#just throw it out there and let whoever sees it answer or ignore! whatever you want!

[waterfallofspace]

little might delete later poll~ honestly feeling a bit nervous to even ask this-

so as I've said a little bit, I'm not super sensitive, not a lot of inducing/allergies that work, so generally I stick to character wavs since it's scripted and I can use a lot of takes to edit it, buuutttt~ recently I've been enjoying a little more.... voice work~ and so I was curious if anyone would be interested in a sort of- heavier on the talk, voice heavy type of thing?~

(feel free to leave comments/hit up my inbox too if there's anything specific, or to ignore this altogheter >-<)

[dean-a-mean-tae]

Follow The Leader | Stray Kids Extra Member AU

Nicholas's habits that the boys subconsciously started doing.

WARNINGS: swearing, idk. I kind of just whipped this out of my ass. I wanted to give you fluff before Wednesday. I love you :)

Nicholas Master list | Reaction Style

BANG CHAN Throwing their head back when they laugh

Nicholas used to hide his smile and force his laughs down. He was taught expressing loud emotions was inappropriate and was a sign of disrespect. So, he refused to be noisy around his members. While they thought he was uncomfortable, Nick was actually showing them respect.

When they finally broke Nicholas out of his shell, they discovered his wonderful habit of throwing his head back during a really good laugh. His eyes will close, his teeth showing, and his head thrown back as his shoulders shake with laughter.

It's a terrible habit when they're in front of walls.

*thump*

"Holy- Are you okay?" Hyunjin laughed as he rubbed the back of Nicholas's head. Before Nick could answer, another thud came from the other side of the room, and the duo looked over.

Chan leaned forward, rubbing his head as he laughed loudly. Once what happened clicked, Nicholas laughed harder and fell on the floor. The trio of boys laughed at the two's similar clumsiness.

LEE MINHO Shouting while running

Let me explain. Nicholas is a pretty big guy. He's going to bulldoze whoever he doesn't see when running. After one too many accidents, Nicholas started making a siren nose while running. Whenever staff hear the siren, they press themselves against the nearest wall or compact their body out of the way.

Minho started doing it to tease Nicholas, but it stuck after he realized how effective it was.

"WEEWOO WEEWOO!" or "BEEEP! BEEEP! Incoming! Incoming!"

Like they trained for this their whole lives, everyone pressed against the walls. Those who weren't lucky enough to get to a wall in time hopped onto furniture or slid into doorways and prayed this wasn't the path meant to be taken.

When the staff looked up, they watched Minho and Nicholas fly down the hallway with the members hot on their heels.

"I don't know if I hate how much it works, or if I love it," Chan huffed as he slowed to a stop in the middle of the hallway. He looked at each staff member before letting out a breathy chuckle. "They're gone now you can relax."

"WEEWOO! WEEWOO!"

"nEVERmInD!"

SEO CHANGBIN Humming when slightly annoyed

Nicholas will never tell you to your face that you piss him off. You have to pay attention to his expressions or his actions. Since he was 6, Nicholas developed the habit of humming to alert people of his growing irritation.

He hums to release tension in his body instead of grinding his teeth.

The members realized it after continuously teasing him about something. They ignored the first few signs, but his repeated humming told them.

"You better stop it," Minho warned, watching Jisung and Felix poke at Changbin while he was eating.

"Why? He does this to us," Jisung huffed as Nicholas sat on the floor.

"Are you irritated?" Nicholas asked, and Changbin nodded as he continued to humming quietly.

"Sorry, hyung," Jisung and Felix muttered before leaving to bother Minho.

HWANG HYUNJIN Drawing on cups

Whenever Nicholas brings the members a cup of something, he draws something on the cups or leaves a message. Since Changbin told him how happy it made him and the members agreed, Nicholas hasn't missed a chance at drawing on a cup. He'll take their cups out of their hand and draw on them sometimes.

One day, Hyunjin drew on Nicholas' cup, and the smile on Nick's face made Hyunjin promise to repay his kindness. It's become a secret code for them. They both keep the cups or heat protector sheets, whatever they've drawn on, in a drawer.

"How come your cup has a little penguin on it?" Jisung whined as he leaned over Nicholas' shoulder. The older boy shrugged as he sipped his drink to hide his smile.

To busy whining, Jisung missed the smile shared between Hyunjin and Nicholas.

HAN JISUNG Sneezing with their entire bodies

The members joke about sticking Nicholas into a helmet because of how clumsy he is. He sneezes clumsily. He will pause whatever he's doing and take a deep breath before thrusting his head and torso forward as he lets out a dying rat sound. The members will never let him live down the time he did that and fell into a pile of pillows at a friend's house.

The first time Jisung did it, Felix and Nicholas were watching Jisung's live.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Felix screamed as Jisung flew from the camera, and a loud shout echoed from the mic. Next to him, Nicholas's head is thrown back in laughter at the blur that was once his younger friend.

Minho popped up on the camera and waved, making Nicholas laugh harder. Minho looked down before looking back up with a thumbs up, "He's fine. He just sneezed."

A hand appeared from under the desk, and Jisung gave them a thumbs up. Felix laughed as he handed a wheezing Nicholas tissue to wipe his face.

"He just disappeared!"

LEE FELIX Silent Feet

Because of childhood trauma, Nicholas learned to walk on silent feet. He can walk loud, but his body is used to walking softly. Unfortunately for the members, this means getting scared by a 6'3 pole randomly appearing in their peripheral vision.

Felix has picked up on this habit and used it for plenty of things. He usually uses this habit to sneak around the dorms at night. One of the members, usually Nicholas, will wake up to a body under them. Half the time, it's Jeongin, but sometimes it's Felix.

"Why are you in my bed?"

Felix spluttered at the deep voice laced with sleep from his older member. Only after he burrowed under the covers and into the back of Nicholas did Felix respond.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Don't know," He answered. Felix hummed as Nicholas turned to face him. They stared at each other, thankful for the dark purple LED light shining in the room.

"Maybe you can't sleep because you have these lights on," Felix whispered, and Nicholas smiled.

"Maybe I left them on because I knew someone was gonna creep through the hallway to my room," He said, raising his brows in amusement. Felix huffs as he buries his face in a stuffed animal.

"Goodnight, sunshine."

"Good night, Nick."

KIM SEUNGMIN Randomly glaring

Nicholas has a terrible case of RBF. When he relaxes his face, it looks like he's glaring at you. He tries not to chill, mainly for that reason. Seungmin developed the habit randomly. They don't know the exact time it happened or why he started doing it.

He just starts glaring at random objects or at nothing. Usually, when Nicholas starts to relax, Seungmin tense up and glares.

"What's wrong with you?" Chan asked, and Seungmin tilted his head.

"Nothing, why?"

"You look like you're gonna stab us!" Hyunjin screamed, and everyone laughed as Seungmin mimicked stabbing him with a crunchy french fry.

YANG JEONGIN Connecting his fingers to his thumbs

People think Nicholas is counting when he does this, but it's been debunked when they realize most of the time, he has no reason to. Someone thought he was mimicking playing the piano like his older sister does and everyone ran with it.

He's actually just stretching his fingers, but he lets STAY think that because it's cute.

Jeongin started doing it when he realized why Nicholas did it. He didn't even know you could stretch your fingers until Nicholas told him about it.

"What are Nick and Innie counting?" Chan read, and everyone looked at the duo sitting next to each other. They were stretching their fingers again.

"Nothing," Nicholas answered.

"Then what are you doing?" Changbin asked, reaching back to grab Nick's hands.

"Nothing," Nicholas shrugged. Jeongin hummed in agreement as he leaned against the older boy's shoulder.

Nicholas Ross Master List

©️DEANAMEANTAE2024

Tags list: @bada-lee-ily, @jinnie-ret, @hwxnghyynjin, @foxilsdenn, @rensahazard, @mynameisnotlaura, You can be added by asking in the replies, sending me a message, or doing an ask thingy.

[redrose10]

Here is chapter 2! Chapter 3 will come out in a few days. Comments are appreciated and inbox is also open. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

Yoongi X Female Reader. CEO/Arranged Marriage AU

Summary: You were selected to marry the wayward CEO/Billionaire/Heir, Min Yoongi. You went into it with an open mind and heart determined to try and make it work. Yoongi on the other hand had no intention of ever letting you in let alone allowing himself to fall in love with you. Slowly you start to associate the smell of cinnamon and vanilla with the feelings of hurt and sorrow.

Word Count: 1,914

Warnings: (May get updated as chapters progress): Arranged marriage, cheating/infidelity, hints of smut (Probably won’t get very explicit but we’ll see how it goes), Sexual Assault, Brief mentions of death, Reader grew up an orphan, General Angst, Swearing

After getting home from signing the contract with Yoongi you started to worry that you had just thrown away the rest of your life to some man who couldn’t even look at you without turning his lips up in disgust which lead to a panic attack. Thankfully you were staying at Jimins and he was there to help you work through it reminding you that this was for the best and in the end it would all work out. You were hesitant but at this point there was no turning back anyways as you’d already signed your name. So you and Jimin decided to drown your sorrows in pizza and chocolate ice cream instead.

Waking up the next morning you felt like you got hit by a truck. Your body was sore and you could tell your face was swollen and raw from all of the crying. Wanting nothing more than to just stay in bed wrapped up in all the blankets, you purposely ignored the insistent knocking coming from the front door. When you realized that this person was not going to go away you got up throwing on an old sweatshirt and made your way to answer it. When you swung it open ready to snap at whoever couldn’t take the hint you were greeted with the same smell from the day before. Cinnamon and vanilla. Unfortunately the man standing infront of you did not match the same warm and comforting scent that he presented. He looked you up and down with one eyebrow raised, “So that’s what you decided to wear on our first date? I knew you weren’t much of a fashionista but I expected for you to at least have pants on.” Welcoming him in before shaking your head, “What date?” Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose clearly irritated. “I texted you last night letting you know that my parents set up a reservation for us to have lunch and get to know each other. I had assumed you got the message or is reading not something you’ve mastered yet?” You bit your lip trying to stop it from shaking so you could hold back the tears threatening to spill. You didn’t understand why he had to be so mean to you. Yes this wasn’t ideal but you were willing to try and make it work or at the very least act civil. Why couldn’t he? It’s was all for his benefit anyways.

Yoongi noticed your tears and suddenly had a strange feeling course through his body. Was it guilt, regret, sadness? Either way he didn’t like it. No way was he going to let you chip away at his walls he worked so hard to put up. “Hurry up and change Y/N. I’m not going to be seen in public with you dressed like that.”, he said with a flick of his wrist shooing you away.

You quickly wiped away at the tears that were breaking through the dam as you made your way back to the spare bedroom. Digging through your clothes you knew you had nothing that would be up to Yoongi’s standards so you decided on a dark red sweater dress paired with black tights and black boots as it was starting to finally cool down in the city. You threw on some light make up and put your hair in a quick messy bun using a ribbon to tie a bow to add a simple accent. Grabbing your purse you took one final look in the mirror. You chuckled to yourself at your appearance and braced yourself for whatever snarky remark Yoongi was going to make about you.

Walking out to the living room you found him sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone. You put on your best neutral face before making your presence known and announcing you were ready. Yoongi’s head lifted up and looked you up and down. You waited for his remark but he said nothing. Instead pushing past you to the front door holding it open and gesturing for you to lead the way.

The drive to the restaurant was surprisingly not as awkward as you had imagined. The restaurant, unsurprisingly, was extravagant and luxurious. The host sat the two of you at a private table towards the back corner and handed each of you a menu. Yoongi ordered the most expensive steak they had and paired it with a glass of whiskey. You on the other hand decided to go a more simple route and went with a chicken dish and a lemonade.

Yoongi sat looking at his phone, answering the occasional text message or email but ignoring your presence entirely.

“I thought your parents said we were supposed to get to know each other.”, you asked almost playfully.

You watched him roll his eyes at your statement but he put down his phone and gestured for you to continue.

Honestly you weren’t expecting that reaction so you didn’t know where to begin.

“Umm okay. What is your favorite color?”

He chuckled, “Don’t have one. I’m not a child.”

Alright, this will we harder than you thought. “What is your favorite thing to drink?”

He simply raises his glass of whiskey towards you and you nod while internally scolding yourself for such a stupid question.

You continue, “Do you have any hobbies or interests?”

“Well I like making and spending money, drinking whiskey, and women.”

Nodding your head in acceptance you’re pretty stumped on how to proceed at this point. “Anything you’d like to ask me?”, you questioned. “Nope.”, he said before taking a sip of his whiskey and returning back to his phone.

Thankfully the waiter returned placing your meals in front of you and the rest of the meal was spent in silence. You offered to pay for your lunch but Yoongi waved you off handing his card to the waiter. The ride back to Jimins was also silent and somehow more awkward than earlier and you couldn’t wait to get out of his car. The car had barely come to a stop before you were grabbing your belongings and reaching for the door handle.

“Thank you for lunch. It was very nice.”, you tried to be positive. He gave you a nod before turning his eyes back to the road. Just before you shut the door you heard your name whispered so you turned around and Yoongi was staring at you. “My assistant will contact you within the next week to set up a day for you to go over your selections for the wedding. Money is not an issue so you can pick whatever you want.”

You gave a small smile and shut the door watching as he sped off like he couldn’t get away from you quick enough.

The following day the announcement was made that Yoongi was set to be married. Social media sites were a mess trying to find out any information they could about the lucky woman that stole the heart of one of the worlds most eligible bachelors. Somehow they were able to find out most of your life story and plastered it all over their websites much to your dismay. It seemed like everything was working according to the plan. Most articles painted Yoongi to be the good hearted CEO that was turning his life around after falling in love with the a sweet foreigner who grew up as an orphan and was now set to marry a billionaire. One article even called you ‘A Real Life Cinderella’ which made you double over in laughter. If they only knew how your future husband was the farthest thing from a prince charming. You tossed your phone on the bed not wanting to read any more.

Just as he had said would happen Yoongi’s assistant contacted you about the wedding and that set off a whirlwind of events. The next two weeks were spent planning a wedding that you were trying your hardest to be excited for. Yoongi of course wanted no part of it so everything was on you. You left what you could up to the wedding planner. It didn’t even really feel like your wedding at this point so you didn’t feel the need to be apart of every decision anyways. Your only request being that the wedding flowers be Blue Hydrangeas which thankfully fit in with the theme that was planned.

The day of your wedding you slipped into the gown that was chosen for you. A beautiful one of a kind Valentino gown. The silhouette fit you perfectly with a train that was just long enough to be dramatic but not obnoxious. The lace detail along with the beading must’ve taken hours. The very low cut back made you feel beautiful and sexy. You’re sure the Mins had to pay extra to have it made in such short notice.

Hearing the door click shut you smiled when you turned around and saw Jimin walking over arms out ready to embrace you in a hug. “Wow Y/N, you look beautiful.” “Thank you Jimin. I guess a dress that costs more than a car can make anyone look good.”

He playfully shoved your shoulder. “Oh before I forget, Yoongi wanted me to give this to you.” Reaching for the black velvet box you gasped looking down at the two diamond earrings staring back at you. “Wow your man has good taste.”, Jimin chuckled. You softly scoffed to yourself while adding the earrings to your look. You figured Yoongi probably just had his assistant go out and buy the most expensive pair he could find. No way did Min Yoongi put thought and effort into a gift like this.

Standing behind the large double doors staring down at the bouquet in your hand you started questioning everything. You always believed in true love. Ever since you were a little girl you would imagine your own wedding. Never did you think you’d be in an arranged marriage and to someone who despises you so deeply.

Feeling someone squeeze your hand you looked up and saw Jimin giving you a comforting smile. You were thankful that he was there to walk you down the aisle. The music started as the double doors were swung open giving everyone the first look at the bride. Taking a deep breath you slowly walked down the aisle too afraid to make eye contact with Yoongi. You feared that if you saw him look down at you that you would just lose it and ruin your very expensive and time consuming makeup with tears.

Once at the alter you gave Jimin a kiss on the cheek and watched him walk off to his designated spot. Unfortunately, you could no longer avoid looking at Yoongi. But when you looked up it was worse than you could’ve imagined. Instead of looking down at you with disgust he wasn’t even looking at you at all. His eyes were fixated off to the side at something or someone in the audience. Following his direction you saw the cause of this distraction. A young beautiful blond woman wearing a dress that you would consider more appropriate for a club than a wedding. She was shyly giving him a discreet wave. Softly you whispered in shock to yourself getting the attention of your future husband who now looked back at you noticing the tears threatening to spill from your eyes and for some reason he almost felt guilty. Almost.

[ashwhowrites]

eddie who befriends the new girl, takes her around hawkins, shows her his band, takes her backstage, and even lets her stay over a few times. y/n who’s his gf is absolutely pissed. eddie is oblivious and won’t stop anytime soon. the new girl is now taking y/n’s spot, they’re practically dating now! so the only thing y/n knows is so part away :(( maybe she dates steve?!? idk idk happy ending, angsty, whatever u see fit!?!?

Absolutely and definitely not a happy ending with Eddie. Fuck him

If I was dating a guy and he had some girl sleeping over- he's so dead

⚠️it's going to hurt and there will be no part 2

Flashbacks

Eddie had a thing in his life where he let everything fall apart but tried to run away instead of watching it. He'd throw the match but run the seconds the flame got higher and higher. Leaving whoever was left in the fire to burn to the ground themselves. And him being in love wasn't any different.

He had a good thing, a great thing. He had a girl who loved him unconditionally, loved him in ways he didn't think anyone could. You would probably think he worked his hardest to make sure she wanted to stay, but he didn't. He made it impossible for her to stay. He watched her break into pieces and had the nerve to be upset when she didn't leave at least one shred of her to stay with him.

But at the end of the day, he started the fire.

She warned him over and over. That each time he brought Lily around, she was closer to leaving.

"Eddie seriously. I think it's great you want to help out the new girl but do you really need to go on a date all over town?"

"it's not a date, we are friends. And she's new. She doesn't know half the places around here"

"she likes you Eddie. Why else do you think she purposely asked for it to just be the two of you?"

"because you scare her! She doesn't feel welcomed by you and it's not in her head"

He slammed the door. That was one time he struck the match but didn't throw it into the gasoline yet.

~~

She didn't leave then yet though, she shook it off and hung out with friends. Maybe she thought too far into it. Maybe Lily wasn't after Eddie.

"since when do you allow anyone into hellfire?"

"it's just a club. Anyone is welcomed" Eddie shrugged as he set up his campaign.

His girlfriend fuming next to him. Seconds away from either bursting into tears or flames. She didn't know.

"just a club? You made Dustin win three campaigns before he was allowed in. Lucas got kicked out for joining basketball. Gareth is suspended because he had a date on hellfire night. But Lily gets all the special treatment doesn't she?"

"oh come on babe, it's not like that. I treat you special, not her" he scoffed.

He was so in denial she was scared of where his head was even at.

"me? Special? That's funny because when I wanted to join, before you knew I liked you. You told me "there's no way a girl could handle my campaign. Try again never, sweetheart " she mocked his words. " You are letting her join because you know she likes you, don't you?"

Eddie refused to answer. Truly believing all of this was in his girlfriends head. He didn't like Lily nor cared for Lily. But he isn't going to waste his time trying to defend himself against her when she already named him guilty.

But maybe he should've fought more. Strike two on the match, but no flames yet.

~~

He didn't notice just how close his girlfriend was to walking out on him. Not noticing the way her body was always feet away when Lily was around. Lily, who was always up against his side.

"a band? That's so cool"

"yeah it's badass. Here I'll show you backstage. Only welcomed to my favorite people"

Y/N laughed to herself as Eddie didn't even look back at her. Taking Lily by the hand and dragging her backstage.

The same backstage they've made out in thousands of times. The same one she confessed she was in love with him. The same place he told her the same thing.

Strike three on the match, flames were growing slowly

~~

Two months of him ignoring his girlfriends words and warnings. Once again in denial he was doing anything wrong. He wouldn't care if she was helping out a new kid. He trusted her, but he felt like she didn't trust him.

He didn't realize he was another strike of the match away from it all blowing up on him.

"sleeping over? Eddie no. She's not sleeping at your house" Y/N demanded as she stood up from Eddie's bed.

"she's drunk and needs a place to stay" he argued, throwing on his jacket as he looked for his keys.

"then she can call her other friends. Or leave with the ones she showed up with. I know for a fact Chrissy is there. Chrissy doesn't drink. She can bring her home. Chrissy wouldn't say no. She's calling because she knows it's our date night Eddie. Think about it!"

"Y/N seriously? God! She's not out to break us up. It seems like you are! She called me because I'm sure she knows I wouldn't tell her parents. It's just a night"

"yeah a night. The night we are meant to be together! We don't even have any of those anymore Eddie. STOP PICKING HER!" She ended screaming at the end. She felt like she was talking to a wall. Even then the wall might listen to her.

"GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. I'M NOT PICKING HER. THIS INSECURITY AND JEALOUSY YOU HAVE GOING ON FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS IS GETTING OLD" he screamed back.

She shook her head. Of course it all gets blamed back on her emotions.

"insecure and jealous? Yeah I wonder why. My boyfriend is leaving our date to go pick up a drink girl who's been trying to fuck him since she met him. And asking to sleep in his house. I don't think any girlfriend would be fine with that!"

" a girlfriend that trusted her boyfriend would" he snapped back.

She really wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh, scream, cry and slash his damn tires.

"trust? Okay here. You have two options: you stay here and we fix this relationship you keep ruining. Or you leave and pick her up, but I'm gone. And I'm fully fucking done. I trust you to make the right decision" she proposed. Standing with her arms crossed and eyes glaring into him.

"we'll talk about this when I get back" Eddie sighed. Slipping on his shoes as he walked towards his front door

"Eddie I'm serious. If you leave, I will not be here when you come back. We will be fucking over. "

She watched as he hesitated. Maybe her words were finally ringing his head. Maybe he started to see he was losing her. But he had one last chance to save it....he didn't.

But he shook his head, lit the final match and threw it on the gasoline soaked floor. Giving her one last look as the flames burned all around her.

He walked out the door. Driving away at a fast speed. Not knowing she was packing up everything of their relationship. Taking everything that was hers out of his room. Throwing their pictures all over the floor. A piece of paper taped to his now closed bedroom door

"all yours now lily"

If he got to walk out on her, then she got to walk out on him.

He just didn't know she did until he got home that night.

Tags!

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @slightlyvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee

[viktheviking1]

"Husky!!!!!!" Angel shouted as he stormed into the lobby of the hotel.

Spitting his drink in surprise, Husk wiped his mouth and turned around to see an angry spider marching towards him, a little piglet trotting just behind. Husk had been guzzling down more alcohol, sitting on a couch as he read a newspaper, a part of his routine in life that he had kept doing now that he was in hell, but the quiet was broken and his paper was drenched.

"The f**k do you want? I swear, I can't do anything in peace with you around." He grumbled back as he put the sopping wet mess on the coffee table.

Angel ignored the jab and shoved something colorful in the cat's face, "The f**k is this?"

It took a moment to register in Husk's brain what Angel was holding, ". . . It's a pan pride flag?"

"So, you do know what it is! I was half-hoping maybe you were just so old timey that you had it not knowing what it meant." Angel said in a strangely accusatory tone.

"Wait, did you get this from my room? What the hell were you doing in there?" Husk snatched the flag from his hands.

"Don't change the subject! Are you pansexual or aintcha?" Angel crossed one set of arms, and placed one hand on his hip as he dramatically pointed at him with the other.

Husk blushed a little; his sexuality wasn't exactly something he went around shouting to the world. He hadn't been in a relationship for a long time and he wasn't planning on entering one any time soon, so it really was no one's business. Honestly, he forgot he even had the flag. It was just something marked down in July, after pride month had passed, and he grabbed it as just a little something for himself. He was the only one he planned to let see it, just as a reminder that he was okay to be whoever he was and like whomever he wanted; something he was never allowed in life.

" . . . I don't gotta answer that. What's it to ya anyway? I didn't exactly take you to be a 'super straight'?" He mumbled as he used air quotes.

"That's exactly the problem!!!" Angel slumped over exasperated.

Husk didn't really get it, but he was absolutely done with whatever it was, so he stood up and jabbed a finger at the spider, "Look, I don't know what the f**k you're freaking out about Legs, it's got nothin' to do with you!"

Angel shifted his weight where he stood, "Well, you're right but I still wanna know!"

"Why the hell does it matter to you?" Husk stood up, glaring.

"I-I'm just curious is all. . ." Angel blushed a bit.

"Yeah, well, you can shove your curiosity up your *ss." He pushed.

"Why, you don't trust me or somethin?" Angel stood his ground.

"No, why the f**k would I?!" Husk raised his voice.

"Hey, what is your problem?!" Angel raised his back.

"I don't need to be judged by a drug addict pole dancer." He shoved.

"Oh wow, real mature. I'll have you know that pole dancing is an under-appreciated art." Angel defended.

"Well, I'm sure it's very appreciated by those freaks out there who drool all over you." He rolled his eyes.

"All this over a little flag and a simple yes or no question. Acting out like a scared little boy." Angel leaned down to glare at back at him.

Husk expected Angel to be happy. He expected a smug look on his face and maybe a 'see was that so hard?'. And Angel was happy for a moment, but then he looked sad. Then his face soured, and suddenly he was angry again all over again.

"Fine! I'm pan! I'm pansexual! I hate the stupid gender binary and I like people based on their personality. Ya happy now?!" He shouted.

"YOU MEAN I HAD A CHANCE THIS WHOLE TIME?!?!?!" Angel looked actually furious now.

". . . The f**k. . .?" Husk was very, very confused.

Angel took a few steps towards him and he took a couple steps back, "You mean to tell me that I've been throwing myself at you, half-jokingly, for so long . . ."

"Half-?" Husk started.

"I've teased you, I've pranked you, and strutted around you like a fool . . ." Angel pushed him down onto the couch, and blocked him in with all his arms, "And you weren't f**king straight?!?!"

". . . Look, I don't know what you're getting at, but-" Husk started.

"And you've just stared at me, like unflinching! So I figured, 'aw well, guess he's straight, may as well flirt with him, and see if I can't make him uncomfortable'. I've straight up told you how I pride myself on having great f**king gaydar! But then I get it wrong with you of all people?!" Angel turned around, covering his face with his top arms, "Do you know how embarrassing this is for me?!"

Angel was still covering his face, honestly unsure of what he had said in all of his rambling. He just wanted to crawl into his bed and die. Gentle hands curled around his wrists, and he didn't resist as they pulled his hands from his face.

Husk sat with his jaw agape for a moment, processing. He sighed, grabbing one of Angel's lower arms,"Sit your tall *ss down." and pulled him onto the couch, turning in his seat to face him.

" . . . Angel, would you open your eyes please?" Husk's voice was a quiet, sarcastic, but soothing tone.

"No, I feel humiliated enough. I don't need you to mock me right now." Angel said, covering his face again.

Husk chuckled and moved Angel's hands away again, "I'm not going to mock you, Legs."

"You're not going to wear your dumb, smug face, and tell me how you, a person who is attracted to people based on personality, could never like me, a self-absorbed idiot?" Angel rambled.

Husk snickered, "No, never that. Come on, Legs. Please?"

Angel slowly opened his eyes to see a warmest smile from Hell's grumpiest cat, "See? There you are."

Angel blushed and looked away, but Husk turned his chin back to him, "You think you can say all that and not face the consequences."

"C-consequences?" Angel stammered, blushing harder.

Husk blushed, "I mean, we have drinks together all the time, so I guess that's kind of stupid, but uh-"

Husk leaned back and sighed, scratching the back of his head, "Listen, I haven't - . . . I mean I don't- . . . Well, you know how- . . ." He sighed again, "I'm not very good at telling people how I feel, but uh. . . If you wanted to ever . . . We could have a drink sometime . . .?"

He was suddenly clobbered by a massive spider and fell backwards, "Yes! Yes, of course! That sounds great!"

They both laughed there for a moment, Angel on top of him, "What a f**kin' dumb*ss way to figure out we were crushin' on each other, huh?"

Husk chuckled at that, "I feel like it's mostly my fault. You were flirting with me constantly."

"Wellllll, I will admit I do flirt with lots of men. I guess," Angel sighed into his fur, "I just really meant it with you."

Again, they giggled together like little middle school lovers; giddy and drunk on reciprocated feelings, high on finally being understood.

Husk smiled as his face flushed, "Aren't we a pair?"

Angel started to get up when he realized that he was currently on top of a man who just asked him out.

He grinned a mischievous grin, "You know~" he held himself up with his lower hands adjusted his hair and loosened Husk's tie with the others, "We could-"

"Absolutely not." Husk said flatly.

Angel sat up, letting Husk do the same, but still pouted, "But why not? We like each other and . . ." He leaned in, resting his hands on Husk's legs, "I'm sure you're dying to know what you've been missing out on."

Husk was still just staring blankly, but now Angel started noticing things he hadn't noticed before, because he was so sure it was impossible. The slight flush of his cheeks, the dry swallow of his throat, the sweatiness of his palms as he gently pushed Angel away from him.

"I may be pan, but I'm still old fashioned." Husk stood up, picking up his wet newspaper to throw away, "Another time, babe."

Angel watched him leave, and it wasn't until he was sure he was fully out of range that he whispered to nugs, "Did he just say, another time? Did he just call me 'babe'?!"

Nifty would had run over and scolded him for it, but she was still kneeling behind the couch with her broom and dustpan frozen in place as she had been the entire time, accidentally stuck there eavesdropping.

Husk, once he was sure he was out of ear shot, grumbled to himself, "Babe. Babe?! Could I have said anything more lame?" He kicked over a trash bin.

Thanks for reading some HuskerDust. Sorry, it was self-edited / self-betad. If it's bad, you can blame that, or that I'm not used to writing these characters, or that I'm publishing it from my phone, or that the stars weren't aligned or whatever. Thanks for always supporting me and my writing!

". . .The f**k was that?"

[gunnerfc]

❄️ WOSO FICMAS: Dec. 22 - Georgia Stanway❄️

Georgia Stanway x Reader (Bayern & Lioness) | WC: 836

Dec. 22 prompt - baking cookies

-> woso ficmas masterlist can be found here!

Whoever on your team decided that you and Georgia should be in charge of baking cookies clearly wanted you to suffer. You had about three days before the team would be bringing some sort of dessert or baked goods to training to have a little holiday party before everyone departed for the break. You had sent Georgia to the store to get the ingredients that you needed but when she called you three times to ask questions, you knew this was going to be a rough experience.

You waited until the day before to start baking, not wanting to have the cookies done too soon before you needed them. You didn’t allow Georgia to help, knowing your girlfriend would take the opportunity to mess with you.

Georgia sat on the kitchen counter, watching you prep the kitchen to start making the cookies. The midfielder eyed the bag of flour you had sitting next to her, tempted to throw a bit at you when you were least expecting it. You had your back to her as you washed your hands so you didn’t notice when she poured a bit of flour into her hand.

You turned around to grab the towel to dry your hands as you felt powder hitting your face. You stood for a moment, face covered in flour as you heard Georgia trying (and failing) to hold her laughter in.

“See babe! I told you it would snow!” your girlfriend joked, giving up on holding her laughter in.

You sighed at her statement and turned back to the sink to wash your face off. This time when you turned to reach for the hand towel, Georgia kept her hands to herself and let you be. You dried your hands and face, refusing to look at your girlfriend who had a bright smile on her face.

You tried to focus on the directions in front of you but your girlfriend who was loudly singing behind you made it difficult. You rolled your eyes at her antics, doing your best to tune her out.

“Hey babe, would you still love me if I was a worm?” the midfielder randomly asked as she stopped singing.

“What the hell are you talking about,” you groaned, throwing a look in her direction.

“It’s a simple question! Would you still love me if I was a worm, yes or no?” Georgia spoke, repeating her question like it made complete sense.

“No, I don’t think I would still love you if you were a worm, babe,” you huffed, turning your focus back to what you were making.

Georgia gasped dramatically from behind you as if you offended her with your answer. When you didn’t give her a reaction, she hopped off the counter and moved so she was standing right behind you. You could feel her breath on the back of your neck and you felt your face heat up at her closeness.

“Babe. babe. Babeeeee” Gerogia whined in your ear, bored out of her mind.

“Love, please just let me finish and then we can do whatever you want,” you tried your best to ignore the begging.

Georgia huffed this time, moving away slightly and you thought you would finally have some peace to finish mixing all the ingredients. You were sorely mistaken when you felt an egg crack on your head. Neither of you moved, both in shock. You heard Georgia snicker behind you and you turned to face her.

Your girlfriend was half expecting you to tell her off but her surprise when you threw a handful of flour at her was better than yelling. You both stood in the middle of the kitchen, now wearing the ingredients you needed to bake cookies.

“You're gonna regret that, love,” Georgia smirked at you, reaching past you to grab the entire bag of flour.

“Wait, G. Let's talk about this, I was just getting payback,” you tried to persuade your girlfriend into putting the bag down but it was no use.

Before you could even attempt to move out of the way, Georgia dumped the entire bag over your head, covering you with flour. You stood in shock as the midfielder howled with laughter at your current state. You shook your head to try and shake off some of the flour before looking up at your girlfriend.

Georgia could see the devious glint in your eyes as you rushed into her, wrapping your arms around her body essentially getting flour all over her. The two of you went back and forth coating each other in various foods, wasting the ingredients you had bought to make cookies for the team.

You ended up having to wake up earlier than normal to rush to the store to buy store-made cookies and get rid of the packaging to try and pass them off as homemade. No one but Georgia knew the truth and you had to force her to not tell everyone that you didn’t make the cookies like you were supposed to.

[kissesforsatoru]

Your Yandere Baji x Socially Anxious Darlin’ is single-handedly the best shit ever. I’m curious tho, what do you think a Yandere Mikey would be like with a socially anxious darling? Would he be the same menace as Baji and just as clingy, or would he be worse? I’d love to see your headcanons for him.

😩 Any clingy Mikey content is peak.

pairing : mikey x gn!reader, baji x gn!reader, wakasa x gn!reader

summary : mikey, baji, and waka with a socially anxious darling

⤷ cw : general yandere themes, manipulative waka

notes : thank you anon <33 i’m glad you like that little mini series!!

mikey : honestly i think mikey is worse than baji—not much worse, but still definitely worse. he's a huge baby that will throw a tantrum if he doesn't get what he wants, and that includes his beloved's attention. i also don't think he realizes that you're socially anxious at first the same as baji. he would take your refusal to talk to him and your avoidance as rejection. that combined with his entitled attitude will give you one hell of a pissy mikey, a pissy mikey that you have to deal with.

he wouldn’t leave you alone, he refuses to. any time he sees you he's dropping whatever it is he's doing, ignoring whoever he may be having a conversation with, to go talk to you instead. you can shy away from him or run away from him as much as you want, you can even try to tell him to leave you alone outright, but mikey will still get all up in your space. he’ll talk to you, pester you to answer him and get super whiney and pouty if you don’t, he’ll follow you around and cling to you.

but mikey isn't a patient person at all, and he can only take so much of things not going his way. if you keep ignoring him even after so long of him being around, then he’ll just resort to cornering you and forcing you tell him why the hell you're being like this. why won't you just fucking talk to him. he knows you're not just busy or too tired, he wants the real reason, and you better give it to him or else he'll flip. honestly, he's so pushy about it that it might cause you to have a little break down wherever he corners you. you'll sob and tell him through hiccups that he just scares you, you're scared to talk to people in general, but him most of all 'cause he's loud and attracts a lot of attention everywhere he goes, which you don't like in the least bit. you don’t like attention and you don’t like loud things. you just want to be left alone.

that still doesn't stop him from bothering you though, but he will change his approach because he does care about your comfort. he quiets down for you, talks in a gentle voice that's soothing enough for you to ease up at least a little bit whenever he's around. he also always tries to be with you alone, tells his friends and pretty much everyone else not to fuck with you or else he's gonna have a fucking problem with them, and he's not afraid to start a fight with anyone that doesn't listen to him for fuck whatever reason. he goes so far as to get in your classmates face even if they're just asking for help on the hw or for a pencil. mikey will not let anyone talk to you. he gets so riled up about you that can’t help but beat the shit out of anyone that gets too close, for both the reason that you're socially anxious and because he likes having you all to himself. mikey loves having you to himself.

mikey doesn't think that your discomfort applies with him, he doesn't get that it's not just the attention that he gets that makes you feel overwhelmed, it's the attention he gives you too. and he he gives you a shit ton of attention. he doesn't shy away from calling you cute nicknames, he doesn't shy away from telling you how fucking cute he thinks you are, doesn't gonna shy away from sprawling himself all over you, wrapping his arms around you, putting his chin on your shoulder, lay down in your lap, being as touchy with you as you'll allow him to be without breaking down. mikey might even steal a few kisses from you here and there. he can't keep his hands to himself, and he just has to be touching you, even if you tell him that you don't want to be touched at the moment.

so yeah! mikey is clingy as fuck regardless of if his darling is socially anxious or not.

baji : we all know baji won't leave you alone, and we know he also won't get it right away that you're socially anxious, but he does get it faster than mikey does. baji though, unlike mikey, doesn't mind that you don't want to talk to him. as long as he gets to be near you, he's fine. he would like to at least touch you too, sp he might get a little grumpy if you're having one of those day where you just don't wanna talk and don't wanna be touched either, but he won't be like mikey and throw a fit about it.

baji will always wanna be around you. he'll follow you everywhere, pick you up and walks you to school, walk you to your classes and sometimes he'll sit in your class with you if he's feeling particularly attached to you, he'll eat lunch with you and stays with you during your clubs (if you have any), then he'll walk you home. sometimes he even invites himself in and stays over too just cause he loves being around you, and he loves getting to cuddle with you while you sleep. if you have plans on the weekend and baji finds out, he wants to go too. he calls you and facetimes you, texts you, everything. baji just will not let you breathe even for a second, he has to know what you're doing and where you are at all times because he likes knowing if you're okay. and if you're not, then he already knows what's up and he can get there to take care of it for you.

he gets super super protective of you once he realizes you have social anxiety, i mean he was before, but he just becomes so intune with you and what you need that you won't even have to tell him. he knows when something is wrong with you, and he immediately takes care of it. a person is getting too close to you? baji is all up in their space growling at them to back the fuck off or else he'll start throwing fists (if he has the patience for that, which most of the time he won't). you're getting tired and your social batter is draining? baji will just hold you in his arms and do everything for you, or he'll just take you home so you can rest. he always orders for you at restaurants and does all the talking around new, unfamiliar people. he's just- he knows you so well because your comfort is his priority, and he has to know all the things you don't like and all of your little ques so he can get to work on making you comfortable again.

honestly with how protective of you he is, you can probably use him as a scary dog because he keeps people away from you, even when you don't outright ask him to. he growls and glares, wraps his arms around you and keeps you in a protective hold so people don't just drag you away from him and into a situation you don't wanna be in. baji can honestly get scary for other people when you are involved, and you don't wanna be. he really does take your social anxiety seriously and he will learn quickly exactly how to comfort you on your really bad days.

wakasa : of the three of them, waka is the only one that understands you have social anxiety right way, and he at least tries to approach you comfortably from the start, give you some space to not overwhelm you so much, talk with you in a way that doesn't make you feel trapped by a conversation, that stuff. but the thing about waka is that he makes it clear that he's not going anywhere even when he's not physically there with you.

not for a second will he let you think that he'll leave you alone after a while because that's never gonna happen babes. part of the reason he does this is because he just wants to speed up how comfortable you are with him by familiarizing you with his presence, but the other reason is because he doesn't want you to think he's only here to mess around with you. he is a playboy, so he knows that it would be too easy for you to think he just wants to fuck and then be done with it, but that's not the case so he's gonna make sure you know he's gonna stay with you even if he does get you in his bed (which he will eventually, trust).

waka will text you at all hours of the day to check in with you, ask how you are and if you need him to come pick you up because you're having bad anxiety or for whatever other reason. he'll come over to where you live and hang out, then when he leaves, he'll make sure to tell you he'll be back either later that night or in the next few days. he'll ask you on dates all the time or to come over to his place just to spend time with you, and he won't make any moves on you, aside from maybe kissing you and calling you little nicknames like angel, baby, sweetheart (but he does that anyway so). waka just makes sure you understand he wants you for mor than sex and that he's not going anywhere.

once you're comfortable with him he starts to get a bit more invasive to your space. he'll give you kisses more often, pull you into him, hold your hand in public, all that good stuff. but waka will also be very reassuring with you and make sure that you're comfortable, and if you aren't, then he's gonna fix that. if you wanna go home, he'll take you home, if you don't wanna talk, then he won't make you, nor will he let anyone else make you. waka will wrap a protective arm around you and nuzzle you into his shoulder while growling and telling someone to fuck off if they bother you. he just gets very attentive and protective of you.

buttt, i think that waka would use your social anxiety to make you more dependant on him. he'll encourage you, tell you that you only need to talk to him, only stay close to him, nobody eles matters if he's already here for you. and honestly, you're easily swayed because you think he's helping you with your anxiety when really, he's just enforcing it and making you depend on him because of it. waka will make it so you can’t function around other people without him, maybe even take it so far that you freak out if he’s not with you whenever other people are around, and only will you be calmed if you can get to him, which he’ll let you cling to him, and he will absolutely bask in the way you need him so desperately. he loves it when his cute little darling depends on him.

waka is honestly again just a sneaky manipulative bastard 😭

[ctitan98official]

@the-hufflepuffle : Hey, you can totally ignore this, but could you do one with RE8 ladies with an s/o who is either a college student or taking classes and failed one of their finals they spent a long time trying to understand? I failed my pre Calc final and didn't have free time because I spent every but ihad working on pre Calc.

Damn, that’s a spirit breaker. Super sorry. Hopefully this helps bring everyone some good luck in a class or test! Let’s get into it!

Alcina:

Alcina knows first-hand how much you studied. She is beside herself at how hard you’re taking this.

It’s not your fault that you failed. She’s seen the material you were given and what was actually on the test. It infuriates her. Your teacher is lucky this is an online course and she doesn’t know where they live.

The disappointment comes in waves for you. She’s patient and allows you to vent for as long as you need.

Alcina helps you craft the perfect appeal letter. Finding a solution to this problem is the most calming thing for you right now.

Alcina is also determined to assist you with your course the next time you take it (If the appeal is denied). You’re unsure if she will understand the material, but Alcina figures out a practice problem from your book and shows you an easier way to find the answer. The way she explains it makes so much more sense.

She makes everything better. And gives the best cuddles.

Donna:

Donna loves learning new things. She understands and enjoys the look of pure satisfaction on your face when you figure out a difficult problem.

However, seeing your heartbreak after failing this test? That’s her worst nightmare.

Whatever way you need to process your emotions, Donna is supportive. She also makes yummy comfort food for you.

One day, shortly after learning about your grade, Donna creates the perfect cozy oasis for the two of you. Calming teas, naps in each other’s arms, her soft voice reading to you… It doesn’t get much better than this. Donna even has the dolls put on a little play for you. It’s absolutely precious.

You didn’t realize that you would be able to feel so… Loved right now. Donna wouldn’t do these special things unless she loved you deeply. It makes you feel very important and needed.

Miranda:

Miranda repeatedly offers her help if you need it, but you know that she’s busy. The last thing you want to do is burden her.

You try to hide your grade from her, but Miranda finds out eventually. You forgot to sign out of your student account on her computer one day.

Miranda feels her heart break when she realizes this. You worked your hardest. She’s so proud of you.

“Draga mea.” Her soft voice calls out to you in the other room. You walk out and see Miranda holding her arms out to hold you.

You can see the sympathetic look in her eyes and know that she’s found out.

You burst into tears and she walks over to hug you and kiss your head. She wraps her wings around you and you have never felt more comforted. She’ll get you through this disappointment.

Bela:

Bela is a scholar of… Well, whatever interests her. You’re not changing my mind!

There’s little more frustrating, in her opinion at least, than not understanding a concept, theory, or formula.

Often, you hear Bela complain about something she’s struggling with. You feel her pain.

You’ve been hiding how hard you’ve worked to just stay afloat in this class. You know how Bela worries about you.

However, you kind of have a meltdown after you find out about your grade, and Bela witnesses most of it. She heard you yelling from nearby and rushed in to see what was happening.

Bela sees you throwing your books down and tearing up your numerous pages of notes. You’re truly heartbroken.

She sits with you and guides you through some breathing exercises to help you calm down… Kisses from her help more, though. She’s all too happy to indulge you.

Cassandra:

Cass is… Murderous when she sees you so upset. Whoever hurt you is dead.

When you explain why you are so sad… She doesn’t quite understand. Since she was created, academics were not her priority.

However, all that matters is that she is here and going to take care of you. She brings you food, cuddles with you, and listens to you vent. She’s definitely a big comfort.

As you take a nap one day, Cass’s curiosity gets the better of her. She flips open your textbook and begins reading through it.

By the time you wake up, you see Cass furiously scribbling in a notebook. You ask her what she’s doing and she just beams at you.

“I’m going to teach you myself, darling.” She says with a huge grin.

Wow, you’re not surprised, but Cass is brilliant. She picked up the course matter so fast.

She’s actually a great teacher too. She’s patient and makes sure to answer all of your questions… Damn. Thinking of Cass as a hot teacher is slowly overtaking your mind.

Daniela:

Dani has been right by your side as you take this class. She feels physical pain when she finds out you didn’t pass. You are so sad. It breaks her heart. Nobody as amazing as you should feel this way.

Dani decides to take your mind off of things the best way she knows how… Sex.

She lets you take out your frustrations on her and… Seeing you so feral is really hot.

The intimacy you two share is so special. You get each other.

After a long session, Dani cuddles up in your arms and you hold her close. You don’t know what you would do without her. She is so comforting.

As you lie there, slowly falling asleep, you can’t help but feel at peace. Little else matters as long as you have your Dani.

You doze off, understood and loved.

Masterlist

[lemonluvgirl]

Chapter 2: Peeta

I dug my hand back into the side pocket of my backpack, digging around more carefully than before, but my hand came up empty again. 

Where had that sketch gone? I know I put it in the side pocket of my bag before the bell rang. 

I pulled the pack up to my face, opened it to take a better look, and found nothing. Thinking that maybe I had put it in another pocket I started to empty my bag item by item, carefully checking in nooks and crannies and other places where the paper might have gotten stuck. 

After a fruitless and frustrating but thorough search, I set my sights on the only other possible explanation. 

“Hey did you go through my shit again?” I yelled as I looked over at Rye, who was practically glued to the screen in front of him, and not paying attention to his surroundings at all.  As my older brother, one of two that I had but he was the only one still living at home with me and our dad, Rye was the usual suspect whenever my stuff went missing. 

He took his eyes off whatever video game he was playing and looked over at me with a confused expression for a second before pulling away one side of his headphones from his left ear. 

“What?” He asked and I rolled my eyes as I repeated my question. 

“Haven’t touched your stuff today dickwad. Why did you lose a tampon or something?” He asked with a stupid little smirk that made me wanna pummel his face. 

“Oh fuck you, asshole,” I answered with no real bite, getting our routine unpleasantness out of the way so that I could interrogate him on the whereabouts of my missing sketch.

“Just tell me if you took my paper,” I ordered, letting my backpack drop and readying myself to get into a living room floor wrestling match to get the truth out of him. 

Rye was always up to no good. Playing pranks and stealing stuff and doing shit he thought was hilarious and never admitting any culpability unless he was forced to. I can count the number of times Dad had to bail him out with the principal and with the local PD on two hands during his last year of high school. After graduating he mellowed out somewhat but he could still be a real dickhead whenever he felt like it. 

 Rye rolled his eyes, threw me the finger, and put his headphone back on, ignoring me completely. 

I let out a disgruntled growl and stalked over to where he was sitting in his gamer chair, frantically mashing buttons and cussing at whoever was shooting at him in the game. 

Before he could react to my presence behind him I wrapped my forearm around his neck and put him in a loose, choke hold. The pressure I was putting on him was not enough to restrict his air flow, but just enough to get his attention. He immediately started talking. 

“I didn’t touch your damn papers! Get over yourself shit stain, you’re going to make me lose the match!” He shouted as he tried to wiggle out of my hold while trying to keep his grip on his controller in order to keep playing. 

“You swear?” I asked, tightening my grip slightly. He gasped a little. 

“Yes! Fuck, get off Peeta!” He said, the volume of his voice rising in irritation. 

I let him go and backed off, but someone had already shot him and his screen faded to black before returning to the loading menu. 

“Thanks a lot!” He said, throwing aside his controller in disgust and turning around to face me. 

“Sorry,” I said with a shrug. 

“What the hell is so important about these papers anyway? Was it more of your artistic crap? More hills and trees and little drops of rain on leaves? No. You wouldn’t get worked up over that. I know. I bet it was fap material for your secret spank bank collection.” He joked, his smile morphing into a lecherous little grin.

I turned away from him so he wouldn’t see my face. I had already made too big a deal out of this. I didn’t want him to ask any more questions. They were beginning to hit too close to home. I began putting the scattered contents of my backpack back inside it so I could keep my hands busy. 

“I already told you. I don’t draw porn.” I said with a tired sigh. It was the truth. I drew still life mainly. Windows, buildings, and nature scenes. Sometimes faces, but that was it. I didn’t have the personal experience needed to draw more erotic subject matter and he knew that. 

“Waste of talent if you ask me. If I could draw like you I’d be drawing tits all day long.” Rye said wistfully. 

I turned around and gave him an exasperated look. 

“Yet, another reason why you need to get a life, Rye,” I said before zipping up my bag and making to leave. 

“Yeah, ok. But you need to get laid, little brother. 17 is too old to still be carrying around your V-card. So stop playing with your paints and pencils and go out tonight with the team. I know Cato’s throwing his start of the school year bash tonight.” 

“Yeah, so?” I huffed, annoyed and embarrassed that he brought up the topic of my virginity. It’s none of his business. But ever since mom left and Wheat went off to college Rye goes through these random bouts of trying to act like an involved big brother. It would be alright if he actually could give some decent advice. But his wisdom only extends as far as running with the popular crowd, winning matches, and sleeping with girls.

“So, you’re on the wrestling team now. Girls dig that. If you play your cards right you could score big.” He says and it's so predictably cliche that I don’t even have the energy to roll my eyes at him. 

“It’s a freaking Monday night, Rye. Who parties on a Monday?” I argued, hoping he’ll drop the subject. 

“Mellark brothers do, and as the last Mellark to grace the halls of Panem High you have to uphold the time-honored tradition of going out with your team and drinking everyone else under the table at the back-to-school bash.” Says Rye with an excited gleam in his eye. 

“What? No.” I protested, but Rye was already up and he had that look on his face. The one that said-I’m going to do something nice for Peeta. Which wouldn’t be so bad except it's always the same thing with Rye. He tries to get me to do stuff I don’t have any interest in, but because it's something he likes, so in his mind that should mean I will automatically like it too. He has a terrible track record with this. I think I’ve only liked 10% of the things he’s gotten me to try. 

“Oh, you’re going to the party bro, even if I have to drive you myself,” Rye stated gripping me by the shoulder and practically frog-marching me out of the living room. 

All my protests from there on out go unheard. 

.

.

.

.

We pull up to a big, overdone house in Victor’s Circle 20 minutes later. There are cars lined up all along the driveway, and all the lights are on inside despite it being past 10:30 pm. Rye parks on the curb and cuts the engine before glancing over at me. 

“Look, I know this isn’t your usual scene Peeta, but hear me out.” He pauses and when I remain silent, he continues. “High school is your last chance to be a kid.  When it's all over it's all about getting a job, dealing with your asshole bosses or professors, and becoming a responsible adult. Death and taxes shit.” 

“Wheat says he likes college.” I point out. 

“Wheat studies his ass off every night trying to maintain his 4.0 gpa to keep his scholarship. He doesn’t have time for keggers or anything fun. And you know after the divorce Dad doesn’t have the money to help pay his tuition anymore. He’s gotta make it on his own. That’s why he’s got such a stick up his ass most of the time.” 

“You’re only saying that because he keeps telling you to take classes at the community college whenever he comes home for break.” 

Rye scoffs, and then he twists in his seat to face me. 

“Peeta, use that fucking big brain of yours for a second. With Wheat away, you still in high school and the bakery barely making it, who’s going to help Dad if I cut back on my hours at the bakery to go to college?” 

I thought about it. Dad only paid Rye minimum wage. I had assumed that it was because Rye had a careless attitude and only put in minimum effort but hearing Rye tell it, it was because Dad couldn’t afford to hire anyone else. Not just that but he couldn’t afford to send Rye to college without the help of a scholarship like Wheaton had gotten. 

How unfair.

“I would. I’ll help out at the bakery. Dad doesn’t even have to pay me.” I told Rye. 

My older brother smiled at me. 

“I appreciate the sentiment but you’re still in school. And it’s not your responsibility to keep this family afloat. Yet. That’s what me, Wheat, and Dad are for.” 

“Rye, you should be able to get your degree if you want to,” I told him adamantly. 

“You know me and school don’t mix well. And that’s not the point. The point is, everyone, is doing their part to keep this family afloat. You gotta do yours. Wheat’s the brain. I’m the troublemaker. And you’re the perfect son. You’re as smart as Wheat, and as good as me at sports. You’re gonna get an athletic or academic scholarship, no doubt about it. But you’re wound up so tight Peeta, if you don’t let loose a little you’re gonna burn out. So please, do everyone a favor and just be a kid. Real life is coming soon enough. This is your last chance to cut loose before you have to buckle down for SATs, college applications, and all that bullshit.” 

I’m so caught off guard that for a minute I don’t even know what to say. 

“Is this your way of trying to live vicariously through me?” I question him curiously. 

“Get your head outta your ass, Peeta.” He snaps back quickly. 

“No, seriously. It sounds like you want to relive these experiences through me. Like you want me to follow in your footsteps or something,” 

“Peeta, you blind little turd. It’s not about you repeating my high school experience, or making the same mistakes I did. It’s about you making your own. Carving your own path. And hey, maybe your path doesn’t include beer and babes as far as the eye can see. But you won’t know until you fucking try. All I want is for you to get out there and live a little. Find out who you wanna be these last two years of school and just be that guy. You might surprise yourself and have a little fun.” 

A part of me wanted to shake my head and demand he drive me home, but another part of me, the bigger part couldn't help but hear the sincerity in his voice. My brother may not have been the most caring, or the most considerate person in the world but at least he could be honest when he felt like it. 

“Yeah, yeah. Ok. Fine, I’ll go to the party.” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.

[ravens-words]

Commiseration Tuesday

With AO3 temporarily down, lots of us are sad at not being able to read when we wanted to! With that in mind, I’m taking the opportunity to invite you guys to share a little something from a WIP to keep us going through the downtime! Preferably something we haven’t shared before, but whatever works for you!

Such a wonderful idea, thanks for tagging me @bonheur-cafe @noxsoulmate, love you both 🤍

This is from the Tarlos Zombie AU, which is coming along slowly. I hope you like it!

There's a distant static wave of sound that pulls him back into consciousness. He's still not fully capable of controlling his limbs, or his eyes, so he stays still in hopes of figuring out what's happening. Seconds later, there a rough tap on his cheek, a loud voice calling his name.  "-arlos?" His heart pounds in his ears, and he clumsily lifts his hands up to them, pressing tiggtly as if that will muffle the sounds. "Hey-" there's that sound again, a little familiar, and a little too loud. "- Carlos?!"  There are hands on him, now. TK? No, he thinks immediately; the hands aren't rough, but they're not gentle, either. TK's hands are always gentle. TK. Five men. Guns. A knife in his gut. TK, screaming at them, screaming for him. TK being dragged away from Carlos' outstreched hands. He opens his eyes immediatel, and the first thing he sees when his vision clears is a clear blue sky, then- "There you go," Judd says, smiling broadly, "had me worried there for a second." TK. Carlos bolts upright, the man's name on his lips. He chokes on it though, as white hot, piercing pain steals his breath. He looks down, sees the white bandage Judd's pressing to his abdomen. "-easy. Easy, brother, you're hurt." Yeah, no shit. Judd snorts as he helps him lay back down, and Carlos realizes he said it out loud. Carlos looks up at the sky, tries to ignore the pain as Judd does as best as he can stitchig the stab wound in his side. He closes his eyes and TK's face, tight with pain and fear- brows furrowed, eyes wide, mouth open in a silent scream. He opens his eyes, stares at the sky. He keeps his eyes open, doesn't so much as blink this time. . Judd says he should rest. Carlos scoffs and struggles up to his feet. Judd's there, hands hovering at his side to support him if he needs it. "I'm going after him, Judd. With or without you." Judd stares at him. "You're hurt, man. Can barely stand on your own. How do you plan on gettin' him out of wherever they took him?" He shakes his head. "I'll figure it out. I just have to find him first." "Carlos-" "Judd, stop," he snaps. What if it was Grace? he wants to ask but bites his tongue to keep the words in. It's not- he shouldn't compare a ten year relationship to whatever he had with TK for- what? Two days? Maybe even less than that. He shouldn't. It doesn't to have feelings for someone he met less than two days ago. And yet- Carlos exhales, his chest heaves and he sways, dangerously close to collapsing. He would have fallen in a heap on the concrete if Judd didn't catch him, one hand at his elbow and the other on his waist, steadying him. And yet, he thinks, ever since he woke up, it's felt like a part of him is missing, like whoever has taken TK has taken a part of Carlos' heart with them. Judd stares at him, as if he's a puzzle he thinks he can solve and Carlos looks away, jaw clenched. "Okay," Judd says eventually, "let's go find your man." "He's not my-" he attempts to protest weakly, but Judd's not really listening anymore, collecting their supplies off the street and throwing them in the trunk. Judd helps him into the passanger seat, then moves around to the driver's seat. They share a look, full of understanding, and Carlos breathes out. "We're gonna find him." Carlos nods. . They're on the road for about half an hour when it occurs to him to ask Judd how he knows where to go. Judd's hands tighten around the steering wheel. It takes him a minute to answer. "Judd?" "We have a tracker on him." His heart sinks. "And on me. That's how you knew where to find me."

Tagging: @chaotictarlos @tkstrrand @alrightbuckaroo @lambourngb @honestlydarkprincess @sapphire11 @rangergurlgleek1211 @itshoneywhatever

[firstelevens]

33 for Tyrone/Tandy from the new TS prompts list, please ⚜️

33. they'll judge it like they know about me and you

this is a Ty/Tandy entry from the Formula One AU, set around chapter 4 of the fic because I'm a sucker who can't walk away from things I love

“Tyrone fucking Johnson, do you even know how to answer a text message?!”

Ty startles, his head immediately whipping around towards the doors, where his very pissed off best-friend-and-maybe-more stands glaring at him.

He winces, scrambling to his feet as she stalks over. He vaguely notices Bucky’s surprise at Tandy’s entrance, but he’s too busy explaining himself to her to bother addressing Bucky’s confusion.

She looks furious, but by now Ty is fluent in the many moods of Tandy Bowen, and he can tell the difference between anger over something stupid he did and anger because she was worried about him. He still lets out a soft ‘oof’ when she throws her arms around him, but that’s more for show than anything else.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles into her hair, squeezing her as tightly as she’s holding him. “The stupid charger didn’t work last night and my battery died in medical and I didn’t know how to tell Chase to tell you without making it obvious that…”

He feels her nod into his chest and makes the decision to ignore the slight tremble in her shoulders for now.

There’s a loud scrape of a chair against stone, and Ty is suddenly reminded that they have an audience as Bucky stands to leave. 

He spares half a thought for how his and Tandy’s plan to keep their friendship under wraps is probably shot, but he can’t bring himself to care all that much right now. There had been a second today when his car was spinning out of control where all Ty had wanted to do was radio in a message to Tandy, just in case he wouldn’t be able to later. Then his car had smashed nose first into a barrier and fried his communications and it had gone from a practical concern to a hypothetical one.

It doesn’t change that he knew exactly what he would say to her if he had the chance. He just has to hope that she doesn’t bolt when he finally gets the words out of his mouth.

He’d had a hunch, but it becomes clear just how worried Tandy was when she pulls back to look at him with tears still in her eyes, huffing as she swipes them away. “They checked you over properly?” she asks, sniffling and looking annoyed about it. “No shortcuts so Victor could get around to lecturing you about wrecking the car?”

“No shortcuts,” says Ty. “And no lectures, either.”

She frowns. “Whatever. He’s still a dick.”

“You’re right,” he says with a laugh, “but I’m fine, T. I promise.”

He’s not surprised that this doesn’t seem to convince Tandy, who takes half a step back—Ty’s arms are still around her waist—and holds up a hand.

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three,” says Ty. “The helmet did its job.”

Tandy is still frowning. “If you say so.”

“I do,” he says, “and so did the medics, and so did the doctor who came through after the medics, and so did Chase’s mom, who’s literally a neurologist.”

Tandy makes a face, but the corner of her mouth lifts a little. “Three opinions is definitely overkill, even for an overachiever like you.”

Ty smiles. “I had to be sure; I knew there was someone in my life who was going to want to triple check.”

“Well, whoever that is, they sound silly,” Tandy says, more to Ty’s shirt than to his face.

“Don’t call my best friend silly,” he says. “She beats up people who are mean to me.”

Tandy snorts, but she still hasn’t moved out of the circle of Ty’s arms, her hands resting flat against his chest.

When she’s quiet for a few long moments, Ty tells himself that it’s time to get what he wants to say off his chest. “Tandy,” he starts to say, “I wanted to–”

“I didn’t like it,” she says abruptly, cutting him off. Ty furrows his eyebrows, but she’s explaining herself before he can ask. “Seeing your car spin out like that. I didn’t– it felt like I couldn’t breathe, watching it happen. Like I couldn’t remember how.”

He finally moves his hands away from her waist, covering her hands with his where they rest over his heart. He wants to reassure her, but he also knows that if he starts talking, he’s as likely to spook her as anything else, and he really wants to know what she has to say.

“It was the worst,” she says, “and I’ve seen some pretty shitty things. I don’t know how people do it, all these spouses who come down to watch the races. I don’t get how you can watch that happen to someone and not hate every second that it could happen to the person you care about. I don’t think it would even be humanly possible if you had to watch something like that from the pit and not the stands.”

There’s a sinking feeling in Ty’s chest, but he tries to ignore it and hear the rest of what Tandy is saying. She’s his best friend before she’s anything else, and he owes her that.

Tandy takes a long, slow breath like she’s trying to steel herself for something. Ty doesn’t know what else to do, so he gives her hands a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

By some miracle, it works. She tilts her head up again so she’s looking him in the eye, and her voice shakes a little as she speaks.

“I was so sure that our plan was going to work out perfectly. That– that you could bide your time at Leone and then you could come to Scuda and it would all work out, but I can’t do it, Ty,” she says, and his heart cracks a little bit.

“It’s okay, Tandy,” he murmurs. “We’re okay. You’re my best friend and I’m the luckiest man in the world for that. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”

As facial expressions go, Ty is expecting to see sadness or acceptance or maybe irritation.

What he’s not expecting is to see Tandy’s big sad eyes go from tearful to completely baffled.

“Wait,” she says. “Wait, wait, wait. What?”

Ty furrows his eyebrows. “What, what? I just mean it’s okay, T. We’re friends and that’s plenty.”

She chooses this moment to finally step away from him, looking incredulous now. “Of course it is!” she says. “But I thought we were–”

“So did I!” says Ty, now just as confused as Tandy looks. “But then you said that you couldn’t do it, and I wanted to respect that.”

“Ty, oh my God, you have got to stop being so accommodating.”

“I know that’s not the lesson you want me to take away from a moment where I was trying to respect your wishes about something.”

Tandy crosses her arms. “Did you wait to hear my wishes before respecting them, or did you just jump right to being self-sacrificing?”

Ty presses his mouth shut. She may have a point, he realizes, and it’s also just unfair how cute she looks when she’s telling him how stupid he’s being.

She huffs. “I have to do everything myself around here, huh?”

“You do kind of have authority issues, so I’m not sure how well you’d take to someone else doing things for you.”

After a moment of pretending to think it over, she nods. “You might have a point.”

Ty shakes his head. “Tandy Bowen tells me I’m right and I don’t even have a working phone to record it.”

“I’ll buy you a tape recorder for your next birthday,” she says. He hasn’t missed the fact that she’s moved closer to him now, almost as near as she was when her hands were pressed over his heart.

“Tandy,” says Ty, because the suspense is ging to kill him. “What were you trying to say earlier?”

“When you and your hero complex were busy jumping to conclusions? That ‘earlier’?”

Ty narrows his eyes at her, but then a smile breaks across her face and he can’t help but give her one in response. “Yeah, that ‘earlier.’”

She takes another steadying breath before looking up to meet his eyes again. “What I was saying was that I don’t think I can do what we planned,” she says. “I don’t think I can be your engineer like we thought I could.”

It’s not what Ty expected to hear, but it still hurts. The entire time he’d been working towards a spot in Formula One, it had been his goal to drive on the track with Tandy in his ear. They would be unstoppable together; he was certain of that. He still is.

“I’m not trying to change your mind,” he says slowly, “but could you tell me why?”

At which point Ty is the recipient of one of the most classic faces that Tandy makes, lesson one in the textbook of the many moods of Tandy Bowen: she looks at him like he’s just asked a question with the most obvious answer in the world, and Ty has no idea what that’s supposed to be.

“Humor me, T.”

“Ty,” she says, and this time it’s Tandy putting her hands in his, “I can’t be your engineer because I’d be fucking terrible at it. Because every time I would tell any other driver to push through and overtake or speed up or drive on bald tires, I would tell you to make the safe choice. I can’t be your engineer because if it had to be a choice between you winning and me knowing that you weren’t going to get hurt, you’d never win a single race.”

Ty’s heart is hammering against his chest and making it very difficult for him to keep all of that banked up hope at bay. “Why?” he manages to ask.

“Because I might be reckless about everything else,” she says softly, “but I– I don’t want to be reckless with you.”

Her hands are shaking a little bit, but she doesn’t look away from him, and all Ty can think of is the hundred ways the world has broken both their hearts, and the fact that they’re still willing to risk that again for each other, and he just can’t be cautious anymore.

Ty pulls Tandy closer by their joined hands, tipping her chin up just a little. Tandy sees where he’s going like she always does and gets there first just because she can, dropping Ty’s hands so she can brace a hand against his jaw, pulling him down towards her. Like most places Tandy has drawn him to, he goes willingly.

Her lips curve up in a smile against his own, and when they break apart, they can’t stop laughing, something giddy filling the air between them.

“So it looks like we’re doing a really good job of keeping our friendship under wraps, huh?”

“We’re basically spies at this point,” says Ty. “The best way to avoid people accusing you and your best friend of a conflict of interest is to kiss them in a public place.”

Tandy looks back over her shoulder at the still-empty patio. “If they see us, they see us,” she says, with a decisive nod. “People talk anyway. Might as well give them something to talk about.”

“What happened to not being reckless?” laughs Ty.

“Some things are worth the risk,” Tandy says primly. Before Ty can feel too flattered about it, she adds, “And by ‘some things’, here I obviously mean ‘the chance to get into the WAGs group chat.’ They know everything.”

And Ty means to give her a flat look in response, he really does, but then he sees the pure delight in her face as she teases him, and he’s not sure how he’s supposed to do anything except smile back at her when she looks at him like this.

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Hi!

I just wanted to say what if the reader (from the fic where dottore put foul legacy’s blood was put into the reader) well what if they were out into a type of stasis and that’s why they were thought to be dead. And they walk in and find that your body is gone. When childe is back to normal he goes on a mission into the forest and he finds an abysal monster roaming the forest and whether or not he realises who it is can be up to you, I just think that it would be cool. You can ignore this if you don’t like this idea!

🍑 anon

(related to this post and the ones before it <33) yesss, YEEESSSSS MORE ANGST MORE ANGSTTTTT *EVIL GIGGLING*

alright hear me out- once Dottore finally retracts his claws and allows Childe to transform back into his human form (mostly because the Tsaritsa ordered it), Childe remembers almost nothing from his ordeal. he only knows that something happened, that he had to be "hospitalized", and that you were mysteriously gone- why? he had been so forward to seeing you again, after so long, but now you've vanished. Dottore merely shrugs when asked, and Pantalone has to keep from cursing whenever your name is mentioned. none of the other agents will give him an answer, either looking confused or hastily walking away from the Eleventh, almost tripping over their guilt

something is wrong here. Childe can feel it in his bones. but what?

the moment he's deemed well enough, he's dispatched on a mission- the Tsaritsa's missed her finest weapon, after all- it's actually quite close to Snezhnaya, and Childe finds himself staring out at the snowy expanse, fingers idly tapping his bow. he's tired, more tired than usual, whatever put him in the medical wing definitely took its toll. even worse, he doesn't have your hugs to lift his spirits, the exhaustion weighing heavily on his shoulders, and the Harbinger lets out a sigh that mists and clouds the freezing air

there's a crackling crunch, and Childe snaps his head around, summoning his Hydro blades and stalking towards the source of the noise. he's already irritated and eager to kill whoever or whatever interrupted his thoughts- but when he sweeps aside the snow-dotted branches he gasps and jumps back, the sight of an Abyssal creature throwing him off balance. he should attack it- he should kill it, rid the Tsaritsa's domain of something so tainted like himself-

but the terror in the monster's familiar eyes made Childe stop cold, weapons falling from his hands as he rushes to cup your cheeks in his hands, tears filling his ocean-colored eyes as he stumbles over choked words

"Starlight-? It can't- No- Not you too- Oh, what did those monsters do to you???"

he's crying, pressing his forehead against yours, heart breaking at the pained whines and squeaks you let out and oh, how could he be so stupid?? it all makes sense now, why everyone except Dottore seems so on edge, why you seemingly vanished into thin air, why Foul Legacy's been horribly silent ever since he woke up. now his Abyssal half cries with him, extending his claws in desperation to hold you close, ensure that you're alive and not a cold corpse in the ground somewhere, even if you're in a different form

Childe hugs you as tightly as possible as Foul Legacy wails in his head, fingers tightening around you as he swears, to you, to the Tsaritsa, to the Abyss itself-

Dottore will pay.

[yourlocalsmutwriter]

Meet him on the main line - Murray Bauman x reader

A/ N : I love this lil bald man and it's a crime there isn't a bunch of more content for him. Also, this was written on crunch time, cause season 4, so it's short and unbetad. Enjoy nonetheless.

You were typing up the perfect scene, your fingers moving rapidly over the keys, when you heard a sharp knock.  With a groan you tried to ignore it, not needing whatever distraction was on the other side of your door. And besides, wasn't it a little late for visitors? Whoever it was, it was incessant. Opening the door, you said

"Look I really don't wanna learn more about our lord and savior, thank you.".

But instead of Mormon leaders, you came face to face with a man you've never seen before.

"Murray Bauman, private investigator", he introduced himself, also adding "and I'm not here to tell you about Jesus."

"Well, why are you here, Mr. Bauman? I don't suppose you were just passing by the neighborhood?" You said, playing on the fact that you lived just on the edge of town.

"I have a few questions, regarding the disappearance of Barbara Holland."

"Well, then come on in. I'd be happy to help, it's terrible, what happened to the poor girl." After inviting him in, you fretted around, added a few throw pillows to the couch and fixed two cups of coffee. You blamed all those boring etiquette books you were forced to read back in the day. That and your inability to mask how nervous you were to meet his gaze. Nonetheless you sat on the other side of the investigator and motioned him to start. "How does a previously well known journalist from the Hawkins Post end up writing cheap romance novels? " he said, taking out one of your paperbacks from his pocket.

"And how does that tie-in with a missing teenager?", you asked.

"Well, you see, when I was inspecting missis Holland's room I found quite a few of your titles in there. So I began to wonder how she got a hold of them." he persisted.

"There's a thing called a bookstore, I believe there's your answer. I mean, a teenage girl with a few romance books, I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking."

"There were additional books that she was keeping under her mattress. Barbara was reading The first thrill, The friendship agreement and Confusion." "These are particularly steamy. I don't know how she got away with buying them."

"I don't know how you got away with publishing them."

"It wasn't easy, let me tell you. At first they refused to print what they called "worthless smut". So I began to send out the manuscripts to housewives. I had to cut the pages and bind them into old cookbooks, home decor guides, sewing pattern books. And on the last page I had written down the number of the publishing house, urging the readers to phone them to ask about the book. So everytime those suburban moms received a package from me, my publicist received a call from them. The rest was easy. "

" The more time I spend here, the more I realize how fascinating you are."

Even though you were blushing, you said "Flattery won't get you far, Murray."

"You're right. I should go, sorry for interrupting." He replied, motioning to the page still sitting in your typewriter.

You wanted to see him leave, just to make sure that he wouldn't do something insane like rummage trough your trash.  So you sat on your porch, watching him start the car. He turned the key a couple times, but it only made screeching sounds. You continued to stare as he got out, popped the hood, swore and even kicked the front bumper. "Guess you still haven't bled the Hollands dry, judging by that fiasco. Come on, I'll be a good Samaritan and let you spend the night. The couch you interrogated me better be comfy enough for you."

You tried to pretend he wasn't there tried to write, despite him turning on the TV, playing music, calling the police station with his hottest "tips". At some point you noticed that the same sentence was written 3 consecutive times. That's when you gave up and sat next to him.

"In the mood to talk, are we?" Murray asked.

" No. But I'm in the mood to draw some inspiration from myself. So which book did you like the most?"

"The first thrill. It seemed the most realistic."

"That's because it was somewhat based on my college experience. It's the right amount of fact and fantasy."

"I bet I can guess which is which."

"You're on, Bauman. In fact, we can make it a game and get a little drunk. I don't know about you, but I won't be able to sleep tonight, thanks to that coffee I served us."

You quickly zipped to the fridge and brought out 4 mini vodka bottles.

"What did you do, raid a hotel mini bar?"

"It's research, my main character drinks vodka and I'm trying to find out which one tastes the best."

"Stolichnaya. Now, are there any rules I should know?"

"I quote a passage. You tell me if it's fact or fantasy. You get it right- I drink. You mess up- you drink. First up, is the "loosing her virginity in a dorm room bed." from page 89."

"Fantasy, it's too cliché to be true."

"You're right. I got my first kiss in a dorm room bed and lost my virginity in the guy's off campus apartment. Next up, sleeping with a teacher, page 137."

"I can already see it, you an ex-high school nerd, wanting to prove yourself. But the difference is, these people are actually smart. After all it isn't easy to be an English literature major. Assignments keep pilling up. Life on your own is tough. You need a deadline extension. Your professor is really strict. Maybe he's just pent up? And you can help with that. All for a few days more on that George Orwell paper."

"Unfortunately, its just a fantasy. But you're surprisingly good at this. Wanna be my co-author for the next one?"

"I prefer to be the muse." He said, cockily.

"Oh." Was all you could muster.

Following that was a question about you liking glasses, which he got wrong and one about getting caught in public, which he got correct.

"Well, a draw is a nice way to end the evening, isn't it? Now get off the couch, I wanna sleep." Murray said.

"Draw? I beat you. You drank your vodka first."

"We never set any rules. I drank 2, you drank 2. So, it's a draw."

"Okay, let's continue this. Strip poker style. As an incentive to keep playing."

"And is that supposed to motivate me or you?" He asked. After muttering something about him being too cocky and asking if he wanted to keep playing, you finally started the game.

After a few rounds about spanking, speaking foreign languages during sex, multiple orgasms and petnames, you were down to your bra and underwear. Murray wasn't in a better position, sitting opposite you in a tank top and boxers combo. But fate was not on your side. You asked about the sleeping with a stranger scene near the end of the book. Judging by what was happening right now, you hoped that he would get it wrong. But to your surprise he guessed that it was a fantasy. You unhooked your bra and briefly let the cold air envelop you, before crossing your arms in front of your chest.

"You've gotten yourself in quite the predicament, любимая. What will you do to get yourself out of this one?" He asked, triumphantly. Despite his tone, you could see his erection. Feeling frisky, you decided to make your fantasy a reality.

"I forfeit. You win." You said, as you walked over to him, gently lowered yourself just inches shy from his lap and pressed your forehead against his. 

"Can I claim you as my prize?" He asked.

"Yes." With that he kissed you passionately. Wasting no time, you slid your tongue in his mouth and grinded on his lap. Feeling the hardness of his member, you remembered that you still had a lot to do. Breaking the kiss, you led him to the bedroom, where he began leaving love bites down your neck. He then swirled his tongue around your nipples, sucking and fondling your breasts. 

"You know, our little game also left me with a few questions. We didn't discuss how you like to be touched. I'll have to guess then. I bet you'll enjoy this. " he said before slowly circling your clit with his finger. He continued, pressing down a bit more, so he was rubbing harder. Seeing that you were getting wetter, he decided to tease you a little bit. 

"Let's see how many fingers your pretty little cunt can take. Is it one?" He said, as he slid one finger inside of you. God, you were so warm. And apparently impatient, because you were already moving your hips towards him, practically fucking yourself on his fingers. 

"Greedy little pussy. Guess this isn't enough. You gotta let me know if I'm right, that's the rules.’’

"Yes, give me more, please." With that he slid a second finger in, slightly upping his pace. Curling them inside you, he asked:

"Is that how many you use when you touch yourself?"

"I use three." You admitted shyly. 

"Can I try that?" A nod from you was he needed. He added a third finger, keeping a slow, but consistent pace. Watching you quiet down for a moment, then starting to moan, he asked:

 "It's not too much, is it красавице?" 

"No, I want your cock inside of me, now."

"Patience, дорогоя. Let me see you cum first. Then you'll get everything you want." After a few more thrusts, you were coming undone.

 As you were panting and trying to shimmy yourself out of your underwear in a graceful way, Murray was putting on a condom from the ones on your bedside drawer. 

"Well, you wore me out, сладкая. So do me a favor and ride me for a bit." You complied and positioned him at your entrance. When you lowered yourself on his cock, you could hear him mutter "сука блят". His hands were on your breasts, kneading them softly. Then he slowly moved them to your hips, guiding you on how to take more of him in. Thrusting up and deeper into you almost made you loose your balance. He spanked you for that, the slap on your ass making both of you groan in tandem. You leaned more into him, to scratch his chest in retaliation and he kissed you. He enjoyed how you moaned into his mouth every time he moved his hips up. He felt his climax, approaching, so he had to delay it a little bit. After all, what kind of gentleman would he be if he didn't make his partner come more than once. 

"Кукла, let's switch. I wanna see how you like the next one. After all, I learned it from one of your books.". Confusion washed over you, as you obliged. Then it all became clear as he pulled your hips high to meet with his dick. The mating press. You bent your knees to allow him to fully sink into you. After a few thrusts you were coming again, tightening against him. He quickened his pace and spurred on by your orgasm and your desperate moans, he came too. After you freshened up and laid next to each other, he said: 

"When you write about this I want 40 percent of the rights." 

"How about I pay you in this way, loverboy."

"That sounds like an even better deal, любов."

[prolix-yuy]

Request for your celebration:

🤗💞 Congrats againnnn!! 💞🎉😘

Ok so I have two, I'm not asking for both whatsoever.. I just wanted to throw them out there cause they came to me when I was reading through the stuff to choose from.. 😆🤗

Immortality: I was thinking Max Phillips. Since ya know he's a vampire and such.. I figured I'd suggest him since you haven't done anything for him yet, unless you got something planned.. If so completely ignore me asking for him.. 😆

The idea: I don't really know.. Only reason is, is because you do so so amazing with everyone and I've loved your iron Chef lil stories.. And I think you'd do awesome with him. A loose idea that just came to me, lol- he moves into a new town and stumbles into reader/oc and they click right away. And he is cute but cocky as always about wanting to change her cause he's already so in love with her.. Idk, you don't have to use that idea or Max, lol. 💞

Reunion: maybe Whiskey or ooo the thief from the wine commercial.. 🤔 ( don't mind the ooo part, it just came to me as I was thinking.. 😆🙈 )

With Jack, he has a childhood friend or love that they loose touch because he has to move away to go to training for statesmen. Then he comes back and sees how amazing she looks and falls in love and all that cuteness.

With the thief, he's had a partner in crime for the first few years of his thieving career, then one of them has to move or is forced to go away.. And they come back all these years later, and see how great the other is doing.. Wants to reconnect and they do, then fall in love & such.

You can use whatever you want from this. Can change around whatever or whoever goes with what idea. This is just some idea crumbs I'm gifting you, lol. 💞😆 I trust you completely, lol. 💞

Lotus these are fantastic asks! I went back and forth on what to do, but then I got a little inkling of an interesting story. Maybe not exactly what you asked for, but something I thought you'd enjoy. Plus I just watched Bloodsucking Bastards (which was SO MUCH FUN I had a blast!) and the inspiration vampire bit hard.

Negotiations

Pairing: Max Phillips x F!Reader

Summary: Max Phillips never found marketing to be all that helpful. Hell, running an ad on Facebook was easy enough. But then you walked in the door and he knew he had to have you, in all the ways he could.

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: T, descriptions of male and female bodies, some fantasizing and suggestive themes. While this story is not explicit, my blog and the content shared on it is 18+ MINORS DNI.

Notes: I got a crazy idea thinking about Max in an office setting that set off a chain reaction and now we're here. Thank you to the Discord besties for helping me flesh out some of the details. Enjoy!

He’s due for a drink when he first meets you, and that’s why, he tells himself, he smiled so widely, shook your hand a little longer than he meant to, and shamelessly let his eyes roam your blazer and matching skirt.

Because you smell absolutely delicious.

The HR rep droning next to him is talking, something something “marketing” something else “strategist,” he couldn’t care less but he nods like he’s listening. You smile, eyes darting between them, and he can almost feel your pulse hammering away next to your sensible neckline. He excuses himself to his office to get a quick sip in, blanching at turning the mailroom clerk who always smells faintly of onions when your hot blood is so close, so tantalizing.

Max Phillips has to have you, even just the tiniest taste. He isn’t sure what it is - do you have a rare blood type? Some exotic heritage? The perfect cocktail of supplements that makes you mouthwatering? He doesn’t know, but definitely intends to find out.

At first that's all it is, inter-office flirtations that never go further than a comment or a carefully worded question. He’ll catch you in the hall - “Marketing,” he’ll say with a nod and overly-serious voice, to which you'll roll your eyes and answer, “Sales,” in much the same way - and try to get you to stop for a moment. Most times you have places to go, strategy meetings and the like, but he's planting the seeds. As enjoyable as getting high off your scent is, he basks in the hunt just as much.

He syncs up your lunch breaks to catch you off guard, encroaching on the safe zone of the break room. The first few times people tried to come in and interrupt his careful courtship he glared at them so hard they almost swallowed their own tongues. Lunches had been uninterrupted since then.

You most likely suspect his intentions to woo you, keeping your distance for a time, but the lunch breaks are an innocent way for him to creep closer. Like a panther stalking through the underbrush, Max compliments your outfits, asks you about your work, and tries his damnedest to make you feel like the only person he sees when you walk in a room.

“Of course you’d think we’re just a cost center, your heads are so inflated I’m surprised they haven’t widened the doors,” you say over your eighth (ninth?) lunch break together while Max pretends to pick at a salad. Neither of you ever seem to eat much, preferring the pace of conversation you set - fast, ricocheting, frenetic. Plus Max has tastier things on his mind, like the soft swell of your breast peeking through the button of your blouse. He normally prefers the quick and easy method of the neck, but if he could sample you from there…well, he’d have other problems to take care of in that case.

“Well once you can tie any of your little ‘campaigns’ to some real dollars I’ll admit marketing is worth keeping around.” His tone is playful but Max studies your reaction. You smile ruefully, lacquered fingernails scraping along the shiny red skin of your apple, otherwise untouched.

“If I ever got the Max Phillips to admit marketing is useful, I’d faint.” Max tries to slide his eyes to you coyly but they dart up instead, a smile widening on his face.

“Oh yeah? Let’s up the stakes then. If you make us a sale, any amount of money, with one of your tactics in the next month, I will admit marketing is useful. But if you fail, I get to take you out to Dorne’s for dinner. And you’ll accept.” He knows he’s showing his hand too soon, rookie mistake, you gotta bring the catch in slowly, drag it out longer, tease it…

“Okay Max, that’s a deal. Shake on it?” you say, holding out your hand. Max notices a tiny tremor in it, a sparkle of excitement in your eyes. He takes your hand into his larger one, your grip firm, grounding.

It doesn’t matter to Max whether or not you win, just that he's all the closer to getting his mouth, and teeth, on you. 

He pays more attention to what’s going on in your department that month. Between the lunch visits where he tries to ascertain how it’s going (you’re tight-lipped) and his casual check-ins with sales leads (they don’t get why he cares about marketing and not sales numbers), he’s driving himself insane. He gets a few bites in before the end of the month to even out his mood, but none of them spark in his belly the way you do.

As the deadline nears, Max notices you staying a little later, blue light illuminating your face in the darkness of your office. He watches in shadow, the office empty except for the two of you. Your chin in your hand as your eyes skim the screen. The way the light spills between your breasts and dances along your collarbone. The attractive curve of your arms and legs, twisted or tapping against something as he sees the fatigue setting in. Only a thin pane of glass and darkness separates you, and the overwhelming urge to take and feed and breed surges through Max’s body. He palms his cock and finds it achingly hard, a thin choked gasp escaping his mouth.

At that moment your eyes flick up, and Max swears they land on him. It’s not possible, he’s shrouded in darkness deeper than a human eye can perceive, yet you hold your gaze and it’s eerily close. Your lips quirk up into a smile, and mouth, “Hello Max.”

He flees.

He’s not proud of it, but even the notion that you, a mortal, insignificant in any way could catch him even when he’s employed his very unique skills casts doubt over him. Has he lost his touch? Is this strange obsession making him careless? When he’s out of the building he chastises himself. You couldn’t have seen him, must have been a lucky (or unlucky) coincidence that you mouthed his name.

The tightness in his pants worsens thinking of your lips parting over the short syllables.

The next day Max walks in with a bounce in his step, however feigned it might be, and is met with an abundance of excitement. Cocking his brow and sauntering into the break room, the noise seems to be centered around you.

“I don’t think that's happened since we started!”

“Just some targeted ads, plus Marketo gathering some good leads, and of course our partnership with sales.” Max hears your voice, light and happy, as he works his way into the gaggle of warm-bloods.

“What are we celebrating?” he asks innocently, half the room shrinking away and shushing at his presence. You’re seated at the break table, a folder open in front of you. When Max makes his way closer you tap your manicured finger against the printout.

“Paid social ad with a link to a free trial led to an unsolicited call and, wouldn’t you know it, they made a decision on the spot. First marketing-led sale in company history,” you reply smugly. There on the page is a dollar amount, and it’s not insignificant. One look into your eyes, bright with accomplishment, makes everyone else fade around him. In that moment he wants nothing more than to tell you he’s impressed, proud even. Then he wants to capture your lips, smear your lipstick against his greedy mouth, and spread you out on the table. To feast or to fuck, he’s not sure which, but if his blood could still pump it would be roaring in his ears.

“Boss? We were going to go out for a drink after work to celebrate, you’re…more than welcome,” a timid voice says behind Max, but he’s still trying to pull himself back and away from the triumph in your eyes. He finally does one of those little coughs and straightens back up.

“No, that’s all right, I’ve got other plans,” he says, a knowing look cast in your direction. Your smirk softens, a slight nod sent in his direction. “Good work Marketing, I’ll have to admit…you’ve proven yourself useful.”

As the words leave his lips a strange sort of shiver runs up his back, a tickle along his tongue reminiscent of spice lingering. His head lightens for a moment before coming back to himself, blinking quickly and checking to see if anyone noticed. They’re all filing out or preoccupied with chatting. Only you are still watching him, and with a flutter of your lashes you take in a deep breath.

And Max watches you change.

It’s subtle, nothing the warm-bloods notice, but the glow in your cheeks heightens, your hair gaining additional luster and something flashes in your eyes triumphant. It’s gone in a breath, you standing and gathering your folder and passing Max with a nod and a wink.

“Feels nice to get a big win,” you murmur as you pass, and Max is left contemplating who won what here, because it seems like you gained a much greater prize. 

Max tries to occupy himself during the day, but his eyes keep sliding to the clock, waiting for the 5pm bailout as everyone heads to the bar. He counts five extra minutes and exits, and it’s no surprise that you’re still at your desk while everyone else is celebrating. A few strides have him at your office door, pushing through and shutting it behind him as you look up from your work.

“Yes?” you ask, maybe a little too innocently as Max scrutinizes your office. You put down your pen and lean back in your chair, waiting patiently until he meets your gaze.

“Are you going to be a sore loser about this? A deal’s a deal. And I’ve already cashed in.” You smile at him, a fondness he didn’t expect crinkling the corners of your eyes. But Max studied more than just business management in Romania, and he has a suspicion of what he’s looking at now. And why he’s been so drawn to you for weeks. 

“You took something I didn’t know I was giving up,” he says calmly, smoothly. Hot-headedness doesn’t benefit him here. Not when he understands his opponent now. Your face is schooled into careful contemplation, twisting in your swivel chair to regard him. 

“Doesn’t violate our deal, and I didn’t think you’d miss it. You have plenty, after all,” you chuckle, and the band in Max’s chest snaps as his assumption is confirmed. 

“I didn’t know I was making a deal with a Fae, which some could argue is a rather large omission,” Max shoots back. He expects some anger, or surprise, but instead you laugh. You goddamn laugh and Max bunches his hands into fists at his side.

“Oh Max, don’t pretend. This has nothing to do with the deal and everything to do with being deceived,” you purr, standing to stalk over to him. “After all, I was already operating at less than a full hand. Marketing can be a challenge, but I do like the glamor of it.” 

As you sweep your hand at the word glamor the facade shimmers for a brief moment. The shine of your eyes is now iridescent like the surface of a soap bubble, pupiless and radiant. Shiny translucent wings flutter so quickly in the corner of his eye that Max can barely see them, the low buzz of their vibration now reaching his ears. You reach up to smooth his lapel and the overwhelming scent of forest rot, new growth, decay and rebirth assault his senses. Shaking his head, he attempts to step back but his legs lock up. He knows before he sees the ring of mushrooms, hidden from a mortal's view, surrounding your desk.

Fairy circle.

He’s so fucked.

“I don’t suppose we can part ways and let each other be? You go forth creating your little army of vamp sales reps and I continue charming customers through the door? It seems like a perfect partnership, Max, one I hoped for from the first day.” The fresh scent of spring permeates the room, your face turned up to him. He shakes his head to clear it.

“Thought the Fae liked contracts,” he shoots back, struggling for even footing in your home turf. You shrug, leaning back against the edge of your desk.

“Some do. I have lots of family in legal, a few in sales like you. Me, I found that all boring. A quick and dirty deal over a handshake - now that's my kind of magic. Plus pride is such an intoxicating emotion, and oh so many deals are won and lost over it.” The stimulation of being in your presence causes Max to lash out, fangs baring as he reaches to capture your wrists. One hand held up to his chest stops him cold. The fairy circle is working against him.

“Now there’s no need to get rude, I thought we were having a nice time? All of our talks, our lunches together. I could tell you wanted me,” you tease, dragging a finger down the solid line of his broad chest, fingers dipping over the shirt buttons. “I imagine my glamored form smells delicious. Something about the secret always makes it sweeter.” You trail your fingers back up his chest and lightly stroke along his jawline. The muscles bulge and twist below. 

“Thought about ripping your throat out and gorging myself,” Max spits out, fighting against your restraints. He wants to run, he’s been outmatched and outplayed, but his inability to think beyond his bottom line made him miss yours, and now he’s paying for it. 

“Well we won’t be doing any of that. But I know you want me in other ways. Could practically smell your arousal last night, when you were watching me.” Max’s face heats up - you did see him, of course you did - as you guide his head down to meet yours. You brush your nose against his beautifully curved on. “Let’s put this little outburst aside and taste each other in a different way.” Your lips graze his earlobe, a light drag against his cheek. But his pride, what’s left of it since you fed, can’t let him have this.

“And what’s the deal for that, Fae? What do you need to take on while you deprive me? While you deceive me.” 

You step back, your face falling visibly. Max’s win is short lived, and nowhere near triumphant. 

“Is that what you think this is about?” you murmur. Then anger, hot as sun-baked stone glows beneath your glamor. “Did I ask for your memories? For a promise of fealty, or an impossible task? My brethren would not have been so kind. I took a sip from an overflowing cup, your limitless pride, and you call it deception.” Max feels his invisible bonds loosen as you move to the side of the desk, leaning against it and massaging your temples. As fast as the anger came it dissipates, and all Max can smell is the electricity of a storm before the first strike. 

“You fooled me,” he admits, as much as it tears into his chest to say it. “I don’t like being the last to know when a deal's rigged.”

Your smile is rueful, and a physical push against his chest. Max stumbles out of the fairy ring, strength and agency returning to him. He waits for the fury to build again, but your profile is lined with aching exhaustion, and sadness. It sucks the wind from his sails.

“You were the first one to know, Max, not the last. I had no machinations in place after the deal we made.” You pause, a hitch in your breath. “I thought…” Another breath, steadier now. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t think this was the right fit for me after all.” You turn your head to look at Max, and that desire to be close to you, to make you his, the need for you that existed behind the feeding pulls to the front.

“Wait, let’s just…” Max starts to say, but the regretful look you give him is the last thing he sees before a crackle of static and light sweeps you from your office.

The freak lightning storm fades into the background of Max’s employees’ minds, as well as their memory of you. HR sends a memo that you had to leave suddenly for a family emergency, but Max knows he drove you away. 

He tries not to dwell on it, on you. You, with the smile that makes his heart flutter. You, who challenged him with your quips and banter. You, who were so much more than he anticipated and now…he misses. 

He shouldn’t. He should chalk himself up as lucky that he didn’t make a more dangerous deal, that you only took something small and that he had plenty of. All he’d ever been told about the Fae was how cunning they were, that their mouth always spoke two languages at once and what you should never say or do.

Never make a deal.

Never desire to hold one, especially not against its wishes.

Never call upon one, even in your darkest times.

And never let one see what you desire most of all. 

It takes three weeks for Max to pull down the blue dish from his top shelf. He slowly drizzles honey into opaque milk, setting it on an open windowsill in his apartment. He then lays on his couch, back to the plate, and thinks of you.

It takes less time than he thought. That makes him smile.

“I didn’t expect you for several hours.”

The slow sip of the milk and honey lasts a moment before he hears the dish placed back on the sill. 

“Maybe I was thinking of you.”

The tightening in his chest elicits a cough, a return to composure, but he was always going to be at a disadvantage with you.

“Nice to know I still have that effect even on non-humans,” he tries to chuckle. Silence meets him.

“What do you want, Max? Your pride back? It’s practically overflowing again, you’re like a never-ending buffet of self-confidence.” He does laugh at that, letting his head thump against the couch armrest. Your shadow slinks across his floor, shimmering ever so slightly.

“I’m sorry. I was angry. Not just about the deal, but that I didn’t win.” Max shifts uncomfortably on the couch, feeling your eyes on him. This is a level of vulnerability he gives no one, and he’s showing you his belly in the most humiliating way. “I was planning to taste you, I’m not gonna lie about that, but I was also looking forward to…ah, well, to taking you out to Dorne’s. I thought you’d look nice in candlelight. And they have a killer tres leches cake. And…maybe if I played my cards right, you’d let me kiss you.” Max’s mouth finally stops. And waits. When you don’t say anything he closes his eyes and scrubs his hand over his forehead. 

“Yeah, I’ve fucked this up, you can just…” he starts to say, then two cool hands wrap around his wrists, pressing them down beside his head. His eyes fly open to find you sliding down to straddle his waist, eyes locked onto his mouth as his lips part. You're in something lighter, a flowing dress that drapes over his lap and slides over your curves as you settle on him.

“You called me and I came to hear you out,” you say, leaning down to brush your lips over his softly. “Now, you did piss me off something fierce, but I’m willing to let it go in return for something you can offer me.” The warmth of your body against his and the loosening of your fingers lets him envelope you in his arms. 

“Are you looking to make another deal?” he whispers against your skin.

“More like a challenge. I do know how much you like those.” 

He surges up to devour your lips, palming your lower back and crushing you against him. The delightful moan you plant in his mouth has him rocking against your heat recklessly.

 “What is it then?”

“Make it up to me.”

END

[stranger-marauders]

shattered

six: the road trip

chapter summary: Kate finds her escape not as easy as it appears. Steve, Dustin, Max, and Robin fill Nancy in on what they know.

chapter warnings: language, canon-typical violence, allusions to alcohol and drug use

word count: 3.3k

series masterlist | masterlist

KATE COULD HAVE sworn up and down that someone was following her.

At first, she thought it must’ve been her anxiety getting the best of her. Every time she turned around, she didn’t see anyone that could have possibly been following her, not until she was about a mile from her car.

She’d finally seen the woman in question. If she wouldn’t have been looking for her, she probably wouldn’t have spotted her at all. The woman had been following her presumably since she’d left her building, and the only reason she’d finally recognized her again was because she’d recognized her face, her clothes.

She was onto her.

Kate could only assume the woman was a government agent of some kind, probably belonging to whatever agency actually had knowledge of her sister’s existence. She looked important, mostly because of her clothes, her pinbacked hair. Whoever this woman was, she was most definitely looking for her.

So much for the dumb blonde gag.

She picked up her pace slightly, not too quickly as not to avoid suspicion. She thought she might be able to lose her if she was inconspicuous enough, if she didn’t panic. She couldn’t freak out—she had to act like nothing was wrong.

Kate realized she had been made whenever the woman also started picking up her pace, making sure she didn’t lose her. She couldn’t turn around again—she had to focus on getting to her car. The agent was about thirty yards behind her. That was enough time to get inside the car, start the engine, and drive off, right? It had to be enough time. 

The woman following her began to close the space in between them, making Kate’s heart race. She couldn’t get to her, not when she had gotten this far. Who knew where she would take her? Kate had to get out right now.

“Excuse me, ma’am!” the agent called. She was only twenty feet behind her now, just close enough where Kate could hear her and not ignore her.

Kate, however, continued walking. She clipped her Walkman onto her belt, putting her keys in her frontpocket. She impulsively went down an alleyway that could be considered a short cut to her car, one that would probably throw the agent off. 

“Ma’am!”

She didn’t care. Kate started walking swiftly down the alleyway, but the woman was faster. The agent grabbed her by the arm, quickly restraining her by her wrists.

It was too late—Kate had been caught.

“Ma’am—” “Why are you following me!”

“Miss Hopper, I need you to come with me.”

“Why?”

The woman sighed. “I can’t answer that until you come with me.”

Kate evaluated her options for only a moment as she stood in the alleyway with her hands behind her back, restrained by her wrists. She could try running, but she knew that would end horribly, as she was not a runner by any stretch of the means. She could try acting like she wasn’t herself again, but she figured it was a little late for that.

The only thing she hadn’t tried was fighting her way out.

When the agent pulled at her wrist, Kate instinctively kicked her in the shin, making the woman let go of her. She had never gotten into a physical fight before, but she had to keep in mind what her dad had always told her just in case she did have to defend herself.

Rule number one: no kicking. They’ll either grab you by the leg or move closer to you. Rule number two: if you punch, make it count. If you punched someone the wrong way, you had the opportunity to fracture your knuckles, and that was something that would really be of no help. Rule number three: aim for vital organs, the back of the head, or the jaw. Any of those places could completely distract a person if you hit them the right way.

As she worked against the government agent, her father’s words rang through her head. The agent tried to land a blow around her kidneys, but Kate avoided her, managing to punch her in the diaphragm, just like her dad had taught her. The final blow she made was the punch in the jaw, causing the woman to fall to the ground.

She took a few deep breaths, staring at the agent on the ground. Holy shit. And to think Steve made it look so difficult to win a fight.

Kate didn’t think about it for another moment before running as fast as she could to her car. She had been given an opportunity and she wasn’t going to waste it.

Now she had to pray there wouldn’t be a felony charge for her whenever the agent woke up.

Steve, Dustin, Robin, and Max sat Nancy down at the trailer park to tell her about everything they knew.

“So you’re saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it’s from the Upside Down?”

“If the shoe fits,” Steve answered.

“Our working theory is that he attacked with a spell or a curse,” Dustin explained. “Now, whether or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know.”

“All we know is this is something different,” Max said. “Something new.”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Nancy said, still confused.

“It’s only a theory,” Dustin explained.

“No, Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense,” she clarified. “I mean, why them?”

“Maybe they were just in the wrong place,” Dustin said. “They were both at the game.”

“And near the trailer park,” Max added.

“We’re at the trailer park,” Steve said, somewhat anxiously. “Uh… should we maybe not be here?”

“There is something about this place,” Nancy said. “Fred started acting weird the second we got here.”

Robin turned to face her. “Acting weird as in…?”

“Scared, on edge, upset.”

“Max said Chrissy was upset, too,” Dustin said.

“Yeah, but not here,” Max clarified. “She was crying in the bathroom at school.”

“Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?” Robin asked. “So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman—”

“Vecna,” Dustin corrected.

“I dunno about you, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone,” Steve said, scratching his face.

“Maybe they did,” Max said, a moment of realization hitting her. “I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley’s office. If you saw a monster, you… you wouldn’t go to the police. They’d never believe you. But you might go to your—”

“Your shrink,” Robin said, following her perfectly.

Max only nodded in response.

The group of five walked back to Steve and Nancy’s cars, everyone but her heading with him. When he saw that Nancy was going on his own, however, he started walking toward her.

“Woah, woah. Nance. Nance!” He took a few steps closer to her. “Nance, where you going?”

She almost looked as if she’d been taken off guard. “Oh, there’s just something I wanna check on first.”

“Something you maybe wanna share with the rest of us?” Dustin asked.

Nancy shoved her hands in her pockets. “I don’t wanna waste your time. It’s a real shot in the dark.”

“Yeah, okay. Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? No, it’s too dangerous. You need… You need someone to…” When Nancy raised her eyebrows at him, he turned to Robin, throwing his keys at her. “Here. I’ll stick with Nance, all right. You guys take the car, check out the shrink.”

“I don’t think you want me driving your car,” Robin said, a panicked look flashing across her face.

“Why?”

“I don’t have a license?”

Steve had almost missed what she’d said. He hadn’t ever realized Robin, a freshly turned eighteen year old, didn’t have her license. “Why don’t you have a license?”

“I’m poor.”

“I can drive,” Max offered.

“No, no! Never again, please. Anybody but you. No.”

Dustin didn’t say a word, only giving a suggestive face.

“No chance.”

“Come on.”

“No.”

“All right, okay. This is stupid,” Robin said, taking Dustin’s walkie from his backpack and handing Steve his keys. “Us ladies will stick together. Unless… you think we need you to protect us.”

Steve gave her an unreadable look as he tried to hide his annoyance, and Robin chuckled as she walked toward Nancy’s car. Nancy shrugged, smiling as she walked in the other direction.

“Be careful,” Steve said with a raised voice, and Robin waved to him in response.

“You just gonna stand there and gawk?” Dustin asked, smiling.

“Shut up.”

“Why don’t we go? Okay?” Dustin asked.

“Shut up and get in the car,” Stve said walking over to the car somewhat bitterly. While Ma had already gotten in, Dustin moved to get in at the same time as him. “Wipe your feet.” Dustin did as instructed, wiping them on the carpet floor of the car. “On the outside, not the inside!” When he finally got in, trying to start the car, he sighed. “Always the babysitter. Always the goddamn babysitter!”

Kate had been out of city limits before the end of the lunch rush.

She hadn’t eaten lunch. In fact, she hadn’t stopped once before her tank hit near empty. She was only going to stop for something like that, a chance to try and call Jonathan again to warn him about the agents and to go pee simlutaneously, maybe to get a Coke and a bag of chips, but nothing more. She couldn’t waste time—she knew it would be a long drive.

Even though it was about eleven hours away, Kate knew she could make the drive to Hawkins in one day. Even though almost every fiber in her being screamed at her not to go, told her that it was a terrible, terrible idea for multiple reasons, she knew she needed to go. If agents were looking for her, that meant something else had gone wrong, and she wasn’t just going to sit aside and do absolutely nothing. Besides, maybe El had been taken to Hawkins.

There was no way El wasn’t in federal custody at this point, not if federal agents were looking for her already. Maybe they’d taken her again, to try and get her powers back, but Kate didn’t care. She was going to find her sister, and she would do everything in her power to prevent any more loss from happening. She couldn’t take losing anyone else.

Bartholomew was doing a lot better than expected, considering how she was driving. It was a seven year old car at this point, it being a 1979 Ford Escort, but she hadn’t put too many miles on it considering she had only made the drive from Hawkins whenever she and Steve had moved her in. This would be the first time she’d gone back since she’d left. She’d only stopped a little bit before halfway in between Pennsylvania and Ohio to refill her tank, trying to call Jonathan again. She didn’t try calling him again when she found the line was still busy.

She blared music loudly in her car as she drove, trying not to think about the hundreds of thoughts that seemingly flew through her head at once. She thought about Mike, Will, and Jonathan, wondering why the line had been so busy. She thought about what might’ve been going on in Hawkins currently, how boring she hoped it would be even thought she knew that was far from the case. She thought about EL, where she was and what she was doing. Most importantly, though, her thoughts were overwhelmed by one person.

Kate knew there was a strong chance she would see Steve Harrington before she could leave Hawkins again, and she didn’t know how to feel about that. While, yes, she wanted to see Steve, she knew it would hurt her, hurt him. She hadn’t seen him since she had dropped him off at LaGuardia, seeing him off on his flight.

She remembered that moment still, replayed in her mind constantly.

“Did you know this’ll actually be my first time on a plane alone?” Steve had said, trying to ease the tension. “Crazy, right?” 

Kate had laughed, tears swelling in her eyes as she’d pulled him into a hug. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I know,” he’d replied, wrapping her arms around her. “I wish I could stay with you.”

“I know,” she’d said, her voice cracking slightly. “Thanksgiving, right?”

He’d pulled away from her, wiping away the stray tear that had gone down her face. “Nothing any sooner?”

She’d laughed, trying not to rack a sob. “I can’t afford anything sooner, and neither can you. Besides, I need you to stay with El before she leaves. We already have Thanksgiving planned out.”

He’d nodded, giving her a tightlipped smile. “Thanksgiving it is, then.”

She’d nodded once, breathing out shakily as she wiped underneath her eyes. She didn’t want him to go. God, she didn’t want him to go, but he had to go back. 

He’d cupped her face with her hands, pulling her into a kiss one last time. He’d known it was tacky, but he didn’t care—at that time, he’d thought he’d be going three months without seeing her, and he wasn’t not going to kiss her one last time. Whenever she pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I love you, Kathy.”

“I love you, too, Steven.”

Before either of them could have said another word, boarding for his terminal called, and he’d dropped his hands from her face, smiling at her sadly. “That’s me.”

She’d seen him off, only watching him as he began his journey back home.

Kate almost hated to remember that moment now. How they’d talked about the Thanksgiving that never was, the one that she’d wanted so desperately but couldn’t have because she made the decision to cut it off with him. She missed him so much. She missed his dorky smile, his stupid hair: she missed him more than he possibly could know, even if she’d done everything in her power to make it appear as otherwise.

Because of that, Kate didn’t know how she’d feel if she saw Steve again, nor if she needed to.

Steve and Dustin camped out in his car outside of Ms. Kelley’s house whenever Max had gone inside.

“Okay,” Steve said. “She’s in.”

“I’m missing collarbones, not eyes.”

Steve didn��t reply, only watching Max carefully.

“So,” Dustin started, “we gonna talk about… it?”

“Huh?” Steve finally turned to look at Dustin. “Sorry, talk about what?”

Dustin gave him an unconvinced look. “Your temporary insanity earlier today when you basically threw yourself at Nance?”

“Okay, first off, that’s not what happened, okay?”

“Pretty sure that’s what happened,” Dustin countered. “It was public. There were a lot of witnesses.”

“Are… Are you implying I still have a thing for Nance?”

“No. I’m not implying.”

“You’re—”

“I’m stating, and, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date Robin, it’s pretty much the only logical explanation.”

“That’s not the only one,” Steve said, somewhat bitterly. “And as for Nance, I was just trying to protect a friend.”

Dustin nodded, giving an unconvinced smile—he couldn’t believe him. He never would’ve thought he would go back to Nancy after all this time. 

“A friend, Henderson. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I don’t wanna find her in the morning with her eyes sucked out of the front of her skull by this Vecna creep.”

“Why can’t you just tell me? You acted the same way about Kate, like, two years ago, by the way, so I can see right through your bullshit act.”

“This is not the same thing.”

Dustin chuckled. “You’re, like, bright red in the face right now.”

“No, I’m not. I dno’t wanna talk about it, I’ll punch you so hard your teeth will fall back out.”

“Woah,” Dustin said, immediately dropping his smile. “Too far.”

Steve paused, a moment of realization hitting him. “Not cool. Sorry.”

“Not cool. It’s okay.”

He nodded, sticking out his fist as a truce. When Dustin bumped it back, he knew things were cool.

Dustin should’ve known not to bring Kate into it. Steve had reacted badly to anyone bringing her up besides him since she’d broken up with him, especially that first two months. The first week he’d been single, Dustin couldn’t think of a time where he hadn’t found Steve drinking his sorrows away, smoking a blunt that Robin had scored from some of the dealers at school. For a while Steve had picked up smoking again, stopping whenever he was spending all his money on a pack or two a day. He could’ve sworn he even saw him shed a tear over it once or twice, quickly wiping it away where no one could see. Steve hadn’t been right since then whenever Kate Hopper was merely mentioned, even all those months later, and that was something Dustin forgot every once in a while.

Steve still hadn’t gotten over the pain of losing her. He didn’t mean to take it out on Dustin, but the fact that he’d even suggested that he’d gotten over her and moved on to Nancy, for that matter, made him hurt. The fact that he was even trying to move on was hard enough for him, but why would he go back to Nancy, the girl that had made him realize he was in love with Kate in the first place? It didn’t make sense. Not in the slightest.

He still remembered the night that she’d broken up with him, the night that he thought his life was over. He’d pulled out his old cigarettes from his bedside drawer, some old weed, and broke into the alcohol cabinet just to feel something. He didn’t remember it, but he knew he’d called Robin at some point, only because she’d been at his house the next morning whenever he was so hungover he could hardly move. He remembered how terrible Thanksgiving had been, how much worse Christmas had been because she wasn’t there. He wasn’t going to let Dustin erase that, and he surely didn’t want to talk about it with him. Not when nothing would come out of it.

It hadn’t taken long for Max to come back, holding something in her hand.

“Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes,” Steve said softly, getting Dustin’s attention. They both watched her and she ran to his car quickly, jumping into the backseat.

“What’d she say?” Dustin asked.

“Nothing, just drive.”

“Nothing?”

“Steve, drive!” Max said urgently, evading his question.

“Okay,” he said softly, cranking up the car and driving away without another question.

next chapter

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[scorchedhearth]

1 or 12 (w/ anyone u think works!) for the prompts to shake things up? :)

I’ve been on a guy kick lately, so you’re very much welcome for this. Guy signing but not well is very dear to my heart

12. oh it's nothing it's just. you sing when you're happy and the place has been so quiet for so long, and I heard you- nevermind,

shaking things up

Warriors is quiet when Kyle walks in, but not silent, which is surprising. Guy’s last mission didn’t go well, new Lanterns that he couldn’t reach in time and lives were lost and ruined with him as the only one left to answer to this tragedy. He kept the bar closed an entire week when he came back, enough for him to deliver the news to the Lanterns’ families, and when they did reopen he let Kyle handle the room on his own, busying himself in the kitchen and with the paperwork and orders. It’s the first time since he came back that Kyle isn’t the first in the bar.

He carefully makes his way inside, navigating around the tables and reaching the counter to find the source of the noise. Guy’s in the kitchen, turning on appliances and preparing whatever he decided will be on the menu today, slamming doors open and close, mumbling to himself as he walks through the steps of his routine. Kyle stands there for a second, spying on the normalcy of it all, enjoying the warm feeling in his chest at seeing Guy more alive than he’s been all week, before backing away and getting into his own routine, setting out glasses and drinks and readying the bar.

It’s not until his round around the tables, checking that there are no broken chairs from last night's roughhousing, that he realizes he’s been tapping his fingers on a rythm, on lyrics coming from the back. He stops, letting silence blanket the room around him to listen as Guy sings. True, honest singing, deep and loud, as yet another door is slammed shut. Kyle doesn’t recognize the song, something about a road and some woman, but it's lively enough to be enjoyable. He abandons his task to come closer and rest his elbows on the counter, staring at the kitchen’s door, smiling to himself.

Before he can do anything about it though, the door crashes open and Guy stumbles through it, arms full of boxes and a startled look on his face. He stops net in his track and lets a construct pick his load and carry it to the storeroom.

“Kyle! Whatcha doing here?” He greets him with a bump of his shoulder against his.

“I came in early, I wanted to check the furniture after last night's fight.”

“That’s what got you grinning like an idiot?” He asks with his usual tack, and Kyle is in a good enough mood to not lie. 

“No further expense does that to a guy.” That gets Guy to bark out a laugh. “Nah, it’s just-” He pauses for a second, searching for the right words. “I know you make noise when you’re happy.” At Guy’s raised eyebrow he tries to explain. “You’re loud. You talk and chatter and whatnot if you’re feeling good. And it’s been really quiet here lately, and I just heard you, in the back, you were singing and-” he cuts himself off before he can go on because Guy is suddenly grinning, and Guy’s grin is a very worrying sight to witness. It can never mean anything good to whoever is on the receiving end.

“Guy.” He warns but it’s too late. Guy throws his arms out, leans away from the counter and starts braying out the lyrics to some old rock song he vaguely recognizes. It’s loud, it’s out of tune and Kyle regrets his words immediately. “Guy!” He tries again to no avail, he’s properly ignoring his complaints, too busy singing his heart out and making sure to sound as nice as nails on a board. It’s on purpose too, Kyle knows it is, he just heard him barely minutes ago.

He dodges the pads of sticky notes thrown at his head -the closest item he could reach to Kyle’s great dismay- and smirks at him. “Nevermind.” Kyle throws his hands in the air. “Forget what I said, it’s not good at all, please stop. Will you just-”

“Too laaate!” Guy croons right into his ear and sling an arm around his neck, keeping him from escaping. “You were bein’ all nice, can’t help that I’m feelin’ goood.” He tries to emulate Simone’s voice, fails miserably and on purpose and Kyle discreetly pops in earplugs, which do a good enough job at muffling the crime to art currently happening in the bar.

“Knew you cared about me,” He shakes Kyle around and despite loving him a lot, he sometimes makes it really hard to remember it.

“Keep this up and see if I do.” He grits out and Guy laughs again before releasing him, though the singing does not stop. No, it gets progressively worse throughout the day, but Kyle still can’t shrug the relief at seeing his friend back, even if it comes at the cost of his own sanity.