#my soul feels elevated i adore music

[dangermousie]

Ok, 13 eps in and it’s official - Lost You Forever is this year’s Love Between Fairy and Devil for me, and not just because I am unreasonably obsessed or because I love the design or because it features a protagonist horribly hurt by life and a love interest who gets to them by pure sunshine goodness.

No, it’s because they both are summer dramas that I mocked before they aired and whose cast gave me hives and then I had to eat crow dinner with crow coffee and crow dessert.

I thought the concept of LBFAD (demon king and fairy girl occasionally swap bodies) was risible. I thought anyone who cast Dylan Wang in anything, let alone as a terrifying demon lord, needed to have their head checked. I’ve seen that man in a number of dramas and he can’t act, thought I. Oh, and that trailer was simply awful. This is going to be a great terrible flop and I am gonna enjoy hate watching and mocking it, also thought I. I checked it out solely out of sheer morbid curiosity and I was a gone five minutes in. It ended up my favorite drama of 2022, made it into my top 10 cdramas of all time in fact, and if anyone said Dylan did anything but an amazing job in LBFAD, I’d fight them in the parking lot. Man tore my heart out.

Now comes 2023 and here is another anticipated summer drama, Lost You Forever. If you assume I learned anything from the LBFAD scenario, you would be wrong. (In my defense, in the overwhelming bulk of cases when I hate the concept, trailer and cast, I do not end up adoring the final product.) Nobody could explain the plot to me coherently (not their fault in retrospect, I can’t even explain it myself as it’s more character study than anything.) The concept screams reverse harem, something I am primed to enjoy about as much as I was primed to enjoy LBFAD body swap between female fairy and demon king or perhaps a toothache. The cast - yikes think I. The last Yang Zi drama and performance I enjoyed was the Battle of Changsha. A drama that is a bona fide masterpiece and in which she performed amazingly but was released in 2013, a whole decade ago. Ever since then she’s proceeded to play a range of cheery dimwits who only a mother could love, and only a mother in possession of earplugs and perhaps a gag at that. And to me she started sleepwalking through those roles to boot. Watching her and her dramas became the definition of elevator music. And her leading men here? Ooof! The guy who plays the cousin I’ve never seen in anything. Tan Jianci is good in the right role but I did not think that was going to be a good role and then we get Court Lady Tan Jianci which - shudder. And Deng Wei? Yikes! I’ve seen him in a bunch of dramas and he was the walking incarnation of color beige. And that trailer was a giant huh.

And now here we are. The story is exquisite and I feel so deeply for everyone in it (now, in case of cousin the feeling is the desire to barbecue him but still.) The acting is uniformly good and so is the story. And Yang Zi does not play a cheerful dimwit but a haunted old soul and she does it so well my heart breaks for her and I am so invested in her it becomes ridiculous as I feel her slightest joy or disappointment so intensely. And oh Deng Wei is my other revelation. If someone told me I’d be swooning over a character played by him I would have told them to sleep off all the booze they must have just consumed. But guuh, his 17 just might end up being my favorite male character in 2023 cdramas and I feel for him so deeply and remain amazed how he makes goodness layered and not boring or cloying at all.

That crow feast is sooo delicious!

Am I gonna learn? Hell no! Provided we are not all murdered by a giant asteroid, come back to this space in 2024 to see what other drama that I was prepared to hate I am now obsessing about.

[orb-pond]

Zenyatta's s/o scenarios from yours truly :)

Walking through a busy city with Zen would end up with s/o holding on to the rope around his waist so they don't lose him. Zenyatta makes as much noise as a ghost when he's flying around, which means it's very easy for him to accidentally fly away from you! It looks pretty adorable if you'd watch from afar and it probably amuses Zen a lot once he notices but he won't comment on it until he just chooses to gently grab your hand.

Zenyatta would often stay at s/o's room to meditate when the others are too loud outside. He's very grateful for the bond they share to the point of being comfortable with powering down in s/o's presence. It might not seem like much but only a hand full of people have seen him in sleep mode before.

Relationships are pretty new to Zenyatta, especially since s/o is a human, which also means he doesn't really know how to kiss them. I love to think about s/o quickly giving his faceplate a smooch before continuing whatever they were doing, leaving Zen in silent shock for half a minute but Zenyatta being the first one to lean down and gently press his face on s/o's while they watch the sunset.. he holds them against his body, orange light glistening on both their faces. Zen would never be able to forget s/o's shining eyes as they stare up at him with a red face. It's probably a moment that ends up as a core memory for him.

Zen loves cuddling. You can't tell me he wouldn't love cuddles. It probably ends up as something he didn't know he needed in his life but here we are. He's been through a lot in the past and still has much facing him, so s/o quietly embracing him and gently patting his head as the two of them cuddle on s/o's bed..might make him a little emotional. Two souls, human and omnic, being at peace with each other the way they are. It makes him hopefully for the future.

Zenyatta isn't build as big as other omnics which he's very thankful for to some degree since he loves to wear some of s/o's clothes. Their very fluffy sheep wool house shoes? s/o definitely knows where they are if they can't find them at the place they last have left them at. The gray sweatpants? Gone as well.. Their white hoodie?! They can't get mad at Zenyatta though because he looks extremely adorable in the whole fit. Comfy rain days scream for comfy clothes so they end up joining him!

Zen making his way to the store to get s/o menstruation products if they need them would be a little funny. He'd stand in front of the wall filled with all those colorful products, your typical elevator music quietly playing in the store while the gears in Zenyatta's head are spinning.. someone please help him out.. he'd end up calling s/o but at least he tried!

Feel free to give me scenarios to ramble about in my asks! I'd love to make up more for Zen and Ram so don't be afraid!

[soullessjack]

need to know your jack autism headcanons (:

OOOOHHHHH IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS IVE BEEN WAIITYJNNGGG OKAY!!!!! I will preface this by saying a lot of it is 100% projection from myself and how my personal machinery operated

︎✩ his sensory issues have just as much an effect on his powers as his emotional state, if not more since they’re constant and subconscious and practically elevated by his archangelic DNA. if something is the wrong temperature or the wrong level of severity or he touches something with a bad texture he either makes the bunker’s wiring fritz or causes cracks to go up glass objects. and since there aren’t many noise cancelling headphones that can tune out the celestial frequency of angel radio (the one thats canonically said to make his brain feel “like it’s been set on fire”), he’s decided to study celestial frequencies with Cas’ help to make one himself :)

︎✩ despite being very strongly emotional to an overwhelming unbearable extent, Jack also has a tendency to have bouts of severe low empathy/alexythimia, probably made worse by his soulless state and the “newness” of his current soul. whenever he gets like this he boards up in the room and hangs a “DONT DEAD OPEN INSIDE” TWD poster outside his room door just to be safe. while he’s isolating he mostly reads or listens to music to take his mind off of it

︎✩ this isn’t really a headcanon more so than an observation of canon, but he has one of the worst cases of rejection sensitive dysphoria I’ve ever seen. viewing every mistake and screwup as a reflection of some inherent evil within him, refusing comfort or acceptance of his own flaws, going into total shutdowns and meltdowns when he’s upset and overloaded with a sense of guilt and perceived disappointment. also, this particular scene in JITB —

— tracks right after he feels both betrayed and rejected by the Winchesters. a literal warping of his appearance rooted in the pain of rejection and internal guilt for why we [think we] might be rejected.

︎✩ this is another observation of canon but Jack stims!!!!!!!! mostly when he’s anxious, but he’ll pace around, clasp his hands, pick at his palm (13x23/14x18) and fidget with/adjust his clothes (14x14/14x17). I actually think these are natural habits of Alex that he decided to put into Jack on purpose and I adore it so much.

︎✩ he’s hypo-sensitive to certain things, like physical pain or loud sounds (all canon traits attributed to being half archangel but the coding is still there), and has a weak sense of danger that often comes across as courage and leads to making impulsive decisions.

︎✩ one of his most specific oral fixations is jamming his fingernails and toothpicks between his tooth gap (self projection), and he loves crunchy textured foods the most (also self projection)

︎✩ claire tried to paint his fingernails once at Jody’s house but the cold was too initially shocking and he accidentally blew a lamp up, so Dean doesn’t allow makeup nights unless they’re in the bunker

I think that’s all I have for now but TYSM!!!!!!

[doubleappled]

About the blogger meme

Thank you to @bioloyg for the tag and the fic callout! Team Pete forever and for always!

Star Sign: Libra, but it never resonates the way my enneagram 2 does

Favorite Holidays: Groundhog Day. I love those little dudes (although I wish we could leave them in peace so maybe let’s just celebrate their existence and not force our way into their homes)

Last Meal: Enchiladas for dinner

Last Music Listened To: Waxahatche’s Great Thunder

Last Movie Watched: hmmmm in the theater? I think Bottoms, which I adored

Last TV Show Watched: Shameless. I’m in the beginning of season 9 and it is messing me up in 5000 different ways. The acting is great (sometimes) and the writing is awful (mostly) and the storylines are ridiculous (always) and it’s at least 5 or 6 seasons too long. But every once in a while it really makes you think, and it’s completely gotten under my skin. And I will finish it if it’s the last thing I ever do. And it might be, because wow.

Last Book/Fic Finished: I just finished Justin Torres’ Blackouts and I LOVED it. And the most recent chapter of @glitterslag’s It's Been You and Me Since Before I Was Me — is a witchy creepy Appalachian Gothic MASTERPIECE that I adore. Oh and Blissymbolics’ Colorless Richie Jerimovich, also a masterpiece even though it is sydrichie and that is giving me a teeny tiny identity crisis okay moving on

Last Book/Fic Abandoned: I am thisclose to giving up on Lessons In Chemistry. I do not get this book at all.

Currently Reading: nobody ever got my soul right like she could by seh28

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation: Quite a bit about what happens to children of people wirh narcissistic personality disorder (hi Donna, yes I am armchair psychologizing and pathologizing a fictional character) for the fic I’m currently writing. I’m not a really intense researcher, but I’ve read all about elevator mechanics and ancient marriage rites and British parking tickets and EMP’s 2019 spring menu and how to cook uni and where pastina comes from, all for fics. I love that aspect of writing.

Favorite Online Fandom Memory: It’s embarrassing, but it’s probably the first time that one of my favorite fic authors commented on one of my own fics, ca. 2018. I was on the subway, and I dropped my phone on the disgusting wet floor when I saw the incredibly lovely comment they’d posted.

FaNvorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence: I really only have two old fandoms, but I do miss HP quite a bit. It’s such a robust space, with really nice people, and so many different fests and prompts and challenges. I still read a bit when my favorite authors post, and would like to write for it again someday. (Also, if you’re the anon who’s messaged me multiple times to tell me that my new fics aren’t as good or creative as my HP, and that I “used to be a good writer” — please stop. That’s not the way to convince me to go back, and it makes me feel bad)

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did: Truly I’ve never experienced a hyperfixation like I have with The Bear. I wish fanfic had existed in its current state when I was younger, or that I’d been cool enough to figure out the concept and write it on my own. I would have been VERY ACTIVE in a Dead Poets Society fandom if it had existed when I was obsessed with that movie, a decade after it came out, when I watched it practically every day for a year 🤪

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For: I just have 15 different Bear WIPs, none of which have any plot, wooo!

Anyway this was all very fun to think about. Tagging @amieraisposting @kdbleu @justabovewater20 @yannaryartside @glitterslag — only if this is your jam — and anyone else who wants to join in.

[bluegekk0]

Favourite Hollow Knight OST?

hm i feel like i answered an ask like this some time ago. but since it must have been a while since then and my faves change frequently, i'll give it another go

i don't have a single favorite track, the ost is too full of incredible music for me to pick just one. but i have some that i prefer over others

first, as you likely already predicted, there's the grimm troupe theme. i'll also count the nightmare king theme cause i feel like they go incredibly well together when you play them one after another. the slightly metal vibe to the grimm troupe track is amazing and i wish that specific part of the theme played more during the actual boss fight. also, an ominous choir? i'm a slut for ominous choirs, so it's an instant classic in my eyes

and going off the last part, there's the soul sanctum theme, specifically the moment where the soul master fight begins. such an amazing transition and build up to an already incredibly atmospheric track. love it, if it wasn't for the annoying enemies, the music alone would probably make soul sanctum one of my favorite locations in the game

of course, there's the white palace theme, with pale court as the more intense version, which i also adore. you know how i feel about pk, he is my babygirl, and he got hands down the most emotionally driven theme in the whole game. both of those tracks are beautiful and i often listen to them if i need to relax. as a little side note, i have a very vivid memory of listening to the white palace ost during my walk to the uni as it was snowing, and it created such a striking atmosphere that i can't get out of my head. so for that reason, it reminds me of snowy weather, which makes it even better in my eyes cause i love snow

i could talk about many other themes here, hornet's theme and sealed vessel are definitely ones worth mentioning, but i fear that i'd be here all day and that i'd end up bringing up every single track. so to finish things, i wanted to mention one that i think is a little underrated. the mantis village part of the fungal wastes music. the base theme is good, not my favorites but it's nice. something about the baroque vibe of the mantis village half of the track really elevates it for me though. i absolutely love it and i kinda wish it was a separate track on the ost

but yeah, that's all my faves i think. there's so many incredible tracks that it's difficult to pick, and if you ask me another day, i may give a different answer. but hey, that just means that christopher larkin really knocked it out of the park. not a single miss on the whole ost

[tessmontyart]

🎉🎉COCO MOON DAY! 🎉🎉

To celebrate I made some owl cupcakes 😁 Those who remember my rockcandypassion days will be familiar ;) (just like my old profile pic! Nostalgia)

We listened to the album for the first time while munching on these, and I wrote down my thoughts while I was listening 💕 so here we go! (I’m no writer so bear with me lol!)

Adam, Check Please

When this first came out, I absolutely adored it. I couldn’t get over all the different layers it has, and it uses all my favourite classic Owl City synths and orchestral sounds. At first I wasn’t keen on the lyrics, but it’s definitely grown on me!

It’s reminiscent of Fiji Water, in the similar story-time style about a moment in Adams life that, even though it was kinda strange, he’s forever grateful for the experience.

I love that crazy sound effect that happens after he says “feeling kinda small” xD It doesn’t happen again. What is it?

The “Adam check please” “help is on the way” layered vocal section is really soothing and gives my brain a lot of happy chemicals.

Such creative little rhythmic embellishments, and orchestral elements peppered throughout which elevate the song to new heights.

The funky guitar strumming during the chorus is just so catchy, I love it. And that synth solo!!! It gives me life.

It’s turns from a storytime song to a very inspiring and uplifting song towards the end; “Put in the work until your signature becomes an autograph” is such a good line!

And yes please, absolutely adore when a song ends with an outro of layered Adam vocals, like Can’t Live Without You 💕

Under the Circus Lights

Wait - from the land down under!? 😮That’s me! 🐨

I’m reminded of of Super Honeymoon, the way he’s captivated by this girl - and in turn I'm absolutely captivated by this song!

The classic Owl City lyric style that I've missed so much … very Of June / Maybe I'm Dreaming / Sky Sailing-esque style storytelling. I’m absolutely head over heels in love with this song already. Instant favourite for sure!!

I love the time signature change to a 3/4 swing, similar to Plant Life ❤️

“That girl was raised by a butterfly” what an adorable line 💖

It really does remind me of an alternate Super Honeymoon with hints of Ultraviolet and Cinematic sounds 😮

The part with the applause and Adam yelling “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most spectacular show on earth!!" Hoo boy I cannot WAIT to hear this live!!!

This song is taking my breath away, it’s simply absolutely everything I love about Owl City, but still brand new with new twists and sounds.

Adams falsetto is absolutely heavenly!!

Such a wonderful outro of Owl City-esque circus music and sound effects, you feel like you're there 💖

Kelly Time:

I was very intrigued when this came out, it's such a treat to listen to and I was incredibly curious to know what the lyrics were about because it was so oddly specific. Turns out it's from the perspective of a beach volleyball from the movie Castaway! 🏐🏝 I need to watch that now for context! xD

The storytelling style continues, and definitely seems to be a theme for this album. I'm here for it, I've missed it so much.

Every time he yells “I’m sorry”, I feel it with every fibre of my being.

I really love the length of this song as well. I appreciate being able to “live” in songs a little longer.

The Adam Young Scores-esque orchestral embellishments add so much to it as well, it's one of my favourite features to 'modern' Owl City :)

More classic Owl City Dadadas as well as Doodoodoos :D

I feel the 2nd “I'm SOOOORRY” with my whole soul

I can't think of many Owl City songs that use a lot of acoustic guitar, so the combination of acoustic guitar with all the cute synths and piano is absolutely perfect!

Field Notes

The orchestral elements are very reminiscent of All Things Bright and Beautiful.

That dang dog :P

I love the way he says lickety split, such a fun phrase to say hehe :D Again, adoring the storytelling theme of this whole album.

The chords are so unique here! And the gorgeous plucked strings aid the excitement and push the story forward. Then all these beautiful shimmers and sparkles combined with the violins and piano is heavenly to hear .. ahhhhh ✨✨✨

“Theres a couple of things worth more precious than gold, one is your heart and one is your soul” What a beautiful line 💖

I thought it ended, now it’s getting more exciting! :0

Goodness gracious this man !!NEEDS!! to score a movie, this is incredible, I can see everything unfolding in my head!

And a synth solo accompanied by an orchestra, what a perfect combination!

Sons of Thunder

The reverse synths combined with the sparkly synths are absolutely beautiful and tickling my brain 💖

These lyrics convey such rich imagery! And I really like the line “We’ll be the odd music makers”

Oh! Suddenly it's rock time!! This is so powerful, I'm loving it. 🎸

"We'll flyyyyy" sounds similar to “I'm soooorry” in Kelly Time, this must be a Coco Moon recurring motif :D

Is that Abbey singing!? :D :D

This song sounds like all of Owl City's eras mixed into one, it's spectacular! ✨ Particularly Bird with a Broken Wing 🎶

I'm having a religious experience listening to this, despite not being religious, that's just how powerful and uplifting this song is! 😅

The Tornado

Beautiful piano accompanying Adam's lovely soft voice is always a lovely way to start a song 💖 His soft singing gives me life.

“The sky turned like a cauldron” - what a cool line! And the thunder sound effects really set the mood.

The tornado starts and sounds exactly as intense and horrifying as one would if it was a song! His orchestral skills are absolutely mind-blowing, It’s genuinely scary and thrilling to listen to, I have goosebumps allover!

Wow .. I've never heard Adam yell that hard, and the distortion adds to the terror he's experiencing. I'm genuinely scared for him and honestly hoping it's just a story and not based on a real experience ... 😰

Kelly time vibes again around 3:50, the synth sounding like “I'm soooorry” - a recurring motif, a thread that links Coco Moon songs 💕

A very well crafted, beautiful, philosophical and thought-provoking song. It's powerful and genuinely terrifying, but the lyrics still uplift as you are grateful for being alive. The outro becomes so optimistic with sweet and happy synths, but still ends with a loud terrifying BANG 😰

Vitamin Sea

This is the first of the new songs I've already learned most of the lyrics to xD it's just so silly and catchy, I love it! The music video of him playing around in the snow just makes it even more fun 😄 I hope he has more music videos up his sleeve!

Who is Nancy anyway? xD

The heavy guitar in the chorus rocks, and it's honestly hard not to headbang and sing along with Abbey and Adam 💖

The synths mixed with the marimba give a cute tropical vibe that elevates the beachy Hawaiian vibes 🏖

No classic dadadas, but an adorable dododoo ooh ooh 💕

All these songs are gonna have the most epic synth solo aren't they *aggressive head-banging* 🎶🎶🎶

Definitely the catchiest so far, my favourite part is “And I think I'm gonna stay forever” - each syllable so quick and perfectly synched with the music and so satisfying to hear and sing along to.

Wait there ARE Dadadadadadadadas! YES!!! 💕 💕 💕

Dinosaur Park

Both my partner and I are really looking forward to this one, he's studying to become a Palaeontologist, volunteers at a museum and works with fossils, and we both just love Dinosaurs in general 💖

It starts off beautifully, the cricket sound effects and soft instruments setting the atmosphere of a sparkling starry night. Very nice lo-fi beats.

When he says "starry night", you can see it clearly with the gorgeous twinkling sounds that all work together to make it sound like you're under the moonlight.

Orchestral Wolf Bite melody :D

Magical dinosaurs ... is definitely my jam. What an adorable concept. Very evocative of childhood wonder for dinosaurs ✨

The little orchestral break using a cricket's chirp as a beat? Genius. 💕

Such a long beautiful song!! 6 minutes, what a gift. I am loving everything about it. This is definitely a fav too! 💖

“What do dinosaurs talk about when they're alone?” 💖 So cute!!! I think they talk about how great leaves are :P

Such a beautiful magical song. I feel like I'm listening to a classic Owl City song yet there's so many brand new sounds at the same time.

I love all the different sections! Rather than just Verse Chorus Verse Chorus, It's more like: Intro, Verse, Bridge, Chorus, Verse, Bridge, Chorus A, Break, Chorus B, New bridge + build up, Chorus A, another new build up, Chorus B, Outro 😮 (forgive me if my terminology isn't completely correct 😅)

Such an interesting and fresh structure for Owl City!

My partner: Our future Owl City roadtrip just got longer 😄

Learn How To Surf

The opening chords and record scratching gives it such nostalgic 90's vibes, I love it already!! 😎

Adam's love for blondes strikes again 😜 I already want to draw this girl with quirky tattoos!

This is so fun and really reminds me of the Live it Up and Clap Your Hands Owl City era of the mid 2010's.

THE KING OF SYNTH STRIKES AGAIN 🎹🎵

This is so catchy, definitely another favourite!

The shortest song on the album at 3:40 mins (the rest are over 5 mins!) while still being incredibly fulfilling and awesome.

I'm absolutely loving how the synth is almost saxophone-like and distorted to make it sound even more epic than a normal synth 🎷

I actually loved this song way more than I expected to! 💖 I had heard a snippet of the chorus before and thought it was literally an instructional song on how to surf lol, but in context it's actually SO GOOD 💕

The Meadow Lark

This Isn’t The End vibes straight away ... also the same melody as Country Hymn! 😮

The oohs are really gorgeous 💕 I like the imagery of this lovely Meadow Lark singing between the two soldiers.

It sounds like a Mobile Orchestra song in the new Owl City Era 😮

Unfortunately I'm not too into the lyrics, but the music is still really beautiful.

I love how even though the chord progression stays the same and keeps repeating, the instruments that play those chords keep changing as the piece goes on.

The bird sound effects really elevate the song as well.

Unfortunately I'm not religious or comfortable with war, so this one didn't grab me much lyrically, but I'm sure it is beautiful and moving for my religious friends, so I'm keen to hear their thoughts on this one 💖

My Muse

Ahhh precious boy singing about Abbey again 💕 I love that we get to hear more about that fateful day, and more little tidbits - I love their relationship and I'm relieved they’re still together. I wasn’t sure for a while!

Oh

My GOD

They did marry!!! AAahhh 💖

As soon as I heard “The Altar” I seriously just looked at my partner all “!!!!!!!!!!!” Then started sobbing happy tears 😭

Hearing him describe everything he loves about Abbey is absolutely beautiful and heartwarming. Definitely need tissues for this song!

The accompanying music is fairly simple so you can just focus on the absolutely gorgeous lyrics. Usually Adam's vocal + piano songs are quite sad like Silhouette and Lonely Lullaby, this one is the total opposite emotion 😭💖

Such a beautiful contrast to Lonely Lullaby.

I have never cried over a song before. I’m speechless and sobbing, and can't even think of more words. That was absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with us, Adam! 😭

🎉🎉FINAL THOUGHTS 🎉🎉

So overall, the production quality is absolutely mind-blowing, the best he’s ever done by a landslide! I love the storytelling style of lyrics, that has always been my favourite part of Owl City. 💖 There's a lot of whimsical songs, catchy songs, powerful and beautiful songs. There's something for everyone! The religious songs are very powerful and gorgeous without making non-religious listeners feeling left out.

I'm so pleased with how long each song is, most being over 5 minutes and having so many different sections to them, rather than just verse chorus verse chorus. Each song is a highly meticulously crafted work of art. So much richness and variety and passion is packed into each and every song, and you can tell each one would have taken months to perfect.

I just wish there were more tracks 😭 Even though they are longer than the average track, I still felt that “oh, we’re on the last song already?” feeling at the end. I think it needed 2 more songs at the very least, or even 4 to bring it up to 15. But I digress.

Overall, absolutely amazing album, I think it may be my favourite, or a very very VERY close second. I will need to listen to it more to fully decide whether it beats All Things Bright and Beautiful or not, but it comes pretty damn close!

I'm honestly so happy, over the moon for this amazing gift Adam has worked so hard to create for us all. This is peak Owl City, there’s something for fans of all his different eras, with unique new fresh sounds, structures and concepts. I could hear a lot of Cinematic, All Things Bright And Beautiful and Ultraviolet, even some Of June sprinkled in, but it definitely has it's own unique flavour too, a sort of theatrical breathtaking storybook universe of wonder and beauty. 💖

Favourite tracks: Under the Circus Lights, Dinosaur Park, Learn to Surf and My Muse 💕

[claudia-kin]

Thoughts on The Vampire Lestat (1985)

I finished reading TVL last night (directly after the season finale), so I thought at the end of each VC book I’ll post a little list of my thoughts and feelings. This is mostly to try and structure my own understanding of the text, but if anyone is interested in reading and contributing to my ramblings, please do! (Warning: long post!)

Characters, Plot, Themes, Philosophies

Lestat is equal parts fascinating and frustrating, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. I loved seeing how his existential crisis as a mortal transmuted into his aesthete philosophy as an immortal. He loves humanity, both before and after becoming a vampire, and art (music and performance especially) is his reason for existing. He doesn’t believe his purpose as an immortal is to be reticent from humanity, but to embrace it from a new perspective - as an elevated member of society. He loves being a predator, but he also want to be loved despite being a predator. But he is narcissistic, hard headed, and quite childlike in his behaviours. He takes some personal responsibility for his mistakes, but that doesn’t prevent him from making many, many more. He is charming and absurd, immortals are drawn to him and abandon him in equal measure, and he embraces the absurdity of his existence with theatre and fits of maniacal laughter. He is the vampire for the modern age!

Gabrielle, for me, was the most fascinating and enigmatic character of the book. In a story that is (imo) sometimes unbearable male dominated, I loved seeing how Gabrielle embraced the dark gift in a completely different way to her son, and her lust for freedom upon becoming a vampire reflects the maddening restrictions of women in the 18th century (privileged as she was compared to many). Lestat upholds beauty above many other things, but for Gabrielle, beauty and femininity are of little consequence. The shackles of her corseted clothes and long hair as a mortal serve her no purpose as a vampire. As a vampire she doesn't have to exist as a woman, even if she is perceived as one. She can exist as an entirely autonomous entity - not only within the role of mother, wife etc. She wears loose clothes, cuts her hair (in vain) and sleeps in the dirt. She wants to travel to remote jungles and fight beasts. Her bond with Lestat is strong (creepily so- the open mouthed kiss/ blood exchanges were...interesting), but she does not diminish herself to make him happy.

Nicolas is an interesting character. A brilliantly talented and troubled man who should never have become a vampire. Unlike Lestat's existential crisis which was quelled by the dark gift, Nicki's cynicism is amplified with immortality. Where Lestat embraces absurdity, Nicki descends into nihilistic despair. I felt for him. The breakdown of his and Lestat's relationship was depressing, but I loved the way AR used them as foils to each other.

Armand. I adore Armand. Like Claudia, he is another soul trapped in the crypt of eternal childhood. He is incapable of existing alone, as he was a slave in life and cult member/leader in immortality, and rigid belief systems and master/slave dynamics are the structures in which he knows how to exist as a vampire. He is detached, but simultaneously needy. He covets Lestat's love once Lestat disbands The Children of Darkness, and he does not take kindly to the rejection. He is probably the most ruthless and amoral vampire in the book, and like Claudia preceding him, there is something about the eternal child that festers into rage and cruelty in immortality.

Those Who Must Be Kept. The reveal of Akasha and Enkil in their statue-like state was terrifying. I'm so excited for Queen of the Damned!!!!

Both the beginning and end of the novel reads like fanfiction, not necessarily a bad thing, but there is something funny about all of the main characters reuniting at Lestat's concert and having to fend off angry leather clad vamps. I think I definitely enjoy the historical parts of the narrative more than the contemporary storyline, but I'm readying myself to embrace the camp.

I do love Louis' return at the end. Lestat loves him so much. He even tells him he's dressed like shit.

I have more thoughts on Marius and Akasha but I might save those for the next book!

Regarding the show- I really, really hope they incorporate some of TVL into the next season. Overall it was a fabulous read and I'd love to see Sam Reid play Lestat in his early years as an immortal!

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

Cashton + Muke Masterlist

Boys Only Want Love If It’s Torture (ao3) - aalexandravictoriaa M, 57k 

Summary: Luke and Michael meet at college and getting to know Michael is the best and worst thing Luke has ever done

Ease (ao3) - Grace_Williams G, 138k

Summary: In a world where everyone was a dominant or a submissive and everyone had an assigned soulmate, Ashton was remarkably unsure of himself. Nothing is going as he planned and his soulmate, Calum, is, to put it simply, not who he expected.

Michael is Calum's best friend and an all round terrible example when it comes to navigating relationships.

Calum's assistant Maggie, along with her soulmate Carla, seem to be the only ones who do understand how a relationship is supposed to work.

Are they the only people can put those around them at ease?

Endlessly (ao3) - thesoulsailor E, 27k

Summary: “I know who he is.” The boy, Ashton, commented, closing his book. Not sparing Calum a single look, he hopped off his chair and started walking towards the back door of the room. His movements were rigid, tense as if Calum had offended him personally by just his presence. Which confused Calum more than it should’ve if he was being honest. Normally people were easy for Calum. He got along with almost everyone he met from the go. Not so Ashton. Ashton seemed to detest him and Calum had no idea why.

or Calum is the undisputed king of his high school, Ashton speaks through colours, Luke doesn’t let anybody touch him and Michael is so getting killed by for hiding that snake in their teacher’s drawer.

Feels like Coming Home (ao3) - ismaki T, 56k

Summary: All Calum wants is to finish school and get away from his small town. He works hard to seem happy, to be respected and popular at school, to be diffrent, something more. To be someone. All Ashton wants is to get noticed by the boy with the easy smile but guarded eyes. All Michael wants is to escape, to take another hit, another drink, use another body. To feel something. And Luke? Luke just wants everyone to be happy.

How He Moves (ao3) - thesoulsailor E, 30k

Summary: Luke lives for the ballet, Michael lives for the moment, Ashton is a dance prodigy and Calum will do pretty much anything to win his boyfriend back.

I’m not sick | Muke oneshot (ao3) - orphan_account N/R, 4k

Summary: 5SOS have worldwide tour. One day Luke got sick and doesn’t wanna admit it. And Michael is the one who have to deal with Luke.

I'm the Ideal, just a little out of it. (ao3) - outlawofideal M, 10k

Summary: Or the one Luke moved to L.A to make it big in music and his way crosses with the famous hard rock-punk band Outlaw of Ideal's guitarist Michael Clifford. The man he adored ever since.

i want you (bless my soul) (ao3) - jbhmalum E, 21k

Summary: Thankfully the elevator comes to a stop before Ashton can combust from the blood flowing through his body or say something else awfully embarrassing like “hi, I’m Ashton and I like tall attractive men and it’s hard finding them when you’re already a giant but you’re actually tall and I can’t stop looking at you and you just winked at me and hi, would you marry me and pin me against the wall?”.

- In which Ashton moves in with a guy named Michael, Michael is in love with Luke and annoyed at Calum, and the guy with shaved blue hair from the elevator is too hot for Ashton to know what to do about it.

Long Time, No See (ao3) - ConfusedPython T, 23k

Summary: Michael hears a song on the radio, catches a radio interview where 5 Seconds of Summer talks about their new single (Beside You). And the names and voices are familiar. Then someone knocks at the door and maybe Michael’s luck isn’t so bad after all.

Luke Hugged Him Back Just As Tightly And Heard Michael Whisper ‘Friends’. (ao3) - destiel_lemmings E, 28k

Summary: Luke knew that this was going to be weird. He new roommate/ex-kitten were now even more indulged in Luke’s mind. The only problem was that his roommate was not only attractive but he knew Luke like the back of his hand, and Luke had just met the boy.

Or this is a continuation of 'With A Meow And A Belly Rub Luke Knew He Was In Love With The Ball Of Fur.’ And Michael knows all of Luke’s quirks but Luke is just getting to know the cute boy that was once his kitten. This is the journey through their friendship and maybe even relationship?

Magnet Souls (ao3) - jbhmalum E, 42k

Summary: Ashton loves sex a whole lot, Calum hates the thought of it. They’re soulmates. Alternatively, a story about self-respect and compromise in the name of love.

never know what you’ve got until it’s gone - @sup3rbloom (haveufoundwhaturlookingfor) G, 10k

Summary: Ashton’s had the biggest crush on Calum Hood since forever. Luke knew this. He only had the best of intentions when he brought up Ashton’s crush to Calum. He never thought about Ashton potentially finding out.

No Chance (ao3) - iCheeseYou (EHkook) T, 72k

Summary: So Ashton's going on a road trip with his friend, Calum, and he invited me to tag along. Being the adventurous shit I am, I said yes, but I wouldn't have if I knew that Luke Hemmings was going as well. God, I hate that guy, and the feeling's mutual. Why does that annoying brat have to come along? And Ashton and Calum expect us to be friends? Yeah, right. There's no chance that Luke Hemmings and I, Michael Clifford, are ever going to get along.

space may be the final frontier but it's made in a hollywood basement (ao3) - kingscrossinseptember T, 6k

Summary: Of course they agreed to do it. When they’d been asked, they’d already signed several NDAs, so it wasn’t as though they could just pretend the whole interaction never happened. Plus, how badass would it be to fool the entire world into thinking people had landed on the moon?

or, 5 times Calum saw Ashton while faking the moonlanding, plus 1 time they met up without a government conspiracy ;)

Stargazing (ao3) - Zoe13 NR, 11k

Summary: Michael likes to look at the night sky after shows from the rooftops of hotels, but he’s not just enjoying the view. Sometimes he thinks about what it would be like to fly through the air for just a moment, soar with the stars and spread his wings. Of course, he wouldn’t actually fly, but he doesn’t think he’d mind that either. Anything to stop this feeling.

superlatives (ao3) - dazedlight (opinionoutpost) G, 2k

Summary: ’“We’re not even dating,” Calum says, exasperated, ignoring his friends as he raises his head once more and throws his hands in the air. “Shouldn’t the Best Couple actually be a couple?”’

Or, Calum and Ashton win the award for Best Couple in their school yearbook even though they are not, in fact, a couple.

through the mirror (ao3) - yourinternetkid N/R, 12k

Summary: In which Ashton is a normal guy with a cursed mirror and Calum just wants to hold his hand.

under the mistletoe - @sup3rbloom (haveufoundwhaturlookingfor) michael/luke, calum/ashton, sierra/crystal T, 4k

Summary: Michael needs a date to his work’s Christmas party. Luke offers to be his fake date. Michael should be thrilled about this, but Michael’s had a crush on Luke ever since they met each other. Now he has to fake date Luke for a party when his feelings aren’t fake at all.

wanna share? - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) T, 10k

Summary: Ashton supposes this is what he gets, though, for allowing the school to drop a random roommate in with him but he still expected to see the guy at least a little during the day

or, the one where Calum and Ashton are college roommates who only see each other at night.

You Are The Moon That Breaks The Night (ao3) - thesoulsailor E, 120k

Summary: or a drunk walk home is destined to change Ashton's life forever.

[requiem626k]

another day without finishing my music masterpost so ✨here I am✨ for today's treats: commander and mazer rackham, from a nice score of an otherwise p unremarkable adaptation. I love the build and gradual change in this, and the recurring parts of the theme. the choir in commander! chills, dude. it's lovely music shame they sanitised the film huh your bonuses this round are kinds some wild cards...so here we go - this is from a score i haven't listened to BUT it sounds like dancing around a campfire in the woods FEELS and i'm in love with it. very tavern music. so short but so much heart. - this is from one of the shortest console games I've ever played that somehow captured my entire heart before ripping it out, it's not my favourite track but i do love it - true wildcard, now, I was thinking about connor's electronic style score and couldn't avoid adding some of daft punk's work from TRON: Legacy; take end of line, the game has changed and flynn lives. I think they showcase the range of the score. i literally love this score SO much, there isn't a bad track. they are all my children. derezzed is fun too but it's fun in a punchy fight scene kind of way rather than a typical score way so it's not on my list

BYE FOR NOW

Hellooo dear Mavis~ ❤️ I’m currently on the road and gonna turn these tracks into my sweet accompaniment 🫶🏻

I’m seriously in love with Commander ??? That choir omg, and the sinister obscurity of the music, I like it so much. Gives me violent!Markus vibes *twirls hair*

Mazer Rackham was so impressive! Such a beautiful moment when it gets all grandiose also what’s the thing with that film? i’d never heard of if before

AHSNXSJX I LOVE THE THIRD ONE SO MUCH it’s so lively 😭❤️ I instantly had the desire to get up, put on a villager dress from the 19th century and dance, ahh!

Oh I like the The Order one! It gives me the feeling of “We have a mission, it’s time to go and accomplish it!” I’m sure it sets the ambiance quite well in the game also the comments complaining about how short it is cracks me up, now I wanna play it

I ADORE electronic style scores which are full of synthetisers and all that um. electronic stuff, and the TRON: Legacy stuff is SO GOOD WTH ? The first one feels likt it could easily find itself a place in Connor’s main theme, I love it so much, the second and third ones are much more instrumental but so gorgeous and I adored hearing recurrent themes in the first two! I’m guessing that the third track means so much for the fandom as it has nearly 500 comments lol but like it very much even without the context <3

Bye 🫢!

[eternal-armin]

always forever. i

you wake up in the middle of the night and witness a ritual between jinx and other followers. reader: neutral. dedicated to: @whoneedscoffeeanyway. thank you for your support and your ideas bestie, and i hope you like this! :> i'll probably be passed out asleep once you finish reading it so ily now and sleep well or else

you found yourself awake in the middle of the night, eyes simply opening as you peacefully arose from your sleep. no loud noise had awoken you, nor a sudden temperature shift, nor a jolt or sudden movement.

or maybe it was a sudden shift in temperature. you lacked the warmth of jinx by your side. you looked over, confirming that you were alone in bed. that in and of itself was cause for confusion.

on the bedside table, the glow-in-the-dark-painted clock read somewhere slightly past 2:00. somewhere down the hall you could hear gentle, swaying music and soft voices, both of which confused you. steadily you realized that the music was one of your favorite songs. one that you had, at one point, listened to for an… unhealthy amount. it was no wonder you instantly recognized it.

what's going on?

tired, but eager for any sense of answers, you slipped out of bed. you moved slow enough to not get headrush when standing up. it was the last thing you wanted.

peeking in from under the door was the warm, flickering glow of fire light, which you certainly found odd. but you left the room anyway. the door handle wasn’t hot, so it wasn’t an actual fire or anything dangerous. probably.

looking around the corner, surprise plastered over your expression. you had absolutely no clue what your sleep-muddled mind expected to see, but this probably wasn’t it. jinx and a few of her friends- or so you assumed- were kneeled in front of an intricate shrine which included many pictures of… you. your favorite candles and incenses were lit, your favorite flowers draped over the shrine in beautiful garlands, your best photos in pretty frames. even a few of your other favorite items decorated the small platform.

you stared in complete and utter awe for a second. how were you supposed to react to this? there’s definitely a possibility this is a dream, right? something this wild-

well, you were dating jinx. this was actually kind of tame.

“today is a day dedicated to the most perfect of souls, the savior we should all aspire to be, the incredible person we all have the pleasure of knowing. all-merciful and all-kind, my beautiful [y/n].” the semi-silence was thus broken. jinx spoke with such adoration in her voice it almost shuddered. you could practically hear her smile.

it wasn't like you never could've seen this coming.

jinx definitely treated you like some heavenly being, elevating you above absolutely everything, almost to her own deficit. coddling you and fauning you excessively, making sure you were always happy and nothing less, putting aside her own needs and wants to be sure yours were taken care of, and never leaving your side.

and you always liked it. hell, you loved it like you loved her. it was the first time you’d ever experienced love like this. feeling this cherished was new and beautiful to you. so maybe that’s why you weren’t as horrified as other people would be. or you were just as fucked up as jinx herself.

“uh, jinx?”

hearing your soft, tired voice, jinx immediately sat up and turned to look at you. the bright smile she gave nearly outmatched the candles burning right beside her.

“speak of an angel and they shall come!” she cooed. “did we wake ya, toots? 'm sorry,” she giggled softly, rising to properly greet you, holding your hands and intertwining her fingers with yours.

“n-no, i just woke up for some reason and stumbled across, uhm… this. what- what’s going on?” perhaps jinx was expecting suspicion and disgust in your voice, or in your eyes, or in your expression, because she looked surprised herself. you sounded almost nonchalant about everything. and considering you just saw her and a good few other people worshipping a shrine of you, there was a whole lot of everything to be not-nonchalant about.

“oh, all this? i’m- well, we’re worshipping you, toots! nothin’ much, y’know? as far as i know, you’re the most perfect, admirable person out there. the next messiah! might as well make sure people worship ya like one.” she sounded so wholesome, you couldn’t help but smile just a little. she cupped your cheek with one hand, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

not sure what else to say, you managed a saccharine “thank you.”

“aww, you’re so cute, sweetheart! just look at ya!” jinx couldn’t help herself, giving you another happy kiss to your forehead. the affection, as always, made you smile.

glancing over her shoulder, her eyes turned almost animalistic as she looked at your other ‘devoted followers.’ “don’t you have any respect?” she hissed through her teeth. “your savior is right in front of you and you don’t even acknowledge 'em? i taught you better than this!”

the juxtaposition between her honey-sweet tone to you and the demanding hiss she saved for them could’ve given you whiplash.

the five other worshippers looked up at you. suddenly having all their attentive and adoring eyes on you, you blushed, looking down. they looked at you like you were the second coming. suddenly being thrust into this, it was no surprise it was overwhelming.

“the best of days and nights to the savior in front us,” one of them got up and bowed to you, her eyes so wide and happy to see her. you froze up, not sure how to respond, especially when the others stood and did the same. it was simultaneously scripted and purely genuine and you didn’t know how to feel.

you mentally kicked yourself at how long you spent silent, blinking away the stun from your eyes.

“th- the best of days and nights to all of you as well.” you spoke awkwardly, words slurred just slightly by your tiredness. gently, you bowed, and when you stood back up you saw pure inspiration in their eyes.

you felt a… concoction of emotion upon seeing that.

“good! good, good. oh, super good! for the most part. go back to praying, lilies! you have limited time, y’know!” now jinx’s voice was caught between sweet and demanding, coming off as a mother pissed at her child in public who couldn’t yell at them yet.

they all looked at you, and when you nodded, they did as told. you mouthed ‘holy shit’ to yourself, observing them before jinx stepped in front of them again, blocking them from your vision. she gazed at you so lovingly, cupping your cheeks. her touch was enough to make you fall even more in love.

“they love ya so much, sweets! a’course, not as much as i do. they never could.” she shrugged, giggling, placing a sweet kiss on your lips. “so how does it feel to be worshipped by people? well, other than me?” she cooed. she really knew how to make you blush in the subtlest of ways. you found it surprisingly easy to pay attention only to jinx even while the chorus of murmurs played, reciting prayers to you. your tired mind had no chance at being able to comprehend that.

“i-i don’t know. it’s… nice, i think. it’s nice when you’re this devoted to me. that much hasn’t changed at least.” jinx could practically see the bashfulness lining your voice.

“you really are adorable, oh my goodness..!” she bit her lip, needing to look away for a moment. the cuteness was overwhelming. “oh, jeez, the time..! oh oh, we need to get you back to bed, snookums, you need to sleep! i’m sure you’ll be able to think about it better in the mornin’. how about i make you some breakfast in bed, precious?” the tenderness which enlivened her voice made you feel warm and fuzzy. your smile softened.

“that sounds heavenly, darling. thank you.”

jinx chuckled quietly. “not as heavenly as you are~!” she half-sang right back, peppering your lips with kisses.

even though she always responded with that, it made your heart flutter all the same. you giggled through her kisses, returning them when you could. your tired mind had been overwhelmed with information. it was no surprise you were becoming physically tired to match.

“you’re so pretty when you’re sleepy, precious,” jinx mumbled. “okay. c’mon, cutie-patooty, time to go back to bed,” she hummed, walking with you back to your room. only now did you notice that your favorite song had been playing on loop, so quietly you hadn’t heard it till now. and somehow, just as before, it brought you comfort. and right now that comfort made you more tired.

you leaned against her a little more, and she gladly hugged you to give you more support.

once back in your shared bedroom, jinx helped you lay down, every touch careful and delicate as if you were a porcelain doll. you were certainly as perfect as one. without taking her eyes off of your precious face, she tucked you in.

she had to cover her mouth to keep from ‘aww’ing aloud as you snuggled in and smiled at the warmth of the pile of blankets. how could one person be so utterly perfect? and how could that utterly perfect person be in love with her of all people? jinx was the luckiest person in the world to be able to date absolute divinity. and for them to love her back! what a world, what an incredible world- of course she had to worship you!

“good night, my most precious and perfect and pretty [y/n]. sleep well, okay? i’ll be there to greet ya in the mornin’!” her voice was quiet, albeit excited. if you were fully awake, you would’ve seen an idea spark in her eyes, and her voice brighten alongside.

unsurprisingly, you fell asleep quite quickly, drifting off while jinx gently stroked your hair and hummed along to the music. she waited until you were fully asleep before even thinking about leaving you for the first time, peeking out of the room and toward the altar.

“psst! lilies! get over here!” she whisper-shouted, glancing back at you periodically to make sure you were still peacefully snoozing.

quickly, they shuffled over.

“shouldn’t we still be praying?” zee asked.

“why pray to an altar when you can pray to the real thing?” jinx giggled, biting her lip. “c’mon. be quiet- do not wake them up. understand?”

“of course.”

“good! i’ll go get those candles and garlands.”

[allwaswell16]

These are all the One Direction fics I read and enjoyed in December. You can listen to my podcast to hear me talk about each of these fics as well as an overview of what was posted on ao3 in December including the fics on this month’s fic roundup which you can find here! Please let the writers know if you liked the fics by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Fanfictional Podcast #32 | ko-fi | fic recs

- Larry -

✨ Unveiled by phdmama / @phd-mama

(M, 60k, a/b/o, omega Harry, royal au, King Louis, Prince Harry, magic, fantasy, worldbuilding, I'm obsessed with this universe and wow the worldbuilding was incredible)

There are no robes. And not a single one of them is veiled.

✨ All Your Mates Are Here by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 36k, Advent fic, werewolf au, werewolf mates, Christmas, fluff, humor, pack dynamics, university, this fic got me through the month and I'll always be grateful)

In the wake of the holidays, the three single wolves from the Majestic pack are pointed in the direction of a new pack to join; one that's got struggles of its own.

✨ Let It Snow by @jaerie

(E, 6k, small penis fic, loner Louis, birthday, remote cabin, strangers to lovers, size kink, self esteem issues, smut, omg I loved so much, what a great take on this trope if you can call it a trope haha)

With a blizzard approaching, Louis planned to spend his birthday with a drink and a good book.

✨ noisemaker by absolutehly / @thestylinsons

(T, 4k, soulmates au, uni, music, trains, no smut, open ending, I can't stop thinking about this one and have so many ideas about where it could go)

An au where songs get stuck in people’s heads and guide them to their soulmates.

✨ A Picture of Your Open Throat by larry_hiatus / @larry-hiatus

(E, 4k, bakery au, pwp, dom/sub, dom Louis, sub Harry, workplace sex, oral sex, smut, this was so hot whew but possibly don't listen to it with a screen reader like me unless you're used to that)

What happens when Harry accidentally sends an inappropriate picture to his boss' son?

✨ last christmas (i gave you my heart) by localopa / @voulezloux

(G, 4k, exes to lovers au, break up, getting back together, angst, fluff, Christmas, this one made my heart hurt but I'm glad they figured it out)

louis and harry are broken up. cue scheming friends to make one christmas wish come true

✨ Feel Your Way by @kingsofeverything

(E, 3k, famous/not famous au, famous Harry, meet cute, elevator, hotel, awkward flirting, motorboating, smut, I love when they're embarrassing lol and in love)

Louis Tomlinson tries to meet some colleagues for drinks and winds up meeting Harry Styles instead.

✨ The Sleeping Giant by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 3k, magic au, fairy tale elements, historical fantasy, soldier Harry, I'm speechless but I loved)

In the centre of the pond, there is a sleeping giant.

✨ 'Tis the Damn Season by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche

(M, 2k, exes to lovers, exes with benefits, fwb, angst, Christmas, cabin, famous/not famous, famous Harry, implied smut, this fic punched me in the face)

He won’t think about the cabin in the woods again until next December.

✨ I could drink a case of you, darling by @28whitepeonies

(T, 2k, famous/not famous, famous Harry, not famous Louis, fluff, mentions of grief/loneliness, no smut, this was very cute!)

Anne invites Louis over for Christmas dinner and meets Harry.

- Rare Pairs -

✨ Love, coffee and New York by Aliceinwonderland / @beautifulwonderlandworld

(E, 8k, Zayn/Niall, soulmates au, New York, strangers to lovers, soul marks, model Zayn, journalist Niall, fluff, smut, this was adorable with such cool details!)

Niall didn’t want to know or hear anything about soulmates, but one morning he met Zayn, his soulmate, when he threw his coffee at him in the street.

✨ We're Written in the Cards by @lululawrence

(NR, 3k, Niall/Lewis Capaldi, soulmates au, Savannah, tarot reader Lewis, meet cute, no smut, loved the pairing and the sweet soulmate story for this!)

the one where Lewis owns a shop in Savannah, Georgia where he makes most of his money off of tourists and those looking for a bit of a spiritual experience after a ghost tour.

[helaintoloki]

Everybody Loves Somebody

pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

warnings: slight language, themes of insecurity, angst, pining, slow burn (kinda?), eventual fluff, over 5k words in length

notes: it’s finally finished! this took forever but I swear I put my entire soul into making this as perfect as it could be. I’ve never used this format before in my writing and it was challenging but also super fun so hopefully you guys like it :) (also yes the title and the fic somewhat is inspired by the Dean Martin song)

summary: Thrown into a blind date against his will, Bucky does his best to prepare in the days leading up to Saturday night, a feat that proves to be much more difficult than expected thanks to his neighbor across the hall.

Sunday

Three quick raps on the apartment door force Bucky to kick back the covers and sluggishly rise from his spot on the floor. He’s exhausted, but his recognition of the evenly spaced knocks on the wooden frame has him feeling compelled to answer, and so he does. Too tired to notice the television is still droning on in the background, Bucky idly wraps his discarded blanket around his form to shield his vibranium arm before opening the door to greet the old man standing on the other side.

“Rough night, huh?” Yori greets with a knowing smile.

“Something like that,” he replies with a tired, lopsided grin. “What are you doing here so early?”

“I set you up on a date,” the man says casually, as if setting Bucky up on dates without his knowledge and against his will is a common every day occurrence, and it is. “Saturday evening at six.”

“What— A date? Yori—“

“She’s a nice girl, very pretty. I think you’ll like her.”

“Now hang on a minute,” Bucky tries to interject, but Yori is already halfway down the hall before the super soldier can get another word in.

“You’re meeting her at the Italian place down the street!” Yori calls behind him. “She likes sunflowers!”

The old man’s shouts are sure to have woken up the entire fourth floor by now, but Bucky is too busy trying to process the jumble of information that has been thrust upon him so suddenly and so early in the morning to care. The last date Yori had sent him on had ended in disaster; Bucky wasn’t ready to get back out on the field, a stable relationship wasn’t in the cards for him. Surely no one in their right mind would stick around once they found out the truth about the man, and if they did it would only be a matter of time before the constant nightmares and extra baggage that came with dating the ex-Hydra assassin sent them running for the hills. But Yori meant well, Bucky knew that, and he also knew he owed the man more than he could ever give him in return, so if sitting through another painfully uncomfortable date would make him happy, then Bucky would just have to suck it up, put on the nicest shirt he owned, and charm his way through another awkward dinner.

“Sunflowers,” he grumbles to himself, quietly shutting the door before returning to his spot on the cold hardwood floor.

Monday

Monday mornings are gym mornings, early workouts that start at five and end at seven. He promptly returns to the apartment building at seven thirty, eight if he stops for breakfast, then goes to check the mail before heading back to the comfort of his sheltered apartment. He doesn’t receive much other than grocery coupons and an odd letter from the government every now and then, but he’s been told that a routine is good, it’s healthy, so on Monday mornings at seven thirty—or eight— Bucky pulls out his keys and opens his assigned metal box with a sense of indifference.

It’s eight o’clock on this particular morning, and with a half finished cup of coffee in hand the soldier opens the little metal compartment to find nothing other than stray specks of dust and the tiniest of spiderwebs in the top right corner of the box. It’s a familiar sight, but Bucky has learned not to let it bother him by now. Remember James, it has nothing to do with you, his therapist always said. You have to learn not to take things personally.

“It has nothing to do with me,” Bucky murmurs quietly before finally shutting his mailbox with a sigh. Coffee cup discarded in the nearby trash can, Bucky turns to make his trek towards the elevator only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of a beautifully familiar face.

Your name is y/n, you live on the fourth floor, and for someone reason you’re always covered in glitter. You’re on your way out the door, art supplies held clumsily in your grasp just begging to jump free from your hold, and despite the rush you seem to be in you still greet the man with a polite smile.

“Good morning,” you chime, honey coated voice filled with warmth and kindness for the stranger. Bucky simply gives you a halfhearted smile in return, watching you walk out the door and wishing he could just muster up the courage to speak to you.

You won the soldier’s heart the day you knocked on his door to drop off a “welcome to the neighborhood” casserole. It had only been his second day in his new apartment, and while he knew some of the other tenants were weary of the mysterious man with the thousand yard stare who had decided to call the building a home, you never once seemed to bat an eye at Bucky or his closed off nature. He had been a little short with you upon your first meeting, his anxiety coming off as annoyance, but still you wore that same kind smile of yours and assured him that if he ever needed anything you’d be happy to help. You were a kind person with a big heart, and Bucky didn’t want to chance snuffing out one of the few lights left in the world, so he let you be. Admiring you from afar was all he let himself have of you, and that was it.

Though, Bucky would be lying if he said you didn’t come across his mind every once in a while. He wondered what you were like, what music you listened to, how you liked your eggs in the morning, if you were an old soul or young at heart, if you’d ever let yourself fall into in the arms of a broken man and help pick up the pieces. It was a pipe dream, but sometimes a friendly smile from you in the morning was enough to get Bucky through an entire day. He hadn’t been with anyone in years, and while he didn’t think he was ready to get back out on the dating scene just yet he knew that if you asked him to he’d take the plunge in a heartbeat. You were an angel, and Bucky would never be able to bring himself to taint you with his touch.

Monday mornings are workout mornings, but they’re also mornings with you.

Tuesday

On Tuesday afternoons Bucky often finds himself in the company of Yori, ensuring the old man stays out of trouble and going out of his way to make sure his newest friend has a nice day out on the town. It isn’t much, and it never will be, but it’s enough for now, at least until Bucky can find the courage to tell the father just what exactly happened to his son on that fateful night. But until then, sushi for lunch will have to do.

He makes his usual trek to the man’s apartment, stomach already beginning to rumble at the prospect of a nice crunch roll, but Bucky’s hunger is soon replaced with nerves at the sight of the woman standing in Yori’s doorway.

You look pretty today, hair haphazardly styled in your rush out the door this morning, colorful stains of dry paint adoring your hands that clutch a bundle of books close to your chest, and a dangly pair of earrings that glint underneath the sunlight pouring through the hallway windows. There’s a smile on your face as you nod along to something Yori says that doesn’t quite register in the soldier’s jumbled thoughts, and the two of you are both too engrossed to notice his lingering presence standing just a few feet away.

“Thank you so much for lending me these. The kids keep me on my toes and I haven’t had any time to settle down with a good book so these were perfect,” you utter gratefully, handing off the pile of poetry books to Yori’s awaiting hands. Names of authors that Bucky doesn’t recognize catch his eye, just as his friend finally catches his presence.

“Of course. I have more if you’re ever interested,” he says before finally addressing the elephant in the hallway. “James, there you are. I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it.”

Bucky stiffens at the sound of his name, heat immediately crawling up his neck as you turn to him with a friendly smile. Clearing his throat, he steps forward and musters up a meager grin in return.

“Like I’d ever miss Tuesday lunch,” he jokes, a nervous chuckle falling past his lips.

“I guess I better get going. Thank you again, Yori,” you chime with a grateful smile. Then, with your attention turned to Bucky, “Have a nice lunch, James.”

“Thank you...” he trails quietly, mentally kicking himself for his stiff demeanor and wishing he could be less pathetic in your presence just once. Just once and he’d die a happy man.

You leave with a polite smile, turning down the hallway and out of Bucky’s grasp once again. Yori elbows his side.

“She’s single, you know.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Bucky replies with a wry chuckle. “You have me set up with one girl already.”

“Right,” Yori notes thoughtfully with a knowing smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes that Bucky can’t quite decipher. “I think you’re going to have a nice time on your date.”

“We’ll see,” is all he says in reply, your smile the only thing on his mind as the two men head out for the day.

Wednesday

Bucky has grown to love rainy days, days in which he can remain tucked away in the warmth and comfort of his own home with a relaxing mug of hot chocolate in one hand and some piece of pop culture media he has yet to catch up with in the other. Today’s pick is a book titled The Outsiders, and Bucky chooses to sit upon the windowsill to read the novel.

Gentle drops of rain trail down the glass window, pattering soothingly in a way that makes Bucky fear he may fall asleep. He sets the book aside with a tired sigh and glances out the window with his warm cheek pressed against the cool surface; the city is quiet and the streets nearly empty, and this makes it easier to spot you.

It’s almost as if you’ve been popping up out of nowhere lately, but Bucky never seems to mind. Watch from afar, that was the deal he made with himself, so who was he to complain if you made the task easier for him? He could never have you the way he wanted to because he doubted you’d ever want an unstable old man like him, and even if you did he’d be no good for you. He knew girls like you back in his day, girls with stars in their eyes and hearts on their sleeves, girls who’d melt in his arms whenever he so much as smiled at them. And yet you weren’t like any girl he’d ever seen; you were an enigma and he wanted nothing more than to spend all of eternity deciphering the mystery of you. But he couldn’t, because he shouldn’t, so he didn’t.

Despite the gloomy gray skies hanging above you there’s a serene smile on your face as you stop to admire the pots of sunflowers outside the building, reminding Bucky he has to buy some for his date on Saturday. God, he was dreading it. Bucky was sure whatever girl Yori picked for him would be nice enough, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t sometimes wish it were you he’d be taking out for a night on the town. A guy can dream, right?

You retreat into a nearby coffee shop when the rain begins to fall harder, and as Bucky turns to his own warm drink he finds that the mug is now cold. Book discarded, he rises from his spot on the windowsill and drowsily drags himself into the kitchen for another cup.

For a moment he thinks sunflowers might surely bring about his demise, and the passing thought brings the smallest of smiles to his face. Only time will tell.

Thursday

“How are you feeling about your date on Saturday?”

The woman stares at him expectantly, pristine notepad resting casually in her lap, pen in hand as a warning, eyebrows raised at the man as he stares down contemplatively at the stitching of his leather gloves. What should be a comforting environment instead only seems to put him on edge, and as the seconds tick by on the clock hung crookedly above the doorway her pen only seems to get closer to the blank page below her. Shoulders sagging, Bucky can only offer a small sigh in response.

“I can’t say I feel too great about it,” he finally says, the tension in his shoulders alleviating slightly as she finally puts the pen down.

“And why’s that?” Doctor Raynor prods curiously.

“I just don’t really think I’m all that ready for a relationship. What person wants to be with someone as screwed up as me?”

“The right person will,” Christina comforts. Your smiling face flashes briefly in his mind in response and he shifts in discomfort— the doctor notices. “But I don’t think you’re telling me the full story here, James. I suspect there’s something else that’s holding you back. Or maybe someone.”

“That obvious, huh?” Bucky retorts with a wry smile.

“Who’s the lucky person?”

“Her name’s y/n,” he says, your name falling past his lips in the softest tone Dr. Raynor has ever heard from him before. “I don’t know her all that well, but she lives in my apartment building so I see her around a lot. She’s... she’s really pretty.”

“Well, what is it about y/n that you like?”

Geez, where do I even begin?

“I don’t know,” Bucky shrugs, picking absently at a loose seam on the end of his shirt, “I guess I like how friendly she is. Every time I see her she’s always smiling, she always says good morning to everyone and lends a hand wherever she can. It’s like she goes out of her way to be nice to me, and I’m not really used to that but it’s a nice feeling. The first time I met her she never even flinched, she wasn’t scared like other people usually are, and even when I blew her off she still made it clear that I was welcome and if I needed a friend she’d be there. That’s the kind of person she is.”

“Did you take her up on that offer?” The woman asks, but by the look on her face Bucky is sure she already knows the answer.

“No...”

“James, we’ve talked about this,” Christina says firmly, “you have to stop closing yourself off from the people around you. Making a friend could really help you, especially if this girl is truly as nice as you say she is.”

“She is,” he reiterates firmly, “and that’s why I can’t be her friend.”

The doctor’s brows furrow with piqued interest at his admission, legs shifting underneath her as she gets comfortable in preparation for what will most likely be a heavy confession. “Can you elaborate for me?” She says. Bucky sighs.

“After everything that’s happened, and everything the world has been through, it just gets harder and harder to find some sort of light in the dark. So when you finally do find it, it’s like you have to do everything in your power to make sure it never goes out.”

“So y/n is a light?” Raynor reaffirms.

“For so many people,” Bucky nods, “and if I try to put myself in the picture I’ll only bring her down. There’s no future with me, and she deserves better than that.”

“How do you know that if you never put yourself out there?” The doctor asks softly, silently stunned by the heavy confession Bucky has entrusted her with; it’s the most he’s ever opened up before.

Pieces of the past dart through his mind, and in the midst of all the heartache and the chaos he sees Yori, the one friendship he’s been able to successfully maintain since his period of healing. The memory of the man is pleasant for a moment, until Bucky is reminded of the basis of their friendship and how one single confession will tear down everything they’ve built together. It doesn’t matter what kind of man he is now or how much control he has over his own life, the Winter Soldier will always have the final say, and nothing will ever change that. Finally, he speaks.

“I just do.”

Friday

“Crap.”

The softly uttered curse sounds from across the hallway and alerts Bucky of his struggling neighbor’s presence. Purse slipping off your shoulder and heavy groceries spilling from your arms, you struggle to maneuver your key into the lock of your front door all while the heat of embarrassment engulfs your body in a suffocating hold. You’re not as put together as you usually are, your belongings in disarray and eyes full of exhaustion rivaling that of his own, your usually meticulously picked clothing replaced by joggers and an old college sweatshirt that’s three sizes too big on you, and yet Bucky still finds himself frozen in your presence.

Don’t just stand there, help her you idiot, his mind screams at him, the soldier harshly swallowing down his nerves before taking shaky steps towards you. An orange slips out of the brown paper bag and rolls towards his feet, and Bucky takes it as his in into a conversation.

“Need some help?” He asks with a crooked smile, one that softens at the look of distress clear in your eyes as you meet his gaze.

“That’s the understatement of the year,” you breathe out before offering a meager smile of your own. “Some help would be great, thank you.”

Bucky takes the heavier bags of groceries from your aching arms and returns the orange to its rightful place, allowing you the chance to take your keys and unlock the door. You don’t spare him another glance as you walk in, leaving it open as a silent invitation for him to let himself in. Bucky swallows nervously but wordlessly follows behind; he’s never been in a woman’s apartment before, and the fact that it’s yours makes the experience all the more nerve wracking.

Your apartment is small but personalized, decorated with little knickknacks and houseplants and old family portraits that Bucky does his best not to stare at in fear of being rude, and the vanilla scented candle that burns on the coffee table makes him feel all the more welcome. You drop your purse by the couch with a tired sigh before directing your attention to the man who stands awkwardly in your living room. His hulking figure makes your apartment seem tiny, oddly comforting in a way, but you hold back your giggles and merely guide him to your kitchen.

“You can set them on the counter,” you say with a passive wave before reaching into one of the cabinets for a glass cup. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“No, thank you,” the man says politely as he settles the heavy bags down on the marble surface; as much as he’d like to sit and spend the evening with you, he can’t stay long, or more like he won’t allow himself to stay long. Your movements are clumsy as you down your glass of water, and Bucky looks away flustered as little droplets begin to escape the corners of your lips and dribble down your neck. “I hope I’m not overstepping by asking this, but are you alright? You seem a bit... flustered.”

“Is it that obvious?” You joke quietly, your smile barely reaching your eyes as you fidget with the sleeves of your sweater.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky begins to say in fear of overstepping, but you merely shake your head in response.

“I’m just a little stressed out. The kids always keep me on my toes, especially now that there’s more of them, and it’s been hard trying to get some of them to readjust.”

“Kids?” He repeats with furrowed brows. He can’t recall ever seeing you with any children, and there’s no sign of any living with you in your apartment. A genuine laugh leaves your lips this time at his response and Bucky tenses uncomfortably. Did he say something wrong?

“I’m a kindergarten teacher,” you explain with a smile, and everything clicks in Bucky’s mind then. That would explain the constant paint stains and trails of glitter left in your wake, the arts and crafts supplies and stacks of drawings you seem to carry with you everywhere. And here he thought your heart couldn’t get any bigger than it already was— were you even real?

“The effects of the blip have been really difficult for them. It’s hard having to come back to school and see that all your old friends are now five grades ahead of you. I know everyone has been impacted in some way by what happened, but it’s harder for the younger ones to understand. I’m doing my best to make the transition back to normalcy easier for them, but some days are harder than others, you know?”

“Sounds rough,” is all Bucky can manage to say, swallowing his emotions back harshly.

“Yeah,” you sigh quietly, rubbing away the clear exhaustion in your eyes, “but I’m trying my best.”

“Sometimes that’s all you can do.”

You smile then, a genuine smile, one that makes Bucky weak in the knees, and suddenly it’s as if all the weight has been lifted off of your shoulders.

“I really needed to hear that,” you utter softly, “thank you.”

“What are neighbors for?” Bucky jokes lamely, but you must like his sense of humor for you let out the quietest of giggles.

“You’re sweet. I like talking with you, but I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure you’re a busy guy.”

“Not really,” he shrugs with a crooked smile, “I just had some errands to run before tomorrow.”

“What’s tomorrow?” You ask curiously, brows raising with interest as Bucky awkwardly looks down at your hardwood floor.

“I’ve got a date.”

“Huh, no kidding. Me too,” you smile, and in response Bucky’s heart slowly begins to sink to his stomach. Yori had said you were single, but only an idiot would believe that someone like you could stay that way for long. Maybe if he had taken the doctor’s advice sooner he could be the one you’re seeing instead of the lucky guy that beat him to it.

“I should get going... I’ll see you around.”

“Thank you again for the help, and good luck on your date,” you say with an encouraging smile. Bucky swallows harshly in response, a look of longing in his eyes that he hides well with a meager quirk of his lips.

“You too,” he murmurs in response, casting you once last glance before showing himself out. The lock clicks behind him, and Bucky trudges back to his own empty apartment.

Saturday

The dining patio of the Italian restaurant is pleasantly empty, but the quiet stillness does little to help soothe Bucky’s nerves as he waits for the arrival of his date. He probably should have asked Yori what she looked like, what her name was and what she’d be wearing so he’d know what to expect, but the old man had been adamant on keeping the identity of his date a surprise.

“It’ll be better that way,” he had said, “trust me.”

The bouquet of sunflowers sits before him on the table almost tauntingly, their bright colors and sweet scent sending his senses into overdrive. He almost resented them, but then he thought of your smiling face through the window and the tension from his shoulders began to dissipate— if you could be strong and put on a brave face despite all the bad things that had happened in the world, then so could he.

“James?” A meek voice calls quietly, pulling the man from his thoughts. His blue eyes widen in surprise at the sight of the woman standing before him and he swallows anxiously.

“Y/n?” Bucky replies, quickly rising from his seat and cringing at the way in which the legs of the chair scrape harshly across the floor with his sudden movements. Here he thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful, and here you were proving him wrong with your cute little outfit and styled hair and charming smile. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for my date,” you explain with a sheepish smile. Bucky deflates— not only would he have to suffer through his own painfully awkward date, but he’d also have to sit and watch you get swept off your feet by someone else all in the same night.

“Oh... well, who’s the lucky guy?”

“That’s the thing,” you say with a nervous laugh, “I think you are.”

“Me?” Bucky repeats flabbergasted. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Yori was the one who said I should try dating again. He thought it would be good for me to spend some time with other adults since I’m always with my students, and when I said I didn’t really know anyone he told me he’d take care of it for me. All he told me was to come to this restaurant Saturday at six and look for the man with sunflowers,” you summarize before gesturing to the bouquet on the table, “and you’re the only one here with sunflowers so...”

A disbelieving laugh leaves Bucky then at the realization, and he isn’t sure whether he should jump for joy or wait for the ground below to swallow him whole. Finally he had a chance to spend time with the girl who had taken over his thoughts and occupied every available space in his heart, and yet he couldn’t help but feel terrified. A date was a big step up from neighborly conversation in your apartment, and all of Bucky’s hopes of developing something more with you were riding on this one date. Yori knew exactly what he was doing by setting the two of you up, and Bucky had no choice but to be grateful for the man who had bestowed upon him the chance to finally win you over.

“If this is too awkward for you we can just skip this whole date—“

“No, it’s not awkward at all,” Bucky is quick to interject. “I mean, this whole thing is certainly a surprise but it’s a good one. It’s an honor to be your blind date.”

He flashes a charming smile that makes you weak in the knees, and he knows then that he’s back in the game— who would have guessed he’d be able to dust off his old moves with such ease? He had to if he wanted any kind of chance at winning you over.

“In that case, why don’t we get out of here? This restaurant is a little stuffy,” you note with a small chuckle, your nerves slowly beginning to dwindle.

“Alright, what do you have in mind?”

The nightlife atmosphere of the plaza square is surprisingly much more comfortable compared to the dining patio, and Bucky considers himself the luckiest man alive to be able to witness firsthand the way your eyes seem to sparkle with the light of the starry sky. A nighttime stroll is right up Bucky’s alley, and you both fall into a comfortable step as you talk about whatever topic seems to come to mind. You speak of your students, about how much their smiling little faces have helped you get through the toughest times, how there’s a stray cat who calls the dumpsters behind your apartment building a home and waits for your arrival on trash days because you always bring the feline a special treat. Alpine, you had named it, and Bucky adored that greatly.

The details are vague but you enjoy the stories he tells you of his childhood and the way his whole face seems to light up at the mere mention of his mother and sister; that look dwindles slightly when he speaks of his old best friend, but you pretend not to notice. As a younger man Bucky worked at the docks before serving time in the army, though he fails to mention where he’d been stationed, and now he works for the government. You feel almost giddy to be learning so much about the man you once believed would rather prefer solitude over your company, and as the night drags on and the conversation begins to dwindle you almost wish you could reverse the clock and do it all over again.

“Thank you,” Bucky says after a moment of silence, prompting you to halt your steps and raise a brow curiously at your counterpart.

"What for?"

“Taking a chance on a guy like me,” he smiles faintly while offering you a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “I haven’t really done anything like this in a while, and the idea of putting myself back out there scared me shitless, but you just make things so much easier. I guess what I’m trying to say is when I’m with you everything comes naturally, and I really appreciate that.”

“Oh,” you utter softly, a sheepish smile of your own gracing your lips as you turn away to admire the scenery around you. It isn’t until now that you notice you’ve stopped before the fountain, the arches of water flowing overhead illuminated by the fluorescent lights below them. A nervous fluttering occupies your stomach and when you finally meet Bucky’s gaze you feel as if nothing else in the entire world mattress other than the two of you in this moment. “Well, if it makes you feel any better I’m kind of in the same boat, so that just means we can figure this out as we go. Together.”

“I like that,” Bucky affirms with a nod, a look that can only be described as lovestruck taking over his features. Nerves overcome you then as you clutch your bouquet of flowers to your chest, heart thrumming rapidly in your rib cage as Bucky steps closer. The glove that had once shielded his right hand from the cold is now missing as he gently cups your cheek and encompasses you with his warmth. His palm is calloused and rough but comforting all the same, and it takes everything in your power not to melt like putty in his grasp.

“Is this okay?” He murmurs quietly as if raising his voice any higher will ruin the moment.

“Yeah,” you breathe shakily, swallowing back your nerves, “it’s okay.”

Your softly uttered words of confirmation are all Bucky needs to hear before dipping down and gently brushing his lips against your own. His movements are hesitant for only a moment, and it is only once he’s sure you are comfortable and secure that he moves in for more. Your lips are soft against his own, plush and warm and so sweet, and as your eyes begin to flutter shut and the forgotten sunflowers slip out of your grasp you drape your arms securely across his shoulders at the same moment in which his left hand joins his right in cupping your face as if you were a precious jewel in need of the upmost care.

Nothing exists when you are in each other’s arms, you are safe and sound in your own little world, and as you part to take a breath Bucky realizes then that one kiss is all he needs to know that you are the one he’s been waiting for all his life.

And by god, if you aren’t more than worth the wait.

[whereisten]

Devotion/Obsession

A Jaehyun fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!

Summary: Jaehyun is new to town and wants you to show him around. But the truth is, he has known you for a while..

Pairing: Lucifer!Jaehyun x female reader

Other Characters: Husband!Kun

Genre: angst, smut, horror

Warnings: cursing, alcohol use, cheating, stalking, obsession, possessiveness, smut: breeding kink, unprotected sex, nipple sucking, size kink, fingering, oral sex (female receiving), multiple orgasms, c*eampie, pregnancy, character death.

Word Count: 8.9K

(A/N: okay ummm...this is influenced by stories told in the Bible, I hope I do not offend you with my interpretation, Jaehyun in this is a huge stalker!! This isn’t love, he’s obsessed and it’s unhealthy. But I hope you guys enjoy❤️ THANK YOUUU ARI FOR PROOFREADING THIS FOR ME I LOVE YOUUUU❤️❤️❤️❤️😭)

——————

Long ago, there were two beings on Earth, Adam and Eve. They were created by God and tainted by Lucifer, the serpent. The serpent found himself in love with God’s creation, Eve, for she bears a striking resemblance to his first love, Lilith, whom God cursed and sent away. 

God’s most beautiful angel, Lucifer, fell in love with Lilith even though he was forbidden by God to do so. He tried to fight for her in a war against the angels of Heaven, but was struck down to Hell where he could rule the dark. He saw Lilith become a demon. Her beauty had gone away as God made her ugly and it hurt Lucifer to even look at her anymore.

And so, Lucifer turned to Eve and loved her instead, polluting her mind, body, and soul and thus, causing her to be cursed by God as well. She was hidden by God from Lucifer. He grew angry and decided to continue to defy God by living on Earth and causing havoc on both small and large scales.

He went by the name of Jaehyun now, a strikingly handsome bachelor with a mansion on the outskirts of a popular city. He stayed on Earth at the exact point above hell where his throne rested so he could cause evil to run through the city unstopped.

He never forgot about Eve. After all these years, his soul still yearned for her. He cursed at God for hiding her from him and for taking not one, but two of his dearest loves away.

He would walk through the city and see all the couples enjoying each other’s company. They’d laugh and smile and he’d wish nothing but pain for them. If he couldn’t be happy, why should they?

Then one day..he saw her..he saw Eve.

————

You were packing away fruits, placing the oranges in an organized pattern so they wouldn’t fall to the floor of the supermarket. He saw you, delicately picking up the spoiled fruits and placing them into the bin to throw away later. You had a small smile on your face that made you look sweet and your fingers were soft, gentle. You looked at each fruit with adoration in your eyes, like you treasured the round balls of nectar as if they were made of gold.

He walked closer to you, still staring intently.

He wondered how you could exist, how you were here with her face, her body, her hair..you were her. It didn’t take long for him to notice the sparkling ring on your wedding finger. But he didn’t care about that, now that he had you, he would never let you go.

Even if you didn’t sound like Eve or looked at him the way she did when she was in love with him, he had to have you.

“Hello, can I help you, sir?” You turned to the man you noticed had been hanging around you for a bit too long.

Your voice was heavenly, it was the best thing he’d ever heard.

You were looking at him, awaiting his answer when you placed an apple onto the shelf. You didn’t see that placing it in that exact spot would cause for another to fall. But Jaehyun already knew.

He quickly knelt down beside you and caught the green apple as it fell.

You looked down at him and gasped. How could he move so quickly.

He stood up straight, still locking eyes with you. A smile creeps across his face.

“Here.” He hands you the apple as you look down at it still in shock.

“Oh..thank you.” You chuckled and took it from him, then started to walk away after feeling..odd.

He walked towards you. “Umm..excuse me, miss? I’m new here, and I just want to know..where can I find the best coffee?”

He looked down at your name tag.

“Y/n..” he says quietly.

His voice is smooth and nice, just as nice as his perfect face, you thought it ought to have been carved by God himself. His jawline was perfect and his eyes were magnetic, you couldn’t look away.

However, you should’ve. You were married after all.

“Oh..hmm about five blocks south, you’ll find Johnny’s Café, it’s quite nice actually.”

Jaehyun wanted to ask you to join him, just so he could talk to you, just so he could get close to you and have you firmly in his grasp, never to let you disappear again. But he didn’t, he decided to wait, if he scared you away, that would only make it worse for not only him, but for you as well. The last thing he wanted was to hold you against your will just because you resembled her.

“Thank you, y/n, I’ll see you next time.” He walked close to you and nodded slowly. As if hypnotized, you never let his eyes go while you nodded.

He walked by you, leaving you breathless and almost star struck, but who was he? Why did he have this interesting glow about him that made him stand out from everyone else?

Later that day, Jaehyun followed you home. His black Lamborghini wasn’t discreet to say the least, so he had to trail behind a few hundred feet. He could see you jamming out to music in your car as you left work. 

You were adorable and happy, he loved seeing you like this.

He parked far away from your house, he walked over in a long black trench coat and watched as you went inside. You were greeted by a man that looked like...Adam..

His eyes grew into glowing red orbs, he tried hard to hold back his horns and nails.

“This is God’s idea of a joke, isn’t it?” He spoke to himself. Not only were you the exact replica of Eve, your husband was an exact replica of Adam.

You hugged your husband, Kun, hard and smiled widely, happy to see him after a long day at work.

The door clicks shut and Jaehyun stands there with steam escaping his hot ears. He had to figure out how to get rid of Kun.

————

[The Next Day]

You’re lugging around a large box of lettuce through the aisles when you see him..again.

“Hello, y/n, do you need help?” 

You stare at him. “W-what are you doing here?”

He was handsome, you had to admit, your heart couldn’t stop beating like crazy when he showed up. He was stylish in his turtleneck and jean jacket. He smelled refreshing like amber and honey.

“What? A man can’t shop for groceries?” His dimples peeked through as he smiled and tilted his head.

“Oh-no it’s just, two days in a row?”

You furrowed your brows when you sensed something wasn’t right.

Jaehyun could tell that your heart rate was rising because of his presence, you looked around like you were nervous.

“I know, it’s weird, right? But the truth is..I just wanted to see you again..” he said huskily. You felt your chest weaken.

You put the box down and turned to him. “Oh so you’re one of those creeps? Well, I’m flattered but..I’m also married.”

“That’s alright..” he gave a small smile, his dimples showing through again. You turned away. 

“So...what are you looking for today?”

“A friend.”

“A friend?” You chuckled.

He swayed from side to side and looked up to the ceiling. “Okay, I’ll get to the point..there’s a..korean barbecue place that I wanted to try..are you free after work?”

He was so strange but had an aura about him that you couldn’t ignore. His features were sharply defined and his eyes never let you go. You should’ve been creeped out but you weren’t, for he was warm and intriguing. Lately, you felt like Kun was so busy with work. You’d get home and wait hours for him, your friends were busy as well as they were either taking college classes or travel king constantly.

Sometimes, you felt you were alone, so why not start something new.

You hummed before answering. 

Jaehyun watched your cute expression, the way you looked to the floor and stuck your hands in your apron.

“I guess..I am free after work.” You nodded.

Jaehyun nearly jumped up and down right inside the store. He grinned from ear to ear.

“Just don’t pull any moves, I’m married okay?”

You teased and felt your face become warm.

“I promise I won’t.”

The two of you went to dinner at the Korean barbecue place Jaehyun wanted to try. He was enraptured by you, caught up in your presence. He was so in love and you had no idea.

You told him about places to visit in the city and he told you about where he had come from. He made up a city and a backstory to relate to you, telling you that he had investments that started from his grandparents and that’s how he made money.. He’d do anything just to keep speaking with you, even if it meant lying.

He fought hard to hold back his naturally glowing red eyes and goat-like horns. He had to remain normal so you could become his soon enough.

And when you left him and went home, he stayed outside of your house once again, using his elevated hearing skills to listen to you speak with your husband.

Kun was talking to you about some new project he had in a city about two hours away. You stayed silent, disappointed that he would be gone yet again for a business trip. Kun was the senior architect and had to present, he couldn’t skip out on these trips as much as he wanted to.

“Listen, baby I’m sorry but you know how it is.”

Kun stepped into the bathroom as you brushed your teeth. He took his shirt off as he was about to shower.

You spit water out into the sink and look at your reflection, you were trying hard to hold back your anger. Kun stood behind you and watched you through the mirror with a concerned expression on his face.

“If I knew you were going to be gone all the time, I wouldn’t have married you..”

Kun scoffed. “Don’t say that, you know you don’t mean that, y/n.” He wrapped his arms around your waist and smirked through the mirror.

His hand went to your breast and cupped it.

“I mean it, Kun, how is this supposed to work when we have a family? I want us to both be present for our kids.” 

Kun kissed along your neck, he knew you were ticklish. 

You started to giggle. “Kun..stop, you’re distracting me.”

“Ahh baby, did you just say “our kids?” Are you trying to tell me something?” He squeezed your breasts gently

You turned to him and kissed his lips. His other hand reached under your frilly nightgown, bunching it up at the waist, and to his satisfaction you wore nothing else under it. 

“Should we start right now? Should we have a family?” He brushes his clothed erection into your back as he presses his fingers over you already dripping folds. His deep voice always got you like this.

You gasped and looked at him through the mirror. Soon you were gripping the edge of the counter and crying out his name as he fucked you from behind. He grabbed your hair, pulling your head back so you could look at him through the mirror as you came all over his girthy cock.

Jaehyun heard it all, he imagined it was him bringing you to sweet paradise like he did long ago. He listened to your moans and imagined it was his name you called as your eyes rolled in the back of your head.

It pained him to have to pleasure himself as he imagined all that he would do to you. He was Lucifer, after all. He could have anyone in the dark world pleasure him without even asking twice, but he didn’t want just anyone. He wanted you, and soon he would have you right in his grasp.

————-

[1 Month Later]

Jaehyun was a regular customer at the supermarket you worked at, he’d come in at least once a day. You found it odd that he always knew when your breaks were, so he’d bring you coffee or a snack.

If he didn’t visit during his break, he’d wait for you outside so you’d go to a new place for dinner together after you clocked out.

You spoke about everything. He seemed so smart as he knew about every detail in history and taught you about the world and why things were the way they were.

You watched him intently, your eyes grew when he told you something so interesting, your heart started to race. Like the presence of aliens or ghosts and witches. They all existed and Jaehyun told you all of the evidence as you sat there, stunned.

And then, it was his turn to ask questions.

He finally asked about your husband, even though he knew everything about him.

He knew that he had a short temper sometimes but your fights would either lead to make up sex or him sleeping on the couch. He had watched you every night since finding you. He didn’t sleep, for even the thought of closing his eyes and losing sight of you made him sick to his stomach.

“My husband, Kun, is an architect. He works really hard, but he loves me and I love him. He’s really sweet, I never stop thinking about him. We got married about a year ago, and I couldn’t be happier.” You smiled as you looked down at your hot pot as thought of Kun.

“Ahh..that’s nice..he seems like a supportive partner, during your first year of marriage, have you fought a lot?” Jaehyun tilted his head while smirking.

“Nope! We don’t fight at all, we’re pretty chill, you know?”

You were lying to him and he didn’t like that, but he swallowed hard and smiled nonetheless.

“I see..” he nodded.

He realized that he’d have to work harder to get you to stop thinking about Kun. He’d have to sabotage your current relationship if he ever dreamed of being with you soon.

Killing him would be too easy, he’d have to make Kun so bad, that you’d run to him for relief.

———

[A Week Later]

You kissed Kun goodbye and wished him well for his trip. He quickly kissed you back and walked through the front door without a hug.

“Honey?” You called out to him. “Where’s my hug?” You pouted.

He threw his hand up and continued to walk towards his car. “Sorry, baby, gotta go!”

He had been acting strange these past few days, but you knew he was stressed so you brushed it off. You had had sex the night before but he wasn’t as gentle as he usually was, you could tell something had upset him as he choked you for the first time. You didn’t mind it, you were just surprised by how...different he was.

Little did you know that it was Jaehyun that was making his daily work more difficult. Kun’s important documents and files would go missing right before a presentation, his coworkers weren’t showing up for work, and his boss was always upset with him for some reason. He was starting to dislike his job and he wasn’t sure why, for this was his passion, but lately, everything seemed to be going poorly.

Kun was having difficulty sleeping as well. He’d have disturbing dreams of a place with fire and monsters with sharp teeth. He’d sweat and pant, and eventually be jolted awake in his bed, every night at 3:23 A.M. he’d go downstairs and watch something on TV or write down a few project ideas.

The lack of sleep definitely contributed to his poor mood, but he didn’t tell you for some reason.

Jaehyun watched Kun speed off. He smiled to himself, knowing that his plan was working, he was getting frustrated at work and began taking his anger out on you. 

————

[Four Days Later]

You continued to spend time with Jaehyun. You lost track of time as you watched him speak. His dimples were adorable, his voice was intoxicating and you loved staring into his deep brown eyes.

He watches you play with your wedding ring as you nod and smile at him. His smile was like a blooming garden, his laugh was like heavenly trumpets. The two of you were flirting now, and he could tell from your heartbeat that you weren’t really listening to him, instead, you were fantasizing about him. The glances turned into stares.

You watched his lips and licked your own, your face was hot, but you furrowed your brows and looked down at your ring.

What were you doing? Were you getting emotionally attached to him? You couldn’t do this, you couldn’t hurt Kun.

You got up from your seat. “Well, it’s late.. I should go.”

“Noo.. don’t leave yet.” Jaehyun stood up and touched your hand. The disappointed look in his eyes ate away at your heart. You were developing a nice friendship, but a part of you was afraid that it was becoming something more, something that couldn’t be.

“You look stressed. Do you want a drink?..we can visit that new bar in town.” Jaehyun bites his bottom lip.

A drink did sound nice, it had been a while since you and Kun went out to a bar together and sometimes you did miss the atmosphere, you were young after all, everyone else in their early twenties went out.

Jaehyun smiled to himself as he saw you contemplate your options. He knew you were worried about Kun, but he also knew you needed to have some fun.

So you agreed.

The two of you went out to a bar and drank. You laughed and joked around all night. Jaehyun pretended to be affected by the alcohol, just so he could make you laugh and see your beautiful smile.

He dropped you off home at about 1 A.M after you sobered up a bit.

You turned to him and licked your lips. “You know, Jaehyun, if I weren’t married to Kun..I would date you for sure.” You giggled and leaned in close. And all Jaehyun could think was “yes.” He wanted to feel your plump lips so badly, he wanted to caress them and make love to you to relive the best days of his life, but now was not the time.

He backed away and held your hand while searching your eyes. “Y/n...you should go inside now..”

You sighed, nodding as you opened the door to quickly leave before you could embarrass yourself any more.

You go into your house and to your surprise, Kun is there, his face red and stern as he sat on the loveseat in the living room. The room was dark, lit only by a small night light in the corner and the moonlight from outside. 

Kun was nearly fired by his boss during his trip. He was upset and frustrated, but what made matters worse was when he went home at 10 PM to see that you weren’t there. Then time went on and you still didn’t come home.

You smirked and put your bag down.

“Babyyyyy.. I missed you.” You start to crawl over his lap slowly.

He can tell from the drawn out tones in your voice that you’re drunk. He winces and turns away.

“Where were you, y/n?”

“Out with a friend..we had some drinks and talked.” You straddle him, placing his crotch in between your legs as you kneel over him. You then lean down and kiss his collarbone.

“Why are you home so late? Is it because you didn’t think I’d be home early?” Kun growled out. He wasn’t amused in the slightest by the way you were acting.

“No, baby, I just wanted to hang out with someone for a little bit, you know? I’m so lonely when you’re not here.”

You try to kiss his lips but he flicks his head to the side.

“Who’s this “friend?”

You gulp and straighten your body. You pout as you look down at him. “Baby, kiss me..don’t you miss me too?” You take the straps of your dress down before unhooking your bra and throwing it to the floor.

Jaehyun watched through an open window behind the loveseat as you kneel over an angry Kun. His eyes glow red and his horns grow out of his head as does the straining member in his pants. You in your drunken haze never noticed the pair of crimson eyes outside.

Kun doesn’t touch you or look at your breasts with nipples begging to be sucked. He wanted to take them into his mouth badly, but he was more focused on another issue at hand.

He wrapped his hand around your throat. “Tell me..their name.”

You smirked. “His name is Jaehyun..but we’re just friends, baby, I promise.”

Kun thrusts himself into you from below, grinding hard against your covered opening. You whimper and move your hips to rub your slit against him.

“Well..stop being friends with him, no guy just wants to be friends with a girl..he wants to fuck you..”

You grind down onto him harder, he squeezes his hand and grips your thigh.

“He doesn’t, he’s really nice and helps me at work sometimes.”

Kun digs his nail into your thigh causing you to cry out in pain. He digs into it so deep, he sees blood from your leg run onto his thumb.

But you reach under your dress and pull his boxers down. You still wanted him in your aching core badly, the pain only added to your yearning.

“Y/n.” He says sternly as he watches you align yourself with his hard cock. You sink down onto him slowly and let out a loud moan as it passes through the sensitive skin and rests deep in your core. You adjust to him quickly as you had already been built up by dry humping him before.

He squeezes your throat again.

“Y/n..” 

You move up and down. “Yes..” you call out before licking your lips.

He grabs your waist with both hands and lifts you off of him.

“Kun!” You cry his name after being left empty.

“You’re not gonna get out of this so easily. If you want my cock, tell me you’re done with him.”

“But, baby..”

Kun shakes his head. “Don’t. I’m your husband and you should really take into consideration how I might feel when you spend time with men, when you fucking drink alcohol with men like..like some kinda slut.”

You gasped. “Slut?” 

Kun nods. “Look at you, you’re just thirsty for any male attention. I work my ass off for a few days and you’re already looking for a replacement.”

“Kun, that’s not true.” You felt your chest rumble, as if you were about to burst into tears.

He flips you over onto the couch. “I’m your husband, aren’t I?”

You nod.

“Then do as I say, don’t go out with Jaehyun again.”

Before you can protest his thrusts into you hard and begins to choke you again.

He goes hard and fast as you mewl. 

“Baby, slower, please.”

He bites your nipple and looks down at you to see your body tremble with each rough thrust he gives you, your lips parting to let out the most heavenly moans, your round breasts moving up and down, your legs bent and spread across the loveseat.

“You’re all mine, right?”

“Yes..fuck, yes.” His thumb on your clit makes you dizzy.

“Then I’m gonna breed you, would you like that? Gonna fuck you so hard and get you pregnant.” Kun grunts into your ear.

Jaehyun grimaces outside of your window. Kun, or Adam rather, hadn’t changed at all. He still believed in a woman’s subordination to her husband. He believed from the beginning of time that a woman should lay under her husband, not above.

And now, he was trying to make you his by breeding you, making it impossible for you to break the link between the two of you. But Jaehyun had to make sure that didn’t happen, he had to stop him before he could do this to you.

————

[Three Days Later]

It’s been three days since that night and you hadn’t shown up to work. Kun made love to you day and night on your time off, he felt threatened by the presence of another male in your life and felt it necessary to remind you why you married him in the first place.

He cooked breakfast for you and bought you nice things. You even went to the movies and ice skating. You enjoyed the time off and Kun’s company, it finally felt like things were getting back to normal. You were happy.

Jaehyun, on the other hand, was furious. He knew where you were, but he couldn’t believe that you had forgotten about him so easily. He didn’t want to get violent, but maybe he would have to.

A few days later, you finally return to work and as usual, Jaehyun was there to bring you a cookie.

“Hey! Where have you been?” He asked as you put bread up on the shelves.

“Oh..I took some time off, Kun came home early so we had a little vacation..thank you for the other night though, I really had a great time.” You finally looked up at him and noticed the slightly crazed look in his eyes. His lips were tightly shut.

“That’s great. Would you like to go out again tonight?” He asks sweetly.

You sigh and shake your head. “Umm...Jaehyun..I can’t..do this..”

His smile starts to fade.

“I-I can’t pretend that we are just friends when I’ve had thoughts about you that I shouldn’t have. I’m married and it’s..really not right for me to get emotionally involved with someone.”

Jaehyun chuckles. “That’s nonsense! We are just friends.”

“But we’re not. Look..it’s best if we end this now, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t come to my work place anymore.”

Jaehyun screams internally. You were really doing as Kun said by cutting him off. Was he that disposable?

A smile still rests on his face. 

“As you wish..” he nods and leaves after handing you the cookie he brought.

You swallow hard and sigh. That was harder than you thought it would be, but it felt right. It felt like you could finally focus on your marriage with Kun.

Your day at work ended as it usually did. You closed up and walked to your car, but as you got closer you noticed a figure standing beside it.

It had two red eyes and horns peeking out of its skull.

You slowed down. “Hello?” You called out into the empty parking lot.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and under a street light, that’s when you squinted to make out its familiar features. The red eyes and horns had disappeared.

“Jaehyun?”

He stood there creepily in a long black coat and black pants. His face was unreadable and he stayed silent.

You walked closer. “Jaehyun, what are you doing here?”

“You know..” Jaehyun scratches his head and laughs.

“I think we should grab something to eat.”

“Jaehyun..” you looked to the side and away from his somber face. You were just a few feet away from each other now.

“We’ll just be eating, we don’t even have to talk.” Jaehyun stepped forward and pleaded.

He didn’t want to lose you, he couldn’t lose you, not after all this time when he had finally gotten so close.

“I can’t, Kun is waiting for me.” You looked up at him with wide eyes.

Jaehyun felt his body tremble whenever you looked at him like that.

He suddenly leaned forward and kissed your lips hard. You fell into him for a brief moment, but then realized what was happening. You quickly bit his lip and pulled away.

“Jaehyun!” You rubbed your lip. “What the hell?!”

He licked the blood on his lips and frowned after your warmth disappeared.

“I’m sorry, I just-“ he reached out for you again but you backed away and opened your car in a rush.

“Leave me alone! I never want to see you again!”

Jaehyun only watched as you scurried into your car seat and locked the car doors.

He banged on the window hard, you jumped from the sound for you were terrified by him. You saw a dark flint in his eyes that you’d never seen.

Tears ran down your cheeks as you put the car in drive.

You sped out of the parking lot and away from him.

“I’ll never let you go, y/n, now that I have you..I’ll never let you go.” He whispered to himself.

————-

[1 Month Later]

The honeymoon feeling you felt with Kun soon dissipated as things went back to how they’d usually been. He spent his time at work and would come home upset, some nights he didn’t even speak to you. He looked sleep deprived and when you asked him about it, he’d have a fit and say he’s fine.

Some nights he wouldn’t look at you, you couldn’t remember the last time you had made love.

He was always short with you, but lately, you found it increasingly difficult to deal with his negative mood. Is this really who you wanted to be married to?

Jaehyun had been messing with him, he’d purposely make every day difficult for him. Kun couldn’t sleep most nights, but when he did, Jaehyun made sure to fill his mind with dark scenes to scare him. Sometimes he’d throw in false images of you making love to a faceless man. It gave Kun the feeling that he was walking in on you cheating on him. He would wake up from these nightmares but they felt so real, he couldn’t ignore how upset they made him.

Kun was paranoid, he felt like someone was out to get him and he didn’t know who it could be, but he didn’t trust even you as much as he did three months ago.

Then one night, you came home late because of a terrible thunderstorm and traffic. You were only about an hour late, but Kun was already home and steaming on the couch.

“Where were you?” He asked as soon as you entered the house.

You exhaled loudly. “Oh, so now you speak to me.”

“Yeah, I’m speaking to you, I’m asking a fucking question.”

You raised your brows. “And who are you to talk to me like that?”

“I’m your husband, or did you forget that when you fucked him tonight?” Kun bit back as he sat up in the chair.

Your face wrinkled as you placed your bag down.

“What are you talking about?”

“Jaehyun..do you think I’m some kind of idiot? I know you’re still seeing him.”

You scoffed. “Wowww Kun.”

You walk away to the kitchen to get some water.

“No, don’t “wowww” me, tell me I’m lying!” His voice started to raise, he walked into the kitchen after you.

“Kun..you sound ridiculous right now, I’m late because there’s a thunderstorm, or do you not hear it just like you don’t hear your phone ringing when I call you?” You asked sarcastically.

“If you’re gonna be late, you should tell me.”

You gulped down your water. “I don’t have to report anything to you! You’re not my king or whatever you think you are.”

“I’m your husband! And you should treat me like a king because look at this house, you wouldn’t be in it if it weren’t for me.”

Your eyes widened. “Are you really holding the house over my head? Wow Kun, you’ve really hit rock bottom, haven’t you?”

Kun chuckles. “Maybe Jaehyun lives somewhere nice, why don’t you go to him since I’m not your king.”

“Okay, here we go again, why are you so insecure, Kun?!” 

The two of you went back and forth that night. You broke down in tears as Kun said hurtful things that left you stunned. 

“I want a divorce!” You yelled and stormed out.

You jumped into your car and drove away, you didn’t know where you were going to go, but you knew you needed to be away from him.

You dialed up Jaehyun who had heard the entire conversation from outside of your house.

“Hello?” He said with the faked tone of confusion in his voice.

“Jaehyun..I need to see you.”

You drove to his house.

It was an incredibly large mansion, and when you went inside, the walls were lined with gold and red velvet curtains. It looked beautiful, unreal almost.

You wondered how Jaehyun could live in an expensive place at such a young age.

Jaehyun looked at your magnificent face as your mouth dropped open.

“Investments.” He smirked.

You laughed and looked back at him. His eyes were warm, his smile was bright.

He could tell you had been crying so once in the foyer he steps close to you and searches your wet eyes.

He runs his thumb along your cheek as you gaze up at him.

“What happened, love?”

You shook your head. “It’s Kun..we fought, I just..I don’t know, Jaehyun, I don’t think we can make it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, y/n..”

“I love him, I really do but..” you look to the side and sniffle.

“Is he controlling, y/n?”

Your eyes flicker up to him. You nod slowly.

“Is he the reason why you stopped hanging out with me?”

You nod again.

Jaehyun purses his lips. “Y/n..he’s threatened by you, he doesn’t want you to be independent now that you’re married. He wants to control you and that isn’t a partnership. That isn’t love.”

Your eyes brim with tears once again. “Jaehyun..I don’t want to think about him right now...I want to feel loved, can you do that for me?”

Jaehyun’s dark soul nearly escapes his body. “Of course.” 

You place both hands on his head and kiss him slowly and sensually. You both close your eyes as you fall into him more, his arms wrapping around you to bring you closer to him. He wants to become one with you, feel you, smell you, to be completely enraptured by you for eternity.

Time stood still and your heart fluttered as it was finally being satisfied by something it had craved from the first moment you met Jaehyun.

He too felt everything slow down to a crawl, your lips tasted like the sweetest fruit, your hands were soft like plush blankets.

He pulls away to breathe, his hot breath hitting your now swollen lips. “So beautiful” he whispers into them, then kisses you again in the dim lighting of his house.

He takes you into his arms and carries you to one of his many bedrooms.

“I will take you higher than the heavens themself, just give in to me.” He whispers softly.

He lays you down gently onto the fluffy bed and watches as you relax into it, your hair looking gorgeous as it lays against the white sheets, your neck just begging for soft kisses or hastily made bite marks, cute nose and round, swollen lips. He looks into your wide eyes and smiles. “You’re stunning.” He kicks his shoes off and crawls over you.

You giggled and held him by the hem on his shirt. “Jaehyun...kiss me.”

He leaned down and kissed you as you asked. He was transported back to when your name was Eve and the two of you made love in the garden. Your lips taste the same as hers, your skin feels the same, your touch and everything else was the same. Jaehyun was more than pleased to finally be experiencing your love again.

You start to take your pants down your legs and eventually kick them off. Jaehyun takes his clothes off as well, then watches you take your hoodie off to reveal your breasts.

Without hesitation, he lays his tongue flat against the perky nub, coating it with his spit. He then swirls his tongue around it while he massages the other breast that he hasn’t tasted yet. 

You moan and run your fingers through his hair.

His fingers press onto your thigh, then work their way to your sensitive skin between your legs. You tremble as they brush lightly against it.

You arch your back, telling him silently that you want him to go further. He sucks your nipples harder and listens to another moan leave your beautiful lips.

He takes two fingers and uses them to part your folds. He circles his fingertips around your entrance to collect the liquid that has formed from you being so turned on already.

He kisses the skin in between your breasts.

“You taste so sweet.”

He pushes his fingers into you slowly, your legs widen a bit to adjust to him. His fingers are long and slender, but it doesn’t take much time before his knuckles hit your most sensitive part.

“Jaehyun..” you exhale.

His fingers glide in and out of you slowly, he curls his finger tips to press right onto the fleshy spot that makes your head spin. He flicks his tongue across your breast as his fingers work on your needy area.

He looks up at you through low eyes, your dainty fingers grasping onto the sheets tightly.

“So-so close.” You whimper.

His fingers move faster, pressing onto your clenching walls as you get closer.

He then kneels and looks down at you as his fingers still move back and forth.

He licks his lips and lowers his face to the apex of your open legs. He flicks his tongue across you slit now, combining the action of his tongue with his finger to drive you crazy.

He moves his tongue in circular motions onto your clit as his finger moves in faster and presses onto your g-spot harder.

His long tongue flattens onto you repeatedly. 

You cry out his name one final time before cumming onto his fingers. He continues to rub his nose onto your clit and lick inside you as you climax and shake.

You try to push your body up away from him, but he holds your waist down firmly and continues to eat you out.

“Jaehyun!” You look down at him to see his eyes, almost with a glint of red in them, looking up at you sternly.

He places a kiss onto your folds then crawls over you to face you. He licks his lips. 

“Y/n, my love, I will never force you to bow down to me, you are my queen, you always have been. I will not lose you like I did so long ago.”

You’re slightly confused, but you nod and kiss him. He lays down beside you and takes your waist into his hands as his tongue now dances with yours.

He brings your body over on top of his.

Your skin becomes littered with goose pimples as he runs his hands up and down your thighs.

You kneel over his intimidating length and take in a sharp breath while running your hands along his chest and abs. He, too, was magnificent, like a painting or sculpture come to life.

He takes your hand in his and watches your naked body above him. 

He remembered the first time you made love, you rode him that time too, bringing him to his most memorable orgasm of all time.

You sink down onto him slowly, your head falling back instantly.

You couldn’t stop your pussy from clenching around him as he stretched you out so well and stimulated you just from being halfway in.

He pushes up into you to help you. You feel his cock buried deep inside you, running against your silky walls and pressing onto your sweet spot once more.

He curved into you so perfectly. You bite your lips and swivel your hips as you move up and down. He grabs your ass and brings it down onto him. 

He groans when you quiver around him and it is a low sound that you’ve never heard before, it’s almost animalistic.

But it’s hot, and pushes you closer to the edge.

Jaehyun watched your body shimmer in the low, warm lighting of the room. Your face is adorable, your skin is soft and glistens, you smell like vanilla. He wished he could have you like this forever, gliding down onto him, your breasts moving up and down as you whimper and moan from the feeling of his cock stretching you out.

You are his Heaven.

He thrusts up into you harder. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room as does your groans and cries.

Jaehyun fits you so perfectly, you’re on the brink of tears, you're weak and ride him sloppily as you chase your high.

Jaehyun knows this and flips you over onto your back in a swift move. He places your legs onto his shoulders and pushes into you. His hips slap against yours as he kisses you again.

He uses his ability to grow even more while inside you.

His eyes glow red but your eyes are closed as he fucks into you from above now.

“Jaehyun..fuck..” Tears escape your eyes. Your pussy clenches uncontrollably around his cock.

He runs his palm onto your belly and feels his cock twitch in the pit of your stomach. “I’m so deep inside you, do you like feeling me? Do you want me to release deep inside you?”

He moves faster.

You arch your back. “Fill me up, please, I want you inside me so badly.” You whimper out.

Jaehyun licks his thumb and places it onto your clit. He licks your breast again and sucks hard.

You cum hard and shake.

He climaxes as well, cumming deep inside you as you let out a stream of curses. You had never orgasmed so hard, but something about Jaehyun has you trembling for several minutes. He was able to deliver pleasure just as he was able to deliver pain in the underworld.

He rubs his thumb along the side of your sweaty face while watching his cum leak out of you.

“My love..would you like me to fuck you again?”

His voice is gravelly, but confident, for he already knows the answer.

You nod and within a few milliseconds you’re on your chest with your ass up in the air. Jaehyun pounds you into the bed and has you calling out his name several times that night.

You fall asleep after climaxing many times. You felt amazing, like a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. Jaehyun held you in his arms and cuddled you to sleep.

“Y/n..I’m happy you’re mine now.”

————

[The Next Day]

Jaehyun woke up to see that you left him, you had snuck out and drove back home.

You left a note for him explaining that you couldn’t be in a relationship with him for your heart belonged to Kun. 

“Thank you for being here for me, I am sorry for coming to you during my weakest moment. I hope you will respect my wish to not see you again, as I must remain steady in my marriage to Kun.

With Love, Y/n” 

Jaehyun crumbles up the note and sets fire to it in his hands. His horns grow large and his eyes beam red, furious is an understatement.

How could you do this to him? He made love to you, gave you the best love you’d ever had and you still went back to him.

He would make sure to ruin Kun, for if he couldn’t have you, no one else should.

————

[3 Months Later] 

Jaehyun was still hurt by you leaving him that night, but he knew there was nothing he could do. A part of him wanted you to be happy, but a part of him wanted to destroy Kun so he could have you all to himself.

He had planned to get rid of him until he discovered that you were pregnant. He wasn’t sure if the baby was his or Kun’s, but he did know that if he were to kill Kun you would potentially lose the baby from devastation. He couldn’t do that to you, he couldn’t cause that pain even if he was satisfied by Kun’s death.

So he watches you from afar, imagining once again that it was him preparing for a baby instead of Kun.

The two of you looked happy, maybe it was the child that was making things different.

Either way, he hated seeing you so happy without him.

————

[8 Months Later]

You give birth to your son. You and Kun raise it together and take turns watching it during the night. 

One day, Jaehyun visits you while you cradle the baby at home alone.

You open the door and your smile falls.

Jaehyun, however, smiles harder when he sees your pretty face, glowing from the post pregnancy hormone changes.

Seeing you like this makes him want to get you pregnant all over again.

“J-Jaehyun?” You hadn’t seen him since that night, but he still looked good.

“Y/n..it’s been so long, hasn’t it?”

Something about him being there after so much time made you uneasy.

“Well..can I come in?” Jaehyun gives a half smile.

You nod and let him in.

You hold your baby and sit in a rocking chair. “So..what brings you here?”

“I’m here to see my child of course!”

Your brows furrow. “YOUR..child?”

Jaehyun smirks and steps closer to you. He smiles to himself as he looks at the baby.

“Come on, y/n, did you forget how many times I buried my seed into your beautiful cunt that night?”

You shook your head. “Don’t speak like that, please. I was weak, I-I was sad and broken..”

“Of course, but you loved it, you loved all of it.” He looked up to the ceiling and shut his eyes.

“I can still hear your moans right now.”

“Kun is the father, Jaehyun..this isn’t up for debate.”

“And if he’s not?” He tilts his head and looks back down at you.

“Well, he is. I’ll raise this child with my husband, regardless of who the biological father is, we have no place for you in this house.”

“Tsk tsk...keeping me away from my own child? Y/n..that’s not very nice of you, my love.”

“Don’t call me that!” Your voice rose slightly. “We had one night together, I don’t want to be with you, I will never be yours.”

“You’re already mine, y/n, you always will be, don’t you understand, after all these years?”

You shook your head. “Jaehyun.. you’re crazy. I’d like you to leave.”

You reached your hand out to grab your phone.

Jaehyun sees that you're nervous and chuckles to himself. “Oh..y/n..you’ve really made me upset. I guess I will just have to embrace my nature.”

He shuts the front door as you stare intently.

You always had a fear that the baby might be his, but how did he know you were pregnant in the first place?

————

[Two Days Later]

Jaehyun summons Lilith.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure?”

She appears to him with a slim body and dark hair this time. Her face is perfect like one of some celebrity, but God cursed Jaehyun’s vision so that when he looks at Lilith, he can only see an ugly monster. 

“I need you to take it.”

Jaehyun demands as sits on his throne in Hell. He tosses an apple in the air.

“Seduce the man and come back with the baby.”

“And what do I get out of it?” She places her hand on her hip.

“Nothing. But if you don’t do it, I will rip your fucking head off.” He looks up at her slowly. “Is that a good enough reason for you?”

Lilith scoffs then goes to do as she is told.

She appears to Kun who is half asleep on the couch in the living room. It’s his turn to watch the baby, so he can’t sleep completely.

“Hey there, big boy.” She says smoothly and crawls over him.

“Who—who are you?”

“My name’s Lilith.” She zips her leather jacket down to reveal her bare chest. “You look lonely, sweetheart.”

Kun is hypnotized by her, he doesn’t know if he’s awake or asleep, but he does know that he wants her badly. 

“Do you want to fuck me?” Lilith asks with doe eyes as she looks up at him and pumps her breasts.

Kun nods and soon finds himself enraptured by a succubus, burying himself into her and thus falling into her trap as you, his wife, lay sound asleep in the room above.

Once Lilith brings Kun to an extraordinary climax, he falls asleep.

She then walks upstairs slowly to the baby room.

Her appealing looks disappear and she transforms into her true being, a disturbingly ugly monster with grey skin and long legs and arms. Her bones crack as she grows to about 6 feet 6 inches tall, her black hair falls out onto the floor and her jaw protrudes as her eyes glow red. She smells like rotten eggs as green liquid oozes out of her pores and eyes.

She stares at the baby sleeping soundly in its crib.

You, however, wake up from the crackling sound.

“Kun?” You murmur.

You get up and walk to the baby room.

You nearly pass out from the stench and feel your legs grow weak when you see the ghastly being standing over your baby.

“Hey!” You call out, but when the thing turns around, it already has your baby in its arms. A wide creepy smile filled with about twenty sharp and misshapen teeth creeps across its face.

You start to cry. “Put him down!”

You run towards it but it disappears.

You grasp the crib and look into it, shifting the blankets around before looking under it.

Your baby was nowhere to be found.

You let out a painful scream that Jaehyun, and even your neighbors could hear and fell to the floor.

Kun finally woke up and ran upstairs. He consoled you as you cried uncontrollably.

———-

[One Month Later]

The police and everyone in the neighborhood helped you to search for your baby, but nothing happened. 

You tried to explain that night so many times, but nothing made sense and people just thought you were crazy.

Even Kun. He left you soon after the incident, the heartbreak was too much for him and he didn’t trust you. So he left you, moving further away and starting a new life without you as the divorce papers started to process.

You were alone, you couldn’t deal with the loss of your child. You sat alone at a pond and cried until you couldn’t cry anymore.

Jaehyun knew your time was running out, he knew you’d pass and eventually come to him to live with him in the dark world.

Your heart breaks and you die of sadness at the edge of the pond.

Your soul slips away from your body. 

Jaehyun is there watching as you stare down at it in confusion.

“Jaehyun?”

“Hello, y/n.”

“Where am I?”

“You’re with me now, where you should be.” He smiles as he goes to take your hand, but his hand passes through.

Jaehyun looks in confusion at his hand.

“Can you see me?” You ask.

“Of course I can. I should be able to touch you too, but..” he turns away and looks at his hand which is still vibrating like it had just been shocked with electricity.

“What’s happening?”

He turns back to you, but you’re gone.

“Oh, Lucifer..” a male voice calls out to him.

“You thought you had it all figured out, didn’t you? You would have her die then bring her to hell to live with you forever..”

“Winwin?” He recognizes the angel in front of him.

“I wish I could say it’s nice to see you again, but it really isn’t.”

“What the hell is going on? She’s mine!” He grows angry, his eyes becoming red and his horns growing out in harmony with his black wings.

“No, she isn’t. She belongs with us, remember God will always win.” Winwin smirks.

“No..no they can’t do this to me again!”

“Of course they can! Goodbye, LuLu!” Winwin then spins and disappears.

Jaehyun curses and shouts loudly, so loudly that the heavens can hear him. You can hear him, but now you realized who he really was and why he was so infatuated with you. It broke your heart that he went to such lengths to hold onto you, but now you knew that he was nothing but evil.

Jaehyun could feel you, he could sense you everywhere and sometimes he could see you, but he could never touch you again. He would have to live eternally as a tortured individual that lost his love 3 times.

“Well, at least you have the child.” Lilith looks at her nails as Jaehyun thrashes about in hell.

“What will you name him?”

Jaehyun smooths his hair back and walks to the crib that the baby sleeps in. “His name..is Cain.”

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

Review: A River Enchanted (Rebecca Ross)

Rating: ★★★★★/5

“‘I look at me and I look at you, and I see two different dreams. I am death. And you, Sidra…’ He reached out to touch her face, softly, as if she might vanish beneath his fingers. ‘You are life.’ She closed her eyes beneath his caress. When his hand eased away, she looked at him and whispered, ‘Does that mean we cannot exist as one?’ He had been waiting for her to ask this. He had yearned too answer her in the orchard, when she had made it evident that they were vastly contrasting souls. ‘No,’ Torin said. ‘It means that without you, I am nothing.’” That ending…ouch :') This book was like ivy by Taylor Swift with a touch of Outlander and so much heart that it made me ache the whole way through. I loved it so much. After ten years away from his island home of Cadence, Jack Tamerlaine has been summoned back by his laird. He returns, unsure of what he'll find, what he'll feel, being back on the island that the was forced to leave at age 12. Turns out, it was his childhood nemesis, Adaira, who summoned him back, and the island has a problem: a missing girl problem. The spirits of the island are crafty, but Jack is willing to use his skills as a bard to try to win them over to find the girls - but the island has many secrets, and Jack is entwined with more of them than he realizes. The word that comes to mind when I think back on this book days after finishing it is "lovely". In all aspects, this book is that. I feel like I spent weeks on Cadence, breathing the salty island air and learning about the spirits, and god, I would kill to actually live there. Jack and Adaira are what I would consider the "main" characters of this book, and they are such a joy to read about. Jack is soft, with music in his heart, but he's been slighted by the island, and it takes him time to readjust and accept that it is still his home; Adaira is strong, ready to rule in the event of her father's death. Their enemies to lovers romance was, naturally, SO satisfying for me. But it was Sidra and Torin that drew me in the most, that made me feel the most. The amount of compassion and love that they have for each other and their daughter, the way that their relationship changes as they change and grow and suffer loss and heartache and triumph, just...got me. I wanted them to be so, so happy and so, so good for one another. I liked the structure of the plot here as well. As the spirits are summoned and the mystery is unraveled, things always felt like they were clipping along, but with room to really *feel* the island, to live there with the characters. I loved the clan dynamics and how everything feels distinctly Scottish, but with those magical, fae elements that elevate it to a place that I would die for. I absolutely can't wait to return to Cadence and these characters. That ending personally hurt me, and I need to know where we go from here. I adore the cover of book 2, and I wish it was in my hands right now. 

[hettiesworld]

Name of fic: Knowing Me, Knowing You

Pairing: Jake Jensen x OFC (Tao/Maya)

Plot summary: Taking place after the movie, the gang (except Roque and Pooch) go to China and they meet Tao (who is a friend of Aisha’s) in Tianjin, which is her hometown. She tries to help them with defeating Max once and for all but she cannot leave Tianjin...

Warnings: Foul language, moderate violence, mentions of sex trafficking and abuse, sexual themes and smut.

Used quote from the movie: “Liking the angle of the dangle?”

Author’s note: This is part of my ABBA song masterlist. It is inspired by the song Knowing Me, Knowing You by ABBA (of course) and the faceclaim for Tao/Maya is Pom Klementieff (who plays Mantis in the MCU). Enjoy!

Chapter 1

The gang (consisting of Clay, Jensen, Cougar and Aisha) were in an empty bar after helping Pooch get to the hospital, in time for the birth of his newborn son.

“4 glasses of your finest whisky please.” Clay asked the bartender, leaning into Aisha and wrapping his arm around her.

The bartender nodded.

“Make that 5 glasses, Zhou. Xièxiè (thank you).” A female voice was heard from the counter.

The clicking of some heels added rhythm to the soft music that played onward without pause. Her eyes scanned the room with determination in search of someone when her eyes met Jensen, she smiled. 

They all looked at her as she put the 5 glasses on a tray and go over to their table. She placed the glasses, one-by-one, and of course, the last one to get their drink was Jensen.

She then took her whisky, sitting down in their seating area.

“Can we know the name of the lovely lady who has decided to join us for a drink?” Clay smiled at her. “Tao...” Aisha beamed at her. “Aisha...” The woman smiled back at Aisha.

“You know her?” Clay questioned his ‘girlfriend’.

Aisha smiled at him and sipped her whisky before explained, “Gentlemen, this is Maya.”

Jensen had to look twice, maybe clean his ‘Harry Potter’ glasses inbetween looking twice. 

“This is Maya?” He asked. “Yep.” “What, the Chinese agent?” “Former agent.” Tao interrupted him. “Aren’t you the one with those cool knife skills?” Jensen asked her again. “Sword skills. Kind of like ‘Kill Bill’. Or samurai ninjas. Your choice.” Tao replied.

Cougar gave his respect to Tao, tipping his hat at her. She smiled back at him.

“So you know about Max?” Clay inquired Tao, tilting his head.

“Yeah. He killed my father who was part of a sex trafficking syndicate here in Tianjin. I was supposed to be part of it but I went against him, helping the children involved, escape the place.”

Tao was a beautiful Middle-Eastern woman, but only on the outside. She was highly practiced at seduction. With her looks and high cheek bones it was all too simple. Nothing so pretty could possibly harm you, right?

Well, she was a former Chinese agent. What do you think?

Tao watched as it seeped up through the joints in the floorboards and snakes out from dark corners and crevices. The blackness formed from some primeval hatred, and the collective despair of all those it’s taken before, closes in on the group, bleeding into their shadows cast by their own candlelight.

It felt as if her lungs were slowly filling with water, as if there was just less space in them for the air. Inflating them felt like pushing up a lead weight on her chest. 

Why couldn't she breathe? Why was it so hard?

“Jensen... I can’t leave.” Tao gulped.

Jensen came up to her, not that close so she doesn’t kick him where the sun don’t shine, but close enough so only them two can talk to each other.

“What? What do you mean?”

“I can’t leave Tianjin. I don’t know why but I can feel it in my chest and in my soul that I can’t leave. I can’t help you any further.” She mumbled.

“Okay, okay... calm down Maya. Just sit down and breath in and out... slowly.” Jensen carefully touched her shoulders and slowly helped her sit down on a nearby box. 

Fortunately, she did not hit him or hurt him badly, out of self-defence.

But later on, Jensen was hit really badly by Max’s new bodyguard. Maya, even though she couldn’t leave Tianjin, left her hometown, and came to the US of A to heal Jensen.

He was currently in a supermarket, just like the last time. He was injured in the arm, but it was the same one as last time.

“I’m here. Where is he hurt?” Tao came up to where Jensen was lying and Cougar, Aisha and Clay was surrounding him. She had a first aid kit strapped to her waist.

“His right arm. Again.” Aisha faltered.

“What do you mean again, Aisha? Did you hurt him the last time?” Tao remarked.

“By accident!” Aisha replied.

Tao sighed as she takes out a doggy squeaky toy and passed it to Jensen. “Bite on this. This might hurt.”

A lot of blood was coming out of a hole. Tao put a lot of pressure on the wound. She put a dressing on his wound to clot and seal the wound. She checked Jensen’s heartbeat and breathing. It was quite high.

She elevated the wound above the heart to slow the breathing.

“It is a good job the bullet didn’t go all the way into your body Jensen. I’ll just be putting a pressure bandage on you for now. We will have to get you into a hospital for that wound though.” Tao explained. “Thank you for coming, Maya. I know you’re not supposed to leave Tianjin but I appreciate you helping me.” Jensen replied.

She sighed.

“Well, to be honest, I didn’t want to but you guys need my help with Max and I wasn’t going to let my situation, no matter how bad it is, get in the way of that.” Tao stated.

Jensen took the toy out of his mouth and smiled at her.

Tao’s hotel room contained a small double bed, neatly made, two straight-backed chairs, a washstand, a bureau--without any mirror--and a small table. There were no drapery curtains at the dormer windows, no pictures on the wall.

Just then, a knock on the door.

Tao opened the door to see Jensen, outside of her door.

“Hi.” “Jensen. What are you doing outside my hotel room?” “I just... wanted to thank you Maya --”

Tao crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Jensen. Call me Tao. Maya is just Aisha’s little nickname for me.” 

“Got it.”

A heavy silence settled over them, thicker then the uneasy tension in the atmosphere.

He's not usually the kind of guy Tao fantasise about. For starters, he's blonde and she’d always liked brunettes. She lusted after green eyed men with a handle on the world of business. Until she met Jensen.

“Tao...” Jensen hesitated, trying to say her name in his head over and over again. “I... I... I --” “Yes Jensen?” “Fine, I’ll come out with it. I like you. I really, really like you.”

Tao smiled and pulled his shirt so he could move closer to her. She then moved themselves so her back is towards the door. She turned so she could close and lock the door.

She strolled over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders and rubbing over his chest. She placed sweet kisses upon his neck, for every time she placed them there she knew she’d adored him for all time. She was on her tippy-toes.

“Tao...?”

She kept rubbing his chest, eventually putting her hands near his hips, moving his shirt up and over his head. She threw his shirt over to one of the straight-back chairs.

“Jensen. I like you too. Very, very much. And I want to show you how much I do like you...Pull your shorts down. I want to see the ‘dangle’ that Aisha has been telling me about.”

Jensen gave no time of pulling his shorts down. 

Tao was on her knees. “Naughty, naughty. Not wearing any underwear...” She smirked at him.

“Liking the angle of the dangle?” Jensen chuckled. 

Tao smirked once more and stood up to meet Jensen’s gaze.

“Of course I am.” Her body was pressed against his. His naked body against hers.

“Can you... erm...” Jensen trailed off as he looked down at his naked body.

“I guess it’s not fair with you being the only one naked...” Tao beamed. 

She wrapped her hands over his member and pumping it up and down. She then licked his head and swirling her tongue around and on it, making him groan and moan.

“Fuck Tao...” He praised.

As she kept going, her milky breasts spilled out of her top. He looked at her with a soft smile, commenting on her breasts and how looking up to see them was surprising. 

Tao had the breasts of a French actress, rather than anything North American television has to offer.

He pulled her, once again, to meet his gaze. Jensen ran his hands down her front, over her body that changed by the day. 

He pushed her onto the back wall. Tao arched her back as he kissed all over her body, pushing her skirt down, so she was completely naked as well.

“Let me guess... Wearing underwear in the night-time is annoying for you. I get it.” Jensen smirked at her this time.

“I guess so. I didn’t know you can be so...dominant.”

“Well, you don’t know a lot about me. That’s about to change.”

@jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @optimistic-dinosaur-nacho​ @donutloverxo​ @chrisheavans​ @navybrat817​ @pegasusdragontiger​ @katiew1973​ @averyrogers83​

[avinaccia]

A Completely Objective and Logical Ranking of Every Hetalia Character Song

New character songs are dropping,  I have too much time on my hands, let’s go. 

Also here’s a Youtube playlist for the ~✨nostalgia✨~

Bring it on in the tags 

71. Ah Legendary Class⭐The Awesome Me Highway [Prussia]: Absolutely tearing it up on the drums and on the vocal cords alike (I pray for Atsushi Kousaka). Great for the memes. 

70.  Happy Thoughts Museum [???]: This is listed as an official song but I had literally never heard of the title. Then I listened to it and BAM! Smack back to 2013 watching the teasers for the show on Funimation. Not sure I’d count it as a character song though...

69. (Nice)  My Song that is written by me for me [Prussia]: Deafened me but I can appreciate the industrial grind.

68.  My House is...Quiet. ~With the Trolls~ [Norway]: I have never heard this song, nor can I find any version of it online. By default it goes here and I am so sorry Norge.

67.  Make a Wish to Santa♪ [Sealand]: The discordant notes and childish exuberance only serve to make this sound like a demonic plea to Santa to eliminate the singer’s enemies.

66.  Heaven and Hell on Earth [Rome]: Rome sounds like he’s been in the corner of a restroom. Extra points for the metal version, minus points for the fact that the beach scene was replayed like 1764 times.

65. Canada Complete Introduction [Canada]: Quiet af until Kumacheerio shows up and blows out your speakers. they did you dirty my darling 😔

64.  It’s Easy!!! [America]: I don't think any video of this has ever stayed up for more than 20 seconds. Sounds cool, but like I was listening to 20 different genres at once, someone make him calm down.

63.  Bù Zàiyì the Small Stuff ☆ [China]: I cannot for the life of me find the complete song anywhere, clips have a cool beat though

62.  Let's Boil Hot Water♪ [Italy]: Exactly what it says on the tin..though a bit too close to elevator music for my tastes.

61.  The Fragrance of Early Summer [Japan]: Very ‘from the books’ Japan-esque song

60.  Peace Sounds Nice…[Baltic Trio]: All well and good until the radio demon shows up

59.  W●D●C ~World Dancing~ [America]: How a song can sound like it’s from 4 different decades at once is beyond me

58.  Overflowing Passion [BFT]: This is just drunken karaoke and I have 0 clue what’s going on #iconicforallthewrongreasons

57. Ren●Ren●Renaissance♪ [Rome+Chibitalia]: Wholesome Grandpa with Grandson content - barring the fact that Italy sounds on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Rome has had too much wine.

56.  Roma Antiqua [Rome]: Similar energy to any one of China’s songs - there’s a part of the song where it sounds like he’s singing in the shower, and I will never not laugh at [CENSORED]

55.  Country From Where the Sun Rises, Zipangu [Japan]: Very chill, very Japan, but just meh for me.

54.  Moon Over Emei Shan [China]: Good message, okay song.

53.  My Friend [England]: What a mind palace you must have Mr. Kirkland

52.  With Love, from Iceland [Iceland]: Three words: Heavy. Metal. Puffin.

51.  Having Friends is Nice...♫ [Russia]: Russia is the cutest thing ever

50.  Mm. [Sweden]: Smooth transition from WWE Smackdown to shopping at IKEA.

49.  Why don’t you come over? ~Beyond the Northern Lights~ [Iceland]: I don’t want to be mean but...this does sound like the second closing theme to an anime whose first closing was much more popular (à la Soul Eater)

48. Gakuen☆Festa [Germany, Italy, Japan]: Sounds like a 60s song of the summer but oh dear their voices do not go together. Hella cute though.

47.  Wa! Wa!! World Ondo [Main Cast]: One time I travelled 10 hours in a coach bus with a bunch of teenagers to a city of note in my country, and the only souvenir I bought was the fucking PAINT IT WHITE DVD. Perfectly chaotic, UN ĐĕùX~~

46.  In the Bluebell Woods [England]: In the album cover for this song he’s holding a guitar but this is not a rock song. Still has ‘running through the hills’ levels of dramatism though.

45.  Poi Poi Poi♪ [Taiwan]: You’re telling me that Taiwan, someone whose has *ONE LINE* in Beautiful World (which is criminal tbh what kind of representation-) managed to get an eNTIRE CHARACTER SONG???????

44.  White Flame [Russia]: There’s something to be said for a song that is 3x the length of any Hetalia episode

43.  Ich liebe… [Germany]: Baking cakes for your friends has never been so wholesome.

42.  We Wish you a Merry Christmas [America, China, England, France, Russia]: Nice to see they’ve gotten their shit together since United Nations Sta-hmm.

41.  Ah, Worldwide à la mode [France]: Sounds like a Disney Princess song, hard not to picture France frolicking in a field of flowers.

40.  Che Bello! ~My House is the Greatest!⭐~ [Italy]: Would not be out of place in an advertisement for Sea World.

39.  May You Smile Today [Japan]: THE feel good song of the summer

38.  Let’s Look Behind the Rainbow [Italy]: I will protect you.

37.  I'm your HERO☆ [America]: “Anyone who’s sad or sullen will be arrested” did NOT age well.

36.  Mein Gott! [Prussia]: Alternating headphone effect at the beginning is cool, so is the confidence...the actual singing on the other hand...

35. Nihao⭐China [China]: Listen, all of China’s character songs are great, I just can’t vibe with this one like some of the others.

34.  Pechka ~Light My Heart~ [Russia]: I’m still having difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that this and Winter were released at the same time.

33.  Pukapuka⭐Vacation [Germany, Italy, Japan]: Seems just a bit too much like they’re running on a treadmill that’s picking up speed and trying to sing at the same time. Peppy.

32.  Santa Claus is Coming to Town [Germany, Italy, Japan]: This is unironically the best song sung by this trio; can only vibe with for two months out of the year though.

31.  Excuse Me, I Am Sorry [Japan]: Japan’s character traits speedrun. Gives me barbershop quartet vibes for some reason but is catchy as hell.

30.  The Story of Snow and Dreams [Russia]: A superhero anime opening in the making

29. England’s Evil Demon Summoning Song [England]: Sir that is not how you roast a marshmallow, don’t cut yourself on that edge.

28.  Moi Moi Sauna♪ [Finland]: Exactly the type of song you’d expect and it’s wonderful

27.  United Nations Star⭐ [America, China, England, France, Russia]: This isn’t as much of a song as it is a four minute struggle for everyone to sing without America yelling every 5 seconds...Like a particularly musical episode of Hetalia.

26.  Paris is Indeed Splendid [France]: Paris-pa-pa-pa-paris

25.  Absolutely Invincible British Gentleman [England]: Poppy, rocky, polka-dotty

24.  Vorwärts Marsch! [Germany]: To quote the comment section: “This sounds like a German version of I’ll Make a Man out of you.” There’s some truth to that.

23.  Hamburger Street [America]: The product of America’s rapper phase. 8/10 because he’s trying so hard and because I can unironically sing along to all of this.

22.  Hoi Sam☆Nice Guy [Hong Kong]: A song that would absolutely destroy the ankles of anyone in DDR.

21.  I Am German-Made [Germany]: There was once a version that had Germany and Prussia singing at the same time and it sounded positively demonic and Broadway could never

20.  La pasión no se detiene ~Unstoppable Passion~ [Spain]: Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping...

19.  Fall in Love, Mademoiselle [France]: Sounds like it should be in Mozart Opera Rock, I have kiss kiss falled in love.

18. Embrace the Très Bien Moi [France]: This is the definition of SELF LOVE PEOPLE. 

17. Carrot and Stick [Belarus&Ukraine]: Absolutely DRIPPING in 2000s power ballad energy. The type of song that plays on repeat in the mind of the widow whose millionaire husband ‘mysteriously disappeared’ (and the only legit character song ever acknowledged by the anime)

16. C.B.C (Cowboyz Boot Camp) Vol. 1 [America]: AH MAH GAWWDDD

15. Winter [Russia]: Heavy metal fever dream and the perfect song for an angst-ridden teenager

14.  Seychelles Here ⭐ Vacation Island [Seychelles]: UN👏DER👏RA👏TED SONG👏OF 👏THE 👏SUM👏MER👏

13.  Nah, it will settle itself somehow [Romano]: One day I aspire to reach this level of chill

12.  Let’s Enjoy Today [England]: I will never not feel happy when listening to this.

11.  Einsamkeit [Germany]: Ludwig manages to air every single one of his worries about not being good enough compared to his friends and always being perceived as mean or uptight when he’s actually just a softie and now my heart hurts. 💔

10.  Aiyaa Four Thousand Years [China]: A very poignant and beautiful song about the passage of time and the inevitability of its passing; comparable to an ancient ballad complete with explosive crescendos and meaningful lyrics.

9.  Bon Bon Bon❤️C’est Bon C’est Bon! [France]: Peppy, cheerful, adorable, groundbreaking; has been my alarm tone for six years and I’ve yet to tire of it. 9/10 The moaning interspersed throughout has been an interesting wake-up call.

8.  Let’s Enjoy! Let’s Get Excited! Cheers! [Denmark]: This is on par with Everytime we Touch by Cascada in terms of rage potential unlocked (the good kind)

7.  Dream Journey [Japan]: Whoever’s playing the shakuhachi is absolutely KILLING IT. Dramatic, wonderful, great metaphors.

6.  Gourmet’s Heart Beginner Level [China]: Absolute banger, I’m a vegetarian but this would inspire me to eat shumai.

5.  Always with you...Nordic Five! [Nordic FIVVVVVEEEE]: Everyone harmonizes beautifully except for Denmark. Extremely catchy, number placement seemed appropriate. 

4.  Pub and GO! [England]: I love this trash man

3. Maji Kandou⭐Hong Kong Night [Hong Kong]: If you thought Denmark’s song was a banger JUST YOU WAIT. I WILL BLOW OUT MY SPEAKERS LISTENING TO LO-HA-SU.

2. Steady Rhythmus [Germany]: THIS SONG IS METAL AF. Seriously, if it can be classified as ‘hardcore’ by my father and his group of 50-somethings who have decided to single-handedly gatekeep the metal and hardrock genres, it can do anything.

1.  The Delicious Tomato Song 🍅 [Romano]: Beautiful, absolutely awe-inspiring, poignant, catchy lyrics with an extremely deep meaning that only years of meticulous research and analysis can unlock, Romano I love you.

BONUS: Closing Songs

5. Hatafutte Parade (World Series) 

4. Hetalian⭐Jet (The World Twinkle): The song is good, the dancing is cursed 

3. Chikyuu Marugoto Hug Shitainda (World⭐Stars)

2. Marukaite Chikyuu (Hetalia: Axis Powers): nE NE PaPA

1. Mawaru Chikyuu Rondo (The Beautiful World)