#lol should we bring song fics back?

[the-badger-mole]

Down the Road and Back Again Playlist

Song that helped inspire the story (and some of the chapter titles of) Down the Road and Back Again

Water Runs Dry - Boyz II Men

Hit 'em Up Style - Blu Cantrell

Return of the Mack - Mark Morrison

I Sold My Heart to the Junkman - Patti Labelle and the Blue Belles

End of the Road - Boyz II Men

Girl Talk - TLC

Step by Step - Whitney Houston

Call the Law - Outkast

That's What Friends are For - Dionne Warrick

Someone to Love You - Ruff Endz

Let's Just Kiss - The Manhattans

Party Starter - Will Smith

Fantasy - Mariah Carey

Still - Tamia

greatestlove - Musiq Soulchild

Same Script Different Cast - Whitney Houston (ft. Deborah Cox)

He Wasn't Man Enough - Toni Braxton

Family Affair - Mary J Blige

A Song for Mama - Boyz II Men

He Is - Heather Headly

Walked Outta Heaven - Jagged Edge

Who's Lovin' You - Jackson 5

The Point of It All - Anthony Hamilton

[xo-cori]

because second’s not the same

pairing: abby anderson x fem!reader

summary: morals become blurred in a motel room with your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.

warnings: smut (MDNI), comphet on reader’s end, internalized homophobia, lots of angst, cheating, sorry owen you seem cool, submissive top!abby ftw, hair pulling, fingersucking, facesitting, abby makes reader answer a call while getting down n dirty, they both hate men (real)

a/n: my first fic on this godforsaken app, hopefully it’s okay! this is based off of an old halsey song called “is there somewhere,” i highly recommend listening while you read

When your phone chimes twice at exactly ten o’clock on a Friday night, your heartbeat quickens and the air is stolen from your lungs. Your body seems to know who it is before you do. Maybe that should concern you or serve as a reminder of how much of a problem this is becoming, but instead, you unlock your phone and read the much anticipated message.

abby: Hey

abby: What are you up to tonight??

you: hey, i was just reading a bit before bed

abby: Sounds like a real party

you: shut up lol

you: why do you ask?

abby: Don’t make me say it

you: i’m making you say it

There’s a hesitance on Abby’s side, made obvious by how the text bubble appears and disappears as she types and deletes a response. It takes her a good minute to send another message.

abby: Just wanted to know if you’d meet me

abby: Please

you: there we go. be there in 20

Before you know it, you’re driving fifteen miles over the speed limit, chest tight and craving a release that only Abby can bring. You eventually step out of your car and into the near-empty parking lot of the old motel that you’ve become awfully familiar with these past few weeks.

Your feet guide you along the farthest side of the building, straight towards a room marked ‘93,’ and you invite yourself in.

In less than five minutes, your shirts are on the floor and her hands are on your hips and god, her thigh feels so good between yours. She always seems to know exactly what you need. More importantly, she wastes no time with giving it to you.

“Fuck,” Abby says, “been waiting for this all week.”

You nod in agreement, lost in the way she grinds you onto her with seemingly no effort. She sighs contentedly when your back arches, chest pressing into hers, enveloping her in your warmth and melting away all the stress of a long day. There’s a piece of heaven in this room with her. How could she worry about anything outside of it?

“Me too,” you reply. One of your hands grasps at her shoulder in attempt to steady yourself, caressing the tense muscle, while the other gently tugs her hair. The dirty blonde strands feel like silk between your fingers and you can smell the pine shampoo that she uses. It invades all of your senses. It makes you desperate for more. So, you tug harder. Her head falls back against the headboard with a groan and you use it as an opening, diving in to press your lips to her neck.

It’s messy, just how Abby likes it. Her grip on you tightens and she lets out a broken gasp.

She needs this just as much as you do, if not more– but you’re much more generous with the teasing.

“Feel good?” You mumble into her throat, before picking another patch of skin to suckle on. Every touch sends a bolt of electricity up her spine and decorates her freckled skin with goosebumps.

Still, Abby does what she does best, and clings to any power she still has. You don’t resist when she grabs you by the shoulders and pushes you back onto the bed. In fact, you only spread your legs wider so she can situate herself between them. Then, without wasting another moment, her lips come crashing down onto yours.

It’s always your favorite part of the night; when she kisses you so passionately that you can almost fool yourself into thinking it means something.

This isn’t supposed to mean anything, though.

You assure yourself that the sparks you feel are all make-believe, silently wrestling with the fact that you’ve never once felt this with Owen. Not even close.

Her tongue quickly finds yours in a heated battle for dominance that she’s already lost. There’s no telling just how long this goes on for– you’re so focused on the feeling of her large hands running up and down your body, soothing all the shame you feel about this arrangement as you caress her cheek with your thumb.

It’s a loving gesture. Too loving, Abby thinks. She shouldn’t enjoy it so much, but she does.

When she pulls away, your half-lidded eyes land on the redness on her face, her swollen lips, her hair that’s all messy from your wandering fingers. The dim light from the bedside lamp casts a glow to one side of her face, and a shadow on the other. The thumb that was once on her cheek starts moving toward her mouth, until it pushes past her waiting lips and she accepts it with a pleased hum.

You watch her intently as you press down on the center of her tongue. Her brows furrow up and she lets out a whine.

After a few more moments, you pull your thumb from Abby’s mouth and smear her own saliva across her lips. She opens her eyes to look down at you, finally, and you offer a warm smile. “You just take it.” You observe aloud. “Whatever I want, you just let it happen.”

It’s a stark difference from your relationship with Owen. There’s never any concern for what you want; though, to be honest, you wouldn’t be in a relationship with him if you could get actually get what you want. It’d be Abby’s apartment you go to every weekend. There’d be no motel and no deleted messages and no acting like mere acquaintances when Owen gets all of his friends together, including her and you.

If you could get what you wanted, you don’t think you’d ever want anything else ever again.

“Yeah.” She agrees, slightly muffled until you fully pull your hand away. “Whatever you want.”

Part of you feels bad. You have this woman wrapped around your finger, and you have to act like it’s nothing more than a convenience.

In reality, it’s everything to you.

So, the other part of you plans to take whatever you can from her.

“You really mean that?” You ask.

“Would I lie to you?” She asks in return.

You pat her cheek. “Lay down, then.”

Without another word, Abby does as she’s told. The two of you switch positions and she watches you peel off the rest of your clothes, while she lays in a grey sports bra and a pair of boxers.

She starts to feel excited when she thinks you’ll move down further like usual, your face nestled between her legs until you’re pulling orgasm from orgasm out of her.

Her heart nearly stops, though, when she sees you pull off your own panties and begin crawling up her body.

‘Excited’ doesn’t do it justice. You’ve hardly done anything and she already feels like she might die of happiness.

You feel her hands grab your ass, encouraging you to move much faster than you are, and you hesitantly oblige. “You can push me off if you need to, yeah?” You clarify. “Don’t wanna suffocate you or anything.”

Abby nods with a quiet mm-hmm only to appease you, but in her mind, suffocating to death while you sit on her face would be an honor. She’d probably die beneath you before the thought of pushing you off ever crosses her mind. For now, though, you do your best to be gentle as she ushers you to fully hover over her mouth.

Then, she pulls you down onto it.

A strangled moan escapes you when her tongue immediately finds its target, her patience clearly worn thin as she latches to your clit. Your hands fly down to grab her hair in attempt to ground yourself, but if you didn’t know any better, you’d think you’re having an out-of-body experience.

The worst part? Only Abby can make you feel this way.

Guilty, and so, so good.

Maybe she doesn’t know the extent of your feelings, but she knows your body like the back of her hand, and she uses that to her advantage. Her fingers dig into the pillowy flesh above your hip bones, surely hard enough to leave a few bruises, but you never complain about marks until you see them in the morning.

“Abs,” you manage breathlessly, “ease up, baby–”

You’re cut off by another moan as she somehow manages to pull you down further, unrelenting and making it impossible for you to escape. Not that you’d want to, anyways. So, you just grab her hair with one hand and grab the headboard with the other as your eyes flutter shut.

That is, until you hear your phone vibrate on the bedside table. Once, twice, three times; you soon realize that it isn’t stopping.

“Fuck.” You groan.

Abby looks up at you and slightly moves you down so she can speak, seemingly much more entertained by this than you. “Who’s calling?”

“It’s Owen,” you say truthfully, “I was supposed to go over to his place tonight, but here we are.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, you blew him off for me?”

“No shit. I’ll just silence it and pretend I fell asleep.” You grumble. Then, you reach over to grab the phone before she takes a hold of your wrist.

“Answer it.” She says.

You can’t help but laugh despite the forming pit of anxiety in your stomach, because you know that she’s dead serious. “What?”

“You heard me. Answer it or I’ll stop.” She repeats, making your eyes widen.

“…Fine, but can you please—” You’re interrupted by Abby pressing the green button for you, and you quickly bring the phone towards your ear.

The sound of Owen’s voice makes your chest feel tight. “Hey,” he says with an obvious concern in his voice. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

You open your mouth to respond, but you can only let out a gasp when you feel Abby’s lips wrap around your clit. Thankfully, her tongue moves more slowly than before, deciding to show you some mercy. “Yeah,” you breathe, “yeah, I fell asleep– I’m sorry, I really don’t feel good today. Think I might’ve caught something.”

It’s a pathetic excuse, but you can only hope he buys it. “Oh, that’s… uh, not good.” He mumbles, which makes you roll your eyes. “Do you want me to bring anything to your place? I have this cold medicine that could literally heal the bubonic plague, and I’m pretty sure I have some soup in one of these cabinets somewhere,”

You can hear him rummaging around on the other line. “No!” You blurt out. The last thing you need is Owen stopping by just to find out that you aren’t home. “No, I’m okay. Appreciate it, though.”

“You sure? If you’re worried about me getting sick, I can just leave it outside the door.” He continues.

“Really, Owen, it’s fine. Pretty sure I’ll feel better in the morning,” you assure him.

He sighs. “Whatever you say. Just let me know if you change your mind, okay? I’ll bring whatever you need.”

He’s kind. Too kind, considering your current situation. Abby’s mouth is latched to the most sensitive parts of you, her blue eyes staring up at you as you try your hardest to keep your voice steady. She kneads at the back of your thighs, getting you into a rhythm while you rut against her tongue.

All the while, you’re on the phone with a man who deserves much better. You’re aware of this. You tilt your head back with a shaky sigh.

“Okay,” you reply, “thanks, Owen. ‘Night.”

You don’t even wait for him to say it back before you hang up the phone, quickly throwing it off of the bed onto the carpeted floor. Abby smiles, and you can feel it. You reach down to grab a handful of her hair and pull it as hard as you can– which isn’t very hard, but it still makes her whine. “Fuck you,” you huff, thighs tensing on either side of her head, “I’m so close, Abs.”

Any annoyance you feel is overshadowed by the orgasm creeping up on you much quicker than usual. You already know that you’ll never forgive yourself for being so turned on by something so horrible.

Abby sticks her tongue out so that you can ride it, letting out moans of encouragement as you finally tip over the edge. Your mouth falls open and a gush of wetness fills Abby’s, which she happily laps up with her warm tongue. Her hands wander over your shivering body, listening to your muffled moans with her eyes trained on your face; more specifically, the tears that begin to run down your cheeks.

It doesn’t take much longer for you to crawl off of her face and crash into the bed beneath you, much to Abby’s dismay, but she doesn’t let it show. Instead, she crawls to your side, placing a strong arm over your stomach so she can pull you closer.

Though all of your instincts scream to push her away, you just curl into her and bury your face in the crook of her neck. She thinks maybe, just maybe, everything is fine; of course, until she hears you let out a quiet sob. One of her hands comes up to rub your back, a soothing gesture that only makes you cry harder.

“Hey,” Abby whispers, “are you… did I do something wrong? Was it the phone thing? ‘Cause if it is, I’m really sorry, I should’ve—”

“It isn’t that.” You mutter.

It’s only a half-lie. Honestly, you aren’t crying because you spoke to your boyfriend as if you weren’t hooking up with his ex, no. You’re crying because you thought it was the hottest thing ever.

“Isn’t it, though?” She questions. “Seriously, I fucked up and I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t fuck up, Abs– I swear, it’s not you, it’s just… this. All of this. I don’t like it.” You do your best to reassure her, but it only causes more confusion.

“What, and you think I do? Because I don’t. I like you, though, so I deal with it. That’s what we agreed to.” Abby says. You can tell she’s upset no matter how gentle her voice is. There’s a certain bite to it, a venom that you’re quick to pick up on. “He’s my friend too, you know. This isn’t easy for me either.”

This comment makes you rear back a bit, looking up at her with furrowed brows. “I know that, Abby. None of this is easy for either of us. He’s my boyfriend, and he was yours at one point, too.”

“Don’t remind me,” she scoffs.

You give her a stern look. “I’m serious. This is gonna end one way or another. Someone’s gonna find out.”

Her grip on your waist tightens. “No one’s gonna find out if we don’t let them find out.”

“You don’t know that.” You shake your head. “All it takes is one fuck up.”

“So, what do you wanna do? You wanna break this off now and go back to being acquaintances?” Abby asks, voice raised defensively.

“Obviously not!” You yell, sitting up and dragging the comforter along so you can cover yourself. “I love you, Abby. I love being with you and talking to you and—”

“Don’t fuckin’ say that.” She interrupts you, which is probably for the better.

It’s different for Abby, being one of Owen’s closest friends, because he’s unaware of how well she knows you and so he feels comfortable confiding in her about your relationship. A big problem he seems to have is that you’ve never once said the word love. Not to him, at least. Not about him.

Yet, here you are, throwing that word around just for her.

She wants to feel honored, but she finds herself only feeling guilt. The kind that makes her throat tighten and her heart drop.

You groan in frustration. “But it’s true!”

“So make it untrue!” She shouts back. “You can’t just… say shit like that, and expect me to be okay with it. You’re supposed to love Owen.”

A confession bubbles up in your chest, one that you know you should shake away, but your mouth moves before your brain can catch up. “But I don’t.” You mumble. “I want to. I just can’t.”

Abby stares at you like she’s seen a ghost. All conversations she’s had with Owen about you– ones about how he’d propose to you someday, wondering if you’d want to have kids, asking if it was too early on in the relationship to think about saving for a house– they all become null. The worst part? Abby thinks she might know exactly how you feel. “You can’t? What does that mean?” She asks.

“Exactly what it sounds like.” You reply. “I try, but I can’t. We go on dates, and the whole time, I’m just waiting for it to be over. We watch a movie together, and I pretend to fall asleep so he doesn’t try anything. It’s exhausting, Abby. None of it feels right. Every single fucking guy I’ve been with– it never feels right. The only relief has been you.”

Abby listens to your rant with a blank expression, reaching up to wipe some stray tears from your cheeks with her thumb. “So, you’re gay.” She says.

You quickly grab her wrist and shove her hand away. “I’m not gay.” You hiss.

She sighs. “You just sat on my face. You’re a little gay.”

“Okay, fine, maybe a little!” You throw your hands up defensively. “But I don’t like other women. I like you.”

Truthfully, it’s all too much for Abby to take in at once; she does her best to appear, knowing her best bet is to calm you down, but she can’t imagine how much it would break Owen to know this. To know that he’s now been left by two women due to a sexuality crisis. Would he think it’s his fault? Would he guess that Abby had something to do with it? She likes you too, maybe more than she knows, but it’s an impossible situation.

When you’re met with silence on Abby’s end, you continue. “You’re gonna think I’m horrible for this, but it’s true; I’ve been waiting for him to fuck up so I have a reason to leave him. Some nights, he tells me he’s going to a party and I’ll go to sleep hoping I wake up to a text from Manny about how Owen got a little too drunk and some girl looked enough like me,” you shrug, “I’ve had that scenario in my head for weeks. It’s so convenient.”

“You’re fucked up,” Abby shakes her head, “fantasizing about him cheating while you’re sleeping with his friend? Jesus.”

“But it’s true, right? Then I could just leave him. No goodbye, no nothing. I’d give him all his sweatshirts back and let him see me wearing yours instead.” You say, and she immediately recognizes that tone in your voice. Something dark, something you put on when you know what you want and you’re set on getting it.

It hurts to hear you talk about her friend like he’s nothing more than an obstacle. It hurts even more to know that, deep down, she’d felt the exact same way once.

Wishing he’d leave her, knowing that he never would.

“Yeah.” She huffs, now visibly doing her best to avoid eye contact. Her eyes skitter around the room and it doesn’t take long for you to regret speaking your mind. “That sounds like an easy way out, but you should know by now that there’s nothing easy about being with Owen. Nothing’s easy about cheating, either.”

You nod in agreement. There’s a heavy silence after that, one that leaves you both staring down and biting your cheeks and feeling like all your sins had been laid out in front of you. The weight of it all is overbearing, but still so worth it.

“It’s easier with you,” you mutter after a minute, “and I know you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t feel the same.”

“I wouldn’t.” Abby agrees, deciding to leave it at that. “Do you… uh, do you wanna stay the night? Here, with me?”

Finally, your eyes meet hers, and she hates the way this simple action reignites the spark inside of her. You tilt your head. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t really return the favor, huh?”

Her jaw clenches, teeth grinding together as she fights back a smile. She shouldn’t be so infatuated with you– your every movement, every word– but she is.

The smile escapes her efforts and she shakes her head. “No. No, you didn’t.”

[chaosology]

bad idea, right?

— Sam Kerr x reader

based off Olivia Rodrigo's new song | masterlist

warnings: steamy, allusions to sexy times. it's a small fic, sorry! i feel it isn't very good quality lol

Haven't heard from you in a couple of months, but I'm out right now and I'm all fucked up

Your drink was spilling all over your hand as you stumbled through the crowds, pulling your friend's hands as they yelled over the music. There was no doubt about your intentions tonight. Sam was fresh on your mind and your friends were sick of you crawling back to her, with Robin going as far to call you a "slutty, lovesick puppy".

She wasn't wrong. Time after time you would wake up in her bed after agreeing to call it off, memories of the night before (and earlier that morning, let's be real) fresh in your head. They made you promise that tonight you'd quote "fuck it out" with someone else, as long as you didn't call her. You were about 80% sure it was doable, after all you hadn't spoken with her in a few days anyway.

The drink sloshes in your cup as you throw your hands up. Strangers are dancing up on you and you throw the cute girl across from you a wink. She's moving closer towards you as the song changes, her hands beginning to snake around your neck. As soon as you close your eyes and relax into it, they're gone.

"Damn, didn't know you were taken for the night."

You shoot her a confused look, and she motions over your shoulder at a figure standing by the door.

Fuck.

Sam's there. Right there - in the club where you're supposed to be finding a fling. She's leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest. She's got an almost amused, cocky look on her face as she stares you down. Her eyebrows raise as she nods, is she giving you her "blessing" to continue? Screw her.

"Don't worry about that." You whisper in the girl's ear, leaning down to bury your face in her neck. In what feels like an instant, you're being pulled away. There's no time to even utter an apology as you find yourself on the other end of the floor.

The lights are casting a purple glow over her face as she looks down at you. The tune of Troye Sivan's "Rush" is loud in your ears as you meet her gaze, a defiant look in you're eye.

"You really thought you'd get away with that?"

"Oh please, aren't we broken up Sam? Pretty sure it was you who initiated it."

"I wasn't the one at my door last week, begging for it." She fires back.

All resolve you had fizzled away as you looked quickly for your friends. Robin was making out with a guy at the bar and Georgie was nowhere to be seen. Perfect.

Her hands are on your hips in an instant, pulling your lower half into her. Your swaying your hips, hands moving to her neck as her chest presses against her back. She's murmuring in your ear and you pray the music is too loud for anyone to overhear. She kisses your neck, her hands running up and down your body as she sways with you. Tangling your hands in her hair, you bring her in for a kiss.

She grabs your thigh, lifting the leg to wrap around her waist as she deepens the kiss. You can't find it in you to care that you're going back to her once again, falling back into that same pattern you came hear to break.

And I told my friends I was asleep, but I never said where or in whose sheets

"Should we get out of here, baby?"

You only nod, letting her know you're off to let your friends know . You tap Robin on the shoulder.

"Fuck, I completely forgot about my lecture tomorrow. I've gotta be up early, I'll let you know when I'm home." A complete lie.

You're glad Sam is out of her line of sight otherwise you'd be in for it. She gives you a hug and you pray to God she doesn't notice your now smudged lipstick. As soon as you're in the taxi, Sam's hand is on your thigh and giving it a squeeze as she winks at you.

Maybe next time, you think. One more time with Sam can't hurt, right?

[vilevenom]

Hello, Anon! Thank you for your prompt!

I've seen a couple of fics where Branch has that conversation with his brothers, and it tends to get explosive. I tried to take a bit more of a calmer approach to it to help with the fluff. I also won't lie, John almost stole the spotlight from Branch, but I managed to wrangle it back, lol

Enjoy!

Things had been going so well. Branch's brothers were all sat in his bunker, clustered around his tiny kitchen table, the surface laden with half empty plates of snacks and various cups and glasses from drinks they had been going through as the evening had progressed. But then, there was a lull in conversation.

"Hey, uh…not to be that troll, guys-" Clay began, interrupted by a quiet snort from John Dory.

"Then don't."

Clay shot John a glare, but continued, a look of concern settling on his face as he looked to Branch. "Look, I don't wanna be the troll to bring the mood down, but I gotta know. It's been bugging me since you said it, Bitty B." He ignored Branch's grumpy "It's Branch", pressing on as he fiddled with his mug of tea. "Did Grandma really get eaten?"

A hush quickly settled over the brothers. Branch looked taken aback by the question, while John scowled at Clay. Bruce looked a bit squeamish as he stared at his own glass of water, while Floyd gasped and sat back in his chair.

"What happened to grandma?!" Floyd asked, turning urgently to Branch.

Branch looked distinctly uncomfortable, swallowing thickly to try and rid himself of the sudden lump that had formed in his throat. "Oh, right. That," he mumbled, pulling his hands from where they'd sat on the table top to fiddle in his lap. He took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to explain to his brothers what the last two decades of his life had entailed. "Okay. Quite the change of topic," he let out a nervous laugh. His brothers deserved to know what had happened to their grandmother. "I guess I'll just start at the beginning. Uhm…a year or two after you all left, the chef started grabbing one or two trolls at random, rather than just on Trollstice. We never knew when, or even why. I think, in retrospect, the previous Bergen king probably just got greedy and wanted to feel happy outside of Trollstice." He cleared his throat, glancing up at his brothers, who were now all staring at him intently. He flushed, ducking his head back down to stare at the crumbs on the plate in front of him. "So, one day, grandma and I were outside. She was hanging laundry, while I practiced singing." He clenched his fists in his lap, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "I got so wrapped up in my song, I didn't hear her yell. I didn't notice until she was running at me. I looked up, and there was chef. Reaching for me." He paused to take a shuddering breath, letting tears slowly track down his cheeks. "Grandma pushed me out of the way. She got taken, instead."

"Oh, Branch," Floyd murmured softly next to him, his brothers hand landing gently on his shoulder. He shrugged it off out of habit, curling a bit in on himself in his chair.

"If I'd been paying attention, she wouldn't have been grabbed," Branch muttered, his colors dulling slightly as he spoke.

"That's not your fault, B," Bruce said, shaking his head as he put his hand on the table in front of Branch, "You were just a kid." He paused, noticing the way Branch's blue fur seemed to grow a shade duller. "Does the color of your fur have something to do with…all that?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Branch sighed, rubbing his hands roughly over his face, angrily wiping tears away. His brothers should be furious at him for getting their grandma killed, but they were treating him so gently. He was both angry on their behalf, but also relieved that they hadn't walked out on him once again. "Yeah. I turned grey after that."

A collective, quiet gasp went around the table.

"Grey? For how long?" John Dory asked, sitting forward in his seat, "It had to have been a long time, if you're still dark."

Branch glanced up, a sardonic little smile on his face. "I guess twenty years is a long time."

"No way. Twenty?! Branch…" Clay shook his head as he trailed off, disbelief on his face.

"I had to take care of myself, after that. Other trolls thought there was something wrong with me, because I didn't sing or dance anymore. I was never happy. King Peppy was good about telling trolls to leave me alone, but that was a bit of the problem. They all just…left me alone," Branch explained, feeling Floyd's hand on his shoulder again. This time he let it stay. "When we escaped the troll tree, I almost got caught in the tunnels. I was small, and because of my colors I almost blended into the dark. No one really noticed me. Somehow, though, I made it out. I travelled with the other trolls until we found where we would build pop village. I was about five or six when I started digging the bunker."

"Six?! Oh, Branch," Bruce said, tears in his eyes. Branch glanced at him, and he could tell his brother was thinking about his own children, and what might become of any of them if they were left on their own at that age.

"You're made of tough stuff, kid," John piped up from across the table, lifting his chin defiantly as his other brothers shot him glares. "You made it. You persevered, and survived. I'm proud of you."

Branch blinked, shocked by the sudden show of support from his oldest brother. It made something angry and bitter flare in his chest, though. He clutched a hand to his chest, letting out a breath. He sniffed back the tears that had formed in his eyes again, glowering slightly as he looked around the table at his brothers. "It would've been easier if any of you had come back."

At that his brothers all immediately looked guilty. Floyd especially as his parting words rang in his head. He wrapped his arms around himself in a self-soothing gesture, staring at the table as Branch spoke.

"I'm angry, and I'm sad. I feel so bitter about all those years, where it seemed like none of you even /thought/ of me," Branch said, turning his gaze upon each of his brothers until each one, in turn, looked away in shame. He waited a moment for his words to settle, before speaking again. "But…I'm also so happy to have you all back in my life. Even if it's twenty years too late. I missed you guys. Every day."

"Branch," Floyd gasped next to him, his voice waving as tears ran down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry. We're all sorry," he added, glancing at the others, who all nodded in agreement. "I don't have any excuses. I should have come back," he said, reaching out to take Branch's hand. "I made you a promise, and I broke it. And I don't really think there's anything I can do to make it up to you."

Branch gave Floyd's hand a little squeeze, offering a watery smile. "You can. You can stay. You can spend time with me, and we can get to know each other again."

"I would love that, Branch."

"I just want to state, for the record," John Dory piped up from across the table, "I did come back."

Clay rolled his eyes, while Bruce scoffed, but John sat firm, a look of determination on his face as he stared Branch down. "I did come back, and I thought you were dead."

"You thought he was dead? Come on, John, that's a bit much," Clay snorted, shoving lightly at his brothers shoulder. But John just shook his head, scowling.

"I thought you were all dead," John stated bluntly. "I came back after the trolls escaped. The tree was dead, and most of the pods were wrecked. I had no idea you all left Grandma's pod after I did. What else was I supposed to think?"

"You just assumed we all died? Not that we'd escaped?" Bruce asked, arching an eyebrow at John.

"We left when the escape plan was still in talks. A small handful of trolls getting away wasn't unheard of, but the whole tree? I mean, I had a little hope, but what was the likelihood? What would /you/ have thought, finding grandma's pod covered in half dead vines and not a troll in sight?" John half snarled, shooting Bruce a scowl. "But, oh, that's right. You were off on a tropical island, drinking mai tais under the sun and learning how to surf."

"Hey, now," Floyd interrupted as Bruce puffed up indignantly, obviously about to get into a fight with John, "Let's just take a moment to breath. This is all a lot, and emotions are getting high."

Bruce let out the breath he'd taken, visibly deflating, while John huffed and crossed his arms, scowling at the table top.

"What happened after you came back to the tree?" Branch asked quietly, John's head snapping up at the quiet question.

"I looked for you," John admitted with a shrug, letting his shoulders slump and his arms uncross. "I looked for quite a while. I lost track of time, but it had to be for at least a year. The forest is huge, and the village was well hidden. After a while, I thought I must be the last pop troll alive and decided to go see the rest of the world."

"And you…did you go grey?" Branch asked, watching his oldest brother curiously as he reached up to fiddle with his goggles.

"For a little bit," John admitted, "While I was looking for you. Not anything as drastic as twenty years. And I got my colors back. The world is big, and beautiful. It's hard to stay hopeless when you see some of the stuff out there."

Branch smiled tiredly at John, nodding a little. "Yeah. It is. Poppy helped me see that."

"Is she the reason you managed to get your colors back?" Clay asked, leaning his elbows on the table.

"She did, yeah. A little over a year ago, Chef found the village. She kidnapped a bunch of Poppy's friends, and we went to Bergen town to rescue them. We brokered peace with the Bergens, and I got my colors back all in one fell swoop," Branch said with a light little laugh.

"And then you saved the world from the rockapocalypse with her," Bruce teased, grinning.

"That was mostly Poppy, but yeah," Branch returned the grin, startling as John suddenly stood up. He watched as his oldest brother rounded the table, staring wide eyed even as John suddenly engulfed him in a hug.

"I heard you on the radio," John muttered into Branch's hair, "It's how I found out you were alive."

"JD," Branch murmured, reaching up to half return the hug, ignoring the light smattering of tears that were hitting his shoulder.

"You are the coolest, Bitty B!" John suddenly crowed, pulling back from the hug with a broad grin on his face, shaking Branch a little, "Saving the village, then the whole world! Dating the Queen of pop!"

"Bringing us all back together," Floyd added, offering a watery smile as Branch looked to him.

"You grew up into an amazing troll, Bitty B," Clay added, grinning at his youngest brother.

"We're all really proud of you, Branch," Bruce finally added, nodding a little as Branch began to tear up once more.

Branch squawked as John engulfed him in a hug again, laughing as the rest of his brothers rose from their own chairs to join in. "Thanks, guys."

[joels-shitty-puns]

The Key To Your Heart - Track 8

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Musician!Reader

Series Summary: After writing your feelings for Pedro into a song, it gains a lot more popularity than expected. Ultimately it brings both criticism and support, with new possibilities around the corner.

Series Warnings: 18+ only (MDNI). Alluding to sexual scenarios. Kissing. Fat shaming, name calling. Mentions of food, weight loss, weight gain, dieting, weighing, potential eating disorder, food guilt. Potential for puns/dad jokes (name of my blog, and the fic) should give that away. This is my first fic which should be its own warning, lol. Also some cursing. Mentions of masturbation (f) maybe more smut later idk. Sadness, reader is pretty depressed. Poor body image. Rude people. Bullying-ish and just lack of support? Anxiety. Age gap! Reader is in her mid 20's, Pedro is current age (48).

Other stuff: Reader is plus sized. AFAB. Inexperienced. Also has a dog, but you can pretend it is another creature probably. Further, in case it isn't clear, italics almost always are the reader's inner thoughts!

Word Count: 2.8k

Series List: Here!

Miss Chapter 7? Here!

Hi all! I know this one took a lot longer than previous. I was on vacation and then went straight into my work week. I almost thought about ending it after the last chapter but I realized there's still some loose ends! Also I gotta say I'm really overthinking the voicing for Pedro, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless. This chapter entirely got away from me and wasn't the plot I anticipated, haha. Once again, thank you all for reading. I love all the comments, messages, and asks I get about my story and it honestly blows me away. Please continue to like, reblog, and let me know what you think! Love to you all!

Also I made dividers! Weeehooo

The rest of the evening was filled with kisses, cuddles, and sweet nothings whispered to each other through smiles. It was just a quarter after midnight when Pedro finally pulled his lips away from yours and looked at the clock. Turning to set his forehead on yours once again, he quietly spoke.

"I should probably get home, Princesa," he punctuated with another kiss.

You let out a whine, but knew you weren't ready for it to move much further than this too quickly. "What time is it?" You kissed him.

"It's already after midnight." He kissed.

"Hmm," you hummed with another press of your lips to his. "And I never even turned into a pumpkin." Kiss.

"I don't think that's how the story went, mi amor," he ran his hand over your hair, kissing your lips, your cheek, below your ear, and finally your neck.

"Mmmm," you sighed, tilting your head to give him better access. "I can't really think clear enough about how that story went right now." You ran your fingers through his curls.

He kissed down your neck again a few times before gently nibbling your earlobe. Your breath caught in your chest.

"We should really slow this down and call it a night," he whispered directly into your ear. You felt his nose brush your hair and his warm breath on the side of your face. 

You sighed with a pout of your lips. You knew he was right. It was too soon into the relationship - or whatever this is - to go any further. But damn, would you be lying if you said you didn't want it.

"I know, baby. I know." He sighed in response, caressing your cheek with his thumb.

He pulled back, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, and adjusting in his seat, pulling his sweater down further over his waist. You tried to ignore it, but you couldn't help letting your eyes drift down a little lower towards the area he was trying to cover. He placed his hands in his lap, clearing his throat. You looked back up at his face, noticing his cheeks turning a pink hue.

Guess I'm not the only one feeling a little excited here, you thought with a smirk at the idea of you making him react this way. You rubbed your thumb across his reddened cheek. "Don't worry, baby. Me too," you sighed, feeling a little antsy and frustrated yourself. His eyebrows raised, mouth pulling into a mischievous sideways smirk. 

The two of you let out a nervously happy laugh. "Maybe… I could take you on a real date soon? If you would like that?" Pedro asked, looking at you once again with those big brown eyes. "I would love that, Pedro. More than anything." You pecked his lips once more, running your hand over his bicep.

He kissed you back before pulling away with a small laugh. "Okay, I gotta go, baby. I'm enjoying this a little too much, and we should probably cool it down." He gave another nervous laugh.

"Sorry," you giggled. "You're kind of addicting, and you don't know how long I've waited for this. Kissing. Mutual feelings. Romance…" you trailed off with a grin.

"Love?" He asked, holding your cheek and giving a soft smile.

"Yes. That too." You closed your eyes, leaning into his cheek. "But that still sounds so wild to me.  I'm scared to say it to you in case you'll change your mind, or realize you don't feel the same, or that it's too soon for… that word, or…" you rambled quietly, your insecurities creating a wall you know all too well.

"That just isn't true, sweetheart. I know it's soon, and we technically just met, but we've been talking for several months now. We've talked nearly every day. I started to realize I might love you a while ago, but seeing you for the first time over video really made me know for sure. Getting to meet you in person somehow even made me fall harder," he held your hand in his.

"After just one meeting? I mean, it's just… people that have known me for years haven't felt that way, and someone like you? Someone famous and beautiful and so much more experienced and mature than me… I just.. I don't want to push you away, but I can't help but worry that you'll change your mind or it isn't real and it's all just going to… vanish," you looked down at your connected hands, closing your eyes to swallow your emotions.

"Hey.. don't do that. Don't put yourself down or build those walls. I fell in love with your music and your voice the first time I heard it. Getting to know you through text and finally talking to you on the phone, getting to learn all your quirks and your sense of humor, your personality. You. I don't know how anyone could not fall in love with you, and I was scared to let it happen. I told myself not to get wrapped up in relationships. That it would just cause more heartache that I couldn't go through again. But somehow you lured me in like a siren and I couldn't ignore it. I heard your song and wanted to know you. I talked to you and needed more. I don't care that you weren't famous before, and that you don't have a lot of experience with relationships. And any other insecurities you have can just go away, because they aren't true. You are beautiful. You're funny, smart, sweet, and you have the most beautiful voice and heart of anyone I know. I knew you were beautiful before I saw you, and I fell so hard when I finally saw you for the first time."

"Pedro…" you blinked at him.

"The constant thought that you already loved someone, and it, to my knowledge, wasn't me, hurt every day I talked to you. But I couldn't stay away. I just kept wanting to be closer. I want to be with you. If anything, I wonder why you would want to be with someone so much older than you. Someone who can't love you the way you deserve, without paparazzi and fans and spotlights. I hope you won't change your mind. Because despite my best efforts to avoid relationships, I fell in love."

You had tears in your eyes as you looked up from your lap to meet his eyes. "I love you Pedro."

"I love you too." He kissed your lips once again, and as he pulled away, he said your name in a whisper. "Believe me, having to stop kissing you is just as difficult for me too. Maybe tomorrow I can take you on that date?" He asked, standing up with your hand in his.

"I'd love to go on a date with you," you smiled at the ground, cheeks heating. 

"Great! I'll talk to you tomorrow," he kissed your cheek before kneeling down to give Skipper a gentle rub and receiving several wet doggy kisses. The two of you laughed as Pedro stood, wiping his face on his sweater. "What can I say, I like kisses from everyone in this household." He winked.

"Okay cheeseball, get outta here," you gently shoved him before giving a final kiss and waving goodbye to him.

The next day, you were sleeping in, feeling relaxed and happy, like you finally could rest easy. It was around 11 AM when your phone rang, waking you up from your deep, peaceful slumber. Blinking your eyes open to see the morning sun beaming through the window, you stretched and grabbed your phone, looking at the clock as you did so. It was Pedro calling.

Cheerily, you answered the phone, though your voice betrayed you, still sounding groggy and cracked having just awoken. "Morning Pedro!"

"Baby… were you crying?" He asked, sounding concerned.

"What? No? I just woke up. Why would I be crying after having such a nice night with you?" You giggled.

He didn't laugh. In fact, he was a bit quiet. Unusual for the bubbly personality he usually was. "Pedro?" You asked after a beat of silence, suddenly feeling nervous.

He sighed and said your name in a tone that sent a chill down your spine. "I think you should check your phone. It's… something's happened. You should see it yourself. I just… I'm so sorry. I hope you'll forgive me."

Your blood ran cold. What is he talking about?

"Pedro, I don't under-" he interrupted you. "Please. I'm sorry. Just, you should read through everything and think things through. I hope you'll still want to call me back and talk. Goodbye. I love you." He hung up the phone.

With shaky hands, you looked at your phone. 45 missed text messages, 10 of which were from Pedro. 200 notifications on your personal Instagram. 20 emails. 

What the hell?

You first opened Pedro's texts.

"Baby. I'm so sorry. I should've never dragged you into all this, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sure you've seen by now, I'm so sorry."

"Please forgive me."

"I know you probably want your space, but I hope you're okay. I love you."

"Baby?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm getting worried"

"Can we talk?"

"I hope you're just asleep or something."

"I never meant for this to happen."

What. The hell. Happened?

The other messages were from family and friends, all seeming to be freaking out about something. Still confused, you finally came across your answer.

News articles flooded your page. 

"Pedro Pascal Seen Leaving Party with Mystery Woman"

"Pedro Pascal Enjoys Halloween Party with Date"

"Pedro Pascal: New Girlfriend??"

"Pedro Pascal: Matching Costumes with Unknown Girl"

Oh shit.

Photo, after photo, after photo. You kept reading.

"Mystery Girl's Co-Worker Speaks Out!"

"Unknown Woman Is Pedro Super Fan"

"Pedro Pascal Dating Obsessed Fan?"

"Pedro Pascal Being Stalked By Woman"

Okay this is getting absurd. 

You clicked on the coworker article. Sure enough, your coworker, one you always thought was rude, had thrown you under the bus. Your name was out there now, thanks to her. "She and I go way back. We're practically besties. And yeah, she's totally in love with Pedro Pascal. Obsessed even."

That. Bitch, you thought angrily.

It was time to call your agent, Rose. You already had several missed calls from her, and she knew all about Pedro and your crush. She had become your confidante. You dialed her number and she quickly answered on the first ring.

"Rose! What should I do? There's pictures of me everywhere. My name is out there. My coworker commented on it. I haven't left my bedroom yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they've found out where I live. I'm so scared. I don't know how to deal with this kind of thing."

You were on the verge of tears.

"First of all sweetheart," she calmly answered in her southern twang, "take a deep breath." You did what she said, though it hardly seemed to help.

"Second of all, I've been working on some fixin' since it all caught wind this mornin'. Things are startin' to calm down. Nobody seems to know that you're that singer, either. They just think you're some girl who managed to meet Pedro. But, I will say I think this may be the push you need. It might be time to tell the world, sugar. How you choose to do that is up to you, but don't you worry, I'll put out the fires."

You took a deep breath and sighed. "I think you're right. It was only a matter of time."

"Have you talked to Pedro yet?"

Shit. Pedro.

"Sort of. He called and woke me up. He apologized and basically hung up, telling me to call when I read everything. But I had a bunch of texts from him. He kept apologizing."

Rose clicked her tongue. "That poor sweet man. None of this was his fault. You know that too, right, darlin'? This is just what happens in show business. It ain't fair, but it also isn't his fault."

"I know that, Rose. He didn't do anything wrong. I got so caught up in all the headlines that I immediately called you and forgot to call him back. I bet he feels awful. I should get back to him. I hope he's okay, too. He only seemed concerned for me, but most of those headlines were actually about him and his dating life. I can't believe I put him through that." You suddenly realized what he may also be feeling after his confessions last night about avoiding relationships, and the inability to give you privacy from paparazzi.

Rose sighed. "Now if you don't call that sweet man, I will! You two lovebirds are perfect for each other. Apologizin' and feelin' awful for one another when neither of ya did anything wrong. Go get 'im. And hang in there, love. It'll all work out, trust me."

Your cheeks heated at her words about you and Pedro. "Thanks Rose. You always know what to say."

You two hung up and immediately you called Pedro.

"Pedro… I'm so sorry."

"Hon- wait what? Why are you sorry??"

"Those headlines were about you too, and your dating life and history. I hate that you were dragged into all this drama."

"Honey, no, please don't worry about me. Are you okay?? I know this is new for you and some of those articles were pretty mean. And that coworker of yours!? Clearly not a friend. How are you feeling?"

You took a deep breath. "Honestly, P, I'm so stressed. But I talked to my agent and she really talked me down. She said she's been playing crisis management all morning and it's dying down. But she does think it's time I tell the world who I am."

"Oh… babe. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I was so selfish, I just wanted to see you and I didn't think about the consequences. I should have known this would happen."

"Pedro, please don't feel bad. None of this is your fault. She's right, it's time. I couldn't keep it a secret forever. And the party was not a great experience, but honestly, last night was one of the best nights of my life."

"So.. you still want to be with me?" He asked, cautiously.

"What? Yes, what kind of question is that? I love you, Pedro. Of course I want to be with you. Did you change your mind?"

"No!" He answered quickly. "I want to be with you."

"Good!" You smiled for the first time since seeing all the turmoil today. "I guess I better figure out my plans for the big reveal. I have some ideas, but…" you trailed off, pausing a few seconds.

"What is it, baby?"

"I don't want to make you feel like you have to if you don't want to, but… would you come over? I think I'll go on Instagram live, and I don't want to be alone. You don't have to be in the shot, I just want your presence there. You make me happy. Just you, me, and Skipper together today."

"Of course. Anything. I'll be there."

"Thank you, P. Give me an hour?"

"Perfect. I'll see you then. I'll bring you breakfast."

"Thank you, Pedro. You're really too good to me."

"No such thing, mi amor. You deserve it."

The conversation ended, and you showered, thinking through your words for the internet. Picking out the perfect outfit and place in your house for the big reveal, it wasn't long before the hour was up and Pedro was knocking on your door with breakfast and drinks in hand.

"Yum! Thank you, Pedro." You helped him carry, and then kissed him deeply, pouring all your love into the kiss, letting all your stresses of the day fade into pure love. He kissed you back, pulling you in closer by your lower back. "I wasn't sure if you were too stressed to eat, so I got things that would be okay to reheat, or leave out until you felt up to it."

"You're the best, you know that?" You rubbed his cheek.

"Mmmm, that's yet to be revealed, mi amor" he raised an eyebrow and winked, pulling you in for another kiss. You giggled, feeling bubbles of nerves and butterflies in your stomach at his implications. But now was not the time for those thoughts. You had more pressing matters.

Pedro noticed your stress shift. "You ready?" He asked while squeezing your arm. "I'm about as ready as I'm gonna be, I guess," you shrugged. "Let's do this." You stated, him answering with a curt nod.

The two of you made way to your music room, setting up your tablet in the right place near your desk. He sat in a chair just on the other side of you, outside of view, but close enough to make you feel more at ease. He was even close enough to hold your hand under the desk if you needed. Meanwhile, Skipper sat under the table near your feet, willing to keep you company when he could tell you were unhappy.

"Here we go," you breathed. You clicked the button to go live, and the stream began.

Want more? Track 9: Here!

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more!

Taglist: (Want in? Let me know!)

@pedrotonin @starcrossed02 @lightupsketchersperson @cartoon-garbage04 @tyferbebe @maryfanson @gwendibley84 @faithfullyyours2000 @brilliantopposite187 @hc-geralt-23 @jenniferpendragon @winchestergypsy90 @red-red-rogue @theendwhereibegin @lottieellz101 @oliversaurus @kyga01 @milly-louise @titabel @taz-97 @stefanibear003 @marantha @fandomoniumflurry @ilovemybrown-eyedbabygirl @leiadjarin

[princessofmarvel]

Wonderland

summary | renfield sees a woman that catches his eye and knows that he shouldn’t speak to her, but he finds that he just can’t help himself.

pairing | robert montague renfield x fem!reader

wc | 1.2k

warnings! | none! maybe some cursing and not really proof read but it’s just fluff lol

genre | fluff!

author's note! | I saw renfield on sunday and just knew that I needed to write for him lol, especially since there are only a few fics on here about him, most of them are written by the amazing @youlightmeupfinn so definitely go check those out! this is a part of my “swift series” (where I write fics based on taylor swift songs)  so if you have any requests for the swift series (or for just something that you would like for me to write) please send them in! I would be happy to write about them! and as always, I do I have really bad OCD that causes me to write in some random capitalization, and punctuation, but I think that we don't have to worry about that in this fic lol. and let me know if there are any mistakes, but please be kind!

 Renfield was taking a stroll down the streets of New Orleans, he tells himself that it is to relax and to clear his head but in reality he was trying to figure out what to bring his master to eat that night. He didn’t want to bring him anyone innocent like he so desperately wanted, that's why he joined the support group in the first place, to bring those people's monsters to him. To bring people that he wouldn’t have to feel so guilty for. But, his boss didn’t like the taste of those people too much. 

He spotted a coffee shop that doubled as a bookstore a few paces down and decided to slip in to sit and think about this. That was when he spotted her. Someone he knew his master would actually praise him for bringing back to the lair. She was the most stunning beauty he had ever seen. Sat in the back corner with a latte and what appeared to be a new romance novel that she was on the last few pages of. She was perfect. 

Renfield ordered some tea and took a seat not too far from her, but not so close that he would seem weird. He knew he couldn’t bring her to him. No matter how much his master would appreciate it. No matter how much praise he would get for doing such a good job, he just couldn’t do it, it couldn’t, wouldn’t be her. 

He wanted to speak to her, he knew he shouldn’t though. He knew that he should never involve someone like her in his life. But, he also knew that if he had the chance to, that he would regret for the rest of his life if he didn’t 

The girl then got up and moved towards the bookshelf. He watched her as she spotted something on the very top shelf that she wanted. He watched as she frowned to herself and huffed and she tried to reach for it but couldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t do this, that this one simple and kind gesture would end up leading him down a rabbit hole, but his feet thought for him as he stood up and made his way to the bookshelf and reached up and grabbed the book she wanted and handed it to her. 

“Thank you so much! I wish these things weren’t so tall.” She said as she looked up at him. Her voice just added to her appeal, it was soft and you could tell she was kind just from the sound of it. 

“I agree, It’s like the person who invented them just wanted a cruel laugh.” He said before he could stop himself. 

“Yes! Exactly! Oh I’m (Y/n) by the way.” She said as she put her hand out to him, his body taking over his mind and shaking it. 

“Robert Montague Renfield” He said as he shook her soft hand. 

“That’s a nice name, sounds fancy.” She said which earned a chuckle from him. “I noticed you’re alone, would you like some company Robert?” She asked. He could tell she was nervous to ask, but seemed like she wasn’t asking out of pity, but out of genuine interest in talking to him. He found himself saying yes and following her back to her table in the corner. 

The two spoke for hours, she asked about where he was from, which led to him talking about how hard it is to find good tea in america. He asked about the new book she had picked up, which was ‘Alice in wonderland’, which led to her talking about her love for the 1951 animated movie (He made a mental note to watch it later). They just laughed and talked for hours. Then the conversation led to work. He found himself telling her about having a narcissistic boss that worked him to the bone. And, it never seemed like he really Appreciated it. Then he accidentally let it slip that his boss made him feel like he was undeserving of happiness. He regretted it immediately because he saw how sad it made the girl look. 

“Oh Robert, that's just not true. Everyone is deserving of happiness.” She held up her hand to keep him from interrupting and stopping her. “I know it seems like sometimes you don’t, maybe because you’ve done some things that you regret, but as long as you make peace with those things and accept those things, to know that they were the wrong things to do. And, you work to better yourself from them. Then there is no reason why you should not deserve happiness.” She said to him with a smile. 

Then he realized that her hand was laying on top of his from across the table. She must have realized that she had done that because she pulled her hand away and seemed slightly embarrassed. 

“Thank you, you don’t know how much I needed to hear that.” he said while looking at her. He felt like he needed to change the subject, in fear of making things awkward. “So, what do you do for work?”

“Oh, I uh, work here actually.” she said finally looking back at him after feeling embarrassed. “Oh god i seem pathetic, I swear I have a life and friends, I just like to come here when I have some time to relax.” She said while letting out a small laugh. 

“You don’t seem pathetic, I would do the same if my work place was as relaxing as here.” Renfield said while giving her a soft smile. 

“I actually go in later, wait what time is it?” She checked her phone and jumped up out of her seat when she saw the time. “Oh my god I was supposed to start an hour ago, and I’m here, Linda why didn’t you say anything?” She said turning around towards the older woman working the register. Who in return gave her a wink and a smile before tending to the customer now in line, the first in hours. 

“I’m so sorry Robert, I have to go.” She said as she gathered her things. He knew he shouldn’t, but he needed to see her again. 

“Perhaps we could do this again sometime?” he said, folding his jacket over his arms.

“I would love to, you could give me your number and we could plan something.” The girl said with a smile. 

“Oh, I don’t have a phone.” He said, which he immediately regretted since he knew in this day and age was weird. “I broke it yesterday, I was going to replace it tomorrow.” He said quickly thinking of something. “But, I can pick you up here this weekend, if you would be interested.” 

“That sounds great, what time?”  

“I was thinking maybe around 1:00? I hear the weather will be nice on Saturday, so I thought maybe we could have a picnic.” He said, knowing that doing something during the day would mean that his boss could not interrupt it, 

“That sounds wonderful, It’s a date.” She said while making her way to the registrar. “I’ll see you then Robert.” 

He smiled and said goodbye as he made his way out the door and onto the street, the sun starting to go down. He had realized what exactly he had done. He knew that he couldn’t let his boss find out about her, and he also knew how hard that would be to do. But, knowing that he would get to be with her, made how hard this would be worth it. 

“Oh fuck me.” he said making his way back to his boss, but with a smile on his face, something that hadn’t truly been there in a long time.

[leilaxwhite]

Make You Feel My Love. // JJ Maybank Fluff

synopsis: JJ Maybank wasn’t one to learn what real love felt like, with him not having a parental figure in his life to show him love you show him what it's like to be loved and give love back. 

a/n: okay I'm absolutely in love with this new season and honestly season 4 needs to come like now, I was shocked when they announced it so soon but I'm excited and looking forward to it. I was listening to Adele's song Make You Feel My Love and thought of JJ when I heard it and automatically had to make a fic!! hope you enjoy it. this fic is a little short but its adorable. also, another announcement, I am currently taking requests, I have a google doc filled with story ideas and I will be glad to add your guys’ requests in there as well!! 

warnings: none really, tooth rotting fluff, literally no more warnings this fic is just to die for fluff lol. 

Ever since JJ was little, he never knew what love was, he was always the one to get the blunt end of his fathers hatred. It took a toll on him as he grew up, not feeling the love a normal child should changes someone. He never knew how to give love either and when he tried, he felt it wasn't real like people tell him about. that was until he met you. 

you were his saving grace, someone that actually loved him for him and not the things he did, though it was little things he got praised for. You didn't care for any of the negatives that happened in his life, every time he would bring it up you would always tell him “i don't see flaws, all I see is the boy that I love and will always love.” He really appreciated you but always felt that he wasn't giving the love he was receiving back. 

you never thought that way, you always knew he was giving it his all. You didn't know JJ growing up but from what he’s told you when he was having bad nightmares about his father, you knew his father was terrible and didn’t show him the love he deserved. 

--

you and JJ are currently at the chateau cuddling on the couch watching a movie, these nights were always special to the both of you because you’d show him the most love, as you guys went along dating you came to realize JJ feels the safest when he’s little spoon. Every time you guys cuddle you make it you mission to always make him feel safe and comfortable. That’s where you are now, yare laying with you back to the arm rest and him lying in between your legs. 

“Hey love” JJ breaks the comfortable silence between the two of us while we watch the movie. “Yes baby?” I always thought our conversations were the best, they always felt so natural like I could talk to him for hours. “I love you, thank you for showing me what real love feels like.” with that my heart bursts, he is so pure and the look in his eyes tells me he really means that, I immediately wrap my arms around him as much as I can in the position, we’re in. 

Y/n will always be JJ Maybank first love and he couldn’t be happier. All he needed in his life was her. JJ Maybank knew he was going to marry this girl one day; he knew this was the girl he wanted a future with. 

[criminalskies]

Hi Rome :)

I was wondering if you would be able to do a very fluffy fic where Reader is Hotch’s girlfriend but is also Spencer’s younger sister and they all go together to a Barnes and Noble or some kind of bookstore and Reader gets all nerdy (it runs in the family) and Hotch is just soaking up every minute of it following Reader through the isles and sneaking kisses while she and Reid also geek out together and are smelling all the new books (love that new book smell lol) and talking about their favorites and how they used to read certain books together as kids (like Harry Potter or something) etc. etc.

Hi Sweetheart! Thank you so much for your patience, sorry it took me a whole lifetime to get this done for you, but the moment has arrived!! Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x gn!reader. Spencer Reid x sibling!reader. Word Count: 2.1k Warnings: much much fluff, reader is a genius bc i can't help myself. Also apologies I know you used she/her but I figured there's no harm in keeping it more open, if this is a problem please let me know and I can find and replace all pronouns <3 Enjoy!

Aaron should have known that letting Spencer have his pick of bookstore for your rare day off would be a mistake. In classic Reid fashion, Spencer picked a spot almost two hours away, which is said to carry Star Trek comics written in authentic Klingon. Hotch figured the three of you could make quiet small talk and just bask in the calm of one of the BAU’s rare days off. He did not anticipate listening to both of the Reid siblings create their own rendition of Every. Single. Song. From high school musical. The two of you had barely made it to ‘Stick to The Status Quo’ when Aaron realized only fifteen minutes of the drive had passed. He fights the urge to throw his head back and sigh, opting to keep his eyes on the road and just picture how adorable you’re going to look with your nose in a book, sipping coffee in the quiet corner of the bookstore, and oh how Aaron misses quiet. He has fond, seemingly distant memories of quiet. Just as he’s descending into thoughts of time he could have spent alone, today, getting work done, a hand finds his larger one on the center console. 

You bring his hand to your lips to kiss the back of it, a silent thankyou for saving you and Spencer from having to take two trains and one bus to this bookstore. It is apparently a Reid tradition to refuse to drive until it becomes absolutely necessary for your own survival. Hotch feels a familiar warmth spreading through his chest as he admires how perfectly the two of your hands fit together, as you intertwine both of your fingers in your lap. 

“Spencer, how about we switch this up a little?” You can see Aaron’s brows had been drawing closer and closer each time Spencer hit an especially pitchy note, and you worried about his tinnitus making a return. 

“How so?” He asks, his tone suggesting that nothing could be quite as fulfilling as crushing the HSM soundtrack start to finish. 

“How about…” you stop, trying to think of anything that will lift your brother’s spirits without also piercing your boyfriend’s eardrums. “John Denver?”

“I’m in!” Spencer replies, his face now adorning his tightlipped smile you’ve grown to love. You scroll through your phone, seeing Aaron’s shoulders visibly relax as the much more dulcet tones fill the confined space of the car, his thumb rubs at your index finger, clearly grateful for the compromise.  

When the three of you finally arrive at the bookstore, Aaron’s barely put the car in park before two seatbelts unclick and all he can do is laugh as you and Spencer go barreling towards the front door. He rushes after the two of you, finding you in the front left corner, he sighs knowing the two of you are going to tackle this entire store one square foot at a time from front left to back right. Before he can look at his watch to assess how much time the two of you will have before the store closes, your hand wraps around his arm, tugging him into the first aisle, where the fantasy books are. Spencer is pulling down the order of the phoenix, gasping as his fingers brush over the gold leaf lettering on the cover and you turn to Aaron, beaming at him as you pull him into a hug, thanking him for bringing the two of you all the way across state lines for what will be the greatest day of literary entertainment ever - and probably a major spike in your credit card statements, but you won’t mind one bit.

Aaron tries not to think about the ring sitting in his dresser at home as he feels the air once again knocked out of his lungs when he catches sight of your bright smile. He tucks his hands in his pockets, as you keep one hand wrapped around his bicep, pulling him towards each new find. Aaron’s sure there’s a handful of books on these shelves that he would quite like to read, as well, but he’s busy watching the sparkle in your eyes as your fingers dance across the spines of the books. Spencer is equally enamored when he gets his hands on a signed copy of Lord Of The Rings, rushing over to the two of you with the same glimmer in his eye as he brings the book to your face. Aaron is confused until you bend down and sniff the pages, turning to your boyfriend, you explain. 

“It’s hardly even been read, Aar! It still has that new book smell! Here, try it.” you drop his arm in favor of bringing the book to his nose. Apprehensively, Aaron gives it a smell, his tight brow releasing when he gets a waft of fresh pine. It takes him back to his childhood at his best friend’s lake cabin on summer holidays. He can’t help but think about how much you would have loved it there, maybe that’s where he could propose. Take you on a weekend away someplace secluded, where the two of you can sit on the porch swing, your head in his lap as he reads you a book you’ve definitely read a thousand times. But, you always tell him the stories are so much more immersive in his baritone. Spencer tried explaining the connection between the human limbic system and our middle ears, how certain acoustic frequencies can actually summon more emotional and imaginative imagery. 

Aaron files that idea away along with his 20 other possible proposal ideas. He always seems to psych himself out of asking you, having only been together eight short months, he worries you’ll say no. It’s perfectly reasonable for someone of your age to not want to become a parental figure in a child’s life, although you’re great with Jack, Aaron always finds a reason not to ask you to marry him. That’s actually why he’s gotten both you and Spencer out of the house today, he wants an opportunity to talk to your brother about the possibility of asking you to be his spouse. Aaron is dragged out of his thoughts when you once again pull him down the aisle, now stopping in front of a set of Peter Rabbit books. 

“Aaron, oh wouldn’t these be such a great gift for Jack’s birthday? We could all read them together, there’s twenty three so it would take us a while but I think that would just make putting him to bed so special, what do you think?” You stand toe to toe with Aaron, awaiting his response. He’s waiting for the lump in his throat to clear as he realizes the depth of your love for his son, and how silly he’s being letting his concerns get in the way of your shared happiness. You look so excited to read Jack these books, and Aaron finally realizes you want to be there for bedtimes, not just on nights when Aaron is tied up in meetings and can’t find the time to tuck the little boy in - you want to be there for his bedtimes, forever. 

“Hello? You in there? Earth to Aaron.” You take hold of his shoulders, genuine concern clouding your features as you worry your boyfriend is having some kind of absent seizure. 

“Yes, sorry. I, I think Jack would love that and, well, I think I would love that, too.” Damn you for having such a way of reducing the usually articulate agent Hotchner into a stuttering mess. You just have a way of derailing every train of thought he’s usually able to keep in careful motion.

“O-kayyyy” you drawl, still unconvinced that Aaron has all of his senses working. You pull the box set of peter rabbit books from the shelf, going to place them with Spencer’s growing stack of purchases on the counter. Aaron watches how the employee eyes the two of you carefully, clearly thinking you must be buying this many books for charity, or for a children’s shelter or library. You’re only onto aisle two now and the two of you have amassed a stack of pages that must weigh more than the two of you combined.  Aaron spots Spencer, ever the speed-reader, flicking through a russian book in the languages section of the store. Aaron excuses himself to head to the bathroom, barely earning a nod from you as you’re completely absorbed in collection four of Shakespeare’s finest works. 

Aaron ducks into the corner, grabbing Spencer gently by the arm and whispering that he needs to talk to him about something important. Distracting Spencer from his book earns him a scowl but he changes it to a tight-lipped smile, waiting for Hotch to elaborate. 

“I want to ask your sibling to marry me, Spencer. Now, obviously, you and I work together, and- and you’re very close with them so I trust you to know how they might react to something like this, and I’d really like your blessing to go forwards with this.” Aaron finds himself rambling, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans as his heart threatens to jump out of his throat at the thought of the boy genius saying no. 

“Oh.” That’s not good. That doesn’t help the growing lump in Aaron’s throat. 

“Oh? Reid, please, what do you mean ‘oh’?” Aaron hates how small his voice sounds trying to pass through the thick fog of panic circling his lungs.

“I just mean that I thought the two of you must have already discussed that. I went clothes shopping with Y/N last week and I couldn’t tear them away from a wedding caterer, they were pointing at the window saying how adorable ‘Aaron and I’ would look as a wedding topper. Before that, we went looking to buy me a new bookshelf and they were picking out furniture for both of your future home. I guess I just assumed that was all their way of telling me those things were on the table.” Aaron releases a breath he had been holding ever since he bought the ring, worrying it was too much too soon or that you would go running for the hills if you spotted it in his drawers. “Look, Hotch, if you want my blessing you have it, just please make it a quick engagement, I’ve seen them plan their senior prom, I can’t even imagine how frightening they’d be planning a wedding. Your wedding. You’re everything to them. And I’d really like the chance to call you my brother, Hotch. Although Strauss will probably make me answer to Rossi for all my future evaluations and such but- I’m getting off track. My point is, I already think of you both as an old married couple, both you and Y/N smile more in each other’s company than I’ve seen in all the years I’ve known you both.” Spencer’s delightfully supportive ramble is cut off as a teary-eyed Aaron pulls his future brother-in-law in for a tight hug. They stand there for a moment before Aaron pulls back, releasing his hold on the young doctor and placing a hand either side of his skull before pulling him in to kiss the top of his head in thanks. Spencer is slightly shocked having never seen Aaron Hotchner give this much affection willingly, and slightly confused by the decision to kiss his head. 

“What? People normally handshake at a time like this but you always maintained it’s actually safer to kiss.” Hotch offers a toothy smile, his mind casting back seven years to when he had first interviewed the young doctor for the job. He has continued to be perplexed by the contents of such a young mind, until he finally got to meet the other doctor Reid. Forensic Physician. Equally bright, but with an unshakeable positivity that captivated Aaron each time they consulted on a BAU case for a long 18 months before Hotch summoned the courage to ask the younger genius out on a date, this turned out to be the beginning of the rest of his life, as it happens. 

Hotch finds himself unable to stop smiling for the remaining five hours spent in the bookshop before it closes, having made enough money from the Reid family to probably take the rest of the week off. Aaron carries the mountainous stacks of books to his car, admiring the sunset as he listens to his favorite two siblings in the world bicker about which Star Wars movie is the correct starting place to watch the series. Even if the two choose to sing all of High school musical two and three on the ride home, nothing can shake the feeling that Aaron Hotchner is the luckiest man in the world.

tags: @montyfandomlove , @pastanoodles11 , @ssamorganhotchner , @hotchnerbau , @hotchs-babygirl , @ssa-tahlia-obsessions

[asimp4bee]

"Bees and Mistletoes" | 🐝🎄

TFP Christmas fic | botxhuman, fluff, sfw

Mea Anderson x TFP!Bumblebee / self-insert x canon

Word count: 1,107

Merry Christmas everyone!! :3 have this short little fic I made for Mea n Bee! Hope ya'll have a fun holiday! This took me longer than I thought lol

It was the early evening in Jasper, Nevada and Outpost Omega One was bustling with the bots walking around and helping their charges decorate the base with what Christmas decorations the kids could bring back from their houses. Even Ratchet was participating, thanks to a little bit of encouragement from Optimus (Okay, a LOT of encouragement).

“Keep it steady, Bee!” Mea yelped, balancing herself as she stood on both of Bumblebee's servos while he held her up. Bumblebee let out a few chirps and beeps in response, both in worry and in amusement as he watched Mea hang up the last few pieces of the garland onto the walls.

“Okay, let me down now big guy!” Mea called down to her partner again with a grin, giving him a thumbs up to signal that she was done.

“Beeep!” Bumblebee beeped and he slowly lowered his servos back down to the ground. The brunette hopped off the scout’s mechanical palms and she smiled up at Bumblebee.

“Thanks for the help, Bee! I'll go and see if the others need help.” She smiled, blowing Bumblebee a playful kiss before she walked off towards Arcee and Smokescreen’s direction.

Bumblebee's door wings fluttered ever so slightly at the gesture, a faint neon-blue hue coming to rest on his faceplate as he pretended to catch the kiss with his servo, gingerly pressing his mechanical palm against his mouth piece with a happy whirr.

“What was that about?” Miko’s amused voice suddenly spoke up, startling the young mech who let out a surprised noise.

“Bweeeep!”

Bumblebee quickly whipped around to look down at Miko, who stood there next to Raf with a smug little grin on her face. Bumblebee bent down towards them, beeping and chirping rapidly out of embarrassment as his optics flickered.

Miko turned to Raf for a translation and the young boy lets out a small laugh. “He's saying that we saw nothing.”

“Ohhh so he's denying it now!” Miko grinned, pointing a finger at Bumblebee who only looked away from the pair with a low, embarrassed whirr.

“Don't deny it, Bumblebee! We know you want a kiss from Mea~” Miko teased the young mech in a sing-song tone which caused Bumblebee to chirp and beep in protest, waving his servos around dismissively.

“Beep! Beep, Bweeeep!”

Miko rolled her eyes before she snapped her fingers, grinning. “Oh! Oh! You should totally try getting her under the mistletoe with you!"

Bumblebee tilted his head, letting out a questioning chirp as he turned to look at Raf.

“It's this little Christmas tradition where if two people stand under mistletoe, then they'd have to kiss.” Raf explained to Bumblebee with a sheepish grin as he adjusted his glasses.

The young mech reeled back in surprise, his optics flickering. Kissing? Because of a plant???!

Bumblebee leaned back down towards them, letting out another questioning chirp and beep.

“Bweep?”

“It's because of a myth! I- won't get into it right now.” Raf waves his hands with a small laugh. Miko rolls her eyes once more, her hands on her hips.

“Enough about that!” She pointed to Bumblebee, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “If you want a proper kiss from Mea, then get her under the mistletoe with you!”

She says as she points towards the mistletoe that was hanging above one of the hall entrances.

“Miko…” Raf began to protest in defense of his guardian but Miko shushed him by pulling him away, leaving Bumblebee to make his decision.

Bumblebee turns his helm in the direction where Miko had pointed, then he turns towards where Mea was helping Arcee and Smokescreen. The brunette noticed him looking over and she grinned, blowing another kiss towards him which caused Bumblebee to sputter out random beeps and chirps as he blushed once more.

It was settled! Bumblebee was going to get Mea under the mistletoe and he would get a proper kiss from her!

But of course his plans wouldn't go as smoothly as he thought.

Bumblebee's first attempt— Trying to get Mea to stand under the hall entrance with him. Of course, everytime she got close to him one of the other bots would call her over for assistance.

His second attempt— Ratchet questioned Bumblebee on why he kept lingering by the hall entrance and fidgeting so the young mech would make up a lame excuse before Ratchet would walk off with a shake of his helm.

Third Attempt— Smokescreen got in the way.

So, in defeat, Bumblebee plopped himself down with a defeated whirr.

Later on, Mea walked up towards him after noticing the dejected look on his faceplate and she tilted her head. “Bumblebee? You okay there big guy?”

Bumblebee lifted his helm to look at Mea in surprise, his optics flickering.

“Bweep!”

“Oh come on, you're not fooling me.” Mea rolled her eyes and Bumblebee let out an apologetic chirp, setting his servo down before Mea stepped onto his massive palm as Bumblebee carefully lifted her up so he was face-to-face with her.

“Beep! Bweep, beep…”

Bumblebee explained the best he could with his chirps and beeps. Mea tilted her head, understanding him just a bit before she let out a small laugh, putting her hands on her hips.

“Mistletoe? You mean like that one?” She grinned, pointing upwards. Bumblebee raised an optic ridge at her before he glanced up, his optics growing wide in surprise as he saw a mistletoe plant just…hanging there!

Well, it wasn't literally just hanging there in thin air.

Bumblebee glances behind Mea where Bulkhead was standing, with Miko perched on his shoulder plate. The young girl was holding up a long rod with a string, where the mistletoe was attached!

Grinning, Miko gave Bumblebee a big thumbs up.

Blushing, the scout looked back down towards Mea with a shy chirp as he continued to hold her up in his massive palm.

The brunette laughed and she leaned forward, her small hands gently holding the sides of Bumblebee's faceplate.

“You could've just asked, Bee.” She smiled softly as she whispered to him before leaning even closer and pressing her lips against his mouth-piece, making Bumblebee's optics grow wide as he blushed even more.

“Bweep!”

Mea pulled back with a grin. A lipstick mark left behind on Bumblebee's mouth-piece.

His door wings fluttered and he gently bumped his forehead against Mea's, who laughed and continued to hold the sides of his metal face.

“Beep…”

Bumblebee let out a loving beep and a chirp as his bright blue optics looked into Mea's brown eyes.

The brunette smiled as she caressed his cheek.

“I love you too, big guy. Merry Christmas~”

[fbfh]

curiosity is a wonderful thing - ch. 3

wc: 3.1k

pairing: slow burn childhood best friends to lovers ben x reader, audrey x reader

warnings: ben is stressed, audrey is a bad gf, mild claustrophobia/dark spaces/being under ground warning (description of falling down the rabbithole into twonderland but it's fun and you love it so it's not scary lol), mild exposition dumping

summary: ben prepares for the arrival of the Isle kids, and gives audrey the benefit of the doubt a little too much. you have time to sneak away to your favorite place in the world, and the only thing that's missing is ben.

song recs: in a world of my own - kathryn beaumont, welcome to wonderland - scarlett rose, wish you still felt this way - sophie meiers x 90sflav

a/n: i love this fic. i love this series. this started as a comfort daydream and now it's a thing and I hope yall are ready for the next chapter cause it's gonna be good. I hope this brings yall the comfort it brings me <33

tags @yesv01 @magcon7280 @hopefullhearts @thatawkwardlittlefangirl  @sunshineangel-reads @strawberry-cake1 @dustyinkpages @kiara7777

After about a week of constant meetings, arrangements, and press conferences, a week of even less sleep and even more coffee than usual - something Ben didn’t know was possible to achieve - it’s finally the day he’s been working tirelessly toward. It’s the day the kids from the Isle are finally on their way to Auradon. He rushes back to Auradon Prep with you at his side after a very stressful, successful press conference. Even though he seems totally composed on the surface, you can tell he’s a bundle of nerves. You walk quickly beside him as he goes over the agenda for their arrival. 

“Their rooms are all set up, Fairy Godmother said Jane can help them get settled into their classes - god, what am I forgetting?” Ben rambles, fumbling through all the papers in his bag. His eyes land on his copy of his press conference note cards, and that jogs his memory. 

“Right,” He continues as you look up at him, and he knows he has all your attention. “I don’t think I’m going to have time to write a new speech for their arrival…”

He pauses for a moment, seeing if there’s some little pocket of time he can find to make this date extra special for them. 

“Ben, you’re more jam packed than a tea cake. You can’t overwork yourself and run into the ground, not when you’re this close.”

Ben considers for a moment, realizing you're right. 

"You have a point…" he agrees with a reluctant chuckle. "I'll use the same speech I used for the press conference." He decides. You’re silent for a moment.

“...Alright.” 

“What?” Ben asks, able to read your expression like a book. 

“Nothing, just-” You hesitate, then give him an earnest look, like you don’t want to hurt his feelings. He chuckles and braces himself, knowing whatever you’re about to say will be a necessary - albeit, hard - truth. 

“You don’t think it’s a bit much?” You ask gently. “Too formal, given the circumstances?” 

He considers for a moment. He thought it did great at the press conference, but maybe there are a few parts he can revise for the arrival of the Isle kids. 

“Uh… yeah. I- I can cast eyes over it, we still have a little over an hour. That should be enough to make any tweaks.” He finishes. 

You nod as you follow him into the conference room that he’s turned into a makeshift headquarters for all of his first proclamation business. He sets down his bag and pulls out all his paperwork and his planner. He hears you set your stuff down a few seats away from him and looks up. You’ve been working so hard and helping him out so much with all of this. He couldn’t possibly have accomplished a fraction as much without you. He walks over to you, gathering up your stuff. 

“Look bunny, why don’t you, uh,” he starts, leaning over slightly to make sure no one’s about to walk through the doorway. “Why don’t you head down for a while. You have enough time if you go now.”

Your eyes light up at his words. You’ve been keeping your Wonderland visits to a minimum to help Ben and support him as much as you can, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Really?” You ask softly. 

“Yeah, I’ll cover for you.” Ben lets out a soft grunt as you tackle him with a hug. He chuckles lightly, giving your back and shoulders a gentle pat before you pull away a moment later. 

“I’ll run my speech by you when you get back-” He begins, then cuts himself off, remembering something. “We got your watch fixed, right?”

You’re glad he remembered, and you fish around in your tea pot bag for a moment before pulling out the weathered bronzy pocket watch. Time works differently in Wonderland, and it’s hard to keep track of. You've tried everything you can think of, and your pocket watch is the only thing that seems to keep you from constantly being late. Granted, you're still late or nearly late a lot, but it’s much better than it used to be. 

“Yes,” you nod, showing him the little ticking hands, currently resting at the words ‘on time’. A fresh bubble of excitement pops inside you and you let out an excited giggle, hugging Ben tightly one more time. 

“Thank you!” you exclaim in a soft whisper before he sends you off. You run over to the corner of the room to summon a rabbit hole. Ben watches in fascination as the tile floor begins to crumble in front of you, giving way to grassy dirt before continuing to crumble, going down, down, down. It’s a large, vaguely irregular circle about half as wide as your wingspan. You look back at Ben with another silent thank you, before jumping straight down into the hole. As soon as the last of you is out of sight, the tiles rebuild themselves without leaving a trace of you. Ben stares at the spot where you disappeared, feeling vaguely melancholic, but mostly happy that you’re getting to spend time doing what you love. That you’re happy. 

“There you are, Bennyboo,” Ben whips his head around at the sound of Audrey’s voice, and he’s relieved she hadn’t shown up sooner. It’s not that sneaking off to Wonderland is a bad thing, but most people tend to discourage you from visiting too often. Wonderland is a timeless domain, like Neverland, and it and all of its inhabitants are much different from those from Auradon - usually referred to as Overland or the Main Land by people from Wonderland and Neverland. 

Wonderland runs on pure, neutral chaos and nonsense, which is a very hard concept for people from Overland to grasp. Overland runs on a fundamental structure of good vs. evil, so it’s easy for people to perceive things from Wonderland as good or bad  when they’re really just made up of madness. The reason people try to keep Wonderland contained is because you can’t fight nonsense with sense, you can’t fight chaos with logic. If something powerful from Wonderland got into Overland, like the Jabberwocky, or any number of powerful plants, animals, or magic, Auradon would be practically defenseless. That’s one of the reasons that Belle and Adam decided to reach out to your mother, and continue to form such a strong bond with her. If Wonderland nonsense managed to get out into Auradon, it would be uncontrollable chaos, and the only person who could stop it would be your mother - and now, you. 

It took Ben a while to understand Wonderland, to understand you. You and your mother are very special cases; Alice was from Overland, but adapted to be part of Wonderland, and Wonderland became a part of her. You, however, were born in Wonderland and raised in Overland. You’ve adapted as well as you can, but you always do much, much better when you can sneak away for regular little trips. Ben has asked to join you before, but it’s too dangerous. People from Overland rarely adapt to Wonderland nonsense and usually end up going mad, which is why your mother is such an asset to the Auradon government - she’s actually able to serve as a liaison between Wonderland and Auradon, and keep an eye on things.  

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of stigmas surrounding Wonderlandians, stigmas Ben has grown to resent more and more over the years, but most of it boils down to Wonderlandians being weird, crazy, dumb, and volatile. The more Ben has come to understand you, the more he hates the small comments and little stares directed toward you. Luckily Ben has been able to protect you from a lot of it. People very quickly found out that if they said anything bad about you or Wonderland, it wouldn’t end well for them. He can’t get rid of the stigmas, but he can protect you from them as much as possible. 

Audrey flounces over, sitting next to him.

"You are never going to believe what Arabella just told me at cheer practice."

“Uh-”

“She said-”

“Um, Audrey.” Ben finally manages to interrupt. She looks confused about why she’s not the one talking right now. 

“I want to hear all about this, I really do,” Ben says, “but we’re going to be greeting the kids transferring from the Isle soon-” Audrey huffs, already disinterested.

“And I wanted your feedback on my speech.” He finishes, handing her the papers. 

“Oh, sure. There’s that…” Audrey says, pretending to read it over for a moment. Before she finishes, she sets the papers down on the table, and gives Ben a chipper look.

“I’m sure it’s fine, Bennyboo. You never disappoint.”

She sits on the table in front of him, continuing to tell him all about what Arabella said Herkie did. Ben tries his best to listen, he really does. He just can’t keep his mind off his speech, and he can feel himself beginning to spiral and overthink. He has so much riding on this, he can’t afford for his speech to be fine, he can’t afford for anything about this whole ordeal to be fine. Her words keep echoing in his mind, you never disappoint, Bennyboo. He knows she meant it to be supportive, but he feels like all the pressure he’s been convincing himself he can handle is just reinforced. He was hoping to get some real feedback from Audrey, maybe a little encouragement, but- 

He stops himself before the thought can go any further. Audrey is his girlfriend, and Ben should be able to trust her word. You would never lie to him about something this important, so he chooses to trust that Audrey wouldn’t either. He tries to shut up the worries clouding his mind and tries to pay attention to what Audrey is saying. She’s probably just trying to distract him from worrying, give him something else to think about for a while. You can always tell when he’s overthinking, so Audrey is probably trying to show him that she cares, that there’s nothing to worry about. That if she’s talking about something like cheer team gossip at a time like this, when Ben is getting ready for one of the most important days of his life, then everything must be under control. Besides, if he needs to he can look his speech over by himself after Audrey leaves. He might have time to. It will all be fine. 

The moment you let yourself fall into the dark rabbit hole, your stomach flips as you begin free falling through the darkness. A little dirt sprinkles down on your head from where it closes up above you, and you narrowly manage to avoid some roots snagging in your hair. After a few moments, your descent slows. You spin slowly as you glide down, and in the pitch black darkness, you can feel your internal gyroscope going crazy. You breathe in the heavy, earthy air, and for a few moments, you don't know which way is up or down. You have absolutely no sense of direction for those few beautiful moments, and you don't want to. Soon, your descent speeds up again, and you find yourself tumbling through tree branches, eventually landing on a rough surface in the dark. 

“It should be here somewhere…” you mutter, feeling around for a doorknob. After a moment you feel it, cool aged metal in your hand. You twist it, revealing a beam of light through a doorway. It’s going to be a close call, but you think you’ll just be able to fit. You manage to squeeze through the entrance, exiting out of the door - which is situated in a large tree trunk, and into Wonderland. You crawl forward, taking it all in. You take in a deep breath of the still, earthy, floral air. It’s heavy in your lungs, like a deep dream. You fully exit, and the door slowly closes behind you.

The world is quiet. 

There’s an almost suffocating stillness in the atmosphere of Wonderland, one that would be uncanny and unnerving to you if it weren’t already so deeply comforting. It’s the same grounding sense of peace and stillness you get when you’re young and walk carefully through your dark house at night in search of a cold glass of water. There’s that feeling in Wonderland, everyone is asleep except for me. I ought to be asleep too, I best not wake them. The world around you is still, still, still. It’s as still as a stone, or a lake made of glass. You soak up the familiar surroundings, and you feel like you’re finally visiting an old friend. 

In spite of the pitch black sky, which is barely visible through the treetops, you can see what’s around you just fine. But if you look too far, there’s a darkness off the beaten path, one that stays just at the edges of your sight no matter where you go. It always looks to you like those hazy dark shadows around the edges of old photographs. You look down at the beaten path - this one being made of black and white irregularly shaped checkerboard tiles nestled right into the dirt. They twist and turn, splitting out and reconverging haphazardly into the darkness. They’re a bit worn and dirty, but you suppose any outdoor tiles would get that way eventually. 

You follow it back the way you came, spinning around as you do, and notice the way it splinters into little shards, cracking and fragmenting into a mosaic of sorts before petering out at the base of the tree, with grass and dirt poking up in between. You feel yourself begin to settle, at home with the lack of time flowing around you, and you take in another breath. Your nose and lungs are kissed gently with the smell of damp, freshly turned earth, plant life, and that unmoving sort of smell that shows up after it rains, but still before any birds and animals come out from their hiding. The type of smell when flowers are wet, and have not yet opened themselves back up. 

Reaching into your trusty teapot bag, you fish around in there until you find your camera. It’s old, very old, and completely obsolete ever since the boom of technology that appeared around the time you and Ben were born, but you love it nonetheless. A year or two before you and Ben - and most of the other kids your age - were born, Auradon successfully made an alliance with Atlantis. They traded their protection of Atlantis and a promise to leave them alone, in exchange for a little bit of their technology and power sources. Adam also promised to make sure Rourke never saw the light of day again, a promise Queen Kida was happy to accept. The trade led to light speed innovations based in Atlantean tech; smart phones, computers, video games, and countless other innovations that brought Auradon into its new age. Flash forward to now, Atlantis is the tech capital of the world, and magic is obsolete. Your camera can’t give directions or tell time or backup to cloud storage, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

You snap some pictures of the tiles before you begin exploring. You never know what entrance to Wonderland you’ll fall through, and you love documenting each one. You walk carefully through the forest of dense trees, looking at flocks of haughty looking dodo birds and peonies that gossip to each other, whispering with a laugh as you pass them by. Soon you stumble into something very interesting. You thought it was a cluster of blue bushes, but were surprised to find out they’re really birds. The bird bushes (or maybe bush birds) startle at your presence, squawking and leaving feathers (leaves?) in their wake before they fly off. 

You manage to get a few pictures of them too, and you’re excited to show Ben. You’ve tried taking pictures with your phone before, but Wonderland makes technology… unreliable at best. Plus, there’s no service down here anyway. That’s why you took to journaling, drawing pictures and taking photos and writing down everything you see. This way you can share it with Ben, this way it’s almost like he’s here in your favorite place with you. 

You follow the blue speckled bush birds - as you’d dubbed them - until you lose track of them. It’s no matter though, since you soon hear some lovely singing coming from under a sparkling berry bush growing fruit shaped like bells. You crouch down, lifting up the leaves, and find a choir of inchworms practicing their harmonies. The leader looks up at you in a huff. 

“I’m terribly sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt.” You say. He huffs, and turns back to his choir, conducting with a little twig. You decide to sit and listen for a while as they rehearse under the coverage of glistening pink leaves. You find some oversized, brightly colored mushrooms growing nearby, and sit down on a comfortable one. You pull a teacup out of your bag, trying to decide which tea to drink while you watch the inchworms and listen to their masterpiece slowly come together. 

You zip the lid closed, and pour the spout to the cup, settling on some raspberry tea. With honey, you think, and lemon. You smile as a lemon wedge falls from the spout, plopping gently into your cup. You take a sip, and it’s perfectly brewed as ever. You go through several cups of tea, growing more and more invested in the drama between the inchworms. One is insisting on taking the high harmony, even though it’s obviously out of his range. You’re half way through… one of your cups of tea, you lost count rather quickly. By now the inchworms have perfected their harmonies for the chorus, and the first verse. Your attention is ripped away from the inchworms when your bag starts ringing. You open it up, digging out your pocket watch. The bronze hands have spun all the way past most of the little notches, and you nearly drop your tea when you see where they are. Your eyes follow the hands, which are nearly pointing to the word Late! in fancy script. 

“Shit!” 

[sunflowersoncolumbiaroad]

December 1st

Joel Miller x Reader

Joel comes downstairs on December 1st to find you already feeling festive... he really should expect it by now.

Rating: General Warnings: no outbreak AU, Ellie and Sarah are the same age and Joel has them both, established relationship, fluff, reader loves Christmas, no use of y/n. 'baby' used as a petname. A healthy serving of playful sarcasm. Reader is gender neutral! Word count: 300-ish

I haven't written self insert fic since 2020 so uhm... yeah. I hope this doesnt suck! This is just a little drabble to get me back into the swing of things. First fic on this blog! Scary! I meant to post this on December 1st but life got in the way lol.

"What are you wearin'?" Joel asks as soon as he enters the kitchen. His voice is thick, having just woken up, and his hair is mussled. 

"Good morning, honey." You say, smirking to yourself.

"Mornin', baby. What're you wearin'?"

"Pyjamas." You bite back a laugh when he crosses his arms, tilting his head slightly. Until you came around this action was reserved for Sarah and Ellie, and occasionally Tommy, but now you see it most days. It's fond annoyance with the way you're dancing around his question- he's never truly frustrated with you.

"On your head."

You give Joel an overly dramatic look of heartbroken sympathy, bringing a hand up to your chest.

"Oh, sweetheart, 38 years old and you've never seen a Santa hat? That's so sad!" The glare he gives you is as affectionate as the cheeky grin you return. Large hands come to rest on your sides, and Joel cocks an eyebrow.

"It's December 1st."

"I have access to a calendar, you know."

He flicks the pom-pom at the end of your hat. "'s too early for this."

"It's the weekend after Thanksgiving."

"It's Friday."

"Friday is at the end of the week." You protest. 

"You're insufferable."

"You asked me to move in." You watch as he fights a smile at that.

"That I did." He kisses you with a softness you wouldn't believe possible if you hadn't been dating him for 3 years. "What world do you live in where the weekend after Thanksgiving is the start of Christmas?"

"Lucky for me, the one where I'm dating you." You respond with a grin. 

"We ain't putting the tree up yet."

"Counterpoint: I already told the girls we'd do it tomorrow."

Joel sighs, dropping his head in defeat. You hand him a glass of orange juice and kiss his cheek. "You'll like it once it's up."

"I always do."

"You always do." And you know he does. He lets you put the tree up so early because he loves you. Because the way you smile when you're dancing around the living room with tinsel in hand, singing along to Christmas songs, is more than worth it.

Joel puts the orange juice down, glaring at it for good measure, and wraps both arms around you. He buries his face in the side of your neck, pressing a few soft kisses to your skin. "I love you, baby." He mumbles. 

"Mm, I love you too."

[andromeda-nova-writing]

Willingly Within Your Grasp

Vampire! Ayato x Fem! Witch! Reader

Summary: A Witch brought in by fellow practitioner Thoma to help protect the Kamisatos from other Vampires and Vampire hunters who wish to see them fall. Originally met to be around Ayaka ended up with Ayato being the one who keeps her close

It’s the day after an incident outside the home had occurred where neither Ayaka, Thoma nor the reader had been nearby when Ayato had been attacked. The Reader has pulled Ayato aside after picking up that he had been wounded upset at what had occurred.

Words: 2,312

AN: @milkstore you just had to encourage my vampire brain rot lol. Thank you for reading over the fic for me. I appreciate it. You gave such a good idea with it being spooky season. This fic is T-rated. Typical vampire behavior. Mentions of blood and animal death. Implied sexual content at the end. If any of that makes you uncomfortable please check out my other Ayato fic. It's much more wholesome.

2 a.m. The Witching Hour, when everyone that should be asleep is. Where those who are at home are tucked tightly under their covers peacefully dreaming with no worries about the things that go bump in the night. For most households, this was true. Other homes were empty with their inhabitants focused on protecting those who lived in peaceful ignorant bliss. And within the walls of the Kamisato Estate, only those who were permitted with the knowledge knew why the Kamisatos were up moving around. 

"Keep it moving boys. That deer was supposed to be here an hour ago. Thoma has been waiting there for a while now.” Y/N told the workers that were moving a live deer that had been tied up into the estate. “I expect next time to be much quicker.”

This was as far as Y/N could enjoy working with the live animal that came into the estate. It was best not to look any in the eyes as they would soon become lifeless and drained of blood with the rest being used for various potion ingredients. Depending on the animal, its meat would be cooked and served to many of the daytime employees who just thought that the Kamisatos preferred any meat to be the freshest to have the highest quality. 

The only animals to enter and exit freely with no worry were two familiars, a dog, Thoma’s, and a raven belonging to Y/N. They too were making a return. The dog carried a small basket on their back filled with mosses that were only found on the tops of canopies of the trees in the nearby forest. The raven landed on a rail singing a sweet song that to anyone else would sound like nothing.

Y/N bent down detaching the basket off the harness that Thoma’s dog wore. She peered inside of it with a quick glance before shutting it and bringing the basket underneath her arm. “No need to apologize, this is plenty for what we need.” She spoke to her raven first.

Y/N gave the dog a quick pat on the head. “He’s in the kitchen. Thank you for your help. You’re dismissed.” Off went the dog happy with the praise received, ready for the next task.

“And you. Any other things you saw on the flight over?” Another bird song. “That tree was standing upright just a day ago. And you say there were sword marks and a silver arrowhead close by. Odd. I’ll have it checked by someone for anything else. I’d like you to take a look for anything else suspicious as of late. Be back in an hour. As long as everything goes to schedule I’ll have your favorite snack soon enough.” Y/N sent off the bird before making her way back inside.

The night air was always nice to feel on the skin knowing that nothing out there could bring her any personal harm. One of the things she enjoyed about working with the Kamisatos. Her talents were wanted and not feared like they would have been if she were to work alone. It made the indoor air of the estate more inviting instead of stiff like her old home had been.

Y/N bowed her head seeing who faced her. “Miss Kamisato. How has your night been?” she greeted.

“It’s been lovely. As fun as the summer festivals have been, I've missed the long nights.” She spoke back lively as ever. “And I do distinctly remember asking you to stop calling me Miss Kamisato. That feels weird from you.”

“I’m sorry Ayaka. A force of habit knowing how many vampires prefer to be addressed. Most aren’t as pleasant to be around unlike you.” She spoke truthfully. “I shall be making that cream today for your next daytime appearance. Shall I make you extra? It would be nice to shop around and help to keep up appearances.”

“I would like that. You should come with me. I heard about a dress you were eyeing a week ago. Maybe this shop will have something for my tastes as well.” Excitement over the trip radiated off of her. If it wasn’t for her fangs that showed through her smile you would have no idea she was a vampire.

“That would be fun. Were you heading out for a walk by any chance?”

“I was. Care to join?” 

“Please don’t leave the grounds for the night. I was informed of some worrying things in the forest. A tree was downed and had remnants of sword marks. My raven saw a silver arrowhead as well.” Her words were laced with concern, never happy to make reports like this. It always was worrying with the fact no one else but who was up on the night shift was to know for certain if the Kamisatos were vampires or not.

Ayaka frowned. “And the moon looked so lovely tonight.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the deer was just brought in. If you get to the kitchen now Thoma is sure to give you the first glass before anything gets bottled up.”

“I think I’ll do that. Better than any mock version you could come up with. It satisfies thirst but it's not the same.” With that, the two girls made the walk over to the kitchen.

It was good that Ayaka preferred animal blood. Luckily, or unluckily depending on who viewed it, never having human blood before made it to where her tastes were much more reasonable. It kept her innocence as a nice young lady helping to keep the public doubting any claims she was a vampire. To them, she was just normal all be it a normal person with slightly colder hands.

“No fair!” She complained seeing her brother drinking a fresh glass. Clearly the first on his way back from the kitchen.

Ayato laughed. He held up the glass with his left hand. “It’s the second. I had Thoma set aside the first for you already.”

She eyed her brother suspiciously for a second before deciding he was telling the truth. “No work before your glass is finished,” Ayaka told him before leaving to get a glass herself. 

“Y/N is there a reason you’re staring? I don’t recall you being so openly enamored by my presence.” 

“Take your jacket off.”

He almost choked on his drink. “Blunt now are we? I’m flattered by the speed of what things you’d like to get done but this is a hallway with no privacy.” 

She rolled her eyes. "Not for those reasons. Keep it up and we can talk about that silver arrow that must have been shot at-"

"Understood. To my office then."

It was a short walk to his office. He had opened the door letting Y/N in before entering the space himself shutting them in the room. Her basket had already been shoved against the wall of the room. Y/N already had her eyes closed drawing symbols in the air and mumbling out incantations in an old dead language Ayato couldn't recognize. As she worked on her spell, the entrances into the room, door and windows, began glowing a deep purple. On the final word of her spell with eyes glowing entirely that same magical purple around the room, it stopped. It appeared as if nothing happened to anyone else.

"It's been a while since you let your magic consume you that heavily," Ayato commented, placing down his glass on the table.

Her eyes had returned to their normal appearance. "I wouldn’t have to if it weren't for you. The words won't escape this room now unless we wish to speak of it ourselves. The estate's seal has been reset as well to fix any weak points in any barriers. Nothing can happen that I won't be aware of. Including the comings and goings of someone not bringing a guard with them. How you found a weak spot baffles me."

"It seems I should hire a better Witch then." Off came his jacket.

"Too bad I'm the best Witch in Inazuma. Now will you tell me why you left alone or at the very least why you didn't tell anyone you were hurt?"

"I was looking for something and who am I to worry you over nothing."

"It's not nothing. You know that. You know silver could kill you."

"I was only grazed. It's a surface-level injury." With his jacket off and sleeve rolled up revealing his right forearm it was clear to Y/N how slowly the injury was spreading. It was indeed appearing to be surface level to his eyes but not to a trained Witch.

"Sit. There's silver in your arm. You must have been downing so much blood trying to heal from that." Her voice was slowly switching from being one of the few people who could tell Ayato what to do with genuine worry.

"Only slightly more than normal." He was following her directions, beginning to treat the situation as seriously as she was. To an extent. 

With Ayato sitting down in his normal spot behind the desk, the only place Y/N could think to work without interrupting her skills was right next to him on the desk. She felt as if she was finding herself there too often nowadays. She held his forearm against her lap keeping a steady eye on the wound. 

Her other hand was waving over the wound while she began mumbling through a different set of incantations. Fragments of silver were being pulled through the wound where they had lodged themselves into his skin. He winced finally letting himself fully feel the pain of what he had been going through for the past day. 

Y/N brought her hand up with silver Fragments floating in the air circling around her hand. With another minute of incantation, they burst into flames changing form from an object to a plasma to smoke before disappearing altogether.

Her eyes dropped back away from that all-powerful purple once again. The only thing not leaving her eyes was the rage that had taken form as she was casting. “You are a buffoon!”

“And I love you too.” 

She was unphased by his common statement of affection and let go of his arm. “If I didn’t figure it out sooner it would have killed you. That arrow had a spell cast upon it as well. It was to crawl through your veins before reaching your heart. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything to help you after that.” Y/N held in any shake of her words able to mask them with having performed powerful magic moments before. She turned grabbing the glass of blood that had been left on the desk half finished, offering it to him. 

He took the glass frowning at what had excited him earlier. It wasn’t enough now. “Good that I have the best Witch in Inazuma to care for me.”

“You can’t insult my skills then compliment me the next minute. Just drink. I’ve done what I can. You have to heal on your own now.”

He obeyed downing the rest of the glass not caring for its taste any more. “I didn’t mean to offend. I’ll be sure to let you know if any encounter like that happens again. I’m not trying to worry you.” He placed the glass aside away from the desk.

“And yet you do.” She kept her eyes off the man in front of her looking elsewhere.

Ayato grabbed her hand placing a kiss on the back of her palm bringing her attention back to him. “You know,” another kiss, “I’d heal faster with some blood.” His fangs brushed against her skin. What a tease. 

“I gave you blood.” She closed her eyes doing her best from giving in. Ayato, now he was easy to remember he was a vampire. He acted much more like one.

He stood up still holding onto her hand. With his height being taller than her no matter if she sat on the desk. A kiss on the cheek before whispering in her ear. “You know what I’m asking.”

A gasp and a swallowing of her breath. “I’ll have some sent here. I have work to be done.” He was trailing soft kisses down towards her neck. 

“It can wait. There’s a more important matter that needs your attention.” The first of many kisses on her neck

And she had gone from Witch caretaker to willing prey for Ayato again. An act she had commented with him countless times before and would continue to do. He had her caged between his arms and the desk once again. She welcomed it leaning into his touch.

His fangs entered her neck drinking up her blood. The taste sweeter than anything he could get from an animal or some other human. Her blood was all he needed. He took a break licking up any drops that tried escaping. “Sometimes I think you enjoy this more than me.”

Emotions were on full display. “I don’t know what makes you think that.” A steady voice was such a lost cause attempting to maintain.

He moved his lips away from her neck admiring the bite marks from his fangs. Waiting out for a response that won’t take too long. He drank too slowly to have her worry about the thought of blood loss. That wasn’t nearly enough for either of them but the stand-off between them was part of the fun.

"Ayato." She spoke softly. The way his name rolled off her tongue was perfect.

"Yes."

"That spell," the one she had cast earlier blocking any sound from escaping the room, “I only have it last one more hour. Whatever we plan on doing, we should hurry up with it.”

He wasted no time before sinking his teeth back into her neck pleased with what was to happen next.

[milkybonya]

ketchup_sdh

!: nothing but fluff because my heart is always soft for big naughty boi

#: rapper boyfriend!big naughty x (gn)reader, a lil studio date vibe <3

[💌: idk why but suddenly im just like my biggest fear is Donghyun somehow finding my fics about him and being like ew blockedt ,, he is a child of the internet lowkey im scared LOL I SHOULD SLEEP]

you knock on the door to Donghyun's studio. not hearing a response, you open the door just slightly to find your boyfriend sitting at his desk, headphones on and probably producing music.

carefully, you walk towards him and once you're close enough, you draw a heart on his back. immediately, he knows it's you. it's like your secret little signal for each other: if someone draws a heart on your back with two fingers, you know it's Donghyun, and he also knows it's you if it ever happens to him.

he removes his headphones and turns around with a smile he just can't hide despite trying to. he doesn't wanna seem like he's absolutely head-over-heels in love with you but he just is.

"y/n?! when did you get here?" he asks, hand over his mouth as he hides his smile.

"just now," you reply, kissing the back of his hand.

he jerks it away from his mouth and whines, leaving you laughing.

"is producing going well, big baby?" you ask, patting and stroking his head. he looks adorable under your touch and you melt.

"mhm."

"i'm not interrupting, am i?" you ask, suddenly worried.

he shakes his head and says, "no, i was just about to take a break anyway!"

he pulls you onto his lap, letting your legs rest on the seat inbetween his own legs. you relax against his chest and he takes hold of your hands, slowly swivelling from side to side in his chair as he basks in your warmth and scent.

"did you eat?" you ask Donghyun.

"was gonna," he replies quietly, hoping he wouldn't worry you.

"shall we order some delivery?" you ask.

he giggles in agreement, but also because of the way he can hear your voice vibrating through your body and onto his own chest, which you still lay against.

you pull out your phone and scroll through the different restaurants, Donghyun watching behind you and humming in approval as you show him the options. eventually, you both decide on something and as you wait for the food to arrive, Donghyun plays some of his unreleased songs for you.

he has you sit in his seat as he stands up and gives you a half-live performance, singing and dancing along to his self-produced beats. seeing you crack up as he twerks makes him laugh, too, and you both get butterflies seeing each other in such a happy state.

once the food arrives, you both sit on the floor to share the meal, Donghyun playing whatever movie or youtube video you both decide to watch in the moment. he shares his food with you and you do the same, smearing ketchup on his nose and calling him rudolph.

"ahhh y/n you can't do this to me! right when i'm about to eat? all i have is soup in front of me, i can't even defend myself... unless i pour it on you, but it's scorching hot!" Donghyun complains.

you shrug your shoulders at him, sticking out your tongue until he quickly bring his face close to yours. his wet, ketchup-y nose gently touches yours, spreading the sauce onto your own face, too.

"now there's two rudolphs," your boyfriend points out.

you lean forward this time, cleaning his nose with a single kiss. Donghyun scrunches up his face and balls up his fists while whining the whole time, but he's blushing when you pull away, hiding his face.

"a-are you obsessed with kissing me today or something?" he stutters.

you stick your tongue out at him again, trying to return to what's playing on the computer screen when Donghyun kisses the ketchup away from your nose, too. you immediately feel warmth bubbling up from within you, your nose tingling from the contact.

you both stare at each other for a few moments before laughing it off, properly wiping the ketchup away and tucking into your meal.

at some point, you both end up laying on the floor, using Donghyun's arms as pillows: one went beneath your head and the other went beneath his own. side by side in your food coma, you listen to Donghyun as he hums a song.

"we should probably walk the food off instead of laying here.. it'll make us feel worse," you point out.

"but i prefer laying here with you," Donghyun whines, turning towards you and snuggling into your side.

your fingers automatically come up to run through his soft locks, and he almost sounds like he's purring as you caress him.

"okay, Donghyun-ah... let's stay here," you say, quietly.

his breathing evens out and you think that your pretty boy has fallen asleep while laying on the ground by your side. you turn to gently kiss his chin, since that's the only spot you can reach, before starting to fall asleep, yourself.

you don't notice the way Donghyun smiles brightly to himself, having been awake and still reeling from the way you tenderly petted and kissed him.

[corroded-hellfire]

theres so many fics about the reader learning dnd for eddie but what about a fic where eddie has to learn about something the reader is super into and he doesnt fully get it but hes supportive anyways

This is the sweetest concept! Eddie would completely support you in whatever you love.

I went fully self-indulgent with this request and made the reader a musical theatre nerd. I was just thinking of a big musical that came out in the 80′s at first and picked Les Misérables. It wasn’t until I started writing that it occurred to me how Joseph has his own connections to Les Mis lol. So, it started out as a coincidence but then I HAD to do it.  

Words: 1.4k

“Eddie,” you say with a laugh. “You don’t have to do this.”

He fusses with the buttons on his nice white shirt, tongue poking out in concentration as he looks in the mirror.

“How many times have you sat through a D&D game for me? Even when you had no idea what was going on,” he asks as he fumbles with his top button.

“A lot,” you admit with a sigh. With a soft smile, you take Eddie’s hands in your own and lower them from the buttons. “You can leave the top one open. It looks sexy.”

He huffs a laugh and presses a kiss to your forehead. 

“I want to do this,” Eddie tells you quietly. You move to let go of his hands, but he catches them and brings them up to his lips. He presses a kiss to the back of each of your hands. “Plus, I’ve heard the music before. You know, only every time I’ve spent time at your house.”

You giggle and a light blush comes to your cheeks.

“I know, I’m going to wear the record out,” you say.

“That’s fine,” he says with a shrug. “Pretty sure my Metallica cassette is on borrowed time, too.”

“Still, it can be hard to follow,” you tell Eddie, reaching up to cup his face in your hands. “The whole thing is sung through. It’s basically an opera.”

“Babe,” Eddie whines. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls your body flush up against his. “You sit through Hellfire meetings. You come to every Corroded Coffin show. You’ve listened to me ramble on and on about things you have absolutely no clue about. You read The Hobbit for me.”

“I liked it!” you interject. “I like doing all of those things.”

“Exactly,” he says, raising his eyebrows at you. “So, why do you think I’m not going to like doing this?”

“It’s not your thing,” you point out with a shrug, avoiding his eyes.

Eddie pinches your chin between his fingers and lifts your head until you meet his eyes.

“You’d never heard a Metallica song in your life until you met me. Wasn’t your thing. Why won’t you just let me be interested in what you like?”

He’s right and you know it. With a nod, you let out a sigh.

“You’re right, Eddie. I’m sorry. I guess it’s a little bit of a sore spot since I used to get made fun of for liking musicals.”

“I will never make fun of you for enjoying something. Anyone who does that is an asshole. And you know that I know something about being picked on for interests,” Eddie says. 

His hands rest on your hips and you wrap your arms around his neck. 

“You’re the best,” you whisper to him. “And you look very handsome.”

He wiggles his eyebrows at you and looks down at his outfit.

“Look nice all cleaned up, don’t I? Who knew I had it in me?”

“You always look nice, so shut up,” you say, hitting his chest lightly. “But you did a great job picking these clothes out. I’m very impressed.”

“I just walked through the store thinking, ‘What would Harrington wear?’”

You laugh and shake your head at your boyfriend. 

“Come on, you,” you say. “We should head out in case there’s traffic.”

 The two of you climb into Eddie’s van and he starts the engine. Before he pulls out on the road though, he reaches down and grabs a plastic bag on the floor at your feet.

“What’s that?” you ask as he rifles through it.

“These fancy clothes aren’t all I picked up at the mall,” he says. “Aha.” He pulls a cassette out of the bag, sheds it of its case, and pops into the player.

“Who dropped a new album?” you ask.

“Um,” Eddie’s eyes scan the case in his hands, trying to find a name. You’re expecting any number of metal bands you’ve become acquainted with since dating Eddie, or even a brand new one he discovered. What you did not expect was the name of a musical theatre composing genius. “Stephen Sondheim. Did I say that right?”

“Sondheim?” your eyes widen, and you grab the case from his hands. “Into the Woods? Eddie! This is amazing. You didn’t have to -.”

“If you say that one more time, you get no sex for a week. No, a month!” Eddie says as he pulls out of the trailer park.

“Ha!” you bark out. “Alright, say hello to your right hand for me, then.”

“Okay fine, I take it back,” Eddie says. 

The cheery opening notes of Into the Woods play over the speakers of Eddie’s van and it’s odd to hear anything other than rock emanating into the air of the old vehicle. 

You reach Indianapolis before the B side of the tape finishes and Eddie’s van sticks out like a sore thumb in the parking lot of the performing arts center. Eddie opens the passenger door for you, and you hop out, smoothing down your black skirt. He threads his fingers with yours and swings your hands gently between the two of you as you walk to the building.

The seats you had gotten were pretty good, and you’d have a great view of everything happening in the show. Eddie looks at the program held in his hands. Les Misérables the big white letters stare back at him. He flips through the pages, and you can’t help but smile as you watch his eyes scan back and forth as he reads through the program. Even dressed in his sophisticated shirt and pants, he still looks like your metalhead boyfriend, and you love it. He hadn’t wanted to wear his rings at first, but you assured him they were fine. You were so glad he did because you know he would’ve felt naked without them. The peek of his pick necklace hanging against his pale chest where his white shirt parts makes your heart rate pick up. Eddie is sitting here in a performing arts center, about to watch a musical with you, and you want to pinch yourself. The man of your dreams taking you to see the show you’d been dying to see on tour? You couldn’t imagine anything better.

As the lights dim in the theatre, Eddie places the program in his lap. He looks over at you with a smile and slips his hand into yours. He doesn’t let go of you the whole first act. He does, however, keep sneaking glances over at you that you don’t see. You’re so engrossed in the show, and while Eddie is enjoying it too, he’s enjoying seeing how happy you are even more. Sometimes your lips would move just slightly, like you were singing the words along with the actors. Eddie wasn’t sure if you even knew you were doing it. 

As the lights come back on as act one ends and the fifteen-minute intermission starts, you look over at your boyfriend with pure glee on your face. He can’t help but grin as he takes you in. Your face is flushed in excitement and you’re almost bouncing up and down,

“That was really good,” he says. “I think that last song there was my favorite one so far.”

“One Day More? Oh, I know! That’s one of my favorites as well,” you tell him. You’re practically buzzing in your seat, and it makes Eddie giggle. He doesn’t know the last time he actually giggled like a schoolgirl. 

“Who’s your favorite character?” Eddie asks.

A frown pinches your face, and you purse your lips together. Eddie knows it’s only a look of concentration, but he desperately wants the smile to come back. 

“That’s hard,” you say. “I like a lot of them. Hmm. It’s either Eponine or Enjolras.”

Eddie’s lips press into a thin line as he looks at you, making you chuckle.

“The poor girl in the brown coat and the leader of the students in the red vest,” you tell him.

“Oh!” Eddie says. “Yeah, I like the dude in the red vest. He’s cool. Good leader.”

You nod, trying to keep your face neutral so you don’t give away what happens to him in the second act. 

“I’m not a fan of the police guy,” Eddie tells you. “He’s a dick.”

“Pretty much,” you agree. “I get he’s only trying to do his job, but he still bugs me.”

Eddie brings your hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it.

“I’m really happy to be here with you,” Eddie says. 

“Me too,” you say. “Like, I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier.”

Eddie leans over and presses a soft kiss to your lips. 

“I’m just going to have to take you to see more musicals then, aren’t I?”

[niki-phoria]

heyy I just read your royalty au fic with sunghoon if you're willing to expand on that specific au/fic I'd like to request king!sunghoon being protective over reader, like maybe someone insulted them or reader got hurt/attacked. I'm a sucker for the protectiveness trope lol, anyways thank you & hope you're having a great day!

pairing: king!sunghoon x consort!gn!reader genre: kinda hurt comfort ?? word count: 886

a/n: thank you for requesting !! i really liked this idea, i hope you like it :))

warnings: mentions of sex, couldn’t think of a name so i went with ki hong also he’s supposed to be a knight

[part 01]

reblogs (with feedback) >>> likes

you shift awkwardly in your seat as you watch sunghoon dance around with a woman. his hands graze against her back with each step they take, their fingers intertwined. the song continues to drone on as sunghoon glances over her shoulder at you, giving you a small smile. you let it ease your jealousy as they continue, twirling around the room. 

“they’re cute together,” a woman whispers next to you. her friend hums, leaning closer to her. 

“i wonder when the king will settle down. it’s hard to run a kingdom alone.” 

“perhaps he just needs to find the right person.” 

“maybe it’s you,” you tense up as they laugh together. “you should ask him to a dance. he never declines.” 

the first woman nods, turning her attention back to sunghoon and the woman, still dancing together. “i will. after this dance.” 

you jump a little when someone places a hand on your shoulder. “sorry,” ki hong chuckles a little, moving his hand down to your back. his armor is cold against your skin as he leans down to whisper in your ear. “you look a little tense. why don’t we get out of here?” 

you glance back at sunghoon for a second before nodding, eager to feel some fresh air against your face. ki hong’s hand stays pressed against your lower back as he leads you outside. the night air is cooler than you expected. you shiver a little, rubbing your hands against the fabric of your shirt. ki hong glances over, hand still close ghosting against your lower back. “cold?” 

you step back a little, nodding. “i didn’t really have a jacket to bring,” you laugh. 

“you could always come back up to my room with me.” the innuendo to his words makes you shift uncomfortably. you wrap your arms further around yourself, taking another step back. 

“no, i think i’ll just head back inside. sunghoon should be done with the dances anyways-” 

you freeze when ki hong reaches out to grab your arm, pulling you back. “y/n,” he steps closer, slowly forcing you back against the wall. “come on, you’re seriously still with him? you could do so much better.” 

you swallow nervously. the concrete of the castle digs into your skin. “i love sunghoon. you know that.” 

“you’re his consort. you’re nothing to him. he keeps you around because you’re an easy fuck,” ki hong lets out a bitter laugh. you tense up as he leans a little closer. “he’s the king, y/n. he doesn’t even bring you to advisory meetings anymore. what were you expecting?” 

you bite your tongue, cursing yourself for being so sensitive. tears sting your eyes, threatening to fall, but you blink them away, forcing them back. a pit grows in your stomach. what if he’s right? 

“y/n,” ki hong’s voice drops back to a whisper. he softly smiles at you, almost sympathetic. his hand brushes against your cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “i can treat you better. you know i can.” 

you grit your teeth, pushing him away. “no. i love sunghoon.” 

ki hong’s face drops. he sighs, shaking his head as if he’s disappointed in you. “you were always so naive. he’s going to leave and you’ll end up alone.” he steps back, looking down at you. “again.” 

“ki hong,” sunghoon’s voice is a welcome distraction from the uncertainty running through your mind. his hands clench at his side as he walks closer. ki hong stammers a little before sunghoon interrupts. “i don’t want to see you around him again.” 

he nervously bows, mumbling a quick ‘yes, your majesty’ before he rushes off. sunghoon sighs, relaxing his shoulders. you push yourself off of the wall, almost jumping into his arms. he wraps his arms around your waist as you bury your face into his chest. fresh tears threaten to fall before you blink them away. “you’re okay,” he murmurs, hand rubbing your back. he presses a kiss to your forehead, coaxing your face away from his chest. “what did he say to you?” 

you take a shaky breath, looking down at your feet. “he said i don’t mean anything to you.” 

“oh, baby,” sunghoon pulls you back against his chest, wiping away the tears that run down your face. his grip around your waist tightens a little. “i love you. you mean everything to me.” you nod, wiping your face. sunghoon traces your jawline with his finger, lifting your face so you’re looking at him. “come on, let’s go to bed.” 

you ignore the questioning glances from the servants and guards you pass as you rush back through the castle to your room. sunghoon’s arm stays firmly wrapped around your waist. 

his hands are gentle as they carefully untie the knots on your clothing, hands gently running against your sides as he stips you. he’s quick to join you underneath the blankets, pulling you in closer so your head is resting on his chest. he rubs your back as you relax against him. he pulls your hand up to rest against his skin, over his heart. “do you feel that?” he whispers. “it beats for you. only for you.” you shift to press a kiss against his skin. 

“i love you, hoon. so, so much.” 

“i love you too. never forget that.”

[joels-shitty-puns]

The Key To Your Heart - Track 5

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Musician!Reader

Series Summary: After writing your feelings for Pedro into a song, it gains a lot more popularity than expected. Ultimately it brings both criticism and support, with new possibilities around the corner.

*! New warnings will be listed first !*

Series Warnings: 18+ only (MDNI). Mentions of food, weight loss, weight gain, dieting, weighing, potential eating disorder, food guilt. Potential for puns/dad jokes (name of my blog, and the fic) should give that away. This is my first fic which should be its own warning, lol. Also some cursing. Mentions of masturbation (f) maybe more smut later idk. Sadness, reader is pretty depressed. Poor body image. Rude people. Bullying-ish and just lack of support? Anxiety. Age gap! Reader is in her mid 20's, Pedro is current age (48).

Other stuff: Reader is plus sized. AFAB. Inexperienced. Also has a dog, but you can pretend it is another creature probably. Further, in case it isn't clear, italics almost always are the reader's inner thoughts!

Word Count: 2.5k

Series List: Here!

Miss last chapter? Here!

Hi guys!!!! Thank you for reading and being so supportive of my first fic so far!!! I love you all ❤️ please let me know your thoughts on this chapter. We're not done yet!

___________

~ We alternate between Pedro + reader's thoughts in this one ~

"Hello?"

"Hello? Pedro? It's me.."

You heard him give a breathless laugh before answering with a gentle "Hi."

______

You laughed back, sounding equally shy but giddy. "Hi," you answer softly. "I hope I'm not being weird calling immediately after you gave me your number?"

"No, no! Not at all. I'm happy to hear from you" Pedro quickly quashed your worry.

"Okay" you whispered.

"So tell me more about this book you love," Pedro asked, trying to start up a conversation, any conversation, just to hear your voice.

The two of you discussed your favorite books, movies, shows, and continued on through other favorite things. Food, ice cream, music, your favorite flowers. You talked about dogs and told him about Skipper. You even shared his name and breed.

"Oh, Skipper! I was wondering about his name when you mentioned him in your interview, but you said you weren't ready to share. Thank you for trusting me. How'd he get his name?"

You smiled before jumping into a story about yours and Skipper's origin. "Well, a couple years ago… I was walking by the ocean down this pier with fishing boats, sailboats, and yachts docked on it. I heard a whimper coming from a corner of the dock and went over to investigate. There he was, small and scared. Just a puppy. He didn't have a collar and was covered in fleas. I tried to call him with no luck, but I also had just stopped at the grocery store and thought maybe I could lure him over with some jerky. But he wasn't interested. Too nervous."

"Hmm," Pedro listened.

You continued. "One of the fishermen walked down the pier with a bag from the same grocery store I had just left. He pulled out a can of wet food and tried to lure Skip over. Still no luck. I dug around my backpack to find something else, but the only food I had was a peanut butter sandwich I packed for my commute home. I took a shot and offered it to him, and weirdly.. that he accepted. The guy likes peanut butter," you said with a laugh.

"From then on, we were attached like glue. I couldn't find an owner for him and he didn't have a chip. We took care of the fleas and I decided to name him Skipper. Partially because of the boats, partially because I can call him Skippy for short, like the peanut butter."

Pedro gave a genuine laugh before complimenting the cute, yet sweet, name. "Does he still like peanut butter?"

"Oh he loves peanut butter. I can't even open a jar without him coming over from wherever he is in the house."

He hears you speak faintly to the side, away from the speaker. "Isn't that right my little peanut?"

"Boof," Skipper agrees.

Pedro laughed, grinning ear to ear. You couldn't see the joy on his face but you could feel it. "He sounds adorable. I love dogs."

"Me too," you smiled. The two of you discussed dogs you've raised over the years before you texted him a picture of Skip.

"Oh my GOD," Pedro exclaimed. "Look at those ears! He's adorable."

As if you couldn't like Pedro more, he's gushing over your dog the same way you do. 

You don't know if it's possible, but you hope someday you can have the two meet each other. 

Pedro didn't want to scare you and mention it, but he also hoped to meet Skipper someday. But more than that, he wanted to meet you.

_____

The conversation flowed so naturally, it felt as though the two of you had known each other a lifetime. It seemed the blink of an eye, but you had been on the phone for three and a half hours. 

"Y'know… I was kind of nervous to call you," you said shyly.

Pedro sighed "I was nervous to give you my number. Especially when you didn't reply right away. I worried I overstepped."

"No! I'm so glad you did. Because even though I was nervous, talking to you just feels…"

"Easy." You both answered, resulting in matching grins and blushes, neither of which are seen.

"It feels like we've been friends for years," Pedro continued.

"I agree" you say softly.

The conversation begins to close, but the two of you plan to talk on the phone again soon.

With that, you both hang up, and each begin to count down the time before the next call. In your respective houses, you flop on your bed, kicking your feet and blushing, while Pedro ran his hands down his face with a grin.

______

The next day, the two of you talk again. He called you this time.

Unfortunately, when he called, you were well into your workday. He didn't know you still worked a normal person's job.

"Hey P! I'm sorry I can't talk, I'm at work, can I call you in a few hours??"

"Oh shit, sorry! Yes." Pedro hung up frantically before he began to think. Did she just call me P? A nickname? He smiled to himself. He had been called many names, nicknames, and mispronunciations throughout his life. Some good nicknames, some… not so good. Other people have even called him P before. But never before had he heard a nickname from your lips.

_____ 

When you called him back after work, he decided to be bold. "Did you call me P?"

"Huh?" 

"Earlier when I called, did you say 'Hey P!' when you answered the phone?"

Your blood turned cold. Oh no. It slipped out. He hates that I used a nickname.

"I did. I figured it would be better for your privacy if I didn't say your name out loud."

"Oh. I see. Well, Pedro is a pretty common name."

Yeah but when your coworkers all know you're in love with Pedro Pascal, I don't think they'd be thinking of other Pedros.

"That's true. But some of my coworkers know I'm a big fan of yours so they might think I'm just delusional, haha" you answered… mostly honestly. Although you aren't sure "big fan" is the right word. It's just the safest.

Pedro thought about this and wondered: her coworkers know that she's a big fan? How big of a fan? Could I be the - nope, don't even go there.

"Big fan, huh? Well, thank you. I appreciate it. And I don't mind the nickname. I liked it. People call me a lot of names and I don't really mind." He had started to tease about the fan thing but decided to change gears.

"Oh good! I was worried I overstepped," you replied cautiously.

"You could never." And he meant it. With as much daydreaming as he's been doing lately, he's not sure there's much of anything you could do to overstep. He, however, worries he might. She's already in love with someone. Stop.

He cleared his throat and continued "so I didn't know you worked, outside of your music."

"Oh yeah, I mean the music is fairly new. Luckily my coworkers haven't figured it out yet, surprisingly." You continued to describe your job, Pedro listening intently (as if work was actually entertaining).

_____

After the work discussion, there was a quiet pause. "Hello?" You asked, wondering if Pedro had been disconnected.

He suddenly sounded serious. "Can I… uh.. ask you a question?"

"Oh. Um… Okay…" you replied, heart pounding.

"You mentioned your coworkers not finding out.. Do you think you're ever going to show people who you are?"

"Maybe someday…if they don't figure it out first."

"Do you think you'll ever tell your guy you love him?"

Your heart was ready to fly away it was beating so fast. "I'm thinking about it..."

"Can I ask - What's holding you back?" He asked cautiously, gently even.

Where to begin? You thought. But he doesn't need to know all that. He doesn't want to. You'll scare him off once he realizes what a mess you are.

"Eh, it's just my own silly worries! It's okay, I'll get over them I'm sure. I know I can't stay hidden forever," you deflected as best as possible.

"Anxiety is a hard thing to conquer, but your worries aren't silly if they bother you. If you ever need to go to someone, I'm here to talk."

"Thanks, Pedro. But really, don't worry about me. I'm okay."

"That's not fair to you. How often have you felt the need to say that? That you're okay, in order to not worry someone else?"

Every time I'm worried. Nobody needs to be burdened by my stress.

"Oh.. I um.. I just don't want to burden anyone over something I should handle myself…I don't want my friends to feel like I'm using them as my therapist."

Pedro's heart sank even more. "I hate that anyone could ever make you feel that way. But if you want to talk, I'm here to listen. You won't burden me. I promise."

You couldn't help the sniffle that escaped you. "I don't want to push you away." Your voice dropped down to practically a whisper "I don't want you to leave."

Pedro's heart broke. "Baby… the only way you'll push me away is if you tell me to leave. Let down your walls. Talk to me."

Did he just call me baby? You immediately snapped up, quieting your tears instantly.

The realization hit Pedro just the same. Shit, did I just slip and call her baby?! Oh what have I done? Tell me she didn't notice. Tell me she didn't hear me. She's worried about pushing me away, and I go and say something like that? 

Unsure of how to address the nickname, you decided to ignore it. He probably is just trying to be nice. Friends say things like that. Buddy, pal, babe, baby, love, honey. At least girl friendships do… ? It's probably nothing.

"Are you sure? I mean, you don't even know me that well," you hesitated.

"But I want to. It'll be okay. Let me in," Pedro said softly, cautious, like you'd flee.

And so you opened up. You told him about your anxieties. How it feels safer to just close yourself off from people. About not sharing your excitement and passion because people feel it's "too much." Not showing your feelings because your old crush said it was weird and pushed you away. Feeling like other people fit in so much easier than you ever can. Or how you wonder if your friends sometimes just are nice to you only because you're nice to them. How you're really nobody's favorite. 

With every word, Pedro's heart was breaking. All he wanted was to scoop you up in his arms and hold you until you believed all those things weren't true. Until you felt loved the way you deserved.

"But I guess one of the main reasons I haven't shown myself to the world is because of the things people have said about me without knowing me. About my music. About me being naive. Childish. Creepy even.." you continued.

"Those people are assholes. The second you get an ounce of fame and attention they'll do anything they can to knock you down. You're amazing. You're brave and bold and all you did was share your feelings and your voice. Those people just want to make themselves feel better about their own unhappy lives." Pedro spoke from his own experiences. Rumors and articles often spread like wildfire and it can be overwhelming. He isn't immune to that.

"Thank you. And I know that, but I think part of me believes they might be right… I really am just in my silly daydreams."

"They aren't right. You said it yourself, they don't know you. You know you. I'm starting to know you. I can already tell you aren't any of the nasty things people say, and those people couldn't even be half as good a person as you are." Pedro reassured.

"Thank you… but… well… can I ask you something?" You asked shyly.

"Of course."

"On the topic of what people have said… Another big reason I haven't told the guy I like is because I worry he wouldn't like me. Like he'd think the way those people do. You said earlier in your interview when you were asked - that if someone wrote a song or something like that about you, you'd still consider them. You'd give them a chance, even though they were clearly some obsessive fan. Were you telling the truth? Would you really give a fan a chance with you? Be honest with me," you pleaded nervously.

Pedro paused for a second, before answering with certainty. "Yes. I would feel at a bit of a disadvantage that they loved me before I got the chance to love them back... But I would give them a chance. As long as they're respectful, why shouldn't you? Who says celebrities should only end up with other celebrities? The world is full of people looking for and deserving of love. Including, especially, you."

Your heart fluttered around his words like a thousand butterflies taking flight at once.

"Thank you Pedro. You deserve that too. And if that's something you want too, I hope you find it."

Me. I hope you find me.

"Thank you. I hope you do too." He meant it. Even if it wasn't him, he wanted you to be happy.

"But lastly… I think a big reason I'm scared to show him who I am is…"

"Yeah?" Pedro could feel himself getting nervous.

"I don't… look like a celebrity. I don't look like those women in magazines. I'm not… skinny. I'm fat, and squishy… and I don't have flawless skin. I'm not… beau-"

"Stop," Pedro said.

"Sorry…" you fretted. You knew you'd push him away.

"No, no, no. Don't be sorry. But don't say to me that you aren't beautiful. Because you are. I don't even know what you look like but you're beautiful on the inside. And as far as the women in magazines? They've gone through hair and makeup and plastic surgery. They don't look perfect when you strip all that away. But you. We all have bad skin days. And you aren't defined by your body size. You may not be your own type. But for all you know, the man you are in love with might LOVE that you aren't skinny. He might love the curves and the natural beauty that you have. Not to mention that big heart of yours. You might just be his type."

You might be my type, he thought. 

You were crying now. Not a sniffle, but a genuine cry. And Pedro felt as though he must have made things much worse. Until you said "thank you Pedro. I'm sorry for putting all this on your shoulders. But thank you for your words. I know that I don't like my own body and I just assume others wouldn't as well. But maybe you're right. Maybe he would love me back."

"I think he will. You just need to give him a chance to see you the way you are. You deserve to be loved as you are. He will love you back."

And if he doesn't, I think I already do. Pedro finally admitted to himself.

__________

That's all folks! For this chapter at least. Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for more!

Next chapter! Here

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