#i'm like halfway through and it's actually pretty darn good

[konstantya]

This guy fucking gets it.

[pagingdoctorbedlam]

Hello again! Now that I know who you write for, I'm back with a request! Can I please suggest Sanji x Reader (if that's okay) with the following summer theme prompt? I'm actually really curious to see your take on Sanji. 😳

“some asshole left their dog in the car in the blistering heat and we both noticed and are debating on what to do” au

Thank you so much for doing this! 🥰

Hi Luxi, and thanks for bringing me my first-ever askbox fic prompt! (the prompt list is here for anyone interested)

The idea for this fic sprung into my head soon as I read the prompt, so I hope you enjoy...

"Dog Days: A Sanji x Reader Fic"

You hadn't even made it halfway to the store when you noticed the dog. Not that it was hard to ignore; the poor mutt surveyed the entire parking lot from the window of a jacked-up pickup, and its baleful barks escaped the tiniest crack in the window. The day was hot enough that you were sweltering soon as you stepped outside; you couldn't imagine how bad it must be for a fuzzy dog, much less one trapped in a truck.

Soon as you heard the mutt, all plans derailed. You couldn't just leave it there, and who knew how long the owner might be gone? You racked your brain for a plan, but you had to think fast. The dog's whimpers were already getting weaker.

When you strode up to the car, someone else had the same idea. A tall blond strode up to the opposite side of the truck, eyes so narrowed they looked about to shoot lasers. The truck was large enough that it had running boards to reach the doors, but he hopped right up with a water bottle. The dog shuffled over at the sight of a human, and as the stranger dripped cool water through the crack in the windows, the dog eagerly lapped it up. Its tail still barely wagged, even that exertion too much in this heat.

"This dog can't stay in here," you said as you stared at the locks. The truck didn't have a keypad, thank goodness...and as a matter of fact, it had one of those manual locks on the inside, the sort you pulled up to unlock the car. Which would've been perfect if you weren't wearing sandals. "Hey. Weird question, but are you wearing shoes with laces right now?"

The blond looked at you through the truck window. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I think I can get the truck open, but I'll need to borrow a shoelace."

You figured the guy would refuse, or at least ask questions as to why you needed his darn shoes. Instead, he hopped down from his side of the truck and ambled over to you. He was a handsome guy, now that you got a good look at him. Tasteful button-down shirt and slacks even in this weather, slick blond hair with bangs that covered half his face in a way that looked more mysterious than old-school emo...the curly eyebrow was a little odd, but in a quirky way. Made him more handsome, in an odd way. Especially when he put one foot up on the running board and unlaced his shoe, sliding the string out and handing it to you with a determined nod.

You formed a small lasso with the shoestring, then slid it into the crack in the window. All you had to do was lower it onto the lock, tighten the loop, and pull.

"You happen to be a master thief or something?" The blond asked, simultaneously curious and impressed.

"Nothing so fancy. I'm just real bad about leaving my keys in my car. Keep an eye out in case the owner comes back, okay?"

The stranger nodded and hopped back onto the running board to peer over the top of the truck. Meanwhile, the mutt inside crawled up to the front seat, curious at this new development. It thankfully seemed smart enough to recognize that it was being saved, and didn't bat at the string. Just a little more, and...there! You tightened the loop and pulled the lock up with a satisfying click.

Three things happened at once.

You pulled the door open.

The mutt leapt into your arms with such force, you fell off the running board.

And the car alarm blared with the fury of a thousand hornets.

You clutched the mutt tight to your chest and prepared to hit the pavement, but you instead fell into a pair of sturdy arms. The wind hit your face as you opened your eyes; the blond was bolting full-tilt through the parking lot with you and the dog in his grasp.

"Where's your car?" He shouted.

"Left it home! I took the bus! Where's your car?"

"I walked!" His shoes slapped against the pavement, and you belatedly realized that the shoestring had been left behind in the chaos, still looped around the lock in the still-open door of the truck. Your imagination ran wild with cops somehow tracking down your prints from the shoestring and chasing you down for kidnapping a dog.

"Are we being chased?" You asked.

"Don't know! Not looking back. But if I ever see this dog's owner, I'm kicking his ass!" The blond took a sharp turn, narrowly avoiding a collision with a gaggle of college students. "I'm taking us to my work. There's food and A/C there for the dog, and we can figure out what we're doing from there."

You couldn't think of a better plan, and you wouldn't abandon the mutt at this rate, especially as it licked your face in appreciation. So you nodded and wondered where this bizarre day would take you next.

You'd heard of the Baratie, never had a chance to eat there. Not for lack of funds or interest; it just never came up. So imagine your surprise when you found yourself at the local favorite restaurant before opening, sitting next to a mutt happily lapping up water, the blond stranger humming nearby as he cooked up a meal in the kitchen. Because when he said "get the dog food", he didn't mean ordinary dog chow, but serving up the dog a homemade feast to make up for the ordeal it had just endured.

You had no idea what the dog's name was, or if it had one at all. It had no nametag, just a cheap metal choke-chain you'd swiftly removed. The dog seemed healthy enough, but there were patches in its fur and the scrapes of a rough life outdoors. You decided that, even on the off-chance that someone chased you down for dognapping, you'd refuse to give the mutt up. It deserved a far better home than the one it came from.

Still. "I can't believe I just stole a dog with a random stranger," you said aloud.

"Well then, let's fix that," the blond said as he wandered out with a pair of plates. "I'm Sanji, and here's lunch. Can't be strangers with a name and a meal together, huh?" He set one down in front of the dog, who happily immediately dug into a feast of meat, brown rice, and assorted canine-safe veggies. The other, he set on the table in front of you. You blinked; he'd asked you off-hand questions about your food preferences when you'd arrived, but you hadn't expected him to actually cook for you too.

"I...thank you. And nice to meet you, Sanji." You gave him your name, and his entire face brightened as if it were music to his ears. "Look, this is really sweet, but I don't have a huge amount of cash on hand."

"That's fine. This is on the house, for your heroism and quick-thinking." Sanji took the seat opposite you with a soft smile. "If you hadn't come along, I don't know what I would've done. My only plan was to break the window, but that might've hurt the dog."

You took a bite of your meal. A medley of flavor danced across your tongue. "You know, reasonable folks would've...I dunno, gone inside and had customer service call over the intercom. Or called the cops. Made it someone else's problem."

Sanji shrugged. "Maybe. Think I would've stuck around anyway, saw it through to the end. Had to know if the little guy was alright." There was a softness in Sanji's eye as he looked down at the dog, who chowed down on its meal as if it had never seen food in its life. It was a look of understanding, the sort that came with a history one didn't ask about lightly. Made you curious about this handsome stranger, one who'd drop all plans and leave behind his own shoelaces in order to help someone in need.

You said, "Thank goodness for the unreasonable people of the world, then. Speaking of which...what're we going to do with the dog? I could try to smuggle it into my apartment, but the owners don't allow pets, so I'd have to be careful."

Sanji's gaze flitted up to the ceiling. "My apartment's right over the restaurant. I can keep the dog here."

"Your landlord won't mind?"

"Not if he wants to keep his best chef around. Besides, he's a sucker for underdogs. If the old owner comes back for this little guy, Zeff will toss the guy out by his ears." Sanji winked and turned to the dog. "What do you say, huh? Wanna' stay here with me? Fresh food every day and no choke-chains." The mutt barked in approval, tail wagging at full speed.

Sanji turned to you again. "You're free to visit, if you'd like. I mean, I can't take the dog out during work hours...but like, on breaks, or before we open?"

You smiled at this handsome stranger, with his heart on his sleeve and a sparkle in his eyes. You realize that yes, you'd be more than happy to see him again. "I'd love that. Besides, I'm pretty sure I owe you a new pair of shoelaces..."

[karasuno-writings]

Yo. I'm new to your blog, so I'll try my best to be appreciative and polite to you. Doing this gotta be hard. So, I ain't gonna act like you inhuman. This is your work, and its darn good. You got support for that. Anyway, I hope this ain't a weird request. Decline if your wanna, no hard feelings. How about headcanons with Tsukishima, Hinata, Iwaizumi, Kuroo, and Kenma. Them having a sleepover with their s/o, and they put their head in their lap, and sing to them? Is that confusing, or too many?

Ah thank you so so much for your kind words, I’m really thankful of how thoughtful you are! It is a perfect request and a very wholesome one honestly!! Yes I loved this and don’t worry it was just right! Thank you so so much again!

And thank you all who helped yesterday, I am sorry if it was bothersome for me to make my breakdown public but honestly?? It was all of you who made me feel better. Special thanks to @normiewrites @bakupecs @leiawriteshaikyuu @oyaoyaoyoya @wolfishwriting and @a-q-rp  (If you guys don’t want to be tagged just tell ma and sorry about that!) but if you wrote to me I really appreciate it, thank you all so much. 

Tsukishima

You went to his house due to a storm that hit Miyagi late at night after a date the two of you had. Considering you were close to his home that is where the two of you rushed towards. At arrival you were soaking, and he definitely could not let you go home while it was dark and pouring, so he suggested for you to stay the night.

Of course you agreed, so he handed you some pajamas and let you take a hot shower, how horribly irresponsible of him would it be to leave you freeze and catch a cold after all.

Depending on your size you either wore the full set or you found the pants to be too big but just the shirt perfect. Either way they were Dinosaur print pajamas, and he was blushing when you came out of the bathroom. 

He was wearing pajamas with a shark on the shirt, and looked way too cute for the frown that he has as a cover up for his slightly pink cheeks. 

His gaze softens quick enough though, the two of you have been dating for a long time and he trusts you, he didn’t feel vulnerable as he thought he would, that was the biggest relief.

It was early enough so the two of you sat down to watch a movie, his pick was interstellar, and you didn’t complain so it was set. 

15 minutes into the movie he pressed his lips on top of your head silently, your hair still wet from the shower, he could smell his shampoo which he immediately thought suited you, it felt so personal. 

That’s what made him shift so your head rest on his lap. You were clearly confused by his actions but complied to rest your head on his legs, pleased at the affection that he was only prone to show in private.

Your wet hair was fresh to the touch and soft in his hands, so he absentmindedly ran his fingers through it, dividing stands and twisting strands, all while immersed in the movie. 

Halfway through while being fully immersed, half conscious of what he was doing he started humming softly

You did not say anything as you knew better, but it however felt so heartfelt? It was truly a precious moment between the two of you.

Ever since that moment it is an unspoken habit between the two of you

He does it often, however it’s only late at night and while the two of you are enjoying quality time silently.

Hinata

He invited you over to his house for no real reason, he just wanted to spend more time with you and he thought it would be a nice “date”. So once you were at his house the first thing the two of you did was make a pillow fort

It was pretty big as you sat inside with your laptop playing some background music as you were just chatting it up. However he wanted to be closer to you so he just shuffled over. 

Once next to you he grabbed your head and placed it on his lap, probably a little on the harsher side because of his excitement. “Let me play with your hair Y/N it just smells so good!” 

As you nodded and chuckled he began untangling it and running his fingers through it. He either plays with it making small braids that he learned to do thanks to Natsu if it is long enough, or just gush about how nice it feels if it is short. 

He is talking to you about all his aspirations and you know volleyball until a song comes into his head, and he just kinda starts drifting away and starts singing it to you

He is smiling the whole time as he sings, brushing his fingers over your hair and taking loose strands off your face while looking into your eyes.

He smiles when he is done singing and he just silently plays with your hair for a few moments, he is very talkative but the moments of shared silence are so genuine and he is just admiring you

He started lowkey crying because he loves you so much, when you notice and ask he just hugs you and tells you that he just can’t believe he has you???

He is such an angel, this started happening frequently ever since, like whenever you are on a date in a more chill plan like staying at home he is very much singing to you while stroking your hair 

Please do it for him too, if you sing to him he will sing along with you and honestly karaoke duets happen very often between the two of you 

Iwaizumi

The first time you stayed over was because he had just lost a pretty important match and you wanted to support him. He really appreciate the offer and the fact that it was your idea was so much better, he just wanted to take his head out of the game. 

When he saw you wearing pajamas he had this adorable blush on because honestly you looked great. He usually sleeps in boxers but he is a gentleman so he had some comfortable shorts on. 

You both were chilling on his couch, this was after all a plan the came up out of the blue, so you were eating snacks while watching your favorite series. His arm was draped around you in a really lazy way, and his rough fingertips brushing your arm tenderly. 

As you watched the last chapter together he felt  you getting heavier against his chest and he looked at you, confirming that you were indeed asleep. 

He started at you for a few moments, you looked so soft with you eyes closed, he didn’t want to disturb you so he panicked for at least five seconds.

After that he relaxed and very carefully help you lie down on the couch, resting your head on his lap.

He pressed a kiss to you forehead and changed the finale so you would not miss it, and put on an animated film because he is a sucker for them.

He loved your hair so he began playing with it, knowing it would help you relax, he almost does it as a scalp massage, he is so good as helping you relieve stress. He was tender but rough, pretty much like he is with most things. 

You woke up slightly to hear him singing, he was not singing along to anything particularly, he just felt so at calm with you sleeping on his lap. 

You did not stir until he finished singing, that is when he noticed you were awake once more. The blood rushed straight up to his cheeks after that, he was very embarrassed.

That is until you pressed a soft kiss on his lips as you shuffled to look at him. His hands found their way to you back and he was smiling onto your lips. He just loves you so much.

He does it often, but the singing is a rare occurrence 

Kenma 

Neither of you planned the sleepover, however when the two of you decided to take a break from playing you discovered that it was incredibly late, so he asked you to stay the night.

He had this small smile as he said it, he liked the idea of getting to spend more time with you, specially if it meant he got to cuddle you

He lent you some pajamas or comfy clothes of his, he liked when you wore his clothing, it was a small gesture of what you meant to him. He is a firm believer that to date you just need a really deep friendship so he likes those small details that give off they you are indeed dating. 

The two of you had been playing games but now he just wanted to watch you play, so the two of you sat on the floor, his legs wrapped around you as he rest his chin on your shoulder, his arms loosely wrapped around you as he held his gaze on the game. 

It was late at night, the two of you had watched a movie and played some board games, he is unsurprisingly good at them, and now you were laying on his bed, head on his lap. 

The two of you were quiet as his hands found his way onto your hair, he then started playing with it, soft fingers meticulously dividing strands and tenderly running up and down your hair. 

He then started humming, a soft and almost ethereal tune,  as his eyes become droopy and his hands touched your hair carefully.

He has a beautiful singing voice, he however will not sing often, just in these precious moments.

Like that the both of you drifted asleep, only shifting almost in the morning, as you snuggled up to him. 

Kuroo

It started as a study date, the two of you knew exams were approaching so it always helped to study together, however when you suggested staying over this boy was ecstatic. 

When you arrived the two of you did study, long enough to get worn out. The second he saw you stress he decided to call it quits. He had prepared everything for this moment, from the movie the two of you would watch to the games you were to play.

When the two of you went to put on you pajamas he just smirked and mocked you, you just looked adorable and he honestly didn’t know how else to cope.

This dork lay blankets on the floor and pillows surrounding it, for the two of you to be comfortable so he literally lift you up and lay you down on the little place he had set up. He was about to put the movie but he got really caught up with talking to you and joking around to make you relax.

Then the two of you decided to actually watch the movie, some disney movie you had always loved, and before you could make yourself comfortable he was behind you, softly laying your head on his legs.

His hands quickly found their way to your hair he loved to play with it as a side distraction from the movie, and knowing it was something you liked made it all better. 

He sang along to every single song in the movie and honestly he played with you hair almost the entirety of it, you ended up very relaxed and his he now smelled like you, he was really happy about it. 

If you sing with him he will be beyond happy, making voices for different characters and all.  

However after it ended the two of you remained there, and as he saw you he smirked and sang you a song very dear to him, it was soft and honestly he just appreciated that he could spend this moments with you. 

You closed your eyes because it felt really good and just before you opened them he kissed you softly, smiling lightly. He was happy he took you by surprise. 

[nad-zeta]

Hi, hi! I'm not following you for long, but I already love here! ♡ Can I ask a HC? Suddenly, I've been thinking about Yukimura, Ieyasu and Mitsunari, more specifically their lack of experience with women. I believe they've never been with a woman before MC, because of reasons (two tsunderes and too focused on work, respectively). So I'd like to ask for their first time with MC, if that's ok. Maybe forget they did it in their route? Sorry if I wasn't very clear, English is not my native language♡

Hehehe, thank you so much for the request, love! I could feel myself blushing the entire time while writing this lolz. I had to ask my brother what it’s like for a boy’s first time, so yeah, that was a strange conversation. Anyways here you go love, I hope you enjoy it!

It’s noting to NSFW but lolz I don’t know, I guess I would rate this read at own discretion lol PG13 

First Time HC with Yukimura, Mitsunari, Ieyasu 

Yukimura

So its no secret this boy has like 0 woman communication skill, he has basically spent most of his life training and fighting battles

But that all changed when he met you

You were the first woman he has ever been in a relationship with or even loved for that matter

Your relationship with this boy officially started when he kissed you on new years eve while the fireworks were going off

That was the first time he had ever kissed well anyone in his life, and after he thought darn why haven’t I done this before its great.

The two of you were starting to get really serious and you have been dropping hints like mad to take your relationship to the next level.

Yukimura knew you were dropping hints and during you intimate cuddle sessions he would always look for an excuse to delay doing THAT

Lol it was time to get some expert advice

He went to Shingen bright red, and before even opening his mouth, Shingen knew what was up

“So my little boy has finally decided to become a man, I’m so proud” Shingen said as he used his hand towel to dab the fake tears in the corner of his eyes

“I knew this was a bad idea,” before Yuki could leave Shingen grabbed his shoulder and sat him down

By the time Shingen was done with his explanation this poor boy was so red, and he felt like he was going to melt in a puddle of embarrassment

He left Shigens room in a daze, Sasuke saw his friend and instantly knew what had just gone down.

It was now Sasuke’s turn to impart knowledge, halfway through the explanation Kenshin walked into the room. Lol even he had some words of advice for Yuki. “Wait, but I thought you hated women.” To that Kenshin simply rolled his eyes and left giving one last final piece of advice

Today was the day, Yuki was 100% determined

The two of you are laying together in bed as you’ve done a 100 times before

Yukimura is overwhelmed with the overload of the advice and you can definitely tell something is up

You peer into his eyes asking him what is wrong

He covers his face with a pillow muttering into it that it’s his first time and he is a bit nervous

You take the pillow off his face and gaze into his amber eyes reassuring him, you now were also a blushy mess cause it was your first time too

Yuki immediately propped himself up on one arm and looked at you a little shook, “wait, really.” “yeah dummy so let’s figure this out of together okay”

He smiled and nodded

There was a lot of fumbling and awkwardness at first and both of your faces were red AF

In the beginning, there was lots of laughing at how nervous both of you were

Yuki kissed and touched you softly, loving and unhurried.

Each touch was tender and warm

As nervous as the two of you were, you wanted to take your time and make the experience last, taking your time exploring, touching and loving one another

Yukimura moves slow and lovingly, making sure you are comfortable and okay the whole time

His face will be close to you’re the whole time, either resting his forehead on your or kissing you, cause it is his first time he wants to take in your beautiful face and perfect body. 

He honestly can’t help but get lost in your beautiful eyes

This boy worships your body thanx to all daddy Shingen’s advice

Loves your soft moans, it definitely gives him the confidence he needs to keep going

The whole affair is very awkward, loving and gentle

Once he has reached his orgasm, he will keep going until you reach yours, Shingen didn’t raise no selfish boy

When both of you are tired and spent from the hours of lovemaking, he will clean you up and give you some tea or water. Will cuddle and snuggle the shit out of you whispering how much he loves you (Thanks to Kenshin’s softie boy advice). Watches you fall asleep while stroking your hair. Will fall asleep while hugging think about just how much he adores you

Mitsunari

The two of you have been together now for quite some time

Mitsunari has definitely been feeling an unknown feeling lately when the two of you are cuddling together

The poor little angel is so confused about what is going on with his body

Will go talk to Hideyoshi about it, and Hideyoshi will basically give him a crash course about everything he would need to know. 

Mitsunari still feels like there is more to be learned on this subject at hand

And what does Mitsunari do when he knows limited knowledge about a subject, jip research

Basically becomes a sex scholar now, he will learn everything and anything he can, even consulting some of his warlord friends

When the two of you are cuddling while reading together as you’ve done many nights before, he can’t help but start kissing your soft skin

He looks all cool and calm on the outside, but this boy be nervous

You look up into his Amathist eyes and see something you haven’t yet seen, desire.

This ain’t your first rodeo, and you have been waiting for the moment that Mitsunari would want to get a bit more intimate.

Mitsunari confessed to you that it was his first time, you reassure him by telling him, you will teach him everything you know

He starts by running his fingertips along your body, just savoring the the feeling of your soft skin

Mitsunari wants to take his time getting to know your body and finding all those spots that would bring you immense pleasure

He will kiss every inch of your body until his lips feel numb

He wants you to convey just how much he loves you through the gentle touches and kisses

Will spend most of his time pleasuring you, he has discovered that he LOVES eating you out!

Who knew this angel could be so naughty

This boy has discovered the art of teasing, will find each of your sweet spots and exploit them

He wants to feel you shiver beneath him, he loves you so much and wants to know that you want him as much as he wants you

This angel boy will legit give you his most innocent angelic smile while teasing the shit out of you- seems like he consulted with Mitsuhide

His actions are slow, soft, gentle and teasing

He is making love instead of merely just having sex

Will whisper the sweetest things in your ears the whole time

Will give you constant compliments, as well as ask you if you would like him to do anything, he will follow each one of your instructions to a T

Will gently clean you up afterward, he is really attentive and super sweet afterward, He just wants to love and hold you.  Angel boy will be pressing soft kisses into your hair, while spooning you from behind. He might even read you a sweet story to lull you into sweet dreams

Ieyasu

This tsundere boy has never found anyone who could love his fluffy contrary ways, until he met you

Gosh he loves you so so much

One day you went to his palace to visit him, the two of you had been in a relationship for a super long time now.

You guys were just chilling and having tea when all of a sudden it started raining

It was getting pretty late, and as the day progressed it seemed to get colder

Ieyasu went to light the fireplace and sat next to you wrapping a warm blankie around the two of you

Honestly, he has wanted to go down on you and is constantly desiring you, he is just super good at hiding it but now thanks to the rain, the mood and atmosphere was perfect

He doesn’t waste a moment he immediately reaches for you and starts kissing you softly, slowly moving down your neck

He picks you up and gently put you down on his futon, he is looking at you questioningly, you nod and give him the go-ahead.

The rain creates the perfect dim lighting

He hovers over you for a few moments just taking in your pure beauty

He will take his time enjoying the feeling of your soft skin under his calloused palms

Ieyasu is a fast learner even though it is his first time he will gently kiss and touch you all over finding all those little spots that makes you moan and scream out his name.

 After a while, he will know exactly which spot to nibble or touch to make you shudder

This boy loves kisses and will legit kiss every inch of your beautifully soft skin, he might just leave a few love bites in its wake

He will move slow, soft and lovingly, every kiss and touch will be gentle and feather-light  telling you exactly just how much he loves you and how much you mean to him

The boy is very vocal

Every moment is filled with sweet whispers, of him telling you how breathtaking you are, how much he loves you and how perfect you are

Softi boy will make sure both of you are completely satisfied

He loves touching your face and staring into your beautiful eyes

Afterward, he will clean you up and spoon you from behind, while drawing soft circles on your bare skin for hours. You are the only one he will show weakness to. He will whisper to you afterward that you were actually his first, poor boy will be blushing the whole time. Aftercare with Ieyasu will consist of the sweetest softest snuggles, soft words, and sweet endearments

I hope ya enjoyed it, love! ❤❤🔥🥰

[audreycritter]

I know you're already writing The Librarian, but I'm greedy. If you're still doing Flash fics - Bruce and Selina? Or Selina interacting with one of the bat kids? Thanks :)

Rating: T? Maybe G? Idk it’s pretty darn mild.

French Fries

“Just a coffee?” he repeated, to make sure. Catwoman studied her nails with a slight frown and nodded at him, a little distracted.

“That’s all,” she said. “Black.”

He didn’t sigh or shrug or give any indication that he felt any particular way about this aside from a pause that stretched out a bit long even for him.

“A coffee,” she repeated. “Un café.”

“You’re not going to steal my fries,” Batman said sternly, more a declaration than a warning or a question.

“Me?” she asked, lifting her goggles to blink at him. “Steal?”

“Hnn,” was all he said. His cowl hid any expression around his eyes and underneath the cowl, his discipline smoothed out any expression that might have dared show itself anyway, but one corner of his mouth quirked up just slightly.

Catwoman slid her goggles back down and moved closer to him. How the hell he managed cursive with a pencil while wearing the gauntleted gloves was beyond her, but his script neatly filled part of the white notepaper all the same. She tried blowing on the lower part of his cheek to see if he’d react. He didn’t.

She traced his jawline with a fingernail and he did not flinch or jerk away, but the pencil stopped moving and he exhaled long and slow and soft. It would have been sweet if it wasn’t clearly a noise of irritation. Catwoman glanced down at the paper, where the pencil mark made a long, marring gash through the words above his present line. She grinned and sat back.

Batman did not bother to erase the line, but finished the short list and then stood and stepped off the edge of the roof. Catwoman yawned and sat back, propping her weight on her outstretched arms, and a second later there was a snick as the grappling hook caught the concrete.

Down the building face, he tucked the folded paper into a windowsill while hanging from one arm, then pressed the recoil button and soared vertically with his cape fluttering around him. At the top, he swung up over onto the roof again.

Catwoman was examining a batarang and he glanced down at the compartment on his utility belt and bit off his own compulsion to sigh. He held a hand out for it and she laughed and shook her head.

“Finders keepers,” she said, spinning the flat edge around on a finger.

“That hardly applies to pickpocketing,” he retorted.

“I thought your belt was ‘impossible,’” she smirked.

“That wasn’t a challenge,” he said, turning to gaze across the city instead of look at her. If he did, she’d know how close she was to eliciting a laugh and it wasn’t exactly the sort of behavior he wanted to encourage.

“Just like ‘take off your pants and get in the van’ wasn’t a challenge?” she asked, snatching his cape and pulling hard. He actually staggered a step back before whirling to scowl at her.

“That was an emergency,” he said, irritated. “And you were wearing that ridiculous disguise. You can’t possibly think that was intended to be flirtatious.”

“It’s hard to tell with you sometimes,” she said obstinately. She reached up to hand him the batarang, which he accepted gingerly with two fingers as if it might explode. She shivered when she realized it had been an actual possibility, considering him and his arsenal.

He actually clicked open the eye visors in the cowl to meet her gaze.

“You know what I do during daylight hours, my reputation,” he said, as if they hadn’t had this conversation half a dozen times already. “If I’m flirting with you, you’ll know. That was a matter of safety.”

“Damn, but you’re prickly tonight,” Catwoman complained. “Are you hangry?”

“I don’t know what that means,” he said stiffly, though she guessed he had to know somehow or other. She didn’t explain.

The roof access door opened just a crack and a paper sack and drink carrier were set on the roof, then the door clicked shut.

“Delivery, too,” she said, whistling. “You don’t even really need to go home if you don’t want to.”

He ignored this and strode over to pick up the food.

This time when he rejoined her, he sat down next to her and handed her the coffee. The other drink looked like it might be a milkshake.

“Are you eating with the gloves on,” she asked, when the burger was halfway to his mouth. He froze for a second and then took a bite as an answer. She rolled her eyes. “It’s a wonder you aren’t dead already.”

For a few minutes, they were quiet and the quiet shifted to companionable, like it usually did these days. He turned his head to scan the skyline, his eye visors still retracted, and Selina snuck a French fry.

She sipped her coffee immediately after, making it soggy, but he’d looked back and she didn’t want to risk her mouth being visibly occupied with food.

It happened again, and then again. He’d let his gaze drift over the city and her hand would creep into the thin cardboard package. Even as good as she was, he had to know she was doing it, so she figured he’d stop her if it really bothered him.

He wadded up the foil wrapped from the burger and tipped the fry container up. It was nearly empty.

“Selina,” he exclaimed, sounding a little shocked. It probably would have sounded flat to most people but she’d known him a long time.

“What?” she asked, a little surprised herself that he apparently hadn’t noticed and feeling a little triumphant that she hadn’t lost her game. She raised an eyebrow even though it was pointless with the mask and goggles and she slurped his milkshake.

His jaw tightened and he reached forward and took it from her hand.

“I could have gotten you anything,” he said.

“It’s more fun this way,” she answered.

But now that the glow of victory was fading a little, she realized that he seemed…distracted. He’d sought her out tonight so it probably wasn’t that she wasn’t interesting, otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted his time.

He was sometimes infuriatingly unromantic and practical like that.

“You okay?” she asked, bumping his knee with hers. She sipped her own coffee this time and admitted to herself that it was actually really good coffee for a midnight diner.

“Hn,” he said without looking over. “I’m fine.”

“That’s great,” she said, taking the milkshake from him and sucking down a drink again. She put it back in his motionless hand, his fingers still in a C-shape she fit the cup into. “Now how about the truth? I don’t like playing therapist so I’m not asking again.”

Batman scoped out the rooftop and surrounding buildings before setting the milkshake down and pushing his cowl off his head. His hair was slightly damp with sweat and he still wore a domino mask, but it was much more like looking at Bruce than Batman.

Selina pulled her goggles down around her neck and tugged her own mask off. She wasn’t wearing a domino but she didn’t ever care as much as he did about the identity thing.

He finished the French fries while they sat and she’d nearly given up on him actually saying anything more when he spoke, facing the city instead of her.

Their shoulders were touching after she’d scooted closer but for a brief moment, it felt like there was an actual barrier between them as he looked straight ahead; it was like being dragged to confession as a child, but as the confessor for once.

“It doesn’t matter how much I do,” he said. “It’s not enough.”

Selina wanted to tease him about midlife crises, but she held her tongue.

“There was a drive-by tonight,” he said. “I didn’t get there in time. A pedestrian died on the scene.”

“If you think that was your fault, I’m going to scratch your face,” Selina said seriously.

He looked at her then, his slight frown belying the intensity in his eyes. She didn’t scratch his face.

“It all feels like my fault,” he said levelly. “Every time I’m not fast enough. It all matters or none of it does.”

“That sounds like a shitty way to live,” she observed, she hoped neutrally.

The city had his attention again.

“It is,” he said in agreement. “But I can’t settle for the alternative. Too many already do.”

Selina opened her mouth to point out how stupid this sounded, as if his sense of guilt negated the lack of care others might show, but she reconsidered and said simply, “I’m sorry.”

His posture dipped a little and then straightened again and he nodded.

Selina put an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. She put her hand in his free hand, intertwining glove and gauntlet.

“For the record, the apology was not for the fries,” she said quietly.

He chuckled, a coarse and cut-off sound, and said, “Noted.”

They didn’t move from the spot for a long time and when the sun began to tinge the eastern horizon faint purple against the dark sky, he lifted her chin with two fingers and kissed her.

It wasn’t hard or passionate, like some kisses she’d had from him or other men. It was gentle, for all the confidence in his movement, and when she ducked her head after he pulled back, she frowned at her hands and then looked up at him again.

“What do you say we get out of here?” he asked. “I know a place.”

“If it has a bed and a nap, count me in,” Selina said, stretching.

“I think that can be arranged,” he answered. “As long as you promise to not steal the blankets.”

“I can’t promise something against my nature,” she retorted, standing and stretching again. “I’ll meet you there, Bat.”

“Selina,” he said, just as she was about to run and leap. She hesitated and looked back. “Thank you,” he said.

“You’re too hard on yourself,” she said in reply, and then she jumped.

He repositioned the cowl and made the journey alone back across the city and through the outskirts and into the Cave.

She wasn’t there.

Bruce climbed the stairs into the Manor thirty minutes later, after writing patrol reports and storing the suit and repairing a utility belt compartment. It was fully dawn outside but the house was still quiet.

He didn’t hear the shower running until he was in the hall leading to the master bedroom.

Tim was sitting on the floor, back propped against the bedroom door, looking groggy and half-asleep.

“Is this an authorized use of your space?” Tim asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

“Selina?” Bruce asked, holding out a hand to the teen.

Tim nodded and let Bruce pull him to his feet.

“Yeah,” Bruce said. “Thanks.”

“M’going to bed,” Tim mumbled in reply. “Don’t let her steal the silverware.”

“Has she ever stolen the silverware?” Bruce asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

“No?” Tim said like it was a question. He disappeared around the corner.

Bruce went into the bedroom. The bathroom door was cracked open and the shower was still running and on his bed was a paper bag. Curious, he wondered over and tipped it to look inside.

It was full of French fries.

[brites]

AU prompt Anon here! Just wanted to make sure because I'm always up for unconventional stuff to mix things up! Feel free to reject because they're super weird and not always aligned with your genres. Character A can fly! They love taking people on joyrides, doing flips and loop-de-loops! Character B gets airsick, but gosh darn it if they can't say no to that face. Nausea ensues.

AN: this seems like the perfect opportunity to flex my x-men au muscles

Despite how often he complained, Tsukishima really wouldn’t trade being a mutant for anything else.

Sure, it could be troublesome at times. Depending on the teacher, Institute classes could be dull beyond belief. He was pretty sure the Danger Room violated about twenty established federally mandated safety codes. Not to mention, he had to share close quarters with people like Hinata, and was expected to work with him – which was about as easy as chasing a hamster around a freeway.

Still, Tsukishima knew he was lucky to have the Institute. Without it, he would still be the same scared little boy who couldn’t understand why everyone’s thoughts were so loud all the time. The Professor had helped him to control his powers, to the point that Tsukishima really enjoyed being a mutant, for all it entailed.

Yamaguchi Tadashi was someone else who took delight in his own mutation. Enthusiastically. At every possible chance he got.

“Tsukki,” called the boy from outside the window of their shared room. “Come fly with me!”

Tsukishima sighed, setting his book down on his desk with a thud. His skin prickled with a faint sense of discomfort, but he reminded himself that he wasn’t in the air yet. “Should you really be doing that, Yamaguchi?”

“Yeah, Ukai-sensei said it was okay! Come out with me!”

This was Yamaguchi’s favorite thing to do. While the power of flight was a pretty cool one, Tsukishima knew that if he were the one with it, instead of his best friend, he wouldn’t be flipping through the air constantly. If he were allowed to, he didn’t doubt that Yamaguchi would spend more time in the air than on the ground.

“I have a lot of homework to do,” he said over his shoulder, hoping – but not really believing – that would be the end of it.

“Tsukki! Please?”

Tsukishima grit his teeth, allowing his eyes to slip shut.

“Please?”

He turned to look at Yamaguchi.

“Please?”

Dammit, he was using the puppy dog eyes. Tsukishima was a goner before he even knew what hit him.

“Fine,” he conceded, slamming his book shut. He strode over to the window, tugging the blinds up all the way, and peered outside. “Do I need a jacket?”

Yamaguchi’s arms were already extended, grasping for him eagerly. “Nah, it’s warm out today!”

Sighing, Tsukishima gave up and relinquished himself to his friend’s hold. With little fanfare, Yamaguchi wrapped his arms around Tsukishima’s torsa and lifted him right out the window. Tsukishima fought against his instinct to shudder as he felt Yamaguchi’s muscles strain against him. Flying with other people was something it had taken his best friend a while to learn -- namely because he was unable to lift other people up. It had taken countless hours lifting weights in the Institute gym for him to build up the upper body strength necessary to carry someone as heavy as Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi was kind of ripped. It showed. Tsukishima was also kind of in love with his best friend. It also probably showed.

(He certainly wouldn’t fly out a window with anyone else.)

Yamaguchi let out a whoop as they took off, and Tsukishima squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to block out the scenery zipping past him. He was all too aware of the rushing feeling that accompanied soaring through the air as fast as any bird could fly. His stomach felt ready to fly up his throat; his lips, pressed into a tight line, threatened to drain themselves of all blood.

When Yamaguchi did a somersault in midair, Tsukishima’s stomach flipped with it. His friend was laughing all the way, but there was nothing funny about the way Tsukishima was sure he was about to hurl. Even as Yamaguchi’s ever-so-muscley arms tightened around him, it was a cold comfort.

The ride didn’t last long; Yamaguchi got tired quickly when holding others up. By the time Tsukishima was lowered back down onto the Institute front lawn, his legs had turned to jelly.

He fell to his knees as soon as his feet hit the ground. Yamaguchi let out a short laugh. “Was that too much? Sorry.”

Tsukishima intended to reply, to tell him that it was fine -- but when he opened his mouth, all that bubbled out was a burp.

“Umm.” Yamaguchi had gone still, eyes wide and baffled. “Tsukki? Are you... okay?”

Tsukishima’s stomach was still feeling those somersaults, and he was suddenly aware that opening his mouth stood a good chance of leading to disaster. Instead he struggled to his feet, ignoring how unsteady he felt, and held up a hand to ward Yamaguchi from coming any closer.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to piece together what was going on. He could hear Yamaguchi’s realization behind him, and the short gasp of breath that accompanied it. Tsukishima had gotten airsick like this before, but had never brought it up to Yamaguchi; he endured the rides, knowing how queasy he got, and was careful to hide his discomfort afterwards. This time, he couldn’t hide it.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Yamaguchi demanded, voice taking on a frantic pitch. “Ever? You had so many opportunities to say something!”

Tsukishima, still hunched over, aimed a burp towards the ground. “’M fine.”

“No, you’re not! You’re not fine!” It was rare that Yamaguchi actually got angry, but now he was halfway to livid. Tsukishima found himself a little frightened, past the waves of overwhelming nausea.

It wasn’t only his stomach setting him off. In his distracted state, Tsukishima found it impossible to block out the piercing static of Yamaguchi’s thoughts, and a steady litany of panic rushed through his head. His friend was freaking out, and it could not help bleeding over to Tsukishima. With every new pitch Yamaguchi’s mental litany of oh my god oh my god why didn’t he say anything is he okay reached, Tsukishima’s stomach lurched.

“Just – just give me a –” He belched again, and could taste acid in the back of his throat. Immediately his mouth clicked closed. Instead of panting for air, all Tsukishima could really focus on was breathing.

“Please don’t throw up, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whimpered, hand steady on his back. “I’m sorry, I really am, I’m so sorry --”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry!”

Tsukishima allowed himself to slump to his knees again. The world around him was spinning a bit too much for him to hold himself up. His stomach lurched, and he spat a mouthful of saliva onto the ground.

Yamaguchi’s hand was still on his back, massaging gentle circles into his shoulder blades. His thoughts were slowly calming down; as he knelt by his side, Tsukishima could feel him consciously trying to project soothing thoughts into his telepathic friend’s head.

“Do you feel like you’re going to throw up?” Yamaguchi asked in a low voice.

In response, Tsukishima doubled forward and brought up a rush of bile into the grass.

“Oh.”

There wasn’t much to throw up -- an apple he’d eaten for lunch, along with a few crackers and a soda from earlier. Once he was empty, Tsukishima slumped forward, breaths coming harsh and ragged. Yamaguchi’s hand was still on his back; but at the moment, Tsukishima honestly would have preferred his arms around him. He deserved to feel those muscles, dammit.

“Let’s get you inside,” Yamaguchi said softly. “No more rides after this. I promise.”

[dearnormajean]

I rise up

dear norma jean,

I have not forgotten you, but I have let myself fall and almost forgot how to get back up. I am doing better now. It’s a process, that doesn’t come with instructions, so I will fall. I just have to remember to get back up again. Another reminder is that to ask for help, and share my vulnerabilities with those I trust, does not make me weak. Living with this on my own does.

Last Friday was my last session with my therapist before she leaves for her 3 month maternity leave (which of course could be longer depending on myriad of things). While I am so happy for her new adventure in life, I am also worried about how I will handle my mental health needs. I've spent about a week coming up with a plan. One awesome thing about anxiety is that you can think of every scenario that may ever come up. I set up some stuff in place, and I felt pretty darn proud of myself, when my therapist seemed impressed with my growth. Last time, when she went to away for her PhD, I was pretty nonchalant. I mean, I survived 35+ years without her. Yeah, surviving is what I am good at, but was I thriving? Anyway, that's where I have been. I have been reading so you don't you all worry. If I can’t read, then I know I'm in trouble. Reading gets me through a lot. It anchors my mind and soul.

I have been taking free courses in journaling, mindfulness, guided mediations, nature talks, history lectures, Black studies, support groups, book events and book clubs. I am hoping to gain resources to help me in my time away from my therapist. I want to take this time to take all that we have discusses, the resources she has given me and pair it up with creativity. I want to have purpose. I feel like most of my life I have drifted to things, or forced myself away from things that may look too flighty or even talked myself out of things because I think I will fail before I even try. In doing so, I may have missed out on my purpose. But it is never too late, and I am going to be honest with what I want for myself, and if I fail...I fail. How someone sees me is not my worth or my problem. I already have me to deal with, and that’s enough right there.

Soooooo, look what I also did! I have organized myself....and am hoping I can get into a routine. I read somewhere it takes 8 weeks to form a habit (I also could have heard myself saying to myself, and thinking it's a thing). I feel like I wait for January to get myself sorted, and when I don't I just get overwhelmed and hard on myself. I tend to not pick myself up again. It is June, the halfway mark to the year, a start of my hot girls who write and read summer.

At the top of the pile - with a salmon pinky-orange - is my writing journal. I am making it a priority to write. Whether it's poetry, personal essays, a short story, I want to make writing an important part of my life again. In my teens, I wrote every day. I have some of the stuff I wrote, but most I threw away deeming it unworthy. Fun fact about me - I liked to write creep horror stories. One of my first stories I wrote was about a hitchhiking ghost. I really wish I would have kept that. I am going to be working on poetry a lot. It's something that I thought I was horrible at, and seemed so diva-ish, I never really wanted to do it. Yet, I wrote a lot of poems, many on the fly. Hearing feedback on it, I might actually be a poet. I remember my two creative writing teachers in college, really pushed me to send my work out. I sent it to one, got a rejection, and was ready to kill that part of me. I also became so focused on finding my purpose in life, career wise, I kind of missed that this may be one part of it. I have been published in an online magazine and print, so I am not sure why my self doubt creeps in so bad. I will keep you all posted as motivation for me to keep going.

The sassy hot pink journal is actually my notebook of whatever. I am bad at remembering stuff and lists. I put it on stickies and forget where I stuck it, and have piles of paper neatly stacked so I never get to it. I try not to be on my phone, and I hate taking notes on it so this is my "remember this shit, Kris" book. Also, taking down rough notes to put in a more cohesive way later.

The longer pink notebook is my journaling - mental health/nature/faith. I am hoping to get into expressive journaling that can help me release my thoughts, and hopefully also get my creative juices flowing. I have a sketch book as well to do some drawings

The last, but definitely not the least, and the one you may be interested in is my reading journal. In there are my goals, challenges, book clubs, book events, books I come across, recommendations from others. I won't be putting reviews in there as I have this and Goodreads, but it is more my personal goals on reading. I will take some pictures to show on here, but my phone is being very dramatic about the amount of "space" I use - which I don't think is much. I forget that my mini iPad has a camera so I will take some shots with it to show you what I am doing. It's not super fancy, but I wanted to dip my toe in. I am a perfectionist. You would not think that of me, but I am. I tend to not do things because I think I will fail or I won't be good enough. I see other people with reading journals that look soooooo amazing, and then look at my washabi tape all crooked and ask why I bother. For the next twelve months I am going on a journey of self-compassion. I want to invite you on that journey with me, but no pressure if that is too much for you. One lesson I have learned from my therapist is that I may be too much for some people, and that’s okay, because for others I am enough. I will be putting up my boundaries and working on my anger that shows up as resentment and trauma.

Just to warn you about triggers...I will be discussing my anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, childhood trauma, domestic violence (as witness and survivor) and there are two more that I am not ready to be public with...yet. I will be doing some of my writing on here, especially poetry. I will try to be mindful of triggers and post warnings.

If you took the time to read to this point, thank you. You have helped me be open and honest to the world and get to an authentic self. I am broken, but I can heal and mend.