#i'm not gonna put this in the wednesday tag that would be mean

[e-the-village-cryptid]

i am very interested in your rant about Wednesday

hoo boy. ok so I'm way too tired right now to get into the more serious, real-world-affecting issues with the show so I'm going to leave that to tirrrb's excellent video on the matter and just go with the pettier, in-world issues.

spoilers ahead

[preface. I didn't completely hate the show. I actually found most of it enjoyable to watch. that's the reason I'm so passionate about all the problems with it]

ok so first off. this show would not have been a huge hit if it weren't for the nostalgia factor. the show was, to be honest, mediocre. the plot made no goddamn sense, the love triangle was forced and both love interests were boring and the same exact person, the "school for monsters" thing made no sense at all. the only reason it was halfway decent was 1. most of the acting was very good (most.) and 2. it looked good aesthetically. and the only reason it took off is because people already knew the addams family.

but here's the thing. here's the thing. I've heard people say the show hates its source material. I disagree. the show doesn't even know its source material. it's apathetic. and that's even worse. the show is based on the addams family as someone who once heard someone reference it in conversation would understand the addams family. they were like "what's our source material? ok so weird morbid family with goth vibes, the parents are continuously overcome with lust for each other, the daughter is even more morbid than most of them. got it." but like? what about everything else? where is the heart of the addams family? where is the camp, the flair, the hilarity, the delight, the obliviousness to their strangeness and their revelry in mischief? which brings me to something else:

the genre of this show is 100% incompatible with the addams family. full stop. you cannot maintain the concept of the addams family in a genre that takes it seriously. the addams family genuinely enjoy murder, torture, and death. this works in a sitcom! it does not work in a drama! in the 90s movies wednesday (kills? buries alive? if the latter, they were dead eventually) two people. it's played for laughs, because, you know, sitcom. wednesday would never in a million years be trying to PREVENT people from being murdered. but of course that doesn't work in a serious show; they'd be horrible people! but then you get this incongruence between wednesday talking about how awesome murder is and then being mad at her dad because she believes he murdered someone once. the result is that in Wednesday, they just seem like an edgy but ultimately harmless goth family, when the source material is they are all genuinely fucking unhinged in the best way. you can't take the addams family seriously, it just doesn't work.

and don't even get me started on the "school for magical kids" nonsense. what?? ok, completely making stuff up for a remake isn't ALWAYS bad, but.... in this case it really was. in a world full of vampires and werewolves and sirens, the addams family are STILL the weird ones because they're, what, goth? wednesday gets into the school before they even know she HAS magical powers, which also makes no goddamn sense. everyone treats her as special and makes exceptions for her because.... why, exactly? i agree with tirrrb that what netflix really wanted to make was some sort of monster high remake but they didn't have the rights to that so they just... co-opted the addams family instead. and it just doesn't make sense to do that with the addams family. the addams family is funny because of their contrast to the completely ordinary world they live in. you take away their charm by making their weirdness just some product of a larger magical world.

and the fucking love triangle. first of all. wednesday wasn't into either of them. there was zero chemistry there. and why did there even have to be a love triangle in the first place?? wednesday's rude to everyone so naturally everyone wants her and is convinced she's in love with them (?????). and good god. it took me four episodes to even tell those two apart. two identical white boys with identical attitudes and identical inabilities to understand the word "no". "you're sending me mixed signals" my dude if you think "no" is a mixed signal I think that's a you problem. love triangles are supposed to force some choice between something more than just the two boys, and they kind of tried to do that by making Tyler a "normie" (side note: calling them "normies" like it's an insult? what are y'all, emo 12-year-olds? get over yourselves), but then that... never really came into play? also Jenna Ortega's "emotionless" Wednesday face still managed to convey more emotion than either of those two boys ever did combined. like the most Tyler's expression ever changes is when he's literally being tortured, when he like, knits his eyebrows a bit (ok I'm exaggerating but not by much).

and what were they even trying to do with enid's werewolf thing? like it was very clearly a metaphor for queerness (they even had that godawful "conversion therapy for werewolves" line) but the metaphor was so confused. they had no goddamn idea what they were trying to say. "ok so interesting twist on the werewolf thing— it's actually NOT being a werewolf that's the metaphor for queerness here!" ok cool. then what. "ok so Enid feels left out of her family and like her parents are disappointed because she hasn't wolfed out yet." got it, got it, sounds a lot like parents being disappointed you haven't "stopped with the silly tomboy stuff and settled down with a nice man". keep going. "ok so even Enid is super upset about this even though she knows she should take it on her own time." yeah, internalized homophobia, got it. and then? "but then she wolfs out and realizes she was able to be a normal werewolf the whole time after all!! she's so happy and relieved and her parents are finally proud!" wait, what??

now it's time for the big one!! I saved the worst for last! the PLOT. THE FUCKING PLOT. THAT MONSTROSITY YOU CALL A PLOT. wednesday writers. listen. listen to me. twists are fine. red herrings are fine. but listen. here is the important part. when the twist is revealed, the viewer must feel like they should have gotten it before. they must understand why the twist is what it is. and they definitely, definitely cannot be left feeling that the red herring still makes more sense than the actual twist! there has to be an explanation for why the red herring appeared to be guilty even though they weren't! you can't just abandon that thread!! there are two big ones here that upset me.

the fricken "xavier is the monster" mislead. ok so he isn't the monster. why then, does he constantly see the monster in his dreams? why is it basically all he draws? why is it in his head so much? "oh that's easy! because he has this drawing stuff power!" yeah I know that but why the monster specifically? "because it's most relevant because it's gonna take down the school!" ok.... but why just the monster? why does he never see joseph crackstone? thornhill? aren't they an imminent danger to the school too? "uhhh next question"

Dr. Kimball. listen. she was a TERRIBLE therapist. she was so bad she literally couldn't have been a therapist. she was massively violating HIPPA all over the place, invasively entering her clients' lives during important moments outside of the therapeutic space, etc. it was SO BAD she couldn't possibly have been a real therapist but no it just turns out she was fine? red herring guys! listen listen listen you NEED an explanation for why your red herrings are Like That

also the entire Crackstone thing made no sense. "I hate people who do magic, magic is an abomination, therefore you must seal my crypt with magic and then use magic to raise me from the dead so I can use my magic staff to kill all these evil magic-doers" .......uh huh

ok I'm gonna stop here but let me say I didn't hate everything about the show! the Wednesday acting was excellent and Jenna Ortega really did capture the essence of the character. Bianca is fantastic, Eugene is fabulous. Enid and Wednesday's relationship was very genuine. Thing and Uncle Fester were great. the aesthetics looked great and the show continued being enjoyable to watch thanks to the good actors even when the plot was a train wreck. I enjoyed watching it most of the time! but good god were there some massive problems. in my opinion

[pretty-little-mind33]

ooo thank you sooo much to @longlivedelusion for tagging me in WIP WEDNESDAY 🌸

I'm gonna add two small sneak peaks from an upcoming James Potter fic and an upcoming Tangerine fic 🤭💖 bc i couldn't choose!

enjoy my loves! (hopefully the full fics will be out soon!)

JAMES POTTER - Afterglow

James is ten minutes late. You want to kill him. 

"Oi," his voice calls from behind you, irritatingly nonchalant. You turn and see he's also wearing his Quidditch sweater—which means you're now unintentionally matching—and a pair of casual trousers. James sends you a lopsided smirk, pushing his hands into his pockets as he sways on his feet almost awkwardly. "Why so gloomy, newb?" he mocks, the nickname rolling cruelly from his tongue.

You scrunch up your nose and spin around, walking in front of him as you clutch your purse. You don't want to give him a reaction and have him mock you the entire way into town. Instead, you both walk in silence, taking in the morning air and the sound of the birds. Occasionally your purse will hit James's hip and he'll frown, opening to say another snarky comment until he sees a keychain; the one you have of Olive Gnats, a famous chaser from the Montrose Magpies.

"Oh, Gnats, I like her too—" he finds himself admitting before he can remind himself he hates you. 

You startle and clutch your keychain, wanting to hide it from him but then you look down and then back up. "Yeah, she's my favorite player. Her technique is incomparable."

"Seen her match last year?"

"'Course," you say, your tone less on edge now that you're talking about something you clearly love, and the rambling you do so much kicks in, "I would watch her every game ever since I was six years old. Have around ten posters in my room at home, some are old now but—I- I studied her moves when I would play around with my mum and dad—they also played in school—that's how they met and—"

You cut yourself off, James's earlier taunts ringing in your head.

TANGERINE - The Archer pt.2 of Delicate

Y/n. Tangerine mouths your name as he stares into the bathroom mirror, his toothbrush hanging from his lips. Y/n. The name suits you and warmth spreads inside his stomach as he spits into the sink and his mind is filled with memories of how sweetly you'd looked at him.

Fuck. 

"Oi," Lemon's hurried voice snaps him out of whatever was happening and Tangerine turns to him, leaning his hip against the counter. "Some weird fucker is on the phone," Lemon shows his brother his phone, an unknown number displayed clearly on the screen. "Says we have something of his."

Tangerine bristles and his jaw clenches involuntarily. He holds out his hand for Lemon to hand him the phone and when he does it puts it on speaker and holds it close to his ear, letting Lemon lean in and hear the conversation. 

"'Ello?"

"You have something of mine," a hoarse voice cuts the silence. The man behind the phone sounds older, like his voice has had the time to become damaged from years of smoking, and he has a Irish accent.

"And what might that be?" Tangerine retorts, sending Lemon an unsure look but he keeps his tone steady.

"You have my wife."

~ hehe 😉 ~

absolutely NO pressure tags to some of my lovelies - @little-miss-dilf-lover ~ @moonlightspencie ~ @lost-pen-name ~ @ellecdc ~ @j23r23

[bilbosmom-belladonna]

Wiggly Worm Wednesday 🧠🪱

Thank you for the tag, @endlessmusings1801! I am SO behind on tag games but this one comes with a deadline so I'm gonna roll with it.

Fall is coming to the northern hemisphere, and with it the inevitable arrival of All Things Halloween, which has got me thinking: if there was any kind of professional haunted house/forest/hayride/corn maze/whatever in Hawkins, Indiana, YOU KNOW Eddie Munson was working there every October.

I mean, it combines his three favorite things: theatrical performances, spooky shit, and terrifying normal people! You cannot tell me Eddie wasn't working late every night, jump-scaring assholes from high school or cackling maniacally at the suburban moms that sneer at him in the grocery store.

There's a LOT of fun ways this could go in my mind, both in the 80s and in a modern AU. I am stirring it around in my head like a big gooey cauldron of possibility.

With that in mind, here's a quick little modern AU meet-ugly, based off of a real interaction I saw at a haunted forest many years ago.

Steve scoffed, but didn't let go of his hand. "No, he didn't. You were the one who screamed!" They could see the lights of the parking lot up ahead of them, the wide mulched path leading them out of the trees and away from the haunted forest.

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

"Okay but the mad scientist totally scared the shit out of you," Tommy said, laughing meanly.

"It was a manly scream," Tommy insisted, pouting. "Like, to let him know I meant business."

Steve laughed and rolled his eyes. He hadn't thought much of Tommy's choice for their first date, but he had had more fun than he thought. He had promised himself there would only be one date—Tommy had whined at him long enough to get that—but maybe he could be convinced to try another one. It hadn't been that bad, especially because they had spent most of it screaming and not actually talking. Not even in Steve's top five worst dates.

...maybe the top twenty though.

Tommy started describing the horrors of the werewolf den in detail, as if Steve hadn't been there too, when suddenly from behind them there came the rumbling sound of a chainsaw.

Steve looked over his shoulder and saw a man in a hockey mask barreling down on them, running full-speed with a chainsaw held in front of him, revving it menacingly. On instinct he started running, pelting along the path toward the parking lot.

Tommy was right beside him running until Steve tripped and went down, his ankle twisting painfully under him. Tommy instantly dropped his hand and kept running.

"Tommy!" Steve cried, but Tommy was already too far ahead, racing full-speed for the safety of the cars.

Steve grimaced and tried to stand, pushing up onto his knees but faltering when he tried to put weight on his ankle. Behind him, he heard the chainsaw revving. He turned to see the man in the hockey mask stalking toward him.

It was an actor, of course—Steve felt stupid for not realizing it, a last-minute scare when they thought they were finally safe. He looked back down and tried to get up again, but fell back with a cry when his ankle couldn't take it.

"Holy shit, dude," came a muffled voice. Steve looked up to see the man in the hockey mask—the actor, he supposed—standing above him, hand outstretched.

"You okay?" the man asked.

Steve made a face and grabbed his hand to pull himself up, managing to stand awkwardly on one foot and lean on the man's arm.

"Think I twisted it," he gritted out.

"Shit," Hockey Mask said. He clipped his chainsaw—his fake chainsaw—to his belt and pulled the mask up, revealing messy curls and big brown eyes. "You, uh, you want me to find your date?"

"Fuck him," Steve said immediately. "I'll call a rideshare."

Tommy had just landed himself in the number one spot of Steve's "worst dates" list.

"Yeah, what an asshole," Hockey Mask agreed. He wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulders. "Come on, I'll walk you over to where they pick up."

"Thanks," Steve said gratefully, leaning into his warm side and trying not to wince as he hobbled.

"I'm Eddie," Hockey Mask said with a smile as he walked slowly along. "Sorry about your ankle."

Steve huffed a laugh. "I'm Steve," he replied, "sorry for making you, uh, break character or whatever."

Eddie smiled, his bright eyes reflecting the flickering torches that lined the path. "Nah, don't worry about it. I got plenty of good scares in tonight. Though your boyfriend might take the cake."

"Not my boyfriend," Steve said emphatically. "And he's not even getting a second date."

They reached the edge of the parking lot, where a couple of benches were set up for people waiting for rides. Steve gratefully collapsed onto one. He gingerly tried putting some weight on his ankle and found it a little more stable. Eddie hovered awkwardly over him.

"Thanks," Steve said with a grateful smile. "I'll be okay here, don't want you to get in trouble for slacking off," he added reluctantly. Eddie, he thought, had a really nice smile.

"Look, um," Eddie stammered. "I—uh, I get off in about twenty minutes anyway. If you want I could, um. I could drive you home? Make sure you get there safe?" He twisted his hands in front of him, looking awkward and hopeful despite the fake blood spattered all over his shirt.

Cute, Steve thought.

"Hmmm, I dunno," Steve said slowly. "Wouldn't want to let an actual serial killer drive me home to my apartment." He smirked up at Eddie.

"The mask and the chainsaw are company property," Eddie said quickly. He spread his hands wide. "It would just be little ol' me."

"Okay, well, as long as you're not gonna murder me, I guess it's okay," Steve grinned. "I'll just wait here then."

Eddie's eyes went wide, then he grinned so far his cheeks stretched all the way out. "Okay!" he agreed. He dropped his hockey mask back over his face and picked up his chainsaw, revving it again. "Back to the grind," he growled from behind the mask. Then he was stalking back across the parking lot, terrorizing a group of girls who were huddled by the apple cider stand.

Steve shook his head and carefully lifted his leg up onto the bench. Maybe this first date was salvageable after all.

👑🎸🎃

I will tag @itcanbepalped @soaringornithopter @mojowitchcraft

Looking forward to whatever you've got cooking!

[mysterious-moonstruck-musings]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tag @trulybetty! I have no idea how you can work on multiple things at once, but kudos to you for that. I'm jealous of your ability to do it.💜

So, for this Wednesday's update, I bring you a snippet from Week 2 of Closed Position and some fun extras. Enjoy!

As we reached the end of the choreography we had pieced together so far, I glanced toward the hallway windows. Alec was gone.  My eyes met Dieter’s, “Let’s take a water break.” He nodded before pulling the hem of his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his forehead. I couldn’t help the way my eyes raked over his exposed skin. I had to force myself to turn away from him as I drank from my water bottle.   “Alec doesn’t like me, does he?” Dieter asked from behind me before taking a drink of his own water. I casually turned to him, “He’s concerned about your womanizing ways. I guess he’s worried you're gonna steal me away from him or something.”   Dieter smirked, “I mean, I would never do anything you didn’t want me to…” My brows arched in surprise at his words. I absolutely cannot handle him saying shit like that to me. I could already feel the effects of his words and that devilish smirk pulsing between my thighs.

What's that? Do we have flirting? Maaaaaybe. It's mostly Dieter being an unintentional menace...but we’ll take it. Right?

I pretty much have this chapter done (I think). I still have editing to do though. It’s long AF (around 15k words). I’m hoping to post by Friday. 😉

I have a few other gifts to offer. First, head on over HERE to check out this amazing video that @survivingandenduring was kind enough to put together for Closed Position. It's hot and has all the Dieter & Kat ✨vibes✨. I’m still screaming over it!

Second, I have started working on a playlist for Closed Position. I will be adding to it as inspiration strikes. I also plan to add the songs used for Dieter & Kat's performances. Week 2's song is already on the list. Want to take a guess on which song it is?

NPT: @morallyinept @rhoorl @for-a-longlongtime

Closed Position Taglist: @secretelephanttattoo @titlee78 @maggiemayhemnj @legendary-pink-dot @survivingandenduring @wannab-urs @harriedandharassed @hisandsnakes @misstokyo7love @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @sin-djarin @cakipy-blog @missladym1981 @guelyury @weho2kcmo @alokaerza @girlofchaos @trulybetty @bitchwitch1981 @madnessofadaydreamer @darkheartgatita @jazzloveslatte @timpletance @musings-of-a-rose @samiamproductions @myloveistoolittle @copperhalfcent @auteurdelabre @drewharrisonwriter @burntheedges @stevie75 @bunniboo0015 @quicax3 @jackie923 @sherala007 @pastelnap @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @jessthebaker @rebel-held

*If your name is marked out, that means it wouldn’t let me tag you. ☹️

[dearunreliablenarrator]

Order In! a WIP Wednesday Questionnaire!

as food is a big theme in my works, i'd like to have my first tag game revolve around that topic...so here are my questions for your OCs and here are how my characters lives revolve around food. Dislikes, favorites and everything in between!

the host seats these customers first! @the-golden-comet, @rumeysawrites, @lady-grace-pens, @sableglass,

@daily-haley, @dyrewrites, @sliceoflifeshepard, @seastarblue , @theverumproject,

@saturnine-saturneight, @helpmeimblorboing, @leave-a-message19, @leahnardo-da-veggie, @kaeru483, and we always take walk ins!

what is one comfort meal that'll change your whole mood for the day?

If cream of wheat has a million followers, I'm one of them. If cream of wheat has one follower, it's me. and god forbid cream of wheat has zero...zilch...nada followers, then i'm dead. I formally request that you bury me with several packets, milk, sugar and those tiny cups of sweet cream creamer before you lower me six feet under. -Grace, CUTS

what is an experience (good or bad) that has turned you off or on to a food completely?

Fuck shrimp, I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I've had them come to me one to many time with the poop sack still inside. And it probably doesn't help that I went to town on a handful before i freaked out realized the mistake, at least I got a voucher for a free trip to Vegas. And what about the sister's babies, who's gonna look after them if fishermen keep catching them; the uncle already has to work a second shift to put food on the table? Elaine -WTRB

if you could eliminate one piece of produce, meat, dairy or sweets off the earth what would it be?

Avocados...that is all. -Clive, CUTS

and dessert is normally saved for last, but if you could what would you order for your entree at a restaurant?

Ooh, a mixed berry dump cake will always be on my order ticket. I mean how can you not enjoy the sweet jammy fruits buried under a fluffy crumble of shortbread like biscuit dough. Ugh, and then its smothered in a sweet sweet and tangy lemon icing, and maybe a little side of vanilla bean ice cream. If the lord permits, I'd have it for every meal. And no one, I mean no one compares to the one my mama makes! -Amara, EE

and if you'd like a refill on your drinks or a to go box, here are some extras...

-what are some food fusions that should never be mixed? -what food spot are you gatekeeping and why? -cooking is a life skill, why haven't you started learning yet!? -is there a smell that reminds you of something you never want to remember?

[happiness-of-the-pursuit]

WIP Wednesday

I missed like... a couple of days b/c of holiday travels and bad vibes. But I finally have some words I like, so as a treat I'm gonna share kind of a lot???

Thanks to everyone who tagged me today or Sunday or for Last Line tag!! My last line is included here. S/o to tags from @cultofsappho @inexplicablymine @anincompletelist @littlemisskittentoes @ssmtskw @leaves-of-laurelin @kiwiana-writes @suseagull04 @rockyroadkylers @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @heybuddy-drabbles @xthelastknownsurvivorx @14carrotghoul @wordsofhoneydew over the past couple of days :)

From Daddy Issues, enjoy some Alex & Cash:

He’s vaguely aware that he has a large shadow lurking in the doorway, keeping one eye on the girls inside and one eye on him, leaning against the building amongst the smokers. He can’t stand the silent watching. “You don’t have to follow me out here.” “That’s actually specifically in the job description,” Cash’s deep voice replies. “They had the line: Must follow the Presidential Candidate’s kid around a club in Rio?” At least Cash chuckles at that — it wasn’t even Alex’s best work. Alex thinks he hears Cash mutter, “Lawyers' kids.” He can’t be sure. Alex looks up at Cash. “Can I ask you a question?” “Go for it.” “Have you done this before?” he asks. Then, as Cash opens his mouth, he adds, “Like with people’s kids. Or young adults or whatever.” His hands gesture so abstractly that he’s pretty sure he almost hits someone’s cigarette out of their hands. Whatever. Cash would defend him. Cash smiles, and Alex doesn’t know him that well, but it feels like it might be kind, tender even. A bit fond. “I have.” “Do they all end up super fucked up?” From the surprised laugh Cash lets out, Alex knows he doesn’t have to clarify his meaning. After a second, and a glance inside to check on Nora and June, Cash looks back down at Alex with that same smile on his face.  “Who ever said being fucked up was a bad thing?” He responds, answering Alex’s question with another question. “Some of my favorite people are ‘super fucked up,’ as you put it.” In that case, Alex figures that the two of them are gonna get along pretty well.

Tagging everyone from above back, plus @affectionatelyrs @read-and-write- @hypnostheory @daisymae-12 @tintagel-or-cockleshells @myheartalivewrites @welcometololaland :)

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

wip wednesday sketch dump

tagged by: @ivymarquis @josephseedismyfather @cassietrn @direwombat @finding-comfort-in-rain @cloudofbutterflies92 @kyber-infinitygems @josephslittledeputy (and likely others, I have been very absent as of late...sorry)

okay, so uh clearly the art won for that poll (heh, always knew the cod fic was just for me... anyhoo) here's the sketchy sketches for oc kiss week. They are very, VERY rough still so please forgive

I won't run with the usual tag list but if you see this feel free to consider yourself tagged

(Top: Kit and @dickytwister oc Elliot Fletcher, Kit and @statichvm oc Katherine O'Neill Middle: Rory and @statichvm oc Lily Watt, Rory and @direwombat oc Saoirse Monaghan Bottom: Kit and @theelderhazelnut oc Ombra, Kit and @florbelles oc Lyra Fairbanks)

*I still have a few more sketches to get done, so if you were in my replies asking for some art, its on the way*

going to tag @strangefable @isobel-thorm and @direwombat for the cod stuff since y'all were kind enough to indulge me in a little scene I wrote for chapter 11 (even if I'm still supposed to be working on chapter 9 lol)

“You were jealous, weren't you?”

“Of course I was bloody jealous, Rory. Look at you, can you really blame me? I've been with my fair share of women, but Jesus, none of them can hold a match to you, my girl.”

“Your girl?”

“Listen, I've been trying my damnedest to keep my composure here. You think I went into this expecting to have this happen with my subordinate? It's rule number one and I'm here breaking it for you.” He sighed. “I had to listen to you in my fuckin’ ear, Rory. It was a goddamn nightmare.”

“And so what, you want to have that be the foundation for a relationship? The fact that I nearly died and you had to pull me out of there? That’s the foot you want to start on? It’s like I said last night, this is a dangerous game to be playing and I am not worth the trouble. I’m not worth your career.”

“And why’s that, eh?”

“I’m a fucking mess, that’s why. I’ve got nightmares, anxiety attacks, tremors, flashbacks. I’m in no place to start anything with anyone. And certainly not with someone who’s life could be upended because of me.”

“I don’t care.” He shrugged and gave a slight thrust of his pelvis as he crossed his arms over his chest. Obstinate, pigheaded right to the bitter end, refusing to back down from anything. This was Captain John Price type behavior through and through. 

“What do you mean ‘you don’t care’?”

“You think all that’s gonna keep me away from you?”

“Well it should.”

“Why?” He lowered his head, looking up at her through his brow. Constantly challenging her. 

“Trust me, after several nights of no sleep from me waking up with nightmares, you’ll understand.”

His eyes narrowed for a brief moment, the crows feet by his eyes creasing. “Someone else left you ‘cause o’that?”

Rory grimaced and bit down on her molars. Her eyes fell to the floor as she turned her head away from him. She didn’t have to say anything, her body language gave it all away.

Price’s face darkened at her reaction. If it was up to him he’d hunt down whoever it was and teach them a lesson, but that isn’t what she would want to hear.  “Christ, don’t tell me someone actually did that?”

“Of course someone did that, John. Most people who see that side of me either think of me like I’m holding on by a goddamn thread or I'm just another broken soldier. And if it's not that, it's the whole horde of other shit in my head.” She rubbed at her brow. “People don’t want to fall in love with someone like me. It’s too hard to do.”

“Well, lucky for you I’m a bit of a stubborn bastard. I’m willin’ to put in the hard work. I can be goddamn relentless when need be.”

Rory scoffed, “I’d expect nothing less from you.”

He gave her a little crooked grin and stepped forward, cupping her face in his large hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks softly. “I’m only gonna tell you this once, darlin’.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “I don’t care about how much trouble you might be, you hear me? I have to have you, Rory. I need you to be mine, yeah? Simple as.”

It was her turn to ask the question. “Why?”

“Because if there’s anyone who’s going to understand what’s going on in that pretty head of yours, it's me. I wanna protect you. I wanna make sure somethin’ like this never happens again. I can’t even take the thought of you bein’ with someone else besides me.”

“I’m not willing to take the risk.”

He nodded his head slightly. “Well, I’m patient. Persistent. I can wait as long as I have to.”

“Fucking hell. You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Not after what I saw last night.”

[maochira]

I soldi possono comprare tutto, eccetto il tuo amore (Don Lorenzo x reader)

"Money can buy anything, except for your love" - word count: 4k

Synopsis: “Money can buy anything in the world” doesn’t apply anymore when it comes to winning your love. And thats when Lorenzo needs to figure out how he can truly win your heart.

Tags: gn!reader x hopeless romantic!Lorenzo, this is before Blue Lock, dad Snuffy giving advice to Lorenzo, inspired by Wo kann man das kaufen ("Where can you buy that") by Alligatoah, thanks to @echarie for translating the title to Italian!!

"Another gift?" You raise an eyebrow as you stare right back at Lorenzo. A part of you is surprised, another part is slightly annoyed. "That's the fifth this week. It's Wednesday."

"Well, you deserve it!" Lorenzo grins and forces the small box into your hands, expecting you to open it right away.

"For what? I haven't done anything special this week." You try to return the box to him, but Lorenzo refuses to take it and hides his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"You did great in last week's match." He leans against the nearby wall but continues looking at you.

"That was days ago and I don't think the one goal I scored deserves five presents." You once again try to return the box to Lorenzo, but his hands are kept in his pockets.

"But I think so." The smirk on his face still doesn't disappear. "Anyways, are you up for a date on Friday evening?"

Almost every conversation with him goes like this. He hands you a present and then asks you out on a date. Lorenzo always hopes the amount of presents he gives to you is going to help make you fall in love with him. At first, you truly appreciated the gifts, but by now they seem... unnecessary. Back when he only gave you a present every now and then you felt special, but since he started giving them to you daily, they lost the special feeling.

And at this point, it's getting frustrating. Lorenzo seems to be under the impression that he can win your love with money and presents. And even though you're well aware of the fact that he's had a crush on you for a while, he never genuinely shows his feelings. You're actually doubting him by now.

Because he won't take the present into his hands, you decide to just set it down on the floor right before his feet. "I think I'm gonna have to say no to that date."

Lorenzo's grin quickly turns into a frown, but he's trying to keep the confidence in his voice. "Again?" He takes a step away from the wall, now leaning towards you again. "How many more presents do I have to give you until you say yes?"

You look him right into his eyes with the most serious expression you can put on right now. "Not a single one."

"Then why-" Lorenzo starts but quickly gets interrupted by you.

"I wasn't done talking." You take a deep breath before continuing. "I don't want any more presents from you. Not a single one. You can't buy my love like this. Do you get that?"

Lorenzo's frown now turns into a confused expression. "Huh? I thought you liked my presents?"

"I used to like them. But now..." You turn your head slightly to the side and let out a sigh. "I feel as if your money is the only thing you're using to get my love. I don't want that."

Lorenzo crosses his arms in front of his chest and tries to come up with a response. You can see in his eyes how puzzled he currently is and if you weren't so serious right now, it would have probably made you laugh.

"But that's my way of showing I love you."

"And it's not the way of getting me to give you a chance."

"...Fine." Lorenzo sighs in defeat. "So, what do I have to do to win your heart, eh?"

"No presents, no talk about money, just..." You start but quickly stop talking again. It takes you a moment to figure out what you truly want from him. "I want to know who you are. And I mean who you are without your money in the foreground. Let me get to know you properly. Because all I ever hear you talking about is money and how it runs the world and... all that you always talk about. I barely have an idea of who you really are."

Only a few seconds after you finish speaking Lorenzo's grin has returned and he leans a little closer towards you. That's something you're used to, but this time he gets a bit closer than usual. Close enough to let you feel his breath on your face, but he doesn't give the impression of getting any closer for something like a kiss.

"All I understand is you're willing to go on a date with me if I don't talk about money?"

You can't help but chuckle at his response. It's exactly what you expected from him. "If you can really do that, I'm willing to give you a chance."

Lorenzo wants to put on a genuine smile, but he tries to hide it with the grin he's been keeping on his lips the entire time. You can hear the genuine happiness in his voice, though. "Perfect! Friday evening it is? Or would you prefer another day?"

"Friday evening works just fine for me."

And with this confirmed, Lorenzo later texted you the details of where the date would be and when he'd pick you up. He chose a restaurant that wasn't super fancy, but not too cheap either. You can tell he intentionally picked a place that doesn't scream "I have lots of money to spend there."

Well, in reality, Lorenzo had no idea what to choose. He asked his teammates for advice and recommendations because if it was up to him, he would have chosen the fanciest restaurant in the area so he could spoil you as much as possible. But since you insisted on leaving the topic of money aside for a bit, he had to find other options. Luckily his teammates were happy to help him out with that. After all, they've been watching him hopelessly crushing on you for months at this point.

The more time passes by and the closer the date gets, Lorenzo realizes he genuinely doesn't know how to win your heart other than the method he tried so far with all the gift-giving. What is he supposed to talk about? He doesn't feel like there's much to him as a person. Sure, he could tell you about his past if he wants to get more personal, but finding out about the wrong things he used to do would probably turn you away from him. Also, that would only go back to talking about money since he did all those things because of money back then.

And the more he tries to come up with things to tell you about himself, the more he realizes all of them lead back to anything related to money. On the day when the date happens, he decides he'll just let you talk about yourself and will try to squeeze in things about himself if he can. He knows you're the one who wants to get to know him closer, but he wants to find out more about you as well.

In the meantime, you've been wondering how this date will go. Will Lorenzo really stick to what he said and shut up about money for a while? Or will he fail at that? Did he maybe lie about that to make you agree to go on a date?

Well, those are questions to which you'll find out the answers pretty soon. They just keep running through your head over and over while you're waiting in front of your house for Lorenzo to pick you up. He's already five minutes late but you think it might just be the traffic that makes him delayed. After all, Lorenzo lives on the opposite side of the city and it takes a bit to get to your place.

What's actually going on is that Lorenzo suddenly got very anxious right before he wanted to start driving. He never felt like this about a person or a date before, so why is he suddenly unable to think straight? Didn't he already overthink the date enough for the past two days?

"Didn't you want to leave twenty minutes ago?" Snuffy asks when he spots Lorenzo hesitating to leave the house. He's been nervously walking back and forth in the hallway and still hasn't found the confidence to go outside.

"Twenty minutes already?" Lorenzo comes to a stop and looks at Snuffy. "It's really been twenty minutes?"

"Twenty-one now." Snuffy jokes but quickly goes back to being serious. "You seem nervous. Why? You've already been on dates before but I've never seen you like this."

"Because I've never been so serious about someone until now!" It bursts out of Lorenzo, but he quickly apologizes for getting only louder than he intended to. "Ah, sorry... It's just-"

"You're in love and don't want to get your final rejection, hm?" Snuffy puts his hand on Lorenzo's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "That's what you're worried about, aren't you?"

Lorenzo is a little embarrassed to admit it, but Snuffy is completely right. "(Y/N) doesn't want me to talk about anything related to money tonight. What am I supposed to talk about then?"

"Why are you trying to plan what you'll talk about before you're even there? You'll see how the conversation goes. Don't stress yourself over it now."

Snuffy's words hit Lorenzo immediately. He's right. Lorenzo has been breaking his mind over what he can tell you this entire time instead of waiting until he's actually talking to you. Well, he already planned to let you talk about yourself first anyways, but he still needed Snuffy's advice to reassure him.

"Hm... You're right. Thanks." Lorenzo turns to the door. "I think I'll be going now."

"Drive safely, alright?" Snuffy gives Lorenzo one last pat on the shoulder before letting him go outside. He's sure that this will go well for Lorenzo, especially now that he's feeling more confident again.

Lorenzo arrives around twenty-five minutes later than he originally told you. For a bit, you were starting to doubt he'd pick you up but kept reminding yourself that he was trying to get you on a date for so long, there's no way he'd just leave you standing like this. But still, when he pulls his car into your driveway you're relieved for him to finally be here.

While you're walking towards his car, Lorenzo quickly gets out so he can open the door to the passenger seat for you.

"Aren't you a little late?" You ask in a slightly teasing tone before getting into the car.

"Maybe..." Lorenzo gets in the driver's seat again and starts the car. "Sorry, something just got in my way. But now let's enjoy the evening, okay?"

For a moment he debates with himself if he should tell you the truth about why he was late, but quickly decides against it. Saying "I'm late because I got very anxious over not knowing how to talk about myself if it's not related to money" just doesn't sound good.

The next few minutes neither of the two of you talk and it's slightly awkward, so Lorenzo soon breaks that silence. "Do you want to put on any music? Come on, show me what you like."

"I don't really think it's the type of music you'd like, to be honest-"

"I don't care." Lorenzo stops at a red light and quickly unlocks his phone before handing it to you. "Put on whatever you like."

"Okay, thanks." You give him a soft smile, which quickly causes Lorenzo to blush, then put on some of your favourite songs. You also get a quick glimpse at Lorenzo's Spotify playlists and curiosity gets the better of you, so you end up scrolling through his liked songs. He doesn't seem to mind that, though. "Rave music? You like that stuff?"

"I love it!" His voice suddenly sounds more enthusiastic than you've ever heard him. "I really enjoy going to rave parties. Going there always means having a good time, you know?"

"So there is more to you than money!" You unintentionally end up sounding more surprised than you want to. "Ah eh... Sorry. Did that sound weird?"

Your reaction gets a laugh about Lorenzo. "No no, not at all. It was kinda cute, to be honest." He then pulls into the restaurant's parking lot and looks at you before getting out of the car. "No going back now for you."

"I don't mind. Let me get to know you better."

You're about to open the car door when Lorenzo suddenly tells you to stop. He quickly gets out of the car and walks around it so he can open the door for you - just like when he picked you up.

"Are you always this much of a gentleman or is it because you're trying to win me over?" Your question is both out of curiosity and also for the sake of teasing him a little.

"How about you find out?" Lorenzo grins and holds his hand out to you. "You're here to get to know me, aren't you?"

A little laugh escapes you as you reach for his hand. "You better not be putting on an act, though. I want to know what you're like. I need to know if you're worth giving a chance."

"Oh, I definitely am!" Lorenzo helps you out of the car and quickly pulls you closer to his body, so close your chest is pressed against his. "I'll prove it to you, okay?"

With this, he finally gains a blush from you for the first time - and this only gives him another confidence boost.

Still holding your hand, Lorenzo leads you to go into the restaurant where you sit down together at the table he reserved.

The entire time, you find yourself talking to Lorenzo without a single awkward silence in between and there aren't any even slightly uncomfortable moments either. Lorenzo still seems very confident in winning you over tonight, and the more you get to know him, the more you think the same.

It's genuinely nice to find out who he really is. You've actually known each other ever since he's joined Ubers a while back, but because you're not on the same team, you never had proper conversations with him. You don't even know how he ended up falling for you because your paths only ever crossed when your practises happened to be at a similar time. Well, at least in the beginning. At some point Lorenzo started coming at times when he knew you'd be at practice just so he could see you. And that's when the unnecessary amount of gift giving started that caused you to be rather uncomfortable.

But even though you had a somewhat weird start with Lorenzo, now you're glad it went that way. Because if it didn't, tonight wouldn't be happening and you'd be missing out on a lot of fun.

Although, now one question is stuck in your head.

"Why did you start falling for me?" You ask as soon as the past conversation topic is over.

The question catches Lorenzo off guard. The previous topic was more fun and lighthearted and while he could respond to this in that way as well, he thinks he should give you a more serious answer. But truth is, he doesn't completely remember the reasons.

It takes a few moments until he responds, and when he does, his voice sounds a little less confident than before. He doesn't give off the impression as if he's lying, but he rather sounds as if he's about to get nervous again.

"Well... I don't really know. It's been a while since I started crushing on you, hasn't it?" He leans back in his chair and turns his face to the side a little, hoping it would help hiding his blush - but it really doesn't.

"Then, what are the things you like about me so much?" You keep pushing further, really wanting to get proper answers to this.

It's obvious how Lorenzo wants to go back to only showing confidence, but the more he thinks about reasons why he loves you, the more flustered he's getting to the point where he's unable to answer at all. Lorenzo being at a loss for words is something you've never seen before, but it's kinda fun and something you could definitely get used to. Maybe you should get him flustered more often.

But for now, you decide to have some mercy with him and change the conversation topic to something else. And even though Lorenzo is back to talking, you can see how he's still struggling every now and then because he's definitely still thinking about the things he loves about you. Maybe he'll be able to say those some time else.

Besides that, the date continues going very well for both of you. Until the moment comes around that Lorenzo has secretely started dreading, which has added to his flusterness to some extend.

Who's gonna pay? Are both of you going to pay for your own food? Should he pay since he's the one who invited you? Should you split the bill in half?

Even though that's something important to ask, it's related to money so Lorenzo is unsure if he should say something about it. You can see the struggle on his face. It's kinda cute to look at, knowing he's overthinking simply because of you. To spare him from any further struggling, you decide to make things easier for him.

"I'll pay, alright?"

And that's it. He doesn't say no, he only nods and thanks you in response because he knows if he made money a topic now, he might push you away again after the date went so well.

But actually, date is not over yet. According to your original plan it should be, but you're having so much fun that going home now feels wrong. So instead, you get back into Lorenzo's car and he just drives around for a bit so you get to talk more. When you got into the car he offered you to put on music again, but you declined because it would only serve as distraction from any conversations that could get more serious.

"You never actually told me how you ended up in Ubers." You say in a curious but questioning tone, expecting to receive a simple answer similar to what you've heard from other players.

"You really want to know?" Lorenzo's tone is serious, but in a weird way that almost feels out of character for him.

"If you want to tell me."

"Hm..." Lorenzo needs a moment to figure out how to tell you about this past. He didn't really expect to get this personal with you tonight, but he doesn't really mind either. He's never cared much about telling others about how he ended up in Ubers, but when it comes to you he's suddenly so serious about things because he's trying to not do or say anything that could push you only slightly away from him.

"I'll just keep it short, okay?" A smile returns to his face in order to not drag down the mood, even though what he's about to tell you isn't the happiest story. "My parents were shit and abondened me, I was homeless, then Snuffy got me out of the streets and asked me to play soccer for him."

It takes you a few seconds to let that sink in. "...You were homeless? Oh my- I'm so sorry-"

"Eh, don't be." Lorenzo shrugs. "That was in the past. I'm doing great now. After all... I got to go on a date with you tonight.~"

And that's how he gains another blush from you.

"Tell me, is that why you're obsessed with money? Because you used to have none?"

"I thought we're not talking about money tonight?" Lorenzo pulls the car to the side and brings it to a stop. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"You're not wrong but-" You unbuckle your seatbelt so you can lean closer towards him. "Isn't this something important I should know about you?"

"It is, I guess." Lorenzo shrugs before unbuckling his seatbelt as well, leaning closer to you, too. "But yes, you're right. That's where my obsession comes from."

"I'm so sorry for you, I didn't know you ha-"

Lorenzo puts a finger on your lips to make you stop talking. "I told you to not be sorry. So don't be, okay?"

His action makes you giggle a bit. "Okay okay. But... Hm... You know, it's nice to know more about you now. And also to know where your money obsession comes from."

Lorenzo only nods in response. He didn't even listen to you properly. After touching your lips with his finger, kissing you is all he can think about now. Due to that his blush is returning, just this time you don't know the reason.

Lorenzo wants to kiss you. He really, really wants to. But he feels like it's too early for you. It's just the first date, after all.

"Maybe it's time to get you home. It's getting late." He says when he regains his ability to speak. He was about to drift off into thoughts about a kiss, but stopped himself before that happened.

You're a bit confused why he didn't respond to what you last said, but decide to not point it out and agree with him instead. It really is getting late by now and as much as you'd love to spend more time with Lorenzo, it's time to go home.

When he drops you off at home, Lorenzo once again gets out of the car to open the door for you and helps you out. This time, his grip on your hand is a little tighter than earlier, but he lets go quickly after you get out of the car. Instead, he wraps his arm around your body and places his hand on your waist as he walks you to the door. Just before you get to take your keys out, he starts talking again.

"I think I like... No, I know I love you even more now." Lorenzo reaches out his other hand. "And you know... There's a thing that I'd still really like to have." He points at the area on your chest where your heart is, but without touching you there. "Tell me, how can I buy that?" He says jokingly, but there's a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Are we really going back to this?" You say in a teasing tone while taking his hand into yours. "You were getting really close to winning the chance for a second date, you know?"

Now that you're holding his hand again, Lorenzo uses the opportunity to pull you closer to his body. "And you know I was joking, right?"

"When it comes to you and money, I can never know."

"This is not about money, it's about your love. And I think..." Lorenzo leans his face closer to yours, but not close enough for a kiss. "...I might get more serious about that than I am about money."

"Oh? Really?" Another blush forms on your cheeks, and this time it's stronger than the few times before.

"I have all the money I could ask for already, there's nothing to aim for with it anymore. But when it comes to you... There's something to fight for."

"Who said you still have to fight?"

Lorenzo squeezes your hand a little tighter and the one that's previously been on your waist now wanders over to the back of your head. "Are you implying I won your love already? With one date?"

"Let's say... you're close."

"Close enough for a kiss?"

Your blush gets a bit stronger. "Close enough for a kiss."

Lorenzo doesn't hesitate for a single second and pulls you in for a kiss, wishing it wouldn't have to end. When you pull away from each other, he looks into your eyes with an amount of love and admiration so big, it brings butterflies right into your stomach.

"So... The second date will happen, right?" Lorenzo asks while pulling his arms away so you can get your keys out of your pocket.

"You really think I'd say no after this?"

Taglist (sign-up link): @kaineedstherapy12 @luvcalico @vanitasbrainrot @deerangle3 @futuristicxie @bluelock4life @https-archangel @userwithlotsoftime @chaosinanutshell

[firstprincehornyramblings]

WIP Wednesday - 6/5/24

Thank you so much to the lovlies @eusuntgratie @softboynick and @taste-thewaste for tagging me in today's posts. Okay so this is officially my last WIP posting for the Cruel Intentions AU, it is almost done and I intend on posting the fic in full on Sat or Sun. - WHICH MEANS, this post is also an official 'INTERACT WITH THIS POST IF YOU WANNA BE TAGGED WHEN ITS POSTED' post. But for now, have some angst, some sexy angst:

“I think you taught me that that’s the most valuable part of me,” the blond’s voice was icy again, “And I don’t mind actually, I think I was putting too much emphasis on the mortality of it all. I think that’s pointless, I like sex, and I deserve to get fucked, hard.” “That’s not true.” “And what if it is, Alex? What if that’s true now?” “Then I love you anyway,” it fell out of Alex’s mouth before he had the chance to think about it, “It doesn’t change anything for me.” “Right then,” Henry sighed heavily, hands on his hips, “What’s the point? Is this about sex? Because I would prefer you just ask flat out, I would be more likely to say yes that way.” “What? That’s… not what this is,” the brunette’s face was almost a grimace, especially as he watched the calloused smirk on Henry’s lips. It looked foreign on him, like a cheap reproduction of the man he loved. “It’s not?” the blond asked, stepping closer to close the distance between them. Their eyes were locked for a moment, before Henry broke the silence, “Get on your knees.” Alex fell without hesitation, nearly pleading eyes locked up on the other man.

I'm just gonna open tag because it's so late and most of you have posted already but i love you all for tagging me i love your wips you're all so talented i am sending you forehead kisses.

[effervescentdragon]

WIP WEDNESDAY! On a Friday because time is meaningless, taking the tag from @ayceeofspades bcs I can, and sharing the part of my Jurassic Park AU bcs I'm super proud of this part 🥰 the intended audience for this is Me and I'm using it to get over some shit and my writers' block bcs I need to. Gonna tag @river-ocean just because this is part of what I was telling you about, and leaving the tag open for whoever wants it 🥰

“What the fuck did you do?” he asked in a voice that sounded like a knife cut. “Are you trying to tell me - you actually - what do you mean, you got creative?” Rosberg almost stuttered, his words coming out fast, mixing with each other.

“Please tell me you didn’t,” Hamilton added softly. “Please, tell me you didn’t.”

George looked both baffled and embarrassed.

“What, uh, what do you mean?” George said, straightening himself up. “I assure you -”

“He means, please tell us you didn’t try to play God,” Sebastian said. When Arthur turned to look at him, the man looked furious and scared in the same measure. “Please tell us you did not engineer a new species of dinosaur.”

George cleared his throat. “Well. The corporate thought, and from what I understand, the numbers confirmed it, that Jurassic World was losing its relevance as an attraction. So they -”

“- let their greed influence them,” Sebastian interrupted. Arthur caught some movement through the glass. They were lowering a cow, a live one, into the paddock, probably as bait for this new dinosaur.

Arthur thought Indominus rex was a very cool name. He wasn’t about to share it with anyone, not now, when Vettel and Rosberg both looked outraged and Hamilton looked like he’d seen a ghost. Max and Ricciardo, who were both standing behind them, both had frowns on their faces.

He glanced at Charles, who was looking at the cow, and grimaced. Charles really liked cows. Arthur stepped closer to his brother on instinct.

“I - I would not put it quite like that,” George tried to argue, but Rosberg was having none of it.

“Did none of you learn anything from Jurassic Park?” He scoffed. “Let me guess, you took Marko’s research and completely ignored the consequences of it, consequences we-” he gestured around, “barely fucking lived through and testified against, since you managed to straighten out the genetic code for regular dinosaurs.” His eyes flashed. “Are regular dinosaurs not enough anymore?”

“Corporate thought a new species may up the ‘wow’ factor of the establishment and make us more relevant,” George answered.

“They are fucking dinosaurs,” Sebastian spat. “They are already ‘wow’ enough.”

“They thought it would make more money, more like,” Hamilton scowled. “Cash is king, isn’t it. Just like in Jurassic Park.”

“It took years to iron the knacks in regular dinosaurs’ DNA,” said Rosberg. “How long have you had to mix up this creative solution?”

“And even with regular ones, they are animals born and bred in captivity,” Hamilton continued. “The patterns of their actions are barely quantifiable.”

“What did you even put in the cocktail?” Vettel asked. “Which species have you added, and have you considered all the variations of their instincts and how they may interact with already fragmented dinosaur DNA?”

“Did you consider anything aside from corporate greed and trying to make as much money possible from playing with things that shouldn’t be played with, since you can’t even begin to predict the consequences?” Hamilton’s eyes flashed as he spoke.

“It’s no wonder we weren’t notified of this,” Rosberg snorted. “The ethical considerations alone are a fucking nightmare, but neither the corporate assholes nor you scientists think of ethics much, do you?”

“You only thought of whether or not you could,” Vettel finished in a low voice. “It never occurred to you to think if you should.”

Arthur admired George in that moment, because the man bore the triple attack with only slight rufflement. They are like raptors, Arthur thought, Vettel, Rosberg, and Hamilton. Attacking the prey from all sides, playing off each other, not allowing the prey to catch a moment’s respite. And they aren’t even in a good relationship right now. I would have loved to see them when their attacks were coordinated.

[transmurderbug]

🍂Weekly Tag Wednesday! 🍂

I'm just in time again! Thank you for the tag Evie @energievie, Nosho @creepkinginc and Ajax @transmickey 💙 and @suchagallabitch for the questions!

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1. if you could switch bodies with anybody for only one hour who would it be and what would you do? Hmm. Maybe one of my old athlete buddies (or my younger self) so I could run/sprint again. (Plus do a few exercises from some of my favorite disciplines)

2. what's your most trivial / dumbest hot take? The society in which we live in right now should be collapsed and rebuilt completely. The way humans are living today is not how it's supposed to be

3. if you had to teach a college course what would it be in? Photography or etymology

4. season 12 of shameless is suddenly happen and youve been put in charge! what plot point(s) are you gonna make happen? Fiona finally settles with someone and goes to therapy so she doesn't self-sabotage. Lip falls into a healthy routine with his little family and finds peace. Ian and Mickey get a cat. Debbie resolves her abandonment issues and settles with Franny (and possibly with a long term girlfriend). Carl gets the Alibi running as his own bar. Liam stays the same (but goes to therapy) and finds a hobby. Kev and V raise their daughters in peace and are undisturbed and happy. Not all rainbows and sunshine of course, this all would come with a lot of pain and drama. Just because. Oh, and everyone else goes to therapy as well. (But also I would scrape it all and leave everything as it is.)

5. who would be your godly parent? (can be any mythology.) Poseidon (I would also love to ask others what they think, I'd like to hear it)

6. what’s something you love about yourself? The fact that I raised myself to be as open and understanding as possible, when my environment was in a lot of ways the opposite of those

7. describe your day in 5 emojis: 🖥️😶😴📱🐾

8. what shameless character do you think you could beat in a fight? Tommy

9. tell us 2 truths and a lie, we’ll try to guess the lie! Ohm.

I did dressage competitively

I'm 170 cm tall

I went to school for photography and dog training

(I'm so bad at this, I'm sorry)

10. do you have a pet(s). if so how did they get their name? I have a dog named Muri (it means 'spree') and a cockatiel named Pogi

11. show us a meme (or picture) that captures your essence.

12. whats your typical coffee / tea / beverage order? Iced coffee, decaf (caffeine doesn't like me), with milk and sweetener. I also like mint tea, coke and beer

13. use a song to describe the last 5 years of your life?

Huh. I thought so hard about a few of these! 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Since - surprisingly - I'm not late with this one, I'm tagging some cool people. Play, if you want to, if not, here, have this frog 🐸 or this pebble 🪨! @stocious @dynamic-power @lupeloto @jrooc @heymrspatel @ian-galagher @deathclassic @bawlbrayker @juliakayyy @suzy-queued @crossmydna @francesrose3 @thisdivorce @look-i-love-u @deedala @depressedstressedlemonzest @metalheadmickey @gardenerian @spacerockwriting @scurvgirl @palepinkgoat and anyone who happens to see this!

[sendpseuds]

WIP Wednesday [sorta]

So, I'm going to get a little... personal.

[Something I rarely do.]

I've been— uh— I've been going through it... a little bit...

I'm not going to get into the nitty-gritty of it all but, after several extremely difficult months of grappling with my mental health, medical issues, and severe burnout, I'm finally in a position to really put myself first.

To make sure I'm gonna be okay.

So, I guess, this WIP Wednesday is just—

Me?

*deep breaths*

One of the reasons I wanted to make this post [and my therapist would tell me not to think about this at all but, I am who I am so] is that I know that I haven't been the most active member of this community— especially not recently.

I rarely do any tagged challenges, I have an inbox full of asks*, I almost never do ask-games [mostly because I'm scared I just won't answer the questions], I've disappeared from conversations...

For fucks sake, I have completely stopped responding to comments on AO3...

And it's horrible because every single comment, ask, reblog, kudos, like, message— it means the fucking world to me, but I've just been—

I have been incapable of participating the way I want to.

And I really want to.

I won't make you [or myself] any promises, but—

But I'm really hopeful.

I love this community.

I love writing these stories.

I love sharing these stories with you.

I guess what I'm saying is — if you've tagged me in a challenge that I didn't participate in. If you've sent an ask that I haven't answered [*actually... if it was more than, like, 3 weeks ago you might want to ask it again... I got really overwhelmed and just deleted them all...] If you've commented on a post or fic that I haven't responded to — I cannot possibly express how much I appreciate it.

The support I have received from this community is a huge part of why I was able to finally ask for what I needed in order to take care of myself.

So, while I have no idea if I will ever reply to another comment or reblog another ask-game, I know I'm going to keep writing, and I know I will continue to feel the incredible support of this weird wonderful community.

Thank you.

Thank you for giving me the space to be a work in progress.

[umbracirrus]

WIP Wednesday! 💛

Once more, it is a Wednesday... and I have to admit, the creative fuel has been very active this week - fun how it coincides with the time pressure for university assignments starting to build up... 😅

So, of course, this is going to be a bumper WIP Wednesday because I think that I will be bouncing around the walls in anticipation until I do - meaning that there will be both writing and cross stitching today!

Tagging, obviously with no obligation, @throughtrialbyfire, @oblivions-dawn, @thequeenofthewinter, and anyone else who wants to share a WIP💛

I've also since been tagged by @wildhexe and @friend-of-giants, so retroactively tagging you both!

----

First things first, cross stitching! I've made some progress since last time, completed the Falkreath emblem outline and have made a start on Winterhold! I'm over halfway there with the outlines now! Just the main colours and background colours to go! And not gonna lie, I'm really loving how the braiding looks in what I've done for Winterhold now that it has been translated into stitching.

Now for the writing, and I will put it under a read more to keep the post from being too long.

I've actually decided to start writing Elyse's journey as the Dragonborn, essentially a prequel to The Perfect Storm! Here's some of the opening passages! There are two of them, I'm that excited to have started writing them ☺️

----

Dim candlelight filled the room, drab and scarcely furnished, as the faint sounds of the outdoor breeze seeped inside. There was a time where that room had once been bright, filled with love and life and laughter. A time where it truly felt like a home, and not merely a fragment of the home it once was.

There was little in terms of furniture. A bookshelf, once filled to the brim with spellbooks and literature sourced from all across High Rock and Cyrodiil, was bare and starting to form cobwebs. The books had long since been given away or sold. A small table, one which used to barely just be big enough to be adorned with tea and sweet treats, wine on even rarer occasions. It was empty. There were also three seats, two of which pushed together – seemingly attached, akin to their previous occupants.

This place was once a home.

With the snuffing of the lone candle, the home which it once was, was resigned to history.

Remaining in that building had become too painful to the woman who had been living there by her lonesome. Surrounded by echoes of what once was, and never would be again. She had chosen to move on, to build herself a new life. Find herself new hope, new cheer. They wouldn’t have wanted her to linger in what once was, as she had been doing, but to seek out a new happiness for herself. They had done it for themselves many years ago, and it was her turn now.

Stepping out into the brisk autumnal winds of Chorrol for what would likely be the last time, she let out a quiet sigh as the door clicked shut. She then made her way towards the city's castle in order to hand in the three keys which were clutched in the palm of her hands to the Count's steward, knowing that one day they would once more be given to a family not unlike her own. Once the keys were exchanged for funds, she was free to go wherever she wished, drift around and allow her whims to guide her feet. But she had a plan… and that plan was Skyrim.

Yes, it was a land full of strife – not too many months ago, it had lost its king and a new one had not yet been crowned, with its leaders fighting and bickering over the land's allegiance to the Empire – but it was still a place of great significance to her. It was her mother's homeland. The place where her parents had met, had fallen in love, spoke so fondly of in spite of having left before she had even been born… and she longed to find a place which could hold the same sorts of treasured memories for her. With luck, Skyrim would be that place too.

----

The ropes around Elyse’s wrists chafed like no-one’s business as she tried to shift her arms into a more comfortable position, but to no avail. It didn’t help either that she felt so many eyes upon her, the sore thumb which stuck out among all the other prisoners. The only one which wasn’t a Jarl or dressed in Stormcloak blue now that the horse thief was dead.

“And who are you?”

The voice of the soldier stood in front of her made her freeze and start staring at him with both panic and confusion across her features. “Wh-What?”

At the very least, the soldier appeared to have some semblance of compassion. “Who are you? What is your name? If you aren’t on my list, then you won’t be executed.”

A chill went down her spine at that word. Executed. She was being dragged around with a group of people who were going to be executed. That was just her luck...

“E... Elyse Verne... I-I was only trying to get to Winterhold, I have family there, and a letter from the Archmage-“

“And you aren’t on the list. Captain,” the soldier turned to a very short-tempered looking woman who was staring daggers directly at her. “What should we do? She’s not on the list.”

Elyse felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach as the soldier was told to send her to the block anyway. The horrified expression from the soldier managed to provide at least a little comfort as he turned to face her once more.

“I... I’m sorry. But you said that you have family in Winterhold, didn’t you? I can arrange for your remains to be sent to them... Who should I-“

“Hadvar! Move the prisoner now!”

Elyse felt a horrible sense of bitterness as a different soldier appeared behind her and gave her a shove forward, making her stumble forward onto the ground, the impact with the stone and gravel scraping down her skin and embedding in her palms and knees. At the very least, Hadvar was the one who helped her up. Unfortunately, she wasn’t given the opportunity to clean any of the debris off, and she could feel the slightest of trails of blood down her fingers and her legs.

Tears were stinging at the corner of her eyes as she was made to stand with the other prisoners, her breathing heavy and unsteady as she tried to keep herself calm whilst the priestess read out their last rites before another prisoner cut her off. What she would give for something, anything to just get her out of there. All she had wanted was to build herself a new life in the land which her mother had spoken of so fondly during her childhood, just for it to kill her on her first few days there.

A distant noise echoed through the mountains, which caught her attention, and seemingly that of everyone else in the town too. But when she realised that it had done nothing to stop the execution proceedings, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from completely breaking down in floods of tears.

Something which very much almost happened when the abrasive captain yelled “Next, the Breton!” when pointing at her, when one – she was just as much a Nord as she was a Breton, and two, the captain seemed to be taking some sort of sadistic joy from the panic that she was in as she got nudged forward once more.

Elyse almost expelled the contents of her stomach at the sight before her when she ended up by the chopping block. The body of the Stormcloak who had just been executed had merely been kicked to the side, his blood soaking the wooden block, the basket which still bore his head, and the ground beneath him. She had to force her eyes shut as she quietly prayed to the Divines to save her when a hand was placed on her shoulder and forced her down to her knees, though it didn’t stop the metallic tang which filled the air around her from getting into her nostrils when her head was forced down onto the block.

She didn’t know where she was going to go once her head was cleaved from her shoulders. Maybe she would find herself in Sovngarde – her mother would surely be there to welcome her. Maybe even her father, if her mother’s prayers during her life had been strong enough. Maybe she would simply end up in Aetherius. Maybe... She would end up nowhere. The last rites had been interrupted after all... And one way to get on the bad side of whatever higher beings which were out there had to be disturbing the processes and procedures which had been carried out in their names for time immemorial. But perhaps Arkay would have sympathy upon her, for the injustice of her death.

[lover-of-mine]

wip wednesday

i was tagged by @prince-buck-diaz and @bucks118 thank youuuu <3

I will do something mean, I think, the buck breakdown fic spiraled out of my control and I don't know when I'm gonna finish it but I wanna share this bit of it because I really like it

"Evan, can you look at me, please?"  Buck thinks it is wildly unfair that Eddie only chooses to use his name in moments like this. He likes being Buck more than he ever liked being Evan. He knows it's weird but getting the nickname in the one place where he ever felt like he fitted in feels good. It helps him to deal with all the neglect and loneliness he felt before finally getting it right. To separate it all. Buck is a firefighter, and a great one, but he's also an uncle, a brother, a friend, a partner. He has a family and he is loved and he finally has a place where he doesn't believe he is a fuckup who needs to keep running and he has most of the things Evan desperately wanted.  He calls himself Buck, he introduces himself as Buck. And it's not because he hates his name. He doesn't mind Evan, he just likes this version of himself better.  The problem is that Eddie only seems to call him Evan when he needs reassurance. That type of reassurance he would never admit to needing. The painful one where he needs someone to tell him they would love him anyway. Without the uniform or without having his life together. Without him needing to bleed himself dry for it. All of him, not just this version.  And it's like Eddie can see that. Can see the kid with scraped knees and broken bones that were the only way he could get attention. Can see the teenager that got on the football team because he hated being in the house without Maddie and because he loved how the entire school knew his name because of it. Can see the punk who got kicked out of college and just desperately wanted someplace to belong.  Eddie says his name like he's not talking just to the guy he met, the one who was still lost but didn't feel unmoored anymore, but to the guy he knows. Because Eddie knows him. Knows about the hospital stays where his coach was the one sitting with him. Knows about sleepless nights in his Jeep going wherever a full tank of gas could take him. Knows about his pains and insecurities and things Buck never had to say out loud for him to know.  Eddie says it like he's talking to him, and every version of him that exists within him, and it's so fucking unfair. Because it's disarming. It blows right through every wall he ever put around himself. He can't hide away. He can't pretend he's fine. He can't do anything other than pay attention because it's Eddie and he can't do anything other than anything he asks.

it's late and most people I would tag already posted so I'm not tagging anyone.

[banannabethchase]

I feel I'm rubbish at these, cos I don't give prompts, it's more a collection of words like "HangMatt, with lingerie maybe" *shrug emoji* 😉 Oooooh! Would you ever consider more details on the Hangman Matt experiments?? 🥺

Look So Good Underneath Me - also on AO3

~

Adam decides to try a new one of his experiments with Matt, and decides on pink panties. It backfires. Deliciously.

~

Jules I need you to be aware that this is ENTIRELY your fault. This prompt isn't rubbish, it's pure GOLD. Thank you! Title from Pink G-String by Scene Queen.

~

“I have a present for you,” Adam says once Matt picks up the phone. He lights up immediately.

“A present?” he asks. “What kind? Can I see?”

“Not until Dynamite,” Adam says, fighting his own grin. “You gotta wait.”

Matt huffs. “This is one of your stupid experiments again, isn’t it. Is this like the time you bought me a neon orange butt plug and had me wear it the night we won the six-man tags in Ring of Honor? Is this a throwback?”

Adam throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, my god, no. But we should revisit that. That was good.”

“But it is an experiment,” Matt says, and when Adam turns his eyes back to his phone screen, even FaceTime can’t hide Matt’s interest. “Right?”

“Maybe,” Adam singsongs. “Maybe I just want to get something pretty for my boyfriend.”

“So it’s something pretty!” Matt says, like he solved some sort of puzzle. “Just tell me.”

“Nope,” Adam says. “You have to wait.”

Matt groans, sounding like Adam’s high schoolers would get when he’d tell them they couldn’t skip any more classes or they’d fail. “Is this like the edging thing you did back before the pandemic that backfired?”

Adam frowns. “No. God. Why would you remind me of that disaster?”

“If I’m miserable, you’re miserable,” Matt says, with a grin.

“What a horrible line,” Adam laughs. “I thought you loved me.”

“I do love you,” Matt clarifies. “But you’re being mean to me so I figured I’d give it back to you.”

“Cute,” Adam says. “Very cute. I wish you were here so I could fuck that smug little smile off of you. I’ll have to wait until Wednesday, though.”

Matt turns pink. “Miss you.”

“I miss you too, baby,” Adam murmurs. “I’ll see you soon. Two days, okay?”

“Two days,” Matt confirms. “Love you.”

“I love you more.”

Adam hangs up and has to shove his face in a pillow with the stupid, fluffy feeling building in his chest. It’s been months back with Matt, and before that years with and without him, and he still gets all dumb about him.

When he’s finally gotten his shit together and has stopped mooning over his boyfriend, Adam grabs the box he’d ordered and pulls out the pink lacy thong, neon and so flimsy it’s almost pointless.

The sight of it alone, the image of what Matt might look like wearing it, is enough to get him hard. He gets off looking at a photo of Matt, and curling the lacy fabric in his free hand.

~

“Hi!”

Adam turns to see a familiar flurry barreling toward him and leaping into his arms.

“Hey, baby,” he says, hugging Matt close. Matt’s legs around his waist feel like home. “It’s only been a couple days, you really miss me that much?”

“Uh-huh,” Matt says, burying his face into Adam’s neck. He sighs. “Plus you did the teasy thing again with the present, and now that I see you, I know I’m gonna get it.”

“Oh, you’re gonna get it alright,” Adam says, sliding his hand up Matt’s thigh.

“For the love of god, not in the airport.”

Adam brushes some of Matt’s hair out of the way. “Oh! Hi, Nick.”

“Hey,” Nick nods. “Can you put my brother down, please?”

Matt lets out a long suffering sigh as he slides down Adam’s body to the floor. “You ruin the fun, Nicky.”

“I ruin the public indecency charges.” Nick hits Matt in the back with his own backpack. “Grab your stuff so we can all get to the hotel and I can have some peace away from you two heathens.”

“Heathens, schmeathens,” Matt says, rolling his eyes as he grabs his backpack and Adam’s hand. “I’m not the one who was checking out Billy Gunn’s ass last week.”

“Really!” Adam says. “Nick, do you have a thing for Billy?”

“Shut up, Matt,” Nick grumbles. He won’t meet Adam’s eyes. “Matt, you said you wouldn’t say anything.”

“Yeah, but it’s Adam,” Matt says, like the name alone gives context. “You know. We tell him everything.”

“You tell him everything,” Nick corrects, shaking his head with a little smile on his face. “I try to keep a little mystery going.”

~

It’s a whirlwind to get back to the hotel, and they end up with less time than Adam had hoped to get ready. He’s in the middle of unpacking when Matt shuffles past him with his carryon thrown over his shoulder. Always the performer.

“You know you don’t have to show off the biceps all the time for me to think you’re hot, right?”

Matt throws a grin over his shoulder. “Yeah, but it’s fun.” He unzips his bag, and Adam is…concerned.

“Oh,” Adam says, blinking. “The white gear.”

“Yeah,” Matt says, taking the white gear and putting it carefully into his venue bag. “I thought you like the white gear.”

Adam bites his lip. “Oh, I do. I definitely do. I just, uh,” he turns around to go to his checked luggage, and pulls out the poorly wrapped gift. “Here. Open it.”

Matt’s brow furrows. “Oh, I know what this is.”

“You do?” Adam asks. “How?”

Matt locks his eyes on Adam’s as he rips it open, pulls out the box, and pulls out the panties. “Because you’re predictable, Adam.” He grins. “You’ve always liked me in pink.”

“Okay, see, but who wouldn’t?” He crowds into Matt’s space until Matt’s back hits the wall. He brushes some of Matt’s hair over his shoulder, careful to graze his fingers against Matt’s neck, just to make his shiver. He leans in, lips at Matt’s ear. “You look so good in it.”

Matt exhales. “Why are you doing this to me when we have to be at the venue in twenty minutes?” he whispers.

“Because I like it when you get riled up.”

Matt laughs. “So predictable.” But he’s breathing a little heavily, his eyes are a little blown, and he can’t stop looking at Adam’s mouth. “I – do you want me to wear this under my gear? Because, well, Nick and I thought white gear because it goes with everything, but we also brought something else.” Matt steps away from Adam and reaches into his bag.

“The purple and black and white would definitely make it harder to see the thong through the clothes.” Adam licks his lips. “Then it’s just you and me who know. Maybe I’ll snap at it a little during the match, just to remind you.”

“Okay, seriously, this is just mean,” Matt says, and he folds his arms across his chest. “You better get me really good after Rampage. I don’t care how tired I am.”

Adam tilts his head. “I – what?”

“You heard me,” Matt says, sliding a leg between Adam’s. “You’re gonna rail me so hard after tonight’s match, when we win those belts back, it’ll be like we’re back in our Ring of Honor days.”

Adam blinks. “That might be the most dominant you’ve ever been, and it’s begging me to fuck you. You’re an enigma, baby.”

Matt is snippy and on edge the whole night, and Adam fights the urge to laugh when Kenny says, “Jesus, what crawled up your ass.” Matt huffs and glares at Adam.

“Are you two in a fight?” Nick asks. “Because if you two are in a fight, I’ll be forced to kill you if we don’t win tonight. I don’t want to commit murder.”

“We’re not fighting,” Adam says, and his expression is apparently not blank enough because Nick groans.

“Jesus, you two,” but at least he’s laughing. “Don’t even tell me. Just,” he turns to Matt, “be normal for the match.”

“I am normal!”

“Are not.”

“Are too!”

“Okay,” Adam says, stepping between the two of them before they get each other riled up in the bad way. “Why don’t we all get back to the locker room and start getting ready, yeah?”

“I’ll see you three later,” Kenny says, eyes not leaving the screen next to Tony. “I don’t want to miss anything.”

It’s early to get ready, with Rampage just starting, but Adam would rather Nick and Matt be bitchy in private than to gather an audience.

“I don’t know why I got dragged in here,” Nick says, rolling his eyes.

“Because Matt’s bitchy and you were goading him,” Adam explains.

“Yeah, Nick –”

“Nope,” Adam says, shoving him into a chair. “Not on your side, baby.” He takes the moment to loom over Matt, who goes all giant eyed and soft. He adds the next sentence in a whisper. “Be good.”

Matt nods. “Okay.”

“I’d say teach me how to do that,” Nick says, flopping into a chair, “but I think that would be gross.”

Adam laughs. “No shit, Sherlock.”

They watch the rest of the show as they slowly pull their gear on. Nick is rambling about shoes while Matt stays extremely close to Adam.

“Matt, I’m not gonna fuck you until after the match,” Adam murmurs, disguising it with a kiss to Matt’s temple.

“Why not?”

“We have, like, twenty minutes before we have to be at gorilla.”

Matt gets this little smile on his face. “Well –”

“No!” Adam laughs. He falls onto the couch next to Matt and grabs him around the waist. “God, you’re the worst.”

“You both suck pretty bad right now,” says Nick, but he’s smiling down at his phone, so Adam thinks it’s not too bad. He resists the urge to ask if it’s Billy.

“I gotta go put on my gear,” Matt says, and he winks at Adam. When he gets his things out of his bag, Adam feels a shiver run up his spine when he spots a hint of neon pink. From where he’s bent over, Matt flashes him a grin that makes Adam rock hard in seconds.

“Fuck,” he mutters, and he realizes far later than he should have that, as much as this experiment messes with Matt, it’ll mess with him, too.

~

Adam thinks the universe is an absolute dickwad by sending Swerve out in the middle of his match with Matt. He’s able to focus when he gets flashes of pink, so slight and so infrequently he’s sure no one else can see it. But it powers him, and it focuses him, and it reminds him why he’s here.

He catches the pink in the corner of his eye right before he pins Cage.

“We did it!” Matt says, breathless and grinning, belt in his hands as he walks backstage. “We won!”

“We did,” Adam laughs, and he’s not doing the best job of staying in the moment, stuck on Swerve and what he might do next. “Holy shit, we did.”

“Hey,” Matt says firmly. “Focus on right now.” He raises his belt and bumps it with Adam’s, and it feels like a promise. “We did it.”

Nick barrels in. “Not to interrupt the love fest, but Hung Bucks champs for life!” He throws his arms around the both of them, and they stumble their way into a wall. Adam’s happy, the kind of soul expanding, deep, long term happy he only feels around Matt, around Nick, around his friends.

The way he used to feel around the Dark Order. But he’s going to listen to Matt. And he’ll focus on right now.

Still tangled with both Bucks, Adam pulls back a little and grins, locking eyes with Matt as he slides his hand down Matt’s back, just under the hem of his pants, and snaps the waistband of the panties.

Matt looks deliciously scandalized, the pink across his cheeks and the smile making it very clear where his mind went.

“Okay,” Nick laughs. “Let’s get backstage to the –”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Tony practically stomps over to them. “I need you two – not you, Adam, unless you want to, I guess – to help coordinate Ubers and Lyfts for some of the talent.”

 Matt blinks. “Why?”

“Because it’s much later than we usually wrap up Rampage and it feels like, I don’t know, wrong to have everybody just try their best to find a ride back to the hotel when it’s past midnight.” He wrinkles his nose. “And I have to talk to the owner of this place about how, no, the blood isn’t going to bring a bad reputation to the place.” He gives Nick a look. “Unless you want to do the political work.”

“I will begin setting up Uber and Lyft rides as long as you never threaten me with politics again,” Nick says. “Come on you, two. Adam, you can talk on a phone, right?”

“Literally no,” Adam says. “Like, anxious millennial is my whole vibe.”

“Deal with it,” Nick says, and he grabs Adam and Matt by the wrists and yanks them over to a quieter space.

Adam makes so many phone calls. So many. Matt, next to him, is chattering away with a big smile, and the tiny hint of pink peeking out from the back of his pants is enough to make Adam’s brain fry.

They go on like this for twenty full minutes, call after call to coordinate between people. The worst is giving specific Uber and Lyft codes out to talent until they can barely read numbers, until Tony comes back from his meeting with a smile.

“You three,” he says, pointing to them, “are godsends. The owner of this place figured out what was happening and thought that we could use that to combat any blood related PR for the night, so no more worries about the way things look.” He exhales. “Go back to the locker rooms, get ready to go. They’re giving us an extra forty-five minutes to clean up and give you time to get yourselves together.”

“Great,” Adam says, blood suddenly no longer in his head. “Wonderful.”

“I’m heading back to the hotel now,” Nick says, typing on his phone. “I can shower there. I’m beat.”

Adam laughs, almost accidentally. “Come on, Matty, let’s go clean up.”

Nick goes with them to get his gear, and Adam’s so hard he’s getting dizzy. Matt can’t even know how the way he bends over flashes the tiniest hint of pink every time, how Adam can tell, through the pants, Matt’s in a thong that Adam bought for him. For some ungodly reason, Matt pulls on a tee shirt. A shirt. He’s covering up that perfect body more.

Adam feels like a dick, but he tries to silently will Nick to pack faster.

Matt yawns a little, stretching enough to reveal another flash of pink, and Adam snaps.

“Nick,” he says, voice sounding tight. “Need help packing?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Nick says. He throws his bag over his shoulder. “You guys wanna get Denny’s or something?”

Matt opens his mouth, but Adam barrels over him. “Nah, we’re good.” He shoots Matt a look that he hopes conveys ‘stop talking so I can fuck you into oblivion.’ “We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Nick narrows his eyes, studying Adam’s face, and Adam tries to stay as neutral as possible. “If you end up on the news tomorrow for whatever this,” he waves his hand, “energy is, I’m not bailing you out.”

“Deal,” Adam says. “Fine. See you tomorrow. Love you. Bye.”

Nick’s still laughing as the door swings shut behind him.

“What is up with –”

Adam doesn’t give Matt the time to speak. He collides with Matt, grabbing at his shirt, ripping it at the hem at his haste to get it off.

“Mine,” he growls against Math’s mouth as he kisses him.

“Oh!” Matt yelps. “Oh, yes, love this.”

Adam shoves Matt against the wall, leaning in to suck a bruise into Matt’s neck, down his shoulder. Matt hums into it.

“I kind of liked that shirt,” he pants. “You ripped it.”

“Yeah?” Adam asks. He grabs at Matt’s thighs and lifts him. “Deal with it, baby, I’m gonna wreck a lot more.”

Matt lets out this delighted, high pitched little whine. “God, took you long enough.”

Adam drops Matt on the massage table, scrabbling at the waistband of Matt’s gear pants. He grabs Matt’s hand and pins it to he massage table when he tries to help, and Matt exhales.

“God, yes,” Matt exhales. “I love it when you get this way.”

“You in those fuckin’ panties,” Adam grumbles, roughly yanking Matt’s gear pants down. He lets go of Matt’s hand, needing an assist, and Matt reaches above his head to grab at the top of the table.

“Yeah?” Matt asks, lifting his hips so Adam can yank the pants down. “You like them a lot?”

“I can’t stand them,” Adam says, and he doesn’t even take the time to take the panties off. He leans in, mouths at Matt’s dick through the lace, and the whine that comes out of Matt is almost enough to make Adam come in his pants.

“Adam,” Matt gasps. “Oh – take ‘em off, now, I need you to fuck me immediately.”

Adam pulls back, grinning. “Did you just swear?”

Matt pushes up on his elbows. “Did you just stop?”

“Fair point.” Adam pulls back and locks his eyes on Matt as he walks back to the bags.

“Why are you leaving?” Matt asks, breathing so hard Adam can see the movement. “Come back.”

“Gotta get lube, baby,” Adam says, grinning. He slides his hand in his bag, and it’s right in the front pocket, in the ziplock one quart baggie that made the TSA agent blush. He flicks the bottle open with one thumb, and Matt drops back with a thud against the massage table.

Adam gets back to Matt and unbuckles his pants as fast as he can, his cock springing from his boxers when he shoves them down his hips. It’s almost a relief. He grabs Matt’s legs, yanking him half off the table.

“Yes,” Matt says. “Yes, now, anything.”

Adam laughs, and it sounds a little dark to his own ears. “Slow down baby, we gotta get you nice and open first.”

Matt whines, one of Adam’s favorite sounds, and throws his legs over Adam’s shoulders without another request. Adam presses a kiss to the inside of his thigh. “I gotta take these off first.”

“Okay,” Matt says, but Adam stops him before he moves his legs. Adam leans in and carefully grabs the band around Matt’s thighs with his teeth, dragging them down a thigh. It’s harder than he would have expected, but with a little help from his hands, the panties are gone. He shifts, ducking so he can yank them off and throw them somewhere in the room.

“You have no idea how hot that was,” Matt pants. “Get in me.”

“Hold on,” Adam laughs, turning to bite at the soft skin of Matt’s thigh. He drips lube on his fingers and watches, rapt, as he traces Matt’s hole for a second, listening to Matt’s pained whimpers.

“Adam, please.” He sounds like he’s near to tears. “I can’t wait any more. Please.”

Adam slides a finger inside of Matt, and it’s so easy, like he’s made to fit inside of Matt. Matt exhales and his body relaxes.

“Not enough,” he gasps, “but better.”

Adam grins as he works in another finger, Matt pleading for more as each twist of his fingers presses up against his prostate. With the third, Matt’s heels press into Adam’s shoulders so firmly Adam’s pretty sure there will be a mark.

“I’m ready, and you know it,” Matt bitches. “I want it now.”

Adam drops Matt down, grip iron on Matt’s thighs, until he’s at the right angle. Like this, he can pull Matt down on his dick, the leverage so perfect it feels impossible.

“Oh, god, yes,” Matt groans. “That’s – holy fuck.”

“Two fucks in one night,” Adam quips, finally clearheaded now that his dick is buried in Matt, “what a surprise.”

“I could go for two in one night,” Matt says, and he uses those obscene biceps and a grip on the table to fuck himself on Adam’s dick. “Back at the hotel?”

“Focus on getting railed right now, Matthew, Jesus,” Adam laughs, but he can’t stop smiling. It’s been years since they started doing this, months since they fell back together, and it’s still this good. He still can’t get enough of Matt’s attempts to keep a conversation going, of the way Matt yanks him down for a kiss, the way he’ll grab at Adam’s hand even when it’s impossible to hold hands.

“I love you,” Adam says, “just wanna make sure you know.”

“I know,” Matt says, eyes fluttering closed as Adam adjusts the pace and the angle. “I – know, Adam, I love you too. I wanna come soon, please?”

“You asking permission now?” Adam chuckles. “That something you might wanna try? Me saying no?”

“Not today, but yes,” Matt says. He’s got his teeth sunk down in that pretty pink lip of his, and Adam has to lean in and kiss it, just for the moment. He taps Matt’s leg to make sure he hooks it right around Adam’s waist, then moves his hand, still slick, to wrap around Matt’s cock. Matt whimpers when Adam keeps his grip lose and not quite what he wanted. He was tortured earlier with knowing all of this was covered in pretty pink. Matt can get a little teasing too. Only, he realizes, as he loosens his grip even further, now he’s thinking about those panties, and what Matt would look like in another pair, and his brain is flames again.

“Matt,” Adam laughs, a bit delirious, “fuck, I think this experiment backfired.”

“I disagree,” and he sounds far too put together. Adam picks up the pace of both his hand and his thrusts. “I – oh my god, right like that – think it proved that I look good in panties, right?”

“Yeah, of course you do. But I think it fucked with me more than it fucked with you.” He digs his fingers into Matt’s thighs, tightens his grip on Matt’s cock. “God, I want to be inside you all the time. Next time I’m fucking you with the panties on.”

“Yes,” Matt whines. “Yeah, get – get me all kinds of colors, rip ‘em off me.”

Adam isn’t used to feeling this, like he needs to fuck Matt and won’t settle until he does, like being hilt deep in the man is the only thing that will keep him stable. He may have accidentally edged himself, which he didn’t realize was possible to do. “Anything,” he growls in Matt’s ear, and he bites at Matt’s thigh. Matt gasps.

“If me in undies does this to you, I should have gotten some sooner,” Matt laughs breathlessly. But the laughter fades quickly as Adam fucks into him like his life depends on it. “I – just like – this is different – don’t you dare change anything or I’ll – yes!” Matt comes spectacularly, so emphatically it gets up on Adam’s chin, and it’s enough to make Adam’s head spin with how he’s the one who made this happen. He’s the one who gets to see Matt like this, who gets to fuck him, who gets to love him, who gets every perfect and messy piece of him.

When he comes, he wonders if he’s allow to start thinking about proposing again.

“Jesus,” Adam says, exhaling as he pushes Matt back up the massage table. He drops his elbows down on the massage table, dropping his forehead on Matt’s messy belly.

Matt laughs, hands sliding into Adam’s hair, gently stroking. “Yeah,” he sighs. “I’m glad we have our own room. Think how weird it would have been to do it in the locker room when anyone could walk in.”

Adam raises his head. “You say weird, but I think you mean hot.”

“Of course I mean hot, but I’m trying to be a normal person.”

“Nope,” Adam says, and he presses a kiss right above Matt’s belly button. “Not allowed to be normal. If you were normal, you wouldn’t be Matt.”

They kiss and touch and gently wash in their private shower. Adam shares his shampoo with Matt and tries not to think of how it’ll make Matt smell like him, how it’ll make everything that much more difficult for him to manage knowing Matt feels even more like his.

They stumble out of the showers naked, drying off together, and dress with the slowest hands and most wandering eyes.

Adam thinks they’re in the clear, for once. Most of the roster is long gone, Nick’s at the hotel. Tony’s probably packing up. They might have time to waste. He and Matt are giggling at each other, hands all over each other like they’re in high school behind bleachers, packing up their stuff, when the door swings open.

“Any of you EVP guys got a – the fuck is that?”

“Is what?” Matt asks, and his expression is so clearly feigning innocence that it’s almost embarrassing.

Mox laughs, nodding to the corner of the locker room by the showers. “I bet those are yours, Jackson. You always look so good in pink.”

Adam’s and Matt’s heads snap over to – yup. Matt’s panties are still in the corner.

“Oh,” Matt says, biting his lip. He looks over to Mox, and Adam can see the way he steels himself. “Yeah, they are. And I do look good in them. You’re right about something.”

Adam thinks his own astonishment is reflected by Mox’s face. “Oh,” Mox says. “Okay. Yeah, didn’t see you admitting to it so easily. Damn.” He scans Matt’s body, then his gaze flickers to Adam. “You ever want a third, you got my number.”

“What?” Adam asks. “I thought you hated me.”

Mox laughs so hard and for so long it gives Matt the time to grab the panties from the corner of the room and stuff them back in his venue bag. “Oh, dude, no.” He shakes his head. “You think I would put myself in the position to get my hands all over the two of you in matches because I hate you?” He chuckles, almost condescending. “Jesus, you’re stupid. I love it.”

“What did you even come in here for?” Matt asks, planting his hands on his hips. He’s got a that little blush back, high on his cheeks. Adam knows what that means.

“I figured one of you two would have a phone charger.” He wiggles a gigantic brick in his hand. “Only room in the building with a light still behind it.”

Matt scoffs. “I have a charger, but maybe not for something that ancient.”

“It’s got a lightning plug!”

Adam snorts. “Sounds like a butt plug brand.”

“That is not a butt plug brand,” Mox says, at the same time Matt goes, “I’d buy from them.”

Adam watches the two of them lock eyes, and that blush rises up Matt’s cheeks even deeper red. But, Adam notes, it’s matched by one on Mox’s cheeks. “Okay, well, if you two are done eye fucking, we can find you a charger.” Adam decides to keep the idea that just popped into his head safe for later, when he and Matt are alone.

“We weren’t – we didn’t –” Matt looks over at Adam, panicked, but settles at Adam’s grin.

“Yeah, we were, baby doll, and I think he liked it.” Mox winks at Matt, then Adam. “So. Where’s that charger?”

~

Mini Playlist:

Pink G-String - Scene Queen

Thong Song - Sisqo

Do Me - Kim Petras

3 - Britney Spears

[mrssimply]

WIP Wednesday

I HAVE A WIP! And on my side of the world, it officially wednesday so I'm posting now before I lose the nerve.

The snippet is from the fic I didn't promise to @peaches-n-screem but asked permission to write because it's supposed to the the follow up to Bloody Fuckin' Valentine...

Listen it's been... two months? More? since I wrote anything so I just wanted to celebrate the fact that the block is maybe perhaps sorta lifting a lil bit!

So I'm not tagging anyone because clearly, I don't wanna put pressure on anyone, I mostly wanted to share my joy with you all!

Though I don't think it's gonna bring you any joy. Prepare your tissues, that's what I mean.

It occurs to Kerry as the conversation dies down again, that Rogue might know. For a moment, he hesitates. He starts biting his lip and playing with his rings nervously, toying with the question until Rogue sighs. “Ask me,” she orders, still facing the view. Her back is straight, and her hands grip the edge.  Kerry swallows, realizes it can’t be easy for her. She loved him too, in her own way. She was here in that tower when he… Blinking to chase the thought away, Kerry takes a deep breath. “Did he… Did he detonate the bomb?” “No,” she answers readily, even if her voice is so soft that with the wind, it barely reaches Kerry’s ears. “He was already dead.” The drop under Kerry’s feet suddenly feels alive, like it’s physically pulling him down. The sensation of vertigo seizes him, grips his heart and his innards, tempting him into the fall.  With shaking hands, Kerry brings his smoke back to his lips. “Who —?” “The less you know, the better,” Rogue intejects harshly, before her voice softens. “Does it matter? Kerry, you have to understand: I was paid for this job. Sure, I like to fuck the corps up, but for me it was just that, a job. Clear parameters, objectives to carry, and a payroll.” Despite her cold words, Kerry can hear something underneath, a regret, a wish she hadn’t come to that, but also the acceptance that it was the path she’d chosen, willingly or not. “Why do you think I wasn’t leading the team?” she asks.  Letting out a shuddering breath, Kerry shakes his head: he knows, he knows. He just can’t say it. With a glance at him, Rogue answers her own question. If he won’t say it, she will. “Blackhand chose Johnny to lead the second team because he needed someone that would see it to the end, someone that was ready to sacrifice everything and especially himself for ‘the cause’. Not a merc, but someone that truly believed, or at least that had nothing to lose anymore. Someone he could set on the path and be assured the job would get done against the promise of a glorious death,” she spat. Her eyes are dry, but Kerry has to blink fast against the onslaught of tears that sting the back of his eyes.  “He was already dead,” Rogue whispers again, head tilting down.