#it was going to the dry cleaners btw

[tskumoyuuma]

anxiety is so stupid. been dreading n putting off doing this one stupid thing for literal months cause I'd never done it before. finally forced myself to do it today n it took like 10 minutes, most of it walking to n from the place. was shaking the entire time

[anurarana]

Drop ur skin care routine bestie 🙏

I'm actually breaking out rn, so I'm not sure you would even want it lmao

[mytheoristavenue]

Can you maybe do one of one piece men hearing their shy s/o yell at them for the first time? Or first time their shy s/o acts bratty ? Can be fluff , agnst or NSFW, whatever you'd like my love. I'm sure it'll turn out good , I loved your other ones that you've written!! ❤️❤️ BTW that sanji speaking French got my good 😫😫🤌 *chefs kiss*

I'll do all three! I hope it's alright that I only do Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp for this one! Since I'm going to do three separate scenarios for each, it would be a lot of work to do that for as many characters as I included in my last post! If I missed anyone you specifically wanted, let me know!

Straw Hat Men + Shy!S/O Yelling for the First Time 🍋

Summary: How your Straw Hat boyfriend reacts to hearing you raise your voice for the first time in an angsty, fluffy, and NSFW scenario.

Waring: NSFW, MDNI, fluff, angst, fem!reader

Note: I did mark this one with a lemon as I usually do with NSFW content, but only 1/3rd of it will be! The different scenarios will be marked with a '💕💔🍋', for fluff, angst, and smut respectively. If you've seen any of my masterlists, they also operate under this same key.

Monkey D. Luffy:

💕 Your least favorite part of being a pirate was the fact that your boyfriend was your captain. If you could leave and join a different crew without it being a relationship ending action, you would most certainly consider it. It wasn't always bad of course, but with it was bad- it was awful.

As your lover, Luffy was stubborn, but as your captain it was ten fold. once he settled on a bad idea, there was no changing his mind, no matter how much your opinion as his partner mattered to him. Typically, it was something you could look pasted, but you had to admit, his last bright idea had left you bitter with him, and the way he hounded you for answers as you why you were ignoring him was doing him no favors.

"Awe, c'mon, babe!" he giggled, wrapping his elastic arms around your waist, pulling you back to him after you'd walked away from him. "I'm sorry you got all wet!" he offered, only receiving a sharp glare form over your shoulder.

Earlier that day, he had decided that everyone would go into the town to do some shopping on the island you'd ported on. You picked out a lovely floral sundress, and worn it out of the store after buying it, excited to show him how pretty it looked on you. To your surprise, and later anger, he enthusiastically scooped you up and tried to swing you along with him back to the Sunny, only to miss. Not only did you both collide with the ship's hull, but you also fell into the water, making his survival your responsibility.

"Luffy, that dress was very expensive. I rarely buy myself nice things, and the one time I did, I didn't even have it for ten minutes before you ruined it." you pouted quietly, still unwillingly wrapped in his arms.

"I'm sure it's not ruined, babe, we can wash it." he dismissed, making your blood boil. You couldn't contain your frustration at him.

"No, we can't!" you snapped, pushing him away to glare at him with hands on hips. "It's silk, you can't just toss it in the washing machine! I has to be professionally cleaned, and you just had us set sail away from the only place I could take it to! Who knows how long it'll take us to find another island with a dry cleaners', and even if we found one tomorrow, it wouldn't matter! The stain is already set!"

Luffy simply blinked at your ranting. He didn't understand any of what you'd just said. He wasn't even entirely sure what silk was or why it was so different from regular fabric, but he could recognize that he'd upset you, which he felt bad for. "Awe...I'm sorry babe." he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck shamefully.

"You should be!" you huffed, crossing your arms and turning your back on him.

"Tell you what," he smiled, wrapping his arms around you again, this time laying his head on your shoulder. "Next time we port, we'll go out- just you and me and I'll take you shopping again. I'll have Nami set some of my money aside and it'll me my treat. And I'll see if Franky can build something that can wash silk." he negotiated, melting the tough coating around your heart. "We'll get you all the expensive clothes you want, and that way, you'll be able to to clean them if you need to."

"Luffy..." you swooned, turning in his arms to face him. "You promise?" He nodded with a ear to ear grin, and you threw yourself into his embrace. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you, you're too sweet!"

💔 The second time Luffy heard you raise you voice at him, it was a gut wrenching scream, accompanied by tears. The part that disturbed him most, however, was the fact that it wasn't really at him, but more for him.

"Stop it!" your voice rang out across a smoking battlefield, crack and desperate. "Please, stop, you'll kill him!" You were yards away, but you could still see the light leaving your boyfriend's eyes as he laid motionless on the ground from where you were being subdued.

The marines had ambushed the crew while at an island you'd stopped at for supplies. Kizaru stood over him, glancing over at you when he'd heard, his signature smug grin unfaltering as he made his way over to you. "That's the point, dollface."he cooed. "Dead or alive, or so the saying goes."

"P-Please," you negotiated. "Please, you can have me instead. I-I'm worth something right?" You struggled to remember your current bounty.

"You want me to give up one of the most wanted men on the seas," he chuckled, looming over you. "For a measly ten million berries?Honey," he smirked, eyes darting to Luffy, still unmoving, and back to you. "The only thing that makes you worth anything is your value to him. Now that we've got Straw Hat, we don't have a use for you."

"That's...not true..." a broken and tired voice graveled from where he once lay. Your hopefully eyes snapped to your partner as he slowly rose to face the admiral in your stead.

"Luffy!" you shrieked, relieved tears streaming down your cheeks.

"Still kickin', huh?" Kizaru laughed, turning his attention back.

"That's not true, (Y/N)." your captain continued, entirely ignoring his enemy, yet still walking towards him and not you. "You're worth so much more than being my girlfriend. You're a Straw Hat, and that means so much more!"

🍋 Luffy had never known you to be the most verbal person when it came to physical pleasures, and the silent sighs and tiny gasps became a common song that he learned to enjoy above all others. that was until he heard what you were really capable of.

"Oh, fuck, Luffy!" you cried, tossing your head back in eustasy. He froze entirely for a moment, gazing up at you in awe as you rode him, bouncing with delight, and cursing his name like the sailor you were. You were so entranced that you failed out notice his lack of participation as he watched you put in all the work he normally would.

Hearing those loud, dirty words tumble over your lips did something to him- snapped some sort of line that tethered him to his control. "(Y/N), baby?" he spoke lowly, breaking you of your spell. You immediately began apologizing, bringing your hands to cover your blushing face, only to be caught by the wrists. "What have you never moaned for me like that before?"

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me!" you sputtered, humiliated by your lewd behaviors.

"Well," he decided, guiding your trembling hands to his hair, before winding his rubber arms around your waist and clenching your doughy thighs as hard as he could without doing actual damage. "We're gonna fuckin' find out!"

Roronoa Zoro:

💕 You had been ignoring Zoro all day long and it was starting to drive him crazy, though he wasn't going to let you on to that fact. He eyed from from across the deck as you chatted with Nami about something he didn't care about. Anytime you would catch him looking at you, you'd huff, turn your nose at him, and make it a point to very sweetly ask Sanji for something. Every time, the doting chef would give into your every whim, bringing you parfaits, making you something special for lunch, or even a fancy glass of water with cucumber and mint. Finally, your boyfriend decided he'd had enough.

"Why are you acting like such a brat today?" he grilled sternly, looming over your lounge chair as you tanned. "You better not be trying to make me jealous of that damn cook."

You gasped dramatically, sharing a shocked looked with Nami, before you both rolled your eyes at him. "You've got some nerve calling me a brat." you spat back at him, turning your attention back to your magazine.

"Well, you're acting like one!" Zoro protested.

"Yeah, well," you huffed. "At least Sanji's nice to me and gives me attention when I want it!" Nami silently agreed with you, nodding her head as you spoke.

"Oh my God," your boyfriend groaned, rolling his eyes and slumping his shoulders. "Is that what this is about? Damn, you're so annoying."

You scowled at him, throwing your magazine onto the floor in a fit. "No, Zoro, you know what's annoying? Trying to spend time with your boyfriend, only to get passed up for lifting stupid weights!" you shouted, collecting the attention of many of your nakamas, which embarrassed him quite a bit. "All you do is work out or clean your damn swords! I wake up, and you're not in bed because your training, I go to bed and- same thing!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry I have to train to keep you protected you highness!" he snarled back at you. "It's not like I've saved your life or anything."

"Oh, thank you for not letting me die! Boyfriend of the damn year!"

"Jesus Christ," he growled, finally giving in under all the stares of his crewmates. "I'll skip work out tonight and we can cuddle all night, okay?"

"Okie dokie!" you beamed, demeanor immediately shifting back to the kind, sweet girl everyone knew you as. Zoro sighed, exhausted by your manipulation tactics; he needed a nap.

💔 Zoro's body froze solid, hearing you're voice from a location he couldn't pinpoint. His mind went into fight or flight mode as the fear and desperation in your voice struck him like a pendent in a church bell, sending vibrations all throughout him. "Zoro!"

"(Y/N)?!" he called back, spinning as he took in his surroundings. He could see so many people, but none of them were you. Where were you?

"Zoro!" Suddenly, you broke through the crowd, making a mad dash for him, leaping into his arms before he could register it. "Oh my gosh, I thought I'd lost you!" you cried into his chest. "I was so worried!"

He was still frozen, for the first time in his life unable to act. "Y-you were worried about me?" he stammered, having trouble wrapping his head around the idea.

"Yes!" you replied, nuzzling into his throat. "There's marines on the island, and when I turned around and you weren't there I thought you were in trouble!"

"If that's the case, you should have gone back to the ship." he scolded you lightly, trying to mask how much his heart melted at your concern. "Now we're both in danger."

You shook your head quickly. "No, I'm not going anywhere without you! We'll go back together!" You insisted. "What if you get lost again?"

His stern face softened into a loving smile, reflecting his feelings in the moment, before grabbing you by the hand. "Fine, let's go. You lead the way."

🍋 Zoro had never heard anything more lewd that the sounds he was extracting from you now. You were laid out in his arms, across his lap, his fingers reaching for invisible buttons inside you, making your tummy do flips. Each breath you took was ragged and punctuated a needy whine. Typically, you sang a song of soft hums, using his name as a refrain every so often, and he did adore that, but nothing could compare to the arousal he got from hearing you curse.

"Shit, Zoro, I-I-!" you were beyond the point of forming fully coherent sentences, most of them fading after a few words. His own breathing quickened as he worked you better and better by the minute.

"Yeah, baby," he groaned, his face contorting into a frustrated snarl. "Tell me all those dirty words you know."

God Usopp:

💕 "I said I'm sorry!" he squeaked, following you out of his workshop and into the bathroom. "It was an accident!" You ignored his pleas for your forgiveness as you walked up to the sink, leaning over to dip your head under the faucet. He had been showing you his newest star, when he shot it at a shelf, which in turn shook, knocking a bottle to toad oil onto your head. Your silence terrified him as he stood idly by watching you try to rinse it from your scalp. "I-If you let me take a bath with you, I'll wash it all out-" His nervous negotiations were cut short by your harsh glare.

He wrung his hands, pacing back and forth as you disrobed and slipped into the washroom, heading straight for the shower in the corner. Reluctantly, he followed you, fully clothed, unsure if he was meant to or not. "I really am sorry," he admitted, stepping up behind you as you say on the stool and poured a bucket of water over your head. "Here, let me." he insisted, thoroughly rinsing your hair before massaging product into it. You wordlessly allowed him to was the oil out of your hair, enjoying the quiet of the moment, until he ruined that too.

"A-Are you gonna break up with me?" he piped up anxiously.

"No!" you shouted with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm not going to break up with you over this, Usopp, I'm just mad!"

"Sorry," he replied, embarrassed at his silly question. "Thank you..."

"For what?" you snapped, wishing he would simply stop talking for a few minutes.

"Giving me another chance." he answered quietly. You felt your heart tear a bit at his insecurity.

"Usopp, I would never leave you over something this small." you confirmed, glancing at him over the shoulder. "I know it was just an accident, and I forgive you. I just need a few little quiet time to cool off."

He nodded, prompting you to relax as he lathered your scalp. Within minutes, you were putty in his hands, and happy as a clam again.

💔 The way his name came out of you mouth tore Usopp apart. Though you weren't together yet at this time, he still held so much undying love for you, but his pride had gotten the better of him. He ignored your sobs as he walked away from the crew, choosing a broken ship over everyone who cared for him- including you.

"Usopp, you stop right there!" you commanded, tears steaming down your face as you struggled to run after him. You'd seen him respond when Kaya did this, and you genuinely thought it would work, but obviously, given the circumstances, his love for her was much stronger than what he had claimed to have for you. "Please, come back! Usopp!"

You tumbled to the rocky shore of Water 7, having tripped over your own feet, your vision too obscured by tears to see straight. "Please!"

"C'mon, (Y/N)," Nami sniffled, pulling you to your feet only to hold you back from pursuing him further. "He's made his choice."

🍋 Usopp marveled up at you from between your thighs as you sat perched atop his face. As you rode, bucking your his against his chin, you failed to notice the escalation of your volume, but he didn't. He adored your shy, soft moans- even thought of them in his sleep but this was entirely new, and so much better.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" you chanted. "Love riding your pretty face, baby!" He melted beneath you as you writhed, crying out in ecstasy, using him the way you wanted. He watched as you raised your arms, tangling your fingers in your hair. "Wanna cum all over your face!" you sighed, entranced.

"Do it, angel." he purred, voice muffled by your heat as he ate his fill. Your eyes shot open as you realized your dirty thoughts had spilled into the open air.

"Oh my God!" you squealed, instantly pushing yourself away form his face, leaving a snail trail down his chest to where you currently sat at his pelvis. "I'm so embarrassed, I'm so sorry!"

Usopp's fingers delicately laced with yours as he pulled at your hand. "Get back up here," he cooed, guiding you back to your previous position. "Please cum all over my pretty face."

Vinsmoke Sanji:

💕 You pouted in the corner of the dining room as Sanji served dinner, setting your plate down in from of you, and delicately tying your napkin around your neck as he always did. "What's wrong, Mon amour?" he asked, softly petting your hair, only to have you turn your nose up at him. The rest of the crew looked on in curiosity as the chef continued to serve, all the while struggling to get you to give him time of day.

After the meal was finished and everyone else had left the table, you stayed to help him clean up as usual. "Mon trésor, talk to me." he insisted. Once again you ignored him, prompting him to take the dishes from your hands and set them aside, before cupping your cheek to ensure that your focus was only on him. "What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing," you scoffed. "Just wish I had a boyfriend that was only my boyfriend is all."

Sanji stared at you blankly, puzzled by your sudden aggression towards him. "I'm all yours, amour, why would you think otherwise?"

"You seem to be pretty friendly with every other girl you come across," you muttered bitterly.

"Are you jealous?" he smirked, only to find that, to you, this was no amusing matter.

"I shouldn't have to be!" you snapped, sniffling a bit. "I shouldn't have to feel like I have to compete for your attention..." He stood in front of you, lips ajar from surprise at your level of emotion on the matter. After a moment, he softened, pulling you into his chest.

"This world is full of beautiful people, male and female," he soothed as you resisted the urge to cry in front of him. "We can never simply turn off our attraction to people, but at the end of the day, you should know that you take up all the space in my heart."

"Some apology," you scoffed, trying to push his affections away.

"It's not an apology," he corrected. "Though, maybe it should be. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, amour." he cooed, petting your hair and letting you be frustrated with him. Sanji was never one to try and sort out a problem immediately. He knew emotions took time to ease through, and how unhealthy rushing that could be. "Would you like some time to yourself?" he offered, pulling away from you to look into your eyes. You shook your head lightly, before nuzzling back into his chest. "Would you give me a chance to make it up to you?" You nodded shallowly, your hair getting mussed and collecting static from his shirt.

He smiled sweetly, parting from you, and holding you at arms' length. "Tell you what," he began, glancing over to the sink full of dishes. "Give me a few minutes to clean this up, you go get in the tub and wait for me."

💔 You stood in the pouring rain, outside looking in on a private moment. Sanji, the man who'd sworn his eternal love for you was there, embracing his wife to be the day before their wedding. His face was battered and bruised as he whispered to her. "Let's get married tomorrow."

Against all your better judgement, your shattered heart forced agonized screams from your throat as you sobbed, slamming your fists on the glass. Your shoulders shook as the rain mixed with your tears as they slid down your face. Just beyond, you watched as Pudding, the woman who'd taken your place nearly jump from her skin, fearfully snuggling deeper into his embrace as she eyed you as if you'd hurt her.

Sanji however never bothered to look. He heard you, he was just choosing to ignore your cries, no matter how deeply they bothered him. He could feel his decisions effect you in the form of guilty sweat dripping down his spine. Eventually, he turned his back to you, pulling his bride away as they exited the room. He couldn't stand the pitiful sight of you any longer, lest he begin to weep himself.

🍋 Sanji stared down at you, love and passion exuding from his pores as he made love to you. He held your legs securely over his shoulders as he eased in and out of you, counting how many times your breath would hitch before you could exhale. "Me prends si bien, chérie." he purred, leaning into your ear, nearly folding you in half.

"S-Sanji..." you whimpered, face numb from the overwhelming pleasure you were under. You couldn't hold back the way your volume was increasing, no matter how humiliating. He was worth being embarrassed for.

"Oui, mon amour?"

"F-Feels so good!" you affirmed, the need to feel useful swallowing you whole. You wanted to be an active participant, not simply a toy, but the way he loved on you left you paralyzed. "Wanna make you feel good too..."

"Tu me fais me sentir divine, chérie." he soothed, letting go of a weighted breath. "Continue juste à chanter comme ça pour moi, d'accord?"

Translations:

Mon amour/amour = My love/love

Trésor = Treasure

"Me prends si bien, chérie." = "Taking me so well, darling."

"Oui, mon amour?" = "Yes, my love?"

"Tu me fais me sentir divine, chérie." = "You make me feel divine, darling."

"Continue juste à chanter comme ça pour moi, d'accord?" = "Just keep singing like that for me, okay?"

[averagetangerineenjoyer]

Scullery Maid

INFO: Tangerine x feminine!reader, domestic fluff, approx. 1k words

A/N: he has bewitched me!! he's living in my mind rent-free and I can't get him to leave!!! 😩 also YES this was inspired by the "honey where's my super suit?" scene from the incredibles (will gladly write more for tangerine and wife btw)

Find my masterpost here!

Your husband likes to refer to you as his “trophy wife”.

It’s a term of endearment, mostly. He loves nothing more than showing you off any opportunity he gets, not just waxing poetic about how gorgeous you are, but also praising your achievements and your brilliance to the high heavens.

He likes to spoil you as if you were a real trophy wife, too. He’s often away for work, but always comes home with flowers and other gifts. Your walk-in closet has a whole section dedicated to luxury bags that have only been taken out to wear once or twice. You have more jewellery than you know what to do with. Your shoe collection looks like it belongs to a millipede with an expensive taste.

(Sometimes you think your husband is a bit like a bird, bringing home fancy trinkets just to impress his lady.)

With the plush life you’re living, only working because you want to, you might have most people fooled that you were really a trophy wife. But trophy wives don’t spend their Saturdays washing blood out of their husbands’ suits, you think.

You don’t feel like a trophy wife with the sleeves of your sweater rolled up to your elbows. Feet shoved into faded Momonga house slippers. Glasses on and unwashed hair pulled back into a messy bun. Not a “messy-but-cute” bun. No, just messy. You feel more like a glorified maid.

You run the shirt under cold water, but the blood is dark, old, and crusted. Silently you pray that the hydrogen peroxide will do its work. If you can’t manage to get the stain out, you’re going to have to take it to the dry cleaner. You’re always rotating through the ones you visit: you don’t want them to start asking questions if you bring in the fifth bloodstained shirt that month.

From somewhere else in the house, you hear your husband call out your name.

“Over here!”

Padded footsteps on the hardwood floor make their way over. He quickly appears in the doorway to the scullery while fixing the cufflinks on his pristine white shirt. You turn off the faucet, leaning against the edge of the sink with your hip as his soaked button-down lay crumpled within the basin. His hair is wet and slicked back. He just got out of the shower. “Do you know where my red Cesare Attolini suit is?”

You give him a blank stare. “What?”

“The red one, love.”

You rub the bridge of your nose, slightly lifting your glasses, eyes screwing shut with a frown as you try to remember. (As if you even know which suit he’s talking about.) “Uh… I think it’s at the dry cleaner’s?”

He blinks. “Which one?”

“Baby, I’m not keeping track of every suit you own,” you tell him as you fix your glasses on your face, not even trying to hide your exasperation.

He puts his hands up defensively. “Just asking. I’m packing for Tokyo.”

You sigh inwardly. Tokyo. It’s a “business” trip, of course. Crossing your arms, you slightly tilt your head to the side and ask, “What time’s your flight?”

“At ass o’clock in the morning,” he grumbles, mirroring your stance. Your husband still hasn’t crossed the threshold onto the tile floor of the scullery. Likely because he doesn’t want his West Ham socks to get wet. He clears his throat and shakes his head. “It’s at 3.30, I’ll go pick up my brother around 2.”

“Early dinner and early to bed, then?” you ask, crossing the distance between you and meeting him at the doorway instead.

He smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Sounds perfect.”

You already know that he’s not going to get much sleep before his flight. You’ve seen this routine play out more times than you care to count. But you don’t say anything, instead choosing to enjoy the moment while you can. Reaching out to fix the collar of his shirt, you ask, “Did you settle on names for the job?”

His face lights up. “I did. I’m Tangerine, my brother is Lemon.”

It’s hard to suppress the snort. So you don’t. “What, like the fruit?”

“Yeah. Tangerines are sophisticated. And my brother is sour, like a lemon.”

A recent memory crosses your mind and you place your hands flat on his chest. “Did you pick “Tangerine” because of Lunar New Year?”

He casts his eyes to the side, the way he does when he’s about to lie. “No.”

“Right.” You don’t have the energy to tease him about it, but you take enough satisfaction in knowing that he would get riled up if you did. Instead, you nod and give him a smile. "I like it," you say before leaning in to kiss him. “It’s cute.” You taste the mint toothpaste on his breath and feel his arms wrap around you.

He hums into the kiss. “Always happy to win the approval of my beautiful wife.”

Only your husband — known as Tangerine, for now — would look at you in your current state and still want to carry you off to the bedroom. With a low and sultry voice, you whisper to him, “You know how you could win even more of my approval?”

A hand moves to give your butt a playful squeeze, and he’s already kissing the underside of your jaw. “Enlighten me, love,” he murmurs against your skin.

“Buy me Momonga merch when you’re in Japan.”

Tangerine pulls away with a disappointed look on his face.

“There’s this limited edition plushie that’s sooo cute. They don’t sell it anywhere else, I already checked. Please, baby? Pretty please?”

He sighs. “Yeah. Yeah, sure, of course. Whatever.”

You grin, knowing you’re getting a suitcase full of Momonga merchandise when he’s back. You put your arms around his shoulders. “Good.” You give him a peck on the lips. “Were you done packing? There’s something super important we still have to do.”

“And that is?”

“I think we need to test our new mattress again before you go. You know, just to be sure.”

“You’re right. That is super important.”

While you let Tangerine practically drag you to the bedroom, you vaguely remember that you left his shirt in the sink. Ah well. That’s a problem for later.

[prolix-yuy]

Writers' Iron Chef #13: Lovesick

[PROMPT] Patching up a wound

[ADDITIONAL PROMPT] “Why would you put yourself through something like that?”

[TIME LIMIT] Optional, 10 minutes prep. time 30 minutes writing time Optional, 10 minutes editing time

Pairing: Joel Miller x GN!Reader

Rating: M, descriptions of wound care and blood, allusions to dubcon due to drinking and drug use. While this story is not explicit, my blog and the content shared on it is 18+ so MINORS DNI.

Summary: You've been greedy for Joel for too long.

Notes: Written for Writers’ Iron Chef Prompt 13

I've had a Joel story idea bouncing around in my head for several months now, but it's not much more than disconnected scenes and a vibe, you know? I decided to try and exorcise a part with this prompt. This was imspired by a scene in the movie Foe with Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal (which was excellent, btw) that got the creative juices flowing.

Thanks to @writersironchef for always giving the best prompts!

The blood that runs into the sink isn’t yours, but it is Joel Miller’s and that’s hardly better.

Laying the needle and scissors beside the sink, you dry your hands on a towel that doesn’t make you feel much cleaner. There’s probably still blood under your nails, half moons of frenzied memories you can look back on when you’re in bed tonight.

“Joel, what the fuck?”

“I need…”

He didn’t have to say much more, and your stomach sours for it. Joel could say he needed you to balance on the edge of a razor and you’d do it just for the fact that he needed you. Pitiful, lovesick, desperate you.

He’d shredded his back coming back into the QZ scrambling away from patrol lights. Tess split off from him, trades to be made and deals best done without her loyal attack dog. So he’d stumbled back to his apartment, stopping just long enough to knock at yours across the hall.

“Jesus Christ, how did you fuck yourself up this badly?”

“FEDRA’s patrolling our usual spots, think they’re onto us…fuck!”

You salved his wounds with apologies as you cleaned grit from long scrapes and worried at the beads of blood that melted across your fingers. The worst was a gash you had to close, infection too present a worry. Hardening your gut, you tried to disassociate how much like sewing leather it felt. Joel bit down on his belt and stuffed his face in a pillow, but fists still slammed on walls around you at his ruckus. 

“I’m done, I’m done, it’s finished.”

“Jesus ‘n Mary, there ain’t much left for you to piece back together at this rate.”

Walking back to the bed, he’s disheveled but alive. He asks for booze, which you find in a high cabinet. He asks for pills, reluctantly revealed to live in a false drawer bottom. You don’t have to say he can trust you with these secrets. Vices were too expensive for you most days. Once he downs both he lays back, injury padded with the cleanest cloths you could find. His breathing hitches, pants in pain, then slows as the drugs and drink take effect. 

And then it’s just you, sitting next to your neighbor as his body releases. 

You should go. Tess would be back any time now and you didn’t want her to see your longing. There are whispers about if Joel is hers, and while you know they belong to each other in a way drenched in darkness, you’ve never been sure if the claim is on their hearts as well. It’s just vague enough of a partnership that when Joel has a good day and shares an extra ration card, your heart flutters. 

But it’s too dangerous. He’s too dangerous, the both of them. You can’t get mixed up in whatever they have going on. Why would you put yourself through something like that?

It’s not the first time he’s come home bloodied, and not the first time you’ve pulled him back together. There’s trust there, but also foolish hope that life could march on and a man could desire you again. Maybe even care for you enough to break teeth and bones. 

A brush against your arm turns you back to Joel, eyes half-lidded but trained hazily on you. One large hand skims over your shoulder, down your arm and lands heavily in your lap. 

“Joel?” you ask, looking down at his thick fingers splayed across your thighs. He hums, low and rumbly as his lips part. 

He’s surely too far gone to know you’re even here. It would be best to slip out unnoticed, talk to Tess tomorrow about checking his injury for infection. 

But you don’t. You’re frozen as the calloused skin of his thumb catches on the worn fibers of your jeans. It’s a caress you haven’t known for years. 

He doesn’t know it’s you.

“Joel,” you say again, and enough courage bolsters you to slide your hand into his palm, the other circling his wrist. He’s so warm, thick-skinned against your fingers. You start to lift from the bed, intending to place his hand where you sat, when it makes a drunken path to cup your chin. Pressure against your jaw turns your face to him spread out on the bed beside you. His chest is bare, light perspiration beading along the cut of his collarbone. He licks his lips slowly, the slip of tongue drawing an ache up from the deepest well. 

“Hey there,” he drawls, and god, you could shatter from it. Tears build in your eyes but you can’t move, his hands drawing you down to him. 

“Joel, it’s…I’m not…” you choke out. It’s a final defense. He’ll hate you tomorrow, but you’ll have said something. His lip quirks, not quite a smile. 

“I know,” he husks before leading your lips to meet his.

You’re not sure he does, but you’re too greedy to say more.

END

[desigirldairies]

Reveal Your Bollywood Glow: Unveiling Celebrity-Inspired Skincare Secrets.

This blog is going to be all about Indian & bollywood inspired products and skincare tips. If you also want a blog separately about Indian natural and authentic skincare or hair care I'll surely make it. 🫶

Know Your Skin Type : Identify your skin type - whether it's oily, dry, combination, or sensitive - to tailor your skincare routine effectively.

Cleanse Like a Star : Use a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil or Neutrogena to remove dirt and makeup and a oil cleaner is a must if you wear makeup daily. Opt for micellar water for a quick and effective cleanse on busy days. (But I don't really recommend it).

Exfoliate for Radiance : Incorporate a mild exfoliator like St. Ives Apricot Scrub or The Body Shop's Vitamin C Glow-Revealing Liquid Peel to slough off dead skin cells and reveal glowing skin. And my personal favorite coffee scrub from The Bombay shaving company. Don't exfoliate more than twice a week.

Hydration Is Key : Use a hydrating toner such as Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray for an instant boost of hydration or toner + mist from pilgrim works like magic (my fav 😭).

Targeted Treatments : Include a serum with ingredients like hyaluronic acid (for hydration) or vitamin C (for hyperpigmentation) if you are under 17 or 18 like me don't use vitamin c or if you want to use in very less %, I use 2% kojic acid for my uneven skin tone from pilgrim, it's very begniner friendly. (Always consult a dermatologist for your skincare don't go around seeing videos on insta and YouTube believing them). I recommend Minimalist if you want chemical bases serums.

If you are above 23 or 25 Incorporate a retinol-based cream like RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream for anti-aging benefits. (Got this tip from mumma for y'all 😭✨️)

Sun Protection Essentials : Always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, such as La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Fluid, to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. More affordable and effective sunscreens from brands — dot and key, aqualogica, Dr. Seth and wish care.

Overnight Nourishment: Use a hydrating overnight mask like Laneige Water Sleeping Mask to replenish moisture while you sleep. Incorporate a facial oil like The Ordinary's Rose Hip Seed Oil for added nourishment and radiance.

DIY Treatments Inspired by Bollywood:

- Try a turmeric, gram flour and yogurt face mask inspired by Priyanka Chopra for glowing skin.

- Use aloe vera gel like Deepika Padukone for its soothing and hydrating properties. (MY fav bolly actress btw 😭❤️)

Lifestyle Tips for Healthy Skin : Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day people are not stupid that they are going around telling you to drink water, IT'S A MUST!. Incorporate antioxidant-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and green tea into your diet for overall skin health.

Some of my fav brands (mostly available in india) : dot and key, Foxtale, pilgrim, minimalist, st. Botanica, organic harvest and aqualogica!

Fav brand released by a bollywood actress: Hyphen by Kriti Sanon, their lip balm can even beat Rhode's lip balm istg- and their sunscreen 🔛🔝.

Channel your inner Bollywood diva and achieve a radiant, flawless skin with these skincare tips and product recommendations. Let your skin glow like a star!

[judasgot-it]

Scenario: Tecchou comforts barista!reader after a bad day. (this was just originally a comfort fic idk where this went.)

Song to go with this: Wave to Earth - Bad

Btw this is like 2k words so this is a big one for once. surprising ik.

You hadn't slept the night since it happened.

It was impossible to meet anyone's eyes, to force yourself to touch someone's skin. Your day was as simple as going through the motions - taking orders, feeling the heat from the coffee machines, and handing over drinks to people you didn't bother to remember at that moment.

Survivable. Until what, you didn't know. But you could survive this for now.

The noise behind you was indecipherable as you watched your hands work - they were dry and shaky, as if to show how exhausted you were. It made you want to vomit. The noise made the taste worse, somehow.

You could taste bile on your tongue from last night, the taste persisting no matter how many times you forced your toothbrush to hit the back of your throat. It was another distraction to your work.

You swallowed the feeling down again as you prepared your last order of the day. On autopilot, you made the order you were told - a soy sauce latte.

For a second, you had to take a moment to stop and look around.

The coffee was fine - black, brewed as it should have been. You could imagine how bitter it was going to taste, even without the soy sauce.

But where was the soy sauce?

You needed it.

The syrups were behind you, to the right of the machine. The cakes were to the left of the bar in the display, ready to be thrown out due to being considered too stale for sale.

Stupidly, you checked underneath the cupboard. There was just window cleaner and a rag, but again - no soy sauce like you hoped there would be.

The best you could, your eyes glanced at the man who sat alone at the bar, giving him a quick apology before running to the back.

Your eyes didn't even look at the bottles on the shelves as you knocked them aside. Why would soy sauce be in a syrup bottle?

Why would a cafe have fucking soy sauce?

For some reason you didn't bother to reason with this thought, nor did you reason with safety regulations as you stood on top of a box to check the top shelves. Using your hands, you checked the tops of the bottles, searching for one that could be remotely similar to a condiment.

Disappointingly, all you felt was more syrup. Why was there so much goddamn syrup?

Reaching even further, you prayed for absolution in the form of a small cardboard box. You tugged, a little too hard it seemed, as it knocked further than you could balance yourself on your precarious position on your cardboard box.

And well.

It was a pathetic position to be in, wasn't it?

On the floor, fall broken by nothing but coffee and syrup.

It wasn't soft. It was a mess. Something was jabbing your thigh but you forced yourself to ignore it.

You simply stared at your feet for a second, letting the shock settle into your system, even as the pain registered.

There's something sticky on your hand.

"Are you alright?"

It felt between forever and eternity when you heard the man utter those words, and feel his hands pat your shoulders.

"I'm alright. I'm. I'm fine."

The words came out of your mouth, yet they didn't taste like yours.

His hands felt warm.

"I think I hurt my wrist, but I'm fine, really."

It hurt. You looked down at your hand, which you now realized was covered in syrup and possibly blood. It hurt, somewhere your brain told you that.

You patted your pants as you realized that they were soaked in the substance. It made your throat close up as you tasted the bile again, your body swaying as it struggled to hold back.

"You're crying."

It registered in the back of your mind how your lungs struggled to fill with air, snot filling your nose.

"No I'm not."

You voice went up an octave as you said those words, clunky and gross.

Hopelessly, you failed to wipe away the tears that spilled down your cheeks - smearing syrup all across your face. It brought the taste of sweet salt stronger into your mouth as you heard your sobs get louder.

It was impossible to ignore how you were struggling to stand up - but for some reason, you didn't even want to look the man in the eye as you slipped once again in the mess of syrup and coffee grounds on the floor.

Mr. 'Can-I-have-soy-sauce-in-my-coffee' was the only thing preventing you from falling flat on your ass again, his hand wrapped around your bicep a little too tightly.

"I can walk on my own. I need to find your soy sauce, remember?"

Finally, you looked up at him. His eyes were warm like honey, peering behind from his messy mop of hair. It felt like he was studying you, in some way.

Looking away, he pulled you out of the room. He kept his hand on your arm, guiding you out of the room as if you were blind.

"Wait, sir-"

"Do you have a first aid kit?"

He completely ignored you, instead guiding you and your sticky shoes to the front of the cafe, where his unfinished coffee sat patiently on the counter, taunting you.

You stood still for a moment, watching as he scanned the room.

"Um..."

Finally, the man let go of your arm, choosing instead to push you towards a seat. Carefully, you brushed one of his long hair strands behind his shoulder, avoiding a collision with your sticky face.

"There's one underneath the counter, by the sink."

Your eyes followed him as he expertly moved throughout the room - as if he were the one who worked there. He moved as if he were on a mission, like a doctor saving his most important patient.

Truthfully, you didn't even feel like you were in that much pain. Now, your ass did hurt as you sat in the seat, and so did your wrist - but it was livable.

"You don't have to do all of that."

Fruitlessly, you tried to stop him as he sat down next to you.

"Can you lean a little closer for a second?"

Clearing your throat, you obliged.

Without warning, a wet rag was dragged across your face, rubbing circles along your cheeks to get rid of the syrup that coated them. You couldn't help the whine that broke out of you.

You fought with his hands, struggling to take the rag out of them. He simply stared at you, unimpressed.

"It hurts."

You huffed those words out, your hands still on top of his. You readjusted yourself on your seat, your knees touching his as you tried to make yourself comfortable.

"Sorry."

With his other hand, he gently took your chin in his fingers - you could feel the callouses built on them as he maneuvered your face more carefully, taking the time to wipe your face more gently. His eyes were more concentrated, occasionally flicking over to watch yours.

A part of you started to feel warm under the scrutiny. Your fingers, having nothing to do, started to fiddle with your ruined work shirt.

"What's your name?"

The man stopped his movements for a second, keeping his eyes trained on yours. Embarrassed, you looked down again.

"...Suehiro."

His knees where clothed in red pants - they were dirty, as if he just rolled around in dirt for hours.

You looked up at him, now truly taking him in.

His face was sharp, watching your every move. Like a wild dog - cautious. His long lashes were distracting, enough so from how dirty he was.

Why was he let inside? His hair was a mess, you can't imagine that he even combed it. What a birds nest, really.

He was also so pretty.

For some reason, that thought made you want to cry again.

"Suehiro, I'm sorry."

You tested the taste of his name on your tongue. Suehiro simply blinked at you, taking a moment to think of his response.

"Soy sauce isn't that big of a deal."

He went back to his work, giving up on wiping away the stickiness. Moving to the first aid kit, he pulled out the alcohol pads, eyeing you carefully.

"Are you sure you don't want something else in your coffee? I can find something else you might want."

The room had just perfectly stricken golden hour, letting you watch as Suehiro's face glowed with the setting sun. The hidden dirt in his hair shined through - you could see how some stayed hidden successfully, and it made you really wonder what hell he went through to walk into a Cafe like that.

Suehiro simply shook his head, taking your chin again.

"Don't worry about it."

He wiped the cut on your face as gently as he could. There was a grimace on his face as he tried to be gently with it - even as he placed the bandage, he tried to treat it like a surgeon would a surgery.

It felt odd, sitting there and doing nothing.

"I don't think we have soy sauce. But I do have salt if you want that?"

You were already moving to stand up, hoping to do something.

Anything to not think.

"Why salt? No. I don't want salt."

You stared at him, incredulous.

He was packing up the first aid kit with all the patience in the world, as if time had no meaning. To him it might not have, considering he might have been homeless.

"What about sugar?"

"That's gross. No, I don't think that goes well coffee. I wanted soy sauce because it's brown. And coffee is brown."

As if saying that was the simplest thing in the world, he shrugged.

"They taste good together."

He shuffled past you, putting the first aid kit away. You ran after him, desperate.

"Do you want then....Um. Another... brown sauce?"

The room was silent, save for the sound of the machines that lay dormant in there. The way your shoes stuck to the ground and the way you could hear Suehiro's presence in the room was amplified - you could almost feel how his chest moved, taking large, even breaths. They reminded you to even out yours, to steady and orientate yourself.

"What do you have?"

He was relaxed, leaning against the countertop. His voice was low and deep, a sound that didn't grate against your ears.

"I know there's balsamic vinegar somewhere here. It is brown?"

Absentmindedly, you started to rub your injured wrist, feeling the pain move in your joints as you slowly lulled your wrist from side to side.

"Don't touch it so much, it'll only hurt more if you do."

You rolled your eyes.

"Okay Dr. Suehiro."

"I'm not a doctor."

Shaking your head, you went back to making his order. His coffee was still warm, which hopefully would be good enough for him.

"You act like one."

Still standing behind the counter, Suehiro looked away, thinking.

"I work for the government. First aid is just required."

He was staring down at your fingers, as they carefully moved to stir his drink - it looked to him as if you were treating it like the most important drink in the world.

"Have you done it a lot?"

Talking with the man next to you, for some odd and inexplicable reason, had made your heart begin to feel lighter. You wished you could explain it - the way even looking at the man made a smile threaten to pull across your face.

"Unfortunately. It's just a part of my job, so you get good at it."

You hummed along, walking right next to him.

Carefully, you handed him his drink, feeling his fingers slide around yours as he grabbed your cup.

"I have no idea what this will taste like, so."

You grinned up at him, slightly nervous.

"Here's to trying something new?"

He smiled back - in his eyes, there was a real smile, the kind that shone in his eyes like fireflies.

Taking a long, slow sip of his coffee, he stared at you as he tasted the concoction that you presented to him. His face remained unchanging.

There was a pause, which gave the two of you a moment to realize that the yellow glow of the sunset had left the windows of the cafe. It was now dark - shadows were cast on both of your faces, as the world had begun to turn to dusk.

"It tastes like shit, but I like it."

It wasn't funny. He didn't even smile when he said it - he was staring directly at you, as if it were a challenge.

But still, you laughed. And he smiled back.

I was gonna add more to this but honestly idk I like the ending its stupid and cheesy. I might make a pt.2 tho where reader discovers tecchou's actual job but only in the worst way possible but erm. idk this was just some mindless self indulgence.

[iknowyuu]

[10:36 PM]

kdrama!sieun x reader

// when reader finds a kitten and takes it to the first place they can think of; sieun's apartment.

tags: gender neutral reader, kissing, teasing, little meow (cat)

note: REQS R OPEN !! yea this was from that one ask but i couldn't resist it was so cute😭 i tried my best to proofread but we all know how that goes... currently listening to soty btw

♡

he stood there and blinked at you. once, twice, three times. he couldn’t even comprehend what you were saying as he stared at the thing in your arms. the animal in your arms.

“-ieun?? i know i'm really wet, but can i come in? please?” you pouted at him, shivering from your wet clothes but not minding it at all, just trying your hardest to keep the kitten hiding in your arms as dry as possible. he finally snapped out of it and stepped aside, letting you in. you scrambled inside, pulling off your shoes and stepping into the slippers, before walking over to the island in his kitchen, placing the kitten there before going to the sink. you ran a warm water bath for the little guy, meanwhile sieun still stood at the door, watching you in awe.

“sieun, please stop ogling at me and find some towels!!” you jokingly stated, moving your head towards him. he once again snapped out of his daze, moving towards the bathroom to find extra cloths. “i wasn’t doing that,” he mumbled, lying to himself before coming back out with two drastically differently sized towels.

he walked over to the kitten on the counter, approaching it with caution. “how do i..” he trailed off. “oh, pick him up and bring him here.” you splashed the water around to make sure it wasn’t too hot before watching him expectantly. he stared at it for a second before attempting to pick him up. the tiny cat had little to no reaction- as sieun placed his hands under and around it, it did nothing but stare at him.

he placed it in the shallow bowl of warm water, watching as you bathed it with the water in an attempt to get it cleaner. minutes passed and minimal conversation was exchanged, the both of you only focusing on the cat.

you put so much effort into cleaning it up, after you were finished you walked over to the counter and wrapped the towel around the small cat, bringing it up to your chest, cooing at it in an attempt to calm it down. sieun's eyes watched you, and the way you treated it, noting how gentle you were with the small cat. "can you watch him while i change?" he nodded once, smiling before walking to his door to find some clothes to wear, later moving to the bathroom to change.

sieun sat on the floor of his room beside the kitty, staring at it as it waddled around in a circle. what was he even supposed to do with it? he's never had a pet before, let alone an almost newborn kitten. he recalled the way you held it and decided it might be beneficial to it if he interacted with it.

he didn't say anything as he scooted closer to it, placing a hand in it's path to prevent it from wandering off further. he picked it up like you did with the towel, bringing it close to his chest, craning his neck downward to stare at it. "meowr," the creature let out, staring at him with big beady eyes.

ah, now he understood why you took it in.

it leaned it's head into his shirt and very, very softly purred. the corners of his mouth tilted upwards as he began to gently but stiffly stroke it's fur. it meow'd again and slowly closed it's eyes, it's soft snores following after, and it didn't take him long to realize it was sleeping. "[name]?" he called for you before he slowly stood up and peeked out of his door, looking for you. "coming!" you whisper-shouted, walking towards him with the stray can of tuna you found in his cupboard. "oh," you mumbled as you saw the sleeping kitten that was cradled in his arms, before looking up to see that he was looking down at it too. he looked up, meeting your eyes. "he fell asleep suddenly," he watched your expression that quickly brightened as you noticed the sparkle in his eyes, watching as he looked back down at it. "so cute." you didn't move your gaze as his shifted to yours. his head snapped towards yours, looking into your eyes, almost as if he was shocked; his stomach suddenly swarming with a fluttery feeling. you smiled at his shyness and cupped his cheek, leaning in closer as the both of your eyes slowly closed, "was talking about you, by the way," you whispered onto his lips. you closed the gap between his mouth and yours, relishing in the way he sighed into the kiss. the two of you held it for a while before he pulled away, immediately turning away and back into his room in an attempt to hide his face from you, the corners of his lips turning upwards as he walked. you giggled at his action, going to join him on the floor of his room.

♡

taglist: @brxght-world @karyuliee @kkaesslovr @qtaisuu

[20dollarlolita]

Good news: went to San Francisco with friends. Got to go to Baby and AP. Had a ton of fun. Bad news: dumped myself out of my wheelchair and into a San Francisco gutter in the middle of an intense storm RIGHT before going into Baby, was rushing to get to AP before they closed and forgot my side guards in my car, drove for a few hours to get home and the storm knocked out my power and water, and my JSK is a little, well

That's a seat belt print. This is what happens when you get in a car in a wet cotton burbery JSK for a few hours. The socks might be saveable but they have actual mud on the bottoms from loading and unloading my chair at one point. I usually wash this dress myself but it's definitely going to the dry cleaner's with a note that says, "I'm sorry (btw this is wheelchair dirt so i'm DOUBLE sorry)" on it.

I can't even start to clean it yet because my house still doesn't have water. And I can't take it to my dry cleaner's because the entire city they're in doesn't yet have power. So, unless any of y'all out there can confirm that leaving it in the backyard to get rained on will help it, this dirt's just going to sit there until an act of god is done happening.

I also can't start to clean it yet because my front yard looks like this, and while the Honda Fit is AMAZING for fitting my rigid wheelchair into the back without me needing to take off the wheels, it is actually notably bad at off-road traveling around fallen trees.

[steveshaped]

i knew you'd come back to me

a/n: i was searching for a christmas fic with steve, a little bit of fluff and a whole lot of angst. this is just me scratching that itch. btw this is a sideblog which i'm using to write and i don't know if i will continue using it or not.

anyway, this is entirely inspired by my obsession with cardigan by taylor swift so... here we are.

pairing: steve rogers x reader

content warnings: angst, fem! implied reader but can be read as gn! too. the snap didn't happen but time travel did, go along with it, would you? kinda sad ending maybe.

you stare at the pumpkin cookie dough as thoughts of last december creep in. snow, spaghetti, sparkling champagne, shortcakes, silver on the table and these cookies.

those were the kind of dinners you had with steve.

gooseflesh erupted on the back of your neck as you felt the cold air seep in through the door as someone walked in, snapping you out of the memory.

"good evening, would you like to order a coffee?" you ask customarily as you get ready to take his order.

"uh, yeah, can i get a pumpkin spiced latte with vanilla?"

you look up at the guy, almost hoping to see someone else. steve always ordered that since the first time you suggested it to him.

white snow and black coffee, that's who he was before he met you. until you started adding more spice to his life.

it was the middle of december and for some reason you've had steve on your mind all day long. the last time that you had thought of him was when a memory popped up on your phone with a picture of the two of you. you've since deleted all the pictures from your phone (of course, after taking a backup) but that was when you'd finally taken a step to put it past you. that was when you'd decided to stop making yourself suffer in the tiniest of ways. 

today was not helping.

today had been full of coincidences. if that's what it still was, a coincidence. you had gone to pick up your dress from the dry cleaners after your daily run in the morning and you'd seen the exact pair of levi's that steve owned. perhaps not the exact one because this pair had a huge stain on it. so you wound up thinking about the night when he'd been wearing those when he took you out on a date and you both ended up drinking a lot of wine with dinner. he was barely intoxicated, obviously– but being around your silly goofy drunk self made him less sober. and when you both stumbled into your home, unable to locate the light switches– steve opened your curtains whilst you played some music from your phone and took out the good wine for the both of you to have. then your favourite song came on and steve asked you to dance– the streetlight streaming in– illuminating his face– he almost looked younger, carefree, more than you'd ever seen him. you leaned your head on his shoulder as he placed his hands on your waist, both swaying with the beat.

you remember that later when you'd changed into your sweats and crept into the bed with him, you were grateful that it was a sunday the next day and you'd be lucky enough to wake up next to him rather than be greeted with an empty bed as usual. steve adjusted as you climbed under the covers with him and his hand crept up your back, under your sweatshirt, trailing your spine– always at the same spot. as you tried to fall asleep, you spent some time tracing the stretch marks on his arms. the ones he said he had gotten when he was treated with the supersoldier serum and his body grew too quickly, too soon. he wore a thrifted vintage tee, the one he'd found when you took him to your favourite thrift shop down the street. not quite as old as him, but then again, only a few things were. somehow he gravitated towards them, feeling a kinship towards the lost things of the world. it was the same tshirt you'd seen a dad wearing in the park you'd gone to for your morning run.

normally you didn't have time to notice your body when you got ready for work. but today you noticed the constellation of stars tattooed on your knee. the ones he'd drawn after you slipped and fell in the shower and ended up with a large bruise and swollen knee. steve took care of you the whole day, he gave your knee kisses 'to make it heal faster', the way his ma used to. when he was finally leaving the next morning to go on a mission with nat, he drew those stars– a kiss that would stay with you. you waited for your knee to get better, wrapping it up and making the ink last longer on your skin till you could finally make it permanent.

but it was inevitable, you always knew you'd loose him. every time he went on a mission, every moment he wasn't with you, you were preparing yourself for it.

only when you had started to feel more secure– only when you'd catch yourself daydreaming of a future with him– that was when you'd lost him. you remember the car ride to the train station when he was leaving again for new york that week. you'd been feeling odd that day, for no apparent reason. you assured yourself that steve will come back soon. he'd been living with you for the past couple of months until he got a call from tony (only that it was bruce) telling him about some infinity stones.

the steve you knew, listened to you. when he left, he'd grown out his hair and beard on your suggestion– that was your steve. not the version that everyone else knew. the steve you knew was a human being who sometimes made mistakes, occassionally had mood swings, on some days he loved you more and other days not so much (on days you'd had another one of your fights about his retirement) but at the end of the day, he was yours. that's what you thought.

everyone else thought that if anything, steve was loyal. but when the war was over and steve left with the infinity stones, you sat in your home waiting. for days and days you had waited. but there was no news of him. had something happened to him? did he need saving? if so, why didn't anyone go back for him? and no one would say anything. not even bucky. you weren't sure if you had to grieve or not. the only thing you knew was that steve was alive. he didn't come back to you though.

until tonight, when you came back home to find someone sitting on your porch, waiting for you. it took you some time to register. it was steve, it really was him but, he was older. much much older than the steve you knew. 

"y/n"

"steve" you said, surprisingly with a steady voice. you didn't know if that made you look brave or detached. would it make him think that what you had was not real? but if he really went back to live his life then did he ever think of your relationship as something real?

"can we talk?" he asked. his voice was heavier, older too. you let the man in. made him a fresh cup of coffee. 

"the cold really hits you at this age" he says and you laugh out loud. steve was never cold, even when you'd be shivering with teeth chattering cold, you could still find him to be perfectly warm. on occasions you have used him as a human heat regulator. you hand him a hot cup of coffee as you sit down on the couch.

he explains what happened. he explains how he chose peggy. he was a loyal man after all, he had to show up for the promised dance. and he stayed, he wanted to. but he didn't want to hurt you. you'd only been together for how long? you let him finish because you didn't want to fight him. you don't even know how to anymore because this man wasn't the steve you knew. this man had lived his life.

so you let him finish his story. about how he'd passed on his shield to sam. how he needed to come back a last time to explain everything to you because you didn't deserve what he did to you. it took him months because he was sorting out legal stuff. and then some more time to decide what to say to you. and here he was.

last christmas you had steve, tackling you with kisses. a dust of sugar on your nose that he licked up for you. and the sweet aftertaste in his mouth when he kissed you right after. of steve, of sweet vanilla and pumpkin spice from his coffee that he'd had earlier.

you had met him on the train from new york. you'd get to talking around when he way eyeing your cookies (which smelled delicious, who wouldn't?) and so you ended up offering him some. you had some pretty good laughs on that ride, and you didn't mind that he finished up your snack. you'd only known him as steve. so when he asked you out on a date while geting off on the station, you weren't surprised– he was a charming man. and you weren't afraid of admitting that he had your heart right then.

and it's hard to believe that it was only last year that steve was here, putting up the ornaments on the tree for you, massaging your feet after you came home from a very busy day at the cafe, him kissing you at midnight on new years. why is everything so different now? you couldn't help but wonder, what if it wasn't? what if that steve was still here?

but he wasn't. and for that you forgive him, you had to. for your own good. he chose peggy and you forgive him because what you had with him was enough for you. 

you never did hope for a lifetime with him. 

what you had was a lifetime. 

"it's okay steve" you said. and he knew that you were okay then, that you will be okay without him.

that night was the last you saw of him, you sat beside him with your head on his shoulder, breathing him in for the last time as you held his warm hand between your cold palms. and before he left, you kissed his cheek for the last time. you had him at last. he came back to you. and your's was the last kiss he would hold.

[dazedpuppydairies]

Here's what I was wearing the other day, I think it looks kinda cool. I have 3 black and white shirts from Toxic Femme like this one which has lyrics from Harmony Parking Lot by Johnny Hobo on it. One of my favorite songs btw. Anyway in the last year my color scheme has become black and white because I've only had like these three t-shirts. Whenever I have "extra money" / money that isn't going towards rent I never want to spend it on clothes I want to spend it on some cool impulse purchase like the choker I'm wearing from YokaiDissidence or food, but now it's winter and I'm like oh shit I don't have clothes. I'd still rather buy food than clothes. If I went digging through my father's apartment I could find some clothes. Like I know for a fact I have two jackets there I thrifted, but one is leather and one is wool which is an issue because he has bed bug. Like I know I could take them to a dry cleaner, but that would be so fucking expensive. Besides that though I think it's really interesting I go through phases where I have a color scheme for whatever reason. I should pull up some old pictures later and show what I mean.

[clatterbane]

[One cave open for touristy purposes, not far from where I grew up. Not my photo.]

I saw somebody half-joking earlier that one of the major drawbacks to living in Sweden was November. In this part of the country, about as far south as it's possible to get? The overcast skies with wind and cold rain are more of a whole winter phenomenon. But, at least it's less likely to happen in July! Which is a damn sight better than what I got almost-used to living around London for all those years. 🥴

It took me long enough, but then it finally occurred to me exactly what the special sort of deceptive harshness to the British climate reminded me of: sneaky cave hypothermia!

Yeah, I grew up on limestone karst and we actually got warned about that a lot. Because kids. Back home, down in caves it tends to stay somewhere around 52F/11C year round--which doesn't sound that bad at first! (Especially in a significantly colder winter climate than anywhere in the UK.)

But, that shit can sneak up and really start leaching the life out of you after a while. Especially with the constant damp and the cold water liable to keep dripping all down inside your clothes and quickly soaking your feet. 🥶 Nothing is going to dry out down there. It's also easy to get disoriented from the darkness, and pay less-good attention to what's going on.

Yep, kinda noticing some similarities there. 😒

[Same cave, same source.]

In fact, the Virginia Tech Cave Club's list of required gear for their outings sounds pretty suitable if you may be spending half an hour or more walking around London under very typical weather conditions:

• Helmet with chinstrap (must be worn at all times)

• Three sources of light

• Water

• Large trash bag (for dirty clothes after the trip, and for warmth in the cave)

Maybe substitute something like the Seattle Sombrero I actually picked up the first winter here in Malmö for the helmet, and you could do worse. Or, maybe keep the helmet too, given how randos chucked shit out of their cars at me more than once. You might also prefer to carry along hot drinks in a Thermos, because yeah.

Further sensible suggestions there, btw:

Note that cotton clothing is not recommended, as some caves can be damp. Instead, try to find clothes made out of polypropylene, nylon, or other synthetic material.

• Boots (preferably with lug soles and ankle support)

• Heavy jeans

• Thick socks

• Long sleeve T-Shirt (extra shirts recommended for more insulation)

Please remember to bring a change of clothes for the ride back! You WILL be dirty!

In this case, you may as well wait until you get back to wherever you're going before you change. Because the whole outside environment is the dank cave. But, otherwise? You could do a lot worse.

They are also NOT factoring in windchill, which is generally not a major consideration down inside a cave. Better make sure to add a windproof layer too, at the very least.

Similar does apply here in the winter, too. Only, it's cleaner and that shit does tend to clear up come late spring or so. Which is something, at any rate.

[dumplingsjinson]

Not sure if you've answered this before, I'm a newcomer to your blog (congrats with cat guy btw, he sounds like everything I'd dream of in a guy 0////0 like omfg u guys are so fkn cute I'm gonna die) but what were your experiences with Hinge?

I'm like THIS close to diving into dating apps but Tinder scares me a bit in its popularity, also thanks to the countless stories I've heard growing up of people exploiting others sjdkshjdjs. Im 21 and also live kinda rural in a "city" with like 15,000ish people and I'm a smidge worried it's too small of a place to do dating app shenanigans safely, ykwim? Hinge sounds like a neat app but I've heard of a few technical problems and glitches (well, as you do every dating app lol), and I'm not gonna be paying for anything either, and I was just curious how you found it.

I have a board of derectives, the veto crew, the Cock Council if you will 🤣 who are gonna help me through this whole chapter. So gl me 😎🤙

(Yeah so... cat guy is on pause right now as I try to clarify if we're on the same page about things so That's Fun. ANYWAY.)

I'd say my experience with Hinge has been pretty okay, though I have run into some weird glitches before. Granted, I've only gone on dates with three guys on that app, but I think that's more than the other apps I've been using. I've also gotten dates using Bumble and CMB, but never gotten a date using Tinder, simply because it's more of a "hookup culture" app than anything else, and I just never really wanted to swipe on there even though I have an account? Of course, every app has their risks, and not everyone on those apps are good people but I feel like Tinder definitely is less trustworthy than the other apps, especially because it is the most popular dating app out there, so you've got basically every type of person on there. Some with good intentions, some without.

Hinge works well enough without needing to pay, and I feel like the layout is just much cleaner than the other dating apps I've used.

Hinge > Bumble = CMB > Tinder in terms of layout (for me).

Hinge > Bumble > CMB > Tinder in terms of finding someone (again, at least for me).

But yes to the "Cock Council" 100% HAHAHA. It's a must!!

Trust me, all of my friends know about me being on these dating apps and about all the dates I've gone on, so I run to them for advice (as well as here on Tumblr because some of you people are good at this shit fr) whenever needed, and they kinda give me a third party perspective on things when I get really into my head. For example, had a call with my friend the day before yesterday about cat guy and him changing his Hinge profile, and she helped calm the hell down because I was DEFINITELY stressing about it a bit too much lol.

Anyway, good luck with the apps. Stay safe, meet in public if you ever do go on a first date (goes without saying, really), and be patient. You won't find someone instantaneously (I guess some people are really lucky in this department) and there will be times when things go a little dry. Also, Hinge has a like limit of 8 per day, so just keep that in mind when you're swiping. Use the prompts to the best of your abilities to showcase the traits you have, or the hobbies and interests you want to use to draw people in. Use good pictures, or at least ones that are more recent, if you're able to.

You've got this!

[vinnieslove]

hey i was wondering if your requests are open … would you mind writing about how you and vinnie got into it so he’s giving you the silent treatment and you’re doing the absolute most to get him to break. like you took a shower and decided to just walk out naked and wear his fav pair of shorts and one of his tops. feel free to change it if you want!! btw love your writing and sorry this is so long lol💚💚

break him

summary || after a heated argument vinnie give you the silent treatment. you being petty give him the silent treatment too. but after getting bored you decide to see how long it takes him to break.

warnings || talks of nudity, swearing, arguing, mentions of sex

authors note || i love this request sm. also sam and camille or fake ppl i need two names

“why didn’t you just tell me!” vinnie yelled. you two were currently in the middle of a heated argument. you went out for the day and didn’t return until very late at night and vinnie didn’t find out until the next morning.

“because,” you started to get more frustrated by the second. “i don’t need to tell you everything i just wanted to hang out with my friends! can i note hang out with my friends?”

“of course you can! i don’t understand why you couldn’t have given me a fucking heads up!” vinnie ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“it’s not like i was alone, i was with sam and camille!”

“oh you were with sam? that’s great.” he said with a sarcastic tone.

“oh my god, vinnie, don’t get jealous. his with camille, you know this.” you couldn’t believe he was jealous of a guy in another relationship.

vinnie practically gave up the argument, “i can’t do this right now.” he shook his head heading towards the door.

“vinnie,” you started walking towards him walking towards the door. “vinnie, come on. i’m sorry okay.”

he didn’t listen. he just walked right out the door and headed towards the front entrance. he hopped in his car and just drove.

you stood in your shared bedroom. you sighed and ran a hand through your hair. tears started welling up in your eyes. you quickly blinked them away and headed towards your car.

you had a few errands to run so why not now. it would’ve been better if vinnie was with you.

after about a couple hours you had finished your errands, even got lunch, and went home. you set the few groceries you forgot for the house on the counter and put the away. you carried the rest of your stuff upstairs.

when you entered the room you saw vinnie playing one of his games. he wasn’t or streaming or anything, just playing.

“uh hi. i’m home,” you started “i got that suit you dropped off at the dry cleaners the other day.”

not a peep. it’s not like he didn’t hear you, he didn’t have headphones on so he definitely heard you. you sigh and set the suit in the closet. you set your stuff down and change into something comfy. you changed into some shorts and one of vinnie’s shirts that went past the shorts.

without you noticing, vinnie takes a quick peek at you. once he notices the shirt your wearing, he quickly turns back around taking a deep breath. he can’t resist even at least kissing you when you wear his clothes. it’s a weakness of his. you knew what you were doing though, and so did he.

you were currently laying on your shared bed just scrolling through your phone. sooner or later hera comes at lays next to you. you were getting more bored by the second.

you and your devilish little mind decide to get up and walk towards vinnie. maybe teasing him would get him to break.

you wrap arms loosely around his neck. “vinnie, baby, i’m sorry.” you start to kiss his neck gently. your hand begins to rub his chest a little. “vinnie, com on. i’m sorry.”

vinnie tried so hard not to break. you were being real tempting. you kept kissing his neck ever so lightly so you’d give him goosebumps.

when he didn’t break you sighed, “i’m going to shower.” you said making your way to the bathroom.

after a nice, long, hot and steamy shower you stepped out and wrapped your towel around you. you wiped the fog from the mirror and looked at yourself. you grabbed all your skincare stuff and gently put it on your face.

“shit,” you said to yourself. you forgot to bring clothes to change into. you walked out of the bathroom with your towel wrapped around you.

you wanted to wear one of vinnies shirts again, one of his old one that he never wore. for some reason those were your favorite. he always kept them on a shelf above everything. to reach it, you’d need to stand on your tippy toes and reach for it.

you let it slip your mind that you were still wearing a towel and you needed to hold it to keep it in place. you did momentarily but as you continued to reach you let it go so you could reach further.

once you felt the cold air hit your body, you let out a small yelp. vinnie, now laying on the bed, turned over to see all the commotion. his eyes went wide when he saw your naked body. of course he’d seen it before, you guys had sex all the time.

‘fuck’ he whispered to himself. it’s getting harder to ignore you. at any moment he was going to break.

you hadn’t don’t this on purpose— if you had you’d tease him more. you grabbed the shirt, and your towel, and the rest of the clothes you needed and quickly made your way to the bathroom seeing as the cold air wasn’t going away.

once you finished getting ready for bed, you made your way out and on to the bed. you sigh, seeing vinnie not greet you after you shower hurt.

you slowly walk towards the bed, placing your phone down on its charger on the night stand. you climbed on top the bed and sat on it.

“vinnie, i’m sorry. really i am.” he didn’t bat an eye. “okay? i messed up and i’m sorry. i really should’ve texted you. looking back it was stupid of me not to text you.” you started to tear up. you tried to sniff quietly, feeling your nose get a bit stuffy, but you failed.

vinnie heard this and immediately sat up, setting his phone aside. “oh, baby, please don’t cry. i’m sorry for ignoring you.”

you now had tears running down your face, “no, vinnie, don’t apologize. i’m the one in the wrong.” you hiccuped throughout that whole sentence.

vinnie took you in his embrace. he is now laying up against the whole and your curled into his side, wiping your tears with his shirt. he didn’t care though, he chuckled a bit at your actions.

he leaned down to kiss your head. “i’m sorry for blowing up.”

“i’m sorry for not texting you. i’ll text you everything i’m doing from now on.” you said as a partial joke.

vinnie chuckled, “okay, my love. i’ll be waiting for those texts.”

“i love you,” you said.

“i love you too,” vinnie replied.

[beehivian]

FUCK YOU FAST FASHION COMPANIES FOR NOT MAKING YOUR CLOTHES WASHABLE

This past week I have had a coworker tell me about a dress she was so excited to get but once it came in, the instructions said ‘do not wash, do not dry clean’ and she had NO idea what to do if she ever got it dirty or dared to wear deodorant and got deodorant stains, so she was probably only going to wear it once.

I told her to hand wash in cold water + air dry

She shouldn’t have to hand wash a POLYESTER SUMMER DRESS because the company couldn’t be ASSED to FINISH THEIR SEAMS and. I dunno. MAKE THEIR CLOTHING WEARABLE. (The polyester is why it can’t be dry cleaned btw. The chemicals that are used at a dry cleaner would eat through the fabric)

I also had a cosplayer friend come to me today with the same problem. I’ll save my opinions on mass manufactured cosplay for later but, yeah, no wonder there’s such a churn issue where cosplayers only wear a costume once or twice.

[aftgficrec]

Got any different first meeting au’s with andreil? Something preferably in andrews pov (any length is fine) Btw, you guys are awesome! Thank you for your contribution to the fandom💜

We sure do! Also make sure to check out our different first meeting and strangers to lovers tags. For the recs from previous asks, you should be able to determine POV fairly quickly. If I link a fic by name, it will be Andrew’s POV. I can’t list all of our previous recs, but will give you a nice variety. - A

from previous recs...

Andreil pre-Palmetto here (this links to several previous asks)

Andreil meet again at PSU here

Andreil meet in Easthaven here

Neil didn't go to Palmetto here

meet-cute fics here

‘L'amour parle en fleurs’ and ‘In Flanders Fields’ here

‘better than nothing’ and ‘Two of a Kind’ here

‘Slinging Mozart Sideways’ here

‘Being So Normal’ and ‘The Trials and Tribulations of Being a Teacher’ here

‘Gotta Start Somewhere,’ ‘Andrew Minyard’s Diary,’ and ‘told me everything about you (that’s a bold move)’ here

‘Fencing With Reality’ here

‘Surreal But Nice’ here

‘Andrew Minyard vs. The World’ and ‘under the kitchen lights (you still look like dynamite)’ here 

‘The Morning AUs’ - Ch 1 ‘Hello Ghost’ here, Ch 4 ‘The Witch Hunt’ here, Ch 14 ‘The Bodyguard AU’ here, Ch 49 ‘The Transfer’ here

‘What Does A Pipe Dream Look Like?’ here

‘take yourself home’ here

‘he is the words that i can't find’ here

‘N for nebulous’ (since updated) here

‘Until our veins run red and blue’ here

‘do you like scary movies?’ (now complete) and ‘(in)substantial’ here

‘Foxglove Fridays,’ ‘Cover Me’ and ‘cover me (the enchanted ink remix)’ here

‘Glencaster Lodge’ and 'Catfish' here

‘The Dry Cleaner,’ ‘Reason Number Five,’ and ‘Coffee & Lies’ here

‘Foxhaven’ here 

‘AFTG Bingo 2k18..Ch 2 Pretend’ here

‘his elastic life,’ ‘of cabbages and kings,’ ‘in the summer silence,’ and ‘summer lovin'’ here 

‘Petal-Shaped Epiphanies’ and ‘set the lights’ here

‘broken glass’ here

‘it suits you’ and ‘maybe i’m defective, maybe i’m dumb’ here

‘I Just Wanted To Protect You’ and ‘You're Such a Violent High’ here

Flames by Demiwitchwoodwalker [Rated T, 11759 Words, Incomplete, Updated April 2021]

Andrew has never expected his life to be anything even close to normal. He’s never been anywhere for long, and everywhere he went was accompanied by pain. Still, living with his cousin and brother feels as close as he’ll maybe ever get to feeling normal—until that’s disturbed too when a new kid shows up at their school, shrouded in mystery and trying a little too hard to fit in.

Aka an AU where Neil and Andrew meet a bit earlier than canon and I bend some things to my own will.

tw: implied/referenced rape/non-con, tw: implied/referenced csa, tw: child abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm

the ballad of the cat café by lolainslackss [Rated T, 7088 Words, Complete, 2021]

Andrew has barely started reading the menu when someone else emerges from the kitchen—a boy around his own age, he guesses, with pretty, delicate features and tanned skin flecked here and there with the paler lines and splotches of fading scars. He’s got dark half-moons under his eyes, a brilliant scowl on his face, and he’s wearing an apron with a picture of a similarly pissed off-looking cat adorning the front pocket.

He pokes Nicky in the shoulder with the floury rolling pin he’s brandishing like a baseball bat. “Oi,” he grunts. “What’s with the ruckus?”

(or, Andrew and Neil meet in a cat café.)

tw: implied/referenced abuse, tw: implied/referenced csa

countless by djhedy [Rated T, 4563 Words, Complete, 2021]

Andrew has no intention of going over to the hot bartender and working out what his deal is. Instead he will just observe his interactions with customers, drink until he feels something, and go home. A perfect Friday night.

-

in which andrew does not go over to the hot bartender and his friends are the worst

tw: alcohol

cone sold stober by bazookajo94 [Rated T, 3499 Words, Complete, 2021]

“I’m not paying for that.” Andrew reached out for the waffle cone and avoided touching Neil this time.

“I’m just giving it to you,” Neil told him.

“You’re terrible at this job,” Andrew said.

Neil shrugged. “It’s just for the summer.”

Uneven Odds by City_Of_Paper_And_Ink [Rated M (we say T), 12592 Words, Complete, 2020]

Andrew's job at Fox Paws ice-cream is like someone who served ice-cream all summer would expect: cold and wanting to kill the other employees one worked with. But there is one person that keeps coming back despite his apparent disdain for ice-cream, and Andrew is intrigued for the first time in awhile.

What's the worst that could happen?

tw: implied/referenced murder