#it reached a low of 46 today

[halfd3af]

can Dr. House please be real and diagnose me, I’ll let him call me slurs if it means he figures out what’s wrong with me

[antisocialties]

Late Night Calls.

Matt Sturniolo x Reader

Summary: in which you call matt late at night when things aren’t going so well.

Warnings: mentions of mental health issues, angst, and etc.

To say today had sucked would’ve been an understatement to say the least.

Today was just one of those days where the second you woke up you felt like shit and wished you simply wouldn’t have waken up in the first place.

You looked up at the plain white ceiling with a blank and stoic look on your face. It was almost pitch black in your room, the tv wasn’t even turned on.

You couldn’t help but hate being alone right now with every aching bone in your body, thoughts racing through your head at a mile a minute. At this point you were quite convinced your head would never quiet down enough to sleep before the sun came up.

You rolled over from your back, reaching for the sheets beside you which your phone laid upon.

3:46 am. You let out an exhausted groan after seeing the time on your lockscreen. There was only one thing you could think to do right now that would actually get you to calm down and sleep.

You instantly clicked on your messages, clicking on Matt’s contact info and clicking the call button before sitting up with the sheets still covering your cold legs.

It rang a quite few times before being answered, you felt bad; assuming you’d waken him up from his slumber since you’d previously facetimed him a few hours ago before he’d said he was going to lay down after filming a car video with his brothers.

“Everything okay, babe?” He asked with a groggy and concerned voice.

“Not really, I still just can’t shake the low feeling i’ve had all day. I don’t even know why i’ve been feeling this shitty all day, I just know it won’t go away and I can’t sleep.” You confessed while holding back tears.

“You wanna talk about it some more?”

“Yes please. I’m really sorry for waking you up, I love you baby.” You quickly let out before interrupting your words with a sob.

You felt an immense amount of guilt for putting something this heavy on him, especially just after you’d woken him up so late.

“Y/n stop, you’re okay honey. I love you, the last thing I want is for you to be apologizing for coming to me when you need me most. We’ve already been over this countless times, you never need to apologize to me for things like this.” He spoke in a soothing but troubled tone.

Anytime you apologized for confiding in him with your issues, he couldn’t help but feel his heart break more and more each time. He never wanted you to feel like a burden to him, he’d never forgive himself if he couldn’t be there for you in your times of need.

“I love you.” you hiccuped, struggling to even get the words out as the pace of your sobs only got quicker and more violent.

You tried to force more words out to describe the heavy and dreadful feeling in your chest, but you couldn’t even form the proper words and were only met with heavy aching sobs.

“Alright i’m coming over, you don’t need to leave the door unlocked i’ll just bring my key.” He stated, no longer being able to hear your cries and not be able to do anything about them.

“Do you want me to bring anything?” He asked sincerely.

“I’m not gonna ask you for anything, I already feel awful enough waking you up and making you feel like you need to come over.” You sniffled.

“So yes. I’m getting food and ice cream. You can either eat it or save it for later, i’m getting it regardless.”

You sniffled and smiled to yourself, knowing how lucky you were to have a boyfriend like him.

“Alright babe, i’m leaving now so i’m gonna hang up.” he told you as you heard his keys jingling, before the sound of the call ending.

Your apartment was pretty close to their house so it only took him about 20 minutes to get to you, normally it would be less time but he stopped by McDonalds grabbing food and mcflurries for you both.

Your sobs had slowed and calmed down to where they had pretty much came to a complete halt, tears still occasionally dripping down your face.

You got up slowly and turned your led lights and tv on, also deciding to light a candle since you were trying to set a calm vibe for yourself and for him to walk into.

A few minutes later you heard the sound of a key entering the lock of the front door and the knob turning as he opened the door and walked inside quietly closing it behind him.

His calm footsteps approached your room from the living room of your apartment, his face peeking into your already open bedroom door with a soft comforting smile as he met your puffy eyes.

“Hi baby.” He greeted you while kicking his shoes off beside your door and walking toward your spot on your bed with a drink carrier and a large bag of food.

“Hi.” you croaked scooting over so he could sit down next to you.

He placed the drink carrier with the drinks and mcflurries on your bedside table closest to him, setting the bag on the floor beside the bed and scooting over to you to give you a peck on the cheek.

You didn’t even exchange anymore words before he wrapped his arms around you and coaxed you to lay your head in the crook of his neck as you two pressed your backs against the wall behind your bed.

You deeply inhaled, stifling back a sob as you took in his scent and the warmth of his body against your own.

“Thank you for coming all the way over here, I love you and I appreciate you so much. You’re the love of my life.” you babbled, hot tears streaming down your cheeks.

“Always, I love you more than you’ll ever know and i’m so glad I could be here with you tonight.” He told you in a soft voice before pressing a long kiss to the top of your head.

He grabbed your remote and clicked on the Disney icon on your tv, putting on Gravity Falls for you guys to binge all over again for the millionth time. This was a show you guys both really enjoyed, and found yourself watching late at night relatively often.

He grabbed the mcflurries out of the carrier on the small table beside him and offered you yours, assuming it would soothe your most likely burning throat from your aggressive crying.

You took it, softly thanking him before you put a small bite of the ice cream into your mouth.

You guys finished your ice cream and ate all of your food in silence, him getting up to throw all of your garbage away in your kitchen and quickly returning.

He climbed back into the bed with you, laying down so you could get close to him again.

You laid your head on his chest, feeling his soft cotton t shirt on the side of your face while his chest rose up and down at a calm and slow pace.

You breathed in his scent while hearing the steady beat of his heart as he watched the tv on your wall in front of the bed. You looked up at his face, noticing the slight look of concentration on his features.

Eventually he noticed you looking up at him and returned your gaze, his eyes meeting yours for a few seconds before he leaned down to press a kiss against your lips.

There was nothing better than being in his arms and exchanging affection with him when you were feeling so miserable. There was nothing better regardless of your mood in all honesty.

Your heart swelled remembering all of the times you guys had been in this position before, cherishing every single memory like this one your brain had filed away.

“You feeling tired yet?” he questioned.

“Yeah, I feel a lot better now too.” you nodded.

You snuggled into his chest while adjusting yourself again to get as comfortable as possible to sleep.

He noticed as you began to dose off, the show still playing at a decent volume in the background. He only knew you’d started to fall asleep because your breathing got deeper.

“I love you.” he voiced quietly as he rubbed your back, being cautious as not to wake you if you’d completely passed out.

“I love you too.” you mumbled into the fabric of his shirt.

He only smiled as he closed his eyes and continued to softly rub the small of your back.

He cherished you just as much as you did him, maybe even more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

feel free to drop a comment if you’d like to be added to my tag list! i’m also still accepting requests for both matt and chris! feel free to send anything to my asks, just no NSFW! <3

ps i’m sorry to whoever sent this ask in first lol i accidentally posted it before i even wrote anything bc i pressed post instead of saving the draft to go pick a picture that fit the concept of the fic 😭

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

tag list: @im-a-matt-girl @sturniolomads @hii-multifandom-toomany @stxrniqlo @mettsturniolo

[heehoonieluvs]

aaaaaaaa personally my mind has convinced me this is Jay in the kitchen with his gf 🥰😵‍💫

https://x.com/heliishporn/status/1734209688193978641?s=46&t=o7H_7yOOxOUgyeib36pGPQ

NSFW LINK ‼️

Hell. Fucking. Yessss 😍

Usually Jay would be the one to cook whenever he had the time as he loved pampering you. As long as he was with you, you would never have to lift a finger

One day when you were alone, waiting for your boyfriend to finish his schedules, you came up with a great idea to surprise him. He had been working so hard so it was only fair for you to treat him with a homemade meal

When you finished the main part of your cooking and looked at the time, you looked at the clock and saw that it was about an hour before Jay came home. A mischievous thought came into your head and you quickly ran upstairs to have a shower and freshen up. You made sure to scrub and shave every area of your body before getting out and do your skincare. Instead of putting on Jay’s shirt like you using do, you just left the bathroom naked and returned to the kitchen before putting on your apron again

You finished off the rest of the cooking and started to make the icing for dessert when you heard the familiar sound of the door’s keypad. Just like the usual routine, your sweet boyfriend called out

“Darling I’m home!”

“In the kitchen love!”

His footsteps approached the kitchen quickly before coming to an abrupt halt. You giggled as a low whistle was let out from your boyfriend

“Damn baby is it my birthday today or something?”

He buried his nose into the crook of your neck whilst letting his hands wonder all over what he could reach on your naked body. His lips left long open mouth kissed over your neck as he softly groaned

“Love, let me finish the food first. I’m almost done making dessert” you said breathlessly as he sucked on the sensitive spot near your jaw

“As far as I can see my dessert is right in front of me”

You didn’t have enough time to respond as you felt his fingers stroke their way between your ass cheek. His touch delicately rubbed over your wet folds, getting you more worked up. As your moans started to pick up, he started to rub on your sensitive clit. The stimulation with the neck kisses caused you to throw your head back and rest on his shoulder

He’d whisper the most filthiest things into your ear about what he wanted to do to you as he buried his fingers inside of you. He couldn’t help himself when he pushed your back so you could bend over the counter and start spanking your ass. Seeing the way your ass jiggled and left red handprints made his cock get harder in his shorts

His fingers would fuck you so deliciously as you fell apart in front of him. You wanted to see if you could push him even further by bringing the whisk covered in icing up to your mouth and licking it whilst holding eye contact with him. You made sure to stick your tongue out and run the tip up the same way you would to his dick. Luckily for you, your boyfriend decided to give in and pulled his shorts down to bury his hard cock inside you

He’d pound vigorously and rub on your clit, causing tears to well up in your eyes

“Don’t stop what you were doing baby. You wanted to tease me and I’m not stopping you from doing so”

His hand would hold your face so you’d keep eye contact with him and demand you to carry on licking the icing off the whisk. He’d get closer to the edge at the sight of your wet tongue and move the whisk away to suck the sweetness off your tongue

You would both be sucking on each other’s tongue as your orgasms washed over you. He’d carry on thrusting into you gently as you calm down. His lips would little kisses your cheek as he mumbled

“Thank you for the surprise baby. How about we have a shower and then we can eat dinner after?”

NSFW Masterlist

[sweetnsour1]

4:46:04

Fluff, Bakugou x female reader, 4/4

Go read Part 1

Part of the Cute as hell collection

You slammed his book closed and slid it off his desk into his open bag. You grabbed the pen out of his hand and dropped that in too.

"The hell are you doin'?"

"Let's go outside." He grabbed at the strap of his bag, tugging it away from you. You started walking backwards towards the door of his dorm.

"Yea, why would I do that? All my shit is in here."

"Unless you want me sucking energy out of you. I need plants, dummy." He rolled his eyes, but stood up to follow you.

"Oh? Didn't know you had such a rough time with training today. Want me to go easy on ya' next time?"

"Go easy on me and I might throw you into a wall again." You smiled sweetly.

He laughed and stepped close enough for you to smell something sweet coming from him. He leaned down to align your eyes with his own red ones. You breath caught when he licked his lips, stumbling against the doorframe in your attempt to create space. He'd never been this close to you...except for in a fight.

"You can fuckin' try." His words came out as a low growl.

You managed to grab the doorknob and turn your back to him. He took a step back so you could open it. You escaped into the hallway with him following. Neither of you said anything as you left the building. You turned a couple of times to check that he was still trailing behind you. The silence was unsettling, but you couldn't think of anything to say to dispel it. Honestly, it was hard for you to think of anything other than the way he had looked at you.

"You can suck on this, can't you?" He had stopped by a large tree. Your nose crinkled and you scowled.

"Ugh, I don't suck on things. That sounds disgusting." He laughed, but sat down, resting his back against the trunk.

You stomped over. It actually would work well. The tree could handle you borrowing a little energy. You hated when the smaller plants died at your touch. Had he noticed that? You glanced at the blonde, already pulling out his book and the review questions he was making for you. You hummed and placed your hand on the trunk, activating your quirk. After a few seconds, leaves began to fall from the canopy above you. His groan drew your gaze.

He had leaves everywhere...poking out of his spiky hair, covering his book, in his bag. When you finally stopped laughing at him, he had already angrily brushed most of them off.

"Yea, hilarious. Fuckin' done?"

You wiped the tears from your eyes. Small giggles still escaped from your lips. You had dropped to your knees at some point during your laughing fit, putting you high enough to still see leaves sticking out of his hair.

You reached your hand out toward him. His scowl softened and he froze. You ran your fingers through his hair, trying to tug the leaves out. He hummed. His eyes sprang open as if he was daring you to say something. You bit your cheek to keep from laughing at him, pulling out several leaves from the hair that actually was softer than you'd imagined.

You settled down next to him, grabbing your own book from your bag. You froze when you caught that same sweet scent from earlier. His fingers were in your hair. You turned to him with wide eyes and parted lips. His eyes fell to yours and he jerked his hand away from you.

"Sorry, shouldn't've done that. Don't catch your hair on fire." He shoved his hand back into his pocket.

"Hey. 'Don't ever apologize to me. Especially for shit you don't need to be sayin' sorry for.' " You moved closer before he could reply to the echo of his own words. You tilted your head toward him. "Now can you please get this shit outta my hair?"

You worried when nothing happened. You resisted the urge to pull back. You smiled and closed your eyes when you felt his timid touch on your hair. You were surprised when his hand moved under your chin. He lifted your head up. Was he about to-He pulled something out from the front of your hair. He frowned at you.

“The fuck is that look for?”

“Thought you were finally gonna-forget it, it’s stupid.” You opened the book. You sighed when you couldn’t focus on the words in front of you. You let your pen fall and nudged your book closed and off your lap.

“I am not following you anywhere else, brat.” You rolled your eyes while his eyes stayed on his book.

“Bakugou…” You waited for him to look at you, but he just huffed and kept writing. You glared at him. He was making this so difficult, but the trouble was probably worth it, right? “Hey, Katsuki…” You’d never called him that before. This time he did turn.

You moved towards him as soon as he did, brushing your lips softly against his. You smiled and tried to pull away, but his hands were back on your head and the fingers holding you in place were no longer timid. You were stunned and breathing heavily when he finally let you go. He picked up his pen and finished the question he was halfway through writing. He had a huge grin on his face.

“Ya coulda just asked me for a kiss if you wanted one so bad."

Go back to part 1

Go read through Cute as hell

Masterlist

[golden-rats]

I was having thoughts about Copia playing with a laser pointer. My hand slipped.

Rains diary entry #46

Dear diary,

Today I saw it again. I was with Copia when it happened. In his dimly lit room, my glimmering blue eyes fixated on the elusive red dot that materialized on the floor. I still haven’t figured out what exactly it is or how it forms. Some type of magic I have yet to understand? First I was waiting. Observing. My best shot was being sneaky so I crouched low, unfortunately my tail was twitching with excitement. I feared of blowing my cover. With a silent yet purposeful approach, I stalked the shimmering light, demonstrating a blend of stealth and predatory grace reminiscent of a hunting cat. Surely it won't escape me this time, right? Think again! With a sudden burst of energy, I gracefully leaped forward, weaving between furniture to chase the light. My demonic movements were a mesmerizing dance of precision and enthusiasm as I tried to capture the enemy. Giving it my all. Frustration soon began to manifest on my face as I clawed at the red dot with my paws. My agile fingers reached out, attempted to grasp the light! …But it slipped away just out of reach. My eyes were narrowing in concentration. This game went on for several minutes. I noticed Copia had to stifle his laughs. I don’t understand how he can be so carefree with a threat like this present! I'm sad to say that one more day goes by without any success in capturing the intruder. As quickly as it appears, it always seems to disappear again.

Next step: Finding its hideout?

xoxo Rain

[frogsmulder]

From the ship number ask: M/K 46.

I’m already looking forward to what you’re going to come up with! 😋

46 …out of envy or jealousy.

He Works Alone

during sleepless krycek has a heated argument with mulder; 1.1k words; rated e; tagging @today-in-fic and @leonardbetts

read on ao3

Alex follows Mulder out of the morgue, playing catch up to the quick clip of his oxfords in the tiled floor. He jogs up to him before he can reach the double doors to the main hallway; his own footsteps an indignant outcry for Mulder to slow down which goes ignored. He finally gets him to listen with a hand to grab his shoulder, spinning him around to face him. There is a vexed look upon Mulder's face as if he had been persecuted before Alex could say a word. 

Wary, Alex takes a breath and tries yet fails to keep the bite from his voice. “Hey, so what was that in there?”

“What?” Mulder's eyes search his for clarification; almost the perfect picture of innocence. 

He shakes his head slowly, incredulously. “You and agent…”

“Scully?”

“Yeah,” he chuffs half a laugh. “Do you usually get your pathologists by special request?”

Mulder glances at the hand still on his shoulder and Alex retracts it suddenly feeling his palm grow clammy. Mulder levels a stare at him, a strange cocktail of warning and attempted comprehension. As the seconds pass, Alex is caught in the tide of his dark eyes and feels his mouth dry and his cheeks flame under the scrutiny. 

Mulder turns around and continues to walk before he answers, “She's just a friend; we used to work together.”

Alex stands his ground. “Just a friend, huh?”

The speed with which Mulder whips back around to point a finger almost stuns him. “What are you trying to say?”

Alex looks away and licks his lips. “Did you not see the way she looks at you, Mulder?”

“Careful there, you almost sound jealous.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Look, I don't care how you go about finding leads in this investigation; I know your methods are…”

“What?” Mulder steps closer. “Spooky?” His eyes dart darkly between both of his, searching. “Like I haven't heard that before. You'll have to try harder to insult me Alex.”

“I was gonna say unconventional–and I'm not trying to insult you. All I'm saying is I'd like to be kept in on this investigation.”

“You were there.” His voice scratches low and quiet, earnest. 

Alex squares up to him. “You were keeping such close quarters I didn't hear a thing you said!” he hisses. “Whispering? Like she was the only other person in the room? You had your backs turned to me; I couldn't even read your lips.”

Mulder scoffs, the hot air tickling Alex’s face. “Now this right here–” he jabs a finger into Alex’s sternum– “this is why I work alone.”

Emboldened, Alex leans into the contact, forcing Mulder back. “But you don't! You were working with agent Scully just fine!” A pause hangs between them; the silence only filled by his ragged breathing. Alex makes the mistake of looking down at Mulder's lips. He closes his eyes, restraining, yet the thought lies hot and heavy at the forefront of his prefrontal cortex. The thought dares him to lean forward but instead he backs away; his best attempt to break the tension. “Look, man, all I'm asking for is a chance.”

His shoulders are suddenly grasped firmly and Mulder’s accusatory whisper rings in his ears. “You are jealous, aren't you?”

Finally snapping, Alex shoves him against the wall, his arm to Mulder’s throat exercising every inch of his strength over him. He hesitates only briefly, questioning whether he is really going to do this but the flush to Mulder’s cheeks decides for him. He crushes his lips to Mulders’ coaxing the reaction he wants out of him, the one he knows is there somewhere buried beneath his love for that pathologist.

Surprised, Mulder reciprocates briefly before pushing Alex away to the middle of the corridor, leaving him stranded in the open. 

For the smallest of seconds, he is afraid Mulder will sock his jaw. He watches his taut body for any hint of what will happen next. His hands resting at his sides don't curl into fists but flex outwards as if trying to dispel a feeling harbouring there. 

Mulder then strides forward, taking Alex in one swift motion, pushing him to the other wall pressing his body to the brick. His tongue licks as teeth nip at Alex's lips and it's Alex's turn to gasp in surprise: a fatal mistake as Mulder closes in. Hand spread on Alex's chest, Mulder digs his fingers in. Alex can't stop his eyes rolling back and a groan in his throat as Mulder flexes his hips into his own. 

Grasping his slender hips, Alex turns them and drops to his knees, making quick work of the pants’ fastening. His own gut clenches and his heart pounds at being eye level with Mulder's crotch. He curls his fingers into the elastic of his boxers and yanks them down, freeing Mulder's burgeoning erection. In his hands, Mulder grows and against his lips he twitches. Alex looks up through dark eyelashes as he teases the head of Mulder's cock with his darting tongue.

He wraps his lips around his cock and sucks him deeper into his mouth, watching as Mulder's head tips back against the wall, his chin pointing upwards and his neck stretching gloriously, so that Alex can see his Adam's apple bob when he swallows. He hears every puff of air that passes Mulder's slack lips and imagines his eyes screwed shut in perfect agony. He takes his time, slowly teasing every inch of pleasure from him in a play for power that is intoxicating. He’s impressed with Mulder’s size, with his pretty cock; he’s seen plenty to know the difference and the way Mulder sits heavy on his tongue is a sweet satisfaction. He hums his appreciation as he watches it disappear beyond his lips.

Another hiss from Mulder and his hands are tugging in his hair, encouraging him to be quicker, harder, rougher. Alex brings a hand to the base of his cock, squeezing tightly while he digs the fingers of his other hand into his ass cheek, pulling him forward. Mulder’s grunt spurs him on. 

With a gasp, Mulder jerks his hips forwards as he comes, and Alex doubles down, taking everything he has. After licking his softening cock clean, Alex lets him hang open in the cool air, pulling on a cool mask of indifference over his emotions; as if the taste of his cum wasn’t still toying with his taste buds and his own heart wasn’t pounding in his chest all the way down to his own hardon that desperately begged attention. 

He stands and is face to face with Mulder, smirking at his flushed cheeks. Head still resting against the wall, Mulder looks back at him, panting, “I could have you reported, Krycek.”

“I may be a green agent, Mulder, but this isn't my first rodeo.” He wipes the corner of his mouth with the pad of his thumb and then sucks it into his mouth salaciously, hollowing his cheeks for a punctuated effect. “I'll be back at the car when you need me.”

[samuelerssonupdates]

Ron Hextall: 37 wins (1986-87)

Pete Peeters: 29 wins (1979-80)

Sergei Bobrovsky: 28 wins (2010-11)

Antero Niittymaki: 23 wins (2005-06)

Pelle Lindbergh: 23 wins (1982-83)

Samuel Ersson: 21 wins (2023-24)

Brian Boucher: 20 wins (1999-2000)

Following in the footsteps of trailblazing rookies and giants alike, Samuel Ersson is living up to his role in net in a huge way, and a historic one. With today's 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins, he has displaced now-color commentator (and once, #33 for the Philadelphia Flyers) Brian Boucher for the title of 6th all-time wins by a Flyers rookie goalie. Ersson has the third-best GAA on this list, 2.66, preceded only by Boucher (1.91) and Bobrovsky (2.59), and the second-lowest total GA, 104. (Boucher, 65 GA, is first.) And also of note: he is tied for the second-most shutouts on this list, with Boucher again coming in first with 4 shutouts.

It's relevant to note that Boucher in his rookie season was the backup to starter John Vanbiesbrouck, who played 50 games to Boucher's 35. (Ersson has played 42 games this season, and only recently reached 50 total GP in the NHL on March 12, 2024, a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks.) The rest of the goaltenders who currently sit above Ersson were all essentially starters, though Niittymaki shared the burden pretty evenly with Robert Esche in the 2005-06 season (46 GP to 40 GP). Peeters and Hextall also took their STACKED Flyers squads to the Stanley Cup Finals (Peeters played with some of the most venerated Flyers of all time – Bobby Clarke, Rick MacLeish, Bill Barber; Hextall played behind a filthy 80s team; Tim Kerr, Mark Howe, Rick Tocchet, and the bruise brothers, Dave Brown and Daryl Stanley. Fun fact: Both goalies played with Brian Propp!) Those Flyers had been to the playoffs every season from 1973-1989. Those Flyers won in '74 and '75.

These 2023-24 Flyers came into the season with low expectations, and three years of missing the playoffs. But behind those low expectations is a team that's apparently capable of beating the best teams in the league. Of the 12 wins over top-10 clubs (BOS, VAN 2x, COL, CAR, DAL, FLA 2x, WPG 2x, EDM, TOR) Ersson was the winning goalie for 8 of those. At times, including March 23 v Boston, the team they beat was #1 in the league.

To reach 4th place in all time Flyers rookie goalies, and not just tie with Niittymaki and Lindbergh, Ersson needs three more wins. The Flyers have 11 games left in the season, and the Gauntlet is almost over, with the most recent three games (against the teams that currently sit 2nd, 6th, and 9th in the league) yielding five points in the standings. The future looks bright.

And tomorrow, Florida.

Sources

Mitchell Leff / Rookie Flyers / Flyers History / Jordan Hall

[daybreakxfamily]

Late Night Wishes

Inspired by a song from Hamilton. 

I feel like Yuri would be a hella simp for his s/o, loving them more then most people. Excluding his sister, he holds his sister to higher regard but the kinda love he has with his wife would be different from the love he has for his sister.

tw: none

In the early morning night, you wake up to an empty bed, though reaching out you could feel the faintest traces of warmth. Confused, the clock on the table only read 5:46, almost 6 in the morning. Where was Yuri? Your husband. Slowly but surely, you get up and peer out the room with tired eyes, crust forming as you feel the cool night air from an open window. Who would leave windows open at this time? ‘Probably yuri… must have been why I woke up.’

Roaming the hall in just a thin nightgown, your feet tipped toed into a side office, one belonged to the ravenette she dearly loved. The man hunched over a desk, scribbling down notes over a burning metal lamp. Rubbing your eyes, you knock on the door frame, startling him a bit. “Yuri, come back to sleep”

“I have an early meeting out of town,” brushing it off, he continues his work. Needing this report ready before he enters work today, as it is critical to his promotion. 

“It's still dark outside.” You slump over to him, squinting at the bright light before gently wrapping your thin arms around his shoulders, leaning over his head to take a peek of what he was working one. But the words were all muddled together and her eyes watered easily. She was still tired and just wanted to go back to bed with her husband. 

“I know… I just need to write something down”

“Why do you write like you're running out of time?” Kissing his head, Yuri smirked at his wife’s antics, seeing just how tired she really was. Rubbing her arms with his hand, he tries to finish up what he’s doing to maybe have a little more time to cuddle before work. But seeing as he left it all for the last minute, he doubts that. But he can only stay hopeful. 

“Shhh~”

“Come back to bed. That would be enough.” Kissing his cheek, you rub his chest before seeing that he will not budge.

“I'll be back before you know I'm gone.” Returning the favor, he kisses her lips lightly which leave her flushed, heart beating as he stared deeply in her eyes. Almost as if he was seeing into her soul, tingly pins pricking her feet before he breaks the contact and clears up his desk. Packing his satchel, he sighs as it was already 6:15, needing to leave now or he might end up late. 

Gently, he takes her arm and leads her back to the room. He might as well take you back to bed and make sure you get a full night's rest while he’s out. But once Yuri leads the tired woman to her bedroom, she stops him to pull him into a deep kiss. A knot forms in his stomach from her needy antics, holding her waist as she grips his white-t, swaying as they stand in the early night. 

Leaning up, she whispers quietly, whining as she holds him close to her chest. “Come back to sleep.” 

“This meeting's at dawn,” voice low, reverting against her skin and sending chills down her spine. But she was tired and if he wasn’t going to sleep with her, then she might as well go to bed now and cuddle with his pillow for comfort. Letting go, she signs in defeat before teasingly kissing his nose, smiling softly at his caring gaze. “Well, I'm going back to sleep.”

Patting his shoulder, she waddles back to bed and flops down. Ignoring his chuckling and the feeling of a blanket covering her in, she is quick to pass out with the blessing of a goodnight kiss upon her temple. Her husband’s loving gaze leaves her feeling protected, not really hearing what he said before he left the room. 

“Best of wives and best of women.”

[09/07/2022]

SpyxFamily and the Characters belong to Tatsuya Endo*  

[wandafiction]

Pet Names - Just Us Chapter 47

Warnings: Slightly Suggestive Themes but Mostly Fluff

Word Count: 2687

Series List | Chapter 46 | Chapter 48

================================

I stirred from my sleep to the sound of movement outside of the door and light whispering, looking to my right I see the bedside clock read 7.00am, the boys must just be getting up. I reach over to turn the alarm off so it won't go off in a few minutes time, and wiggle my way out from beneath Wanda putting a pillow in my place so she doesn't wake up. I make my way towards the door stopping my movements when I hear Wanda moving about, looking over my shoulder I see her wrapping her arms around the pillow and pulling it closer to her body. I open the door slowly, trying to stop it from creaking, stepping out of the room before shutting it again. 

I make my way into the kitchen and am met by two very tired looking teenage boys, I smile at the site as I put a pot of coffee on. I grab a pan from the cupboard, placing it on the hob, also grabbing out the pancake mix and holding it up in silent question to the boys. They nod their heads at me, taking a seat at the table while they wait for me to cook them breakfast. I try to be as quiet as I can when moving around the kitchen, so as to not wake Wanda. Once I've started heating up the pancake mix I put it on a low heat so I can make some drinks without burning the apartment down.

"What would you boys like to drink?" I ask as I pour myself a black coffee knowing I'm going to need to be awake today.

"I will just have orange juice please Y/n." Tommy asks, lifting his head to look up at me instead of his phone.

"Same for me please." Billy continues to surf through his phone as I pour them out a glass each and place them on the coasters in front of them, receiving a thank you from boys. 

I head back to check on the pancake, not showing off, I flip it normally to see it is the perfect amount of cooked on that one side, so I put it back on the hob so the other side can cook too. We love an evenly cooked pancake. Once I hear it sizzling a bit, I flip it back over to check if it's cooked and when I decide it is, I transfer the pancake to a plate and put more pancake mix in the pan. I grab the plate, taking it to the table, placing it in front of Billy who immediately shuts off his phone and looks up at me with a smile.

"Thank you Y/n." 

"No problem Billy. Do you want any syrups or sauces, or just anything else with it?" Not knowing how he likes his pancakes like I know how Wanda likes them.

"Just plain syrup for me please." 

I nod, making my way back into the kitchen flipping over the pancake in the pan before grabbing the syrup from the cupboard and moving to place it on the table. I grab my coffee and put it on one of the coasters for where I am going to sit, heading back into the kitchen to plate up Tommy's pancake for him.

"Anything else you want with it?"

"I'm good with just syrup. Thank you, this smells delicious."

"No problem. You two eat up, and just leave the dishes in the sink. I will do them once I've finished eating." I head back into the kitchen to make my own pancake, while the boys eat theirs. There is enough pancake mix to make Wanda one when she wakes up, so I cover it over to make sure nothing can get in it. As I'm flipping my pancake over Billy enters the kitchen putting his dishes in the sink, turning to look at me.

"Thank you for the pancake Y/n, it was really good." 

"It's no problem at all Billy." He makes his way out of the kitchen and down the hallway to get himself ready for school.

By the time I have made my pancake Tommy has finished his food, but stays sat at the table as he waits for me to join. I sit down taking a sip of my coffee enjoying the strong taste of it this early in the morning. I notice Tommy slowly sipping at his orange juice, as I start to eat so before I take a bite I turn to look at him.

"You don't have to wait for me to finish eating to leave the table if you want to go get yourself ready, I don't mind eating alone." 

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure go get yourself ready, you have about half an hour before Gabe comes to collect you."

"Thank you for the breakfast, and the drink Y/n. I hope you stay around more often. This is nice."

"I have to agree with you there. But don't you dare do the dishes, go get ready and relax a little before you have to go to school." He nods as he stands from the table, dumping his stuff in the sink as he passes through the kitchen and I watch as he walks down the hallway. 

I eat my pancakes in silence enjoying the tranquility of the morning and the peacefulness around me, making sure that once I've finished I wash and dry the dishes. As I am putting away the last plate the twins reappear with their bags on their backs, placing them on the floor as they grab a tupperware box each from the cupboard. They sift around the kitchen making their own lunches. Billy opts for a plain ham and cheese sandwich, salt and vinegar chips, a bar of chocolate and an apple. Tommy goes for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ready salted chips, a bar of chocolate and a banana. They also both grab some strawberries, putting them in a small box each before putting it all in their bags. I look at the time and realise they will be going soon.

"Do you want to go see if your mom is awake to say goodbye?" Both boys walk back down the hallway, I hear Wanda's bedroom door opening after they knock. I can hear a small groan from the sleeping woman but as the boys say they are off to school she seems to find energy from nowhere.

"Oh gosh. I didn't realise the time. Did you have breakfast? Have you packed your lunch?" I hear her voice travel out of the room as the boys laugh a little.

"Yes mama. Y/n made us breakfast, and we packed our own lunch. Don't worry we have fruit in there somewhere." Wanda let's out a sigh as she says bye to the boys. They make their way back into the kitchen where Tommy hugs me bye while Billy simply waves, as they grab their bags and head out the door of the apartment. 

"Baby." Wanda's voice calls out to me as soon as she hears the door closed, so I make my way to her door and lean against the doorway.

"Yes princess?" 

"Cuddle?" She moves her hands above the sheets and makes grabby hands towards me, I roll my eyes but happily oblige as I make my way towards her. 

Her arms open up wider as I get closer and I open mine up too. I fall towards her and she squeaks, closing her eyes and turning her head fully prepared for me to land on top of her, but I catch myself by placing my hands next to her head. She opens up her right eye to look up at me, when she sees me smiling down at her she turns her head and opens her other eye a smile growing on her face.

"Hi baby." Her voice is quiet as she whispers between us.

"Hi princess." I reply in the same tone. I let my arms slip to either side of her body colliding gently with Wanda's and her arms immediately wrap around my torso. My legs are dangling off the bed, my head in the crook of her and I can feel her lips against my left temple leaving small kisses. I turn my head in time with her kisses so our lips connect, in a slow kiss our lips dancing together for a few seconds.

"Mmm, you taste like pancakes." I smile at her and kiss her again and she hums against my lips, before I pull away and she gives me that fuzzy look that I absolutely love to see.

"Well I did make pancakes for me and the boys, there is enough mix left for you to have one." I peck her nose making it scrunch. "So my beautiful princess. Would you like pancakes and coffee?" 

"Mhmm, yes please." She replies but makes no move to let go of me and I raise my eyebrows at her, her face the picture of innocence.

"You're going to have to let me go if you want pancakes?" 

"No I don't." She holds me tighter and I huff out a laugh.

"I think you do."

"Nope. Carry me...please?" Her big doe eyes searching mine.

"Of course. Anything for you princess."

Wanda finally let's go of me, shuffling to the edge of the bed as I stand up her arms up in the air as she makes grabby hands once again. I roll my eyes as I bend down to her height wrapping my arms around her body as hers wrap around my neck and her legs around my waist. I hoist us both up, making my way out of the room and into the kitchen. Once I'm in the kitchen I place her on the counter, getting out of her grip as her arms flail to try and stop me; a pout forming on her lips. I simply turn around so my back is facing her, backing up till I hit the counter and pull her arms around my neck and shoulders so her hands are resting on my chest. She gets the message and wraps her arms around my waist, placing her chin on my shoulder as I give her a piggyback ride around the kitchen.

She stays on my back the whole time I am making her coffee and pancake, every now and again leaving a small kiss on my neck, shoulders or side of my face. Everytime I smile and turn my head to kiss her cheek as it's as far as I can reach without her moving or leaning forward. I decide it's probably not the best to do my pancake flip trick with her on my back, so flip it normally like I did for the other pancakes and hear a disappointed groan from Wanda.

"You really wanted me to try and flip that pancake with you on my back." She simply shrugs her shoulders and plants another kiss on the side of my face. "You okay back there Cuddle bug?" I feel Wanda smile against the skin on my neck.

"Cuddle bug? That's new." I hum in response as I place the pan back on the heat to continue cooking the pancake. 

"Well that's what you are isn't it? My little Cuddle bug." Wanda's arms and legs squeeze me gently, as she nods against my neck. 

"I like it. Just didn't think I would hear any other pet name other than princess, not that I mind princess." She takes a moment  to herself before continuing. "Is there a reason you don't really like using pet names?" 

I take a moment to think, which Wanda allows as my brain goes through the few relationships I have had. Wanda is princess and now Cuddle bug. Steph was always just Steph because her full name was Stephanie so Steph is a pet name in itself….Well not really but I don't care that's what I called her. Then I think of Sarah and how I used to call her so many different pet names, and our daughter had a few pet names of her own.

"I think maybe because I used to call Sarah so many different ones that I struggled to think of anything that didn't relate back to her." Wanda kisses my shoulder letting me continue. "But I don't think I ever used Princess or Cuddle bug for her, so you get the honour of being the person I use them on."

"Well I'm honoured. What sort of pet names should I not call you? I mean what did Sarah call you? You know so I know to avoid saying them." I shrug my shoulders not being able to think of any.

"She didn't really. Sarah was a very straightforward type of girl, everything was black or white for her no two ways about anything. I think she would call me honey every now and again, but not enough times for me to class it as a pet name. I never really found it odd; it was just normal for us. So you can call me whatever you want to, it shouldn't affect me." 

I plate up Wanda's pancake, pour her and I a cup of coffee this time adding milk to mine and grab the plate in one hand and the two mugs in my other. I place them down on the table, crouching down till I feel Wanda's bum land on the chair stopping me from moving further. She unwraps her arms and legs, settling in her chair more and I sit in the chair next to her but angle it so I am directly facing her as I am not eating, just drinking. Wanda hums in approval at the first bite of pancake she takes.

"Delicious as always, baby." A smile into my coffee as my eyes look at her above the rim of the mug.

"I try my best." I take a sip of my coffee. "So what do you want to do after this?" 

"I can think of a few things." She bites her bottom lip, before eating another bite of her pancake.

"Oh yeah?" I raise a single eyebrow at her. "What do you have in mind bug?"

"Me, you and the bed." 

"Very forward. I like a woman who knows what she wants." 

"Good thing you love me then."

"I guess it is." Wanda opens her mouth to speak again but decides against it, going all shy on me as she stuffs another bit of pancake in her mouth as a small blush grows on her cheeks. "What's got you all shy bug?" 

"I'm really liking the new name and it's, uh, nothing, don't worry." She quickly takes another bite of her food.

"Princess, you have nothing to be shy about, you know that. So what is it you want to ask?" I sit patiently as she thinks it over.

"I want to try something." I wave for her to go on. "In the bedroom."

"What sort of thing princess?" Her blush grows even more. "I'm open to try new things, you just have to let me know what it is." 

"Could you maybe, uh, tie me up?" 

"Just your hands, or your hands and legs?" 

"Just my hands for now."

"Of course we can try that, but you promise to let me know if at any point you are uncomfortable." She nods her head.

"I promise."

"Okay. Well finish your food, and we can watch some TV so that we don't start when you've only just eaten. Have you got anything that I can use on your hands?" 

"I have a scarf or maybe one of the belts from my draws, I don't really have any handcuffs." 

"Well we can start with the scarf, so it doesn't hurt you at all and then go from there. Is that okay with you?"

"That's okay with me. Thank you baby for always listening and caring."

"Always. I have to look after my little Cuddle bug."

================================

[anditvanisheslikemist]

Hi!! I'd love to see any combo/one of these for Josh or Ian 😊 38, 50, 67

These are the prompts in case you haven't seen them

Thanks for the prompts! 💙💚

38. “Just let me take care of you why are you so stubborn.” 50. “You sneezed ten times today.” “Thanks for counting.” 67. Having to be dragged back to bed.

I'm taking the dialogue prompts in particular as inspiration rather than exact quotes!

For anyone who doesn't know, my OCs Josh and Ian are best friends and 2/5 of the band The World Above. Their story starts with Sympathy, but you don't need to read that first (it's pretty long). As of this little fic, they're halfway across the country from each other, Josh in Chicago and Ian in L.A.

Also on AO3.

- - - - -

"Why are you even awake? It's so early there."

Ian turns a full circle as he's looking for something, the video blurring enough to make Josh dizzy. "Because! Shit to do." He blinks, and his nose scrunches, and he leans out of frame with a quick heh-SHHHoo!

"At—" he glances at the microwave clock and subtracts two hours— "8:46 a.m.?"

"That's not early." He sniffs and rubs the back of his hand under his nose, still distracted.

"Not to the rest of the world, no." He scratches Finley between the ears and leans back into the sofa. "What are you looking for?"

"Hmm." It doesn't quite come out right, like his nose is too blocked to let the sound through. "I… heh!-ngt-TCHiu!"

"Bless you. You don't remember, do you?"

Ian's slower to recover this time. "I remember." He coughs and wipes his nose on his sleeve. "Or. I will remember." He thinks for another moment. "Eventually."

One of Ian's many roommates walks through the back of the video. …Jayson. Yes. It's a big house with a lot of turnover, all musicians and artists working server jobs and the like to make ends meet in L.A., but he's been around long enough that he was there when Josh went out to visit last fall.

Ian's coughing again, and this time when he fumbles around for something out of frame he comes up with a handful of tissues, and sets the phone down to blow his nose, which just makes him sneeze again. Twice.

"That doesn't sound good," Josh says when Ian picks the phone back up.

Ian shakes his head dismissively. "I'm fine."

"Dude," Jayson says from the background. "You've sneezed like ten times already, and I only got up fifteen minutes ago."

Ian flips him off. Jayson shrugs and goes back to his coffee and his book.

Back to Josh: "Don't look at me like that."

Josh sighs. "You know what I'm going to say."

"That I've got shit to do and the start of a cold is not enough to stop me?"

At least he admits it. "That it's a Sunday morning with no obligations and you should go back to bed."

"Do you want to see my to-do list?" His voice is starting to sound strained.

"I wouldn't be able to read it." Ian had, at some point, figured out a system that worked for him. And only him.

"It says I have three sponsored posts to do and half a dozen venues to contact." Ian's been able to parlay his low-level fame into social media deals and solo shows and appearances with other people's bands, and there's a little bit of streaming revenue coming in from their World Above stuff. But only a little bit.

"Four," Jayson says without looking up from his book. "Sponsored posts."

"Oh, shit, you're right." Ian scrubs at his forehead. He's still in go-go-go mode, but he's fading, about to crash, his tan skin washing out before Josh's eyes except for where his nose is starting to be rubbed raw.

"And that all has to happen today?" God, he hopes not.

"Well, no. h'TCHIU!" He sniffs and reaches for more tissues. "Not technically."

"Bless you. So it can wait a couple of days?"

Ian shrugs, not meeting his eyes, which in this case is a yes.

"So you should go back to bed."

Ian grumbles unintelligibly. Finley noses his way toward the phone to see what's going on, and Josh has to stop him from licking the screen.

"I don't think your sponsors want someone clearly sick doing their ad reads," he tries.

"Fuck you, I always look good."

Josh rolls his eyes. "You can post reels or whatever from your sickbed. Get plenty of sympathy likes."

"Hey, some people think that's hot." Because Jayson is fully a part of this conversation now, apparently.

Ian's resolve is starting to waver, but he shakes his head firmly. "I can do it."

God, this would be so much easier if he was there. "Ian, I say this with love, stop being so fucking stubborn and just go the fuck back to bed. You need it."

Ian tries to protest some more but just starts coughing instead, and by the time that's over all of his fight is gone. Jayson had gotten up at some point and filled a glass with water, and he hands it to Ian and steers him by the shoulders back toward the stairs.

"I got it, I got it," Ian mumbles, shaking off his hands, and starts slowly climbing the stairs.

"Thanks, Jayson," Josh says, relieved. He gets a salute in return, and then they're alone.

Ian's breathing heavily by time he gets to the top of the stairs, and his nose is running, and it almost looks like he's starting to shiver. He shuts his door behind him and curls up under the covers, eyes barely open.

"Josh?" A little shaky.

"Yeah."

"I don't feel good."

Gentle: "I know. I'm sorry. Do you want to take anything, or just go to sleep?"

Ian nods, which Josh takes to mean the second option, but doesn't close his eyes.

"Here. Hang out with Finn for a while." He turns the phone around so Ian can see Finley lapping up water across the room, and then back to himself when Finn spots the invitation and pushes his way past the coffee table to nestle between Josh's legs, wagging his tail even though there's not really enough room and licking the screen before Josh can stop him.

"Puppy kisses," Ian says, hoarse and vague.

"Puppy kisses," Josh agrees, wiping the slobber from the screen. "Everything else can wait, okay?"

"Okay," Ian whispers.

Josh scratches Finn behind the ears and nods. "Everything else can wait."

[anneapocalypse]

I'm always fascinated to learn about other writers' processes, so I hope this isn't too many questions! 😅 3, 11, 41, 46, 49

(For this ask meme.)

3. Answered!

11. Are you partial to a certain character/pairing or are you more equal-opportunity? If you are partial to any character/pairing, why do you think that is?

I certainly have my faves and I think it's generally pretty obvious who they are! At the same time, I like to explore new things and consider myself open to persuasion. Especially for canons with very large casts, it would be hard to limit myself to a single favorite character or pairing.

41. Link a fic that made you think, “Wow, I want to write like that.”

Vincit qui se vincit by @zelroyo-blog. It's got such gorgeous world- and character-building (one of my very favorite Fallout couriers I've ever read about). When I read it I knew I wanted not only to write that well but to engage with the worlds I'm writing in on that level. Truly one of my biggest inspirations over the years (and Zel if ever you happen to see this, it's been a long time but I hope you're doing well).

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

I much prefer working on desktop or at least on my tablet for anything substantial, but the phone will do for jotting down short scenes, dialogue, ideas etc. that might come to me when I'm away from it. I can write more volume on my phone if it's all I've got, but if I'm in the middle of a larger project I just prefer to be able to see more of it at once. It's harder for what I'm writing to feel grounded in its larger context if I can't click around and see the context!

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

Right now I'm doing a little low-pressure challenge for myself that I'm calling 100 Word November, with the intention of getting myself back to writing regularly after a bad year. The goal is just to write at least 100 words per day, though most days I end up writing more, and it's been a lot of fun. It's all little snippets about my FFXIV character Ariane (and in particular it's a lot of Ariane/Urianger Shadowbringers-era stuff). Very unstructured and nothing set in stone, as I really don't plan on finishing or finalizing anything until I've reached endgame.

Here's a snippet from today! Mildly spoilery for Shadowbringers.

"’Tis fascinating the myriad ways in which the fae distinguisheth—” Urianger paused, giving her a sheepish smile. “Forgive me. Many a time hath Thancred admonished me for talking his ear off, as it were.” “Urianger,” Ariane said very seriously, “this is important, so listen carefully.” She wrapped both hands around her teacup, and leaned slightly forward, and he listened with all earnestness. “I want to hear everything about the fae. Everything. Should you ever doubt my desire to hear about something, you may ask me, ‘Ariane, would you like to hear about the intricacies of the customs of the fair folk?’ that I may assure you, my dear friend, that I do in fact want to hear all about it.” Urianger’s countenance positively glowed. “Thou art altogether too kind to me, my friend.”

[kharonion]

46 for the kiss prompts for Vikt *evil cackle*

😈 spots to kiss prompts | oc list

A kiss on the ‘v’. — VIKT/KERRY

There’s a harsh groan the moment the mattress moves, and Kerry snickers. This is one of his favorite things, the rare opportunity to wake Vikt up. And, of course, he’s got to be a little shit about it. Especially during these mornings where he wakes riled up beyond fuckin’ belief. Always happens after a rambunctious night; hell, Kerry’s shoulders still sting from the assault of Vikt’s teeth, his thighs still quivering. 

He gives himself a moment to just… gaze at the man sprawled on the bed with him. And it really doesn’t help his case. At all. Because that gorgeous, glowing bronze skin is decorated with deep purples and scratches of reds that only remind him further. Only wearing those maroon silk boxers that excite him to no end, that are riding so low it’s fuckin’ criminal.

Part of him feels guilty doing this. Vikt’s mouth is ajar, enough for his rhythmic, gravelly snores to roll out, a slow drib of drool anchored at the corner of his lips. The man is slumbering peacefully, only jostling when Kerry makes sudden movements.

But, that doesn’t stop him. Never does. Because Kerry knows that Vikt will quickly forgive such a sin as this.

Kerry’s fingertips are ghosts, their feathery touch leaving prickles behind. They trace every curve of muscle—the swell of his chest, the solid cage of his ribs. Where Vikt once groaned in sleepy annoyance, he’s now moaning, still groggy and snoozing as he wriggles under the assault. Kerry smiles. 

He’s been following the trail of his hands, so his hot breath cascades down Vikt’s body. He only stops when he reaches the jut of powerful hips. Daringly, his fingers knead the suppleness there, light enough as to not wake him just yet. All Kerry thinks about in that very moment is the night before, sandwiched tight between the bed and the mass of muscle laid before him now, completely succumbing to the firm snaps of these damn hips. 

He leans in. Kisses along the dots of freckles at Vikt’s pelvis—one side, then the other. His breaths are starting to heave in anticipation. Against his collar, the rock-hard bulge tenting Vikt’s boxers pokes him. Insisting, demanding. The moans are getting louder, turning desperate, with more life to them.

But, for now, Kerry ignores it. His lips assert themselves, the graze of his teeth drawing constellations. He’s so languidly venturing further down, only stopped by a silk waistband—though not for long. 

He growls, buries his face into the dark curls framing the cock that begs for his attention. By now, there’s no way Vikt is still unconscious to the world, a point quickly proven by the lackadaisical hand that finds its way into Kerry’s messy hair. It tugs, though lazily. 

“... m’rning, amor.” 

So fuckin’ cute how his rugged voice drawls with sleep. Thick with arousal on top of it, it’s goddamn intoxicating.

Kerry snickers. Continues kissing all along that toned pelvis. Fuck it. He starts rolling his wet, hot tongue along that ‘v’ of defined muscle, his fingers anchored firm into the meat of Vikt’s thighs. “It’s afternoon,” he purrs against scorching skin. “Wakey, wakey.”

“Sure…” Vikt rumbles; Kerry catches the little smile in the sound. “Long as… you don’t stop.”

With a deep hum that he knows Vikt can feel, Kerry dips lower again. Lips brush the throbbing base of Vikt’s dick, earning a quick jerk that acts as inadvertent permission. Kerry is sloppy about it, but he provides the solace his pretty boy seeks, all with a smirk. Good thing Vikt has nothing in his schedule today…

[saiilorstars]

Dare To Forget Me

Ch. 46: Casual Interlude

Previous chapters // Montserrat’s masterlist

Fandom: SVU // Pairing: Rafael Barba x OC

Warnings: Due to the nature of the series’ plots, I do have to rate this as ‘mature’ for constant mentions of rape.

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​ @arrthurpendragon​ @anotherunreadblog​ @maaaaarveeeeel​ @stareyedplanet​ @averyhotchner​ @abzidabzy​ @hellofutur​ @foxesandmagic​ 

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

Montserrat couldn't think of a better way to wake up today. She was on such a comfortable bed under the softest blanket and with the best man she'd ever known. Sure someone might say that she was exaggerating, but she really wasn't. She gave the softest yawn and shifted on the bed to face Rafael who was responsible for her comfortable wake. To her surprise, he was already awake.

"You really aren't a morning person, huh?" Rafael was struggling not to laugh at her. He'd been awake for a while and somehow Montserrat continued to sleep right through the morning. He didn't complain, though. He'd gotten to watch her sleep and even hold her when she wasn't shifting around. He discovered that she shifted a lot. It was amusing.

Montserrat's face went flat, a new record time since she'd woken up only minutes ago. She waved him off with a lazy hand. "I hate mornings." Her curls fell over her face.

"And here I thought maybe today's morning would be a little more pleasant," Rafael reached over to take apart the curtain of hair over her face.

"Why would you be stupid enough to think that?" She muttered and purposely buried her face into her pillow.

"Oh, so you're rude in the mornings too?"

"Shut up."

Rafael had to laugh. It was probably the first time he ever laughed that early in the day. Things were usually quiet at home but today was different. He wasn't alone today. "Montserrat, you can't go back to sleep anymore," he snaked an arm over her waist and yanked her towards him. His heart skipped a beat when she was right next to him, dressed in an old shirt of his, head tilting up to face his. It was a sight he could never forget, and he wouldn't dare to.

"Watch me," she groaned with the challenge. She tried hiding her face against his chest.

He laughed again. "How do you ever wake up for work?"

"With three alarm clocks."

"Three!?"

"Keep laughing and I will be smacking you."

"You're incredibly amusing," he dropped a kiss to her messy hair. "And a shifty sleeper," he added in a low voice.

She peeked from under her hair, one eye open and the other closed. "You noticed?"

"Just a bit…"

Both her eyes opened when she scrunched her face. "Sorry. I've had some exes comment on that. Apparently, it's something I needed to work on."

"Not in my home you don't," he assured her. "It means I get to hold you even tighter now."

It was her turn to laugh then. "Aw, and you're cliche in the mornings!"

"Don't ruin it, Montserrat." But it just made her laugh even more when she felt his arms around her tighten their grip. "It's been such a good morning."

"Oh, I know," she sighed contently. "I don't think I've slept this nicely since...last year." She met his gaze with a lazy type of smile. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome here anytime," he promised.

"I have some conditions…"

Rafael deadpanned her. She simply couldn't resist sometimes, could she? He ducked his head to steal a kiss from her. "We'll have to discuss them," he said afterwards.

"I'm prepared to make my argument but watch out..." she let her fingers tap against his chest, "I might just leave you without a job."

"I might be a little nervous. Your mouth can go for hours." Montserrat rolled her eyes. He always had to have the last word. "Let's get some breakfast or you won't be able to put up much of an argument. Yeah right!"

That was the last straw. Montserrat shoved him away from her while he broke into a fit of laughter. "I seriously hate you!" She huffed and got up from bed, smoothing out his old shirt around her body.

"I seriously doubt that's always the sentiment." Rafael shot her a smirk when he managed to claim some seriousness, and it only happened because of her current appearance. If he was once enthralled by the sight of her legs, now he was completely enamored. Today he was awarded with a clear view of them accompanied by her morning state. Untamed curls hung loosely over her shoulders and part of her face and the simple casualty in her movements. She didn't look the least bit uncomfortable, not even if she was trying to hide it. She was at her most natural and he loved it.

Montserrat soon caught onto his stare and blushed. It was odd to say she hadn't been self-conscious about her lack of clothing or the fact that she was wearing his shirt as a dress. She never thought she would get to this point in her life again. "So...breakfast?"

"I thought you hated me…"

"Shut up!"

Rafael rolled his eyes at her, setting aside the argument for another time. He was midway across the room when they both heard a knock. They didn't move until they heard it again.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Montserrat cast a nervous look at the closed bedroom door as if the mysterious knocker would somehow make their way into the apartment and into the room.

"No…" Rafael was racking his head for any forgotten memo that he would be having someone over. "I don't...I don't think so…"

"Well, they keep knocking so go answer it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Rafael mumbled on his way out.

Montserrat thought it would be wise to put on some actual clothes while he attended to the door. She discarded his shirt and slipped her dress on again then hurried to the closest mirror to fix her hair. Without a brush, it was even more challenging.

Meanwhile, Rafael had gone to get the door as quickly as possible since the knocking had been relentless. Who could be in such a hurry to—

"Finally! Aren't you usually awake by this hour!?" Rafael was left dumbfounded at the door when his mother strolled into the apartment. Lucia was on a mission and he was about to find out what it was. "Your grandmother is driving me insane! I'm trying to make do but I can't keep it up for longer. We need to have a serious discussion about her and her living situation."

Rafael could barely blink at the moment. His hand just barely found the door to push shut. "Ma…"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lucia then started to notice the state of the living room. There were half eaten desserts and a nearly empty scotch bottle on the table. "¿Pero qué es esto? What is this?" Her eyes flickered once to the hallway before asking. "Is there someone here?"

That pulled Rafael out of his trance. "What? No! Of course not!"

"So then was there someone here last night?"

"No—Mami, what did you need?" Rafael was quick to get into business mode. He needed to be smart about it because if he was right - and usually he was - then Montserrat was freaking out in his bedroom. On some level, it was actually hilarious but he would never be stupid enough to say that to her face.

But he was right.

Montserrat has heard perfectly from the bedroom. Instead of hiding or something, she pressed her ear to the door. You're being nosy! She really was but she was also curious to know more about Rafael's mother. It was nitty gritty things but things she wanted to learn about nonetheless. Was her voice like her son's? Was her attitude where Rafael got his from? Get closer! If she was brave enough she might even crack the door open a bit.

With the question that Rafael asked, Lucia forgot all about the mess in the living room. "It's your grandmother!"

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, well...the apartment, it's not working for her anymore. She can barely walk the steps."

"Right," Rafael nodded. This wasn't the first time his mother mentioned something about his grandmother having trouble at home. He'd just been so busy lately. "I-I'll come around later in the week to talk about it."

"Are you busy right now? Cleaning?" Lucia made a gesture towards the coffee table. "Because I did not teach you to live like this!"

Rafael rolled his eyes. If Montserrat was listening, then she was laughing for sure. "Sí, I have a lot of work to do today but I promise I'll stop by later in the week."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Lucia headed for the door but stopped in front of her son. "But seriously, what is this mess?"

Rafael fought the urge to roll his eyes again. If he did so, it would keep her around and that's not what he wanted right now. "I will get to it, I promise."

"Espero que si," Lucia's pointed look made it incredibly hard for Rafael to stay still. "Your grandmother would be appalled."

"Ya sé!" Rafael reached for the door to open it. "Bye!"

"We'll talk," Lucia said as a warning. She gave him a quick hug and kiss then left.

Rafael barely had the time to breathe afterwards before Montserrat emerged from the hallway. "Oh my God, that would've been terrible!" She came up to him in a sprint, throwing her arms around him. "Imagine if she would've caught us?"

Rafael hugged her tighter, but she felt the rumble of laughter under his chest. "You make us sound like teenagers."

"You ever did something like that?" She tilted her head up at him, leaving her chin to rest against his chest.

"Absolutely not! What about you?" Montserrat didn't answer and instead pulled away from him, leaving Rafael quite stunned. "Montserrat, you didn't!"

The woman spun around with a wide smile, a proud one too. "Nothing like that but I did do some sneaking around. I liked the thrill."

"Was this thrill good enough for you, then?"

Montserrat brought her hand to her chest, still feeling the lingering hammering of her heartbeats. "Honestly, she sounds kind of scary. I'm assuming this is where you get it from. I would've died if she found us right here. That's not how I want to meet her."

"Yeah, me neither," Rafael shrugged. "We can make different plans for that later."

"She did sound upset, though," Montserrat started going around the coffee table collecting the leftovers they'd left last night. "Is everything alright?"

Rafael had to shrug again. He walked over to help her put the trash into the bag. "She said something about my grandmother. I'm assuming it's getting difficult for her to keep living where she is right now."

"Maybe you should've let your mother stay and I should've left," Montserrat gave him a look, a rather guilty one too.

"No, no, I'll go see them later in the week. Today is our day off, after all." Montserrat's lips curled into a warm smile. He took the bag from her hand and set it on the table. His arms slid around her waist before gently tugging her to him. "We still have breakfast to make too."

"I know but I don't want you to get into problems with your mother."

"I won't," he gave her a kiss on the lips. "Breakfast?"

She saw no point in wasting breath with the smart mouth ADA she has for a boyfriend. "I'm in the mood for a yogurt parfait."

"I like it," he turned her around, moving his hands to rest on her hips. Together they swayed their way into the kitchen.

"You have enough fruit around? Yogurt?"

"Are you saying my fridge is empty?"

"I'm saying I'm going to start grocery shopping for you and leave some of my favorites in here...if that's alright…"

"I would honestly love nothing more than that."

Montserrat turned around and set her hands over his arms. Her lips were struggling not to smile so blatantly but all that morning it seemed like an impossible thing to hold back. "You mean that?"

"Of course," Rafael nodded at her. He grazed her cheek with his knuckles. "You can bring anything here."

"Would that include...you know...clothes? Pajamas, extra changes…" Montserrat felt an insane heat rush up to her face. It was childish yet she couldn't find one piece of her that hated it. She hadn't felt this good in a long, long time.

"What, you didn't like wearing my shirt?" The smirk that crossed Rafael's face quenched some of her nerves. "Because I sure did."

"Nice try," she patted his cheek. "But I really would like to bring some things over if that's okay with you. I really liked spending the night over, consciously you know. The last time it happened I fell asleep on your couch and I woke up alone on your bed. I was just in a bad place too, thinking of...everything."

"That'll never happen again," he promised with a kiss on her lips.

Montserrat wanted to smile but there was one thing holding her back and she knew that if she didn't get it off her chest, none of their sweet words to each other would mean anything if she was lying. "Raf, there's um...there's one more thing I need to tell you."

"About?" He noticed the quick way her features fell with nerves.

"It's just that we're being honest and I probably should've told you this yesterday but I-"

"You're rambling, dear…"

"Yes, I am. Um, you said you-you looked into my case… and I know that took a lot of courage to tell me because you knew how I would react so now I have to tell you something about that case. It's a new detail that came up a whole ago."

"What?" The first thing that popped into Rafael's mind was that somehow that scumbag met with her. scumbag had found a way to meet with her. "What happened?"

Montserrat could feel him tense under her hands. For a second she debated whether this was a good idea or not. You'll feel worse if it comes up later and you didn't tell him. That was right. She didn't want to risk another argument with him and much less over the likes of Daniel. "Remember that sniper that killed Angel?"

"Yeah, there were no leads on who was behind it…" Rafael watched her slowly, hoping to reach the conclusion before she would tell him.

"I know who it was - or rather I'm pretty sure I know who it was," Montserrat's voice had fallen a couple notches. "I think...I think Daniel made the order." Because if she was thinking logically, she knew that Daniel would never risk showing his face for something that could easily be done for him and still carry the same weight if he'd been the one to pull the trigger.

"What? Why would you think that?"

"Because little Tino told me that he - Daniel - took over D'Amico's drug empire and he runs that while Tino's boss works the girls in the city. He made a rule…" Montserrat's face scrunched in disgust. The next words she needed to say became a true struggle, "'No one hurts the pretty Slovakian detective named Novak or they answer to him.' He's out there and in his twisted mind, he's protecting me."

The cogs were already working in Rafael's mind. His stomach churned with the same disgust. "So when the drive-by shooting happened…"

"Daniel gave the order to shoot Angel in retaliation."

There were so many things Rafael felt in that moment that he couldn't decide which one was heavier. After what that man did to Montserrat, he had the audacity to want to 'protect her'? In a few seconds, the rage started up and pushed all the other feelings away. "Montserrat, we have to do something," he said quietly.

Montserrat would be a fool not to see the quiet anger that was bubbling inside him. "No, no—"

"Yes! That man's still out there and he thinks he has a claim over you—"

"It wouldn't matter! He's not coming after me—"

"That doesn't matter!" Rafael's voice had risen enough to silence Montserrat. "He's out there, thinking that he has some claim to you! And more than that, he's watching you. From wherever the hell he is, he's watching you! I don't like that and I know that you sure don't either. We need to do something, please." More than his anger, he was afraid of what could happen to her if Daniel got brave again. He didn't want anything to happen to her, not when they could stop it.

But Montserrat didn't see it that way. She couldn't fathom opening up any case against that man that would eventually lead to her seeing him again. "I can't—"

"Montserrat, please—"

"Don't make me, please," Montserrat screwed her eyes shut, actually whimpering as a few tears rolled down her face.

It was what made Rafael stop on the spot. Right now, he was hurting her. He couldn't do that to her no matter what he thought. She just wasn't ready to face the man. He needed to respect that. "Okay," he backed down.

Montserrat didn't hear him the first time around. She shook her head. "Please, I don't want…"

"Shh," Rafael cleared the tears off her face. "It's okay, I won't...you don't have to." She slowly opened her eyes slowly, initially doubting that he'd give up so easily. "We can go when you're ready, but please promise me that you'll tell me if something else happens with this. Promise me that, Montserrat." He met her gaze seriously. This was the one thing he needed her to do for him and she knew it.

She gave a small nod of her head. "I promise," she whispered. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Relief came to her as soon he wrapped his arms around her body, holding her as tightly as possible. "Thank you…" She felt like a broken record using the same words over and over but there was nothing else to say.

Rafael understood the heavy meaning of those words each time she said them. He pulled away slightly and cupped her face gently. "You don't have to say anything, Montserrat. I want you to know, to understand, that I will always be here to protect you." His hands tilted her head slightly to meet her eyes. A warm smile came to Montserrat's lips as he kept going on, like she didn't already know the facts. "I may not be a cop, I may not carry a gun, but I will protect you. I always will." He knew it in his gut that he would do anything to see it through. It should've been alarming that he was up and ready to give himself up like that, but it was actually the opposite. It felt right. It was what he wanted. And seeing Montserrat's smile grow wider made it all feel even more right.

"You don't have to carry any weapon to protect me," she whispered, her tears brimming in her eyes. "I know that if the moment ever called for it, you'd be my hero."

A light chuckle slipped through Rafael's lips. "Well, I don't know about that…"

"Yes, you would be," Montserrat nodded at him. A few seconds of silence passed by as they stared at each other. "You've been there with me for a long time now...let's forget about the yogurt parfait. Let me make something for you."

A bemused expression settled on Rafael's face. "Really?"

"Yup, nothing Slovakian of course because I need my special ingredients but...something delicious I promise."

"Are you sure? Because I could easily help out—"

"Nope! I want to do it this time. You made dinner, breakfast is all mine!"

"Alright then," he agreed mostly because he was curious to see how well Montserrat's cooking skills were, though he was pretty bummed that it wouldn't be anything Slovakian. He was mighty curious to see what dishes her hands could cook up for him.

"Go sit," she instructed him. She moved to head for the fridge but he grabbed her tightly again and yanked her back. His lips met hers for a sweet, long kiss. She could get lost in it for hours, but their stomachs wouldn't let them. "Okay," she said breathlessly. "Point made."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm…"

"You know what? I think I'll follow you around just to make sure I see what you're doing is right…" Rafael didn't wait for her answer before turning her body around. She laughed when he slipped his arms under hers and moved them towards the fridge. For the moment, and perhaps the rest of the day, he didn't want to let her go for anything.

[turtletotem]

I posted 13,802 times in 2022

72 posts created (1%)

13,730 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@turtle-ly

@yayforawesome

@catradoratwtgoodies

@akasanata

@sometipsygnostalgic

I tagged 6,010 of my posts in 2022

#she ra - 1,804 posts

#the locked tomb - 1,420 posts

#nona the ninth spoilers - 379 posts

#captive prince - 210 posts

#gideon the ninth - 141 posts

#harrow the ninth - 135 posts

#❤️❤️❤️❤️ - 78 posts

#goncharov - 74 posts

#lmao - 65 posts

#the old guard - 46 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#dude i have noticed that you tend to see catra’s blue eye when she’s being nice to adora and her yellow eye when she’s being mean

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Catradora 32!

There was a time when the sight of Catra tearing across a field toward her, as fast as her agile body would go, was terrifying—exhilirating, too, even then, but definitely terrifying. It wasn't even that long ago, though so much had happened in that time that it felt like years.

Nowadays, it just meant that Adora was about to get deeply, joyfully, comprehensively kissed.

They'd been separated overnight, which was rare, but She-Ra was suddenly needed in Plumeria and Catra was up to her ears in an irrigation project in Salineas—just the sort of tangle she had proven to be especially good at. It was far into the morning before Adora had a chance to beg Glimmer to transport her back to Salineas.

She had come in She-Ra form, dirt and scratches and all, for exactly this reason—she knew Catra was going to throw herself at Adora like a missile. And she did, throwing her shovel down and cutting her own annoyed-sounding instructions to a Salinean off mid-sentence.

Adora caught her and spun, laughing, then lost her balance and hit the dirt on her back, her "oof!" muffled by Catra's mouth. On the ground under Catra's weight, Adora let She-Ra melt away, and wrapped her own comparatively smaller arms around Catra as tight as she could.

Only after a long minute of greedy, relentless kissing, in which Adora gave as good as she got, did they come up for air.

"Hey, Adora," Catra purred, propped up above her. Muddy and mussed and haloed by sunlight, she was maybe the most beautiful thing Adora had ever seen.

"Hey, Catra," Adora said, sitting up and gathering Catra into her lap. "Miss me?"

"Pfft, as if," Catra said, and leaned in for another kiss, this one soft and lingering. Adora thought she might melt into a puddle.

"Now get up," Catra said, suddenly brisk as she got to her feet and pulled Adora up after her. "We've got ditches to dig."

Adora groaned and followed, lacing their fingers together as they walked.

100 notes - Posted July 26, 2022

#4

Griddlehark snippet

Yes, my brain insisted on writing this today instead of ANY of the prompts in my inbox. -_- This is set in some hypothetical future where everyone is alive and back in their own bodies.

.

“You don’t sleep in the cavalier bed?” Palamedes asked, raising an eyebrow at the undisturbed covers of the little cot at the foot of the bed.

Gideon snorted, not looking up from sharpening her sword. “I would rather die—again—than sleep at Harrowhark Nonagesimus’ feet like a dog.”

Palamedes glanced around and saw no sign of any other pallet or bed. “Then where do you sleep?”

Gideon chuckled and raised her voice, yelling into the other room. “Hey Harrow, where do I sleep?”

“Usually on top of me, crushing my frail, helpless body like the brute you are!”

“This from the girl with an actual quota of cuddles I have to reach before she will let me out of the bed—"

“That was one time!”

“That was four times and counting, Reverend Daughter.”

A hissing noise from the other room. “Maybe tonight you’ll sleep on the floor.”

“It’ll be softer than your knife-like elbows and knees!”

“At least I don’t bring a literal sword to bed.”

“ANYMORE.”

“That is a low blow.”

“So blow me lower.”

“You’re disgusting, Nav.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

“I didn’t say anything last night— ”

“That’s right, your mouth was otherwise occupied.”

Harrow slammed the door shut between them.

“Does that answer your question?” Gideon said, smiling broadly.

“More than I ever wanted it to," Palamedes said dryly, "and a lot of other questions besides.”

111 notes - Posted July 28, 2022

#3

It's interesting, the nearly opposite views Harrow and Gideon have of Marshall Crux. To Gideon he is a bully and implacable enemy, a nasty, mean old man who literally delights in hurting her—emotionally, physically, whatever he has available.

But to Harrow he is a loyal retainer, one of only two or three people living who cares about her, and probably the ONLY person who actually HELPS her. He is her invaluable right hand and a true source of emotional support, someone who has been her literal nursemaid when she needed one.

And they're both right. Crux is both of these things, both of these people. Personally I hate his guts (and I imagine that people like, oh, Ortus and Glaurica and the shuttle pilot do too), but I can’t blame Harrow for having a very different view of him. He’s an entirely different person for her. Even if she knows what else he is, and she almost certainly does, how can she hate him when he’s been there for her so much more than anyone else?

348 notes - Posted August 21, 2022

#2

My dash did an amazing thing. @johannas-motivational-insults thank you for unwittingly playing a part in this

673 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

My friend is so close to being done with Gideon the Ninth and I’m losing my mind

1,058 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[quiklyz]

Are Gen Y and Gen Z the Leasing Generation?

Millennials and Gen Z are driving significant disruptions today. From moving beyond the 9-5 work culture to wanting to drive change and sustainability to seeking more options when it comes to transportation. So, what makes this demographic different? Is it the fact that they are digital-first natives and expect flexibility and mobility across all their transactions or more than that?

Let us first answer, who are millennials & the Generation Z? While there may be some debate between the actual birth years, anyone who is born between 1981 and 1997 can be tagged as a millennial. Many also refer to millennials as the ‘Gen Y’ generation or ‘digital’ natives. On the other hand, ‘Gen Z’ refers to anyone born between 1997 and 2015. The reason is primarily due to the year of birth or coming of age at the dawn of the 21st century. These ‘plugged in’ generations were the first people to be born in a digital world where technology is a part of everyday life. According to popular statistics, a typical millennial checks their smartphone at least 150 times a day; the oldest millennial had access to the internet since high school.

Interestingly, there has been a dramatic shift in culture and value for Gen Y and Gen Z generations. They have completely redefined relationships. The difference between the baby boomers and the Gen X generation is quite stark. Whether it is hanging out with friends online, getting married and having children by a certain age, planning retirement, or even buying a house or a vehicle, the traditional yardsticks simply do not apply to this group. Instead of concentrating on the ownership of assets, millennials today are more focused on achieving professional success and giving themselves the time to attain financial freedom.

The power of ownership is wavering on these digital natives. Home ownership among millennials in the United States fell to 34% in 2016, a record low in five decades. In 2020, the figure went up to 47.9%, which was still low. And young consumers, according to the U.S. auto industry is predisposed to leasing vehicles as opposed to owning them.

The scenario is not very different in India. Indian millennials and Gen Z are shying away from long term financial obligations that come with owning high value assets like a home or a vehicle. While convenience and connectivity are definite considerations, the need of the hour is flexibility. And owning assets such as homes and vehicles certainly do not contribute to reaching that objective.

The primary belief among these two generations is in the contemporary pattern of ‘pay as you go’. And leasing falls completely in line with that. At the end of the day, it simply comes down to a shorter commitment.

The 3 major trends that are influencing Gen Y and Gen Z towards leasing and subscription models today are gratification, commitment, and affordability.

A Stanford University study touted that delayed gratification is a significant precursor to success. In today’s on-demand world, the term ‘delayed’ is subjective. Millennials and Gen Z, on the other hand, are people who seek instant gratification that can be easily attained through leasing and subscription models and with much less financial planning.

Gen Y and Gen Z today are more interested in spending their hard-earned money on experiences rather than investing in ownership of assets. Only about 30% of millennials live with a spouse and child are married compared to 46% of baby boomers when they were of the age that millennials are now. This simply goes on to show that this generation is not big on commitment at all – something that is closely associated with asset ownership.

A key consideration among millennials when it comes to ownership of assets is affordability. Moreover, many such purchases require financial down payments that a lot of the Gen Y and Z generation people have not had time to create. In such situations, renting or leasing seems like a more attractive option.

All these trends drive in the same direction to make it clear how leasing fits in perfectly with the millennial lifestyle. Depreciating assets like vehicles are not something that millennials and Gen Z want to invest in at all. In fact, they look for freedom of choice combined with minimizing any long-term financial obligations. This frees up capital that they can use elsewhere - an idea that fits in with the Gen Y and Z lifestyle completely.

According to Deloitte's 2019 Global Automotive Consumer Study, 51% of Indian millennials are reevaluating their need to own a vehicle. On the other hand, leasing makes it possible for the Gen Y and Z generations to access the convenience of a private vehicle along with tax benefits minus the responsibilities of regular maintenance, insurance, etc. Moreover, if one is a vehicle buff, changing over to the latest models as they arrive in the market is a real possibility that cannot happen frequently if one owns the vehicle.

For the auto sector, the idea of leasing is a gamechanger. Many in the automobile sector even believe that lease penetration is correlated to long term customer loyalty. From a consumer perspective, it shows the inclination towards the concept of shared mobility powered by digital solutions ensuring a safe commute for those availing of the service.

The feeling is not just limited to leasing vehicles. Given that demand is increasing, the concept is slowly spreading across multiple product categories and is predicted to explode in the next few years. So long as the model caters to the fuss-free lifestyle of these two generations, leasing is here to stay.

If you are in the market for innovative vehicle leasing solutions, explore our bouquet of services by logging onto www.quiklyz.com.

[nompumelelomtshali0t4]

Title: Mistakes of the past can be corrected today.

Being a mother is one of the most rewarding experiences a woman can have; however, it comes with a troll of physical and emotional demands. Mothers, babies, and children in poor families are at increased risk of illness and face many challenges in accessing timely, high-quality care. This has contributed to poor use of health care facilities by patients, lack of transport, sub-optimal quality of care by some health providers and social inequalities.

For instance, 46% of pregnancies within the low range occur in female-headed households. Overall, around half (53%) of the pregnant women are single, 26% married and 19% cohabiting. Although teen pregnancy rates are falling, 14% of pregnant women are teenagers aged 10-19 years (Black et al., 2016) In communities, women live in such circumstances, making them vulnerable to society's demands. The spread of poverty and unemployment in communities compromises the lives of these families as they are exposed to a lack of good quality services, lack of education, substance abuse, violence, and HIV/ AIDS. As these factors are controlling the streets of our communities, the rates of postpartum depression in women of South Africa range from 21% to 50% (Pellowski et al., 2019). Most mothers in communities are unaware of such. However, it is seen through their occupation choices, for example, abusing substances, not attending clinic appointments, and being poorly responsive to their infant's needs, which often retards infant growth, resulting in behavioural problems and reducing cognitive functioning (Katzen et al., 2020).

(“Using a Community-Based Approach to Improve Maternal and Child Health,” 2023)

Maternal health influences the well-being of both mother and child during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods, reducing the risks of complications and mortality for both. Having healthy children in the community ensures a productive and sustainable society. Hence, investing in maternal and child health leads long-term benefits, including improved educational system, reduced poverty, and improved socio-economic status of the families (Mudiyanselage et al., 2024b) . The attached picture brings emphasize on how maternal and child health is a life time journey.

Maternal health is an emerging area within the field of OT. Our main aim for interventions and strategies is to PROMOTE the occupational well-being of all domains related to maternal health (Merkel et al., 2023). An estimated 39% of the world's children under the age of 5 years have not attained their developmental potential (Black et al., 2016). In communities, we find that children are not reaching their potential, and due to the lack of knowledge and neglect, the mothers are unaware of that situation; this is also influenced by the curriculum installed in the creches within the community. As a community-based OT, we must facilitate these milestones so that the children can reach their potential implementing sensory integration techniques, facilitating play-based activities. This is closely tied to developing parenting skills as we also give parents home programs that they could use. While in the community, I have seen that most of the children we see at the clinic, creche and primary school, lack sensory stimulation which affect their engagement in play and education working on these have been the key goal, however, in Kenville, there are other factors which are affected for example, overcrowding in schools, family matters, lack of infrastructure and lack of quality health care such factors allowing us to wear our big boots of advocacy.

Mothers and children from disadvantaged economic, social, and psychological backgrounds face more significant health burdens than those from non-disadvantaged communities as disadvantaged mothers are prone to have higher financial burdens, rates of smoking, alcohol use, young pregnancies, live in remote areas and other poor living situations Like their parents, children raised in a disadvantaged community tend to have increased risks of poor health, low educational attainment and begin their adult life as disadvantaged (Mudiyanselage et al., 2024). As much as this is evident by the community of Kenville, I believe that with more awareness and willingness to work with the community than to work in the community will better insight to the services provided by us as occupational therapist in maternal and child health as means to improve the burden to improve their mother and child's well being. As it is only a human right but the foundation of many communities, including Kenville.

References

Black, R., Laxminarayan, R., Temmerman, M., & Walker, N. (2016a). Disease Control Priorities, third edition (Volume 2): Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. World Bank Publications.

 Black, R., Laxminarayan, R., Temmerman, M., & Walker, N. (2016b). Disease Control Priorities, third edition (Volume 2): Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. World Bank Publications.

Cobigo, V., Martin, L., & Mcheimech, R. (2016). Understanding community. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 5(4), 181. https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v5i4.318

 Corlyon, J., & McGuire, C. H. (1997). Young parents in public care: Pregnancy and Parenthood Among Youg People Looked After by Local Authorites : Report of Component 1 of Preparation and Support of Parenthood.

 Katzen, L. S., Tomlinson, M., Christodoulou, J., Laurenzi, C., Roux, I. L., Baker, V., Mbewu, N., Roux, K. W. L., & Rotheram, M. J. (2020). Home visits by community health workers in rural South Africa have a limited, but important impact on maternal and child health in the first two years of life. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05436-7

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