic.

Hi! I am really glad that you enjoyed it.

I did answer a similar ask about this before (I think it was sent by @princesssarisa ) but it is very hard for me to find it now so I will answer the question again.

Some possible reasons:

1) This book was originally serialized. I think it is possible that it didn’t occur to the author to make Beşir a witness until Chapter 18 or so, and by then it was too late to write in an excuse for him to not reveal this to Adnan Bey. I don’t really think this is the reason, Beşir’s name means “the one who brings good news” and I think despite the little page time accorded to him, it is clear from the start that he will eventually have a more significant role. But I am still mentioning this possibility for the sake of fairness.

2) My own opinion on this is that Beşir is loyal to Nihal and to Nihal only. He doesn’t care to reveal the affair to Adnan Bey until it negatively effects Nihal.

I detailed how I think that his loyalty and love towards Nihal is a coping mechanism in the post about Beşir that I tagged you in. He chooses to obey Nihal. Multiple times in the book, Bülent orders Beşir to do something, Beşir doesn’t really want to do it and looks at Nihal to get her opinion about it. When Nihal gives her assent to him doing that thing, he does it happily. This is a perfect illusion of choice. Beşir does not really have the luxury of not doing what Bülent wants him to do, but by pretending that his only master/mistress is Nihal whom he loves, he makes his subordination more bearable. This is why he doesn’t feel loyalty to the other members of the family and only reveals the affair when it harms Nihal. This is my opinion.

3) I don’t really believe in this either, but possibly he didn’t actually want Bihter to get hurt? This is a huge thing that can even kill Bihter when it is revealed. At the start of the book Bihter is nice to Beşir:

“A parasol,’ he said gently, ‘little hanım, you did not buy a parasol!…’

Then, when they were standing, thinking before the fabrics for the sheet, he kept interfering in these thoughts with his ever-timid voice, with apprehensive touches of his cowardly hands, leaning and pointing over there, to the other stand, where some other ladies had decided on a fabric of light navy with pale, lemon yellow stripes.

‘Look, how beautiful, won’t you buy some of that?’ he was saying quietly to Nihal.

Suddenly Nihal lost her patience. ‘But Beşir, will you be quiet? We are thinking of something for a sheet…’

Beşir drew back. In the way he had of retreating, there was the skittishness of a cat who had been slapped on the head, and all of a sudden Nihal found such pity in this skittishness that she was instantly regretful. Looking at Beşir, she said, ‘if you like it so much, we will make the dress from that.’

Bihter did not think that fabric was too bad either. ‘Well done, Beşir,’ she was saying.”

(Chapter 5)

Bihter’s kindness towards Beşir gradually erodes as the book goes on, which I think shows us her gradual moral erosion. But possibly Beşir never actually starts to hate her until Nihal has a near-death experience.

His introduction to giving his testimony about the affair is “They are killing the little mistress”, not “They are betraying you (Adnan Bey)”. I think that’s the crux of the issue.

***

A related question might be asking why Beşir gets sick and depressed in the last chapters of the book? Is it because of the prospect of Nihal marrying or because of him witnessing the affair? If it is the latter it means that this secret weighs on him on some level, which makes him staying silent about it make even less sense.

And why he insists on going back to the mansion with Nihal instead of staying at the Island? Is it because he doesn’t want to be separate from Nihal for any moment or is it because he finally decided to reveal the affair so that Nihal won’t marry Behlül? Maybe part of him wants to reveal the affair and put an end to this marriage talk due to jealousy whereas another part of him doesn’t want Nihal to be sad?

I think we can find motives for Beşir’s behavior if we actively think about it, but it is true that it is one of the more vague and less satisfactorily developed parts of the book. I still like it though as I like everything about this book. “They are killing the little mistress, I will tell you everything” is a great and iconic line to me in Turkish.

[infinityactual]

-flops onto the ground like a drowned cat-

Sorry again for being absent, Ghostbusters still has me by the throat, but also I want to ride the wave of hyperfixation and possibly actually finish a fic. It's been easy writing since its set in a time I know and also references science I'm familiar with and love (it's as much an excuse to write sappy romance for Egon as it is for me to scream about nuclear engineering, physics, chemistry and electromagnetism), which means it's also been a good distraction for the general fuckery of life.

More detail under the cut, but otherwise I'm still alive and will keep sharing stuff, but idk when I'l be back with original content.

So my ADHD meds just quit working because my brain reached 'burnout' (essentially, neurochemistry compensated to the point where the beneficial effects no longer exist, all I get now is the same feeling of drinking ten shots of espresso) AND I can't get my NEW rx because of the ADHD med shortage.

Over the last 3 years, my department had become such a dumpster fire that people are jumping ship left and right. Calls are constant. We have half *or more* of the people clocked in not even doing work for my department, they're doing data entry for the auto segment. We are constantly being asked for voluntary overtime and whenever there is A Regular Storm, our workforce is so small that we get inundated and have to do MANDATORY overtime. And we're *downsizing* in 2023.

I am currently seeking other employment, to put it mildly. I am so burnt the fuck out.

So for now I've just been leaning into my current hyperfixation with my *other* quiet blorbo of Polish descent who will maul you if you insult his family and friends. If you want to follow the madness, I've been periodically posting over on @one-big-twinkie and updating my fic there.

ilu guys, I'll be back with stuff someday lol.

[kinmokusei-stars]

My Inuyasha oc Kouko's last reference sheet was a bit outdated, and hard for me to properly use and colorpick from, so I figured I'd make a new, more in-depth, easier to use one! Now with a nicer formal outfit, because the last one was an eyesore- LMAO SUPER happy with how this came out though! o(≧▽≦)o This should make drawing her a lot easier, and just all around looks nicer.

Kouko Yoshida, Also known as 'The Sapphire Swordmaiden', is a stoic demon slayer wandering on her own with nothing but her sword, her horse, and her wits. Though her height, with her standing at about 6'2, and her closed off demeanor can make her look a bit cold if not downright intimidating, deep down she's actually just a warmhearted softy with a habit of feeding fish and other animals she comes across on her adventures and picking up pretty rocks. She's more of a gentle giant than anything else when it comes to people or animals, even if she harbors a deeply set grudge against near all demons for reasons she refuses to share.

She meets the main cast through a misunderstanding started through her having a jewel shard or two on her person that ends in the crew gaining two more shards, and a new party member.

She sticks near Kagome and Sango a majority of the time when she isn't alone, mostly because they seem the most trustworthy, with her being unsettled and freaked out by Shippo, and giving Miroku a near constant silent treatment after their first interaction. Though oddly enough Inuyasha seems to be more on her good side than either of the other guys on the team, with her seeing being half demon as being more trustworthy than a fullblooded one. They do end up falling in love, but that's only way later down the line after a long buildup.

I'll write down some little extra little facts about her below, but if you're interested in Kouko's backstory and relationship with Inuyasha more in-depth, you can check out her backstory post, and my “Get to know my ship!” Post

- Her horse is named Aiko, who she takes with her everywhere. She's had him for years, and he's her baby, she'd kill a man for that horse if needed, and likely has at some point. (I intend to draw Aiko in the future!)

- Her favorite hobbies are fishing and collecting rocks she finds pretty. Fishing soothes her mind, while also being a good way of getting food, and collecting rocks is just a culmination of her "Oo shiny" mentality and makes her happy LMAO She has a small bag of all of her favorites she's found over the years.

- She prefers meat over a majority of sweet foods, whether it be fish, chicken, or something else, she's happy with it. One of the few exceptions though is persimmons, which are her favorite fruit, and hold a special place in her heart.

- She has a lower, soothing voice. It gets rumbly and purr-like when she's tired or extra relaxed.

- She's afraid of bugs. Not things like Mister Centipede, but normal, run of the mill bugs. She gets so startled everytime Myoga pops up.  Huge demons are light work when compared to the actual two to three inch bug, and her excuse is how easily they could wriggle their way into things like clothes and bags, but they mostly just ick her out.

- Her emotional weakness is fire or smoke in general. She hates the smell of it, and tends to sit a ways away from any campfires they group has, either polishing her weapon, or sewing up rips in her clothes. This only changes later on, when she's gradually brought closer to the campfire little by little, and reassured that she's safe with them over time.

That's all for now! Any other little details will be shown throughout drawings or small comics!

[lesbiandonnanoble]

✸ lesbiandonnanoble fic masterpost ✸

here's this finally. i wanted all my DW fics in one place on this blog so here they are! below the cut, separated by source (new, classic, big finish, etc) for your reading pleasure 👍 the fics are listed in order of publication so oldest at the top, newest at the bottom. i'll try to keep this updated as best i can, and to anyone who may read any of my stuff, thank you!

new who

a parisian sunset - Even after a month of working with him, Mickey still felt nervous around Jake. He couldn’t quite read him; he could never say with surety where he stood. And, god, he had big shoes to fill. mickey/jake, T, 1.5k words.

take a breath & count to five - The Doctor can't actually process what happened on Midnight without seizing up. Donna tries to talk him through it. 10 & donna, T, 1.5k words.

suspended in gaffa - The day after he loses Amy and Rory, the Doctor wakes up on an unfamiliar planet. His ship is nowhere to be found, the world he's on seems to be the inside of an enormous computer, and he's the only living thing on it. He's struggling to survive the grief of living without Amy just as hard as he's struggling to figure out where he is and escape, and the computer interface - the only thing he can talk to - has elected to take the form of Jamie McCrimmon, which isn't making anything easier. Plus, there's something hiding in the planet's tunnels... 11, T, 18.4k words.

ooh, you make me live - Stuck on Earth during the slow invasion of the cubes, the Doctor tells Amy something he's never really told anyone before. 11 & amy, G, 2k words.

XOXO - The Doctor doesn't know when it changed from just work texts into this, but she finds herself texting O all day and all night. Graham calls her out on it, which prompts an unpleasant realization- could she have a crush? 13/"O", G, 1.3k words.

lethologica - Noun. The feeling of having a word or phrase you can't remember right on the tip of your tongue. Or, Jenny comes to check on Donna post-Journey's End. donna & jenny, T, 2.4k words.

second(or third) first kiss - Rose comes up with an excuse (Cassandra's possession) and the Doctor comes up with an excuse (that was his old body, this is his new one) and they share a 'first' kiss (and a few after that). 10/rose, T, 1.5k words.

a lives-long love letter - After crashing on Darillium and looking forward to their twenty-four year night - a veritable life together - the Doctor can't get over what River said on the ship. That however briefly, she'd really believed that he didn't love her back. He knows it's time to do everything it takes to change her mind. 12/river, T, 2.7k words.

self-destruction 101 - The Doctor thinks through his options while preparing to erase Donna's memories. He does it half to save her life, and half to ruin his. It's what they both deserve. 10 & donna, T, 1.1k words.

our thing - The Doctor takes Rose back to her London for New Year's. He's stuck on the families he's lost. She reminds him of the one he's got. 9/rose, G, 0.9k words.

toast & tea - The Doctor comes down with something; so used to him looking after her, Rose is grateful to return the favour, and to talk with shields down. 9/rose, G, 0.8k words.

five times Donna wrote the Doctor an email she didn't send - ...plus one time she couldn't remember enough to write one. Six emails from Donna to the Doctor, detailing her thoughts on their adventures together from the Runaway Bride through after Journey's End, and six short scenes accompanying those emails. 10 & donna, G, 10k words.

home, after the end of the world - Karvanista has just lost everyone and everything. By every thread of logic in the universe, he should be alone. He isn't. dan & karvanista, G, 0.9k words.

wind was blowing, time stood still - In the autumn of 1983, London bartender Rose Tyler meets John Smith. He's a dock worker, a union organizer, and an all around good man. But Rose starts hearing a strange voice in her head, and John's eyes, his heartbeat, his temperature, start to change. Reality begins to blur, and Rose can't hold onto herself, the life she loves, and John all at once; something has to slip. An 80s AU and a chameleon arch AU rolled into one. 9/rose, mickey/jake, T, WIP.

classic who

playing to weaknesses - The Doctor finds himself captured as a result of his investigating the Autons. As usual, he talks his way out of trouble. 3/the master, T, 1.8k words.

girls' day - A human!Susan AU sequel to this wonderful fic. After Susan moves in with them, Ian and Barbara struggle to come up with things that will help her open up to them. Barbara comes up with something that might help. susan & barbara, G, 1.7k words.

a much-needed talk - On one of their adventures, Ian and Barbara barely make an escape. It leaves them with some things to talk about. ian/barbara, G, 1.2k words.

t-minus 30 minutes - Jamie, Zoe, and the Doctor have finally gotten themselves into trouble they can't figure a way out of. With a computer predicting their every move, they have no way to escape. Basically, they have half an hour to say goodbye. 2 & jamie & zoe, T, 3.5k words.

a piece of eternity - Steven was alone in that room, a prisoner on Mechanus, for two years. Or, more precisely, seven hundred and forty-eight days. He knows, because he counted every single one of them. Basically, a 'what happened to Steven during his two years alone' fic. steven, T, 5.4k words.

to the waters and the wild - During an adventure, Jamie and the Doctor finally have the “I know you’re not human. What are you??” talk while waiting for Zoe to break them out of jail. 2 & jamie, G, 1.5k words.

weighing the probability of luck versus fate - Once they're safe and settled after escaping the land of fiction, the Doctor tries to explain why he didn't recognize Jamie's face. 2/jamie, G, 1.7k words.

five steps to living - Once she leaves the Wheel, Zoe faces the challenge of unlearning her programming. Slowly, she becomes acquainted with her emotions and with how to express them, and with the help of Jamie and the Doctor, she tries to accept that she is loved instead of just useful. 2 & jamie & zoe, G, 4.5k words.

to time wasting - Necessity, as some chap had surely called it, was not the mother of invention, at least not for the Doctor, and not with this. A case could be made, however, for love. [Or, how Jamie got his wristwatch.] 2/jamie, G, 1.9k words.

in the common tongue - Jamie and the Doctor have a talk about language. Featuring the TARDIS translation circuit, the importance of one's native language, and shooting stars. 2/jamie, G, 2.1k words.

making the wrong choice (and other things that are worse in a cyclical existence) - After his trial, the Doctor is sentenced to exile and a forced regeneration. Before that sentence can be carried out, he's given a choice: go through with it, be killed and be exiled, or just go out and do one simple task for the Time Lords, and go free. It seems like an easy choice, doesn't it? And that cloying sense of familiarity, that sense that he's made this choice before, done this all before, that's nothing. Isn't it? 2, T, 4.1k words.

beginning to hope - A wlw Ben/Polly AU. 30 years after the Doctor, after their break up, after everything, Polly calls Ben about a nightmare and Ben suggests they meet up somewhere and talk it over. ben/polly, G, 3.1k words.

like a bell to a southerly wind - When Ben and Polly go missing at the resort planet the Doctor dropped them off on, he and Jamie pretend to be regular resort guests - and married - so they can look for them without getting too many questions. They pretend too well. 2/jamie, T, 12.3k words.

making right - After Telos, Jamie and the Doctor get into an argument, which, as it turns out, is a proxy for another, heavier argument. One thing leads to another and suddenly they're talking about the one thing they've pointedly not talked about since they left Earth for Skaro: what happened at Maxtible's mansion. 2 & jamie, G, 2.5k words.

under desert stars - Stranded on an alien world waiting for the Doctor to come back, Jamie and Zoe butt heads yet again, this time over a young alien child Jamie insists on looking after. Zoe thinks about parenting. zoe & jamie, G, 2.2k words.

ghost stories - Even in a different world, a world with a magic ship and a thousand different planets and the Doctor, Jamie can't fully shake what happened on Culloden. The Doctor talks him through a flashback. 2/jamie, G, 2.3k words.

bridging gaps - Jamie is back with the Doctor, but all he can notice is how much their years apart post-War Games have changed him. A 6b story about weathering cultural genocide. 2/jamie, T, 2.5k words.

and make a wish - In living memory, Zoe has never once celebrated her birthday. There is nothing special about just another day. When she turns seventeen, she tries to distract herself with the usual numbers and equations, but Jamie is set on giving her a proper birthday. zoe & jamie, G, 2.1k words.

in recovery - Zoe gets put out of commission during an attack on a base. When she wakes up, she starts to realize just how at home she feels with Jamie and the Doctor. 2 & jamie & zoe, G, 1k words.

expanded universe stuff

a reason to stay - An AU where the Master helps Alison make the choice of whether to stay and travel with them or go back home. scream of the shalka, alison & the master, G, 1.5k words.

paradoxical recollection - Once they're back safe in the TARDIS after Caerdroia, C'rizz starts remembering the cycle from the Last. charley & c'rizz, T, 2k words.

birds singing in the sycamore tree - After a mishap with a planet's native flora, Charley and the Doctor have four shared dreams, and confess their love for each other in four different ways. 8/charley, T, 8.9k words.

i know where i'm going, but i don't want to leave - Shellshocked by the loss of her brother, Charley visits C'rizz's room before she makes the Doctor drop her off. charley & c'rizz, T, 1.7k words.

opera gloves - Leela and Romana attend an upscale Earth restaurant for a meeting with Arkadian. Leela, after the loss of Andred, weighs the possibility of having Romana leave her behind on Earth. gallifrey, leela/romana, G, 3k words.

you're my saving grace - cowritten with sciencebutch. After the events of Scherzo, the Doctor and Charley have a little hearts to heart. 8/charley, G, 4.8k words.

beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth - Throughout Romana's rebellion against Pandora, Leela and Narvin grow closer somewhat by necessity. But also, necessity is a bit of an excuse. Or, 5 times Leela initiates contact with Narvin + 1 time Narvin reaches out to her first. gallifrey, leela/narvin, T, 3.9k words.

quicksilver and steel - Meeting a future Romana makes Leela think about how far she'd go for her present Romana. gallifrey, leela/romana, G, 1.9k words.

hotel talk - Charley knows that the Doctor and C'rizz have very vague relationships with the concept of binary gender. She also knows that she doesn't quite fit those molds either, only she's never told anyone before. 8 & charley & c'rizz, G, 1.9k words.

pictures at an exhibition - Brax's favourite pieces in the entire renowned Braxiatel Collection aren't ones of value or cultural importance. They're the three that depict Leela, Romana, and Narvin. gallifrey, brax/leela, brax/romana, brax/narvin, T, 1.7k words.

how to start the time war - A bit of an emotional elaboration on that 'holy shit, Narvin started the time war' scene. gallifrey, narvin & leela & romana, T, 1.6k words.

EU/new/classic crossover stuff

let's try again - After the Time War, the Doctor can't get over how utterly alone he is. He's the only one of his people left. Then it really hits him- he's the only one left. There's no one to tell him what to do, or stop him. He goes back and finds Jamie again, but there's a problem- Jamie can't remember him. 9/jamie, T, 11.9k words.

the ballad of robert frost - In seeking a moment's respite from the Time War, the Doctor finds themself going back to Jamie's much simpler, more linear war, and to Jamie, in hopes they might remember what it is they're fighting for. 8/jamie, T, 3.3k words.

we're building a house of the future together - Donna remembers everything. If anyone's strong enough to carry those memories, that knowledge, it's her. They thought she couldn't handle it, but they were wrong. And as much as she wants her best friend back, she can't ignore that he took those memories away from her. So, a lesson in trust. Donna builds herself a spacetime machine and sends herself on a tour of the Doctor's timeline, visiting each of his regenerations so she can see that he's worth trusting and worth finding again. the doctor [all] & donna, T, WIP.

[star-shooters]

Old Art of Star Shooters

I recently cleaned my DeviantArt, GoldStarProduction, of all of my art since 2013 and found a lot of good art. I haven't gotten around to making new art that I am confident in sharing yet. So, I will post the digital art of some of the characters within Star Shooters.

I constantly altered between a cute simplified design to a more detailed and realistic one. I am still working on what style to draw these characters in, and some characters don't have a design yet. So far, all the art I have is old designs of the characters and do not reflect who they are in the current version of my story.

Apologies for any watermarks shown below. The old tablet that I used to draw with doesn't support the art app I once used.

Left: Gold Gemitaurus and Silver Kentaurus-Sirius | Right: A more recent drawing of Gold Gemitaurus

I originally had the idea that their cores, souls, would float above their heads. Now their cores are inside their bodies. Gold had an antenna instead of a horn and Silver was always sad.

Compared to the rest of the crew, I found myself constantly drawing Gold. This was also my attempt to make a drawn model of Gold when I was messing around with Blender. I haven't gotten around to fixing my old laptop, it was misplaced sometime before the break.

Gold Gemitaurus and Copper Cephei:

I didn't know what I was doing when outlining these characters. There was just a black outline with inside lines being darker than the color inside. I also had a thing for black belts or rings/bands on characters too.

Left: Ube Cephei-Sirius | Right: An older version of Ube Cephei-Sirius with Lumens, late-spirits of young Stars or Stellars

I had trouble choosing colors for Ube, either having a vibrant purple or a dull purple. So far, I had stuck with the more vibrant shade of purple.

Bone Aratumi:

I don't think I ever got around to digitally drawing Bone Aratumi. This is the most recent drawing I have made. He is similar enough to Gold's brother, Bone Gemitaurus. Bone Gemitaurus is the same type of Star, just with different tattoos and other physical differences.

Left: Yellow Andromeda-Eridanus | Right: A more recent sketch of Ube Cephei-Sirius and Yellow Andromeda-Eridanus

Yellow was very hard to draw in other poses, her hair was something that changed a lot before I got the hang of it. I did have a different type of hairstyle for her but I can't find the sketches. Perhaps at a later time.

Left: Lapis Asclepius | Right: Ube Cephei-Sirius and Lapis Asclepius

Lapis was the least character I drew, along with Bone Aratumi. I do plan to majorly redesign her along with everyone else.

Lavender Pink Veloctan:

Excuse the misspell, I was too interested in drawing and designing. But this was the only drawing I had of Lavender Pink, originally named Lavender Magenta. They'll have a major redesign as well, I am not happy with their hair and body proportions.

I never designed Sky Microscopium, despite describing its appearance in my senior thesis creative writing piece. Sky will be designed as well; I'll have to force my Chromebook to work with me.

I will have sketches of all the characters when I get the chance. I am open to any feedback so please tell me any suggestions, questions, or anything else.

[robert-de-niro-only-fans]

Ace of Hearts

Sam “Ace” Rothstein x Reader

Hi guys! Corny title, I KNOW, but I’m so incredibly happy to finally be posting this. I’ve been working on it since December, and it’s probably the longest thing I’ll ever write! Just to give you a quick rundown: it’s based off of Casino so you’ll see some familiar events and verbiage, but it’s told out of order to fit what I wanted and there’s a new character (Miss y/n). I have worked so so hard on this, so I hope you all love it! Thank you so much!

TW: smut, anything in Casino that triggers you may be in here, violence, injury, drinking, smoking, drugs, death, threats, cheating/affair, divorce, cursing, etc.

Word Count: 17.9k

"(Y/N)! Good evening, it's nice to see you, hun," Sam says, wrapping his arms around your waist for a hug and giving you a kiss on the cheek, "Looking beautiful as always." You place a hand on his chest, taking in the scent of his cologne; he always smelled good and expensive.

You are at Sam's casino, The Tangiers; he had invited you for dinner, like he does regularly. You and Sam are good friends; you met through Billy, the casino manager, and so Sam invites you to dinner there quite often. When it came to the casino, he was quite the social butterfly: always wanting to show the casino off to people and being extremely hospitable so that word-of-mouth would travel and bring new people in.

"Thank you, Sam, how have you been since I last saw you?" Most people call him Ace, but he had introduced himself you as Sam, for some reason, so it just stuck.

"Really good, actually, I have some news for you," you had become a person that Sam likes to confide in; he trusts you, and he says it's nice to get a woman's perspective.

"And what is that?" you ask with a smile as you head towards your usual table.

"I'm dating someone," he says with a grin, trying not to be too proud of himself.

"Sam! Really? You found a girl?!" you stop, taking his hand, waiting for details.

"Yeah, we just got together a few weeks ago. She's... Well, she's like me, I guess," you both start walking towards the table again, "She's driven and she's got a big presence when she walks in a room. And she's just got this spark; I don't know what it is about her."

"Ah, he must be going on about Ginger," Billy says as you walk up to where he's seated, waiting on you, "yeah, he was starstruck the moment he laid eyes on her."

"She'll be here soon; I'd like you to meet her," Sam says to you. Despite being a very confident man, there were certain people he likes to get approval from; you feel honored to be one of those people.

So, you take your seats at the table, and as promised, Ginger is there only a little while later. You can tell it's her; she is exactly the way Sam described her. Her tall, blonde figure really captures everyone's attention, especially Sam's.

"Hey, gorgeous," Sam greets her, motioning for her to slide into the booth next you him.

"Hi, Sam," she hands him her clutch purse and sits down, giving him a peck on the lips. He goes around and introduces her to everyone at the table including you. She seems like she has a great personality and excellent people skills, but you couldn't help but feel a little jealous that she called him Sam too. You thought you were the only one, but it makes sense considering she is his girlfriend.

After everyone is settled in and food orders placed, Ginger leans forward so she can see past Sam to talk to you. "(Y/N)?" she says kind of quietly.

"Oh, hey!" you reply casually.

"I just wanted to say," she starts, "Sam talks about you a lot; it's nice to finally meet you, and I hope we can be friends. There aren't a lot girls in this business," she says with a bit of a chuckle at the end.

At that moment you both realize Sam is listening in on your conversation.

"Oh, well, thank you, Ginger. Any girl good enough for Sam must be really spectacular; he's a picky man!"

He puts his arm around her, "Spectacular is a good word to describe her." He takes your hand in one of his for just a moment, squeezing lightly and giving you a happy look, proud that you and her are getting along.

• • •

Over the next few months, you see Sam fall madly in love with Ginger. She couldn't deny that he was a very sweet man who gave her respect and anything should could ever ask for, but you could tell she never reciprocated those feelings as much as Sam. You get the feeling that she loved what he could do for her more than the man he was, but then again, maybe she's just slow to fall in love and you're being overprotective of your friend.

You trust Sam and know that even though he's in love, he'll maintain a level head. He treats everything like a business transaction.

As it turns out, that's exactly how he handles their engagement from what he tells you. You had stopped in for a visit at the casino, so he is sitting with you and catching up before he heads back out to the floor.

"Yeah, I told her that I know her feelings haven't developed as quickly as mine, but that if she lets me marry her, she'll be taken care of for the rest of her life, and she won't have to hustle the streets anymore. The love will come, I know it will," Sam explains to you, although it seemed like that last part was for him.

"And she said yes?" you ask.

"Yes. She said yes. She even agreed to have a baby with me." You'd never seen such a happy look in his eyes; Sam had always wanted a family, and it took a long time, but it's finally happening for him.

While this worried you a bit, you press on, "So, when's the wedding?!" you try to joke.

"Oh, well, uh... In a year at least. We want to have the baby first; it was part of our deal."

"What? Sam," you try to make sense of what he just told you, "you don't find it a little odd that you had to negotiate your own engagement, and that you can't trust her to have a baby with you 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 you're married?"

"I mean, it's unconventional, but that's just Vegas."

"No, love is love, no matter what city you're in. You deserve someone who will love you and respect you as much as you love and respect them. Not many people see it, but you have such a big heart, Sam; don't let someone take advantage of it," you place your hands on his, and his eyes glance up at you. You both share a knowing look. As much as Sam respects your opinion, nothing will stop him once he wants something, and he wants Ginger: her trust, her respect, and her love.

You see Sam and Ginger several times throughout their pregnancy, and honestly, they couldn't be happier. Sam is going to have the baby he always wanted, and Ginger is getting all the attention in the world for carrying Sam Rothstein's child. You think maybe this will solve all their problems.

• • •

Just a few months after the baby was born, you received an invitation to their wedding. You had been by their apartment a few weeks prior to visit and meet the baby, and gosh, she was so cute. Sam lit up when he held her; he was so proud of his baby girl, Amy. But Sam hadn't mentioned anything about a wedding happening so soon, although they do have the money to make one happen quickly.

The wedding is very nice, although it's more of a party than a wedding. Ginger is a socialite, so it only makes sense that there would be more attention on the reception than the ceremony.

You go sit with Nicky and his wife Jennifer so that you can hold the baby, while Sam and Ginger cut the cake and share champage. This is supposed to be a happy moment for them, but you can tell something is off. Maybe it's because they don't have baby fever anymore; parenting is not easy, so that's what you chalk it up to.

As you're making faces getting the baby to giggle, you see Sam sneak off into a back room, presumably looking for Ginger. You continue to entertain their baby while you wait for him to come back; you hadn't really gotten a chance to see him all night, and you want to show your support and congratulate him.

As you chat with Nicky, you see Ginger and Sam return from wherever they had gone; only problem is, they went two different directions and Ginger had clearly been crying. That's not normal behavior for newly weds. Nicky takes notice as well and says, "Eh, uh, why don't you go check on him? I'll take the baby."

And so, you hand him Sam's little bundle of joy, and make your way across the ballroom to your friend. He had been pulled into a conversation that he clearly didn't want to be having, so you tap him on the shoulder and excuse him from the group of people. He puts his hand around your waist as you walk off.

"Dance with me," you say simply, and he happily agrees. You knew you'd be able to talk privately because you'd be so close to him on the dancefloor, and it wouldn't look suspicious like if you swept him away to a different room.

"Trouble in paradise already?" you ask him, "You two have been so happy the past few months, what's going on?"

"Well, I guess maybe she realized this is the end of the road, and that I'm the one she'll be stuck with the rest of her life... Whatever the reason, she felt the need to call her pimp, Lester Diamond," he explains, pursing his lips at the end; he was really frustrated and trying not to show it.

"What did she call him for? She doesn't still love him or something, does she?"

"She says she called him to let him know it was over and that she's married now. He was her first love, and the only thing in this whole world she's got a soft spot for."

"Oh, Sam... You don't deserve that; you don't deserve someone that's holding onto their baggage with someone else."

"Well then maybe I should've married someone like you," he says with a small laugh and a look of longing in his eyes. He pulls you even closer to him, and you hold him a bit tighter in an effort to comfort him.

"You shouldn't say things like that on your wedding day," you say quietly next to his ear.

"But it's true. You've got the looks, the personality, a great heart, but for some reason, I only want Ginger, or at least for a while I did." With that, he stares into your eyes for a little while, before kissing you on your jawline and neck a few times.

After a pause, you say, "Well, I hope that was the last time she calls him. You deserve nothing but the best, but I know how much you love her, so I hope you two will find happiness with one other." You decide not to say anything about the way he implied that he wanted to be with you or the way he just kissed you; maybe that would make it worse. That probably isn't how he really feels; he's probably just speaking from a place of being hurt by Ginger. You stop dancing and hug him, "Congratulations on your big day, it was beautiful and glamorous in way that only Sam Rothstein could do."

You both share a laugh and hopeful smiles. His hand finds yours as you start to walk away, and he gives it a squeeze before letting his arm drop to his side.

"Everything okay?" Nicky asks when you get back to the table.

"Yeah, everything's gonna be fine," there wasn't much point in explaining it to him, he had a thing for Ginger, so he would make excuses for her. Plus it wasn't your news to share, Sam trusted that you would keep his secrets, because that's how you'd always been.

You grabbed your things to leave, and you shot one quick glance back at Sam before heading out. He was hugging Ginger, trying to comfort her; that didn't stop the nasty look she gave you when she saw you looking at her man. "Sadly, he belongs to her now," you think as you take in the cool night air outside the wedding chapel, "legally, at least."

• • •

The next several months of their marriage only take a turn for the worse. The issue isn't that they don't understand each other, it's that they're exactly alike: both strong-minded with the will to get what they want. The issue is that the things they want don't align with the other person's goals. Sam wants a successful casino and to have Ginger's love, but Ginger is someone who can't be tamed; she wants money wherever she can get it, and she wants to be the center of attention.

The thing that works on Sam's nerves more than anything is that Ginger just refused to cut ties with Lester Diamond.

"She just keeps- she- she asked me for all this money, and she won't tell me what it's for," Sam is fuming as he vents to you about his wife, "She knows I would give her anything she wants of she'll just tell me what it's for. She won't be honest with me, and that's how I know she's up to no good."

"What do you think the money is for?" you ask, placing your hand on his. He had come over to your house just to visit and have a few drinks. This has become a regular thing since he married Ginger; he relies on your company and your advice.

"Mmm, it's just a suspicion, but I think it might be for that pimp." He rubs his thumb across the back of your hand as he held it.

"I thought she ended things with him, but I wouldn't put it past her to go behind your back. I'm sorry that you can't trust your own wife; I know you value that so much."

"Well, I'm at least glad to know that someone in this world still has values like me. In a town like Las Vegas, everyone is so cutthroat. Sometimes I think you and Billy are the only ones left with a moral compass."

"You have one too, Sam, and a good heart," you pull him towards you, and he lies across the couch to place his head in your lap. He is only casual like this with a few people, but he finds it fun to kick back and relax with you. He looks up at you while you gently comb your fingers though his hair; eventually it will work the gel out of his hair, but you like it when he let his waves hang loose. "What are you gonna do about her giving Lester that money?"

"Hm, I don't know yet," he answers with raised eyebrows and a shoulder shrug.

"What if you let her have the money?"

"So she can give it to that scumbag?"

"Listen, honey," you chuckle at him, "what if you let her have the money, knowing she's going to give it to Lester, but you and Nicky's guys show up with her. Put him in his place, rough him up, that way he won't come begging on her doorstep again. AND she'll see what happens if she tries to give him your money again."

A surprised look appears on his face, "Damn, baby, you been hanging out with Nicky, taking some notes from him? It almost sounds like you hate my wife or something!" You both laugh together.

Your laughter dies off, and you look down at his face in your lap, "I hate the way she treats you." It's the simple truth; he deserves better.

• • •

A few weeks later, you're at a pool party at Billy's place. Las Vegas summers are hot, so pools are basically a requirement out here.

Normally, Sam brought Ginger to these kinds of things; that's just what you were supposed to do, but you had convinced him to come by himself. At first the thought made him uncomfortable, because he knew it would cause another argument at home, but he also just wanted to get away for a while. And so, he left Ginger with a stack of cash, told her to go shopping, and came over to Billy's.

You don't notice Sam when he first arrives; you're in the pool taking to some of Billy's business associates, some you had met before, some you hadn't. One of these guys has made himself really comfortable with you: grabbing at your hips and trying to keep you close to him. You're used to men like this putting their hands on you, and it's normally very casual, but this guy is being more aggressive than you are used to.

He's putting his arms around you and pulling you really close to his chest. You use your arms as a barrier between you and him; it's really more awkward than anything.

"Excuse me?"

You look over your shoulder to see Sam standing at the edge of the pool.

"Yeah?" the guy asks, adjusting his arm around you once again.

"Would you mind if the lady came with me?" Sam asked, pouring on the charm.

"She's fine here."

"Looks like she'd rather be with me" Sam says giving you a coy look.

The guy look at you, then back at Sam, "And who the fuck are you?" he replies, rudely.

"Someone you don't want to piss off." Sam takes your hand, and you free yourself from this other man. Sam helps you out of the pool and snags a towel for you to wrap yourself up in.

"Thank you for that," you tell Sam as you walk over to a table where Billy and his wife are.

"Eh, I'm sorry that he felt he could treat you like that. He'll be taken care of." You know what that means.

There are several people gathered around the table, people Sam and Billy work with at the casino, but they're also friends. Sam takes a seat in one of the lounge chairs and pulls you into his lap. Everyone at the table says their hello's and Sam whipsers to you, "Thank you for inviting me... And suggesting I leave the wife at home." He rubs a hand across your thighs and the other rests on your back.

This is a crowd that you and Sam are comfortable being close in. You two were always like this before he got with Ginger, so it feels nice to have him close to you again. You gently squeeze at his side, while he lights a cigarette and takes a puff. He offers it to you, but you just smile and shake your head.

"Hey, Billy," Sam starts.

"Yeah, Ace?" he asks, turning his attention to the man next to you.

"You see that dopey ass motherfucker in the pool over there?" Sam asks, pointing with his cigarette between his fingers, "The tall one at the center of that group?"

"Yeah, yeah, I see him. Did he do something?"

"He thought it was okay to make (Y/N) here uncomfortable, and he tried to mouth off at me about it," Sam explains.

"(Y/N), is that true? What did he do to you?" Billy asks you.

"He was just being weird and way too handsy. I tried to get away from him but he would just grab me if I did that. I didn't wanna make a scene though."

Billy turns to look back at the group of guys in the pool, "And all those guys with him just let it happen, huh?" He turns back to you, "It'll be handled. That's unacceptable."

Sam gives your waist a squeeze, and you share a look with him. "You gonna get in the pool at all today?" you ask him, motioning to his outfit: khaki slacks, a button up shirt (unbuttoned a little bit), and a pale pink sports coat.

"I don't know, I'm having a good time right here. You look good in that bikini, baby," he whispers the last part, rubbing his fingers over the string on your back, "it doesn't leave much to the imagination..."

"Just the parts that all you boys want to see," you bite your lip, and you both giggle quietly.

The afternoon goes by with casual conversation as you and Sam lounge back in your chair with you leaning against his chest and your face tucked into the crook of his neck. He keeps his arms around you, as he chats and enjoys some drinks and cigarettes with the guys at the table.

Soon, the sun begins it's descent before the moon comes out, which means the temperature is dropping too. Vegas has some of the hottest days and the coldest nights.

You sit up from your cozy spot against Sam's chest and pluck the cigarette holder from between his lips. He raises his eyebrows at you as you take a drag off of it, then you exhale the smoke at the same time as him.

A warm smile spreads across your face as you return the cigarette to him. "I'm gonna go change," you whisper to him before getting up and heading inside Billy's house.

Upstairs in the bathroom, you take your change of clothes out of your bag and lay them out on the counter. You hear a small knock at the door before Sam enters the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

"Sam? What are you doing?" you ask him.

He walks over and places himself behind you, looking you up and down in the mirror. He wraps his arms around your midsection and rests his chin on your shoulder, making eye contact with you, again in the mirror.

"You're so beautiful," is all he says before one hand travels to your hip, and his lips find your skin. He kisses at your neck slowly but sensually; you close your eyes as your back arches into him. He has you turned on in a matter of seconds; you had never realized you wanted him this bad.

One of his hands slides up your back and pulls the string of your bikini top, untying it and leaving your back bare. Your top hangs on by the knot at the back of your neck.

His kisses grow increasingly sloppy as he becomes more turned on for you. One of his hands cups at the underside of your breast, while the other holds your hips in place. You feel his erection in his pants against your backside, as he unties one of the knots at your hip.

"Sam-" You want him badly, but your conscience won't let you do this. "Sam."

His motions stop and he looks up at you in the mirror. You turn around in his arms so that you can look him in the eyes. With a bittersweet look on your face, you say, "We can't do this. You're married, Sam. We can't do this, especially not in Billy's house."

A look of clarity comes to his eyes as you talk some sense into him. "Yeah, yeah, you're right," he answers. He reaches for a towel and wraps it around your body, as if to cover up the thing that was tempting him. You tie the towel in place and go ahead and remove your bikini, dropping it to the floor. Sam pulls you into a hug, holding your toweled waist tight, "I'm sorry, (Y/N). I'm so sorry."

• • •

The next time you see Sam is just for a normal get-together at The Tangiers. Being the gentleman he is, he treats you as if the incident at Billy's place never happened, and it's best this way; he's one of your best friends after all.

This dinner is anything but normal, however. Ginger had started to catch on to Sam leaving her at home. You got the feeling Nicky was the one who let her in on that secret.

Ginger storms into the casino, making a scene like she always does; she's always been the kind of person you hear before you see when she's angry. Security follows her over as she makes her way to the table with their little girl on her hip. Sam stands up and rushes over to her, in an effort to keep Ginger away from everyone at the table. It doesn't work that well, she continues pushing towards the table as she screams at him about leaving her at home and making her take care of their toddler.

Sam gets the kid from Ginger, and she pushes past him and towards you, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU PUT THE IDEA IN HIS HEAD TO START SNEAKING AROUND ON ME!"

You sit there, completely taken back. You would try to say something, but you wouldn't get a word in as Ginger is letting you have it.

Sam comes over, grabbing Ginger's arm and pulling her to face him, "What the fuck is the matter with you? What the fuck is the MATTER WITH YOU?! Bringing our kid here at this time of night! Screaming at (Y/N)!" He points at you, "You ain't had nothin' to do with her since you met!! And you wanna come in here and blame your problems on her?!"

You had never seen Sam so angry before, screaming at the top of his lungs like this in front of everyone, in his own casino. There was a pause as everyone waited for what was gonna happen next.

Quietly, Ginger speaks, "Oh my God," her voice cracked like she was about to cry, "oh my God, you're defending her..." She turns to walk away, crying into her hands. Sam quickly hands Amy over to you and runs after Ginger.

Security follows them, and everyone at the table sits in silence as you all listen to Ginger yell and cry at Sam on the way outside, "You never defended me! To anyone! For anything! You've never defended me like that!"

• • •

A few days later, flowers show up at your house with a note from Sam.

"I'm so sorry for the other night and how crazy things have been lately. Let's go out and I'll make it up to you. -S. R."

Attached is a reservation card telling you that you're having dinner with him tonight at a small restaurant you used to go to when Sam first moved out to Las Vegas.

"I'm so glad you actually came. I thought maybe you didn't want anything to do with me after Ginger yelled at you like that."

"Have I ever been the type of girl that would blame you for your wife's actions?" you say greeting him with a kiss on the cheek, "it's good to see you all in one piece; I was worried what she might do to you." You both chuckle and sit down at your table.

"I just- uhh, I just wanted to take you out like we used to do before everything got so crazy. Back when I was still getting used to the desert and Billy introduced me to you; it was just simple... and always fun when you were around. So I just thought maybe we could re-live that for a night," Sam explains his reasoning for bringing you here alone.

"Well I think it'll be fun," you say reaching over and giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, "This place always had great food!" You lean back in your seat, slide your heels off under the table, and prop your feet up in Sam's lap across from you. He raises his eyebrows, giving you a look. "Well you said you wanted it to be like old times!" you exclaim.

After dinner and dessert, you both sit back with your bellies full. The food was so rich and lovely; you both ate so much more than you normally would have, but you aren't in the company of anyone fancy so you cut loose.

"You wanna get out of here? I got somewhere I'd like to take you," Sam asks.

"Ooooh, honey, I don't think I can move, I'm so full!" you groan at him, "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere you took me when I first moved here and I needed some peace and quiet from the city."

And with that, you let him take you by the hand and lead you out to his car. When you cruise past the strip and out into the dark dessert, you lean on his shoulder and ask, "You're not gonna whack me, are you?"

"Now, I couldn't tell you if I was. Typically the guy you're gonna whack doesn't ask ya, and typically the guy you're gonna whack is a guy," you both laugh. Tonight really had been like old times.

You slide over and lay down, laying your head in his lap. He put his arm across your chest and shoulder as if you were an arm rest, and he looks down at you. "Eyes on the road, Mr. Rothstein!"

"Yes, ma'am" he cracks a smile and looks up like he's supposed to.

Parked just a few miles out in the desert, Sam gets out the car, grabbing a blanket from the back, and tossing it across the hood of the car. He also grabs an extra jacket for you for when it gets cold.

"Alright, get outta the car," he says, looking at you laid across the front seat of his Cadillac.

"Mmmm... but I'm so cozy here," you whine.

Sam grabs you by your feet and drags you across the seat to pull you up out of the car. Once you're on your feet, he grips both of your shoulders and looks you over, "Princess. You're a spoiled princess, you know that?" He grabs your hips and lifts you onto the hood of the car before walking around and hopping up to sit next to you.

"It's been forever since I came out here... Thank you for bringing me," you tell Sam as you lean back on the windshield of his car and look up at the endless sea of stars in the night sky. Out here in the desert, there was no light pollution, and it was such a clear night, it felt like there were a million stars up there.

"Want this?" Sam asks holding up his extra jacket.

You take it from him and bundle up in it. It was warm and smelled like him, like he had worn it recently or perhaps sprayed his cologne on it.

He put his arm around your shoulders; together, you looked up at night sky and talked, occasionally pointing out constellations or planets.

The lower the temperature drops, the more you snuggle into Sam. Every few moments you glance at each other, sometimes making eye contact and smiling at each other.

"Mm, come here," Sam grumbles pulling you into a full-on cuddle.

"Cold?" you joke.

"Nope, you're just too far away," he nuzzles his nose into your hair and leaves a kiss there.

You turn your head to face him, "Sam."

He places his hand on your cheek and sarcastically replies, "(Y/N)."

Your eyes linger on one another's for what feels like several minutes; for a moment, the whole world fell away and it was just the two of you. You both lean in, gently pressing your lips to one another's. You move your lips together slowly and carefully, as if you might break something. The moment lasts a long time, but not long enough.

Sam pulls back to look at you, "I love you."

You open your mouth to protest, but all that comes out is, "I love you, too."

Without another word, you both agree to not discuss it. Whether you liked it or not, things were about to get complicated, so you both just want things to be simple for the night.

• • •

You had always assumed Sam was the kind of man to take a woman to bed quickly in a relationship. Of course, your relationship is anything but conventional; you'd been friends for years, but now it was obvious those feelings of friendship had been something more all along.

You had spent some time together a few times since your outing to the desert. He greeted you with a kiss each of those times you met up, because you made sure to meet in private; word couldn't get out about this, or it would cause trouble with Ginger and the crime family Nicky and Sam were in. The family wouldn't take so kindly to Ginger causing a big scene over Sam's infidelity.

You and Sam also really wanted to take things slow; you didn't want to ruin a good friendship by rushing. So when he came to your house or you met in his office, you spent a lot of time in his arms, kissing him, and not too much more.

But your job right now is to act like none of that exists, like everything is just the way it's always been. You're at a big celebration for Sam; the gaming commission is giving an award to him for being such an important asset in the success of gambling in Las Vegas. Everyone who knows Sam is there; it's his big night!

As events like this usually go, Sam is at a table on a stage at the front of the room. His closest friends are all sat together: you, Billy, Nicky, Ginger, and a few others. On the surface everything is cool, but you know this mix of people isn't good news.

There are rumors floating around that the FBI agents keeping an eye on Nicky had gotten some pictures of him and Ginger together. Sam didn't want to pry into it; he didn't want another reason to be mad with her. Sam had also recently told you that Ginger's mysterious phone calls had started up again, and she refused to tell him who she was calling at all hours of the day. You and Sam both knew what that meant: Ginger is being anything but faithful to him.

It's a lovely dinner, aside from Ginger's remarks. It's almost like she knows about you and Sam somehow. Every time she mentions him, she makes sure to watch your reaction, and she makes several remarks like, "proud to call him my man," and, "so glad he belongs to me," while staring you down.

In an effort to try and make friendly conversation with Ginger, you lean over you her to say, "You know, I think Sam likes girls like us, because we're both like him: social and in the business. We make what he does look glamorous." You give her a hopeful smile.

She cuts her eyes and hits you with, "No, Sam likes a woman like me; we both came from the streets and had to hustle our way into money. Anyone can be a socialite in a nice gown. Some of us have more to show for it."

Upon hearing that, Billy gives Ginger a look of disapproval and puts his arm around you to comfort you. It couldn't be more obvious that she is trying to get a rise out of you, but you won't stoop to her level making a scene like that.

Ginger leans into Nicky, and you don't say much the rest of dinner.

After the award was presented to Sam and it's time to mingle, you work your way over to Sam, stopping to chat with several people along the way. As you approach him, it seems like the two of you only have eyes for each other. He greets you with a big smile spread across his face, a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.

With his hands on your waist, and your hands on his chest, you tell him, "I'm so proud of you. You work so hard, and you've been so good for Las Vegas."

"Yeah, well, Las Vegas has been good to me," he says looking you in your eyes lovingly, and raising his eyebrows briefly.

What you don't realize is that Ginger sees the whole exchange, but she does something very out of character: she keeps her cool... For now.

• • •

"It was... It was the way you looked at her. You didn't have to look at her like that," Ginger sobs into the pillow on her and Sam's bed.

"How did I look at her? Huh? What did I do?" Sam questions her, pacing around their bedroom.

Ginger shifts to look up at Sam with tear-filled eyes, "Like you love her... You looked at her like you love her."

"Ginger-" Sam starts and pauses to keep his composure, "What do you care how I look at her? You me you didn't love me! And I thought I could change you!"

There was a pause before he continued, "You're not making any goddamn sense; I don't know why I'm trying to talk any sense into you. You been drinkin' all the time, and those fuckin painkillers you took have your brain so fucked up right now... I don't even know why I'm trying; it's not worth it."

"You really feel that way?" she asks quietly.

"Feel what way?"

"That I'm not worth it. You really think that I'm not worth it?" she sits up and pushes some of the hair out of her face.

That small bit of love Sam still had for Ginger creeped back up; he couldn't hurt her like that.

He sat on the bed next to her, "No," he says as he pulls her into his chest, "I don't feel that way." He simply holds her as she cries into his shoulder.

• • •

"I guess she's spread herself too thin," Sam vents to you as you lie on your couch cuddling, "I think the drinking and the drugs are a distraction from all the men she's trying to hold down. She's never been able to keep Lester under control, Nicky is getting all kinds of heat on him with the cops in Vegas, and she's realized I don't love her the way I used to, or maybe the way I thought I did."

The last part was mostly directed at himself; Sam is coming to terms with the decision he made when he married Ginger, and he's realizing that maybe it wasn't love at all. After all, lust isn't built on trust and respect.

"Don't blame yourself for falling for her. She said something to me the other night, and as hurtful as it was, it was true."

"What did she say to you?" he asks, sitting up a bit and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, uh, I just told her that I think you like girls like us because we're like you, but we make the business more glamorous. And she told me that you would only like a woman like her because you both worked for the success you have, and that means you and her have more to show for it."

"She said that to you?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. If you went to her about it, it would only cause you more problems," you try to get him to relax. There was no point in him getting stressed over it.

He sighs and lays back down, holding you tight, "I'm so sorry she said that to you. It's not true. I think her and I understand each other because of our backgrounds, but I think you know I like you just as much, if not more than I ever liked her."

"I thought you might say something like that. That's why I tried to not let it bother me," you look up and kiss him a few times.

He turns you to lay on your back, and he puts his head on your chest. You run your fingers through his hair on the back of his head.

"I wish we could just run away. I made such a mistake starting a life with Ginger. I meant it-" his voice catches a bit, "I meant it when I told you I love you. I wish I could just put her in the past and spend the rest of my days with you."

His voice got so soft at the end of his statement. From this position you couldn't see his face, and you figured there was a reason for that, as you felt some dampness forming on your shirt.

You had never seen Sam cry over anything. In that moment, it made you realize how real his feelings are. Even after all the hell Ginger put him through, it didn't break him as much as the idea of being with you.

He lies there and tries to keep his breathing even, while you wrap your arms around him and hold him. He just desperately needs love and comfort from a woman who really cares about him.

• • •

Sam and Ginger got to the point that they could hardly stand to be around one another, so they take periods of separation from one another, and they trade off who keeps Amy. Although, Sam will admit that he's more at ease when his little girl is with him.

Whenever Sam has Amy, he tries to take at least one day off work every week to spend with her. She's getting to be more of a kid than a toddler now, and she enjoys spending time with her daddy.

Today, Sam invited you along to the park and a for a picnic with Amy; it's what she asked for!

"You look pretty in your little sundress, baby," Sam compliments you, as he pushes his kid on the swing.

"It's nice seeing you dressed down a bit, too. Turns out it isn't the suit jacket that makes you so handsome!"

He was just wearing slacks and a button up shirt: sleeves rolled up, no tie, no sports coat. Oh, and don't forget the sunglasses and cigarette holder.

"Hey, Amy?" Sam calls to his daughter while she swings up and down through the air.

"Yeah, daddy?"

"You wanna go eat lunch, sweetie?"

"No!"

"No?!" Sam exclaims sarcastically, "You don't wanna go eat your lunch? I packed your favorite."

She shook her head, despite the big smile on her face.

"PB and J's?!" he asks.

She shakes her head again.

"Applesauce?"

Another no.

"Hmmm... How about those cupcakes we picked up from the bakery?"

Her little face lights up and she tries to stop the swing. Sam scoops her up on his hip to carry her over to their picnic blanket. The whole exchange is extremely adorable; you love watching Sam be a daddy to his little girl!

At lunch, surprisingly Amy stays near you. You've been babysitting her since she was a baby, and now she sees you hanging out with her dad a lot; luckily she likes you. It's really important to Sam that you two get along.

"You're gonna make a great mom one day," he says, pulling you out of your thoughts.

"Hmm? And what makes you think I'll be a mom?" you ask him, helping wipe something off Amy's cheek.

"If you stay with me, and if we end up together, you'll be Amy's new mom... aaaand maybe if you really like me, we could have a baby together," he looks down at his hands with a smirk on his face.

You put your hands over Amy's ears, and joke with him, "I think we should probably have sex before you ask me to have your baby! Although, you can trust me to have your baby 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 the wedding."

You let go of Amy's ears, while you and Sam double over in laughter.

"What's so funny?" she asks sassily, sounding just like her dad.

"Nothing, honey, you'll understand when you're older," Sam replies, petting her hair.

"You always say that, daddy. Can I go play?"

"Yes, but stay where we can see you, okay?"

"Okay!" she says, already running off. She's a busy body, just like him.

Sam pulls you into a spooning position and holds you so you can both keep an eye on Amy on the playground.

"So, you want me to make love to you, huh?" he grumbles lowly in your ear, placing some kisses on your neck.

"Mmm... Why don't you come over to my place one night and find out?" you tease at him.

• • •

You assumed tonight would be just a casual night at home, and you appreciate that, because it isn't often you get alone time. You had just gotten out the shower and decided to relax in your robe on the couch for the night.

That all changes when you hear the doorbell ring.

"Who could that be? I don't think I invited anyone over," you think as you walk to the door.

"Sam!" you exclaim, seeing him on your front stoop, "what are you doing here-"

You're cut off by his lips meeting yours in a fiery kiss. He pushes you into the house and shuts the door behind him all while his lips never leave yours. He pushes you against a wall, grabbing at your hips. When his lips move down to your neck, you gasp out his name.

"Sam! What has gotten into you?" you breathe out, "What is this?"

"Mmm..." He moans, leaving little kisses at your ear, "Ginger and Amy are out of town, and... you told me to come over and make love to you."

"That's not how I said it," you laugh, before letting out a soft moan at his actions.

He reaches over and locks your front door before leading you over to the couch. His lips find yours again, then he gently lays you down, positioning himself on top of you. His hands roam your body, as your lips move with his; his tongue enters your mouth and sends chills across your skin.

You pull away from his kiss to look at him in the eyes, "I know we've been seeing each other and doing a lot of kissing, but I don't want to make you a cheater."

"Baby, it's not about cheating. Ginger and I don't wanna be together as it is; I 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to be with 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

"Sam... are you sure? You can't go back from this."

"(Y/N), I already told you I love you. There's no going back from that." His hand snakes down to the ties on your silky robe, and pulls them loose. With his legs on either side of one of yours, he presses his hardness into your thigh. As he pulls your robe to the side just a few inches, he places soft kisses on your chest.

He pauses and looks up at you through his lashes. You place your hands on his face and shoulder, and he gives you a smile before he pulls your robe open, leaving you naked in front of him, except for the sleeves on your arms.

Sam kisses your lips lightly, then your cheek, then your neck and chest, where he starts leaving heated love bites. He gently squeezes at your breasts, as he teases them with his tongue and teeth. Soon after, he leaves a trail of kisses down your belly, leaving you with a few nips on your hipbone.

He sits up on his knees, taking your body in: your plump thighs, sensual hips, the way your breathing had become heavy, and obviously your naked parts he had always wanted to see. He moves to place himself between your legs, and he pulls one of them up, hooking your ankle on his shoulder and pressing a few kisses to your calf.

"You're beautiful," he tells you before he turns his attention back to your leg.

Sam really made you feel beautiful, but it was nothing in comparison to the way he looks: his dress shirt unbuttoned a little, shiny suit pants, large erection pressed against the fabric and poking at his waistband, his tight leather belt keeping it tame.

You're pulled from your thoughts by the feeling of Sam kissing your inner thigh; he had worked his way up to the soft, sensitive part of your leg.

He grabs you by your thighs, scooting you up the couch, giving him more room to work. Now he's bent over a bit more, placing sloppy kisses and and nibbles on your thighs as a way to get you to spread them apart. Finally, he gets down all the way, and you feel his hot breath on your center.

Seeing him crouched down on his elbows and knees, head between your legs... It's enough to make you want him. When places a few hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses on your labia, it makes you lose any fight you had to turn him down.

"Oh, Sam..." your hand slides into his hair as his tongue laps at you. He looks up making eye contact with you, and enjoying how flustered you look because of him.

He simply grins to himself and goes back to pleasing you. Your grip on his hair tightens each time he does something that you like, and he's smart: if you like it a lot, he does it over and over and over.

A few times, he moves down, licking at your entrance, testing the waters. When he hears a whine from you, he decides to stop being a tease and presses his tongue in past your lips. Your back arches up off the couch and you take in a deep breath; Sam digs his fingers into your thighs, keeping your hips firmly in place so he can continue swirling his tongue around inside you.

After a few minutes, he has mercy on you and goes back to your clitoris. He doesn't let up too much though. He slides his middle finger into you, slowly, and when he can't go any further, he curls it in a "come here" kind of motion.

"Oh, God," you let out, toes curling in pleasure.

Sam puts his lips on you and pulls your clit into his mouth, sucking on it. Jackpot. Your hand pulls his hair and you throw your head back; you can feel your climax coming. He lets out a low, grumbly moan, and it helps push you over the edge. Your orgasm comes in waves as Sam continues sucking and curling that finger; he's reveling in the feeling of you losing control at his hand.

When he decides you've had enough, he eases his motions to let you down from your high. The way he has total control over you and your body... You had never seen anything like it.

Sam crawls over you until he was face-to-face with you again to kiss you and make you taste yourself on his lips. He wraps his arms around you and picks you up, hands roaming your back as your robe hangs loosely behind you. With your legs wrapped around his hips, he takes you up to your bedroom.

"Can I ask you something, Sam?" you start.

"Of course you can, baby girl," he answers.

"Why would Ginger treat you so badly if you're this good in bed? And we haven't even made it to bed yet," you chuckle at the last part.

"I guess that's more of a question for Ginger than it is for me, but I'd really rather not talk about my wife right now," he says dropping you on your cozy bed. You lay there, arms above your head, your hair and silky robe spread out around you. Sam grabs you by wrapping his large hands around your ribcage and sits you up. It always impressed you how large and strong he is, because he keeps his muscles covered with all those suits. He pushes your robe off your shoulders, "That's better."

You giggle at him and reach out in front of you, giving his aching erection some much needed attention with the palm of your hand. Sam let's out a breath, and you take that as a sign to undo his belt. After opening his belt and unzipping his pants, you pull them down just a little, leaving them hanging on his hips. Your hand finds his member again, rubbing it through a much thinner layer of fabric, "You gonna show me what this thing can do?"

He puts a hand on the back of your head and pulls you to him. Your face nuzzles against his pelvis; you leave a few kisses on his groin and look up at him, "You want me to use my mouth on you?"

His eyes are fixed on yours as his lips pull into a half smile, "No, another time. I can't wait any longer to have you."

And with that, you pulled his pants off of his hips. He quickly works out of his shoes and pants and climbs on top of you.

"Oh, no, Mr. Rothstein! We are not doing this if you have those socks on!" you giggle at him.

He looks back at his feet, "What, you don't think they're sexy?" He turns back to you and kisses you, "I'd fuck you if you were wearing socks," he jokes before reaching back and pulling them off.

When he lays down on top of you, you work on unbuttoning his shirt while he kisses your lips and neck. A few seconds later his shirt is thrown to the floor. He wraps his arms around you as you make out, pressing your bodies together; like this, you can feel his muscles, his warmth, and his love, as if he was the thing you always needed.

His kisses slow down, and he pulls back to look at you, "I love you, (Y/N), and I mean it."

"I love you, too, Sam," you nearly whisper. After a short pause and Sam rubbing your cheek with his thumb, you ask, "Will you take those underwear off already? You're going awfully slow for a man who said he didn't want to wait anymore."

He smiles and shakes his head sarcastically at you, but he sits up on his knees and pushes them off, "Better?" he snarks.

"Better."

He was sexier than you ever could've imagined. He left a lot to the imagination with all his suits, but like this, you got to take in his loving eyes, messed up hair, soft skin, toned arms, and the chest hair that made a lovely trail down to his large member that's standing at attention for you.

"Come here, sexy," you command.

"Who? Me?" he points to himself, jokingly.

You reach up, and grab his hands, pulling him down on top of you again, "Yes, you."

He lets out an excited moan, kicking his underwear to the floor and snaking a hand down between your thighs. As his fingers tease at your clit, he asks, "You ready, baby doll?"

"Very ready."

That's all he needs to hear before he's pulling your legs up to wrap around his waist, slicking up the head of his cock with spit and a little precum. The next moments are filled with moans from the two of you, as he lines up with your wet entrance and begins to enter you. His hips work slowly, giving small motions to sink into you.

You could tell from the way his hips were bucking lightly that he was torn between taking things slow and fucking into you hastily, right then and there. It's the neediest you'd ever seen him; it's sexy the way you make him lose a bit of that control he always has.

As soon as he's got enough length inside you, he starts rocking into you, eyebrows furrowed in pleasure. "Baby, you feel so good," he says as he buries a hand in your hair and his face in your neck, kissing you. His breathing becomes more intense, and his back arches a bit allowing for some room for him to work his hand on you again.

As if the feeling of his hardness pushing in and out of you wasn't enough, his fingers start making circles on your clit, drawing moans from your mouth. "Oh, God, those noises... You're gonna drive me crazy," he whispers in your ear before leaving a few bites on your lobe.

He moves so he can kiss you and look at your pretty face while he makes love to you. He's so excellent, pleasing your clitoris while thrusting his hips into you. You lean up to leave a series of kisses and nips on his neck and collarbone; your fingernails leaving scratches on his back and hands tangling his normally perfect hair.

"Oh, fuck..." you hear Sam say as he slows down his movements.

"You okay, honey?" you ask, concerned.

"More than okay, baby, I just got close," he answers, looking almost embarrassed. It's hard to tell if the flush on his cheeks is from answering your question or from pleasure.

"You could've finished if you wanted," you say with a warm smile.

"Oh, no. I'm not done with you yet, princess." He sits up on his knees, snaking his arm around your back and gripping your hips to lift you off the bed. His other hand rests on your pelvis, and his thumb flicks over your clit. He starts rocking you back and forth on his dick, "How about that? You like that?"

Judging by your moans and the way your back arches for him, he got his answer. He picks up his pace until he's fucking into you with quick, hard thrusts, and your thighs clap against his belly. His fingers relentlessly try to please you, and it's working: you're coming apart at the seams once again for him.

When you feel your second orgasm coming on, you can't help but also feel a little surprised... but also so turned on that he made a mess of you, twice.

Feeling your orgasm and feeling you tighten around his hard length, Sam loses himself. His hips buck into you wildly as he cums deep inside you. He sits back on his heels, and pulls you up to straddle his lap. He pumps into you a few more times while he holds you close to him, kissing anywhere his lips can reach.

Your lips meet and you kiss him several times, both of you feeling very satisfied. You comb your fingers through his hair, fixing it a little bit; he seems to like that. His arms are wrapped around you, and he just holds you on his lap like that for a few minutes, kissing your chest.

He lays his head against your shoulder, and let's out a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm in love," he giggles and stares up at you with an innocent, happy look.

"Me too," you say quietly, kissing his head with a bit of a sad look on your face.

"Hey!" he gets you to look down at him, "You okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah... I just wish we could be together, and that it wouldn't be so complicated," you tell Sam.

He lays you down on the bed, pulling out of you, then he lays next to you and holds you in his arms, "Me too, baby, me too. I just feel bad because it's my fault we can't be together like we want to."

"Oh, Sam, you know I don't blame you for that. No one enters into a bad marriage on purpose."

"No, but you were always right about her. I should've listened to you, considering I came to you for advice. She never cared about me."

"Yeah, but you cared about her, and you still do," you say with a warm smile, "she's the mother of your child. You have a big heart, Sam."

You wrap your arms around his neck and hold his head against your chest. "I care about you, too," you hear him mutter.

"I know you do. I care about you, too," you whisper, snuggling into him to drift off to sleep in his arms.

• • •

The sex was amazing, but there's nothing like waking up in the arms of someone you love, at least, that's how you feel this morning. The way Sam clings to you, almost desperately, lets you know that while you may not wake exactly like this every morning, you will wake up loved each morning.

As you begin to stir a bit, Sam's arms squeeze around you, not wanting you to leave your comfortable spooning position. He grumbles to himself a few times before finally cracking his eyes open to tell you, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," you respond, as he lies there with his eyes closed like he may go back to sleep.

He opens his eyes again, slowly, and you feel his hand gently move the covers off of you. You groan when the cool air hits your skin. "God damn, baby, you look so good," his voice rumbles.

"Mmm... You pushed the blankets off me just to tell me I look good?"

"Well, no..." he starts, and he finishes his statement by kissing your shoulder blade and neck, teasing at your thighs, and feeling your breasts. He presses his hips into your backside, letting you feel his morning wood.

"Oooh, someone's happy!" you giggle, pushing your butt back into him to give him some friction.

"I think you meant horny," he slides a hand down, grabbing at your butt before sliding further down teasing between your legs. He slowly runs his middle finger back and forth along your clit and your entrance, getting you wet for him.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Hm?" He mutters between kisses.

"I love you. I wanted to make sure to say it first for once."

He chuckles and continues what he's doing, "And I love you, and I wanna make sure you know this isn't about sex."

"Well, it's a little hard to believe that when you have a finger inside me, but Sam Rothstein is a man who's good on his word, so I'll believe you...just this once," you look over your shoulder, both of you grinning uncontrollably. You reach back and take his member in your hand, stroking it, "However, for the next few minutes, I'd like to make it about sex."

"Mmm, yes ma'am!" Sam exclaims, attacking your neck with sloppy kisses, and repositioning himself to enter you. You both relax into those feelings of pleasure as his warm cock fills you. He grips your hips loosely and thrusts his hips into you almost lazily, but it feels good.

His hand creeps down and grips your thigh, gently lifting your leg up in the air. You both light up with noises, moans, whines, heavy breathing. Within a few minutes, you hear Sam breathe out, "Baby, baby, I'm gonna cum."

You let out a hum, "Cum for me, sweetheart."

Sam pulls you close to him, moving against you with quick, small pumps. You grab his hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, while he holds you tightly. After his orgasm, he slides out of you easily and turns you over to kiss your lips for the first time that morning.

Sam is so needy after sex; he wants to hold you as close as possible and shower you in kisses and affection and sweet words.

"I'm sorry I didn't finish you off, honey," Sam says to you.

"It's okay, sweetie, I'm just glad you felt so good," you hold his head in your hands, nuzzling your nose against his.

He lowers his voice as if someone might hear him, "I'll make up for it in the shower," giving you a little wink.

And he does, because Sam Rothstein is a man who's good on his word.

• • •

Since you and Sam spent that weekend together, you start fucking like bunnies. That is to say: you find time to make love to one another often, especially when Ginger is out of town. You both prefer to do it at your home, but when Sam has Amy, he will sometimes invite you over; you quickly get past sleeping in another woman's bed, because you know Sam's heart belongs to you. Sex for the two of you isn't about getting off; it's one of the many ways you show your feelings for one another.

You both find it very hard to hide your feelings for one another in front of others. You can be so open with one another and your feelings when you're in your little bubble. Despite that, you have to put your feelings aside for The Tangiers charity event tonight. Sam has a lot of big spenders flying in for this event; it's going to bring in a lot of money and a lot of publicity for the casino.

"Hey, baby," you say, sneaking into Sam's office, closing the door quietly.

He's standing by his desk signing a few papers; this is probably the one quiet moment he'll have all night. "Hey, princess," he gives you a cute look, signing a few more papers. You sit in comfortable silence, while you wait for him to finish his work. "Alright," he says, tapping his pen on the final paper, "Bring that sweet ass over here!"

He sits on the edge of his desk and pulls you into a hug, taking in your scent and the way your dress feels against your body. He lets out a relaxed sigh, "I missed you."

It has been few days since you've seen each other. With Ginger being home in preparation for this event, you and Sam decided it was best not to see each other. "I missed you, too," you nuzzle into him.

You feel his hand under your chin, lifting your face so he can kiss you. You kiss slowly at first, letting Sam explore your mouth with his tongue, but things quickly get more heated since it feels like it's been so long since you had each other.

He turns you around, sitting you on his thigh as he leans against his desk. You both crane your necks to keep your lips connected. Sam presses your back against his chest before dipping his hand into your dress, fingers teasing your nipple. You inhale sharply and brace a hand on his hip.

"You like that?" he purrs in your ear.

"Mm-hmm," you hum, leaning your head back against him.

His free hand pulls your dress up and disappears between your thighs, touching you through your panties.

"Sam..." you whine, moving your hand to squeeze at his half-hard length.

"Seems like someone misses me, needy baby," he whipsers to you.

You urge his hands off of you and stand up, facing him, "Now let's get something straight, Mr. Rothstein: I wasn't needy when I came in this office. I patiently waited for you to finish signing things, and then YOU made me needy."

There's a long pause between you before Sam cracks a little smirk and says, "You're sexy when you're mad."

Once you head downstairs to the casino floor, the party is on. Millionaires and billionaires fill the room, enjoying slots, tables, and free champagne. Sam always thought it was funny how rich people love a free handout.

Every business associate that Sam knew was here, plus the rich friends they brought with them. Those of you who spend a lot of time at the casino mingle with the guests who came to spend money; your job is to keep them spending money, because a hefty portion of what the house makes tonight is going to be split between a few charities. It was Billy's idea, saying that a charity event would be great publicity and raise goodwill with the people.

Most of your evening goes by playing table games with people you barely knew, so it's nice to see Billy, a familiar face. You hadn't seen him since you got there.

He hands you a glass of champagne and you find a more secluded place to talk while Billy watches the floor. You see Sam doing the same from his usual spot; Sam sees you and gives you a cute look, scrunching his nose when Billy isn't looking.

Almost on queue, Billy smirks, "So, you and Ace, huh?"

"Huh? What?" you stammer, caught off guard.

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. You know my lips are sealed," he has a pleased look on his face, and he gives you a wink.

You sigh and give Billy a knowing look, confirming his suspicions, "How'd you know?"

"Well, I'll admit it took me a while to catch on, because you two have always been close. Sam's been much happier the past few weeks, but I chalked it up to Ginger getting out of his hair with her little vacations. Tonight has been the first dead giveaway: you sneaking up to his office and coming down to the floor together, and the way he's been keeping an eye on you all evening, like he's worried about you getting too far away from him."

If Sam had been watching you like that, you hadn't noticed, but it was endearing. "You should tell him not to blow our cover," you smirk at Billy.

"Oh, I plan on it," Billy leans into you, "Let me tell you a secret, (Y/N). I've always liked you two together, and I think you have always liked one another; maybe you were just too blinded by the Vegas lights to see it... So, I'll keep your secret, because you two deserve to be happy." His hand squeezes your shoulder, and he clinks his glass with yours before leaving you to go stand with Sam so they can watch the floor together.

As you walk the floor looking for a group of tycoons to mingle with, you feel a hand grab your arm. You turn to see Ginger who is now leading you across the casino floor.

"Hey, girl! Wanna work a table together? Maybe if we put our heads together, we could pull in more money." She is oddly pleasant in her tone of voice, but the way her nails grip your arm gives you a different vibe; however, you don't feel you have much choice in the matter. You are swept off to a table far away from the center of the casino, far away from Sam and Billy.

Unexpectedly, Ginger is nice to you and even jokes with you as you hustle all the rich men gathered around the roulette table, getting them to spend all of their money. When that's over, it's like a switch flips.

She drags you aside away from everyone except a few bouncers, and begins her tirade, "It's you. I know it's you." She's doing her best to remain calm with all of the donors around, but you knew she was high; she was always on something anymore.

"Ginger, what are you talking about?"

"You- your perfume! I smell it... in my bed, on Ace! I know you're sleeping with him!"

You can tell she's getting worked up, and you really don't want her to start yelling. "Now, we don't want things to get out of hand. You know I spend a lot of time with Sam; I've been helping him babysit Amy more since you guys have been more separate. Isn't it possible you smell my perfume around him because of that? You probably smell it on Amy too, right?"

Ginger is frustrated and confused, unable to make sense of things with all that junk in her system, "Yeah, yeah, I guess that makes sense," she pouts.

"Yeah, see? It's okay, everything's okay," you try to calm her down, resting your hand on her upper arm.

"No! Don't touch me!!" she shouts.

"Ginger, don't get excited; we don't wanna ruin the event."

"I don't care what you say; I don't trust you, and I don't trust you with my husband!" she sneers at you, "I have my connections just like your 'Saaam,' and if I find out anything is going on with you and him, you'll be nothing more than one of those holes in the desert these guys like to talk so much about. You're nothing but a whore as it is."

Her face is inches from yours. She had insulted you and threatened your life in a single statement, and clearly she had decided Sam was too personal a name for her husband, since she chastised you for calling him that. You decide to do your worst; you doubt she'll remember this interaction anyway.

"This coming from the woman who can't seem to shake her pimp."

Thankfully the bouncers nearby saw how heated things were getting, and they came over to break it up. They even called Nicky over talk Ginger down. It's pretty bad that even the casino staff knew about Nicky and Ginger, and that bringing Ace over would just make it worse.

But word quickly made it back to Sam about what Ginger had done to you, and so a few days later, he sent her to Beverly Hills with Amy; besides, he only needed her home for that one night at the Tangiers.

• • •

Despite all of his efforts to run a clean joint, it all came crashing down when Sam got word that the FBI had heard all about the casino and the Midwest bosses from that grocery store tap back home. Luckily, they couldn't really bring any heat down on Sam, because he didn't know much; he had been put in Las Vegas to run the casino, and he was even working on getting his gaming license which looked good on him.

Nicky, however, did get a lot of heat. He already had the attention of the Las Vegas police for a number of crimes, and he was the liaison between Las Vegas and and the Midwest bosses.

Sam had already been trying to pull away from Nicky and that meant also pulling away from the gangster business that had made him so successful as a handicapper.

Thankfully with Ginger out of town, you got to be with Sam when he found out about all this. There isn't much he can do, but he knows it's a possibility his whole casino could go under.

In order to cheer him up, you invite Sam to your place for a few days, so he can use your home as a getaway to just relax as much as he can. Despite everything going on, you both actually have a pretty good time. Sam only takes the calls he absolutely has to take which mostly meant Billy, and you both enjoy cooking together, showering together, making love together...

Unfortunately he can't stay for more than a few days or people will start to realize he isn't home, and any calls other than to Billy needed to come from Sam's house, especially any calls to Ginger. And so this morning you head off to Sam's place, so he can call the hotel in Beverly Hills to check on his wife and child.

He gets on the phone and cheerily greets the hotel receptionist before asking to be put through to Ginger's room. His tone quickly drops when he questions, "𝘔𝘳. and Mrs. Rothstein?"

You give him a concerned look as he wraps up the conversation and slams the phone down on the hook. He lets out a frustrated sigh and rubs his chin before he says, "She checked out of the hotel with another man and my kid."

"It's not Nicky, is it?" you ask.

"No, it's not Nicky, I know it's not Nicky; he's got too much heat on him to leave Vegas." That could only mean one thing: Lester.

Sam immediately gets back on the phone calling the police, the FBI agents he'd been in contact with, even Nicky, to try to find where Ginger and this pimp had taken his daughter. The FBI is very gracious in helping track down Ginger and Amy, quickly getting back to Sam with an address and phone number for where they are.

After a phone call with Lester that didn't really go anywhere, Sam is feeling helpless about what to do. He's so furious with Ginger, but he needs her to bring their daughter home. He sinks down into the couch when he looks at you desperately; he doesn't know what to do.

You quickly rush over and curl up next to him, taking the man in your arms, rubbing his shoulders for comfort. "How do I get her home? I just want Amy safe; she's not safe with that pimp, and clearly she's not safe with her mother anymore either."

"You're not gonna like to hear this, but I think Nicky is your best bet to get her back," you suggest.

He simply nods his head as he realizes you're right, then he picks up the phone to call his friend.

• • •

The next few days Sam and Ginger are walking on eggshells. It couldn't be more obvious that Ginger doesn't want to be home, but Sam had to know that Amy is safe. Since Ginger has to be home, Sam even tries being sweet to her again. He had tried to cuddle with her a few times, something they hadn't done in years, but she would just reject him each time, typically leaving the room. Sam is at his wits' end; he doesn't know what else to try with Ginger, what other approach he could take.

One night as Sam is about to leave the casino to head home, you follow him out to his car, "just to talk," you tell him. You hadn't seen him in days and you miss him.

"Hey, baby," Sam says wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

"Hey, honey. I missed you," you smile at him.

He hums, "I miss you too, and I'm sorry you're in the middle of all this... It's not fair to you."

"It's okay, Sam. You're the one who's in a tough spot here. I'm just here to support you and love you and... make you feel better..." you trail off as you squeeze his thigh, your fingers gracing past his crotch.

"Oh..." Sam says, giving you a cheeky look.

You slide your hand back and forth over the front of his pants, getting him hard, while you lightly kiss at his neck and ear. "You've just been so stressed lately, sweetie; let me help you relax."

When his breathing becomes heavy, you know he's ready for more, "Baby girl, I need your mouth on me, now." He lets out a groan when you open his pants and stroke him through his underwear.

You don't waste much time before you're going down on him, kissing his leaking member before taking it in your mouth. He looks down at you and tries to keep his breathing even; all this came on pretty suddenly so you've got Sam very worked up. He takes your hair in his hands, forming a make shift ponytail to keep your hair out your face. He also likes to watch your face bob up and down on his cock.

You hollow out your cheeks and Sam savors that intense sucking feeling. Between that and your tongue pressing against his tip, he can hardly contain himself. You wrap a hand around the base of his member, pumping what you can't take in your mouth.

Sam's hands push you down making you take as much of him as you can, and his breathing becomes labored, letting out little moans as he climaxes in your mouth.

You take down what you can and lick up any of the rest. You look up to see Sam giving you a look with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't want you to make a mess..." you say with a raspy voice as you wipe your lips.

He simply stares at you, as if he was still trying to make sense of what just happened, before he grabs your hair and pulls you into a rough kiss, tasting himself on your tongue. When he pulls away from you breathing heavily, he says, "Baby, you have no idea how bad I needed that. Thank you." He softens up and pulls you back towards him, this time laying your head in the crook of his neck.

Sam leaves you at the Tangiers and at home, walks into a nightmare: his kid is tied to her bed and his wife is nowhere to be found. Despite the flood of panic and anger that he feels, he keeps his wits about him and calls you to come get Amy; with you is the safest place for her right now while Sam searches for Ginger. You only see him for a quick moment, before he rushes out the door, leaving you to pack Amy a bag and take her to your house for a few days.

Sam knows Ginger is at Nicky's new restaurant; he had called before he left the house. His tires screech to a halt as he rolls up to the place of business.

After a run-in with Nicky at the door and a quiet altercation in the corner booth, where Sam definitely threatened Ginger's life for what she did to Amy, Sam managed to get his wife in the car. On the ride home, oddly, all Sam could think was, "Where does Nicky get off asking 𝘮𝘦 to be civil, when he's the one that always gets heat brought on us?"

It's probably just a temporary distraction from elephant in the room, or car, in this case.

Sam has to admit: he's at his wits' end with Ginger. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about leaving her or kicking her out. But when they walk into the house, and he sees the apologetic look in his wife's eyes, whether honest or manipulative, one thought crosses his mind, "She's the mother of my child."

How could he walk out on her? He had promised she'd be taken care of, and even though he really only meant financially, his big heart wouldn't allow him to hurt her.

She doesn't care what he does; she won't be bothered as long as she gets the money she's promised.

"Come on, honey, let's go to bed," Sam says softly, taking his wife's hand. They take a few steps together before the man stops and turns to her; he places his hands on her sides, seeing if she'll hug him. When she does, sadly, it leaves Sam with a shred of hope for their relationship.

• • •

Sam had been exhausted, so he went to bed with the promise that Ginger would meet him there after she gets a shower. However, when Sam wakes up, seeing the time on the clock and the other half of his bed empty; he's immediately filled with suspicion.

At 3:03 A.M., he finds himself sneaking down the hallway--sneaking... in his own house. He shakes his head and quietly shuffles down the hallway towards the living room, where he can hear Ginger's voice moving at a rapid and excited pace.

"I don't care- I don't care!! I want that fucker dead! I want him dead! And that little slut too!! Sleeping in my bed- No! No, I will not calm down... I want a hit on that bitch, that way he can 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵! The same way he hurt me!" Ginger snarls and sobs into the phone.

Sam's heart sank. The thought of losing you--no, he couldn't think about that right now; he simply springs into action, grabbing the phone from Ginger's hands. "Who's this?" he demands to the person on the other end of the line, before slamming the phone down only a second later as Ginger leaps up, practically attacking Sam by pounding her balled up hands against his chest and arms.

"You want me dead, huh? You want me outta the picture?!" his voice booms as she starts to wrestle with him, crying and screaming. "Come with me, come on!" He gets her flailing hands undercontol and drags her down the hallway; Ginger's feet come out from under her, and he just keeps dragging her, both of them yelling at each other.

"I hate you!!! I hate your guts!" Ginger shouts at Sam from where she's laying on the floor of their walk in closet, her face red from crying.

"I know, you evil bitch! What did I ever do to you, huh? I tried to love you and look where it got me..." He slaps a duffle bag down on her lap.

"What's this?" she asks.

He follows it with a pile of clothes, gorgeous, expensive fabrics hitting the floor, "Get your shit, and get out," Sam growls, fire and pain in his eyes.

"You can't kick me out, you can't put me out on the street with no money!!!" She jumps up and starts grabbing expensive clothes.

"Money's all you care about, huh?" he questions, bending down to a shoe box under his clothes; he pulls out all that would fit in his hands, bringing it over to her on the floor. "Is this enough?? You'll probably blow through this in a week!" He dumps the cash in her lap, storming off from her to rip more of her clothes off hangers.

"You can't abandon me!! You told me I'd be taken care of! If you kick me out, I'll go take all my jewelry out the bank!!" she threatens.

He grabs her set of keys, taking her house key off the ring, leaving her with car keys and her bank keys. "And I will not stop you," Sam says, almost calmly.

He knew the key to his millions was still in his desk drawer upstairs, she'd only be leaving with the key to what's hers. He'd been feeling unsure about walking out on her, but Sam made his decision the moment Ginger threatened your life.

• • •

For the next week, you and Sam were waiting for the ball to drop and for Ginger to come storming through that door. But in another way, Sam didn't care; he had you over all the time, even when people came over. He started to put his hands on your waist or even kiss you in front of others. It made you so nervous the first time he kissed you in front of Nicky, but Sam knew what he was doing. Nicky couldn't run to anyone about it, because what Nicky had done was worse in the eyes of the Midwest bosses: sleeping with his best friend's wife, their precious "Golden Jew."

But that isn't the reason Nicky's here right now.

"Ace, they took the bosses in. Arrested every single one of 'em. The FBI knows what's going on, all of it, but they ain't got nothing on me or you, because we don't go in room where they count the money. That doesn't mean they won't question us though."

And boy did they. Sam was already irritated that his name was in the paper every time Nicky went to court for some crime, but now it was coming out that him and Nicky were both being held for questioning for the crime bust in the Midwest.

Nicky pretty much refused to give them anything, but Sam had a reputation with the law and a relationship with the FBI out here. They had helped him get his kid back after all. So, he didn't give them any new information, but he didn't mind confirming certain things they already knew, as long as it didn't incriminate him.

Because of his cooperation, the authorities left Sam alone after a little while. Most of the attention was on Nicky and what his connections were to the Midwest bosses and the casino. Somehow Nicky got himself out of it without getting arrested; Sam had to wonder if it was Nicky's rambling or his threats that did the trick.

Weeks went by, and it was clear that the casino was going down. It wasn't for trying though. Sam fought so hard to keep his precious establishment running, but the place had been riddled with scandals. And even with the bosses facing trial, the powers that be decided to get rid of the whole scam; Sam losing The Tangiers would just be a necessary evil to them.

Sam decided it was a better time than ever to leave the business behind. Besides, he'd never been into crime the way Nicky was; he'd just been pulled into this because he was a money maker.

So as Sam walks out of the casino for the last time, locking the doors to the completely empty building, he lights a cigarette and heads over to his car with only one thing on his mind: going home to you and Amy. Unfortunately, he won't make it home as soon as he would have liked, as his car goes up in flames from a car bomb that must've been rigged while he was inside the casino.

Sam had planned for this kind of thing though, and he had the manufacturers of the vehicle place a special metal plate under the passenger seat, giving him a few valuable seconds to save his life.

You get the call during Sam's ambulance ride to the hospital. At first you're devastated--why would anyone want to hurt your Sam? Before you could find to a conclusion, you quickly snap out of it, getting Amy into the car to get to the hospital.

"Mr. Rothstein-"

"I told you, I don't want-

"Mr. Rothstein, we think it's important that we run this test," the doctor speaks over Sam. Must be an important test for him to interrupt Ace Rothstein.

"I'm fine!" your boyfriend groans, "My arm is burned, but I feel fine."

"But sir, it's possible the adrenaline in your system-"

"Sam Rothstein!" You cut the doctor off, storming in with Amy on your hip.

"Hey, baby!" he holds a hand out towards you.

"Don't you 'baby' me. I know you're not arguing with this doctor, refusing medical advice!! You don't just have yourself to worry about here, you have me and Amy- and I swear to God, Sam Rothstein if you die on me, you'll have more than heaven and hell to worry about! You'll have me to answer to," you finish your rant with a stern look.

His face drops for a moment before a little smirk forms, "You're sexy when you're mad."

Ignoring him, you turn to his doctor, "Run any tests you need to. I'll deal with him." You pat the doctor on his tie.

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Rothstein," the doctor says as you walk away, giving them room to do what they need to do.

"Oh, we're not married... yet," Sam explains, scrunching his nose cutely at you.

"Well I'm not gonna be the one to tell her that," the doctor says under his breath.

As they wheel Sam out of the room to take him for some tests, you hear Amy's voice, "Why are you mad at daddy?"

"I'm not mad at daddy," a little chuckle leaves you and you hug the child close to you, "I just love him, and so I had to make him listen to the doctors."

• • •

You pick Sam up just a few days later, perfectly fine, except for some burns on his arm. He sits in the passenger seat of your car with a pile of things from the hospital: his coral pink suit in a plastic bag, burned in a few spots from the bomb, a folder with some information about caring for his burns, a packet full of bandages and prescription ointment, and a large yellow envelope.

"Now, don't be mad," Sam starts.

"What did you do?" you glare at him for a second before turning your eyes back to the road.

"I, uh, got a real estate agent to start looking for new homes for us."

"Sammy, why would I be mad about that? We practically live together already!"

"These homes--they're not in Las Vegas."

"What?!" you practically give him whiplash, pulling the car into a random parking lot. "You wanna leave Las Vegas? Sam, I grew up here..."

He looks down at his lap and back up at you, "I know," it comes out so quietly, "I just don't think we're safe here anymore... I'm not in the business anymore, I'm but afforded the same protections as I used to be. What if they come after you next? Or Amy? Right now, I know enough people that we could get out quietly..."

"Oh, Sam..." You cup his face in your hands, "I'm sorry I reacted like that, I'm scared too, and now I have a kid to worry about. I know she's not mine yet, but if anything happened to Amy-" You have to stop yourself before you cry.

"Here," he says, grabbing the yellow envelope, "I gave some pictures of some houses, and there's one I really like."

Instead of driving your boyfriend home, you sit in the car looking at pictures of beautiful homes, and daydreaming about where how you'll arrange the living room, where you'll put the bed, Amy playing in the backyard.

"Hey, look at this last one," he tells you.

"Is this the one you like?"

"Yeah," his face has a happy, soft smile as he thinks about moving into this house with you; he just knows it's perfect.

"Hmmm... San Diego, huh? 4 bedrooms and a mother-in-law suite. Sam we don't need 4 bedrooms," you look up at him.

He gently places his hand on your belly, "We might."

Your heart just melts... Even if you aren't sure about kids, clearly the thought makes him happy.

"Okay so there's a pool and a lot of grass, maybe we could put a trampoline there..."

• • •

Boxes are scattered all around your new home; you picked the one in San Diego, of course. It's completely perfect.

The movers had dropped off all the big furniture and help you set it up; Sam even got them to help set up Amy's trampoline, and he was so thrilled to surprise her with it. But it will be a few more days before the decorators can come to paint, unpack, and lay out the rest. Nothing but luxury for Sam Rothstein and his "wife."

Right now, Sam is dropping Amy off at the neighbor's house for a play date, so she can get to know the kids in the area. Of course, you two had been sure to meet with this couple first to scope them out, making sure they are safe for Amy to be around.

The plan is to get some unpacking done when your man gets home, but you thought it might be nice to spend some quality alone time together in your new home.

"Honey, I'm home!" Sam chimes at the front door; it makes him so happy to be able to say that. Sam stops at the door to look around for you.

You saunter down the hallway, wearing a black trench coat and bright red high heels, "Hey, sexy!"

"Mmmm," Sam moans, "I think I should be saying that to you. What's this, baby?"

You stop just out of his reach and untie your jacket, holding it open to show off a new set of candy red lacy lingerie, "Just a little..." you turn around and drop the coat to the floor, revealing a big red bow at the top of your ass, "house warming present." You throw him a sultry look over your shoulder before walking into the kitchen, heels clicking loudly on your new porcelain floor.

Sam pulls his jaw up off the floor and quickly follows, watching as you crawl up onto the marble-top kitchen island. He walks over, appreciating your body by rubbing his hands on your sides, eyes roaming the red fabric hugging your frame. You rake your hands through his hair, and pull him into you, landing his face right between your breasts, which he seems very okay with judging by the way he closes his eyes and starts kissing at them. He wraps his arms around your waist, trying to pull you off the counter.

"Oh no, sir, Mr. Rothstein, you're not taking me to that bedroom. If we're gonna break this house in, we're gonna do it my way. What's that thing you like to say?" You look up acting like you're trying to remember, "There are three ways of doing things around here: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it..."

You practically yank him up onto the counter with you, his legs fumbling with the bar stools to help get him up there. Before Sam can even get his bearings straight, you have his back pinned against the marble, your lips taking his in a passionate, sloppy kiss.

Sam pushes you off of him, breathing heavily, "Damn, baby girl, where's this coming from? Not that I'm complaining."

"Well, my sexy, rich sugar daddy just bought me a nice, new house, and I just wanna thank him," you nuzzle into him.

"Sugar daddy, huh? Is that all I am to you?" he gives you a loving look, both of you smiling at his joke.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Moneybags..." You sit up and stretch a leg across his lap straddling him. As you grind your hips back and forth against his hard on, you both let out some light moans and hot sighs. His belt buckle makes some clinking noises as you unhook it before swiftly tugging it from his belt loops and dropping it to the floor.

Zip! You open his pants and pull them down just a few inches so you can return to grinding against his member through a much thinner layer of fabric. When Sam's fingers snake towards his groin so he can further please himself, he's met with a harsh smack on the hand.

"All the pleasure you feel is gonna come from me, got it?" you tell Sam.

He raises his eyebrows, surprised by this change that's overcome you, but down for the ride--literally. The pressure of his hardness against your clit is a great warm up for you, so you keep at it until Sam has a couple of wet spots on his underwear: one from you and one from his pre-cum soaking through.

At that point, you move off of him enough to pull his pants and boxer briefs down to his upper thighs, his erection springing free. You crawl back on top of him, pinning his wrists to the counter just above his head while you kiss him. You pull away, stroking his chin and swiping your thumb across his lips.

"Ready, baby?" you ask, kissing his cheek lightly.

"I- uhhh, yeah," he breathes out.

"Cat got your tongue, silly?" you giggle.

"No, I just, I've never -uh- had a girl top me quite like this," he explains.

"Oh, um, should I stop?" you ask innocently as you grind against his dick again.

"NO- no. I, um... You shouldn't stop."

The way Sam is fumbling through the conversation tells you that he probably likes the treatment he's being given, and so you move your hips against him a few more times before moving your panties to the side and guiding his member to your entrance. Your boyfriend let's out a low groan when he feels that warm wetness surround his sex; you think that's probably his favorite part of making love.

You start by setting a leisurely pace, knowing Sam will want more, but, gosh, the tease is so satisfying too...

"Please, baby," Sam breathes.

"Please what?" you play dumb.

"Go faster... Please, baby." So predictable of him.

"Mmmm, you mean you don't like when I take my time with you?" You speed up juuuust a little bit, but not nearly as much as he would've liked.

"I thought I was in charge in the bedroom," he groans.

"Well, we're not in the bedroom are we?" You lean down to kiss him, pinning his hands down again, next to his shoulders this time. You continue to hold them down while you pick up the pace, leaving Sam feeling a bit helpless as he can't touch you.

You take a little break from all the bouncing to slide back and forth, achieving a new kind of friction. Sam curls his hips up into you, clearly enjoying the sensation.

"Let me touch you, please?" Of course you're going to give in, but not without hearing him beg a little more. No one has this kind of control over Sam "Ace" Rothstein; no one but you. "Babyyy... Please, you know I like to hold you."

He gets nothing but silence in response, oh, and your hips working even faster, which only serves to make him more needy. "(Y/N), please... please, baby, I wanna hold you so bad."

You let go of his wrists and intertwine your first with his for a moment before his hands move to your face to cup your cheek. Afterwards, his palms smooth over your chest and arms; he's looking up at you: your pretty face, soft skin, the way your hair bounces along with your breasts as you ride him.

His hips become less tame the closer he gets to his climax. He's a man who just can't help himself; he likes to be in on the action, even if he isn't on top.

You lean yourself back, placing your palms on the cool countertop, giving him a great angle to attack your g-spot. Sam's hands roam your thighs until you find your rhythm with the changed position, but once he knows he's hitting the right spots, his fingers dive in to stimulate you from the outside as well. One hand pinches and rubs your nipple while the other sets a dangerous speed on your clit.

Despite you trying to have so much control over him, Sam just knows exactly what buttons to push on you, and you're cumming in a matter of seconds. The way it snuck up on you causes you to bend forward as your orgasm pulses through you.

The man beneath you takes advantage of this by pulling you flush to his chest, bracing his feet on the counter top, and railing up into you as fast as he can. You turn into nothing but a noisy mess as he uses your body to get off.

"Fuck, baby, I'm cumming..." Sam finds his release before he even realizes it; he just feels so tangled up and lost in the pleasure of being with you.

A few seconds later, you both find yourselves lying on the kitchen island, completely limp and trying to catch your breath. Sam lazily rolls onto his side, rolling you onto the marble counter beside him. Goosebumps litter your skin as the cold countertop comes in contact with you. You both lay on the counter, staring at each other before you both brsk out into giggles.

"I can't believe you let me fuck you on this thing," you laugh, patting the marble, "and I can't believe you let me fuck you... Like that. I wasn't being too much, was I?"

Sam tucks himself back into his pants, zipping them up and buttoning them before wrapping an arm around your waist. "What? You being a little dominatrix? No, I don't think it was too much," he nuzzles his nose against yours and gives you a few soft kisses. "But," he starts, "the only woman allowed to have me like that is Mrs. Sam Rothstein..."

"Well, uh- that's not me..." you say, a little confused.

"It could be," he says in a low, soft voice, "Whaddya say? You wanna marry me?"

"Sam-" you start to feel overwhelmed for a few reasons: 1. He literally just proposed to you, but 2. "You're still married, Sam. I couldn't be your wife even if I wanted to!" Tears start to form in your eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, shhh..." he says, pulling you into a cuddle, "You remember when I flew back to Vegas last week to go close the sale on the house there?"

You sniffle and look up at him, "Mm-hmm."

"Well I ran into one of the judges that used to come by the casino all the time, he was a big spender, but we treated him real nice. He told me he had heard everything from his friends on the force, everything about Ginger and the car bombing. We talked for a while, and he told me to stop by his chambers before I left the city," Sam fishes in his pocket for some folded up papers, "and he gave me this."

He hands you the papers to unfold and look at. "Oh... Oh, Sam! He granted you a divorce. Why didn't you tell me??"

"I wanted to surprise you..." He smiles that charming smile.

"Well, I'm certainly surprised," you hug him by nuzzling into his chest, "I didn't even know you were considering this yet."

"I've been considering it for years, honey," he whispers, kissing you on the temple, "ever since I told you I love you."

You both pause to simply take in the other person for a moment: Sam's clothes all disheveled and your still in your lingerie, cuddling on the stone counter.

"You know I think you're perfect, right? If there was just one thing I could change about you, it would be your last name. So, whaddya think, princess? You wanna try Rothstein on for size?"

The tears quickly return to your eyes, "Yeah, yeah- yes!" You grab his face and start kissing him over and over.

He can hardly pull you off of him for all the kisses, not that he wants to. However, when you decide you're done loving on your fiancé, he apologizes, "I'm sorry I don't have a ring for you right now, but ummm," he reaches for his little pinky ring; it's gold and pink to match his outfit for that day, "you can wear this for now." He slips the piece of metal onto your left ring finger; it doesn't fit that well, but you're honored to wear it.

Sam sits up, sliding off the counter. He stands at the edge of the island, pulling you towards him and wrapping your legs around his waist. He cups your head in both his hands and kisses you softly. "Wanna go to 'break in' the bathtub, Mrs. Rothstein?"

[darkqueenofshadows85]

Sonic Generations (2011) Story Review

Disclaimer: I will be judging this game by the plot and writing, not the gameplay.

Introduction

Greetings, mortals! For today's review, we'll be looking at the big parade of fanservice and nostalgia pandering that is Sonic Generations.

This is part of a series of reviews in which I’ll be going into slightly more detail about my thoughts on the main series Sonic game storylines, and why I think they're either well written and engaging, or an absolute trainwreck (or somewhere in-between). I’ll be giving my stance on the character portrayals, visuals, soundtracks, voice actors, and what themes/messages they had to offer. Keep in mind that these are just my own personal thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions!

Anyway, let us begin! ^^

Plot

Dr. Eggman finds the Time Eater and uses the power of time to trap Sonic and friends in a white void. Sonic finds his younger self and they team up against two Eggmen and the Time Eater to fix this mess.

Characters

Like most of the Meta Era games, Sonic is portrayed as a Gary Stu whose friends are completely dependent on him. And during the climax, he constantly brags about beating Eggman all the time. A textbook example of how not to keep your audience in suspense.

Classic Sonic doesn't really do much to contribute to the plot (if you can even call it that), but at least it actually makes sense for him to be there, considering this is the 20th anniversary special, and it does fit the context of the story. Also, why doesn't he talk? In the Classic Era, he was just as talkative as Modern Sonic, so why couldn't they have hired Jaleel White or Martin Burke to voice him? And if Classic Tails and Classic Eggman can talk, then there's no excuse why he can't.

Tails is somehow even more useless here than he was in Colors. He just spends most of the game tagging along with Sonic and providing exposition.

Eggman is still portrayed as a hapless dope. He's introduced in full late into the story, in the scene just before the climax, and he's already whining about losing to Sonic. This is supposed to be the main villain, by the way. During the climax, he spouts boring exposition, and he continues to talk non-stop in what is quite possibly the most lifeless, unexciting showdown in Sonic the Hedgehog history. After his defeat, we see him in ANOTHER unfunny post-credits scene that exists solely to make him look stupid. (seriously, where was the joke in this scene?)

The rest of the cast (Amy, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Cream, the Chaotix, Silver and Blaze) have all been reduced to mere background characters who don't do anything in the story besides getting kidnapped by the Time Eater and cheerleading the two Sonics during the climax. Seriously, what's with this "you can win Sonic", "you can do it Sonic"... WHY NOT HELP?!

Visuals

I will admit that Generations did have the best visual presentation out of all the Meta Era games, but it seems to me like they're better at making flashier cutscenes than writing a good story nowadays.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is mainly just remixes of songs from previous Sonic games, nothing new.

Voice Acting

As I stated in my previous review, I do like most of the new voice actors, with the only exceptions being Cindy Robinson (Amy), Karen Strassman (Rouge) and Kirk Thornton (Shadow).

Theme/Message

The main theme of Generations is just nostalgia. That's it. I mean, it did accomplish what it set out to do, which is to essentially be "Nostalgia: The Video Game", but that still doesn't excuse the downgraded storytelling quality.

Conclusion

I'll give Generations some credit, at least it doesn't have as many cringe-worthy jokes as the other Meta Era games, and at least it does acknowledge the Dark Era titles like 06 and Unleashed as canon. However, my main issue with the plot is that it's bland and practically non-existent, with nostalgia being its biggest selling point. Don't get me wrong, nostalgia isn't a bad thing, but like a drug, it can be a bad thing with an overdose and that's Classic Sonic. Classic Sonic is like a drug for SEGA. Still, it wasn't quite as annoying as Colors and Lost World, and it didn't mislead audiences into thinking they were getting an action packed, grandiose storyline like Forces did. It was just bland, unremarkable and inoffensive at best. Overall, I would consider Generations to be the most tolerable of the four main Meta Era games.

"Hey Sonic! Enjoy your future! It's gonna be great!"

Until the Meta Era. Then it all goes down the drain.

My final score:

2.4/5 (Mediocre)

[sckyie]

word count: 2.5k

genre + warnings: enemies to lovers; coworkers, office love, alcohol mentioned, swearing

pronouns used: she/her

a/n: hi hi here’s my exchange gift for @coophi! happy holidays and stay safe, i hope you like what i wrote for you! [ this was apart of @/haikyuucreations secret santa ]

You put your forehead on the table groaning at the recent news. "You'll get'em next time, Y/n," your coworker rubbed your back. You sighed louder as you heard something being placed on your desk. You shift your face towards the corner of the surface to see a coffee cup with your name scribbled on the side.

You rolled your eyes and looked up to see the new lead, Kuroo, being congratulated by everyone. "That was supposed to be my promotion," You grumbled. You stared at the coffee up and walked over to Kuroo's desk. Leaving the filled cup, you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Kuroo watched as you rejected his peace offering before leaving the office. He understood how you felt once you heard that you didn't get the promotion. Your papers were perfect, clients loved you both, but the one thing keeping you from getting the promotion was simple. Kuroo's numbers were much higher than yours and it crushed yours.

The thought of endless nights staying late to catch up became pointless. The effort in surpassing him wasn't necessary anymore. All your work, all your stressful nights, everything didn't matter to the manager and execs.

"Hmph," Kuroo seated himself and stared at your drink on his desk.

"Something wrong, Kuroo?" Your coworker peeked beside him.

"Oh nothing," He responds.

You return to your desk, side-eyeing your now superior. You took a deep breath before returning to your paperwork.

Numbers, numbers, numbers. You spent your shift calculating, writing, and fixing errors. The jumble of text on your screen began to hurt your brain for working so hard.

The day dreaded on as the anger in you fumed. It wasn't that you were mad for not getting the promotion. You were furious that out of all people it'd be Kuroo who got it. You despised his snarky, overly confident facade and his petty ways of trying to show you how great he was.

Finally, your shift comes to an end but so does Kuroo's. You two walk together to the elevators though you tried your hardest avoiding him. "Did I get your order wrong?" Kuroo smirked as he pressed the lobby button.

"I don't want your pity coffee," You muttered.

"It's not a pity coffee," He rebutted. "It was a hot chai latte."

"Haha," You mocked. "I don't even like chai."

"Then what do you like?" Kuroo smiled.

"Not you," You immediately walked out of the elevator, making your way to the parking lot.

"Tsk," He was the tiniest bit irritated by your tone but decided to try again tomorrow.

Papers, papers, papers. Endless papers for you to edit and write at home. It was torture but how else could you succeed in your career. Things were already shit with Kuroo trying to be friends with you. Nevertheless, you finished at least ten pages of reports for tomorrow's agenda.

Early morning, you arrived at the office before everyone like normal. Kuroo arrives with two coffees and a small brown bag. He walked over, placing the snack and cup on your desk without a word. He walks to his desk and begins his work without interacting.

You turn the cup to check what it was. "Café latte," You mouthed. You peeked in the small bag to see a blueberry muffin. Before you could return the drink, people began to file into the room. You rolled your eyes and sipped on the drink.

"Success," Kuroo thought to himself as he watched you snack and sip the offerings.

It became a daily thing for Kuroo to bring you drinks. Never the same one twice, but always a blueberry muffin. You gave in to his gesture and thanked him silently whenever he passed by.

Your favorite interaction however was his failed attempt in talking to you. "You come here often?" He asked as he placed your coffee on your desk.

"Considering I work here, yes," You say sarcastically.

"Wow I'm literally so stupid," Kuroo thought. Kuroo saw many opportunities to talk to you more but fell nervous every time. It was always hard for him to get close to someone new. His past relationships had left him hopeless for his own future. The toxicity from the past girls left him thinking he'd never be happy with someone. These past few years, he'd been focusing on himself.

Then you walked into his life. After being transferred to a new branch, you seemed different than any other girl he's met. Kuroo saw hope in you and believed that you could be the light of his love life. He admired your attention to detail, your determination, and well, your beauty. Kuroo saw all your greatest features yet he could never bring himself to tell you his admiration.

One day, you had already a shitty morning and didn't want to deal with anything at work. From annoying traffic to angry clients to the blisters from your heels, you wanted more than anything for the day to end.

A few upset clients later, your head began to pound and you excused yourself for an early break. Kuroo turned to see you sulk away, causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

"What's with Y/n?" He asks his desk neighbor.

"Oh, two of her clients weren't co-operating and it's getting her frustrated," She responded. "She's been having a bad day."

Kuroo looks at your desk curiously and noticed how you had removed your heels under your desk. "Be right back," Kuroo gets up from his desk and walked over to the shared kitchen area to grab some things.

You returned from your short break to be greeted with a small pile of things. Bandages for your blisters, medicine for your headache, water, and a cut-up apple. "Take it easy," You found a post-it on the water bottle. You looked at your screen to see your client queue cleared with everyone on the list as approved. Confused as ever, you make use of the mystery goods to tend to your needs.

"Attention everyone, tonight Ryu here is throwing a little work party at his apartment," Your manager announced. "It is a small goodbye party for him and congratulations to our new lead, Kuroo." You rolled your eyes at Kuroo's name and continued to snack on the apples.

Later that night, you arrived at Ryu's house, catching Kuroo's attention. "Woah," Your male coworker gasped at the sight of you. "Damn, how is she single."

"Hey calm down, Kuroo-san has a crush on her," Other teased.

"Fuck off and keep my love life out your mouth," Kuroo nudges his shoulder. Though they weren't wrong, you were stunning. Dressed to impress and you even put your hair down from your usual updo. Kuroo was left speechless, thus leaving him too anxious to tell you anything.

After one cheesy speech and a big congratulations, the drinking began. Kuroo began to get too into the moment, having one too many drinks. You, however, stayed sober the whole party. You snickered at the sight of your drunk colleagues.

Kuroo's cheeks were bright red and he walked funny. He made his way towards you and you couldn't help but laugh. This was his chance to confess. "I- I- want-" He hiccuped between words. Kuroo began to get lost in thought, forgetting he was drunk confessing. "I- want my- keys- I- need- need  to go- home."

"I don't think so," You snatch his keys from the key holder before he could. "Do you want me to take you home?" He nodded excessively as you rolled your eyes. You chat with Ryu shortly before taking Kuroo to your car.

"Kamikita Apartments," You say. You had asked Ryu as you saw no hope in getting anything out of Kuroo. He slowly fell asleep in your car as you drove through the lit city. "I hope you know, I'm only doing this because you're drunk. I still don't like you."

"Mhm," Kuroo says in his sleep. You giggled at his expression all the way to his apartment.

Kuroo rests his arm around your shoulder as you two made your way to the apartment. You unlock the door and Kuroo immediately walks to the bedroom. Once he realized you weren't behind him, he turns back. "Where'd you go?" He pouted.

"Nowhere," You followed into his room. "Where are your pajamas- Oh, here. Change while I get you water."

Kuroo obeys your order and seats himself as he waited for his water. To him, he had already confidently talked to you about how he felt. Yet in reality, he was too drunk to even comprehend the front of his shirt.

"Here," You notice the tag in the front of his shirt as he chugged the water. "Your shirt is backward."

"Help me?" He begged. You facepalm at his tone but agreed. It felt like you were taking care of a baby. Your cheeks flushed pink once you helped him take off his shirt. You stopped to admire his face as you adjusted the middle of his sleep shirt. His hands move to rest on your hips. "It's so cold. Thank you for helping me change. Oh, and Y/n?"

"Y-yes?" You stuttered at his large hands.

"I have something to tell you," His voice started to sound sleepy. "I love you." Your eyes widen and you couldn't show him your shy expression.

"Tell me that again when you're sober," You move his hands away from you. Making your way to the light switch, you looked at the sad Kuroo. "I'll sleep in the living room. Just- go to bed."

Thankfully you had a change of clothes in your trunk that you used to sleep in. You got ready for bed, chuckling at the sounds of Kuroo snoring next door to the bathroom.

You laid silently on the couch staring at the ceiling. Those three words, you never thought you'd hear them from him of all people. It'd been years since your last break up, so you'd always been so closed off when it came to men. After getting heartbroken, you didn't think another man could love you. Kuroo was no exception. Sure he was handsome but you were adamant about staying single for the longest.

The thought of Kuroo in your life lingered up until the morning. He had woken up before you and found himself with a pounding headache. He made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As he drank his water, he spit-sprayed the water out of his mouth when he spots you sleeping. He began to cough aggressively before collecting himself. "Wha- what is she doing here?!" He whispered.

You woke up to the sound of your dying colleague, rubbing your eyes to the bright room. Kuroo walked over to you as you sat up, pulling the blanket to your lap. "Good morning," You yawned. "How's the hangover?"

"What are you doing here?" Kuroo panicked.

"You were shit-faced. This was the one thing I could do for repaying you for the coffees," You say.

"Did I do- did I say anything stupid?" He hides his face in his hands.

"You told me something," You began to fiddle with your thumbs. "I don't know if you meant it or not, but you told me you loved me."

"I...did?" Kuroo slowly moves his hands to look at you. Your face was red and you were playing with your sleeves now.

"Well, did you mean it?" You ask. "If you didn't..."

Kuroo reached over and pulled your chin up with his index knuckle and thumb. "I meant it," He says. "I really did."

Your face grew warmer at his words. "Why?" You sighed. "I'm so mean to you."

"Because," Kuroo moves his hand away to stare at his lap. "I love your smile. I love the way you work. I love how determined you are. The way you sign your papers with a tiny heart. The way you laugh at the smallest things. And...I know you might hate my guts but ever since I saw you, I admired you. You make so many people smile and bring happiness to the room. I thought I'd been on your shit list but I'm glad you took care of me- See that's another thing, you put yourself after everyone else. That's why I gave you bandaids, buy you coffee, finished your quotas for you. I just think you deserve better than what you have right now. And I'm so impressed by you-"

You got annoyed by his rambling and decided to grab his cheeks. You interrupted his words by crashing your lips into his. "You literally talk so much," You pulled away. "Can I talk now?"

Kuroo was stunned at the fact that you just kissed him to shut him up. "You just- kissed-" You pressed your lips on his again to keep him quiet. He deepened the kiss before you could pull away. "You can talk." He smiled as he pulled away.

"Okay," You move from his face. "I wanted to say, you weren't on my shit list or whatever. I was upset I didn't get the promotion and I didn't like your attitude. But, getting to know you I learnt how different you really are. Especially when you’re drunk, it's funny. Besides that, I didn't know how you felt, I didn't notice all the things you've done for me."

Kuroo placed his palm on yours, carefully comparing the size of it to yours. "I didn't think I could fall in love with someone who didn't give me the time of day," He says. You moved your fingers to trace his.

"How are you so sure that you love me?" You laced your fingers with Kuroo's.

"That's the thing, I'm not sure," Kuroo looked down at his lap. "I did all those things just to make your days easier. I thought all the small gestures I did, wouldn't matter to you. That they were just tedious things that bothered you. To be honest, I'm afraid of letting someone into my heart. I was drunk when I told you and I meant it but I want to know for sure that I'm in love with you before anything."

"Do you want to find out?" You say softly.

"Only if you'd let me," Kuroo looked up to see you smiling at him. You nodded and leaned in for another kiss. "Man if only your kisses made this hangover go away."

You rolled your eyes and pressed your lips against his once more. The feeling of his hands move to your waist caused the heat in your face to return. Kuroo pulls you to straddle his lap as he deepened the kiss. Your hands rest on his shoulders while he rubbed your sides.

"I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world," He whispered as he pulled away.

"Do I still get morning coffee?" You giggled.

"And your blueberry muffin," Kuroo chuckled. You smiled before pecking his lips. You rest your head on the crook of his neck as he rubbed your back. "I won't disappoint you."

taglist: @amillionfandoms-onlyoneme @just-a-siiimp @d0llpie @elianetsantana