#like the most stacked cast you could get oh my god

[biscuitrule]

GUYS! As someone who loves Lockwood and Co, The Last of Us, and Enola Holmes I’m absolutely screaming and will be sat!

[speedane]

A Hidden Monster

Main Character: Leon (Vali) Supporting Casts: Hailey (Hephaestus), Hall (Hodur), Q (Eros) (Phanes version by @murkyike ) Very Minor Appearance/Mention: Drew (Anubis), Long Mian (Ao Bing), Bonnie (Eris)

Number of Words: 3,188

Tags: Occasional swearing, few thrilling scenes (in a horror kind of way), slight implication of (almost) pulling Leon's eye off as well as cannibalism

Summary: Leon, still dumbfounded that he wasn't able to kill off Q, decides to do a little research with Hailey. What answer lies within the pages of the books? Will he find the answer that he was looking for, or is his mind playing tricks on him?

I am so sorry if this is gonna be too much for anybody, I tried giving the most appropriate of warnings!!

____________________________________________________________

Silence fills the air, shelves left and right. The smell of old books fills the air as Leon rummages through the pile of books on the table. Hailey, who is currently climbing down the ladder behind him, glances at him with a puzzled look.

“Do you really need to learn about every single love god there is in existence?” She steps down the ladder with a stack of books in hand and paces towards the table where Leon is. “Like, seriously, you can’t just be reading ALL of these for the rest of the weekend?” 

The inventor lazily dumps all the books before sitting beside the sniper, who seem to be setting aside any book that does not interest him. He seems to only scan the contents of each book, as if looking for a needle in a haystack. “Not all of them,” Leon replied. “I’m only searching for one.”

“Oh~?” Hailey places a leg on top of another, while leaning her torso towards the table with an arm resting on one of the smaller book stacks. “Do tell me Mr. Stoneface, which one of these could possibly fancy that eye of yours?” She asks with a rather sarcastic tone in her words. 

With her free hand, Hailey picks up a random book with a rather interesting cover. “Eros and Psyche…” She pouts, scrutinizing the imagery of a winged man with a fair lady in his arms. Judging by the art, the two people looked like lovers. It’s sweet, maybe too sweet for her liking. “Eh, sounds cheesy.”

As if by reflexes Leon’s head perks up and immediately grabs the book from the inventor’s hand. “I’ll take that.”

Her eyes widened. “Eh?? That one??” Hailey stares at Leon with disgust. “Don’t tell me you’re into those soft... mushy, sickening love stories??” Her stomach churns, feeling like throwing up. Fortunately for the dusty old books in the Decree’s archives, they won’t get soiled today. The fiery-haired woman places a hand over her mouth, no longer looking at the sniper. “The more I learn about you, the less I want to…” 

“It’s not like that,” Leon replied nonchalantly, his eyes on the person next to him. “It’s just research… for my target.”

“Your target?” She blinks. “Oh.”

“What?”

“I thought you’re looking for love stories to woo someone…” the inventor waves her hand around as she continues. “Liiiike we barely even talk and then boom! You asked me to help you with this love god research of yours!” 

The sniper only blinks.

“What I’m saying is that… isn’t this all too… convenient?” Hailey moves her hand back and forth towards the man with her palm upwards. “You? Me? Alone in this empty archive? If this was about research then an advanced notice would’ve been nice.”

Leon only sighs. “First of all, I am not trying to shoot my shot at you.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, perplexed. “Second, you were the only one here to help me.” Lowering his hand, he faces her again.

“Aw dang, where’s that big bad wolf you’re always with?”

“In the training room, amusing himself.”

“And that Hall guy?”

“Not every book on the shelves is written in Braille.” 

“Riiiiiiiight so you’re now stuck with me, I get it now.”

Haily starts shuffling through books. “So, books about Eros, huh?” Lifting a hardbound book, she squints. “He’s the target?”

“His esper,” were the only words he said.

“Huh…” The inventor chooses another book and opens the table of contents. “I think I know who you’re talking about…” Slowly, her finger slides through the titles, tapping on the very topic that grabs her attention. She starts flipping the pages. “Very popular internet guy, looks like a ball of cotton candy… got beef with him?”

The sniper only stays silent, his eyes fixated on the story book in his hand.

Hailey managed to locate the chapter that she is looking for regardless. “Thought so… oh!” Her eyes went left and right. “Eros, son of Aphrodite… Personification of Love… can forcefully bind two people into a relationship.” Squinting, she reads further. “I don’t get it, what’s so special about him? Sounds like just any other love god would do.” Soon after, she let out a big gasp. “Oh no! Don’t tell me… he made you kiss a fire hydrant!”

Ignoring the inventor’s boisterous laughter, Leon continues reading the story. Glued on the edge of his seat, locked on the words in the book. He is dead set to learn about the little flying baby that miraculously survived his bullet. When did he see his hiding spot? How did he survive? What makes him tick?

The young woman peers into the book. She sees a beautifully-illustrated picture book with words large enough for even her to read. “Huh, isn’t the Shadow Decree too old for these kinds of books?” Regardless, she bends closer. “Looks gorgeous though. So that Psyche girl was supposed to be sacrificed to a horrendous winged serpent!” 

“Read your own books,” Leon coldly responds without even looking at her.

“Fine, fine, geez…” The fiery-haired woman slumps back to her seat, grabbing another book to read. “And when I was finally getting interested in that cheesy love story too… hmph.”

The sniper flips page after page, but he is more interested in finding weaknesses of his opponent than learning the story. As minutes passed on, he finally closed the book shut. His eyelids are drooping, his back sore… and yet he did not find what he was looking for. The person at the seat next to him notices his tired look on his face.

“You were so focused on that one story book.” She smirks. “Found anything?”

“I found no weak points…” Leon yawns. “It was just… a love story…” he groggily rubs his eye, resting his bust on the table.

Hailey notices his exhaustion and shakes her head. “You know what, we’ve been doing this for hours now. The books may have bored you to sleep.” She stands up and walks towards the door. “If you need me, I’ll be getting some snacks.”

The sniper did not reply. With the inventor out of the scene, there is no stopping him from closing his eyes and entering into a deep sleep…

As his world fades to black, he feels at peace. No distractions, no responsibilities, no worries. He even almost forgot what he was doing a while ago…

“LEON!!”

Hailey’s sudden yelling woke him up unceremoniously. His head is in pain, his vision rather blurry. He could not make out from his surroundings, but he could tell that Hailey had entered the room and was in a hurry.

Walking down the hallway, the pair notices more henchmen passing through them. Leon suddenly gets a feeling of uneasiness… like something worse is happening outside his view. Walking further, he finally sees Hall standing in the middle of all this. The two of them stop to meet him.

“Leon, you got a new assignment, and they looked like they urgently needed your help out there!”

The sniper rubs his temple sighing, looking annoyed. “Figures.” Standing up, he grabs his saxophone and heads out with Hailey. 

“Hall, why are they sending more people out there,” Leon asks.

“From what I heard, there is a hostile entity steadily approaching our base…” Hall faces the two with worry. “We need more manpower before it reaches here.”

Hailey scratches her head. “Sounds like a tough cookie… is it some sort of a miramon?”

The blind archer shakes his head. “Reports say it’s an esper. The last thing I heard was that Bonnie returned here with minor injuries, and Long Mian is stalling.”

The inventor whistles. “Did the Esper Union have a secret weapon or something? Pretty bold of them to send a single guy our way if it’s really them!”

“No time for chitchat, I’ve heard enough.” Leon cuts the conversation off and switches his saxophone into the sniper rifle he always used. “Do what needs to be done.”

Hailey separates herself from the group, taking the route to where the labs are. Leon is now paired with Hall and heads to the exit. Outside was starting to get chaotic. Various men scrambled around, preparing for a possible onslaught. Whoever this ‘hostile entity’ is is becoming a serious issue for the Decree. 

The sniper turns to Hall. “You stay here and guard this entrance.”

Hall gives him a troubled look. “But what about you?”

Leon lowers his hood and turns around. “I’ll be at the sniper tower where I can see what’s really going on out there.” 

Without a word, he left in a hurry, with Hall standing still by the entrance. For a sniper, the tower would be the most tactical place for him to maneuver both offensively and defensively… but it would also be the loneliest place for him.

No subordinates. No partners. Just him, his rifle, and the vast outskirts of the ruins that was once Hazlitt. 

Now in position, Leon looks at the barren wasteland through the sniper scope. He scans through the area, now currently quiet. Too quiet. “Odd… did Long Mian manage to subdue the target..?

Before he could lower his rifle, he spotted a pink light towards his direction. 

“What-”

And just like that, it hit him in a flash of pink sparkles, sending him on the floor with a thud. The laser temporarily made him blind, his vision only filled with a bright hot rosy color. The man winces in pain as white noise fills his ears and dizziness hits his head like banging pots and pans. He groans, but nobody could hear him. What in the world is happening in the base without him? He’s just there, laying down. Helpless. 

“Leon!!”

“... Hall?”

He opened his eyes. Vision was suddenly clear as day. He heard Hall’s voice from far away. The sniper slowly stands up, struggling to keep his balance at first. 

“Hall? Hall!!”

But nobody answered back. 

“...”

The sudden silence made his chest feel tight. Now regaining his full senses, the sniper immediately jumped off the tower without a second thought, landing on one foot before tumbling down. By the time he looked up again, he knew immediately that there was something horribly wrong…

The entire lot that was full of chaos before is now barren. Not a single voice can be heard from any direction. What happened to everyone?

“...”

Leon paces as he scans the area. Still nothing, except for the burn marks on the concrete. The red-haired man kneels down and lightly touches the marks. Warm to the touch, as if freshly-made. Getting up again, he heads to where the entrance is. Hall was not there. 

“Where did you go..?”

He gazes into the hallway within. It’s just as eerily quiet as the outside. He decides to enter in high alert, with the rifle pointing ahead, careful not to make a sound with every step. Lights above his head flicker as he moves further down the path, his heart pounding louder the deeper he gets. When he reaches the intersection point, he stops. Soon after, all lights flicker and fail except the one on top of him. Everything beyond the light turned pitch black.

Within the darkness, the sound of a slithering snake can be faintly heard. Leon quickly aims at the hallway passage on his left. As always, there was nothing… but the sniper knows he’s not alone anymore.

“I can hear you…” He aims at another hallway. “Show yourself.”

All silence. Leon is quickly losing his patience.

“I have no time for games..!”

And there he hears the same hissing from a minute ago. A honeyed voice speaks from behind him.

“How delightful it is to see you.. Leon.”

In a flash, the red-haired sniper swiftly points the rifle from the source of the voice and makes the first shot. The sound of movement is noticeable after the attack despite the deep darkness, which he took advantage of in making out his opponent’s next move.

“Don’t hide from me…”

He makes his second shot. This time he hears the hissing of a snake. 

Then his third. Wings flapping can be heard almost immediately.

“This bitch can fly-”

A slither on his top right. A shot fires again. A hard landing to his rear. And another shot resounds into the void. No matter how many shots he throws at it, the thing doesn’t seem to go down. The mix of adrenaline, frustration, and fear makes his heart pound faster than he ever felt for years. He’s a cornered rat.

“Your heart is beating so loud…” The voice became more venomous. 

It finally makes its first move and flicks its reptilian tail towards Leon, disarming him in the same process. He let out a wince and tumbles down to the cold hard floor. He sees his rifle beside him, but as he turns and reaches for it, the tail has already coiled around his body and pulls him up in the air. Now binded, the man is now helpless in cold sweat. 

“Let.. Let me go..!” 

He attempts to wiggle out. However, it was of no use. 

His opponent lets out a soft chuckle. “Resistance is futile, you know.”

The last remaining light starts to fail, and eventually leaves Leon devoid of light. He could still feel the tail that constricts him, and it only gets tighter. Almost choking.

“Who.. are you..?”

“You still haven’t figured it out? Poor you~”

Leon senses that his shoulders are being held with soft, human hands. The sharp nails poking on the fabric of his hood doesn’t make this fact relieving though. But he could still feel it in his skin. And it’s really unnerving. 

In front of him has two purple eyes flashing right at his face, their slit pupils piercing into his soul. The voice becomes more distorted.

“I thought you did your research?”

“You..”

The once dim area gradually gets illuminated by a bright golden light, showing the wings of his assailant, and his true nature. 

“Or have you already forgotten about me?”

“Tch… I should’ve known it was you…”

Lo and behold, the one who’s been attacking the Shadow Decree all this time is none other than his target… or what he thinks to be.

Unlike the usual youthful appearance of the cupid, the one that stands in front of him is much taller. And much more menacing.

“Ding dong!”

“What did you do to them? What did you do to Hall..?!”

‘Q’ gives him an eerie smile, showing both of his sharp fangs. “Oh trust me… you don’t wanna know.”

The red-haired man grits his teeth. “Is this what you’ve been hiding from me? Is this how you survived… my bullet?”

The other esper lets go of one hand and cutely pokes his own cheek with a matching head tilt. “Oh no, it’s no secret~” 

With the same finger, he lightly pokes his nose. “You’ve read this, remember?” The man pulls the other closer to his eyes. “Or should I say, your lady friend?”

“H-Hailey…”

Three words resounding within his mind. Words he didn’t know were relevant until now: Horrendous. Winged. Serpent.

The snake tail, the sharp fangs, the feathery golden wings, and those monstrous eyes… It all makes sense now. This is no longer the small annoying target that Leon knows of. This is a threat of a high caliber, a threat that manifested from his inner fears, a threat he couldn’t kill.

The constricting tail continues to choke the sniper, and sooner or later he’s going to run out of air to breathe. Yet, he could do nothing but watch as the winged serpent in front of him gets amusement from his suffering. At this very moment, he’d pretty much rather be dead than having to look at his deceptively sweet face.

“Go on… kill me already-”

“Oh, not yet…”

Both of their eyes are locked on each other, and nobody would want to let go. Pure, visceral rage fills Leon’s heart as ‘Q’ stares at him mockingly. His arms are still binded, his feet frozen, and his breaths becoming shorter.

“You know, I’m feeling quite peckish right now…” The wings on the serpent’s head flutter lightly, happy thoughts in mind. “I was thinking of getting something sweet!”

Leon could feel one of this monster’s fingers gently brushing on his freckled face, like a little plaything.

“You know what your red hair and speckled cheeks remind me of?” 

He leans closer to his ear and lets out a whisper.

“Strawberriiieeesssss…”

A soft gasp can be heard from the hooded man. There is no way this beast is thinking of what’s in his head right now… but the heavens are finally merciful enough to give him an answer as one of his clawed hands starts creeping into one of his eyes.

“I was thinking… hmmm… strawberry tarts.”

Leon wants to look away. But he can’t. The man’s body is unresponsive, like a plant. Not even a sound escapes from his mouth, not a tear from his eyes. He’s facing his death, and he can’t do anything about it… With no time to waste, the hand grabs his face and he lets out a loud, painful scream.

The next thing he knew, he could hear books dropping on the floor, and his eyes could finally see the light of the archives again. A familiar voice speaks.

“Aw man, I was about to make it to five stacks!” 

He finds himself back at the same table he was sleeping on, with sweat on his face and a messy set of red hair. Nothing binding his body, no hands grabbing his face. He is where he was before everything started… or did he even leave at all?

“Am I back…?” The man stares into nothing as Hailey starts picking up the books that fell with his rude awakening.

“Back? Pff, you’ve been sleeping for an hour and a half!” The young woman places the books on the table and grabs her phone that has been opened for a while. “Anyway, while you’re asleep, I started doing my own research as well.”

She puts the screen directly at Leon’s face that currently shows a livestream of a flying baby and a butler jackal.

“You can put your preferred fruit on top of the tarts. Make sure that they are fresh and delectable to eat.”

“I want mine with strawberries!!”

Strawberries… strawberries. The word echoes in his head, bringing him back to that very moment in his nightmare. The inventor only laughs at the seemingly innocent scene of a small boy putting strawberries on his tarts, unaware of the ordeal that he had to endure in his sleep.

“You know, for a target, he’s such a comedian! Goofy-ass motherfucker.”

“I’ll get some milk…”

With no words left to say, Leon gets up from his seat and leaves the archives. Hailey’s eyes shifted from the door that he went through, to the pile of books left on the table, and back to the door with an unamused look. 

“I am NOT cleaning this up.” 

[slightlyunconventional]

HELLO oh my god this took so long it's currently 3am um. LOL 💕💕💕 anyway here's a k/az fic for you it's kinda long like longer than my usual ones anyway soooo yes hi ALSO partly inspired by this ask i got!! but i forgot to actually answer it. @artemisia-darkstar !! 🤭

the heist one ✨ (3.9k words of k/az b/rekker allergies. obviously.)

The Crows had been hired by a wealthy merch of central Ketterdam to pilfer one extremely valuable diamond brooch from… another wealthy merch. (“Rich people do have their petty quarrels, don’t they?” Jesper had said. First world problems.) Kaz had sent Inej out to scout the mansion, to pick up intel about guards’ schedules, locate the target brooch, and note any and all potential escape routes if things happened to go sour. She’d returned to his desk to report just one tiny snag in their plan - the merch was hosting a large formal event at his estate on the exact night they’d planned to seize the diamond brooch.

The five of them stood in the shadows of an alley, two blocks from the merch’s mansion, Nina busy tracking a group of partygoers as they approached, ready to take them swiftly down with her Heartrender power. 

“Just why did that rich prick have to have his party tonight?” Jesper hissed in annoyance, “He has to know we’re coming. There’s no way he doesn’t know.”

Kaz sighed. “He doesn’t know, Jes. Why would he know?”

“Maybe one of his guards saw Inej, I don’t know,” replied the sharpshooter, exasperated.

“Don’t be stupid. No one sees Inej.”

“Not even you, Jes, and I’m standing right next to you,” said a quiet voice behind Kaz. He felt his lips twitch at the corners. 

Jesper started, nearly leaving the ground. “Saints, Inej! How do you keep doing that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Inej replied. She was hardly visible in the dark of the alley, but it was clear she was smirking by the amused tilt of her voice. Suddenly, five dull, consecutive thumps sounded from up ahead as five smartly-dressed passers-by collapsed to the cobbled ground. Jesper winced.

“You’re positive we couldn’t have left this until another day?” he asked. They hadn’t even got inside yet and people were already toppling like dominoes. It could only get worse from here.

“I was about to ask the same thing, actually,” added Wylan. Kaz shook his head.

“The guards’ schedules change daily. I have our window planned out to the minute, and I’m leaving no room for risk,” he said, “Now get those bodies hidden before we fall at the first hurdle.”

Jesper, Wylan, and Nina set to work dragging the unconscious party guests down into the alley while Kaz reached behind a stack of crates and picked up a large hessian sack. From it he produced a bundle of clothes.

“Still no idea where you get all these outfits from,” Jesper panted as Kaz tossed him a grey three-piece suit. He gave it a look of supreme repulsion. “I’m not sure if you knew, but grey really isn’t my colour.”

“It is tonight,” replied Kaz dismissively, throwing a second suit to Wylan and two dresses each to Nina and Inej. He crouched to inspect one of the unconscious bodies, then slipped a hand into the man’s blazer to retrieve his invitation to tonight’s event. Nina was holding up the pale blue gown Kaz had given her and staring at it in scepticism. 

“I don’t know if this is going to fit me,” she said with an eyebrow raised. Kaz sighed in annoyance.

“Well, it’s going to have to.” He held up the invitation letter he’d retrieved. “These are our tickets in there - get yours then get dressed. Make it snappy.”

“Get dressed,” echoed Nina incredulously, casting a wary glance around the dingy backstreet, “here?” The look she received from Kaz was almost pitying.

“Nina, love, we’re in Ketterdam. It doesn’t get much more private than this.”

She grimaced and backed into a slightly more shadowed corner of the alleyway. 

Some five minutes later, the five of them were kitted out in most uncharacteristic formal wear - Wylan and Jesper suited in complementary greys, Nina in her rather tight blue gown and Inej in her red one. Kaz looked, well, hardly different, in all honesty - the black suit was almost identical to his usual get-up, save for his black tie swapped for a deep red one, and the obnoxiously floral boutonniere pinned to his lapel. And, of course, the distinct lack of gloves on his hands, though they were folded carefully inside his jacket pocket in case of emergencies.

“Ready?” he asked. 

“No offence, Kaz,” Inej began. Kaz turned to her with a single eyebrow arched. “But how are we supposed to, y’know, do a heist dressed like this?” She gestured up and down her dress with her hands.

“It’s about fitting in. I didn’t anticipate there being a party tonight - be grateful I’m not making you scale any walls,” Kaz replied sourly. Inej shot him a look before shaking her head. He huffed out a sigh.

“Fine. You can have your weapons on you, all of you,” he compromised, albeit reluctantly, “But if I see so much as the glint of a blade’s edge, I’ll crack your skull with that merch’s diamond brooch. Keep them hidden.” His words were nothing short of a snarl, the threatening promise dripping from his tone - it was clear Kaz would accept no mistakes on this job. He wanted them in and out as fast as possible, with as little trouble as possible. 

Jesper picked up his pearl-handled revolvers, spun them in his hands, and slid them beneath his suit trousers - impractical, but at least they were hidden from view. 

“Still think this suit needs more colour,” said Jesper with an exaggerated sigh.

“You’ll live,” Kaz spat as he strode past him out of the alley. “Let’s move,” he said, “We don’t have all night.”

.

They’d made it inside without a hitch, much to Kaz’s relief. So far, so good, he thought, wonder how long that’ll last. The five stood at the entrance of the mansion’s huge ballroom, staring at the lavish decorations and masses of guests that filled the space. The tightly packed crowd sowed the beginnings of a cold weight in Kaz’s chest that he forced himself to ignore.

“You all know what you have to do,” Kaz said, “We reconvene at eleven bells.” Then, he noticed Nina and Jesper eyeing the bar at the far side of the hall, and sighed. “We reconvene at eleven bells, sober.” He allowed himself the subtlest of smirks as the two Grisha let out a simultaneous, hearty groan. 

So, with Wylan and Jesper instructed to keep an eye on the target merch, and Nina off taking the guards down outside his office, Kaz and Inej were left to, just, mingle. Easier said than done, especially for two of perhaps the least sociable people in the entire Barrel, but, alas, they had nothing else to do until the dinner started. The pair weaved their way through the crowd over to the side of the hall, where they attempted a casual leaning-against-the-wall conversation while also trying to look like they were having fun.

“I don’t have much experience with social events,” Inej admitted, casting a wary glance around the room.

“You say that like you think I have any,” Kaz said with a breathy almost-laugh. Inej smiled sympathetically. 

Despite the sheer size of the ballroom, it was truly stifling. Each and every surface was laden with bouquets of brightly coloured blossoms which gave off a heady sweetness that was impossible to ignore, and the air was thick with the stinging scent of various expensive perfumes and colognes. Kaz wondered how the guests could keep chatting and laughing and dancing while he longed for the soft comfort of his overcoat’s high collar to bury his nose into. The heavy, potent aromas that hung so incessantly upon the air didn’t take long to infiltrate his nostrils. At first, it took up residence as a subtle buzz somewhere deep, far back in his sinuses -  faint, but noticeable enough, though it quickly rose in intensity, steadily becoming worse and worse and spreading throughout his nose until it became an ever-present prickling burn that pushed Kaz closer and closer to the brink. He sniffed determinedly against the sensation, not eager to humiliate himself amongst such a huge crowd.

“What time’s the dinner, do you know?” Inej asked. Kaz had to pause for the briefest moment to regain control over his sinuses, which were still tickling with ferocious intensity.

“Any minute now, I think,” he replied. Mere seconds after he spoke, his breath caught in his throat, and the burn he thought couldn’t get any worse spiked like flames licking against the inside of his nose.

Inej’s gaze briefly flickered over his face before she replied. “...Alright. I’ll keep an eye out for Jesper’s signal.”

“-hhHDtt–!” Kaz’s breath hitched sharply, and before he knew it, he was pressing a gloveless fist firmly to his septum to stifle a rather harsh sneeze. “hhk’NGTt!-huh..”

“Bless you,” Inej said, eyes still tracking Jesper across the room.

“Thahhnk, y-youuUHh–?! ehH’GNKT! Oh, Saints– ‘kKGTtch! h-huh’GNKksh!” The fact that his sneezing was already becoming difficult to contain filled Kaz with a sense of dread - it wouldn’t be long before he’d be unable to stifle at all. 

“Uh, bless you. Again.” Inej was looking at him now, her gaze skipping between his eyes and his nose, which was undoubtedly still twitching and flaring in irritation. “Are you alright?” she dared to ask.

Kaz nodded, averting his eyes. At least it was only Inej and not someone who’d mortify him even more. “Fine. I’m fi-hhehH! Oh, you’ve got to be jokiihh’KNTt! hhih’gGKTtsch!”

Inej lifted her eyebrows at him. “Keep that up, and you just might burst a blood vessel,” she teased. He managed a hazy eye roll before having to duck back down into his tight fist.

“-heh’hehh’kKGTtshh! hhhk’NGTtch! Oh, oh, saints, I- ‘kKNGTts! ‘GNTTtchh-huh!” The tail end of each sneeze kept managing to escape his valiant attempts at stifling, resulting in a quick, itchy expulsion at the back of each stifle. Worse than that, though, was that the more he suppressed them, the more sneezes kept coming - the itch in his nose was truly unrelenting.

“‘GNKTtsh! Ghezen…hh-huh’kKNTtsh’uh!–”

“Kaz–” he heard Inej say. There was a hint of urgency in her voice, but he was too deep in the throes of this horribly itchy fit to be able to even think about responding.

“hhk’KNGT’sshhuh! h-huhh’KXNTtsh! ‘GKKTtschh’hhuh!”

“Kaz,” Inej spoke again, “It’s time, Jesper’s–”

“hhih’KKTTt’shh!” Kaz’s nose simply refused to let up and the fit was inescapable. He was powerless to do anything but repeatedly press his dreadfully tickly nose into his fist and stifle sneeze after demanding sneeze. By now, his head was pounding from stifling so much - but he decided he’d much rather that than watch his dignity fall to pieces in a hall full of strangers.

Suddenly, amidst his fit, Kaz felt an urgent tugging on his sleeve. He just about managed to fight back any more sneezes to finally listen to Inej, though he could hardly see her through his watery eyes, and his head kept tipping forward ever so slightly, reflexively for the sneezes he was just barely holding back.

“Kaz,” Inej said, firmly this time, “Jesper’s signal. It’s time to move.” 

Kaz nodded blearily. He knew he had to get to the merch’s office where Nina was waiting for him, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to walk in a straight line.

As if reading his mind, Inej said, “You need to get yourself together, Kaz. We have a job to do.” Then she disappeared into the crowd, off to swap positions with Jesper.

.

Kaz had staggered, still stifling sneezes haphazardly into his tight fist, to the merch’s private office suite with Jesper close on his heels, sparing him overly concerned glances. He hoped, now, that he’d get a break from that infernal tickle since he was out of the thickly perfumed air of the ballroom. 

“-hhH’GKKTtsh’uh! Saints…” That sneeze felt fairly final - he just hoped it actually was.

“Uhh. So are you done blowing our cover?” Jesper asked, smirking. 

“Shut up,” replied Kaz, the bitterness in his voice hidden by its rather congested quality, “...yes, I am. Just that hall, Saints, why does everyone insist on making themselves smell like a walking flowershop?”

Jesper laughed at that. “You’d rather they smelled like… what, exactly?”

“Anything else,” Kaz said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, there you are,” came Nina’s voice from the office door, “You’ve got no idea how long I’ve had to keep these wretches unconscious.”

“Don’t be dramatic, we’ve hardly been here an hour,” snapped Kaz.

“Ghezen, Brekker, if I weren’t using both hands for my power, I swear I’d–”

Jesper raised his hands up. “Alright, alright, let’s play nice, yeah? Nina, you keep doing what you’re doing, love, and Kaz, get to that lock - we’ve stalled enough as it is,” he said, “And I’ll stand guard.”

Kaz huffed, slipped his lockpicks from the inner pocket of his jacket, and crouched in front of the door. Though he was without his gloves, the cool metal of the picks brought him a slight comfort, and he allowed his dexterous fingers to begin their work on the lock. However, before his picks even touched the keyhole, his chest was stuttering with the need to sneeze yet again.

“-hh’hehH–”

Jesper whirled around from where he was standing guard to look at Kaz. “Seriously?” he asked, incredulous.

Nina looked up, too.“What?” she said, eyes flicking between Kaz and Jesper in confusion. 

“Saints, Nina, you don’t want to know. He’s been sneezing non stop all evening - I had to watch the whole fiasco in the hall - and we definitely could be done with this so much faster if he’d just pulled himself together-!” complained Jesper. He didn’t sound much unlike a whining child, come to think of it.

“You’re talking about me as if I’m not right here– shit, hhehH! hhk’NGTt! ‘GKKTtsh!” Kaz only just finished his sentence; it was punctuated by a harshly stifled pair of sneezes, after which he sniffled thickly and swiped a hand under his nose.

“Bless you, boss. Now get on with it,” Jesper said, shaking his head. Kaz shot him a murderous glare before returning to the lock. It was an easy lock, and any other day he’d have it open in less than five seconds, but now, he just couldn’t shake the distracting tickle building in his sinuses, and of course, with that building tickle, his hands began to shake slightly. He was managing it, though, or so he thought.

“-hhaAH’ESCHHh’uhh!” Kaz sneezed, a violent explosion that came on so fast that he didn’t have time to even consider trying to stifle it. He was beginning to get a little frustrated now - he was well out of the ballroom, so why was he still sneezing?

“Lovely,” Nina said with a grimace. Kaz couldn’t find a retort for he was still recovering from the tearing sneeze that had caught him off guard.

“Kaz-” Jesper started warningly, casting a worried glance at the ballroom doors. 

“I’m fine,” Kaz cut in. One of his hands was working swiftly at the office’s lock, while the other scrubbed roughly at the underside of his now red-rimmed nose. He didn’t need any Grisha powers to feel his heart pounding in his chest - Kaz knew they were behind schedule now, and by no means had he planned for this to happen. He tried to focus on the movement of his picks inside the lock, though it was second nature to him by now, so much so that he’d pick locks without even thinking. One minute a door would be closed, the next wide open. He’d never spared it a second thought. However, in this moment, his focus was wavering, as was his breath, and his hands were shaking once again. The itch in his sinuses had rekindled and was twice as vicious as it fought for control over him. Just get the lock open, he willed himself, just five more seconds, hold on.

Against all odds, Kaz finally cracked the lock. He immediately pushed the door open and stepped back from it, right as his nostrils flared widely. He drew in a great breath and lifted his jacket by the lapel with one trembling hand.

“haHH’ehHRSCHHh’huh! hehH’kKXSCHHhuh! Oh, Sai-saints–” Two sneezes, violent and forceful, exploded from him, shielded behind his lifted blazer. Jesper and Nina exchanged glances before entering the office to break into the merch’s safe. Kaz wasn’t far behind them, though his nose was most certainly not done sneezing. In fact, he felt as though he needed to sneeze even more than before. He didn’t see Nina and Jesper break open the safe using one of Wylan’s corrosive chemicals, because, well, he was a little preoccupied snapping forward at the mercy of his own nose.

“hhah-haAH’ehHKZZSCHH’huh! H-hahh… huh-! Oh,” Kaz sniffled as the second sneeze eluded him, “Fuck, when will this end?”

His sneezes were gradually getting stronger and thus much harder to contain, and no matter how he tried to cover them, they still managed to leave a fine mist upon the air, much to his disgust. Although, he had to admit that it was deeply relieving, and almost dizzying, to finally let out his sneezes, despite the sheer embarrassment of it all. 

“Got it,” Nina said, holding up the diamond brooch. She tossed it over to Kaz, who caught it, pocketed it, and–

“h-heHRZZSCHHh’uh!” -sneezed. Kaz rolled his eyes at himself and sniffled.

“What’s gotten into you?” teased Jesper, nudging Kaz in the side playfully with his elbow. Kaz simply glared back. After a forceful knuckling at his nose, the itch seemed to have calmed down a bit.

“It’s nearly eleven bells,” he said, voice slightly dulled by congestion, “Inej and Wylan will be waiting for us.”

.

They headed back to the agreed meeting spot - the alleyway where Nina downed the group of partygoers and where their original clothes were left. As Kaz had said, Inej and Wylan were already there, seated upon old crates making quiet conversation. 

“How long have you been here?” asked Kaz.

“Just got here,” Inej replied, lifting an eyebrow at the pink hue of his nose, “Did you get what we came for?”

Kaz fought not to pull a face at her. “Obviously,” he said shortly. Jesper cast a dramatic look around.

“So we’re not going to address the elephant in the room?” he asked. Everyone except Kaz looked at him sceptically.

“Our sneezy over here, obviously,” said Jesper with a smirk.

Nina snorted. “Yeah, good point,” she laughed, “What was ruffling your feathers back there, Brekker?” 

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Inej turned to him, annoyance rising in her stare. “If you’ve come on this job with a cold, Saints–”

“No, I–” Kaz began.

“We would have been in and out a lot faster if you hadn’t been–”

“I got what we needed, didn't I?” Kaz shot, annoyed now, too.

Jesper and Nina looked at each other. “Well, we did…” he whispered to her. She giggled.

“Sooo… what was it then?” Nina asked playfully.

“I don’t know,” snapped Kaz, “so drop it, okay?”

Nina raised her hands in mock surrender and stepped back. Kaz looked around the shadowed alley.

“Where’s my coat,” he demanded. Jesper reached back to the messy pile of their clothes and tugged out Kaz’s thick, heavy coat to hand to him.

“Yeah, you’d best get that jacket covered up. I think it’d make headlines if Kaz Brekker was seen with a flower on his lapel,” said Nina with a laugh, leaning forward to flick Kaz’s boutonniere playfully. The faintest cloud of pollen floated up from the flower, hardly visible to the naked eye, but Kaz’s nose notices alright. His breath hitched deeply almost immediately, and before he knew it, he was leaning heavily on his cane as three itchy, near-explosive sneezes escaped him.

“-ehH’rRZZSCHHheh! huh-huHH’KXZZSHHh’uh! haAHh’ihHRZZSCHHhuuh! What the f-fuck?”

Despite him having braced himself against his cane, the triple still managed to bend him nearly double. He straightened himself, panting and swearing, and sniffed sharply. The rest of the group was rendered speechless. It was a rather unusual scene, especially with Jesper standing holding out Kaz’s coat awkwardly. The dark-haired man stepped forward swiftly and all but ripped his coat from Jesper’s hands, however he paused before putting it on, pitching forward with two more heavy sneezes.

“Fuck offhhuh-hehH’IZSCHHuhh! heh’hRZZSCHH’uh!” Kaz’s lips curled slightly, a crude grimace, and his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

Inej stepped forward with a muttered, “Oh, for Saints’ sake,” unpinned the red flower from his lapel, and tossed it back down the alley. He gives her a funny look. “You’ve been sneezing all evening and you didn’t even consider the flower literally pinned to your chest?”

Kaz said nothing. He was too busy both internally marvelling at his own stupidity and fighting the urge to throw himself in the canal out of humiliation. 

Inej shook her head. “For all your wit and cunning you sure lack common sense sometimes,” she said.

Before Kaz could retort, Nina scoffed. “Seriously?” she said incredulously, “All that because of one little flower? Saints, Brekker. I never thought the great Dirtyhands would be felled by a bit of pollen.”

The glare she got from Kaz could probably have killed someone had it not been for his glassy, red-rimmed eyes.

 “It wasn’t just the– ehH’KZZSHHhue!” Kaz began to protest, but cut himself off with a harsh sneeze, seemingly one that crept up on him with no warning, for he only managed to throw his arm in front of his face in the last split second before the sneeze erupted from him. Jesper laughed and Kaz saw Wylan shoot him a look.

“How about we – instead of bullying Kaz –” Wylan said with a pointed glance at Nina, “start heading back to the Slat. Because I’m cold.” Inej smiled in amusement.

“Thank you,” agreed Kaz with a thick sniffle, “At least there’s one other person with some sense in this group.” Wylan flushed a little, maybe with embarrassment, maybe with pride – Kaz was too annoyed to care which it was. He was already picking up his original clothes from where he left them, then he stalked out of the alley. It wasn’t long before Inej caught him up, and he saw that she’d already discarded her heels and replaced them with her own familiar leather boots. He cast her a sidelong glance over his shoulder, still walking. She matched his pace with ease.

“I shouldn’t have been so hard on you earlier,” she admitted, “You were right. You did get what we needed, and the plan went off without a hitch.”

Kaz stopped walking and turned to face her; she did the same. “But…?” he said, prompting her to continue. She sighed.

“But,” Inej replied, “you’d better not let this affliction of yours compromise any of our future jobs.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why would that happen,” he said flatly, hardly a question.

“I’m just saying you need to be able to keep quiet if and when things get messy.”

“Yet you chastise me like I’m a schoolboy every time I stifle,” Kaz replied, slightly amused. Inej’s lips twitched.

“You know that doesn’t apply on a job. You’re allowed when we need to keep a low profile,” she said, “And your sneezes aren’t exactly low profile.”

Before Kaz could reply, Inej was reaching up to where his lapel was visible beneath his coat. 

“Oh, you’ve got a bit of–” She swiped her hand across the fabric, brushing off a scattering of pollen from the flower that was previously pinned there. Kaz’s breath caught quietly. 

“Gonna sneeze?” Inej said with a smirk.

He replied, “No,” and then, of course, sneezed. “hehH’GNKTt!”

It was contained perfectly against his now-gloved fist, and he ducked down slightly with it – a near-silent affair.

“We’re not on a job anymore, so I’m allowed to tell you off for that,” Inej said, “Bless you.”

“...Thank you.”

[blackjackkent]

OK time for yet another boss battle combat report!

(Everyone seemed to like the Iron Throne play-by-play so I guess I'm getting more thorough with these. XD )

We get to fight big boy, who i'm not referencing by name till under the cut, and his three lady friends from the other thrones, plus the three guards from the front door.

Sarevok is quite beefy - 206HP. Surprisingly, the guards from the front door are the other scary ones; That Which Guards has 236HP and the other two are 162. Amelyssan and her cronies are a much more reasonable 72, which means that they're our first targets to get off the field as quickly as possible.

springagainafter: hee hee I've been waiting for you to get to the bit where Sarevok shows up springagainafter: ghost Melissan too UGH springagainafter: PUNCH SAREVOK, HECTOR springagainafter: do it for Rasaad, it's what he would want XD blackjackkent: heeeeee blackjackkent: hell yeah

Let's see how well Team Juggernaut holds up to this challenge.

Minsc was able to open the fight by taking out Amelyssan at once. (He gets five attacks with Nyrulna on the first turn of the fight due to Dread Ambusher and Enraged Throw and he used them all on her.) I like to think that this was not actually strategy but just him zeroing in on her immediately as the person he hates second most on the field (but was most likely to kill quickly) and wanting her GONE.

I backed up out of combat for a bit so I could look at Sarevok's inspect screen and he's a spooky boy. Among his Exciting Features are: Legendary Resistance (unsurprising), Exceptional Plate (decreased physical damage), multiattack, bleed infliction on enemies with full health, and 20AC. Fundamentally, though, the scariest thing about him is that he has a number of equally scary friends and a lot of health, so we'll be better off taking the friends out of the equation fast. We've dealt with Steel Watchers, so as long as Sarevok doesn't start exploding, I'm not as worried as I was with them. XD

The three echoes also turn out to be primary targets because they cast Haste on Sarevok and Slow on our party, both of which are TERRIFYING in this context, so good to get them off the field as quickly as possible.

As the fight goes on, though, things get... interesting. Every time our boy Sarevok hits something he gets a stack of "Murderous Strikes", and when it hits 4 he can cast "Deathbringer's Legacy" which basically allows him to do a four-strike multihit. And when hastened he can get that VERY often.

On her second turn, Jaheira DISCONNECTS HERSELF FROM THE PARTY because she doesn't have time for my mediocre combat skills, casts Confusion on all three of the weird scary guards, and beelines straight for Sarevok like a house on fire entirely without my input.

CORRECTION: The above point seriously confused me through quite a few reloads and I couldn't figure out what was causing it bc it only seemed to happen sometimes. Turns out that one of the Big Scary Guards cast "Compelled Duel" on her, which I think broke her out of my control briefly even though it's supposed to just prevent her from attacking anyone other than the caster. And then I think her casting Confusion caused the control to drop (when the BSG failed its save) but didn't put her back in the party.

I like my interpretation better, though, that she's so pissed off with Sarevok that she doesn't have time for my bullshit.

Honestly Hector's brute force punching is carrying the day. (The spirit of Rasaad moves within him indeed.) His second turn he got a starting topple on Sarevok and melted him for a total of [does hasty math] A HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE DAMAGE. My boy is a guided missile and we love that for him! This build is so broken oh my god, Zen. XD

Looking more closely at the Big Scary Guards, I noticed this:

This is good news actually and means we probably don't have to kill them, just keep them from killing US long enough to deal with Sarevok.

Having finally, after a number of confused reloads, figured out what was going on with Jaheira, it was time to bring out the owlbear to smack Sarevok around, and leave Karlach in the back to deal with the BSGs. Four owlbear claw hits in a row for ~22 damage each is spicy, plus each of them does knockback, which gives us the incredibly satisfying image of Sarevok Anchev bouncing across the floor like an errant ping-pong ball.

Eventually we whittled him down! The BSGs, as expected, despawned when Sarevok died, and we just had to clear out the remainder of the echoes in order to finish the fight.

Yasssss. SAREVOK ANCHEV IS NO MORE!

*loud cheering from Faenya-Dail*

I would damn well hope the Murder Tribunal are impressed after that display. XD

I didn't even know that was an option but I think I'm glad we didn't become whatever that is. XD

Excellent. That will be Thursday's project since I have raids tomorrow. XD

[arkytiorwrites]

Day 3: Until I Found You

Defender Strange x Reader

Letting out a startled gasp of pain, Defender Stephen Strange stared uncomprehendingly at the ribbon-like tentacle stabbed through his right leg.

Georgia

Wrap me up in all your

I want you in my arms

Oh, let me hold you.

I'll never let you go like I did.

It wasn't until the appendage ripped itself out, and he could see the torn, cauterized flesh, that the pain registered. His leg buckled under his weight, and he struggled to remain upright.

He wasn't going to die. Not today. Not while he had a promise to keep.

"Hey. Be careful, okay?" Y/N requested softly as Stephen prepared to take America to find the Book of Vishanti. "Something about all of this seems really weird.”

Pausing in his reorganization of research, Stephen looked over at his fiance to see the worry in their eyes.

"Hey, mi ragina," he murmured, setting down his stack of books and scrolls to pull her into a tight hug, feelingher relax as he began to play with the heir at the nape of their neck. “I will always come home to you, mi dulce. I promise.”

“Pinky swear?" their question muffled by his robes.

Laughing, Stephen held up his little finger.

"Pinky swear."

Oh like I used to say

I would never, fall in love again until I found her.

I said I would never fall unless it's you I fall into.

I was lost within the darkness but then found her

I found you!

“How on God's good green Earth you get your hands on that?"

Stephen looked up from his book to see a fellow acolyte standing before him with an impressed look.

“Sling ring," was all he said before going back to reading.

Obviously not taking the hint, they sat down next to him and began to read over his shoulder.

"You aren't going to tell Wong?" he asked.

"Nope. As long as you let me read to,” they bartered.

Sighing, he agreed, "Alright."

"Pinky promise,” they requested, holding up their finger.

Unable to stop himself from snickering a bit, Stephen held up his finger as well.

“Pinky promise."

They shook on it, and went back to reading.

“I'm Y/N, by the way."

"Stephen."

“Nice to meet you Stephen."

Georgia

Pulled me in

I asked to love her once again

You fell I caught you

I'll never let you go again like I did

Oh, I used to say.

Swiftly summoning blue rings around his wrists, Stephen began to gather the floating debris to form a prison around the screaming creature. Casting the most powerful trapping spell he knew around it, he clenched his hand into a fist, and a mirror image of the spell wrapped it self around his hand.

Yet still, the creature struggled violently, and with no regard to any damage done to itself.

"It's too strong!" he finally admitted.

Yelling in pain again as the wound to his leg began to fester with dark magic.

He and America watched in horror as the beast began to break free in a matter of seconds. Trying desperately to think as he stared across the chasm at the tantalizingly close Book of Vishanti; Stephen realized that there was only one way to save the multiverse. But it came at a terrible price.

Turning to look back at the young woman who had sought his help, who he and his beloved had bonded so tightly with, he knew what he was about to do would mark him as irredeemable in their eyes.

“I'm so sorry,” Stephen confessed, his voice breaking as their eyes met. “But it's the only way."

I would never fall in love again until I found her

I said I would never full unless it's you I fall in to

I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her

I found you.

My head snapped up at the familiar sound of one of America's portals. Grinning as I ran from where I'd been pacing in the living room, I entered the foyer expecting my brave Defender to be standing there, crowing about their exploits as he pulled me into a huge hug.

Instead, I was met by a sorrowful America, a Wong I didn't recognize ... and a human-sized shape in a dark shroud.

"Y/N... I'm so so sorry,” America whispered.

"No," I whimpered, shaking my head in furious denial. "No, he pinky swore. He never, breaks those. He isn't. He isn't-“

Tears spilled down my cheeks as reality crashed in.

Stephen was dead, and he was never coming home.

I said I would never fall unless it's you I fell into

I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her

I found you.

[nenestansunsthings]

Scar and pearl hangin out? Or Joe and Cleo. Dealers choice. :)

dealer picked scar and pearl!!! thank you so much for your vote, lonely-eldritch-monster :))

____

The sun is setting lower and lower, painting the sky slowly in shades of yellow and orange. Scar sighs, slumping further back into his wheelchair. It's been a long day of rearranging, building, searching for stuff in his giant shulker monster. It'd have taken longer if not for...

"Man, thanks for helping me out, Pearl. I thought I'd be clearing out boxes forever."

"You would have," Pearl laughs. "You're lucky I was in the area, Scar! Now, how much are you gonna owe me for this..."

"No!!! No, you volunteered for this yourself!!!" In a dramatic show of desperation, Scar wails, swooning like a fainting Victorian maiden. "I can't believe you! Tricking a poor, innocent park owner like this!"

"Poor is right, Scar! Hand over your diamonds!"

"Noooooooooo!!"

She snorts, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "Ah, I'm just messin' with ya. Don't worry, Scar, your diamonds are safe. For now. I'm just happy you tried cleaning it all up."

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint our one and only cleaning lady, would I?" He shoots her a brilliant smile. "... Hey, if I call you next time and you give me a discount, can I set something up so you can clean up my stuff and my sorting system won't have to?"

"Scar!"

"I'm scared of breaking it, Pearl! It's so complicated and redstone-y! I'm not made for redstone, Pearl!!"

"A stack of diamonds per cleaning."

"... Wow, would you look at my amazing, wonderful, going-to-be-used-every-time redstone sorting system!"

"See? I knew you'd understand." She snickers. "Your redstone can't be that bad, Scar. Don't just let that sorting system sit around gathering dust!"

"Fine, fiiiine." He sighs. "Maybe if the most organized person on the server tells it not to break, it won't."

"I could do that for you," she jokes. "Cast some alien magic on it so it never breaks. Then you'll be able to put those poor unorganized shulker boxes in it no problem."

"Your aliens have magic?!"

"... Hmm. I haven't decided that yet." She shrugs. "Could also just be really advanced tech. What's that quote again? Uh… sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic?"

"Industriabubble?" Scar blinks. "That's, uh…"

"God, I don't even remember if that's the right word." Pearl shakes her head. "If tech is advanced enough, it's essentially the same as magic, basically."

Scar's eyes light up. "Wait. So if I made, like, a super advanced futuristic sci-fi world, I could basically say it's a magic world and mix both concepts? Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Pearl! I should do that next season!"

"Hey, don't go stealing ideas from me!"

"Me? Steal ideas?" He gasps. "Why, I would never! I'm a capitalist, Pearl! Would a capitalist ever steal ideas?"

"Ohhhh, I guess not." She snickers. "You're right. You're just borrowing them."

"Exactly!"

Music swells around them as the nighttime announcement plays. Scar winces- he really should sleep. Or someone should. His streets are not Scar-safe.

"Don't worry, I got it." Pearl taps the moon-shaped crest of light before her that summons her inventory, pulling out a grey bed with a flourish. "Wouldn't want our work to be destroyed by any creepers. Or your park, for that matter…"

She blinks. "Oh! While we're here, Scar- would you show me around? Your park just keeps getting bigger and bigger! Was that a castle wall I saw, flying in?"

"New and freshly terraformed!" Scar perks up, already spinning to face the beginnings of his castle. "Come with me! It is looking amazing. I can't wait to show you everything!"

"Scar, wait-"

Scar takes off excitedly, the rockets and wings strapped to his wheelchair leaving a wispy trail of smoke. Behind him, Pearl swears, taking out some rockets of her own.

"Scar! Scar, it's still nighttime! Scar-!"

[kitchfit]

Year in Review: Movies Pt 2

No longer promising consistent posts. From now on, these come out "bi-weekly," which means whatever I want it to, and written by your weekly bi. I am the only person to have ever thought of that joke.

Robin Hood (2010)

This is the one with Russell Crowe. I honestly don't know how I finished this one. I guess because my dad wanted to watch it. This is supposed to be a gritty, realistic take on the classic Robin Hood story. Or at least, I think that's what they were going for, it feels like the director can't decide between gritty realism and the goofiness that comes with the concept of the Merry Men. They're constantly cracking off one-liners and stealing from rich people with goofy disguises that feel more like pranks, but there's also an entire bloody battle scene between "Robin of the Hood" and King Richard that I cannot for the life of me remember the context nor conclusion of. I guess you could say it has both elements wrapped in one neat package, but it doesn't do either of those aspects really well.

Two most memorable scenes for me involve a blind man kicking surprising amount of ass in a sword fight, though ultimately unsuccessfully, and Little John clarifying to the bee-keeping Friar Tuck that NO! He does NOT have a "Little John." (as in small penie). The cast is kind of stacked in this movie, (Cate Blanchett as Lady Marianne, Oscar Isaac as King Richard, the Crow-man as The Hood) and they all give great performances, if that's what you're after, but overall it's kind of forgettable.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

The rest of this entry's list follows a second movie marathon I had with some friends as we prepared for a showing of "Across the Spider-verse" we were watching the morning after. Why does that mean two anime movies and a classic Eddie Murphy comedy? I don't know! It was fun though. And that's all I can really say about this movie. It was fun! Nothing amazing. The plot follows the tertiary return of the Red Ribbon army, who are once again on that robot shit, and Piccolo trying to get his foster son, Gohan, to stop being a nerd (having a secure, well-paying career as an entomologist? Apparently?) and be a martial artist again. He does this by constantly putting his foster son's daughter (foster granddaughter?) in mortal peril to make Gohan snap and break stuff like he did in the old days. This is, hilariously, played as a uncritically good deed and that Piccolo was right to do this. I love Piccolo though, so he can do whatever he wants, Pan seems like she's having a great time being in peril.

The animation is fantastic, as per usual with high-budget anime movies these days. They opted for a 3D style that blends in nicely with the artstyle they've been using for Super. The fight scenes are choreographed in a way that reminds me of the Dragon Ball games they've put out in recent years, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Fighterz team worked on this. Oh wait, I have the power of the Internet in my Grasp.

...

WOW! Trying to find a comprehensive list of animators is hard as fuck! Cool! I ended up pausing through a video of the credits for both pieces of media. God I wish I could ctrl+f on a video. There may have been some overlapping names I overlooked, but I guess it wasn't largely the same people, oh well! If anyone knows a better way to find this information, please let me know!

Jujutsu Kaisen Zero

Our second anime movie of the night had a bit more depth to it. My watch through of Jujutsu Kaisen season one was bombastic, beautiful, and well-executed. It felt like a modern, more competent rewrite of the dynamics found in Naruto, though since I haven't read any of the manga that may be presumptuous of me. This movie didn't feel like Naruto. This movie felt more like Uzumaki (okay I haven't read Uzumaki yet, but I could resist the pun lol). A more straight-forward animated horror film that only leans into its shonen side towards the final act. You don't need to have read or watched any of Jujutsu Kaisen to appreciate this. In fact, I guess you could start with it, since it acts somewhat as a prequel.

The plot follows a boy possessed by the ghost of a woman he witnessed die in a car accident when he was a young kid. She was very close to him while he was alive, and in death she is an obsessive, over protective monster who maims anyone who might come close to her liege. It comes to light that her possession was actually (spoilers) the result of the boy's own psychic abilities, who brought her back from the grave on accident while distressing her death. It's an interesting statement on grief. An emotion can be so powerful as to tear open the fabric of the pale, and holding onto the negativity of that emotion for years only serving to hurt oneself and everyone around them. And then making peace with that grief so you can *checks notes* use your dead loved one to kick ass in a cool anime fight sequence. This movie NEEDS to be in schools./j

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Modern media has been a bit over-saturated with Multiverse stories as of late. Its a pretty common story trope in science fiction, done to death in Star Trek, DC comics, the comic this movie was based on, the video-game that comic was inspidered by, among other things. Rick and Morty's entire premise is basically built on the back of that concept, but I think we can trace its recent burst in usage to the success of this movie.

I love Spider-Man. I love Peter Parker. I think his story has such a strong foundation that nearly every adaptation I've seen has been compelling in one way or another. I love most of the Avengers super-heroes, but I can't really say their characters are as relatable, funny, or impactful as our arachnid enhanced boy. There's a reason when Sony was offered the entire Marvel ensemble, they opted to just take the wall-crawler at a discounted price. This movie uses the Multiverse to deconstruct the Spider-Hero narrative and show exactly why this character premise is so compelling.

Miles Morales is not Peter Parker, but he is Petersimilar. A nerdy kid who loves science and wants to be liked and most imporantly: wants to help, no, needs to help others. Because great power + conscience = responsibility. The same is consistent with the rest of the cast. It's a cheesy formula at this point, maybe, which is why its so effective when they play it so straight-forward with all six members of the cast. Different backgrounds, different histories, different universes, but all have seen what their inaction can affect, and all of them have the heart to keep going, to help people even when it gets tough. Miles is a particularly effective introduction to this Super-Hero for younger kids, being relatively less known and thus a fresher narrative than Peter, not to mention more black representation in popular media. It makes me smile when I see kids excitedly bring a stack of Miles Morales easy readers to the check-out desk. He's definitely The Spider of the next generation.

The Nutty Professor

This movie is. Definitely something. Still not sure why we ended our marathon on it. For those unaware, this is an Eddie Murphy comedy about an obese biology professor who concocts A Serum that makes him not only thin for short periods of time, but extremely charismatic. The thin version of himself essentially acts as a second personality who's kind of an asshole, and his coworker ends up caught in a love triangle between Fat Murphy and Thin Murphy.

This, naturally, comes with an endless cavalcade of fatphobic jabs typical of the 90s, but ultimately has a somewhat half-hearted message about toxic masculinity and body positivity. A lot of the jokes that aren't aimed at "haha fat people" do land with relative frequency, because well, Eddie Murphy Is Kind Of A Funny Guy, but for the first time I noticed a structural similarity in his comedy and Adam Sandler's. Remember Chuck and Larry, where the writing is extremely homophobic for the majority of its runtime, and ends with Sandler saying, "Don't be a homophobe"? No? No one has thought of that movie in 10,000 years? Well, this movie feels like that but with fat people, to slightly less offensive degree. But a low effort Murphy movie is still better than a mid-effort Sandler flick, I guess.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

I already ranted about how much I love Spider-Man earlier, and how the original deconstructs him as a concept, so I won't do that again, but I do want to draw attention to the inherent meta-fiction in Multiverse stories. It is, by its very nature, a story discussing storytelling. By showing different universes you are showing the audience how a story could have gone differently, how characterization can fundamentally alter a narrative. Multiverse stories that understand and recognize this principle tend to lead to a more cohesive and engaging plot. AtSV understand this principle, and follows more closely the original Edge of Spider-verse comic run, reintroducing Spider-Staples like Spider-Punk and Pavitr Prabhakar.

I like that Miguel O'Hara takes center-stage as the antagonist in this film, as he is largely left out of the Spider-verse stuff in the comics, and also I love Spider-Man 2099. One of my friends is obsessed with him. It is his recognition of the patterns in the Spider-Man narrative that drives the conflict in the second act, and it is him who decides those patterns are Fundamental to the Structure of All Things, which not only fits with his character, but provides a much better explanation for the existence of Spider-Society compared to the Spider Gods and Fate Totems from the comics. Miles is once again trapped in a typical Spider-Man conflict, but ironically has his status as Spider-Man called into question. All of existence is collapsing, a science experiment gone wrong turned a scientist into a monster, his dad is in peril, and all of it is getting in the way of asking out the girl of his dreams. Can none of the 100,000 Peter Parker's sympathize? Well yes, they can, but most still hold O'Hara's goal as the larger responsibility.

Speaking of the girl of his dreams, I adore Spider-Gwen. She is the comic book character I will follow to the ends of the earth, even though most of her comics lately suck ass. This film does a beautiful job bringing Robbie Rodriguez's artstyle to life in our brief time in Earth 65. The colors... THE COLORS!!! This animation team once again changed the landscape of animated films, but sadly this came at the cost of some pretty gross labor violations. This is extra damning as AtSV is apparently the fourth longest animated movie ever and doesn't even have a conclusion. All that abuse for an incomplete story? They clearly could have taken their time with this, and not every scene needed to make it to the final cut. This is why we have deleted scenes! So a studio doesn't lock a bunch of animators in a box and force them to work an unreasonable amount in record time. I hope the next movie has more union reps and give everyone as much time and space as they need to make something good. I want movies with people paid more to do less, dammit!

Okay, my soap box has been discarded. I've placed it neatly in the drawer with my toothpaste and hairbrush. I have one more list of movies to get through, but rn I'm moving onto the latter half of my reading list, since with my track record I probably won't finish anything else before the end of the year.

[nicemlt]

Insomnia

I wish I could sleep on my back.  But I can’t. Don’t get me wrong I’ve tried and will try again. But every time I lie awake staring silently at the ceiling. My brain turns over  as I fight the urge to do the same and I’m reminded of my chiropractors encouragements. “Dang your back is tight,  have you tried sleeping on your back. It will really help your spine”. Sir, right now I care not about my spine but now I’m thinking about my next visit. And I can’t recall - is my appointment with him this Friday or the next and did I block the time properly on the calendar; I hope I remember to check in the morning. I hope I’m not tired in the morning. Oh god I’m going to be tired in the morning. I wish I could sleep in silence.  But I can’t. Don’t get me wrong I’ve tried and will try again. But every time I lie in silence I hear nothing and everything. Distant engines revving  and the faint click of the furnace turning on seem like a cacophony in the quiet.  In this emptiness blame sets in and the snoring beside me echoes louder. Resentment grows and I wish I had earplugs. Reluctant; I engage the white noise machine. Soft crashing waves  of electronic “ocean sounds” and I realize that my most often played song is that of the sea.   I listen to it undulate -- cresting -- falling -- repeating -- I wonder if it’s a recording of a real ocean somewhere and where that might be or if it’s synthetic  and if so; how do they make it.  What a job to be a sound engineer articulating phantom waves in a studio somewhere. I hope I’m not tired in the morning. Oh god I’m going to be tired in the morning. I wish I could sleep in stillness. But I can’t. Don’t get me wrong I’ve tried and will try again. I’m actually quite proud of myself  as I’ve come quite a long way.  Just 3 years ago I owned a box fan, and two stand fans to go along with my ceiling fan. And both whirred all night - a veritable indoornado swirling - For two solid decades I maintained such an orchestration and invariably replaced fans as they died year after year - too tired from the constant running. But now I’m down to just the ceiling fan  and I stare up at it debating if I should tug the chain for a little more speed. It’s two degrees too hot in here  and I could use a bit more breeze.  In the end it’s much too much to stand  and possibly get the chain pulls wrong. I hope I’m not tired in the morning. Oh god I’m going to be tired in the morning. I wish I could sleep simply. But I can’t. Don’t get me wrong I’ve tried and will try again. Vacations can be hell for me so much so that I’ve learned to travel with at least one of my own pillows. Those in hotels tend to be too robust. When you think about it -  and trust me I’ve thought about it - it’s only natural.  They can’t have their pillows beaten in and broken down.   How would they ever get their 5 star review? Those in rentals tend to be too cheap. When you think about it - and trust me I’ve thought about it - It’s only natural. They can’t spend money on quality cushioning. They have a bottom line to consider  and I imagine the pilfery on pillows  makes them cost-prohibitive to procure.  So they end up with those sad flat boys and I got accustomed to having to stack two or three and lie still, unsatisfied. So I learned to bring one with me just to be safe just to be sure.   I hope I’m not tired in the morning. Oh god I’m going to be tired in the morning. There’s no clocks in our bedrooms anymore  casting foreboding red numbers. To check the time now is an active task. Roll over and fumble for the phone. Tap the screen and squint.  12:32 (Not bad, if I fall asleep now I get around 7 hours.  I can work on 7 hours). 1:43 (6 hours and I’ll drink some coffee. I hate coffee but I hate being tired more). 2:17 (How has it only been 30 minutes). 3 something. (Why did I check.  I should not have checked). 7 a.m. and the alarm sounds. Oh god am I tired already this morning. 

[handsomelyhiddleston]

Sticky Notes - Tom Hiddleston x Reader

It all started on the set of Ragnarok. They hadn’t even started filming yet. Table reads, choreography, costume fittings, set development…The cast, crew, and even Taika started finding little notes.

Some were specifically to certain people…

“Your laugh is contagious. Thank you for making this set so down to earth and inviting.” You slipped that into Taika’s (the director’s) fanny pack when he left it on his director’s chair.

“I know how hard you’ve been working on your fight choreography, and I just wanted to let you know you absolutely killed it today!” You left that stuck to Tessa’s (Valkyrie’s) water bottle.  

Some you posted for everyone, like “I know that you all put such amazing effort and time into bringing this movie to life and I just want you all to know that it doesn’t go unnoticed.” That note was posted above a table full of ‘easy to grab’ snacks you laid out such as protein bars, fruit snacks, pretzels, and dried fruit.

This continued well into filming. Everyone had tried to figure out who was leaving these little daily encouragements. It got to the point that Taika started calling you Casper, as in “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” Every day at the start of filming he would say. “Come on guys. Let’s make Casper proud.”

Everyone had a theory. Most thought that it was actually Taika just trying to keep morale up. Taika accused Tom but took it back after some comment about the notes not sounding very British.

Your job on set was to cast extras. While you were present daily, you honestly only had to meet with Taika once or twice a day to make sure the next day’s cast extras were ready. You two fell into an easy rhythm working together and he started asking for your opinion on some other aspects of the set. One late afternoon, after an incredibly chaotic day of filming, Taika decided that he was going to scrap the entire scene and start it over.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text to you, Tom, and Chris. “Today can suck it. I’ve just watched the dailies, and something just isn’t right about that scene. Meet at mine in 30 so we can get ahead of it.” A few seconds later he added, “And for the love of God, someone bring some tequila.”

You laughed at his text, jogging to the trailer you shared with the other casting director. You changed into a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt and grabbed your keys and wallet. You jumped in your car so you could make a quick trip to the Starbucks down the street since it appeared it was going to be a long night.

“One Venti iced coffee with milk and 1 sugar, one Grande Americano hot with cream and 2 sugars, one Venti hot latte with vanilla, and one Venti hot water with two earl gray tea bags and four sugars on the side. Can I also get one of the small kid’s milk boxes?” You heard the barista repeat your order back and pulled forward and paid.

When you got to Taika’s trailer, Tom and Chris were already there.

“Oh, bless you” Taika thanked you, taking the Latte from you.

“You’re the best” Chris said, taking the lid off of the Americano so it would cool off a bit.  

“Tom, I grabbed you tea.” You handed him the hot water and two tea bags, setting the sugars and milk next to him so he could make it to his liking.

“You’re too kind” Tom graciously took the hot water from you, noting that you grabbed his favorite kind of tea.

In Taika’s trailer there was a table with a bench on each side. Chris and Tom were sat on one side, leaving a space for you to sit next to Taika.

“Anyone grab the tequila?” you laughed, dropping your keys and wallet on Taika’s counter and sitting at the table with your iced coffee.

Taika grabbed the bottle and sat it down in front of you. “You’re already two swigs behind, love.”

“Bullshit” you laughed. “Prove it. Where are the shot glasses?”

“I said swigs, not shots” Taika smirked. “We don’t have shot glasses.”

“Look at how much is missing from that bottle. I just bought it.” Hemsworth backed Taika up.

You looked at Tom, knowing he would be honest with you.

“Hey, you trust Tom more than me?” Taika pretended to be offended.

“Tom always looks out for everybody. I don’t think he’d let me get two shots drunker than you fools.” You teased Taika, poking his side and sticking your tongue out at him.

“Watch” Taika said, putting his arm around your shoulders and looking towards Tom. “How many swigs did we all take?”

Tom laughed, “I’m sorry darling, but he’s telling you the truth.”  

“Fine, fine.” You opened the bottle and took three swigs, handing it to Taika. “Catch up, then.”

Tom started thinking about the compliment you had given him as he took his third swig of Tequila. He felt flattered that you felt that way, but it also reminded him of one of the notes he had found stuck to his trailer door.

“Okay, we need to re-block this whole scene. It just did not translate from script to screen…” The four of you worked on a few line changes and mapped out a better way to execute the scene for over two hours.

There was a bit of dialogue that Taika felt was getting lost that he really just didn’t want to let go of. “We may just have to mess with this tomorrow while we’re filming.”

“Or you could have Loki say it instead of Thor.” You suggested.

“Could do.” You could tell that Taika was thinking it over.

“Here you have Thor immediately going into another hard-hitting line” you explained. “If that line comes from Loki, it makes it less likely to get lost.”

“I think that will fix this problem too” Chris started underlining other parts of the dialogue.

“What do you think?” Taika looked at Tom.

“I mean, I personally think Loki has already evolved enough at that point in the script that it suits him quite nicely.” Tom explained in a way only Tom can explain.

“I agree” you said. “You guys make Loki grow quite a bit in this film and as usual, Tom is hitting it out of the park. I’m 100% confident he will have conveyed that message to the audience by this point.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence.” Again, Tom was flattered. However, he was growing more and more suspicious that you were Casper.

“Always” you replied, smiling at Tom as you finished your coffee.

“Let me type this up and we can table read it.” Taika grabbed the papers and went to the other side of the trailer where his computer was set up.

“While you do that, I’m going to steal your restroom for a moment.” Chris stood, throwing his empty coffee cup away and closing the bathroom door. Chris joined Taika a moment later.

“Y/n?” Tom said, kind of quietly.

“What’s up?” Your elbows were resting on the table with your chin sat on your hands.

“Can I ask you something?” Tom didn’t want to bring it up in front of anyone. He didn’t want the notes to stop, but he had to know.

Tom looked a bit serious, but you didn’t know why. “Of course.”

“Are you…” He stopped, reaching his hand into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Is this you?”

Your eyes went wide as Tom pulled a small stack of pink sticky notes out of his wallet, laying them down next to each other. There must have been 10 of them in total. You were touched that he actually kept them. Sometimes you felt silly leaving them for people not knowing if they appreciated them. You tried to play it off, laughing. “I thought those were from Taika?”

He pointed at one of them, reading it quietly. “I tried the tea you always drink. I don’t think it could ever replace my love of coffee, but I wanted you to know it pairs well with a good book.” He pointed to another note. “I know you paid for everyone to Uber home after our last night out. I just wanted to tell you I appreciate you. Thank you for always looking out for us.” You could feel his eyes on you as he moved his hand to a third note. “I envy your ability to capture a room. You’ve got an amazing knack for making those watching you feel whatever emotion you’re trying to convey.” When Tom’s hand moved to the fourth note, you heard Taika’s printer turn on.

“Put them away” you said, trying to stack them quickly. Chris started walking towards you and you grabbed the small stack you had gathered and put them in your pocket.

Tom put the rest back in his wallet. “What do you think?” he asked Taika about the changes he had made.

“I think tomorrow is going to be a lot fuckin’ better.” He passed the printed copies around after joining the two of you back at the table.

Tom’s line went over great, and the dialogue flowed much more smoothly. All of the other changes made the scene feel more natural. When Taika called it a night, Chris laid down on the couch refusing to go back to his own trailer.

“Can I walk you to yours?” Tom asked as you stepped out of Taika’s trailer.

The two of you walked back to your trailer in comfortable silence, tired and a little drunk. When you got to the door, you turned around and pulled the pink notes out of your pocket.

“Please don’t tell anyone?” You placed the notes in Tom’s hand.

“I didn’t plan on it” he replied, tucking them neatly back into his wallet.

“I feel silly now that someone knows it was me. Why did you keep them?” You had to ask. You assumed, at most, that people read them, smiled, and threw them away.

“Hmm…” Tom laughed humorlessly, his eyes focused on his wallet. “I think you’re doing a lot more than you realize when you leave your ‘silly’ little notes.”

His response caught you off guard. He almost sounded…sad? Serious?

“Y/n, I’ve had to work with actors and crew that have made filming a project miserable. Whether they were rude or critical or just an absolute diva, there is always someone to bring the room down.” He put his wallet away and looked you in the eyes. “I wish you knew how many of us have kept these notes. Taika has them in the glovebox of his car. The catwalk above the set is covered in notes you’ve left the crew. They’re stuck all over the mirrors in the make-up trailer so that the cast sees them first thing in the morning.”

Your eyes went wide. “What?”

Tom put his hands on each of your arms as if to ensure you were paying attention. “An encouraging word or a genuine compliment can change someone’s entire day, y/n. You have no way of knowing what life has dealt any of these people. They could be depressed or stressed out or wishing they hadn’t woken up that morning…and all of a sudden they receive a tiny bit of kindness from someone and it makes it that much easier to get through another day. Maybe even with a smile on their face.”

Tom wore a soft smile and even though you felt a bit overwhelmed, you couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you for telling me that.” You moved towards him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Please don’t forget it.” Tom pulled back a bit and pressed a quick kiss to your cheek. “I hope you get a good night’s sleep.”

“You, too.” You watched Tom walk away before slipping into your shared trailer.

Over the next few weeks, Tom had left you multiple green sticky notes with compliments written on them.

“You looked stunning yesterday”

“Thank you for still being a good listener when I go on rants about things you couldn’t care less about”

“Taika was bragging about you to someone on the phone. I just wanted you to know. I know sometimes you hesitate to suggest your ideas, but you shouldn’t.”

“I appreciate how much time you spend making this a better set to work on.”

“You are an incredible friend.”

You’d find at least one note a day and for every note he left you, you’d leave one for him. The two of you got quite a bit closer after he found out about your secret. You’d spend breaks on set together and often times wound up back in Taika’s trailer with him and Chris. You cuddled and flirted and shared more than a few loving glances, but you never went any further. It felt like it was turning into something more, but Tom was such a gentleman you couldn’t tell.

The note you found this morning, however, completely caught you off guard. The filming was almost done and everyone’s time on set was almost over. You had just sat down next to the director’s chair and opened your laptop. There, stuck to the screen, was a green sticky note. “Darling, would you please be mine?”

You looked up at Tom on stage only to find him already looking at you. He lifted his brow and tilted his head, waiting for your response. You couldn’t help but smile as you nodded ‘yes’.

Taika looked between you, noticing the interaction and intentionally teasing you. “Oi, what’s this then?”

Tom turned, trying to hide his grin by talking to Chris. You closed your laptop to hide the sticky note.

“Nah, I saw you two. Don’t pretend like I’m crazy.” Taika was still looking back and forth between you and Tom.

“Maybe you’re still drunk from last night” you teased, putting your laptop in its bag so you could retrieve the note later.

“Oh, sure.” He dropped it, knowing he’d bring it up tonight when you all gathered in his trailer.

The rest of the filming flew by crazy fast. You and Tom had decided that you would go stay with him in New York until the press junkets and interviews started. When the premier rolled around, you two were already publicly dating so you got to escort him down the red carpet. It had been just over a year since the two of you had started dating.

As the credits for the film started rolling, you felt like you were walking down memory lane. So many people go into making movies of this scale and watching all of the names roll by, one by one, really puts that into perspective. You’d met almost all of these people and worked closely with quite a few of them. As the credits came to an end, you saw that Taika had added an extra credit.

The last few “SPECIAL THANKS” credits were in order as listed…

“The filmmakers acknowledge the assistance of the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant”

“The filmmakers would like to acknowledge the Yugambeh and Bundjalung Peoples of Australia”

“The director would like to thank ‘Casper’, Ragnarok’s own personal friendly ghost”

It had been a year since you’d written one of those notes and it caught you off guard. Tom put his arm around your shoulders, pressing a kiss to your temple. “I told you.”

You and Tom mingled amongst your friends at the after party. Taika was flying. He was so happy with how it turned out and grateful for such a positive response. Everyone in the cast was telling stories from filming and catching up with their friends. By the time you two got back to your hotel room, you were blissfully tipsy and exhausted. You slipped out of your dress and threw on a baggy t-shirt before washing your face and getting ready for bed. When you left the bathroom, you saw Tom sitting on the edge of the bed in his pajamas with a soft, warm smile gracing his beautiful face. He was wearing his glasses and his hair was a mess and he could not have been more attractive if he tried.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, pulling you to stand between his legs.

“Pretty good. How about yourself?” you put your arms around his neck and pressed your lips to his.

“I think there’s only one thing that could make me happier in this moment.” He answered.

You thought he was being a bit cheeky, so you replied with, “oh, yeah? I wonder what that could be.”

Tom reached behind him on the bed and pulled out a small box with a worn, green sticky note on top of it. He didn’t say anything, letting you read it. It was the same note he had left stuck to your laptop screen. “Darling, would you please be mine?” Only now the word “forever” was written at the bottom.

[subwaysurf45]

Love You to the Moon and Back

summary: Bucky notices you’re feeling down after a bad injury, he does his best to help.

words:  3817

warning: depressive episode, doctors, mainly fluff!

pairing: Bucky x Reader 

Masterlist!

Bucky could tell you were getting bad again. 

And it hurt him to see you like this but it always happened after a big mission, your job was traumatizing and it took a toll on all of you. Bucky knew he had his days but he also knew when you finally let yourself slip it was really bad. 

You were a very headstrong person, you didn’t like letting people see your weaknesses or just you being hurt in general. So it sucked when you had broken your shin and witnessed a school of kids get blown up by a bomb, maybe sucked is an understatement but it was what you always said. 

You had pretended to be a teacher because there was supposed to be a hit on most teachers at a private school, so when the school blew up before everyone was out of the building- including you -it left the memories very crystal clear. There was no way of saving everyone so you saved yourself, and the feeling of selfishness had never been more apparent than right now. You were lying in bed with a cast on your left leg, your left leg was on top of the duvet while the other leg was under. 

A tank top and shorts was all you wore even though you were cold. A pillow was placed between your legs down by your shins to keep the injured one elevated, Bucky had stuck it there the last time he came in to check on you. 

Speaking of Bucky, he walked into your shared room in the compound. 

“Hey, sweetheart,” Bucky cooed as he gently opened and closed the door without making any sound, you had become hyper-aware to sound and light so a loud noise or a flash of a camera could send you into a state of hysterics. Bucky sat himself at the edge of the bed at around your midsection, you were lying in the middle and facing him. You barely said hello, all you could muster was a groan that had the same rhythm as the word hello. “How’s my girl doing?” Bucky rubbed your thigh very carefully. 

It was so obviously a rhetorical question, you were absolutely shit and he knew it. You both just stared at each other and Bucky seemed to get the message, he nodded and looked down. The room was so dark from the lights being off and the curtains being pulled you barely registered that Bucky had a plate of cheese, apple slices, and crackers. Bucky saw you turn your nose up and he knew you would, you had been like this for what felt like weeks. 

“You have your two appointments today, you wanna use the crutches or the wheelchair?” Bucky asked as he gently caressed your thigh, a little hum came after a few sections to clarify this wasn’t rhetorical. 

“I don’t know,” you mumbled into your pillow. 

“Okay…” Bucky held onto the last syllable, he glanced over to the wheelchair and crutches. “How about you have a little snack and then when you got food- and I’ll get water -you can make your choice. You also know you can switch and I’ll be glad to grab it for you, alright?” he did a few quick pats on your thigh before setting the plate down on the bedside table, he grunted as he stood up and stuck his arms slowly beneath you. All Bucky did was sit you upright to eat, you had gotten better at eating and now didn’t need motivation to eat but just a little push at the beginning to keep going after the first bite. Bucky also found if he ate a few pieces from the plate you’d be more inclined to eat the rest. 

“Thanks,” your voice was low and barely audible. 

“No need, pretty lady,” Bucky got right beside you and grabbed the plate, he placed it between you and let you choose the first piece. “So, you’re at the doctor at two and then Doc at three-ten, do you wanna nap between for a little or for a while after?” he just took a cracker and plopped it into his mouth. 

“No, no nap between, I wanna sit outside Doc’s office like before to make sure I’m not late.” You mumbled and stacked a piece of cheese on an apple slice. Doc was your therapist that was assigned to you a little while before your injury, Bucky wasn’t the only one who got nightmares and manic episodes; you probably got them more. Bucky knew he couldn’t go into your therapy meeting, he could physically go in but it went against his morals, this was your time to be alone and completely vulnerable to a human that you only see one or twice a week, he didn’t want you to sugar coat anything just because he wa sitting there. 

Bucky nodded and hummed before pulling the notebook out of the bedside table’s drawer, your combat backpack which you used for everything between missions and a picnic in the park was curled over itself in the corner of your room. Bucky picked it up and headed back to bed to let it rest there as he packed. He did this when you weren’t injured, Bucky had sadly realized your memory was a little shot from the amount of bootleg brainwashing and head injuries. You’d constantly forget about appointments or missions, or even the date. 

“Baby, I told you, your birthday is today, that’s why I got flowers.” Bucky said and pointed to the counter with the bright flowers on it. 

“No…” you rubbed the front of your head. “My birthday isn’t today, I forget the day- but it’s not today, I swear.” 

He slid in your journal that you used to write down lists and memories, you had used a guitar pick as your bookmark even though you can’t play anymore. Sometimes when you’d show up to a therapy session you’d forget what you wanted to say, it hurt him when he’d walk you there and you’d be saying the list of things under your breath with your eyes closed. Nightmare, mom, picking my nails, ankle, nightmare, sand, flowers. 

“We gotta go soon, anyways, wanna get ready for the day?” Bucky softly asked, there was no nice way of telling your loved one they needed to shower. 

“Sure,” you looked down at the plate and grabbed the last of it before getting up, the apple and cheese was just curled in the palm of your hand, as you walked over you shoved it all into your mouth because you knew you had to shower and you didn’t like soggy cheese. 

“I’ll keep packing your bag, and I’ll fill a water bottle for you.” Bucky had been your human crutch as you walked to the bathroom, you had an itch down in your cast that was bugging you. 

Tony had wanted to add tech to the shower to help you stand because putting pressure on your left leg hurt after three minutes and seven seconds- not that you were timing to see how long you could go without collapsing. You had said no to tech and just asked for a bar, Bucky even thought it would be cool but it was all up to you. 

Bucky helped you slip out of your clothes before leaving you be, he knew he would have to check on you periodically because you were too stubborn to ask for help if you had fallen or couldn’t get in the shower. You gripped onto the metal bar and helped yourself slip in, you turned the water on right away. 

You liked warm, long showers. You just let the water hit your skin as you stood in front of the shower head, the water pressure was high so you let the bullets hit your face when your eyes were closed. Your hair got wet as you stood there, you reached for the bottle of shampoo and expected it to be where it always was. The was getting into your eyes and when you squinted to see where the bottle was everything was double, as you reached for the bottle you had actually reached for the fake double and knocked the bottle off the ledge. A loud thump rang through the bathroom and it sounded like a bomb. 

There was one second of silence before you heard scrambling from outside the bathroom door, all at once you could see the door swing open by its shadow through the curtain. The curtain was pulled back so hard a couple of ringlets holding it up were ripped off. 

“Baby?” Bucky yelled before he registered you were standing upright. “What?” he breathed heavily, he was completely expecting you to be passed out on the floor with a cracked skull. 

“Shampoo bottle,” you said meekly. 

“Oh, thank god…” Bucky sighed to himself as he reached down to pick it up. “Are you hurt at all, did you fall?” He placed the bottle back on the ledge which made him reach across your naked body, on his way back his hand touched your shoulder then went to cup your cheek and move your head to look at him. 

“I’m all good, babe.” You smiled, an exhausting smile. 

“Alright, back-is-packed, finish up and I'll help you over to physio, alright?” Bucky closed the curtain to give privacy but waited for a verbal answer. 

“Perfect, thank you.” You grabbed the bottle again, your heart ached for him to be in the shower with you, it was something you did all the time before you were injured. 

“Don’t thank me, pretty lady.” Bucky reached for the door and opened it, before he could walk out, your voice quietly called his name, he could barely hear it over the water in the shower. “Yes?” he replied with the same softness. 

“Stay here with me, please.” the ‘please’ came after a beat, and extra plea. 

“Always,” Bucky sat on the toilet seat and gave the company you needed as you tried to stick your finger down your cast to itch that one spot on your leg. 

*****

Soon enough you were sat in the physio room, Bucky was off to the side with paper work in his lap and a binder in your backpack he packed for you. You liked the moral support when you were here because you never really had the best experience with doctors, Bucky would act like he wasn’t even there. That was a good thing, he did need to be the hovering boyfriend all the time because that can get tiring for both parties. He’d look up and listen to the doctor near the end, Bucky would write down the exercises and when to do them so he could gently remind you later. 

“Alright, you’re gonna get a new cast next week,” the doctor smiled at you, when you didn’t pick up on the excitement the doctor’s smile faded. “That means three quarters done!” Bucky had looked up and smiled, even clapped a couple times. 

“Then I have to learn how to walk again,” that was an exaggeration but it didn’t feel like one. 

The doctor gave a knowing look, “why do I feel like you’re already walking without the crutches?” You didn’t say anything because it was true. 

Your leg was examined and x-rayed, Bucky held onto your necklace as you went in. Your mind faded in and out as the doctor spewed ‘doctor stuff’ at you, you just didn’t have the care to listen; but Bucky did. He’s the type of guy to take notes and research later. 

Bucky would look over and see you looking at the floor, not even paying attention. He knew he couldn't get mad at you, you both dealt with injury very similarly. But something about seeing you shut down entirely made his heart ache, he wanted to reach out and lift the corners of your lips up into a smile because they seemed like they were being weighed down, he couldn’t remember the last time you smiled and real smile. He hadn’t been going on mission to keep you company, but now he knew his most important mission.

He walked you over to your therapy session that was still in the building, your Doc would come to the Avenger tower. He’d walk you right to the door of some random debrief room and kiss you goodbye. Bucky would hold your shoulders and gently rub your arms to hype you up before going in, he gave his little speech and said the same thing after. 

“You know I love you, and I know it’s hard.” he’d then kiss your cheeks and forehead. “I’ll be right here when you’re done, don’t even sweat it, pretty lady.” He then wouldn’t leave until the door closed and he heard muffled voices. 

The tower was right in the heart of the city, everything he needed was right there and a walking distance away. He slipped on a long sleeve and his gloves, he knew you took the backpack but you also had reusable bags, he took a few and headed out into the summer heat, it wasn’t humid today which was great but it wasn’t cold either. The tote bag was slung over his shoulder, all that was in it right now as a list. 

flowers 

chocolate

card

stuffed animal 

To call Bucky a romantic would seem weird to someone who only knew of him from the news or a museum, you knew him as a total hopeless romantic. Even in the 40’s, Bucky was the type of person to keep their walls up until he really got to know and trust you. It would normally be one little thing that would allow him to truly be himself around someone, he let his guard down that day you were walking to the restaurant he made a reservation at, Bucky placed himself so that arm or hand you’d hold would be his right but when you caught on you walk around him and looped both arms around his left, metal arm. After that, he was goner. 

He’d leave little sticky notes everywhere, a blue square paper in the coffee mug that read: ‘make sure you only drink one cup!’ or another on your shampoo bottle: ‘you look great naked ;)’. Bucky knew the little things mattered to you and vice versa, he knew that grand gestures didn’t mean anything without a little kiss that came before. 

The flower shop smelt great, Bucky didn’t know much about plants but he knew which ones you’d like. He was thinking of putting one on each bedside so whenever you’re lying in bed- which was a lot -you could look at some pretty flowers. They were a nice shade of purple and the stems were not too long, Bucky bought them and put them gently in his tote bag before heading over two stores to the grocery store you always shop at.

He was envyus of your clean eating, you’d eat what you want but you’d shop at fermer’s markets and organic stores. Bucky didn’t know it made a difference. He went to the frozen section and found chocolate covered strawberries. Bucky picked up a little pack of eight and headed to the front. There were also flowers there but they didn’t look nearly as nice. All he wanted was a very simple cute card with a blank inside, they were easy to find. It was cream coloured with a little sketch of a fuzzy, brown teddy bear holding a yellow balloon. All it said in dainty cursive at the top was: “look at you go!” Bucky knew this was perfect. Near the cards were little toys and stuffed animals. He found a bear that looked eerily similar to the one on the card but without the balloon. 

As he walked into the Avenger’s tower the bag was full and he had enough time to spare to set things up. Bucky headed to the rooms and made the bed, he changed the sheets as well because he knew you liked them when they were crisp. The teddy sat right in the middle with the card next to it. Bucky had written a little note that covered the entire right side of the card. He got a bowl from the kitchen and filled it with ice, he also found that white wine you liked and stuck it on there with the strawberries just to keep them cool but not melted. 

Bucky glanced at his watch and felt almost giddy as he realized it was time to head over to the conference room, he had to work on not giving it away when he’d first see you with his wide smile. The walk to the room was quick because of how fast Bucky was walking, he turned the corners sharp and almost jogged down the hall down the meeting rooms. He only stood there for about three seconds before the door slowly opened, Doc had opened the door and helped you out. Bucky’s smile turned into complete worry when you walked out holding a tissue to your nose, your eyes were red and puffy. Bucky also noticed that your fingernails were red and bleeding, that was one habit you were currently trying to break. 

“What’s going on?” Bucky asked in quiet disbelief, his eyebrows almost touching. 

Doc gave a curt nod, “we talked about a lot of things,” her answers were always so vague. 

You sniffled and waited for Doc to leave down the hall, Bucky was still looking at you. His hands held your shoulders and gently massaged the answer out of you. 

“It was a good cry, I needed that.” you sighed from exhaustion. 

A little piece of Bucky’s heart broke, if you needed to have a good cry then you could have told him, he would’ve listened. Bucky started to go back and see where it went wrong, if he was too overbearing and if this whole afternoon he had planned was created at a very wrong time. He wanted to ask what he did wrong but what came out was different. “Well that’s good to hear, I know Doc is good at that- helping you out.” His words were true but something about the delivery made it seem uneasy. 

“I just-” you looked to the ceiling and hoped to find the words you needed written there. “I like flushing it all out to her because I won’t see her for a week and I don’t need to keep up with what I’m feeling. I always cry to you but Doc is just really good at explaining how I feel, you’re there to validate it and make me feel soothed.” You held his left hand as you both walked down the hallway. “I feel lighter, like, I feel better.”

“That’s always good, sweetheart,” Bucky made sure you were putting weight on him because you didn’t bring your crutches but you really should have. “I have a little treat for you,” He turned to face you when you both stood at his door, Bucky kept his hand on the door handle. “I know it’s been a rough few weeks but I hope you know I love you all the same, and all I see is my strong, beautiful girlfriend.” Bucky saw your confused face, as he opened the door to reveal a dim lit room with flowers, wine and a teddy your eye welled up with tears again. 

You gasped and put your hands on your chest, “for me?” your voice shook as you walked in, you peered into the ice bucket to see your favourite wine and some food as well as a card beside the ice bucket, under the teddy. Tears flowed down your face as the feeling of being overwhelmed washed over you, you could barely string a sentence together. A hand waved the gifts all away, “too much,” was all you could muster. 

“No, baby,” Bucky smiled, he walked over and pulled you into a hug. “Nothing will ever be too much for you.”

He let you cry in his chest for a very long time, you both ended up sitting on the edge of the bed as he stroked all the way up your back. His hand would bunch up your hair as he went up to your neck. His lips were right at your ear, all he whispered were sweet nothings and a calming ‘shh’ once and a while. When you had a little composure Bucky reached for the card, as you read it your lips trembled even more. A hand stayed glued to your heart as your body warmed at loving words, you could barely read it with blurry vision from the tears but it still seemed crystal clear. Your finger traced over the signature: ‘love you to the moon and back, Bucky’. And you crumbled again, your forehead hit his chest as you cried away all the pent up emotion you thought you flushed out at your therapy session. 

With all the crying you were so tired, Bucky had thrown on a movie you two could watch while enjoying your strawberries and wine. You only had two and half a cup before you were snoring on Bucky’s shoulder, he tried to nudge you a couple times but nothing worked at all. He watched the movie on his own and saved the last two strawberries for you in the morning. You didn’t even wake up at him getting up and leaving the room. When he came back he got you out of your day clothes and into something comfy. 

*****

You woke up to the sun hitting your back, when your eyes opened they focused on the flowers and a smile graced your face. It was the first time in a long time since you smiled with your eyes, a little giggle even slipped out. 

At that sound Bucky walked out of the bathroom, “well there she is,” he smiled wide. 

“What does that mean?” you wiped the drool from the side of your mouth, “I had a nap, a really good one, too.” You seemed to be bragging. 

“A nap? Baby, it’s eight.” Bucky raised his eyebrows. 

“Ya, I fell asleep at about five so I had a three hour nap, no biggie.” You rolled on your back and stretched out, your gaze moved back to Bucky when you heard a giggle, “what?” you laughed back. 

“Eight in the morning, the next day. Your three hour nap was actually a well deserved fifteen hour hibernation.” Bucky joined you on the bed. 

“That’s why I feel so good,” you sighed, you looked over to Bucky and swatted his chest at his little smirk. “Don’t think like that.” 

“I bet I can make you feel just as good-”

You cut him off with a kiss.

[elsieys-blog]

Perks of an insomnia-driven night.

Draco Malfoy x ravenclaw!reader

a/n: hi hello, this is my first draco malfoy au and I hope you get to enjoy it as much as I wrote it <3

contains: fluff, tension, cussing, insomnia, room of requirement, Draco's rings, and strangers to friends with benefits.

summary: due to another insomnia-driven night, you strolled and suddenly bumped into a particular Slytherin. He gave you a gift you would cherish forever.

———————————————————

A loud buzz from outside startled you as you curled up on your bed, pulling the blanket up to your torso to suppress the chilly weather. You couldn't keep count on how many times you've tried to close your eyes and think as if you went into a free fall in hopes of getting yourself adrift. But no. You've closed your eyes, opened it again, flat it again but it didn't help at all. You were widely awake despite the fact you hadn't eaten any chocolate at all.

You heaved a sigh before deciding to leave your bed and go on for a short walk on the dimly lit hallways. Perhaps the calmness and stillness of it would soothe you. You pushed the duvet away from your nearly naked body and slipped your slippers onto your feet. Standing up, you went over to the bathroom, did some basic hygiene before twisting the doorknob and leaving your dormitory in a swift.

God, even the Ravenclaw common room didn't look fancy anymore.

It usually does every morning to dawn. But every midnight and pass midnight? It looks like as though someone was murdered and students ought to stay hidden in their dorms.

As your quiet and soft trudges echoed the walls, only a few line of torches lighting your way, you exited the Ravenclaw common room and was now and finally outside. The hallways were now bigger and neverending, as if you had set foot into a deja Vu. A few floorboards you step creaked and so the snoring portraits on every corner and side of the wall yawns and went back to sleep.

You maintained a good slow and calm pace until you forgot to pick up your wand from your room. There was no going back now because it was a long way back. Now you had to squint your eyes so that it adjusted from the pitch black darkness.

Loud cawing from crows scare you sometimes so goosebumps prickled your skin. The only thing you could see was the dots of glitter from the sky and the shadows the oak trees casted on the ground. The shadow was formed strangely and it looks distorted so you held a deep breath, reminding myself that there was nothing to be bothered of. And that everyone was sleeping just fine.

As you walked silently, your head elbow-deep in thoughts, you didn't know you were now staring at a wall so called the Room of Requirement. The walls was approximately fifteen feet, bizarre patterns across it.

"Well, there's nothing else to go, so. . ." Your mind spoke and you closed your eyes, thinking of a plausible reason to get yourself inside. After a few seconds, you heard three faint clicks until the wall molded into a tall door. You glanced sideways before entering the room slowly.

You were met by the darkness once again, but this time it felt comforting. You walked and walked, taking in the unblemished and grubby furnitures hidden beyond the tall door. There were stacks and mounds of unused things that you felt suddenly guilty. As you roamed around without a route, a movement beside you caught you off guard and it piqued your interest. Is someone else here?

"hello?" You started, your brows furrowing as you followed the movement.

As far from your expectations, the anonymous person replied and it was a manly, cold voice. "What are you doing up in the middle of the night? Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

A shiver came across your spine. You shyly said, "aren't you supposed to be too?" You saw his shadow lurch and you took the chance to step forward.

He said, "doesn't matter why I'm here. This is my usual spot." His voice was a bit taunting and bragging.

"Well, you're hiding in the shadows so... And you're not supposed to hide if you claim this as your spot." You sternly said, keeping your gaze fixated on his moving shadow.

"I'm not hiding. Have you come to the realization that it's the dead of the night?" He sternly said.

"Yes, but— I think we should come over to the light so I can see you." You plead but you doubt he would actually do it.

"See me? Pathetic."

You sighed. "What? How about let's do it together? I'm really in the mood for some company right now."

The man was hesitant at first but he considered it. As much as he was irritated by someone invading his territory, he kind of wanted a company too. There was a strong exhale across you as he said. "Fine."

You gave an upturned smile, stepping into a small ray of light seeping through a window. The moonshine cradled your face as well as his. He stood tall and with poise in front of you with a neutral glare, looking down as if his eyes belittle you. "Better princess?"

You couldn't help but stare at his eyes. Wait- he was standing in front of you so he blocked the moonshine and you could only see his silhouette. You grabbed his sleeve and ushered him to a better angle. When you gently pushed his back on a partition, you finally got to look at his golden blue eyes, and the bits of freckles that stretched to his nose and cheekbones. His face was sculpted beautifully and even his nose shaped like a button. He was lithe and pristine. And you began to coil into a pit of fire.

"You're- Draco Malfoy?" Your voice shook.

"that's me." He smirked and it only made my headspace ablaze. "And you are?"

You were too busy admiring his features but your mind eventually rebounded. "I- Y/n- Y/n Y/l/n!"

He kept on smiling. "Oh, you!" He began to finally acknowledge your ghostly presence before. "You're the one I shared potions with on fifth year eh? The one where we got perfect scores?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"Right. The only reason we got perfect grades for it was because of my skills actually. Don't forget that." He playfully said, beaming a wink at you which got your cheeks turning slightly crimson.

"Ha ha, very funny. I still helped though." You avowed.

"Mhm. But I did most of the dirty work and you just stood there, watching." He laughed and I chuckled. Fun times.

"Fine. Have it your way. I did watch instead of help. Happy?" You jeered but you couldn't help but glance at the collection of rings on his bony fingers. You went still for a moment and decided to ask the unthinkable. "Malfoy?"

"Yes?"

"You- you have nice rings. It looks good on you." You faltered in the slightest but remained a tepid look. "Silver matches you to be honest."

"Silver?" His eyebrows rose and his voice was unbelievably sexy. "I get that a lot."

You keep on staring, checking out the patterns designed on the small ringed jewelry such as serpents and cursive letters. You didn't realize you were smiling until his fingers convulsed. "Y/n?"

You look back into his stormy eyes with embarrassment. "Oh I- I'm sorry, I was just-"

"It's obvious you really like them, don't you?"

"Well, I mean it's pretty but-"

"Would you want one?" His question was out of the blue so you nearly jolted.

Your eyes widen in full extent, the feeling of affection was set into extreme levels that you feel like you're about to explode. "Oh er- that's good thank you, but-"

"It's pretty I get it. And you seem to admire it as much as I do so ..." He paused, removing one of the glinting rings from his ring finger and held it into his palm. "Here, you can have it for me."

Your cheeks were flaming and it was intolerable. He was platonic and you never expected it from him. You sucked in a deep inhale, tongue-tied. "Oh my god, Malfoy, this was so unnecessary-"

"It's alright. Besides, I think that hand of yours need some color." He smiled tenderly, handing you the ring. His height was towering and it only made things worse for you to handle because of how the air thickens and the atmosphere suddenly getting hot.

"I d-don't know what to say." You stutter. "But thank you. Thank you so much, wow."

You got ahold of the metallic ring, inserting it on your ring finger but it didn't fit. It was expected of course. So you tried putting it on your middle finger but it was loose still. As you were about to put it on your thumb, his cold hands gripped your wrist making you halt mid-process.

"What is it-"

"Here let me help you out."

God, he was also wearing a silver glinting necklace. Now that is fucking sexy!

Draco unclasped his own necklace, putting either ends of it into the ring until it hang perfectly. When it was perfectly adjusted just how he wanted it to, he offered it to you without double thinking, a genuine grin sprawled on his handsomely face.

You were still deeply honored yet it felt... Wrong. "Draco- I really appreciate this but- it's yours and we barely even talk-"

"I don't care about that." He flawlessly said. "You remind me of someone I deeply love and... I guess this is my way of being grateful we met at this untimely night." He scoffed and you're a bit sure you saw a hint of blush on his face.

"Really?" You didn't bother asking who that person was since he probably wasn't in the mood to tell you. You were flattered by his words as you accepted his offer.

"Yes. Now take this, and wear it. I want to see your hands with my rings, Y/n." He flirtatiously spoke, giving you another wink.

You rolled your eyes at his ridiculous act. As you were about to out it, he stopped you once more and this time you were a bit provoked. "What is it again?"

He shrugged, and now the blush hidden in his handsome features was now displayed. It was cute seeing his pale, porcelain skin yo be tainted with a tinge of scarlet. He took the necklace into his hands and made strong and seducing type of eye contact. You nearly tripped at his look right now as he said. "Let's make this scene a bit... Romantic. And by that..." He clasped the necklace on your neck, his fingers ghosting your skin ever-so-slightly. "I get to do this to you."

You shudder, not just because of the cold weather, but because of his cold touch. It was so nice against your skin that you wanted him to do it again. You smiled and bit your lip to restrain any embarrassing words. "Draco, you're being too sweet-"

"Am I? People always like the idea of making me sound rude. It feels good I get to prove it to you that that is a lie." His hands sat ok your shoulder, the pad of his thumb caressing you pulse point between your neck and shoulder.

"I understand that. When people wanted to make you sound like a villain when truly your just trying to be genuine and basic?"

Draco grinned. "Yeah, Y/n. Something like that."

You contemplated for a moment, the tension between you building up because of how close your lips had been. It was merely an inch apart, your noses almost touching that you suddenly want to feel the saccharine taste of his lips and the soft texture pressed against yours. Maybe it would be the cure to your insomnia-driven nights. Maybe it would ease and alleviate you.

"You're pretty, you know?"

You were taken a back. You stared at his eyes still and didn't even realize his hands had dropped down to your elbows, pulling it closer to him, informing you that he wants your hands to lean on his chest—to feel how ragged his breathing had gotten just by her presence. You flinched a little and smiled.

"Oh?" Was the only word to roll out of your tongue.

"Mhm." Draco was lost in his own void, his concentration had dropped from your eyes and down to your gaped lips. "So pretty..."

Fuck...

You couldn't bear the growing impatience anymore and you knew to yourself that you had to do something about it. Something to help soften his heavy breathing. He looked tired and worn out. Fragile and about to burst. You had to do something about it quick before he breaks.

Shit!

And so you lifted your heel to match his height and pecked a kiss on the corner of his mouth. For a moment Draco closed his eyes to memorize the way both your lips linked—he was awestruck. He smelled good. So good that you wanted to give another go but was frustrated enough that he didn't slam you against the wall and leave you breathless from his aggressive kisses so you just stood there and watched him remember the unsolicited peck you just gave him.

"Y/n-"

"Can I kiss you?" You abruptly said without hesitation. "Again? And this time... Better?"

Shit..

He nodded in the slightest of movement before lowering his head and both your lips met anew. There were fireworks and butterflies erupting in your stomach and all you could feel was how graceful and subtle his tongue shifted against yours and it was pure bliss. And this time, it was rougher than you thought.

a/n: AHHH! i hope you liked this one, and also PART TWO IS COMING SOON! sorry, I left y'all in a cliffhanger ;))

[kaiqarker]

the watchtower’s lighthouse | stan vogel

pairing: stan vogel x reader

warnings: smut, swearing

summary: months after a disasterous first date with stan vogel, your paths cross once more when you’re lost within the depths of kern canyon national park during a thunderstorm and stan happens to have inherited a shift patrolling from the watchtower.

a/n: back from the dead because of this man. hope y’all enjoy :)

THE SKY EMULATED STAN VOGEL'S morals, consisting of gray unpredictability. If he was within the familiar walls of his assigned cabin, located along the grounds of Kern Canyon National Park, it would be an indication he wouldn't have to do much patrolling. Campers usually stayed put if there was rainfall, sticking to their own site and not off doing God knows what to the land Stan takes pride in preserving. Cascading a thick husk of superiority and knowledge was his favorite thing about the job, which is why he was disappointed he was stuck maintaining the watchtower for tonight.

The surveillance for the watchtower was run by a tight knit schedule of volunteers and the occasional firefighter that needed a change of scenery for a couple days. Needless to say with all the strange occurrences and sightings, there have been less and less people willing to take on the task. And now the duty was bestowed upon the park ranger— at least for tonight. He swore to himself that at sunrise he would be out of there and back to being the persistent, vexing gum stuck to the bottom of everyone's shoe.

Stan now sat in a wobbly chair, feet propped up on the desk and his trusty binoculars in hand. His surroundings were darkening, quicker than they would at his cabin because of the parade of trees towering over the area. He could mostly only see shadows and the outlines of the forest. His paranoia kept him on the lookout, knowing all too well what kind of perilous entities the park harbored, dark secrets he was trusted in keeping.

It was why his body jolted and he nearly fell out of his seat at a sign of movement. His hands itched to drop the binoculars and reunite with the shotgun propped up in the corner. His burst of anxiety was halted, however, once the lenses revealed a person. A wandering, soaked person clearly becoming victim to the thunderstorm that had been periodically easing and worsening for the past two hours.

Stan stood, walking over to the window with his binoculars hanging from the strap around his neck. He easily pried it open and stuck out his head. The drizzle of rain didn't reach him because of the roof stretching out along the perimeter of the watchtower, but he still felt the dip in the temperature. He estimated that it had dropped at least fifteen degrees since the start of the storm, the disappearance of the sun only escalating the drafty change.

He was about to shout down at what is most certainly a woman who had strayed too far from her campsite but then she twisted around, finally noticing the light emitting from up above. Recognization crumbles both of their attentive expressions. She becomes more than a drenched, carmine tank top, huddled body, and ropes of wet hair. He transforms into the exact opposite of a saving grace when his beige uniform and ironically angelic face are perceived.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is. Stalking your ex, eh?" Stan called down to her. The pattern of swift and drawned out words, swirled into a provoking and often mocking Australian accent, reached her ears over the light patter of rainfall.

She sighed, dramatically enough for Stan to see the rise and fall of her diaphragm. She considered turning around and braving the unknown of the wilderness again. If it wasn't for her sore feet and her prediction that she would develop some sort of hyperthermia if she stayed out in the cold, then she would've already been on her way.

"We went out on one date. You don't count as an ex," she clarified, craning her neck up at him. His smirk from knowing she was in a miserable condition and that he was the only one that could do anything about it ignited the first sense of heat she had felt in awhile. Her fists clenched against her crossed arms. "And you're the one with the pervy binoculars. On the prowel for half-naked campers, are you?"

He scoffed, winding his head to the side for a moment. "Enough with the bullshit. Are you coming up or not?"

In any other situation, he probably would've dragged their reunion out, teased her for being so helpless and naive. But she was shivering and looked so small curling into herself; it was a sight that played his heartstrings like a mystical harp. Even after a date gone wrong and the resentment that followed, he couldn't bare to see her like this.

She, on the other hand, still clung to some hesitation. Cozying up in a small, confined space with Stan where there were no other people around to ground her into the realms of sanity wasn't a compelling option. The both of them simply didn't get along. The nightmare of their date was very vivid in her mind, too, and she didn't want tonight to be a repeat of that.

Almost like nature could sense her doubts, thunder crackled and reverberated around the forest. Lightning flashed, incandescent and forbiding. The rain intensified, hitting her bare skin with a harsh force. Muddy shoes stumble forward a few steps but still don't gravitate towards the ladder.

"Better move your ass, sweetheart! Unless you'd prefer to get struck by lightning? Not to mention all the dangerous things lurking around that you haven't the slightest idea about."

Undeniable complacency was weaved into his taunt. However, it did get her moving. If she would've bothered to look up or if there wasn't such vast distance between them from their differing heights, she might've seen the concern nestled into glimmering, cobalt eyes.

Suffering through a climb where her wobbly legs and white knuckles were put the use, she eventually made it to top. Stan already had the latch swung open, bent down in the center of the room and waiting for her with an outstretched arm. Reluctantly, she took his offered hand and allowed him to pull her inside the watchtower.

"Crickey, you're freezing," he murmured. There was a softness to his features and the low timber of his voice. He'd even began rubbing over her fingers with his own, attempting to summon some warmth back into him, before he realized what he was doing and backed away.

"That's what happens when you get lost and separated from your friends and then get caught up in a storm," she summed up, monotonous.

"Your friends are idiots," Stan muttered.

She was about to deter the insults back his way until she suddenly felt a subtle weight on her shoulders. The scent combination of spearmint gum and lingering campfire smoke was sensed with a mere sniffle, and soon her hands were reaching up to pull on the sage green trim of his coat.

"You don't even know them," she settled for saying.

"They let you get lost, didn't they?" Stan's eyes found her wide ones, squinting slightly in familiar anger, but she could tell—this time at least—it wasn't directed towards her. "Yeah, bunch of mates, they are."

It was her turn to break the intimacy blossoming between them. She disconnects their stare that was inevitably going to convey all the unspoken feelings that still flourished inside of her to spare a glance over his shoulder. The furnace filled with a burning stack of dry wood lures her away from Stan, and she kneels down in front of it.

His hands go to his belt, elbows bent outward like he was posing as a chicken. He was unsettled by how consumed he was by his emotions. He wanted to give her space but then he finds himself reaching for her. He wanted to remain civil but the distaste in her tone and her infuriating, unreasonable glare casted towards him causes him to delve into his own hostile urges. The confusion of what to do and how to deal with her presence was boardering on insufferable.

But facing her, watching her beneath the firelight, the strain of his internal compass ebbed. He was no longer directionless or purposeless. The orange glare enducing a riveting shine to her hair and her tranquil countenance she upheld gazing into the flames had him feeling certain in just about every single thing that made the universe, the universe.

"You're staring," she whispers, a tremble in her reply she blames on recovering from the weather.

"And you won't even look over at me for a second." His observation coaxes her into peering at him, finding that he enclosed the distance between them by a few steps. A playful smile twitches across his lips. "What? Don't like a man in uniform?"

"I wouldn't be bragging about your outfit, Stan. You're a glorified Boy Scout," she remarks, rising from her position on her knees. Her thumb and pointer finger pinch the small, golden slate pinned to his shirt. "Even have badges and everything,"

"Get your grubby little hands away from my name tag. You're gonna smudge it," he grumbles, smacking her hand away; she lets out a humorless, short-lived laugh at his overreaction.

"Still an uptight asshole, I see."

"Still a mouthy brat, then?"

His retort makes her face harden. "Being honest doesn't make me a mouthy brat."

"Just inconsiderate?"

"You're preaching to me about being inconsiderate? You live off of ridiculing people. On our date, you insulted and humiliated our waiter because he didn't know the exact species of deer mounted to the wall."

"I was just taking a moment to educate him!"

"You called him a fumbling idiot who didn't know the basic fundamentals of biology!"

"Oh, like you were any better! Shoving your tits into the bartender's face to get free drinks!" He throws his hands up, easily overtaken by frustration and unresolved jealously.

"I know how much you make, Stan. You should be thanking me for that," she says slowly, deliberately, bringing up the one thing she knows will push him over the edge. He takes the bait, but she doesn't expect what he throws back at her.

"You're right. Thank you, sweetheart, for acting like such a slut on our first date that all anyone had to do for dessert was crouch down between your open legs."

Her mouth dropped at his statement. His exasperation dissolves to shock at processing his own harsh comment. He isn't able to focus on it for long, though, because she properly acts by allowing her palm to connect to his cheek.

Head snapped to the side, he can begin to taste a droplet of blood on his tongue, emitting from where his incisor pinched his bottom lip. He licks over the minor wound thoughtfully, heaving out a breath of false amusement. When he looks at her again, his face is dark and full of cruel intentions of revenge.

Stan surges forward and doesn't stop until her body crashes against the wall like she was just a bag of dismantled bones. His coat falls from her shoulders and slumps against the hardwood floor during the journey. His towering height and weight pin her in place, leaving her at the mercy of splayed hands and the relentless motions of his mouth against hers.

The awakening, leftover flavor of gum he must've chewed eariler just sinks in when he bites down hard on her lip. A whimper, the first sound she makes besides the ejection of a surprised gasp, is forced out her from the harsh gesture. A metallic taste replaces the one prior, one eager swipe of his tongue rolling past her parted lips.

The instinct to shoot her hands up and enmesh them in the soft, chestnut strands of his cropped hair is interrupted by an action of his own. He eases the intensity of the kiss, allowing her to breathe through languid, desperate puckers she reciprocates, but his fingers hook around both her bra and tank top straps, yanking them down her arms. She lifts herself out of them only to have him grasp the collar of her shirt and pull it down, her bra in tow, until they were just bundled material around her midriff.

Calloused hands fondled her breasts while his mouth diverts to her neck, sucking and nipping until her skin resembled the colorful patches of a quilt. She throws her head back against the wall, leaning into his touch and letting out the most delicate moans that had all of his blood gushing to the apex of his legs; she felt proof of it when he rutted himself against her.

Her forearms are squeezed between their bodies so she can reach the buttons of his shirt, manicured fingers working hastily and with not as much care she knew Stan would've liked, but he seemed to be too preoccupied by kissing her all over. Soon her hands were tugging up the white t-shirt he always wore underneath his uniform, and he helped her out by shifting it over his head and discarding it to the growing pile of clothes.

His chest was warm and inviting compared to hers. Her skin felt like cool marble underneath his fingertips, keeping her nipples pebbled and sweat from the heated exchange at bay. It was quite a contrast as their bodies continued to press together, her hands sliding along the expanse of his taut back while he concentrated on undoing her shorts.

"All mine," he mumbled against her jaw; it was certainly hard to disagree with him and all his handsy clutches and kisses that left her craving more.

"All yours," she confirmed softly.

The words barely left her mouth before she felt the heart-jolting sensation that was his hand sliding past her unzipped shorts and underwear. His fingers ran up and down down her folds, taking his time, ever the explorer. He often grazed her clit, encouraging her hips to arch into him for more direct contact, but he was careful to only give her a slight, fleeting amount.

"Stan." His name parted from her in a low whine—somewhat shamefully because she never thought she'd be in this circumstance, begging a hardass park ranger with a major superiority complex for a release.

"So wet for me. Awful naughty of you to get this soaked from one arguement with me, don't you think?"

She nuzzled her face into the side of his, nose brushing along his chiseled cheekbone. "Please."

"Aw, look at you. So sweet. You'd never think that you live to slander me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I am nothing but nice to you."

"Oh?" He inserts his middle finger into her, curling it precisely, while the heel of his hand grinds against her clit with every deliberate pump.

"Yes," she gasps.

Shallow pants gradually rack through her torso, and the ache of his throbbing cock becomes unbearable at the sight of her defenseless against his advances. He adds another finger, the grip and warmth of her slick walls causing him to shudder in anticipation.

"Such a little liar," he groans out after a particularly provocative contraction around his digits, one that rids him of whatever patience he had left.

He abruptly removes his hand from her shorts, something that makes her closed eyes flicker open. Her mouth immediately morphs into a pout and she squeezes his biceps in protest.

She isn't left waiting for long, hands on her hips guiding her away from the wall until the underside of her knees hit the edge of a cot. His mouth parts from hers once more, a sweet dragging of overlapped lips exchanged during the slow steps, so he can pull back the blanket. She looks over her shoulder at the neatly presented cot, which Stan must've brought with him along with his own fitted bedspread. She was now appreciative that he always came prepared.

Without having to be told, she crawled underneath the covers after ridding herself of the remainder of her clothing. Stan did the same once she was settled, becoming the final layer that draped over her body. The blanket and the crisp white of a top sheet stopped at the dimples of his back, and she was trapped in warmth, intensified by the glorious weight of his bare body on hers. Arms on either side of her head latch the cage as he leans down for another kiss.

"Don't mistake me keeping you warm as forgiveness. I'm still very mad at you. You drive me crazy," he sighs against her jaw, his eyelashes fluttering against the apple of her cheek.

"Don't mistake me moaning for you as an apology. You don't deserve one." Her strokes at the nape of his neck never faltered. Her thighs spread, legs winding around his, desperate for him to do something with his cock that laid twitching and swollen on her navel. "Well, you might if you fuck me hard enough."

"Shut up already."

Long fingers brick over her parted mouth in time with the repositioning of his hips, muffling the cries of consumption that came from him sinking inside of her. Eyes roll to the back of her head, almost completely sated by just the feeling of being filled. The head of his shaft glided against her most sensitive spot like a brush of shoulders, and her thighs tightening around his waist was her turning around, ready to chase shattering gratification.

Although slow, his thrusts into her were brutal. They held onto to each other like you would to ropes of a ruinous bridge connecting two cliffs, like they would be faced with a plummeting death if they were to let go. And yet, they were fighting along the wobbly planks, the semicircles of hip bones clashing together like medieval swords. It was all extremes, but neither of them would have it any other way.

He was making the most beautiful sounds above her. Through his ruthless motions, were breathy moans and whines of her name, the occasional praise intertwined into his enticing responses. Eventually, he allowed his hand to stop sealing her lips, sliding it down to clutch the flesh of her thigh with the promise of bruises. Her soft pleas and moans of euphoria joined his to create a symphony worthy of a ballet orchestra.

Strings of saliva conntected rouge lips to the marked skin of his neck, where she continued to suckle and playfully nip. The roll of their bodies picked up speed, both becoming impatient by the delicious ache they kept provoking, daring one another to spasm out of control. They craved for their muscles to become a tightrope and for the most intimate parts of them to pulsate from the finality of release.

"You've never looked prettier than you do right now. Your cunt squeezing me so tight, your mouth only able to form breathless whispers... completely wrecked. I love it."

"Please," she cannot help but beg, flickering eyes undecided on whether to shut her continue their hazy, half-lidded stare into his own.

"You want to come?" The inward pull of his eyebrows and the slight curl of his parted mouth way as well have been a mocking pout. "I know you do. I shouldn't even let you, though. You've been intolerable. I should just come all over your writhing body and leave you here without any satisfaction. Even if you were to finish yourself off, it wouldn't be enough. It would only feel subpar, and you know that, don't you?" His breath fans her face like the furnace had moments ago, and she can only whimper in reply. "Only I can sate you, sweetheart."

Her hands, whose nails had already inflicted damage to the freckled canvas of his back, sweep over his shoulders to cup his jaw. Her thumb strokes his jawline while the other ventures down the column of his throat, feeling the bob of his adam's apple with every constristing swallow he took. She could tell he was close, too, and decided to nod her head gently in agreement to his words, to wave her white flag.

Her surrender is reassured by fingertips dragging down her torso to her enlarged clit, granting bone-vanishing swipes that causes stuttered gasps and limbs going slack. It only takes a few seconds of coaxing rubbing for her release to erupt, the molten lava bursting from the pit of her stomach to electrify just about every nerve in her body. Her encompassing walls clutch around him so tightly that it summons a delirious climax from him.

His strenuous pace wavers, his hold on the cot becoming prudent, as if it was a buoy keeping him afloat through the thrashing waves of pleasure. White, sticky ribbons coat the inside of her thighs, and it's only when his heartbeat ebbs from his eardrums that he cracks his eyes open and collaspes into the small remaining space between her and the wall.

Stan speaks after catching his breath, remaining pants interwoven into his declaration. "This should've happened sooner."

"It would've if you weren't such a prick," she noted, sparing him a quick glance.

"Okay, maybe... I wasn't on my best behavior. But I was nervous. I liked you a lot. I wanted to impress you."

"And you thought bragging about how you're a know-it-all when it comes to plants and wildlife and the park's terrain was going to the trick?"She questioned, snorting at his logic. His nose twitch, an indicator of embarrassment, and she grabs his arm and tucks herself into his side. "You're such a dork."

He smiled at the gesture before she continued, "I'm sorry that I flirted with the bartender. I didn't mean to make you feel like you were second best or anything. Honest to God, I just wanted free stuff."

"Well, the cream puffs you got out of it were actually delicious," Stan admitted, tilting his head in her direction.

She smiled back at him. "I know, right?"

Stan may not be a prime example of a good guy but he had always took glory in being good at his job. That's what kept him going, that's what fueled him all these years. Now, he was considering what life entailed outside of that. Outside of the stressful responsibilities and government conspiracies and the never-ending studious tendencies. She came to him for refuge tonight, but, the truth is, he had been relying on her for a long time. To fascinate him, to stand up to him, to guide him back to where he belonged.

He felt like he was finally pursuing something that was more important than his duties here, than anything else he's ever experienced. He was an off-bound ship, cruising blind into the dead of the night, and she was a lighthouse, promising purpose and salvation from every bad thing that ever tried to sink him.

// idk who to tag but i think @sojournmichael @fckinsupreme & @instinctsxbaby might be interested (you’re all so talented)!

[fruitcoops]

Could you maybe do that part 5 of truth or drink you alluded to?? :) with Jules and the lupins and basically Jules spilling ALLL of re’s secrets & Marley loving it 🥰

Oh, Jules, how I missed you. The truth or drink referenced in this ask is here (it's been an age since I did one, wow!) and SW credit of course goes to @lumosinlove!

“Please can we have alcohol?” Jules swung his legs under the table with wide, pleading eyes.

Marlene barked a laugh. “Over my dead body, baby Loops.”

“It would be,” Remus agreed with a teasing grin.

“Welcome back to Lion Pride, both of you,” she said, ruffling their hair. Both scrunched their faces up in identical expressions of displeasure. “There are fifteen cards in your deck, and if you don’t want to answer the question, you have to take a drink of apple juice. Not alcohol.”

“You used to be cool,” Jules sulked. Marlene rolled her eyes and Remus reached over to flick his ear. “Hey, that hurt!”

“No, it did not.”

“I’m gonna tell mom you hit me.”

Remus turned to Marlene with a long-suffering look. “Can I have alcohol?”

“Get crackin’, boys, the world wants to know your secrets.” She tapped the deck of cards with a wink and wandered behind the cameras again.

“Alright, here we go.” Remus sighed. “My name is Remus Lupin, I’m the Lions’ right wing, and I’m here with my baby brother to answer some questions. Take it away, Jules.”

“I’m not a baby,” Jules clarified to the camera. “I’m twelve. Who’s the most attractive sibling?”

Remus frowned. “Me? Just ‘cause I’m older.”

“As if.”

“Oh my god,” he muttered, reaching for his own card. “Oh, this should be fun. Name your favorite parent.”

“Dad,” Jules answered without hesitating. Remus’ eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“First, you’re not supposed to answer that fast, and second, what?”

“Dad’s cool!”

“Dad is not cool!” Remus laughed. “I don’t have a favorite parent—”

“Liar.”

“—but mom is the cool one. Dad’s a dork, and we love him for it.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe this. Mom would literally do anything for you. She learned to skate for you.”

“It’s not like I don’t love mom!” Jules protested as he took a new card. “I love her so much! And I know mom is your favorite, so it’s only fair. Which of us is the most successful, and which is the screwup?”

“I don’t have a favorite parent,” Remus insisted, leaning back in his seat. “And neither of us are screwups.”

“You’re more successful.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re a screwup. It means you’re twelve. Who’s the overachiever?”

“You,” Jules snorted. “You’re such a nerd. It’s embarrassing. What’s the meanest thing I did to you when we were kids?”

Remus rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment, then turned to look behind the camera. “Since we were only kids together for, like, three years, can I say something from a little later?”

“Anything before age 25,” Marlene called.

He nodded decisively. “Sweet. In that case, it’s the time this little monster let a rat into the house, freaked out when he didn’t know what to do, then locked it in my bedroom and didn’t tell anyone until I went to bed and something ran across my sheets.”

Jules shrugged. “You survived.”

“Yeah, and you almost didn’t.”

“So dramatic,” he muttered.

Remus whacked him over the head with the next card before reading it. “Oh, god. Share the most mortifying memory you have of me. If you drink that apple juice and don’t answer, I’ll get you ice cream on the way home.”

Jules leaned back with a hum, already grinning. “Let’s see…”

“No,” Remus groaned.

“Probably—” Jules broke off to giggle. “Probably when you took me into the locker room to meet the team and the whole time I was talking to Sirius, you looked like you were about to melt into the floor. You had this stupid grin on your face—”

“Shut up.”

“—and almost tripped over your own feet, like, four times. This was before you guys were dating, too.”

“You are the worst,” Remus said, though his voice was muffled by his forearms. “Next question?”

“I can keep going. There was the time you gave yourself a black eye hanging Christmas lights, and when you bounced off an enforcer when you tried to check him, and when mom asked you to defrost the chicken for dinner and you forgot so you put it in the microwave and almost set the house on fire, and—“

“Marlene.” Remus raised his head with a pitiful look. “Please make him stop. Please.”

“Okay,” Marlene laughed, a little breathless. “Alright, one sec. Jules, your turn.”

“Ugh, fine. Do you let me win at things?”

“When you were five, sure.” Remus tilted his head to the side. “Otherwise, no. Do you want me to let you win?”

“I’d be so upset if you did. I only get better because I want to kick your ass one day.”

“Language. Am I a good brother?”

“Well, yeah,” Jules said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He blinked at Remus, clearly confused. “Duh. You’re weird and annoying, but you’re one of my top three favorite people?”

“Before or after dad?” Remus teased, but it was soft with fondness.

Jules narrowed his eyes and leaned his elbows on the table. “Wouldn’t you like to know. Have I ever disappointed you?”

“Never. I don’t think you could if you tried. Who’s smarter?”

“Me.” Remus gave the camera a disbelieving look as Jules took a new card. “Ha! I like this one. Which of us was a mistake?”

“Oh, that is a good one. Honestly, I don’t think either of us were planned. Mom and dad definitely weren’t expecting a kid at 21 and 25, and absolutely weren’t planning on another one fifteen years later.”

Jules cast the camera a bright smile. “Oops!”

“But we’re their best mistakes,” Remus said solemnly with the ghost of a smile, as if he was repeating a sentiment that had been said many times before. “Okay, I need to have a talk with whoever set up these questions. Do an impersonation of me, or drink to—”

“Oh, look at me, I’ve got a fancy degree,” Jules mimicked, dropping his voice comically low. “I’m so cool, I’ve got a secret boyfriend and I’m not gonna tell anyone about it for three whole months even though I suck at keeping secrets. I’m tall, so I’m gonna grab my awesome little brother by the ankles and shake him around—”

“You asked me to—”

“Shh! I’m not done!”

Remus gave him an incredulous look. “They get the point!”

Jules stuck his tongue out, but grabbed a new card from the stack. “What are your best and worst memories of mom and dad?”

“Aw, man.” Remus tapped his short stack of cards on the table and bit his lip. “Best and worst…best would probably be Christmas two or three years ago, when we all went skating on the lake.”

“That’s a good one,” Jules mused.

“It’s hard to think of my worst memory of them. Um, maybe after I stopped playing hockey in college? There was a lot of walking on eggshells and it was really uncomfortable.”

Remus read the next card and his frown dissolved into laughter; he reached for the apple juice and filled both glasses to the brim, then pushed them across the table to Jules without a word. “What are these for? You have to read the card, dummy.”

“The most spoiled sibling has to drink,” Remus said with a wide grin.

“It’s not me!” Jules protested, though it was weak. “You were an only child for fifteen years!”

“Yeah, and?” His amusement only grew as Jules struggled to make a comeback. “See, you can’t even deny it! You’re the baby of the family and everybody loves you. How many times have you been to Gryffindor?”

Jules opened and closed his mouth a few times, going red with indignance.

“How many?” Remus’ expression was pure glee. “Buddy, I didn’t leave Wisconsin for anything other than roadies until you were old enough to travel, and then mom and dad had to show you off to everyone.”

“They love you, too!”

“I know they do,” Remus laughed. “They’re great parents and we both had amazing childhoods. You’re still the more spoiled one.”

“I don’t like this game,” he muttered as he drank one of the glasses. “And I’m not drinking that other one. Okay, last question. Should we see more of each other?”

“Of course,” Remus said. “I wish we lived closer to each other all the time. Do you think so?”

Jules reached for the glass, then burst out laughing when Remus’ jaw dropped. “Oh, I got you so good! But yeah, I miss you a ton during the school year.”

“You little…” Remus bit back his threat and ruffled Jules’ hair despite his protests, cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. “Keep that up and you’re gonna get flipped again.”

“You wouldn’t. Not on camera.”

“Try me.”

Jules bolted from his seat and tried to make a run for it, but Remus was faster—he caught him around the waist, hefted him under one arm, and turned him around until he could get ahold of his skinny ankles. “No!” Jules shrieked through his giggling as Remus started swinging him lightly back and forth. “No, no, put me down!”

“Just making sure you really don’t want to see more of me,” Remus said, alight with happiness. Jules’ fingers nearly touched the ground. “You’re almost too big for this.”

“Good,” Jules wheezed. “Are we done yet?”

Remus looked back to the camera. “Thanks for tuning into Lion Pride, everyone. Make sure to like and subscribe if you want a slow-motion tutorial on how to transform your little brother into an emergency pendulum.”

“No!”

“Can you get down by yourself?”

Jules stretched his arms toward the floor, but Remus pulled him up an inch just as his fingertips brushed the tile. “Hey! Stop it!”

“Stop what?”

“Pulling me up!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Remus said, adding another inch.

[chemicalpink]

Only Good Vibes ♡ Min Yoongi

Pairing: Min Yoongi x female reader

Genre: smut, a futile attempt at comedy, strangers to friends to lovers au.

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 5.9k

Summary: If Yoongi was being honest, the last thing he had expected to inherit from his father was a sex toy manufactures, even more so, the last thing he expected from being there was to fall in love. Or let someone peg him, but you know, potato potatoe

Warnings/Tags: mentions of minor character death, Yoongi is bisexual, Yoongi’s father is homophobic, kinda sub!Yoongi, pegging, chaebol!Yoongi, family exclusion, YN is somewhere on the queer spectrum, YN has no filter whatsoever, they drink but they aren’t drunk does that make sense?, Yoongi and YN are soooo awkward istg it pains me, masturbation (female and male), mutual masturbation, use of sex toys, slight edging, fingering (male and female receiving), overstimulation (female and male), squirting, slight dirty talk, kinda voyeurism (do i even write something that’s not voyeurism by now?), Yoongi’s suit gets ruined, anal plugs (male), cock ring, electrode vibrator, use of lube.

A/N: Gotta say, this one took a lot to get done BUT SHE IS HERE. Huge thanks to @birbdae for the banner, I know you did it quite a while ago and since then this fic evolved into this so- yeah I hope that you guys enjoy this one.

Yoongi walks the pristine halls once he enters the building, it smells like a mix of freshly brewed coffee and sanitizer, his shoes somewhat squeaking on the floor with each step he takes, the starched collar of the white shirt he was practically obliged to dress in has started to itch his skin from not being used to the whole put together look. It had been a few weeks since his father died, nobody really seemed phased by it, being that the man had passed away after a long battle on a hospital bed. No one had cried during the funeral, not even his mother. Truth be told, they were all instructed not to do so, something along the lines of being the most deserving family in the country or some bullshit like that. Of course the man would be missed, not for his grandeur as a human being, but more for the millions he made day by day. And that’s where Yoongi comes in. Dressed up head to toe in a way that he hadn’t done ever since his father practically threw him into the streets. As much as he disliked it and had grown out of it, he couldn’t help but compromise, eyes on the grand prize: the family fortune.

So what if his siblings and a few cousins would get something out the old man’s will too, the Min’s fortune, both in money and enterprises, was huge; after his grandfather had passed away, and his father, being the youngest child, absorbed every single part of the fortune as his siblings weren’t fitted anymore to run their part, the newest Min generation had turned to resemble a bunch of vultures waiting to feed. So as long as he got his fair share for having to put up with the man for so long, he would be okay with it.

Everybody was already sitting on the large wooden table by the time he arrived, the commissioner signaling for him to take a seat before he began the lecture. An almost three hour long preface that had Yoongi dozing off multiple times, getting a side eye from most of the other people present, before the distribution began. Min Enterprises consultant branch for Daejun, Min Enterprises technology branch for Hada… and last but not least, Min Enterprises recreative branch for Yoongi.

“HA! TAKE THAT YOU HOMOPHOBIC FUCK! I KNEW I’D GET SOMETHING!” all eyes turned to him as he stood up from his seat, some shocked at the word choice, although it was no secret he had a rough relationship with his father, most of them just snickering at him, like they knew something he didn’t.

And man did they know.

“So he just had to keep being a homophobe even as he’s buried six feet under the ground and give me the dildo factory” Yoongi sighed as he frantically paced around the room

“Eh” his friend shrugged as he munched on a small bag of pretzels “The snacks are nice”

“What the fuck am I supposed to know about dildos! I don’t have a vagina!” Yoongi’s face was redder than ever, throwing a fit on his very first day at the office he inherited just a few days ago– not before going through a lot of papers and signatures and approvals– and learning that apparently amongst the whole business emporium his family had built, there was a sex toys manufacturer. And his father had decided to be his funny homophobic self even after death, by letting his bisexual son run it.

Namjoon had laughed for a good five minutes on the phone before he decided to come over and help his best friend out of what was surely about to be an existential crisis. Leaning against the couch that was placed on what would now be his office, he added distractedly “You don’t need to have a vagina to use a dildo tho”

“Well-true” he seemed to ponder it for a while, before shaking himself from the thought “either way I wouldn’t know a thing about it”

“Remember back in college summer 2013?”

Yoongi turned to his friend, stopping dead in his tracks and squinting his infamous cat-like squint at the younger, gritting his teeth “We DON’T talk about summer 2013”

Namjoon lets out a whole body laugh at both his friend and the memory, when you make your way into his office in order to deliver some of the papers you needed him to sign “What happened in summer 2013?”

“We don’t talk about that” you couldn’t help but smile at him, grumpily making his way to his desk, rubbing his temples as he let out an exasperated groan. Not everyone really knew a thing or two about the new boss, never been the one to be acquainted with his late father’s business, or family, for that matter and it really showed, the poor guy didn’t even know where to begin with before he was savagely thrown into an already clock-work organisation. People were starting to talk as soon as he set foot inside the building, gossips going around about how he wasn’t fitted for the position and how he was the outcast of the family, yet you thought he could use a friendly face if he ultimately decided to take the job. His friend was still absentmindedly laughing before his eyes caught something on his phone screen.

“Well this has being fun, I’m gonna head out” he started getting up from the couch before the elder interrupted his wave towards you

“What am I supposed to do Namjoon?!”

“Just- give me a call once you figure out if you get an employee’s discount, okay?”

“Wha-” Yoongi was quick to throw a pen that had been lying on top of his desk at his retrieving friend, the object falling to the ground as it hit the doorframe, completely missing the other man, whose laugh could still be heard as he walked away.

He slumped against his desk chair once again, eyeing the stack of documents you had brought in for a brief moment before groaning and hanging his head low. There were a lot of rumours going around, with the Min family being as successful as they were, and although you had decided not to trust them, you couldn’t help but feel your heart ache if what people said about Min Yoongi were true. A prodigal son fallen from his father’s grace, truly one –if not the most– prepared person out of the whole family, with a lot of curriculum to back him up, everyone rooting for him to be the head of the whole Min emporium, only to be casted away in a rush of headlines, front pages of magazines and online bashing as he was seen leaving a bar that was known to be one of the few LGBTQIA+ friendly ones around and it all went downhill from there, never to be seen around his own family again except for the big events and now, here.”I could help you figure out your way around if you’d like”

He didn’t even bother to turn your way when he answered “I don’t even know where to begin”

“That’s alright, come on” you tapped his arm in an attempt to have him follow you outside. Although the methods seemed quite unorthodox for an enterprise carrying the Min’s family name, Yoongi didn’t seem the type to take offence on a lack of traditional manners, plus, the whole workplace had always been quite different from the rest of the Enterprises. “My name’s Y/N, I’m the head director of a sister brand, so you’ll be seeing a lot of me around”

“So…” he turned to face you as you two made your way out of his office “dildos?”

“Kinda- we run the LGBTQIA+ focused brand” he almost missed a step as soon as the words were processed inside his mind and you couldn’t help but smile at him

“I never knew my father had an inclusive line in his business”

“Oh he didn’t” you couldn’t help but find it cute when he made a confused gesture with his face as you both stopped at one of the doors that led to the designing part of the building “You see, we tend to do things differently around here, and there’s a lot of space to work with”

The room is, admittedly, not at all what Yoongi had expected it to be –not like he had a precise image in mind about a dildo manufacturer. But the room he was brought in was almost surgical, men and women alike are all dressed up with white laboratory coats and all, one of them approaching both of you with a smile on his face.

“Y/N! What brings you here? It’s been a while since we’ve seen you!” Yoongi can’t help but steal a glance at your smile, the heavy air that he was accustomed to feel every time he came close to one of his family’s business nowhere to be found, the whole room was breathable enough.

“Work’s keeping me busy, anyway, this is Min Yoongi, he’s taking over” for a second Yoongi felt like suffocating, you having to introduce him as if he wasn’t quite literally your boss, as if he was a new employee “I’m showing him around, see how he finds the place”

“Oh the infamous Min Yoongi” and he could feel his heart race- even in such a place, only god knows how much of his family disaster the people could hear of, the flashbacks to being outcasted and laughed at for his downfall all coming back to him “It’s nice to have you man, I’m Hoseok”

You turned his way and smiled at him, in an attempt to let him know that it was fine. There really wasn’t much to fear inside the building– except for when they had to deal with executive meetings– things were different around here. Yoongi’s gaze seemed to fixate on one of the computers where another man in a white coat was sitting, albeit still quite awkward, he approached him “Is there a program for that?”

The guy, one of your best designers ever since he joined an internship a few years back, Jungkook, turned to look at Yoongi with wide eyes and sort of shy at the stranger “Oh yeah” when Yoongi didn’t seem to break out of his fascination on watching a 3D modelling program run with a sculptured cock being designed on it he added with a small chuckle “Drawing penises by hand only gets you so far”

He watches you chat away with both men and can’t help but feel at peace, as weird as the thought of it could be. Min Yoongi, with a MBA and a Business Administration Doctorate, feels at peace in a dildo factory. But the teamwork seems like something he had never seen before, the line of production is almost text-book like. He can’t help but wonder, even if headless, things seem to run smoothly, where exactly does he fit in? “So what exactly am I supposed to do in a dildo factory?”

You laugh at his choice of words, before Hoseok steps in somewhat offended by them “We don’t just make dildos” and although it didn’t help his case, he throws one squiggly silicone penis his way, to which he has no other option but catch “We are in charge of designing, planning and manufacturing recreational tools in aid for people’s mental health, self indulgence and lifestyle” he then loses his whole offended facade as he takes a small ring between his fingers and shrugs before smiling brightly “At least that what we tell the big boss”

The younger man in a white coat speaks up from his place in front of the computer “Except he’s now the big boss”

Hoseok’s eyes grow as wide as saucers as he realises “Oh god did I fucked up?” You can’t stop yourself from smiling at his antiques, hand coming up to shut his mouth as he realises his slip in vocabulary “Oh shit” Jungkook rolls his eyes at him before returning to his work and Yoongi can’t help but feel endeared as the whole scene develops “Sorry boss”

Gratefully, you step to his side, waving a goodbye to both of them, Hoseok returning it with a smile and a bow towards him, and he realises his question still hasn’t been answered “So really, where am I supposed to fit in?”

You seem to ponder the question before responding “You could take over the white collar meetings, we all hate them” Yoongi groans at that “or” you take the silicone penis from him with a mischievous smile on your face as you shake it around on his face “you could be Jungkook’s test subject”

“I-no. Despite what you heard from Namjoon I don’t- I” your body almost doubled over in laughter at the face he pulled, an honest horror face and hey, the man is quite attractive, that much could be seen from miles away, and it had been a few too many months since the last time you got laid, technically he wasn’t even your boss, as you held the same position for a different product line.

“Eh- you could always try them on me” Yoongi’s eyes widened in surprise before they took on something darker in them, almost amused at your advances “...if you let me try my products on you”

“Deal”

“Hyung what the fuck”

Yoongi started playing with a stress ball you had given him the day before after all introductions and tours were said and done, and now of course, after texting in the groupchat at night, both Namjoon and Seokjin wanted to hear all about what Jin named– very proudly– the deal-do “What could be worse than dildos?”

“Strap ons?”

Seokjin placed a hand on Yoongi’s back and sighed, already knowing the answer yet forcing himself to ask “Did you even read the papers you signed? The product lines of your company?”

“Oh”

“So you’re not going to keep the whole Min Yoongi doesn’t bottom facade any more?” Namjoon asked, knowing that although it was quite fun to watch the whole scenario unfold, his friend was the one going through it all

“I don’t bottom, that’s a fact”

“Hello boys, having fun on company time?” you crossed the door to his office the way you did the day before, dropping on top of his desk a stack of documents, only now noticing a new face on the couch, turning to greet him as he does the same before standing up, signalling Yoongi’s other friend, Namjoon to do the same.

“Well Yoongi-ah, this has been nice and all but it looks like you’ve got work to do” although he was trying to keep a straight face, the snickering of both men could be heard as they left the room. Yoongi really has to tell them that the walls are paper thin.

“So…”

“So…”

“Was the whole deal thing a thing? or should I just pretend it never happened and get stuck on reviewing whatever papers I’m supposed to review?” A short laugh escaped your lips as you looked at him, still kinda awkward about the whole ordeal.

“Oh it is a thing” you grabbed one of the folders on top of the stack, pressing the paper against him “We like to be very particular on our quality”

His eyes travelled along his feet for a few seconds, no word spoken about it.

“Yoongi, you do know you can say no right?” it was something you should have addressed way earlier, knowing beforehand that the work ethics around branched out into almost non existent territory, and the man was fresh out of a big family outcasting, getting thrown back in it to take over the least coordinated side of the enterprise “Look, I won’t lie, there’s a lot of talk going around, but you seem like a nice man, and I find you very attractive, you came in here as the boss and I was trying to get you entertained with the whole dildo factory idea, I know it must have been tough being designated here, especially since we tend to be...a little too much to handle, so just know that you can opt out of this one, I can just get Jungkook and his girlfriend to try these ones out, as they always have”

“That’s- that’s a lot to process”

“Then take your time and let me know okay? just thought you could have a nice laugh at the whole situation”

It took Yoongi three days and a half to get back to you on the offer, three days and a half in which, although he wouldn’t admit to it, you had wormed your way into his heart, having you deliver documents each morning, bantering along with his friends before you had to go back to whatever it is that you did around the company. You had also started to smile more at Yoongi’s antiques as he slowly but surely made himself more comfortable around the company, handling small white collar tasks and getting less squeamish at every prototype Jungkook or Hoseok handed him without previous notice.

“You really invited me to dinner beforehand” Along with the responsibilities of being a head of management, came work trips, which were initially a you thing until Yoongi came along and now had to take responsibility as well, so naturally you had suggested to him–after a lot of rain checks on your deal– that this work trip would be perfect for you two to give the new toys a try.

“I’m a true gentleman, Y/N I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Min Yoongi you’re about to absolutely ravage me after this”

“Y/N” his cheeks coloured a pretty pink as he tried to stifle a giggle by taking a sip out of his wine.

Even though it was hard to tell from first glance just what type of lifestyle Yoongi was accustomed to, it certainly became very visible as he navigated effortlessly through the menu with all the french names on it, swiftly ordering for both of you and being delighted at your reactions when the hors d'oeuvre came out, a soft smile on his face the whole time. Whether it was the soft buzz of two cups of red wine over dinner or having the chance of relaxing after a particularly busy week, it made you start gravitating towards Yoongi more than usual. It really was no secret that you found him attractive–you had even told the man yourself. And although you two had somewhat friendzoned each other, the awkward glances, blushing smiles and lingering touches certainly held more than what any of you two could express after barely a month of knowing each other.

Getting Yoongi to your hotel room was the easiest part, a faint blush on the apples of his cheeks as he gazed longingly at your held hands while you dragged him along after leaving the elevator. The kiss was unexpected but certainly welcomed, the way that Yoongi– the man that you had come to know for always being adamant on trying new things– looked so out of his element yet was willing to give it a try instead of running away like many times you had seen him do at work. The kiss was brief, a bit shy and probably out of all the built up tension in the room, your heart swelling at the gesture before you leaned in and captured his lips once more.

“Well this is certainly the first time someone has dined me, wined me and courted me before fucking me into next week”

A laugh escapes his lips, nothing like before, his eyes turning something dark within them as he lowers his voice and his fingers play with the strap on your shoulder, letting it fall down before his lips latch on the base of your jaw “Well what type of assholes have you let fuck you into next week”

A breathy moan escapes your lips as his mouth travels down your jaw to your clavicule, pressing you against him where you could feel his cock hardening, your hand coming down to trace the clothed length as he sharply breathes in “You know, maybe if you end up being good with the toys I’ll let you fuck me with this instead”

He groans loudly, head hitting the wall as you grip him inside his pants “Just fucking give me the dildos already so we can get on with it”

You both move to the bed, losing your dress in the way and positioning yourself nicely as you take out the box engraved with the company’s name on it before he trails behind you, feeling his cock twitch at the image he was greeted by, legs spread open, head against the pillows as your right hand leisurely strokes your already wet folds for him to see.

Yoongi tries his best to take deep breaths as he takes a look into the box, not recognising most of its contents “You really gotta walk me through these”

He can hear you laugh the way you always did when you noticed him being awkward in the slightest at work “Look, I’ll get the part going okay?” your hand stopped stroking your folds, fingers coming up to your mouth, licking them clean before going to grab a small bullet vibrator from the box– a classic you had become well acquainted with during your time working at the company.

The small object comes to life with a practiced twist on its body, buzzing against the air a few seconds before tracing the tip all over your folds before settling it on your clit, a gasped moan escaping your lips as you blindly fetch the glass dildo inside the box, cold surface sending a thrill down your spine as you slowly begin to insert it messily from being focused on not loosening your grip on the small vibrator. Warm hands remove your own from the clear object as you feel warm breath against your exposed skin, the tip of Yoongi’s tongue circling around your right nipple, capturing it between his teeth as he brings the tip of the glass penis inside and out of your cunt playfully a few times before deciding to bottom it out, earning a moan from you. Pumping the dildo a few times, his weight is suddenly shifted from the bed, movements halting and you prop yourself onto your elbows just to throw your head back in pleasure as you feel Yoongi’s mouth on your cunt, tongue lapping up your juices before he inserted the dildo once again, lewd sounds taking over the small room as he continues to fuck you and eat you out at the same time, you feel your thighs start shaking when he stops his movements, smirking at your surprised face, gaze fixated on you as he takes out both a set of ben wa balls and a rabbit vibrator, prompting yourself to explain both of the toys when he cuts your off “Oh I do recognise these two from the lab”

He quickly turns the rabbit vibrator on, wasting no time in fucking you with it as deep as its second vibrating tip allowed him to, the design effectively sending a wave of pleasure against your already worked up clit. Yoongi positions himself comfortably on your side, still fully clothed, hand at a slightly awkward angle so that he can reach down all while having open access to nibble at your skin, having you gasping and moaning under him

“Y-Yoongi I-!’m-” he throws a wink your way as you clench around nothing, impending orgasm long gone “You fucker”

He’s about to pick up the ben wa balls placed carelessly on the bed when he discards them in favour of a small silicone gadget that catches his eye “You were very much eager to try all of these tho” turning to you, all red faced and fucked out “What is this?”

You have half a mind to answer him “It’s a finger vibrator you just place it on your fingers like a glove”

There’s a brief glint in his eyes before he lowers himself again on the floor, easily manhandling you so that he had full access to your already dripping cunt, leveled to his face, cleaning you up with his hot tongue before he experimentally inserts his fingers inside you, vibrations making you instinctevely try and close your legs, to which he only chuckles and playfully bites the inside of your thigh. He quickly starts scissoring his fingers, gentle nibbles to your clit scattered between pumps, working you towards your previously cut short orgasm at a fast speed, walls clenching around his fingers as he separates himself from your core in favour of replacing his tongue for a mechanical sucking motion that you don’t even need to look down to know that he had reached for yet another toy inside the box “Yoongi- oh God- Yoongi p-please I’m-”

You moan loudly, pretty sure that if the rooms in your vicinity were occupied, they were most likely already filing a noise complaint, as you feel your whole body spasming by the force of your orgasm, feeling wetness around yourself, out of the corner of your eye you can see Yoongi smirking at you, the upper part of his sleeves wet from working you until you squirted on him. You can’t even begin to process the situation or really come down from your high as you feel Yoongi’s fingers carefully inserting what could only be the last toy. Your cunt seems to gape before clenching yet again as he works each of the rounded toys inside you, a mix of feeling too much yet not enough, dabbing between pleasure and feeling uncomfortable from the overstimulation taking over you for as long as Yoongi took his time inserting them all “God I can’t wait to see if you’d take my cock as well as you take these balls Y/N”

You’re about to respond with something snarky when he starts to slowly pull at the string of the toy, the ben wa balls coming out one by one, stretching you deliciously, a moan escaping your lips before Yoongi proceeds to start the ritual all over again. A sensation in your lower tummy aching for your climax buildup again and you could already tell it was going to be a long night.

Falling back into a comfortable, bantering routine was easy enough, if anything, that fated sleepless night followed by small giggles from Yoongi everytime you shifted uncomfortably on your seat at the meeting the next day, served the purpose of shifting your relationship towards a more relaxed sexual tension between the two, instead of the awkward one from before, lewd jokes thrown around as well as shameless flirting around the office when you thought no one was watching.

“Look what Jungkook just came up with” you said as you barged into his office a Monday morning, Yoongi almost choked on his coffee as you threw the artifact his way

“And I seriously hope this is a you thing”

You rolled your eyes at him, a smile stretching on your face as the sweet idea of revenge took over your thoughts “It’s an us thing”

His eyes seemed to want to escape their sockets at that “You gotta take me for dinner before you even plan on using that on me”

“Tell you what, I’ll feed you afterwards”

“Deal”

The office usually went quiet and lonely at around a quarter to seven, people from all sectors filtering out after a day’s worth of work, with you being the only human left on the building afterwards, that is, until Yoongi started working there, the man tended to stay for even longer than you did, the lights inside his office filtering to the otherwise dark place. You knock three times on the wooden door before entering Yoongi’s office, finding him hunched over his desk, some document open on his desk as he stares intently at it. You make your way towards him, hands kneading his shoulders to relieve tension, a pleasured groan escaping his lips as your lips bite teasingly his earlobe.

“The ever so romantic Y/N about to fuck me in my own office”

Your hands travel down to the expanse of his chest until they reach his belt, where you struggle a bit to get it undone. “I really just couldn’t wait any longer, could you blame me?”

Yoongi is quick to capture your mouth with his in a heated yet chaste kiss. He rolls his chair out of its original position to allow you to place yourself in between his legs, hips coming up just a few inches to allow you to bring his suit pants down to his ankles, half hard cock twitching in the cool air, your hand wrapping around it and pumping it a few times, to which Yoongi groans loudly, head thrown back as you lick a strip all the way from the base to the tip.

“Oh god Y/N” he can almost feel himself twitch in pleasure as he gazes down just in time to watch you slip him insid eyour mouth, lips wrapped prettily around him as you bob your head a few times before taking him out and giving his tip a few kitten licks “Oh-Oh I swear to fucking god you’ll be the death of me”

You take more of his length in your mouth, ravishing in the way that Yoongi responds, hand coming down to rest on your head, guiding you, yet not forcefully enough as you take a small set of rings from your bag laying around as soon as you feel him tense. You expertly maneuver the toy so that it is wrapped around his cock, him looking down and shivering at the cold metal touching him, constricting his cock to stand proudly as you move to straddle him, moving around a little so that his exposed cock grazes your clothed core under your skirt “I think you should stand up for me”

Yoongi does as he is told, not a word coming out of his mouth as he braces himself against his desk, one of your hands works on his cock as the other one comes down to his asshole, surprised enough to come across a bejewelled toy nestled inside it. You experimentally tug at it, Yoongi hanging his head low with a moan before you tease him a little with it, repeating the motion “So you prepped yourself for me”

He inhales sharply at your ongoing movements, biting down on his lips to keep a much louder noise from coming out “Shut up”

“No I think it's hot" you finally take the plug out, taking a few too many seconds to place the strap on you had thrown his way earlier on before moving to squirt some lube on it as well as on Yoongi’s hole before you tease it with the tip of the dildo, a broken moan coming from Yoongi’s mouth at the feeling, although it had been years– and he really wasn’t about to admit he was looking forward to having you fuck him ever since that sleepless night at your hotel room.

Your hips meet his in a faint and comfortable rhythm, Yoongi clutches his fists tighter every time you graze his prostate, cock leaking in front of him as he feels his orgasm building at a rapid pace before you completely remove yourself from him, bending down to put his pants in place, hand fumbling with the zipper so as to have his still ringed up cock standing still through the pants, forcing him onto his chair as you smile wickedly at him, a small set of electrodes being placed along his length, thin cables leading up to a small device you held in between your fingers.

He gasps as soon as he feels the electrodes vibrating against his cock, his faded climax coming back tenfold, something between a groan and a moan coming out from the back of his throat as you refrain yourself to just continue to watch him curiously “Look at you, such a pretty baby”

Yoongi’s moans keep getting louder by the second as you increase the level on the toy, and you certainly have to thank the universe for the whole office building being completely empty as you clearly see his cock twitch a few times before he cums all over his pants, Yoongi’s breath is ragged as his cock is unable to go soft, discomfort blending into pleasure once again as you keep the toy on for good measure, until you see his eyes watering, to which you hastily make your way to him, as he almost dissolves against the chair.

“It’s- it’s fine, I’ll clean myself” his voice is raspy and kind of quiet as you make sure to clean him the best that you could after removing the toys and running to his private bathroom for some towels.

“Yoongi, I’m not about to leave you after splitting your ass open and overstimulating you into oblivion, you’re not even sitting properly”

He makes a go at inhaling sharply before coming to fix himself on the chair “No it’s okay, I’ve had worse”

“Yoongi” you chastise, fixing him a glare

“Summer 2013”

You chuckle at that–the very much recurring inside joke of his. “What even happened in summer 2013?” He barely opens his eyes just to send an irritated glare your way “Yeah Yeah, we don’t talk about summer 2013”

Carefully selected dates under the pretense of trying out whatever new gadget Jungkook and Hoseok came up with during the month soon turned into weekly meetups, meetups turned into staying the night that soon enough turned things as official as they could be– if Human Resources were the ones asking, Yoongi and you were just really great friends, end of the story. Out of all the ways that Yoongi had initially thought this scenario could play out, it certainly wasn’t this one.

“I’ll see you at home once the meeting is over then?” you say after placing a kiss on Yoongi’s adorable pouty lips, gathering your documents and thoughts for the meeting you were supposed to already be at. He nods right as your knees buckle, feeling the small device inside you pick up in speed, turning to the culprit only to find him smirking at you “Yoongi”

“Love you!” the little shit is quick to pretend like he hadn’t done a thing, eyes quickly fixated on whatever that was showing up on his screen as he watched you leave his office. Guess you’ll just have to get revenge on that one.

[theacevampire]

Late Night Shift VI

Pairing: Ushijima x fem!Reader

Genre: romance, fluff

Wordcount: 2.5k

Warnings: Language

Midterms were approaching and the next week all of us would be buried in study sessions, so I barely got to talk to Ushijima again – at least not alone. Not that I feel like he wanted, considering how suddenly he had ended our last conversation, almost fleeing from the scene. In addition, for the rest of the week, it had only been Tendou who had picked me up from the stable, always saying Ushijima was practicing longer since the next week would be no training since midterms were coming up. Something had smelled fishy, especially when I had caught a glimpse of the dark gym on Saturday, though I had refrained from commenting on it. If they felt the need to use an excuse, there was probably a good reason for that and I wouldn’t push the topic. Instead, I had used these days as an opportunity to get to know Tendou a bit more.

On the day before our last exam, our group had settled on a table under a tree on Shiratorizawa’s campus, the sun casting soft spots of light through the leaves on our table. Its surface was buried under textbooks, stacks of paper, pencil cases and remains of eaten and half-eaten snacks. A gentle breeze ruffled through the treetops, whirling up one of our sheets, but Reon’s hand snapped forward, pinning it back down. Shirabu lifted his head, thanking Reon when he noticed it was his.

I subtly glanced at Ushijima over the table, resting my eyes on the crease between his eyebrows which often showed when he was concentrated. Sighing a quiet sigh I turned my gaze back to the equation in front of me, but my mind refused to get back into learning mode and instead continued its desperate try to decipher what Ushijima had meant back then at the meadow.

Someone nudged me with their elbow and I turned my head to see Tendou smiling at me. “Do you need help with that? I can explain it to you if you want. I’m so good at explaining, even Semi Semi understands it.”

“Hey!”, the boy in question protested – whether it be of the nickname or the implication he was stupid would be left unknown – before returning his focus to his textbook.

With a tired smile I shook my head. “No, math is not the main issue I have right now. Thank you.” In the corner of my eye, I saw Ushijima looking up and watching the interaction between Tendou and me.

The happiness faded from Tendou’s features and were replaced by a frown. “Oh, do you want to talk about it?”

“No, it’s okay, Tendou.”

His eyes narrowed for a split second before his grin returned to his lips. “Okay, but feel free to ask if you need anything. Oh, by the way, I found a theatre showing The Eleventh Striker tomorrow night, are you up for it?”

My mouth fell open. “No way! Really?” He nodded, his chest swelling with pride. “Oh my god! Yes! Of course!” I beamed, my mood instantly better at his proposition. Joining our mutual love for the Death Note manga, we had discovered the both of us also enjoyed Detective Conan. The newest movie in the series had come out in April and most movie theatres had taken the movie off their program again, so I was thrilled Tendou had found one which was still offering showings.

“Who knew you two were dating.” Yuri wiggled her eyebrows.

I threw my eraser at her while Tendou resorted to denying the rumor with words, “It’s not a date.”

But Yuri wasn’t convinced. She continued winking at me while her eyes flickered back and forth between Tendou and me. She let me solve a few more equations before she nudged me into the ribs – anything else than gentle. “Hey, I wanted to get another round of coffee, are you coming with me?” When I nodded, she turned to the others, “The usual for everyone?”

A collective nod went through the group and Yamagata declared himself in favor of a general lunch break. “I can’t be the only one who’s starving. While you get the drinks, we can take care of the food, how about that? Any requests?”

“I could use a pizza”, Goshiki remarked.

Shirabu flashed him a glare. “Don’t let Coach Washijo hear that.”

Yuri got up, raising her hands. “You guys can settle it amongst yourselves, we take whatever.” Grabbing my arm, she dragged me from the bench with her to the coffee shop near campus. The way she bit her lip and stomped showed she was nervous about something.

When we were far enough from the boys to noticed, I stopped her and dared to ask, “Spit it out. What is it that you want to talk about?”

Eyes wide, her body froze. “Shit. If you noticed, Hayato will too...” Instead of explaining what she meant, she walked around nervously, gnawing on her nails and staring into the void.

“Yuri.” No reaction. “Yuri!”, I tried again of no avail. Grabbing her upper arm, I stopped her, pulling her from her fogged mind. “Yuri! What is it?”

Finally, she looked at me, anxiety all over her features. “Hayato...” She sighed. “Our anniversary is coming up in July and coincidentally they have their break from practice around that day, so I thought about booking a vacation for us, but I’m afraid he won’t like it.”

She was about to start moving again, so I grabbed her shoulders and gave her an encouraging smile. “Yuri, I’m sure he’ll like it. A little getaway from all the stress with nobody but his girlfriend. He may be quite protective of the younger ones on the team, but a little pause from Shirabu’s and Goshiki’s bickering will do him good. Do you have a destination in mind yet?”

A little smile pulled on her lips as she sighed. “I’m not sure. I’d love to hike the Fuji with him – watching the sunrise there is so romantic – but that’s probably too much, isn’t it? I guess it’s too physically exhausting, considering he might want a break from working out. Practice is demanding enough lately with the Spring Tournament at the end of October. On the other hand, two weeks of beach vacation probably mess with his fitness.”

“How about Shirahama?”, I suggested, pulling her along so we could get the coffee the boys were waiting for – and the food I was longing for. “My mom and I were there a few times when I was younger. It has a beautiful beach and to keep in shape you can jog around town or go for a swim. Would that be fitting?”

For a few footsteps she directed her gaze on the ground, thinking about my recommendation. “It does sound good. Could you help me with finding an accommodation? I mean, after the exams and after your date with Satori.” She winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and nudged her in her ribs but laughed anyway. “Tendou and I are not going out.”

She dared to look a little disappointed with a little pout on her lips. “So, it’s not a movie date?”

“It’s not – he himself said it’s not. Besides, weren’t you the one trying to set me up with Ushijima last week?”

Clearing her throat, she put on a professional face and walked the remaining meters to the cafe with her head held high. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Following her through the door, I nudged her again. “Liar.”

“Hey, what can I get you?”, the barista greeted us.

The cafe was less busy than I expected during exam season – or a cafe’s high season, as I liked to call it. There was no line and aside from a handful of tables being occupied, the establishment was empty. We had our order in our hands and were out the door again in less than five minutes.

On our walk back, Yuri was happily whistling a song – and probably planning her trip with Yamagata – while I was stuck in my thoughts about Tendou. Was there something? I did like him, I was happy when he picked me up from the stable, I enjoyed talking with him about anime. However, I felt the same about Reon or Semi when we waited for the others to join our lunch table. There were no butterflies when I saw him, no racing heart and no brain turning into cotton candy.

“Yuri?”, I asked abruptly, words leaving my lips before I realized. “Do you really think Tendou has a crush on me?”

From one second to the other she was red-hot to talk about the topic again. “So, you do like him!”

This time, I rolled my eyes in serious annoyance. “I don’t. While I’m not saying I could never have a crush on him, I’m certain I don’t as of yet. I’m just asking because you’re not the first one to give indications at Tendou liking me. First were Semi and Reon and last week it was Ushijima – who I haven’t talked to since and I’m starting to think he’s avoiding me.” Somewhere, the tone my voice had changed from annoyed to something else. Sad? Disappointed?

If there was anything I could’ve said to get her out of her gossip mode, it wasn’t that. On the contrary, it only spurred her on. “Even Ushijima? What did he say? And what did the other two say?”

“Just some cryptic stuff”, I said, waving my hand as if I could shoo the topic away like a fly despite me being the one who had brought it up again. “You know what? Just forget it. It was weeks ago and they are boys and were probably just teasing me with dumb insinuations.”

Unfortunately, Yuri wasn’t having it. She attached herself to the topic like a leech. “I would buy that if it had been only Reon and Semi, but you said Ushijima said something too and he’s most definitely not the type of person to tease people. Especially not over things like crushes. No. There is something. Now, tell me what they said”, she demanded before putting on her puppy eyes and adding, “Please.”

I sighed. “Do you remember when we first met? I had dropped off Ushijima’s jacket at the gym and later when we were on our way to the diner, Semi and Reon asked me – and I quote – what the deal was with me and said Tendou had been really excited after I had left.”

She nodded, understanding and thinking. “And what did big boy Ushijima say?”

“After you joked about him and I going on a date, he asked to talk to me alone and told me how glad he was, Tendou and I are getting along. Like... What? Is that his way of saying he’s not interested but Tendou is? What kind of rejection is that?”

My answer elicited a hearty laugh from Yuri. “I knew Ushijima isn’t exactly a social butterfly but I would’ve thought he knew gentler ways to turn someone down. And regarding Tendou I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him crushing on someone yet so I’m missing reference material.”

When we turned the corner, the table with the boys came into view and I begged Yuri to not say anything, offering we could talk about it another time.

It wasn’t hard as the commotion at the table gave us a distraction anyway. “We have two weeks off of practice. I refuse to spend them solely in the dorms!”, Semi complained just as we arrived.

“But where do you want to go? Our usual lodging house is already booked”, Reon returned – in full vice-captain manner – calmer than Semi to keep the situation from getting too heated.

Semi sighed, throwing his hands up and letting his head fall back in defeat. “I don’t know... just not here. It’s already enough we have to stay here for practice the rest of summer break.”

Yamagata was the first one to notice us. “Hey. Wakatoshi’s picking up our pizzas.” He nodded in my direction. “What are you doing over the summer?”

Good question. Usually, I had spent one or two weeks of my summer break somewhere with my parents, taking a break from riding for the time, and the rest at home because I had horses to take care of. “I’ll probably visit my grandma on her farm. My second horse is currently staying with her and if I don’t visit him, he'll take offense at my behavior.” A chuckle left my lips when I remembered the first time I hadn’t visited Stormy in two weeks. Demonstrative, he had turned his back to me, snorting and pretending to ignore me despite his ears twitching when I called him.

“Oh! A farm sounds so cool!”

Tendou’s interjection reminded me how my grandma had encouraged me every year to visit her with some friends, though I had never because none of my friends had ever wanted to. “If you’re interested, I can ask my grandma if you can stay with us. The way I know her she will only ask for a little help around the farm and even refuse any monetary payment.”

His face lit up and he nodded excitedly while the others exchanged glances, silently questioning each other. Yuri watched Yamagata closely, biting her lips, hoping to get any hint of what he’d like to do on their break.

“I’m down”, Semi said with a shrug. “It’s not our cabin, but definitely better than just sitting in our dorms.”

Shirabu shot him a glare. “I’ll pass.”

Yuri put on a smile when Yamagata looked at her, asking her for her opinion. “I’d be down too. What about you, love?” Her smile became sincere when she nodded, her earlier doubts vanishing. He wouldn’t be against a vacation alone with his girlfriend, would he?

“Sounds good”, Reon agreed and nodded in Ushijima’s direction who just returned with our food. “You’re coming with us? Two weeks on her grandma’s farm?”

Placing the boxes on the table, he let his gaze wander around the group. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Would he decline?

“I don’t see a reason, why not.”

My heart skipped a beat. Did that mean he wasn’t avoiding me? Suddenly, a certain happiness took over my mood and I couldn’t suppress the smile tugging on my lips.

“It’s not guaranteed yet, I still have to ask her though the chances she says ‘no’ are pretty much non-existent.”

For the rest of the day the smile wouldn’t faint – not even when I needed to continue my math study. For the first time I would go on a vacation with friends. We could sit together late at night, telling stories, talking. I was as excited as a child looking forward to their birthday.

[raindownforme]

omg omg ok ok so maybe for a request charlie and the reader and how they interact as streamers?? like a friends to lovers au but you can tell how they fall in love through all their interactions online & in games (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

like for example whenever they play on the smp charlie only reaaallly wants to help the reader and when anyone else asks he’s like hm? what? IT JUST SEEMED CUTE IN MY HEAD ☹️💌

Lore

Charlie slimecicle x reader [they/them used]

“Hello twitchers.” y/n smiled into the face cam, watching the chat fly by a mile a minute. They knew they’d draw in a larger audience today, it being their first official stream on the Dream SMP. They loaded up the game, spawning in a wooded area surrounded by cobblestone. “Alright where do we- hello?”

y/n leaned closer to the screen. They could see someone standing behind a tree. Someone in glasses and green blotchy skin. They typed into the in-game chat, trying to get who ever it was to come closer. Thankfully they did, revealing a character named Slimecicle. y/n looked over to the discord server, pulling themselves into a voice channel with the mystery person.

“Hi there!” Slimecicle’s voice rang through y/n’s headphones and they smiled. They liked the sound of his voice. “Im Charlie. Welcome.”

“Thanks. Do you know how to get anywhere?”

“Yeah!” Charlie’s character jumped as y/n followed after him. Charlie led them to a snowy mountainside that had been covered with sand. Someone had built a white mansion and several other buildings, including a fountain and a tall tower. “This is where I live.”

“This mansion?” y/n panned to look around the mountainside. They glanced over to watch their chat fly by.

“No I just live in the country in general. Las Nevadas!” Charlie jumped up and down, punching y/n in a friendly manner. “Oh are you hungry? I have food!”

Charlie’s character threw a stack of lamb chops at y/n. They smiled at him, then quickly realized he couldn’t see them. “Thanks! Where is this by the way.”

“Only the best country ever. It’s Las Nevadas! Do you want to live here?”

“Sure!” y/n followed as Charlie ran around. He showed them all around the country; the casino, the strip club, the restaurant, and even the garden. “Charlie this is so cool!”

“I know!” Charlie jumped up and down in a circle. “I’m not the guy who owns it but I’m sure he’d like to meet you.”

“Oh.” y/n paused, biting their cheek. “Will he be okay with me being here?”

“Of course he will. It’s Quackity! Let’s find you somewhere to live.” y/n followed Charlie to the tall white tower. He led them behind it to a flat plot of sand. “Here! We’ll be neighbors.”

“Awesome. I don’t have anything to build with yet but-“

“Oh here!” Charlie ran into the base of the tower, coming back 30 seconds later. He threw two stacks of oak logs to y/n. “Is this what you needed?”

“I- yeah. That’s a lot of wood.”

“I want you to have it!”

y/n smiled bashfully, trying to swallow the heat rising to their cheeks. They could see their twitch chat running by with messages asking if it was lore or cannon. “Here. Take this then.”

Charlie marveled at the flower y/n had tossed him, a blue cornflower. He smiled, holding a hand over his mouth to hide from the prying eyes of his own twitch chat. “Thank you.”

y/n began running around the plot, randomly placing oak planks to make a frame for their house. They tossed Charlie some planks, allowing him to help build up the home. They continued beholding for another half an hour, allowing y/n to have a gorgeous one story home with room for storage and supplies.

“Thanks for all your help today.”

“Of course! Do I get to see you again?”

y/n smiled, glancing over at discord to make sure they’d requested to be friends with Charlie. “Of course! I’ll see you around the server?”

y/n and Charlie saw each other quite often around the server. y/n logged on, Charlie was there. They’d spend hours in the game mining together, building structures, hunting. It went on months of them interacting in streams and lore exclusively.

“You can’t do this Quackity.” y/n spoke slowly. They’d been practicing the recording for this lore for weeks now, and thank god it wasn’t live. “I trust you, and I’m glad we’re friends, but this? Burning it all? What will that do for you. What will any of this do for you?”

“I know you haven’t been here as long, but this is my fucking country. It’s my fucking war. Who the hell are you to think you have any understanding of this? And ideas?”

“Because this isn’t how it works. This isn’t going to work. How many times have you tried this and it just hasn’t happened or you? I don’t know, maybe think about Schlatt? Or Technoblade?”

Quackity froze, being eerily silent. y/n glanced over at the script, making sure nothing was missed. “How do you know about that? Who told you about that?” Quackity’s character ran forward with a diamond sword in hand. “That is none of your business.”

“It’s none of your business how I know.” y/n backed away from Quackity as he walked closer. “I may not have been here long but I have friends.”

“What friends you have-“ he paused, realization setting in. “You have Slime. My friend.”

Quackity came at y/n swinging, they tried to fight back, blocking with a shield and iron sword. “Quackity enough! This isn’t what you want! Quackity please-“

y/n stopped, holding a breath and muting their mic. Quackity had landed the final blow, taking their first cannon life. They moved slightly away from their set up, making sure to not touch any keys. They knew Quackity was still recording, and Charlie’s part was coming soon.

Quackity panted. Taking a shaky breath. “Fuck. Okay. God I can’t believe-“ y/n waited expectantly. Quackity’s pause meant that he saw Charlie. “Oh. Hey bud.”

“Quackity from Las Nevadas.” Charlie almost sounded like he was crying. “What did you do?”

“Slime, you don’t understand, they knew more than they should-“

“So you killed them?” Quackity was quiet. y/n silently cheered to themselves, proud of both Charlie and Quackity’s acting. “You- you took my friend. You took my friend away and- are they coming back? Is y/n coming back?”

“Slime, I took one life. It doesn’t matter. They don’t matter. They didn’t care about Las Nevadas, not like we do.” y/n could hear Quackity’s character moving from his audio in the discord call. “It’s you and me Slime, my best friend.”

“No.”

“No?” y/n looked over the shared script, searching for what part was happening. They hadn’t read this far ahead. “What do you mean no?”

“I cared about y/n. They were my friend. This is not how you treat a friend.”

“And how would you know?”

“Because I know Quackity. I know.”

Charlie and Quackity came to a halt, waiting a moment before speaking again. “That was great!” y/n exited the Minecraft world, turning their full attention to the discord call. Quackity had his camera on, smiling, but Charlie still kept his camera off. “Was there anything else to record today?”

“No that’s it.” There was some clicking from Quackity’s end. “Thanks again. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yeah, later.”

Quackity exited the discord call, leaving Charlie and y/n in silence. Charlie cleared his throat, turning on his camera. His room was lit by just the lights behind his set up, casting his shadow over the shelves of stuffed toys and collectibles behind him. “Hey.”

“Hey!” y/n felt their face grow warm slightly. “I didn’t realize there was that much more to the script.”

“Yeah.”

y/n chewed the inside of their cheek. It almost sounded like Charlie was disappointed. “Are you okay? You sound upset.”

“I just-“ Charlie paused, resting his chin on his propped-up hands. “What do we do now? I don’t want to stop playing minecraft with you.”

“Charlie we don’t have to stop. Just because the lore goes one way doesn’t mean that we can’t interact.”

“But continuity-“

“You’re thinking like DnD.” y/n smiled gently at him. “If you still want to play together we can, it’ll just be like a secret. Or we can do our own lore. I’m sure if we talk to everyone about it me and you can write something.” Charlie didn’t say anything, and they frowned. “Is there something else?”

“I kind wish they didn’t kill you so early. I’ve still got my lives.”

“Maybe Quackity will kill you next.”

“That’s not-“ Charlie huffed, running a hand through his hair. “I like the character dynamic. I like us interacting. I like us.”

y/n paused, their face burning. They’d be lying if they said they hadn’t thought about the dynamic between themself and Charlie. The clips of them talking on late night streams. The fan-art all over Twitter. The edits recommended to them on Instagram. Hell, they thought about it even without seeing any prompted content. Charlie was on their mind most of the day. They’d constantly find themselves checking twitch to see if he was live or discord to see if he was active. Charlie had become a constant in y/n’s life and they indulged themself in it. “I like the dynamic too.”

“Well we don’t have that dynamic if you stop being part of Las Nevadas. There isn’t us.”

“Charlie, what are you talking about?”

“I’ve been— fucking— I’ve been using this stupid server to get closer to you. I thought that maybe you liked us the way that I liked us and I- I don’t know what I’m doing now.” Charlie rubbed his hands over his eyes. “I just didn’t want you to go.”

“Charlie I’m not going anywhere. I like us too.”

“You do?” Charlie perked up a bit, seeming more enthusiastic.

“Just cause we write lore doesn’t mean it affects us. Here, watch this.” y/n went onto the shared script, hoping Charlie still had it open, and began to type. They wrote about how y/n would possibly live alone in the woods on the outskirts of Las Nevadas, staying close to Charlie.

They could see Charlie smile on the other end of the call, then emit the sound of keys tapping. y/n watched as the words appeared on the page: Charlie tells y/n how he feels.

y/n gasped and turned back to the discord call. “I wanted to tell you soon. I guess I didn’t realize how upset the recording would make me.”

“Charlie, how long have you had a crush on me?”

“Uh, remember your first day?” y/n nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Probably about there.”

y/n turned back to the shared document, typing furiously. “It’s a good thing I like you too.”

Charlie smiled widely at the words; y/n returns his affection. He smiled at the discord call, resting his face in his hands. “Well then, what’s next for our lore darling?”

y/n chuckled, going back to open minecraft. “Help me make a new house.”

“Only if my bed can be next to yours.”

“Deal.”

They could hear Charlie tapping on his keyboard as he loaded in the game. “I know we haven’t met in person, but I’m serious. I like you.”

“And I’m serious. I like you too.” y/n looked at Charlie’s character on their screen. “It does kind of suck we’ve never met but that doesn’t mean-“

“I bought a ticket.”

“W-what? What kind of ticket?”

“A plane ticket. For next week. I mean if that’s okay. I can still cancel it.”

“No! I mean yes. I’d be delighted to have you come over Charlie.” y/n felt their smile soften.

“Can I still have a bed then?”

“Yes!” y/n laughed, going back to the game. They placed two beds side-by-side in the open air. “How’s this?”

“Better.” Charlie’s character went to stand on one of the beds. “Maybe we can write something different- oh.”

y/n looked at the document. Quackity had left them a comment on their new writing, telling them to flirt elsewhere. “Well, I guess he had a point.”

“Back to the game then darling?”

y/n smiled bashfully at the nickname. “Back to the game.”