#okay ill let you all get back to admiring the writing now

[shitty-eyepocalypse-domains]

Domain of the Slaughter(TW: b/00d, kn/ves): A dirty alleyway in an urban city. There’s a tall wall behind you and buildings on either side, so there's only one way out. You walk towards the street in front of you, dimly illuminated by various neon signs. Before you’re able to exit the alley, a tall figure blocks your path. Their face is covered in shadows. There’s a small flash in the corner of your vision. You look down and see that the figure is holding a knife, the blade gleaming menacingly in the dull glow of the city. Your hands tighten into anxious fists, and you feel something in your own hand. Looking down, you see that you’re holding a knife of your own. Before you get a moment to think, the person charges toward you with a loud shout, raising the knife to strike you down. Adrenaline kicks in and your body moves on autopilot for a moment as you jump back. The figure continues to advance and attempt to attack you. In a moment of panic, you swing your blade. The person cries out in pain. You catch a glimpse of your knife. It’s coated in red. Before you get a moment to really think, the figure lunges at you once again. The two of you continue to struggle for some time. Your heart is pounding in your chest and your blood is rushing in your ears. At last, you thrust your knife at the person as hard as you can. Their body seizes up, and they collapse to the ground. Your breath is ragged as you look down at yourself. You’re covered in cuts and already forming bruises. You sigh and move to step over the body before you, but the realization of what you’ve done hits you all at once as you do. You just killed someone. Your head starts spinning and you have to lean on the wall for support. Before the adrenaline even has time to leave your system, another dark figure blocks your path, this time even taller than the last. You steady yourself and move into a defensive position, preparing yourself for another fight. Then another. Then another. The people keep on coming, and the bodies of your fallen opponents keep piling up. Your muscles ache and your head is spinning, but more people continue to show up. Each time another one falls, you’re overcome with the sickening pride and overwhelming guilt of the new blood on your hands.

Okay your writing is as always top fucking notch but I can't help but imagine it's like a video game where NPCs are coming at you one after the other and you're grinding for EXP.

[queers-gambit]

Lost and Found

prompt: ( requested ) you're just friends, but on your first night at Saltburn, you get lost in the vast halls and accidentally walk in on lover boy after a bath. he wants you to stay.

pairing: Felix Catton x female!reader

fandom masterlist: Saltburn

word count: 3.6k+

note: this SHOULD'VE gotten slutty, but it DIDN'T because i'm back in the hospital and the LAST thing i need is a nurse walking in on me writing fucking smut - oh, my God, can you imagine? new fear unlocked!

warnings: RIP Queen Lizzie, cursing, sexual tension, emotions are hard, Lord's name in vain, depiction of mental illness (anxiety), author throws in a little personal detail cause writing is therapy.

"Honestly, who lives in a place like this? The bloody Queen, that's who. Her and all her fucking rooms! Jesus!" You grumbled, dipping down another winding hallway. "All right, this looks familiar, that's... Encouraging, right?" You frowned, glass of water in hand after venturing to the kitchen to fetch it - but now, you couldn't navigate your way back to your room. "Of course," you growled quietly, opening a door and finding a linen closet.

How silly, in a place like this! A fucking linen closet!

You huffed and shut the door, feeling incredibly awkward and terribly misplaced. You mind screamed that didn't belong here, you never should've set foot in a place like this! How fucking foolish you felt, like a silly little girl who was just excited her crush spoke to her, let alone invited you home with him for the summer holiday.

But it was Felix fucking Catton - certified enigma. He was all man with a boyish charm who smiled at you on move-in day at Oxford and sealed your fate. He was ridiculously nice, so very sweet, borderline annoying with his giving nature and kindness. He was loyal to a fault, intuitive, observant, admirably carefree, and so very happy to give his love to anyone who needed it. For a few weeks, you felt almost offended by his attention, wondering what kind of broken soul he thought you were; knowing he had an affinity for "damaged" or "broken" things.

At least, that's what his cousin, Oxford's registered and certified catty bitch, Farleigh Start, teased you about relentlessly when he noted the way Felix hung around you. Felix invited you out with friends, offered to study together, walked you to and from classes - even if his were in the literal opposite direction. You had no honest idea how the two were related, given Farleigh's constant attitude and Felix's overwhelming kindness, but that wasn't for you to understand. You just relished the attention Felix bestowed in-between your skepticism.

And here you are, your first night in his home, Saltburn, completely lost and totally turned-around! You didn't need water all that bad, did you? Granted, you had a several tablets to take that evening to maintain your health, but you could've used the fucking sink in the adjoining bathroom! You grew frustrated the more doors you opened, finding empty rooms or closets or another fucking library or studies or whatever! As if this home wasn't big enough, there were multiple levels and all you knew was that you and Felix were both located on the same floor with his parents above you and his sister and Farleigh beneath.

So, that helped.

But you still felt so fucking silly.

Seriously, who got LOST in someone else's home!? Fools, that's who!

Okay, okay, okay, you didn't need to be so hard on yourself, but you grew nervous and fearful for a reason you didn't understand. Your anxiety was planted in your stomach, festering, growing, taking over you to the point that you had tears in your eyes when you found yet ANOTHER fucking study!

"Oh, even the bloody fucking Queen doesn't have this many useless rooms, and she's a much bigger family, Jesus fucking Christ," you sneered to yourself - ready to give up and just sleep in one of the empty rooms. But you didn't want Duncan finding you in the morning, asking questions, forcing you to admit you were lost - you felt humiliated enough as it was! And that was without anyone witnessing this absolute mess you had made!

Well, not technically a mess - but you felt like a mess the more you crept around. And now, you felt fucking creepy - like some stalker, sneaking around the halls, trying to spy on this very nice family. You knew you weren't, but the feeling was still there - fucking anxiety would honestly be the death of you.

However, you came upon a familiar (enough) door that had a gentle light emitting from under it. With a sigh of relief, you suddenly remembered leaving a light on for yourself to return to; reaching for the doorknob, twisting it, and darting into the room while swiftly swinging the door close - but halting it to shut quietly as to not disturb anyone in the empty halls.

Yeah, anxiety was a bitch.

"Ohh-ho, evenin', love," a voice greeted, making you gasp, jump, and twist around. "Miss me that much? Heard the drain on the tub, didn't yah, had to come sneak a peek?"

Felix fucking Catton stood at the end of a messy bed in all his glory, running a towel through his wet curls. Nothing obscuring your sight, nothing hiding his manhood, nothing - literally nothing on his body except a shit-eating grin.

"Jesus, Fi! Fuck, I-I-I'm so - um," you gulped, trying not to ogle him, but failing (miserably) when beads of water rolled between the contours of his impossibly impressively sculpted muscles. "I just - you know, this place is so bloody big - um, I'm sorry - I just... Yeah..."

He smirked, nodding sarcastically, "Uh-huh. And you just happened to stumble into my room? Pretty good timing, too, wasn't it?"

You squeaked, "I didn't mean to! I swear - Felix, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to, um, yeah, you know - uh..."

"Like what you see, sweetheart? Why don't you come in closer, get a better look?"

You adverted your eyes out of respect and fumbled messily for the door handle. "Oh, sweet Jesus. Bloody house is just too bloody big, I got all turned around - just needed some water and I just - fuck, I'm sorry - "

"Hey, hey," Felix chuckled, wrapping his towel loosely around his hips so his V-line was still on raunchy display, "I'm only teasin', love. I know this place can get confusin' t'newcomers. I actually meant to grab you some water, know you gotta take your tablets."

You swallowed your embarrassment, sighing, "I'll just - yeah - no - I'll, um, just go - I'm so sorry, again."

"You know where you're goin' all of a sudden?"

You faced the door, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, shaking your head gently, "Well, no, but I'll figure it out - I left a, um, I left a light on, you know, to help - I don't know - uh, guide me?"

"You've not stuttered this much since we first met," he laughed, tugging a pair of boxers on for your sanity (and to your dismay). "I'm dressed, doll, you can look at me now. C'mon, bit weird talkin' to your back."

"We're not talking, Felix, I'm going to bed."

"Then why haven't you left yet?"

You blinked at the intricately carved door, realizing your hand was still on the knob, but it hadn't turned. "I didn't want to be so rude as to just walk out, mid-sentence!"

"Hey, hey, you're all right, darlin', I'm only teasin'," he grinned, hearing his bare feet pad over the ground before his warm hand wrapped around your elbow. "C'mon, love, hang with me a bit - 's not that late, is it?"

"Oh, so, Duncan can walk in? Make his assumptions?" You whispered, slowly facing him and leaning back on the door with a pout. His big, brown, doe-eyes stared directly into yours, making you feel under his spotlight - something akin to a privilege, since Felix Catton didn't bestow his attention on everyone. "I just needed water, I didn't mean t'get, you know, lost like this. Seriously, this place looks totally different at night."

"Surprised you even got this far, huh?"

"I looked in any room with an open door," you admitted with a small wince. "I felt so creepy, but I was all turned around - and you know, you shouldn't leave other lights on in rooms not being used. Terrible waste of energy."

"Awh, my sweet, environmentally-conscious girl," he cooed, hand raising to gently pinch your jaw. There was a serene moment, the pair of you just staring at one another, becoming acutely aware that he was still practically naked. "C'mon, don't leave yet, we can play cards if you like?"

"I've medicine t'take - "

"Right, right, right," he nodded, letting his hand drift to hold your neck in a gentle grasp. "Tell you what, you stay here, I'll grab your meds, and bring them back? You keep 'em in that li'l pink bag, yeah?"

"I don't know how to feel that you know which is my med bag," you narrowed your eyes playfully.

"Just shows I pay attention, don't it?"

"Maybe shows we spend too much time together?"

He kissed his teeth, grinning at you, "There's no such thing - in fact! I reckon we could double our time together and it still wouldn't feel like enough."

"Well, how's that help me later? I still don't know where my room is - oh, don't laugh!" You groaned, Felix snickering louder. "Fi, c'mon, it's not funny - this place is huge! Like, illegally huge!"

He cooed, "Oh, doll, 'M not laughing at you, promise. Just... You're not the first person t'get lost here, yeah?"

You scoffed with severe discomfort, "I really don't want t'hear 'bout all the other girls you've brought home - "

"Hey, now," he cut you off swiftly, "don't do that." He shrugged meekly, "There's been no others, just friends. Mine, Farleigh's, Venetia's... They've all gotten lost once or twice... Or that time we had to actually draw Reggie a map, poor lad got lost around every bend."

You rolled your eyes, "Truly expect me to believe that, do you?" Then you let your eyes widen a fraction, teasing, "Oh, wow, you really believe it! You really believe you haven't brought home other girls who you're interested in or who are into you?"

He crowded you into the door, shifting the room's energy to something sultry, making you hold your breath as his hand slid into your hair. "You know you're the only one, right?"

"You know that's absolute bullshite, right? Like, what a fucking line!"

He tisked, "C'mon, doll."

"Be honest, Felix."

His head cocked, "Want the truth?"

"That'd be a nice change of pace."

He scoffed lightly, "I don't give a single fuck if any of our previous guests cared for me - only you. Hear me?" He took the last step so he was stood with his feet slotted between yours. "I didn't bring them here for any other reason than friendly entertainment. You've seen the place, as big as it is, can get a bit lonely without anyone to hang with. But I asked you here... For different reasons..." He whispered, eyes jutting down to your lips as he kept a firm hold on you.

"And what reasons are those, Fi?"

He smirked, "Obviously... To kick your arse at cards."

You were flooded with pure disappointment. Raw, unfiltered disappointment that deflated your shoulders. "Yeah, right, like that would ever happen," you covered, nudging him a single step away from you. "Wanna be a gentleman and direct me to my room now?"

"Nope," he grinned, snatching your hand and yanking you away from the door. "You're gonna sit your pretty self right here," he nudged you to the edge of his bed, turning for his desk, then turning back to you to slap a deck of cards to your hand, "you're gonna shuffle these, and mentally prepare to get your arse handed to you at your own game."

You chuckled slightly, "Thought you hated 51 Rummy?"

"Only when sober," he smirked, leaning down to peck your forehead sweetly. "Sit tight, doll, I'll be a moment, yeah?"

You sighed and watched him exit the room, reaching to set your glass of water down and observe the room. In a moment of weakness, you pet over his sheets as if tempted to snuggle into them - and you were! You were cold from the lack of robe you meant to shrug on, and wondering the halls of Saltburn took much longer than you anticipated - now wanting to dive into the warmth you knew was left, the same warmth that Felix left on everything.

You jumped when the door opened again, Felix slipping inside with your little pink bag. His brows pinched, "All right, love?"

"Hmm? Yeah - "

"Your feet are nearly blue," he shook his head, handing you your bag before turning for his wardrobe. "Socks or sweats?"

"Huh?"

He turned, holding up a pair of sweatpants and socks, repeating, "Socks or sweats? Figured you're a bit cold in that." The left side of his mouth quirked up in a smirk, eyeing you in your sleep shorts and loose teeshirt that had the collar ripped out, showing a hint of cleavage.

"Oh, uh, socks, please."

He tossed you the socks, dropped the sweats, and joined you on the bed as you pulled the oversized garment onto your feet. "C'mere, get close, get comfortable," he chuckled, pushing his blankets down to sit in the sheets, waiting until you turned in the bed to yank the blankets up over both your legs. "Didn't shuffle? My naughty girl," he joked, reaching for the deck of cards and opening it. He offered a much softer smile, eyes darting to your medicine bag, and then focusing on the cards - as if to give you privacy to take your meds.

You did so quickly, insecure about the rattling bottles and the amount of tablets in your cupped hand, but never once had Felix made you feel bad about your needs. After swallowing them, you cleared your throat and turned to face Felix as he divided the cards for the game, nodding to his side table, "Paper's over there, doll, for the score."

"Sure you want me to keep score?" You asked softly, reaching for the pad of paper and spare pen. "Last time we played, you lost so very miserably, I was embarrassed for you. We can save your pride a li'l, not keep score."

"It's only polite to let the pretty lady win."

"Oh, tryin' to butter me up, are you?"

"Is it working?"

"I'll let you know."

Felix chuckled, leaning back to the headboard. Then, he asked softly, "You feelin' all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, all good."

"Sure?"

"Why?"

"Hands are shakin' a bit."

You eyed him for a moment, changing the subject by asking, "How're you not freezing? Seriously, 's like the floors are air conditioned."

"Nah, just not cold."

"Your nipples say otherwise."

"Lookin' at my nipples, are you?" He grinned. "Now you're a very naughty girl, knew you didn't stumble into my room on accident!"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself!" You pushed his shoulder, but he leaned closer. "Felix - "

"You could just stay here," he offered softly.

"You got me for a game - "

"No, I mean, uh..." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head and readjusting so he was supported on one elbow, facing you. "Nah, nevermind, all right, so, back to the game - "

"No, wait, say what you're thinking," you encouraged softly. "Know I hate you doin' that."

"Yeah, you get all anxious," he nodded. "I don't want t'be too forward, all right? But... You know, we sleep together at Oxford. I-In the dorms, you know?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Just thought, maybe you'd wanna stay here? With me? If you want, won't make yah, sweetheart, just thought... You know, in a house this big, you wouldn't get so lost stayin' here... Maybe?"

"Oh, aren't you my hero?"

"I know, I know, I'm just tryna look out for you, my li'l lost love. And, you know, prevent you from finding our secret dungeon," he gasped comically.

"That's not even a joke 'cause I'd believe it in a place like this. Is it a dungeon for torture or sex?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Maybe I'd like to see it. Hm," you considered, "maybe I should stay here, you know - so you can show me around and go get me water when I need it. Save my toes from freezing off, wonderin' 'round here."

He grinned, "Yeah?"

"If it's not too scandalous?"

"'S not like anyone would care... Except me, you know? I'd... I'd like you to stay here. Like havin' you close, sweetheart."

"Well, maybe you could put some clothes on? You're terribly fucking distracting! I'm here to win a card game, and I'll be damned if you win 'cause your abs are... You know, staring right at me, you cheater," you grinned, turning to face him fully with your legs crossed, the space in the sheets open for your cards.

"I think you like me naked," he grinned. "I mean, you stared long enough."

"I was just caught off guard!"

"Oh, I'm sure," his grin turned wicked. "You're still staring, doll."

"Well, it's not as if you're quick to cover yourself!"

"You're not too quick t'look away, either!"

"I was - "

"Caught off guard, yeah, you've said," he chuckled, staring at you with those moony brown eyes that made you feel as if you were the only girl he's ever seen. "Maybe I liked you lookin'."

"Is that so?"

He nodded slightly, "Yeah, not such a bad thing. You're kinda the only one I want lookin' at me like that, anyway."

"You absolute cheesehead!" Your laughter was quiet, trying not to tip Duncan off to your antics.

"You know, they're not just for lookin'," he perked his pierced brow at you. "Feel free to touch whenever you want, too."

"Hm, always knew you were a slut."

He gasped dramatically. "Is that anyway to talk to your host? Especially after giving you refuge from the big, scary, confusing halls?" Your eyes rolled and reached out to pushed his forehead, making him rock back into the pillows and headboard - but he was quick to snatch your wrist as he fell. You were yanked across the slim space, pulled so you were directly resting onto his chest; forearms bracing against his pectorals. He grinned, caressing the back of your head, teasing, "'Ello, love."

"You're a fucking fiend."

"And you're so fucking beautiful."

"I'm already stayin' here, Fi, you don't have to lay it on so thick."

He hummed, "You know... If you were mine, you'd get this treatment all the time. I can't stop - you're just so easy to compliment."

Feeling bold, perhaps from being so close and him being nearly naked, you whispered, "Then maybe you should stop shuffling your feet, grow a pair, and ask me already."

He paused, the moment turning soft as you relax against his body; stretched out the length of him, but still remaining propped on his chest to look down at his sweet face.

"Was a bit afraid to, actually, love."

"Why?"

"Haven't felt like this with anyone," he admitted, "'s just so fuckin' easy with you. Organic, authentic, safe... I was afraid to ruin that, destroy the rapport and friendship we've established. I care about you so much, I just wanted you in my life - no matter what variation that was. Being just my friend, being my girl, just want you with me. Didn't want to jeopardize anything."

"Hm," you considered, nodding slowly, "I get that. Think I felt something similar..."

"So, what do we do?"

"I think we be adults about this," you offered. "If you just want to be friends, we'll stay friends, Fi, but we don't blur lines like we have been. And if you want to give this - us - a try, I think we could. 'Cause you're you, and I'm me, and if things don't work out, we can just go back. Right? Adults do that sorta thing, don't they?"

"Not entirely sure, don't feel like an adult most days," he breathed, petting his fingertips down your cheek. "But I know I want this, with you. I swear, since you came into my life, I've felt - " He paused, shaking his head with a growing smile, "Free? Elated? Light as air?"

"Mhm, I know the feeling," you repeated.

"We doin' this?"

"That's up to you."

"I think it's up to us, actually - "

"I mean, you've gotta ask, Fi, not just assume."

"If you reject me in my own house, in my own bed, doll, I'm gonna be fucking crushed!"

"Oh, my God, just ask me! You fucking knobhead!" You laughed, leaning your head on his chest. His other arm moved behind his head to keep it propped up, looking at you with so much adoration, it knotted your stomach. The hand that had been in your hair drifted down to keep a secure hold on your waist; fingers scratching in soothing motions.

"Wanna be my girl?"

"Hmm, I think you could phrase it better."

He grinned brightly, "Would you be my girlfriend?"

"Oh, that's a little too formal. Maybe try - "

"Oh, c'mere, you," he growled, swiftly using both arms to seize under your arms and literally drag you up his body. "C'mon, baby," he whispered, lips ghosting yours, "be my baby."

"Fuck, no, that's way too cheesy!"

"I thought you liked me cheesy?" He gaped, your hand petting his cheek now; shoulders straining to keep you upright, over him.

"Correction, I love you cheesy," you whispered, lowering your head to press a quick kiss to his lips. He hummed in relief, but you pulled back to promise, "I'd love to be your girl, Fi. Only took you the whole bloody school year, didn't it?"

"Hey, good things to those who wait, right?"

"Don't quote Professor Mercy at me when we're in bed with barely anything on, Jesus fucking Christ," you grumbled, unable to restrain your grin when he pulled you in for another kiss - but this time, stealing the breath right out of your lungs.

Maybe getting lost in Saltburn was more beneficial than you originally thought, and maybe Professor Mercy and ages of philosophy was right because this felt like the absolute best thing, and you'd wait a hundred lifetimes if it meant having Felix in your arms - like he was now, kissing you like it was his lifeline.

How extraordinarily warm, you felt, to be lost in this world, in this extraordinary home, and found, by Felix fucking Catton.

requesting rules and masterlist

Saltburn masterlist

[leqonsluv3r]

hi! hope you’re doing well <3 so this past months i have been feeling really bad and going to the doctor he said one of the possibilities would be cancer (im scared as fuck) so could you write some hcs about how leon would deal with it? i guess im just searching for some comfort since im a little scared lol i love your write hope you have a great day <3

trepidation

—leon!kennedy x reader, a headcanon list

masterlist taglist

an: i’m so sorry anon, i really hope it isn’t cancer. i did my best with this one and it took priority because it struck a chord with me. you can imagine whatever leon you desire, i used re!2 for aesthetic purposes. pls let me know the results anon, praying for ya <333

leon!kennedy who does his best to make sure your comfortable all the time, everyday, wakes you up with breakfast in bed and some pain meds for your headaches.

leon!kennedy who puts on a brave face when you feel ill and you don’t know the cause. your scared and so is he, he’s trying his best to be strong for you.

leon!kennedy who admires your strength these days. that even when you feel like your lowest because of your pain and illness that your still smiling and trying your best to laugh. he loves that about you.

leon!kennedy who sees you have a good day, one out of the few you’ve had in this month. he sees you read, laugh at a tv show your watching with him. he even lets you kiss him a little because he knows your having a good day. and he wants everyday to be like this.

leon!kennedy who is rubbing your feet at the foot of the bed, watching you try and find joy in the book your reading. you have good days and bad days now, today was in the middle. it was filled with a little bit of hurt but also a little relief.

leon!kennedy who presses kisses to your head while your curled up next to him, hand resting on his chest as you slept. as you got a reprieve from the hurt that drowned and consumed your body. these little moments with you were precious to him, happy he could give you some reprieve from everything. he was glad to be that for you.

leon!kennedy who watches tv with you, you don’t feel like going out these days, the unknown sickness of your body was worrying him. but he was determined to be strong for you still, because that’s what you needed. you needed support.

leon!kennedy who makes you some lunch and rubs your back as you eat, trying desperately to stomach some food and try your best not to feel ill. your doing your best to be strong for him too, even if it kills you.

leon!kennedy who runs you a bath each evening, letting you both relax into each other in the tub. your body soaking in the hot bubbles and water, letting him rub soothing circles on any part of your body that he can. he knows he can only take away so much and he’s hoping that it’s enough for you.

leon!kennedy who wash’s your hair and scrubs and massages your scalp with such care, trying to ease some of the hurt your feeling. trying to do anything he can to make you feel better.

leon!kennedy who drives you around, gets you out of the house. he wants you to have a little bit of normalcy even if you feel ill all the time. he drives you to the bookstore, to a nice cafè and even to a park. he wants you to feel like your world is okay, that your safe and happy. only if it’s for a little bit.

leon!kennedy who tries not to notice how weak your becoming, who holds your hand when you feel pain and feel sick. when your joints ache and you have splitting headaches that caused you to cry and soak your face with tears. he just holds your hand, holds you, he can’t bare to see you like this but he loves you. so he’s going to stay even if it makes his heart ache.

leon!kennedy who takes you to the doctor after you finally give in. he doesn’t want you to be scared so he whispers reassurances into your ear even if he doesn’t entirely believe them. he just wants you to feel better.

leon!kennedy who sits with you in the waiting room, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head, holding your hand tight as you both wait for the doctor to come out.

leon!kennedy who walks close to you, still holding your hand and making sure your okay, trying to soothe your nerves with just a simple touch. even if he wishes he could take it all away just like that.

leon!kennedy who comes into the doctors patient room with you. who lets the doctor run a couple procedures and asks you about how your feeling. asks what’s been happening and whatever you don’t remember, he’s happy to help and fill in. he wishes he could take the pain away, the pain you dealt with.

leon!kennedy who listens as the doctor tells you that it could possibly be cancer. that you could have it, he doesn’t miss the way you squeeze his hand tighter at the doctors words or how you have water in your eyes. and now he really wishes he could take that pain away, because you didn’t deserve this. you didn’t deserve a single bit of it.

leon!kennedy who after the doctors appointment holds your hand, holding it over the console of the car as he drives. he keeps looking over at you every few seconds. your eyes still red and watering a little as if your trying to hold them back. this is killing you, all of it is and you don’t deserve it. he knows that, his own eyes water a bit as he drives.

leon!kennedy who lets you cry into his chest and holds you on the bed, letting you wrap your body around his. he holds you close, he gives you comfort and love, his own reassuring words that he’s trying to desperately to believe and grapple onto.

leon!kennedy who wiped your tears away and presses kisses to your head, your cheek as he kisses some tears away. he presses a kiss to your lips, soft and loving. he keeps you close, he holds you. because no matter what, he would hold you. cancer or no cancer. he was there for you. and he’d never go away, not ever.

an: i love you all. pls reblog if u feel like it, like and my taglist is linked above at the beginning. i hope this brought comfort to you anon, thank you for asking this of me. i hope it didn’t disappoint. im honored you came to me for this. we always need a leon when times are tough, and i hope this helped.

[mahiiimahiiii]

between a ghoul and a hard place

a/n: ive had this finished for a bit, not happy with the ending but i like to post shit. this was rather indulgent and i dont see poly pairs very often, i think next ill actually do a cooper howard fic and then one of magnolia or a fluff of nick being a new england dad. apologies for my chunky break man i was burnt out. hope this is decent im still not used to writing hancock. this is just straight smut and was supposed to be a drabble lmao

[cw: dirty talk, breeding kink, implication of subspace, bi sosu, biting, blanking, concept art john. ((johns appearence is based off of mintcrows design of john!!)), ]

“You settled in there Hun’?” Your hands drew circles onto the thighs of the reporter beneath you, her long black hair tied back into a loose messy bun which strands escaped from. She let out a low keen shifting her hips to accommodate the two things that penetrated her. The strap was settled decently, nesting against her womb, allowing the ghoul beneath her (albeit in an odd position) to embed himself in her gut. 

“And you're ok piper? This is ok?” You cupped her cheek, thumbing the soft flesh. 

“Enough with the pillow talk sweetheart, let's get this show on the road.” Hancock tilts his hips slightly, blowing a pin curl out of his eyes. “She asked for both of us, let's grant her wish.'' His voice was a soft croon, one he used when he got shit faced and sang to ballads. 

You pressed kisses to the side of Piper's jaw leaving lovely bruises underneath her chin, her breath stuttering as you shifted your hips just a bit closer together. 

You began as her grip on you tightened, grunting as you slowly pulled out, only to ease back in. Her walls gripped around the silicon of your pseudo cock as your irradiate lover’s knees pressed the side of your stomach. 

Piper practically drooled at the situation, her blunt and ink soaked nails scratching into your back; She bit her lip catching the moans in her throat. 

“You're always one for talking, why so quiet now?” John grunted from underneath the crown of Piper's head. You shivered at the weight of his balls hitting against your lips the extra plug that filled you hit a little higher as the leather sank into your folds. You groaned softly at the sensation, the quick slap upwards and the slow drag down as he lowered his hips.

Piper let out a low moan, her hips canted up and down for anything that provided a sensation. She squeezed down again, her mouth hung open in fevered bliss. 

“You're taking us quite well, songbird. I couldn't be more proud.” You trilled quietly into her ear nibbling the outer shell. “Let us know when you're all tuckered out okay? You don't have to take us to completion, Kay? Y’hear? Nod or shake.” 

She slowly nodded, her lips slicked with spit, her eyes barely stood open. 

You leaned back admiring the view beneath you hips setting a slow and sure pace, you gathered some pooled slick at the edge of her cunt using it to lubricate her clit. 

She shuddered under your touch, her thighs flexing as she fucked herself twice as silly. Her toes curled, a low panicked moan tearing its way through her throat. You lifted your other hand to her chest, circling and pinching the nipple “easy there sweetheart.” 

Piper sputtered gently beneath you digging her heels into the mattress, her nails drew a fine layer of blood against your skin. 

“You're a fantastic pip.” You hum. 

“Blue-” she whines, “god I'm so fuckin close, I'm bout to pop.” 

“Use your voice - what do you want-” John rasped, his breaths low and focused. 

“Just fuck me- god, just fuck me.” 

“Specifications?” You tilted your head, loose curls spiraling over your shoulder, you gave long and languid strokes while John was more tempered with staccato beats. 

You watched her body tense underneath you again, taking it as a good sign. 

“God what a sight.” The mayor sighed, finally getting a good view after Piper tilted her head out of the way and arched her hips. “I can see why women are fond of calling you now, sweetheart.” 

“Oh yeah? Thinking of being on the receiving end today?” You teased, punctuating with a sharp stroke that earned a hearty moan from the woman beneath you. 

“Oh no, gonna have you ride me more often, I like being deep inside you.” He paused lowering his voice “watching you get sloppy as I fuck your brains to mush, hm? Or letting you cock warm until you're all warmed with radiation. Maybe use your little friend in the nightstand. Feeling you squeeze me like that, crying for me to let you cum… that is the sweetest high I'll ever experience.”

You whined softly at the pleasant thought. A tap interrupted your blurred visions, pipers hurried cry resounded next to her ear. 

“Now- now now now.” She whines, her hands clenching and clinging to your sides. A few quick snaps of your hips, tongue finding the driblets of sweat that sunk down her chest. 

“Such a pretty girl cumming for us.” His leathery hands cupped her chest, rocking his hips slowly allowing her to ride out the intense high. “Tell us when we can pull him?” 

She tapped again “space, I need space now.” Oh so slowly you laid a hand on her stomach, pulling out her walls sticking to silicone.  You humped the warmed member against her clit for good measure, Piper let out a low hiss. 

John helped her sit up, leveraging her off his member and against the relatively clean mattress and pile up of pillows. 

“John, love?” You sat back on your heels “could you wash up before…?” 

He nodded, taking off his tricorn, the ringlets of curls bouncing as he crawled his way off of the bed. He leaned in quickly for a quick peck, and padded off to the bathroom. 

You crawled towards Piper, capturing her lips in a warm kiss. “Was that everything you dreamed of and more?” You kissed her eyelids as they fluttered shut. 

“All that and a packet of chips.” She murmured, “thanks for that blue.” 

“No issue, songbird.” You kissed her forehead. “I'll get some water from the bubbler later for you, okay? Rest now, we can take our business out if it's too loud.” 

“Honestly?” She sighed, “I really want to watch.” 

“I've never pegged you for the sort- or- sorry-” you sigh, reclining into her chest “I can't think of a better verb” 

“Ayuh.” She smiled dumbly, “just y'know. I like when others…” the reporter moved her hands in circles “complete.” 

“Uuhhhhuhhh.” You drew out the phrase, cupping her cheek once more, bending down to kiss the bridge of her nose. “I'll get you that water hm?” You padded off, a slight whine falling from her chest from the removal of warmth. The soft glug and hiss of the ancient pipes, noted that the washing up process was almost over. You scrounged three tins of purified water and one box of dirty for the ghoul that could handle rads. You cranked open the lid to one tin and popped a tablet of rad x into your mouth, scrounging one of rad-away for the reasonable double assurance. You drank the cool liquid, it parched your tongue with a smoothness that only water could provide.  You drank around half the tin, setting down the two others as you returned to pipers side. 

“How are your radiation levels?” you murmured, pressing a hand to her forehead. 

“S’ fine. Thanks.” She took the water from your hand and took a long swig. Her eyes closed as a long sigh drew from her chest. 

The door to the bathroom clicked shut, John's low rumble moved towards you, “I do Believe, it's someone else's turn. Isn't that right songbird?” He planted a warm hand on your spine as the

bed shifted under his weight. His lips ran the curve of your neck, you could feel the driblets of water from his hair trickle down your skin. 

“You watchin’ sister?” He asked, before embedding his teeth in the alcove of your neck. You tilted your head to the side, allowing him access to the taught skin below. He shifted back on his knees spreading your legs apart; Piper beneath you sighed, knocking her knees together. 

He sucked the skin of your shoulders, blunt teeth leaving red and white indents that faded to deep red and blue bruises. One of his rough padded hands found your chest. Dipping up to your lips for a generous application of spit. The other traced the sticky wetness of your folds, already pregamed by the notch on your strap. You shuddered as you felt a finger dip into you. tracing the viscous fluid to your clit, as the wet haired mayor planted firm kisses along your jaw. “Stay upright sweetheart, I've got you.” He nibbled the shell of your outer ear. “Can't cum yet ok?” His hands paused at your clenching; a desperate whine working its way through your throat. 

“Uh uh uh.” He taunted, “pretty and obedient girls get to cum, not dirty ones. But… I'll consider it, cause I like you so much.” 

“Please-” you begged softly, your slowly blurring vision granting you the visage of pipers legs flowering apart, her hand working steady figure 8’s on her clit. 

He brought the sullied fingers to his mouth, licking them clean. A groan rumbled in his lungs,”god, oh so wet and oh so tasty.” He traced the newly wet finger against your other neglected breast. “What do you think pip, does she deserve a treat?” 

You struggled under his tight grasp, earning a chastising nip. 

“Please-” you begged again, your eyes wide saucers of blown pupils than iris. 

“I think.. I ought to fill you like a nice creme doughnut, how's that sound? And- do use your words, doll. I'm a bit slow.” 

“Want you in me so bad-” your eyes scrunched shut,”want to be… filled - every sensation so it's just you.” 

“You want this nice ghoul cock in your guts and kidneys then hm? Fuck, you must have a death wish.” 

You canted your hips back trying to find the connection point. “I don't fuckin care, just want you to take me already-” 

“Said like a bitch in heat, you've got the hots for me don't you?” He teased again, rubbing his length against your folds. “Kiss me for a bit, I miss your taste.”  

And so you did. 

Craning your neck you kissed his parched lips, his mouth tasted of sugar bombs and jet. John's kisses were sloppy and throaty, he adjusted himself by sliding the head of his cock to bump up against your clit as he rocked his hips against your warmth. “It's takin’ everything I've got not to slide into you right now. You're so warm and wet, and gods- so fucking good.” He gasped between kisses. Your hands grasped at his arm tracing the rough patterns of flesh where muscle melted into sinew and skin. 

“John, please” you keened, earning the most sinful moan from his lips. His hand moved down to your hips grabbing a firm grasp of your hips, the rough pads of his fingers biting into your soft skin. 

“Keep saying that sunshine, and I'll find a way to knock you up for real.” He swore under his breath, shaking fingers helping ease himself between your folds. ”Lean forward for me doll, let me spoil you.” 

You complied your head finding a comfortable smothering within the mattress. 

John leaned forward, grasping at his tricorn hat and set it on his head, tilting the brim below his eyes. He ran his hands along the length of your spine and back down, before one hand found itself rooted on your ass, the other coating his shaft in spit. 

You felt his tip press against your slit, a bright and sudden intrusion, it made your skin crawl. 

“You've got this, sunshine” your lover crooned “taking me so well, just a bit more.” 

The sensation doubled, pinching down your skin plus the added feeling of nausea from the rads. 

“So close baby.” He hummed, kneading your backside. The overwhelming sensation of fullness struck you as he bottomed out. “There we are.” He sighed, twitching inside you like a pulsing core inside a ti-61. You drooled, your eyes squeezed shut, as you shifted your hips to adjust. The tip throbbed against your g spot, sending shivers down the small of your back. 

“Gonna move now baby, fuck-” Hancock found himself at a loss of words, his eyes rolling back as his hips lost its slow rhythm, engulfed within the warm taught core. Your slick dripped down to his balls, as thighs flexed instinctively. The ghoul leaned forward, “cmon baby let me see that face of yours, tell me how good it feels hm?” He groped the back of your hair lifting your face to Piper, “doesn't she look good pip?” 

“So good,” the writer groans, “such a pretty mouth. Can she use it on me?” 

You whine again, drool rolling down your chin. 

“Cum quickly then, I want her attention when I'm filling her gauge.” 

You shuffled forward, your brain melting out of your ears. Your hands found a seat behind the small of her back, placing sloppy kisses on her wet folds. Your toes cramped, chin covered with bliss. Your lips wrapped around her clit, dipping into her with the curve of your tongue. 

She shivered beneath your mouth, covering her mouth as you rock in a makeshift Newton's cradle. 

“Goddamnit.” He cussed, pulling out onto your backside, rutting his member against your ass, biting down on his gnarled lip. 

Piper's legs wrapped around your head like vines reclaiming an abandoned building, lifting her hips to your face. The sounds that bounced against the walls were sloppy and wet, slick dribbled down your folds met with a thick tongue to swipe your taste away. 

McDonough’s nose, or lack thereof, settled in the crest of your ass, one hand pinched around his cock head,varying the sensations directed to your clit. He groaned like a man starved, his tongue memorizing every inch of your sex. 

Piper sighed, finally releasing her grasp on your head, a mournful mumble on her lips “overstimulated I think, lost it again.” 

“You don't have to participate if you don't want to” you rasped out, vision blurring momentarily. 

“Hok. Yeah it's best.” She sighed, as you leaned forward into her chest, ass still arched to John's touch. 

He hummed, sitting up on his knees again, sliding easily inside without resistance. The ghoul gurgled, his hips sending soft pulses to your core, fingers tracing the outside of your clit. Piper's hand found your hair scratching circles into your scalp, you kissed down the soft skin of her neck, John's hips going to long and slow thrusts that made contact with every inch of sensitive muscle inside of you. He balanced a hand on your hip, and one to hold his hat. The reporter lifted a thigh for you to balance on, grinding your clit along as the lush sounds of wet slaps echoed off the peeling walls. 

“This is gonna be my undoing-you're rotten you know that, doll?” John moaned, his pacing stuttering. He squeezed your ass before giving it a quick smack. It stung, turning your skin red. You leaned into his thrusts, your face scrunched in concentration. 

“I wouldn't be this bad without someone rewarding it.” You shot back, hot breath fanning across Piper's neck. You squeezed down around him for good measure, earning a soft cry in return. 

He reached the spot in the back that made a warm pool in the bottom of your stomach.your and squeezed when he found it again, tapping away at the gold mine with restrained thrusts. 

“You're squeezing me so good- am I hitting a nice spot?” He asked, his voice slightly broken from excess and elongated stimulation.

You moaned out in agreement, pipers hands moving under your shoulders to grasp your chest, Massaging the sensitive hidden skin. 

Your head spun, filled with the approving grunts and sighs of your beau and the gentle reassurance of the woman beneath you. You hoped this is what it felt like when you died. 

“M’ gonna pick up the pace, okay? Tell me if it hurts, sweetheart.” Hancock slurred out, his cock knocking against your cervix. You gripped the sheets beneath you for dear life, drool spilling out your lips, spilling into the cleave of pipers chest. John leaned forward grabbing your hair again, a gentle tug to have you upright, quick thrusts that felt pushed against your stomach. He pulled you back; mouth littering the alcove of your neck in bites. Hancocks hand found your clit again rolling it around between his fingertips. 

“John- holy shit-!” you blurted, finding yourself pushing against the seams.

“You cuming for me?” He rasped his teeth, nibbling the sensitive part of your ear. 

“Yeah-” you managed weakly, being split open for another's view. “Fuck- john- love you-” 

“Love you too sweetheart.” He snapped his hips up, teeth digging into your skin, your walls fluttered and held him there like a vice, his legs shaking from his orgasm seconds later. He kissed the back of your neck, pulsing his hips to help you ride out your orgasm. “my sweet girl.” He hummed, “what a trooper you are.” 

You went limp in his arms, crying out softly as he pulled out, curling up around your side to catch his breath. 

“That was amazing.” Piper broke the silence, tucking a curl behind your ear. You smiled tiredly, eyes still closed shut. 

“I will try my best.” You hummed, “my best right now is a good nap.” 

[kyokutsu-sama]

Hi can I request for a fem reader x jushiro where jushiro is very needy the whole day while working with her

Fem reader x Jushiro

Tw: Nsfw content Author's note : Hi !! I hope you like it😊 I really missed writing about him

You had decided to help Jushiro that day, it had been a while since you two worked together and today you made a point of being by his side and helping him with his tasks. He couldn't be happier to have your company.

You went to him in the afternoon and he was still sitting there working, just like you saw him before you left.

"Do you need help?" You approaching him

"No, it's okay. I'm almost done with these" He said, stopping writing to look at you

"You don't need to do this all alone, I'll help you" You said, sitting on his lap and hugging him

"I know but you don't need to worry, I'm already done" He gave you a smile and kissed your forehead

"Well, then I'm going to leave for a while longer so you can concentrate" You whispered in his ear and then kissed his neck a few times before getting up

"There was no need, I love having you around"

"I know but I also have to go and receive some things that have been pending since last week and that you were also supposed to have dealt with previously"

"Yeah, I know... It's been so much work lately that I'm still unsure which of the two will kill me first, whether it's my work or my illness" He chuckled

"Well it really is difficult to decide" You smiled and left the office

He saw you leave and tried to concentrate again, also trying to see if he could alleviate the heat from his body after your lips had traveled to his neck. His neck was his weak point and you knew exactly what to do when you wanted to take him away from that calm side.

You came back at the end of the afternoon after taking care of his affairs and saw him leaning on his chair but this time at least everything had already been done. He smiled when he saw you, happy that you were there again.

"I've already taken care of everything, what about you?" You asked as you approached the table

"Everything is in order now"He said, stretching a little in the chair

"Let me check, you look tired" you said as you checked things to see if he hadn't missed anything

"I don't think I forgot anything"He said while looking at the papers you had in your hands

"Yes, you did everything well" You smiled and put everything as it was

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh, you sat down on the table facing him. He couldn't help but admire you who were right in front of him and looked so beautiful at that moment, after pacing back and forth all day away from him he finally celebrated being with you so close.

"Hey, are you awake?" You snapped your fingers close to his face seeing that he appeared to be dreaming awake.

"Yes, I was just... Forget it" He said "waking up"

You got up from the table and sat on his lap while moving his bangs out of his eyes, that was the last straw for him. He hugged your body close to his and kissed you, taking you by surprise. You held the back of his head and followed his lips.

"I needed you so much Y/n" He whispered, moving away from your lips for a moment

"I'm here now" You said before kissing him again

His hands slid down your back until they reached your thighs and took you placing you on the table, while the kiss became more necessary. You passed your hands over his shoulders, sliding the fabric of the kimono until they were exposed, he opened the knot in the fabric to remove it completely, doing the same with the kimono you were wearing and throwing it aside. 

You lifted your hips a little so he could remove your pants, you slid your hands down his back while kissing his neck. The heat he emanated was making you dizzy, he laid you on the table and with his lips he made a trail of kisses from your neck to your exposed breasts, he kissed and tasted the sensitive skin of your nipples. You stroked his hair as he reached down to your thighs and slid the damp fabric down your thighs, he knelt down as he hugged your thighs close to him and delighted in your folds. You moaned when his tongue began to lick you slowly and in a way that made your body arch with pleasure, he was incredibly gentle and loving in everything he did.

He sucked your clit and rolled his tongue there a few times, taking some moans and whimpers from you, he had been wanting you all day and it got worse as the day went on and he wasn't having you the way he wanted. He drank your fluids voraciously when you came and then stood up starting to take off his pants, you sat on the edge of the table and held his shoulders while kissing him. Jushiro took his dick and placed it in you, making you moan against his lips after feeling him inside you, he leaned over you a little and placed one hand on the edge of the table while he began slow thrusts in and out of you.

You held his body close to yours while you let out a few moans close to his ear while he seemed to speed up his movements, he felt on cloud nine because he could feel your insides tightened him so well that it made him want to be inside you even more. You tightened your legs around his waist, feeling the heat of the air increase and his unregulated breathing hitting your neck, his hand pressed the flesh of your thigh, leaving the mark of his fingers digging into your skin. Your nails traced red lines down his back, he released small moans, feeling your touch and that led him to go deeper, you hugged his body closer to yours when you felt your legs become weak and your peak reached with his. He finished inside you and then rested his head in the crook of your neck, you remained hugged to him until you caught your breath, he stroked your hair and kissed the top of your head a few times.

"I missed your touch, love, having you close to me"He whispered, holding both sides of your face

"Me too, I love you so much"

"I love you too"

[oddballwriter]

Hi there! I love your work so much, tysm for writing for the Moon Knight fandom, it really keeps it alive 💕

I wanted to request a Marc Spector story with him having low self-esteem issues, thinking the reader could do better. Like, this man probably thinks he's a burden just because of his previous killing job ALONE, but he has multiple personalities too? He might be needing some reassurance either on a date or late night convo 🍝😴

Point of View

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Warnings: mentions of Marc's past and Marc having trouble with self-esteem. This man needs so much more love. He is a little stress ball and I want to squeeze him while also holding him gently 

Author’s Snip: This has been sitting in my draft for days. I'll proof-read some other time.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

  Marc has a hard time accepting things like compliments and affection. It wasn’t hard to figure out why once he felt safe enough to become vulnerable. He know that he was deserving of such things, especially from you, his partner, who out of any person in the world should love and admire him the most. It was a given that you would call him handsome and say that you enjoy his company, along with letting him into your space. 

  Marc knew that he was allowed in your presence and that he deserved your praise and affection and that asking for such things was perfectly fine. 

  But there was always that part of him that’s stuck in the idea that he didn’t. 

  Marc was a man that was fucked up from practically the start. His rough and dark childhood, his life as a soldier and missionary, the fact that he had a mental illness that had him divide up his mind into different alters and personalities to keep him from having to deal with feeling something that was too intense for him rather than facing it himself. It felt a bit degrading to you. He was like this broken doll that had barely put itself back together that you took pity on and took in. 

  Of course he knew you weren’t that shallow. That you didn’t see him like that at all. You saw him as Marc and you were there for him, and Steven, and Jake when they were there instead. You never made any of them feel like they were a weight that you needed to hold and carry. You just talked to them. 

  There was a moment while on a date with Marc that something upset him and Steven came to the front. It was a bit of a surprise to you since you hadn’t really caught what could have made Marc upset but you just carried on and even complied when Steven asked if he could go home because he didn’t feel right with taking over you and Marc’s date. After you had gone home to your own place and did something else with your day, Marc called your phone and apologized for having done that and ruined the date. It took you a second to get him to calm down so that you could tell him that it was okay. “That was a reflex. I’m not going to shame you for having a reflex.” is what you said. Even if it was over the phone, Marc could hear the sincerity in your voice showing that you meant what you said. 

  You mean every word that you say to him. He knows that. 

  He knows your nights spent awake consoling him after a night terror or nightmare was genuine. That you gently shushing and petting his hair was voluntary and not a tactic used to silence a ruckus that was bothering you. That you're truly listening when he tells you some story or talks. That all your smiles are genuine when you look at him. That you were looking at him.

That you saw him. And everything about him. All the handsome and pretty parts along with all the nasty bits.

He knows that you love him.

[jaybirdss]

idk if i can do amother one but i will bc i can (idk about that but ill pretend i do if jot) and i have nothing to do in my life except dreaming about plastic figures

SO uhh idk suddenly all ideas disappeared from my head

HCS FOR LLOYD, KAI, MORRO AND BENTHO WITH A S/O WHO'S LOVE LANGUAGE IS PHYSICAL TOUCH??

like YKK i love having a bit of contact with smn because it brings me comfort and im very touch starved💔 also bcs hugs and kisses are superior😋😋🦶

TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THE REQUESTS UOU RECIEVE BTW DONT OVREWORK YOURSELF AND DONT FORGET TO EAT OR DRINK OR IM COMINGFOR YOU MFS😡😡😡

I speed ran this bitch now, i was on a ROLL. Thank you for requesting, it definitely kick-started my passion for writing for these lovely guys ❤️🫶🏻

No warnings, besides a bit of angsty lloyd, but that’s always suspected. Gender neutral reader!

🩰

Kai

Kai is the man with a plan when it comes to physical touch. He will always match your energy to the best of his ability!

He’s always open for it. Wether it be your arm wrapped around his or blatantly laying on top of him. He’s okay with all of it and rarely gets overwhelmed with what you feel like is smothering.

He specifically really enjoys the hugs you give him, where you’re nuzzled into his shoulder and your arms are wrapped tightly around him. he admired the security it brings him and makes him feel so dorky. For him, he enjoys picking you up just to hold you dramatically. Or smothering your face in kisses.

It surprises him at first, not expecting you to feel the same way as him with things such as physical touch. But once he understands, he craves it and gets all dramatic over it.

He will never be satisfied until you are basically crawling into his skin (not really).

But without your touch, he gets all upset, looking like a kicked puppy and he WILL in fact whine to you about how you aren’t close enough to him. And if he doesn’t get his way, by golly, there’s gonna be a fire.

Everything you do will always send him back, no matter how long you’ve been together. He is crushing on you so hard and will let you know every minute of the day.

Lloyd

Touch was something that was always fairly new to Lloyd.

He never received much as a child, when it was received, it wasn’t very positive affection.

When you started expressing your love for physical touch, you noticed all the small things he seemed to do because if it.

At first, he’d flinch when you moved a little too quick or anything. Physically tense up when you’d wrap your arms around him so suddenly. And he couldn’t bring himself to tell you that he enjoyed your affection, but didn’t know how to receive it.

Slowly but surely through your reassurance, he loosened up and started to learn that this was positive attention, and it’s something that he would eventually look forward to!

He was no longer startled with your big hugs, sudden kisses amongst his face, and other acts of affection you were so happy to give. It became routine, and now he’d be fairly upset if you were to lack in your affection department.

In all, Lloyd is a broken child who just needs to be reconnected with himself sometimes. He soon learns from you that he can relax and enjoy this. He isn’t just the green ninja, he’s Lloyd. Little Lloyd Garmadon who loves his hugs and kisses from his lover. And he’s slowly starting to thank you for healing his inner child.

Morro

Much like Lloyd, Morro never really received affection growing up. Nor could he receive it when he was, well, dead.

But soon enough, with many changes, forgiveness, and a physical form. He was able to receive such things, things you were over the moon about!

He’s fairly awkward with affection, and it’s just something so foreign to him that it’s hard to become so used to it like you are.

He doesn’t despise it, by any means, in all honesty it makes him feel all warm to see you so joyous about wanting to show him affection. But at first, he was in severe denial about it all. He’d reject your advances, and even had gotten a bit aggressive with it. Which he now apologizes for, and he’ll do his best to express his admiration for it when he can, in time. It takes long to heal from what he once had been.

The boy grew quite fond of you early on, and admired how you tried to express your affections to him even when he was a ghost. When he finally received his human form again, you wrapped your arms around him so tightly, he could barely breathe. (Which was also new to him once more).

Though he enjoys the affection, it can get overwhelming sometimes. When his frustrations get the better of him, he will express that he just can’t be touched in that moment. That he’ll return later on to apologize and attempt to hug and kiss you as you do him.

And it’ll get you every time! No matter how fussy he was, or how upset he had made you. His apologies feel so thorough and thoughtful that you can forget what you were mad about so easily. Morro deserves the world and more, and that’s what you’re gonna give him.

Bentho

Benthomaar was someone who would always let his curiosity get the better of him. And from a young age, he was always curious. About things that matter, things that don’t matter. Things that don’t hold much importance to him, and things that he holds closely to him.

Currently, He was curious as to how you’re so enthusiastic and happy to express affection to someone such as him. Of course, he does his best to understand you and your sweet advances towards him.

He’d get caught up in thinking too harshly of himself, wondering if he deserved your attention. His skin surely wasn’t the softest to cuddle into or kiss, nor was he that understanding of how life was like above the surface like many like you. But all of that made you the curious one. Curious as to how this cinnamon roll was kept from you all your life.

Bentho was such a joy to know and be around, and it made you so happy to hug and kiss him so sweetly. Even though you knew he wasn’t sure if he deserved all of it. Or any of it, in fact.

But in time, he learned that it was something he deserved. Comfort, that is. He seemed to break through his barricade of awkwardness and denial and thoroughly enjoyed what you expressed to him.

He never finds it overwhelming, and if he did, he wouldn’t ever tell you in fear that it would upset you. You’re a treasure to him, and how you express your love and admiration will always leave him in awe of how great you are. He adores you too much to be bothered by anything more.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Tag List: @holycrimin @kazuhacumslut @marmalade-matcha @yukinarengoku

[loveeebuggg]

Something new.. || Daryl Dixon

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Daryl Dixon x M!reader

Warning! Smut !!

Contains: orgasms, edging, hand-job, fluff at the end with sum aftercare ofc<3

A lil story where you ask Daryl if you can fuck him, it goes on from there if yk what I mean (sorry if the story or writing is shitty and it doesn't make sense, I literally haven't written anything in forever and im not rlly a writer // the ending is rlly shitty bc I rushed it, oops !!)

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"I don't know hun..what if I'm no good?"

"Daryl, I think i'm the one who should be worried about that, not you. Don't worry. It'll be alright, but ill only do it if you're okay with it baby." You brought up a hand to his face and caressed his cheek. Staring into his eyes with pure love and affection.

"of course I'm okay with it, ill do anything for you hun.." Daryl leaned into your touch.

"come on Dar, lets go upstairs" You led him to your room, sitting him down on the edge of your bed. You sat on his lap, playing with his hair, and him absolutely adoring you and looking at how beautiful you are.

You kissed him, eventually moving to give him pecks on his cheek, forehead, or any other place on his face. You moved one hand down to his pants, feeling his boner forming. You unzipped his pants and palmed him through his boxers, feeling him get harder. Becoming all hot and bothered underneath you.

You kissed him again, but this time it was quick and messy. The only time you stopped was when he pulled away to get air. You took off his pants and boxers and wrapped your hand around his now painfully hardened dick. Moving your hand up and down. Slowly. Feeling him twitch underneath you.

You deepened the kiss, hearing how he moaned and how he now had his hands all over you. His hands eventually landing on your waist.

"please..faster.." He moaned into the kiss, he couldn't handle how slow you were going.

"We barely started baby, be patient." As much as you wanted to tease him, you couldn't ignore him. He was begging you.

You started going faster. Not by much, but it definitely got him riled up even more.

"baby..please..go faster..wanna cum.." He whined into your ear, small gasps and moans leaving his mouth. He grabbed your shirt with one hand, squeezing it.

So of course you obliged, you went even faster. Feeling his pre-cum. His other hand squeezing your arm.

You stopped.

"why'd you stop..?" he stuttered with his words, he was so close to absolute pleasure.

"I can't let you cum now baby, we've barely started." You loved teasing him, plus you had something even better stored for him.

You got off him and pushed him down so he was on his back. You started taking off your pants, palming yourself. You leaned down and started kissing him, caressing his chest. You couldn't help teasing him a little, you started jerking him off again. His soft moans filled your room.

He started jerking his hips into your hand, trying to cum. You moved your other hand and started prepping him.

"Shit..fuck.." He cursed under his breathe. "..is this how weird it feels for you?" He gave you a little breathy laugh and you smiled at him.

"It'll get better baby I promise." You moved his hair out of his face, wanting to see how beautiful he looked. "Are you ready?"

"yea..just fuck me already, please.." He put his hands on your cheeks, admiring you, looking at how handsome you are.

You entered slowly, not wanting to hurt him.

"Fuck..you feel so good around me baby.." Those words made him squeeze tighter around you. "holy shit, your tight.."

All he could give back were small breathy moans.

You started moving, slowly. Placing your hands on his hips. All he could do was give tiny gasps and groans. From the pain and from the pleasure.

You went faster, your thrust going deeper. Keeping a steady pace.

"you alright baby?"

"holy shit, feels so good in me.." his moans getting louder.

You started jerking him off, all you wanted to do right now was make sure he felt good.

You started going even deeper in him, making sure to fill him up. You leaned down, giving him hickeys all over. His neck, his chest, his nipples. Everywhere.

You grabbed his hips, pushing him into you. Going even faster.

He couldn't handle it anymore. He turned into a moaning mess. Loud moans filling up the room while you're both dripping in sweat.

"can't take it.. m' gonna cum.." Daryl stuttered with his words, barely able to get anything out. "please..please let me cum.." He couldn't even look you in the eyes. The pleasure was too much for him.

"Well since you asked so nicely.." You moved even faster. "shit..im gonna cum too.." You leaned down and kissed him. Jerking him off even faster.

Daryl wrapped his arms and legs around you. Making sure you weren't able to pull out, cumming inside of him. He came on his stomach. His legs were shaking. You pulled out of the kiss and Daryl let go of you. He put his hands above his head, closing his eyes from exhaustion.

You kissed him on his forehead, "You did so good for me love." You walked out the room grabbing him a water, some snacks, and running a bath for him. You cleaned him up and gave him kisses, and then laid down next to him, putting your hands on his chest rubbing it.

"You did so good for me baby." You gave him a tiny smiled and kissed him.

"I love you hun." He mumbled, still exhausted.

"I love you too Dar."

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[llamagoddessofficial]

Thank you @nugget4550 for giving me the chance to write Red being a flustered doofus with their OC. They're perfect for each other <3

---

... Red was nervous.

He shot an unnecessarily sharp glare at a middle-aged man, who flinched and stopped staring, continuing walking. Red could tell he didn’t fit in here. Even more so than usual. He was in his normal clothes, his big dark jacket and black boots, towering over most humans...

... At the entrance to a botanical garden.

It was Alphys’ fault, the crazy bitch. When he mentioned (against his will, Papyrus had prodded him into talking about it) that he wanted to take a human he’d met on date, Alphys had gotten a weird look on her face and insisted he go to a specific botanical garden. And when he’d texted Nova about it they seemed delighted, so obviously the idea had been something of a hit. But, well...

... 

... Why was he so nervous? He scuffed the sole of his shoe against the ground. He never got this nervous, about anything. Why was he getting like this over the thought of seeing Nova again? Maybe it was the setting. He usually met people at bars, or on street corners, somewhere dark and atmospheric. He wasn’t used to somewhere so...

... Bright.

“Hey Red!”

Red almost flinched, turning to look at the human whose face he’d just been picturing- he quickly stuck a grin on. They looked good. They were also sporting black jeans and boots, like him- part of him was soothed. He didn’t feel quite so-out-of-place, now.

“hey. good t’see ya, pilot." He purred. "lookin’ stratospheric.”

His eyelights once again lingered on the tattoo on their collarbone. He liked it... he liked imagining how the whole thing would look, too. A process that would involve them removing their shirt, of course.

“... You okay?” They were smiling, but giving him a look. “You seem nervous.”

“... pft.” His agitation spiked. Was he that easy to read today? He’d watched this human throw up on themselves, yet he was the nervous one. He shrugged. “just daydreamin’. ...well, also, ain’t ever been to a botanical garden before.”

Their eyes flashed with mirth. “So you’re a botanical virgin?”

...

He let out a noise like a sputter, stuck for a response. His cheekbones felt warm- why was he struggling so hard to think of a response? Usually, he’d quip back with something equally as flirty, but anything he started to think of dissolved in his head. He let out a laugh to cover his tracks.

“y-yeah, guess you could say that.”

what the fuck? that's all i could get out? am i ill, or somethin?

Nova was glowing; they looked proud to have gotten a flustered response from him. “C’mon, Shakespeare. Let’s head in.”

...

... He got why Alphys had been so insistent.

The outdoor section of the gardens was beautiful. It was a lot nicer than he’d anticipated, early spring had not only brought out the bright ‘first bloom’ flowers that speckled the lawns, but it had also painted most of the trees in the park varying shades of pink. Petals carpeted the paths, he felt his Soul jump into his throat. Of course Alphys would send him on a fuckin cherry blossom date. He glanced over at Nova, then quickly to the scenery again- the sight of them with a background of pretty blossoms was making him feel things he wasn’t ready to unpack.

“The open areas are really nice.” Nova said, admiring the canopies. “But I like the greenhouse. You get all kinds of crazy stuff in there.”

“should we head there first? we can check out the rest of the grounds later.” He liked the idea of getting away from the downright romantic blossoms, before he just fucking fell apart, or something. “you take the lead, doll.”

Nova turned to him with a wink, nudging his arm. “Wow, you’re already letting me take charge?”

He coughed. Fuck- that got him. Red was flustered. He was never flustered. It was pure instinct that made him wink, and say “you can take me anywhere~” to get a laugh out of them.

... He pretended to stare at some more trees they passed, but all he could think about was that he was struggling to find even the easiest words. What the hell was going on with him?

why can’t i get this smile off my face?

He let Nova talk, asking a few choice questions to get them filling him in about their week, while he did his best to try and steady himself. It was an easy walk to the greenhouse, the path was speckled with fallen petals and meandered through colourful bushes and signposted individual plants. The two of them entered the indoor section of the garden, the staggeringly large greenhouse- he was immediately struck by the humidity, but also, the intensity of the greenery. 

The plants inside were huge. Some of the leaves were bigger than he was tall. Nova was right, this was way more interesting than outside.

“‘elephant ear’ plant...” He narrowed his sockets at it. “damn, shit’s huge.”

“Unbeleafably huge.” Nova quipped.

A pun? Red had to gather himself- “somethin’ else is unbeleafably huge, doll.”

They winked. “Well, I do love a man with a raised bed.”

His cheekbones were warming up for the umpteenth time, and instead of quickly coming up with another pun like he usually would, he once again found himself laughing to disguise how the words got stuck in his throat. The fact that he was enjoying himself so much was definitely catching him off guard; usually, even just the thought of this kind of thing would bore him into a stupor. Why meander around some fucking plants when he could be doing literally anything else? 

And yet... despite the ‘boring’ setting, despite feeling flustered and jerked about... he was having so much fun. He looked at Nova again with carmine dusting his cheekbones, they were admiring some orchids- walking together through lush foliage, surrounded by the intense colours and crazy leaves while Nova made him feel like he’d never been on a date before. It all felt so... romantic. He didn’t know what to make of it.

“Hey.” They brushed their hand against his chest, then gestured to a patch of spiky, bright orange blossoms. “If you were a flower, I’d pick you every time.”

It was corny, absolutely. Unbelievably so. But Red felt his Soul jump regardless, at both the joke and the casual touch. “y’orchidin’ me.”

“Maybe we should let our tulips touch.”

“stop, yer makin’ me thorny.”

Trading plant flirts... he was getting more of a rush from this than from all his nights of late partying combined.

okay, alphys. yer forgiven for this one.

“Hey, do you feel like getting a coffee? There’s a cafe just around the greenhouse.” Nova asked. He couldn’t stop looking at their eyes. “We could stop there for a bit.”

Red grinned.

“... sure. sounds like a dream.”

[lunar-knight84]

I wish you love

Dr Strange (Stephen Strange) X Non binary Reader

Summary:  Dr Strange has been searching for you for 2 years about what happens when he finally finds you.

Warnings/Stuff inside: angst, OOC Dr Strange, Not spell checked or proof read, death is mentioned.

This story is inspired by the song I Wish You Love by Rio Romeo

A/N: Hey yall, I know its been a while. Some stuff has been happening and i haven't been motivated at all to write. I actually just put my playlist on shuffle and this song came up and i felt really connected to it and decided to write a story based on it. I hope yall like it and i hope yall had good holidays and everything. ill try to post more depending on how i feel. I hope yall enjoy and as always leave a comment and like it please! im new at this so please be kind.

“Itll be okay…” you said to Stephen as you caress his cheek for the final time. Your sweet lips curling into a soft smile as you say “it's gonna be okay Stephen…I..”. Stephen sits up from his bed gasping with tears rolling down his face. It's been 2 years since he lost you. 2 years since you lost your life while trying to save the world.  2 years before he could tell you he loves you. You didn't get to finish your final words with him before the portal took you away. Everyday since he's been scouring the multiverses hoping to find you and bring you back home to him. It's been haunting him more and more… The desire to bring you back the grief of losing you is too much to bear. Stephen gets out of bed and begins to open the eye of agamotto in order to start searching for you.  He searches day and night in different multiverses until finally he finds you… You're walking down the street wearing headphones and entering a house. He follows you as you enter and run up some stairs to a bedroom. Stephen follows you into the room, he can feel some tears gathering in  his eyes as he finally found you… he could finally tell you what he always wanted to tell you. Before he could get his body form into this multiverse, you turn around towards him and say “Stephen I know you're here… come out or at least let me see you…”. Stephen with a soft look of surprise on his face fully showed himself to you “how did you know i was here?..” He asks. “I had a feeling…. Now onto the bigger things… you're not my Stephen Strange, are you?” you say with a hint of curiosity. Stephen laughs “you've always been so intuitive”. You smile back “ you know it… now why are you here?...”. You ask gently as you sit on your bed. Stephen can't help but admire you… you've always been so beautiful and smart. “I-ive been looking for you Y/N…I want to take you back to my dimension…” He says getting close to you and kneeling before you. “You dont know how much ive missed you… how much i wanted you back in my life…I love you Y/N….” he says softly with teary eyes. Your face falls at his confession as you pull Stephen into a hug. “Please come with me to my dimension ...please we can be happy there…'' he says in a quiet desperate voice. “Stephen…” you say as you caress his cheek “i cant…” you whisper softly. Stephen stands up as he starts to feel confused “why not?....I would give you everything Y/N if you asked me… all i want is for us to be happy… and together…”. “Oh Stephen….i'm not your Y/N ... ..and we never figured out the whole romance part….” you say sadly as you sigh. “I have a whole life here Stephen…I can't give that up no matter how much I want to….” Stephen looks round the bedroom for the first time and realizes there are pictures of you with what seems to be your partner. He also notices a wedding ring nestled on your finger. You go to a nearby drawer and take out a neatly folded letter and hand it to him. “Here… In my universe you never made it home…so I wrote this letter to let out all my feelings about you…” you press it in his palms and smile sadly at him. A few tears start to show in your eyes as you caress his cheek “itll be okay…you know that right..”. He stares at you with a soft sad smile as he says “ you know..those first few words were the last few words you were telling me before i lost you…”. “I know…I said those same words as well as the words…” you pull him into a hug as you continue “I wish you love….” Stephen's eyes widen a bit as he laughs sadly while his tears spill out. You smile softly as you bid him goodbye for the final time. Who knows if you and Stephen Strange were ever supposed to be together but one thing is for sure…you both wish love and happiness for each other no matter the universe or multiverse.

[littlewriterfullofwords]

Dream

Pairing: Andy Strucker x fem!reader

Summary: Andy and Y/N used to be together, but after Andy joined the Inner Circle, and Y/N found a way to make her spy-plan work, they weren't on a good hand

Reader description: Y/N is a mutant who as a kid used to train with Lorna. She saw her as an older sister and when she grew up Lorna was her best friend. Y/N can control temperature, that's why she can create a snow, and controls sound.

Warnings: fluff at the beginning, little angst at the end

A/N: I saw a post where someone (@thorpeobsessed) reblogged another post asking for Andy Strucker fanfictions. So here I am.... Please enjoy and tell me if you find any mistakes

Ps. Probably will write more with Andy and for sure with Xavier and with Percy because I'm fucking obsessed with all three of them^^ Masterlist

Your giggle filled the night world, making boy next to you also laugh. His eyes were following your fingers as they were moving, making snow fall on your hand. The snow you've created out of the pouring rain.

"We need to come back inside." you whispered as you looked at you two, totally soaked wet. "Your mum will be mad at me for keeping you out in a rain. At night. I am dead. I need to say goodbye to everyone."

"I will protect you." Andy ran his fingers through your hair and smiled at you with admiration in his eyes. "Don't worry about her."

"My knight." you laughed as you moved closer to the boy, your lips almost touching, only to quickly get up and look at the brown haired from above. "Let's go, knight. Or you will get ill and I will have to protect you."

"Ay." Andy followed your move up and chuckled as you again dodged him and his kiss. "Don't tease me."

"Or what, mr von Strucker?" you laughed as you disappeared for a second behind a column. "Should I be scared?"

"I don't know, should you?" Andy suddenly appeared in front of you with his unique smile you loved so much and this light in his dark eyes. "Are you scared?"

"Not at all." you tiptoed to reach his lips with yours, your eyes closed along with his as Andy's hand moved to the side of your neck and rested there.

The kiss was gentle yet passionate, full of unsaid words, not shown feelings....

And that was only a memory...one of many you had, but the one which you have been recollecting the most these days when you were observing now white haired Andy with a new chick, Rebecca, going out together as you were babysitting Dawn.

You weren't the member of the Inner Circle, but you somehow managed to get them to let you stay as a babysitter. It's not like it wasn't your plan from the beginning.

"Hi. Is she okay?" When only you heard the door, you wiped out your tears as fast as possible so Lorna who came in wouldn't see them.

"Yeah. She's sleeping." you looked at the baby and faked a smile. "She's so lucky to be your baby."

"You were once mine as well." Lorna reminded you of times when she had been your teacher, older sister and best friend, when you both had been fighting arm by arm against Sentinel Services. "I still see you as my little sister. But siblings part, that's life. And those...those are our paths. Those are our choices."

"I know." the cradle swung slightly once or twice under your touch. "I know."

"We will be back late." said Lorna before she kissed her baby's forehead and left the room.

You've never tried to leave the building...why? You didn't have the answer for that question but when the Inner Circle, without Sage and Esme, left, you started thinking about it. I mean, you had this weird bracelet but it's never done anything. It for wasn't like those collars in the prisons everyone had been talking about. Nothing could actually go bad, right? You decided to try that out. I wouldn't call that sneaking out, but it was like sneaking out...

"I am going to the kitchen...for a snack." you informed two left women in the operation room as you headed to the stairs and went downstairs.

When you were sure no one was around, your only way out of the building was an elevator. And that was your mistake. As soon as you touched the button to call the elevator, the bracelet on your wrist electrocuted you and knocked on the floor.

"Are you going somewhere?" Reeva, Andy and Lorna came out of the elevator.

When the white haired boy saw you on the floor and in pain he immediately knelt by your side.

"Y/N." he whispered and tried to help you get up. "Are you okay?"

"Get away from me!" you yelled and with your powers, a tunnel of sound, you pushed him few meters away. "Go to your new girlfriend. She needs you more than I do."

"You see what you get from trying to leave." Reeva squatted next to you and pointed at the bracelet. "It presses two arteries on your wrist...if electrocuted enough, they can knock you out easily. The sensors in the buttons activate the bracelet...you can't leave. Lock her somewhere."

"But Dawn needs her." opposed Lorna.

"Then lock her in your room." Reeva walked pass everyone and headed upstairs.

Andy got up from the floor and looked at still curled up girl with sadness in his eyes. They used to be close...now it all was gone.

"Let's go." Lorna grabbed you by arm and helped climb up to the next floor. "I don't want to lock you down. I really don't. I will have to."

"Then do." your voice was cold like the snow you could create. "I won't hurt, Dawn. I am not that evil. The windows are unbreakable. I won't kick out the door. Don't worry, I will stay."

"Can I talk to her for a second?" asked Andy before Lorna locked the door. "Please."

"Come in."

The green haired woman closed the door behind the boy's back and let the two of you have some space.

"What do you want? Your girlfriend left you or you did that first?" little Dawn's eyes met yours as you were swinging her cradle peacefully.

"Are you jealous?" Andy made a step closer but you stopped him by turning your head his way...your eyes were cold and empty, like if you were dead.

"Jealous? Hah. In your dreams." you shook your head. "You left me because of this 'amazing plan the Inner Circle has'. Really? And when I kind of joined it, I found out you got yourself a new girlfriend. Amazing. You moved on fast."

"You are jealous."

"Not jealous, disappointed." your voice became softer, calmer, quieter. "Hurt. I can go on, but why? You don't care anyway. Tell Rebecca that I pity her. Now leave. Dawn needs to sleep."

[moonchildreads]

small town

Chapter 14 - Missing You

IN THIS CHAPTER: The meaning of flowers, homemade cake, and Maureen and Margaret become friends [6.0k]

WARNINGS: angst, discussions about dead parents (car accident/unspecified terminal illness), survivor's guilt, unprocessed grief - please heed my warnings. i'm currently grieving someone and this is very raw, proceed only if it won't hurt you

A/N: shout out to @duquesademiel and @justahappycloud for teaching me that it is okay to write as a form of therapy, and i'm sorry i keep sending you the sad bits of this fic only. i love you and i can't believe i get to call you my friends. also, big thank you to @boomhauer for letting me use her chosen name for eddie's dad - i admire you greatly and everyone should go and read disjointed as a thank you. we're so very lucky we have you in this fandom <3

masterlist - prev - next | playlist

You had so much hope for a brighter day Why were you my flower plucked away?

Sunday, May 11th - 1986

“What on Earth are you doing?”

Mother’s Day had always been a weird day for Dottie. When she was a toddler, it was just another calm and quiet Sunday, albeit one where her Dad wanted more cuddles than usual, which, quite frankly, already were a lot. Still, she enjoyed the extra attention and he loved holding his little girl in his arms while she took a nap on his chest so there were no complaints to be heard from either side. When she was in kindergarten, her class spent an entire Friday making gifts for their Moms. Dottie came back home with a hopeful smile and gave her paper mache and macaroni flower to her Dad, asking if he could send it all the way up to Heaven for her. James had neer been happier about the fact that they now had separate bedrooms so she wouldn’t hear him sob clutching her handcraft to his chest while she slept. When she was around 8, she asked her Dad why couldn’t they simply celebrate Mother’s Day like everyone else in her class.

Margaret’s physical absence in her daughter’s life wasn’t an unusual topic in their home; in fact, a lot of teachers commented on it as Dottie grew up, praising James for keeping her memory alive and normalizing a sad situation so his kid wouldn’t suffer. James wasn’t sure why telling his daughter that she had been so very much loved by her dead parent was worthy of being praised, but as a single dad in the ‘70s, he took whatever kind words he could get. He made sure that Dottie understood she had a Mom, that she didn’t suddenly appear from thin air one day to change James’ life forever, that she’d been wanted and dreamed of by both parents. Margaret’s face was in countless pictures around their home, they stayed in her old bedroom whenever they visited her side of the family in Pennsylvania, they talked about what she’d say or what she’d do at all times. Margaret Burke was a constant presence in their lives despite her untimely death, and the fact that they celebrated that every day except during Mother’s Day didn’t feel right to her daughter.

That’s how Dottie found herself establishing little traditions that were still in place that Sunday afternoon when she opened her front door to find one of her best friends holding a small bouquet tied together with a big silver ribbon. Dressed in an all-black ensemble as he usually did, the lilac and white flowers sprinkled with greenery were the only pop of color in the foggy drizzly afternoon. Eddie was smiling wide despite the ugly weather, his dimples perfectly on display for the world to appreciate.

“Hey! This is for you,” Eddie thrust the flowers forward. “Actually, they are for your Mom but… yeah.”

“You bought my Mom flowers?” Dottie said, disbelief present in her tone as her fingers brushed against his chunky rings when she accepted the bouquet, skin bristling at the contact.

“Yeah, you like ‘em? The purple ones are rosemary and the white ones are, uh, bellflowers? The lady at the shop said there are, like, a million white flowers that look like bells so I picked the prettiest ones,” he dropped his backpack on the armchair in the living room and followed her to the kitchen.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you pick these?”

“Well, I kinda… borrowed your flower book?” he admitted, leaning on the kitchen island to watch her fill a glass vase and start arranging the flowers. “The one you and Jeff were talking about at lunch? It’s in my bag.”

“Wait, what? When did you grab it? I didn’t even notice it was gone.”

“Yesterday, when you left me alone in your room to go get snacks. D’you have any more of those strawberries? They were so good.”

“Yes, but you can’t eat them. We need them for the cake,” Dottie cut a few long stems until she was happy with how her vase looked and tied the silver ribbon that the bouquet had been bound with around the glass. “So if you stole my book, what do these mean?”

“I didn’t steal it, I was gonna give it back!” he said, faking being offended at her accusation before he dropped the act and stared down at his hands. “The, um- the rosemary is remembrance. The bell flowers are gratitude.”

“Gratitude? For my Mom?” she searched for his eyes with her own but he kept looking at his rings.

“Just wanted to thank her, y’know,” he looked up at her after a pause. “For giving me you.”

“Shit, Ed, you can’t say things like that without a warning, you’re gonna make me cry!” she fanned her face with her hand, voice playful but eyes full of very real tears. “Thank you, you’re… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he smiled shyly, reaching across the island to grab a flower out of the vase and bump her nose with it.

She giggled, taking the long stem from his fingers and setting it behind her right ear before turning around towards the counter where baking supplies were neatly laid out. She picked up two envelopes: one was the now familiar soft pink rectangle she had been carrying in her backpack all week but the other one was unassuming plain white. She slid the white one across the ceramic countertop; Eddie opened it to find a Garfield themed Mother’s Day card, the orange cat grinning on the front of the glossy paper. A pen entered his line of vision and he looked up to see Dottie nervously staring at him.

“I got you your own card,” she explained, clicking the pen and offering it to him. “Thought maybe you’d like to join my little ritual later.”

“Ritual?”

“I write down the things I want to say to my Mom and then I burn the card. It’s dumb, you know I don’t really believe in, like, the afterlife or whatever but… Dunno. Feels like the words reach her if I burn it.”

“No, I get it,” he reassured her. “So I can write whatever I want?”

“Yeah! I mostly just update mine on how everything’s going. About my Dad, and school, stuff like that. Like leaving a message on her answering machine.”

“Okay, I can do that,” he smiled. “I’ll join your ritual.”

“Yeah? Okay, cool! I’ll… I’ll get started on the cake while you do that then.”

Happy to have a task to focus on instead of staring at him for an hour, Dottie opened a bottom drawer and took out a dark green apron with a tiny lemon pattern, quickly tying it behind her back with a thin bow. Eddie watched her move around her kitchen with ease, measuring ingredients and lining up a cake pan with parchment paper like she’d done it a thousand times. He supposed she’d had; kids with hard childhoods always knew their way around ovens and knives. It was simply a matter of survival: sometimes you were hungry and there weren’t any adults around even if the grownups in your life weren’t neglectful, like Wayne or James. Eddie looked down at Garfield’s large face printed on the paper and began spilling everything that was rattling inside his brain through his pen. He wrote, and wrote, and wrote until the left side of the opened card was full and had no more space to write on, so he continued writing on the backside.

He told his Mom about Wayne while Dottie mixed flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. He promised her he’d graduate this year while hearing the sounds of two eggs being cracked, the overwhelming sweetness of vanilla extract filling the air. He confided that he didn’t feel as lonely as before anymore, that he thought he finally had great friends, a club that looked up to him, a band that made him proud. He asked her not to worry about him anymore when Dottie poured the batter into a round pan and offered him the spoon to lick. And thus, Eddie wrote to her Mom about the girl he had a growing crush on, how he felt like he didn’t have to hide anything from her because she understood him in ways that other people had never understood, and how desperately he hoped she would look at him in the same way he saw her. If he had lifted his head up when he was putting the card back into the envelope, he would have seen Dottie sneaking glances at him while she cut strawberries and realized that he didn’t have to hope for anything anymore; Dottie already looked at him with stars in her eyes even if he didn’t think he was worthy of it yet.

With the cake baking in the oven for the next 30 minutes, all the strawberries cut in half, and the homemade jam finishing its 48 hour setting period in the fridge, both teens sat down on cushy stools at the kitchen island to finish the half-done homework they had abandoned on Saturday after it got dark. They could hear James pottering about upstairs, cleaning the bathroom while listening to the radio. He was singing along to West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys - “the latest #1 on the Billboard Hot 100” the announcer had said. James didn’t really like the Pet Shop Boys, but he had heard it so much on the radio during the last couple of months that he couldn’t be blamed for knowing the lyrics by heart at that point.

“You done?” Eddie asked, gathering his stuff and shoving everything into his backpack.

“Yeah- yeah, I’m done,” Dottie said, moving to clear her stuff too. “Cake should be done in five, I think.”

“What’s next?”

“Wanna whip the cream while I do the glaze?”

“Sure. You’re gonna have to guide me though,” his face lit up in a mischievous smile. “And I’m gonna need one of those cute little aprons you’ve been hiding from me too.”

“You get plain dark blue,” she said, going through the drawer. “Or… I can offer you a “Kiss the Cook” apron with a big red heart on it?”

“Princess, you already know which one I want,” he batted his eyelashes at her. “Besides, it matches my scrunchie!”

Dottie tried to contain her giggles with no success when he tied his hair up into a bun with the red scrunchie that had found permanent residence in the depths of her empty fruit bowl, twirling around to show off his new hairdo. He bowed his head so she could slip the apron around his neck, leaving the tying up to him and fetching the ingredients for their next tasks. She separated them into two small piles, his ingredients to the right, hers to the left.

“To make whipped cream you put heavy cream in this,” she slid a bowl in front of him. “And you use the mixer to whisk it until it gets a bit bubbly. Then, you add the sugar and the vanilla extract, and you mix until it’s not runny anymore.”

“How much of everything?” he asked, pushing his sleeves to his elbows.

“One tablespoon of sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.”

“The tablespoon is the big one, right?”

“Yes, chef,” she said, juicing a lemon for her glaze.

They worked together in relative silence, the loud sounds of the mixer drowning any words they could say. Eddie found out that he could draw on the cream when it got a bit more stiff, and quickly proceeded to spend the next few minutes drawing penis shape after penis shape into the mixture. He thought it was hilarious until Dottie unplugged the electric appliance, shaking her head at his antics. He got the cake out of the oven while she finished up her glaze, concentrating on not burning her concoction heating up on the stovetop.

“Do you always bake a cake for Mother’s Day?”

“Pretty much, yeah. It was my Mom’s favorite cake, it’s her recipe, so... Dunno, it feels nice. And I get to eat cake in the end so everything works out.”

“Y’know, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone make lemon glaze since I lived with my Grandma for three months,” he said, fanning the cake with a takeaway menu to cool it down.

“That sounds fun. How old were you?”

“Eight. Stayed with her the whole summer. She made awful lemon bars, I mean that shit tasted like fuckin’ cardboard,” Dottie snorted at his horrified expression. “But she made the best apple pie I’ve ever had. I think I gained like 10 pounds that summer.”

“Just from apple pie?” she asked, adding the last bit of the lemon juice to the pot.

“And ice cream,” he smiled. “Best summer of my life.”

“Eddie?” she said softly. “Can I ask you something kind of personal?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“How old were you when you moved in with Wayne?”

“After that summer. Actually,” he snorted bitterly. “The only reason I got to stay with my Grandma all those months was because my Dad got himself locked up and didn’t think it was important to mention he had a kid.”

“What?”

“They found out I existed when the school year started. A teacher asked me about my summer and called Social Services. When they came to see me, they said my Grandma was too old to raise me, so Wayne asked for custody. Been living with him since then.”

“What happened to your Dad?” she turned off the heat and turned to look at him.

“He’s still in prison. Won’t get out until I’m in my thirties as far as I know. He’s an asshole so… I don’t really care about him, and Wayne doesn’t either. Never went to visit him. Shit, I don’t think he even knows where they’ve got him, and that’s his little brother.”

“I mean, you just said he was an asshole so…”

“Yeah, I did,” he let out a wry chuckle.

“What’s his name? It isn’t Edward, right?”

“No, my Mom chose Edward. His name’s Wyatt.”

“Ah, that sucks,” she shook her head, moving past him to cut the cake in half to start assembling. He looked at her questioningly. “Wayne and Wyatt? ‘Cause you like alliteration?”

“Doesn’t ruin it for me. Actually, you might like this - you know what other two names start with the same letter?” he leaned onto the counter next to her. She was still wearing a sprig of rosemary in her hair.

“Bilbo and Baggins?” she joked.

“Maureen and Margaret.”

Dottie stopped cutting, knife halfway into the soft vanilla sponge, and stared at him. Eddie was looking at the two envelopes laying side by side next to the flower vase, right hand twirling the rings on his left hand. She remembered a conversation she’d had with Ms. Kelly early on in February after the excitement of being the new kid had died down and everyone had forgotten about her, going back to their cliques and usual groups of friends without sparing a single glance at her. If you want others to open up to you, you have to be open with them too, Ms. Kelly had said, in that gentle voice she always talked to troubled students with.

As much as Eddie wore his heart on his sleeve, he wasn’t keen on talking about his past. He rarely offered up pieces of important information about his childhood, choosing to only share the inconsequential parts instead. Everything else was locked up tight in his chest, just like Dottie did with her deepest memories. She wondered if the reason he was being candid with her now was because she’d let him peek behind her curtains first on Friday night at Lover’s Lake. A key exchanged for a key.

“Your mom’s name was Maureen?” Dottie asked, resuming her cutting.

“Yeah. Wayne says everyone called her Mo.”

“That’s a pretty name,” she smiled. “Mo and Maggie. Maybe they would’ve been friends.”

“Yeah. That would’ve been nice. We could have introduced them.”

“I don’t know if I’d be in Hawkins if my Mom was still here, though,” she said, sliding a big spatula under the first layer of cake to move it to a different plate. “Don’t think we would have moved out of New York.”

“Dunno if I’d be here either,” Eddie admitted, watching her spread the whipped cream he had made on the cake. “My Mom wasn’t from Hawkins. I don’t really know where she was from, I asked but Wayne doesn’t know either so… Said she didn’t like talking about it ‘cause her parents kicked her out when they found out she was pregnant.”

“That’s actually so wretched.”

“I know, right? Like, I know my Dad was always a fucking asshole but it wasn’t her fault, she was barely 17.”

“How did she meet your Dad then? If she wasn’t from Hawkins.”

“As far as I know, she worked at a diner my Dad stopped at on his route. Wayne got him a job as a trucker when he turned 18. So he met my Mom there, dated her for like, three months at the most, and then I showed up to ruin everything,” Dottie scoffed at him but he continued. “She dropped out of high school, he brought her to Hawkins and I was born here. They got married when she turned 18 a few months later. Actually, my Grandma kinda forced them to get married. She really liked my Mom and didn’t want people to treat her like shit ‘cause she had a bastard child.”

“God, people sucked back then.”

“It was the ‘60s, The Beatles were the biggest band in the world, everything sucked back then.”

“Say that again and I’ll kill you in your sleep,” she deadpanned and he let out a huge snort, enjoying how easy it was to rile her up. “You were saying, though.”

“Nah, it’s just… If they were married, it didn’t look like I was an unhappy accident, y’know?” Eddie got a bit more serious. “Anyway, Wyatt didn’t really want to be a dad. He would get in his truck and leave for days, and then when he came back he treated my Mom like shit. I don’t remember much but my Grandma told me once that he used to hit her a lot. I mean, I was his own personal punching bag so that shouldn’t surprise me as much as it does but still.”

“Jesus Christ,” she breathed out.

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen him and my Mom died when I was three, that’s why I don’t really remember anything,” he said, but he did. He remembered everything about Wyatt Munson; every hit, every insult, every scream. He cleared his throat. “After that, my Dad quit his job and started working at Brimborn before it closed down.”

“Brimborn… That’s the abandoned warehouse on Cherry Lane, right?”

“Cherry Oak Drive.”

“There’s like three different roads with “cherry” in their names in Hawkins, it’s so dumb.”

“Nobody said we were very original around here,” he chuckled.

Dottie moved around the kitchen to go find the strawberry jam she’d made a few days prior and found him still staring at the cards when she turned. He wasn’t crying at the memories, he didn’t even look sad. Just… resigned. Like he’d gotten used to things being shit all the time so it was a waste of time to get upset about them anymore. She left the jar on the counter and wrapped her arms around Eddie’s waist, her chest colliding with his back, her face buried between his shoulder blades.

“I’m so happy Wayne was there for you. He’s a great man.”

“Yeah,” he said, voice uncharacteristically soft, hands curling around hers. “Sometimes… sometimes I used to wish he was my real Dad, y’know?”

“He is.”

They stayed like that in the middle of Dottie’s kitchen, a million different things running through their heads: the dead mothers that shared the first letter of their names, the men that had raised them, and the people who had cared for them along the way. There was love to be found here in this kitchen, they both knew it. Only time would tell what it could turn into - what it would turn into - but for now, this friendship that only seemed to grow stronger every day was more than they had dreamed of when they first met in that dark props room thanks to the one and only Dustin Henderson. Maybe a Thank You note was in order.

Eddie thought it was very fitting that there wasn’t a bit of sunshine to be found as they stepped out into the backyard to begin what Dottie kept calling her “little ritual”. He held their envelopes carefully, one on each hand, while he watched her shove bits of craft paper and small branches into an empty bucket of paint, a box of matches resting on the floor next to her sneakers. She grabbed one and lit it on fire, throwing it into the can that had been scrubbed clean of any traces of paint ages ago and was now used as a regular bucket of water to douse the embers whenever James felt like using the grill. Wordlessly, she took her envelope from him and knelt in front of the can with her eyes closed, pressing the paper to her chest for a few seconds before lifting it up to her lips for a quick kiss, letting it fall onto the flames. She watched how the fire consumed her written words for a moment and went back to stand next to her friend.

She didn’t give him any indications as to what to do, simply choosing to let her hands fall in front of her, right hand twirling the ring on her left middle finger, eyes never leaving the flames. Eddie took her solemn silence as permission to approach the metallic can, kneeling on one knee and dropping his card inside. It was a strange feeling, he reckoned, to be sharing such an intimate and private moment with Dottie, and yet knowing that his words would never be read by her or any other person. Whatever he’d said in his letter was between him and the wind that he hoped would reach his Mom’s ears. I guess that’s the point of the ritual, he thought, moving back to his spot next to the pensive girl.

“It’s my fault,” she mumbled, gaze still stuck to the orange dancing in front of them and yet so far away from what she was actually seeing. “It’s my fault she’s dead.”

He turned to look at her, eyebrows meeting in the middle. Eddie had never seen her look so defeated. He wondered how he’d never noticed it before: the weight of the guilt she was carrying on her shoulders, the deep seated shame in the pit of her stomach that felt all too familiar to him, the vacant space within her eyes. It was like looking into a mirror that he’d been trying to ignore for so long. He reached out to her, his right hand wrapping around her left, rings brushing against each other’s, and squeezed tightly.

“She knew she was sick while she was pregnant and delayed her treatment for me. I killed her.”

“Dot, you know that’s not right.”

“Isn’t it? She knew it was me or her, and she chose me,” she held on tighter to his hand. “Sometimes… god, sometimes I wish she’d chosen herself instead. And it’s not that I want to be dead, I swear it’s not about that, but… it wasn’t fair. Not to her, not to my Dad. And it wasn’t fair to me either.”

“It’s my fault my Mom’s dead,” Eddie said, moving his fingers to intertwine with hers. She turned to him, both sets of wet brown eyes finding each others’ in the backyard. “It was the last day of preschool before the Winter holidays and I wanted pizza, so she went out to go get it. A drunk guy ran her over. She never saw it coming. My Dad wasn’t even in town. She died alone on the side of the road and with a fucking 2x1 pizza coupon in her coat pocket.”

“Eddie, you couldn’t have known. That wasn’t your fault-”

“It wasn’t yours either but you’re still gonna blame yourself for the rest of your life, aren’t you?” his lower lip trembled and they both squeezed tighter. The skin stretching over their knuckles was as white as the bellflowers in the kitchen. “They were adults, they made their own choices but you’re always gonna think about what you could have done differently, even if you didn’t know how to wipe your own ass yet.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she insisted. “That drunk asshole should be to blame, not you.”

“It wasn’t your fault either,” he said, matching her intensity. “You didn’t make her sick, that just happens sometimes and it’s no one’s fault.”

“It is! It’s my fault she didn’t get the treatment she should have gotten!”

“And it’s my fault my Mom was out there that night because I wanted pizza,” he lifted the hand that wasn’t holding onto hers and cupped the side of her face, thumb brushing away an angry tear. “If you’re not gonna stop blaming yourself, then I won’t stop either. You can’t have it both ways, Dot. Either we both move on, or we stay here together because fuck if I know who else to talk about this shit with.”

“It’s not fair,” she pouted, head falling forward until it hit his chest, his hand sliding into her hair.

“No, it’s not,” he agreed, taking a deep breath.

There was nothing else to be said, nothing left to clarify or explain. There were no words to soothe the pain, because it was so embedded into who they were as people that no amount of comfort would ever patch up the wounds that had healed badly and left deep scars that would never completely disappear. Margaret and Maureen were no longer there, and Eddie and Dottie had to move on. They weren’t sure how, and by God if they hadn’t tried  to do so all these years, but it felt a lot easier to forgive yourself when someone else was walking down that road with you.

Dottie sobbed quietly against Eddie’s chest, head bowed with his right hand tangling into her curls, cupping the back of her head. Eddie let his own tears fall, his cheek pressed onto her crown, thumb brushing the exposed skin behind her ear. In the silence filled with paper and wood crackling inside the paint bucket, they thought about how much they longed for something they couldn’t even remember having, and how their rusty padlocks were starting to fall limp at their feet. How even when their brains were miles away from their bodies, they still anchored each other down, hearts beating in sync and hands holding hands, Eddie’s thick mood ring on his right hand clashing against Dottie’s only dainty band; her Mom’s engagement ring glinting on her left middle finger.

Suddenly, she startled him by laughing softly through her tears, bringing their joined hands between their chests. He peered at her face curiously, waiting for her to speak.

“She would have fucking loved you,” she said, looking up at him with a big smile and shining eyes.

“Yeah?” he smiled back.

“I told my Auntie Rachel about you, and she said that she wants to meet you. That you remind her of my Mom.”

“I do?”

“It’s because she was the glue. She was the one that introduced everyone in the group, they are all friends because of her. And that’s what you do for us with Hellfire. You’re our glue.”

“You know,” he stopped his sentence to chuckle. “Wayne said something like that about you too.”

“Yeah?”

“He said that you boss me around like my Mom did with him,” he laughed. “And that you always tidy up his coffee table like she did.”

“That’s so embarrassing,” she laughed with him.

“I think Wayne likes you more than he likes me,” he whispered conspiratorially. “But I know my Mom would have loved you too.”

“Eddie? If I wanted to get a tattoo to honor my Mom-”

“I’m taking you to get it when you turn 21. It’ll be your birthday present, I promise. Just… wait until you’re 21 so I can take you to a nice shop, because mine look really awesome but it’s honestly a miracle I’m not dead,” she snorted loudly. “I’m serious! I don’t think the guy washed his hands since he came back from Vietnam.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll wait. But you gotta promise we’ll still be friends in three years.”

“Oh, princess, I’m a ride or die. No getting rid of me now, sorry.”

“Good. Didn’t want to get rid of you anyways.”

While Dottie was inside setting up the TV to watch The Wizard of Oz, Eddie excused himself to the backyard for a smoke. He ran through everything that had happened between them that week, starting with their argument about his moldy ceiling all the way until the last ten minutes when she was still buried in his arms. Being vulnerable wasn’t something that came easy to Eddie; he was way too used to covering everything up in leather and sarcasm, but now that he’d started shedding the layers, it was surprisingly liberating to keep going, especially when he kept being rewarded by Dottie letting down her barriers too. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t realize James had slipped out into the backyard too and was walking towards him, glancing at the pile of ashes at the bottom of the metallic can.

“She got you to join her ritual?” James asked, coming to a stop next to the younger man who was smoking under the patio roof.

“It was interesting. I enjoyed it,” he said, the right corner of his lips twitching upwards into a soft smile. He offered his pack of cigs to James, who shook his head, hands in his pockets.

“No, thank you. Haven’t smoked in years.”

“I should probably stop smoking but it’s hard when my Uncle does it too.”

“I know what you mean, my parents are smokers,” James said, nodding. “I only stopped because Maggie got pregnant and she hated the smell on my clothes. Said it made her want to throw up.”

“Dot hates it too,” Eddie chuckled. “She’s always wrinkling her nose when we smoke near her.”

“She does it to my mother too, don’t take it personal.”

Eddie didn’t really know what else to say so he stayed quiet, busying himself with his cigarette. He knew Dottie hated the fact that he and Donny smoked, but despite that, she’d never told them to not do it. Instead, she moved around them to stand next to Gareth or Jeff, away from the wind that blew the smoke into her space until they were done indulging in their vices. She had never complained about the smell either; the only time they’d heard her say anything negative about it was when she said that her Grandma liked smoking inside her kitchen while sitting next to an opened window and that the smoke made her cough, so Eddie tried not to smoke in the van when he was driving her around. He tapped the butt to the sole of his boot and saved it in the little cardboard box, fully intending on throwing it in the trash when he came back inside when James cleared his throat.

“Eddie, do you mind if we have a talk? Man to man,” he said, his tone friendly but firm.

“Y-yeah, of course. Is there a problem, sir?” Eddie’s palms were sweating. He had seen this coming but didn’t think it would happen so soon.

“No, actually I wanted to thank you,” James began. “Dottie told me what you did for her on Friday, that was… very thoughtful of you.”

“Oh,” he was surprised. “I… You don’t have to thank me. I don’t know if she told you but… I haven’t been a very good friend lately and I wanted to apologize to her. That’s all.”

“Well, either way, thank you. Proms and school dances are… a touchy subject for her, you know? Not a lot of good memories. Just- thank you for making her senior prom special.”

“Of course,” Eddie said, scratching the skin under his watch. “We’ll make sure she has a good prom. And if- if you want us to bring her back at, like, a certain hour, we- we can totally do that too. We’ll look out for her.”

“I know,” the older man smiled at him, noticing how nervous he looked. Eddie might be almost 20 but he was still a little boy trying to impress the father of the girl he liked; James supposed he’d looked the same when he’d started dating Maggie. “You’re good kids, all of you. And Dottie’s never really had good friends before so… if she’s happy, I’m happy.”

“I’m glad. That’s she’s happy, I mean,” he hurried to say. “Not that she had bad friends before. That part sucks, she’s… she’s great and I’m glad I- glad we got to meet her and… stuff.”

“You all mean a lot to her, but you… You’re very important to her. You know that, don’t you, Eddie?” James said, and Eddie felt very much like he was being tested.

“She’s important to me too, sir.”

James smiled, satisfied with the boy’s answer. He understood now the glee his father-in-law felt whenever he made him squirm, it was very enjoyable. It was in good faith though, Roger had never outright disrespected him, and James didn’t intend on doing it to Eddie either, but he supposed it was his God given right to mess with the kid a little bit as the father of a teenage daughter. Maybe one day Eddie would understand it too.

“Everything alright?” Dottie said, popping her head out of the kitchen backdoor and looking at the two men standing on the grass with curiosity.

“Yeah, just two guys having a manly talk. You know, about sports and stuff,” James said.

“You only watch sports when the Olympics are on.”

“I also watch the Super Bowl,” he argued.

“You never watch the rest of the season, what’s the point?”

“It’s fun,” he said, turning to Eddie. “Right, Ed?”

“Only reason I watch is because Wayne makes the best spicy wings in Hawkins,” he grinned. “Sorry, sir.”

“You two are missing out,” James shook his head, jesting. “Gonna watch The Wizard of Oz?”

“Yeah, wanna join?”

“Nah, I’m gonna go lay down for a bit. I’ll take a piece of cake though.”

Later that day, when they were hanging out on the couch stuffing their faces full with vanilla sponge and strawberry jam while watching Judy Garland and her merry gang of new friends walk down the yellow brick road, Dottie eyed Eddie suspiciously until he turned to her, whipped cream staining his upper lip.

“Okay, spill.”

“Wha’?” he asked, cheeks full of cake.

“What were you and my Dad talking about outside?”

“Manly stuff,” he swallowed quickly. “Can’t tell you. If you knew, I’d have to kill you, it’s the law.”

“You’re such an idiot,” she giggled, stealing a strawberry from his plate.

He gasped in horror but still let her do it, because she was important to him and he’d do anything to keep that smile on her face, including tearing down the walls he’d carefully built around himself all throughout his life. And hopefully, by shedding that weight, she’d be able to get rid of hers too, and Mo and Maggie could be proud of them for finally moving on.

taglist (comment below or shoot me a dm if you want to be added!): @munsonology @kurdtbean

[maaarshieee]

⎯⎯ ୨ 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓛𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓰𝓮 1 ୧ ⎯⎯

➢ Gɪʏᴜᴜ Tᴏᴍɪᴏᴋᴀ, Kʏᴏᴊᴜʀᴏ Rᴇɴɢᴏᴋᴜ, Mᴜɪᴄʜɪʀᴏ Tᴏᴋɪᴛᴏ & Sʜɪɴᴏʙᴜ Kᴏᴄʜᴏ

➢ Mᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ

a/n - HEY GUYS im finally posting something!! i promise to work on requests soon but have this love language bs first LMAO. ill make more for other characters too. also new layout 💖 anyways i hope you enjoy this one. it aint much but it's able to jog my brain to write. for those who can't see, the title is "love language"

↬ Part 1 ✦ Part 2

Quality time + Acts of Service

Ah yes, the man who has never been into a relationship before. You can see why I picked Quality time and Acts of Service for him, right? And it's not like I'm making fun of him for his lack of social skills, I think these 2 fit him the most because of his experience (or lack thereof) and personality.

Because Giyuu is a hashira, he wouldn't have the luxury of spending time with you as much as he wanted to. He has significant responsibilities, and he's serious when it comes to demon slaying. So he never takes for granted all the time (he has available) he spends with you.

It doesn't matter what the two of you do; sitting on the engawa and watching the rain fall, walking through the forest and admiring nature, eating meals together, he counts everything as special to him. Be it you tending his injuries or even slaying demons together (if you're a slayer), being with you, every moment, every second, is very precious to him.

Giyuu has been rather lonely for a while now, so you just being there, and willing to stay with him through thick and thin is really enough for him. Your presence is enough to calm him, to ground him back to reality. There will be a time when he'd settle down with you, his love, and spend the rest of his life with you. You're his home, after all.

I reckon Giyuu doesn't know much about romance at the start of your relationship with him. You'll have to teach him the ropes of dating and such. So what better way other than Quality time he'd show you that he loves you? By helping you of course!

The dishes, cleaning the house, folding clothes, anything that he could do for you! It's also a bonus that he gets to spend more time with you too. But whenever you're out to go shopping or he comes home early and you're still at work, he'd take care of everything in your shared estate.

He's used to doing chores alone, but now he has a new goal in mind to motivate him not to half-ass it. You! You're always taking care of him and he remembers every time you do. The fact that you always sew his haori back together, making it look rather brand new warms his heart. The fact that you cook him his favorite dish whenever he's feeling down brings a smile to his face. The fact that you simply care, and love him, well, it makes him feel as if he's on top of the world.

Giyuu will do everything in his power to make things easier for you. Besides, he always looks forward to your reaction to seeing your shared estate be so spotless when you come back home. "I don't mind cleaning," He'd say, then he'd ask if you're tired and make your favorite blend of tea.

Of course, he'd know that! Let him take care of you now that you're home. Safe and sound with him, okay?

Physical touch + Words of Affirmation

I want to say that even if Kyojuro's love language is obvious (and common) due to his personality. Kyojuro is a bit touchy in my opinion, if you're a slayer he gets to work within a mission? I few pats on the back or on your head to encourage or acknowledge you.

As his lover though? He's all over you! Kyojuro just loves being close to you, being able to feel you, touch you. Usually, he'd have a hand on your waist while the two of you walk, or hold hands (which is his literal favorite). If you'd allow him to, he wants to touch all of you, just to admire you, y'know?

Kyojuro loves, loves holding you. It makes him feel so relaxed to know you're in his arms, safe, with him. He loves it when you reciprocate everything; cupping his cheeks, hugging him, kissing him, everything. He just adores the kinship between the two of you.

With the way he touches you, it's easy to know how much he loves you. It's one of his ways to make you feel loved, protected, and secure with him. Plus, who doesn't like hugs and such? (He also looks really happy, even if he's just holding your hand. You really can't pull away at this point.)

Kyojuro is loud. Everyone knows about this. He's straightforward and honest, especially to you. So he can't really help but shower you with compliments, openly expressing his love and being so supportive/encouraging. Loudly.

He'd tone it down for your sake, but it just slips most of the time. You slay a demon? "You're amazing, darling!" You pack him lunch? "You're the best, my love!" He literally says thank you in many different ways, and he loves it when you smile or when your blush because of him.

Randomly declares his love to you. Be it in a public area (he would always lean towards your ear and whisper it to you so he won't draw any attention) or in your shared bedroom (he would always press a kiss on your forehead, your cheek, your nose, or your lips before he does so), he will say he loves you whenever he gets the urge to do so.

This would usually happen when he stared at you for too long, admiring you and just thinking how lucky he is to have someone like you. Then he'd feel all warm inside, his chest would feel tingly and he knows he just has to tell you that he loves you, no matter how many times he's already told you in just a day.

Quality time + Giving/Receiving Gifts

The brain may forget, but the heart always remembers. "Who is this person and why do I feel so content with them?" is a question he would frequently ask himself early in your relationship. There are times when he would forget who you were, forget your face, forget your voice, but your presence is always so familiar to him. It's just something he can't simply forget.

While Muichiro doesn't really understand how, but he's grateful for it. He may forget, but he's glad he had something to go about to recognize you. The more you spend time together, the more you make together, and the more he can remember you. How could he not, when most of his happiest memories are being with you?

The time you spend together doesn't always have to be grandiose. He can simply remember the number of times you've spent laying on the grass together, looking up at the skies and pointing at clouds that are vaguely shaped as something. He can remember the two of your sitting near a pond, he can remember you giggling whenever a koi fish would splash water at you. He can remember all those kind words you've whispered to him, loving eyes, caring touches, and secure hugs you've shared.

Those memories clear the fog in his head bit by bit, it grounds him. You ground him. All those times you've spent together, he remembers them and he loves you greatly for being so patient with him, for loving someone like him. It would always bring a smile to Muichiro's face whenever he thinks about you.

And since he thinks about you often, he usually spots things that he thinks you'd love whenever he's out for missions. Snacks? Souvenirs? A pretty rock? Flowers growing in a random garden? Whatever he gets his hands on, as long as he thinks you'd love it.

It's always so endearing when he comes home, pocket full of things he brought for you with him saying "I thought about you," and rambles about what he remembered and why he thought you'd like it. "This pretty rock shines like your eyes,", "This is your favorite snack, right?", "This reminds me of that one time..." and so on.

When you do the same with him though? He'd smile so brightly and keep everything you gave him in a box. He'll cherish these for as long as he lives. They're from you, after all. Muichiro's heart feels like it's about to burst whenever you say you thought about him. It's nice to be on the receiving end sometimes.

Acts of Service + Physical Touch

Shinobu loves taking care of you, even if you're not injured or sick. You're one of her most important priorities, so if she sees you feeling down, she'd put her responsibilities aside momentarily and goes to you. She'd prepare your tea or whip you up a quick snack, just for you.

She can't help it, she's used to taking care of others since it's literally her job. You're just lucky and special enough to get extra tender love and care from the one and only, Shinobu Kocho.

What she isn't used to though, is being taken care of. At first, she'd refuse your help. It's not like she didn't want your help, no, she simply isn't used to it, and it felt a little out of the norm for someone, after a very long time, to care for her like you want to. Plus, she'd be vulnerable, she has every right to be cautious. But you aren't trying to take advantage of her, you simply want to return all those kind gestures back at her.

It took a while for her to accept it without hesitating, but you've come a long way. Now, she absolutely loves it when you rake your fingers through her hair while you brush it, a ritual you do every morning before she gets back to work. She loves it when you offer to bathe her, cook for her, and even massage her stiff back. "If you can't take care of yourself, allow me to do it for you." You once told her.

Shinobu surely fell twice as hard at those words. Whenever she thought back to it, her heart would skip a beat. She supposes it was fair. You let her take care of you and she lets you take care of her (you wanted to point out to her that's how relationships usually go but said nothing, chuckling to yourself instead).

With Physical touch, it's mostly the subtle but meaningful touches the two of you share. Shinobu would always giggle whenever you grab her hand and kiss her knuckles, while her other hand caress your cheek adoringly. She loves to hold your pinkie with her's while walking through the long hallways of the Butterfly estate.

Shinobu is very teasing though. She'd trace her fingertips against your skin, barely touching, from your jawline and down to your collarbone. All of that just to see you fluster with just her touch. She also likes gently pinching your cheeks, she thinks you're cute when you're annoyed.

But what she really cherishes the most is when you share these small touches when you're both busy. It always eases her and makes her work more tolerable when you're sitting next to her, a hand on her thigh whilst you either help with her paperwork or read a book. She loves putting her hand on the small of your back while you cook, or tend a slayer.

Shinobu is not one for hugs, but she sees these small gestures equivalent to a hug. Small, but very intimate and meaningful. She'd be glad if you indulge in these gestures with her.

[graciegoeskrazy]

Sharper (rewrite) - Chapter 1 - i feel the earth move

Warnings: Language, mention of rape, mentions of kidnaping, mentions of sexual assault, Mentions of CPS, social workers, bars, New York City (lol), mentions of sex workers, mentions of drugs and drinking

Word Count: ~3,000

A/N: READ THE WARNINGS. Its me hi I’m the fucking writer thats always missing its me. Okay we have a series yay! I know this seems really fucking crazy but I’ve had this idea for a really long time and I’m really excited for y’all to read. So far i have the first chapter (duh) and last chapter done along with some bits in between and I’m really excited for y’all too read. Okay thats all ill say now okay i love u byeeeee

The streets of New York City were never friendly. Especially to 16 year olds like you. Rain poured and mixed into the dirty snow that had fallen earlier that day, creating a rotten and thick atmosphere surrounding the city. You thought about other families on Christmas Eve. Kids getting ready for bed, awaiting the arrival of Santa and the presents he’ll bring. Families walking home from church, admiring the lights that covered the city. You should be experiencing things like that - joy, cheer, happiness. However, it all seemed to be the exact opposite.

After your mom died you were immediately thrown at CPS who sent you straight into foster care. You had no family except your mom. Your grandparents might have been alive but you had no fucking clue because they turned their backs on your mom and you the second they found out she was pregnant. With no support and no money, your broke single money turned to being a sex worker. And even though there were friends she made along the way at work and they treated you like you were their niece, all of them knew that living with them in the midst of their line of work was no place for a kid. They cared too much to let you be around that, and you understood. So, foster care it was.

Your foster parents honestly didn’t give a shit, so you offered a deal to them - give you a share of the money they get monthly from the state, and you will be out of their hair and will never ask for anything from them. Not surprisingly at all, they said yes. When your social worker found out, she didn’t care, she just wanted a cut of your money. For awhile, you would stay in and out of shelters throughout the city, eventually leaving after a little while to avoid the risk of anyone getting suspicious and calling CPS. When that didn’t work, you would bounce between the couches of your friends, slowly but surely giving up hope of ever finding a permanent home. Even with your cut from your foster parents and money at your shitty job at Starbucks your social worker set you up with, it still definitely wasn’t enough to pay rent of anything. But it was enough to pay for your own food, your own clothes, and a ticket from point a to point b. So that was how you lived. For 10 whole months. And that’s what its looked like for the past week. Couch hopping, working, still going to fucking school, and all the while not having a single moment to grieve the loss of your mom.

You were on the way to a bar to have your annual meeting with your social worker. You had an informal meeting with your social worker at least every other week. Even though they were brief, they were still a constant pain in your ass. You wanted life to keep moving. Move away from the pain and heartache of your mom’s death, and all the other pain and suffering that came along with it, but these meetings always seemed to drag you back under. It always felt like a constant reminder of what you went through and how you got here.

You immediately spotted her. You sat down across from her at a table. She continued writing down whatever it was she was doing as you walked in. She acknowledged your presence, but never looked up once.

“You’re late.” She said.

“Yeah. I know. I couldn’t get a cab. It’s fucking Christmas Eve.” You said as you sat.

She finally met your gaze, “What have I said about cursing?”

You just shrugged, “Last time I checked I don’t get in trouble for language.”

Jenny sighed again, “It’s still not classy.”

“Meeting at a bar at nearly midnight with your 16 year old client isn’t classy either.”

“It's a restaurant too.” She said, matter of factly.

You rolled your eyes and Jenny let out a smirk, knowing she had gotten under your skin already. She straightened up at an attempt to reset. “How’s life been treating you Mazie?”

“Pretty Shitily.”

Jenny continued to write in her files. “I can imagine. Where were you tonight?”

You took a seat, “Out with a friend from work. Caroline.”

“A friend from work at Starbucks?”

You looked anywhere but her, already tired of her fake niceties “Yeah.”

“How’s the Job you like it?”

You signed. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Working hard? Putting in the hours?”

“Yeah.”

Jenny finally looked up. “Hmm. That’s really interesting because I checked in on the Starbucks you’re working at and they said you got fired 2 weeks ago.”

You were caught.

For a moment you thought about keeping up with the lie. But you very quickly came to the conclusion that it would only make things worse. “Okay listen, I can explain.”

“Strike one.” She said, as she went back to write in her files, probable making note of your job status.

“Listen to me, My boss, Samuel...he was being a real perv-“

“To you or others?”

You paused and shrugged, eyes never leaving her. “What do you think?”

Jenny looked down. She wouldn’t wish what you had been through on anybody, But she wasn’t gonna let you off the hook. Job or no job, someone would find out sooner or later and it would end up getting herself in trouble

“it’s apart of your agreement.”

“You taking a cut from my foster parents isn't a part of the agreement?!”

“Quiet down, will you? Look, I'm trying to help you. I know it’s been rough since you lost your Mom, and all i’m trying to do is help you maintain a life. A life your mom would’ve wanted.”

“My mom wouldn’t want me in a fucking foster system or working shifts at starbucks for less than minimum wage.”

“Look, I don’t really give a shit. I’m just trying to do my job.”

“That’s a first-”

“Cut it out.” She said Sharply. “Can we carry on with the questions?”

You nodded.

Jenny continued, “Last time you did drugs?”

You rolled your eyes, “I’ve told you, since I went into the system.”

“So a couple months, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“So let me ask you this. If I get a drug test from my car, it’s gonna come back negative, right? Because you haven’t done anything tonight?”

“Yeah.” You said hesitantly.

“Are you sure about that? Because im gonna be really fucking pissed if I have to go all the way to my car and back to get a drug test just to prove that you’ve been lying to me.”

You knew that she knew. There was no getting out of it. “Ok so I may have done a little tonight. But it wasn’t a lot! It was barely any!”

“Strike 2.”

“C’mon man!”

“Do you want me to bring you in right now? Is that what you want? Cause I’d be happy to hand you over to another couple who don’t give a single shit about you.”

“You’re a fucking monster.”

“No. I’m just doing my job.”

“And you’re pretty fucking bad at it.” A new voice spoke. Your eyes caught sight of a man with dark hair and a long black trench coat. You looked slightly familiar, but Jenny continued to speak before you had the chance to fully question his familiarity.

“Excuse me?” She said,

“I’m just saying, If there’s a reason she’s acting like this then maybe you’re doing something wrong.”

Confusion made itself apparent on your face as you looked at the two as the continued to speak.

“Sir, can I help you?”

“Yeah.” He said with a smile before it morphed into a blank stare. “No.” he said.

He must be drunk as hell.

He cleared his throat before continuing. “Look, let me pay you to walk away.

Jenny’s unimpressed expression never changed as she spoke. “You must be drunk.”

The man laughed. “Yeah, maybe.”

Knew it.

——-

Jenny and the man continued to talk quietly, coming up with some sort of price. You were absolutely speechless. Maybe I can make a run for it now? That would definitely lead to trouble once Jenny inevitably found you again. What about when she leaves? When it’s just me and that dude? That could work. Throughout all the questions filling up your brain, the most frequent one was equally simple and terrifying… What the hell did he want with me?

Before you could fully think about that one, Jenny came back, seemingly packing up her files and folders Not saying a word to you. So, you spoke up.

“You really gonna let him do this?!”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ll be fine. He’ll probably let you walk away, your record will stay spotless, and I won't have to deal with your bullshit-”

“Are you fucking insane?! Look at him he’s probably gonna assault me or rape me or something sketchy as hell.!”

“Not my problem.”

“Yes, it’s your problem. That's your fucking job!”

She turned to give you one last cold glare. “Well…nothing you haven't dealt with before.”

You were speechless. All you wanted to do was punch her across the face until she was out cold, but nothing would come out.

She made her way out the door but turned out to give you one last glare. “Happy Holidays motherfucker.” she said.

You were slouched in your seat, arms crossed, eyes looking down in disbelief. From the second you got a good look at his guy, you knew he was bad news. You had yet to learn what would happen or where you would end up next. You snapped out of your thoughts when a certain voice appeared.

“Hi.” He said, sounding almost chipper.

You didn’t respond, just stared at him, arms still crossed. He took another sip of his drink before continuing. “What’s your name?”

“...Mazie.” You said hesitantly.

He sucked in a breath. You weren't sure what that meant, but you had no time to think about it before he continued talking.

“How old are you Mazie?”

You hesitated. What kind of creepy ass shit was he into?

“16.” You said sharply. You couldn’t let down your guard for one second. You were tough and not to be messed with, and this guy needed to know that.

You noticed how he hesitated again. He took one last sip of his drink before standing up off the stool and making his way towards you,but still giving you some space.

“Wanna go for a ride?”

“Not really, no.” You quickly said.

He hummed. “May I?” he said, gesturing to the seat across from you in the booth you were still sitting in.

“It's a free country isn't it?” You said. He took that as a yes.

“I’m Max.” He reached out his hand as an offering. You pondered for a moment, then shook his hand.

“What do you want with me, Max?”

He let out a slight dry chuckle. “I’m not gonna hurt you, Mazie. If that's what your thinking”

“Soooo…you just gonna let me go? Pay a random woman 7.000 cash to let a random 16-year-old free out of what…the goodness of your heart?”

“I need your help.”

“With what?”

“Come with me.”

He led you outside. Waiting for you both was a sleek, black, sports car you presumed was Max’s. He opened the door for you and gestured for you to get in.

“Fuck no.” You spat.

“I told you I’m not gonna hurt you-”

“And why should I believe you?”

He was about to open his mouth but stopped himself.

“You can’t really I guess.”

That caught you off guard. For some reason it made you trust him a tiny bit more. For whatever reason, you were definitely interested in whatever skeam he had planned.

He reached into the car and pulled out a wad of cash. “Here,” he said, throwing it to you.

You caught it and took a look. $1,000 dollars cash was sitting in the palm of your hand. You tried to remain natural and chill. “What’s this for?” you asked.

“That’s your cut.”

“You shouldn’t be drinking and driving.”

“And you shouldn’t be alone on the streets of New York.”

“I shouldn’t be talking to strangers ethier. Let alone getting in the car with them.”

“Let’s not be strangers then, huh?”

The car ride was quiet. He put on some sort of Christmas music on low volume as he drove. The city was alive and bright. People and families crowding the streets, once again making you think of your family and what you used to have. Those thoughts came to a halt as he pulled into a large parking garage next to what you assumed to be Max’s apartment building. A doorman created the two of you as he led you to the elevator. The both of you still hadn’t said a word since the bar.

He opened the door and motioned for you to go inside.

“You think I'm dumb or something? I’m not going in there.”

He rolled his eyes before looking at you. “This entire apartment complex is filled head to toe with multiple alarm systems, 4 Security guards only a couple floors down, one of which you met and knows your face, and constantly servailed cameras in every corner.”

You just stared at him, trying to think of something to say. He beat you to it.

“And if you wanted to leave, I would let you leave.”

You nodded, and walked in.

His apartment was smaller than you expected, but you were mainly surprised about how clean it was.

“Cool Place.” You said.

He took his jacket off and put his keys down.

“You can sleep on the couch, or leave if you want. No drugs. No coming into my room.”

He slammed the door, not giving you another look. “Coolio.”

This is gonna be interesting.

——-

The clanging of pots and pans startled you. You turned to see max preparing some kind of breakfast.

“Morning.” He said.

You didn’t reply, just stood still. Taking in and remembering all of the events that took place the night before. He continued.

“What’s your favorite movie?”

Out of everything he could’ve said, you didn’t expect those word to come out of her mouth. “What’s my favorite movie?”

He nodded.

“Interstellar.” You said without taking your eyes off him, trying to keep up the tough exterior.

“Really? Why?”

“I like space and I have daddy issues.” You said bluntly. He made a mental note to check in on that later. He continued, “I think it's a classic.”

“You like that one?” You said surprised as you took a sip of the coffee he gave you.

“Yeah. It's always been a favorite of mine.”

“Damn, I can’t believe you’ve actually seen that film.”

“I haven’t.” He said, giving you a glare.

“What?”

“I lied.”

“Why?”

“To trick you.”

“Okay?” You were thoroughly confused.

Max got up. “That’s what I’m gonna teach you to do.”

You sat in silence as he grabbed a stack of newspapers and but the on the coffee table in front of you. “Read those. Front to back.”

You scoffed and picked up the papers. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Where’s that money I gave you?”

“In my jacket.”

He grabbed it and turned to you. From now on, every time you curse I get 100 back.”

“Fuck that, that’s my money!”

He pulled it away before you could grab it back from him.

“Another 100 gone. 800 left.” He put the remaining money back on the table and you immediately put it into your pants pocket.

“Where are you going?” You said.

“Out. I’ll be back later. Read those or leave.”

He slammed the door.

You just stood there.

How did the fuck did I get here?

[a-simple-imagine]

With Us

Synopsis: Quinn is on top of the world. She’s hot, popular, dating a handsome footballer and is on track to become prom queen but what’s most important to her? 

Pairing: Quinn Fabray x fem!reader x Sam Evans (polyamorous) 

Words: 6.1k (way longer than expected.)

A/N - Can’t believe i’m writing glee fanfiction in the year 2022. embarassing. this is purely self indulgent. it’s cuter if you listen to the song and imagine quinn and sam singing to you. 

Song is Bloom by The Paper Kites 

often we speak of great love. a single love that comes along and sweeps you off your feet. strive for a single person who makes your heart race as butterflies flutter in your stomach. it's sweet and pure but often so far from the truth. your first love lay with your best friend. the infamous Quinn Fabray. Hottest girl in Mckinley High. Captain of the cheerios. Girls wanted to be her. Guys wanted to date her. It wasn't immediate, you developed a crush about a year into knowing her. It was a secret you would have taken to your grave... if you had actually needed to.

The longer you stare at Puckerman, the more you wonder if he actually thinks before he speaks or just blurts out whatever pops into his head. that was not an insult rather you admired how oblivious he can seem to be. you reckon there is depth behind those eyes, something he reserves for a select few. you long for the peace that must come with an empty head. right now he spoke idle nonsense as the room waited for the arrival of a teacher. with your attention still on the boy, your head falls to rest upon the shoulder of your girlfriend. Nobody knew of your relationship status but it was hardly unusual for best friends to show affection towards each other.

the brush of velvety fingertips drifts across your cheek. "you okay?" Quinn murmured over her shoulder. you confirm your okayness with a nod so she goes back to chatting with Sam.

"I know you're all excited about prom but I really need you guys to focus," Enter Mr. Schuester. Champion of the William McKinley High School's glee club. he demands the attention of the room as he heads for the board. scrawled across the board is the world 'nationals' in massive white letters. “nationals” we need ideas- award-winning ideas."

"I'm not goin to prom so I agree we should be focusing on the competition," you start, sitting up straight. "also I wanna put myself forward for a solo- I've been working really hard."

"wait, you're not going to prom?" such surprise etched in the voice beside you but it was overshadowed by berry's famous arrogance.

"if anyone is getting a solo, it's me." a hand placed over her heart. "I'm clearly the best choice if we actually want to win."

"you have to go to prom." Quinn resumes buzzing in your ear, you peek at her. a worried expression on her face.

"I'd rather stay home."

"I'd also like a shot at any solos," Kurt adds. "we should be doing something new, not same old Rachel berry."

"I don't have a date," Brittany jumps into the conversation. "but I'm still going to prom."

"you should go," yet another blonde inserts their opinion on prom, this time from the other side of Quinn. why was this becoming a big deal? Your brow furrows as you look around your girlfriend to Sam.

"I thought you weren't going either."

"he is." Quinn moves to block your view of the boy. "if he doesn't go how will he win prom king."

"he won't?" you're almost certain that boy does not care about winning prom king and it's merely Quinn Fabray at work here. "we're getting off-topic- Mr. Schue, I agree with Kurt. you can't just give Rachel solos."

"I'm not giving Rachel anything." unlikely story. "once we decide on a plan, ill hold auditions for any and all solo parts."

"Quinn says I have to go," there was an aspect of playfulness in his tone, as he leans back in his seat. Quinn is clearly unamused as she lets go of his hand. "even if she has to drag me there."

"she can't make you go, Sam."

a sharp glare was thrown in your direction. if looks could kill, you'd have a dagger in your heart right now. "He's my date. I can't go alone."

"if anyone is getting a solo, it's obviously gonna be me. I'm the most talented one in here." Santana brags from her place next to Brittany. "so if we just plan it around me, we're gonna win."

"but I should go alone?"

"That's different," Quinn insists. "Sam is my running mate. I need him to win."

"how could I possibly forget," you groan a little too loudly. "it's not like your face is plastered all over the school or anything."

a few snickers dotted around the room but it's hard to pinpoint. you could take a couple of guesses of course. "guys," Mr. Schue calls out. "can we focus here please. "we've also been asked to perform at prom."

the pressure surrounding prom seemed to be coming from all directions today. you had already resigned the idea of attending and there was little that would change your mind. your hand shoots into the air but you speak without being called upon. "do I have to?"

"I'm not gonna force any of you to actually perform anything but I would still like some ideas for the others."

"Great, just what everyone wants more work."

"It's not like you do much work around here anyway." a snide comment from Santana. everyone is used to those by now. you wish she'd be more creative but alas she lacks the imagination to really hurt you.

"lay off her," Quinn is quick to your defense, a rather weird and frankly useless endeavour. Santana doesn't care and neither did you. you were plenty capable of defending yourself had it been needed. a free hand encompasses you knee, squeezing just a little. a reassuring smile spreads across your lips.

"It's fine," a heavy sigh, you remove Quinn's hand and place it back upon her own. for the rest of glee club, you merely remain silent. listening as Mr. Schue spoke of possible songs or ideas. you're the first to rise when it all comes to an end. bag slung over the shoulder, you charge out of the choir room.

"you can't just skip prom," that voice belongs to your girlfriend who walks up behind you and falls into step. it's late afternoon so most people have gone home unless they're part of a club. "don't you want to see me win prom queen?"

"do you want my honest answer or?" it was said in jest but frankly, it was more concerning that the only reason she wanted you there was to see her win some plastic crown.

"it won't be the same if you're not there." bottom lip pushed out into a pout. it may work on Sam but not you.

"you can send me a picture, I'll be just as proud at home." you just roll your eyes. "where's Sam?"

"had to get something from his locker," pushing through the double doors you're greeted by the setting sun of the parking lot. "you wanna join us for food?"

"right now?" the other girl nods a little. "always."  surveying the surroundings, you risk taking Quinn's hand and pulling her towards her own car. "where we goin'?"

"breadstixs." falling back against the door of her car, you just watch her for a moment. Quinn was a really pretty girl bathed in the golden sun made her even more angelic. every part of you wanted to pull her closer. wrap your arms around her waist and kiss her. but that was just a little too much right now.

"Isn't that a little too public?" With a playful quirk of your brow, you spy sam Evans making his way over.

"Are you gonna ask that every time I invite you somewhere?"

"yea," an eager nod, you flash Sam a smile. "breadstixs?"

"Who invited you?"

a hand slapped against his arm, you pull open the car door. "your girlfriend. now let's go."

The moment Sam Evans transferred to McKinley flipped your entire world upside down. he had come from some all-boys boarding school which made his about as smooth as a board of nails. for some reason that made him all the more charming when it came to the ladies. He joined the football team which was his ticket to popularity. and one admittedly adorable duet later and he was dating your best friend. this was pretty early on in the semester in spite of her summer promise to focus on herself. you weren't mad about it. there was no chance you'd ever tell Quinn how you actually felt. and if you were being honest to yourself, sam left you feeling... confused. he was ever so endearing. a blueberry slushy to the face was all it took. it was stupid but he tried to cheer you up by doing impressions of your favourite celebrities. it may not have stopped the burning but it did make you laugh. he was always making you laugh. sam was a massive dork but you liked that about him. but you liked, Quinn, right? it was hard to work through feelings that didn't matter because they were dating each other. only... that wasn't how things worked out. Quinn kissed you first and it fucked you up. riddled you with so much guilt you had to avoid her for days. cheating was definitely not something you wanted to be a part of. you couldn't even look at sam. and then when he kissed you, it was like the world was crumbling down around you. nobody wanted you before but now suddenly two people wanted you at the same time and they both just happened to be dating each other. looking back, it was silly how worked up you got, considering you're now actively just a part of their relationship. open relationship? throuple? the terminology really didn't matter.

" so Santana was telling me that as long as we empty the bowl, they'll keep bringing us more," grabbing a breadstick, you snap it in two before taking a bite.  "so we could walk outta here with like a hundred of these things."

"wait for real?" Sam perks up from across the booth where he is sat beside Quinn. "do people actually do that"

a quick shrug of your shoulders. "dunno. maybe we should try it. I'll start filling my bag with them."

"nobody is stealing breadsticks."

"it's not stealing if they gave them to us, Quinn," you take another bite. "we're just saving them for later."

"no." a loud huff followed by the sound of ceramic scrapping across the table as Quinn moves the bowl. "now can we talk about the elephant in the room?"

"Sure," placing your pieces of breadstick down on small side places, you sit up straighter to convey your seriousness. "do you also think sam needs a haircut? it's getting a little long in the front." reaching across the table, you run your fingers through his hair. "maybe it's time for a change, I think you'd look really sexy with short hair."

the blonde boy just slaps your hand away, fixing his precious hair. "you don't like my hair?" he turns sharply to Quinn. "do you think I need a haircut."

"your hair is fine," Quinn insisted, clearly getting a little flustered. "I was obviously talking about prom."

a roll of your eyes, you glance away from the table to lock eyes with the waiter heading your way. thank god, a distraction. "hi, yes, we're about ready to order."

it's polite smiles all around as you each go over your order, avoiding any unwanted chatter as to make it as quick and painless for all involved. but as he walks away, you can feel Quinn's eyes burning into you already. the word prom just dying to fall past her sweet lips. "maybe I should cut it a little in the front."

"I mean, I like it but sometimes I wonder if you can see past all that hair," you tease. "just a trim, maybe? you're plenty cute either way."

"How can you be so calm about this?"

"About what?" the blonde huff again only to be interrupted by the waiter bringing drinks. polite thank yous until he's gone and the smile on Quinn's face washes away just as quickly.

"you know what," cold eyes bore down upon you. "why aren't you going to prom?"

"urgh Quinn," an exaggerated groan. "let it go."

"you can't just not go," you take a sip of your drink in preparation for the upcoming battle. "it's prom."

"It's a silly dance," you express, leaning back against the plush fabric of the booth. how many times would you have to go over this? "I don't see what the big deal is?"

"It's not just a silly dance, it's prom." she reiterates like you're supposed to suddenly supposed to care more. "tell her,"

quinn shoved her elbow into the side of the boy a little too aggressively, taking him by surprise. luckily, he didn't spit out his drink but some did manage to slip past her lips. "oh yeah, totally. you should definitely come."

"way to really sell it, Sam. definitely want to go now."

"I don't understand why you wouldn't want to go," Quinn takes her own drink in hand. "we'll both be there and the rest of glee club so it's not like you'll be alone."

the thing about dating Quinn Fabray was that no matter what she did or how angry she got, she was truly a sight to behold. ever so pretty, you can't help but just stop and admire her. watching as she brings her glass to her lips to take a sip of her own drink. you wonder if you should tell the truth here or just keep biting your tongue. just letting the topic run it's course would allow you to keep your secrets while not upsetting anyone too much. "I'd just rather stay home." you offer a small smile, swirling a straw around the edge of your glass. "might watch Carrie or something."

"classic movie," sam comments earning himself a less than favourable look from his girlfriend. his other girlfriend.

"you can watch movies any time but prom is only one night,"

"but that's just not true, is it? there will be another one next year."

"Please come," Quinn reaches across the table for your hand. "I want you to see me win prom queen."

"Can we talk about something else?" you suggest, pulling your hand away. She was always extra touch feely when she wanted something. worked half the time too. "have you seen Carrie, Quinn?"

"how about we talk about the real reason you don't want to go to prom?"

"how about we don't," you hum. "you know a lot of kids from McKinley come here, don't want potential voters to overhear our little date, now do you?"

that was enough to shut down any more talk about prom, at least for now. quinn was many things and one of them was predictable. a high level of importance placed upon appearances; labels were a big thing at school so it's not entirely without reason. you cared a lot less about being perceived as cool. however, you understood why your relationship was being kept a secret. your school wasn't exactly filled with open-minded individuals. and while sam would probably get high fives from his pals for having not one but two girls. your fate, alongside Quinn's, was the be branded as sluts or whores with just a hint of homophobia. if they couldn't handle Kurt, it's a pretty safe bet that your fluid situation wasn't going to go down well.

The thing about dating three people is dividing up time. at first, the three of you would pretty always spend time in threes. then you quickly realised that wasn't necessary at all. just because you were dating didn't mean, you had to all be together all of the time. you could hang out in pairs. today was just you and sam. it had been his idea to come to colour me mine. you didn't mind though, you quite liked it here. it was peaceful. and while you're not the best painter here, you're definitely not the worst. sam, on the other hand, was surprisingly great at this. you enjoy watching him paint; the way his brow crinkles when he concentrates. today he was working on two ceramic dinosaurs. one big, one tiny. it's adorable how into this he gets.

"god we haven't been here in ages." you comment, watching the little over sam's shoulder mix paint together. a bad idea, if you've ever seen one. "gives me war flashbacks."

"war flashbacks?" with a steady hand, sam carefully runs his brush along the larger of the two dinosaurs. it leaves behind a distinct red.

"the shark mug?" is all it takes for a massive grin to appear.

"the shark mug," he repeats. the first time you ever came here with sam, there was but one ceramic mug fashioned after a shark left. obviously, you both wanted it but sam nearly tackled you to get it. He did a mighty fine job of painting it too. "do you still have it?"

"I do," in the end, he had given it to you. said it was better off with you than inevitably breaking at his place. that had probably been the plan all along but you just went along with it "it's my favourite mug. i won't let anyone else use it just in case they break it."

"you love it that much, huh?" a quick glance at you, as he turns the ceramic dinosaur around to paint the other side. you nod despite him being completely unaware.

"of course. you gave it to me after all," you dab a paintbrush in some water and start working on your own creation.

"doesn't take much for me to make a masterpiece," he teases, you flick some water at him in response. a few moments of silence pass by, or at least, you two aren't talking. the rest of the place is pretty hectic with kids and stuff.

"Are you doing okay?" Sam asks abruptly.

"what do you mean?" your expression morphs into that of confusion as you look at him. there was no reason to suspect something was wrong. did he think the silence was awkward? you certainly hadn't. or maybe he was worried about how little you had painted so far. that wasn't a reflection of your enjoyment level, instead you were just indecisive. "I'm fine. I'm not that bad at painting, am I?"

"wouldn't know, you've hardly done anything,"

"that's not-" you look to your trinket plate. still as cream-coloured as when you started. "I can't decide on a colour, okay?"

"Good to know," the corner of his lips perks up into a brief smile. "but I actually meant with Quinn."

"Quinn?"

he doesn't answer right away. instead, he finishes the spot he's working on before pausing altogether and placing his attention on you. he catches your eyes for just a second before you look away. it's almost a worry that he's looking for answers in them even if that was impossible. "Quinn can be... a lot. she's pretty intense and she's dialled that up to like a hundred so I wanna make sure you're good."

"is that why you brought me here?" the question leaves your lips quietly as you take your brush and dip it in some paint.

again with the pauses. you wonder if he's thinking about what he says before he blurts it out. "it's not the only reason,"

sam was right. quinn can be pretty intense but you never saw that as a bad thing. you don't necessarily think sam sees it as a bad thing either but the way he brought it up only brings up questions. does he think you can't handle her? was this jealousy rearing its ugly head? or did he just care enough to bring you here to see where your heads at? that sounded more like him.

"Quinn is passionate," you begin, trying to reassure him with a smile that you're not sure is convincing. "i like how excited she is, i just..." trailing off, you sigh a little. "it's fine. I'm good as long as you guys are."

"...and prom?"

"-don't you start"

"I'm not. if you don't want to go, that's cool."

the prom question was a little suspicious so begs the question was Quinn involved here?" "did Quinn put you up to this?"

his head shakes from side to side, and a blob of red paint drops to the table. "prom is what most people are talking about, thought I'd see if your mind has changed."

"it hasn't."

"that's fine too." the conversation dies there. you both go back to focusing on the task at hand with the occasional idle chatter. you finish your little dish first but that's probably because you had less to work on. Sam is still finishing up the smaller of his two dinos. big is red and purple, Small is purple and red. Once all was done and dusted, you follow sam out of the building onto the busy street. The sun was low in the sky and it was getting chilly.

"why'd you go for dinosaurs?"

"felt like it," he shrugs. "why'd you paint a dish?"

"It's not a dish, it's for trinkets," you correct.

"So it's a trinket dish, then. Still a dish."

"Shush," you hiss. "do you... wanna come to my place?"

"can't." he hums. "babysitting."

"oh... maybe I could help with that? if you want me to like, it's fine if not?"

"Actually Quinn already offered." he offers a smile. you don't press the matter. "we've got some work we need to do so."

"oh. okay, cool." you return the smile. "you at least taking me home?"

"of course. i am a gentleman after all."

"barely," you tease, bumping your shoulder against his.

stood outside your door, your eyes trail over your boyfriend. "thanks for today. it was just what I needed."

"you were just my excuse to go but you're welcome." it's hard to tell if he's joking or not but it brings a smile all the same. "do i get extra points for painting the little dinosaur just so I can give it to you?" this time you know it's a joke as he pulls out the ceramic dinosaur wrapped in tissue paper out his pocket. "matches the bigger one- thought it would cute or whatever."

"you'd get more points if it had been the bigger one," you play along, smile growing. what a massive dork. "thanks. I'll cherish him always." you take a step forward. "have fun with Quinn tonight. hope she's not too crazy."

"she's always just the right amount of crazy." a laugh bubbles in your throat.

"don't miss me too much." leaning in, you press a kiss to his lips.

"How could I not," you just roll your eyes before waving goodbye and heading for your door.

the weekend fast approaches. you've been facetiming Quinn for quite a few hours now as she picks out potential prom dresses with her mother. your phone propped up against a pencil case on your bed. why she needed your help when she was plenty stylish on her own is beyond you but you're more than happy to help. you kinda wonder how she hasn't gotten bored yet because you definitely would have but you'd never say that.

"It's really pretty," how many dresses was she gonna go through. "but I'm not too sure about the colour."

"lighter or darker?"

a soft hum. "not sure. depends."

"you're such a big help. thank you." do you detect sarcasm in her voice? it's amusing.

"if given the chance would you want to perform a solo at nationals?"

"what are you on about?" Quinn wonders.

"I'm working on a list of potential ideas for prom and nationals. so if you had the chance would you want a solo?"

"I thought you wanted a solo?"

you skim the screen. quinn is currently holding a dress in front of herself as stares into a mirror. " Mr. Schue is never gonna give me one."

"you've been practising right? so why wouldn't he?" Quinn continues. ever the optimist when it came to you. "you're just as good as anyone else."

a snort of a laugh. "hardly."

"we'll i think you'd smash a solo," turning to the camera, Quinn holds up a yellow dress. "thoughts?"

"how do you not already have a dress picked out?" a curious brow raise. "that shade of yellow will wash you out."

"too many options." she shrugs. "I need help narrowing down."

"you still haven't answered my question."

a sigh. "fine. yeah, probably. if it's an option, I'd do a solo."

"Great," you go back to scribbling down on your piece of paper.

"Have you thought about what you'll be wearing for prom?"

and there it was. it's like she can't help herself. "I don't really plan outfits to sit on my couch."

"Please come."

"we're not doing this now." you huff. skipping over Quinn's name to move on to Rachel. she could and would sing just about anything.

"I want you there."

"There will be plenty of other people to watch you win." you insist, glancing at the camera.

"I don't just want you there for that. you're my gir- friend. you're my best friend and I don't want you to miss out."

"Nice save, where's your mom?" the camera pans to Judy rummaging through a rack of dresses. she waves a little.

"how about I come over tonight?"

"what for?"

"to see you, obviously."

"how about you keep trying on dresses."

"I'm coming over." she declares. "do you think I'd look good in orange?"

"you'd look good in anything."

true to her word, a few hours later, the bedroom door opens and in walks the ever beautiful Quinn Fabray in all her glory. as inevitable as the dreaded prom conversation was, you can't help but be happy to see her. the bed dips beside you and a pair of arms wrap around you from behind as she lets herself lay on the bed with you.

"hey," mumbled softly in your ear.

"hey," you smile. "how's my girl doing?"

"she's good- still working on your set list?" you nod a little. reaching up you loosen her grip on you in order to spin around so you're looking up at the girl. she wears a gentle smile.

"I'm picking songs that I think play to everyone's individual strengths so it's taking forever," you express, picking up your list, you hold it so it's blocking her face. "so many songs."

plucked from your fingers, the other girl tosses the paper off to the side. "maybe it's time you take a break."

"I need to get it done before glee club," there's a slight whine to your voice as you shift to collect the paper. a hand placed against your chest, your pushed back down against the bed.

"your girlfriend came all this way to see you and all you can think about is glee club."

"you came all this way to talk about prom, not to see me," you argue.

she leans in very close, her breath pricking at your skin "I can do both." a gentle, slow kiss pressed to your lips. "can't I?" such a tease. "still thinking about glee club?"

"little bit," your smile broadens. quinn lingers close with an all too familiar smirk. "maybe kiss me again just to really get my attention."

with a roll of her eyes, the girl fulfils your request. delicate lips brush against yours in such a painfully quick embrace that as she goes to back away, you reach up to pull her closer. hands gracing the perfect curve of her jaw. you can feel her smile into the kiss. it's raw. it's passionate. you never want to let her go. quinn deepens the kiss, clearly getting into just as much as you; bottom lip pulled gently between her teeth as she pulls away just a tad. "better?"

"glee club who?" whispered against her lips.

"Such a pretty girl," she leans in once more, a feather-like kiss lasts but a second. "imagine how much fun we could have if you came to prom with me and sam?"

"that's not very head of the celibacy club of you, now is it Miss. Fabray?"

"you know what I mean,"

you lean up to peck her lips. "I do... but it's not like we can be open at prom anyway so."

you watch that pretty smile fade as sg sits up on the bed. crossing her legs, you do the same opposite her. "can you be straight with me?"

"not really, I'm gay babe."

"Haha, no."

"depends on what you're about to ask." you insist.

"tell me the real reason you don't want to go to prom and I promise I'll never bring it up again."

"isn't I don't want to go good enough?"

"not when it's not the truth." Quinn urges.

"tell me why you've been so distant with me recently?" you ask back.

"Distant?" she questions.

"you and sam have both been avoiding me recently. working on something in secret." she looks to you with an indecipherable expression. there's a pause.

"Answer my question first."

you sigh softly, looking down to your hands. you didn't really know what to say to her. how to express your feelings in a way that wasn't insensitive or would hurt her feelings. you also weren't sure yourself, if you were being honest. feelings were complicated. "i did wanna go to prom but..."

"But?"

"I just don't see the point." you shrug.

"why though?"

"it's silly."

forefinger placed under your chin, she forces you to meet her gaze. "tell me."

"I would have liked to be asked."

"I thought that guy on the-"

"two guys on the football team asked me actually," you interrupt. "I obviously said no."

"why?"

"funnily enough, I'm actually dating someone so," you quip but your heart is hardly in it. "I wanted you or sam to ask me."

"Oh,"

"yeah... oh." you hum. "it's fine though."

"I've asked you to come." Quinn continues, she takes your hands in hers. thumbs brushing over the back of your hands. "this is me asking you, right now."

"Quinn, no, you... you know what I mean." you gaze at your hands in hers. "I want the full stupid prom experience. matching colours. a corsage. I wanna slow dance with my prom queen of a girlfriend and have everyone else be insanely jealous. i just want this- us, to be normal. and I know it's selfish but yeah, that's why I don't want to go." you explain. "I'm not gonna stand on the sidelines and watch you pretend with sam. so if we can't tell everyone then I'm gonna stay home, okay."

"Okay." your brow furrows. wow. she was just gonna accept that? it was really that easy?

"okay?"

"Okay," Quinn repeats. "I'd rather you be there but I'm done pressuring you. stay home, maybe me and sam can come by after and watch... what was it called? Carrie?"

"I would like that." you nod a little, a smile tugging at your lips.

"you're so stupid."

"What?" abrupt insult there.

"Nothing," she smiles, ". I never realised you'd be so into the whole cheesy couple stuff. it's cute- you're very cute."

"I should get back to my list." pulling your hands away, you search your floor for the paper she tossed away earlier. "you should go."

"Really?"

"yeah." Quinn shuffles off and you go back to lying on your bed with the setlist in front of you. she stands there watching you, or that's what you assume because you don't look at her. she hasn't done anything wrong you're just no longer in the mood to talk. guess you expected her to change her mind about coming forward or something instead of just agreeing you should stay home.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"mhmm," you nod. after a moment in silence, your bedroom door opens and closes.

it's been a few days since your talk with Quinn. you felt bad afterwards but every attempt to talk to her had fallen flat. almost like she'd been avoiding you. when you do manage to catch her, she refuses to acknowledge it even happened. Sam seems to be ignoring you too. any excuse to avoid being around you. it's weird. another day in glee club. only this time, you're in the front row while sam and Quinn are in the back. they normally save you a seat but they didn't. you're next to Rachel and Tina.

"so I hope you guys have ideas for what we can do." Mr. schue states as he steps into the choir room.

"Actually Mr. schue, sam and I have been working on something." that was Quinn. could this be the secret project they had been working on? they could have just told you they were doing a duet for glee club. you wouldn't have minded.

"Great, let's hear it."

they step down and take centre stage in the choir room. "so this isn't actually part of the assignment but it is about prom so," sam starts.

"hope that's okay." Quinn continues.

"we already know you want our votes, you don't have to torture us too," Santana remarks.

"constructive comments only, please" Mr. Schue declares, a poor attempt at scolding Santana.

"i just wanna add-"

"get on with it," Santana blurts, interrupting sam. it attains some chuckles.

"This is dedicated to our girlfriend." did he just say our girlfriend? was that a slip of the tongue? a mistake that everyone would just brush off because he was dating Quinn. they were both looking at you which made you reevaluate your position in the room. glancing at the other members of the glee club to see if they had also noticed. melodic notes fall from the strings of sam's guitar.

In the morning when I wake And the sun is coming through Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness And you fill my head with you Shall I write it in a letter? Shall I try to get it down? Oh, you fill my head with pieces Of a song, I can't get out

Can I be close to you? Oh-oh-oh-ooh, ooh Can I be close to you? Ooh, ooh

Can I take it to a morning Where the fields are painted gold And the trees are filled with memories Of the feelings never told? When the evening pulls the sun down And the day is almost through

Quinn walks on over, holding out her hand for you. with wide eyes, you're not sure what to do. the song was pretty. their voices compliment each other well. but why was she singling you out here? reluctantly, you take her hand.

Oh, the whole world is sleeping

quinn pulls hard and you stumble up into her. she catches you, whispering the next line in your ear.

But my world is you

Can I be close to you (ah)? Ooh (aah), ooh (aah) Can I be close to you (ah)? Ooh (aah), ooh (aah)

sam continues the melody as you stand between them. staring out at a sea of very confused faces. safe to say, even you're a little lost. what happened to keeping everything a secret? you've never had someone sing you a song before especially not one so... flowery and romantic. as confusing as this all was, it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. you couldn't stop the smile on your face. big and bright and incredibly embarrassed. and then out of nowhere, Quinn kisses you in front of everyone. not an ounce of hesitation on her part but plenty on yours. you're shocked at first but quickly relax into the embrace.

Can I be close to you (ah)? Ooh (aah), ooh (aah) Can I be close to you (ah)? Ooh (aah), ooh (aah) Can I be close to you? Ooh, ooh

claps all around for the immaculate pair. a captivating duet worthy of praise. you can't help but think such a lovely song was wasted on the likes of you. hardly worth the effort.

"what's going on here?" you glance between the two blondes on either side of you. they both wear Cheshire cat smiles. cheerful and light.

"you're hardly as subtle as you like to think you are," Quinn begins, taking your hand once more.

"so I have to be the one to ask," Sam takes over, "you wanna go to prom with us?"

if it wasn't physically impossible, you would swear that your heart stopped. a tidal wave of heat crashing over you because in that instant everything stopped. the sound of your fellow glee club members drowned out by a simple question. in that second it may as well have just been you, sam and Quinn in that room.

"like for real?"

"matching colours. corsages. the slow dance and all." Quinn hums, squeezing your hand gently. "we want you there. with us."

[esmeriandreamer]

So I've been going through some old roleplays I've done with people, and one of the stories I wrote with my friend is just.. the perfect plot for a Dreamling fic??? Like, it fits these two so well, and I might write it myself- But if anyone in the fandom is inspired by this, feel free to take the idea! and also link me to it please and thank you <3

(Please note: This would be a medieval fantasy AU where there is magic, but the Endless siblings aren't their actual anthropomorphic personifications. Maybe they have minor powers over their domains, or they just have their nicknames, I say go wild with it-)

Okay. Let us set the scene.

Through some shape or form, Morpheus, one of the Endless princes, is cursed to see his first spouse die in a horrific way before his eyes. This, of course, scares away any potential suitor when they find out about this curse, because fuck that, they're not too keen on dying in a horrific way??

So, the king and queen decide on a plan; Morpheus will just have to marry some commoner who nobody would really miss, somebody who would've probably keeled over from illness within a month or three, so the curse will claim them and Morpheus will be free to find someone he wants to marry without y'know, constantly fearing he'll see them die a traumatizing death-

Enter Hob Gadling, an ex-soldier with no family, who the royal guards just plucked out of a local tavern, under the guise of "providing a special service for his country". He gets taken to the palace and is freshened up a bit, before going straight towards the chapel to marry the prince.

Morpheus is very much Not Pleased with all this, and after the wedding ceremony, once they are alone, he tells Hob about the curse. That he doesn't know when Hob will die, could be hours, days, months, or even years, but he will be dying a gruesome death and Morpheus will be forced to watch it happen. So, y'know, he's sorry this guy had to be roped into all this, he seems nice, it's a shame he'll have to die.

Yet Hob seems to take it pretty well, for someone who's been told they are now fated to die in terrible pain and all that jazz. He just smiles and basically goes "Welp, then I'll enjoy the remaining time I've got I guess- Life is still very rich and I intend to enjoy it by your side, your highness."

Morpheus can't help but admire the other's optimism a bit, but he tells himself that no matter what, he will not get attached to this man, because it'll only hurt more in the end. He tries to avoid Hob at the castle, but fate/the Plot keeps steering them back together into the same space, and spoiler alert, the prince starts to like this guy more and more, even though he knows it's gonna hurt when Hob perishes.

And then one day, while out on a ride together or something, Hob gets kicked in the chest by a horse, which would be breaking every rib and undoubtedly puncturing all the possible organs in that region of the body. And Morpheus, as stated by the curse, has front-row seats to the "Watching your husband choke to death on his own blood" show, sitting there all alone.

Only problem is... Hob doesn't die..? Like, he's clearly choking, but the bruises seem to slowly.. disappear? And he slowly stops choking on his own breath?? He even begins to cough and sit up???

Cue Morpheus freaking the hell out because huh???? How the fuck??? And Hob is just complaining that ow, fuck, that hurt like a bitch, can he please get some water?

More incidents like this start happening, to everyone's confusion but Hob, who seems to believe he's just ah.. very sturdy.

Hob's food gets poisoned with something that would've killed three grown men, and he gets violently ill, but a week later he's back to normal, and the spy on the staff who did the poisoning gets exposed because they cannot hide their extreme confusion as to how someone survived a triple dose of Night's Kiss???

Someone's fire spell goes wrong and Hob should've been burned to a crisp, but he's only got some first and second-degree burns, that'll heal, he's sadder about the fact that one of his fave new outfits got destroyed :c

A drop from the tower, the tallest one in the kingdom? Yeah, that one. Geez, it was high, and he has some broken bones, but he'll be okay, bones heal within a month anyway, right? (Right?, he asks, to a horrified but kind of impressed Morpheus, who can't even bring himself to tell Hob no at this point-)

Hob falls into a very strong river current, which sweeps him under and must surely drown him ten times over, but two hours or so later, Morpheus is met with a very soaked and chilly Hob, who climbed out of the river a few miles downstream and look, he even caught his prince a fish or three during his little adventure ^^

It's not until Hob 'dies' in a way that cannot be explained by having a strong immune system or being able to muscle through some pain, like.. I dunno, a decapitation or something, that Hob goes "Wait a second, weird idea, but maybe I'm immortal?"

"YOU THINK???" - Morpheus, on the verge of a nervous breakdown at this point-

And also at this point they realize that wait a fucking second, Hob literally cannot die, and the curse cannot pass on to a second spouse, holy shit, Morpheus gets to keep him- And it'll be cute and whoever/whatever gave Hob immortality in the first place goes "Okay, sure, your hubby can live forever too, here you go-"

Really tempted to write it now, but feel free to steal this word vomit idea of mine if you want- xD