#my friend from work that they threw these plans at me and then once I’d told him I couldn’t do today but maybe next weekend they suddenly

[sluttyten]

.

[frozenjokes]

Put Me In Perspective, Or At Least In My Place (Another Retrospective On Aromantic Love)

“Above your head like this. Both hands, look at me. Both hands, Grian. It doesn’t take a lot of strength, just step forward and release around eye level.” Cleo demonstrated, holding the axe at the end of its handle and releasing the weapon. It flew in what had to be a perfect arc before burying itself in the wood, a bullseye of course. She threw the axe like she’d done it a thousand times, and honestly, she probably had.

“Don’t people throw them with one hand, too?”

“Yes. It’s just harder. Try this first.”

Grian pursed his lips, stepping forward, throwing, then squeaking when the axe bounced terrifyingly off the wood, hitting the wall before rolling and bumping the curb that separated the stall and his feet. Ah. That was frightening.

“Nearly took out our ankles there,” Cleo said, not sounding all too concerned.”

“It- Can it bounce over that?”

“Not easily. But not uncommonly either. Try not to do that.” Cleo strode forward, plucking the axe off the ground and handing it to Grian. “Don’t throw it while I’m in there.”

“I wasn’t going to!”

“Maybe you won’t, but some people need to be told,” Cleo grunted, ripping the axe she’d thrown from the wall and spinning it thoughtlessly in her hand before burying it in the stump that split their twin alleys. “Try again. Keep your wrists straighter, release at eye level.”

Grian shifted his weight, frowning, “Surely you brought me here to talk about something else other than axe throwing. ‘Cancel your plans, I’m picking you up,’ is an extremely ominous message to receive from a stranger at 8:00 at night. How did you get my number again?”

“Pearl. And we aren’t strangers, we’ve met at least once at that big friend get-together thing, you know. That awful pizza place? Regardless, I’m friends with runners, so force is necessary 90% of the time. If you want to skip to the talking, we can talk, but I don’t know if you want to hear what I have to say.”

“I probably don’t.”

“Then start throwing and I’ll do the work. You’ll get it to stick, just give her a few tries.”

“You seem to have a lot of faith in me.”

“Everyone gets it eventually.” Cleo looked relaxed, unconcerned, and Grian tried to match the energy, but he couldn’t quite shake his anxiety. Well. He was here, so he might as well make the most of it.

It took six more tries before he got an axe to stick. Wow that was satisfying- but the air seemed a little too heavy to celebrate more than Cleo’s tasteful clapping. Maybe he should come back here with Pearl and Impulse.. Jimmy maybe? He’d kill to see Jimmy try this actually, even if he’d likely crush Grian in the end. When Grian went to collect the two axes from the stall, Cleo finally spoke.

“I’d like to know what’s going on between you and Scar. Properly. It’s been a particularly shitty week for our friend group and Scar’s been in a foul mood for more reason than one, so we haven’t talked. And I’m not just here to interrogate you about Scar either, I’d really like to know what’s going through your head as well. Have you seen each other this week? Have you talked at all?” Cleo was firm, but nothing about their voice was hostile. There was a worried longing there, the kind of urging that came from a deep concern for a good friend.

Grian took a deep breath. “Not much. I saw him a couple days ago when I was getting lunch with Pearl at the zoo. He only texted me one other time to tell me he wouldn’t be.. we have this mutual place we hang out, and he just told me he wouldn’t be around this week. Too much going on. I’m really sorry about Etho by the way, I hope you guys find him.”

“Thank you. Bdubs got in contact with him yesterday, so we know he’s alright. We still don’t know where he is or when he’s coming home, but from what I’ve heard, he’s keeping frequent contact. Hasn’t called me or Scar, but that’s typical. With any luck he’ll be back safely soon. That’s what Etho said anyway. Still all sorts of concerning, but we’ll take what we can get.”

“That’s good. I’m glad.” Grian tried not to be hurt that Scar hadn’t updated him, but failed miserably despite the fact it probably wasn’t any of his business. He just would’ve liked to know, that’s all.

“It is. So how did that clusterfuck of a night happen between you and Scar? How did that start?”

“Oh,” Grian mumbled, fidgeting with the axe still in his hands. Cleo took the other from the stump, throwing it almost lazily, like the question didn’t matter to her much at all. Grian decided to do the same, focusing on the secondary activity instead. “Well.. he invited me over. That was a couple hours after our first spat, and I was still feeling weird about it all. Wasn’t well.”

“I figured. He reached out to you first?”

“Yeah. We weren’t supposed to do anything though, just.. get it out of our systems. I was so mad at him- I’m still so angry, and not even for any reason in particular. I’m just mad.”

“Then how’d you end up in his bed?”

“Oh. I kissed him. He was pissing me off.”

“Right.”

Grian scoffed, snagging his axe off the floor of the alley after a failed throw. “How did you think this all went down? He told you the jist, basically. Not nicely, but he told you.”

Cleo shrugged. “I just wanted to know a few more details. Place my judgment a bit more accurately. From where I’m standing, you’re both idiots self destructing in the dumbest way possible. I would like it very much if this didn’t happen again, not only because it’s bad for both of you, but quite frankly, it’s embarrassing.”

“You’re entitled to your opinion.”

“Come on.”

Grian curled his lip. “Listen, I don’t understand why it’s such a huge problem for Scar and I to work out our differences with a little violence. We're consenting adults and the sex was kinda nuts, so if we’re both having fun there’s no issue. In any case, I’m pretty sure this is solving all of our problems.”

“Oh? Do explain.”

Grian rolled his shoulders, throwing his axe and getting it to stick for the second time, “We’re just letting off steam, Cleo. Two months of awkward tension does a lot to a man, it does a lot, nothing good. This is like a shortcut to the whole ‘tiMe hEaLs aLL’ bullshit, we’re like- getting it out of our system.”

“Uh huh. And this is going to resolve your unrequited feelings for Scar how..?”

“I’m getting it out of my system, Cleo.”

“Ah, so having really good sex with a man who isn’t looking for the same things in a relationship as you is going to fix you.”

“You got it.”

“That’s the dumbest load of horseshit I’ve ever heard.” For the first time, Cleo’s axe bounced off the board. She strode to pick it up wordlessly.

“Alright.” Grian landed another axe, just inches from the bullseye.

“Grian,” Cleo sighed harshly, and Grian avoided her eye, uninterested in her scrutiny, “Listen. As dysfunctional as the both of you two are, I don’t actually believe this couldn’t work. You two have been as thick as thieves for ages, and as much as you’re scrapping now, I don’t think that’s indicative of how you actually feel about each other. You’re just hurt people hurting each other, and you don’t have to be. For goodness’s sake, Scar would have been happy to be in some sort of relationship with you, he just didn’t want to lose you altogether. Somewhere I think that got lost in translation.”

“Scar doesn’t want to date me. He only offered to appease me, it was as obvious as anything.”

“I don’t doubt there’s truth to that. He doesn’t do well under the pressure of a love confession, and that’s no one’s fault. But his feelings on romance are a lot more complicated than ‘wanting’ or ‘not wanting.’ You did the right thing to refuse him, Grian, he wasn’t ready. But I think it’s worth talking to him again. Laying everything out on the table. And I can’t speak for what Scar wants, his brain is a mess of tangled wires and sparks, but he’s obviously had plenty of time to think about this, and he might surprise you. If there’s one thing I do know about Scar, it’s that he loves to give things like this a try. And I mean that. He does love it.”

“But Scar won’t love me. Not like I want to love him.”

Cleo hummed, thoughtful as they considered the ceiling, “You know, I don’t know if that’s true.”

Grian huffed, “Unless I’m misunderstanding what ‘aromantic’ means, I don’t see what you mean.”

Cleo shrugged. “Scar loves everyone in big sweeping gestures. That doesn’t change from person to person, whether they’re family, close friends, lovers.. it doesn’t change. But there are still levels, right? There’s still loyalty. You’re thinking of Scar as loving you like a friend, but I think that’s the wrong approach. Making that distinction makes it seem like his love would be less intense, like he wouldn’t still give you everything he has. Try.. a scale, 1 through 10, maybe. For you, you’re looking to give Scar your 10 on the scale, right? A 9 or 10, whatever it is, that’s the kind of love you want to give, the kind of love you’re looking to receive. In Scar’s brain, he’s been giving you that 10 for months, and if you asked to spend the rest of your life with him, he’d probably go ahead and accept without hesitation. That’s just how he feels about the people he’s close with.”

Grian didn’t speak, still working out how to process those words, but Cleo did not mind continuing in his absence. “If you’re worried about not being #1, then I’m afraid you’re fighting a losing battle, friend. With anyone. You’re contending with mothers, brothers, sisters, friends that go back to high school, grade school, diapers. Being intimate doesn’t outweigh those bonds, not for most people. And this isn’t to say that a relationship with Scar would be exactly the same as it would be with anyone else, it won’t, and if you’re the type of guy that gets insecure when your partner is physically friendly with other people, then forget it, but in my truest of hearts, if you’re looking for someone to love, I believe Scar would be more than good for you. He would treat you well,” Cleo paused, thoughtful before continuing, “And honestly, things literally can not get any messier between you two. There are zero stakes to giving this a shot. You’ll either feel a lot better about yourselves or you’ll go your separate ways, both of which are a huge improvement to whatever the fuck is happening between you two now. Maybe you’ll even stay friends after talking all this shit out. Who knows.”

Grian returned his axe to the stump, needing to sit down. To think. He was quiet for a long time just sitting there, the only sound being the bustle of other customers and Cleo’s own axe hitting its mark time and time again.

“You really think he’d want to give it a shot?”

Cleo shrugged and shook her head noncommittally, “Who knows. But it wouldn’t surprise me. So long as you two actually talk this all out, I think anything could happen. And Christ, if you two decide to get together and still want to ‘fall down the stairs’ then have nasty sex afterward, that’s your prerogative, but for crissakes, at least wear some sort of padding or a helmet or something, don’t actually kill each other.”

Well. He had gotten Scar that helmet, hadn’t he.

“I’ll think about it,” Grian mumbled, eyes lidded. And he was. He was thinking quite hard about it.

[swappingbryn]

I first saw Marcus at a conference and became obsessed; he was 20 years younger than me, but only one level below my own, brilliant, hot and tall. I decided after only introducing myself to him that I’d take everything from him.

I “ran into him” that night at the hotel bar and bought him a drink to discuss overlapping work, and then I bought more and more, putting hundreds of dollars of drinks on my room for my company to pay for. Once he was very drunk, I helped him back to his room, where I enacted my plan. I swapped our bodies and broke the magic talisman. I knew it could easily be reassembled, being magic and all, but you had to have all the pieces.

I took one piece and dropped it in a waterfall, so it sank to the bottom of the deep lake. So deep that it’s pitch black and you’d need scuba gear to reach the bottom.

The next piece I buried under an ancient tree and covered it with leaves. No one would think twice about the leaves and by the time they blew away, the soil would have settled and nothing would look out of place.

The largest piece I threw into a canyon. It looked like just another stone. Finding that specific rock in a vast canyon full of rocks would be like trying to find an individual needle in a needle stack, on a needle planet.

The fourth part I dropped in a lake back home (his home) while out with my new friends. It was easy to discretely drop, I keep it in my pocket and “accidentally” wiped out, while underwater I pulled out the rock and dropped it.

The fifth and last, and smallest, piece I kept with me. I had it turned into a stud for my earring. I figured even if he does find every other piece, he’d never think to find the last piece with me. I lied to him and told him all the pieces were scattered.

I look so happy here because not only have I endured he can never swap us back, but I just got notified that I was hired at my old company, at my old job. Marcus was already in trouble for the massive tab I left on his room, but he’d also been skipping work looking for the pieces. Now I have his body, his life, my old job. Life is good.

@titledlikes

[elizabethwritesmen]

The Devil Wears Lace

chapter 5 : July 4, 2023

pairing: simon “ghost” riley x reader

summary: it’s 4th of july and your favorite soldier shows up at the firework show. you spend a little time with him and get a little drunk, resulting in some bad decision. everything is ok though, as long as he’s there with you.

warnings: 18+ for eventual smut, pining, no use of y/n, reader is almost forced into a pool, angry simon, possessive simon, fireworks, someone flirts with reader, i think that’s all but let me know if i missed anything!

series masterlist

July 4, 2023

A year had passed since my kidnapping.

It was surreal, really. I liked to brush off the experience like it had been nothing but it took a week in the hospital to detox me from all the drugs those guys had pumped in me and two months for my leg to completely heal. It wasn’t the kind of thing you just… forget about. The trauma was gone, though, mostly, but what was left creeped in once I realized it was the anniversary of it.

And then the worst thought crept in. What if they came back? One failed attempt so they try again?

I shrugged off those thoughts, returning to my outfit search. I’d tried on a million options, and upon seeing them on me, decided they were awful and should burn. Because of this what can only be described as character flaw, most of my clothes were strewn across my bed and floor haphazardly after being ripped violently and angrily from my body. I sighed, accepting defeat, and found my safe choice. A cream colored American flag sweater, just thin enough to wear on the beach, and a pair of light wash daisy dukes with rips and exposed pockets. I yanked on my birk style sandals and called it a day.

I rushed out the door with my hair pulled messily into a white claw clip and my makeup done in a rush, mascara just barely smeared and a thin layer of lip balm. I jumped into my car, speeding to the beach where the firework show was to be held.

Normally, I would’ve had to work, but Sabrina’s husband’s family just happened to be the owners of the bar and he decided to close for the night so everybody could enjoy the holiday. This was mostly due to pestering from Sab and I, but that was fine, considering we got what we wanted in the end.

Once I got there, I parked right beside her husband, Dylan’s truck. Once they saw me, they climbed out and we all walked to find a spot together.

“There are a lot of people here already,” I commented as we found a free space at the end of the pier, right in front of the water.

“Probably trying to get good spots like the one we just got,” Sabrina wiggled her eyebrows.

“You know who might be coming?” Dylan asked me with a smirk that made me nervous. I stood, waiting for him to tell me, and he bit, “Connor.”

Connor worked with me when I first started at the bar, but he’d quit after a few months to take a job offer in another city. He was nice, adorable and likable. He was never immune to my charms but he was much more respectful than any of the other men I used them on. We’d hung out and, well, made out a few times before he moved away. I never really cared about him or anything, so his leaving was fine with me, but I did miss having a man around that wasn’t creepy or strange or icky in the slightest. Of course, now I had Ghost, but was he really around? Not much. So what harm could flirting with Connor for the evening do?

“You invited him?” I asked, brows furrowed, “I knew you guys were friends but I didn’t realize you kept in touch.”

“Yeah, he has plans with his family today and came here for them, but he said he’ll probably be done early and head here.”

“Interesting,” Sabrina grinned, “Sounds like a good chance for you to get laid.”

I threw my water bottle at her, “Not everything is about sex, Sab!”

“Well it sure hasn’t been for you lately.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“You’ve been stuck on Ghost for a year, flirting around with him and waiting for him like an army wife or something. And in that time, have you had sex or even done anything with anyone at all?” I cast my eyes downward, the truth in her words hitting me like ice water. “Exactly. I’m just saying, you need to get out of this rut or you’re gonna be hung up on a man you’ll never have for the rest of your life.”

Sabrina was always one for tough love. She never lied, and she only ever said exactly what she thought a person needed to hear.

“You know, I never really slept around even before I met Ghost,” My contradiction was weak against her words.

“I know. But I also know that’s the only thing that might get him off your mind and turn you back into a man’s worst nightmare.”

“Fine. You’re right. Hopefully Connor will stop by.”

“Atta girl!” She grinned, high fiving me with both hands as we settled into the chairs Dylan had carried out for us.

“Not to, uh, ruin this moment for you ladies or anything, but who is Ghost?” Dylan asked, seeming thoroughly confused.

“The guy I told you about, that always wears the mask. The one who saved her last year.”

“Oh!” recognition flashed on his face, “Somehow I’ve missed him every time he’s been here.”

“Well then you’ve also missed the googly eyes she makes at him.”

“I’m sitting right here!” I huffed, crossing my arms.

We hung out there for a couple hours, chatting and drinking a little more than we really needed to. I was nice and buzzed by the time night fell, and I looked around, surveying all the people there.

What I wasn’t expecting to see was Ghost and his three buddies a little ways away from us. They hadn’t noticed me yet, and I didn’t know whether that was a blessing or a curse. Did I have it in me to ignore him and just have a good night with my friends?

Of course I didn’t.

“Sabrina!” I hissed, smacking her on the arm until she paid attention to me. When she finally looked up from whatever she was doing on her phone, I gestured aggressively with my head to the guys in question.

“Fuck, who’d have thought? You gonna go say hi?”

“I don’t know, they haven’t seen me yet. It would be weird for me to just-“

“They see you now,” she raised a brow and gave them a slight finger wave, and I turned to see that they were, in fact, looking at me. Even him.

“Do you think they even want me to walk over there?” I asked.

“Of course they do, stupid, those boys are wrapped around your finger. Go!”

“No,” I sighed, “If he wants to talk to me badly enough he’ll come over here.”

“You and your dumbass hoe rules,” she rolled her eyes at me.

“They’re not dumb and I’m not a hoe!”

“Wait,” Dylan furrowed his brows, “That’s the man? The myth? The legend?” I nodded, giggling. “He’s fucking huge!”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Hell no, I’m guy crushing. Now I don’t resent Sabrina for telling me he’s hot.”

“You told your husband you think Ghost is hot?” I snorted at her, and she shrugged.

“He told me he thinks Angelina Jolie is hot. It was only fair.”

“So you guys just… share your gay crushes with each other? Any more you want to tell me about?”

“Well we’ve both agreed we’d have a threesome but only with you-“ Sabrina didn’t finish her statement, but I heard enough and reached my hand up to shut her up.

“I want to forget you told me that.”

“Fuck,” she gasped, “He’s coming over.”

“Really?” my tone was pathetic, too excited for my own good.

“You were right, I was wrong. Your hoe rules are not dumb!”

Before I could respond, he cleared his throat from behind me. I turned slowly, feeling his presence before I even saw him.

“Hey,” I grinned, and almost looked like he did too, under the mask.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you here,” he said, his voice the same rough melody as always.

“Well… I live here, and basically the entire town showed up, so..”

“That’s true.”

“What’s more weird is you being here. Considering this is a day to celebrate the US ditching England and you’re English.”

He shrugged, “I like American Independence Day. It’s interesting.”

“Interesting how?”

“Right now, the interesting part is you.”

I fought off the butterflies. Really and truly, I did, with everything I had in me.

“If you just came over here to flatter me, you can go ahead and go back to your friends,” I smirked, eyes narrow.

“Actually I came over to see if you’d wanna come say hi to them.”

“Awwww, so they sent you over here? And I thought you came over because you like me.”

Sabrina and Dylan had amused expressions on their faces, but neither said a word as they watched the exchange.

“They were just gonna wave you over but I told them I wanted to come ask you. Does that answer satisfy you?”

“I’m never satisfied,” I clicked my tongue, but I stood from my seat anyway, lightly grabbing his arm and letting him lead me away. “Be right back!” I called as I left, and my two friends waved goodbye to me, laughing.

“There she is!” Soap cheered as I approached, and a grin broke out over my face. “We started to think you didn’t wanna talk to us!”

“Was just waiting for Lieutenant Dan over here to notice me is all,” I hummed jokingly, getting on my tiptoes to pat Ghost on the head.

“Lieutenant… Dan?” he furrowed his brows, staring down at me, confused as ever.

“You’ve never seen Forrest Gump?” I practically shouted, mouth hanging open stupidly, and he shook his head. “That’s it, you guys are coming over to my place one of these days and we’re gonna watch it.”

“Fine with us,” Gaz shrugged, taking a sip of the drink in his hand.

Ghost still looked apprehensive and confused, so I told him in the sweetest voice I could manage, “Lieutenant Dan is super cool. I had a little crush on him the first time I watched the movie.” At that, his features relaxed, but they tensed again when the boys around us whistled.

“I think she’s got a little crush on you, Ghost,” Price laughed, and Ghost glared but I just giggled.

“I never said I didn’t,” I shrugged with a wink and the whistles got worse. “But I never said I did, either.”

We caught up, they told me as much as they could about what they had been up to but it wasn’t a lot at all. I noticed the more I saw them, the comfier they got speaking to me.

Then, I noticed Connor walking up the pier out of the corner of my eye, his own eyes already on me. A bright smile lit up his face and he picked up his pace to get to my side.

“Connor!” I squeaked as he pulled me into a huge hug, spinning me around in a circle and then waiting an extra second to let me go.

“Hey, sweet cheeks,” he winked, “You look good.”

“I look the same,” I scoffed.

“I know,” his voice was coy and I rolled my eyes, stepping back to put a tiny bit of distance between us, hyper aware of Ghost’s eyes burning into me.

“I can’t believe you made it,” I spoke, more tense than I normally would’ve been but I don’t think anyone picked up on it. I felt so awkward. I’d started the day with the intention of flirting with him, and doing anything I could to make him want me, and now I was a puddle for another man I didn’t even expect to see.

“Of course I made it,” he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “You’re here. I’d never miss a chance to see you while I’m in town.”

“I seem to have that affect on men,” I snorted, sparing a glance to Ghost and instantly regretting it. His eyes were hot, and they just about set me on fire, making my whole body feel tense and preyed upon.

“You always have,” Connor looked me up and down then, clearly liking what he saw, “Where are the lovebirds?”

“Over there,” I pointed to the end of the pier and he nodded.

“You gonna come join us anytime soon?” he asked.

“If you stay on your best behavior, I’ll consider it,” I smirked and he laughed all the way down to Dylan and Sabrina.

“You two seemed familiar,” Soap hummed, tone playful but eyes wary.

“He used to work with me but he moved away. This is the first time I’ve seen him in a couple years or so.”

“Guess time didn’t make him like you any less.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Why don’t you guys come down to the end, with us? The view is better, and I don’t wanna leave you but I can’t ditch them.”

“Fine by me,” Price shrugged, and the others agreed. Ghost didn’t want to, but they talked him into it, saying it was either hang out with me or stand there alone.

“Finally decided we were worth your time?” Sabrina jabbed as we approached, and I rolled my eyes.

“You’re always worth my time, baby girl,” I leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, “I was just having a chat.”

“Get a room, you two,” Dylan joked at our girly display of affection.

“Can’t, you married her before I had the chance,” I pouted, and they both laughed. I was straight as they come, but I still liked to joke about being gay for her. She was my best friend. What girl doesn’t do that?

“If anyone is getting a room with this one, it’s gonna be me,” Connor leaned around me to kiss me on the cheek and I all but cringed, shying away from him.

“‘This one’ isn’t getting a room at all, so don’t go getting your hopes up,” I was stern, but tried to be nice and protect the peace. I’d expected him to flirt with me. It’s not his fault I have a very angry looking Ghost watching over me and making me feel dizzy with need, my tummy a little sick from all the butterflies in there flying against my rib cage.

“See your mouth hasn’t changed much,” he just laughed, turning back to the side of the pier and leaning on the railing.

I approached Ghost, opting to root myself by him instead of by Connor. I wanted him to know that he was the one I’d rather have. It was silly, really, I shouldn’t have cared, but I did. I wouldn’t risk doing anything that would make him not want to see me again. I needed him to want to see me again.

This action didn’t go unnoticed by everyone else, their eyebrows raised but they stayed silent. Ghost just grabbed my arm and pulled me half an inch closer, satisfied with my choice, and I half smiled.

“Hey hot stuff,” Sabrina began speaking to me, “After the fireworks we’re going back to mine and hanging out by the pool. You down?”

“Are we all invited?” I gestured to the four men beside me and she nodded.

“Of course! I wouldn’t leave anyone out,” her tone of voice was the same as all the times she joked about Ghost and I.

“Then yeah, that sounds good. You guys wanna come?”

“I’d rather hang out there than some crowded bar,” Gaz shrugged, and the others nodded. Once again, all except Ghost.

“Come on, Ghosty, you’re not gonna let me go all alone are you?” I spoke, only loud enough for him to hear.

“You’ll have Connor with you.” He spat the name out like it disgusted him.

“I don’t want him with me. I want you. Besides, all your boys are coming. Please?” That one word did him in, his eyes meeting mine in a heated gaze.

“I’ll come.”

I smiled victoriously as we all settled in to watch the fireworks that were about to start. He placed his hand on the small of my back and lead me to the edge so I’d have a better view, which was shockingly sweet for the gruff man.

An hour or so later, we were all doing our thing by Dylan and Sabrina’s pool. I was laying in a lawn chair, drink in hand, on the border between tipsy and drunk, a giggling mess. At some point, everyone became comfortable with each other. Or at least, everyone but Ghost. He sat right beside me in the other lawn chair, watching over me carefully.

“You’re weird,” I hummed out, reaching out to tap him.

“You’re drunk,” he countered.

“That’s why you’re watching me so close? Cause I’m drunk?”

He cast his eyes downward, “Guess so.”

I let out a laugh, the embarrassing kind that I would inevitably regret the next day, attempting to stand up but wobbling on my legs. I just about fell but he steadied me.

“I’m gonna go get another, you want anything, silly little Ghost?” the sentence came out a slurred string of words, but he understood.

“No thank you, love,” he sounded kind, like he thought it was nice I asked, “Are you sure you need another?”

“One more won’t hurt me,” I shrugged, turning away to stumble over to the cooler and pull out yet another bottle. I found my way back beside him and plopped back down.

I couldn’t manage to get the cap off, and it was making me increasingly angry. Finally, Ghost grabbed it from me with a chuckle and took it off for me.

“So sexy when you do stuff for me,” I hummed, taking it from him and taking a long sip.

“That needs to be your last one,” he ordered and I giggled again.

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“If you’d make the right choice on your own, I wouldn’t have to.”

I rolled my eyes, throwing the bottle back again. When I put it back down, Connor was in my line of sight, chuckling about something with Sabrina.

“Hey sweet cheeks, I got a real question for you,” he smirked at me, and I groaned.

“Oh God help me, what is it?”

“Will you jump in the pool with me like old times?” he implored, voice hopeful and I snorted.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Come on, you love bad ideas. You always have. Every time we’ve been here, we’ve jumped in the pool, don’t let this be the first time we don’t!” I still looked hesitant, and I was hesitant. I didn’t want to do it. Especially not with Simon right there, watching my every move, looking for any reason not to want anything to do with me. “Unless you’re scared?” Connor kept going. “You weren’t scared of anything when I knew you. Guess you’ve changed.”

His voice was a challenge and I knew it was a trap, but I fell right into it, indignantly arguing, “I am not scared.”

“Prove it, then. Strip.”

We got locked in a stare down before I huffed, standing from my seat, still wobbly but my determination giving me a boost. Simon helped steady me once again, still looking at me, assessing the situation.

“Fine,” I shrugged as I yanked my sweater over my head then unbuttoned my shorts and pulled them down, leaving a trail of clothes on my way to the pool. Once I got there, all I had on was my lace bra and underwear, cute and purple. I didn’t even think before going for it, jumping haphazardly into the deep end, the rush of water hitting me like a train. I felt it shift around me and knew he’d jumped in right after me as I fought to get to the surface.

I finally broke through, and took a deep breath in, laughing the loudest I had all night. Sabrina and Dylan cheered for us, mumbling on about how familiar it was to see us in their pool. I risked a glance at Ghost. He was expressionless. Well, from what I could tell.

I made my way to the side of the pool, crossing my arms there and laying my head on them.

“You’re staring,” I hummed.

“You look fucked out. You need to go fix your makeup.”

I blushed, and I knew he saw it because his eyes perked up.

“Help me out, then,” I pleaded, reaching one hand out towards him and he stared at it for a moment before making his way towards me and grabbing it. He used it to tug me up while simultaneously wrapping his other arm around my middle and pulling me out.

“You’re not gonna swim with me?” Connor pouted from the pool, and I shrugged.

“I proved my point. Swim alone.”

Ghost’s glare shut him up after that, and we headed inside to the bathroom. He left the door open behind us but we still had a sense of privacy that had never been there before.

“Here,” he sighed, opening the bag of makeup wipes that Sab had on the counter and retrieving one then using it to wipe my face. “You feel good about what you just did?”

“Well I don’t feel bad about it, if that’s what you’re asking.” He grunted. “Everyone enjoyed it but you, Ghost.”

“Yeah because everyone out there wanted to see you half naked.”

“What, you didn’t? You don’t like what you see or something?”

“I didn’t say that,” his voice was deadly, as if he was chastising me. “That wasn’t smart. You’re drunk.”

“And you’re jealous.”

“I’m telling you that you made a dangerous decision and you’re accusing me of being jealous?”

“It wasn’t dangerous, first of all. I’ve done worse than that while I was drinking. And second of all, yeah. You’re jealous. You can admit it.” He stayed quiet, finishing up my face and going to walk out but I grabbed his wrist, tugging him back. “I’ve been rejecting him in the nicest way possible all night long.”

“Why?”

“Because I was scared if I didn’t, you’d decide I wasn’t worth coming back for again.”

“You can do what you want, it’s none of my business.”

“I know.”

“You can flirt back. You can damn near fuck him right in front of me and I’ll still seek you out the next time I’m here. You don’t have to worry one bit about that.”

“Is that a promise?” I asked, and he nodded, hand cupping my cheek. “I don’t wanna flirt with him. It’s pathetic is what it is. He came here tonight for me, thinking he was gonna get in these little lace panties, and the second I saw you he was an afterthought.”

His gaze was hotter than it ever had been, pupils a little wider when I risked those words. His voice was husky, going straight through me, “How rude of you.”

“You like me pathetic, huh? You like that I’m a little desperate?”

“You’re not desperate,” he chuckled.

“I am for you.”

He groaned, his masked face falling into the crook of my neck as his hands ghosted over my hips.

“Come on, let’s get back out there,” he pulled himself away and walked out, and I made no attempt to stop him that time, still trying to catch my breath.

A moment later I managed to compose myself, and I followed outside, laying back in my lawn chair. I was still a bit wet so I didn’t bother putting my clothes back on yet, but I was shivering slightly from the cold.

“Took you long enough,” Ghost mumbled from beside me and I rolled my eyes at him, leaning even further back, my eyes shutting. All the alcohol was getting to me, making me a little sleepy.

“You’re going to sleep?” The voice was Connor’s, and it was close. Before I could even respond, I was being picked up and held tightly in arms that didn’t feel like Ghost’s. My eyes shot open to see Connor carrying me towards the water.

“What’re you doing?” I asked loudly, squirming to get away. He just chuckled, clutching me tighter.

“Waking you up,” his voice was breathless as he laughed and I started struggling harder against him.

“Let me go! Please, let me go, fuck, God-!” I was full on wrestling him now to get away, not wanting to go back in the water. Thinking how wrong it was for him to throw me in there. He always used to do stuff like that when he’d lived close, and I hadn’t minded then, but I was drunk and it was late and-

My thoughts cut off there as he was yanked back from the edge by his shoulder.

“She said she wanted to be let go.” Ghost was standing there, looking as angry as ever.

“Chill, dude, this is our thing. We’ve always done stuff like this together, she’s fine,” Connor huffed incredulously.

“Does she look fine to you?”

They looked down at me, my lip trembling, fully uncomfortable in Connor’s arms.

“Connor, please put me down,” I tried one last time, “I don’t wanna be thrown in the water. I’m cold and drunk and-“

“Give her to me.” Ghost’s tone was not a playing one, sending shivers even down my spine and I could not imagine how Connor wasn’t cracking under that pressure. “Now.”

Connor sighed, nodding, setting me down next to Ghost who pulled me close into his chest, hand stroking my wet hair and wiping my cheeks where I hadn’t realized tears were falling.

“I’m sorry,” Connor looked at me and it sounded like he really meant it. “I just - we used to do shit like this all the time. I didn’t think you would care.”

“It’s ok,” I sniffled, snuggling closer into the broad expanse of man I was leaning against, soaking up the warmth for all it was worth.

“I’m gonna take her home, I think she’s had enough for one night.” I nodded as Ghost spoke, his arms even tighter than they’d been to begin with. “Get your clothes, come on,” he whispered into my hair and I did as asked, grabbing my shirt and shorts and slipping my shoes on. I gave Connor a quick goodbye hug and waved goodbye to the rest of my friends and his, who opted to stay for a while longer. They said they’d come pick Ghost up from wherever he needed, and he nodded as we left for the night.

He opened the passenger side door of my car for me and helped me in, frowning as I shivered against the biting night air. “Put your clothes on, sweetheart,” he suggested and I shook my head.

“Don’t feel - hiccup - like it,” my voice was practically a whine and he nodded, walking over to the driver’s side. On his way, be noticed a blanket in the back seat, and when he was situated in the car, he grabbed it and placed it over me. I cuddled into it, appreciating the gesture.

“Are you okay?” he asked me, as serious as I’d ever seen him.

“‘m fine,” my voice was weak, and I didn’t really understand why I was so upset. I’d been thrown into the water before. I never enjoyed it, but it never made me cry.

“Yeah? Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I don’t know why I’m so bothered,” I shrugged, “Guess with everything that’s happened to me I just felt scared. I don’t like… I don’t like feeling like I can’t get away from someone. Not if I don’t trust them.”

“You said you’ve known him for a long time, you don’t trust him?”

“Not like -“ I paused, wondering if I should say the next part, “Not like I trust you.”

He chuckled darkly, hand falling down to my stretched out knee and rubbing.

“You don’t know me at all,” he pointed out.

“I know you a little better than you think,” I huffed, “You’ve saved me three times now. You wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

He clicked his tongue, turning the car on and pulling away, following my directions to my house. He was gentle with me the entire time until my tears stopped and I was half asleep in the seat, head slumped and eyes hazy.

He pulled in the driveway, slipping out of the car and picking me up, leaving the blanket and my clothes behind.

Once we got to the door, he took one arm off of me just long enough to unlock it with my key and walked me inside, barely caring to get a look at the place at all as he walked to the hallway in search of my bedroom.

“It’s the one at the end,” I offered and he nodded, finding it and letting himself in, laying me down on my bed.

“I’m sure you wanna get out of your wet…. clothes,” he vaguely gestured to me, “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Don’t leave me here,” I gasped out, reaching desperately for his hand, “Don’t leave me here alone. I’m not ready for you to go yet.”

His eyes widened and he leaned back into me, crowding me and promising, “I’m not goin’ anywhere, just leavin’ the room to give you privacy to clean up.”

“Oh,” I hummed, relief settling in.

“You could say please, though,” his voice had that husk in it again, and I grinned.

“I don’t think I have to, you’re gonna stay either way.”

He tutted, “Doesn’t mean I don’t wanna hear it.”

I thought for a moment. “Fine,” I smirked, then, in the most seductive voice I could manage, I leaned up and drawled, “Please.”

His pupils blew wide and he nodded, his hand exploring my face, cupping my cheek, squeezing my chin and making my lips pucker, and then it drifted into more dangerous territory, resting around my throat. My breath hitched and he chuckled, giving one small squeeze before his touch disappeared. He walked out of the room, laughing all the way.

I rolled my eyes, going to my dresser to get clothes. I was still too sleepy to shower or anything but I at least wanted to wear something that covered me and didn’t smell like chlorine. I pulled on a T shirt and a fresh pair of panties, not bothering with more. Ghost had already seen me in just my undies, why did it matter? Then I went to the bathroom and thoroughly cleaned my face and brushed my damp and stringy hair.

Once I was done, I left my room and searched for him, finding him in the living room, lounged back on the couch like he belonged there. Wordlessly, I sat beside him, and he hummed, pulling me into his side and tucking me there comfortably.

He was so warm, I couldn’t help but sigh, sinking into him. My mind drifted to places it shouldn’t be, imagining sinking into his arms all the time. Imagining having his warmth forever. I pushed that away. Those were not feelings I needed to unpack.

Finally, I glanced up at the TV to see he’d found Forrest Gump and it was ready to play.

“Really?” I asked, the ghost of a smile on my lips.

“Wanted to see what this Lieutenant Dan was all about,” he shrugged, clicking the button and starting it.

I couldn’t pay much attention, I was much too content to just relax into his hold. I checked my phone, seeing a few missed texts from Sabrina asking if I was okay, apologizing for Connor, and of course, some innuendos about Ghost and me.

“You two have an interesting friendship.” I looked up at him as he said it and laughed.

“How so?”

“Doesn’t seem like you like each other very much.”

“That’s just how we are,” I shrugged, “She’s my best friend, we just like being mean to each other.” He grunted in response, prompting me to turn back to the movie. It didn’t take long for me to drift off, snuggled deep into him and feeling more safe and taken care of than I ever had.

I woke up to the feeling of being carried and opened my eyes slowly just as Ghost laid me in bed.

“The team is here to pick me up. I’ve got to go.”

I pouted, not ready to let him go just yet.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

“You shouldn’t drink so much, sweetheart, it makes you sappy,” he chuckled, but the look he gave me was pitiful and it only made me want him to stay more.

“I’m not being sappy, I’m being honest. I don’t do that a lot, be grateful for it.”

He sighed, sitting down beside me and stroking my hair. “I’ll be back. I don’t know when but I promise I will.”

I nodded, trying hard not to drift back to sleep, wanting those last few moments with him.

My eyes widened as he lifted his mask to his nose, exposing the stubble on his chin and cheeks. He leaned down, taking my cheeks in his hands and kissing my forehead.

Oh, I was fucked.

His lips felt so good, I was addicted and he hadn’t even kissed me properly. I felt myself getting a little closer to the edge of the cliff I was bound to fall off of.

He pulled away slightly, still close enough for me to feel his warmth, and I sighed, eyes on his lips.

“You gonna give me a real kiss, soldier?”

“Not when you’re all tired and drunk like this,” he shook his head, brushing his thumb across my lips then pulling away.

“Ghost,” I called as he made his way to the door, “Goodbye.”

“Bye, sweetheart. Get some sleep.”

[loveharlow]

LOVE SICK

PAIRING‧₊˚ JJ Maybank x Ex!Fem!Reader

SYNOPSIS‧₊˚ [3.1k] Who knew being sick could be grounds for rekindling a flame with your ex...

WARNING(S)‧₊˚ swearing, mentions of being sick/throwing up, mentions of a failed relationship, Y/n’s a little mean but it’s warranted (for the most part), hurt/comfort (?), mild angst, fluff at the end 

A/N‧₊˚ My first post got a lot more attention than I anticipated, ty all sm. I was literally smiling from ear to ear like a fucking kid but here’s something new! I’m trying to make my way through all the basic genres (like fluff to hurt/comfort to angst, etc…) to get into the hang of it so bare with me please.

˗ˏˋ jj masterlist ˎˊ˗

I FELT LIKE SHIT. Absolute shit. 

I woke up with a sore throat and decided to pour up a glass of tea, hoping it would ease the dry aching of my throat, even if only temporary. 

I didn’t have work today. In fact, I was due to hangout with the Pogues in a couple of hours. It was nothing special. We were just planning to hangout at John B’s, probably drink beers around a fire and pass out.

But now, as I sat up from my nap hours after I gulped down my mug of hot tea—throat feeling ten-times worse, a spontaneous and incessant headache pounding in my skull, and my entire body covered in a thin sheen of sweat despite feeling cold to the point where I was lightly shivering, I didn’t think going out was in my best interest.

Even swinging my legs over the edge of my bed was a struggle. They felt too heavy to maneuver. 

Just then, my bedroom door was cracking open—my mother peeking in, dressed in her waitress uniform. “Hey, hun. I’m off to work. You gonna be alright?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you later.” I insisted, voice raspy. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stepped further into my bedroom, coming to stand next to me with a hand on my shoulder.

“Are you sure- Jesus, Y/n, you’re burning up.” She hissed, quickly removing her palm from shoulder and moving it to my forehead, flipping it back and forth to assess my body temperature. “Hold on.”

Then she was stepping back out into the hall where I could hear her rifling through the hallway closet. She re-entered the room seconds later with a thermometer, prompting me to open my mouth as she turned it on and planted it underneath my tongue and I clamped my lips around it.

I felt like a child but I couldn’t care less. 

A few moments pass and the device sticking out of my mouth was beeping and I take it out. 102.4. Damn.

“Well, you’re sick alright.” My mother proclaims, taking the small device from my hands. She sighs and runs her hands down her face. “I could call in and stay here if you want? I’m sure-”

“Mom, I’ll be fine. You don’t need to call out of work just because I have a fever, or whatever.” I assured her. 

“Are you absolutely positive? I know you haven’t had the best past few weeks lately and-”

“Mom.”

I knew what she getting at. And I’d be lying if I said she was anywhere near wrong. First, JJ breaks up with me out of nowhere after being together for over 2 years—I’m talking no explanation or anything. Having to be around him and act like we were just friends, which I guess now we were, sucked. So, in truth, being sick wasn’t too bad right now.

Then, I get a rejection letter in the mail from one of the colleges I applied to—one of my top choices, at that. Now, I feel like someone ran me over then threw me into an incinerator. I appreciated her concern but I wasn’t on the verge of death, no matter how much I felt like I was. I’d be fine. We needed the money.

“Go to work. I’ll be okay. If I need something, I can call Kie or someone.” I told her with the best smile I could offer. She was still hesitant but she nodded, exiting the room with a ‘love you’. Once I heard the front door close and lock, I let out a soft sigh. Closing my eyes for a few moments to let the pounding in my head subside for a few moments before I had to face the inevitable and get out of bed. 

Standing up on shaky legs, the room spun for a moment until it steadied and I was walking—more like dragging myself—out of my bedroom and to the bathroom across the narrow hall.

I opened the mirror cabinet above the sink looking for pain medication until I found it, barely full with maybe a small handful left. Trudging my heavy frame through the hall once again, this time to the kitchen, I poured myself a generous glass of water—with ice because I hated the taste of room temperature water, sick or not. 

Taking a sip beforehand for good measure before throwing the tiny tablet back and washing it down. Now, there was nothing I could really do but wait for it to kick in.

A shower could probably help to ease some of the pain, though.

A shower definitely helped. My muscles didn’t feel as sore, either. However, I’m sure that was thanks the medication finally kicking in. I still felt chilly and my throat was definitely still struggling. There was nothing more I could think to do. 

So, walking out of the bathroom, steam curling out behind me, I made my way to the living room, grabbing the throw blanket that was slung over the edge of the small couch and plopping down. I just wanted to lay down and get comfy but staying in my room wouldn’t help at all. Plus, I was closer to the kitchen if I got hungry and fairly close to the bathroom if I felt the need to throw up.

Sifting through Netflix, I settled on some show I had passed a few times.

THE third episode of whatever I was watching was starting and so far, I had gotten up to drink some more water—the mere thought of food making my stomach cave in on itself—and took another ibuprofen when I felt my headache making a return. I was reaching for the remote to turn the volume up when the door bell rang.

I groaned, not in the mood to get up. Pausing the show and wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, I rose from the couch and drug myself to the front door.

Upon opening it my eyes went wide like a deer caught in headlights.

“What are you doing here?” I asked the boy standing in my doorway. I truly didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh but I guess the bitterness I’d been hiding since our breakup was crawling to the surface. 

I didn’t even notice how dark it had gotten outside, the sun had completely gone down.

“We-uh. You were supposed to meet us at The Chateau but you never showed so…” JJ said nervously, a hand on the back of his neck as he avoided looking me in the eyes. 

I had completely disregarded my plans with the Pogues, meaning to tell Kie that I wasn’t feeling well and hoping she’d pass the message along.

However, this was the first time JJ and I had been alone—truly alone since he broke things off. Anytime we saw each other was around the Pogues or at school. We didn’t even text each other separately anymore. 

“Guess I just wanted to make sure you were alright…” He trailed off. A gust of cool air swept through my house and it was then that I realized I had him standing outside.

Stepping to the side, I motioned my head for him to come in, an action of which took him by surprise but he accepted the invite nonetheless.

“You could’ve just texted, y’know.” I spoke, closing the door behind him and locking it. “You didn’t have to come all the way over here...” I couldn’t help the judgmental tone of my voice.

Yes, we broke up but I still couldn’t help the dissatisfied feeling in my stomach behind it. JJ never gave me a reason as to why he decided to end our relationship. We were together for a long time and we went through a lot. So for him to break things off on the simple premise of things “not working out” was off-putting for me. Even Kie said that it was kind of a dick move and didn't make sense.

I moved past him to plop back down on the couch, my legs beginning to feel weak the longer I stood. JJ stood awkwardly behind me and though I couldn’t see him, he was practically radiating nervousness. I sighed and turned on the sofa to face him.

“JJ.”

“Hm?”

“Please, sit down somewhere.”

“Oh. Sorry.” He apologized, moving across the screen in front of me to plant himself on the couch, on the other end—as far away from me as possible.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I don’t know why I just didn’t unpause the TV or ask him why he felt the need to come all the way down here but he was the one who came here so I just let him work out whatever he was going to say, if he was going to say anything at all.

“Are you sick?” Was the first thing he said after a couple minutes of radio silence. 

“Huh?” I turned my head to the right to face him only to find him already looking at me—the first time he’s actually looked at me since we ended things. I forgot just how it felt to look in his eyes, the way my heart would speed up.

“You look sick. I-I mean, not like you look bad, you just look tired and your nose is kind of red.”

“Uh, yeah. I meant to tell you guys I wasn’t gonna show up. Just slipped my mind, I guess.” I muttered, the raspiness of my voice now accompanied by shakiness from how it felt to actually talk to JJ after weeks of not doing so. It was extremely awkward but I'd be lying if I said I wanted him to leave.

“Did you eat anything?” He inquired hesitantly, genuine concern laced in his tone. I could still feel his gaze on the side of my face since I tore my own away. I shook my head ‘no’ and within seconds he was standing from the couch and disappearing towards the kitchen.

I knitted my eyebrows at the sound of his heavy shoes hitting the floor, a sound I missed dearly when he would come over or stay the night. However, my confusion didn’t subside as I followed after him, finding him opening the cabinet where we kept the canned foods, pulling out a can of soup. “Oh, absolutely not.” I started, shaking my head and walking over to him, blanket still on my shoulders.

I stood in front of him, reaching for the can until he held it above his head and out of my reach. I huffed and leaned against the counter beside me as he raised a brow. "Do you not like this flavor or...?”

“I don’t need your help.”

“It’s just soup.”

“No, it’s not. It’s some kind of…gesture, or something.” I countered weakly.

“I don’t think it is.” He shrugged.

“Well, I do.”

“No, you don’t. You’re just mad at me.”

My jaw dropped slightly, trying to find a response. But he was right. I had no reason to stop him from heating me up a can of fucking soup. I was just pissed. I’m still in love with him and whether he knows it or not, I’m still hurt.

“I have a right to be.” I murmured under my breath, sliding down against the cabinets until I was sitting on floor, legs out in front of me. JJ pulled out a pot and poured the soup in, adding a bit of water since it was condensed and turning on the stove. Once he got it all together, he was sliding down too, except on the opposite side with his feet next my hip. 

“I know. I don’t blame you.” He faltered. He sounded sad.

“You never told me why.” I whispered, trying not to strain my voice but also slightly nervous about the conversation that was stirring. JJ sighed a placed a hand on my calf, waiting a moment to see if I’d pull away or brush him off. I didn’t.

“I got scared.” He admitted. His words sent me into a mental spiral—we were together for 2 years, I thought we were way passed the stage of being scared of commitment or whatever. “Stop thinking about it.” He said firmly, seeing the tell-tale signs of my confusion written all over my face. “Just- I know we talked about it before. Commitment, loyalty and all that stuff but when I was talking to John B a while ago, he was saying stuff that just made my head spin.”

“Like?”

“It was nothing bad. Just stuff like, he could see us getting married and having a family and that he didn’t think I had it in me until he saw how I was with you.”

“And that scared you?” I questioned. I couldn’t hide the hurt in my eyes. “The thought of a future with me…scared you?”

“No, no, God no-”

“You’re confusing me, JJ.” I hated how weak I sounded, as if the thought of him not wanting to be with me would be the death of me. But JJ was a huge part of my life whether I liked it or not. He had seen every part of me.

“I’m saying-” He took a deep breath, lifting the hat off of his head to run his fingers through his hair before putting it back down and letting his head fall against the cabinet, looking up at the ceiling. “It was me. I want all of that with you but I’m not sure if I’m cut out for it, y’know? And I know you told me you wanted all of that somewhere down the line but I never thought about it so deeply before. We’re graduating soon and I just never really took the time to think about what would happen once we actually grew up. I probably won’t leave here and lord knows I’m not cut out to be a father-

“Don’t. Don’t even go there. You’re nothing like him, you know that.”

“It’s not that.” He chuckled humorlessly under his breath, head falling back down to look at me. “I ate a moldy sandwich for fucks sake, Y/n.”

That elicited a laugh from me that I couldn’t stop. “Yeah, I was there. I still think about it sometimes. You can be so gross.” I spoke through laughs. When I came down, my eyes met his once again. “But seriously,” I started, my smile dropping slightly. “You could’ve told me. You should have. JJ, if I wasn’t sure that you were what I wanted, I wouldn’t have roped you in with me.”

“You say that I’m what you want but, am I what you deserve?” He questioned, defeated. I could see the tears brimming in his waterline, threatening to spill with one blink. 

I don’t know what confidence washed over me but I was suddenly crawling over to him to straddle his waist, making sure to take the blanket around my shoulders with me—the fleece falling over both of us as I cupped his face with both hands and looked him in the eyes. I was mad when he broke up with me and none of that bitterness had dissipated until now, as this beautiful and loving boy sat here and poured out, what I hoped was, the last of his insecurities to me.

A boy who had loved me regardless and only did what he thought would be better for me in the long run. A man who barely received love in his life but was able to give every ounce he had to me. And he was asking if he deserved me?

“JJ, I love you. If anything, I don’t deserve you. With the life you’ve had, you could’ve easily become the biggest asshole this world has ever seen.” He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “But you haven't. And so what if you don’t make it out of here? I don’t care. And who says you have to? JJ, you will do something with your life. You didn't even think you'd be graduating but you look at you. You're gonna walk across that stage with all of us. I don’t care whether it’s in the Outer Banks or thousands of miles away from here, you will be amazing. And whenever we get to that point, because we will, you will be an amazing father and husband and whatever else. You’re it for me.”

He stared into my eyes, a lone tear falling down his cheek. And I could see his full expression now, he was so vulnerable. “You mean that?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.” I spoke softly, my own eyes beginning to water.

“I still love you, Y/n. And I’m an idiot-”

“No, you’re not. You’re just a big ass softie who sucks at communicating.” I laughed, him joining. Once we quieted down, my hands dropped from his face as one of his came up to cradle my cheek, he was leaning in to kiss me and at the last second I turned so his lips met my cheek.

He pulled back with a look of puzzlement. I shrugged with a shy smile on my face, “I don’t want to get you sick.” JJ rolled his eyes and the hand cradling my cheek moved to grab my jaw, holding it in place as he placed a long and sweet kiss to my lips. God, I missed this feeling. Once, he released my face, he was smiling and his cheeks were pink. “You’re going to get sick.”

“Then I’ll have an excuse for you to take care of me.” He said as he stood up, not moving me from his lap, just holding me close so I wouldn’t fall as he rose from the floor, me wrapping my legs around his waist. He turned to the side so my frame wasn’t blocking his view as he looked at the boiling pot of soup and turned the fire off, my arms around his neck and head leaning towards him. “Who’s the big softie now, huh? You’re clinging to me like a Koala.”

I just shrugged, not bothering to pick my head up from his shoulder to look at him. “You picked me up. It's not like I wasn’t going to stop you.” Just as I said this, he sat me down on the counter to retrieve two bowls to pour the soup into. Pouring it equally and putting spoons into the bowls, he turned around, handing me my bowl with a napkin underneath as barrier between the hot porcelain and my hands and placed his on the counter as he stood next to me.

“Does this mean we’re back together? Because I missed you way too much for this to not mean anything.” I asked timidly, swishing the soup around with the spoon, still not entirely keen on the idea of eating.

JJ paused, letting his spoon fall into the bowl as he stood to his full height once more. He cradled the back of my neck and went in to place a kiss on my forehead. “Wouldn’t dream of it being any other way.”

feedback is appreciated! thanks for reading.

©loveharlow.

[kittykat-25]

One Of The Guys- Part 5

Pairings: Hongjoong x F! Reader, Chan X F!Reader

Genre: idol au, Friends x Lovers, angst

Warnings: anxiety attacks mentioned, Feminine pet names(cupcake, bubs, love, pretty girl)

Summary: You tried really hard not to be a cliché, falling love with your best friend. How unoriginal. But when your best friend is Kim Hongjoong what are you supposed to do?

Now Playing: One Of The Guys- Jessia

You woke up in the softness of your bed, head pounding. You could hear talking coming from the kitchen area. Wrapping a blanket around yourself you made your way into the living room, finding Wooyoung and Mingi in the kitchen. Wooyoung put down his spatula and walked over to you wrapping you up in a hug, “how ya feeling bubs?” You laid your head on his chest, wrapping your arms around him, “exhausted and my head hurts. And I’m hungry.” Your head shook as he laughed, “well I’m cooking you breakfast and you have a package.” He said letting go and motioning towards your table.

You look around Wooyoung and find a basket of different things inside. “All my favorite snacks? And my favorite flowers? Wooyoung?” You turned towards your friends, Woo shook his head, “not me, doorman brought them up this morning.” Mingi handed you a card, “this was with it.” You recognize the writing instantly, “Chan”. Mingi smiled at Wooyoung, the faint smile on your lips bringing them hope. You gently open the card, “Y/n-ah, I hope you feel better. I didn’t want to bother you so late but I hope to see you soon. Drink water and eat well.” You smile wider reading his message.

“Do you not have practice this morning?” You ask while going to get washed up for work. “At nine, enough time to fix you breakfast and drive you to work before heading that way.” Mingi says with a smile. “Woah.” You said grabbing your phone off the couch. You had grabbed it to text Chan but stopped when you noticed all the notifications. “15 missed calls and 8 text from Joong.” You said scrolling through all of them. “Let him grovel, he needs to beg for your forgiveness.” Wooyoung said through clenched teeth. “Wooyoung-ie?” You asked walking back into the kitchen, he was angrily stirring the fried rice. “He has the audacity to call himself your best friend but chooses to completely ignore you when you need him. I love Hongjoong, he’s my brother but sometimes he’s so thick headed I want to punch him.” Mingi patted the younger boy on the back, “you know how captain gets during comeback season. I’m not saying what he said is okay but he’s under more stress than we know about.” His eyes met yours and his face softened, “I’ll still punch him for what he said though.” He added to you. “No punching. I’ll talk to him and let him grovel but we all know that once this comeback starts you guys need to be a unified team.” You said level a stare at Woo, “which means forgiving him.” Wooyoung rolled his eyes, “I’ll forgive him when he apologizes to you.” You snorted, “judging by the calls and text I’d said he did that about 20 some times.” You grabbed plates and scooped out rice, filling the boys plates up so they have energy throughout the day.

As you sit at your desk finishing up your emails, your phone lights up. Reaching over to grab it, a smile blooms seeing Chan’s name, “dinner tonight? If you’re feeling up for it?” You immediately text back, “how about I cook and we watch a movie? Feeling better but still drained.” You finished making the plans and were much more excited to go home. You looked at the unopened text from Hongjoong and debated on opening them or not. Choosing to not stress yourself out more you locked your phone and threw it in your bag. Cleaning up the desk and you packed up to leave.

You stopped at the market on the way home to grab some things for dinner. Walking into your apartment you send a text to Mingi and Woo letting them know your plans and not to come over. You shower and get changed, trying to get cleaned up before Chan arrived. You had just lit some candles when the buzzer went off. You waited for Chan to get upstairs as you pulled things out of the market bags. A knock sounded at your door and you wiped your hands on the rag. Opening the door you were greeted with Chan and a bottle of wine! “Hey!” You said opening your door wider for him to enter. “Hey I brought this, Minho suggested it!” Chan said setting the wine on the counter. He looked in the bags, “what are we fixing?” You continued pulling out ingredients; “ I was thinking since it’s colder some Kimchi Jjigae and Rabboki? But we can do something else.” Chan shook his head, “those sound good to me!” You started getting out pots and pans while Chan washed his hands.

As you chopped the ingredients for the jjigae Chan got the sauce started for rabboki. “Thank you for the basket.” You said nudging his arm. “Of course, I didn’t want to impose but wanted you to know I was here if needed.” You smiled, “Wooyoung was very smug when he gave it to me.” You chuckled. Chan laughed, “he is an interesting character.” You slid the kimchi into the pot, “he comes across unserious and wild but if he cares for you I don’t think there’s anything that would stop him from helping if needed.” Chan gathered all the rice cakes and added them to the pot, “him and Mingi, well all eight of them but those two more so seem to care a great deal about you.” You nodded, “they are my brothers.” Chan got quiet then added, “you never dated any of them? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want too.” You laughed, “ no Joong basically put a no touch rule on me when I met them.” Chan laughed, “that makes sense, Id do that too if I thought any of my members would try with Hannah. They all see her as a sister too thank god.” You smiled, the comparison you and Hongjoong to him and his sister rolling off your back surprisingly easy. “I think Hongjoong just didn’t want to have to share. I don’t think he took into account how attached Woo gets to people.”

As you finished adding the ingredients to the pot and setting the lid on top you turned towards Chan. His eyes were watching your movements with adoration flowing out of them. “You and Hongjoong were never anything?” He asked turning back towards the rice cakes. You cleared your throat, “No just friends.” Chan nodded. As you finished up the dishes you spoke about the comebacks and plans for the holidays with families.

You and Chan sat down to eat, your phone rang, seeing Yunhos name pop up you reached hesitantly towards your phone, “answer it if you need too.” Chan said with a chuckle, “don’t ignore them on my account.” You smiled at him before picking up the call, “hey, is everything okay YuYu?” You said into the phone. “Yah I just wanted to check on you. Mingi had called to invite you over last night and then he just sprinted out the door. Today he just said you weren’t feeling well. Are you sick? Was it your anxiety? Do you need anything? Do-“ Yunho rattled off question, concern laced in his words. “Woah Yunnie, I’m okay. It was just a bad day and rough anxiety attack piled on top of it but I’m doing better today.” You said trying to calm the boy down, “I’m also having dinner with Chan. Can we talk about this tomorrow?” You added quickly. Mouthing an apology to Chan who just shook his head smiling.

You ended the call quickly and put your phone on silent. Eyes scanning the list of missed calls and text from Hongjoong. Not ready to address that yet. “Are you comfortable talking about what happened yesterday?” Chan asked after a few moments.”if not that’s totally fine, I just want to be able to help if you need me if the future. But I understand it’s very personal.” He adds quickly. You placed your chopsticks on the plate, “is there anything in particular you want to know?” You asked. Chan shook his head, “some of my members have anxiety but I know everyone’s signs are different. I just didn’t know if there were ways for me to help before it got bad or what helps calm you down.” You smiled at him, looking down at your destroyed nail beds, “I pick at my nails when I start getting anxious. Usually until they bled. Distracting me works but sometimes I just need someone to separate my hands. Depending on the situation. I pull at my hair or twist the ends when I get overly anxious, that usually a sign it’s getting bad. Calming down though it’s harder. Just being held and knowing I’m not alone does the most for me.” Chan reached across the table and wrapped his hand around yours, you looked up to find his eyes already on you, “I’m so proud of you for dealing with this so well. You are so strong y/n.” You felt the tears start to gather in your eyes, “alright Bang don’t make me cry at dinner. I’m trying to pull myself together here.” You said laughing while blinking away the tears.

As you stand at the sink scrubbing the dishes, Chan bringing them to you from the table and drying as you clean, you feel content. The heaviness has gone and something settles in your chest. Chan is standing behind you, a hand on your waist. Just happy to be around you, “what movie did you have in mind pretty?” You felt your face heat up, thankful he was behind you until you felt more weight on your back. Chan wrapped his arms around your waist and set his head on your shoulder, “do you always blush when I compliment you or is it just when I call you pretty?” Chan smirked. You felt the hotness of your face run down into your neck. Chan s face lit up, “ah so you like being called pretty. Well what does my pretty y/n want to watch tonight?” You were about to answer when a knock sounded at your door. The look of confusion must have crossed your face. “The buzzer didn’t go off?” Chan asked. “The guys all have codes they use, I swear if it’s Wooyoung. I’m gonna strangle him.”You said laughing. You still had your hands in dish water and went to pull off the gloves, “do you want me to let him in?” Chan asked when they knocked again. “Please I’ll finish these quickly.” You smiled at him as he walked towards the door.

As Hongjoong stood on the other side of your door, bouquet in his hands; ready to apologize and talk about last night the last thing he expected was for Bang Chan to answer your apartment door. Yet here he was stunned silent by the man on the other side. “Hongjoong-ah how are you?” Chan said. You paused the dishes making sure you heard him right. “Chan Hyung what are you doing here?” Joong said. An uneasiness coming over him. “Where is y/n?” He added. You quickly finished the dish and slipped the gloves off. “Just enjoying dinner with y/n, do you want to come in? She’s finishing up dishes.” Chan said. You walked towards the door a dish rag in your hands. Hongjoong’s face relaxed when he saw you over Chans shoulder, “y/n-ah.” Chan looked back at you, frowning slightly when he saw you twisting the rag in your hands tightly. Looking back at your face, all the calmness from minutes ago was replaced with something that made his stomach churn. Chan turned back around, “is everything okay Hongjoong?” Chan took in the flower bouquet in the younger boys hands. “Ah you came to check on y/n?” He said motioning towards the flowers. He heard you scoff and walk away.

Turning towards where you stood, space completely empty. He turned back towards Hongjoong whose face was growing more pale. “I don’t think our girl is fully back felling well. But I’ll make sure those get in water.” Chan said gently, not sure what happened between the two friends. He just knew you needed someone right now. Hongjoong begrudgingly handed him the flowers, Chan smiled at him before bidding him goodnight and closing the door. The weight in Hongjoong’s stomach making him nauseous, Chan’s voice echoing in his mind. Our girl. Pulling out his phone he hit Wooyoung’s number, ready to find an explanation to this new development in y/n’s life.

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[corruptedcaps]

Eco Warrior

I can't believe the nerve of those corporate jerks! All we were doing was peacefully protesting their evil company and they threw this gross sticky chemical stuff all over me! I should wash it off but I need the evidence for when I go to the cops tomorrow. It's infuriating how they think they can just silence us like that. But you know what? This won't stop me. I'll fight even harder now. We're in this together, and we're going to make sure they're held accountable for the damage they've done to people and the environment.

Change of plans with going to the cops, I woke up to find the chemicals had soaked into my skin. They haven’t left any evidence in me. I guess I should be thankfully. Although I think they may have contributed to this tan I have now. But that's not the point right now. I need to focus on getting to the new protest today. We can't let their tactics deter us. We have to keep standing up against their injustices and fighting for what's right. Let's get out there and make our voices heard again.

You won't believe how well the protest went today. Our voices were louder than ever, and it felt like a turning point. But here's the craziest part – those corporate guys actually came over to apologize for splashing me with chemicals! Can you believe that? They said it was a mistake and that they want to make amends. They even offered me a role as a protest liaison within their company. It's wild, right? I'm torn though. Part of me wants to take the chance to make change from the inside, but another part worries it might just be a ploy. What do you think babe?

So, I just got back from my first day as a protest liaison, and I'm kind of surprised. The corporation is actually really nice, and they went out of their way to make me feel welcome. They even gave me a bunch of free makeup, creams, and lotions to try, as a way to show their products aren't harmful. I've already put some on, and I have to admit, they feel pretty good. They make my body tingle all over, especially my boobs. Bigger? No I don’t so. It's probably just the outfit I'm wearing today. I think you just like what you see, mmmm come closer baby.

It's frustrating to deal with some of my protestor friends calling me a scab and a corporate shill just because I'm working with the corporation now. I have no sympathy for their attitude. If they can't see that I'm trying to make a positive change from within, then that's their problem. Honestly, it feels like jealousy more than anything. I mean, the corporation even gave me a raise already and has let me use all their products for free. That must mean I'm doing something they value. Plus I’m sure it doesn’t help that I look so much better then them now as well. The company’s products really are like magic. Mmmm all this talk of how good I look I’d getting me in the mood, take off your pants.

Like my new car? My company bought it for me for doing such a good job. Protest liaison? No they’ve moved me into marketing and sales where I’m excelling. It helps that I’m a walking billboard for them. As for the protest, honestly, I don't really care about it anymore. Things change, priorities shift. This is where I am now, and I've got better things to focus on than those who still think shouting on the streets will make a difference. It's all about playing the game right, and clearly, I'm winning. So, if you'll excuse me, I've got more important matters to attend to than the past.

Ugh, those protestors are getting on my nerves. Yesterday, they nearly ruined my new fur coat as I was walking into work. Can you believe their audacity? Pathetic losers, the lot of them. I need to find some muscle to deal with them, get them out of my way once and for all. It's like they're stuck in a never-ending cycle of futile resistance. Well, I won't let them stand in my way or mess with what I've built. I am vice president now after all, I deserve respect. Time to take control and show them the real power of influence.

Oh, look at you now. Splashing you with those chemicals did wonders, didn't it? Just like they did to me. Of course at first I had no idea the chemicals were changing me into the mega bitch you see before you but once I realized what my companies products were doing to me, I couldn’t get enough. It’s so hawt to see the concentrated formula change you so quickly. You've become quite the imposing figure, muscular and mean. It's good to see loyalty in action. From now on, you're my enforcer. Those protestors won't stand a chance with you by my side. Let's make sure they understand that challenging me comes at a price. Together, we'll show them what happens when they fuck with me.

You know what? It turns out, it was a much better plan to turn those protestors into my new executive board. All it took was a little splash of those chemicals, and their loyalty was sealed. With them backing me, it was easy to ascended to the position of CEO. Funny how things work out, isn't it? They thought they were fighting against me, but now they're working for me. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the best way to bring about change is from the inside. And now, I've got the influence and control I've always wanted. Make less products? No dear we’re doubling our output now, I want an army.

[aquaticrunner]

Silent Pain | Part 1

Edmund Pevensie x Fem!Reader | Request: Edmund x reader where the reader is bubbly and a bit of an airhead who is very feminine. She meets the Pevensie family as Lucy’s best friend. Edmund dislikes her because of how carefree she is and how negative things never seem to affect her. Overtime, he slowly starts to warm up to her and they start to become friends and maybe even more. | Word count: 2K

A/N: I worked on this for so long trying to get it just right. I really like the result and I hope you all do too! I had to make it a series because this part was 2,000 words and I just couldn’t fit everything I wanted without making it ridiculously long.

I bounced over to where Lucy was sitting at her desk and placed my hands on my best friend’s shoulders. “Take a deep breath,” I said. “You got this.” Lucy nodded and slowly opened the letter in her hands. I watched as she read, keeping my hands on her shoulders for moral support. After a couple minutes, Lucy jumped out of her seat in excitement. “I got it!” She yelled. “I got the internship!” I squealed in excitement and threw my arms around her. “I knew you would!” I shouted back. 

“What is all the shouting going on in here?” Lucy’s brother, Edmund poked his head into the room and asked. “I got my internship!” She said. Edmund raised his eyebrows and nodded in response. “Congratulations, Lu. I’m proud of you.” “We should go out tonight! To celebrate!” I suggested. Lucy’s smile somehow got even bigger. “Yes! Oh, can we Ed? Please? Please?” She grabbed onto his arm in anticipation of his answer. Edmund stared at her for a moment before sighing in defeat. “Alright, we’ll go out tonight.” “Yay!” Lucy jumped around the room celebrating. I laughed and Edmund just rolled his eyes. 

“I have to go tell everyone!” Lucy said and rushed out of the room, leaving me alone with Edmund. I smiled at Edmund. “So, do you have any big plans for the summer?” I asked him. Edmund shrugged. “Probably just work and hang out with some friends. You?” “I’ll probably be working on my portfolio! I’ve been getting into photography and fashion lately.” “Yeah, that sounds like something you would be into.” My smile faltered slightly but I brushed off his comment and responded happily. “I am! It’s been really fun.” Edmund rolled his eyes once more and followed Lucy out of the room. I walked out as well and ran into Lucy in the living room of the Pevensie home. “Y/N! Everyone has agreed to come out with us tonight. Even Peter!” I beamed at her. “That’s great! I should probably get home and get ready then.” “Alright!” She responded. “I’ll see you tonight!” I waved and turned to walk out the door.

-

I brushed my fingers over my dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. I picked up my makeup brush and dusted a light amount of blush over my nose and cheeks. I slipped my favorite shoes on and rushed out the door saying goodbye to my family on the way out. The headlights in the driveway indicated that the Pevensies were already here and I ran to the car, hopping into the back next to Edmund and Lucy. “Thanks for making us late,” Edmund grumbled under his breath. My eyes widened. “Oh no! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to!” I said. Peter turned to look at me and shook his head. “No worries! We should still be on time.” I nodded and breathed a small sigh in relief. 

Edmund looked me up and down. “I’d ask what took you so long but it’s pretty obvious.” I knitted my brows in confusion. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Your hair, your makeup, your dress. It’s a bit much don’t you think?” He said. “Well, I think she looks beautiful!” Lucy piped in. “I’d have to agree,” Peter said from the front of the car. I blushed while Edmund just turned away from me in annoyance. 

The ride to the restaurant was short but filled with fun conversation and quiet music. When Peter pulled into the parking lot and put the car in park, the four siblings and I quickly shuffled out. “I’ll go make sure our reservation is ready,” Peter said. We all nodded and I watched as Peter walked into the restaurant. Once he disappeared, I turned back to Lucy to make quiet conversation. “What are you two whispering about?” Susan asked, coming to stand next to us. Lucy smirked and glanced over at Edmund, making sure he was far away. “I think Edmund has a crush on Y/N.” I nearly laughed out loud. “No, he doesn’t,” I assured them. Susan looked at both girls in consideration. “I’d be inclined to agree with Y/N. Ed doesn’t seem like the romantic type honestly.” Lucy groaned in response. “But, it would be so cute!” I just shook my head. Before I had time to think up a response, Peter appeared once more. “The table is ready!”

All of us shuffled into the restaurant and followed our server to the table. I ended up sitting in a booth with Edmund on my left side and Lucy on my right. Our server asked for our drink orders and we all placed them. As we all talked and waited, Edmund’s shoulder bumped into mine. “Oh, I’m sorry!” I said. “It’s fine. Just watch out.” He said. I smiled at him in response. “Okay!” He narrowed his eyes at me and I stared back at him, still smiling. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked. “You’re just… annoyingly happy tonight,” He said. “I’m always annoyingly happy!” I said, giggling. “Yeah, no kidding.” He seemed done talking to me after that so I turned back to the rest of the group. The rest of the night was spent talking and laughing and celebrating Lucy’s accomplishment. 

After we all finished eating, we piled back into the car and headed home. Peter dropped me off and I waved goodbye to everyone before going back inside my house. I was pretty tired so I went up to my room and changed into my pajamas. Before climbing into my bed, I checked the notifications on my phone and saw a text from Lucy. “Thanks for coming out with me tonight! I had a blast.” I typed back, “Anytime! I’ll see you tomorrow!” I went to plug my phone in but it dinged with the notification sound once more. “Can’t wait! BTW Edmund is going to be joining us at the park.” I bit my lip as I read her message and typed back a thumbs up. I put my phone away and went to sleep. 

-

The next day, I woke up early to get ready for going to the park with Lucy. I threw on some shorts, a cute top, and styled my hair the way I liked it. About the time I was done getting ready, I had a text from Lucy telling me that she was here to pick me up. I grabbed my backpack and ran out of the house. I hesitated when I saw that Edmund was the one driving, but I opened the car door and climbed into the backseat. “Hey guys!” I said.

Lucy waved excitedly and Edmund nodded slightly. Lucy turned around to talk to me and we made quiet conversation as Edmund drove us to the park. When we arrived, both Lucy and I jumped out of the car excitedly. Lucy held a bag of seeds in her hands and we momentarily locked eyes. We both broke out smiling and began running towards the lake. I laughed as we raced and laughed even harder when Lucy stumbled over a tree branch. I slowed to a stop and turned around to make sure she was okay. “You alright?” I asked her. She nodded, laughing. “I’m okay.” Her cheeks were red and her hair was already a mess from the wind. I’m sure I looked about the same. 

We walked the rest of the way to the lake with our arms linked. When we reached the edge of the lake, there were already several ducks swimming in the water. “Do you want to feed them first?” She asked me. I nodded excitedly and grabbed a handful of seeds from the bag. I sat down and waited for the ducks to approach me. When they did, I held out my hand and they ate the seeds hungrily. I giggled the whole time and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face even when they were done eating. I stood back up and brushed the dirt off my pants. 

“Why do you find this so exciting?” Edmund asked me. “Because they’re so cute!” I responded. He looked at me as if he was trying to figure out if I was being serious or not. “They’re ducks.” He said, looking bored. I shrugged and grabbed another handful of seeds out of the bag. I walked back over to Edmund and opened up his hand, dropping the seeds into it. “Here. You try.” I said. He rolled his eyes and threw the seeds onto the ground. “No thanks.” I bit my lip and walked back to where Lucy was standing. “Edmund seems in a worse mood than usual today.” I said. She turned to look at him and sighed. “I’m not sure what his deal is today,” she responded. She handed me the bag of seeds. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom.” I nodded and watched as she walked away. Now, it was just me and Edmund.

I hovered next to him awkwardly, occasionally throwing seeds to the ducks. “So…” I started. “What have you been up to today?” He glanced at me before answering. “Mostly just working on homework stuff,” He said while kicking at the ground with his foot. I nodded my head. “That seems like fun. Well, maybe not fun exactly but it’s always good to be ahead with schoolwork instead of behind.” I realized I was rambling and trailed off, waiting to see if he would respond. “Right.” I sighed. He was just so hard to talk to. “Are you having a bad day?” I decided to ask him. He looked surprised that I asked him but quickly recovered his emotionless exterior. “No. Why would you think that?” He asked me.

“You just seem like you’re in a bad mood,” I said. “Well, coming to the park with two screaming girls isn’t exactly my idea of a fun time.” He responded. “Then why did you come?” I asked. I instantly felt bad and tried to save the conversation. “Not that I didn’t want you to come, it's just-” He cut me off before I could finish. “Lucy asked me to drive so I drove. I probably wouldn’t have if I’d known you would be here.” I took a small step back, my feelings slightly hurt. “What does that mean?” “I think it’s pretty obvious at this point.” “Do you not like me or something?” “That’s pretty much it.” “But…why? I’ve never done anything to you.” “You just try too hard. It’s annoying.” He said. 

At this point, I could feel the tears behind my eyes and it was a struggle to hold them back. I knew that we weren’t exactly friends but I thought it was just because he associated me with his little sister. I never realized he actively disliked me. Lucy came back before I had time to respond. “Hey guys!” She shouted. I plastered a smile onto my face and waved to her as she approached. 

“Hey Lu? Do you think we could head home?” I asked her. She frowned, and I continued talking, trying to come up with a good excuse to leave. “I just remembered I have a ton of homework to catch up on. The end of school is the busiest time.” She didn’t look totally convinced but she nodded and led us back to the car. Edmund drove us by my house and I hopped out of the car with a small goodbye. 

I threw my backpack on the floor, telling myself I would just unpack it later. I crawled into my bed and allowed myself some time to wallow in my self-pity. After a while of crying, my sadness began to turn to anger. Edmund doesn’t even know me! How dare he judge me? I wiped the tears off my face and sat up. If he didn’t like me, fine. I would show him that I don’t give a damn about his opinion. I texted Lucy and asked if she wanted to come over (after I finished my supposed homework). I got out of bed and looked at my splotchy but determined face in the mirror. We had some serious work to do.

A/N: I did change this request a little bit! I don’t love the whole femininity=stupidity idea so I didn’t really make her dumb but I did make her kind, carefree, and supportive as well as feminine. Also, I made this a modern AU just cause. Hope you enjoyed the read! :)

[sorceresski]

Our First Date - Ruben Dias

Summary: you make a new friend on vacation and spend the best evening of your life together

I’m pretty sure I’m the target audience for this😹

She burst out of the restaurant into the cool night, pushing past someone, not caring to apologize.

“Fuck!” She shouted into the street. “All I want is 24 hours of peace! Don’t I deserve that!” Frustration threatened to spill as her vision clouded with tears.

She didn’t take as many vacations as she would like but that meant she could accumulate them and take them all at once. Which is what she planned doing for summer this year. A 2 week long break away from the four walls of her office building.

That is, if her co workers would respect it.

“Damn, and I thought I was having a bad weekend.” She jumped at the sudden intrusion of the stranger’s cool voice, it was the same person she’d bumped into on her way out. She wasn’t short but I had to look up at him, really look.

Dark hair, brown eyes and sporting a beard, he was handsome. He wore a white dress shirt folded at the sleeves and cargo pants and if she tilted her head a little, he almost looked familiar. Although he had an accent, his English was perfect. He was the first person she’d had to interact with without google translate.

“I’m sorry for my rudeness earlier…I just have a lot going on.”

He eyed her. “I never would have guessed,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips. “I’m Ruben.”

She stared at his outstretched hand, suddenly realizing she was talking to a stranger on a dark street, save for a distant street lamp, while travelling solo in a country she didn’t understand the language. She shook his hand tentatively, wondering if she should give him a fake name.

“Rebecca.”

“Did you just give me a fake name?”

“What? No, that’s actually my name,” he threw up his hands at her sudden defensiveness.

The waiter who had been standing to the side with her check, worried she was about to dine and dash, took this as his opportunity, “Erm, excuse me…your…” he waved the paper.

“Oh.” Relief flooded Rebecca’s features, finally an escape. She snatched the paper from him and hurried back into the restaurant throwing an “it was nice meeting you Ruben” behind her.

Settled back at her table, she was about to hand the waiter her card when she noticed the stranger approaching her table with dismay.

“Let me pay for your meal,” Ruben said, casually pulling out the chair across from her.

Rebecca watched silently as he gave his card to the waiter instead. She could tell he was a persistent person and arguing with him would just be a back and forth which he would eventually win.

Ten minutes later, they were outside the restaurant again.

“It’s just…” he glances at the shiny watch on his wrist, “7:30. Do you want to do something else?”

Rebecca sighed. “Look, Ruben, thank you for paying for my meal. I really appreciate it. But I’d really like to get back to my hotel room, my friends are waiting for me.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Another lie? What if you send a picture of my ID to your friends?”

She thought about it. She did need to take her mind off work and what’s a trip to Portugal without stupidly running off with a handsome stranger into the night?

“Alright.” She took a picture of his ID and sent it to her sister back home with the message “in case I go missing x.”

“You’re Portuguese?” She asked, handing him back his ID.

He nodded, “I am.”

“Great, then you can give a me walking tour.”

They spent the rest of the evening walking, conversation flowed easily. Eventually they found themselves staring at the ocean, they’d somehow ended up on the beach.

It was chilly and deserted save for a few out of place pairs like them. The moonlight reflected off the water disrupted by the crashing waves.

Arm in arm, they walked along the shore, his jacket draped over her shoulder.

“Don’t you miss Portugal? It’s very beautiful here.” Rebecca asked when Ruben revealed he lived in Manchester. “Manchester weather is awful.” She scrunched her nose and he laughed at the gesture, she did that a lot.

“It’s not like I have a choice,” he shrugged. “It’s work.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a footballer.” She slapped his shoulder.

“That’s why you looked so familiar! For Manchester City?” He nodded, amused. “I’ve seen your face on a few posters here and there.”

“And for Portugal.”

Rebecca faked a swoon. “I didn’t know I had a star on my hands.” They both laughed at that.

Soon, they came to a clearing dotted with trees, their leaves swaying in the canopy above.

“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a footballer.”

“Don’t say that,” she said. “They can hear you.” He looked at the trees and then at her. “You okay?” And then, not a question, “You really think trees can hear us.”

“Of course not. It’s just something my mother used to say to make us conscious of what we say. But you don’t mean that do you?”

He leaned against a tree. “Okay, I love being a footballer but sometimes I wish I could be a regular guy without someone coming up to me for a selfie or to sign something.”

“No one has approached us all evening.” Rebecca looked around to emphasize her point.

“Because it’s dark.” He deadpanned.

She shrugged. “I would give anything to swap lives with you. You’re doing what you love, well compensated for it and you represent your country at the highest level. Some people can only dream of the life you have.”

He let her words wash over him. “I guess I could practice a little more gratitude.”

They talked for a little bit more until Ruben eventually looked at his watch, “it’s getting late, let’s get you back to your hotel.”

“I never got your number,” Rebecca said when they got to the hotel she was staying in. The exchanged phones to put in their numbers, hugs and promises of a second date when they both returned to England.

A/n: I’ve had this in drafts for almost a month now.

I also didn’t know how to end it🧍🏽‍♀️

[christopher-bangnaldoskzz]

Pairing: Hyunjin x Reader 

Genre: 🌶️

Word count: .7k

Warnings: kissing, Fluff, confession

“So what shall we do now where we are alone?" There was no denying that for years now, all you could think about was that couch kiss as trainees. You now live in a house with him. That was the most challenging thing. Chris wanted you in the same house as him to prevent you from bringing men home. However, doing that just opened up an excuse to have alone time with Hyunjin giving you time to tease and play with him a little.  

“Uhhh…ummm”, he was flustered. Why would he be flustered if he didn’t still like you? 

“What’s wrong, Jin ….you nervous to be alone with me?” You were flirting your heart out here. 

"NO!" he shouted and then swallowed hard. 

“Good….let’s watch a movie,” you said yanking him over to the couch. 

“I was gonna go to the studio”, he whined as you practically threw him on the couch. 

In truth, Hyunjin was hoping you would want alone time. The last few years had been tough watching you forget about him. He longed for you most days, never forgetting the kiss. 

“So, what are we watching?" Hyunjin asked like you were actually planning on watching tv with him. 

“Uhhh, I thought we could chat. It’s been so long, you know” You smiled sweetly. Hyunjin agreed, so you decided to scoot closer to him. 

“Do you like me, Jin?" you just came out with it. 

“As a friend?” Oh, you see how I’d it is, Hyunjin deflected. 

Is it more than just friends?" you scoot a little closer, filling the space between you. 

“I just think we are better as friends”, he smiled. However, he was lying. He didn’t think that he wanted to kiss you so bad. He wanted to tell you that he was in love with you. However, he made a promise to Chan. 

“See I think you're lying” you say getting super close to his face your lips hovering over his. 

He gulps, his eyes not knowing where to look. You lean in a bit more so you can now feel his breath on your lips. Hyunjin closes his eyes and goes in to close the gap. You pull back quickly, and Hyunjin's eyes shoot open at the surprise of not meeting your lips. 

"What?" he asks confusedly, "isn't that what you want?” He was mad, how could you trick him like this? 

“I want the truth," you say, folding your arms. 

“What truth?…. that I like you….that for years all I could think about was you….that it hurts me every day to see you knowing I made a promise to my best mate not to be with you in case it fucked our careers up… T-that” finally the truth, that was all you wanted from him. 

You shut him up with your lips. You could feel him tensing, scrunching his nose, and squeezing his eyes shut. This was not how it was supposed to happen. Why is he still fighting you? Then something clicked in Hyunjin's head, and his hand travelled up to your face cupping the side. His lips softened and started working with yours. He breathed deeply through his nose and pushed you down onto the couch. 

“Is that what you wanted?" He asked, pulling away out of breath. 

“Something like that,” you say, pushing the back of his head down so you can kiss him once more. 

“The boys will be back any minute…we should stop,” he said between kissing you. 

“Why?” 

“If we don’t stop, they’ll see your swollen lips”, he said, kissing you one last time before getting up and off the couch. It was a good thing he did. About a minute later, changbin and Chan came through the door to you sitting on the sofa and Hyunjin filling his water bottle in the kitchen. 

Chan came over and sat next to you, plopping himself on the couch. “Holy shit, are you okay? Your lips are swollen. Are you having an allergic reaction to something?" Hyunjin choked on his water, but you were too bright for Chan. You had this all covered.

“No, it’s this new plumping lip balm I have” he just shrugs and turns the tv on. You glance over to Hyunjin and smile. He raises his eyebrows as he sips his water.

" Okay, I'm going to the studio now" he grabs his house keys and walks out the door.  

Taglist: @daceydeath @krishastumblernow @armystay89 @bakedlilgoonie @uwuitsjungwoo @cakeracha @9900z @marrivmel @choisoorin

[seattlesolace]

you've got me wrapped around your little finger // jay (ENHYPEN)

pairing: jay x fem!reader

summary: you and Jay have been friends forever, and it took you one slow dance, and a couple glasses of wine, to finally realize that you might have harbored feelings of love for him.

genre: fluff, suggestive // trope: friends to lovers // warning: suggestive themes towards the end, hyung-line make an appearance in texts, mentions of being drunk

word count: ~1.8k

author's note: this account is in need of an update, so have this little treat! I might be making more of these little one-shots based on old songs since I already have a whole playlist...

if you feel like this one feels a little different than my other works, it's because this is an old fic that I edited. I made this one maybe in 2016? for a different kpop idol. I've been thinking of reusing/recycling my old fics so I can post them to my accounts, and I hope you don't mind! (the fics haven't been posted elsewhere, so in a way I really am releasing it for the first time)

the song for this fic is this version by Beth Rowley, specifically this version. it's an OST for the movie An Education, but that's totally unrelated.

anyway, hope you enjoy this one!

The lights shone on the wet pavement as the car halted to a stop. The heavy rain that poured down for more than two hours was still persistent making the whole earth soaking wet. You opened the car door with a blazer over your head.

“Thank you, Sir! Jay, quickly!”

Another figure hopped off the car, not forgetting to thank the driver and closing the door shut. Jay took a side and held the blazer with you, running towards the porch of your apartment.

“Your poor jacket,” you said once you were inside. You gave the blazer some pats, attempting to clean it from water droplets.

“It’s fine. It’s not like it’s Armani,” Jay checked his reflection in the mirror beside the doorway, ruffling his hair.

You squinted. “It’s not? It’s really good quality.”

“It’s H&M. Do you really think I would wear an expensive suit to a party with a lot of careless people who can spill wine on you anytime?” Jay took the blazer from you and gave it a good shake. “This will do.”

“Thank God we are dressed up enough for the Uber guy to take us in and not scold us for being in the rain, right?” You climbed up the stairs with Jay following you from behind.

Jay nodded. “If I were wearing my usual clothes I don’t think he’d let us in. He’ll probably think I’m homeless.”

“I would disagree,” you murmured.

“Sorry?”

“I’m starving,” you said, grinning awkwardly.

“Then hurry up and get us inside your apartment and I’ll fix you something up,” Jay nudged you so you can move faster. You struggled with the keys before finally opening the door.

“My good man,” you said, inviting Jay in. Jay walked past you while blowing your bangs. You shrieked a little and quickly fixed your hair.

Jay hung his blazer on the coat hanger by the door and threw himself on the sofa. You waddled and sat down beside him, bending over to take off your high heels.

“No wonder you looked so tall,” Jay peered over at your shoes. “You could literally sprain your ankle if you trip while wearing those, right?”

“Please don’t say stuff that will make me dread wearing heels,” you sighed. “Beauty is pain. High heels look nice. I will sacrifice and put myself in pain in order to look nice.”

Jay nodded. “It does accentuate your legs—OUCH!”

You had slapped Jay's forearm before he could even finish his sentence. Jay chuckled and went on.

“I don’t even know why I decided to go to such a fancy party like that,” Jay leaned on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. “And to bring you with me.”

You made an ugly noise. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I thought I’d be bringing one of the guys, but they were all busy—“

“So I’m your backup plan.”

“No, what I meant was—“

“You regret taking me?”

“Can you let me finish?” Jay threw a death stare which made you zip up and continued to listen. “The party was pretty boring. I should have taken to you somewhere more fun.”

You nodded. “Which is why we’re back home early. I feel bad, though. I bought this pretty dress and I only got to wear it for an hour.”

You and Jay continued to stare at the ceiling.

“We left so early that we didn’t even get to the dance part,” Jay sighed and ruffled his hair. You turned your head to look at him.

“What were you expecting?”

“A dance with you, of course,” Jay still had his eyes glued to the ceiling. Your eyebrows furrowed.

“You know I can’t dance,” you said as you sat up and stretched out your arms.

Jay stood up and walked over to your laptop that was on the desk, open and untouched. He typed and clicked here and there and suddenly the sound system in your room turned on, playing Beth Rowley’s You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger.

“Good choice,” you mumbled as you started to close your eyes. Jay walked over to you and reached out his hand. “What?” you asked nonchalantly.

“Dance with me,” Jay’s voice was stern and he looked serious. You laughed.

“I will if I’m drunk,” you refused before you went back to close your eyes. Jay set the song on repeat and walked over to the kitchen. After spending so much time looking around, you just had to finally ask.

“What are you doing?”

“You have wine, don’t you?” Jay opened the kitchen counters one by one. “If drinking will make you dance then let’s open one.”

You stood up, kicked away your high heels, and waddled over to where Jay was. You tiptoed a bit to reach the top kitchen counter and pulled out a bottle of wine.

“That looks too fancy,” said Jay, checking the bottle out. “Isn’t there a cheaper one?”

You shook your head. “It’s my only bottle.”

Jay scrunched his nose, unsure. “And you’re willing to open it?”

“Might as well,” you shrugged. Jay grabbed the corkscrew laying on the counter and skillfully popped open the bottle. You were subtly impressed.

“I don’t have proper wine glasses,” you peered into the drawers where you kept your mugs. “These will do, I guess.”

Jay looked at the Ryan-shaped mug and the Cony glass that you took out. He burst out laughing while pointing at the Ryan mug.

“I know someone who would love this,” he said as he poured the wine into it. You decided to keep quiet about how it was your ex-boyfriend who gave it to you as a random gift.

After pouring the wine and clinking your mugs together, and two to three more mugs later, you were already tipsy. Jay was still looking sober, and he wouldn’t shut up about how your tolerance was so low.

Your laptop then died of low battery about two glasses ago. Jay set his empty mug on the coffee table and plugged in your laptop to play the same song again. As the intro played, he walked over to you and reached out his hand one more time.

“Fine,” you sighed. “But I’m bringing this,” you raised your mug, still half full. Jay shrugged and pulled you up from the sofa.

You've got me wrapped around your little finger If this is love, it's everything I hoped it would be You've got me wrapped around your little finger You will see, by my words just how much you mean to me

Jay was fully aware of how unskilled you were at dancing, so he kept it lowkey and just took you for a slow dance. You had one hand around Jay's neck, the other close to your chest, still holding the mug. Jay placed both his hand’s comfortably around your waist.

“Is this dancing?” you asked. Your voice was starting to become hoarse. Jay wasn’t sure if it was the wine or just you being tired, but you sounded a thousand times more attractive.

You look a thousand times more attractive too, he thought.

“For you, I think you could get away with calling this slow dancing. I’m just worried you might break something if I spin you around.”

With that being said, you spontaneously spun yourself around and landed back into Jay's embrace. He laughed wholeheartedly.

“Wasn’t expecting you to do that,” he said. “Spin again.”

This time Jay took the mug out of your hand and hold your other hand to properly help you turn. Your flushed cheeks became even redder with your laughter.

When we kiss, it's as if our lips agree that we were meant to be When we touch, it's too much Oh the sparks that fly, are lighting up the sky

The song continued and you were already dizzy from spinning just two times. Jay decided it was best not to give your mug back. After mumbling-complaining for a while, you gave up and went back to slow dancing.

Both of you weren’t really paying attention to the lyrics, but somewhere along the song your eyes locked. Without blinking, you moved your head closer so that your nose touched Jay's. There was a brief silence before Jay finally closed the distance between your lips and you shared your very first kiss ever. Sweet, sour from the wine, and definitely warm.

You gasped and broke the kiss as you felt liquid seeping through your dress. Jay pulled back. His eyes widened at the huge red stain starting to form on your precious new dress.

“Jay…”

“I am so sorry, do you want me to—“

“Leave it to someone sober to spill wine on you, huh?” you gave Jay a little punch as you chuckled. Jay's face was already pale from the paranoia of being scolded by you. Especially after a kiss.

“I’m gonna go clean this up,” you said, swiftly making your way to the bathroom. When Jay wasn’t looking, you grabbed your phone and rushed away.

---

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” you whispered as you looked at yourself in the mirror, cheeks still flushed and red. Either from the wine, or the kiss. Or both.

You unlocked your phone and opened the group chat with your two friends, which already had 145 unread chats.

You: MAYDAY Isa: there she is Yoon: we were wondering where you were You: Jay and I just kissed

Isa and Yoon both started typing at the same time.

Isa: WHAT????? Yoon: YOU DID NOT! Isa: HOW WAS IT Isa: TELL US EVERYTHING Isa: SPILL IT Yoon: UNNIE YOU DID NOT!

After spending a couple of minutes too long, you heard a knock on the door.

“Are you okay in there?” asked Jay from the other side.

“I’m okay,” you shouted back. “The stain is just too hard to remove.”

Not hearing a reply, you went back to the chat. “Maybe I shouldn’t have?” you asked.

Isa: hey, the heart wants what the heart wants Yoon: we’re in no place to judge but you go, unnie!

Meanwhile, Jay took the time to check on his own group chat with his boys. He announced the same thing and all three of his friends freaked out.

Sunghoon: You finally did? Jake: How was it? Heeseung: Tongue?

Jay had to tell the boys to chill before explaining and finally ending his rant with a simple “I should have kissed her sooner.”

He didn’t have a chance to reply to the responses since you suddenly came out of the bathroom, helplessly walking back to the couch with the red stain on your dress only faintly cleaned.

Jay slipped his phone into his pockets real quick while you left yours in the bathroom. You both exchanged a silent, long, but meaningful glance at each other. Jay had to break the ice.

“I guess you have to take it to the laundry then?”

You smiled awkwardly. “Yeah.”

You both shifted your gaze somewhere else before looking at each other again. The song was still on repeat.

“Do you… want to…”

“Dance again?” you cut him off. Jay wasn’t quick enough to offer his hand because you instantly wrapped yours around his neck again. With a smile, Jay moved closer until your foreheads touched.

If this is love, it's everything that i've been dreaming of

-END-

© seattlesolace 2023, all rights reserved

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[justhere4kpop]

Oh, Nurse!

Demon! Yoon Jeonghan x Reader

Summary: Your boyfriend's friends think you can't dress up for Halloween, maybe this year you shut them up and win the annual contest.

Genre: Demons, Halloween Costume Party, Fantasy, Fluff, Friendly Competition

Warnings: Suggestive Conversations, Reader has some insecurities that are touched on, Language

~~Collab Piece with @nebulousbrainsoup~~ Here (Go check out theirs!)

a/n: This is my very first Seventeen piece!!! I'm so excited! I've been wanting to write for them for a while now but I never had any good ideas....ironically S.Coups is my bias. Also, this turned into one of my first like solo collab pieces, and yeah. I have some really cool friends. also, @nebulousbrainsoup thanks for editing and overall listening to me ramble. <3 <3 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

~Masterlist~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hadn’t really planned on a couple’s costume with Jeonghan, nor had I planned on wearing something so…sexy, but when BooSeokSoon announced their annual Halloween party I had to go. And of course the boys had to bring up that I’d never wear something so scandalous..oh how wrong they were. When my demon boyfriend of two years had mentioned he wanted to dress up as a doctor he asked if I would join him. I wanted to surprise him though so I threw him off saying my best friend was gonna be a Tiger and saying I was Soonyoung. He laughed at the thought and nodded saying we’d for sure win the costume contest this year instead of Junhui.

It’s not that I CAN’T dress up, it’s that I don’t want to if I’m just picking him up or hanging out at his place. I have before, he bought a few very nice lingerie sets and we’ve gone out to dinner before at some very nice places but I like cuddling on the couch in pajamas and being comfortable. 

“Do you want me to pick you up?” the text read on my phone.

“No I’ll meet you there Doctor.” I replied with a winky face. I ordered an Uber while pulling on the white lace thigh highs completing the look. 

If there was one thing about a party at BooSeokSoon’s there was going to be drinking, drinking games, karaoke, and real fun time, you know…for it being in hell. My Uber driver’s eyes practically bugged out of his head when I threw on my coat to combat the chilled air of the autumnal season. It was a sexy costume but nothing too revealing, a mini dress, thigh highs and the cheesy headwear, cleavage just tastefully poking out. I was nothing if not classy while proving my friends wrong. I check my heels and makeup one more time making sure I won’t break anything, including my ankle, on the walk up to the townhome, and of course no red lipstick on the teeth. You know how magic works, presentable on the outside portal to hell on the inside.

Seungkwan opens the door for me and he’s casual…until I take off the coat I’m wearing.

“Y/n?”

“Yeah Kwan?” I look at the man whose jaw is on the floor.

“JEONGHAN YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS HERE!!!!” Hoshi called out, coming around the corner and freezing. “Holy fuck.” he whispered.

“Hi boys.” I smiled and walked past them into the living room where the real party had started. “Paging Doctor Yoon.” I called out to the man who was still turned away from me, two drinks in his hand.

“I see my little tiger has made…it.” his eyes widened.

He dropped the drinks on the floor once turned fully. He’d promised to clean them up later but I think he forgot.

“Fuck y/n. That you darling?” he asked, biting his lip and spinning me lightly to get a good look at the outfit.

“The one and only.” I smiled and kissed his cheek leaving an imprint on his cheek.

“I’m never washing that off.” he smiled down at me, taking a peek at my cleavage. “And to what do I owe the pleasure nurse y/n?”

“Well since your friends think I’d never wear something like this, because your oversized shirts are comfortable…I thought I’d surprise you. And look! Couples costumes.”

“You are just full of surprises, and here I was telling everyone you and Soonyoung were gonna match.”

“It’s why I didn’t want you picking me up Hannie.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Get me a drink?”

“Anything you want beautiful.” he smiled.

To say I had stunned just about every one of the demons was an understatement. All of them had dropped jaw and dry mouth it seemed. I was a little self-conscious with all the eyes now on me but I knew if I was ever uncomfortable there was Dr. Yoon next to me.

“You know, even after 2 years when I think I have you figured out..you always manage to surprise me.” Jeonghan had chuckled into my ear.

“2 years isn’t that long Hannie.” I took his hand as he lead me to the dance floor.

“Then I can’t wait to see what 20 and beyond look like.” he smiled and cupped my face to kiss me, a few whoops and hollers coming from those around us. “Looks like you stole my breath might need CPR Nurse.” he smiled.

“Oh really, normally people who are choking don’t talk.” I looked at him.

“Oh? Choking? No not me, you later perhaps though.” he winked and kissed me again. 

“You know they say office romance doesn’t work out very well.”

“Good thing this is make believe darling. You’re stuck with me for a very long time…especially now that the guys have seen what should’ve been for my eyes only.”

“Blame them, they said I couldn’t do it.”

“I’m not blaming anyone if I get to see you like this.” he smiled.

Soonyoung had brought drinks around while people were dancing and that seemed to really get the party started, it was practically a frat party in hell at this point. Soonyoung always threw the most elaborate things for having a tiger on the brain. Then in walked Jeonghan’s biggest competition. His brother in arms. Jisoo, or Joshie.

“Hi Joshie!” I squealed and hugged him. “Is your partner around?”

“They’re putting up their coat.”

“I see, no costume again this year?” Jeonghan looked at his twin.

“Oh no we’re doing an angel devil look, they’re of course the angel. And what are you supposed to be?” Joshua’s eyes flashed red.

“A doctor.”

“What do you know about saving people, Jeonghan?”

“It’s called a costume for a reason, besides look at my lovely assistant aren’t they just…delicious.”

“I must say y/n, you know how to surprise us for sure. Never would’ve thought you were one to wear something like this.” he smiled and spun me around gently.

For demons they sure are sweet talkers hmm. Look it’s not my fault you have to give into temptation a little bit. 

“We gotta win this year honey.” Jeonghan pulled me into him slightly as I took another drink.

“Hmm? Don’t want to lose to Joshua again?” I chuckled looking up at him.

“Again? Oh no no I never lose to Joshua.”

“Not my fault you voted for Soonyoung’s tiger last year.”

“I didn’t actually think he would WIN.” he pouted.

“Come on the contest doesn’t start for another hour. Let’s have a little fun.” I pulled him along.

The party was in full swing by the time the costume parade was starting, of course the boys and their partners were participating if they could. Wonwoo and his partner were both black cats…not by his choice of course. Seokmin and Seungkwan were Superman and Lois Lane….Seokmin was Lois Lane. Jihoon was a DJ...so on and so forth. 

“Gyu what are you even talking about?” I laughed at hearing the man get lost in his train of thought again. 

“I don’t even think he knows at this point Jagiya.” Jeonghan snuck up behind me again, his hands finding purchase on my waist. “Mind if I whisk you away your cheeks are looking a little flushed, my nurse, need to make sure you don’t faint on me.” he smiles.

“Oh I’m fine Hannie.” I pout, my words a tiny bit stumbled from the alcohol coursing slowly through my system but he guides me outside calmly and quietly.

“Did you really do this because the guys teased you about not dressing up more?”

“What they said I wouldn’t wear anything revealing or sexy for halloween.” I pout more.

“I’m just saying is this to prove them wrong or give yourself a confidence boost, you always said you didn’t like being the center of attention.” he brushed my hair back. “I’m definitely fine with you showing off for Halloween and the like, I love it when you let yourself relax.” he smiled.

“Oh sure be sweet and kind now.” I held his hand. “I don’t know…I think I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it too. I’m not the most comfortable with myself sometimes but you tell me to try it out more…why not halloween.” I shrugged. “Maybe I wanted to look nice for you.”

“For me? Baby you always look absolutely delightful. Hard to keep my hands to myself.” he smiled.

“Jeonghan…you know what I mean.”

“And I’m telling the truth. I’ve never minded how you dress or anything, because you’re always you…my little bear.” he smiled and kissed me. “But I do like little surprises.”

“Keep sweet talking me and it’ll be a big surprise later Dr. Yoon.” I stuck my tongue out. “Come on I’m actually starving and there’s pizza….it’s also kinda cold out here.” I pulled him back inside.

“Oh Nurse, you’re going to get me in so much trouble one of these days.” he laughed.

“I thought trouble was your middle name.” I smiled.

“ALRIGHT! TIME FOR THE VOTING AND RANKINGS!” BooSeokSoon called out. “ONE VOTE PER PERSON AND IF YOU’RE A PAIR ONLY ONE OF YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOURSELVES!!!”

“Ready to lose again Jeonghan?” Joshua smiled.

“If I remember last year we had 6 votes and you had 5.” Jeonghan smiled.

“Doesn’t beat that Soonyoung got 12.” they both chuckled.

“I didn’t think that many people were gonna vote for sexy tiger man.” they laughed more at the thought.

“Don’t forget he has to present the winner this year, and you know how he gets about stage fright.”

“Hanniehae!” I called out finding them. “It’s our turn to vote!”

“Well I know who I’m voting for.” he smiled finding my hand as I reached out for him.

“I’m voting for Wonwoo and his partner, I like their cute cat ears.”

“He only has on cat ears, babe. He can literally turn into a cat.”

“Yeah but he has such a cute smile.” I smiled at my very own demon boyfriend.

“You’re just saying that because you’ve been bothering me for a cat for 6 months.”

“They’re cute and cuddly!!!”

“And you’re allergic.” he chuckled and wrote down our names and put it in the box.

“Fine maybe I’ll vote for Soonyoung again.”

“Do you want to lose? I need to keep my beat Joshua streak.”

“Oh you take it way too serious.” I chuckled and wrote down Wonwoo’s name and we left the “booth.” it was just the first floor bathroom with a curtain and a sign that said “private voting.”

Now I know what you’re thinking, who will count these fairly and not forge any for themselves. Our very own father figure, Seungcheol…well and Vernon and Junhui. And you’d think that demons could enchant the box right? Wrong…they take it WAY too serious…they got a special box from a witch that can’t be tampered with..unless you have the key. I mean not every plan is fool proof. 

“Well Doctor…better luck next year.” I smiled at him as Minghao raised the trophy in triumph and the crowd called out for a speech.

“Man I thought we really had it this year.” he smiled and shook his head.

“Well I think you look great.”

“I could say the same for you Nurse Y/n.”

“Did we at least beat Joshie again this year?”

“Of couse we did, and by always…one vote.” he sighed. “Maybe next year we can do Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.”

“Only is you find us an invisible boat-mobile.” I laughed at the thought.

“You’d look pretty hot in a body suit and pink fuzzy slippers.” he chuckled as we made our way outside.

“Oh are you saying I’m Mermaid Man?”

“Of course, I’m just your humble sidekick.” he kissed me once for good luck and twice because he felt like it. “And in a few years when you’re old and gray we can be the couple from Up. We better win before that though.”

“You sure we’ll still be together by then Jeonghan?”

“Oh I know we will be. I’m not letting you go anytime soon darling.” he smiled and ran in front of me. “Oh Nurse! I believe I need…CPR…For real.” he said laying down on the sidewalk and reaching a hand up.

“Choking people don’t talk Hannie.” I laughed.

[captainsophiestark]

Ghost Tour

Kol Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2022!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Prompt: “You love this, don’t you?”

Summary: Kol and Y/N are dating, and Kol lost a bet they had going. Now, he has to dress up like an old-timey ghost and scare a bunch of tourists as consequences for his loss.

Category: Fluff, Humor

Word Count: 1,198

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"You love this, don't you?" asked my boyfriend, Kol Mikaelson, as he frowned at himself in the mirror.

"What, watching you dressed up in a ridiculous outfit, about to head out into the city to make a fool of yourself? Yeah, actually, I do love that."

Kol huffed a sigh, clearly unhappy. He'd lost a bet with me about how many times we could sneak a piece of scrap paper into Elijah's hair before he'd catch us (less than twice, like I'd said), so now, he had to dress up as a ridiculous old-fashioned ghost (using his own old clothing, which I kept making fun of him about) and pretend to be a ghost to freak out a New Orleans tour group.

I'd been counting down the minutes all day, and now, it was finally time.

I'd given him some makeup to make him look more pale, and his cheeks and eye sockets more hollow and sunken, and then I'd draped fake cobwebs all over his outfit. He looked perfect, if I did say so myself, and I couldn't wait to put my idea to the test.

Messing with Kol and pranking tourists? I couldn't have asked for a better evening activity.

"Are you seriously going to make me do this?" he asked, finally turning away from the mirror to look at me. I just smiled as I crossed the room toward him, gently putting my hands on his cheeks and being careful not to mess up the makeup. I gave him a gentle, soft kiss and then pulled back with a grin.

"Kol. My love. My best friend. You absolutely must know me well enough by now to know that the answer is yes." He groaned dramatically and threw his head back, which only made me laugh. "C'mon, out the door! We have places to be, after all."

****************

"Alright, they're looking up at the buildings and the guide just finished her bit about ghosts. Now's your moment, go."

I muttered under my breath as I watched Kol, half-hidden behind a pillar on the other side of the street. Thanks to his supernatural vampire hearing, I could whisper instructions in his general direction from pretty far away and he could hear me, no walkie-talkies or other technology needed.

Kol glared at me, and I could tell he was still not happy to be stuck doing this. Unfortunately for him, however, the vampire hearing was a one-way street, and as a human, I had no shot of hearing him unless he yelled at the top of his lungs. The most whining he could do was some pouty looks.

I saw him take a deep, dramatic sigh and throw his head back, and then he dropped into character as a creepy, lurking ghost. He wandered towards the tour group, really hamming it up that he was lost, confused, and definitely definitely dead.

Although, I guess technically, he really was dead.

It took a few minutes, but slowly, the tour group started noticing Kol. A couple of college kids nudged each other and nodded to Kol, smiling at the goofy ghost they assumed the tour had hired to spook them. A few people tried to sneak pictures of him, and one person even waved at him. He didn't react. Instead, he just swayed in place, playing the part of a dreamy ghost perfectly. All the tourists still thought it was fake (and technically they were right), but once Kol had just about everyone's attention, it was time for him to make his move.

He took a few dreamy, stumbly steps forward, and the crowd followed his movements with their eyes. They smiled and whispered to each other, clearly enjoying what they thought was a planned performance. Then, Kol reached a massive pillar on the sidewalk, opposite to the one he'd been hiding behind before. The people watched him as he disappeared behind it, and then so fast that I didn't even catch the move, he used his super speed to essentially disappear.

I grinned as I saw the tourists' faces change from delighted to confused when Kol failed to reappear from behind the pillar. After waiting a few moments, one of the more curious people stepped forward to look behind the pillar for Kol.

Her face when she realized he was gone was priceless.

The rest of the group quickly caught on that they ghost they'd seen had disappeared, and they all whirled around in different directions, looking for any sign of my boyfriend. I grinned, trying not to look too suspicious even as I watched the chaos.

"Happy?" I jumped at the sound of a voice behind me, then whirled around to find Kol. He had one eyebrow raised at me, but I could tell he was enjoying the chaos and confusion we'd caused just as much as I was.

"Very happy," I said, giving him a big smile. "But we can't hang around here in plain sight. The whole thing's ruined if one of them sees you!"

"Darling, say no more."

With that, he wrapped an arm around my waist and picked me up, using his super speed to whisk us away before I knew what was happening. We came to a stop outside the Mikaelson compound, and I had to grab onto Kol's shoulders to keep from falling over.

"I hate when you do that," I said, still swaying a little as I got my bearings.

"Sorry darling," he said, grinning as he spoke and not sounding sorry at all. "But you're the one who said we needed to get out of there quickly."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," I grumbled. I took a step away from him once I felt sturdy enough to stand on my own two feet, and then looked up at him with a smile. "So? The punishment for losing the bet could've been worse, right?"

"...I hate to admit it lest you start getting ideas, but... that actually was sort of fun. Did you see how freaked out they all looked when I disappeared?"

"Of course I saw it! It was fantastic." We shared mischievous grins, then Kol threw an arm around my shoulders and started heading towards the house.

"So, now that our bet and punishment have been officially completed... what do you say we find something else ridiculous to bet on?"

"Oh, bring it on," I said with a grin. "I've already got at least three ideas for what I'm going to make you do when you lose this next bet."

"Mhmm. I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?"

"I guess we will."

We headed into the house together, arms around each other and smirks on our faces. Whether or not Kol lost the next bet we made, I knew every step of the process would be a blast. Even in the midst of all the supernatural drama that came with the Mikaelson family, we found ways to make each other laugh.

We were the perfect pair. And not even endless amounts of making each other do ridiculous shit would ever break us apart.

[nompunhere]

Knightly Security (H/ollow K/night Vore Fic) (Illustrated)

Voretober promp- y’know what, maybe I shouldn’t even bother trying to link it back to that But it’s finally hereeeeeee! Collab with @scketchorinopop , he made art for this!!

Characters: H/egemol (going off of the maggot!H/egemol headcanon), O/grim (aka the D/ung D/efender or, more accurately to this fic, W/hite D/efender) Word Count: 6,310 Warnings: Anxiety, H/ollow K/night Spoilers, Bugs, Implied/Referenced Bug Racism(?), and Safe Soft Vore (I’d call this quarter-sized, probably). And in the same vein as the bug racism, Implied/Referenced Cannibalism(? sort of?? You’ll know what I mean if you’ve read the H/unter’s J/ournal entry on maggots) Other Notes: Yeah this was originally gonna be for Voretober 2022, either for the Bubble prompt or the Blanket one. College kinda threw that plan out the window. But hey! My cool good friend Scketch wanted to collab, so you get ✨art✨!! and also me starting to love the maggot!H/ege headcanon. it’s got Potential. now blease take this fic I can’t stand to look at it for another minute

Fic under the cut

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Hegemol was usually happy in his workshop. It was his safe space, a room filled with the tools and materials to bring his ideas to reality, a place where the maggot was free to express his ingenuity in a constructive way. The King had truly been generous in granting him this boon along with his knighthood.

At the moment, however, he couldn't find the focus to work on his creations. He was too distracted by the anxiety creeping under his skin. A room couldn't protect him from the fears that plagued his mind.

His armor was missing. No one was sure of the who, how, or why of the matter, but they at least knew when it was taken and where from. He found himself running through the details once more.

The Great Knights were reasonably certain that the set had been stolen while Hegemol was asleep in the City barracks, resting after a day of being stationed in the capital for an assignment. He had gone to bed in the room set aside for the knights or other important visitors. The Five didn't exactly like the separation, feeling like they were being treated as above all the other sentries and guards in more than just rank, but Hegemol did require the privacy that the room afforded. He did not need it getting out to the public that he was a maggot. Many theorized about what he could be, but of those guesses, few ever put forth the idea that the armored knight could possibly be "such a lowly creature," and those that did were scoffed at, regarded as delusional.

Back to the point, he had gone to bed, and though he could sleep in his armor, it was not the most comfortable, so he generally didn't if he had the choice. He'd gotten out of the suit, packed it into its space-saving form, and made sure it was within line of sight as he tucked himself under the blankets. He should've heard if someone tried to move it, or even enter the room, and yet, he didn't. Somehow, someone or something got past the locked door (or windows), took the heavy block of metal that was Hegemol's armor, and left with it, all without making a sound as he slept. It should've been too dense for a single bug to lift without immense effort. Maybe there was more than one perpetrator involved? Or perhaps magic was used? It had to have been stolen. There was no way it just- disappeared.

All these thoughts led to the tinkerer being highly distracted as he worked. He was abruptly dragged back to the present when the bracket he was welding loudly cracked. Quickly, he cut off the flame and set his blowtorch aside, peering closer at the damaged metal. He'd overdone it, the maggot realized with a groan, planting his masked face on the tabletop. That was what he got for letting his mind wander while using dangerous tools, he supposed.

He left his head on the table for a few long moments, until a quiet knock at the door made him flinch. He looked up, hesitating. The retainers knew not to come in without his express permission. If anyone was going to enter his workshop, it'd be someone who already knew his secret.

"What is it?" he called, just loud enough to be heard.

"It's me," came the response, gentle and friendly, a toned-down version of that familiar jovial tone. Hegemol made a sound of acknowledgement, and the door slowly clicked open, revealing the face of his close friend and fellow knight, Ogrim. Currently the only active knight within the walls of the White Palace, as the other three were in the City, guarding the streets and searching for the all-important tool that would allow their fifth to perform his job.

"Hello," the Defender greeted, leaning into the room, "Just checking in. My patrol brought me to this area of the halls, and I figured I should see how you're faring? Wouldn't do to let you feel abandoned when- well, I'm sure you're well aware." He gave an uncertain chuckle, tapping a claw against the doorframe and glancing into the hall. When he looked back at Hegemol, his gaze was colored with curiosity. His eyes lingered on the maggot's small form perched at the workstation, clad in only his welding gear.

The armorless knight cleared his throat and stared at the tools in front of him, prompting Ogrim to do the same. "Heh, yes, I'm- I-I'm alright. Thank you," Hegemol tried. He winced at the stutter. It was so much easier to hide it when making use of the artificial confidence the suit provided. His friend merely nodded, though he looked unconvinced. The tinkerer sighed and pulled off his welding mask to give the other a weary smile, getting one in return.

He set the mask down as Ogrim stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him with a quiet 'click.' The beetle came closer, gesturing to the bracket and other bits of metal spread over the workspace. "So, what were you working on, if I may be so bold?"

"Oh, just- some.. locking mechanisms. F-for the armor." He leaned forward to pick up the bracket once more, glaring at it with a huff and turning it over in his hands. To his side, Ogrim tilted his head, giving an inquisitive hum to prompt him to continue. Hegemol glanced at him, then back to the table. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was okay for him to go on about his work. His friend was offering him the opportunity.

"T-the suit itself should be too heavy for a bug to lift, especially when condensed as it was, but if it were unfolded, it could be moved piece by piece, or even w-worn out of the room. Only the King and I know how to unfold it—though I could teach you if you'd like—but it's theoretically n-not impossible for another bug to have f-figured out the mechanisms." He gestured to the bracket and the other metal pieces before them, the other knight following his movements with interest. "I was thinking of adding these extra locking parts, to make the set more difficult to unpack if you don't know the exact process. They would also offer more surface area for further spellwork to be inscribed, particularly if I can add pale ore to increase the efficacy of the magic. I plan to work with the King to design some that would reject anyone who isn't the proper owner or a trusted ally, w-when he has time," the maggot finished, quieting to a mumble at the end.

Meanwhile, though Ogrim was genuinely interested in what his friend had to say, he still found himself focusing on the smaller bug's state more than the words themselves. Hegemol was a lot harder to hear than normal, despite the lack of metal shell to cover his mouth—or perhaps because of it. The Defender didn't know the specifics of how the helmet worked, but he distantly recalled hearing about how it amplified sound in both directions, making it easier for the wearer to hear and to be heard. It gave Hegemol's voice a resonance that was strange to hear him without after so long.

Aside from that, the technically-smallest knight was always rather soft-spoken, but rarely to this extent. Ogrim nearly had to strain to pick out his words. His voice picked up a little as he talked about his passion, but otherwise faded to something anxious and uncertain. In fact, as the beetle watched, his body language screamed of anxiety: the constant fidgeting, the unfocused gaze, the shifting of weight on the stool. Hegemol was actually quite expressive when not covered in layers of thick metal—Ogrim just wished he could see those expressions in better circumstances.

The tinkerer looked up at his compatriot, waiting with bated breath for any sort of response to his ideas. The larger knight stared back, blinked, and after a moment, offered another bright smile. "That all sounds very impressive!"

Hegemol waited another second or two, then let out a short sigh, half disappointed and half relieved at the generic reply. "Thanks," he intoned.

Ogrim, seeing the half-hearted acceptance of his own lackluster response, tapped a claw to his chin in thought. "I do believe the idea has potential," he elaborated, moving his forelimb to rest gently on the other's shoulder, "I just can't say how much, precisely, as it's not my area of expertise. I have hope it will prove effective, though. You’re very good with this type of thing." Hegemol slowly nodded. It was then that the beetle noticed just how tense his friend was, even as he felt quite squishy under his own hard, chitinous claw. He turned it so that the sharper bits were angled firmly away from delicate skin and used the flat side to slowly rub the maggot's shoulder, keeping the pressure light while still trying to offer some sense of comfort.

His friend bore it for a few moments before shuddering and nudging the claw, signaling him to stop. The Defender quickly removed the offending limb and tilted his head in concern. "Are you sure you're alright, friend? It's not like you to shy away from contact."

"Yes, it's just," the tinkerer hunched in on himself, "when outside of my armor, every t-touch feels overwhelming, you know? I'm not used to feeling so.. exposed."

"Oh! Of course, of course, my apologies, I should've realized-"

"I-it's fine, you meant well, I know." He huffed and gestured loosely with an arm. "It's as if.. everything's so sharp, a-and cold, and defined out here. Like anything could p-pierce through me at any moment. Not that it hasn't happened before," Hegemol muttered, pulling off his welding gloves to stare at his callused hands, and the old, jagged lines that criss-crossed up his arms. The results of years of learning his craft the hard way. Ogrim hummed sympathetically at the sight. The Five all had their scars—his just came from a different source than the others'.

"I k-know I can handle myself without the armor," the maggot continued, squeezing his hands shut, "but after so long being r-reliant on it, when it's not there for me to retreat into, everything suddenly feels like so much. It's not that I've forgotten how to feel—I still c-can, through the metal, thanks to His Majesty's enchantments—but it's usually dulled. Like- like going from a shell with all setae shaved off to one freshly molted, or so I imagine. A-and usually, when I do come out, it's only for short spans, or for rest. It's just- it's all-" He fumbled for a moment before slumping with a sigh.

"No, I understand. You've explained it quite well, I think," Ogrim chuckled softly, suppressing the urge to reach for his friend again. Hegemol offered a brief tired smile in return, then went back to fidgeting with his tools, picking off lingering flecks of dirt. The beetle tilted his head at how worn-out the other seemed, noting the droop of his antennae and darkness beneath his eyes. It made sense; the tinkerer was highly distressed at the loss of his armor, and it had been missing for over a day, not to mention that he had been in his workshop almost the entire time since. The Defender found it hard to believe that he would've gotten any sleep last night. "Is there anything I can do to help, my friend?"

"Hm? Oh, uhm," Hegemol tapped at the table, contemplating, "N-nothing that I can think of, at the moment. I'll.. let you know? Though I w-wouldn't want to keep you from your duties." He paused. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be getting back to those, soon? Not that I don't appreciate your company, b-but…"

"Ah! My patrol, yes. I should, shouldn't I?" The dung beetle rubbed his horn sheepishly. "It just feels wrong to leave you unsupported when you're struggling like this. I don't suppose the King would mind a few minutes' break too badly, would he?"

No, he'd likely be far too absorbed in his own work to notice. The maggot scrunched his face a little, then snorted at a joke he kept to himself. He wasn't certain the most loyal of the Five would take as much humor in it. "You're probably fine," he mumbled, absently scrubbing at his eyes. "And I'm not completely unsup- supported. The others are doing their best out there to help."

"Still, I feel as though there's something more I could.. do…" Hegemol looked up as Ogrim trailed off. The Defender had a thoughtful look in his eye, a claw tapping against his chin. "...I may have an idea."

"Mm?"

"It would allow me to give you comfort and respite, while still being free to perform my tasks," he continued. There was a cautious air to his voice, quite unusual for the boisterous knight.

"I'm listening." The other's hesitance made Hegemol rather nervous himself, but he was open to ideas. He got a sense that he should know where Ogrim was going with this, but whatever it was, it eluded him. His friend was rarely one to choose his words so carefully.

"What if.." The beetle clicked his forelimbs together, glancing toward the pile of prototypes in the corner of the room, then back at their creator. "I could share my armor with you, in a manner of speaking? Just until your own is found."

Okay, he knew the larger knight didn't mean that in the literal sense, but what did he mean? The answer teased frustratingly at the edge of the tinkerer's mind, just out of reach.

Seeing his smaller friend’s look of confusion and concentration, the Defender gave a quiet laugh. He could practically watch the thoughts churning behind the maggot’s eyes. Might as well make it easier on him. “I’m sure you remember a.. particular rescue tactic, that I sometimes employ? Very effective in emergencies, but unrecognized by the public, due to its, er, taboo nature?” At Hegemol’s dawning comprehension, Ogrim released the breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. He hadn’t realized it would be so nerve-wracking to tiptoe around the subject like that! He should’ve just ripped the bandage off. It wasn’t as though he’d ever gotten to ask before, not in a casual setting such as this. Of course, he’d been planning out how to bring the idea up to Isma, but- heh, no no, that could come later. A good.. good while later. “I know it’s.. odd… but it should serve our needs quite well, I think.”

“I… ah.” The smaller knight slumped back on his seat, leaning against the table as he processed. “Could- could I have a moment to think about this?” “Of course, my friend, of course! I wouldn’t want to pressure you into anything you don’t truly want, or frighten you away from something that may help.”

Slowly, Hegemol nodded, grabbing a drill bit to fidget with off the workbench while he considered the offer. Ogrim was asking to- to eat him. His immediate instinct was a shot of fear through the chest, based upon childhood lessons specifically intended to help him avoid such a fate. Of the few things he could remember about his parents, those instances were what stuck out most—their desperate attempts to ensure his survival in a world full of predators that would take any chance they could get to sate their hunger with a maggot’s succulent flesh. Even those among Hallownest’s noble class weren’t above such desires, much as they claimed to be.

Focusing on the weight of metal in his hands, he pushed the fear down. It wasn’t a life-or-death situation. This was Ogrim. Loyal, honest Ogrim, dedicated to his friends and kingdom above all else. The knight who’d sooner make himself completely vulnerable to a terrified citizen than let them come to any harm. This was something the beetle did on an almost regular basis, protecting those in need with his own body when the situation called for it. Of course, the average Hallownestian had claws, or horns, or at the very least, a hard shell, of which Hegemol had none. He'd be entirely at the mercy of his friend's gut. Still, the Defender had experience. He knew how to do it safely.

That's not to mention, the maggot had done something similar himself, two or three times before. Only in absolutely dire situations, of course, and only when he could be certain that the citizen in need of protection was unconscious and wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. He wasn't taking the risk of letting a stranger in on his secret. Not a chance. Though, tucking them into the hollow space at the center of his armor's torso was.. not the safest, he'd admit, what with all the exposed mechanisms, the only cover from such being haphazard platforms and sheets of metal installed to make the inner workings more accessible for maintenance. Perhaps he should improve that a little, add some padding to it. It'd make it more comfortable on him for routine cleaning and repairs, at least…

He repressed a jump when Ogrim abruptly shifted, glancing toward the door. Right, he should make his decision. He tapped the table a few times, both as a means to grab attention and to expel restless energy. When the beetle turned back to him, Hegemol voiced his concerns. "So- erm. You say it would be- it would be until my armor is found, yes? But.. w-what if it isn't found? I would need to get back to working on a n-new suit."

His fellow knight gave him an understanding look. "Should that be necessary, I'll let you out to continue your work. I'll let you out whenever you ask, really! The goal is to ease your mind and allow you some rest, not to trap you. Once you feel ready, you can get right back to it. I'll even let you back in later, if the need arises," he finished with a wink.

The tinkerer obliged him with a laugh. Yeah, Ogrim would never want to hurt him. He was far too kind-hearted, not to mention a dear friend. Giving the situation one last thought, Hegemol weighed the pros and cons. There weren't all that many cons, truthfully. He would be putting his life entirely in the Defender's claws—in his stomach, even—but he knew he could trust Ogrim. And there would be little to no privacy between them, but again, he trusted his friend not to abuse that. The courtesy would extend both ways, of course. And it would be strange, and new, and scary, but isn't everything, the first time around? He couldn't have gotten this far in life without taking a few risks.

As for pros, it would be… comfortable, supposedly. Dark, warm, and soft—ideal sleeping conditions. He didn't know if he'd be able to get past the other traits that defined the inside of a digestive organ, but he supposed he'd simply have to find out. But, most importantly, he'd be shielded from the world. He would have to relinquish all control, but in exchange, he would gain full protection. The thought gave him pause. It would only be for a resting period, and then he'd be released, he reminded himself. In sleep, he would have no control either way, so he wasn't sacrificing much of anything in that regard.

In the end, it all came down to trust. Trust, and willingness to try a new experience.

Finally, Hegemol looked up, meeting Ogrim's gaze head-on, and gave a single, firm nod. The dung beetle brightened considerably. "You accept?"

This was his chance to back down. He fought off the urge to take it. Be brave, o Mighty One. "Yes."

"Excellent! And, er.. Just to clarify, you do know what, precisely, I am offering?"

The maggot nodded again, more shallowly, expression revealing little. "Y-you wish to… ingest me. And hold me harmlessly within y-your stomach while I rest. Is my understanding correct?"

The Defender leaned back a bit. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least somewhat looking forward to this, but it didn't seem like the time to admit that aloud. "Ah, heh, 'wish' might be a strong word for it, but, er. Essentially, yes. That's my offer. Knowing that, you'd still agree to it?"

"Mhm."

"Good, good, that's good. I just wanted to make certain you knew what you would be getting into. Now!" He grinned and clacked his claws together in a clap. "Let's get to it, shall we?"

Hegemol let out a slight huff of relief. If his friend asked him if he was sure one more time, he was almost certain he would've changed his answer. He scanned the beetle's face, considering. "So, how do we.. go about this? I'm not too familiar with the process."

"Right, right. Well, to start, we need to get you into my mouth, which- hm. That's a good question, actually! We have a couple options for that. Would you be alright with me picking you up? That would be the easiest way, I think. Otherwise, I could hold my forearms out, and you could climb onto them yourself. Oh, or we could use the table! I could rest my chin on the edge, and you could crawl in of your own volition."

Ah, another chance to lose his nerve, how lovely. Still, with how excited his fellow knight looked over having the idea, the tinkerer could hardly find it in himself to turn him down. "T-that last choice sounds, um, acceptable."

Once again reminded of his comrade's hesitance, Ogrim tried to tone down his enthusiasm. Keeping his expression and tone light, he provided directions, wanting to make it easier on the smaller bug. "Alright. Go ahead and hop up, and I'll be ready whenever you are."

The beetle backed up a little to give Hegemol room as the tinkerer moved his tools and materials out of the way, shuffling them aside to be put away properly later. That done, he pulled himself from the stool onto his workbench. Cautiously, he turned back to his friend, who had gotten to one knee and was already lowering his head onto the surface.

Gods, even at eye level, he was.. big. Big, and yet not big enough, or so it appeared. His mouth was larger than the maggot's own, yes, but their eyes were around the same scale. There couldn't have been much difference between the sizes of their heads, even. Ogrim gave him an easy grin, then everything else stopped as his maw opened wide.

Oh.

The anxious knight couldn't help the shudder that ran through him at the yawning cavern. No, Hegemol. Calm. Focus. It's just Ogrim. Just Ogrim… He steeled himself and crept closer. Those jaws could open further than he expected, honestly. He eyed the saliva starting to pool alongside the beetle's tongue with trepidation. He was hoping there'd be less of it. Leaning forward on his forelimbs, he took in the sight of the Defender's waiting mouth, shivering as humid breath washed over him, antennae flicking back. It was so still, so patient, and yet he could see all the little twitches of each muscle, held taut in anticipation. He sat back, just enough to lift his upper hands and tap them together nervously.

This didn't escape the other's notice, of course. Ogrim let his face fall into something more relaxed and reassuring. "I promise you, this is safe. I won't let you come to any harm, and certainly not from my own body."

Hegemol heaved in a breath and straightened up, rubbing his arm, brushing over his scars. "I-I know. I trust you. That's.. that's not it, e-exactly, it's just…"

"Mm?"

He huffed and blurted out his concern. "Just- are we- we sure I-I'll fit? Not that I d-don't trust your judgment, it just- i-it seems- …improbable."

The dung beetle blinked. After a moment, he put a claw to his mandibles, eyes squinted slightly in thought. "Hmm… It shouldn't be a problem! I've never ingested anyone quite your size before, true, but your, er, malleability should more than make up for that." To prove his point, he carefully pressed down on the maggot's head, watching the flesh bounce back into place as he released it. Hegemol shook himself out and nodded, eyes squeezed shut. Ogrim chuffed apologetically. "The process of getting you down might be rough, but I assure you, it should be quite comfortable once you're safely inside."

"I-I'm sure. Could- could we..?"

"Of course, friend, of course."

Once more, the maw was laid open before him. Once more, Hegemol inched forward, until his vision was almost entirely taken up by the shadowed green inside of his fellow knight's mouth. Once more, he steeled himself for what was to come. And with that, he pushed forward to immerse himself in Ogrim's depths.

Or he tried to, anyway. In reality, what happened was that he flinched back as soon as he felt mandibles scrape against the sides of his face. Sharp, sharp, far too sharp. As he crouched there, panting and staring, those perfectly innocuous chunks of chitin seemed all too threatening. He could feel lingering points of contact where they had just barely brushed against him. As the larger bug closed his mouth to tilt his head in concern, Hegemol gasped in a breath and let his eyes fall shut. Scarab mandibles aren't sharp, you blubbering fool. Where's all that courage it took to get here? He barely touched you.

"...You don't have to do this if you're not comfortable, Hege-"

"No, no," he shook his head and sat up, meeting the beetle's eyes with a determined look. "Th-that was just- instinct. I want to do this. I-I just.." Ogrim gave him a questioning look, waiting patiently. "Could," the maggot started. He huffed, frustrated with himself. "Could you.. put me in your- your mouth? I- You have experience with this, and I- I'd rather this part b-be over with."

Somehow, the Defender's voice fell to an even gentler tone. "Of course, I understand. Just relax, close your eyes if you'd like, and I'll take care of it from here."

With one final nod, Hegemol went still, his eyes falling shut as instructed. He couldn't bring himself to go entirely limp, but this would have to do. He couldn't keep himself from tensing slightly as large claws came to rest on either side of his face. Thankfully, Ogrim provided him a moment to breathe and resettle himself before gently tugging him forward. The solid chitinous appendages squeezed ever so carefully to reshape his head into something narrower. He took one more deep breath, and with that, he was finally guided into the maw of his brother in arms.

The beetle tried not to gasp as Hegemol made contact with his tongue. The taste… He wasn’t normally one for meat, but by the gods, his friend tasted divine. He couldn’t help the saliva that rushed in upon detecting such a delicacy entering his mouth, but he could at least make use of it. He promptly began to slather the maggot with fluid as soon as his head was engulfed in his jaws. The sweet, savory flesh was still highly malleable, conforming to the limits of Ogrim’s mouth, giving so easily to the ministrations of his tongue. He stayed mindful, of course. He didn’t want to startle his friend any further, let alone make him feel like a mere morsel, Wyrm forbid. No, no, of course not, he was just.. slicking him to ease the trip down, that’s all. He’d just have to make sure to clarify that once the tinkerer was settled. Along with, perhaps, a brief, tasteful compliment to his flavor. The Defender couldn’t exactly lie to his fellow knight, now could he? Especially when- ah, it seemed he was humming his enjoyment aloud. He let the low sound peter out, gave the other a short pat, and eased him further inside.

The smaller knight would've very much appreciated it if his friend could have gotten this part over with. He didn't need his thoughts spiraling out of control again before he was even fully inside. Nearly holding his breath, he hunkered down and let everything happen around him. It was difficult not to struggle, but he managed, keeping himself limp. Luckily, it seemed that the brunt of the.. tasting was over, though he couldn't help tensing as his head met the back of the throat. His antennae twitched against the damp surface. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, it was easy to feel when the flesh before him parted, opening into a yawning void that he didn’t dare gaze upon. The sparse moments before it pulled him inside seemed to last an eternity, until finally, Ogrim swallowed.

The scarab couldn't help but grin as his comrade began to slide into his gullet. He'd never gotten the chance to really enjoy the process before, especially not with anyone so squishy. Now, he could finally be slow, gentle, rather than rushing to get his charge down and out of danger. He could feel every little detail of his friend's form, taste every little subtle flavor. Every twitch and squirm was clear to him, even as he could tell how much the smaller knight was trying to keep calm, keep still. Without his input, another hum kicked up. His claws met his chest, hardly able to detect the near-formless shape past his own flesh and shell and armor, but distinctly feeling the mass pushing outward against the muscles of his esophagus. His tongue flicked out against his mandibles, seeking more of the exquisite taste. Such a wonderful little warmth, being squeezed down, down, deeper into his body.

Despite the discomfort of being shoved around like a helpless ragdoll, Hegemol was grateful that at least this part of the process was smooth and efficient. The esophageal muscles’ actions were involuntary, simply performing the job they were made for and giving him no special treatment. He was shunted downward at a steady pace. Fast, but not so much as to be disorienting. The mechanicalness of it all was almost a comfort to the tinkerer. More examples of automation and consistency became clear to him as he was pushed deeper. The regular pounding of his friend’s heart, pushing blood through the beetle’s hemocoel. Breaths drawing air through the spiracles to spread into tracheae, carrying oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Soft gurgles of the lower digestive tract processing food eaten long before his arrival. The rhythm of life was overwhelming, when heard all at once, but as he broke it down in his mind to its component parts, it became a sort of reassurance. Things still made sense, even when made up of complex organic matter rather than raw elements or simple minerals.

All this self-soothing focus was enough to occupy his attention until he was dropped unceremoniously into Ogrim’s stomach. He quickly pushed himself upright and shook himself out, scrubbing at his face with his upper set of hands. He had barely a second to orient himself before the wall behind him squeezed inward, making him gasp.

The Defender hugged himself tightly as his fellow knight was deposited safe in his belly. So soft, so warm, just barely weighing down the organ. The perfect size to make him comfortably full, while still having a fair bit of wiggle room. He wasn't sure if the maggot really was as warm as he seemed, or if it was just his own fondness and contentment making it feel that way. And the softness… With how pliant Hegemol's exterior was, it was hard to make out his outline, discern where the smaller bug ended and his own flesh began. He could only determine his friend's exact location by the movements against his inner walls. It made every shift of the limbs and flick of the antennae feel special, ephemeral, giving him a fluttery sensation as though his gut were full of lumaflies rather than a comrade. He gave another small squeeze, then loosened his hold to instead pat lightly at the hidden form. This was lovely, every bit of it. He'd have to see if Hege would ever be willing to do this again sometime.

“Make yourself at home, dear friend,” Ogrim sighed, a blissful smile on his face. “Are you alright? How is it in there? Comfortable, I hope.”

Hegemol shuddered a bit as the wall retracted. Sitting up, he looked around, not that he could see anything, exactly. His antennae waved about in the darkness. It smelled.. odd. He wouldn’t call it gross—as a maggot, he’d be hard-pressed to find much of anything disgusting—but it was certainly new. Not impossible to get used to though, given enough time. He reached out to touch the enclosing flesh. Damp. Slippery. Dragging his hand along it, he felt out the space around him. There wasn’t much. The walls kept closing in on him, rubbing against him, kneading him. He wasn’t food. There was no acid, he- he wasn’t food, it was just- the organ was investigating its new occupant, that’s all. Breathe, Hegemol. He was fine. …He’d be fine.

“..Hegemol?”

Slowly, he turned around to face the front, resting his forehead against where Ogrim’s claw was with a sigh. “I-I’m alright, yes.” He was safe, he knew. No stinging, burning, or tingling, and he was certain he’d notice a lot faster than most other bugs if there was. As for comfort… He moved a hand to rub back at the beetle’s innards. It was.. soft, yes, and warm. That was to be expected. Arthropods’ interiors tended to have far less defense than their exteriors. And there was plenty of padding to hold in heat. The walls were slick, but covered in thick fluid that clung to anything it touched. It… he couldn’t say it was unpleasant, really, not when he knew it couldn’t hurt him. Perhaps if he viewed it as a warm bath..?

“I-it will take some g-getting used to, I think, but it- it should d-do nicely.” After all, it did provide the one thing he wanted. The outside world was entirely blocked out, hidden behind layers of muscle and one of the toughest sets of armor in Hallownest. There was nothing sharp or cold or hard, deep in the dung beetle’s gut. Nothing to possibly hurt him but for the acids that could threaten to escape the walls, kept inert by Ogrim’s sheer force of will and care for his wellbeing. He knew the larger knight was experienced in this, and that his will was strong. He could trust him with his life. He was safe.

The tinkerer did one more loop of the space, trying not to shudder as the surrounding muscles brushed against his side, then settled right in the center, lying down in the pit of the stomach. He shuffled his limbs a bit, adjusting his position to root himself more firmly amongst the ever-moving tissues. At least he could be somewhat stable. The organ still kneaded and pressed at him curiously, not quite knowing what to do with him. The front wall, especially. He shut his eyes tight and tilted his head down as something rubbed at him from the outside. Ogrim’s claw, right. Rightrightright. His friend was merely checking in on him. He leaned into the show of concern, just a bit. Just to confirm that he was doing well. He appreciated knowing that the scarab wouldn’t forget about him so easily.

Ogrim rubbed his stomach, satisfied. The little engineer really hit the spot. He flushed slightly; he shouldn’t be thinking of his comrade that way. He was so delectable though, and so filling-! His breath hitched as Hegemol nuzzled(??) back at him. That’s what it felt like, anyway. He quietly chuckled at the abrupt show of affection. Always full of surprises, that bug. Though perhaps this shouldn’t have been quite so unexpected. Hegemol was plenty tactile with his fellow knights when safely concealed in his armor, after all. Maybe this was a sign that the method was working? Was the maggot feeling more confident, thanks to the experience? Thanks to him? Oh, he hoped so. He so adored being able to successfully assist others with their needs and problems, particularly those he cared for. It always left him with a sense of fulfillment.

“It’s time for me to go back to my patrol now, but you try and get some sleep, alright? I’ll wake you if there’s any news regarding your armor, or if the King requests your presence, but otherwise, you should remain undisturbed. Just let me know when you want out, or if you need anything else, and I’ll be happy to oblige.” Somewhere under the layers of his body, he felt the up-and-down movement of a nod, as well as a small vibration from Hegemol’s hum of acknowledgement a moment later. With one more good pat, he stood and began towards the door of the workshop, trying to keep his steps smooth and steady for the tinkerer’s sake. It felt as though the smaller bug was already nestled right in. The occasional shudder or shiver came through, but those were starting to die down. Hopefully they would dissipate in full within the next few minutes as the maggot adjusted.

The White Defender paused as he reached the exit, one claw on the handle. He gazed fondly downward, towards where his brother in arms currently resided. Inside, Hegemol would hear one last reassurance as his sleepless nights caught up to him. “Rest well, friend,” came the hushed murmur, “I’ll be your armor for as long as you need.”

***********************************

And there we go! Thank you to everyone who stuck around during these. massive gaps between posts;; And again, a big thank you to Scketch!! This has been fun, I'd love to work with you again sometime. Or merhaps another friend who would like to collaborate?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also also! I have been granted permission to share these other sketches as well, from earlier in the writing/art planning process:

(That last one was a little what-if scenario of Hege getting unwillingly nommed and not really having a way to effectively struggle, eheheh) (it’s not like I have a fic outline where THAT would ever happen. ahaha. ha,,, ha)

Thanks for reading! Feedback (and reblogs) are greatly appreciated, and criticism is welcome, so long as it’s constructive/respectful. Asks are open.

—————

DNI NSFW blogs, blogs that post exclusively hard and/or fatal vore, weight gain blogs, mpreg blogs, proshippers, TERFs, ace exclusionists, etc.

[romirola]

W.I.P. as We Wait for AO3

I wasn’t planning on sharing anything this week from the Power Swap fic I’ve been working on recently, but AO3 is down, so I wanted to put out something as we all wait for its return and support the volunteers defending the site from a malicious attack. (Tagged by @ejunkiet today and @persephotea a few days ago. Thank you, friends!)

This in-progress fic has surpassed 60K and the end is coming soon, but I’ve still got more to write. Until then, please enjoy this snippet and others I’ve posted, which you can find here, here, here, here, here, and here, if you are interested. 

Open tag to all writers to share whatever you’ve got during AO3′s defense. Open tag to all readers to send authors asks about their works/writing/process/anything. No reason that our wait for AO3 has to be a silent one!

“Asher…” Babe quivered, realizing their fangs had dropped. Sam had told Babe that, as an experienced vampire, he had gained enough discipline and self-control. That meant that Babe didn’t have to worry about accidentally losing control, but he had also warned them that hunger wasn’t something a vampire could ignore forever. “I…” Babe wiped the back of their hand across their cheek. “I’m hungry.” 

Asher took their hand to sandwich it between his. “Okay, Babe,” he soothed. He had presumed this would happen; the beta just hadn’t known exactly when. Although it was a relief Babe didn’t have to contend with a newborn’s impulses, Asher knew just how traumatic a vampire’s first feeding could be. “Let’s wake up Sam.” He threw off the covers, ready to spring into action. 

“No!” Babe yanked Asher back to the bed, their vampire strength making it easy to keep Asher in bed. “No, I don’t… I can’t…”

“You can,” Asher answered firmly. “You can’t starve yourself, Babe. I know it’s hard, but it’ll be alright.

Babe shook their head. “The thought of the blood bag makes me want to vomit,” they admitted, utterly embarrassed. “And I don’t want to feed on some stranger. Sam said I’d know how to do it without hurting them, because it’s so ingrained, but I’m scared. And grossed out. And I just want to be back in my own body, with my own eyes, with my own puny little human strength and speed, and be normal!” 

Asher gathered them close, letting Babe tip their head into his scarred chest. “Shhh, it’s okay,” he repeated a few times, gently bringing his hand to their back. “Alright, Babe, I’m here. Here with you. It’s okay.” The sight of his mate crumbling and lamenting their vampiric hunger broke Asher’s heart in two. As much as he wanted to wave his hand and grant his mate’s wish to be human again, he simply didn’t have that capability. Asher didn’t want to force Babe into feeding from a bag or donor, but he knew that it was vital that they fed, lest they risk real illness, if their hunger didn’t eventually drive them insane so that they accidentally hurt someone. He held them tighter, trying to think about what he could do to ease their terrible burden.

It was like a horrific puzzle. Babe was a vampire, and they needed to consume blood. They didn’t want to consume blood via a bag. They didn’t want to drink from a stranger willing to consent to a live feeding. So how else could they consume the blood they needed? What other option was there? 

“You don’t want the bag or a stranger,” Asher repeated once Babe quieted. They reluctantly brought their face up out of his chest to stare into their mate’s face. “That’s fine. You don’t need either.” Asher yanked at the collar of his big, baby-blue T-Shirt to reveal his neck. “Feed on me.” 

[petals2fish]

Hello! I was thinking about you recently and realized your petalstofish account was gone, and I started to worry about you. Because that’s what I do. Maybe you said something about leaving your previous accounts and I missed it, that would be likely on my part. So I was thrilled when Dumbest Witch Alive showed up in my inbox and I found you here again! I hope you’re well!

Hi friend!! thank you so much for reaching out and for reading DWA!!!!I told @gryffindormischief last night that I genuinely threw up words onto paper and that’s the mess that came out lmao

Alsoooooo…I am so sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. I had mentioned only a couple of times that I was dealing with some health issues, but I never went into full detail, so I’m sure it looked odd when I just disappeared. 2023 was really hard year, and I stepped away from all social media except for my instagram for quite some time…but I’m really really excited to be back here and feeling more like Petals again. I missed everyone, and even in the year or so away, I knew eventually I would come back. I just didn’t want anyone to worry if I told them what was going on, so I figured a cold cut was easiest ♥️

Short story:

I was very ill, but I’m feeling SO much better!

Long Story:

Essentially, I had just moved back to Florida after being gone for four years in Arizona. When my old doctor in Florida saw me, they decided that the plaquinil treatments that I have been taking for my chronic illness for the last few years in Arizona had not been working. They decided to put me on this drug called methotrexate. It was chemotherapy in pill form, low dose, and it’s commonly used for people who have rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. My genetics love me so I have both RA and Lupus. So they thought it was a perfect match for me. It’s rare for people to have a super bad reaction to it, usually just fatigue and hair loss, but of course I managed to have like the worst reaction of all.

Due to multiple side effects, I ended up bed bound within a few days of starting my daily doses. During this time I could barely sit up and eat a meal. My mental health was plummeting anytime I allowed myself to have my phone in bed. I knew I had to do something else, before I totally crashed off the deep end. I would go on and see all my friends at Taylor’s era tour, and I’d had to sell my tickets. I was missing birthdays, movies, long planned trips with friends. I was SO lost in a way I can’t even begin to describe.

Even though my wonderful parents moved me in with them and got me a second opinion, by the time the new doctor got me off of the methotrexate and onto a new drug, it took another few months for my body to complete expel it from my system. So I was down for the count from March to October.

Thankfully, I’m feeling SOOO much better now and have a wonderful doctor who listens to me and never tells me my feelings aren’t valid. Once I had a better grasp mentally and physically, and I felt okay enough to start writing and reading and reviewing again, I decided to return to social media. Im actually super excited because I start physical therapy this week, which is a huge step, and I no longer need to use FMLA every week at work. Yay!

ALSOOOO not wholly related but some bot stole PetalsToFish SO HERE I AM WITH A NEW NAME. THANKS BOTS🤪

Xoxo

If u read all the way thru this I owe you an ice cream sundae