#lightys dump

[69yuri]

hallo!!! recent dump after a while ^-^

[uravitypng]

you're standing behind your podium waiting for the first man to go down the lift. you never thought you would go on a tv show like this but at the same time you never thought you would have your heart broken in such a humiliating way in front of all your coworkers so now you're dressed up in your best clothes, wearing your prettiest dress and nicest makeup wondering who's going to come down the lift.

you choose this show because your ex brought it up whenever you flicked through the channels, talking about how shallow it is and it's only based on appearance, he's not really wrong at the end of the day but that's not important to you currently and you wanted so bad to be on that programme and show off, 'look at how hot i am! you made such a mistake to dump me!'

your ex made you feel insecure about so many things- your body, your intelligence, your hobbies, your talents- but you decided that that's not going to hold you back for ever. you know you're good, you know those things he used to tell you to put you down aren't true.

every girls light is shining waiting for whoever comes into sight. if you don't like what you see you press your button to turn your light off and you know that you'll have no issues pressing that button if someone 'gives you the ick' or overall is just not your type.

the presenter gets your attention, "remember no likey, no lighty!" as the lift comes down, a lil nas song that you always forget the name to accompanies him as he makes his entrance. you're definitely not pressing your button. a man comes into view, a very attractive man comes into view, dyed blonde hair with an undercut, hooded dark brown eyes and an alluring smirk.

he introduces himself as atsumu and you swear you saw his eyes linger on you, checking you out, as he scans everyone.

"so ladies are you turned on or turned off?" two lights turn off and the presenter goes to question them about why they turned their light off, 'his hair... is a bit... well... let's just say i would complain to my hairdresser' and 'i like guys who are a little shorter, i like being the same height as each other.'

a video shows up behind him and a guy that looks exactly like him with different hair starts talking, for a video that's meant to highlight how great his twin is it's not the most complimentary but you can tell how much he cares about him only after one clip.

you learn that atsumu is a perfectionist and is a very competitive person, through this you learn he's a volleyball player and has been playing since he was a child, while his twin says this, footage of him comes onto the screen of him in practise and you don't know anything about volleyball really but he certainly looks good playing it, his body's moving in a way that makes it hard to take your eyes off him, you can see sweat dripping down his forehead and it makes him look even hotter. you find out he's a confident person but that really doesn't surprise you, he's on take me out, he came down the lift in such a confident manner and he's a pro athlete, his twin almost makes him sound like he's cocky and you gather that he's even more cocky than hinted at.

"'tsumu can be a flirt," at least six lights turn off, "and he gives a lot of compliments, especially t' girls on nights out but they're not always the most sincere, he can play with them." you see atsumu scowl and you can tell that he hadn't seen this video beforehand, it makes you giggle. "my twin is an idiot and he can be selfish but if y' give him the chance it'll be worth it."

almost half of girls have their lights off by now and it's not hard to figure out why, honestly you're surprised there isn't more after essentially being told he's a playboy but you're guessing he's so attractive they still wanted to keep their light on. his brother seems brutally honest when speaking about him but that makes you even more sure about the fact that you absolutely do not want to press that button. they obviously have a good relationship and that's such a green flag to you, not only that but his 'negative' traits don't leave you with a bad taste in your mouth or anything. everyone consists of both good and bad. you wouldn't mind that he's not the most sincere as long as he's sincere to you and honest about how he feels.

you don't know if you're atsumu's type you guess you'll found out soon but if you do get picked it's not like he's going to propose to you or anything. you're not looking for 'the one', especially on a reality romance game show but you know you'd enjoy his company.

just like last time the host goes around and asks some of the girls why they turned their lights off or have kept them on, you take little notice instead choosing to admire atsumu, maybe if the roles were reversed that would be considered something people would press their button about if they knew you wasn't listening and instead ignoring them to focus on the hot guy in front of everyone.

the host is talking to a girl a couple podiums down but atsumu looks at you- not her. he smirks as he notices your eyes are already on him after a couple seconds he flicks his eyes away to make eye contact with the presenter.

more things are said but you don't take notice. now's the part that feels pretty daunting though, you knew it would but it doesn't make that feeling go away. atsumu now has to press everyone's button, eliminating everyone apart from two. some women have their hands over their buttons silently begging jokingly not to press their button and eliminate them. atsumu presses buttons, sometimes pretending to turn off a light before walking the other way to turn off a different light and then after two more lights going back to that original light, crushing hope from the women, you understand what his brother means about atsumu playing with girls as you watch and think, 'bastard' but there's no spite behind it, if someone had read your mind they'd question about how it almost sounded endearing.

you don't realise that your light is still on, preoccupied with fantasising about his smirk that wouldn't leave his face as he made you moan. you're in the final two. he never even pretended to go to turn your light off.

the other girl makes a flirty chat up line and you know it's your turn next, you had it prepared on the off chance. you really didn't think you'd ever make it down to the final two. forty girls narrowed down to you, you didn't think it was likely but you still had some lines memorised. you said something and he laughed. he actually laughs. you don't know if it's because what you said amused him or if it's because he can tell you're not use to this kind of thing but either way- he laughed.

"now atsumu it's time to choose one of these girls. before you pick you should know that one of these girls once tried to use hair straighteners on a crinkled up essay as a teenager to try and make it flat again." he laughed. again.

"well i don't know who did that but it's a great idea," he grins and butterflies flutter in your stomach, 'it really was... in theory...' his eyes move to you again and you still can't tell if it's a bias perspective you hold but you swear that he's looking at you longer, looking at you more, looking at your soft body, looking at you with a kinder look in his eye. "both of these girls are gorgeous but one outshines everyone in th' room," he says your name and your eyes become comically wide.

'a man this hot thinks i'm gorgeous? so does that mean i was right that this whole time he was checking me out? i get to go on an all expenses paid date with atsumu?!'

reality shows au masterlist <3

[squippy360]

Dom!Steve Rogers x Sub!Male reader

Part 1

Cw:(powerbottom!Steve, Domsub!m/n, slapping, buried in sand kink, blowjobs, thigh kink, hair kink,)

Steve was still holding a grudge against M/n for burying him in the sand. He had been angry cuddling with him for a week before deciding to get him back. 

When Steve got outside, he saw M/n lying on the ground with his arms under his head and laying in his tummy. Steve quietly snuck up behind him, straddling M/n's ass and quickly tied his hands together. 

M/n hummed. "Steve?" He called out. "I just hope you know I could break out of these anytime if you're not Steve." M/n said. 

Steve kissed his neck. "It's me~" He teased and flipped him over. M/n stared up at him with a smirk. "What are you doing?" He said. 

Steve hummed. "Getting my revenge." He said and yanked both of their speedos off. He sat on M/n's lap, tying his legs together as well. 

Steve bit his lap as he grinded against M/n before taking out some lube and spreading it across M/n's cock and his hole. Steve bit his lip as he sank down on M/n's cock. He let out a breathy moan as he began to ride him. 

M/n lightly panted and tried to thrust upward. "Damn Steve~ Your ass is so good~" M/n rumbled. 

Steve slapped him, but now too harshly. "I'm in charge here." Steve said and stopped, smirking when he heard M/n whine. "Ok mister." He mumbled. 

Steve began again, touching himself and moaning loudly. He pumped his cock right in front of M/n's face. "I love that fucking look~" Steve growled and came all over M/n's face. He stopped so M/n couldn't cum and got off of him. 

Steve dug a hole deep enough to fit M/n and put him in. He sat in front of him and ran my fingers through his hair. "You're so hot tied up like this~" Steve said and shoved his cock in M /n's mouth. 

M/n happily sucked on it. "Do I taste good Baby Boy~ I know how much you love it when you suck your Daddy's cock." Steve moaned when he felt M/n him on his cock. 

Steve did one of M/n's favorite things. He smothered M/n's face with his thighs and ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh Baby boy~ Feels so good~" Steve moaned and rubbed his thighs against M/n's. 

He let out a high pitched moan when he felt M/n moan on his cock. " I'm going to cum inside your mouth Baby Boy! Gonna cum~" Steve moaned and threw his head back, cumming in M/n's mouth. 

M/n purred on his cock, enjoying the affection Steve was giving him. He sucked on his tip lighty. 

Steve stayed there, enjoying the feeling a bit more. He pulled out of M/n's mouth but didn't move my thighs. 

M/n let out a breathy sigh. "I love you so much." He said, blushing a bit. Steve and M/n sat there for a good 10 minutes, Steve running his fingers through M/n's hair. 

After that, Steve passionately gave him a kiss. "I love you too." He said and wrote a sigh right next to M/n's head. 'Free cum dump!' He walked away as he heard M/n yell at him to get him out. 

Steve watched from the window as he watched the other guys have his way with his Baby Boy while he jerked off to how obedient M/n was being. 

"I love you so much~" Steve said with a smile. 

[nizawrites]

BAKING WITH THE MORIARTY BROTHERS + SHERLOCK

I headcanon that william knows how to bake but he just lets louis usually bake for him.

It happened one day when william was at home, doing paperwork as usual when you got the thought.

At first, it seemed useless and maybe not his thing but you gave it a shot.

"William, wanna take a break from that and maybe bake something with me?"

He only looks up once from his paper and smiles fondly at you "Sounds nice."

So you both are in the kitchen, looking at different recipes and reading them through.

Honestly you guys just end up baking cookies since it's the "easiest" to do among the other sweets.

William would actually be good at baking, he just followed the steps and instructions in the book and et voilà! you have yourself some cookies.

But you see, you're a mischievous little angel and so, you decided to throw flour on william while waiting for the cookies.

He would go from "???" to "Oh." and then cover you in the same ingredient you covered him in.

I swear, I can see william coating you in whatever ingredient he gets his hands on. He will play your little game until you surrender and stop.

Rip to who ever is in-charge of cleaning the house that day because William may or may not clean up after the mess you both made.

Your eyes sparkled at the sight of the opened bag of flour that sat on the counter. You debated for a few minutes if you should really do what you were thinking. William was too busy with reading the recipe book to even notice your little sneaky hands grabbing some flour and finally throwing it all over the blonde man leaning against the counter.

William could only stare at the book before raising his head and staring at you with a not really surprised expression, you really couldn't tell what he was feeling.

"That's a waste of flour darling." he would say before standing up straight and putting the recipe book down. He wouldn't show you the little smirk he had on his lips before picking up the bag of flour and covering you in it.

The flour fight would last for a few minutes, both of you throwing small amounts of flour from your clothes onto each other until Albert walks into the kitchen, his mouth forming an 'O' shape.

"You know moran is in charge of cleaning today right but you also do know he would skip his chores so that leaves fred and louis to clean this up." he would say before softly smiling at the two of you.

Bonus: You both ended up cleaning the kitchen since you didn't want to trouble fred and louis.

Albert was the one to bring it up, the baking together thing.

He saw in a cooking magazine different sweet treats he wanted to get for you but decided maybe it would be a nice bonding activity for the two of you.

"Hey y/n? You know how to bake right?"

"kind of? i mean it's easy to follow the cook books so.... yeah???" pls you sounded unsure but still went on with his idea.

You both ended up making cupcakes since you wanted to try frosting since it looked cool and fun and honestly who was albert to even deny your request?

You both would follow the instructions really well until you decided to get playful and well, slap some icing across his face.

He would be shocked but instantly laugh lightly and smile at you like nothing had happened.

Just know that, he's quite responsible so he would just pull out his handkerchief and wipe it off and continue on with the instructions.

Your plan to play food fight with him? Failed.

But you would end up with cute cupcakes !! He would let you frost them when they're done baking.

He'd just stand at your back and watch you frost the cupcakes with a smile.

"Did you just.... put icing on me?" He would ask softly as he retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket, gently wiping the colored cream off of his face.

"you were supposed to fight back by throwing some sugar or icing at me...." you would say sadly as you lighty pouted.

Albert would only chuckle as he stepped away from you, moving to the oven and opening it to retrieve the baked cupcakes.

"Was I? I'm sorry, I just don't want to make a mess." He would say as he places the cupcakes down on a cooling rack before swiping his finger into the frosting bowl and smearing it across your face.

"I mean, I can still fight back right now right? It's never too late to do so." He says softly while smiling.

Okay, he was baking some sweet treats for william and albert when you walked into the kitchen.

He, at first, didn't notice you until you peaked over his shoulder.

"whatcha doing?"

"I'm baking a cake for brother william and brother albert." He would reply softly as he put the ingredients onto the counter.

"can i help?"

"Sure."

Let's be honest, he will say sure but he ends up being the one to do all the baking lmao.

It's not because you were lazy or anything but mostly because he knew what you wanted to do and he just didn't want to be delayed in making the cake.

So you ended up sitting on the counter as you watched louis bake, he did let you help him out a little.

Like measuring liquids and stirring the batter.

Overall, he made the cake within a decent amount of time since he didn't let you do your little mischievous acts.

Louis is just responsible and time oriented.

"are you just going to let me sit here and watch you bake that cake?" you would ask softly as you swing your legs back and fort off the counter.

"You're a bit troublesome in the kitchen, y/n. I feel like we would take forever to bake if I let you help out since you wouldn't really be helping me out but instead you would distract me and therefore we wouldn't be able to bake the cake immediately." He would state before pushing his glasses up his nose.

"n-no excuse me! i am a good help what do you mean i would cause trouble?" you ask before playfully sulking. Louis would only laugh lightly before making his way to you and standing in front of you.

"Next time when brother william and brother albert aren't home, let's bake again and take our time doing the treats okay?" He would say before smiling genuinely at you.

I headcanon that sherlock is chaotic in doing things with you, like really chaotic.

It would be sherlock who would bring up the baking idea and you would gladly agree to his idea.

You both decided to make powdered sugar donuts and that means.... a lot of powdered sugar in the kitchen.

Honestly, the start of your baking was really really well like you were mixing the the batter in a bowl while sherlock separated the wet ingredients.

The only thing that went wrong was, you throwing powdered sugar onto him.

You thought it was gonna be fun and nice for him to be covered in powdered sugar but the next thing you knew was you were drenched in egg yolks.

Let's be honest, sherlock wouldn't hesitate to dump the wet ingredients onto you because come on, you both are chaotic together.

So that's how the "kitchen disaster happened"

When john came back home, he was greeted by a messy kitchen area and both you and sherlock were sitting on the floor, eating burnt donuts.....

"It doesn't taste that bad...?" He would say before laughing lightly as he dipped the burnt donut into whatever amount left of powdered sugar was in the bowl.

"it taste burnt sherlock but it's alright." you would say before dipping your donut into the bowl as well as you two sat down in the corner of the kitchen, laughing at the mess you two have made.

"Maybe we should try and seriously bake next time." Sherlock says as he chews the donut in his mouth.

"we both know that's never going to happen..." you would nonchalantly say as you looked up at him.

"That is very true." He would reply, tilting his head to you before smiling fondly "I have fun doing these with you so, let's never get serious when doing stuff like this." He would say again.

"YOU TWO SHOULD GET SERIOUS IF YOU STILL WANT TO STAY HERE!!" John would shout as he stood in the doorway, his face in disbelief at the mess you and sherlock had made.

a/n: hello!! i thought of this baking headcanon for the moriarty brothers earlier while resting so i decided to write this, might be a little ooc but i tried. i still am reading the manga to grasp each character's personality to make much more accurate headcanons and such. i will be doing the sent requests soon ♡ please wait for them hehe. thank you~ stay safe, hydrated and healthy lovelies!!

[achliegh]

Golden

Yeehaw Leo… it's all because this song came on one day (I don’t even really listen to country anymore so it really is fate). Leo is based off that song, each chapter is going to be based off a yeehaw song too.

Characters belong to @lumosinlove

Beta: @the-most-slyterin-hufflepuff & @punkkkboi

TW/CW: Smut, terrible yeehaw sayings and jokes, injuries, mentions of past death/suicide, minor character death, underage drinking, mentions of past arrests, cringe

Chapter Songs (listening in order is recommended):

Chapter 12:

Jesus, Take the Wheel

It was 11 o’clock in the afternoon when Remus and Sirius got home, Reg was sitting on the couch under a blanket like the vampire he was on his laptop.

“Reg! We’re home! I’m glad the house is still standing!” Sirius goes over to the blanket before Reg can pull it off and hugs him super tight so the blanket makes him look like a little child dressed as a ghost. Remus smiles at them, walking past to set his bag by the basement stairs where they like to keep off their hockey stuff.

“Get off me! I can’t breathe!” Sirius lets go and Reg punches him in the shoulder after he slams his laptop closed and takes the blanket off. “Jerk.”

“Hey, you cut your hair.” Sirius grabs his baby brother's face and makes him turn his head to one side and then the other examining his hair. It looked really good on him, Sirius has always wanted to do something like this with his hair but always chickens out because of what the media will say. “It looks really nice, I’m a little jealous. I have always wanted to have my hair like that.” He ruffles Reg’s hair and gives him a sloppy kiss on the forehead like he knows Reg, acts like he hates, loves. “I am going to shower, I smell like bus, I’ll be back!” He passes Remus on his way upstairs and gives him a peck.

“I take it you won?” Reg stands up and follows Remus into the kitchen, Remus looks in the sink to see all the dirty dishes the trio had left because they didn’t want to do it. Reg was just kinda awkwardly floating around Remus as he worked on the dishes and Re had an idea that something was up.

“Okay, something is bothering you.” Remus turns around and leans on the counter to find Reg just messing with a fork left on the counter, spinning it on a prong. “Spit it out.”

“I just- I don’t know, I have kinda been… looking into some stuff that maybe I’m not just-” Remus has lived with Reg long enough to be able to pick up on his panicking. So he watches as Reg balances from one foot to the other, squeezing his hands into fists and opening them again.

“Hey, hey, Reg it’s okay.” Remus walks over to him and smiles, he doesn’t touch him but he lets him know he is there for him by looking him in the eyes for a moment and smiling. “You can tell me anything, I will be there for you no matter what.”

“I don’t think I’m… Maybe I’m not cis?”

“Here.” Finn dumps his bag onto Logan as he pulls out his keys to open the apartment. “Do you think Leo is waiting for us like a little puppy?”

“No.” Logan rolls his eyes and shifts the bag on his shoulder. “But we should definitely get a dog.” The door opens and all the lights are off, Leo’s boots are by the welcome mat so that means he is home. The tv is still on the NHL station playing highlights from what looks to be the Penguins and the Knights.

Walking over to the couch Finn smiles at what he sees, Leo wrapped up in a blanket with his hood up and his arm over the edge of the couch. His phone is on the ground below his hand, Finn picks it up and places it on the coffee table as Logan turns the tv off. They already dropped his stuff off at Dumo’s and will be staying the night but going back tomorrow morning. Finn reaches out and runs the back of his pointer finger over Leo’s soft face.

Leo might be a manly-man but he still can’t grow facial hair properly.

Finn moved his hand to push the hood down from Leo’s head and kiss his forehead, expecting to feel his soft hair but instead he felt prickles. He jolts his hand back from the shock and puts it over his mouth as he silently freaks out over the short hair. He waves his hand behind him until he grabs Logan's arm from where he was texting his parents that he got home safe and yanks him down so he lands on his ass next to where Finn is squatting.

“He has no hair!” Finn whispers-yells into Logan's ear. Logan spins around on his now sore tailbone and looks at Leo’s uncovered head. “Oh my god why does it look good!” Logan leans forward and notices a tattoo they have never seen before.

“Is that a strawberry? He has a strawberry tattoo.” Logan lighty pets over the inked fruit and smiles. “Aww how soft of him.” They both get up. “ We should let him sleep, nothing we ever do is too loud to wake him up. He SLeeps like a brick.” Logan takes Finn's hand as they grab the bag and start to unpack most of it.

Leo sleeps for a good hour before his body tells him to get up. Slowly sitting up he notices the tv is off and hears chattering in the kitchen. Standing up as quick as he can and slipping on his blanket a little he stumbles over to his boys and engulfs Finn in a hug. Surprising him.

“Good morning sleeping beauty.” Finn hugs him back.

“Let me in!” Logan scurries over to them and Leo opens his arms to hug both his boys. He picks them up a little and squeezes them, causing Logan to laugh and Finn to suffocate.

“Leo- I can't breathe.” Finn smiles but also can’t breathe. Leo lets them down and gives them both welcome home kisses. “Your hair looks great by the way, so short it shows off your face.” Finn ruffles his hair and accidentally bumps Leo's thigh.

“Ouch, that hurt a little.” Leo backs away a bit and puts a hand on his thigh. The boys looked at each other quizzically, causing Leo to pull up the leg of his shorts to show them his new tattoo.

“Oh my god! What is that!” Logan and Finn both bend down to get a better look at the blob of ink under the clear film. “Okay… for real what is it? Your ink sac is in the way….”

“Ew don’t call it that.” Leo smiles and looks down at the said blob. “It’s a pinup, she is actually based off that picture of Logan in your jersey, she has a mix of y’alls features and is also the only color tattoo I have… because she is so special.” Leo has the sappiest look on his face as he describes her. “You like?”

“I love… we should name her! I vote Matilda!” Logan smiles proud of the name he thought of.

“No, we need a better name! I like Veronica.” FInn and Logan continue to argue over names as Leo feeds his aggressive fish that Clay graciously named ‘Finlo… get it because Finn and Logan. Because it's red like Finn and mean like Logan!’ The name stuck somehow.

“Guys, guys. She can have two different names.” Leo smiles at them and leans against the counter. Watching them narrow their eyes at each other until one of them looks away.

“Fine! But can we have sex now? You know what your tattoos do to me, and now that you have one that has something to do to me.” Finn sighs and walks towards Leo who spins them around with a hand on either side of Finn. “whoa.”

“Sure we can, but we can’t fuck up her face… so I want to watch you and Lo.”

When Thomas walks in the door he is met with the cutest sight. Clay is asleep on Nolles chest on the couch with a back of frozen peas on his ass. Walking in and giving Noelle a kiss, he sits down next to them on the ground, reaching to grab Clay’s hand that is squished under him. He gets Clay’s hand and kisses the back of it.

“How long has he been asleep?”

“He was just pacing around the room and running to the window like a dog every time one of the neighbors slammed their car doors. It was really cute, but then I could tell his back and booty were hurting so I made him lay down and ice. He was not happy with me.” Noelle smiles and pets his hair back as Thomas leans in for another kiss, which she happily accepts.

“We need to sit down and talk with him about our sexlife, he definitely wasn’t what I expected in bed. A lot less ‘I want to be in control’ than I thought. He was very submissive and basically let me do what I wanted to him.” They both look down at the sleeping man. “He really really liked being fucked though. He said he has only been fucked once before, I think, but if he loved it that much then why has he never done it again?” Noelle furrows her brows in a way that means she is looking deep into the meaning of something.

“We just need to talk with him, I don’t think he would ever keep a secret from us unless it's really bad. I trust him, he obviously trusts us enough to A) Let you fuck him and B) Let us call while it is happening.” Noelle nods after a moment and sighs.

“We should wake him up, I want to use those peas for dinner tonight.”

“I’ll do it, he will probably jump on me.” Thomas smiles and scoots down until he is face to face with Clay, nudging him with his hand for a bit as he watches as those big puppy dog eyes open. They blink a few times and then finally focus on Thomas. “Hi.” The smile on Clay’s face blooms happiness in Thomas’ chest and before he knows it, Clay is off of Noelle and into his arms.

“Mm missed you.” Clay mumbles into Thomas’ neck and breathes him in. He smells like his cologne and a hint of sweat. Clay loves it. He pulls away a little as Noelle kisses both their foreheads and walks to the kitchen with the bag of peas in hand. Looking back to Thomas, Clay gets comfy by sitting between Thomas’ legs and hooking his ankles behind his back. His arms around his neck, just pressing their foreheads together as Clay’s still sleepy eyelids close.

“You’re so warm.” Thomas pulls away to cup Clay's face and smiles when Clay leans into one of his hands, keeping his eyes closed. His naturally curled lashes rest on his smooth cheeks. “You’re so beautiful.” Clay’s eyes open and he turns slightly red.

“No one has ever called me beautiful before…”

“You are, you are so beautiful.” Clay is looking at Thomas with a mix of millions of emotions flashing across his face.

“I don’t know how to respond.”

“You don’t need to. But that means I should keep telling you until you do know how to respond.” Leaning in their lips meet and they both smile.

Everything felt so right.

A week passed, Thomas and Noelle were busy with work and school, leaving Clay alone for most of the day. It was starting to take an effect on Clay as well. Yes He would walk around town with Tina when he was bored and his friends were busy or sleeping. He would hide William in places that he knew would make Thomas scream and run away. He also continued making little origami hats for William.

Tina hasn’t left his side recently and Clay really appreciates him greatly for that.

“Tina! Food time!” Clay puts Tina’s food in his bowl as William continues to tunnel his way through Clay’s hair. He doesn’t know why but William loves crawling in his hair. Thomas hates it because William scares him when he goes to Kiss Clay on the top of his head… and there is a snake there.

Clay goes to put William back in his enclosure, while he is closing the lid to the enclosure he hears the front door open and Noelle and Thomas call out at the same time.

“We’re home!” Noelle takes off her boots and hat and shakes out her hair from the snow flakes in it. Yesterday was the first snow Clay has ever seen, it was adorable. He ran outside in his shorts and sweatshirt. Standing in the middle of their tiny front yard and staring up at the gloomy yet bright sky as the flakes of snow land on his face.

He was looking up in awe while being barefoot on the damp grass since there wasn’t enough snow to stick and stay. He danced around getting his feet and legs all muddy. Thomas took a couple pictures of the flakes landing on Clay’s hair and eyelashes because Clay wants to remember this for the rest of his life.

They picked up the pictures on the way home today, Clay wants to add them to his little knick-knack collection. Clay is like a penguin in the way he loves to bring people he loves, little things from bobble heads to rocks and sticks that look like wands.

Thomas and Noelle both had a box that was almost already full.

“Hi! I missed you.” Clay runs into the room and hugs them both, giving them a bunch of smooches. “How was today?” Clay hovers around them as they unpack the groceries and the pictures, Thomas hugs him from behind and kisses his ear, making Clay laugh by biting it.

“Today was good, but we need to sit down and talk about our sexlife tonight.” Thomas mumbles in his ear and Noelle nods in agreement.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course not, we just need to talk about what you like and don’t like.” Pinching his cheek Noelle smiles at him and Clay instantly relaxes, but he’s worried about what they will ask.

“Can we just talk now? I'm pretty open to everything. I’ll do anything you want me to!” His heart starts to pick up because he doesn’t want them to leave him because of things he doesn’t like in bed… he can always suck it up for them. Because he really likes them.

“Clay there has to be somethings you don’t like, I mean I personally don’t want to ever bottom. It scares me and yes I trust you both but it’s not something I’m interested in.”

“I like so be in charge during sex, so being bossed around really isn’t something I’m into. I also don’t really like anything like impact play… just no thanks.” Noelle hands Clay the can of Kiwi Apple Redbull he asked for earlier. He just holds it while he thinks.

“ I guess maybe… I don’t want to be tied up… unless you want me to be! Then I will!” He holds his Red Bull to his chest, really wishing it gave him wings to fly away from this conversation.

“Clay, we aren’t going to ask you to do anything you don’t want too, that’s why we are having this conversation, because communication and boundaries are important.” Thomas let’s go of Clay and walks over to where Noelle is trying to reach a cup on the top shelf that he puts there out of habit. He gets it down for her and they turn back to Clay. “You okay?”

“Umm I- I need to…” he’s trying to think of an excuse to leave because he wants to believe that they won’t leave him if he says no to something they do want but a voice in the back of his head sounding scarily like Ashley is telling him they will do whatever they want to him and he has to like it… or they will leave and find someone else. “I need to go to the barn!” Clay takes his RedBull and the keys to his new pick up and sprints out the door. Leaving the people he… really really likes behind.

He gets into the truck and turns it on and starts driving, with no place to go. Jesus, Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood comes on over the radio and he listens to it for a couple of seconds before shutting the radio off as he pulls into a parking spot. He gets out and starts walking like his body is on autopilot. He doesn’t realise where he is until he is unlocking the door to Finn and Leo’s apartment with the key Finn gave him.

“Hey Clay.” Finn waves from the couch as he reads his book that Clay doesn’t care enough about to actually look and see what it is. “Leo’s in the kitchen.”

Clay walks into the kitchen after kicking off his boots that he doesn't remember putting on. Leo takes one look at him and knows.

Handing him a spoon, Leo points to the recipe he’s making from his mother's cookbook.

Chicken and Dumpling (minus the chicken)

Clay and Leo work silently together making this soup. Eventually Finn tells them he is going to pick up and take Logan home from the tattoo shop where he just got his half black and grey Japanese style sleeve done. He leaves the apartment.

“Should I tell them about Ashley?”

“If you feel comfortable enough too.”

“And if I don’t?” Leo looks at him and wraps a supportive arm around his shoulder as he stirs the simmering soup.

“They will understand.” Clay stays for dinner that night, eating with Leo and Finn. Clay and Finn talk about flesh pedestrians that Leo doesn’t believe in but add his thoughts into. After they finish eating Clay decides to go back home… yeah, home.

He walks in the front door and is suddenly off the ground in a vice grip hug.

“I told him you went to Leo’s but he didn’t believe me!” Noelle shouts from the other room, as she finishes chucking some socks in the dryer because Thomas would somehow manage to burn the house down.

“I was so worried! Are you okay? Did we upset you?” Thomas has set Clay down and is examining every inch of him. “You smell like soup.”

“I ate soup.” Clay smiles and hugs Thomas again, much softer. “I’m okay, I just am not used to people caring about what I like in bed. With my last girlfriend I was just told to take what she gave me and like it… so I’m sorry for just running out like that.”

“Hey it’s okay, but a text would have been nice.” Noelle joins in the hug and smiles at him. “Do you want to tell us anything else about her?” Clay shakes his head and Noelle and Thomas share a worried look but then nod because it’s not their story to know. “How about we go have a cuddle in bed and fall asleep to some terrible ghost hunting show? Yeah?”

“I’d love that.” And I love you. Clay thinks that in his mind for the very first time as he watched them walk to the bedroom. He loves them.

“I’ll have water too, thanks.” Finn was out at lunch with Sirius, Remus, James and Thomas. They all haven’t been able to hang out outside of practice recently so it felt nice.

“So, how are the boyyyyssss?” James puts his elbows on the table and flutters his eyelashes at Finn and Thomas who can’t help but chuckle.

“Leo is doing great, a little cold but great. He recently got a new tattoo that is a pinup girl of me and Logan mixed together and phew… it’s really hot.” Finn smiles and feels his phone go off but decides to ignore it for now. “How about Clay?”

“Clay and Noelle both got new tattoos, clays is vampire bites on his neck and Noelles is a Medusa with tentacles for hair on her Bicep. Pretty sexy.”

“I’ve always wanted a tattoo.” James smiles at the waitress who brings them their waters and straws, he shoots the straw wrapper at Sirius and then gulps down half his water. “I always chicken out though.”

“We should get together sometime.” Sirius flicks some of his water and James while he offers to get a tattoo with him. “What about you? Do you want one?”

“I’d rather have a piercing than a tattoo but I’m not against getting one.” Remus continues looking at the menu as he sips his own water.

As the conversation dies down a little Finn checks his phone, it’s a snap notification from Leo. Finn goes to open it thinking that it’s probably a video of him and logan having another stupid contest. What he is met with makes him choke on his water and start coughing but so he doesn’t miss anything he saves the video to chat.

The video is kinda dim but you can clearly see Logan, beautiful Logan, with his hands tied wrist to elbow behind his back as they stand in front of a mirror. Logan’s face is resting cheek to Leo’s chest so Finn can see his panting and whining. His hair is long enough it’s covering his eyes and most of his nose. All he can see of Leo is part of his chest that Logan is covering, the arm holding up the phone, his smirk that shows off his dimples… and his other hand that is currently fingering Logan.

He can see a bunch of Leo’s tattoos but it’s so dark he can only make out the Egyptian beetle on his neck. He watches as Logan jerks a little from what he knows is Leo hitting his prostate and at the end it looks like Logan whines ‘Finn’ but he has his volume off so he can’t hear it.

Fuck… now he can’t wait to get home.

[read-with-pride]

Read an Excerpt: Rise to the Sun and You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Read YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN and RISE TO THE SUN by bestselling author, Leah Johnson!

Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival.

Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her.

Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward.

When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for. Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined.

Packed with irresistible romance and irrepressible heart, bestselling author Leah Johnson delivers a stunning and cinematic story about grief, love, and the remarkable power of music to heal and connect us all.

GET YOUR COPY!

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START READING!

Rise to the Sun Excerpt by I Read YA

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay – Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down … until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams … or make them come true?

START READING!

You Should See Me in a Crow... by I Read YA

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[aonesteddybear]

Fixation

Nishinoya had always had a fixation on your chest. From even before you two had started dating he’d sneak peeks at them anytime he could, and once you were dating, he couldn’t keep his hands off them.

nishinoya yuu x  female reader* x hinata shoyo tanaka is..also there in the background

warnings: e for explicit, 18+, exhibitionism, voyeurism, lots of breast play, very slight dub-con?  (noya pushing readers limit a little. he doesn’t really listen to initial no but reader is consenting. i don’t consider it dubcon, but better safe then sorry!) 

word count: 2533

notes: noya is a tits man and i live by that. also let me know if you want a part two?

extra big thank to my beta @thisisthehardestthing​ <3 (also i apologize for the gif but it is..perfect l m a o)

*no gendered terms are used however breast/tits/chest/etc. wording is used. so a male reader who is comfortable with that wording could be able to self insert also! 

Nishinoya had always had a fixation on your chest. From even before you two had started dating he’d sneak peeks at them anytime he could, and once you were dating, he couldn’t keep his hands off them. He would always hug you a little too long, insist on resting his head on your chest with an excuse that it was to hear your heartbeat, or try and be the big spoon where he could drape his arms over them.

The first time you two had sex, he had immeditaly fixated on your chest, sucking and nipping at your nipples until they were sore and you had to push him away. You had continued on that night, but any chance he got he was either touching them or had his face pressed into them. 

After, it only got worse. No longer was he happy with clothing covering you, and any chance he could get, his hands were sliding under your shirt, groping at your breasts or pushing your shirt up where he could suck on them.

It became a pastime for him; any chance he got he was sucking at your nipples. Tongue running over it as you relaxed on the couch, or pressed against them as you two slept. He was obsessed, and although you didn’t mind his attention, there were times when you wished he would just calm down with his risky behaviors.

He didn’t seem to care if others could catch you, and his confidence only increased with time. He had started with just gentle touches, wrapping you in hugs from behind where his hands gently cupped your breasts, to sliding them up your shirt even in public. 

You had gotten used to telling him to ‘knock it off’, to leave it for when you two were at home where he was quite happy with you walking around without a bra for easy access. However, this silent agreement of “if you were home, it was fair game” often became a problem when you had others around and Noya still insisted on the same amount of contact. 

Occasionally you could persuade the man with just soft touches, or allow him to steal you off into a room where he could suck at your chest in comfort for a moment before returning together as if nothing occurred. 

Yet as time went on, he started becoming more bold. Especially when it came to his friends being present. Which is exactly how you ended up in your current situation; you two were cuddled up on the couch, your back to the corner as his head leaned on your chest while you watched a movie.

Across from you, Tanaka and Hinata sat on the other loveseat. Their eyes were glued to the screen as images flashed across, but you couldn’t focus on anything other than persistent nuzzling from Noya into your chest.

“Knock it off.”

Your voice was low, refusing to turn to look at him as you forced yourself to continue staring at the movie, even as he pressed his face firmly into your breast. 

“Why?” he whined back, matching your volume and you knew if you looked down you’d see wide brown eyes staring up at you as he shifted to look up at you.

“They’re right there,” you responded back, and he let out an irritated huff. His face turned back into you, his mouth ghosting over your shirt.

You could feel his lips moving carefully over your nipple, hot even through the thin layer of your tank top. Bras had long since been banned in the house at his request, and now, you had started to regret agreeing to it when you felt his hands slide up your side and push at your shirt.

Your hands flew to grab his, glaring at him as he pouted out his lower lip in annoyance at being stopped. “No,” you repeated and he nipped at your breast then in objection causing you to shove at his head. 

“Why not?” he repeated and you frowned in frustration, eyes flicking to where the others observed the movie, still unaware of what was happening a few feet from them. “They won’t care.”

His words were muffled in your skin as he stared up at you with pleading eyes, his hands shaking yours off as he once again attempted to pull your shirt down where he could have access to it unrestricted.

“Yuu,” you hissed out in frustration, grabbing at his hands even as they pulled at the side of your tank again. 

“They won’t care.” He repeated, “they all stare at your tits anyway.” He stated voice low, his voice further muffled in your chest as nuzzled into your body. “They’ll be jealous.”

His hands rubbed at yours, moving to again pull at your shirt and you, again, considered pushing him off. 

You thought about making some excuse to why you wanted to move so dramatically, or even go to the other room (and why Noya would without a doubt follow you) but as his tongue flicked at your nipple yet again, you realized you’d also have to possibly explain the wet spot he was attempting to leave on your shirt also.

Which is why you let out your let out a still annoyed huff as you shifted slightly, turning to try and focus on the movie even as your boyfriend accepted your resignation at his actions and finally pushed your tank top to the side, revealing your breast to him.

If his touching and licking hadn’t already made your skin pebble up, the cool air rushing over it certainly did. Especially as Noya pressed his face into your warm skin, then wrapped his lips around it.

He was gentle as usual. His eyes focusing back onto the movie as he sucked lazily at your skin.

His tongue ran over your nipple occasionally, teeth nipping from time to time but over all, he just lighty sucked on it. Just enough to keep your skin taut and your body on edge in excitement at the treatment to it. 

Despite Noya’s relaxed demeanor, you couldn’t relax, body tense with the knowledge that at any moment, his friends could look over and see clearly that your shirt was pushed to the middle of your chest with Noya’s lips on your breast. 

You knew the three of them were all pretty close friends, but the idea of them catching you two still filled you with dread, unsure of how they’d respond to the fact that Noya was blatantly sucking on your nipples in such close proximity to them. 

Especially with the fact he wasn’t even trying to hide his suckling from view with his head turned slightly to the side so he could still watch the movie.

His other hand slid up your stomach. Rubbing at your skin lightly as he felt your muscles tense while he groped at your other breast over your shirt. He was content with this for a moment before his hand dipped in your shirt.

He palmed at the skin, kneading at it in appreciation for a moment before he pushed the shirt aside so both of them were in view. 

Noya continued the lax playing with your tits, his mouth occupied with the one closest to his face as he pinched and tugged with his hand on your other. As he squeezed particularly tight, you winced, shifting as you pushed at him in objection.

You could feel the smile on his face as he repeated his action, unashamed as you rolled your eyes in annoyance. Your eyes flicked back to the screen at the same time a sharp gasp of “Oh!” sliced through the room. 

You felt as if a glass of ice water had been dumped over you, embarrassment turning your body too warm as you looked back at Hinata who seemed just as startled as you were by the sight in front of him.

As you started to move to readjust your clothes, Noya’s hand spread out firmly across your chest, holding you in place as he continued his actions. His teeth dug into your skin in silent warning as you let out a squeak of objection.

Your eyes flicked to Tanaka then, who looked rather curiously at you two before you glanced back at Hinata who seemed just as red as his hair as he made eye contact with you. His eyes dipped down to your chest which was still partially on display.

“Noya-san, what are you doing?” Hinata’s voice was strained, but you could hear something extra brimming in it even if you couldn’t identify what exactly it was. 

“Nothin’,” his response was muffled, his lips still pressed to your chest as he held you.

“Oh.”

Silence filled the room as Hinata and Tanaka both stared transfixed at your chest as Noya continued his lazy movements, as if he was just resting on you rather than actively lapping at your nipple under their eyes.

Your cheeks were burning, embarrassment filling you even as Noya rubbed at your skin soothingly, reassuring you that he was right and the two of them truly didn’t care.  

Hinata seemed utterly fascinated by Noya’s actions, leaning forward in his seat while Tanaka’s face remained blank while he watched, not giving any hint to his thoughts.

“Noya-san,” Hinata began again, voice trembling, and this time you recognized what he was hiding in his voice: excitement. “Can I try?” 

He seemed almost shy at his request, and you couldn’t help the soft squeak in surprise and objection at the idea as Noya paused his playing with your other tit, considering the request. 

His lips popped off your chest with a slight pop from suction, and you couldn’t help but blush as he looked up at you adoringly before his eyes flicked back to Hinata. He shrugged lightly, looking back at you patiently. 

“Sure, I don’t mind. She has two. Babe?” he questioned, and you swallowed under his watchful eyes, looking back at Hinata who looked ready to vibrate out of his seat at the idea.

Briefly, the question of if he had ever even seen a woman’s tits in person crossed your mind, but you were drawn from your thoughts just as quickly when Noya rubbed at your chest soothingly. 

It was a comforting touch, a reminder that you didn’t have to let Hinata try if you didn’t want to. That, if you voiced your concerns, Noya would just as quickly kick both of his friends out and follow you to bed as if nothing had ever happened.

Yet you knew at the same time, that wasn’t what Noya wanted. If it was, he would have never let it get this far. He would have denied Hinata’s request before he even voiced it, and he certainly wouldn’t be watching you like he was right now. 

That fact alone was the reason you found yourself nodding, even as more blood rushed to your cheeks in embarrassment. 

“It’s ok,” you promised and both boys grinned at you in excitement. 

As Noya gestured to Hinata, the red-head bounded over before he hesitated at your side. Noya shifted then, sitting up as he pulled you up with him.

A pointed look from Noya had Hinata sliding onto the couch next to you, his eyes still glued to your chest as he waited for further instruction. 

Noya’s hands found the bottom of your shirt, waiting until you nodded before he pulled it over your head and draping it on the side of the couch as he reached out to knead at your chest with his hands in appreciation.

You could feel Tanaka’s and Hinata’s eyes on you as he played with your chest, Noya’s eyes flicking up to you as he smiled in excitement. He leaned forward to kiss a soft kiss to your side. 

His eyes darted back to Hinata, who was watching quietly, leaning forward on his legs with his lips parted. As Noya’s lips closed around your nipple, Hinata took it as his permission as well. He leaned forward, his lips eagerly attaching to your other side as his eyes fluttered shut.

The contrast between the two men was immediately clear. Noya had long since gotten over his eagerness, usually favoring a slower approach and treatment knowing he’d have plenty of time at your breast, but Hinata was the exact opposite.

Hinata sucked eagerly at your bud, teeth grazing it as he nipped impatiently, excited as he was.

You couldn’t help the soft tenses against the rough treatment and Noya immediately sensed it, smacking the back of Hinata’s head with an open palm as he yelped, “oi! Shoyo, be nice.”

A snort of laughter suddenly reminded you there was another man present in the room, who now looked quite amused even as Hinata apologized to you. Eyes flicking up from your chest where the two men were still bickering, you looked at Tanaka in concern.

Sensing your worry, Tanaka smiled softly at you. 

“It’s okay,” he promised before you could speak. “I just want to watch.”

Noya hummed in response to Tanaka, rubbing his face against your breast, drawing you back to the men below you before his lips returned to your breast, this time watching Hinata as he carefully imitated Noya. 

Hinata’s lips slowly wrapped around your nipple this time as he laved at it with his tongue. 

“Better,” Noya responded, voice muffled by your breast--which he refused to give up as he pressed you back slightly with his face, and Hinata chased after it. 

Your hands idly came up to both men’s hair as you played in it lightly, smiling as they both sighed happily into your skin while they played with your tits.

Your attention flicked back to the now-forgotten movie for a moment before they flicked down to Hinata’s hips, which were now rocking slightly at their own pace into the press of his hands onto his clothes.

Again, you felt your cheeks heat softly in embarrassment, you don’t know why that action would get that response from you. Surely it was a normal response; much more normal than Noya’s content attitude to just simply want to suck at your chest.

Yet you couldn’t look away from Hinata’s relaxed face as he nuzzled further into your breast, sucking at it firmly as he pressed his own palms deeper into the bulge of his pants. The idea that Hinata was getting aroused by the simple action had a pit swirling in your stomach, alongside the gentle sucking of the two men.

A quick glance up at Tanaka showed you he was also palming himself through his jeans at the sight, and meeting your eyes, he smiled bashfully, dropping his gaze to avoid your glance.

As if he could sense the other men's reaction to you, and your quickened heartbeat, Noya pulled back from your chest. As he looked at you with puffy lips from his sucking, he smiled.

A sight that caused you to squirm under the glaze which had Hinata pulling away from your chest in confusion. He looked between you both, unsure what the issue was.

“Oi, Shoyo.” Noya mused, “Wanna see what else is fun?”

[ireadyabooks]

Love Stories that Rise Above from Leah Johnson!

Rise to the Sun: Read an Excerpt

Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival.

Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her.

Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward.

When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for. Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined.

Packed with irresistible romance and irrepressible heart, bestselling author Leah Johnson delivers a stunning and cinematic story about grief, love, and the remarkable power of music to heal and connect us all.

GET YOUR COPY!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

Bookshop.org

Books-a-Million

Target

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READ AN EXCERPT

Rise to the Sun Excerpt by I Read YA

You Should See Me in a Crown: Read an Excerpt

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay – Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down … until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams … or make them come true?

START READING!

You Should See Me in a Crow... by I Read YA

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[teaspoon-full-of-sugar]

mystic meadow and the sweet spot

pairing: harry styles x reader (farmers market au)

warnings: anxiety, awkwardness, shy!baker!harry, fluff, smut, unprotected sex, cockwarming

word count: 6.8k

synopsis: harry hates working the farmers markets, but the girl in the kombucha booth is cute

author’s note: hope you enjoy! xx all the love

masterlist

—

Harry used to hate working the farmer’s markets; there was so many people, so many awkward encounters, and so many stupid questions. The heat of the midsummer didn’t help either. He hated having to set the booth up and take it down, with the help of nothing more than an inadequate coworker, who spends most of his time on his phone or flirting with the other vendors. He hated working the markets, which is why he honestly contemplated quitting when his boss told him that he was scheduled to work the new rounds of the summer circuit, but the pay was double what he was normally making, in addition to mileage compensation.

It’s been a couple weeks since the market season began; every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, he has to set up his booth, put on a fake smile, try to sell as much as he can, and take the booth down, only to start it all again the next day in a different location. It’s exhausting, draining.

Today isn’t as bad as others. Cas, his poor excuse of a coworker, hadn’t even bothered showing up, but other than that, Harry hasn’t had any rude customers, and Andy, the guy who owns the spirits booth, gave him a couple bottles for cheap. By the end of the day, he sold most of the product, with only a few pastries and macarons to save for tomorrow, which will be handed out as samples.

He’s nearly all packed up when a girl meanders over near his booth. A loose yellow tee hangs off her shoulder with pale pink lace peeking out from the top of her chest, and she offers Artemis, the elderly woman who works the soap booth next to him, a soft grin. They make eye contact, and she gives him a warm smile. Thinking she’s a straggler who doesn’t know the market is closed, he offers her a tight smile while not-so-subtly boxing up the remainder of baked goods.

“Hmm, macarons,” the girl mumbles, fingering at the blue and white plaid tablecloth. “Any good?”

“Uh, yeah,” he says softly. He has never been really good when it comes to small talk, which is one reason why he probably isn’t able to have any lasting relationships; he barely had any acquaintances, let alone meaningful friendships. He scratches the back of his head, beneath a wool beanie he apparently had to wear, even though it’s been burning hot all day. Sweat seeps into his hair, threatening to drip down his neck. She nibbles on the inside of her cheek. He slides the tray of eclairs onto the side table, wrapping it with a healthy amount of plastic wrap before placing it in the insulated tote.

“And you’re not just obligated to say that since I’m a potential customer,” she smirks.

“Would never lie to such a pretty girl,” he says, smiling. He honestly can’t believe that those words actually came out of his mouth. A blush makes its way from his neck, to his cheeks, to the tips of his ears, and he prays that she can’t see it. The sun is setting; dull oranges and pinks peek over the tops of trees and wrap around her like wings, bright and comforting. He wipes his forehead, trying to conceal his blush from her. Just by looking at her, he’s sure that she wouldn’t even bat an eye at the rosy flush to his skin, but his stomach still balls up.

“Smooth,” she says. “You come here often?” Regret passes over her features as soon as she asks that, brows furrowing and head shaking. “Sorry, that sounded stupid. I just haven’t seen you. It’s normally Ryan or Cas,” she explains. She starts folding the tablecloth when Harry packs the final trays of pastries away.

“Well, Cas didn’t even show up today.” Harry can’t help the bitterness that seeps into his voice. He doesn’t mean to dump all of his anger on this poor girl, but she’s looking at him with such understanding eyes, it’s hard not to completely break and rant about everything that’s been building up. She hands the cloth to him, which he takes with an appreciative nod. “But, yeah, ‘ve been workin’ this fo’ a couple of weeks,” he says. Feeling like he’s being a little too standoffish, he offers her a smile, nudging the tray that caught her eye toward her. “You like macarons?”

It takes a bit for her to answer, and she bites at her lip, fingers wringing together. The skin of her palms are stained a pinkish-purple.

“Yeah,” she says. “They’re my favorite.”

“Here,” he says, scrambling to get a box. He digs into the tote, easily ripping into the plastic wrap. “Take some. Better you than me. ’Ve had enough sweets to last me the rest of my life.”

“Thanks.” She takes the box of pistachio-honey, raspberry-basil, and orange cream. “Pretty,” she says, fiddling with the gold ribbon he tied around it and already picking at the label. She lingers for a little bit, like she’s waiting to find something else to talk about, fingers tapping nervously on the table top. “I, uh,” she stutters, gesturing toward the booth across the way from his and a little to the right, “work the kombucha stand over there.”

It’s a large booth with large, draping black curtains shifting. If the wind catches it just right, he can see streams of warm colors painted on them, layered and bold. Two men are taking down a large banner that says ‘Mystic Meadow Kombucha’ with the outline of a bull’s skull beneath it, wildflowers winding around it. It seems to be more extravagant than Harry’s setup, with 3 large kegs in the front, decorated with fake vines and flowers.

“D’ya paint?” He asks suddenly, gesturing toward her hands.

“I do, but these are from some beets. We were testing new flavors, and I, well—” She bares her hands, laughing lighty, “I wasn’t careful enough.”

“I see.”

“So, I’ll see you around,” she says after a minute, offering him a shy smile. Before she walks away, she raises the box of sweets with gratitude. “Thanks, again.”

“See ya,” he says, eyes lingering on her, watching her skip back toward her booth. One of the men looks at Harry and smirks, nodding knowingly. The rest of the night, he finds his gaze wandering back over to her booth. A couple of times, she catches his eye, and when they leave, in an old van with a flaking paint job that wobbles over every bump in the road, she waves at him.

It’s ten at night before he gets back to the bakery, the sun long gone, but the dry heat still hangs heavy in the air. Marty, the owner, is still in the office counting the money for the night that she probably wasn't able to get to earlier. It’s a fairly small operation, with only two baristas, two managers, Marty and Ryan, and two bakers, himself and Cas, who probably won’t have a job after today’s no-call-no-show. Harry leans against the doorframe, handing her the bank pouch.

“‘M headed out,” he says. “See ya tomorrow.”

“How was it?” She asks before he can leave. He turns around.

“Wha’?”

“The market,” Marty supplies. “Is it still as bad as you thought?”

“Today was better than others,” he says vaguely, his mind wandering to the girl at the kombucha stand. A smile plays on his lips. Marty cocks a brow, leaning back in her chair.

“So you wouldn’t mind working next week?”

“Nah,” he says, “Tha’s fine.”

That night, he dreams of a girl, with pretty eyes, a yellow t-shirt, and stained hands.

In the weeks following their first encounter, Harry takes the time to visit the kombucha girl before the market opens, and at the end of the night, she stops by to get a box of leftover baked goods. He’s learned a lot of things over the past few weeks: her name is Y/N, she’s the daughter of the owners of Mystic Meadow, her main jobs being selling at local markets and businesses and coming up with the different flavors, she’s working on her bachelor’s degree, she’s single (Harry found it difficult to contain his joy when she told him that), and she’s an all-around sweet girl, who’s wonderful with people.

Harry also found out that he hates kombucha.

But that doesn’t stop him from getting one every time he stops by. It’s normally before the market is actually open to the public. She just gets so excited whenever he tries a cup of the newest flavor, normally an odd mixture of spices or herbs with vinegar and a fermented fruit flavor—it’s not even good fermentation, like with alcohol— it tastes absolutely horrid, but Y/N looks at him with such hopeful eyes the first time he has a sip; he couldn’t bear seeing the disappointed look in her eyes, so he accepts the little plastic cup from her, nodding thankfully, and takes it back to his booth, where it will sit for the remainder of the night, untouched and dripping with sweat, leaving faint rings on the tablecloth.

“I brought you something,” she says to him one afternoon.

It’s early August, the sun at its peak, beating down on his black tee; he really needs to learn how to dress for such heat.

“Yeah?”

She lugs a black glass bottle from the cooler in the far corner of the booth, hidden behind the wooden chair for her. Her smile stretches from ear to ear; it’s hard to contain his own, but why would he want to? When you’re in the presence of beaming sunlight, you shouldn’t shy away, rather, embracing it because you never know how long it’s going to last. Her finger is hooked in the small hole near the top, and she slams it down on the table, the decorated glass jar filled with inspirational quotes and stickers with the Mystic Meadow logo on them nearly toppling over. He clumsily grapples for it before everything falls.

“Sorry,” she laughs, rubbing the sweat that has already formed on the bottle. She holds it out for him to take. “It’s a growler of the pear and pink peppercorn,” she says, smiling. He takes it gingerly from her hands, turning it over and feeling the weight.

“Wha’?”

“You said it was your favorite,” she says, her grin falling slightly. His heart stops for a second. Guilt floods him as he smiles widely, dimples settling deep in his cheeks.

“Ah, yes,” he says. “Thank you.”

It’s quiet after that. Neither of them, he’s noticed, are very good at making conversation. Y/N is normally the one to initiate the pleasantries, but it still takes a little bit before they can actually get into a deep conversation. Sure, when they finally find a subject that the both of them are passionate about, they can talk for hours, like her paintings or his music, but the starting off is always difficult. Granted, that’s not abnormal for Harry; he’s never been much of a talker. He can fake it if he has to, but he’s a bit of a blundering idiot sometimes, and he’s learned that the less he speaks, the less likely he is to embarrass himself—especially when he’s around Y/N.

He’s been trying to find the courage to ask her out on a date for the past few weeks, hell, ever since the day they met, but of course: he hasn’t. Granted, he’s never had much luck in the dating scene, probably because he can’t flirt for the life of him. There are some times where something charming comes out randomly, but it’s soon followed by an uncomfortable silence, and he gets embarrassed.

He just needs to go for it. He knows that. He tells himself that every time he misses his chance, when he waits too long, and the window of opportunity is slammed in his face. Y/N is a wonderful match for him, and she’s too sweet to completely laugh in his face or flat out reject him.

But it’s still scary. His heart is in his throat, and his palms are sweaty. He wipes them on his jeans, noticing the slight tremor. He tucks them in the pockets of his jeans (yet another terrible clothing choice for such a hot day).

He just needs to do it, rip it off like a band-aid.

“Was wondering,” he blurts out, shifting nervously on his feet. “Do you have plans on Saturday?”

“No, do you have something in mind?” She looks at him with hopeful eyes, and he melts. He wishes he could be as comfortable as Y/N, to not be constantly worried about the approval and validation of the people around him. He wonders what it’s like to wear his heart out on his sleeve.

He wishes he could live like that.

“Uh, I have work,” he says, “but after, maybe, we could get dinner?”

“Sounds like a date.”

—

The Sweet Spot Bakery and Cafe is a cute little shop on a corner in downtown, ironically next to a nutrition store. A blue neon sign shaped like a mug flashes in the corner of Y/N’s eye. Rain pounds onto the red and gold striped awning, dripping onto the flooded concrete. There’s cute flower boxes beneath the windows, but the flowers look sad and droopy, the dirt splattering out with every powerful raindrop. Antique metal tables are stacked in the far corner, out of the rain. Y/N shakes off her umbrella.

A sweet chime sounds when she pulls open the door. Inside, the scent of coffee and sugar fill her senses. There is just something so comfortable about being in a bakery or even a cafe that always reminds her of warmth, of intimacy, of home. The shop is fairly empty, with an older man reading in one of the corners, snug in a velvet chair, and a couple quietly chatting on the other side, hidden behind a hanging plant, their legs crossed over each others’ on a leather stool.

An older woman greets her from behind the counter, obscured by a gold espresso machine. She’s short with graying black hair, brown eyes peeking behind horned glasses. Her red painted lips stretch into a smile.

“How can I help you, sweetheart?”

“Hi, is Harry here?”

As if he could hear her, Harry stumbles out from the back, the door swinging idly behind him. Flour coats his arms to his elbows, with a few stripes on his nose and forehead. The green bandana struggles to hold back his hair, curls slipping onto his forehead.

“Y/N,” he breathes out. He wipes his hands on the apron, a cloud of white billowing out. He coughs. He shoos the woman away and leans against the counter, his features impassive. To the untrained eye, he looks normal, fine, calm, even, but Y/N has learned how to read him; from the faint blush on his cheeks to the look in his eyes, which are unable to meet hers. He looks anxious, more so than usual, and there’s a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“Sorry, I forgo’ to tell ya, but I’m scheduled to close tonight.”

“That’s fine.” She tries to hide the disappointment in her voice. “We can do this some other time, then.”

“I can take my break in a bit. Marty doesn’ really mind how long it takes. D'ya wanna sit? Be out in a minute,” he says quickly.

“Sure,” she says, nodding. She opts for the corner booth, away from the other customers. Harry comes out from behind the counter only a moment later, like he promised, clean with a large white mug clutched in one shaky hand and a white box, wrapped in a pretty gold bow, in the other.

“Here ya go,” he says, sliding a large mug toward her. Foam sloshes over the edges and onto the table, wetting the napkin under the cup as well as her hand. He curses under his breath, grappling for the napkin dispenser. A poorly shaped face made with cinnamon smiles up at her, and she wants to aw at the sight, her lips pouting.

“Sorry,” he murmurs, wiping her hand with a stale paper napkin.

“It’s fine, H,” she whispers, placing her hand on his.

He doesn’t really know why he’s so nervous (more nervous than usual). It’s not like this is his first time meeting her; they’re comfortable with each other, and they joke around, and he also knows that she’s interested because of how understanding she was when he told her that his shift changed, or maybe that is a sign that she’s not interested.

He really needs to stop overthinking these things.

He’s a grown man. He should be able to talk with her without his hands clamming up or his heart beating out of his chest. Maybe it’s the pressure of it being defined as a “date” that makes it even worse. He just hopes that he doesn’t psych himself out.

“Thank you.” She grins.

“No problem. Remembered that ya told me once that you liked honey and cinnamon.”

Her heart swells at his words. Even though Harry puts on an uneasy exterior, he’s very attentive and loving. None of her exes would have remembered how she took her coffee after she mentioned it once.

“Sorry,” he says again suddenly, looking at the sad excuse of a smiley face on her drink. “Don’ normally work the front unless it’s too busy.”

“You should. Such a pretty face, I can’t keep it all to myself.” She pinches his cheek, and he shys away, swatting at her hand playfully. He nudges the box toward her.

“Macarons. Your favorite,” he says, and she nudges it to the side, taking a large gulp of the coffee.

“How’s it been today?” She asks, rubbing some of the foam off with her thumb.

“Slow,” he admits, breathing out shakily. His feet tap nervously on the floor, tapping back and forth, from heel to toe.

“Hey, it’s just me,” she says, placing a gentle hand on his. “No need to be nervous.”

“Right,” he says, nodding. “I jus’ feel like I should apologize again. I should’ve said something to you about my shift change.”

“It’s no problem, Harry,” she reassures him.

“I just got promoted. Marty needs help with orders and stuff, so I’ll be the bakery manager, now. She wanted me to close as a part of my training.”

“That’s great,” she smiles, lacing their fingers. He stares at them, his thumb tracing over her knuckles gently. Her skin is calloused and warm. He tugs her hand up to his lips, and she gives him a shy smile.

“You’ll still be working the markets, right?”

“Ya can’t get rid o’ me tha’ easily, lovie,” he smirks.

“Good.”

They talk for a good ten minutes, but the conversation is no deeper than the short interactions they normally have at the markets.

Harry wishes that wasn’t the case.

“Harry,” Marty calls from behind the counter, interrupting them. “A timer’s going off. What’s it for?”

“Oh, um—” He stands up, looking at Y/N with apologetic eyes. “I promise I’ll make it up to ya. Tomorrow?”

“Sure,” she says, downing the last of her drink and gathering her things.

“Brunch? I’ll text ya?”

“Harry,” Y/N calls out after he slips behind the counter.

“Yeah?”

She presses a quick kiss to his cheek, not missing the red forming on his neck.

“See you tomorrow.”

She gives him a wink before leaving. Harry stands, stunned in silence, his fingers tracing the warmth lingering from her lips.

“Whipped,” Marty mutters, a soft smirk toying on her lips.

“Shut up,” he scoffs.

“I’m not judging. It’s cute, H.”

“I don’ need this, ‘kay?”

She throws a wet towel at him, catching his leg before the door to the back closes.

—

As promised, they had Sunday brunch, with bottomless mimosas and American biscuits, something he still isn’t used to, with jam and poached eggs. Y/N, who is a lot bolder when she has some alcohol in her, chattered on and on about her friends, her parents, and her classes. College never seemed like an option for him. He always held the belief that in his career choices, a baker or a musician, he doesn’t need a degree; you either have it or you don’t type situations.

But Y/N, the smart little cookie, loves school. She talked about how she may get an education degree, but one is plenty of work right now. She commended those brave enough to be in a double major. She asked him about his family and his job, mostly; he would rather listen to her than talk, so he kept his answers short and sweet.

Afterward, they went to the park, cliche as it seems, because even though he’s lived in the area for nearly five years, he never took the time to stop by any of the parks, and Y/N took full opportunity of this: she gawked at him, pulled him out of his chair at the bistro, and slammed some cash onto the table. He tried to argue with her, that he should at least leave the tip, since he was at fault for their date yesterday not going to plan, but she wasn’t listening.

“I can’t believe you haven’t been to any of the parks,” she said, tugging him along the sidewalk. “There’s a nice one around here, only a ten minute walk. It has a pond and that cute little playground equipment—you know, the tiny slides with tiny stairs for the little kids. Do you remember those?” She stops. “Should we get bread to feed the ducks?” She shakes her head, answering her own question. “No, we can do it some other time.”

They spend the rest of the day by the pond, people watching, another one of Y/N favorite past times. After dinner, Harry didn’t get home until after sunset and went to bed with a smile on his face.

The next day, Harry spends two hours contemplating whether or not it was too early to send a good morning text. He nervously rolled around in his bed before he accidentally sent the message. She responded quickly after, and they talked for the entire day (seriously, he didn’t get up unless he absolutely had to).

Tuesday, market day, comes around quickly, and Harry gets there earlier than usual, not so subtly waiting for the Mystic Meadow van to chug through the grass lot, and when it does, his heart speeds up, but he doesn’t recognize the girl that hops out of the passenger side.

His mind runs amuck, as usual. Even though they talked nonstop the day before, he thinks that maybe she’s not here because she doesn’t want to run into him, that she was annoyed by him already, his wariness and nerves. His heart skips a beat at the thought. He tries to reassure himself that there are so many other possible explanations, but his anxiety wasn’t having it.

It takes him a while to gather the courage to go over to the booth, and he tries to act as inconspicuous as possible, pacing slowly in front of the other booths, organic fruit, soap, paintings, and jewelry, until he’s at Mystic Meadow. The chalkboard sign that usually says Y/N’s name in fancy lettering says, ‘Florence will be helping you today’ instead. A girl with very long, very bright hair turns toward him. Thick blue eyeliner outlines her eyes, and smattering of freckles enlivens her pale skin.

“Can I help you?”

“Where’s Y/N?”

She looks taken aback by the question.

“Sick,” she answers slowly, brows furrowed.

“Oh,” he whispers. “‘M Harry,” he says. Her eyes widen suddenly, and she gives him a quick once over, leaning her hip against the table.

“You’re Harry?” She laughs. “We thought she was making you up.”

“Tha’s...” Harry doesn’t really know how to feel about that; it’s a cacophony of pride, excitement, and little anxiety. Pride for the fact that Y/N talked about him to her coworker (and potentially even more people, since Florence said “we”), excitement from the fact that Y/N seems very interested in him, and, of course, anxiety from this stranger's piercing gaze. He wonders what Y/N said about him; maybe she talked about how awkward he is or his gauky figure or his clumsiness—

“How sick is she?”

“Not too sick,” Florence says, winking.

“Oh, tha’s not—“

He hates the fact that he actually sounds disgusted, even though he honestly doesn’t mind the thought of it. Sure, Florence is right; he wouldn’t mind being with Y/N in that way, but that’s beside the point. They have only been out on two dates, and the first one was at his work, of all places, so he doesn’t really count that one. He wants to take their relationship slow.

“I’m messing with you,” Flo laughs, crossing her arms, “Although, it is nice to see a grown man blushing.”

“‘M not blushin’,” he says, wiping at his cheeks petulantly. “Uh, is Y/N alright? How sick—” He swallows thickly. His skin heats up even more, struggling to find his words. He’s trying to figure out how to ask where Y/N lives without sounding like a stalker. Maybe he should just ask Y/N himself.

“Where, um, does she—”

“Here,” she says, chuckling. She rips a piece of paper loose from under the register box and writes down an address with looping script.

“Thanks.” He leaves the booth with a quick nod, the paper clutched tightly in his sweating palm; hopefully, it doesn’t smudge the ink.

“Hey, Harry,” she calls out. He turns. “You’re a good guy. I’m glad she met you.”

If he wasn’t blushing before, he sure as hell is now.

—

Y/N looks worse for wear when she answers the door to her apartment, eyes tinted red with exhaustion, puffy and droopy, and she sniffles, a stuffy breath slipping through her lips. She’s wrapped up in a fluffy blanket. Her eyes widen, and she tries to hide slightly behind the door when she sees that it’s him.

“What are you doing here?” She squeaks.

His nerves spike again, worried he’s intruding or maybe it was too soon for him to start showing up at her house unannounced, when he’s never even been there before (he knew asking Florence for her address was a bad idea). They have only been on a couple of dates, and now, he probably ruined any chances he had with her by acting impulsively and like a total creep.

“I asked Florence,” he answers softly. “Said you were sick.” When tears fill her eyes, he’s sure she’s going to yell at him for disturbing her and tell him never to come again. He doesn’t think he’s ever regretted anything so much; his skin is hot, his racing heart sinking into his stomach. “‘M sorry. I jus’ thought, since you were sick, you may wan’ some company. I’ll leave, sorry, sorry—”

“No,” she says, grabbing onto his arm before he can leave. “I’m sorry for freaking you out, but…” Her throat closes, and she tries her hardest to not start ugly-crying, but with Harry standing on her front porch, visibly drained from work, arms full of grocery and pharmacy bags, makes it very hard not to break. It’s exhausting having to take care of yourself when you’re feeling ill, and with Harry simply there, and knowing that he was thinking about her, makes things so much easier.

“You’re so sweet, H,” she says, a tear slipping down her cheek.

“May I?”

“But—” She hesitates, nibbling at her lip. “I’m in my PJ's,” she says softly.

“And ‘m all sweaty from being in tha’ sun all day,” he smiles. He lets himself in, thick boots thundering on the hardwood. “I came straight from, but I did pick up some soup and Sprite and tea. Hope you have honey and lemon,” he rambles, tugging everything out from the bags.

“Wasn’t real sure what kind of sick ya were, so…” He scratches the back of his neck. “I got everythin’.” He gives her an awkward tight smile.

“Thank you,” she sighs, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. “Do you wanna shower? I’m sure I have some clothes that can fit you.” She guides him to the bathroom, laying some towels and clothes into his arms. “The shower head screams sometimes so don’t be worried. It normally stops if you wiggle it a bit.”

“Thanks,” he smiles. Her shower is filled with dozens of half-filled soap bottles decorated the shelves and the little basket hanging from the shower head. The hot water is nearly all gone by the time he decides to use the no-more-tears strawberry shampoo. Her towels are warm and soft, softer than he thinks he’s ever felt before, and they’re big enough to nearly swallow him whole.

He finds Y/N in the kitchen with a warped mug, seemingly handmade, filled with steaming tea. She stares at the cap of medicine on the counter, breathing heavily. He can see the confliction on her features, one moment she’s nearly convinced that she doesn’t need it, that her body can take care of it overnight, but she also knows that if she didn’t take it, she’ll be in for one hell of a terrible night; then she remembers how awful it tasted the last couple of times she’s had to take it.

Her nose scrunches when she finally decides to down it.

“Thanks for the tea,” she says, “I was just about to head to bed.”

“Oh, uh,” he says nervously. “I don’ want to impose. I’ll leave. I jus’ wanted to make sure ya had everything ya needed.”

A part of him wanted her to invite him to be with her; that part that is touch starved and eager to be near her again wants to toss any worries to the side.

“As long as you’re fine listening to my coughing all night, I’m fine with you staying the night.”

She listens to nature sounds to go to sleep.

How cute is that?

For the first couple minutes, they were ocean sounds, but she didn’t like the seagulls; she had him switch it to rain after a little bit. She looked a little embarrassed when she started playing them, but Harry listened to music in order to fall asleep, so it’s really no different. He never thought about listening to nature sounds, but it’s definitely something he could get used to.

It takes them a bit to finally get settled together. They start on their own sides of the bed. Not wanting to push his luck and make her feel uncomfortable, Harry stays on his side, trying not to hoard too much of the blankets, with a pillow hugged to his chest. She’s afraid that he won’t like her being so close to him, given her current state of health. They stare at the ceiling stubbornly, one occasionally glancing over to the other.

Soon, the night-time medicine kicks in, and Y/N throws caution to the wind.

“Fuck it,” she whispers, rolling onto her side, one arm nestling underneath him with the other prying between the pillow. “You okay with this?” She looks at him with pleading eyes, and he smiles.

How could he say no to her?

“Definitely.”

And so, she snuggles deeper into his chest, eyes growing heavy at the feeling of his fingers massaging her scalp, the scent of strawberry shampoo and Vix lulling the both of them to sleep.

—

Kissing her is something he doesn’t think he could ever get tired of. The feel of her soft lips over his, with tongue and teeth, aching and messy, is addicting. He never understood why people liked kissing so much; granted he’s only had five other ones to go off of, only two of them ever lead to a full-blown make out session on his bed, but still; how much fun could it be to practically suck another person’s face off?

But he severely underestimated the power of Y/N’s lips. The first time he felt them was a couple days after he spent the night with her when she was sick. It was a quick little peck he gave her when he dropped her off at her apartment, and ever since, he was hooked. It still completely baffles how much he aches for her lips when he can’t see her, and when he finally gets his fix, it feels perfect.

He finds himself craving the taste of her tongue.

How can someone’s mouth taste good?

It’s December, now, the market season long gone, and he and Y/N have been together for nearly five months. It’s more serious than any of his other relationships. Obviously, that’s not saying much since he hasn’t had many, but Harry slowly found himself opening up more toward her, which is more than any of his other ones.

He nips at the skin of her neck, tugging off her tee, and he finds the hickey he left a couple days ago, just below the collarbone, tongue pressing lightly on the tender skin. She whimpers.

“Fuck me, H,” she moans. She’s wearing a pink, lacy bra, the same one she was wearing the first day they met. He slips the straps over her shoulders, leaving a trail of kisses behind it. Her head lolls back against his, and his hand finds its way to her neck, caressing the warm skin. He can feel her heart rate pick up.

She slips her pajama pants and panties down, kicking them across the room. She slips further down the sheet, his hands firm on her hips. He tugs her frail bra up over her head. He fondles her breast for a bit before his lips trail down the valley, his warm mouth wrapping around her tender nipple, tongue soft against the pebbling skin. Y/N feels herself melt into him, skin sensitive to every teasing kiss he leaves down her body.

“Hey, babe?”

He rests his chin on her tummy, the thin hairs coating his jaw ticking her skin.

“Yeah?”

A sweet smile crosses her face at the chills that cover her skin when he speaks, lips so close to her skin, her pussy throbbing. Her thighs twitch. She runs her fingers through his hair, fingers smoothing the flyaways down. He kisses her bellybutton.

“I love you.”

He isn’t expecting that.

He chokes a little bit, his throat closing up on him.

“What?” He lifts himself up, crawling back up her body, and she cups his face. “Really?”

She nods, a tear slipping down her cheek.

She’s not afraid that he won’t say it back. Hell, there's a part of her that doesn’t even expect him to say it back. (There’s an even smaller part that thinks that he’s just going to leave, but she doesn’t want to think of that). She’s not afraid because she knows that she needs to be the one to reassure him, to love him, to coax him out of his shell, and she’s completely willing to do that, to put forth the time and effort, because she is wholeheartedly enamored with him.

She waits for him to process everything; she can see the confliction in his eyes. Ever the worrier, Harry is thinking of the negative outcomes that can come if he goes about this the wrong way, but he doesn’t dwell on them for too long. He thinks of the mornings that he woke up in her arms, the afternoons they spent in tje park, a new tradition for them, the evenings they spent in contemplative silence, where she would paint his profile and he would serenade her with another love song, and the nights they spent making love.

Loving her is probably the easiest decision he’s ever made.

“Love you too, babylove.”

Y/N lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and she pulls his forehead onto hers.

He wants to thank her, for being patient, for being understanding, for loving him, for just being her, really. He doesn’t think she realizes how much of an impact she has on him.

She sits up and pushes him beneath her. He leans against the headboard. It’s cold against his hot skin, sweat slipping down the small of his back. They both struggle in pulling off his pants; he almost hits her in the head. She settles low on his thighs, straddling him, and her feet tuck beneath his calves. She spits on his cock, wetting the red tip, and strokes him slowly. He moans, pouting slightly.

“No teasin’.” He tugs her forward, until their chest to chest, his hands settling low on her hips, rocking her wet pussy back and forth over the length of his cock. Her clit rubs against the head, making her hips jolt within his grasp. He easily slips inside of her, his head knocking against the headboard. She teases him, still, just barely putting the head inside before pulling out slowly. It takes a couple more tries before she sinks fully onto him, a drawn out groan slipping past his lips. He pulls her back in for a kiss, fingers trailing along the curve of her spine.

“So deep,” she moans, her thighs twitching and quivering at his side. She caresses the skin of his belly, thumb teasing along the thin hairs.

“There ya go, baby,” he coos. “Takin’ me so well.” He sets his hand on her lower abdomen, feeling the little bump. “Can feel m’self,” he smiles. He waits for her to start moving. It takes a little longer than usual, probably from the lack of preparation, but she doesn’t let that stop her. She moves her hips back and forth, wiggling about to find that one special spot.

He thrusts himself into her, and she nearly collapses completely onto him, with a broken whine breaking from her chest. Hands gripping her fleshy ass, he moans against her neck. She tastes of sweat and cherries, addicting, and she grinds harder into him, hands gripping the headboard, which hits the wall with every move of her hips. The mattress creaks noisily beneath them, but they can barely hear it over the sound of each others’ moans of pleasure.

“Love you,” he says against her lips.

She breathes out her response, a pledge of her own love; it’s weak, but that’s no surprise, since she struggles for air when he bucks his hips, hitting the deepest part of her. The aching in her chest only adds to the pleasure, the burning fire in her stomach. Her arousal slips down to his thighs.

“‘M gonna come, babylove,” he whines, skimming his nose over hers. Her teeth nibbles his lips, riding him faster.

“Come in me, H, wanna feel you,” she says breathily. His arms quiver around her, squeezing her tight to him, his face digging into her neck. Her toes curl when he comes, his nails digging into her skin. She eases him through his high, cupping his cheeks and wiping the sweat from his forehead. She pulls his head to her chest, fingers carding through his curls; his heaving breaths leaves her skin wet. She moves up, whimpering softly, but he stops her, feeling some of his cum slip out onto his thighs.

“Hm, no, lovie,” he whines, wrapping an arm around her waist. He gently moves them onto their sides, while keeping his cock nestled deep inside her. “Wanna feel you.”

She loves being so close to him, warm and full. She’s never done this with anyone. It’s intimacy at its core, with Harry holding her so tightly against him. It nearly brings tears to her eyes. She’s so glad that she met Harry, so thankful that she took that leap of faith and talked to the cute guy at the baked goods booth, who had wise eyes and a nervous smile. She’s glad that she inched past that guarded exterior to find his soft, gooey middle. Harry kisses her forehead, shifting slightly, and her sensitive walls flutter around him.

“Feels good, baby,” she moans, rubbing along his waist.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah,” she says, still at a loss for breath, her fingers absently tracing over his inked skin. Goose pimples rise in their wake.

“I don’ like kombucha.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t like macarons.”

—

[danteross]

30 years ago today One For All was released. It was dumped in the 4th quarter when that really meant something and was expected to die a quick death. The urban staff hated it, the first video Wake Up directed by Fab 5 Freddy was initially rejected from Yo MTV and had to be re-edited due to a controversial image or two. My boss Howard Thompson hated it and me, but the tape which had circulated for months in the NYC streets and beyond had developed a cult following. Red Alert championed it. Chris Lighty started managing them. There peers Tribe, Cypress Hill and De La amongst others embraced them. The Source gave it 5 mics one of the first times this ever happened and bong bong we had a sleeper hit on our hands. A lot transpired within the group. It wasn’t always easy to navigate but it was always worth it. The end result was exactly as Allah and The Gods intended. Me and my crew the SD50s produced a few tunes on it a real blessing. My partners John Gamble aka @jgambles and Geeby Dajani aka @fortydeucenyc my mentor who made Step To The Rear both passed this year, it would have been nice to share this beautiful milestone with them, but so is life. I had and have a very deep connection to this group and to this record. I love these cats, working with them was an honor, it altered my life’s course in the best of ways. Theres a reason I had them perform at my 50th Bornday. Peace to The Gods and all those who helped make this such a special moment in time for me. This project was one of the most personally important things I ever had a hand in. Making it feels like yesterday and a million lifetimes away all at once. i am a truly blessed man 🙏🏼 #Honored #OGGratitude #PeaceToTheGod #SD50s #ElektraRecords #OneForAllBrandNubian (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIXpqj3A1vO/?igshid=sodknvj5g8kr

[obviouslyelementary]

After the storm - chapter 2

The days that went by after the whole Ava incident felt slow paced and bland. For the whole week they had to go through the bureaucracy of finding the culprit and not catching it, since Fowler quickly saw through their lie and ended up giving Gavin another warning (although nothing would come out of it, as usual), and even more cases to 'compensate' their failure. That meant nonstop work for at least a week, and after that week went by, Fowler told them never to let a culprit go again and set them off to their usual schedule. Neither Gavin nor Nines put Tina or Chris into the mess, so they wouldn't suffer with the whole scheme, and while the two were thankful they also felt a bit bad. So when their overwork week ended, they called the two of them for a night out for drinks.

"Guys really I can't thank you enough" Chris said, for the tenth time in a roll, and Gavin rolled his eyes, staring at him with daggers.

"Chris I swear to god if you thank me one more fucking time I will tell Fowler you were in it" he said, and Chris shook his head quickly while Tina chuckled. Nines held back his chuckle, simply smiling and following the three humans towards the bar. It still felt slightly weird, to walk in a human bar without hesitance, because even if some people still didn't like androids, most of them seemed to be fine with their presence. And being together with three humans, Nines blended in very well. Still, he wasn't one hundred percent comfortable yet.

"So have you two decided what the hell you're gonna label yourselves?" Tina asked as they sat down, and Nines pulled his attention back to the conversation while Gavin shrugged lightly.

"I don't wanna give names. You know what they say: if you name it, you get attached to it" he said, winking at her, but Nines frowned at that. When Gavin turned to look at him, he saw his confusion and sighed. "It's a joke Nines..."

"I... know. However Gavin is right, we haven't labelled our relationship just yet. For now we continue to be partners, just in and out of the office" he said, and Chris hummed as Gavin rose his glass.

"Couldn't have put it in any better way" he said, and Tina smirked at them, tilting her head.

"Fine fine. But you know what is unfair? Chris' curious nature allowed him to see you two smooch, however I, the best friend of one of the parts, have not seen the happening yet" she wiggled her eyebrows, and Gavin rolled his eyes. Chris frowned confused and then gasped.

"Yes kiss!"

"No way" Gavin said, drinking some more of his beer, while Nines looked between their friends and Gavin.

"Why not?" Nines asked, and he groaned, looking over at him.

"Because I don't want to Nines" he answered, grumpy as always, and Nines frowned lightly before looking back at Tina, confused and honestly a bit frustrated. Tina pouted at Gavin, who showed her the finger, and soon their little snacks arrived, together with Nines' blue water. No matter how much the bar said it was thirium, he knew it wasn't. However, drinking water didn't affect anything so he drank it.

"Anyway, how were your cases this week? I saw Fowler dumped a bunch of stuff on you guys' back" Chris said, drinking down on his soda with rum, and Gavin sighed loud and clear.

"He did. He's such an ass" he mumbled, drinking his beer and looking around. "He wanted to make us pay for letting Ava escape. He knows we did it on propose. I can't lie to that guy."

"He knows you too well" Tina agreed, grabbing some potatoes and stuffing them in her mouth with a happy sigh. "God I love trashy bar food."

"Hey Nines, wanna try it?" Chris asked, always polite, and Nines smiled lightly while shaking his head.

"No thank you" he said politely, and Chris whined softly but began eating anyway. The talk was light and filled with useless topics, but it felt nice to have friends apart from the mandatory ones, like Hank and Conner, or Markus. Honestly, Nines didn't fit too well with his android companions, so he much rather befriend Gavin's friends. And seeing his partner relaxed, enjoying some drinks and snacks, without the constant frown on his face, was way more pleasurable than any android conversation or activity.

"And what now? What's our next big case?" Tina asked, and Chris chuckled.

"Man I can't wait until you turn detective and we all get a case together" he said, excited, and she nodded.

"Tell me about it. I've been dreaming about cases for the whole week we have been working normally again."

"You can always assist us if you'd like. New ideas are always welcomed and besides, you have a good way of detecting things" Nines said, always politely, and Tina gave him a smile that was a bit unlike her, but nice nevertheless.

"Thanks. I sure will."

While the conversation continued, Nines noticed that Gavin was awfully quiet. Not that he wasn't always quiet when bars were involved, he wasn't a big fan of crowds or loud spaces, but he sure felt a bit off that night. Nines hoped he was just tired after that whole week of work and no fun, but something else seemed to be bothering the detective, and Nines wanted to find out what.

He partook in Tina and Chris' conversations, adding points and answering questions, like friends would do. He felt like a real human sometimes, when he was around the people he liked. And every now and then, when the talk would die and they would just drink and eat for a while, Nines slid his hand over Gavin's thigh looking for his hand, and received a squeeze in return that always calmed him down.

Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Gavin was just in the mood to be quiet. It was hard to know, as much as Gavin was great at showing when he was mad or frustrated or upset, he also knew very well when to hide something. And Nines didn't want to scan him anymore, he wanted them to talk.

The evening eventually ended and after many glasses of alcoholic drinks, Gavin was a little bit looser. Nines insisted that they all got a cab, and called three, one for each, and made sure Chris and Tina were safe inside their own cabs before he helped Gavin inside theirs and told the car their address.

His LED turned yellow at that. Their address? It wasn't theirs... it was Gavin's. Sure, he had been sleeping over for a week, and there was a silent agreement that if he wanted, he could stay, but none of that meant it was his apartment too. And that thought made him self-conscious and even worst, insecure.

"Nines, why is your little lighty-light yellow?" Gavin asked suddenly, his voice slightly slurred from the drinks, and Nines moved his head fast to his direction, in a movement that would leave any human dizzy. But he wasn't human.

"No reason. I am only processing some data. We will be in your apartment shortly, will you need any help?" he asked, softly, because he liked being polite and asking if he could stay over. That was how he asked. Gavin rolled his eyes and moved closer to him, climbing on Nines' lap and making his pump go faster and his LED turn red. "Gavin... what are you doing?"

"Shutting you up" he answered, slurred, dragged out, and wrapped his arms around Nines' neck, leaning in and kissing him. A kiss that didn't quite feel like their last kisses. No, it was quite faster, and wetter, and Nines answered because any kiss from Gavin was what he thought human heaven felt like, his hands drifting to Gavin's waist, pulling him closer, moving his lips and opening his mouth to allow the human to slide his tongue inside, warm and wet, strange and so alluring, a new feeling like many others Gavin made him feel.

His LED turned from red to yellow, and remained that way, because the kiss was different and new and he needed to process the feeling as he responded, imitating Gavin's movements, feeling his hands playing with the hair on his nape, Gavin's nose bumping and rubbing against his own, their chests pressed together. It was a kiss they hadn't shared yet, and Nines felt both impressed and taken back by it. He was hesitant, because he wasn't stupid. He was everything but stupid. He knew what most kisses like those lead to.

But this one would lead to disappointment.

They broke off because Gavin, as every human, needed to breathe. He sighed and pressed their foreheads together, rubbing their noses against each other, and Nines just watched him with soft eyes, LED on yellow, hands secure on Gavin's waist. Sometimes he did act too much like a cat, and it was adorable, Nines concluded. And when Gavin's eyes opened, he was calm and relaxed.

"Gavin?" Nines whispered, softly, and leaned into Gavin's hand as he lifted it up and brushed some hair off Nines' face. His hand slid down to the android's cheek and stopped, thumb making slow, circular motions on his skin, before he lowered it down to his shoulder and closed his eyes again.

"I'm tired" he whispered, letting his head fall and rest on Nines' shoulder. He held Gavin close and let his body relax, and it did, curling up against the android as he rested. Nines felt better, calmer with Gavin like that, and held him close the whole trip back to the apartment. When they arrived, Gavin insisted in walking, so they made their way up and immediately Gavin walked to the couch and laid down. Maybe Fowler had overworked him. Maybe he was just tired.

Nines watched him for a moment, before very slowly making his way to the couch and gently picking Gavin up. He complained for a second, very quietly, and then fell asleep on Nines' arms, way before he had time to place Gavin on his bed. Then, Nines climbed on the bed next to him, and gently pulled him closer, kissing his forehead and letting him fall asleep.

He even closed his eyes, to pretend that he could sleep too.

[blindrapture]

In his contrary and on reality, which Bichop Babwith bares to his whitness in his Just a Fication of Villumses, this Mr Heer Assassor Neelson, of sorestate hearing, diseased, formarly with Adenoiks, den feed all Lighty, laxtleap great change of retiring family buckler, highly accurect in his everythinks, from tencents coupoll to bargain basement, live with howthold of nummer seven, wideawake, woundabout, wokinbetts, weeklings, in black velvet on geolgian mission senest mangy years his rear in the lane pictures, blanking same with autonaut and annexes and got a daarlingt babyboy bucktooth, the thick of a gobstick, coming on ever so nerses nursely, gracies to goodess, at 81. That why all parks up excited about his gunnfodder. That why ecrazyaztecs and the crime ministers preaching him mornings and makes a power of spoon vittles out of his praverbs. That why he, persona erecta, glycorawman arsenicful femorniser, for a trial by julias, in celestial sunhat, with two purses agitatating his theopot with wokklebout shake, rather incoherend, from one 18 to one 18 biss, young shy gay youngs. Sympoly far infusing up pritty tipidities to lock up their rhainodaisies and be nice and twainty in the shade. Old grand tuttut toucher up of young poetographies and he turn aroundabrupth red altfrumpishly like hear samhar tionnor falls some make one noise. It's his last lap, Gigantic, fare him weal! Revelation! A fact. True bill. By a jury of matrons. Hump for humbleness, dump for dirts. And, to make a long stoney badder and a whorly show a parfect sight, his Thing went the wholyway retup Suffrogate Strate.

Finnegans Wake, page 242.

Context, as best as I can manage it: This is from the first chapter of Section/Part/Book II, this chapter also known as (and containing) The Mime of Mick, Nick, and the Maggies, a magical eternal pantomime reenacting, among other things, the war in heaven between the angels Michael (St. Mick) and Lucifer (St. Nick), before the audience of fellow angels (the Maggies). They contend for the right to inhabit the heart of humanity, here represented by Isa the impressionable and self-driven young girl. Well, not here represented, in that quoted passage or anything, I’ll get to that.

The part of Mick is played by the character Chuff, “the fine frank fairhaired fellow of the fairytales,” sort of a theatrical archetype, who in turn is played by Mr. Sean O’Mailey, and whose performance is admired by young Kev in the audience. The part of Nick is played by the character Glugg, “the bold bad bleak boy of the storybooks,” and that theatrical archetype is played onstage by Mr. Seumas McQuillad, whose performance is admired by young Dolph. The part of Isa is played by the character Izod, “a bewitching blonde who dimples delightfully and is approached in loveliness only by her grateful sister reflection in a mirror,” performed by Miss Butys Pott, and is admired by Issy. Kev, Dolph, and this particular incarnation of Issy feature primarily in the next chapter. I’m just setting up context here for that quote up there, still.

So this is a chapter of games upon games, played and replayed in plays by players and in sleep by our minds. The Mime is performed every evening to usher in the dusk, attended by a worldwide audience and fuelled by the prompts of that vital impulse that makes us alive. As the play’s programme goes, “Shadows by the film folk, masses by the good people.” The same good people that we also know of as fairies and fae here dance and rhyme a neverending story.

The chapter is fairly long but formally structured. After reading the Mime’s programme, “an argument follows” and starts the action proper. Glugg and Chuff meet, Chuff distrusts Glugg, Glugg is given three chances to guess the colour Izod is thinking of; he gives earnest and pretty clever guesses but gets them all wrong, so he’s cast away and the angels all dance around Chuff while Izod/Isa grows despondent in the gloam. In his exile, Glugg plots to write an uncompromising and remarkable piece of blackmail about “his guffer” and “gummer” (father and mother, and all they represent), which ends up sounding a lot like Ulysses-- but then a reverie of romantic poetry sends him a toothache of ecstasy, and Isa sends him a wire calling him home. She’s getting married to Chuff, see, and this is Glugg’s chance to stop things, because Chuff is kinda terrible for her. So he races back, he approaches the angels again, he is given three more chances to guess her colour, and he fails again, so he’s sent away again as the Maggies sing a hymn for Chuff and sunshine (with night falling shortly after). But this time, Glugg is still around. He’s low down on the ground, mocked by the party of dancers around him, and he’s seeking a new kind of revenge. Blackmail and poetry were too simple; his new plan is to clean up his act, shine his own light, be genuinely good as they all want him to be, and provoke Chuff into treating him as competition. So he rises, and he brings his worldly exile knowledge to the angels, telling them praise of father and mother but in a frank language they’re not used to.

And that is the context for the quoted passage. The text is telling us of Glugg’s new story, not penned but passed down orally from party to party. You could perhaps imagine him saying “Oh, I love God, he’s a perfectly ordinary man who swears and drinks and farts and is insulted and petty like the best of us. A man of the people, a feminist and well-versed in the ‘improper’ dialects of our language, who made us in his own image and is waiting patiently for our leaders to catch up to his values.” It’s a subversive story, a revolutionary and heretical take, but one speaking a language of What People Want To Actually Hear. (It might actually be damning God by faint praise, that may be the intent, but this is a book where that’s always going to be an open question. I think it’s fascinating to consider the reading where it’s meant sincerely-- “God is good because he’s ordinary, and by implication he has no use for any of the trappings you obsess over, your social power is founded on false principles!”)

What happens after this bit? I’m, uh, still figuring that out! I don’t have convenient Tumblr posts to give me these outlines; interpreting the Wake is slow when it’s done by hand. Partly why I would want to make these posts at all. But somewhere Glugg and Chuff have a proper confrontation, and somewhere Glugg gets a third and final chance to guess Isa’s colour, and somewhere HCE calls for his children to come inside, do their homework, say their prayers, and go to bed.

So anyway. All that being said. The reason I took a picture was just to capture “young shy gay youngs,” an excellent phrase.

[tenebraetrash17]

Yeet, I know I misspelled XIII, I’m sorry

OK! So some context! Up here in the Lightis discord, we talk au’s and stuff like that, right? Right! Not necessarily Lightis ones, we have a multitude. 

One that @shadowdarkleonidascrusade came up with was a sitcom au, so I went and made an intro after @candy--pop mentioned “Final Fantasy with the F.R.I.E.N.D.S opening.”

But, so I’ve had other ideas that I haven’t put up there either, like so

The soldier characters? Like, Lightning, Cloud, Sephithot, Zack, Loqi and Ravus? They have their own episodes that are like The Office and Cid Raines is like their boss or something. Squall could be an intern there or something because young??

I mean, the dynamic would be funny enough?

Ravus: If another musical breaks out again, I’m going to hang myself.

*Camera cut to Loqi drumming on his desk*

Loqi: Everybody....hmmmmm...everyboooody.....everybody....rock your body right....

Zack, from across the room: BACKSTREETS BACK, ALRIGHT!!!

*camera cut to Cloud*

Cloud: This happens at least twice a week. I’ve learned to bring ear plugs. *sticks them in his ears and closes his eyes*

Lightning: If I have to put up with any more of this, I’ll hang myself. Well, actually, no, but, I want to- *as she’s talking you can just see Ravus in the background walking away with some rope and Cloud running to drag him back*

Ravus, now tied to his chair: This is giving me gray hairs..... *Zack is in the background and he looks up like “Um....”*

Also, there could be a segment where it’s like

Cloud: When I’m stressed, I like to drink coffee and turn on music. It helps get me through life. *get’s hit in the head with an airplane, courtesy of Zack*

Lightning: *laughs and holds up a beer bottle*

Ravus: .....I don’t have any stress reliever. Prompto says to try this one thing, but.....I-I don’t do that.

Ravus, only this time sitting somewhere else and looking as if he’s been talked into taking “Gyashi Greens”: ....I suppose this is why they call me the High Commander.

Idk, but the soldiers in an office setting just really amuse me?

Zack: Yeah, I dunno....I guess I’m getting some vibes from Sephy that he might be gay? 

*Camera cut to Sephiroth strolling up to the copy machine*

Sephiroth: Move, I’m gay!

*Now back to Zack*

Zack: .......Nah! He couldn’t be!

Also, there could be quality short jokes on Loqi as he stands on his desk and angrily yells “I AM NOT SHORT!!” as almost everyone towers over him.

And behold Cid’s constant mood:

I can kinda see the chocobros with more of a “That 70′s Show” kind of style, along with the whole table sitting and the camera moving around in a circle like how it does.

Like, they would be episodes that are kind of random and mainly focused on one set of characters for these types and not the commonly used formula as it would be a lot more ‘crossover-ish’ more often than not, but this is just me dumping a bunch of ideas everywhere.

So it’s like, the main series is just all the characters getting into shenanigans while episodes like these are just juicy little bits to add variety.

Like, maybe Serah, Luna and Iris all get together and it’s like “Siblings, am I right?” and have quality good pure girl bonding time. Aranea joins from time to time when they go out for drinks.

I know I spoke a lot about the whole Office part more, but I really like that formula and had a lot of ideas I didn’t want to spill everywhere. SO! Y’KNOW.

WHY DID I WORD THIS LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE A LEGIT THING? I HAVE NO IDEA FGHJK.

Yeet, hopefully those discord texts are readable!

NOT GONNA LIE, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO MAKE A HIGH COMMANDER JOKE

[crewhonk]

“You’re mine. I don’t share” for Billy please!

“You’re mine. I don’t share” Billy whined, watching you put your books into your locker. 

“okay, i know we had plans tonight-”

“yeah, valentines day plans.”

“okay but Nancy and I have an exam tomorrow in Kepners class and she just dumped like, three chapters on us today. youre gonna need to learn to share.”

he stomped his foot in protest, and crossed his arms, making him look something that resembled a toddler. You laughed to yourself and kissed his chin quickly. His bottom lip poked out in a cute pout and you kissed it, sucking it into your mouth and biting lighty.

“you cant do that and cancel our romance plans.” he groaned, resting his forehead on your shoulder and wrapping his arms around you

“the wait will be worth it, baby boy.”

[yourimaginarycupcake]

Shantytown.

I tried my hands at writing! (I actually do write.. Once in a while, but rarely in english.. Let me know about spelling errors or such! :D )

It’s based on my AU that you can read about here :)

He peeked over his shoulder again. He couldn't see her anywhere. And he knew by now where to look for her. He checked the roofs of the buildings, and he checked the sky. He elbowed his way further through the crowd, and made himself smaller. Which probably wasn't necessary, his size considered. Quite possibly the only perk his early death had given him. It was easy for him to disappear - to sneak away. He felt bad about it - of course he did. But he had to. Just once in a while. He turned when he reached a dark alley, and once again checked to see if he could see her. Making sure to stay hidden in the dark of the alley. Because if he could see her, then she definitely could see him. It wasn't the best angle, but he still checked the rooftops and the paths - that he could see - that lead to the plaza. The crowd didn't help, but he was certain that she still wasn't there. That she wasn't watching him from somehere. He let out a relieved sigh, and slipped off the hood that previously had covered his face. He ran a hand through his hair, and leaned against the wall behind him. It wasn't because he didn't love his family. He did. But the music ban was just too much for him. And it wasn't even a new thing. It had been there for centuries! He was supposed to follow the rules. He was supposed to adjust. To bend or something. He knew that. But he couldn't. He simply couldn't. And he really did love this family - but the music ban drove him crazy. He wasn't even allowed to hum! It was his afterlife, and he still wasn't allowed to hum. He removed his apron - the same his family wore with pride - with a huff. He threw it over his shoulder, and pushed himself away from the wall. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and began walking. Away from the crowded plaza - and even further away from the family business. He didn't need to increase his pace - seeing how his family most likely wouldn't follow him, or even know he left in the first place - but he did anyway. For two reasons; he wanted to reach his destination. It was like an itch that wouldn't go away. And second; Pepita. He wasn't always on the best of terms with her. It wouldn't take her long to track him down and ruin his fun. The bewinged jaguar was fine. Most of the time they did get along. But his first years in his afterlife he and mamá Imelda would have heated arguments - they still had them sometimes. And it made his and Pepita's relationship a little tense. Especially because it became her job, to track him down when he first started to run off. And that bothered both of them - since it happend a lot the first years. It did strain his and mamá Imelda's relationship too. The rest of the family followed her rules - but he was against them. And he wasn't afraid to speak up either - it was his afterlife too. Not just hers.

He was pulled out of his thoughts, when the old stones under his shoes started to crumble and he lost his footing. He shrieked and just barely managed to grab the apron in the air, before he slipped down the remaining stairs. It was his own fault for not paying attention, but he still glared at the old staircase as he got up from the ground. He dusted himself off with a short sigh - at least that meant that he was almost at his destination. Much against his will he tied the apron behind his neck again. That way he wouldn't end up losing it, if he lost his footing again. He really didn't feel like explaining to his family why he needed a new one. Not that he would need to - it would probably be written all over his face. Or.. Clothes. Or whatever. Or maybe mamá Imelda would see it with her own two eyes, on Pepita's wide back up in the sky. The thought of that made him jump the last bit until he could see his destination. Shantytown! Finally. He knew the place sent shivers down the spines of others. It even did so for him when he first arrived there. The place was a bit of a dump - or so people said - but he actually liked being there. Maybe not for the view. But for the people. They all acted like they were one big family, and he liked that about them. Most of them were happy and friendly, and the ones who weren't mainly kept by themselves. He never could bring himself to call them anything related to family though. He already had a family, and it felt wrong to call these people his primos or tiás or anything like that. But they still felt like a second familia in some way. They didn't make rules and they did listen to him. They let him talk about his dream, and about music. They listened when he talked about senõr de la Cruz. Stuff he couldn't do with his own family. Not truly at least. Sometimes he and mamá Coco would talk about music, but it was always when nobody else was around. And it was never enough for him. Their little talks would always get cut short by other family members showing up. As if they knew what was going on. Plus she was back with her husband now, and they tried to catch up on lost time. He shuddered slightly at how lovey-dovey mamá Coco and papá Julio always was. He was happy for them, but did they have to be so.. Gross? They would always smile a little sadly, and say something about him being too young to understand, when they saw him making faces.

A gnarly hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He blinked and looked up from the wooden platforms. ''Running off a little early today, eh Miguel?'' He couldn't help but give the elder skeleton a sheepish smile. She wasn't much taller than himself, but her braided hair was mostly grey with only a little black in it. He scanned her face - her markings that looked so much like flowers, but so faded he could barely tell the colors apart anymore. ''Hola Areli!'' He cheerfully greeted her and she smiled back at him. Areli was always one of the first to greet him when he showed up. She had also been the first one, to actually talk to him when he first showed up in Shantytown. Her bones looked a lot more loose now, and his smile faded a little at that. He followed her with the eyes as she began to walk away. ''Feel like playing for us today ninõ?'' He smiled at her question and followed her. ''Sí! I'm so glad you're asking. It's exactly what I need.'' She turned her head to look at him, and instead of saying anything she just winked at him. It wouldn't surprise him if she already knew that. People knew him here. They knew how much he loved music. He calmly greeted people when they passed them, and followed Areli inside the shack she called her hown. He smiled at the many flowerpots - most of them broken in one way or another - filled with dirt and haywires twisted as flowers with colorful lightbulbs hanging on them. Of course they didn't give any lights - but they were pretty nonetheless. ''I still got green thumbs.'' She laughed and poked him lighty with the guitar in her hand. ''Here ninõ. Now let's gather a crowd, eh?''

He was trying to tune the guitar, while skeletons slowly gathered around him and Areli. They settled in a circle of old chairs and as soon as the guitar was tuned, he focused on them with a smile. ''Any requests?'' He asked. He tried to ignore how yellow their bones were, and how loose they were.  How faded their markings were. If any of them would be gone the next time he came around. How they had ended up in Shantytown in the first place. Maybe he should visit them more? His smile faded as he briefly thought of his own family. His living family. Would they forget him too? Would he end up as his great great grandfather? The one that shouldn't be mentioned? Would they ever put up his own photo on their ofrenda? Would they ever worry he was dead or think that he simply just ran off? Or would he simply be dead to them by now? Forgotten? He was nudged in the side, and he turned to Areli. She looked worried, but she was still smiling. ''The world es mi familia. That's what Raul requested.'' She said. He pushed through the fog in his head and gave a little nod as he strummed the first note of the song. Areli was singing along next to him, and he forgot all his worries. All the tension he had built up simply just disappeared. He stayed there for two more songs. But it was starting to get darker and he had to go, before his family sent Pepita out to find him. He handed Areli the guitar back, and stood up. It was met with a few sighs. ''What a lovely audience! But I gotta go now.'' He felt much lighter and ready to go home to his actual familia. ''Mucha gracias for letting me borrow your guitar Areli.'' He added with a smile to the elder skeleton. ''No problem ninõ.'' She laughed and waved lightly as he started to back away. He looked at them one last time over the shoulder, before he started running.

[ruairimcallisterx]

swearonstars·:

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“Okay, that’s it,” Reina sighed, shaking her head as she took one look at her fellow co-worker and friend. “I know this is the ‘SAD’ Room and moping is kind of the whole vibe, but this looks like the perfect time for a friend-tervention if I’ve ever seen one,” She said, as she moved to plop down beside Ruairi on one of the twin beds, before tossing her arms around the other and giving him a great big hug. “So, come on. From one recently dumped to another, what do you say you take a break and the two of us go hit up some of the other rooms, kay? I mean it. Let’s go have some fun for a little while, just the two of us? Say yes?”

.

Ruairi's head dropped a bit as Reina spoke, shaking his head with a laugh. Her energy was something everyone should want to be around. Ruairi was very lucky to call her a friend. He felt the bed sink a bit as she sat beside him and the moment she wrapped her arms arouned him, he returned the gesture. His head laid lighty on her shoulder, just happy for the touch, listening to her speak.

He wasn't really interested in much else of the event but Reina had asked so nicely and he couldn't let her down. Pulling back from her embrace, he nodded his head and stood up the bed, pulling her up with him, "Yeah, we can do t'at. I t'ink t'ey'll survive for a while wit'out t'e sad room, yeah?" He said with a laugh, grabbing her hand as they moved out of the room, "What's caught your eye here?" He asked, glancing towards her.