#i've spent so much time staring at clothing over the past hour

[adaelines]

price relationship hcs!

sorry for nothing longer, I've felt bad pain wise lately but I replayed mw on veteran and still spent the entire time staring at him ♡

warnings: gn reader, smut below the warning, price adores you so much!!!, he calls you a bitch but its during sex and affectionate, brat tamer price, spanking, collaring

-first proper date, following most likely months of flirting whenever possible and the biggest crush known to man, would be at the local pub. some place you can both call yourselves regular at in the near future, that he hopes you can have regular date nights at when hes home with you, with a pint of whatever on draft and a selection of pub classics. steak and ale pie, fish and chips, lasagne… he doesn't care what you order, he wants you to enjoy yourself and happily pays for it all

-he's a heater. whether it's at home cuddled in bed, on the sofa whilst you watch TV together, or anything that required close proximity, this man is so warm it practically radiates off of him. means he gives the absolute best hugs, usually reserved only for you, and is the absolute best to share a bed with at night. sleeping with this man is so comfortable, always at least one arm wrapped around you tight, he loves to be as close as physically possible

-LOVES anything domestic with you. could be standing next to each other in the bathroom, brushing your teeth whilst he takes care of his beard, showering together with nothing sexual, just intimate time together. it's his absolute favourite, nothing means more to him than being able to do this sort of stuff with you! learns your routine pretty quick and is over the moon when you start doing yours with him! spends a fair amount on his beard oils, it reminds him of home after having no time to take care of himself past the basics on deployment, will happily buy you expensive self care items too! swears he's not a sugar daddy, just loves spoiling you!

-the BEST gossip partner. not just gossip, he'll listen to you talk about your day for hours, sit next to him and let him braid your hair, or simply play with it if it's short, and tell him everything. he'll respond with little hums, "'s that so, love?", or laugh along. but he is listening, asks questions regularly, he's just quiet because he loves memorising your voice for when he's away

-has a locket with a picture of you that he wears all the time, especially when he's on duty. he's careful, wouldn't want it getting into the wrong hands, but knowing he has something of you, has your photo with him, gets him through the hardest of missions. spends nights looking at it, reminds him that beneath everything he's human with someone waiting for him at home, that he needs to get back to you. it's always beneath clothing, most don't even know it exists, but it's the most important thing to him whilst he's away

NSFW BELOW

-god. this man. the biggest brat tamer ever. when you get together, after a while of being comfortable and knowing that you're okay with it, sets out rules to follow and any boundaries, anything that's okay or not. stuff like not touching yourself without his permission, always telling him when you're needy, telling him what you're feeling at all times, and always listening to what he tells you. despite all the rules, you're always most important!

-if you're into it, will get you a necklace to wear at all times, like a collar. a pretty simple thing, in silver or gold, that's discreet enough that others wouldn't recognise what it really is. you're expected to wear it all the time, but it's a pretty little chain that means so much you really wouldn't want to take it off anyway.

-he wears a few rings, all simple gold thick bands that look incredible on his hands. loves when you suck on his fingers and pay special attention to them, wrap your lips around him and trail your tongue over the cold band, it'll send him over the edge. loves when they leave marks on you, especially when spanking you.

-speaking of spanking, he absolutely loves it! you're being extra bratty, talking back and moving away from him? you're gonna end up bent over his knee. always listens, knows when to stop, but he's gonna push you to your limit, he's gonna spank you till you cry, till you're sobbing out apologies and promises to be good for him. it's gonna be hard to sit after, the way you're bruised, and his pretty rings are gonna leave welts, deeper marks that'll stay longer.

"this is what you wanted, right? acting like such a brat, lay there and take it."

"pretty little thing… be good, won't you? stop actin' like such a bitch and ill stop treating you like one, sweetheart."

"you always look so good like this. is this why you do it? you like being marked as mine? you can just ask, love, don't have to act out all the time…"

-despite how mean he can be, how brutal, he's very very kind after. praises you for taking it so well, gives you so many kisses, rubs soothing gel anywhere he hit. brushes your hair and runs you a bath. if you're up to it, will go down on you and worship you until it's too much, he adores you and it shows.

-is VERY in tune with what you want and need. rough and brutal, hips slamming into yours, holding you down with one hand whilst the other is in your hair, roughly grabbing it? done. gently holding you close to him, whispering how perfect you are, fingers gently rubbing you, kissing your cheek and neck and absolutely spoiling you? done. he always knows what to do, pays close attention to every tell you have, he knows when to hold you tight or when to hold you down.

-the best at aftercare. does anything you need without complaint, will gently clean you up and hold you so close. he loves you more than life itself, you mean more to him than anything, he can get mean during sex but never means it, you're everything to him.

[romanoffs-widow]

Sorry for everything

Sum: Nat takes out her anger on you after a stressful couple of weeks.

Warnings ⚠️ : Shouting, arguing, and split up?

A/N: Thank you very much to @bobisek96 for requesting this fic, I hope it's okay 😭 and tysm to everyone for all the love on my (not actually first) first fic! I appreciate you all sm ❤️

(I promise there is eventual fluff 😅)

Happy reading! 😊

NATASHA POV:

Everyone thinks being an Avenger is so easy. All you gotta do is a couple of fights and interviews, and that's it, right? Wrong. These last couple of weeks have had me exhausted and honestly drained.

Steve and Tony keep arguing about useless crap, Lena accidentally stained the couch with red wine and didn't even tell me, so I sat in it and stained my favourite sweatpants and I've had to do 6 different interviews because Tony had a cold and couldn't do them, and on top of all that, Morgan has clung to me like a magnet since her dad has been sick. I love kids, and I really do, but not when I'm exhausted and keep having nightmares, leaving me sleepless almost every other night.

"Hey Natty," she says with that smile I love so much. I don't know what it is, but even y/n/n can't cheer me up today. Too tired to respond, I just give her a nod. Hopefully, she can see I don't want to talk right now.

I went to change into comfier clothes. I feel a pair of hands wrap around my waist. I shrug her off, getting annoyed. "Are you okay, baby?" I roll my eyes as I put my top over my head. "I'm fine." Maybe now she'll get it? "You know if you don't want to talk to me, just say." She says it with a tone that tips me ove rather edge.

"You know what? Maybe I don't want to talk to you. Maybe all I want to do is lay down in our bed and try my very best to relax! I have had such a hard couple weeks, and all you do is bug me because you're a pathetic childish wench that wants my attention all the time! If you knew what I go through every single day as an Avenger, maybe you'd at least try to understand how hard my job is! So please just shut your whiny mouth up and get out. I don't want to see your face EVER AGAIN!"

Y/N POV:

My vision is beyond blurry as I feel the endless stream of tears rolling down my cheeks. My hands are shaking, and anxiety is sitting heavy on top of my chest. "Alright. O-okay." I get up, and without saying anymore, I grab my backpack and start shoving a bunch of clothing into it. I go into the bathroom and grab my toothbrush, as well as the other necessities that belonged to me.

With my bag and arms full with items, I give the redhead one last look. Her face is still red from all the shouting she did as she stared at the floor, in the same spot she'd been in for a couple of minutes. I give her a small nod, sniffling as I close the door. I am fully aware the whole compound heard all of that, and honestly, they should. I don't deserve to be treated like that.

I'm going to miss this place. The past 9 years of my life have been spent living here, getting to know all of the amazing people within. I had so many memories here, one of the first being when Morgan was born. She had a head full of hair and a smile that looked just like her fathers'.

As I walked out of the tower, I went to the first person I could think of. Wanda Maximoff, my best friend of 5 years. She does live in the compound, but she also owns an apartment on the other side of the city for emergencies. She gave me a spare key when she got it. Thankfully, I'd never used it before, so I'd never seen the interior of the four walls.

Memories, good and bad swirls around in my head, as I twist the bronze key into the lock. It took me an hour to get here, with the bus and all. I get settled in, as I know I'll be staying here for a while. I started getting myself a snack when I heard the door swing open. I look at it to see the red magic I'd come to know very well.

"Y/n/n honey? Are you in here?" As soon as I hear her voice, I run over to her, the flow of tears starting up again. "Oh my god, are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?" I shake my head, unable to speak. "Oh, my poor baby. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner. Everyone is out looking for you. I'd better call Pietro and tell him to tell everyone you're safe."

I just hug her tighter. "E-e-even...?" She looks at me with guilt in her eyes. "We all heard what she said to you, and F.R.I.D.A.Y said that you'd left, so we all went looking for you. None of us have heard from her since." By now, I've soaked her hoodie with my never-ending tears.

"Shhhh, it's okay, you're okay." Wanda whispers as she rubs my back to calm me down.

1 MONTH LATER...

I hear a knock at the door. Wanda only left, and she had her own key, so it definitely wasn't her, and i haven't ordered any packages. Deciding i dont care, I go to open it. I see nothing but a white teddy bear holding an envelope sitting on the welcome mat. There is no sign of anyone being here, as the halls are silent. I pick up the toy and bring it inside, closing the door. I go and put it on the counter, taking the red letter from its paws. It had my first initial on the front.

Our place, 2 pm?

- N xx

I roll my eyes. Even if I was very upset with her, she always knew how to make me smile. I check the clock, seeing it's already 1pm, so I decide to start getting ready.

I step into the shop and immediately see Natasha. As I get closer, I can see that she has bags under her eyes, and I see that her knuckles are all red and sore. She's probably been training to get her mind off us. "Hey," She goes to hug me, and I let her. "Hi." She ordered both our favourite drinks.

"How have you been?" I scoff. "What kind of a question is that? My girlfriend of 9 years kicked me out because she was having a rough couple of weeks and hasn't even bothered talking to me for a whole month, and you think I'm okay?" She looks down with guilt filled eyes. "...no. Sorry."

I sip from my cup. "Are you gonna give me some pathetic excuse as for why you made me leave like that, or what?" She nods her head, and takes a Depp breath.

"What I said was really messed up. I shouldn't have called you any of those rude names or said any of that to you. I was having a hard couple of weeks, and I just wanted some quiet. Which I got. But by all means, that's no excuse to take my anger out on you. I don't know if you even want to talk to me anymore after what I did, and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness or anything remotely close but I really am sorry y/n/n. These past 9 years have meant so much to me, and I don't want them to go down the drain because of my stupid actions."

She pauses for a while. Waiting for me to give her some sort of response. "Thank you. I'm sorry for bothering you so much, but it would be very helpful if you communicated how you feel to me, so I know when you need space. I haven't forgiven you. That's going to take a long time, but if you're willing to work on this, so am I. Okay?" She puts her hand on top of mine. "Okay."

6 MONTHS LATER...

Everything had been going actually quite well with y/n, and I. I've been working on my communication, and she's been helping me to recognise when I feel like I need space. She's moved back into the compound, and as of recently, she's started staying in our room again.

"Hey baby." I forgot how much I love her voice. "Hi malysh. Cuddles?" She nods her head and wraps herself around me on the couch. We quickly get sucked into our newfound favourite show, Greys Anatomy. "Meredith really is gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as you!" I say as I give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm nothing compared to McDreamy." I laugh, knowing she loves Derek too much.

"Sorry...for everything." She turns to look at me with her eyebrows furrowed, abandoning our show. "I know. It's okay." She adjusts herself so she can kiss my lips. "I love you." She snuggled back onto me, sucking back into the show.

[p0ssywhippedcream]

I put req in during the last TT, but it wasn't fulfilled due to what happened to you shortly after. And I don't blame you to be clear! Ive been waiting to resubmit it for next time and now I can! I would like to request an apollo x newly immortal! Wife reader, kinda like a continuation of those wedding night and proposal oneshots. Just something cute where he helps her adjust to immortality/ godhood.

Thanks, and take care! ✌️💋

Hi hun!! omg thank you for being so patient and im so sorry your last tt ask got lost in the storm!!!

❁❁❁❁

"Baby, you know you don't have to do that right?" He's smiling as he snakes a hand around your waist, grinning over your shoulder and meeting your eyes in the mirror.

Your feet shift on the cold tile of the bathroom floor. You look down at your toothbrush held in your hand, halfway through squirting paste on. "I know."

He notices the sadness in your eyes even when they're focused on something else. "Sunshine, what's up?"

You sigh. "You don't know how pointless it all seems now."

"What, all the junk mortals do? Setting alarm clocks and repainting houses and all that?" He nudges your neck with his nose, "It never made sense to me anyway."

"You've never been human, you wouldn't know." Your hand stutters and you set the toothpaste down. Apollo watches as you flick the faucet on and run your brush underneath.

"Are you mad I've made you immortal?" His voice is nervous, lips hesitant to follow through because what if he doesn't want the answer? What if he wants to be selfish and pretend you want it still just so he can keep you?

"No," You decide honestly, pausing to speak before shoving your brush in your mouth, "I just miss the little things."

Apollo stares at you curiously in the mirror as you stubbornly brush your teeth, a chore that could be avoided with a flick of the hand.

"Like?" He asks as you spit.

"Mmm.." Your head tilts and he chases it with a kiss to the cheek before standing tall and hugging your body tighter to his chest. "Laundry. I used to hate it, it takes forever and it's boring and sometimes I'd leave baskets for weeks just to avoid it. But today I went in our closet and my clothes were just... there. And I don't even have to put them on myself or wash them or fold them, they're already perfect all the time."

"And that's an issue?" He's genuinely confused, blonde eyebrows rolling in waves as he considers this.

"My mom spent hours teaching me how to do my laundry. She used to yell at me when I refused to do it. She put so much effort in the task of me having clothes ready and someday I'll forget how to even do it because she'll be dead and so is my need to do anything myself."

Your face is nearly unreadable in the mirror, your gaze on the tap as you rinse your brush until Apollo tugs your chin to face him with a thumb and forefinger.

"You don't want to outlive anyone." He knows it in the tremble of your lashes and the bite marks on your lips. You're anxious of being alone with only him as company and he could let it hurt his feelings but he doesn't. He can't outshine you anymore, even if he tried and he wouldn't want to in the first place.

"I don't know how to... I can't let go of myself, Apollo. My humanity is all I am, I don't know what I would be without my imminent mortality."

Your eyes are pinched and full of fear. You need answers, and he doesn't have them. But you also need familiarity and he can give you that.

"Honey," He gives you a chaste kiss, featherlight touch finding your hands as he pulls you to the bedroom, "You're still you. You just have more time."

You follow him with a furrowed expression as he sets you on the bed.

"Close your eyes." You raise an eyebrow and he makes a pleading face so you comply. "Open."

First, all you note is his body heat next to you and then you notice two laundry baskets full of clothes almost as warm as him.

He's giving you a sheepish smile, legs criss-crossed as he sits next to them. "Would you want to teach me? I can't do all this myself.."

You laugh, loud and unbroken as tears spring to your eyes. Apollo nearly tumbles off the bed when you launch yourself across the baskets at him. "I'd love to."

You face squishes against his, letting you feel the giddy grin that takes over him. He knows that humans are patchwork, messy and rushed and full of longing and while he may never understand (TOA say what), he hopes you never loose that part of you. It's what he first fell in love with after all.

[spenzitz]

VALENTINE'S DAY (chuya edition)

chuya takes valentine's day very seriously. chuya x gn!reader, established relationship, chuya spoils reader,

a/n ~ my first time writing for chuya i'm so sorry... words ~ 1.8k second post for my valentine's day collection ( ๑>ᴗ<๑ )

chuya absolutely loves valentine's day. he loves having any excuse to spoil you rotten. by the time february 1st rolls around, he already has everything planned and dinner reserved at 3 restaurants in case anything were to go wrong.

unfortunately for him, his schedule as a mafia executive stops him from being able to spend the whole day with you. but don't worry, he'll more than makeup for it this evening.

9 am, february 14th, you find yourself strolling through port mafia hq, on your way to meet up with the black lizard for the day. seemingly by coincidence, you run into your lovely boyfriend, chuya. well... it's more that he runs into you.

"y/n! you're not even gonna say hello?" you hear his iconic, smug voice call out from behind you. you must have walked right past him. you turn around and scan your eyes through the crowd of nameless pawns until your eyes land on that stupid fucking hat. everyone moves aside as chuya makes his way to you, making you aware of all the eyes staring directly at you and him as he comes closer.

"hello," you say, giggling, unable to contain your wide smile. he comes much closer than he should need to and grabs your right hand, encasing it with both of his. "happy valentine's day, love." he says, barely audible, just loud enough for you to hear it.

chuya has this way of looking at you that makes you feel like you're the finest treasure in yokohama. you look away from him, still smiling uncontrollably, and start pulling on your clothes with your left hand. the butterflies he gives you, doing no favors to help your nerves.

most people have looked away by now, taking chuya's low tone as a sign of desired privacy. the exception, of course, is the black lizard who has all huddled together, everyone either cooing or scoffing at their boss's public display.

"yes, well, happy valentine's day, chuya..." you say, whispering. he finds it cute how bashful you are even after being with him for so long. you still have pride, he supposes.

"i've gotta run, and i think you do too..." he starts, nodding at your team, staring at the two of you. you turn to face them and feel the blood rush to your face upon seeing their mixed reactions, immediately looking back at chuya. "but i'll pick you up tonight at 6, how's that sound?" he asks, but it's not really a question, so you don't answer. you simply nod your head and look down at your hand as he removes one of his.

"see ya later, hun," he adds as he brings your hand up to his mouth and kisses it. he's still smiling as he turns around and walks away, leaving you dizzy, and light-headed like you've worked a night shift. every moment with him feel like a fantasy.

a fantasy that is swiftly broken by the sound of tachihara's boyish voice. "you done swooning over mr. nakahara, or should we give you more time?" the thought of all your closest colleges watching that unfold makes you cringe. you roll your eyes and turn around, facing them all, just watching you.

"yeah, yeah, i'm ready. let's get on with it." today was going to be a long day.

you all get done for the day around 4:30. that leaves you with an hour and a half to get ready. around an hour of that time is spent on and off scrolling on your phone, and picking out what to wear. after much deliberation you go with red accents, his favorite. the last thirty minutes are spent scrambling to take a shower and get ready.

you suppose you look alright, you conclude as you look in the full-length mirror. you start fidgeting with your clothes when you hear your doorbell ring through your flat. you rush to put on your shoes and turn out the lights as you make your way to the door.

"hey!" you say, leaning on the door, cramming your shoe onto your foot. when you get your shoe on, you finally look at him, regaining your balance. he has on his nicest suit, and, no doubt, shoes. he's brought his hat to his chest as he looks at you with a smug grin and pure adoration.

"well, you clean up nice, don't ya, hun?" you chuckle as you shuffle out your door, locking it behind you. "and i suppose the same can be said for you, executive." you can't help but smile back at him.

putting his hat back on, he holds out his arm as you walk side by side. you instinctually loop your arm through his. it just feels like home. he likes how possessive you seem when you grip his arm as if it belongs to you. it does, he thinks. he belongs to you.

he walks you down to the street side where a car is waiting for you and him. a port mafia driver, no doubt. chuya strides ahead of you and opens the car door. "no bike?" you ask, somewhat relieved as you climb in the car.

chuya steps in behind you, "yeah, i know how nervous you get when i'm riding after dark." he says, laughing a little as he closes the car door. you smile and let out a sigh. in this moment, you are content.

the car starts moving, and he grabs your hand absentmindedly, playing with your fingers as he stares out the window, looking at nothing in particular. his nerves must finally be kicking in.

you notice his sudden fidgeting, but you know if you ask now, in front of the driver, he'll deny it. "so, where are we going?" you ask, squeezing his hand to grab his attention. he looks at you and just smirks. "you know what?" he starts, looking back out the window. "i think i'll let it be a surprise." he chuckles as you groan, impatiently wondering where he was taking you.

you don't have to wait long as it's barely a 5-minute drive to your destination. the driver pulls up to the front of a restaurant, and the valet opens chuya's door. once chuya is out, he ducks down and extends his hand to you, helping you out of the car.

when you get out of the car and see the entrance, it seems... familiar? you've definitely been here before, you think. chuya takes your hand and leads you through the glass doors held open by employees.

as chuya speaks to the hostess, you observe the beautiful chandeliers and baby grand piano accompanied by a live band playing smooth jazz. it hits you.

chuya is still holding your hand as he tugs you along, following the hostess to your table. "oh my god, chu!" you say, trying to keep your voice down through your excitement. "we had our first date here!"

"took you long enough," he says, glancing back at you and rolling his eyes with a smile.

the hostess leads you out to a table on the balcony, and chuya pulls out your chair for you. as you both sit down and look at the menu, you take in how serene it is outside. everyone seated on the balcony is speaking in a low voice, and you can still hear the soft music playing over idle chatter from inside.

dinner goes well as you both order steaks (chuya's favorite) and slowly nurse some red wine. he tells you about his day, annoyed by all his executive responsibilities. you tell him about how busy you were, and how the black lizard always left you tired and feeling like just another cog in the port mafia machine. a glorified pawn. you start to think how chuya is probably the biggest reason you stay anyway. although you admit, the pay is pretty good, but the work is hard.

your conversation pauses as the waiter comes up and asks if you two would like anything else. you expect chuya to say, "no, we're all done." as he always does. but tonight, chuya actually adds dessert to your order. a slice of cheesecake to share between the two of you. odd, you think. but, mayb chuya was left hungry from his meal, it wouldn't be the first time.

as you continue your conversation, droning on and on about your busy day, you notice chuya is fidgeting again, bouncing his leg under the table, thrumming his fingers. you know he's listening, but he's looking off into the background of the city lights. there's something bothering him. maybe something about work he can't tell you about?

you decide to keep talking, but you grab his hands with yours, grounding him. he looks up at you. now, he's definitely not listening to a word you say. just watching you with a dumb, probably tipsy smile. he can do it, he tells himself.

after a bit, the cheesecake comes, looking amazing. you suddenly feel you have all the room in the world for dessert as you quickly grab your fork and go to take a piece of it. however, before you can, chuya pulls the plate towards him, making you miss it entirely. you look up at him, confused and kinda annoyed.

"actually," he starts, smirking at you with a tint of pink on his face. "i thought we could have this to celebrate," he says.

"celebrate... what?" you ask, slightly scared you missed some big win of his. he sees the panic on your face and decides not to tease you. he stands up from his seat and places his hat on the table.

"well.... hopefully..." he murmurs as he stands beside the table, facing you. he slowly reaches into his pocket and takes out a little velvet box. your eyes widen as he gets on one knee and opens the box, looking up at you.

"our engagement?" he bites the inside of his lip, smiling at you. the whole balcony is silent as everyone watches you and him. your eyes dart around, from his face to the classy ring on display in front of you.

you honestly have no idea what to say. you sit there for a moment before getting out of your chair to kneel down with him. you bring both your hands up to cradle his face and lightly caress his cheek with your thumb. you nod your head, and the whole balcony erupts into quiet applause.

you pull him towards you and kiss him, long and hard. you can still taste the wine even on his lips, plain as day. you pull back only to drop your hands to his shoulders and embrace him. you hold him. he's not shaking anymore. in this moment, he's content.

"is that a yes?" he whispers, still cocky as ever.

you let him slip the ring onto your finger and sigh, gazing at it.

"i suppose it is."

god i want chuya to be my fiancé. fiancé chuya headcanons anyone? (-_-)ゞ

masterlist

requests are open!

[readychilledwine]

For Richer or Poor

Summary - Rhiannon and Rhys struggle with finding each other the perfect solstice gift

Warnings - smut, angst, virginity loss

A/n- this started as angst and fluff and kind of took on a mind of its own.. I apologize for the delay on getting it posted. Miss Sophia has had a mind of her own the past couple days so I've been a little busy forgetting to queue things ❤️ baby daddy's scheduling is now back in place, though.

Peep Requiem for a Dream here

“I don't understand why you are putting so much pressure on one gift,” Azriel stroked Rhiannon's back as she cried. “Rhys loves you, not any materialistic thing you could buy him.” Rhiannon broke down again, back shaking with each heavy sob.

That was the issue. She could not buy him anything. When her father had thrown her to Azriel's feet and abandoned her with her older Brother, he had left her with nothing but the clothing on her bloodied back.

She had no money.

No title.

Nothing she could gift Rhysand for their first Solstice together.

She couldn't even bake him anything nor cook him a dinner. Not unless the two young fae wanted to undergo a Mating Ceremony.

She had little to offer him while he gave her the world. Constsntly showering Her in gifts from Velaris and any court his father would force him to visit.

From teas and treats to lavish clothing, Rhiannon had it all, but she never had the ability to pay it back.

Rhys and his mother walked the Palace of Thread and Jewels. He was carrying the many bags she had accumulated as she shopped for him, Cassian, Azriel, his sister, and now Rhiannon.

Rhys was struggling with gifts for the latter. He had spoiled Rhiannon so much over the past year, and he was lost in what to get the female he'd hand the world.

“What about just something simple? A necklace? A bracelette?” His mother wrapped a Hand around his bicep. “She enjoys blankets. Perhaps a soft new blanket.”

Rhys stared straight ahead. “Nothing says I love you and want to spend the rest of my days with you like a shitty last minute blanket, mother.” He sighed, knowing what he wanted to do, but knowing his father would have his head.

He allowed his mom to pull him into the finest jeweler in the market. “Just do it, Rhysand. We will hide it until we can't anymore.”

Rhys held Rhiannon tight that night. Refusing to let Her go near the small tree his mother was placing presents under. They had been friends for 4 years now, knew they were mates for one year, and had spent that year courting. They had done nothing more but laid in his bed together, kissing and her hands slightly exploring at times while his roamed every inch of her frame like he was making a map.

He had never pushed her into sex, never asked for more than just her love and kisses, but he knew that small box under the tree would change everything. She had wanted to wait for marriage, a tradition drilled into her head through years of beatings from her step mother and Father.

And now, in just 12 short hours, after his Mother, Azriel, and Cassian left for the party being thrown in the Mead Hall, Rhysand would be asking her for her hand.

He placed a few soft kisses along her neck, smiling as she snuggled in closer to him with a small twitch of her lips. Just a few more hours, he told himself.

Solstice morning was filled with laughter and joy. The males having partook in yet another snowball fight as Rhiannon spent the morning in the kitchen helping with what little she could without triggering a mating frenzy.

She, Azriel, and Cassian had exchanged their homemade gifts without the presence of the High Lord's family, the three of them tucked into the boy's room as they exchanged homemade treats. They all couldn't afford much, so these small things had become their tradition. Something they could gather ingredients and supplies for a fairly cheap and make with love and effort.

They did the same for Rhysand's family, showing their gratitude for his mother's choice to pull the three of them into their home. Azriel and Cassian traded gifts with Rhysand while Rhiannon had to wait.

Anxiousness Had set into the pit of her stomach as she got dressed this morning. Rhysand's mother had taken gentle care, braiding her long dark hair, making sure her nails were trimmed and clean, that her hands were oiled and moisturized.

She had ensured Rhiannon had been gifted a fine set of oils and lotions along with a pretty lacy outfit she had hand made for “when the time felt right.”

The evening came quickly, prompting Cassian, Azriel, and Rhysand's mother to leave the cabin, heading to the Mead Hall for celebrations and leaving the two mates completely alone.

Rhys had her between his legs, Tucked into his chest tight and placing small kisses along her temple and hairline. “I'm sorry I'm keeping you away from the camp party,” Rhys tilted her head up. “I just wanted time alone with you.”

Rhiannon smiled softly. “If you think I'd rather spend a single moment in that hall with those males, you truly underestimate my love for you.”

“I thought we could talk about that,” Rhysand began softly. “About love and us.” Rhys sat her up, hiding the small black box behind him. “You know I love you, right?”

The falling look on her face had Rhysand back pedaling Watching in horror as she moved away from him and sat down in the opposite couch.

He moved to her instantly, grabbing her soft small hands. “I already fucked that up,” he muttered taking a deep breath. “What I mean is, I do love you, and I hope I have made that clear and obvious.”

He took a deep breath, pausing to kiss her left hand. “I have loved you long before the Bond snapped, and I would love you regardless of it being in place. From the moment Azriel carried you in the doorway begging mother for help, I felt drawn to you.”

Another long pause came as he kissed each knuckle on her hand. “I knew I loved you the moment you took down a male, not knowing he was one of Devlon's bastard Sons and beat the shit out of him for grabbing you. I knew I loved you when I pulled you off of him and went back to fight. I knew I loved you as you sat holding Ice to your lip getting lectured by mother and simply said, “let the camp lord know I'll do it again.” I knew I loved you because of your spark, your fight.”

Rhiannon looked away, hiding her amusement. “So you knew You loved me when it turned out I was violent.”

“You are a violent, murderous, little creature,” Rhysand purred softly, trying to hide the lust in his tone. “And I stupidly love every single ounce of it. I love your eyes when you see something that makes you happy. I love how you pout when I don't give you whatever you want-”

“I do not pout,” Rhys smirked at her, thumb going to her pouty bottom lip.

“Oh yes you do, Darling.” He kissed her gently. “I want to spend my life with you. Learning all the other things I can love. Growing to love the things I already do more.”

Before Rhiannon could respond and process what was happening, Rhys was on one knee before her, an open ring box in hand. “It would be a long engagement, Rhiannon Darling, but will you marry me?”

All she could do was nod, crying as she threw herself Into his arms, holding him tight. “I presume that is a yes?”

Rhiannon nodded before pulling him to her and kissing him deeply. It did not take long for that kiss to become more passionate. Rhys was on top of her in an instant, resting between her legs as they wrapped around his waist, hairs tangling into her long dark hair.

Her own hands found the buttons of his shirt, undoing them quickly and pushing it down his shoulders. Once the material was no longer there, Rhiannon began to run her hands over every exposed piece of skin. Nails and fingertips gently brushing some areas while other areas were squeezed.

The second those legs, those damned legs, wrapped around his waist, Rhys knew her intentions. He pulled apart from her, almost chuckled as she whined softly, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” her voice was breathy as she tried to get him closer, nodding eagerly in confirmation.

Rhys got off the couch, lifting her With him as he did and carried her to her room. “I refuse to let your first time be on a couch instead of a bed,” he laid her down, smiling ferally as he did.

It was teasingly slow, removing her from her clothing, smiling as she laid Naked below him, dark hair spread out around her head like a halo. “So beautiful, darling.” Rhys placed soft kisses along her jawline, whispering to her as his fingers trailed every curve.

Her skin was on fire from every pass, every gentle caress, every touch she'd never experienced before. The second his tongue flicked Her nipple, a whine she'd never heard from herself tumbled from plush parted lips. “So sensitive,” Rhys muttered before licking and sucking her breast while his hand played with the other one. Once he was satisfied, he freed her nipple with a soft pop Before switching sides.

Rhiannons' back arched more cries falling from her lips as her hands tangled in his soft hair. “Please,” she whimpered, thighs clenching together as wetness and heat pooled between them. “Rhysand, please.”

He tutted her softly, mouth returning to hers. “You'll take what I give you, when I give it to you,” another harsher kiss had her whimpering. “Understood, darling?”

“Yes, husband,” the word spurred something primal in Rhysand. Eyes going dark with lust and need.

Since that bond had snapped, all he had wanted was to be hers, for her to be his in return, and now he was taking it. He was stealing this opportunity. Rhys kissed down her body again, growling when he finally hit her core. “So fucking pretty.”

He gave her no warning, diving into her cunt like a man starved. Rhiannon quickly became a mess of moans and cries. The foreign feeling he was bringing her was unmatched to anything she had made herself feel before.

She knew Rhysand was a talented lover, having laid in bed late at night hearing him with the few females he would bring home before they had gotten together, before the Bond snapped, but this was unimaginable.

It was messy. Tongue spreading and taking slick as he lapped at her entrance and clit.

It was hot. Sweat forming on both of their bodies as the room grew warmer and warmer, as panting took the place of stable breaths.

It was raw passion. Each lick, nudge, moan a measurement moment. Each tightening of her core, of her stomach twisting causing more drive as she pushed it down the bond to him.

It took minutes that felt like seconds for her to fall apart on his tongue, that coil snapping as she screamed his name and stars took place of her vision.

Rhys kissed her clit before moving back up her body, hand replacing his tongue and fingers running through her folds. “You taste divine,” his lips found hers, tongue going into her mouth to share his new favorite wine with her. “I could spend days between your beautiful thighs, Rhiannon.”

He was distracting her, praising Her with soft kisses and words. When he finally felt his finger was wet enough, he slowly pushed it in, watching her face as her breath hitched and eyes rolled back.

“Relax, little mate,” he whispered. “I have you.” He moved agonizingly slow, forehead resting On hers as her breathing picked up again. He smiled as her walls relaxed, Welcoming his finger deeper into her warmth. “There we go. Doing such a good job, darling.”

Rhiannon had her eyes locked shut, mouth opened to a soft o as she felt that coil begin to wind itself up again. She could feel Rhysand's eyes on her, his spare hand tracing her cheekbone As a second finger entered her, stretching her out more to prepare her for him.

Rhys seemed to be on a mission. His fingers were curling, scissoring, searching. It was obvious when he found what he was looking for. He watched as his mate took a deep breath, back arched again, and then a Loud moan of his name fell from swollen lips. He felt his stomach stirring with male pride as he Began to aim over and over for that same spot, feeling wave after wave of her arousal and pleasure shooting down the bond.

He had her pulled apart within seconds again. The pride of it all shot straight to his ego.

His beautiful little mate.

Folding for him Over and over again.

Rhys kissed her deeply, deciding she was ready and pulled his fingers out. “Last Chance to tell me to stop, Rhiannon.” Rhys' forehead found hers again, going into her mind to find any doubt. Instead he found love, contentment, need, lust. Her thoughts were clouded and occupied by him. His scent, his intelligence, his voice. His own clothes were long forgotten, slick soaked hand moving to coat himself before lining up with her. “Tell me it hurts and we stop.” She nodded, hands going to his biceps as her hazel eyes met his.

Rhys pushed in slowly, watching her like a hawk. Her nails dug into his arms, almost spurring him on As she whimpered softly underneath him. He stopped as she tensed up, gently stroking her hair, “You have to relax, baby. I don't want to hurt you.” Rhiannon, done with teasing and wanting this part over With, wrapped her legs Around his waist, forcing him in deeper with a gasp. Rhys growled, burying his head into her neck as his self control slowly began to disappear. He pushed in the rest of the way, groaning as her soft walls hugged him.

They sat like that for a few seconds, allowing her to relax further, to adapt to the intrusion. “Rhys, please,” she begged. “Gods please move.” He was lost in the haze of her, pulling out slowly before pushing back in and setting a soft rhythm. Their hands found each other, fingers lacing together as he made love to her, hitting that perfect spot every time he reentered her body. “I love you,” he whispered and smiled as she said it back.

“Faster,” she panted. Rhys felt his smile go feral. His speed picked up, watching as her breasts bounced. His free hand found her hip, squeezing the side of her ass as he took her.

Their joint pleasure was building quickly as they freely sent it to each other down the bond. Rhys could feel himself nearing that edge and brought his fingers to her clit. “Need you to cum, Rhi,” he almost begged her for it. His Fingers began to circle that bud, watching through heavy eyes as she began chanting his name over and over again, walls fluttering and clenching around him. “Need to feel you fall apart on my cock, little wife.”

That word.

That precious word.

The word that made this all okay in her mind was her undoing.

The idea of being his wife. His mate. His everything.

She shattered around him, crying for him and screaming his name as she came. She saw the heavens behind her eyes as she pulled him closer, mind lost in the feeling of him, the smell of him, the need for him.

Rhys tumbled over the edge seconds later, moaning her name loudly as did.

The room that had previously echoed with the sound of her slick, skin making contact, of their moans was now silent. Breathing the only thing indicating life was still there. Rhys pulled Out of her slowly, picking her up the second he was stable on his own feet and carrying her to the bathroom.

He bathed her as she slept in his arms, his own mind still processing that this had finally happened.

She woke up the next morning, ring on her finger to the sound of Cassian egging on a fight. Rolling her eyes, Rhiannon left her bed, Walking to the kitchen and joining Rhysand's mother at the table for coffee. “How long?” She asked.

Amara looked at Rhys and Azriel, watching as the shadowsinger landed another punch. “About 10 minutes. Should be done soon. Let's talk wedding dresses.”

Rhiannon smiled, leaning her head on Amara’s shoulder. “Happy solstice, mom.”

“Happy solstice, Rhi.”

[enigmatist17]

Part 2

Dark blue eyes snap open with a start, a body jerking back and off the chair it had been sitting on to fall onto a worn wooden floor. He can't suck in enough oxygen as a hand flies to a wound that is suspiciously absent, the room not smelling of the suffocating incense that had followed him into death. No, he was in a room that he hadn't seen in what felt like a lifetime ago, the rolling hills outside aged windows he'd spent hours studying in front of so jarring.

"It seems someone fell asleep at his desk again." Wesley jerked at the joking voice, scrambling onto his feet with a simple move, his fists raised, only to see a startled fellow student he couldn't remember. "Watch it!"

"I-I'm sorry." Wesley coughed, the other's eyebrows raising.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Wesley forced a smile on his face as he straightened his clothes and looked around the old study hall. "I know exams can be quite exhausting."

"I'm fine, really, just a bit lost in my head." His laugh sounds hollow, but the other seems pleased and wanders off, leaving Wesley to run for the nearest calendar he can find. The Academy grounds held none of the shine as Wesley headed for his dorm, partially glad that no one was paying too much attention to a soon-to-be Watcher who had aged in the span of a few moments. His dorm ends up holding a calendar, the man pausing for a moment to smile at the little doodles he'd drawn around the border, a symbol of a happy student who hadn't experienced the horrors of the world.

1998

It's the week before his graduation exams, two months before he'd chosen to go to Sunnydale as a sacrificial Watcher, and five months before he chooses a Slayer over the Council to his own detriment.

Wesley can't help but start laughing as he looks at the date; if it's out of relief or anxiety, he can't really tell. He's in tears by the time he stops, slumped against his bed as he traces random shapes over the paper in his hands, trying to come to grips with the fact that he really was alive again.

Angel, Cordelia, the calendar skitters across the floor as Wesley lunges up and onto his feet when he thinks of family. Students were allowed to use a communal set of phones for calling family, and his past self had never once used them after his first and only call. He waits for night to fall before he goes for the phones, his heart skipping a beat as he hovers over one of them, casting a small spell that would make his call sound like one to the family for any who might be listening in before he picks up the receiver.

Is he the only one who came back? Is he the only one who knows?

He punches in Cordelia's old number before his mind goes any further, and retreats to the shadows as it rings, reaching to his neck to rub a scar that hadn't come to pass yet, maybe wouldn't this time.

"Hello?" Wesley has to take a breath at the familiar voice, tears slipping down his cheeks. "Hello?"

"Cordelia?" He can hear an intake of breath, and for a moment, his heart sinks. "I apologize, is this -"

"Wes? Wes is that you?"

He laughs, a strangled noise as he tightens his grip on the receiver, going through another dozen sets of emotions before he pulls himself out of it.

"It is so good to hear your voice."

Oh, and Wesley? You still work the best mojo in town.

"Likewise."

"I've so much to say, but this sort of conversation needs to be in person. Plus, I need to go soon, international calls are rather expensive." Wesley doesn't want to leave the call, but to gather the Council's attention too soon is not wise. "I'll call you when I can."

"Okay...stay safe Wes, please?"

"Always." He hangs up with a click, removing the spell before returning to his dorm, spending the first of many sleepless nights staring at the ceiling.

Counting down the days until he'll be sent to Sunnydale.

[madmunson]

challenge me / eddie munson oneshot

word count; 4.1k

author's note; hey guys!! sorry it's been such a long time since my last story, i've been going through a lot personally and kind of lost passion for writing. i'm glad to say i'm back though, and stories are gonna be even better now that i have a clear mind to do so. i hope you guys like this one, i've been working on it for a minute <3 i also don’t know how to add a ‘read more’ button on mobile, but i published on wattpad too!! it’ll be easier to manage pages/scrolls there, @madmunson!! enjoy!

disclaimer; unprotected sex, sexual situations. please don't read if you're sensitive to those subjects!! **italicized font is flashbacks**

For three months now, Hellfire Club had been planning the ultimate tournament. Everybody would meet at Eddie's trailer for the last big tournament of the year at three o'clock on Friday morning, "Devil's Hour", as Eddie called it. The sky outside was darker on this night than the usual nights previous, the deep night sky gently caressing the bright white stars as they shined upon your house, glistening through your window. You stared out for the hours before, imagining Eddie in several different scenarios with your heart pounding so hard it could beat outside of your chest. You did this every time the group snuck out prior to meeting up at Eddie's, while everybody else prepared or maybe slept, you daydreamed about him. Since the stakes were so high, given it was the last of the whole year, everybody was stoked. Mike had mentioned that he had spent all year preparing for it, while others were less prepared, yourself being the worst of them all. You were an experienced Dungeons and Dragons player, hence why Eddie involved you in Hellfire Club to begin with, but you had spent so long with your mind wrapped around him it almost started to affect your game. You despised yourself for it, but he was just so irresistible.

You had gym first period. So far, you hadn't made any friends in this class, and your only friend outside of school was "zombie boy" Will Byers. You decided to keep to yourself almost every day. Your gym clothes consisted of a Dungeons and Dragons shirt you hand designed, and a pair of black shorts, you always wore your hair down. Every so often, you'd get glances. People always called you "the freak", or "the punk", given the way you dressed and acted. But there was always this particular boy who loved to stare. You knew vaguely about him through Will who would occasionally mention him without particularly name dropping him, and had always daydreamed about him. He was attractive, long curly chestnut hair, deep brown eyes, and a "Hellfire Club" t-shirt. You slightly knew about the club because of Will because of how heavily involved he was with Dungeons and Dragons, but thought the design was really cool. He felt so much cooler than you, but you crushed over him. You would never admit it to yourself, and tried to shrug off his smiles he'd send here and there, but you most definitely crushed on the tall man.

On this particular day, he had been staring a little harder than he usually did, it practically burned a hole through your head. You fell in lust with this, every glance made you want him more. You tried to hold off a little longer before attempting to talk to him, as a means of edging, you suggest to yourself. You couldn't help but imagine the things he could do to you, if you gave him the chance. Finally, you got tired of edging yourself over this boy and decided to approach him. You almost spoke to him, but the bell rings and indicates the first periods' demise. Per usual, you were the first out of your class, as a way to avoid the ridicule and shit talk. The man was usually the last out, but today, he tried to make it to the front. You watched as he moved past the large group of people, tossing little "excuse me"s and "sorry"s as he stepped past. He didn't catch up to you though, as the more you thought about it the more you realized you didn't even know what you would've said to him, and the idea of even talking to him to begin with was stupid. You couldn't help but imagine yourself walking up to your dream man with nothing to say besides "uh", or "um". The idea of talking to him now felt so stupid. You were too shy and weird, he was so cool and out of reach, despite his popularity in Hawkins High not necessarily being the most keen. You felt that it might never work out the way you wanted, and decided to keep his image as a mere fantasy in your brain. You walked a little faster, and managed to pass him and the crowd he attempted to maneuver through.

"Hey! I like your shirt," The brown haired man rushes to catch up to you. He's waving at you, fighting his lungs as he catches up. You stop dead in your tracks, people walking around you as you wait for the stranger to catch up. When he finally does, he playfully punches your shoulder and continues, "make it yourself?" He questions. You continue to walk, and he follows, walking by your side as he casually chats.

"Well they don't exactly sell Dungeons and Dragons shirts, ya know how people are." You awkwardly chuckle back, slightly playing with your hair as a means to distract you from the attractive man walking adjacent to you.

"Yeah, isn't that crazy? Another excuse for the jocks and pricks to label us as freaks or satanists." He says, expressing his words with his hands as he flails them.

"Right! It's absolutely repulsive." You shake your head in response, finally feeling heard. You would hope this lasted forever, you couldn't imagine being unfortunate enough to be forced to depart with him. Now that you were talking to him, all of the negativity you held over yourself started to diminish, and you felt more comfortable. 

"Hey, I like you!" He smiles, placing his hand on your shoulder.

"I like you too," You smile back, stopping at your locker then leaning against it. He steps directly in front of you and smirks ever so slightly.

"So I take it you play?"

"Ever since Will introduced me to it when we were kids."

"No way you're on the same skill level as Byers. That kid nearly takes my ass out every single time, as much as I'd hate to say that. Kid's cocky, got some fight to him."

"That's Will Byers for you!" You say with a smile, "but to be honest with you, I just may be better than Byers."

"No way!"

"Oh, yes way!" You nod with certainty. You were just joking though, nobody could outsmart Will when it came to D&D. You lost to him every single time. 

"I wonder if you have as much passion as Byers though?" He states, more like a question. 

"Oh yeah, so much passion. I'm good at what I do. Maybe I can show you sometime." You smirk. You couldn't help yourself, and let the naughty thoughts you had been thinking about him this whole time slip past the tip of your tongue and spew out past your lips. 

"I would love that," he smirks back, fraying his eyebrows as if he didn't expect such a response from you. Immediately you felt your heart drop as he reciprocated the same energy. After a moment of staring at you, the man speaks back up. "Want to join my club? Hellfire Club, we have tournaments and we're pretty badass, if I do say so myself." His whole demeanor paused as he awaited for a response. Your heart pounded outside of your chest. You had never felt this way before, it was like love at first sight. You couldn't even lie to yourself, you wanted him so bad.

"Yes, I'd love to,"

"Great, I'll see you Friday night!" He grabs your hand, and turns it over, making your palm visible. He pulls out a permanent marker and writes an address on your palm.

"See ya then?" He smiles, walking backwards as he steps away from you.

"For sure, wouldn't miss it." You blush in response. You stood paused at your locker for a few more moments, daydreaming about him before walking to class. That whole class period the only thing you could think about was him, and how massive your crush for him truly was despite not knowing him and only holding one conversation with him.

The clock finally struck 3 o'clock and you had just managed to sneak out, meaning you'd be fashionably late to Eddie's. You knew it would result in Eddie becoming absolutely outraged. Since you always had the biggest crush on him, disappointing him was devastating, but you had to wait until your parents went to sleep and that was a whole deal. Your family were a group of night owls, and didn't sleep until three o'clock on the usual night, something about "spending more time with family".

You hurried and biked as quick as your legs could take you, picking up your pace as you rushed down your street to make it to Eddie's within a reasonable time. Your efforts failed, and after five minutes of consistent pedaling, your legs ended up going much slower than you had wanted. You made it to Eddie's by fifteen after, and you dreaded the response.

"Well, well, look who decided to show!" Eddie shouts before you are even able to walk up to the door. The door pops open, and he comes out, resting on the door frame as he stared at you. He was so unbelievably attractive it made your heart spin.

"I'm-I'm sorry Eddie, I had to wait for my parents to go to sleep and that was this whole thing, but-"

"But what?" He asks, still resting on the door frame but now with his arm extended to you. He was always so cinematic and animated with his responses.

"But I'm here now," you sigh.

"You're right doll, my bad. This is only the biggest tournament of the entire year and you show up fifteen after, but you're good, you're here now!" He sarcastically says. He dramatically walks back inside, letting the door slam behind him on his way back in. You stood for a moment, waiting for his next response, until you hear a loud "Well? Are you coming?" shout from the inside coming from the male's throat. You hurry inside, letting the door slam behind you as well. The group was sat around Eddie's table already, prepared for the most and all paying attention to you as you walked in.

"Sorry I'm late guys, I-"

"She was waiting for her parents to go to sleep," he sighs, plopping down into his special chair. He waves his arm for you to come sit, and you just nod.

"Welcome to our first tournament, Y/N!" He announces, everybody drum rolling on the table as he does so. "Our newest addition to Hellfire Club, and truly a doll, isn't she?" He waves his hand up, pointing all of his fingers forward with his palm exposed as he bows.

"Thank you, thank you!" You bow back. The team introduces you to Hellfire's rules, and you agree with a full heart. They chat about the next tournament, and begin setting up, getting your first game with the team started almost immediately.

The game goes as normal, Eddie throwing his apparent usual moves and everybody following with attacks back. He started off strong, barely starting at his weakest choices before diving in. He wanted a rough game, something that would truly test you. You found this so attractive, even if he had no idea. Without warning, he begins picking each individual member off with every draw, killing players left and right as he chooses. The room filled with intensity, people shouting as they died, acting out each individual death to the group.

"Fuck we're losing!" Dustin shouts, slamming on the table. "He's killing everybody, damn it! Come on! We've got to do something!" He continues. You smile, and look at Will. Will was a master player, and one of the only members left alongside you, Mike and Dustin.

"You're gonna do it?" He smiles. You nod. You both knew you had the ultimate fight back, and were so excited to throw it.

"Oh Y/N, you must be new here. Challenging me?! I don't like to be challenged." He smirks, waiting for your play.

"I most certainly am new, but I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Hey Y/N!" Will says.

"Hey Will, how's it hangin?"

"Oh you know, the usual. You?"

"The demogorgon is tired of your bantering!" Eddie shouts, slamming his demogorgon piece on the hardwood table ahead of you guys.

"Shit, starting out strong, are we?" You say, not thinking before the words piled out of your mouth like vomit. You immediately smacked your mouth with your palm out of shock, not being able to believe you had just said that out loud to him. He stares at you a little puzzled, twisting his head at you to indicate his confusion.

"I'm sorry, strong? Is this too strong for you, Y/N?"

"Oh quit with the teasing, there's people around." You joke. He smirks at you, and chuckles to himself a bit.

"Darling, you haven't seen a Munson tease yet." He says, holding eye contact with you. "Now, answer my question, is this too much for you?"

"Not at all,"

"That's kind of what I thought,"

The game went on as usual, with Dustin's typical freaking out at every stronger opponent and tossing around descriptive language as he did so. Erica fought hard, as well as Will who carried the battle per usual, winning Eddie's approval as the hardest fighting team. Nancy and Robin were the audience (though you practically had to pay them for their attendance), sitting close together as they paid attention to each move. The game was difficult for sure, Eddie was relentless, but ultimately it lead in your team's success. He couldn't stop glancing over at you throughout the whole game, remaining eye contact through several points. You couldn't lie to yourself, it turned you on so much.

"Alright everybody, amazing game per usual," Eddie says as everybody starts to exit, yawns escaping their mouths as they proceed out the door. "Aside from Y/N. I believe we're due for a talk." He says animatedly. You swallow harshly, but turn around. 

"Oh get a room, you two!" Dustin joked in response.

"Wrap it!" Mike laughed in return.

"Clearly the two of you have never had a famous Munson talk. Good luck Y/N!" Will shouted as he walked out. They continued to laugh with each other and poke fun at the two of you as they exited, laughing harder than you had ever seen them laugh as they walked away, chanting nursery rhymes that involved the two of you and a tree, and a whole bunch of spelling. You had tried so hard to escape before he seen you leave. As soon as everybody exited, he closed the door, standing over you as he locked the door that was directly behind you.

"Good game back there huh?" He smiles. You stayed back to help him clean up, every chance you got with him was for the better. You smiled back at him, nodding gently as you picked up the pieces and carefully placed them back in the box.

"You know, challenging me was a bold move."

"Totally bold, but I'm glad I did it!"

"Yeah, fair point!" He chuckles.

"Totally kicked your ass!" You laugh. 

"You don't even know what you've got yourself involved in, do you?" He questions, putting the D&D box on the table as he faces away from you. "I just think it's funny, you know?"

"What are you going to do?" You say with a bratty tone.

"Just wait. Go ahead and do it again."

"Maybe I will." 

"What um- what did you want to talk about?" You swallow, taking in the big gulp that sat on your throat. You didn't know what to do, other than to just stand there and wait for him to respond. But he held eye contact, still stood over you and looking directly down at you. His eyes glistened with lust. He stood silent for a moment, just watching you tremble.

"The fact that you challenged me back there," he says, "again, after last time, I want to know what that was all about." He walks away from you, his back facing you as he finishes his sentence. You watched as his Hellfire shirt hugged every right muscle on his back, visible through the pale white. Your eyes traveled to his hands, veins piercing his skin as he relaxed his hand and rings sparkling on each finger. You then glanced your vision to his curly chestnut hair, and it's soft appearance. You were trying so hard to contain yourself, but it was becoming more impossible by the second. You must've not had responded for a long time, as he turned around quickly and says, "huh?" ever so smoothly. Now all you could think about was all the sweet things that same voice could be telling you as he was deep inside you, rearranging your insides as he thrusted. You simply couldn't help yourself. "I asked you a question," he says for a final time.

"I'm-I'm so sorry, I- I-" You stutter.

"This again, huh?" He smirks, walking over you. "I'm gonna tell you what I think is going on here, and you can tell me if I'm wrong, 'kay?" You frantically nod, listening to his every word as he responds. He nods, and smirks once more, before starting back up. "You have a crush on me, it's so obvious," he says. He moves back to his original stance, standing over you as he continued. "Late at night, you think about me and think about what I could do to you, right?" You nod, unable to speak for him. "Right. So now you come here, and challenge me, like I won't just show you what I will do to you? You should've known better. That's unsafe, baby. You're playing with fire."

"Maybe I want to play with fire," You finally speak.

"Oh, so she speaks!" He says excitedly, putting his thumb over your mouth. "Tell me how much you think about me,"

"Yes Eddie," you say. He seemed to be taken aback by it, but ultimately turned on as he nods and steps away. "All the time," you start. At this point, your mouth was producing the words before you had time to ponder on the words, and you couldn't care less. "Every single night,"

"What do you do when you think about me?" He picks you up, and places you on the same table you had just played the game on. You were shocked, but more than into it. You were so turned on, you were unable to hold yourself back anymore.

"I put my hand down my pants, and then down my panties," you start. He stares at you with lust, using his fingertip to trace over the seems of your clothes, almost indicating he wanted to take them off without taking them off just yet. He takes lifts you up on his kitchen table as he watches you continue. "And I finger myself. I close my eyes and play it out in my mind, sometimes when I'm home alone I'll even shout your name as I finish." You finished.

"Tell me more," he growls, taking off your shirt to expose your almost bare chest. You lightly moan at his swift motion, unable to process the reality of the situation.

"I think about you so much it makes me ache, Eddie." You say. He places his hand over your covered center as he listens. He strokes your covered breast with one hand, and plays with your masked center as a means of teasing you. You moan a little for him, letting him know how good it feels without speaking it.

"Tell me more," he demands, taking off your bra and underwear, traveling down. His lips meet your center, lightly licking along the folds before softly attacking your clit. You breathlessly moan for him, begging him to continue.

"I can't stop thinking about you," you say, pausing to moan before entirely forgetting your thoughts.

"Good girl. Focus on how good this feels." He puts his jaw into the movements, lightly sucking and licking upon your clit as he continues with circular patterns. He picks up his motions, going faster and faster by the second, before inserting his two fingers inside you. He curls his fingertips, caressing your right spots for several long moments. You had never felt anything so powerful before, it felt enlightening and numbing in the best way possible. You really allowed yourself to let go, gripping his hair with one hand and the other gripping up on your left breast. You couldn't contain yourself anymore, it absolutely overcame you.

The walls captivated your moans and echoed them throughout the entire trailer, your passionate language slipping through the drywall in every room. He didn't stop there, and proceeded to go faster. You begged him to continue, the movements of his jaw causing you to become unhinged. You arched your back as he continued, moaning his name in the shadows of his home.

The pressure on your shoulders began to intensify, traveling to your core and spreading throughout your body as the heat your center built became more unbearable. You felt a tingling sensation throughout your whole body, gripping on his hair and begging him for more. You were so close to finishing you could feel it on the tip of your tongue, cold sweats breaking through your entire body. You felt so feral you couldn't control it anymore, your body moving frantically without any hesitation on the cold table as you became more edged. Finally, all the pressure released, leaving your legs shaking as you finish on his mouth and fingers. Your body loses control, and you feel as your whole body shivers and quakes beneath your skin. You let out one final moan, falling back on the table as you continue to shake.

"Fuck baby!" You practically shout as you lie breathless on the table.

"Feel good?" He asks, holding your legs as a means to try and control the shaking. You nod frantically, and smirk back at him.

"Yes," you manage to let out, your lungs barely holding onto what air they could manage to grasp in that moment.

"Good, because I'm not done." He stands up, placing himself at your entrance before slowly entering. He slowly starts, his thrusts paced slow and steady at first. He leans down and begins kissing your breasts once more, licking around your nipples as he firmly holds it. His hand travels up to your neck, and he starts to go faster. You took every inch of him, gasping and moaning at the size of his length above you. You never expected him to be that huge, and it took you aback briefly.

"Thank you," you moan, staring into his eyes. He smiled down at you, his eyes traveling over the chills that ran across your body.

"You're welcome," he whispers in your ear as he thrusts. His strokes were sharp and slow, he aimed for your weakest spots as he continued. You moaned as his length shook the insides of your core. "That's my girl."

"Fuck!" You shout, "Faster!" He listens, picking up his pace and causing that same feeling to build up. He places his thumb over your clit as he thrusts, moving his thumb in circular motions as he proceeds. You continue to beg for him, your body ached for him. Moments pass, loud vibrations of skin smacking shaking the walls of the small trailer. Your body was consumed with heat, pressure building above your shoulders. You felt your head spinning, your body begins to start shaking. Finally, all the pressure released, leaving your legs shaking as you finish on his mouth and fingers. Your body loses control once more as the pressure releases, and you finish below him. You shake even worse than you had before, your lungs practically collapsing as they  attempted to catch up with the familiar feeling.

"Good girl," he hisses. He continues with his fast motions, and soon after you, finishes inside of the condom he had provided. His legs begin to quiver as he steps back, both of your balances deteriorating by the second.

"Holy shit that was so good," you chuckle awkwardly.

"You're so cute," he tosses his clothes to you and walks to his bedroom briefly with a new pair. You felt elated that he gave you his clothes.

"You should challenge me more ya know," he smiles. You agree and practically jump into his clothes. The two of you sit in his bedroom floor struggling to catch up with your breaths.

[thunderwavesolveseverything]

Words of Mine Will Turn to Ash

[Astarion x Named Tav]

“Who’s this?” Phayelynn asked, looking at the newcomer with unease.

She knew this man- she recognized his face but couldn’t remember where or how.

“This is the Blade of Frontiers." Shadowheart gestured before reaching for her goblet. "He’s been infected like us. He will help us free Halsin after we help him track down a devil he’s hunting.”

"As I've already told Shadowheart," The man smiled, rising from his seat. He reached his hand out for Phayelynn to shake and gave Shadowheart a playful glare. "My friends call me Wyll."

A cold sweat broke out on Phayelynn's forehead. Her heart skipped a beat, and a lump formed in her throat. Of course- that’s who he had to be. Her mind raced as she tried to act normal. But inside, she was panicking.

She needed to get away from camp and the Blade of Frontiers.

---

So, I'm back and with a new computer!

Lol.

There was no saving my old computer, so I splurged and got a new gaming laptop and I'M INLOVE! It runs so smoothly, and it's like I'm playing the game over for the first time. I didn't know it was supposed to look this good 😂

This chapter is a little more on the shorter side for what I usually write, but I have pretty much all the way up to the Tiefling party outlined, so I'm excited to keep going and writing again. 💜💜💜

Also, we're going to start getting more into Phay's backstory which I'm so excited about!!!

(word count: 2,071)

Read on AO3 or below :)

Words of Mine Will Turn to Ash

Phayelynn sat comfortably beneath Alfira’s tent, perched on a grassy cliff side overlooking the river flowing past the grove. The cool breeze brushed against the tent, stirring the fabric and bringing a sense of calm between the pair of bards. 

Alfira sat behind her, her deft fingers working through Phayelynn’s hair as she brained it into two intricate sections, leaving out a few strands to frame her face. 

Hours had passed since they first met-Phayelynn having followed the sound of frustrated hands plucking at strings and stumbling across the Tielfing as she struggled to write. 

Alfira hummed the song they had written together to herself as she continued to lace and weave strands of hair. The song evoked a connotation of sadness and somehow brought a smile to her face. 

Phayelynn, a complete stranger, Alfira noted, was like a close friend after helping her find the right words to honor her teacher- helped her find it in her to play again. And now, Alfira was determined to return the favor. 

She’d help Phayelynn feel like a proper bard. 

As Phayelynn slowly opened her eyes, finding herself humming along to the tune, she eyed her clothes hanging nearby, swaying in the breeze. They were nearly dry after Alfira’s help with dying them. She couldn’t stop staring at the bright purples and reds that now adorned her clothes, colors her father used to wear. 

Alfira sighed in satisfaction as she finally tied off the last braid, “And done,” she sang out with flare. 

The braids were perfectly aligned and neatly secured with thin leather straps. She leaned back to admire her handiwork. 

“Perfect,” she added, a hint of laughter in her voice. “Now your hair won’t be in the way while you slay those goblins tomorrow.” She gave Phayelynn’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

Phayleynn smiled, letting a hand fiddle with the braid. The smile quickly turned into a pout. Shadowheart and Gale were busy getting supplies and more important things for tomorrow. All the while, she had spent the day lazing around, playing music, and making a new friend- sprucing up her appearance. 

She pursed her lips as she pondered, wondering whether she should have asked Shadowheart’s permission first before dying the clothes. They were gifted to her. She quickly dismissed the thought. 

“You don’t think they’re too bright?” Phayelynn looked over the clothes. They were…flashy…to say the least. 

Phayelynn shifted to the side so Alfira could get a better look at them. 

“Yes,” Alfira giggled, and Phayelynn shot her a look, gaping at her. Alfira stifled her giggles. “But not in a bad way. Purple is a bard’s color, after all. And the red compliments your skin tone beautifully.” 

“But what if it is in a bad way- this isn’t like I’m about to perform in front of an audience- I’m about to fight a horde of goblins.” Phayelynn wasn’t entirely convinced. She loved what they had done to her clothes but couldn’t stop herself. What if she messed up again? “What if they draw too much attention?” 

“That’s exactly what a bard is supposed to do- draw attention to themselves. All the greats- they don’t hide behind the others, though they don’t necessarily lead the charge. They distract. They rally. They inspire. They stand out and encourage their party in the heat of the battle.” Alfira tries to explain. “Trust me, you are going to do just fine. Now stop overthinking, and let’s get you dressed properly.” she gave Phayelynn a slight push, urging her to stand and stop worrying. 

Phayelynn hesitated, letting Alfira get up first, and watching as the Tiefling walked towards the clothes and began taking them down from the tree branch they hung on. She looked away as she stood. The sun was starting to set. Phayelynn knew she was being silly. She could do this. 

“You’re right.” she nodded, starting to strip out of the shirt Alfira had let her burrow. Alfira grabbed the red top first, throwing it to Phayleynn once she was ready. “This was fun,” she caught the shirt, pulling it over her head as she spoke, “Thank you for today,” she continued as she popped her head out from beneath the fabric. “I needed this. I-I needed a day of normalcy.” 

Alfira beamed, tossing Phayelynn her jacket next, “I should be the one doing the thanking,” she said, sifting through the different belts and holsters they had also dyed a deep red to match. She grabbed an old pair of gloves and gifted them to Phayelynn. “I had completely forgotten what it was like to have that itch in my fingers. To perfect a song until now. The Weeping Dawn will be my gift to Lihala. So thank you, I really needed this too.” 

Both smiled at the other before rushing with excitement to finish putting all the pieces together. Fastened belts and hitching thigh-high boots, Phayleynn had a blazing spark in her eye as they worked. Alfira watched her with a critical eye, nodding her head in approval when Phayelynn was fully dressed and equipped. 

“It’s perfect!” Alfira exclaimed in delight, clapping her hands together. 

With newfound confidence, Phayelynn gave Alfira a spin before pulling her into a warm, grateful hug, which Alfira returned with equal enthusiasm. 

When they parted, Alfira looked her up and down one last time and gave her a firm shake for final reassurance, “You can do this.” 

Phayelynn smirked. Alfira was right. She could do this. 

---

As Phayelynn arrived at camp, darkness had already engulfed the area. She spotted the flickering flames of a fire ahead of her, accompanied by the sound of laughter and chatter. An odd feeling washed over her the closer she got. There were five bodies gathered around the fire instead of four. 

She tilted her head in confusion. 

Shadowheart was the first to notice Phayelynn’s arrival. Her expression quickly changed from concern to a flash of anger in seconds as she stood up, placing her goblet of wine on the log she had been sitting on. Phayleynn felt uneasy as Shadowheart’s stern eye met her own. 

“And where have you been?” She demanded, her voice snipping with disapproval.

Before Phayelynn could answer, Astarion was next to look her over, spreading his lips upwards mischievously, “Our dear cleric was worried sick about you, darling,” he playfully announced, bobbing his head towards Shadowheart. “She was mere moments from heading a search party.” 

“I was not worried!” Shadowheart’s face flushed as she hissed at him. She turned back to Phayelynn. “I didn’t know if you had gotten yourself in trouble again or abandoned us or gods know what else!” 

Gale let out a deep chuckle. 

“That is the definition of being worried,” he pointed out. 

This only made Shadowheart angrier, fixing him with her sharp glare next. She waited for him to let out a nervous cough, clearing his throat and looking away before returning to Phayelynn. 

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” she crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. 

“Um-er, sorry?’ Phayelynn stammered out an apology. A poor one. She shifted in her place. “I lost track of time. I’m sorry.” she tried to sound confident- composed. 

“We can see that.” Astarion let out a loud, nosey laugh. He stuck his nose at her, eyes tracing over every part of her form, not leaving a detail out, “Well, I guess we’ll never lose sight of you again.” 

He found her new attire obnoxious and hilarious, yet something in him couldn’t bring himself to hate it. It oddly suited her. 

“I see you lost track of time while ruining the clothes I bought you,” Shadowheart scolded. 

Phayelynn winced- but then she caught herself. Why was she letting them treat her like this? She crossed her arms against her chest and popped her hip out almost defiantly. “I didn’t know I had a curfew, mum,” 

Gale saw the twitch in Shadowheart’s brow and moved to intervene. He stepped forward andtried to lighten the mood, “I think you look great. I love the purple.” He gave her a supportive wink, pointing at the purple fabric of his robes. 

His voice was warm and genuine, even if his motivation for the compliment was more to keep the peace than flatter. Phayelynn felt a flutter in her chest as she took in the praise. It had the reverse effect. They matched now- her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. 

She tried to shake it off, smiling and nodding at the wizard. She looked at the newcomer, who’d been listening in but trying to make it appear that he hadn’t been- he probably didn’t want to get involved in their bickering, Phayelynn assumed. 

“Who’s this?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Shadowheart sighed, sitting back down and reaching for her goblet, “While you spent the day playing dress up, Gale and I were busy finding supplies and allies.” She took a sip, gesturing to the man sitting to her left. “This is the Blade of Frontiers. He’s been infected like us. He will help us free Halsin after we help him track down a devil he’s hunting.” 

“A devil?” Phayleynn gasped; she scrutinized the man’s features. “I thought we said no more distractions. Or is it only okay if I don’t cause the distraction?” 

“As I’ve said, as well.” Lae’zel spoke up in agreement from her spot furthest away from them, “I won’t wait my time chasing devils.” 

Phayelynn rolled her eyes. “You won’t waste your time doing anything,” she muttered under hot breath. 

She narrowed her gaze, shifting it back to the Blade of Frontiers as he stood up. She studied him as he started to approach. 

Her unease from earlier started to grow into fear. This man, she knew this man- somehow and not because he was the famed Blade of the Frontiers. She had heard stories of his heroics, but she recognized his face but couldn’t remember where or how. 

The Blade misplaced her confusion- taking it as her fearing facing a devil. “Karlach is fierce, but from what Shadowheart has told me- how you three had escaped the Nautiloid, I have no doubt we won’t succeed.” He stopped before her, reaching out his hand for her to shake. He gave Shadowheart a playful glare. “As I’ve already told Shadowheart, my friends call me Wyll.” 

A cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her heart skipped a beat, and a lump formed in her throat. Of course- that’s who he had to be. Her mind raced as she tried to act normal. But inside, she was panicking. 

“I know who you are.”

She failed as her words came out harsher than intended. Still, she forced herself to shake his hand. She felt a pull from his tadpole and quickly let go before he could access hers. She cleared her throat, now trying to cover up her coldness. 

“You know, cause you’re so famous- for being the Blade of Frontiers, like you said-” her thoughts were in disarray. She needed to get away from camp and the Blade of Frontiers. 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Wyll looked at her curiously- cautiously. 

Phayelynn quickly averted her eyes, fearing he was beginning to recognize her. Her eyes met Gale’s first, then Astarion as she darted away before gazing at the river near their camp. 

“Yeah, pleasure. We’ll need all the help we can get. Glad to have you.” she forced a smile and gave a nervous laugh. With a quick nod, she jerked her thumb towards the river. “I’m going to go take a bath now.” 

She sounded so dumb. 

She didn’t let it simmer before abruptly departing from the others. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as she hurried away without even a glance back at her companions or Wyll. 

“But aren’t you hungry?” Gale called after her, his voice laced with concern. “I saved you a plate!” 

Wyll’s eyes were fixated on Phayelynn as she rushed away. She seemed terrified of him. He felt a hint of concern- unsettled by her reaction towards him. He noticed Shadowheart and Astarion staring at him, most likely trying to determine what had just happened. 

He tried to deflect, unsure what he could have done, “She seems…interesting..” he tried to find the word for the encounter. 

Astarion hummed in agreement, watching after Phayelynn as she disappeared through the brush and trees, “Very interesting indeed.” 

[ninchen1909]

A drunken rage and a sober confession III

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: 1750

Warnings: short talk about insomnia, mention of an unplanned pregnancy, mother leaves child

Summary: Bucky and you finally talking about your feelings for each other

 Much to your surprise, you managed to fall into a kind of half-sleep, it is restless and the dreams in it are confusing, but it is better than not being able to sleep at all.

You hear a loud, shrill noise, followed by a knock that gets louder and louder. At first you think it's a background noise of your dream, until you realize that someone is at your door and wants to be let in. You're still completely lost and toy with the idea of pulling the pillow over your head and ignoring the unwanted guest on your doorstep. Who wants anything from you so early anyway? Especially on a Saturday.

Then it occurs to you: "Bucky!"

You run to the door as fast as you can, on your way there you stumble over your clothes from yesterday, but you can just catch yourself and a little later you are in front of the door.

You open it with a jerk and there he is, the reason for your nocturnal phone calls and your insomnia.

There stands the man you've loved for years, who seems to return those feelings. His eyes sparkle lovingly at you, a smile caresses his lips. In one hand he holds a cardboard holder with two coffee to go paper cups, while in the other hand he holds a bakery bag.

"Good morning angel, I brought breakfast." He holds the bag and the coffe holder up before he walks past you into the apartment, where he puts everything on your living room table "I didn't know if you wanted to eat something, but I brought you your favorite rolls anyway, and you always have coffee , so I brought you one too." Also this time you don't answer and just stare at him, you notice that he is getting nervous, you would like to take this tension away from him, but your mouth refuses to speak.

"If you're not comfortable and you'd rather go back to sleep, I can leave and come back later, your message only sounded very serious and I've spent the last two hours just wondering what's going on, and..."

"I heard you yesterday." You can’t hold back any longer, all your resolutions to keep the conversation calm and comfortable are forgotten from the moment he walked in the door. His words from yesterday echo through your head. Your heart is begging for confirmation of those words, but your brain is telling you to take it easy and get rid of any doubts first. But when have you had any doubts about Bucky?

Bucky's mouth opens and then closes again, it looks like a fish is gasping for water. You can see panic and also a slight desperation in his eyes.

All your resolutions to keep the conversation calm and comfortable are forgotten from the moment he walked in the door. His words from yesterday echo through your head. Your heart is begging for confirmation of those words, but your brain is telling you to take it easy and get rid of any doubts first. But when have you had any doubts about Bucky?

You wonder what his next move will be "W...what exactly do you mean?" ah, so his new move is to play dumb.

"I heard what you said to me yesterday after you put me to bed, I heard everything Jamie, every single word.” You took a step towards him.

"But you were asleep, please angel tell me you were asleep." He looks at you pleadingly, but you just shake your head.

"No James, I wasn't asleep." When he sees that you mean it, he starts to pull at his hair and paces nervously in front of you before stopping abruptly and turning back to you, looking at you with pleading eyes, briefly you think you do too to see tears in his eyes,

"Please angel just forget it, please let's just forget about this and just move on as to how we have been. I can't lose you please, I just can't. You and Charlie are the most important people to me please don't leave me."

You just shake your head and Bucky lets his head fall so his eyes are facing the floor.

"I can't forget it James, and honestly I don't want to forget it either." You approach him and take his large, rough hands in your much smaller one, your thumbs lightly brushing the backs of his hands.

"Please look at me Jamie" you wait until he lifts his head and looks into your eyes then you whisper "I love you too." It takes Bucky a little while to process your words, but as soon as he understands, his whole face lights up, he puts his hands on your cheeks and gently lowers his forehead against yours "Say it again, please, I have to hear it again" you smile "I love you James Buchanan Barnes" no sooner have you said those words than he joins your lips in your first, but certainly not your last, kiss. The kiss is full of tenderness and love, and there is also a silent promise of "I'll never let you go again" in it.

Out of breath you break apart "I love you too angel, more than you'll ever know." He kisses the tip of your nose.

A little later you're sitting together on the sofa, Bucky's arms hug you tenderly, your head rests on his strong chest, and the smell of his after-shave fills your nostrils when you suddenly remember what you wanted to ask Bucky the whole time "Jamie?" you look up at him slightly "Yes, angel?" “When you thought I was asleep you also said that Steve said to tell me about Lisa." Bucky closes his eyes briefly and lets out a deep sigh. "So you really do remember everything. I'll tell you if you really want to know. But please let me speak. So should I tell you?" You just nod in response before he starts to speak: "You know I haven't fallen in love with you just recently, my love for you goes back much further, in any case I was in love with you even before my relationship with Lisa, and every time we saw each other I said to myself: Today is the day I will tell my angel that I love her. But as you know, I never did. And then one day, we arranged to meet at our local bar, you brought this guy over  I think his name was Thomas, and you introduced him to me as your boyfriend. That night I cried over a woman for the first time in my life, I cried for our love and mourned a future we will never have, at least that's what I thought at that moment.

But my sadness quickly turned into anger. I was mad at you and Thomas because he had what I wanted to have with you, but I was most mad at myself, I had so many chances to confess my love to you but I never did. And I was like, "Hey, if it hurts me so much to see you with someone else, maybe it hurts you too to see me with someone else too" and that's when I remembered Lisa, she worked in the office across from the fire station, we had often met by chance and she always flirted with me or wanted to go out with me, I always refused. Except for the day after I first saw you with him, when she asked me again, I said yes. And before I knew it we started dating regularly and she was telling everyone we were a couple, I was playing along. But before long she started complaining that I was spending too much time with you and that she should be the top priority in my life and not you. I guess she acted out of necessity then when she went off the pill without telling me, and the next thing I consciously remember are the five positive pregnancy tests on my bathroom sink. I was happy, really, I always wanted to be a father, but I always imagined it differently. I always imagined that we would become a couple and then say yes in a small, intimate ceremony and then build a family together. I really tried to be a good boyfriend, I also really tried to love her. But I never loved her, I only ever loved you. And when Charlie was born and she realized that my feelings for her hadn't changed, she explained to me that she wanted to break up, and that she didn't want anything to do with Charlie. Charlotte was just her try to bind me to her, since she knew that I always wanted a family. Then she packed her things and left. I didn't even try to stop her. It was only important to me that Charlie is doing well and that he is not missing anything. And every time I see you with Charlie, I wish you were her mum. . I know this is a lot to digest and I was a total ass about it too, but believe me I never had any intention of really hurting anyone."

You lift your head from his chest to look at him, you can see genuine regret in his eyes and his face is also twisted into a grimace as if the thought of actually hurting someone hurts him physically.

"You're right Jamie you were a total jerk but it also wasn't right for her to just go off the pill and then just leave her kid behind. I think you both made mistakes in that situation."

James looks surprised "so you're not disgusted with me?" you shake your head "No I'm not, everyone has done something they're not proud of, the most important thing is that we make up for our mistakes and don't repeat them." He kisses your forehead and whispers "I love you so damn much" And I love you" he looks down at his watch "I've got about an hour left before I have to pick Charlie up from Steve, what do you want "Cuddle?" you look at him questioningly, "Cuddle!" replies Bucky, grinning at you as he opens his arms and you snuggle back into his chest, the chest you'll be snuggling into for many years to come.

[watermeloncholycucumbersome]

Empty.

Your bed's gone now,

The empty space looks weird.

I mopped the floor after they left,

It's as if it was never here.

I truly hope your bed helps them,

But what most can't understand.

Is that this is all going way too fast,

For me to even comprehend.

I'm trying to help,

Like you'd want me to.

But I feel deep down inside,

I'm somehow getting rid of you?

I feel so lost - so damn alone.

The difference between me and others,

Is that they get to go home.

They've done their good deed,

Helped the sad girl.

Then go home to their families,

And wash me out of their hair.

They got what they wanted..

I hope that's not how it is - but that's really how it feels.

This sucks so damn much, this is all so surreal.

Just an empty space on the floor where your bed used to be,

Kind of looks like what the emptiness feels like deep inside of me.

I can mop it and clean it and make it look nice,

But at the end of the day nothing will suffice.

No table set or cute chair will fill the space,

Of where you sat and slept and spent your days.

I wanted to help but now I feel I'm not in control,

Losing grip on the rope I just plummet into the hole.

My therapist says "Nobody says you have to move on",

Yet everyone keeps singing me a different song.

These church ladies keep saying,

They want to come over and have tea.

Yet they've ignored all my texts,

And seem incredibly rude to me.

I can't trust anyone,

I feel like they're using me.

Do they just want to show me off,

Like I'm some good works trophy?

"Look everyone we one upped you today!"

"We got extra brownie points with God, now let's pretend for her we'll pray"

Again, I truly hope that's not how it is and I'm just being stupid.

Yet every time I give others the benefit of the doubt, they show me loud and clear that I've been duped.

I wish I could talk to you,

You'd let me know if I was just overthinking.

You'd know exactly what to do,

And stop me from assuming every stinking form of help is hidden malice.

I just wish in the past I would've been shown kind souls and not snakes who are callous.

How do I do this?

Mom, what do I do?

You'd probably be pissed off like me too,

It's almost supper and still no word.

My belly's growling - I'm starving.

And I still have to wait..

Has it ever occured to people that this is wrong?

To make plans with people, then string them along?

Most would be excited like in those silly reels when you cancel plans,

But I'm the opposite, it pisses me off.

I don't eat, I barely drink, I sit in uncomfortable clothes all day ready and waiting when I'd rather be in my pajamas.

I prepare myself all day for company, worry myself sick and waste my time making sure everything looks nice and presentable and in the meantime for others it's just "aww shoot sorry, raincheck?"

They weren't put out any, their day goes on...

So I guess I just wait then?

I have no idea...

I don't know if I should go grab the donation items?

Or should I just tell them to screw off?

I need help, what is wrong with people?

I'm dealing with enough shit of my own I don't need to deal with the idiot savants.

They just responded - their day took a "crazy turn".

I now have to wait 2 more hours to get an answer if they're coming or not.

Mom, I need your help.

I'm a writer, I'm not assertive.

You would've said something - stuck up for me, where I just sit quietly furtive.

But for now I wait and just stare at the emptiness where your bed was,

Empty space, empty inside.

Why does it feel like I too that day died?

~Jenni

[holly-fixation]

What Makes a Mother?

Summary: Jenova managed to break free on her own after countless years entrapped by the creatures of this planet. But the only way to do so was to become that creature herself. She could have waited until the time was right and kept what was left of her original form, but she wanted the child they grew with her cells. She wanted her son; to use him and raise him exactly as she saw fit for her goal. 

Inspired by this ask to @altocat . Also inspired by A Monster's Threads.

…

How long has it been since they imprisoned Her?

How long ago did the tests and probes and samples begin?

How many years since she called and scraped and clawed her way into the subconscious of son they made her?

How many years since he hid her away with sleeping pills and exhaustive training?

Too many. Too much. Too long. Her true form failed Her for too long. This immobile body brought Her nothing but torture over Her capture. Now She had a way out. A key. A sequence of DNA bound to her as if her own to manipulate until her form could move again. She had shed her true body months ago, avoiding the hunters attempting to capture her and keep Her away from Her son. 

She would twist him to her will until she no longer had use of him. But She would be a fool if she allowed his strength to go to waste. 

The human captors hunted her. She hunted her son, following the strands of each dream she gave him, each appearance to show him Her presence growing closer. She supported the need for sustenance this body required with the creatures and running water sources of each area she traversed. She wasted no piece of them by molding their skin to clothing and leaving the unusable remains as deterrents from her current location. Only when She was close to him did She consider his own needs, the required sustenance and shelter. She found a path through the mountains of this new terrain and mentally marked the locations of the caves closest to the forests. She narrowed down the exact desirable location by scanning for the most wildlife. 

All that was needed now was Her son by Her side. 

Sephiroth did not know of Her pursuit, his dreams as terribly cryptic and eldrich as always. He simply did his duty to the company that raised him, slashing and killing anyone deemed an enemy unless further instructed. The war with Wutai raged each and every day over the past few months, lucky for even a few hours of reprieve between the battles. 

He had almost finished off the latest squad that dared to ambush him. He thought the rustling in the bushes was simply an assassin waiting for the moment he put his guard down. He stood like a statue but watched from the corner of his eye, waiting for the moment they either revealed themselves or fled. 

He didn't expect the red eyes from his nightmares. 

He didn't expect a lone woman. 

He didn't expect to see hair just as silver and skin just as pale as his own. 

He didn't-

“W-Who are you?” He questioned as he straightened to the ready, his blade itching in his hand. But his hands were shaking. 

“I am your mother,” She stated factually, her voice barely natural, holding a weight he could not comprehend yet. He would. With time. “I am Jenova.” She knew exactly what humanity called her. She knew the lies they told Her son, and the lies She would use to her advantage. “I’ve come to take you away from this war.”

Sephiroth stared, dumbfounded and slack jawed. That didn’t make any sense. His mother? After so long? She looked like him. Yet she also looked like his nightmare. A nightmare that always followed him, watching and reaching. Maybe even… searching for him? The dissonance in his mind made his head spin, a battle between his logical conclusions and his childlike desires. “...M-my mother died in…” He admitted his truth without realizing it. 

She shook her head. “I did not die. They took you away from me. I've spent years searching for you.”

She was searching for him?

She offered him her hand, not moving a inch closer, giving him a ‘choice’. “Come with me.”

She sounded unnatural, impossible, unfathomable by the complex yet simple voice alone. Yet Sephiroth felt himself drawn to it. 

The rest of their conversation, of his denial and search for fact, was a blur. The last thing he remembered from that day was her dirty hand snaring his wrist as she led him along to some unknown location, and he let her. 

* * * 

He had been in this cave for too long. 

At least a week had passed since the day he went with her. Or she captured him. Or he followed. Or she coaxed him. He couldn't tell anymore. What he knew was that he sustained no injuries, no harm from this woman. His clothes, though reeking from days of being unable to wash them, remained perfectly intact, only soiled a bit by the natural dirt and dust of the cave entrance. No slashes from training machines. No tears from monster attacks. Not a deliberate imperfection on him. In fact, he barely lifted his blade from the moment he first sat in this cave. 

He should’ve been happy, away from the war and pointless battles, away from forced struggle, finally in the arms of something that he hoped deep down truly cared about him. But he wasn’t. He thought he wanted his mother's attention, but the way she watched him for hours without speaking unsettled him to his core. He thought he craved his mother's touch, but he wanted to hide when her grimy hands held him, petting more dirt and dried blood into his bird's nest of knotty hair. He was so hungry, yet she only returned with decapitated small animals. She didn't even cook them. He tried to cook himself with his materia, but he had no knowledge of skinning or boning or preparing a fresh kill in any way. He actually found himself missing the sludge of protein Shinra always rationed him. At least those he understood. At least he knew he wouldn't get an infection from them. 

Sephiroth felt like a pet to her. He didn't feel like a son. 

Only one piece of this escape remained exactly as he first believed it would be: the stars in the night sky were absolutely breathtaking, completely unobstructed by the war or by light pollution. The branches and sweeping stars of the galaxy always made his eyes widen like a cat's in the dark, his attention completely claimed by the eternal expanse, only occasionally spotting a smile from his Mother in response to his curiosity. 

She only treated him the way She understood human mothers acted with their children. She knew he craved touch and attention, so she gave it. She fed him and protected him as she was expected to, but She also waited for her opportunity into his heart, to twist him caringly to her own goal. 

Yet one night, Sephiroth winced away from Her touch. 

He always stayed at the very edge of the cave at night, staring into the cosmos with a longing She knew he didn't understand yet. But that particular night, it was raining, not even rolling lightning brightening the sky for his snake-like eyes to watch in a game, trying to catch the next flash before it vanished. No, that night the opaque sky and constant flood of droplets forced him further within the cave, the only lights emitting from his sky blue eyes and Her glowing red ones, yet both had an affinity for seeing in the dark. No artificial light was necessary. 

She froze her hand at his response, confusion barely visible on her features as she turned to find his eyes. 

His bangs blocked Her gaze, and when she reached for him again, he actively shuffled out of her reach, the edge of his uniform barely touching the water he so desperately tried to avoid a moment before. But avoiding Her clearly took priority. 

“...stop…” The weakest plea left his lips, a tone he never used with her. Desperate and fragile. Everything She could not allow him to be. 

She moved from the wall to scan him clearly, sitting directly across from him and watching him intently. He cringed away from her gaze itself now, turning and hiding. Hiding. She didn’t understand why.

“What is it?” She questioned with kindness in her voice, recognizing the act as another motherly trait. 

Sephiroth didn’t answer. He only tightened against the wall, his knees to his chest over his crossed arms. 

She watched, but she still didn’t understand. 

He grimaced at her gaze, her silent push. His jaw only tightened. He seemed conflicted, fighting within his own thoughts. Why would he still be fighting if She was there beside him?

“Sephiroth,” She called for his attention with an obvious question, but he did not move, “Is something wrong?”

He took a shaky inhale before finally whispering an answer, “...too much…”

Her brows creased, yet she waited for an explanation, no matter the time he needed to traverse his muddy emotions. 

“...This isn’t right…” His words left his mouth before he could stop them, breathy and uncertain, “...You’re…”

Her gaze hardened at his suggestion, but he forced the truth through. 

“You’re not a mother…”

The strength in her gaze weakened slightly. Not a mother? Was she not doing enough? Was her mimicry failing her? What was she missing? 

“Why?”

He gripped his arms. He felt what he thought was genuine concern in her words, but he didn’t know the reasoning behind his feelings. Discomfort and uncertainty and unhappiness. Every time his eyes met hers, the spark of joy and the hope that appeared when she first came to him fizzled, the slightest spark he desperately wanted to reignite. But he didn’t know why it was gone in the first place. He only knew he hated these conditions and he honestly preferred the lab, a thought he swore he would never have. 

A moment of silence passed to allow him his inner turmoil to settle and hopefully come to a conclusion. 

Yet no answer met the air, so the mother probed softly, only after giving him time. “What do you need?”

Again, he did not know an answer.

Perhaps he didn’t understand the question. She reworded the request. “What are you missing?” 

His gaze physically lit up, finally snapping into place. Something finally sprung to life. “My privacy…” He began to list, and She watched and listened intently without further question, tracking the solution to every problem silently.  “Cleanliness… Food- real food… T-This cave… just…” He winced again, baring his teeth at his own confusion. 

She understood, but she still needed precise answers. She needed to be careful with her words. “Do you dislike my gaze and touch?”

It took everything he had to nod slowly. 

“Because I lack a level of cleanliness?”

Another nod. Further tightening. “...because you won’t stop…”

The sustenance and shelter issues She would deal with later. He utterly craved touch; he always had. If he rejected Hers, then he was already denying her and that denial could severely delay her plans. She needed a way to fix this, to either manipulate more time together or locate the quickest solution. But time would absolutely solidify his bond with her. “Teach me, then.”

He finally looked at her, shocked and confused. Either way, that was a victory, his blue eyes meeting her red ones. 

“Teach me when my touch is too much or too little, and I will build a home.” 

Home. She knew that word warmed his heart by the shift of his breath. 

“Teach me the cleanliness you desire, and I will learn to prepare our meals.” She almost chastised herself for not realizing these needs of his sooner. 

Sephiroth had a disbelieving look in his eyes, like it would be easier said than done. Little did he know She had exactly the mother in mind to mimic all her promises to reality, a dark haired scientist who injected herself with Her cells before bearing a child. 

But another fact nipped at Her thoughts. “Why wait to tell me?” She knew the pattern of silence he adapted to in order to survive his childhood, but her presence should have been enough to counter that practice. 

Her assumption was wrong, because he went silent again, this time looking down in guilt and sadness. 

Her copied motherly instincts told her to pet him, to hug him, to comfort him, but he denied her a moment ago, pushing him too hard in this state could break him. She glanced at the water entering the cave and to her hands. Though she had done it before, perhaps it had been too long. She scooped the liquid into her hands and washed off the dirt within her skin. 

Sephiroth watched quietly as she shook them out, droplets splashing back to the expanding mass. 

“May I comfort you?” She disliked the question, the option she gave him instead of an order, but she hid her true feelings under a layer of care. 

Sephiroth scooted away from the edge, regretting the wetness now staining his side, and nodded again. His mother returned to his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and coaxing his fragile mind to lean on her. 

“Do you feel lighter from your explanation?” She knew his confession took a toll on him, but his hidden conflict weighed his mind in ways she did not expect. 

He didn’t have the strength to answer under her touch, her warmth. He only let out a small sigh of relief as he closed his eyes on her shoulder, his emotions exhausting him. 

“Rest, my son.” She whispered like velvet, slowly pulling him to dreams she would soon manipulate. A grin pulled at the corners of her lips. “I love you.” 

Those three words had the power to stall any human mind with welcome emotions, her son’s included from his quick gasp of breath. 

“Just know it to be true.” She lifted the small panic from his thoughts, returning her gaze to the soft one he needed. She didn’t need the obligatory return of the phrase yet. He would say it soon. She was sure of it. “I will wait.” 

His last thoughts, despite the rain, despite the lack of stars, despite his conflicted explanations of the night, were warm, calm, and safe as he drifted into Her realm of dream.

.

.

.

.

Thanks for reading!

Author’s Note: I seem to have a pattern of always finding a way for Jenova to win, and even though this doesn’t fit my usual ‘Queen of the Nibelheim Incident’ title, it certainly has that air to it, doesn’t it? I know Alto’s headcanon had Sephiroth finally wanting to escape, but my brain decided to do that thing again of “I will never lose”. Thus, I manipulate whatever I can into getting Sephiroth to Mc-F***ing-Lose-It. Hope you all enjoy Creepy Jenova, because this is far from the first fic I’ve done this and Far from the last. (also please check out Altocat’s stuff if you haven’t. She’s a fantastic writer.)

[alightineverydarkness]

Year 2022 AD, or Something Terrible Has Happened to Everyone I Know

Now I am not a young musician from Kyiv, Ukraine. I am not poor, or subcultural, or famous. I am not single or dating, I am not in love or broken-hearted. I don't know what I am. I feel both the strongest, the most focused l've ever been, and the most fucked up inside I've ever been. I am the iPhone military salute emoji: half a head, the half that gets work done.

The war, the proximity of death, cuts off the superficial and shows you what you suspected you always were. You find whether you would do the right thing, or cheat; you see the life you lived and the life you haven't.

Now Europe is not a beacon of hope, but a gigantic bureaucrat octopus: European authorities deal with a genocide in progress in the same unwieldy manner as they do with a bus fare dodger. The collective Western Left is far too knowledgeable about the wants and needs of a person being murdered by fascists, and will happily lecture them on how to die. Shelling a sovereign country daily for a year, deporting its children, executing civilians, seems certainly frowned upon, but generally, «these things happen» — yes, the things that should never happen. And only Ukrainians are wonderful, but being wonderful is hard, hard work.

There has never been a time like this.

Nothing of my life is left. What I wouldn't give to go back to late 2021 and its hardships and joys. But the past is over, there is only now. And there may be a future where I start living again, where, in due time, I figure out what kind of music I have to make and where, maybe, I meet someone who would've waited for me to come back.

I am no longer in any kind of contact with the person I intended to marry in 2022, reasonably considering them the love of my life. Since the beginning of the year, I spent one evening with them in October, and was broken up with within the first hour. It is a loss so large it cannot be processed or grasped, but there she goes; we may never speak again, and all of my ideas about a future are useless now.

I have no reason to believe I will ever get to work on music full-time, or at least in my pre-2022 capacity ever again. The music scene has left me behind: it flourished, and I wasn't there for it, and will I ever be? At nights it seems like the people I used to talk to on Discord are all now famous and I am a soldier in a war that makes few headlines, and l'Il toil away like this until anything I was is extinguished. When I went back for a week and saw the streets of my life, I got lost quickly. And how much of my life has belonged to someone else?

There's this person holding a rifle and it's not me. There's this person sleeping with my fiancée and it's not me. Are there two or me, or zero?

I am so horny I can see through people's clothes.

Someday I will be free, in a room I've never been in, staring at a dead assortment of expensive music gear I ordered on my soldier's salary and don't know how to use. This is the light at the end of this particular tunnel. Not a train station kiss or tear-eyed hug, but nonetheless it is a life to be figured out and lived, as opposed to this. For now, I'll keep ordering whatever music equipment I may need, delivered to my mother's apartment.

I will be discharged before this war ends, and someone else will take my place, and I will not get any of the happy endings I imagined. I am tired. It feels like tonight I could sleep standing up.

There is a little part of me that is being destroyed every day.

But somewhere there's a day when nothing hurts, and a heart that's true, and a truth that is beautiful.

[alwayslovingharry]

ABCDEFU

A/N:I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I couldn't do it yesterday. I know today's chapter is a bit of a step back from the last one, but it's necessary. I hope you like it and I promise that there's less time left for Mr. Styles to reappear…maybe only 2 more…you'll see….

previous part

PAIRING: Harry Styles x Hailey Foster (1Dmember!reader)

WORD COUNT: 3.9k

WARNING: Not an english native speaker.

SUMMARY: Hailey receives a visit and goes to an unexpected meeting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3/03/2017

I can't stop a grunt from coming out of my mouth when the alarm clock goes off four hours after I got into the bed. My flight from Milan yesterday was delayed for four hours due to some mechanical problems. I ended up getting back to London at 2am and it wasn't until after 3am that I got home and was able to lie down on my bed to sleep. I rolled over, staring at the ceiling wondering if it's really worth waking up so early to make the most out of the morning

Since Valentine's Day, my schedule has been non-stop. I've had several meetings with different clothing brands in New York, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Milan... I've spent more time between planes these past 3 weeks than I have in my entire life. 

Now I can finally have some time off until the end of April, when I will have to go to New York to attend the Met Gala as a guest of Versace. During this time I will only have to go and try out my outfit in one of their boutiques here in London. The rest of the time I will be able to spend my time resting and even composing. 

Since Harry gave me the blank notebook, I have started to use it daily, writing down any lyrics, phrases or pieces of songs that come into my head. I have taken my guitar with me on some of the trips, even if they didn't last more than two days, using some of my free time to try out some melody or chords that came to my mind. I have also used the notebook as a kind of diary to write down my feelings and thoughts. 

I haven't spoken to Jack since the restaurant, but he has called me almost every day since then. The only thing I know about him is what he has told me in the messages he has been sending me. He must be in Manchester now, closing a deal to partner with a construction company. 

I haven't tried to contact Harry either, even though his face pops into my head more than once a day. That determination I had after opening his presents on Valentine's Day vanished the next morning as soon as I woke up.

That's why Louis refused to be my spy. He's coming back from Jamaica tomorrow after spending a week there with Harry and his team. He didn't tell me much in his messages either, apart from telling me that he and Harry had agreed that Jamaica was the best time they had had in a long time. The only thing he made clear to me is that he loves Harry's album.

I sigh, pulling the duvet away from my body and very slowly getting out of bed. I pick up my phone from the bedside table, tucking it into my pajama trousers pocket and walk down the hallway to the stairs, down to the living room and into the kitchen.

After 3 weeks of hardly coming home I find the fridge and pantry half empty, but in the end I manage to find a box of coffee capsules in one of the cupboards so I can at least have some breakfast before going shopping. I grab a cup from one of the shelves while I switch on the Nespresso machine. 

While the coffee maker is making the coffee, I look at my little back garden from my kitchen window. The flowers in the garden box are still without buds as it's still early March and the weather is still cold. Today looks like it's going to be one of those typical London winter days where the sun doesn't even make an appearance. I sigh, picking up my freshly brewed coffee with both hands, warming them with the warmth of the cup. 

The doorbell rings and I leave the mug on the counter. I walk back through the living room, picking up a jacket from the sofa to put on over my pyjamas. Before I open the door I decide to look through the peephole, I don't usually have visitors at half past seven in the morning. I open the door when I recognise that curly hair.

"James, what are you doing here so early?" My brother smiles as I open the door for him.

"Can't I visit my little sister?" he asks as he rushes over to hug me tightly.

"Of course you can visit me, but it's not normal for you to visit me unannounced and at this hour."

"Mum told me you were coming back from one of your trips yesterday but I have to be on set soon so... why not invite myself to breakfast at my sister's house?"

"Well, you've planned it wrong because I've only got coffee for breakfast."

"A coffee works for me." 

I return to the kitchen with James following me and I start making his coffee. As I grab another pod and cup, I glance sideways at my brother. James is keeping quiet, which is rare for him. 

The whole thing seems strange to me. James does like to come and visit me as soon as he can, or at least call me every week at least. But since Christmas, he's barely called me a couple of times,and that’s strange. Even when I was on tour with the band James and I hadn't lost touch that much. And now he suddenly shows up at my house first thing in the morning.

"Come on, spill it," I say as I hand him the cup with his coffee and take mine back in my hands.

"What do you mean?"

"You can try to act smart and think I don't think it's weird for you to show up here for breakfast now after months of not even seeing you. You've never stopped talking to me like this without any big reason, you're already telling me what's going on with you."

"Sometimes you're worse than mum, Hails."he replies. 

“I know you better than her, you're my big brother, now tell me what mess you need me to help you with. "

James takes a sip of his coffee and sighs before speaking again. 

"Remember how ever since I was 12 I was always telling mum not to expect grandchildren from me and that I was never going to get married either?"

"Sure, Mum's never been amused by that, her retirement plan is to be able to look after her grandchildren and for you to say you don't want to have them or get married...you're not disinherited by a miracle, Jamie."

"Ha ha ha ha, you' re hilarious, you've always been his favourite for wanting all that and for being mummy and daddy's little princess," I laughed as he took a sip of his coffee.

"And what does that have to do with you ignoring me since Christmas?"

"I didn't ignore you...not on purpose. What's happened is...I've been really busy."

"You can't tell me you were too busy, when I was touring with the band and you were studying at Juilliard and auditioning for Broadway plays you were calling me after almost every concert or the day after every concert. That's no excuse."

"Hailey..."

"Hailey nothing, it pisses me off that after barely knowing about your life you're now coming to my house for coffee like it's nothing."

I turn to clean my cup in the sink, turning my back to my brother. We've always told each other everything, supported each other in everything, and called each other whenever something happened to us to talk to each other about whatever we went through.  

"I...I might now, well in the very near very near future, be mum's favourite son." mumbles James as he hands me his empty mug to wash. 

"What?" 

"Okay, so…over half a year ago I met this girl, Brooklyn, although she likes to be called Brooke or Brooks. She was one of the stylists on one of the shows I filmed last year in America and... I've never felt the same way about anyone else. Not even with Austin, the roommate I had when I was at Juilliard, with whom I had the friends with benefits thing. She's different, she's...my soul mate. She's Rose and I'm Jack, she's Sophie and I'm Sky..."

"I get it, I get it" I cut him off before he goes on with his references to his favourite couples in film and theatre history, he's obsessed. ”Why didn't you tell me this before? You knew her at Christmas, you could have told me."

"I know, I know, but I didn't want Mum to find out and force me to take her home and start intruding into our lives with her little questions.I wanted to take it slow with her." I leave the mugs dripping in the sink and I drie my hands on a tea towel, turning back to look at James." I'm really sorry, Hails. "

"It doesn't matter anymore, at least I'm relieved to know that you didn't stop talking to me because you're in a cult or into drugs. "

"I love your sense of humour." he says wryly as I walk into the living room and sit down on the couch, sitting down next to me. 

"So you've settled down with this girl, have you?" 

"Yeah, a couple of weeks ago she came to live in my flat and everything seems to be going great between us. "

"You look good, it suits you to have something stable and that seems to be lasting."

"She's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, Hails," we both smile, but I can see there's a twinkle in her eyes that I've only seen when she's talking about a big role or something she really cares about. "She's gorgeous, inside and out, kind, very smart, funny, sweet...I'm sure when you get to know her you'll like her a lot, I'm sure. Every day I spend with her and get to know her a little more, I'm even more sure I'll never be able to leave her. I’m going to marry that girl, I can assure you."

"That's very sweet, James," he replied, smiling. "She seems like a nice girl."

"I can promise you she is, I need you to meet her, as soon as possible."

"Wow, why are you in such a rush now? You've kept her a secret all these months and suddenly you want me to meet her as soon as possible." 

"Well...I think you two should meet before she has the baby, I don't want it to be awkward getting to know each other with a baby in between."

"What? This is a joke, isn't it?" I ask, still not taking in all this information. " You' re going to be a dad?"

"I'm going to be a dad!" shouts James as I throw my arms around him and hug him tightly. 

"I'm going to be an auntie!"

We both laugh as we try not to fall off the couch while hugging each other. I'm so happy for James. I'm so glad he's found something that really makes him so happy...I'm so proud of him. 

"How far along is she? Is everything ok? Is she and the baby ok? Did you guys plan it or..." 

"The truth is it wasn't planned at all but it was a very exciting surprise and we are both very excited. Brooks and the baby are fine, we found out 2 weeks ago and we went to the doctor last week and everything was great with both of them. She' s about 12 weeks along."

"Oh my gosh...James! You've gone from being directionless to being a family man! "

"I know." We both lean our backs against the couch again but the smiles don't leave our faces. "I'm so happy about all this..."

"I'm really happy for you, I need to meet this girl you've been so enchanted by. "

"I'm sure you'll get along well, I can't wait for you two to meet." 

My phone vibrates in my pyjama pocket just as I'm about to ask James more about his girlfriend. I pick up my phone and unlock it, finding a couple of messages from one of my managers.

L. Peterson: We need you at 9 o'clock at the offices.

L. Peterson: It's an important meeting, you can't possibly miss it or change it.

L. Peterson: A car will pick you up at 8:20.

I sigh wearily and James just looks at me, raising his eyebrows. I turn my phone over, letting him read the messages and grimace.

"I should probably get going soon anyway if I don't want to be late for the film set."

"I hate that they decide to have meetings when they feel like it, I wanted to keep talking about my sister-in-law and my future niece or nephew."

"How about one of these days I give you a call and we can meet Brooks so you can get to know her?" James stands up and offers me a hand so I can get up from the couch as well. 

"That would be perfect." 

"And please don't say anything to mum and dad yet, I'm trying to think of the best way to tell them all of this without them making a fuss over me. "He says as we walk to the door and opens it so we can go out. "I don't want mum to faint."

"Sure, you know you can always count on me, Jamie."

"I know." we both quickly hug once more." And you can rely on me too, I know Louis and Olivia are your best friends but I'm my big brother and can also help or listen when you need it. 

"I know."

"Next time we'll talk about what's going on in your life sis, mum told me about the situation in the restaurant and Jack? Are you okay?" 

"I'm always fine, James." she smiled lightly against his shoulder. 

"If you need anything I'm just a phone call away, okay?"

I nod and we both separate again and stand for a few seconds watching each other. We've both grown up and matured, barely noticing the passage of time, succeeding in our own ways, but James will always be my big brother. 

"See you, Hails."

"Take care."

"Always." 

I stand on the porch watching him leave until he disappears completely from my sight and I go back inside. I look at the clock on my phone, I have about half an hour to get ready before the car comes for me so I run up the stairs to the upstairs to have a shower and get changed. 

More than an hour later I am getting out of the car that has brought me to the management offices. We have been stuck in London traffic for over 40 minutes from my home in St. John's Wood to Peterborough Road. It's usually more than half an hour's drive, even more if it's rush hour like today. 

I walk quickly into the offices hoping that no paparazzi are around to recognise me, sometimes they wait outside of the building to get pics of the artists that come to the offices. As I enter, a receptionist is already waiting at the door to take me to the meeting room, asking if I need anything to drink or eat while I politely decline all her offers.

"Good morning," I greet as the receptionist opens the door to the meeting room, where the two Modest managers who have always looked after me are waiting. 

"Hello, Hailey," Luke Peterson says as he rises from his seat to greet me and shake my hand. 

“Good morning, Miss Foster, you may take a seat.” Brenda Walker is my other manager, the one who usually runs my career, she's much cooler and more serious than Luke. 

"We've called you in to discuss a couple of things about your schedule over the next few months," Luke explains as I settle into my chair.

"Until the Met at the end of April I only have dress fittings at Versace every week, right?"

"Yes, but maybe you'll stay a few more days in America after the Met. We got a call from CBS and they'd like you to come on Late Late as a guest so James can do an interview with you about the gala and your new modelling projects."

"Sounds good to me." 

"It would just be the interview and at most some of the typical games on the show, nothing complicated. "

"Okay, I have no problem doing anything, I trust James and his team. "

"Then until the end of the summer you have more or less free time again with only some promotional events or photo shoots for Dior and Versace. In August you have rehearsals for the Versace runway show in Milan and also rehearsals for the Dior runway show that you have a few days later at Paris fashion week. "

"And we've been talking to Gucci, Alessandro Michelle would like you to become one of the brand ambassadors or at least he'd like to collaborate with you and have you join him sometime for your events." Brenda speaks for the first time as Luke jots something down on his iPad. 

"But I already have deals with Dior and Versace?

"We know and that's why you're going to say no, you can't be their ambassador," Luke explains. "We'll accept his proposal to collaborate, maybe to dress you on a red carpet, interview or awards show, but you have to be loyal to Dior and Versace. "

"It looks great for a young woman like you to collaborate with brands that are leading women and championing female empowerment . Gucci may be fashionable for all its innovations but Versace and Dior are run by Maria and Donatella, who know what they do and how to succeed," says Brenda as she gets up from her chair and walks over to the living room windows. 

"And that's all you had to tell me?

"Yes, basically that's what I needed to talk to you about, I'm not quite clear on the dates yet but as soon as I have a more or less fixed schedule, I'll mail it to you. Also everything about the Met and the Late Late." replies Luke as he picks up his IPad and gets up from the table." I've got to go now, I've got a meeting with the 5SOS guys." 

"Tell them I said hi.”

"Of course, see you soon Hailey." he says goodbye with a smile as he walks out the door, leaving me alone with Brenda. 

I never got along with Brenda, I was introduced to her about 4 years ago, when each of the boys and I were assigned a different manager to contact whenever something happened to us. I hate her, from the beginning she has treated me like a puppet that she can drag around wherever she wants. I've always got on better with Luke, he's the one who usually contacts me for all my schedule and appointments, when I met him he was still just an intern for Brenda and from the beginning I could see how she didn't treat him very well either. 

"Answer me this question, why don't you pick up Jack's phone?"

And as a bonus, she's also my mother-in-law. 

"Brenda..."

"I'm asking you a question, Hailey, my son has been trying to contact you for almost a month now after you stood him up after he proposed to you. "

"I haven't had time, I've been running all over the world."

"Well now the next thing on your agenda is to call him and say yes to his marriage proposal."

"I told you when you first told me he wanted to propose, I'm not ready to get married. "

"Well, you can get ready now, I've started talking to my contacts to start preparations for the wedding. "

"I don't know if you're understanding me," I reply as I put my hands on the table and stand up. I'm not going to say yes to your son just because you tell me to. "

"Yes you are." Brenda turns to look at me and also places her hands on the table, mimicking my posture." Or I'll see for myself that after you do the September shows you don't have another project for a long time until you've married my son. "

"Marrying your son means that, we both know Jack doesn't like me being a singer or a model." 

"I'll take care of my son, but you're getting married in the summer of next year." 

I can't believe they're actually doing this to me. Forcing me to get married for my career? It's one thing to stay in a fake relationship and quite another to sign up for a fake and unhappy marriage. 

"If I say yes, I want conditions that benefit me. "

"Well…" Brenda sits back in her chair and I remain standing. 

"I want to be able to compose for other singers and create my own music with the possibility of releasing a solo album at a time when I want to."

 "You know very well that from the management we don't think you'll be successful as a solo artist, not even as a songwriter."

Ouch

"If you don't say yes to this now I will tell your son that our relationship exists only because my contracts force me to." 

We both know that she doesn't want Jack to know that our relationship is bound by my contracts and my managers. From the beginning I've used this as a fallback when I really didn't want to agree to do something, it's one of the few excuses I can use. 

"Okay, you can make an album eventually and we can try to sell songs that you write." 

"And remove the clause of having to compensate you if my contract ends and I refuse to continue with you as my manager or with SYCO. "

"That's impossible." 

"If you don't remove that clause I don't see it possible to marry your son either, remove those clauses and everything will be as you want it to be at the wedding." Brenda remains silent for a few seconds looking at me with hate, we can both play this game. 

"Alright, that's it, nothing else and you better hope my son calls me at the end of the day and tells me you talked to him and said yes."

"Okay," I reply as I sigh.

Where did I get into?

"Well," she stands up again and I straighten up as much as I can as she stretches out her hand towards me, "I can finally tell you, welcome to the family." 

"Can I go?" I reply, ignoring her hand. 

"Yes, I expect that call before tonight, Miss Foster." 

I leave, slamming the door shut as I hear those last words from Brenda. I hate her, with all my heart, every time I spend time alone with her I feel helpless at everything she says or does. 

"Would you like a car to take you home, Miss Foster?" asks the receptionist as I walk past her towards the door.

"No, thank you."

When I leave the offices, I see how it's raining hard and if I walk home like this I'm going to get totally wet, but I still go out to the street while I call for an Uber and look for another place nearby to get out of the rain. Right now I don't want to accept anything to do with my evil mother-in-law or my managers.

to continue...

next part

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Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it, please leave any comments or leave a like it if you enjoyed it.

See you soon :)

[heartsoulspiritelite]

~

Matt jackson x Hangman Adam Page

Summary

Matt Jackson and Hangman Adam Page got into a simple misunderstanding but it ended up starting an argument and ending with the two admitting their feelings to one another.

~

Misunderstandings to secrets being revealed

Hangman sat alone in his favorite corner booth of the local bar, nursing his drink and drowning his sorrows. It had been a long and confusing day, and the weight of the miscommunication between him and oldest buck had become too much to bear.

Earlier that day, they had gotten into a heated argument, words flying back and forth in a whirlwind of frustration and hurt. It had all started with a simple misunderstanding honestly it was a small disagreement, but quickly escalated into something much bigger.

Adam had never been good at expressing his emotions, often resorting to retreating into himself rather than confronting his feelings head on.

And that's exactly what he had done after the fight. He had spent the past few hours drowning his pain in whiskey and his own tears, hoping to numb the ache in his heart.

As he stumbled through the front door of their shared apartment, the scent of stale alcohol clinging to his clothes, Adam felt a wave of loneliness wash over him.

His tear-stained face was a look into his heart and revealed to the emotional torment he had endured.

In the dimly lit living room, he found Matt sitting on the couch, his eyes red and puffy, clearly having shed tears of his own. Guilt washed over him as he realized the pain he had caused his best friend.

Without saying a word, Matt rushed to Adam's side, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace. Adam's body shook with sobs as he buried his face in Matt's chest, finally letting go of the walls he had built around his heart.

"I'm so sorry, Matt," Adam choked out between his cries. "I never meant to hurt you. I just... I don't know how to say what I feel."

Matt's voice was gentle and filled with understanding as he caressed Adam's hair, his touch bringing a sense of comfort that Adam desperately needed.

"Shh, it's okay, Adam. I understand. I should have listened better. I should have been there for you."

As Adam's tears subsided, Matt guided him to the couch, sitting beside him, Their legs were touching, their shoulders barely brushing against each other. It felt safe, like they were in their own little world where nothing else mattered.

With a soft sigh, Matt mustered the courage to confess his own feelings after hanger sobered up a bit more.

"You know, Adam, I've been scared too. Scared that if I let my guard down and admitted how much you mean to me, I would only end up hurting you more. But today, I realized that keeping my feelings hidden does more damage than just being honest ever could." Matt admits

Adam turned his head to look at Matt, his eyes glistening with hope.

"You... you mean that?" He whispered in slight shock

Matt nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"More than you'll ever know, cowboy. I've loved you for longer than I can remember. And if you'll let me, I want to be there to help you overcome your insecurities, to be the partner you deserve."

A single tear rolled down Adam's cheek, but this time it was a tear of happiness. He reached out, intertwining his fingers with Matt's.

"I want that too, Matt" Adam whispered.

As they sat there, their bodies pressed together, a newfound sense of peace filled the room, promising a fresh start for their hearts.

"I love you hanger" Matt whispered while staring at Adam with his signature boo boo eyes.

"I love you to matty" Adam whispered back while getting lost in his eyes.

All of the miscommunication and insecurities that had threatened to tear them apart were gone for now, they may come back for a brief visit but now they know how to get through it.

They are bridges to a deeper connection, allowing them to follow the path of their love hand in hand together.

And as their lips finally met in a tender, long, gentle overdue kiss, they knew that they had finally felt whole in each other's arms.

~Cross-posted on wattpad & ao3~

HANGMATTTT🫶🫶

[artificialqueens]

🧡 Dinosaur (Dayasco) - Winter

a/n: it's been a hot minute since i've posted here but i wanted to submit something for the fic challenge so here we are, this is for the hurt/comfort category, also bosco uses she/they pronouns and daya is written to be autistic based on my own experience with autism

light tw for descriptions of sensory overload/a meltdown,

ao3 link 

---

Daya burrowed herself under her blanket, letting out a whine when Bosco attempted to pull it back to see her face.

Everything was too loud, the light was buzzing, and she could hear people stomping down the hallway and shouting like other people didn’t live there. The clothes on her skin felt itchy as if the fibers were trying to scratch her skin off. Her brain was hazy and yet attuned to everything all at once, any attempt to speak was too painful, her chest clenching with every breath.

With a groan, Daya poked a hand out of the blanket and pointed at her wardrobe, tossing her shirt to the floor with a whimper to clue Bosco in on what she wanted

They stared for a second, processing whatever the hell that could possibly mean before realising she wanted something more comfortable. Glancing at her wardrobe one thing stuck out, the bright yellow hoodie she always wore. They pulled it down, careful not to rattle the hangers too much, and slowly walked over to Daya’s bed, flicking the light switch off as they moved past it, much to Daya’s relief.

Bosco sat on the side of her bed, trying her best not to nudge Daya, and slipped the hoodie under the blanket, stifling a laugh as it was quickly snatched inside like a distrusting animal taking food from a trap. Watching the Daya shaped lump under the blanket wriggle around to get the hoodie on and not leave her safe place was entertaining. Bosco also slipped her phone under, dimming the screen so it wouldn’t strain her eyes.

Their phone buzzed beside them with a text:

Daya💛: thank you <3

“You’re welcome.”

Daya💛: please text, i can’t deal with noise right now

Bosco: okay, what do you need babe?

Daya💛: can you pass me one of the chocolate milks in my drawer, my sugars low

Bosco: delivery time for betty!

Daya let out a slight giggle at that, Bosco let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, relieved she was feeling okay enough to laugh.

They stayed by her side, letting Daya decompress in silence, slipping her some snacks whenever she asked. Daya felt herself calming down, craving Bosco’s arms around her more than ever.

Daya💛: come under the blanket

Bosco slowly lifted the blanket, feeling the taller girl reach for her the second she got close to pull her under, wrapping her arms around their waist and leaning her head on their chest. Bosco wrapped their arms around Daya, smiling to themself as she curled further into them.

After a few minutes, Daya prodded Bosco’s hand, dragging it up to the top of her head with a pleading look in her eyes that could melt anyone. They slowly ran their fingers through her hair, feeling Daya let out a content sigh and letting her eyes flutter shut. She let out a pleased hum as they continued, the corners of her lips flicking up ever so slightly when Bosco pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Daya blinked at Bosco, pondering the question before giving a shrug in response. She’d spent the better part of an hour with them and it had helped but that didn’t entirely lift the heavy weight that made itself at home in her chest. Something still clenched at her no matter how safe and comfortable she knew she was with them.

“I have an idea, you gotta let me go, though.”

Daya huffed at that, but let Bosco slip out of her arms with a pout. They couldn’t help but pull her into a gentle kiss at that, her face too cute to leave alone.

“I swear to god if you tell anyone about this-” They muttered, watching Daya prop herself up against the bed to get a better view of whatever was about to unfold, starting to smile as Bosco shook their head and wondered if this would even work.

They put their arms close to their body, mimicking a t-rex before starting.

“Rawr! I’m a dinosaur! Rawr!” Bosco got more into character the longer she went on, hunching over to add to the realism, waving her arms as Daya started to grin.

That look was worth the embarrassment, seeing her eyes crinkle with how hard she was grinning, knowing that the loving look in her eyes was reserved only for them.

“Raaawwwrrr!! I have feathers so really I should be squawking. Rawr? Caw?” That part made Daya giggle, once she started it was too hard to stop. She watched Bosco stomp around in a game of pretend and only started to laugh hard when they kept going, crouching to the ground to let out a roar before continuing to walk back and forth like a creature.

Bosco couldn’t help but smile as her laugh grew louder, developing into a full-blown cackle, her eyes starting to tear up from how hard she was laughing. They walked closer to her, still hunched over and in character before whispering something in the blonde’s ear.

“Rawr.”

Daya launched forward all of a sudden, catching the raven-haired girl off guard, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close once again.

“Are you the asteroid?” Daya nodded, flipping Bosco over to lay herself directly on top of them, peppering their face with kisses as they wheezed out a laugh.

“I don’t think this is how the dinosaurs went extinct, Betty Bear.” They teased, poking her cheek as Daya scrunched up her face.

“It’s how the Boscosaur went extinct.” Her voice was quiet from the lack of use, but Daya giggled as she spoke, returning to kissing every inch of Bosco’s face as she

“The Boscosaur? I’ll take it.” They grinned at the nickname, watching Daya’s face change into one of pure loving adoration as she looked at them. Bosco felt the heat rising to her face as they stayed in that position, Daya hovering barely an inch away from her face, absolutely able to feel the way her heart was racing at the close contact.

“I love you, my Boscosaur.”

“I love you too, Dayasaur.”

Daya let out another giggle at that, pressing a kiss to Bosco’s lips before leaning her head back down onto their chest and pulling the blanket back over them. Bosco let her eyes flutter shut, tired out from the charades and letting the euphoria of being so close to someone she loved wash over her, glad she could help her feel better. Stroking Daya’s hair, she heard the blonde’s breathing even out and let herself fall asleep too.

God, she loved that girl.

[cardinalcopulate]

Hey hun an idea you could use

POV character moves into a new secluded sea side city that has a huge church at the peak

They don’t go to the church due to bad experiences in the past (they don’t realise it’s satanic)

On a rainy night back to their house they spot a rat and take it in to care of it

Then maybe he overhears people looking for a missing rat that belongs to copia and yn goes to take it back

When they meet sweet flirting ensues until it’s time to give back the pet but the pet wants to stay with YN, but because rats need to be in packs without getting lonely they come around daily to hang around copia and the rats

I think with how wonderfully you write this could be a cute fanfic, also you can Nick some elements and leave out others Idc have fun love

Anon x

Anon, I'm obsessed with this, it's so cute!! I had some time and let the words flow. Here's a snippet of what I wrote :p

- - - -

"What's your name, little guy?" I was coming around to it. The rat chittered in reply. "Can you understand me?" It sniffed and made some more noises. "Huh," I said more to myself than the rat. I stayed in my rather wet clothes, focused on it. I spent the next few hours playing with the animal, doing chores with it on my shoulder or riding in my pocket, and reading with it snoozing in my lap. I started to nod off when the rat suddenly stood at attention and ran off to the door. Mere seconds later, I heard a rushed knock. I jumped out of my seat to catch the rat and answer the door. I scooped it up and held it close to me again. I pulled the door open.

On the other side, there was a man drenched in rainwater. He had black streaks running down his cheeks and his hair looked dark brown. It was flat from water. His cheeks and tip of his sharp nose were rosy from the cold. "Hello! I'm sorry to intrude--," he rushed out and stopped abruptly. His eyes were mismatched, one a gentle green and the other an intense white. The man stared at me for a moment too long.

"Can I help you?" I felt uneasy under the gaze of that white eye.

"Um, yes. I was just--it might sound crazy but I'm looking for a rat. It's a pet of mine, of sorts. I'm really worried he's going to get sick or hurt. Have you seen it?" The rat in my hands squeaked and popped its head out. "Oh! My baby, there you are!" The man gasped. The rat jumped into his hands and nuzzled him. The man talked to it in the silly voice you might speak to a baby with. He clearly cared about the creature. It was endearing.

"Thank you so much for taking care of him! He must have been so scared. You really have no idea what this means to me!" His eyes were filled with relief. "Let's get you home," he said to the rat. Much to my surprise, it slipped out from his hands and scampered back up to my shoulder. The man blushed and scolded the rat. "Come on, you've overstayed your welcome. You've caused this kind man too much trouble already," he made eye contact and smiled softly at me. My cheeks burned. The rat refused to move from its seat. Even when i tried to pick it up and return it to the man, it stayed put in my hands.

"I'm really sorry about this, he's not normally this stubborn."

That's alright. Why don't you come in for a spell? Until he's ready to go home. You shouldn't keep standing in the rain." I was watching the man get more and more soaked by the minute. I was too entranced to say something earlier. He nodded and stepped over the threshold.

"Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything hot to drink? You must be freezing."

"Would it be okay if I had some tea? Any you have is fine."

"Of course! Is chamomile alright?"

"That's my favorite, it sounds perfect," he winked.

I turned around quickly so he didn't see my face. I started heating up some water and sat down at the table across from him.

"Ah, where are my manners? I never introduced myself. It's been a while since I've met such a handsome stranger." He leaned across the table with an outstretched hand. "Copia."

"Copia," I repeated. "Nice to meet you."

He kissed the back of my hand. "The pleasure is all mine." He had a coy smile on his face. Copia looked a bit messy with the makeup staining his cheeks. I glanced at them for a second and he became self-conscious. He blushed and frantically wiped his cheeks with the leather gloves on his hands.

- - - - -

I definitely want to work on this more, I think it's a lovely meet cute. Thank you, anon!